It's my play, yes. But they really cut it up and dumbed it down. I used to be really angry about it, but I'm sort of amused these days. It makes an interesting party story if things get dull.Quoting thefourthwall (view post)
I some how missed that entirely...I'm assuming that's your play? Seems like more than a vague association.
I'm queuing this.
...and the milk's in me.
Has the play been published/performed? What TV was it made for? Do you still write? (I suppose if I ventured beyond my safe familiar threads to one's like the Writer's Thread I would know these things...)
Sorry, to derail the thread!
Hmm... short answers to a long story...
[]
...and the milk's in me.
Greyhaven and I are here in our watch through of the series to be integrating Angel in chronological air date.
Hmm. Let me know if it is worth it. (Despite a few great episodes, I wouldn't count myself an Angel-the-series fan.)
More entries coming up. Probably tomorrow.
...and the milk's in me.
Apparently there are only two or three big time cross-over episodes, but I like Angel; I love where they go with Wesley's character especially. And I love the extra season with Spike. Doyle...Fred...Gunn...yeah, I'm a fan of it. But I could never compare them because that's like choosing between children.
Looking forward to more write ups!
22. Lover's Walk (3.8)
Written by Daniel Vebber, Directed by James Whitmore
Summary: Spike makes an inebriated return to Sunnydale, distraught over losing Dru. He starts off blaming Spike, then Buffy, and finally kidnaps Willow in an effort to get a love spell to fix things.
Why I love it: Man, season 3 was great, wasn't it? Faith, the Mayor, graduation, the prom-- all awesome. If I were to point out one major flaw with season three, it's that there isn't enough Spike.
And this episode rectifies that in a big way.
But this episode actually works on several levels. This quote:
...serves at the impetus for several major storylines to play out. All three of our main (young) heroes are, at the moment, having their better judgment undermined by love/desire. They are all love's butt monkeys.
Angel and Buffy are trying to be "friends." Ha. Xander is still really into Cordelia, but he's sneaking off with Willow for smoochies. And Willow loves Oz-- really loves him-- but she can't seem to resist Xander, either. Spike recovers from his broken heart, but the repercussions of this episode spread out through the rest of the season.
From a storytelling perspective, Spike acts as a Lord of Misrule-- someone who is not contrained by normal modes of behavior and courtesy-- so that he can break down the conventions that are preventing the other characters from facing up to their own behavior and emotions. And it's awesome.
Interesting Tidbits:
Apparently, Charisma Carpenter actually did get a spike through her body, once, in the same spot. She fell off a horse when she was young.
"Love's Bitch," from this episode, was the original title for my #15 episode, "Fool for Love." I think we can all agree that the earlier title was better.
The scene where Spike is looking over Willow lustily is referenced in one of my all-time favorite scenes, from the otherwise so-so episode "The Initiative":
[]
:lol:
...and the milk's in me.
23. Normal Again (6.17)
Written by Diego Gutierrez, Directed by James Contner
Summary: Buffy is stung by a demon with a poison that causes her to hallucinate, but her hallucinations try to convince her that her life in Sunnydale is a delusion.
Why I love it: Usually, when the show mocks its own conventions, it does it for comic effect. However, in this episode, it is profoundly sad. The return of Joyce (and even more shockingly, Hank) to offer Buffy a world where she doesn't have to be a superhero, where she can be "normal again" is a grave temptation.
From a meta-story perspective, this episode is a vital turning point in Buffy's journey. I talked about it in my paper. You read my paper, right?
What this means in Buffy and Dawn's relationship is even more heartbreaking.
As an audience, it is really upsetting to watch Buffy attack her friends and her sister, with that dead look in her eyes. But her choice to turn around and choose the life that is harder is, I think, one of the most heroic choices she makes.
...and the milk's in me.
24. Something Blue (4.9)
Written by Tracey Forbes, Directed by Nick Marck
Summary: A very sad Willow tries a spell to ease her pain, which backfires and causes her off-the-cuff wishes to come true. Wackiness ensues.
