New Amber Interview..possible Spoilers

[Popje]

I took it from Cinescape who took it from HorrorOnline...

I don't want to add fuel to the rumor/spoiler going around that:
*
**speculation rumor space**
*

*
*
*
*
that Tara gets her brain sucked by Glory
*
*
*
*
*
but it's intriguing what Amber says at the end of the interview about a run in with Glory

Here it is....Popje

Amber Benson herself admits that she's been very surprised by the longevity of her role of Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

While talking to Ian Spelling for Horror Online, Benson revealed, "I thought that I’d do a few episodes or maybe even just one. I wasn’t sure. And then it just kind of snowballed, which was fantastic. I’m really lucky that I get to work so much on a show that’s so well written and so well put together. After the first couple of episodes, Joss Whedon talked to me about staying around for a while. And that’s when he also started talking to me about the whole lesbian aspect. I had no idea coming into it that Tara was going to be gay. So all of a sudden it was, 'You’re going to be sticking around and you’re going to be Willow’s (Alyson Hannigan) girlfriend.'"

If Tara continues to hang around, there are some facets of the character's life that Benson would like to see explored. "I want to know about her family," she says. "We got to see a few of them (in the episode "Family"), but I want to know what’s up with her mom. Joss and Marti (Noxon) and David (Greenwalt) are so tight-lipped. It’s like Fort Knox over there. They don’t tell you anything. So even if they were thinking about having Tara’s whole family on the show, they wouldn’t tell me."

Regarding what lies ahead on Buffy, Benson answers, "I can’t tell you." But then she says, "All I can tell you is that we’re all going to be dealing with Glory (Clare Kramer) really soon, in episode 20. And Tara really gets a run-in with her. I can’t say more than that, except that it’s going to be insane. The fans are going to love it. It’ll be fantastic."

[rocketdyke]

OOOH!!! tara excitment!!! i hope tara kicks glory's ass. i *so* want tara to do some ass-kicking... even in the figurative, magical-ass sense. i dont think these comments suggest brainsucking...

rocketdyke

------------------
willow: she's like, this cleavage-y slut bomb...

[tvsurfer]

Oh I hope Amber doesn't leave and I sure hope Tara doesn't go insane, at least not for good.
Couldn't tara and willow have done a protection spell to protect themselves and the gang against brain suckage ?

[This message has been edited by tvsurfer (edited March 16, 2001).]

[Popje]

Well the "it's going to be insane" and the "if she sticks around" are subtle but possible negative indicators. Also we've not had any confirmation of actual signing of a S6 contract by Amber...so the whole, I've been offered next year to come back, might be a smokescreen. Hey, did I tell you I'm a pessimist?

[rocketdyke]

no no no, ok this is what i want... willow's going to be trying to do the magical ass-kicking and glory wipes her out, and, that being the *last* straw for tara, tara is going to whip out the witchy-whup-ass and give it to her, but good. yeah...

also, i think some of those comments about "sticking around" are from older interviews... i dont know that the idea of "sticking around" is really an issue so much now as it was earlier. she has said shes been invited back for s6.

and i believe this "insanity" to which she refers is ours, or will be soon, when we're all foaming at the mouth over whatever ensues...

rocketdyke

------------------
willow: she's like, this cleavage-y slut bomb...

[Wiccagrrl]

Oops, didnt see that this had been posted when I posted mine. I find the comments interesting, and it does somewhat seem to back up the idea of Glory sucking Tara's brains...she was the one who seemed most freaked out by that idea. I'm willing to bet she doesn't die, though...and I have a feeling that the SG will find a way to "cure" her by the end of the year.

The storyline does have some potential, as long as we don't lose our Tara for good there could be some good W/T angst, and some great possibilities acting-wise for Amber.

[tvsurfer]

there was a post on the bronze today where someone said she has signed for 6 eppies in season 6. I don't know if its true or not 6 isn't much yet a whole lot better than none
still without W&T I've not much interest in btvs

[Hugin]

I think Amber knows that when it comes to Tara related info and fan love "Bad stuff happens to Tara" or "Tara dies" isn't high on the list.

So if she says it'll be fantastic and that the fans will love it, I assume it'll be exciting , maybe even scary, but not ultimately "bad".

-len

[tvsurfer]

here is the addy for the much longer (and with pics!) Horror on line interview
http://www.horroronline.com/gl obalnav/gnf.pl?url=http%3A//www.horroronline.com/&referrer=http%3A//search.msn.com/spbasic.htm%3FMT%3DHorrorOnline

AMBER BENSON Interview
by Ian Spelling

Tara arrived on the BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER scene and just never left.

