I’ve just finished watching series 7 on DVD. I’d caught the odd episode before, but this was the first time I’d watched the whole thing.
I had been nervous as some people are quite down on it, but I thought it was fantastic. Sure, there’s no stand out episodes (like a Hush), but taken as a whole it’s great, with some real emotion being played out.
The other criticism I’ve read is that some of the secondary characters get sidelined. Really don’t get this. For instance Xander gets one of the best speeches ever.
Anyway I’m happy to share thoughts, but the main reason I posted is to get the dope on Joss Whedon and Sarah Michelle Geller. I’ve read somewhere that they don’t get on, but can’t find details. It was really brought home to me when she didn’t appear in any of the Special Features, including a montage of all the actors thanking JW for the great time. What’s up?
I heard that the entire cast was pissed at SMG for pulling the plug on Buffy and without giving them any notice. Most cast and crew found out by reading her interview in a magazine. Plus, after Buffy, Joss has stated that he learned not to base a TV series around just one character because the actor would turn into a monster. Hmmm… wonder who he is referring to?
I’m Joss’s bitch, so the following is biased in the extreme:
SMG is a bitch.
That said…Season 7 wasn’t my favorite, but it had its moments. I hated the whole “Potentials” idea, but they decided that was the way to go, so what are you going to do? It gets better in Season 8, by a long shot (mainly because Kennedy is dead!) I would have prefered that Anya go out like a champion, not like she did.
Gellar wanted a ton of money to do Season 8. Moreover, she wanted a ton of money to do anything Buffy related. That’s why everyone is in the DVD extras but her, everyone’s in the video game but her, everyone contributed to the animated series pilot but her, etc.
Season 8 is a comic book that Joss put together. I haven’t read it yet, but I am told it’s good.
Also, whatever Joss may have felt about SMG at one time, she came to the set of Dr. Horrbile and was an extra in the assembly room scene (next to the groupies in the crowd) so there couldn’t have been *that *much bad blood.
I had a tough time with that season as well. It really looked like they weren’t having any fun making it and there was little humor in the storyline. Everything Buffy said was in this angry scrowl. On top of that, I had a hard time believing that boyfriend guy from Two Guys and a Girl was this evil preacher.
It had it’s moments, but I liked the final season of Angel better. I thought that built very well to the end and though I didn’t want to see some of the characters die how they did, it worked story-wise.
But Buffy is also a bitch, so it is only appropriate to have one of her own tribe portray her.
Wait–Kennedy died! (Happy dance!) I want details, and you guys are more fun than Wikipedia. The last thing I knew was Buffy having the one-night stand with one of the junior slayers she should have had with Willow long ago.
If this weren’t the SDMB, I’d feel bad for this, but cite?
You can see the rest of the groupies’ row in HD at 4:53 and 6:44 here. Looks like it could be her, but not so much I don’t think it’s more fanboy’s imagination than fact. (Kinda looks like Linda Cardellini, in point of fact.)
Now you’ve put me in the position of wasting the next half hour thinking of ways to make “Rhinestone Cowboy” jokes appropriate to this thread. You bastard.
Commentary on the DVD is my cite (not commentary the musical but the straight commentary) Joss points her out and she is most visible (I think) durring the closeup of the groupies arm swaying portion of the the “Everyone’s a Hero” Song (Short black hair, big sunglasses and a green shirt with a cadigan over it). I think she is also the chick that Nathon Fillion fist runs into when he hops off the truck in episode one, but I am not sure about that one.
It’s ok, not everyone can get it right away. But it is well worth the purchase just for Comentary! The Musical, which is easily as good as Dr. Horrible was.
I just realized you were talkin about her short-lived mystical death.
You know what you are, goat-man? A tease. A plot-twist tease. A they-killed-off-the-annoying-character-who-replaced-the-much-more-interesting-character-Skald-liked-better-for-entirely-inexplicable-reasons tease.
They Slayer army was a bit much for me. Buffy (the character) became someone I didn’t really like in season 6 and she wasn’t much improved by season 7. While season 7 did have some good episodes the series was past its prime. I wish it had ended with Buffy’s death in season 5.
I purchased the first two trade paperbacks of season 8 and found that it really wasn’t to my liking.
