With Kevin James finally commenting on the second season of Kevin Can Wait and the choice to kill off his TV wife played by Erinn Hayes. The result was a slight mention in the premiere, followed by some jokes, and a main character was swept under the rug. Other shows have handled characters being removed just by ignoring them or acting like they didn’t exist — think Seven on Married With Children — but James claimed the decision was made to avoid the show becoming stagnant and to motivate the plot. It was also done to make room for the returning Leah Remini.
The decision prompted many to react with anger, especially after the premiere, taking out their frustrations on Remini and showing their support for Hayes. Now, with James speaking up to give his view on the decision, fans have spoken out again and seem to be aiming to give up on the CBS show:
https://twitter.com/shburchill/status/917897555966615553
@hayeslady Guess who isn't watching a certain show on TV anymore? And who wants to know the minute you get a better gig? :)
— Tom Moran (@Piscesboy69) October 12, 2017
@hayeslady you added a wonderful side to the show. We stopped watching in our household. It isn't the same without you as part of the cast.
— Michael White Eagle (@MikeWhiteEagle) October 17, 2017
https://twitter.com/thelittlelotus/status/918322876075401216
miss you on kevin can wait.. it's not fair you're no longer there..
— ARUE MEDLEY (@ARUEMEDLEY) October 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/MichaelChauTV/status/919977341706571776
While these may seem like random opinions from fans, as US Weekly points out, all of these have “liked” by Hayes on Twitter. It’s a mix of responses, with most carrying praise for the departed actress, but she is noticing and has noticed the criticism — both good and nasty — coming from those who watch the show. Back on September 30th, she posted about her exit from the show and the criticism being aimed at Leah Remini:
“So I’ve been silent on this and have enjoyed the support of all the fans that have reached out to say something positive,” she wrote. “But please can we stop the personal attacks on @LeahRemini in my name? It’s ugly, I never asked for it and let’s be above it.”
So I've been silent on this and have enjoyed the support of all the fans that have reached out to say something positive. 1/2
— erinn hayes (@hayeslady) September 30, 2017
But please can we stop the personal attacks on @LeahRemini in my name? It's ugly, I never asked for it and let's be above it. 2/2
— erinn hayes (@hayeslady) September 30, 2017
Remini has also shared her own praise for Hayes and the real culprit seems to be how the show handled Hayes’ departure.
The silver lining is all of the possible explanations for why Donna was killed on Kevin Can Wait. People do just die, sure, but this is television. It’s wild and it’s free, without creative restraints. What if it was a murder? What if she was abducted by the vast alien conspiracy on our planet? Or maybe it was this one:
Donna Gable's death has been exaggerated. She was a secret agent, her cover was blown saving a life. She returned to the Agency @hayeslady 🖖
— Cell Phone Superman (@dondreak) October 13, 2017
Let’s make that one happen.
(Via US Weekly)