History Main / PutOnABusToHell

* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Happens in-universe to Joey's TV persona, Drake Remoray, after he inadvertently pissed off the writers of the show.

* ''ComicBook/CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew'' seemed safe as long as they were in ComicBookLimbo. Unfortunately, when they were brought back in the mid 2000's, their AnimalSuperheroes world had to become darker to reflect the DarkerAndEdgier mainstream DC Universe. As a result, Little Cheese was [[DroppedABridgeOnHim murdered]], and then came the ''Captain Carrot And the Final Ark'' mini-series. Their world had become uninhabitable, so Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew, and the other anthropomorphic animal superheroes arranged for an ark to take them to the Justa Lotta Animals' world, Earth C-Minus. However, because of a mishap, not only did they end up in the 'main' DC Universe Earth, but they were also turned into non-anthropomorphic animals who could not communicate with Franchise/{{Superman}} and the Franchise/{{Justice League|OfAmerica}}. The mini-series ends with them stuck this way, and the DC heroes not knowing why this ship appeared filled with animals. Fortunately, there's good news: [[spoiler:The Monitor Nix Uotan broke down that bus to Hell by reverting the Zoo Crew into their original forms in time for the final battle of ''Comicbook/FinalCrisis''.]]

** ''ComicBook/{{Thor}}'': How did Marvel take Thor out of the picture when they decided that they wanted to replace him with a female Thor? Why, by having him [[TraumaCongaLine become unworthy and unable to lift his hammer, lose his powers and his left arm, then try to reclaim his hammer only to discovering that there's someone else wielding it, having to relinquish his signature weapon and his name as a result]], of course.

* The character Smiley from ''ComicStrip/{{Baldo}}''. She was originally Baldo's {{tomboy}}ish next door neighbor, and later became his girlfriend. WordOfGod was that the relationship wasn't interesting to write, so the characters broke up but decided to [[BetterAsFriends stay friends]]. A couple of months later, Smiley had some offscreen CharacterDerailment within the span of three days, culminating in an EvilMakeover to become, essentially, the AlphaBitch. Despite a claim from the author that she ''might'' return, Smiley hasn't been seen or mentioned in the comic since 2006.

* Interestingly, Lorne from ''Series/{{Angel}}'' has something akin to this happen, in a case of [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Tropes Are Not Bad]]. His growing discomfort with the gang's EnemyMine situation, and feeling out of place as the resident comic relief guy in an increasingly dark series, is cemented in the finale. He helps out with Angel's plan to take out the worst bad guys ever -- shooting resident AmoralAttorney[=/=]ArchEnemy Lindsey after they fight off a bunch of demon {{Mooks}}, but makes it quite clear that he's finished with their vigilante shtick, and that this is the last thing--and personal MoralEventHorizon--he's going to do with them. After that he basically becomes the force that binds the universe together.

** Even before this, Talia Winters had her personality erased and turned evil in the span of one episode, following producer arguments over screen-time with actress Andrea Thompson. A throwaway line in a later episode suggested she had been killed and dissected. Following this actor dispute J. Michael Straczynski was keen to point out that ''every'' character had a possible replacement planned - only for emergencies, of course.

* The departure of Todd Grimshaw in ''Series/CoronationStreet'' was ''probably'' meant to be a TearJerker, but since it involved him verbally abusing and ''assaulting'' both his brother and the ex-girlfriend ''he cheated on'' for sleeping together, then jumping on a bus declaring no one would ever love her like he did, it was hard not to think the writers were trying to make sure no one would miss him. (He did come back to be best man at the couple's wedding, to show there were no hard feelings, but then he came back ''again'' as a snob who was ashamed of his working class roots.)

* In the two part premiere of ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'', when the Machine Empire arrives and kicks Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd off the moon, the villainous couple is forced to seek refuge with Rita's father Master Vile. Zedd ''hates'' Master Vile (Finster, Squatt, and Baboo didn't seem too pleased by the idea, either).

