Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV Thread

Deleted member 69 · 24 Sep 2020

Watching season 5 soon after I'm done with my various reviews for Millennium and my anime.

Deleted member 69 · 26 Sep 2020

Season 5 marks a certain unique period of growth in the series, and it's something you could tell right from the first episode. Unlike the season 4 vibe of "moving on from high school to college," Buffy vs. Dracula is more focused on Buffy's maturity as a Slayer, with Giles admitting that she has become wiser and stronger that she very well might not need him anymore. Naturally, by the end of it, this is proven to be not true in a very heartwarming moment that's definitely a highlight moment in the series.

I like this development. For much of season 4, Giles (along with Xander) has been neglected and not used in any significant ways, sitting around being treated as the elderly facing midlife crisis. This development in the season 5 opener gives us the reminder of Giles' significance among the Scoobies, Giles the Mind.

I love Dracula and the other Universal Monster Trio, and I think this crossover was a matter of time. Many superheroes have gone against Dracula, from Spider-Man to Batman, so the Vampire Slayer has to have this one encounter with the vampire of legends. Unfortunately, he turns out to be something of a joke, but it's not surprising considering whom he's up against. Dracula is just among the many who underestimates the Slayer's powers (see the equally cheesy Sunday from "The Freshman"). That said, I love that Marti Noxon really played up all the familiar vampire tropes associated with Dracula; turning into mist, turning into a wolf, turning into a bat, hypnosis, etc. But in hindsight, it makes Dracula feel like such a drama queen, prettying up his entrance instead of getting down to it. Bonus points for the Lestat reference as well.

Speaking of references, Xander wins the best joke of the episode: "Also, where did you get that accent? Sesame Street? Von, two, three! Three victims! Mah-ha-ha-ha!" Ouch! Somebody get Dracula a wet towel for that burn.

As with season 4, Xander is becoming more likable than the first three (even if he still has that childish fetish for Willow's relationship with Tara). It's so Xander in these later seasons to remain pleasant while under Dracula's thrall: "I'm supposed to deliver you to the Master now. There's this whole deal where I get to be immortal. You cool with that?" Bonus points for Xander acknowledging his long-running status as a butt-monkey. Whether if the writers would decrease the usage of such a tired trope has yet to be seen.

Other characters would still remain the same this episode without any growth or maturity... namely Riley:
"I couldn't believe the first 20 times you told us, but it's starting to sink in now."
"What with Angel, it's understandable that there would be transference."
"But you are NOT going anywhere near (Dracula) again."

And there's the passive-aggressive misogynist I loathe so much. Welcome back, I guess. Could you please leave? Like forever? Like never return to the series this or the next season? Pretty please with a cherry on top? Sigh.

To be fair, the other male characters were also under the influence of jealousy as well, so Dracula might have simply amplified the inherent toxicity within Riley up to eleven. Who knows with Dracula lore? It's so arbitrary. Like is Dracula going to stay as mist for the rest of the series? Oh well.

I also hated this line from Riley: "If the Initiative was still around, we would have been able to find everything in a few hours." I'm sorry, but you lost me at "If the Initiative was still around." Do you have rocks for brains, Riley? Initiative, evil, remember? It's like Captain America saying, "Boy oh boy, if only the HYDRA-infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D was still around!" ?

Something of a return to form that I like is Willow becoming computer-savvy again. While she did do some hacking in season 4, those moments were far and few between, so I'm hoping we get more of these moments to show Willow's smartness with both magic and technology.

Also, beginning this season, every of Joyce's dialogue feels like it would be a foreshadow to "The Body". What little dialogue she has in this episode feels like it's building up on the loss of connection between her and the Scoobies, with her voicing out about her loneliness and her own midlife crisis.

Overall, a fun season opener, but not one that says as much about the characters as the other openers, except "The Freshman". In fact, I would rank this above Freshman just for being far more fun, and also how it introduces us to the darker elements behind Buffy's Slayer powers.

Final Rating: 7/10

Next episode...

Oh boy.

Deleted member 63 · 27 Sep 2020

So, I actually saw the theatrical movie that preceded the series (starring Kirsty Swanson as Buffy and Rutger Hauer as the vampire lord she is up against) and was a bit surprised when the show came along. The movie had kind of played it for laughs, while the show was pretty solid horror-fantasy-action series with enough humour to keep from getting too dark and serious. The show is definitely better, though the movie is pretty entertaining and was the closest the late Rutger Hauer came to fulfilling my dream of seeing him play Dracula. Apparently, the movie is now officially a prequel to the show about Buffy's prior adventures (and her prior Watcher, played by Donald Sutherland). I think they did a graphic novel of the movie with Buffy drawn as Sarah and the tone closer to that of the show but that's a vague memory and I did not read it.

