My Buffy history.
Since some people seem to have misunderstood my 'I came to fandom late' as 'I came to Buffy late' (which isn't surprising really, but that's what I get for writing in a hurry), I thought I'd write down how I fell for the show which is something I've wanted to do anyway (not individual characters, although that would be fun, but I just don't have time - or a clear enough memory).
The first episode I ever saw was 'The Witch' (when first shown in the UK, not on re-runs). I remember being very impressed with the clever plot-twists, and really liked the show. Saw quite a few eps from Season 1, including 'Angel' and 'The Pack', but not 'Prophecy Girl'.
Watched most of S2, although somehow missed out on 'School Hard' (and oh boy did I fall over in many kinds of delight when I finally saw it post-S7). Also never saw 'Killed By Death' which remains the only Buffy episode that I have never seen and know nothing about. Now I was spellbound during 'Becoming I and II, but OMG The Angst!!!
I very distinctly remember deciding that I could live without my heart being torn out on a regular basis and didn't watch the show at all during S3!
Gave the show another shot when S4 came round, liked it very much (and no huuuuuge angst anymore), but missed out on 'Hush' and 'Pangs' (saw 'Something Blue' though and loved it). Missed the last two or three episodes of the season for some reason (holiday? Can't remember).
Another very clear memory is reading that the first episode of S5 was 'Buffy vs. Dracula' and thinking that it sounded too silly a premise and didn't tune in. Next week we *did* watch though and were all 'WTF? Buffy doesn't have a little sister!' and got hooked again. And then 'Fool For Love' happened! (Not much to explain, really, except to say that I never missed an episode after.) Watched all of S5 very happily and was very sad when Buffy died, except of course she had to be brought back!
S6... oh now there was OMWF, that blew both of us away. We recorded it (first time we recorded Buffy btw), and Darcy was so impressed that he bought and downloaded the soundtrack the next day! Still have that disk. Remember the end of 'Smashed' stunning me utterly and causing me to curse myself for not recording it, but figured that they couldn't *possibly* keep the show that mesmerising and *still* didn't record the rest of the season. Of course the rest of the season kept me spellbound. And then came the end of 'Grave'... I can't even remember if I thought that Spike wanted the chip out or not. It's all vanished in the huge impact of OMG Spike got his soul!!!!!! Seriously I spent a great deal of time making up all the most wonderful reunions between Buffy and Spike. (OMG SOUL!)
Then came Season 7 and this time I was sat with my finger on the record button. Finally! (It takes a lot for me to care this much about a TV show, I don't obsess easily.) Loved it all, especially 'Beneath You' and 'Touched' of course (I might just have imagined many a way that Spike would find Buffy post-'Empty Places', but 'Touched' far exceeded any fantasies I could have made up and I have no idea how many times I re-watched his speech to her. [/Spuffy-addict]. And then of course came 'Chosen'. I loved, loved, loved the whole LotR feel of it with the big battle etc. And then of course Spike - and then amulet and the flaming hands and then HE DIED!!! They killled Spike! I'm sure I was in shock for days afterwards. They killed Spike! Spike!!! Even Darcy was shocked. And since we had recently acquired broadband I went online to look stuff up. Find out if JM was actually English and so forth. And in the process discovered that Spike was coming back! [insert ginormous relief] Only he was returning on AtS which I had never watched...
Which leads me rather neatly to my AtS history. Before (or after, I forget) 'Chosen' we saw 'Home'. And it was repeated a few times. It was very puzzling to say the least. And since Spike was going to appear on Angel, and Sky One was showing all of Buffy and Angel in re-runs that summer after S7 finished, one ep of each show a day, I started my marathon recording sessions. Every weekday between 10 and 12 I had to be near a TV (which is kinda hard work when you're moving house) or at least able to set a video, and thus I caught up with all that the Buffy-verse has to offer.
Seeing 'Home' first was of course an odd thing, but it made me immensely curious - particularly of Lilah/Wes. Their scene is so intriguing, and the way their feelings were hidden (but obviously deep) made me continually wonder when they'd get together. (And then when they did all teh sex was cut out because it was shown in the daytime. *spork* Still haven't seen it!). Anyway, watching AtS one episode a day (except for weekends) is a very good thing. Only I have the hardest time remembering episode names, since they all blend together. So, by the time S5 began I was pretty much caught up.
