Do you want an exception to protect against that sort of thing, so that if a regular changes to recurring status, we can't discuss that?

When Andy Hallet changed from recurring to regular, it affected the plot not at all. When Giles moved back to England, it affected the course of the season, but nobody's HSQ was ruined by knowing he wouldn't be in every episode. AB wasn't in the opening credits, but was still in every episode of S6 until Tara died.

Which is a long-winded way of saying, if we're proposing that changes to the regular cast in between seasons are no longer spoilers, let's not start making exceptions. There is no way of deducing plot information from that kind of casting spoiler [edit: that's different from any other kind of speculation]. Really.

I don't understand why there is a need for a change to the current policy on posting casting spoilers when there is a both a spoiler thread and a spoiler lite thread where these issues can be discussed.

I don't mean that in a "Stay out of Angel, hos!" kind of way, but rather than I'm honestly curious.

When Giles moved back to England, it affected the course of the season, but nobody's HSQ was ruined by knowing he wouldn't be in every episode

Well, except when it got to the point where we knew he had one more ep on his contract, and worked out by elimination which one it was, and therefore went "Why isn't he here yet? When would be the most startling moment for him to appear? Now? Maybe now ... knew it!"

Which is why I tried to avoid the details of his casting agreement, but ... inevitable, so I was unsurprised by what was probably a startling moment for the un-webbed Buffy fan.

As I said -- I don't like the argument it doesn't have an impact. It just doesn't work for me. People have said it does, so it does. I don't think you can rhetoric it away.

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.

Really? Everywhere? Because I was spoilled for at least one of those major points (if, in fact, those are the points we're talking about and not something else that I don't know about yet) RIGHT HERE IN ONE OF THE SHOW THREADS.

Which is to say - not everyone knows these things yet. Not everyone wants to know them.

And, like Katie, I do get the impression that peoplewhodon'tknowthis=livingunderarock.

(edit to finish my thought)

People who are unspoiled would like to stay unspoiled. It may be a different mindset, but whatever gives people the most enjoyment of the show is what they should be allowed to have.

And, like Katie, I do get the impression that peoplewhodon'tknowthis=livingunderarock.

Waitaminnit...

You and Katie don't live under rocks?

You and Katie don't live under rocks?

Well, my apartment building is brick... not the roof though, so I guess I'll have to say No.

I live in Canada where the healthcare is free and the beer is good and the doughnuts are from Tim's and words have u's in the proper place.

First and foremost, I think we are trying to determine this (and forgive me, but I can't remember exactly who said it, but I think it was Katie):

but I'm fine with yielding to the majority's comfort level on that.

Because a lot of people (so I have noticed) have been getting cheesed that we have to tippy-toe around every little (or big) casting item. I find it annoying, but if the majority says any casting spoiler is a spoiler, I can live with it.

On a related point, ita said:

But, if AD is not a regular cast member next year, I brace myself for exactly the same thing.

If AD isn't a regular cast member, would he be in the opening credits of the first episode of the season? ASH wasn't when he went to recurring. So in that case, you'd have about 5 minutes of thinking anything other than Wesley is a regular.

However, both Seth Green and Marc Blucas were in the credits until they departed. However, I suspect that both were announced as part of the cast in the pre-season publicity (4 and 5 respectively). Can some one confirm that, and can someone confirm that Spike was or was not due, officially, to be on the show, or becoming a regular, pre-season 4 Buffy? Those are relevant questions, I think.

The proposal wouldn't affect whether or not we could've talked about Oz or Riley's departures, I don't think, because it wasn't formally announced over the summer that they were leaving. (Well, I wouldn't know about Oz, but while I was spoiled for Riley's departure I don't think it was through official channels.)

because it wasn't formally announced over the summer that they were leaving

That's my recollection as well, nor do I remember Spike returning (or becoming a regular) season 4 being officially announced. So I'm thinking the definition we have is safe.

But if someone has a different recollection, I'd like to know.