Latest News - July 16, 2001

Important Dates:

July 9 - First draft of season premiere due to UPN and Fox

    (Source: Poroda at BC&S 5/31/01 )

July 19 - Filming for Season 6 begins. (Unconfirmed, 7-7-01)

October 9 - Season premiere on UPN

    ( Source: Poroda at BC&S 5/31/01; also: AICN 6-12-01)

    Confirmed by UPN, 7-16-01

Tim Minear at the Bronze 7-9-01

Tim Minear says:

Megan, our first episode started prepping this very day. eight days of prep, eight days or shooting. We're back, baby.

Posted by DanRobJim on the SMGFan BB 7-9-01

Ok, this is what I heard that hasn't already been mentioned, that I can find anyway:

Stuff in [ ] is what I'm guessing at from past spoilers that havn't happened yet

Buffy will be ressurected by Willow, Tara's gonna be more than a little annoyed about it and Willow's growing power and her and Willow will have a big fight. Willow put's a spell on Tara to make her forget the fight, however in the musical episode everyone has to tell the truth so Willow tells about the spell, Tara gets really annoyed and breaks up with Willow Willow managed to de-rat Amy. [Being a rat has sent Amy more than a little insane, and is out for revenge on Buffy, although her power isn't as great as Willow's she puts a spell on Willow to believe everything Amy says and go up against Buffy]

Giles will leave as he no longer has a slayer to look after and return to England to work back at the council

The Buffy-bot has been used to cover up for Buffy's absense, but when it get's killed Buffy has to resume full duty. By the musical episode Buffy will realise she can't cope and that she prefered being dead to being alive. She realises that the only person who understands and isn't completely evil this is Spike [Not Angel, as Angel is striving to become more human and isn't really happy being dead].

So in the musical ep Buffy and Spike kiss, I'm not talking like in the first Buffy-bot ep, I'm talking full on kiss. Buffy tries to get on with life as well as possible, but finds she can't do anything as well as she feels Joyce could, when bills start pouring in she seeks advice from the now returned Giles, [he can't really give her the emotional support she needs as he is not sure of who she really is] so she leaves to visit Angel to try to rediscover her humanity

Xander and Anya are still engaged, but just before the wedding Xander gets cold feet, so he concocts a truth spell but things go wrong resulting in the musical episode. Anya somehow manages to get her powers back but realises she still loves Xander no matter how much she tried to hate him, and tries to get him to kill her so she can't put him in danger again, he goes to do it but smashed her power centre again so she is human... again.

Jonothan will return as part of a small group of demon worshippers, using magic to create and control demons, in a similar way to how Giles did back in his Ripper days.

Giles decides to return to the UK for good, but expect him to make guest appearances, this isn't the last we've seen of him

By episode 8 a demon has possesed Buffy, making her unable to work out what is real and what isn't. After attacking Willow, to protect the other scoobies from harm she has herself put into the mental ward of Sunnydale hospital.

Phew, that was long, for a while I didn't think I was gonna find the end.... oh, just found it.

Out Magazine

August 2001 OUT Magazine Cover Story

And he's planning to make it be tter than ever, even though the title character, uh, died in the latest season's finale. But have no fear. Gellar is returning. "Buffy is going to come back," reveals Whedon, who also brought Buffy's true love, Angel, back to life a few seasons ago -- and even gave him his own series. "Yes, it's going to be as difficult and strange as it can be. And Willow's going to have something to do with that." Whedon also says we can expect to see Willow's magical powers grow even stronger next season. "Next year... shit's gonna go down," he says. "We're going to see more strength in Willow than we have before. Her relationship with Tara will continue -- but the course of true love is never easy."

Posted by KC at Crawford Street Mansion 7-9-01

I am not kidding myself that Xander will actually have a storyline either. I am just saying that I can confirm that Anya will become Anyanka at least 3 times this season. Also, add to this Emma's decision to leave and I fear that X will really become a background figure. I mean other than Anya, what story did they ever really give him. Sorry to sound upset but when I think of the way NB has be en treated it upsets me. I mean everyone is showing tremendous growth EXC EPT Xander.

