Can someone please explain Buffy (tVS) TV series to me?

[DeadlyAccurate]

I rented season 1, disc 1 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer this week, and while it was amusing and even interesting, I don't quite see the mass appeal. The acting is decent but not extraordinary (some better than others); the characters are fun, however. The "special effects" are campy, but Buffy's fighting seems "girly."

I couldn't quite figure out why the show has lasted as long as it has (is it still on?). Am I missing something? Is it just that the first four episodes aren't the best the show has to offer (Hell's Mouth, The Harvest, Witch (best of the 4 IMHO) and Teacher's Pet)? Or is that the best it gets, and I'm just not going to find it interesting?

I'd be willing to give another disc or 2 a try if someone can convince me otherwise.

[Neurotik]

I would watch the rest of the first season. To me, though, the second and third season were the two best and that's when the show really peaked in my mind. Well, at least until the final few episodes of season three, which sort of annoyed me.

The last few episodes of season 5 were also really good.

But yeah, watch the rest of season one.

[WordMan]

Prepare for the floodgates to open, Deadly Accurate - lots of Dopers are fanatics. I am one.

1) The first few episodes are only okay

2) The final ep of the first season, Prophecy Girl, begins to give a glimpse to all that is BtVS.

3) What it is - works into the metaphor of teen life and identity. Just like the X-Men uses mutation as a metaphor for puberty and teen angst (the powers manifest at puberty and leave the kid feeling like an outsider and that everyone is persecuting them, while inside they know they have special gifts, but can't control them), BtVS uses the whole Slayer context to explore feelings of teen alienation and acceptance and empowerment.

4) Watch the 2nd season for the arc where she falls in love with Angel (a good vampire) and that goes awry. By the time you get to the two-ep story where the love goes bad, the metaphor is beautifully realized.


Carry on, other BtVS fans....

[Chastain86]

IMO, the best episodes of Buffy are the ones that have obvious allegories to growing up and experiencing common themes -- and I agree with the two that went before me that the 2nd and 3rd seasons are the best, but don't discount seasons 4 and 5. There's still a lot to like about them.

Someone gave me a video just as the 3rd season was beginning with the admonition, "Don't argue. Just watch these 5 episodes, and I'll give you more when you're done."

The first episode just about killed me. It was just not very well done, whatever it was, and I so wasn't impressed with it at all.

The second and third episode started to grow on me.

By the time I was done with the tape, my buddy already had two more to give me. :D

Keep going. But definitely don't quit until you're at least halfway into the second season.

[hypnoboth]

Weadon explores themes. He is insidious. He gets inside your head, and by the time he is done, you realize he has explored issues and controversies that other producers have been making a big deal about, beating their chests about, he has done it better, and he hasn't even told you about it. It's just there.

So don't quit.

The first season is enjoyable (if you enjoy it) mainly for the quips and the gags. About half way through the second season, you realize that he is talking about separation, about what it means to be human, to reach out to each other. Third season, you realize that things have gotten a whole lot more central. I'll let you realize the themes after that. He is sneaky. He had a lesbian love affair going on before Ellen did it, and he did it better. In one episode, he packed more emotion about death than NYPD Blue did in a whole season.

And then he went past that. He talked about failure, and coming back from failure. Addiction, and dealing with the craving of addiction as you try to recover from it. What it means to want and want, and want, and not be able to have. And to still have to live, when it is all gray. When you want to kill yourself it is so gray, and how to find a reason for living in the middle of the gray.

And he did it all in a damn show about vampires and teenage girls kicking ass.

Yes, it's worth it.

I won't even start about Firefly again. It has its own thread somewhere.

[jeevwoman]

I never watched it until I married a man who has Seasons 1-5 on disk. Now I have seen every episode till the midpoint of season 5. Have to say, I'm sorry that I missed out the first time. (In my defense, I was living overseas where it had not made the rounds, but still . . .). Besides what the others have said--that it is a metaphor for teenage life, there are great themes explored--I think it is funny as hell. They realize that they are not putting out Hamlet but even its ridiculousness is believable since they don't pretend it is anything but ridiculous.

