issue 26 // volume 40

arts // 7

Coping with the deaths of fictional characters

» Saying goodbye to our favourites

Cazzy Lewchuk
Staff Writer

 

hese days prominent

characters are being killed
off during the run of our
favourite TV shows more than
ever. Whether it be Degrassi,
The Good Wife, Boardwalk
Empire, Game of Thrones
(almost everyone!), The
Walking Dead (ditto), or Teen
Wolf, it seems no character is
safe from a tragic ending. A

ensues when this happens,
both amongst the show’s
cast and the viewers who are
emotionally invested.

To avoid spoilers, I will
refrain from using specific
character names so we can all

favourite character dies.

The response by fans to
major characters kicking the
bucket is often manifested
in interesting ways. Recently,
MTV launched a website
where fans can mourn the
death of a major character
on Teen Wolf. The site, www.
TeenWolfMemorial.com,
features tribute videos, fans

death, and even cast eulogies.
The latest fan comment
states: “When I saw [this

heartbroken and bawling my
eyes out. [The deceased] was
always such an inspirational

: always be alive in my heart.”

Such TV deaths are

: frequently marked by large

: social media reactions, fan

: tributes, or even entire tribute
: episodes. These are usually

: characters who the viewers

: have been invested in for years.
: They had personality, growth,
: and often a genuine charm. A

: character death can initially

: be as devastating to the viewer
: as if they knew them in real

: life, especially if they were a

: favourite on the show.

For me, I remember when a

: prominent character died near
genuine mourning period often : the end of Breaking Bad. The

: actor portrayed the character

: beautifully and they were

: one of my favourites. I sort of

: knew it was coming, but the

: rest of the series was definitely
: missing their presence after the
: death. The characters replacing
experience the “feels” when our : them weren't nearly as exciting
: to watch.

So I went back and re-

: watched the seasons where the
: dead character was still alive,

: which worked pretty well in

: helping to deal with the loss.

: It also helped that Breaking

: Bad is the type of show that

: can be watched over and

: over again. Watching reruns

: of a show where a deceased
discussing their feelings on the : favourite character is still alive
: can be just as enjoyable as new
: episodes after their death.

But it isn’t just TV

character] die, I was absolutely : that’s guilty of emotionally

: devastating deaths. Many

: book series and movies are

: equally ruthless in their offing
character, and to me [they] will : of beloved characters. Many
: times, a character’s death in

: a book can be sadder than

: on screen. One major death

: scene in the.A Song of Ice and
: Fire series was much more

: emotional while reading it

: than watching it on Game of
: Thrones because the entire

: chapter was told from that

: character’s perspective.

: Having it end suddenly due

: to their death was incredibly
: unexpected and heart-

: wrenching. While the show

: portrayed it well, most viewers
: were accustomed to frequent
: deaths and violence by that

: point in the series, soa gory,

: on-screen, sudden death had
: less impact than the book’s

: version.

Sometimes a deceased

: character even returns,

: whether for plot purposes

: or by popular demand. The

: Harry Potter series, A Song of
: Ice and Fire, and the Avengers
: movies—all of which span

: multiple forms of media—have
: all featured characters whose

: deaths didn't stop them from

: appearing again in some form.
: Whether it be flashbacks or

: ghosts, not being alive doesn't
: mean we've seen the last of

: a beloved character. In some

: cases, the character will be

: resurrected somehow and

: brought back to the show—

: especially if they were a fan

: favourite.

While fans openly discuss

: their feelings online after a

: character’s death and binge

: watch old episodes where the

: character is still alive, in time

: the show’s plot goes on and the
: character fades into a memory.

 

Ce ‘ee ote ea

heft

Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series
By wwwstatic.comicvine.com

 

A game of bureaucracy and backstabbing

» ‘Lords of Waterdeep’ review

Ed Appleby

» /lustrator

BH Millustrator
@theotherpress.ca

 

o you love the myth and

magic of high fantasy,
but dislike crawling through
dungeons getting your silk
doublet all musty? Then
consider Lords of Waterdeep,
designed by Peter Lee and
Rodney Thompson and
published by Wizards of the
Coast, for two to five players.

In the game, you use your
agents to collect gold and send
your adventurers on quests to
increase your own power and
influence. Points are collected

: throughout the game’s eight
: turns by completing quests,
: building structures, forging
: alliances, and betraying other
players.

Some players may be

: leery about the game due to

: its Dungeons and Dragons

: pedigree and Forgotten Realms

setting, but the setting is purely
: cosmetic and the gameplay has
: its roots in euro-style board

: games that emphasize strategy

: and economics while keeping

: play very even until the end.

: Although points are scored

: during the game, the majority

: of points are calculated after

: the game has ended. That’s

: where you see if your long-

: term strategy and surreptitious
: plotting have really paid off.

Lords of Waterdeep does

: suffer from a “surplus of

: strategy,” where strategy plays

: sucha large part that players are
: often waiting for someone else

? to make a move, which can lead
: to frustration and distraction.
This problem exists with most

: euro-style board games and

: games of strategy like chess.
But if there is one problem fora
: game to have, this is a good one
:; because it means players need

: skill to succeed.

If you love strategy, this

game is amazing! Not only

: have I played this hour-long
: game several times, I also

: have never lost. But I know it
: is only a matter of time until
: [am unseated as the Lord of
: Waterdeep.

 

Lords of Waterdeep // By Ed Appleby