Season 5 is pretty good so far.
It is summer so I am doing some independent contracting- copy-editing, proof-reading and the like, (you can always tell when I am doing this because I blog- my way of taking a break from squinting at layouts) and so far I have to stop working to concentrate on the show several times. This was not often the case with Season 4, although “Hush” and the dream sequence Season Finale were highpoints.
Cool v. Uncool status:
Buffy’s sister- uncool
Giles’s new car- cool
Xander tired of being everyone’s ‘bitch’- cool
Riley- still uncool
Buffy in pink leather pants- cool
Spike only having cameos- uncool
My still missing the bitchy, whiny, shallow, obnoxious, and insufferable Cordelia (BEST. BUFFY. CHARACTER. EVER. Spike and Drusilla are a close second) even though she has been gone a season- uncool.
Xander’s Demonic girlfriend- very cool
Me not only watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer but blogging about it the day after my 35th birthday- a pathetic cry for help.
*** UPDATE ***
No spoilers, you rascally Buffy-luvin’ bastiches!
I am only at the beginning of season 5, and there are lots of people who aren’t even there yet. So, if you will, just general effusive praise for the series, please…
If you want soilers, go here.
dagon
john,
welcome my friend. season’s 4 and 5 of angel notwithstanding, buffy the vampire slayer is the single best distillation of the pop culture zeitgeist cum female empowerment epic ever committed to 4:3 beta.
i have spoken.
peace
Urinated State of America
Some furious, frantic self-abuse should cheer you up.
It’s less depressing than reflecting on the current state of ‘Merkin politics, and probably more productive and better for one’s health (lowers one’s risk of prostate cancer).
John Cole
Some furious, frantic self-abuse should cheer you up.
That should all but kill this thread.
NYCmoderate
Season 4 had some really outstanding individual episodes (Hush, the dream-sequence one, the one where Oz leaves), but the overall arc of the season didn’t work for me. Season 5 as a whole was not my favorite because I’m not a big, uh, Buffy’s sister fan, but I think the show picks right back up in season 6. Though I have to say, the series finale was disappointing on several levels.
As to the Best. Buffy. Character. Ever. Anya. Definitely Anya.
Also, hey I came over via The Moderate Voice and plan to add you to my regular reading once I figure out where the RSS feed is.
dagon
NYCmoderate
season 5 was much like season 4 with it being only so-so in terms of overall arc but possessing outstanding individual eps.
“The Body” is all i need say. dawn starts to grow on you towards the end of the season and is integral by season 6, as they drop all of that ‘angsty’ little sister crap.
besides from the always marvelous emma caulfield as anya, i would say that alyson hannigan and nick brendon’s willow and zander both come in to their own during these 2 seasons, picking up the slack from buffy’s growing pains.
although i have to agree with you about the series finale, i don’t really know how they could have gone out any other way.
peace
John Cole
RSS Feed.
Grotesqueticle
Not pathetic. Good show. The Body, man, I’ve been unable to watch that one since it first aired. It’s amazing, the older I get, the less real life seems to affect me, but schmaltzy TV gets to me every time. THAT is pathetic. I’m with you on Cordelia. She was even better on Angel.
Stormy 70
Hello – I’m on season 3! Spoiler alerts would be appreciated. Actually, I think it is season 3, It is senior year, Homecoming that I just finished.
For the um…the self-abuse crowd, Stephen Green (Vodka Pundit) had a cheescake picture of Cordelia back in 2002, I think. Showed her in a thong. Consider this my good deed for the day, well, maybe a naughty one. ;) He had it before he got married.
dagon
strmy
no spoilers from me. seeing this stuff fresh is too cool to spoil.
season 2 and 3 are probably the best seasons (the maoyor/faith arch ruled) but there’s cool stuff ahead, so enjoy.
btw, ms. carpenter has done quite a few shall we say, ‘risque’ layouts.
peace
Stormy 70
Thanks, Dagon, for not spoiling a girl’s fun.
