Topic: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Marathon

[addicted2dvd]

LOL... like I said... she definitely grew on me. I would have liked to see how they would have done a faith series... but I am happy to have the serason plus of Tru Calling... after all it is my favorite of the short lived series!

[lyonsden5]

you're coming up on one of my favorite episodes (especially for one particular scene). The Episode is "Bad Girls"... You'll figure out the scene

[addicted2dvd]

I am looking forward to that episode.... I always liked it too! 

Unfortunately not sure how many episodes I will get watched today... as I have a lot to do today... I hate when real life gets in the way of my DVD watching!

[RossRoy]

you're coming up on one of my favorite episodes (especially for one particular scene). The Episode is "Bad Girls"... You'll figure out the scene

I am looking forward to that episode.... I always liked it too! 

Well! Now I'm gonna have to watch the episode, as I can't remember what the heck it might be you are talking about. 

Not that I need much of an excuse to watch Buffy 

[addicted2dvd]

Season 3: Disc 3

9. The Wish
Wanting to be rid of Xander for good, Cordelia comes to the conclusion that Buffy is the cause of all her problems and makes a wish that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. A demon grants the wish and Cordelia's world suddenly changes.

My Thoughts:
This has always been one of my favorite episodes... I loved getting a peek at the alternate reality of what Sunnydale would have been like if Buffy never made it there. I really liked the vampire version of Willow and Xander. This is just one of those episodes that is just pure fun to watch.

10. Amends
While the gang prepares for their Christmas vacation, Angel is haunted by visions of his violent past. The ghost of Jenny Calendar appears to him and reminds him in great detail of the evil deeds he has performed. At first she almost seems to be taking pity on him, but gradually her counsel grows more sinister.

My Thoughts:
Another really good episode... and if I am not mistaken the only Christmas episode in the entire 7 year run of the series. Not to mention our first look at "The First Evil" which would later come back for the final season.

11. Gingerbread
Picking the wrong night for mother-daughter bonding, Joyce discovers the bodies of two children in the park, apparently sacrificed in an occult ritual. Deeply disturbed by what she has seen, Joyce rallies the adults of Sunnydale, convincing them to rid the town of all magical and occult influences. Soon, however, it becomes apparent that Buffy, Willow, and Amy are themselves considered a part of the occult threat to Sunnydale.

My Thoughts:
And this makes all 3 episodes on this disc good ones... Another episode I liked a lot. If I am not mistaken this episode also has another first... the first (and possibly only?) time we see Willow's mother. This is also the episode that Amy turns herself into a rat and stays that way for a very long time... till Willow can figure out how to change her back.

[addicted2dvd]

Season 3: Disc 4

12 . Helpless
For her upcoming 18th birthday, Buffy declines the Scooby gang's offer of a big party, hoping to celebrate with quiet reflection and a traditional trip to the ice show with her father. Suddenly, Buffy finds that her Slayer abilities are fading, perhaps completely. Is this some natural event in the lifecycle of the Slayer, or is it something more sinister?

My Thoughts:
This was another good episode.  The vampire in this episode was so weird... it was nuts.

13. The Zeppo
When Xander realizes that he isn't needed by the gang as much as he'd like to believe, his quest to prove he's cool leads him to an unforgettable night that finds him consorting with fast women, raising the dead and rolling with a dangerous crowd that could put Sunnydale in a world of hurt. Meanwhile, Buffy, Giles and the rest of the crew engage in a furious battle with the Sisterhood of Jhe, an all-female demon apocalypse cult that intends to reopen the Hellmouth and bring about the end of the world.

My Thoughts:
I always found this one to be more of a fun episode then anything else... an episode that seemed to center more on Xander then anything else. It is a good episode... but not one I would consider a favorite.


14. Bad Girls
While on a mission to retrieve an amulet before a powerful demon can use it to restore his strength, Faith introduces Buffy to her reckless method of slaying which leaves Buffy wanting more of the wild life. Meanwhile Giles is trying to keep his cool in front of the insufferably stuffy new watcher, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce.


My Thoughts:
This is a really good episode... with the help of Faith.. Buffy starts to explore her wilder side. I personally mostly enjoyed the 2 beautiful slayers dancing with each other in the Bronze. What more can you ask then that! This episode also introduces Wesley as the girls new watcher. After watching him on Angel... I actually forgot just how much of a dork Wesley was on Buffy!


15. Consequences
When Faith refuses to face up to the consequences of her actions, Buffy tries to get help from Giles and Angel. When Xander goes to confront Faith alone, however, he may be biting off more than he can chew.