Posted by Ted Casablanca on E!Online 7-12-01

But let's back up first, doll-faces: What I was told merely confirms what that spectacled sweet upstart Wanda (you go, girl!), has already reported: that purty Alyson Hannigan is the one who will save the prime-time day:

"Willow's going to bring her back to life," said the Buffy source who's privvy to next season's shenanigans. "Willow's gotten more and more into magic, and that's how she's going to do it."

Posted by KC on the Crawford Street Mansion on 7-12-01

Season Six Spoilage

*The premire takes place 3 months after Buffy's death. However, flashbacks will show the funeral. You would be suprised who was there and who wasn't.

*The level of power that Willow showed in The Gift has given her the mind-set that she can do anything. Without the knowledge of the others, she has been working on a way to bring Buffy back. Which she does. However its not truly our Buffy. That Slayer is gone for good, however what comes back may be alot more at home with her primal origins. Eventually the power will corrupt Willow and she will become evil.

*An old 'friend' from the 1st season makes a few guest appearances.

*Jonathan will apear in several episodes. He will be featured prominently in episode 4. Written and Directed by Doug Petrie.

*Joss will write a musical Buffy, Episode 6, set to air during sweeps.

*Anyanka will be back, at least three times. The first is accidental, the second intentional and the third will be suprising. Also Emma Caufeild has said to be only signed for a limited run thru Feb. More than likely she will air in the credits. However casting is always subject to change so I will keep you posted.

*I also am not posting anything with Xander until I have proof of it in my hot little hands.

*Spike and Buffy WILL NOT BECOME ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED. No matter how much B/S shippers want it to happen. There will be more of the Spike angst/Slayer tension for entertainment purposes only. It will never become anything so get over it people.

Posted by blarney at jm.com 7-15-01

Hi guys, I received the following spoilers from someone who calls herself "Mole in the Hole" and claims to have seen the Marti Noxon script. I can't vouch for their veracity , but they are interesting since they seem to combine two of the most common theories of Buffy's resurrection

Here's what she had to say:

Willow, Xander, Tara, and Anya are gathered around Buffy's grave. Willow is in the middle of a resurrection spell, and the other look on clearly unhappy. Then there's a flashback of the funeral. Only the immediate SG's are there (no Angel, Cordy, Wesley, or Hank). Giles says a few words, as everyone stands by the grave, except Spike, who's off by himself under some trees to keep out of direct sunlight. Later, they're back at Dawn's house, and we learn that they didn't tell anyone that Buffy died and buried her in a secluded spot because they didn't want the Hellmouth to explode with demon joy. Willow and Tara are staying with Dawn, since they haven't been able to contact Hank yet. They discuss what they're going to do about the slaying, since sooner or later the vamps are going to notice that Buffy's not around, and Willow says she should be able to get the Buffybot up and running in a few days. Giles also announces that he's going back to England for awhile to consult with council on what they're going to do since the world is now effectively slayerless (Faith is still in the slammer).

We get more flashbacks of the Buffybot. She patrols every night, usual ly with Spike to keep her out of trouble. She comes on to him, but he turns her down, saying that it would only remind him that the real Buffy is gone forever. The scenes with Dawn and the Buffybot at the PTA meeting are also shown. When they get home, Dawn tells Willow that she's going to have to reprogram the Buffybot before she dies of embarassment. Willow hug s her and tells not to worry that it won't be for much longer.

Then we get the scenes where Willow is putting together the ingredient s necessary for a complex resurrection spell. She keeps it a secret from everyone, but Anya stumbles on an open book at the magic box and tells Xander. The two of them confront Willow at Dawn's house. Tara stands up for her girlfriend, saying she would never do something like that. However, Willow admits that this is exactly what she's doing, and the spell is already in motion and will be completed that very night.

