#buffy the vampire slayer: every generation

[brown-eyes-blue]

I'm a normal person.

[madlovenovelist]

#bookporn #coverlove

With so many new titles coming out in the Buffyverse lately I think it’s time for a re-watch. Has anyone read a novel set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe yet?

[oveliagirlhaditright]

This is definitely one of my favorite parts of the "In Every Generation" series. Frankie reminds me of her mother a bit here:

But also Buffy of course, too.

Which is fitting, because author of the series, Kendare Blake, has described Frankie's personality as a mix of Willow, Buffy, and Sailor Moon. LOL.

[co-mixed]

One Girl in All the World: a super spoilery review

There’s a non-spoiler review on my insta but here I’m planning to go all out. I wanna share my thoughts on all the things that were going through my mind while I was reading, but because there were too many, I’m just gonna talk about some. 

In Every Generation was exactly what I wanted the canon to be. Picking up after the show’s been off the air for a while (a long while), not focusing on what happened to the majority of main characters (but briefly hinting at that), and telling the story of a slayer (or the slayer). 

And One Girl continues this tradition, putting Frankie against a new Big Bad. 

Here come the spoilers so go on ahead if you’ve read the book. 

The story

It feels like season 2, where Frankie already has her slayer routine down, has her Scoobies in check and training, and a demon to swoon after. I guess, for a slayer, this would be what passes for normal life. First of all, this all fits in well with Buffy s2. It definitely gives off the same vibe and, what I like most, the Big Bad is not ancient evil like the Countess, but something more personal – a slayer. Or rather a band of slayers with Vi, which makes it personal for Hailey, and Aspen as their leader, which makes it personal for Frankie (because she’s Grim’s evil ex although he himself may or may not be evil, so…). And the fact that Buffy’s disappeared makes it personal for everyone else. 

Of course, you don’t trust the sappy “I want to give the power back” from Aspen. You buy it from Vi, but we know her. Vi isn’t evil but she’s traumatized which I love as a concept because we never got to see the real impact of surviving the first with no slayer power to back you up. And those girls went through hell. Just getting the power doesn’t make you strong and doesn’t make you a hero. 

But Aspen wasn’t there, and she’s the other side of that coin - when you get the power you might want more. I think I called it right away through all of the hints at her personality. Which are brilliantly done, I can almost see how it could have happened in the show, somewhere mid-season. So Aspen is the evil slayer who recruited a bunch of others, including Vi, for her cause that is seemingly humanitarian but really just a power grab. I actually see Kennedy trying to pull something like that and not just because she’s irritating, but because she’s too power-hungry. Alas, it’s not her. It’s Aspen, who skillfully invents just enough propaganda to brainwash a bunch of slayers who weren’t in s7 and are nowhere near Buffy’s inner circle.

Speaking of Buffy, she’s alive (which no one tells Dawn, which IS classic Willow to be fair), and imprisoned in another dimension. This is a good balance between where we need her to be – not in this story, and where we can’t in good faith put her – in the ground (again! Third time’s a charm). And this is very fair, since Buffy has no place in this particular story. No matter, at what point she shows up, she will immediately draw all attention to herself. She is a great motivation and role model for Frankie, and in a way, it would’ve made every bit of sense to me even if she was dead. Yeah, I love Buffy and don’t go all you’re betraying the icon for a new kid. But as long as Buffy’s alive, it would be hard to let her go and follow another slayer. 

And the inevitable question of who she ends up with? It shouldn’t really be resolved. That’s it on Buffy because see? She’s already taking up too much time, and this isn’t even her story. 

So Frankie’s up against slayers which is scary and unfair and seems impossible. 

To make things worse, she’s up against an army of familiar demons. And here is one of the things I love: every book tries to namedrop the demons we know: Fyarls, M’Fashniks, hellhounds, etc. Most do it randomly and aggressively and you feel slightly irritated. This one gives you a damn good reason with the beacon and doesn’t really focus on the demons as much as their impact. And the “greatest hits” comment is very well deserved.

The swim team tho… that really made me laugh out loud and with joy. It’s like every easter egg is done in a very loving manner. I love that, and while it doesn’t hit at nostalgia (because I just finished a rewatch and because I watched the show 8 times in 3 years), it does tie in to the history of Sunnydale. 

