Five deaths on Netflix we never got over
With Netflix, it’s never boring out there. Viewers begin their days with espresso shots and routine headlines of what’s to come and what’s to leave. They grapple with casting updates and release date announcements. But whenever the anticipation reaches a fever pitch with a show or two and they begin to fall in love with the characters, Netflix pulls up with a drum roll and body bags.
It’s just how it is with Netflix; it’s also the way it has always been. While there’s not much to be done about who the streamer chooses to sacrifice, the inevitability unfortunately doesn’t help with the heartbreak.
Even though Netflix religiously introduces the audience to characters who are unique and layered, some just live rent-free in every mind, despite their cut-short tenure. Nobody truly compares, and no one else compensates.
So, let’s jog back our memories to revisit the five most gut-punching deaths on Netflix that we never got over.
Five deaths on Netflix we never got over
Eddie Munson from Stranger Things
There are many such characters on Netflix who seem irredeemable at first, only to remain the same throughout. In fact, some just worsen with time. But Eddie Munson from Stranger Things was undoubtedly a different breed of characterisation. Despite being despised by most people in Hawkins, being falsely accused of murder, and earning a reputation as a cult leader, his farewell from the series was the one that left viewers in tears.
Just as the audience was getting habituated with his charming arc, Stranger Things had Eddie steal the show with the ultimate sacrifice: his life. Although he was supposed to be a decoy to lure the Demobats from Vecna, he ultimately went back to buy more time, ending a screen time so fulfilling that nothing can wash it away from pop culture.
Phinneus Pogo from The Umbrella Academy
Although a supporting character, Phinneus Pogo had one of the most tragic deaths of Netflix history. For those uninitiated, Pogo was a chimpanzee who was a loyal butler and assistant to Sir Reginald Hargreeves. As the surrogate parental figure in The Umbrella Academy, he had a heart unlike Reginald’s. While he was surgically and genetically enhanced to achieve intelligence on the level of humans, he knew the secrets and schemes Reginald held close to his chest involving the supernatural children.
But knowing too much came with a cost, which ultimately took his life. He unfortunately knew that Reginald had suppressed Vanya/Viktor’s ability, leveraging Allison’s power, which he never let out due to his loyalty. However, in the first season finale, Vanya/Viktor kills him in a fit of rage during this heated confrontation. What makes the arc more tragic is that an alternate version of Pogo appears in the third season, who is anything but like the one viewers were introduced to, making the missing all the more palpable.
Delilah Alves from You
There was absolutely no shortage of body count in You. But nothing probably tugged our heartstrings like the murder of Delilah Alves. She was the owner of the property who lived with her younger sister, Ellie. While Joe and Delilah didn’t hit it off immediately, when they did, the friendship was beautiful and brought out a far different side of the protagonist we were shown so far. Yet, if You taught us anything, it’s best not to get too comfortable with the characters because sometimes or the other, they’ll end up a victim.
Still, Delilah’s arc had the audience refusing the inevitable. After all, they both confided in each other. But when Fincher warns her about Joe, the gut instinct she had done away with returns with a smirk. Although Joe only ends up locking her in the glass box, Love eventually kills her, leaving Ellie with a loss we all felt in our hearts. It makes one wonder what happened to Ellie eventually, which is extraordinarily gut-punching since neither deserved any of it.
Poussey Washington from Orange is the New Black
Poussey Washington’s death was like watching a knife being punctured and pulled out at the same time. It was not only heartbreaking but also difficult to watch. Her death was a crucial moment of the show that represents the adversities and systemic failures of prison life and, by extension, society. In season four of Orange is the New Black, the scene took place amidst a peaceful protest in the prison cafeteria when Poussey intervened in a situation to prevent it from escalating.
An enraged Captain Piscatella ordered additional guards to the venue and ordered CO Bayley to restrain Suzanne. But in the kerfuffle, Bayley ended up restraining Poussey in a way that accidentally ended up killing her by suffocation. What hurts the most about her death is that Poussey was a non-violent offender. And even after her demise, there was no sort of respect. The death was unjust without an ounce of doubt. But the fact that her body was left on the spot to avoid media investigation and responsibility makes it all the more harrowing.
Nairobi from Money Heist
Lastly, the death that made us want to throw our popcorn at the screen is of the true matriarch, Nairobi. It was a turning point not just for the heist but also for the entire gang, which gave viewers the most tear-jerking episode of the time. Honestly, there was a lot of bloodshed in Money Heist, and each left a more profound impact than the last. But Nairobi’s end was definitely not something we had signed up for, nor are we getting over it.
She was still in recovery from her gunshot injury when Gandia took her hostage and unleashed brutal torture, only to shoot her at point-blank range for once and for all. Despite being the most outspoken of all, the silence just pinched every heart. As one of the most beloved characters from the series, this death left fans reeling for the longest time, and surely not without reason.
