[Futurama - General Discussion]

On 3/2/2022 at 7:55 AM, Spartan Girl said:

lol Just watched this episode just now for the first time ("Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch"). Bender had a few great lines here, especially "Hey, what is this ugly thing? A frog? A toad? Yo mama?" I know it's a dumb yo mama joke, but it just cracked me up because of how stupid and juvenile it was.

This episode, unfortunately, wasn't the most brilliant Futurama episode. I do like Amy and Kif a lot, and I don't mind cheesy happy endings in this show because it's essentially a show with lots of heart, but it's just not anything special, which is a shame because it's the season 4 opener (followed up by supposedly a more interesting episode, Leela's Homeworld). AV Club notes that Amy's development was cut short because she's not forced to make a choice of commitment by the end of the episode, therefore not growing as a character and she became more of a plot-point.

And that's a shame, because I felt like Amy wasn't really developed all that much throughout the first three seasons beyond just being a clumsy Asian girl. And like I said, I like Amy, a lot. She's like the nicest character in the show, so I would love to see her own proper arc or solo episode in the future that really flesh out her character more.

[The Simpsons - General Discussion]

Just began my viewing of The Simpsons S10 (in production order), starting with Treehouse of Horror IX.

A few nice gags here:

• Lisa tried to deliver an exposition of Snake controlling Homer, but Marge retorted with "Oh please, Lisa, everyone's already figured that out."
• Marge reminding the laughing crowd that two people have died, only to laugh herself when she finally got the "bad hair day" joke.
• That Regis/Kathy Lee moment. Yeesh, Kathy seems as sanctimonious here as she did in South Park. Great visual effect though. That live action/animation mix caught me by surprise.
• Poor Snowbell II. Finally finding love in Scratchy, only to have him neutered by Marge. I'm a cat person, so I had more attachment with the Snowbells than Santa's Little Helper (what a mouthful), so it's nice to see moments like this.
• After Maggie literally turns into a tentacled alien and crawls up the ceiling, Marge's first response to that bizarre scene is "Homer, do something! The ceiling is not a safe place for the baby."
• Homer opening the door and sees Kang and Kodos, "Oh great, Mormons."
• Marge picked "the alley behind the porno theater" as the "choice of spawning location for humans" as part of Kang and Kodos' "cross-breeding program." I think this is the same location quite a few TV characters chose for their "one night stand with the husband they regretted marrying," but I'm surprised Marge of all people chose such a spot.
• The whole Jerry Springer bit, or as they called it, "My Daddy is a Space Monster!"
• Audience member: "Yeah, I've got a question for that gross thing, whatever it is."
  Jerry: "Homer."
  Audience Member: "No, the green dude."
• Marge (smug look): "Oh, you couldn't destroy every politician."
  Kang: "Just watch us." (laughs as they leave in their spaceship)
  Bart: "Don't forget Ken Starr!"
  Marge: "Suckers."

Simpsons has its bad episodes, but Treehouse of Horrors have rarely ceased to impress or entertain me greatly. It's the writers' carte blanche card.

I heard that season 10 isn't bad, and that the downfall of the series only truly begins in season 11, while others would argue it's season 15, but I'll see.

[The Wire - General Discussion]

20 minutes ago, Zella said:

Overall, though, I think the show maintains remarkable quality across all of its seasons, which is so hard to do. 

Yeah. And the thing is though, even if it ends up not so satisfying, the show still has a single factor that makes me wanna watch it, a factor that will still make me feel like I've learned something important about Baltimore, which is its basis on reality. I mean, I don't live in America (I hail from Singapore), but a lot of the gang activity portrayed here feels familiar, and even outside of that, you have that layer of humanity in the characters that feels sincere and true to life... like Wallace's family and how he's forced to bring them up on his own.

And it's that kind of writing that makes what happens to Wallace that much more tragic,

Spoiler

because you know that kind of thing goes down in real life, kids getting murdered. Poor Wallace, man. Both Michael B. Jordan and Lawrence Gilliard Jr. sold their respective reactions to Wallace's hit really well. I was sure Dee was gonna turn for sure, because what happened to Wallace was just messed up, with all his family still left behind.

I remember an interesting conversation in The Wire podcast on Spotify, where one of them compared Wallace to Bodie, how the latter has this image of what makes a man, whereas Wallace was already a man, in spite of possibly being younger. He raised those kids on his own, struggled to bring them up good with the proper education and stuff; he's more of a man than Bodie ever could be.

