"You... You're never not you, are you?"
I'm pretty sure I like where BS9 is gonna go. I'm pretty sure I don't even a little bit like where Angel and Faith is gonna go. I do genuinely like Angel a lot of the time, but that seems to be almost exclusively when he is playing off of Cordelia, Wesley, or Spike. Now that he's fathered yet another out-of-control homicidal maniac, killed Giles (and Jenny. Mustn't forget Jenny), and is clearly going to be spending the next good long stretch every bit as whinily, hopelessly repentant as he was in the early days of Angel, I'm probably not going to be able to STAND him. The virtual reboot seems like a really good thing for Will and Buffy, but it's not going to be pretty for Angel.
Speaking of Giles' death, I first need to find someone to punch. I'd like it to be Angel, but I will accept substitutes if necessary. Second, I have to acknowledge how grateful I am that Steve Morris' AaF #1 cover warned me about this development (look very closely at the larger view). I normally would NEVER have looked so closely at art for a book I wasn't caught up with, especially with a story like BtVS, where I've had so many things spoiled for me, but I was trying to decide if I wanted to pre-order the Morris or the Jo Chen cover*** and just happened to see the text. And, again, I'm GLAD, especially considering I just reopened the Gillett-dying-in-the-heat-of-battle wound last night. Instead of being confused and surprised and utterly horrified, I was able to appreciate HOW he was killed - trying to do the difficult thing that Buffy wouldn't/couldn't and protecting her from the one thing she really needs protection against.
Meanwhile, on the Spike front, I am fairly sure he'll go back to being a sort of all-purpose, all-weather supporting character, like he always was before Lynch gave him a purpose and a very clearly-defined personality make-over*...but I'm also seeing how he might just become a Giles replacement. The seemingly inexplicable father/son things they did with the two and the slightly baffling (but OH SO WONDERFUL) decision to make Spike a father figure for Dawn** are kind of almost coming together with their dark past lives and Spike's role in "Last Gleaming" as Keeper of the Lore. I don't want Giles replaced - I don't want Giles to have to be replaced - but if someone was going to do it, they couldn't have chosen a better candidate. Wesley couldn't replace him - and Laura Weathermill couldn't replace Wesley (not least because the writing was awful awful) - but subtly altering an existing character's role so he takes on Giles' responsibilities? That's the way to do it.
* A personality make-over not unlike the one Cap'n (not Captain) Jack has gone through, actually. Captain (not Cap'n) Jack has a few parallels, too, come to think.
** Thought: what does Blondie Bear have to say about Lil' Bit's relationship with Sergeant Fury?
*** I went with Morris, despite my mad crush on Chen's art. His just has so much more personality...which is odd, since Chen's usually DRIP with personality. Perhaps she's as uninspired by the pairing as I am?
Okay, BizOp, what's your question? (Bear in mind that I'm in a slight befuddlement on a few of the plot details, myself...)
Speaking of Giles' death, I first need to find someone to punch. I'd like it to be Angel, but I will accept substitutes if necessary. Second, I have to acknowledge how grateful I am that Steve Morris' AaF #1 cover warned me about this development (look very closely at the larger view). I normally would NEVER have looked so closely at art for a book I wasn't caught up with, especially with a story like BtVS, where I've had so many things spoiled for me, but I was trying to decide if I wanted to pre-order the Morris or the Jo Chen cover*** and just happened to see the text. And, again, I'm GLAD, especially considering I just reopened the Gillett-dying-in-the-heat-of-battle wound last night. Instead of being confused and surprised and utterly horrified, I was able to appreciate HOW he was killed - trying to do the difficult thing that Buffy wouldn't/couldn't and protecting her from the one thing she really needs protection against.
Meanwhile, on the Spike front, I am fairly sure he'll go back to being a sort of all-purpose, all-weather supporting character, like he always was before Lynch gave him a purpose and a very clearly-defined personality make-over*...but I'm also seeing how he might just become a Giles replacement. The seemingly inexplicable father/son things they did with the two and the slightly baffling (but OH SO WONDERFUL) decision to make Spike a father figure for Dawn** are kind of almost coming together with their dark past lives and Spike's role in "Last Gleaming" as Keeper of the Lore. I don't want Giles replaced - I don't want Giles to have to be replaced - but if someone was going to do it, they couldn't have chosen a better candidate. Wesley couldn't replace him - and Laura Weathermill couldn't replace Wesley (not least because the writing was awful awful) - but subtly altering an existing character's role so he takes on Giles' responsibilities? That's the way to do it.
* A personality make-over not unlike the one Cap'n (not Captain) Jack has gone through, actually. Captain (not Cap'n) Jack has a few parallels, too, come to think.
** Thought: what does Blondie Bear have to say about Lil' Bit's relationship with Sergeant Fury?
*** I went with Morris, despite my mad crush on Chen's art. His just has so much more personality...which is odd, since Chen's usually DRIP with personality. Perhaps she's as uninspired by the pairing as I am?
Okay, BizOp, what's your question? (Bear in mind that I'm in a slight befuddlement on a few of the plot details, myself...)