If the Apocalypse comes...

[rogueslayer452]

It was announced recently that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is being rebooted, much to everyone's dismay. After taking some time to digest this news, I needed to express my further thoughts and opinions on the matter.


It should come as no surprise to anyone that I was extremely unhappy when I read this announcement. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was probably the longest show I watched as a young teenager that I stuck with until the very end, it was a huge part of my formative years when it was airing and was deeply inspirational to me with its feminist message, and the entire series itself is still being celebrated twenty-one years after it first premiered, with still so many newcomers getting introduced to it to this day. The series is also considered one of the biggest pop cultural phenomenons during the late 90s/early 00s right alongside Harry Potter, it was hugely influential and groundbreaking to the point where it paved the way for other things in the media many years later. Because of its popularity and legacy that is still recognized there is no need for a remake. That would be lazy as fuck, which is what most reboots generally are these days, let's be real.

Look, I have absolutely no problem with having more inclusion, that is something I want for everything in media across the board, including this universe. But you can do that without remaking it. This person makes excellent points by explaining why this is a bad idea.

I wouldn't mind there being a reboot of the universe as a means of expanding upon it, which is what fans have been wanting ever since the concept of a Faith or Giles spin-off was talked about many, many years ago (that sadly never came to pass). Fans want more material on the screen of this universe, we want spin-offs and different stories being told because the mythology and lore is so rich and vast and fascinating enough to extend and explore. You can focus on Slayers from the past, the Potential Slayers that eventually became Slayers after the S7 series finale, there are just so many different directions and possibilities to go from there that is already in established canon. I mean, the entire lore of the show was basically, "into every generation a Slayer is born", which means that the options for exploration are endless in that regard. Have a story about a Slayer during the 1920s, or focus on a Potential Slayer training to becoming a Slayer until her time is called and she has to take on this massive responsibility, have it be set in present day or in the near future where there are multiple Slayers about and focus on one of them as they meet up with other Slayers and team up together to fight evil, hell even something where Buffy herself is considered a legend among the Slayer grapevine. Don't just limit it to the United States, either, show Slayers from other countries and cultures, different backgrounds and experiences, their own mythologies and lores and traditions to take down vampires and other paranormal beings, etc.

Basically, you can still continue the narrative by having it be focused on other characters and on different aspects of the already existing canon and lore of that universe. There is no need to remake anything. Buffy Summers already had her story told. It's time for another character to take the spotlight and have her journey begin.

This is, of course, assuming that the news of this reboot means that they are following the current reboot trend of remaking everything in existence. The original article which announces this doesn't make it clear whether this is an intended remake of the show entirely, or if this is just properly rebooting the franchise to continue telling more stories in, leaving Buffy and Co. alone while being original in its content. We need further clarification on this. If it's the former, it's still in the early stages that the fan outrage and backlash will hopefully make whoever is doing this to reconsider their approach and perhaps go with the latter route, which is the only option that is preferable.

Bottomline: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is iconic and memorable for many reasons, you cannot recreate it nor should you ever attempt to. It's practically untouchable as it should always be, tyvm. Also, yes, I know I can just ignore the reboot and watch the original, as I do with most things, but that's not the point anymore. It's the principle of the matter where we live in a current pop culture fatigue where reboots/remakes/revivals are overshadowing new and original storytelling ideas and we, the audience who are subjected to this mess, are sick and tired of it.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_profiterole_/]

At this point, I'm just ignoring all of them, but kudos to you for having the energy to write about it.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I just needed to vent out my feelings about it, y'know? BTVS means a lot to me and the very thought of it being rebooted entirely just places me in a sour mood. :( At least I know I'm not alone in feeling this way.

[erychan86.livejournal.com]

Nooooooo! That’s such an awful idea...

Can we please create original new shows???? PLEASE!!!! :(

[kikimay]

you can still continue the narrative by having it be focused on other characters and on different aspects of the already existing canon and lore of that universe. There is no need to remake anything. Buffy Summers already had her story told.

