I'm having a BUFFY marathon

[Apocalypt_flyer]

Anyone with me?

I just finished Season One and it's better than I remembered. Well, not I Robot You Jane or Never Kill A Boy On A First Date but the rest is FAIRLY DECENT, especially the opening and the closure.

Now, on to my beloved season two.

[Apocalypt_flyer]

And if someone could take care of the dreadul spelling in the thread name, I'd be well thankful.

[Floppet]

I have never seen one episode of Buffy yet we have all the boxsets on video. Shame I don't have a video player to watch them on.

[delirium]

Buffy is potentially my favourite TV show EVER, despite Suomi trying to ruin it for me on several occasions.

I have recently grown to love season six, despite hating it at the time.

[Suomi]

it's my favourite non-cartoon series ever too

[Loufoque]

I haven't had the urge to watch it in years

I think I wore it out

I lived for Seasons 1-5, liked 6, hated 7

[dUb]

SAMESIES

7 was a chore. I lost interest before the end of the season.

[Suomi]

I remember saying you hated 7, and thinking that your reasons were more than justified, but I think you should reappraise it. In some ways it needs to be viewed in a different context than the others, because it's a deliberate change in pace and tone rather than a case of them dropping the ball. Season 6 bridges this transition.

[delirium]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Suomi
Willow - Star
Zander - VoR
Buffy's mum - Floppet
Tara - Kate
Anya - ME

[Suomi]

Tara and Willow - Mel and Ellie
Giles - un madison
The Master - funky
RoboBuffy - Moonbaby
Drusila - Molicious

[David]

I loved the series but for one thing...

Buffy irritated the shit out of me sometimes, one of those series where the title character is among the least appealing.

[Loufoque]

More than anything else I hated the characterisation in Season 7

Buffy became intensely unsympathetic, Spike and Willow lost all of their spark, Xander continued to be useless, the potentials were universally crap

The only joy was Andrew, the Pipo of the Scooby Gang

And don't get me started on the plotholes, weak villians and the arc in general

[VoR]

Buffy was SUPPOSED to be a cunt in Series 7 though.

That said I agree the Potentials were universally RUBBISH and softy Spike didn't work for me.

[delirium]

Giles - un madison
The Master - funky
RoboBuffy - Moonbaby
Drusila - Molicious

This genuinely made me laugh.

[Suomi]

Buffy became intensely unsympathetic, Spike and Willow lost all of their spark, Xander continued to be useless, the potentials were universally crap
l

It's the end and everyone is tired...it's meant to be a build-up to inevitable death, which is where I thought they ruined it with the last episode. The themes of the previous seasons are mirrored in each episode, except now they're muddier and without the gloss and shine that they had in their original context.

It would have sent out a much nicer more poignant message to say that it's still worth fighting even in certain death, showing the power of hope, and then having a realistic 'everybody dies' finish. But he [Whedon] lost his bottle or, as he said, had always mentally planned that final scene, and so was perhaps just uncompromising in terms of bringing that idea to fruition.

Season 5 had a much more well-paced final couple of episodes, because it seemed a natural progression to the final scene. By giving Willow that sudden magic power he made his way to the final of season 7 and indeed the whole series, in the clunkiest way possible.

[VoR]

I hated how they messed around with Jonathan. I know he was a relatively minor character but he kept swinging between being a little geeky hero and a rubbish inept villain.

[Suedehead]

Wow Su you're a real fan init.

[dUb]

Spike - Widge

[Suomi]

Wow Su you're a real fan init.

i've seen a couple of episodes here and there

[VoR]

Much as I love her, Jordan Cox from Scrubs is SUCH an Anya rip-off.

[Loufoque]

I know what you mean Suomi

The premise was fine and logical (as it had been in Season 6)

But the problem for me was that watching a TV show where I had started to hate most of the characters meant that it ceased to be an enjoyable experience

[Suomi]

But the problem for me was that watching a TV show where I had started to hate most of the characters meant that it ceased to be an enjoyable experience

They made the same mistake with "Angel" if you ask me. Cordelia was deliberately brought in as the 'sunny side up' of what was essentially a show about a 300 year old problem child who can only move around at night time. Eventually, the bombardment of negative characters (and by that I mean people not bringing comic relief to the table occasionally) and her own story arc meant that the show just got...depressing. Bringing Spike in for series 5 was an attempt to mend this in some ways, but it was too little, too late for me.

