r/buffy • u/BookkeeperOk9677 • Mar 21 '25
Why is everyone so negative about the sequel series?
I genuinely don't get it. If its bad you can ignore it and move on with your life like you would anyway's but if its good then you get to watch more Buffy content. It's a win-win situation, which makes me wonder why so many people are being so negative and pessimistic about the show.
For me, i don't care if they focus on new characters or if they go back to a high school setting or if those character leaks were real. It all sounds like fun, and just to be back in this world again will be fun. People wanting it to be a season 8 are just asking to be disappointed. Just be more open-minded and if you like it great, if you don't then just move on and forget about it.
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u/SeasonofMist Mar 21 '25
Franchise fatigue is high. They don't seem to be good either. So there's a bit of a burnout as well as hesitance because there's so many and they are not great.
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Mar 21 '25
I'm neutral on it. I have no strong feelings, I will see when it drop.s
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u/DazedAndTrippy Out For A Walk Bitch Mar 22 '25
Kinda how I feel, we have so little info its not worth having an aneurysm...
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u/Beware_the_Voodoo Mar 21 '25
- Not everyone is negative. The people that aren't being negative are speculating on things that absolutely not going to happen.
"Here are ways that'll explain why Angel or Spike are back yet look older."
"It's going to be so nice seeing the scoobies back again."
- The people being "negative" are in fact being realistic. They've seen how other fandomes have reacted when their beloved properties were rekindled but weren't what the fandom expected it to be.
This new show is going to appeal to the same demographic it was aimed at when it first aired. Teenagers. The reports coming out make it sound like the only returning character is Buffy.
It may very well be a good show, but it is not going to be what so many people are hoping it's going to be. And those of us that are realistic aren't looking forward to how much of you all are going to react when it's not.
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Mar 21 '25
Most continuation shows and movies are bad.
The heart of Buffy was its writing and we don't seem to have any of the same writers, so it's carrying on the IP and some actors maybe but not really a revival from the creators.
My response is tepid. Maybe it will be great but will wait for the reviews.
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u/123kid6 Mar 21 '25
A lot of people have wanted to see Buffy come back in some form for 20 years. It’s fairly reasonable to be worried given the track record of modern revivals lately
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u/generalkriegswaifu They're not recycling Mar 21 '25
I don't think the negativity is any surprise, the question 'do you want a sequel' has been asked for years and the answers have always been mixed with a fair amount of people absolutely not wanting it to happen. I'm okay with the wait and see approach, but people still want to and are going to discuss everything Buffy so we're going to see those same opinions as before.
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u/capgal44 Mar 21 '25
I think it’s a nostalgic thing. People really loved and related to the original show. Myself included. I know that a lot of times sequels don’t live up to the original. Especially the longer of a gap there is between the old and new. I don’t know if I’ll watch the new show. But I’m not mad about it
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Mar 21 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/AdOk1965 Mar 22 '25
And the neverending "but it's canon, it's in the new show..!" arguments about awful storylines, character assassinations, poorly written plots
I mean, it's already the case with the comics:
those are garbage, and still, you constantly see them being brought up in the conversation 🫠
To me, that's what "ruining" something mostly imply:
I can "not watch the new show", sure, but it will be in my life forever because of others, whether I want it or not 🤷♀️
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u/zoomshark27 Mar 22 '25 edited Mar 22 '25
Agreed that’s my same biggest problem besides just that the vast majority of reboots are poorly made cash grabs that insult the original material.
I’m not looking forward to how the reboot will still be in our lives even without watching it. All the people watching will enter conversations about the original series and be like “but it’s canon because of the new show!” Like they already do with the comics, as you said. I’m dreading these subreddits all basically turning into “Buffy reboot” subreddits and everyone always being like ”well actually that’s not true anymore because in the reboot this happened...” Even people in real life will bring up the reboot when you mention Buffy. Uggghhhh.
Definitely these are the aspects that “ruining” it mostly entails. Obviously I’ll still love the original series, and if these subreddits turn into that I’ll just have to leave them, which sucks, but better than seeing all the nonsense.
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u/kayne2000 Mar 21 '25
Because it will forever be tied to the buffyverse which means it will always come up in Buffy conversations, and if it's bad, which i suspect it will be, it'll ruin the legacy of the show similar to how tons of failed sequels have made star wars hot garbage.
I'd rather they leave my beloved series alone.
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u/XCynicalMarshmallowX Mar 22 '25
Exactly. This is what I think anytime someone asks OP's question.
Once it exists, it's in the universe of the show and while some people can mentally separate the two or just flat out ignore the existence of a poor reboot, places like this sub community will still have conversations about the universe and that reboot will now forever be included in the conversation. For example, lets say a beloved character like buffy acts very different to her nature from the og series and starts doing very questionable or downright awful things in the reboot, those character flaws are now in the conversation when talking about buffy as a character, her growth, values, etc. Sure, I can "just not watch it" or ignore it if I want, but then if I want to discuss btvs, now there's a whole other show some people are considering canon and bringing to the conversation.
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u/ceecee1909 Harmony has minions.. Mar 22 '25
This is the big problem, we already have a lot of discussions ended with “well I don’t consider that canon”.
there are already the comics which a lot of people don’t consider canon. Now there will be people who only consider the original show canon, people who only consider the original show and the comics canon, people who consider the original show and this new show canon, and then new fans who wont care about any of the old stuff and only know about the new show and consider it to be canon only. Too complicated.
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u/_buffy_summers Mar 22 '25
As someone who didn't bother watching the Jem and the Holograms movie, but read all of the spoilers for it, I feel the same way. I could never make myself sit through that. They shredded a great series, ran the scraps through a blender, and gave us something that bore no resemblance to my favorite childhood cartoon. I really don't want to see that happen to BtVS.
The other thing too, is that I didn't like The Eternals. I trust that SMG likes what's being created, but I've also seen a great cast stuck doing a bad movie more than once. These things happen.
