Unfortunately, plenty of audiences fell in love with certainTV show characters who only featured in the pilot.While not every personality was required to star in more than one episode of a show, it was always disappointing when a belovedTV show character only appeared in one episode. However, it was even worse when they were only in the first episode.
Even some ofthe best TV shows of all timewere guilty of this at times.Generally, pilot episodes were remade after their respective shows were picked up for a full run, but some ofthe very best TV pilot episodes everwere the original cut. Many things about TV shows changed after the pilot, ranging from the production’s execution of the story to personalities being switched up, but sometimes, a character completely disappeared.
10 TV Show Pilots That Perfectly Set Up The Rest Of The Series
The way a pilot sets the tone and introduces the characters matters in the long run, and some episodes, likes Supernatural’s pilot, are exemplary.
10Claire
Seinfeld
The pilot of one ofthe best sitcoms of all time,Seinfeld, included a character named Claire. Claire was a waitress at Pete’s Luncheonette and swiftly befriended George and Jerry.Claire’s initial introduction set her up to be a recurring character inSeinfeld, but when episode 2 rolled around, she was nowhere to be found,and neither was her place of employment. Instead, the character of Elaine was introduced.
Her rapport with the titular character was solid, and their interactions in the pilot implied that the pair had already developed a friendship together.
Although Elaine was a fabulous addition tothe cast ofSeinfeld, it was unusual that Claire didn’t return.Her rapport with the titular character was solid, and their interactions in the pilot implied that the pair had already developed a friendship together. It was shocking that all mention of Claire disappeared, including Pete’s Luncheonette, which then became Monk’s Cafe. Thankfully, Elaine was a brilliant female lead in the hit comedy show.
9Mei Zhang
Peaky Blinders
The pilot of the period crime dramaPeaky Blindersintroduced the character Mei Zhang.Mei was a fortune teller from China and an immigrant to the UK, but the drama she caused in the first episode made many believe she’d reappear again in the future. Mei’s powers of prediction and her ability to cast spells allowed Tommy Shelby’s racehorse, Monahan Boy, to become a champion quickly.
What was so bizarre about Mei’s absence afterthePeaky Blinderspilotwas that horse racing was a prominent part of future plots. Mei’s father was Mr. Zhang, the owner of the local dry cleaning business, which was a front for a brothel, who still featured throughout season 1 ofPeaky Blinders.Considering Mr. Zhang was still relevant and seen on-screen, it was odd that his only daughter failed to reappearafter thePeaky Blinderspilot.
8Detective Daniels
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s strong ensemble cast was one of the hilarious sitcom’s best qualities, butthe legendary duo of Hitchcock and Scully was originally a trio.Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Detective Danielsonly starred in the pilot, but only Hitchcock and Scully were asked to come back for the subsequent episodes. Even though Hitchcock and Scully weren’t as prominent in season 1 compared to later installments, Daniels’ introduction was notable.
Along with the two men, Daniels was identified as being “pretty much worthless.” However, a female counterpart to offset the male energy Hitchcock and Scully provided was an interesting concept and one that had the potential for some great storylines.It seemed likely that the reason Daniels was written out ofBrooklyn Nine-Ninewas to do with production changes after the show was greenlit,but it was disappointing that she was aTV character who disappeared with no explanation.
7Katie
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theorywas aTV show that changed massively after the pilot. The brilliant sitcom about a group of scientists originally included a female character named Katie rather than Penny. Katie was as equally a main character as Sheldon and Leonard, but she was very different from Penny.Unlike Penny in the early seasons of the show, Katie wasn’t afraid to call out Sheldon and Leonard on their behaviorand was definitely not intimidated by their intelligence.
While Katie was a good character, it was saddening that theoriginal Penny actor was cut fromThe Big Bang Theory.However, the original pilot, which was later reshot with Kaley Cuoco as Penny, madeThe Big Bang Theoryan extremely different show. Penny’s wide-eyedness and optimism for the arts were a great contrast to Sheldon’s attitude in particular. Still, it was a shame that Katie wasn’t introduced as a minor character later on down the line, perhaps as a neighbor for someone like Raj instead.
6Coco
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girlswere initially a group of five rather than four.The pilot of the incredible comedy, which focused on four retired women and the ridiculous situations they got themselves into, also included a character called Coco. Coco worked for Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche as a cook, but the fact that he was male was used to diversify the cast.
While it was hard to imagineThe Golden Girlsin any other way, Coco was a character that made an impact in the first episode, so it was strange he went missing after.
However, the character was scrapped after the pilot, and with Sophia’s arrival, it was realized thatThe Golden Girlscastworked best with exclusively female leads.Coco’s quips and carefree attitude worked beautifully alongside the women’s personalities,but he never appeared in the show after the pilot. While it was hard to imagineThe Golden Girlsin any other way, Coco was a character that made an impact in the first episode, so it was strange he went missing after.
