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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Buffy Challenge Post 39: Season 5: Episodes 1 - 2

Buffy Vs Dracula

Well it's about time! The battle we've all been waiting for, the slayer vs the grand daddy vampire of them all! DRACULA!!!! (I can't believe it took 5 seasons to get to this. The season 5 DVD is creepy btw with the whole key thing. We start this season off like so many before them, Buffy moping around in bed having a nightmare. (I think it’s about time she sees a therapist.) Is it me or is she dreaming of running AWAY from a fight? That is very un buffy like. Another easy kill in her dream that startled her and we move into the opening credits with no idea what that was all about! Hey Anya has been added to the credits, cool! So we go from nightmares in bed to fun on the beach. Well the whole gang are in happy relationships and a word of advice, never question the throwing skills of a person with super strength.

Xander is still good for very little, and Willow is able to light his fire! (Oh had it been a few seasons ago that would have a totally different meaning!) Nothing is worse than the rain hitting when you’re having a good time on the beach, I miss rain. Moving men seem to never able to do a job right and it cost them their lives. Hello product placement, (how do you like them apples?) I also forgot how big scanners use to be. Nothing beats a good archiving session. Giles seems that he is trying to keep busy and it looks like he is going home. After a full season of sitting around doing practically nothing has caught up with Giles. Dinner finishes early for a little vampire slaying, looks like the writers are going back to the basics. Buffy’s reaction to Dracula is priceless! “Get out indeed!”

Why can’t Willow keep a secret? It wouldn’t be Dracula without the accent. The count is quick off the mark, Xander not sure it’s a great idea to compare Dracula with the Count from sesame street. Finally, a vampire turned into a bat! I’d think Dracula would know Frankenstein. Hey Anya used to date Dracula? Riley is really jealous. Why are all the girls so hot for the count? Dracula decides to give old Xander a visit, did he just say no poofing? Looks like Dracula has made Xander an offer he can’t refuse, and finally someone has said what we have been thinking, Xander is strange and off putting. This show has become “EVERYBODY LOVES DRACULA!” Spike is back and it seems that the chip is still firmly implanted in his head. It seems Spike has a few choice words for the Count; I’d be upset if someone owed me 11 pounds and publicized how to kill my kind also. So Dracula is like the big vampire celebrity who needs all the perks worthy of how famous he is.

Dracula is so smooth; I think I’m starting to develop a man crush on him? And for the second time in this show Buffy gets bitten by a vampire. Let it go Willow. So Dracula is a vampire 2.0, full of upgrades. Mind control, seduction and don’t forget the whole bat thing. Xander has a hankering for bugs right now. Willow just asked the question that I was going to type, how did he get inside when he wasn’t invited? I guess Joyce will let us know.

Mind control is cool!

Riley and Giles are on the right track, where else would you go to find Dracula but in the only castle in Sunnydale. So it seems the army training from way back has worn off for Xander and Giles has fell into an awkward situation. Buffy is moving over to the dark side however there is a deeper good in her that Dracula couldn’t penetrate. WHOAH! What a fight scene! Buffy anticipates Dracula’s moves and a stake later he is gone! Xander is making a stand and he refuses to be everyone’s BUTT MONKEY! So Dracula, is truly immortal and cops another stake for his trouble, he’s not dead but I think Sunnydale is not going to be a place he will want to visit anytime soon.

It’s time for Giles to give Buffy the bad news. However before he gets to say his piece Buffy lets Giles know that she needs him and his knowledge of history will be able to mold her future, she pleads for Giles to be her mentor and it is enough for him to stay. WHAT? BUFFY HAS A SISTER? That made no sense whatsoever!

What a fun way to start the season, with lots of action and lots of little nods to the past. I really enjoyed the way they were able to integrate Dracula into the Buffyverse, even though his exit was a little weak, He would have made a credible threat for the whole season and I hope he returns in the near future. (I want to see Dracula vs Spike!) I could have done without the whole sister thing though.

9/10

REAL ME

We start off where we left off from the last episode or to be exact a few minutes before we left off, and the return of the “Previously on Buffy……” which is rare in this show but I kind of like it, it lets me know what happened prevouslly refressing my memory from about 15 minutes ago.

Prevouslly on “THE BUFFY CHALLENGE” So Buffy was like, “I’m turning evil”, and Giles was like, “Go On” and Buffy was like, “Please teach me?” and Giles said Ok. Xander then let everyone know that he is not going to be a BUTT MONKEY! Then something about Buffy running into a sister that no one knew about.

Giles is training Buffy like Mr. Myagi trained the Karate Kid or Yoda training Luke Skywaker in the Empire Strikes Back. (Both Great Movies by the way). Little sis is writing in her diary, She has a point seeing that Buffy doesn’t have a secret identity. Her sister’s name is Dawn (Dawn Summers?). First Harry Potter reference! Dawn that would be a bet you would win as there was a whole episode where they *cough* did it all episode. The narration really works well in this show but what is the deal bringing in this character. “Newfangled” is not that old of a term. Giles is having trouble driving an AUTO? I do like Willow’s new hair cut. Great the Magic Shop has been ransacked again; I hate it when this happens. The owner is dead and to protect her little sister she leaves her outside with a creepy homeless guy. Is Dawn an anomaly? Is it something from a different dimension? They cut away from the thumb wrestling match to the investigation. It seems that there were 4 vampires going nuts and Giles is more interested in becoming the new tenant. (I’m sure the death rate will really keep the costs down!)

