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I've been watching season 7, as that's the season I've seen the least of. I'm up to Get It Done so far.
There's been so much talk of Buffy being depressed in seasons 6 and 7, that I was expecting a somewhat mourse Buffy. But I am loving her character this year. In fact all the early episodes were strong. She just seems so compassionate and lovely as the counselor. And now they're gradually building up the pressures of being leader. But with Buffy as sort of teacher to the potentials as well.
I forgot what a pain in the arse Willow was. They should have kept her evil and predictable in a cool way, like the black eyed bit in Selfless. They took the whining and whimpery too far. I hate Willow when she's self-pitying anyway.
Xander's character came off better than I remember. No, he didn't have a huge role, but I think they did do a good job of writing him having grown up. I don't think he does ever come across as feeling quite so redundant as say Giles did.
I hated Principal Wood at the time, mostly because of the threat to spuffy *g* But actually his voice is really sexy. I may have to rethink my view of him. Although his mother/slayer complex is a little weird. Are we supposed to root for Wood/Faith as a couple, or find it creepy? Getting ahead of myself though!
I love Him, even if no one else does. It was funny! "Ice cream? My treat!" All of the first episodes were really strong.
Bring On The Night is always an episode I remembered as stretching that arc out a little too much, and basically existing as filler. But I've found I'm really enjoying The First Evil storyline, and am thinking they did do a good job with it. Except Drusilla was just bad in that episode.
This is going to sound weird, but even with the ubervamp being kind of just a big dumb monster, I still loved the big fight Buffy had with him. For the final year to see Buffy really go to town on a fight and get totally bruised up, I thought was kind of cool. It does sound weird doesn't it :p
Potential sees the season grind to a halt a little bit. It was much better than I remember, I did like the teaser and Vi is still my favourite potential *g* But it felt a little too padded out, some of the standing around talking became tedious as the episode goes on. I did like Buffy as teacher to the potentials though. The Killer In Me and First Date have several sub plots running through, so I wonder why Potential is just focused on the one plot and stretches it out.
TKIM is just urgh. I don't care about W/K which probably doesn't help. But even the Spike/Buffy is dull. It would have been an interesting dilemma if the chip had been firing and damaging Spike when he lacked a soul. Dealing with that in season 6 or even in late season 5 when he was working alongside them, that would have been cool. There was no dramatic tension by season 7 and Gile's reaction felt ridiculous. The chip hadn't stopped Spike being programmed by The First, so what on earth is Giles's problem with a souled Spike not being chipped? The Giles/The First sub plot from TKIM just feels like the worst kind of filler, and it was pointless in the first place. I think his one-liner was over-rated. We think you're the First, oh so wait, I'm evil if I don't touch the girls. It came across as too much of a random one-liner.
Following ASH asking for a reduced presence in season 6, I don't know why they didn't just kill him off in season 7. Giles I mean, not ASH. Not to be cruel, but really his scenes were ridiculous. The scenes with Willow in England, especially the BY moment where he ses her off in a taxi, were so brief. And he's still hardly in it. They're doing nothing with his character because ASH wants to go live in England. Actually thought I like Kennedy in TKIM more than I thought I would.
FD was better than I remember. Giles's role was really annoying in it though, and ASH may as well have not bothered. What, now they can't smile and "quip", they have to be dour all of the time. Whatever. Seems to me , if they followed Giles's advice, The First would already have won. It wasn't that great an episode, but pretty funny in places. Jonathon's appearance was nicely creepy.
Still some filler with those episodes that didn't help with pacing IMO. Mid season slump
GIT was super awesome and a real return to form. And it got me loathing Kennedy again :D Willow's attempts at cuteness also bugged, but the scene with dark magic was cool. Poor Buffy having to dig the grave of a young girl, and no one giving her a hand. I noticed that right after she left, no one could do anything to cope and she was right that they had all been relying on Buffy to save them. Too much pressure! Thank God her disappearance means the rest of some decide to be a little more self-reliant.
