In the twenty-second and final episode of the third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, NONE OF THIS WAS WHAT I EXPECTED. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Buffy.
Well. That was a lot to take in, wasn’t it? THIS WAS SUCH A SATISFYING SEASON FINALE TO WATCH, EVERYONE. I just have so many things I need to talk about? Like:
– That opening. I initially thought that the two-part finale aired all at once, but I just found out that because of the Columbine shooting, this got delayed FOR TWO MONTHS. Holy god, I can’t imagine having to wait two months to see the completion of the finale. While both halves of “Graduation Day” are just one ninety minute story, I love that they do work on their own. It was such a rad moment to open the second half with such a quiet and disturbing scene. Buffy spent so much time trying to convince Faith that she needed to be more careful; after Faith killed the Deputy Mayor, Buffy was so concerned about the death of a human, and now she’s just killed someone who was at one time her friend. Not only that, but she just did it all for nothing. She doesn’t have Faith’s blood, and Angel is still going to die.
But I was more blown away by the Mayor’s reaction to the scene at Faith’s apartment. It was when I was struck by the knowledge that his affection for Faith wasn’t an act at all. He genuinely cared for her. He wanted her safe. He viewed her as his daughter. And despite that he was going to eat the graduating class of Sunnydale High, I kind of felt bad for him? DAMN IT WHAT ARE ALL THESE EMOTIONS.
– ANGEL THOUGHT WILLOW WAS BUFFY. BLESS.
– Oz’s small lines are some of my favorite. I love that when Willow comes out to admit that Angel is so delusional that he thought she was Buffy, Oz just says, “You, too?”
– Ugh, Angel admits in the midst of his sickness that he doesn’t want to leave and that he needs her. WELL, MAKE UP YOUR MIND.
– No, for real, never in the history of this show did I ever expect Angel to drink Buffy’s blood. What a shocking and overwhelming scene, made all the better by Sarah Michelle Gellar’s fantastic FACE ACTING. So much of that scene relies just on her facial expression, and she RULES FOREVER.
– I have never commented on the logistics of this vampire world, but I like that the conversion process must be mutual. A person can still have their blood sucked, but it doesn’t necessarily kill them, and it definitely does not change them. It works well for the show, and it doesn’t feel like a cop-out.
– The first scene in the hospital just destroyed me. I was on Greyhound to Cleveland when I watched this episode, and when the camera panned around from an unconscious Buffy to show the bed next door with Faith in a coma, it took every ounce of willpower not to scream, “FUCK YOU, JOSS WHEDON.” Fuck, what an absolutely gut-wrenching plot twist. Buffy didn’t kill Faith, but she is incapacitated just ten feet away. Buffy never had to give up her own blood.
– In a way, I feel like that act – giving up her own blood to Angel – relates to her behavior in “The Prom.” It’s just such a selfless thing for her to do, and I really respect her for it. I enjoy that the writers are exploring this aspect of her character.
– When the Mayor tried to suffocate Buffy, I nearly peed myself. Seriously, the man can go from likable to disgusting in five seconds. Unbelievable.
– The whole “stick around for the second act” line is just SO. FUCKING. CREEPY.
– Hey, so… the entire scene where the Scoobies meet Angel and discover what he did is really fucking awkward!
– BUFFY’S DREAM. WHAT THE FUCK. Oh my god, Faith, I miss you. How is this show going to deal with you? I thought you were dead for sure, and now you’re here, and you’re in a coma, and I just feel bad for you. Why do I have a feeling this dream sequence has some other importance I’m not seeing?
– IT’S TIME TO GET READY FOR WAR THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER
– I refuse to apologize for my love of storytelling that switches between to different sets of characters to parallel what’s going on with them. It is done so perfectly here, to contrast the preparations for war between the Mayor and the Scoobies, and it gave this episode such an epic scope.
– HOLY SHIT WESLEY AND CORDELIA ARE KISSING.
– HOLY SHIT THEY REALIZE THEY ARE NOT AT ALL ATTRACTED TO ONE ANOTHER IN THE WAY THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE. THIS HAPPENED TO ME ONCE YEARS AGO. Oh god, I love this show so much.
– “We attack the Mayor with hummus.”
– “Our lives are different than other people’s.”
– Angel: SHUT THE FUCK UP. I am so irritated by you and your constant need for melodrama. First, you don’t want Buffy around. Then you want to help her. Then you don’t want to live. And now you won’t stick around to say goodbye because it’ll be “too painful.” Maybe it’s so painful because you won’t make up your goddamn mind. Can you even imagine the pain you are causing Buffy with this whole back-and-forth routine? No? SO STOP IT.
– Okay, I know that when this is over and I’ve seen every Buffy episode, it will be incredibly easy to name the start of graduation as one of the most tense moments in the entire show. I knew that the Scoobies had some sort of plan, and I loved that they involved Larry, Harmony, Jonathan, and other students in the process of setting it up. The plan itself was still a bit of a mystery to me; on top of that, I didn’t know if we’d actually get to see the Mayor have his Ascension. What if the plan involved something that would happen before his transformation started?
Once the eclipse happens, though, I was just in awe. It’s the simplest way to describe my experience. I was in shock. I couldn’t believe I was seeing the Mayor transform, and I couldn’t believe this was happening in front of hundreds of people. As I’ve said before, I love science fiction or fantasy stories that acknowledge the fact that statistically, there have to be witnesses to weird shit happening. But – actually, this deserves its own little point.
– I will forever believe that one of the coolest moments of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the hundred students ripping open their gowns and revealing a host of weaponry to attack the Mayor. It is perfection, and one of the most satisfying story choices imaginable. It’s a direct reference to “The Prom” in a way, only this time, Buffy has asked all the students to help her.
– PRINCIPAL SNYDER WAS KILLED BY A CREATURE THAT WASN’T A VAMPIRE. oh my god. Actually, I’m kind of sad about his death. He was kind of an unacknowledged cog in a machine, and I totally would have loved to see more of them.
– LOL WESLEY GOT PUNCHED OUT LOL
– THE VAMPIRE FIGHT. HOLY SHIT.
– Ugh, Larry’s dead, isn’t he? And so is Harmony, too. I think? Neither of them are really confirmed, but both of them don’t look too positive. SADFACES FOREVER. I LOVED LARRY.
– CORDY KILLED A VAMPIRE!!!!!!!
– “Hey! You remember this? I took it from Faith. Stuck it in her gut. Just slid in her like she was butter. You want to get it back from me, … Dick?”
– Buffy you are my favorite forever never change.
– The thing that made me the saddest? Seeing that the explosives were in the library, meaning that Giles’s collection was destroyed. Poor Giles!
– Um, so they blew up the school. THEY BLEW UP THE SCHOOL ON GRADUATION DAY. Lost all ability to can.
– I can’t get over this. SUNNYDALE HIGH WAS DESTROYED.
-Oh, of course Angel is going to Brood in the fog and smoke before disappearing. Angel was never truly worried about saying goodbye. He just needed to brood one last time.
– “Fire bad. Tree pretty.”
– Man, that last scene where they all look on at the ruins of Sunnydale High is such a huge moment to me. I was so surprised that the core group survived the Ascension because I expected so much awfulness. But that really wan’t what this was about. This was a rite of passage for them, a way for them all to move on to their future lives.
I don’t know how they’re going to pull off season four of Buffy and the first season of Angel. I’m actually pretty excited to be doing both shows at the same time as well. Tomorrow, I’ll post my predictions for the two shows, and we’ll start with a two-post day with the premieres of season four of Buffy and season one of Angel.
sweet summer child i am so unprepared
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/9SRkU.jpg">
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/cfPxy.jpg">
Orre sbnzl!
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Bu, V qba'g xabj. V svaq Pnir Ohssl fbeg bs punezvat. Abg dhvgr fb zhpu nf gur Ohsslobg, ohg fgvyy.
Bar bs zl nyy gvzr snibevgr zbzragf vf jura fur xabpxf Cnexre bhg.
Tbbq cbvag, V jnf fhecevfrq jura erjngpuvat gung Fnenu npghnyyl qbrf n cerggl qrprag wbo jvgu gur zngrevny naq znxrf Pnir Fynlre ernyyl fjrrg (fnivat Jvyybj qrfcvgr orvat fpnerq bs gur sver jnf n uvtuyvtug).
You win all the things.
All of the upvotes!
So I went to upvote this and the thumb icon was already green, and the number went up by one a second later, and I never pressed anything. And then I clicked it and it said "Error: you have already voted."
.
.
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HOLY SHIT MY COMPUTER IS PSYCHIC.
This comment is posted by a friend of hpfish13 and is not officially affiliated with spectralbovine. The opinions expressed in this comment represent those of hpfish13 and do not necessarily reflect those of spectralbovine. Any resemblance to spectralbovines, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
NO SPECTRALBOVINES WERE HARMED IN THE POSTING OF THIS COMMENT
I can’t believe I missed yesterday! Curse you real life!!!! *shakes fist*
Anyway, this finale is one of my favorite things of all time. This kind of finale is my favorite kind as well. I just love watching everything we’ve seen from the last three seasons and all the smaller characters we’ve met along the way come together to fight evil. It’s one of the reasons I love Deathly Hallows so much. It’s so wonderful seeing all these bit characters join forces in support of their hero. That moment when Buffy yells “NOW!!” and everyone reveals that they have weapons under their school robes is such an uplifting moment. Plus I love it when the hero ends up in charge and handles it masterfully (as both Buffy and Harry do!).
There are so many things to like from this two parter! (in no particular order)
•Xander and Cordelia kind of getting along
•Oz and Willow!
•Buffy “graduating” first from the Council and then from high school (by blowing it up!)
•Cordelia and Wesley’s incredibly awkward kiss
•Jr trg gur frg hc sbe bar bs zl snibevgr wbxrf "Jul jbhyq Snvgu xvyy fbzrbar jub fghqvrf Ihypnaf?"
•Buffy and Faith’s amazing fight (the choreography is so amazing!)
•The scene where Buffy sees Faith in the hospital (Faith looks so broken and Buffy’s compassion is evident, but so is her resolve)
•Anya!!!!!! I love her awkwardness!!!!
•Snyder gets eaten by the mayor (and reminds me of movie Umbridge “I WILL HAVE ORDER!”)
•“We attack the mayor with hummus” FAVORITE OZ QUOTE!
•The mayor’s last words “Well, gosh”
And here’s the official stuff for both episodes
Episode 21: Graduation Day, Part 1
Written and Directed by Joss Whedon
Original Airdate: 5/18/99
“As the gang prepares for graduation, they continue to search for a way to stop the Mayor’s Ascension. As they dig for answers, Angel gets shot by Faith with a poison arrow and the only cure for him is draining Faith’s blood, which would kill her.”
And part 2!
Episode 22: Graduation Day Part 2
Written and Directed by Joss Whedon
Original Airdate: 7/13/99
“When the Mayor finds out about Faith, he sends his henchmen after Buffy, who runs to get Angel and offers him some of her own blood to save him. Then Buffy, armed with Faith’s own knife, joins the rest of the students for graduation, which turns into a ceremony that no one will ever forget.”
Two things, I don’t remember the Mayor sending henchman after Buffy, I’m pretty sure he tried to kill her in person…summary you have failed! Also, according to Wikipedia (which is always right….), WB postponed this episode because they “feared that several scenes in "Graduation Day, Part Two" would provoke high school students to do the same thing, especially those depicting the entire graduating class handling weapons against the Mayor.” See, where I can understand pulling Earshot, I don’t get the postponement of this episode at all, simply because the use of weapons on school campus in this episode feels much more fantastical than in Earshot.
Anyways, onward to season 4!
I thought it got pulled because they actually blew up the school. Bombs were a huge concern at my school just after Columbine. It was my first experience with that lovely "If you see something, say something" request.
I seem to remember seeing or hearing the words "bloodbath on the front lawn of the school" given as a reason, too. I tried to look it up in the Washington Post's archives, because that's where I would have seen it, but stopped after finding a real gem in the first relevant article. Love the episode description:
Damn goths and their flame throwers.
Lol what the hell are “Goth-type weapons”?? If I had known being a Goth meant you got a flame thrower, I would have become one a long time ago. Now I’m just a flame-thrower-less non-Goth 🙁 🙁 🙁 Boo
I know, right? Anyway, I think that blurb is a sign that it wasn't just the school violence that got the episode pulled, but also the asinine panic going on about "weird" or fringe kids and media at the time.
We're all flame-thrower-less non-Goths. Weird.
Weren't the Columbine killers dressed in long leather coats or something similar?
Obviously a good reason to pull the episode.
[/sarcasm]
Yep, the "Trenchcoat Mafia" hysteria. Columbine happened right at the end of my senior year and a friend of mine who'd been wearing a black trench for years had to stop after that. (He knew that on his own, but wouldn't have been allowed to continue in any case.)
The awful thing is that neither of the shooters were actually in that group, that's just where initial suspicion fell because they were such a visible group of outsiders. Witch hunting at its finest.
Thanks again for this!!!
Well gosh.
THEY BLEW UP THE SCHOOL. THEY BLEW UP THE SCHOOL.
And…and…Larry died and Harmony died and Angel left but all I can think is THEY BLEW UP THE SCHOOL. The…the…the corridors and the cafeteria and the classrooms and THE LIBRARY and I think I’m going to cry guys they BLEW UP THE LIBRARY.
At least they took all the books out first.
But MAN OH MAN THAT EPISODE WAS SO FRIGGIN’ AWESOME. From the moment Buffy yelled ‘NOW!’ I just…I was gone. I was flailing around in my seat and shrieking the house down (I did make a point of watching this one when I was home alone). They used their entire graduating class! They were all in on it! And they fought the vamps hand to hand! And the mayor turned into a giant snake demon thing! Guys, he ate Principal Snyder.
And then they BLEW UP THE SCHOOL.
Ok, but I have three things which are unrelated to anything much, but I just couldn’t NOT mention…
– Oh god, Angel drinking Buffy? SUCH an awkward scene to watch. Like, could this be a more obvious sex metaphor? And…and the squishy sound effects? EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. This officially goes on my ‘Top Ten Scenes In Buffy That Were Really Awkward To Watch With My Father’ list.
– There was a weird scene where Wesley and Cordy kiss and it’s like…they don’t like the taste of each other or something? It was kinda funny but, like, is that a thing that can happen? Enlighten me, people.
– Why in the heck were they playing ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ at Graduation? That’s…a really patriotic British song? Isn’t it? I mean, I know the original tune by Elgar didn’t have any words, but I was under the impression that these days it’s basically synonymous with British patriotism and that’s what it’s famous for. If you Google ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ that’s all the stuff you come up with. I mean, I guess it’s a cool tune anyways, and it’s not like they had the lyrics playing, but it seems like an odd choice, that’s all. Why not play ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ or something?
In conclusion:
THEY BLEW UP THE SCHOOL.
I HATE THE SOUND EFFECTS IN THAT SCENE TOO, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Just… hits my squick button something fierce.
It reminds me of the drinking scene in Dracula Dead and Loving It, with the straw slurping sound effects.
in regards to land of hope and glory, it's played at almost all graduations in the U.S for the processional part when everyone walks in. Why? I have no idea.
Because Yale.
Why in the heck were they playing ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ at Graduation? That’s…a really patriotic British song?
Ha! I guess that's Joss's British schooling coming out.
Why in the heck were they playing ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ at Graduation? That’s…a really patriotic British song? Isn’t it?
Wikipedia tells me that Land of Hope and Glory is part of Pomp and Circumstance (or maybe the other way around, idk). ANYWAY, Pomp and Circumstance is the traditional music played at graduation ceremonies.
Indeed. It's so cheesy that I just cannot hear it without giggling. Even at my own high school graduation, I was in great danger of snorting, because the music has way too much gravitas and…pomp, I guess to apply to anything teenagers and young adults do. God, I hate Pomp and Circumstance so damn much….
I never understood why they always played it. We were neither particularly pompous nor particularly circumstantial at graduation.
And the tune for "The Star Spangled Banner" is British too, from the bawdy English drinking song, "To Anacreon in Heaven"
Also, the tune for "My Country Tis of Thee" is the tune for the Brtish national anthem, "God Save the Queen/King". hahahaha
I actually have never heard of 'My Country Tis Of Thee'?
Though I've heard the tune obviously. 😛
God Save The Queen/King is a stupid national anthem, everyone wants it to be 'Rule Britannia' anyway.
haha. These are the lyrics:
" My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From ev'ry mountainside
Let freedom ring!"
Oh that's pretty neat!
But I still prefer the second verse of our version…
"O Lord, our God, arise,
Scatter her enemies,
And make them fall.
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
God save us all."
If only for the use of the word 'knavish'.
I also like that you ask God to mess with your enemy's political process.
O Lord! May our foes suffer electoral fraud and legislative deadlock! May the air ring with filibusters and the lamentations of the be-scandal'd!
I kind of like the implication that we can't do shit, and are just reduced to yelling 'GOD SAVE US ALL'.
Like, 'OK God, you go out and scatter our enemies. We'll just sit here, drink tea and finish our crossword puzzles.'
That is so much awesomer than our version. I bow to your Britishness.
[youtube 5NqszdLiJxg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NqszdLiJxg youtube]
Giant hat, activate!
Giant fierce hat, if you please.
Fact: after the inauguration when shopping that hat became a meme, for a while, my default lj/jf icon was this:
<img src="http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d77/baranxi/Icons/isopodchurchhat.png">
Very stylish roly poly of the sea
We prefer the term "princess of the sea"
<img src="http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d77/baranxi/Icons/isopodprincess.jpg">
LOOK HOW PRETTY IT IS
beauteous, but I think it needs a little sparkle
<img src="http://i39.tinypic.com/52avx0.gif" width="350">
THAT IS SO BEAUTIFUL I COULD CRY
GOD I LOVE THIS THREAD.
HAVE YOU MET DITA VON ISOPOD YET
<img src="http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d77/baranxi/Icons/ditavonisopod.jpg">
This is quite embarrassing, but up until I was about…12, I thought our national anthem was “My Country Tis of Thee” because we NEVER sang “The Star Spangled Banner” in school EVER. No one wants to hear a bunch of out of tune kids screeching that song, so we’d sing “My Country Tis of Thee” instead- it was much easier.
But The Star Spangled Banner is so awesome!
OH SAY CAN YOU SEEEEEEE, BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHTTTTTT…
Seriously, you have the best anthem.
I guess it would be a little tricky for kids to sing though. I'm intrigued by the idea of singing it in school…we never sung our national anthem in school either? Is this another of those things like having American flags hanging everywhere? Because I always wondered about that too.
General consensus among people I know is that we loathe the Star Spangled Banner. Most of us wish America The Beautiful were our anthem, since it more aptly describes what we like about our country AND is easier to sing, to boot.
I'm in the "This Land Is Your Land" camp.
I love "This Land is Your Land!" It's so bouncy!
AGREE! It's fun and everyone can sing it! No more embarrassing renditions of our national anthem at sports games
"Star-Spangled Banner": rockets and bombs.
"America the Beautiful": asks God to favor us.
"This Land is Your Land": SOCIALISM!
I'm for "This Land is Your Land." There's a REASON they never teach schoolchildren the whole song. 😀
And it's by Woody, which was just generally sort of awesome.
I don't loathe the Star Spangled Banner, just most public performances of it.
I go to a lot of baseball games every summer, and most of the people singing it seem to treat it as some kind of showcase for their 'talents', so they add all kinds of ridiculous musical flourishes. And they usually sing it too slowly and in the wrong meter.
I'd try out myself (the Nationals hold open auditions, which at least seems pretty cool on its surface), but the prospect of singing (and possibly messing up) in front of 25,000 people kind of terrifies me…
Agreed. I HATE listening to everyone oversing the fuck out of that song. It's a great song, difficult to sing, but well-written. But wannabe pop stars and actual pop stars shouldn't be allowed anywhere near it. Just sing the damn notes as they are written and GTFO.
You never sang your national anthem in school?
EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR 12 YEARS.
And sometimes it was english and sometimes it was french and sometimes it was this weird hybrid that changed languages in between verses and resulted in the poor anglophones just spouting randoms syllables with hilarious results.
Yes! This! I think every Canadian school has the same three tapes of Oh, Canada.
I don't know the actual "Oh, Canada" song, so every time I see the title I think of this song by Five Iron Frenzy
[youtube lIrmPEyt0Nc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIrmPEyt0Nc youtube]
My choir had to sing "O Canada" once in high school, and I remember thinking it was the most boring, bloodless national anthem I'd ever heard.
The acapella one? Did you have that too?
I not only went to 8 British schools, but taught in four more. Never in any of them that I can recall did we sing the national anthem or, for that matter, fly the Union flag.
They would both be considered cheesy. And a bit tacky.
Here in Amurrica we slap the American flag on EVERYTHING. Underwear, cocktail napkins…
Bumpers, t-shirts, anything that even remotely resembles a flagpole regardless of size, cakes…
I've twice been in the USA over July 4th weekend, so I can believe it. I found it really hard to credit, though, even with the evidence of my own eyes. All those ordinary suburban houses with flagpoles! And actually flying the national flag!
We do that for huge sports tournaments (World Cup, possibly when the Olympics gets here), occasional royal events. And that's about it. We don't have a national day and only the Last Night of the Proms justifies singing patriotic stuff really loudly.
Yes, we are every bit as British as Giles. More so, really. We don't have blueberry scones, which shows even Giles went native a bit.
The thing is, there are supposed to be all these rules about the American Flag, and yet people hardly ever follow them unless they're in the military. We apparently prefer "American flag on ALL THE THINGS" to the actual Flag Code.
A couple of examples:
– The flag should not be used as "wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery", or for covering a speaker's desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general (exception for coffins). Any decoration in general? The Fourth of July would be very different if people followed this rule.
– The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed, or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use.
– And the slightly funny (to me, anyway) The flag should be raised briskly and lowered slowly and ceremoniously.
Also, the proper way to retire an American flag (which you are supposed to do when it starts to look a bit worn) is to BURN IT. Leaving ratty flags up is considered to be disrespectful.
Not to mention, if you are flying a flag at night, it is supposed to be lit at all times. My old apartment complex had one on a flagpole at the front entrance and they NEVER had a spotlight on it.
Yeah, and you're not supposed to fly it in the rain either, unless it's a special "all-weather flag."
Oddly enough in my neighbourhood in Canada someone has a flagpole with the flag of England (not the union jack) up in their yard and I still don't know what to make of that. They also got horses painted on their garage door they are weird.
If you've seen that one pic of a returning … military dude kissing his guy, let me tell you that the GIANT FUCKING FLAG distracted me from doing any gay squeeing because WHY? FLAG! WHAT
Canadians aren't quite as flag-waving as Americans but we do love to put maple leaves on all kinds of things.
That's because it just looks cool.
I actually like our anthem too, even if I can't actually sing notes that high and I tend to get the "broad stripes"/"bright stars" thing all mixed up! IDK, I just think it has cool lyrics.
Anyway, I do remember being forced throughout the early years of elementary school to make a choice on which song we wanted to sing that day. There was the National Anthem, a few alternates (My Country Tis of Thee, This Land is Your Land, etc), OR we could go the state route and sing our state's national anthem (which I have now totally forgotten), or a clever alternate (my favorite: "My home's in Montana/I wear a bandana/My spurs are of silver, my pony is gray/When ridin' the ranges/My luck never changes/My feet in my stirrups, I gallup away").
What about a pledge of allegiance? Do you guys have one of those? Because we had to say that for years beyond having to sing, from what I recall.
my god, we had to do the pledge of allegiance every morning for 6 years, and none of us knew the words. It was just "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the *mumble mumble garble garble*"
I like Calvin's version the best: http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2009/10/2…
haha I love Calvin! But really, what kid knew the words to that or what they meant?
My friend and I in elementary school made up a Pledge of Allegiance to the Lunch Ticket when we were bored of standing in the lunch line.
N..ooooo…no pledge of allegiance, and I'm a little vague on what that is. And you did it every day at school? Pledging your allegiance to what? Your country, I assume?
Isn't that sort of a given? Like, if I decided to suddenly become French or something, I'd tell ya.
Damn, you guys really love your country! Now I feel all un-patriotic. I shall have to buy a giant British flag and hang it out my window or something.
