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Post by PreachCaleb on Mar 9, 2017 14:09:44 GMT
Well, the 20th anniversary of Buffy is almost upon us. I'll be celebrating by starting my yearly rewatch of the series.
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Post by coldenhaulfield on Mar 10, 2017 7:13:28 GMT
Hasn't aged well. I adored seasons 1-4 in the original run but tried a rewatch last year and made it about halfway through season one. It's... PRETTY lame to me now. I was bummed to've outgrown it, I guess, especially because I'm a super-nostalgic fan about so many other things.
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Blue
Junior Member
@bluejay
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Post by Blue on Mar 10, 2017 8:59:13 GMT
Season 1 does not hold up well at all.
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Post by Raimo47 on Mar 10, 2017 11:43:47 GMT
Season 1 does not hold up well at all. I'm currently rewatching Buffy and I enjoyed season 1 as much as I did on previous rewatches. It is still one of my favorite seasons of any TV show ever.
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Post by PreachCaleb on Mar 10, 2017 14:29:44 GMT
Gotta disagree with the detractors. Season one is still good. It laid a strong foundation for the seasons to come. The quirky dialogue. Juxtaposing horror with comedy. Fun action. And it contains some really great, important episodes for the Buffy lore: Welcome to the Hellmouth/The Harvest, Angel, and Prophecy Girl to be specific.
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rycki1138
New Member
@rycki1138
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Post by rycki1138 on Mar 10, 2017 18:32:27 GMT
I was surprised that some network didn't do a marathon for the anniversary. Pop TV Network aired Welcome to the Hellmouth and The Harvest early this morning, but that was it. I read that Fox is supposed to be releasing new Buffy merchandise to coincide with the 20th Anniversary. Buffy 20th Anniversary - USA TodayI agree with PreachCaleb about season 1. I was hooked from the first episode and season one was a good introduction to the characters and their backstories.
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Post by Spike Del Rey on Mar 10, 2017 21:37:50 GMT
I re-watched BTVS and Angel on Netflix, and this is as good today as it was 20 years ago...Angel hasn't fared as well though.
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Post by femalefan on Mar 10, 2017 23:57:11 GMT
It's hard to believe it's been 20 years since Buffy started airing.
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Post by stargazer1682 on Mar 11, 2017 0:01:11 GMT
Season 1 does have a different look to it, that arguably looks vintage, relatively speaking; and from a story stand point there are many examples of the show working to find its footing. Season 2 hits it's stride pretty quickly though; the aesthetics of the cinematography still looks fresh, and the rest of the series doesn't really look horribly outdated, if you can look past Adam's 3.5" disk drive mounted on his chest.
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Post by coldenhaulfield on Mar 11, 2017 0:08:03 GMT
Gotta disagree with the detractors. Season one is still good. It laid a strong foundation for the seasons to come. The quirky dialogue. Juxtaposing horror with comedy. Fun action. And it contains some really great, important episodes for the Buffy lore: Welcome to the Hellmouth/The Harvest, Angel, and Prophecy Girl to be specific. Please don't misunderstand my point. I only meant that for whatever reason I just can't get into the show like I used to. It's objectively a great show that did groundbreaking things, and the first season is a keystone in building that. It's a completely personal problem. Sorry if I didn't make that clearer in my assertion that it "hasn't aged well." It hadn't aged well to me when I rewatched it.
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NileQT87
Sophomore
Billowy Coat, King of Pain
@nileqt87
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Post by NileQT87 on Mar 11, 2017 5:21:14 GMT
AtS hasn't aged as well? Uh, no. Totally the opposite. It has aged way better due to being more modern-looking, edgier/darker in tone (that's the more modern trend) and cinematic. The set and creature design absolutely pops to this day (the Hyperion is still one of the greatest sets I've ever seen). The more set-bound, repetitive backlot limitations and less cinematic scope are the only parts of BtVS that haven't aged well, but it's also just as good as it always was.
And I LOVE the innocence of season 1. It's precious. I find nearly all of the characters to be so lovable at this stage (not always the case later). Buffy was never more sympathetic, relatable and heroic than the first two seasons (though very intact through the high school years), especially. 1x07 is legitimately one of my favorite episodes of the whole franchise and such an important one that establishes so much of the mythology, backstory and relationships.
That the CGI was limited (though it does have some doozies) and they were reliant on stunt doubles and practical effects gives it the old-school, timeless quality (though, for sure, that dates it, too). CGI ages faster than practical--that's a fact. BtVS has far more episodes that immediately show their age (usually technology, with the worst examples being I, Robot's Internetphobia/"e-letter" and Jenny's/Adam's floppy disc/drive, and fashion trends).
