Longish thoughts on Buffy S9 #7 (and also...I miss my Mac!)
First off, don’t get me wrong…I like my new (-ish) PC, especially since it would’ve taken me a lot longer to get back online if I’d waited till I could save up enough to buy a Mac. (Pets PC.) But I do miss some of the quick-and-easy Mac features like click-and-drag screen shots (that grab only what I want to grab, not the whole screen) and iPhoto and a bunch of other stuff. Using print screen then pasting it into Paint is so cumbersome, and it seems to be an all-or-nothing proposition.
Ah well. Enough with the spoiled, ungrateful whining.
I’d like to sign up for the next round of
seasonal_spuffy , but I won’t unless I can finally break through the block that’s holding up the second and final part of “I Never” (started this during the last round and just realized I never linked it here). That doesn’t give me much time, so I’ll probably sit this one out. (Or get reeeally motivated. Heh.)
I think, having finally finished “Marking Time”…AFTER SIX FREAKING YEARS…my subconscious mistakenly thinks I need another WIP. It’s probably rubbing its tiny hands together and bwa-ha-ha-ing in evil glee. And speaking of hands…on the one hand, it’s only a two-parter, so it could be worse. On the other hand, that makes it even more ridiculous that I haven't finished it. Ugh.
As for BtVS Season 9, I have some spoiler-type thoughts about the latest developments and reader responses to same.
I don’t read the comics, so I probably shouldn’t be positing any theories about RealBuffy vs. RoboBuffy. But I do keep up with them through reviews, discussion and any posted panels I can find, and I tend to agree with those who think it’s most likely Buffy’s consciousness inside a robot body. How this is possible in a world without magic, I have no idea. But I guess a verse that allows for the technological existence of insanely lifelike robots (Buffy, April, Ted), The Initiative (with its demon-controlling chips and other military/scientific toys) and Warren’s various highly advanced gadgets…well, I’m sure they’ll offer some kind of explanation that doesn’t involve magic.
Part of me wonders if this has anything to do with Severin, even if it’s only in a peripheral way. I’m expecting him to pop up again at some point since he came and went far too quickly without really affecting the story at all. Somewhere there’s got to be another Severin-sized shoe waiting to drop, right?
I’d say they did the switch deliberately to protect Buffy from having her strength siphoned away by Severin, if and when he makes another attempt-except why would RoboBuffy be unaware of this and why was Andrew apparently working on a robot before they even knew that Severin was up to no good and how could there have been a positive pregnancy test if they’d already made the switch by the time Buffy had her fairy-induced dream? Or was that fairy dream only foreshadowing the switch, much like a true Slayer dream? And none of that takes into account the mysterious blackout. Bottom line? That idea just doesn’t seem to fit.
Solicitations of the upcoming issues make it sound like this could have been Andrew’s hair-brained scheme, one he initiated on his own, perhaps. But again…why? If so, he has a whole lot of explaining to do.
I think most of me agrees with Barb and a handful of others who think “the switch” (RoboBuffy in place of RealBuffy) happened on the night of the party and the supposed blackout. It seems the most likely explanation. But again, don’t know why. Is mysterious neighbor Heinrich really The Master and the evil puppet master pulling the strings or just a red herring? So many questions and no answers. I won’t mind so much if, when the answers do come, I can look back, thwack my forehead and exclaim, “Of course! Why didn’t I see that?!”
But if there’s been no foundation laid for the big reveal and it’s just something out of left field (a la Twangel), I doubt I’ll be a happy camper. Sooo…fingers crossed.
In the meantime, I’ve seen panels of all the pertinent Spuffy bits and one thing I really loved was Spike telling Buffy what he did and didn’t want. At long last, for perhaps the first time since he regained his soul, Spike actually believes he deserves better than he’s getting. And he soooo does! Good for him for finally realizing that!
I can’t get as excited about his confession to Buffy that he still has feelings for her and her apparent willingness (since they were rather rudely interrupted, we can’t be sure) to at least discuss their relationship. I can’t help feeling that, when all is said and done, the writers will push the reset button and we’ll be right back to status quo (a la Buffy’s visit to AtS in “I Will Remember You”).
