OK, I don't get the appeal of Buffy

Cafe Society
#1

So I was looking for a series to watch and someone told me that Buffy was iconic so I watched it. I watched it from beginning to end. I watched all seven seasons and I even watched the Angel series and I don’t get it.

Sarah Michelle Geller is a very mediocre actress whose idea of acting is gritting her teeth and enunciating words through a clenched jaw to show she is mad or sad or feeling strong emotions (which also seems to be most of the acting repertoire of her sister Dawn).

The vampires never seem to have figured out that a metal plate over their left breast would probably go a long way in preventing sharp wooden sticks from penetrating their hearts.

The middle of the series just drags on and on and on.

The story lines are fine but I don’t get the fanatic devotion.

I liked Firefly a lot but I’m starting to think Joss Whedon is very overrated.

#2

I don’t feel the appeal…but I do understand it. The show is about interesting characters, doing interesting things. Hotties and quips. There’s a lot of very good humor.

Also, there’s a lot of cliché busting. Lots of times, when you think you know what’s going to happen next…the show does something very different.

I watched a few episodes, and, no, they weren’t for me. But an awful lot of people I know really love the show, and there’s no way that all of them are wrong.

#3

A friend of mine pointed out that Joss has, at most, three seasons in any given idea. The first three seasons of Buffy were pretty good because they were able to play off the “high school vampire slayer” bit. Once she graduated, there wasn’t much point to continue. Angel started out pretty well, but I think it was situational–the early fandom was watching both series, and they tended to play off of one another–a major character dies in the 7:00 episode of Buffy, and the people in the 8:00 episode of Angel find out about it. That sort of thing.

Dollhouse only lasted two seasons, but if he had managed to stretch it out to three, it would have seriously tanked.

I’m thinking that if the network hadn’t killed Firefly, a lot more people would hate it by now, and Nathan Fillion’s career (as well as Morena Baccarin’s) wouldn’t have taken off as well as it did, but that’s kind of a side point.

#4

My daughter was in Junior High/High School when it was on, and it was HER show. She identified strongly with both Buffy and Willow, and adopted the independent, take charge attitude of the ladies. She was the target demographic, not adults.

#5

Okay - you’ve decided and YMMV. What do you want from us? You’ve seen the 2nd season where Angel goes bad, you’ve see The Mayor, Hush, The Body, Once More With Feeling. If you aren’t feeling it, that’s your call. I am not a Sarah Michelle Gellar fan, but I think the show fucking rocks.

Now what?

#6

Prof - you know I enjoy your posts and you and I have certainly compared notes on art, modern and otherwise. I am certainly NOT a teenage girl :wink: and I love the show. I consider myself part of whatever target demographic is called for.

Did you watch it? I’d be curious about your opinion.

#7

Oh, I watched it with my daughter, and enjoyed some of the episodes quite a bit, (Hush, Once More With Feeling, and the one where Buffy’s mother died stand out) but she was thoroughly into the show. Now she agrees that Sara Michelle Geller can’t act, but that didn’t affect her at the time.

I found the show watchable, above average, and applauded the strong role models for girls and young women. My main enjoyment came from sharing the time with her and talking about it during and afterwards. By the time Dawn was introduced though, I think the show had run it’s course and was drifting strongly towards jumping the shark. I can’t say I ever cared for David Boreanaz in the show, but I really liked Spike and Drusilla.

#8

I also loved it as an adult man. I thought it was well written, funny, and moved a story forward while still being meta and genre-savvy. I thought the action sequences were well done, the plots were reasonably complex, and the characters were memorable.

Obviously YMMV. A lot of people hate it.

#9

All good. Buffy’s mom dying = The Body. I liked Season 5 (intro of Dawn) but get why others wouldn’t.

I assume you enjoyed talking about it with your daughter because it had strong women/girls and because, well, there was interesting stuff to talk about - I suspect your daughter identified with the metaphorical challenges that Buffy and the Scooby Gang faced? That’s good, yes?

#10

Exactly. The show was well-crafted - that counts for a lot to me. And well, a lot of people are wrong :wink:

#11

You have to admit, the fact that you watched all seven seasons despite “not getting it” indicates something was going on that interested you.

#12

This is it. The show did a terrific job of avoiding cliches, and twisting your expectations.

I missed the first 3 1/2 seasons (didn’t have cable), but I fell in love with it the first episode I watched. At the end, Willow was angry and had been casting some nasty spells and a demon appeared to her and wanted her to join him. She refused. The demon said, “Is that your answer?” Willow says it is.

Now in 100% of all shows with this situation, the demon would say, “I will make you mine whether you like it or not, ha ha ha!” Instead he says, “OK. Her’s my token. If you change your mind, give me a summons.”

I fell in love with the show at that line. It was one of many moments where Whedon took a cliche and stood it on its head in a perfectly logical twist.

The show was witty and fun. I love witty and fun.

#13

I enjoyed the series as well though I feel it should have ended when it peaked at season 5. I think the fanatic devotion is partially because geeks tend to be fanatically devoted to things they like.

#14

You spent 170 hours watching a TV show you don’t like? That’s…kinda insane.

#15

This was my take-away from the OP. You watched through seven seasons of a show you didn’t like and its spin-off? Why? You could have been, you know, watching something you enjoyed.

#16

I doubt this assertion would hold up to scrutiny. The themes were very mature. The show was very popular among adult men. Certainly everyone I knew who watched it during its initial run were men in their late 20s and early 30s.

#17

What he said. Squared.

#18

I have precisely the same view. It seems like the kind of thing I’d like. All my friends love it. I did enjoy Firefly (though am not devoted to it). I acknowledge and respect Joss Whedon’s skills. But for some reason, Buffy just wasn’t for me.

#19

That’s me too. Can’t figure it out though. For a while I thought it was the terrible acting but I like other shows with terrible acting (The Walking Dead for example). So that’s just an excuse. Maybe it’s that I don’t find the quips or dialogue funny or clever.

#20

I’m a 46 year old male. I loved the show. I like the humor. The genre bending. The writing. I actually thought Angel was a superior show in all aspects but I enjoyed Buffy too.