Life after "Buffy The Vampire Slayer"
by fiatlux -2.28.03
“The curtains close on a kiss; God knows we can tell the end is near. Where do we go from here?”
So, it’s official. Sarah Michelle Gellar has decided that this is her last season on “Buffy.” Whatever comes next, whether it be a new spin-off, a movie, or simply more episodes of “Angel” (WB has not yet confirmed airing another season), the show that we have all loved for so long is coming to an end. And knowing the crew at M.E., it will be a dramatic end.
That means we won’t have the Scooby gang to keep us heart-deep in discussions over character development, philosophy/theology/mythology, story development, and that all burning question “Will Buffy finally tell Spike how she feels?” We may never know if Dawn has any other “key” powers, if Xander ever finds stable love, or if Willow develops into a confident, powerful, and well-balanced witch. And I haven’t even started on the fates of Spike, Anya, and Andrew. Without new material, what will keep the fans going? Is this the end of Buffy fandom?
Forgive me if I don’t don sackcloth and ashes right away, but I have hope.
Summers on the Buffy fandom posting boards tend to be somewhat slower times with the lack of new episodes to discuss, but they are never dry. Fans form relationships that stretch beyond simply being a B/A shipper or a Spike fan, and they continue to log on and share their lives with each other. Concepts from earlier seasons are discussed in light of later ones, and new ideas about Buffyverse form. And there are always new fans to meet who have a different twist on old ideas.
As the complete seasons are released on DVD and episodes are sold to syndication, fans have a chance to go back and relive their favorite (and not so favorite) moments. People who didn’t know each other during the second season have the chance to discuss the return of Angelus with all the episodes at their fingertips.
The characters live on even when the actors are away. People write poems, fics, and songs, play role-playing games, and even debate scholarly issues that arise in the show. And with the possibility of the continuation of some form of Buffyverse in a spin-off or on “Angel,” we may yet see the futures of our favorite characters.
While I am glad the show does not have the chance to die a slow, painful death, I will sorely miss “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Like all good fantasy, the show has taken me to a place where I can imagine “what ifs” that don’t fit within the life I’ve found myself. But I celebrate what the show has accomplished, and look forward to the ongoing fandom that has made me laugh, cry, and meet dozens of wonderful people. As the song says:
“What can’t we face if we’re together?
What’s in this place that we can’t weather?
There’s nothing we can’t face …”
Not even “The End.”