Nick Brendon final interview,talks the Buffy Reboot and Season 10 and season 7

[Btvs fan]

I don't know if people have seen this but this is Nick Brendons final interview.
@Synch He says he and Joss were writing episodes for the Season 10 Comic.
@NoShip @hoponlilmama @Joan the Vampire Slayer That his idea for the reboot, which he said Joss liked was Buffy is dead, Willow is the big bad and hes the new Watcher and injured, using his real life injuries.
He also throws shade at SMG for not telling people sooner in Season 7 that she wasn't resigning and that she should've rang Joss for help over the reboot
Anyway whats people's thoughts

 

[ILLYRIAN]

If Nicholas Brendon thought his character was disliked if he and Joss had made their reboot I dare say that old Nick would have received more ' mail ' of dislike.

 

[Btvs fan]

If Nicholas Brendon thought his character was disliked if he and Joss had made their reboot I dare say that old Nick would have received more ' mail ' of dislike.

To be fair it wasn't a bad idea.
Buffy dead in battle, Xander an injured Watcher and Willow the Big Bad. That all could've worked. The issues would have been Brendon himself and whether he could've kept it together. The other option was swap him with a human Spike as the Watcher as James Marsters could've kept it together and was a far greater actor

 

[ILLYRIAN]

I disagree, I think that our resident cutie ( Willow ) should not be a Big bad.

 

[hoponlilmama]

I don't know if people have seen this but this is Nick Brendons final interview.
@Synch He says he and Joss were writing episodes for the Season 10 Comic.
@NoShip @hoponlilmama @Joan the Vampire Slayer That his idea for the reboot, which he said Joss liked was Buffy is dead, Willow is the big bad and hes the new Watcher and injured, using his real life injuries.
He also throws shade at SMG for not telling people sooner in Season 7 that she wasn't resigning and that she should've rang Joss for help over the reboot
Anyway whats people's thoughts

Uh...yeah, this is, how do I put this politely....interesting.

Willow as a Big Bad, going off the deep end because Buffy dies - so a rehash of s6, just replacing Tara. Been there, done that with Dark Willow.

If NB thinks SMG was going to ask for help from JW, or to contribute to the reboot, he obviously missed Sarah's statements back in 2021 about not wanting to be associated with him. She obviously went through hell with him whilst making the series, and NB doesn't know or understand her experiences or what went on specifically.

As @NoShip has stated in another thread, NB was dealing with his own issues (drinking, wasn't it?) so he likely was in his own world.

As for his statement that if an actor says, "I don't know" or "I wasn't asked" to be on the reboot - as we now know, James was asked. Alyson was likely asked - it's just that NB didn't receive an invitation. Would he eventually? Given his history, perhaps not.

I don't keep up with the comics, but was he saying he wrote for it? Hasn't s10 already come and gone?

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

It's not a bad scenario, if you can't get get Sarah and Nicky is sober. Xander being a broken man, not unlike Tony Stark or DKR Bruce Wayne is interesting, an a variation of Dark Willow is a lot better than "Willow and Kennedy are taking Frankie and Thessaly to Miss Kane's School for Witches and Witchcraft" path that Willow stories tend to take.

Yes, Sarah should have spoken with Joss at some point. Because when you are an executive producer, and a few hundred people are depending on you for their income, you put on your big girl pants, and call Joss.

 

[Btvs fan]

Uh...yeah, this is, how do I put this politely....interesting.

Willow as a Big Bad, going off the deep end because Buffy dies - so a rehash of s6, just replacing Tara. Been there, done that with Dark Willow.

If NB thinks SMG was going to ask for help from JW, or to contribute to the reboot, he obviously missed Sarah's statements back in 2021 about not wanting to be associated with him. She obviously went through hell with him whilst making the series, and NB doesn't know or understand her experiences or what went on specifically.

As @NoShip has stated in another thread, NB was dealing with his own issues (drinking, wasn't it?) so he likely was in his own world.

As for his statement that if an actor says, "I don't know" or "I wasn't asked" to be on the reboot - as we now know, James was asked. Alyson was likely asked - it's just that NB didn't receive an invitation. Would he eventually? Given his history, perhaps not.

I don't keep up with the comics, but was he saying he wrote for it? Hasn't s10 already come and gone?

I thought Dark Willow started and ended way too soon in S6 byt thats by the by and this sounds a bit different in that she was probably the one who killed Buffy and injured him.

