July 02 2008
(SPOILER)
Joss Whedon talks Buffy #16 and beyond.
He tells MTV News, "Buffy lends itself to a comic book universe more than anything I've ever done. Buffy is a comic book." Also first details on the season 8 arc Jane Espenson will be writing.
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shesmyeverything | July 02, 17:39 CET
Naked Willow is coming and more hints of the Scoob's world being turned upside down coming up.
Buffyfantic | July 02, 17:41 CET
Also, we've already *had* Naked Willow, about as revealingly as it can be given in comic format. Unless they're going... more revealing?
Very glad to know that the return of Oz is much more clear now, and not possibly just being related to the flashback issue.
KingofCretins | July 02, 17:55 CET
I can't believe that we are half way through season 8 already. I guess I reckoned that we would know more about Twilight by now.
mgmn | July 02, 18:10 CET
If this was the only article I'd ever read on Season 8, I might see that too. But I think here it's just the angle the reporter took from what Joss was saying. I think it's just one piece of the puzzle.
Sunfire | July 02, 18:23 CET
"The world of Fray has been a huge influence, in fact, the influence on season eight," Whedon said. "At the end of the series, I had something that categorically did not connect, and rather than throw out continuity, I used that. The present is so interesting with tons of slayers, and the future as we know it is quite the opposite. So why is that? And is that the death of magic?" "The world of Fray has been a huge influence, in fact, the influence on season eight," Whedon said. "At the end of the series, I had something that categorically did not connect, and rather than throw out continuity, I used that. The present is so interesting with tons of slayers, and the future as we know it is quite the opposite. So why is that? And is that the death of magic?"
To me, his emphasis of the word "the" in sentence one shows that his need to connect Fray's world to Buffy's was, in fact, the driver for Season 8.
SteveP | July 02, 18:48 CET
Sounds like fun stuff coming up. I probably won't get my copy of #16 until after the 4th, alas.
ManEnoughToAdmitIt | July 02, 18:51 CET
I'll try again. Options:
1. Buffy Season 8 is because the voices would not stop talking.
2. Buffy Season 8 is because he needed to explain the connection to Fray.
3. 1 + 2 + randomness.
Some say 2, previous interviews mentioned 1, I'm going to be all crazy and suggest multiple motivations are possible and people are overthinking this.
[ edited by Sunfire on 2008-07-02 15:58 ]
Sunfire | July 02, 18:58 CET
SteveP | July 02, 19:06 CET
mgmn, I thought we'd know more about Twilight at this point too. Big reveal at the end of the Fray arc would be cool.
mr_shemp | July 02, 19:26 CET
KingofCretins | July 02, 19:27 CET
Sosa Lola | July 02, 20:24 CET
Hate to say it but I really don't quite know what the hell is going on. Jeanty's artwork isn't helping. Other than "the stars" his art is too imprecise to be able to distinguish some characters from others. Especially in long shots. Those are just way too sketchy and they confuse the hell out of me.
But I think it will all come together when, after all is said and done, the giant sized three inches thick hardback of Buffy the Vampire Slayer - the Complete Eighth Season "on DVD" is released.
batmarlowe | July 02, 20:41 CET
Yes and yes. The first issue of Fray was published in 2001, though it took 'til 2003 for them to get all eight issues out.
zeitgeist | July 02, 20:55 CET
As to whom is involved in this, and whom would cause the pain, and whom we might not expect, that is really just a few people. It will not be Angel or Spike, nor will it be a known big bad like Glory or The First Evil- too obvious. If it is a living person, it will have to be Giles (not Riley)- and I can come up with very good reasons why Giles might want the slayer line ended especially if he comes to understand that having so many slayers really does pose significant problems for survival. If it is not, the only other possible person it could be is Tara- and that is not somewhere I want to go.
Dana5140 | July 02, 22:52 CET
Pointy | July 02, 23:00 CET
As to "the end of the Slayer line" -- well, no. It puts the line on hiatus until Fray. And, ostensibly, Slayers weren't needed before Melaka was called... so it's not outright catastrophe.
ManEnoughToAdmitIt | July 02, 23:05 CET
Except that it seems wrong, since it was the roommate and not the boyfriend. So the thricewise thing, if still relevant, seems to be differently so.