Frankie and her Scoobies are up to the challenge though, and with a little help from their friends and adults, they defeat demons with blunt force and slayers with smarts. Which really sums up Frankie and establishes her as her own slayer with her own approach. She has the “I’m not Buffy” moment and I love her for owning that. And once again, this follows the show in a smooth manner. Something similar, mind you, already drove Faith to evil, so could we stop comparing slayers? 

The story is wholesome like a tv season, so you feel like you’re still watching the show. And its ending leaves so many stories to be told. I am really not ready for this to be just a three-book story. 

The Characters

Always my favorite part. 

Are we the grownups?

I watched Stranger Things just last year and the thing I loved most is that it feels like a ya show, but it has several arcs for several groups of characters with different ages thus avoiding the absent parent issue that used to be a staple for ya. 

This same thing happens in both IEG and OGIATW. Only the adults are actually involved where it matters. We know these adults and we know how it used to be only their thing. Yeah, they had Giles also, but he was still very much a watcher, an authority. And Willow and Oz, they feel much more like how we feel now. Relatable. They still don’t know what they’re doing (because who ever does?) and they have to combine parenting with the supernatural stuff. They wonder how Joyce and Giles managed (they drank). This hits close to home whether or not you have kids. And immediately you can put yourself in Willow and Oz’s shoes. 

How mature are any of us anyway? 

There’s their relationship as well, that’s brought up again in this book. The fragile co-parenting thing on top of their past. It’s lovely how this gets resolved and then Sarafina shows up to both complicate and uncomplicate things. Again, like in the show, life is happening and it feels cozy.

The kids are alright 

The only issue I have with this book is there’s not enough room for everything that I wanna know. I wanna spend more time with these characters, hang out with them between patrols more and I understand that that’s simply impossible in just one book. But some side stories would sure be nice. Tell them in comics because I don’t see much fan art and I want to see fan art. I think I’m most impressed by their non-toxic dynamic. Buffy, Willow, and Xander managed to be terrible to each other and never address them. We still love them, (except for Xander) but we call this out daily. Frankie, Hailey, and Jake are not that at all. They are supportive and open, and that helps them. That’s why when Frankie’s with Jake before the final battle, getting their kindergarten magic, it seems natural and honest. If they ever turn on each other, there better be a damn good reason.

Frankie 

This girl is fantastic. I already covered her slayer side and her skill. But I’m yet to talk about who she is. Which is something she herself is trying to figure out, and like most teens, she compares herself to others. Like most teens, she looks at herself through a magnifying glass and finds herself lacking. But she learns to appreciate it and sticks to her own style. That’s so useful coming from a teen character who isn’t confident. Gaining that confidence without relying just on superpowers (because so what if she’s a slayer, who isn’t?) is what Frankie does flawlessly.  

There’s also first love (in her case it’s really more hormones than in Buffy’s). Still, all the similarities are done in such a hilarious way when everyone around her says “No, no, no!” (except Hailey who’s all “Go for it!”). I love how it dawns on Willow that she used to be that same support group for Buffy. But Frankie did indeed, inherit the main Slayer gene with going for the dark broody type who may or may not be evil. And there’s something both mature in the fact that she understands this ambiguity right away, and her incredibly immature teen-crush attitude. 

While many may say that it was the same for Buffy, I can’t agree. Buffy was more independent by that point, her life was entirely different, and she continued to grow in that relationship. Also, 200 years vs 2000 is a considerable difference. But you know what, we aren’t talking about that, and not ever in comparison to real life. 

Back to Frankie and her hot demons. She has her own way of dealing with relationship issues, and that’s a damn straightforward one. I admire that, and to me, this is one of the things that modern teens probably do better than we used to. There are fewer games and assumptions. Still, even with that, a teen is a teen, so she isn’t wise beyond her years and she will make mistakes.

Hailey 

The dynamic between sisters, especially conflicted, is something I had no doubt Kendare Blake could manage. After Three Dark Crowns and (earning redemption for Kat of all people), that is a given. Hailey is the “powerless” one of the bunch. But she works hard and she is a very formidable opponent even for demons. She has a lot going on too, with the new relationship that seems to be going well prior to meeting the parent. And that’s a timeless issue, I mean when was it ever not an issue? Expectations are absolutely always in the way and she ends up in this annoying limbo where she wants to know what Sig is thinking but he doesn’t let her. And like so many of us, she takes the only exit we know – push ‘till you get the answer. Is that right or not? I mean, who really knows? 