No matter what else happens, I hope I’m wrong about that.
Overall, I have mixed feelings. The fact that something so major (the big switch) took place “off screen” with what seems like little or no set up feels a bit like cheating to me. But for now, I’m taking a wait-and-see attitude, though it’s a bit harder to maintain my natural optimism when it comes to the Buffy comics. Heh.
On a related side note, while following links to various reviews of the latest issue, I stumbled across an anti-Spike/pro-Bangel’s interpretation of the characters and storyline.
Oh my.
I find it fascinating (and frustrating) how people can delude themselves to such an extent. It takes real talent to convince yourself that a hero is really a villain and that even the most straightforward and innocent gestures are all about selfish motives and sinister undertones. (Insert important disclaimer here: It’s not all Bangels and only Bangels who do this. Spuffies like me can be equally biased.
::sigh::
At any rate, I understand the inclination to feel this way. I really do. Back in the day, when I used to watch soap operas, I would get heavily invested in characters and/or couples that were later crucified by the writers. Heroes really did turn into villains and some of my favorite characters/couples were destroyed simply to promote a new pairing for the other half of the equation. In those cases, they couldn’t just give them insurmountable obstacles. Noooo. They had to totally decimate one character simply to prop up another.
I invariably resented it, but it was obvious the character/couple I had known and loved didn’t exist anymore-not in the same way. I didn’t like it, but I had to accept it if I wanted to keep watching. My other option was to stop watching, and sometimes I did. I asked myself why I would stick with something I found so aggravating, just on the slim hope that it might get better? Life is too short.
On the flip side, there were also villains who became heroes. Sometimes I bought into it and really came to appreciate the character on a whole new level. And sometimes I just couldn’t. But I never tried to kid myself that the writers weren’t really going “there” no matter how much I might dislike it.
Granted, a talented actor can take a script and spin it in such a way that it subverts the writer’s intent (which I suspect James Marsters routinely did with the character of Spike…heh) or at least makes it more ambiguous. But we don’t really have that same kind of subtlety at work in the comic books. For the most part, what you see is supposedly what you get. Although it could be argued that ambiguous facial expressions, lack of intonation and limited space requiring a shorthand (i.e., more economical) version of storytelling can produce a similar effect. Basically, it leaves a lot open to interpretation.
Still, there’s a difference between being unhappy with the way a story is going and sheer self delusion. Please help me always remember that.
Ah well. Enough with the spoiled, ungrateful whining.
I’d like to sign up for the next round of
seasonal_spuffy , but I won’t unless I can finally break through the block that’s holding up the second and final part of “I Never” (started this during the last round and just realized I never linked it here). That doesn’t give me much time, so I’ll probably sit this one out. (Or get reeeally motivated. Heh.)
I think, having finally finished “Marking Time”…AFTER SIX FREAKING YEARS…my subconscious mistakenly thinks I need another WIP. It’s probably rubbing its tiny hands together and bwa-ha-ha-ing in evil glee. And speaking of hands…on the one hand, it’s only a two-parter, so it could be worse. On the other hand, that makes it even more ridiculous that I haven't finished it. Ugh.
As for BtVS Season 9, I have some spoiler-type thoughts about the latest developments and reader responses to same.
I don’t read the comics, so I probably shouldn’t be positing any theories about RealBuffy vs. RoboBuffy. But I do keep up with them through reviews, discussion and any posted panels I can find, and I tend to agree with those who think it’s most likely Buffy’s consciousness inside a robot body. How this is possible in a world without magic, I have no idea. But I guess a verse that allows for the technological existence of insanely lifelike robots (Buffy, April, Ted), The Initiative (with its demon-controlling chips and other military/scientific toys) and Warren’s various highly advanced gadgets…well, I’m sure they’ll offer some kind of explanation that doesn’t involve magic.
Part of me wonders if this has anything to do with Severin, even if it’s only in a peripheral way. I’m expecting him to pop up again at some point since he came and went far too quickly without really affecting the story at all. Somewhere there’s got to be another Severin-sized shoe waiting to drop, right?
