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snick_backupRewatch reportage: Out of My Mind turned out to be much more with the housemate trauma than I was expecting. I, too, probably thought Riley might die, but with the housemate there was actual flailing. As in, we had to pause for thirty seconds so she could literally flail and go "AHHHHHHHH!" After he was up and walking around again she felt much better.
Then, during the dream sequence at the end, she was like to whap me with a spoon, she was so ticked off. "That is not happening." She pointed at the pale pale Spike&Buffy kissage. "Not happening. It's somebody's really bad dream." Indeed.
Then "No Place Like Home." She is sanguine about the Dawn explanation. I however, am reminded again how very many plot threads were introduced in that episode. In terms of self-containment, it's one of the series's poorer episodes, IMO. Also, I remain mystified by the title. And finally, I maintain that "You have stupid hair" is the best example of character-based (rather than gag-based) humor ever.
Then "Family." Which still has possibly the sappiest non-comedic romance scene in the history of the series (after all, "I Will Remember You" was over on Ats...).
And then FFL. Yayyyyyy! You guys, I'm dedicated to giving the housemate the fabulous spoiler-free viewing experience I had, but I am having such a time keeping my mouth shut. It's getting hard to even talk about the episodes anymore without spilling the lentils.
Also, I've got a Buffy-is-the-Slayer post coming up here soon, because this is so the Buffy-is-the-Slayer season, as I realize more every time I watch it.
Then, during the dream sequence at the end, she was like to whap me with a spoon, she was so ticked off. "That is not happening." She pointed at the pale pale Spike&Buffy kissage. "Not happening. It's somebody's really bad dream." Indeed.
Then "No Place Like Home." She is sanguine about the Dawn explanation. I however, am reminded again how very many plot threads were introduced in that episode. In terms of self-containment, it's one of the series's poorer episodes, IMO. Also, I remain mystified by the title. And finally, I maintain that "You have stupid hair" is the best example of character-based (rather than gag-based) humor ever.
Then "Family." Which still has possibly the sappiest non-comedic romance scene in the history of the series (after all, "I Will Remember You" was over on Ats...).
And then FFL. Yayyyyyy! You guys, I'm dedicated to giving the housemate the fabulous spoiler-free viewing experience I had, but I am having such a time keeping my mouth shut. It's getting hard to even talk about the episodes anymore without spilling the lentils.
Also, I've got a Buffy-is-the-Slayer post coming up here soon, because this is so the Buffy-is-the-Slayer season, as I realize more every time I watch it.
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Date: 2010-03-14 04:07 am (UTC)I think No Place Like Home is calling back to The Wizard of Oz. Both Buffy and Dorothy travel far into a strange mystical realm looking for home, only to find that home is right where they thought it was. For Buffy especially, she travels through her mystical mind trip to discover that Dawn looks like a Tin [wo]Man (or Scarecroe perhaps?), but deep down, Dawn is still her sister even though in her mystical trip she appeared different. There's also a common thread between Buffy and Dorothy being dissatisfied with their home lives and wanting to change it. But by the end, they realize there's "no place like home."
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Date: 2010-03-14 04:45 am (UTC)And yes, she's a Riley fan. I was, too, at this stage in the series. I felt pretty betrayed when he thumbed his helicopter ride in "Into the Woods," although rewatching has revealed just how deeply the characterization roots were buried that eventually led him to that action. Stupid insecure boy. (And I still think Marc Blucas is awfully cute.)
Aha! That explanation makes so much sense. I am now significantly less mystified. :)
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Date: 2010-03-14 04:48 am (UTC)(And I still think Marc Blucas is awfully cute.) He is not my type at all. Like...the opposite of my type. Actually, I don't have a type; I like lots of different types. But his type is like my anti-type.
Though I can totally understand why other people think he's way cute.
How many times can I use the word "type" in one comment, do you think?
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Date: 2010-03-14 05:03 am (UTC)I do think S5 is put together marvelously well... in some ways. Thematically it's magnficient. But my gosh, the plot. What kind of genius divine monks were these, that they could create a human being practically out of whole cloth? (I just had an utterly bizarre flashback to one of the old ideas about reproduction, which was that the woman/ovum provided the raw material and the man/sperm gave the material form. Um.) Where and when did these knights come from again? And really, wouldn't it have been easier to make the Key into a pencil or something immobile and easily hideable? Why not put it on Mars? Surely if you can make a human out of nothing you can put one more rock on Mars...
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Date: 2010-03-14 05:13 am (UTC)Lines like that make it pretty clear that the Key was only useful for Glory, so why not destroy it? I mean, before it was a girl and you had to protect it.
I guess it boils down to the monks worshipping the Key as a relic of power, even though it's only useful in its potential for danger. I'd like to believe there's more to being the Key than destruction, but canon completely dropped the ball on that one.
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Date: 2010-03-14 05:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-15 01:24 pm (UTC)Yeah, I was thinking mostly about it from a thematic perspective. The plot is ridiculous. The Knights, especially bother me. Where have they been hanging out in knock-off medieval garb for however long? And they ride into Sunnydale on HORSES? Don't they realize that the best way to defeat Glory might be to get some machine guns and rocket launchers? (Or maybe that's just my fondness for rocket launchers speaking....)
And really, wouldn't it have been easier to make the Key into a pencil or something immobile and easily hideable? Why not put it on Mars? Surely if you can make a human out of nothing you can put one more rock on Mars... Because then we couldn't have a beautiful adoption metaphor?
I don't know; it seems to me that so many of Joss's problems with plot could be solved quite literally in just a few sentences. The monks could have said something about how the Key can only be transformed into a human for this reason or that reason.
