Author: thehobbem
Rating: T
Tags: Victuuri, Howl’s Moving Castle AU, Romance, Magic, Dance, Fairy Tale Elements, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Chapters: 8/8
Total Word Count: 79.2k ✨ COMPLETE ✨
Summary: Being the youngest child in a family means you get to leave home and find Riches and Adventures your older siblings could only dream of — but Yuuri Katsuki wants nothing more than stay home and hide from Destiny.
Which will be much harder to do once a certain ice wizard comes into town.
Preview:
Dear Yuuri,
I am sorry to leave without talking to you one last time, but this is for the best. It’s okay: I know everything, you don’t have to worry or hide anymore. I am leaving Hasetsu for good, and you can live freely, knowing no one will chase you against your will ever again.
I should’ve known my quest was futile; after all, hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable. To strive for one is, therefore, useless.
Could I, perhaps, be so bold as to ask you for one last favor? Could you take care of Makka? I can’t take him with me where I’m going, and I know no one else will love him as well as you do.
I can almost see the two of you now, living a long, happy life in each other’s company — and if either of you ever remembers me fondly, I can wish for nothing better.
It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.
Okay. OKAY. A LOT happened in Buffy s05, what the genuine fuck.
So, I've started yelling here about my first time watching Buffy and Angel (btvs s01-04 + Angel s01 post), and now that I've finished btvs s05, I'm making a new post, bc that one was too long already.
THIS SEASON IS INSANE??????
Love Giles's new magic shop. And Buffy got him his job back with retroactive pay! Now he has real income again!
I've grown so fond of Anya. She's amazing, unexpected, original.
Xander is still more tolerable than his high-school self. I have only one grudge against s05 Xander (we'll put a pin on that.) The episode he's split in two is cool, and I learned that THAT'S NICHOLAS BRENDON'S TWIN BROTHER, THAT'S INCREDIBLE
Willow and Tara continue being adorable, and Tara has now been allowed by the costume and make-up dept to look like she showers regularly, love that for her. Also, fuck her family, including her cousin Amy Adams.
Dracula. I'm sorry, I found that episode baffling.
Buffy and Riley continued being a blandly wholesome couple, except that RILEY IS THE SMALLEST MAN ON EARTH. You mean to tell me he got ADDICTED TO HAVING HIS BLOOD SUCKED AT A VAMPIRE BROTHEL, WHICH IS BOTH USING DRUGS *AND* CHEATING ON BUFFY, AND HE HAS THE ABSOLUTE GALL TO BLAME HER FOR HIS CHOICES, BECAUSE HE DOESN'T FEEL WANTED WHILE BUFFY ANNE SUMMERS IS BUSY TAKING CARE OF HER MOTHER WHO HAS A BRAIN TUMOR??? Oh, he's going to Belize? Well, I will PERSONALLY SEND HIM TO FUCKING HELL IF I EVER CATCH THAT MAN
If Riley Finn has 100 haters, I'm one of them. If he has 1 hater, I am she. If he has 0 haters, it means I have shuffled off this mortal coil.
And this is my complaint about Xander: he once again goes to Buffy and blames the situation on her. He can't help himself.
Spike's past is so cool. It's SO COOL that he's always been pathetic! I love him deeply.
And he is FINALLY in love with Buffy! I love everything about this, about everyone's reactions to it, and how he goes about it (except for the robot, which was gross. At least it ends up being useful later). Him actively helping them (without payment XD), and taking care of Dawn, and being sad that Joyce died bc she treated him well and always had a cuppa for him? Peak. I couldn't wish for anything more (except wish that he hadn't made the robot).
And an undead guy that made a sex robot of Buffy is still more reliable than Riley Finn.
Let's talk about Joyce: I do not miss her. I don't think she was a good mom, and the series is better without her, I said what I said!
Having said that: I was bawling my eyes out the entire episode. Sarah Michelle Geller, the actress that you are??? Buffy on the phone with 911, Buffy going "mummy?", it was all so haunting. She's 20, she's just a child 😭😭😭
Everything about the episode was perfect: everyone's acting was at its very best, Buffy lost and struggling to take care of Dawn, Dawn's breakdown at school, Xander's quiet anger, Willow not knowing what to wear, Anya's monologue, ugh. ALSO: Anya blurting out "I wish Joyce didn't die" is SO GOOD. They know what she says is what she feels, they know Anya doesn't do social pleasantries and that she rarely cares about others. So Buffy knows she absolutely means it. It's perfect, great character beat.
"The Body" is the best BTVS episode so far, by a clear margin, and an all-time TV episode. I will also probably never watch it again.
Dawn trying to bring her mother back gave me some serious FMA-based fears. She nearly gave herself some Elric trauma that she cannot handle in any way, shape or form.
Let's talk about Dawn: first and foremost, so happy to see Michelle Trachtenberg on my screen once again, and in a "new role", so to speak (you know, new for me!). She's so missed.
Now: the second she appeared, she was soooooooo annoying XD And by design, of course! Their sisterly relation was so realistic.
It's good that we, the audience, find out very early (ep.5) that Dawn is the Key. I was annoyed by her, but then I immediately felt so sorry? She's just a child who doesn't know what she is! Had the reveal been later, that reversal of feeling might be more difficult for the audience. Good choice.
The weak point of the season (for me) is that Glory is uninteresting. The concept of Buffy having to fight a god, something far above everything she's ever fought before, is very good. But Glory is annoying and one-dimensional (compare her with the Mayor, for instance, who had a similar goal. He was so complex and entertaining to watch!).
But Glory's minions, with their epithets for her, were such a highlight XD
Ben is also uninteresting, and blander than Riley. His heel turn at the very end, when he accepts Glory's offer and hands her Dawn, is very good though! It would've blown me away in the hands of a better character. Or a better actor.
I spent every episode yelling "Kill Ben!!!" ever since it was revealed who he was. And who should finally hear me but MY BELOVED RUPERT GILES, WHO NEVER DOES ANYTHING WRONG EVER?! GILES HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN! And mark my words, he never will, idc. That man can't do anything at this point that will make me stop loving him. My favorite character in the entire Buffyverse.
I love that he forced Buffy to confront the possibility that she might have to kill Dawn. And finally, he was willing to do it himself. Giles stands on BUSINESS! It would've haunted him forever, but he would've done it.
I was so scared Tara was going to be like that forever 😭😭😭. Thank you, Willow.
This season was brutal on Buffy. She deserves the world, and all she gets is suffering. Great for character development, incredible to watch on my TV, awful for her.
AND THEN SHE DIED 😭😭😭😭😭 I'm now so glad I didn't watch this at the time, bc I would've been thinking the show was over with a sad ending. So happy to watch this knowing there are 2 more seasons with Buffy in it (plus the revival). I want my girl back NOW.
So yes, Riley went away, Giles has two jobs again, Spike is in the gang, and Joyce is gone forever! Excellent season. Now I need to know HOW Buffy comes back! How will she and Spike finally get together? Will Xander really marry Anya??? He can't do better than Anya, but Anya could do far better than him! Will Willow learn more powerful magic? She did really well against Glory!
Also: Buffy died. Does that mean... No. No, tell me it's not true. Tell me another slayer will not rise. If another slayer rises, she will be the FOURTH slayer we see on this show! We'll have THREE SLAYERS ALIVE AT THE SAME TIME! It can't happen, I forbid it.
My current ranking of Buffy seasons is 2 + 3 > 1 + 5, > 4. So glad I can count on Buffy and Angel to give me Quality TV™ at a time when streaming gives us mostly soulless "content" with underdeveloped characters in batches of 8 rushed episodes every 2~3 years. I'm eating so good right now.
I have 2 more Angel episodes to finish the season, so let's see how that goes!
First and foremost: I think I didn't even mention Gunn in my comments about s01, and that's because I was not impressed with him or his plot, and even found him a little annoying. imagine my surprise when J. August Richards showed up in the opening of s02.
And THANK GOD HE DID! I love Gunn so much??? XD He's amazing, and I want him to stay forever. Incredible addition to the team.
Really like the hotel as their new HQ, and loved the whole story around it.
What I did not love at all in this season was the return of Darla and Angel's obsession with her. Dude, she's annoying and you killed her. I could perfectly understand not being over someone who was your partner for centuries, but he had clearly been long over her by the time they saw each other again in Sunnydale in Buffy s01! Why this now???
And Darla is such a flat character, too. This season clearly tried to give her more complexity, but I don't think they succeeded as much as they needed.
LINDSEY, on the other hand, continues being a sensational character! I was very sorry to see him leave the show, but I´m glad that he finally realized he wasn't willing to sell the rest of his soul. Great character arc, and his and Angel's goodbye is fantastic dialog.
And it was GREAT to see Drusilla again! A fabulous diva, always welcome on my screen.
I was so irritated with Angel firing the crew. He went completely off the rails when Darla came back, and that's my issue with the whole thing. Darla in Sunnydale: meh, I'll just kill her. Darla in LA a couple of years later: I MUST DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO SAVE HER, AND NOW TO DEFEAT HER, EVEN IF IT MEANS ALLIENATING EVERYONE I CARE ABOUT. Like, what?
He absolutely deserved being iced out by the crew. I love him, but he should've been iced out longer.
And I'm glad Cordelia was the last one to forgive him, because my girl got STANDARDS! (I say, about the girl that dated Xander Harris.) But it's incredibly funny that Angel simply buys her forgiveness with tons of clothes XD
Honest to God, one of the best bits of this show is Cordelia's love of money.
Wesley's dad is still awful. I've never even seen him and I hate him.
Kate remains unbearable. She lost her job and that was completely on her.
Now, I know I said I didn't like Angel going off the rails, BUT: him deciding that he was okay with Darla and Drusilla killing the all those lawyers? Closing the doors and going "I just can't seem to care" BITCH????? AN ALL-TIMER TELEVISION MOMENT. I couldn't believe I was watching it, incredible.
Angel and Holland's elevator ride, where he reveal to Angel that he's (we're) already in hell, and there's no real winning... Haunting moment. Great scene.
Angel going on and on about his epiphany, I can't XD
Now: a new addition to the show that I absolutely loved? The Host. (I'm not gonna call him Lorne, I refuse.) Every single thing about him, his karaoke bar, several different characters singing at different points (Lindsey's got some pipes???), the aura reading, the fact that Angel is incapable of carrying a tune and has the musical taste of a boomer? All amazing, 5 starts, 10/10, no notes.
Except for THE PYLEA ARC, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT??????
Honestly, my theory is that Whedon had an idea for a fantasy movie when he was a pre-teen, and decided to finally use it for the end of s02. Those 4 episodes 100% feel like a B fantasy movie from the 80s.
I'm not impressed with the librarian girl, Fred. I hope I'm not too annoyed with her next season. Gunn was a great surprise, so I'm hoping for the same outcome.
I've already started Buffy s06 and Angel s03, so here I go!
Well, s06 happened. It sure as fuck happened, I'll tell you that much.
I spent the first three episodes yelling "WHY DO YOU THINK BUFFY IS IN HELL??? SHE WAS A SLAYER, SHE SAVED THE WORLD MORE THAN ONCE!!!", and boy that vindication came fast and sweet. Like, I get Willow's thought process, no one knew what the portal led to, so she could have been sent to a hell dimension. But that wasn't a certainty! And Willow acted like it was! She acted in what she thought was Buffy's best interests, but also acted out of selfishness: she was having a hard time coping without Buffy, and convinced herself that Buffy needed to be saved. Ohhh when Buffy confessed to Spike she was in Heaven, I FUCKING KNEW IT.
Also, she waited for Giles to not be around to do it, because she knew he would stop her.
AND Willow spent a good long while being upset that Buffy didn't seem to be happy to be back, YEAH, WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU??? God, magic truly stunted her critical thinking.
And not only was Buffy snatched FROM FUCKING HEAVEN, she also came back to bills and debt. Poor girl can't even get an education now. (To be fair, the debt is not Willow's fault XD It's JOYCE'S, that bad mother, and Buffy's deadbeat dad's.)
And speaking of bad parents: THEY HAD BUFFY COMMITTED WHEN SHE BECAME THE SLAYER???? Joyce Summers, when I catch you
"Once More, with Feeling" is SENSATIONAL. I'd been waiting for this episode ever since I started watching the show, and it did not disappoint me — it lived up to my wildest expectations! What an episode. And seeing Willow's face fall when Buffy says she was in Heaven, God I needed that.
Dawn was very annoying this season, but I can't be mad at her: this is a child who suddenly found herself as no one's priority. Mom is dead, father doesn't care, and Buffy has a lot going on. With everything going on, Dawn fell through the cracks. She just wanted some attention. Poor child.
I cannot believe I had to see Riley Finn again. I specifically requested to NOT.
Xander not wanting to announce his engagement to Anya, I knew it, I knew he didn't want to marry her. Anya knew it too! When he proposed, she called him out on it, and he insisted, and lo and behold, she was right. Xander deserves nothing.
I did like that it was him to save Willow and the world, though. It's very good use of the Xander-Willow friendship. If she was going to listen to anyone, it was him.
He's lucky I can't make a wish to Anya, though, because I would've wished many painful things on him on her behalf. Shitty, shitty man.
And speaking of shitty men: the Trio. At first, I was unimpressed that we went from the Master, Angelus, the Mayor, the Army (no, Adam is not the villain, it's the American Army, fight me on this), Glory (a literal goddess), to... the three stooges? But as the season went by, and they got worse, I was actually very appreciative of it: what could be more dangerous to a young woman than small, pathetic men with an inferiority complex who feel entitled to women to the point of violence?