Why I love it: In terms of laugh-out-loud moments, I think this is probably the funniest episode of BtVS. Spike and Buffy in love! The de-ratting and re-ratting of Amy! Deeply confused Riley! Xander is a demon-magnet! Adorable novelty mugs!
But I'm going to confess something that might hurt my fan-cred. I have discovered that I find heart-broken Buffy to be annoying. When Angel turns bad and she sobs, and she kills Angel and she sobs, and Angel leaves town and she sobs ("Right now I'm just trying not to die!") and Riley leaves her and she sobs... I just roll my eyes and fast-forward. I don't know what it is, because SMG seems to do other sad emotions very well, especially with family-type drama, with Giles and her mother and Dawn.
But, holy hell, when Willow is heart-broken, I'm right there with her. Alyson is a very talented actress who has spent 80% of her career in comedies, so I think we forget how great she is at tragedy. This may be a funny episode, but it comes from a very painful emotional place, of "I just don't want to feel this anymore."
This is also a very early indication of Willow's dark headspace, pointed out by D'Hoffryn, which becomes more apparent over the next several years.
Interesting Tidbit:
When a former roommate lost a bet with me, she had to watch one episode of BtVS in punishment, because she kept telling me that the show was stupid without having watched it. I chose this one, because it's a great, engaging episode that requires minimal context.
She poo-poo'd her way through it, but a couple days later, said in a forced-off-hand sort of way, "And whatever happened between Buffy and Spike?" And I said, "DON'T YOU WISH YOU KNEW."
...and the milk's in me.
25. Bad Girls (3.14)
Written by Douglas Petrie, Directed by Michael Lange
Summary: When a new Watcher arrives, Wesley Wyndam-Price, Buffy joins Faith in her more rebellious ways, until Faith goes too far.
Why I love it: If my Faith's Journey paper ever gets written, this episode will be pivotal. This is a major turning point for her, and also for Buffy, who has toyed around with the "bad girl" mentality before without any serious consequences.
It's also a character-changing episode for Giles, who has always been shown as the stuffy, by-the-book reaction to the younger, wilder characters. In this episode, though, Wesley shows us that Giles was never stuffy at all. WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT STUFFY WAS YET. Giles is, in fact, snarky and subversive. He has been on the front lines, elbow-deep in gore, while the Council has been lamenting the inconvenience of dust on all their books.
And while we are all in love with Angel-era, fully-fleshed-out Wesley, I have a soft spot for his shallow, deeply annoying character in BtVS. He is a perfect foil for Giles, particularly in the scene where they are both captured and brought to Balthazar.
Really, though, this episode is Buffy and Faith's show. If you have superpowers, are you contrained by the rules? Are you Batman, or are you Superman?
I'll give you a moment to drink in the awesome.
...and the milk's in me.
And for any of you who aren't watching "Dollhouse," you missed out on Faith and Wesley getting a little bit freaky last night. Rowr.
...and the milk's in me.
26. Halloween (2.6)
Summary: Ethan Rayne comes to town, selling costumes that magically make the wearers become what they are pretending to be.
Why I love it: Here's another chance for us to mix-up what we think about the characters. Quiet, meek Willow ends up taking charge. Funny guy Xander becomes a deathly serious soldier. And badass Buffy becomes a girl who faints and clings at any sign of danger. She also inexplicably changes from an awesome wig (above) to a horrible one:
We also get our first introduction to Giles' "Ripper" past.
The running joke about Halloween plays out for the rest of the series. Ironically, it's supposed to be a day when the supernatural elements stay home and let everyone else dress up like spooks and ghouls, but even though we are told again and again that nothing ever happens on Halloween, in BtVS, something ALMOST ALWAYS happens on Halloween. See also: Buffy's birthday.
