Topic: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Marathon

[Najemikon]

Will you be continuing your review into Season 8, Pete?

[addicted2dvd]

No can do Jon.... Never had the opportunity to get any of the comics. I have wanted to check them out though.

[Najemikon]

I'm waiting for a collected version in the UK. It's hard to get hold of our own bloody comics, let alone American ones!

[addicted2dvd]

A while back ago I looked on Ebay at the prices for the first Buffy comics... but there was just no way... Wow! they were definitely out of my price range for a lousy comic book! 

[addicted2dvd]

Season 7: Disc 5

16. Storyteller
Andrew films the Scoobies for a documentary on Buffy, while Sunnydale High is rocked by a sudden outbreak of student violence.

My Thoughts:
This one I didn't care much for at all. You can see where they tried to lighten things up a little... and yes that was needed about now... so that is a good thing. But some of this episode was just little too silly for my taste.

17. Lies My Parents Told Me
When the Scoobies fail to nullify the First's hold on Spike, Principal Wood and Giles team up to kill him. Meanwhile, Spike relives the day he became a vampire.

My Thoughts:
This one was a fun and interesting episode. One I enjoyed quite a bit...I like how it goes into Spike's past... and the fight between Spike and Wood was a great one.

18. Dirty Girls
Faith returns to Sunnydale just in time to meet the First's evil agent, Caleb.

My Thoughts:
Faith returns... how could I not like that?...  and top that off with Caleb showing up... talk about a really good episode! I thought Caleb was one of the best bad guys in the series... and he was only in a small handful of episodes. Of course Caleb was played by Nathan Fillion... star of Firefly.

19. Empty Places
Buffy takes another beating from Caleb, then tries to lead the troops back to the wine cellar. Instead, she gets kicked out of her house as the gang decides Faith would make a better leader.

My Thoughts:
This was a good... but kind of slow episode for my taste. Kinda like a calm before the storm type thing.

Season 7: Disc 6

20. Touched
A depressed Buffy gets comfort from Spike. Meanwhile, the Scoobies capture and interrogate Bringer, and Faith leads an attack on the Bringers' arsenal.

My Thoughts:
And this is where the real action going into the end of the series begins. This episode perks you right up (after the last episode slowing you down)... and primes you for the rest of the series.

21. End of Days
Faith and some of the Potentials are injured by a bomb. Buffy retrieves a mystic scythe and uses it against Caleb; Angel turns up to give her a hand.

My Thoughts:
Lots more fun and action in this one... First I loved the fight between Buffy and Caleb... it is one of those fights that when you think it is over you get plenty more. And I have to admit I couldn't help myself but to literally laugh out load over Angel's reaction to Buffy telling him that Spike has a soul now. It was so fun.

22. Chosen
Buffy comes up with a plan: The gang makes an attack on the First's army, aided by Willow, who performs a powerful spell to imbue all of the Potentials with Slayer powers.

My Thoughts:
Talk about going out with a bang!.... The final episode ever of Buffy! I really loved every minute of it... there is lots of action and lots of destruction. I have to admit... the first time I saw this episode (when it originally aired) I was a bit surprised with some of the ones that survived... as well as some of the ones that did not. This episode remains one of my favorite endings to a series.

Over-All Season 7 Thoughts
Well.... I really touched on this on the last episode write-up... but I have to say... This was a fun season. Sure it had some episodes I wasn't thrilled with... but it was definitely fairly constantly entertaining. As I said above... I loved how they ended the series... even though you knew it was all over I still ached for more. To this day I would love to see a reunion movie or something to catch us up on Buffy and the gang.

I really had a great time having this marathon. I put a poll up on one of the forums I frequent here (I use this everywhere I post) to see what marathon to do next... and I will now admit this was not my first choice. But now that it is over I am glad it got chosen (That's right... Buffy really was the Chosen One!) as I forgot just how much I truly did enjoy this series.

[Najemikon]

I thought the ending was so clever. It brings the basic premise, the drive for the show, to a satisfying close, without losing the characters and situation so they can carry on in some form. Even if it has to be comics.

I say that with a slight sneer and I don't know why! I love comics and Joss Whedon is an accomplished comics writer. It's just it'll never replace the show, no matter how good it is.

I still have the very faintest of hope that Ripper might still get commissioned. That was going to be a British BBC series centred around Giles returning to England and battling typical English demons. Potentially with guest spots for a certain witch or Slayer. It had so much potential.

Oh well. Doubt it'll happen now.

EDIT: Just thought, Pete. A couple of characters did of course continue in Angel Season 5. Will you be having an Angel marathon then? I don't think you can truly call this done... 

[addicted2dvd]

I know what you mean... I had hoped for a spin-off of some kind myself. I had heard the rumors of a Ripper series... which would have been great if they would release it here on DVD... or better yet... play it on the BBC America channel we get here. I also had hopes for a Faith series at the time. I would have even settled for a Spike movie that was rumored. But I now think none of them really have a chance of coming. 

[goodguy]

The latest news on Ripper (spread by both Whedon and Head) is that it might be a one-shot TV movie on BBC next summer.

As for US TV, Whedon and Dushku recently made a 7 episodes deal with Fox for a new series named Dollhouse. Of course, this may take a while due to the WGA strike.

[addicted2dvd]

Yeah... I read about Dollhouse... so far the premise sounds kinda iffy to me... but if anyone could pull off such a series it is Whedon and Dushku. So I am looking forward to checking it out once it happens.

[Najemikon]

That's great news about Ripper if it comes off. The way UK TV works, you may not appreciate how brilliant that could be. The BBC is currently riding high on shows like Doctor Who and Robin Hood (straightforward entertainment) and will be looking for anything similar to get their hands on. The only mark against Ripper is they might think it needs Buffy fans to get it going, but if they do go ahead and it succeeds, a series may not be far behind. Besides, Anthony Head is very popular here even before a guest villain spot on Who and a regular appearance on Little Britain.

Finally, the BBC is publicly funded. We Brits still have to buy a licence every year, which I don't mind, because they have a tendency to try more ambitious, quality things without having to worry too much about it being a commercial success.

[DJ Doena]

First I thought, ok, that happens and shrugged it away, but: I am watching the third episode of the fourth season and I saw way to often that a stunt double was making the fights.

Not that I am suprised but I never regognized the switch in the first three seasons. But this double (if it is a new one) lets here face be seen too often during fights.

[addicted2dvd]

Wow... apparently I don't watch that closely... because that is something I never noticed! 

[DJ Doena]

Wow... apparently I don't watch that closely... because that is something I never noticed! 

If you have time, rewatch the fight between Buffy and Spike in the third episode ("The Harsh Light of Day") where she takes the Gem of Amara from him (just one example). It happend before but only in this season.

It's a bit annoying because it steals the illusion.

[addicted2dvd]

I will have to rewatch that scene and check it out (though I may be sorry I did now!) 

[Tom]

Not that I am suprised but I never regognized the switch in the first three seasons. But this double (if it is a new one) lets here face be seen too often during fights.

Buffy's stunt double did change during the series. But I do not know when though. The first one was the same, who did the stunts for the Pink Ranger of the Power Rangers. This is why the producers made the gag, that Buffy called Kendra "Pink Ranger" in the second season