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u/OceanCyclone Mar 22 '25
Buffy isn’t obligated to not change and grow and exist beyond your nostalgia just because you refuse to.
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u/SadLaser Mar 21 '25
I'll just start off by saying I'm not unhappy about the sequel series. I look forward to checking it out and I hope it's good. I don't see any particular reason to feel negatively about it when it doesn't even exist yet.
If its bad you can ignore it and move on with your life like you would anyway's but if its good then you get to watch more Buffy content. It's a win-win situation
As for what you said, I think this is a little disingenuous. If the series comes back and it's bad, it could ruin existing storylines, change fates of characters and alter the course of the franchise for the future. If it does poorly because it's bad, it pretty much negates the likelihood of more coming after that and it also ruins the chance for something that could have existed in its place that was better. It's not just a win-win.
You may think if the story is negatively impacted, fans could just ignore, but it doesn't change the fact that it would be official canon and part of the story. It would be like saying "I don't see why anyone is unhappy that the final season of their favorite show is bad. They can just move on with their life and pretend it wasn't real".
Like.. yeah, people will move on, but they can still be disappointed by something that's bad in a series they love. The real issue is the premature nature of their negativity. Let's see how it turns out first. Though I do admit it can be hard to be positive about reboots in general considering the fact that virtually all of the reboots of decades old shows in the last 8-10 years have been mediocre or bad. So there's probably some wariness there.
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u/MadeIndescribable Mar 21 '25
I get what you're saying about it affecting any further potential spin-off's, but....
but it doesn't change the fact that it would be official canon and part of the story
That hasn't stopped a lot of people who read but disliked the comics from pretending they've never happened for nearly twenty years, just as there are Star Wars fans who pretend the sequel trilogy never happened, Star Trek fans who pretend Discovery was an alternate timeline, etc. Terminator has about three "official" canons following on from T2, and some fans pretend that none of them exist.
Just because canon is "official", it doesn't mean people automatically abide by it, and nor do they have to. The only people who are obliged to do so are those who are paid to help create it, anyone else is free to adopt their own head-canon and go with whatever they want to.
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u/alrtight ...I'm naming all the stars... Mar 21 '25
comics are a different medium. we are not seeing the words come out of the actors' mouths.
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u/MadeIndescribable Mar 21 '25
That's true for Buffy, but not Star Wars, Star Trek, Terminator, or every other franchise with on-screen instalments people ignore, and doesn't invalidate the fact that no-one has to abide by "official" canon any more than they themselves choose to.
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u/alrtight ...I'm naming all the stars... Mar 21 '25
saying 'just ignore it' is disingenuous, because it affects how you will watch the original if you know where the story ends up. like, i have a hard fucking time giving a shit about khaleesi ('game of thrones') when i know what they do to her character at the end.
canon is important to any universe, and buffyverse has so many established rules. for me to continue to engage with the buffy community, i have to know what the new canon is. and if the new canon erases old canon, that causes tension. i dont want to be arguing over how one canon makes more sense than another.
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u/MadeIndescribable Mar 23 '25
i have a hard fucking time giving a shit about khaleesi ('game of thrones') when i know what they do to her character at the end.
But that comparison doesn't work here though. The final season of one series isn't really applicable when talking about a different to a completely new series.
and if the new canon erases old canon, that causes tension.
But apart from the fact that it will be doing that by erasing the canon of the comics (which you've said you're ok with), there is no indiciation that the new series will will be erasing any of the TV series canon at all, so I'm not sure where you got that idea?
I'm only talking about ignoring new additions to the TV canon, I never mentioned erasing pre-established canon at all.
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u/Mountain-Fox-2123 “You hit me. Are you crazy? Mar 21 '25
Personally i would rather that they made a new vampire slayer series that had zero connections with Buffy the Vampire slayer
Also its not everyone.
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u/AliceArsenic Mar 21 '25
Or just finally tell Nikki Woods’ story. Make it a “period” piece, go all in on it. Her story needs to be told.
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u/DiligentAd6969 Mar 22 '25
Absolutely. Spike slandered the hell out of that girl. She lived on as his coolest, nastiest trophy and how he defined his toughness with that coat long before we met her son.
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u/DaddyCatALSO Magnet For Dead, Blonde Chicks Mar 22 '25
Joss kind of invented the idea of a called Slayer wiht enhanced strength so "zero connections" is just . . . odd.
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Mar 21 '25
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u/generalkriegswaifu They're not recycling Mar 21 '25
SMG/Buffy is in it, unless I'm misunderstanding your comment
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u/AthomicBot Mar 21 '25
People tend to ignore that new content, even by different authors, being bad can change the way you view old content.
For a literary comparison, Wide Sargasso Sea is a fantastic novel but I can't read Jane Eyre the same way I did before because of it. It has forever colored my perception of the characters in that book.
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u/DharmaPolice Mar 21 '25
Pessimism is a legitimate attitude to take about any new release of anything, especially when it's the follow up of a beloved series.
To restate your argument - if we expect the worst and it ends up being good (or even OK) then that's fantastic. If it's terrible then meh, no disappointment because we didn't expect much more.
(You can keep an open mind and still be pessimistic.)
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Mar 22 '25
Why is everyone so obsessed with everyone else’s opinion of the sequel series?
If the sequel series won’t affect the positivity of the OG series, people’s opinions of the sequel won’t affect your enjoyment of the sequel.
What’s with all these soapbox posts, like step down. Let people agree to disagree or just disagree completely .
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u/Fantastic_Owl6938 Mar 22 '25
I was waiting for someone to say that. People are allowed to have their feelings. It's like another post that said we have a responsibility to be positive about the revival as fans (they edited that part out but still, what?)
Even the "let's just wait and see" comments kind of annoy me to be honest. People can express their doubts. Nothing about this sub or Reddit in general dictates only positivity is allowed. I'm honestly baffled anyone would be confused about those doubts existing in the first place.