So as a latecomer who didn't get the appeal, I definitely recommend you stick with it.

[Krokodil]

At its best, the show has the wittiest dialogue on television. They balance horror, comedy and teen angst in nearly perfect proportion.

I have to agree about Buffy's "girly" fighting style. There was one episode where she skewered four vampires on a single flagpole en brochette; If Adam West were dead, he'd be turning in his grave.

[Cliffy]

I'd agree that it's worth going through the rest of the first season, but if that doesn't do it for you, you're just one of those folks who don't get Buffy. (I bet you kick puppies, too! ;)) I was hooked before the end of the first episode (largely because of the scene where Principal Flutie tears up Buffy's record and then pastes it together again and the interaction between Buffy and Willow, and then Giles, at the Bronze).

--Cliffy

[DeadlyAccurate]

Originally posted by Cliffy
(I bet you kick puppies, too! ;))

I swear, I didn't mean to!

OK, you guys have convinced me to give season 1 another try. If I really like it, I'll probably buy it along with season 2 (and as I keep liking it, I'll keep buying seasons.)

I try to remind myself that even The Simpsons wasn't at its best the first few episodes.

[Charlie Tan]

:waves hand: Oh, oh, oh. I want to get in early in this thread.

An unhealthy amount of my post count on this board is about Buffy and spin off series Angel. I have this board to thank for discovering three of the best shows on tv ever. Apart from these two, there is also Babylon 5. I experienced all of them way too late.

So, this 42 y.o. man from Sweden can relate to the show. Damn right.

When I surfaced on this board again, late in sping 2002, there were so many Buffy threads I was amazed. I guess it was around the final of S.6 and I asked the same question you do in the OP. To be brief, I own S.1-4 and Angel S.1-2 on DVD. I dl'd all of season 7 and had the eps about 30 hours before airtime in the US (don't ask). Suffice to say, I got hooked.

From listening to the commentaries on the DVD sets, a few things are quite obvious: The writers, directors and producers of the show know that it's cheesy. There is one comment (I don't remember who) that says: "Well, that's Buffy for you - violence and cleavage."

So yeah, I can see why you're unimpressed. But the show works on multiple levels:

1. Cheesy soap, much like Charmed.
2. Witty drama-horror-comedy with snappy writing, great dialogue and (later in the franchise) fantastic action and spectacular visual effetcs (for tv). Especially in S.4 of Angel.
3. A metaphor about growing up. About fitting in, while feeling the outsider. Another comment on a DVD set: "If Joss [Wheadon, creator of the franchise] had had a single happy day in high school, we wouldn't be here."
4. On an ever deeper level it's a story about good and evil, but not at all the way it's normally done in any media of popular culture. It's about the good in evil men and women, and the evil in good people. About the choices and sacrifices we make. About why someone innocent has to die, in order to achieve a larger purpose. It's about redempetion and futility. About fighting the good fight although you know you can never win and that there will never be any awards, medals, well not even recognition, because no one knows what you're doing, or why.* It's very spiritual/religious but it never gets connected to one faith or doctrine. It's in fact very, very dark and explores things about humanity that we might not be comfortable with.

Above all, it's Joss Wheadon and he had a story to tell. And all the best movies, books, tv shows are made by people who want to tell a story. BtVS does this better than most and on an apic level I normally get from books, not tv.

*minor spoiler, vaguely written: A character tells Buffy, at some point in the show what's in it for her: "Death is your reward." I'll let you find out for yourself if this really has anything to do with what actually happens. I just mention it, because I think it shows the tone of the show, perfectly.

[Gamaliel]

Originally posted by hypnoboth He had a lesbian love affair going on before Ellen did it, and he did it better. [/B]

Sorry, that's not true. Ellen came out of the sitcom closet in 1997, Tara didn't show up on Buffy until 1999.

He did do it better, though.