My main problem with this episode is that SMG, bless her, does a flipping awful job as the damsel in distress. Her accent is all over the place, she has one scared-bunny expression, and she isn't given much to do. The dialogue she's given is also terrible, like someone who was reconstructing an idea of old-timey-ladies based on one long-forgotten episode of Masterpiece Theatre. Come on, people, like a little bit of research would kill you?
Xander makes up for it, though. He does a great job morphing completely into a very different character, who is brave, decisive, and sexually confident. (This is one of Xander's hottest episodes. Rewatch the scene where he gives Cordelia his shirt. You're welcome.)
And it's really fun to watch Willow's peek-a-boo sexuality in this episode. She keeps hiding and uncovering, uncomfortable either way. She's still figuring out who she wants to be.
...and the milk's in me.
Who Are You? (4.16)
Written & Directed by Joss Whedon
Summary: Buffy and Faith swap bodies, and Faith-in-Buffy has some fun with Buffy's life and body while Buffy-in-Faith tries to evade the police and the Watcher's Council.
Why I love it: I feel like SMG's acting got a bad rap in my last two posts, but she's awesome in this episode. She has Faith's attitude and mannerisms down pat, and her scenes when she tries to get used to Buffy's body and mentality ("BECAUSE IT'S WRONG") are a hoot. And kinda sexy.
In fact, SMG is so good, that back before I had every flipping episode memorized, I was trying to remember in which episode a scene happened. This scene:
--and in my memory of this scene, I could have sworn that it was between Tara and Faith, not Tara and SMG-pretending-to-be-Faith. I didn't even remember which body was there. That's talent.
On the downer side, I thought Dusku really didn't do such a hot job. I never forgot for a moment that this was someone pretending to be Buffy.
This is also a big progression in the Buffy-and-Spike relationship. This is the first time that we see Spike, not enchanted, getting all hot and bothered over Buffy (who is really Faith, of course.)
Interestingly, Spike never realizes that this wasn't Buffy until season 7.
Interesting Tidbit:
Riley is the only main character we ever see attending church. Willow's family are observant Jews, but it is unclear if she is faithful or not. By later seasons, of course, she is Wiccan. However, it is clear that her roots in Judiasm run deep, as evidenced in the season 7 episode "Help" where she visits Tara's grave and puts small rocks on the tombstone, per Jewish tradition.
...and the milk's in me.
By the way, in this week's Entertainment Weekly they counted down the 100 best television shows, characters, movies, books, songs, etc. of the decade. Clocking in at #20:
Simplistic write-up, but I love it when BtVS gets props.
...and the milk's in me.
Wesley's on that show?! Well, now that it has a finite ending, I'm definitely committing.
All around concurring. SMG is amazing in this--as Faith, the sarcastic playing of that line ("Because it's wrong") to when she says it and means it. Whoo-boy...amazing!
Ah, I have missed a lot! I moved and I've been busy trying to get all my stuff organized so I've only had internet on my phone. I've been reading up here and there but haven't been able to post. I'm gonna try to catch up..
Definitely one of the top 3 sexiest scenes of the series. Maybe the second. #1 is the sex scene in "Smashed" (I think that's the ep -- the one with the abandonded house).
"Checkpoint" was an interesting choice for the top 10. There are a lot of shining moments that you mentioned, but I ultimately feel not enough happens in the episode.
"Storyteller" was the only time I could actually tolerate Andrew. He's one of my most loathed characters. I don't find him funny at all and he sapped a lot of screentime from the characters I cared about in season 7. I do like this episode, though. A lot.
I've only seen "Superstar" once and that was the initial broadcast. Whenever I rewatch the series, I skip that episode. Maybe I should give it a rewatch, I didn't think I was msising anything special.
I didn't know "Fool for Love" was supposed to be named "Love's Bitch." That's interesting.
"I Was Made to Love You" is a choice I don't understand. Just about the only thing of the episode I remember enjoying is the final talk with Buffy and April on the swing. This is another episode I will actually skip during my rewatches.