But yeah, anyway, looking forward to more of that kind of human story in the coming seasons.

[The Wire - General Discussion]

The Wire Season 1 Lookback

I don't usually enjoy police procedurals. In fact, I dropped "Grimm" because it's basically "police procedural meets fairy tale monsters." So, I was a tad surprised that I took to The Wire as well as I have. Part of it was probably because it's grounded in reality, reflecting what's probably still a very real unsolved situation in Baltimore (though I read that the cops tried to copy the techniques from the series). Another part is because I read the TV bible in my scriptwriting class, and what caught my eye was its attempt to do "police procedural, but also not your conventional procedural." I'm a sucker for deconstruction and subversion in storytelling, so if you could spin a tired genre into something engaging, I'm on-board.

Take McNulty for instance. Cowboy cop, doesn't obey the rules, think he's above them. It's pretty much a deconstruction of your average police drama cowboy cop, showing the kind of mess a real officer like that would bring to his fellow department. I'm no fan of Rawls, at all, but he's got a point about jumping chain of command. Working the system is frustrating, but that's the game, yo. It's not just his neck on the line, but also the sympathetic Daniels, forced between a rock (Burrell) and a hard place (his subordinates). I know a lot of people said that they had a hard time sympathizing with McNulty during their rewatch, but damn, I could already smell the assholery stink from him... even if I did root for him a couple of times. I mean, I feel like you can't go through The Wire season 1 for the first time and not feel like McNulty's in the right a couple of times, especially when the opposition is someone as smug as Rawls and Burrell, not to mention the countless innocents sacrificed because of red tape. McNutty's right, but he's still an asshole, and from what I heard, Kima the once "real police" became something like him as well, which is disappointing.

Speaking of Kima, damn. I didn't expect "The Cost" to end the way it did.

Spoiler

I did hear Kima's gonna get shot at some point, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon. Gotta love McNulty's reaction though. He's such a prick, making everything about him even though it's pretty clear-cut it wasn't his fault. I mean, would it have happened if he didn't jump chain of command and started this whole drug war against Avon? Maybe. But Kima is her own woman and she chose this profession, so she knows the rules of the game, yo.

Anyway, with this show being as grounded in reality as it is, I honestly can't wait to see how it unfolds, because it's a weird mix between your conventional drama fiction and "based on real life events to a tee" kind of storytelling, so there's bound to be a lot of surprises a writer normally wouldn't pull off when writing a more fictionalized tale. There's probably no "pat in the back, nice job McNulty" sunshine ending where Avon and everyone gets arrested and do time. Hell, I even heard that McNulty's gone rouge in the final season or something, his sins catching up to him. So yeah, can't wait.

I also heard that the final season isn't as good, and I remember a comment on Reddit talking about how, with a show as grounded on reality as this, it's inevitable that you'd hit a roadblock because you can't just pull something out of your gaping McNulty hole and wing it. Nevertheless, I have faith that David Simon will pull through somehow with that serial killer plot.

[The Sopranos - General Discussion]

The Sopranos Season 1 Lookback

Finally got around to watching the first season of The Sopranos, The Wire, and Breaking Bad for the first time this month (BB was a half-rewatch as I dropped it a while ago).

Sopranos still holds up quite well as peak television today. I really enjoyed that it took its time boiling that emotional keg until it all comes together by the end. However, as I've learned from AV Club, The Sopranos is famous for its anticlimaxes, not the explosive "Godfather trilogy" that's the final three episodes of season 1.

Therefore, it's probably going to be a slow-burn from here on, and I'm cool with that. I'm always on the hunt for revolutionary storytelling, and patient, contemplative, prolonged series of mini-episodes that explore "a life in the day of Tony Soprano" sounds fine to me. If anything, I welcome anticlimaxes. Too often, I'd remark on a TV show, "Of course he's gonna get arrested by the end of the series; this is a television show." So yeah, surprise me, David Chase.

On an unrelated side note: The Wire further breaks this mold, of course, being grounded a lot more in reality than Sopranos and BB. I'm expecting that there's no big hoorah where the cops pat each other on their back for a job well done on cleaning up the streets. I also heard that this might be the reason why season 5 of The Wire sucks, but more on that in The Wire's own page.

Livia is a great villain in Sopranos, but man, Nancy Marchand played her so well as that manipulative, cunning schemer you never see coming. Literally, I couldn't spot a moment near the end of season 1 when she let her poker face slipped ('cept maybe that smile at the end, which could be interpreted ambiguously in a number of ways anyway).

