![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
'What's My Line' 1 & 2 and 'Ted'.
Doing all three of these in one go, as it were. Mostly just jumbled impressions with little coherency. And can I just point out that I really like these episodes an awful lot? I think I'm coming across a teensy bit bitchy which wasn't my intention.
Buffy.
My oh my, but what a whiny little teen Buffy is at this point. In WML1 she complains about not having a normal life, in part 2 she complains about Kendra and in ‘Ted’ her sulleness rises to quite alarming heights. I’m not saying that it’s not understandable or in character. But it yet again brought home how much I prefer grown-up Buffy. F.ex. contrast her behavior towards Ted with the one towards Brian in IWMTLY. Of course the circumstances are very different, but still. 16 year old Buffy can be a real cow! Anyway, it’s fun to watch how she takes out her feelings on the evenings’ vamp - she really has always had a thing for getting rid of tension with violence.
Of course she goes on to crashland in ‘Ted’. Poor Buffy, her life really does suck!
Angel.
Oh dear. Apart from one scene, he’s just a complete drip in these episodes. He can’t get out of a cage locked with only a teeny little lock (contrast with the cage he builds for himself in AtS S4) and he gets all weak from sitting too near the sunlight. [fanwank: Living off rats for 20 years did him no favours!] But I guess that since he’s cast as the damsel in distress, they had to weedyfy him. Still - I like him so much better on his own show!
It’s also interesting how ‘out of place’ he seems all the time. There’s the scene in Buffy’s bedroom ( with Mr Gordo), where he sticks out like a sore thumb - all tall and blackclad and unable to comperehend Buffy’s slang-filled chatter. It's easy to see the attraction, but also easy to see why it can never last. And gosh Buffy is SO YOUNG! She's still at the climbing through her window stage! ::is nostalgic::
The only moment when Angel comes into his own is when he starts needling Spike about what Dru likes in bed. 1) It shows how much he really hides of his real persona and 2) I think that he showed Buffy a very, very, very good time in ‘Surprise’.
Spike and Dru are wonderful of course, but I don’t think I have anything to say about them that hasn’t been said a hundred times before.
~~~~~~~~
Arbitrar Of Quality gave 'Ted' an 'Excellent' (which baffled a lot of people...). There's a link here if you're curious.
(Briefly re. the later ret con of ‘Normal Again’ - I don’t mind it, to be honest. I can see why it infuriates people, but seeing Buffy’s reaction to Ted threatening to put her in an institution, I can well believe that she goes overboard because of it. *shrug*)
I've always liked the episode, but this time what stood out for me was all the couples:
Joyce/Ted: Seem nice and normal... until you realise it's just that bit too nice. She's constantly deferring to him, trying to please. Not healthy.
Cordy/Xander: In the previous episode they shared their first kiss (squee!), and now they have no clue what to do, except to keep quiet and bicker a lot. They're still attracted to each other and go off to 'make out in a broomcloset'. Not very good either. (Here we can of course contrast with the beginnings of Oz/Willow in WML, which is tentative and sweet.)
Buffy/Angel: Their one scene here is almost throw-away. Buffy moans about Ted and then they kiss. But watching this - and noting the way Angel says "Kiss me." there is a sense of almost wonder to Angel's behavior. He's been alone for so long - and before that it was all wicked games with Darla - that this whole love thing is like a drug. And oh he should know better, but there's this beautiful young girl in his arms, and when he says "Kiss me" she does so happily. He will fall so very hard, but I can see why. Nevertheless, outside their feelings, I don't think there's all that much of a relationship. Also - 'a regular kid and her cradle robbing, creature-of-the-night boyfriend' (from WML) is funny, but actually very uncomfortable. Very loving, but too caught up in feelings to see beyond their noses.
Jenny/Giles: Finally a couple that communicates. She's still wary after the whole demon-possession thing, and he worries, but when she asks for space he gives it to her. She's a bit harsh, but she's honest. Later she shows up, trying to make amends and inadvertedly shoots him with a crossbow. So I guess they're even. ;) Anyway, they're well matched - she brings him out of his shell, he brings care and stability to her life. *sigh* Damn you Joss Whedon!
