Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel series nearing pilot order at Hulu, SMG returning!

[hoponlilmama]

Yeah I don't really want to see the whole cast back. That feels shoehorned and member berries. This new show should stand on it own as a new cast of characters that just happens to take place in the Buffyverse. SMG has to come back as Buffy, but more of a cameo role, mentor, the legendary Buffy, type role. Maybe Alyson as Willow, but only if it makes sense to the story. I don't think anyone wants to work with NB so no Xander, or recast. I would maybe like to see Giles in an older role, maybe reforming the Watchers Council, but again a cameo role. I would love for Eliza to come back as Faith, as maybe she would consider it for a special appearance.

Yes, makes sense. You want the show to stand on its own, but no doubt having original cast members temporarily float in and out with a cameo appearance will be enough to appease the old-school Buffy fans and keep audiences drawn in.

Like for example if they do tackle anything magical, they can bring in Willow to help (think along the lines of her appearance during S4 of AtS).

And I'd also love to see Faith back!

 

[NotASlayer]

And I'd also love to see Faith back!

I would love it if they brought Faith back as Buffy's wife...

😀

 

[hoponlilmama]

I would love it if they brought Faith back as Buffy's wife...

😀

Oh, PLOT TWIST!!! 😀
Fuffy fans would absolutely lose their minds!

 

[NileQT87]

Please throw me any crumb that at least remembers that anything on Angel: the Series happened (the Shanshu prophecy is pretty much the only way for any of the vampires to return!). I just don't want it to be another hot mess.

Can't say I have high hopes for revivals and reboots these days or how new talents come in and write bad fanfiction more interested in preaching than saying anything about/properly focusing on the characters (or forget who the main character was in the first place if they're not their pet favorite).

If there's any hope for my Angel/AtS/Bangel-loving heart, it's that some involved, namely SMG and Gail Berman, are huge Bangel/Angel fans. The issue would be getting David Boreanaz on board. He hasn't missed a year on television since 1997 and has more lined up.

Given that executive producer Gail Berman (along with casting director Marcia Shulman, not to mention David Greenwalt inventing the reason why just one vampire--giving him a soul and curse--would be different from the initial b&w view of monsters as allegories for real-life problems) was actually the one who hired and championed DB/Angel/Bangel against Joss Whedon's wishes, that's yet another reason that if Buffy has any significant other, it's going to be the one favored by key talent in charge. Whedon, whose notorious self-insert he wanted to get the girl was Xander and hated the idea of any good or romanticized vampires (and got two!), was overridden by many back in the day.

Obviously, there's the aging issue (Boreanaz being 55 and Marsters being 62 when their characters are immortal 26 and 30ish-year-olds who were struggling to pass for that), but I already mentioned the Shanshu prophecy being a plot point. Given that SMG is 47 (Buffy is 4 years younger), it makes sense that Buffy in a mentor/motherly role (sort of Giles meets Joyce) would be at that stage in her life anyway.

SMG has always been vocal about what she sees as Buffy's happily ever after and she's always been close with DB (to the point of tabloids suggesting more).

Whedon and Nick Brendon are definitely canceled.

Letting legacy cast in supporting roles not be given completely miserable/dystopian lives/futures would be breaking the mold for most revivals, despite these characters' lives generally being full of pain prior. Might also eliminate some upset if at least some of the legacy characters get something resembling a satisfying conclusion (there'd still be a 'ship war apocalypse, though), which might make it easier on the new younger cast.

Another thing I would suggest is to go back to "One girl in all the world..." instead of the Chosen Slayer activation spell. It would greatly help the new lead to seem more special if Buffy (perhaps with a suggestion that Faith, whom the line really runs through, died off-screen or only briefly) is the only one who can help her understand what is happening.

