TV Meme: Day 30

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 30 | Saddest character death

This is it. The final day of the meme. So of course whoever originated it must be some sadistic bastard, because we end it with the most depressing entry to date. Saddest character death? Seriously?

In any case, this one was shockingly easy for me and it might surprise a lot of people. First of all, I didn't go for the obvious and pick a Joss Whedon-inspired death even though I would've had plenty to choose from. My friend Bunny wrote about Tara's death, so y'all should read it. Instead I picked a death from Torchwood that literally left me breathless and dehydrated from all the hyperventilating and crying I did.

The deaths of Tosh and Owen during the second season finale were heartbreaking not only because it involved one of my favorite characters (Tosh), but also because of how stretched out and emotional their death scenes were. Tosh fatally shot in the 28th minute of the 48-minute episode and she didn't die until almost the very end!

Of course for most of that, the viewer is still clinging to that hope that she would make it alive. As she bleeds out, she puts on a brave face against death and still manages to remotely help Owen to prevent a nuclear meltdown. And why not, as the usually shy and reserved Tosh said earlier, "Of course I can, I'm brilliant!"

Shit hits the fan though when the power plant goes on emergency lockdown and traps Owen. Owen, already prone to anger issues, freaks the hell out. Like going-mad-angry-at-the-world-fuck-everyone-else freak out. Tosh tries to keep him at bay...

Tosh: Owen, just stay calm.
Owen: Oh, why should I do that?! Where's the fun in that? I'm going to rage my way into oblivion! AAAAAAHHHHHH!!
Tosh: Please stop.
Owen: Why?! Give me one bloody good reason! One good reason why I shouldn't keep screaming!
Tosh: Because you're breaking my heart.

That was when the waterworks started happening. The actress' delivery of that line was pitch PERFECT and actually this one particular scene I wanted to highlight in the Best Scene Ever entry, but I wanted to save it for the end. What makes the scene even more powerful was that as soon as Tosh says that, Owen stops. He even apologizes!

And thus begins his death scene. He asks Tosh how he'll die and she tells him though it pains her to do so. She, of course, blames herself, but Owen does the sweetest thing he's done the whole show and tells her she's always had his back and it isn't her fault. Now's a good time to say that Tosh has had a crush on Owen for the longest time, but of course they never became a couple until... this episode. They were going to have their first date after they took care of this crisis. How Whedonesque, right?

Owen: We never did get that date, did we? You and me? We sort of missed each other. It was my fault. I didn't, I didn't notice until it was too late. I'm sorry.
Tosh: Me, too.

Then the whole room Owen is stuck in goes nuclear white and he's gone. The rest of the team finally finds Tosh BLEEDING THE FUCK OUT and they try to help her. I remember telling myself that she had to live, because they just killed one main character, they couldn't possibly kill another! But she dies in Captain Jack's arms and I was just inconsolable after that.

Sadly, it wasn't over. We see the team putting away Owen and Tosh's personal stuff as well as updating their personnel info in the computer i.e. changing their status to "Inactive - Deceased" as they and the audience fight back their tears. If that wasn't already hard enough, when they finish updating Tosh's personnel file, a goodbye video she recorded pops up! Are you kidding me? I can't handle this shit!

Okay. So, if you're seeing this, I guess it means, I'm, well, dead. Hope it was impressive! Not crossing the road or an incident with a toaster. I just wanted to say, it's okay. It really is. Jack, you saved me. You showed me all the wonders of the universe and all those possibilities. And I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Thank you. And Owen, you never knew. I love you. All of you. And, I hope I did good.

Suffice it to say I proceeded to cry and hyperventilate for the next half an hour. Still hurts.