Plots that almost were!!

[brooke2707]

I keep seeing in different threads stuff about plots that were changed at the last minute or just decided to change.. anyone got anymore?

 

[Blaze]

This is going to be a very informative thread!! I don't really have any sources (as my knowledge is a compilation of commentaries, interviews, articles etc.), so take everything I say with a grain of salt, I know some of this stuff was confirmed, but some other stuff I really have no clue how true it is.

-Tara was suppose to come back near the finale of s7. Buffy was going to be granted a wish (don't know how), and she would have chosen to bring Tara back.

-Joss debated making Xander gay before choosing Willow instead, although I've heard that this one is not true.

-I remember hearing about Fred + Illyria's storyline being different initially, but I don't remember how

-They were initially going to kill off Oz instead of Jenny in s2

-They wanted Amber Benson to play the First in conversation with dead people, but the actress turned down the role because she didn't think it was a good idea to bring back Tara as an evil being, as it would have been disappointing for the fans

-At one point I think they wanted to have an episode near the end of Angel starring SMG. I don't remember why this didn't happen, but instead we got that episode where they chase around for Buffy and "find her" with the Immortal.

-Initially in Angel s4, they were going to do an evil Cordy arc without Jasmine. Not sure how this would have worked, but apparently Cordy would have went evil on her own. I'm not sure how true this one is though, I've heard a few different version of this "fact".

 

[brooke2707]

Im kinda glad most of these didnt happen really.

I loved Tara but im so glad she didnt return, especially evil. Her ending was tough but, like Anya's death. Shows that any of the scoobies could die at an point.

And if Oz would have died instead of Ms Calander... would have been criminal !! x

 

[Evil Angelus 95]

I think that Blaze covered the majority of them. I've heard rumors that Joss planned to kill Oz off eventually, but that I've never been able to confirm.

Tara coming back near the end of Season 7 was going to happen, but Amber Benson was busy filming/making her movie "Chance", so she was unavailable to film.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

There are rumours that Maggie Walsh was to be the Big Bad of Season 4 rather than Adam. But she was bad enough.

 

[Evil Angelus 95]

I've also heard that. Was that ever confirmed by anyone, by any chance?

 

[white avenger]

I read once that, if there had been a televised Season 6 for "Angel," Illyria and Fred were going to be divided into two completely independent characters, which would have pretty much made the "Fred's soul and spirit were totally obliterated when Illyria took over her body" statement false. Also, Nina's role as Angel's girlfriend was going to be more developed and Oz was going to return to help her control her wolf tendencies.

 

[Lyri]

Oz was going to return to help her control her wolf tendencies.

There was something not very long ago where Seth Green denied ever being approached for something like this. I'm not saying it's not true, but I can't seem to find links to confirm or deny either statement. Weird.

SMG was supposed to return for AtS's 100th episode, but had to back out due to the death of a family member (I think it was her uncle). The plot of that episode was then changed to allow Charisma Carpenter to return as Cordelia, and thus became 'You're Welcome'. This could possibly explain why Cordelia was never mentioned again for the rest of the season, as only the plot for that specific episode was changed to include Cordelia and nothing else was.

Since she couldn't make it for the 100th episode, SMG volunteered to take part in the series finale, but was told 'no', because they didn't want to the end of AtS to be all about Buffy, because that's not what Angel's show was about.

I've never heard anything about Maggie's role supposed to be bigger than it was. I actually think her role was perfect as it was - someone who thinks she's better than everyone, creating a monster only to be killed by it. I thought that was pretty damn poetic.

Eliza Dushku was approached to do a 'Faith' spin-off series after the end of BTVS, but she declined to do Tru Calling instead.

Tara coming back near the end of Season 7 was going to happen, but Amber Benson was busy filming/making her movie "Chance", so she was unavailable to film.

I don't think filming 'Chance' was the reason she couldn't film in S7. 'Chance' was filmed in March-April 2001, which would place it just after S5 finished shooting. It was then released September 2002. BtVS S7 was 2002-03. If she was wanted for the final few episodes, then her filming schedule would have been early 2003 (February/March). The only reason 'Chance' might have conflicted would have been her reasoning for turning down 'Conversations With Dead People', which might have been filming around September 2002, which would mean Amber might have been adding the finishing touches to her movie. But I'm not sure how far ahead episodes are filmed. Considering CwDP aired November 12 2002, this doesn't seem to be enough time. :/ 'Latter Days' seems to be the only thing Amber could have been filming that would have prevented her from appearing, unless her turning down the chance to reprise her role was for writing reasons, rather than filming.

 

[white avenger]

There was something not very long ago where Seth Green denied ever being approached for something like this. I'm not saying it's not true, but I can't seem to find links to confirm or deny either statement. Weird.

It wouldn't be the first time that something was said or misinterpreted on the internet. It's mentioned here

http://www.whedon.info/Joss-Whedon-Wanted-Oz-Angel-Finale.html

that Joss WANTED Oz for Season 6 of "Angel,' but I can't find any mention anywhere about Joss and Seth actually talking about it. Probably Joss was just working out the details of Season 6 when the network canceled the series, so he never got around to mentioning it to Seth.

