Joss Whedon

My dearest Joss,

How much do I love you? Let me count the ways. Buffy, Spike, Angel, Cordelia, Willow, Jayne, Mal, Kaylee, Illyria, Giles... the list is unending. Is my admiration and respect for your talent slightly biased? Perhaps. Then again, I believe it’s safe to say that you are responsible for the creation of three of the best television series to ever grace the airwaves. For giving me those shows, those characters, those storylines, plus fandoms and friends that I couldn’t do without, I want to thank you.

Thank you for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Thank you for creating a strong female character who wasn’t a Mary Sue. Buffy was strong, beautiful, and very often, a complete and utter bitch. I loved her, I hated her, and I cried and laughed with her like I haven’t any character before or since. If more writers could only give us female characters with the depth and insight that you do, then perhaps I wouldn’t spend so much of my time watching television rolling my eyes and surfing channels. Thank you also for the creation of Willow, Tara, Cordelia, Joyce, Anya, Faith, Fred, Drusilla, Darla, Glory, Harmony, Lilah, and yes, even Dawn. Thank you for Angel, Spike, Connor, Wesley, Xander, Giles, Oz, Gunn, Doyle, Lorne, Riley, Lindsey, Andrew, Jonathan, and the unforgettable Clem.

Thank you for Firefly. I’ve watched a lot of science fiction, a lot of television, and this was, without a doubt, the best show I’ve ever seen. An amazing feat with only 14 episodes, all of which were perfect. Typically it takes me a full season to really fall for a show, to really love the characters, and to really want to be a part of the universe. Firefly took me three episodes, and I knew it was something special. Thank you for Mal, Jayne, Inara, River, Simon, Kaylee, Wash, Zoe and Book. For Badger, YoSafBridg, Niska, Tracey, Fess Higgins, Nandi and Jubal Early. And most of all, the most important character of your creation, Serenity - the first time an inanimate object took on the characteristics and heart of a living, breathing being.

Thank you for writing engaging dialogue. So often writers tend to ignore what real conversations with their friends are like. The dialogue is without jokes, or the teasing banter often exchanged between friends, left to be dry and listless exposition meant to do little more than carry the story forward. You can’t feel close to a character, sympathize with a character, if you don’t understand them. Language is important, how people interact through their daily conversations say everything about them, but far too many writers just don’t get that. You get that, and you do it better than anyone. Thank you for making me laugh, even in the most scary and absurd of situations. Thank you for making me feel close to your characters.

Thank you for not being afraid to write outside the norm, to give us universes where vampires and demons exist, and where cowboys have traded in horses for spaceships. Where smugglers, thieves and mercenaries are heroes, and gorgeous, petite blondes kick some major ass. Where hookers are respected, and werewolves attend high school like anyone else.

Thank you for The Body. Thank you for Hush. Thank you for having the guts to write Once More With Feeling and convincing all of your actors to sing for it. And thank you for the Once More With Feeling soundtrack. Nothing puts a smile on my face faster than singing along to those songs.

Thank you for Smile Time. Thank you for There’s No Place Like Plrtz Glrb. Thank you for Waiting in the Wings. Thank you, thank you, thank you for casting Adam Baldwin as Hamilton because... well, I’m shallow like that. More than that, though, thank you for being so loyal to your actors.

Thank you for Out of Gas, The Message, Ariel, Jaynestown, War Stories, Our Mrs. Reynolds, Objects in Space... well, you get the idea. Thank you for putting together a cast of such amazing and gracious individuals. It’s a wonderful feeling to be involved in a fandom where you actually know you are appreciated for simply being a fan.

Thank you for casting such pretty people in your shows. No, really. Thank you.

Thank you for creating such strong and enduring fandoms. The people I’ve met, the friends I’ve made, all because of the shows you’ve written - they can’t be measured. There’s a certain camaraderie when you meet a fellow Jossverse fan, knowing that they get what you get, and that they’ve fallen in love with the same things that you have. You can ramble off quotes to one another, and instantly understand the reference. Be they devoted to Buffy, Angel or Firefly, you know that they realize it isn’t about the vampires and the space cowboys, and it isn’t about witches or slayers or space hookers... but it’s about people. A Jossverse has more heart, more humanity, more strength and more ever-lasting endurance than every cop drama, medical drama, law drama, sitcom and reality show combined. Your fans get that, and I’m proud to be a part of that.

More than anything, I want to thank you for being you. For keeping your sense of humor in the face of adversity. For being reachable and down-to-earth to your fans. For just being a big ol’ fanboy yourself. Thank you for staying true to who you are and what you like, and for sharing it with the rest of us.

Thank you for the promise of future projects. I look forward to being a fan of any Jossverse to come for a very, very long time.