No Future for You
Encyclopedia
"No Future for You" is the second story arc of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
series of comic books, based upon the television series of the same name, and is written by Brian K. Vaughan
. The storyarc would be reprinted in trade paperback under the publication of Dark Horse Comics on June 4, 2008.
sits atop the Art Deco
Hope Memorial Bridge
in Cleveland
, smoking. After somewhat cynically reminiscing that her mother used to read Oh, The Places You'll Go!
to her as a child, she receives a telephone call from Robin Wood. Wood and his "squad" are taking care of a vampire nest, but he tells Faith that one of the vampires they staked used to be a single mother and asks Faith to go check on the children. Faith arrives at the dead woman's house and finds six children, all vampires. After quickly dusting them, she heads back to her apartment.
She finds Rupert Giles
waiting for her and drinking tea. Giles needs Faith for a dangerous mission with high stakes. If she succeeds, he will give her a passport to anywhere, with a new name and an early retirement. Faith agrees, and finds out Giles wants her to kill a rogue Slayer for whom there is no hope of rehabilitation. Giles trains a reluctant Faith to pass as an English aristocrat, so that she can crash Lady Genevieve's 19th birthday party and assassinate her.
In Scotland, Buffy
and Xander
are training. After Buffy questions him, Xander states that he needs to train so he can be Renee's sparring partner. After Buffy makes fun of his love interest, she stares blankly at the symbol of twilight from the first arc
. Buffy confides that she has a recurring nightmare in which a monster says, "The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen" and then devours her.
Now in England, Faith dresses for the party while Giles gives her a last-minute quiz in etiquette. Faith appears at the top of the stairs in an elegant gown, ready to leave for the party, and asks Giles if things are all right, to which Giles responds that things are "five by five
."
In Scotland, Dawn
and Willow
have a conversation, and it turns around to the subject of Kenny, with whom everyone thinks Dawn had sex. Despite Willow's attempts to cheer up Dawn, she cries a little and is about to open up to Willow, when Renee brings the message that Buffy needs Willow's advice on computer security.
Later, Faith is outside Genevieve's house, smoking a cigarette and seems to be experiencing trepidations about her assignment. However Faith is determined to go back in and kill Genevieve once she has finished smoking. Genevieve startles Faith, who introduces herself as Hope Lyonne, daughter of the Viscount Avalon. As they chat about life and family, Faith slowly draws out the knife from her hair. Suddenly, Faith is lifted off her feet by Roden's flying gargoyles. She climbs onto one and sends it crashing to the ground. After disposing of the other, she faints.
In Genevieve's room, she and Roden argue whether or not to kill the unconscious Faith. Genevieve doesn't want to and thinks Faith would be a great asset as a partner. Faith wakes up and talks to Genevieve. When Genevieve mentions that she wants to overtake the queen, Faith asks if Genevieve is going to kill the current queen of Britain. Genevieve opens her closet, which is filled with pictures of Buffy, the symbol of Twilight marked on one of them, and says, "No, Hope. Not Elizabeth."
Outside the Savidge Manor, Giles along with a freelancer is trying to break into the manor to rescue Faith. The freelancer suggests that Faith has gone "native", and she's not working for Giles anymore.
In Scotland, Buffy and Willow are fixing up some of the force fields around the arena and discussing how they should respond to the danger posed by the army. Genevieve and Roden teleport Buffy to their stately home. Buffy and Genevieve fight, while Faith watches from a balcony. While the rogue Slayer proves to be an accomplished fighter, she is defeated by the more experienced Buffy. As Buffy is about to deliver the killing blow, and Roden prepares to attack Buffy with magic, Faith leaps into the fight. Buffy accuses her of switching sides again, despite Faith's attempts to convince her otherwise. Buffy attacks Faith, and during the ensuing battle, Faith almost drowns Buffy in a swimming pool, but comes to her senses in time. At that moment, Willow teleports Buffy back to Scotland, leaving Faith alone and shaken. While Buffy orders Willow to contact Giles immediately, back at the Savidge residence, Faith sits crestfallen as Genevieve approaches and prepares to swing an axe at her head, realizing that her friend has betrayed her...