I love the exchanges between Tony and Livia, especially in that season finale. "Look at her face! She's got a f***ing smile on her face!" Sopranos is a surprisingly comedic show, so much so you could do a mash-up with Sopranos running a Friends or Seinfeld theme song and it fits (cue dumb laugh tracks). I had a lot of laughs throughout the season, and there have been a lot of iconic quotables you can take from it, much like the equally quotable Godfather films (which Silvio just loves to recite). Honestly, I have a feeling Silvio's an old-school Godfather guy, and Christopher's a more new-age modern Scarface fellow. "This is Scarface, final scene, f***ing bazookas under each arm!" Always with the scenarios, that guy (I was an aspiring screenwriter for a decade or so, so I could relate to Chris' pains).

I think there's something worth noting about the kind of dark comedy between Sopranos and Breaking Bad. Both set their protagonists down a dark road of no return and no remorse, but whereas Breaking Bad stopped laughing at the appropriately grim moments, Sopranos, at least as far as season 1 is concerned, consistently maintains that chipper outlook towards the nihilism that's Tony's life. Whereas Breaking Bad tells us with a straight face that this is not going to end well with Walter White, Sopranos tells us a similar message, but with a grin and a smug, maybe even a chuckle. It's definitely more subtle in its way of showing Tony's sins and the consequences that come with them, just a dad living an ordinary suburban life and he whacks people sometimes. There's a more somber poignance to it like you would see in a scenic oil painting of a tranquil river with a dead body floating up, as opposed to most conventional TV shows that just reveal the protagonist's comeuppance in a bombastic "Scarface, final scene" "SAY MY NAME!" kind of way. And much as I love Breaking Bad, I think that's where it's a weaker story than Sopranos, always trying to go for that cinematic "big event" scene whereas David Chase settled for the more mundane and tranquil.

Being the protagonist, it's also natural that a part of us wants to root for Tony and Walter and even the a-hole McNulty (though that last one's more of pseudo-protagonist in an ensemble cast), and I remember reading a comic, "Grimm Fairy Tales" where I learned how kids nowadays had idolize these characters, and I can kinda understand why, being someone who also suffers from social anxiety and an ill temper like Tony Soprano. It's the same reason why people prefer Tony Stark over boring "Mr. Perfect" Steve Rogers: they're relatable. But when you really dig down into it, Tony Soprano's kind of "relatability" just isn't worth emulating at all when you consider his murders and cheating. Poor Carmela; she gets screwed over so many times by Tony in spite of her best efforts to be a good wife. Of course, she's no saint herself (living large off Tony's sins and enabling him), but damn, Tony. Appreciate your wife a little.

Anyway, sorry for the word dump. A lot of rambling up there, but I just wanted to share some of my thoughts being a first-time viewer of The Sopranos. Looks like it's only going to get better from here, especially when the (supposedly) worst episode of season 1, "A Hit is a Hit", was still more engaging and interesting than your average TV series' worst episodes. Things can only go up from here, even that notorious season 6 I heard about.

[Xena: Warrior Princess - General Discussion]

1 hour ago, Primal Slayer said:

Is this your first time watching the two? Either way you'll definitely have to keep us up to date with your thoughts.

Yeah, it's my first viewing. I wouldn't mind sharing my thoughts whenever I come around to season 2, but I won't be watching it for a while as I have three rotations of TV shows where I would watch three different sets of TV series consecutively, and Xena's on the third rotation so I won't be getting to S2 for at least a month or two.

 

1 hour ago, Primal Slayer said:

Really wish the show could get a decent remaster though

True that. I tried using Chromecast on my 4K TV, and the show just looked pixelated af.

 

1 hour ago, Primal Slayer said:

I was always a little sad that her OG suit never made it to her solo series

lol I never noticed that. I think I prefer this outfit too.

[Xena: Warrior Princess - General Discussion]

Started watching season 1 alongside Hercules: The Legendary Journeys season 2 a few weeks ago, and boy, it's definitely a better show than Hercules. I mean, it's still a bit campy and silly at this point of the series, but when it knocks out of the park, it knocks it hard, especially that season 1 finale, Is There A Doctor in the House?, where Lucy Lawless really kills it with her performance as she

Spoiler

grieves over Gabrielle's death

that lasted for an entire minute. I mean, we all know by now that it's not going to happen, but if you didn't know back in 1996 that there would be more seasons, this last episode in season 1 would really hit you hard. Xena was literally screaming and just loses it; Lucy really sold the scene well and made me shed more than a few tears.

