I think that season 8 is made in different genre. It's a political thriller with detective elements. It's a story about a complex conspiracy with a requisite traitor in the middle of supposedly good guys. Conspiracy is the star, characters serve the plot twists. The plot demands Buffy to rob a bank. She robs a bank. Tomorrow the plot will demand Willow to become a movie star. Or a FBI agent. And she will become the next Julia Roberts or a government spy.
I don't say that Buffy can't rob a bank. Or that Willow can't be a movie star. But I need a motivation. If, say, Buffy did it in a desperate situation to save somebody's life, I'd cheer such plot twist. I love moral dilemmas. But this is not the case. Obviously she did it just because "it's only money". Or maybe she did it for a valid reason but we'll find about it in 5 years when emotionally it won't matter anymore.
*applauds* Nail, meet head. It's the same thing as with the execution of Ethan; a lot of fans wanted to see Giles' reaction to that - we never did, and if we ever do it will be so late we'll have forgotten about it. His death (or temporary blowing-off-of-head until Joss decides he never died after all because he needs him for the plot) was shocking, but with no follow-up, it feels... like we're being cheated. The storytelling version of the black-cat-jumps-out-from-behind-the-door scare in a crappy horror movie; it makes you jump, but once you see there's nothing behind it, you forget it.
The word "unnecessary" comes to mind
I don't agree completely with this, though. It's quite possible that this is the issue where we're supposed to get hit by the clue-by-four that says "Buffy is going dark/evil/bad/corrupt/what have you". Which is something that needs to be built up slowly. I just wish it were built up better, that's all. That said, sure, much of it is teaser and he has given himself an easy out with the unstable reality thing should he wish to not follow up on either of the revelations here... I can't help feeling like he's trying to do "Restless" meeting "Conversations With Dead People", but once again: it requires the emotional connect to work, to be more than just four images on a flat screen.
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Date: 2008-01-09 08:11 pm (UTC)I don't say that Buffy can't rob a bank. Or that Willow can't be a movie star. But I need a motivation. If, say, Buffy did it in a desperate situation to save somebody's life, I'd cheer such plot twist. I love moral dilemmas. But this is not the case. Obviously she did it just because "it's only money". Or maybe she did it for a valid reason but we'll find about it in 5 years when emotionally it won't matter anymore.
*applauds* Nail, meet head. It's the same thing as with the execution of Ethan; a lot of fans wanted to see Giles' reaction to that - we never did, and if we ever do it will be so late we'll have forgotten about it. His death (or temporary blowing-off-of-head until Joss decides he never died after all because he needs him for the plot) was shocking, but with no follow-up, it feels... like we're being cheated. The storytelling version of the black-cat-jumps-out-from-behind-the-door scare in a crappy horror movie; it makes you jump, but once you see there's nothing behind it, you forget it.
The word "unnecessary" comes to mind
I don't agree completely with this, though. It's quite possible that this is the issue where we're supposed to get hit by the clue-by-four that says "Buffy is going dark/evil/bad/corrupt/what have you". Which is something that needs to be built up slowly. I just wish it were built up better, that's all. That said, sure, much of it is teaser and he has given himself an easy out with the unstable reality thing should he wish to not follow up on either of the revelations here... I can't help feeling like he's trying to do "Restless" meeting "Conversations With Dead People", but once again: it requires the emotional connect to work, to be more than just four images on a flat screen.