Buffy comment... no particular episode...

[fajrdrako]

In relation to my ongoing comments on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I thought I'd make an additional comment on the characters, as of 2x07, which is as far as I've gone.


Characters I am always happy to see:

• Spike
  
• Drusilla
  
• Angel (and isn't that a shocker, considering my longstanding antipathy for David Boreanaz)
  
• Giles
  
• Snyder
  
• Buffy
  
• Willow
  
• Ethan

Character I am always unhappy to see:

• Jenny Calendar
  
• Principal Flutie
  
• The Master and all the plastic-faced vampires, and mostly the gone-and-unlamented Anointed/Annoying One
  
• Cordelia - she has good lines, but is never more than a superficial cartoon of herself: not so much annoying as monotonous

I'm on the fence about Joyce Summers and Xander Harris. Joyce is too often the butt of humour based on her own ignorance. Xander - I usually have a negative reaction to him - he makes me want to groan and run away - but he sometimes has some brilliant lines and I like it when he does something intelligent or brave.

Comments

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Just remember: it's Joss. Everyone learns, everyone grows, everyone changes. :)

[gillo]

There's one character in that list who is unlikely to do any of those, however...

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

"changes" means many things. :D

Spoilery icon, yes?

[gillo]

Eek. I have one of those icon randomisers for Firefox. Mind you, she has seen

some

later episodes...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Whatever the icon was, I didn't notice or understand it anyway.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Miss Edith? Drat, no, left her off...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Everyone changes, everything changes - yup! That's the drill! Looking forward to seeing these changes. Really.

[gillo]

Agreed with your positive crew. A couple from the negative side may put in for a transfer in time. It's all about deepening, enriching, growing in complexity...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

A couple from the negative side may put in for a transfer in time.

Wouldn't surprise me. The manner of their doing so probably will, though.

[the-blue-fenix.livejournal.com]

I'm on the fence about Joyce Summers and Xander Harris. Joyce is too often the butt of humour based on her own ignorance. Xander - I usually have a negative reaction to him - he makes me want to groan and run away - but he sometimes has some brilliant lines and I like it when he does something intelligent or brave.

There's a plot development with Joyce, down the line, that you're going to hate.

And there's an episode called "Zeppo" that you're going to love.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

There's a plot development with Joyce, down the line, that you're going to hate.

Erm? Okay.

And there's an episode called "Zeppo"

Wasn't he one of the Marx Brothers?

must use icon

[beccaelizabeth]

Ethan is indeed very fun

Re: must use icon

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oooh - very, very nice icon. Go Ethan!

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to figure out how to comment on one of your disliked characters without spoiling you.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It probably can't be done! I mean, if you think of a way, do it, but otherwise - all you have to do is wait till I get to the point where I'll find out about whatever or whoever it is.

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

*grin*

I'll just read and wait!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Patience is the key.

[Tapping my own foot impatiently - the episode where I ended this evening is a cliffhanger!]

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Xander, I agree with. I've never thought he served much of any purpose at all. (Maybe he's always just been a "beard," hm?) But Joyce will indeed get better -- wait for it.

You don't like Jenny Calender? Oh, man. The one female character in the early seasons whom I found instantly attractive for many reasons, and you don't like her. Okay, well then, I suppose you won't be too broken up when... nah, won't say it.

hee

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Maybe he's always just been a "beard," hm?

What do you mean?

You don't like Jenny Calender? Oh, man.

And I seem to be the only person who's ever watched the show who doesn't like. I don't hate her, but I just... don't relate. She ought to be interesting, but isn't.

Of the females so far, Willow is the most attractive, and sometimes Buffy. Cordelia is pretty when she smiles as if she means it. But that's getting a little ahead of myself here - she doesn't do that for a few episodes. Yes, I have now watched more than I have commented on and I have to catch up with myself.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Maybe he's always just been a "beard," hm?

What do you mean?

When a woman hangs out with two gay guys, so that they all appear as "just some friends" rather than the gay guys being spotted as "a couple of gay guys," it is said that the woman is their "beard." I was saying that about Xander... but possibly only in light of the plethora of (and how often in everyday conversation does a person hear the word "plethora," eh? I'm so proud) fanfic pairing Willow and Buffy.

Anyway. He does, come to think of it, seem to be there mostly to provide "a gang" rather than just having it be "Willow tags along after Buffy and Giles." Hm?

It's hard to write this... I just had the e-mail news that you've broken your ankle and all...! Imagine my shock. My hands are shaking, actually, so it is literally difficult to write this [g].

You don't like Jenny Calender? Oh, man.

And I seem to be the only person who's ever watched the show who doesn't like her.

Maybe yes, maybe no. I didn't like her at first, back when I was catching Buffy episodes one at a time, weekdays, in order... gad, the joy of that... do I still have those videotapes? could be. Anyway, I thought she was extraneous, and just didn't like having time spent on her when I wanted more of Buffy and Giles! But, as I've just re-watched "Surprise," I see her moment of suddenly becoming interesting to me, when her wonderfully-played Gypsy uncle appears. (I loved that actor in that role. Sad that the actor died soon after that, and at such a young age.)

Yes, I have now watched more than I have commented on and I have to catch up with myself.

...I will refrain from saying that you now will have plenty of time at home to do just that, mia kara!

Many soothing hugs to you. Call me if you need ANYTHING.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Okay, I see what you mean by 'beard' now. I was at a loss as to who he could be a beard for. (Cordelia?)

just didn't like having time spent on her when I wanted more of Buffy and Giles!