** Sabrina Lloyd supposedly didn't return for season four due to behind-the-scenes drama, and her character Wade's fate sure seems to confirm this: how does "taken by the villains to spend the rest of her life being '''used for breeding purposes'''" sound? The way she was brought back was not much friendlier, basically kept in a [[BrainInAJar jar with her brain exposed]] to be used to control the same villains' new advanced dimension-hopping machine. She destroys the base in a HeroicSacrifice, but appears to Rembrandt once more afterward, so there's hope for her survival... if you can call being trapped in the ruined Kromagg base in a mutilated, AndIMustScream condition "hopeful."

* In the Australian cop show ''Series/WaterRats'', regular character Constable Terry Watson is written off by having him get arrested for abducting his 3 year old daughter. He had done it in order to frame the loser his ex was with at that time.

* The most infamous instance of this in ProfessionalWrestling would be 1997's Wrestling/MontrealScrewjob. Wrestler Wrestling/BretHart had a disagreement with Wrestling/{{WW|E}}F owner Wrestling/VinceMcMahon as to whether Hart should have to lose his final match before departing WWF for Wrestling/{{WCW}}. As noted above, this is the norm in the industry. Moreover, Hart was the WWF champion at the time. Previous [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwf-wm.html WWF Women's Champion]] [[Wrestling/{{Madusa}} Alundra Blayze]] had left for WCW still holding the belt, and on her first appearance on WCW, dropped the title belt in a garbage can on live TV, pretty much nuking her career in the process. Vince [=McMahon=] had no desire to see a repeat of that with the WWF championship belt, and it was thus of utmost importance for Hart to lose the championship before leaving for WCW. Hart, however, was unwilling to lose in his native Canada, and did not want to give the belt to Michaels, whom he disliked. Hart also had a "reasonable creative control" clause in his contract, meaning he could veto angles he deemed detrimental to his character so long as doing so wouldn't completely derail an ongoing storyline. Hart and [=McMahon=] agreed on a disqualification ending for the match with Hart surrendering the title on the next night's RAW (an alternative to jobbing to Michaels on the PPV that would've kept the storylines intact, thus meeting Hart's contract clause), but that's not what happened. When Michaels put Hart in a submission hold from which Hart was scripted to escape, [=McMahon=] ordered the bell rung and the match awarded to Hart's opponent Shawn Michaels as though Hart had surrendered, in order to make sure Hart lost the match and his WWF Championship before leaving. The effects of the Montreal Screwjob are still being felt over 10 years later, and it also led to a RealLifeWritesThePlot situation, as [=McMahon=]'s {{Kayfabe}} character went from nice-guy announcer to scheming politician.

*** It should also be noted that according to Eric Bischoff's 2006 autobiography (produced by WWE, no less), WCW was so restricted by Turner Broadcasting's legal team (due to a pending trademark lawsuit brought by the then-WWF over Wrestling/KevinNash & Wrestling/ScottHall's debuts) that there would have never been a reprise of the "belt in trash can" incident, or any inclusion of a WWF/E trademark (such as a title belt) on a WCW program, even if Bret had been willing to do it. Ultimately, the entire "screwjob" incident did little more than serve as a catalyst for the change in Vince [=McMahon=]'s on-air character, and may have done as much as WCW's booking incompetence to ruin Bret's wrestling career.

* The Androsynth suffer this just before ''[[VideoGame/StarControl Star Control 2]]'', when their experiments in FTL technology attract the attention of an EldritchAbomination.

** Not only is she sucked into Hell, her very memory is RetGone from everyone who knows her, so ''no rescue attempts'' will be made. Brr...
** In ''Webcomic/BadMachinery'' TheBusCameBack, but still no one remembers her. Allison subsequently wrote a story about Erin breaking out of Hell; it is two pages long and awesome, and involves her becoming ruler of Hell along the way.

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' has [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20041217#.VvHTP-KLTIV Moloch von Zinzer]] -- although his bus comes back four years later (or a couple of months later in comic-time), it doesn't change the fact that he was sent to ''sentient'' MalevolentArchitecture Castle Heterodyne for being part of a plot that he had no idea existed. It's so bad that when he asks for help from the guy that roped him into the plot in the first place, he gets given a ''[[CyanidePill poison pill]]'' that will kill him instantly, because it's better than living in the Castle. Nonetheless, he [[ActionSurvivor manages without it]] and as of twelve years later, the [[ChekhovsGun pill hasn't shown up again...]]