Now whilst catching up on AtS (and re-watching Buffy), I travelled about the internet. First things that hooked me were episode reviews: Billie and Hunter Maxin on tvtome (which was originally Scoopme and has now turned into the horrid tv.com with no reviews at all). Billie has her her own site, but I've been unable to locate Hunter Maxin's stuff. Does anyone know where it is? Also found BAPS, and this guy (whom I'd completely forgotten until I began writing this)! I had a great routine going where I'd watch the days episodes and then go online to read all the various reviews.
At some point I decided to dip my toe in the fanfic waters to see if it was for me. I'm fairly sure the first one was from BAPS but I can't find it. It wasn't very spectaular anyway, just your standard Spike-shanshues-post-Chosen (although with a little help from the resources at W&H) and he and Buffy are blissfully happy. But it was quite well written and the voices very spot-on, so I decided to look around. Which was how I found AllAboutSpike. And my fate was sealed. Especially since the first fic I found was spikewriter's The Watchers' Diaries: The Apocrypha which was fabulously written, spellbinding and showed just how much it was possible to do with fanfic. Went on to devour everything she'd ever written and she pretty much set the benchmark for writing standards in my head. Also found Kimi, Colleen, Kallysten (whose Sire&Childe saga *completely* ruined my lenten fic-abstinence)(this was spring 2004 btw), Ginmar and... wisteria_!
wisteria_ is important, because her site had a link to her Livejournal. And on her Livejournal she had a post extolling the wonders of the_royal_anna's post on Chosen. So clicked on the link and got knocked over completely. She'd managed to formulate all the things I knew was there but was unable to pinpoint. I went on to run around all of her LJ, finding other gems. AtS S5 was of course showing at the time and she'd written lots of reviews/analysis and basically I was inhaling her stuff as quickly as I could find it. After a couple of months I finally picked up my courage and wrote to her (it was Weds. 26th May 04) and she replied the very same day being sweetness itself. Proceeded to stalk her LJ (which pretty much became a sort of blue-print in my head of how a LJ should be) and slowly ventured further out. Found fer1213 (and discovered her fic), sdwolfpup (and discovered this weird thing called 'vids'), molly_may (and spent man rainy days reading through all her Buffy-reviews), buttersideup (and bonded over S7 love, urging her on to write an essay! *g*). Probably more, but those are the ones I remember. Also that summer I began my first fic - I'd been thinking that it would be fun to see what would have happened if Riley had turned up during AtS S5 and encountered Spike, but my searches only led me to slash (ick. I've been known to read the occasional S/A piece, but Spike/Riley is unfathomable to me). [ETA: Am now a major Spangel fan - and slasher generally - but *still* can't fathom Spike/Riley. Or Spander for that matter.] And then the more I thought, the more I got little scenarios popping up in my head, including dialogue etc, so in the end I began to write it down. Sent it off to Anna chapter by chapter and she was impossible sweet and encouraging.
Then finally on 2nd of October I took the plunge and set up an LJ for myself, slightly worried that I wouldn't have much to say. [With hindsight: Bwahahahaha! I've not shut up since, but you don't seem to mind] (My First Post, should you be interested.) 6 days later lillianmorgan started hers and by some divine providence found me - and thus much bonding and daily talk was born! :)
That's pretty much it I think. A few months after getting my LJ I posted my Intervention essay which gave me a sudden influx of friends, and then I began writing more fic which people also seemed to enjoy. And here I am - much too busy, but attached to this place like a limpet! Oh, and poshcat - you were the very first person who ever lurked in my journal ( here. And I'm fairly certain that this was the first post of yours that I ever read. And this was the post that made me friend you! ;)
Nothing more to say, except I've not seen 'Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been' or 'Where The Wild Wild Things Are'. Know what happens, but haven't seen them. I'm sort of saving them up - my little pieces of unseen Buffy-verse. All seen now. *sigh* Still have most of the commentaries to listen to though.
