Why does Joss Whedon hate me?

[ozmissage]

So I got up this morning, checked my email and received a nice little comment on my Charlie/Oz piece from a girl who liked the story, but didn’t know who Oz was. Me being a crazy Oz fan went off to find a link to show her his awesomeness and wound up at the Buffy wiki. I intended to copy the link and head back over to LJ to share when I decided to skim it and see what the article says…biggest mistake I’ve made so far today.

What follows is a rant of epic proportions that includes spoilers for the farce that is Buffy Season Eight: The Comics I Have to Go Burn Now Much As Tim Did When He Broke Up With George Lucas in That One Episode of Spaced. Ahem. It also includes me being slightly irrational. I recognize this fact and have decided I’m okay with it.

Okay, so I’ve been having issues with these blasted comics since day one, but I read them because I love the characters and I love Joss. Now I have fallen behind recently because since I returned home I lack access to a comic book shop, but I was planning on purchasing the TPBs soon. So not happening now.

Oz is married to some chick named Sally Moonbeam (okay not really…but it sounds like a made up name) and he has a kid named Kayden (sadly not made up.) He lives in the Tibetan mountains. They domesticated Oz. I just…Why? Note to Joss: I have read that fanfic and I didn’t like it then either.

I heard awhile back that Oz was returning, which brought me great happiness. See I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this but Oz is not just my favorite Buffyverse character. He’s my favorite character. Period. I’ve had this epic, irrational love for him since I was sixteen that has not waned once in the past seven years. When he left the show it absolutely broke my heart. To this day, I can not watch “New Moon Rising”.

You think I’m OTP about Sawyer/Juliet? Heh. You should have seen me back in my Willow/Oz heyday. Eventually, I grew to love Tara but in the beginning there was much raging and annoyance. Because, Willow/Oz man. His whole damn life he never loved anything else. Okay he was nineteen when he said it, but still.

Anyway, I didn’t expect him to spend the rest of his life pining (okay…maybe the schmoopy sixteen year old part of me did), but I did expect something more interesting than, hey look he runs a werewolf coven and has a kid.

See in my head this is what happened to Oz: he left Sunnydale and embarked on a nomadic existence. He went from town to town playing his guitar and helping out random townsfolk (kind of like a stoic Bruce Banner without the anger issues). One time he joined a traveling circus just for kicks. There were girls, some of whom he liked. Maybe there were even a couple of guys. After Sunnydale turned into a crater he got a call from Xander and met up with him in Africa for awhile and helped out with the whole slayer thing. Willow never knew because she was apparently still too busy sleeping with Scrappy Doo to ask. (I know you like to kill people Joss, so why in heaven’s name is there still a Kennedy? Did I smite you in a previous life?) Every couple of months he dyes his hair blue. Just in case.

He does not settle down in a hippie commune and have a kid. Just no. Not canon, Whedon. Do you hear me? NOT CANON.

I realize my reaction is not a sane one, but I’ve been waiting for him to come back for so long and this is what they come up with? There are many, many things that have annoyed about the comics (Dawn’s a giant. Giles/Faith. Xander has yet another dead girlfriend---he should start a support group with Sayid. The Buffy/Satsu relationship of randomness. Kennedy is still there…seriously, couldn’t Willow date Satsu? I actually like her.) This is the final straw though. You don’t screw with Oz, Joss. You just don’t.

 

Sorry about that. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to weep silently in the corner for awhile.

Comments

[elliotsmelliot.livejournal.com]

That does seem wrong. I did not get very far in the comic - maybe 3 issues? I find it hard to read the comic format but I was willing to give it a try for a Buffy fix.

That OZ plot seems lame. I like your version better. Does your Oz love explain your user name?

Kennedy is still there…seriously

Blerg.

Giles/Faith

What???????

[ozmissage.livejournal.com]

Heh, that's what I get for being non-specific. Faith works with Giles now, Buffy and Giles had some sort of falling out (that to my knowledge hasn't been explained, but I am several issues behind.)

Yep. My Oz love is the reason for my username. People usually think I miss Australia. ;)

Not only is Kennedy still there, but Joss apparently thought fans were clamoring for the return of Riley. I just...have no words.

[valhalla37.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I wasn't super-pleased with how the series ended -- and honestly, Buffy kind of lost me by the last season -- but I've steadfastly avoided the comics because of stuff like this.

Poor Oz (I liked Tara, and her and Willow were cute, but I always, always preferred Willow/Oz) ... and Kennedy. BLAAAAAH. She sucks.

[ozmissage.livejournal.com]

Tara really grew on me in seasons 5 and 6, but I never loved any Buffyverse ship like I loved Willow/Oz. I'm definitely done with the comics now.

Kennedy is quite possibly the most annoying television character I've ever encountered. She's definitely in the top five.

[mollivanders.livejournal.com]

Xander has yet another dead girlfriend---he should start a support group with Sayid.

LOL :) I never got in to Buffy but I can empathize with character destruction. *shakes fist at Joss for all things Wash*

[ozmissage.livejournal.com]

Poor Wash. Sigh. Joss kills everybody.

[eccentrici.livejournal.com]

I usually don't comment in stranger's journals, but I was cruising for Oz fans and ran across your rant.

I've been reading the Buffy comics in TPB from my local library, but when the return of Oz was announced, I immediately hit up eBay and ordered the issues. For me, BTVS was all about Oz. I watched all the seasons but still, it begins and ends with Oz. So I was excited when the comics finally arrived on my doorstep.

I pretty much had the same reaction as you did. Could they have thought up a less imaginative storyline for Oz? And if renegade werewolves are after you, shouldn't you freaking leave? And why can't artists draw Oz? Half the time, he looks like Andrew.

Actually, his wife should be named Regina Redshirt because you know Joss will kill her off for the drama.

[ozmissage.livejournal.com]

Heh. No worries, I always love to talk to a fellow Oz fan. I was excited about his return to, but that storyline makes me ragey. I just...why did they do that to Oz? Joss should have no better. And Espenson. And you're right, I'm sure she'll end up dead by the time this arc is over with.

They really can't draw Oz. Then again I don't envy the artist given the task of trying to capture Seth Green's awesomeness in 2D. ;)