Deleted member 69 · 27 Sep 2020

Mendalla said:
So, I actually saw the theatrical movie that preceded the series (starring Kirsty Swanson as Buffy and Rutger Hauer as the vampire lord she is up against) and was a bit surprised when the show came along. The movie had kind of played it for laughs, while the show was pretty solid horror-fantasy-action series with enough humour to keep from getting too dark and serious. The show is definitely better, though the movie is pretty entertaining and was the closest the late Rutger Hauer came to fulfilling my dream of seeing him play Dracula. Apparently, the movie is now officially a prequel to the show about Buffy's prior adventures (and her prior Watcher, played by Donald Sutherland). I think they did a graphic novel of the movie with Buffy drawn as Sarah and the tone closer to that of the show but that's a vague memory and I did not read it.

Wow, that's neat! I never knew it became a prequel in its own right.

Rutger Hauer is definitely an actor of a solid caliber. I wouldn't have minded him playing Dracula in the season 5 opener.

Deleted member 63 · 27 Sep 2020

Orius said:
Rutger Hauer is definitely an actor of a solid caliber.

An amazing actor who was in some favorite movies of mine in his heyday. Bladerunner and Ladyhawke (a rare case of him as a hero) come immediately to mind.

Here is the section on Wiki that talks about the relationship between the movie and series. Basically, Whedon originally wrote the movie as a darker, more serious story in the vein (he he) of the show but was forced to lighten it up. The graphic novel is actually based on his original screenplay.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Deleted member 69 · 27 Sep 2020

The biggest problem with Dawn isn't Dawn - it's the sudden shift from the more mature teen gothic drama to... well, Lizzie McGuire.

Here's the thing: I was 14 once, and I loved Lizzie McGuire to the point that I even have an itch to rewatch it even now. But the tonal whiplash did require a little time to adjust, "little" like the first 10 minutes of the episode. But after that, I got used to it, even if Michelle Trachtenberg was indeed a little too old for that kind of role. To put it into perspective, one reason Lizzie felt so natural even in her Disney Channel-esque wholesomeness was because Hilary Duff was 14 at the start of the season; Michelle was 16 in this episode. During this age period, you could tell pretty easily between 14 and 16 due to growth spurts born out of puberty, so there was that sense of uncanniness that Dawn felt a little bit too old to be whining with such immaturity. Doesn't help that Michelle and Sarah were almost the same height.

But it's like I said, I was 14 once, and most of Dawn's portrayal was pretty relatable here, her connection with a non-family member like Auntie Willow, big sister Tara, and her older guy crush, Xander. I think the biggest part I could resonate with and probably also the most painful part was Buffy's harsh words behind Dawn's back. Much as I could relate with Buffy's situation as a Slayer and all the heavy burden that comes with it (not to mention the loneliness and, like Dawn, the lack of people understanding the "Real Me" as suggested in the episode title), I remember plenty of times when I heard my own parents badmouthing me behind my back in the most hurtful ways as a child (certainly didn't lead to the most healthy relationship between us down the road), so this episode hits pretty hard in a personal way.

BtVS has always been about the struggles of teenhood, and the angst of having the world possibly ostracizing you and nobody really understanding you is pretty relatable for many teenagers, even today. Dawn's diary acts as a vacuum she could vent to. It's her way of voicing out her frustrations with life and isn't just some tired cliché. I remember having to vent my frustrations out in online diaries too, and it's a pretty therapeutic experience.

I feel a bit sorry for Tara here in this episode, calling herself a non-Scooby. It's another great moment where that feeling of being an outsider is so relatable, having these volatile emotions boiling inside that you feel people wouldn't understand. BtVS is a great teen drama for tackling issues like that.

Riley is as usual creepy with his awkward dialogue ("I'm here to violate your first-born"), but this episode is one of those examples where he's also doting on Buffy and it makes his character so frustrating. Also, I cringed hard when he called himself "A studly yet sensitive boyfriend." Yeah, psh, whatever you say. ?

I likes Giles' development here of gaining a new purpose in life while going through his midlife crisis. I just hope that the writers don't just decide to dump him in the shop, call it a day and rarely use his character in significant ways again.

Harmony is adorable this episode, and I like her here even if her role's played for laughs. That half-wit remark from Buffy to her definitely got a chuckle out of me. Harm being so full of pep even in her desperation to be relevant is fun to watch.

