Whedonesque : Comments on 9063 : Michael Ausiello has some wishes for Christmas.

One of my BTVS fan related wishes would be A new DVD with the cut extras like the OUT OF MY MIND scenes and the original final scene of BENEATH YOU. I'd also love to see the HALLOWEEN Q&A from a year ago, when David/James did a hilarious commentary on THE GIRL IN QUESTION.

spikeylover | December 27, 22:00 CET

One of my BTVS fan related wishes would be A new DVD with the cut extras like the OUT OF MY MIND scenes and the original final scene of BENEATH YOU. I'd also love to see the HALLOWEEN Q&A from a year ago, when David/James did a hilarious commentary on THE GIRL IN QUESTION.

I totally agree. Sign me up for that wishlist, too! ;-)

(I know, I know. I won't hold my breath...)

sonyajeb | December 27, 22:11 CET

Come on, Spikeylover, if we're making wishes, why not shoot for the moon? A Spikebot, perhaps? :~P

Rogue Slayer | December 27, 22:14 CET

Oh, I could go for one of those!

palehorse | December 27, 22:18 CET

In case anyone was wondering, in his Ask Ausiello column at TV Guide Mike says there are still plans for JM to return to Smallville this season. I've read some comments from fans somewhere who thought his run on the show was over.

killinj | December 27, 22:25 CET

Rogue, what would I do with a Spikebot? ;)

Killinj, there was a bit in Wizard magazine that talks about it..

spikeylover | December 27, 22:29 CET

Rogue, what would I do with a Spikebot?

Well, if you don't know...send him my way! I can always do with two!! ;~P

Rogue Slayer | December 27, 23:07 CET

Hello Whedonesquers :) After agonizing months of wishing membership would open, it finally did!!! What a great Christmas present. Wanted to ask...Spikeylover: "the original final scene of BENEATH YOU." Huh?!?!?!?! There is/was a different ending? Actually shot? I had no idea? Can you enlighten me? And Happy New Year to all!

Miss Edith | December 27, 23:51 CET

I love this Ausiello guy. He so brilliantly agrees with me!

Xane | December 28, 00:09 CET

Changed the link to make it permanent.

Simon | December 28, 00:10 CET

Yes, Petrie wrote a scene that was shot that Joss didn't care for and he rewrote and reshot it.

It's very stagey and dramatic, and I definitely prefer the one Joss wrote better, but would still love to see James/Sarah in this one.

Thanks for changing the links, etc.

spikeylover | December 28, 00:19 CET

Petrie wrote the scene and it was previously linked here (don't have the link offhand, but do some searching), but it was not shot as I recall.

zeitgeist | December 28, 00:25 CET

MMMMMMMMM....Spikebot....with special programming. Man I wish someone would make these...if we can't have the real thing a bot would be a fine stand in...heee....

kathylovesspike | December 28, 00:34 CET

I seem to recall James Marsters saying he prepared and prepared for the scene, shot it and right after, Joss told him it didn't work but that he was going to rewrite it so it did. They came in the next day and reshot it.

My guess is that Joss will never endorse the distribution of something that he felt did not work. IMO Joss would not want to embarrass the actors or writers that way.

What I would love to see is the scenes deleted for time. The one between Spike and Wood in the kitchen in Lies my Parents Told Me, for instance.

newcj | December 28, 00:49 CET

Think I'm correct in saying the original draft of BENEATH YOU had Spike pitting himself against God at the end of the episode.

Shooting script.

[ edited by gossi on 2005-12-27 23:02 ]

gossi | December 28, 00:59 CET

ooooooh spike movie!! spike movie!!! go for gold! yess... we want spike movie!!! i swear, if a spike movie ever comes out, im going to spend every single euro I get as allowance to buy any sort of spike movie products like dvds, t-shirts, sexbots... you name it!

joss should really make a spike movie!!!

savvy_guitar_chic | December 28, 02:31 CET

A Spike movie is certainly on my wish list!

Gossi - thanks for that link. The actual ending of "Beneath You" is one of the most emotionally powerful scenes ever on screen. Glad they changed it.

supersymetry | December 28, 03:00 CET

Well hello!!! Finally managed to make membership. :0)

spikey You've just about covered what I want in your post. The ending of BY is an amazing scene, splendid writing and excellently performed and well deserving of an Emmy nod based on that scene alone, but that's another wish. ;0)

I've read the original ending and while I much prefer the actual one we got I am curious as to how JM would have played it.

