Jane Espenson on Buffy’s Oz, Warehouse 13, Caprica and Dollhouse

It seems anywhere I turn these days, Jane Espenson has some hand in many things TV-related that I love. I was turned on to her writing magic with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, of course, but it hasn’t ended there. Battlestar Galactica fans no doubt know of her involvement with that series, and it’s continuing on with the Caprica prequel series, for example.

Once again I grabbed the ear … well, the typing fingers of Ms. Espenson to ask some burning questions I had about some new projects she’s been involved in. As it turns out, fans of hers have a lot to look forward to.

KM: I was really surprised that I liked Caprica as much as I did. No offense, but the pitch going around of it being like Dallas in the future just didn’t sit well with me. It really does strike at a different audience, while doing a nice job of keeping BSG lovers happy. Can you see it continuing to appease old BSG fans? Do you know if there will be any shout-outs to things we’ve seen in Galactica, like a young Doc Cottle, for example?

JE: I don’t see a lot of characters showing up – I think that might feel a bit contrived, but yes, of course, you’ll hear references to a number of things we know from Galactica. The classic book, Searider Falcon, that the Admiral read out loud to Laura was already a classic 58 years earlier, for example. We’re definitely making an effort to pay attention to that kind of thing.

KM: As far as The Plan goes, will there be anything contained in the story that will cause the BSG buzz lines to light up again? Any “ooooh!” reveals that we can look forward to? Or is it just a nice way to say one final goodbye to the series?

JE: Hmm. There are certainly reveals in The Plan. They’re going to make you say “Ahh… so that’s how…” and things like that. A few loose ends that you might have even forgotten are loose are going to get tied up.

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I’ve been following along with the Buffy Season 8 comic since the beginning, as it appeases the pickiness in me to have things follow canon within a fictional universe. Jane will have a hand in an upcoming multi-issue arc of the comic book series, returning my favorite character to the Buffyverse: Oz.

KM: Joss Whedon’s said before that the Buffy S8 series is considered “canon” to the TV series. Did you keep that in mind when writing the Oz arc? How important do you feel sticking with cannon on a mythology such as Buffy is?

JE: I’m very lucky to have Joss reading and approving everything I write for the Buffy comics, just as I did, of course, when we were writing the show. I think the trick is to forget the responsibility of “being canon” while you’re writing, and then let Joss correct you if you’ve gone off the path. If you think too much about coloring inside the lines, you don’t get any inspired moments.

KM: Will this arc involve much of what Oz has been up to or will it center much more on what he’ll be doing with the Scoobies in the present?

JE: It’s both. It’s in the present, but we also take the time to fill in the past.

KM: Is the plan to have Oz continue on after this arc as a regular? If not, could he appear again here and there in future issues?

JE: I don’t know if there are plans to have Oz continue after this-either as a recurring character or a regular character, but I get why it would be a cool option to have. He adds such an interesting tone to the group.

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Clacked by Keith McDuffee
on Jun 04, 2009 @ 12:45 EST5EDT