Though. I think we're meant to understand that Destiny or something wants Buffy to jump instead of Dawn, and Buffy wouldn't jump for a pencil. On Mars.
Have you ever seen A Very Potter Musical? That made me think of it--"That's because Pigfarts is ON MARS."
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Date: 2010-03-15 11:31 pm (UTC)Yes. He cares so much about characters and so little about his worldbuilding. ARGH.
Destiny? What do you mean, exactly? I'd say possibly the theme of the thing wants her to jump, but that's an extra-narrative interpretation. Other than the PTB, which I don't believe are ever direcly referenced on BtVS, I don't recall any concept like Destiny appearing on the show.
Nope, haven't seen it. Maybe after I've finished the series...
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Date: 2010-03-16 12:05 am (UTC)I thought maybe I'd need to expand on that thought, but I was lazy. ;) What I mean is that I don't know how to interpret "Death is your gift" unless there's some larger power at work--something very abstract, perhaps, but with some sort of will. Otherwise, what does that mean? The theme definitely wants her to jump--the entire season falls apart if she doesn't do so--but if "Death is your gift" doesn't mean, "You're gonna jump and save the world because you're so full of love," then that's an awful thing for the Primitive to say to Buffy.
Come to think of it, I don't think the bulk of it will appeal to you. But there's a few very funny things, mostly involving Draco who...well, let's just say, Draco is genius.
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Date: 2010-03-16 01:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-14 09:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-15 01:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-14 04:45 am (UTC)Seriously, I laughed out loud picturing the actual pausing and flailing and spoon whapping. Hahaha!
And finally, I maintain that "You have stupid hair" is the best example of character-based (rather than gag-based) humor ever. YES! I could not love that scene more than I do. It makes me flailygiddymelty with joy!
Which still has possibly the sappiest non-comedic romance scene in the history of the series (after all, "I Will Remember You" was over on Ats...).
Wooord. But at least it doesn't make me stabby like IWRY.
So she hasn't seen FFL yet, correct? It's just coming up soon? Because I expect DETAILED REACTIONS to it. Seriously, I am vicariously watching the show for the first time through her. Is that weird? That I'm watching it through you through her? I don't care. I'm enjoying this!
Also, I've got a Buffy-is-the-Slayer post coming up here soon, because this is so the Buffy-is-the-Slayer season, as I realize more every time I watch it.
I love you for this sentence.
Yay!
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Date: 2010-03-14 04:57 am (UTC)Stupid boys.
Somehow, I failed to express in this post that yes, we watched FFL today. Reactions were fairly muted, actually. She was impatient with the Scoobies-on-patrol incompetence and commented on the fabulousness of the subway/alley cinematography. And then she started giggling during the porch scene, after "Is there anything I can do?" (I forgave her.) Then we proceeded to have a twenty minute conversation on the whys and wherefores of souls in the Buffyverse.
So I think she's still processing all of it. She did say that she's liking the Spike&Buffy interactions a lot, while remaining repulsed by the very idea of an actual relationship between them. (As I was, right until around OMWF. Oh, irony.)
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Date: 2010-03-15 01:20 pm (UTC)Angel's attitude is a really interest contrast with Riley's. Angel gives up the girl so he can keep saving the world with the superpowers, and Riley won't hardly let go of the superpowers because he's afraid he'll lose the girl.
Hadn't thought of that, but it's cool!
Oh, okay! I couldn't tell if you had watched it already or not.
She was impatient with the Scoobies-on-patrol incompetence and commented on the fabulousness of the subway/alley cinematography. Girl after my own heart.
That's very magnanimous of you, forgiving her! ;)
(As I was, right until around OMWF. Oh, irony.) Interesting! Sometime you'll have to tell me the story of your coming aroun and what it was that pushed you over the edge.
Seriously, if you want to keep posting reaction posts...I will not complain!
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Date: 2010-03-14 05:21 am (UTC)So the roommate isn't coming into this completely clueless - I've already seen to that. Because of this, I think we're gonna do an early "Greatest Hits" round first before we do the chronological re-watch - get the really good episodes (OMWF, Band Candy, Superstar, Hush) in first, and then watch from the beginning.
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Date: 2010-03-14 02:33 pm (UTC)Anyway, have fun with the newbies! I got into both the show and the fandom pretty much all by myself, so it's been great having an RL friend I can talk Buffy stuff with.
Spike&Dawn is my favorite 'ship of any kind in the Buffyverse.
Hmm. It seems to me a lot of the really fabulous episodes are fabulous because of everything that builds up to them. Like, OMWF is all of S6 in microcosm, but without the build-up of at least the previous season and a half or so, it loses a whole lot of its impact. Or so I think. :)
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Date: 2010-03-14 05:30 pm (UTC)I think it's actually not that bad an episode. It's just different because it packs a large emotional punch yet it's just the intro episode for the season's arc.
Also, Glory's entrance? AWESOME.
Then, during the dream sequence at the end, she was like to whap me with a spoon, she was so ticked off. "That is not happening." She pointed at the pale pale Spike&Buffy kissage. "Not happening. It's somebody's really bad dream." Indeed.
Hee. If I recall correctly, the first time I saw that scene, my thoughts were more like, "Guh...hot...uh...what was the rest of the episode about, again?"
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Date: 2010-03-14 07:58 pm (UTC)No. Spike in love with the Slayer, yes, that’d be funny. Agreed. But we are not shipping Buffy/Spike because that would be gross. And he’s amoral. And Riley! Riley, you idiot, don’t you dare go anywhere.
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Date: 2010-03-15 03:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-15 03:40 am (UTC)