Warren was going to a great college, he had a beautiful girlfriend... and lost it all because he thought he had a right to women's bodies and built himself a "love" slave. Jonathan has always been pathetic to an extreme, ofc, and Andrew... Andrew needs to get over his crush on Warren. And make some discoveries about himself.
I was so, SO angry about Katrina. That poor girl. She was free of Warren, but no, he had to mind control her, make her into a slave for he and his minions to gang r***, and kill her. Not a shred of remorse, either. I know I'm supposed to be horrified by what Willow did to him, but... I'm really not. And before anyone says anything, bc we're living in weird times: he's not real, so I can wish him all the pain and horror I can conceive of.
Okay, let's talk about Willow. In s05, I noticed, and told my husband, that Willow's moral brakes were not working properly when magic was involved: when Dawn talks about bringing her mother back, Willow's objection is that it could backfire on her, while Tara has to vehemently remind her that that's not the point, that using magic for that is wrong, and Willow hurries to agree with a weak "yeah, ofc". She didn't even consider the morality of it! And how did we start s06? Exactly.
And I fucking called it. Tara was right to call Willow out on her constant use of magic, correctly spotted her addiction to it, and made the right call to break up with her. Tara Maclay is the ONE character in this show, besides Giles, who has never let me down (Oz only let me down by leaving).
Can't believe they brought Amy back just to be a junkie, after years of abuse from her mother, and then years as a rat in a cage
And Tara. TARA. MY TARA. MY BEAUTIFUL TARA MACLAY, THE SWEETEST GIRL EVER, WITH A BEAUTIFUL SINGING VOICE AND IMPECCABLE MORALS, WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU. WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME, WHY DID NO ONE WARN ME. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN.
I should've known, bc she was never included in the title sequence. In fact, WHEDON ADDED HER TO THE TITLE SEQUENCE IN THE EXACT EPISODE SHE DIES, I'M GONNA KILL HIM. DO YOU KNOW HOW I CELEBRATED THAT SHE HAD FINALLY BEEN INCLUDED????? ONLY FOR HIM TO KILL HER?????
I blame Willow for getting addicted to magic, but I do not blame her at all for going mad with grief and thirst for vengeance. Fuck a world that lets Tara Maclay die. And fuck Warren, she should've tortured him more.
This show took Oz, and then Tara, away from Willow, away from ME. I'm not getting over this.
Also, they're taking Giles from me too 😭😭😭 Apparently, Anthony Head wanted to go back to England, and I can understand that. And I guess the stakes became more serious without him, bc there's no way in hell most of this season would've happened with him around.
But no matter how small, his participation was still spectacular. First, he did exactly what I was sure he would: reprimanded Willow for bringing Buffy back from the dead. No, he didn't just reprimand her, he read her for filth. He never, ever disappoints me. What a satisfying scene.
And then. In the season finale. HE CAME BACK AT THE DARKEST HOUR, JUST WHEN WE NEEDED HIM THE MOST. HIS ENTRANCE. "There's no one in the world who has the power to stop me now." BOOM. "I'd like to test that theory." THIS MAN. OH, RUPERT GILES, WHAT OF BUFFY WITHOUT YOU. WHAT OF THIS ENTIRE SHOW WITHOUT YOU
Also, Buffy telling him everything that happened over the year and the two falling into hysterical laughter is such a good beat
And last but not least: Spuffy. I've also been waiting for this and, ngl, this was so much more interesting and complicated than them simply falling in love (which is what I thought was going to happen). And I love, love that Spike decided to get his soul back for her. Amazing.
BUT. I'm sorry, he tried to r**e her?????????????? Don't get me wrong, very in character, the sequence of events makes sense to me, but... are they going to be together next season? Bc... why would she?
Anyway. Great, extremely depressing TV season. Let's see what the final season has in store for me.
Sorry, I'm afraid Fred is not for me. She's too old to be acting like a cutesy 15-year-old, I am so sorry. This girl was in graduate school when she disappeared five years ago. She's at least 27, why does she behave like that? (Once she mostly recovers from her trauma, I mean.) Amy Acker's a good actress, but I'm not a fan of Fred. She does have very good moments, though.
And on the other end of the spectrum, we have Cordelia and... whatever was going on with Charisma Carpenter's hair. Good God.
And why exactly is she being styled like a PTA mom? CORDELIA IS TWENTY.
Btw: every time this show has an episode about an alternate reality for Cordelia, it's a great episode. What a queen.
But LORNE is now an official part of the gang!!! Yessssss!!!
:rubs temples: I cannot believe Darla is pregnant. I cannot believe I still have to deal with Darla. Someone get this woman OFF MY SCREEN
But at long last, my prayers were heard: she's dead! Again! Hopefully for good! Yay! 🥳🥳🥳 But she left a BABY behind, now there's a baby in my show, whyyyyy
(I don't hate babies, btw, I just don't think this is a good plot in this show)
HOLTZ, on the other hand, is such a good addition. What an absolutely insane man. Very much a fan of his presence and everything it does. Sahjhan? Also great. Fantastic.
Can I just say: Lilah has really grown into the main W&H antagonist role. She's incredible, I love her. You know who is not incredible? Linwood. A very poor substitute for Holland.
...Why is Groo here again? And why is the show telling me short-haired Groo looks like Angel, when he clearly looks like Ben Stiller?
Now, to the points that really matters this season:
Justine is annoying AS FUCK. She's dumb and boring, which is the worst thing a fictional character can be.
Ngl, Sahjhan's plot was really, really good. I'm super on board. Absolutely diabolical, great stuff. And Holtz jumping into Quor'toth with baby Connor????? Unhinged, love it. Yes, take that baby.
And omg. omg. WESLEY. MY WESLEY. I love him??? He was so worried about Angel, about baby Connor, HE WAS TRYING TO SAVE CONNOR 😭😭😭😭😭
Granted, do I think he should've talked to Angel about the prophecy he discovered? Yes. That would've been better. BUT STILL, HE WAS WORRIED FOR HIS FRIEND AND HIS FRIEND'S BABY, A SENTIENT BURGUER TOLD HIM IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, HE DID NOTHING WRONG
AND HE GOT HIS THROAT SLASHED FOR IT, I WAS SO WORRIED, I THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD FOR REAL
AND THEN ANGEL TRIED TO KILL HIM BC HE WAS MAD 😭😭😭
MY WESLEY, HE'S NOW ALL ALONE
And Fred takes a box of his stuff for him while???? he's still at the hospital??? barely able to talk???? and blames him???? girl, I will kill you???????
Am I going crazy, or is it a bit out of character that, once Cordy heard about what happened, she made no effort whatsoever to talk to Wesley??? Oh, I know Whedon hated her ass
Now, and this is very important: I do not have a single shred of a fuck to give about teenage Connor. I care about him even less than I cared when he was a baby. What an annoying plot with an annoying character. Fuck him and fuck Justine.
AND WESLEY AND CORDELIA WERE GONNA CONFESS THEIR FEELINGS FOR EACH OTHER, AND BE TOGETHER, BUT THAT LITTLE FUCKER THREW ANGEL INTO THE OCEAN???????
(While Cordelia, wearing what I can only assume was a Victorian nightgown???, ascended and became full Touched by an Angel.)
What a weird, weird season. Good finale, though, with Angel at the bottom of the ocean and all, and my Wesley at rock bottom 😭😭😭 But like. I need Connor to completely disappear from my screen. I'm not mad at him, he's just very, very annoying and boring, without a single facial expression to make up for it.
Okay. OKAY. A LOT happened in Buffy s05, what the genuine fuck.
So, I've started yelling here about my first time watching Buffy and Angel (btvs s01-04 + Angel s01 post), and now that I've finished btvs s05, I'm making a new post, bc that one was too long already.
THIS SEASON IS INSANE??????
Love Giles's new magic shop. And Buffy got him his job back with retroactive pay! Now he has real income again!
I've grown so fond of Anya. She's amazing, unexpected, original.
Xander is still more tolerable than his high-school self. I have only one grudge against s05 Xander (we'll put a pin on that.) The episode he's split in two is cool, and I learned that THAT'S NICHOLAS BRENDON'S TWIN BROTHER, THAT'S INCREDIBLE
Willow and Tara continue being adorable, and Tara has now been allowed by the costume and make-up dept to look like she showers regularly, love that for her. Also, fuck her family, including her cousin Amy Adams.
Dracula. I'm sorry, I found that episode baffling.
Buffy and Riley continued being a blandly wholesome couple, except that RILEY IS THE SMALLEST MAN ON EARTH. You mean to tell me he got ADDICTED TO HAVING HIS BLOOD SUCKED AT A VAMPIRE BROTHEL, WHICH IS BOTH USING DRUGS *AND* CHEATING ON BUFFY, AND HE HAS THE ABSOLUTE GALL TO BLAME HER FOR HIS CHOICES, BECAUSE HE DOESN'T FEEL WANTED WHILE BUFFY ANNE SUMMERS IS BUSY TAKING CARE OF HER MOTHER WHO HAS A BRAIN TUMOR??? Oh, he's going to Belize? Well, I will PERSONALLY SEND HIM TO FUCKING HELL IF I EVER CATCH THAT MAN
If Riley Finn has 100 haters, I'm one of them. If he has 1 hater, I am she. If he has 0 haters, it means I have shuffled off this mortal coil.
And this is my complaint about Xander: he once again goes to Buffy and blames the situation on her. He can't help himself.
Spike's past is so cool. It's SO COOL that he's always been pathetic! I love him deeply.
And he is FINALLY in love with Buffy! I love everything about this, about everyone's reactions to it, and how he goes about it (except for the robot, which was gross. At least it ends up being useful later). Him actively helping them (without payment XD), and taking care of Dawn, and being sad that Joyce died bc she treated him well and always had a cuppa for him? Peak. I couldn't wish for anything more (except wish that he hadn't made the robot).
And an undead guy that made a sex robot of Buffy is still more reliable than Riley Finn.
Let's talk about Joyce: I do not miss her. I don't think she was a good mom, and the series is better without her, I said what I said!
Having said that: I was bawling my eyes out the entire episode. Sarah Michelle Geller, the actress that you are??? Buffy on the phone with 911, Buffy going "mummy?", it was all so haunting. She's 20, she's just a child 😭😭😭
Everything about the episode was perfect: everyone's acting was at its very best, Buffy lost and struggling to take care of Dawn, Dawn's breakdown at school, Xander's quiet anger, Willow not knowing what to wear, Anya's monologue, ugh. ALSO: Anya blurting out "I wish Joyce didn't die" is SO GOOD. They know what she says is what she feels, they know Anya doesn't do social pleasantries and that she rarely cares about others. So Buffy knows she absolutely means it. It's perfect, great character beat.
"The Body" is the best BTVS episode so far, by a clear margin, and an all-time TV episode. I will also probably never watch it again.
Dawn trying to bring her mother back gave me some serious FMA-based fears. She nearly gave herself some Elric trauma that she cannot handle in any way, shape or form.
Let's talk about Dawn: first and foremost, so happy to see Michelle Trachtenberg on my screen once again, and in a "new role", so to speak (you know, new for me!). She's so missed.
Now: the second she appeared, she was soooooooo annoying XD And by design, of course! Their sisterly relation was so realistic.
It's good that we, the audience, find out very early (ep.5) that Dawn is the Key. I was annoyed by her, but then I immediately felt so sorry? She's just a child who doesn't know what she is! Had the reveal been later, that reversal of feeling might be more difficult for the audience. Good choice.
The weak point of the season (for me) is that Glory is uninteresting. The concept of Buffy having to fight a god, something far above everything she's ever fought before, is very good. But Glory is annoying and one-dimensional (compare her with the Mayor, for instance, who had a similar goal. He was so complex and entertaining to watch!).
But Glory's minions, with their epithets for her, were such a highlight XD
Ben is also uninteresting, and blander than Riley. His heel turn at the very end, when he accepts Glory's offer and hands her Dawn, is very good though! It would've blown me away in the hands of a better character. Or a better actor.
I spent every episode yelling "Kill Ben!!!" ever since it was revealed who he was. And who should finally hear me but MY BELOVED RUPERT GILES, WHO NEVER DOES ANYTHING WRONG EVER?! GILES HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN! And mark my words, he never will, idc. That man can't do anything at this point that will make me stop loving him. My favorite character in the entire Buffyverse.
I love that he forced Buffy to confront the possibility that she might have to kill Dawn. And finally, he was willing to do it himself. Giles stands on BUSINESS! It would've haunted him forever, but he would've done it.
I was so scared Tara was going to be like that forever 😭😭😭. Thank you, Willow.
This season was brutal on Buffy. She deserves the world, and all she gets is suffering. Great for character development, incredible to watch on my TV, awful for her.
AND THEN SHE DIED 😭😭😭😭😭 I'm now so glad I didn't watch this at the time, bc I would've been thinking the show was over with a sad ending. So happy to watch this knowing there are 2 more seasons with Buffy in it (plus the revival). I want my girl back NOW.
So yes, Riley went away, Giles has two jobs again, Spike is in the gang, and Joyce is gone forever! Excellent season. Now I need to know HOW Buffy comes back! How will she and Spike finally get together? Will Xander really marry Anya??? He can't do better than Anya, but Anya could do far better than him! Will Willow learn more powerful magic? She did really well against Glory!
