Buffy S7 - First impressions
I've just finished marathoning the 7th Season of Buffy.
This stuff should come with a warning. Seriously. I was spoiled six ways to Sunday (hello, we're in 2009), and yet I am as emotionally distressed as if I hadn't known what would happen.
In particular, Xander's eye being gouged out was horrible, although, in a way, less shocking than the same fate happening to G'kar in Babylon 5. I can't explain why. Still, it made me nauseous, and it takes a lot to disturb me.
Oddly enough, I'm in shipper mood right now. So my first impressions are very... ahem... fluffy-bunny like? And rather unorganized.
The small things first (by which I mean: upsetting in a good or a bad way, I'll survive)
Drusilla. <3
The trio. I loved seeing them again. On this note: I could see Kennedy and Warren together. Really. That kiss was gorgeous.
Other potential ship that ticked me towards the very end: Andrew and Amanda. Yes, she's the perfect girl for our nerd. Also, Tom Lenk is a fantastic actor. Very fun.
Wood is hot. Very. Couldn't hate the guy even when he wanted to date Buffy or kill Spike. He had great chemistry with Faith.
Anya's death didn't affect me as much as I thought it would, in part, I think, because it was dwarfed by Spike's death.
I had read a lot of bad things about the potentials, but to be honest, I thought they were fine. Kennedy was okay; not the right girl for Willow, imho. I honestly tried to give her a chance, but she didn't register on my TV-gaydar (which, I suppose, is different from my RL-gaydar, because, well, different media).
Chloe's suicide upset me. I liked her.
I loved Rhonna. "And here I thought *hungry* was English for *hungry*." ROFL.
Now the not so easy things (by which I mean: oops my world is upside down, in a good or a bad way)
Giles, one of my (many) favourite characters, lacked presence. Like he had lost his connection with the rest of the group. He felt a bit out of character to me, most of the time, actually. For example, Spike. I expected a bit more from Giles. Regarding the soul. He'd made a big deal out of the chip in S4, going so far as hinting at it being there for a higher purpose. He came to distrust Spike because of his evil shenanigans, which made perfect sense -- I get that.
But then there was, early on, that episode with the dreams (wasn't it Restless, in S4?) where he was training Spike to be a Watcher, and Tabula Rasa in S6 where he thought Spike was his son. So, I don't know. Even if he ended up wanting to dispatch Spike (a decision that would make sense; he had killed Ben, after all), I'd have liked Giles to show a bit more depth than that. Maybe angst a tad over it, or something. He didn't even seem to feel guilty towards Buffy afterward.
Disclaimer: I dig father-son (or daughter) relationships in stories and TV shows. I always hoped Giles would keep his paternal status towards Buffy, and develop one with Spike. Alas for me, it's not what happened. I may be more upset about it than is reasonable.
Never Leave Me. Bloody hell, Spike being all vampy, growly and wall-breaky... Rawrr. And all the Spike/Buffy sweetness! This episode, I'm ashamed to say, made me tingle in all the right places.
Beneath You. Emotions, of another order than Never Leave Me. God that's Art.
Buffy and Spike. Spike and Buffy.
OMG. Spike insane. Spike on the cross. Spike back on the juice in Sleeper. Buffy's sadness. Buffy's "I believe in you". Buffy in Spike's arms. Trusting him to just hold her.
The acting of both James Marsters and Sarah Michelle Gellar was top notch in their scenes together. They made me suffer for them, root for them.
I hated Angel when he popped in like Batman to kick Caleb's ass. I hated him more when he kissed Buffy. I was angry at Buffy too. I don't know, I'll have to stop growling and rewatch that scene to get the dialogs, but I was not a very happy shipper. I really think JW should have given us a more ambiguous scene here. Although I didn't mind the oil-wrestling imagery afterward. *g*
Thus said, Buffy and Spike so totally did it. During the fade to black after Spike stares at his Liz medallion and Buffy comes downstairs. I think it was just the right time, too.
At that stage of their relationship, I would have loved seeing them kiss, at the very least.
I'm not sure about the "I love you" "No you don't, ttfn" dialogue at the very end. I don't know. I believe she loved him, maybe not in a happily forever after kind of way, but does eternal love exist anyway? I wish, at least, he had believed her.
And, even though I think it's the perfect ending for this season, I wish he hadn't died. My little shipper heart would like to find a way to save him. Because, even if I know he's coming back in Ats5, it won't be quite the same.
