Deep thought

[snick_backup]

The "power shot" at the end of the S6 credits is actually of the Buffybot, and in S7 the power shot is of the First as Buffy.

Was this intentional? Thematic in some way? I could almost see that, maybe, with the Buffybot - S6!Buffy feeling not real, playing a role, etc. But I can't see it for the First. And anyway, shouldn't the final shot of one's hero be, yanno, of the actual hero?

In other news, I've realized that SMG practically wins the award for "most characters played in a single series": Buffy, the Buffybot, the First, and Faith. And unless I'm forgetting someone key, Adam Busch wins second: Warren, the First, and Willow.

Comments

[next_to_normal]

I have seen people theorize about the power shot thing, usually in a negative way - that it was meant to show she's not the hero anymore. I have no idea if it was intentional or not, though.

[2maggie2.livejournal.com]

I've always thought it was intentional. The Buffybot for sure, that's what the Scoobies resurrected. I think the first was also intentional, but suffered like so many things with the poor execution of season 7.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

In other news, I've realized that SMG practically wins the award for "most characters played in a single series":

Oooo... that's true! I hadn't thought about that before...

[lizziebuffy2008.livejournal.com]

I've realized that SMG practically wins the award for "most characters played in a single series": Buffy, the Buffybot, the First, and Faith.

I think you could also count the "Buffy" of the "Wishverse" (and definitely Vamp Willow for Allison) as practically another character. I have always thought that SMG's talent was overlooked in S5-S7 playing Buffy, the Bbot, and the First all at the same time and in the same scenes.

[snickfic]

I felt like all the latter seasons' powershots were not very powerful. I enjoyed the early seasons' powershots much more, because, well, they seemed powerful.

Just today, I was thinking you could count the Buffy of "Wishverse" because she *is* a different person with a different set of experiences and outcome.

~ Housemate

[snickfic]

I really can't see that, especially since in S7, half the point is that she eventually shares her heroism with hundreds (thousands?) of other people.

Yet one of the things I really appreciate about Joss is how careful he is with the BtVS credits; makes me think there must be something there...

[snickfic]

Yeah, the Buffybot as Buffy makes way more sense than the First as Buffy. Since when do we let the villain take the last shot? I don't get it.

[snickfic]

It's the joy of acting in a universe that allows for bodyswaps and lifelike robots and such. *g*

[snickfic]

Definitely vamp!Willow is a whole other character, and I suppose probably Wish!Buffy, too - although the differences there are a lot more nuanced.

[next_to_normal]

Well, I've mostly heard it from people who don't LIKE S6 and 7. I doubt Joss is one of those people, though, so I don't think that was his reasoning.

Yet one of the things I really appreciate about Joss is how careful he is with the BtVS credits; makes me think there must be something there...

Hmm, other than replicating a few particular shots every time, what is he careful about? I haven't seen anything about that before.

[snickfic]

Hmm, other than replicating a few particular shots every time, what is he careful about? I haven't seen anything about that before.

Sometimes, the credits changed with a mid-season cast change, such as in S4 and the change from Oz to Spike, or in S5 when they added Dawn. Also Tara getting in the main credits for the episode in which she died (which is just cruel). And of course Jonathan's credits in Superstar, which are just. fabulous.

[next_to_normal]

Oh, I just assume that the credits are expected to change when the cast changes, even if it's mid-season. (The only show I can think of that had a similarly transient cast was The West Wing and they adjusted the credits accordingly.)

But yeah, the Tara thing was incredibly cruel and the Jonathan thing was clever. :)

[snickfic]

Whereas five years later, House still has the same credits it had in S1, right down to the six names that are by no means the whole of the cast at this point... (Actually, this was true as of last season; it's possible they've finally updated since then.)

I think partly it's that I came to BtVS with extremely low expectations of TV, and was pleasantly surprised in all sorts of ways that a more TV-savvy person might not be.