I'm surprised you didn't like Willow's storyline in "Conversations with Dead People." That's the highlight of the episode for me. The actress who plays Cassie impressed me in "Help" (an ep I appreciate more than most), so I was glad to see her return. Trivia: Amber Benson was supposed to reprise her role but backed out. Still wish that could have happened. Would have been truly heartbreaking.
I like that Buffy and Angel's last song in "The Prom" was "Wild Horses." Even though it wasn't the original version, it's still one of my favorite songs. I like Buffy and Angel's breakup, too.
I'm glad you gave a nod to "Normal Again." I thought it was a brave episode for the writers to include. One of my favorites.
28. Tabula Rasa (6.8)
Summary: In an effort to rectify two major mistakes (meddling with Tara's memories and resurrecting Buffy) Willow tries a memory-erasing spell that backfires and gives the gang amnesia.
Why I love it: The bulk of the story in this episode is amusing.
VAMPIRES OOOOOOHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOEEEEESSSSSS!
But the bookends are deeply sad, particularly the "Goodbye to You" song while Tara packs her gear to leave Willow... and poor Dawn, who has had her share of abandonment.
The bulk of the episode, though, is tons of dramatic irony fun times. As an audience, we know how these disparate pieces fit together, but watching our mind-wiped heroes try to reassemble them is a riot. In some ways, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Xander is still a horndog, Tara and Willow are still attracted, Buffy and Dawn are still loving and adversarial. Where they get things wrong, of course, is where hilarity ensues-- Giles and Spike as father and son, and Giles and Anya as lovers.
This episode is about rediscovering, as Oz would have put it, "Our lives are different from other people's."
Interesting Tidbits:
This episode has one of the oddest payoffs that was set up in "Restless." In the sequence of "Restless" when Spike is wearing a tweed suit, and Buffy is in the sandbox, there is this exchange:
This episode pays that off with Spike, dressed in a tweed suit, being chased by a "land shark"-- but not just a loan collector, but a literal shark.
Also during that same scene in "Restless," Spike and Giles redefine their relationship:
...and, of course, in "Tabula Rasa" they actually mistake themselves for father and son.
(Also, note: does anyone else think it's interesting that William started out with a posh, refined accent that became a tougher, street accent as he got older, but Giles did the opposite? It's interesting from a narrative perspective, but I don't think people actually do that for reaslies.)
...and the milk's in me.
The lack of Jonathon/Andrew love makes me sad. It must have made season 6 far less charming.
...and the milk's in me.
It did. My biggest issue with season 6.
29. Suprise (I) and Innocence (II) (2.13 & 2.14)
2.13 Written by Marti Noxon, Directed by Michael Lange, 2.14 Written & Directed by Joss Whedon)
Summary: In the second two-parter on my list, Buffy has a really bad birthday, and Angel turns into Angelus.
Why I love it: This is a fascinating turn of events, though it doesn't really play out at full volume until "Passions" later in the season. For all the awesome moments (and there are several), this is the prelude to the piece, which is probably why it didn't rank higher on my list.
The introduction of Angelus is shocking, disorienting, and sets up the entire rest of the season. Seeing him turn on our other characters... wow.
These episodes are all about betrayal and emotional manipulation, both by Angel and, to a lesser extent, by Jenny. A minor moment that I didn't really process the first time I watched the episode is where Giles shows Jenny, whom we know he loves, exactly where his loyalty lies.
Interesting Tidbits:
In the flashback to Buffy and Angel having sex, the breathy-sexy sounds were not made by the actors. Joss was too embarassed to ask them to come in and record sexy noises, so he and the sound editor did the noises. I find this amusing.
...and the milk's in me.
30. The Replacement (5.3)
Written by Jane Espenson, Directed by James Contner
Summary: Xander is accidently hit with a bolt that separates his better qualities from his worse qualities. Anya doesn't mind.
