HBO's Game of Thrones. [No Book Spoilers]

[Tomas_Miles_again]

I felt the threat or mortality to anyone successfully inverted my expectations of the invincibility of any single character. And I believe that I am more emotionally invested in characters because of their greater fallibility.

Edit: example. Which character do you prefer, Superman or Batman?

[Xant]

The problem is deaths in a song of ice and fire seem to be too random, e.g. Renly, he was barely introduced as a semi big character and few moments later all of a sudden he's dead. It feels silly. At least that's my impression

Silly, why? I think it's interesting, adds realism. Death doesn't only happen to characters that are seemingly at the end of their Important Story Arc.

[Tomas_Miles_again]

Xant summed it up well imo. It's more like a story of a world at war than a story of the destiny of a hero/heroine.

[Falka]

I don't feel like these deaths contribute something valuable to the story, they just happen out of the blue. Is it realistic? Maybe, but I prefer good story with the leading characters over realism and when main characters die one by one - without sufficient justification in the story - I lose interest in the plot. On the other hand, e.g. in The godfather death of Santino and Don Corleone were fully justified by events of the story, they were a turning points and I had no feeling they were awkward and out of place. But that's just my impression 

[Franke]

It's a matter of taste I think. I can understand Falka's POV although I do not feel this way. I think I accustomed myself to this with Ned Stark's death. The only character whose death would really piss me off is Stannis prly, and it would still not make me stop watching the show/reading the books.

[Falka]

Ned Stark's death was okay, can not say the same about the rest but as you said, it's a matter of taste.

[Franke]

Stark's beheading was a huge shock for me as I was only used to the "invincible-good-guy" pattern. Season 1 focused a lot on the Stark's point of view which kinda made them "the good guys" for me. Today I know that most of Sean Bean's characters die onscreen but back then I mainly knew him as Cornwell's Richard Sharpe...

[Leesin]

I like the characters dying because it really makes me worry about all the other characters I like lol. I couldn't give a toss if Stannis died though really, I'm not really sure why so many people like this guy, he comes across to me like a naive pussy whipped idiot at times and just generally annoys me with his on screen time, not to mention Melisandre, I literally cannot stand that woman.

[Molly]

Can't stand her, would bang tho 

[Torben]

oberyns death totally touched me,  was so fucking abrupt and brutal.  got me thinking quite a few times.

[Leesin]

Can't stand her, would bang tho 

Yeah, not saying I wouldn't throw one up her after a few beers, but I just wouldn't stick around after I've unloaded my soldiers.

[Tomas_Miles_again]

Not even if she told you you were Azor Ahai for sure?

[The_Bloody_Nine]

Ned Stark's death was okay, can not say the same about the rest but as you said, it's a matter of taste.

I don't know if you read the books or not, but ned starks death ok? Ha, the whole story is based upon his death and kind of only starts from that point on. Same with many other deaths or events like Jaime's Hand. They seem to be random and thus realistic, but of course they are planned and crucial for the story.
Another benefit is they make fake deaths much more appealing. Tolkien could shock with the 'death' of Gandalf and his sudden reappearance but nowadays no fantasy writer can make their readers believe some important character would really die and not miraculously come back. Fat fucking slow Martin can do that.

[Falka]

but ned starks death ok? Ha, the whole story is based upon his death and kind of only starts from that point on

Eh? Dont get your Point, i fully agree with u, that's why I said it was "okay", unlike many other deaths.

[The_Bloody_Nine]

"okay" sounded too weak for me!