I like the 'surprise factor' in Maggie's killing. Here she was, just proved to be a major b!tch, but she's taken out immediately by an even bigger baddie.

A case of 'the enemy of my enemy is not my friend.'

I look at this thread nearly every day and I always want to write something, but rarely have. People who don't like season 4 as much as 1-3 and Riley looking like Spike (I don't see it), Faith-interesting or boring, and everything else you all write about.

I get so worked up and then I always read something else that takes the other side and I feel better. But the thing is that's the beauty of this show and demonstrates just how great it really is. It, the stories, the characters, the actors, and all of it are simply brilliant.

Which shows or seasons or characters are better or worse than others is totally subjective and I think everyone here makes good points. Even I was buying into the season 4 blues, although I've enjoyed most of it.

I am new to the show and have done all my catching up from FX. My wife hates me now. But when I was taping and then watching seasons 1-3, I literally couldn't keep my eyes off of the tv. I was amazed at how brilliant this show was in so many ways. I was so addicted to the show I would worry at work that the tape wouldn't work, the vcr would break, or that I'd have a heart attack and never know what happened!

OK, so season 4 came along and I admit that from time to time I'd take a short call or clip my toenails and not always be looking at the tv. The "beer bad" and the native american one in particular weren't very good...imho. But I was still loving most of the shows. So, as I mentioned, I bought into the "season 4 is not as good as the others philosophy." Then, last night, Buffy gets set up by Maggie and Riley comes to see her and she tells him Buffy's dead. Only then, Buffy appears on the camera and gives a vintage Buffy, kick-*** speech and I just felt it again. This show is so great!


OK, after 2 and a half years of perfection they have a few hiccups. That's fine. I still have to say this is and has been the best show on tv over the past 5 seasons (4 and a half years). Period. I'm loving season 6 too. If they put the musical alone on DVD, I'd run out and get it in a minute.

I don't like the idea of buying tv shows on DVD because I think we in my family already watch it too much, but Buffy will be bought. I want the best drama show ever, with the best cast ever, in my house forever!

What I want to know is how many freakin' times has Joyce's house been trashed. :)

The resemblence I see is between Riley and Angel, not Spike. :)

Know what? I actually see more of a resemblance between Angel and Spike than Angel and Riley, because Riley is just so blah. I don't think he's good looking, I didn't care for his character (he can't act worth a darn) and he's just...blah. :) But my Angel - he's just about the best looking guy ever (imho ;)) and has this charisma and dark energy around him. Spike also has a charisma and a dark energy about him...though except for the fact that both men have angular faces they look nothing alike physically. I think maybe it's the tightly leashed sense of danger around them...or something. Ok, pardon me while I go take a cold shower. :D

I can see what you mean with the characters, but I'm speaking physical appearance with the actors. ;) Personally, I think Giles is a total hottie. :D

Until then, I'll be satisfied with my VCD copy. ;)

What is it that went wrong with Faith? I saw her episode tonight where she exchanged bodies with Buffy and recollected seeing her as a good guy in an earlier show, in fact, I think she was part of the gang. What made her such a psycho?

I think killing the Mayor's assistant was the final thing that sent her to the dark side but she would have gone bad eventually anyway.

I thought it was great when those old good Slayer feelings came back to her.

Faith always took pleasure in her powers and it led her to the dark side. Killing the mayor's assistant put her at odds with the scoobies and the council and she joined up with the mayor.

I loved the identity crisis she has when she takes over Buffy's body. At first she's trying to act like Buffy, but when she actually starts living her life, she experiences all the things she wants and eventually she starts to think she is Buffy. Great progression towards her eventual redemption.

Some more foreshadowing - the scene with Spike and Buffy/Faith where she flirts with him - is that the first 'affection' she's shown him? I forget if he was ever informed about the body-switch but he did promise her a confrontation...

Re: "This Year's Girl" and "Who Are You?"

Line of the night:

"I could ride you at a gallop until your legs buckled and your eyes rolled up. I've got muscles you've never even dreamed of. I could squeeze you until you popped like warm champagne and you begged me to hurt you a little bit more. And you know why I don't...because it's wrong...*evil smile*"

Very interesting to see SMG's take on Faith inside Buffy's body. Most of the mannerisms (even her dancing was very Faith-like). The only thing that was off was that SMG spoke too fast, as Faith/Eliza Dushku's speech pattern is a little more slower than SMG's. But overall, very fun to watch SMG pull off the switcheroo convincingly enough.

Yea, you have to love that line. Would have been funny if when she stepped away, he just kind of slid to the floor.

