Into Every Generation... A Fan's Thoughts on the Buffy Reboot

The show Buffy the Vampire Slayer saved my life. It may sound ridiculous—no TV show can affect a person's life to that degree. And that's probably true. "You've got to want to change," et cetera, after all. But consider this: Through Buffy, I met two of my best friends in the world, found my voice as a writer, found a people after having been severely bullied most of my life, gained the courage to pursue my dream of studying in the UK (still the best year ever), and, as John Irving wrote, kept passing the open windows at a very vulnerable time in my teen years. It's no exaggeration to say that if there hadn't been a Buffy, there might not be a me.

So when I read the headline this morning that a showrunner and a team of producers have been contracted to reboot Buffy, my initial reaction was unadulterated rage. Because nope. Even with how problematic Joss Whedon has become, his personal issues don't negate the incredible work that the entire team of writers, directors, crew, and actors put out for seven stellar seasons. (Yes, seven. Don't @ me.) Even the very valid criticisms of the show that have been brought up in hindsight don't change the effect it had on me personally. Or the quality of the show itself, really. No work of art is perfect; it's made to be dissected, and each generation will have a different perspective on something with this kind of longevity.

But I digress. After reading the headline, I tweeted out my anger, read some of what my friends and others had to say, learned the details of the deal, and... had a little think.

I deleted that tweet.

Most of us can agree that this whole reboot phenomenon needs to die. I will never be in favor of a reboot over original work, preferably by #ownvoices creatives who desperately need the visibility. And the cynic in me recognizes that the motivation for these reboots from the studio point of view is that they are known properties with a built-in audience, whereas something new is just that, and therefore a potential failure. Basically, most decisions in Hollywood get made in the hopes that the person making them doesn't get fired. Such a great place to start from, am I right?

That said... One of my favorite shows of all time is Battlestar Galactica. The "new" one, i.e. the reboot of the '70s not-so-classic, re-imagined and vastly improved by the creative genius of Ronald D. Moore and his team.

This Buffy reboot is going to have an African-American slayer and a diverse cast, and is going to be showrun by Monica Owusu-Breen, a black woman who has worked for Whedon in the past. I can't preach diversity from one side of my mouth and condemn this decision with the other. She absolutely deserves her shot at making something great. Young women of all ages and ethnicities deserve to have their Buffy moment, like I did.

Joss Whedon and the original producing team will receive executive producer credits. Not to get too inside baseball, but they likely won't have anything to do with the day to day production of the show. Whedon might advise a bit, but he won't be writing or directing. Also, this was probably done so as not to disrespect the original team and make sure they get a small percentage of the profits, since the new show would be capitalizing on their work.

In terms of the other Whedon problem, when it was announced the other day that Joss would be writing/directing a new show called The Nevers, I remember thinking that if he really wanted to redeem himself in the public eye, he would shepherd some #ownvoices creators instead of playing mastermind. I do still think this is a good idea, now that it's a reality, and I hope it turns out that Monica Owusu-Breen benefits from their collaboration.

Various scandals in the geek community, from Gamer Gate to the Star Wars truthers' fanbabying, have made me think long and hard about the kind of geek I want to be. Do I want to be the kind of whiny, ornery, delusional geek who insists there's a Snyder cut of Justice League and self-finances a re-edit of The Last Jedi to make it "pure"? (Just typing that last sentence made me want to hurl.) That's a resounding "no." It would be hypocritical of me to condemn this reboot while also criticizing that kind of toxic fandom.

So welcome to the Buffyverse, whatever lucky actress gets cast as the chosen one. You've got some serious shoes to fill, but I know you got this. And to Ms. Owusu-Breen, do us proud, make it your own, and stack the cast with all the POC and LGBTQ+ characters of your dreams.

Because this generation of girls will need Buffy more than ever. That's a truth no one can deny.

(And now I'm crying.)

Selina