Thing is, none of those things would've happened just because the fans wanted them. They happened because they made the show better. Spike was kept alive because James Marsters was a brilliant actor and Spike was an incredible character with limitless room to grow. He fundamentally changed the show. So did making Angel a regular - without that, we wouldn't have the Buffy/Angel relationship and Angelus, which was a defining element of both the show and Buffy herself. Riley went away because the relationship wasn't working - the chemistry wasn't there. If fan hatred alone was enough to make a character go away, Kennedy wouldn't have lasted more than an episode.
My point is, Joss has certainly done things the fans liked or wanted - if he didn't, he wouldn't have any fans. But he doesn't do them just because we want them, so if you think fans drooling for a Spuffy reunion is enough to get you one, I'd say you're mistaken. If Joss thinks he can tell a good story by doing it, then yeah, he'll do it. But he's not going to sacrifice the story he wants to tell just for fan service.
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Date: 2009-01-13 02:40 pm (UTC)My point is, Joss has certainly done things the fans liked or wanted - if he didn't, he wouldn't have any fans. But he doesn't do them just because we want them, so if you think fans drooling for a Spuffy reunion is enough to get you one, I'd say you're mistaken. If Joss thinks he can tell a good story by doing it, then yeah, he'll do it. But he's not going to sacrifice the story he wants to tell just for fan service.