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The 13 Most Shocking TV Deaths

We really should've known better. We waited two weeks for Brothers & Sisters'
"shocking death," when all along we should have realized that what the network had
been teasing for weeks (months even, among insiders) in the end wasn't all that
shocking — especially when it didn't even really [Link] well, maybe we're
all patsies. But to make ourselves feel better, after the jump are the TV deaths that
actually delivered a gutshot and had us talking about a character's demise the next day
— for all the right reasons.

Adam Bryant
March 2, 2009, 7:27 a.m. PT

We really should've known better. We waited two weeks for Brothers & Sisters'
"shocking death," when all along we should have realized that what the network
had been teasing for weeks (months even, among insiders) in the end wasn't all
that shocking — especially when it didn't even really happen.
Oh well, maybe we're all patsies. But to make ourselves feel better, here are the
TV deaths that actually delivered a gutshot and had us talking about a character's
demise the next day — for all the right reasons.
13. Dan Conner, Roseanne
Critics attacked the "Roseanne wins the lottery" story arc for betraying the show's
everyman, blue-collar ethos. But Roseanne (the actress-producer, that is) had a
plan all along: In the series finale, it's revealed that the whole shebang was the
product of Roseanne Conner's fertile, writerly mind, a literary defense mechanism
she created after Dan suffered a fatal heart attack at Darlene's wedding.
12. Terry Crowley, The Shield
Before you get all, "What about Lem and the hand grenade?" let us explain. Yes,
Shane blowing his partner to bits was an amazing twist, but it came five seasons
into one of the riskiest and most brutal TV series we've seen; we practically
expected it. On the other hand, Vic Mackey popping a fellow cop to cover up his
unit's misdeeds in the series' pilot caught us completely off guard, and provided a
small taste of things to come.
11. Joyce Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
This one got to us simply because, in the context of an otherwordly battle between
vampires and slayers, Joyce's death by brain aneurysm is a little too real. Perhaps
we just didn't think the writers would off Joyce so quickly after she had begun
recovering from a brain tumor.
10. J.R. Ewing, Dallas
OK, fine. We know his death(s) were always survived or explained, but you have to
give Dallas credit for basically inventing the season-finale cliff-hanger. Have you
ever seen a "Who Shot Mary Alice" T-shirt? Thought so.
9. Adriana, The Sopranos
Just as it appeared that the Feds had convinced Ade to flip, her shocking demise
came at the hands of so-called "nice" wise guy Silvio. She frantically crawled off-
camera through autumn leaves, begging for her life, and then two gunshots
echoed, silencing one of the show's vivid female portrayals.
8. Gary Shepherd, thirtysomething
While everyone was focused on Nancy's mortality as she awaited test results after
cancer treatment, it was Gary who kicked the bucket after being involved in a
chain-reaction car accident. Yes, the same Gary who usually rode a bicycle
because he hated cars. Bitter irony alert!

7. Uh, Everyone, Six Feet Under

Even for a show that began each episode with a death, Nate's death a few
episodes shy of the finale still packed a punch. In the show's chilling last six
minutes, though, the narrative fast-tracks audiences through 79 years, showing
how each of the protagonists departed the mortal coil. Talk about tying up loose
ends.
6. John Locke/Jeremy Bentham, Lost
Just as John accepts his destiny to lead the island-dwellers known as The Others,
it's revealed via flash-forward that Locke is the man in the coffin three years later in
Los Angeles. Of course, death is a relative term on Lost (he has since appeared to
have been resurrected), but seeing our favorite faith junkie lying in eternal slumber
was perhaps more mind-blowing than watching the island completely disappear.
5. Mrs. Landingham, The West Wing
Similar to Gary Shepherd, the demise of President Bartlet's beloved, wisecracking
secretary comes via a car accident at 18th and Potomac. In the first new car she'd
ever owned. We think we'll stick to the subway.
4. Rosalind Shays, L.A. Law
Writers often leave loathsome characters on a show too long, but sometimes, they
dump them down an elevator shaft when you're least expecting it. No, we're
serious, Rosalind fell down an elevator shaft, just as she had silenced her own
demons and found love with Leland. It was a jaw-dropper that would have had the
Internet abuzz ... had Al Gore invented this here thing yet.
3. Dr. Lucy Knight, ER
Again, some might point you to the stunt-ier blockbuster death of Dr. Romano, who
was pinned underneath a crashing helicopter, but Lucy's sudden and unexpected
stabbing at the hands of a schizophrenic patient remains one of the show's truly
haunting moments. Sadly, she made it through a surgery to treat her tissue
damage, but still died due to pulmonary embolism and other complications.
2. Teri Bauer, 24
When you're in a high-profile national security job like Jack Bauer's, the wife and
kids are usually among the first to be targeted for leverage. Even so, Teri snuck
and killed and survived her way through Day 1 almost better than Jack. Until CTU
mole Nina kidnapped her and shot her fatally in the stomach. Can we get a Jack
Bauer "Damn it!" on that one?
1. Lt. Col. Henry Blake, M*A*S*H
More than 30 years later, this classic death is tough to top. After finally getting
discharged from the Army and bidding farewell to the 4077th, Blake's transport
plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. The show had a knack for balancing
laughs with serious reflections on war, but it was never more emotional than when
Radar delivered the sad news to the company.
What TV deaths shocked you the most? — Additional reporting by Mickey
O'Connor

