10 TV Characters That Disappeared Without An Explanation
Summary
- Characters on TV shows can vanish without explanation due to various reasons, leaving audiences puzzled.
- Some shows fail to acknowledge a character’s absence, causing confusion and discontent among fans.
- Disappearing characters like Ben Geller and Tina Pinciotti left viewers wondering about their unresolved storylines.
While many TV shows have introduced plenty of interesting personalities, some characters mysteriously disappeared from a show without any explanation. There are plenty of reasons why a character might not return to a show, whether that be the actor deciding to move on to another project, a change in production or writers, or simply because said character isn’t needed anymore. When a character does leave a TV show, however, not all of them get the send-off they deserve.
Of course, from a creative point of view, if a character needs to be removed from a TV show, it’ll happen. However, not every show bothers to explain a character’s absence to its audiences. Even its respective characters don’t seem to acknowledge a character’s TV exit, at least not directly or through lines of dialogue. It’s rather easy to become invested in a fictional character, and so their disappearance without a trace can be confusing for many.
10 Ben Geller
Friends
Friends
Friends is the popular sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, released back in 1994 and ran for ten seasons. The show follows a group of six twentysomethings through their lives in New York City and their time spent between their two apartments and their local coffee shop. The show features the group navigating tricky relationships with one another and comical misadventures.
- Release Date
- September 22, 1994
- Seasons
- 10
One of Friends‘ earliest storylines saw the birth of Ross’ (David Schwimmer) son Ben, who quickly became an integral part of the show. The character of Ben Geller appeared frequently in earlier seasons of the show, and was played by various child actors, but is most memorably portrayed by Dylan and Cole Sprouse. The Sprouse twins were the last to be seen as Ben, with their final appearance being in the season 8 episode “The One Where Joey Dates Rachel.”
Just a few episodes later, Ross and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) welcomed Emma. Although it makes sense that Ben would take a backseat at this point, it is odd that he is never seen on-screen again. While there were a few mentions of the child by name in later episodes, the mystery behind Ben Geller’s disappearance in Friends is one for which audiences never truly got an answer.
9 Tina Pinciotti
That ’70s Show
That ’70s Show
That ‘70s Show was one of Fox’s most popular sitcoms upon its release in 1998. Starring Topher Grace (Eric Forman), Laura Prepon (Donna Pinciotti), Mila Kunis (Jackie Burkhart), Danny Masterson (Steven Hyde), Wilmer Valderrama (Fez), and Ashton Kutcher (Michael Kelso), That ‘70s Show revolves around the teens’ mishaps as they grow up in Point Place Wisconsin in the 1970s.
- Cast
- Topher Grace , Laura Prepon , Mila Kunis , Ashton Kutcher , Wilmer Valderrama , Debra Jo Rupp , Kurtwood Smith , Danny Masterson
- Release Date
- August 23, 1998
- Seasons
- 8
One of That ’70s Show‘s biggest continuity errors surrounds the existence of Donna’s (Laura Prepon) sister, Tina. Amanda Fuller portrayed Tina in the season 1 episode “Eric’s Burger Job,” marking her sole appearance in the show before never returning. Throughout the rest of the show, the canon was subtly changed to make Donna an only child, despite there also being one small reference in season 1 to Donna also having an older sister called Valerie. However, Tina’s name was mentioned once after her disappearance, in the episode “Vanstock,” in a joke that asked, “What ever happened to Midge’s daughter, Tina?“
8 Cathy Simms
The Office
The Office
The Office is the U.S. remake of the British comedy mockumentary series of the same name. The show follows the misadventures of a Dunder Mifflin Paper Company branch in Scranton, Pennsylvania, led by their unconventional and clueless boss, Michael Scott. The series covers nine years of footage as they find themselves recorded through their work days and off times.
- Cast
- Mindy Kaling , Jenna Fischer , Kate Flannery , Ed Helms , Craig Robinson , Paul Lieberstein , Ellie Kemper , B.J. Novak , Angela Kinsey , Oscar Nunez , Rainn Wilson , Brian Baumgartner , Phyllis Smith , Leslie David Baker , Creed Bratton , Steve Carell , John Krasinski
- Release Date
- March 24, 2005
- Seasons
- 9
The Office‘s Cathy Simms (Lindsey Broad) caused quite the drama during her brief stint, mainly due to her attempts to seduce Jim (John Krasinski) while serving as Pam’s (Jenna Fisher) maternity leave cover. While it makes sense that her time in the show would be limited, given what her function was at Dunder Mifflin, Cathy’s sudden disappearance from the show also meant that significant chunks of the plot were also skipped over. Cathy was last seen on-screen in the season 8 episode “Last Day in Florida” as the Sabre Store project fell apart.
After the events of this episode, Cathy failed to return to Scranton along with Jim and their other coworkers, but there was also no confirmation that she’d left Dunder Mifflin either. The storyline of Cathy trying to tempt Jim into an affair was never brought up again after this either, and audiences never got to see a satisfying ending to the whole ordeal, as the character was never seen or heard of ever again. While several characters in The Office didn’t stay until its final season, Cathy was one who didn’t get a proper explanation for her departure.
