Galactus watches Buffy: And it's all Datepalm's fault

[Shryke]

I thought this show was a joke when it first came out, but I randomly ended up watching the episode Angel when I didn't know what it was and was hooked afterwords. A great show, although imo Angel is better. For reasons that are completely inexplicable to someone who's only watched the pilot, the quality follows David Boreanaz around.

I've got a much higher opinion of S1 then some here though. It's far from bad, it's just very rough. By S2 they've got their rythym down and S2 and S3 are by far the show's best. It struggles with the transition from high school to not-high-school and never really recovers, although there's still lots of great episoes and such after that. But it never quite gels the way it did at the beginning for several reasons.

I think S1 might be my least favourite of Veronica Mars, actually. I don't think there's an inarguable gap in quality the way there is with Buffy S1.

That's crazy talk and you are crazy.

[Shryke]

You really kind of need to watch shows in order though...

I think the first season of Veronica Mars has a gritty realness to it. The subject matter makes you think you're going to get the usual acting, the usual take... and then GRITTY REALISM. I mean... like the way Sherrif Lamb laughed at Veronica when she tried to report that first crime at the party? Woah. What the HELL. Gritty ugliness. And it's a better show because of it.

The later seasons start to very obviously spin their wheels and throw wrenches in things merely to shake stuff up and not because it actually makes sense dramatically or works. It gets soap-opera-ish basically.

[Underfoot]

Since we went off on a mild Veronica Mars tangent in the Buffy thread, I'll share this: Joss Whedon has said that Veronica Mars is one of his favorite shows and even ended up 'starring' in an episode in season two.

[Darth Visenya]

I liked Buffy, however Angel is superior, both as a show and as a character.

[Galactus]

Episode 2: The Harvest

I've noticed since I mostly watch anime and comedies, those 40-min drama shows feels really long.

Okay, so the episode starts with Buffy being saved by the Crucifix she was given earlier.

Oooh, running through the graveyard! (I have a feeling they're going to use that set a lot)

I like the improvised stake, although I'd question how much of a useful point you could get.

Oh no! Jesse, who we don't know and barely met!

Wait, so the cave is a sewer? It's just a very strange room.

"They can fly?" "They can drive." Funny.

Willow's magical hacking skills to the rescue!

So this is the "I have to do this alone part!" where she learns to rely on others and they form a team?

Also, WIllow's hackng turned out to be completely superfluous.

Angel has an... Interesting array of facial expressions. Something with the forehead I think?

Cordelia's "Top alpha libby" act is so over-the-top it's hilarious.

Wait, isn't Buffy supposed to be able to sense vampires?

I like the Master's mocking silliness.

Nice Speech of Doom there Master.

Where do they get Holy Water from anyway? I mean, it's not as if you can buy it in a vending machine (although the greeks did invent one)

This show really seems to like leather jackets.

Fight scene

Bouncer guy has some pretty impressive moobs.

... And oh wait, he's dead.

Fight scene!

Cordelia staked Jesse!

Nice trick with the sunrise.

"The earth is doomed!"

Death toll:

50's Guy (RIP!)

Jesse (Vampirized)

Bouncer with Moobs (Eaten by Luke)

Unnamed girl (eaten by Luke)

For an introductory two-parter it was pretty standard (and the threat level seems a bit too high somehow) but the dialogue is snappy, and it's still a good deal of fun.

[Angalin]

Because everybody should watch Buffy, my only comment is -

Where do they get Holy Water from anyway? I mean, it's not as if you can buy it in a vending machine (although the greeks did invent one)

The Greeks invented a Holy Water vending machine? :wideeyed:

[Galactus]

Because everybody should watch Buffy, my only comment is -

The Greeks invented a Holy Water vending machine? :wideeyed:

Well, greeks living in Alexandria, but yes.

[Kalbear]

Basically in order to appreciate Buffy the most you should watch S1 of Veronica Mars, skip entirely S1 of Buffy and then watch S2 of Buffy assuming that instead of Veronica Mars going to her last year of HS or doing whatever she became a vampire slayer.

Xander is clearly Duncan, Angel is Logan, Willow is the geeky computer literate gal. It all works out.

[karaddin]

Basically in order to appreciate Buffy the most you should watch S1 of Veronica Mars, skip entirely S1 of Buffy and then watch S2 of Buffy assuming that instead of Veronica Mars going to her last year of HS or doing whatever she became a vampire slayer.

