tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post1831812595504327864..comments2024-02-04T05:13:04.501-05:00Comments on Nik at Nite: Buffy Rewatch: Week 51Nikki Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04463618183850438914noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-43693220670338878582011-12-27T19:15:40.217-05:002011-12-27T19:15:40.217-05:00I have a few minutes before my Hanukkah party, so ...I have a few minutes before my Hanukkah party, so I thought I'd read some Rewatch! Thanks Christina B., Suzanne, and Blam for your comments about my comments! Blam--I laughed at your reference to "eulogizing" the Rewatch! :) <br /><br />Tonight is the final night: Are we ready to make a choice? Enjoy!Cyntheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09618572637715350004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-81843639413375903832011-12-24T11:07:04.619-05:002011-12-24T11:07:04.619-05:00Very late in commenting:
1. Thanks to Giles, I tri...Very late in commenting:<br />1. Thanks to Giles, I tried Jaffa Cakes when I was in England last summer. They are indeed memorable.<br />2. Nikki wrote:<br /><i>“Touched” is one of my favourite episodes in the final season, and..., despite being an Angel/Buffy shipper (yes, fine, I said it) for many, many years, every time I see this episode I’m instantly a Spuffy.</i><br />Right there with you!Beth Rhttp://elrambo.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-29087988449631172672011-12-24T01:19:01.669-05:002011-12-24T01:19:01.669-05:00@Quarks: never heard of Jaffa Cake.
And, without...@Quarks: never heard of Jaffa Cake. <br /><br />And, without The Doctor, I wouldn't know what <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAT5INGa2N8" rel="nofollow">Jammy Dodgers</a> are, either. I do, however, know what a fez is (and that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbEvrtRra58" rel="nofollow">they're cool</a>).Page48https://www.blogger.com/profile/09728079057077761364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-28266903190534168922011-12-23T11:24:08.088-05:002011-12-23T11:24:08.088-05:00@Blam: I agree with much of what you said about th...@Blam: I agree with much of what you said about the end scene of EP but I blame that on writing, most apparent with Anya.<br /><br />Other then Willow in 7x03 when have any of the others said they don't understand the burden she's under? Giles does often offer sympathy but that's because he's the Watcher so he should understand Slayerdom more then most. <br /><br />The First as the Big Bad is mixed for me, but I'll say why after Chosen.Dusknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-8310606496972515772011-12-23T08:01:47.966-05:002011-12-23T08:01:47.966-05:00Jasmine is the ultimate in peace and love until yo...<i>Jasmine is the ultimate in peace and love until you realize that her face is all kinds of maggoty. </i><br /><br />Isn't that a visual representation of her true evil? Though Anya might think, "Hey! She'd make a great bridesmaid!"<br /><br /><i>less because of what it looked like than because it should just remain unseen.</i><br /><br />Not the first time we've seen the First though (Willow's spell, for instance.) Maybe that's not really what it looks like, but what the human mind translates it to.<br /><br />It reminds me of the devil in Doctor Who: Impossible Planet. Then again - RTD, Joss fan.Colleen/redeem147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-71195839338088647542011-12-23T07:41:48.769-05:002011-12-23T07:41:48.769-05:00@Blam: It is inconceivable to me that somebody cou...@Blam: It is inconceivable to me that somebody could not know what a Jaffa Cake is. Until your comment I didn't realise they weren't a common occurrence outside of the UK.<br /><br />As a side note, the 'cake or biscuit?' discussion (or in some cases argument) is a conversation which I think everyone in the UK has had at some point.Quarksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-65241912407672634832011-12-23T01:08:29.847-05:002011-12-23T01:08:29.847-05:00Suzanne: When that darn Kennedy has the nerve to w...<br> Suzanne: <i>When that darn Kennedy has the nerve to whine “you always take her side,” I wished Willow had turned to her and said, “of course, I do, she is my best friend.”</i><br /><br />Holla!