ETA: Darcy has his say.
And now I have no time for answering comments... ah well, I promise to get back to you all!
The first episode I ever saw was 'The Witch' (when first shown in the UK, not on re-runs). I remember being very impressed with the clever plot-twists, and really liked the show. Saw quite a few eps from Season 1, including 'Angel' and 'The Pack', but not 'Prophecy Girl'.
Watched most of S2, although somehow missed out on 'School Hard' (and oh boy did I fall over in many kinds of delight when I finally saw it post-S7). Also never saw 'Killed By Death' which remains the only Buffy episode that I have never seen and know nothing about. Now I was spellbound during 'Becoming I and II, but OMG The Angst!!!
I very distinctly remember deciding that I could live without my heart being torn out on a regular basis and didn't watch the show at all during S3!
Gave the show another shot when S4 came round, liked it very much (and no huuuuuge angst anymore), but missed out on 'Hush' and 'Pangs' (saw 'Something Blue' though and loved it). Missed the last two or three episodes of the season for some reason (holiday? Can't remember).
Another very clear memory is reading that the first episode of S5 was 'Buffy vs. Dracula' and thinking that it sounded too silly a premise and didn't tune in. Next week we *did* watch though and were all 'WTF? Buffy doesn't have a little sister!' and got hooked again. And then 'Fool For Love' happened! (Not much to explain, really, except to say that I never missed an episode after.) Watched all of S5 very happily and was very sad when Buffy died, except of course she had to be brought back!
S6... oh now there was OMWF, that blew both of us away. We recorded it (first time we recorded Buffy btw), and Darcy was so impressed that he bought and downloaded the soundtrack the next day! Still have that disk. Remember the end of 'Smashed' stunning me utterly and causing me to curse myself for not recording it, but figured that they couldn't *possibly* keep the show that mesmerising and *still* didn't record the rest of the season. Of course the rest of the season kept me spellbound. And then came the end of 'Grave'... I can't even remember if I thought that Spike wanted the chip out or not. It's all vanished in the huge impact of OMG Spike got his soul!!!!!! Seriously I spent a great deal of time making up all the most wonderful reunions between Buffy and Spike. (OMG SOUL!)
Then came Season 7 and this time I was sat with my finger on the record button. Finally! (It takes a lot for me to care this much about a TV show, I don't obsess easily.) Loved it all, especially 'Beneath You' and 'Touched' of course (I might just have imagined many a way that Spike would find Buffy post-'Empty Places', but 'Touched' far exceeded any fantasies I could have made up and I have no idea how many times I re-watched his speech to her. [/Spuffy-addict]. And then of course came 'Chosen'. I loved, loved, loved the whole LotR feel of it with the big battle etc. And then of course Spike - and then amulet and the flaming hands and then HE DIED!!! They killled Spike! I'm sure I was in shock for days afterwards. They killed Spike! Spike!!! Even Darcy was shocked. And since we had recently acquired broadband I went online to look stuff up. Find out if JM was actually English and so forth. And in the process discovered that Spike was coming back! [insert ginormous relief] Only he was returning on AtS which I had never watched...
Which leads me rather neatly to my AtS history. Before (or after, I forget) 'Chosen' we saw 'Home'. And it was repeated a few times. It was very puzzling to say the least. And since Spike was going to appear on Angel, and Sky One was showing all of Buffy and Angel in re-runs that summer after S7 finished, one ep of each show a day, I started my marathon recording sessions. Every weekday between 10 and 12 I had to be near a TV (which is kinda hard work when you're moving house) or at least able to set a video, and thus I caught up with all that the Buffy-verse has to offer.
Seeing 'Home' first was of course an odd thing, but it made me immensely curious - particularly of Lilah/Wes. Their scene is so intriguing, and the way their feelings were hidden (but obviously deep) made me continually wonder when they'd get together. (And then when they did all teh sex was cut out because it was shown in the daytime. *spork* Still haven't seen it!). Anyway, watching AtS one episode a day (except for weekends) is a very good thing. Only I have the hardest time remembering episode names, since they all blend together. So, by the time S5 began I was pretty much caught up.
