Buffy the Vampire Slayer

[romantisaurusrex]

I watched "Ted" today which is generally an episode I skip. This is probably the third time I've seen it. This is a seriously dark episode with consequences that never materialize that ends up being one of the hardest scenarios in the entire series to accept. How did the police and Joyce not find out about Ted? And the entire school thought Buffy was a murderer, but it's never spoken of again.

Yeah you just listed the reasons I DON'T like that episode. Tries to fit too much into 45 minutes, too much plot too much drama too much emotion, then just ties it up in a pretty bow that's only half explained and moves on, annoying.

Also it makes me hungry.

[MadMan]

I liked Ted mostly because of John Ritter, but yeah I sort of agree that it leaves too many questions open.

[Lucky]

Just noticed in "Phases" for the first time that Xander makes a comment about his hyena possession and Buffy says, "You told us you didn't remember anything."

This refers back to the end of "The Pack" episode when Xander feigns amnesia about assaulting Buffy and admits this to Giles.

I love little continuities like this in this show. Longest one spanning five years when Buffy tells Willow in "Selfless", "You told me to kick his ass, remember?" Referencing back to when Xander lies to Buffy in "Becoming Pt. 2" because he always disliked Angel.

So essentially what I've learned today is that Xander is a liar. And it's amusing when the characters pick up on his lies years later.

[Lucky]

Also, after watching "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" and "Phases" back-to-back, it's hard not to notice that the writers were planting some serious Buffy/Xander seeds. Glad those never came to fruition.

[Mara]

My roommate really likes Spike.

I mean, she really likes Spike.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Your roommate is good people.

[Mara]

Your roommate is good people.

She is so unequivocally pro-Spike that I find myself arguing the opposite just for fun. Pointing out how unstable he is, how controlling, how damaged. She doesn't even care.

[Fezzik]

My roommate really likes Spike.

I mean, she really likes Spike.

Spike's story is one of my favorite "hero's journey" arcs in any genre. Marsters helps it along, of course, but I just love how the character is written. It's rare that i take to a villain like I did with him, but its a testament to the great work Whedon did in developing him.

[Lucky]

You know, for being a suspect in two homicides, assaulting a police officer, and escaping arrest (twice), it's amazing that Buffy never spends any time in the big house.

[MadMan]

You know, for being a suspect in two homicides, assaulting a police officer, and escaping arrest (twice), it's amazing that Buffy never spends any time in the big house.

I never thought about, but then again I'm only going through the show for the first time. I'm sure on repeat viewings I would have wondered that, too. Maybe the local police are bumbling idiots? Although some of them might have been bought off by The Mayor in Season 3.

[number8]

lolwat http://www.theawl.com/2013/01/angel-...ision-theology

[number8]

I was so burned by season 8 that I haven't even bothered. You'll have to tell me if they are worth it.

Fulfilling my promise. I just read the first trade of S9, and it is definitely already better than all of S8. It's Buffy's life gets shit on again, which is always great because we get to see her rise above it.

It's kinda funny that at the end of S8, there's a letter from Joss where he basically apologized that S8 kinda got away from them:

So, our endless season ends. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve thrown up a little in our mouths, but most of all we’ve learned. Not you guys—us. We’ve learned what you like, what you don’t, how this TV show translated to the world of comics, and how it didn’t quite. We’ve lost a few fans along the way and, hopefully, gained a few. I can’t say exactly how much has changed, in our lives or our work. The only thing that’s certain is this: all of us involved in this venture, without exception, have weirder-looking hair.

If you’ve read this issue, you’ve got a sense of where we’re heading for Season 9. Back, a bit, to the everyday trials that made Buffy more than a superhero. That made her us. I was so excited to finally have an unlimited budget that I wanted to make the book an epic, but I realized along the way that the things I loved the best were the things you loved the best: the peeps. The down-to-earth, recognizable people. And Mecha-Dawn. (She has a tail!) So that’s what we’ll try to evoke next season—along with the usual perils, and a few new ones, of course.

