ag25
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Post by ag25 on Nov 2, 2018 16:07:27 GMT
Hi guys! I am sorry I am behind. I have been watching the episodes, just not posting about them. I have been very busy at work. We had a big event at the end of October so the lead up was so hectic. Anyway, it's over so I can get back into this. And yay, I will tell you now, season 3 is my favorite season of Buffy so I will probably gush about it a lot...you have been warned, lol.
9-29-1998/2018 - Anne
First of all, oddly enough I am usually not a huge fan of premier episodes of Buffy. I don't know why, they are not bad episodes, they just never make it into my top episodes of each season. That being said, Anne is pretty good. I think it is an odd/different premier because Buffy is separated from the group. Of course that is the point, and I am so glad that the episode deals with that, Buffy's depression (is that the right word?) and the effects of what happened in season 2.
I love that the Scoobies were patrolling. It was humorous, but I liked that they took on the responsibility and contrasted it with Buffy running away from that responsibility. I liked how they sort of had a system down and tried their best but things still went wrong....and their success rate is not high, lol.
I liked the one long shot in the school, the "oner" (spelling?). I remember Joss saying in commentary/interviews that he loved doing those when he directs, so here it is, and I love it is not just Willow, Xander, Cordelia and Oz, but Larry is included as well. It was done very well, timing was great, and I still love the exchange between Willow and Oz about him not graduating and she thinks it's weird, and he says that he is prepared for her to "think it is eccentric with an option on cool" lol. Willow & Oz and Xander & Cordy are so cute in this episode!
I loved the scene between Joyce and Giles, where Joyce tells him that she blames him for the situation. She has a point, and we get to see her point of view of all that has happened. We as the audience know that Giles is not at fault, but it is nice to see Joyce express her opinion and feelings on the matter.
I felt that this episode reminded me very much of an Angel episode, mainly from it's first season. Not because Buffy was in LA, but because she was isolated and the reluctant hero being pulled in to help the helpless in Anne/Lily and the others. She learns her own lessons while helping Anne , and ends up putting Anne on a better path, which we see later when Angel himself (and Gunn) helps Anne. I think this is brilliant, and is not only a great prelude to Angel, but, to a larger extent, a way to tie both the characters of Buffy and Angel, as well as the shows, together. This is why we love Buffy and Angel as heroes. They have faults, but are good people who do the right thing and rise to the occasion when they need to.
I love the end with Buffy coming home and her and Joyce hugging. It is so emotional and sweet, and even powerful in an understated way.
I do have a question/wondering thought, since Buffy is still working for the Watcher's Council at this point, if she went MIA, wouldn't they try and find her? She is "their" Slayer and their "tool" to fight evil so wouldn't they find her, tell her to get over it, and to do her job? This would obviously not be good for her, and I am guessing this is most likely why Giles didn't tell the Council about what happened for fear of what they would do to her, and potentially driving her away or damaging her emotionally further.
Overall, I think Anne is a really good premier that takes the time to deal with the consequences and effects of last season. It is almost like a coda to the season 2 finale; providing a conclusion/resolution to it, and then gears the audience up for what will happen in season 3.
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Post by PreachCaleb on Nov 5, 2018 15:34:29 GMT
I love season 3. While season 2 is my favorite (Angel is the perfect villain for Buffy), season 3 is definitely the high point of the series. I think it's where it hits a fantastic creative stride.
I agree Anne is a nice coda to the end of the season 2 and a nice way to reintroduce us to Buffy's world.
My favorite things are definitely the Joyce/Giles scene (there aren't enough of those in the show), and as you said how Buffy puts Anne on a good path. I had said before it's great that Anne is truly one of Buffy's success stories. Buffy didn't just save Anne's life, but no doubt all the lives Anne went on to help through her work with teens. I wish Buffy could've seen what became of her. It no doubt would've reinforced that no matter how dark things may get, Buffy is doing good work. Her job absolutely does matter even when it's not some apocalyptic situation.
