Lassie died one night. Millions of viewers, not all of them children, grieved. At least, they shed tears. Except for the youngest, the mourners knew that Lassie did not really exist. Whatever that means. Perhaps with their left hemisphere they could articulate that they had been watching a trained dog and that that dog was still alive, healthy, and rich; mean while in their right hemispheres, or some such place (if these phenomena have a place), the real Lassie had died.

Did they enjoy the episode?

We know they would not have enjoyed the death of the dog that played Lassie. Did the adults and older children wish that Lassie had not died? Do the dry-eyed parents of a moist-eyed teenager wish their child had not watched? If he had not watched, what would have been his grief at breakfast, reading the news that Lassie was dead? And would he regret missing the final episode?

What about declaring that Lassie did not die and showing an alternative episode, one that was filmed after Lassie's death was screened, and explaining that, Lassie being only fictional, the screen writers thought it best, in view of the widespread grief (evidenced by some people's wanting to know where to send flowers) to rewrite the story?

I do not think it works. But maybe a substitute screen writer could be blamed for an unauthentic episode.