There is no surprise that I am a Buffy fan but even though I was taken aback when I found out somebody was throwing an anniversary for Buffy. The show first aired Monday March 10, 1997 and it is 10 years old now! TV.com celebrates it.Article about the anniversary
Today's front page covers everything Whedonverse with 'Angel' and 'Firefly' and anything connected like Nathan Fillion's new show 'Drive' and 'Family Guy' and 'Bones.' In the interviews, we can Charisma Carpenter, Danny Strong (Jonathan), and Adam Busch (Warren) and blink if you missed her Amber Benson and Joss and Marti and Jane Espenson. I think it is great that TV.com is celebrating the show.
What I hate about people who judge the show is that either they have never seen the show or they judge it out of context. One of my friends was like 'it's so goofy, they are fighting in a playground.' ['I Was Made to Love You'] I'm like, 'that's the point.' A fight between a slayer and a robot on a sunny playground was just funny and bright and somewhat ironic. Who wants to see more fights in the dark? I also hear that large misconception that she is just dumb blonde. Buffy was not a bimbo, she was smart. And the biggest complaint I've gotten is that she has died so much. I'm like, well it didn't come without a price. Piper Haiwell died like 9 times so let's not split hairs. Buffy only died twice. Also, one of my cousins was like, 'Oh, there isn't enough Vampires.' But Joss made it very clear by the third episode 'Witch' that they wouldn't only be dealing with vampires and I think that gave them plenty of room for the metaphors.
I think what separates this show from other Sci-Fi genres like 'Charmed', 'Xena' and even 'Andromena' and 'Babylon 5' is the metaphors. And what I liked was that the show dared to go dark and make fans upset like season 6. I like all the seasons. I try to think which one is my favorite season and I love them all. With season 1, people usually put the bottom of their list but if with 12 episodes, Whedon had us craving for more and blew us away. The dodgeball scene in "The Pack" really got me, the ignored girl becoming invisible was genius and in 'Nightmares' Giles' nightmare was that Buffy died, little would he see it happen twice. Season 2 is the one people identify with most and has a special place in my heart. ONE of my favorite episodes in that season was 'Lie to Me,' it speaks strongly about the line between child and adult, when you are a teenager and you realize that life isn't easy and you kind of understand why adults lie to you and you want them to because life sucks.
Season 3 was my favorite for a long time, mainly because of Faith. There were lots of great episodes like when the adults starting acting like kids in 'Band Candy' and Buffy reads people's minds in 'Earshot.' and everything went bizarro in 'The Wish' and 'Dopplegangland.' There is a lot of good episodes there. Season 4 gets slammed but it was a great season writing-wise. One would wish the Oz-Veruca storyline would go longer if Seth Green stayed. But without that, we wouldn't have gotten scorned Willow that was fun to watch through 'Doomed' and 'Beer Bad.' My best friend actually loves the episode 'Beer Bad,' it was without its merits. I was so excited when Faith came back and with a great body-swapping episodes. I think it spoke strongly when Tara, who Willow still hasn't come out with, was able to tell Buffy wasn't Buffy. The 'Superstar' episode spoke strongly that they put Jonathan in the opening credits.
Season 5 spoke strong of feminism and family. I didn't even know Buffy got a new fighting style. Glory was one of those 'Big Bads' that stayed the longest through a season and I feel like it didn't skip a beat. Almost everyone complains about Dawn but she was great---its hard to bring someone new in, especially so integrated in the gang but people don't realize how much Dawn was like Buffy and her discovery that she was the Key really mirrors how Buffy felt about being a Slayer. Hey at least we didn't get a seven-year old 'Sixth Sense' girl like they were planning. Season 6 is strong and the best. I loved the episode 'Dead Things' were Buffy and Spike went doggy style in the Bronze in front of the Scobbies. It was dark and it dared going there. I think what bummed people out is that it was after 9/11.
I loved the musical, I don't care what people say, the songs were strong and related to the show, maybe not the singing. And if you got any more complaints, you got to understand they have a tight schedule and the creativity they had was great. TV ain't easy. I like Dark Willow more than Vamp Willow which is a fan favorite. The GLBT community was upset that Joss was punishing Willow and Tara because they were gay. I understand why they did it, Willow needed something strong to happen to her. But everyone dies on the show. Just like complaints that they kill or harm black people (Trick, Gunn, Wood, Rona), if you single it out, you have to realize every group has been killed. If you are going to complain about Tara, then what about Jenny Calender and Katrina (Warren's ex)? Season 7 people complain is weak and I do feel they built it up to virtually nothing and were annoyingly vague (The First found a loophole because Buffy was brought back? Why couldn't they activate the slayers before going down into the Hellmouth? What happened to the usual Hellmouth demon we saw the seasons before?) but there was pretty strong writing there and memorial scenes. But my fav. ep has to be 'Selfless.'
Wow, that was a lot. :)
