Date of Death: January 22, 2008
Age: 28
Cause of Death: Prescription Drug Intoxication
This reaction was definitely post-mortem. When Ledger died, I had only seen The Patriot and barely remembered him. However, I was blown away by his performance in The Dark Knight. I also recently saw Brokeback Mountain. Talk about range. This guy could have had a really special career, and I am saddened that I’m going to miss out on it. And that he felt he needed all of those benzos to feel relief.
Date of Death: March 4, 1994
Age: 43
Cause of Death: Heart Attack
Date of Death: September 11, 2003
Age: 54
Cause of Death: Aortic Dissection
When rounding out my top ten, both of these guys came to mind and I couldn’t pick one over the other. In both cases, when I heard, I was like “Awww, man.” I haven’t even seen much of either guy’s catalogs. I really like Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, but otherwise a lot of Candy’s movies were either not good or his skills weren’t pushed as he played the big-hearted buffoon over and over. I have a feeling Candy could have done very well with some dramatic roles, or even some GOOD comedies. As for Ritter, I wasn’t able to get into any of his TV shows, despite finding him affable. But I loved his performance in Sling Blade. Scrubs dedicated an entire episode to its main character grieving his death (as Ritter played J.D.’s father), which was a nice touch.
I guess both of these guys were just really likable. While I wasn’t expecting either of them to blow me away with future roles, it was just sad to see them gone so young.
Recently I learned news of a celebrity death and my immediate reaction was, “Ah, shit!” I was surprised by this reaction because normally the most I can muster when I hear similar news is curiosity. I have rarely felt any emotional attachment to someone I’ve never met, and when I feel something when a celebrity dies, it’s generally because I’m going to miss whatever form of entertainment they were providing. The next two weeks we’ll look at the ten that provoked the most reaction out of me.
To be clear, the list will just be entertainers. I could provide a laundry list of people that were really important to society that I’m pissed died young (e.g. Alan Turing), but I don’t feel like being angry for two weeks. So, fluff it is!
Episode: The Inner Light (5.25)
I cry every freaking time.
Episode: I, Borg (5.23)
After not hearing from the Borg for almost two full seasons, this was the perfect reintroduction. And this is the perfect scene, challenging Picard’s personal feelings about a race that nearly destroyed him.
Episode: Lower Decks (7.15)
A great follow-up to The First Duty, Sito Jaxa gets on the Enterprise because Picard requests her, trying to test her resolve after her being knocked down a couple pegs after the disciplinary action. She dies on an extremely important mission, and then Picard has to announce her death.
Episode: Remember Me (4.05)
The creepiest part of this episode where Beverly is caught inside the warp bubble is that the computer is completely oblivious to all of the changes going on. Majel Barrett’s best episode on the show.
Episode: Darmok (5.02)
While this far from a bone-chilling moment, it’s incredibly satisfying watching the brilliantly diplomatic Picard learn the basics of a new language under extreme duress.
Episode: A Matter of Honor (2.08)
This episode was probably the best in the series for the development of Riker’s character, which is a shame, since it was all the way back in season two. He does a brilliant job as first officer aboard the Klingon vessel. He researched the hell out of the position and put aside all of his humility to own it. My favorite part is mealtime, where he manages to impress the hell out of everyone in the room, both in humor and philosophy.
Episode: Best of Both Worlds (4.01)
One reason I enjoy the second half of this episode is that despite everyone knowing that the Borg wasn’t going to take over the entire federation, the writers didn’t limit the damage to just a few deaths. For the Borg to remain a formidable enemy, they needed to cause some massive destruction. And they do. And it’s all shown with very little dialogue. Dropping the name of the ship that Riker turned down was a nice touch.
Death By Troggles 
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