Making A Change

[white avenger]

If you could change one single thing about the Buffyverse, what would it be?

This doesn't include eliminating characters or ships. You can change something about a character but the characters themselves and their general story lines have to remain unchanged. (For instance, Angel could be human, but he would still have to leave after Season 3 to start his own series)

And you can't stake Spike, Bangels, so get it out of your mind!

 

[Buffy Summers]

I would have kept Willow Dark. OR kept Spike evil. I can't decide.

 

[Blaze]

It's not really a change, because really it was suppose to happen, but I wish they would have brought back Tara for the s7 finale like initially planned. (I'm talking of Buffy's wish, not bringing her back as the First).

 

[nightshade]

I would have not put Spike in a wheelchair during season 2

 

[brinkster130]

I know why this didn't happen, but I wish we would have seen evil Cordy in Angel s4 that Joss & co. originally planed rather than the Jamsine/Cordy story-line we got.

Also, maybe one crossover where the scoobies and AI team had to interact; it would have been interesting to see how Buffy, Xander and Giles would have reacted to the growth of Cordy and Wes.

 

[Buffy Summers]

I changed my mind! I want Connor to grow up to be Billy in one big tragic knife in Angel's heart lol

 

[janas]

I would have liked to see Connor grow beside his father

 

[Kean]

Spike gets the chip out at the end of S6 (which I absolutely think was his intention anyway but the Demon screwed him over).

Aternatively, Angel stays human in IWRY.

 

[EVIL UU]

Vampire with a soul...

This is the most inelegant, morally questionable, lore-devastating, outright broken concept in this entire franchise. It's serves only one purpose, to further a boring, formulaic, out of place romance subplot and to do it twice, vampire's hair color being the only difference, while creating an utter mess, just so many problems. One, Buffy slays vampires because of what they are, not because of their actions, I mean, newly risen vampires Buffy dusts every night did not do anything evil and yet Buffy spares vampires with a soul only because they are capable of not doing evil, oh what's that, those soulless vampires can choose not kill humans too, offering their orgasm-inducting bite in exchange for blood, money and safety from being hunted? And sometimes they help her save the world? And look after her kid sister? Huh. Buffy is bright enough to recognize her own hypocrisy, right? Two, how wrong is it to rip a soul from whatever place it is resting in and ram it into a corpse reanimated by a demon just to keep that demon from being demony? Why can't you just slay it Buffy?Somebody does this to me? I tear my shirt apart, drive the nearest piece of wood through my chest, laughing and screaming Screw you gypsies! Screw you Rosenberg! 'Cause vampire with a soul? Oh my god, how lame is that?

B-but what about A-angel? A-and Spike?

JUST. TURN. HIM. INTO. A. HUMAN.

 

[Kana]

I'm sorry, but I don't really understand the question.

You can change something about a character but the characters themselves and their general story lines have to remain unchanged.

By changing something about the character, you are changing the character.

Even the example given about Angel being human raises many questions...

If he was with Buffy and they loved each other, why would he leave her? The main reason he left her was because of the curse and his vampirism. Him being human would remove these factors, so you'd literally make up a reason why he would leave which is veering closely into fanfiction territory and that reason may in turn affect his character.

As far as I'm concerned, these changes would have implications and these implications may affect the general storylines as we understand them.

Another example is if Spike was kept 'evil' or 'unchipped' wouldn't that have affected his relationship with Buffy and therefore many of Spike's major storylines which, essentially would contradict the wishes of the OP!!!????

 

[Robb Stark]

I'd have had a big, epic crossover between The Scoobies and AI. That would have been awesome. I know there were network issues, but I would have loved to have done a two or three parter in S7.

Building on that a little bit, having that never-made episode where Tara was slated to return would have been neat. Buffy getting her one wish and talking it over with Angel, and ultimately deciding to return Tara to life (they could avoid a repeat of the Buffy-in-Heaven storyline somehow) over making Angel human, would have been cool.

 

[white avenger]

I'm sorry, but I don't really understand the question.



By changing something about the character, you are changing the character.

Even the example given about Angel being human raises many questions...

If he was with Buffy and they loved each other, why would he leave her? The main reason he left her was because of the curse and his vampirism. Him being human would remove these factors, so you'd literally make up a reason why he would leave which is veering closely into fanfiction territory and that reason may in turn affect his character.

As far as I'm concerned, these changes would have implications and these implications may affect the general storylines as we understand them.

