March has come to an end and so has our 7th tournament here on Buffyfest. We finally have an answer to a complicated and heavy question: Of all the shocking moments this 'verse has brought us over the years, which is the most abominable? Of those scenes that are usually followed by a black screen saying "Created by Joss Whedon", which was the most atrocious? Which makes you shake your fist in the air and scream "Joss!" more than any other?
The answer and clear winner is:
The Death of Tara Maclay, "Your shirt" May 7th, 2002
Jossss!!
As we all know, Joss Whedon has killed so many of his beloved characters that it's arguably no longer even shocking. But there were a certain few special deaths that were particularly detestable and scandalous - Tara's is now officially the #1.
Who can say the exact reason why? Tara was a VERY popular character on BTVS and her profoundly moving relationship with Willow is considered a LBGT milestone in television and pop culture. People tend to describe Tara as genuine, compassionate and kind. It was all of these things combined that likely made viewers so devastated at the loss of her spot on the show. At the time of her death, fans pretty much revolted. The backlash and hate mail was considered staggering by the Mutant Enemy team and the media that covered it. It clearly still stings to this day! RIP, Tara....and damn you Joss Whedon.
Well that's all for this year! If you missed the tournament, Click here to see how the entire month of shockers went down. Thanks so much to everyone who played this year's March Madness and the hundreds of people who voted. Until next time!
Well this is it! Earlier this month we started with 64 shocking moments of the Whedonverse and have whittled 62 of them away. Here's a recap of the last round:
1. Anya's death made it pretty damn far in this thing! The public believed she deserve some recognition for her place among the Scoobs and then being sliced right in half in the series finale. But then there was Wash. He slammed through every single battle from the start with ease. Winner: Washburn dies and a little piece of us goes with him.
2. Ugh, Tara's death vs Buffy's mom's. Seriously? So horrible. It was pretty close, but Willow's girl took it 228-174. Winner: Tara gets shot through the heart, and you're to blame!
So of all the crazy moments of the entire Whedonverse that make you yell "JOSS!", we're finally down to the final two. And wouldn't you know, they are a couple of doozies! Let's lay it out for you:
Wash was a leaf on the wind. We all watched as he soared...dipping and diving, skirting around both Alliance jerks and psycho Reavers hot on Serenity's tail. He managed to land them clean and everyone was safe until BAM! Wash was impaled right through the chest by a Reaver spear with a resounding gasp from the audience. Effing Reavers. They reallydon't make good friends.And Zoe's reaction was just devastating.
Then we have Tara. Good and pure. She was Willow's rock, the moral compass of the Scoobs and a fan-fave to say the least. JUST as she and Willow had gotten back together after a heart-wrenching break up, Warren starts shooting up the place, the dick, and Tara takes a stray one right in the chest. Since it was a natural death no magic could save her, sending Willow on a downward spiral to crazy town and the rest was history.
These above events were arguably the cruelest and definitely the most shocking as voted by you, the fandom. Have fun voting between these suckers! Sheesh, I need a tissue.
All month long we've been trying to answer a complicated question: Of all the twisty, stomach-turny, mouth-gapey, shocking moments of the entire Whedonverse, which was the most stupefying? One of the moments that make you scream into the air "JOSS!" or sometimes "WHY JOSS?! WHY?? OH GOD...(sobs)"
Ahem.
After 64 of these such moments duking it out one by one, we're finally down to the Final Four. And wouldn't you know it? They are all beloved character deaths. Just *great*. Let's do this!
Here's a recap of the last round:
1. The neck snap of Jenny Calendar made it pretty far! But good ole' Wash is flying his way right through this tournament. Winner: Wash's demise!
2. In what can only be described as an upset (for us anyway) Xander's eye gouging faced Anya's finale death and things went awry! But with 400 votes, the people have spoken. Winner: Anya's slice and dice!
3. Warren killed Tara then Willow flayed Warren. How does the madness end? Answer: With a Yellow crayon. Winner: Tara gets shot!
4. Finally, Buffy jumping off that tower into a magical cloud of doom was arguably one of the most unexpected moments on this show. Alternatively Joyce's brain tumor was around for half a season! Still, moms dying and stuff....ugh. Winner: Joyce's death
OK, March is winding down and so are we. With only 8 "most shocking" moments to go, this March Madness is getting crazy and a little too sad! Whose idea was this again?