It was filmed and Joss saw it, told JM sorry and that he'd fix it and he most certainly did. You can tell the physical difference in JM from the rest of the episode to that scene. He already looks bigger and beefier.

[ edited by zeitgeist to fix a typo on 2005-12-28 01:33 ]

exoticmushroom | December 28, 03:12 CET

I'm totally for getting a Spike movie, but LAUREN GRAHAM DESERVES AN EMMY! YES SHE DOES!

Capt Mel | December 28, 03:20 CET

I do remember thinking "Beneath You" wasn't a great episode, until the end of the episode, where that scene hits it out the ball park. I actually remember thinking "Did somebody else rewrite that scene? Reshot?". Heh. It was in a different league - no offense, Doug.

gossi | December 28, 03:43 CET

I love the ending to Beneath You. I never knew about the original, but I too prefer what made it in, as interesting as that script is.

Oh and Rogue, don't be greedy now, if spikey doesn't want that Spikebot, I can give it a good home. But you can visit it.

And an Emmy for Lauren Graham. Has she even been nominated before? I don't follow most of that stuff, but she at least deserves that.

Mike_S | December 28, 05:02 CET

Oh and Rogue, don't be greedy now, if spikey doesn't want that Spikebot, I can give it a good home. But you can visit it.

How about I just watch through the window? With a video cam....

Rogue Slayer | December 28, 05:24 CET

Every time I watch the final seen of "Beneath You", I feel as if my heart is being torn out. It is one of the most powerful scenes I have ever watched and I still don't understand why James Marsters did not even receive an Emmy nomination for that scene alone. (Yes, I understand intellectually that the Academy doesn't recognize science fiction/fantasy as 'legitimate' television - or at least they didn't then, apparently.)

Thanks for the link to the shooting script, gossi.

samatwitch | December 28, 07:05 CET

That scene in BENEATH YOU was definitely in a different league than the rest of the show. As Exotic Mushroom said, James had obviously gained weight from the scene where we saw him running away from Buffy to the scene in the church. From what I have always heard it was shot, Joss didn't care for it and they rewrote and redid the whole thing again.

Who said I didn't want a Spikebot?

spikeylover | December 28, 07:16 CET

Thanks Gossi for posting that link...amazing how different that final scene in Beneath You is from what appeared on screen. And you're right Spikeylover -- totally different league from the rest of the episode. The whole thing is even more interesting to me because that is the FIRST episode of Buffy I ever saw and I remember vividly watching that scene (having little idea who these characters were), but weeping like a baby and thinking "That guy has GOT to be nominated for an Emmy." It was that scene that made me a fan.

Miss Edith | December 28, 09:07 CET

I wouldn't mind seeing the vampire version of Angel from Smile Time made into a puppet. That would be a nice edition to the other two they have out already.

Scribe24 | December 28, 09:47 CET

How about I just watch through the window? With a video cam....

Oh, is that how you're going to be, huh? Don't be shy girl, I'll leave the window unlocked. Better footage and what have you.

All this talk of the episode... I think I'll have to rewatch it tomorrow. Or well, I don't need to sleep RIGHT now, so I think I'll go watch that scene now.

Mike_S | December 28, 09:56 CET

Goodness, very very different feel to the episode as it was shot - thanks for that link.
And can I wish for a Spikebot too? Well, once one is made, surely they can be reproduced easly?

Mehitabel | December 28, 18:40 CET

I'd love to see the scene they shot for the prologue of Dead Things, too. And extended version of Spike's dream in Out Of My Mind (after all, they officially published shots from the extended version!) And, although Beneath You is great, I'd love to see the first version because SMG and JM poured so much talent and emotions in this scene. JM told about it in Cleveland 2003.

I was playing a man who was riddled by the guilt of all these murders and all of these things. So I had to dredge up everything that I had core guilt about in my life and just beat myself up with it. And when you do that to yourself… I mean no therapist is gonna tell you that is a good idea, you know. And that’s why acting is not necessarily that healthy all the time. And so you know, I got all my rocket fuel together and we filmed the scene, dailies came back, Joss didn’t like the lighting, he thought some of the writing needed to be switched around a little bit. And so he re wrote it and came in an directed it again. By that time I was spent, you know, I had already filmed it and I just kind of came to the set, (walks across stage head hung) like how am I gonna rake myself again? But it always happens that you just get carried by the words and you just get carried there. You know, there are 3, 4, 5, 6 scenes through out this season that really were very hard. That were not comfortable, that were not necessarily fun, but that I am very proud of.

Moscow Watcher | December 28, 20:22 CET

December 27 2005