* Hilariously inverted in the ending of the ''WebVideo/PuffinForest'' Malikar storyline. [[BigBad Malikar]] is an immortal who is reborn every time he gets killed and was performing a ritual that would have destroyed the world. The players had spent the campaign searching for a weapon that could permanently kill him. The players confronted him with the weapon and disrupted the ritual, but ended up just barely losing the final fight by a single dice roll. This resulted in the most of the players characters and Malikar getting randomly scattered into the the various outer planes. Through shear luck of the dice, all of the player character ended in planes on the good side of the great wheel. When Ben rolled the dice to decide where Malikar ended up, he burst out laughing because he got sent to [[spoiler:Mount Celestia, the plane of LawfulGood and equivalent of Heaven, where he is immediately arrested and imprisoned, removing him as a threat for a long time.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'', John Jameson, a likable and heroic character, ends up getting powers that make him a FlyingBrick, and expresses interest in becoming a superhero ally of Spidey. Unfortunately, those powers [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity cause him to become increasingly aggressive and irrational]], which is helped along by Venom attacking him while pretending to be Spider-Man. Spider-Man end up having to rather brutally de-power John in order to stop him. When last seen in the show, John is in an asylum and is a broken wreck suffering from power withdrawal and shown to be every bit as crazy as Electro, the most mentally unstable character in the series.

** Discussed by Steven at the beginning of the "Stranded" special when he and Connie are about to visit [[spoiler:Lars, who as far as they know is still trapped on Homeworld]]. Steven expresses worry about his friend, since the last time he saw him he was trapped underground with a bunch of Off-Color Gems. However when they visit him through Lion's mane this is subverted: [[spoiler:In the weeks since Steven last saw Lars, he and the Off-Colors have stolen the ship of a high-ranking Gem from Homeworld and are now making their way toward Earth.]]

* ''Series/DoctorWho'':

* On ''Series/DoctorWho'' Dodo got kicked out of the companion role by a producer who hated the character. In her final story, she gets hypnotized by the supercomputer WOTAn. The Doctor sets her mind, also using hypnosis, but she leaves offscreen and doesn't show up in the final episode of the story or get to say goodbye to the Doctor, instead getting a second-hand goodbye via Polly who assures him that Dodo sends her love.

** The show often did this to companions in the Classic series:
*** Vicki was dropped because the new producer disliked the actress, apparently because she sided with Creator/WilliamHartnell against various production decisions to make the show DarkerAndEdgier. While her StrangledByTheRedString departure isn't as [[FourthDateMarriage random]] as some others (and she even gets to be immortalised in myth as the legendary Cressida), it's still bittersweet at best. We last see her lamenting to her husband that she's all alone with her family dead and no time travel, fleeing a city in the process of being torn to pieces by the Greeks, stranded 5000 years before her own time, with history remembering her as a shallow temptress.
*** Dodo got kicked out of the companion role by a producer who hated the character. In her final story, she gets a MindRape from a hypnotic computer and the Doctor has to reset her mind using hypnosis. She doesn't show up in the final episode of the story and doesn't even get to say goodbye to the Doctor, instead getting a second-hand goodbye via Polly who assures him that Dodo sends her love.
*** Liz Shaw disappears offscreen with little explanation and no goodbye, as the production team had decided that pairing the Doctor up with another ScienceHero made her too challenging a Doctor surrogate, and they wanted a ditzy DamselInDistress in a [[ParentService short skirt]] in the role instead. Some second-hand explanation is given via the Brigadier when he explains that Liz had wanted to quit due to the Doctor only needing someone to tell him how clever he was. In some ways this was only to be expected: Shaw was ''going'' to be UNIT's scientific advisor until the Doctor showed up; a lingering resentment at being gazumped would be understandable.
*** Leela's actress had wanted a heroic death in battle for her character, but the producer told her that this was too traumatic for her child fans (partly in fear of ExecutiveMeddling) and also wanted the actress to stay on as companion to lessen the TroubledProduction. The result of this is that she suffers massive CharacterDerailment in her final episode, inexplicably deciding to stay behind to get married to a character she had barely interacted with (despite being an independent warrior until then).
*** K-9 got a reasonably respectful goodbye ''scene'', but the decision to have him spend his final season [[TheWorfEffect exploding as much as possible]] was made by a production team that hated the character's plot-derailing [[MinoredInAssKicking powers]], tacky design and obnoxious personality. Most of the cast and crew reported finding it cathartic.
** [[Recap/DoctorWho2019NYSResolution "Resolution"]]: [[spoiler:UNIT, a long-standing ally of the Doctor's, has had its operations suspended pending a budgetary review because there haven't been any recent alien invasions — an utterly laughable claim InUniverse. The Doctor {{facepalm}}s when she hears about it from an ObstructiveBureaucrat.]]

