Which dead characters should return to TV?
Posted: Monday, November 10, 2008 6:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
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TV
Dr. Mark Greene is making a well-publicized return visit to NBC's "ER" this week. Yes, it's only in flashback, but I've seen the episode, and it's jolting to see Greene's character again. I stopped watching "ER" shortly after his character was killed off -- not specifically because of his death, but because the show was feeling dreary and uber-depressing to me, and I hated the "very special episode" sense to the plots. (Every other week, it seemed, the whole ER was quarantined, or taken hostage.)
But the flashback is intriguing.
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Dr. Mark Greene is coming back to "ER," but only in flashback.
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It started me thinking: Plenty of TV shows have killed off characters, with varying degrees of success. Some characters were beloved, some were hated, some just didn't work. Some were offed because the actor didn't want to be on the show any more, others for plot purposes. And still others, of course, weren't killed off, but just moved to Seattle (Dr. Ross on "ER"), went to prison (Paul Young on "Desperate Housewives") or transferred to the Utica branch (Karen on "The Office").
Let's talk about the long-gone characters we'd like to see visit their old shows once again.
I already let slip three of my suggestions above. Who wouldn't want to see Dr. Doug Ross (played, of course, by George Clooney) walking around those County General halls again? Yes, he's a giant superstar now and it's unlikely to happen, but rumors keep flying. I'd want Nurse Hathaway to come back with him, of course.
"Desperate Housewives" kills off characters nearly every season. Paul Young, who raised son Zach/Dana after his wife Mary Alice killed the boy's mother, isn't dead, but he's in jail, last we heard. I'm sure he'll eventually make a return appearance -- that plot line doesn't feel finished to me. (Remember how Felicia Tillman CUT OFF two of her own fingers to try and frame Paul? There is such a thing as taking your revenge too far.) Oddly, I don't care if Paul's son, Zach, ever comes back. That kid bugged me.
But really, the most missed "Housewives" character for me is Rex Van De Kamp, Bree's first husband. Killed off by bad medicine given him by lovesick pharmacist George, Rex brought some sanity to Bree's household, and his death was a shock. New husband Orson's growing on me, though that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to find that Rex wasn't really dead. (I know, I know, we saw him in the coffin...) He occasionally shows up in flashbacks, but I wish there was a way for him to know Bree didn't really kill him.
This week's "Grey's Anatomy" reminded me: I miss Denny Duquette. I'd easily trade whiny Izzie off the show to get Denny back as a regular. I also liked "the bomb-squad guy," as Meredith so tactfully referred to Kyle Chandler's Dylan Young (he was nominated for an Emmy for that role). Unfortunately, despite Izzie still talking to him occasionally, Denny is dead, dead, dead, and Dylan was blown into a million zillion pieces, some of which ended up on Meredith. Plus Kyle Chandler has a show of his own in "Friday Night Lights," so that Humpty Dumpty isn't getting put together again.
On "The Office," I'm delighted that Andy Bernard came back from anger-management training and is once again a permanent employee at the Scranton branch. But I wouldn't mind seeing his former Stamford colleague, Karen Filippelli, make a return visit or two. She did appear in the episode where Michael, Dwight and an unwilling Jim went to prank her branch for trying to recruit Stanley. Possible spoiler: According to Wikipedia, I'll get my wish this season.
Which characters would you like to see return to your shows, and how would you bring about the return? Tell us in the comments.
