Buffy the Vampire Slayer (probably open spoilers)

Cafe Society
1

For the first time ever, I have now watched a series all the way from season 1, episode 1 to the series finale in order without missing one. So many people told me I really needed to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer that I bought the movie and all seven seasons of the TV show on DVD and watched them all. I finished the finale a few minutes ago, and I want to talk about it.

I figured it would be difficult to hold a discussion about the entire span of a series without unboxed spoilers–hence the warning in the thread title.

Obviously, the show had its inconsistencies (like the first ubervamp kicking the snot out of Buffy for several episodes, but by the finale, even Andrew and Dawn are killing them with swords), but overall I thought it was absolutely fantastic.

What were your favorite parts? What didn’t you like? What do you wish had happened that didn’t (and vice-versa)?

I’ll start:

The musical episode was incredible. The way it clarified all of the diverse issues in the series was pure genius.

Up until Season 7, Dawn was the most annoying, whiney, bratty little character they’d ever introduced–even worse than Andrew and Jonathan. She drove me nuts.

Amy was a loose end that I don’t think they tied up well. Once she was changed back from a rat, there’s a lot they could have done with her, and the Willow-into-Warren episode had incredible potential for Amy that they never followed. She just wandered off into the sunset.

2

Just out of curiousity, what did you think of season seven? I watched it real-time, and it drove me NUTS how everything was going so freaking slowly. I think that if I’d seen it all at once, I’d’ve liked it better. Hearing your perspective would help confirm or deny my theory :).

3

I found that watching season seven on air was as you describe - horrendously slow and filled with Buffy Speach after Buffy Speach, and I was just feeling “Get ON with it already!” (Now, something you should know about me is I have the wonderful talent of forgetting movies and TV shows almost immediately after watching them. This means I can re-watch something and it’s almost like watching it for the first time.) Watching season seven back to back (ish - two a day, usually) on DVD, I was floored by how RUSHED it all was. Too rushed. So, damn if I know the proper speed at which to watch the season!
**
InvisibleWombat**, I hardly know where to begin. I heart Buffy. I sincerely and without Jossfawning think that it was the best written show on television since MAS*H. The level of craftsmanship that is evidenced in layers of subtext, allusion and archetypal storytelling is stunning. And it’s funny and sad and shocking and sappy and all in the right porportions for me.

“The Body”. Leaves me speechless. The only episode I have trouble watching.

“Once More With Feeling”. The musical for people who hate musicals.

“Dopplegangland”. Ohmigod, Willow as goth. So friggin’ hot, and I’m not usually into chicks.

“Hush”. The fact that famous-for-dialogue Joss Whedon dared himself to write a silent episode made my respect meter climb.

I’ll shut up for the moment, and see what else folks want to talk about, 'cause I’m Buffybabbling here…

4

I found that season 7 did benefit from uninterrupted viewing, but it was still kind of a mess, and, IMO, such a waste of a tremendous opportunity to *truly * go epic. At the end of Lessons, and again at the end of Conversations with Dead People, I remember literally bouncing up and down in my seat with excitement, thrilled at the possibilities. A big bad that *knows * them, and can be *any * dead person? I feel like a lot of opportunity for real character drama and conflict was horribly squandered.

5

I for one was willing to fanwank this. The first ubervamp that Buffy faced was the best of the best, and the others were more along the lines of foot soldiers. Sort of like how among vampires Angel and Spike are a class above the average vampire.

It woks for me.

6

It works for me, even. Although I’m sure Spike and Angel probably picked up some cooking tips during the Boxer Rebellion.

7

I got into *Buffy *in 2004 when I was working as a caretaker and my employer watched it on FX every morning. I wasn’t that interested in it at first but it slowly sucked me in over the course of the fifth season to the point where I was actively looking forward to it by the time the sixth rolled around a few weeks later. For the next year or two, we watched the series two or three times (or, for her, the fourth and fifth times) and when the Chosen Collection came out last November, I bought it and have since watched it another time or two. It is easily my most favorite television series ever and is literally the only thing I watch most days.

I really don’t know where to begin but, speaking broadly, seasons Three, Four, and Six were probably my favorites overall with seasons Five and Seven (and then One and Two) finishing it out in roughly that order.

I absolutely loved Xander, Willow, Oz, Tara, and Giles and was quite fond of most everyone else save Cordelia, Riley, Angel, and Dawn, all of whom I am ambivalent towards. I didn’t really care about most of the relationships except those that focus on Willow, Kennedy included.

The Master, Adam, and The First were lackluster villains that didn’t inspire much feeling either for or against; Glory just annoyed me; but everyone else, especially Mayor Wilkins and the Trio was great fun.

And I wish Xander had been the gay one, not Willow. Or, if it could have been pulled off without it seeming forced, both of them. While I like Will as a lesbian, I just think Xander would’ve made a better homosexual character and I swear this has nothing to do with my crush on him.

