Al in all, there are things that come down that are saturated and unavoidable. In fact some things that one would have to engear themselves like
Tommy
to avoid. (Movie from the 70's...)
These things need to be accounted for. I wish there were some way to separate out these facts as "special circumstances" and declair it in the thread.
Then again, this Special Directive method could have been used for the Firefly situation.
Perhaps we just need a Special Directive process to deal with specific events, casting, spoilers and the like.
Major Angel casting issue #1 and major Angel casting issue #2 are the sort of casting issues being reported damn near everywhere but we can't talk about them? it would appear a bit pointless at that juncture.
For instance, Doyle leaving and Wes joining would not have invoked this because it would have involved a big surprise and affected a current season storyline. Whereas ACI#1 and ACI#2 will affect an upcoming storyline, but we can postulate how the events will happen without blowing an in-progress season.
My 2c, I guess
If Alexis Denisof were not returning to Angel next year, that would have a major plot impact on the show.
Were that the case, we'd only know he wouldn't be there. We wouldn't know how much or what kind of attention it would get. I agree it would have a major impact on the show as a series, but wouldn't bet on it as a major plot point. We wouldn't know how it would effect the plot or whether or not the writing team would brush over it in one scene, or spend months having the MoG search for Wesley. We wouldn't know if Wesley were dead, or kidnapped by pirates (arrr), or Plei.
And truthfully, if you're getting your anti-spoiler holy shit quotient from the credits (because that is what would happen, the opening credits would roll, and there'd be no A.D. and people would think, "Huh?" - it's not like they'd find out from the show itself), what kind of HSQ is it we're protecting?
But that's not even the issue. We're saying that when, between seasons, someone joins or leaves the cast of series regulars, that information is widely available, and fairly hard to avoid (albeit not impossible), for a very long time. In the end, it's information that is made available by the writers, by the network and by the actors themselves, before the episodes ever air. It is information that is invariably spilled in beginning of season promos. According to current policy, we will be allowing it before anyone actually sees an episode, so why the pretense?
I'm telling you right now that David Boreanaz is on Angel in the Fall. Do you feel spoiled? Because really, it's nothing that's been seen on the air. There's been no promo. We just know he'll be there. Ditto AD. We're all throwing AD's name out, because we know he'll be there, even though we haven't "seen it on the screen" - we just know he's signed on. Christian Kane isn't signed on. We just *know* that. Nobody pretends he is when they're wistfully lusting over Lindsey. They say, "I wish Lindsey would come back," and "DB says he'd love CK to come back on, why don't they bring him on." Nobody pretends SMG will join the A:ts cast of regulars. Somehow, that's all allowable, but this anti-spoiler crap makes me feel like I can't say Mary Tyler Moore won't be on Angel this Fall. It's nonsense. She won't, either. (Ha.)
Also? Had AD left Angel, I wouldn't want to miss news of what show AD would move to, just because it was treated as a spoiler, because someone would rather find out in the opening credits. That's what this is about - only actors who are contracted as series regulars and appear in the credits - not guests, not recurring characters - and only when their status changes during the long off-season. If someone is slated to come or go in November, I've got your back. We shouldn't discuss it 'til it airs. But this is different in part because suddenly we're ignoring the precedent set after The Gift and again with ASH's casting information. When and how was the precedent overthrown? And why? And by whom?
Wow. Cindy speaks totally for me.
Cindy speaks for me, too.
If AD leaves Angel after episode 5, I'll watch 5 episodes braced for it, and react to however it happens by going "Oh, so that's how they did it." And
then
have emotions about the plot.
As opposed to going "FUCK. Wow."
I mean, if I'd known GQ was leaving Angel, I'd have seen his death coming way earlier in the ep, instead of being startled and saddened and in denial.
Which is how I like it.
However, if Joss or the WB wants to scream from the rooftops that AD is leaving, so be it. I'll probably hear. But I completely understand not wanting -- I'm caving to the inevitability, not the lack of impact.
If AD leaves Angel after episode 5, I'll watch 5 episodes braced for it, and react to however it happens by going "Oh, so that's how they did it." And then have emotions about the plot.
This change to the rules wouldn't allow you to be spoiled for that. This change to the rules is only stuff that happens over the summer. We can be more specific if you're concerned that sort of thing would happen.
But that's not even the issue. We're saying that when, between seasons, someone joins or leaves the cast of series regulars, that information is widely available, and fairly hard to avoid (albeit not impossible), for a very long time. In the end, it's information that is made available by the writers, by the network and by the actors themselves, before the episodes ever air. It is information that is invariably spilled in beginning of season promos. According to current policy, we will be allowing it before anyone actually sees an episode, so why the pretense?
To be completely honest, I guess I'm just feeling like y'all think I'm a moron for thinking that this *is* a spoiler, by my definition of spoiler, whether or not I think it's worth trying to hide. I don't personally find it difficult or painful or irritating not to discuss The Big Spoiler in the main topic, but I'm fine with yielding to the majority's comfort level on that.
I don't think it's worth trying to hide here, because that hasn't been the tradition here - as you pointed out, the Giles spoiler was discussed over the summer. I personally prefer a very hard-core spoiler policy just because I find it much easier to manage - black and white, you know? Also it's what I expect, having first been introduced to the concept of spoilerfreeness by a hardline policy at MBTV.
But, if AD is not a regular cast member next year, I brace myself for exactly the same thing. Worse yet if he appears in the opening ep -- then it's all "dies? takes a wrong turn? runs off with Sahjahn? WHAT??!?!?"
Now, I'll probably vote yes to the proposal. But the idea that knowing ahead of time doesn't significantly alter how I'll watch up to the point where it's revealed onscreen that he won't -- false in my case.
It *is* a spoiler. Is it an avoidable one? Probably not.
Yeah, ita's explaining it better than I did, I think. (Er, and adding on to the end of my last post - that's my personal preference but I wouldn't try to implement it here because it wouldn't fit the culture. Didn't finish that sentence like I meant to.)
