It's been said many times before, but it bears repeating, especially for easily triggered hardcore fans: To keep a long-running series fresh for writers, cast members, and viewers, producers/showrunners need to shake things up, and this occasionally means writing out a popular character. Sometimes, they've no choice in the matter. McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers both left "M*A*S*H" after its fourth season because they felt they'd outgrown their characters (the former wrongly believed he was on the cusp of television stardom). Shelley Long bolted "Cheers" after the hit sitcom's fifth season to launch a semi-successful movie career .

And sometimes it's just good storytelling to take a beloved character in a wholly unexpected direction, which is exactly what Hart Hanson and the "Bones"

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