* Hilariously Inverted in the ''WebVideo/PuffinForest'' Malikar Campaign where the [[BigBad Malikar]] and most of the party get scattered into the the various elemental planes after Malikar's plan is disrupted, though they fail to kill him, with the party managing to avoid the worst of them while [[spoiler: Malikar ends up in Mount Celestia, the LawfulGood plane where he is immediately arrested.]]

*** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] when it turns out that Klara is happy with her new foster parents, albeit it took some time for her to accept them because they were gay men.

* Dan Fitzgerald from ''Series/{{Neighbours}}''. While he didn't turn downright evil, his {{character derailment}} became very obvious towards the end of his Ramsay Street run. He was originally portrayed as the stereotypical 'good guy', being the principal of Erinsborough High as well as a valued mentor figure for the teens; he was even said to be the "good brother", in stark contrast to his younger sibling Lucas. In one of his last episodes, however, he was shown verbally abusing his mother-in-law--who was currently carrying his '''''child''''' (as a surrogate mother)--who became so distressed by this that she actually tripped and ended up losing the baby. Then he walked away.

** Discussed by Steven at the beginning of the "Stranded" special when he and Connie are about to visit [[spoiler:Lars, who as far as they know is still trapped on Homeworld]]. Steven expresses worry about his friend, since the last time he saw him he was trapped underground with a bunch of Off-Color Gems. However when they visit him through Lion's mane this is subverted: [[spoiler:In the weeks since Steven last saw Lars, he and the Off-Colors have stolen the ship of a high-ranking Gem from Homeworld and are now making their way towards Earth.]]

* Interestingly, Lorne from ''Series/{{Angel}}'' has something akin to this happen, in a case of [[TropesAreTools Tropes Are Not Bad]]. His growing discomfort with the gang's EnemyMine situation, and feeling out of place as the resident comic relief guy in an increasingly dark series, is cemented in the finale. He helps out with Angel's plan to take out the worst bad guys ever -- shooting resident AmoralAttorney[=/=]ArchEnemy Lindsey after they fight off a bunch of demon {{Mooks}}, but makes it quite clear that he's finished with their vigilante shtick, and that this is the last thing--and personal MoralEventHorizon--he's going to do with them. After that he basically becomes the force that binds the universe together.

* It's common for a wrestler leaving a company to lose ("do the job") in their last match there, in order to make their opponent look good. These are not examples of this trope, they're just the norm in the industry. What ''is'' an example is when it's known that a wrestler is planning on leaving for another company, and having them lose repeatedly in order to diminish their potential value.
** One particular notable example is the Wrestling/TheUndertaker, being infamously [[InvincibleHero undefeatable]] (his winning streak had only been broken once in 25 years) for his entire career. While he's made the occasional cameo since then, his second-ever defeat at the hands of Wrestling/RomanReigns officially marked the end of his career.

** One particular notable example is the Wrestling/TheUndertaker, being infamously [[InvincibleHero undefeatable]] for his entire career. While he's made the occasional cameo since then, his first and only loss against Wrestling/RomanReigns officially marked the end of his career.

* While the other villains in ''VideoGame/CrashBandicootMindOverMutant'' either run off or are shooed away by Aku Aku, Nina Cortex gets sent to Evil Public School against her will by her uncle Neo Cortex, out of retaliation on behalf of him being betrayed by her in the previous game.

** "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E2TheTrial The Trial]]" ends with Blue Zircon getting carried away in her defense and recklessly accusing one of the Diamonds of shattering Pink Diamond. She immediately tries to backpedal but is smashed by Yellow Diamond, poofing her, before Yellow also electrocutes and poofs Yellow Zircon in a fit of rage. WordOfGod says that both Zircons are still alive, but in danger. [[spoiler:Even worse, Blue Zircon's logic wasn't bad and the conclusion was close to the truth, but she started from the faulty premise that Pink Diamond was really dead.]]

