[MajicK]

Buffy was terrific in its early years, when it still had Cordelia and Angel. It was rated one of TV Guide's top ten shows and I personally feel that Sarah Michelle Gellar does an incredible job acting out the part as the slayer. Many free-lance critics still laud this show highly, and I still think it's great. I don't understand why it hasn't seen and "real" recogniton--i.e. golden globes--for its great acting and storylines. Oh wait, I do know...because it is a TEEN show and TEEN shows don't deserve any credit! However, Dawson's Creek is a terrible terrible show... I mean, come on, Sunnydale, CA being the hellmouth is more believable than the glib, and might I say annoying, language that the Creek gang uses.

[mistressoftheforce]

It's true that Buffy's quality has gone down over the last series or so as she seems to be facing the same "save the world" problems over and over again. I know that's what she has always done but now the character's and similar storylines seem so repetitive. Though I really thought than when they introduced a new character i.e Dawn, it seemed that they had run out of idea's. Although that doesn't mean I'll stop watching it...I want to see if Spike and Buffy get together.

[Lady_Linda]

*stares* There actually are people who prefer Buffy infront of Charmed?!

I do not like Buffy because the characters are stereotype, the plot is always the same (Eddings but worse) and I'm simply not especially interested in seeing her do the same thing again and again.

Charmed is much better, imo, I admit that the plot is pretty much the same also here but the characters actually develope. That is what I want to see, the demon hunting is not the fun part for me, it is just the background.
(And it is growing better - the script is much better 'now' than it used to be.)

Since I live in Sweden, 'now' is just before and after Piper and Leo got married. (Their relation is _so_ romantic, (*grins* Ok, ok - I admit it, but I just love that type of sugarsweet, fluffy romance. (like, when he spread red rose petals all over her bed *smiles dreamily and hugs her pillow* http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif) Their realtion is actually what I think is the most interesting in the whole series http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif

(I have not seen angel, so I can't comment on that)

[Ravenlock]

I have to point that I am not an expert on this subject at all since I have never seen an entire buffy episode, although the last 10 minutes of the musical episode seemed fairly amusing, i have only seen one and a half episodes of charmed and I've seen about four angel episodes. Of the three I like Angel the best. Granted I never saw Buffy when Angel was still on it. i starated watching a couple of weeks ago when I needed a break from reading Dracula and thought i'd stick to the whole vampire theme. I've been watching it ever since. I was terrible upset that I missed it this week. It looked very interesting. My biggest problem with charmed is that I already have too many shows I am interested in wataching and thursday just isn't a good night for me. I think I would like it if I got into it.

[Roland 85]

Ok, so I delved into arts darker than the blackest night and raised this topic back from the dead, because I'm currently rewatching Buffy. Just finished Season 2 yesterday, and I realized I am just as passionately in love with the show as I was back when I first saw it (which was last year btw). To me, it is one of the most mature, deep and intelligent shows on TV, period.

Here are my takes on Season 1 and 2 from Roland's Codex:


Season 1

Words could hardly express my adoration for the "Buffyverse" (the shared world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel) and my respect for its creator, Joss Whedon. It is easy to scoff at those shows, with their cheap special effects and unrealistic premises. But if one but looks with unbiased eyes, it is even easier to fall in love with their deep characters, the complex relationships between them, the underlying themes in each episode, and the brilliant dialogues. What Joss Whedon has given us with Buffy and Angel is something that has rarely, if ever, happened on TV - not just entertainment, but an experience, something which changes us, if only a little. And I really love those shows. Not with the fervor of a fanboy, but with the respect and fondness of someone who felt the characters of the Buffyverse come to life before his eyes, and become his friends, even if for a short while. See, I cared for them. And still do.

Recently I decided to rewatch the shows, and I thought I might as well express my geekness in written form, season by season. I am aware that most of you probably have either watched them, or do not care to, but for the sake of those who haven't and maybe some day would, I will review the seasons without spoilers.

