Television shows are great because they let us immerse into a world that distracts us from our reality. Be it stressful decisions, job issues, school work you need to do, or anything else in your world that you are trying to avoid, TV shows are always there. We love TV, especially in today's world. But what happens when the connections we make with characters are cut short? What happens when the TV show's writers decide to kill a character off? Well, nothing good. When the characters we so lovingly bonded with, even if it was just one-sided, leave a show or are killed off, our emotions go all over the place and sadness usually skyrockets. So what do the five stages of grief we go through when our beloved TV character-friends leave look like? Well, you're here to find out.
1. Denial
Denial comes first. You deny that any character has ever left any TV show you ever liked. Unless they are the characters you didn't like, of course. You stop watching that show in order to deny the fact that your beloved character has "moved on." George O'Malley? No, he is still on "Grey's Anatomy." He did not get hit by a bus and he did not die. We need to have our 007 still, OK?!
2. Anger
You scream. You cry. You yell at the show's writers for being so reckless in their decisions to kill off your favorite character! Don't they know that George was so fabulously awkward and adorable on "Grey's Anatomy"? Don't they know that George was your favorite? Pure anger at the writers.
3. Bargaining
You beg. You cry some more. Anything to bring back your favorite character. You will do anything. Say anything. Be anything. George was your favorite. Please, ABC, we will watch every single episode of "Grey's Anatomy" at 8 p.m. on Thursdays if you just bring back George. Please. We beg of you.
4. Depression
It seems to last forever. The show just isn't the same without our favorite character. How do you still watch this show? How can you look at the other characters the same way? Nothing is right anymore and we don't know how the show can go on. GEORGE JUST DIED HERE, PEOPLE! HOW CAN YOU MOVE ON? Sure, George's death was years ago, but we still aren't over it.
5. Acceptance
This is a rare stage to reach when it comes to our favorite TV characters. The depression stage lasts longer than we'd like to admit and acceptance is hard. We can tell ourselves that the characters are in a better place, but do we ever truly believe that? OK, maybe we will reach the stage of accepting that George is no longer on "Grey's Anatomy" eventually, but until we reach that stage we will always tell ourselves he's still alive and thriving. He didn't really get hit by a bus. The doctors had the wrong person. Meredith read the 007 sign in her hand wrong. OK, so maybe we wen't back to the denial stage. Oops.
