locker_monster | Buffy spoilers: How I missed and loathe thee

Well, it's official: Buffy spoilers are back. A good thing or a bad thing? Depends on you, I suppose. Me, I'm sort of giddy though annoyed at the same time. And I'm sure you're thinking "You can't be both", but I'm just weird that way.

So why the giddiness if I hate spoilers? Yup, I admit it. I hate spoilers. They were my nemesis for seven years. Couldn't visit a Buffy website without the fear of spoilers. Sure, some sites were kind enough to provide spoilers tags and others advised posters to mark their posts as having spoilers, but there was always someone who forgot or put the spoiler right in the title of the post. There were times when I'd be reading a magazine and bam!, spoiler. Of course, I should point out that a spoiler for me was any future information about an upcoming episode. I didn't want to know plot, or who was showing up, or anything. Something small could ruin the whole episode for me. So, hence seven years of trying to exist blissfully unaware.

It was mostly easy. Living in Canada helped. No pesky promos hyping the death of a character. Visiting sites I knew also helped, though it really limited my exposure to the fandom. But it was enough. When Tara died, I didn't see it coming. When Spike got his soul back, I was completely surprised. Buffy calling all the Potentials in the world? Well, you get the picture.

So here we are, 2007. Three years after the end of Buffy. And what should be popping up on the boards? Why, Buffy season eight comic spoilers, of course. Plot outlines are showing up everywhere (thankful people have labeled them as spoilers). And as annoyed as I am about having to limit where I visit and what I read, I'm also happy. Spoilers mean there's something to look forward to. It means there are plot twists cooked up by Joss just waiting to shock people. It means, simply, Buffy's back!

Now, if you will excuse me. I'm going to hide under this rock until March rolls around.