In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 1 we meet Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) - a 16-year old California girl who just moved into the little town of Sunnydale with her mother, after being kicked out of her school in LA for torching the gymnasium. In her first day at Sunnydale High, she meets two outcasts who will quickly become her best friends, and the core of the show's cast - science geek Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and goofy slacker Xander (Nicholas Brendon) - as well as the British librarian Mr. Giles (Anthony Steward Head), and the mysterious Angel (David Boreanaz), both of whom know entirely too much about her. Because Buffy is the Slayer - one who is born into each generation to fight vampires and the forces of darkness. And Giles is a Watcher, sent to guide and teach her. Only, Buffy doesn't really fall in line with what is expected of her, and often her teenage girl problems take precedence over world-saving. But then the Master - an ancient and powerful vampire - threatens to escape from his prison in the Hellmouth under Sunnydale (a vortex of mystical energy, which also acts as a portal to the demonic dimensions), and it is up to Buffy and her friends to stop him.

Season 1 is a tentative first step in what will be one of the greatest TV shows of all time. It is nowhere near the quality of the following seasons, but even here the traces of what is to come are visible. The first two episodes - "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "Harvest" - comprise the two parts of the pilot. After only half an hour of watching it, we feel as if we've known these characters for years, as small details are scattered all over the place, giving flesh and depth to what could easily have been card-board one-liner delivery devices.

Episodes worth mentioning are the hilariously over-the-top "Teacher's Pet" with its kitsch sexy Giant Preying Mantis slash Biology Teacher villainess, as well as "Angel", which was one of the biggest shockers of the 90s (its plot-twist regrettably long since ruined by Angel's pop-culture popularity). This season also offers two of the best episode endings I've seen anywhere on TV, in terms of comedic timing - those of "I, Robot... You, Jane" and "The Puppet Show". But nothing shines as bright as the season finale - "Prophecy Girl". Directed by Joss Whedon himself, it raises the overall quality of the show almost to the heights that it will reach by the end of its run. The very real drama of the Slayer who is also a very scared 16-year old girl who just doesn't want to die, is portrayed in such painful and touching manner, that if "Prophecy Girl" were the last episode in the show (as, for all its creators knew at the time, it could've been), Buffy the Vampire Slayer would still be among the best things to happen to TV in the 90s.

Fortunately for us, that was not the case. As for Season 1 though, it is a brilliant, if a bit childish and unsure beginning, and apart from a one or two mediocre episodes ("The Pack" springs to mind, even though it shows a very cool "dark side" of one of the main characters) it is well worth the time.

7/10


Season 2

Summer is over, and Buffy and her friends start their Junior year in High School. But all is not well in Sunnydale, and the Hellmouth attracts two of the most dangerous vampires alive - the irreverent bad boy Spike and his demented lover - the seer Drusila. And even that threat pales in comparison to what awaits Buffy. An enemy much older and much more sinister... and also much closer to her heart.

Season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is perhaps the most defining one in the whole show. It introduces so much of what makes the Buffyverse great, I don't even know where to begin. Many fan-favorites make their first appearance here. Let's start with Spike. Everybody loves Spike. Originally meant to be a one-episode villain, James Marsters' performance of the British vampire who shows little respect for propriety and the Ancient Traditions Of Evilness, but a lot of love for good old-fashioned human fun, was so evocative that Whedon decided to keep him as the season's baddie and even beyond. And knowing how that character develops through the seasons, I think everyone should be deeply grateful for that decision. Although not nearly as important a character (she makes another appearance in Angel), Drusila is no less memorable than her boyfriend, and Juliet Landau's powerful depiction of the completely crazy and twisted psychic - in turns vulnerable and innocent, and depraved and deeply erotic - is absolutely superb. Other new addition to the cast is Seth Green's adorable Oz - Willow's new monosyllabic love interest who has a couple of secrets of his own.