Also: Buffy died. Does that mean... No. No, tell me it's not true. Tell me another slayer will not rise. If another slayer rises, she will be the FOURTH slayer we see on this show! We'll have THREE SLAYERS ALIVE AT THE SAME TIME! It can't happen, I forbid it.
My current ranking of Buffy seasons is 2 + 3 > 1 + 5, > 4. So glad I can count on Buffy and Angel to give me Quality TV™ at a time when streaming gives us mostly soulless "content" with underdeveloped characters in batches of 8 rushed episodes every 2~3 years. I'm eating so good right now.
I have 2 more Angel episodes to finish the season, so let's see how that goes!
First and foremost: I think I didn't even mention Gunn in my comments about s01, and that's because I was not impressed with him or his plot, and even found him a little annoying. imagine my surprise when J. August Richards showed up in the opening of s02.
And THANK GOD HE DID! I love Gunn so much??? XD He's amazing, and I want him to stay forever. Incredible addition to the team.
Really like the hotel as their new HQ, and loved the whole story around it.
What I did not love at all in this season was the return of Darla and Angel's obsession with her. Dude, she's annoying and you killed her. I could perfectly understand not being over someone who was your partner for centuries, but he had clearly been long over her by the time they saw each other again in Sunnydale in Buffy s01! Why this now???
And Darla is such a flat character, too. This season clearly tried to give her more complexity, but I don't think they succeeded as much as they needed.
LINDSEY, on the other hand, continues being a sensational character! I was very sorry to see him leave the show, but I´m glad that he finally realized he wasn't willing to sell the rest of his soul. Great character arc, and his and Angel's goodbye is fantastic dialog.
And it was GREAT to see Drusilla again! A fabulous diva, always welcome on my screen.
I was so irritated with Angel firing the crew. He went completely off the rails when Darla came back, and that's my issue with the whole thing. Darla in Sunnydale: meh, I'll just kill her. Darla in LA a couple of years later: I MUST DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO SAVE HER, AND NOW TO DEFEAT HER, EVEN IF IT MEANS ALLIENATING EVERYONE I CARE ABOUT. Like, what?
He absolutely deserved being iced out by the crew. I love him, but he should've been iced out longer.
And I'm glad Cordelia was the last one to forgive him, because my girl got STANDARDS! (I say, about the girl that dated Xander Harris.) But it's incredibly funny that Angel simply buys her forgiveness with tons of clothes XD
Honest to God, one of the best bits of this show is Cordelia's love of money.
Wesley's dad is still awful. I've never even seen him and I hate him.
Kate remains unbearable. She lost her job and that was completely on her.
Now, I know I said I didn't like Angel going off the rails, BUT: him deciding that he was okay with Darla and Drusilla killing the all those lawyers? Closing the doors and going "I just can't seem to care" BITCH????? AN ALL-TIMER TELEVISION MOMENT. I couldn't believe I was watching it, incredible.
Angel and Holland's elevator ride, where he reveal to Angel that he's (we're) already in hell, and there's no real winning... Haunting moment. Great scene.
Angel going on and on about his epiphany, I can't XD
Now: a new addition to the show that I absolutely loved? The Host. (I'm not gonna call him Lorne, I refuse.) Every single thing about him, his karaoke bar, several different characters singing at different points (Lindsey's got some pipes???), the aura reading, the fact that Angel is incapable of carrying a tune and has the musical taste of a boomer? All amazing, 5 starts, 10/10, no notes.
Except for THE PYLEA ARC, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT??????
Honestly, my theory is that Whedon had an idea for a fantasy movie when he was a pre-teen, and decided to finally use it for the end of s02. Those 4 episodes 100% feel like a B fantasy movie from the 80s.
I'm not impressed with the librarian girl, Fred. I hope I'm not too annoyed with her next season. Gunn was a great surprise, so I'm hoping for the same outcome.
I've already started Buffy s06 and Angel s03, so here I go!
Well, s06 happened. It sure as fuck happened, I'll tell you that much.
I spent the first three episodes yelling "WHY DO YOU THINK BUFFY IS IN HELL??? SHE WAS A SLAYER, SHE SAVED THE WORLD MORE THAN ONCE!!!", and boy that vindication came fast and sweet. Like, I get Willow's thought process, no one knew what the portal led to, so she could have been sent to a hell dimension. But that wasn't a certainty! And Willow acted like it was! She acted in what she thought was Buffy's best interests, but also acted out of selfishness: she was having a hard time coping without Buffy, and convinced herself that Buffy needed to be saved. Ohhh when Buffy confessed to Spike she was in Heaven, I FUCKING KNEW IT.
Also, she waited for Giles to not be around to do it, because she knew he would stop her.
AND Willow spent a good long while being upset that Buffy didn't seem to be happy to be back, YEAH, WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU??? God, magic truly stunted her critical thinking.
And not only was Buffy snatched FROM FUCKING HEAVEN, she also came back to bills and debt. Poor girl can't even get an education now. (To be fair, the debt is not Willow's fault XD It's JOYCE'S, that bad mother, and Buffy's deadbeat dad's.)
And speaking of bad parents: THEY HAD BUFFY COMMITTED WHEN SHE BECAME THE SLAYER???? Joyce Summers, when I catch you
"Once More, with Feeling" is SENSATIONAL. I'd been waiting for this episode ever since I started watching the show, and it did not disappoint me — it lived up to my wildest expectations! What an episode. And seeing Willow's face fall when Buffy says she was in Heaven, God I needed that.
Dawn was very annoying this season, but I can't be mad at her: this is a child who suddenly found herself as no one's priority. Mom is dead, father doesn't care, and Buffy has a lot going on. With everything going on, Dawn fell through the cracks. She just wanted some attention. Poor child.
I cannot believe I had to see Riley Finn again. I specifically requested to NOT.
Xander not wanting to announce his engagement to Anya, I knew it, I knew he didn't want to marry her. Anya knew it too! When he proposed, she called him out on it, and he insisted, and lo and behold, she was right. Xander deserves nothing.
I did like that it was him to save Willow and the world, though. It's very good use of the Xander-Willow friendship. If she was going to listen to anyone, it was him.
He's lucky I can't make a wish to Anya, though, because I would've wished many painful things on him on her behalf. Shitty, shitty man.
And speaking of shitty men: the Trio. At first, I was unimpressed that we went from the Master, Angelus, the Mayor, the Army (no, Adam is not the villain, it's the American Army, fight me on this), Glory (a literal goddess), to... the three stooges? But as the season went by, and they got worse, I was actually very appreciative of it: what could be more dangerous to a young woman than small, pathetic men with an inferiority complex who feel entitled to women to the point of violence?
Warren was going to a great college, he had a beautiful girlfriend... and lost it all because he thought he had a right to women's bodies and built himself a "love" slave. Jonathan has always been pathetic to an extreme, ofc, and Andrew... Andrew needs to get over his crush on Warren. And make some discoveries about himself.
I was so, SO angry about Katrina. That poor girl. She was free of Warren, but no, he had to mind control her, make her into a slave for he and his minions to gang r***, and kill her. Not a shred of remorse, either. I know I'm supposed to be horrified by what Willow did to him, but... I'm really not. And before anyone says anything, bc we're living in weird times: he's not real, so I can wish him all the pain and horror I can conceive of.
Okay, let's talk about Willow. In s05, I noticed, and told my husband, that Willow's moral brakes were not working properly when magic was involved: when Dawn talks about bringing her mother back, Willow's objection is that it could backfire on her, while Tara has to vehemently remind her that that's not the point, that using magic for that is wrong, and Willow hurries to agree with a weak "yeah, ofc". She didn't even consider the morality of it! And how did we start s06? Exactly.
And I fucking called it. Tara was right to call Willow out on her constant use of magic, correctly spotted her addiction to it, and made the right call to break up with her. Tara Maclay is the ONE character in this show, besides Giles, who has never let me down (Oz only let me down by leaving).
Can't believe they brought Amy back just to be a junkie, after years of abuse from her mother, and then years as a rat in a cage
And Tara. TARA. MY TARA. MY BEAUTIFUL TARA MACLAY, THE SWEETEST GIRL EVER, WITH A BEAUTIFUL SINGING VOICE AND IMPECCABLE MORALS, WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU. WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME, WHY DID NO ONE WARN ME. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN.
I should've known, bc she was never included in the title sequence. In fact, WHEDON ADDED HER TO THE TITLE SEQUENCE IN THE EXACT EPISODE SHE DIES, I'M GONNA KILL HIM. DO YOU KNOW HOW I CELEBRATED THAT SHE HAD FINALLY BEEN INCLUDED????? ONLY FOR HIM TO KILL HER?????
I blame Willow for getting addicted to magic, but I do not blame her at all for going mad with grief and thirst for vengeance. Fuck a world that lets Tara Maclay die. And fuck Warren, she should've tortured him more.
This show took Oz, and then Tara, away from Willow, away from ME. I'm not getting over this.
Also, they're taking Giles from me too 😭😭😭 Apparently, Anthony Head wanted to go back to England, and I can understand that. And I guess the stakes became more serious without him, bc there's no way in hell most of this season would've happened with him around.
But no matter how small, his participation was still spectacular. First, he did exactly what I was sure he would: reprimanded Willow for bringing Buffy back from the dead. No, he didn't just reprimand her, he read her for filth. He never, ever disappoints me. What a satisfying scene.
And then. In the season finale. HE CAME BACK AT THE DARKEST HOUR, JUST WHEN WE NEEDED HIM THE MOST. HIS ENTRANCE. "There's no one in the world who has the power to stop me now." BOOM. "I'd like to test that theory." THIS MAN. OH, RUPERT GILES, WHAT OF BUFFY WITHOUT YOU. WHAT OF THIS ENTIRE SHOW WITHOUT YOU
Also, Buffy telling him everything that happened over the year and the two falling into hysterical laughter is such a good beat
And last but not least: Spuffy. I've also been waiting for this and, ngl, this was so much more interesting and complicated than them simply falling in love (which is what I thought was going to happen). And I love, love that Spike decided to get his soul back for her. Amazing.
BUT. I'm sorry, he tried to r**e her?????????????? Don't get me wrong, very in character, the sequence of events makes sense to me, but... are they going to be together next season? Bc... why would she?
Anyway. Great, extremely depressing TV season. Let's see what the final season has in store for me.
Okay. OKAY. A LOT happened in Buffy s05, what the genuine fuck.
So, I've started yelling here about my first time watching Buffy and Angel (btvs s01-04 + Angel s01 post), and now that I've finished btvs s05, I'm making a new post, bc that one was too long already.
THIS SEASON IS INSANE??????
Love Giles's new magic shop. And Buffy got him his job back with retroactive pay! Now he has real income again!
I've grown so fond of Anya. She's amazing, unexpected, original.
Xander is still more tolerable than his high-school self. I have only one grudge against s05 Xander (we'll put a pin on that.) The episode he's split in two is cool, and I learned that THAT'S NICHOLAS BRENDON'S TWIN BROTHER, THAT'S INCREDIBLE
Willow and Tara continue being adorable, and Tara has now been allowed by the costume and make-up dept to look like she showers regularly, love that for her. Also, fuck her family, including her cousin Amy Adams.
Dracula. I'm sorry, I found that episode baffling.
Buffy and Riley continued being a blandly wholesome couple, except that RILEY IS THE SMALLEST MAN ON EARTH. You mean to tell me he got ADDICTED TO HAVING HIS BLOOD SUCKED AT A VAMPIRE BROTHEL, WHICH IS BOTH USING DRUGS *AND* CHEATING ON BUFFY, AND HE HAS THE ABSOLUTE GALL TO BLAME HER FOR HIS CHOICES, BECAUSE HE DOESN'T FEEL WANTED WHILE BUFFY ANNE SUMMERS IS BUSY TAKING CARE OF HER MOTHER WHO HAS A BRAIN TUMOR??? Oh, he's going to Belize? Well, I will PERSONALLY SEND HIM TO FUCKING HELL IF I EVER CATCH THAT MAN
If Riley Finn has 100 haters, I'm one of them. If he has 1 hater, I am she. If he has 0 haters, it means I have shuffled off this mortal coil.
And this is my complaint about Xander: he once again goes to Buffy and blames the situation on her. He can't help himself.
Spike's past is so cool. It's SO COOL that he's always been pathetic! I love him deeply.
And he is FINALLY in love with Buffy! I love everything about this, about everyone's reactions to it, and how he goes about it (except for the robot, which was gross. At least it ends up being useful later). Him actively helping them (without payment XD), and taking care of Dawn, and being sad that Joyce died bc she treated him well and always had a cuppa for him? Peak. I couldn't wish for anything more (except wish that he hadn't made the robot).
And an undead guy that made a sex robot of Buffy is still more reliable than Riley Finn.
Let's talk about Joyce: I do not miss her. I don't think she was a good mom, and the series is better without her, I said what I said!
Having said that: I was bawling my eyes out the entire episode. Sarah Michelle Geller, the actress that you are??? Buffy on the phone with 911, Buffy going "mummy?", it was all so haunting. She's 20, she's just a child 😭😭😭
Everything about the episode was perfect: everyone's acting was at its very best, Buffy lost and struggling to take care of Dawn, Dawn's breakdown at school, Xander's quiet anger, Willow not knowing what to wear, Anya's monologue, ugh. ALSO: Anya blurting out "I wish Joyce didn't die" is SO GOOD. They know what she says is what she feels, they know Anya doesn't do social pleasantries and that she rarely cares about others. So Buffy knows she absolutely means it. It's perfect, great character beat.