^THIS.

Basically what you say in there: my opinion. I would love a sequel, about another slayer activated after Chosen. I think there's so much potential in there and it would be so lovely to see SMG do a cameo!

[rheasilvia.livejournal.com]

YES.

You know what I *would* like to see? The Slayer who slayed in Berlin in the late 1920s. Something dystopian to fit the present times... Babylon Berlin, but with vampires.

Although they would probably go for the cheap and dumb political analogy that would negate any possible lesson to be learned, so*... but if TPTB could be trusted with a complex political, social and ethical situation with definite analogies to the present to be made, that's what I'd like to see.

*By which I mean: Do not trivialize and banalize the political and social issues at work to Evil Vampires.

[silverusagi]

I have absolutely no problem with having more inclusion, that is something I want for everything in media across the board, including this universe. But you can do that without remaking it.

Yeah. I've also had this thought regarding recent movies. Ghostbusters, but with chicks! Ocean's Eleven, but with chicks! ....how about making something original with more women, instead of just redoing old stuff but with women? Plus, then you're spared the backlash from whiny fanboys (not that we care what they think, but still). The next big thing, whatever it is, is going to be something original, something we've never seen before. Yes, there are no new stories, but we can still tell story archetypes without remaking actual titles and characters. I mean, Stranger Things hits the nostalgia button HARD, but it's not an actual remake! It's something new. I actually can't think of a TV show remake that was more successful than the original besides BSG.

Anyway, basically yes to everything you said. Remake of Buffy the actual show? Hell no. Expanding the universe with other slayers? Cool.

[cozycaffe.livejournal.com]

Joss is going to be behind it but not 100%. The main character, the Slayer, will be a black girl. There's no say if she's gonna be called Buffy. Apparently, it's not quite a remake nor a reboot and it's not a prequel or a sequel. Just weird.

Buffy should remain untouched. It's still totally relevant after 21 years.

I would go with a spin-off or a continuation into the whole Slayer mythology with another girl or others girls depending where it is set and I sure wouldn't mind outside of America. But... yeah...

New Charmed still bugs me to no end with the preview of it and I saw the preview for the new Roswell yesterday and it's a big no no for me!

Guess we'll have to wait and see? No high hopes/expectations, however...

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I've also had this thought regarding recent movies. Ghostbusters, but with chicks! Ocean's Eleven, but with chicks! ....how about making something original with more women, instead of just redoing old stuff but with women?

See, I've of two minds regarding this. At times I don't particularly mind it when there are remakes of (often white) male-dominated franchises with having tons of women/POC featured, but lately I've gained a newer perspective based off all of these reboots coming out now and have come to conclusion that, while it's a good idea in theory, it would save the exhaustion of having to defend it from angry dudebros or just people being tired of remakes in general if it was just an extension of the already existing universe. You can still have the diversity and inclusivity in what was originally a male-dominated space, just not be a direct remake.

Ocean's 8 is a perfect example of this because it wasn't a remake of Ocean's 11, but an expansion of the franchise since it takes place after Ocean's 13 with Sandra Bullock playing Danny Ocean's sister having her own adventure.

I actually can't think of a TV show remake that was more successful than the original besides BSG.

And that wasn't even a remake, but a re-imagining of the original series.

[eiffels.livejournal.com]

I’m not pleased about this reboot business at all. Why would they want to touch such a classic?

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

We just need more information about it, basically, since the article gave only a vague description with not much to go on. And this is why fandom is exploding, because there is no clarification of what this means.

New Charmed still bugs me to no end with the preview of it and I saw the preview for the new Roswell yesterday and it's a big no no for me!

Same. They both look so horrible and incredibly cheap, and super unnecessary.