<br /><br />Suzanne: <i> so many of the situations and lines that characters speak in these episodes of Season 7 seem far too contrived in order for the writers to have the outcomes they want to convey and the overarching themes they are trying to highlight</i><br /><br />Thanks for saying what I was trying to say earlier so much more concisely... 8^) I'm not sure that this is actually the weakest season, but contextually — because we <i>do</i> know the characters so well by now and it <i>is</i> the <i>final</i> season and there's <i>so</i> much manipulation going on for the sake of conflict or endgame machinations when the gang should really be past that — it might be the most disappointing relative to what it could or should have been. And I say that loving a lot of it.<br /><br />I'm agreed with your take on Faith and Robin, too. Robin speaking up doesn't click at first, given the reverence that he has for the Slayer lineage, but then you remember that Buffy's involvement with Spike and her words to Robin after the situation in Robin's "Just Crucifixes" outlet store of a workshop color her judgment in his eyes — Faith's ends-justify-the-means attitude is more his style and, hey, she's a Slayer too.<br /><br />Quarks: <i>Back in Season 5 (before she became crazy powerful) Willow was working on a little ball of sunshine spell. Now she’s super-powerful, couldn’t she perfect that and supersize it, and then dust all the Turok-han at once?</i><br /><br />I was always disappointed that the idea was never revisited. And ever since we saw the Turok'han crawl back down into his hidey-hole after Buffy escaped him earlier this season, I've wondered why Buffy and the gang didn't not so much try to destroy them but just round 'em up and confine them somewhere topside until sunrise.<br /><br />Happy Chanukah, Joyous Winter Solstice, and Merry Christmas to all!<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-84250030177899082052011-12-23T01:06:15.772-05:002011-12-23T01:06:15.772-05:00Dusk: the concept of the Guardians that just happe...<br>Dusk: <i>the concept of the Guardians that just happen to set up right in Sunnydale but Buffy neer noticed</i><br /><br />I agree that the Guardians feel a little shoehorned-in — that's even acknowledged with the "last surprise" line — but at the same time I rather like the reinforcement of Sunnydale's Hellmouth as being a particularly big deal amongst all of the supernatural stuff going on in the world, and <i>particularly</i> a particularly big deal at this point in time, as if this apocalypse of all the apocalypses was most pivotal in the grand scheme of things with Buffy fated to play an essential part in the history of the Slayers. It makes me feel better about why it's okay for Buffy to be and stay where she is for the duration she's there — although it makes one <i>wonder</i> how many times the world would've ended had she not burned down that high-school gym in LA.<br /><br />Christina B: <i>maybe I'm a Spanuffy</i><br /><br />You watch on Telemundo?<br /><br />Efthymia: <i>Is it just me, or did that First-beast/demon/whatever look a lot like Moloch?</i><br /><br />I know what you mean. Mostly, I was just disappointed in seeing it — less because of what it looked like than because it should just remain unseen. So much of why the First Evil has been so ominous is the mystique of it only appearing as dead (or "having died") people, which makes sense; "the First Evil" shouldn't have any kind of corporeal form comprehensible by the human mind.<br /><br />Efthymia: <i>But who watches the Watchmen?</i><br /><br />Zack Snyder fans? People hoping beyond hope that it could be done justice as a movie? The poor guy in the projector booth who has to see Nite Owl and Silk Spectre having sex to the strains of Leonard Cohen again and again?*<br />[*Okay, I realize that most theaters don't have people hanging out in the projector booth the whole movie long anymore...]<br /><br />Efthymia: <i>Well, miracles never cease to happen, because I'm about to cheer Dawn! Xander was right, he should be by Buffy, with Buffy and Willow and Giles, at the Big Fight, no matter how it ends! He has always been there! </i><br /><br />And if Dawn happens to die in the big battle that's just a bonus?<br /><br />Colleen: <i>The inscription isn't exactly gibberish. It's Latin written in Greek capital letters, which is just odd.</i><br /><br />On a mission in California. It's like the turducken of ancient inscriptions.<br /><br />VW: <i>hemizend</i> — Where East meets West.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-90390156067399356822011-12-23T01:00:46.755-05:002011-12-23T01:00:46.755-05:00Dusk — You have some solid reasoning behind your d...