For another thing, the Slayer spell being indiscriminate (as evidenced not only by Faith, reformed thanks to Angel not giving up on her redemption and present when Willow cast it, but crazy, murderous Dana being the fallout in AtS season 5) has always made Chosen sketchy in regards to choice and free will if you think harder. Doesn't help that the same spell was once a rape metaphor (ditto child soldier) when done to Sineya. It was something done to Buffy against her will, causing her tremendous pain and sacrifice since she was 15.

Then there's the hilarity of Wolfram & Hart defeating Buffy's final Big Bad and closing the Hellmouth with the bauble Angel delivered and Spike wore either because the First Evil's apocalypse conflicted with W&H's or Lindsey (using Lilah as delivery) just really wanted to irritate Angel with Spike's presence and make him doubt himself in regards to the Shanshu being his. Yet another reason why acknowledging that the last shot of the Buffyverse is not Buffy smiling in Chosen after a Slayer army (or master race... ick) is activated, but rather Angel, Spike, Illyria and Gunn facing down a demon horde in seeming doom as L.A. is about to be sucked into hell. Not Fade Away is a better episode in every way.

It would really help the world building if the Slayer line was lonely and higher stakes again with just the "Chosen Two" (Buffy and Faith), not to mention the ensouled vampires and supers like Willow, Connor and Illyria. Have them retired/playing human or at least not running a worldwide organization as generals to teenagers. The Potentials and comics made that unpalatable.

 

[NotASlayer]

Then there's the hilarity of Wolfram & Hart defeating Buffy's final Big Bad and closing the Hellmouth with the bauble Angel delivered and Spike wore either because the First Evil's apocalypse conflicted with W&H's or Lindsey (using Lilah as delivery) just really wanted to irritate Angel with Spike's presence and make him doubt himself in regards to the Shanshu being his. Yet another reason why acknowledging that the last shot of the Buffyverse is not Buffy smiling in Chosen after a Slayer army (or master race... ick) is activated, but rather Angel, Spike, Illyria and Gunn facing down a demon horde in seeming doom as L.A. is about to be sucked into hell. Not Fade Away is a better episode in every way.

For all that Buffy and the others achieved in season seven, they would have been better off when they found out about the First Yawn saying "Sod it, who wants to go to Tahiti?" They had no relevance to defeating the First.

 

[fauxindigo]

I hope it's a new series focusing on other slayers and Buffy & co. are in the background for the most part. Certain legacy characters can come into certain stories more than others depending on what story's being told. Even though I always shipped Spuffy, I'd love to see Buffy miraculously end up with Angel (he's turned human again to account for Davis aging IRL but also it's plausible story-wise) more than Spike with Buffy or even Spike in this new series at all. I really feel like Spike the character and the actor James Marsters playing him again deserves its own movie or miniseries; same goes for Giles & Anthony Steward Head. I'd most like to see Buffy, Willow & Dawn in this new slayers series more than any other characters even though Spike has always been my favorite and I'd love to see Drusilla, Glory, Cordelia & Faith (Tara & Joyce for that matter too). Also J.August playing Gunn again and Amy playing Illyria again would be so cool.

If the new series starts off with the first season big bad being The First, I think it'd be great continuation of BtVS by picking up with the big bad that you can't really defeat, makes sense and gives a lot of room to play with story and characters; allowing for the plausible return of characters/actors (even though it's technically not the character, it could be the actor) Tara/Amber, Cordelia/Charisma, Anya/Emma, Joyce/Kristine, Kendra/Bianca, Wesley/Alexis etc...

It'd be cool if it was an anthology series with new slayers every episode and/or season.... so many possibilities

 

[NotASlayer]

The First was a rubbish foe in the original series. Having it in the first season of a new show has a good chance of killing it. Again.

A show that is about punching evil in the face does not work well when evil has no face to be punched.

 

[fauxindigo]

The First was a rubbish foe in the original series. Having it in the first season of a new show has a good chance of killing it. Again.

A show that is about punching evil in the face does not work well when evil has no face to be punched.

