Scattered S7 ep notes

[snick_backup]

It's been a while since I posted about the S7 rewatch, and even now I found I don't have as much to say as I'd like. So, here's the good stuff so far, through LMPTM:

The Good:
- Potential and Storyteller. Still, to my mind, two of the most satisfying, thoroughly well-crafted eps of the season. I love Amanda, I love Andrew, I'm gladder than ever that Dawn wasn't actually a Potential, the playful POV of Storyteller still makes me so happy. I remembered these fondly from my first watch, and they did not disappoint.

- Sleeper. According to my ep log, I liked this ep the first time through, and then promptly forgot all about it. Not sure how I managed that. After everything that happened, soul and BY church scene and all, this is the all-out, everything-bared Spike episode I wanted. My eyes were definitely leaky by the end. Oh, Spike. (Speaking of forgetting, I had no memory of the Spike/Anya scene. Hee!)

- Fantasy!Spuffy! See my icon and squee!

- All the Spuffy sweetness and awkwardness in Potential. See, if more of their interactions this season were like that, I could like them in it a lot better.

- Anya. Have I mentioned lately how much I love Anya? I love Anya. Also I love how she and Buffy chat in First Date, and how she's continuing to hang out and talk to various other people. See, when people are together on this show, they practically never talk to anyone else. But when they're not together, then you have actual friendships. Yay, friendships.

- Buffy and Holden Webster. Even though some of the characterization in that conversation felt like it was coming out of left field. Why is there so much tell in this season?

- Dawn. Dawn wins at life. She's smart and brave and growing up and one of the Scoobies now. She translates Sumerian and very gently pulls the tape off Andrew's chest and is occasionally even the voice of reason, and I'm proud of her. She's my girl.

- The Spike parts of The Killer in Me, because I'm still a sucker for that good ol' hurt/comfort. Also, because of the "Ass-Face" comment. It's all about character-based humor, folks.

ETA: This used to be longer, but I'm breaking it up into two entries. Second entry to be posted tomorrow, maybe.

Comments

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I remember I loved Potential the first time I saw it; Storyteller took a while to grow on me (as did Andrew in general).

Gah! How could you forget about Sleeper?? That's another one of my favorites from this season. :)

See, when people are together on this show, they practically never talk to anyone else. But when they're not together, then you have actual friendships. Yay, friendships.

Hmmm. I'd never really considered that, before, but yeah. I notice it especially with Buffy and Willow's friendship. I LOVED them in the early seasons, but it seems like a lot of it was Willow living vicariously through Buffy's relationship with Angel, and once Willow started having her own relationships, she didn't have as much girl time with Buffy anymore.

Even though some of the characterization in that conversation felt like it was coming out of left field. Why is there so much tell in this season?

WORD. I've never been as thrilled with CWDP as most people are (I'm used to it; I don't like Restless, either), and as much as I like the things it says about Buffy, I wish they'd have gotten it across with a little more show.

Dawn. Dawn wins at life. She's smart and brave and growing up and one of the Scoobies now.

YES. Season 7 is why I love Dawn, always and forever.

[snickfic]

I don't think I loved Andrew this much the first time through; having him turn up in Ats S5 and then being one of the truer character in S8 have helped me warm up to him.

I don't know how I forgot Sleeper. I kinda watched all of S7 in a rush, though, over the space of about a week and a half. There was a lot I didn't remember.

Yeah, I enjoyed most of the Holden&Buffy conversation, and the Jonathan&Andrew part was key for plot purposes, but the Dawn parts were pure filler and the Willow&Cassie convo was mostly dun dun DUN.

You know, it's actually kind of a relief to rewatch S7 and realize that there is a Dawn in canon that resembles the Dawn in my head. I watch S5 and start to think that I've made her up. *g*

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I KNEW YOU WOULD LOVE SLEEPER THIS TIME!

Sorry. I just really love that episode, and I didn't remember you mentioning it before.

"Potential" is such a Spuffy-shippy episode!

I'm rewatching S5 right now, and I'd forgotten just how very much I love Anya. I'm always on her side when she fights with Willow.

Why is there so much tell in this season?
That's true. But there is a lot of show, too, it's just subtle. (Count the number of times Buffy touches Spike when there's no real need to!)

Jonathan M. Woodward is on my Top Ten list of favorite character actors, so you can imagine how much I love Holden.

YAY DAWN.

The Spike parts of The Killer in Me, because I'm still a sucker for that good ol' hurt/comfort. Also, because of the "Ass-Face" comment. It's all about character-based humor, folks.
Wooooord.

Yay for good things!

[snickfic]

I DID I DID. I THINK I NEED TO WATCH IT AGAIN SOON.

It's true about Anya and Willow. Honestly, past S3, I have only very occasional sympathy for Willow.

Heh. Woodward actually hails from very near my hometown, which is fairly bizarre considering how thin the population is out thataway...

Yay good things! The bad things post is coming up here soon.

(Also: Yay Internet! Are things more sane in your neck of the woods today? Or are you camping out at your parents' place for the duration?)

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

It's definitely one of my favorite episodes. The acting in it is just fantastic.

Honestly, past S3, I have only very occasional sympathy for Willow. Me, too. I feel like in "Triangle," they were trying to present both Anya and Willow as equally good/bad...and it totally didn't work for me. I was so completely on Anya's side that I just wanted to yell at Willow.

Somehow I never realized you were from Idaho (yes, I scampered off to imdb to look up where he's from). Are you headed back there when your Honduras...adventure is over.

There are a ton of bad things in S7, so I'm looking forward to that as well. Btw, did you read Emmie's post about Buffy and forgiveness in S7? I'm interested in what you thought of it. Although I guess I could just pull it up and look myself instead of asking you here... ;D

Yes! Internet! I had it today at work, obviously, but I got back home tonight and it was back! And I feel a tad built guilty for being so excited about it's back-ness when so many other people have lost everything. But back at home with everything in working order.

The water's gone down a lot: it's been hot and sunny the last two days, so that's good. But things are still really bad, and it's going to affect our state and especially our region for years.

The death total across three states is 28. 17 in TN, 11 in Nashville. I expect those numbers to keep climbing. The amount of money that the state and our businesses will lose is unfathomable to me. And then there are all those poor people who don't have flood insurance....

So yeah, things are rough. Perhaps tomorrow I'll make up my This Is What's Going On post, because it's both enthralling and horrifying and I want to share.

How're things with you? I feel like we haven't chatted in a while, which is mostly my fault. ;D

[snickfic]

I was so completely on Anya's side that I just wanted to yell at Willow.

Even as early as Pangs: "I'd say mine's the level head and yours is the one things would roll off of!" Her side of the argument with Giles over Hus is basically nonsensical, and she keeps banging away at it. Willow just turns a corner sometime between "Graduation" and "The Freshmen," and she never fully comes back around.

I did read Emmie's post about forgiveness, although I don't think I commented. It was one of those posts that I just kind of sat back and wanted to mull over for a while, rather than one I wanted to talk about. And I'm not really done mulling - maybe I'll go reread it here soon and get back to you?

As to the other stuff, I'm sending an email your way. :)

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes: I feel it much earlier, but this was the first time in a long time I'd watched an episode where that conflict was center-stage, and I was surprised by just how vehemently Team Anya I am. And kind of delighted. I really had forgotten just how much I love her. She's kind of underused in S7, though many of her moments are just golden.

Oh, good! Her post pretty much summed up my feelings on it, and I thought it was lovely. If you ever finish mulling, let me know!