'BUFFY' & 'ANGEL' S4/S1 DVD Challenge (1 Viewer)

[Inspector Hammer!]

And in the category of 'so relentlessly bad that it transcends bad and ventures into remarkably dumb fun', we have...

Beer Bad

I don't know what the writers were on when they wrote this one, but the ep seems to come from another planet in the Buffy universe lol. So strange, so aweful and so silly, even for a show of this type, this ep showed that when Buffy is good, it's great, and when it's bad it's Beer Bad.

Loved Willow confronting Parker! And I also loved how Buffy kept hitting him over the head.

Wild at Heart

:frowning: This is probably one of the most heartbreaking episodes of the entire series. The tender love affair between Willow and Oz comes to a soul-stirring end as Oz is tempted by another...another wolf that is. A vapid female wolf that brings to his attention the possibility that his wolf side may not be as controlable and simplistic as he and the gang thought it to be.

And so, Oz exits in an emotional whopper of a scene that is sure to make any fan of this show weep. It also provided foreshadowing of what is to come for Willow and her use of magic, in this she attempted for the first time to use it for less than admirable reasons...this is not fun and games anymore, folks and it showed how easily Willow turns to magic to ease pain.

The Initiative

The mystery that is the Initiative is revealed in this lighter-toned episode and I love the way they reveal themselves, too, perfect execution of a delicate scene IMO.

While i've always liked Reilly I feel that he is the more bland of Buffy's boyfriends, but that's the point I believe, to show that she can have a relationship with a normal everyday guy, even though he does turn out to be a trained mercenary lol.

It is nice to see her in a relationship with someone who A: isn't a vampire who will become evil upon having sex and B: isn't a souless asshole who uses women and tosses them aside.

It's a nice change of pace for her.

Willow's heartbreak over Oz leaving is also very evident, I tell you, nobody does hurt with just a hint of cynical anger better than Allyson Hannigan...Willow is a tad scary when she's upset I don't mind admitting lol.

 

[Wendy_L]

Over the weekend I got caught up on the required viewing assignment for the week. The only episode I want to comment on out of the three I watched is, Wild at Heart. My heart breaks every single time I watch that episode. I LOVED LOVED Oz and Willow together and it killed me when that relationship ended. Killed me so much that I could never get on board with her future relationships. I mean, I liked the others well enough but they were never Oz. Oz and Willow will always remain my #1 couple on "Buffy", I think they even edge out Buffy and Angel for me a little. Just a little.

This week we will be watching:

A1x05: RM W/A VU
A1x06: Sense and Sensitivity
A1x07: The Bachelor Party
B4x08: Pangs
A1x08: I will Remember You

And for those of you who like to watch ahead...

WEEK OF 10/02/06
B4x09: Something Blue
B4x10: Hush
B4x11: Doomed

 

[Scott-S]

I will add that it is a must to watch "The Bachelor Party", "Pangs" and "I will Remember You". In that order.

It will make Buffy's anger in the Angel episode make better sense.

Pangs:

Angel’s involvement made more sense this time since I have been watching along with the Angel series.

As much as I love Willow, I really wanted to slap her in this episode. It was like she was possessed.

This is the episode where I start to like Spike. Before this, he always came across as all talk, and no action. At least now it is funny knowing he is all talk and can’t do anything.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

RM W/A VU

One of the rare Angel eps that I did manage to watch when it originally aired, this one was a lot of fun...anytime Cordelia is all flustered and upset for extended periods of time = fun for me to watch lol.

Pretty grim reveal for what really went down in that apartment, too. :frowning: But Wendy informed me that the ghost makes an occasional appearance now and then in the form of moving objects which I find to be really funny.

 

[Scott-S]

And a soapy sponge as well if I recall

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Everyone get's in touch with their feelings in Sense & Sensitivity, a funny episode that proves, if anything else, that Angel looks much cooler when he's fighting in his black trenchcoat than a Hawaiian shirt and sun hat lol.

At first I didn't understand what was happening, I thought that Elizabeth Rohm was merely opening up to her father at the party, but then everyone else joined in and at that point I knew something supernatural was afoot. Seeing Angel all blubbery and sensitive had me in stitches lol.

Favorite line..."You could be a rainbow..."

 

[Wendy_L]

I have watched the same two episodes as John W. so far. My favorite of those two is Rm w/a Vu. That episode is one of my favorites from Season 1. I love any story that involves a ghost.

