Friday, July 30, 2010

Monday, July 12, 2010

Buffy Season 2, Episode

"Ted"
 
We get some nice domestic drama with Buffy's mom dating a new man and Buffy being all threatened by him. 
 
Fortunately Ted's a robot and Buffy successfully erases him from their lives.
 
The only thing notable in this relationship is that it is the first time Buffy 'kills' a human.  Of course he's not human but she thinks he is at first.  She has to deal with the trauma of causing death. 
 
Then as soon as she finds out he's a robot its like *poof* everything's better!  Convenient tv fix.  Bah deux ex machina.  Fortunately this gets explored better later in the series...no, no, I'm not spoiling anything.  You'll just have to wait and find out!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Buffy Season 2, Episode 9

Part 2 of 2!
There is a really interesting dynamic that gets created between Kendra and Buffy. Kendra is all work no play, Buffy...well...she really does things her way. By the end of the episode Kendra has learned to loosen up some, act more like a member of society. Buffy gains an appreciation for serious focus and study.

Ugh. Wow. I forgot that this was the episode where Cordelia and Xander kiss for the first time. Its one of those relationships that starts off striking sparks, then that passion transfers to...well, sexual passion.

Oz is also putting the moves on Willow, who he has finally officially met. Takes a bullet for her and everything.

Druscilla's baaaaack! And she is badass. Why is it that all the vamps are the most enjoyable characters? I mean, Angel is really hot and all, but he's really the coolest when he's bad. I guess that's the whole CURSE part of having a soul as a vampire. Dark and broody and...kinda 2-D. It's not like his backstory goes away while he has a soul, but there's just no...depth to him. Hm.

Well, that shall be explored more later. See y'all tomorrow!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Buffy Season 2, Episode 8

It's the first of a 2-parter!  Yes, you all will have to wait till tomorrow to read the rest of it. 
 
So, this is the continuation of Spike's quest to find a way to make Druscilla well again (she is a very weak vampire, having nearly died and all).  He believes the cure is in a book he's stolen from Giles, which is in code. 
 
Meanwhile Buffy is agitated because they're going through the whole...profession...placement...quiz thingy.  Ya know, back in school when we took that quiz to see what kind of profession we would do well in?  Well, Buffy is sort of the Slayer and kind of already has a full-time job of saving the world.  She doesn't like to be tempted by what she feels she can't have. 
 
However, I must say that I never had to get paired with someone who was actually in the field--for which I am eternally grateful.  That would have been like career fairs in highschool *shudder*. 
 
Anyways, Spike sets...a trio of uber-assassins on the Slayer in hopes of killing her, or at the very least keeping her out of his business long enough to figure out how to cure Dru. 
 
Cue short ice-skating montage...the way this reads to me is that the actress is actually pretty decent on skates and Joss wanted to fit it in somehow.  Unfortunately it doesn't seem to get brought up again. 
 
Now we introduce Willie--a bartender who serves to the Underworld, literally.  He serves as one of those ratty go-tos for the rest of the series.
 
PRODUCT PLACEMENT!  Is this how Krispy Kremes got their foot up to become a major business?  I don't know, but I'd bet it helped. 
 
Oh noes, random African chick with weird-ass accent has locked Angel in a cage with eastern windows!  And now she's attacking Buffy!  Buffy demands to know who she is, and we get
 
"I am Kendra, the Vampire Slayer"  Dun dun dunnn!!
 
Yes that's right kiddies, now you can get two Slayers for the price of one!  Remember when Buffy died in season one?  For like 2 minutes?  Well apparently that was enough for another Slayer to get called.  Buffy doesn't lose her superpowers, but now someone else has them too.  What I'm curious about is this--does it mean that there will now always and forevermore be two Slayers, or since Buffy's Slayer-ness has already passed on when she dies officially this time there won't be another to take her place, meaning that status quo is restored?  I rather think its the latter.
 
Anyways, tune in tomorrow for our exciting conclusion!

Friday, July 2, 2010

Buffy Seaon 2, Episode 8

Ooh, this is a fun episode!  We get to see more of Giles' backstory.
When we was an angsty and rebellious teen he did the stupid thing and rebelled against his watcher destiny.  Then he did the REALLY stupid thing and started practicing demon...ology?  Hmm, demonology is the study of demons...yeah, I guess that is correct. 
 
Gathers his own little cult, they all tattoo themselves with this symbol and have wild and crazy fun summoning a demon. 
 
Well, so many years later its come time to pay the piper.  The demon is back and hunting down the cultist members.  Ethan (the old colleague Giles beat to crap in the Hallowe'en episode) is back and has a plan to save his sorry hide.
 
The tattoo acts like a homing beacon for the demon, so Ethan tattoos Buffy and uses acid to burn his own off.  clever clever. 
 
Now, as a rule I tend to avoid demons as demons are just frickin' NASTY.  However...summoning, possession, symbols signifying the mark of a demon (in this case the fictional mark of eyghon)...all of these are fairly common.  Well, common at least when dealing with demons..and sometimes spirits in general.
 
The symbol supposedly allows its bearers to have a psychic link to Eyghon.  Also entirely plausible.  Aside from the nasty face makeup and glowy eyes, this episode is surprisingly...realistic, in terms of possession and whatnot.  Even the jumping from body to body.  Now its not as simple as in the episode--generally the said demon has to weaken their host before they can take up full possession, simple unconciousness isn't quite enough to do it.  Oh, and demons can't re-animate corpses. 
 
However, they way the solve the problem of saving the possessed Ms. Callender was really quite clever.  Angel starts strangling her, the demon jumps to the nearest dead body--that is, Angel.  Angel is cursed with a soul so a demon cannot inhabit his body--it destroys the demon.  Brilliant truly. 
 
Well, I could actually hold on the topic for quite a bit more, but unfortunately my hour lunch is up.  Talk to y'all tomorrow!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Buffy Season 2, Episode 7

WOAH!!  It's the vamp club episode!  I had almost forgotten about this.  Mmm...serves as a good talking point for real-life vamp clubs. 
 
The vamp club in the show idolizes vampires, thinks that they're true nature has been corrupted by hollywood and they're really good and pure.  *snort*  Fluffy bunny much?
 
Real clubs on the other hand, you ARE the vampire.  Or a donor, alternatively.  There are those who will actually drink blood, which obviously can be dangerous, there are those who will develop a relationship with a vamp and become their 'donor'--yes, that's what you think it is.  Usually cuts on the shoulder to drink from.  Then of course there are psychic vampires, though from what I've gathered they don't take donors. 
 
Yes, this is an outsider's perspective.  I've been fascinated by the subculture from time to time, and I definitely don't know everything so before all the vamps in the audience jump all over me there's my disclaimer.
 
In any case, an old friend of Buffy's shows up in town, knows she's the slayer, and proposes a trade with Spike:  the slayer in return for making him a vampire.  Idjit. 
 
Really, the club in this show is more of a combination between Vampire:  The Masquerade geeks and fluffy bunnies.  No!  I've got it!  they're Vampire:  The Masquerade larpers!  Quick, rock-paper-scissors to see who gets to attack first!  *choke, gag*  Yeah, I have a really poor opinion of that form of larp, so sue me. 
 
In any case, I may come back and add more info to this later, but for now...talk to you all tomorrow!