And there have been terrific performances as well in previous episodes that made me cry buckets as well, including one where

Spoiler

Xena was the one who died (Episode 21: "The Greater Good"), and Renee O'Connor gave an equally heart-rending performance as she grieved. I liked that scene a bit more because it was just done so well, the way the music went silent, and that subtle, gradual realization of Xena's death. Robert Trebor also did really with as Salmoneus in that scene when he stopped goofing around and just accepted the warrior's death with such dignity in his voice.

All these just go to show that Xena was going to be good television on the same cult status as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Initially, my thought towards both Hercules and Xena at low points of their respective season was that, "This is goofy and silly, and the only reason they're worth watching is because the actors/actresses' performance really carried the show and made them worth it." But by the end of Xena, after the season finale, I feel like this is definitely solid TV that's worth watching even 20+ years since its debut (while Hercules season 2 literally ended on a clip show, ugh).

And the season finale of Xena was indeed really solid, filled with thought-provoking themes about the flaws of "faith healing" and the casualties of war (whether if a just cause is worth sacrificing so many innocents). It's not forcing a special moral of the day teaching about racism like Hercules; it's solid drama.

That is to say, it's no surprise that Xena surpassed the series it spun off from because it's essentially the better-written show. I get why Kevin Sorbo was kinda salty about this, but I'm just literally bored to tears watching Hercules as opposed to watching Xena. Kinda wish I could abandon it and just watch Xena instead, but I'm far enough (season 2) that I might as well get over it.

It almost reminds me of the Buffy/Angel dynamic too. Angel was spun off of Buffy, and over time, became the more serious and dramatic show whereas more than half of Buffy's episodes were goofy comedy episodes, kinda like Hercules' shenanigans and Xena's dramatics.

Anyway, looking forward to more seasons of Xena in the future. Can't wait to see what heights the Warrior Princess will bring me to.

[S01.E05: Truth]

While Christopher Nolan might have believed that a symbol is incorruptible, history is filled with countless examples of symbols that were corrupted and distorted to suit one's convenience (including Harvey Two-Face's name being used to hide the ugly truth of his murderous deeds in The Dark Knight trilogy). America's history was dug up again this week to remind us, as Sam put it, that the legacy of that shield is complicated. The shield is literally stained with blood this week, but it wasn't the first time the symbol of the shield left a victim, as we've seen from the case of Isaiah Bradley (highly doubt his grandson Elijah would get to play Patriot in the future, but the MCU is full of possibilities these days).

However, the shield wasn't just a weapon used for violence; it's also a heavy burden for both Sam Wilson and John Walker. For John, that burden proved too much when he let his anger and ego get the best of him. The intelligent way the show reminds us just how malleable the American symbol can be - capable of both good and evil - continues to make Phase 4 one of the most experimental and ambitious one yet.

If there is one nitpick... god, that freaking tease at the end. Now we have to wait till next week to see the new Captain America costume.

4.5/5

[South Park - General Discussion]

Been rewatching the first-half of the first season because I never watched the show beyond that, and I'm finally all caught up. Finally got to watch "Hanky the Christmas Poo" for the first time, and it feels like this is where the show would finally become the iconic no-holds-barred shit-talker in the neighborhood of adult animation that earned its reputation.

Even though my first exposure to the show was a handful of clips I saw on the Internet, I think my first true engagement with it - in that I directly sought out something South Park-related - was the Hanky the Christmas Poo soundtrack, and man, I instantly knew this animated series was something special I needed to watch someday. It took me a long time, but I'm finally here, having the spare time to start watching.

Ironically, the one song that won my heart wasn't the catchy Mr. Hanky theme, but "The Lonely Jew" song by Kyle - and I'm not even Jewish! It just has this weird dark comedy vibe that's at the same time relatable and tearjerking. Man, this was truly something unique and revolutionary for animated TV, especially when you take into consideration that they literally had a talking singing piece of shit... in a Disney fashion...

There's just so much contained in this episode that showed how far Trey and Matt were willing to push the boundaries beyond anything biting classic Simpsons and Groening dared to push. And it wasn't just shock value for shock value's sake like Family Guy either- this was shock value with a candid (albeit crude) message, so it's different. For example, the way it satirizes those vapid Christmas toy commercials with its own "I wish daddy was alive" Hanky ad, that shit is hilarious but also taking a shot at those commercials we hate. Trey and Matt is like our catharsis for everything we hate. Kinda like an American Ricky Gervais. Maybe even a meaner Ricky too.

