Interesting bit of trivia about season 7

[VisionGirl]

Just saw this on IMDb:

While speaking at the Wizard World Chicago Convention in August, 2004, Joss Whedon revealed that he had planned to bring the character of Tara back from the dead at the end of Season 7. The episode would have centered around Buffy being granted one "life-altering" wish. Buffy would have struggled the whole episode trying to decide what she wanted to do with the wish (including, possibly, restoring Angel's humanity). The episode would have ended with Buffy telling Willow that she'd just gotten a great new pair of shoes, and when Willow asked her if she used up her wish on new shoes, Buffy would have said, "No, silly!" and stepped aside to reveal Tara. This plan was abandoned when Amber Benson, who played Tara, was unavailable for filming. However, some fans doubt how true this statement is, feeling that Joss wanted to simply please the fans.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0533407/trivia

 

[white avenger]

As much as I liked Willow and Tara together, given Willow's relationship with Kennedy at that time, I don't think that bringing Tara back would have been a good idea, unless maybe Kennedy had died in the battle (snatching the amulet away from Spike and burning up in his place might have made a good scene) Otherwise it would have been a total soap opera ending with Willow trying to make some sort of decision that won't hurt either of the two women who she loves.

 

[kittenpoker]

Oooh, I really like that idea - I hope it was true - at least for a moment.....

 

[prophecygrrl]

Interesting, but it seems a little too happy-happy for me. The details make it sound like it could be true (the new shoes mislead is very Joss!), but Buffy bringing Tara back after the mess with her own resurrection? Sounds very off.

 

[BuffyElevated]

I'm glad this never happened. Personally, I don't think Joss ever really would have done it, but IF he was serious and he had planned on doing this, I'm glad it didn't pan out. I was never crazy about Tara as a character, and after Tara died it took Willow a long time to get to the point where she could feel like it was alright to move on with her life. Imagine what it would have done to Willow if Tara had come back. Not that I really love Kennedy or anything, but that would have complicated things way too much. And I think Willow might have regressed.

 

[BangelsBetter]

That sounds like a terrible idea. And if matched against Angel's humanity I doubt she would wasted the wish on Tara. Especially after how she felt herself getting pulled out of heaven. But if the wish idea is true and she would've wished for angel's humanity than my life as a Bangel fan would be complete and they would live happily ever after🙂

 

[Moscow Watcher]

As much as I liked Willow and Tara together, given Willow's relationship with Kennedy at that time, I don't think that bringing Tara back would have been a good idea, unless maybe Kennedy had died in the battle (snatching the amulet away from Spike and burning up in his place might have made a good scene) Otherwise it would have been a total soap opera ending with Willow trying to make some sort of decision that won't hurt either of the two women who she loves.

According to Joss, if Tara was back, Kennedy wouldn't be introduced at all.

http://movies.ign.com/articles/425/425492p9.html

WHEDON: Plan A was to bring Tara back.

IGNFF: I heard there were some failed discussions about that.

WHEDON: Amber didn't want to do it. She wanted to do other things. I had a whole "“ I used to tell people, "Here's what we're going to do. We're going to have her in a couple of flashbacks, keep her alive, and then at the end ..." I had a whole show figured out that ended with the return of Tara. I used to cry every time I pitched it. It was going to be Tara's her one true love, people are going to be blown away, they'll never see it coming "“ except on the Internet "“ and it's going to be just about the biggest thing. Quite frankly, Amber just didn't want to do it "“ which is her decision. I was like, "Okay, the thing where I cried, and we all cried, and I told you about? That's gone. So, instead, we're going to go out and find somebody really hot, and we're going to make this about moving on, because that's the only option we have. I don't want Willow stuck in typical gay celibacy on TV. I'm interested in where her heart will go once she's lost her true love, so let's do that instead." So, you know, hence Kennedy.

 

[VisionGirl]

So, instead, we're going to go out and find somebody really hot, and we're going to make this about moving on, because that's the only option we have. I don't want Willow stuck in typical gay celibacy on TV. I'm interested in where her heart will go once she's lost her true love, so let's do that instead." So, you know, hence Kennedy.

You know, I'm not a huge Kennedy fan, but I do have to say that I liked Joss' thinking behind that.