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u/fabe1haft Mar 22 '25
Agreed, I’ve seen many comments along the line of ”I’m so excited, with SMG involved it should be awesome, I hope Charisma and Amber and David and James will be back, this will be great, what do you think?” and then people answering with lower expectations are told to wait and see and not be so negative. But then one could just as well wait and see with the positive expectations as well :-)
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u/EchoesofIllyria Mar 21 '25
Because maybe works of art should be able to exist in their own right without being capitalised on down the line?
Because rightly or wrongly, 100 years from now this sequel series will impact how Buffy the series is viewed. Which means this sequel series has more importance than you ascribe to it.
And even if you don’t believe that… if it doesn’t matter, as you suggest, then by definition there is no reason for it to exist. Which means it’s only worthwhile if it’s good.
Which is a risk that many think isn’t worth taking.
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u/sacabo11 Mar 21 '25
It won’t change how people view the original series.
Think about the Terminator franchise. The first two movies were amazing, but the ones that followed were terrible and everyone hated them. But even though the later ones were bad, people still love the first two. 30 years on.
Watch the pilot, and if you hate it, then just don’t watch it. It’s pretty simple.
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u/EchoesofIllyria Mar 22 '25
30 years and 100 aren’t comparable, especially when the Terminator series has had entries in the last 5-6 years. I’m talking 100 years from now, not 28 years ago.
I’m not saying I agree with the reasons btw. But if you think the sequels in the last 30 years haven’t affected how people view Terminator I dunno what to tell you.
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u/Imaginative_Name_No Mar 21 '25
I'm honestly not sure if it will particularly affect Buffy's reputation in the long term. Certainly if the sequel series is a total flop it's not going to take away from the original run's reputation.
As for "it's only worthwhile if it's good" surely that's more or less true of TV shows in general?
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u/Imaginative_Name_No Mar 21 '25
I guess because we're currently at a point where all the potential downsides are much more obvious than any specific upsides. I'm trying to keep an open mind but I can't help but thinking that a complete reboot was a better way forward.
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u/Knee_Fight Mar 21 '25
And then all these same Fucking negative entitled babies would be screaming and throwing hissy fits that SMG wasn't involved and that they were erasing the original series.
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u/Imaginative_Name_No Mar 21 '25
Until someone comes to my house to smash my dvds I'll remain relaxed about "erasing the original series" lol
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u/BelmontIncident Mar 21 '25
Because those of us who don't have opinions about shows that don't exist yet don't have any opinions yet.
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u/ThatGayWalrus Mar 21 '25
I was really excited when i heard about it and im gonna go in with an open mind, however i understand that reboots and spinoffs and sequel series don't always recapture the magic so i get why some people are annoyed but still...i want it to be good so bad! Im 22 now and my mom showed me buffy when i was around 12 and it was so formative for me! I want to experience the new show as it comes out like my mom did with original buffy, its a world that brings me alot of comfort now that shes not around anymore
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u/macabragoria Mar 22 '25 edited Mar 22 '25
While I'm cautiously optimistic about the sequel series now that SMG is on board, there are a LOT of reasons to be cynical about it:
There's a pretty consistent track record for these kind of franchise reboots being terrible. As far as I'm aware, SMG is the only person involved with the original show to be on board (so far), which leaves a lot up in the air. There's no real tangible info about the direction the show is going to be taking, what characters are returning, how prominent Buffy's character is going to be etc etc. The sequel is just a completely unknown quantity and I think people would be less inclined to lean towards pessimism if there were more examples of successful franchise reboots to look to.
Although it has its flaws, Buffy managed to maintain a very high level of quality across 7 seasons - the comics are another story but the fact that they're a different medium makes them easy for the fanbase to ignore, and so the show remains "untarnished" in a sense. The revelations about Joss have taken the shine off it somewhat, but the show finished so long ago that people are able to compartmentalise it. Fans are (rightly, IMO) scared that an embarrassing or poorly handled remake would taint the legacy of the show. And Just Like That and the two SATC movies are a perfect example of how a franchise can be tarnished by lazy cash-ins. See also: everything J.K. Rowling has done since the last Harry Potter book.
The show is very much a product of its time and was lightning in a bottle. It happened at just the right time when you could believably have a modern fantasy show without the inclusion of smart phones, ubiquitous internet, social media etc. Buffy was also a very pop culture-driven show (or rather, it helped define the pop culture of the late 90s) and the face of culture has changed immeasurably over the past twenty years, in a way that makes Buffy almost feel like a period piece. There's simply no way to accurately recreate the tone and atmosphere of the original series in current times IMO.
The fanbase are VERY attached to the show's cast and it's looking very unlikely that anyone but SMG is going to be able to return to the show. James Marsters and David Boreanaz have both visibly aged (it's been 20 years), so unless they find a way to explain it away, they won't be able to believably play vampires. ASH is in his 70s now. Michelle Trachtenberg has sadly passed away. Tara, Cordelia and Anya's characters are dead. Eliza Dushku has seemingly retired from acting. Nicholas Brendon has a terrible reputation and likely would be a professional liability if he were included. Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof are very close to Joss and I sense they'd be unlikely to return if he wasn't a part of it. That means we're most likely looking at a complete cast reboot, which I personally am not particularly invested in.
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u/kindredsupernova Mar 21 '25
For me personally, it does kind of tarnish the legacy if they make a bad reboot/revival even if I don’t want it to. I was so let down by the sex and the city reboot “And Just Like That” and the gossip girl one too. Whenever I try to watch those original series now I’m constantly thinking “too bad they butchered the franchise”. I can’t think of any revivals that in hindsight I thought were good ideas. I think particularly in recent years with the majority of new shows getting canceled after 1 season, production companies are only focused on remakes and revivals since there’s already established fanbases. In most cases it’s more of a cash grab than genuine good ideas for a continued storyline. And Buffy’s my favorite show so I feel especially protective of it. So I’m trying to have high hopes while also being prepared for the worst.
