Joss Whedon talks about the end of the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Season 8 comic, and the future of Season 9 by HAKEN

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Joss Whedon talks about the end of the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Season 8 comic, and the future of Season 9

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POSTED BY: HAKEN
UPDATED: Friday, January 21, 2011 18:09
SHORT URL: http://goo.gl/i0fIe
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Wednesday, January 19, 2011 11:46 PM

Likes to mess with stuffs.

EW.COM - The acclaimed (oc)cult TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer went off the air in 2003 after seven seasons. But for nearly four years, Buffy’s story has lived on in creator Joss Whedon’s “Season 8? comic book series, which finishes its 40-issue run today. Whoa, boy, did things go down...

http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/01/19/joss-whedon-buffy-season-8-comic-e
xclusive/

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Thursday, January 20, 2011 1:25 AM

PERFECTPARADIGM

Okay, so I haven't read this comic series as of yet, but was being a bit naughty and had a quick peak at this, and I've just gotta say...

Select to view spoiler:

Dawn and Xander!!???!!?? GTFO!!!!

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Thursday, January 20, 2011 4:45 AM

GWEK

See, I always thought that thing that's a spoiler was inevitable conclusion from the way the series went.

www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."

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Thursday, January 20, 2011 8:53 AM

OPPYH

Joss Whedon on the season 9 comic:
"It will be more like the television show. With the comic, we just sort of said, “Wheee!” Ultimately, “Wheee!” caught up with us in a cavalcade of mythology."

And to that I say Thank God. I will look forward to buying season 9, as I hated season 8 with a fiery passion.

----------------------------------------------------------------

70's TV FOREVER

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Thursday, January 20, 2011 10:12 AM

STORYMARK

I'm only up to the "Twilight" collection for season 8. Sure, it's been pretty over-the-top, but I've enjoyed it for the most part.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Thursday, January 20, 2011 9:37 PM

PERFECTPARADIGM

Quote:
Originally posted by GWEK:
See, I always thought that thing that's a spoiler was inevitable conclusion from the way the series went.

www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."

From season seven? Not I. Never crossed my mind that it would happen. I guess it could happen - there was vague tension near the end of that season, but nothing that made be say.. Hey! That could happen!

Maybe it gets more developed in the comic book series.

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Thursday, January 20, 2011 11:50 PM

PRETTYXPISTOL

I really don't like how Joss Whedon pairs some characters.

[Inara: It's all right. I mostly keep to myself. When I'm not whoring.]

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Friday, January 21, 2011 12:12 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

See now the way he talks about Anthony Head just makes me wish he'd do the Ripper TV show. Never mind all this Avengers lark!

Cartoons - http://cirqusartsandmusic.blogspot.com

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Friday, January 21, 2011 1:59 AM

GWEK

Quote:
Originally posted by PerfectParadigm:
Quote:
Originally posted by GWEK:
See, I always thought that thing that's a spoiler was inevitable conclusion from the way the series went.

www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."

From season seven? Not I. Never crossed my mind that it would happen. I guess it could happen - there was vague tension near the end of that season, but nothing that made be say.. Hey! That could happen!

Maybe it gets more developed in the comic book series.

Dawn's crush on Xander is apparent from the time she joins the show, but of course nothing is ever going to happen at that time because of the age difference.

On the other side, I don't think Xander ever quite gets over his crush on Buffy, and what is Dawn to him (age aside), but a "more approachable" Summers girl?

As the show progresses, they come to occupy the same type of "role" within the gang, and a lot of the time, each is the only one who appreciates the other.

From the standpoint that opposites may attract but "same" is more likely to actually bond, that all makes for a very plausible foundation to a relationship.

On TV, shows often focus on the "opposites attract" couples, because they make for more entertaining viewing, but very rarely (except in a large ensemble) focus on more compatible couples. And, hey, that's why the majority of couples on Whedon's show's explode spectacularly: because they're opposites and THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS. (Of course, Joss is cynical enough that the majority of compatible couples, eg Wes/Fred and Angel/Cordy, are torn apart by outside forces... which also happens in real life).

Point is, I don't suppose it was a done deal during the show, but I think the foundation for Dawn/Xander is definitely there in the show.

But, hey, I also called Monica/Chandler first season and (more obscurely) Jeff/Annie about two episodes in, so perhaps I just have a talent for spotting potential. :)

www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."

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Friday, January 21, 2011 6:38 AM

PLATONIST

Point is, Joss pairs characters up so he can kill one off. I doubt Xander will still be alive at the end of season nine.

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Friday, January 21, 2011 6:56 AM

GWEK

Joss doesn't pair couples up so he can kill one of them. He pairs them up for dramatic purposes, and killing one off is just one flavor of that.

Just as likely as killing of Xander (or Dawn): a Dawn-Xander-Buffy triangle.