7 John Bennett
Orange Is The New Black
orange is the new black
Based on the memoir by Piper Kerman, Orange Is the New Black follows Piper Champman (Taylor Schilling) after she turns herself in for a 15-month sentence in a minimum-security women’s prison for aiding in a drug-smuggling operation run by her ex-girlfriend Alex Vause (Laura Prepon). One of Netflix’s most popular original series, the show explores the corruption inherent in the US prison system through the lens of Piper’s experiences.
- Cast
- Taylor Schilling , Dascha Polanco , Natasha Lyonne , Samira Wiley , Kate Mulgrew , Danielle Brooks , Michael Harney , Uzo Aduba , Jason Biggs , Laura Prepon
- Release Date
- July 11, 2013
- Seasons
- 7
One of Orange is the New Black‘s unresolved storylines involved the blossoming love between inmate Officer John Bennett (Matt McGorry) and Daya Diaz (Dascha Polanco). During the show’s first three seasons, the relationship between the two was kept quiet, but Daya eventually fell pregnant with their daughter despite trying to keep everything under wraps. To avoid being found out, John flees, abandoning his job and responsibilities as a father.
While it initially seemed that the character would eventually return for Daya and their child, John never appeared again. In fact, all mentions of John eventually stopped in Orange is the New Black after his quick departure. The fate of the character was never revealed, even when Orange is the New Black ended with season 7 in 2019, which was odd, considering just how important John was to the show in its beginning.
6 Detective Daniels
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
From the creative minds of Dan Goor and Michael Schur comes Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a police comedy series set in the NYPD’s fictional 99th precinct. Headed by the comedically serious Captain Raymond Holt and protagonist Jake Peralta, the detectives of the 99 deal with burglaries, drug deals, and oddities in New York City, occasionally steering into real-world issues surrounding police perception and social concerns in the 2010s and earlier. Each detective has their own unique personality that makes them stand out, creating endearing dynamics that helped the show thrive for eight seasons.
- Cast
- Stephanie Beatriz , Melissa Fumero , Andy Samberg , Andre Braugher , Joel McKinnon Miller , Dirk Blocker , Terry Crews , Chelsea Peretti , Joe Lo Truglio
- Release Date
- September 17, 2013
- Seasons
- 8
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is remembered for the strong individuals that make up its core cast, but its pilot episode introduced a character that failed to reappear after. The precinct’s famous duo of Hitchcock (Dirk Blocker) and Scully (Joel McKinnon Miller) was originally a trio, but Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s Detective Daniels was never mentioned again after the sitcom’s premiere episode. However, it’s not unusual for a show to cut characters after a pilot, especially as the first episode is generally shot long before the rest of the first season.
But, seeing as it would have been easy enough for any mentions of Daniels to be cut out, it seems odd that the character didn’t at least make another brief appearance at one point during Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s 8-season run. Daniels wasn’t even brought up again by name, and the show could have easily explained her absence to audiences with a tale of retirement or being transferred to another precinct. Of course, it’s clear that Hitchcock and Scully work brilliantly as a pair, but it would have been fascinating to see a female counterpart to the two getting involved in their shenanigans.
5 Dr. Grace Miller
Scrubs
Scrubs
Scrubs is a Sitcom and Medical Comedy/Drama created by Bill Lawrence that follows a group of medical students throughout their daily lives at the Sacred Heart Teaching Hospital. The series stars Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison, as they work their way up from Medical Interns while juggling all sorts of hospital shenanigans.
- Cast
- John C. McGinley , Robert Maschio , Donald Faison , Christa Miller , Neil Flynn , Judy Reyes , Aloma Wright , Zach Braff , Sarah Chalke , Sam Lloyd , Ken Jenkins
- Release Date
- October 1, 2001
- Seasons
- 9
While several characters in Scrubs disappeared from screens only to reappear later, one who didn’t was Dr. Grace Miller (Bellamy Young). Miller served as Turk’s (Donald Faison) boss in season 3 and is remembered for her strong personality, difficulties bonding socially with her coworkers, and a brief plotline that saw Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) develop a crush on her. After taking over surgery for Turk on his wedding day, trying to make sure he’d not be any later than he already was, Miller made a quick, yet noticeable, absence from the show.
She did briefly appear in the season 8 episode “My Finale” during J.D’s (Zach Braff) exit from Sacred Heart, although her appearance had changed significantly and was seen with short, dark hair, compared to her usual long and blonde. No explanation for her disappearance was ever given, which made her brief cameo in season 8 even more unusual. However, this could be explained by J.D’s over-imagination, as during this same scene, he also sees his deceased patients from previous episodes gathering to say goodbye, so it’s likely Dr. Miller was never really there.
4 Buzz Hickey
Community
Created by Dan Harmon, Community is a comedy series that follows a study group at an unorthodox community college where zany antics occur daily. When disgraced lawyer Jeff Winger is forced to enroll in a local college to get a degree and reinstate himself, he gets roped in with fellow students from different backgrounds, races, religions, and ages and reluctantly forms a study group. Together, these lovable misfits will navigate their school lives in some nigh unbelievable situations as they all try to figure out where their futures lie.
