Buffy the Vampire Slayer

[Alluveal]

Remember the Gillmore Girls? Every chick I know was into that, and when I saw it, they were talking super-fast and everything was amazingly clever, with no stuttering or pauses, even if the character was in high school. Same thing like some of your observations about Buffy- people don't/can't talk like that in real life.

I'm gonna chalk that up to a theatrical style choice. It's like an Oscar Wilde play- you know it's not realistic, but you're enjoying the cleverness of the script.

Funny thing about the first few episodes is that the jokes aren't even good, so it really comes off as awful. But it gets better as it moves along and finds its rhythm, as one would expect.

I think the fact that this show is about high school kids is going to make it hard for me to accept this show as some amazing thing. I think I'm too old for it to have any serious emotional impact. I mean, yeah, the scene where Xander got the "let's be friends" business from Buffy when he asked her to the dance brought back some nightmares, but that teen drama shit just isn't gonna have major impact on me.

Was the teacher mantis literally the same puppet as N'Grath? Oh man, that's just so cool/stupid.

Mad props to Gellar's performance in the finale. She is really bringin' it. I know people love the other characters, but at this early stage in the game, I'm watching this show for Buffy/Gellar and am mostly bored when she's not on screen.

But see, I got into the Gilmore Girls immediately. Perhaps because I felt it wasn't so teeny bopper, even with Rory and Dean. It felt more polished.

 

[GKarsEye]

As for Buffy's somewhat insignificant, temporary death at the end of the first season; all I'll say, you haven't yet seen all of its ramifications... by far.

At this point it's still too early for me to care about the ramifications- what I was getting at is, depending on how they go into it, I'm afraid of one of those typical lame TV plot cop-outs. That is, if they end up going with the idea that being revived by CPR counts as her dying, that would be stupid because a person who is revived by CPR was never dead.

I was thinking about that yesterday after my last post and comparing it to Sheridan after his fall in Z'hadum. Like Buffy, they made a big deal about "if the main character goes to battle the Big Bad in person, he will die." In B5, they get around this by having Lorian revive him. But then was he really dead? I think to be fair to Buffy, yes, I would have to consider B5's death prophecy a cheat, even if the ramifications were indeed meaningful.

Like I said, I'm sure they can get into it in season 2. Maybe they'll make her a vampire or do some business about how her soul isn't really there or something- so I'm not judging harsh yet, but I do expect it to feel like a cheat. This won't sour me too much- I mean if I can feel Z'hadum was a cheat, and it's during the peak of my favorite show ever, then it wouldn't be fair to shit on Buffy too much for essentially doing the same thing.


I don't mind the "monster of the week" approach. Moving away from that to arcs is what killed The X-Files.

I'm gonna have a lot of free time today so I'll probably get through like half-a-dozen season 2 eps or so. I can use the passive brain-numbing relaxation after yesterday's crazy day. Spending half-a-day with a 10-yr old boy and the other half partying way later than an old man like me has any business to these days. Time to kick back with a hot teenage vampire slayer.

 

[vacantlook]

I understand what you mean by her death being cheap. If I didn't have the perspective of the whole show and only had that episode, I'd find it annoying too. I think my enjoying the ramifications of it in further episodes helps me to swallow the bitterness of how easily it was reversed.

Your watching for the first time got me into rewatching a few episodes last night. I did four of the first five of season two. I just might have to watch some more today.

 

[GKarsEye]

Horrible weather scuttled my already limited plans for leaving the house, so I got to watch the first 3 eps of season 2. I mean I suppose I should have been watching the first half of the Lakers/Celtics game but I hate both those teams, so vampires it is.

First thing that jumps out immediately is that the pacing, character interactions and dialogue have solidified, and the show has found its rhythm. The quality of production, of just keeping things flowing have improved a lot.

I really liked the first episode a lot. They have Buffy struggling with the aftermath of her Master battle. The way they have her friends deal with it was handled perfectly. And Gellar continues to perform brilliantly.