Here's a recap of the last round:
1. Angelus killed Jenny, Twangel killed Giles. Guy sure knows how to crack necks (and break doors)! Winner: Jenny Calendar's neck snaps right into the Elite Eight!
2. The only moment to give Wash's death a run for it's money so far is this one: Lorne shooting Lindsay MacDonald dead against his will in the series finale. Still, the gasp in the theater rings in our ears to this day. Winner: Wash's gets impaled by a Reaver spear!
3. Doyle's death vs Anya's death. Both were demons (though one was decidedly more evil), both fought bravely in battle (though one was definitely more fearless and heroic), both were background characters (yet one should've been offed years ago). Yeah not quite sure what happened here. Winner: Anya gets sliced in half!
4. More bodily harm here as we have Xander's eye vs. Wes getting his throat sliced in the madness of Angel Season 3. THE EYE PREVAILS! Winner: Xander's eye can't be stopped!
5. Dawn's crazy-random introduction to the series vs. Warren's flaying was a suuuuper tight fight! Winning the battle by a very slim margin (163 votes to 169 votes!) - Winner: The Black Eyes of "Shut up" Willow!
6. Buffy was hardcore when she stabbed Faith with the intention of feeding Angel her slayer blood! But that was no match for Tara's demise. Winner: Tara's death by a landslide!
7. Arguably the first real crazy "Joss!" moment was when Angel and Buffy bumped uglies and caused Angel to become an evil, psychotic, mass murderer. That was a pretty harsh PSA if we ever saw one! Still, the portrayal of the events surrounding Buffy's mom's death stuck with us. Winner: Joyce's death
8. And finally, in another pretty tight fight, Wes's swan song vs Buffy's swan dive. Winner: Buffy saved the world a lot.
We're down to the Sweet Sixteen! Sixteen heart wrenching, "Damn you Joss Whedon" moments! If you're just jumping into this tourney now, you have missed a LOT. But there's still a ways to go so don't worry. Here's a recap of the last round of the "Most Shocking" Tournament:
1. The day Buffy got a random sibling was the first Buffy ep I ever watched in real time, so that was definitely a shocking (and confusing!) moment for me. When compared to an already "beige"Angel letting the lawyers die, the winner's pretty clear. Winner: Dawnie says to Angel "Get out, get out get OUT!!"
2. Willow went dark....real effing dark. Like black. With the hair and the eyes and could you be more literal? So anything she did after that shouldn't seem so shocking. But on the other hand, Bennet getting shot after all of that twisted trickery? Hmm...not sure about this one but the people have the final say. Winner: Willow takes Dollhouse out of the tournament!
3. Sure, Wes and Lilah did the nasty but come on....we cannot compare that to what happened to Tara. And after she just made the credits! Winner: Tara's Death
4. Was anyone really shocked that Angel came back from his hundred years in hell all naked and sweaty? Even in the early internet days, that spoiler had to be out. Winner: Buffy shanks Faith in the gut!
5. It's Angel vs Angel in this battle! First he loses his soul, then goes all psycho and Buffy has to run him through with a damn sword. I guess the first part threw people for a bigger loop! Winner: Angel's soul gets the gypsy vengeance!
6. Mr. Universe was awesome but vs. Buffy's mom? No contest. Winner: Joyce's aneurism makes us cry
7. We've been discussing this on twitter all week: when Buffy jumped off that tower the world was like "WHAT THE F@CK!?" It seemed waaay more real than the first time. In contrast, when Cordy killed Lilah it was more like "Whoa, dude Cordy is being cray". See the difference? Winner: Buffy Dies! (The 2nd time)
8. And finally, yes it was very, very annoying when the Scoobs kicked Buffy out of her own house, even though they were all living there, freeloading, eating all the cereal, while she has to pay all the bills and property tax (and with no help from the Watcher's Council!) But Wes died. He died and didn't come back. Winner: Wesley's death
OK, we're on to the second half of Round 2 and this tourney is getting tense! Basically, we've weeded out some of the less shocking moments and all that's left from here on out is doom and gloom! I mean, really...who's idea was this again?
If you're just joining us, this year's tourney begs the question: What is the most dramatically shocking moment of the Whedonverse? The times that made you shake your fist in the air and scream "Joss!!" Here's a recap of the last part:
1. "You think you are Jenny Calendar now!!?" Not anymore. Darla got resurrected but Jenny was a Gypsy no longer. Doesn't really seem fair! Winner: Angel snaps Jenny Calendar's neck!