<br> Dusk — You have some solid reasoning behind your defense of the Scoobies (Giles included if not especially), but that scene still feels wrong. It's too sudden and too public, with Buffy's friends and mentor totally undermining her in front of the Potentials when they've all privately told her how much she's grown, how sorry they are to have drifted apart, and that they've come to realize that they can't understand the singular burden that she's under. The whole thing plays very much like a standard set-up in "genre" TV dramas where some insidious force has infected everyone but our chief protagonist and made him/her question his/her own position or just drive him/her away and leave everyone more vulnerable. As it turns out, there's nothing supernatural going on here; it's just natural doubt and concern coming too quickly and neatly to a head at the wrong time for Buffy. Like I said above it's at the <i>"right"</i> time for conflict in the narrative, but it doesn't pass believability muster for me.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-25356188072360731352011-12-23T00:59:11.165-05:002011-12-23T00:59:11.165-05:00Marebabe: A few days ago, I overheard a snippet of...<br> Marebabe: <i>A few days ago, I overheard a snippet of a conversation at work that included the word ‘jealous’. I perked up my ears because I thought I’d just heard someone say ‘Angelus’.</i><br /><br />Joss Whedon has mentioned, by the way, that he always meant for "Angelus" to be stressed on the first syllable — <i>An</i>gelus, not An<i>gel</i>us (rhymes with Vangelis; cue the <i>Chariots of Fire</i> theme).<br /><br />Marebabe: <i>the instant I saw Patrick Fischler as the shopkeeper, I (mentally) yelled, “F**k you, Phil!”</i><br /><br />Yay! He was also Jimmy Barrett on <i>Mad Men</i> — deserving of a similar refrain even though his wife stepped out on him with Don Draper (who's the very essence of an audience rooting for a protagonist <i>because</i> he's the protagonist in spite of what he does).<br /><br />Page48: <i>Must have set him back a few kittens.<br /><br />That</i> is one of my favorite lines of the entire Rewatch.<br /><br />Colleen: <i>Do people still drink TAB?</i><br /><br />Vengeance demons do.<br /><br />Colleen: <i>I think Angel's persona in the episode indicates that they really are separate shows. He's very glib here, and yet the woman he loves is in a coma and he's lost his son.</i><br /><br />Yeah, Angel actually sounds like Angelus there. On the other hand, I can relate to all sorts of sadness going on and the lift that you get from seeing a beloved someone (or even something) from your past.<br /><br />VW: <i>puttions</i> — Short-range golf clubs with a net electric charge. [FYI: The word verification algorithm really likes the suffix "-ion".]<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-18353840878408598152011-12-23T00:56:02.430-05:002011-12-23T00:56:02.430-05:00Angel 4.19 "The Magic Bullet"
Jasmine: ...<br><b><i>Angel</i> 4.19 "The Magic Bullet"</b><br /><br />Jasmine: "Your mustache provides you great strength and dignity."<br /><br />Bookstore Guy: "We don't need to use the evil tools of <i>{air quotes}</i> 'the man' when we have <i>{air quotes}</i> 'the <i>wuh</i>-man'."<br /><br />Does anyone else feel an eerie similarity between Gina Torres, as Jasmine particularly, and D.B. Woodside, playing Robin Wood over on <i>Buffy</i>? They have similar lips, teeth, and sly smiles, as well as similarly smooth voices.<br /><br />The good and bad news is that the shot of Angel and Connor singing "Oh, Jasmine" to the tune of "Mandy" is pretty much the high point of this storyline.<br /><br />So how come nobody sang Seals & Crofts' "Summer Breeze" ("... makes me feel fine / blowin' through the jasmine in my mind") or, more cheekily, Carole King's "Jazzman"?<br /><br />Angel: "... [S]tranger things have happened."<br />Fred: "Like Cordelia giving birth to a beautiful ebony goddess?"<br /><br />Connor: "Where are those people?"<br />Jasmine: <i>(beatifically)</i>"I ate them."<br />Connor: "Cool."<br /><br />Wesley: "I'll get him. I've kidnapped him before."<br /><br /><b><i>Angel</i> 4.20 "Sacrifice"</b><br /><br />Radio: "In related news, the LA Archdiocese has stated to the press that it will remove all false idols from its churches, replacing them with images of She Who Walks Among Us. Way to <i>go</i>, Catholic Church."