Buffy Season Six
Jun. 4th, 2008 03:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
barondaveI had major internet problems, and Comcast was just out to replace the "modem". So naturally, the first thing I do is catch up on LJ... I had been taking notes on Buffy The Vampire, Season Six, so I can post this entry quickly, if somewhat lacking in coherency.
Season 6 destroys the Buffyverse. The writers and producers shredded their legacy. This season's theme: Willow's downfall.
Where is the Council? In previous seasons, a Slayer pops up when Buffy is barely dead. Twice. Yet monsters are free to roam around smack dab on top of the Hellmouth for four months. "The council haven't a clue. About much of anything, really." says Giles. Like, duh. The underlying structure of the series premise dissolves with a whimper.
I don't believe that they were going to bring Buffy back and didn't think to dig her up.
In the Season wrap-up (an extra on the last DVD), they producers and writers insist the season was about "growing up" and taking responsibility. More, it seems that the season was about making mistakes and having other people pay for them. Willow, Xander and Jonathan all try things with good but selfish intentions and wind up messing with the lives of those they love.
"Once More With Feeling" is a great musical and a lousy episode. Sort of a sequel to "Hush", says Whedon in the commentary, where people could sing what they couldn't say. But the townsfolk were just singing of traffic tickets and laundry. No soap opera revelations there. and... Why does anyone live in Sunnydale? Great music, lyrics and dancing, so I can see why fans like the show. It failed the consistency test. A dumb monster, and poor motivation by Xander in not fessing up earlier. Once again, Buffy is really Gilligan trying to get off the island.
And even Whedon complains about the lighting, in the commentary to the musical episode. I respect what they accomplish with a tiny budget but the poor production values sometimes get in the way.
"Normal Again" was done better on Deep Space 9.
"Entropy" is the best episode in terms of believability. Breakups and new lusts take over. It's a very story arc-dependent episode, and mostly works in advancing the characters. Of course, they're mainly in retreat...
Tara gets her name in the main credits under the music... for one episode... Whedon keeps saying that the show works because the viewers can identify with the characters and it has an emotional base. The Willow/Tara romance is the only pairing that seemed real. Naturally, they kill off Tara in a remarkably undramatic way, and she lies crumpled on the floor for days.
(And why didn't any of the vamps ever think to shoot the Slayer before? Haven't they talked to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
joelrosenberg?)
In Season Six, Buffy gets all Marvel Comics on us. Friend fight friends, enemies switch sides. So much for character-driven tv.
I'll probably watch Season Seven, though I haven't added it to my Netflix queue as yet, but I've decided to skip Angel.
Season 6 destroys the Buffyverse. The writers and producers shredded their legacy. This season's theme: Willow's downfall.
Where is the Council? In previous seasons, a Slayer pops up when Buffy is barely dead. Twice. Yet monsters are free to roam around smack dab on top of the Hellmouth for four months. "The council haven't a clue. About much of anything, really." says Giles. Like, duh. The underlying structure of the series premise dissolves with a whimper.
I don't believe that they were going to bring Buffy back and didn't think to dig her up.
In the Season wrap-up (an extra on the last DVD), they producers and writers insist the season was about "growing up" and taking responsibility. More, it seems that the season was about making mistakes and having other people pay for them. Willow, Xander and Jonathan all try things with good but selfish intentions and wind up messing with the lives of those they love.
"Once More With Feeling" is a great musical and a lousy episode. Sort of a sequel to "Hush", says Whedon in the commentary, where people could sing what they couldn't say. But the townsfolk were just singing of traffic tickets and laundry. No soap opera revelations there. and... Why does anyone live in Sunnydale? Great music, lyrics and dancing, so I can see why fans like the show. It failed the consistency test. A dumb monster, and poor motivation by Xander in not fessing up earlier. Once again, Buffy is really Gilligan trying to get off the island.
And even Whedon complains about the lighting, in the commentary to the musical episode. I respect what they accomplish with a tiny budget but the poor production values sometimes get in the way.
"Normal Again" was done better on Deep Space 9.
"Entropy" is the best episode in terms of believability. Breakups and new lusts take over. It's a very story arc-dependent episode, and mostly works in advancing the characters. Of course, they're mainly in retreat...
Tara gets her name in the main credits under the music... for one episode... Whedon keeps saying that the show works because the viewers can identify with the characters and it has an emotional base. The Willow/Tara romance is the only pairing that seemed real. Naturally, they kill off Tara in a remarkably undramatic way, and she lies crumpled on the floor for days.
(And why didn't any of the vamps ever think to shoot the Slayer before? Haven't they talked to
joelrosenberg?)In Season Six, Buffy gets all Marvel Comics on us. Friend fight friends, enemies switch sides. So much for character-driven tv.
I'll probably watch Season Seven, though I haven't added it to my Netflix queue as yet, but I've decided to skip Angel.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-06-05 04:12 pm (UTC)So... either Slayers are great protectors who only come along "once in a generation" to save the day or guard a hellmouth, or the Council is set up to make sure that there's a continuous supply of vampire hunters. Neither explains their inaction between seasons 5 & 6. The demons (not even just the vamps) run amok in Sunnydale when the robot is revealed, so even they more clueful than the Council.
Though I then have to reframe my question: Why do the undead still live in Sunnydale? Maybe that's where they emerged, but they can always take a bus.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-06-05 04:16 pm (UTC)The council does not make the slayers, they're just opportunists that "guide" the slayer when she emerges from a set of potential slayers.
This is explained in better detail in season 7 and then completely screwed with in "Fray", the far-future graphic novel written by Joss.