Going Out in A Blaze of Glory

Dylan Bruce in Orphan Black

If you haven’t seen episode 2 of Wynonna Earp season 3 yet, or if you haven’t seen the final episodes of Dietland, there are big spoilers ahead. Both have characters who go out in a blaze of glory.

I first became aware of the beloved character sacrificing himself in a heroic death with Orphan Black. The character Paul (Dylan Bruce) basically blew himself up with a hand grenade to save the clones. Then Bea (Danielle Cormack) kinda sorta did the same thing in Wentworth. Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) did it in Lost Girl, in a literal blaze.

It’s happened again, in two shows I accidentally watched on the same night.

Shamier Anderson in Wynonnna Earp
We loved you, Dolls

The first was Wynonna Earp. I watched it on a Monday because I’d been traveling. Shamier Anderson as Agent Dolls quite literally went out in a blaze of glory as he dragon-breathed a demon to death and died himself in the process. He knew he might, because he’d been warned numerous times that he was physically unstable and the medicine that kept him human wasn’t quite right.

I loved Dolls, as did everyone who’s a fan of the show. Shamier Anderson is a fine actor with a killer smile who could light up a scene as easily as Wynonna’s (Melanie Scrofano) heart. In fact, he’s such a fine actor that he had many other opportunities he wanted to pursue. It was his choice to leave Wynonna Earp.

The dynamic on the show will be very different without him. He was the voice of reason, holding everyone down to the legal options when they wanted to run off and do something crazy.

Even before Dolls’ sacrificed himself, Wynonna and Doc (Tim Rozon) were grieving over their baby girl who’d been sent away for safety’s sake. Add more grieving all around with both characters and fans missing Dolls. Now they are down to 4 demon hunters against a whole lotta freakin demons.

Tara Summers in Ringer
This is a shot from Ringer. I couldn’t find a Tara Summers image from Dietland

Later on Monday evening I watched the last episode of Dietland at its regular time. On Dietland, a group of women join together in an attempt to overthrow the patriarchy. They do it using illegal means including murder. The cops are after them.

Someone rats them out to the cops and there is a raid on their secret hideout. One of my favorite characters who came into the cast late in the series was Sofia (Tara Summers). She was a standout in the group of women fighting together and I got attached to her immediately. When the police came, everyone ran.

Sofia went outside to face the cops, pistol in hand. Of course the minute they saw her gun they all started shooting and put about 300 bullets in Sofia. Another heroic blaze of glory.

Sacrificing yourself out of love for others has always been considered heroic. Making the decision that someone else’s life is more important than your life might seem like insanity. Or a rational choice. And it happened twice on my TV screen on Monday night.

Do you have any other favorite characters who have left a show this way?

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