(no subject)

[pressdbtwnpages.livejournal.com]

There's an awesome list of self-recced stories and vids at yesterday's post. Go check that out or add yourself if you haven't gotten a chance to.

At one point, Joss Whedon (of writer/creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dollhouse, etc) was invited to write a s4 episode of Battlestar Galactica. Ultimately he declined, but what would his episode have looked like if it had gotten written?

What if other well-known tv writers had taken a stab at writing for BSG?

Here's a list to get you started:

Russell T. Davies (Doctor Who, Queer As Folk UK, Torchwood)
Mindy Kaling (The Office)
Steven Moffat (Doctor Who, Sherlock)
Josh Schwartz (Chuck, Gossip Girl, The O.C.)
Kurt Sutter (The Shield, Sons of Anarchy)
Rob Thomas (Cupid, The Education of Max Bickford, Party Down, Veronica Mars)
Kevin Williamson (Dawson's Creek, Scream, Vampire Diaries)

Feel free to think about your own favorites as well!

Comments

Joss Whedon writes the Mutiny

[kag523.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure the Gaeta/Zarek mutiny would have had canon-consistent levels of violence. Whedon's vision would, however, provide more internal insight into both of them, leaving the viewers disturbed by their fall. There'd be flashbacks to Zarek's life and the reason he feels so strongly about democracy. Gaeta's disillusionment regarding the NC events would also feature.

The episode - in regards to Lee and Kara - would also have several more close and touching moments with the two of them FINALLY admitting feelings for one another after the kiss. Then, when they were running through the hallway (Sam and the others in tow), the same gunshots would ring out.

This time, the one dead would be Lee. End of story. No return. No angels or poof or anything else.

Aside: I actually admire Whedon's willingness to kill of characters - and leave them dead. I think my single biggest issue with BSG is that they 'undid' Kara's death. I would have been fine with her being a cylon, or a hybrid, or having NOT died to begin with (and being saved by the cylon raider whose lights Lee sees AFTER the explosion). For me, the second we "know" she's an angel, then she's no longer Kara. Some viewers are able to accept her as literally herself, deified, but I can't. Most importantly because I believe - truly - that if she WAS Kara, there is no way she'd simply leave everyone she loved who was left alive (Helo, Athena, Lee, Bill, Laura etc.) behind.

[word-vomity.livejournal.com]

ohhh back later with actual 'thoughts' and all, but what about a Bryan Fuller ep! Lol. Pushing Daises, Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me. That would've been total cracktastic mayhem!

Re: Joss Whedon writes the Mutiny

[winegums.livejournal.com]

I don't know whether to lol or cry at this:

This time, the one dead would be Lee. End of story. No return. No angels or poof or anything else.

SO TRUE. (and taking into account the fact that she'd succeeded in saving Lee from that fate just one episode/ a few hours ago casts Kara's guilting over Sam getting shot in an entirely new light).

Joss, answers and Destiny

[winegums.livejournal.com]

adding to kag523's point about Joss, there's another trait of his as a writer that BSG could REALLY have used, especially in the later seasons - his tendency to plan ahead.

I'm all for freewheeling stories, but if Joss had ever come on board, I can bet there would have been ANSWERS to some questions. He wouldn't have killed off Kara without leaving a clear route for her return, at least in his head.

Also (and most importantly for me) I very, VERY much doubt he would have been behind the decision to make Kara cease to exist after "her task was done". He has many flaws as a writer/showrunner, but generally doesn't fall into the trap of treating protagonists as subservient to their "destiny"/fit to live only to carry out a task at the end of the story.

He might have killed Kara and/or Lee off permanently at the end, but there is NO WAY AT ALL he'd have backed the poof or (given his avowed atheism) the "God did it" half-assing in Daybreak.

Oh, and there would also have been a lot more jokes.

Josh Schwartz

[winegums.livejournal.com]

Going by his previous soaps, if he ever did an episode of BSG everyone would have completely OTT/fabulous clothes, he'd have a field day with Six fanservice, Laura's hair would never be sacrificed to chemo (and Kara would have got a few blowouts of her own and way more makeup), and people would forget plot points/events from five minutes ago.

By the end of the episode (as with most Schwartz shows) everyone will be left wondering how these dimwits remember their own names managed to survive a genocide in the first place.

Re: Joss Whedon writes the Mutiny

[onlyariana.livejournal.com]

Yes to the backstory and insight. So Jossy.

And I can tell you've hit the nail on the head wit killing Lee because it makes me feel just like how I feel when most of my favorite Whedon characters died. Not even favorite. Just the ones whose death would gut the most.

And I think everything you said is WHY he didn't write an ep. They weren't going to let him write one the way he wanted.

Re: Joss Whedon writes the Mutiny

[kag523.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Thank you for this comment. I think I would have LOVED an episode by Joss, and could have appreciated it FAR more than some I got. :>)

Re: Joss Whedon writes the Mutiny

[kag523.livejournal.com]

I can tell you've hit the nail on the head wit killing Lee because it makes me feel just like how I feel when most of my favorite Whedon characters died. Not even favorite. Just the ones whose death would gut the most. ,

Aw... thank you for this! In a way, I kind of prefer this ending. I rather enjoy the permanent nature of Joss's endings.

Re: Joss Whedon writes the Mutiny

[winegums.livejournal.com]

yes, like everything after Blood on the Scales and before SOmeone to Watch Over Me (six episodes to go to the finale is not the time to be faffing around with some bullshit!) and chunks of the Demetrius arc (which was way too long, even if I can rationalise the need for it).