“I wasn’t aware of the fact that it would go on so long,” admits Amber Benson, who plays Amber, a student at UC-Sunnydale who was introduced in the fourth-season episode “Hush” and happens to be, in no particular order, a witch, a stutterer, a lesbian and shy as hell. “I thought that I’d do a few episodes or maybe even just one. I wasn’t sure. And then it just kind of snowballed, which was fantastic. I’m really lucky that I get to work so much on a show that’s so well written and so well put together. After the first couple of episodes, (series creator/writer/executive producer) Joss Whedon talked to me about staying around for a while. And that’s when he also started talking to me about the whole lesbian aspect. I had no idea coming into it that Tara was going to be gay. So all of a sudden it was, `You’re going to be sticking around and you’re going to be Willow’s (Alyson Hannigan) girlfriend.’”

Tara’s sexuality caught a lot of people off-guard. Willow’s turn from straight to gay in Oz’ (Seth Green) absence caught a lot of people off-guard. And, make no mistake, that the Tara-Willow relationship evolved beyond a tease, beyond experimentation and into a serious relationship knocked many a fan for a loop. These days, though, people seem as accepting of Tara and Willow as they are of the show’s assorted demons and vampires. “The reaction has been pretty positive,” says Benson, a Birmingham, Alabama, native whose credits include the films BYE, BYE LOVE (with Eliza Dushku and Lindsay Crouse), IMAGINARY CRIMES, THE CRUSH, Stephen Soderbergh’s KING OF THE HILL, CAN’T HARDLY WAIT (her scenes with Seth Green were cut), as well as guest spots on such TV shows as PROMISED LAND and PARTNERS. “I really like the fact that she’s a lesbian. I’ve never played a character that’s had this much of an effect on the world. One of the reasons I’ve enjoyed working on BUFFY so much is that Alyson and I get to do so much interesting work together. We’re really building a relationship and it’s been done in a positive, beautiful way. Alyson is great and we’re both really pleased to be doing it.”

As open and talkative as Benson is about Tara and the character’s sexual orientation, she’s entirely in the closet when it comes to scoop about upcoming episodes. “I can’t tell you,” she demurs politely. Prodded… OK, begged… Benson offers only the following. “Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) is no longer with us,” says the actress, who’s due next in the fall big screen release THE PRIME GIG with Vince Vaughn, Ed Harris and Julia Ormond, and who’s also involved in “WannaBlessedBe” and “Tales of the Slayers,” two upcoming BUFFY comic book projects for Dark Horse, not to mention CHANCE, a film that she will direct (as well as star in, write and produce) and which will co-star several familiar BUFFY and ANGEL names, among them Andy Hallett and Jeff Ricketts. “All I can tell you is that we’re all going to be dealing with Glory (Clare Kramer) really soon, in episode 20. And Tara really gets a run-in with her. I can’t say more than that, except that it’s going to be insane. The fans are going to love it. It’ll be fantastic.”

And what doesn’t Benson know yet about Tara, her Wiccan alter ego, that she’s eager to explore?

“I want to know about her family,” she shoots back in an instant. “We got to see a few of them (in the episode “Family,” of course), but I want to know what’s up with her mom. Joss and Marti (Noxon) and David (Greenwalt) are so tight-lipped. It’s like Fort Knox over there. They don’t tell you anything. So even if they were thinking about having Tara’s whole family on the show, they wouldn’t tell me.”

That’s OK, though. Benson trusts her bosses. Plus, she’s having way too good a time to dare complain. “I get to work with all these great people and play a character that’s a role model for a lot of people,” Benson says, bringing the conversation to a close. “I get to yell at monsters in Latin. We get to cast all these funky spells. The special effects and the creatures are really cool. BUFFY has got to be one of the coolest shows on TV in that aspect. On your usual TV show you don’t get to do all of the funky things we get to do.”

[This message has been edited by tvsurfer (edited March 16, 2001).]

[Wiccagrrl]

Well, I seem to have messed up the topic I posted that had this article as well. Tried to delete it because it was redundant, and now it's still there, but just comes up with the silly play-station popup. I'm such a doof

[wiccie]

tvsurfer, keep in mind that the Bronze is heavy on Tara-bashing. Only time will tell how long Amber/Tara is on BTVS, but I'm thinkin' it'll be well into the 6th season if not beyond;~)

Let's all say the mantra...

[This message has been edited by wiccie (edited March 16, 2001).]

[SciFiAcid]

Um... I'm both excited at the prospect of 'exciting' Tara stuff, and freighted by the uncertainty of Amber continuing on. Egads! But if this 'something' happens in episode 20, that leave 2 more eps. I'm thinking she'll get the brain sucking and the gang will figure out how to cure her by ep 22!

