Movies - TV
Joss Whedon Believed Buffy Could Never Have A 'Healthy Relationship'
By JENNA BUSCH
There is a prevailing thought about TV couples that if the writers hook them up and make them happy, people will stop watching the show. It is believed to be the reason why shows like “Moonlighting” and “Cheers” eventually suffered, and also one of the reasons that stopped “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” creator Joss Whedon from giving Buffy a healthy relationship.
Whedon explained that people don’t always need what they want, and even if the fan base wanted the characters to stay in a healthy relationship, it left little room for the narration to go. Speaking to Salon, the writer-director revealed, “We said, 'Let's give Buffy a healthy relationship,' and people didn't want it [...] when [Buffy and Riley] were happy, it made people crazy.”
He further added that the audience did not want happy characters, and this was not just true of Buffy and her love interests, but also of Willow and Tara, as well as Gunn and Fred, characters from Whedon’s “Angel.” Whedon said, “It's fine for a while, but ultimately the course of true love is not allowed to run smooth."