Sep
9
So I finished the fourth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer last weekend. Everyone told me it was the most hit-or-miss season of the series and they were definitely right. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it was another great season of Buffy, but there were some serious clunkers (Beer Bad, Where the Wild Things Are) and the Big Bad wasn’t as interesting as previous seasons. I think Adam was a good idea, but he just wasn’t all that threatening. They should have made him more of an amazing intellect who was outwitting the scooby gang at every turn, which I think is what they were going for, but it just didn’t come across all that well. Maybe a British accent would have helped?
But the transition to college was one of the best I’ve ever seen in a television series. I love how mature Willow became and that she suddenly developed a fashion sense, while still maintaining her Willow-ness. Also, her storylines with first with Oz and then with Tara were probably the most touching of the season. I also love that Spike and Anya are pretty much fully integrated into the show. (Spike is in the opening credits, Anya gets there in season 5.)
The Initiative storyline started off very intriguing and interesting, but it blew its load too soon and we didn’t really get much out of them during the second half of the season, other than being a shadowy organization. The reanimating the bodies of Forrest and especially Professor Walsh was hella creepy though. I just wish the second half of the season had more of those kinds of twists and turns. I’m gonna have to say the same about Riley too. He was great at first because he was so nice and different from Angel, but by the end of the season he was a bit of a bore. He’s kinda like the Aidan to Buffy’s Carrie. He’s nice, but Buffy needs her Big (who may very well be Spike the way things are coming along in season 5, and I’m okay with that).
Am I complaining too much? Because I don’t mean to. Season 4 had some of the best episodes of the series to date, like Hush, which was both terrifying and hysterical, everything a Buffy episode should be. Fear Itself (the Halloween frat party episode) and the Faith episodes were also quality television. The season finale was also very unexpected and jarring upon first seeing it, but now that I’ve started season 5 and can see what the point of that episode was, I’m appreciating it more and more.
September 9th, 2009 at 8:21 am
I wear the cheese. The cheese does not wear me.
September 9th, 2009 at 8:30 am
“Hush” by far was the stand out episode in that season, but I also agree there were many good moments. Oz’s discovery of Tara and Willow was one of the scenes that stands out for me too. The writing and acting were both well done.
I agree about Riley, he kind of left me feeling “meh” most of the season. I hadn’t thought much about the transition to college, but now that you mention it, it was pretty smooth.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Sigh. No Buffy for me. Never got into it. Hope you enjoy the next season more.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:02 am
I really liked season 4. The addition of Riley was a standout for me — I loved that character. Though that storyline did eventually just kinda peter out. [insert penis joke here]
“Hush” is my second-favorite Buffy episode ever — barely behind “Buffy, the musical”. Just brilliant TV. It was nominated for an Emmy that year, but I don’t remember if it won or not.
Spike was always my favorite character throughout the series (go figure), so his permanent addition to season 4 was super-cool.
I personally didn’t like the Willow/Tara storyline. The instant-lesbian thing didn’t sit well with me and just wasn’t very believable. It was like they just tossed it in as an afterthought to make Willow more interesting, but it came across as forced, too quick, and just ultimately fell flat because of that.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:04 am
Oh, and the stabbing/masturbation scene in “Hush” had me laughing so hard that tears were running down my face.
Hilarious.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:27 am
I loved season 4 as well. I really enjoyed the invoking of the 1st, especially in the context of other seasons.
Dave S.: I have to disagree with you. The Willow/Tara storyline didn’t really come out of nowhere. In “The Wish” Willow discovered that her alternate vampire self was gay. I really liked the Willow/Tara story arc. I was disappointed that Tara never made it into the credits. BUT, I know a number of people that didn’t like that storyline. I agree that the projector scene in “Hush” was probably one of the best ROFL moments of the series.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Apart from Season 1, season 4 was one of my least favorite. I just can’t stand Riley and I find the whole military thing tedious. Seasons 5, 6, and 7 are my favorites… especially 6.
September 9th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
I think the show did a great job at transitioning them to college.
And I say this ALL the time, but I hate, hate, hate when shows have break-ups or deaths and then the people are over them in ONE EPISODE!
So I love that Buffy handles break-ups better than other shows. Willow being upset over Oz and finding Tara was so well-orchestrated. I loved Willow all along, but I think season 4 was the point where I decided I loved her more than many of the other characters.
And Anya is def one of the funniest characters on the show and I’m so glad she went from a random character in one episode to a full-fledged member of the gang.
P.S. Carrie should have ended up with Aidan!!
September 9th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Dave S: Really? Cause I thought the Willow/Tara thing had a wonderful slow build, which is still building through season 5. I didn’t get a sense of instant lesbian at all.
Enrico: I love how storylines get extended through episodes too! That has always been a pet peeve of mine also.
September 9th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Sorry, never seen Buffy. I didn’t comment before now cause I was kinda hoping the comments would veer off into pineapple deserts, or mid-90’s music, or parapelgic porn, ya know, something I could comment on. But it’s stayed basically on topic. So, well, I got nothing.
Glad you’re enjoying it though.
HUGS….
Oh, and PS,
I hear there’s a show called Dr. Who that’s pretty neat.
September 9th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Oh yes, I love how things carry over and how the series has a memory of itself. For example, Xander uses a lot of his “military training” he retained from one of the Halloween episodes.
September 9th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Oz – I loved the cheese man.
Dave S. – The stabby scene is hilarious.
The vampires making fun of the cliche dorm posters cracked me up. I liked the roommate episode as well. Riley was a big hunk of boredom. I really loved Something Blue. I’m a big Spike fan.
September 9th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
YES! Love the season premiere and the cliche dorm posters. My friend had one of them! I think everyone had them.
I also love how the season premieres have these HUGE storylines that are wrapped up in a single episode. You think these people are gonna be the big bads (Count Dracula, anyone?) and they get wrapped up right away. So good.
September 9th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I know nuffin’ about Buffy except that it’s about vampirez and that E.Copterz lovez it. I must say, those creepster dudez in this entry’s banner pic scared the tamponz outta me!
September 12th, 2009 at 11:37 am
Season 5 will really blow you away. The episodes titles The Body and The Gift are true tear jerkers so make sure you have tissues available and you are along when you watch them. Also the big bad for season 5 is second only to Angel being bad, one of the best
September 21st, 2009 at 1:40 am
It was a good season, I was still in college that season