characters who should NOT have died
Firemass
AlaskaPosts: 1,910MI6 Agent
A lot of characters bite the dust in Bond films, but sometimes the death toll makes me wish at least a few more people survived. Although Bond has lost many fine male allies and friends, the ones that stick in my head the most are the women. Maybe I’m just a ladies man...
1. Plenty in DAF. This one bothers me the most because she already suffered enough getting thrown out a window and landing in a pool. (Great scene btw) Then we find her later dead in another pool in a very nonsensical plot.
2. Della in LTK. What they did to Felix was enough, but killing his wife was too far. I would rather see Della live and thus explain the slightly upbeat Felix at the end of the film. Her death makes LTK hard to watch for me.
3. Tilly in GF. Something just seems wrong that BOTH sisters died. To be fair, she was asking for trouble.
4. Countess in FYEO. The fact that Bond makes no mention of her as he kicks the car off the cliff bothers me.
5. Andrea in TMWTGG. She worked so hard to be free, it’s a shame she didn’t make it.
6. Aki in YOLT. Huge mistake to kill off the main Bond girl and replace her with a new one towards the end of the film.
7. Miranda Frost in DAD. I was really hoping she would win her fight against Jinx.
8. Severine in Skyfall. Pointless death where Bond did nothing to save her, yet leapt into action right after her death.
9. Solange in CR. Why did they have to follow up her scene with a grim CSI style investigation? Just leave well enough alone and don’t re-visit her after Bond leaves.
1. Plenty in DAF. This one bothers me the most because she already suffered enough getting thrown out a window and landing in a pool. (Great scene btw) Then we find her later dead in another pool in a very nonsensical plot.
2. Della in LTK. What they did to Felix was enough, but killing his wife was too far. I would rather see Della live and thus explain the slightly upbeat Felix at the end of the film. Her death makes LTK hard to watch for me.
3. Tilly in GF. Something just seems wrong that BOTH sisters died. To be fair, she was asking for trouble.
4. Countess in FYEO. The fact that Bond makes no mention of her as he kicks the car off the cliff bothers me.
5. Andrea in TMWTGG. She worked so hard to be free, it’s a shame she didn’t make it.
6. Aki in YOLT. Huge mistake to kill off the main Bond girl and replace her with a new one towards the end of the film.
7. Miranda Frost in DAD. I was really hoping she would win her fight against Jinx.
8. Severine in Skyfall. Pointless death where Bond did nothing to save her, yet leapt into action right after her death.
9. Solange in CR. Why did they have to follow up her scene with a grim CSI style investigation? Just leave well enough alone and don’t re-visit her after Bond leaves.
My current 10 favorite:
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
Comments
Sometimes it's carried out better than others, of course. A few of the deaths are by-the-numbers and can seem calculated rather than moving.
"The spectre of defeat..."
Usually it's the male characters that I'm sad to see go, like Quarrel, Kerim Bey, Campbell, Ferrara, Vijay, Tibbett and Sharkey, but there's always purpose to their deaths. Bond can't die, but someone like him has to to show that the good guys aren't invincible.
There was a theme in Craig's first two Bond films that Bond caused needless deaths and was too reckless. This one follows that theme. I thought her death served a good purpose, though I agree that it didn't need the callback to GF.
Of them all, Tracey's ranks as the toughest death for me.
But Aki is probably the top one that really should be alive. Just write her off as going back to Tokyo or she could have been Kissy from the beginning.
I'd argue one of the films where the sacrificial lamb gambit actually works fairly well is FYEO, since Luigi's death is clearly referred back to when Bond kills Locque, making the ruthlessness of Bond's actions more dramatic for the audience. Bond exacting vengeance on Locque for Luigi's death doesn't really fit with what he told Melina about revenge earlier in the same film, admittedly, but the moment itself is powerful.
"The spectre of defeat..."
Good example
To me, the most annoying OSL deaths are those that have no depth of context or feeling, such as:
-- Strawberry Fields -- Feels like they wanted the GF moment so badly that they shoehorned this contrivance into the film. Ridiculous on so many levels.
-- Plenty -- She was a harmless gold-digger (at least in the final film cut) so her death, especially given its manner, just seems cruel.
-- Lisl -- Why was she killed exactly? They wanted Bond, not her. Again, cruelty for cruelty's sake, and especially OTT given Ferrara had already served as the OSL.
-- Rosie -- She basically died from being an idiot. In fairness, not sure there could have been any other plausible fate for her.
Tracy is obviously at a totally different level, not really even an OSL.
I agree 100%
In Fleming, Bond could not carry on being a Double-O after Tracy died. He was useless afer that, bungled two missions that endangered the lives of others, and M literally took away his Double-O status. When he flew to Japan his number was 7777 and it was a diplomatic mission.
It was only after amnesia, brainwashing and electro-convulsive therapy(!) that M gave him his Double-O number back.
Yes... he got his Double-O back. Which essentially proves my point. If Bond had got married, settled down etc, he couldn't have carried on being a Double-O... bungled missions or not. The bigger the Sacrificial Lamb, the more conflict is generated, the more credible the bungled missions etc, and the greater the payoff/resolution ... when it comes. -{