And speaking of, it seems like that's the theme for this episode: a desire to be recognized as a significant individual or at least an equal, whether it's Buffy's jealousy of Dawn being babied by her mum, Dawn's frustration of not being taken seriously, Harmony's similar insecurities about not being taken seriously as a person, or Giles' midlife crisis.

Overall, a surprisingly solid episode given what I heard about Dawn. It's actually more likable than I expected, hearkening back to the more innocent days watching tween drama. I just hope that it doesn't overshadow Buffy's character arc of maturity and understandably causing the fanbase to find her annoying, possibly constantly making fun of her being annoying like I did even before meeting her. Huh. Sounds like a foreshadowing if I ever heard one...

8/10

Deleted member 69 · 27 Sep 2020

I admit: I relate with Xander a lot. He puts his foot in his mouth, he lives with his parents, and he often tries to cover up his insecurities with his humor- oh my god, Xander is Peter Parker. Jokes aside, he has the same "average guy struggling with mundane troubles" like Peter, and just like him (or at least the original '60s version), he's portrayed as an underdog loser one could sympathize with, even having the same occasional self-righteousness that makes him come off as a jerk (something else I share).

I like that it's established in this episode Xander isn't the loser he thinks he is. It's pretty clear that what Xander lacks is self-confidence to flaunt his suaveness around, not to mention thinking before he speaks.

However, for all that Xander lacks, Riley is 10x worse in the school of "putting a foot and an entire leg in your mouth." Watching Riley is like having countdown to when he's gonna say something more stupid than what Xander would say. Initially, I thought he was surprisingly sweet this episode, having a lack of any cringey dialogue, and then... "We're talking toes, elbows..." Yep, there it is. To be fair, Riley is probably his best self here, like others have said, accepting Buffy for whom she is in a way that's much better than the other Scoobies even. Even his Initiative instinct to experiment on the two Xanders was amusing in a thoughtless way that's different from his usually creepy dialogue.

Joyce's dialogue about her headache this episode changes so much in context if you know what's coming. Yikes.

Anya's dialogue has gotten better this season, or at least more comedic. Her fantasy of having a threesome with Xanders is hilarious, yet calling out on something a number of people might have thought of if they happened to have their lover split up into two. Kinky.

Overall, this was a really strong character-centric episode that does so well to explore that sense of insecurity Xander has that's so relatable. His speech about how the better Xander is doing everything better and should just have his life is heartbreaking to watch, mirroring my own insecurities sometimes as well (maybe more than sometimes). I really enjoyed this one. Jane Espenson does well with character exploration like in "Band Candy" and "A New Man". Here's hoping the season could keep up with this self-awareness of Xander's good points and bad ones and develops him further, recognizing that Xander has a lot of heart and can be more than just "the funny man" (see "The Freshman" in season 4).

8/10

Deleted member 69 · 27 Sep 2020

And so it begins.

A lot of things are happening in this episode that makes it feel like the great layered scripting that would come to define Buffy (and more modern 2000s television shows), even beyond the contrived way of writing out Briley and starting the Spuffy train. You have character moments for Willow, Dawn, Xander and Joyce as well, either foreshadowing coming events or showing how far some of them have progressed. For example, building off the last episode, "The Replacement", Xander is recognized as someone more competent now, a skilled carpenter. Willow's development, on the other hand, calls back to "Restless" and her perception of Buffy as a dunce, even going so far to have the following moment:

Willow: "Isn't this better than using a flashlight like some kind of doofus?"
*cuts to Buffy the doofus shining a flashlight around*

Subtly, Willow has now felt a sense of superiority with her magic over Buffy, more than just seeing her as an equal. What this means in the broader context of this season (and season 6) remains to be seen.

It's nice to see that the show has moved on from the college scene even though Buff should be a sophomore at this point (if my knowledge of the American education system is correct). I saw glimpses of this even while I was watching earlier seasons, so I was anxious to see elements of school drama slowly fade out even during my viewing of season 4. School drama can be nice for a while, but with Buffy getting older, I would like to see her dealing with more adult issues than... well, "Beer Bad".

At this point, I'm not even going to call out any Joyce foreshadowing anymore because it seems like it's just gonna pop up every other episode. It's a nice and dramatic development this episode, don't get me wrong, Joyce landing in the hospital. Definitely a clearer foreshadow than the previous episodes. We get to see Dawn acting very much like a traumatized kid who witnessed her own mother collapsing. Her awkward way of trying to join the conversation between Buffy and Willow is so totally me, even in recent conversations of mine. Sometimes, you just don't know how to join a conversation in a natural non-intrusive way, yet you would still want to be part of the gang.

