Comments on: TV Top Fives: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

By: ruby

ruby — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:35:13 +0000

I caught episodes here and there for the first three seasons, and my sister bugged the hell out of me about it. Then there was a huge turning point. “Hush.”

You’ve seen it. It’s what made me one of those dorky Buffy fans. I just wish someone had killed Riley. He was irritating as hell. Oh well.

Hubby has acquired all the DVDs…one day we will make it through the whole shooting match. Until then::

http://doctorhorrible.net/ for the forthcoming Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. Featuring Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan “Cap’n Tightpants” Fillion. Can’t wait.

and Dollhouse is coming soon to Fox, so Whedon will be keeping us busy.

By: Molly

Molly — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:11:48 +0000

I re-watched VM recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. Having listened to so many complaints about the third season I half believed it would disappoint me, so I was glad I still loved it, though it made me sad all over again about its cancellation.

Maybe I will have to re-watch Buffy S7 eventually and focus on the good parts that my blinding frustration with the potentials, um, blinded me to. (Another related annoyance: Oz was one of my all-time favorite characters and Tara was OK, so I hated Willow ending the series with an obnoxious girl whose name I can’t remember with no apparent compatability other than sexual preference. I’ll stop complaining now; I don’t want to focus on the few things I disliked when for each there are dozens of things I liked.)

I’ve been watching The Wire–had just started when you posted on it a while back. I find it good, but not addictively so. Once again, I pretty much agree with what you said. I think I must read your blog mainly for affirmation of my own taste; I always suspected I had great taste, and my suspicion is confirmed by seeing my favorites praised wittily and well.

By: Alfina the Vague

Alfina the Vague — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:42:19 +0000

Molly - I will give you the annoyingness of the potential slayers, for sure! Argh! Somehow, though, they really didn’t interfere with my overall enjoyment of the season. I was too caught up in all the other stories. And the thing they did in the finale with those girls was basically worth it (for me, anyway).

Also, I am re-watching all of VM now that I have all the seasons. It’s still so good!

By: Molly

Molly — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:19:25 +0000

I too watched Buffy (and Angel) ten years after it aired, watched it obsessively, one disc after another after another. It has overtaken Alias on my favorites list, though not my beloved Veronica Mars. I went into it knowing crucial plot developments in advance (Buffy fans talk about the show so much it was impossible to remain unspoiled–though I don’t think Angel is as good a show as Buffy, it had for me the huge advantage that I didn’t already know what was going to happen) and that the later seasons were universally considered inferior (this made them a delightful surprise–when Spike became a regular, I actually became more addicted). As any Buffy watcher would, I’d love to go on and on, but my thoughts can pretty much be summed up with, “What you said!”

Except I have to agree with the conventional wisdom about Season 7. I thought TWOP et al. were crazy with their complaints about Season 4, Season 5, Spike (Spike! How could they!), so confidently expected to love the show till the end. But when the assortment of potential slayers assembled to whine and complain, they annoyed me so much I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to watch the last season again. Buffy got pretty mean too (a common complaint), but I can’t blame her, having to deal with those awful slayers-to-be.

By: Alfina the Vague

Alfina the Vague — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:46:36 +0000

Tim - AGREED! I love that scene, and all the mayhem that ensues. It’s great to see someone like Willow go through all that.

Clarabella - Well, since we are 99% friends, I will “forgive” you! (As if you needed that assurance!) But seriously, on Whedon shows I think we are more 75% in agreement. For me, Firefly is an “admittedly good” show: I like it well enough and definitely enjoyed watching it, but I never found it as compelling as Buffy/Angel. Mostly, I wanted more over-arching stories, which I think they could have developed if given the chance, and I also severely disliked River as a character and a concept. But still, admittedly good. Buffy, on the other hand, is like sublime TV enjoyment for me. Love. I almost want to tell you to watch the whole series, in order, again…but…then I’d be like all those people telling me to watch The Wire — too much pressure, either to enjoy or to have some intelligent reason not to enjoy. Anyway, I am mostly glad you appreciate the cutting cheekbones of my boyfriend, Spike.