[JerH]

Just to offer a bit of a dissenting opinion:

Yes, I think it's worth pressing forward with watching; and yes, I think Whedon does a good job of addressing issues that aren't faced elsewhere. And it did a great job of having heroes who did stupid, selfish, and otherwise bad things. But the series did have a number of flaws that true believers tend to gloss over: a main actress who really can't act; plotlines that are implausible even for a show about a vampire-hunting teenager; and a lack of certainty about whether it wanted to be taken seriously or not. If you can get past that stuff, then you should enjoy the show.

Here's a fun thing to do: find a bunch of Buffy-lovers and say "you know what? I really like the movie with Kristy Swanson. I really liked her in the role."

[WordMan]

Originally posted by JerH
Just to offer a bit of a dissenting opinion:

Here's a fun thing to do: find a bunch of Buffy-lovers and say "you know what? I really like the movie with Kristy Swanson. I really liked her in the role."

Steady on, there, mate.

You might want to have the mods add a ::ducks & runs:: bit at the end of your post....

[glee]

Originally posted by hypnoboth
In one episode, he packed more emotion about death than NYPD Blue did in a whole season.


Was this the episode when

Buffy's mother died?

I though that was a tremendously powerful piece of writing, especially in the context of vampire slaying.

[kung fu lola]

Deadly Accurate, you can't judge the whole show by the beginning, because the point is that Buffy is a tapestry. Actions and choices have consequences that resonate across entire seasons of the show. The characters grow and change, and yet their essence stays the same. Keep watching. If you don't love it by mid-Season Three, we can't help you. No one can.

[pepperlandgirl]

I watched a few episodes here and there. Saw The Body, saw Buffy vs Dracula, and um Bargaining 1 & 2, and thought "Ok, well, whatever." Then a friend gave me the tapes of the first 3 seasons.

Yeah, that's all she wrote.

The first season is a lot of fun, though I know some people advise to just skip right over it. It really picks up steam in the second season. Especially aroud episode 3. "You were there? If everybody who says they weren't at the crucifiction were actually there, it would have been like Woodstock!"
"Who are you?"
"You'll find out Saturday"
"What happens Saturday
"I kill you."

Hee! I love that episode. Anyway, what was I saying? Oh right, once you allow it to suck you in, it's brilliant, really. They'll be characters you love and hate all at the same time, and stories of redemtion and heroism and love and loyalty and friendship and adulthood and when I'm not feeling bitter and angry (it comes and goes) I can look back on my years with BtVS with real, genuine fondess. I fell in love with the characters, so much so that I'm still writing fanfic, and it's been over for nearly a year.

[Cliffy]

Sarah Michelle Gellar was a fantastic actress in the first several seasons, JerH, and I'll kill any man what says differ'nt. I don't think she was trying as hard in the last couple years, though -- although she continued to create some excellent scenes.

--Cliffy

P.S. I liked Kristy Swanson's Buffy, too, but it was a whole different enterprise -- and by no means as powerful.

[lissener]

The show started out shakily; the first season is the weakest. So keep going: it's well worth it as the show finds its footing and builds momentum.

[Otto]

Originally posted by The Gaspode
*minor spoiler, vaguely written: A character tells Buffy, at some point in the show what's in it for her: "Death is your reward." I'll let you find out for yourself if this really has anything to do with what actually happens. I just mention it, because I think it shows the tone of the show, perfectly. Seriously, do not highlight this box unless you want to wreck season 5 for yourself!
She isn't told "death is your reward." She is told "death is your gift." She initially believes this to mean that "a slayer's just a killer after all," tying back to her meeting with Dracula at the start of the season. She later figures out (through what I still consider the most annoying bait and switch of the series) that her death is the gift that she can give to Dawn, allowing Dawn to live while still saving the world.

[Charlie Tan]

Otto: You're right. I was confused about episodes and thinking it was in 'restless'´as a foreshadowing.
Carry on.

[Bernard Marx]

Well, I watch it because Alyson Hannigan is so hot.

There, I said it. Am I shallow?

[labmonkey]

One word, "Hush" see it, see it again. Fantastical television. It madde a fan out of me.

