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Buffy S1, Please tell me it gets better! (1 Viewer)

Ryan_Guah

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Feb 2, 2004
Messages
125
Yes Paul, but as I said, many of the MOTW episodes still carry the main stroyline further. Look at "My Eyes Are Only For You" (I think that's the title, I can't believe I'm blanking on that..) and "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered". Both of those episodes are self contained, but both feature Angel and his dark side, and further the conflict between Buffy and Angel. It shows Buffy growing more tired of Angel, and giving her more reason to have to kill him, which is the main plot of the season.
 

Paul_Scott

Senior HTF Member
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Jul 19, 2002
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6,545
Ryan,
i think the ep you are refering to is called "I only have eyes for you" at least, that's the title of the song the show references
however, i disagree with you that the Angel plot line is actually that relevant to show
-the show could have easily come to the same climax with Angel and Buffy being possessed but still being lovers- and in that way would have been just as 'dramatically valid' as it is with them enemies.
in fact you would have had the only situation with real lovers playing out the ghosts scenario, but it would still have ended just the same because of Angels already 'unliving' condition.
you could just as easily transpose that episodes story to the begining of the season and it wouldn't have affected it's own resolution one iota.


i will concede that even in the primarily MOTW episodes, you still get a 'reference' to the macro arc, but i was expecting/falsely remembering that the show was a lot more dominated with it.

again- i'm not really complaining here.
just opining that the show is not always in heavy serial mode, like some other genre shows out there.
and someone new to the series, who is expecting a very strong serial structure may be disappointed in that aspect.
 

Eddy-C

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Messages
549
but how would the story have came to the same conclusion without Angel having lost his soul? remember that whole scene where Giles says you (paraphrasing) you forgive someone, not because they deserve it. but because they need it. That was all about Buffy having guilt about Angelus. Thats why Buffy is possesed by the boy who shot his lover later in the school.
 

Paul_Scott

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
Messages
6,545
Eddy,
that may be a point that was lost on me the first time around.
i will have to give it another watch in the not too distant future.

but i will probably be getting to it after S4, 5 and 7 :)
 

Jaime_Weinman

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 19, 2001
Messages
786
The practice of season 2 -- and the reason it's my favorite season of the show -- was to make every episode a "monster of the week" episode and weave story arcs and character development through those self-contained episodes. That is, even the episodes that are considered "arc" episodes are also self-contained stories about defeating a particular monster: Surprise/Innocence has the Judge, for example. In my opinion a show like this works best when every episode has a coherent story and a really effective monster. By the end, when a lot of the episodes were just parts of a serial and when the monsters were more just generic vampire or demon, it was a lot less effective for me.
 

Rob Gardiner

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Joined
Feb 15, 2002
Messages
2,950
Another question for you folks:

I just bought BUFFY seasons 1-4 and ANGEL season 1. (I'll have a busy weekend :) ). Is it OK to watch the supplements on these discs, at the end of each season WITHOUT spoilers? Or do the supplements spoil events in future seasons? I just watched the Whedon interviews on Disc 1 of Season 1 and they seemed to be pretty safe, except they do reveal that Angel is a vampire (which I already knew, simply through "osmosis").

Many thanks.
 

Ed_City

Agent
Joined
May 27, 2004
Messages
40


I'd avoid them until after watching the eps, as they are very spoiler heavy.

Also, if you can, avert your eyes when you enter the menus of specific episodes. They often contains images which spoil major plot twists and revelations in said specific episodes.

And lucky you btw! I wish I could erase them from memory and watch them again fresh!
 

MaraKM

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jan 31, 2004
Messages
176
Rob, the commentaries are especially spoilerific--though Joss generally stays season-specific, everyone else consistently mention events of whatever season they were working on when the commentary was recorded. The featurettes are more season-specific, but you're better off just plowing through on your own at first.

And, I agree with Ed - try not to look too closely at the menus (or at the damned packaging) as they are chock full of spoilers.
 

Eddy-C

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Messages
549
Even some of the featurettes are spoilery. The spike featurette on the Season 4 DVD contains footage from a important Spike episode in season 5 and James Marsters talks about a plot from season 5, even though none of it would make sense to anyone who hasn't seen season 5 yet.
 

Scott_F_S

Second Unit
Joined
Jun 15, 2002
Messages
408


If you're planning on watching all the Buffy/Angel seasons consecutively, I would do that first before looking at any of the special features or listening to commentaries. Because, as stated before, they are pretty loose about spoiling things into the future. The commentaries are pretty bad about revealing things that would happen two or three seasons into the future.

Besides, if you watch all the season episodes first, then go back to the beginning to see the featurettes and listen to the commentaries, it would be a nice way to revisit some things with a fresh perspective and really cool to get a rather capsulized view of the evolution of the show.
 

David Rogers

Supporting Actor
Joined
May 15, 2000
Messages
722
Off-the-cuff season summaries:

S1- Introductions of almost all major characters, basically 12ep collection of monster-of-the-weeks that managed to also introduce our Scoobies. Beginning and Ends are good though. Probably 2nd weakest of the 7 seasons.

S2- Buffy and Angel, introduce Spike and Drucilla, introduce Oz, begin Willow-transition away from little timid girl. Fewer MOTW eps, tighter plotting across the season. Ending is even better (tragic and heroic). Very possibly the best Buffy season.

S3- Buffy vs her first Big Bad. Introduce Faith. Introduce Anya. Even fewer MOTW eps, even tighter plotting across the season. Last high-school season, and the Scoobies are in full swing (hitting the ground running in this season). Cinematic ending with multiple episodes to fully resolve. Excellent internal conflict within the characters. Among the best Buffy seasons.

S4- Buffy vs a mostly typical "Horror Movie Monster". No more high school, some characters enter college. Introduce "The Initiative" and Riley. Introduce Tara. Some MOTW eps, plotting less tight across the season. Less tight multi-episode ending. Probably safely middle-of-the-pack Buffy season. Wacky last episode.

S5- Buffy vs a bigger Bad (arguably her biggest Bad in any season). Introduce Dawn. Sunnyvale is broadened pretty well across the season, both via location and via characters / events. Probably the season that does the most growing of the entire Buffyverse, in terms of additions to and looks at the Buffyverse around the Slayer. Very tightly plotted with few MOTW eps, extremely tightly plotted multi-ep ending arc. Probably middle of the pack Buffy season. Key phrase, "She saved the world ... a lot."

S6- Buffy vs a pretty Big Bad, but one that's very organically grown throughout the season (rather than being introduced and tracked seperately as in the other seasons). Lots of revisit eps and wrap-up of previously dangling points and characters from prior seasons. Lots of strong character eps across one or two ep arcs, or threaded through somewhat longer arcs. Best ep of the series (Once More, With Feeling); but one you have to have watched the other seasons to fully appreciate all the material it's packed with. Ending is extremely dramatic and extremely tightly plotted across multiple eps.

S7- Buffy vs a poorly written Big Bad. Season is a ping-pong ball of everything (quality, characters, plot). Bounces constantly without ever really settling into a compelling arc or plot. Some wrap-up eps, some MOTW eps. Definitely the weakest Buffy season.
 

Mark Talmadge

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2005
Messages
2,379
I have to admit that I wasn't too impressed with the first season or two either. And there were only two or three seasons that I really likjed anyway. But, with Buffy and X-File sselling at a lower and repackaged pricing structure they'd probably be worth picking up.:D :emoji_thumbsup:
 

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