Every season of Buffy had a different intent, and a different set of challenges, from which to build. The biggest challenge in Season 8 was that many years ago I wrote a Slayer comic and set it in the far future so that it could never affect Buffy’s life. I was so young. But the challenge of reconciling the optimistic, empowering message of the final episode with the dystopian, Slayerless vision of Fray’s future gave Season 8 a genuine weight. There is never progress without hateful, reactionary blowback. That’s never been more apparent than in today’s political scene in America. The mission was to deal with the consequences of Buffy and Willow’s empowering spell (the good and the terrible), steer toward a possible Fray future without undoing all the good Buffy had done (the girls still have their power), and tee us up for a very different Season 9. Some adjustments had to be made along the way, particularly when I completely changed my plan for Season 9. I changed it for the reasons stated above. No matter how interesting the world stage or mystical dimensions can be, Buffy’s best when she’s walking that alley, dusting vamps, and nursing a pouty heart. We’re not going back to square one, but our square will definitely have a oneishness to it. It should be nice, after the wild ride that was Season 8—not always perfect, but made with love and delight that I think shine through.

The people who need to be thanked really deserve more than just thanks—but we’re all too scattered for the inappropriate touching required to convey my gratitude and occasional awe. Scott Allie is why there are editors. Smart, patient, pushy when it’s time to be pushy—straddling the minutiae and the Big Picture in a way any show runner would envy. Georges—no book without Georges. If I didn’t make the smoothest transition from TV to comics, he sure as hell did. He drew wonderful likenesses that never felt like portraits, and panels that were dynamic, funny, and emotional. . . . No one could have evoked the ethos of the show better. Jo Chen’s covers make me cry. I won’t say more, or I’ll cry.

If I start listing the writers, this will be longer than the comic. But Drew Goddard writes the stuff I wish I had. Brad Meltzer writes like he was on the staff for all seven years (and is a nut for structure, which helped more than I like admitting). Jane Espenson, Brian K. Vaughan. . . . Wait, didn’t I just promise not to do this? Everyone brought such love and talent to the table, writers and artists and inkers and colorists and letterers and editors I’ve left in the cold (sorry, Sierra) in order to wrap this up. . . . The point is, this has been a long, strange trip, but it worked (when it did) because so many overqualified souls poured themselves into it. I’m grateful.

I’m grateful to the guys at IDW, particularly Chris Ryall and Brian Lynch, for handling the Angel series with such passion and hilarity, and for being kind and cooperative when I decided the two universes needed to be under one roof.

And I’m grateful to you guys, for coming on the ride. I promise it won’t get smoother. We’ve got a lot of new—and old—friends along, some new titles, and a bunch of limited series. . . . It’s nuts; I’m exhausted by the end of Season 8. So why am I so giddy about Season 9?

Maybe I’m a fan.

—Joss Whedon

[MadMan]

Doublemeat Palace had its moments, but it was merely solid overall. I liked some of the humor, and despite being a tad on the cheesy FX wise [

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the old lady creature was freaky. I don't like the idea of some freaky monster coming out of an old woman's head. I don't like it...

]

Dead Things might be the most depressing Buffy episode since The Body. [

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"You always hurt the people you love." So damn true. The Spike-Buffy relationship is odd, but it makes sense. Its also something that was clearly replicated in Veronica Mars with [

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Logan and Veronica

]

]

I do miss Willow and Tara interacting on a regular basis. The scene with them was so goddamn sad.

[Mara]

I didn't know you could nest spoilers. Cool.

You're very close to where I am in my rewatch with my roommate (who has never seen it.) She got annoyed at me for not properly preparing her for some of the sad stuff this season, and she hasn't gotten to the worst yet.

[Mara]

Other tv shows referencing Buffy. Some are pretty funny.

[MadMan]

Some of those were hilarious. Others not so much.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Forgot to add this a couple weeks ago. Met Xander at the Motor City Comic Con. Couldn't have been nicer or more approachable.