What bothers me so much about the Charmed one is how they're trying to sell it with being more progressive, diverse, and more feminist than the original to appeal to a much younger audience, attempting to get those fake "woke" points with being more diverse than the original. And it's like, I don't mind if you want to have a story focusing on Latina sisters discovering they're witches, but don't just remake a well-known show, even though this looks like it's just a in-name-only situation, which makes it worse. Judging from the things I've read and seen from it they're trying way too hard to appeal to a certain demographic with being too heavy-handed. And because this is going to be on the CW, it's gonna pretty much become CWified in turning into a The Vampire Diaries/The Originals melodramatic prototype that the CW is known for these days. The original Charmed wasn't perfect, but it still stood out among the other programming on the WB at the time, same with Roswell and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and all their other shows during those years.

And again, this is not the nostalgia talking because I know I can just ignore it and watch the originals, it's just that we're so oversaturated with reboots and remakes that having more and more come out when the originals hardly ended that long ago makes all of this look cheap and desperate. Can a decent reboot/remake be made? Sure, it can be done, but I have yet to see it with the string of reboots in recent years, and I doubt these will break that mold.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Because that's what's "in" these days, apparently. What was popular in the early 00s? Chances are it'll be remade because nobody can come up with any original ideas for stories, just ride the wave of what was already successful. :/

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Seriously! It makes no sense why there is this sudden need to reboot everything that was ever popular or well-known. I know that it's hard to pitch an original story idea in the industry that hates creativity and originality, but contrary to what some believe it's even harder to sell the concept of remaking something that was already successful previously.

Never mind that so many original stories that are out there end up getting overlooked/cancelled in favor of these endless string of reboots, which will most likely be forgettable and cancelled themselves. Just, stop the cycle! Do something original so more original stories can be told!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I want to wipe the word "reboot" off the face of the earth. Also, they haven't actually done anything except announce it so the odds of it happening anytime soon are slim.

Honestly wondering if this is kind of a "test the water" situation. They brought up the reboot last year, with Whedon being unattached and everything said "nope" and it sort of faded away and now this announcement, this time *with* Whedon attached and that is really all they have to sell fans on.

If they were smart, they would create a whole new slayer and that way SMG and Co. could guest star to help bring older fans to the new show.

[taikodragon.livejournal.com]

Not a fan of this reboot or the one they're doing for Roswell. They aren't even following the original books for the Roswell one, which is what I initially had hoped for because I enjoyed the original Roswell series. (I was all about Jason Behr for a while, then he grew up and did that dragon movie and yeah, not so much anymore. lol)

Anyhow, their desire to capitalize on a series' remaining popularity by saying "See here, it's the same but different!" is very annoying. Sigh.

[erychan86.livejournal.com]

Yes yes yes a thousand times yes

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I agree, there is much potential with focusing on the activated Slayers post-"Chosen". S7 gave us brief moments with the Potential Slayers, all who have stories that weren't even focused on that much. And then there was Dana, the activated Slayer that appeared for one episode of Angel. I would have loved an expansion of her character, along with the others out there, and this seems like the perfect opportunity of doing that.

And if we're taking the comics into account, there's also Melaka Fray from the Fray comic. Granted it's set in the future, but I've always loved her story and there's people who want to see hers come to the screen, as well.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

but if TPTB could be trusted with a complex political, social and ethical situation with definite analogies to the present to be made, that's what I'd like to see.

That would be absolutely fascinating and cool if something like that would actually happen, given if it were in the right hands to handle it properly.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I want to wipe the word "reboot" off the face of the earth.

Same here. The word, which is often misused since most of the "reboots" are just remakes, has such negative connotations that anything beginning with that I automatically check out.

Honestly wondering if this is kind of a "test the water" situation.

It might be, considering that now they're saying that with Joss involved it'll be a go ahead. Except, that's not really a huge selling point anymore, especially considering recent events that have occurred lately with him. The whole reboot thing has always been a huge "nope" from the beginning, and even more now with everything under the sun being rebooted and it just seems like a cheap grab at this point, y'know?

