History Main / PlotImmunity

** The season six premiere ends with Castle poisoned and only having a day to live. In the next episode we find out that there is an antidote and by the end of the episode Beckett has retrieved and Castle is saved.

* Subverted with the 80's sitcom ''The Hogan Family''. The show was originally a vehicle for former ''Mary Tyler Moore'' and ''Rhoda'' star Valerie Harper titled ''Valerie''. However after a [[RealLifeWritesThePlot dispute with the show's producers]] the titular character was KilledOffForReal and the show was retitled with the [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute father's sister]] moving in and becoming a surrogate mother.

If it's very well written, it can work. If not, it turns into something of a DarthWiki/WallBanger for GenreSavvy fans. It's a cheap attempt to build tension for a season finale, two-part episode or a sequel. Bonus points if the character whose death they're teasing is the '''titular character''' of the show or film franchise.

%% * ''Series/OurMissBrooks'': Plot immunity guarantees Miss Brooks' position at Madison High School. %% Please give examples. The finale doesn't count, because when it's the finale she actually could lose her job.

* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': Plot immunity guarantees Miss Brooks' position at Madison High School. Almost subverted in the [[TheMovie cinematic]] [[GrandFinale series finale]], where Miss Brooks resolves to leave in a moment of despair. Fortunately, WithThisRing intervenes and Miss Brooks gets her HappilyEverAfter.

* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': Plot immunity guarantees Miss Brooks' position at Madison High School. Almost subverted in the [[TheMovie cinematic]] [[GrandFinale series finale]], where Miss Brooks resolves to leave in a moment of despair. Fortunately, WithThisRingITheeWed intervenes and Miss Brooks gets her HappilyEverAfter.

* Flumpty Bumpty from ''VideoGame/OneNightAtFlumptys'' outright says that he's an {{Eldritch Abomination}} who's immune to the plot in his introduction. Unfortunately for you, he's the {{Big Bad}}.

* The third season of ''CSIMiami'' had a season-long tagline; something along the lines of "Horatio Caine is a dead man" and every commercial for the show that season ended with a graphic of his iconic sunglasses with what looked like a bullet hole in the left lens. When the season finale came there was an attempt on his life, but it didn't even come close. Horatio Caine wasn't going out that way... '''''[[MemeticMutation YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH]]'''''

Not applicable on (most) shows or films where AnyoneCanDie, the exception being one of the show's central characters, like Jack Bauer on ''24''. Not applicable if the show is broadcasting its series finale. Not applicable in a medium where DeathIsCheap (like comic books). Not applicable if the work is a biography of a person who famously died in some significant manner (''MalcomX, ThePrideOfTheYankees''). Not applicable when it's done for CharacterDevelopment or to collect a PlotCoupon.

* The third (I think, please someone correct me if I'm wrong) season of ''CSIMiami'' had a season-long tagline; something along the lines of "Horatio Caine is a dead man" and every commercial for the show that season ended with a graphic of his iconic sunglasses with what looked like a bullet hole in the left lens. When the season finale came there was an attempt on his life, but it didn't even come close. Horatio Caine wasn't going out that way... '''''[[MemeticMutation YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH]]'''''

Not applicable on (most) shows or films where AnyoneCanDie, the exception being one of the show's central characters, like Jack Bauer on ''24''. Not applicable if the show is broadcasting its series finale. Not applicable in a medium where DeathIsCheap (like comic books). Not applicable if the work is a biography of a person who famously died in some significant manner (''MalcomX, ThePrideOfTheYankees''). Not applicable when it's done for CharacterDevelopment of to collect a PlotCoupon.

* The fifth season of ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' ends with '''Buffy''' dying. The show ran for two more seasons.

* Supernatural. Dean and Sam won't die, and they won't stop hunting.

* ''BurnNotice'': One season finale ended with main character Michael Westen apparently blown up by a bomb and his fate left hanging in the balance.

* ''{{Castle}}'': The first half of a two-part episode in the second season ended with [[LoveInterest Beckett]]'s apartment blown up, leaving her fate hanging in the balance. The trailers for the next week's episode even went so far as to not show her! However, it's apparent 60 seconds into the episode that she's alive.
* In an example where it was well written enough to get a pass, ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' had a plot where Commissioner Gordon was allegedly killed by TheJoker. He's alive at the end, though.

