" Pangs ".
Really good points, mbh!
I love the humor, obviously, and I love the humorous dialogue because it’s not realistic. It’s NOT what people really sound like, it’s what people hope they sound like. In that sense, it’s very satisfying. Even though it’s not realistic, it can feel very realistic because in a perfect world, we would all be that witty and playful and keenly observant all the time. We think we are in our own heads. Even though the styles are very different, it has the same appeal as Sorkin’s (Sports Night, The West Wing) dialogue to me.
The other thing about the show that really resonates with me is the combination of the supernatural and the normal. This, I believe, IS one of the most realistic things about this show. You have vampire attacks, and then the next minute Buffy is worried about what to wear on a date. I’m reading a book right now about the Russian aristocracy during the revolution, and here you’ve got people who are in the worst sorts of dangers. In accounts from the times, people record violence and fear and angry mobs and lynching … and then go on to talk about ordinary daily life, like what to have for lunch. This is a very human condition, that even in the most crazy circumstances, people find a way to recalibrate to normal.
That list bugged me. Wouldn’t you get your haircut before you became invincible, on the off-chance you** can’t **cut your hair anymore? That’s like buying a new suit and then starting a diet…
The snark. In the pilot, when Cordelia tells Willow, “So glad you’ve seen the softer side of Sears”, I knew the show was going to be great.
My favorite Cordy moment is when Buffy could read minds, only to discover Cordelia is saying exactly what she thinks, all the time.
Me too…I tried several times to get into Buffy but couldn’t. Then I watched “Hush” and was totally hooked. I really miss the show…
I think that it’s the range of emotions that Buffy could evoke.
Scare the freakin’ bejeebers out of me: Hush (I was living alone when it aired and I was taping it. So, I start watching the recording. I got creeped out and started fast forwarding thru the scary parts. Then it was over. I had to go back and watch it–WITH THE LIGHTS ON.)
Make me sob like a baby: The Body.
Squee with joy: Once More With Feeling.
And then every mix of those, plus laughter at least once every episode.
The writing is astonishingly awesome.
I’ve been watching Buffy (and now Angel too). The next Buffy episode to watch is “Once More with Feeling”, which I’ve been waiting for since I started this project over a year ago.
I have to admit that the first season, while it had its moments, was relatively weak. I couldn’t stand the Master’s story arc, and was afraid that the series was going to have weak arcs and only monster of the week stories to sustain it. The moment that Spike killed the Anointed One, my opinion changed. I love the humor that Spike injects into the series, especially once he’s been neutered by the Initiative.
I get pissed off at shows that visibly try to manipulate emotions, which makes me all the more appreciative for the writing and directing on Buffy. A couple weeks ago, I watched “The Body”, which left me quite shook up. I’ve had movies leave me feeling that way, but never a television show.
Huh, why’s it taken a year for you to watch only 5.5 seasons of the show?
It took me a year to watch 5 seasons of Friday Night Lights, which I think had fewer episodes than the first 5 seasons of* Buffy*. Nothing odd about that - some people want to savor the experience, some aren’t compelled to finish it, some people have other things to do.
It’s mostly the other things to do. Plus, it’s actually been close to 8 seasons of actual shows, because I’m watching Angel alongside Buffy.
When I give my DVDs to someone and want them to love the show as much as I do, I worry about the weakness of Season 1 and some of Season 2 as well. I went through and created a list of the “must watch” (because of far-reaching plot lines) episodes from those two seasons ending with "watch every episode from Season 3 (though I still say to skip “Anne” because that is my least favorite). That way they don’t have to sit through some not so strong episodes and get turned off. And frankly, if you’re not hooked by the end of Season 2, this isn’t the show for you.
I’ll also add that Alyson Hannigan can break my heart like no other when she cries.
When I went back and watched Season I again, overall it wasn’t any better in terms of arc, but holy cow, I appreciated Mark Metcalf’s performance so much more. When I was watching for plot the first time around, I missed a lot of subtle aspects that Metcalf brought to the character. He’s really a comic actor, and does a great job infusing a little High Camp into the role.