beginning | blinding torment | boils | lies | making me bitter | evil compounds evil | blah blah bity blah
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The idiot's guide to continuity on Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Dear Marti and Joss, We appreciate everything you've given us pre-mopey Buffy, pre-crackwhore Willow, Giles (on and off a horse), Xander in a toolbelt, six years of Cynthia Bergstrom's greatest hits and we know how hard you work. We appreciate the strain being a new parent and a runner of three or four shows and a tiny empire puts on one. We know we pick on you a lot, but consider our incessant bitching as a form of flattery. With this in mind, we'd like to offer you our assistance. Clearly, the lack of sleep and running in ten different directions has started to affect you. Hell, even Buffy needs to rest-as we heard many, many times during Bring on the Night, and she's not even real. You, in theory, are in fact flesh and bone, which requires a break every month or so. But if you find that it's just not possible, if there's just no way you can allow yourself to rest your weary heads before writing the next episode, we'd like to offer you our help. It's just our way of saying "thanks."
So to you, Joss and Marti, we offer you this
No, please, no need to thank us. This is us, thanking you. Now get some sleep. And happy holidays.
Joss and Marti's Guide to the Buffyverse*
(Please refer, if there are any questions, to season one, episode 13 Prophecy Girl. Marti, we realize you have not seen this episode, so please refer to the shooting script, available at any quality bookstore such as Barnes & Noble or the like.) That being said,
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It causes them to burst into flames. We have seen evidence of this in Seasons 2 (the immolation-gram in Becoming) and 3 (Spike's hand bursting into flames in Lover's Walk). Please note, this excludes the following from occurring, no matter how well it services the script:
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So strong, in fact, that she is the only girl in the world that stands between the forces of darkness and the end of the world. She is the Slayer. Sound familiar? That was your opening tag at the beginning of the show. To help us get back to that, and in honor of this season going "back to the beginning", try to remember that:
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They are not vampires. Therefore mortals, and this includes our Scooby gang:
Given that the distinguishing characteristics between a mortal and a slayer have been sporadic at best, we'd like you to refer to the below "recommended slayer skillz" and the "slayer/human/demon" comparisons below when mapping out a fight scene.
Slayer/Human/Demon Fighting Comparisons
Recommended Slayer Skillz
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This tends to be a constant. As in "I was born in 1974." Note, that as the years change ones age changes, but the date of birth does not. Therefore, ones date of birth is a constant. It is generally advised, when creating an age for a character, to come up with a date of birth. If time does not permit for the exact calculation of a date, a year will suffice. The year chosen should be noted and tacked up somewhere, preferably somewhere prominent in large, easy to read writing for future reference. When a question of age surfaces, it is best to refer back to the agreed upon year of birth. Math may be required from this step on. If, as we suspect in the past, math is an issue, standard calculators can be sent out with the anatomy chart. With extra batteries, in case of emergencies.
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Much like the date of birth, it is often preferred that this stays consistent. Please see the sample charts, attached, for you to hang in the office for ease of consistency. With the use of these charts, one can avoid plot inconsistencies and holes, such as Anyanka's history and source of power, who sired whom in the Spike/Dru/Angelus relationship and Angelus' rather convoluted timeline. We recommend this be instituted straightaway.
Xander's Handy History Chart
Willow's Handy History Chart
Anya's Handy History Chart
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In the series premiere, you may recall that this was defined as a "whole big sucking thing". Meaning they have to suck your blood, then you have to suck theirs. It then became, with the introduction of Dracula in season five, a whole big "sucking until near death, then you suck" thing. Excellent in theory, shoddy in practice. We've seen time and time again a vampire suck a victim, with no mention of the victim sucking the vampire in return, only to have that victim reappear. In the interest of pretending that you care about your product, we suggest the following:
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This has obviously been a tough spot for the show, as one time someone will be dead after 3 seconds of suckage, while someone else will endure extended suckage (read: 30 seconds or what feels like longer) and will survive. Might we suggest, for the remainder of the show that:
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Metaphors, when applied, should be subtle, ie Angel turning evil after having sex with Buffy and killing her friends in place of him just becoming apathetic and not calling. Heavy-handedness is for reruns of ABC's much-missed "Afterschool Specials". Therefore the following are automatically excluded:
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Dates, unless there is a strict timeline that is being followed, should be implied, but never actually stated. This prevents there being any confusion over, say, a timestamp that reads "November 12, 2002" being immediately followed by an episode that supposedly takes place a day or two later making reference to the fact that it is now December. Towards that end, a reminder:
EZ Quick Reference Chart on Character Histories
Tell us what else Marti and Joss need to keep in mind when plotting the show in the discussion forums.
12.24.02 |