Amends

Having gotten my BUFFY SEASON 3 DVD last week, I have been helping myself to a heaping buttload of BTVS. With this in mind, I have a few comments to make:

1) Seeing the DVD set has recemented in my mind that Season 3 was probably, pound for pound, the best of them all. You get the most bang for your watching buck and everything seemed to gell the best. I mean look at all the cool storyarcs that pervade the season. The introduction, and eventual falling, of Faith. Wesley, the even MORE uptight Watcher. The Mayor's ascension. Angel returns from the dead, what are his intentions? Cordy and Xander vs. Willow and Oz. And, finally, Graduation!!!! I mean these are all storyarcs that stretch out out over the season, in such well paced perfection as to make even James Bond look incompetent.

In addition, Season 3 featured some of the best episodes of the season's run. Not all of them, mind you, but for consistency's sake, a great many of them. Homecoming, Band Candy, Revelations, The Wish-Dopplegangland, Amends, Helpless, The Zeppo, Bad Girls, Consequences, Enemies, Earshot, Choices, The Prom, and Graduation.

Now, I realize that that is just about a simple list of all the episodes of the season (with a few exceptions) but I think there's a reason. These episodes each showcase elements that make BTVS a wonderful program. From the heartfelt emotionalism that permeates the Buffy-Angel relationship in Revelations and Amends to the ironic comedy showcased in Dopplegangland and The Zeppo, this season strikes the perfect balance for hitting each of the pleasure centers of the brain. High drama, comedy and action.

God, I just love Season 3.

2) (Did you think I forgot that I started a numbering system here????) Yesterday I took the time to actually see Amends. I had actually never seen the episode before, and with what is going on on BUFFY now, I figured I would be a fool not to watch it. I wonder if anyone actually stopped to think at the time that there was no true resolution to the story, or that we never quite found out what The First's plan was. I mean, either kill Angel or turn him, yes. But why? And did I miss (or forget) something or did we never actually find out if it truly was The First who brought Angel back from Hell. It was a bit unclear, however in light of recent events it seems unlikely that The First would bring Angel back given the prophecy regarding Angel's part in the Apocalypse.

Past that, I liked the episode. It was a wonderful holiday story. It is also a wonderful example of how, in Joss' world, actions have consequences. Giles, despite Buffy's vouching for him, still detests Angel for torturing him in THE PREVIOUS SEASON. All is not forgotten with a pat on the back and a job well done. Knowing that it dealt with The First, and knowing what I know about The First now dampened any sense of true suspense that I might have had, but it made it no less an enjoyable ride. I've waxed poetic enough about the season as a whole, I would be more or less be repeating myself with regards to what makes this episode so great.

3) Season 3 also served to emphasize to me that season 5 and season 6 were quite inferior. Let me state, for the record, that I have not had a single season of BTVS that I have disliked per se. However, after Season 3, and a bit of Season 4, 5 & 6 seemed to be such overall let-downs. Season 5, was a bit on the cool side, but just seemed to be a bit off somehow. Glory was nice, but it seemed like the production team upped the ante a bit too much. Fighting a God? It's like Terminator 2. You spend all this time constructing a villain which you have to say is totally unbeatable. You can't stress how unbeatable he is. Then, you have to defeat him. In this case, you're putting Buffy up against a God. One has to think that beating a God would be downright impossible, having checked the definition of "God." However, Buffy defeated her, and did so in a not-too-over-the-top way. Unfortunately she got killed in the process. Now, if the entire series had ended that way, that would have been OK. It would have been a fitting way for her to die. But Season 6 had to concern itself with bringing her back. Now she's come back from the dead before, but this time it's serious. And I mean REALLY serious.

This is where the Buffy formula starts to break down. Again, the good Buffy humor is there, along with the drama, but the drama outweighs by a thousandfold. And when the humor does show itself, the audience isn't sure that they should laugh because something serious may pop up again. And then, the floor drops out beneath us. Just when you didn't think it could get more depressing, they kill Tara. Now I'm not one of those militant people who thought it was a bad idea, per se, but this was just like rubbing salt into the already irritated wound of a down season. Willow goes bad, kills Warren and one is left with the bitter taste of what felt like a season thrown together almost haphazardly.

Season 7 has been more or less OK, striking a decent balance, but still has not had the pound-for-pound impact that Season 3 had.

Finally, let's not forget Season 2. Season 2 was great. It probably tops the list of seasons right alongside #3. It would be a close call, I would think, given that Season 2 didn't have the schmaltzy Buffy-Angel saccarin relationship throughout. Yes it was there, but was countered by the whole "Angel goes bad and becomes a psycho killer" storyline.

Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong........

  posted by J @ 09:01