[Mara]

I'm pulling for him. He's had some bad times.

Glad to hear he was pleasant. And good picture!

[Lucky]

Cool pic! I'm a bit surprised Brendon never had any other offers. Guy had good comic timing. Not much for the dramatics, though. And he let himself go physically in the later years of Buffy. If they killed his character off after highschool he might have had a shot at a movie career.

[Mara]

Cool pic! I'm a bit surprised Brendon never had any other offers. Guy had good comic timing. Not much for the dramatics, though. And he let himself go physically in the later years of Buffy. If they killed his character off after highschool he might have had a shot at a movie career.

Isn't he a regular on Criminal Minds?

[Lucky]

Isn't he a regular on Criminal Minds?

After a quick imdbing, it would appear he is a semi-regular on that show, yes. He was also in a comedy series with Bradley Cooper a couple years post-Buffy that appeared to only last half a season.

[MadMan]

I'm jealous, KF. Nice pic.

[MadMan]

Older and Far Away was really funny and a nice diversion from Season 6's doom and gloom. I tried to watch As You Were but 10 minutes in I got so fucking depressed by what was happening that I shut it off. Seriously what the hell Buffy? I don't like it when a TV show reflects some of my actual problems. It gets too damn real. Oh and I knew that [

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lame boy shows up again

] so I decided to watch something instead.

[Mr. McGibblets]

He was also in a comedy series with Bradley Cooper a couple years post-Buffy that appeared to only last half a season.

Kitchen Confidential is really good. There are 13 episodes, but only 3 or 4 ever aired on FOX. I think it's all on Hulu now.

[MadMan]

Okay a while back during the site's downtime I responded by sitting at my apartment and finishing Season 6. I stayed up all night doing it. So here's my thoughts on the rest of the episodes I watched:

As You Were went from being depressing to entertaining. Still that opener almost made me want to cry back when I first tried to watch it. I was drunk of course, but still that rejection letter....that's rough. I am so glad that Riley left as fast as he arrived. Good. What a wanker. Good episode overall, but not as strong as some of the others.

Hell's Bells....well....fuck. [

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Poor Anya.

] Depressing episode is fucking depressing. Reminds me that I hate weddings.

Normal Again is Joss Whedon screwing with the audience. Right, Joss? RIGHT? Goddamn you, you beautiful bastard.

Entropy features much more depressing moments. Great episode, with a nice ending. The only nice ending in this long, cold, hard stretch of bleak episodes full of bad moments and life being really crappy. But of course....

Seeing Red: [

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WHY GOD? WHY? I was in complete shock at how the entire thing ended. WTF? Not Tara...

] This show features some quality drama bombs. However: [

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that attempted rape scene where Spike almost rapes Buffy....that was the show going to a dark place. Really dark. Super dark. I guess I should have seen character death coming later on because of it, I guess.

] Shit got real, man.

Villains is creepy. And [

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I don't know why they had Buffy get shot too, as if they were going to kill off the main character. But it was still a shocking moment in the last episode I guess.

] Oh and [

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Dark Willow is one bad angry female. Damn. The killing of Warren was gruesome-and this is coming from someone who watches way too much horror movies every year.

]

Two To Go is oddly more humorous even though its still [

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Dark Willow trying to kill Jonathan and Andrew. Also I loved that Giles comes back at the end. I think I cheered.

] Oh and I really like that they [

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had Spike go on his quest in Africa. That storyline was cool.

]

Grave is bleak, full of darkness, and then when you just think everything is screwed....[

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Xander saves the day. Hurray Xander.

] Plus I liked Dawn and Buffy fighting together: that was actually pretty cool and not lame as I expected. Plus [

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Spike got his soul back? Whoa. Didn't expect that to happen.

]

So now I'm on Season 7. Season 6 was great, although it starts a bit slow and there are a few lesser episodes scattered amongst the great ones. Now to finish the show, although I might take my time with the last season as I've heard mixed things about it and I want to enjoy it before I'm all done and have to then turn to the comics to get my fix.