I’d say they did the switch deliberately to protect Buffy from having her strength siphoned away by Severin, if and when he makes another attempt-except why would RoboBuffy be unaware of this and why was Andrew apparently working on a robot before they even knew that Severin was up to no good and how could there have been a positive pregnancy test if they’d already made the switch by the time Buffy had her fairy-induced dream? Or was that fairy dream only foreshadowing the switch, much like a true Slayer dream? And none of that takes into account the mysterious blackout. Bottom line? That idea just doesn’t seem to fit.
Solicitations of the upcoming issues make it sound like this could have been Andrew’s hair-brained scheme, one he initiated on his own, perhaps. But again…why? If so, he has a whole lot of explaining to do.
I think most of me agrees with Barb and a handful of others who think “the switch” (RoboBuffy in place of RealBuffy) happened on the night of the party and the supposed blackout. It seems the most likely explanation. But again, don’t know why. Is mysterious neighbor Heinrich really The Master and the evil puppet master pulling the strings or just a red herring? So many questions and no answers. I won’t mind so much if, when the answers do come, I can look back, thwack my forehead and exclaim, “Of course! Why didn’t I see that?!”
But if there’s been no foundation laid for the big reveal and it’s just something out of left field (a la Twangel), I doubt I’ll be a happy camper. Sooo…fingers crossed.
In the meantime, I’ve seen panels of all the pertinent Spuffy bits and one thing I really loved was Spike telling Buffy what he did and didn’t want. At long last, for perhaps the first time since he regained his soul, Spike actually believes he deserves better than he’s getting. And he soooo does! Good for him for finally realizing that!
I can’t get as excited about his confession to Buffy that he still has feelings for her and her apparent willingness (since they were rather rudely interrupted, we can’t be sure) to at least discuss their relationship. I can’t help feeling that, when all is said and done, the writers will push the reset button and we’ll be right back to status quo (a la Buffy’s visit to AtS in “I Will Remember You”).
No matter what else happens, I hope I’m wrong about that.
Overall, I have mixed feelings. The fact that something so major (the big switch) took place “off screen” with what seems like little or no set up feels a bit like cheating to me. But for now, I’m taking a wait-and-see attitude, though it’s a bit harder to maintain my natural optimism when it comes to the Buffy comics. Heh.
On a related side note, while following links to various reviews of the latest issue, I stumbled across an anti-Spike/pro-Bangel’s interpretation of the characters and storyline.
Oh my.
I find it fascinating (and frustrating) how people can delude themselves to such an extent. It takes real talent to convince yourself that a hero is really a villain and that even the most straightforward and innocent gestures are all about selfish motives and sinister undertones. (Insert important disclaimer here: It’s not all Bangels and only Bangels who do this. Spuffies like me can be equally biased.
::sigh::
At any rate, I understand the inclination to feel this way. I really do. Back in the day, when I used to watch soap operas, I would get heavily invested in characters and/or couples that were later crucified by the writers. Heroes really did turn into villains and some of my favorite characters/couples were destroyed simply to promote a new pairing for the other half of the equation. In those cases, they couldn’t just give them insurmountable obstacles. Noooo. They had to totally decimate one character simply to prop up another.
I invariably resented it, but it was obvious the character/couple I had known and loved didn’t exist anymore-not in the same way. I didn’t like it, but I had to accept it if I wanted to keep watching. My other option was to stop watching, and sometimes I did. I asked myself why I would stick with something I found so aggravating, just on the slim hope that it might get better? Life is too short.
On the flip side, there were also villains who became heroes. Sometimes I bought into it and really came to appreciate the character on a whole new level. And sometimes I just couldn’t. But I never tried to kid myself that the writers weren’t really going “there” no matter how much I might dislike it.
Granted, a talented actor can take a script and spin it in such a way that it subverts the writer’s intent (which I suspect James Marsters routinely did with the character of Spike…heh) or at least makes it more ambiguous. But we don’t really have that same kind of subtlety at work in the comic books. For the most part, what you see is supposedly what you get. Although it could be argued that ambiguous facial expressions, lack of intonation and limited space requiring a shorthand (i.e., more economical) version of storytelling can produce a similar effect. Basically, it leaves a lot open to interpretation.
Still, there’s a difference between being unhappy with the way a story is going and sheer self delusion. Please help me always remember that.