Comments | kerry_220: 9.06 from my motherly perspective

kerry_220

9.06 from my motherly perspective

Feb 11, 2012 11:51

Someone else made a comment on their journal in regards to the recent Buffy issue that I started to respond, but my post was starting to get out of control so I'm putting it here. Hope that's okay.

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Comments 7

infinitewhale February 11 2012, 01:26:49 UTC

It wouldn't be the first time that Whedon and co have used a big smashing mallet approach to get a point across, so it doesn't seem unreasonable that the crucial idea that there are choices - all of which are valid and in there own way brave, responsible and mature - is the point of their storytelling.

I'd have to agree that seems to be the point of what Joss is saying. It's not going to be resolved that quickly, you can tell that from the leaked info and the solicitations for #8.

kerry_220 February 11 2012, 05:11:44 UTC

Absolutely agree it won't be resolved that quickly, but I suspect that they may very well take 'the path less travelled'

In the EW interview he made this comment:

"I don’t think Buffy should have a baby. I don’t think Buffy can take care of a baby. I agree with Buffy. It’s a very difficult decision for her, but she made a decision that so many people make and it’s such a hot button issue with Planned Parenthood under constant threat and attack right now."

infinitewhale February 11 2012, 05:37:24 UTC

See, I see that as very carefully worded. He says he agrees that she shouldn't have a kid, but he doesn't necessarily extend it further than that. He also said it wouldn't be normal, so there'll be circumstances to complicate it.

Cumulatively, when you look at it with the story so far and the message of the first arc and last seasons last, which I think the first arc of S9 is a re-approach of, it's suggestive of finding another way to me. I think a lot of the themes suggest it.

kerry_220 February 11 2012, 07:07:55 UTC

So you don't think the "she made a decision" is significant?

Look for the hidden meaning.... well it is Joss!

Thread 5

rahirah February 11 2012, 02:25:15 UTC

Um. That sentence wasn't in any way intended to mean that I think Buffy shouldn't have a choice. It's just that from a writing standpoint, if a character making a choice is the point of your story, then it's more usual to have that choice be the climax of your story than to put it nearer the beginning.

The placement of Buffy's decision in the seasonal arc makes me think that her choice, in and of itself, can't be the main thing the story is about. There's too much season left to fill. I can more easily imagine where the story might be going if she does keep the baby (precisely because that's the default in most stories of this type) than if she doesn't. But that doesn't mean I think she shouldn't have a choice. I agree with all her reasons for choosing abortion. I just think there's a decent chance that having brought the subject up, Joss will end up not following through.

kerry_220 February 11 2012, 04:59:23 UTC

Oh, I never thought that's what you meant.

What I was thinking that you and others approach it from a logical storytelling approach and I'm not sure that, in this particular case, the writers have done so. They have set up, quite deliberately an almost untenable situation for Buffy. I believe they wanted to get her to this place - to make exactly this point. I don't think a balanced fully rounded story was what they were aiming for.

I see it in much the same way as Spike's attempted rape of Buffy. They were trying to make a point about soulless demons and motivating Spike onwards. The wider ramifications and the ugliness of it all seemed to take them by surprise.