 

[Hale Caesar]

I'm glad this didn't happen, because it would have cheapened Tara's death

 

[white avenger]

According to Joss, if Tara was back, Kennedy wouldn't be introduced at all.

So, Joss had that whole scene planned out before Kennedy's character was introduced, and Amber Benson knew that far ahead that she wouldn't be available for what would almost certainly have amounted to the time needed to shoot a single scene? I would have thought that they could have worked something out if they had really tried.

Maybe the cost involved in getting her from where she was at the time back to the Sunnydale set for such a short appearance had something to do with it.

 

[Moscow Watcher]

So, Joss had that whole scene planned out before Kennedy's character was introduced, and Amber Benson knew that far ahead that she wouldn't be available for what would almost certainly have amounted to the time needed to shoot a single scene? I would have thought that they could have worked something out if they had really tried.

Maybe the cost involved in getting her from where she was at the time back to the Sunnydale set for such a short appearance had something to do with it.

*shrugs* Apparently, it's more complicated. Here's Amber Benson's take:

http://www.whedon.info/Amber-Benson-October-2003-Curve.html

Benson was asked to return as Tara - actually, as an evil version of Tara - in Buffy's seventh and final season, which ended last May. But after all the uproar, she thought it was best to let her beloved lesbian character rest in peace. "There were a lot of other reasons [I didn't go back], but one was that I didn't want [Tara] to go bad," she says. "As an actor, of course, it appeals to me to play kind of evil and bitchy and sexy, but, as a human being who gets letters that say, 'I didn't kill myself because of what you and Alyson did,' that part of me goes, 'You're not just an actor any more ; you're making a social commentary now, baby. You've got to be responsible.' And I couldn't be responsible coming back, because as an actor you have no control."

And what about Joss Whedon's accusation over the summer that he had always planned a glorious, romantic reunion for Tara and Willow but Benson played the spoiler ? You can almost hear her wince over the phone. "Yeah, that's been bandied about in the press a lot," she sighs.

"You know, sometimes people tell you one thing in this world, and then things don't turn out the way you're told," she says. "Who knows what Joss had 100 percent planned in his mind ? I'm not psychic. I just didn't want anyone else hurt after everything that had happened. When a character has that kind of social impact, you just don't have the right to do anything else to her. I know Joss had good intentions, but for me, personally and professionally, it wasn't the right decision."

and

http://www.whedon.info/The-Strange-And-Incredible-Saga-Of,17570.html

My final example is a statement that Amber had made during the Q&A at Madame Tussauds in the UK in December of 2002: "I wish we could have worked something out," Benson said. But there were extenuating circumstances that I don't want to get into. I would have loved to come back but sometimes there are things you have to stand up for and to tell you the God's honest truth. I really didn't want Tara to be bad, and that would have been a component of me coming back. As much as I wanted to come back"”and I almost did"”that was something that was dogging my not wanting to come back. I just felt like people really loved that character and for her to be bad would just destroy people. So that was one of the main reasons I didn't go back." So we can cleary see that Joss Whedon did intend to bring Tara back from the dead, (although that is now believed to have been merly a cover story concocted by Joss in order to protect himself from the constant criticism he was getting for killing Tara in the first place.) but further information supplied by Amber Benson reveals that she felt like she just simply couldn't trust Joss enough with the storyline that everything would turn out for the best in the end after hurting so many people before. Benson also has testified to the fact that Whedon wanted to play a cruel joke on the fans by having her return as an evil version of Tara, but had made (in my opinion) the right decision by not coming back to avoid hurting the fans. However, if you look back closely at Joss Whedon's interview from back on June 23, 2003, with FilmForce about how he makes a case for having a Willow/Tara reunion and why Amber didn't want to do it he curiously makes no mention of "the evil Tara" issues that Benson was having, nor does he mention the fact that she couldn't trust him not to mess around with the storyline at the last minute in the first place. Joss just simply states in the interview that, "Amber didn't want to do it. She wanted to do other things." (You could argue that this statement was a form of damage control.) Joss also gives an indication in his statement to TV Guide Online in 2002 about the fact that contract negations had fallen through between Benson and the studio. Whedon even remarks how sad it is that Benson was not returning to the show because he liked Amber, but that it was a matter between Benson and 20th Century Fox. Even a repersenitive for Amber Benson testifies to this fact by saying, "She's very proud of her work on the show, but ultimately couldn't work out the right deal" But I have been able to establish that there was much more going on here than meets the eye. I have been able to point out that both Joss Whedon and Amber's repersenitive were not telling the public the whole story about the actual circumstances involving the true nature regarding Amber Benson's refusal to return to Buffy.

