I can understand you don't like the treatment the male characters received, but there was still plenty going on with male characters, and even male characters were added.
Which pretty much summarizes my disappointment those last two years. There may have been plenty going on, but I didn't find it that interesting. And despite my proven proclivities, I don't think Spike and Xander suddenly declaring their clandestine passion and snogging in the living room in front of the Potentials (pause for moment of thoughtfulness) would have improved matters that much.
I think there were too many new faces that last year. Potentials died, and I went, "Now, who was that again? Did they even bother to give her a name?" Half the number of Potentials would have improved storytelling, because I would have had more time to become invested in their fates, instead of going "Good lord, it's every slumber party/dormitory horror story come true." Instead of worrying about hte First, I was thinking things like "I wonder how long it took all their cycles to synchronize."
It would have been cool if the First Evil's chosen representative had been a woman, maybe someone who had been in line to be a Slayer but who never got called, someone whom the Council had told was a Chosen One maybe, someone who was ready and eager to be a destined warrior but who never got the chance.
Where I think they really fell down was that the First itself could take on Buffy's form, yet only appeared as her to Loopy!Spike and Caleb. Just think about how much sabotage and corruption it could have sown among the potentials, the Scoobies, and the Watchers' Council if it had employed that strategic advantage in secret.
Hell, for that matter they could have had a demoralized Rona or Xander say "please, spare us the zillionth 'inspirational' speech, they're depressing!" and had Buffy reply "speech? What are you talking about?" Hours, days, weeks of agonizing viewing would have been rendered worthwhile and fiendishly clever in one stroke.
Oh, yeah, First!Buffy should have been wandering around that house a lot, inspiring the Scoobies to poke Buffy in the ribs every time they saw her.
And I'm not just saying that because we both think Bayliss is a hottie...
Matt is a genius. Was the First ominiscent, does anyone know?
Was the First ominiscent, does anyone know?
It couldn't have been. It didn't know Jonathan was wearing a wire right away; it had to figure it out. It didn't have to negotiate time and space the same way a corporeal being does, so although it wasn't omnipresent, it was easy for it to pop in and out, and so it had access to a lot of information.
Where I think they really fell down was that the First itself could take on Buffy's form, yet only appeared as her to Loopy!Spike and Caleb. Just think about how much sabotage and corruption it could have sown among the potentials, the Scoobies, and the Watchers' Council if it had employed that strategic advantage in secret.
I completely agree with this. I expected it to happen, as soon as we saw it turn into Buffy at the end of
Lessons,
although I wasn't convinced it was the FE then, I figured whatever the shape-shifty thing was, would do that. Imagine the havoc it could have wrought.
Hell, for that matter they could have had a demoralized Rona or Xander say "please, spare us the zillionth 'inspirational' speech, they're depressing!" and had Buffy reply "speech? What are you talking about?" Hours, days, weeks of agonizing viewing would have been rendered worthwhile and fiendishly clever in one stroke.
Heh. That's sort of how Giles erased the magickal crack anvil. So many of us were so glad to see it erased, instead of being incensed, we were cheering. That would have been great, Matt.
I think there were too many new faces that last year. Potentials died, and I went, "Now, who was that again? Did they even bother to give her a name?" Half the number of Potentials would have improved storytelling, because I would have had more time to become invested in their fates, instead of going "Good lord, it's every slumber party/dormitory horror story come true." Instead of worrying about hte First, I was thinking things like "I wonder how long it took all their cycles to synchronize."
I completely agree with this. It's too bad. Season 6 fell apart in the middle, but they did all right saving it. Season 7 started out great. I remember being excited, but by the end, even though I was sad the series was over, I was also glad no more damage could be done to it. I did like Chosen, though.
I agree with Cindy about the Willow/Tara storyline. And probably about everything else in the 'verse.
I went to Barnes and Noble and indulged in the Special Buffy SFX (they had the "Angel" magazine too.)
I wonder why no picture of AD in the portfolio.
