Buffy: season four...
I have now installed wallpaper on my new Aspire, a sort of baptismal rite I hadn't got around to yet. The subject? A beautiful portrait of Spike.
So I should make a few comments on my reactions to Buffy the Vampire Slayer season four, while it's still fresh in my mind. Ahh,
- Spike, Spike, Spike. It's easy to say which were my favourite bits of the season: every scene in which Spike appeared, every time he had a line, every bit of action relating to him.
- The season as a whole seemed to have less structure and form than most, though of course the Initiative was the theme holding it all together. I liked the way the Initiative became more and more sinister as the season progressed. Sinister government overlords are among the themes I love.
- Riley Finn. Oh, what a letdown after Angel. I didn't hate Riley. But at the middle of each episode, when Riley was imperilled, I thought hopefully, "Maybe this will be the end of him." And every episode, when he remained alive in the end, I was just a little disappointed. He wasn't awful, he was just... bland. There was nothing I could get my mind into there. Nice body, no personality. I liked his hair, which reminded me of Captain Jack's.
- I liked Adam's speech patterns, but as villains go, he didn't have much that made him striking. A pastiche of monsters, cyborgs and villains from any number of places.
- Willow really came into her own. I loved Willow throughout this season: finding her way as a peson.
- The romance between Willow and Tara was very sweet. Touching. A little too discreet, maybe: would it have killed them to have had a scene showing them kissing? Best moment was:Willow: I wanted something that was mine.
Tara: I am, you know.
Willow: What?
Tara: Yours. - That being said, I don't like Tara even a fraction as much as I liked Oz, which is a pity. Not that I wanted Willow to choose Oz instead of Tara in "New Moon Rising": I wanted her to be able to keep both of them.
- Interesting reactions from the others, especially Buffy, to the Willow/Tara romance. I liked Xander's dream about them.
- Xander. I have in the past been outspoken about my dislike of Xander. In season four, he was fine. Can't say he's my favourite character, but he was unobjectionable, and mainly sympathetic. I liked that.
- I like Anya. I like Anya much, much more than Cordelia. I will go so far as to say I love Anya.
- Best episode by far was "Hush".
- Though every appearance of Spike was a joy, I wish he'd had more of a role in the ongoing storylines. More interaction with Buffy (though the touches of UST we got were wonderful) and with Giles and the scoobies.
- When Angel came back at the end, he was like a splash of colour in a monochrome picture. When did I start to love Angel so much? And how could Buffy even look at Riley when Angel is around? Easy answer: denial. Fear of pain. Lack of hope. But still. Riley?
- I like the mini-theme of Xander lusting after Joyce.
- Giles. How wonderful he is. I liked him in all aspects and my only complaint about him would have to be that we didn't see enough of him - he wasn't central enough.
- The best moment of the whole series was, surprisingly, one with Faith. And the fact that it took me by surprise was part of what made it wonderful. It was when Faith in Buffy's body was fighting Buffy in Faith's body, and she started ranting at Buffy, attacking her verbally, saying that she was a killer and no good, and you realize suddenly that Faith is fighting herself.
- Do characters ever really go away on Buffy? We see everyone again... even, in flashbacks and dreams, the Mayor, and Snyder. Not Drusilla, but she's mentioned - I liked that, too.
- I love the relationship between Spike and Giles. Can't call it friendship and love/hate isn't quite it... Snide/snide?