Buffy Star Dead Again
Another setback for poor, lovelorn Willow (Alyson
Hannigan) on Buffy the
Vampire Slayer. The
recovering witchoholic's
deceased love Tara
(Amber Benson) will not
be resurrected this
season after all. According
to series creator Joss
Whedon, Benson — who was slated to be brought back
to life as a different character — failed to reach a deal with
producer 20th Century Fox.
"It was a question of negotiations, as it sometimes is," he tells TV Guide Online.
"It's sad, because I love Amber. But that's between her and Fox." Adds Benson's
rep: "She's very proud of her work on the show, but ultimately, we couldn't work out
the right deal."
Well, Benson's comeback, like her alter ego, was shot down, but that doesn't mean
Willow won't fall under the spell of another enchantress. Whedon reveals that the
sapphic Scooby "is going to meet someone" new. "I can't say whether or not it's
going to work out, but she's definitely not joining a nunnery." Another definite: The
onetime hetero won't be going back to boys. "This I will tell you without any
equivocation," he says, "Willow's gay."
Well, there was that whole Oz (Seth Green) phase... "It takes a while for some
people to realize it," reasons Whedon. "Truthfully, when we first started the
[Willow-Tara love story], we were like, 'Is [Willow] bi? Is she gay? What do we want
to say? What do we want to do?'
"We decided it would be unfair of us, particularly considering the circumstances of
Tara's controversial death, to say, 'Oh, now Willow's over it.' Or, 'Willow's bi so we
can have more storylines,'" he continues. "So, we do have somebody in mind that
Willow will meet in the future who might shake up her world just a little bit — and it'll
be a girl."
— Michael Ausiello