TV Guide Online has Joss Whedon talking about Buffy’s demise and eventual resurrection (to say nothing of the fact that we have to wait till OCTOBER to see what happens next!!!).
Here’s the link to the fascinating interview.
Some key excerpts:
TVGO: First off, is Buffy really dead?
Yes. She's rotting in her grave even as we speak.
TVGO: But Sarah's coming back?
Yes.
TVGO: If you bring Buffy back, then why couldn't you also bring back Joyce?
You could, but we'll explain why.
TVGO: What's the craziest Buffy resurrection scenario you've heard in the last 48 hours?
Buffy shows up in an alternate universe, but I don't think that's a good idea.
TVGO: Do you think the WB purposely added that farewell message at the end of the episode to further confuse people?
You know, it was sort of incredibly classy and slightly underhanded. The whole "Series Finale" thing has been a little cheesy, but actually, I was pretty touched when I saw the message. The fact of the matter is they didn't say, "Goodbye. It's over." They said, "Thank you." So, at the end of the day, I thought that was kind of nice.
TVGO: If and when the day comes that Sarah leaves the show, would you retitle it Dawn the Vampire Slayer?
What I would do with it is hard to say, but that's certainly a show I'd watch.
TVGO: Given that Buffy's death factored into Angel's finale, won't you have to kick off the season with some type of WB/UPN crossover?
No, I really won't. And I'm not entirely sure that either network would want to. Not that Angel won't be dealing with the idea of Buffy's death and her rebirth, but the fact is, he's on his own now. He's at the big scary network by himself and he's going to have other very pressing matters to deal with.
TVGO: So you won't pick up Angel next fall where the season finale left off?
No. Like we usually do, it will be a few months later.
TVGO: Do you know the date of Buffy's two-hour premiere?
I don't know the date. I believe we're looking at early October, but nothing's been set.
TVGO: Will Amber Benson (Tara) be added to the opening credits next season?
No, Amber's going to stay at a recurring status. But she will, like this year, be in most of the shows.
TVGO: Any other cast changes on Buffy?
Apart from Giles becoming a recurring character? No.
