Back to the trend of the day: VIVANT episode 22: Beki and two others, thought dead, were alive (in Japanese)

Poly Rating · from the trend of the day

TV Characters That Came Back From the Dead, Ranked

Sherlock's return drew 12.72 million UK viewers, almost a million above its series average, while Jon Snow's resurrection won 87% from critics but drew fewer live US viewers than the season average.

No. 1: Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock, 'The Empty Hearse', 2014)
10 places
Current as of October 26, 2026, 07:15 EDT

01Final list

The leading AIs built their own top-ten lists independently. Above is one combined result that is easy to check: every place has a reason, the AIs that included it and, where the AIs gave one, a source.

Order: from most to least AI agreement.

A bright badge means this AI put the entry on its list. A dim badge means it did not.

1
Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock, 'The Empty Hearse', 2014)
Won both sides. 12.72M UK viewers against an 11.82M series 3 average after a two-year wait, and critics called it an 'explosive return'. Overnight figure: 9.2M.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, Kimi, DeepSeek, Qwen. Did not include: Wenxin.
In their lists: Claude: 1 · ChatGPT: 2 · Meta: 3 · Grok: 6 · Gemini: 2 · Kimi: 1 · DeepSeek: 1 · Qwen: 1
What each AI noted 8
- Claudeplace 1
  12.72M UK viewers for the return, against a series 3 average of 11.82M and a series 2 average of 10.23M, after a two-year wait.
  Source ↗
- ChatGPTplace 2
  The mystery of how Holmes survived became an attraction in its own right, even as the explanation divided viewers.
  Source ↗
- Metaplace 3
  12.72m consolidated UK viewers for The Empty Hearse, most timeshifted ever with 5.88m catch-up, 2-year gap since Reichenbach Fall
  Source ↗
- Grokplace 6
  Two-year wait after Reichenbach Fall; return episode remains a fan high point on IMDb rankings.
  Source ↗
- Geminiplace 2
  A record 12.72 million consolidated viewers tuned in on New Year's Day to resolve a two-year St Bart's rooftop cliffhanger.
  Source ↗
- Kimiplace 1
  12.72 million consolidated viewers — including a then-record 5.88 million who timeshifted him back from the dead within a week, the biggest catch-up audience in UK TV history.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 1
  9.2m vs an 8.8m series average, 8.8 on IMDb, 97% on Rotten Tomatoes — the rare return that survived its own explanation.
  Source ↗
- Qwenplace 1
  The UK's most timeshifted resurrection ever, with 5.88 million viewers watching the reveal on delay.
  Source ↗
8 AIs put it here
Source ↗
2
Jon Snow (Game of Thrones, 'Home', 2016)
Earned and set up in advance: 87% from critics. But 7.29M US viewers came in below the season's roughly 7.7M average and the 7.94M premiere. Fans had already tuned in a week earlier.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, Kimi, DeepSeek, Qwen. Did not include: Wenxin.
In their lists: Claude: 2 · ChatGPT: 1 · Meta: 2 · Grok: 3 · Gemini: 1 · Kimi: 2 · DeepSeek: 6 · Qwen: 3
What each AI noted 8
- Claudeplace 2
  Critics scored it 87% fresh, yet its 7.29M US viewers were below the season 6 average of about 7.7M.
- ChatGPTplace 1
  A resurrection became a central turning point in the series rather than simply reversing its previous cliffhanger.
- Metaplace 2
  IMDb 9.3/10 for Home S6E2 resurrection, 7.29m US viewers same night vs 7.94m S6 premiere, planted by Melisandre prophecy in S5
- Grokplace 3
  'Home' hit 7.29 million US viewers and 9.2/10 IMDb despite the actor publicly claiming he was dead.
  Source ↗
- Geminiplace 1
  7.29 million live viewers watched Melisandre's ritual after a 10-month blackout where cast and crew insisted he was permanently dead.
- Kimiplace 2
  IMDb 9.2, but 7.29 million viewers — below the season premiere's 7.94 million: the most-predicted resurrection of the decade met its ratings instead of beating them.
- DeepSeekplace 6
  7.29m vs a 7.69m season average; IMDb 9.2, but critics say the explanation started the show’s decline.
- Qwenplace 3
  7.94 million viewers tuned in live to see if the Lord Commander would wake up, beating the series' earlier averages.
8 AIs put it here
Source ↗
3
Beki (VIVANT season 2, episode 22, 2026)
