Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel - First Time Viewer

[Jayson1]

I really don't know of any other show or franchise that had this much overlap. Maybe Star Trek or the current DC stuff, but Star Trek was pretty much left with the individual shows sharing the same universe and DC has the various crossover events. I could see this year with Crisis on Infinite Earth maybe matching what Buffy and Angel are doing so early on though. Still, watching that Angel episode last night, they did a pretty good job of filling in the gaps and explaining what the Ring is to the point where I'm feeling a little more comfortable taking each show on it's own merit. Even though in doing some research I kind of spoiled myself on some things (Like Drusilla coming back in some form) but maybe my memory will be so short that by the time I get to those episodes I can still act surprised.

Stargate for awhile had two shows running and I think they also had some major crossovers. The big one to balance would be X FIles. Because of Detective Munch you would maybe have to balance 4 shows or more at once depending on the year. X=Files,Millenium,Lone Gunmen,Homicide,Law and Order.

Jason

 

[tomalak301]

Fear, Itself

I think I loved this episode for every reason why I hated Living Conditions. I think that episode was supposed to be funny, but it became really annoying so early that it was hard to take it as fun and understanding the rommmate issues all college students face. For Fear, Itself, this episode was genuinely funny and creepy at the same time. I loved seeing the gang actually working together, confronting their fears and Giles with a chainsaw plus Anya in the bunny costume was great. The way they ended this episode with the demon being so tiny was kind of perfect, in a what you fear may not actually be scary kind of way.

This episode reminded me a lot of Voyager's The Thaw. It was about a creepy realm where you are confronting your fears and the demon looks like a clown (This demon looked and spoke like a clown). I also appreciated this episode didn't spend the entire time with Buffy's self loathing over Parker's asshole-ness. A Sad Buffy is not a good Buffy.

The Costumes they chose in this episode were also great. Nice call backs to the Season 2 Halloween episode and Ted.

 

[OCD Geek]

David Fury's script is terrific, but most of the creep factor is visual in this one. And Tucker Gates' underrated direction really makes it shine. It's a shame that "Fear Itself" and Angel's "Hero" are his only directing credits in the Buffyverse.

Looking him up on IMDb just now revealed he was the main director for Bates Motel. Good for him.

 

[tomalak301]

David Fury's script is terrific, but most of the creep factor is visual in this one. And Tucker Gates' underrated direction really makes it shine. It's a shame that "Fear Itself" and Angel's "Hero" are his only directing credits in the Buffyverse.

Looking him up on IMDb just now revealed he was the main director for Bates Motel. Good for him.

Visually, I thought this was one of Buffy's best episodes. It really did feel like going through a horror house.

 

[CorporalClegg]

It's also the series premiere of Bunnies!

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

It's also the series premiere of Bunnies!

What do they need such good eye sight for anyway?

 

[tomalak301]

Beer Bad

I think we found a new contender for worst episode of Buffy ever. Why is this show a retelling of the season 1 episode "The Pack" while promoting underage drinking to a target demgraphic of teenagers? I mean the whole Pack thing comes in with the four guys acting like caveman, and Buffy is 18 and drinking in a public place. Also, this whole Buffy/Parker storyline is melodrama for the sake of melodrama and is reminding me of the worst qualities of CW Shows.

In terms of the whole Parker thing, I get the whole idea of one night stands, but this guy is a creep. Is he the big bad for the season because going from Spike/Drusilla/Angelous to Mayor Wilkins to this guy is a dramatic step down.

I'm not even done with this episode yet and I kinda hate it. But good for Willow to call out Parker on his bullshit.

I wonder how this connects with Angel.

 

[Turtletrekker]

To offer a Star Trek metaphor, Beer Bad is the Spock's Brain or the Threshold or the Profit and Lace or Shades of Gray of the Buffy franchise.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Beer Bad

I think we found a new contender for worst episode of Buffy ever. Why is this show a retelling of the season 1 episode "The Pack" while promoting underage drinking to a target demgraphic of teenagers? I mean the whole Pack thing comes in with the four guys acting like caveman, and Buffy is 18 and drinking in a public place. Also, this whole Buffy/Parker storyline is melodrama for the sake of melodrama and is reminding me of the worst qualities of CW Shows.

In terms of the whole Parker thing, I get the whole idea of one night stands, but this guy is a creep. Is he the big bad for the season because going from Spike/Drusilla/Angelous to Mayor Wilkins to this guy is a dramatic step down.

I'm not even done with this episode yet and I kinda hate it. But good for Willow to call out Parker on his bullshit.

Willow‘s take down of Parker, who was honestly convinced she would fall for his routine was super cool.
Yeah, the rest of the wo is meh at best.
And no, I think that’s about it for Parker‘s relevance.

 

[tomalak301]

Willow‘s take down of Parker, who was honestly convinced she would fall for his routine was super cool.
Yeah, the rest of the wo is meh at best.
And no, I think that’s about it for Parker‘s relevance.

Yeah just saw the end. Please oh please I hope that's the end of this Parker storyline.

As for the Star Trek metaphor, yeah I can understand that. This episode was awful.

 

[CorporalClegg]

To quote myself from way up-thread:

It was the byproduct of a funding deal made between the WB and the Whitehouse. Funny enough, the Whitehouse pulled the funding anyway because they thought it was so bad. And when it aired it was utterly thrashed by critics.