Now there’s an irreparable strain on her and Sig, and Sarafina might go away but the issues won’t. 

See, High school is still hell doesn’t matter whether you’re actually in class. 

Jake

Jake also has things to sort out. First of all, with his wolf: he wants to get the level of control Oz has, but is he doing it for the right reasons? This can be a metaphor for a lot of things, especially in your teens. But he’s trying to grow up faster and become more of use. While no one actually knows how it would work for him. I honestly even forgot that he was born a werewolf, and we haven’t seen that yet. But I love that with this book Buffy lore is getting richer.  

The other thing for Jake is his feelings for Sam (who’s still wondering why Spike didn’t let him join the D&D campaign). Sam is Jake’s friend, we already met him, and here has his first encounter with the demonic creatures. He is gonna have a tough choice to make and had it been a show, imagine the drama. But so far it seems like their relationship is gonna go fine, they both like each other and have things to discuss and figure out. I keep saying it feels like season 2, and it does because of these little things. That’s why I want more time with these characters, they have their own sectors of life that are so exciting.

Spike (neither a kid nor an adult really)

I was thinking of throwing him in with the adults but come on, it’s Spike. If you missed him for what he was in the show, then don’t sleep on this series. It’s literally the same character: he’s not an overly romanticized love interest, he is still recalling the good old days when he ate people, he attends a poetry club (which is both funny and perfect for him), he’s irresponsible when it comes to his day job (rebel). And you can bet he will try to look cool when there’s a chance of seeing Buffy again. 

Not to compare but the things that irritated me in Big Bad and Bloody Fool for Love (neither book is bad but I prefer both vampires closer to canon) are averted here. You instantly recognize the Spike you know. And his Watchering… well let’s just say we could argue whether his statement from the first book is true and Wesley was the worst. I mean both got rogue slayers on their hands, and he is still learning how to be the good Watcher with Frankie. But no one is perfect and he’s at least getting closer. 

Personally, I think Robin Wood would’ve been the perfect Watcher. Much better than Andrew.

To sum it up:

The story continues to metaphorize teen experiences.

It works well for both old and new Buffy fans, and for every generation.

Every character we know feels absolutely true to who they should be by now. 

Lore gets expanded and some theories even bring more sense to the go show. 

New Scoobies are established and going strong.

There are hints at future character arcs and a strong idea of what’s at the core of the next book.

As far as expansions on the canon go, this one is perfect in every sense.

[grinchwrapsupreme]

Hate to say it, but I think seeing the musical episode of Buffy multiple times before I ever saw Repo! had an impact

[spuffybot]

I’m reading Evan Ross Katz book, Into Every Generation and it is really really good, I just wish his personal dislike of Spuffy didn’t overshadow his deep dives into the series. I think he did an excellent job of digging into the beautiful nuances (both good and bad) of Bangel and he even left me rethinking how I view Buffy and Riley, but his dislike of Spuffy (and seemingly James Marsters) really colors his descriptions of Spike / the impact of that relationship on the series and on Buffy.

Granted, he interviews many people who really get why Spuffy resonates for so many fans (Stacey Abrams for example) and so it’s not a completely one sided take. And overall the book is amazing, and I certainly don’t have a problem with him disliking Spuffy as a ship or even Spike as a character, but you can’t deny he’s pivotal and that their relationship is an important part of the series.

I’m only up to season 5 in the book though, so I’m curious to see how he talks about Season 6 (I’m prepared for it to be harsh) and even more curious how he talks about Season 7, a season that contains nearly all of my favorite Spuffy moments.

I’m sure he won’t go into the comics in this book which is a shame, because I don’t think anyone can read those and not feel like Buffy and Spike are truly in love, even if you hate their dynamic on the show.

[betterbooksandthings]

One Girl in All the World by Kendare Blake

One Girl in All the World by Kendare Blake packs a punch with even more witty banter, slayer-related injuries, and things that go bump in the night. Book two in the ya urban fantasy series, In Every Generation series, continues to follow Willow’s daughter Frankie Rosenberg and her Scoobies in Sunnydale as they avoid the end of the world.