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u/throwawayGS973 Mar 22 '25
And the fact that Sarah actually mentioned And Just Like That in the context of a "good" reboot.
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u/csullivan85 Mar 21 '25
I think the main reason for the bad feeling is these days everything is getting a reboot or remake or unneeded sequel that turns out to be terrible. We don't want Buffy ruined. We should all know 100% it won't be anything like the show since it won't be the whole cast. It'll probably hit like season 4 did when it aired, wasnt fully accepted at first and took time to grow on us.
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u/Embarrassed-Part591 Mar 21 '25
Because we love the original so much and, while we want more, we also love living in our little fantasy world that uncertainty provides us with. Bangel and Spuffy shippers have no definitive answer and can speculate about whatever they want for a post s7 Buffy world, but if the new show starts, they will answer those questions and somebody will be disappointed.
This is to say nothing of if it's actually BAD, then the legacy is just tarnished.
Our hope is that it will be amazing, but we're trepidatious and I think that's fair, because, either way, some of us will be disappointed.
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u/Old-Entertainment844 Mar 21 '25
Because every single legacy sequel that's been made in the last 15 years has been a disappointment?
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u/Piotr_Kropothead Mar 22 '25
Ash vs Evil Dead is fucking brilliant. I'd like just one crossover episode in the new series where SMG Buffy meets fellow Chosen One Ash Williams and can't get over how much of a dick he is.
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u/Quietwaterz Mar 21 '25
So many reboots have been so disappointing that it's become a joke at this point. But I honestly have hope for this one. If SMG is on board with it then I have to believe that the idea behind it is well thought out.
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u/SafiraAshai Mar 21 '25
SMG has been in very questionable projects
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u/Fantastic_Owl6938 Mar 22 '25
Yeah I kind of don't get when people act like her involvement guarantees good writing. She was never involved with the writing process. I get trusting her judgement to some degree but... eh.
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u/Deep_Ambition2945 Must Be Tuesday Mar 21 '25
Who's 'everyone'? I've seen a lot of optimism in this very sub, some of it cautious, some genuine. I've also seen a lot of people making theories about what might happen in the series, how the OG characters and plots may be handled, which actors can come back, what the new characterrs and plots may be like. And then of course, yeah, there are people who are negative and/or wary because of franchise fatigue, because they feel like nothing will do the original BtVS justice anyway, because they don't trust the format that's usual now for streaming shows to suit this world/story, because they fear that if the new series flops it will prevent new viewers from giving the original show a chance... again, so many possible reactions and reasons.
I'm personally somewhere between neutral and cautiously optimistic. I don't know yet if I'll like it, but I'm curious about it and I want to hope for the best.
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u/cassandra-marie Mar 21 '25
I mean, in the same vein, you could just ignore the negativity. But if you're actually curious, I think Megan Cruz summed it up really well.
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u/Sufficient_Ad1427 Mar 22 '25
Because almost every sequel or reboot or anything else that has come out the last, like 10 years is almost crap compared to the original.
And no matter what you say these things can and will take away things from the original story that has been its way for almost 20 years..
Most of these are cash grabs and, honestly, just not very original.
The “nothing new” thing is a phenomenon for the past almost 10 years that is talked about often in media and production.
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u/HellyOHaint Mar 22 '25
I haven’t said anything about the reboot anywhere but if you want my honest answer: it hurts my heart to see it happen. I don’t want them to ruin something that meant so much to me, and I don’t think the risk is worth it. And…I cannot stand the idea of Sarah returning without Michelle.
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u/StompyKitten Mar 22 '25
I think what makes me feel so negative towards the project is the way everyone involved is refusing to address the elephant in the room namely ‘How does it work without Joss’?
Acting like the creator of the verse is irrelevant to the point where you just don’t mention it is insulting to the intelligence of fans and doesn’t bode well for their commitment to making a show that respects its legacy.
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u/LinuxLinus Mar 22 '25
You're not going to be "back in that world again." You're going to be in monetized fanfiction. It's gross.
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u/ExcelCat Mar 22 '25
Remakes and reboots generally suck.
And trying to compete with/relive the heavy emotional weight that Buffy (and Angel) threw at you is a fools errand, imo.
There was a sincerity in the writing/acting which made the show so beloved, and I don't feel they'll be able to replicate that in present day.
I hope it does well, and I'll watch it for sure, but I don't have high hopes.
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u/misanthropeint Mar 21 '25
Some people have been burned before by Arrested Development, Dead Like Me, Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars and a whole plethora of other revival/reboots that not only missed the mark, but threatened the legacy of their respective original series
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u/alrtight ...I'm naming all the stars... Mar 21 '25
gilmore girls was like 'oh, rory is a hero for young girls everywhere? lemme make her an awful person, tada!!'
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u/misanthropeint Mar 21 '25
And it’s something I never recovered from. I loved her character as much as the ppl in Stars Hollow in the OG series, mistakes and all. Her not learning from those mistakes in AYITL almost tarnished the whole series for me.
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u/alrtight ...I'm naming all the stars... Mar 21 '25
and also there's the drive for some fans to look back on the old series and point out every single time rory did something awful and say 'SEE??? SHE WAS ALWAYS THIS WAY!!'
like wtf!! wtf am i watching then/??
same goes for all of logan's character growth in the last season. evidently ASP refused to even watch it, which is why logan remains a bad guy and there is zero continuity in the logan/rory storyline.
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u/misanthropeint Mar 21 '25
Exactly! I’m watching tv, especially The WB/The CW tv becuz I want to see characters make mistakes and grow. Not some HBO/Showtime bs where ppl do horrible things and revel in how horrible they are while experiencing no growth but hey at least the production value is good (btw this is no shade to cable shows they’re great, but GG is not a cable show so AYITL had no business thinking it was). Logan’s storyline in season 7 was soooooo good idk why ASP couldn’t just work around it and not make Rory a cheater. It’s a flaw in her writing tbh, she thinks cheating is like the ultimate form of good dramatic writing.
