Look, I understand that writing is terribly hard, and that there's no way to create characters and storylines that are universally loved. But, I talked once before about characters who I think were monumentally let down by their writers, and since then, I've thought of a bunch more. It seems like there's an epidemic of bad writing in Hollywood , and I think it's time we fix that. And you know who always has good endings for characters we love? Romance authors. So, here's even MORE characters who were let down by bad writing and even MORE romance authors who would've handled them better:
Dean Winchester, Supernatural
Here's a guy who has suffered arguably more than any character in the history of television. He's been killed hundreds of times. He lost both parents horribly. He was tortured in hell for 40 years. And through all that, he managed to STILL save the world (like, a lot) and defeated all manner of horrific monsters in service of humanity. And what kind of send-off does he get after fifteen seasons of kicking ass and taking names? He dies on a rusty nail while fighting some low-level monster of the week. WHAT (and I can not stress this enough) the HELL? He deserved better and I will die mad about what the writers did to my favorite TV character EVER.
Who would've done better: Well, pretty much any romance writer would've done better. But you know who knows how to end a series in grand fashion? Darynda Jones. She would've done right by my Dean. Bellamy Blake: The 100
Bellamy was a victim of a writer who didn't like his actor (if the Hollywood gossip mill is to be believed) and thought that "shock value" was better than character development. The death of this character who sacrificed over and over again for those he loved served NO purpose. And before I get jumped on by fans who oppose happily ever after endings because they hate romance, I'm not mad that Bellamy and Clarke weren't endgame. I knew in my heart that wasn't going to happen since this show has always been quick to stomp-out any hint of romance. I'm mad that this show killed off a main character who was beloved by millions in a way that meant NOTHING. If he'd gone out in a blaze of glory saving his friends (again), I probably wouldn't mind so much. But the ending he got? Yeah, that was pointless. Frankly, it was a slap in the face to everyone who loved the show and the writer responsible should be ashamed of himself.
Who would've done better: In this case, the writer of the books the show was based on did WAY better. SHE treated Bellamy right. Bonnie Bennett: The Vampire Diaries
There was no one who saved more lives on The Vampire Diaries than Bonnie Bennett. They would've been SCREWED a million times over without Bonnie. And what does she get for her trouble? The love her life is murdered POINTLESSLY right in front of her eyes. She deserved WAY better.
Who would've done better: Rebekah Weatherspoon consistently creates strong, smart, complex heroines who DON'T end up without the love of their life at the end of the book. She would've done right by Bonnie. Rachel Green, Friends
So, I'll probably take some heat on this one. But...Ross was a douchebag. There. I've said it. He was completely unsupportive of Rachel's career goals and sabotaged her at every turn just so that he could get what he wanted. She should've taken her dream job instead of turning it down to stay with Ross. And if Ross was ANY kind of romantic hero, he would've followed her instead of expecting HER to sacrifice anything for HIM.
Who would've done better: If Kayley Loring had written the story, Rachel's super hot hero would've followed her ANYWHERE and been nothing but supportive of ALL her goals. Cole, Charmed
Cole had this GREAT redemption arc going, and then...crickets. He turned evil again for no real reason. I have to think it was because the actor who played him wanted to move on from the role. Maybe his contract was up or something? I dunno. But regardless, he deserved a better write-off than what he got.
Who would've done better: Isabel Jordan has proven herself MORE than capable of turning bad guys into redeemed teddy bears--even demons. So, I have no doubt she would've done better than the crapfest of an ending Cole got on Charmed. Lexi and Mark, Grey's Anatomy
I don't think there were any Grey's Anatomy fans who DIDN'T want to see Lexie and Mark end up together. The actors who played Lexie and Mark decided to leave the show at the same time. It would have been SO EASY to have them reconcile, then go off to live happily ever after together somewhere off screen. Maybe Lexie gets a great job opportunity or something and Mark goes with her? I dunno. Something...anything where they got to be together and be happy for once would've been great. But no. The Grey's writers woke up one morning and chose violence. They decided it'd be better to have Mark and Lexie die in a plane crash and have Lexie's body eaten by wolves. (Yes, that happened...I'm not just being dramatic.) It was the worst possible ending to a couple of characters that were universally loved. Thanks for the knife in the heart, Grey's.
Who would've done better: Melanie Harlow could've definitely given Mark and Lexie the ending they deserved. She proved she can write the sexiest of sexy doctors when she wrote From This Moment. Andrew Deluca, Grey's Anatomy
While I'm on the subject of crappy writing on Grey's, I bring you Andrew Deluca--who had JUST gotten his mental health taken care of, only to be senselessly and pointlessly stabbed to death by sex traffickers. Awesome. I mean, if the actor wanted off the show, couldn't you have just had him get a job somewhere else like you did for April? Why have him die so pointlessly? Bad writing...that's why. And what's worse, I think it was lazy writing just to clear the playing field for a Meredith/McWidow relationship. Boo!!!
Who would've done better: Carian Cole has proven MORE than capable of creating complex characters with complex issues who get the happy endings they deserve. She wouldn't have tossed DeLuca aside like a used tissue. Duckie Dale, Pretty in Pink
So, let me get this straight...the heroine ends up with the guy who was too embarassed to be seen with her at the prom instead of the good, nice guy who has been in love with/pining for her for the ENTIRETY OF THE MOVIE??? Hell no, I'm not OK with that!! Screw Blane. Duckie deserved better.
I do have to report, though, that the writers weren't necessarily guilty of bad writing on this one. Originally, Duckie WAS supposed to end up with Andi at the end of the movie. But when the producers showed the movie to test audiences, they wanted Andi to end up with Blane. So, the writers here weren't guilty of anything. The producers, however, were guilty of being nutless and changing a GREAT ending in favor of a crappy one. Again, I say: BOO!!!! Who would've done better: Lucy Score would've gotten it right the first time, and I'm betting she would've had the balls to stand up for her characters against the test audiences. That's all for now. I'm sure they will be more, though. And for more about how Rey, Ben Solo, Rose Tico, Logan Echolls, Cordelia Chase and pretty much the entire cast of Game Of Thrones deserved better, don't forget to check out part 1 of this series HERE.
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