Spike getting back in touch with his inner big bad was so cool! It was GID Spike that made me horny :p And the bit where he tells Wood he got his coat from New York was cool
I know people say that the origins of the first slayer were obvious and not that exciting, but I thought it was well done. After the airing of Restless and BvD, people on-line discuss the darkness of slayer power so much, that of course it won't come across as so much of a shock. But I enjoyed all the special effects, with the book and everything as well, when all of that was set up. And the ending was nicely creepy.
Next up are two of my favourite season 7 episodes *bounces* Hopefully they will be as good as I remember.
There's been so much talk of Buffy being depressed in seasons 6 and 7, that I was expecting a somewhat mourse Buffy. But I am loving her character this year. In fact all the early episodes were strong. She just seems so compassionate and lovely as the counselor. And now they're gradually building up the pressures of being leader. But with Buffy as sort of teacher to the potentials as well.
I forgot what a pain in the arse Willow was. They should have kept her evil and predictable in a cool way, like the black eyed bit in Selfless. They took the whining and whimpery too far. I hate Willow when she's self-pitying anyway.
Xander's character came off better than I remember. No, he didn't have a huge role, but I think they did do a good job of writing him having grown up. I don't think he does ever come across as feeling quite so redundant as say Giles did.
I hated Principal Wood at the time, mostly because of the threat to spuffy *g* But actually his voice is really sexy. I may have to rethink my view of him. Although his mother/slayer complex is a little weird. Are we supposed to root for Wood/Faith as a couple, or find it creepy? Getting ahead of myself though!
I love Him, even if no one else does. It was funny! "Ice cream? My treat!" All of the first episodes were really strong.
Bring On The Night is always an episode I remembered as stretching that arc out a little too much, and basically existing as filler. But I've found I'm really enjoying The First Evil storyline, and am thinking they did do a good job with it. Except Drusilla was just bad in that episode.
This is going to sound weird, but even with the ubervamp being kind of just a big dumb monster, I still loved the big fight Buffy had with him. For the final year to see Buffy really go to town on a fight and get totally bruised up, I thought was kind of cool. It does sound weird doesn't it :p
Potential sees the season grind to a halt a little bit. It was much better than I remember, I did like the teaser and Vi is still my favourite potential *g* But it felt a little too padded out, some of the standing around talking became tedious as the episode goes on. I did like Buffy as teacher to the potentials though. The Killer In Me and First Date have several sub plots running through, so I wonder why Potential is just focused on the one plot and stretches it out.
TKIM is just urgh. I don't care about W/K which probably doesn't help. But even the Spike/Buffy is dull. It would have been an interesting dilemma if the chip had been firing and damaging Spike when he lacked a soul. Dealing with that in season 6 or even in late season 5 when he was working alongside them, that would have been cool. There was no dramatic tension by season 7 and Gile's reaction felt ridiculous. The chip hadn't stopped Spike being programmed by The First, so what on earth is Giles's problem with a souled Spike not being chipped? The Giles/The First sub plot from TKIM just feels like the worst kind of filler, and it was pointless in the first place. I think his one-liner was over-rated. We think you're the First, oh so wait, I'm evil if I don't touch the girls. It came across as too much of a random one-liner.
Following ASH asking for a reduced presence in season 6, I don't know why they didn't just kill him off in season 7. Giles I mean, not ASH. Not to be cruel, but really his scenes were ridiculous. The scenes with Willow in England, especially the BY moment where he ses her off in a taxi, were so brief. And he's still hardly in it. They're doing nothing with his character because ASH wants to go live in England. Actually thought I like Kennedy in TKIM more than I thought I would.
FD was better than I remember. Giles's role was really annoying in it though, and ASH may as well have not bothered. What, now they can't smile and "quip", they have to be dour all of the time. Whatever. Seems to me , if they followed Giles's advice, The First would already have won. It wasn't that great an episode, but pretty funny in places. Jonathon's appearance was nicely creepy.
