Entertainment
Forgotten Buffy Script Perfectly Explains The Show's Weirdest Character
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Even after all these years, Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans have difficulty describing Oz’s character, the chill-beyond-chill Sunnydale musician played by Seth Green. It’s not hard to see why. Oz’s personality is completely different from that of the other Scoobies, and outsider demon characters like Anya and Spike arguably seemed a better fit with the gang than the aloof Oz ever did. As it turns out, though, the script notes for the Buffy episode “Inca Mummy Girl” perfectly explain Oz’s character by noting that Oz has “the kind of cool that is completely unaware of itself.”
Explaining Oz
Those Buffy script notes help to explain some of the seeming paradoxes of Oz’s character, including the fact that his sarcasm–a very defining character trait–never came off as particularly cruel. According to the script, “There’s a quiet restraint and total lack of bitterness to [Oz’s] sarcasm.” This is perhaps made most evident when you compare this wolfy wunderkind to sarcastic characters like Cordelia and Spike who always use their own acidic hilarity to lash out at the people around them.
Incidentally, Cordelia served as Oz’s counterpart for the first three seasons of Buffy by offering genuinely mean sarcasm as opposed to his gentle mockery. Once she left Sunnydale after Season 3, the show brought in Anya and Spike to take the show’s sarcasm to the next level. Sadly, the unexpected departure of Oz in Season 4 meant that the extra meanness no longer had a counterbalance to it.
His debut Buffy episode’s script notes further explain Oz’s character by comparing him to one of his fellow musicians: “where Devon is your typical excitable rock and roller, Oz is completely unflappable.” Certainly, this is evidenced by all the wild things that Oz takes in stride, including the existence of vampires and the fact that he’s now a werewolf. Buffy plays most things for laughs, of course, but the truth is that Oz endures things that would break most Sunnydale residents’ brains, and all without so much as getting angry or scared.
That brings us to the final note in this Buffy script about Oz’s character: “His is the kind of cool that is completely unaware of itself.” As a longtime fan, this was the line that really explained Oz’s whole deal to me. In another show or film, Oz would be a self-consciously cool character like Jeff Winger on Community. However, whereas Jeff’s ego forces him to always be the center of attention, Oz has a Zen-like calm that helps him blend into any situation or group.
For Buffy fans, this is simply further proof that Oz’s character, just like Buffy, Willow, and so many others, is relatively unique in the television landscape. No other show (genre or otherwise) has managed to dethrone Oz with a new character who is acerbically sarcastic, charismatically cool, and ultimately unflappable. Even Buffy the Vampire Slayer never tried to truly replace Oz, which is why other characters who stepped into his erstwhile Scooby sidekick role (like the aforementioned Anya and Spike) had completely different personalities.
Some Buffy fanatics might find these notes about Oz’s character to be a bit obvious, but I thought they were a fascinating glimpse into the show’s most mysteriously compelling (and compellingly mysterious) characters. Oz was written from the beginning as a kind of paradox: a guy who is sarcastic without being snarky, cool without being cruel, and utterly unaware of just how hip he really is. And if we’re all very lucky, the light of the next full moon might make us all even half as chill as Sunnydale’s wolfiest rocker.
Entertainment
Mike Flanagans Carrie gets its first trailer ahead of Oct. release
Horror’s favorite It girl is getting her television series debut, with the first trailer now out for Mike Flanagan’s (The Haunting of Hill House) adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie.
The eight-episode miniseries follows Carrie White as she endures bullying at school and abuse at home from her fanatically religious mother, Margaret — all while discovering she has telekinetic powers. As the trailer shows, Flanagan’s version drags King’s 1974 novel into the present day, trading its original setting for a story steeped in social media and viral humiliation. The 2013 film adaptation made a similar leap into modern times, so here’s hoping this take sticks the landing.
It’s worth noting that technically, this isn’t Carrie‘s first trip to TV. A 2002 television movie, directed by David Carson and written by Hannibal‘s Bryan Fuller, starred Angela Bettis (Girl, Interrupted) in the title role — though Flanagan’s series marks the story’s first full episodic adaptation.
