5 Biggest TV Deaths in 2017: Blue Bloods, The Blacklist, Outlander, and more

What are some of the biggest TV deaths of 2017? What makes this such an interesting question is that it really means different things to different people. There are obviously going to be some people who miss characters more than others given that this is largely a matter of personal preference. Some deaths were shocking because they came out of nowhere, whereas some others were depressing even though you knew they were coming. Some were alluded to and others may have been based largely on source material.

If you look below, you can view in total some of our picks for the biggest characters deaths of the year. At the bottom of the article we welcome some of your thoughts!

Ragnar Lothbrok, Vikings – It seems strange to start off this article by breaking one of our own rules, but here we are since Ragnar was technically killed off in the final days of 2016 — after we already had our end-year coverage set. We didn’t have a chance to recognize him then. Travis Fimmel was an incredible force as this character and while you may have known this death was coming, that doesn’t lessen its overall impact or larger contribution to the series.

Tom Keen, The Blacklist – This was a really interesting case of the show teasing a death, and with that making you think that said death wasn’t actually going to happen. When it appeared that Tom died in the flash-forward at the end of The Blacklist season 5 premiere, the assumption was that the show would find a way for him to somehow live. Instead, that twist transformed itself and later because about how Tom died rather than if he did. Consider this a fake-out within a fake-out.

Frank / Black Jack Randall, Outlander – This death is especially notable because you’re talking about two characters played by the same actor in Tobias Menizes who died over the course of just a few weeks. Each one of these deaths was incredibly significant in its own way. When it comes to Frank, Claire lost a man who was a significant part of her life, even if the love wasn’t there. With Black Jack, Jamie lost a tormentor and one of the show’s most notorious villains. Both were equally significant to the show’s overall legacy.

Sharon Raydor, Major Crimes – We write this mere hours before viewers say goodbye to the character on the TNT series, feeling with that still a tremendous sense of loss. What creator James Duff did here was both rare and incredibly controversial — he opted to kill off the person who was #1 on the call sheet mere episodes before the series finale. It was a bold move, but at this point the emotions are so raw that it’s hard to know just what to feel about it for the time being.

Linda Reagan, Blue Bloods – In terms of being one of the most shocking deaths in recent television history, this one has to be at the top of the list. No one knew in advance of the season 7 premiere that Amy Carlson was departing the show; yet, we learned that she was being written out as the character died in a helicopter accident leading into the premiere. Consider this evidence that you don’t have to die onscreen for it to be notable.

Honorable mentions – Rayna James (Nashville), Martin Stein (Legends of Tomorrow), Raina St. Patrick (Power), Peter Quinn (Homeland), Abby Donovan (Ray Donovan), Lady Olenna Tyrell (Game of Thrones).

What were some of the biggest TV deaths of 2017 to you? Share now in the attached comments!

Photo: NBC