Yeah, it's a pledge of allegiance to the US. It goes like this:
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
And as far as I can tell, almost everywhere does it all through elementary school (which is especially perplexing in kindergarten, because what six year old knows half those words?) and then it varies more whether you recite it in middle and high school.
Fun fact, there is this debate about the Pledge that stirs up now and again wherein some people (myself included, when I was in school) refuse to say it, usually in protest of the "Under God" line, which was added in during the McCarthy era.
I refused to say it for a while! Because I didn't believe in any God and I also hated the entire concept of pledging allegiance to the flag! And yeah, I said it in elementary school, so that was my first encounter with the word "indivisible."
"Under God" was added to differentiate us from those Godless Commies.
If you leave out the "under god" part it doesn't really mess up the tempo at all.
I always love finding other people who refused to say the Pledge because they, too, are Godless Commies. I generally didn't get to much flack for it, but I definitely got funny looks for standing quietly with my hands clasped when everyone else was proclaiming their post-9/11 patriotism.
I always just went silent during "Under God." Which is funny when people around you do the same thing because it gets really obvious.
I shall have to buy a giant British flag and hang it out my window or something.
You want people thinking you're a neo-fascist?
Seriously, the flag has been hijacked by those foul English Nationalists and the BNP. Anyway, flag-waving's a bit ostentatious isn't it? For us Brits, I mean. Just not part of what we do.
It's pretty ridic. "I pledge allegiance to the flag/ of the United States of America/ and to the republic for which it stands/ one nation under god, indivisible/ with freedom and justice for all." In grade school we thankfully only had to do it once a week, along with a recitation of America the Beautiful. I don't remember ever being told why we had to say it, except that that was What People Did to be Good Americans.
Some places are super serious about the pledge and all that, to the point where kids will get disciplined for not participating. Thankfully no one ever noticed when my friends and I started being smartasses and pledged to Mother Russia and Barbara Streisand.
I remember being really envious that the two Jehovah's Witness kids in our class didn't have to recite the pledge with us. I was a rebellious little brat and I insisted on loudly reciting the pledge in Spanish at the same time as everyone else said it in English.
Isn't it "liberty and justice for all" instead of "freedom and justice for all?" We had to say it daily in elementary school, and hold our hands over our hearts while facing the flag in the classroom. If you didn't want to say it you could just remain silent. I don't remember anyone improvising new words though.
Hah, it might be. I haven't said it SINCE grade school, so I may be fuzzy on that last part.
I strongly suspect that the expectation of daily or weekly recitation of the Pledge in American schools was directly related to the Red Scare in the 1950's, and now we just do it because we "always have".
"really love our country" or "are filled with misplaced jingoism," take your pick.
I don't understand why we make kids say the Pledge of Allegiance at school. I mean, they start reciting it daily or weekly when they're about six, and they don't even know what most of the words mean. By the time they are equipped to understand it, they're so use to mindless recitation that it has become essentially meaningless. Pledges and oaths of this kind are something a person should only have to do once, and only by choice and with understanding. Otherwise it's gross indoctrination and knee-jerk "patriotism".
Frankly, I don't see patriotism as any kind of special virtue. It's just like religion or rooting for an athletic team; it's mostly to do with an accident of birth and geography. Yes, I want America to be the best it can be, but I want that for the whole world, and I don't think there's anything special or better about being an American. A lot of expressions of patriotism smack of icky elitism.
word.
double word.
Oh god, my state anthem is "On Wisconsin." SUCH A HORRIBLE EARWORM.
UGH YES. Going to Madison means I hear that damn song pretty much 10 times a day during football season so it is never out of my head. Just the tune though, since the only words I know are pretty much the title lol. Very thankful for that though! It would be much harder to get rid of if I knew the words.
If you read this book you'll have alternate lyrics to substitute. They're about vegetarian soup.
lol One of our state songs is "You Are My Sunshine." Just thinking about it is going to get it stuck in my head.
Ours is "Beautiful Ohio". Allegedly because I have never actually found anyone who's heard it or could identify it. We seem to have embraced our Official State Rock Song far more enthusiastically.
Which is why I had to learn how to play "Hang On Sloopy" on the oboe.
THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING. The McCoys weren't even from Ohio dammit!
Oh, I thought you were talking about "Cleveland Rocks." …
I've never even heard the Washington State song, but I assumed it was "Roll On, Columbia" until I looked it up just now. Huh. I think I will choose continue believing that it is, simply because that's one of Woody's songs, and Woody was awesome. (I cry every time I hear the song "Deportee".)
I find it amazing that people even sing national anthems, anywhere, though the US definitely is a frontrunner in reverence. In Germany we never do that, unless for international soccer games. Or so I think, I don't follow any sports.
Point is, we never did sing it at school.
Yes, but your country had a particularly strong "QUICK NEVER BE LIKE THIS AGAIN" reaction after WWII, and outlawed all kinds of nationalism stuff, so now you're way ahead of the rest of us when it comes to being level-headed and non-jingoistic.
Of course. But still, growing up where I did, knowing our history doesn't matter. We're just never even confronted with the idea (except "no don't do any of this"). Singing in school? Why? I'm kind of glad about it. But it's also very interesting, following the soccer world-game in … 2004, I think, a growing cultural identity shift maybe backwards to older patterns of national pride: "Oh we hosted the world series, we can be proud of our nation again". We're not reverting just yet, but it's something to be watched.
I actually think this is a strange thing about us americans. It seems like most people I know aren't patriotic but pretend to be because they think everyone else is. So I have to wonder if it's all a very strange farce of patriotism. Anyone else get that feeling? I mean, considering the general dissatisfaction we seem to have with our country, you still see a lot flags.
I've sometimes watched football games, and uh, we don't sing it then, either. We vaguely open our mouths at the melody.
At my primary school, we did learn the Bavarian anthem once. Uh, something about blue skies? White clouds? God? IDK
I have no idea. I also don't even know the words to any of our anthems. And I'd easily mix anthems from other countries … I couldn't keep the Austrian/Swiss other anthems apart for the hell of it. Or recognize it as such.
I just know that it's not Brüh im Glanze 😛
I do recognise the Austrian because, well, I am by birth and I heard it often enough, and also we have these really pathetic lyrics. Land of mountains, land on the river, land of fields, land of cathedrals… *insert eyeroll*
And of course I find it really funny that the melody for the German anthem is taken from the imperial anthem of Austria/Austria-Hungary. NACHMACHER
I'm very late to the commenting game because of time zones and the need for sleep but after reading this endless thread I feel the need to add my 2 cents about National Anthems.
I'm from South Africa. Our National anthem is in four different languages (or possibly five, I'm not sure) and is actually a mashup of two different songs. The first half is taken from an old Xhosa hymn and the second half is adapted from 'Die Stem van Suid Afrika' (The Call of South Africa) which was the old Afrikaans National Anthem during Apartheid.
We had to learn it at school because it became really awkward at international rugby games when everyone only knew the second half. Even today there is always a noticeable rise in volume from the crowds when it hits the bit everyone knows.
Thinking about it now I don't really know what most of it means because only the last stanza is in English (and I suck at all other languages). I know the first line is Xhosa for 'God bless Africa' and the Afrikaans bit is something about the sky and the ocean.
I know the words in that I can sound them out when singing it in a group but could never sing it by myself. It is a super fun anthem to sing though because it is all dramatic and the tune changes completely half way through. (I've always thought it must be hard for musicians trying to accompany it)
Anyway that's my 2 cents…
OKAY I CAN'T NOT DO THIS
[youtube s5iu_JNvPII http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5iu_JNvPII youtube]
The American national anthem I've noticed is a bit hazy in the middle! ‘Cause it starts strong and you finish strong, but the middle bit's a bit, "And fish in the sky, and a big… monkey pie…"
teeheehee
I love Eddie Izzard.
God attack the Queen
Send big dogs after her
That bite her bum
Seriously, you have the best anthem.
Nope, the French do.
LET'S MARCH, LET'S MARCH, UNTIL AN UNCLEAN BLOOD WATERS OUR FURROWS!
this is super late but I LOVE the French national anthem! It makes me feel all patriotic (it's so awesome it makes me care about my own country) even though it's incredibly violent and ridiculous
I always cry during *that scene* in Casablanca. It makes *me* feel patriotic, and I'm not even French!
True fact: I could sing the Marseillaise in French before I could speak French because it really is that awesome.
Super, SUPER LATE to seeing this, but YES. The French win for Most Awesome National Anthem, because I LOVE a bloodthirsty rousing song.
(the Russian one is also pretty badass though)
The only unfortunate thing about The Star Spangled Banner is the actualy title line, which just sounds like We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
We used to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" in my kindergarten, but we sang it in that super mushed-together little kid way without ever reading the lyrics so I thought it was "Oh saycan you see, by the dawnser lee light" (just like Ramona Quimby!) , as in we were telling the saycan exactly what it could see by whatever the heck a "dawnser" was. (I also used to think "ramparts" were some type of cow. I don't know.)
You think that's bad? My school song was in French and we had to memorize it, regardless of whether we spoke any French. So I learned it a long time before I could understand it and still am working on figuring out exactly what the words all are.
A lot of traditional songs recycle tunes from elsewhere. The folk process is awesome.
Yet another reason why the US National Anthem should be changed to "America, the Beautiful."
nooooooooo… no "God" in my national anthem, please.
I guess it just doesn't bother me as much because it just makes me think of The Westing Game.
For years I had only heard "Pomp and Circumstance" as an instrumental. I recently learned that "Land of Hope and Glory" is a song with lyrics, which struck me as odd in its way.
We all sing along with it, especially at the Last Night of the Proms. (Which has nothing to do with high school dances) As Enigmaticagentscully says, it's very patriotic.
I'm really glad Pachebel's Canon was what they always played at my school's graduations. I couldn't have kept a straight face to Pomp and Circumstance.
I can't keep a straight face to Pachelbel because of this guy.
[youtube JdxkVQy7QLM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM youtube]
I remember an interview with SMG talking about the scene with Angel drinking Buffy and how it was such an obvious sex/orgasm metaphor and that she didn't understand how the censors could miss it, but how glad she was that they did.
It's awesome when censors are small minded non-creative people who don't understand non-literal things. Yay!
They also allowed the far more obvious sex scene in Innocence. I guess you just have to go for the metaphor to get it on TV
Be or ba HCA, nxn gur argjbex jvgu (ng gur gvzr) ab Fgnaqneqf naq Cenpgvprf Qrcnegzrag.
Bu, frnfba fvk. Gur guvatf lbh tbg njnl jvgu.
Rirelguvat rkprcg znxvat sha bs snfg sbbq. Gung vf fvzcyl abg qbar.
The final scene, as scripted, and filmed, before the WB execs made them change it:
EXT. SAME (FRONT OF SCHOOL) – A BIT LATER
The gang (Oz, Willow, Xander, Cordelia) is together by the curb. Buffy joins them.
CORDELIA
Well, that was the most fun you can
have without having any fun.
WILLOW
What about the part where we kicked
demon ass? I didn't hate that.
XANDER
Guys, we blew up the school! It's the
best day ever!
WILLOW
Why do demons even come here anymore?
Don't they know how bad we are?
BUFFY
I think we've done pretty much everything
we can. You guys wanna take off?
CORDELIA
I'm for it.
WILLOW
(to Buffy)
You okay?
Buffy considers the question.
BUFFY
Yeah. I'm okay. I just… I could use a
little sleep.
WILLOW
Yeah.
BUFFY
If somebody could just wake me up
when it's time to go to college, that'd
be great.
OZ
Guys. Take a moment to deal with this.
We survived.
BUFFY
It was a hell of a battle.
OZ
Not that battle. High school.
They all think about it. It IS actually kind of cool.
OZ (cont'd)
We're taking a moment.
(beat)
And we're done.
They head off. As they recede in the distance, they continue:
XANDER
You know what the best part of high
school was?
BUFFY
When we blew it up?
XANDER
Yeah! That ruled. 'Cause you know the
thing that made it so special…
BUFFY
Was that the school blew up?
XANDER
Exactly!
BUFFY
I begin to find you troubling.
XANDER
Oh, come on, you know you're all
thinking it.
BUFFY
Well…
And then, overlapping:
WILLOW
I was.
CORDELIA
Pretty much.
OZ
Uh huh.
BUFFY
Yeah.
Their chatter dies away as they grow smaller in the frame, the camera finally tilting down to find a partially burnt yearbook lying on the ground
Sunnydale, '99
The future is ours.
BLACK OUT.
END OF SEASON
Awww, why'd they have to cut that? You know it'd be everybody's favorite part!
(Don't answer that, I know why. Still.)
When you say they changed it, what did they change? Cos I remember that scene pretty much exactly as typed. Was it on DVD but not on original broadcast, or something?
I know it as "Pomp and Circumstance" and it's played at lots of graduation ceremonies in the States – I don't think I've ever been to one that has it.
And yes, the sound effects for the drinking of Buffy horrify me. I have to mute that scene – otherwise, I love this episode but that just gives me the oogies.
Yvxr, pbhyq guvf or n zber boivbhf frk zrgncube?
Bu whfg jnvg sbe gur Jvyybj Gnen fcryy fghss va gur frpbaq unys bs gur sbhegu frnfba.
Am I the only person who has no trouble watching sex scenes with my parents? Maybe it's because my family is so open about this stuff, but my mom and I gush about the erotic stuff as if we were best friends
My parents never have a problem with sex on the TV, unless it's really overdone and gratuitous.
Haha, it's the same with me and my mom!
Oh lord, I think it's lovely that you're so close to your mom, but I just can't imagine doing that!
My parents are very British and middle class and…well it would be a bit like Buffy sitting down and watching a sex scene with Giles. I mean, they're not prudes or anything, we just don't…talk about that stuff at ALL. Ever.
I'm actually planning to watch Game of Thrones with them when it comes out on DVD and man is that ever gonna be awkward because nasty sex all over the place.
I watched the first episode of GoT with my dad, and his entire reaction pretty much summed to, "…well, that was a lot of sex."
We did not continue the experiment.
LOLLL exactly the same with my mom. Never trying that again
Haha, my family is like that too. We stick to PG movies or sex scene-less ones. If not, the amount of AWKWARD would crush and kill us all.
Same here, although I once somehow managed to end up watching 40 Year Old Virgin with my parents AND my grandparents.
a more awkward afternoon has never been had.
OH GOD MY ENTIRE FAMILY SAT DOWN AND WATCHED the Tilda Swinton movie "I Am Love" together one time and IT HAS THE LONGEST SEX SCENE IN THE HISTORY OF SEX SCENES
See, my mom was the one who made me watch 40 Year Old Virgin with her cause she thought it was so funny. Then there was the Christmas morning when my whole family sat around watching Dick in the Box over and over.
I used to get embarrassed about this stuff when I was a teenager/pre-teen, but I got over it cause my parents just didn't stop with it.
My mom made me watch it and then made me promise that no matter what I'd have sex before I turned 40. I told her not to worry, that I'd already had sex, and she was very relieved
I watched Brokeback Mountain with my grandparents. Yeah.
My family and I are much the same, except my problem tends to be that I am watching some normal, ordinary TV show aimed at adults, but my mum always seems to walk in on like the ONE sex scene that episode. I am okay with my shows having some sex, but I'd rather people didn't get the impression that I am picking my shows FOR that…
The parents ALWAYS walk in at the sex scene. ALWAYS.
My mother tends to come into earshot whenever I play a song in German about sex. There was an awkward moment not long ago where she came to my room just as a chorus which translates to "I don't have to do anything but sleep, drink, breathe and fuck" came up >_>
I was once watching a Dylan Moran DVD when my Dad walked in, just as he started a routine about how awkward it is to tell your Dad that you love him. That was cringetastic.
…well it would be a bit like Buffy sitting down and watching a sex scene with Giles.
As in Buffy and Giles watching a sex scene, or Buffy watching a Giles sex scene? 🙂
Nah, I don't have a problem watching or talking about sex scenes with my mom, with the exception of the sexposition in GOT. That was awkward to watch by myself tbh. We had a laugh about it, though.
That scene was so awkward. I can only imagine that the thought process was "we need lesbian sex somewhere. Where can we put lesbian sex? Hey, maybe while Littlefinger is monologuing!" There was just no reason for it except to titillate viewers
Oh my goodness, our family is super super open about sex and stuff, but watching that scene with my brother made me want to die. So awkward!
Where can we put lesbian sex? Hey, maybe while Littlefinger is monologuing!
Now, I haven't watched GoT so I don't know who that is, BUT THAT SOUNDS ALL KINDS OF WRONG
(The kind of wrong that's juuuuuuuust right)
It's better if you know the guy who plays Littlefinger was the same actor who played Stuart in "Queer as Folk".
I actually found the sexposition scene between Viserys and Doreah to be the most awkward for me. I don't know, I guess because Viserys was involved?
The only time I was EVER uncomfortable was when I took my Dad to see "Avenue Q" on Broadway. Normal sex in movies? Totally fine and comfortable. Puppet sex? Had just both awkwardly laughing and squirming in our seats.
V bayl arrq gb fnl: Lbh znxr zr PBZRcyrgr
Remember not to watch Team America with him then.
Also, how awesome is Avenue Q? One of my favorite musicals.
MY FAMILY IS DEFINITELY THE KIND OF FAMILY WHO FINDS SEX SCENES AWKWARD TO WATCH TOGETHER. And like if there is an sex scene happening in something we're watching together, we NEVER talk about it afterwards.
Bu whfg jnvg sbe gur Jvyybj Gnen fcryy fghss va gur frpbaq unys bs gur sbhegu frnfba.
Be gur ragvergl bs frnfba fvk. V pna whfg vzntvar ure naq ure qnq fvggvat gurer njxjneqyl jngpuvat gur anxrq chfu-hcf va Tbar. Tvttyr.
Anxrq chfu hcf! Nyfb, va frnfba sbhe jura Ohssl naq Evyrl naq gur orq chyy njnl sebz gur pnzren. Be Ohssl naq Fcvxr univat frk va na nyyrl be ng gur Oebamr be va n pbyyncfvat ubhfr. Fb zhpu frk. Fb, fb ubg.
Fb znal bccbeghavgvrf gb or Oevgvfu naq cergraq lbh'er abg npghnyyl jngpuvat vg jvgu gur sehvg bs lbhe ybvaf. :Q
Pomp and Circumstance has been pretty much the default to be played at graduations since it was played for Elgar when he received an honorary degree from Yale. The thing is, the boring slow part is often the only part played since it's the part everyone knows.
I was a bit confused by your comment, so I looked it up. Apparently what you call "Land of Hope and Glory" we call "Pomp and Circumstance" and it's pretty standard for U.S. graduations, for some reason.
Pomp and Circumstance is played at practically every high school graduation here. According to my high school orchestra conductor, it’s because Yale invited Elgar to speak at their graduation so they played the march and I guess if Yale does it, everyone does it. In high school, I had to attend all the graduations because the orchestra had to play it AND IT WAS TERRIBLE. IT GOT STUCK IN YOUR HEAD FOREVER
I AGREE. THOSE SQUELCHING NOISES WERE SO GROSS
From Wikipedia: In the United States, the Trio section "Land of Hope and Glory" of March No. 1 is sometimes known simply as "Pomp and Circumstance" or as "The Graduation March", and is played as the processional tune at virtually all high school and college graduation ceremonies.[5] It was first played at such a ceremony on 28 June 1905, at Yale University, where the Professor of Music Samuel Sanford had invited his friend Elgar to attend commencement and receive an honorary Doctorate of Music. Elgar accepted, and Sanford made certain he was the star of the proceedings, engaging the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the College Choir, the Glee Club, the music faculty members, and New York musicians to perform two parts from Elgar's oratorio The Light of Life and, as the graduates and officials marched out, "Pomp and Circumstance" March No. 1. Elgar repaid the compliment by dedicating the Introduction and Allegro to Sanford later that year.[6] The tune soon became de rigueur at American graduations, used primarily as a processional at the opening of the ceremony (although it is still used now only as a recessional at Yale).
It's an American thing. That's just what we play at high school and college graduations.
There was a weird scene where Wesley and Cordy kiss and it’s like…they don’t like the taste of each other or something? It was kinda funny but, like, is that a thing that can happen? Enlighten me, people.
Well, I can say that my best friend for about… 15 years now? We met when we were in high school and tried dating, because we were really immediately drawn to each other in a way that was like crushing on each other, and we confused that with something sexual… But no, it really didn't work that way when we tried it out. (I realized later than I didn't even like guys like that.)
Also, it looks like Wesley is a really bad kisser. LOL.
I've crushed on people so hard they were all I could think of, but when we were finally in a situation where we could do something about it, I realised I didn't actually want them after a kiss.
I once stopped seeing a guy because he was a bad kisser. And then I lied and said it was for something else because it felt kind of shallow. But it was the worst kiss of my life.
Also, afterwards he emailed me of .gif of Naked Mal saying "That went well"
Ahahahha. Are you still in contact? Because at least he's funny.
No, we only had two dates. I broke off the third and he kept pestering me about why. It's a shame because he was an astro-biologist, which has to be the coolest job ever.
Ugh, we call it "Pomp and Circumstance," and it's the most annoying song ever. We had to practice it endlessly in the Spring every year to play at graduation. And I'll tell you what, your conductor will give you the Maggie Smith Death Glare if you DARE to bring a book to read during the speeches. I did it anyway, every year, and my conductor commenced with the MSDG. Shudder.
I am so with you on the squickiness of the Angel drinking Buffy scene. But you know, Buffy's destruction of the innocent water jug reminds me of a certain sparkly vampire destroying a headboard. I think this scene might just be an answer to Twilight's wedding night scene. Shudder Mode engaged!
Just proof that everything Twilight did, Buffy did first and better.
So say we all.
So say we all! **PapAdama Slow Clap**
You forgot! THEY BLEW UP THE SCHOOL. XD
I could not watch either of those things. The sound effects were awful and somehow made both hot actors unappealing. What an accomplishment, there. As far as the blood-drinking, I just never got it. I can handle blood fine. I am not squeamish in the least, but something about a vampire biting through the neck of a pretty woman is unappealing. But vampires are popular.
As far as the Cordy/Wesley kiss, I know from experience that I have been attracted to someone, made out with them, and then we mutually knew in an instance that the chemistry was all wrong. That's all I can offer?
Huh, well it's interesting to note anyway.
I sort of assumed that kissing was a thing that just automatically worked with someone you were attracted to, but I guess not?
Thanks for the info, everyone! I don't mean to be all Anya about it, but I have literally no experience to work with here on kissing, be it good or bad, so it's actually kind of fascinating to read all your responses.
I don't know all the psychological/sociological and science-y terms but I think the complication is like… attraction before you get sexual with someone is based on stuff like personality, the way someone carries themselves/attitude, and physical appearance, and that sexual attraction/arousal is by necessary based somewhat on fantasy…
But then when you actually start making out/groping/having sex with someone, now that's affected by something more.. phernome-y and chemical and the way your bodies work together and just personal preferences. And people can enjoy different ways and kinds of kissing/touching/sex acts — what's good for you might not be good for me, no matter how initially attracted we were to each other. There's been a person whose kissing style I absolutely hated but then I knew someone who'd kissed her and thought it was just fine. Sometimes people who like each other and find each other good looking really aren't compatible "in the bedroom".
LOL that's why my sister used to always say she wouldn't date someone without a "test drive" first (date as in committed dating relationship — she'd go on dates with guys but wouldn't progress to anything understood to be an actual relationship until they'd had sex, to avoid the awkwardness of realizing then that they weren't that sexually compatible.) That matters more to some people than others, though. Either way doesn't make someone a good or bad person — some people to find sexual compatibility to be a very key part of a successful romantic relationship and other people have other things that can be important enough to them that sexual incompatibility is just something to work with.
Just to be clear, you never kissed anyone?
And no, it doesn't automatically work. 🙂
It's a lot like sex sometimes. Awkward, but you can't really … say it. Or if you did, you're usually an asshole.
The Wesley/Cordelia kiss also doesn't work though because way I see it, Alexis Denisof especially is clearly totally overplaying it (Love him to death).
It's totally possible to love someone with whom you just can't find a same basic level understanding of what a kiss is suppossed to be. That can prove to become a serious problem.