Catsy
Just do a Google Image search for Charisma Carpenter. Your two seconds of typing shall be rewarded.
Oddly, though, Cordy just isn’t my cup of tea. Got a powerful, powerful crush on Alyson Hannigan, though.
Stormy 70
Angel is hot. And I think he has a new series in the Fall, as well as Alyson Hannigan.
dagon
alyson hannigan is powerfully, unexpectedly hot!
she’s married to Wesley (alexis denisof) from both buffy and angel in real life. yeah, i’m THAT big of a buffy nerd.
peace
Matt
Anya is the uber-Cordy, insofar as how she functions in the group dynamic. She’s Cordy to the nth degree.
And, as far as Spike goes, be patient. However, season 5 is the last time he was tolerable as a character for me. Your mileage may vary, though.
Stormy 70
Wesley is hot, too. Plenty of eye candy for either sex.
dagon
hey stormy,
have you caught wes on ‘angel’? talk about being ‘born again hard’, (gratuitous full metal jacket quote notwithstanding.
peace
Stormy 70
Yes, I watched the first two seasons of Angel, but I missed the rest. I will have to rent the other seasons, or just buy the whole thing. I guess I wasn’t paying that much attention, and missed the whole Buffy thing, but decided to watch Angel out of the blue when it started up. Now I’m hooked, and happened to notice FX was running two Buffy eps a day in chronylogical order. I have watched about twelve episodes in the past few days. I still will have to rent the first season, since I only saw the last ep.
Fortunately, I’m married to a gaming geek, and he does not interfere with my blog perusing or my sick addiction to the TV. My job is my hobby.
dagon
stormy,
the first season is essential because, although short, it sets up a great m many of the themes that will be played out over the next 7 years.
unlike george lucas, joss whedon IS that good of a writer to have the entire epic more or less sussed out from the beginning.
and don’t make any apologized for watching ‘good’ tv. i’ll take my ‘art’ wherever i can find it these days.
peace
NYCmoderate
John – thank you for the RSS link! I couldn’t find it for some reason.
dagon – I had forgotten that The Body, one of the better episodes of television (no qualifiers) ever made was in S5. Trying not to be spoilerish, but the scene in the dorm room with Anya, Xander and Willow? Breaks my heart every damn time. I also agree with you that Xander and Willow really come into their own over these two seasons, and some of the more Buffy-centric eps towards the end of the season are pretty good.
Someone mentioned Alyson Hannigan. She was on Veronica Mars periodically during the second half of the season. Also, for anyone who’s a fan of Joss, you should check out the short-lived Firefly, which is being turned into a movie, Serenity, this fall.
Stormy 70
I plan on seeing Serenity opening day, but I’ve never watched Firefly. I want to see the movie before I watch the series.
dagon
stormy,
“I plan on seeing Serenity opening day, but I’ve never watched Firefly. I want to see the movie before I watch the series.”
by all means, see serenity opening day as this sort of ‘hard’ sci-fi needs all of the support it can get but don’t short-change yourself by seeing it before watching the series.
as with all things whedon (sans alien resurrection), you won’t come anywhere near getting the resonance of the story (particularly the character of River) withough watching the series.
sub $30 to buy; 5 budks to rent in it’s entirety.
peace
dagon
NYCmoderate
Veronica Mars cannot be supported enough people. UPN has finally done something right. check it out during the summer. it’s like a cross between ‘buffy’ and ‘the rockford files’.
higher praise, i cannot give.
peace
Stormy 70
Ok, I’ll rent it.
Are you going to see The Island? Love Ewan McGregor, since Trainspotting.
The Spurs won, Yes!!! Margaritas for everyone!!!!!
