This post is part of a Buffy Blog Burst. Go check out the index of posts, they’re all worth reading.
I’ve been racking my brain over what to write for the Buffy Blog Burst. In a show that’s already had alternate universes, the death and resurrection of the lead character, a musical, and the hint that the whole thing might just be a delusion, what new angle can you take?
Inspiration finally came while watching another show that I hate to miss, The Sopranos. Actually, all it took was the theme song. Look at these lyrics:
You woke up this morning
Got yourself a gun,
Mama always said you’d be
The Chosen One.She said: You’re one in a million
You’ve got to burn to shine,
But you were born under a bad sign,
With a blue moon in your eyes.You woke up this morning
All the love has gone,
Your Papa never told you
About right and wrong.But you’re looking good, baby,
I believe you’re feeling fine,(shame about it),
Born under a bad sign
With a blue moon in your eyes.You woke up this morning
The world turned upside down,
Thing’s ain’t been the same
Since the Blues walked into town.But you’re one in a million
You’ve got that shotgun shine.
Born under a bad sign,
With a blue moon in your eyes.
The Chosen One? One in a million? Father issues? Woke up one morning to find that the world wasn’t what you thought it was? Hints of violence? Catchy hook and irresistable bass line? Are we sure these are two different shows?
Consider the similarities between the two shows:
- Blood and gore
- Visions of hell (remember when Christopher got shot?)
- Funny accents (Spike, Dru, and Giles on Buffy, pretty much the whole cast on Sopranos)
- Annoying teenage girl (Dawn and Meadow)
- Bad hair (Anya and Willow on Buffy, Adriana and Silvio on Sopranos)
I could go on, but you get the point.
There’s a more serious way in which the two shows are similar, and I’m not talking about the hysterical reaction that certain killjoy groups have for them. I’m talking about their inevitable end, which is surely either this season or next. There’s basically only two possible endings: Death or some form of retirement for the lead character. Since death hasn’t stopped Buffy before, it’s unlikely to be the final act in the future. I don’t know what retirement means for her – it surely means either “prison” or “witness protection program” for Tony Soprano – unless the Council of Watchers can find a way to call forth a new Slayer or get Faith sprung from the joint. They’ll figure something out, I guess.
That’s too deep to contemplate right now. I want to see what the new Sunnydale High School looks like. I want to see how Spike handles having a soul. I want to see if Xander can make it up to Anya for dumping her at the altar, and if Anya can ever forgive him. Is it Tuesday yet?