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ag25
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Post by ag25 on Nov 27, 2018 19:20:53 GMT
I love season 3. While season 2 is my favorite (Angel is the perfect villain for Buffy), season 3 is definitely the high point of the series. I think it's where it hits a fantastic creative stride. I agree Anne is a nice coda to the end of the season 2 and a nice way to reintroduce us to Buffy's world. My favorite things are definitely the Joyce/Giles scene (there aren't enough of those in the show), and as you said how Buffy puts Anne on a good path. I had said before it's great that Anne is truly one of Buffy's success stories. Buffy didn't just save Anne's life, but no doubt all the lives Anne went on to help through her work with teens. I wish Buffy could've seen what became of her. It no doubt would've reinforced that no matter how dark things may get, Buffy is doing good work. Her job absolutely does matter even when it's not some apocalyptic situation. Well said, Caleb. I absolutely agree. Season 3, I think, is where everything meshes well and builds on so much while setting up things as well. I agree that it is the high point of the series, but I don't mean to diminish the later seasons either; they definitely have wonderful and creative moments too, just season 3 as a whole was cohesive and all great, not just certain parts of the season.
Yes, I too wish that Buffy had seen the good that Anne went on to do. I can't really add anything to your point, you said it so perfectly.
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ag25
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Post by ag25 on Nov 27, 2018 21:54:06 GMT
Well, I guess I didn't have as much free time as I thought. Hopefully I will catch up on posting before Christmas, lol.
10-6-1998/2018 - Dead Man's Party
I felt that this episode was interesting in that the primary focus was dealing with the relationships and emotions between everybody, instead of the monster of the week, which I really liked.
I like the zombies and how the show incorporated them, but they were kind of in the background. This is fine as I have said that I liked that the episode was more character driven, but I just wanted to see a little more of them because this is one of the few times (if not the only) we see zombies in this show (this coming from me, and zombies are not some of my favorite supernatural creatures). I just mean that if they chose to do a zombie episode, then I would have liked to have them front and center, but this is not a big deal because I am glad that the writers decided to focus more on the characters.
Joyce I think was great here. Her relationship with Buffy, dealing with Buffy's Slayer identity and the supernatural world was great! I also liked Pat helping Joyce. It was a nice little subplot which I think would have been nice to explore for a bit, but with all of the things that went on in season 3, I get that it would have gotten too crowded. I also love how supportive of Buffy Joyce is; fighting to get Buffy back in school and staying positive when they run into road blocks, yet Joyce did an good job of reminding Buffy that she still has to face and deal with the consequences of her actions (like when Joyce told Buffy that the all girls school takes late admissions).
Ok, I have to talk about it so sorry to the Xander fans in advance. I am still mad at Willow and Xander for their treatment of Buffy in this episode. Now, yes they have the moral high ground in that they did not run away from their responsibilities and abandon their family and friends, but I still think that they should have been more sympathetic to Buffy. Willow should not have agreed to meet with Buffy if she was so upset with her and then just blow her off. Her argument later was that she didn't have any one to talk to when Buffy was gone, and yet when her friend is back and available to talk with, Willow doesn't show up. And Xander, oh boy, y'all probably know what I am going to say, lol. I hated that he called Buffy out at the party. He did have a really good point and I even agree with him, but it is the way Xander confronted her that I don't like. It was almost like he attacked her. It just annoys me when he gets up on his high horse and rubs in the person's mistake to whoever he is going off on, as if he has never made any mistakes before, when we all know he has made plenty. I hate when he does this, but I do agree with his point here.
I find it interesting that Cordelia (and, to a lesser extent, Oz) supported Buffy and even defended her.
Now, Joyce I understand and didn't mind her confronting Buffy the way she did. She is the parent and is scared Buffy would leave again, which she almost did.
I do wish there was a deep emotional scene between Buffy and Giles where they talk about what happened and maybe he could help her; I imagine it would be similar to the wonderful and beautiful scene they had at the end of Innocence. I love seeing scary Giles! His scene threatening Snyder to let Buffy back in school was great and scares me in a good way. This mostly makes up for he and Buffy not having an emotional scene together.