NYCmoderate
Stormy – I second dagon’s thoughts about missing out on the series. I sadly didn’t find it until it’d gone off the air and now own it and am hoping for Serenity to do well enough to spawn sequels.
dagon – I agree in part about Veronica Mars. It has an interesting premise and an excellent cast, but some of things that happened in the last 2-3 eps of the season left me cold, particularly in regards to Veronica’s several abrupt about-faces on Logan (who is a far, far more interesting character than Duncan). Though I will surely tune into S2 to see what happens.
dagon
NYCmoderate
i agree totally. however, the show has shown such promise that i have to believe that some of the inconsistencies that you mentioned had more to do with the show being on ‘the bubble’ than with any sort of creative hiccup.
this show was on the brink of going the way of the dodo and i think the creative staff was throwing different things against the wall in hopes of gaining a reprieve.
hopefully, now that they have been renewed, they can return to the sense of fearlessness that i think they displayed in the first few eps of the series.
peace
Stormy 70
Television Withour Pity is a great site to visit for all things TV. I’m off to bed now, goodnight.
dagon
stormy,
yeah, the island looks interesting. ewan mcgreggor?….SCARLETT JOHANNSEN BABY!!!
anyway, it’s produced and directed by michael bay, so let’s just say i’m a bit skeptical.
peace
Stormy 70
I like Scarlett, but Ewan is the man! Michael Bay does make me a little nervous, but at least the scenery will be nice.
Ok, really, really goodnight now.
beloml
I’ve never seen a single episode, but the series is slowly creeping up my Netflix queue.
Matt
I’ve seen Serenity. Trust me, you’re better off watching the series first. Much more resonant if you’ve spent a good deal of time with the characters.
physics geek
No spoilers, just a little FYI: you might want to alternate Buffy season 5 with episodes of Angel season 2. There’s a bit of bleed between the two series.
Stormy 70
Thanks for the buffy tips!
John-C&L
I hate John Cole. He censored my great Buffy post yesterday where I revealed many telling events in upcoming seasons. lol
Season 5 I liked a lot. Spike rocks throughout. Ok, Faith( Eliza D ) needs her own Faith Series, but she signed with FOX, bad mistake. ANya, Anya, ANya. Does anyone remember why she hates bunnies? I’ve started a Buffy Blogging post on my site
If you care to participate
Stormy 70
I’ll visit your blog after I watch the series, since I’m in season 3.
Dodd
I finished all of Buffy a few weeks ago and am now halfway thruy Season 4 of Angel. Let’s just say that the BTVS Cordelia will seem pretty liek a cardboard cutout by the time you get the end of Angel S3.
Seasons 3 and 7 were my favourites, overall. The resolution of S2 is some of the most compelling TV I’ve ever seen and I do not exaggerate when I say that, while I didn’t much care for the S4 arc, either – “Hush” is the single best hour of TV I have ever watched.
Interesting trivia: Charisma Carpenter originally auditioned for the role of Buffy. SMG, OTOH, originally auditioned for the role of – you guessed it – Cordelia. The actors did such a fine job inhabitting their roles, however, that I cannot even imagine what the show would’ve been like had they gotten the roles they actually tried to get.
Another great character no-one’s mentioned: S7’s Caleb (played by an actor whose name escapes me atm but who originally auditioned for the role Angel, of course).
Hub
My favorite Seasons were II and III. They were the essence of the original concept. I can’t watch Becoming 1 & 2. S5 final still makes me cry as well.
John C&L
Caleb was in FireFly. Whedon’s show that he’s making a movie about. Nathan Fillion is the actor’s name. I admit it,the ending of season II got me also. The Body and Hush is amazing tv.
John C&L
Caleb was in FireFly. Whedon’s show that he’s making a movie about. Nathan Fillion is the actor’s name. I admit it,the ending of season II got me also. The Body and Hush is amazing tv.
Ellen
I first started watching Angel when I had pneumonia a couple of years ago. Immediately hooked. The introductory music is great. Then there were all these references to Buffy. We had Cordy knowing Angel. Wes (who got really hot towards the end). Anyway TNT plays 2 episodes of Buffy every morning. I don’t like it as much as Angel (I think because they’re kids in Buffy) but it fills in some holes. I think Angel is much more sophisticated. Anyway, love Angel. Watching Buffy to learn about Angel.
