‘Walking Dead,’ ‘Game Of Thrones’ Fans Angry Over Fake Death Storylines

The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones both have very passionate and dedicated fans. However, some of those fans are more than a little annoyed by the shows’ recent fake death storylines.

According to CNN, the fake death trend is one of the worst things a TV show can do to its fans. Not only will Walking Dead and Game of Thrones fans now not trust some of the deaths they see in the future, but they’ve become angry about saying goodbye to their favorite characters and then having them reappear.

“The cover-up is often worse than the crime. And in television lately, coyness, obfuscation and occasionally outright lying can be worse than major plot twists that are snatched away like Lucy pulling the football from poor Charlie Brown.”

As many Walking Dead fans will remember, the character of Glenn Rhee was seemingly ripped apart by zombies and dying during an episode of Season 6. While the producers refused to comment on whether or not Glenn was alive or dead, fans debated the big moment, and it was eventually revealed that Glenn did not die and had saved himself.

Game of Thrones recently did a similar thing to their viewers when the character of Jon Snow was stabbed to death. While HBO and the cast all claimed Jon was completely one hundred percent dead, in the second episode of Season 6, Jon came back to life. Actor Kit Harington even talked about being cut from the show and starting new projects to keep the death illusion alive.

However, the Game of Thrones “fake out” was a bit different that The Walking Dead. In Jon Snow’s case, he really did die. He was dead for only one whole episode before the Red Lady, Melisandre, brought him back to life using the power given to her by the Lord of Light.

Because of the are-they-or-aren’t-they deaths on TV, fans are now more skeptical of their favorite character dying on the shows they watch. Recently, on The Blacklist, the character of Liz was killed off, shocking viewers. However, because of the fake death trend, fans are wondering if Liz is actually dead or if this is just another fake out due to sideline actress Megan Boone during her pregnancy.

“TV writers can be forgiven in their efforts to tickle the nerve endings of an increasingly savvy and jaded audience. Moreover, the ardent fan base for shows like Game of Thrones or Walking Dead magnifies attention surrounding every wrinkle.”

Will TV shows continue to fake out their viewers with the premise of losing their favorite characters, only to bring them back? While it definitely seems like a fad that has been happening on the biggest of television shows, fans aren’t happy about it and have been speaking out about it on social media.

TV producers and writers are taking more and more heat from fans, and The Walking Dead has often been a prime example. After backlash from Glenn’s fake death, the show also took a lot of criticism from fans after the Season 6 finale, which finally revealed the character of Negan and showed him brutally beating someone to death.

Some fans were furious that the identity of Negan’s victim wasn’t shown right then and there and are angry about the fact that they’ll now have to wait until October to find out who it was. However, the cliffhanger has always been a part of TV and is more understandable than the fake death concept to many viewers.

What are your thoughts on the TV trend of fake deaths like on The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones? Does it bother you?

[Images via HBO, AMC]