My Take on Issue #40 and Season 8 as a Whole
I've been letting my thoughts about Issue 40 and Season 8 gestate while reading reviews, both positive and negative, over the past day. I thoroughly enjoyed issue 40, but unlike Shakespeare, I can't give credence to the phrase "all's well that ends well." The last couple arcs of Season 8 were admittedly a mess, and I'll lead the charge if anyone wants to join me in tarring and feathering Brad Meltzer for whatever crap he came up with regarding the universe. This was a flawed, inconsistent season for Buffy, but as Joss said, it was also a bit of an "experiment," one that failed miserably on the first go, but one I have strong hope for.
Having said all this, I am still looking forward to Season 9. If issue 40 is any indication, Season 9 will drop whatever epic bullshit ruined Season 8 and get back to the basics of character interaction, or as Joss put it, "the peeps." I like seeing Buffy deal with her guilt but in a hopeful way; it was a breath of fresh air to see her not give in to despair and depression in spite of the many reasons she should, and to see her looking forwards with a clear head. I like seeing Faith so settled with herself that she can undertake the monumental task of rehabilitating Angel (and I hope we get some Faith-Illyria interaction in the upcoming Angel books). I like seeing Dawn and Xander all domestic together, with Cookle Monster cookie jars and a crummy little apartment that is better than any Scottish castle. I like seeing Spike as his own man, still supporting Buffy but still with so much left unsaid between the two so there's plenty of drama left to be explored. I'm dying for Spike to meet Satsu and become bffs and paint each others' nails, btw. This is my dream scenario for season 9. I like seeing Angel brought low, gotta admit that, but I do want to see how he will go on, how he will change, because the status is NOT quo with the brooding. I want more Andrew, I want more Willow. I want to see how Willow handles the end of magic and what she'll do to get it back.
Do I like that the Buffyverse has been subsumed by the Frayverse? Not necessarily, but it does create dramatic situations where lots of story is left to be told. This is a new Buffyverse, that has to be acknowledged, and there is still a disconnect in my mind where the comics are their own entity and not a continuation of twelve seasons of television. I also don't think this is the best continuation (I've read better fanfic), but this is Joss' continuation, and while I find much of the man's work problematic, I still have to give him enough respect for seven seasons of the best television I've ever seen and let him do his thing. This isn't what we'd get if we had gotten a televised eighth season, but it's still new material to rant over, debate, and get the plot bunnies multiplying, and for that I am thankful.
Having said all this, I am still looking forward to Season 9. If issue 40 is any indication, Season 9 will drop whatever epic bullshit ruined Season 8 and get back to the basics of character interaction, or as Joss put it, "the peeps." I like seeing Buffy deal with her guilt but in a hopeful way; it was a breath of fresh air to see her not give in to despair and depression in spite of the many reasons she should, and to see her looking forwards with a clear head. I like seeing Faith so settled with herself that she can undertake the monumental task of rehabilitating Angel (and I hope we get some Faith-Illyria interaction in the upcoming Angel books). I like seeing Dawn and Xander all domestic together, with Cookle Monster cookie jars and a crummy little apartment that is better than any Scottish castle. I like seeing Spike as his own man, still supporting Buffy but still with so much left unsaid between the two so there's plenty of drama left to be explored. I'm dying for Spike to meet Satsu and become bffs and paint each others' nails, btw. This is my dream scenario for season 9. I like seeing Angel brought low, gotta admit that, but I do want to see how he will go on, how he will change, because the status is NOT quo with the brooding. I want more Andrew, I want more Willow. I want to see how Willow handles the end of magic and what she'll do to get it back.
Do I like that the Buffyverse has been subsumed by the Frayverse? Not necessarily, but it does create dramatic situations where lots of story is left to be told. This is a new Buffyverse, that has to be acknowledged, and there is still a disconnect in my mind where the comics are their own entity and not a continuation of twelve seasons of television. I also don't think this is the best continuation (I've read better fanfic), but this is Joss' continuation, and while I find much of the man's work problematic, I still have to give him enough respect for seven seasons of the best television I've ever seen and let him do his thing. This isn't what we'd get if we had gotten a televised eighth season, but it's still new material to rant over, debate, and get the plot bunnies multiplying, and for that I am thankful.