Summer H. Howell leads the new cast as Carrie White, alongside Samantha Sloyan as Margaret, Siena Agudong as Sue Snell, and Matthew Lillard as Principal Grayle, with Alison Thornton, Thalia Dudek, Amber Midthunder, Josie Totah, Arthur Conti, and Joel Oulette rounding out the ensemble. Flanagan serves as writer, showrunner, and director on four of the eight episodes.
Carrie premieres on Prime Video October 7.
Entertainment
Ryan Gosling to star in MCUs Ghost Rider film
After years of rumors and on-again, off-again flirtation between Ryan Gosling (Project Hail Mary, Barbie) and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s now confirmed: the actor will play Johnny Blaze, aka Ghost Rider, in an upcoming film.
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For those unfamiliar with the character, Ghost Rider is the demonic alter ego of stuntman Johnny Blaze, who strikes a deal to sell his soul to the demon Mephisto in order to save his father’s life. Blaze’s soul is then bonded to Zarathos, the Spirit of Vengeance, transforming him into a leather-jacketed, motorcycle-riding, flame-skulled avenger. Thus, Blaze is forced to punish the wicked and evil whenever Mephisto needs him to.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige introduced Gosling to a packed Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con to roaring applause. The titular film will be directed by Shawn Levy, who previously helmed Deadpool & Wolverine, and is slated for release in 2028. It marks the first film adaptation of the supernatural antihero since 2007’s Ghost Rider, starring Nicolas Cage, and its 2012 sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
Mashable Top Stories
On the television side, Gabriel Luna played the Robbie Reyes variant of Ghost Rider in the fourth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. That appearance was meant to lead into a solo spin-off slated for 2020, but a “creative impasse” in late 2019 led to the project’s cancellation.
Gosling and Levy are already collaborators. The two are currently working together on Star Wars: Starfighter, due out in May 2027, and reportedly spent downtime on that set trading ideas for a Ghost Rider film.
Alongside the reveal of Gosling at Hall H, Feige also announced Black Panther III as a part of the MCU’s 2028 slate. The film will star David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus, Industry) as the titular Black Panther, aka T’Challa II. The last we saw of T’Challa II was his introduction as a small boy in Wakanda Forever, revealed to be the son of Chadwick Bosman’s T’Challa with Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o).
Not much is known about the plot for Ghost Rider, but given the character’s ties to Mephisto, it won’t be a surprise to see Sacha Baron Cohen reprise the role from Ironheart.
Entertainment
Get lifetime ad blocking for up to 9 devices for $11
TL;DR: Protect up to nine devices with the AdGuard Family Plan Lifetime Subscription for $11 (reg. $169.99) through July 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
It doesn’t matter if your household has two devices or 20, keeping everyone’s online activity protected can quickly become complicated. The AdGuard Family Plan simplifies things by covering up to nine devices with a single lifetime subscription. Through July 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT, new users can get it for $11 (reg. $169.99).
The Family Plan is designed specifically for households rather than individual users. In addition to blocking intrusive ads across supported devices, it helps reduce online tracking, warns about phishing sites, and adds another layer of protection against malware. That means fewer distractions while browsing and more peace of mind when the whole family is online.
Mashable Deals
One great feature is the parental controls. Parents can restrict access to inappropriate or adult content while still giving kids access to the sites and apps they know and love. Combined with privacy protection that helps hide browsing activity from trackers, the plan focuses on creating a safer online experience for everyone using the family’s devices.
The Family Plan works across desktop and mobile platforms, making it easy to protect laptops, phones, and tablets under a single subscription. Since it’s a lifetime plan, you won’t have to worry about monthly renewals or annual subscription costs after the initial purchase.
This offer is available to new users only, it covers up to nine devices, and you have to redeem your code within 30 days of purchase.
Mashable Deals
If you’re looking for an easy way to protect multiple devices without juggling separate subscriptions, the AdGuard Family Plan Lifetime Subscription is price-dropped to $11 (reg. $169.99) through July 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
MLB Best Bets for Sunday's Rockies vs. Brewers, Yankees vs. Phillies
Yankees place Cody Bellinger (hamstring) on IR, recall Spencer Jones