Sunfire | July 02, 23:07 CET
Kat Jetson | July 02, 23:24 CET
"The end of the Slayer line" doesn't necessarily have to mean that all the non-Buffys&Faiths will die (and possibly including those two in whatever mass catastrophe takes place). We already saw that happen a lot in Season 7 and a bit (and way more poignantly, IMO, with "The Chain" and Renee) so far in Season 8. They could just get de-powered or end up in another dimension or something (re: the big portal-looking thing in Fray with presumably Buffy's hand being the last thing to go through it...someone's feminine hand, at least).
I dunno...the end of the Slayer line might not necessarily be as bad or depressing as you'd assume at first.
Tangent: Since "everyone who ever could be a slayer, will be" was the gist of Buffy & Willow's plan/spell, does that mean when a baby girl is born who would've been a potential, she's instantly a Slayer, strength and all (or more likely, a Slayer right from conception?) ? That would pose some problems for parents trying to get a handle on or discipline their rowdy toddlers. And also, more are being added to the line every year with new births of specific girls ?
Whatever magic/force (beyond whatever those African shamans did to The First Slayer) governs the slayer power (or whatever) seems to do a lot to ensure there's plenty of fodder for the line. I wonder if there're always roughly 2000 potentials, or if that number increased in ratio with the population growths throughout history. So like, 10 others during the time of The First, a few hundred to pick up the mantle during Joss's blonde medieval girl's time (the one from the poem, killed by vamp Saint Just, in Tales Of The Slayer), etc. Just random guesses. It's another one of those bits of mythology that I can't help wondering about, same as with how the Watchers manage to track down the locations of the active slayer and some potentials (Kendra, Faith).
Kris | July 02, 23:27 CET
So if the end of magic occurs in, say the middle 23rd Century, there's plenty of time for the scenario of Fray #1 to be in place without affecting Aunt Buffy 's Adventures in Slayerland.
Maybe.
DaddyCatALSO | July 02, 23:29 CET
Kris, I wonder about those things too. I especially feel sorry for any expecting mothers of potentials, who must have had one heck of a time with the baby kicking. And discipline might very well be a problem with parents who rely on force; not so much with parents who rely on the "I'm not mad, I'm disappointed" speech which so many of us dread.
I think potentials can stop being potential, as Kennedy said in S7, once their "slot" is filled by some other girl. So I don't think there are any slayers older than Buffy, which might be a contributing factor to why everyone calls her "ma'am."
ManEnoughToAdmitIt | July 02, 23:57 CET
DaddyCatALSO | July 03, 00:16 CET
ManEnough- I honestly believe we are being set up to believe that it will be Xander. Which is precisely why I am certain it will not be him. I understand Xander has had a tough time, but I cannot see him aligning himself with Twilight- the very person who caused all his misery- as a result. Makes no sense. I could make a better argument for Willow- especially as we know that it will involve someone unexpected and cause tremendous pain (ie, Tara)- but even there I think Joss risks really upsetting people if he makes Willow evil again. I still think it will be Giles, and it will be because he finds himself with some choice that involves ending the line (and saving the world) or not (and having something horrible occur- we already know Giles is willing to sacrifice the few to save the many).
Dana5140 | July 03, 01:03 CET
IrrationaliTV | July 03, 01:09 CET
I mean, it doesn't exactly mean that they're all gonna die. I just reread Fray today before jumping into "Time of Your Life," and Urkonn specifically states that he does not know whether or not the Slayer who banished all of the demons dies.
I've often thought that the Scoobies might prevent the Slayer line from being eliminated, thus effectively erasing Mel's future. Though I'm sure that would piss off many fans, and I don't know if Joss would want to get rid of such a wonderful playground.
UnpluggedCrazy | July 03, 01:14 CET
As far as Giles, I have a question. Remember in the first S8 arc when Giles is talking to the big demon guy in his lair, or whatever? The demon says "We are not amused...Three of our brood slain!" and Giles says: "They broke protocol." I feel like I am missing something very critical. Why was Giles talking to this demon? What is the protocol? Can someone help me out with that?