AtS has a very timeless quality, by comparison, and there are a lot less glaring time capsule moments. This is even due to having a lead that is kind of out of time anyway (the music was often dated even for the '90s-'00s--Angel and Lorne's Oldies were hardly top of the charts) and less bound to being a teen culture time capsule. The characters being outcast adults, and not all of them hip or trendy (almost pointedly to the point of comedy), stopped this effect.
Though, I suppose the fact that the Jossverse has so many Alpha males is actually one of the ways that it's not like much of today's media! Buffy was unashamedly attracted to masculinity and strong males are as plentiful as strong females (and not the fake "strong" kind, but ones that are even, gasp, feminine, unapologetically girly, have moments of weakness/flaws and are actually different from each other with many archetypes). This "feminism" was not the kind where women are told they must be stronger and more assertive than the male. Buffy pointedly wanted someone who was her equal.
These shows are refreshing for today, partly because they aren't PC (more than a few whiners about this fact now) and hyper-partisan (Joss wasn't the only voice and times were different). They have a sense of timelessness about them that is aging well, because it's just good, old-fashioned, classic, literary drama writing with universal themes focused on just telling the best stories possible.
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Blue
Junior Member
@bluejay
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Post by Blue on Mar 11, 2017 5:24:34 GMT
Gotta disagree with the detractors. Season one is still good. It laid a strong foundation for the seasons to come. The quirky dialogue. Juxtaposing horror with comedy. Fun action. And it contains some really great, important episodes for the Buffy lore: Welcome to the Hellmouth/The Harvest, Angel, and Prophecy Girl to be specific. Please don't misunderstand my point. I only meant that for whatever reason I just can't get into the show like I used to. It's objectively a great show that did groundbreaking things, and the first season is a keystone in building that. It's a completely personal problem. Sorry if I didn't make that clearer in my assertion that it "hasn't aged well." It hadn't aged well to me when I rewatched it. You don't have to apologize for your comments You're entitled to your opinion and I even agree with you. When I introduce people to Buffy, I tell them to start with Season 2 because Season 1 is cringeworthy. While, yes, it lays a good foundation to the show, the bulk of the series is so much different than Season 1. I had friends not even give BtVS a real chance because they started with the pilot and thought it was too outdated. Eventually they'll want to watch Season 1 when they are hooked.
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juicebox07
Sophomore
@juicebox07
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Post by juicebox07 on Mar 11, 2017 21:27:36 GMT
When I introduce people to Buffy, I tell them to start with Season 2 because Season 1 is cringeworthy. Season one is still my favorite season after season two. Some people just love that campy feel that season one has. Personally, I don't think any season should be skipped. You either watch Buffy in its entirety or don't even bother. Otherwise, I don't feel you can truly appreciate the series. Then again, whenever I watch new shows I feel I need to see everything and not just certain episodes or seasons to fully understand, but maybe that's just me.
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ag25
Sophomore
@ag25
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Post by ag25 on Mar 15, 2017 23:23:55 GMT
AtS hasn't aged as well? Uh, no. Totally the opposite. It has aged way better due to being more modern-looking, edgier/darker in tone (that's the more modern trend) and cinematic. The set and creature design absolutely pops to this day (the Hyperion is still one of the greatest sets I've ever seen). The more set-bound, repetitive backlot limitations and less cinematic scope are the only parts of BtVS that haven't aged well, but it's also just as good as it always was. And I LOVE the innocence of season 1. It's precious. I find nearly all of the characters to be so lovable at this stage (not always the case later). Buffy was never more sympathetic, relatable and heroic than the first two seasons (though very intact through the high school years), especially. 1x07 is legitimately one of my favorite episodes of the whole franchise and such an important one that establishes so much of the mythology, backstory and relationships. That the CGI was limited (though it does have some doozies) and they were reliant on stunt doubles and practical effects gives it the old-school, timeless quality (though, for sure, that dates it, too). CGI ages faster than practical--that's a fact. BtVS has far more episodes that immediately show their age (usually technology, with the worst examples being I, Robot's Internetphobia/"e-letter" and Jenny's/Adam's floppy disc/drive, and fashion trends). AtS has a very timeless quality, by comparison, and there are a lot less glaring time capsule moments. This is even due to having a lead that is kind of out of time anyway (the music was often dated even for the '90s-'00s--Angel and Lorne's Oldies were hardly top of the charts) and less bound to being a teen culture time capsule. The characters being outcast adults, and not all of them hip or trendy (almost pointedly to the point of comedy), stopped this effect. Though, I suppose the fact that the Jossverse has so many Alpha males is actually one of the ways that it's not like much of today's media! Buffy was unashamedly attracted to masculinity and strong males are as plentiful as strong females (and not the fake "strong" kind, but ones that are even, gasp, feminine, unapologetically girly, have moments of weakness/flaws and are actually different from each other with many archetypes). This "feminism" was not the kind where women are told they must be stronger and more assertive than the male. Buffy pointedly wanted someone who was her equal. These shows are refreshing for today, partly because they aren't PC (more than a few whiners about this fact now) and hyper-partisan (Joss wasn't the only voice and times were different). They have a sense of timelessness about them that is aging well, because it's just good, old-fashioned, classic, literary drama writing with universal themes focused on just telling the best stories possible. Well said, Nile. I agree.