My Thoughts:
This was a good continuation to the last episode.I enjoyed every minute of it.

Season 3: Disc 5

16. Doppelgangland
Anya convinces an unsuspecting Willow to assist her with a spell that will return her amulet and, with it, her Vengeance Demon powers. Willow, sensing something wrong with the magic, balks at the last minute and disrupts the spell. Instead of returning the amulet, the spell summons the vampire Willow from the alternate universe in "The Wish" and sets her loose in Sunnydale.

My Thoughts:
This is another of my favorite episodes!  I love pretty much everything about this one... the alternate universe was very fun to see! And then there is the fact this is the first episode where we meet Anya. It was also fun to see how Buffy would have turned out without Giles and her friends. Just a fun episode all the way around...


17. Enemies
As a part of her new alliance with the Mayor, Faith tries to seduce Angel so that he will again lose his soul. When that fails, the Mayor summons a powerful demon to remove Angel’s soul with dark magic.

My Thoughts:
This is another episode I liked a lot... I love how they played the game with Faith to learn what she knew. Not to mention how Angel hit Xander when he walked past him as he did. Another episode that was a lot of fun.

18. Earshot
After an encounter with a demon with no mouth, Buffy is infected with the demon's blood and she gains the ability to hear people's thoughts. At first her newfound ability is useful for cheating on schoolwork and eavesdropping on the thoughts of those around her, but when the voices continue to flood her mind, she realizes that she cannot control the power. Amid the chaos, Buffy hears a killer planning a mass murder at the school. Now she must keep herself from going mad long enough to prevent a catastrophe.

My Thoughts:
Even though this is a good episode... it is one of those ones that is nothing really special. More of a filler episode then anything else.


19. Choices
Buffy receives an acceptance to Northwestern University, but what should be a happy surprise turns sour when she realizes that she may not be able to go away to school and still fulfill her duties as the Slayer. Buffy manages to intercept the Box of Gavrok, a container of mystical energy that is vital to the Mayor’s Ascension. But when Willow is captured, the gang must decide whether they can give up their best chance at preventing the Ascension to save Willow’s life.

My Thoughts:
Another good episode... I really liked how Willow stood her ground against Faith. Willow really showed a lot in this episode.

Season 3: Disc 6

20. The Prom
The biggest night in High School life is just around the corner, when strange creatures start appearing around town attacking anyone in formalwear. Meanwhile, Angel tells Buffy that he wants her to have a chance at the normal life that he could never give her. He plans to leave Sunnydale after the Ascension. Buffy must put aside her own pain and try to track down the source of the demonic Hellhounds in time to save the Senior Prom.

My Thoughts:
This one is another that is more of a filler episode then anything else. But this one I liked a lot... I thought it was funny seeing how they had Hell Hounds going after people wearing formal wear just to ruin the Prom. Another fun episode.

21. Graduation Day (Part 1)
The gang receive some valuable information from their old enemy Anya, who has actually witnessed an Ascension. She reveals that the Mayor plans to transform himself into pure demon, something that has not been seen for thousands of years. When Angel is poisoned by Faith, Buffy faces Faith for the final time in order to get the only cure to the poison: the blood of a Slayer.

My Thoughts:
Another really good episode... you have Angel in the midst of dying and Buffy facing Faith for their final battle... in the hopes to save Angel. Lots of really good action in this one.

22. Graduation Day (Part 2)
During their battle, Faith manages to escape from Buffy, so Buffy forces Angel to drink her own blood to rid his body of the poison. With Buffy in a coma, the gang must devise a plan to defeat the Mayor once and for all.

My Thoughts:
This is a great ending to the 3rd season. Really action packed... with the whole senior class getting in on the fun this time!  And tell me... what high school kid didn't dream of blowing up the high school!

Over-All Season 3 Thoughts:

This is another really good season. Though I never really cared for the mayor as the big bad... he is probably my least favorite of any season... maybe second least favorite. I think the menus on this season set was done much better then season 2... not as animated.. so you don't have to go through as many menus just to play the episode... much better.

Now that season 3 is over... I am going to take a slight break from Buffy so that I can have a Weekend Movie Marathon... then I will start season 4 of Buffy on Monday morning.

[addicted2dvd]

Season 4: Disc 1

EPISODE 1: THE FRESHMAN
Buffy's initial trouble adjusting to college life is soon overcome when she discovers the only difference between high school and college is that the monsters are bigger and badder.