[shy guy]

a main actress who really can't act;
Disagree 100%. Off the top of my head, SMG gives great performances in Prophecy Girl, Becoming Pts. 1 and 2, The Body, Hush, and others.

and a lack of certainty about whether it wanted to be taken seriously or not. Also disagree. The beauty of the show is that it knows very well that it's not just a serious show or just a campy, witty show. When it's at its best, the show effortlessly trots through the genres of horror, action, comedy, and drama. The ability of the show to not be defined as a wholely serious or wholely campy show, far from being a weakness, is one of its greatest strengths.

[kaylasdad99]

I'm curious about one thing, and one thing only:

Does Amilyn ever finish dying?

[Gamaliel]

Originally posted by Bernard Marx
Well, I watch it because Alyson Hannigan is so hot.

There, I said it. Am I shallow?

You're not the only one.

I hated the Buffy movie, so I never watched the show until I saw American Pie and fell in love after she broke the lamp.

[glee]

Originally posted by Bernard Marx
Well, I watch it because Alyson Hannigan is so hot.

There, I said it. Am I shallow?

You may indeed be shallow. :eek:

You are however, definitely accurate! :D

[Tusculan]

Apparently I'm in a minority of actually liking the first episode. I got hooked on the witty dialogue which is really unusual on this kind of shows.

- Let’s just say. . . I’m a friend.
- Yeah, well, maybe I don’t want a friend.
- I didn’t say I was yours.

- But that’s the thrill of living on the Hellmouth! There’s a veritable cornucopia of, of fiends and devils and, and ghouls to engage. Pardon me for finding the glass half full.

But then, I may be easily amused.

I must agree, though, that the first few episodes are relatively straightforward. Baddies have to be sniffed out (Scooby Doo-fashion), and then destroyed. About halfway through, the show starts to become more complex, by having characters who are not completely good or bad. And just when you get used to all the slaying as a matter-of-fact thing, the final ep of the first season makes you suddenly realize that it is actually horrible what is going on.

All in all, I found it a very satisfying season. Maybe it is different if you started with one of the later seasons, then you may find the beginning rather simplistic.

[Profane]

I'm with you Tusculan. I liked the movie, so I watched the series from the beginning. Series one is simplistic compared to what comes after, but it was fun and freah, and was written much better than the vast majority of other crap on TV.

[Lissa]

[slight hijack]

You know why I'll always be grateful to Joss Wheadon? BtVS helped me with my nightmares.

I always found myself in nightmares fleeing from the Terrible Monster. After I became a dedicated Buffy fan, I started fighting back. In my dreams, I have all of the slayer moves, too.

Just two nights ago, I was being chased by an evil, bio-engineered alien in my dream. (Product of an evil corss-breeding/cloning experiment, but I digress.) I stopped running, turned, and kicked him in the face. I beat the holy hell out of that evil, bio-engineered alien, I tell you!

Thanks, Joss!

[/end hijack]

[zamboniracer]

I think the BtVS fans who look down at Season 1 are missing the point. Season 1 cements the excellent "High School is Hell" metaphor.

I'd recommend viewing Season 1's "The Pack." As Xander says, every high school has some mean kids like that. Where the fun and the horror come in is the logical extrapolation of that basic premise about anti-social mean kids.

[lissener]

In the episode where Buffy and Faith pull a Freaky Friday, SMG blew me away with the subtleties of her acting ability: she nailed Faith right down to her toenails.

[Stoid]

Season 2. Watch it. Buy it, own it, use it, make it a part of your life.

Life will never be the same.

(I used to assume it was Dawson's Creek with vampires. But the noise surrounding it became so deafening, when it went to FX, I decided to give it a try. I was distractable during the first season, but I stuck with it because it was definitely fun. Do the same. Joss Whedon is a genius.)

[Apos]

Just like the X-Men uses mutation as a metaphor for puberty and teen angst (the powers manifest at puberty and leave the kid feeling like an outsider and that everyone is persecuting them, while inside they know they have special gifts, but can't control them)

Interesting you should mention XMen, because a big rumor going around is that Wheadon may be the big mystery writer taking over New X-Men after Morrison leaves.

[The Asbestos Mango]

"I could ride you at a gallop till your eyes roll back and your knees buckle, squeeze you til you pop like warm champagne..."

