Come on: once you’re a part of a TV show, the characters are your own world. You laugh with them, cry with them, and then—without notice sometimes—just vanish. No goodbye, no explanation, just poof. Sometimes it’s a behind-the-scenes issue, sometimes bad writing, and sometimes just plain bizarre. Here are 10 of the strangest character vanishes in television history.
10. Tori Scott — Saved by The Bell
Tori arrived at Bayside High on a motorcycle, pilfered Zack and Slater’s hearts, and was set to become a large part of the gang. But after a mere eight episodes, she disappeared like a ghost. Played by Leanna Creel, Tori was meant to be a temp when Jessie and Kelly’s actresses were unavailable, but the timeline became so convoluted that she wasn’t even around for graduation. Fans are still debating where (or if) she fits into the series continuity.
9. Nebula Lawrence — Boy Meets World
Remember Topanga’s older sister, Nebula? Don’t, because most people don’t. She appeared once early in season one, then was so obliterated that Topanga was later described as an only child. To add to the weirdness, actress Krystee Clark appeared again later as a totally different character. Poor Nebula— gone and forgotten.
8. Detective Daniels — Brooklyn Nine-Nine
In the pilot, Hitchcock and Scully weren’t a team of two—they were a team of three. Their co-worker, Detective Daniels (actress Kate Flannery), was present for one episode alone before vanishing. Then the running joke became two incompetent detectives rather than three. Daniels could have been a product of Jake Peralta’s imagination.
7. Sara Spooner — The King of Queens
Carrie Heffernan’s little sister, Sar, joined Doug and Carrie in the early shows, only to disappear after appearing in just five episodes. Later, Carrie was even referred to as an only child. The writers retired her quietly so the show could center on Doug and Carrie’s marriage, but viewers were left wondering whether Sara simply packed up and never returned.
6. Seven — Married. With Children
In season seven, the Bundys unexpectedly took in Seven, Peg’s cousin’s son. He stayed for a couple of episodes before being removed from the show with no explanation. The only mention of it was afterward, er when his face appeared on a milk carton as a missing child. That’s one way to tie it up, I suppose.
5. Ben Geller — Friends
Ross’s son Ben also played a major role in the early seasons, with some wonderful scenes. But once Emma arrived, Ben just disappeared. No goodbye, no word, no reference at all. Ross just seemed to have forgotten that he had a first child.
4. Mandy Hampton — The West Wing
Hired as a political consultant and former Josh Lyman’s, Mandy was a leading figure in season one. Then. Nothing. She was completely dropped, never accounted for, never mentioned again. Viewers actually came up with the term “going to Mandyville” for those characters who simply vanish into the world of TV, never to be seen again.
3. Chuck Cunningham — Happy Days
Easily the most infamous of all of them. Richie’s older brother, Chuck, appeared in the first two seasons, only to be erased from existence. Later on, the family only had two children. His disappearance became so mythical that a phenomenon, “Chuck Cunningham Syndrome,” was coined for TV characters who simply vanish without cause.
2. Judy Winslow — Family Matters
Judy, the Winslow brothers’ youngest sibling, had existed for four seasons when she was just phased out. The family proceeded to ignore her presence, with decades of story space dedicated to Steve Urkel. She transitioned from series regular to a mere non-entity, leaving fans perplexed to this day.
1. Leah Murphy — Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy has had its own set of comings and goings, but Leah Murphy’s vanishing act is the largest. She got fired, came back after seemingly improving herself, then vanished again—no exit storyline, no passing comment, nothing. It is like the writers simply hit delete and moved on.
In the topsy-turvy universe of TV, some characters don’t receive a farewell—they just. Disappear. Whether “going to Mandyville” or “Chick Cunningham Syndrome,” these disappearing acts are still some of TV’s most confounding.