History Main / PlotImmunity

* ''Series/{{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.

* The first episode of ''Maggie & Bianca: Fashion Friends'' ends with Maggie kicked out of the school where the series takes place. Given that her name is in the title, it's not exactly surprising when the decision is reversed at the beginning of the second episode.

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

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

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.

A special type of spoiler. Since this is a spoiler-fueled trope, '''consider this your warning; no spoiler text appears below'''.

If it's very well written, it can work. If not, it turns bad 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.

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 (especially not a GrandFinale). 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 (''Film/MalcolmX, Film/ThePrideOfTheYankees''). Not applicable when it's done for CharacterDevelopment or to collect a PlotCoupon.

* For two seasons running now, ''Series/{{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.

* The fifth season of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' ends with '''Buffy''' dying. The show ran for two more seasons.
** Subverted; at the time The WB had canceled the show and UPN hadn't picked it up.
* Within ''[[Franchise/TheTransformers The Transformers]]'' franchise, Optimus Prime is well-known for being a messianic figure, sometimes literally, and that includes him dying or nearly dying to suit the drama of the show in reference to his original death in the 1986 film. Nine times out of ten, he will be brought back by the end of the series, or even just the story arc.

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 (especially not a GrandFinale). 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.

Plot Immunity applies only when the fan watching or reading the story knows that a character's teased death or departure is done for cheap drama and isn't going to stick. Please list only examples of characters with whom a writer has tried to tease removal, don't just rattle off characters you think their respective stories wouldn't survive losing.

* 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 ComicBook/TheJoker. He's alive at the end, though.

** Subverted, at the time The WB had canceled the show and UPN hadn't picked it up.

** The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon, or perhaps the entirety of series 6 given the arc was about the Doctor's 'death'. It was pretty obvious how the Doctor wouldn't be permanently killed off here (since it'd end the series), so the whole arc ended up being about which of the various 'cloning'/doppleganger creations methods introduced in the series would be used to solve the issue.

* Subverted in the 2009 ''Film/StarTrek'' movie when Spock beams Kirk off the Enterprise. Yes, Kirk wasn't going to stay off for long, but the purpose of this was for him to meet Spock Prime and Scotty, not to make the audience think he was somehow going to rot there.

* 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 SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker. He's alive at the end, though.

* Played with by ''Series/TheFlash2014''. At the end of the third season, Barry goes into exile in the Speed Force. Under normal circumstances, there's no way the show would go on without its title character, ''but'': A) in the comics, Wally succeeded Barry as the Flash, and could possibly do so here; and B) ''Franchise/{{Arrowverse}}'' shows have a habit of writing out characters appearing in the ''Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse'', and a version of Barry was going to be in ''Film/JusticeLeague2017'' later that year. Ultimately played straight, with Barry returning when the next season began; but for once there was an actual possibility that he wouldn't.

* Played with by ''Series/TheFlash2014''. At the end of the third season, Barry goes into exile in the Speed Force. Under normal circumstances, there's no way the show would go on without its title character, ''but'': A) in the comics, Wally succeeded Barry as the Flash, and could possibly do so here; and B) ''Franchise/{{Arrowverse}}'' shows have a habit of writing out characters appearing in the ''Film/DCExtendedUniverse'', and a version of Barry was going to be in ''Film/JusticeLeague2017'' later that year. Ultimately played straight, with Barry returning when the next season began; but for once there was an actual possibility that he wouldn't.

* Played with by ''Series/TheFlash2014''. At the end of the third season, Barry goes into exile in the Speed Force. Under normal circumstances, there's no way the show would go on without its title character, ''but'': A) in the comics, Wally succeeded Barry as the Flash, and could possibly do so here; and B) ''Franchise/{{Arrowverse}}'' shows have a habit of writing out characters appearing in the ''Film/DCExtendedUniverse'', and since the Barry Allen Flash will be in ''Film/JusticeLeague2017''...