NOOOOOOO NOT HER, NOT WHAT’S HER NAME! (I hated her so much I forgot her name.)

It seems she has her own minions, which are in fashion right now. I think Dawn has a crush on Xander! It’s a shame that Anya is there to “Cramp her style” Terra is feeling a little left out. “He’s British and he doesn’t understand anything!” That is golden writing right there. Buffy is winging about her little sister, while Dawn is winging about her older sister. Anya is my favorite character and you can’t trade your children for more cash!

Harmony, that’s her name, Harmony! I hate Harmony. She is pushing Xander’s buttons and Dawn invites her in! Harmony has minions and is trying to kill Buffy. Everything is really funny until she finds out that Dawn has invited her in. Seems that Spike is bored and since he can’t kill all humans he takes his frustrations out on other vampires now. If Harmony is the MAJOR villain this season I’m not going to be happy! “Evil for Dummies” A best seller! (Fortress of Solitude! Another Superman reference!) The old rag on your sister when you don’t know she is listening at the door plot device, and Dawn is captured. Will someone kill Harmony already? No love lost between Buffy and Spike still.

Brad obtained from the vote and Mort is taking over! Which doesn’t work well. Obviouslly Harmony didn’t read the chapter in “Evil for Dummies” about how to keep minions on side. DEATH BY UNICORN! How degrading for Mort. Alas Harmony escaped to annoy for another episode. Giles moves into the magic shop and has the life expectancy of a Spinal Tap drummer, (another great movie!) The real question is WHO IS DAWN? And where did she come from? Oh and Buffy hates Surprises!

Another Great Episode, other than the annoyance of having to see Harmony escape alive. Alas we can’t have them all!

9/10

Two solid and fun episodes in a row, will this be a way to wash away the memory of the horrid 4th season? We can only pray!

Until next time Challengers!

7 comments:

April_fool82 said...

And we’re live!! I figure if I comment the next episode will be up and as this is my 4th favourite season I’m keen to get going……
God riley has to be one secure guy to be going out with Buffy, being knocked over and beaten constantly is not usually a guy’s cup of tea

“I'm exhausted just looking at those two. All the splashing and jumping and running... Shouldn't relaxing involve less exertion?” AMEN!! I think this is the reason I’ve put on so much weight lately.

Hmmm Buffy seems to have forgotten all too quickly what the episode with faith taught her about being there for her mother…..

“Perhaps, but your power is rooted in darkness. You must feel it.” – this reminds me of something I read by either john elder edge or C.S Lewis I forget which – about how deep down we all fear our own glory, how Satan temps us into denying our own power. I’ll find the quote and post it

No. I'm saying ... you should go home to your superhoney.
Have a nice, safe snog. You're out of your depth on this one, boy. – this becomes a constant theme for riley this season that he aint man enough, that he can’t protect buffy, it’s interesting to note how he deals with it,

Blood is life – this is a constant theme in this series, and one I REALLY want to delve into deeper but I’ll do it in season 6 when spike’s exposition on it comes up (I think I’ve said this before).

“There is so much I have to teach you. Your history, your power ... what your body is capable of...
I don't need to know.
You long to. And you will have eternity to discover yourself.” I love this part, we all want to be known, often we go through life trying to figure out WHO we are, longing to tap into a power we know lies within us, we long to be given our identity, to discover ourselves, and Satan plays on that he offers to make us “like god” if only we eat of his fruit, only a taste, but that side never ends well, like Buffy we kind of need to be able to say “I don’t want to know” to be ignorant of sin, to remain pure and enlightened is the only way to see clearly enough to figure out who we are, I love the fact that on the last day we will be given a stone with our REAL name on it by God, our identity that we search for and shape here is finally realised, I wonder what mine will be?

“I need to know more. About where I come from, about the other slayers. I mean, maybe ... maybe if I could learn to control this thing, I could be stronger, I could be better. But ... I'm scared. I know it's gonna be hard. And I can't do it ... without you. I need your help.” – I think this highlights the need for a spiritual guide and the need to read the stories to know more about the other “slayers” those that have gone before us so that we learn from them, there’s a reason the watchers keep journals. No man is an island as the quote goes, our spiritual life cannot be lived in isolation, it needs help.

April_fool82 said...

i don't have ANYTHING at all to write about the real me, to be honesty i find dawn highly irritating this season,

c ya at the next instalment i actually really like the next 2 episodes.

April_fool82 said...

waiting still...........
episodes 2-4 coming any time soon?

Mr. Sidhom said...

The reason for the huge delay between episodes had been me wrapping up the school year, however, now that is all done and dusted there have been two more posted and I'll make sure they come at a reasonable pace. Once Again, April has really added some sort of credibility to this little project. Great analysis of the Dracula episode.

Anonymous said...

yeah, I've never really thought of it like that. Or maybe at the back of my head I vaguely realised the religious connotations and temptation and stuff but I've never had it plainly written out like that, thanks

April_fool82 said...

hey jess,

you're more then welcome. I should probably put the proviso that joss whedon is an atheist and i doubt he meant the religious connotations as i've put them.

I do believe however the no-one (not even joss) can write about life, the human journey, good vs evil, and human nature with such resonance without tapping into some eternal truths.......

and those like me who know these truths cannot help but noting them whilst watching shows like this.

Anonymous said...

Actually I believe Joss has once said he is an absurdist, i.e. the belief that there is no meaning in life therefore it is absurd to go looking for it.

And yeah, religion is a massive part of human civilisation, there's no way any writer could write something (that's good anyway) without acknowledging it. Gee, Buffy philosophy is great.