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Super Bowl LIX and the Return of Buffy (Take Two)
Eagles 40, Chiefs 22
Trust me, the final score doesn't reflect how one-sided this game turned out to be. It was over halfway through the third quarter and Eagle backups played a good chunk of the fourth. It was embarrassing.
Nobody expected this. These are the Chiefs and this is Patrick Mahomes. They don't get manhandled. They don't ever lose control of a game. If they're down, they always find a way to adapt and come back strong. But there were no comebacks here.
In retrospect, you could see the iceberg looming on the port bow. There were nagging questions about this Kansas City team, warning signs obscured by their incredible string (12!) of razor thin victories. They had no running game. Their best wide receiver was out for the season. Travis Kelce looked like he'd lost a step. (Well, maybe not off the field....) The offensive line looked a liitle shaky. Still, the Chiefs went 17-1 in the regular season. It was all going to work out for them, the way it always does.
Not this time. The Eagles sacked Mahomes six times, and their front four blew through the KC offensive line like it was tissue paper. (And it was just those four guys! The Eagles didn't blitz once! Incredible!) Running in spirals to avoid the rush, Mahomes looked like a wounded osprey fluttering in the wind. Commentators dinged Mahomes for his performance, but he had no time to throw, to THINK! There were times when it looked like the Eagles were in the backfield with him right at the snap.
(And even when he did get those few precious seconds to throw, his receivers--Worthy, Brown, and yes, Kelce--could never separate from the Eagle secondary.)
On the other side of the ball, the KC defense shut down Saquon Barkley, an admirable feat. But that just left empty space for A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith to roam free. And even when the Chiefs locked down Barkley and the wide receivers, Jalen Hurts had plenty of room to run. Philly had too many weapons operating at peak capacity.
In short, a total humiliation on an international stage. (And if you think Drake feels bad, imagine how the Chiefs must feel....)
******************
I've read many comments on the proposed Buffy revival/reboot/sequel, and they seem to be split between "I'm so excited!" and "It'll never live up to the original."
I'd like to hit this from another angle.
Once upon a time, there was a TV series that broke the mold, a fresh and exciting idea that saw the universe from a different perspective, a series that galvanized a generation of young fans. The series creator was something of a problematic personality, someone who never quite lived up to the ideals of his creation; but with the help of his often underappreciated staff, his series earned a permanent place in American popular culture.
That series? Star Trek.
When Star Trek: the Next Generation debuted in 1987, many people doubted that it would ever match the popularity and influence of the original. But, after a bumpy beginning, TNG equalled and perhaps surpassed the original. The key was staying true to Roddenberry's idealism, that the spirit of cooperation and the hunger for knowledge and understanding would elevate humanity from its worst instincts. All the best Trek series--each reflecting its era--have stayed true to this principle.
Similarly, BtVS centers around another powerful idea: that the myths and tropes of horror movies are potent metaphors for the horrors in everyday life; and that in facing down these supernatural terrors, we can metaphorically conquer those everyday trials as well. Whatever you might think of Joss Whedon, the IDEA is still valid. If you get the right people working in the right spirit, a new Buffy could be magical in its own right.
Would I like to see Petrie or Espenson or Drew Goddard chip in on the writing? Sure. Would I like to see Giles or Willow drop in and say hi (the way Spock and Scotty did on TNG)? Of course. But none of that is essential. Stay true to the essence and make it relevant to now.
It'll be tricky...but it's been done before.
Trust me, the final score doesn't reflect how one-sided this game turned out to be. It was over halfway through the third quarter and Eagle backups played a good chunk of the fourth. It was embarrassing.
Nobody expected this. These are the Chiefs and this is Patrick Mahomes. They don't get manhandled. They don't ever lose control of a game. If they're down, they always find a way to adapt and come back strong. But there were no comebacks here.
In retrospect, you could see the iceberg looming on the port bow. There were nagging questions about this Kansas City team, warning signs obscured by their incredible string (12!) of razor thin victories. They had no running game. Their best wide receiver was out for the season. Travis Kelce looked like he'd lost a step. (Well, maybe not off the field....) The offensive line looked a liitle shaky. Still, the Chiefs went 17-1 in the regular season. It was all going to work out for them, the way it always does.
Not this time. The Eagles sacked Mahomes six times, and their front four blew through the KC offensive line like it was tissue paper. (And it was just those four guys! The Eagles didn't blitz once! Incredible!) Running in spirals to avoid the rush, Mahomes looked like a wounded osprey fluttering in the wind. Commentators dinged Mahomes for his performance, but he had no time to throw, to THINK! There were times when it looked like the Eagles were in the backfield with him right at the snap.
(And even when he did get those few precious seconds to throw, his receivers--Worthy, Brown, and yes, Kelce--could never separate from the Eagle secondary.)
On the other side of the ball, the KC defense shut down Saquon Barkley, an admirable feat. But that just left empty space for A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith to roam free. And even when the Chiefs locked down Barkley and the wide receivers, Jalen Hurts had plenty of room to run. Philly had too many weapons operating at peak capacity.
In short, a total humiliation on an international stage. (And if you think Drake feels bad, imagine how the Chiefs must feel....)
******************
I've read many comments on the proposed Buffy revival/reboot/sequel, and they seem to be split between "I'm so excited!" and "It'll never live up to the original."
I'd like to hit this from another angle.
Once upon a time, there was a TV series that broke the mold, a fresh and exciting idea that saw the universe from a different perspective, a series that galvanized a generation of young fans. The series creator was something of a problematic personality, someone who never quite lived up to the ideals of his creation; but with the help of his often underappreciated staff, his series earned a permanent place in American popular culture.
That series? Star Trek.
When Star Trek: the Next Generation debuted in 1987, many people doubted that it would ever match the popularity and influence of the original. But, after a bumpy beginning, TNG equalled and perhaps surpassed the original. The key was staying true to Roddenberry's idealism, that the spirit of cooperation and the hunger for knowledge and understanding would elevate humanity from its worst instincts. All the best Trek series--each reflecting its era--have stayed true to this principle.
Similarly, BtVS centers around another powerful idea: that the myths and tropes of horror movies are potent metaphors for the horrors in everyday life; and that in facing down these supernatural terrors, we can metaphorically conquer those everyday trials as well. Whatever you might think of Joss Whedon, the IDEA is still valid. If you get the right people working in the right spirit, a new Buffy could be magical in its own right.
Would I like to see Petrie or Espenson or Drew Goddard chip in on the writing? Sure. Would I like to see Giles or Willow drop in and say hi (the way Spock and Scotty did on TNG)? Of course. But none of that is essential. Stay true to the essence and make it relevant to now.
It'll be tricky...but it's been done before.