Buffy producer suggests killing off lesbian Tara was a step ‘too far’
Tara (left) and Willow (right) were the first lesbian couple to share a kiss on TV in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (20th Century Fox)
A producer forĀ Buffy the Vampire SlayerĀ has implied that killing off Tara ā one half of a groundbreaking lesbian couple on the show ā was a step “too far.”
Tara ā played byĀ Amber Benson āĀ was introduced to the show halfway through season four, and soon stole queer hearts when she started a relationship with Alyson Hannigan’s character Willow.
However, she was shot dead towards the end of season six, leaving fans devastated.
Now,Ā Marti Noxon, executive producer forĀ show’s lastĀ two seasons, hasĀ questioned whether Tara’s death was necessary in a new interview.
“There were parts of season six where I feel we went too far,” she toldĀ Vulture.
“We pushed into some categories that almost felt sadistic and that Buffy was volunteering for things that were beyond just ‘bad choices’ and were almost irresponsible for the character.
“That may have to do with my own history! The personal, right? It’s personal.
“And I think that killing Tara was ā in retrospect, of all the people, did she have to die?”
Tara and Willow were the first lesbian couple to share a kiss on TV in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (20th Century Fox)
Benson and Maclay were reunited for an anniversary shoot for the show in March last year.Ā
Fox TV group chair Gary Newman has also hinted thatĀ Buffy could be in line for a re-boot. However, this has yet to materialise.Ā
Newman said thatĀ said that Buffy āis probably the most ripe show we have for bringing back.”
āItās something we talk about frequently and Joss Whedon is really one of the greatest creators we ever worked with,ā Newman said.
Makers have hinted that the show could be revived. (Creative Commons)
ButĀ he insisted that he was not announcing a definite come back because he āwouldnāt get out of the building aliveā if he did.
The large number of lesbian and bisexual character deaths on TV has been widely criticised in the LGBT+ press.
In July 2017, it was revealed thatĀ 62 lesbian and bisexual female characters on TV showsĀ were killed offĀ in the previous two years.
This was the most in any two-year period since records began in 1976.
These deaths accounted for 10 percent of all on-screen demises, which is disproportionateĀ to the quantity of LGBT characters on TV.
Buffy the Vampire SlayerĀ ran for seven seasons between 1997 and 2003.
