#original plan

Maggie Walsh and her ‘Initiative’ had the ultimate formula for defeating all vampires, if not all demons.

A vampire not being able to bite people not by choice is like Castration or Erectile dysfunction because vampires use their fangs to “conceive” their “children”. If they cannot bite, not only can they not survive themselves, but they cannot sire others to survive them either… which means if there was only one vampire left, that vampire couldn’t give “birth” to a new race of vampires. Implanting chips in them would exterminate their entire species by killing the ones that already exist because they cannot feed themselves, and by preventing them from siring anyone so that they also cannot create anew.

The “vampire” would go extinct very quickly when you think about it. As for defeating all other demons… Adam had that sorted out. See, it could have been such a compelling season and finale if Maggie Walsh’s actor had stayed in the show so that her character could remain the Big Bad instead of Adam. Adam could have still been a thing that she did but he would have actually been an aid to his “mother” rather than her demise as soon as he awakened. I’m kinda annoyed that the actor wanted to leave even though I shouldn’t be because she had all the right to, of course. But it’s just - they had something compelling!

Science VS supernatural and technology VS magic were themes in juxtaposition that really would have made for a great season and finale. Maybe even as good as Season 5 or, for me, Season 6. It would have been presented and tied up neatly in a bow for the audience watching. Strong and substantial in its representation and development instead of the half-baked, write-it-as-we-go-along, incoherent mess it was. I really would have loved to see the initial plan for Season 4 with Maggie Walsh in mind as the Big Bad because I think she would have been a great one - especially considering she was human and Buffy would have to find a way to stop her without killing her in the way she did for Dark Willow. Or would she have to take the plunge and excuse the fundamental law of no killing of humans to do it? There’s such a condition and conflict there with Maggie that there wasn’t for Adam. And imagine how much more interesting the character Riley would have been if they were able to stick to this storyline for him too.

It’s a damn shame Lindsay Crouse wanted out because there were so many great ideas that simply had to be discarded because she wouldn’t be there to set them in motion. Makes you realize just how important actors are to show writing and producing. They have to scrap entire storylines if they suddenly have to lose significant characters. In Season 4 it’s Maggie Walsh and Oz because you could essentially have had both the Dark Willow and the Initiative storylines all in one. You’d probably have to lose the character Tara but since they didn’t really do anything significant with her anyway that wouldn’t have been a big loss. It would mean they’d have to make Xander the gay character or do it for later in the show with Willow or even just forgo and forget it completely. It wasn’t necessary, it was just nice representation to have given there was little to no gay representation on TV at all back then. But I could have done without it in all honesty in favour for more compelling storylines. For a better Season 4 that could have been just as strong and substantial as Season 5, if not more. I mean where would it put our core 4 main characters if neither Lindsay Crouse or Seth Green left? If they were able to stick to their original plan for Season 4? Because here’s an idea they may have thought of… what if the reason Oz died was because of Maggie and what if Willow turned and killed off Maggie relieving Buffy from having to do it, but still leaving a problem for her solve in that Willow was now evil? It is such a damn shame because I can see the potential. I can see in my mind’s eye how great it would be if I could get my hands on that initial Season 4 manifesto. To read what was written before they had to change course due to their actors wanting out of their contracts. I reckon THAT Season 4 would have been my favourite season of the entire show - no contest. Because the ideas were there. In Season 7 also, the ideas were there. But the execution was just bleagh… but at least with Season 4 there’s a real reason for it. I can’t give Season 7 that same leeway unfortunately because that was just… - I don’t know what that was but I do know that I didn’t like it and I certainly didn’t think that what they did was good enough to conclude the entire show, let alone a singular season. As a fan I just feel so robbed of some spectacular TV.