Did I mention I'm an optimist?

wanna play?

[tvsurfer]

She was contracted for 16 eppies this year so how many has she been in? We know she is in eppie 18 because she was talking about it in another interview and in eppie 20 for her run in with glory. Does that make 16?

[volcanogrrl]

This was on the C&S board. As these things go, it's hard to say how believable it is, but it's starting to sound at least plausible:

As first reported, it sounded like someone unfamiliar with BtVS had witnessed a scene being filmed. Report was that Glory
drained Tara's head, and Tara collapsed to the ground, appearing to be dead. The BuffyNewsLetter people, who do watch the
show, added that while she appeared to be dead, she was more likely unconscious and insane. Given comments by Joss &
Amber, I expect her insanity to be short, and for Tara to recover in the season Finale, or early next year.

My apologies if this was posted already.

[WbBuffyfan00]

NO! NO! NO! I don't want to hear anything remotely negative about Tara...I don't want anything bad to happen. This just sucks now.
ugh...why does Joss want to torture me?

-Amy

------------------
"You want to take a picture of my butt?...ummm...OK...You've got two seconds." -Amber

[Popje]

It's definately a strong possibility that the brain suckage occurs. I mean Amber could be doing a word play-hint there with "insane". And it just sounds like the kind of thing Joss would do - that sicko! meanie. God I love that guy. As to what kind of recovery could be expected - well, we heard earlier in the year that magic done to the brain is very dubious - as Tara and gang pointed out to Buffy, when her mom had tumors. Also as for what Amber's contract for next year is - it's all speculative until we hear from Amber or Mutant Enemy themselves. Got my fingers crossed.

[Warduke]

It would be a great twist to have Glory “brain suck” Tara (ONLY if they find a way to cure her by the end of the season finale) then have Glory tell the scoobies what she did, we could see Willow be devastated for a few eps, not that I like seeing Willow in pain but since Aly does it so well, it would also give Amber a chance to play an insane Tara and just think of the outcome, after Tara is cured, the W/T reunion, can you just imagine all the smoochies

I think, hopefully, that the whole thing about Amber being invited for season 6 but not knowing if she accepted is all part of Joss’ devilish plan to throw us for a loop until the season finale, all of us believing that Amber will be back next year but not being sure.

Joss is so EVIL!!!

[SciFiAcid]

I don't want to hear this either, but I think we all have to remember that Joss is all about the 'drama'. We're probably lucky things have gone so smoothly for Tara thus far. I don't mind the idea so much, it actually could be interesting and maybe give Amber lots of funny playing crazy, as long as she's not killed off, cured by the end of the season, and back for season 6! If not, it's time to be very VERY mean to Joss!!

[Wiccagrrl]

Amy, it's not just you...Joss seems to have made it his mission in life to torture his fans and his characters. Angst is the name of the game, and he does it *so* well

And if the inferences are correct this really *does* suck...literally.

[This message has been edited by Wiccagrrl (edited March 16, 2001).]

[BBOvenGuy]

Now that I think about it, Tara is the only Scooby who hasn't taken a pounding yet this year, so I guess her turn is bound to come. And it would be very interesting if the way the gang dealt with Tara's brain getting sucked led to a discovery of how to defeat Glory and/or a discovery about how Dawn functions as The Key.

"Restless" hinted that Tara is of importance to the gang. It may only be through her being attacked that we get to find out how she's important.

That's my hopeful voice talking, anyway.

EDITED TO ADD:

Hold on a second here. Something's not adding up. Let's look at that C&S spoiler again:

quote:

---

Report was that Glory drained Tara's head, and Tara collapsed to the ground, appearing to be dead. The BuffyNewsLetter people, who do watch the show, added that while she appeared to be dead, she was more likely unconscious and insane.

---

Okay, chances are that right now they're only filming Episode 18 or 19, right? I mean, they had a break where SMG went to Australia and Amber&Nick went to Florida and etc., right? I can't imagine them being any farther along than 19. But Amber says the encounter with Glory is in Episode 20. Something's not adding up.

Maybe Xita and I will be able to find out something tonight that sheds light on the situation.

------------------
Remember the Kitten Board mantra - "Joss is nuts about Tara, Willow/Tara and Amber!"

[This message has been edited by BBOvenGuy (edited March 16, 2001).]quote:

[SciFiAcid]

Oh Bob, I like your hopeful voice!! That scenario sounds like a good one actually.

[Hugin]

And if Glory hurts Tara, Willow may pull up with the tanker truck of magic whup ass. A prospect which makes me slightly tingly...

