12 TV Moments Made Unintentionally Depressing By Real Life Events

When Leo McGarry has a heart attack in Season 6 of The West Wing, it’s already an upsetting scene, but in retrospect, it becomes nearly impossible to get through.

In a dark moment at the end of the episode The Birnam Wood, Leo is forced to resign as White House Chief of Staff. After a heartbreaking fight with President Jed Bartlet, Leo walks through the woods alone and collapses after suffering a massive heart attack. The episode ends with the staff searching for Leo as he lies alone and in pain in the middle of nowhere. 

This scene aired in October 2004, and just over a year later in December 2005, actor John Spencer tragically died of a heart attack at 58. Good luck watching this footage of Spencer essentially acting out his real life death without breaking down into tears.

That feeling continues on in Season 7, and in the first episode when Leo is unsure whether he should be Matt Santos’ vice president, Matt replies that if Leo wants to get out of this, he’ll “have to drum up another heart attack or something.” Spencer would be written off the series after his actual heart attack just three months later.