madimpossibledreamer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
madimpossibledreamer) wrote2021-08-05 10:20 am
madimpossibledreamer) wrote2021-08-05 10:20 am
Entry tags:
Dream-Buffy Reboot as Cosmic Horror
I've read a few things about the reboot. I liked the idea of Xander as a youtuber because he totally would be, but as interesting as the turn they've done for him could be, I'm slightly disappointed, because you could just update him for the modern era. BtVS was supposed to be groundbreaking for its time--and it was, from everything I've heard--so, y'know, keep doing that? Give us a better Xander. Write everyone as better, more supportive, less "I need to fix all my problems myself". Deproblematize the problematic things, especially if the comics are being written without Whedon.
That being said I'm still trying to unpack the dream I had this morning about the supposed reboot. I didn't dream this whole thing, but when my brain gets on a storytelling roll in a dream it's pretty easy to pick it right back up. I wasn't going to put it under a cut but since I'm using both the straightforward description + some speculation + commentary, it got long. Fast. (also this is the most ironic use of the 'dream of life' tag--)
Warnings: discussion of Whedon (and also Lovecraftian-inspired cosmic horror) and thus racism, sexism, ableism
There's more of an ongoing 'spirit of the Slayer' thing going on, and Xander was definitely better (just as quippy, but more laid-back akin to Tsandar, maybe because I've been writing him), and you can see he's still hurting but he worked out that the crush was unrequited on his own and did his best to make sure Buffy never figured out. The funny thing was, as I was watching I was debating whether this was better or worse, and when I woke up that dialogue was still running in my head.
Something had been done to destabilize the Slayer line. I'm not 100% certain whether it was Buffy or Xander (if Xander, it was saving Buffy after her death; I don't know what Buffy would have done). A Big Bad was going after Potentials. (Maybe the First, but I get the feeling it was something completely new. Or a completely revamped (ha, whoops, pun unintended) First.) The thing was, every time a Potential was killed, they joined the pack of Potential ghosts following Buffy around. She kept gaining in power, like they were adding what their Slayer strength would have been to hers, but definitely kept reaching higher in the guilt factor because she couldn't save them, because she couldn't get the Council to listen to her that this was a problem and she needed to stop this and know who the Potentials were. (Couldn't tell if it was Council incompetence and they were somehow being blind to what was going on--maybe it had to do with the demony artifacts popping up, more on that later--or whether they knew something was going on but didn't want to rely on her to fix the problem because she was already getting powerful enough).
The major meta thing here is that the Slayers we see were definitely higher on a diversity level than we pretty much ever saw on the show, and they got recurring roles. On the other hand, they are definitely dead and died for the sake of a white girl's growth and pain, so, ya know...not so great. Also, because it was being written as a reboot, Whedon was definitely involved, so I was not looking forward to seeing him fully indulge his ability to cause pain to and kill off female characters. Yes, I know, technically my brain was the one doing this, but it was basically writing what, given this concept, I'd expect to see from the man. Actually, no, it goes back even to the concept, because it's fascinating but definitely problematic even in its concept-ness. (Also there might possibly be some insensitive ableist things here? I legit have no idea. i don't need to be told the r-word's bad and am working on excising ableist language from my vocab but we definitely didn't focus on critique of ableism in lit analysis in any of my classes and I am 100% sure that is some form of lit analysis that exists, so a lot of the nuance is harder for me to unpack. Though maybe Miss Calendar in this new one could be a councilor that knows about the supernatural as well as a technopagan and yet can still help with the guilt and maybe even prescribe something, because while the voices have saved Buffy in the past they can also get distracting and stop her from dealing with her daily life, sooo. Therapy being shown in a good/helpful light would be something at least.) But, still, a conference of Slayers advising Buffy on shoes and "that teacher was weird keep an eye on him" and stuff would be interesting. Warning her of an ambush. Stuff like that.
Xander did do a reckless thing which is his forte really and picked up one of the demony artifacts, but fortunately in this universe retained enough self-preservation instincts not to use it. (He really, really needs to stop listening to talking swords. And other assorted ancient thingamabobs.) Even if it's talking to him, sorta, tempting him with power and all sorts of nice things. The thing is, it does fulfill your wishes, but by the end you're not really there. We see some of the other people who have used it and they've been completely taken over. They probably think they're still acting of their own free will, paying back favors or whatever, but they are definitely not in control. It's not clear whether this is a Lovecraftian many-tentacled thing puppeteering all of the people at once or if it's more of a demon army following their leader, so there's, like, a general in this one and a foot soldier in this one. The exposure might actually have been a good thing, because now he can see more of this stuff (and also he's the first one to believe Buffy because he's got definite proof himself) but it's definitely got more consequences for him than it does for Buffy, even.
So some of the Watchers following the Potentials might have been puppeteered. And if so, they're probably the ones killing off the Potentials themselves.
(Wrong universe, but Father Styx would actually be super helpful for this one.)
Unlike a typical possession, it's (probably) permanent. Just taking the artifact away after it's been used doesn't help. Picking up one and not using it is probably also permanent and walking on the knife's edge--it might also confer some stuff, like Xander's ability to see ghosts and the influence of the Big Bad, but man is it risky.
