(no subject)

[angelophile]

Geekily enough, was pondering the merits of the last series of Buffy which I've finally got round to watching all the episodes of. All in all I was faintly disappointed in the season as a whole. Spike was lovelorn and pathetic and should never be used as a romantic lead, the First was wasted after the initial episodes after Caleb was introduced and that entired character smacked of past seasons where after a log stretch without a serious focused villain in the season someone is introduced at the last minute - someone too tough for Buffy to beat on her own, just to provide a few massive fight scenes and a climax when she finally defeats the villain who's more powerful than her (ie. Adam, evil Willow etc)

Generally it was good though, but not the best season by a long way. Certainly had its moment but all these handy-dandy objects like the scythe and amulet turning up to help save the day was just mildly annoying.

Also, unfortunately, the whole premise of a villain attempting to wipe out the entire Slayer line has been used, and I think to better effect, in Christopher Golden's Spike and Dru novel. The fact that in that Spike and Dru massacred countless potentials single handed and then topped it all by killing the slayer herself kinda negated the idea that in the series the First needed a huge army to do the same.

Hmm, also a though occurred - where was the sense in the idea that the First would kill the potentials, then Faith, then Buffy. When Buffy died initially another slayer was called, Kendra. When Kendra died, Faith was called. When Buffy died a second time a new slayer wasn't called. So therefore the slayer line runs with Faith, not Buffy. Why kill Faith first and run the risk of another Slayer turning up? Killing Buffy first would make more sense, then Faith, so if another slayer was found the First wouldn't have to worry about fighting Buffy and the new slayer.

Anyway, didn't this whole plan just turn out to be totally redundant by the end of the season?

Hmm, okay, I'm boring, shutting up now.

Comments

Yeah

[newnumber6.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it was enjoyable, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that it could have been so much better if they just sat down and plotted things out a little better (I liked the Axe thing because it tied into the Fray comic book)... it wasn't so much the plot points itself, it was things like "Oh the first evil is coming! So, let's spend 12 episodes just sitting around waiting for her to actually _get_ here while we deal with a couple pointless minions," and the fact that things were left dangling and unaddressed, or just not entirely thought through (like the fact that the Slayer line goes through Faith, not Buffy, as you said). It was a minor point, it didn't really effect any of the plots, but it's jarring to hear nobody mention, "Uhm, no, why would they want to make sure to kill all the potentials before killing _you_? You they can kill anytime, that doesn't activate a new slayer. It's Faith that's important."

Re: Yeah

[angelophile.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I liked the first episodes where the First simply played with everyone's heads. the way the tension was built up around the other storylines so you were never sure if the character you were watching was thereal person or the First (done particularly well in the episode with Eve being among the potentials before it was discovered she was actually dead). It's just after a while the threat of the First seemed to just... disappear. Oh, okay, it popped up occasionally, but it gave up being anyone but Buffy (which smacked of budget restraints to me) and we were treated instead to another unoriginal 'bad' preacher and his evil minions. In the end what even happened to the First? The big baddy of the series just seemed to get ignored.

Like you say, it wasn't well plotted, unlike some of the earlier series, and relied to too many coincidnces and handy mythical devices to come off completely.

That said it was an average season, I was just hoping for more for the final episodes.