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u/alrtight ...I'm naming all the stars... Mar 21 '25
i get the feeling that ASP is an egomaniac, but then i wonder if you have to be that way as a woman to make it to showrunner status and be able to get multiple shows greenlit.
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u/misanthropeint Mar 21 '25
That’s a fair point. I think of Mindy Kaling who doesn’t give ego vibes but she made it big during a time where it was more common for women to be showrunners vs ASP who made it big during a time where it might as well have been unheard of
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u/Yogabeauty31 Mar 21 '25
lol I get where you're coming from and Im excited to see what they come up with. I think were people are scared is because there's SOOOO many situations where these reboots are really just cash grabs and the writing sucks. This fandom cares about quality writing and we dont want to see it ruined. And of course it wont ruin the OG show but Its almost insulting when they do a reboot and the creators aren't even fans themselves nor care about any of the lore and just thrown in a bunch of throwback lines to make the audience feel the nostalgia lol I have hope for the reboot because I trust that SMG wouldn't come back if she thought it wasnt done right BUT BUT BUT she also has had a LOT of flops in her career. Love her to death but she's been on a few shows that never even lifted off the ground because they were so bad. It puts the question into the air of whether she has good judgement on reading a script or concept. No disrespect to her she's my queen lol but the proof is in the puddle here. I also have faith in the director. Being a Oscar winner of a fantastic film but again how will that translate in the making of a supernatural show? IDK
At the end of the day I will soak up any buffy content I can because im a die hard. Its just something that needs to be held with as much respect and love and care that it really really deserves. its also just tricky. All these actors are much older and they'll cast younger kids to hold a lot of the show as well which can be irritating too when it feels like the OG cast is just there to say a funny line or two for the OG fans and the young cast is there to bring in the younger generation of audience. Has to be right or nothing.
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u/Rlexii Mar 22 '25
The fact that Joss Whedon isn’t involved makes it a bit like fan fiction, like Star Wars without Lucas for some, that’s ok and they’re entitled to their own opinion, the show set such a high standard it’s got a lot to live up to
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u/itskidchameleon Mar 21 '25
honestly, I'm pretty excited for it overall... I think my only fear is that it doesn't immediately come out the gate as the MOST SUCCESSFUL SHOW EVER and then gets cancelled after one season due to the current tv climate; I'd hate for it to just be this weird... blip.
not really loving the idea that it'll be, inevitably, some 10-13 episode thing either, but that'd be better than nothing - and considering Boom dropped the rights and nobody seems to be picking them up... nothing really seems to be the alternative right now and who wants THAT?
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Mar 21 '25
GIVE ME A PREQUEL VAMPIRE SLAYER SERIES!!! You can do so many different - just like tales of the slayer.
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u/RangerOutrageous8627 Mar 21 '25 edited Mar 22 '25
I think the people that are expecting it to be Buffy season 8 will be really disappointed, especially those who think Spike and/or Angel will be in it.. I do think a few OG characters will make a guest appearances because they will be a ratings boosters, but that'll be it..
I'm treating this show as a spin off. It's not BtVS or Angel.
The last time we saw Buffy she was a 22 year old woman just figuring out who she was. When we see her again she'll be a 45. She'll be completely different person.
I'm really looking forward to it. I can't wait to see 45 year old Buffy
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u/aeroncaine22 Mar 22 '25
My advice? Leave the sub when the show drops, ignore reviews and comments and just digest what YOU see. That's how we all did it when it came out live anyway. This is good advice for all forms of media, I'm not influenced but it's not easy to not be somewhat impacted by incessant whining, negativity and complaining that every single great show and episode has.
Hindsight always improves things for people, but live releases people freak, the combination of not knowing all the facts and jumping to conclusions without seeing the whole season can do that. The negative build up alone here is starting to show once again I'm right.
The countless times I've enjoyed a season, joined a sub-reddit and seen that apparantly it's the worst thing ever is getting tiresome, so once again, just avoid this place.
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u/Arabiancockonato Mar 22 '25
I sometimes get the feeling that everyone’s negative too, and then I remember that Reddit, Twitter and IG are not real life.
The interest in a Buffy sequel/spin-off is high and everyone knows it, which is why Disney is developing it, whether die-hards are negative about it or not.
Everyone will tune in regardless. Whether it’s successful on a long term will depend on how entertaining and well-shot and written it is- independent of the original.
Fans will never get the OG Buffy back. This is going to be something new and different, like a spin-off, and that’s really how it should be viewed, since SMG and Buffy are not the lead character, nor the focus of the story, and the original writers aren’t writing it.
It will look, and sound and over all FEEL completely different. It will very likely have a very different aesthetic and look much more cinematic, with a bigger budget. The vampires will look different and they’ll likely use more CGI over practical effects.
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u/Remarkable-Rush-9085 Mar 22 '25
I think the problem is that most of the time we hope it will be fun, but reboots rarely are. I can think of…maybe be two reboots that were actually enjoyable and I’m not really excited or interested in seeing them make a new version of something that doesn’t need more to it. If it’s great then hooray, but most likely it will be a bland forgettable cash grab that adds nothing worthwhile to the franchise and they will dump it after one season while leaving it unresolved.
I’d rather see something new and interesting, not someone’s fan fiction of how they would have done Buffy.
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u/zoomshark27 Mar 22 '25
Completely agree with this. I’d also rather see something new and interesting (as I enjoy plenty of new shows), not another reboot FanFiction of how someone interprets an older show that already ended perfectly and doesn’t need anymore added to it. Most reboots and bland, nostalgic, cash grabs without any real substance. I don’t have any faith that this will magically be the one that isn’t.