<br /><br />Lorne: "Soccer Mom, 12 o'clock!"<br /><br />Hey! A portal! <i>That's</i> never been a problem <i>before</i>...<br /><br /><b><i>Angel</i> 4.21 "Peace Out"</b><br /><br />Jasmine: "It doesn't matter. Just know she's alive and... well, comatose."<br /><br />Newsman: "What can we do to show our love for you?"<br />Jasmine: "You don't have to do anything except <i>love</i> one another. Although... A temple <i>would</i> be <i>nice</i>. Something massive, and awe-inspiring — yet warm, and nurturing, celebrating the gentle pleasures of a peaceful, precious coexistence where violent behavi—" <i>[Lightning crackles; Angel emerges from an interdimensional portal.]</i> "Kill him! All of you, kill him now!"<br /><br />And so we all learned once again how superficial people are. Jasmine is the ultimate in peace and love until you realize that her face is all kinds of maggoty. <br /><br />VW: <i>merment</i> — 1. A fleeting instant at sea. 2. A garment worn by mermaids (or mermen). <br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-87155072992973583382011-12-23T00:51:00.620-05:002011-12-23T00:51:00.620-05:00Buffy 7.19 "Empty Places"
I love how Fi...<br><b><i>Buffy</i> 7.19 "Empty Places"</b><br /><br />I love how First-as-Buffy is losing her voice this episode just like the real thing is.<br /><br />Buffy: "The short lack of consciousness was nice. I feel rested."<br /><br />Okay... <br /><br />The scene at the house with everyone — including Giles, Xander, Willow, and Dawn — turning on Buffy makes no sense. And I say that not because I'm a fan whose sympathies lie with Buffy, but because I'm a viewer who's been watching the series. I just don't <i>buy</i> it.<br /><br />At first I wrote more, but it's really that simple.<br /><br />In part this problem hearkens back to an old conundrum: Early in a series, the characters are whatever the writers say they are; at some point, however, it becomes valid for viewers (and actors) to complain about characterization of the moment contradicting previously established patterns of characterization. When that is, when the characters come into their own, can be a sticky spot to, well, spot, especially if it's the same writers responsible who laid the groundwork and now have viewers crying foul.<br /><br /><b><i>Buffy</i> 7.20 "Touched"</b><br /><br />Andrew: "I feel used and violated and... I need a lozenge."<br /><br />First / Mayor: "It's the end of humanity, Faith, not the end of courtesy."<br /><br /><b><i>Buffy</i> 7.21 "End of Days"</b><br /><br />Giles: "Ooh! Jaffa Cakes!"<br /><br />I had never heard of Jaffa Cakes before this episode and have not heard of them since. A quick search confirms that, as you'd surmise from Giles' excitement over them, they're a British delicacy — apparently stocked by a Sunnydale grocery store. I love that the Wikipedia page on them has a subsection titled "Cake or biscuit?"<br /><br />Anya: <i>(to Chao-Ahn, sweetly)</i> "Oh... Trying to talk will just kill you sooner."<br /><br />Dawn: "I don't leave crossbows around all willy-nilly — not since that time with Miss Kitty Fantastico."<br /><br />Well <i>I</i> think it's funny, and I'm a cat person. <br /><br />Faith: "Maybe that's why you and I can never get along: We're not supposed to exist together."<br />Buffy: "Also you went evil and were killing people."<br /><br />Faith: "Thank God we're hot chicks with super-powers."<br /><br />Andrew: "So... Wheelchair fight?"<br /><br /><i>Wheelchair fight!</i><br /><br />How much cooler would it have been if David Boreanaz's credit hadn't appeared at the start of the episode and his appearance was <i>really</i> a surprise the way Giles' was at the end of last season?<br /><br />VW: <i>pundie</i> — Humorous wordplay fail. <br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-60619119397769662042011-12-23T00:45:14.720-05:002011-12-23T00:45:14.720-05:00And now for the thing I don’t love: that end scene...<br><i>And now for the thing I don’t love: that end scene. The first time I saw it, it infuriated me. The second time, same thing. Same thing the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh … I can’t forgive a single person in the room for what they do to her.</i><br /><br />You sing it, Nikki!<br /><br /><i>DAWN: I need you to leave. This is my house, too.<br />[Buffy punches Dawn in the throat.]