"The Body" is the best BTVS episode so far, by a clear margin, and an all-time TV episode. I will also probably never watch it again.
Dawn trying to bring her mother back gave me some serious FMA-based fears. She nearly gave herself some Elric trauma that she cannot handle in any way, shape or form.
Let's talk about Dawn: first and foremost, so happy to see Michelle Trachtenberg on my screen once again, and in a "new role", so to speak (you know, new for me!). She's so missed.
Now: the second she appeared, she was soooooooo annoying XD And by design, of course! Their sisterly relation was so realistic.
It's good that we, the audience, find out very early (ep.5) that Dawn is the Key. I was annoyed by her, but then I immediately felt so sorry? She's just a child who doesn't know what she is! Had the reveal been later, that reversal of feeling might be more difficult for the audience. Good choice.
The weak point of the season (for me) is that Glory is uninteresting. The concept of Buffy having to fight a god, something far above everything she's ever fought before, is very good. But Glory is annoying and one-dimensional (compare her with the Mayor, for instance, who had a similar goal. He was so complex and entertaining to watch!).
But Glory's minions, with their epithets for her, were such a highlight XD
Ben is also uninteresting, and blander than Riley. His heel turn at the very end, when he accepts Glory's offer and hands her Dawn, is very good though! It would've blown me away in the hands of a better character. Or a better actor.
I spent every episode yelling "Kill Ben!!!" ever since it was revealed who he was. And who should finally hear me but MY BELOVED RUPERT GILES, WHO NEVER DOES ANYTHING WRONG EVER?! GILES HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN! And mark my words, he never will, idc. That man can't do anything at this point that will make me stop loving him. My favorite character in the entire Buffyverse.
I love that he forced Buffy to confront the possibility that she might have to kill Dawn. And finally, he was willing to do it himself. Giles stands on BUSINESS! It would've haunted him forever, but he would've done it.
I was so scared Tara was going to be like that forever 😭😭😭. Thank you, Willow.
This season was brutal on Buffy. She deserves the world, and all she gets is suffering. Great for character development, incredible to watch on my TV, awful for her.
AND THEN SHE DIED 😭😭😭😭😭 I'm now so glad I didn't watch this at the time, bc I would've been thinking the show was over with a sad ending. So happy to watch this knowing there are 2 more seasons with Buffy in it (plus the revival). I want my girl back NOW.
So yes, Riley went away, Giles has two jobs again, Spike is in the gang, and Joyce is gone forever! Excellent season. Now I need to know HOW Buffy comes back! How will she and Spike finally get together? Will Xander really marry Anya??? He can't do better than Anya, but Anya could do far better than him! Will Willow learn more powerful magic? She did really well against Glory!
Also: Buffy died. Does that mean... No. No, tell me it's not true. Tell me another slayer will not rise. If another slayer rises, she will be the FOURTH slayer we see on this show! We'll have THREE SLAYERS ALIVE AT THE SAME TIME! It can't happen, I forbid it.
My current ranking of Buffy seasons is 2 + 3 > 1 + 5, > 4. So glad I can count on Buffy and Angel to give me Quality TV™ at a time when streaming gives us mostly soulless "content" with underdeveloped characters in batches of 8 rushed episodes every 2~3 years. I'm eating so good right now.
I have 2 more Angel episodes to finish the season, so let's see how that goes!
First and foremost: I think I didn't even mention Gunn in my comments about s01, and that's because I was not impressed with him or his plot, and even found him a little annoying. imagine my surprise when J. August Richards showed up in the opening of s02.
And THANK GOD HE DID! I love Gunn so much??? XD He's amazing, and I want him to stay forever. Incredible addition to the team.
Really like the hotel as their new HQ, and loved the whole story around it.
What I did not love at all in this season was the return of Darla and Angel's obsession with her. Dude, she's annoying and you killed her. I could perfectly understand not being over someone who was your partner for centuries, but he had clearly been long over her by the time they saw each other again in Sunnydale in Buffy s01! Why this now???
And Darla is such a flat character, too. This season clearly tried to give her more complexity, but I don't think they succeeded as much as they needed.
LINDSEY, on the other hand, continues being a sensational character! I was very sorry to see him leave the show, but I´m glad that he finally realized he wasn't willing to sell the rest of his soul. Great character arc, and his and Angel's goodbye is fantastic dialog.
And it was GREAT to see Drusilla again! A fabulous diva, always welcome on my screen.
I was so irritated with Angel firing the crew. He went completely off the rails when Darla came back, and that's my issue with the whole thing. Darla in Sunnydale: meh, I'll just kill her. Darla in LA a couple of years later: I MUST DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO SAVE HER, AND NOW TO DEFEAT HER, EVEN IF IT MEANS ALLIENATING EVERYONE I CARE ABOUT. Like, what?
He absolutely deserved being iced out by the crew. I love him, but he should've been iced out longer.
And I'm glad Cordelia was the last one to forgive him, because my girl got STANDARDS! (I say, about the girl that dated Xander Harris.) But it's incredibly funny that Angel simply buys her forgiveness with tons of clothes XD
Honest to God, one of the best bits of this show is Cordelia's love of money.
Wesley's dad is still awful. I've never even seen him and I hate him.
Kate remains unbearable. She lost her job and that was completely on her.
Now, I know I said I didn't like Angel going off the rails, BUT: him deciding that he was okay with Darla and Drusilla killing the all those lawyers? Closing the doors and going "I just can't seem to care" BITCH????? AN ALL-TIMER TELEVISION MOMENT. I couldn't believe I was watching it, incredible.
Angel and Holland's elevator ride, where he reveal to Angel that he's (we're) already in hell, and there's no real winning... Haunting moment. Great scene.
Angel going on and on about his epiphany, I can't XD
Now: a new addition to the show that I absolutely loved? The Host. (I'm not gonna call him Lorne, I refuse.) Every single thing about him, his karaoke bar, several different characters singing at different points (Lindsey's got some pipes???), the aura reading, the fact that Angel is incapable of carrying a tune and has the musical taste of a boomer? All amazing, 5 starts, 10/10, no notes.
Except for THE PYLEA ARC, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT??????
Honestly, my theory is that Whedon had an idea for a fantasy movie when he was a pre-teen, and decided to finally use it for the end of s02. Those 4 episodes 100% feel like a B fantasy movie from the 80s.
I'm not impressed with the librarian girl, Fred. I hope I'm not too annoyed with her next season. Gunn was a great surprise, so I'm hoping for the same outcome.
I've already started Buffy s06 and Angel s03, so here I go!
Okay. OKAY. A LOT happened in Buffy s05, what the genuine fuck.
So, I've started yelling here about my first time watching Buffy and Angel (btvs s01-04 + Angel s01 post), and now that I've finished btvs s05, I'm making a new post, bc that one was too long already.
THIS SEASON IS INSANE??????
Love Giles's new magic shop. And Buffy got him his job back with retroactive pay! Now he has real income again!
I've grown so fond of Anya. She's amazing, unexpected, original.
Xander is still more tolerable than his high-school self. I have only one grudge against s05 Xander (we'll put a pin on that.) The episode he's split in two is cool, and I learned that THAT'S NICHOLAS BRENDON'S TWIN BROTHER, THAT'S INCREDIBLE
Willow and Tara continue being adorable, and Tara has now been allowed by the costume and make-up dept to look like she showers regularly, love that for her. Also, fuck her family, including her cousin Amy Adams.
Dracula. I'm sorry, I found that episode baffling.
Buffy and Riley continued being a blandly wholesome couple, except that RILEY IS THE SMALLEST MAN ON EARTH. You mean to tell me he got ADDICTED TO HAVING HIS BLOOD SUCKED AT A VAMPIRE BROTHEL, WHICH IS BOTH USING DRUGS *AND* CHEATING ON BUFFY, AND HE HAS THE ABSOLUTE GALL TO BLAME HER FOR HIS CHOICES, BECAUSE HE DOESN'T FEEL WANTED WHILE BUFFY ANNE SUMMERS IS BUSY TAKING CARE OF HER MOTHER WHO HAS A BRAIN TUMOR??? Oh, he's going to Belize? Well, I will PERSONALLY SEND HIM TO FUCKING HELL IF I EVER CATCH THAT MAN
If Riley Finn has 100 haters, I'm one of them. If he has 1 hater, I am she. If he has 0 haters, it means I have shuffled off this mortal coil.
And this is my complaint about Xander: he once again goes to Buffy and blames the situation on her. He can't help himself.
Spike's past is so cool. It's SO COOL that he's always been pathetic! I love him deeply.
And he is FINALLY in love with Buffy! I love everything about this, about everyone's reactions to it, and how he goes about it (except for the robot, which was gross. At least it ends up being useful later). Him actively helping them (without payment XD), and taking care of Dawn, and being sad that Joyce died bc she treated him well and always had a cuppa for him? Peak. I couldn't wish for anything more (except wish that he hadn't made the robot).
And an undead guy that made a sex robot of Buffy is still more reliable than Riley Finn.
Let's talk about Joyce: I do not miss her. I don't think she was a good mom, and the series is better without her, I said what I said!
Having said that: I was bawling my eyes out the entire episode. Sarah Michelle Geller, the actress that you are??? Buffy on the phone with 911, Buffy going "mummy?", it was all so haunting. She's 20, she's just a child 😭😭😭
Everything about the episode was perfect: everyone's acting was at its very best, Buffy lost and struggling to take care of Dawn, Dawn's breakdown at school, Xander's quiet anger, Willow not knowing what to wear, Anya's monologue, ugh. ALSO: Anya blurting out "I wish Joyce didn't die" is SO GOOD. They know what she says is what she feels, they know Anya doesn't do social pleasantries and that she rarely cares about others. So Buffy knows she absolutely means it. It's perfect, great character beat.
"The Body" is the best BTVS episode so far, by a clear margin, and an all-time TV episode. I will also probably never watch it again.
Dawn trying to bring her mother back gave me some serious FMA-based fears. She nearly gave herself some Elric trauma that she cannot handle in any way, shape or form.
Let's talk about Dawn: first and foremost, so happy to see Michelle Trachtenberg on my screen once again, and in a "new role", so to speak (you know, new for me!). She's so missed.
Now: the second she appeared, she was soooooooo annoying XD And by design, of course! Their sisterly relation was so realistic.
It's good that we, the audience, find out very early (ep.5) that Dawn is the Key. I was annoyed by her, but then I immediately felt so sorry? She's just a child who doesn't know what she is! Had the reveal been later, that reversal of feeling might be more difficult for the audience. Good choice.
The weak point of the season (for me) is that Glory is uninteresting. The concept of Buffy having to fight a god, something far above everything she's ever fought before, is very good. But Glory is annoying and one-dimensional (compare her with the Mayor, for instance, who had a similar goal. He was so complex and entertaining to watch!).
But Glory's minions, with their epithets for her, were such a highlight XD
Ben is also uninteresting, and blander than Riley. His heel turn at the very end, when he accepts Glory's offer and hands her Dawn, is very good though! It would've blown me away in the hands of a better character. Or a better actor.
I spent every episode yelling "Kill Ben!!!" ever since it was revealed who he was. And who should finally hear me but MY BELOVED RUPERT GILES, WHO NEVER DOES ANYTHING WRONG EVER?! GILES HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN! And mark my words, he never will, idc. That man can't do anything at this point that will make me stop loving him. My favorite character in the entire Buffyverse.
I love that he forced Buffy to confront the possibility that she might have to kill Dawn. And finally, he was willing to do it himself. Giles stands on BUSINESS! It would've haunted him forever, but he would've done it.
I was so scared Tara was going to be like that forever 😭😭😭. Thank you, Willow.
This season was brutal on Buffy. She deserves the world, and all she gets is suffering. Great for character development, incredible to watch on my TV, awful for her.
AND THEN SHE DIED 😭😭😭😭😭 I'm now so glad I didn't watch this at the time, bc I would've been thinking the show was over with a sad ending. So happy to watch this knowing there are 2 more seasons with Buffy in it (plus the revival). I want my girl back NOW.
So yes, Riley went away, Giles has two jobs again, Spike is in the gang, and Joyce is gone forever! Excellent season. Now I need to know HOW Buffy comes back! How will she and Spike finally get together? Will Xander really marry Anya??? He can't do better than Anya, but Anya could do far better than him! Will Willow learn more powerful magic? She did really well against Glory!
Also: Buffy died. Does that mean... No. No, tell me it's not true. Tell me another slayer will not rise. If another slayer rises, she will be the FOURTH slayer we see on this show! We'll have THREE SLAYERS ALIVE AT THE SAME TIME! It can't happen, I forbid it.
My current ranking of Buffy seasons is 2 + 3 > 1 + 5, > 4. So glad I can count on Buffy and Angel to give me Quality TV™ at a time when streaming gives us mostly soulless "content" with underdeveloped characters in batches of 8 rushed episodes every 2~3 years. I'm eating so good right now.
I have 2 more Angel episodes to finish the season, so let's see how that goes!
After years and years of husband asking me to, I finally agreed to watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Yes, I was the right age to have watched it on TV when it first aired, but no, I'd never watched it. I'm just not interested in vampires in general, never have been.
But I agreed to give it a shot and OMG I LOVE IT SO MUCH??? I WAS MISSING OUT ON SO MUCH!
I just started s03. So since I did one of these when husband watched FMA, I thought I'd do this again for my Buffy journey, bc I have to yell somewhere.
What I knew before starting:
SMG is Buffy, a high-school aged vampire slayer
There was a non-SMG movie before that everyone says is bad
Anthony Head and Alyson Hannigham are there; Hannigham is a witch
There's someone called Xander
Buffy dates Angel, Angel is a vampire
Angel had his own spin-off that ended on a cliffhanger
Charisma Carpenter is the girl Whedon abused, her character is Cordelia and she's also in the Angel show
Buffy dates Spike, Spike is also a vampire. He has yellow hair — not blonde, that's not blonde. It's daringly yellow.
The amazing, incredible, much missed Michelle Trachtenberg shows up eventually as Dawn, a sister Buffy didn't have.
You'd think knowing some of these would kill the excitement of the reveals, but it really doesn't! I'm all about the journey, and now every episode is an exciting possibility when something I'm looking forward to may happen XD. Besides, there are clearly many, MANY things I had, and still have, no idea of.
So here's how Season 01 went down for me:
I loved Buffy immediately. Obviously, it's SMG, she's gorgeous, charismatic, and an excellent actress, but still, I was surprised at how quick and easy it is to like Buffy. I was also surprised to find out she isn't a very good student, and I really like that she isn't.
I disliked Xander immediately.
If anything ever happens to Willow, I will kill everyone in this room and then myself. And it is an absolute tragedy that she's in love with Xander.
Within just a couple of episodes, Giles became one of my favorite characters in all the media I have ever consumed. Every scene he's not in I'm like "where's Giles? Is he okay? Is he safe? Bring me Giles."
I love Cordelia????? I LOVE Cordelia. She promises nothing and delivers everything: looks, quick wit, comedic timing, self-centeredness. Incredible work, no notes, every episode she's not in lacks je ne sais quoi. Fuck Whedon.
Angel is... very handsome. But also not very interesting in the beginning, just tall, dark and mysterious. I figured he'd be broody (a vampire in love with a vampire slayer has to be broody by definition), but he exceeded all expectations. I spent most of season 01 wondering if he would develop a personality 👀. (He does, later, which I appreciate!) I also now understand a lot of the choices made for movie!Edward Cullen, including the choice of Robert Pattinson.
This show is very fond of Titles: the Slayer, the Watcher, the Master, the Order of Aurelius, the Harvest, the Three, the Anointed One... I like that sometimes a lot of fuss is made about Someone With A Title, only for them to last one episode XD.
Why is the school still allowed to operate normally after a pack of students ATE THE PRINCIPAL ALIVE???????????
I fucking hate Snyder.
I was so comfortable in my knowledge that Angel is a vampire that every now and then I forgot Buffy didn't know. I loved the Angelus lore, btw.
Jenny Calendar. I yelled "Jenny, shag Giles!" every time she showed up. Tbh, in s01, I was more interested in Calendiles (that's what the internet tells me their ship name is) than in Bangel. And when she started popping up in other episodes, and Giles started looking interested, I started getting worried: you see, I had NEVER heard of Jenny Calendar, which could only mean one thing. So I started hoping for the best case scenario: that she would just disappear between seasons (so many characters did, back in the day, show writers were careless like that).
That demon-killer puppet is UNBELIEVABLY CREEPY DEAR GOD
Buffy's life is so difficult, you guys, I didn't think it was going to be like that. My poor baby. And it never gets better! No, it only gets worse!
I also spent a lot of s01 one asking husband "When will Cordelia be part of the group? I want her in the group 😭😭😭". I was rewarded at last XD.
WHY IS THE BRONZE STILL ALLOWED TO OPERATE? WHY IS SUNNYDALE NOT ON NATIONAL NEWS EVERY WEEK???
Okay, I admit that knowing "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" does not, in fact, end with the protagonist dying at the end of season 01 really takes the bite out of that finale XD But I still liked it.
Xander started growing on me by the end! I even liked the fact that he saved Buffy's life in the finale. I like when Xander is useful, because it's been rare so far (Willow is bringing the brains, but Xander doesn't even do that for most of the time). I was unsurprised to find out he's apparently Whedon's self-insert.
Next post will be a summary of my thoughts on season 02, stay tuned!
I was scared when I saw that no, Jenny Calendar had not been forgotten between seasons, and she and Giles started to date.
Buffy and Angel are having SO MUCH will-they-won't-they. Very soapy, love it. That's how you build quality slow burn. If I had watched this as a teen, I think I would still be writing Bangel fic to this day.
Okay, so: I had not at all expected Spike to be SO COOL AND FUN??? SO CHARMING??? AND WHAT AN ENTRANCE!!! AND HE KILLED THE ANNOINTED ONE! I'm sorry, you guys, but I love him. I wanted personality and I got it.
(...What is that accent, though? That's some crazy work XD)
I was like "okay, what's up with Drusilla?" And then I found out and went "oh ☹️." You guys, Angelus lore is crazy, I'm such a fan.
WHY IS THIS SCHOOL STILL ALLOWED TO OPERATE???
Xander is a certified Monster Fucker™.
And btw: Xander does not play around with Willow. He won't have anyone touch a single hair on Willow's head, and I appreciate it so much.
I think Nicholas Brendon was inspired by Matthew Perry in Friends. As the season goes by, his delivery becomes more and more Chandler Bing-like — specifically, the cranky, impatient Chandler. Xander gets ruder with each episode, and I'm back to disliking him.
Now:
Oz is so cool. Love that for Willow.
Okay. OKAY. SO. ETHAN RAYNE. HE CALLED GILES "RIPPER" AND GILES KICKED HIS ASS, AND I NEARLY PISSED MY PANTS??? I LOVE GILES. I also asked out loud, "wait, you can throw a punch for real? You could've done that the whole time???"
"Lie to Me" is one hell of an episode, with an amazing ending.
MORE GILES LORE, I LOVE HIM, I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM, HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE A WATCHER, AND HE SCREWED UP AND SUMMONED A DEMON
Then I thought this was how Jenny was going to die: possessed by Eyghon, so that the memory of his mistake would haunt Giles forever. I was wrong.
And then Jenny wanted some distance from Giles and the gang, and I thought "oh, so this is how he loses her! She will distance herself from him and leave the show!" I was wrong.
Kendra is cool, and I know why a new slayer was triggered, but what do you mean there are now 2 slayers?? I said out loud, "The show can't do that, they have to kill her!" I mean, IT'S IN THE OPENING. "In every generation there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the slayer."
Very much a fan of Drusilla back to full health. Fabulous.
I was so happy when Buffy and Angel finally swore eternal love and DID it, resolving their will-they-won't-they situation! Imagine then my subsequent surprise.
You guys. I'm sorry, but Angelus is so much more fun than Angel XD. HE IS A COMPLETE ASSHOLE. But he's also not efficient: he plays with his food too much. He could've killed Buffy in her sleep on the very first day! Instead, he fucked around until they found a way to take back the invitation to their houses. Dude, c'mon, FOCUS 👏👏👏
Buffy killed The Judge with a fucking rocket launcher, I love this girl so much
AND JENNY IS FROM THE PEOPLE THAT CURSED ANGEL AND I WAS SO SHOOK, WHAT A REVEAL. And look, the gang is right to be upset, it is a betrayal, but honestly? Making Angel keeps his soul (despite the eternal torment) is good for everyone! Like, did you guys see Angelus???
And then I thought: oh, so this is how she leaves the show. Because she's being shunned by Giles and the others. I was wrong.
Buffy's life just never gets better 😭😭😭 WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO SUFFER SO MUCH
Xander and Cordelia just might be the worst couple I have ever had the displeasure to watch. I can't stan Cordelia like this. Cordy, girl, you can do so much better.
Jenny started working on a way to restore Angel's soul. And then I knew. And it was so much worse than I imagined
"PASSION" IS A FUCKING BUMMER, YOU GUYS, WHO ALLOWED THIS, I SPENT THE ENTIRE EPISODE EITHER WHISPERING "no" OR YELLING "NO!" OR "NOOOO". "ANGEL, NO". "JENNY, RUN". "GILES, NO, DON'T GO UPSTAIRS". "GILES 😭😭😭" My poor Giles. My poor Jenny. She was so pretty and cool and perfect, WHO WILL COMPENSATE ME FOR THIS???
Not me yelling "LOOK IN THE GAP BETWEEN THE DESKS, FIND THE FLOPPY DISK, SHE DIED FOR THAT" every time Willow was in Jenny's classroom.
Backing up your work saves lives, kids.
Aaaaaaaand I was right that Kendra wouldn't live for much longer. That poor girl barely had a life and then she died ☹️
Me, to husband: "HER DEATH BETTER NOT TRIGGER ANOTHER SLAYER, BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE A SLAYER ALIVE. BUFFY SUMMERS!!!" Husband: "I'm not telling you anything."
Snyder fucking knows they're on a Hellmouth and is working against Buffy (I don't know why yet), I hate his fascist ass
Spike betraying Angel was, I think, very telegraphed, but very, very satisfying to finally see happening. Spike is a great character.
Buffy's life never gets better. Her boyfriend became a demon because she slept with him, her mother told her to never come back (lady?????????? I will kill you???????????), Snyder expelled her from school, and she has to kill her demon ex-bf she still loves to close a portal to hell 😭😭😭😭😭.
And then BUFFY WATCHED HIM REGAIN HIS SOUL, KNOWING SHE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO SEND HIM TO HELL ANYWAY, AND SHE TOLD HIM SHE LOVED HIM AND THEN KILLED HIM, AND HE DIDN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHY, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING HE'D DONE, AND THEN SHE RAN AWAY
I swear to god, you guys, I need to be financially compensated for all the trauma, someone has to pay for my therapy
SOMEONE HAS TO PAY FOR BUFFY'S AND GILES' THERAPIES
I've already started season 03, so more yelling will be coming soon!
Season 03 done! Incredible season, but a few people pissed me off a whole lot, too.
I'm sorry, but WHY WAS EVERYONE KIND OF AN ASSHOLE WHEN BUFFY CAME BACK HOME??? The only one who had a good reaction was Giles (who never does anything wrong ever, and I stand by these words). And Willow and Xander have the GALL to act like Buffy was wrong for feeling desperate and lost after everything at the end of s02!! And I will kill Joyce Summers with my bare hands.
S03 Xander is the most unbearable I've ever seen him. He still has very good moments, but most of the time he's just being very, very obnoxious at best, unfeeling and passive-aggressive at worst, and just generally not a good friend (and an absolutely awful boyfriend).
Faith. Oh, Faith.
First and foremost , I was very clear when I said I DID NOT WANT ANOTHER SLAYER, WE ALREADY HAVE A SLAYER, HOW CAN WE HAVE TWO SLAYERS???
When she showed up, husband told me she was one of the best characters in the show. I doubted him at first, bc how could she be, when she was being so underutilized, and barely felt integrated into the gang? When the fact that she was so undisciplined and unstable was not even addressed? But as it turns out, THIS WAS ON PURPOSE. The build-up to the choices she ends up making is very, very well-done.
Angel is back so fast?? I thought we'd go at least half a season without him. (I imagine it felt like a long time when it was airing, though, specially given the time between seasons.)
Giles is a far better person than I will ever be, bc I would've put a stake through Angel's heart the second I saw him again.
The Mayor is such a freak, love that. Seasons 02 and 03 have much better villains than s01, the Master and the Annointed One were boring.
JOYCE AND GILES AKXHCJSKSJS GOD FORBID. Giles, stay away from her, she's an awful mother.
Spike's baaaaaack (just a little). And he's more pathetic than ever!
Now, we need to talk about something very serious: WILLOW AND XANDER CHEATING ON CORDY AND OZ???? Don't they know they're both dating way out of their league???? Oz is the best, coolest man that will ever appear on the Buffy screen, what are you doing, Willow?!?! And Cordy almost died, and bc of what? Xander fucking Harris???
And then, Xander and Willow don't even get together for real??? They just never kiss again! What was all the cheating even for, then??? Unreal.
The Anyanka episode is SO good. I love Cordelia.
Oz gets back with Willow. Again: the best, coolest man to ever grace this show, and also a far better person than I will ever be.
In "Gingerbread", we see what an awful mother Joyce Summers is yet again.
HOW DARE THEY FIRE GILES. I hate The Council.
I cannot believe Faith took Xander's virginity. He continuously fails upwards.
Listen, husband told me to give it time, that Wesley has great character development, but I'm sorry, I want him off my screen. Buffy's Watcher is GILES.
FAITH KILLED A PERSON, OMG
...And the recaps on the following episodes will not let me forget it. At the beginning of every episode I have to rewatch Faith saying "No, you don't understand. I don't care!".
FAITH NOW WORKS FOR THE MAYOR. Honestly, her arc is amazing(ly heartbreaking).
Faith trying to seduce Angel, failing, then trying to turn him to evil once again, and failing again, was SO fun. Angel was so good here.
PAY OFF FOR JONATHAN! Incredible. I didn't think he'd ever be more than the occasional comic relief, but the show surprised me once again. Amazing. It's insane to think this show created, wrote, directed and ran itself, with no one in particular at the helm.
I don't think you guys understand, because I don't talk about it enough, but I LOVE DANIEL OSBOURNE. Every time he's on screen I'm like "Oz! ❤️". He's second only to Giles.
Xander buys Cordelia's prom dress for her, and that's unbelievably nice of him, especially considering he doesn't have money. I will go to my grave saying he owes her SO much more than that, mind you, but that was a nice gesture, and I'm glad I can say that about him.
BUFFY GETS THE CLASS PROTECTOR AWARD, AND THE UMBRELLA, AND I CRIED???
FAITH POISONED ANGEL, AND BUFFY TOLD THE COUNCIL TO SHOVE IT, AND BUFFY ALMOST KILLED FAITH, AND ANGEL HAD TO DRINK HER BLOOD, THERE IS SO MUCH HAPPENING
AND ALL THE STUDENTS HELP BUFFY FIGHT OLVIKAN!!!
I was gonna ask once more how Sunnydale High is still allowed to operate, but I guess that's a moot point now.
Wesley leaves, which YES, and Angel leaves, which NO. I know he has his own show, and I'm gonna watch it, but :(
Faith's arc is SO sad. Well written, and I loved every second of it, but I just feel so sorry for her. She had no one :(
Her being in a coma, however, IS an elegant solution to the two-slayer problem. Now a new one will not be triggered, and I can stop stressing about the possibility of a third new Slayer showing up.
I'm about to start both s04 and Angel s01! Husband told me that the ONLY way to properly watch this from now on would be: one episode of Buffy, and then one episode of Angel, just like when it aired XD. He insists there are Reasons for this, so I'm cautiously excited.
You guys, s04 is A ROLLER COASTER! So much happens, and also the crossover with Angel, which is another roller coaster??
And husband was right: watching one episode of Buffy, then one episode of Angel, is the absolute best way to watch these shows👌.
I'll talk about Buffy s04 first, and then Angel s01. Without further ado:
I'VE FINALLY WITNESSED THE "SHE IRONS HER JEANS" GIF IN ITS NATURAL HABITAT! Buffy is absolutely right and I've never felt more vindicated.
Xander and… Anya??? What the hell, sure.
Anya is SO funny XD But like, where does she live? Does human Anya have parents? How does she have money to feed and clothe herself?
Giles too! No Council or school salary, but he still lives in a very nice house in Southern California with no financial troubles. He has to have passive income, probably from a family estate in England — bc I'm sorry, but that is NOT a working class accent. When the class war begins, I will hesitate before taking him down. Love chill, non-suit-wearing Giles very much, btw 💖
P a r k e r 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
LOL, Spike is such an asshole to Harmony. Man, you're the one who decided to date a 17-year-old, this is on you.
His accent got better. Apparently, Anthony Head was so offended he coached James Marsters XD
OZ LEFT?????? NO, DON'T DO THAT???? COME BACK!!! 😭😭😭😭😭 Why must I suffer like this??? 😭
Riley was very telegraphed as Buffy's new love interest. So I patiently waited for him to develop a personality and be interesting (and for him to grow out of the 90s teenage heartthrob haircut, bc jesus, I can't do this again).
The hair did get better, but as to having a personality… Listen, he's a very nice, wholesome midwestern boy, but he and Buffy got very bland very fast. Also, he's in an ultra-secret special ops force of the American army. Guys, I'm Latin American, this is a hard no for me.
"Hush" is so very good. And The Gentlemen are terrifying, holy shit?????? Iconic.
ANGEL VISITED SUNNYDALE, AND EVERYONE KEPT IT FROM BUFFY, BUT XANDER LET IT SLIP IN THE VERY LAST SECONDS OF THE EPISODE 😭😭😭
I thought Professor Walsh was gonna be the Main Villain, but Adam just straight up killed her, I laughed so hard XD. Also, Buffy going "If you think that's enough to kill me, you really don't know what a Slayer is. Trust me when I say you're gonna find out." was soooo badass, THAT'S my girl!
FAITH! Faith is back! And Sarah Michelle Gellar and Eliza Dushku were incredible playing each other. And then Faith leaves again. My poor girl, she's so lost :(
Also, there goes the elegant solution to the two-slayer problem :(
"Superstar" is an INSANE episode. Oh, Jonathan.
OZ! OZ CAME BACK! But so briefly 😭😭😭
Willow and Tara! God, I remember this in 2000, it was huge, and I didn't even go here at the time. Fantastic, good for you, Will.
I like Tara. I'm also 100% sure she got bullied back in school, poor dear. She's so sweet, she deserves the best. (But I still want Oz back 💔 Tara can have Willow, but give ME Oz)
Riley thinking he can take Angel is very cute. But him thinking normal Angel is Evil Angel is hilarious XD
Interesting that Tara was chosen to be the First Slayer's voice in everyone's surrealistic nightmares. I wonder if it's just bc she's not close to Buffy, or bc she wasn't among the ones who cast the spell, or bc she's powerful, or bc of something else that has yet to be revealed. I definitely want to know more about Tara.
AND she tells Buffy "be back before dawn", AND I THINK THAT'S FORESHADOWING, BECAUSE I ALREADY (vaguely) KNOW ABOUT DAWN
Oz showed up one last time in Willow's surrealistic nightmare 🥺
I'm excited about s05! Is this when Dawn finally appears? Will Buffy find someone more exciting than Riley, please? Will Spike join the Scooby gang for good? Will Giles find a job? Will Joyce continue being absent? Bc I liked that very much.
And now, Angel s01:
I thought I was only going to be lukewarm towards Angel — but no, the show is really, really good! And actually intertwined with Buffy.
"City Of" is such a good title for the first episode.
Cordeliaaaaaa! Poor Cordy, living like a slob in a horrible apartment (you can tell she grew up with a maid tidying up her shit).
I can't with her on the title sequence showing an invoice with gigantic letters saying INVOICE on it, it cracks me up XD
Doyle. Doyle 💔 I liked him so much! He was charismatic and complicated and funny and brave, and he deserved the world??? And he died such a hero 😭😭😭 I couldn't believe he was actually dead! I thought he was here to stay, that he was going to be in the main cast for many seasons! This is tremendously upsetting.
THE DAMN EPISODE IS EVEN CALLED "HERO", I WILL KILL SOMEONE
Husband told me about Glenn Quinn, and I cried like a baby. None of this is okay.
I was worried about the lack of visions without Doyle, but DOYLE PASSED IT ON TO CORDELIA WITH HIS LAST KISS 😭😭😭😭
And, surprise of surprises: Wesley Wyndam-Pryce! Here! Wearing leather, bc he's a rogue demon hunter XD ("What's a rogue demon?") I was so delighted with the surprise that I even forgot I didn't like Wesley before XD
Btw: OZ (❤️) TOOK THE GEM OF AMARA TO ANGEL IN LOS ANGELES, OMG
AND ANGEL DESTROYED IT, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, I'M GOING TO DECAPITATE THIS BITCH MYSELF (I understand his logic, but jesus fucking christ)
AND SPIKE ALSO SHOWED UP, WHICH IS GREAT
Cordelia's haunted house is sensational. And look, it's a cliché for white people to not give up on their haunted houses, but it's very expensive to live well in L.A., and she's broke! And in the end, it all worked out, Dennis is very nice!
Kate. Just when I started liking her, she becomes unpleasant again when she finds out about Angel. And then her father dies, and she becomes unbearable. Kate, get over yourself.
EEEEWWWW, JEREMY RENNER IS ANGELUS' FORMER PROTEGÉ
The episode "She" rolled around and I found it really gross. Yes, ofc Joss Whedon and his writing room would come up with an episode where the women have overwhelming sexual power and the men around them are helpless to resist it 🙄🙄🙄
I love when David Boreanaz has the chance to play Angelus; you can tell he has SO much fun! I don't blame him, Angel can't be fun to play all the time, he's so stoic — though now he is very much less so! Now he has facial expressions and even banter! He emotes. He didn't use to do that XD
Let's talk about the episode where he becomes human and gets to be with Buffy, and then decides to sacrifice his happiness and give up his humanity. THAT WAS HEARTBREAKING????? You know what, let's NOT talk about it, it's so unfair to everyone involved.
AND FAITH SHOWS UP. And ofc she agreed to kill Angel, my girl Faith cannot rest if she's not tormenting someone XD
The Faith episodes were truly great, and I'm so happy with how it all turned out, Faith really needed someone to believe in her (and now that she's in prison, the elegant solution for the two-slayer problem is back on track). But Angel was REALLY unfair to Buffy on that episode, I was furious. Good thing he apologized later.
Also, she tortured the shit out of Wesley, holy crap. (But she did have a point, I'm sorry: had he been a better Watcher, she probably wouldn't have ended up here.)
Let's talk about Wesley. He came back being goofy but endearing, and little by little, he became so… interesting? So layered? So brave and loyal? He was this close to killing Faith, and then this close to handing her to The Council (again), but he just couldn't, and I just 🥹 And he's got his own personal trauma, too. I never thought this would be possible, but by the end of the season, I was completely in love with Wesley. I think he just might be my biggest surprise in the Buffyverse.
And Angel, Cordy, and Wesley just… care for each other so much??? They truly are a found family, one of the best I've seen! Ohhh, and Angel goes feral for them! I think the Angel Investigations group is now my favorite of the two (sorry, Scooby gang).
I'm glad Wesley ditched the suit, the rolled up sleeves reeeeally help me see how hot Alexis Denisof is. Good for you, Alyson Hannigan!
I'm SUCH a fan of Wolfram & Hart as Angel's adversaries. What a concept, I'm so here for this. Also, I'm disappointed in Lindsey. He had a real chance there, but alas, he chose… poorly. And then he lost his hand. Choices™.
And Angel will become human again some day! My poor Angel wants this so bad he almost smiled when he heard it 😭
Can't wait for s02, what an amazing surprise this was.
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After years and years of husband asking me to, I finally agreed to watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Yes, I was the right age to have watched it on TV when it first aired, but no, I'd never watched it. I'm just not interested in vampires in general, never have been.
But I agreed to give it a shot and OMG I LOVE IT SO MUCH??? I WAS MISSING OUT ON SO MUCH!
I just started s03. So since I did one of these when husband watched FMA, I thought I'd do this again for my Buffy journey, bc I have to yell somewhere.
What I knew before starting:
SMG is Buffy, a high-school aged vampire slayer
There was a non-SMG movie before that everyone says is bad
Anthony Head and Alyson Hannigham are there; Hannigham is a witch
There's someone called Xander
Buffy dates Angel, Angel is a vampire
Angel had his own spin-off that ended on a cliffhanger
Charisma Carpenter is the girl Whedon abused, her character is Cordelia and she's also in the Angel show
Buffy dates Spike, Spike is also a vampire. He has yellow hair — not blonde, that's not blonde. It's daringly yellow.
The amazing, incredible, much missed Michelle Trachtenberg shows up eventually as Dawn, a sister Buffy didn't have.
You'd think knowing some of these would kill the excitement of the reveals, but it really doesn't! I'm all about the journey, and now every episode is an exciting possibility when something I'm looking forward to may happen XD. Besides, there are clearly many, MANY things I had, and still have, no idea of.
So here's how Season 01 went down for me:
I loved Buffy immediately. Obviously, it's SMG, she's gorgeous, charismatic, and an excellent actress, but still, I was surprised at how quick and easy it is to like Buffy. I was also surprised to find out she isn't a very good student, and I really like that she isn't.
I disliked Xander immediately.
If anything ever happens to Willow, I will kill everyone in this room and then myself. And it is an absolute tragedy that she's in love with Xander.
Within just a couple of episodes, Giles became one of my favorite characters in all the media I have ever consumed. Every scene he's not in I'm like "where's Giles? Is he okay? Is he safe? Bring me Giles."
I love Cordelia????? I LOVE Cordelia. She promises nothing and delivers everything: looks, quick wit, comedic timing, self-centeredness. Incredible work, no notes, every episode she's not in lacks je ne sais quoi. Fuck Whedon.
Angel is... very handsome. But also not very interesting in the beginning, just tall, dark and mysterious. I figured he'd be broody (a vampire in love with a vampire slayer has to be broody by definition), but he exceeded all expectations. I spent most of season 01 wondering if he would develop a personality 👀. (He does, later, which I appreciate!) I also now understand a lot of the choices made for movie!Edward Cullen, including the choice of Robert Pattinson.
This show is very fond of Titles: the Slayer, the Watcher, the Master, the Order of Aurelius, the Harvest, the Three, the Anointed One... I like that sometimes a lot of fuss is made about Someone With A Title, only for them to last one episode XD.
Why is the school still allowed to operate normally after a pack of students ATE THE PRINCIPAL ALIVE???????????
I fucking hate Snyder.
I was so comfortable in my knowledge that Angel is a vampire that every now and then I forgot Buffy didn't know. I loved the Angelus lore, btw.
Jenny Calendar. I yelled "Jenny, shag Giles!" every time she showed up. Tbh, in s01, I was more interested in Calendiles (that's what the internet tells me their ship name is) than in Bangel. And when she started popping up in other episodes, and Giles started looking interested, I started getting worried: you see, I had NEVER heard of Jenny Calendar, which could only mean one thing. So I started hoping for the best case scenario: that she would just disappear between seasons (so many characters did, back in the day, show writers were careless like that).
That demon-killer puppet is UNBELIEVABLY CREEPY DEAR GOD
Buffy's life is so difficult, you guys, I didn't think it was going to be like that. My poor baby. And it never gets better! No, it only gets worse!
I also spent a lot of s01 one asking husband "When will Cordelia be part of the group? I want her in the group 😭😭😭". I was rewarded at last XD.
WHY IS THE BRONZE STILL ALLOWED TO OPERATE? WHY IS SUNNYDALE NOT ON NATIONAL NEWS EVERY WEEK???
Okay, I admit that knowing "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" does not, in fact, end with the protagonist dying at the end of season 01 really takes the bite out of that finale XD But I still liked it.
Xander started growing on me by the end! I even liked the fact that he saved Buffy's life in the finale. I like when Xander is useful, because it's been rare so far (Willow is bringing the brains, but Xander doesn't even do that for most of the time). I was unsurprised to find out he's apparently Whedon's self-insert.
Next post will be a summary of my thoughts on season 02, stay tuned!
I was scared when I saw that no, Jenny Calendar had not been forgotten between seasons, and she and Giles started to date.
Buffy and Angel are having SO MUCH will-they-won't-they. Very soapy, love it. That's how you build quality slow burn. If I had watched this as a teen, I think I would still be writing Bangel fic to this day.
Okay, so: I had not at all expected Spike to be SO COOL AND FUN??? SO CHARMING??? AND WHAT AN ENTRANCE!!! AND HE KILLED THE ANNOINTED ONE! I'm sorry, you guys, but I love him. I wanted personality and I got it.
(...What is that accent, though? That's some crazy work XD)
I was like "okay, what's up with Drusilla?" And then I found out and went "oh ☹️." You guys, Angelus lore is crazy, I'm such a fan.
WHY IS THIS SCHOOL STILL ALLOWED TO OPERATE???
Xander is a certified Monster Fucker™.
And btw: Xander does not play around with Willow. He won't have anyone touch a single hair on Willow's head, and I appreciate it so much.
I think Nicholas Brendon was inspired by Matthew Perry in Friends. As the season goes by, his delivery becomes more and more Chandler Bing-like — specifically, the cranky, impatient Chandler. Xander gets ruder with each episode, and I'm back to disliking him.
Now:
Oz is so cool. Love that for Willow.
Okay. OKAY. SO. ETHAN RAYNE. HE CALLED GILES "RIPPER" AND GILES KICKED HIS ASS, AND I NEARLY PISSED MY PANTS??? I LOVE GILES. I also asked out loud, "wait, you can throw a punch for real? You could've done that the whole time???"
"Lie to Me" is one hell of an episode, with an amazing ending.
MORE GILES LORE, I LOVE HIM, I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM, HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE A WATCHER, AND HE SCREWED UP AND SUMMONED A DEMON
Then I thought this was how Jenny was going to die: possessed by Eyghon, so that the memory of his mistake would haunt Giles forever. I was wrong.
And then Jenny wanted some distance from Giles and the gang, and I thought "oh, so this is how he loses her! She will distance herself from him and leave the show!" I was wrong.
Kendra is cool, and I know why a new slayer was triggered, but what do you mean there are now 2 slayers?? I said out loud, "The show can't do that, they have to kill her!" I mean, IT'S IN THE OPENING. "In every generation there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the slayer."
Very much a fan of Drusilla back to full health. Fabulous.
I was so happy when Buffy and Angel finally swore eternal love and DID it, resolving their will-they-won't-they situation! Imagine then my subsequent surprise.
You guys. I'm sorry, but Angelus is so much more fun than Angel XD. HE IS A COMPLETE ASSHOLE. But he's also not efficient: he plays with his food too much. He could've killed Buffy in her sleep on the very first day! Instead, he fucked around until they found a way to take back the invitation to their houses. Dude, c'mon, FOCUS 👏👏👏
Buffy killed The Judge with a fucking rocket launcher, I love this girl so much
AND JENNY IS FROM THE PEOPLE THAT CURSED ANGEL AND I WAS SO SHOOK, WHAT A REVEAL. And look, the gang is right to be upset, it is a betrayal, but honestly? Making Angel keeps his soul (despite the eternal torment) is good for everyone! Like, did you guys see Angelus???
And then I thought: oh, so this is how she leaves the show. Because she's being shunned by Giles and the others. I was wrong.
Buffy's life just never gets better 😭😭😭 WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO SUFFER SO MUCH
Xander and Cordelia just might be the worst couple I have ever had the displeasure to watch. I can't stan Cordelia like this. Cordy, girl, you can do so much better.
Jenny started working on a way to restore Angel's soul. And then I knew. And it was so much worse than I imagined
"PASSION" IS A FUCKING BUMMER, YOU GUYS, WHO ALLOWED THIS, I SPENT THE ENTIRE EPISODE EITHER WHISPERING "no" OR YELLING "NO!" OR "NOOOO". "ANGEL, NO". "JENNY, RUN". "GILES, NO, DON'T GO UPSTAIRS". "GILES 😭😭😭" My poor Giles. My poor Jenny. She was so pretty and cool and perfect, WHO WILL COMPENSATE ME FOR THIS???
Not me yelling "LOOK IN THE GAP BETWEEN THE DESKS, FIND THE FLOPPY DISK, SHE DIED FOR THAT" every time Willow was in Jenny's classroom.
Backing up your work saves lives, kids.
Aaaaaaaand I was right that Kendra wouldn't live for much longer. That poor girl barely had a life and then she died ☹️
Me, to husband: "HER DEATH BETTER NOT TRIGGER ANOTHER SLAYER, BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE A SLAYER ALIVE. BUFFY SUMMERS!!!" Husband: "I'm not telling you anything."
Snyder fucking knows they're on a Hellmouth and is working against Buffy (I don't know why yet), I hate his fascist ass
Spike betraying Angel was, I think, very telegraphed, but very, very satisfying to finally see happening. Spike is a great character.
Buffy's life never gets better. Her boyfriend became a demon because she slept with him, her mother told her to never come back (lady?????????? I will kill you???????????), Snyder expelled her from school, and she has to kill her demon ex-bf she still loves to close a portal to hell 😭😭😭😭😭.
And then BUFFY WATCHED HIM REGAIN HIS SOUL, KNOWING SHE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO SEND HIM TO HELL ANYWAY, AND SHE TOLD HIM SHE LOVED HIM AND THEN KILLED HIM, AND HE DIDN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHY, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING HE'D DONE, AND THEN SHE RAN AWAY
I swear to god, you guys, I need to be financially compensated for all the trauma, someone has to pay for my therapy
SOMEONE HAS TO PAY FOR BUFFY'S AND GILES' THERAPIES
I've already started season 03, so more yelling will be coming soon!
Season 03 done! Incredible season, but a few people pissed me off a whole lot, too.
I'm sorry, but WHY WAS EVERYONE KIND OF AN ASSHOLE WHEN BUFFY CAME BACK HOME??? The only one who had a good reaction was Giles (who never does anything wrong ever, and I stand by these words). And Willow and Xander have the GALL to act like Buffy was wrong for feeling desperate and lost after everything at the end of s02!! And I will kill Joyce Summers with my bare hands.
S03 Xander is the most unbearable I've ever seen him. He still has very good moments, but most of the time he's just being very, very obnoxious at best, unfeeling and passive-aggressive at worst, and just generally not a good friend (and an absolutely awful boyfriend).
Faith. Oh, Faith.
First and foremost , I was very clear when I said I DID NOT WANT ANOTHER SLAYER, WE ALREADY HAVE A SLAYER, HOW CAN WE HAVE TWO SLAYERS???
When she showed up, husband told me she was one of the best characters in the show. I doubted him at first, bc how could she be, when she was being so underutilized, and barely felt integrated into the gang? When the fact that she was so undisciplined and unstable was not even addressed? But as it turns out, THIS WAS ON PURPOSE. The build-up to the choices she ends up making is very, very well-done.
Angel is back so fast?? I thought we'd go at least half a season without him. (I imagine it felt like a long time when it was airing, though, specially given the time between seasons.)
Giles is a far better person than I will ever be, bc I would've put a stake through Angel's heart the second I saw him again.
The Mayor is such a freak, love that. Seasons 02 and 03 have much better villains than s01, the Master and the Annointed One were boring.
JOYCE AND GILES AKXHCJSKSJS GOD FORBID. Giles, stay away from her, she's an awful mother.
Spike's baaaaaack (just a little). And he's more pathetic than ever!
Now, we need to talk about something very serious: WILLOW AND XANDER CHEATING ON CORDY AND OZ???? Don't they know they're both dating way out of their league???? Oz is the best, coolest man that will ever appear on the Buffy screen, what are you doing, Willow?!?! And Cordy almost died, and bc of what? Xander fucking Harris???
And then, Xander and Willow don't even get together for real??? They just never kiss again! What was all the cheating even for, then??? Unreal.
The Anyanka episode is SO good. I love Cordelia.
Oz gets back with Willow. Again: the best, coolest man to ever grace this show, and also a far better person than I will ever be.
In "Gingerbread", we see what an awful mother Joyce Summers is yet again.
HOW DARE THEY FIRE GILES. I hate The Council.
I cannot believe Faith took Xander's virginity. He continuously fails upwards.
Listen, husband told me to give it time, that Wesley has great character development, but I'm sorry, I want him off my screen. Buffy's Watcher is GILES.
FAITH KILLED A PERSON, OMG
...And the recaps on the following episodes will not let me forget it. At the beginning of every episode I have to rewatch Faith saying "No, you don't understand. I don't care!".
FAITH NOW WORKS FOR THE MAYOR. Honestly, her arc is amazing(ly heartbreaking).
Faith trying to seduce Angel, failing, then trying to turn him to evil once again, and failing again, was SO fun. Angel was so good here.
PAY OFF FOR JONATHAN! Incredible. I didn't think he'd ever be more than the occasional comic relief, but the show surprised me once again. Amazing. It's insane to think this show created, wrote, directed and ran itself, with no one in particular at the helm.
I don't think you guys understand, because I don't talk about it enough, but I LOVE DANIEL OSBOURNE. Every time he's on screen I'm like "Oz! ❤️". He's second only to Giles.
Xander buys Cordelia's prom dress for her, and that's unbelievably nice of him, especially considering he doesn't have money. I will go to my grave saying he owes her SO much more than that, mind you, but that was a nice gesture, and I'm glad I can say that about him.
BUFFY GETS THE CLASS PROTECTOR AWARD, AND THE UMBRELLA, AND I CRIED???
FAITH POISONED ANGEL, AND BUFFY TOLD THE COUNCIL TO SHOVE IT, AND BUFFY ALMOST KILLED FAITH, AND ANGEL HAD TO DRINK HER BLOOD, THERE IS SO MUCH HAPPENING
AND ALL THE STUDENTS HELP BUFFY FIGHT OLVIKAN!!!
I was gonna ask once more how Sunnydale High is still allowed to operate, but I guess that's a moot point now.
Wesley leaves, which YES, and Angel leaves, which NO. I know he has his own show, and I'm gonna watch it, but :(
Faith's arc is SO sad. Well written, and I loved every second of it, but I just feel so sorry for her. She had no one :(
Her being in a coma, however, IS an elegant solution to the two-slayer problem. Now a new one will not be triggered, and I can stop stressing about the possibility of a third new Slayer showing up.
I'm about to start both s04 and Angel s01! Husband told me that the ONLY way to properly watch this from now on would be: one episode of Buffy, and then one episode of Angel, just like when it aired XD. He insists there are Reasons for this, so I'm cautiously excited.
After years and years of husband asking me to, I finally agreed to watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Yes, I was the right age to have watched it on TV when it first aired, but no, I'd never watched it. I'm just not interested in vampires in general, never have been.
But I agreed to give it a shot and OMG I LOVE IT SO MUCH??? I WAS MISSING OUT ON SO MUCH!
I just started s03. So since I did one of these when husband watched FMA, I thought I'd do this again for my Buffy journey, bc I have to yell somewhere.
What I knew before starting:
SMG is Buffy, a high-school aged vampire slayer
There was a non-SMG movie before that everyone says is bad
Anthony Head and Alyson Hannigham are there; Hannigham is a witch
There's someone called Xander
Buffy dates Angel, Angel is a vampire
Angel had his own spin-off that ended on a cliffhanger
Charisma Carpenter is the girl Whedon abused, her character is Cordelia and she's also in the Angel show
Buffy dates Spike, Spike is also a vampire. He has yellow hair — not blonde, that's not blonde. It's daringly yellow.
The amazing, incredible, much missed Michelle Trachtenberg shows up eventually as Dawn, a sister Buffy didn't have.
You'd think knowing some of these would kill the excitement of the reveals, but it really doesn't! I'm all about the journey, and now every episode is an exciting possibility when something I'm looking forward to may happen XD. Besides, there are clearly many, MANY things I had, and still have, no idea of.
So here's how Season 01 went down for me:
I loved Buffy immediately. Obviously, it's SMG, she's gorgeous, charismatic, and an excellent actress, but still, I was surprised at how quick and easy it is to like Buffy. I was also surprised to find out she isn't a very good student, and I really like that she isn't.
I disliked Xander immediately.
If anything ever happens to Willow, I will kill everyone in this room and then myself. And it is an absolute tragedy that she's in love with Xander.
Within just a couple of episodes, Giles became one of my favorite characters in all the media I have ever consumed. Every scene he's not in I'm like "where's Giles? Is he okay? Is he safe? Bring me Giles."
I love Cordelia????? I LOVE Cordelia. She promises nothing and delivers everything: looks, quick wit, comedic timing, self-centeredness. Incredible work, no notes, every episode she's not in lacks je ne sais quoi. Fuck Whedon.
Angel is... very handsome. But also not very interesting in the beginning, just tall, dark and mysterious. I figured he'd be broody (a vampire in love with a vampire slayer has to be broody by definition), but he exceeded all expectations. I spent most of season 01 wondering if he would develop a personality 👀. (He does, later, which I appreciate!) I also now understand a lot of the choices made for movie!Edward Cullen, including the choice of Robert Pattinson.
