'Seeing Red' credits

[phoenixrising]

My first poll!

In 'Seeing Red', Amber Benson appears in the opening credits for the only time in the series (notable since she also leaves the show after this episode). Given Joss Whedon's self-expressed desire to kill a character listed in the opening credits (on the commentary to 'Welcome to the Hellmouth/The Harvest') what do you think the reason behind this was?

I think it was a thank you to Amber Benson and a nice send-off to a much beloved character.

Votes, as well as opinions and comments, are welcome.

 

[Willow Rosenberg]

I firmly believe it was Joss's attempt to mind **** us...but that's just me. He was setting out to do it with Jesse in the Season opener and didn't have the budget at the time. He finally got his second chance.

 

[Emma Caulfield]

I firmly believe it was Joss's attempt to mind **** us...but that's just me. He was setting out to do it with Jesse in the Season opener and didn't have the budget at the time. He finally got his second chance.

Yup! Thats what I heard on the commentry of Welcoem To The Hellmouth 😀

If you hadn't of read spoilers for this when it first came out you would probbelry be shocked and confused and if you had you'd probberly just of shurgged it off!

 

[Amber Benson]

See... This upset me... I couldn't understand why she wasn't in the credits before. Especially once they put Aly's at the end, they had room for her. And it upset me when they thought it right to put it in for the episode that she dies.

Meh... Its over now... But I am still haunted 🙁

 

[TheChosenOne]

Not to say this in a bad way, but why put her in the credits for her last show. She deserved to be in the credits way before this eppy.

I voted for as a Thank You as maybe Amber asked Joss if she could be in the credits as it was her last episode.

 

[eponinethen]

Well, I think there were many reason. One is to confuse us.. Make us believe she would Finally be in the credits seeing as she is such an important character. Another is to let her be in the credits at least once before leaving the show, as a thank you to Amber.. I actually loved that they did this. It is a horrible bluff in some ways but I still like it. (I agree she should have been there earlier, but that hasn't got to do with this question really.)

 

[Eternie]

I'd like to think it was a thank-you and I shall go on believing this.

It's like in season six when Anthony Stewart Head wasn't credited at the beginning so his return would be a surprise.

 

[KansasSlayer524]

Well most of us know, know that Amber didn't want to be in the credits, because she never felt Tara was a character that should appear in the credits (even though Joss DID sneak her in, for a two second glimpse). But anyway, it's not liek Joss did when Spike came back in season four (I think), and he didn't put James as a special guest star. He put her in, finally, as a tribute to her, and to Tara. The best going-away present.

 

[Jenny]

Well most of us know, know that Amber didn't want to be in the credits, because she never felt Tara was a character that should appear in the credits

I've never read that...was it on a commentary or something?

I'm 100% with Cordelia on this one. Joss did it strictly for the purpose of MESSING with us. Because it WORKED! I remember thinking AWW Amber made it onto the credits! And then BAM! Man was THAT unexpected!!!!

So of course I thought she might be returning in some other capacity..as a ghost or whatnot..but the next show she was removed from the credits and it was at that point I knew Joss was evil 😉

He did say he really wanted to do that in WTTH/TH with Jesse...and he finally got his chance with Amber...after we'd alllll let our guards down 😀

 

[Willow Rosenberg]

The other reason she was probably never in the credits before was most likely because he didn't know how long she was going to be around. Willow was supposed to go evil a season earlier than she did and because people liked Willow & Tara so much, Joss decided to push it up. There was probably a lot of reworking involved and it's possible that the undecided fate of Tara left her out of the credits and left the door open for Joss to fufill his wish 🙂

 

[Jenny]

Tried to rep ya but I couldn't! I agree about Tara being left off the credits for a while..but think it's good you made the point that this allowed Joss to fulfill his wish..to mess with the audience in a big ole bluff 😀 and that adding Tara in when he did was not meant as any kind of thank you in the least. That is so not 'Joss' 😀

 

[phoenixrising]

He did say he really wanted to do that in WTTH/TH with Jesse...and he finally got his chance with Amber...after we'd alllll let our guards down 😀

He also got to do it in Angel when he whacked Doyle in the middle of season one. He was in the credits too.

 

[Jenny]

He also got to do it in Angel when he whacked Doyle in the middle of season one. He was in the credits too.

Yup true all the more proof that he loves messing with his fans 😀 And I guess it was just more of a shock with Amber finally being in the credits, only to be offed that VERY episode. LMAO Go Joss!

 

[Lee]

I always seen it as a send-off to Amber and her character, I didnt really think much about the other two options, lol...

But thinking about it...it probably was Joss trying to mess up our minds (oh so effectively, lol)
(Remember when he was going to put Eric Balfour (sp?) - Jesse - in the opening credits in WTTH even though he had always planned to kill him off? Typical Joss! 😛)

 

[Allycat]

I voted a thank you to Amber, but I think it was more of a combinated. A combination of giving Amber the place she deserved, killing a character in the main-credits, and majorly screwing with our minds!

 

[Mango]

I reckon that they put her in the credits for two reasons.

1) A thankyou to Amber.
2) To mess with our heads.

It is a shame that I knew she was gonna die when I watched this episode. If I hadn't known, I would have thought, "Yay, she made the credits!" and I would have been lulled into a full sense of security. I thought it was great to do that to the viewers because it made her death more shocking and effective.

It was really sweet that they let her be in the credits at least once. She deserved it. I loved her character.

 

[pyromaniac]

I'd like to think it was a thank you to Amber, but it was probably to screw with our minds.

 

[Wicked]

apparently joss actually said he'd always wanted to kill someone in the credits.

it was good that he did this cos id worked out part way through the season that tara was gonna die. then seeing red started with me thinking it would be that episode she died in. till i saw the credits. so even though i worked out that she was gonna die, i was still surprised!