Phil
35+ watching Buffy – welcome friend.
Cass
Hi All!
I am a Buffyologist, I enjoy this blog, and have a few things to share with you all based upon years of Buffy fandom and study of the Whedonverse:
1) Buffy has a few crossover episodes with Angel in seasons 4 and 5 of Buffy which occur in Sunnydale simultaneously with seasons 1 and 2 of Angel which occur in L.A. After season 5, UPN bought and aired Buffy while the WB continued to air Angel, thus squashing crossover episodes. Buffy ran two more seasons, and +++++++SPOILER ALERT +++++++ == after ending, Spike turned up on the next, the fifth and the final, season of Angel.=== END of SPOILER++++++++++++
2) FX airs two consecutive episodes of Buffy back-to-back daily [Monday – Friday] at Noon CDT [1 EDT], and re-airs this block the next morning at 6 am CDT / 7 am EDT. These are shown in their entirety with the original and intended breaks for commercials at the correct story / plot / suspense points. They are presently midway through season three; “Gingerbread”(3.11) and “Helpless”(3.12) aired Friday afternon and repeat Monday morning.
3) TNT airs one episode of Angel at 7 am CDT / 8 am EDT daily [M-F] and another episode at 4 pm CDT / 5 pm EDT. The morning episodes are midway through season Four now = “Shiny Happy People” aired Friday; while the afternoon episodes are now midway through season three = “Couplet” aired Friday. TNT has a motto “We Know Drama” Bulls#@t!!! They air the Angel episodes without the proper stop points for commercials, and it is really aggravating to those of us who know where the correct commercial break points are that were written into the scripts, and burnt into the dvds, even.
4) Both shows are currently in national syndication, with a different single episode aired each week at whatever time your local on-air broadcast station chooses to air them. Angel is midway through Seeason five; “Harm’s Way” aired last week. Here in Nashville, home of the Slayage Conference, the WB affiliate station airs Buffy at 9 and Angel at 10 on Sunday nights. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS.
5) About “Firefly” and “Serenity”: FOX totally screwed up when they aired the series in Fall, 2002 by showing the third episode first [out of sequence] and randomly showing other episodes all out of sequence, so that viewers were completely confused by the time they showed the PILOT as the series finale. THIS IS ALL TRUE>
SO>>>Get the dvd set and watch the series in order OR: SCIFI Channel is going to re-air the entire series [all 15 hours] in the correct viewing order, starting with the first half of the 2-hour pilot episode, which is entitled ‘Serenity’, on Friday, July 22 at 6 pm CDT / 7 pm EDT in the old “Andromeda” timeslot, to lead off their tremendously succesful SciFiFriday line up of “Stargate SG-1”, “Stargate Atlantis”, and “Battlestar Galactica”, each of which will resume airing new episodes on Friday, July 15. On Friday, July 29, the first hour of “Firefly” will re-air at 5 pm CDT, followed by the second hour of the pilot episode ‘Serenity’, so that you can view it as a ‘movie’.
NOW FOR THE REALLY GOOD NEWS!!
The movie “Serenity” is set a short time in the future after the series finale of “Firefly”. The movie is now scheduled to premiere on September 30, 2005 in the US. Preview screenings are bringing raves, and some exhibitors are pissed off that they couldn’t have the movie to run all summer. To bridge the gap between the series and the major motion picture, Dark Horse is publishing a monthly three-volume graphic novel / comic book series, with Volume One due in stores on next Wednesday, July 6. You really should consider pre-ordering this one at your local comic book dealer. NOW = Here’s the kicker: There are three different collector covers available for the first one, and maybe each one after that. All I know is I’m getting the one with Inara!
Hope that helps, and I could say a lot more, but these are some basic facts to help you navigate along the Jossverse this summer and early fall.
Please feel free to email me with any comments or questions.