Where Do We Go From Here...

[liadnan]

So, that's that... I reached the end of my marathon run through the entire boxed set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Sunday afternoon. I really feel somewhat bereft. And my mouse finger is itching for the "order Angel" button (I only have series one and am cursing the fact I didn't throw caution to the wind and take advantage of working on Jersey, and indeed having Play.com as a client, to pick that up at the same time).

It's a rather worrying number of years since I first watched the first episode, on its first outing on BBC2. Most of the episodes I had only seen once, but up until about the end of season 5 I think I caught almost all of them (I had a working VCR at the time, unlike now). For a while at least BBC2 were showing a cut version in the early evening, usually the cuts were only mild but I remember a telephone conversation with K shortly after the episode where Kendra dies. Having watched the cut version K thought it uncertain whether Kendra was definitely dead - having stuck to the late night versions I had no doubts on that score (basically, the frame in which the actual slash across the throat is seen was thought slightly too much for 6.30PM). By the time season six came round I think the schedule had changed again, inconveniently for me particularly since I had changed work patterns too, plus I had slightly gone off the previous two seasons: I kept missing episodes and eventually gave up. Season 7 I had never seen at all until now, but I did always have it in my mind I would do this. Angel incidentally, which I actually thought at the time was better than the parallel seasons of Buffy was also killed for me by scheduling by about the end of season 3 (I think).

Very brief, vague unfocussed musings..: Season 1 feels like foreverago but my recollection of rather more rubbishy production values seems slightly unfair now: it may have been the rather ancient TV I had at the time. And the Master is still a rather good villain. I still think season 2 was the best, but there's far too much compressed into it: Spike and Drusilla and the whole of the Angelus plot: there was material for two series there. Season 3 very good indeed. Season 4 is still rubbish and there seems an enormous disconnect between 3 and 4, though that's probably largely ascribable to the change from school to university: the uncertainty Buffy shows at the start of the season never seems to be lost from the season as a whole. 5 and 6 rather better this time round, surprisingly so: Season 5 in particular seems far better plotted than it did at the time, but 6 is pretty depressing and seems fundamentally different from most in its concentration on character as opposed to the Big Bad Plot. Still, I don't think you can knock the season that brought us Once More With Feeling, not to mention the self-parody implicit in Jonathan, Andrew and Warren.

Season 7: I still don't know. Maybe I'll have to watch it again. But the ending is Right.

Oh, and the film: still awful, particularly when viewed alongside something like Lost Boys, but it was only £1.99...

Martin, did I win?

Comments

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

Having finished Deadwood series 2, all I have is the majority of House series 2 between me and bereftness, so I know how you feel. I agree that Buffy lost its way in Series 4, and also that Angel eclipsed it towards the end. I'm still tempted to buy series 7 - last time I watched it I hadn't seen Firefly, and thought that the reverend, apart from being a clear lift from Jesse Custer in Preacher, was just too charismatic to be a good villain. I'd like to see it again, and find out if I can accept Mal's dark side.

[liadnan]

I think he does rather well: it's a very different character from Mal though.

I think I'm going to have to wait until the January HMV and Virgin sales to see what's next.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

Fopp in Totenham Court Road has a scary amount of boxed sets at very reasonable prices.

It also has:

Tom Waits: Orphans (three CD release, made up of Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards) for £25
Eddie Reader Sings The Songs of Robbie Burns for £7.50
Damien Rice's new one
Duke by Genesis
Lynnarrd Skynnrd's Greatest Hits
"One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night" by Christopher Brookmyre for £3.

Except it has one less of each of the above since Pshtaku decided to meet me there last night...

[sshi.livejournal.com]

I had the opposite problem with that - I didn't see Firefly when it was originally shown and so was used to this psychotic invulnerable preacher guy from Buffy. Watching Firefly a few years ago was interesting - it was a bit of a shock to see Nathan Fillion as a good guy, with Complicated History and Personality.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

My problem with the original was that I kept thinking what a great Jessie Custer he would make - although, even after The Da Vinci Code, I can't see Preacher ever making it to the big screen.

[ninebelow.livejournal.com]

You did: I am only on the second disc of Season Five.

[anstruther.livejournal.com]

Can I please, please borrow Season 3?

[liadnan]

Can be arranged. It may be out on loan at present, but if it is I suspect it will be back pretty soon,

[greyarea.livejournal.com]

I didn't rate series 7, myself. The ending was good though, I grant you.