[[folder: Anime and Manga]]

[[folder: Comic Books]]
* ''Comicbook/CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew'' seemed safe as long as they were in ComicBookLimbo. Unfortunately, when they were brought back in the mid 2000's, their AnimalSuperheroes world had to become darker to reflect the DarkerAndEdgier mainstream DC Universe. As a result, Little Cheese was [[DroppedABridgeOnHim murdered]], and then came the ''Captain Carrot And the Final Ark'' mini-series. Their world had become uninhabitable, so Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew, and the other anthropomorphic animal superheroes arranged for an ark to take them to the Justa Lotta Animals' world, Earth C-Minus. However, because of a mishap, not only did they end up in the 'main' DC Universe Earth, but they were also turned into non-anthropomorphic animals who could not communicate with Franchise/{{Superman}} and the Franchise/{{Justice League|OfAmerica}}. The mini-series ends with them stuck this way, and the DC heroes not knowing why this ship appeared filled with animals. Fortunately, there's good news: [[spoiler:The Monitor Nix Uotan broke down that bus to Hell by reverting the Zoo Crew into their original forms in time for the final battle of ''Comicbook/FinalCrisis''.]]

* In ''ComicBook/TransformersRobotsInDisguise'', Omega Supreme was badly damaged by a bomb [[spoiler: shortly before the return of Megatron]]. He was mentioned as still alive a couple of times (presumably so that he could return if [[MerchandiseDriven Hasbro ever released a new Omega Supreme toy]]) but he never recovered and died giving Bumblebee the information he had on [[PlanetEater Unicron]].

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* The character Smiley from ''ComicStrip/{{Baldo}}''. She was originally Baldo's {{tomboy}}ish next door neighbor, and later became his girlfriend. WordOfGod was that the relationship wasn't interesting to write, so the characters broke up but decided to [[BetterAsFriends stay friends]]. A couple of months later, Smiley had some offscreen CharacterDerailment within the span of three days, culminating in an EvilMakeover to become, essentially, the AlphaBitch. Despite a claim from the author that she ''might'' return, Smiley hasn't been seen or mentioned in the comic since 2006.
* This happened to Josh in ''ComicStrip/{{Retail}}''. While he was always obnoxious and disliked by other employees, he was initially just eager to be the best employee possible. However, after he was promoted to assistant manager, he became more and more antagonistic, culminating with him lying about receiving a job offer from a rival store in order to secure a big raise. After some time, his bosses discover that he lied about the offer, but opted not to fire him immediately due to it being the holiday season, and them needing all the help they could get. Josh eventually realized that his superiors had discovered his scheme, so he quickly found a new job before they had a chance to fire him. After Josh turned his two weeks notice in, he admitted to lying about the job offer and bragged about it. Josh was fired on the spot, not letting him work out his notice. He hasn't appeared since 2014, although he was mentioned in one 2016 strip.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' has [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20041217#.VvHTP-KLTIV Moloch von Zinzer]] - although his bus comes back four years later (or a couple of months later in comic-time), it doesn't change the fact that he was sent to ''sentient'' MalevolentArchitecture Castle Heterodyne for being part of a plot that he had no idea existed. It's so bad that when he asks for help from the guy that roped him into the plot in the first place, he gets given a ''[[CyanidePill poison pill]]'' that will kill him instantly, because it's better than living in the Castle. Nonetheless, he [[ActionSurvivor manages without it]] and as of twelve years later, the [[ChekhovsGun pill hasn't shown up again...]]

[[folder: Web Video]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'', [[spoiler:Soundwave]] ends the series trapped forever in a pocket dimension with no hope of escaping. He couldn't be killed so the best option the heroes had against him was to transport him into another world with no other life forms. [[spoiler: [[WesternAnimation/TransformersRobotsInDisguise then,]] [[TheBusCameBack he escaped]].]]