How was it a rubbish foe? Maybe it just wasn't fully utilized by the writers. The concept for a big bad doesn't really get bigger than the ultimate evil that is intangible and pervasive; it's beyond any physical foe, demon, monster etc.., can personally affect every individual person by appearing like someone they love that's died or someone they feared... The First is in every location around the world and seems undefeatable.... but it's rubbish? It also exists/manifests physically in other beings (Caleb) and has physical, dangerous worshippers/minions (Harbingers) so it's a pretty lethal threat.

 

[NotASlayer]

How was it a rubbish foe? Maybe it just wasn't fully utilized by the writers. The concept for a big bad doesn't really get bigger than the ultimate evil that is intangible and pervasive; it's beyond any physical foe, demon, monster etc.., can personally affect every individual person by appearing like someone they love that's died or someone they feared... The First in every location around the world and seems undefeatable.... but it's rubbish?

They introduced a foe that Buffy literally could not fight, could not defeat and did not defeat. Nothing Buffy, or any of the Scoobies, did had any effect. The First was defeated, if it was defeated, by W&H weaponising Spike. The final Battle of the Hellmouth accomplished nothing and just seemed to have been thrown in because the writers had no clue how to deal with a foe Buffy could not fight and just gave up.

But I highly doubt the First would be back, if SMG is having a significant role, because, from everything I can tell, she hated seasons 6, season 7 and Spuffy, and they were significant factors in her refusing to do anything more with the series. And even for her preferring to being unemployed to doing another season.

 

[fauxindigo]

They introduced a foe that Buffy literally could not fight, could not defeat and did not defeat. Nothing Buffy, or any of the Scoobies, did had any effect. The First was defeated, if it was defeated, by W&H weaponising Spike. The final Battle of the Hellmouth accomplished nothing and just seemed to have been thrown in because the writers had no clue how to deal with a foe Buffy could not fight and just gave up.

But I highly doubt the First would be back, if SMG is having a significant role, because, from everything I can tell, she hated seasons 6, season 7 and Spuffy, and they were significant factors in her refusing to do anything more with the series. And even for her preferring to being unemployed to doing another season.

Did you watch Angels show? It ends on the note that essentially the fight never ends. You think it would've been better and made more sense if somehow Buffy defeated THE FIRST evil? It's more realistic that she/they didn't/couldn't.
Buffy & the Scoobies closed the Sunnydale hell mouth & activated hundreds of slayers around the world...but they accomplished nothing?
I know SMG ships Bangel & seems more prone to passing the torch to another/other slayer(s) as a main character in the Buffyverse spinoff series rather than really making it like a continuation of Buffys story specifically in depth along with Willow, Giles, Xander etc... that's why I hope it's titled something simple but effective like Slayers instead of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or just Buffy. Buffy really shouldn't be the main character.

 

[NotASlayer]

Did you watch Angels show? It ends on the note that essentially the fight never ends. You think it would've been better and made more sense if somehow Buffy defeated THE FIRST evil? It's more realistic that she/they didn't/couldn't.
Buffy & the Scoobies closed the Sunnydale hell mouth & activated hundreds of slayers around the world...but they accomplished nothing?
I know SMG ships Bangel & seems more prone to passing the torch to another/other slayer(s) as a main character in the Buffyverse spinoff series rather than really making it like a continuation of Buffys story specifically in depth along with Willow, Giles, Xander etc... that's why I hope it's titled something simple but effective like Slayers instead of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or just Buffy. Buffy really shouldn't be the main character.

Yes, Never Fade Away had a fight that didn't end. But Angel and the others went up against minions that could be defeated - like Caleb in other words. But Buffy did not. She led everyone into an unwinnable battle that they were seconds away from losing completely when W&H's plan destroyed the Hellmouth.

Activating all the Slayers without asking them? Rather like what happened to Buffy, only done thousand fold. Activating the Potentials who had a choice is one thing, but they could have been activated without going into the Hellmouth which just got a bunch of them killed in a fight that they knew could not be won. Not "We have a chance" like every other ending battle. Knew, without a shadow of a doubt, could not succeed.