Have you watched any Veronica Mars? It's basically Buffy but without vampires - whether their absence is a deal breaker, I don't know. It's not as good as Buffy, but if you need to fill a teen/school/job/friends hole in your life, it might be worth a look.

[liadnan]

It was all a bit fraught, certainly. Partly because of awareness that this was the End, I guess.

Veronica Mars: never seen. Will see if I can give it a whirl.

[fairymelusine.livejournal.com]

Watch Veronica Mars with caution - the first season was great, the second less stellar but still compelling, but this third season is just awful.

But that Kristen Bell - she's awfully sassy.

[nwhyte]

We've been skipping back and forth between seasons for the last year or so, but basically have to agree with you - season 2 was the best, though all the others had their high points (perhaps seasons 6 and 7 the fewest).

[liadnan]

I'd take 6 over 4, but maybe it's just my Riley-loathing...
Four does have decentish "Monster of the Week" episodes, but I'm always more for the story-arc than the monster of the week.
Without checking my impression of 7 is that it built up the tension and concentrated on the story arc far more quickly.

[nwhyte]

my impression of 7 is that it built up the tension and concentrated on the story arc far more quickly.

Yeah, and then we had a run of episodes near the end where nothing much seemed to be happening!

Though I agree with you about the ending itself.

[fairymelusine.livejournal.com]

Also, after all of my pre-singalong practicing, this week was perhaps the first time in a month that I didn't have a song from Once More With Feeling in my head.

And now that's ruined. And I blame you.

[liadnan]

"Why'd you run away?/Don't you like my/ - Style?...."

(Sorry, that one's always earworming me. And that showstopping entry is one of the top moments from the whole seven series -the other two abiding memories are the end of season 2, from Buffy's "Me." when Angel has her cornered; and the end of 5.)

[fairymelusine.livejournal.com]

Now, I think the strongest of Season Two is "Passions" - that scene were Angel is watching Buffy get the call that Miss Calendar is dead thru the window is awestriking.

Also, I'm very very partial to the second episode of Season Six (dammit, I forget the name) - the moment where Spike first realises she's alive absolutely kills me. But then, I'm partial to Six generally - I really like the darkness of it.

Vague Buffy thoughts

[tabouli.livejournal.com]

The Pilgrim started me on Season 3, dubbed in French, no less: this was his crafty tactic to overcome my Buffy prejudices ("Seeing you're going to Geneva this year, you'll be needing to revive your French again, sooo..."). Good choice, good season. Loved Faith, liked the Mayor. I still haven't seen any of Season 2 or more than maybe the first six episodes of series 1, so I can't comment there.

On the rest, alone of all Buffy watchers, I *liked* season 4. I found the Initiative fascinating, didn't have the issues everyone else seems to have with Riley (a bland serve of army-issue apple pie, but inoffensive. And hey - the vampire brothel twist! That I liked), loved the bits when Faith dropped around, and chipped, suicidal Spike. Wasn't ever keen on Tara, but ah well.

Season 5 wasn't bad, though I didn't like Glory. Yich. Much more repugnant than Riley, in my view. I was initially sceptical about the appearance of Dawn, but I warmed to her quite quickly. Liked Season 6... all for the true Big Bad being the darkness of the inner soul, or whatever they said the theme was in the special features. Less keen on the sledgehammer unsubtlety of the Say No To Drugs messages, but ah well. Season 7, though - ick. Anya, Spike, Faith, good as always. Caleb, ho hum. Didn't mind the First, but couldn't bear the Slayerettes. Horrid, whingey little monsters, stealing air time from the much more interesting established characters. Loathed Kennedy (what is *with* Willow's taste in women? Eww!)

Re: Vague Buffy thoughts

[liadnan]

Odd to think you haven't sen 2, as in terms of the whole thing it's probably the most important for character and over-arching plot development, with the Angelus story-line.

(Incidentally, for those who have seen it all, I was sure that Buffy Was Finally Going To Find Out in series 7 about what Xander Didn't Tell Her at the end of 2, but they just picked it up, then promptly dropped it and left it lying...)

Re: Vague Buffy thoughts

[fairymelusine.livejournal.com]

For those of us who are too dumb to remember - What did Xander not tell her at the end of 2?

Re: Vague Buffy thoughts

[liadnan]

Something to the effect Willow was going to try to restore Angel's soul again.