It doesn't have to be Sarah who ask but the Zuckermans or Chloe Zhao/Berman etc. Im sure he was aware. He certainly would've been aware of what Freddie said as soon as Buffy finished about someone making Sarah's life miserable (he didn't name Joss but its who meant)
To be frank he echoed what Alyson Hannigan said about Sarah about not being told she wasn't signing a new contract.

He was dealing with Drink issues back on Buffy. Its one of the reasons Andrew basically filled his role in S7. There's also drugs as well as mental health issues and various court cases and arrests for assault of ex girlfriends etc.

Was James asked ? I didn't know that though Im not surprised theyd want a Spike nostalgia pop cameo at some point.

The comics ended years ago but its commonly assumed Joss did S8 and half of S9 then came back for Season 12. This seems to indicate he was involved in Season 10
Just checked
Series Writing BreakdownBuffy the Vampire Slayer (Main Series): Written by Christos Gage and actor Nicholas Brendon (who played Xander on the TV show).Angel & Faith (Companion Series): Written by Victor Gischler (with short contributions by Kel McDonald).Executive Producer / Creator: Joss Whedon. [1] (https://buffy.fandom.com/wiki/Season_Ten), [2] ('Punching Things Up' - Christos Gage And Nicholas Brendon Talk Buffy Season 10 At San Diego Comic Con), [3] (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten - Wikipedia)

Post automatically merged: Sep 14, 2026

It's not a bad scenario, if you can't get get Sarah and Nicky is sober. Xander being a broken man, not unlike Tony Stark or DKR Bruce Wayne is interesting, an a variation of Dark Willow is a lot better than "Willow and Kennedy are taking Frankie and Thessaly to Miss Kane's School for Witches and Witchcraft" path that Willow stories tend to take.

I always thought for a Logan story Spike and Dawn would've been perfect for each role.

 

[hoponlilmama]

I thought Dark Willow started and ended way too soon in S6 byt thats by the by

Reportedly, Aly didn't like the Dark Willow arc so maybe that's why it didn't get much screen time? I guess they were also too focused on Spuffy to expand any other storylines in s6.

and this sounds a bit different in that she was probably the one who killed Buffy and injured him.

It's Willow going off the deep end, so it's s6 all over again. And I don't think he indicated Buffy might've died by Willow's hand.

It doesn't have to be Sarah who ask but the Zuckermans or Chloe Zhao/Berman etc.

Given Chloe was working with SMG, I doubt she would ask Joss.

Im sure he was aware. He certainly would've been aware of what Freddie said as soon as Buffy finished about someone making Sarah's life miserable (he didn't name Joss but its who meant)

Perhaps NBs timeline is off, or he doesn't remember things correctly due to everything going on in his life. I don't know.

To be frank he echoed what Alyson Hannigan said about Sarah about not being told she wasn't signing a new contract.

I don't blame SMG for bailing out. She clearly dealt with a lot.

Was James asked ? I didn't know that though Im not surprised theyd want a Spike nostalgia pop cameo at some point.

So he says. It's why he was apparently getting in shape for the role for when the time came to ask him back.

The comics ended years ago but its commonly assumed Joss did S8 and half of S9 then came back for Season 12. This seems to indicate he was involved in Season 10

Post automatically merged: Sep 14, 2026

Thanks for the info!

 

[NotASlayer]

Reportedly, Aly didn't like the Dark Willow arc so maybe that's why it didn't get much screen time?

Rather notable in that case that when SMG told Joss she didn't like a storyline for Buffy or felt it was out of character that he told her to, essentially, get stuffed. I am not remotely surprised that she had no interest in reaching out.

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

Re: Old Man Xander; Dawn is Buffy's millennial little sister. For an old man, there's not much separation, unless cloning or time travel is involved, which I am open to.

Re: Untitled Middle aged Dark Willow, which I am calling, "The Krone.": I would think of a more "Walter White," character, someone's whose good intentions served as a license for their darkest impulses. I never liked Willow automatically becoming the strongest witch evah, largely because we never really met a powerful witch in Buffy or Angel to compare with. But, in a situation where Buffy dies, I could see Willow trying to force the world to make sense through black magic, and coming into conflict with others, including Xander. Like, becoming an master necromancer, and going mad. Or getting herself possessed.

I give them credit, it would be an original use of the characters.

 

[hoponlilmama]

Rather notable in that case that when SMG told Joss she didn't like a storyline for Buffy or felt it was out of character that he told her to, essentially, get stuffed. I am not remotely surprised that she had no interest in reaching out.

