Only a week to go before Joss Whedon’s latest show hits US screens, which gives us an excuse to show you this promotional poster, just one of a whole bunch that have been put up on the official website.
And here’s SFX’s handy guide on how to know you’re watching a Joss Whedon show. Simply switch on a TV, channel flick until you come to something that looks like an American drama, then see how many of the elements below you can tick off. If you spot more than half, then you’re in the Whedonverse. Enjoy it while it lasts:
• It stars an ass-kicking female.
• Everyone quips, even the deaf mutes.
• One of the good guys acts like a bad guy.
• It guest stars at least one person who's been in a Joss Whedon production before.
• Nouns become verbs (as in "You totally laser beamed that guy.")
• Pop Culture references become verbs (as in "You totally Jack Bauered that guy.”)
• It guest stars two or three other people who have been in a Joss Whedon production before.
• An apparently straight female character is revealed as/discovers that she’s homosexual, or at least bisexual.
• Somebody says, "Again with the… !" or "Always with the…!" when a familiar theme is revisited by another character.
• A major (but probably secondary) character is suddenly and unexpectedly killed off, just as the fans were beginning to like them.
• There will be something that is gross: and everybody will go, "Ewwww!" Or perhaps "Again with the Ewwww!" if the grossness returns (see above).
• Angst. Possibly teenage angst, but maybe just angst at the direction one's life has taken an the choices one's made (especially if one is angstily concealing secrets).
• The words “Created by Joss Whedon” come up in the credits.
• You find it buried in the TV schedules.