I do think that Anya and Andrew were strong enough to stop it being quite so dark in season 7 of BTVS though. It's notable how similar the show becomes to "Angel" when Anya and Andrew aren't featured ("The Killer in Me" sticking out in my mind, jesus christ, there's a laugh and a half)

I think Principal Wood was fine as a new character, but they really could have done a better job with Willow's love interest. Kennedy was chosen because she was essentially 100% the opposite of Tara, but that also meant she was pretty darn unlikeable. Romances only work on television shows when you have a degree of empathy for both parties. Kennedy just seemed like someone who would fall from VoR's roof naked at one of his lesbian house parties.

[WiDGe->]

The issue with 7 was that it was trying to revisit the original Sunnydale High moments and those monster of the week episodes. This kind of fell over as there wasn't group gathering at the focal Library and the only person living through school was Dawn... whose life was more restricted than the scoobies and generally more whiny. There were some lol moments like "Him".

Halfway through this got abandoned in favour of the 'serious arc' which was Buffy vs. The First. So it felt a bit bipolar.

The 8th season has been done in comic book form but I have no idea how that pans out. I know its loads of stuff like Buffy & Xander operating the army of the slayers from some castle in Scotland against the likes of the military and a vengeful Amy & undead Warren.

Apoca, have you done Angel too? From about halfway through Season 1 to the end of Season 4 is consistant awesome. Some of the Season 2 eps are fantastic, and the ending trio is amazing. I like the fact that Season 2 ends up with Angel and the crew returning from "the big finale" full of laughs and happiness to find Willow sat in the reception of the hotel looking morose: "Its Buffy...."

[Suomi]

Halfway through this got abandoned in favour of the 'serious arc' which was Buffy vs. The First. So it felt a bit bipolar.


that's not strictly true though, because it's after an actual event ("Conversations With Dead People") that they realise something is happening...

[WiDGe->]

Angel had plenty of source for comic relief. Initially Wesley (but his transition from buffoon to cold hearted, clinical mercenary is amazing), Cordy, then Gunn on occasion, Fred, certainly Lorne... even old Angel gets in on it (in particular where he goes to a dimension where he can go out in the sun "look at how not on fire I am!" and see his reflection "oh my god, has my hair always looked like this?").

[Suomi]

did you know the actor playing Lorne died last year? :o

[Loufoque]

OT:

I think this is still my #1 ever OMG moment in Buffy (not surprising given my love of strong angry females)

http://www.quotergal.com/whedonesque/willow-tougheyes.jpg

I. OWE. YOU. PAIN. :disco:

[WiDGe->]

did you know the actor playing Lorne died last year? :o

Yeah, a tooth infection no less. Heart failure because of it.

[Raucous Bitch]

Spike > Angel

[Loufoque]

Bitch please

It was all about Angelus

[Raucous Bitch]

I respectfully have to disagree. It was always about Spike!

Omg they closed Comic-Con with a screening of 'Once More, With Feeling' it was actually quite amusing to watch with 4,000 people singing along!

[Suomi]

Yeah, a tooth infection no less. Heart failure because of it.

how is that even possible

[WiDGe->]

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/162165/tooth_decay_and_gum_disease_has_now.html

[Raucous Bitch]

Are all the Buffy fans watching True Blood? If not, you are all missing out!

[WiDGe->]

I might torrent it...

[Raucous Bitch]

Its on FX at the moment, only 3 episodes in of season 1.

[Floppet]

My mum's neighbours are called Spike and Drusilla, well not really, but that's what everyone calls them and they answer to it. They both work nights and are really pale.

[Mr Betty Draper]

I LOVED THE FAT LESBIAN WHO GOT SHOT.

And Anya. Definitely Anya.

[bogeyman]

I LOVED THE FAT LESBIAN WHO GOT SHOT.

And Anya. Definitely Anya.

Parasite

[Phoenix]

I liked the season with Spike and Drusilla and the following season which ended the highschool era. It kind of became boring the following season with the story about the soldiers and all that so I lost intrest, I should go back and continue it.