All in all a good solid episode that is character driven, which I love. I like how the writers are not rushing into the season and putting all of the new stuff front and center (Faith, the Mayor, even Scott Hope, Mr. Trick, and Wesley) and instead take the time to slow down and deal with everything that happened in Season 2. That, to me, is great writing and really connects the series/seasons together.
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Post by PreachCaleb on Nov 29, 2018 20:06:53 GMT
It's a nice follow up to Anne. I love that the Scoobies are still dealing with the fall out of what happened the previous year--which will continue even into "Faith, Hope, and Trick." You're right in that that's great writing. Problems take more than one episode to solve.
It's part of why despite how bleak season 6 is, I do appreciate that it took Buffy a long time to actually deal with her depression. The first few episodes of season 6 are my favorite where Buffy is struggling just being alive.
Dead Man's Party was also--in classic Buffy mentality--a nice supernatural twist on the traditional teenage-party-gone-wrong story. Can't go wrong with a wild hootenanny.
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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Dec 2, 2018 4:57:07 GMT
I agree that its the character dynamics that make "Dead Man's Party" work so well, the zombie plot being mostly fluff.
Xander is very harsh on Buffy here and I suspect that his unrequited feelings for Buffy and resentment at having being rejected in favour of Angel (whom she pines for even in death) play a large part in explaining his behaviour. That isn't to say there isn't validity to his criticism of her actions. He's clearly voicing sentiments that the group as a whole have been harbouring but keeping a lid on up until now.
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ag25
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Post by ag25 on Jan 23, 2019 0:01:18 GMT
Ok, I am really sorry guys for the long delay. Work, the holidays, and house maintenance have gotten in the way, but that shouldn't be an excuse. I still have kept up with the episodes, just not the posting, and again, I am sorry. I will try to do better but I can't make any promises. I thought about just going ahead and posting about Helpless and then catching up with the other episodes later but I decided to go in order. It is ironic that I am so far behind on Season 3 because it happens to be my favorite Buffy season, but there you go. Real life gets in the way. Anyway, I will stop rambling, on with the show...
10-13-1998/2018 - Faith, Hope & Trick
This is one of my favorite episodes of Season 3. In my opinion, it is such a good introduction to Faith, as well as the other minor characters of Mr. Trick and Scott Hope; it still takes the time to deal with Buffy's guilt, the fall out with Angel(us), and her school problems; and, finally, sets up the pieces on the board of the plot for the rest of the season. I also think that the cast all had good screen time and were added well into the plot, instead of being put on the back burner, for example, in favor of a new guest star(s).
The opening scene with Willow is one of my favorites, because I admit that is exactly what I would do. Be excited about getting to eat off of campus but scared that they "changed the rule with out telling me" lol! She is so cute! I love that the scene is able to show that Xander, Oz and Cordy know Willow too well and have already planned on how to deal with her silliness. It is a nice example of the group's dynamics. It is subtle yet it shows how close they all are despite Oz and Cordy only being a part of it more recently. I also love how it includes Buffy in a school scene without her actually being in school as that is still being worked out. The introduction of Scott Hope is good, but I remember having trouble knowing that Scott's last name was Hope (I think they only said this once?) which then made sense in relation to the title.
Buffy's Angel dream at the Bronze was great. I loved seeing him in white (it is rare to see him in lighter colors, so it is a treat) and the symbolism with the rings was great too. Angel's zombie(?) make up was so cool!
I always love Buffy and Joyce's scene with Principle Snyder. Buffy being snarky is funny enough but then Joyce almost even encouraging her and saying "nah nah nah nah nah" is still so funny, lol!
Faith is one of my favorite supporting characters on the show. I love her personality and how she contrasts with Buffy. Kendra was great too, but now it is like Buffy is the more responsible slayer when in the past Kendra filled that role and now Faith is the more irresponsible one. It is interesting, I don't feel like Faith was trying to steal the spotlight from Buffy in the episode. She genuinely seems interested and impressed with Buffy, unlike later on in the season when she gets jealous of her, but it's just that everyone else is so interested in Faith as well that they keep drawing her attention away and Buffy unintentionally gets the brush off. I also love that Joyce is impressed with Faith when she says "Buffy never talks like that" about how she loves slaying and that Buffy should think/be more positive about it. I love that this shows that Joyce is taking an interest in Buffy's job/world and how she feels about it. Later on, I loved the fear and emotion on Faith's face when Buffy asked about her Watcher and she says "they don't have a word for what they did to her." Great acting from Eliza.