* ''Comicbook/CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew'' seemed safe as long as they were in ComicBookLimbo. Unfortunately, when they were brought back in the mid 2000's, their AnimalSuperheroes world had to become darker to reflect the DarkerAndEdgier mainstream DC Universe. As a result, Little Cheese was [[DroppedABridgeOnHim murdered]], and then came the ''Captain Carrot And the Final Ark'' mini-series. Their world had become uninhabitable, so Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew, and the other anthropomorphic animal superheroes arranged for an ark to take them to the Justa Lotta Animals' world, Earth C-Minus. However, because of a mishap, not only did they end up in the 'main' DC Universe Earth, but they were also turned into non-anthropomorphic animals who could not communicate with Franchise/{{Superman}} and the Franchise/{{Justice League|OfAmerica}}. The mini-series ends with them stuck this way, and the DC heroes not knowing why this ship appeared filled with animals. The whole ending seemed to be DC's TakeThat at those requesting the return of the Zoo Crew, and their way of telling them that funny animal superheroes have no place in the [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism new, more cynical DC Universe]]. Actually, WordOfGod (if DC is to be believed) was that the Zoo Crew's fate was supposed to spur fans into demanding their return. Fortunately, there's good news: [[spoiler:The Monitor Nix Uotan broke down that bus to Hell by reverting the Zoo Crew into their original forms in time for the final battle of ''Comicbook/FinalCrisis''.]]

*** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] when it turns out that Klara is happy with her new foster parents, albeit it still took some time for her to accept them because they were gay men.

*** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] when it turns out that Klara is happy with her new foster parents, albeit it still took some time for her to accept them because they were gay.

*** Liz Shaw disappears offscreen with little explanation and no goodbye, as the production team had decided that pairing the Doctor up with another ScienceHero made her too challenging a Doctor surrogate, and they wanted a ditzy DamselInDistress in a [[ParentService short skirt]] in the role instead. Some second-hand explanation is given via the Brigadier when he explains that Liz had wanted to quit due to the Doctor only needing someone to tell him how clever he was. In some ways this was anticipated: Shaw was ''going'' to be UNIT's scientific advisor until the Doctor showed up; a lingering resentment at being gazumped would be understandable.

*** Liz Shaw disappears offscreen with little explanation and no goodbye, as the production team had decided that pairing the Doctor up with another ScienceHero made her too challenging a Doctor surrogate, and they wanted a ditzy DamselInDistress in a [[ParentService short skirt]] in the role instead. Some second-hand explanation is given via the Brigadier when he explains that Liz had wanted to quit due to the Doctor only needing someone to tell him how clever he was.

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]
* Interestingly, Lorne from the spinoff ''Series/{{Angel}}'' has something akin to this happen, in a case of [[TropesAreTools Tropes Are Not Bad]]. His growing discomfort with the gang's EnemyMine situation, and feeling out of place as the resident comic relief guy in an increasingly dark series, is cemented in the finale. He helps out with Angel's plan to take out the worst bad guys ever -- shooting resident AmoralAttorney[=/=]ArchEnemy Lindsey after they fight off a bunch of demon {{Mooks}}, but makes it quite clear that he's finished with their vigilante shtick, and that this is the last thing--and personal MoralEventHorizon--he's going to do with them. After that he basically becomes the force that binds the universe together.

