Re: Article with spoilers/Thanks Dan

[danspector@xxxxxxxxx]

Thanks for the thanks, Jennpurr, and 

I've 

got

a

little

more

if 

you'll

follow

me

here


I think it is possible that Amber Benson's appearances will be in some
way connected to the shapeshifter, if there is one. Anne-Lise described
it as manifesting people's fears, hates and desires, so that would
account for it taking Tara's shape, as well as those of Glory, The
Master, and Warren (although Adam Busch says that he's had absolutely no
contact with ME).  

Hmm, I wonder if Faith were to be brought back under this scenario, how
she'd be categorized (re: Buffy)? Fear, hate...desire? (Actually,
another problem with B/S is that they've pretty much given Faith's role
[leather-clad tough-ass who really just wants Buffy to wuvvvv him/her]
away already.) Although Marti was saying last year that they had a
Faith arc ready for Eliza, so I think she'd actually be Faith, not a bad
guy in Faith's shape, if she were to come back.

As for Amber, another reason she might be playing faux-Tara and not
Tara's identical cousin or whatever, is that Jane Espenson said on the
Succubus Club that "some version of Tara" would appear on the show. So
Amber wouldn't simply play "Gee, she looks a lot like Tara, doesn't
she". Although she could play multiple roles.

At the moment, a total reversal and resurrection seems unlikely; it
would be Joss admitting he was wrong, and I think we'll see Angelus in
blue jeans before THAT happens. (Nothing Can Defeat the Penis!!--er,
Ego!!) It would also be incredibly hokey, I admit, but most of the Tara
fans would hardly care (heck, if a giant reset can get the blood off of
Willow's hands and make her something other than the Angel-with-boobs
she's been reduced to, I'd be on board myself).

And the "Tara-shaped stranger" is also far too corny. Although it is a
staple of soap opera, so Marti is probably lobbying for it as we speak:
"Amber can play Tara's Evil Twin, whom Tara never mentioned because she
was too embarassed. But Willow can win her over to the side of good,
and then [the twin] can get a mysterious disease and die looking
beautiful in bright sunlight as everybody cries...or maybe the twin
could get amnesia and forget she was evil and start thinking she was
Tara..."

So I think it's between the "we think it's Tara, but--oh, cruel
world!--it's really the bad guy" (easily in Joss's capabilities--hell,
he did it TWICE with Jenny) or maybe the beneficient ghost (or its
cousin, the inspirational flashback), which I think is about as much as
they can hope to salvage from the situation.  

Say, perhaps, that Willow is at a low point when the ghost of Live-In
Lovers Past appears, and tells her she still has much to live for, that
she can fall in love again (Kittens gnash their teeth, but at least this
gives the new relationship Tara's blessing and makes going on with her
life a way for Willow to honor Tara's memory), and forgives Willow for
going psycho and disrespecting her death, stealing everybody's grief for
Tara by making them fret about Willow instead.  

I don't object to blaming everything on "the magicks" and wiping
Willow's slate clean, because I think a guilty Willow is death for the
show thematically--and deadly boring, too (so, apparently, that's what
we're going to get--fuck you, Joss!), but I think she should damn well
feel guilty about leaving Tara to rot like a sack of meat, and I really
hope that this is the aspect of Willow's conduct that gets addressed.  

Which, naturally, means that it won't... (Huh? Bitter, moi? Why,
whatever makes you think I'm bitter?)

Dan

PS--actually, Amber says, that for all the talk, no one has set
anything up with her agent, either. But that might just mean that she's
arranged things personally with Joss; Amber was really professional
about keeping the plot twists secret last year, without ever reverting
to flat-out lying, like some egomaniacal insensitive jackasses I can
think of. (Why, Mr. DeHack, what on earth makes you think was referring
to you? ;-) )