"Gur Jrfyrl/Pbeqryvn xvff" – jevgvat guvf srryf fb njxjneq. Gubfr gjb ner abg fhccbffrq gb xvff. Nf ner Natry/Pbeqryvn gb zr, fgvyy.
njjj, v gubhtug natry/pbeql jnf fjrrg! ohg v trarenyyl yvxr pnaba cnvevatf. v'z cebonoyl gur bayl bar jub ernyyl qht ohssl/evyrl.
Bu V yvxrq Evyrl. Lbh xabj, va n pnaba fbeg-bs jnl. V jnf nyjnlf ba Ohssl'f fvqr jvgu uvz, fb jura fur pnerq, V qvq.
Pbeqryvn/Natry, vg'f abg orpnhfr bs Ohssl, tbqf ab. V haqrefgnaq gung Natry pna fgvyy ybir ure naq lrg fgvyy znlor arrq gb snyy va ybir jvgu fbzrbar ryfr fbzrqnl. Vg'f whfg, V pna'g trg rneyl Ohssl frnfbaf Pbeqryvn/Natry bhg bs zl urnq, jurer gur vqrn jnf whfg YNHTUNOYR. Fbzrgvzrf V qb srry sbe gurz, ohg rfcrpvnyyl va frnfba 4 V arire haqrefgbbq Natry. Fur'f npgvat shpxvat jrveq, bssrevat urefrys hc (jung jnf gung jvgu Natryhf?!) naq tbvat onpx naq sbegu … V xabj lbh yvxr qenzn, Natry, ohg cyrnfr. Ohg V thrff V qvq inthryl yvxr gurz va frnfba 3. Ohg rfcrpvnyyl gurve fvfgreyl/oebgureyl eryngvbafuvc va Natry frnfbaf 1 naq 2. Jura fur pbhyq xvff uvz naq ur jbhyq or yvxr "Jul vf lbhe zbhgu ba zl zbhgu, jul jung ner lbh qbvat?!"
Yup, nearly 20 years of life, noooo kissing as yet…
Forever alone etc etc.
Don't worry. It'll happen, and then you'll know the value of a really embarrassing kiss like those who do the kissage do.
Actually, one of my boyfriends, we were both kind of shy about each other for a really long time even though we knew we liked each other, so we kept dancing around the issue and never actually kissing. Finally he invited me to stay at his house over spring break, and like, I KNEW that meant we would end up making out, and I was like "oh god we've never kissed before WHAT IF IT'S AWFUL AND I HATE IT." It… was actually awesome, but I do remember having that flash of terror that I would hate kissing this guy and then have to spend the rest of the week with his family.
Great story.
Did you make a back up plan just in case? Like . . . okay, if his kiss is slimy, or we weirdly clink teeth, or he tries to reach my voice box with his tongue, then first I'll distract him ("are those ferrules on your brush?"). When he looks over to see if there are actually metal parts attaching his brush hairs to his brush–or possibly mishears and looks for ferrets on his brush–then I'll fake left and dodge right to escape his embrace and run downstairs. If nobody is around, then I'll pretend to fall down the stairs and insist on being taken to the emergency room where I'll call a friend to pick me up. Extraction complete! If somebody is around the stairs, then I'll clutch my stomach and gasp "oh no, it's Cholera again!" Rinse, repeat emergency room extraction. Either way, ESCAPE!
Yah, I'd rather incur an emergency room bill than a week of embarrassment.
Hahahaha well, I was in another state to visit him, so I wouldn't have been able to randomly phone a friend to pick me up. BUT I LIKE THE WAY YOU THINK.
Agreed about the music. It was a very odd choice.
Why? I assume you're replying to all the comments re: Angel bites Buffy.
I always felt the music was perfect there. Sensual, because obviously, but also, of course it's icky and awkward and disgusting, this is 'Buffy the vampire slayer' after all- Angel biting Buffy in this very context, of course it had to be presented as highly problematic.
No, I was meaning Land of Hope and Glory, which which just seemed oddly British for an American ceremony, but judging from tzikeh's comment below, perhaps it's not so unusual, after all.
It's played at every American high-school graduation.
Spoiler-free excerpt from a fanfic, in which a traveler has detected the Hellmouth and tracked the "signal" to the school's basement:
The air smelled of dust, heating oil, and the last traces of the smoked-ham scent that's sometimes left behind after a big wood fire. Laced through all the rest, though, was something faintly acrid and vaguely familiar. With a start, I realized it was the unique and distinctive tang of explosives residue, aged and weak but still there.
I stopped short and thought about that for a moment. Someone had deliberately blown up the school?
Cool. I'd always wanted to do that when I was a kid.
Of course, getting the ability to actually do so kinda cured me of that, but, still, cool.
In a disturbing, anarchistic kind of way.
So, anyway, once I got over the minor zing of discovering someone had really and truly enacted the dreams of millions of schoolchildren, I started exploring….
So, I think everyone has answered this, but, also from Wikipedia, "The music to which the words of the refrain "Land of Hope and Glory, &c" [1] below are set is the "trio" theme from Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1.[2] The words were fitted to the melody on the suggestion of King Edward VII who told Elgar he thought the melody would make a great song."
And yes, everyone who has ever been in high school band in the United States has had to play this song over and over and over until the melody has lodged itself so deeply into the subconscious that only two or three notes are necessary to have the thing stuck in your head for days. (You play about 8 bars on repeat until everyone graduating has processed in.)
Wow I've never known that song as NOT the "graduation music" in like 99% of all US graduations, well, except it was originally created for funerals? I think. I may have it mixed up with something else. My eyes have opened.
At least they took all the books out first.
You win More Observant Than Mark points! In fact, you win those in most of your comments, but usually I can't say anything for fear of spoiling. 😛
I don't know, I think you can think someone is physically attractive but then not have any chemistry with them? But I think you usually figure that out BEFORE you get to the awkward kissing.
"There was a weird scene where Wesley and Cordy kiss and it’s like…they don’t like the taste of each other or something? It was kinda funny but, like, is that a thing that can happen? Enlighten me, people."
Haha, oh my goodness, this made me giggle! <3 It's not that they don't like the taste of each other, it's that the chemistry isn't there between them. This can *totally* happen, and it's definitely happened to me before. You like someone, they like you; you kiss, and… there's just nothing. Just because you have emotional chemistry with someone doesn't necessarily mean you're going to have good physical chemistry with them, too. 🙂
On another note: my mum and aunt were never weird about watching sex scenes in movies, really. My mum was always annoyed that violence would garner a lower rating than sex in movies, because "I'd much rather you had sex than were involved with violence!" Admittedly, however, the second episode of Torchwood was a bit awkward. XD
I ADORE HOW LONG THIS THREAD IS.
JESUS WHY DO MY POSTS ALWAYS END UP LIKE THIS?
This is why I have over 1000 unread emails in my inbox right now you guys.
Never stop being awesome!
In addition to the "lack of chemistry happens" thing other people have mentioned, to me it always seemed Wes and Cordelia wanted different things from the kiss: Wesley was going for a more chaste, pursed-lip, no touching sort of kiss, whereas Cordelia was trying for a passionate embrace scenario. I mostly attribute it to the age difference: she's wanting a full-on make-out kiss thing, and he isn't comfortable with the intimacy because of the age difference so he doesn't know where he can put his hands or if he can really kiss her back. Or maybe he's just that bad a kisser. Or "too British" – I always hear this stereotype that Brits are sexually repressed and I'm all lol America have you heard of pots and kettles?
When watching this scene I couldn't help but think of the Doctor getting his first kiss from River and his similarly ridiculous arm movements.
EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL AND ONLY SOME OF IT HURTS! Random story that nobody cares about, my attempt to rewatch this episode the other week was interrupted by four powercuts in the space of about 30 minutes (the weather wasn't bad or anything, the electricity was just being weird for some reason)
– The Mayor being more upset than we've ever seen him when viewing Faith's apartment. Harry Groener for all of the awards! It's a sign of how much he cares about Faith that he, at least momentarily, prioritises finding her over his Ascension.
– Handy Cordelia showing up to provide exposition about Wesley that didn't fit into the Previously On.
– I will never stop laughing at the delirious Angel mistaking Willow, and Oz apparently, for Buffy. Okay this is one occasion where I find him genuinely entertaining.
– "This is the best night of my life" Awww Willow
– Hello there metaphoric biting scene. Yeah that happened. Hey The First turned out to be right, he DID drink from her.
– Way to not be suspicious by ripping the door handle off ANGEL!
– FAAAAITH in a coma! 🙁 The one shot from Angel bringing Buffy to the hospital through to the Mayor attempting to smother her is just amazingly well done. Yet more amazing work from Harry Groener, he goes from genuine concern for Faith to utter rage at Buffy and Angel.
– Love Giles' quiet but obvious disapproval of what Angel, ASH puts so much emotion into a few words.
– The Buffy/Faith dream vision…thing is easily the best dream this show has done (fb sne). It's full of plot details but also a really beautiful moment between the two Slayers. And then we get the second callback to Enemies with Buffy kissing Faith on the head this time.
– "Yvggyr Zvff Zhssrg pbhagvat qbja sebz frira-guerr-bu" WBFF JURQBA LBH ZNTAVSVPRAG ONFGNEQ V jvyy ybir uvz sberire orpnhfr bs guvf bar yvar naq rirelguvat vg sberfunqbjf.
– Buffy's back in determined mode, yay!
– "We attack the Mayor with hummus." I wish we could have seen this, it would have been hilarious.
– Hee at Willow's reaction to "After". It takes a second to hit her.
– The ebola plan would have been fun to see too.
– The intercut scenes of the two sides planning, nice way to let us hear some information while still holding back enough to keep us surprised during the actual climax.
– "xvyy qba'g srrq." Lrrrnnnu fbzrbar rvgure jnfa'g yvfgravat be whfg qvqa'g pner jura gurl qrpvqrq gb punatr Unezbal.
– "Let's watch the swearing." Hee, he's back to his usual affable self.
– Aaah Cordelia and Wesley, most awkward kiss ever? I think so.
– Awww Wbanguna and Larry working together to move supplies around. I don't know why I find this as sweet as I do.
– "I saw that gesture, you see me after Graduation!" Well okay now I feel kind of bad for him because…nope.
– Hee at Willow and Oz sneaking in after it starts.
– "He's gonna do the entire speech." "Man just Ascend already!" "Evil!" I love both of you so much right now.
– The Mayor's nod to Faith's absence is a sweet touch, he remembers her right before the change. Dropping "Ascend" into his speech is just delightful in a "flaunting my plans" way.
– The actual shift from human to snake is a little iffy but the CGI on the final snake is pretty impressive (and a vast improvement on Lurconis).
– "NOW!" MOST EPIC WAY TO END A SEASON, everyone gets to have a part in the final battle even the side characters.
– FLAMING ARROWS! That is all.
– ROFL forever at Wesley immediately getting knocked down (at Alexis Denisof's request I believe)
– FUUUUU SNYDER, yet another Sunnydale High Principal gets eaten.
– "GET THE KIDS!" The crowd charging in response with that heoic swell of music is just beautiful.
– And Cordelia finally gets to stake a vampire! YAY FOR CORDY!
– "You wanna get it back from me? Dick?" Again, I love you Buffy. The subsequent chase through the school is awesome, if slightly heartbreaking to see the sets being destroyed like this (THE LIBRARAY NO!)
– "Well gosh" BEST LAST WORDS FOR A VILLAIN or anyone EVER!
– lol Wesley meebling his way into the ambulance.
– "Fire bad, tree pretty" Hee forever
– Awww GIles finding her diploma <3
– Bye Angel! Enjoy your spinoff! Probably not going to miss you much.
– "Not the batle. High school" Oh Oz <3
– Olr Pbeqryvn! Lbh V jvyy zvff. V'z fgvyy fyvtugyl qvfnccbvagrq gung gurer jnf arire n cebcre qrcnegher fprar sbe ure. Fur jnyxf njnl urer naq abobql rire srryf gur arrq gb pbzzrag ba gur snpg gung fur yrnirf gbja. Whfg n srj yvarf va Gur Serfuzna zvtugunir orra avpr.
Jul qb V unir n srryvat guvf qernz frdhrapr unf fbzr bgure vzcbegnapr V’z abg frrvat?
ARIRE CERCNERQ!
The single shot in the hospital room is amazing. Joss is a big fan of those long shots and he always does it so well.
V nterr jvgu lbh gbgnyyl nobhg Pbeqryvn'f qrcnegher. Va snpg, fur arire rira trgf zragvbarq nsgre guvf, qbrf fur? Vg'f xvaq bs fnq.
Ba gur bgure unaq, qbrf Znex rira xabj gung fur'f bss gb Natry? Vs abg, ur'f tbaan syvc jura ur svaqf bhg!
– Bye Angel! Enjoy your spinoff! Probably not going to miss you much.
Oh, bless you. My thoughts exactly. :))
I understand that plenty of you are not Angel fans, but I still recommend watching Angel along with Mark. It's an amazing show and you will be surprised. Angel on Angel is not Angel on Buffy.
I am no fan of Angel-on-Buffy, but I do agree with you. I don't love it the way I do Buffy, but its a good show and absolutely worth it, especially for people watching on DVDs/Netflix.
My thoughts too 🙂
– "Yvggyr Zvff Zhssrg pbhagvat qbja sebz frira-guerr-bu" WBFF JURQBA LBH ZNTAVSVPRAG ONFGNEQ V jvyy ybir uvz sberire orpnhfr bs guvf bar yvar naq rirelguvat vg sberfunqbjf.
Znlor V'z na vqvbg, ohg rira gubhtu V'ir frra nyy bs Ohssl naq Natry, V qba'g trg guvf. 'Fcynva cyrnfr?
V pna'g erzrzore gur rknpg ybtvp, ohg vg'f Qnja sberfunqbjvat.
'frira guerr bu' sberfunqbjf Ohssl'f qrngu ng gur raq bs frnfba svir (gjb lrnef sebz abj), juvyr Yvggyr Zvff Zhssrg vf trarenyyl gnxra gb ersre gb Qnja.
The Mayor's reaction to the empty, trashed apartment is, I think, the first time we've seen him shout like that. It's obvious here and in the later scene in the hospital how much he really does care about Faith as a daughter. It's almost sad to see him trying to convince himself that Faith will be all right and that there's nothing to worry about. And it IS sad that this guy is the one who's shown the most genuine concern and love for Faith's wellbeing since she got here, probably in her entire life. I continue to side-eye the fact that none of the Scoobies ever cared half as much about her.
Xander, silly, coffee has more caffeine than tea.
See, when I watched this, I already knew that the spinoff was coming, and in fairly short order too. So I couldn't help but be utterly bored by the "Angel has been mystically poisoned" plotline because I knew he'd end up A-OK in time to waltz off to his own show. There was just no suspense or tension for me at all in this aside from worrying about Faith. Also the "drink me" line makes me laugh and think of Alice in Wonderland.
Soooooooooooo. The blood-drinking scene. This would be a highly relevant time to mention that the whole "vampires as sexy" thing always makes me think of this scene from Daria:
Helen: "You're a vampire?" she whispered to the pale stranger with the brooding eyes. She felt her bosom flush and heave with excitement. "You've come to take my blood!" "Your blood?" he laughed. "Oh, there's time enough to take your blood. Tonight I'm going to take your…"
<img src="http://i44.tinypic.com/b6po5u.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
Helen: "…take your pulse! To make sure that, you know, the blood will be there when I come back."
<img src="http://i44.tinypic.com/25ovtd5.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
THIS IS MY FAVORITE MAYOR SCENE BY FAR. Not that anything before was bad, but Harry Groener really knocks it out of the fucking park here like nothing else we've previously seen. He first displays his grief over Faith's condition, and then we see him completely break down with rage when he tries to kill Buffy and rants at Angel and it's feral and terrifying. (As a side note, Angel's tossing aside of Wilkins coupled with the spoken, rather than shouted, "Don't do that" felt very Angelus-like.) While I had a problem with Buffy calling Cordelia a "vapid whore" back in Homecoming, I don't have any issues with the Mayor using the word here. For one thing, he's a villain, I'm not expected to sympathize with him, whereas I was supposed to be on Buffy's side in that scene. For another, let's not forget a key aspect of his characterization when he's being affable: the refusal to swear. He even asks his vampire henchman later in the episode to watch the swearing. So when he snarls that ugly, vicious word, it's all the more effective because it's so shocking, and so visceral. It's an extraordinarily well-written scene that always gives me chills because of the smart writing and the amazing acting. All the awards for Harry Groener, please.
Also, my Faith. 🙁 🙁 🙁 I actually teared up when I watched the Mayor brush her hair aside in the hospital. Because I hate seeing her like that. Because it hurts that this guy is the only one who ever really cared about her, like I talked about above. Because it's actually sweet, in a twisted way, that these two had a genuinely loving relationship despite being the bad guys. You don't really tend to see that with villains in fiction, and it's all the more affecting to me for that.
You know what? This'll sound super bizarre coming from me, but I actually have no issue with Xander's line to Angel about feeding off Buffy to save his own ass. What Angel did looks pretty damn sketchy, to say the least, and Angel knows that too, so I can't fault Xander's reaction here. Possibly my opinion is colored by the aforementioned lack of investment in this plot thread, but whatever.
THIS IS NOT HOW I WANTED BUFFY TO KISS FAITH 🙁 🙁 🙁
Not liking the abundant use of THAT WORD in this conversation.
Mmmm, hummus. <3
UUUUUUGH. I fucking hate the "scream like a woman" line so damn much, possibly even more than I hate it when people say "cry like a little girl". Equally, at least. Because both feed into that whole "manliness is superior, anything feminine is inferior and weak" sexist bullshit.
Yay Wesley for wanting to help, though.
I agree with you so much about the line "scream like a woman." Why do they have to go there?
Extra upvotes (if only I could give them) for the Daria call out.
Is Daria actually a good show? I had never even heard of it until a few months back when I saw a review of it. Is it worth my time or is it horribly dated and not something easily understood today? It sounds like I might love it but I want the recommendation just to be sure I'm not walking into something I won't get. Someone please help!
DARIA GIFS. <3
"You know what? This'll sound super bizarre coming from me, but I actually have no issue with Xander's line to Angel about feeding off Buffy to save his own ass. What Angel did looks pretty damn sketchy, to say the least, and Angel knows that too, so I can't fault Xander's reaction here. Possibly my opinion is colored by the aforementioned lack of investment in this plot thread, but whatever. "
What I find interesting about that whole scene is that the usual consent issues are reversed. Buffy is the one in the position of power. She makes the decision for it to occur and, being physically stronger than he is, forces Angel to bite her. The Scoobies then promptly blame Angel for the entire thing.
I love this comment! JSYK.
DAY OF BLACK SUN! Uh oh, you won't be able to firebend against the Mayor! But Angel's a waterbender anyway, so that's okay.
AWKWARD KISS IS AWKWARD. LOL.
Larry and Jonathan! 😀
Charming, Angel.
ILU, Snyder. You were so hilarious. *sniffle*
"Journey's end"? Nooooooooooo, don't invoke that episode's name. 🙁 🙁 🙁 I AM NOW DISTRACTED BY SADNESS.
YES I LOVE THIS! I LOVE EVERYONE TEAMING UP TO BATTLE THE BIG BAD, THAT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IN FICTION EVER! THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT AND PART OF WHY THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST SEASON FINALES EVER IMO!
V pna'g or gur bayl bar synvyvat bire frrvat Jrfyrl naq Natry fgnaqvat gbtrgure gb gnxr ba gur Znlbe'f inzcf, evtug? Evtug? Orpnhfr JURR NATRY VAIRFGVTNGVBAF GRNZ! SHPX LRF!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! LARRY! ;_;
SNYDER! ;_; Although I get some lols from him with his yelling at Demon Mayor, and the fact that he got eaten just like his predecessor. R.I.P. Snyder, you were a fantastic antagonistic figure.
Harmony! 🙁
Yay, go Jonathan! Don't die!
MY CORDY GETS TO STAKE A VAMPIRE FUCK YES!!! <3 <3 <3 I LOVE THIS!
OH GOD BUFFY TAUNTING THE MAYOR IS SO FUCKING EPIC. ALL MY LOVE. Especially when she calls him "Dick". FLAWLESS.
The chase scene is scary as hell to me, especially when he just bursts through the wall instead of following her path exactly. EEEK. And lol, he's committed to the non-swearing to the last, with "Well, gosh".
THEY NUKED THE SCHOOL. Also, yay, Percy and Jonathan are alive!
Poor Wesley. 🙁
Awwwww, Giles found her diploma. <3 And hahaha, yes, that makes two schools Buffy has burnt down.
I adore the last scene with the Scoobies, where they reflect on having survived high school, and then walk off, culminating in that pan down to the charred yearbook. Perfect. This is one of THOSE finales, where if the show had just ended after that, it would've been okay, because this is a wonderfully satisfying ending. Very well done.
V pna'g or gur bayl bar synvyvat bire frrvat Jrfyrl naq Natry fgnaqvat gbtrgure gb gnxr ba gur Znlbe'f inzcf, evtug? Evtug? Orpnhfr JURR NATRY VAIRFGVTNGVBAF GRNZ! SHPX LRF!
Oh wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee I'd never even thought about that!
Just wanted to add my complete agreement about Harry Groener. This season he's just effortlessly stolen almost all the scenes he was in, and with this episode he's brought the Mayor of Sunnydale to a satisfying close. (Yes, part of the Mayor's charm was in the script, but he wouldn't have been anywhere near as engaging as both a villain and a character if it hadn't been for Harry Groener's brilliant delivery.)
Goodbye, Mayor Wilkins — though the Scoobies won't miss you, I think I will.
DAY OF BLACK SUN! Uh oh, you won't be able to firebend against the Mayor! But Angel's a waterbender anyway, so that's okay.
HEE HEE HEE. Now I want to sort all the characters into what elements they would bend.
Actually I think all of the finales so far would have been good ending points for the show. Season two's would have been a huge downer, of course, but it would have worked for me.
"Drink Me"
[youtube I6889B3TgYU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6889B3TgYU youtube]
Lazy List!
– Last episode when Buffy told Faith that in order to cure Angel he needed a slayer’s blood, I completely misread Faith’s face at first and though she was taken aback because she thought the Mayor tricked her (then I realized what she was actually reacting to but anyway). There was a part of me that always doubted the Mayor’s intentions with Faith, and it wasn’t until this episode that I realized he actually does care about her.
– Do Wesley and Giles have visas?
– OMG GILES' FACE WHEN CORDY CALLS HIM A LOSER
– NO BUFFY DON’T GIVE ANGEL YOUR BLOOD! THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA.
– lol the nurses think Buffy and Angel are on drugs. ROSE LOVED DRUGS
– Are Buffy and Faith sharing a consciousness? WALTER BISHOP IS HERE
– YES. OZ’S PLAN IS PERFECT. LET’S ATTACK THE MAYOR WITH HUMMUS
– UGH BUFFY WHAT WAS THAT "SCREAM LIKE A WOMAN" LINE. YOU OF ALL PEOPLE
Con’t
– hmm Wesley kind of looks like Colbert’s lesser cousin. AND HOLY AWKWARD KISSING
– MY GOD HOW MANY TIMES DO ANGEL AND BUFFY NEED TO BREAK UP
– awww, I love Snyder calling out students during graduation. I’m going to miss him :’)
– Was Faith actually enrolled?
– DISGUSTING TRANSFORMATION NO THANK YOU. Aaaaand he’s a snake. Remind me again, why does he want to be a snake-demon?
– OH MY GOD ALL THE STUDENTS!!! THEY ALL HAVE WEAPONS!!!! I LOVE THIS SO MUCH
– FUCK YES WBANGUN AND CORDELIA!!
– eep! Is Harmony being eaten or turned? I never liked her but I don’t like this either 🙁 Edit: LARRY WAS BITTEN TOO?? NOOOOOOO!!! Is it weird to hope he’s dead? I don’t want someone to have to stake vampire Larry
– I was willing to look past the bad CG, but did the snake-demon HAVE to talk? So ridiculous.
