When does Buffy get good?

[danny la rouge]

I know, I’m 30 years late. But I thought it was a kids’ show when it came out. Ive just watched 5 and a bit episodes of season one, and it’s getting worse and worse. It’s like a play put on by the Crackerjack team.

When people say it’s good, do they mean actually good, or is this some postmodern meaning. And if it really does get good, when does that start? Because I’m going to skip to there.

Not sci fi, fantasy, but Buffy the Vampire Slayer popped up on Paramount. I’d never seen it, probably mainly because I thought it was for tweens, and I was in my 30s when it came out. But many people on here have said it’s “one of the greatest programmes ever made”. So I thought I’d give it a go.

Am I missing something, or is there a radical change later in its run? It’s cheesy fun and all that, but I’m on episode 5 (by far the worst so far), and it’s like something out of the 60s. Really shonky, obvious, wooden, rubber, and kind of like Adam West Batman meets early Lindsay Lohan.

Are people liking it ironically? I’m up for that, but it’s not at all what I was expecting. Or rather, it’s exactly what I originally expected but had been led to believe otherwise…

Oh my god, I just started the next episode about a school trip and a pack of hyenas, and it’s even worse. It’s terrible. I can’t watch this even with irony. It’s actively atrocious.

(From the La Brea thread).

 

[kalidarkone]

I think you have answered your own question in your first sentence. It hasn't really aged well.

 

[danny la rouge]

I think you have answered your own question in your first sentence. It hasn't really aged well.

Oh my god! That was it being good? lol, I’m out. And I watched the whole of La Brea!

 

[skyscraper101]

I had a friend who was into it at the time, late 90s. I always found it pretty tedious. He was obsessed, but I think it was more to do with the female 'talent' than the script writing though.

 

[skyscraper101]

IIRC he even had the domain name Charisma Carpenter (.com) reserved, in the hope that it would turn a fortune one day.

 

[kalidarkone]

Oh my god! That was it being good? lol, I’m out. And I watched the whole of La Brea!

I've just googled La Brea and it looks like something I might watch. Was it good?

 

[Orang Utan]

When you were 15

 

[belboid]

Ohh, season 1 is kinda crappy. Episodes 7 (hello Angel) and 12 (season finale) are worth seeing, otherwise.....

Season 2 is distinctly better, although it still has its share of filler episodes. You can probably miss all but the last two and not miss much, except the wonderful Cordelia. The two What's My Line's are well worth it as well as Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered and probably a couple more.

Season 3 is when it starts to get really good. Faith . Spike

 

[belboid]

When you were 15

Buffy was fifteen years away...

 

[Orang Utan]

Buffy was fifteen years away...

i stand by my answer all the same.

 

[Jennaonthebeach]

Oh my god! That was it being good? lol, I’m out. And I watched the whole of La Brea!

No - the seasons got progressively better with one exception i think as it went on. Last couple of seasons are best but you probably want to have watched it from the beginning to understand all of what's going on i think. I still like it a lot.

 

[danny la rouge]

When you were 15

What I’ve seen (5 and bit episodes) feels like it’s for younger kids. I don’t think I’d have been into it when I was 15. It may be about 16-year-olds, but it doesn’t feel like it’s for them.

 

[Jennaonthebeach]

It definitely wasn't for kids as the shows had to be heavily edited to play early evening on British tv.

 

[danny la rouge]

Ohh, season 1 is kinda crappy. Episodes 7 (hello Angel) and 12 (season finale) are worth seeing, otherwise.....

Season 2 is distinctly better, although it still has its share of filler episodes. You can probably miss all but the last two and not miss much, except the wonderful Cordelia. The two What's My Line's are well worth it as well as Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered and probably a couple more.

Season 3 is when it starts to get really good. Faith . Spike

So start with season 3? Is that the consensus?

 

[Orang Utan]

What I’ve seen (5 and bit episodes) feels like it’s for younger kids. I don’t think I’d have been into it when I was 15. It may be about 16-year-olds, but it doesn’t feel like it’s for them.

Maybe 18-25 then. We watched Heartbreak High without shame at around that age.

Either way now you’re too old. Have a cold shower and don’t think about what you haven’t done.

 

[belboid]

So start with season 3? Is that the consensus?

Pretty much, yeah. Everyone had got into their parts, Buffy looks like she can actually do some of the fighting thats she is meant to be doing. The wit got better.

 

[Spymaster]

Ive just watched 5 and a bit episodes of season one, and it’s getting worse and worse.

You've just watched 5 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

 

[Orang Utan]

You've just watched 5 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

I don’t know why I’m laughing. I’ve just started rewatching the Starwars saga

 

[Spymaster]

When you were 15

When you see films tagged as "teen", does that mean they are made to appeal to teenagers, or that they feature young people, or both?

 

[Orang Utan]

When you see films tagged as "teen", does that mean they are made to appeal to teenagers, or that they feature young people, or both?

I dunno, but I would tend to skip over them unless they’ve been keenly recommended by someone who tastes I trust

 

[danny la rouge]

You've just watched 5 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

Not all at once. But yes, I have.

 

[danny la rouge]

I dunno, but I would tend to skip over them unless they’ve been keenly recommended by someone who tastes I trust

I remember butchersapron saying it was one of the best things ever, and he generally had good taste in films and TV. Only a handful of times did I disagree with him on that. So far, this is one.

 

[Silas Loom]

I’ve always assumed that I wouldn’t like Buffy, but DLR’s taste in television never fails to horrify. So perhaps it’s good and I am missing out.

 

[belboid]

I remember butchersapron saying it was one of the best things ever, and he generally had good taste in films and TV. Only a handful of times did I disagree with him on that. So far, this is one.

I'm pretty sure he said it was crap until S3 too. And they are not all wonderful after that.

Beer Bad

 

[iona]

It's probably quite hard to get into if you didn't watch it from the start, tbf. A lot of what makes people rave about it is stuff from the last few series, but that won't carry across so well for people who don't know or care about the characters as much.

I'd say look for a quick series 2 recap to watch (there's bound to be one on YouTube or somewhere), then start series three but kind of watch it while part of your attention is on something else and fast-forward the fighty bits.

 

[danny la rouge]

Well, I tried season 3 ep 1 (Anne), and it’s a little better than the hyena episode, but not much. I think this isn’t for me.

 

[hitmouse]

Not properly rewatched since I was a teenager but have been vaguely intending to get around to it at some point, dunno about the claim that it gets better with every season - season 4 had Riley in it ffs!

 

[iona]

Not properly rewatched since I was a teenager but have been vaguely intending to get around to it at some point, dunno about the claim that it gets better with every season - season 4 had Riley in it ffs!

Riley was awful. Tara / Anya / brainchipped Spike though...

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Think it was season two or maybe a little later when the darker themes really kicked in but it hasn't aged well tbh...

 

[Yossarian]

I thought it peaked in Season 3 but if you're halfway through Season 1 and finding it more annoying than fun it's probably not for you