 

[Himiko]

It wouldn't surprise me if Amber Benson declined to appear as the First for writing reasons- Robia LaMorte was very disappointed that she was playing the First-as-Jenny when she returned in S3, and stated that she wouldn't have agreed to the role had she realised in advance. I believe this was to do with her religious beliefs, but I can also kind of understand not wanting your last appearance on the show to be an evil version of yourself. It does come across as a little strange in S7, though, as Tara is the obvious person to taunt Willow with as The First. Similarly, Jenny would have been the obvious candidate had the First appeared to Giles in S7, but again, wasn't going to happen.

I heard that SMG was approached to do the 100th episode- I always wondered what they intended to do with Cordelia in that case? I mean, she was a major part of the show for 4 seasons, the second most major character after Angel himself, and rather than have her in S5, they were going to have her just fade out of the show in a coma, and have SMG who has only ever been a guest star on Angel, come in for the 100th episode? I'm definitely glad things worked out the way they did in that instance, I thought basically writing Cordy out of the show with S4 was a bad decision anyway, particularly if it's for the reasons I've heard, but to not even give her a proper send off episode would have genuinely sucked. Unless she was always intended to come back for an episode, just not necessarily that one?

 

[Lyri]

I heard that SMG was approached to do the 100th episode- I always wondered what they intended to do with Cordelia in that case? I mean, she was a major part of the show for 4 seasons, the second most major character after Angel himself, and rather than have her in S5, they were going to have her just fade out of the show in a coma, and have SMG who has only ever been a guest star on Angel, come in for the 100th episode? I'm definitely glad things worked out the way they did in that instance, I thought basically writing Cordy out of the show with S4 was a bad decision anyway, particularly if it's for the reasons I've heard, but to not even give her a proper send off episode would have genuinely sucked. Unless she was always intended to come back for an episode, just not necessarily that one?

I honestly do think that we never would have seen Cordelia again if SMG had been available - unless there was something planned for S6, if that had come off. Charisma also said that - after S4 - she had told the writers that she wouldn't be returning as Cordy, especially if it meant that they wanted to kill Cordelia off, but she was sent the 100th episode script, read it and admitted that she couldn't NOT do it, because she thought it was so beautiful written and a great send off for her character.

But I think it's pretty obvious that there would have been no further mention of Cordelia, in S5 anyway, if she wasn't in the 100th. It kind of makes sense, I mean, she was NEVER mentioned again on the show after her death - not her funeral, no scene of Angel telling everyone else, no wondering about her parents or if they should call Buffy and the other Sunnydale gang members. She was literally forgotten about.

Another storyline that never was was Doyle returning in S4. Had Cordelia's storyline run the way it was supposed to (Cordelia ascending and returning and going evil) Doyle would have returned to be on her team and go up against Angel. Not only did Charisma's real like pregnancy mean that those plans had to be changed, but, sadly, Glenn Quinn died before he was able to shoot any scenes.

 

[brooke2707]

I kinda wish Xander went gay instead of Willow, but then Anja wouldnt have been around and that would have been CRIMINAL!!

and theyd have probably put him with Larry! OMG or imagine if he got with Scott Hope.. awkward for Buffy but would be hilarious!! x

 

[Blaze]

I kinda wish Xander went gay instead of Willow, but then Anja wouldnt have been around and that would have been CRIMINAL!!

and theyd have probably put him with Larry! OMG or imagine if he got with Scott Hope.. awkward for Buffy but would be hilarious!! x

I would have liked for Xander to be gay, but I think it made much more sense that they chose Willow. Willow never talked much about her sexuality, but at least we got to see that vamp Willow was into girls.

Also, Xander really didn't seem attracted to Larry. He was accepting sure, but it's clear he wasn't gay himself. I would have loved a Scott pairing though, it would have been friggen hilarious. Then in s7, I would have totally shipped Xander/Andrew.

 

[fitz1980]

I would have liked for Xander to be gay, but I think it made much more sense that they chose Willow. Willow never talked much about her sexuality, but at least we got to see that vamp Willow was into girls.

Neat thing about it is that Xander/Willow's past would have worked as a good backstory if either of them came out. If it was Xander than you can go back and say that the reason he acted like such a hetero horndog and yet never made a move on Willow, despite her obvious attraction, was because he was in denial and really wasn't sexually attracted to girls.

I'd imagine that network censorship rules might have played a role in picking Willow over Xander. When they told the network Willow was coming out they insisted that there be no same sex kissing; a ban that they lifted a year later. Buffy and Reilly spent like 80% of one ep rolling around in bed kissing each other with no problems from the censors. If it had been Xander who came out and got a boyfriend the censors probably would have insisted that he couldn't even hold hands with his (hypothetical) boyfriend.

Also, Xander really didn't seem attracted to Larry. He was accepting sure, but it's clear he wasn't gay himself.

Just because he wasn't attracted to a jock douche bag who picked on him doesn't mean much. I can think of several girls who I think are physically drop dead gorgeous but I would still turn down if they made the first move because they are such horrible people.