I don't think any show is really that great in its first season. The first several "X-Files" episodes came off very clunky, especially in the interactions between Mulder and Scully. I think it takes a while for a group of actors to learn to work together, settle into the characters, get into the groove of the plotlines.

The show didn't really hit its stride until the second season. I think there was a tone set in "When She Was Bad" that showed a very dark undercurrent in a show that was essentially a comedy up until season five.

A lot of the appeal of the show for a lot of people was the story arcs and strong character development. Unfortunately, the "arc factor" cost the show ratings in the later seasons because a lot of casual viewers would tune in and have essentially no idea what was going on because they hadn't followed the show from the beginning- references back to S1 in the middle of S5, or picking up in the middle of an arc and the story being lost on them because they hadn't seen earlier episodes when the plot was developed.

I think a lot of non-regular viewers thought it was a show of stand-alone episodes, so it seemed incoherent. Most people are used to long arcs in more serious dramas like "LA Law" or "NYPD Blue", but in a show that was as much comedy as drama, it was something of an oddity.

I actually started watching on FX a couple of years ago. The first BtVS ep I ever saw was "Reptile Boy". I was hooked in a very short time. If I had caught an early S1 episode, I probably wouldn't have been impressed, but channel surfing by, I caught the opening teaser of that particular episode and was hooked. "So, why is she singing?"

As for Season One- am I the only one here who thinks "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" is the best title for an episode in the history of television?

[DeadlyAccurate]

OK, guys. I tried all of Season One from Netflix. Just sent off the last disc this morning. I'm officially hooked. I'm either going to run to WalMart this afternoon to see if Season Two is available, or order seasons 1-4 from Amazon ($120). The last episode where SMG said, "I'm 16 years old. I don't want to die," made me tear up. The male leads are very easy on the eyes, and I liked how the characters evolved.

[Bricker]

I envy you, DeadlyAccurate. Because you have all that greatness ahead of you, waiting to experience. Six more years of a truly great show, and you can devour it as fast as you want, without having to wait a week for each new episode to unfold.

[Left Hand of Dorkness]

One word, "Hush" see it, see it again. Fantastical television. It madde a fan out of me.

Yep! When I want to hook someone on Buffy, I loan them my tape of "Hush." It may well be my favorite hour of television ever, with terrifying moments mixed in with hilarious sight gags and a central premise I don't think had been done before or has been done since on any show.

Daniel

[Scorpio]

OK, guys. I tried all of Season One from Netflix. Just sent off the last disc this morning. I'm officially hooked. I'm either going to run to WalMart this afternoon to see if Season Two is available, or order seasons 1-4 from Amazon ($120). The last episode where SMG said, "I'm 16 years old. I don't want to die," made me tear up. The male leads are very easy on the eyes, and I liked how the characters evolved.


Hoorah, one more down, 5.9 billion to go! World domination is within our grasp.

An aside: This must be the only thread I've ever seen entitled 'Explain X to me' which wasn't a thinly disguised excuse for the OP to be smug about how he/she just does not get (ie is much to smart to like) some popular phenomenon.

[Captain Amazing]

The show started out shakily; the first season is the weakest.


I always thought the weakest season was the seventh, and that the show would have gone out on top if it had ended after season 5. (Not that season 6 didn't have some very good episodes). The only episodes in season 7 I really liked, though, were "Conversations with Dead People", and "Lies My Parents Told Me"

[Cliffy]

What about Him? I think I'd put that in the Top 10 Buffy eps. ever; certainly the Top 20.

--Cliffy

[DeadlyAccurate]

Our tax return was deposited last night, so I ordered Seasons 1-4 from Amazon this morning.

[Otto]

What about Him? I think I'd put that in the Top 10 Buffy eps. ever; certainly the Top 20.

--Cliffy I'd add Anya's backstory ep to that list as well.

[DeadlyAccurate]

I wanted to give a bit of update to this thread as thanks for the people who suggested the series. I've now watched 6 full seasons of Buffy (and one of Angel). I positively love this show. But I'm truly glad I'm (temporarily, when's season 7 come out?) over it. I've been dreaming about it, I watched it so quickly. It'll probably take me a week to keep from thinking about it all the time.