2. This Angel murdering thing just won't quit! Even Spike's ultimate(ish) sacrifice couldn't stop Angel from his reign of terror in this tourney. Winner: Angel snaps Giles' neck!
3. Poor Lorne. He's not a killer. And Wes having Justine locked in the closet really wasn't so out of character by that point in his crazy. Winner: Lorne murders Lindsay!
4. Spike got a soul but Wash speared to death. Oh Joss, what did you do? Winner: Wash's death.
5. I actually really thought Angel trying to suffocate Wes with that pillow was going to make it to the Sweet 16, but apparently people are still mourning Doyle. It was pretty shocking, especially being so early in his story. Winner: Doyle's sacrifice
6. It was Anya vs Anya in this battle! Poor Anya, she was socially awkward but not sure she deserved all this. Winner: Anya's death.
7. Cordy ascending to higher powerdom was pretty ridiculous and is definitely no match for THE EYE! Winner: Xander loses a damn eye!
8. Shockingly, Wes getting his throat sliced by Justine gave people the "Joss!" more than Buffy's first death. Well, it did only last a second and that "Father will kill the son" arc was cray. Winner: Wesley's throat slice!
Round 2 has officially begun! Thanks to everyone who has voted in this March Madness so far. If you're just jumping now, this year's tourney begs the question: What is the most dramatically shocking moment of the Whedonverse? The times that made you shake your fist in the air and scream "Joss!!" We've weeded out a lot of amazingly crazy moments in Round 1. Here's a recap of the last part:
1. Ooh, Giles big comeback scene during Dark!Willow's ragefest might've been a fantastic moment, but Buffy spearing Angel straight to Hell was a quintessential Whedonverse moment. Winner: "Close your eyes"
2. In a related event, Angel losing his soul was also a pivotal moment in Buffy and apparently more shocking than leaving the entire Angel series on a cliffhanger. The people have spoken!Winner: The Gypsy Curse's random caveat!
3. Alexis Denisof was a surprising choice for Benedick! But Mr. Universe meeting a similar demise as Angel took the cake here. Winner: They killed him with a sword, Mal.
4. Compared to Buffy's mom dying, Angel murdering Drogyn to prove his loyalty to the bad guys shocked pretty much no one. Winner: Joyce's death
5. The tinkly piano of ConCord sex was playing, and viewers were gagging. Thank goodness that the epicness of Buffy plunging to her death was against this one because I don't know if I want to envision that squick again any time soon. Winner: Buffy's death (the second time).
6. Shockingly, I guess viewers didn't find that Spuffy kiss all that shocking! Evil Cordelia takes it by a smidgen! Winner: [Possessed] Cordy murders Lilah Morgan!
7. Angel set Drusilla and Darla on fire. HE SET THEM ON FIRE. But the Scoobs kicking Buffy out of her own house (when she should've just told them to shove it hard) was really nutso. Winner: Buffy gets kicked out of Revello Drive!
8. Maybe it's just because not many people have read Fray (do it!) but Wes dying with Illyria-as-Fred by his side took this one by a landslide. Winner: Wesley's death
Halfway done with Round 1 and 32 "Shocking Moments" have already been knocked out in this year's March Madness! If you're just joining us, this year we're attempting to figure out: What is the most dramatically shocking "Joss!" moment of the Whedonverse? Here's a recap of the last round:
1. That little shit Connor sent his dad straight to the bottom of the sea (a storyline much echoed in this season's premiere of Being Human) but that wasn't any match for the late, great Glenn Quinn and Doyle's swan song. Winner: Doyle's Sacrifice
2. Angel trying to suffocate Wes in the hospital was one of the craziest things of a pretty crazy season, so it's not surprising that it beat Lilah beheading Linwood Murrow in W&H's offices. Winner: Angel Pillow-smothers Wes
3. Apparently, Angel having sex with Darla (even though he had a pretty major no-sex clause at the time) was shocking to absolutely no one, but Anya's death was! Winner: Anya gets chopped in half!
4. And just to give Anya a one-two punch, Xander leaving her ass at the alter was more Joss! than Connor returning from Quar'Toth as "The Destroyer" Winner: Poor Anya get's ditched
5. To quote tweep @thesadeianwoman "dude, if river's assassin skills reveal had been up against most other options I would've picked her. But The eye trumps!" Winner: Xander loses an eye!