Yes, that's a lot of it.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

I watched both parts of "What's My Line?" recently, and also "Ted," and it was neat that I seemed to be watching them through your eyes: instead of liking all of it because I'm just so fond of the show and know that it has some great moments coming up, I noticed the glitches and the little annoying things, and basically agree with you that Xander's characterization can veer wildly from one extreme to the other in any given episode! Also, Cordelia is ephemeral and pretty boring (a shame, as Charisma Carpenter isn't a bad actress -- hey, come to think, she ends up on Angel later, too).

But Giles just gets mroe and more complex, and better and better. Also, in the second season, Buffy is getting more into her own character. It's starting to become much more believeable.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I liked Charisma Carpenter in Veroinica Mars because she was so sexy with Logan - I always hoped she'd come back, but no, the show was cancelled. Pity.

Part of the problem with Xander is that, though I think Nicholas Brendon is a very good actor, I don't like him much. The other problem with Xander is that he exemplifies a lot of male-teen traits that I hate, even when they aren't male and even when they aren't exhibited by teens. And I find that I have the same standards for all age-groups: I don't think I'm agist at all but when I was a teen I judged teens and adults alike just as I do now, and I don't think it's all right to act insensitive or rude (for example) just because you're young and no one will call you on it. And the characters in this show (Xander in particular) do this all the time.

So. Problems with Xander. But he does have great, great moments, like when he's listening to Patsy Cline.

It's starting to become much more believeable.

I don't know about 'believable' but I find it better written by far. More convincing.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

I tend to think that a lot of Xander's insensitive behavior is directly due to the fact that he's mostly invisible socially, and has not had enough feedback in order to hone how he acts around people. But that doesn't explain everyone else!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Joss Whedon enjoys writing charactes as certain types - and was very clumsy with it at first. He's getting better in 2nd season, and has even started to invent types of his own (like Dru and Spike) rather than doing teen clichés. But whenever he gets into the high-school-folllies I am reminded why I didn't want to watch this show when it was first on. My instincts were right. Without the encouragement of friends now, I still wouldn't be watching.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

My instincts were right. Without the encouragement of friends now, I still wouldn't be watching.

Ah, yep. But, still! It does lay the groundwork for some truly excellent episodes later on. I think you'll like "Beer Bad," for instance. And Faith is going to be something to see. And, of course, there's the continuing evolution of Spike, some of which you already know.

Agreed: I'd forgotten how plodding the early seasons could be. Yikes!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I think you'll like "Beer Bad," for instance.

I've heard odd things about that one - some say it's their favourite, some their least favourite. Which I love, of course. Now, don't say anything! I will eventually discover it for myself.

I'd forgotten how plodding the early seasons could be. Yikes!

I'm not sure I found them 'plodding' so much as 'silly' or 'superficial'. Which is why I had to have faith that, as everyone keeps promising me, it becomes less so.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Heh. If you're looking forward to "Beer Bad" because of everyone's differing opinions of it, I can imagine how you are looking forward to some of the others, too, which I'm sure would also inspire polarized reaction. yes, these are the fun parts of being in fandom!

Silly and superficial. Yeah. I'm seeing that an awful lot of effort was put into just trying to force the "these are kids and they are in high school" idea at us as strenuously as possible. Kinda missed on that, pretty often. But it was understandable.

I ran across an extensive series of fanfic, once, that substituted Faith for Buffy from the very first episode, and had her falling for and establishing a relationship with Cordelia -- all while staying within the plots of the actual episodes, and often using the same dialogue and scenes, too. I thought it was inspired and quite a labor of love. And the author managed to make Cordelia both real and interesting. I remember a cute bit about Faith, the orphan, being takin in by Giles, her Watcher, and sent off to attend high school even though she preferred to bypass it; under his guidance, she got into studies of literature and math and found she was good at both, and made friends with Willow in this way; and, cutely, a scene of her walking into the school her first day, checking out the pockets of her new backpack only to find that Giles had stocked it with not only lunch money but a bunch of Jolly Rancher candies, which she loved. Aw, cute.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Well - I look forward to meeting Faith. Cordelia suffers rather too often from the 'one line syndrome', usually not sounding much like a real person, but I quite like her as a character.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Faith is one of Joss Whedon's best-conceived characters, in my opinion. She ends up having quite a journey through the series.

Cordelia... yeah, sadly relegated to the fringe with the one-liners. Have you seen "Surprise" and "Innocence" yet? Cordelia has a good part in the latter. So does Xander. Um, so does Willow. So does Giles. So does Angel. And Buffy... you just have to watch it. Have you seen them yet? I watched them both this past week, such a step away from the weirdness of "Ted."

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Have you seen "Surprise" and "Innocence" yet?

I think so, but I haven't commented on them yet, so I'm a little vague on titles. Maybe I'll have the energy to watch one of them today. Probably. No, wait a minute, I'm not that far ahead in my viewing with Beulah.

I did like "Ted", weird though it was.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

It weirded me out to see Jack Ritter in that role. Shudder! He was altogether too convincing!

The other two -- um, it could be this is where the series really picked up steam. Let me know if you think that when you see them!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It weirded me out to see Jack Ritter in that role.

Since I'm not terribly familiar with John Ritter, I wouldn't even have recognized him. Or maybe I would have. But only barely, not for it to seem odd.

Yes, I thought those other episodes 'picked up steam', and if I recall rightly, gave us an interesting turning point.