10 Horrifically Violent TV Character Deaths That Traumatised The Fans

3. Hannibal: Beverly's Dissection

It never ceases to amaze how much Hannibal can get away with for a network show. Its content would usually be at home on an HBO or Showtime series, but Hannibal has, literally and figuratively, gotten away with murder on NBC. A combination of CSI and any program on the Food Network, it never shies away from the grotesque nature of Hannibal Lecter's hobbies. The most brutal death from Hannibal was shown in a recent episode where Beverly Katz, a forensic investigator in Jack Crawford's department, discovers what Hannibal is and is confronted by the good doctor. Once she is unconscious, Hannibal freezes her to preserve her body and slices it into neat sections and puts them on display as if they were a museum piece. Audiences know it's bad when even Freddie Lounds, the vile tabloid reporter, is moved to compassion, telling Jack to send someone else to look at the body. Later Jack and his team discover Beverly's kidneys have been replaced and Hannibal is seen cooking a very fine dinner for himself, smiling as he cuts up and eats a what we can only assume to be the offending bodypart. Previously Hannibal had only been seen killing or eating characters he considered 'rude' or unworthy of life. This time, however, he's killed and eaten not only an established character, but one of the heroes and one of Will Graham's strongest allie. Beverly's death makes the flash-forward in the Season 2 premiere all the more impactful.