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That's My Take Archive August - September, 2000- Thoughts on the Overall 99-00 Season | |||||||||
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Suggestions & Allegations on "Buffy": This was gonna' be a critique, but I think I've said what I had to say about the 99-00 season. I do have a little to say about certain characters which I will say below my whole Buffy/"Restless" realizations. Also, look below this & my "Angel" section to read what I have to say about the 00-01 season in general. Right now I'm going to talk about the "big big big" changes with Buffy herself that is supposed to happen in the big climatic season closer that marks the 100th ep of "Buffy". I've been sitting on "Restless". Mostly, I've been in summer school, looking confused while my psych-major teacher who I got stuck with for 6 straight hours goes on asking question to define theory & going into 5th year graduate course material on Communication theory and research (& then the bastard gives me a B!). But, I've had a couple weeks to rest my brain, take a vacation, & have a 4-day "Buffy" season 4 marathon, so I'm feeling better & have finally come to a conclusion about the mysteries in "Restless". This is what I believe. I think that Buffy herself is not human. I won't say that she's a demon, but I don't think she's human. I think all she's been striving for- her normal life- that she has no right to it. Harshly I say that I think she's a killer. I think she doesn't fully know yet what she is, but when she does she'll learn that all she was meant for was the fight. & that it's selfish for her to have friends, boyfriends, & family, because that's not why she was called to be a slayer. Her life is not hers anymore. Let me explain. There is the first slayer herself. She told Buffy that the slayer did not walk in this world, that she wasn't apart of it. That a slayer was a fighter, that there was nothing she should do or have except the fighting. Buffy told her that Buffy herself did exist in the world, & that the first slayer was not "the source of" Buffy herself. But, I believe that Buffy is wrong. Also, there is Tara in Buffy's dream in "Restless", & the end scene when Tara's voice overlaps with: "You think you know, what you are, what's to come. You haven't even begun." There is the evidence. But I have to say that Tara, not sure yet if that was actually Tara represented or the First Slayer in that part of the dream, was suggesting that Buffy as the killer is more powerful than Buffy as more of a human. I think that slayers aren't really human at all. But that when a girl is called, something is awakened inside her. I think that not just anyone can become a slayer. That there is something in her that you don't find in regular people, perhaps something that can only be activated in a double X chromizone that makes the slayer what she is. Anyway, all that is for certain is that what exactly a slayer is is going to be explored. This is my current theory on Tara. A) Tara is a part of a group that ushers in a change in the slayer, the change from something more human, to something perhaps not at all (730 could be some kind of age system- like years, only measured by something other than the suns rotation around the Earth). B) Tara is a renegade from the group, & she's watching Buffy so that the group doesn't usher in the change- meaning it's bad. The A senario would mean that the group was a benevolent force, because I believe Tara herself is out to do a greater good. The B senario would mean the group is melevolent. I honestly believe what I said about Buffy, where as the Tara thing is just a theory. Moving on to quick mentions about characters & that oh so special relationship between a slayer & a soldier: Buffy & Riley. I like it, but it's not as strong a love as with Buffy & Angel. & I think it will eventually fade away. Maybe by the end of the season. Definately by the end of the show. I gotta' say that there is a big problem with Spike. They're running into the same problem with him as with Oz. They're not using him. & ya know why? Because there's nothing to use him for. Make up your mind, "Buffy" writers! In or out of the Sooby Gang. Spike's a self-serving individual. He's evil, he hates the scooby gang, but give him an incentive & he's one of the gang. Give him an incentive & I'll be a happy viewer. I CANNOT STESS THIS ENOUGH-- Anya needs to be explored. & damnitt, they have to be consistent with her past. Just a quick peice of advice to the writers. To avoid the disapointment that followed "New Moon Rising"'s airing in which you discovered that a lot of people didn't get that the Willow & Tara relationship was