Yellowstone: 6666: Cast, Release Date,

History, and Everything Else to Know
We're looking forward to getting to know our way around a new ranch

Lauren Piester
Nov. 10, 2022, 10:20 a.m. PT

Taylor Sheridan has making TV down to a science, because

his Yellowstone universe is continually expanding, providing a seemingly never-
ending supply of cowboy content. In addition to spin-offs 1883, which premiered
last year, and 1923, which is slated for late this year, the creator is working on
another new Yellowstone series called 6666. The series will follow the lives of
cowboys living and working on Texas' 6666 Ranch (pronounced "Four Sixes").
Yellowstone fans have seen this ranch before — the enormous property was first
introduced in Season 4 when underachieving ranch hand Jimmy (Jefferson White)
got sent there to try to get his act together. 

We spent so much time there that it almost seemed like the idea for 6666 got
folded into Yellowstone instead of becoming its own show, but that turned out to
not be case, and 6666 is still in development at Paramount Network. It's been over
a year and a half since 6666 was announced, and we still don't know too much
about it. It's probably still a ways away, but it's in the works. We may get some new
info on it after Yellowstone Season 5 premieres Nov. 13.

30 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Yellowstone

Jefferson White, Yellowstone Paramount Network

Premise 
According to a press release from Paramount+, the show will explore the history of
the legendary property. "Founded when Comanches still ruled West Texas, no
ranch in America is more steeped in the history of the West than the 6666. Still
operating as it did two centuries before, and encompassing an entire county, the
6666 has inspired a new scripted series where the rule of law and the laws of
nature merge in a place where the most dangerous thing one does is the next
thing. The 6666 is synonymous with the merciless endeavor to raise the finest
horses and livestock in the world, and ultimately where world-class cowboys are
born and made." 

Cast
No official cast has been announced; however, in Season 4 of Yellowstone, Jimmy
was sent to the Four Sixes to be whipped into shape. He fell in love with the place
and decided to stay instead of going back to the Yellowstone Ranch. However, it
has been announced that White and Kathryn Kelly, who plays Emily, Jimmy's
girlfriend he met at the Four Sixes, will return to Yellowstone as series regulars.
Perhaps that means that they will continue to serve as the setup for the new series
when Yellowstone returns for Season 5. 

Where to Watch
6666 will join Yellowstone in airing on Paramount Network, while fellow spin-offs
1883, 1923, and 1883: The Bass Reeves Story are exclusive to Paramount+.
Previous seasons of Yellowstone are available to stream on Peacock, but 6666 will
likely stream on Paramount+ after it airs on Paramount Network. 

Why That Title? 

According to legend, Samuel Burnett won the ranch in a card game with four sixes.
However, his descendants deny that and say the name of the ranch actually comes
from the fact that Burnett branded his first heard of cattle with "6666." You say it as
"Four Sixes," not like the number of the beast plus an extra 6.

After hearing about the 6666's real-life history, you might be surprised it took as
long as it did for Sheridan to tap into its storytelling potential. Sheridan purchased
the Four Sixes ranch in May 2021, after its previous owner passed away in 2020 —
the first time the ranch had been sold in over 150 years. It was established by
rancher and oilman Samuel Burnett in 1900 and spans three counties and over
450,000 acres in Texas. Burnett died in 1922, and the ranch was passed down
through the generations to his great-granddaughter Anne Windfohr Marion. 

Anne Windfohr Marion could have been a Taylor Sheridan character herself, and
has a full Wikipedia page about how cool she was. She was a rancher and
businesswoman who served as chair of the Burnett Oil Company. She founded the
Georgia O'Keeffe museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and was inducted into the
Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum,
as well as the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. She was married four times
and owned seven homes, including a mansion in Fort Worth and a Fifth Avenue
apartment in New York. She made the Forbes billionaires list a few times, including
in 2006, when her net worth was estimated at $1.1 billion. Hopefully there's a
character based on her in 6666, because she sounds larger than life.

Episodes 
Paramount has not confirmed the number of episodes, but both Yellowstone and
1883 have previously featured 10 per season. 

Release Date 
No release date has been given just yet. Yellowstone is set to return on Nov. 13,
while 1923 will premiere on Dec. 18. 

Watch 1883 on Paramount+

Watch Yellowstone on Peacock

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