24 Absolutely Gut-Wrenching TV Funerals

9. Sgt. Mike Dodds (Law & Order: SVU)

For a show all about heartbreaking, terrible crimes, there aren’t typically any major deaths among the principal cast. This all changes on Law and Order: SVU Season 17 Episode 23, “Heartfelt Passages,” when Sgt. Mike Dodds is shot in the line of duty and later dies.

This causes Lt. Olivia Benson to feel overwhelming guilt and irreparable grief for his father, Deputy Chief William Dodds. The two work together in their grief to give Mike a full officer’s funeral.

It’s an emotional episode, thanks to how quickly fans came to love and respect Mike. Even though Mike is only a part of the Special Victims Unit for a short time, he makes an impact. That coupled with the sudden and unjust way he dies makes everything so heartbreaking.

10. Mrs. Landingham (The West Wing)

Mrs. Landingham’s death came as a shock not only to the audience but to the characters of The West Wing as well. Killed by a drunk driver in her first new car on her way back to the White House to show the president, Mrs. Landingham is taken from the Bartlet administration in a senseless and heartbreaking act.

Her death on The West Wing Season 2 Episode 22, “Two Cathedrals,” is the motivation behind one of President Bartlet’s greatest monologues. As he stands alone in the National Cathedral following her funeral, Bartlet lashes out at God for letting Mrs. Landingham be killed, for Josh being shot, and for the loss of other innocent lives he feels all of the responsibility for — and none of the control over — as president.

President Bartlet: You’re a son of a bitch, you know that? She bought her first new car, and you hit her with a drunk driver. What? Was that supposed to be funny?

Later, Bartlet has a vision of Mrs. Landingham in his office that re-centers his conscience, his sense of self, and his courage.

Mrs. Landingham: You know, if you don’t want to run again, I respect that. But if you don’t run because you think it’s gonna be too hard or you think you’re gonna lose, then God, Jed, I don’t even wanna know you.

11. Alvin (Mom)

On Mom Season 2 Episode 11, “Three Smiles and an Unpainted Ceiling,” the popular sitcom addresses a more serious issue: death. It’s the mark of a really great sitcom when they can seamlessly intertwine humor and drama.

Alvin is a complicated man who was just starting to reconnect with Bonnie and his daughter, Christy. To have that hope and joy dashed really opens the door for more complicated issues to surface, like Bonnie’s drinking.

At his funeral, Bonnie gets upset when her portion of Alvin’s history is completely erased. She creates a scene where she goes onstage and talks of their love for each other. Then, she takes the huge picture of him and runs from the church. It’s a lighthearted moment to sort of break up all the sadness, and it helps to maintain the show’s sitcom status.

All in all, a perfect sitcom funeral.

12. Joyce Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

One of the most heartbreaking deaths in TV history comes from one of the first vampire genre TV shows. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 5 Episode 17, “Forever,” shows the finality of death on a show about the undead.

With an ease of storytelling and a plethora of raw emotions, “Forever,” cements itself on this list. The importance of Joyce’s death goes all the way from Buffy’s loss of innocence and growth into adulthood to causing Anya’s and Spike’s emotional reactions.

No one is left unaffected by Joyce’s death, and her funeral is a prime example of that. Even Angel makes an appearance to pay his respects to the woman. And Buffy’s sister Dawn is so upset by it all that she tries to bring Joyce back to life.

You always know a death is huge when a show spends a couple of episodes going through the many elements involved.

13. Adam Torres (Degrassi: The Next Generation)

Degrassi is never one to shy away from intensely emotional topics. Death is tackled in a variety of ways throughout the teen soap’s many seasons on the air.

While the show has tackled it many times, its deaths don’t usually include a funeral/memorial of any kind. (OG character JT Yorke got a memorial but not a full funeral). But when Adam Torres is killed in a car wreck caused by texting and driving, the show extends the emotional level of it all by giving him a funeral scene.

On Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 13 Episode 8, “Young Forever,” all of Adam’s friends and family are seen grieving the loss of someone so young. Fans of the show ended up enraged by his death, because Adam was the only transgender character to ever grace the show’s story in a major way.

While his death is a great message about texting and driving, it is also upsetting. The LGBT+ community barely gets solid representation as it is, and to have a really great version of a trans-male die just as his story is beginning seems like a slap in the face.

14. Quentin Fields (One Tree Hill)

The funeral for Quentin Fields on One Tree Hill Season 6 Episode 3, “Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly,” is a great example of how a death can impact the innocence of a small child.

Quentin’s death comes as a shock to everyone, mostly because of how senseless the whole thing is. The teen is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s a moment for all characters to sit and evaluate their relationship not only with Quentin, but also with those they care about most.

The final scene with young Jamie putting a red cape onto the casket of his friend as his Aunt Brooke looks on will break anyone who watches it. Jamie is stoic while his aunt breaks down and cries, creating a moment for their roles to reverse. Jamie comforts his aunt in a situation that would normally call for her to comfort him.

The even more gut-wrenching part is Sam’s voiceover.

Sam: Grief is like the ocean: it’s deep and dark and bigger than all of us. And pain is like a thief in the night. Quiet. Persistent. Unfair. Diminished by time and faith and love. I didn’t know Quentin Fields, but I’m jealous of him. Because I see how his absence has affected the people that did know him, so I know that he did matter to them. And I know he was loved.

15. George O’Malley (Grey’s Anatomy)

Most of the funerals on this list have one common thread: They are all sad and create tearful moments. On Grey’s Anatomy Season 6 Episode 1, “Good Mourning,” the show decides to take a slightly different approach to say goodbye to a beloved character.

It starts with all of George’s former co-workers — Meredith, Christina, Izzy, and Alex — showing up to his service. They sit there for a little bit before Izzy needs to leave because it is all too much.

The friends all leave together and then end up in hysterics, laughing through their tears about everything wrong with his funeral. It’s a scene very in line with how George was as a person: lighthearted in order to make others feel better.

It set the tone for how each and every major death after George’s would be handled by Grey’s Anatomy.

16. Benny Severide (Chicago Fire)

For a show all about the danger of running into fires, there really aren’t many opportunities presented where death is officially on the table. For the most part, all of Chicago’s firefighters at 51 escape death by a hair’s width.

So when Benny Severide dies from a stroke on Chicago Fire Season 7 Episode 6, “All the Proof,” fans are left feeling numb and shocked. On the following episode, Chicago Fire Season 7 Episode 7, “What Will Define You,” the funeral gives fans a sense of closure that is much needed.

It’s also a great image of just how much of a family the Chicago Firefighters all are. They all come together to give Benny a send-off worthy of hero status.

His death is one that will affect his son, Kelly, for years to come. However, if Benny’s funeral is anything to go on, then we have complete faith that he’ll turn out okay.

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