I'm gonna keep praising her because I'm really pleasantly surprised by how great she is. Of all the great things everyone has said about this show, I don't remember anyone talking about her performance, and it's my favorite part of the show.

I also like that Buffy looks like a high school girl. So does Willow. Cordelia, on the other hand, looks like a 28-yr old sweater model for Sears.

Giles said straight-up exactly what I feared but was expecting: Buffy was "technically dead for a couple of minutes." Again- I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way. If you can be resuscitated, you ain't dead. Whatever.

I also liked the capper, with the kid coming across the Master's remains and declaring "I hate that girl."
So other than confirming my minor annoyance with the prophecy plot point, I couldn't have asked for a better season premiere.

So now we have Spike, who I know is a long-term character. His whole creepy thing with Drusilla fell really flat for me- way too cartoonish. Other than that, not much to say so far- they fight, he's a dick, blah blah, the usual.

Even before I started watching these I was thinking how silly it is that Buffy keeps her slaying from her mother. In the show they said it's to keep her "safe" but that doesn't make sense. Yes I know they do that in the show to add another point of conflict, and that it's part of their whole thing about representing teenager problems- in this case how they feel parents can't understand them- but it makes no sense within the context of the show.

Then I'm watching this episode where Spike busts in the school during parent/teacher conference and Buffy's mom is there and she's like "mom you hide I'll go kill everyone" and.... um, the mom's conclusion is that Buffy is "resourceful." Look, I know I have to suspend disbelief, but come on. Unless there's some twist down the line that her mom is in on it somehow, this is the stupidest part of the show (other than any scene Angel is in, I guess).

So the principal knows about the vampires. My guess? = government agent of some sort. Invisible girl episode showed us the government knows about some of this stuff.

Giles + hot teacher couple- an obvious development but fun to watch.

Anointed one is dead and in the end proves pretty insignificant to the whole story, which I like for this character.

Some stupid shit that annoys me:

I still don't get the point of Cordelia. Now she's insulting everyone again, now she's helping them make stakes... what? My guess is that just like the character Buffy was invented to turn one character type on its head, Cordelia is there to make the pretty popular girl the comedy relief in a similar attempt to play with movie cliches. Either way, it's just a waste of screen time for me.

Now that Angel is part of the opening credits he has to appear in every episode, even in this one where he just shows up at the end of the Frankenstein one to ask if everyone is ok. I know the show is praised for its humor but that unintentional joke was the biggest laugh of the series for me so far.

Why is she "hunting" in a skirt and open-toed shoes? Yes, in a show about vampires this wardrobe choice bothers me. It's just an unnecessary extra piece of nonsense for no reason.
Also there seems to be no rhyme or reason to when she's "hunting," partying, or sleeping. Sometimes this show is too much "wtf it's just about vampires nothing has to make sense."

 

[vacantlook]

SMG is definitely great in her acting on this show. Fun fact: she originally auditioned for the role of Cordelia, whereas Charisma Charpenter, who ended up getting the role of Cordelia, originally auditioned for Buffy.

 

[fisheggs]

Why is she "hunting" in a skirt and open-toed shoes? ...

Because she CAN!!!!!

nothing has to make sense.

It has to be constistant and other than that, well, it's fantasy.

 

[fisheggs]

I'll have to work on my "quotes".:devil:


I remember watching "Buffy". For some of us thats an accomplishment.:devil: Not every episode, but if it was on when I was around, I watched it.

I too have decided to watch, in order, the series. I love my library.:bolian:


I personally love the snappy patter of the characters. It's fiction.:devil: They don't laugh: We do. Irony HAS to be delivered "straight". Or else it's parody.






As a suggestion for future viewing, "The Flash" TV series. The absolute best comic book conversion. Only one season (22 episodes) (( Cost too much to produce, kinda like StarTrek, the real one.:devil) And Danny Elfmann wrote the theme.

 

[GKarsEye]

So does Buffy have super-human strength and/or agility? 'Cause at one point she punched lock through with her bare hand, and another time she was hanging upside-down on a bar. I'm not sure if these things are stylized, like in kung-fu movies, or if she's an X-Man of some sort. And if the latter, how did that happen?