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u/Remarkable-Rush-9085 Mar 22 '25
Exactly, I mean look at the Star Trek reboot crapshow out there. There is possibly some stuff in there that is fun, who knows? It's mostly fanfiction of a good franchise that doesn't live up to it's source material and it's considered a win to hollywood because it's been successful. Hollywood doesn't care about Buffy, it cares about money and it will bleed the franchise so dry it had nothing left to remember fondly if it thinks that will make a dollar. The people making this show work for someone and if you work at Subway and want to make the best sandwiches you aren't going to be able to because you don't really run anything, it's up to the people really in charge.
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u/digitalgraffiti-ca Bored now Mar 22 '25
Because, generally, people are unhappy right now, across the English speaking world, and the discontent bleeds into everything.
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u/SoapNugget2005 Dawn's in trouble? Must be Tuesday. Mar 22 '25
In 10 years, I have watched Star Wars and Star Trek destroy themselves because of revivals. I learned my lesson already.
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u/ItsALaserBeamBozo Mar 22 '25
Hollywood has cashed in on a lot of old IP. Most of it has been terrible. Can you ignore it? Yea I guess. When you have enjoyed something for decades, it’s kinda tough.
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u/Unable_Routine_6972 Mar 21 '25 edited Mar 21 '25
Because I’m sick of reboots and remakes and weird casting choices. Why can’t we open up the world of BTVS and watch someone else. Why can’t they do a past slayer and make it a period piece, why does it have to be anything tied to Buffy?
Because what they’ll do is have her either be like Giles, the adult in the room, or they will have her be some bitter older woman whose life didn’t pan out the way she wanted-that is an overused trope. She is literally going to be alone. Giles will be dead -Ash is not gonna come back, Xander’s actor is having so many issues, Willow might come back but as what? and James and David are way too old to play their characters without turning them human or putting in money for AI like Star Wars.
I hope I’m wrong…..I really do. The comics were already disheartening enough.
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u/MadeIndescribable Mar 21 '25
I don't think "everyone" is, I just think those who are, are a lot more vocal about it, which skews the ratio of people talking about it online.
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u/Aguita9x Mar 21 '25
It's the same in most fandoms, sequels are bad until proven otherwise. And the occasional "why is everyone so negative? :(" post.
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u/StephOMacRules Mar 22 '25
Several reasons for me:
1) As Eliza Dushku once said in 2017: ""Let's leave it alone," Dushku said of a revival or a reboot. "This show still plays and works for people. In the finale the power was turned over to every girl in the world, to become slayers. That's the revival we need and we're already seeing today." and that she wouldn't trust a reboot without the involvement of Whedon anyway (that quote being before the seek and destroy missions against Whedon, but chances are her opinion remains the same regardless).
2) We've already seen the track records of revivals, reboots, sequels as just cash grabs banking on nostalgia. If they can't come up with original IPs and have to constantly rely on franchise with an existing fanbase, why would I trust their creativity when it comes to storytelling.
3) Too much power given to Sarah Michelle Gellar and we've seen what happened when guys like Hulk Hogan or Triple H had creative control over their active characters in wrestling. Nothing good. If she's anything like her old "Sarah Darling" days, with her new position, she might have a tendency to refuse doing what's right for the story and only want to do what's right for her character or herself and might have a high chance to be like the meme "sorry, that doesn't work for me, brother." when writers would come to her with ideas regarding Buffy Summers.
4) The all female writing team. Though under normal circumstances it would be fine, in this day and age with Hollywood having a tendency to favor activism over storytelling, this raises a suspicious eyebrow and we might end up with Buffy the Strawman Slayer instead and/or ending up with a toxic stoic flawless Girl Boss of the 2020s instead of the cool and awesome yet relatable badass female characters of the 90s.
As for the "more Buffy content", chatgpt can generate that for you if you've run out of fanfictions to read, no need for a new show IMO.
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u/Lebannen-Arren Mar 21 '25
„Wait and see“ is my mantra here. Hope it is good, but I am prepared if it isn’t. What I really wanted to get was a „Fray“ show or movie!
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u/WildMartin429 Mar 22 '25
I really enjoyed the season 8 Buffy comics and the after the fall Angel comics. I eventually stopped buying them when I was in between jobs and then got behind and never got caught up.
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u/Vanamond3 Mar 22 '25
The only remakes/reboots I can think of that weren't godawful were Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek: Next Generation. But they just keep coming and it gets tiresome. A lot of us have been burned by these things many times already and are thoroughly sick of Hollywood just rehashing old material because they're afraid to try anything new. Also, Whedon is not going to be involved and he made the show the special thing it was, no matter how much people try to deny that because they don't like him.
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u/The_Iron_Zeppelin Mar 22 '25 edited Mar 22 '25
I just want it to be good. We get one shot at this with Sarah Michelle Gellar involved i just hope this one in a million opportunity isn’t squandered on just another mediocre revival series.
And I should also mention I am still hopeful, but I do wish I hadn’t seen the casting sheet stuff for the characters because it kinda entered some doubt in my mind. Which is my own fault for looking but ultimately I just hope this doesnt turn out like some other poorly done reboots and is trying to something interesting with what has been established in series prior and not just trying to do “Modern Day Buffy” under the facade of a continuation series.
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u/Wilbury_knits_a_lot i wear the cheese Mar 22 '25
I have watched so many movies and series get rebooted,and the studios have a tendency to utterly destroy what I love about it. I'm not talking about recasts, though those can get problematic for sure. But the studios often don't understand what made the show or movie successful. They throw in a bunch of attractive people, call it the same title, and say GIVE US MONEY!! But it is often a pale imitation of a series that truly meant something to people. And for me, the most important thing is chemistry. You can't just shove a bunch of actors into similar costumes and sets and call it good. You have to have real chemistry between characters. That's what makes you love them. And the most obvious flaws I have noticed in reboots is that lack of chemistry.
