My Nerdishness is Showing...
I found myself saying the following today: "Season Eight is just about as plausible as Greedo shooting first."
... And then I thought about the similarities between Whedon and Lucas... and how they've helped and hurt their own franchises over time... and then I realized that more than ever S8 is to BtVS what the 1997 re-editing of the original films and the prequels are to Star Wars. I actually am suddenly filled with concern that Spike is going to be used as this fluffball golden boy by Whedon. Sure, he's been snarky and sorta normal thus far, but he's also filled with boring exposition and the snark that he's giving could quickly turn to lofty superiority in lieu of recent events. I look at Han Solo who started as the amoral underdog and grew to be a real hero, and then I see what Lucas did to him- tried to tone down his amoralness in the re-edits because he thought it was less meaningful that someone could develop into a hero after being nearly the exact opposite when in reality it is more meaningful to show that people can change. What would Spike now have to say about 1997!Spike, the Spike who adamantly proclaimed "Not us! Not demons!" at Angel's talk about things changing? Obviously, Spike was very, very wrong, and he'd probably admit that... after a few beers.
... And then I thought about the similarities between Whedon and Lucas... and how they've helped and hurt their own franchises over time... and then I realized that more than ever S8 is to BtVS what the 1997 re-editing of the original films and the prequels are to Star Wars. I actually am suddenly filled with concern that Spike is going to be used as this fluffball golden boy by Whedon. Sure, he's been snarky and sorta normal thus far, but he's also filled with boring exposition and the snark that he's giving could quickly turn to lofty superiority in lieu of recent events. I look at Han Solo who started as the amoral underdog and grew to be a real hero, and then I see what Lucas did to him- tried to tone down his amoralness in the re-edits because he thought it was less meaningful that someone could develop into a hero after being nearly the exact opposite when in reality it is more meaningful to show that people can change. What would Spike now have to say about 1997!Spike, the Spike who adamantly proclaimed "Not us! Not demons!" at Angel's talk about things changing? Obviously, Spike was very, very wrong, and he'd probably admit that... after a few beers.