Buffy the Vampire Slayer

[TomServo]

"The Prisoner? Please. Doctor Who, who? HBO's critically acclaimed dramas? Whatever. They ain't got nothing on Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Such statements (from its rabid fans) have made Joss Whedon's often adroitly written and surprisingly mature series one of the most hated in [genre] television history. Many of the people who dismiss it have only seen a couple of episodes (or are judging it by its title). I used to be one of them, too. I watched Buffy occasionally during its original run in the late 90's, but, unable to understand and follow the seasonal story arcs, eventually gave up on it. That is, until I purchased the first season on DVD earlier this summer.

Yes, Buffy has won me over. Sometimes I find myself so invested in its characters and mythology that I scare myself. The series never takes itself too seriously (though there are times it doesn't take itself seriously enough) and there is a great deal of humor (and horror, don't worry!). Whedon is experimental and tries out different things -- genre-mashing, alternate reality, lesbianism, even pantomime -- and succeeds most of the time.

I'm halfway through the fourth season, which has been rather disappointing so far (except for the episodes "The Harsh Light of Day" and the magnificent "Hush.") I've also started to follow its spin-off series, Angel, which is just as good.

The first two seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are available for viewing on Hulu. If Twilight's emasculated vampires aren't doing it for you, give it a try.

[Haykakan]

Re: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I was getting into the drezden files on scifi channel but i don't know what happened to it cause i havent seen it in over a year now. I noticed a new stargate series started to, hope it will be good.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The series never takes itself too seriously (though there are times it doesn't take itself seriously enough) and there is a great deal of humor (and horror, don't worry!). Whedon is experimental and tries out different things -- genre-mashing, alternate reality, lesbianism, even pantomime -- and succeeds most of the time.

"....never takes itself too seriously"? "The Body" in series five is breathtakingly serious, astonishing, devastating. Or at least that's how I remember it to be, only saw it the once.

The first two seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are available for viewing on Hulu. If Twilight's emasculated vampires aren't doing it for you, give it a try.

That sucks - it's US only.

[TomServo]

Re: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

"....never takes itself too seriously"? "The Body" in series five is breathtakingly serious, astonishing, devastating. Or at least that's how I remember it to be, only saw it the once.

Haven't reached season five yet, but I should have mentioned that episode. It gets talked about so much (it is considered by many to be one of the greatest television episodes of all time) that my expectations are sky high at this point.

But most of the episodes that I've seen balance humor and horror and drama. Remember this quote from the "Inca Mummy Girl" episode:

Buffy: "Have you ever done an exchange program?"
Xander: "My dad tried to sell me to some Armenians once. Does that count?"

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Haven't reached season five yet, but I should have mentioned that episode. It gets talked about so much (it is considered by many to be one of the greatest television episodes of all time) that my expectations are sky high at this point.

But most of the episodes that I've seen balance humor and horror and drama. Remember this quote from the "Inca Mummy Girl" episode:

Buffy: "Have you ever done an exchange program?"
Xander: "My dad tried to sell me to some Armenians once. Does that count?"

I only saw them on TV when they were first shown, so I can't really remember specific lines. If you have the last episode of season 4 on dvd, check out the dream sequence that comes just after Willow and Tara are kissing and inviting Xander for a threesome (or Willow and Tara doing something unexplained off-screen if you have the censored version). Xander then crawls through some sort of passage in the back of his van that ends in his bedroom basement, and there is a word scrawled on the wall of that passage. When that episode was first shown I had meant to ask around some of the forums that were about if there was some sort of special significance or hidden meaning to that word - nobody else seemed to have noticed it. Now I can't even remember what the word was. What was the word?

[TomServo]

Re: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I only saw them on TV when they were first shown, so I can't really remember specific lines. If you have the last episode of season 4 on dvd, check out the dream sequence that comes just after Willow and Tara are kissing and inviting Xander for a threesome (or Willow and Tara doing something unexplained off-screen if you have the censored version). Xander then crawls through some sort of passage in the back of his van that ends in his bedroom basement, and there is a word scrawled on the wall of that passage. When that episode was first shown I had meant to ask around some of the forums that were about if there was some sort of special significance or hidden meaning to that word - nobody else seemed to have noticed it. Now I can't even remember what the word was. What was the word?