This is definitely an arc story. Even in the episodic episodes, we've got Buffy dealing with her first Potential ghost, or Xander picking up the artifact, small things that don't seem like a big deal but if it was an anime could definitely have the 'MENACING' sound effect beside them.
They actually could do a less muddled addiction arc with Willow where she's super tempted to take and use the artifact so Xander actually has to hide it or have Buffy hide it or something. Because if she took it, she would use it. Same, actually, with Giles, with his past. He's got it held together, but the Ripper would be way too tempted. And Buffy picks it up and they've got it all planned so she doesn't touch it with her hands at all except it slips and she touches it and Xander's really worried and she tells him she doesn't hear anything. And he thinks she's lying but can handle it and doesn't call her on it (you just get him looking doubtful) and it takes a couple episodes where you're wondering the same thing and it turns out that no, she wasn't lying, she didn't hear anything. (Maybe the Potentials are actually blocking her from hearing temptation? It is one of the Mysteries of this Arc.)
And the thing is, at first, skeptical Giles and Willow might be one of those really frustrating parts, because it's like "you've seen all these weird things, why not this" and it's weird to see Xander and Buffy conspiring seriously, but it turns out their role is actually super important because it grounds the other two.
Also, we see, but Buffy doesn't, that Xander hasn't used the artifact (or at least, he hasn't on screen), but for a few episodes after she finds out Buffy's worried that Xander's gone, too. I'm not entirely sure how he proves he isn't, but she's very relieved. (They're all programmed to act a certain way with X? Other puppets attack him? Something about the rules of how it works, that they're starting to figure out because they have to.) At first, he doesn't explain why he believes her, only loudly declares that he does, because he's embarrassed he picked it up in the first place.
Also, maybe we can see Kabbalist Willow, because as fun as Wicca Willow is, I think the only place I've seen Kabbalism is, briefly, in Persona, so it'd be cool to see more of Jewish Mysticism. (And maybe Xander makes the obvious joke and apologizes almost immediately because he really respects Willow's religion but it's a weird word if you haven't run into it.)
As for the Big Bad, whatever it is, definitely more cosmic horror vibes. Maybe one of the Ancients, but whatever it was maybe has history with the demon in the Slayer line (assuming that origin story is kept). (Have Sineya as less feral, and maybe make it so that the reason Buffy couldn't communicate with her at first be a language barrier.) Whatever it was definitely existed before written history, although maybe have a cult they manage to track down. The history of the artifacts is probably a big part of figuring it out. (Maybe include a reluctant sketchy auctioneer who's terrified of the Slayer and terrified of a guy who might have touched the artifact. They could be playing Bad Cop, Bad Cop there.) Basically, the reboot as a Call of Cthulu campaign, with lots of psychological horror, cosmic horror, and investigation. And Buffy's getting really frustrated because it's not entirely something she can just Slay.
That being said I'm still trying to unpack the dream I had this morning about the supposed reboot. I didn't dream this whole thing, but when my brain gets on a storytelling roll in a dream it's pretty easy to pick it right back up. I wasn't going to put it under a cut but since I'm using both the straightforward description + some speculation + commentary, it got long. Fast. (also this is the most ironic use of the 'dream of life' tag--)
Warnings: discussion of Whedon (and also Lovecraftian-inspired cosmic horror) and thus racism, sexism, ableism
There's more of an ongoing 'spirit of the Slayer' thing going on, and Xander was definitely better (just as quippy, but more laid-back akin to Tsandar, maybe because I've been writing him), and you can see he's still hurting but he worked out that the crush was unrequited on his own and did his best to make sure Buffy never figured out. The funny thing was, as I was watching I was debating whether this was better or worse, and when I woke up that dialogue was still running in my head.
Something had been done to destabilize the Slayer line. I'm not 100% certain whether it was Buffy or Xander (if Xander, it was saving Buffy after her death; I don't know what Buffy would have done). A Big Bad was going after Potentials. (Maybe the First, but I get the feeling it was something completely new. Or a completely revamped (ha, whoops, pun unintended) First.) The thing was, every time a Potential was killed, they joined the pack of Potential ghosts following Buffy around. She kept gaining in power, like they were adding what their Slayer strength would have been to hers, but definitely kept reaching higher in the guilt factor because she couldn't save them, because she couldn't get the Council to listen to her that this was a problem and she needed to stop this and know who the Potentials were. (Couldn't tell if it was Council incompetence and they were somehow being blind to what was going on--maybe it had to do with the demony artifacts popping up, more on that later--or whether they knew something was going on but didn't want to rely on her to fix the problem because she was already getting powerful enough).
