Joss' Work and Being Alone

[caritas08]

Some of the discussion on the "What if Bangel Don't End Up Together?" thread got me thinking. Do you like Joss' shows more because the characters don't have the white picket fence happy ending? Especially those of you who (like me) are single?

It just seems like having most characters on tv and movie endings end up together in happily ever after romantic relationships, imposes the belief that there's something wrong with you if you haven't magically found "the one". Other tv shows and movies also spend too much time developing romantic relationships and not enough time having the characters discover and develop themselves individually. While I do enjoy seeing happy couples in the Jossverse (such as Victor/Sierra etc) it's also nice to see an alternative for those of us who didn't meet that soulmate in college.

I know Joss is notorious for never giving anybody happy endings, but I find it oddly comforting in a way. It's interesting to see someone as cool as Buffy, Faith, Angel etc frequently alone and not too worse off for it.

 

[VisionGirl]

Well I have to say that after 6 seasons of Bones and 3 seasons of Castle, I'm just glad that someone like Joss gives the couples a chance at all lol!

 

[sisterofmercy]

I do like the whole existential angst thing Joss has going on in some of his work. It's great that it's put in such a positive light though, for the most part.

 

[Chase]

This is something I think is quite common with all my favourite ships. But that doesn't mean I like it. Sometimes I just wish that Joss would be like a normal t.v writer. Like Vampire Diaries or One tree hill. Give my Couples a chance. Take for example Cangel. He never even gave them a chance. At least on Bones, we already know that's the plan for them getting together. On buffy and angel, there's no happy ending. It sux!!!!

 

[BuffyElevated]

I think it's good sometimes to not have characters have the Happy Ever After ending, 'cause in life it doesn't always work out that way, so it makes it more real. But Joss infuriates me 'cause he hardly ever lets anyone have that Happy Ever After. It makes me think he's a horrible little troll who likes to make his characters suffer because those are the only "people" he has control over.

 

[zobothehobo]

I don't mind the no happily ever after thing... mainly (probably) because my ship hasn't been destroyed. I mean Tillow was, but I thought it was done in a beautiful way. I respect Joss' right to decide how the story should go and even though I wish Tara didn't die, I get that she had to to make Dark Willow happen and I LOVE that Dark Willow happened so I'm not like "I cannot believe he killed Tara and Tillow. That was just awful and I hate him for it!" Also, all of the relationships that died, to me, were done in a way that felt true and natural to the story. It wasn't like they were going around saying "Let's break them up next episode." So I don't really mind it. I don't love the shows more for it though... I mean, I don't love it more for the fact the couples break up... but for the storylines we get because of those break ups, yes.

 

[Icarium]

I think it's good sometimes to not have characters have the Happy Ever After ending, 'cause in life it doesn't always work out that way, so it makes it more real. But Joss infuriates me 'cause he hardly ever lets anyone have that Happy Ever After. It makes me think he's a horrible little troll who likes to make his characters suffer because those are the only "people" he has control over.

Word. Not to mention he has just replaced one cliché with another, albeit one not so beaten to death. This eliminates the element of surprise. Ship X gets sunk and my reaction this days is far more likely to be "Okay, about time this happened" or "Man, Joss is a one trick pony, after all, ain't he? than "You bastard, how dare you break them up!?!". Breaking up couples through highly artificial and contrived means isn't any better than giving them a happy ending that doesn't make sense in context.

 

[Kean]

Joss uses not having ships get a happy and satisfactory ending as crutch the same way that other TV shows use the happy ending cliché.

While I do think it is tiresome for everyone to just work out, I will admit that I enjoy it more than this perpetual angst that is Whedon. But honestly, what bugs me more is that there is no end in sight. The verse needs an ending. Every story does and I hate that we don't get one.

 

[svp]

It just seems like having most characters on tv and movie endings end up together in happily ever after romantic relationships, imposes the belief that there's something wrong with you if you haven't magically found "the one". Other tv shows and movies also spend too much time developing romantic relationships and not enough time having the characters discover and develop themselves individually. While I do enjoy seeing happy couples in the Jossverse (such as Victor/Sierra etc) it's also nice to see an alternative for those of us who didn't meet that soulmate in college.

I've felt this way for a long time. The pressure society puts on us is completely enforced by this whole white picket fence/find your soulmate or there's something wrong with you concept that every freaking movie and television show in existence seems to revolve around. It really does skew your perception of what's realistic versus idealistic.

 

[Kean]

I've felt this way for a long time. The pressure society puts on us is completely enforced by this whole white picket fence/find your soulmate or there's something wrong with you concept that every freaking movie and television show in existence seems to revolve around. It really does skew your perception of what's realistic versus idealistic.

I hear what your saying but I like that TV and Film don't often show a more realistic take. If I'm watching something, it is to escape my all too real reality, and I want to see the resolved endings and the happily ever afters, simply because I know it doesn't truly exist in real life.

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

I really don't feel like there's something wrong with me when my favorite couple of any couple in that matter gets their happily ever after. On the contrary, it makes me believe that one day someone will love me as much as that boy loved that girl.