My Thoughts:
This was a good episode. I know when I first watched this series I was concerned how the change to college life and the slayer into adulthood would effect the series. There was some problems in this area... but they were able to pull it off. But more on this later. The first episode of the new season was right good... I enjoyed every minute of it. Especially with Buffy finding out that Vampires can still give her a run for her money, so to speak.

EPISODE 2: LIVING CONDITIONS
A series of nightmares converging a soul-sucking demon leave Buffy convinced that the best way to deal with her overly perky college roommate is to simply kill her.

My Thoughts:
Another good episode. Buffy friends don't trust her that there is something unnatural going on... thinks she is just having trouble dealing with the change in her life. I think my favorite scene in this episode has to be when Oz and Xander realize they didn't tie Buffy up tight enough. 

EPISODE 3: THE HARSH LIGHT OF DAY
As Buffy begins a new relationship, Spike returns to Sunnydale in search of a fabled ring which allows vampires to walk unharmed in the light of day.

My Thoughts:
Another good episode... we find out that Harmony is now a Vampire... I thought I saw her get bite in all the confusion of Graduation Day: Part 2... Buffy learns a lesson in love... and has to fight an invincible Spike.

EPISODE 4: FEAR ITSELF
A Halloween party at a campus frat house takes a frightening turn with the sudden appearance of blood-sucking bats, zombies, and a demon that plays on everyone's innermost fears.

My Thoughts:
Now... this episode was just plain fun... A lot of fun! I always loved the Halloween episodes. and this one I definitely enjoyed from the beginning all the way to the hilarious ending. You just had to love it when that Fear Demon showed himself.

[addicted2dvd]

Season 4: Disc 2

EPISODE 5: BEER BAD
Buffy starts behaving strangely after sharing a pitcher of Black Frost beer with a group of fellow college students at the campus pub where Xander bartends.

My Thoughts:
This episode.. while it is ok... is probably one of my least favorite episodes. I don't even know why I dislike it... I don't want to say the episode was far fetched... as what Buffy episode isn't? But to me it just didn't fit in well with the rest I guess.

EPISODE 6: WILD AT HEART
Willow's feelings of jealousy over a sexy singer at the Bronze are confirmed when she discovers the woman is a werewolf who has her eye on Oz.

My Thoughts:
This episode I enjoyed... I thought it was a good... emotional ending to the whole Oz/Willow thing. Made for a strong episode.

EPISODE 7: THE INITIATIVE
Buffy begins a relationship with Riley Finn unaware that he is part of a military organization tracking down and experimenting on the demons and vampires of Sunnydale.

My Thoughts:
OK... let me go on record of saying I never liked the Initiative story-line... and was never much of a fan of Riley either. so to me... this one was a decent episode... nothing more.

EPISODE 8: PANGS
Warned that Buffy may be in great danger, Angel returns to Sunnydale just as the spirit of a Chumash warrior rises to avenge the death of his people.

My Thoughts:
Pretty cool episode... now that Spike is neutered we are starting to see the more funny Spike... I did find a Thanksgiving episode of Buffy a little on the strange side... but I think they definitely pulled it off.

[addicted2dvd]

Season 4: Disc 3

EPISODE 9: SOMETHING BLUE
When Willow casts a spell in hopes of getting over the pain of losing Oz, the exact wording she uses causes mayhem among her friends.

My Thoughts:
This was a good episode... I enjoyed it. There was a lot of comedy on this episode.

EPISODE 10: HUSH
From out of a fairy tale comes a group of murderous creatures known as the Gentlemen: first they steal everyone's voices, then they begin to collect human hearts.

My Thoughts:
This is an excellent episode... one of my favorites of the whole series... and definitely my #1 favorite for season 4. I loved "The Gentlemen"... possible THE best demons in the entire series... at least in my opinion. This is also the episode where Tara and Willow meet... which was something I forgot till I saw her in the episode.

EPISODE 11: DOOMED
As Buffy and Riley struggle to come to terms with each other's secret identity, a Vahrall demon begins gathering objects for a ritual that will reopen the Hellmouth.

My Thoughts:
This episode was another good one... I did enjoy it. In this one they go back to the site of the high school to stop demons from opening the Hellmouth. And in this episode Spike learns that even though he has been neutered he can still fight demons without the chip in his head causing him tremendous pain.

[addicted2dvd]

Season 4: Disc 4

EPISODE 12: A NEW MAN
Feeling suddenly old and useless, Giles drowns his sorrows at a pub with an old friend and sorcerer Ethan Rayne and winds up with much more than just a simple hangover the next morning.