- Release Date
- September 17, 2009
- Seasons
- 6
Later seasons of Community saw some changes to its main cast, especially with Chevy Chase and Donald Glover departing from the show. While other characters were brought in to fill the seats at the study table, one who failed to last very long was Buzz Hickey (Jonathan Banks). Professor Hickey was introduced in season 5 as one of Greendale’s criminology teachers and Jeff’s (Joel Hale) officemate but was last seen in the season 5 finale, “Basic Sandwich.”
While the character didn’t appear on-screen again, there was a brief reference made to him in season 6. In the background of one scene in the episode “Basic Email Security,” an email can be seen with the subject line “Buzz Hickey Memorial Services,” implying that he’d either died or was advertising his new role as a funeral director. Still, no direct confirmation of Hickey’s fate was ever made, which seemed odd considering his impact on Greendale and the study group.
3 Gwen Grandy
The Mindy Project
The Mindy Project
Created by and starring Mindy Kaling, The Mindy Project follows the life of Dr. Mindy Lahiri, an OBGYN working at a clinic in New York City. The series deals with the trials and tribulations of Mindy’s professional and personal life, with a colorful cast of characters that includes the talents of Chris Messina, Ike Barinholtz, Ed Weeks, and Garret Dillahunt.
- Cast
- Mindy Kaling , Chris Messina
- Release Date
- September 25, 2012
- Seasons
- 8
Though it’s not unusual for sitcom characters to disappear, one whose was notable was Anna Camp’s Gwen in The Mindy Project. Gwen was introduced as Mindy’s (Kaling) best friend, and so it seemed that she’d be a significant element of the show. While Gwen was prominently featured in season 1, she disappeared from screens after episode 17. Behind the scenes, Gwen’s absence was explained because of Camp’s request to be released from her contract in order to pursue other projects. However, the character was instead completely cut from the show and wasn’t even given an in-canon explanation for her disappearance.
2 Dr. Leah Murphy
Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy is considered one of the great television shows of our time, winning several awards and four Emmys. The high-intensity medical drama follows Meredith Grey and the team of doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial, who are faced with life-or-death decisions on a daily basis. They seek comfort from one another, and, at times, more than just friendship. Together they discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white.
- Cast
- Kelly McCreary , Patrick Dempsey , Kevin McKidd , Chandra Wilson , Jesse Williams , Jake Borelli , camilla luddington , Ellen Pompeo , Chyler Leigh , Eric Dane , Caterina Scorsone , Giacomo Gianniotti , Anthony Hill , Kate Walsh , Justin Chambers , Sarah Drew , Greg Germann , Martin Henderson , Katherine Heigl , T.R. Knight , Sara Ramirez , Jerrika Hinton , Richard Flood , Sandra Oh , Kim Raver , Jason George , Tessa Ferrer , Isaiah Washington , James Pickens Jr. , Gaius Charles , Chris Carmack , Brooke Smith , Jessica Capshaw
- Release Date
- March 27, 2005
- Seasons
- 19
While Grey’s Anatomy‘s Leah Murphy (Tessa Ferrer) caused quite the drama upon being fired, she did return to Grey Sloan, only to disappear shortly after that. Season 9 focused a lot on her dismissal from the hospital, and the struggles she faced as an enthusiastic, yet skill-lacking, surgeon. Returning as a more mature and put-together doctor, Murphy transferred back to Grey Sloan in season 13 but was only seen up until the episode “It Only Gets Much Worse.”
At this point in Grey’s Anatomy, Murphy was still a prominent practitioner, having come back with more honed skills and a passion for cardiothoracic surgery. However, Murphy’s last appearance didn’t include any significant character development or changes, so nothing was ever implied that she was departing the show. No explanation was ever given for Murphy’s absence from the show, but considering the big deal that was made about her firing and rehiring, it seemed odd that the character never appeared again.
1 Mandy Hampton
The West Wing
The West Wing
In Aaron Sorkin’s classic political procedural, the senior staff of President Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen) face the daily challenge of helping to run the country from the West Wing of the White House. The series features an ensemble cast that also includes Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, and John Spencer.
- Cast
- Martin Sheen , Bradley Whitford , Allison Janney
- Release Date
- September 22, 1999
- Seasons
- 7
The disappearance of one The West Wing character caused so much discussion that the industry now uses the term “Mandyville” to describe such a situation. Mandy Hampton (Moira Kelly) was a key part of the show in its first season, especially its pilot, but as each episode went by, Mandy began to be featured less and less. According to the 2001 book Inside The West Wing: An Unauthorized Look at Television’s Smartest Show, the disappearance of Mandy’s character in West Wing was because creator Aaron Sorkin and Kelly had decided that her role in the show wasn’t working.
After this, Kelly left the show on amicable terms. The West Wing ran for a 7-season run from 1999 to 2006, but Mandy Hampton wasn’t even mentioned by name after she disappeared from the show. However, the show never gave a canon explanation as to where Mandy went, which resulted in the term “Mandyville” being coined.