[S01.E04: The Whole World Is Watching]

Last week's episode was a little slow, so I'm glad things picked up again this ep.

Even the closing credits let you know that s*** just got real. I also particularly liked how the Civil War theme is used in a slower, more sinister way to show Walker's descent into darkness.

The ambiguity level of the morals at play here is really impressive. I knew that this show had to play by a different set of rules now that America's changed (perhaps even more so since The Winter Soldier), but damn, the way Karli is portrayed, the way Walker is kinda-but-not-really a bad guy/loose cannon, it's really engaging stuff here.

The story beats so far are kinda predictable, but it's not a major flaw, and I'm kinda used to predictability/studio playing safe ever since WandaVision's ending anyway. I do feel that this series is more effective when viewed in one shot though, instead of having the momentum slowed and even dying out while we wait for the next episode.

[The Simpsons - General Discussion]

Started the greatest season of all time, season 7, just last week, and man, I'm having a blast! Now THIS is the kind of Simpsons I want to watch: witty comedy blended with tearful emotional resonance and excellent character development. I also love how grounded it is too, something people found to be a flaw than a selling point. Season 2-4 were among my favorites too for their grounded (and relatable) storylines, so I'm glad it's returned to that realistic down-to-earth feel.

I think the best part of the Oakley and Weinstein era for me so far is just how much effort is being pushed onto the character development, and how unpredictable the storylines can get. Homer, for example, is at his least obnoxious state here, with a nice blend of his usual goofiness and playing a role as a doting father (“Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily”). Lisa is much more refreshing and less annoying with her PC-ness this season than the last couple ones ("Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy" comes to mind...), and I definitely liked her as a person in "Lisa the Vegetarian" a lot more.

Speaking of which, this reminds me of that AV Club review that has mentioned that Futurama characters felt so relatable that you could care about them like you would with real people, and I think Simpsons season 7 has certainly achieved that effect. They've become so entertaining and endearing at the same time that you're hooked to the screen to see what happens next.

And to further add to that high level of engagement, the storylines so far are very unique and experimental (probably more than any of the previous seasons) that it makes you tune in to see what other crazy stunts that Oakley/Weinstein duo could come up with next.

This is definitely the peak of The Simpsons, one that I shall cherish for the next two seasons or so... until it fizzles out in 9.

[S01.E02: The Star-Spangled Man]

A number of people were bummed out about the Civil War theme being used for John Walker/Fake-Cap, and I initially found it off-putting too, especially after he showed his true nature at the end. But after thinking about it, what the theme represented in Civil War (the movie), it was an expression of the conflict within the Avengers team, so in a way, having John Walker who's supposed to be an ally to America having conflict with Falcon and Winter Soldier (also allies to the country in different ways), it was also a similar conflict within, so the theme was appropriately inserted.

Similarly, "The Star-Spangled Man" theme that was used in the WWII propaganda in "The First Avenger" was also used as propaganda to promote John as the new Cap. So I think so far, the soundtracks have been used effectively, and I have no complaints about that at all.

Now, here's where my wishful thinking comes in. I know, I know, we all made our little mistakes having false expectations in WandaVision... but come on, you can't watch a geeky superhero show like this without some wishful thinking. And for me, gosh, if only Chris Evans would show up for just a small cameo again or something as old Cap, and then perhaps "Captain America March" (or an updated version of it) starts playing. Oh man... lol

Take that, Fake-Cap!

[S01.E02: The Star-Spangled Man]

The new Cap feels like a homage to Ultimate Cap: hot-headed, antagonistic, "patriotic" in the wrong sense of the word: everything 616 Cap isn't.

Oh yeah, and let's not forget this:

\

The whole "cop giving Sam a hard time 'coz he's black" scene was a little on-the-nose and annoying. I hope we see less of those scenes. Even though it's relatable and realistic, man, why drag that kind of racial politics into this, especially with the chaos BLM has left behind?

Edit: Okay, never mind; turns out John Walker is his own Marvel character:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Agent

[S06.E21: Two to Go]

The AV Club's review of this episode remarked that this final two-parter is too rushed and should've had more time dedicated to the finale, and I definitely agree. Giles coming back to confront Willow, Jonathan's redemption, Willow finally confronting Buffy about being the sidekick, all these feelings should've been expressed throughout the entire season. Dark Willow should've been the seasonal Big Bad, not only appearing in the last three episodes. What a waste.