My Thoughts:
This one was another of the fun episodes for me. These single episode stories that are put in there for fun is what saved this season for me as I never cared much for "The Inititive" story line. Even though I always hated the character of Ethan Rayne... I was almost happy to see him in this season since it had little to do with the season long story line. If I am not mistaken... this is the last we see of him though.

EPISODE 13: THE I IN TEAM
As Spike tries to elude The Initiative's commandos, Buffy gets a look at the Initiative's underground complex and discovers she's not as welcome as she first thought.

My Thoughts:
It is an alright episode to me... since I don't care for the main story line.

EPISODE 14: GOODBYE IOWA
A death inside the Initiative tests Buffy and Riley's relationship, and reveals that there are sinister and deadly aspects of the organization that not even Riley knows about.

My Thoughts:
Once again.. an alright episode... they are setting up the ending of the main story line here in the last couple of episodes.

EPISODE 15: THIS YEAR'S GIRL
As Riley joins Buffy in the hunt for one of the Initiative's creations called Adam, Faith awakens to find she's been given one last gift from Mayor Wilkins.

My Thoughts:
This one perked me back up a bit! Faith is back! Now things are getting interesting again.

[addicted2dvd]

Season 4: Disc 5

EPISODE 16: WHO ARE YOU
After magically switching bodies with Buffy, Faith pays a visit to Riley - leaving Buffy in the hands of the Watcher Council Special Ops Unit who've come to take Faith back to England.

My Thoughts:
Another good episode. If I am not mistaken this is the last we see of Faith till the final season of the series.

EPISODE 17: SUPERSTAR
Buffy suspects reality has somehow been altered after an unpopular former Sunnydale High student named Jonathan becomes the coolest and most popular person in town.

My Thoughts:
This is another one of those I just didn't care much for... I realize the whole alternate reality was supposed to be ridiculous... but it was a bit too ridiculous for my taste.

EPISODE 18: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
While Adam is recruiting an army of vampires and demons, Riley and Buffy's passionate lovemaking unleashes a group of poltergeists inside a frat house.

My Thoughts:
This episode was good... I enjoyed it quite a bit. I really liked the whole haunted house feel to it... as that is one of my favorite horror sub-genres.

EPISODE 19: NEW MOON RISING
Oz's surprise return to Sunnydale causes complications in Willow's current love life and leads to his transformation into a werewolf and subsequent capture by Riley.

My Thoughts:
How couldn't I enjoy this one? The return of Oz... him realizing the truth of how Willow's life has changed. very enjoyable.

Season 4: Disc 6

EPISODE 20: THE YOKO FACTOR
As Spike and Adam plot to drive a wedge between Buffy and her friends, Angel returns to Sunnydale, only to be attacked by Riley and a group of Initiative commandos.

My Thoughts:
Another good episode... Spike does a great job of pitting the group against each other.... playing to each of their fears.

EPISODE 21: PRIMEVAL
Xander, Willow, and Giles join forces to magically imbue Buffy with supernatural powers in order to do battle against Adam and overthrow his plans for creating a "demonoid" army.

My Thoughts:
The final show-down between Buffy (and the gang) and Adam. We finally pretty much see the end of The Initiative. And we get one huge battle that is just fun to watch all the chaos of.

EPISODE 22: RESTLESS
After battling Adam, an exhausted Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles all experience dreams in which they encounter a strange, savage woman - and The Cheese Man.

My Thoughts:
Let's see.... what do I say other then "huh?"... you get some homages to the past seasons... and a few nice hints into the upcoming season all thrown together in one huge dream of an episode.... all jumbled into an episode where you really aren't sure what it is you are seeing. And what about "The Cheese Man".... talk about no sense what so ever! I think I would have personally preferred the last episode to have been the season finale... but this is definitely an episode to get you to scratch your head over.

Season 4 Final Thoughts:

OK... this has to be my least favorite season of the series... As I have touched on before I never thought much of the new boyfriend, Riley... and I just couldn't stand the whole Initiative story line. Sure... there was some really good episodes in this season... especially one of my all time favorite episodes, hush... but when you dislike the season long arc so much... it makes it hard to enjoy that season on a whole.

[Najemikon]

I understand what you mean, because that's how I feel about the latter X-Files seasons. As the overall arc became more obvious, it was more obvious I'd hate the damn thing! Still yet to finish season 9... 

That said, I always liked Season 4. It was certainly the weakest up to that point, but to me it felt like a natural progression with the military getting involved and Frankenstein-ish experiments. And Riley was alright! I also liked the link with Angel. Such a shame the change in networks meant that could only be vaguely implied from now on.