5Emilio Koyamo
Breaking Bad
Breaking Badhad an amazing first episode, but one supporting character was shockingly killed off.Emilio Koyama was the former drug-dealing partner of Krazy 8, who took issue with Walter White’s decision to recruit Jesse Pinkman. Walt’s meth-cooking setup rivaled Krazy 8, which sent Emilio off on a hunt for the chemistry teacher. However, Walt managed to trick Emilio in order to save his own life, but he set off an explosion that killed Emilio.
Even thoughit made sense that Emilio died, as it established the dangers of drug dealing and the overall world ofBreaking Bad,the show missed an opportunity to expand the character.Breaking Badintroduced several big and threatening figures, such as kingpins and gangsters, but Emilio had the chance to be a great counterpart to Jesse. Emilio, as the number two to Krazy 8, or even less than that, was an interesting point of view thatBreaking Badneeded to spend more time on. However,Emilio had a cameo inBetter Call Saul,Breaking Bad’s prequel.
4Callie Cartwig
The 100
WhenThe 100introduced the survivors of Earth in the pilot, many were aboard one of the 12 space stations in orbit. One of the officers aboard The Ark,Callie “Cece” Cartwig, was a significant part of the episode and helped set up the show’s premise.Callie was tough and fiercely loyal to her fellow survivors, especially when Marcus Kane took charge of The Ark. Her likability and morals made her a fantastic addition tothe cast ofThe 100, but she strangely vanished after the pilot.
Callie actor Kelly Hu didn’t return toThe 100because of budget constraints. Showrunner Jason Rothenburg took to Twitter (formerly X) in 2014 to explain that Hu’s character was unfortunately cut afterThe 100was picked up for a full season run.While this response made sense, it was still disappointing that such a crucial character to the pilot wasn’t as important to the rest of the show, especially as the budget forThe 100soared in later seasons, opening a potential opportunity for Callie to be brought back.
3Robin Ward
The Boys
Robin Ward was a pivotal character in the pilot ofThe Boys. Robin was Hughie Campbell’s girlfriend, and in the first episode, the pair enjoyed relationship bliss while they planned to move in together. Unfortunately, Hughie’s happiness was destroyed by Robin’s rather jarring death at the hands of an intoxicated A-Train.Even though Robin’sdisturbing character fate inThe Boysresulted in Hughie joining the titular group, it was still a huge shock despite the impact it had on future storylines.
Technically, Robin appeared in one other episode ofThe Boys. A photograph of Robin was featured in a newspaper cutting in the season 3 episode “The Payback,” but not the character herself. Although the memory of Robin was Hughie’s main motivator, it was a shame that she wasn’t a part of the show after the pilot.Flashbacks of Robin and Hughie together were something many desperately wished to see,and they would’ve made Hughie’s story even more detailed and intricate.
2Javier Abreau
Elementary
The Sherlock Holmes adaptationElementaryhad many important characters, but Javier Abreau was a key figure who was replaced after the pilot.The high-ranking officer was a keen investigator, and it initially seemed that he would work closely with Holmes. Even though Javier was an underling of Captain Thomas Gregson, he possessed a lot of potential to grow within his career and the show itself. The pilot was one ofElementary’s best episodes, and Javier played an important part in its success.
Marcus was another amazing character, but there was no logical reason as to why Javier couldn’t have made an appearance in a later episode.
However, inElementaryseason 1, episode 2, Javier was switched out for Marcus Bell. Sadly, there was no explanation as to why Javier was cut fromElementary.Javier was brilliantly portrayed as incredibly direct and blunt yet also diligent,two factors that worked perfectly for one ofthe best crime procedural TV shows ever. Marcus was another amazing character, but there was no logical reason as to why Javier couldn’t have made an appearance in a later episode.
1Lucinda Barry
Psych
Psych’s pilot starred Anne Dudek as Lucinda Barry, a junior detective who caused controversy in the show’s first episode. Shawn’s early interactions with Lucinda led him to decipher the relationship between her and Head Detective Lassiter purely based on the way he touched her hair.Lucinda was transferred because of her affair with Lassiter, but inPsychseason 1, episode 2, “Spellingg Bee,” the character was replaced with Juliet O’Hara.
Psychmissed out on some interesting storylines by removing Lucinda.The aftermath of Lucinda’s affair was something the show had the opportunity to pursue further,but instead, the character was wiped away. A mention of Lucinda did crop up in the season 7 premiere episode “Santabarbaratown 2,” although not for a good reason. Lucinda’s off-screen death wasn’t warranted, and she deserved to show off her caring and forgiving persona inPsycha lot more.
