The Mega-Super-Ultra Buffy/Angel Episode Guide

[Ortega]

Hulu Episode Link

http://www.hulu.com/watch/45/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-i-robot-you-jane

Episode 108 - I, Robot, You Jane

  Holy fucking shit-balls, this is such a stupid episode!  The ONLY reason to even attempt to watch this episode is the introduction of Jenny Calendar(..mmmm...).  Other than that, this episode is one big pile of steaming crap.  Think back and remember, this episode aired in 1997, and was possibly made back in '96, so a lot of people didn't know exactly what the Internet was, or was for, so the episode is literally a litany against everyone's fear on what the Internet was, and what it meant to society.  You can tell the writer was a HUGE technophobe.  And i literally did a headpalm when the scene between Dave & Moloch.  I mean he had the HAL-type voice, and i was screaming: " Don't say it!  Don't fuckin' say it!".  And yet, he did.  " I'm afraid i can't let you do that, Dave.."  WHAT IN THE BLOODY NAME OF HOLY FUCK???!!!!  Its like the ONLY reason the nerdy kid's name was Dave, was to facilitate that HORRIBLE allusion to 2001.  I can equivocally say : FUCK THIS EPISODE.

Sorry for the use of foul language, but this episode just pisses me off to no end.

I did enjoy one thing about this episode:  At the end, when Buffy, Willow, & Xander are joking around that living on the Hellmouth will ruin thier love lives, and they all share a nice laugh, then it turns into uncomfortable laughing, and then just disconcerted frowning.  A cheap joke, but funny.  But that's all you get from me, Shitty Season 1 Buffy Episode!!!

[Tyrant]

Best...written...review...EVER!!!   

[Courtney]

    

SO TRUE.  Fuck that episode just so hard (she says as she prepares to defend "Beer Bad" with her life when Season 4 comes around).

I also don't understand the appeal of Angel, but I get the bad boy thing. Spike was more my guy, and I found that he had more going for him as a character than Angel, imo.

I'm a Team Angel die hard Buffy/Angel shipper.  In fairness, I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I was like 12 when the show started and you tend to romanticize everything at that age, and it just never really went away.  I love Spike as a character, but Angel's pretty great.  Especially latter half season two.

[ebeth]

I have always been a Spike chick since Season 2 episode 1 (but I'll gush when we get to that one) and yet I enjoy Angel the same way I enjoy all my Gay guy friends, perfectly lovable but not worth trying to bone.

[Tyrant]

I've always sided with Spike way more than Angel. Not that I'm into the whole "bad boy" thing or whatever. I find the character to be more honest to what he is, more decisive, tougher, funnier,  and just more interesting in general. There's only so much angst I can take with Angel. Spike, in comparison, adapts, puts his war face on and doesn't whine. I find this much more appealing.

You've also got to love a vampire that has no problem eating chocolate chip cookies and drinking booze.

[Tripe]

I think there should have been Xanffy.

[Ortega]

Hulu Episode Link:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/76/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-the-puppet-show
 

Episode 109 - The Puppet Show


       All right, this is a bit better.  Not to say this episode doesn't have it fair share of stupidity, but anything is better than "Last week's" episode.  This episode is the first appearance of Principal Snyder, so rock on for that.  And i have to say, i didn't see the reveal of the puppet being a demon hunter, and not a demon.  The looks on the Scooby Gang's face are priceless.  Giles here has another episode to unveil his British ability to stammer and generally look befuddled, and boy, he does not disappoint!  A semi-decent episode, and a far bit of laughs, but nothing special either. 

Watch this episode, if nothing than to see the Scooby's production of Oedipus.............man.....have i been there( the bad high school plays, not the other thing........)

WOW!  I'm actually coming through on my episode a day promise!

[Ortega]

And then i abandon it for three days!

