shallowness (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shallowness) wrote2014-12-04 07:48 am
shallowness) wrote2014-12-04 07:48 am
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Buffy season 3 - the last episodes
A while ago, I started rewatching season 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD (see here) and I actually watched the last four episodes a while ago, but haven’t had a chance to post my reactions, for what their worth. So, here goes, Choices, The Prom and the two-parter Graduation Day.
Choices
I can’t decide on how big or important this episode really was, but it certainly contains a lot of classic lines. College acceptance letters are coming in, pushing Buffy to try to defeat the Mayor (oh, Buffy, when there was a whole other disc to go...never going to happen). Cue the Scoobies ignoring Wes and coming up with a plan which was so foolproof that Willow got abducted, but at least she was useful, which is to say that I unequivocally liked her in this.
There was lots of juicy stuff between the Mayor and Faith, and then the confrontation between the two sides as they exchanged Willow for the just-stolen box of gross spiders, and he laid dome some truth down about the back-together and in-denial Buffy/Angel. The characters made decisions that would set up season 4 and Angel season1, so I think it was more important for the series as a whole than the season.
The Prom
Bits of this were affecting, at least. I found Buffy a bit immature occasionally and the balance between sentimentality (if that’s the right word, in my notes, it says ‘goop’) and horror wasn’t right. But the most touching parts were obviously the Class Protector award, Xander doing a nice thing for Cordy and every time Giles’s eyes fell upon Buffy.
Angel dumped Buffy in a sewer, adding a terrible location choice to bad timing. Snark aside, EPIC heartbreak. But Xander and Anya looked cute at this point.
Graduation Day part 1
All very nicely set up and satisfying. Lots of emotional beats, and none more so than at the end of the epic Buffy-Faith smackdown, plus pithy dialogue because Whedon was in charge. Groener, Dushku and Gellar were particularly great.
Anya was a useful resource and then she ran for her life. It struck me that the Buffy-Joyce conversation about Joyce needing to leave and stay safe would be very different if Dawn were around.
Graduation Day part 2
Watching it all these years down, I have to say that it’s all slightly let down by the SFX of Ascended!Mayor (the SFX team are adorably chuffed with what they did with their TV budget and constraints in the extras). However, watching all the students become soldiers and everyone, including even Wesley, coming together to fight was really cool.
There was plenty of parallelism and lampshaded dramatic irony as the Mayor’s ascension met high school graduation. Faith’s story wasn’t resolved at all. The amusing Cordy/Wes was contrasted with the touching Willow/Oz, except I know what happens next, and I’d rather go on to Angel than season 4 of Buffy. But this was a very good conclusion to the season and the high school years.
The plan is to rewatch the first season of Star Trek Deep Space Nine on DVD next. (Not consciously because of the Armin Shimerman link.)
Choices
I can’t decide on how big or important this episode really was, but it certainly contains a lot of classic lines. College acceptance letters are coming in, pushing Buffy to try to defeat the Mayor (oh, Buffy, when there was a whole other disc to go...never going to happen). Cue the Scoobies ignoring Wes and coming up with a plan which was so foolproof that Willow got abducted, but at least she was useful, which is to say that I unequivocally liked her in this.
There was lots of juicy stuff between the Mayor and Faith, and then the confrontation between the two sides as they exchanged Willow for the just-stolen box of gross spiders, and he laid dome some truth down about the back-together and in-denial Buffy/Angel. The characters made decisions that would set up season 4 and Angel season1, so I think it was more important for the series as a whole than the season.
The Prom
Bits of this were affecting, at least. I found Buffy a bit immature occasionally and the balance between sentimentality (if that’s the right word, in my notes, it says ‘goop’) and horror wasn’t right. But the most touching parts were obviously the Class Protector award, Xander doing a nice thing for Cordy and every time Giles’s eyes fell upon Buffy.
Angel dumped Buffy in a sewer, adding a terrible location choice to bad timing. Snark aside, EPIC heartbreak. But Xander and Anya looked cute at this point.
Graduation Day part 1
All very nicely set up and satisfying. Lots of emotional beats, and none more so than at the end of the epic Buffy-Faith smackdown, plus pithy dialogue because Whedon was in charge. Groener, Dushku and Gellar were particularly great.
Anya was a useful resource and then she ran for her life. It struck me that the Buffy-Joyce conversation about Joyce needing to leave and stay safe would be very different if Dawn were around.
Graduation Day part 2
Watching it all these years down, I have to say that it’s all slightly let down by the SFX of Ascended!Mayor (the SFX team are adorably chuffed with what they did with their TV budget and constraints in the extras). However, watching all the students become soldiers and everyone, including even Wesley, coming together to fight was really cool.
There was plenty of parallelism and lampshaded dramatic irony as the Mayor’s ascension met high school graduation. Faith’s story wasn’t resolved at all. The amusing Cordy/Wes was contrasted with the touching Willow/Oz, except I know what happens next, and I’d rather go on to Angel than season 4 of Buffy. But this was a very good conclusion to the season and the high school years.
The plan is to rewatch the first season of Star Trek Deep Space Nine on DVD next. (Not consciously because of the Armin Shimerman link.)