Now whilst catching up on AtS (and re-watching Buffy), I travelled about the internet. First things that hooked me were episode reviews: Billie and Hunter Maxin on tvtome (which was originally Scoopme and has now turned into the horrid tv.com with no reviews at all). Billie has her her own site, but I've been unable to locate Hunter Maxin's stuff. Does anyone know where it is? Also found BAPS, and this guy (whom I'd completely forgotten until I began writing this)! I had a great routine going where I'd watch the days episodes and then go online to read all the various reviews.
At some point I decided to dip my toe in the fanfic waters to see if it was for me. I'm fairly sure the first one was from BAPS but I can't find it. It wasn't very spectaular anyway, just your standard Spike-shanshues-post-Chosen (although with a little help from the resources at W&H) and he and Buffy are blissfully happy. But it was quite well written and the voices very spot-on, so I decided to look around. Which was how I found AllAboutSpike. And my fate was sealed. Especially since the first fic I found was spikewriter's The Watchers' Diaries: The Apocrypha which was fabulously written, spellbinding and showed just how much it was possible to do with fanfic. Went on to devour everything she'd ever written and she pretty much set the benchmark for writing standards in my head. Also found Kimi, Colleen, Kallysten (whose Sire&Childe saga *completely* ruined my lenten fic-abstinence)(this was spring 2004 btw), Ginmar and... wisteria_!
wisteria_ is important, because her site had a link to her Livejournal. And on her Livejournal she had a post extolling the wonders of the_royal_anna's post on Chosen. So clicked on the link and got knocked over completely. She'd managed to formulate all the things I knew was there but was unable to pinpoint. I went on to run around all of her LJ, finding other gems. AtS S5 was of course showing at the time and she'd written lots of reviews/analysis and basically I was inhaling her stuff as quickly as I could find it. After a couple of months I finally picked up my courage and wrote to her (it was Weds. 26th May 04) and she replied the very same day being sweetness itself. Proceeded to stalk her LJ (which pretty much became a sort of blue-print in my head of how a LJ should be) and slowly ventured further out. Found fer1213 (and discovered her fic), sdwolfpup (and discovered this weird thing called 'vids'), molly_may (and spent man rainy days reading through all her Buffy-reviews), buttersideup (and bonded over S7 love, urging her on to write an essay! *g*). Probably more, but those are the ones I remember. Also that summer I began my first fic - I'd been thinking that it would be fun to see what would have happened if Riley had turned up during AtS S5 and encountered Spike, but my searches only led me to slash (ick. I've been known to read the occasional S/A piece, but Spike/Riley is unfathomable to me). [ETA: Am now a major Spangel fan - and slasher generally - but *still* can't fathom Spike/Riley. Or Spander for that matter.] And then the more I thought, the more I got little scenarios popping up in my head, including dialogue etc, so in the end I began to write it down. Sent it off to Anna chapter by chapter and she was impossible sweet and encouraging.
Then finally on 2nd of October I took the plunge and set up an LJ for myself, slightly worried that I wouldn't have much to say. [With hindsight: Bwahahahaha! I've not shut up since, but you don't seem to mind] (My First Post, should you be interested.) 6 days later lillianmorgan started hers and by some divine providence found me - and thus much bonding and daily talk was born! :)
That's pretty much it I think. A few months after getting my LJ I posted my Intervention essay which gave me a sudden influx of friends, and then I began writing more fic which people also seemed to enjoy. And here I am - much too busy, but attached to this place like a limpet! Oh, and poshcat - you were the very first person who ever lurked in my journal ( here. And I'm fairly certain that this was the first post of yours that I ever read. And this was the post that made me friend you! ;)
Nothing more to say, except I've not seen 'Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been' or 'Where The Wild Wild Things Are'. Know what happens, but haven't seen them. I'm sort of saving them up - my little pieces of unseen Buffy-verse. All seen now. *sigh* Still have most of the commentaries to listen to though.
ETA: Darcy has his say.
And now I have no time for answering comments... ah well, I promise to get back to you all!