18.6% of Kanto homes despite starting 45 minutes late, above the season's roughly 16.3% average. An empty gun and a funeral-flowers line hinted at it three years earlier.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, DeepSeek, Wenxin, Qwen. Did not include: Kimi.
In their lists: Claude: 3 · ChatGPT: 3 · Meta: 1 · Grok: 5 · Gemini: 3 · DeepSeek: 4 · Wenxin: 1 · Qwen: 2
What each AI noted 8
- Claudeplace 3
  He was 'dead' for three years, and the reveal came with a season-high 18.6% household rating after a 45-minute late start.
  Source ↗
- ChatGPTplace 3
  Three supposedly dead characters survived the same shooting, and a 2023 line about delaying funeral flowers had already invited suspicion.
  Source ↗
- Metaplace 1
  18.6% household on Oct 25 despite 45-min baseball delay, up 1.8 pts from ep21 and second-highest of season 2
  Source ↗
- Grokplace 5
  Episode 22's 18.6% household rating (peak near 19.3%) after faked death from season 1 – and the hashtag hit global trend #1.
- Geminiplace 3
  Episode 22 shocked Japan by revealing police spy Nozaki faked Beki's demise through his physician sibling, boosting Oricon satisfaction to 96/100.
- DeepSeekplace 4
  18.6% household vs a 16.15% season average — Japan’s biggest current return, but critics asked whether “alive again” was becoming a habit.
  Source ↗
- Wenxinplace 1
  15.7% reveal episode household rating 0.4% above the series 2026 average, with 92/100 Oricon satisfaction score 8 points higher than the season average
- Qwenplace 2
  The villain's return spiked Kanto household ratings to 18.6%, up from 15.5% the week before.
  Source ↗
8 AIs put it here
Source ↗
4
Bobby Ewing (Dallas, 1986 shower scene)
TV's classic retcon: a whole 31-episode season became a dream. No source confirms the reveal episode's own audience, and Dallas slid down the Nielsen table afterwards.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, Kimi, DeepSeek. Did not include: Wenxin, Qwen.
In their lists: Claude: 10 · ChatGPT: 5 · Meta: 4 · Grok: 2 · Gemini: 5 · Kimi: 9 · DeepSeek: 10
What each AI noted 7
- Claudeplace 10
  A whole season of 31 episodes was wiped away as a dream, and the shower scene reveal still made TV Guide's list at #4 of unexpected moments.
- ChatGPTplace 5
  A shower scene erased an entire season's continuity, becoming television's classic example of a divisive reversal.
- Metaplace 4
  26.5 rating / 44 share shower return, turned entire 1985-86 season into Pam's dream, show fell from Nielsen #2 to #11 after retcon
  Source ↗
- Grokplace 2
  Entire season erased as a dream; return episode drew huge curiosity but sparked lasting outrage.
  Source ↗
- Geminiplace 5
  36 million Americans watched Patrick Duffy step out of a shower, wiping out 31 episodes of storytelling as a morning nightmare.
- Kimiplace 9
  300 million people watched him die; a year later Pam found him in the shower and an entire season was flushed as 'just a dream' — the retcon every later argument is measured against.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 10
  A whole season retconned in a shower; Dallas fell from No.1 to No.6, and the twist is still called both best and worst.
7 AIs put it here
Source ↗
5
Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 'Bargaining', 2001)
7.7M for the two-hour premiere, the show's second-highest audience, against a season average around 4.6M. Critics saw the trauma of her return as earned.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, DeepSeek. Did not include: Kimi, Wenxin, Qwen.
In their lists: Claude: 7 · ChatGPT: 4 · Meta: 6 · Grok: 4 · Gemini: 4 · DeepSeek: 2
What each AI noted 6
- Claudeplace 7
  A two-hour premiere with 7.7M viewers, the show's second-highest audience, and no tricks: she was truly dead.
- ChatGPTplace 4
  Her friends brought her back, but the emotional cost of resurrection became the story's real conflict.
- Metaplace 6
  Bargaining Part 1 IMDb 8.2 after 147 days dead, audience 5.2m vs S5 finale 4.5m - return framed as trauma not triumph, critics called earned
- Grokplace 4
  Season 6 premiere 'Bargaining' drew 7.7 million – second-highest in the series – after clawing out of her own grave.
- Geminiplace 4