I love Mr. Trick too. He was such an interesting and different kind of vamp. Smooth, smart, and technology oriented. I wish we could have seen more from him, and we do, I just mean in the grand scheme of Season 3.
I actually found myself liking Scott as a love interest for Buffy. He had potential, but it is hard to go up against Angel, especially when we know he is coming back. He might have worked later on in the series though.
One of my favorite aspects of this episode is that both Buffy and Faith are dealing with guilt and the slayer decisions they have made. They are different but still in the same boat. The teamwork and the lessons they teach each other were great, which leads me into Buffy's confession about Angel. I loved that Giles was subtlely trying to get her to tell the truth (and to help her) throughout the episode. It shows the understanding, care, and love he has for her and for the situation that she was in. Faith indirectly gave Buffy the courage to finally tell the truth and to acknowledge what happened and helped with her guilt. Buffy's confession I think is such a wonderful little scene. Emotional, well written, acted, etc. and shows the audience, not to mention Giles and Willow, the weight of what it means to have to be the Slayer and the choices she has to make. A great acknowledgement of the end of Season 2 but also a great prelude for the rest of this season and the choices both Buffy and Faith make.
And of course, on the "surprise" ending of Angel's return.....Yay, Angel is officially back! It was beautifully done and I always loved the music they used for his return. I do have to laugh though at how long it took David to look up and show his face to the camera, lol.
Overall, I think it is a really great episode and a strong start to the season.
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ag25
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Post by ag25 on Jan 23, 2019 0:13:03 GMT
It's a nice follow up to Anne. I love that the Scoobies are still dealing with the fall out of what happened the previous year--which will continue even into "Faith, Hope, and Trick." You're right in that that's great writing. Problems take more than one episode to solve. It's part of why despite how bleak season 6 is, I do appreciate that it took Buffy a long time to actually deal with her depression. The first few episodes of season 6 are my favorite where Buffy is struggling just being alive. Dead Man's Party was also--in classic Buffy mentality--a nice supernatural twist on the traditional teenage-party-gone-wrong story. Can't go wrong with a wild hootenanny. Exactly! That is why, I think, I tend to like Season 6 a little more that most Buffy fans.
I can't believe I didn't mention anything about the teenage party gone wrong twist. As a metaphor, of course they would; shame on me. You are absolutely right. It is a nice twist. I guess since Joyce was aware of it and she and the gang went along with it even though Buffy didn't want to didn't immediately register on my teenage party radar, lol. Thanks for mentioning it!
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ag25
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Post by ag25 on Jan 23, 2019 0:19:04 GMT
I agree that its the character dynamics that make "Dead Man's Party" work so well, the zombie plot being mostly fluff. Xander is very harsh on Buffy here and I suspect that his unrequited feelings for Buffy and resentment at having being rejected in favour of Angel (whom she pines for even in death) play a large part in explaining his behaviour. That isn't to say there isn't validity to his criticism of her actions. He's clearly voicing sentiments that the group as a whole have been harbouring but keeping a lid on up until now. I agree too. But I had to lol because at first I just saw "zombie" and "fluff"...zombie fluff, lol!
You are absolutely right about Xander and his actions. There is validity to his criticism and he was expressing a lot of what the group was thinking, I just don't like the way he did it.
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Post by PreachCaleb on Jan 23, 2019 14:22:40 GMT
Faith, Hope, & Trick is really a great episode. I love how you say, "sets up the pieces on the board of the plot for the rest of the season." It does a great job of giving the season direction. The only piece still missing is The Mayor, but he's already been a presence since season 2. Incredible that here in this episode, we get Faith, a character that will continue on through not only the rest of the show, but even onto Angel's show, in pretty much the best supporting role she can play: as the hero's reflection.
