Why did TV fans have such a hard time believing that some of their favorite characters were just killed off? Because so many TV shows like “Game of Thrones,” “Supernatural” and “The X-Files” have brought back supposedly dead characters so often that the word “dead” has kind of lost all meaning in genre TV.
As for “9-1-1,” which killed off beloved fire captain Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) last week, the series’ first responders were routinely saved from certain death over and over in the previous seven seasons, that it seemed like none of them could ever really die.
Whether the fans, or the plot, demanded it, here are 11 onscreen deaths that were reversed by magic, rewritten or simply retconned away. Naturally, beware, there are lots of spoilers below.
Jon Snow on “Game of Thrones”
Fans were beside themselves when Jon Snow (Kit Harington) died on “Game of Thrones.” After losing so many other main characters, it was too cruel to say goodbye to him as well. Fortunately, red priestess Melisandre (Carice van Houten), was able to restore him to the land of the living.
Buffy Summers on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
The teenage vampire slayer played by Sarah Michelle Gellar famously died twice, once after being killed by a vampire and then again when she sacrificed herself to save her little sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg). Her magically-inclined friend Willow (Alyson Hannigan) brought her back from the dead but forgot that meant that the newly reincarnated Buffy would have to claw her way out of her own grave.
Sam and Dean Winchester on “Supernatural”
We lost track of how many times Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) “died” on this show. Even being dragged to the Underworld by literal hellhounds could not keep Dean down. (And let’s not forget the time-loop episode “Mystery Spot,” where he died over and over until Sam could break the spell.) The Winchesters were always making deals with the devil to save a family member and it all got very messy. Fans were not happy when Dean was definitively killed off in the series finale, but at least he and Sam reunited in Heaven, as they deserved.
Meredith Grey on “Grey’s Anatomy”
Dying in Season 3 was just one of Meredith (Ellen Pompeo)’s many, many traumatic moments in this series: After drowning during a hectic ferry rescue, she was technically dead for nearly an hour but was ultimately brought back by future husband Derek (Patrick Dempsey).
Evan “Buck” Buckley on “9-1-1”
Intrepid firefighter Buck has gone through a number of near-death experiences on the show, including having his leg crushed by a fire truck and getting swept up in a tsunami, but after being struck by lightning in Season 6, he really was dead … for three minutes and 17 seconds. Fortunately, he was able to be revived, but spent days in a medically-induced coma while his body healed.
Howard “Chimney” Han on “9-1-1”
Fan favorite Chim (Kenneth Choi) has been through the wringer on the show, barely surviving the fatal supervirus that killed his captain in Season 8, a rebar through the head in Season 1, a vicious stabbing in Season 2 and viral encephalitis in Season 7. But in Season 5, he repeatedly flatlined at the hands of fellow paramedic Jonah (Bryce Durfee), who got a thrill in bringing people back from the dead.
Fox Mulder on “The X-Files”
FBI Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) was presumed dead, and even buried, on a few occasions, but something — be it nanobots, aliens or Navajo tribal rituals — always came to the rescue.
Dan Conner on “Roseanne”
John Goodman’s character died of a heart attack on “Roseanne,” but when the series itself was canceled, it was his TV wife Roseanne who was killed off instead. Dan was magically back with the rest of his family for seven seasons on “The Conners.”
Tony Almeida on “24”
Good guys and bad guys died all the time on “24,” but it was a real shock when Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland)’s best friend Tony (Carlos Bernard) received a fatal injection from Peter Weller’s villain Christopher Henderson in Season 5. Except … he was miraculously alive again in Season 7. Turns out, Henderson saved Tony from death and put him to use as a fellow terrorist. A fate worse than death!
Bobby Ewing on “Dallas”
In arguably the most ridiculous plot reversal in TV history, the death of Patrick Duffy’s character Bobby Ewing was chalked up to being “just a dream” when he reappeared in the shower a full season later like nothing had happened.