But the highlight of the season is, undoubtedly, the return of Angelus. Sure, we already know that Angel's souless alter-ego was a sadistic monster that put most other vampires to shame, but it is not until Angelus emerges from within the tortured do-gooder that we realize how horrific - and insanely charming - he really is. The mindfrak he proceeds to inflict upon Buffy is nothing short of brilliant, and the most powerful theme in the season, as it shows that Buffy the Vampire Slayer can do adult drama just as well as smart comedy. Tragedy strikes more than once - real tragedy, measurable in real-world pain - and it is in Season 2 that we realize this is not going to be a show of easy victories and cloudless skies. Characters suffer horribly, and they grow or are broken by this suffering. Even when the day is saved, you are left wondering whether the sacrifice was worth it. Adult themes are used freely, and in more than one instance the problems that characters have to deal with, are less than comfortable and quite real to the teen-age audience of the show.

Of course, this beautiful television achievement would be impossible without the superb performances of the cast. Sarah Michelle Gellar is amazing in her depiction of the Slayer's drama - she is surrounded by friends as no other Slayer has been before, and it gives her great strength, but it is also a weakness, and in the end, she is always alone. Anthony Head is also spot-on in his role of Giles, Buffy's Watcher. Season 2 shows a lot more of Giles' past and his personality, and - as is always the case with Whedon - we find that appearances can and usually are deceiving. James Marsters doesn't do a lot of character development, as in Whedonspeak "lack of soul" equals not only "lack of conscience" (for that is what it all boils down to, this soul business), but also the inability to evolve. Yet, what he has to work with, is bloody brilliant, mate! His faux Brit-accent (Marsters is California-born) is hilarious and he exudes so much sex appeal and raw coolness that no heart is safe from him. David Boreanaz is by far the weakest link when it comes to acting (at least for now), but Angel/Angelus' role is so cool that he couldn't possibly botch it.

A lot of relationships - romantic and otherwise - develop and change throughout the season, and another new concept is introduced through them: that every action matters and has lasting repercussions. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is not a show with one-episode problems. Even the "monster of the weeek" episodes feature character development, and that is the main reason why you can never really know why so many people love the Buffyverse from just watching random episodes of it. It is also the reason why the show had a hard time acquiring new fans. You have to see the whole thing. You have to follow the characters from their fledgling beginnings in Season 1, and let them grow before your eyes. I am yet to see a TV show that comes even remotely close to the character-building that the Buffyverse has.

Still, Season 2 is hardly perfect. The rhythm is all over the place as - after the strong beginning of When She Was Bad and School Hard - we have the outrageously bad stand-alones Inca Mummy Girl and Reptile Boy, while at the end, after the horrifying tragedy of Angelus-driven Passion and the disquietingly adult themes of the ghost story I Only Have Eyes For You, the show opts for another filler - the admittedly awesome Go Fish - before finally reaching the two-episode finale Becoming.

Yet, with an overall quality as high as Buffy's, it is but a minor bump in a ride that leaves you so much in love with the show, it is sometimes hard to bear. Even knowing all the plot-twists, I found myself sniffling and trying to swallow through the lump in my throat in quite a few instances. And Season 2 is nowhere near the best seasons in the show. What it is, is the true beginning of Buffy the Vampire Slayer - the season that showed what the Buffyverse was capable of, and built the foundations for what would turn out to be one of the greatest TV shows ever made.

9/10

[Chuffalump]

I have all seven Buffy series on DVD. :D:o:D Never really got into Angel.

All of Dark Angel too..... hmmmm, not sure what it is about kick arse women.

[Roland 85]

I loved Angel. A lot different focus than Buffy but the same level of storytelling and a lot deepre character development.

[txshusker]

I am a closet Buffy/Angel watcher. Several seasons of both are available on Netflix streaming, and the Logo network plays 2 episodes of Buffy a night. (Though I don't understand why) during a lull in the other 200 stations... so I've been revisiting many; and Angel is on 2 or 3 channels. The camp of Buffy is the most enjoyable parts for me. Angel had some moments when i was turned off - especially the Cordelia pregnant with the bad guy thing...

And I can't help but flick to the movie when its on (and it runs all the time). That's some great B movie camp in that. (And I'm a Kristy Swanson fan.)