' s third season, between the Mayor and Faith, shows how Faith currently views the Mayor. She knows he was wrong and evil, yet how she can't help but feel loved when she thinks of him. Once the flashback ends, Genevieve and Faith start to fight. Faith tries to make Genevieve understand that Roden is wrong and is steering her in the wrong direction, but Genevieve refuses to listen.
Outside Savidge Manor, Giles and the freelancer are still trying to break in to the grounds. Giles talks to Willow and Buffy. Willow adds her magic to his task; Buffy conveys she is angry with him for recent incidents.
Back in the greenhouse, Faith and Genevieve are still fighting. Faith mortally wounds her opponent in self-defense and begs Roden to heal her. He tries to recruit her instead, an offer she turns down. Roden attacks, only to be slain by Giles.
The following morning, Faith and Giles discuss the situation and agree to be 'social workers' for rogue Slayers, especially considering Buffy is mad at both of them.
Somewhere on top of a plateau a woman named Lieutenant Molter talks to a floating figure called Twilight. He states Roden and Gigi's deaths were part of a plan and Buffy will die soon enough.
and Brian K. Vaughan
collaborated in breaking down the story, before Vaughan penned the four-part story individually. Vaughan had previously pitched the broad strokes of the story at a dinner with Whedon, Tim Minear and Drew Goddard as a direct-to-DVD Faith movie. There were some presumptions that Vaughan would have difficulty writing the characters' dialogue, given that he wasn't a member of the TV series' writing staff. Despite so, Vaughan proved otherwise. Whedon himself was compelled to tell Vaughan what great lines he had written to Faith specifically. His writing, like the series', featured numerous pop-culture references. The title itself refers to a verse from the song "God Save the Queen
" by the Sex Pistols
. Other rock song lyrics are mentioned by characters as well: Faith tells Giles she's "the go-to girl for dirty deeds done dirt cheap
," whereas Roden paraphrase
s Pink Floyd
's song "Another Brick in the Wall
" with the phrase "as a wise man
once said, you can't have any pudding if you don't eat your meat." Giles, sporting a jumper with a Yellow Submarine design, refers to "the great bearded wizard of Northampton
": a nod to legendary comic book writer and magician Alan Moore
. Buffy refers to Lady Genevieve and her accomplices as Faith's 'droogs', a term used in Anthony Burgess
's A Clockwork Orange
to define friend or associate. Finally, whilst training, Xander makes reference to Snake Plissken
, the eye-patch wearing anti-hero of Escape from New York
.
Georges Jeanty
returned since penciling the first four issues. He too included pop-culture references in the artwork, such as Giles' jumper. He humorously penciled the Tenth Doctor
and Rose Tyler
from British science fiction television series Doctor Who
. Jeanty also references to past Buffy episodes, such as Xander's Sunnydale High School
's swim team T-shirt; Xander had previously joined the swim team to investigate the deaths of some of its members in season two
. In a flashback sequence in "No Future for You, Part II", Jeanty replicated the scene from "Graduation Day". He detailed the panels to the televised episode with such detail including Buffy and Faith's blocking
.
by both Whedon and various commentators. As the creator of Buffy, Joss Whedon's association with Buffyverse story is often linked to how canonical the various stories are. Since this story is part of the larger canonical Season Eight plotted by Whedon, it is considered to continue from the official continuity established by Buffy and Angel.
Season Eight contradicts and supersedes information given in the paperback novels set after Season Seven, such as Queen of the Slayers
and Dark Congress
, which are described by their writer Christopher Golden
as being set in an unofficial "parallel" continuity.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. The series serves as a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and follows the events of that show's final televised season. It is produced by Joss Whedon, who wrote the...
series of comic books, based upon the television series of the same name, and is written by Brian K. Vaughan
Brian K. Vaughan
Brian Keller Vaughan is an American comic book and television writer. He is best known for the comic book series Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, and Pride of Baghdad, and was one of the principal writers of the television series Lost, during seasons three through five...
. The storyarc would be reprinted in trade paperback under the publication of Dark Horse Comics on June 4, 2008.