[S06.E19: Seeing Red]

10 hours ago, Jediknight said:

Told you that you'd turn around on the Trio being a threat, especially Warren.

The most disturbing episode of Buffy, ever.  The attempted rape, and Warren's full blown out of control misogyny.  Warren's shit is a lot worse today, thanks to the rise of Incels.  In a world with vampires, a Mayor selling his soul to become a demon, and a hell god, the scariest stuff is the shit that can and has happened in real life.

There were some great moments in the episode.  Dawn's reaction to Willow and Tara being together was nice, it's surprising that on rewatch, I actually like Dawn.  Buffy kicking Warren's ass, including Jonathan telling her how to defeat him.  And Xander's comeback to Warren.

Warren tells Xander that he hits like a girl, thinking it's an insult.  The thing about that is that the most powerful people in Xander's life are women.  He's not gonna see that as an insult or be threatened by it, like Warren is.  Shit, Buffy even tells Warren that he's got issues with strong women, which we all know that's true.  When it comes to Xander, every woman that he's been attracted to or with are Buffy, Willow, Cordelia, Anya, and he had sex with Faith.  Xander loves strong confident women.  So the line of "You hit like a girl" isn't gonna piss off Xander, however Xander's retort of "At least I know how to get one", completely destroys Warren.  Just one of the big contrasts between Warren and Xander.  Granted Xander can be hot headed and a jerk at times, but he's always able to see the line and go running the other way instead of crossing it.

Yeah, I have my issues with Xander (especially early seasons Xander), but at least he's more of a lovable dolt than consciously misogynistic. I can see now why folks would take the trio threat seriously, even if I still think they've been pretty lame prior to this ep.

  I especially love the line that Buffy threw back at Warren, "Goodnight, bitch." Ooh, someone get that man some burn heal.

[S06.E19: Seeing Red]

Holy shit, that ending. Most impressive. Didn't see that coming. I had thought that Willow would kill Tara accidentally through her magic addiction or something, but as I approached the end of the ep, and Tara and Willow still seemed fine together, I started to realize that it's gonna be an external threat... Damn. Whammer. That Willow scream in next episode's promo... oh, this is gonna be good!

Not really as offended by Spike as I expected. Perhaps I just have that low of an expectation for him, demon and all. I'm more surprised it didn't happen earlier.

[Angel - General Discussion]

Finally reaching the peak-level quality stuff in season 3. I say "peak-level" instead of just "good stuff" because man, this season's full of good stuff. Definitely loving it more than season 2. 

It's kinda ironic, how I feel towards this season, especially when I compare it to how I'm feeling towards Buffy season 6 (which I'm watching alongside of). These two shows have very drama-focused plotlines that deal with the characters' anxieties. Granted, their anxieties are related to very different issues; the Scoobies were dealing with addiction and existentialism, while AI was dealing with coping with each other through conflict and romance (Wesley unintentionally going feral on Fred; Gunn having loyalty issues at the beginning, Cordy feeling guilty and carrying the burden on her own, etc.). But still, there was a point in time when Buffy was the master of handling multiple plot threads to weave them together in a compelling way that examine each character's struggles while melding them together beautifully at the same time. Now in S3, however, Angel has stepped up instead and pushed the characters in an organic and engaging way Buffy once did in S2/S3.

I was rarely bored ever since Connor appeared. Even before then, in spite of my gripes about Darla, the earlier episodes start to appear more significant in retrospect because they developed the other members of AI, specifically Gunn, Fred and Wes, three very important characters for the Holtz/Sahjhan conflict (Cordy's away on vacation). If those earlier developments weren't in place, if Wes' insecurities about himself weren't in place, if Fred and Gunn's respective loyalties and perspectives within AI (and towards Angel) weren't explored earlier, none of this would have as much impact in "Forgiving", when all the pieces started to fall in place for the finale, when 

Spoiler

Angel has desires to kill Wes, and both Gunn and Fred have to dissuade Angel... but he then attempts to murder him anyway with a pillow... yeah, even with vampire strength, that still looks like an unreliable way of killing someone.

The point is, it all seems to move logically and organically, the narrative, so it's been very satisfying so far.

Unlike Buffy, the mess that it is in season 6.

I've caught up to "Forgiving" for now, so there's only five episodes to go. Can't wait to see how it all ends.

[S06.E17: Normal Again]

Finally, an episode in the season that I could wholeheartedly praise since... well, "The Body", maybe, in season 5 (maybe also "The Gift"). This was such an ambitious episode by one "Diego Gutierrez" (Whedon's former assistant apparently), and it stood on the levels of those experimental episodes like "Hush" and "Once More with Feeling". Naturally, I dug this episode much more than Once More, especially with how eerie that ending is.