5X5B | July 03, 02:02 CET
barboo | July 03, 02:11 CET
IrrationaliTV | July 03, 02:18 CET
Potentials will keep on being born, but none of them will become Slayers because there's no demonic essence anymore to activate them. But in Melaka's time the magic comes back, and she (and Harth) do get Called.
As for toddler Slayers and foetus Slayers - I don't think so. Buffy said every girl who can be a Slayer - and girls under the age of puberty can't be Slayers. Problem solved. :-)
stormwreath | July 03, 02:39 CET
Unfortunately, I sorta lost my concentration when I hit the phrase "naked Willow", and my brain is still glazed over...
Rowan Hawthorn | July 03, 03:41 CET
I read it as the demon side broke an uneasy truce agreement and therefore any complaints about the demons who broke it getting slayed weren't going to generate any sympathy or misgivings on the Slayer side. But yeah Giles did seem to carry extra authority there, so all kinds of things we don't know about yet could be going on.
Unfortunately, I sorta lost my concentration when I hit the phrase "naked Willow", and my brain is still glazed over...
Man knows how to get his reading audience's attention in an interview.
Sunfire | July 03, 04:12 CET
RE: slayers, death of. I liked the combination of barboo, TamaraC, & stormwreath's opinions. I look at it as a drastic shift in what once was equilibrium. Tons of slayers, lots of magic, lots of demons. It's against nature's way to be "normal", in equilibruim. Well, to counter-act that imbalance, there needs to be a shift towards no monsters, no magic, no slayers. It's as if it takes 2 centuries to get back to "normal"- one girl, demons and monsters. What do you think?
And, as far as un-doing it, let's say it can't be un-done. The essence of the scythe was taken, girls were powered up in Season 7... you can't take back that. Now you just have to deal with it... maybe pass on some wisdom to the newbie (Fray) on what to expect. As, you know, we can all expect the cycle to occur again as our world is always trying to find the balance and yet be in equilibruim at the same time.
Like applying string theory to the expansion of the universe.
korkster | July 03, 04:14 CET
As long as this comic doesn't end with my buffy passing away I'll be relatively content.
SmileTime | July 03, 12:30 CET
I have no more comments, ever. (kidding)
The Londinium Sun | July 03, 15:50 CET
Fast forward several hundred years to Fray. Something went wrong after Willow cast her spell. I was content not knowing what that was, and how something as powerful as the slayer line ended up essentially defunct. Because, Buffy went out strong. Now we are going to see that strong conclusion be amended. And we know that it HAS to do with Willow casting the empowerment spell and altering the original spell that created THE Slayer. Knowing it will be the Scoobs that create the end of the line just depresses the hell out of me. Hence, again, yuck.
Look, Star Wars was great. And then they made the second series and forever crapped up that story- and now Indiana Jones bringing in, you know, Close Encounters- these are real nuking the fridge moments. I don't want to see that happen to Buffy. I guess this was a more serious answer than I initially intended, and these are just my thoughts, and I hope I am wrong, but my sense is, we are seeing closure being brought to this tale, forever and forever. It may take a few years to get there in comic time, by which I could be like 60, but still.
Dana5140 | July 03, 16:25 CET
Joss is only 9 years younger than I am; as I've said, I hope I get to read his autobiography.
DaddyCatALSO | July 03, 18:30 CET
I don't think there will be yuck factor. I expect it's going to end well. I don't mean happily (although I do suspect that for Buffy), but I do think it won't be disappointing.
Sunfire | July 03, 18:32 CET
SmileTime | July 03, 19:36 CET
qui_ca | July 03, 22:51 CET
Dana5140, it's pretty easy to argue that getting rid of magic would improve Buffy's world considerably. I wouldn't see slayers losing their powers as depressing (whoever is responsible) if at the same time the world is rid of vampires and demons (sorry Angel and Spike ;).
However, I don't have clue how season eight will end because while it is being tied into Fray, I can't see how we can have a season nine without magic. Twists and turns ahead no doubt. If everything is neatly wrapped up at the end of season nine, I'll be perfectly happy with that as it's two more than I ever expected.