The novelized continuation of Buffy The Vampire Slayer has all the fun of the 90s show with a look at the newest generation of slayers and scoobies and the old group all grown up. Want to see Spike the watcher librarian working at a high school media center? Maybe you want to catch up with OZ razing his cousin, the lovable werewolf lacrosse player Jake. Perhaps you want to check in on Willow who is finally settling into what it really means to be the mom to a slayer, especially one who has a crush on a daemon who is broodier and too immortal to date her daughter.

Overall, the book is a great time. I am for sure biased as a Buffy fan. I also really enjoyed Slayer by Kiersten White. In general, although much can be said about the terror that is Joss Whedon, I really do love the Buffyverse and the original group at the center of it all. This book takes the lore from the show and really builds a compelling mystery behind what happened to the missing slayers. I think the big bad was really believable and the pacing of their reveal really paid off. Also, I really must give all my love to the Frankie, Jake, Hailey, and Sigmund dynamics. I walked away from book 2 with a really strong sense of character for a frankly large cast. Kendare Blake has the skill you have to have to pull something like that off without having a side character feeling small or underdeveloped. I eagerly look forward to seeing how everything wraps up in book 3, but until then, the stakes remain high.

[becomingbuffypodcast]

Behind the scenes of “The Prom”

During the days when the actual prom scene was shot, the weather varied from drizzle to pouring rain, making makeup, hair, and costumes that much more difficult. Buffy's prom dress was designed by couturier Pamela Dennis, by request from Sarah Michelle Gellar. Gellar could not sit down while wearing the dress. “We looked at Pamela Dennis’ look book, and we came across three that were our favorite, and then the executive producer and Pamela and everyone agreed that this was the one. And I even had the matching clip in my hair to match the brooch. Aly just looks so beautiful and the men look very handsome.” “I feel like that moment in particular has gone down as one of the major moments in sort of the mythology of the series. I remember after it aired someone told me that the monologue had made a friend of theirs cry, and I was like, ‘oh my God.’ I was so overwhelmed. Because I was never a hot actor—physically hot nor hot in demand. It was never easy for me. It was always a struggle—and by struggle, I don’t mean the work, I mean, getting work. And so anytime anyone would say ‘Oh I saw you on Buffy and really liked it,’ it always was so meaningful to me.” -Danny Strong in "Into Every Generation" by Katz

[metrogeek]

@metrogeek

[tossawary]

There is something so funny to me about "Monster of the Week" format sci-fi and fantasy shows that are stuck in one location, especially when the supernatural is hidden from general society for whatever reason and that location is just not big enough to even have a hope of properly covering any of this stuff up. Like, if weird shit is regularly going down in one corner of New York City, then some people in that neighborhood are still going to notice that something is up, but you can handwave some of the usual "why does anyone with any ability to move still live here?!" due to the fact that it's a big, anonymous city where a lot of people don't really know any of their neighbors very well.

But with smaller towns? Whatever this town may have been originally crafted to be gets transformed and/or retconned by the wild stuff that happens over the course of the show. Sometimes this is purposefully done by the writers and sometimes not! The plot changes the location as much as it does the characters, whether you like it or not!

(I don't mean to say that big cities in sci-fi and fantasy cannot be similarly transformed. The NYC of comic book universes very much becomes a different place with teenage mutant ninja turtles running around fighting demons and people from space. And it's hard to beat what Gotham City has going on! And weird shit does absolutely happen in small towns too! I just think this genre effect is even more pronounced and maybe funnier in smaller towns where these things are supposedly "a secret".)

Sunnydale, California, in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" becomes this place where half of the town have to know about the supernatural or are supernatural themselves. The Hellmouth has changed this place into something that is now in many ways just pretending to be "A Normal Town". And it gets so ridiculous that the show partially acknowledges it by making jokes and going with this flow.

People in Metropolis in "Smallville" must think that Smallville, Kansas, is Secret Meth Lab Central or something with the way that buildings are blowing up and people get killed every few months. The quaint name of this town is doing SO MUCH heavy lifting for its reputation here. Clark Kent says that he's from Smallville in this universe and some people go, "Ha, a real farm boy, huh? Hope you're not finding the big city too tough for you!" and other people must immediately go, "Oh, shit. You've definitely seen a murder victim before." And Clark can only be like, "...Yeah... :("

[oveliagirlhaditright]

I love how Kendare Blake, author of the "In Every Generation" series was pitched the novel by Disney-Hyperion and told certain things that she had to write in it/they wanted in the series, but she was free to do anything else she wanted with it.

