Speaking of ret-cons...

[elisi]

You know what I’d love? As in adopt, bring home, buy a collar, feed the choiciest bits of steak and let sleep on a bear rug in front of the fire? If the robot ninjas from ‘Lineage’ worked for the Twilight cult.

It’s a *perfect* fit: They work off a mixture of technology and magic, they are fantatically committed to their cause (which appears to be ‘non-evil’), they don’t like people who upset ‘the balance’ and they’re happy to exploit/kill anyone to further their interests. I could totally see General Voll trying to control Angel - Angel's a player, and a major one. (Robot!Roger: "That creature is more dangerous to mankind than you realize.")

Also, it would make perfect sense for former (hardline) Watchers to join up with an organisation like that, which would explain how the ninjas had the info on Wes, and why the General knows everything about what Slayers are, The First and that it was Buffy who destroyed Sunnydale.

Dear s8 defenders - that’s what I want from a ret-con! See?

Oh and if anyone wants to turn this into a bunny then it’s there for the taking. :)


And look - some Buffy meta!

I became v. sad last night, thinking about s8 Buffy. Remember ‘Chosen’? “Just gotta live like a person. How's that feel?” Faith says... and we look back on 7 years of Buffy trying to balance her ‘ordinary’ life and her slaying. Surely now she can find that balance?

And then... she moves to a Scottish castle away from *everything*. No shops, no clubs, no friends - no world. S8 Buffy is a Slayer pure. And it makes me so sad, because I always loved TGiQ for the fact that my girl was dancing again. She’s earned it.

Aaaaanyway, it makes sense of the Dawn thing: Metaphorically Dawn is Buffy’s human side, and her human side is angry at being totally pushed away and ignored. So it grows so large that Buffy *has* to take notice: All work and no play do not a happy Buffy make. (Can't *believe* it took me 4 months to work that out.)

Oh! And her fantasy w. Spike & Angel in that case can also symbolise the balance that she longs for, rather than just being all about Teh Sex.

(Will do my best to answer comments etc, but will be rather busy with RL I'm afraid. But I'll get there in the end.)

ETA: Just realised why the name 'Voll' rang a bell. Bother you Joss, don't go messing with Elfquest! (I know he has probably never read EQ, but... how'd you like it if a new Big Bad on [insert show] was called Joyce?) /random, sorry.

Comments

[stormwreath.livejournal.com]

Dear s8 defenders - that’s what I want from a ret-con!

Would it even be a retcon? Where the robo-ninja came from was left completely open on Angel... we just know that they're an organisation that claims to fight evil, has access to very high technology, and has an intimate knowledge of the Watcher's Council. Any further plot development was lost when Angel was cancelled... but there's nothing to say that the Twilight organisation aren't solidly based on what Joss envisaged for the ninja's bosses.

(And since the word 'ninja' is both singular and plural, how do you form the plural possessive? ninja's or ninjas'? or ninja-no-?)

And look - some Buffy meta!
See - you can do it! :)

Am I right in thinking that the next issue of the comic will actually be dealing with the Buffy who's partying in Rome? Living the life that you want Buffy-prime to lead...

[elisi]

Would it even be a retcon?
No precisely, but that's sorta what I mean. Taking something that's been left open and infusing it with meaning at a later stage - or expanding something we already knew, bringing new insights. As opposed to re-writing something that worked perfectly well on it's own.

how do you form the plural possessive?
Don't ask me! I'm a foreigner!

See - you can do it! :)
Takes a while though...

the Buffy who's partying in Rome?
Oh no, it's the underground one!

And I'll try to get round to your post soon, promise.

[stormwreath.livejournal.com]

Don't ask me! I'm a foreigner!
Which probably means you learned the formal grammar of English far better than a native speaker, surely? :)

[elisi]

Nah. Well maybe I *did*, but I was like 12... and anyway, English grammar is in many ways like Danish grammar - i.e. it doesn't really exist. Much depends on the sentence structure etc. (Compared to say German.)

[shapinglight]

Retcons are of course an old comic book staple. However, I still agree that the Warren thing was a retcon too far.

The robot ninja plot would work quite well if it turned out that General Voll sent them but even so, why ninjas? Why not robot commandos?

Also, now you mention it, I am quite pissed off with the Immortal retcon (and not because it Jossed Vampire Winter). I too was quite enamoured of the whole Buffy Parties On Down In Rome idea. Like you, I thought she deserved it.

[elisi]

However, I still agree that the Warren thing was a retcon too far.
I could have coped if it had been done differently, I think. Ah well, makes it easier not to care.

why ninjas? Why not robot commandos?
'Cause they're cool?

I too was quite enamoured of the whole Buffy Parties On Down In Rome idea. Like you, I thought she deserved it.
Also Buffy-in-Rome is just such a great set-up. All roads lead to Rome... the modern, world-changing Slayer in the ancient city - it's a fabulous combination.

Ah well, there's ages until the next issue and I am *so* not bothered. The whole thing is just horribly time-consuming (and not in a good way) and I think I'd rather do some writing of my own.

[shapinglight]

why ninjas? Why not robot commandos?
'Cause they're cool?

Yeah, but would the military think like that?

Oh well, I don't suppose it matters for one moment. I doubt the robot ninjas will ever be mentioned again.

[elisi]

I doubt the robot ninjas will ever be mentioned again.
*sighs* It really *would* be neat... Ah well, fic is better anyway!

[yourlibrarian]

The ninjas would be an excellent thing to bring in since that always seemed to be a huge dangling storyline to me.

[elisi]

Exactly. It'd work beautifully. But I'm not holding out hope...

[spikendru.livejournal.com]

Oooooh! Love your ninja idea, especially snce there really wasn't any explanation given on Angel as to who they were/worked for. It would definitely explain how the General knows all those things about Slayers, etc.

she moves to a Scottish castle away from *everything*. No shops, no clubs, no friends - no world. S8 Buffy is a Slayer pure.

I think that may be a big part of why I have so little interest in the comics (aside from the fact that they are comics.) This just isn't "my" Buffy. Buffy was never "just" a pure Slayer. She was always multi-dimensional and I'm just not seeing that in the comics. I'm sad that Buffy and Dawn are so on the outs with each other that they're barely talking. I'm sad that there are no vampires in her life. And I'm sad that she doesn't get to relax for awhile now that she's not the only Chosen one.

And, yeah. I'll bet Joss has read ElfQuest!

[elisi]

Oooooh! Love your ninja idea
:) I love it when stuff can be tied together neatly. So - the opposite of the Warren ret-con.

She was always multi-dimensional and I'm just not seeing that in the comics.
Same here. There was the lovely reflective moment in issue 1, but that was never really followed up. Actually what occurred to me is that the stories always used to spring from the characters - Joss would move the plot so he could get our heroes into the right place. Now he seems to be using Buffy to tell a story or get a message across or something. I could be wrong, but that's what it feels like.

And, yeah. I'll bet Joss has read ElfQuest!
If he has, then he is evil. And not in a good way. *sheds tear for poor Lord Voll*