The major meta thing here is that the Slayers we see were definitely higher on a diversity level than we pretty much ever saw on the show, and they got recurring roles. On the other hand, they are definitely dead and died for the sake of a white girl's growth and pain, so, ya know...not so great. Also, because it was being written as a reboot, Whedon was definitely involved, so I was not looking forward to seeing him fully indulge his ability to cause pain to and kill off female characters. Yes, I know, technically my brain was the one doing this, but it was basically writing what, given this concept, I'd expect to see from the man. Actually, no, it goes back even to the concept, because it's fascinating but definitely problematic even in its concept-ness. (Also there might possibly be some insensitive ableist things here? I legit have no idea. i don't need to be told the r-word's bad and am working on excising ableist language from my vocab but we definitely didn't focus on critique of ableism in lit analysis in any of my classes and I am 100% sure that is some form of lit analysis that exists, so a lot of the nuance is harder for me to unpack. Though maybe Miss Calendar in this new one could be a councilor that knows about the supernatural as well as a technopagan and yet can still help with the guilt and maybe even prescribe something, because while the voices have saved Buffy in the past they can also get distracting and stop her from dealing with her daily life, sooo. Therapy being shown in a good/helpful light would be something at least.) But, still, a conference of Slayers advising Buffy on shoes and "that teacher was weird keep an eye on him" and stuff would be interesting. Warning her of an ambush. Stuff like that.
Xander did do a reckless thing which is his forte really and picked up one of the demony artifacts, but fortunately in this universe retained enough self-preservation instincts not to use it. (He really, really needs to stop listening to talking swords. And other assorted ancient thingamabobs.) Even if it's talking to him, sorta, tempting him with power and all sorts of nice things. The thing is, it does fulfill your wishes, but by the end you're not really there. We see some of the other people who have used it and they've been completely taken over. They probably think they're still acting of their own free will, paying back favors or whatever, but they are definitely not in control. It's not clear whether this is a Lovecraftian many-tentacled thing puppeteering all of the people at once or if it's more of a demon army following their leader, so there's, like, a general in this one and a foot soldier in this one. The exposure might actually have been a good thing, because now he can see more of this stuff (and also he's the first one to believe Buffy because he's got definite proof himself) but it's definitely got more consequences for him than it does for Buffy, even.
So some of the Watchers following the Potentials might have been puppeteered. And if so, they're probably the ones killing off the Potentials themselves.
(Wrong universe, but Father Styx would actually be super helpful for this one.)
Unlike a typical possession, it's (probably) permanent. Just taking the artifact away after it's been used doesn't help. Picking up one and not using it is probably also permanent and walking on the knife's edge--it might also confer some stuff, like Xander's ability to see ghosts and the influence of the Big Bad, but man is it risky.
This is definitely an arc story. Even in the episodic episodes, we've got Buffy dealing with her first Potential ghost, or Xander picking up the artifact, small things that don't seem like a big deal but if it was an anime could definitely have the 'MENACING' sound effect beside them.
They actually could do a less muddled addiction arc with Willow where she's super tempted to take and use the artifact so Xander actually has to hide it or have Buffy hide it or something. Because if she took it, she would use it. Same, actually, with Giles, with his past. He's got it held together, but the Ripper would be way too tempted. And Buffy picks it up and they've got it all planned so she doesn't touch it with her hands at all except it slips and she touches it and Xander's really worried and she tells him she doesn't hear anything. And he thinks she's lying but can handle it and doesn't call her on it (you just get him looking doubtful) and it takes a couple episodes where you're wondering the same thing and it turns out that no, she wasn't lying, she didn't hear anything. (Maybe the Potentials are actually blocking her from hearing temptation? It is one of the Mysteries of this Arc.)
And the thing is, at first, skeptical Giles and Willow might be one of those really frustrating parts, because it's like "you've seen all these weird things, why not this" and it's weird to see Xander and Buffy conspiring seriously, but it turns out their role is actually super important because it grounds the other two.
Also, we see, but Buffy doesn't, that Xander hasn't used the artifact (or at least, he hasn't on screen), but for a few episodes after she finds out Buffy's worried that Xander's gone, too. I'm not entirely sure how he proves he isn't, but she's very relieved. (They're all programmed to act a certain way with X? Other puppets attack him? Something about the rules of how it works, that they're starting to figure out because they have to.) At first, he doesn't explain why he believes her, only loudly declares that he does, because he's embarrassed he picked it up in the first place.
Also, maybe we can see Kabbalist Willow, because as fun as Wicca Willow is, I think the only place I've seen Kabbalism is, briefly, in Persona, so it'd be cool to see more of Jewish Mysticism. (And maybe Xander makes the obvious joke and apologizes almost immediately because he really respects Willow's religion but it's a weird word if you haven't run into it.)
As for the Big Bad, whatever it is, definitely more cosmic horror vibes. Maybe one of the Ancients, but whatever it was maybe has history with the demon in the Slayer line (assuming that origin story is kept). (Have Sineya as less feral, and maybe make it so that the reason Buffy couldn't communicate with her at first be a language barrier.) Whatever it was definitely existed before written history, although maybe have a cult they manage to track down. The history of the artifacts is probably a big part of figuring it out. (Maybe include a reluctant sketchy auctioneer who's terrified of the Slayer and terrified of a guy who might have touched the artifact. They could be playing Bad Cop, Bad Cop there.) Basically, the reboot as a Call of Cthulu campaign, with lots of psychological horror, cosmic horror, and investigation. And Buffy's getting really frustrated because it's not entirely something she can just Slay.