10 Most Satisfying TV Character Deaths Of The Past Decade
Boy, were we glad to see these characters get theirs.
There's a strange but undeniable pleasurable to be taken from a great villain; a character we love to hate, or sometimes hate to love.
The more contemptible they are, the more compelling they become. In their cruelty, inhumanity and sadism, these figures come to embody the frustrations of our own lives, from the minor annoyances of day-to-day existence to larger-scale, global, sociopolitical anxieties.
Our hope to see the good guys prevail is equidistant to our desire to see the bad guys get their just desserts, preferably in as unpleasant a manner as possible... even if, in their back of our minds, there's the nagging suspicion that the story may be a lot less interesting once they're out of the picture. (Luke Cage/Cottonmouth, I'm looking in your direction.)
The recent advances in TV drama - both in artistic/creative terms, and allowance for the sort of explicit content that wouldn't have been allowed in decades past - have led to the format giving us many of the most deliciously detestable characters to have graced screens in recent years.
After all, a movie may give us 90-120 minutes to grow to hate a character; TV gives us hours, weeks, maybe months or even years of build-up... which makes the ultimate pay-off all the more rewarding.
Spoilers ahead, naturally.
10. Agent Stahl - Sons Of Anarchy
Identity of Deceased: June Stahl, a corrupt ATF agent investigating the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club. Portrayed by Ally Walker.
Time of Death: 'NS' - Season 3, Episode 13 (first broadcast 7th September 2010).
Cause of Death: Shot in the head by SAMCRO member Opie (Ryan Hurst).
Why It Was So Satisfying: Introduced midway through Sons of Anarchy season one, Stahl went from a thorn in the side of SAMCRO to the direct root of many of their problems.
Her attempts to get Opie to turn informant resulted in the death of Opie's wife; later she framed Gemma (Katey Sagal) for a murder that she herself had committed, which in turn led to the abduction of Jax (Charlie Hunnam)'s baby son.
After all her remorseless duplicity, she just had to get hers, and it was only fitting that Opie be the one to see to it.