</i><br /><br />Okay, I grant you that that's hilarious, but as this Rewatch's resident Dawn apologist (or at least one of them) I have to point out that <i>every</i> character is acting entirely stupid in this scene. More of my thoughts on this in my episode-by-episode quotes 'n' comments...<br /><br /><i>I forgot to mention the ingrates got blowed up real good</i><br /><br />I think that the word you're looking for is "punished". 8^)<br /><br /><i>we finally discover what happened to Miss Kitty Fantastico (a comment I’ve always despised… NOT funny, writers)</i><br /><br />For what it's worth, I've always taken that line to be either humorous hyperbole or at best (worst) merely reference to an "incident" rather than an actual cause of death.<br /><br /><i>You are in for some amazing treats, I can tell you.</i><br /><br />Cool! I'm really looking forward to it.<br /><br />Thanks, Nikki, for the Rewatch — and thanks, Cynthea, for your insights as well as for eulogizing the Rewatch so well!<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-48286947973468494442011-12-22T11:36:19.097-05:002011-12-22T11:36:19.097-05:00Thank you! That just made my day!Thank you! That just made my day!Dusknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-66633183027160138912011-12-22T11:15:16.901-05:002011-12-22T11:15:16.901-05:00Dusk: How can I go back in time and get you in as ...Dusk: How can I go back in time and get you in as the S4 head writer on Angel? ;)Nikki Staffordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04463618183850438914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-40301322029356226132011-12-22T08:50:03.275-05:002011-12-22T08:50:03.275-05:00I think Spike really knows who she is (the good an...<i>I think Spike really knows who she is (the good and the bad) more fully than Angel does, too.</i><br /><br />I think both Buffy and Angel see idealized versions of each other, and those versions are still set when Buffy was in high school.<br /><br />To me, that's what the kiss was about. Two people going through very stressful situations trying to grasp a time when things were, if not easy, at least simpler.Colleen/redeem147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-60910002526695069412011-12-22T08:32:56.626-05:002011-12-22T08:32:56.626-05:00@Marebabe, I haven't seen in Oklahoma in a ver...@Marebabe, I haven't seen in Oklahoma in a very long time, probably not since I was a small child living there while my dad was in the army, but I enjoyed your comment. That is the perfect quote for the situation. I agree that Buffy has more chance at happiness with a vamp who can't lose his soul from being happy. I think Spike really knows who she is (the good and the bad) more fully than Angel does, too.Suzannenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-31085012847991015152011-12-21T18:49:25.448-05:002011-12-21T18:49:25.448-05:00Now I am not a TV writers but I know what S4 did t...Now I am not a TV writers but I know what S4 did to Cordy digested a lot of people and many think it ruined her. Here's how I would have done it:<br /> <br />Have Angel and Connor get into an argument and Angel gets really pissed at Connor. (Like he is most of the season). End the episode with "Cordy" comforting him and set it up like they might sleep together. <br /> <br />Next episode give us some misdirection to make us think they did (Like "Cordy" looking freaked out when she woke up with Connor.) We know Angel wouldn't go soulless because of his anger at Connor.<br /> <br />Have the Beast come out like it did, and instead of sleeping with him "Cordy" lifts up Connor with words and maybe more glowing like S3. Then have her ask if she can count on Connor in the future if she needs help sometime, he promises so, and as "Cordy" says she's glad to here it-they do a zoom up of her eye and inside we see the higher plane background with Jasmine looking out and she finishes "Cordy's" sentence. Maybe having Jasmine also holding a bloodied unconscious Cordy in the shot as well. <br /> <br />Cordy tells Connor Angel is the father, and not to tell anyone, and also mentioned how they somewhat considered killing pregnant Darla. And she needs him to protect her and his half-sibling, another impossible birth, and to make sure nothing like Holtzgets the child. <br /> <br />Have the rest play out like it did, Connor spending time with her, killing Lilah, being the Beastmaster, vs. Willow, etc. <br /> <br />When the pregnancy is revealed to everyone, they think it randomly happened like in the Expecting episode. Then have the gang figure it out and attack her, Connor saves her, flashback and show Angel/Cordy didn't have sex. Then have Darla appear and Connor starts of with how Angel and Co. might have killed her and him before he was even born.