Joss says that he wants to get back to some of the "season one" feel, so a romantic triangle would be a reasonable element. He also said that his original intention for was Buffy and Xander to wind up together, but the characters developed in some unexpected directions during the course of the show (particularly the Spike/Buffy pairing, which gained a level of weight surprising to even Joss).

Now, I'm not necessarily saying the triangle WILL happen, just that some twist like that is a real possibility. Joss constantly surprises us. Heck, he surprised us in Season Eight by letting Xander and Dawn actually be a couple not really marred by tragedy in any way! (Of course, that's probably just something that fell through the cracks while he was working on more "epic" stuff...)

www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."

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Friday, January 21, 2011 7:12 AM

PLATONIST

Joss doesn't pair couples up so he can kill one of them. He pairs them up for dramatic purposes, and killing one off is just one flavor of that.

It's a flavor he has consistently chosen, though, especially in the Buffy verse. Regardless of similarities or differences, once he’s done exploring the characters in a given relationship he starts to develop the individual character in another direction, which either leads to them parting or one dying, just saying.

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Friday, January 21, 2011 7:52 AM

GWEK

What you're saying now is very different from what you said originally. I disagree with your original point, although your revised point seems to agree with what I'm saying.

For the record, Joss hasn't actually killed off THAT many romantic partners:

--Jenny Calendar (Buffy)
--Tara (Buffy)
--Angel (Buffy)
--Spike (Buffy)
--Anya (Buffy)
--Cordelia (Angel)
--Doyle (Angel)
--Fred (Angel)
--Wash (Firefly)

I think that's really it. While 9 deaths might seem like a lot, that's over the course of 13 seasons, and most of the deaths fall into particular categories:

1) Angel and Spike don't really count because they came back.

2) Cordelia and Doyle don't really count because those were meta-story decisions (the actor deciding the leave and/or the network stepping in, as I believe happened with Doyle).

3) Spike, Anya, and arguably even Wash were "series finale kills." Particularly with Anya, Joss has admitted that he didn't really kill her to kill HER, but because some characters needed to die in the finale and he had better ideas of what to do with other characters.

So that REALLY just leaves Jenny Calendar, Tara, Fred, and possibly Wash. What do all of these characters have in common? They were in "good" (or, speaking from a screenwriting standpoint: "boring") relationships.

Of COURSE he's going to try to turn a boring couple into an interesting one (or into two interesting individuals). THAT'S WHY PEOPLE WATCH MOVIES AND TV. When MOONLIGHTING was on the air, nobody tuned in to see what pizza topping Dave and Maddie were going to get. They tuned in to see if they were going to fight or kiss that week.

www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."

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Friday, January 21, 2011 8:20 AM

PLATONIST

Of COURSE he's going to try to turn a boring couple into an interesting one (or into two interesting individuals). THAT'S WHY PEOPLE WATCH MOVIES AND TV. When MOONLIGHTING was on the air, nobody tuned in to see what pizza topping Dave and Maddie were going to get. They tuned in to see if they were going to fight or kiss that week.

LOL, exactly, it comes back to "sameness", it's NOT that interesting to explore in any media, and it doesn't engage the reader or viewer in any thought provoking concepts about human interactions. I was recently arguing this point with a fellow Browncoat as to why Nandi had to die. Mal and her were very much alike, almost a perfect match, but after the sex, and the fighting together, where do you go with a relationship like this?

A triangle isn’t going to work; Inara was planning to leave the scene anyway, she doesn’t have a chance in hell competing with Nandi for Mal’s respect, which is IMHO what IS being explored in Mal’s and Inara’s non relationship.

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Friday, January 21, 2011 10:58 AM

BYTEMITE

Uh oh!

GWEK, we've had our differences, but I want to say I've learned something from you.

The first time I talk about a television series I know nothing about, people stare at me sideways. The second time, they figure out I haven't seen it, and am dismissed accordingly. The third time, I start to look arrogant and a little nuts, but the EIGHTH time, I learn my lesson!

But yeah, even though I can't comment specifically on Buffy and Angel, I've started to think it's not so much Joss plans on having any one couple pair up, but rather he explores every possible pairing and switches it up as often as possible to keep people backfooted. So even if we see an apparent ending of a series and an apparent they'll always be together scenario, chances are it's either twisted or he'll show us a view much later and those two characters suddenly are estranged and potentially hate each other.

In fandom, we can pair up characters however we like, and even go babies ever after! But chances are speculation and our wildest hopes never even approach canon, because canon will take whatever wild turns Joss deems necessary.

I'm learning to keep this in mind when it comes to conversations about ships and pairings, and also why am I posting this? Don't I have stories to write? Send help!

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Friday, January 21, 2011 6:09 PM

PERFECTPARADIGM

Gwek - Yes she had a crush on him in season 5 but at that time it didn't seem like it would lead to a relationship, what with Anya and all.

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