– HAHAH Wesley in pain = me in pain
– I LOVED THIS EPISODE SO MUCH. THIS WHOLE SEASON, ACTUALLY. THE WHOLE SHOW
Edit: LARRY WAS BITTEN TOO?? NOOOOOOO!!! Is it weird to hope he’s dead? I don’t want someone to have to stake vampire Larry
No, you didn't missed a vamp attack shot. *g* It's the moment where Larry was tossed by huge demon!Mayor. There's this whole neck-snapping sound effect when he lands and lays there still.
NOOOOOOOO LARRY!!! 🙁 🙁 🙁
Do Wesley and Giles have visas?
I'm gonna assume the Council at least sorted out decent cover stories for them, including documentation.
Was Faith actually enrolled?
No, and she is meant to be a year or two younger than Buffy and the gang anyway.
I always thought that Faith was supposed to be a year older than Buffy.
I was willing to look past the bad CG, but did the snake-demon HAVE to talk? So ridiculous.
YES, THANK YOU, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. I'm not nearly as fond of the Mayor as a villain as it seems most people are based on the comments, partly because I'm not wild about Affably Evil and I too have been very suspicious of his interactions with Faith. But these past few episodes, I've been really warming up to him. AND THEN THEY HAD TO MAKE HIM TALK. We saw he still had some humanity because Buffy could taunt him about Faith, so I was all set on that point. If he needed a sound effect, which I don't think he does, couldn't he have just sighed or something? Now my last impression of him is ruined.
Body Counts for the Graduation Day episodes:
Graduation Day, Part 1
Lester Worth — His apartment — Stabbed with a knife by Faith
Graduation Day, Part 2
A student — Sunnydale High graduation ceremony — Eaten by Mayor Wilkins
Principal Snyder — Sunnydale High graduation ceremony — Eaten by the mayor
Larry — Sunnydale High graduation ceremony — Neck broken by the mayor
Harmony Kendall — Sunnydale High graduation ceremony — Bitten by a vampire
Several other people — Sunnydale High graduation ceremony — Killed by vampires
Vampire — Sunnydale High graduation ceremony — Staked by Cordelia
Four other vampires — Sunnydale High graduation Ceremony — Shot with fire arrows
Numerous other vampires — Sunnydale High graduation Ceremony — Killed by Angel, Percy, and other Sunnydale High students
Mayor Richard Wilkins III — Sunnydale High library — Blown to bits by Giles
Third Season Totals:
People: — 30
Vampires: — 56
Others: — 26
Back in his season 3 predictions, Mark predicted a total of 112 deaths, including people and vampires. My actual total for people and vamps was 86.
However, if you add in the "other" category, you get a total of 112, which is spot on, so Mark is doing pretty well, considering his prediction for the number of deaths in season 2 was only off by one (counting people only, not any vamps or demons.) If he's this close in his season 4 prediction, I might start to suspect him of cheating.
It becomes apparent that I've been doing too much lab work recently when I think it would be fun once this is all over to do a T-Test of Mark's predictions against the actual death toll and see whether it's statistically significant :S
"One Last Moment"
[youtube -VNp_iXfUJI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VNp_iXfUJI youtube]
This episode picks up right where the previous one left off. Buffy is standing on a roof after having just stabbed someone who used to be her friend and is still no closer to being able to save Angel. So she goes to him (after a hilariously awkward scene where delirious Angel thinks that Willow is Buffy) and goads Angel into drinking from her. Gah. I really don’t know how to feel about that. I mean he manages to stop before he kills her. But idk. Buffy was willing to die to save Angel. IT’S A BIT… IDEK. This gives me complicated feelings and even after multiple viewings, I’m not sure how I feel about it and what it says about how healthy the Angel/Buffy relationship was. Anyway, after nearly killing her, Angel takes Buffy to the hospital… the very same hospital where Faith is. DUN DUN DUUUUN.
The Mayor is genuinely concerned for Faith. When he sees the evidence of the fight in the apartment, he sends his guys out to find her. The Mayor is not just using Faith. He really does care about her. When he finds out that Faith has had severe head trauma (from the fall, I guess?) and she’s stuck in a coma, HE STARTS TO SMOTHER BUFFY. He’s angry because Buffy hurt “his” Faith and ;lksd;lfkjdslf. OMG.
Wooo mystic Slayer connected dreams! That dream sequence is pretty cool. I like that in this sequence, Faith and Buffy are getting along. Like, idk. It just strips away everything that is between them and the two of them can just talk for a little while. “Yvggyr Zvff Zhssrg pbhagvat qbja sebz frira guerr bu”. QNJJJJA. VQTNS. V YBIR QNJA.
The scene where the Scoobies try to figure out what to do about the Mayor is pretty great too. “We attack the Mayor with humus.” LMAO. ILU, OZ. And also, “We can just get a box that says ‘ebola’ on it”. NEVER CHANGE, CORDELIA, MY LOVE. And then Wesley comes back! He’s not there on the council’s orders. He’s there on his own. Yay Wesley! It’s nice to see that his character has grown and changed. He’s not just a puppet of the council anymore. But omg his kiss with Cordelia is so awkward. Sometimes it’s best for crushes to just remain crushes.
I LOVE how as the capstone to these three seasons spent at Sunnydale High, the Scoobies get the whole senior class to help fight the Mayor (Percy! Larry! Harmony! Jonathan!). It’s just such a wonderful triumphant moment that serves as a nice farewell to Sunnydale High and the high school years. And the library is blown up! Like, idek. I don’t think there’s any better way to put a definite mark at the end of a show’s high school years.
Oh graduation. My high school graduation was super boring. Graduation really IS boring. And the Mayor really IS evil, doing his whole speech FIRST before he ascends. Commencement speeches are the worst. (Unless you get a really good speaker. But mine was terrible.) Graduation ceremonies can go on for SO long too. Ugh. My history department graduation went on foreeeevvver. But I had a smart phone and uh may or may not have been following a world cup game while my classmates walked across the stage. I REGRET NOTHING. IT WAS AN IMPORTANT MATCH.
But yeah, that final fight scene is so great, seeing all those minor characters and the Scoobies work together to fight the Mayor. Also, I really enjoy Cordy getting to stake a vampire. That’s my girl! And omg. The Mayor’s last words are “well gosh” when he sees all the explosives. LMAO. Perfect ending for that character.
Aaaand Angel and Buffy share one last look before he walks away into the mist/smoke/whatever. THAT IS TEXTBOOK ENIGMATIC, ANGEL.
The last scene with Oz, Cordy, Xander, Willow and Buffy is pretty great too. “We survived.” “Yeah, hell of a battle.” “Not the battle, high school.” It’s definitely putting a period on the end of this era of the show. We’re moving on from high school. Buffy the person and Buffy the show have graduated past high school and it does so in a pretty definitive manner. Blowing up the school and all. Doesn’t get more final than that. The final shot is a burnt yearbook. The show is definitely telling us that high school is over and this entire episode was a fond farewell to that stage in a person’s life and in the show’s life.
V tnir lbh n guhzof hc whfg orpnhfr lbh ybir Qnja. Qnja qbrfa'g trg rabhtu ybir.
I do not think that Buffy it’s willing to die for Angel. She trusts him completely. She knows that even delirious state, he would never kill her. She also trusts her own strength. She has survived worse she she knows that she will make it though this.
This is definitely one of my top 10. So much action, really overwhelming feelings and Snyder gets eaten, what more can you wish for?
-I actually felt bad for the Mayor when he heard the news about Faith.
Their relationship was always a little creepy to me, especially as the Mayor’s motivations were so hard to figure out. He could have just used her and pretended to care and I was a bit worried that he might disappoint her like the other adults in Faith’ life.
But the way he tries to convince himself “She’ll be all right. She’ll be all right.†and that he loses his temper completely when he sees Buffy in hospital, it’s all so touching.
-„Tea is soothing. I wish to be tense.†I sort of think this would be a good coffee ad.
-Cordy is a Scooby again! Sbe gur ynfg gvzr.
-It’s so sweet and heartbreaking how her friends really care about Angel’s fate, even if it just because they love her. How Oz sadly tells Buffy “think the pain is… less, now.†All the tears.
-“You two been doing drugs?†Yes, probably PCP.
-Ooh, the Slayer dream, naq nyy gur sberfunqbjvat gb Ohssl’f qrngu va frira-guerr-mreb qnlf.
Really like the effect whey Buffy sees Faith in coma for a moment.
-The planning party is so much fun.
Humus, Ebola, it’s all so ridicules. The plan they come up with is brilliant though.
So great that they involve the whole graduation class, now that they all stopped denying the horrors of Sunnydale.
-Oh god, that kiss! I hope there are gifs en mass.
“Good luck in England.†“Yes, thanks. I’ll drop a line sometime.†Pure comedy gold.
V jbaqre vs Pbeql jnf rire rzoneenffrq nobhg ure nqzvengvba sbe Jrfyrl jura gurl jbexrq fb pybfr gbtrgure yngre? V pbhyqa’g rira vzntvar gurz gbtrgure ba gur fcva-bss.
-They way vamps go poof by the burning arrows looks neat.
-Cordy get’s to dust a vamp, yay!
Charisma had asked Joss for this as she hadn’t been allowed to do it before naq vg jbhyq or ure ynfg punapr gb qb vg ba guvf fubj.
-“Well gosh!†I completely forgot that the Mayor could talk in this form, pretty funny last words.
-“He made it through the fight. Guess
maybe he took off after.â€
This is how I like my Xander, he can dislike someone without being an ass about it.
And he was such a good soldier here.
-There was so much foreshadowing to the destruction of the school, as early as season one Willow suggested blowing up the school. And we all had so much fun in rot13, when enigmaticagentscully asked, how the Scoobies could ever leave the library behind.
So I guess that means we’ll start with season four tomorrow.
Gnen, zber Naln, Uhfu, fb rkvgrq!
And then we can start talking about the spin-off, finally!
> I sort of think this would be a good coffee ad.
Before Buffy, ASH's main claim to fame in the US was a series of coffee commercials: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpOBFELO0Qc
"abg zl snibevgr frnfba ohg vg unf vgf zbzragf."
This part of your comment is what's called "expectation spoilers" and should be rot13'ed. Talking about a season's quality in a general way is expectation spoilers.
Tea is soothing. I wish to be tense.” I sort of think this would be a good coffee ad.
And now I'm reminded that Anthony Stewart Head was the guy in the Taster's Choice ads waaaaaaaay back in the late 80's.
Edited your last paragraph for expectation spoilers.
"V jbaqre vs Pbeql jnf rire rzoneenffrq nobhg ure nqzvengvba sbe Jrfyrl jura gurl jbexrq fb pybfr gbtrgure yngre? V pbhyqa'g rira vzntvar gurz gbtrgure ba gur fcva-bss."
v qba'g guvax fur jnf rire rzoneenffrq, nygubhtu v guvax jrfyrl jnf. pbeql npghnyyl oevatf vg hc va gur rcvfbqr "jnvgvat va gur jvatf" jura jrfyrl vf snjavat nobhg serq naq pbeql fnlf fbzrguvat yvxr, gurer jnf n gvzr jura lbh gubhtug *v* jnf gur ubggrfg guvat rire (v qba'g erzrzore rknpgyl ubj fur jbeqf vg) naq ur'f yvxr, bu! hzzz, lbh'er terng! ohg… naq gura ur trgf nyy njxjneq. vg'f phgr.
“Hey! You remember this? I took it from Faith. Stuck it in her gut. Just slid in her like she was butter. You want to get it back from me, … Dick?”
Both my dad and sister had the same reaction to this line, which was along the lines of 'WHAT did she just call him??'
I had to remind them that Mayor's name was Richard.
…his name is Richard? DID NOT CATCH THAT AT ALL. I totally thought she was calling him a dick
The only way that word would fly on U.S. broadcast TV. And even then, I'm surprised it got through. I wouldn't put it past Joss to have named him Richard in the first place just so he could do this.
well…. she probably was.
It's kind of a triple joke: "Dick" is a nickname for Richard, she's probably calling him one, and right now he looks pretty phallic. BRILLIANT.
He did look really phallic. I thought she called him a dick because he looked like one and was acting like one. Lol Buffy.
'[he] was acting like one'
What, sensitive, twitchy and with a tendency to spit goo everywhere?
Actually, you have a point.
And I'm sorry, that was REALLY gross, even for me.
that was REALLY gross
I think we can make that grosser.
Richard couldn't believe how it felt. He stretched long, he could feel the blood throb in his newly shaped veins, pulsating and making his flesh swell. He was power incarnate, he was at the peak of his manhood.
The school walls lay before him, and his prey lay within. How fragile the walls looked, just a thin membrane begging for him to rupture it. He couldn't contain himself longer. He reared his head and thrusted against the brickwork, easily breaking through.
He had penetrated the school.
Romance novel gross 😀 !
why aren't you writing ALL THE PULP NOVELS
I guess you want to be famous for better works but COME ON that's what pen names are for, all of the sweet cash with none of the literary shame! *still waiting for the Cane Gordon & Grandpa Sterling Adventures*
Oh GOD.
I was just about to eat lunch…maybe I'll wait a while…
Oh, and in honour of the end of season three and all…
<img src="http://i42.tinypic.com/2e512r8.png" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
Buffy Summers – Class Protector
<3 <3 <3 Beautiful! I LOVE IT!
This is beautiful!
I love it! Her little umbrella makes me so happy. 😀
Okay – do you have a page anywhere of all your artwork? Because every time I see it I want more…
I have a Deviantart account?
http://aliceazzo.deviantart.com/gallery/
Ok, but I'm warning you, there is some OLD stuff on there that is really terrible and supremely embarrassing but I refuse to delete because it makes me feel slightly better about the stuff I do now. Also, some of the recent stuff isn't that great either.
But you did ask!
Also, there is an extremely derpy picture of me on my profile page, with my old pink hair. Just ignore that. My hair is now turquoise anyway, though I'm afraid no amount of dye will change the inherent derpytude of my face.
Yay!
I love your Doctor Who stuff. 🙂
Really like that Morrigan one. Quality.
Alice approves! +12
Looking through that gallery, you will swiftly realise that I am a member of every fandom ever created.
Ok, maybe not all of them. But a significant percentage.
YOU'RE NOT A MEMBER OF THE ANGEL FANDOM.
YET.
THAT DAY WILL COME MY FRIEND.
SOONER THAN YOU THINK.
Because I just got the DVD box set in the post a couple of days ago.
😀
I LOVE your fanart!!! You're so talented :')
edit: OMG I JUST SAW YOUR DANCING VOLDY! IT'S SO CUTE!
JSYK, I adore your pink hair.
For a moment I thought that banner said "The Future Is Cursed."
Never stop posting your art!
Does anyone else want to read "The Future Is Ours" like "The power is YOURS!"?
I always love it when you post your artwork. I hope I'm able to draw somewhere in the same ballpark as you when I graduate from art school.
You get big points for including the Class Protector Award. Simultaneously badass and adorable!
I'm sure you'll be so much better than I am, since I'm a big ol' drop out and totally left my Art course at University after one year!
omg I love your fanart AND YOU DREW HER IN A SEASON ONE SHORT SKIRT I LOVE YOU
Apparently, Snyder had fallen prey to too much fuzzy-headed, liberal thinking.
(After all, it's that kind of thinking that gets you eaten.)
Mark's Predictions for Season Three
10. We will find out why Principal Snyder is “in” with the Mayor of Sunnydale, and the mayor will play a larger role.
11. Principal Snyder will die by a creature that’s not a vampire.
12. We will see one snake in season three.
And now you understand why there was a maelstrom of rot13.
Oh my god that is HILARIOUS in hindsight!
I can't wait to do predictions tomorrowwww!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
I'm coming up with my season four ones right now!
It was funny for those of us who had seen the show in foresight. It was, he had this string of right, wrong, and hilariously wrong predictions, then those three right in a row and it was "The FUCK? He already watched this, didn't he the lying liar who lies…."
Don't forget to do spin-off predictions too – who, where, what…
Mark is a psychic and from the future.
Psychic AND from the future? Isn't one of those a bit redundant? :p
It was like…
FLAILFLAILFLAILFLAILFLAILFLAIL
Yup. We were all laughing our asses off in a highly encoded way.
lol wouldn't have been too bad but they were like one after another, GO BE DIVINATIONS TEACHER WITH TRELAWNEY AND FIRENZE!
Oh yeah, I remember freaking out too! I was "SQUEEEEEEEE MARK GOT SO MANY THINGS RIGHT!!" 🙂 Good times.
"We survived. […] High school."
BEST. LINE.
There is so much, "FUCK YES!"ing in this episode, and I think you covered most of it, but I had to throw in that line, too.
I will never not get teary-eyed when I watch the student body band together to kick ass. So damn awesome. SCHOOL UNITY! /
Best line of the entire season.
Thoughts on Graduation Day Pt. II:
-“He thought I was Buffy.” “You too, huh?” JOSS DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT ANGEL MISTOOK OZ FOR BUFFY AND WE DIDN’T GET TO SEE IT? JERK.
-“Drink me.” hahahahahaha oh god. This scene.
-I am actually pretty sad for The Mayor right about now. The first time I watched Buffy, I kept waiting for The Mayor to turn on Faith because he’s a villain and that’s what villains DO, but eventually I realized that he actually cared and the scene in the hospital is just horrible.
-Faith and Buffy share a dream of living together and owning a cat? There must be a deeper meaning here.
-Cordelia’s Ebola box should have been considered more seriously.
-Wesley’s pretty classy.
-Buuuut he’s also a terrible kisser.
-Mayor’s speech is pretty neat. P.S. When he says ” Some people who should be here today… aren’t,” is he talking about Faith or the unfortunate absence of Anya T. Vengeance-Demon?
-RIP Snyder you lived your life like a candle in the wind.
-It’s so wonderful that Giles dug Buffy’s diploma out of the rubble.
-Love that scene at the end with all the younger Scoobies celebrating the end of school.
Lbh zrna Naln Puevfgvan Rznahryn Wraxvaf
Gung fbhaqf yvxr n znqr-hc anzr.
Uvfgbevpny fvqr abgr, ure bevtvany anzr jnf Nhq
-Snvgu naq Ohssl funer n qernz bs yvivat gbtrgure naq bjavat n png? Gurer zhfg or n qrrcre zrnavat urer.
Jryy, tvira Jvyybj, Gnen, naq Zvff Xvggl Snagnfgvpb, vs gurer vf vg vf bar gung fubhyq znxr gur Ohssl/Snvgu fuvccref irel unccl.
I WOULD BE PERFECTLY HAPPY IF THIS CONCLUDED THE SERIES. Seriously, this is the perfect way for the show to go out.
But if it had, we might not have gotten “Angel”, which is one of my top ten beloved tv series, so it’s cool. 😀
i agree with you. awesome way to end the series! i actually watched the angel series before watching buffy, and i loved it so much that i went back and watched the first three seasons of buffy just to get angel's full story. so i've always sort of thought of angel as an 8-season series with the first three seasons of buffy acting as the first three seasons of angel. (does that make sense?) i would have been perfectly content for buffy to end just as angel was starting. but angel is my favorite tv series ever, so maybe i'm a little biased. 🙂
The scene Angel drinks Buffy's blood is so erotic. It's one of the scenes in the show that turns me on the most, possibly more than it should. They just shot it so beautifully and it's so damn hot.
The mayor is the scariest we've ever seen him when he tries to kill Buffy in the hospital. I think this scene speaks to his genuine feelings towards Faith more than anything else this season. He completely loses control when he learns that she may never wake up. Normally he's far too put together to attack an unconscious girl in a hospital. But he is just not thinking about anything other than Faith in that moment. The venom in his voice after Angel throws him off just adds to it.
Wesley and Cordy's kiss is pure comedy. It just does not work and they discover that, despite their strong mutual attraction, they are completely incompatible. Whoops.
RIP Larry and Harmony. We hardly knew you and now you're dead 🙁
Blowing up the high school provides a pretty awesome sense of closure. On one level, who doesn't kind of want to do that at the end of high school? Of course, the actual timing of this episode was rather awful, what with Columbine and all. We didn't get to see this until mid-summer. It was painful. Also, they filmed the explosion on location in Torrance, California at about 4 in the morning. After that, the town told them they couldn't film there anymore. Guvf zrnaf gung gubhtu nyy gur rkgrevbef bs Ohssl'f ubhfr ner n erny ubhfr va gur svefg guerr frnfbaf, gurl unq gb erohvyq vg ba gurve frg sbe gur yngre frnfbaf.
They didn't destroy Giles' collection. Wesley and Cordy were packing it up when they kissed. And if you look closely at the scene where Buffy is running through the library in front of the mayor all the bookcases are empty.
Huh! I knew they filmed in Torrance (Torrance High School served as the exterior for Sunnydale High — it's great, because my dad lives in Torrance and we drive by it all the time when I visit him). I did not know they were kicked out and prevented from filming there in the future! Do you know where they relocated?
Nsgre guvf frnfba, zbfg bs gur rkgrevbe fubgf jrer bs Fnagn Oneonen. Naq V guvax gurl jrer ba ybpngvba ng HPYN sbe cnegf bs gur frnfba 4 cerzvrer. Ohg zbfgyl gurl jrer ba onpxybgf nsgre guvf.
Fjrrg, gunaxf sbe gur vasb! Naq lrg nabgure ernfba V jnag gb tb gb HPYN. :p
I don't really find Vamps drinking people to be sexy in the slightest, but you're right this one is so beautiful and hot. I think a lot of it is in how it's filmed and the music… But yeah. Super hot.
V guvax gur fprar gung qbrf vg zbfg sbe zr gubhtu vf jura Fcvxr srryf hc Ohssl va gur Oebamr va Qrnq Guvatf. V qba'g xabj jul. Vg whfg qbrf.
YES.
And that's how you do a nearly perfect season of television…
Hope you were all taking notes.
Yes, this really is an almost perfect series of television. There are practically no clunker episodes. The comedy is top notch. All the characters get meaty storylines and characterization. And it's just so damn epic in scope. Think back to Anne, all the way at the beginning of this season, and think of how much has happened since then. So damn much! This is definitely my favorite season of Buffy and one of the best seasons of television ever committed to film.
Really it makes me even more sad for Firefly…Buffy took over 25 episodes to hit it's stride. and was 35 episodes in before we get to this nearly perfect season…Think how good Firefly could have gotten in early season 2 into season 3. I need to build an alternate universe machine where I can go to a universe that Firefly got a full run…say Six Seasons and a movie.
Twelve seasons and a theme park.
I want to go to there.
This comment gives me ALL THE SADS. 🙁 Although, Firefly came barreling out of the gates and was much much better than Buffy was at the beginning of its run.
Very true, I believe Joss learned a lot from doing Buffy and Angel by the time he got to Firefly I think he worked out a lot of things…Still I'll always wonder what the season 1 finale of Firefly would have been like if he had gotten to do it. I think it would have been so epic.
Well, some of us don't agree.
– The whole Xander/Willow thing was weird and felt forced. It's one storyline on the show I'd love to erase since I still don't find it believable. The cheesy music played in Homecoming makes me roll my eyes. It's moments like these when I have to remember 'well, it was a WB show after all'
– Buffy/Angel, which was great in season 2, got really dull, repetitive and corny in season 3. There are maybe 3-4 episodes where it works.
– Angel got better way too fast after being in hell so long.
– Apart from Beauty and the Beast/short scene in Homecoming, Amends and his interaction with Faith, Angel is really dull this season. Ur trgf zhpu zber vagrerfgvat ba uvf bja fubj.
– Buffy's arc this season is deeply unsatisfying – she never deals with her Angel issues either way, they barely discuss their past (except in Amends) and for the most part it's just avoidance and denial (oh Buffy, why did your school therapist Mr. Platt have to die? You really needed him), she doesn't take control and make decision either way, it takes Angel at his most condescending (in The Prom) for the final breakup
– Much as I love Faith and the Buffy/Faith dynamic, the blatant good girl/bad girl stereotypes bugged me. It went down to the fashion choices – Faith's dark lipstick and leather, and Buffy's pastel colors. To make a bigger contrast, they made Buffy START DRESSING LIKE A SOCCER MOM all of a sudden. Ugh.
