the deaths of Dean Winchester et al

So whilst procrastinating I am watching Supernatural season 4. As much as everyone knows that Dean Winchester is the best thing that ever happened to sci fi TV (in fact, the best thing that ever happened to television in general, and potentially the best thing that ever happened to the entire world) what's with him dying, going to hell and being brought back to  life? The storyline shamelessly replicates Buffy seasons 3 AND 6, where Angel comes back from hell and Buffy comes back from heaven respectively. I'm getting tired of shows killing off main characters for dramatic effect and then bringing them back to life under mysterious circumstances so that the next 20 episodes can be spent determining "why they got brought back" which, inevitably, is because some cosmic superpower "has more work for them to do."

In Supernatural's defense, they had to bring Dean back because even the fictional death of the actor that plays him, Jensen Ackles, is a travesty to humankind that should never have to be faced by any living soul. The producers of cyber-punk sci-fi series Dark Angel obviously knew this too, because after Ackle's death as character Ben in Season 1, they brought him back as new character Alec in Season 2 (conveniently, Ben and Alec are genetically enhanced superhumans who share the same DNA, so were plausibly identical).

And of course EVERYONE who has watched any Buffy at all knows that Dawn should've died instead of Buffy at the end of Season 5 (anyone who says otherwise should have their TV taken away from them NOW). Angel coming back was alright, because I liked him. And his death really was moving, I still cry every time.

Some more acceptable instances of characters being ostensibly killed off and then brought back are
       - Han Solo coming out of his carbon freeze (Star Wars)
       - Westly revealing himself as the Dread Pirate Roberts (Princess Bride)
       - Aladdin nearly drowning and the Genie turning into a giant submarine and bothering to make
         siren noises before rescuing him (how hilarious is this by the way).

       - Jeremy having his neck broken by Damon but being protected by his magic ring (whoo
         hooo!!! Vampire Diaries s2 episode 1! Just started screeing in UK!)

Now I have to back to real study and write about Cormac McCarthy's '79 novel Suttree, in which lots of people die but no-one comes back. It's a bit more depressing really.

Dean Winchester, human extrodinaire

Buffy sacrificing herself for her sister Dawn, Buffy s5

Submarine Genie rescues Al.