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That's My Take Archive Late November, 2000- Buffy & Angel 00-01 episodes 6-9 | |||||||||
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Buffy These are notes I jotted down while having a Buffy marathon: "Restless" til "Listening to Fear". It's full of typos, jumps from thought to thought, & isn't in complete sentences. Sue me. "Restless". In caps are the people's dreams. WILLOW- The Tara stuff. "The truth about you." Really is the truth about Tara. "You don't know everything about me" "Have you told me your real name? (that was first slayer stuff)" Willow was kinda Tara. The symbols on back- just wicca stuff? XANDER- big brother???- possibly mixed psychics about Dawn suddenly being Buffy's little sister. Possibly suggesting that Brother & Sister, siblings, isn't just about blood, but something more like a deep friendship, a deep caring. If so, Dawn could really be Buffy's sister, just as Xander is Buffy's brother. Could simply be about Xander's army-insecurities from "The Yoko Factor", "Big Brother Watching You". The Government is Big Brother... but I don't think it is- of course, I thought that about some other things... like Tara. "That's not the way out"- really talking about getting out of the basement, the dreary life he was trapped in. "I was in to that for a while", but now I'm more into getting by then helping save the world. French stuff about being left behind, unable to understand what the scooby gang is doing, feeling insuperior. "R U a soldier?" "I'm a comfortador" He doesn't fight, he conforts, he messes around. GILES- "The beginning... before time." Buffy as Giles' kid. The Crack Drac game. Later, the mythogical Dracula visits Buffy revealing more about the slayer than watcher Giles could. Giles "knows" primal Buffy. How? Giles' song, an ode to old times... Buffy, Willow, Xander, & Giles- first season. The watch- "the way men & women have done it since the beginning", slayer before time, before civilization- before WATCHERS? How does Drac know about the slayer & her history? BUFFY- "Wake up" to your demon self. Mom living in the walls- saying some crazy things. "A mice is playing with with my knees."- brain tumor mixed up psychic account. Riley- "hey killer"- is that mixed account of Riley himself, turning dark. "She's uncomfortable with certain situations... agression is a natural human tendency, although you & me come by it another way." She wasn't exbititing any agression right there. Why is 'uncomtorable with certain situations' an agressive thing for Buffy? "We're not demons." Riley out of the picture- Buffy indulges her primordial self (clay on face.) "I'm never going to find them here-" out in the desert, all alone. The first slayer doesn't follow Buffy, she's a part of Buffy. "You haven't even begun to know" who you are. "Restless" & Buffy's encounter with the First Slayer was about what sets Buffy apart from the other slayers- why she's been through more shit & has stayed alive, & the reason is because she's not alone. What did Spike say in "Fool for Love"? & maybe the concept being lead to here is what happens when Buffy loses those reasons, when she is alone? & the Dawn thing could be a good way to take that connection to the world away from Buffy. You take away the boyfriend, you kill off the mom, you distance her from friends (Giles, Willow, & Xander are into their own things) & then you have her care for this "sister" who she, even though knows the girl's not real & not really her sister, has got this affection for, a caring for the creature who's unaware that it's not human & then, on top of all, these "memories" of a life with the sister. It's the perfect senario to take away those things that have kept Buffy from the dark side of the slayer, the part that's alone & wants death. & maybe that's all the dark-half of Buffy is. That, & put her under the right circumstances, as was with Faith, & you got a powerful person with nothing holding her from doing wrong- you got an evil being who could be a powerful ally for someone evil like Drac. The writing isn't as sharp on "Buffy", but more accurately, some of the writers aren't writing as sharp. Marti's fine. Fury's fine--- but some others... Maybe they just know these characters more. Now's not the time to start bringing in new writers, when evil genius Joss is away. "Buffy vs. Dracula" was a classic, dialogue chemistry episode. Fury perpetuated the mode... & it just got fuzzy from there. GET RILEY OUT OF THERE. He is Mr.-I-Don't-Belong. GET SPIKE OUT OF THERE. He's baggage. & about Buffy being so vunrable- remember, this show can be a tool of female empowerment or a tool of false female perceptions of frailty & vunrability. What up? Riley sees Buffy digs the vamp bites & decides to be like Ike? SMG, I plead with you, ACT. Dracula played on Buffy's inheriant slayer obsession with death. Because death is all a slayer is. & the whole thing with Buffy resisting Drac was that she wanted to stay in life. Comical unclearness, Drac dead or what? I think a new all-time low was reached with bringing Dracula in the show- was interesting for an episode, but should have been a dream or something. How is Giles being Buffy's watcher? They perpetuated that, for like what, an episode? The Dawn stuff was really cute at first. "Real Me"- writing kicked ass. Ohh: "I'd think of a cool name & wear a mask to protect my loved one"- misacted, & therefore misinterpreted by me, part of script- Dawn saying if she had Buffy's superhero powers she'd wear a mask & think of a cool name like "Supergirl" to protect her loved ones, not irresponsibly go out there as herself making enemies & putting friends & family in