Top 5 TV Fictional Swan Songs *Spoilers*

The official Filmspotting Top 5 this week features actors' last performances, but given the nature of television and television acting careers, I've converted this into a top 5 list of characters who fictionally pass away, with the exception listed in no. 1 below.

1. Mad Men--Pete's dad. I just watched this episode two days ago, but it really is amazing. As mentioned in my last post. (Aigh, it is becoming a Mad Men blog). And it's the only one on the list where the actor has in fact passed away. He played an unforgivable character, but he did so masterfully. A touching tribute to his memory.
2. Curb Your Enthusiasm--Larry's mom. We might as well get a little humor on here. It seems like this episode is over the top, but in fact the part where Larry's dad didn't tell Larry his mom passed away so as not to bother him really happened to my dad. His uncle passed away, and he only found out by accident because his mom didn't want to bother him.
3. Deadwood--Wild Bill Hickok. Wild Bill seems like the only man on the planet who could have stopped everything that came after in Deadwood. It's kind of silly to think he could have stopped Jane's descent into alcoholism, much less the rise of corporate capitalism. But he certainly seemed like he could have.
4. The Wire--Stringer Bell. I've referred to the Wire as Shakespearean and Bell's death at Avon Barksdale's hands is most of what makes it so. It lives up to the three-season build-up it's given.
5. Veronica Mars--Logan's mom. I never would have thought you could redeem a character like Logan Echols, but his mom's death--and his refusal to believe it--made him downright lovable.

Thanks for an irreverent image for a sad list.