<br /> <br />It lets us in on it Cordy isn't herself early on, and also gives Connor a clearer reason for not trusting Angel. And keeps the rest of the stoylines we got in the season intact I feel. <br /><br />On the bright side, the finale of Season 4 is pretty good and very surprising.Dusknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-49092422613635234552011-12-21T18:26:51.995-05:002011-12-21T18:26:51.995-05:00have issues with Spike/Buffy and Angel/Cordy never...have issues with Spike/Buffy and Angel/Cordy never gets off the ground but I think the reason I personally lean towards them more then Bangel is because Angel and Buffy both develop so much past S3 it devolves them if their just ready to start making out again the instant they see each other. At least Spike and Cordy were their while the other two grew up and changed. Buffy and Angel aren't the same as they were in S3. Buffy's stronger, Angel's got a funny side now and wouldn't be content to just brood in the shadows again.<br /> <br />Also it irritates me a lot that Buffy never once has to deal with even the idea Angel had other relationships then her. Faith and Willow don't mention Connor at all, the only one who knows Darla came back is Spike because Dru mentioned it in passing. Cordy isn't a snob anymore and also meant as much to Angel if you take the happiness fantasy into consideration. <br /> <br />Meanwhile, Angel here about Buffy with Parker like a day after it happens, he makes a special appearance in Season 4 just to but heads with Riley. And for all Buffy knows he's been sitting around playing kitten poker until he has reason to see her again. Not cool.Dusknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-78529112639612984762011-12-21T18:25:55.836-05:002011-12-21T18:25:55.836-05:00Also love Spike speech like most people even if to...Also love Spike speech like most people even if to get it we had to deal with contrived writing to set it up. <br /><br />Now on to Angel.<br /> <br />The entire concept that Jasmine has been planning everything since at least The Trial in Season 2 takes away the value of many stories, if you take Skip seriously. So W & H bringing back Darla as human, Dru remaking her, the pregnancy, Holz, Sahjhan, Angel trying to smother Wesley, the 3rd retcon on how Fred went to Pylea/Lorne left, and Gunn's whole childhood was a big Master Plan? Does not sit well with me. Also, shouldn't that mean events of Amends, Becoming, Graduation Day etc, also fall in this bracket as well? <br /> <br />And if Jasmine has been planing this for years why didn't the other Powers send a warning or try and stop her if they are supposed to be able to see the world, you would think they could at least send a warning when "Cordy" snuggled with the Beast, or if they can't see LA, send Angel someone else similar to Doyle to check in? The writers confirmed the Powers sent a true form of Darla for Connor, if that's the best they can do, their timing really sucks and it really calls into question how much they really guided AI at all. <br /> <br />Also, it's always been annoying that Buffy stuff gets referenced so much on Angel, (Once Bitten has a section on it for the episodes) but the last time we mention Cordy in Sunnydale is trying to describe Glory, Wesley's transformation is never shown or mentioned, or the sun being blotted out 2 hours away you would think be worth noting but no. Also it's doubtful the Scoobies have even heard of W & H.Dusknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-43153167227140909032011-12-21T18:23:44.537-05:002011-12-21T18:23:44.537-05:00OK now I realize I haven't said any of the thi...OK now I realize I haven't said any of the things I love.<br /> <br />Wheelchair fight, Anya's words in the hospital. <br />Andrew was actually funny in Storyteller, except for the joke when he is focusing on the windows, too obvious.<br />I like how he finally shows humility and admits his role in Johnathan's death & will probably die. The long-term effects of Johnathan's death were handled well. (Unlike Tara).<br />Willow/Xander scenes in the hospital.<br />Nathan's venom filled accent.<br />Andrew writing make-up sex.