{"id":12278,"date":"2010-09-20T17:12:46","date_gmt":"2010-09-20T16:12:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/?p=12278"},"modified":"2012-04-26T09:03:04","modified_gmt":"2012-04-26T08:03:04","slug":"revisiting-buffy-season-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/reviews\/revisiting-buffy-season-one\/","title":{"rendered":"Revisiting Buffy: Season One"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>“You have an impressive tolerance for shit,” said one journalist (who shall go unnamed for now) to me this morning. I’m not sure whether to take that as an insult or a compliment, but after burning through season one of Buffy The Vampire Slayer on DVD in one day, having just driven from Cambridge to Bournemouth at 7am, you’re willing to take a few verbal knocks, as I did when I told my colleagues that I was starting my Buffy column this week rather than next as initially planned.<\/p>\n

As I said before, it’s been years since I’ve seen Buffy, outside of a few episodes half-watched while channel surfing on bored evenings. Revisiting anything is always a pleasure, but particularly so when it’s a series that you watched so much when you were younger. Indeed, it wasn’t long before I found myself pre-empting what the characters were going to say, resisting the urge to skip some scenes and rewind others, and forcing myself to watch in order.<\/p>\n

The first thing that strikes you with Buffy’s first season is how overwhelmingly Nineties it actually is. I mean, wow. From the hairstyles through to the ‘laptops’, or their spiritual ancestors and the dodgy old Apple Macs, there’s a charmingly kitsch, retro feel to the proceedings that’s just-of-date-enough to feel nostalgic rather than dated. The second thing that strikes you is how horrifically cheesy it is. “If you’re not jacked in, you’re not alive” from poor Fritz in ‘I Robot, You Jane’ immediately springs to mind, but let’s not forget the immortal “Oh look, a bad guy” from ‘Prophecy Girl’.<\/p>\n

Despite that, it’s still great fun. The cast gel together, the writing is snappy, if so overly emulated in modern shows that it feels almost tacky, until you remind yourself that this was the show that started it all. Some of the characterisation isn’t quite in place \u2013 Xander being a prime example – but overall it’s a fairly solid entrance to the series. It sets up the group dynamic well, and allows future plotlines to slowly take shape over the course of its 12 episodes.<\/p>\n

\"\"‘Welcome To The Hellmouth’<\/strong>
\nDirector: Charles Martin Smith \/ Writer: Joss Whedon
\nAir date: 10 March 1997
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Acting as a solid entry point for the series, ‘Welcome To The Hellmouth’ has a few great sequences in it, and it’s a well-made episode all around. It is horrifically cheesy of course, with the show still not quite managing to shake the campy roots of the film adaptation. In particular, a highlight for me is Buffy’s complete disdain for Cordelia and popularity in general, a major theme of the show.<\/p>\n

\"\"‘The Harvest’<\/strong>
\nDirector: John T Kretchmer \/ Writer: Joss Whedon
\nAir date: 10 March 1997
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Exciting and well done, but not necessarily as good as the first episode. It’s also a bit dodgy in terms of characterisation – Jesse is turned into a vampire and killed, but never really mentioned again in any great detail for the rest of the season (or, if memory serves me, the series). It’s understandable for setting the scene, but really.<\/p>\n

\"\"‘Witch’<\/strong>
\nDirector: Stephen Cragg \/ Writer: Dana Reston
\nAir date: 17 March 1997
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Buffy excels at these kind of funky little episodes, and it also introduced Amy, who would become (indirectly) a major influence on the show later. It’s a bit odd to see Buffy want to be a cheerleader though, given how she wasn’t too interested in immediately integrating with the school’s popular crowd in the opening episodes.<\/p>\n

\"\"‘Teacher’s Pet’<\/strong>
\nDirector: Bruce Seth Green \/ Writer: David Greenwalt
\nAir date: 24 March 1997
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This is actually where I started watching the show when it was first airing, but if I’m being completely honest, it’s a little poor. A giant preying mantis for a villain? Given the rich potential of the show’s universe, a giant bug is hardly the height of creative ambition, and it shows.<\/p>\n