Why I love it: Well, I love Xander. And considering that the actor has an identical twin brother, I can't believe they didn't do this earlier. Apparently, Nicky played both Xanders except in scenes where they were together.
WHICH IS WHICH???????? One is Kelly, and one is Nicky, and MY WORD, COULDN'T THEIR PARENTS THINK OF ONE MASCULINE NAME?
This is a turning point in the evolution of Xander, because the separation allows him to finally make some big decisions, like getting a real job and an apartment. He finally comes to believe in his own better qualities, which leads to a confidence that lasts for the next several seasons. By season 7, he is the one keeping the Summers home from falling apart... literally.
Also, we have Anya confronting her own immortality, which will be a running theme for the next several seasons.
...and the milk's in me.
31. Hell's Bells (6.16)
Written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner, Directed by David Solomon
Summary: Xander and Anya try to get married. It doesn't work out too well.
Why I love it: The prettiest Anya ever (her hair!) does her best acting ever, as she recaps her own transition from human to demon and back again. Rewatching the episode after finishing the series is especially poignant, considering the enormous step backwards she's about to take.
Hey, remember how I keep going on and on about how much I love Xander? I really do. I hope you understand, then, how series this is: I WILL NEVER FORGIVE HIM FOR LEAVING ANYA AT THE ALTAR. Xander, you bastard.
I'm not a huge fan of the flash-forward scenes, but there's plenty of fun and insight to be had in Xander and Anya's dysfunctional families, and Buffy's crazy attempts to stall the ceremony.
Good stuff.
Interesting Tidbit:
Have you ever noticed that Anya's evilness is completely tied into her hair color? The eviler she is, the more brunette. So, she starts off a dark brown in season 3, and it gets lighter and lighter as she falls for Xander until this episode, when it's blonde as a buttercup. She ends up very, very dark brown as she goes back to vengeance, and then lightens again throughout her redemption, until she's blonde in the final episode.
...and the milk's in me.
32. Him (7.6)
Written by Drew Greenberg, Directed by Michael Gershman
Summary: RJ, a football player, wears an enchanted varsity jacket that turns women to Jell-O, enchanting Dawn, Buffy, Willow, and Anya.
Why I love it: This might be an unusual choice, so I'm going to give a few reasons.
First of all, I like it for one reason that I've heard used to criticize it: this episode is tonally deeply out of sync with the rest of the season. It feels like a throwback to season 2/3 mentality with silly scenarios and crushes. I like that because season 7 is so unremittingly dark that it's a charming blast-from-the-past that breaks up the impending doom and gloom nicely.
Also, the split-screen scenes are hilarious, and the scene where Principal Wood is listening to music, unaware that Buffy is trying to take him out with a rocket launcher, is a personal favorite.
Pictured: imminent death.
I also like that this is the first and only time that BtVS cashes in on a Hollywood cliché: sexual competition between the female leads. I think it's a myth that this is the norm; most of the women I know abide strictly by the "sisters before misters" mentality. Even when there is some competition on the show for affections (for instance when Willow liked Xander who liked Buffy) the women always defer to each other's feelings to try and keep everyone from being hurt. And I'm glad it's like that. But, MAN ALIVE is it fun to watch, for once, these four women (all quite powerful in thier own ways) go after each other over a smirky little boy.
Also, Michelle Trachtenberg gets a chance to dress up like a whore, thus preparing her for the remainder of her career.
Interesting Tidbit:
The song that keeps playing every time a girl looks at RJ is The Theme from A Summer Place.. Someone on the staff must really like that song... it's referenced the very first time we meet Oz in season 2.
...and the milk's in me.
More fun stuff... Alyson Hannigan and Seth Green first appeared together (as boyfriend and girlfriend, of course) in the 1988 film My Step-Mother is an Alien. You can see the extremely young cuteness here.
...and the milk's in me.
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