Faith, Hope, & Trick will always hold a special place in my heart as this was the very first Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode I ever watched. I was immediately hooked.
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ag25
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Post by ag25 on Feb 3, 2019 20:12:08 GMT
Faith, Hope, & Trick is really a great episode. I love how you say, "sets up the pieces on the board of the plot for the rest of the season." It does a great job of giving the season direction. The only piece still missing is The Mayor, but he's already been a presence since season 2. Incredible that here in this episode, we get Faith, a character that will continue on through not only the rest of the show, but even onto Angel's show, in pretty much the best supporting role she can play: as the hero's reflection. Faith, Hope, & Trick will always hold a special place in my heart as this was the very first Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode I ever watched. I was immediately hooked.
Yep, I agree with everything you said, Caleb. I too wish the Mayor made an appearance in Faith, Hope & Trick but if that's the only "problem" with the episode, I'll take it, lol.
Yes, I love how Faith is not only the hero's reflection but then they turn and expand that concept into the character Faith becomes. I love that this has happened often on this show (and Angel) where we get a character who was just supposed to be around for a few episodes or a limited time but then the writers/audience end up liking them and their roles are expanded and they end up becoming stronger, more central, characters in their own right. Love it!
Awww, what a great first episode of Buffy to watch and to get hooked on! My first episode of Buffy that I watched was Hush, and it did not get me hooked, lol! Ok, story time. I first watched Hush when it first broadcast. I was about 8 or 9 and in my room because I had caught strep throat and was flipping through the channels. I stopped on Buffy (I didn't know what the show was about) and I must have tuned in on a funny or lighthearted moment because I kept on watching it. Well, when the Gentlemen came on they of course freaked me out and I got scared half to death because, as you know, in the episode no one can scream, and because I had strep throat, I also could not scream or talk very much either, so this scared my 8 or 9 year old self and I did not watch Buffy again until Season 6, when I, again, happened to catch the finale (I loved that episode, or the half of it I saw) but for some reason I couldn't watch Buffy when it aired. Probably because I had soccer practice or something when it was on, so unfortunately I missed it. But I was able to get into Angel because I was a Charmed fan and it was in syndication on TNT and Angel came on after it, so I fell in love with Angel first and then went back and watched Buffy. Funnily enough, my strep throat added a whole other dimension to my watching Hush that, in retrospect, is so cool. It was like I was more a part of the episode because I couldn't talk/scream like the characters. I wish I had gotten into Buffy and Angel sooner but really all that matters is that we all still love it 20 years later.
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Post by PreachCaleb on Feb 5, 2019 14:28:50 GMT
What a crazy coincidence to not be able to speak during Hush. I remember when it first aired all the hype was about the lack of dialogue, so when I watched it, I turned down all the lights and tried not to make any noise throughout. It was a fun time, particularly because Angel would air immediately after Buffy. Those were some of the best Tuesday nights.
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Post by stargazer1682 on Feb 5, 2019 15:19:10 GMT
I have to admit, I may have read too much into the hype around Hush. I had only caught periodic episodes initially and became a more consistent viewer towards the start of season 5. I eventually got caught up through reruns, but by the time I saw Hush, I had read all these things about how incredible it was; and read about how they couldn't talk and everything. So when I eventually watched it, I was kind of disappointed by how much talking they actually do in the episode. Don't get me wrong, the parts that are done in silence are done very well, but things like Walsh using a voice synthesize, while logical, took me out of what they were trying to do. And I always feel like it takes too long getting to the point of the episode; they have to do all this setup, putting Spike in Xander's basement and Buffy telling Giles about her dream so he can research it. I had expected it to start pretty much from the first scene, very much like how they did Once More with Feeling, where there might have been an unspoken montage showing us some of the necessary setup, especially the dream, but also sort of playing on how people can and sometimes do communicate non-verbally. I really expected Joss to try and find a way to keep any speaking to the absolute bare minimum, especially the way the episode ends with Buffy and Riley at a loss for words; I think it would have been even more epic if either of them saying "So," in the final scene had literally been the only line in the entire episode.
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