Still some filler with those episodes that didn't help with pacing IMO. Mid season slump
GIT was super awesome and a real return to form. And it got me loathing Kennedy again :D Willow's attempts at cuteness also bugged, but the scene with dark magic was cool. Poor Buffy having to dig the grave of a young girl, and no one giving her a hand. I noticed that right after she left, no one could do anything to cope and she was right that they had all been relying on Buffy to save them. Too much pressure! Thank God her disappearance means the rest of some decide to be a little more self-reliant.
Spike getting back in touch with his inner big bad was so cool! It was GID Spike that made me horny :p And the bit where he tells Wood he got his coat from New York was cool
I know people say that the origins of the first slayer were obvious and not that exciting, but I thought it was well done. After the airing of Restless and BvD, people on-line discuss the darkness of slayer power so much, that of course it won't come across as so much of a shock. But I enjoyed all the special effects, with the book and everything as well, when all of that was set up. And the ending was nicely creepy.
Next up are two of my favourite season 7 episodes *bounces* Hopefully they will be as good as I remember.
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(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-02 06:48 pm (UTC)And yay with the Kennedy hate! And yeah I thought Faith and Wood were creepy.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-02 06:53 pm (UTC)So Faith is the next slayer he goes for. Yuck
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-02 07:08 pm (UTC)My point is that the two things connect. The nervous reaction to male homosexuality confirms that the exaggerated respect granted to female homosexuality really is as hollow as it rings; there is nothing but posturing behind it. And remember, I am a great Buffy fan, but in this I find the series somewhat less than convincing.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-02 07:20 pm (UTC)I hated Kennedy because she was a bully and a bitch. I liked Tara though, I could relate to her more
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-03 11:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-03 12:11 pm (UTC)I like what was said about Buffy! And I do think that Willow tries a little too hard. I remember her mother was apparently thrilled at Willow being gay, because it was seen as a liberal statement
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-02 07:58 pm (UTC)Actually this was why I preferred Kennedy to Tara, because I thought the writers were willing to show her as incredibly flawed. The brattiness, the sense of entitlement from the moment she sets foot in Buffy's house, her general lack of knowledge of witchcraft, her aggression in pursueing Willow...all of that seemed more real to me than Tara ever did.
As for gay males, I think that's much more a television in general issue than something specific to BtVS or ME. At least ME had Larry and Lorne, and the more mature Andrew in the end.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-03 11:09 am (UTC)Wot? So you do not think that Will and Grace is a triumph of positive and credible portraiture? Dear me, dear me.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-02 07:53 pm (UTC)The complaint I hear more is that it's a total perversion of the story, makes the role of the Slayer too ugly, blah, blah, blah, which never made sense to me since like you, I thought it was broadcast really clearly from S4 on. Hell, S3 on, if you consider the darkness of Faith.
I actually liked both TKIM and FD, and thought that was the end of the mid-season slump. FD's actually one of my favorite episodes of the season.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-02 09:21 pm (UTC)TLIM and FD just felt like like we were being sidetracked. FD entertained me a little bit more, but still my overall feeling was meh
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-02 09:10 pm (UTC)Do you watch Angel?
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-02 09:14 pm (UTC)My favourites are seasons 3, 5, and 6
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-03 02:51 am (UTC)Yeah, I agree with all of this. I remembered BotN as being filler too, but I really enjoyed it when I rewatched it recently. And I agree too about how compassionate and non-depressed Buffy is during the first half of S7. She spends a lot of the season actively taking care of different people, and there are a lot of times when her kindness really shines through.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-03 10:58 am (UTC)And I do feel season 7 is more about Buffy as teacher to others, which will of course finally result in the sharing of the power in Chosen. She still has her closed-off issues with relationships, but that's by no means all of what season 7 Buffy was about, or what the writers were doing with her.