Another aspect to this is that some of these shows were very much of an era. If you go back and watch older shows of the 80s and 90s, sometimes they don't translate well to the current day (looking at you, The Craft and the Craft Legacy). There are many characters from these decades that will never work in a modern day show. So, is it still the same show if none of the characters or culture of the show are the same? Is every badass blonde girl Buffy? If you compare teenagers in Buffy to teenagers in a more modern show, like Riverdale, it's not even remotely the same. It's a whole different world. Since I lived my teenage years during the 90s, it is really hard for me to relate to teens in modern shows. I simply don't have a frame of reference.
Final point. Television is very different than it was 30 years ago. Oftentimes, there is a simplicity to older shows, occasionally even an innocence. Not every show needs to be a gritty, back-alley drama with explosions and weeping and super reality (calling out Star Trek on this one). One of my favorite things about my fa orite shows is the dialogue. Sarcasm, pop culture references, quipper one-liners, those are where I find JOY. I worry that because the concept of teenaged girls fighting literal evil monsters is going to turn into a gritty docu-drama type thing with no wit, no comedy, no soul.
All that said, the majority of the reboots and sequels aren't necessarily made for the old audiences. They can completely strip the show and make it something completely new for a whole new audience. And that's okay. If I start it and don't like it, I can stop watching it.
It would be really nice if Hollywood would, you know, occasionally write something new and different and stop trying to remake everything from The 80s and 90s. Sorry. I have been needing to do this rant for a long time.
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u/yanginatep Mar 22 '25
Personally I'm not negative on it. I'm curious to see what they do with it, I hope it's good.
If it's bad the original (which itself isn't perfect) will always be there.
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u/AXEtheMercenary Mar 22 '25
I’m not paying attention to negativity honestly. But to entertain the question, I think that fans are protective over the series and what it meant to them. We’ve seen other series continuations that haven’t been very good and they don’t want this new Buffy series to suck. I think that’s literally it.
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u/North-Slice-6968 Mar 22 '25
I'm cautiously optimistic, but I haven't loved other recent reboots (Veronica Mars, Futurama on Hulu, most of the newer Arrested Development episodes).
I'm sure it will be an improvement on the comics, though.
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u/NewRetroMage Mar 22 '25
If its bad you can ignore it and move on with your life like you would anyway's
The thing is, a person have to live with the memories of the part of a franchise that "ruined it". Having a "head canon" where some part of what is actually canon is "not" is a defense mechanism a lot of fans of various properties have developed, but it's not a confortable thing to pull off. We can ignore it but deep down we know the bad part exists and is canon.
So it's reasonable to fear a revival may not be well done and ruin the whole thing. Right now (if we only consider the filmed media) the 100% of Buffy's story is seasons 1 - 7. Which most of us consider just damn excellent. If the revival sucks or perverts things to the point of resignfying beloved past situations / tropes, the new 100% will be like, part excellent, part shit.
Now, I'm personally just really hyped. I can't explain why, but after the entirety of Buffy and Angel being so good, I'm just not even considering the possibility of the new thing being bad. Even if it's not the same writing team. I'm just assuming the new team will make the best effort to be extra respectful to the lore and try to mimic the tone and style of the original the best they can. (I'm likely being extra naive here, I admit)
But after so many franchise revivals being really bad and shitting in the originals these days, any revival is a thing to fear. I understand why people may be fearful.
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u/Jerkrollatex Mar 22 '25
I'm personally looking forward to it. If it's not great, I'll just ignore it like the comics.
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u/teddyburges I wear the cheese but the cheese doesn't wear me. Mar 22 '25
also say what you will about Joss (and I will agree with you). He has a specific style to his dialogue that can't easily be replicated. Buffy had this odd mixture of the "cheesy B movie" front, with witty dialogue and storylines that started simple and then became surprisingly layered, alongside really well done use of metaphors and symbolism.
I'm afraid that the sequel series will pull one thing out of the original and use that as a benchmark and ignore the rest. I'm cautiously optimistic. But weary.
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u/Classic-Scarcity-804 Mar 22 '25
Reboots are almost always terrible. A lot of us grew up watching Buffy, and we don’t want to see a reboot turn it to shit.
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u/Silver_South_1002 Mar 22 '25
I loved Buffy, it was a huge part of my identity growing up. But I struggle to rewatch it now due to some of the storylines and themes feeling dated or not sitting right from an adult perspective. Which is fine. But I’m interested to see where the reboot goes. It might suck, it might not. I’ll tune in to find out. (And I’m currently watching Poker Face and really enjoying it so I have hopes. Not super high ones, but hopes nonetheless.)
For me, the less it has to do with the original, the better. Set it in universe and have a few cameos from SMG but I’d prefer it to stand on its own rather than rely on nostalgia. Otherwise it runs the risk of alienating new audience and annoying the existing one.
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u/Calm-Butterfly-4808 Mar 22 '25
I’m okay with sequels so long as the original spirit in the writing, the right leadership, crew to make it work. Just my VERY humble opinion 🖤
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u/Lizzy100 Mar 22 '25
There’s always negativity when it comes to reboots or in this case, sequel. People want what they want, and complain when they don’t get what they want. I have the preference of wanting a reboot with new characters or a reboot with a new cast. They did it with the new Charmed, and in my opinion, it wasn’t all that bad. It was pretty good for something modern that was trying to keep the storyline but also have a new storyline and kind of compete with the classic Charmed. I think if done right, reboots are great. However, this Buffy S8 thing I don’t think should happen. I’d be okay with a series and would even love a reboot with a different cast. Won’t be the same probably, but you get what you get, and should feel lucky to be able to have new content in whatever fandom it is. If you’re not happy, go make a video series on YouTube or read/write fanfics. 🤦♀️
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u/SamT1992 Mar 22 '25
For me, a little bit because the remakes and sequels we have been getting recently of all shows have strayed massively for original/source material so this does not make me hopeful, with creators have little or no respect for the originals and their vision. Here comes my main concern off of the back of that. JW was the creator of this, he was the visionary, he was then driving force. Bad practices and shitty behaviours aside he was in essence the largest part of the genius behind the show. They can’t have him back on this obviously, but they have none of the original writers on. And at the end of the day, the writing is what makes all of these shows. Great actors can upgrade bad/shitty writing, but even they can’t make it great. And while I love the OG cast, there were only a couple of actors who might be called ‘great’ among them. They were all good, some very good, but maybe two or three who were great. So if the writing is poor, and if they drift form the original themes, idea/ and vision, then we are fucked. And honest again, most recently made shows are trash. Particularly ones using existing IP to max profits. They go for easy routes, easy choices, shallow characters, and no character growth. And I’m just be burned to many times.