I love alternate realities in stories, and I love metafiction, so this is the best of both worlds. The idea of Sunnydale being this delusion is an interesting concept not outside the realm of possibility. It's also an incredibly horrifying one too, as we've witnessed this episode, Buffy's mind trapped in her head for six years.

I do wish that Diego went further with this though, because it felt like he only scratched the surface of that alternate reality. It should've been a two-parter at least, because I would love to further explore the effects of Buffy's schizophrenia and how it affects her friends and family in both universes. This whole season has been one huge exploration of inner demons and "adult issues," so it makes sense that mental health concerns are part of it too, but I wish that we got to see (or feel) more of the consequences and problems these adult issues are causing rather than have our heroes moping in angst for 5 to 6 episodes. It truly felt like a drag, the pacing. I think Willow's magic addiction issue was reasonably paced because addictions do need that long to struggle with (or even to identify to begin with), but some of the other angst that was focused on, like Dawn's abandonment issues and Buffy's existential crisis, I just felt like they weren't written with enough clarity and impact to make me care about those issues beyond the sad little faces they're making. Even Willow's addictions were vague enough to leave audience confused and debating whether if it's truly considered a real addiction at all since it's different from substance abuse.

"Normal Again", however, felt a little more different because it felt like it had the potential to reconcile with what Buffy has been dealing with over the past season. That "believe in yourself" moment could've been more powerful if we had more reconciliation with Buffy's belief in a two-part episode, where we the audience could believe again that Buffy could still struggle through all the inner-demons of the world no matter how tough things have gotten so far. That would at least be maturity and growth on our Slayer, progression, as opposed to the stagnant "should I/shouldn't I have feelings for Spike" that's been dragged so long. I crave resolution, an emotional catharsis, a release to all the pent up angst, but it's been a very slow release so far. It did get better though starting last episode with Hell's Bells when there was some drastic changes. It was a negative progress for Xander (more like a degression), but there was still significant change as opposed to stagnancy, which is good. I understand that not every episode can be some explosive change for the characters, but I was just getting exhausted from all the "let's watch them make sad faces for another hour again."

Anyway, thankfully, I'm getting near the end, so I should be able to see a lot more changes and progress for both the heroes and villains.

[S06.E16: Hell's Bells]

Well, finally, an episode that I semi-liked more than every episode so far in season 6. The whole comedy schtick was indeed dragged out too long (as opposed to how Angel S3E16, airing around the same time, handled matters of not being in control of your fate), and it ruined what could've been interesting explorations of Xander's anxieties.

But even so, I don't think such explorations are quite needed... this ending was a long time coming, Xander's insecurities exploding into the open. This outcome was inevitable from the first time I watched the show and met Xander. His abusive father was hinted on very early on, so it's not a spur-of-the-moment thing either. His sarcasm, much like Chandler Bing from Friends, was a result of deflecting that insecurity inside him. This insecurity is definitely an experience I know first-hand about, and so, when I was spoiled the ending of this episode... yeah, not really a surprise to be honest. For one thing, Joss Whedon loves misery (both in fiction and real life apparently), but Xander has this fear and lack of confidence in himself that no amount of supportive friends or colleagues could fix. He's afraid that he would turn into the horrible man his father is, and boy, do I ever understand how that can affect your decision-making.

I think my biggest disappointment is that Xander didn't really get a chance to explain all of that to Anya (or to anybody else), and she's left confused why he ran away. But otherwise, good ending to a longstanding character development since season 1.

Oh, and before I forgot: never really felt the chemistry between Xander and Anya. I'm not even sure why he liked her. It felt like the same reason-less romance between Buffy and Angel. Even though I'm a Bangel fan, we never really got an explanation why she fell in love with him in the first place. That's why I don't like obligatory pairings on TV series (everyone has to fall in love with someone, no singles allowed). They can feel forced.

[All Episodes Talk: Season 6]

Pretty much done with this season. I've reached Hell's Bells, got the ending spoiled for me on some review site, and yet, I'm not that fazed. Just going through the motions with this season until I'm done with it. I've just been so bored watching this season. I thought it would've been more high-tension, darker and more depressing. What a disappointment that nothing's gone to hell yet, and I'm just bored waiting for Seeing Red so that I could actually get excited about something.