Some thoughts (and spoilers) in reverse season order:

I really liked Season 6. People commented that it was darker than other seasons, but I actually felt more depressed about Season 5 than 6. I liked the Spike/Buffy relationship, though it made me very sad to see, and I hated the problems the other Scoobies had in their relationships. I never quite understood why Buffy didn't want to admit how much she really cared for Spike. I kept wanting to scream, "There's nothing wrong with having a fuck buddy! Get over it and enjoy yourself!" Some people commented that Buffy became a bit of a bitch in Season 6, but I didn't see it. Everything she did, I could understand. I just loved Once More, With Feeling. I heard in other threads that SMG became very difficult to work with during this season, but I didn't see it in her performance. She's a good character actor; doesn't have a lot of range, but she does fine with what she can do.

Season 5 just had me in a funk watching it. I cried more times during it than any other season. The Big Bad was terrific, but the other elements were so depressing. I felt that Tara and Willow's relationship was better than in Season 4. The actors seemed more comfortable in the roles, for starters, and Tara became a much more interesting character overall. Dawn's introduction almost made me want to give up the series. I knew the sister was coming; I just didn't expect her to be thrust in retroactively. And to wait 5 episodes before explaining was just killer. I'm glad Riley finally left; he was getting really whiny. "Oh, my girlfriend's tougher than me; I can't deal." But I do so wish he'd turned. He could've been a great Bad.

Season 4 had some good elements. Tara and Willow, for starters, which was so beautiful and natural. Spike's transformation, which provided some rather hilarious lines for everyone. But I didn't like the Big Bad, and I never really liked Riley. He was a good guy, and the actor did a good job with his role (I hope he gets more work in the future), but the character was so uninteresting that I couldn't wait on them to break up. I also hated the Initiative. They were taking the magic out of the Buffyverse. I thought Eliza Dushku's performance as Buffy was extraordinary.

Season 3 had the best Big Bad of all of them. I just loved the mayor. Faith was a good character, complex and dangerous and vulnerable. I'm glad Buffy's classmates were finally able to admit that something was up in their town. I was also glad that Angel left at the end. He was a great character (and works well in his own show), but he was so brooding that Buffy needed someone that didn't keep her depressed all the time. At least Spike makes her angry.

Season 2's Big Bad was good, but the ending was so terribly sad. Angelus is a terrific character, and the relationship between Angelus, Spike and Drusilla was complex. You start to feel sorry for Spike, and you realize he's not like other vampires. Cordy really became a great character as you realize she's much more than she seems.

Season 1 is still the poorest of all I've seen so far. They didn't really have as clear of an idea of what the show was going to be about, plus they hadn't really nailed down all the rules of the 'verse. Buffy's fighting was pathetic and goofy-looking. The Big Bad was good, and I liked how Cordy started to show her better side.

Other thoughts: I've read the summaries of season 7, which I think I'm going to like. I wish things could've been different between Buffy and Spike. Their characters are perfect for each other in a way that neither Angel nor Riley were for her. I liked Cordy going to Angel. She got a chance to shine in a way she wouldn't if she'd stayed a Scooby, and she deserved that chance. I loved almost everything Anya ever said.

I hope all of the actors have long, productive careers; that they recognize how much enjoyment they gave their fans; and that James Marsters stays just as gorgeous as he is now.

Maybe one day they'll have a show just called The Slayers, with different slayers from all over the world fighting evil.

Thanks again, Dopers!

[NinjaChick]

I myself an a recent convert, more or less at the urging of a friend, still working my way through randomly-spaced episodes.

I think season one is great, just because of the overarching metaphor of "high school is hell" being taken so literally. As someone way upthread said - all high schools have their own brand of evil. Sunnydale High just has a rather...more severe type.

Season two, IMO, is the absolute best, just because I love, absolutely love, the Angel-Spike-Drusilla relationships. So wonderfully complex and twisted, but I think people can generally (on a different scale) relate.