danger. Riley's a good guy. The perfect boyfriend, really. You know, the perfect guy who you date, but never fall in love with because he doesn't make you crazy all the time. Classic. Women, & men, in their choosing of loves & mates, are just freaking nuts. "Real Me"- funny as hell. Fury, you are my god! Can we perpetuate Dawn's crush on Xander alittle, please? They could do something good with that... or will that have something to do with 'big brother'. "Come inside & say that"- INGENIUS! If they brought Harmony on a little more, Spike could have a place, but they'd need to drop the Spike-in-love-with-Buffy bullshit. I don't like the message they're giving off with that- you hit someone enough, they fall in love with you? I think Dawn definately is going to turn out to be something Buffy is going to be very afriad of, something dark. I think she could end the world- without a doubt. Or save it, depending on whose hands she's in. If she's energy, she could just be a force, a maleble force that could be used for good or evil. I can't really tell Niki & Kelly Brendon apart when they make them up the same- I kinda can. I like unsuave Xander better. I like 2 Xanders being bad influences on eachother. SNOOPY DANCE- oh yeah! On Anya- Cordy, in her Sunnydale state, was better. It really should be Cordy & Xander. Xander & Willow. Willow & Oz. Buffy & Angel. They were the best couples. Why did that have to be the absolute last time Willow & Xander would ever kiss?!!! Why does Xander feel so insecure about women, he's had a thing with every girl his age on the show- except for Buffy. Is he still in love with Buffy? I don't think he loves Anya. Anya's like Riley-- the perfect girlfriend who you don't fall in love with (well, maybe not perfect). OK, I can tell the difference: Niki Brendon's sexier. SMG, learn to act! Hey, are the writers aware that we don't give a shit about Riley? We don't dig him. He's nice & all, but I don't care what he's going through... GET RILEY OUT OF THERE! My opinion on Buffy & Riley? They had sex too soon. Rushed into bed & didn't wait for the feelings to come first- & then they never did. This whole thing could have been avoided! I don't like, Ben, the intern/otherwordly Glory cleaner-upper when he doesn't have his shirt off. I'm so disappointed in Graham. He's not a monosylabic gentleman. You know, the intense Buffy/Riley scenes just don't work- there just isn't intensity there. Or could it be that the scenes don't work because SMG just needs to LEARN TO ACT. All loyal SMG fans are cursing me under the name of the political party they oppose about now. Ya know, it's unfair to Riley for Buffy to go through the motions of a loving relationship because he's feeling all the things she's faking... it's just not right. Spike in love with Buffy- Dracula's record of Buffy's new all-time low has been broken. But, I should have seen it coming. "I could ride you at a gallop..." Man, "No Place Like Home" was cool. Glory is a refreshing bad guy... I hope she lives up to the supreme & unique standard "Buffy" has set for its bad guys. In some respects, she's doing OK, in some she's not. The actress... sometimes she's really off. Sometimes she's interestingly different & that makes her very cool. No one can replace Sophia.... or Chris Beck. What world is Glory from? & where did the protection orb thing come from? The best I can figure about what Glory does, with the imformation at present, is that she goes a little crazy sometimes & has to get out the crazy energy- giving it to the nearest human available, thus sending out a rash of humans who are insane & have knowledge about "the key" & all. "Family" was such a disapointment. Ya know, I think Joss is really sexually attracted to Amber Benson. I like Willow & Tara. "Family" was sweet, but disappointing that Tara's secret was just that. Good dialogue in "Fool for Love". There was another one that was smartly written. Oh my god! SMG learn to act (scene with Spike "say it's true, say I do want to dance. It wouldn't be you.") Die, evil bitcha! Something that for some reason I didn't catch before this is that with Buffy's mom being sick & Buffy learning about Dawn, & with her trying to keep Dawn safe, Buffy's not been "going out a lot". All the family stuff is dragging her away from slayerhood, which is good for Buffy the human, but bad for what Buffy the slayer is supposed to be doing- saving lives. What's Buffy's life worth the millions she can save? & who's going to answer for Buffy having a life over slayerhood? What right does she have to live her life, ignore her duty, without letting the slayerline pass on to the next girl. That did look awfully final at the end of "Listening to Fear". Glory claims the key belongs to her. Joyce said "but she does belong to us?" about Dawn. (Smile) The slayer's not involved in this key thing, not until the monks put Dawn there. Otherwise, Glory would think a little more of Buffy. I do think that this whole Dawn thing will lead to something huge, probably having something to do with what I was saying earlier- using the sister-relationship as a tool to take away the things that keep Buffy human. Episodes lately are chopy. Concepts follow episode to episode, not dealt with in each episode. It's a soap opreary way to do things, not like Buffy, not for Buffy. To sum up what I'm saying: it's moving too slow, & the one of the major things I loved abotu Buffy was that it moved fast. Angel "To Shanshu in LA" til "The Trial" I'm starting to get the vision now of "Angel". It's slow moving, but more meaningfully than its predecessor. I think that when things happen, it is bigger than things happening on "Buffy" because it's so rare that big