[Roland 85]

I just have to paste this here. I realize it's a very exhibitionist form of gushing, but I'm in my Buffy zone again ^_^

Non-fiction: The Complete Slayer - Keith Topping


I have never been a huge fan of official guides to movies and TV shows. They are usually filled with completely pointless trivia and inconsequential facts, and rarely touch on the deeper and more interesting aspects of the work. Buffy's guides are, unfortunately, not an exception to this rule, and even though the show itself is overflowing with subtext, symbolism and interesting themes, the three parts of The Watcher's Guide offer not nearly enough insight into the minds of Joss Whedon and the rest of the people responsible for this amazing work of art.

Unofficial guides are riskier though. Some of them can be so devastatingly amateurish as to make you wish self-publication was punishable by death, and publishing books required an officially sanctioned IQ test. And yet sometimes an exception appears - one that proves that a truly dedicated intelligent fan could always do a better job than any "professional" (a similar case could be made for anime fansubbers VS official subs). Case in point - Keith Topping and his "unofficial and unauthorized" guide Slayer.

Keith Topping is a British writer and journalist who has written a huge number of movie and TV show guides as well as other media- and fan-fiction related literature. His first Buffy guide - Slayer: The Totally Cool Unofficial Guide to Buffy - comes out in 2000 and covers the first three seasons of the show. Since then every subsequent season has seen either a revised version of the guide, or its own separate entry, until in 2004 Virgin Books released The Complete Slayer - a hefty Lord of the Rings-sized volume that features each and every episode of the show, as well as the unfortunate movie that preceded it.

Now, I realize that at first glance the words "episode guide" do not evoke excitement. But that is only if you think "official". In Mr. Topping's case we're talking about a book that is easily one of the most engaging and informative Buffy-related non-fiction works ever written. Each entry in The Complete Slayer begins with the airing dates for US and UK, the Director, Writer, Story and Cast credits and a quick synopsis. They are then divided into separate labels that mark different aspects of the show, most of which are basically recap. Some of those are featured in every episode, and some are specific to only a particular one.

Dreaming (As Blondie Once Said) is Free - this entry features in every episode where a dream is presented or even mentioned. Nothing much to say, but it's actually pretty cool that someone paid attention at the fact that Buffy did such amazing dream sequences.

Dudes and Babes - as is probably obvious - deals with all romantic/dating aspects of the episode.

Authority Sucks! - every attempt at controlling the Scooby Gang from an authority figure of any sort.

Mom's Apple Pie - aspects of traditional American life, either simply portrayed, or used for a setting of a catastrophe.

Denial, Thy Name is Joice depicts the many amazing ways in which Buffy's mother manages to fool herself into believing that everything is ok with the world. Funny thing is, this label sometimes changes names if another character is particularly prone to denying reality in that particular episode.

It's a Designer Label! - one of the more pointless (to me) entries, which focuses on the clothes - good or bad - that characters wear in the episode.

References is pretty much self-explanatory, although I have to point out that the author has missed some. However, with a show that pop-culturey it's impossible not to.

Geek-Speak goes for the most Whedonesque lines in the episode, particularly those that reference comic books and other geeky stuff. For obvious reasons focused around Xander and some particular characters in Season 6.

Valley Speak - the slang used in the show. Or, as Whedon puts it, "twisting the English language until it cries in pain".

I Just Love Your Accent focuses on Buffy and her friends making fun of the way Giles speaks, and anything British in general.

Bitch! quotes the most outrageous, mean, snarky and sarcastic lines. Usually from the girl-cast, but not always.

Awesome! - the scenes that most impressed Mr. Topping. They are usually pretty close to my own favorites, although he seems more focused on action than me.

Cigarettes and Alcohol - another uninspiring label which - very much like the fashion one - lists the usage and mentions of - wait for it! - cigarettes and alcohol!

The Drugs Don't Work - Same as the above, for... I'm not even gonna say it.

Don't Give Up The Day Job appears when a member of the cast or crew is or has been known for a different kind of profession.