\"\"‘Never Kill A Boy On The First Date’<\/strong>
\nDirector: David Semel \/ Writer: Rob Des Hotel, Dean Batali
\nAir date: 31 March 1997
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This episode was a little uneven, but on the whole quite enjoyable. It also marks the show out as being a little different – particularly with the boy actually getting into the power that Buffy has, and a nice little twist at the end where it’s revealed they didn’t actually stop the Anointed One from being, er, anointed. I would put a spoiler alert on, but come on guys, it’s 13 years old.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"‘The Pack’<\/strong>
\nDirector: Bruce Seth Green \/ Writer: Matt Kiene, Joe Reinkemeyer
\nAir date: 7 April 1997
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I’ve always loved the soundtrack in Buffy, particularly Far’s ‘Job’s Eyes’ that they used for the slow-motion pack sequence. It gets an extra star for that. Otherwise it’s a fairly mundane instalment, interesting in that it shows Xander, who has been a bit of a dick to Willow so far, is actually a nice guy. But on the whole, not great.<\/p>\n

\"\"‘Angel’<\/strong>
\nDirector: Scott Brazil \/ Writer: David Greenwalt
\nAir date: 14 April 1997
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Years before Bella and Edward were even a glimmer in Stephenie Meyer’s eye, Buffy had Angel. They’re still far better. I remember this episode being quite a shock at the time – it’s hard to recapture that, given Angel’s history in the show and its wider reach, but when he looks up with his game face\u2026 well, it’s still pretty iconic as a moment.<\/p>\n

\"\"‘I Robot\u2026 You Jane’<\/strong>
\nDirector: <\/em>Stephen Posey<\/em> \/ Writer: <\/em>Ashley Gable, Thomas A Swyden<\/em>
\n Air date: 28 April 1997
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Silly, silly, silly. As previously mentioned, the dialogue is absolutely atrocious in this episode, as is the Power Rangers-style villain. Willow’s story is an interesting enough comment on the dangers of hormonal obsession and a none-too-veiled comment about not really knowing who you’re talking to anonymously, but there’s not a lot else here, apart from a sad ‘suicide’ scene.<\/p>\n

\"\"‘The Puppet Show’<\/strong>
\nDirector: Ellen S Pressman \/ Writer: Rob Des Hotel, Dean Batali
\nAir date: 5 May 1997
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

“Limber\u2026 nubile.” This episode had some great dialogue, and a nice twist in that the puppet was actually one of the good guys. Creepy, yes, but a good guy nonetheless. It also wins points for a fantastic final scene, a small moment of humour that reminds you why the show is actually quite good still, and was so far ahead of its time.<\/p>\n

\"\"‘Nightmares’<\/strong>
\nDirector: Bruce Seth Green \/ Writer: Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt
\nAir date: 12 May 1997
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Along with the finale, this is probably my favourite episode of the season. It’s shot really nicely by Bruce Seth Green, it’s quite funny despite some serious subjects being tackled, and it’s quite cool that they made Buffy a vampire. Fanfiction suddenly had an adrenaline shot, at any rate.<\/p>\n

\"\"‘Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind’<\/strong>
\nDirector: Reza Badiyi \/ Writer: Joss Whedon, <\/em>Ashley Gable, Thomas A Swyden<\/em>
\n Air date: 19 May 1997
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I’m fairly ambivalent to this episode as a whole, although for a teen horror drama it had some good moments of tension. Continuing with the series’ theme of alienation and isolation to a real extreme, it also had a great epilogue, which I thought really was a classic moment of Joss Whedon’s genius.<\/p>\n

\"\"‘Prophecy Girl’<\/strong>
\nDirector: Joss Whedon \/ Writer: Joss Whedon
\nAir date: 2 June 1997
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A lot of people dislike the finale, and there are a few ridiculous moments in it. Buffy not drowning, for one, and the silly walk towards the school with the theme music blasting out in the background for another. There are some excellent parts though, such as Buffy’s “I’m 16 years old, I don’t want to die,” moment, the massacre in the AV room, and the delightfully low budget Hellmouth\/Lovecraft monster.<\/p>\n

Read the other entries in this series:<\/strong><\/p>\n