If they were smart, they would create a whole new slayer and that way SMG and Co. could guest star to help bring older fans to the new show.

Exactly. This is what fans are wanting, not remaking the entire series. That would be stupid and a huge insult, imho.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

God, the Roswell reboot pisses me off, the same with the Charmed reboot. All these unnecessary reboots of things that don't need to be remade continue to be pointless and nothing more than, as you said, to capitalize on the popularity of the original. Adding in the "but we have diversity" guilt-trip doesn't help matters, either. You have have diverse and inclusive stories that aren't remakes of already successful things. Unless there is something to actually add to the already existing story, rebooting it is not needed. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

There are so many original stories that have diverse casts and compelling stories, yet they are ignored in favor of the unnecessary reboots/remakes/revivals. :/

[meringues.livejournal.com]

Then you should be happy to hear that they're now saying it's not a direct reboot of Buffy herself! Something I'm also happy about since I would never ever want to see a reboot of the original.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I read the recent statement. I just don't understand why that couldn't have been stated during its initial announcement, it would have saved us all this outrage and grief over it. Unless it trying was a "testing trial" to see people's reactions. So, idk, I'll reserve judgment but at this point I'll believe it when I see it, since it's basically all just lip service at this point.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

It's still not explicit enough for me not to worry.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's still super vague that I don't really trust anything right now. :/

[blakmagjick]

I'm VERY annoyed with this!! Like you mentioned...do something new in the same universe, don't reboot it! :\

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Apparently they made a new announcement claiming that it's a new Slayer, but at this point I'll just believe it when I see it. As a whole, we're so oversaturated with this reboot trend that I'm just checked the fuck out.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

That’s what puzzles me, the original articles were explicitly saying that they were looking to cast a new ‘Buffy’, so I wonder if it was the fan backlash that caused them to take a step back and claim that it was never their intent to reboot Bts, even though it certainly wasn’t made clear in the first place that this version will be following a new slayer

[meringues.livejournal.com]

It's either that, or perhaps fear that if they just go by stating that it's a spin-off then it wouldn't gain enough traction and interest from people? They definitely got the attention this way, just maybe not the kind they were after...

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the original statement was so vague in terms of what they wanted to do, aside from the headline that they were rebooting it. To most people, the word "reboot" now has negative connotations attached since it basically means "remake" these days (see: every reboot ever in recent years). No matter whether it was their bad from the beginning for not being clearer on their intentions for the project (leading to online articles to basically amplifying the worry thus stirring more panic and outrage from the fanbase) or if they actually meant for it to be a remake but it backfired due to the intense backlash and now they're retracting their initial idea, it honestly really should have been handled better.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

If that was the case, then they truly don't know the fanbase because the BTVS fandom has been wanting there to be a spin-off for many years now. Hell, most of us would still love a Faith or Giles spin-off if Eliza or ASH would still be willing to do one despite it being some time.

Besides, using the word "reboot" is guaranteed to get an immediate negative response from people because "reboot" these days seems to mostly refer to "remake", besides if they were smart they would've been aware of the last time there was an attempt of making a reboot of the show, the fanbase and actors alike reacted negatively and it was immediately scrapped, so using that word in their initial statement wasn't the brightest move. And now that they've made an ass of themselves (whether by accident of not being clearer or thinking that this was a good strategy of getting the project some attention) they're gonna have to really work to prove that they weren't just bullshitting us with their clarified response to the backlash. It definitely cost them the trust from fans who probably would've been down for a spin-off had they led with that initially.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

The original articles were the reporters' words, though, not the creators', so their assumptions apply.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

Can a decent reboot/remake be made? Sure, it can be done, but I have yet to see it with the string of reboots in recent years, and I doubt these will break that mold.

Well, 12 Monkeys and Westworld, but those were based on films, not TV series.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

Would it be so damn hard for them to just say, "There won't be a new Buffy played by a different actress?"