6. In what might just be the lamest battle of this tournament: Cordy becoming a (faux) higher being was only slightly more Joss! than Buffy's robotic pregnancy in the comics. Winner: Cordy ascends!
7. Mal kicking Crow through the engine is a fan-favorite moment on Firefly but it was no match for Buffy's first death. Winner: Buffy dies in Prophecy Girl
8. This last one was a body slicing theme: Mal's ear vs. Wes's throat. Probably due to the excessive whoa! factor in that storyline, Wes won the battle. Winner: Justine slices Wes's throat!
OK, time for the next part of Round 1! Voting ends this Wed, March 13 at 11:59 pm EST.
Obviously there are **Major Spoilers** ahead in this tourney. If you're not familiar with all things Whedon, tread lightly or avoid.
Here is the Region 1c Battle, taking place at the Stark Tower Complex in NYC....
If your curious to see what's lost so far and what's ahead, click the below bracket image to enlarge:
OK, we're making our way through Round 1 in this here March Madness! If you missed the first part, this year we're attempting to answer the question: What is the most dramatically shocking moment of the Whedonverse? You know those crazy moments that make you shake your fist in the air and scream "Joss!"
In the first part of Round 1, the results themselves were pretty shocking! Here's the rundown:
1. All of "Sleep Tight" is pretty intense, what with Wes getting jacked and Lilah staging a coup against Sahjan then Holtz stealing baby Connor and taking him to Quar'Toth! Whew! But even with all that, Darla's ressurection back in season 1 took the lead here. Winner: Darla's Ressurection
2. The race was super-tight between the iconic image of Angel snapping Jenny Calendar's Neck against that window and Fred's Death/Illyria's introduction....but I guess readers saw that Illyria thing coming! By a slim margin of just 5 votes out of nearly 600 Winner: Jenny's Neck Snappage
3. We're going with the theme here in the next one - Giles death in a similar fashion vs. Darla's Pregnancy Winner: Giles Neck Snappage!
4. Both proud sacrifices - Topher's vs Spike's. Winner: Spike Saves the World!
5. We grew to love Agent Coulson throughout the Marvel movies and his death was sad, but there are few things more shocking than poor Lorne's one last thing Winner: Lorne murders Lindsay McDonald.
6. In the S.4 premiere of Angel we learn Wes has Justine tied up in the closet, which I guess was crazier than Buffy's bi-curiosity since that was all over the media. Winner: Wes stashes Justine!
7. When it comes to Wash's death, not even Shepherd Book and an entire colony can shock more. This thing is going the distance, that's for sure. Winner: Wash's impalement!
8. Cordy giving birth to a power-that-be? Psshh, come on. Spike's soulfulness is a fan favorite. Winner: Spike gets a soul!
OK, time for the next part of this round! Voting ends this Sunday, March 10 at 11:59 pm EST.
Obviously there are **Major Spoilers** ahead in this tourney. If you're not familiar with all things Whedon, tread lightly or avoid.
Here is the Region 1b Battle, taking place on the Planet (whispers) "Miranda"....
If your curious to see what's lost so far and what's ahead, click the below bracket image to enlarge:
Welcome readers new and old to our 7th Tournament here on Buffyfest! This is going to be a big one as we attempt to figure out something pretty heavy. You know those shocking moments this 'verse has brought us over the years? The ones where right after the screen turns black and says "Created by Joss Whedon" you shake your fist in the air and scream "Joss!" For instance Tara getting killed with a simple Willow response "your shirt", Buffy jumping into a magical hole of Heeeaavvaaan or Darla staking herself into oblivion to save her human child? In a nutshell: What is the most dramatically shocking moment of the Whedonverse? Jossss!
This tournament will have 64 randomly paired shocking moments fighting for the title. The contenders are spanning the Whedonverse and yes, The Avengers, Fray and Much Ado are up in that piece too!
Rounds will always end at 11:59 pm EST on the day indicated, after which we'll post results and the nominees for the next round. Voting for this part ends this Thursday, March 7 at 11:59 pm EST. Let the games begin!
Obviously there are **Major Spoilers** ahead in this tourney. If you're not familiar with all things Whedon, tread lightly or avoid.
We'll be starting with the Region 1 Battle, taking place at The Bronze in Sunnydale, California:
If your curious to see what's ahead, click the below image of the entire bracket to enlarge:
