The Buffy Thread

I'm all for a Saturday afternoon or evening.

 

Hmmm, I may be able to swing one of those days.... The rest of y'all discuss amongst yourselves and decide on a date, as it's easier for me to say yay or nay based when someone else figures out a date.

As far as S1 goes, like I said, I've only seen the first 1/2 of it or so, so pretty much anything would go....

-SJ

 

I'm thinking a Saturday may be the best choice. Not too early, so people can recover from Friday night partying, and not too late, as to interfere with the Saturday night partying. Me, I don't party, so I'll be fine. Thanks for asking.

Time to talk more about the show. One of the great things about Buffy is how it deals with the harsh realities of life. Many people don't want to see "real life" reflected on television, seeing that it's depressing enough and don't want to spend their "escape time" seeing it melodramized. I get that. But to see other people go through what you had to suffer through, it's just cathardic. To me, anyway.

The first three seasons of the show take place in high school. The three main characters (Buffy, Willow, and Xander) didn't have all that great of time in school. They were outcasts. Buffy was a transfer student from L.A., which branded her from the beginning. She isn't all that bright in the schoolastic area, and has trouble fitting in because of her slayer duties, which she has to keep a secret. Willow is a computer genius/brain who basically has no social skills. She babbles a lot and tends to over state things, and take things too literally. (Guess which character I relate most to.) Xander is not a brain, nor a jock, nor an anybody. He's best friends with Willow (who's had a crush on him for, like, ever) and is definitely not one of the popular crowd.

So these are our protagonists. We get to relive the harshness of highschool through these kids. It's very empowering, in an odd sort of way. The geeky awkwardness we all experienced is played out here on screen, but with scarier consequences and better writing. The different things we went through are dealt with in a slightly different manner, stopping just short (sometimes) of a moral, or an ABC After School Special vibe. The alienation from the popular crowd is demonstrated in an episode where a student becomes literally invisible. Students are possessed by the spirits of a pack of hyenas to demonstrate the feriocity teenagers can demonstrate to one another. The creator (Joss Whedon) picks a difficulty he went through in school (he had issues) and creates a monster or a supernatural situation so it can be dealt with. But there are also shows where it is shown that sometimes things happen in life, and there isn't a darn thing we can do about it. People fall in love and change completely. People die and they never come back. It sucks sometimes. But life goes on.

Well, that was cathardic in itself.

I pose a question to the more experienced Buffy fans out there. Who is your favorite character, and why? I'll tell you mine a little later.

 

Catie, you are truly THE Buffy ambassador.

I like Willow, because:

A) She's really cute
B) She makes the best Jeckyll/Hyde
villain out of any possible candidate on
that cast.
C) Her sarcasm is not as coarse or harsh
as that of Buffy's--subtle is better.
D) There is no more dynamic character
than a lesbian witch who is both good
AND evil. That's something you just
don't see everyday.

Jason

 

Okay, I've not watched enough Buffy to have a favorite character. I admit this freely. But I've watched just enough episodes to know who irritates me...Cornelia? Corellia? Cornholio? What's her name...

anyway, she bugs me.


m

 

Oh Marcy, you make me laugh. The character's name is Cordelia and she bugs almost everybody. She spun off to Angel after season three and continues to bug people over there. I think that was the point of the character, tho. To embody the self-centered and shallow pretty girl in high school. Something tells me Joss didn't date much in school.

And Jason, I'm right there with you about Willow. I have some other points to add, but at a later time. Like tomorrow morning.

 

My favorite long-running character is Willow. Jason hit the mark as to why she is such an awesome character. She has depth that the others don't. She's got the stuff to be both good and evil (at the same time!!) She's endearing. She's also the character I relate most to. I was something of a nerd in school (was?) and put my schoolastic achievements above all else. Including my wardrobe and social life. Although she's dated much more.

Also Alyson Hannigan happens to be my favorite actor(ress) on the show. She has tons more range than any of the other regulars, and occasionally gets to show it. She's a great physical actress (better than SMG, in my opinion) and has impeccable comedic timing.

My favorite character from the show period lasted just over two seasons. That would be Tara Maclay. (Big shocker). She was the most compassionate, least judgemental, most supportave, best developed character I've ever seen on television. And I've seen a LOT of television. We (as the audience) witnessed her incredible transformation initiated by her relationship with Willow and the other Scoobies. She showed the audience just what another's love can do for you, and how painful it can be at the same time. And then she was shot dead. I'm still not over it.

 

SO! I like Spike, cause he's super fine and has a brittish accent. But he's not my favorite character. I'd have to say Anya. I love how unbelievably blunt she is. Makes me giggle.