Also, I doubt it would be called Slayers; that name has been used now and would cause confusion!

 

[fauxindigo]

Yes, Never Fade Away had a fight that didn't end. But Angel and the others went up against minions that could be defeated - like Caleb in other words. But Buffy did not. She led everyone into an unwinnable battle that they were seconds away from losing completely when W&H's plan destroyed the Hellmouth.

Activating all the Slayers without asking them? Rather like what happened to Buffy, only done thousand fold. Activating the Potentials who had a choice is one thing, but they could have been activated without going into the Hellmouth which just got a bunch of them killed in a fight that they knew could not be won. Not "We have a chance" like every other ending battle. Knew, without a shadow of a doubt, could not succeed.

Also, I doubt it would be called Slayers; that name has been used now and would cause confusion!

Maybe it was the Powers that Be working through W&H, not the witting plan of W&H itself to destroy the hell mouth.

Interesting to see sharing power with other potential slayers around the world as a bad thing.

Going into the hell mouth may have been ill advised but that doesn't mean the first isn't a formidably threatening big bad.

 

[NotASlayer]

Maybe it was the Powers that Be working through W&H, not the witting plan of W&H itself to destroy the hell mouth.

That is possible, but too little is known about them to say one way or the other. However, what it did show was that Buffy and the rest were not needed to destroy it. The only important episode of season seven for defeating the First - if that is taken to be destroying the Hellmouth, which looks like something the writers tossed in after realising they had created a foe Buffy could not fight - is Home. You can get rid of every single episode other than that and still destroy the Hellmouth. Change that in any way and, unless the Scoobies come up with a plan that works, everyone dies.

Interesting to see sharing power with other potential slayers around the world as a bad thing.

People need asking before they are enlisted in a war they don't even know existed. The first some probably found out about it was probably when monsters that they did not even know existed killed them. And who knows how many rogue Slayers they created?

Going into the hell mouth may have been ill advised but that doesn't mean the first isn't a formidably threatening big bad.

The First could have worked in another type of series. But Buffy is about punching evil. And the First cannot be punched. And you could remove it from the last half of season seven and have very minimal difference. It played no role in the Battle of the Hellmouth.

 

[NoShip]

Turns out Joss Whedon wasn't even consulted about this. They consulted the leading actress, who has zero influence on the actual content of the program, but not the visionary creator and showrunner. Wow. George Lucas at least got to share his ideas for Episode 7 before they were immediately ignored. Buffy is not just Joss' baby but his crown jewel, his magnum opus. It is really sad these vultures get to pick apart his child for a bit more dough and they don't even have the decency to ask for his blessing, let alone his involvement or permission.

Given what we now know about Whedon, I don't believe he could lead a Buffy revival. After watching Age of Ultron, and the Nevers, I am quite comfortable saying that Whedon's best years are rather far behind him (I am purposefully leaving Justice League out because Whedon was cleaning up the DC-Snyder mess).

Also, given Whedon's desire to completely retcon BTVS, as shown in S6 and S7 and the comics, I don't think we would get anything recognizeable as "Buffy" from Whedon.

Over the years I have developed a growing appreciation for Gellar and her artistic sensibilities. I think her arguments with Noxon and Whedon during S6 showed that she had a much better idea of where Buffy was as a charactef than either Noxon or Whedon. Where BTVS is concerned, I would trust Gellar's judgment and I would not trust Whedon's.

 

[famicommander]

We already saw what Joss did when he came back to Buffy: Angel/Twilight nonsense, creepy Dawn and Xander romance, Willow telling Buffy what Buffy's sexuality should be after Buffy sleeps with a woman... been there, read that, time for someone else to take a crack at it.

 

[Btvs fan]

They introduced a foe that Buffy literally could not fight, could not defeat and did not defeat. Nothing Buffy, or any of the Scoobies, did had any effect. The First was defeated, if it was defeated, by W&H weaponising Spike. The final Battle of the Hellmouth accomplished nothing and just seemed to have been thrown in because the writers had no clue how to deal with a foe Buffy could not fight and just gave up.

