I KNOW WHO I WANT TO BE WHEN I GROW UP
Finally. I can't believe it's taken me this long. When I grow up, I want to be Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.
Talk about a late adopter. Back in 1992, I saw and thoroughly enjoyed the Kristy Swanson/Donald Sutherland movie that presaged the glorious ascension of Joss Whedon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and the universe she inhabited for 7 seasons on TV. After the show began in '97, I remember giving it a shot for a few episodes and being unmoved. I'm no longer a fan of serial TV series, and Buffy just seemed silly. What I missed by not paying much attention was the mythic undertones and the massive story arcs that would become Buffy's dramatic trademark for the rest of its fascinating run. I also seemed to miss the sharpness of the writing and the earnestness-trumps-irony performances of its players.
On disk 3 of the season 3 collection, there's a featurette called "Buffy Speaks." In it, the show's gifted writers talk about the specific and peculiar vernacular of the Buffyverse. The featurette quite unintentionally drives home precisely why Buffy was the amazing cult success it became. The writing. And why it was never far, far more successful in the mainstream. The writing.
I've bought and watched the first three seasons in under a month. That's about 60 episodes in four weeks. I knew halfway through the first season that it was special. I didn't expect season 2 to be so much better, and for season 3 to refine and elevate the whole affair. I can't imagine how the show continued to grow over 4 more seasons, but if my newfound enthusiasm is any indicator, I'll find out firsthand.
Talk about a late adopter. Back in 1992, I saw and thoroughly enjoyed the Kristy Swanson/Donald Sutherland movie that presaged the glorious ascension of Joss Whedon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and the universe she inhabited for 7 seasons on TV. After the show began in '97, I remember giving it a shot for a few episodes and being unmoved. I'm no longer a fan of serial TV series, and Buffy just seemed silly. What I missed by not paying much attention was the mythic undertones and the massive story arcs that would become Buffy's dramatic trademark for the rest of its fascinating run. I also seemed to miss the sharpness of the writing and the earnestness-trumps-irony performances of its players.
On disk 3 of the season 3 collection, there's a featurette called "Buffy Speaks." In it, the show's gifted writers talk about the specific and peculiar vernacular of the Buffyverse. The featurette quite unintentionally drives home precisely why Buffy was the amazing cult success it became. The writing. And why it was never far, far more successful in the mainstream. The writing.
I've bought and watched the first three seasons in under a month. That's about 60 episodes in four weeks. I knew halfway through the first season that it was special. I didn't expect season 2 to be so much better, and for season 3 to refine and elevate the whole affair. I can't imagine how the show continued to grow over 4 more seasons, but if my newfound enthusiasm is any indicator, I'll find out firsthand.
posted by Andrew @ 5:14 PM
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