But see, the problem is that they never gave us suspense.
I think if the suspense was lost it happened in episode six, which was clearly written to resolve his relationship with Maya and to clear the way for his relationship with Annie. That's the one I'd have rewritten: I'd have preferred him to be on the point of committing to Annie when he starts hearing Maya, which renews his hope of returning home and pulls him back from Annie, making her bewildered and angry.
I haven't seen Normal Again (somehow I never could get into Buffy), and I'm sure it was an excellent episode, but I don't see how there could have been genuine suspense if it occurred mid-season; if Buffy had accepted a normal life, wouldn't the show have come to a stop? It's only in a finale, particularly in the last season finale, that you've got carte blanche.
Re Ruth Tyler: I thought there were many missing scenes, but that one would have broken the rule of the entire story being seen from Sam's PoV. They could have broken the rule, in order to prove that 2006 was reality, but I'm glad they didn't; whatever Matthew Graham says, I think the final episode left the possibilities open. And... I didn't think we needed Ruth's reaction spelled out to us. She's been present in Sam's mind throughout the story, we've just seen her with him, of course she's going to be heartbroken. The scene that's missing isn't her reaction, it's Sam's regret that he has to leave her.
In my DS9 ending, there are no stupid fisticuffs. The loss of his family is integral to saving the galaxy.
no subject
I think if the suspense was lost it happened in episode six, which was clearly written to resolve his relationship with Maya and to clear the way for his relationship with Annie. That's the one I'd have rewritten: I'd have preferred him to be on the point of committing to Annie when he starts hearing Maya, which renews his hope of returning home and pulls him back from Annie, making her bewildered and angry.
I haven't seen Normal Again (somehow I never could get into Buffy), and I'm sure it was an excellent episode, but I don't see how there could have been genuine suspense if it occurred mid-season; if Buffy had accepted a normal life, wouldn't the show have come to a stop? It's only in a finale, particularly in the last season finale, that you've got carte blanche.
Re Ruth Tyler: I thought there were many missing scenes, but that one would have broken the rule of the entire story being seen from Sam's PoV. They could have broken the rule, in order to prove that 2006 was reality, but I'm glad they didn't; whatever Matthew Graham says, I think the final episode left the possibilities open. And... I didn't think we needed Ruth's reaction spelled out to us. She's been present in Sam's mind throughout the story, we've just seen her with him, of course she's going to be heartbroken. The scene that's missing isn't her reaction, it's Sam's regret that he has to leave her.
In my DS9 ending, there are no stupid fisticuffs. The loss of his family is integral to saving the galaxy.