Network TV shows, especially those that have a longer run, often feature a rotating cast of characters. Sometimes, characters are introduced and seem to be set up to be a main part of the series but are never heard from again. There are many reasons why this could happen. Sometimes, there aren’t in-universe explanations, and characters simply vanish from their respective series. These character disappearances can sometimes cause baffling continuity errors.
Some characters, like Degrassi: The Next Generation’s Terri McGreggor (Christina Schmidt) were main characters and were downgraded after an in-show catastrophe. Others, like Tina Pinciotti (Amanda Fuller) from That ’70s Show caused confusion regarding a series’ main character’s arc. Each of these characters were introduced in their respective series for a reason. Their unresolved arcs were often never forgotten by fans of these series.
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Seven
‘Married…With Children’ (1987-1997)
Seven (Shane Sweet) was the son of Zemus (Bobcat Goldthwait) and Ida Mae Walker (Linda Blair) on Married…With Children. He was informally adopted by his cousin Peg Bundy (Katey Sagal). Seven is dropped off at the Bundy house by his parents, and leave without returning. Al (Ed O’Neill) is initially reluctant to accept Seven into the Bundy family but ultimately loves and accepts him as one of their own.
Seven appears throughout the series’ seventh season and then stops appearing without further explanation. He is mentioned a couple of times in seasons eight and nine. In a dark twist, his picture appears on the side of a milk carton, which could imply that the character ultimately went missing. This is never confirmed, however, and this plot point is never explored. It is unfortunate that a character who was so important to the Bundys for a time.
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Chuck Cunningham
‘Happy Days’ (1974-1984)
Chuck Cunningham was introduced as the Cunninghams’ oldest son at the beginning of Happy Days. The character was played by Ric Carrott in the series’ pilot and was subsequently played by both Gavan O’Herlihy and Randolph Roberts. Chuck was considered a jock and only appeared a handful of times throughout the first two seasons. The character disappeared after the second season, and there is no in-show explanation for his absence.
Chuck’s father, Howard Cunningham (Tom Bosley), mentions near the end of the series that he is proud of both of his sons, implying that Chuck never existed. This is another example of a character who could have reasonably had their absence explained. The fact that neither his siblings nor his parents even mentioned him in passing is an odd continuity issue that followed the series throughout its run. O’Herilhy and Roberts both appeared in the Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion.
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Dr. Grace Miller
‘Scrubs’ (2001-2010)
Scandal star Bellamy Young starred as Dr. Grace Miller in Scrubs. For a time, she was Turk’s (Donald Faison) boss. She had a strong personality and sometimes had difficulty bonding with her colleagues. Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) developed a crush on her, although this was never fully explored. She stepped in to perform surgery for Dr. Turk so that he would not be any later for his wedding than he already was and was never seen again.
While Dr. Miller’s disappearance may not seem odd since many characters appear in the series for a short time, this character’s departure was uniquely abrupt. She evidently impacted her colleagues during her tenure, so it seems strange that it is not even mentioned where she ended up. Dr. Miller did make a brief cameo at the end of season 8 when J.D. (Zach Braff) is looking back on his life and career, but she looked vastly different than she did when she was in the series.
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Ben Geller
‘Friends’ (1994-2004)
Friends remains one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time. One of the series’ earliest storylines is the birth of Ross’s (David Schwimmer) son, Ben. Ben was played by several child actors throughout the series. The last ones to play him were Dylan and Cole Spruce. Ben’s birth was a turning point for Ross as a character, and was frequently seen with his dad and the rest of the friends especially in the earlier seasons.
Eventually, Ben just stopped being mentioned all together. It is strange, since his storyline was essential to one of Friends’ main characters. It is also disappointing that almost as soon as Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Ross welcome their daughter Emma, Ben essentially ceases to exist. While Ben is mentioned several more times throughout the series, there is no confirmation of where he ends up or how he is doing by the end of the story.
