I guess it's about damn time I checked this series out. I missed it on teevee for the same reason I missed Battlestar Galactica: the original was so underwhelming I couldn't see the promise in a reboot, and by the time I caught the buzz that it was awesome, I figured I had missed the boat. Well, that's the great thing about dvd sets--now I can catch up, start to finish!
The person loaning me this collection emphasized that the budget gets better after the first season. Honestly, though, I'm less interested in better production values and effects than I am in seeing bigger, longer, deeper stories. The first season wasn't bad in that regard--though only twelve episodes long and mostly episodic in structure, it did also serialize a longer arc that built from the first episode to a culmination in the season finale. From the second season on, the episode count ramps up to 22, and from what I understand, it becomes more strongly serialized too, so I'm really looking forward to that.
I find the cast/characters mostly appealing. Sarah Michelle Gellar is credible enough so far as Buffy, though it seems she has some room to grow into the role. FSM only fucking knows why smoking-hot Alyson Hannigan always winds up "geeky" and "homely," as she does here in the role of Willow, but oh well. Xander is annoying as fuck, but that seems to be by design, since he's the unfortunate load-bearing corner for everything bad in the whole love quadrangle. Anthony Stewart Head as Giles is likable from the start, but the chemistry that sparks when the lovely and fascinating Ms. Calendar gets thrown into the mix raises his game to a whole new level--I really hope to see more of her, and that their relationship goes somewhere good.
Sunnydale is already absurd as a setting--a small community suffering atrocities on a weekly basis, any one of which would shock the whole nation, but I guess that's one of the show's conventions, so I'll just grin and go with it.
And that's pretty much all I have for now. I'll reserve a few more opinions until I'm deeper into the series. Stay tuned, and stay groovy!
2 comments:
Oh! This is exciting because I recently started watching Buffy also. Pretty much in the same situation as you, in that I felt like I had missed the boat and wanted to see what all the hype was about in retrospect. I've also been told repeatedly that things get better after the first season, so I'm looking forward to that as well.
I'm afraid you'll probably go through the whole series faster than I will, but I'll try to catch up if possible so I can keep reading your posts.
I had a few preliminary thoughts mid-season here: http://irrelevantcomics.blogspot.com/2011/11/five-random-thoughts-on-buffy-s1-ep-1-8.html
I started watching Buffy from season 4 (when they all move to college) right up till the last season - 7 I think? I need to now catch the first 3 seasons.
As for the show - loved it especially Spike - really got hooked into the continuity and don't worry about Alison Hannigan - things get hotter for her in every way!
I also recommend Geller's new show RINGER and another show including a Buffy semi regular ( Eliza Dushka) called DOLLHOUSE.
Check 'em out mate .
ade
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