But one of the major things, of course, was that there was going to be this explosion at this event that all of the Slayers went to--presumably killing them all--that would cause Frankie to be the new Slayer.

And apparently Kendare was basically like, "Cool, cool... but you know that Buffy's not really dead, right?"

And since no one contradicted her adding that condition on there in her e-mails to them, she went ahead and went with it. God bless her.

[bluehairlaunch]

This is definitely written more like a longform buzzfeed article than a book and little of its contents are new or even difficult to find information, but I found it worthwhile. The author pontificates at the end on whether or not the art can be separated from the artist. Into Every Generation is largely about the elephant in the room, Josh Whedon, although it also has a healthy serving of the author fanboying over Sarah Michelle Gellar (spoilers: it's warranted). The many shortcomings of the series are also given a welcome spotlight.

By the end I felt done with Buffy. Every episode has Josh in some way. Every episode has Xander in some way. Xander actor comes across as extra despicable and pathetic in this btw

[candicepatton]

GET TO KNOW ME ☆ [13/∞] favourite television shows » buffy the vampire slayer

in every generation there is a Chosen One. she alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. she is the Slayer.

[forgiveness-in-the-misery]

The bathroom scene from Buffy the Vampire Slayer still stands out objectively as just one of the worst things in a show or movie.

The idea of reminding the audience that Spike is a villain doesn’t work that deep into the narrative, but even then there were a million other ways to display him being evil or morally conflicted, ways that didn’t involve a out of pocket attempted rape scene.

Place aside filming it made both actors uncomfortable and both to this day are still pissed about the entire thing and how bizarre and random it was.

The scene didn’t have weight. It was sudden and gross and hellish and then sort of slowly became just this thing. Nothing about it was handled well narratively speaking.

Plus it being what drove Spike to end up accidentally receiving a soul. Other than temporarily driving him insane with guilt a soul made no major difference in Spike as a person. Spike had never been a good vampire, he wasn’t good at being a man in the era he was born into and he wasn’t good at being a vampire.

As a human he was gentle and shy and soft and lovely. Traits that had him mocked and teased and pushed out, seen as “strange” and “unmanly”. Then we see him as a vampire and he’s unique as Dru is unique, he is beyond capable of love. This man, this monster fucking loves intensely and it is his biggest trait as soon as he is introduced.

He is nothing like Angel. Angel as a human was a rude sexist drunk and a bit of a prick. Angel as a vampire was as demonic and horrendous as any monster could be, even with Dru he drove her insane then turned her, he can pretend he loves her just to toy with her, but he would kill her if she proved useless to him. Being cursed with a soul is solely the only thing making him a “good” person. Every time he loses his soul he is dangerous.

But Spike isn’t like that. Even before being chipped, even before the soul he was complicated and complex, he was protective and intense and emotional.

The show if Whedon hadn’t been insistently bizarre about Spike could have explored so much that was already laid out. What does a soul even mean? What does it mean if Spike sand soul is capable of compassion and guilt and love and kindness? That he can break down sobbing when Buffy died, that to honor a promise to a dead woman he watched after her teenage sister? What does it mean that Angel without a soul uses every kindness and softness Buffy and Giles and others showed him against them? That her vulnerability becomes something he can torment her with.

What does a soul mean or matter in this case? Is Angel a good person in any real capacity? His soul given to him as a curse is genuinely the only thing making him be good. And there is something about that that makes Angel terrifying as a character for me. Don’t get me wrong I love Angel good or evil, I love him more in Angel the series, but in general it is difficult to really take him necessarily as good.

While Spike on the other hand is more in line with a human, he isn’t good or bad. He is traumatized and hurt and angry and in love and so human despite having a demon soul.

And these complexities could have been explored. Not a pull it out of left field sexual assault scene.

[charmedslayer]

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1997–2003) 20 Year Anniversary — “Chosen” — aired May 20, 2003

So here's the part where you make a choice: What if you could have that power... now? In every generation, one slayer is born... because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men. This woman is more powerful than all of them combined. So I say we change the rule. I say my power... should be our power. Tomorrow, Willow will use the essence of the scythe to change our destiny. From now on, every girl in the world who might be a slayer... will be a slayer. Every girl who could have the power... will have the power... can stand up, will stand up. Slayers... every one of us. Make your choice. Are you ready to be strong?