Episode reviews from a first time watcher

POSTED BY: fredgiblet
UPDATED: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 07:40
VIEWED: 16323
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FREDGIBLET

Thursday, August 17, 2006 5:55 AM

Episode 205: Reptile Boy

How does the Water Buffalo fit in?

For those of you who haven't heard much about fraternities, they are actually fairly well represented by this episode. It was a fairly heavy-handed cautionary story about the dangers of college guys and fraternities, but actually quite accurate as well.

The interactions with Buffy and Angel seemed really forced and out of character. Angel didn't seem to care that much about the issues he raised for the last season, why is thinking all this now?

Cordelia is still being a ditzy bimbo, and I still don't like her character or acting. I have to say I was rooting for her to get eaten.

Whatever happened to Buffy's Slayer physique? A little drug takes out Buffy just like Cordelia?

Willows outburst was nice, and fit in nicely with the cautionary nature of the episode, lots of kids start lying, drinking and the like because of the pressures of being a teen.

A bit too heavy-handed but a decent ep.

WTE

Thursday, August 17, 2006 9:51 AM

Quote:
I've seen Charisma act better than this and I just have to wonder if it's the writing or directing that is at issue.

I'm pretty sure Buffy was one of her earliest, if not the earliest, acting jobs. Odds are in other places you've seen her she'd had time to learn from mistakes and whatnot.

Still, I'm enjoying these. I'm looking forward to late season two and most of season three.

HONKS

FREDGIBLET

Friday, August 18, 2006 4:48 AM

Episode 206: Halloween

The episode starts off with a nice drawn out fight, fighting is good.

Snyder is still an ass. I still hope he gets what's coming.

The whole scene with Buffy distracting Giles was gut-busting "babe...I can live with that".

The stroyline for this episode was really cool, who wouldn't like to be completely changed into a fantasy version of themselves once in a while? Xander becoming the action man soldier, Buffy fainting the second the first wave of baddies comes into view. The writers used this story as an excuse to show the characters as opposite of what they are, and it works great.

It was interesting to get a glimpse into Giles past "Ripper?", Giles getting some swings in was a welcome change, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Willow finally gets a little confidence, chucking the ghost costume and sticking with the...the..hooker costume...I guess.

A great episode which helped the characters show more personality then we've seen previously.

FREDGIBLET

Friday, August 18, 2006 5:37 AM

Episode 207: Lie To Me

Are all women this insecure about their relationships? The instant Angel comes within 100 feet of another woman Buffy starts wondering if he's cheating, I mean come on.

Meeting one of Buffy's old friends is an interesting development, him turning out to have ulterior motives for showing up was a nice plot move. I thought it was great that they mocked Goths and cults in one swoop, with the vampire club.

The scene with Angel confessing one of his sins to Buffy was well done and gives us insight into Angel and Drusilla.

The conversation between Giles and Buffy at the end was a classic, Giles can sure lie well can't he.

It is nice to have morally ambiguous enemies instead of just a constant stream of Black Hats, here we have someone who is trying to save his own life (ironically by dieing). It brings up the question, how far would you go to save your own life?

A very good episode that unfortunately ends up being overshadowed by the second half of the season.

CYBERSNARK

Friday, August 18, 2006 2:45 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fredgiblet:
I thought it was great that they mocked Goths and cults

And Angel's fashion sense.

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We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

FREDGIBLET

Saturday, August 19, 2006 6:00 AM

Episode 208: The Dark Age

Note to the guy at the beginning of the ep: If the door doesn't open, find another one.

The scene with Giles and Jenny was great, you could practically see the fuses popping in Giles head as she talked about what she did to the book.

More of Giles dark past, more of Ethan, oh yeah the making of a good episode. I really liked that Ethan makes a return and isn't just a one ep villan, I see much more room for development in his character. It was interesting to see Ms. Calendar doing the evil thing, I think she pulled it off (the actress I mean). The use of Angel to trap the demon was a little stange IMO, I would think that the risk of the demon taking over his body would be too great, but that's just me. Willow was great as the enforcer in the library, I can't wait to see her get more assertive later.

Note to people doing do-it-yourself tatoo removal: If you're going to use acid, pouring is probably a worse idea then immersing, when you pour it goes all over, but you can immerse only specific areas.

A pretty good episode, but something just wasn't right about it, I don't know why but I just feel that the whole was less than the parts on this one.

JOLLY

Sunday, August 20, 2006 2:20 AM

I've never really been bitten by the Buffy bug either, but I've been giving it another go this week. Following the wisdom of the web, I've decided to skip the first season and start with number two.

First two episodes didn't really get my attention. First was fall out from season one, and the Frankenstein story in episode two seemed rather tepid.

The third episode, though...now this is more like it! Spike is a fun baddy, I thoroughly enjoyed the episode, and I'm looking forward to episode number four (unlike FF and BSG, I'm going to try to exercise some self control and pace myself and *not* watch three episodes a night!).

FREDGIBLET

Sunday, August 20, 2006 3:03 AM

Episode 209: What's My Line part 1

Career Week, the only redeeming value being that you get out of class for a while, the nightmare of High School continues.

Question: If the Order of Taraka is so badass, how come nobodies sent them against Buffy before?

It was interesting to have both Giles and Angel saying that Buffy can't handle the heat, makes for a good build-up. The Order seems to be not nearly as badass as there reputation if Xander and Cordelia can escape (then defeat) one of their members. I was fearing for Angel a little bit, but I knew he wouldn't die (for a variety of reasons not even including him getting his own TV show). Kendra being a Slayer is an interesting twist, that actually makes perfect sense (makes me wonder if they had it planned or just realized that it could happen after the fact).

Not a particularly good episode by virtue of the fact that it is almost completely build-up for the next ep.

FREDGIBLET

Sunday, August 20, 2006 3:07 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by jolly:
I've never really been bitten by the Buffy bug either, but I've been giving it another go this week. Following the wisdom of the web, I've decided to skip the first season and start with number two.

Two suggestions.

First:

From season one watch the Premiere, Angel and the Finale (there is some continuity stuff to pick up on).

Second:

If you get hooked in Season 2 go back and watch Season 1. It was not particularly good, but Buffy is a continuity heavy show and you miss a lot of little things if you completely skip S1.

Just my 2 cents.

FREDGIBLET

Sunday, August 20, 2006 3:56 AM

Episode 210: What's My Line part 2

Angel is captured by Spike, this can't bode well. It is certainly interesting to see the difference in style between Kendra (Slaying is her life) and Buffy (Doesn't want Slaying to be her life), quite a contrast. I have to ask though, if Kendra is supposed to have dedicated her entire life to slaying, why the fancy clothes? Shouldn't she be wearing drab, utilitarian clothes?

The scene between Xander and Cordelia was great...until they starting kissing, I don't know if it's just me, but their whole romance storyline seemed contrived. Additionally Kendra's reaction to Xander seemed completely off, I could understand her acting like that if he was trying to hit on her, but just talking?

Oz and Willow, that is a relationship I can support. Willow finally getting a guy, and that guy being fairly cool to boot.

The grand melee scene in the church was cool, and Drusilla buffing up leads to some interesting possibilities.

Overall a worthy second part, definitely makes the somewhat lackluster first part worthwile.

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