[ edited by cypher on 2008-07-04 04:18 ]
NotaViking | July 04, 06:17 CET
As of "Chosen", "Fray" already marked the end of the Buffyverse; it was done, that was the future, some 21st-Century Slayer put the mojo to bed and disappeared from history along with it, end of story. Two or three (or more) aborted attempts later to return to the 'verse didn't work out, so, there already wasn't going to be any more to the story (except for fanfic, which I don't count.) All of the stuff that makes you go yuck? It was already done - the only thing missing were the details as to how it got there. That was the future of the Buffyverse.
Then, here comes Season 8. And with it, there's a chance to tie up the loose ends, but: with the meeting of the two Slayers, there's also an opportunity for the story to go someplace totally different; the "Fray" universe in the original series might still come about, or it might be completely changed because of Buffy's trip. I can't fathom why someone would rather not have any more story than take a chance on the possibilities.
Rowan Hawthorn | July 04, 06:39 CET
Dana5140 | July 04, 06:56 CET
First, the creator and writers have a way of confounding our (entirely logical and well-thought-out) explanations and predictions. Second, while I agree that "Chosen" was a beautiful ending, that "ending" isn't ruined by subsequent developments. Just as "Becoming Part II" isn't ruined by our discovery, pretty soon after (or almost at the same time, thanks to some ads), that Angel wasn't irrevocably dead, and just as The Empire Strikes Back isn't ruined for me by the prequels. For me, at least, the stories retain their power - sometimes that power is enhanced and colored by later development but, for some reason, it's almost never diminished. But that may well be, as you say, a personal mileage issue . . .
SoddingNancyTribe | July 04, 07:02 CET
NotaViking | July 04, 07:42 CET
Well, I gotta say - the first part of that statement is irrelevant to much of anything. It's part of the story regardless of who did or didn't read it. Lots of people probably never read past "The Hobbit", but that doesn't make "Lord of the Rings" non-existent, either. As for the second... well, he didn't have to write any of it, either - including the TV series. Why would an author want to waste time writing a story set in their own creative universe just to say, "Oh, but I'm just kidding, this isn't really part of the story..."
Rowan Hawthorn | July 04, 07:51 CET
Dana5140 | July 04, 19:04 CET
The fact of Joss using a time rift and introducing all the tricksiness of time travel paradoxes does add something else into the mix. If Buffy's going to Fray's time changes what happens with the death of magic, and so changes what Fray's world is like, it would be a classic time travel paradox, and I'd be interested to see how Joss and the other Buffy comic writers handle that. Personally, I find time travel paradoxes fascinating, but I think few writers embrace them well (Terry Gilliam is one who does very well, and always springs to mind).
Much as I understand the desire for there always to be the potential for more Buffyverse stories, personally I'd be happy to see everything tied up by the end of S9, with continuity with Fray established. It's rare for something actually to complete in a satisfying way, what with early cancellations or shark-jumping and outstaying the welcome with other shows. If Joss has a complete vision for this, and we get to be able to see it in total, that would for me be a lovely thing.
Kiddo | July 04, 19:22 CET
[ edited by newcj on 2008-07-04 17:01 ]
newcj | July 04, 20:00 CET
Kris | July 05, 02:49 CET
UnpluggedCrazy | July 05, 07:58 CET
Exactly what part of what was canon was thrown out?
If you mean "The Girl In Question", remember that no one, including the audience, ever saw Buffy's face. All there was to go on was Andrew's word, which - knowing how little of anything he ever said was true - I can't fathom why anyone would take at face value. Now we find out he lied. Big surprise, and no different from, say, finding out in "Enemies" that Angel really wasn't Angelus, and really wasn't with Faith and Wilkins.
And Warren's appearance is a mistake. Well, so what? There's an oops, yeah, it was a continuity goof, now we need something to fix it. Big deal. Considering all the authors I've seen that make absolutely no effort to keep any sort of continuity, or even pretend they care, I can live with it. It's an easy enough one to erase. I'll start worrying about stuff like that when it's decided that Willow really hated Tara and is secretly in love with Spike.
Kris:
Me, neither. I'd be happy for the story to keep going, but on the other hand, I'd hate like hell to check out myself before I find out how it ends...
Rowan Hawthorn | July 07, 02:27 CET