[addicted2dvd]

Season 5: Disc 1

EPISODE 1: BUFFY VS. DRACULA
An uneasy encounter with the legendary Count Dracula leaves Buffy desiring to learn more about herself and thus asking Giles to once again be her Watcher.

My Thoughts:
This is another of my all time favorite episodes. It is an episode you knew from the beginning of the series that they just had to do!.. and I think they did a great job with it. I think Nicholas Brendon (Xander) played his part in this episode perfectly... to the point of stealing the show. He was just hilarious in it. I also had to laugh when Giles wanted to jump back into the pit with the 3 sister vampires.

EPISODE 2: REAL ME
As Dawn begins a journal recounting her life with the Slayer, she encounters a madman who tells her she "doesn't belong" and a group of vampires led by Harmony.

My Thoughts:
Another good episode to introduce the character Dawn... Buffy's little sister. When I got my very first look at Dawn I thought it was going to be too big of a change and was the beginning of the end of the series... but I was proven wrong. I found myself really liking her from her very first episode. Though it did take me a little getting used to the whole idea of who she was and how she was just added the way she was.

EPISODE 3: THE REPLACEMENT
When Xander blocks a Toth demon's magical blast from hitting Buffy, he wakes up the next day to find a doppelganger has taken over his life.

My Thoughts:
More of a fun episode then anything else... Nicholas Brendan once again gets to show off his talent.

EPISODE 4: OUT OF MY MIND
As Riley's friends beg him to see a medical specialist at Sunnydale General hospital, Harmony and Spike kidnap the same specialist with hopes he can remove Spike's chip.

My Thoughts:
This is a decent episode..  not one of my favorites... It is more of an episode to tie up some loose ends from last seasons main story line.

[addicted2dvd]

Season 5: Disc 2

EPISODE 5: NO PLACE LIKE HOME
While on her nightly patrol, Buffy finds a glowing orb which leads her to suspect there's an unnatural force behind both her mother's growing illness and her sister Dawn.

My Thoughts:
Another good episode... in this one we find out exactly where Dawn came from... and we meet the new Big Bad for the season. Glory. I wouldn't say Glory is my favorite of the Big Bads... but she is pretty cool. I will definitely enjoy this season more then the last.

EPISODE 6: FAMILY
Tara inadvertently puts everyone in danger when she secretly casts a spell on her friends after her family arrives in Sunnydale to celebrate her birthday.

My Thoughts:
Another good episode... this one centering around Tara... In this one we find out why she stopped that spell for locating demons from working last season.

EPISODE 7: FOOL FOR LOVE
After being impaled by a vampire, Buffy turns to Spike, who claims to have killed two Slayers, in an attempt to learn how other Slayers met their end.

My Thoughts:
Another episode I liked... In this episode there is a flashback showing Spike getting turned into a vampire... and him defeating 2 different slayers. They kinda messed up here though... in the second season.... in the episode School Hard Spike said that Angel was his sire... but yet in this episode it shows Drusilla siring him.

EPISODE 8: SHADOW
Buffy has to face both her mother's critical illness and the growing threat of Glory's continuing search for the Key.

My Thoughts:
This is a pretty good episode... I liked the snake creature... but I have to admit this episode (not to mention the upcoming episodes) was/will be hard for me to watch... what with my mother being ill at the moment.

[addicted2dvd]

Season 5: Disc 3

EPISODE 9: LISTENING TO FEAR
A spider-like Queller demon arrives in Sunnydale and begins killing mental patients at the hospital just as Joyce is admitted for her surgery.

My Thoughts:
This was a decent episode... though I do not know where whoever wrote the above overview for the episode got that it was a spider-like demon. Other then the fact that it could crawl on walls/ceilings... it looked more like a giant beetle then a spider. And it's head kinda reminded me of the X-Files episode The Host... the leech creature they discovered.

EPISODE 10: INTO THE WOODS
Certain that Buffy doesn't love him the same way he loves her, Riley finally decides to confront her and offer her one last opportunity to give their relationship a chance.

My Thoughts:
And this is the last we see of Riley for a while. If I remember right he does come back for 1 single episode. This one... to me... was not a bad episode... but really wasn't anything special either.

EPISODE 11: TRIANGLE
While Giles is in England trying to uncover information about Glory, Willow and Tara accidentally summon up an angry troll who used to go out with Anya.

My Thoughts:
This one is another of those fun episodes... played more for laughs then anything else... or just as much for laughs at least. It is a pretty cool episode... I liked how Anya and Willow kept at it throughout the episode... trying to pull Xander in the middle of it all.