I can't help but wonder whether she had some sort of clause in her contract not to get preggers. Because the treatment of her character seems a little shoddy. 'We're done telling your story, so we're going to make you bed Angel's son, give birth to a maggoty thing and then leave you in a coma. Cause we love ya.'

Caroline | May 27, 16:53 CET

This interview is going down like a lead balloon in some places.

Simon | May 27, 17:17 CET

Funny how the BtVS writers ran out of ideas for Xander at the end of Season 7, and nobody felt that it was time for Nick Brendon to "move on." Sure, as a core Scooby member Xander should definitely stick around, but then the same could be said for Cordy...

I don't think the shoddy treatment of Cordelia's character was anything personal against Charisma; they made a huge mistake with the "ascension" and the romance with Angel, realized they'd screwed up, and tried to cover up their lame plot arcs with even more over-the-top storytelling. Bold, but fruitless.

wren | May 27, 17:40 CET

Someone somewhere suggested CC lost her guardian angel when Greenwalt left.

Whatever the reason, I'm going to be a little disappointed if there's no closure to her story. I watched most of Buffy's S3 this weekend, god, she was fabulous there.

Caroline | May 27, 17:45 CET

Speaking of a story that had run its course... if you turn a really critical eye on BtVS Season 3, you'll notice that the writers ran out of ideas for Cordy after C/X sank in 'Lover's Walk.' Sure, they did one last damsel-in-distress episode in 'Homecoming,' but with Cordy facing down vampires armed with nothing but a spatula, Abducted!Cordy wasn't gonna fly any longer.

The whole crush on Wesley was just a device to keep Cordelia mixed up with the Scooby Gang, and it worked brilliantly. You have to squint really hard to notice that Cordelia is basically just a hood ornament for most of Season 3. She's funny and bright and snarky and lovable, and I think I'm going to go away and mourn for one of my all-time favorite characters now...

wren | May 27, 18:01 CET

It is all very suspect, but I'm glad Joss at least addressed it - even if there are no good answers.

I'm sure the truth will reveal itself eventually.

And I, for one, was okay with the Angel/Cordy romance. I liked her being a Champion - even though the ascention was just wrong.

Cris | May 27, 18:24 CET

Well the next Charisma interview that I know of, is out on June 18th with SFX magazine so we may get her side of the story then.

Simon | May 27, 18:30 CET

This seems a long time coming. The rumors were flying last summer that the ascension arc had been created in case Ms. Carpenter didn't come back to the show, and this recent turn of events seems to give some credibilty to those rumors. I mean two seasons in a row the character arc has been written so that if the character doesn't appear next season that it can easily be explained away.

I am sure there were some behind the scenes reasons for this (Joss hints at them near interviews end) but there were probably just as many creative reasons. Joss also seems to infer that perhaps the entire creative team never felt comfortable with the whole Cordy/Angel romance which is kinda interesting if true.

Unitas | May 27, 21:13 CET

I was thinking today of the Cordy character and it occured to me that the last time we really saw her was in 'Spin The Bottle'. Cordy is taken over by Jasmine at episode's end and although CC is still there, she is, in essence, playing a different character.

The more I thought about STB the more it seemed a fitting farewell to the character. She is truly Cordelia as we first met her and that seems a fitting closure to character as well as a terrific way for her to play in our memories.

I've always loved the melancholy framing device of Lorne telling the story to an empty room. That scene always had the tinge of the afterlife for me and that emotion will only increase when I see it again.

I am assuming that we will not see Cordy again. I know what Joss is saying but we all thought we would see Amber Benson again as well and this situation seems far more fragile that that one.

Unitas | May 28, 08:10 CET

No way is this more fragile than Amber Benson -- Tara was all over Willow's shirt at this point. At least we've seen Cordelia in the last episode and Whedon says that his assumption is that she will be in the new season.

brother_grady | May 28, 17:26 CET

What I meant by 'fragile' was the situation with the actors. CC has apparently been fired and her managers are not returning calls to the press. In addition, Whedon hints at some set problems at the end of the interview while Benson was always talked about in the most glowing of terms.

Unitas | May 28, 22:02 CET

In the meantime the WB president says in this article, on CC leaving: "It makes way for characters like Spike and others."

Nice one, Levin, go out there and contradict your writer.

Caroline | May 28, 23:41 CET

I thought Levin came off rather well in the interview. Also, I don't think his comments contradict Whedon's in any way. Cordy leaving will give more room to other characters that doesn't mean it's why she was written out.

Unitas | May 29, 01:07 CET