Still Stupid!

[spacebug]

Question to all these people that have told me to watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer, the TV series, because no, really, it's really good ...

I'm through 3.5 episodes, via hulu. I'm having a lot of difficulty believing this was the breakthrough series from the same guy responsible for Firefly, 'cause so far it's nigh intolerable- right down there with the Jules Verne Chronicles. Whedon's laurels are the only thing keeping me afloat right now. Well, that and the need for fluffy nonsense after a really busy weekend.

When, pray tell, does it start to not suck? Can I skip right to another season without missing anything?

Comments

[windelina.livejournal.com]

You didn't like the She-Mantis episode? (episode 4)

Well, episode 9 of Season 1 is fun, IMHO. And episode 10 was nicely creepy. And I liked the premise of episode 11.

But really, it's the first season. Like every show, it takes them awhile to find the groove. But it is worth watching because Whedon likes to do a lot of callbacks to events from prior episodes and season. For example, Xander gets made fun of for the She-Mantis thing like years later.

[spacebug.livejournal.com]

I expected campy, and get that it doesn't take itself seriously, but even with that in mind the characters are annoyingly 2 dimensional, and so far I don't find myself caring what happens to any of them.

[433.livejournal.com]

It's an awful, awful show. I have no idea why people who normally have good taste in entertainment enjoy this flaming pooplog.

[angel-boi.livejournal.com]

w0rd. i feel exactly the same as 433....

and quite frankly i think firefly is very good...
and it might have gotten even better given time...
but as ti was its not ground breaking, or perfect, as the buffy fanatics would have you believe...

as an a side hulu is rad...
esp for those of us without tv....
i've been watching miami vice... its so wonderful / aweful
the one with a practically pubescent bruce willis as an abusive arms dealer was priceless....

Camp and musicals go better together.

[bohemianrapsody.livejournal.com]

I wasn't a huge fan of the show. In fact, I hardly watched any episodes, so you may find it peculiar that I'm OBSESSED with the musical (Once More, with Feeling, which came out in late, 2001)
It was recently voted the 13th greatest musical of all time in a poll conducted by the British TV channel, Channel 4.
I'm a huge sucker for musicals. Joss Whedon wrote the lyrics. And those kids can sing. I care more about them in this one episode then I did whenever I watched the series.

[saracura.livejournal.com]

I watched the whole first season and just didn't feel it. I have other obsessions that really draw me in, like BGS and Lost. I tried to like it, but I'e decided to move on....

[pygmybugs.livejournal.com]

I never could get into it. It's just not my flavor of cheese. Plus, I couldn't get over the urge to bitch-slap the main character. I'm not sure what it is about her that pushes my buttons, but oooooh...

[pants-of-doom.livejournal.com]

I love Buffy, but the big thing about it that's so groundbreaking is that the hero is a girl.

[(Anonymous)]

I would not say I was obsessed, ut I did love that show. I loved firefly more. The first season wasn't that good. Season two got better immediately. Season five is one of my favorites. I think you can just skip to season two without any problems.

[fayde.livejournal.com]

I got suckered in with the season finally for season 2 (something like the last 3 episodes). I watched it all the way through to the end and then at some point saw re-runs for most of the eps. I missed. I found season 1 unimpressive, generally speaking, and there isn't much of an over-arching plot until you get into seasons 2-3. Then every season has it's new plot vehicle.

[birdfigment.livejournal.com]

I loved Buffy but I think you could skip most of Season 1. Maybe just go straight to Season 1 finale and then dive in with Season 2...

[windelina.livejournal.com]

I agree - there's a lot of really good stuff that happens later, and I'd rather you skipped now and stuck with it.

[fayde.livejournal.com]

Also, then, if you liked the rest of the seasons...going back to season 1 is fun in that geeky kind of way - or not - depending on your take on things.

[r0ckc4ndy.livejournal.com]

I LOVE Buffy. But Penny is right that part of it is that it's a lot about gender-fucks. Season 1 is mostly fluff because it is transitioning from the movie to the show. But I personally think that season 1 is important to the show overall because you are watching this not that smart valley girl transitioning into someone else.
But if you don't like it stop watching. I own all 7 seasons because I love the show, but I haven't watched season 7 because I wasn't feeling it anymore.
I don't watch Lost because I believe it's too slow and boring for words. I don't watch Heroes because it is also just way too slow for me. But lot's of my cool friends are obsessed. I also only liked season 1 and part of season 2 of Alias before I thought it got absurd and lame.
I'm just saying. If you don't like it, feel free to let it go!

[spacebug.livejournal.com]

I didn't want to discount it without giving it a shot and asking for opinions- mostly 'cause I thought that Babylon 5 looked like cheesy crap and had a rough first season and i ended up being totally addicted to the later stuff. And 'cause I heart Firefly so much. Alias did get pretty absurd pretty early- I think S4 and I got disenchanted in the 3rd season and couldn't even watch the 4th. Lost doesn't have the hold on me that it used to, but I'm still pretty addicted to both it and Heroes.

[r0ckc4ndy.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking a lot about it all day. (because of course I have nothing better to do than analyze my feelings for Buffy...)
1. I think that Whedon's influence starts to show more in the writing as it goes along. And I think it has some of what I like in Firefly, which is the witty undertones that you actually have to listen to catch. Mal actually got the part in Firefly after being in season 7 of Buffy (which I still haven't watched).
2. Sarah Michelle Geller bothers me in some ways. Her character actually becomes really serious, like to the point where you want her to get over it already. But, she is also a tough female character. She is a black belt and does the fighting herself.
3. I like the way the show tackles a lot of issues: Masculinity, gay characters, depression, growing up, and manages to do it with a sense of humor.
4. Logan hates it and won't watch it with me and it makes me sad, because it's a go-to like V. Mars, where I can just put it in and ignore it and still be happy that it's on!

[edrabbit.livejournal.com]

Heather and I tried to get into it too as we had several friends that were enjoying it. We couldn't, and gave up after a few episodes in the first season. From comments here and elsewhere it sounds like the trick may be to skip the 1st season. hehe

[azure-armand.livejournal.com]

I was underwhelmed by the little Buffy I saw too. But I've never been a huge Whedon fan. Firefly was OK in my book, but didn't blow me away.

[soylentmean.livejournal.com]

Seasons 4-6 are some of the best television ever. It starts to pick up towards the end of the 1st season, and really starts to get quite a bit better in the upcoming seasons. Personally, I like Firefly > Angel > Buffy, but they're all quite a bit better than most TV.