Yes, great point.
It's also why Aly only sung two lines in OMWF.

 

[NotASlayer]

Yes, great point.
It's also why Aly only sung two lines in OMWF.

You wonder how much Joss's favouritism caused the break between Aly and Sarah. When one actor is clearly having her views and desires respected and the other is being forced into soft porn abuse, that's not going to help, and it stands to reason that such behaviour would have been going on for some time.

 

[hoponlilmama]

You wonder how much Joss's favouritism caused the break between Aly and Sarah.

We can only speculate as to how bad it was and how fractured things had become. But from the bits and pieces we've read, SMG's life was made difficult. Aly and Sarah seemed close in the early years, and then it all went pear-shaped.

When one actor is clearly having her views and desires respected and the other is being forced into soft porn abuse, that's not going to help, and it stands to reason that such behaviour would have been going on for some time.

Agreed.

It's clear SMG was essentially 'punished' in s6 (and caught in the crossfire to make it happen was James). Again, no wonder she bailed out when she did.

 

[burrunjor]

My idea for a sequel NOT a reboot would have been.

Set 200 years in the future.

It features Fray who is played by Dana DeLorenzo. We'd obviously have to age her up to being in her late 20s as Dana could pass for that.

Willow would be there, BUT as a dark, mysterious, scary mentor. The backstory would be at some point in the mid 2020s, the vampires were able to bring their father, the most terrible of the Old Ones, Maloker back and there was a terrible war, where Buffy and her cohorts were able to defeat him and banish the Old Ones stain on the earth for good, eliminating vampires.

200 years later vampires would be returning to this world to try and bring Maloker back. Willow meanwhile in the 100s of years since would have become an immortal wanderer. She'd be a cross between Dark Willow and regular Willow. Not a skinning evil monster LOL, and obviously her power would be depleted for practical reasons, but she'd be the one that tells Fray of her calling. I'd also have Cordelia appear but only now and again as an Oracle who could give them some info like the Dragon in Merlin.

The third main character would be a new one, probably a guy or a love interest I can't be bothered thinking about it now LOL.

Those would be the three main characters who would fight vampires and monsters together.

 

[Btvs fan]

You wonder how much Joss's favouritism caused the break between Aly and Sarah. When one actor is clearly having her views and desires respected and the other is being forced into soft porn abuse, that's not going to help, and it stands to reason that such behaviour would have been going on for some time.

@hoponlilmama it goes back to Season 3 of Buffy. At the time Joss was openly ridiculing Cruel Intentions calling it Porny and the Kiddies version of Dangerous Liasons and Sarah said she was hurt by it.
We know that after that she went to him about the Parker storyline to which he said Well she does now
Then in Season 5 she was openly saying she didn't want to leave the WB and if they did she'd leave to which Joss said no you don't your on contract.
Gail Gershman the Makeup Artist said she was fired for being Sarah's friend
Aly also said Sarah was bored by Season 3

 

[hoponlilmama]

@hoponlilmama it goes back to Season 3 of Buffy. At the time Joss was openly ridiculing Cruel Intentions calling it Porny

The irony, considering what he okayed in s6..

 

[Btvs fan]

The irony, considering what he okayed in s6..

Not just okayed, he purposely wrote stuff in that wasn't even in the script. See the Balacony scene in Dead Things. Steve Deknight confirmed this btw

@NotASlayer at the end of the day it's work. Yes its a TV show we on here love to us but to the cast it was just a job. They're only with each other because its they were being paid to be, so not to surprising. In one way it shows good acting, like in S4 when they're meant to be bestest friends when deep inside they were thinking "F U bitch dont look at me" 😄

 

[NotASlayer]

@NotASlayer at the end of the day it's work. Yes its a TV show we on here love to us but to the cast it was just a job. They're only with each other because its they were being paid to be, so not to surprising. In one way it shows good acting, like in S4 when they're meant to be bestest friends when deep inside they were thinking "F U bitch dont look at me" 😄

Oh, it's definitely work, but there's a vast difference between doing a job in a good environment to doing one in a bad one where you have to do things you hate. S6 proved that for 3/5 of the main female cast.

 

[Btvs fan]

Oh, it's definitely work, but there's a vast difference between doing a job in a good environment to doing one in a bad one where you have to do things you hate. S6 proved that for 3/5 of the main female cast.

The issues were long before Season 6

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

I agree, the most notable things to come out of "Girl Meets World" is how the cast remembered how much they hated each other.