But I highly doubt the First would be back, if SMG is having a significant role, because, from everything I can tell, she hated seasons 6, season 7 and Spuffy, and they were significant factors in her refusing to do anything more with the series. And even for her preferring to being unemployed to doing another season.

That's literally the reason they brought Caleb in as they only realised that mid season. They were making things up on the fly as Joss himself admitted, he burned out with Buffy by that point
Hell its why the Uber Vamps are suddenly so easy to kill because Slayer powers or not those Slayers would not be able to survive otherwise.

Post automatically merged: Feb 8, 2025

Given what we now know about Whedon, I don't believe he could lead a Buffy revival. After watching Age of Ultron, and the Nevers, I am quite comfortable saying that Whedon's best years are rather far behind him (I am purposefully leaving Justice League out because Whedon was cleaning up the DC-Snyder mess).

Also, given Whedon's desire to completely retcon BTVS, as shown in S6 and S7 and the comics, I don't think we would get anything recognizeable as "Buffy" from Whedon.

Over the years I have developed a growing appreciation for Gellar and her artistic sensibilities. I think her arguments with Noxon and Whedon during S6 showed that she had a much better idea of where Buffy was as a charactef than either Noxon or Whedon. Where BTVS is concerned, I would trust Gellar's judgment and I would not trust Whedon's.

Did you ever try Dollhouse ? I tried the first 2 episodes and gave up. I was bored.

Even when the show was airing I thought Whedon had peaked. Season 7 had the show reusing plots from old episodes.

While the best writer on Angel was not Joss but Tim Minear. Joss even knew that which was why he brought him to Firefly.

He was also good at taking credit for all the good stuff while avoiding it for all the bad things.
It was either DeKnight or Goddard (I cant remember which) but for the Angel episode Why We Fight, he said Joss had seen a Submarine movie the other night and so came in the next day and said He had an idea for an episode, Angel and Spike on a Nazi Submarine. That was it nothing else. They then had a week to write an episode around that !

As for Buffy and her relationships ... she is a woman in her mid 40s and people are still concerned about who she's dating from 20 years ago.

So I'm gonna put my take out. Neither I hope she'd moved on from then. I hope that both Angel and Spike died in that Alleyway in 2004 and that we don't get a cameo from either one. Not that I want to see Dawn back either or that she's married Xander like in the comics 😐

If Willow is back I hope it's as an antagonist to Buffy or someone different from her

 

[NotASlayer]

That's literally the reason they brought Caleb in as they only realised that mid season. They were making things up on the fly as Joss himself admitted, he burned out with Buffy by that point
Hell its why the Uber Vamps are suddenly so easy to kill because Slayer powers or not those Slayers would not be able to survive otherwise.

Heck, even with Slayer powers, the Punyvamps would still have wiped them all out. Stake fodder vamps would have killed everyone off in those numbers. And Buffy led them all in against vampires which, as far as they knew at that point, either required an experienced Slayer to fight for several minutes one on one in order to kill (Buffy fighting the first Ubervamp was hardly encouraging for everyone else), or using a magic geegaw of which they had a grand total of one.

 

[nightshade]

We're getting somewhat off topic here, let's keep it to the excitement of the new show. Or at least about the new show.

 

[Btvs fan]

We're getting somewhat off topic here, let's keep it to the excitement of the new show. Or at least about the new show.

Agreed, is there any information of who the new Slayer is her age or setting off the new show ?

 

[NoShip]

From what I have found on the net, we don't know anything about the age of the new slayer or the setting.

We know that Dolly Parton is involved (the "dol" part of Sandollar) and Gail Berman (the woman who got BTVS to pilot and mid-season replacement) and Chloe Zhao (only the second woman in history to win a Best Director Academy Award) and Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy) are putting together the pilot and some storylines.

Personally, I am looking forward to seeing the result. There are a lot of smart and savvy people pushing this.