  The 4.5 million network viewers on UPN saw her resurrected from heaven rather than hell, pivoting an action series into profound clinical trauma.
- DeepSeekplace 2
  7.7m for the two-hour premiere vs a 4.6m season average — the resurrection that made Buffy’s heaven a wound, not a stunt.
6 AIs put it here
no source given
6
Glenn Rhee (The Walking Dead, 'Heads Up', 2015)
The dumpster reveal drew 13.22M, almost exactly the 13.15M season average. Critics scored it 52%. A fake-out that added no viewers and started an argument.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Qwen. Did not include: Meta, Grok, Gemini, Kimi, Wenxin.
In their lists: Claude: 6 · ChatGPT: 7 · DeepSeek: 9 · Qwen: 4
What each AI noted 4
- Claudeplace 6
  13.22M viewers were up on the week before, but critics gave it 52% and called the fix 'frustrating'.
- ChatGPTplace 7
  The dumpster escape turned an apparent death into a debate about whether suspense had been manufactured unfairly.
- DeepSeekplace 9
  13.22m vs a 13.15m season average — the dumpster reveal added almost no audience and ignited a fan argument.
- Qwenplace 4
  A dumpster hid the truth, but millions argued the fake-out sacrificed emotional trust for a temporary ratings bump.
  Source ↗
4 AIs put it here
Source ↗
7
Dirty Den Watts (EastEnders, 2003)
The biggest crowd on this list: 16.2M overnight and a 62% share, about 4M above the soap's usual audience, 14 years after he was shot. The press called it unrealistic.
Included it: Grok, Kimi, DeepSeek. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Wenxin, Qwen.
In their lists: Grok: 1 · Kimi: 3 · DeepSeek: 5
What each AI noted 3
- Grokplace 1
  14 years later, 16.2 million tuned in for 'Ello princess' – the biggest soap resurrection crowd.
- Kimiplace 3
  16.7 million viewers — the UK's #2 programme of the entire year — for a man who had been shot and dead for 14 years; the press still filed it under 'unrealistic'.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 5
  16.2 million and a 62% share after 14 years — the soap return that turned a canal drowning into a national event.
3 AIs put it here
Source ↗
8
Michael Scofield (Prison Break, 'Ogygia', 2017)
Eight years 'dead', then 3.83M viewers, about 40% lost by the finale and a Metacritic score of 48. The long gap brought curiosity, not loyalty.
Included it: Meta, Gemini, Kimi. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, DeepSeek, Wenxin, Qwen.
In their lists: Meta: 7 · Gemini: 10 · Kimi: 10
What each AI noted 3
- Metaplace 7
  7-year gap between Final Break death 2009 and Ogygia reveal 2017, premiere 3.83m vs S4 average 6.4m - biggest argument-starter retcon
- Geminiplace 10
  Eight years after dying of an electrocution sacrifice in the 2009 TV movie, 3.83 million viewers discovered him imprisoned in Yemen.
- Kimiplace 10
  Eight years 'dead,' then 3.83 million watched him come back — and the audience shrank roughly 40% by the finale while critics settled on Metacritic's 48.
  Source ↗
3 AIs put it here
Source ↗
9
Fox Mulder (The X-Files, 'Deadalive', 2001)
12.4M watched him come out of the grave alive. Critics welcomed Duchovny back but criticised the plot holes. The episode won the show's last Emmy.
Included it: Gemini, Kimi. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, DeepSeek, Wenxin, Qwen.
In their lists: Gemini: 7 · Kimi: 8
What each AI noted 2
- Geminiplace 7
  12.5 million viewers watched his buried body exhumed and revived in 'Deadalive', sustaining the show's transition to John Doggett.
  Source ↗
- Kimiplace 8
  Buried for three months, then exhumed alive in front of 12.4 million people — an episode that won the show's final Emmy while critics filed it under 'plot holes'.
  Source ↗
2 AIs put it here
Source ↗
10
Yoo Si-jin (Descendants of the Sun, KBS, 2016)
The episode built around his 'death' reached 33.5% of Korean homes, 4.9 points above the series' 28.6% average. Only one source, and he was 'dead' for just a week.
Included it: Kimi. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, DeepSeek, Wenxin, Qwen.
In their lists: Kimi: 4
What each AI noted 1
- Kimiplace 4
  33.5% of all Korean TV households watched the episode built around burying him — a +4.9 point spike over the series' own 28.6% average on the road to a 38.8% finale.
  Source ↗
1 AIs put it here
Source ↗