Another example is if Spike was kept 'evil' or 'unchipped' wouldn't that have affected his relationship with Buffy and therefore many of Spike's major storylines which, essentially would contradict the wishes of the OP!!!????

To use the example of Angel, he could be human and still have to leave Sunnydale. Maybe he was unjustly accused of murdering Jenny Calendar, and the only way to prove his innocence was to go to Los Angeles and track down the real murderer, a demon named Shanshu. In order to support himself while there, he operates a private detective agency that is licensed under Cordy or Wes's name. Angel is human, and his basic story line is still intact.

And nothing says that Spike has to have a chip to become sexually fixated on Buffy and realize that the only way to get into her good graces is to pretty much change sides and start fighting for the good guys.

 

[emptyvessels]

Oooh, good question!

Other than Tara coming back (like Blaze), I think I would have changed the Cordelia story line in season 4. I know the complications behind it, but the whole thing was so random and bizarre that it is one of my least enjoyable seasons (give or take a few really great episodes).

 

[Buffy Summers]

This is the most inelegant, morally questionable, lore-devastating, outright broken concept in this entire franchise. It's serves only one purpose, to further a boring, formulaic, out of place romance subplot and to do it twice, vampire's hair color being the only difference, while creating an utter mess, just so many problems.

I don't mean this question to come off as rude, because I'm truly curious - it's a real question: do you dislike romance subplots on shows in general or is it just this one that bothers you? I'm just wondering if it's just that you feel this show did romance poorly, or if you find it out of place in a genre show?

 

[AndrewCrossett]

I would have Buffy and Satsu in a long-term relationship.

If we were restricting this just to the TV shows, then I would say I'd have Illyria and Fred both still aware and active and forced to share the same body.

 

[Buffyverse Fan]

I know why this didn't happen, but I wish we would have seen evil Cordy in Angel s4 that Joss & co. originally planed rather than the Jamsine/Cordy story-line we got.

Was Cordy ever meant to be truly evil though? Based on David Fury's statements, I got the impression that they originally intended Cordy to be following the lead of Doyle, who just had a different vision for the good fight.

It seemed to me like the original plot was mostly done by Jasmine--forcing people to be peaceful--and Whistler's arc of the past two years.

Given the way Angel triumphed over both Jasmine & Whistler, I'm pretty glad that Cordy & Doyle weren't made to be that stupid...

 

[EVIL UU]

I don't mean this question to come off as rude, because I'm truly curious - it's a real question: do you dislike romance subplots on shows in general or is it just this one that bothers you? I'm just wondering if it's just that you feel this show did romance poorly, or if you find it out of place in a genre show?

I love romance subplots but like everything, they need to fit into the rest of the work. BtVS is a horror-inspired action-adventure show that takes place in a high school setting, therefore it's brimming with humor but more importantly, with irony. The problem with Buffy/Angel romance is that it lacks those elements creating a dissonance with the rest of the show. It's like trying to ram a straight Billy-borrowed star-crossed pairing into a goofy zombie movie. It's incredibly hard to pull off and I know only one instance when such genre mash up kinda worked. The show acknowledges it as a problem by trying to pierce this pompous balloon of a romance with self-parody in season 3, later in AtS but it's just not enough. I find it particularly annoying because other romances are actually harmonious with the tone and the setting. Take Willow/Oz for instance, it demolishes it's own genre, or the constantly hilarious Xander/Anya, even with Buffy/Parker, Buffy/Riley and Willow/Tara the show is not afraid of doing the ridiculous. No such thing with Buffy/Angel and especially Buffy/Spike, the worst written romance on the show. Spike and his feelings for Buffy are treated as a complete joke for two seasons, then suddenly the viewers are expected to take this pairing seriously, as a deep, mature ( notice me roll my eyes ) romance, never mind that it clashes with the tone and the setting like Buffy/Angel, but is also completely disconnected from the main storyline and ignores seasons of content.

I think that there is place for romance in the genre and that BtVS can do romance well. I even think that Buffy/Angel is an OK romance ( when you get over the creepy factor ) but only when taken out of the context.

 

[Old Master 3.0]

Would have made Giles' borrowed magick abilities permanent...,..or at least hang on to them for a longer stretch.

 

[Spikefan31]

More crossovers with Angel. A visit from Xander, maybe.

Or Connor growing up with Angel. I would have liked that.

 

[brooke2707]

Probably not have brought Spike back with a soul... Ruined the character completely.. Felt a bit like a knock of Angel.

I agree that a crossover would have been amazing though.

One thing that was missing, was a goodbye from Cordy!? She just left Buffy without a mention..