* ''Series/{{Friends}}''
** Happens in-universe to Joey's TV persona, Drake Remoray, after he inadvertently pissed off the writers of the show.
* Miss Claudette in ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack''. During the first season, she reconnects with an old friend and has renewed interest in being released. However, at the end of the season, her appeal is denied and in a fit of anger, Miss Claudette attacks one of the guards. She is taken away to maximum security, where you don't get out.
** Nicky got sent away to max, as did Sophia, but [[spoiler: both of them [[TheBusCameBack come back next season.]]]]
** In season 4, [[spoiler: Lolly]] got sent to psych.
** Earlier in the series, there was an elderly woman named [[GenderBlenderName Jimmy]] who had developed Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia. While in one of her delusions, she mistakes the altar in the prison chapel for a diving board...and (predictably) gets hurt. The prison can't keep her (even in psych), seeing as she's such a high risk to herself and others, nor is the state willing to commute her sentence to a psych facility or a nursing home. Unfortunately for Jimmy, she has no family or friends on the outside that she can rely on, or that could get her into long-term care, either. So she is given [[NonindicativeName "Compassionate" Release]]. She gets out of prison, but they basically just threw her out onto the street, with the idea that "whatever happens, happens," since she has no place to go.
* In ''Series/LandOfTheLost1974'', the first episode of the third season starts with Rick Marshall (played by a double and seen only from the back) falling through a time doorway back home. Spencer Milligan had a dispute concerning the fact that the cast members' likenesses were being used on merchandising and that they got no share of those royalties. The Kroffts elected to not renew his contract. But it sucks that he accidentally made it back home but his kids are still stuck in the Land of the Lost. Additionally, it does not seem possible to reach the Land of the Lost from Earth by any sort of deliberate design. It always seems to be accidental, and Enik has also postulated some complex scientific theories on conservation of temporal mass, further adding to difficulties. So it's highly likely that Rick's attempts to return to the Land of his own accord simply fail.
* ''Series/ICarly'' has an episode where Missy, who suffers from seasickness, gets sent to a school-at-sea.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'' often did this to companions in the Classic series:
** Vicki was dropped because the new producer disliked the actress, apparently because she sided with Creator/WilliamHartnell against various production decisions to make the show DarkerAndEdgier. While her StrangledByTheRedString departure isn't as [[FourthDateMarriage random]] as some others (and she even gets to be immortalised in myth as the legendary Cressida), it's still bittersweet at best. We last see her lamenting to her husband that she's all alone with her family dead and no time travel, fleeing a city in the process of being torn to pieces by the Greeks, stranded 5000 years before her own time, with history remembering her as a shallow temptress.
** Dodo got kicked out of the companion role by a producer who hated the character. In her final story, she gets a MindRape from a hypnotic computer and the Doctor has to reset her mind using hypnosis. She doesn't show up in the final episode of the story and doesn't even get to say goodbye to the Doctor, instead getting a second-hand goodbye via Polly who assures him that Dodo sends her love.
** Liz Shaw disappears offscreen with little explanation and no goodbye, as the production team had decided that pairing the Doctor up with another ScienceHero made her too challenging a Doctor surrogate, and they wanted a ditzy DamselInDistress in a [[ParentService short skirt]] in the role instead. Some second-hand explanation is given via the Brigadier when he explains that Liz had wanted to quit due to the Doctor only needing someone to tell him how clever he was.
** Leela's actress had wanted a heroic death in battle for her character, but the producer told her that this was too traumatic for her child fans (partly in fear of ExecutiveMeddling) and also wanted the actress to stay on as companion to lessen the TroubledProduction. The result of this is that she suffers massive CharacterDerailment in her final episode, inexplicably deciding to stay behind to get married to a character she had barely interacted with (despite being an independent warrior until then).
** K-9 got a reasonably respectful goodbye ''scene'', but the decision to have him spend his final season [[TheWorfEffect exploding as much as possible]] was made by a production team that hated the character's plot-derailing [[MinoredInAssKicking powers]], tacky design and obnoxious personality. Most of the cast and crew reported finding it cathartic.
* ''Series/LawAndOrderSVU'' has [[TheScrappy Stuckey]] sent to prison. They also got rid of Detective Chester Lake by having him arrested for committing a vigilante murder.
* In the Australian cop show Series/WaterRats, regular character Constable Terry Watson is written off by having him get arrested for abducting his 3 year old daughter. He had done it in order to frame the loser his ex was with at that time.
* ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'' managed to accomplish this with a particularly vindictive BusCrash. After some controversy revolving around Creator/CharlieSheen that led to him leaving the show, the next season premiere not only killed off his character off-screen, but spent the entire episode effectively pissing on his grave, with events like a funeral attended by many of Charlie's ex-girlfriends who heckle the funeral, [[AshesToCrashes Alan spilling Charlie's ashes all over the floor]], and the heavy implication that Charlie's StalkerWithACrush Rose killed him [[KarmaHoudini and got away with it.]] [[spoiler: The series finale joins in on it too, revealing that Charlie was actually alive this whole time but was locked up in Rose's basement, only to kill him off again in the last few minutes of the series by dropping a piano on top of him after he escapes.]]
* In the two part premiere of ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'', when the Machine Empire arrives and kicks Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd off the moon, the villainous couple is forced to seek refuge with Rita's father Master Vile. Zedd ''hates'' Master Vile (Finster, Squatt, and Baboo didn't seem too pleased by the idea, either).