-len

[Wiccagrrl]

Bob, I hope and think you're right. She could be almost like a non-evil Dru- very insightful, and outside-of reality guide for the gang (what was the phrase Dawn used in Blood Ties?)

Besides, more great acting opportunities for Amber and Aly. It's all good...right???

[BBOvenGuy]

Oooh, Wiccagrrl I hadn't thought of that. Tara's already somewhat perceptive of the mystical realms. If she does get brain-sucked she'd be able to see Dawn for what Dawn is. Maybe Tara and Willow would still find some way to communicate and Tara would thus find the secret to beating Glory.

This could all work out somehow. Besides, I have an idea that Amber & Aly acting out a scene where Tara's all crazed but still trying to focus and Willow is tearfully trying to get through to her would be an absolute knockout to watch.

------------------
Remember the Kitten Board mantra - "Joss is nuts about Tara, Willow/Tara and Amber!"

[This message has been edited by BBOvenGuy (edited March 16, 2001).]

[drlloyd11]

I think all will be fine, but...
In a radio interview, Joss was talking about making a very likable character in Speed, and the Killing him off. When the execs asked how could he now that he made him likable (the character was originally a jerk) he said "How could you not?"
Okay, stressing out now

[Wiccagrrl]

Are you concerned that they'll kill her off? Cause I think that's unlikely...I mean, anticlimactic after The Body. And two characters dying so close together? I find that doubtful. Joss doesn't just kill off characters for the hell of it...Jenny was to make a point about Angelus and to show that the gang weren't immune to death. Joyce was showing how the gang (especially Buffy) dealt with a death where there was no bad guy...plus a coming of age. What purpose other than piling on would Tara's death serve?

With Doyle it was apparently a conflict with the actor, and that doesn't seem to be the case here

Now, Tara going insane, at least temporarilly- there could be a real story there. But if Amber has been asked back for next year, I'm betting she won't stay insane.

[BBOvenGuy]

Joss won't kill off Tara. Too many Tara-bashers would rejoice if he did.

Another question pops into my head, though. If Tara gets brain-sucked, does she get restored to health through a magical reset button ("deus ex magica?") or does she recover gradually, learning to compensate for the abilities she has lost? Amber could have quite the meaty acting role in store for her.

------------------
Remember the Kitten Board mantra - "Joss is nuts about Tara, Willow/Tara and Amber!"

[wiccie]

Maybe Tara's form of insanity will be monogamous-compulsive-nymphomania;~)

Still not buying into the panic...

[Wiccagrrl]

Bob...good question...maybe a combination. I mean, something might happen that would lift the veil, bring her back for the most part...but I hope it wouldn't be as simple as an automatic, instant cure, and the effects probably wouldn't just "poof..gone" At the very least, she'd be emotionally traumatized.

And who's panicking? I'm seeing some great potential here

[This message has been edited by Wiccagrrl (edited March 16, 2001).]

[Anyalvr]

You know, I don't think Amber would say 'the fans are going to love it' in regards to Tara's brain being sucked. It's sort of like thinking about Becoming Part 2 "Hee hee! Buffy gets to kill Angel after his soul is restored, then she gets depressed and leaves town! Hee hee! How fun!" Okay, fun to Joss.
But he's evil and sadistic and that's no surprise.

I think any words on her contract are being kept tight-lipped because these things tend to get out of control once the public knows about thme and it ruins all suspense in the storylines. I mean we don't know for sure if
Emma's contract ends at a specific time so Anya won't go 'bad' and be killed, if James's contract isn't ending, if on Angel Elizabeth
Rohm (Kate)'s contract wasn't ending when she had her brish with death. When the public knows about these things it takes all suspense out of the storylines and Joss wants to avoid that. Particularly with outside characters that aren't firmly established he wants to keep the public from being sure.

Possible Friends spoilers below

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
This is an advantage to him when it is compared with a show like Friends, where on the cover of People it's announced that Matthew Perry has bone AWOL and possibly won't be around to film the last four episodes of Friends which throws the whole Monica/Chandler thing out of wack and made
me resolve my Friends/Gilmore Girls conflict once and for all. Now if I hadn't known that I would be kept in suspense so really knowing ahead of time about schedules and contracts
sometimes screws it up.

Joss likes to keep things in suspense and because of this I have a real hard time believing the rumour mill especially when they're spreading Tara dies rumours every week and the Angel/Spike jealousy rumours like they're bona fide information when there is no context for such things.

------------------
"I tried to be unlovable/why couldn't you do the same?"

-(jewel)

"Spank us 'til Tuesday! We promise to be bad if you do!"
-(drusilla, angel)