What were they? Josh Charles wanted to leave the show. Given that, what other options are there?
1. Will goes to England or Australia. I don't think that's believable. He's passionate about the law firm he runs. It's his whole life. Why would he give all that up to move to another country he knows nothing about where he would have to learn a completely different legal system, wouldn't be able to practice law right away (it could take years), and wouldn't have the power, career, prestige, or ability he does in Chicago? Why would he leave the L/G and Diane like that? And for what? We can't say it's to get married. Will's only ever had casual girlfriends who don't ask anything of him.
2. Will moves to NY or LA. This is more believable storyline-wise, as it is in character for Will to move there to set up branches of L/G. But there's the same problem. Josh Charles isn't on the show. Would it be realistic that Alicia or Diane wouldn't contact him? If they can't get Josh Charles to commit to a recurring part (and apparently that wasn't an option) then it would be as though everyone was acting like Will didn't exist, even though he's a short plane ride away. And he would still be unavailable to be Alicia's love interest, except it would make no sense why.
So, as I see it, Will has to die. It doesn't have to be a brutal murder, but it has to happen.
And I actually think, given they had no choice, the Kings did something interesting. Remember that the episode before Will's death was "A Few Words", the one where Alicia goes to NY and gives a speech about opt-out moms. It made clear what Will means to Alicia. She had two paths after Peter's scandal. She could take up Jackie's offer for help, forgive Peter, give up trying to be a lawyer, stay in the suburbs and turn into Jackie. A woman with nothing going on in her life who derives all her identity from her son's accomplishments because that's all she has. A woman who doesn't control her own fate.
Will offered her escape from al that. Will was literally the only person in Chicago who believed in her. The other law firms wouldn't even consider her for an associate's position, but Will did. He backed and trusted in her ability, when everyone else saw her as a middle-aged mom, and he was right. But now Alicia can't depend on that kind of emotional support. She has to make her own way without someone in her corner who believes in her ability. It creates an avenue for character development for the main character of the show .
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