Rory became a bit of a joke amongst fans, casual viewers, writers, and even the cast. Or rather, his many deaths did. Rory managed to pop his clogs several times on screen, only to return shortly thereafter. In fact, the character (in one form or another) has died nine times (counting his two dream deaths), going by the facts presented in episodes. The fact that Rory always came back made for a humorous and entertaining in-joke which reached near "Oh my god, you killed Kenny!" levels of absurdity. What really sold these moments were the reactions of the characters around Rory, most notably Amy. Karen Gillan managed to convince the audience, time and time again, that this may well be the last time we see Rory, so when he did eventually come back, it was all the more relieving.
