Character deaths are a natural part of television shows. Handled at their very best, they can be moments that define a show, either by moving a plot forward or wrapping one up effectively. However, some series throw death at viewers in ways that are meant to shock and do little else. "The Walking Dead," for example, has more than once with its handling of character deaths, which some argue is part of

from the once extremely popular series. "Criminal Minds," a long-running crime procedural, is another example of a show that used main character deaths to try and push storylines forward.

Premiering in 2005 and running for 15 seasons on CBS, "Criminal Minds" followed a group of profilers working for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit as they hunted down killers of all types.

It proved to be a ratings success for the network and has a dedicated fanbase, even after it ended in 2020. Still, no show is without its more critical viewers, and some fans have taken issue with some of the creative decisions that were made during the series' long tenure.

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