Everyone begs her put a stop to it, but she refuses, and they all fall quiet as they realize there's nothing they can do to MAKE her stop.

That night they gather around the grave (having chosen not to tell Dawn or Spike, until they know if it works or not). Willow calls for Osiris to let loose Buffy's soul. She puts on a good show, but it doesn't look like it's working; when a biker vamp gang shows up looking for trouble. Willow's too exhausted from the resurrection spell to help; so after a brief scuffle, the SG's run for it, with the biker gang in puruit. When every one's gone, the camera closes in on Buffy's grave and suddenly, a hand explodes out of the ground.

Back at Dawn's house, Willow instructs the Buffybot to find the biker gang and take care of them. Dawn comes down the stairs and asks them what 's going on. They lie, telling her it's just the usual vampire stuff; not hing to worry about.

Meanwhile, Buffy, covered in dirt and grass, wanders aimlessly around Sunnydale, until she comes upon the Buffybot doing battle with the bikers. She watches from the shadows, where they can't see her. Buffybot hold s her own for awhile, but then one of the biker's hits her in the back of the head with a crowbar. She falls and the others are all over her, tearing her to pieces. They're confused because she's a robot, but they're overjoyed that they've killed the slayer. As the biker vamps ride off singing, "Ding dong the Slayer's dead!", Buffy comes out of the shadows and walks over to examine the remains of the Buffybot. She picks up one of it's arms and examines it; then she drops it and walks off.

Spike sits at the top of the tower that Buffy jumped to her death from , and weeps in a touching, yet manly way. He looks up, and Buffy is standing beside him. He's speechless. Rising to his feet, he hesitantly reache s out to touch her arm. Seeing that she is real, he asks her how it happened. Buffy doesn't answer, so he says it's best to take her to Willow. Ta king her by he hand, he gently leads her down the tower.

The gang is at Dawn's house, not in the best of moods, when Spike comes in, leading Buffy. Dawn comes out of the kitchen at that moment, sees her sister and cries, "Buffy!" and rushes forward to hug her. The others gather around, but Buffy makes no kind of response to any of them. Spike gives Willow an accusing stare and says, "You did this didn't you? You turned her into a zombie."

Meanwhile across town, Doc carries a tray of food into a bedroom. The girl in the bed sits up and we see that it's Buffy. He asks her if she's all right now, and she says she feels fine, but still can't remember anything. He answers that she'll get her memories back soon, and she needs to rest since they have big plans for tomorrow night. She smiles and says, "Okay, daddy, if you say so." Doc kisses her on the forehead and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. Standing outsite her room, Doc smiles and his eyes go black. He says, "Now that she's returned, the world's going to see something new. Oh yes, indeed, something very new."

That's the end of the Noxon script. Mole in the Hole says she hasn't been able to get hold of the fury script yet; but will contact me if she does.

Posted by Herc on AICN Talk Back 7-15-01

I'm not sure saying Buffy "retu rns" or "is resurrected" is strictly wrong, unless you'd also forbid those terms with regard to Spock after "Star Trek III." My understanding all along is that the Buffy who's buried will stay buried, but Willow will conjure a shiny new slayer who will look and feel just like Buffy and have all have all the Buffster's memories (and then some). It's also strongly implied that this "new" Buffy has the original's "soul," whatever that is . On a different matter, the Buffybot literally comes to be "quartered" by Razor's demon bikers when four of the cyclists each take a different robot limb and drive off in four different directions. Nothing that would stop the Terminator or RoboCop, perhaps, but one senses Team Whedon isn't keen on keeping the 'droid on as a regular scoob...

Posted by WriteGuy on AICN Talk Back 7-15-01

These Angel spoilers are...