[pressdbtwnpages.livejournal.com]

The story goes (& who knows if this is the truth...) that the reason Joss didn't write an episode is that he would have had to know how the show ended & he was such a big BSG fan that he didn't want to be spoiled for the finale!

Which, I mean, in retrospect... Maybe he could have fixed things?

Re: Joss Whedon writes the Mutiny

[kdbleu.livejournal.com]

This time, the one dead would be Lee. End of story. No return. No angels or poof or anything else.


Lee should have died for so many reasons.

I think my single biggest issue with BSG is that they 'undid' Kara's death. I would have been fine with her being a cylon, or a hybrid, or having NOT died to begin with (and being saved by the cylon raider whose lights Lee sees AFTER the explosion).

The other thing that Joss really gets about world building is that once that world is built it has to have rules and those rules can't be changed. Kara's death (and for me even the Final Five to a certain extent) rewrites the rules of the BSG universe when there were perfectly usable "in universe" explanations. I would have much rather Kara had been a cylon than a plot device and a wandering one at that.

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

OMG. Picturing them all talking to the Aurora Statuette. Chamalla trips for everyone!

Re: Joss Whedon writes the Mutiny

[kag523.livejournal.com]

The other thing that Joss really gets about world building is that once that world is built it has to have rules and those rules can't be changed.

THAT is exactly how I should I should have phrased that. SO perfect! I totally agree, Kate.

[pressdbtwnpages.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure this is entirely fair.

I actually think Josh Schwartz would have done a good job of giving Lee a plot and direction in later seasons. Yeah, it probably would have involved a girl & a bromance, but he knows what to do with awkward male protagonists (see Chuck Bartowski, Seth Cohen, Ryan Atwood...)

Re: Joss Whedon writes the Mutiny

[onlyariana.livejournal.com]

I don't want to mention names of who has died since if anyone reading hasn't yet discovered Joss's shows they REALLY should. But I can still get kinda weepy of the permanent deaths in Buffy and in the Firefly 'verse. And parts of what makes them so sad isn't just that those characters are gone but the ones they left behind. I mean just thinking about "She's tore up plenty but she'll fly true." brings tears to my eyes.

[winegums.livejournal.com]

I just don't think he's very good at giving his characters any depth (I've seen Season 1 of Chuck so can't speak of stuff beyond that, but the OC/GG's directions pretty much made me want to shoot everyone after maybe two seasons each. I can't imagine leaving a character like Lee in his hands). And his plots are harebrained, to put it mildly - worse than even RDM can come up with.

Re: Joss Whedon writes the Mutiny

[kag523.livejournal.com]

I can still get kinda weepy of the permanent deaths in Buffy and in the Firefly 'verse.

YES TO THIS! I remember seeing Serenity in the theatre with my brother, and looking over at this big, tough-looking guy just staring at the screen in horror, at one moment. It meant something.

Re: Joss Whedon writes the Mutiny

[winegums.livejournal.com]

when it comes to Kara's death, the rules being rewritten in the first place can very easily be taken to mean there's no rationale to really necessitate the poof.

The poof is what really makes Kara, in the end, a plot device - Joss at least tries to treat characters as more than that (see: Dawn).

[onlyariana.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I've been around BSG for less than a year so stories about things that happened are mostly new to me.

See, Joss writes with the end in mind. What a crazy concept!!

I like how your topic is sort of turning into "People who could have done it better than RDM." ;-)

Re: Joss, answers and Destiny

[kag523.livejournal.com]

There's another trait of his as a writer that BSG could REALLY have used, especially in the later seasons - his tendency to plan ahead.

I'm all for freewheeling stories, but if Joss had ever come on board, I can bet there would have been ANSWERS to some questions...

That would have been AMAZING!

[winegums.livejournal.com]

I heard he didn't do it because Dollhouse was keeping him too busy (he kinda made up for it by hiring half the BSG cast, lol), but I like your version better :)

Re: Joss Whedon writes the Mutiny

[kdbleu.livejournal.com]

No, there was no reason for the poof, and ultimately as the plot played out, no reason for Kara to have died. Nothing happens that couldn't have been explained wihtout her death and with a previously existing explanation. Argh!!!

I wish we had spoiled bars to cover such things because I actually have a whole Dawn related argument about world building and plot device, but it's major spoilery. ;)

Re: Joss Whedon writes the Mutiny

[kag523.livejournal.com]

Ah me... I shouldn't have read this comment. *sigh* (I haven't actually watched Buffy yet, R. I was actually referring to Dollhouse and Firefly).

To respond, my comment in regards to Kara is my own person issue with the deification. I don't buy it. Never have. I personally prefer the notion that people die because there are certain elements in the universe that cannot be changed. The "thing" that comes back in canon, that most other people who watch BSG think of as Kara, I think of as Not Kara. Call it a gollum, call it an angel, avatar, whatever... my gut feeling and read of the situation is simply that it isn't her. So I actually am okay with her disappearance. Because it isn't her.

By the way - I do realize that you are responding to my own response to a comment - (not to my original comment at the top) - but I felt I should explain what I meant. I'm certainly not making a blanket statement about Moore vs. Whedon storytelling either. I'm simply stating a preference in what I like / enjoy. I'm certain that the storyline works perfectly for others. :)

[kdbleu.livejournal.com]

Interesting, because Chuck is the only one of his shows I've seen and I actually think a lot of good could have come to BSG from his story telling.

Chuck did a fabulous job of creating real relationship, believable family situations all within a completely skewed, unrealistic universe. And he seemed to know where his hairbrained plots were going.

Re: Joss Whedon writes the Mutiny

[winegums.livejournal.com]

how about using rot13 to cipher spoilers? It's pretty handy.