Faith works as Buffy's shadow character, it's as if Buffy projected all the "Slayer darkness" into Faith. I can add that to the reasons why Buffy's arc this season is unsatisfying, be vg jbhyq'ir orra vs gur fubj unq raqrq urer; gunaxshyyl vg qvqa'g. rfcrpvnyyl gur svefg gvzr V jngpurq vg. V srry orggre abj xabjvat gung Snvgu'f nep jvyy trg n orggre raqvat naq gung Ohssl jvyy unir gb snpr hc gb ure bja qnexarff va yngre frnfbaf. Gung'f gur bar guvat V yvxr nobhg frnfba 3 abj orggre guna V qvq gur svefg gvzr: gur Ohssl/Snvgu qlanzvp jbexf zhpu orggre va uvaqfvtug jura lbh xabj gung guvatf jvyy trg zber pbzcyvpngrq naq gurl jbhyq ghea bhg gb or zber fvzvyne guna gurl guvax.
– The season is very consistent, but has few really outstanding episodes. There aren't many I put on my top 20 Buffy episodes list. Only The Wish, Earshot and maybe the finale (and Doppelgangland is fun). With some other seasons, I have at least 6-7 that I'd want to put in my top 10.
– This was a season in which I felt more invested in the villains than in the main characters – which is interesting but doesn't make a perfect season of BtVS. (And Buffy is normally the character I relate to the most on BtVS, except for this season when I just felt more invested in Faith because I love flawed, messed up characters. Juvpu vf jul V ybir Ohssl va yngre frnfbaf.
On the other hand, great things about this season:
– Faith
– The Mayor – my favorite villain on the show vs jr qba'g pbhag Fcvxr naq Snvgu nf ivyynvaf.
– The Wishverse
– blowing up the school in Graduation Day and Oz's line about surviving high school
Plus "Anne", Spike's return in "Lovers Walk", Mr. Trick.
All in all, really solid and consistent season with great arc for Faith and a great villain in the Mayor, but far from perfect and rather overrated by the fandom, probably due to the fact that a lot of people think of BtVS as a high school show and focus on the high school seasons, and because season 3 was more consistent than season 2 because it had less cheesy MOW episodes.
I think I rated season 3 slightly above season 2 when I first watched the show, due to the above mentioned consistency and lack of MOW eps, but I've found out that season 2 holds much better on rewatch. V guvax gung, birenyy, frnfba 5 vf bowrpgviryl gur orfg frnfba bs OgIF. Zl crefbany snibevgr vf gur *pbagebirefvny* frnfba 6, sbyybjrq ol frnfbaf 5 naq 2.
If I had more time I'd go into why I don't feel any of those seasons are nearly as good, but it's late and I work tomorrow.
I guess it comes down to what do you value more? Consistency or the Highest Highs? In both our cases the answer seems pretty clear. Lbh fnl frnfba svir vf "bowrpgviryl" gur orfg. Qrsvavgryl qba'g nterr gurer, vg qbrf unir gur orfg rcvfbqr bs gur frevrf, oh frnfba svir vf abg jvgubhg vgf ceboyrzf. Vs V jrer enaxvat frnfbaf V'q qrsvavgryl tb guerr, gjb, svir, sbhe, fvk, frira, bar…jul abg ebg13 gubfr ahzoref fb vg'f abg nf nccnerag jung V'z qbvat.
I openly admit my top 3 episodes are after season 3, but there are some real damn clunkers in there naq abar bs gur onqf ner arneyl nf vagrerfgvat naq syrfurq bhg naq tbbq.
Ol "bowrpgviryl" V zrna "Jura V engr rirelguvat, vapyhqvat pbafvfgrapl, gur fgeratgu bs gur znva nep, gur orfg rcvfbqrf, gur punenpgrevmngvba, rgp. naq pnyphyngr na nirentr engvat fhzzvat hc gur engvatf sbe nyy rcvfbqrf, V jbhyq tvir vg gur uvturfg engvat, cebonoyl". Juvyr zl crefbany snibevgrf znl unir n srj ernyyl onq rcvfbqrf va gurz, ohg V pna bireybbx gung.
VZB vf nf pbafvfgrag nf frnfba 3 – gubfr gjb ner gur zbfg pbafvfgrag fvapr gurl qba'g unir nal ernyyl onq rcvfbqrf. Ohg orgjrra gur gjb, V guvax frnfba 5 vf orggre, fbzrbar ryfr jvyy boivbhfyl qvfnterr.
V qhaab…svir fgnegf bss jvgu na rkprrqvatyl jrnx rcvfbqr, unf n srj qhqf, gur ovt onq naablf zr zbfgyl orpnhfr fur qbrfa’g npg fzneg yvxr fur fubhyq (Fur qbrfa’g chefhr ohssl – jub’f jrvturq qbja ol pneelvat n uhzna orpnhfr fur oebxr ure urry? Ubj vf gung abg uhtryl vafhygvat gb rirel srzvavfg rire?) naq eryvrf ba fbzr cerggl ynzr gebcrf, abg gur yrnfg bs juvpu vf fubjvat hc jnl gbb rneyl gb naabhapr ure cerfrapr engure guna jbexvat va frperg…fb gur fpbbovrf pna pbhagre…jura gur Znlbe vf qbvat uvf fghss vg’f rfgnoyvfurq gung ur vf yvgrenyyl vaqrfgehpgvoyr hagvy ur nfpraqf juvpu vf na njrfbzr ernfba gb unir uvz qbvat jungrire ur jnagf…jvgu ure, vg qbrfa’g dhvgr jbex bhg gur fnzr jnl. V nyfb svaq ivyynvaf gung gel gb bhgjvg gur fynlre orggre guna gubfr gung ner whfg fgebatre. Fur nyfb ybfrf n ybg bs ure zranpr yngre va gur frnfba juvyr gur Znlbe arire qbrf.
Nyfb juvyr gur fubj qvq nobhg nf jryy jvgu gur pbhfva byvire/cbbpuvr cybg nf nal fubj cbffvoyl pna, gurl fgvyy QVQ nqq pbhfva byvire/cbbpuvr. V ybir gung Wbff gnxrf gverq gebcrf naq gura znantrf gb qb gurz orggre guna nalbar ryfr V whfg qvqa’g svaq Qnja irel pbzcryyvat (rknzcyr, V pbhyqa’g pner yrff nobhg ure xyrcgbznavn) rira gubhtu gurl uvagrq ng ure nyy gur jnl onpx va Frnfba 3…Gur bayl guvat V sbhaq erzbgryl vagrerfgvat jvgu ure jnf ure vagrecynl jvgu Fcvxr, V gubhtug gung qlanzvp ernyyl snfpvangvat…ohg zbfgyl ba uvz.
Jung jnf njrfbzr nobhg frnfba svir orfvqrf univat bar bs gur orfg ubhef bs gryrivfvba V’ir rire frra va zl yvsr, jnf gur raqvat. Nf fnq nf vg jbhyq or gung gurer jbhyq or ab Zhfvpny V jvfu gur fubj unq raqrq jvgu frnfba svir yvxr gurl gubhtug vg zvtug orpnhfr gb zr n frevrf nobhg n fynlre ernyyl arrqf gb raq jvgu gur qrngu bs gung fynlre…
“Fur’f n ureb, lbh frr. Fur’f abg yvxr hf.”
Don't use the word "lame" on this site.
Joss was originally planning on having Joyce attend the graduation, and get killed. But apparently he decided that even he couldn't be that cruel, so instead Buffy sends her away in Part 1.
Wow, really? I'm really glad he didn't do that. It certainly would have given the episode a very different tone.
Also, it would be unrealistic for Buffy to be that foolish.
That's so weird I think it would simply not have fit the tone of that episode, even though we still have our fair share of deaths. V qbhog vg unf nalguvat gb qb jvgu abg orvat pehry rabhtu, 'pnhfr lbh xabj, Gur obql.
Fb yvxr gur oraribyrag urneg-pehfure ur vf, ur yrgf ure unat ba sbe bar naq n unys zber frnfbaf.
Xevfgva Fhgureynaq jnagrq gb or ba-fperra zhpu yrff va frnfba sbhe, nf fur unq snzvyl pbapreaf va Rhebcr. Wbff nterrq, ohg gbyq ure ur arrqrq ure onpx va gur frnfba nsgre fb ur pbhyq xvyy ure.
Lrf, ybat-grez cynaavat ba gung fpnyr. RIVY.
Of course you are unprepared Mark,otherwise you would not be you=)
I've waited this whole season to finally come to my favorite scene EVER in all the universe : THE BITE !!!!!!!!
OMG, this scene kills me. You can't believe how much I love it. I want to marry this scene and have little babies with it.
Let's start with a parallel with season 2:
– When Angel lost his soul and with what happened in the 2nd part of the season, it was obvious that one of the highlights of the finale, would be the confrontation between Buffy and Angel.
And indeed, Buffy fought and killed him.
– In season 3, after Angel's come back and what happened in "Amends", it became obvious that one of the subtext between Angel and Buffy would be the possibility that one day Angel might bite her and drink her.
And it happened!!!! THANK YOU JOSS WHEDON!!!! I love you even more for having given us this scene. This scene!!!
THIS SCENE IS ONE OF THE MOST EROTIC SCENE THAT I'VE SEEN ON TV!!!!!
ANGEL'S BITE IS A TOTAL VAMPGASM!!!!! SO HOT!!!
Sorry for the caps. I'll blame Mark for that. 😉
In the Vampire mythology, there has always been a direct link between the vampire bite and the sexual act, so it's not a real surprise but, oh God, how good this scene is….
What is amazing, is that everything is filmed on purpose as a sex scene, but without sex involved.
First of all, I love that it is Buffy's decision. And the only way she has, is to force Angel by getting his vamp face out. So she punchs him. Three times.
Half naked Angel is horrified by the idea, begging her, because he's the only one who really knows what it means. He knows he can kill her. But Buffy is stronger and he's still sick. He can't fight his inner nature.
She offers her neck, grabs his head and then after a moment of hesitation, vampire Angel bites her. Ok, I admit it, I find this bite really sensual….
Buffy jumps a little, closes her eyes when Angel starts drinking. And some blood flows out on Buffy's skin… They fall on the ground, he's almost crushing her, drinking her greedily. Buffy crushes a vase with her hand, destroys the table with her foot and falls unconscious….
Does somebody need some air?
I could talk about this scene for hours…. Haha
Just a last thing. I remember Joss Whedon, talking about this scene, and he was worried about the TV censorship. But then, what the network was concerned was that there would not be too much blood in the scene. What Joss did. And he was able to keep the scene implicitly erotic. Hehe
– Angel is totally panicking at the hospital. I love when the doctor asks if they are doing drugs. Angel only answers that Buffy is clean. Because he can't confess that he is under Slayer blood effects!
Another person panicking and losing control is the Mayor. Trying to kill someone publicaly in a hospital is not a smart mood for a Mayor. "Looks like somebody's been eating his spinach". I love this violent exchange between the 2 men, who are both worried about someone they love.
– I really feel for Angel, confessing to the Scoobies. All the guilt and the burden on his shoulders. He knows he is responsible, even if it was Buffy's decision, and he didn't need the judgment of the others. Specially from Xander. Another season Finale where he acts like a jerk about that.
– I'm glad that we have a last scene between Buffy and Faith. The cryptic dream is partially cryptic.
– And Buffy is back as the leader. And it seems that everybody, Scoobies and students will participate. Genius plan Buffy!
– OMG! The awkward, awfull, unsexy kiss between Wesley and Cordelia! Totally killed the romance!
– "… I'm not gonna say good bye… When we get through this, I'm just gonna go…".
Oh my… Angel. You kill me. And they can barely make eyes contact…. My heart hurts. :'(
cont
– And here we go, Graduation time! I love everything that follows. The Mayor starts his boring speech, the eclipse, the early transformation to a giant snake!!! Snyder's reaction, and then everyone putting off their gowns and showing their weapons! Everyone is ready for the battle and that's a total opposite to Season 2 Finale where Buffy was so alone.
-Everyone has his glory moment. Angel is preparing his own show, fighting vampires. Xander leads, kinda, "Justin, Doug, you guys are the right flank". Cordelia stakes her first vampire, and Jonathan is a hero.
Well, everyone except Wesley.
-OMG! They killed Snyder! You bastards!
– Human weakness… I love how Buffy shows the knife. " You wanna get it back from me, Dick ?". Buffy is the badass! And the running through the school till the library. And Boom!
School is really over!
Easy symbolism here but completely worth it. THEY BLEW THE HIGH SCHOOL!!!
– Ok, I almost take back what I said about Xander. He knows that Buffy is looking for Angel and he gave her good news about him. Unselfish Xander.
– Giles saved Buffy's diploma. <3
– And Angel is here… Despite what he said before. He came to say good bye. He came to see Buffy a last time. I love their looks here, everyting is on them, relief, love, farewell, sadness… And Angel turns back and leaves through the smoke…. To get his own show!
That last part is the only thing that makes this scene not totally heartbreaking.
"Guys, take a moment to deal with it. We survived. We're taking a moment. And we're done"
The way Angel is resisting biting her, how she is forced to punch him three times before the vampire in him comes out. AHHH it breaks my heart and at the same time it's so romantic because she loves him and she wants to save his life. You're totally right of course, it is the single hottest moment in Buffy history. It had everything: Passion, a forbidden quality to it, love, pure, raw desire.
I like when he looked at her across the smoke. It's a nice goodbye, because really…what could he have said? And his own show is the only thing that makes it bearable to me too. Though in the end I did not like Angel (the show) nearly as much as Buffy.
"it is the single hottest moment in Buffy history." this. so much this. i think angel/buffy had a lot of steamy moments, but i love the understatedness of this one. i mean, it's obviously a sex metaphor, but there's no actual sex or even kissing. all the emotions are implied – the love, hunger, desire, NEED between them – and i find it very satisfying that the scene comes off as so emotionally powerful. i think it really speaks to the nature of their relationship. other relationships on tv (and even in this show) have much more explicitly sexual scenes that don't come across nearly as charged as this one because the emotions aren't so ingeniously implied. kudos to the writers (and the actors) who made this scene so raw and beautiful!
also, this is my first comment on markwatches. i'm very excited about rewatching the angel series, which is my favorite show ever on television. i'll probably be commenting regularly once the reviews start going up! 🙂
*waves* Hi! Angel's going to be so much fun!
I think the power of this scene, what makes it hotter than a lot of other scenes, is that there is indeed no sex involved. It's more obvious to film a hot sex scene ( not always easy though ) than one that only suggests it with a hot eroticism.
I love Buffy the series but I love even more Angel the series. My favorite show ever.
Qnexre, zbenyyl zber pbasyvpgvat, zber nqhyg, naq jvgu fb zhpu qrirybczrag sbe Natry gur punenpgre ( nf sbe Jrfyrl naq Pbeqryvn ). V ybir uvz va Ohssl ohg uvf ragver checbfr jnf nobhg Ohssl. Natry'f erqrzcgvba fgnegrq jvgu Ohssl ohg oebhtug fb zhpu zber va Natry gur frevrf.
Dear Mark:
Your rant about Angel needing to STFU is why you are my favorite.
Love,
Mary Sue.
(p.s. Ahahahahaaaa. So not prepared. <3)
"Then you don’t want to live. And now you won’t stick around to say goodbye because it’ll be “too painful.”"
Yeah, Angel, grow up and add "closure" to your dictionary.
"LOL WESLEY GOT PUNCHED OUT LOL"
That was Alexis Denisof's idea. They asked him if he wanted to stake a vampire, and he said "Nah, I want to get knocked out with one punch."
Notice that the hospital, when he's enraged about Faith, is the only time the Mayor uses a bad word ("whore")? Not even when he dies.
This morning I woke up from a dream in which I was writing a comment about Giles and colors and patriarcy. Mark Watches might have to stop being a before bed thing.
-So the Mayor does actually care…so did he expect Buffy to just sacrifice herself to save Angel? That is still an option but I still don't see how a man who has been planning his Ascension for 100 years wouldn't realize that he was putting his Slayer in danger?
-Can Cordelia be my friend? I could deal with her being mean to me sometimes as long as she is always honest.
-I kinda wish Angel had woken up for Oz instead of Willow. These are the thoughts that keep me from being sad.
-Knowing that Angel is getting his own show helps too of course.
-He did call Oz Buffy and we didn't get to see it!!?!?!?!!!?!
-That…made me uncomfortable. Especially the slurpy noises. I think I like the Moonlight version best.
-There is a cat in Slayer limbo, and the cat is sometimes Faith, and there is another omnipotent Faith being Buffy's spirit animal and…I am hoping I will understand this later? From later: Is the cat Faith's body? And Buffy asked who was going to take care of it because Faith was leaving it behind?
-Oz's plan is the best.
-I stand corrected, Cordelia's is much better.
-Wesley's voice sounds like a kicked puppy. 🙁
-OH NOOOOOOOO!! You can't burn books TWICE in one season!! This is how Joss is going to get my heart for his own Ascension. Utter Tragedy I can handle but not the books!!
-Poor Wesley is so awkward. But they can't say they didn't try.
-Johnny and Larry know something is up.
-Uh, Buffy? Your hat is on wrong.
-My graduation almost got rained on. An eclipse would have been cooler.
-… …Buffy's graduation happened during an eclipse…Bella's happened during Eclipse…*cough*
-That demon actually looks pretty cool. Given him some wings and he would make an awesome wyvern.
-The parents and teachers scatter. The senior class stands and watches?
-Holy Army!!!
-I can't help but be skeptical about the arrow shooting skills of the senior class.
-Larry!!! Harmony!!
-Johnathan!!! He lived!!!!!!
-And the books are safe, thank goodness. Though libraries don't deserve to be exploded either.
-I can understand not saying goodbye but not letting her know you are alive is pretty horrible Angel.
-Thank you for not being horrible.
-So Buffy is the only one who made it out of high school with a diploma. 🙂
"-So the Mayor does actually care…so did he expect Buffy to just sacrifice herself to save Angel?"
It's possible that he thought there was no cure. The team had to do a lot of digging to find the one instance where it had ever been cured in Giles' books, and he may not have the same books as Giles. It's not like he was planning to use the poison for 100 years, in which case he could be expected to know it inside out.
I figured he was counting on them not discovering the cure in time.
Both of these are possible but they also show the Mayor as not covering all of his bases and from what we have seen of his plans this seems off to me.
Hey, we had archery in gym class, and we weren't built over a hellmouth (that I know of). Sunnydale HIgh practically had to have!
We had archery too but that doesn't mean we were good at it. Also the arm strength required needs to be frequently maintained for some people (aka me) or they won't be able to hold the bow steady enough to shoot straight.
I can't help but be skeptical about the arrow shooting skills of the senior class.
Archery club? Amateur bowhunters?
Well, they didn't really have to aim WELL. They just had to HIT the vampires with the burning arrows.
I should also mention that there are now 2 episodes I feel a burning desire to rewatch: The Witch and Graduation Part II
When the mayor ate Snyder, I kept hitting my husband and going "NO! NO! NO! MAKE JOSS WHEDON STOP! FIX IT!" Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I mean, I know that they were leaving school and that he would be technically off the show anyway, but I'm still mad at Joss Whedon for that.
Otherwise, yes this was a satisfying finale. I loved the ridiculously awkward kiss between Cordy and Wesley, the plot twist regarding Faith, Buffy giving Angel blood, the battle with high school students toting weaponry, and lastly the fact that they blew up the school on graduation day. Perfect ending to the high school years for this show.
And lastly, is there a schedule for newbies as to how I should add Angel into my watching schedule?
http://markreads.net/reviews/schedule/
That's the schedule that Mark is following. And generally the Buffy episodes go before the Angel episodes, as a general rule.
You might want to check back after it is updated, though. Mark still needs to revise it; his original schedule was based on a different, older plan.
Mark's master schedule is based off the idea that the episodes of Buffy and Angel pretty much lines up week by week in the original broadcast, with Buffy airing immediately before Angel.
Also, it's not usually necessary that you alternate episodes of Buffy and Angel. If you get caught up in the plot of one of the shows and watch a few episodes in a row before catching up with the other show, it's generally not a big deal.
Instead of replying to each one of you, I'm just sending out a blanket reply to say
THANK YOU!!!!
I will try to keep up with Mark's schedule, which I apparently forgot about!
I actually got goosebumps just reading your recap. Season 3 is my favorite, and Graduation Day is my favorite finale. It’s amazing.
Gotta ask — were you not disappointed with how lame the Mayor-Demon was? Fucking Buffy and their snake monsters and crappy CGI.
I’m excited for you to move on to season 4.
Please don't use the word "lame" on this site. Also, edited your comment for expectation spoilers in the last paragraph.
This episode just makes me want to scream with joy. Which I keep doing and my cat is staring at me. My favorite moment in this episode is when the entire senior class opens up their graduation gowns and helps Buffy fight and defeat the mayor. After three years of being an outcast, the strange, violent one who no one really understood, everyone stepped up and supported Buffy and the scoobies when the needed it most. Yay 🙂
Ah, "Fire bad, tree pretty" One of the best BtVS quotes of all time. So glad it's here!
School's out for summer. School's out forever. School's been blown to pieces.
As for my mini predictions last review, I didn't do so bad. Wes did, sorta, work with the Scoobies and Faith isn't dead. But no Anya at all. BOOO. MORE ANYA.
Okay, thoughts and feelings: Joss Whedon, I hate you. Showing Willow and Oz being all cute and in love was pure evil. I already mentioned how I'm terrified for Oz's survival. And then you killed off Larry?!?!?! HOW DARE YOU??!!!!? And possibly Harmony? (I don't really care about her, but I knew her name.) And wow, everybody in Sunnydale has terrible parents. Seriously, not one of them bothered to try to save their kids who were all being badass and fighting down the giant demon. Shame on all of you.
I really enjoyed Season 3, although I could've done without the Mayor – his plotline bored me. I would have preferred Faith as the main/only villain.
I like the way they ended Buffy/Angel. I would have felt like something was nagging at me if that scene in the library was it because that feels like a loose end. But if they had a long, soppy goodbye scene, I would have started yelling at my computer for them to shut up and for Angel to just go away already. Bye, Angel!
Wow, I don't think I've ever witnessed as awkward a makeout scene as between Wes and Cordy. Ha, that was a funny conclusion.
And I'd just like to say again how much I loved that all the students were ready to fight.
Fun fact: my high school graduation was also my 18th birthday. That would have been a really sucky time to die.
I assume that the kids who were in the know all made their parents either stay home or told them to run at the first sign of trouble. And all those people were teachers and city officials and stuff.
It just makes me so happy that Sunnydale High principals keep getting eaten.
I have this weird image of Snyder's eaten by a giant snake, exploded remains still managing to lecture someone:
"I may be dead and eaten but I'm still the Principal!"
V ybir n tbbq qernz frdhrapr. "Yvggyr Zvff Zhssrg pbhagvat qbja sebz 730". Fbzrbar tnir vg na vagrecergngvba V'q arire gubhtug bs- V nyjnlf eryngrq vg gb gur gvzr ba gur pybpx va Qnja'f shgher ebbz va "Erfgyrff"- vgf nyfb gur ahzore bs qnlf va n yvggyr bire 2 lrnef. Gur ahzore bs qnlf hagvy "Gur Tvsg" naq Ohssl'f qrngu.
Vg'f npghnyyl nyy eryngrq. Sbe fbzr ernfba, Yvggyr Zvff Zhssrg ersref gb Qnja, naq bar bs gur zragny cngvragf ng gur ortvaavat bs frnfba 5 fubhgf "pheqf naq jurl" ng ure. 730 qnlf vf rknpgyl 2 lrnef (rkprcg gung 2000 jnf n yrnc lrne), naq va Erfgyrff jura gur pybpx fubjrq 7:30 Gnen fnvq gung vg jnfa'g evtug nal zber.
Ur (xvaq bs) trgf gb qb gung va Knaqre'f qernz va 'Erfgyrff'.
I think Buffy does some of the best and most satisfying season finales of any show ever, and this was no exception. Such a GREAT finale, and such a rite of passage. The themes of graduating and change were really evident, and it definitely feels like all of the characters are different on the other side of this. Thinking back to the first season, you can really see how much everyone has grown (yes, even Xander, lol).
Can't wait for season four!
– Angel: SHUT THE FUCK UP. I am so irritated by you and your constant need for melodrama. First, you don’t want Buffy around. Then you want to help her. Then you don’t want to live. And now you won’t stick around to say goodbye because it’ll be “too painful.” Maybe it’s so painful because you won’t make up your goddamn mind. Can you even imagine the pain you are causing Buffy with this whole back-and-forth routine? No? SO STOP IT.