This stuff should come with a warning. Seriously. I was spoiled six ways to Sunday (hello, we're in 2009), and yet I am as emotionally distressed as if I hadn't known what would happen.
In particular, Xander's eye being gouged out was horrible, although, in a way, less shocking than the same fate happening to G'kar in Babylon 5. I can't explain why. Still, it made me nauseous, and it takes a lot to disturb me.
Oddly enough, I'm in shipper mood right now. So my first impressions are very... ahem... fluffy-bunny like? And rather unorganized.
The small things first (by which I mean: upsetting in a good or a bad way, I'll survive)
Drusilla. <3
The trio. I loved seeing them again. On this note: I could see Kennedy and Warren together. Really. That kiss was gorgeous.
Other potential ship that ticked me towards the very end: Andrew and Amanda. Yes, she's the perfect girl for our nerd. Also, Tom Lenk is a fantastic actor. Very fun.
Wood is hot. Very. Couldn't hate the guy even when he wanted to date Buffy or kill Spike. He had great chemistry with Faith.
Anya's death didn't affect me as much as I thought it would, in part, I think, because it was dwarfed by Spike's death.
I had read a lot of bad things about the potentials, but to be honest, I thought they were fine. Kennedy was okay; not the right girl for Willow, imho. I honestly tried to give her a chance, but she didn't register on my TV-gaydar (which, I suppose, is different from my RL-gaydar, because, well, different media).
Chloe's suicide upset me. I liked her.
I loved Rhonna. "And here I thought *hungry* was English for *hungry*." ROFL.
Now the not so easy things (by which I mean: oops my world is upside down, in a good or a bad way)
Giles, one of my (many) favourite characters, lacked presence. Like he had lost his connection with the rest of the group. He felt a bit out of character to me, most of the time, actually. For example, Spike. I expected a bit more from Giles. Regarding the soul. He'd made a big deal out of the chip in S4, going so far as hinting at it being there for a higher purpose. He came to distrust Spike because of his evil shenanigans, which made perfect sense -- I get that.
But then there was, early on, that episode with the dreams (wasn't it Restless, in S4?) where he was training Spike to be a Watcher, and Tabula Rasa in S6 where he thought Spike was his son. So, I don't know. Even if he ended up wanting to dispatch Spike (a decision that would make sense; he had killed Ben, after all), I'd have liked Giles to show a bit more depth than that. Maybe angst a tad over it, or something. He didn't even seem to feel guilty towards Buffy afterward.
Disclaimer: I dig father-son (or daughter) relationships in stories and TV shows. I always hoped Giles would keep his paternal status towards Buffy, and develop one with Spike. Alas for me, it's not what happened. I may be more upset about it than is reasonable.
Never Leave Me. Bloody hell, Spike being all vampy, growly and wall-breaky... Rawrr. And all the Spike/Buffy sweetness! This episode, I'm ashamed to say, made me tingle in all the right places.
Beneath You. Emotions, of another order than Never Leave Me. God that's Art.
Buffy and Spike. Spike and Buffy.
OMG. Spike insane. Spike on the cross. Spike back on the juice in Sleeper. Buffy's sadness. Buffy's "I believe in you". Buffy in Spike's arms. Trusting him to just hold her.
The acting of both James Marsters and Sarah Michelle Gellar was top notch in their scenes together. They made me suffer for them, root for them.
I hated Angel when he popped in like Batman to kick Caleb's ass. I hated him more when he kissed Buffy. I was angry at Buffy too. I don't know, I'll have to stop growling and rewatch that scene to get the dialogs, but I was not a very happy shipper. I really think JW should have given us a more ambiguous scene here. Although I didn't mind the oil-wrestling imagery afterward. *g*
Thus said, Buffy and Spike so totally did it. During the fade to black after Spike stares at his Liz medallion and Buffy comes downstairs. I think it was just the right time, too.
At that stage of their relationship, I would have loved seeing them kiss, at the very least.
I'm not sure about the "I love you" "No you don't, ttfn" dialogue at the very end. I don't know. I believe she loved him, maybe not in a happily forever after kind of way, but does eternal love exist anyway? I wish, at least, he had believed her.
And, even though I think it's the perfect ending for this season, I wish he hadn't died. My little shipper heart would like to find a way to save him. Because, even if I know he's coming back in Ats5, it won't be quite the same.