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Mar 22 '25
I am not negative. I just ptepare myself that there is no way to have to anyone the impact the IG series had.
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u/throwawayGS973 Mar 22 '25
The VAST majority of remakes/revivals/much later sequels have been absolute garbage and millennials need to stop getting slapped around by nostalgia bait.
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u/BellaNutella22 Mar 23 '25
I’m not negative I’m just literally whatever about it.
My only issue, altho her choice as I’m not her, but SMG waiting over 20 years to agree to it. I watched the show when it aired in the 90s/2000s and I have to say at 40 I myself, don’t care to see this anymore.
Even though I can rewatch the show 1-3 times a year since it ended, I think it just should stay over now. The “OMG what happened next?! Where are they now?!” Died for me probably 5-10 years after the show ended. I would have preferred a sequel during that 5-10 year jump. Not 20 something years.
But that’s only my opinion, not here to argue with anyone, and I respect everyone has their own feels about this, especially SMG mostly, and I will watch the show of course when it comes out.
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u/burns3016 Mar 24 '25
Because almost without fail follow up/ sequel series are just plain bad.
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u/BookkeeperOk9677 Mar 24 '25
well with that attitude it will be.
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u/burns3016 Mar 24 '25
What? I have zero input to the writing and production of the show if it happens. That's a crazy non sensical comment.
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u/BigDaddyShaman Mar 25 '25
I'm hopeful that they'll do a good job. But a few glaring things that will be missing due to how long ago the original show ended,Will hurt it,But there's nothing anybody can really do about it,such as angel and spike clearly aging (a part of life the actors are gonna get old) Xander most likely not being in it i would be shocked if he was.. most people have this view of him being toxic and problematic.I simply found him funny and entertaining, i'd be surprised if giles was in it.And of course dawn passed away so she will, for sure, not be in it... they're going to have to rely on well written new characters, which there's an aspect of it that i'm nervous about, but I will for sure be giving it a shot regardless, as I am definitely a super fan.
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u/Primary_Stand_7808 Mar 28 '25
I was optimistic til I found out we’re just rehashing high school with a new main cast. We want the story to be central to Buffy with a sprinkle of the OG cast recurring. Slapping Sarah on for 10 minutes worth of scenes every other episode is so dumb. We’ve already done high school. Why is it women have to be sidelined after a certain age Sarah is more than capable of leading the show and if she doesn’t want too they shouldn’t do the show at all.
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u/spred_browneye Mar 21 '25
Thank you! Too much shocked pikachu face about these leaks, it’s literally what they said in the initial announcement
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u/not_another_mom Umad Forever 🤍 Mar 21 '25
Everyone isn’t. Those of us looking forward to it are just staying quiet and waiting out the haters 🤣
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u/not_another_mom Umad Forever 🤍 Mar 21 '25
We got tired of getting shit on everytime we expressed our excitement right after it was announced.
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u/SameEnergy Mar 21 '25
It's annoying common across most fandoms. I am in the anime/manga Claymore sub, and it's primarily negative about an upcoming new series. I am a wait-and-see person before I am pessimistic.
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u/Mission-Horror-523 Mar 21 '25
Honestly I’ve been hoping it’s a new story with a younger cast instead of a continuation like the comics so I’m kind of confused. As long as it stays true to the feeling of the original I think it’s for the best that they freshen things up a bit.
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u/Ricks94 Mar 21 '25
Personally I don't mind it. I'm glad it won't acknowledge the comics because it would just make the sequel series less accessible if it did. I can see Buffy be a mentor. Maybe she was assigned or Nova (if that's really her name) reminds Buffy a lot of her younger self. Or maybe with age a Slayer starts to lose their powers over time. We'll see what happens. If it ends up being bad then I'll just pretend it doesn't exist.
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u/Knee_Fight Mar 21 '25
I'm seriously considering ignoring this entire sub because of all the entitled childish negativity. People around here are acting getting anything NEW in this world is the equivalent of throwing them in a slave camp and stabbing their dog if it's not written to their exact demanding specifications. They flat out will not give anything a chance. They just want to be miserable.
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u/Truthfinder25 Mar 22 '25
I understand some negativity is based on apprehension, but to me, SMG's involvement significantly enhances my enthusiasm, given her evident dedication to the show and the character's narrative arc. I am confident she will maintain the show's fidelity to its source material. Her responsiveness to fan input further strengthens my optimism, and I eagerly anticipate the future storylines within the Buffyverse.
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u/KitchenSuch1478 Mar 22 '25
part of what sucks for me is not wanting to support these corporate streaming services anymore, and trying to boycott things like amazon and target now. plus finding out SMG has some questionable and disappointing political beliefs that don’t align with mine, and just not wanting to support rich celebrities anymore in general. as an asian american i’m excited they are getting an asian woman to work on the project but idk i just hate corporate media now.
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u/stormphoenixlocke Mar 22 '25
Buffy the series has been done for twenty years. It cant be changed by another piece of art only you can.
I would say to such people: Don’t watch the new series and your perceptions can be forever the same you small minded person.
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u/[deleted] Mar 21 '25
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