Harmony has returned to Spike, the old flame that emotionally abused her once, after gaining her independence two episodes ago. Sigh. It's a realistic portrayal of real life abuse victims, but man, I feel bad for Harm. She deserves better and her attempt to become independent was very fun to watch in "Real Me".

And yes, now we get to Riley. Him behaving like a petulant child seems to be born out of some vague insecurity he couldn't get over, but I have a hard time understanding his lack of appreciation for Buffy's love. For one thing, I never bought their relationship; they never felt compatible, and Riley has always felt like a stock love interest who could easily be replaced by any normal guy. And yet, Buffy seems to like him nonetheless, perhaps because of this normality, perhaps because of plot obligations, so when Riley becomes insecure over having Buffy's love for him as a girlfriend (even though there's no chemistry in the first place), I'm just left with a big shrug. It doesn't feel that shocking to me that Buffy would be bored of Riley - we all got bored of him a long time ago - but as it is now in this episode, Buffy even states that this is not the case, and she still loves him, so get over it, faux Captain America. I'm more surprised to see this relationship work out that long.

It's this kind of insecurity that's the reason why men like Riley won't be able to make relationships work. Even if Buffy loves him wholeheartedly, Riley wouldn't believe that because he has so little confidence in his ability to compete with Buffy's exes. And that's another thing: it's not a competition! Only Riley the meat-for-brains would has this toxic masculinity thinking that a woman would only love you for how strong or competent you are. Look at Xander and Anya! For all his insecurities, Xander is able to believe Anya loves him for whom he is and considers her the most important person in the world to him (as seen in the previous episode).

So now what we're left with is the exit of Briley. Well, I say, it's about darn time. Get out, leave! I, for one Bangel fan, welcome our new vampire shipping in Spuffy.

6/10, and only because of the fun Spike subplot.

Deleted member 69 · 28 Sep 2020

There's a lot to love about this episode beyond just the awesome moments like Giles' costume and Anya's newfound purpose in life. The "enfant terrible" trope wasn't new to '90s television as it traces back all the way to even the ''60s or '70s with films like The Village of the Damned (1960), The Omen (1976) and The Children of the Corn (1984). Even The X-Files season 5 and Millennium season 2 had plenty of that in spades. But for Buffy, Dawn being teased as an enfant terrible was more appropriate in its metaphorical structure (seeing your little sister as a demonic spawn of Hell), and it wouldn't have been out of place if it wasn't a red herring. In spite of the whole "Evil Dawn" schtick revealing itself as false, I like how it was set up because the illusion felt very real rather than having any loopholes that would make you wonder "Wait, if she's evil, then why would she do that?" It's just vague enough to keep you guessing while not playing into the teasing too much to make it feel contrived. Dawn making tea as per normal, Dawn being sinister to Buffy as per normal; everything seemed normal in spite of the "Evil Dawn" context audiences (and Buffy) know about (and the eerie music).

But I think this revelation of Dawn's true nature adds to the little sister narrative in a much different way. Previously, I felt for both Dawn and Buffy because it can be a real burden for both the elder and younger sister, with the big sister feeling insecurity from mum's babying of the little one, and the little one feeling insignificant than the proud and all-powerful Slayer. Beats being a middle child though; being a middle child can be far worse, feeling a sense of mediocrity where you're neither the most talented or the cutest (see Buttercup in PPG), but I digress. Now that we know Dawn isn't really Buffy's sister and is merely an implanted memory, there's no blood connection anymore and Buffy's sense of obligation to a family member isn't the same anymore. So now she's stuck between having the memory of knowing a little sister her whole life and having the knowledge that it's all a lie. Whammy.

If Buffy remains benevolent towards Dawn after all this (and I'm not saying this out of any resentment towards Dawn), then I would really respect her perseverance and compassion, because holy cow, I would kick her out of my house if I know she isn't family. I like Dawn as a character, but I wouldn't be able to stand her for a day in my own house. I'm not as patient. But anyway, this will probably build up to "The Gift" and show the kind of sacrifices Buffy has to inevitably make for a non-sister. Dang.

Not much to say about Glory at the moment other than I do like her as a Big Bad so far, but I can also see why she can be one-note (in spite of her insane villainess charm). Let's hope the season gives her more depth than just "I'm crazy and wanna kill you and be sarcastic!"

Giles learns first-hand just how painful shopkeeping can be. Be careful what you wish for. That's why I don't work retail. It's not just Anya who would go, "Please go." I don't work well with customers.

Overall, a solid episode that changes the narrative drastically in an interesting way. Let's see how Buffy will handle her newfound responsibility to a non-sister.

8/10

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