[…]
– Oh, of course Angel is going to Brood in the fog and smoke before disappearing. Angel was never truly worried about saying goodbye. He just needed to brood one last time.
And I see that you are perfectly prepped for watching AtS. 🙂 ENJOY!
ETA: Someone else has probably mentioned this, but Snyder followed in Flutie's footsteps and was eaten alive. Dangerous job, being a Principal…
Oh my heart! This episode has ALL THE THINGS!
First, the Mayor does love Faith like a daughter! Proven! Proof in the canon that his fatherly love is real–not a manipulation! When he mumbles, “she'll be all right,” I suddenly hate Buffy for hurting Faith for the sake of stupid Angel. And when he tells Faith, “it’s your day,” while he gently strokes her face, I just lose it. It hurts my soul that Faith didn’t get to see how worried he was for her and how he loved her so much that SHE was his one weakness. [That’s glitter on my cheeks, not the shiny glimmer of tears. I swear.]
Second, “tea is soothing, I wish to be tense.” Giles, I love you forever. Never change. We still say this line whenever someone offers us tea at an inappropriate moment.
Third, Oz and Willow! ALSDKFJLASGWRIOQASKLJDF!
Fourth, Faith/Buffy friendship yay! Coma!Faith tells coma!Buffy how to defeat the Mayor, and awake!Buffy thanks her by kissing her on the forehead. [Damn it, I’m telling you GLITTER, not tears.]
Fifth, Cordelia and Wesley finally have their climactic kiss, and in a great reversal of expectations, it falls completely flat. Awesome.
Sixth, the Mayor actually subjects them to his commencement speech! Ha! He is truly evil.
Seventh, the Sunnydale students rise up and take arms! They fight back for their town! Buffy has once and for all empowered the students to push back against the encroaching darkness. [Okay, that’s not glitter on my face; I lied.]. I can barely breathe through the awesomeness as Xander leads the archers against the vampires. My heart breaks into a million pieces as Larry dies. And I sigh happily when Jonathan catches Cordelia in his arms. BEST GRADUATION EVER.
Eighth, the dialogue awesomeness:
Willow: Faith told you? Was that before or after you put her in a coma?
Buffy: After.
Oz: Any change?
Willow: He's delirious. He thought I was Buffy.
Oz: You, too, huh?
Cordelia: I personally don't think it's possible to come up with a [worse] plan.
Oz: We attack the Mayor with hummus.
Cordelia: I stand corrected.
Oz: Just keeping things in perspective.
Cordelia: Thank you
Finally, to cap off the Season 3 greatness, Mark showed up in person in Chicago last night, and had us all laughing until we snorted, teared up, and/or spontaneously kicked the chair in front of us. I tell you true, we were laughing so hard that we couldn’t keep it contained to polite, pretty laughter. It got ugly and we didn’t care. Mark Does Standup is probably going to be his next thing, and I will totally show up for it.
I just assumed that Wesley was a truly awful kisser. I mean, look at how he holds his arms! He's got his mouth like a cat's arse and even poor Cordy cannot make it work with him. I have had a kiss like that and believe me, it is awkward and hard to get beyond.
Tbvat ol yngre-frnfba Jrf, V svaq gung ernyyl uneq gb oryvrir.
Jryy, ur tbg orggre.
V vzntvar ur naq n pregnva ynjlre tbg n YBG bs cenpgvpr va, vs ln xabj jung V zrna. 😉
Nterrq. "Ohssl" Jrfyrl? Zru. "Natry" Jrf? LRF CYRNFR.
Yeah, sometimes, no matter how good you yourself are, you just can't make it work if you're given nothing to work with.
Oh, Mark. Remember that your Master Schedule for Buffy/Angel needed fixing? I hope you've done that and will post the revised schedule soon.
That Faith-Buffy dream-or-whatever-it-is sequence just blows my mind right off every time!
It's so… I mean, WHO DOES THIS?? What show would stop time at the most dramatic point and resolve the story on the astral plane?? It's insane, but so wonderful. I guess I'm babbling, but I have no better words right now.
It's a redemption (of sorts) for Faith. After all the fighting, killing and conflict, the Slayer bond proves stronger, and she helps defeating the mayor and saving the town.
PS I also love Snyder going out in a blaze of glory. Say what you will, that man was no coward.
Please don't use the word "insane" on this site.
After the Columbine shootings, the WB demanded that Joss make some changes in this episode (which was already in the can at the time.)
The original explosion at Sunnydale High was *much* bigger. They set off car alarms for blocks around the school that doubled for Sunnydale High, and the city of Torrance was *not* pleased with them. In the original cut of the episode, the explosion scene went on for about twice as long.
And in the original final conversation as the Scoobies looked over the destruction of Sunnydale High, Xander and the others made several comments about how cool it was that they got to blow up the school, all of which were edited out.
And then, even after Joss made the changes that they wanted, just two days before it was scheduled to be aired, the WB execs got cold feet, and pulled it. Fortunately for some of us, they waited so long that it was too late to pull it from it's scheduled showing in Canada.
The final scene, as scripted, and filmed, before the Executive Meddling:
EXT. SAME (FRONT OF SCHOOL) – A BIT LATER
The gang (Oz, Willow, Xander, Cordelia) is together by the curb. Buffy joins them.
CORDELIA
Well, that was the most fun you can
have without having any fun.
WILLOW
What about the part where we kicked
demon ass? I didn't hate that.
XANDER
Guys, we blew up the school! It's the
best day ever!
WILLOW
Why do demons even come here anymore?
Don't they know how bad we are?
BUFFY
I think we've done pretty much everything
we can. You guys wanna take off?
CORDELIA
I'm for it.
WILLOW
(to Buffy)
You okay?
Buffy considers the question.
BUFFY
Yeah. I'm okay. I just… I could use a
little sleep.
WILLOW
Yeah.
BUFFY
If somebody could just wake me up
when it's time to go to college, that'd
be great.
OZ
Guys. Take a moment to deal with this.
We survived.
BUFFY
It was a hell of a battle.
OZ
Not that battle. High school.
They all think about it. It IS actually kind of cool.
OZ (cont'd)
We're taking a moment.
(beat)
And we're done.
They head off. As they recede in the distance, they continue:
XANDER
You know what the best part of high
school was?
BUFFY
When we blew it up?
XANDER
Yeah! That ruled. 'Cause you know the
thing that made it so special…
BUFFY
Was that the school blew up?
XANDER
Exactly!
BUFFY
I begin to find you troubling.
XANDER
Oh, come on, you know you're all
thinking it.
BUFFY
Well…
And then, overlapping:
WILLOW
I was.
CORDELIA
Pretty much.
OZ
Uh huh.
BUFFY
Yeah.
Their chatter dies away as they grow smaller in the frame, the camera finally tilting down to find a partially burnt yearbook lying on the ground
Sunnydale, '99
The future is ours.
BLACK OUT.
END OF SEASON
Best. Being-bit-by-a-vampire. Girl-orgasm. EVER!
Claw the metal vase, kick the table. YES!
TOTALLY worth it.
My issues here, possibly. "I'm aware of that."
But… whew! 😀
right there with you! 😀
First: yay I can participate at this site like a person because I am done with the bar exam! This is super very exciting to me.
But also things about the finale:
– Yeeeah, these are generally my feelings on Angel. I can get the appeal of him and him with Buffy, but personally I just couldn't get into it. My favorite scene was him leaving already. It was for this reason that I didn't really try to get into Angel, but I've decided that I am going to watch it along with Mark now. w00t!
– Also I love how I have watched this show before and yet fail to remember lots of things. Just watching it this time I was conflicted over whether I believed the Mayor really had any affection for Faith or just knew how to use her, or did have some real affection but was also very aware of how he was using her. My impression at this point is that he was as invested in the relationship as she was, and didn't see it as anything other than an older-father-guardian type and a favorite daughter, in part because he ultimately seemed to be the type of villain who really believed in his villainy. It also makes Faith's story in itself a little more depressing – it would have been sad if he was using her, but somehow it makes even more sense that she fell into something when the emotions involved were very much real.
– It was kind of stupid, but I still find that "Well gosh" before he blows up pretty hilarious.
– I also liked that the students got to come together to defend themselves, even if the school was destroyed in the process. I mean, it bites at the "how does no one talk about how there are VAMPIRES AND DEMONS everywhere," but still, it almost seemed liked those students who managed to survive to graduation really deserved to be able to take on their predators head on, and it was cool to see the Scoobies acting more like they were directing troops than just trying to get people out of the way.
– Oynu frnfba 4 yrg'f uheel hc naq trg gb "Uhfu" orpnhfr V jnaan frr Gnen!
Congrats on finishing the bar exam!
V pnaabg jnvg sbe Gnen! Be sbe Znex'f ernpgvba gb Jvyybj ernyvmvat gung fur'f tnl
Thanks!
Lrf! V'z ybbxvat sbejneq gb gur cebprff bs gur fhogrkg bs Gnen naq Jvyybj orpbzvat grkg, naq Gnen fgbyr zl urneg naq orpnzr bar bs zl snibevgr punenpgref, fb V'z ernyyl ybbxvat sbejneq gb ure orvat cneg bs gur fubj.
yby. V terj gb ybir Gnen, ohg V ernyyl qvq abg yvxr ure ng nyy jura fur svefg fubjrq hc gur svefg gvzr V jngpurq n fubj. V guvax vg'f orpnhfr V'z n cerggl pbasvqrag crefba jub qbrfa'g unir gebhoyr fcrnxvat hc sbe zlfrys naq Gnen jnf whfg fb DHVRG naq qvqa'g fgvpx hc sbe urefrys naq vg ERNYYL sehfgengrq zr. Ohg fbzrjurer nebhaq zvq-frnfba 5, V whfg ernyyl terj gb ybir ure.
Lrnu, V pna trg gung; nf sne nf V erzrzore V nyjnlf yvxrq Gnen naq whfg terj gb ybir ure (V jnf nyfb fbzrjung fcbvyrq, fb V jnf vagrerfgrq va npghnyyl frrvat ubj ure fgbelyvar cynlrq bhg), naq gb fbzr rkgrag V guvax V pbhyq rzcnguvmr jvgu ure vafrphevgl naq fularff. Ohg V nyfb guvax va gung ertneq V'z zber yvxr Jvyybj jura vg pbzrf gb zl yriry bs fularff naq riraghnyyl tnvavat zber pbasvqrapr, naq V pbhyq ernyyl frr jung Jvyybj fnj va ure naq yvxrq ure sbe n ybg bs gur ernfbaf Jvyybj qvq. (Rkprcg gung zrzbel jvcvat vf ONQ, ONQ JVYYBJ, GUVF VF ABG NPPRCGNOYR).
Zl ernpgvba gb Gnen jnf fvzvyne gb Znex'f ernpgvba gb Jrfyrl: "Nalbar jub gevrf gb ercynpr Bm jvyy nhgbzngvpnyyl or fbzrbar V ungr!"….Gnen fubjf hc…yvxr 2 rcvfbqrf tb ol….."Gnen, lbh ner gur orfg!"
GNEN
GNEN, LBH FUBJ HC EVTUG GUVF ZBZRAG
V ARRQ LBH lbh ner zl snibevgr sberire <333333
V XABJ! V YBIR URE FB ZHPU! Fur vf fb fjrrg naq nznmvat, V whfg jnag gb frr ure ntnva!
V arrq nyy gur Gnen abj abj abj. V pna uneqyl oryvrir jr fgvyy unir gb jnvg sbe Uhfu. VG VF FB YBAT.
It was for this reason that I didn't really try to get into Angel, but I've decided that I am going to watch it along with Mark now. w00t!
I'm very interested to see what you think! I was never a big fan of him on BtVS but I own all the Angel series DVDs. Angel expectation spoilers [nothing plot specific or about other characters]: Va zl bcvavba, qvfyvxvat gur Ohssl/Natry qlanzvp ernyyl vfa'g na vaqvpngbe vs fbzrbar'f tbvat gb ybir gur Natry fcva-bss, orpnhfr sbe zr vg raqrq hc orvat ernyyl rawblnoyr jngpuvat uvz qrirybc crefbany eryngvbafuvcf naq or vairfgrq va *crbcyr* va n jnl gung ur arire jnf ba OgIF (arire cneg bs gur Fpbbol Tnat naq arire eryngvat gb Ohssl be nalbar ryfr ba OgIF nf n sevraq). Vg znxrf Natry zhpu zber eryngrnoyr naq vagrerfgvat, naq ur trgf gb unir zber bs gubfr raqrnevat tbbsl, rnearfg, naq bss-uvf-tnzr zbzragf.
Actual, not vague Angel premiere spoilers
Zl snibevgr zbzrag bs gur cerzvrer vf jura ur whzcf vagb gur jebat pbairegvoyr. Gung'f jura V sryy va ybir jvgu gung fubj.
V npghnyyl qba'g unir zhpu gebhoyr oryvrivat guvf; V'yy nqzvg gb zr gur vqrn bs jngpuvat NgF fbeg bs frrzrq yvxr "jryy, V qba'g srry yvxr Natry ernyyl qvq zhpu va OgIF naq V qvqa'g yvxr uvz, fb n jubyr FREVRF bs gung? Hz." Ohg cebonoyl zl snibevgr Natry zbzrag va OgIF vf gur svanyr jurer ur ergheaf naq vf nyy "V qvq vg svefg, gur jubyr… univat n fbhy guvat" ohg vg'f fvyyl naq njxjneq engure guna oebbqvat. Fb V pbhyq qrsvavgryl oryvrir gung ur'q or zber qrirybcrq nf n punenpgre jura ur unf gb qb guvatf gung ner abg Orvat Ohssl'f Vzzbegny Gehr Ybir.
Cyhf, bxnl, V nyfb jnag gb frr gur fghss V xabj Snvgu qbrf va vg. ZBNE SNVGU.
Uvcfgre Natry unq n fbhy orsber vg jnf pbby.
Congrats!
I'm also going to be watching Angel for the first time. I liked Buffy and Angel at the beginning, but I was tired of them by season 3, and the back-and-forth about him leaving made me resent Angel and the spin-off, and I never got into it. I'm looking forward to watching it now that I'm over that feeling.
Heh, if it gives you an idea of how resentful I was toward Angel when I first watched, V npghnyyl *yvxrq* Evyrl. V jnf whfg fb qrfcrengr sbe Ohssl gb ABG or jvgu n inzcver gung V jnf yvxr "SVAR JUNGRIRE LBH NER N QHQR JUB VF ABG NATRY BE FCVXR, SVAR JVGU ZR." V arire raqrq hc ungvat uvz nf zhpu nf zbfg bgure crbcyr qb (gubhtu V trg jul gurl qb), ohg V nz jbaqrevat vs gung jvyy punatr abj gung zl srryvatf gbjneq Natry naq Ohssl/Natry unir yriryrq bss gb ncngul engure guna naablnapr.
On the Angel front, I pretty much hated the guy on Buffy and (spoilers for Angel the Series) bayl–naq V zrna bayl–fgnegrq jngpuvat NgF orpnhfr Pbeqryvn jnf ba vg. Jryy, vg gbbx zr nyy bs bar rcvfbqr gb fgneg ybivat gur ovt fghcvq yht bapr ur jnf ba uvf bja. Abj, nybat jvgu Pbeql naq Jrf, ur'f bar bs zl gbc 3 snibevgr Ohsslirefr punenpgref. Lbhe rkcrevrapr znl or irel qvssrerag, naq rira V fcraq unys gur gvzr jngpuvat NgF fubhgvat ng uvz gb fgbc orvat fhpu n wnpxnff, ohg sbe zr ubj V sryg nobhg obgu gur punenpgre naq gur frevrf jnfa'g ng nyy cerqvpngrq hcba uvf gvzr ba OgIF.
Everything was wonderful. ALL THE FEELINGS when Buffy shouted "Now!" and the students all banded together.
I love the end. Three seasons (or two and a half) of plot, emotions, hard work, the cast and writers and crew, the SHOW, has graduated.
And gosh, Buffy kissing Faith's head. 🙁 Those two really make an excellent rivalship. I just love the idea that Buffy can still be affectionate towards someone she was fighting. Faith's story is the saddest.
FRIRA-GUERR-BU, V pna'g jnvg hagvy Znex ernpurf gur raq bs Frnfba Svir. V znl unir pbasyvpgvat srryvatf nobhg guvatf va gur arkg gjb frnfbaf, ohg gung svanyr jnf bar bs gur terngrfg zbzragf va nyy bs Ohssl.
Great lines:
-"Tea is soothing. I wish to be tense."
-"Fire bad. Tree pretty."
-"We attack the Mayor with hummus."
-I find the blood drinking scene kinda hot. YES I AM DISTURBED I KNOW THIS.
-Mayor Wilkins calling Buffy a whore. SIDE EYEING YOU SO HARD RIGHT NOW SIR.
-Love, love, LOVE the Buffy Faith dream. One of my favorite scenes in all of Buffyverse. My personal theory is that the dream is solely Buffy's, not shared with Faith. Vg'f whfg n fgnaqneq cebcurgvp Fynlre qernz, cebcurfvmvat bs pbhefr Ohssl'f bja qrngu ng gur raq bs gur Tvsg. (730 orvat gur ahzore bs qnlf (2 lrnef) orgjrra guvf rcvfbqr naq gur Tvsg). Nyfb, Snvgu vf jnl gbb sevraqyl sbe guvf gb or n funerq qernz. Jura Snvgu jnxrf hc va F4, fur'f natel naq ovggre. Gur urycshy Snvgu bs guvf qernz vf pyrneyl n ovg bs jvfushy guvaxvat sebz Ohssl.
-Hahhahahaha the Cordelia/Wesley kiss funniest scene ever or FUNNIEST SCENE EVER?
-I love that Joss gave us this beautiful epic battle, utilizing all the minor characters we've come to know over the past few years and having everyone pitch in for the fight. The only thing I don't like? The fashionable Cordelia wearing those white running shoes to her graduation!
-Angel telling Buffy he's gonna leave without a goodbye. WHAT A SELFISH, DICK MOVE. This strikes really close to home for me because a boyfriend of mine once had to move out of the country permanently. It meant we would break up, and he said he was gonna leave without any goodbye because goodbyes made him feel uncomfortable. WELL WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER PERSON YOU JERK? A goodbye is closure and some people need that, or maybe they just want to see you one last time. If you love the person then you should suck it up and endure the awkwardness for a few minutes. UGH THIS GIVES ME SO MUCH RAGE. Angel you are such a jerk here.
-OMG graduation speeches are truly the worst. Even the Mayor's.
-Why do none of the parents get their children before scampering off?
-Once again, David's stunt double, with his jet black hair, is glaringly obvious. Why the hell don't they lighten his hair?
-Giles giving Buffy her diploma is such a lovely touching moment.
WELL WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER PERSON YOU JERK? A goodbye is closure and some people need that, or maybe they just want to see you one last time. If you love the person then you should suck it up and endure the awkwardness for a few minutes. UGH THIS GIVES ME SO MUCH RAGE. Angel you are such a jerk here.
THIS. Man, Buffy and Angel seem to often bring out the worst in each other instead of the best, and that's why after Season 3 I was praying they'd stay away from each other for the rest of their lives. I refused to accept this star-crossed soulmate thing. IMO they need to stay apart because they can have a tendency to make each other act like assholes, not because their love is so beautiful & pure yet thwarted by destiny.
Lbh znxr n tbbq cbvag nobhg gur qernz, ohg juvyr V'q nterr vg jnf Ohssl'f qernzfcnpr, V guvax fbzr cneg bs Snvgu jnf cerfrag. Vs abguvat ryfr, gur Qnja sberfunqbjvat urer gvrf va fb avpryl jvgu gur bar qernz frdhrapr va Guvf Lrne'f Tvey (juvpu jnf zbfg qrsvavgryl Snvgu'f qernzfcnpr) gung V graq gb oryvrir gurer jnf n qrterr bs cflpuvp pebffbire. Bgurejvfr, jul jbhyq n cebcurfl bs Qnja'f sbegupbzvat neeviny rira or unccravat va Snvgu'f qernz 8 zbaguf yngre? Qnja jvyy or n cneg bs Ohssl'f qrfgval, abg Snvgu'f va nal zrnavatshy jnl.
Znlor vg jnfa'g Snvgu'f shyy pbafpvbhf frys, ohg fur tnir Ohssl nqivpr ba gur Znlbe–uvf jrnxarff–gung bayl Snvgu pbhyq'ir thrffrq, orpnhfr fur'f gur bayl bar jub jnf rire pybfr rabhtu gb frr ur fgvyy cbffrffrq uhznavgl. Zl vagrecergngvba vf gung vg jnf gur cneg bs Snvgu gung fgvyy fnj urefrys nf n Fynlre, naq jub jnagrq npprcgnapr sebz naq n eryngvbafuvc jvgu Ohssl. Gung tvey jnf arire ragveryl nofrag, nf F4/F1 jvyy hygvzngryl cebir.
Yup. Slayer bond conquers all. I don't want to hear any other theories!
I'll be honest: the scene in which the Mayor lashes out at Buffy in the hospital is one of my favorite scenes in the series. It's a perfect inversion of one of the Great Tropes of drama: the parent losing control upon discovering his or her child's abuser. I imagine that Giles would react in exactly the same way should Buffy have been the one put into a coma.
Oh, God, he would. Faih and The Mayor are TOTALLY the 'Evil' Buffy and Giles. MIRRORING WHEDON IS GREAT AT IT.
I think Giles would probably be more fearsome. He put a fencing sword through a man's chest just because he threatened Buffy – a very real threat.
Why do I have a feeling this dream sequence has some other importance I’m not seeing?
Guvf vf "pbhagvat qbja sebz frira-guerr-bu", evtug?
“Fire bad. Tree pretty.”
Orre sbnzl!
Jr trg fbzr zber va gur hcpbzvat rcvfbqr Guvf Lrne'f Tvey.
Va n qernz, Ohssl naq Snvgu znxr n orq; Snvgu fnlf "Yvggyr fvfgre vf pbzvat," sberfunqbjvat gur neeviny bs Qnja ng gur ortvaavat bs gur arkg frnfba. Guvf vf gur frpbaq ersrerapr bs Snvgu gb Qnja'f neeviny. Va guveq frnfba svanyr rcvfbqr, va n qernz, Snvgu fnlf, gb Ohssl, "Yvggyr Zvff Zhssrg pbhagvat qbja sebz 7-3-0." 730 vf gur ahzore bs qnlf hagvy gur raq bs Frnfba Svir.
Gurer'f nyfb gur pybpx va Erfgyrff gung fnlf frira-guerr-bu naq Ohssl be Gnen fnlf fbzrguvat yvxr gur gvzr/pybpx vf jebat — orpnhfr n lrne unf cnffrq abj.
Naq (va gur Tenqhngvba Qnl qernz) V gnxr gur png eryngrq qvnybthr jvgu uvture cbjre vagreiragvba ersrerapr nf Qnja sberfunqbjvat…
Naq gur Yvggyr Zvff Zhssrg ersreevat gb Qnja
Wesley's position is all wrong, the kisses were sloppy and lacking.
D-
Could do better.
Well at least in their case the "That was not good" feeling was mutual… -.-'
And he seems not to know what to do with his hands. It's like he's trying to kiss Cordy without actually touching her.
My favorite moment is when the mayor starts going into his commencement speech:
Buffy: "My God, he's going to do the entire speech".
Willow: "Man, just ascend already".
Buffy: "Evil"
Re: Destroying Giles' book collection:
Packing up the books, and moving them out of the library was what Wes and Cordy were doing, while they discovered that they really didn't kiss very well. In Buffy's final dash through the library, you can see that most of the shelves are empty.
I have a sort of irrational love for how the parents panic and flee, and the kids just tear off their gowns to show the weapons.
It could be saying something deep about how kids are going through this war to get to adulthood that their parents can never really imagine, and run away when they see how huge the monster they're fighting is — but the kids don't, because they knew it was huge, and this is what they have to do.
But it could just be that I love ordinary people being brave more than just about anything. And that's perhaps why Buffy speaks to us so much. Despite being strong and fast, despite the training and the prophetic dreams, she's still just an ordinary person… who's become extraordinary.