And god, those geeks are so boring as antagonists. I thought Glory was bad enough as a generic superpowered villain with no other unique characteristics (aside from super strength), but man, that trio really takes the cake, not just in how creepy they are with their desire to enslave Buffy as a piece of meat to be fucked and controlled, but also how non-threatening they ended up as, just disappearing suddenly after Dead Things.

Don't get me started with Spuffy. SPUFFY. What a fucking joke. I'm sorry to all the shippers out there, but if this was my shipping, I would've jumped ship. This "will they/won't they" "will she quit the addiction or won't she" phase was dragged out SO LONG. So long. Way too long. Too long. Period. Episode after episode. It's exhausting and tiresome. I got bored by the third time she whined about wanting to quit Spike and then proceeded to use him again. Sigh. I get how addiction works, but as Hitchcock said, "What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out?" Good drama doesn't require 5 or 6 episodes dragging out what is realistic in real life.

Boring, boring, boring. Meanwhile, Angel S3 is kicking all kinds of ass, but that's a different show for a different topic.

Edit: Well, okay, so just finished "Hell's Bells" and realized I was guilty of the ol' "spoken too soon" yet again. I did enjoy Hell's Bells" (more on that in the episode thread), but I still stand by my earlier remark that the season thus far has been kinda dull.

Edit 2: Also, could Dawn be any more unlikable this season? "GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!" Also, don't say that it's just because she's a teenager. I don't believe that hormones can inherently make a person that unlikable, no matter their age. I know likable teens who are rational and mature. It's Dawn, not her age that defines her. Saying "she's a teenager" is like blaming a woman's faults because of her period. It's wrong.

[S06.E08: Tabula Rusa]

8 hours ago, Halting Hex said:

Sure, let's judge characters by things they haven't done and wouldn't do.  That's fair.  I mean, Willow put those love spells on Oz and Tara, so…oh, wait.

Uh, she just mind-raped her friends for her own convenience. I think we're done with this conversation here because her actions spoke for themselves.

Putting you on the ignore list because you seem to be very high-strung when it comes to my opinions.

[S06.E07: Once More With Feeling]

8 hours ago, Halting Hex said:

Really? How?

She's been an insecure and needy little girl throughout the entire series. It's sympathetic, but still nonetheless self-entitled. It didn't become irritating until some time around season 5, when Willow believed her magic made her superior over others.

 

8 hours ago, Halting Hex said:

Or, you know, risked her life and her soul to save Buffy (who jumped into a portal of HELL-dimensions) from eternal torment, centuries for every year on our plane (as Willow knows from what happened to Angel) and is now getting shit on in the narrative so the show can fluff unrepentant mass-murderers such as Spike and Anya, instead.

Ignorance is no excuse. Messing with supernatural forces of afterlife comes with obvious consequences one should consider, but Willow didn't even consider the possibility that there would be any consequences that might affect Buffy's mental or physical well-being, or whether if Buffy isn't meant to be resurrected. She just chose the quickest and most convenient option. It's irresponsible at best and selfish at worst.

[Media: Sam and Bucky In the News!]

Loving the chemistry so far. Things are looking good for this series.

Also, I agree on the "sorcerers are just wizards without hats" statement. Falcon's got a point.

[As Told By Ginger - General Discussion]

As Told By Ginger (Season 1 Episode 7): Hello Stranger

Oof. I knew this was gonna be one of my favorite episodes from the moment I read the plot summary, but damn. "Thanks for the flowers." Right in the feels. And that poem reading is just heartbreaking. Kinda glad that Ginger's strong enough to finish that last line though. I would've either ran off the stage or changed the line to something more befitting.

I'm kinda glad they didn't bother to show Ginger's dad even though I was really hoping there would be some emotional confrontation, especially one that's coming from Lois in calling him out. This is fine too, if not better because it's probably more depressing than an otherwise easy (and unrealistic) resolution.

What's more depressing is the fact that, I was thinking how people with mummy or daddy issues (such as me) would probably be able to relate to these kinds of plot-lines more personally. The absentee father isn't very original, but it's all too often (unfortunately) relatable.

[The Twilight Zone - General Discussion]

Just watched the much-beloved classic episode, "The Invaders" for the first time. It's alright. I love the twist more than the actual episode. That slow-burn pacing, that atmospheric build-up, for a certain amount of years, I've been incapable of enjoying scenes like that, lacking the patience. I almost fell asleep during the first-half of the episode.

Plus, I've just seen way too many horror/slasher movies with similar scenes like that.