All dead lesbian and bisexual women on TV: 2015-2016

Based on Autostraddle’s Ultimate Infographic Guide to Lesbian/Bisexual TV History, out of all lesbian and bisexual female characters on TV shows no longer on air (based on shows available to American TV audiences), 31% end up dead, while only 10% get happy endings. Another 38% are simply written off or guest stars with no closing storyline.

This trend continued (and got worse) in the 2015-2016 television season, which ran from June 1, 2015, through May 31, 2016.

This season, 33 lesbian and bisexual women were killed off on shows available to US audiences (not counting international shows that don’t air in the US), while show-runners continued to justify why their own stories do not fit the trope or deny the existence of a trope altogether. In total, queer women accounted for 10% of all deaths on TV, a number highly disproportionate with the rate of representation.

Below you’ll find a list of all the lesbian and bisexual characters killed off.

Root (Amy Acker), Person of Interest
Network: CBS, appears in 63 episodes, main cast

Cause of death: dies from a bullet meant for Finch, becomes the voice of an AI.
Date: May 31st, 2016

Bethany (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), Blindspot
Network: NBC, appears in 23 episodes, main cast

Cause of death: Shot from behind
Date: May 16th, 2016

Bridey (Floriana Lima), The Family
Network: ABC, ABC, appears in 12 episodes, regular cast

Cause of death: Murder
Date: May 15th, 2016

Donna Hollaran/Alexandra Harrison (Eisa Davis), Blindspot
Network: NBC, appears in 4 episodes, guest role

Cause of death: stabbed to death
Date: May 2nd, 2016

Felicity (Shivani Ghai), The Catch
Network: ABC, appears in 3 episodes, guest role

Cause of death: killed by her boyfriend after he found out she was sleeping with his sister.
Date: April 28th, 2016 (1×06)

Update: Felicity was revived in episode 2×07 “The Birthday Party”, April 20th, 2017

Pamela Clayborne (Gloria Reuben), Saints & Sinners
Network: Bounce TV, appears in 21 episodes, regular cast

Cause of death: shot by an intruder associated with the man her husband falsely accused her of having an affair with (she was actually having an affair with a woman).
Date: April 24th, 2016

Mimi Whiteman (Marisa Tomei), Empire
Network: Fox, appears in 5 episodes, recurring cast

Cause of death: poisoned by her wife
Date: April 6th, 2016

Camilla Marks-Whiteman (Naomi Campbell), Empire
Network: Fox, appears in 8 episodes, recurring cast

Cause of death: has an affair with a man, kills Mimi and commits suicide
Date: April 6th, 2016

Nora (Scarlett Byrne), The Vampire Diaries
Network: The CW, appears in 17 episodes, recurring cast

Cause of Death: Suicide
Date: Apr 1, 2016

Mary Louise (Teressa Liane), The Vampire Diaries
Network: The CW, appears in 15 episodes, recurring

Cause of Death: Suicide
Date: Apr 1, 2016

Tamsin (Rachel Skarsten), Lost Girl
Network: Syfy, appears in 34 episodes, recurring cast

Cause of Death: Died while birthing a child conceived from rape
Date: March 21, 2016

Denise (Merritt Wever), The Walking Dead
Network: AMC, appears in 9 episodes, recurring cast

Cause of Death: Shot in the eye with crossbow
Date: Mar 20, 2016

Kira (Yaani King), The Magicians
Network: Syfy, appears in 1 episode, guest role

Cause of Death: Asks to be killed after being kept alive in a vegetative state.
Date: Mar 14, 2016

Lexa (Alycia Debnam Carey), The 100
Network: The CW, appears 16 episodes, guest star

Cause of death: Shot by a stray bullet by her “father figure”
Date: Mar 3, 2016

Zora (Zoe Robins), The Shannara Chronicles
Network: MTV, appears in 2 episodes, guest role

Cause of death: Throat slit
Date: Feb 16, 2016

Julie Mao (Florence Faivre), The Expanse
Network: Syfy, appears in 10 episodes, main cast

Cause of death: infected by alien entity
Date: Jan 26, 2016

Carla (Shiri Appleby), Code Black
Network: CBS, appears in 4 episodes, recurring

Cause of death: Cancer, dies after giving birth
Date: Jan 13, 2016

The Countess (Lady Gaga), American Horror Story
Network: FX, appears in 12 episodes, main cast

Cause of death: shot and decapitated
Date: Jan 6, 2016

Natacha Rambova (Alexandra Daddario), American Horror Story: Hotel
Network: FX, appears in 3 episodes, recurring

Cause of death: Shot
Date: December 16, 2015

Sam (Jeanna Han), Scream Queens
Network: FOX, appears in 7 episodes, recurring

Cause of death: Suffocated by a serial killer
Date: December 8, 2015

Constance Heck (Elizabeth Marvel), Fargo
Network: FX, appears in 6 episodes, recurring

Cause of death: Strangled
Date: December 7, 2015

Wendy (Robin Weigert), Jessica Jones
Network: Netflix, appears in 7 episodes, recurring cast

Cause of death: Impaled on a coffee table
Date: November 20, 2015

Lillian Moss (Sara Mitich), Murdoch Mysteries
Network: Netflix, appears in 10 episodes, recurring cast

Cause of death: Shot by a jealous husband
Date: October 26, 2015 (9×03)

Destiny (Kaniehtiio Horn), Hemlock Grove
Network: Netflix, appears in 27 episodes, main cast

Cause of death: Neck snapped
Date: October 23, 2015

Jenna (Laci J Mailey), Supernatural
Network: The CW, appears in 2 episodes, guest role

Cause of death: Neck broken by a man while she was possessed by a demon baby
Date: October 14, 2015

Daria (Florence Kasumba), Dominion
Network: Syfy, appears in 3 episodes, guest

Cause of death: Disappears during an attack.
Date: September 24, 2015

Vivian (Sonja Bennett), Mistresses
Network: ABC, appears in 10 episodes, recurring guest star

Cause of death: Convinces her husband to bring one of the Mistresses into their marriage, then collapses and dies of cancer
Date: September 3, 2015

Carolyn (Aisha Hinds), Under the Dome
Network: CBS, appears in 16 episodes, main cast

Cause of death: Crushed to death in a collapsing tunnel by debris
Date: August 6, 2015

Rachel Murray (Sosie Bacon), Scream
Network: MTV, appears in 5 episodes, guest role

Cause of death: Thrown off a balcony
Date: August 4, 2015

Lorraine Martin (Marcy Goldman), Teen Wolf
Network: MTV, appears in 1 episode, guest

Cause of death: Strangled
Date: July 27, 2015

Margaret (Shanna Forrestall), Zoo
Network: CBS, appears in 1 episode, guest cast

Cause of death: Froze to death
Date: July 21, 2015

Wendy (Kerry Cahill), Last Tango in Halifax
Network: CBS, appears in 1 episode, guest cast

Cause of death: Froze to death
Date: July 21, 2015

Kate (Nina Sosanya), Last Tango in Halifax
Network: PBS, appears in 18 episodes, regular supporting cast

Cause of death: Hit by a car
Date (US airing): July 13, 2015