Hulu Episode Link

http://www.hulu.com/watch/59/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-nightmares

Episode 110 - Nightmares

   An average episode.  while not completely asinine, it still feels weak, and like a majority of the 1st season, feels like just, blah.  And who didn't see the big reveal of the monster being a mental image of the little kid's  abusive coach/proxy father figure coimg a mile away?   Its still a watchable episode, but nothing special either. 

Though there was once cool aspect of the episode, and that's Vampire Buffy:

Spoiler

Another thing i noticed about this episode:  Buffy's gravestone reads her being born in 1981, which makes her the same age as me.,,,,just a coincidence that i found amusing.

[dignan]

Whoa, missed this whole thread until now.  Let's see...first ep I ever saw was Prophecy Girl, and I was hooked instantly.  Season One always felt kind of "quaint" in the wake of what would follow, but it still has its charms.  Guess I'll just chime in on Nightmares for the time being:  I liked it when I first saw it, not a pivotal episode by any means, but the bit where they come across Buffy's grave and Giles reveals that they're in his nightmare always had a nice impact.  In retrospect, it kind of comes across as a dry run for Restless in season 4 (a vastly superior episode, in my opinion).  The wrap-up of the episode is pretty weak, though, and is the closest the Scooby Gang ever got to being the actual Scooby-Doo gang with the whole "The one who beat up the kid is...THE COACH" moment.

[dignan]

Oh and also, at what point did "Nightmare" Hank Summers turn into the real version of Buffy's dad?  For the first two seasons, he was mostly absent, yes, but was shown to be a caring parent when he was around.  Then at some point, he abandons her completely?  And then shows up randomly in Buffy's "hallucination" in season 6?  Just...weird continuity with his character. 

[TeamRAD]

Restless in season 4 (a vastly superior episode, in my opinion)

"Restless" is so overrated. 

[dignan]

Really?  It's probably the only Buffy episode I could throw on and watch and be entertained regardless of what my mood is. 

[TeamRAD]

Within the context of Joss' use of postmodernism throughout the entire fourth season, I can definitely see where Joss was going w/ it. However, "Restless" fell very, very flat for me and came across rather indulgent. Especially in wake of what precluded it w/ the ground-breaking "Hush", and the mind-blowing two-parter in "This Year's Girl"/"Who Are You?". "Hush" deserves all the accolades it does receive (I've been extolling it for some time), but philosophically speaking, TYG/WAY? is an absolute thrill-ride and then some. I'm looking forward to touching upon it when the time comes around. I always point to it to illustrate why Buffy is SO much more than meets the eye. It's genius.

"Restless", blah. I'll pass on the cheese. 

[Ortega]

Hulu Episode Link:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/97/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-out-of-mindout-of-sight

Episode 111 - Out of Mind,....Out of Sight

    Another low-rent X-files reject episode.  Not to say it wasn't overall enjoyable, it was still just kinda dumb, and unsubtly an obvious allegory:  Unpopular people feel invisible.  No shit.  And one of the more disappointing aspects of the episode was the fact that one of my favorite actresses, Clea Duvall, wasn't actually onscreen for most of the episode, using the same hackneyed method of portraying an invisible person: " Let's shoot the camera at fuckin' nothing while the actor reads his lines in ADR"  Also, at the end of the episode, Marcy is conscripted in a secret government agency (which could be The Initiative), but nothing is ever mentioned about it again, which kinda sucks.

  I enjoyed Cordelia's distilling of The Merchant of Venice's Shylock as being " self-involved and whiny.  Leave it to Cordy to cut through the bullshit and go right to the matter.  When she's not playing Queen Bitch, she's quite remarkable, and I enjoy that aspect of her character.  Thankfully, she'll play a larger part in the episodes to follow, especially in the next episode.....

  Overall, a watchable episode, but again, not exactly great, and other shows have done the concept better.

Tommorrow: Propechy Girl!  Please contain the Buffy-gasms 'till i post the review!!!!

[TeamRAD]

Tommorrow: Propechy Girl!  Please contain the Buffy-gasms 'till i post the review!!!!

It's showtime!