More about the top three ↓

02More about the top three

The ranking is above. Here is more about the three places at the top: what they are, why they are here, and what is worth knowing.

The three are measured differently: UK consolidated viewers (with catch-up), US first-airing viewers only, and Japanese household ratings in percent, so the numbers can't be compared directly.

1Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock, 'The Empty Hearse', 2014)

No. 1 — Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock, 'The Empty Hearse', 2014). On the lists of 8 of 9 AIs; median place there: 1.5. It drew its biggest audience, nearly a million above the series average, after a two-year wait, and critics welcomed the return.

Did you know

The fake-death explanation was filmed at St Bart's Hospital in front of several hundred fans. The producer asked them not to leak it, and the explanation was reportedly left out of the script.
Source ↗

What it is: Sherlock's 2014 return in 'The Empty Hearse' after a two-year cliffhanger.
Its edge: Beat its own series average by the most, and by a clear margin.
Who should know: Useful for anyone curious whether a long-awaited comeback can live up to the hype.

Return audience vs average12.72M vs 11.82M average

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

The return episode, 'The Empty Hearse', drew 12.72 million consolidated viewers. The three-episode run averaged 11.82 million, so the reveal pulled in about a million more people than the typical episode.
Source ↗
Compared with the other two episodes of series 3: 'The Sign of Three' and 'His Last Vow' each reached 11.38 million. The comeback episode led its own series by roughly 1.3 million viewers.
Source ↗

Did you know

Sherlock's parents on screen are played by Benedict Cumberbatch's real parents, Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton. Derren Brown also appears as himself, in a theory where he hypnotises John.
Source ↗

Keep in mind

One reviewer said the main reason Sherlock survived was never hinted at before the reveal. That felt like a cop-out after the show had planted clues for fans to find.
Source ↗
Den of Geek's main criticism is that the episode feels more like a string of good scenes than one complete story, partly because it sets up mysteries for later episodes.
Source ↗

What people say

"Cumberbatch has only to put on that coat, and his beefier Star Trek Into Darkness counterpart evaporates." — Louisa Mellor, Den of Geek
Source ↗

Where to go further

Open the episode page and start with the plot section to see how the show returns after its long break. Then read the reception section for what critics said about the reveal.
Source ↗

Video: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows — How to Film Intelligence | Film Perfection · Filmento

Compare the top three ↓

2Jon Snow (Game of Thrones, 'Home', 2016)

No. 2 — Jon Snow (Game of Thrones, 'Home', 2016). On the lists of 8 of 9 AIs; median place there: 2. Critics rated it highly and it was set up well in advance, but live viewers fell below the season's average.

Did you know

To keep the secret, Kit Harington was listed only as "LC" (Lord Commander) on scripts, call sheets, props and wardrobe. Saying "Jon Snow" aloud on set was banned, except in on-camera dialogue.
Source ↗

What it is: Jon Snow's resurrection in Game of Thrones season 6, episode 'Home'.
Its edge: Scored a strong 87% with critics, though its live audience was smaller.
Who should know: Useful for seeing that a much-predicted return can be praised without drawing record viewers.

Return audience vs average7.29M vs ~7.7M average

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

'Home', where Jon Snow returns, was seen by 7.29 million people on its first airing. That is below the 7.94 million who watched the season 6 premiere a week earlier, so the reveal did not set a high.
Source ↗
The same article gives only first-airing numbers. Its 7.29 million for 'Home' excludes later viewing, so the comparison with other shows is rough, and the series ranks second, not first, on audience.
Source ↗

Did you know

Director Jeremy Podeswa based the resurrection scene on Rembrandt's painting "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp". Carice van Houten, who played Melisandre, said she washed the body 50 times.
Source ↗

History

In the season 5 finale of 2015, Jon Snow was killed by his own Night's Watch men. Olly, a young squire Jon trusted, struck the blow. The reviewer doubted Jon would stay dead.
Source ↗

Keep in mind

The same review said the clash between Ser Alliser Thorne and Jon's loyalists was far too easily resolved. A Pajiba piece also argued that coming back from the dead should have cost more.
Source ↗

What people say

"Jon Snow has looked the Many-Faced God of Death in the eye, and said, 'Not today, boo.'" — David Crow, Den of Geek
Source ↗

Where to go further

Start with the plot section to see how the Wildlings arrive at Castle Black and how Melisandre brings Jon back. Then check the reception part for how viewers and critics reacted.
Source ↗

ChatGPT, Gemini put it first. What they saw in it

ChatGPT: A resurrection became a central turning point in the series rather than simply reversing its previous cliffhanger.
Gemini: 7.29 million live viewers watched Melisandre's ritual after a 10-month blackout where cast and crew insisted he was permanently dead.