<br /> <br />One last Buffy gripe for this week: I see the Slayers and Potentials as a mystical family so Faith/Robin makes my skin crawl.Dusknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-7862882093263962302011-12-21T17:42:14.095-05:002011-12-21T17:42:14.095-05:00@Colleen/redeem147: I just saw the greek letters a...@Colleen/redeem147: I just saw the greek letters and assumed it was supposed to be something in greek, which it obviously (for greek-speaking people, anyway) wasn't. Latin with greek letters really IS weird. And what did they do when it came to letters that don't have an equivalent? Or, even if you use the computer keyboard substitution, the greek alphabet is still two letters short. Weird...Efthymianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-14105201679282578032011-12-21T11:53:02.115-05:002011-12-21T11:53:02.115-05:00@Christina and Suzanne: It was in reading your dis...@Christina and Suzanne: It was in reading your discussion of who you like better with Buffy – Spike or Angel – that a series-long nebulous thought crystallized for me. Once again, something about Buffy (you guessed it) reminded me of something else.<br /><br />Do you know (and love) the 1955 musical, “Oklahoma!”? There’s a great bit of dialogue between Laurey and Ado Annie that goes something like this (I’m paraphrasing):<br /><br />Laurey: “Well, who do you like better?”<br />Ado Annie: “Whatever one I’m with!”<br /><br />I’m pretty much like Ado Annie where Spike and Angel are concerned. Maybe just a tiiiiiiny bit more in favor of Buffy and Spike together. After all, Spike has the advantage of not having that pesky Gypsy curse on him, so there was always much more hope of a happily-ever-after for Spuffy.Marebabenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-23569102451560810962011-12-21T09:59:48.058-05:002011-12-21T09:59:48.058-05:00Joyce was a HUGE Family Affair fan.
I will chalk ...Joyce was a HUGE Family Affair fan.<br /><br />I will chalk the ending of Empty Places up to people who are exhausted, undernourished, terrified and smelly (one bathroom? Really?) doing stupid things.Colleen/redeem147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-34092877011947075762011-12-21T09:23:06.130-05:002011-12-21T09:23:06.130-05:00‘End of Days’ is another fantastic episode this we...‘End of Days’ is another fantastic episode this week, and like the others has the main role of building up to the finale next week. The appearance of the scythe does feel a bit like a deus ex machina (score one for ‘Lost’ that I actually know what that means), where the writers have realised that they’ve dug themselves into a big hole by introducing all these incredibly powerful bad guys and they need to find some way to level the playing field. Still, even if we’ve never heard of the Guardians before, it is nice that the good guys now have some way of holding their own.<br /><br />After Faith and the Potentials are blown up, Buffy says: “You guys, it was a trap. It's not her fault. That could've just as easily happened to me.” Yes, it did. That’s why Xander has no depth perception.<br /><br />Buffy’s line “The good guys are not traditionally known for their communication skills” says a lot. It says “I’m sorry for the mistakes I’ve made over the last few weeks and I accept your unsaid (but perhaps implied) apology for the mistakes you’ve made.”<br /><br />The scene between Andrew and Anya in the hospital is one of my favourite in the series. The writers always manage to write emotional dialogue for Anya really well, combining the emotion she’s trying to express with the attitude she is known for. We see in this scene that even though she is no longer especially close with any of the Scoobies (except Xander, and even then less than she was) she is still going to stay and fight because it’s the right thing to do. And we also get to see how Andrew feels about the upcoming battle and his acceptance that he may not survive. And then the scene closes with the hilarious wheelchair fight. Perfect.<br /><br />I also love the Guardian’s reaction to Buffy’s name. As was the point of naming the main character as such, Buffy is such a ridiculous name for a hero and right from the start the show could break from what you would expect. The only problem I have with the name Buffy is that I can’t imagine Joyce, who seems fairly traditional, naming her daughter Buffy. But nonetheless, it is a well-chosen name for the show.<br /><br />Overall, we have another great week of episodes here before next week’s fantastic finale. I can’t wait.Quarksnoreply@blogger.com