I had to struggle through snow that came halfway up to my knees to get this issue of Season 8. I hope you all appreciate my sacrifice. :-) ( Review of 8.39 'Last Gleaming' Part 4 )
Yeah, you know, I wish I could say I bought into that, but I don't.
There's just been too many senseless things happening in S8 and I am just really sick and tired of the fact that someone ALWAYS has to die. Yes, of course, in real life, shitty things happen, nice people die, blah blah blah, but it's just like, ... no. I would buy the whole 'the cost of our actions' thing, except he completely didn't follow that at all in Dollhouse and just indeterminably went about slaughtering characters for no reason (Whiskey, November, Bennett, Boyd, Ballard). It was just ridiculous.
And, really, what cost of our actions? What did Tara do that warranted her being killed? What did Giles really DO that was so awful? What did Renee do? What did Anya do, really? Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all (apparently Tara and Renee's crimes were just being happy, because no one is allowed to be happy in the Buffyverse). Because see, very few people in Buffyverse who die actually DESERVE it. And it's just getting tired. Tara, fine, you could argue it had to happen. But Renee? Giles? Anya? REALLY? That's REALLY the best Whedon could do? If characters had to die, why not kill off Kennedy? Or Satsu? Or Andrew? There are so many minor characters that could be killed and it would have just as big of an impact. There is no reason to keep fucking over the main characters who have suffered enough.
Buffy dying in S5, now THERE was a time when I actually appreciated a death Whedon gave us. Hell, even though it was sad, I loved Joyce's death because it brought a lot of depth to Buffy's character. But Whedon is kill happy, plain and simple. All his reasons now are bullshit. Sure, they may have meant something once, but not anymore.
And, really, what cost of our actions? What did Tara do that warranted her being killed? What did Giles really DO that was so awful? What did Renee do? What did Anya do, really? Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all (apparently Tara and Renee's crimes were just being happy, because no one is allowed to be happy in the Buffyverse). Because see, very few people in Buffyverse who die actually DESERVE it.
Well isn't that true to life? How many people die tragically because they "deserve" it? How many people get to live to their old age even though they don't "deserve" it?
I do think that deaths show "the cost of our actions": every war, every battle has casualties, but as long as they are anonymous, we aren't really affected. We only realize the full cost when it's someone we care about. Which is why killing off a popular, beloved character that both the fans and the other characters care about means a lot more than killing off an unpopular character.
It is true to life, absolutely, but there is a difference between being true to life and then just complete overkill, which is what always eventually happens with all of Whedon's things.
Except, minor characters are well-liked and loved too, so. And I think one or two deaths of well-loved characters is enough to have an impact. Andrew is pretty well liked. So is Satsu. Their deaths would have an impact. But at this point, I'm just waiting for Dawn or Xander or Willow to die, because really, now that everyone else important has been killed, who else is left? It doesn't shock me anymore or make me feel sad or anything else. I just sit there are go, 'Well, that's another character that just died at Whedon's hands.'
And if it doesn't even get a reaction out of people any longer ... what's the point?
There's just been too many senseless things happening in S8 and I am just really sick and tired of the fact that someone ALWAYS has to die. Yes, of course, in real life, shitty things happen, nice people die, blah blah blah, but it's just like, ... no. I would buy the whole 'the cost of our actions' thing, except he completely didn't follow that at all in Dollhouse and just indeterminably went about slaughtering characters for no reason (Whiskey, November, Bennett, Boyd, Ballard). It was just ridiculous.
And, really, what cost of our actions? What did Tara do that warranted her being killed? What did Giles really DO that was so awful? What did Renee do? What did Anya do, really? Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all (apparently Tara and Renee's crimes were just being happy, because no one is allowed to be happy in the Buffyverse). Because see, very few people in Buffyverse who die actually DESERVE it. And it's just getting tired. Tara, fine, you could argue it had to happen. But Renee? Giles? Anya? REALLY? That's REALLY the best Whedon could do? If characters had to die, why not kill off Kennedy? Or Satsu? Or Andrew? There are so many minor characters that could be killed and it would have just as big of an impact. There is no reason to keep fucking over the main characters who have suffered enough.
Buffy dying in S5, now THERE was a time when I actually appreciated a death Whedon gave us. Hell, even though it was sad, I loved Joyce's death because it brought a lot of depth to Buffy's character. But Whedon is kill happy, plain and simple. All his reasons now are bullshit. Sure, they may have meant something once, but not anymore.
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Well isn't that true to life? How many people die tragically because they "deserve" it? How many people get to live to their old age even though they don't "deserve" it?
I do think that deaths show "the cost of our actions": every war, every battle has casualties, but as long as they are anonymous, we aren't really affected. We only realize the full cost when it's someone we care about. Which is why killing off a popular, beloved character that both the fans and the other characters care about means a lot more than killing off an unpopular character.
Reply
Except, minor characters are well-liked and loved too, so. And I think one or two deaths of well-loved characters is enough to have an impact. Andrew is pretty well liked. So is Satsu. Their deaths would have an impact. But at this point, I'm just waiting for Dawn or Xander or Willow to die, because really, now that everyone else important has been killed, who else is left? It doesn't shock me anymore or make me feel sad or anything else. I just sit there are go, 'Well, that's another character that just died at Whedon's hands.'
And if it doesn't even get a reaction out of people any longer ... what's the point?
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