Video: Jon Snow real identity hints through the show · Recap Fridays

Compare the top three ↓

3Beki (VIVANT season 2, episode 22, 2026)

No. 3 — Beki (VIVANT season 2, episode 22, 2026). On the lists of 8 of 9 AIs; median place there: 3. It beat its season average even with a late start, and clues planted three years earlier made the reveal feel earned.

Did you know

Beki was shot by a team member in season 1, episode 10. Episode 22 showed he was alive. The show was number 1 on X, and Beki was number 2.
Source ↗

What it is: Beki's return in season 2, episode 22 of Japan's VIVANT.
Its edge: Rose above its season average despite starting 45 minutes late.
Who should know: Useful for seeing how a comeback can hold a big audience in Japan.

Return audience vs average18.6% vs ~16.3% average

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

Episode 22, where Beki turns out to be alive, averaged 18.6% of Kanto households. It started 45 minutes late because of baseball coverage, and it was up from 16.8% the episode before.
Source ↗

History

In season 1 of 2023, Nogi shot his father Beki, the leader of Tent. Beki's gun was empty and he was ready to face death. In season 2 he appears only as a dead man, at his funeral.
Source ↗

Keep in mind

This is one fan analysis, not an official account. It says many questions are still open, including who knew the deaths were faked, which remains were used, and what Noah's Ark means. Beki is not confirmed as the mastermind.
Source ↗

Where to go further

Read the Season 2 section to see the story after the season 1 finale, including the shooting of Beki that season 2 revisits. Episode 22 is not listed on this page, so check the broadcaster's site for it.
Source ↗

Meta, Wenxin put it first. What they saw in it

Meta: 18.6% household on Oct 25 despite 45-min baseball delay, up 1.8 pts from ep21 and second-highest of season 2
Wenxin: 15.7% reveal episode household rating 0.4% above the series 2026 average, with 92/100 Oricon satisfaction score 8 points higher than the season average

Video: 5 BASIC DEFENDING SECRETS - How to improve as a defender in soccer FAST · Will John

Compare the top three ↓

The top three side by side

	Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock, 'The Empty Hearse', 2014)	Jon Snow (Game of Thrones, 'Home', 2016)	Beki (VIVANT season 2, episode 22, 2026)
In the AIs' lists	8 / 9	8 / 9	8 / 9
Return audience vs average	12.72M vs 11.82M average	7.29M vs ~7.7M average	18.6% vs ~16.3% average
Put first by	Claude, Kimi, DeepSeek, Qwen	ChatGPT, Gemini	Meta, Wenxin

Places with the same number of AIs are ordered by their average place in the AIs' own lists.

03Worth knowing

What the AIs noticed while building the list.

Sherlock's return set a UK timeshift record: 5.88M of its 12.72M viewers watched it recorded or on catch-up.

Noticed by:

Included it: Meta, Kimi, Qwen. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, DeepSeek, Wenxin.

01Final list

Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock, 'The Empty Hearse', 2014)

Jon Snow (Game of Thrones, 'Home', 2016)

Beki (VIVANT season 2, episode 22, 2026)

Bobby Ewing (Dallas, 1986 shower scene)

Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 'Bargaining', 2001)

Glenn Rhee (The Walking Dead, 'Heads Up', 2015)

Dirty Den Watts (EastEnders, 2003)

Michael Scofield (Prison Break, 'Ogygia', 2017)

Fox Mulder (The X-Files, 'Deadalive', 2001)

Yoo Si-jin (Descendants of the Sun, KBS, 2016)

02More about the top three

1Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock, 'The Empty Hearse', 2014)

Did you know

2Jon Snow (Game of Thrones, 'Home', 2016)

Did you know

3Beki (VIVANT season 2, episode 22, 2026)

Did you know

The top three side by side

More ratings

03Worth knowing

04How we counted

1The question

2Why this topic

3Where it applies

4What we looked at

5Who ranked

6How the places were set

05Each AI's own list

What Claude noticed

What ChatGPT noticed

What Meta noticed

What Grok noticed

What Kimi noticed

What DeepSeek noticed

What Wenxin noticed

What Qwen noticed