A Little Learning Is a Dangerous Thing - whenever some form of studying is being done or mentioned.

The Conspiracy Starts at Home Time is featured whenever some mystery is alluded to, that has something to do with a bigger story-arc.

'You Might Remember Me From Such Movies and TV Series As...' - the most famous roles of guest stars in that particular episode.

Logic, Let Me Introduce You To This Window is by far my favorite section in every episode (because I am a very mean person), and it is present in every single one. It lists all the logical errors, as well as shooting mistakes and all kinds of mishaps detectable in the episode.

Quote/Unquote - the most notable lines. Only, not my personal favorites usually. It's strange how the author rarely picks the quotes that I've liked the most.

Notes is my other favorite. Before delving into listing of facts we've learned from the episode, its first paragraph is always dedicated to Keith Topping's personal (and usually very informed) opinion of the episode from the point of view of professional reviewing - plot structure, ideas, acting, all that joy. It's surprising how often his opinion matches mine there.

Those are the most commonly appearing entries. There are others like Critique (which covers the media reaction for particularly important episodes) or Soundtrack (when there's a memorable song), but most are too rare to list.

In the end, it's obviously a matter of which - if any - of those things interests you. I have to admit that I skip some of them, like Designer Label, Day Job or You May Know Me... But I find most of the others very interesting, and I really enjoy reading the entry of each episode that I've just seen. It's a habit that I formed around the time I started watching Angel (Topping's Hollywood Vampire is the Angel version of Slayer, and I'll review it some other time). Now, as I rewatch Buffy, I'm finding the guide particularly useful in making the most interesting and fun parts of the show stick in my memory. I'd recommend it to everyone who is a fan of the show or is just now planning to start watching it. It's a great read, and extremely helpful, as Mr. Topping has obviously spent an incredible time on every detail of every episode. Plus, all that encyclopedic information that some people inexplicably care about.

9.5/10

[Roland 85]

Ok, double posting for the win...

Season 3


It is time for the Senior year of Sunnydale Class of '99. But after the events in Season 2, Buffy has been expelled, and nobody even knows where she is. And even when she gets back, can things be the same again? But personal problems are the least of her worries, as another enemy rises - one that has been with the town since its creation. And on top of that, a new Slayer arrives - the rebellious Faith, whose priorities aren't even close to Buffy's.

Season 3 is a self-aware and intelligent piece of entertainment, showing beautifully how Buffy has blossomed into maturity. It lacks the emotional impact of the previous season, as the threat of the Mayor (portrayed fantastically by Harry Groener) is not nearly as personal as that of Angelus was. At the same time though, the overall quality of the episodes - and especially the stand-alones - is immensely higher. Very few episodes fall flat, and there are many brilliant examples of genius story-telling on some of which I'll focus later. The season also introduces the "Dark Slayer" Faith (Eliza Dushku, who also plays the main character in Whedon's latest TV show, Dollhouse) - a tainted but sobering mirror for Buffy, showing the ways her calling could go wrong. Other new additions to the cast are the ex-vengeance demon Anya (Emma Caulfield) who will play a major part in later seasons, as well as the new Watcher Wesley Wyndham-Price (Alexis Denisof) who is more or less a joke here, but will turn into an amazing character in Angel.

There are many themes in Season 3, but one of the most important is that of overcoming insecurity. Every character has some sort of rite of passage, and not all of them manage to get through those. Human contact is also a major theme, with the evolving relationship between Buffy and Angel, as well as the twisted father-daughter interactions of Faith and the Mayor. The topics of domestic violence, High School isolation and repressed anger also have their own episodes. Mayor Richard Wilkins III himself is one of the most brilliantly conceived bad guys in the Buffyverse. His schizophrenic jumps between a stable pillar of society and American values, and a sick maniac wishing to rule the world are both hilarious and chilling. The way he is used to actually tell the main characters all the important painful truths they keep denying is beautifully realized.