(when they talk about "evil version of Tara", they mean The First Evil in "Conversations With Dead People")

 

[white avenger]

That is obviously a much larger part than just the single scene where Buffy brings Tara back. I can see where Amber might not have enough time to do that, plus, of course, her reluctance to play an evil Tara.

Maybe we will see Tara return in Season 9, as part of Willow's quest. It would make sense that part of Willow's mission to return magic to the world should include the person who, literally, brought magic into her life..

 

[dexeded]

I can't believe Joss was even considering it, after all the fuss about the forces of nature and bringing people back from the dead. It was a terrible idea. So far, all the brought-back-from-the-dead have legitimate, if tenuous, reasons (Buffy CPR, Buffy resurrection consequences, Spike's essence was stored in the amulet etc.). There have been too many resurrections already, and to add Tara for no reason at all would have been turning over all previous sentiments on the subject of resurrections, especially since a wish, something that has been touted to twist someone's true desire, is what brings her back.

 

[WileyDairyGnome]

I think there was a thread about this before... Oh well. 😛

As much as I would have LOVED to see Tara again, and I would have totally squealed and cried my eyes out if this happened... I'm mildly happy with how it was left off... (Except for the KENNEDY incident, ugh. FML). Tara's death was so sad yet beautiful, and so was Willow's vengeance. Like someone said, it would have cheapened her death.

But also, I think Buffy would have known better not to do that. Look at what happened to her, she got pulled out of Heaven and went through that depression... I'm sure without a doubt wherever Tara was, she was most likely in "Heaven", and it would have been wrong for Buffy to do that to her.

 

[Xin Rong]

I'm sure they would have skipped the 'tara' was in heaven storyline, it'd probably be more like cordy's return, minus the amnesia and evil

 

[prophecygrrl]

I'm with Amber, it seems like Joss takes the emotional manipulation way too far. There absolutely is a responsibility to what you put on screen, especially if it's something that had the social and individual impact of Willow/Tara. A lot of people were really offended by Tara's death to begin with and to bring her back could've been even worse.

 

[WiccanOwl]

As much as I hated it when Tara died, and would probably have been extremely happy if she was brought back, I can't shake the feeling that it would have been the wrong decision.

Her death was terrible, especially for Willow, but in the end, Willow managed to move on and build a life without her "true love".

I think this perhaps gives a more positive message to the audience; you can face grief and come out the other side, and be able to forge some kind of life. It's certainly more meaningful than taking the easier and happier route, by simply bringing Tara back. Unfortunately, it just wouldn't have been real enough, or dealt with the issue of death and grief properly.

 

[Robb Stark]

I'd heard about this, but I don't know how I would have felt about it. I think it's a neat idea, but there are problems with it as well. For starters, Tara dying, as sad as it was, was a major, major development moment for Willow. I know Kennedy isn't very popular, but that entire storyline is basically just a wash if Tara comes back (and I'm one of the few who didn't hate her). There's no way that Kennedy would have been able to compete with Tara in the minds of most fans.

I would have liked it if Angel had a bigger arc in S7, and I suppose that could have tied in with this storyline. He had a nice moment with Buffy in the final episode, and I loved that in Not Fade Away he signs away the Shanshu prophecy, but I would have liked if Buffy did get that one wish, she goes to Angel and offers to restore his humanity, and he says no (maybe he offers to bring back Jenny Calender? That would have been a nice ending for Giles). I would have liked that a lot. I know they wanted to leave the question of Buffy and Angel ending up together open ended, but having Angel sacrifice that chance for her would have been a very cool ending.

But I wouldn't have wanted Tara to come back, even though I really liked her by the time she died. She had a great death.

 

[Groge]

Hmm im not too sure about this. Obviously Joss killing off characters is a great and powerful thing in his shows and i think it would spoil it if they brought her back. It would just feel like a whole big waste of time as it takes away that feeling you have of her being dead,the way she died,how Willow deals with it etc. I think its great that when someone dies, they stay dead (with the exception of the protagonist)