Will Gardner – The Good Wife
This is an example of the most unnerving way to kill off a character. Josh Charles didn’t have any issues with the production team, and The Good Wife isn’t the kind of show that routinely executes its characters. There was no real reason to get rid of Will Gardner, but they did it anyway. Just because they could.
In the most recent season, the charismatic lawyer was the victim of a courtroom shooting, which left him dead and the law firm emotionally ravaged. It was a shocking moment, and one that was deeply felt.
Gardner was a highly beloved character on the show, and losing him as suddenly as they did made audiences realize that The Good Wife was not a show that was always going to play it safe. It gave the fifth season of the show a much needed shake up, and allowed them to wade into greater emotional depths.
In terms of manufactured drama, seeing all of the characters react to Will Gardner’s death was painful, but at the same time, tremendously satisfying to watch from an acting perspective.