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Mandy Hampton
‘The West Wing’ (1999-2006)
Mandy Hampton (Moira Kelly) was introduced as a main character in the first season of The West Wing. Mandy was a critical member of the White House’s team. She served as an advisor to the President’s team, including President Barlett (Martin Sheen) himself. She al
Gwen Grandy (Anna Camp) was introduced at the beginning of The Mindy Project as Mindy’s (Mindy Kaling) best friend. While Gwen took a drastically different path than Mindy, the two remained friends throughout the first season. The two would often get together to discuss their lives and to share advice on their respective lives. She stops appearing approximately halfway through the first season and is not mentioned again.
Sitcoms, especially those like The Mindy Project that had a decent network run, often also have characters going through revolving doors, especially in a premiere season. What made Gwen’s departure so notable is that she was set up to be an integral part of Mindy’s story. Watching the two of them grow in their friendship could have given the show an interesting dynamic. The fact that these two were so well-contrasted would have made their relationship a natural focus in the series.8
John Bennett
‘Orange Is the New Black’ (2013-2019)
John Bennett (Matt McGorry) played a crucial role in the early seasons of Orange is the New Black. This character’s romance with Daya Diaz (Dascha Polanco) was a central plot point and one of the most charming aspects of the series in the early seasons. Daya became pregnant with their daughter, which was the catalyst for John’s eventual departure. He abandoned his responsibilities as a parent as well as his job as a prison officer.
What makes Bennett’s departure so jarring is that it goes against so much of his character development up to that point. The explanation for his departure is presumably that John became intimidated by Daya’s family. The door was left open for his return, however. John never did reappear, and he is mentioned less and less as the series continues. By the time Orange is the New Black ended, it is unclear what became of John Bennett.
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Detective Daniels
‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ (2013-2021)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is remembered as an exceptionally strong workplace comedy. In the premiere episode, Detective Daniels (Kate Flannery) is introduced as Scully (Joel McKinnon Miller) and Hitchcock’s (Dirk Blocker) friend. She introduced as the third member of this duo, who are said to be better at desk work than frontline police work. After the premiere episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Detective Daniels is never mentioned again.
It is interesting that Flannery returned to Brooklyn Nine-Nine as “Mean Marge” although she never reprised her role as Daniels. This character’s departure could have been explained by a mention of a transfer or retirement. It would have been interesting to see how the Scully-Hitchcock dynamic would have functioned as a trio. Daniels’ could have added to the chaos that Scully and Hitchcock caused throughout the series.
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Dr. Leah Murphy
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ (2005-Present)
Dr. Leah Murphy (Tessa Ferrer) added to the drama of Grey’s Anatomy by getting fired from Grey-Sloan Memorial. She returned to the hospital after training elsewhere and proving herself as a doctor. While it was noted that she had improved her skills immensely, she simply stopped being a part of the series. There was no mention of her accepting a new job elsewhere or of her circumstances changing at all. She has also not been mentioned again since her departure.
Although Grey’s Anatomy features many doctors on a revolving-door basis, Murphy’s departure, reintroduction, and re-departure are notable. It is interesting that her storyline would be made so central to the series, and then she would simply disappear without a farewell.
Gwen Grandy (Anna Camp) was introduced at the beginning of The Mindy Project as Mindy’s (Mindy Kaling) best friend. While Gwen took a drastically different path than Mindy, the two remained friends throughout the first season. The two would often get together to discuss their lives and to share advice on their respective lives. She stops appearing approximately halfway through the first season and is not mentioned again.
Sitcoms, especially those like The Mindy Project that had a decent network run, often also have characters going through revolving doors, especially in a premiere season. What made Gwen’s departure so notable is that she was set up to be an integral part of Mindy’s story. Watching the two of them grow in their friendship could have given the show an interesting dynamic. The fact that these two were so well-contrasted would have made their relationship a natural focus in the series.Murphy’s absence could have easily been explained, especially considering the fact that she worked so hard to improve herself throughout her tenure.
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Gwen Grandy
‘The Mindy Project’ (2012-2017)