Comment:

...On the money. As for Razor over on "Buffy," he's not the 6th season Big Bad because there isn't a Big Bad for this coming season. Razor will be slain by the end of the two-part episode. Buffybot appears for one last appearance but she will be totally, undeniably destroyed by the end of the premiere. Buffy is dead and won't be resurrected from the grave. The Buffy Summers who lived from Seasons 1 thru 5 is gone forever, folks. But Buffy will return. Confused? Well, let's just say "return," "resurrect, " "revived" and other similar terms aren't accurate ways to describe how Josh is going to pull this off. (It's nothing like the method they used to bring back Agent Mulder last season, and, no, there's no time travel or parallel universe shit, by the way.) I won't spoil it, sorry, and I do know. Stay tuned.

Posted on SciFi Wire on 7-16-01

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2001-07/16/11.00.tv

Whedon Tips Buffy Spoilers

Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, told SCI FI Wire that he will revive the titular character--who died at the end of last season--in the show's two-hour premiere on UPN Oct. 9. "When you bring somebody back to life, ... you have a lot of disbelief," Whedon said at UPN's fall preview meeting in Pasadena, Calif. "You have to always make the characters feel the way the audience does. You have to make it difficult. You have to earn it. You have to just get in there and make it very visceral. ... It's not going to be simple. It's not going to be breezy. It's not going to be a cheat. We did this knowing that we were going to have to bring her back, and ... we're going to have to do it legitimately and with integrity." Whedon added that the show won't rely on a Dallas-like gimmick to bring Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) back to life. "No," Whedon said. "Dallas was lame."

The premiere will contain a brief recap of the show for viewers new to the series since its move from The WB. Whedon added that the show will likely not have any crossovers with its sister series, Angel, which remains on The WB. "We had a couple of notions that were a little embryonic, but it was never crucial," Whedon said. "And I very much wanted the shows to stand on their own."

Among other changes in the upcoming season: Willow (Alyson Hannigan) will assume more of a leadership role in the Scooby Gang, as well as returning more to her computer-geek roots; Willow and Tara's (Amber Benson) relationship may undergo changes; and Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) will appear only as a recurring character. Anya (Emma Caulfield) will take over the Magic Shop in the wake of Giles' return to England, and there will be no new Slayer called as a result of Buffy's death--the line now goes through Faith, who was called the last time Buffy died, Whedon said. (In response to a question about spoilers on the Ain't It Cool News Web site, Whedon said some were accurate and others were not, but didn't detail which were which).

Join me in the Crypt of Decryption:

First of all, I included Tim Minear’s comment about the shooting schedule because I think it in part confirms that BtVS is likely to start filming this week.

We get several indications that Herc’s AICN spoilers regarding Willow’s role in Buffy’s resurrection are correct. First, and most importantly, Joss says so. Second, Ted Casablanca is told the same thing. This confirmation lends credibility to Herc’s spoilers.

However, Joss also tells SciFi Wire that some of Herc’s information is wrong. This could mean that the outline of the first 8 episodes is incorrect. Then again, Herc could have a few minor details wrong, and Joss may be hanging his denial on those.

Interestingly, KC’s spoilers and those from "Mole in the Hole" sound very similar. Mole in the Hole’s account of the premiere matches KC’s claim that the premiere will take place 3 months after the funeral but that there will be flashbacks. One possible reason for this is that Mole in the Hole wrote his/her own fanfic based on already-seen spoilers. However, it may also be the case that KC/MitH are accurate. Nothing either writes contradicts more reliable spoilers from Joss and Herc.

Where things get muddy is when we look past the premiere. Everyone pretty much agrees that Willow will resurrect Buffy. But additional details are mixed. Will Willow resurrect her from the grave or will she conjure up Buffy another way? Will Amy be de-ratted? Will Xander and Anya get married during November sweeps?

And more importantly, Buffy and Spike–will they or won’t they?

Sorry, folks–these questions remained unanswered for now. I am still giving Herc the best odds for having the correct spoilers.

Do you want to:

Correct me? Yell at me? Praise me? Send me spoilers or inside info?