(Psst, Mark — I think they evacuated Giles's books!)
3rd season of Buffy showed in the UK around 99. Making me 14/15 when it showed. Do you have any idea how satisfying the thought of getting to blow up the school when I left was?
In the same way that Buffy is teenage/young adult fears and experience made literal, that destruction is a literalisation of the process of leaving school. Destroying childhood fears and demons and moving into a more adult sphere. We'll lose some stuff in the process, some stuff of value and some stuff we wouldn't miss, but ultimately we'll walk away, leaving that life behind.
MAYOR: Well. What a day this is! – Special day. Today is our centennial the one hundreds anniversary of the founding of Sunnydale, and I know what that means to all you kids: not – a darn thing. Because today something much more important happens: today you all graduate from high school. Today all the pain, all the work, all the excitement is finally over. And what's a hundred years of history compared to that? You know what kids? –
BUFFY: Oh my God. He's going to do the entire speech.
WILLOW: Man, just ascend already.
BUFFY: Evil!
I would have been really satisfied if this was the last ever episode.
THINGS THAT WERE AWESOME IN THIS EPISODE:
Buffy offering to give her blood and actually living through it.
Fate and Buffy mind linked!
Fate just looked so peaceful in her head…, or Buffy's head. It's in someone's head, but that doesn't make it any less real.
The Mayor losing it and cursing. Shock!
Buffy coming up with a plan.
Oz's plan
Cordelia's plan
Holy awkward face eating between Cordy and Wesley. They're just cool with not doing anything afterwards.
The speech. "He really is going to go through the whole speech. He is evil!"
Actually, the demon looked intimidating. Special effects worked.
The whole class hiding weapons in their robes.
Cordy slayed a vampire!
Buffy taunting a monster!
Snyder getting eaten. Sorry, I just had a principal exactly like him, and this was very visceral for me.
The mayor's pleasant voice coming from the demon! I rewound it a few times and laughed.
BOOM
"We survived high school."
This isn't the END
ME DURING THE GRADUATION CEREMONY
*tension*
"Just turn into a demon already."
*tension*
"Just turn into a demon already."
*tension*
"Just turn into a demon already."
*tension*
"Just turn into a demon already."
Mayor turns into a demon.
*sigh of relief*
"I expected bigger."
In monster movies, or any horror, the anticipation is the worse.
*sigh of relief*
"I expected bigger."
That's what she said!
*imaginary spit-take*
Walked right into that one!
eroticism. yes. please.
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v617/rafaboreanaz/Bangel%20Picspam/ba7.jpg">
In their shared dream I had the impression that Faith gave Buffy some of her slayer powers… "take what you need"…. and that is why Buffy has a sudden recovery… Anyone else get that impression?
I thought it was hinting to Buffy that she needed to go back and get the knife?
For a long time, I thought the Wesley Cordelia kiss was about the most awkward kiss I'd ever seen on television. It's probably between that and this scene from Community:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcJWYiJArKA
which makes me post this from Friends: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGgu3Nq3tw0
TWO WEEKS UNTIL COMMUNITY IS BACK!!!
Joss loves to talk about how he doesn't need to play fair with his writing because of "emotional truth," and it's bullshit because a good enough writer should be able to tell the story they want without cheating. But this, along with Becoming, is a rare time when it works.
It logically doesn't make much sense for the Mayor to become a giant snake. It's there purely so the Scoobies wouldn't be in a completely hopeless fight against a guy who was invincible. But as you're watching, you're caught up enough that you don't care.
This.
LARRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.
Also, school's over and they can never go back… mostly because they blew it up. But, it felt metaphorical to me. They triumphed over the school, and left it stronger than when they first attended… I hope.
ONWARDS TO SEASON 4.
Don't worry about the books, Mark: Cordy and Wesley packed them all up before their truly epic kiss.
This was the last episode of Buffy I watched while it was airing! I think I was suddenly doing some extracurricular or something on Tuesday nights? I was a busy adolescent. The rest of the series I didn't watch until college (jvgu gur boivbhf fvqr rssrpg gung V NQBER FRNFBA SBHE).
But yeah, I definitely remember being 13 years old and getting kind of nervous that my parents would walk in during that DRINK ME scene. I also remember being so confused/excited at the dream sequence, and wondering if there was more to it.
My favorite moment is still, and probably always will be, the entire graduating class coming together to fight a giant mayor-snake. Fuck yeah, surviving students of Sunnydale High, you are all awesome.
The hummus line has been the ring tone one three seperate phones of mine
That's awesome. My ringtone has been the Buffy theme ever since I first got a phone. Ohg gur erpbeqvat sebz gur zhfvpny
Obviously the Mayor never read the Evil Overlord list:
34: I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.
I believe this episode is the source (or maybe just one of the sources) for #34 on the Evil Overlord List:
34. I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.
Nope, the Evil Overlord List, and this entry is older than that.
I think the original "turn into a snake" referenced was from "Conan the Barbarian"
Well, that explains why I didn't know that…I never saw Conan! Wow, I hadn't realized the list went back that far.
"Graduation Day, Part Two"
• First comment: I sympathize with and understand the decision to delay the airing of "Earshot" from one week after the tragedy in Columbine. Delaying this one? No.
• No one went out on the balcony and found the knife?
• "She'll be alright… she'll be alright…" Thinking about it, the fact that the Mayor's best quality (the fact that he really truly loves Faith) is the key to bringing him down is quite sad.
• Oh, I know it's wrong, but I can't stop laughing at a fevered Angel thinking Willow's Buffy.
• …how did any vampire dying from this overpower a Slayer to drink her blood?
• "Little Miss Muffet counting down from 7-3-0." "Oh, great. Riddles." Nu, V erzrzore guebjvat nobhg gurbevrf nobhg jung guvf zrnag. Gura jr tbg "Erfgyrff," juvpu… lrnu.
• "We attack the mayor with hummus." I love Oz for his ability to come up with random ideas off the top of his head.
• The Cordelia/Wesley Big Damn Kiss: After a third of a season of fluttering about, saying that was anticlimactic seems inadequate.
• Just how are they organized in seats? It's clearly not alphabetical (Chase and Harris next to each other, and way in the back, behind Rosenberg and Summers), and almost certainly not class rank (or Willow would be at the very front, and Buffy probably wouldsn't be next to her).
• "34. I will not turn into a snake. It never helps."
• Wbanguna hugging Cordelia as the school blows up. Heh.
• "Tree bad, fire pretty" [sic] has become my default way of expressing mental exhaustion. (The first time I said it that way, it was a mistake that I realized after a couple minutes. I liked it so much – I'm too tired to get the quote right – that I adopted it permanently. The proper quote even sounds weird to me now.)
• Just how long is this eclipse lasting, anyway?
• "We survived…. Not the battle, high school." And just like the first two seasons, we have a finale that could serve as an ending to the show if needed. Of the three, this is definitely my favorite. They've stopped the bad guy, graduated high school, blown up the high school so it can never hurt anyone again, take a moment to assess how awesome they are, and walk off into the lack of sun together.
Body Count:
[There were probably more killed during the battle – the first students to run into the wall o' vampires in particular come to mind. Once again, I'm erring on the side of caution.]
• Student, killed by the Mayor.
• Vampire, killed by student archer.
• Vampire, killed by student archer.
• Vampire, killed by student archer.
• Larry, killed by the Mayor.
• Snyder, killed by the Mayor.
• Harmony, killed by a vampire.
• Vampire, killed by Cordelia.
• Mayor Richard Wilkins III, killed by Giles (group effort, but Giles pulled the trigger).
Just how are they organized in seats? It's clearly not alphabetical (Chase and Harris next to each other, and way in the back, behind Rosenberg and Summers), and almost certainly not class rank (or Willow would be at the very front, and Buffy probably wouldsn't be next to her).
At my high school, we got to pick our walking partners, and then they just made a big list of the seating order based, which was fairly random. As long as they had a seating chart, it didn't need to be in any particular order. There were about 350 people in my graduating class.
At my school it was by height
At my school, it was by height as well. You could walk with whoever you wanted, but the order was determined by the height of the boys.
We did much the same, but it had to be someone in the same strata, I guess. Like, I graduated with high honors, so I had to pick someone else that also had high honors.
Yeah, we definitely didn't do that. I couldn't even tell you what my GPA was, my transcript was so f***ed up. I did a few classes at the high school, a year at the community college, several homeschool courses, and a couple of correspondence courses.
We did have a scholarship ceremony, though, which was about the most cruel and demoralising thing imaginable. They called out the awards by amount, starting with the person who got the most. So everyone who didn't get thousands of dollars just waited and waited for their names to get called as the amounts got smaller and smaller and the applause got less and less enthusiastic. Great planning, ceremony organisers.
It's been almost 12 years, but iirc, scholarships were announced along with your name.
I can understand why they wanted separate ceremonies for graduation and scholarships at my school, with a class of 350+, but they should have done the scholarships alphabetically, or from least to most, so that at least the people with the smallest amounts of money got enthusiastic applause, and each of them got *more* than the previous person, instead of less. I still have a lot of bitterness toward my high school experience, despite the fact that it's now going on 15 years in the past.
Yeah, I graduated with about 120 students, so wasn't all that time consuming.
oybja hc gur uvtu fpubby fb vg pna arire uheg nalbar ntnva
Be fb gurl guvax
Can’t even deal with the Cordelia/Wesley kiss, you guys! My embarrassment squick just CAN’T. Cyhf, ba gur Natry fcva-bss gurer’f guvf gbgny oebgure & fvfgre ivor, juvpu znxrf guvf qbhoyr-rj sbe zr. V’z yvxr JUNG JUNG JUNG NER LBH QBVAT JRFYRL? QBA’G LBH XABJ FUR’F SBE OVPXREVAT NAQ UHTTVAT NAQ XNENBXR, ABG ZNXR BHGF. HTU.
A short clip to cleanse my palate of both the icky kiss and B/A’s extended break up dramaz… (Funny send up of the Buffy/Angel relationship. WARNING: it’s a little scene from the Angel spin-off, and though no plot details are revealed, it features several of the main characters from that series — and on that level has major spoilers if you haven’t already seen enough promotional material that you know all the basic characters for the first 3 seasons or so. Be forewarned!)
Synder, you were truly the most amusing of all of us! RIP.
The Buffy&Faith dream sequence is one of my very favorite scenes from the two-partner. BtVS gives good ~meaningful dream sequences! Not only did those moments get to my B/F shipper heart but gur sberfunqbjvat sbe Qnja naq frira-guerr-bu pbhagqbja gb Ohssl'f qrngu vf whfg NJRFBZR
I love that clip so, so much. <3 <3 <3
Actually, that clip is even MORE spoilery since on the side there in the related videos is THE HUGEST POSSIBLE SPOILER IN EITHER SERIES, so…. nobody but the rot13 club, please?
But otherwise; yay, favorite scene EVER~! <3
oops! sorry about not adding that warning. I honestly forget about that because there's always so much crap on the related videos that I never look there anymore. ~jaded YT user
Yep, that clip pretty much encapsulates all of my feelings about Buffy/Angel.
That clip remains one of my favorite moments in all of AtS.
"V ybir lbh fb zhpu V nyzbfg sbetbg gb oebbq!"
Gur rcvfbqrf jvgu Snvgu jrer tbbq, ohg V npghnyyl yvxrq ure bar rcvfbqr ba frnfba 2 bs Natry zber.
Edited for expectation spoilers.
Frnfba sbhe vf ceboyrzngvp, znvayl orpnhfr gurl'er fb qrfcrengr gb fgvpx gb gurve "BZVTBQ LBH THLF SEVRAQF QEVSG NCNEG VA PBYYRTR" gurzr gung 90% bs gur fubj vf qribgrq gb gur Vavgvngvir, jub fhpxrq eblnyyl. V zrna, gung gurzr cnlrq bss va gur ryringbe funsg znxr-hc fprar va "Cevzriny", ohg vg qvqa'g znxr vg nal yrff ntbavmvat gb jngpu. Yvxr… gur pber bs gur fubj vf Ohssl'f eryngvbafuvc jvgu ure Fpbbovrf, frireny rcvfbqrf unir orra nyy nobhg ubj fur'q or ybfg jvgubhg gurz… JUL qb na ragver frnfba jvgu rirelobql qbvat gurve bja guvat?!
Ba gur bgure unaq, "UHFU." Nyfb, "Erfgyrff." Naq Gnen, urr! V pna'g oryvrir Znex'f arire urneq bs Jvyybj naq Gnen orsber, V gubhtug gurl jrer RIRELJURER va gur avargvrf!
Guvf vf tbaan or fb zhpu sha, unun.
(Nygubhtu lrf, rirelguvat jvgu Snvgu va vg jnf vasvagryl orggre va frnfba sbhe, ohg "Fnapghnel" gbcf vg nyy naq gura fbzr.)
Lbh xabj jung, V ybir frnfba sbhe naq V qba’g pner jub xabjf vg. V npghnyyl xvaqn yvxr gur Vavgvngvir cybg orsber Nqnz pbzrf nybat naq oberf rirelguvat hc, Naln naq Gnen ner zl snibevgr Knaqre naq Jvyybj ybir vagrerfgf naq, uryy, Evyrl qbrfa’g rira naabl zr hagvy lbh-xabj-jung va frnfba svir. Ur qbrfa’g dhvgr yvtug zl jbeyq ba sver, ohg ur’f zl snibevgr Ohssl ybir vagrerfg ol qrsnhyg orpnhfr Natry naq Fcvxr frrz gb trg yrff naq yrff vagrerfgvat gur zber gurl ybir Ohssl. Nqq n jubyr ohapu bs bhgfgnaqvat fgnaq-nybar rcvfbqrf gung ner nzbat gur orfg gur fubj unf gb bssre (Srne Vgfrys, Fbzrguvat Oyhr, Uhfu, Erfgyrff, Fhcrefgne, rgp.) naq vg’f cebonoyl zl frpbaq snibevgr frnfba. V rira xvaqn yvxr Jurer gur Jvyq Guvatf Ner orpnhfr Naln pbiref n zhygvghqr bs fvaf.
Naln naq Fcvxr va Jurer Gur Jvyq Guvatf Ner vf gur bar erqrrzvat guvat nobhg gung rcvfbqr. Ohg V fgvyy ungr vg.
VN gubhtu. V ybir frnfba 4. V guvax Gur Vavgvngvir vf cerggl tbbq nf n frnfba nep, ohg Nqnz vf whfg… abg. Naq V yvxr gur ortvaavat bs gur frnfba jvgu Ohssl fgehttyvat gb nqwhfg gb pbyyrtr yvsr orpnhfr gung srryf irel erny gb zr. V zrna Ohssl zvtug unir fhcre cbjref, ohg fur'f fgvyy uhzna naq rkcrevraprf gur fnzr guvatf gur erfg bs hf qb. Yvxr gur natfg jvgu Natry vf n yvggyr uneq gb eryngr gb orpnhfr gung'f fbzrguvat V'z arire tbvat gb rkcrevrapr, ohg gur njxjneqarff bs genafvgvbavat gb pbyyrtr? V gbgnyyl trg gung. Cyhf gur jubyr Fpbbovrf qevsgvat ncneg va pbyyrtr fghss vf irel erny gb zr gbb. Fb lrnu, frnfba 4 qbrf n ybg bs tbbq guvatf naq unf fbzr oevyyvnag fgnaq nybar rcvfbqrf, fb V yvxr vg n ybg zber guna zbfg crbcyr.
V guvax V'z gur bayl crefba va gur jbeyq jub srryf guvf jnl, ohg V jnf oberq ol gur Vavgvngvir naq ernyyl rawblrq Nqnz. Fher, uvf cebfgurgvpf ner xvaq bs ubxrl (rfcrpvnyyl gung tbqqnzarq 3.5-vapu sybccl qevir), ohg V yvxr gur pbaprcg bs gur punenpgre naq V guvax gur npgbe cynlf uvz va na vagrerfgvat jnl – fbeg bs anvir naq jbeyqyl ng gur fnzr gvzr.
V'z npghnyyl jvgu lbh ba guvf bar! Qrfcvgr zl gbgny qvfqnva sbe gur jubyr Vavgvngvir-Nqnz guvat, V jnf nyjnlf vagrerfgrq va Nqnz whfg ba n cheryl cresbeznapr yriry sbe gur ernfbaf lbh zragvbarq. Gur npgbe jub cynlrq uvz jnf irel punevfzngvp va n ovmneer jnl, naq znantrq gb pbairl n ybg bs pbzcyrkvgvrf gur fpevcg pbhyqa'g tvir. Juvpu vf jul bar bs zl snibevgr cnegf bs "Erfgyrff" vf uhzna!Nqnz, naq gur yvar ur tvirf jura Ohssl nfxf uvf anzr.
"Abg n zna nzbat hf pna erzrzore."
*fuviref*
V nterr – V guvax Gur Serfuzna vf frevbhfyl haqreengrq – vg pbairlf gung qvfbevragngvba, gung frafr bs fhqqrayl orvat n gval svfu va n uhtr ynxr ernyyl jryy. V whfg jvfu jr'q frra zber bs Fhaqnl.
Random comment:
V'ir orra erjngpuvat enaqbz rcvfbqrf bs Natry erpragyl, naq V erpragyl jngpurq "Cnegvat Tvsgf" juvpu vf gur rcvfbqr jurer Jrfyrl ergheaf naq UNUNUN. V GUVAX GURVE XVFF VA GUNG RCVFBQR ZVTUG OR RIRA ZBER NJXJNEQ. Vqx. Znlor vg vf rdhnyyl njxjneq. Naljnl, lrf. Jrfyrl/Pbeqryvn. ABG ZRNAG GB OR.
V gubhtug vg jrag pbafvqrenoyr orggre. 😉
Nyfb, Znex vf tbaan ybfr vg jura Jrfyrl pbzrf onpx.
Jul qb V unir n srryvat guvf qernz frdhrapr unf fbzr bgure vzcbegnapr V’z abg frrvat?
Orpnhfr vg qbrf. Vg'f bx gubhtu, lbh'er abg fhccbfrq gb or noyr gb frr vg. Vs lbh pbhyq, gura Gur Tvsg jbhyq whfg abg unir rabhtu vzcnpg.
-The thing that made me the saddest? Seeing that the explosives were in the library, meaning that Giles’s collection was destroyed. Poor Giles!-
Actually, it's not! When Wesley and Cordelia kiss, they're packing up the books. Cyhf gurer'f gung terng fprar va gur ortvaavat bs frnfba 4 orgjrra Knaqre naq Tvyrf. "V whfg qba'g trg lbhe penml flfgrz!" "Zl flfgrz? Vg'f pnyyrq gur nycunorg." "….uhu." Unununun. Giles's collection was saved! 😀
I just love this episode and the fact that they blow up the high school (and that it's the high school that the original 90210 was filmed at, lololol).
V ybir gung Snvgu cerqvpgf Qnja'f neeviny nf sne onpx nf guvf. GUVF VF JUNG SBERFUNQBJVAT VF NYY NOBHG, LRF. V qba'g pner, V'z rkpvgrq sbe Qnja gb fubj hc! Lnl!
I was just rewatching season four and YAY! I'm excited for predictions and the start of this too. (I think I'm just excited for the entire series, TBH.) 😀
-I can't even I dont' think i"m going to be very coherent through this. BUt how are they in the same hospital at the same time?! So good omg. IF they both "Die" and get rescusitated will there be two new slayers? what?
-Omigod and the mayor knows….I was planning on not watching all of this tonight, but that is looking less and less likely.
-Faith's kitty……D-:
-Oh look it's the DVD menu music (oh listen?). I wonder if it has words, because I keep hearing kyrie, but that may just be a function of my upbringing.
-Wesley came back! I feel so warm and fuzzy about him. (Which does not bode well….)
-Most awkward kiss ever! And they go back in! I'm kind of glad that wasn't another music swelling moment for all I was expecting it would be.
-Cordelia and Xander should definitely not be sitting together. Chase and Harris? Come on, just about every high school graduation I've been to has been seated in alphabetical order. (Is it weird that I went through all of the scoobies' last names to figure out who would be sitting near each other? Chase, Harris, Rosenberg, Summers….and Oz)
-Omy god it's so beautiful! I just….tears of amazing! I know at some point this is going to start hurting, but how beautiful is the graduating class standing up to the Mayor as a demon and his horde of vampires. I just just just !
-Eat him! Eat Snyder! Yes!
-I am knitting so fast because of my excitement.
-The mayor's last words were "Well gosh" ! I love him so much
-It didn't hurt. Well I guess Angel left, but we've been anticipating that for a while. at least i have been…
I was in a class of ~350, and we were definitely not seated alphabetically. We chose our "walking partners".
I hope someone else made this comment but I'm too impatient to stop and check.
Giles totally did not lose his books! Remember Cordelia and Wesley putting books in boxes while having their awkward kiss moment? Watching it the first time around I didn't even think to wonder what they were doing. But then it all made sense. And there were a lot of empty shelves when Buffy ran through the library.
Joss asked Charisma and Alexis what they wanted to do in the big fight at the end. Charisma said she wanted to stake a vamp (so she did) and Alexis said he wanted to get knocked over in the first three seconds and spend the rest of the fight whining on the ground.
And both moments were awesome, in different ways. ^_^
Mayor Richard Wilkins (The 1st, II, and III) RIP, best Big Bad EVER
Wait, has anyone on Mark Watches ever mentioned the fact that a deleted scene from Firefly names "General Richard Wilkins" as the commander of the Alliance forces at the Battle of Serenity Valley?
Wait…Really? I didn't know this! Woohoo, new Firefly trivia!
So… a lot of the time you say things like "I can't wait to see…" or "I hope I get to find out more about…" and I'm always all excited for you because I know whether you will or won't be able to get those things. And now, I realize you're planning on watching Angel as well, and I don't know why, but for some reason I assumed you weren't? Like, I don't know, I sort of assumed you figured Buffy was already more than you'd planned to get yourself into?
Anyway, now that I know you DO plan to watch Angel I am even more excited for you. If I have to pick one show over the other, it will always be Buffy, for various reasons. But at the same time, without Angel, you'd miss some major character development and plots.
Aka.
I AM SO FUCKING EXCITED FOR YOU. YOU THINK YOU HAVE TOO MANY FEELS NOW? JUST WAIT MARK. JUST WAIT.
Like Faith, a lot of Buffy's weaknesses are borne from acting based on her emotional instincts. In the last ep, she wants revenge on Faith, and doesn't seem to prioritize strategic concerns over her need to bring Faith down. It's nearing major-oh-crap time, but Buffy focuses on Faith and not the Mayor. And yeah, Angel's hurt, but it turns out he doesn't need to drink all of a Slayer's blood, just some of it. So bringing Faith down wasn't necessary since Buffy's blood was sufficient, and certainly killing Faith wasn't necessary. So Buffy's looking to kill Faith for her own personal desire to see Faith dead and not because it's necessary to heal Angel (I get she didn't know giving him some of her blood would work, but she wasn't exploring all the options previously). And yet, Buffy was so torn over the dead Deputy Mayor, and even her killing Robot Ted before she found out the robot part, that Buffy really wasn't taking into account her moral concerns with killing people in the last ep. She has Faith-shaped blinders, basically. So focusing on Faith was an instinctive vengeance-driven choice for her, and was not any sort of pragmatic choice.
The Buffy that we saw in the Wishverse was pragmatic, but that's not this Buffy. That Buffy was distant and apathetic and would likely have focused on the Mayor rather than Faith under similar situations, though that Buffy would have likely been able to take Faith down without guilt. But I believe our Buffy would have been broken had she actually killed Faith. The Buffy we know can't do distant, and her emotional instincts seem to supersede pragmatism a lot of the time. So she makes potentially harmful and/or unwise decisions, but she also wouldn't have made those decisions in the first place were she not the emotionally-affected Buffy that we know and love. A more pragmatic Buffy isn't as interesting, or as fun, and lest we forget the Wishverse Buffy was killed by the Master, who our Buffy killed. So while one of Buffy's weaknesses is her lack of pragmatism and a tendency to focus on personally-important issues than greater-picture strategy, that trait also arguably makes her a better fighter because it gives her fire and also builds her a support team who's there to help work out the strategic details Buffy may overlook. Having people around for support is hugely important, as Faith's story tells us. Buffy wouldn't be the hero we know without her friends. And she wouldn't have those friends were she the apathetic, distant Buffy from the Wishverse.
