Very few writers can pull off shocking well, and yet 100% of them think they're going to be the next Red Wedding (which wasn't even the show writers, lol, GRRM wrote that).

Hard to think of a time that killing off a main character worked lol

Even when it's written well, it still often falls flat with fans. We don't like it, lol. And not in an edgy way - we really just don't like it.

Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a bit of an entity unto itself, because it builds in an expectation for the entire cast to change every few seasons.

Yeah, it's not a great example

And still, I recall that it took a minute for fans to get past losing Tennant, lol.

He was a pretty damn good Doctor though

Oh, he was great. But I’ve really enjoyed them all (well, from Nine on, which is what I’ve seen).

Same here

I'm easy when it comes to DW, I guess. But most shows just aren't set up like that.

Guess not

Most times, viewers get attached to characters. Which should be what you want as a writer, lol.

Yep, lol

If you have a character and a relationship that has endured with audiences over 15 years, it is insane to just throw that away.