romantic. There's something called giving your audience too much credit as far as what knowledge they pocess. Just keep it in mind that your audience is not made solely out of people with a degree in Perseptiveness. Last Thoughts on "Angel"'s 99-00 Season There is a big problem with "Angel", & I have finally pin-pointed it. The problem is that there is no future. It can summed up with one question: where is this going? There is no moving. This was said in "To Shanshu in L.A.", but it happens with Cordelia & Wesley as well. More needs to be going on-- & god, if you think the girl de jours for our Angel are the answer, you're wrong. It's worse to have girl de jours than 1 girl. Because girl de jours suggest Angel's ready to move on from Buffy, but doesn't just hasn't found the right girl. 1 steady girl is better. Something he wasn't looking for, but something that found him. It's like with Riley, Buffy doesn't love him like she did Angel. You don't have to tell me that, but I know. Angel can have a girl, but it doesn't have to be love like that. You still keep the whole premise of the character, but you still have things going on with him as well. Angel needs to be evolving. I like the idea of Darla coming back, because she can bring change. I think Darla's gonna be a sort of twisted love interest. & I think that she's gonna try to change Angel, but she's gonna end up being changed herself. I have to say something about Kate. I wish she hadn't found out about Angel being a vamp. There was no reason for it. I liked them as allies. They are kind of like the same person, both really strong people who put up masks of strength when underneath things are sort of a mess. & they could have done a lot with that Kate & Angel as allies, because portraying Kate in a certain way was like portraying Angel. I.E. father issues, etc. It would have been good to drag it out for YEARS with her not knowing what he was, & with her being his police source. Be like a Buffy's mom senario, she doesn't find out for years. You'll hear me all the time say that I hate all the Angel girl de jours (girl of the day), I never considered Kate a girl de jour. I think there could have been a great romance, a Mulder & Scully kind of thing, brewing underneath a long working relationship between Angel & Kate. I loved "Somnambulist", don't get me wrong, it was one of the best eps of the season, but, frankly, it came too soon, before it's time, & before the storyline was 'realized'. & it took a bad turn. I like Kate, but I don't like her lately. Don't get me wrong with all this critizism of "Angel", everyone in charge did a lot better than most shows for its first season. The 2000-2001 Season: Now, as you may know, I'm wearing (although not-literally) my pin that says 'Livin' Spoiler Free'. So, I don't know that much about the season to come. In fact I'm pretty much in the dark. So if I happen to say crazy things, or make stupid assumtions, which I do often, try not to mock me too much because I'm still The Source, I just don't want to know anything spoilerish or rumorish (hello the whole Jeff & Sophia saga of the summer). Anyway, what I've got to say is that other than the whole "Buffy faces Dracula" storyline, which is leaving a bad taste in my mouth (although I think it would be comical if Buffy dusted him before the season premiere ends or even better if she dusted him before the theme rolls), I have a very good feeling about both "Buffy" & "Angel" this season. Every show needs time to come into it's own. For a spinoff that time can be even longer. I feel that the writers are aware of the problems with the storylines (not the writing, that's been superb) with "Angel" that have been making me yawn. From what I've heard about the season to come, I think those problems are more than fixed. That's what makes me think "Angel"'s going to be kick-ass. What makes me think "Buffy"'s gonna' kick some is that Joss planned out season 5 like 12 years ago, & also for years it seemed that "Buffy" was going to go 5 seasons. Now it's going to go for 7, but still the long-planned-out season 5 was going to be the last season, & man, do I believe that Joss wanted to go out with a bang. The other thing that makes me think the 00-01 season is going to be great is that Joss is sort of stepping back from "Buffy". Don't get me wrong. J'adore Joss, but I think that he's more needed on "Angel", & I also think Marti can hold her own on "Buffy". I've loved Marti's work since "What's My Line". I don't get how people go on the posting board spouting anti-Marti remarks. I think she's brilliant, & that "Buffy" is now in more-than-capible hands. Yes indeed, I have a very good feeling about the season to come. | |||||||||