This is a season that marks the ending of a lot of staples for the show, and clearly shows that Joss Whedon is not only not afraid to shake the status quo, but actually revels in shaking it. Season 3 sees the characters graduate High School to enter a new stage in their lives. It also marks the departure of two fan-favorites - Angel and Cordelia - who were transferred to the spin-off Angel (whose first season corresponds with Buffy Season 4). Angel and Buffy's relationship had run its course and it was a smart choice for him to get his own show, but it is a surprise how much Cordelia is missed in further seasons, despite her amazing character development in Angel. In any other TV show, she would have been a cardboard cliche, a walking joke for the main cast to stamp on. Not in Buffy. Charisma Carpenter's talented acting and Whedon's inspired screen-writing turned Cordelia into a multilayered and intricate character, one that was essential for the show, and loved by virtually everyone.

Like I said earlier, Season 3 has the highest overall episode quality so far. After the ponderous prologue of Anne and the rather long-winded Dead Man's Party, the season quickly finds its pace, and by its epic ending in the two-part Graduation Day, it has soared to really impressive heights. Highlights include the amazing Band Candy that takes a cliche idea - adults acting as teenagers - to show a really disturbing side of both Giles and Buffy's mother Joice. It is a remarkable character-building piece, and insanely funny too. Lovers Walk sees practically ALL relationships suffer some sort of blow, and gives us a drunken guest-starring Spike who has been dumped by Drusila after the events of Season 2. The Wish - one of the two best episodes in Season 3 - is a genius "what if" episode that sees Sunnydale turned into a vampire play-ground where Buffy never came. It also introduces Vamp Willow - a kinky, sadistic and bi-curious creature of evil self-indulgence that Alyson Hannigan portrays with an obvious delight. The Zeppo is a masterfully crafted exercise in the mechanics of point of view, showing Xander take the spot-light while in the background the gang faces their BIGGEST CHALLENGE EVER!!!... of which we see nothing and couldn't care less. Easily the best episode in the season, it is also among the best in the entire show. The post-modern twist of plot-structure is nothing short of brilliant and while Xander's story is intricate and engaging, everybody else's problems are made to look cliched and over-the-top melodramatic. The Prom gives us Season 3's most touching moment, which - surprisingly - has nothing to do with relationships, but is instead one of recognition and appreciation as Buffy sacrifices her own happiness so that her friends may have an unforgettable Prom.

Season 3 had some problems during its original airing. Two episodes were postponed, one for a good reason, and the other - as a knee-jerk panic reaction. The former is Earshot, in which the main story-line revolves around an implied plan to commit mass murder in the school. As its airing would coincide with a real High School massacre in Colorado, it was postponed. Actually, that is rather lucky, since if it were aired just a bit earlier, Buffy would have become one of the main targets in the pop-culture witch-hunt that inevitably follows every such tragedy (ironically, this tendency is touched upon in another episode of the season - Gingerbread). Still, even though it was more or less understandable, Earshot was not focused on High School violence, but on isolation and fear - the two concepts that are eating at the core of every High School student everywhere, but seem to be especially prominent in American culture. The joke is on WB though - they were so worried about Earshot and its implied student massacre, that they completely ignored The Prom that actually had a student trying to kill all his class-mates. But I guess student massacre is ok, as long as it's Hellhounds and not guns...

Graduation Day, Part II was also postponed, since it dealt with a huge and violent showdown happening in school and involving students. As many critics pointed out at the time, it was ridiculous to do that to a show such as Buffy - one of the very few TV series to actually portray teens as serious and reliable people who strive to do the right thing and are guided by a sense of integrity and responsibility. WB only managed to become a laughing stock with their fear of touching upon a sensitive subject, while everyone else saw that to postpone an episode that is all about making the right choices and facing consequences borders on the surreal.

Despite those bumps in its way though, Season 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a glorious piece of TV art, and the best of the first three seasons. It marks the ending of an era in the Buffyverse and is as sure-footed as a TV show could ever be in this age of censorship and sensitivity issues. And even if it lacks something of the punch of the Angelus-Buffy drama from the previous season, its overall quality is so great, that it rises head and shoulders above any competition.

10/10