Ah, but the problem here is that if we assume the “Lazarus” solution was NOT what happened, then we have nothing at all to work with. Which is an untenable position. It’s akin to saying, “Yes, but what if Romeo and Juliet weren’t in love at all, and something else was actually happening so far offscreen that it effectively doesn’t exist to us?” At that point you no longer actually have a story. (Although you do have a pretty splendid framework for an infinite universe of fanfic.)
Also, the assumption that “Lazarus” was impossible is predicated on the assumption that these writers can be relied upon to never warp or stretch reality or plausibility. Which, as we know, is a thing they do often and with glee.
So between the two possibilities, I’m thinking that Lazarus being true is the more likely one.
