Theory: Why Buffy and Angel had problems the past couple of years

POSTED BY: Forrestwolf
UPDATED: Thursday, March 11, 2004 16:48
VIEWED: 5554
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FORRESTWOLF

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 3:38 AM

(informs his Captain that he's got his bullet-proof armor on under his brown coat)

After listening to the NPR interview of Joss, I came up with a theory for why Buffy wasn't as good the last couple of years, and possibly why Angel had some real problems last year. Okay, so it's debatable as to how bad the shows were the past couple of years, but here's what I didn't know before the interview:

Joss became a father a year or so ago.

From my own experience as a parent of two unruly boys, I've got to say that children are a HUGE, possibly the hugest, disruption of work efficiency.

The theory: Joss didn't have time to work on Buffy or Angel the last year to two years. This resulted in some really down times for Buffy quality, as well as some for Angel. It may even have led to the end of Angel!

The good news: It might get better for him as it goes along...though I have to say they're a lot of work even as they get older...

The flaw: Why was Firefly so gorram good? Joss would have been in the midst of parenthood issues.

TRASK43

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 4:04 AM

I think you kinda answered your own question there in my opinion the reason why Angel and Buffy went slightly downhill the last couple of years ( I think angel got back to its best this season) is because Joss was putting most of his creative energies into Firefly.

www.summer-glau.com

DRAKON

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 2:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Forrestwolf:
Joss became a father a year or so ago.

From my own experience as a parent of two unruly boys, I've got to say that children are a HUGE, possibly the hugest, disruption of work efficiency.
The flaw: Why was Firefly so gorram good? Joss would have been in the midst of parenthood issues.

Hmm... interesting. I can confirm your proposition that children are a HUGE disruption. Well, distraction maybe, but then I prefer to call my brothers "surprises" instead of "accidents"

But children PLUS 3 TV shows at the time... there ya go.

"Wash, where is my damn spaceship?"

CARTAGIA

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 2:34 PM

I'll probably second what Trask said, though I personally really liked the final season of Buffy and am enjoying this season of Angel immensely. Though I will agree with most in saying that the season previous to both were rather shoddy.

I think the reason was that even if Joss was putting the same amount of time into Buffy and Angel as usual, he really wanted to be doing Firefly. Therefore, he was distracted and doing Buffy and Angel became WORK, whereas when he finally got to do Firefly, it became PLAY. That also might be one of the reasons that the cast is always raving about how much fun it was on the set. That kind of attitude is contagious.

The correllary is true as well, in Angel and Buffy, while in Angel's case the end came quicker than expected, both knew that it would be there soon. I think they are both will have strong finishes, and I do hope that they are able to do some TV movies with both casts together sometime down the road, but they should let a year or two pass before attempting it. That way, it will be exciting to them again.

Simon: I've never shot anyone before.

Book: I was there, son. I'm fair sure you haven't shot anyone yet.

MAUGWAI

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 2:58 PM

I guess I'm one of the few who really liked the last couple of Buffy seasons. In fact, season six is my favorite of all of them. I could do without the Doublemeat Palace, but there are so many really good episodes in that season: Once More, With Feeling, Smashed, Gone, and my personal favorite, Dead Things. And I think on some level we can all relate to the nerds.

And as for Angel, I agree that last season was confusing and weak, but I think that was because Charisma Carpenter sprang her pregnancy on them in the middle of the season, so they had to rewrite the story to accomodate her. This season, however, has been amazing. I've loved every single episode.

"Dear diary, today I was pompous and my sister was crazy."

FORRESTWOLF

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 3:21 PM

Trask really does make a good point. I'd actually forgotten that I'd wondered about that when Firefly was on - it seemed to make sense at the time that Joss would be focusing on Firefly.

I still wonder what the effect of the new kid was - possibly was a great creative inspiration, too, so perhaps the effects balance :)

BROWNCOAT1

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 3:30 PM

I think the drop in quality on Buffy was that the show had run for 7 seasons. The writers were running out of original, fresh ideas, and you can only have so many apocalypses before it seems overdone. They were running out of plotlines. The story had been told & needed to end.

Angel started out great, then ran a little dry w/ the whole Fred, Angel's son thing. Not really sure why the son was necessary to the story, but it seemed forced. This last season, w/ Marsters back reprising his role of Spike, and the writing has raised the bar where it needs to be.

I am sure that pouring much of his creative energy in Firefly, and then being a new dad has stretched Joss too thin to give what he might like to each of his shows. Speaking as a working dad I know that there are many times when there are not enough hours in the day to do all I would like to do or need to do. You just do the best you can.

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

JERRY

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 3:31 PM

I think Buffy and Angel were both adversely affected by some of the things that happen when actors are in the same role for seven or eight years. Some get bored (as SMG seemed to - not unlike what happened with David Duchovny on the X-Files), some have things going on in their lives that affect the show (like Charisma Carpenter's pregnancy), etc. People come and go from behind the camera as well, like Tim Minear and David Greenwalt from 'Angel'. And I don't think Joss can produce inspired work on demand - he needs to be, well, inspired, and what he wanted to do was Firefly.

KALATHENA

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 11:32 PM

Quote:
After listening to the NPR interview of Joss, I came up with a theory for why Buffy wasn't as good the last couple of years, and possibly why Angel had some real problems last year...Joss became a father a year or so ago.

Well he sure didn't become a father BEFORE the Connor storyline. No real parent could ever argue that screwing a virgin teenager will give you a moment of true happiness, but holding your newborn infant son will not.

--Kala

SPIKEANDJEZEBEL

Thursday, March 11, 2004 12:56 AM

I agree with Maugwai - I think season 6 of Buffy was one of the best seasons of either Buffy or Angel. I also enjoyed most of season 7, although I feel some of the main characters (Xander, Dawn, Giles) got rather less screen time than they deserved. However, "Storyteller" makes up for any sins of the final year, in my humble opinion.

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