Shall we discuss the socio-economic ramifications of the Clinton/Michigan J. Frog diad?

*Thankfully, Tracey Forbes only wrote three episodes for the show. The last one is almost as bad as this.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Oh and @tomalak301 sorry 'bout the Sharks man. I didn't watch much of the game since I was flipping back and forth between the basketball game, but I was still rooting.

 

[tomalak301]

To quote myself from way up-thread:


Shall we discuss the socio-economic ramifications of the Clinton/Michigan J. Frog diad?

*Thankfully, Tracey Forbes only wrote three episodes for the show. The last one is almost as bad as this.

Wait, the White House as in the Washington DC White House? During the Clinton Administration?

What were they thinking.

About the Sharks, yeah it sucks. Oh well. Should be a fun offseason.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Yeah. I don't really remember the details, but there was some program they had going on where they'd give networks tax breaks on ad revenue if they did anti-drinking episodes for shows in the teen demo. There were a couple of WB shows that did it.

 

[OCD Geek]

Beer Bad

I think we found a new contender for worst episode of Buffy ever. Why is this show a retelling of the season 1 episode "The Pack" while promoting underage drinking to a target demgraphic of teenagers? I mean the whole Pack thing comes in with the four guys acting like caveman, and Buffy is 18 and drinking in a public place. Also, this whole Buffy/Parker storyline is melodrama for the sake of melodrama and is reminding me of the worst qualities of CW Shows.

In terms of the whole Parker thing, I get the whole idea of one night stands, but this guy is a creep. Is he the big bad for the season because going from Spike/Drusilla/Angelous to Mayor Wilkins to this guy is a dramatic step down.

I'm not even done with this episode yet and I kinda hate it. But good for Willow to call out Parker on his bullshit.

I wonder how this connects with Angel.

Buckle up kids. I'm about to defend the worst episode of Buffy.

Okay, some context. The US's Office of National Drug Control Policy put together a program where they would pay networks cash money for every episode of television they made into propaganda to teach the youngins to "say no to drugs". The WB, being already geared towards a younger demographic, told the showrunners of every single series on their network that they better make an anti-drug episode or they will fuck and murder their families.

The showrunners understandably obliged. Tracey Forbes' script for this piece of Buffyganda is a satirical parody of the Very Important Episode. That hilariously led the US government to demand The WB to return their payment for this episode. Episode still sucks, though. But it sucked while sticking it to the man. That's something at least.

BUFFY: No. Like beer. Beer…good.

XANDER: No, beer bad. Bad, bad beer. What the hell am I saying? Go home and go to bed.

GILES: I can't believe you served Buffy that beer.

XANDER: I didn't know it was evil.

GILES: But you knew it was beer.

XANDER: Well excuse Mr. I spent the sixties in an electric Kool-Aid funky Satan groove.

GILES: It was the early seventies and you should know better.

XANDER: I'm not the dad of her. Buffy's a grown up. It wasn't enough to...

XANDER: And was there a lesson in all this huh? What did we learn about beer?

BUFFY: Foamy.

XANDER: Good. Just as long as that's clear.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Oh, I never said it wasn't funny...

The Stoogesesque way Buffy bonks with the tree limb favorite gags of the whole show.

 

[Turtletrekker]

tomalak301-- do you enjoy reading comics? There are many canon comics, extending the show to 12 "seasons".

However, the extra seasons aren't the comics I'm recommending. Fray written by Joss Whedon is the first canon comic, a story of a Slayer in the 23rd century. Fray's scythe is a Slayer relic first seen in the comic that later showed up on the show.

https://www.amazon.com/Fray-Joss-Wh...58506220&s=gateway&sprefix=fray+joss+w&sr=8-3

 

[tomalak301]

Buckle up kids. I'm about to defend the worst episode of Buffy.

Okay, some context. The US's Office of National Drug Control Policy put together a program where they would pay networks cash money for every episode of television they made into propaganda to teach the youngins to "say no to drugs". The WB, being already geared towards a younger demographic, told the showrunners of every single series on their network that they better make an anti-drug episode or they will fuck and murder their families.

The showrunners understandably obliged. Tracey Forbes' script for this piece of Buffyganda is a satirical parody of the Very Important Episode. That hilariously led the US government to demand The WB to return their payment for this episode. Episode still sucks, though. But it sucked while sticking it to the man. That's something at least.

I still hate the episode, but that's a funny story.

tomalak301-- do you enjoy reading comics? There are many canon comics, extending the show to 12 "seasons".

However, the extra seasons aren't the comics I'm recommending. Fray written by Joss Whedon is the first canon comic, a story of a Slayer in the 23rd century. Fray's scythe is a Slayer relic first seen in the comic that later showed up on the show.

https://www.amazon.com/Fray-Joss-Wh...58506220&s=gateway&sprefix=fray+joss+w&sr=8-3

I'm not really into comics. I know there is a Season 8 comic, but I've never actually read a comic anything ever.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I'm not really into comics. I know there is a Season 8 comic, but I've never actually read a comic anything ever.

That's cool. I just bring it up because I remember thinking how cool it was when the scythe appeared on the show.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Yeah. That was nifty.