* For two seasons running now, ''{{Chuck}}'' has teased that [[LoveInterest Sarah]] would be leaving with another spy on a mission somewhere, in both cases fans didn't buy it for a second.

* Season Six of ''[[Series/{{House}} House]]''s second episode starts with Dr. Gregory '''House''''s resignation from the hospital.

* In an example where it was well written enough to get a pass, ''TheDarkKnight'' had a plot where Commissioner Gordon was allegedly killed by TheJoker. He's alive at the end, though.

* Koinzell from ''UbelBlatt'' got directly hit by a magical laser beam, fell of a cliff into an ice-cold river, which swept him to a water fall which he fell down and got pierced by rocks and branches. Five chapters later, he's back up again.

* Subverted hard with the 80's sitcom ''The Hogan Family''. The show was originally a vehicle for former ''Mary Tyler Moore'' and ''Rhoda'' star Valerie Harper titled ''Valerie''. However after a [[RealLifeWritesThePlot dispute with the show's producers]] the titular character was KilledOffForReal and the show was retitled with the [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute father's sister]] moving in and becoming a surrogate mother.

Please refrain form adding spoiler text, there is a very clear warning at the top of the page. Spoiler text would make the whole entry unreadable.

* Season Six of ''[[HouseMD House]]''s second episode starts with Dr. Gregory '''House''''s resignation from the hospital.
* Subverted hard with the 80's sitcom ''The Hogan Family''. The show was originally a vehicle for former ''Mary Tyler Moore'' and ''Rhoda'' star Valerie Harper titled ''Valerie''. However after a [[RealLifeWritesThePlot dispute with the show's producers]] the titular character was KilledOffForReal and the show was retitled with the [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute father's sister]] moving in and becoming a surrogate mother.
* Supernatural. Dean and Sam won't die, and they won't stop hunting.

** The season seven finale has Jack poisoned and dying from some kind of experimental biological weapon and dependent on another experimental procedure to save his life.

# Killing them off and then [[IGotBetter having them get better]], or

* ''BurnNotice'': One season finale ended with main character Michael Weston blown up by a bomb and his fate left hanging in the balance.

* In an example where it was well written enough to get a pass, ''TheDarkKnight'' had a plot where Commissioner Gordon was allegedly killed by TheJoker. [[IGotBetter He got better.]]
* The finale for ''[=~24~=]'''s fifth season ended up with Jack Bauer taken by the Chinese, which would have been great if the next season focused on getting him back, or his escape or something. Instead, the sixth season starts with him being escorted off a boat in cuffs and shackles.

* In an example where it was well written enough to get a pass, ''TheDarkKnight'' had a plot where CommissionerGordon was allegedly killed by TheJoker. [[IGotBetter He got better.]]

If it's very well written, it can work. If not, it turns into something of a WallBanger for GenreSavvy fans. It's a cheap attempt to build tension for a season finale, two-part episode or a sequel. Bonus points if the character whose death they're teasing is the '''titular character''' of the show or film franchise.

Compare LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt, IKnewIt, StatusQuoIsGod and YouShouldKnowThisAlready. Contrast PutOnABus and KilledOffForReal.

Entries are sometimes "incomplete" because this trope is about people who couldn't be killed/removed. For all intents and purposes, consider the last two words of any entry to be SoYeah.

* The third (I think, please someone correct me if I'm wrong) season of ''CSIMiami'' had a season-long tagline; something along the lines of "Horatio Caine is a dead man" and every commercial for the show that season ended with a graphic of his iconic sunglasses with what looked like a bullet hole in the left lens. When the season finale came there was an attempt on his life, but it didn't even come close. Horatio Caine wasn't going out that way... [[MemeticMutation YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH]]

* The third (I think, please someone correct me if I'm wrong) season of ''CSIMiami'' had a season-long tagline; something along the lines of "Horatio Caine is a dead man" and every commercial for the show that season ended with a graphic of his iconic sunglasses with what looked like a bullet hole in the left lens. When the season finale came there was an attempt on his life, but it didn't even come close. Horatio Caine wasn't going out that way...
** [[MemeticMutation Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah...]]