things happen. "The Trial", for example, was done in the most perfect way. You know, I think Angel really isn't what Wolfram & Hart expected. I mean, Lindsey himself doesn't at all seem afraid of Angel. I think they showed that Angel, although the hero, is not someone afraid to dish out some damage, especially with what he did to Lindsey in "To Shanshu". That episode was a big move for Cordelia, she became more devoted, but now where's the contrast & hatred of fighting? Something was lost. "Angel" is more endearing, more involved. I think you probably would have to be a fan who watched just about every week to really understand the concepts & what was going on. "The Trail" stood good on its own, but it was triplely amazing because of the complex relationship they developed over the season between Darla & Angel. The biggest compliment I have for this whole entire season is the way they handled the Darla stuff. They kicked some ass! They were so perfect, so perfectly calculated & done. I have to say for the first time since Doyle died, I am an "Angel" fan. I'm not watching it because it's "Buffy"'s spin-off. & right now I'm pretty much watching "Buffy" because I've watched it for almost 4 years. I think that's the biggest compliment I can give Greenwalt & Whedon, that I watch "Angel" because I like it in its own right. Back to the Darla stuff, did they kick ass or what??? Not only did it climate into the most heartwrenching episode in the show's history (well, "I Will Remember You" probably is before it), but now they have the same situation they would have had if Darla came back as a vampire- only better because now Angel cares for her. It's seriously, second half of "Buffy" second season, but only better- because Buffy's a bitcha & Angel's so close to the edge I think Darla could bring him over! I'm really excited about what the rest of the season will hold. I think they have a real opportunity to kick ass & make "Angel" truly greater in the eyes of Buffyverse fans than "Buffy" in its highest moments ("Restless", "Becoming"). CARITAS, latin for Mercy, gotta' get the terms down. I guess they just call the Karaoke guy THE HOST. This guy I really like- again, I've said why- because he only tells you so much- not because that's all he can tell you, but because he has a philosophy about not setting people on one path or the other, but letting them choose the path on their own. Nabbit was on "Angel" for like one episode- what up? & I thought Jhiera was supposed to show up this season- not that I'm complaining that she's not been there. It's not that I dislike her so much as her & Angel. Now I fully understand what The Host was saying about Darla in "Dear Boy". If Angel pursued Darla any further he would sort of fall in love with her, & if he did, when she became a vamp things would get ugly. I didn't even notice when CC cut her hair, I just wasn't paying attention. She cut her hair at least by "Guise will be Guise", & then added a big ponytail extension & waiting for them to write the haircut into the show. In the first couple eps of the season her hair wasn't cut... anyway, I don't like it. Definitely with Angel fish-hooking that guy- he can do bad things to humans just fine as long as their bad. But that's a thin line. Well, now it's obvious why they were doing the Dru flashbacks. I should have known, since I figured after the finale that's why they were doing the Darla flashbacks. Note to self: whenever "Angel" shows seemingly pointless flashbacks with characters that were once in the Buffyverse it means the character is coming on "Angel" very soon. I think Wolfram & Hart might have intended to make Darla crazy. Being sired by Dru, saying "she's cracking up... ahead of schedule". Dru was totally getting psychic vibes in the scene right before she makes Spike a vamp. She calls Darla grandmother, but then in the same paragraph says "I could your mommy". Not all the episodes this season have been great, but most of them have been just really awesome. Alexis Denisof overacts just a bit. The whole Darla ordeal really drove Angel over the edge. He's lost it. I think he needs a visit from Buffy to give him some focus. I definitely think they're driving toward Angel reverting to badness all while having a soul, or, more accurately, him almost reverting, going real close to the edge if not crossing it for a moment. Hell, they might even end the season with him going bad & leave it as a big cliffhanger. I can hear the new season commercials now... I can't help think: he killed her, why does he care so much about her now. Oh, maybe because it's a TV show & Joss Whedon can do whatever he wants. Didn't see the Dru thing coming & thought that "The Trial" kicked ass & should get an Emmy. You know, I always wondered what would happen when Dru came back, but I was more thinking that she'd be on "Buffy". Because Dru is tough, & Buffy has a debt to settle with the girl- she has Kendra's death to avenge- I think it would make a cool Buffy/Angel crossover. & I think that Dru should get staked at the end of it. It would also be good with the Buffy/Spike love storyline. Like he chooses Buffy's life over Dru's undead life- but before he's more inclined to Dru. I really think that what I said the Wolfram & Hart plan was after "The Trial" aired was right. They wanted Angel to sort of fall in love with Darla & then make her a vamp so he'd be inclined to spare her. It's so perfect. It keeps him out of their hair, it leaves him with all this guilt. I think there definately could be some rivilry between Darla & Dru. I think they both want Angel, & that both would love to turn him evil. Truly, truly, Darla was one that Angel couldn't save. | |||||||||