10 Heartbreaking Times Lead Characters Left TV Shows
6. Paul Hennessy - 8 Simple Rules... For Dating My Teenage Daughter
This one’s especially sad as it was caused by actor John Ritter’s real life death. 8 Simple Rules was typically a rather upbeat show, but when they were forced to write around Ritter’s death, they went raw with it and really hit home.
Just like Ritter’s actual death, Paul’s death comes completely out of the blue. After a run of the mill opening, Cate finds out her husband has died while shopping. The rest of the episode deals with the family, Cate & Bridget in particular, struggling to cope with the fact Paul will no longer be around.
No doubt fuelled by losing John Ritter in real life, the episode is hugely emotional throughout the two parter. Bridget has difficulties coming to terms with the fact that the last words she said to her father were an insult, showing how suddenly Paul (and indeed John) were taken.
The most emotional part comes when Cate reads out Paul’s final column, where he talks about constantly being insulted by his family. He writes about how he would never speak to his father that way, because he was so afraid of him. However, he’s happy his family do, as it means they love him really.