Alas, I'm now Joss Whedon addict, and am seriously considering spending way too much money on Buffy and Angel DVDS (Firefly is easy enough to download).

[Misnomer]

<small hijack>

Alas, I'm now Joss Whedon addict, and am seriously considering spending way too much money on Buffy and Angel DVDS (Firefly is easy enough to download).
Ouch! The entire Firefly series on DVD only costs $35, and the more people buy it the more the 'powers that be' will know that we love it (and that we can't wait for Serenity). Please don't download Firefly!

</small hijack>

[DeadlyAccurate]

I agree with Misnomer. I know what it's like to have limited income for entertainment, but I highly recommend buying the Firefly series. I keep hoping that if enough people bought the DVD and like the movie that the show will come back on the air (so that I can buy the DVDs when they come out).

[Taran]

Alas, I'm now Joss Whedon addict, and am seriously considering spending way too much money on Buffy and Angel DVDS (Firefly is easy enough to download).
When you have the money, buy the Firefly DVDs. It's pretty cheap because there are so few (:(), and the special features are totally, 100% worth it.

[Lsura]

I myself an a recent convert, more or less at the urging of a friend, still working my way through randomly-spaced episodes.




I'm also a recent convert - enough so that I've bought seasons 1-3 at my local used book/DVD store. I borrowed season 4 from a friend (and boy, did I dislike most of that season), but no one has seasons 5 or 6 that I can borrow. Meanwhile, since I just got season 3 back from a loan out, I've got the first disc in the player tonight.

[SolGrundy]

I still think that season 2 was the best, with season 3 following closely behind.

But I was hooked from the first episode. They re-ran the pilot in the summer after the first season ended, and I watched it under duress. (I thought it was just another "Dawson's Creek" type show). The opening teaser (with Darla) was extremely cool, the episode on the whole showed a lot of potential, but I remember the exact moment I became hooked.

It's when Giles is trying to show Buffy that she's gotten rusty from lack of training, and asks her to point out a vampire in the midst of the crowd at the Bronze. (paraphrased)
Buffy: "There."
Giles: "How can you tell, just like that?"
Buffy: "Look at his clothes."
Giles: "They're... dated?"
Buffy: "They're carbon dated."

That's always stood out as my favorite bit of dialogue in the entire series. Well, that and Willow's "Uh, hello? Gay now!"

[MaxTheVool]

Dawn's introduction almost made me want to give up the series. I knew the sister was coming; I just didn't expect her to be thrust in retroactively. And to wait 5 episodes before explaining was just killer.

...

I also hated the Initiative. They were taking the magic out of the Buffyverse.


Interesting... those are two of my favorite things in all of Buffyhood.

One of the things I always wonder after watching a movie or show in which supernatural things take place in what is otherwise basically the real world is "what would have happened if the real world powers that be got involved?". Haven't you ever wanted to see what would happen if a batallion of marines along with tanks and helicopters were let loose in Jurassic Park, or what have you? I felt that The Initiative filled that need.


As for Dawn, I thought the way her appearance was handled was nothing short of brilliant. First of all, the big surprise of "what they heck? Buffy has a sister?". Then of course we get suspicious... "she's probably some demon in disguise, and Buffy will find her out and kick her ass". But it turns out to be so much more interesting and meaningful than that...

[elfkin477]

According to tvshowsondvd.com season 7 will most likely come out in October, but they should get more definitive information within the next six weeks.

I miss BtVS even more now that they've slayed "Angel" too. :(

[NinjaChick]

According to tvshowsondvd.com season 7 will most likely come out in October, but they should get more definitive information within the next six weeks.

I miss BtVS even more now that they've slayed "Angel" too. :(

Cruelly enough, the very day I finally admited to a friend that, yes, the Buffyverse/Angelverse was indeed an entertaining and addictive world was the very day that I found out they were cancelling the show.

Also continuing a hijack, I think I will splurge for the Firefly DVD, because I just cashed another paycheck and am feeling giddy.

Budgeting? Wuzzat?