The action was off-screen for me (I viewed it on DVD). I didn't know there was an uncensored version?

Was the word you were thinking of "sheep"? There were a few symbols on the wall, but that was the only word I could clearly make out.

Anyway, I wasn't a big fan of season four. Halfway through I was already tired of the Initiative silliness and ridiculous archvillain. Episodes like "Beer Bad" and "Where the Wild Things Are" verged on the unwatchable. There were some intermittently great episodes, like "Hush" and "The Harsh Light of Day," but what really restored my faith (pun intended) in the series was this -- a bizarre, captivating, Lynchian dreamscape of a season finale.

Season five tomorrow!

ETA: Being from the other side of the pond, what do you think about James Marsters and Alexis Denisof's British accents? Many British viewers don't buy Marsters' accent, but I always defend it. Having taveled around Europe and wherever else he's been for so long, wasn't it bound to change? Just like Angel's Irish accent (I'm afraid to ask about that one) became American over time. I remember having read that Denisof was American prior to viewing his debut episode, but his accent was so convincing that I forgot about his being American until later on.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The action was off-screen for me (I viewed it on DVD). I didn't know there was an uncensored version?

Was the word you were thinking of "sheep"? There were a few symbols on the wall, but that was the only word I could clearly make out.

Anyway, I wasn't a big fan of season four. Halfway through I was already tired of the Initiative silliness and ridiculous archvillain. Episodes like "Beer Bad" and "Where the Wild Things Are" verged on the unwatchable. There were some intermittently great episodes, like "Hush" and "The Harsh Light of Day," but what really restored my faith (pun intended) in the series was this -- a bizarre, captivating, Lynchian dreamscape of a season finale.

Season five tomorrow!

ETA: Being from the other side of the pond, what do you think about James Marsters and Alexis Denisof's British accents? Many British viewers don't buy Marsters' accent, but I always defend it. Having taveled around Europe and wherever else he's been for so long, wasn't it bound to change? Just like Angel's Irish accent (I'm afraid to ask about that one) became American over time. I remember having read that Denisof was American prior to viewing his debut episode, but his accent was so convincing that I forgot about his being American until later on.

There were two versions shown on British TV - one with whatever that was taking place taking place off-screen, and one (shown late at night) with it shown. But as for what eactly was shown on the on-screen version, maybe my imagination is doing the remembering! I think I remember kissing and cuddling and revealing clothing.


I also remember thinking the ending (the ending in the last but one episode) was a cop-out. It was as if the writers had run out of plot ideas and had to resort to "magic" to quickly solve everything. But that solution made all the difficulties and dangers faced by the characters meaningless - there are no real dangers if all you need do to vanquish those dangers is to wiggle your nose to make a spell! But the season finale did make up for the disapointment.


Marsters accent always seemed convincing enough to me - though if it were a real accent it would probably be annoying because it would be too specific to one place.

[hipeter924]

Re: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4faKItepII

[TomServo]

Re: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I also remember thinking the ending (the ending in the last but one episode) was a cop-out. It was as if the writers had run out of plot ideas and had to resort to "magic" to quickly solve everything. But that solution made all the difficulties and dangers faced by the characters meaningless - there are no real dangers if all you need do to vanquish those dangers is to wiggle your nose to make a spell! But the season finale did make up for the disapointment.

Definitely. A rocket launcher would have also done the trick, I think. I really disliked Adam (and the Initiative), so I'm glad they found some way (however ridiculous) to kill him. Now if only they would invoke some sort of magic that would rid us of Riley.

Season five has been fine so far (I'm on episode six), though I really can't stand Dawn. And that "Buffy vs. Dracula" episode was pretty awful.