Part I (Issue #6)
FaithFaith Lehane
Faith is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Played by actress Eliza Dushku in the TV series and by Whitney Thompson in the motion comic series, Faith was introduced in the third season of Buffy and was a focus of that season's...
sits atop the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
Hope Memorial Bridge
Hope Memorial Bridge
The Hope Memorial Bridge is a 5,865 foot long art deco truss bridge crossing the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio. It stands 93 feet above the waterline in order to allow shipping to pass...
in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, smoking. After somewhat cynically reminiscing that her mother used to read Oh, The Places You'll Go!
Oh, the Places You'll Go!
Oh, the Places You'll Go! is a book written and illustrated by children's author Dr. Seuss. It was first published by Random House on January 22, 1990, making it his last book published before his death...
to her as a child, she receives a telephone call from Robin Wood. Wood and his "squad" are taking care of a vampire nest, but he tells Faith that one of the vampires they staked used to be a single mother and asks Faith to go check on the children. Faith arrives at the dead woman's house and finds six children, all vampires. After quickly dusting them, she heads back to her apartment.
She finds Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure...
waiting for her and drinking tea. Giles needs Faith for a dangerous mission with high stakes. If she succeeds, he will give her a passport to anywhere, with a new name and an early retirement. Faith agrees, and finds out Giles wants her to kill a rogue Slayer for whom there is no hope of rehabilitation. Giles trains a reluctant Faith to pass as an English aristocrat, so that she can crash Lady Genevieve's 19th birthday party and assassinate her.
In Scotland, Buffy
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
and Xander
Xander Harris
Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as in numerous items in the series Expanded Universe, such as comic books, tie-in novels and video games...
are training. After Buffy questions him, Xander states that he needs to train so he can be Renee's sparring partner. After Buffy makes fun of his love interest, she stares blankly at the symbol of twilight from the first arc
The Long Way Home (Buffy comic)
"The Long Way Home" is the first arc from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a direct continuation of the television series of the same name. It is written by creator Joss Whedon. It ran for four issues. The first issue was released on March 14, 2007, and the final...
. Buffy confides that she has a recurring nightmare in which a monster says, "The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen" and then devours her.
Now in England, Faith dresses for the party while Giles gives her a last-minute quiz in etiquette. Faith appears at the top of the stairs in an elegant gown, ready to leave for the party, and asks Giles if things are all right, to which Giles responds that things are "five by five
Five by five
Five by five is the best of 25 possible subjective responses used to describe the quality of communications, specifically the signal-to-noise ratio. As receiving stations move away from an analog radio transmitting site, the signal strength decreases gradually while noise levels increase...
."
Part II (Issue #7)
Faith has a flashback of her battle with Buffy ("Graduation Day"). In the present, Faith has arrived at Genevieve's party, with a knife concealed in her hair. She hears Giles through an earbud, but throws it away, saying, "I've got enough voices in my head already." When Faith is inside, she pulls the knife from her hair, ready to attack Genevieve. Faith wonders why she is so nervous about this, when she has killed people before. Meanwhile, Roden watches over the party, and speaks to some of his flying gargoyles, telling them to be wary of the fourth person in Genevieve's receiving line: Faith.In Scotland, Dawn
Dawn Summers
Dawn Summers is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Marti Noxon and David Fury on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed by Michelle Trachtenberg. She made her debut in the premiere episode of the show's fifth season, and subsequently appeared in every...
and Willow
Willow Rosenberg
Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan...
have a conversation, and it turns around to the subject of Kenny, with whom everyone thinks Dawn had sex. Despite Willow's attempts to cheer up Dawn, she cries a little and is about to open up to Willow, when Renee brings the message that Buffy needs Willow's advice on computer security.
Later, Faith is outside Genevieve's house, smoking a cigarette and seems to be experiencing trepidations about her assignment. However Faith is determined to go back in and kill Genevieve once she has finished smoking. Genevieve startles Faith, who introduces herself as Hope Lyonne, daughter of the Viscount Avalon. As they chat about life and family, Faith slowly draws out the knife from her hair. Suddenly, Faith is lifted off her feet by Roden's flying gargoyles. She climbs onto one and sends it crashing to the ground. After disposing of the other, she faints.
In Genevieve's room, she and Roden argue whether or not to kill the unconscious Faith. Genevieve doesn't want to and thinks Faith would be a great asset as a partner. Faith wakes up and talks to Genevieve. When Genevieve mentions that she wants to overtake the queen, Faith asks if Genevieve is going to kill the current queen of Britain. Genevieve opens her closet, which is filled with pictures of Buffy, the symbol of Twilight marked on one of them, and says, "No, Hope. Not Elizabeth."
