Upon watching these stunning TV deaths haunt viewers long after the episode finishes because they’re unexpected, deeply profound, or simply notable.

However, some reactions to TV deaths are simply “WTF?” because they’re so unrealistic or over-the-top that audiences don’t know how to respond to them. There are several deaths from TV shows that, until witnessing them for myself, it never occurred to me could actually happen.

8 Susan - Seinfeld

Licking Envelope Glue

Susan’s demise in Seinfeld is one of the funniest sitcom deaths ever, and by far one of the most ridiculous in TV history. George’s fiancée dies in the season 7 finale by envelope glue, a wild statement to make. The glue on the cheap envelopes of their wedding invitations is toxic, so when Susan licks them, she gets poisoned.

This death often feels like a bit of a cop out, especially as George spends several episodes trying to find a way to break off his engagement to Susan. It’s also disappointing that when Seinfeld kills Susan off in season 7, George offers little reaction to his fiancée’s death.

However, it is a strange situation to process. Ingesting poisonous materials is something that unfortunately happens to some people, but it never really occurred to me that envelopes should be an item worth avoiding.

7 Country Mac - It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Motorcycle Crash At Walking Speed

Mac’s cousin from the countryside in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, aptly named Country Mac, is a great character that I wish had more screen time. Sadly, Country Mac only appears in one episode, “Mac Day.” After an entire episode of Country Mac proving himself to be the best Mac in the McDonald family, making the original Mac jealous of his generally cool demeanor and impressive skills, he suffers a hilarious yet ludicrous death.

Country Mac rides away on his motorcycle, with no helmet, but he can’t be driving any quicker than a few miles per hour. If he hit a pedestrian, they’d likely be fine. Somehow, Country Mac’s bike tips over, he falls to the ground, hits his head, and dies. Of course, it’s worth noting that you should always wear a helmet on a motorcycle. However, I didn’t think it was literally possible for a crash that slow to actually kill someone, especially as there didn’t seem to be any damage to the bike.

6 Ernie Clement - Doctor Who

Hugged To Death By Two Mummies

There are some brilliantly campy and cheesy moments in Doctor Who’s classic era, but one death that always stands out to me is in the serial “Pyramids of Mars.” When Ernie Clement hears the screams of Dr. Warlocks, he seeks out the man in distress and shoots his attacker.

It’s completely wild to see Ernie be squashed to death between the chests of these mummies, especially as it happens so quickly.

As the poacher flees, he is pursued by two of Sutek’s Osirian Servitors, mummy-like robotic creatures. It’s completely wild to see Ernie be squashed to death between the chests of these mummies, especially as it happens so quickly. In a matter of seconds, Ernie is crushed and collapses to the ground, stone dead.

The mummies only let him go because they’re being shot at, but unfortunately, it’s already too late for Ernie. The serial “Pyramids of Mars” makes up some of Doctor Who’s original Sutekh episodes, but this moment often takes me out of the seriousness of the adventure at hand, although it always makes me chuckle without fail, too.

5 Pierce - Community

Over Exertion

Chevy Chase’s Pierce leaves Community before season 5, but when his death is announced in the episode “Basic Intergluteal Numismatics,” it’s still a shock. Going into the next episode, most new viewers are taken aback by the explanation as to how Pierce dies. Pierce leaves each member of the study group a container of his sperm in his will, except for Annie, who receives the tiara that her late friend attempted to give her several seasons beforehand. While this is strange enough, the irony of the whole situation is that Pierce dies while gathering the “heirlooms.”

It’s wild that, while trying to prepare for his eventual death, Pierce unintentionally kills himself. I still think there are better ways for the show to kill Pierce off, ways that are more relevant to the character, like if his father’s ivory wig falls on his head or a new Hawthorne Wipes product poisons him, but the vials of sperm is still a hilarious way to go. Even though Pierce won’t be a part of the Community movie, I hope that it still references this moment.

4 Eleanor - The Good Place

Hit By Shopping Carts And Run Over

When Eleanor is first introduced in The Good Place’s first episode, both she and audiences are unaware of how she dies. She later finds out the details of her demise, however, and it’s one of the wildest string of events in TV ever. While arguing with a charity worker, a distracted Eleanor is hit by a string of shopping carts, which pushes her into the road, where she is then run over by a truck advertising erectile dysfunction pills.

There are some hysterical deaths in The Good Place, like Jason suffocating in a safe after attempting to rob a bank, or Tahani being crushed by a golden statue of his own sister. But Eleanor’s death is one of the most astonishing, especially in the context of the real world.

People can be hit by shopping carts, and they can be run over by a vehicle, but the fact these instances occur in such quick succession makes Eleanor’s death story even more ridiculous. Next time I’m at the grocery store, I’ll make sure to focus on my surroundings.

3 Mr. Heckles - Friends

Banging A Broom Against The Ceiling

Mr. Heckles in Friends is the typical annoying sitcom neighbor, and his death in the episode “The One Where Heckles Dies” isn’t exactly a sad moment. Moments before, Heckles is at Rachel and Monica’s door, complaining about the noise they’re making. The girls are adamant they aren’t being noisy (which they eventually discover is untrue), so when Heckles later starts banging on his ceiling with a broom, the gang stomps back at him in retaliation. In a shocking twist of fate, this kills him.

There aren’t many characters who are killed off in Friends’ canon, but Mr. Heckles is the first, and what a way for the show to write its first death. It’s unclear what Heckles’ actual cause of death is, but he is found with the broom still in his hand, so it’s safe to assume that the stomping plays a part. Of course, given Heckles’ older age, his demise could also be related to health issues, too. However, nobody expects to drop dead while moaning at their neighbors, especially while home alone.

2 Monica - Las Vegas

Blown Off A Rooftop By A Gust Of Wind

The only reason I have seen Las Vegas is because of the clip of Monica’s death, and it’s a TV show death nobody sees coming. Lara Flynn Boyle’s Monica is introduced as the new owner of the Montecito in season 3, but she doesn’t last for very long.

At the end of “Mothwoman,” Monica is with Danny on the top of the hotel, when a sudden gust of wind turns her flouncy-sleeved top into a kite and sends her flying off the roof. This moment is supposed to be comical, but the poor special effects and unnatural way she soars through the sky takes away from the drama of Las Vegas.

But Monica doesn’t simply fall; she flies across the Las Vegas strip, down towards the ground, and smashes straight through the window of a shoe shop and through the displays. It’s always important to stay safe around high ledges, but I can’t believe I now need to worry about whether my clothes will make me float into the air in high winds.

1 Maude Flanders - The Simpsons

Hit By A Barrage Of T-Shirts

Maude Flanders’ death in The Simpsons is one of the most notable throughout the show’s lengthy run, and a storyline that impacts the other characters greatly, especially Ned, naturally. In the season 11 episode "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily," a majority of Springfield is in attendance at the new racetrack, including the titular family and the Flanders.

Weirdly, this death feels more like something out of Final Destination than it does The Simpsons.

When Homer grabs the attention of the cheerleaders shooting t-shirts out of a cannon, Maude accidentally gets in the firing line, and she flies from the stands and falls to her death. The painful irony of this is that Ned’s reasoning for being okay with visiting the racetrack is because of the safety measures, but the guardrail isn’t enough to save Maude from the massive drop to the concrete below.

There aren’t many canonical character deaths in The Simpsons, but Maude’s is one of the strangest when considering the events that lead to her falling. Weirdly, this death feels more like something out of Final Destination than it does The Simpsons.