[Miller]

It's worth mentioning that the new Firefly movie was greenlit precisely because of the sales the DVD set generated. DVD sales were also instrumental in getting Family Guy back on the air, and it's no stretch to imagine that the posthumous success of both franchises is encouraging interest in other prematurely defunct TV shows, such as Futurama or even Angel. Buying a copy of Firefly on DVD may be buying a new future for your favorite TV show.

Buy Liberty Bonds!

[Greg Charles]

I remember the exact moment I became hooked.

It's when Giles is trying to show Buffy that she's gotten rusty from lack of training, and asks her to point out a vampire in the midst of the crowd at the Bronze. (paraphrased)
Buffy: "There."
Giles: "How can you tell, just like that?"
Buffy: "Look at his clothes."
Giles: "They're... dated?"
Buffy: "They're carbon dated."

That's always stood out as my favorite bit of dialogue in the entire series. Well, that and Willow's "Uh, hello? Gay now!"

But you missed the best part!

Buffy: Oh, please. He looks like De Barge!

[PastAllReason]

I now own seasons 1-6 of Buffy, 1-3 of Angel and Firefly. I've lent Buffy and Angel seasons to various workmates and friends who are now converted and are buying copies of their own. Wish I could think of a Whedon quote for this, since apparently resistance is futile.

Oh, and I bought Firefly after not having watched but after reading the high recommendations of posters here. Now I'm hooked, dammit, and can only wait for the movie to come out. And hope for a future beyond that.

[Ephemera]

I got into the show when S5 was running on FX. I spaced out mostly during it, got hooked with S6, and thoroughly enthralled by S7. When the show started over at S1, I started spacing out again but now that it's on S2, I'm about as addicted as I was during S6.

I'm definitely not the normal fan. The much maligned last two seasons are my favorites so far. S2 is a close third though.

[Loach]

You know why I'll always be grateful to Joss Wheadon? BtVS helped me with my nightmares.

I always found myself in nightmares fleeing from the Terrible Monster. After I became a dedicated Buffy fan, I started fighting back. In my dreams, I have all of the slayer moves, too.

Just two nights ago, I was being chased by an evil, bio-engineered alien in my dream. (Product of an evil corss-breeding/cloning experiment, but I digress.) I stopped running, turned, and kicked him in the face. I beat the holy hell out of that evil, bio-engineered alien, I tell you!

Thanks, Joss!

I know its not fair, you wrote this back in January, but this thread just got revived and I just read it. Reading this post after reading about your encounter with abroom (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=266037) (post#18) made me laugh my ass off. :D Reality can be pesky.

[gonzoron]

Another recently addicted fan, here. I actively mocked Buffy when it was on, much to my shame now. I thought it was a ridiculous concept, and never even gave it a chance. Then several friends got hooked and I wondered if they were crazy, or if there really was something to this show.

Then Hush came along.

I heard clamorings about it all over, especially on the Ravenloft (Fantasy Horror RPG) boards. Begrudgingly, I gave it a try, and loved it. But I wouldn't yet admit that the show was good. Hush must've been an exceptionally good episode of this lame show, right? It can't be that I've been ignoring a good show, can it? Even if was, I can't just jump in the middle, I've got to start from the beginning. But I can't pay money for DVD's if I don't know if I like it, and I can't admit to my friends who own the DVD's that I'm looking to borrow them.

Then I got TiVo, and figured this would be a good way to test the theory. I looked up the name of the pilot and set up a wishlist to trigger when FX rolled back around to season 1. That was a couple months ago, and I've watched every one since then. We just started season 2, and I saw Reptile Boy last night. Great stuff.

I especially love Joss's dialogue. He writes banter like very few can. And the actors are really good at delivering it, too. I love the long story arcs, with seeds planted well ahead of time. Reminds me of the best of B5, and DS9. It looks like the effects are starting to pick up, and most of the supporting characters have shown up. (Spike and Oz, most recently). Looks like I'm in for a fun ride.

But I still can't quite admit it to anyone except GonzoGal... and you guys...

[Snooooopy]

I can tear up -- as I am right now -- just by thinking of Willow's desperate plea: "Oz, don't you love me?"