Hey Elena—As Moscow Watcher, I thought you were one of my harsher critics, no? Anyway, I don't assume all the Spike fans hate me—I hope I'm totally irrelevant to the majority of them. Honest, that is the proper attitude to an editor.
I read most of your review, but this is what puzzles me in fandom—in this email to me, you thank me "for the promise that Buffy/Spike relationship won't be trampled down completely." And you seem pretty sincere in that. But you assume that the reasons are strictly commercial. In my mind, it'd be very cynical of us if that were true, and very cynical of you to assume that of us, unless we've given you really good reason to think that. But my puzzlement is this—some of his dedicated readers and fans assume the worst about Joss, and about all of us working with him. But have you ever considered that Joss treats Angel and Spike the way he does because he thinks it's truthful? That Angel and Buffy have a certain kind of relationship, and that Spike and Buffy have another kind, two different relationships that evolve over time, but come from some basis in human experience. Why assume, as you seem to, that the creative choices Joss makes come from commercial choices made to sell more comics; or as a few seem to think, that it stems from cruelty, or from a lack of understanding of his own characters? Maybe this is just the story Joss wants to tell. If you've stuck with him and his characters this long, aren't you open to that possibility?
That's the thing I understand the least in fandom—assuming bad motivation in people you don't know. The things that've been said about me, sheesh. (I'm reminded of the woman who told me I mustn't be a father if I thought Angel was more concerned about Buffy than Connor.) But it's worse when it's Joss—you guys owe me nothing, I've never done anything to earn your respect. But Joss? Does he really deserve to be reduced to such petty agendas?
The thing is, I don't think fans mean it the way it comes across. I think the internet has bred a kind of dialogue among fans where it seems perfectly acceptable, reasonable, and normal to infer all these motivations, weaknesses, and other failings on strangers. And it's not. It's bizarre, it's unfair, and it's judgmental. And it's onesided, because you know Joss isn't sitting around thinking about why Elena does her job the way she does.
Certainly not limited to Buffy fandom—I see Hellboy fans assuming the worst of Mike Mignola all the time. But when I read your email, I thought, Is this really the same Moscow Watcher I think it is ...? Yeah, you're willing to say we write comics that make no sense because we know and care so little about story that we'll try anything to sell more copies. You're willing to say that I'll say anything on a message board to trick you into buying more comics—but you're polite and gracious enough in the rest of the email that I couldn't connect you with the general tone of the message board posts I've seen from you. And then I read your review, and thought, Oh yeah, I guess that's her ...
I can fully appreciate your disappointment in Season 8, a reader's disappointment in any story. If you've ever been involved in the shipper wars, as they're called, then it's gotta be disappointing to see Angel in a significant role that Spike just as easily could have filled. If you find the story preposterous, out of character, then we've truly let you down there. But don't assume the worst about the people working on this stuff. We are all dedicated, hard working people who love the characters and want to get the best, truest stories out there. And we think we've got it here—but of course not everyone will agree. It's never been my intention to mock and insult Spuffy fans, even if I made some carelessly sarcastic comments before I understood the real rift in the fandom. I haven't seen you guys being mocked, but I believe what you tell me. And you shouldn't be indirectly or generally mocked and insulted for your tastes, which is what I think has gone on, and what I've been guilty of. But I think you should twice about using the anonymity of message boards and chatrooms to mock and insult the people doing the work.
I hope enough of the Spuffy fans stick around through the end of the thing, if only because I'll be curious to hear what you think about it. And that's not meant as a carrot—Joss has said that Spike will appear, although I think your paraphrasing of him in your review is not entirely accurate—THAT certainly doesn't happen... ; ) So you know Spike will be in Buffy's proximity. As with all of this, I just hope what happens rings true with you, true to their characters. That's what we're shooting for, in our imperfect, human ways.
Peace,
Scott