Buffy.
My oh my, but what a whiny little teen Buffy is at this point. In WML1 she complains about not having a normal life, in part 2 she complains about Kendra and in ‘Ted’ her sulleness rises to quite alarming heights. I’m not saying that it’s not understandable or in character. But it yet again brought home how much I prefer grown-up Buffy. F.ex. contrast her behavior towards Ted with the one towards Brian in IWMTLY. Of course the circumstances are very different, but still. 16 year old Buffy can be a real cow! Anyway, it’s fun to watch how she takes out her feelings on the evenings’ vamp - she really has always had a thing for getting rid of tension with violence.
Of course she goes on to crashland in ‘Ted’. Poor Buffy, her life really does suck!
Angel.
Oh dear. Apart from one scene, he’s just a complete drip in these episodes. He can’t get out of a cage locked with only a teeny little lock (contrast with the cage he builds for himself in AtS S4) and he gets all weak from sitting too near the sunlight. [fanwank: Living off rats for 20 years did him no favours!] But I guess that since he’s cast as the damsel in distress, they had to weedyfy him. Still - I like him so much better on his own show!
It’s also interesting how ‘out of place’ he seems all the time. There’s the scene in Buffy’s bedroom ( with Mr Gordo), where he sticks out like a sore thumb - all tall and blackclad and unable to comperehend Buffy’s slang-filled chatter. It's easy to see the attraction, but also easy to see why it can never last. And gosh Buffy is SO YOUNG! She's still at the climbing through her window stage! ::is nostalgic::
The only moment when Angel comes into his own is when he starts needling Spike about what Dru likes in bed. 1) It shows how much he really hides of his real persona and 2) I think that he showed Buffy a very, very, very good time in ‘Surprise’.
Spike and Dru are wonderful of course, but I don’t think I have anything to say about them that hasn’t been said a hundred times before.
~~~~~~~~
Arbitrar Of Quality gave 'Ted' an 'Excellent' (which baffled a lot of people...). There's a link here if you're curious.
(Briefly re. the later ret con of ‘Normal Again’ - I don’t mind it, to be honest. I can see why it infuriates people, but seeing Buffy’s reaction to Ted threatening to put her in an institution, I can well believe that she goes overboard because of it. *shrug*)
I've always liked the episode, but this time what stood out for me was all the couples:
Joyce/Ted: Seem nice and normal... until you realise it's just that bit too nice. She's constantly deferring to him, trying to please. Not healthy.
Cordy/Xander: In the previous episode they shared their first kiss (squee!), and now they have no clue what to do, except to keep quiet and bicker a lot. They're still attracted to each other and go off to 'make out in a broomcloset'. Not very good either. (Here we can of course contrast with the beginnings of Oz/Willow in WML, which is tentative and sweet.)
Buffy/Angel: Their one scene here is almost throw-away. Buffy moans about Ted and then they kiss. But watching this - and noting the way Angel says "Kiss me." there is a sense of almost wonder to Angel's behavior. He's been alone for so long - and before that it was all wicked games with Darla - that this whole love thing is like a drug. And oh he should know better, but there's this beautiful young girl in his arms, and when he says "Kiss me" she does so happily. He will fall so very hard, but I can see why. Nevertheless, outside their feelings, I don't think there's all that much of a relationship. Also - 'a regular kid and her cradle robbing, creature-of-the-night boyfriend' (from WML) is funny, but actually very uncomfortable. Very loving, but too caught up in feelings to see beyond their noses.
Jenny/Giles: Finally a couple that communicates. She's still wary after the whole demon-possession thing, and he worries, but when she asks for space he gives it to her. She's a bit harsh, but she's honest. Later she shows up, trying to make amends and inadvertedly shoots him with a crossbow. So I guess they're even. ;) Anyway, they're well matched - she brings him out of his shell, he brings care and stability to her life. *sigh* Damn you Joss Whedon!
no subject