"Fans" and what they want

According to TV Guide, Olivia Wilde thinks "the fans don't want to see Thirteen die a horrible death".

I admit to taking a certain pleasure in telling her that she's wrong. Oh, sure, she's using that generic plural thing, and I'm sure that somewhere out there there are indeed "fans" who like Hadley. But I don't know any. I and those I know who watch House do in fact want Hadley to die. Soon. Though if she just never came back from Thailand that would be fine, too.

On the other hand, why do shows nowadays kill beloved characters, as the producers of The Mentalist assure us is going to happen next week? Is it the kids nowadays? People have to die to hold your attention? Dammit. It better not be Cho.