Part III (Issue #8)
After discovering Genevieve is planning to kill Buffy, Faith jumps to the conclusion that Giles sent her to save Buffy from Genevieve. Nevertheless, she continues her assignment, and convinces Genevieve that she has sided with her. They immediately start bonding, even taking a bath together.Outside the Savidge Manor, Giles along with a freelancer is trying to break into the manor to rescue Faith. The freelancer suggests that Faith has gone "native", and she's not working for Giles anymore.
In Scotland, Buffy and Willow are fixing up some of the force fields around the arena and discussing how they should respond to the danger posed by the army. Genevieve and Roden teleport Buffy to their stately home. Buffy and Genevieve fight, while Faith watches from a balcony. While the rogue Slayer proves to be an accomplished fighter, she is defeated by the more experienced Buffy. As Buffy is about to deliver the killing blow, and Roden prepares to attack Buffy with magic, Faith leaps into the fight. Buffy accuses her of switching sides again, despite Faith's attempts to convince her otherwise. Buffy attacks Faith, and during the ensuing battle, Faith almost drowns Buffy in a swimming pool, but comes to her senses in time. At that moment, Willow teleports Buffy back to Scotland, leaving Faith alone and shaken. While Buffy orders Willow to contact Giles immediately, back at the Savidge residence, Faith sits crestfallen as Genevieve approaches and prepares to swing an axe at her head, realizing that her friend has betrayed her...
Part IV (Issue #9)
A flashback to a scene in Buffy the Vampire SlayerOutside Savidge Manor, Giles and the freelancer are still trying to break in to the grounds. Giles talks to Willow and Buffy. Willow adds her magic to his task; Buffy conveys she is angry with him for recent incidents.
Back in the greenhouse, Faith and Genevieve are still fighting. Faith mortally wounds her opponent in self-defense and begs Roden to heal her. He tries to recruit her instead, an offer she turns down. Roden attacks, only to be slain by Giles.
The following morning, Faith and Giles discuss the situation and agree to be 'social workers' for rogue Slayers, especially considering Buffy is mad at both of them.
Somewhere on top of a plateau a woman named Lieutenant Molter talks to a floating figure called Twilight. He states Roden and Gigi's deaths were part of a plan and Buffy will die soon enough.
Production
Joss WhedonJoss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
and Brian K. Vaughan
Brian K. Vaughan
Brian Keller Vaughan is an American comic book and television writer. He is best known for the comic book series Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, and Pride of Baghdad, and was one of the principal writers of the television series Lost, during seasons three through five...
collaborated in breaking down the story, before Vaughan penned the four-part story individually. Vaughan had previously pitched the broad strokes of the story at a dinner with Whedon, Tim Minear and Drew Goddard as a direct-to-DVD Faith movie. There were some presumptions that Vaughan would have difficulty writing the characters' dialogue, given that he wasn't a member of the TV series' writing staff. Despite so, Vaughan proved otherwise. Whedon himself was compelled to tell Vaughan what great lines he had written to Faith specifically. His writing, like the series', featured numerous pop-culture references. The title itself refers to a verse from the song "God Save the Queen
God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols song)
"God Save the Queen" is a song by the English punk rock band The Sex Pistols. It was released as the band's second single and was featured on their only album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. The song was released during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977...
" by the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
. Other rock song lyrics are mentioned by characters as well: Faith tells Giles she's "the go-to girl for dirty deeds done dirt cheap
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (song)
"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It is the title track and first track of their album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, released in September 1976, and was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott....
," whereas Roden paraphrase
Paraphrase
Paraphrase is restatement of a text or passages, using other words. The term "paraphrase" derives via the Latin "paraphrasis" from the Greek , meaning "additional manner of expression". The act of paraphrasing is also called "paraphrasis."...
s Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's song "Another Brick in the Wall
Another Brick in the Wall
"Another Brick in the Wall" is the title of three songs set to variations of the same basic theme, on Pink Floyd's 1979 rock opera, The Wall, subtitled Part 1 , Part 2 , and Part 3...