Xander is clearly Duncan, Angel is Logan, Willow is the geeky computer literate gal. It all works out.

:rofl:

I watched Buffy up to S5 before I gave up on it, however I didn't particularly enjoy S4 or S5 which is why I gave up. I felt like some of the team that went to do Angel were a necessary part of the Buffy formula (I mean producers etc, not the characters/actors) and without it, it suffered. I say watch first 3 seasons of Buffy, then switch to Angel!

[TheLoneliestMonk]

:rofl:

I watched Buffy up to S5 before I gave up on it, however I didn't particularly enjoy S4 or S5 which is why I gave up. I felt like some of the team that went to do Angel were a necessary part of the Buffy formula (I mean producers etc, not the characters/actors) and without it, it suffered. I say watch first 3 seasons of Buffy, then switch to Angel!

Couldn't disagree more. Season 5 is among the best. The villains really make the season, and villian wise, I'd put five in a tie for 2nd

[karaddin]

Couldn't disagree more. Season 5 is among the best. The villains really make the season, and villian wise, I'd put five in a tie for 2nd

The villain especially was a huge part of why I didn't like it and stopped watching. Clearly looking for different things.

[AndrewBaelish]

Wait. Are we suspecting some kind of connection between Ben and Glory?

[Underfoot]

Wait. Are we suspecting some kind of connection between Ben and Glory?

I don't know what you're talking about

;)

[AndrewBaelish]

The villain especially was a huge part of why I didn't like it and stopped watching. Clearly looking for different things.

Glory was dumb. There I said it. But I think, aside from the first string of episodes up to Conversations With Dead People in season 7, it has the best single episodes of the series (Excepting of course The Zeppo, Hush, Once More With Feeling, and Restless) And aside from Glory, it had the best season long plot culminating in The Gift.

I don't know what you're talking about

;)

Are you very stoned?

[Mr. E]

Are you very stoned?

So you're saying...Ben's working with Glory?

[Shryke]

Couldn't disagree more. Season 5 is among the best. The villains really make the season, and villian wise, I'd put five in a tie for 2nd

S5 has some good ideas but the villain, while at a good power level, just isn't very interesting or fun to watch and the season as a whole suffers from a lack of great individual scripts. It's got a few stand out episodes but most of the meat of the seasons is mediocre. A problem for the series as a whole, I think, from then on and even in S4.

S5 was when I ended up watching for the Season Arc and just enduring the episode's arc.

[AndrewBaelish]

Except for The Body. Because it's The Body.

[Shryke]

Except for The Body. Because it's The Body.

And S4 had Hush. And S6 had One More With Feeling and Tabula Rasa.

Didn't save the rest.

[Independent George]

Hush was amazing, and the chemistry between the Scoobies was as good in S4 as it's ever been, but the Initiative was an exceptionally dumb execution of what could have been a great idea. Instead of a serious exploration of the modern world interacting with the ancient just as Buffy & co. leave High School and are figuring out how to live as adults in "our" world while fighting monsters, we got the dumbest cartoon villains this side of Superman 4. (Wolfram & Hart wound up exploring some of the things which could have made the Initiative a great and permanent part of the show).

I read somewhere that Joss Whedon's idea was to just show magic kicking science's ass, and it showed; it's an incredibly shallow treatment of what should have been a great idea.

[Shryke]

Hush was amazing, and the chemistry between the Scoobies was as good in S4 as it's ever been, but the Initiative was an exceptionally dumb execution of what could have been a great idea. Instead of a serious exploration of the modern world interacting with the ancient just as Buffy & co. leave High School and are figuring out how to live as adults in "our" world while fighting monsters, we got the dumbest cartoon villains this side of Superman 4. (Wolfram & Hart wound up exploring some of the things which could have made the Initiative a great and permanent part of the show).

I read somewhere that Joss Whedon's idea was to just show magic kicking science's ass, and it showed; it's an incredibly shallow treatment of what should have been a great idea.

You can see alot of hints at the ideas in question in Restless. It was supposed to be "boys playing with things they didn't understand". The effort to impose order on the magical world was doomed to failure because they wouldn't accept it on it's own terms, but only within the framework they approached it from.

It's a good idea that's badly executed for many, many reasons.