It’s an apologist’s rationalization but that discrepancy can be explained by believing the first Turok-Han was their greatest fighter, their Champion, and that the ones slayed in the Hellmouth were more garden-variety. It’s still quite a stretch as Giles described them as “the vampires that vampires fear” but it’s worth considering.

You, sir (or madam), are insane. Andrew and Jonathan were highlights of their respective episodes and I will hear nothing implying otherwise.

8

Oh. And Jonathan is underlined 'cause I meant to say “…and *especially *Jonathan” in my reply to that comment. I think Jane Espenson’s enthusiasm for him rubbed off on me when I listened to her commentaries.

9

Slightly off-topic, Adam Busch (Warren) is in a band called Common Rotation. They’re pretty good.

Checking the website… Damn, they were just in town and I missed them.

10

I, too, was a uber FX Buff watcher. It’s made the rounds at least three times. Love almost all of them. I TIVO’d the series finale so I could have a good cry whenever I wanted to. I especially liked the scene where the future-slayers get their powers as little girls. Touching. Oh, and of course Spike going up in flames. sob

Was pregnant during my in-fan-ity; was gonna name my son Jonathan Warren. Seriously. He ended up with Adam. Yes, purely intentional.

How could someone not enjoy Angel in the early seasons? Yummy, IMO. He did gain a little weight and aged during the process which made him a little less enticing. James Marsters was GREAT. Across the board, great. It’s so funny to hear him talk IRL and notice he doesn’t have an English accent. The woman who played Dru was Juliet Landau. Is she Martin Landau’s daughter?

Xander was cute in the beginning too, but, like Angel, he aged and gained weight. He must’ve been @ fighting weight for the ep with the swimmers turning into sea monsters.

11

Yes.

12

My daughter’s named Caileigh (pronounced Kaylee but spelled with an extra pretension). We pretend she isn’t named after the mechanic on Firefly. She is. :smiley:

13

The wife and I watched the show from episode 1. In fact, we met on a Buffy meaasge board. The walls are decorated with signed posters, props, pieces of costumes. Über-geeks, we are. :smiley:

Favorites include Hush, OMWF, Pangs, Becoming, Part 1, and the finale to Angel. Neither of us can watch The Body. Once was enough. It hits too close to home.

Riley: How you doing?
Buffy: Complicated question.
Riley: I just meant…
Buffy: I know.
Riley: I hear you. I got some, uh, big stories to tell you, too. If we ever get half a second.
Buffy: Did you die?
Riley: No.
Buffy: I’m gonna win.

14

I agree that they never resolved the situation with Amy to my satisfaction. i can understand how three years as a rat might make someone surly, but her antagonism to Willow is pretty hard to understand.

–Cliffy

15

It wasn’t up to the normal frenetic pace of the show, but it wasn’t too bad. In fact, the final three episodes developed too fast. While watching the last episode, my son said “we’re halfway through the final show, and we still don’t know what the last battle will be.”

I forgot about that one. It was awesome.

Very strange, indeed. Ditto listening to Juliet Landau when she’s not playing Drusilla. It’s just not right! :wink:

16

I hated HATED Season Six, but two of three of my super-favorite Buffy episodes are in this season: “Once More With Feeling” and “Normal Again.”

Season Seven gave too much weight to the brand new characters, and let older, unresolved or unexplored situations fall to the wayside.

17

Season 7 was a waste (with a few good episodes thrown in there), and it ruined an excellent opportunity to make use of Giles’ return; instead, the writers spent most of the season trying to convince the audience that he was another illusion of the First.

Season 6 was a rehash of Season 4 with the whole, “Wah. Buffy’s depressed again?” Each season, of course, had its great episodes, but they didn’t compare–in my estimation–to Seasons 2, 3 and 5, the best of the whole lot.

Plus, Spike. I really got tired of him and his whole addiction to Buffy. I’d have loved it if they left him in his role as a Little Bad in Season 2 and offed him at the end, or at least gave him a fixation other than Buffy when he turned into Scrappy Doo with the chip implant. (I also thought they could have done more with him when he got his soul back.)

Eh, I complain, but I love the show.

18

Uhhh, really? How would you feel if your freind kept you in cage, like a pet for YEARS while you know they have the power to change you back to your normal self and finally do it as AN AFTERTHOUGHT? WTF. I’m surprised Amy didn’t turn against Willow sooner. Then add the whole talent-jealousy thing.

I think people hate alot of season 6 because Marti Noxon had a lot of underlying hatred for the fan base. Warren, Andrew and Jonathan WERE the Buffy fans. They had star wars figures and video games and comic books and a love for science and robots…Our main characters USED to be these three… but then they became the cool kids who make fun of the nerds and losers. People dom’t like season 6 because the fan hatred from the writers- well mostly Marti Noxon was right there under the surface and alot of people tuned into it subconsciously.

Oh and also some of it is just poorly written. :slight_smile:

19

You. Are my favourtire person. Ever.

Drat, now I can’t do that to my future daughter…

20

This was actually the first episode I ever watched, and I was totally hooked.