Thus, I love Faith – she's my favorite character – but I'm not bothered by Buffy trying to kill Faith and having actually gone through and stabbed Faith in cold blood because that sort of impulsive – almost selfish – choice is a part of why I find Buffy interesting. (I'm not speaking to the morality or ethics of Buffy trying to kill Faith, just to be clear, but rather focusing on the narrative and how I think Buffy's actions in "Graduation, Part 1," moral or not, were the right choice for the character and the story.) The Buffy that can set aside her emotions and be a strategist isn't generally the Buffy I'm looking to watch. I think Buffy's certainly capable of that (see her ability to kill Angel, but also of course this episode where Buffy leads a goddamn army of her peers in a highly orchestrated and marvelous call to arms), but Buffy's emotional drives are what I find interesting, so her failure or at least struggle to be pragmatic is more interesting than her actually being pragmatic, basically.
However, all that being said, I wish there were more fallout in the narrative of this two-parter regarding how Buffy just tried to commit premeditated murder against Faith. We start this season with Buffy being hugely distraught at having killed Angel, then you have Buffy being really affected by the Deputy Mayor's death when that wast just an accident and not at all her fault, but by the end of the season we don't really see emotional ramifications for Buffy when she tried and almost succeeded in killing Faith, especially when it was premeditated and not during an immediate defensive move. The quick brush-off of how vengeful and violent Buffy was regarding Faith makes the season less narratively coherent than I would have wished. I feel like the season was set up in a way that could have been nicely bookended by Buffy having killed Angel and Buffy having almost killed Faith, but there wasn't enough focus on Buffy's attempt to kill Faith to actually have the season form the thematic arc it could have.
But I consider this a somewhat minor flaw of the season – I love this season for its focus on relationships and how they drastically change over time, and I love Faith. And I love how Faith is herself an amazing character, but is also Buffy's mirror and thus her character speaks also to Buffy's character. I love this season; one of my favorites.
I couldn't agree more. If you look at Faith's killing Allan and Buffy attempting to kill Faith, both attackers were slayers, both victims were the Mayor's henchmen, but Faith's killing was an accident and Buffy's clearly was intentional. Buffy went ballistic on Faith – "being a slayer is not being a killer", etc. when she clearly knew it was an accident, when nobody gave Buffy anything but support when she thought she had killed a human in Ted – and Buffy has the added advantage of understanding the split second decisions a slayer must make.
I also imagine that the bit about taking responsibility for your actions doesn't apply to Buffy. Does Buffy's attack on Faith deserve no consequences whatsoever because it failed to kill her? The writers really dropped the ball here.
It's interesting that Buffy doesn't seem to think of herself as having killed Faith, even though Faith is in a coma she might never wake up from. For a lot of people, that IS death, because they will never wake up and be a person again. But maybe the dream gave Buffy a sense that Faith forgave her for what she had done.
I could see it if they were doing a class photo right after graduation.
Unless, y'know, some of the ladies decided to wear heels and throw the whole thing out of balance.
So much to think and talk about for this episode, and for this season… but, you know, other than lamenting the fact that we'll probably never see Larry and Jonathan as Sunnydale's "odd couple" (seeing the two work together just made me want to see this so bad!) — in the end, I find that what I really want to talk about is Cordelia.
I think, all in all, that when I watched the series the first time around, this season finale two-parter was what made me an unabashed Cordelia fan. Not that I hated her before this; in season one she was kind of this classist, overbearing bully figure that was fun to watch get her comeuppance — but luckily she didn't stay that way, because she would have gotten really tiresome really fast that way.
In season two she got some much-needed character development and turned out to be a lot more complex and sympathetic than she seemed before, and I found myself kinda liking her more, even if she still had some moments where she was annoyingly classist and treated people as lesser beings for not being as rich, pretty or popular as her… but she was slowly turning around, and though she wasn't really quite one of the Scoobies, she was almost one of them, and she provided an extra dynamic that was interesting.
Season three continued with Cordelia in the same way…. until the breakup with Xander, which in my opinion was just badly done; the entire thing (especially the lead-up with the Xander/Willow romance, and the way they handled it) felt hokey and is easily the one thing I dislike about this season. After that, for several episodes, it didn't really seem like the writers quite knew what to do with Cordelia, until the last few episodes when she is more or less reinstated into the gang.
And then I just realize that I adore her. She's still sarcastic as all get-out, has absolutely no tact, hurls insults at everyone, is selfish and self-centered, and complains loudly about having to do awful things like help prevent demons from killing everyone… but, and here's the thing, she still does it! She's honestly making an effort, not because it benefits her, but because it's the right thing to do.
(Also, I kinda love the new dynamic between her and Xander these last three episodes. They've made their peace, and while they still snipe at one another, it's mostly good-natured, and there's a level of mutual respect here that wasn't there before, not even when they were dating.)
But the real turning point for me? It's this line:
"We'll get a container of Ebola virus, and — and… or! It doesn't even have to be real, we can just get a box that says 'Ebola' on it, and, um –" (snaps her fingers) "– chase him!" (Pause) "With the box."
I had to pause the video for a full minute, I was laughing so hard. There's just something about how Charisma Carpenter delivers that line, not to mention that the idea itself is hilarious.
And she tops herself, twice, during the episode, first with her really embarrassing sexual tension with Wesley, and once with her first actual vampire kill (that look on her face really makes the moment). Yep, this episode definitely made me go from "yeah, she's okay, can even be pretty cool" to "How do I love her? Let me count the ways…!"
I think of all the major character in these first three seasons, Cordelia is the one who's developed and changed the most… and the change is definitely for the better.
Thisthisthisthis~!
Cordy is in my heart forever, if only just for Charisma Carpenter's GODLY comedy skills. ^_^
Cordelia is my favorite. <3
She's not even mine; I can name several Buffyverse characters I like better than Cordelia, but…
….I just really, really like her, and especially in these last few episodes she's been doing really good at reminding me why.
Cordelia is the best! ILH so much.
Fun fact:
Jura lbh pbzovar obgu fubjf, Pbeqryvn vf npghnyyl va gur rknpg fnzr nzbhag bs rcvfbqrf nf Ohssl vf (obgu bs gurz frpbaq oruvaq Natry, jub unf gur zbfg rcvfbqrf)
Oooh, that is an interesting fact. I didn't know that.
Gung Natry, nyjnlf ubttvat gur fperragvzr.
– OHSSL’F QERNZ. JUNG GUR SHPX. Bu zl tbq, Snvgu, V zvff lbh. Ubj vf guvf fubj tbvat gb qrny jvgu lbh? V gubhtug lbh jrer qrnq sbe fher, naq abj lbh’er urer, naq lbh’er va n pbzn, naq V whfg srry onq sbe lbh. Jul qb V unir n srryvat guvf qernz frdhrapr unf fbzr bgure vzcbegnapr V’z abg frrvat?
Zvyrf gb tb, Yvggyr Zvff Zhssrg pbhagvat qbja sebz frira-guerr-bu.
Cerqvpgvba bs Qnja naq F5 svanyr. Njrfbzrarff!
Two of the most transcendent and memorable moments in the history of Buffy involve Buffy uttering a single syllable. “Me” in the season 2 finale, and “now” in this episode. The moments are completely different but equally powerful. In Becoming Buffy showed her ability to stand on her own. Here she shows that she can always be more powerful when she relies on others.
Breathtaking.
And another thing! (I love this person and their deviantArt account): http://jarjarrr.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=48…
Seriously, that scene was the point at which I just completely stopped believing that Stephanie Meyer wasn't trying to do the world's worst ripoff of the Buffy/Angel plotline.
Since they postponed this episode for a month and were also forced to air Earshot out of order because of Columbine, I for one am surprised that they let them go through with blowing up the school. Especially since the Columbine attack was originated as a bombing and the assailants only brought guns to pick off the survivors, but luckily the bombs never went off. Don't get me wrong, I'm beyond glad the execs didn't screw with the episode content, I'm just shocked that they didn't.
Anyway, so flippin' excited for S4 + Angel! Is the double posting going to be a permanent thing?
So Mark, when you were in Pittsburgh I told you about my friend in high school who got me into Buffy. And I told you that there was something that would be a spoiler then that meant I would have to rot13 my speaking, which would completely defeat the point.
So my friend was a huge fan of the mayor. The way he got me hooked on Buffy? He could recite the mayor's entire graduation day speech… that's the whole story. I can actually recite that speech too. Because really? That's the best graduation day speech ever. We joked about trying to give that speech at our graduation, but our high school didn't do student speakers, so it was only ever just a pipe dream…
One old thought, one new thought:
Old thought: Seriously, what did the younger high school students do for the next year(s) with the school destroyed? Be qvq gurl nafjre gung jvgu Qnja yngre? V inthryl erpnyy gung gur fpubby unq zber be yrff whfg orra erohvyg sbe ure gb nggraq, ohg V pna'g erzrzore vs gurl zragvbarq jung jnf qbar va gur zrnagvzr?
New thought: I'm just loving the idea that, since all those students have been quite obviously exposed to monsters and stuff, maybe those who survived and went to college elsewhere (or maybe who stayed at home) continued to fight monsters a bit and protect others since they know more and have a bit of experience? Obviously they don't have slayer skills, and Sunnydale is especially bad for all that stuff, but they could have scattered all over the country (and/or world) and done some defending people in their spare time *.*
Be, lbh xabj, gurl pbhyq or yvxr Unezbal naq orpbzr n juval inzc (ng yrnfg sbe n juvyr), be or yvxr Wbanguna, Jneera naq Naqerj (jrer Jneera naq Naqerj ng fpubby jvgu gurz gbb?) naq gel gb orpbzr fhcreivyynvaf *rlrebyy*
Jrer Jneera naq Naqerj ng fpubby jvgu gurz gbb?
Naqerj jnf, vg'f whfg gung abobql erzrzoref uvz bgure guna nf "Ghpxre'f oebgure." Ur tbrf ba n pbhcyr bs engure naablrq enagf nobhg ubj Ghpxre jnf gur bar jub znqr gur qrivy qbtf nggnpx gur cebz, Naqerj jnf gur bar jub znqr sylvat qrzba zbaxrlf nggnpx gur fpubby cynl. Juvpu jnf arire ersreraprq va gur uvtu fpubby frnfbaf, naq V fgvyy unir ab vqrn jul ur rira qvq vg. Rvgure ur jnagrq gb rzhyngr Ghpxre, be ur whfg sryg yvxr vg sbe fbzr ernfba.
I love the idea of ex-students of Sunnydale High fighting monsters in their spare time.
School's have been destroyed before; they just were assigned to another one, maybe Fondren (see "Some assmebly required.")
I have a MAry Sue character in my fics who's a year younger than the Scoobs and he complains about the one he's assigned to as a senior.
And here's where I have to drop out, not having watched further. Yeah, Netflix is streaming the rest, but I run Linux and I only have so much time. (I already suck at managing it without adding another *counts* 960 minutes of video just for season 4.)
I may drop in just to see how Mark reacts to some things I already know about, such as Qnja and "Gur Obql." Plus of course "Bapr Zber, Jvgu Srryvat."
you run linux– download torrents of em! you won't be sorry you spent the time…
now go back to the first appearance of Snider: "I know Principal Flutie would have said, 'Kids need understanding. Kids are human beings.' That's the kind of wooly-headed liberal thinking that leads to being eaten." Look like your theory didn't work either.
-I'm pretty sure that's the first actual outburst of real anger we've seen from the mayor. It's kinda scary.
-“I can cure you” Buffy, no. What the hell do you think you're doing!
-BUFFY STOP IT!
-God, even though I know how this ends I am tense as hell watching this scene. I just can't watch Buffy writhe around on the ground helplessly like that. SMG, WHY ARE YOU SO GOOD AT MAKING ME FEEL FEELINGS.
-Holy shit, how did they not send in people to try and arrest the mayor for attempted murder after that?
-Yeah I don't think I need to state the obvious and point out the awkwardness that is Angel's interaction with the rest of the scoobies.
-If Faith and Buffy are sharing a dream, I don't understand why Faith would try and help her defeat the mayor. Unless that isn't actually Faith and Buffy's mind just made her up
-“We attack the mayor with Hummus.” Will probably have been quoted a bajillion times by the time this gets posted, but it's practically mandatory to include it.
-Aaaww, Wesley is back and he wants to help. It's cute enough that I will choose to ignore the “scream like a woman” thing.
-OHMYGOD Wesley trying to kiss Cordelia. I love when I forget about hilarious details like that and get to laugh my ass off all over again.
-LOL, Willow coming back just in time after her last minute sex.
-”My god, he's going to do the entire speech. Evil!”
-Huh, that CGI snake isn't too bad compared to the other snakelike demon we saw in Band Candy.
-Alright, all the students whipping out the weapons is incredibly badass. I do wonder though how she convinced all those students to take them to graduation. Obviously, some students knew about the weird hellmouth stuff, but I'm guessing there were at least some kids who had no clue.
-Oh, poor Wesley doesn't even get to fight.
-LARRYY NOOOOO! 🙁
-Bye Snyder! You were fun to hate.
-CORDY STAKED A VAMPIRE YES!!!!
-”Well gosh!” and much laughter was had .
-NOOOOOOOOO GILES' BOOKS! COULDN'T YOU HAVE AT LEAST REMOVED THEM ALL FROM THE LIBRARY TO A SAFE LOCATION BEFOREHAND?????
-”Perhaps I could just be knocked unconscious” oh, Wesley.
-Aren't the rolled up “diplomas” usually fake? At my graduation they were purely ceremonial. It was just a blank piece of paper and you got your real diploma afterwords in this little fax-leather folder thing.
-Well I guess this almost counts as a goodbye.
-”We're taking a moment. And we're done.”
-I always wanted one of the Sunnydale High yearbooks, but whenever I try to bid on Buffy memorabilia on ebay, I get sniped at the last second. 🙁 TRAGEDY
I doubt it needs to be said but really, this is the BEST season finale we've had so far!
-NOOOOOOOOO GILES' BOOKS! COULDN'T YOU HAVE AT LEAST REMOVED THEM ALL FROM THE LIBRARY TO A SAFE LOCATION BEFOREHAND?????
That's why Wesley and Cordelia were packing up the books during Awkward Kissing Moment. If you look carefully as Buffy is running through, there's no books on the shelves.
Alexis Denisof asked Whedon if Wesley could get knocked out at the beginning of the fight. It's such a perfect Wesley moment. 😀
At my graduation, we got our actual diplomas at our ceremony, but they weren't rolled up. They were in their fancy folders. They assigned us seating and we had to do a dress rehearsal so they could make sure the diplomas were in the right order for the ceremony.
Well, that was a failure of my attention span. I'm glad the books are okay though.
Aren't the rolled up “diplomas” usually fake? At my graduation they were purely ceremonial. It was just a blank piece of paper and you got your real diploma afterwords in this little fax-leather folder thing.
They just gave us the folders at my high school graduation, and mailed us the diplomas later. But Buffy's graduating class is pretty small, which might make a difference.
The dream; well, it's more Buffy's dream than Faith's , but perusmably she's tapping into some part of Fiath that's relaly there, if hidden.
I sort of agree on the weapons, also one being able to pull together the non-class mebers at the back. (Altho It hink those were the 9th, 10th and 11th graders on the basketball team and were called in by EPrcy, who *is* backthere with Angel and Wesley. And gettign that much explosice that fats (another thing which dates this pre-Spetmeber 11th. Realy it should've een a day longer; Buffy gets out of the hspoital, amkes the palns, recruits the rest of the class, and then Graduation is the next day. The same amount of air time.
<img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m08d5mitGg1qz5stv.png">
Never, ever change, Giles.
<img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m08d5zyz0H1qz5stv.png">
Remember The First's line from amends? "You never were a fighter, Angel, don't start trying now. Sooner or later you will drink her."
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SEXY?
<img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m08etwo8HS1qz5stv.png">
KITTY!
<img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m08d6bUjY11qz5stv.png">
This just makes me pine for AHHH SPOILERS SORRY.
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I love that Buffy had time to change into a different pair of leather pants.
<img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m08ecdKo601qz5stv.png">
Truly an evil man.
<img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m08dx6jkLk1qz5stv.png">
I like that Snyder isn't evil, just kind of a fascist.
<img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m08d73tf6c1qz5stv.png">
I disagree with Netflix's punctuation.
Jrfyrl naq Yvynu ner zl Ohsslirefr BGC
Graduation Day Parts I II are nearly perfect television.
Gurer'f n qbyyne ovyy va Jrf' jnyyrg fnlf V'z evtug gurer jvgu lbh
KITTY!
I love how the Mayor (a) really cares about Faith–even though he's a mass-murdering fuckhead (as many important historians have said), I actually feel sorry for him when he's muttering "she'll be all right" to himself–and (b) tries to figure out what she would have done in that situation based on her personality.
"Tea is soothing! I wish to be tense." Indeed!
You have to live, Angel! To get your own show! (I know I keep saying this, but I keep finding it funny. I REGRET NOTHING)
I love self-sacrificing Buffy. And like, blood-play in real life REALLY grosses me out, but this scene is kind of hott? I mean, I know it's meant to be that way, with the moaning and groaning and kicking things and crumpling metal vase things and stuff. But it's giving me these conflicting squicky and sexy feelings all at once.
Angel, stop destroying the hospital.
"She's clean." Angel, on the other hand, does lots of drugs.
Faaaaaaaaith
Mayor, don't call Buffy a whore. That's just not cool.
Angel feels guilty enough for drinking Buffy's blood, and then the Scoobies have to go all guilt-trippy on him. Come on, you should know Angel wouldn't have been able to do it if Buffy didn't MAKE him. He was barely conscious!
What does the cat represent? Oh, I guess it's Faith. This dream is weird. I'm really bad at interpreting symbolism so I kept turning to my roommate and being like "wait, why are there boxes of stuff all over the room?"
"I'm not gonna say goodbye." No, he's just going to leave like a jackass. Seriously, Angel? If he were like "ok, we might die and I'm leaving so if this is my last chance to say goodbye, I'm going to say it now," that would be fine, but to be like "look, I'm just going to take off" is kind of jerky. I have issues with the way Angel talks about leaving in these episodes.
"You all proved more or less adequate."
"He's gonna do the entire speech!" YES HE IS. Oh, I am going to miss Harry Groener.
Okay so that's not what an eclipse looks like AT ALL. That was SUPERFASTECLIPSE.
"This is simply unacceptable!" I'll miss you too, Snyder.
This whole ending sequence is such a Crowning Moment of Badass for everyone on the show. Even the bit players! But LARRYYYYY 🙁 🙁 and Harmony 🙁
"…Dick?" Hee. I wonder how long the writers were waiting to use that one.
BLEW. UP. THE SCHOOL. This one-ups burning down the gym. TOTALLY.
Angel: "BYYYYE BUFFY I'M OFF TO SPINOFF LAND"
So… does the sun just not come back? Is it nighttime now? Because eclipses don't last that long. JUST SAYING.
EEEEE SO EXCITE FOR THE BEGINNING OF ANGEL AND S4 OF BUFFY! I can't wait to read your predictions Mark! <3333
That was SUPERFASTECLIPSE. (…) Because eclipses don't last that long.
Also, SUPERLONGECLIPSE. The one I saw was like what, 2 minutes? (Two awesomely creepy minutes, but not long enough to fight a giant demon, fight a hordes of vampires, and explode a high school). Even if we accept that the last scenes are at nightfall.
Yeah, totally. He tells the vamps that the sun "won't be a problem" during the Ascension, but really, how long was that eclipse supposed to last? It started at 3:28 or whenever his big speech was, but there's no way it lasted until the sun went down.
Well obviously, MAGIC ECLIPSE then.
Jryy, V jbhyqa'g chg vg cnfg gur Znlbe gung Zrfrxgrg bjrq uvz n snibhe :C
I'm really bad at interpreting symbolism so I kept turning to my roommate and being like "wait, why are there boxes of stuff all over the room?"
My first thought was it represented the fact that Faith was moving out. But maybe it's to do with unpacking Faith and Buffy's issues? Did people use the term "unpacking" in that way as far back as 1999? I have no idea.
And we have gotten to my favorite finale of the show and possibly a season finale that is in my top ten list of best season finales ever.
Daily Buffy Quotable:
"Tea is soothing. I wish to be tense."-Giles
"Is this your mind, or mine?"-Buffy
"Key? Me? Okay, pride…humility. Oh, there's the mind-numbing fear."-Xander
"Hey, it's Mr. State The Obvious."-Xander
"Strangely fitting in a grotesque fashion."-Giles
"Do I look stupid in this? Be honest."-Percy
OZ: You nervous? WILLOW: Only in a terrified way.
"Congratulations Class of 1999. You've all proved more or less adequate."-Snyder
"Am I late? Did we fight yet?"-Willow
"Man, just ascend already."-Willow
"Perhaps I could just be knocked unconscious?"-Wesley
Oh I am so happy you are doing two posts a day! You make my day so much more fun <3
At a convention Alexis said that Joss gave him the choice: Wesley could have a hero moment if he wanted, and Alexis said no, let's go for the humor.
Jul qb V unir n srryvat guvf qernz frdhrapr unf fbzr bgure vzcbegnapr V’z abg frrvat?
Vg'f orpnhfr guvf qernz frdhrapr unf fbzr bgure vzcbegnapr gung lbh'er abg frrvat …
For the number of times I have watched this entire series, I cannot believe that I just NOW realized that poor Larry dies in this episode. 🙁 poor Larry.
Fear not for Giles's collection, Mark! If you watch that part again, you'll see that all the shelves are empty!
Late to this party but I think it's fitting to have this fake trailer placed here 'cuz the person who made these things are just too good.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ix-EOXyZuDY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Epic. Just epic.
Dammit. Of course I did the embedding wrong. It wouldn't be me if I didn't. [youtube ix-EOXyZuDY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix-EOXyZuDY youtube]
Rough, belated thoughts:
– sexy suck-wait
– this plan is very last minute WHERE DO THEY GET SO MANY EXPLOSIVES IN SO LITTLE TIME
– also montage with book saving
– sex!
– speech!
– TOTAL ECLIPSE OF MY HEART
– Oh, Larry.
– Oh, Harmony.
<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m072tzS1wf1r7k3tso1_400.gif">
– PENIS JOKE
– EXPLOSION QUICK WE NEED A FRENCH-CANADIAN NURSE'S BOSOM!
<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly27ywJW851r7k3tso4_r1_250.gif">
(Yeah, mostly I wanted to use those gifs)
German title:
Graduation Day Part 1 was Das Blut des Jägers – The Blood of the Slayer/Hunter. Weirdly, they chose the masculine form of 'slayer' IDEK.
Graduation Day Part 2 was Tag der Vergeltung – Day of Retribution. Again, IDEK
I loved Harmony in Addams Family (part 1) as the Girl Scout:
<img src="http://www.addamsfamily.com/addams/lemonaid4.jpg" title="Is this made from real lemons?"/>
Girl Scout: Is this made from real lemons?
Wednesday: Yes.
Girl Scout: I only like all-natural foods and beverages, organically grown, with no preservatives. Are you sure they're real lemons?
Pugsley: Yes.
Girl Scout: Well, I'll tell you what. I'll buy a cup if you buy a box of my delicious Girl Scout cookies. Do we have a deal?
Wednesday: Are they made from real Girl Scouts?
I think the Frnch title back-translates as "The Ceremony."
Actually, that Girl Scout could easily have been a 10-year-old Harmony; snooty, and just got snootier when she was threatened instead of scared.
Well, the vampire logistics are pretty reasonable. And also the ones used by most decent vampire lore. Come on people, vampires are not zombies. If every time they fed, they made someone into a vampire, the world would soon be overrun by vampires. Which is a bad fucking idea. No one to feed on.
That can go two ways. Dracula will turn someone into a vampire with just a bite, but he tends to feed off the victim for a week (and I think there's something about the slowness of the bite that aids the transformation). Also, have you ever heard of a book called The Passage by Justin Cronin? It goes the "world overrun with vampires" route and is very entertaining. Thought the vampires in it do have a few things in common with zombies.