" with the phrase "as a wise man
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
once said, you can't have any pudding if you don't eat your meat." Giles, sporting a jumper with a Yellow Submarine design, refers to "the great bearded wizard of Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
": a nod to legendary comic book writer and magician Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
. Buffy refers to Lady Genevieve and her accomplices as Faith's 'droogs', a term used in Anthony Burgess
Anthony Burgess
John Burgess Wilson – who published under the pen name Anthony Burgess – was an English author, poet, playwright, composer, linguist, translator and critic. The dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange is Burgess's most famous novel, though he dismissed it as one of his lesser works...
's A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange is a 1962 dystopian novella by Anthony Burgess. The novel contains an experiment in language: the characters often use an argot called "Nadsat", derived from Russian....
to define friend or associate. Finally, whilst training, Xander makes reference to Snake Plissken
Snake Plissken
S.D. Bob "Snake" Plissken is a fictional character in John Carpenter's films Escape from New York and Escape from L.A., played by Kurt Russell. He is an ex-special forces commando/war hero in World War III turned criminal...
, the eye-patch wearing anti-hero of Escape from New York
Escape from New York
Escape from New York is a 1981 American science fiction action film directed and scored by John Carpenter. He co-wrote the screenplay with Nick Castle. The film is set in the near future in a crime-ridden United States that has converted Manhattan Island in New York City into a maximum security...
.
Georges Jeanty
Georges Jeanty
Georges Jeanty is an American comic book penciler best known for his work on The American Way, an eight-issue American comic book limited series produced under DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint, and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics.-Early...
returned since penciling the first four issues. He too included pop-culture references in the artwork, such as Giles' jumper. He humorously penciled the Tenth Doctor
Tenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
and Rose Tyler
Rose Tyler
Rose Marion Tyler is a fictional character portrayed by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was created by series producer Russell T Davies...
from British science fiction television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. Jeanty also references to past Buffy episodes, such as Xander's Sunnydale High School
Sunnydale
Sunnydale, California is the fictional setting for the U.S. television drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Series creator Joss Whedon conceived the town as a representation of a generic California city, as well as a narrative parody of the all-too-serene towns typical in traditional horror...
's swim team T-shirt; Xander had previously joined the swim team to investigate the deaths of some of its members in season two
Go Fish (Buffy episode)
"Go Fish" is episode 20 of season two of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.Xander goes undercover on the Sunnydale swim team after two members are seemingly eaten, leaving only their skins. Their coach has been giving them steroids combined with fish DNA, which turns them into sea...
. In a flashback sequence in "No Future for You, Part II", Jeanty replicated the scene from "Graduation Day". He detailed the panels to the televised episode with such detail including Buffy and Faith's blocking
Blocking (stage)
Blocking is a theatre term which refers to the precise movement and positioning of actors on a stage in order to facilitate the performance of a play, ballet, film or opera. The term derives from the practice of 19th century theatre directors such as Sir W. S...
.
Canonical issues
This series has been described as canonCanon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
by both Whedon and various commentators. As the creator of Buffy, Joss Whedon's association with Buffyverse story is often linked to how canonical the various stories are. Since this story is part of the larger canonical Season Eight plotted by Whedon, it is considered to continue from the official continuity established by Buffy and Angel.
Season Eight contradicts and supersedes information given in the paperback novels set after Season Seven, such as Queen of the Slayers
Queen of the Slayers
Queen of the Slayers is an original novel based on the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot summary:Following the Hellmouth's closure, hundreds of potential slayers have been awakened. Buffy Summers hoped that overturning the Slayer's self-sacrifice would result in her earning...
and Dark Congress
Dark Congress (Buffy novel)
Dark Congress is an original novel based on the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and is written by Christopher Golden.-Plot summary:Golden has revealed some things about the plotline in an interview with Slayerlit:...
, which are described by their writer Christopher Golden
Christopher Golden
Christopher Golden is an American author of horror, fantasy, and suspense novels for adults, teens, and young readers.Golden was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. He is a graduate of Tufts University...
as being set in an unofficial "parallel" continuity.
Timeline
- Intended to be set at least a year and a half after BtVS's seventh season. The precise timing of this arc is currently uncertain.