 

[Nick Martin]

Considering I saw seasons 1-3 of ANGEL before watching any Buffy, I don't have this perspective, but for people who watched these shows first-run, and for John who is discovering ANGEL for the first time, I imagine it's quite jarring to see what was once a VERY reserved, supporting character who never seemed to let his guard down, and was always deadly serious (or in some cases, seriously deadly) suddenly be making mistakes like jumping into the wrong car during a chase, posing as a geeky tourist from Baltimore wearing a hawaiian shirt, arguing the finer points of the 'magic word' "Please", and some other things that are EVEN MORE silly/funny as hell that you have yet to see...I sometimes think to myself, 'the season 2 (of BTVS) Angel would never have done that' all the time. However, at the same time it doesn't feel forced, or fake. A testament to these shows is that you can see these characters do such strange things and you don't flinch at the sight of it.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Actually, it isn't jarring at all, I just figured that since Buffy concentrated on her most of the time, we never really saw Angel do all that much, sure he helped out here and there but we never really saw him do his own thing for extended periods of time. So, I just figured that this is how Angel always was and we're just now seeing it because the show is concentrating on him.

Besides, there were a few moments in Buffy where you do see his humorous side, so it's already been hinted at, so no, not jarring. I just go with it and say "alright, okay, I can totally see that happening" and then chuckle about it.

 

[Nick Martin]

Wait 'til you hear him sing...

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Looking foreward to it.

I'm also looking foreward to the ep where he get's turned into a Sesme Street muppet lol. I saw that on a rerun and laughed the entire time.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Wendy and I were just talking about Angel and she brought up a really good point about why he is so different on Angel. She said that when he was in Sunnydale, he was constantly worried about Buffy and that he was never himself because all he thought about was protecting her.

That makes perfect sense to me, I added that it also could have been the oppression of living over a hell mouth, it may have had negative effects on his mind. But once he was away from Sunnydale the stress that he always felt was gone and he was now free, which perfectly explains his more relaxed and humorous demeanor.

 

[Nick Martin]

He indeed opens up when he has to, but like his care for Buffy, his fierce protection of those closest to him will be the strongest aspect of his character carried over from BTVS to his own show.

 

[Firebee]

Still trying to get caught up to you folks. Have watched ``The Freshman,'' ``Living Conditions'' and am just now starting ``The Harsh Light of Day''...guess I have to say that I liked ``The Freshman'' best of all the shows on the fourth season that I've seen thus far, but I absolutely love the narrowing of Buffy's eyes when someone takes her stuff or as in the end of the ``Living Condition'' episode when Willow bites into Buffy's sandwich. Hope to catch up soon, which will be easier now that I've finished ``Brisco County'' and ``Invasion''.

 

[Nick Martin]

I must say, you are SERIOUSLY LOSING OUT by not even giving ANGEL a chance.

 

[Firebee]

Maybe later...I'm just not that interested in buying the ``Angel'' sets especially there's really so little interaction between the two shows from what I've read.

 

[Nick Martin]

In the long run, the lack of serious crossover was a good thing - it allowed the shows to forge their own identities.

ANGEL, is just plain excellent television. There's no reason whatsoever to watch Buffy and not watch ANGEL. It's too damn great to just avoid.

 

[Simon Massey]

I agree. Angel is as good as, and often better than, Buffy.

 

[Wendy_L]

Firebee you need to join Netflix and rent it.

 

[Simon Massey]

Beer Bad:star:
This isn't just bad, it is dull and that is unusual for a Buffy episode. The only part that is worth watching is Willow's conversation with Parker. Did the writer do any other episodes of Buffy because I dont recognise her name ?

Wild At Heart:star::star::star:
Very sad episode, though Oz was never a particular favourite character of mine. Don't get me wrong, he was often quite funny, but as a character he didn't really seem to have much scope in terms of the stories that could be developed for him partly due to the nature of his character and it is not surprising that Seth Green left (did he choose to leave ? That wouldn't surprise me). Alyson Hannigan is great in this.

The Initiative:star::star::star:1/2
I remember when I first saw this that Riley and Professor Walsh having something to do with the soldiers was bloody obvious from the start. Even so, the way they reveal what is going on is great, and it is nice to see Spike back. I always remember this season as being a great seasons for Spike's character because he was often very funny. The scene with him and Willow is great.