[[folder: Newspaper Comics]]

[[folder: Professional Wrestling]]

[[folder: VideoGames]]

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* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' had Mary Jane sucked into a limbo between universes. She later came back, until it was revealed that this was a clone, and the series was ScrewedByTheNetwork before the real Mary Jane was seen again. Though at least the final episode makes it clear that Peter is about to go on a mission to save her.

* Kim from ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' was a very insignificant character who became an EnsembleDarkhorse randomly after showing off a cool outfit and vaguely interesting personality in the episode "Victor. Echo. November." The writers never particularly cared for her and didn't bring her back - so they wrote her out with a quick line in the fourth season finale, where her friend Triana says that Kim moved to Florida, fell in with preppies, got addicted to drugs, then became a born-again Christian. In other words, they deliberately killed ''anything'' cool about her and skewed her as far in the other direction as possible.

* The last we see of Zhao in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' he [[spoiler: was dragged into the sea by an angry ocean spirit.]] The next time we see him [[spoiler:is in the second season finale of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' in which we find out that he has been trapped in "The Fog of Lost Souls", a sort of prison in the Spirit World where its prisoners are infected by a spirit in the form of a massive fog that distorts your mind and drives you insane. Keep in mind that you don't age in the Spirit Word, [[FateWorseThanDeath which means that Zhao, having lost every last shred of his sanity, is doomed to wander the fog for all eternity.]]]]
* In the first season of ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', Mabel has a [[GirlOfTheWeek brief romance]] with a [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent merman]] named Mermando who leaves for the ocean before the end of the episode. In the next season, he sends a postcard informing her that, for political reasons, he's been forced into an ArrangedMarriage to a ''manatee''. And the photo he sent makes it obvious he is ''not'' happy about, although Mabel doesn't notice.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' episode "The Void" has Gumball, Darwin, and Mr. Small discover that background character Molly the sauropod was sucked into a dimension full of bad ideas because she was so boring. At one point another equally minor character, Rob the cyclops, can be seen floating around the background of the void. Since nobody noticed or remembered him, he, unlike Molly, is still stuck there by the end of the episode... [[spoiler: [[CerebusRetcon or so it seems]]. [[TheBusCameBack He returns]] in "The Nobody" where it is revealed he escaped, although the results [[BodyHorror aren't]] [[CreateYourOwnVillain very]] [[BigBad pleasant]]]].
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'':
** The Ruby Squad was last seen in "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E11AdventuresInLightDistortion Adventures in Light Distortion]]", hurtling endlessly through space after Steven opened the airlock on the moon base in "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E23BackToTheMoon Back to the Moon]]". Since Gems don't need air, heat, or food, it could take thousands of years before any of them land on a planet or are found, and that's assuming their gemstones don't get shattered by space debris. [[spoiler: Later one of the Ruby Squad members (Navy) falls to Earth and steals back the starship they took to Earth. A different member (Eyeball) later shows up on Homeworld, so it's possible that Navy Ruby also rescued the other Rubies.]]
--->'''Eyeball Ruby:''' ''(to Steven)'' But ''you'' opened the airlock in the [[SpaceBase moon base]]. ''You'' sent us flying into space with no hope of ever returning!
** "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E2TheTrial The Trial]]" ends with Blue Zircon getting carried away in her defense and recklessly accusing one of the Diamonds of shattering Pink Diamond. She immediately tries to backpedal but is smashed by Yellow Diamond, poofing her, before Yellow also electrocutes and poofs Yellow Zircon in a fit of rage. WordOfGod says that both Zircons are still alive, but in danger. [[spoiler:Even worse, Blue Zircon's logic wasn't bad and the conclusion was close to the truth, but she started from the faulty premise that Pink Diamond was really dead.]]
** Discussed by Steven at the beginning of the "Stranded" special when he and Connie are about to visit [[spoiler:Lars, who as far as they know is still trapped on Homeworld]]. Steven expresses worry about his friend, since the last time he saw him he was trapped underground with a bunch of Off-Color Gems. However when they visit him through Lion's mane this is subverted: [[spoiler:In the weeks since Steven last saw Lars, he and the Off-Colors have stolen the ship of a high-ranking Gem from Homeworld and are now making their way towards Earth]].