Wow, 20 years...now, granted I did not get into the show in 1997, but wow, I am so glad that it is still relevant to today, and whenever I rewatch an episode of either Buffy or Angel, I still feel like I did when I first saw them, and I still absolutely love the shows. They are my favorite TV shoes ever.
Yes, Buffy S1 may not have aged well (I still like it though), but what I think is more important about it, and the series as a whole, it that the stories/plots/arcs, etc. and characters have aged very well. They are still relatable and are still, imo, great story-telling, even today. Whenever I watch a new show, I find myself comparing it to the caliber of BtVS and AtS, and very few, if any, have come close to as good of story telling and character development as these shows have.
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Blue
Junior Member
@bluejay
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Post by Blue on Mar 16, 2017 2:30:12 GMT
AtS hasn't aged as well? Uh, no. Totally the opposite. It has aged way better due to being more modern-looking, edgier/darker in tone (that's the more modern trend) and cinematic. The set and creature design absolutely pops to this day (the Hyperion is still one of the greatest sets I've ever seen). The more set-bound, repetitive backlot limitations and less cinematic scope are the only parts of BtVS that haven't aged well, but it's also just as good as it always was. And I LOVE the innocence of season 1. It's precious. I find nearly all of the characters to be so lovable at this stage (not always the case later). Buffy was never more sympathetic, relatable and heroic than the first two seasons (though very intact through the high school years), especially. 1x07 is legitimately one of my favorite episodes of the whole franchise and such an important one that establishes so much of the mythology, backstory and relationships. That the CGI was limited (though it does have some doozies) and they were reliant on stunt doubles and practical effects gives it the old-school, timeless quality (though, for sure, that dates it, too). CGI ages faster than practical--that's a fact. BtVS has far more episodes that immediately show their age (usually technology, with the worst examples being I, Robot's Internetphobia/"e-letter" and Jenny's/Adam's floppy disc/drive, and fashion trends). AtS has a very timeless quality, by comparison, and there are a lot less glaring time capsule moments. This is even due to having a lead that is kind of out of time anyway (the music was often dated even for the '90s-'00s--Angel and Lorne's Oldies were hardly top of the charts) and less bound to being a teen culture time capsule. The characters being outcast adults, and not all of them hip or trendy (almost pointedly to the point of comedy), stopped this effect. Though, I suppose the fact that the Jossverse has so many Alpha males is actually one of the ways that it's not like much of today's media! Buffy was unashamedly attracted to masculinity and strong males are as plentiful as strong females (and not the fake "strong" kind, but ones that are even, gasp, feminine, unapologetically girly, have moments of weakness/flaws and are actually different from each other with many archetypes). This "feminism" was not the kind where women are told they must be stronger and more assertive than the male. Buffy pointedly wanted someone who was her equal. These shows are refreshing for today, partly because they aren't PC (more than a few whiners about this fact now) and hyper-partisan (Joss wasn't the only voice and times were different). They have a sense of timelessness about them that is aging well, because it's just good, old-fashioned, classic, literary drama writing with universal themes focused on just telling the best stories possible. Agree with that other user, GREAT post.
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Post by Ad○rably Obn○xi○us🐢 on Mar 16, 2017 3:33:00 GMT
I re-watched BTVS and Angel on Netflix, and this is as good today as it was 20 years ago... Angel hasn't fared as well though. I think Angel has held up rather well. I started BtVS in the 3rd season, so once it went all the way through the entire series and came back around it was absolutely shocking to see the gang in S1...but I enjoyed it. Not for the same reasons I guess, but I was so desperate for more Buffy that I was really into it, I just thought it was cute and quaint, in a way. Never knew about Jesse, liked (but didn't love) Spike's and Dru's intro and subsequent intro of the blue dude (name escapes me atm) but I did love Angelus. Love love LOVED him. Also loved watching how Cordy became part of the gang and adored watching Willow and Oz's relationship come about. Minus, of course, the stupidly ridiculous and nonsensical Willow/Xander mess. I just loved Oz.
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