 

[fisheggs]

It's part of being a "slayer". Kinda a genetic thing.

 

[KoshFan]

Basically everything that has to do with fighting comes somewhat naturally to her, be it super-strength or super-agility or weapons skills. Of course, she gets better at it if she practices, which is why Giles is insisting on training. Throw in some wacky prophetic dreams, and you've got yourself a slayer.

Cordelia's role on the show will become more obvious as the seasons progress.

 

[Caffran]

Buffy is an excellent show. yes it had a rocky start but what show doesn't?

season two gets better as it moves along, especially when Faith shows up. season three is superb all the way through with a brilliant 'baddie'.
season four was never made so you can't watch it. I SAID IT DOES NOT EXIST!!! (except hush)
Five.... what can i say. the best of the lot. plus a huge change in the first ep that, looking at your commants so far, you won't buy for a second.
Six was abysmall apart from a few gems.
Seven, back on the right track, almost as good as five but too many pointless meanderings to quite top the pile.

In short, keep watching it will be worth it.

mostly.

 

[vacantlook]

Don't forget about quick healing. The Slayer's got strength, agility, speed, prophetic dreams, and fast healing. Not Wolverine fast, but faster than a normal human.

 

[vacantlook]

season two gets better as it moves along, especially when Faith shows up.

Faith doesn't show up until season 3.

 

[Caffran]

good catch, my bad

 

[GKarsEye]

Faith is that brunette from Bring It On right? Yeah.. like I said, I started watching this show because no matter what else happens, there are hot chicks and monsters. Seeing attractive young girls do a lot of kicking and hair-tossing is a very crucial aspect of this show for me.

I didn't notice any especially fast healing on Buffy's part, maybe they just didn't make a point of it yet.

It is a bit disorienting watching what is an essentially a comic book character without getting the origin story. Maybe if I'm in the mood I'll check out the movie or something at some point.

With the prophecies and the ancient monsters and the line of slayers, there's obviously the potential for a rich history of this universe, but at this point I don't really care if they get into it much. Usually those things disappoint.

Earlier today I though I'd be stuck working on all night on a project but do to managerial incompetence this effort has been delayed indefinitely, so I'll be able to knock out a bunch more Buffy tonight.

 

[Sindatur]

Faith is that brunette from Bring It On right?

And also Echo on Dollhouse

 

[vacantlook]

It is a bit disorienting watching what is an essentially a comic book character without getting the origin story. Maybe if I'm in the mood I'll check out the movie or something at some point.

I say avoid the movie unless you're totally high and are desperate for something to put your attention to. The shittiness of the movie was a major part of why I was dismissive of the for as long as i was.

They actually show a bit of Buffy's origin in the tv show, so you'll end up seeing some of it. It's not a super involved origin like Spider-man got bit by a spider or Ironman built a suit. It's more of a Buffy is the Slayer because she is, kinda like the X-Men, I guess, which makes sense because Joss Whedon has said that Kitty Pride/Shadowcat of the X-Men was a significant influence on him creating Buffy/wanting to do a strong female protagonist.

 

[GKarsEye]

I say avoid the movie unless you're totally high and are desperate for something to put your attention to.

We call that "Sunday night" here.

 

[admiraldave]

I actually kinda liked the movie. It was bad, but amusingly bad. Peewee Herman as a vampire? Luke Perry as proto-Xander? Donald Sutherland? I enjoyed it.

 

[vacantlook]

The movie as filmed dealt with Buffy's first Watcher differently than the way Joss wrote the script for the movie, much to my annoyance. The script was way better.

Spoiler for Buffy's first Watcher in the film and the script of the film:

In the film, Merrick is killed by Lothos using Merrick's stake. In the script though, Lothos plans on turning Merrick into a vampire and sending him to kill Buffy, but Merrick, learning this, shoots himself in the head to prevent Lothos from being able to turn him into a vampire.