The Chosen One, Redux.

[rogueslayer452]

Although I have previously made my thoughts and concerns about any sort of Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot known over the years, I refrained from posting about it immediately and decided to just sit and mull over the high possibility that it may be getting a sequel television series in the works since the announcement. It wasn't until I saw Sarah Michelle Gellar's Instagram message about it that I started feeling a bit more at ease with the idea.

Don't get me wrong, I still have the same concerns since this is still in the early workings and anything can happen, but reading it from her own words you can tell that SMG is very aware of these concerns fans have as even she herself believed to leave things well enough alone when the idea of a reboot was floating around years ago. If she has been convinced through various talks and trading ideas back and forth workshopping with Chloé Zhao (along with Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, both who worked on Agents of SHIELD, doing some of the best seasons of a criminally underrated show imho) on how this can be achieved, then I'm not half as worried as I have previously been.

At least Joss Whedon will not be involved with the project, so that's already major plus.

Comments

[adore]

I have been trying to find the show on streaming. I'd like to check it out before the reboot happens if possible.

[rogueslayer452]

I don't know which streaming services you have or what is accessible to you at the moment, though just from a quick glance it seems to be available on places like Hulu, Disney Plus, Apple TV, Amazon Prime and Tubi.

Best of luck at your goal! You'll be in for a treat with seven seasons. :D

[adore]

It's not available in India on any of those BUT I started setting my VPN to Europe instead of Asia after g_uava tipped me that the glitches on Dreamwidth are due to location. And now I can watch it on Tubi! Wheeee!

[rogueslayer452]

Yay, awesome! :D

[queenslayerbee]

I thought the (TV, never read the comics and never will) end of the 'verse, both in BTVS and in AtS was great, so I'm a bit wary about the idea of a reboot. I've heard good things about Zhao as a director (this will be an excuse to finally watch Nomandland), and I love AOS, so on that front I have some reassurances, at least. We'll see how it goes, since it's all in the very early stages anyway.

[verdande_mi]

I would probably be interested, I did watch and enjoy this show back in the day. I don't remember how it ended, but I know I got back into both this and Angel and watch the seasons I never finished. But older me is less interested in vampires as a whole than I was when I was younger.

[rogueslayer452]

It's really awesome that you're rediscovering the show and watching it again, refreshing your memory of what happened. I like seeing that the show (BTVS mostly, but also Angel too) are still thriving even after all these years. It's why I initially was against any talk about a reboot, because the series itself is doing just fine with maintaining its fandom and gaining newer fans. But, if done right, a sequel series could actually be decent.

I think the fascination of vampires comes and goes, depending on how pop culture deals with it and how overexposed the concept is. But I have always liked the lore and mythos in BTVS/Angel which goes beyond just vampires.

[author_by_night]

Color me intrigued!

It's a reminder, too, that while SMG left, she left because she hated what was being done to Buffy's character. (And probably the other things we know about Joss Whedon now.) Not that she needed a specific reason to leave the show, obviously, she had the right to stop for any reason she wanted. I'm just saying that it's telling.

[rogueslayer452]

And from what I remember she was labeled a "diva" for that as well, so much so that Joss vaguely made a snide remark towards her implying this during one of the Firefly episode commentaries, plus there were rumors that this created a rift between her and Alyson Hannigan as well (how true those ones were idk). Knowing what we know now when it came to Whedon, I definitely think she made the right choice back then. Also, you can tell that she still holds the show and Buffy as a character close to her heart. So her wanting to revisit the character once again in a brand new story, done without Joss, that'll be something indeed.

[rhoda_rants]

I am not interested in a reboot, for a number of reasons, mainly because I really like it when stories actually END. They don't need to keep going forever, and Buffy ended where it needed to. (I don't count the comics.)

I am very charmed by the idea that SMG is so SHOCKED that Chloe Zhao knew who she was, lol. Some people really don't know they're living legends, do they?

[rogueslayer452]

I've never been enthused about the prospect of a reboot either, as it's been something rumored and teased about speculated about for years of BTVS joining in the trend of rebooting old series and I, like many others, have pretty much disregarded any possibility of that happening. Some things just need to be left alone, and BTVS is among those things.

With that being said, I have liked the notion of there being a spin-off sequel series focusing on other characters that aren't Buffy and the Scoobies, since their story is done. Exploring different Slayers, either past or present, the mythos surrounding the current state of the world post-series finale (ignoring the S8 comics, of course), and the like. If they are going to be focusing on current day stuff, it would be interesting to see how things have changed or evolved. I like the ideas about Buffy being a mentor figure for these newer Slayers, where we get to see her involvement but she's not the prime focus of.

Really, anything can happen. It's still the early stages and nothing has been confirmed or even greenlit yet. I have my concerns, I have my own thoughts on how I would like this to happen if/when it does. We'll just have to wait and see what comes from this, if anything at all.

I am very charmed by the idea that SMG is so SHOCKED that Chloe Zhao knew who she was, lol. Some people really don't know they're living legends, do they?

I know! That was really sweet.

[rhoda_rants]

That's true--looking at the next generation could be interesting. I guess we'll see when there's more info. I'm just kinda burned out on reboots and remakes lately. I do like the idea of Buffy as a mentor figure though.

[blakmagjick]

I wasn't taking anything seriously until I heard her say something, and like you said...we'll see. Early stages means it can still go completely sideways >.>

[rogueslayer452]

Yeah, aside from a few comments I made here and there I didn't want to make a post expressing my thoughts on the matter until I heard more about it and from SMG specifically, and reading what she wrote and the process of what came to this decision of the possibility I admit to being slightly curious. Since this does seem to be a collaborative effort between her and Chloé. We'll have to see if this actually happens and if it does how it'll play out.

[theemdash]

I have been strongly, "No, thank you" to Buffy reboot/continuation news in the past, but if they got SMG on board and aren't including Joss, I am MUCH more interested.

Just the fact that SMG likes the idea is enough because she's made such smart choices in her career post-Buffy. I don't think she'd be interested in just going back to slaying vampires. I think what they're developing could be truly interesting and embrace a side of Buffy the long-term fans would love to see.

[rogueslayer452]

Exactly. This isn't some abrupt decision made by higher ups to go ahead and make a reboot regardless of who is on board with it or not, but carefully being thought upon by SMG after meeting and having multiple conversations with Chloé Zhao, after having previously also had the "no, thank you" response to any concept of a reboot when approached in the past. It shows that she has thought about this seriously, and if this were to happen she wants in on how it's going to go, and that is better than just allowing anyone take the reigns just for a cheap nostalgic cash-grab.

With reading her statement, I'm very much in a, "I'm listening" stage of this very idea of a sequel series.

[elizalavelle]

Sarah Michelle Gellar feeling okay with the idea makes me a lot more hopeful for it. I don't think she's hurting for cash and get the sense she wouldn't sign on unless she thought there was something worth doing.

It could still not be my cup of tea but I'm happy to give it a chance and see what they come up with.