Patman would love it if Scully said that to him. ;)

Oh yeah, baby! (Hell, SMG or Eliza could say it to me, and I'd be a happy man)

Actually, I think Spike should have muttered "Oh Lord, stake me now!" after that little speech from "Faith" and then faint out of her view when she turned to leave. SMG is just so deliciously nasty when she "vamps it up" like she also did in "Cruel Intentions.

Elektra, if you only knew how many times I rewound the videotape to get that quote just right... :)

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Going back to "Who Are You":

Anyone catch the opening credits "Eliza Dushku as Buffy"? Hee hee. I thought Eliza's take on Buffy was kinda funny towards the end when "Faith" escapes her Council captors. And her delivery was a tad slow for Buffy (but a little faster than Faith's usual speech patterns). And watching Eliza do that Buffy hair lilt was a nice touch when she was trying to convince Giles of her Buffy-ness.

Also, Faith (as Buffy) was pretty cruel to Tara, and the blossoming lesbian relationship between her and Willow ("I guess Willow doesn't drive stick anymore.") I wished Buffy would wear black leather pants more. :)

The whole thing about Buffy's Buffyness consuming Faith was something that I didn't really expect. I thought Faith would be able to keep her "own psyche" within Buffy's body, but I guess the aura that Buffy puts out and reactions she got from being a hero in saving that girl, plus having the tender love of Riley made her want more than her 7 minute flings with guys like Xander :) but it left her very confused, and in some respects, Buffy's externals became internals for Faith. Fortunately for us, they've switched back.

One thing: Did the writers drop the "Willow as astral projection chick" scenes while showing us a nice build-up in the ceremony - Willow gets zonked and lays flat once the spell took place, and then only has Willow confirm it at Giles with Buffy (as Faith) shows up?

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Did FX skip "Doomed" which I believe is the episode after "Hush" which will be on UPN for a rerun on Buffy next week?

I ask this because I was bummed that I missed Tara introduction into the Buffyverse (I think) when the "The I In Team" and "Goodbye Iowa" episodes aired on Monday.

They did play Doomed.

I think Riley looks like a tall Matt Damon.

I don't see much of a physical resemblance between him & Angel. Angel is more chiseled, Riley is boyish.

I must say I didn't care for Riley's character much at first, but he grew on me. When he punched out Parker that redeemed him a lot in my eyes! :)

That is sad that Riley first said "I Love You" to Buffy when she was really Faith. I wonder if he's told the real Buffy he loves her yet?

Was "Doomed" the episode where those 3 razor-headed demons were going to sacrifice themselves into the hellmouth to open it up, but Buffy dove into the crack wiith Riley's belt-rope-thingamajig to reel her back up once you caught the demon that went into the crack?

Yes. Where they went back to "high school".

I couldn't believe what a mess that place was.

It's funny that it took me almost half of Season 4 to realize that Giles was in between jobs because the school was toast after Graduation Day in Season 3. I kept wondering if he just got the boot from the principal or something in the summer... :)

Yeah ... the principal's been bossing everyone around since graduation. :)

das

Here's a mini-poll:

Once SMG is done with Buffy, would you watch a "Faith: The Vampire Slayer" TV show? If it were Eliza playing Faith, perhaps, but I wonder if it'd have a continental feel about it, where she's be on the road, and not situated in one place to defend.

This was asked earlier (either here or in another thread) and my answer is:
If Joss is involved, A resounding- YES. It would be tricky, and I would only trust it in Joss' hands. I think this season of Angel has proven how much Joss' shows weaken when he lets go of the reigns a little.
Joss' shows weaken when he lets go of the reigns a little.


Hey, thats what happens when you skip out on a show that evolves and is being broadcast twice daily for a month. Jeeez.... It'd take more breathe than I've got to go into everything that happend- Lets just say, Faith is unbalanced, she got nothing but scrutinized by Buffy and the gang, she went off track, and found someone that would nurture her darker side and indulged it for awhile before Buffy laid her into a coma.

I'd watch anything Joss put together, but frankly the Slayer tale is a tale of youth. If you push it too far, I don't think it will work. Angel's already doing the redemption story, so there'd be very little new ground for Faith. The transition of the Scoobies to college was difficult enough. Trying to recapture the magic through another Slayer would be a bad idea in my opinion.

das

Although I tend to agree with das, I would give it a look see. Funny, I've got the year end Cinescape magazine where Michelle T said they were considering doing a show based on Dawn???? Sorry, Joss or no Joss, I doubt that show would hold my interest.

I can see the episode guide

Season 1

01 - Why am I Here?
02 - Seriously
03 - Pouting
04 - Whining
05 - Pouting, Revisited
06 - Who's Goofy?
07 - Boys are Neato
08 - Mercy Killing

Show ends with episode 8.

das

LOL!

You forgot:

Missing
Buffy Saves Me
Missing Again
Rescued by Buffy
In Danger
Buffy Saves the Day