Cally

 

Spike is my fav (I have bad boy thing even though I married a nice guy ) Its going to be an interesting season now that he has his soul back.

 

I'm trying to pinpoint a date for our first Buffy night, so how about one of these.

Saturday, November 23rd or Saturday, November 30th. I know the second date is the weekend of Thanksgiving, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

Does anyone have a preference of these dates? I know there's no way everyone will be able to accomodate everyone's schedule, but a general consensus would be a good idea, yes?

And just in case anyone's wondering, I thought we would start with the first two episodes (Welcome to the Hellmouth and The Harvest) and then maybe another first season one (like The Pack), or maybe Once More, With Feeling. I'll say that alot. "Let's watch Once More, With Feeling"!! For those less familiar with the series, that's the musical episode from last season. The Masterpiece, as it's also known (at least in this apartment). Or maybe we won't get to any Buffy watching and just sit around and talk. We're good at that, I've noticed. And I'm perfectly okay with that, too.

As I've mentioned before, any and all ideas are welcome. If someone has an idea for a different day or different episodes, please share.

By the way, did you all see last night's episode? Wasn't it fabulous? Golly, I love this show!

 

We can do the 23rd no problem. The 30th very bad for us. So if it's the 23rd we're a yes. If it's the 30th, we're going to have to be a no. I need to get my RPG fix taken care of and that's the weekend it's going to happen. So keep us posted, sounds like it'll be fun..finally someone can explain to me crap that I needed to know to get what was going on sometimes.


m

 

23rd sounds (tentatively) good to me. I think the 30th would work just as well, though if that's what works for the majority.

Jeff

 

No can do the 23rd--that's the day after we close on our house. What that means is that I'll be up to my armpits in cleaning and painting--the 30th works better for me, but don't change anything around on my account. We plan on doing this often, don't we Catie?

Jason

 

The 30th would be better for me, too. There's a Book Club meeting on the 23rd.

 

Oops! I didn't know there was a book club meeting. I didn't mean to trounce on any other activities! Sorry.

Yes Jason, I do plan on doing this more than once. There are over six seasons of Buffy to share. Then there's the rewatching the better episodes, and the themed episodes. Heck, I would do it every week if my work and "social" schedule would allow it.

It looks as though the 30th works for a few people, but being the inaugral gathering, maybe another date, perhaps in December, would work for more people. Any thoughts?

 

"...the 30th works for a few people, but being the inaugral gathering, maybe another date, perhaps in December, would work for more people..."

I don't understand that logic. ?

 

Catie--the host has the power. Its your call. Don't feel guilty if not everyone can make it. Heck, if you want to make it Dec 25th, you can do that (but I wouldn't expect a big turnout).

As long as you want to do these, my wife and I will jump in there somewhere along the line--don't you worry!

 

Exactly, not everyone is going to be able to make every meeting. It's all good. Pick what works for most but most important, what works for you.


m

 

You guys are all so cool. Okay, then we'll make the first marathon the 30th of November.
Now all we have to do is pick a time.

Anyone care to sound off on this one?

 

I could be there at the crack of noon.

 

There's an easy joke there, Tom, but I digress. I have to work that day, so evening would be better. HOWEVER, do not change anything on my account. If I can get there, I'll get there.

Jason

 

Well after discussion, there's a chance I'll be going on the 30th. The folks coming can play video games non-stop for like 14 hours, I haven't the stamina so I can get a little cranky when I don't do something else.

Dwayne however, will not be accompanying me unless plans change. So, chalk me up as being there.


m

 

Fabulous!!

I'm just one of those people who want to accomodate everyone, hence the vacilation. But I'm glad we've pinned down a date.

Time, time, time. And directions. Time I'll wait til some more people chime in. Honestly any time would work for me. But I'll up Tom's suggestion to 3pm? Too late?

As for directions, let me know and I'll PM them to anybody who needs them. Luckily I live on THE artery in Shorewood, so my place isn't too hard to find.

Now, any other suggestions as to what to watch? Being obsessive as I am, of course I'm all for chronological order. But it doesn't have to be that way. I could just sit and watch my three favorite episodes (Hush, The Body, and Once More, With Feeling). But I don't know what that will do for the continuity of people who haven't seen much of the show. Everybody else's turn. What say all of you on the matter?

 

3 works for me, and it doesn't matter to me what episodes we watch. Althought I don't think I've ever seen Hush and I've heard very good things about it...

Jeff

 

I've never watched the show. Could we start with the first episode, or does the intention of this gettogether not involve reviewing the series in sequence?