If the end of the 2024-25 network TV season and the beginning of the 2025-26 season is any indication, it's past time for network TV shows to reconsider how they handle character deaths. Historically, network TV shows – in particular, network procedurals – have not done a great job of handling character deaths with grace and reverence. Procedurals usually around large ensemble casts, and large casts come with turnover.

The character carousel is partly due to the fast-paced nature of network TV. New plot lines and stories are constantly being introduced or coming to an end, with procedurals juggling episodic cases of the week with longer narrative and character arcs. The structure occasionally necessitates cast members being written out or characters killed to tie up narrative loose ends,

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