This show is very fond of Titles: the Slayer, the Watcher, the Master, the Order of Aurelius, the Harvest, the Three, the Anointed One... I like that sometimes a lot of fuss is made about Someone With A Title, only for them to last one episode XD.
Why is the school still allowed to operate normally after a pack of students ATE THE PRINCIPAL ALIVE???????????
I fucking hate Snyder.
I was so comfortable in my knowledge that Angel is a vampire that every now and then I forgot Buffy didn't know. I loved the Angelus lore, btw.
Jenny Calendar. I yelled "Jenny, shag Giles!" every time she showed up. Tbh, in s01, I was more interested in Calendiles (that's what the internet tells me their ship name is) than in Bangel. And when she started popping up in other episodes, and Giles started looking interested, I started getting worried: you see, I had NEVER heard of Jenny Calendar, which could only mean one thing. So I started hoping for the best case scenario: that she would just disappear between seasons (so many characters did, back in the day, show writers were careless like that).
That demon-killer puppet is UNBELIEVABLY CREEPY DEAR GOD
Buffy's life is so difficult, you guys, I didn't think it was going to be like that. My poor baby. And it never gets better! No, it only gets worse!
I also spent a lot of s01 one asking husband "When will Cordelia be part of the group? I want her in the group 😭😭😭". I was rewarded at last XD.
WHY IS THE BRONZE STILL ALLOWED TO OPERATE? WHY IS SUNNYDALE NOT ON NATIONAL NEWS EVERY WEEK???
Okay, I admit that knowing "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" does not, in fact, end with the protagonist dying at the end of season 01 really takes the bite out of that finale XD But I still liked it.
Xander started growing on me by the end! I even liked the fact that he saved Buffy's life in the finale. I like when Xander is useful, because it's been rare so far (Willow is bringing the brains, but Xander doesn't even do that for most of the time). I was unsurprised to find out he's apparently Whedon's self-insert.
Next post will be a summary of my thoughts on season 02, stay tuned!
I was scared when I saw that no, Jenny Calendar had not been forgotten between seasons, and she and Giles started to date.
Buffy and Angel are having SO MUCH will-they-won't-they. Very soapy, love it. That's how you build quality slow burn. If I had watched this as a teen, I think I would still be writing Bangel fic to this day.
Okay, so: I had not at all expected Spike to be SO COOL AND FUN??? SO CHARMING??? AND WHAT AN ENTRANCE!!! AND HE KILLED THE ANNOINTED ONE! I'm sorry, you guys, but I love him. I wanted personality and I got it.
(...What is that accent, though? That's some crazy work XD)
I was like "okay, what's up with Drusilla?" And then I found out and went "oh ☹️." You guys, Angelus lore is crazy, I'm such a fan.
WHY IS THIS SCHOOL STILL ALLOWED TO OPERATE???
Xander is a certified Monster Fucker™.
And btw: Xander does not play around with Willow. He won't have anyone touch a single hair on Willow's head, and I appreciate it so much.
I think Nicholas Brendon was inspired by Matthew Perry in Friends. As the season goes by, his delivery becomes more and more Chandler Bing-like — specifically, the cranky, impatient Chandler. Xander gets ruder with each episode, and I'm back to disliking him.
Now:
Oz is so cool. Love that for Willow.
Okay. OKAY. SO. ETHAN RAYNE. HE CALLED GILES "RIPPER" AND GILES KICKED HIS ASS, AND I NEARLY PISSED MY PANTS??? I LOVE GILES. I also asked out loud, "wait, you can throw a punch for real? You could've done that the whole time???"
"Lie to Me" is one hell of an episode, with an amazing ending.
MORE GILES LORE, I LOVE HIM, I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM, HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE A WATCHER, AND HE SCREWED UP AND SUMMONED A DEMON
Then I thought this was how Jenny was going to die: possessed by Eyghon, so that the memory of his mistake would haunt Giles forever. I was wrong.
And then Jenny wanted some distance from Giles and the gang, and I thought "oh, so this is how he loses her! She will distance herself from him and leave the show!" I was wrong.
Kendra is cool, and I know why a new slayer was triggered, but what do you mean there are now 2 slayers?? I said out loud, "The show can't do that, they have to kill her!" I mean, IT'S IN THE OPENING. "In every generation there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the slayer."
Very much a fan of Drusilla back to full health. Fabulous.
I was so happy when Buffy and Angel finally swore eternal love and DID it, resolving their will-they-won't-they situation! Imagine then my subsequent surprise.
You guys. I'm sorry, but Angelus is so much more fun than Angel XD. HE IS A COMPLETE ASSHOLE. But he's also not efficient: he plays with his food too much. He could've killed Buffy in her sleep on the very first day! Instead, he fucked around until they found a way to take back the invitation to their houses. Dude, c'mon, FOCUS 👏👏👏
Buffy killed The Judge with a fucking rocket launcher, I love this girl so much
AND JENNY IS FROM THE PEOPLE THAT CURSED ANGEL AND I WAS SO SHOOK, WHAT A REVEAL. And look, the gang is right to be upset, it is a betrayal, but honestly? Making Angel keeps his soul (despite the eternal torment) is good for everyone! Like, did you guys see Angelus???
And then I thought: oh, so this is how she leaves the show. Because she's being shunned by Giles and the others. I was wrong.
Buffy's life just never gets better 😭😭😭 WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO SUFFER SO MUCH
Xander and Cordelia just might be the worst couple I have ever had the displeasure to watch. I can't stan Cordelia like this. Cordy, girl, you can do so much better.
Jenny started working on a way to restore Angel's soul. And then I knew. And it was so much worse than I imagined
"PASSION" IS A FUCKING BUMMER, YOU GUYS, WHO ALLOWED THIS, I SPENT THE ENTIRE EPISODE EITHER WHISPERING "no" OR YELLING "NO!" OR "NOOOO". "ANGEL, NO". "JENNY, RUN". "GILES, NO, DON'T GO UPSTAIRS". "GILES 😭😭😭" My poor Giles. My poor Jenny. She was so pretty and cool and perfect, WHO WILL COMPENSATE ME FOR THIS???
Not me yelling "LOOK IN THE GAP BETWEEN THE DESKS, FIND THE FLOPPY DISK, SHE DIED FOR THAT" every time Willow was in Jenny's classroom.
Backing up your work saves lives, kids.
Aaaaaaaand I was right that Kendra wouldn't live for much longer. That poor girl barely had a life and then she died ☹️
Me, to husband: "HER DEATH BETTER NOT TRIGGER ANOTHER SLAYER, BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE A SLAYER ALIVE. BUFFY SUMMERS!!!" Husband: "I'm not telling you anything."
Snyder fucking knows they're on a Hellmouth and is working against Buffy (I don't know why yet), I hate his fascist ass
Spike betraying Angel was, I think, very telegraphed, but very, very satisfying to finally see happening. Spike is a great character.
Buffy's life never gets better. Her boyfriend became a demon because she slept with him, her mother told her to never come back (lady?????????? I will kill you???????????), Snyder expelled her from school, and she has to kill her demon ex-bf she still loves to close a portal to hell 😭😭😭😭😭.
And then BUFFY WATCHED HIM REGAIN HIS SOUL, KNOWING SHE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO SEND HIM TO HELL ANYWAY, AND SHE TOLD HIM SHE LOVED HIM AND THEN KILLED HIM, AND HE DIDN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHY, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING HE'D DONE, AND THEN SHE RAN AWAY
I swear to god, you guys, I need to be financially compensated for all the trauma, someone has to pay for my therapy
SOMEONE HAS TO PAY FOR BUFFY'S AND GILES' THERAPIES
I've already started season 03, so more yelling will be coming soon!
After years and years of husband asking me to, I finally agreed to watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Yes, I was the right age to have watched it on TV when it first aired, but no, I'd never watched it. I'm just not interested in vampires in general, never have been.
But I agreed to give it a shot and OMG I LOVE IT SO MUCH??? I WAS MISSING OUT ON SO MUCH!
I just started s03. So since I did one of these when husband watched FMA, I thought I'd do this again for my Buffy journey, bc I have to yell somewhere.
What I knew before starting:
SMG is Buffy, a high-school aged vampire slayer
There was a non-SMG movie before that everyone says is bad
Anthony Head and Alyson Hannigham are there; Hannigham is a witch
There's someone called Xander
Buffy dates Angel, Angel is a vampire
Angel had his own spin-off that ended on a cliffhanger
Charisma Carpenter is the girl Whedon abused, her character is Cordelia and she's also in the Angel show
Buffy dates Spike, Spike is also a vampire. He has yellow hair — not blonde, that's not blonde. It's daringly yellow.
The amazing, incredible, much missed Michelle Trachtenberg shows up eventually as Dawn, a sister Buffy didn't have.
You'd think knowing some of these would kill the excitement of the reveals, but it really doesn't! I'm all about the journey, and now every episode is an exciting possibility when something I'm looking forward to may happen XD. Besides, there are clearly many, MANY things I had, and still have, no idea of.
So here's how Season 01 went down for me:
I loved Buffy immediately. Obviously, it's SMG, she's gorgeous, charismatic, and an excellent actress, but still, I was surprised at how quick and easy it is to like Buffy. I was also surprised to find out she isn't a very good student, and I really like that she isn't.
I disliked Xander immediately.
If anything ever happens to Willow, I will kill everyone in this room and then myself. And it is an absolute tragedy that she's in love with Xander.
Within just a couple of episodes, Giles became one of my favorite characters in all the media I have ever consumed. Every scene he's not in I'm like "where's Giles? Is he okay? Is he safe? Bring me Giles."
I love Cordelia????? I LOVE Cordelia. She promises nothing and delivers everything: looks, quick wit, comedic timing, self-centeredness. Incredible work, no notes, every episode she's not in lacks je ne sais quoi. Fuck Whedon.
Angel is... very handsome. But also not very interesting in the beginning, just tall, dark and mysterious. I figured he'd be broody (a vampire in love with a vampire slayer has to be broody by definition), but he exceeded all expectations. I spent most of season 01 wondering if he would develop a personality 👀. (He does, later, which I appreciate!) I also now understand a lot of the choices made for movie!Edward Cullen, including the choice of Robert Pattinson.
This show is very fond of Titles: the Slayer, the Watcher, the Master, the Order of Aurelius, the Harvest, the Three, the Anointed One... I like that sometimes a lot of fuss is made about Someone With A Title, only for them to last one episode XD.
Why is the school still allowed to operate normally after a pack of students ATE THE PRINCIPAL ALIVE???????????
I fucking hate Snyder.
I was so comfortable in my knowledge that Angel is a vampire that every now and then I forgot Buffy didn't know. I loved the Angelus lore, btw.
Jenny Calendar. I yelled "Jenny, shag Giles!" every time she showed up. Tbh, in s01, I was more interested in Calendiles (that's what the internet tells me their ship name is) than in Bangel. And when she started popping up in other episodes, and Giles started looking interested, I started getting worried: you see, I had NEVER heard of Jenny Calendar, which could only mean one thing. So I started hoping for the best case scenario: that she would just disappear between seasons (so many characters did, back in the day, show writers were careless like that).
That demon-killer puppet is UNBELIEVABLY CREEPY DEAR GOD
Buffy's life is so difficult, you guys, I didn't think it was going to be like that. My poor baby. And it never gets better! No, it only gets worse!
I also spent a lot of s01 one asking husband "When will Cordelia be part of the group? I want her in the group 😭😭😭". I was rewarded at last XD.
WHY IS THE BRONZE STILL ALLOWED TO OPERATE? WHY IS SUNNYDALE NOT ON NATIONAL NEWS EVERY WEEK???
Okay, I admit that knowing "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" does not, in fact, end with the protagonist dying at the end of season 01 really takes the bite out of that finale XD But I still liked it.
Xander started growing on me by the end! I even liked the fact that he saved Buffy's life in the finale. I like when Xander is useful, because it's been rare so far (Willow is bringing the brains, but Xander doesn't even do that for most of the time). I was unsurprised to find out he's apparently Whedon's self-insert.
Next post will be a summary of my thoughts on season 02, stay tuned!
Announcing the Reylo Fanfiction Anthology: Ten Year Anniversary Celebration
Dear Reylo writers,
With the 10 year anniversaries of both The Force Awakens approaching on December 15, 2025, and of the Reylo Fanfiction Anthology on March 10, 2026, the RFFA Mod Team invites you to join us for a year long celebration of Reylo fanfiction.
Ten Years of Reylo Fanfiction will consist of 4 events over the next 14 months, beginning this November 1, 2025 with a Flash Fiction challenge. We invite everyone interested to write as many flash fics (no longer than 2,000 words) as they can. We will share the AO3 collection to add them to, as well as several prompts you can use to ideate, in November.
Next, we will host our annual St. Valentine's Day gift fic exchange! Please be on the lookout for signups coming in December 2025!
We are so grateful for the many #RFFA writers who have participated in our events over the past ten years. To honor you, we'll be re-promoing all of the fanfiction in our various events to breathe some fresh life into them.
Lastly, starting in October 2026, we invite you to post workslonger than 20,000 words! The AO3 collection will be shared next October. You can, of course, begin writing now, but please don't post until the collection opens. Unlike our past Anthologies, we will not be editing and vetting fics.
We look forward to writing and sharing the love of Reylo fanfiction together over the next year!
Yours in hope like the sun,
The RFFA Mod Team (@aionimica, @mnemehoshiko, @politicalmamaduck, @reylotrashcompactor, @shmisolo, and @thewayofthetrashcompactor)
