Discovering Buffy | Buffy | Critically Touched

Discovering Buffy

Article by Mikelangelo "MikeJer" Marinaro

Posted by MikeJer on October 14, 2005 @ 6:29pm PDT

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It all began during a LAN party at a friend's house in 2004 when SuperJer of all people insisted we watch this great show called Firefly. With a bit of prying he convinced the 6 (or so) of us to head down to the "movie room" and watch the pilot (he had downloaded copies of the episodes on his computer). After watching the pilot, "Serenity," and "The Train Job" I was very interested in seeing more. I ended up buying the DVD set and tearing through all of them only to fall in love with the show more. By the time the credits rolled during "Objects in Space," my favorite Firefly episode, I was seriously depressed: there was no more. All of my other friends at that LAN party had also ended up purchasing the DVD set.

Fast forward about six months later. I'm sitting at my computer, still weeping over the fact that there's no new Firefly to watch after revisiting the DVD set. So in a desperate attempt to find more material like Firefly, I decided to look up what the creator of it had done before. To my shock I found out he was the one responsible for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, two shows I thought very little of at the time. "Corny show about a hot girl who makes sometimes-funny quips and kills vampires. No thanks" I had always thought to myself. Now fueled with the knowledge that Whedon had created 'Buffy,' I decided to go out on a limb. I guess I must have also been extremely bored that day because I impulsively bought S1 on DVD. I didn't feel nearly as bad at the purchase knowing that S1 is only 12 episodes and I didn't spend too much money on it. So I began plowing through S1. Right from the first scene in the first episode, "Welcome to the Hellmouth" [1x01], I knew the show was better than I had previously thought. The guy and girl break into the school, the girl is scared, and there are creepy noises in the dark. I'm expecting something typical to happen like a 'vampire' to jump out the dark and kill the guy while the girl screams. Instead the girl turns out to be a vampire and kills the boyfriend!

After finishing S1 I was impressed but didn't think the show was anywhere near "great." The "I'm only 16 years old" scene in the season finale,"Prophecy Girl" [1x12], was the first sign I saw that showed that this series could go somewhere more personal and tell actual important stories like my favorite show at the time, Star Trek: The Next Generation, had. Normally I wouldn't have bothered watching more let alone buying more. However, I had read online (mostly in amazon.com's S2 review section) that the show got a lot better in S2. I wanted to just download the episodes and then decide on a purchase later but the downloading wasn't happening fast enough, so I splurged and picked up S2.

While there were a handful of episodes that were pretty entertaining in the first half of S2, nothing really struck me as purchase-worthy material. I was beginning to really get worried I'd wasted my money on this set. Then came the two parter "Surprise" [2x13] and "Innocence" [2x14]. This is the first time the show had really made a serious impression on me. I loved what I saw but was still concerned that the Angel situation would get resolved within an episode and that there would be no consequences from Buffy not being ready to do the deed at the end of "Innocence" [2x14]. But then "Passion" [2x17] came along to wash all my fears away and blow me away in the process. I had been tearing through these episodes pretty quickly, but this episode left me numb. I literally couldn't move after the credits rolled. I had to eventually get up and walk into my room, get on my computer, and simply go online and see if other people agreed with me that what I'd just seen was very unique to television. I was comforted that other people were as shocked as I was. "Passion" [2x17] is the episode that turned me into a 'Buffyholic.'

I can see in retrospect it began with "Innocence" [2x14], but this is when I knew I was proud to own this DVD set. I knew what I'd just seen was one of the best TV episodes I'd ever seen in my entire life. It ranks up there with ST: TNG's "The Best of Both Worlds" and arguably beats the TNG episode in shock value (and that's no easy feat). I thought I'd hit the top, but then came along the emotional truck-slamming-into-you that is "Becoming Pt. 2" [2x22]. Words cannot do this two-parter justice. This episode was somehow better than "Passion" [2x17]. I cried for the first time ever, while watching film, at the end of part two. I'd gotten teary-eyed a couple times before, but never had I actually cried before while watching film. "Becoming Pt. 2" [2x22] is simply the best entertainment on a television set (or in a movie theater for that matter) that I'd ever seen in my life (and it still is). It is powerful, meaningful, gut-wrenching, and still absolutely hilarious (e.g. Joyce and Spike). I never thought TV could ever be even close to this good before.

Throughout all seven seasons of 'Buffy' the characters continued to change, evolve, and cover new ground. Every season felt new and fresh and had a unique tone to it. I love all the seasons because the writing managed to stay consistently high for the entire duration of the series. I've now seen the entire series completely three times and it is now my favorite TV series, finally dethroning ST: TNG. I also own the entire series, have gotten two friends hooked on the show (though many others just won't give it a proper chance), and am completely obsessed with articles, interviews, and any kind of intelligent dialog regarding the show. I am now writing reviews for the series in an attempt to begin unraveling the many layers of complexity and depth that exists beneath the surface.

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All Comments | Link1 | KateOct 10, 2009 @ 12:57am

I discovered Buffy by being at a friends place and being amazed by the prettiness of the series boxes. I forgot about it but I searched 'best tv themes' on youtube and found Buffy. So I started searching it on wikipedia and started watching season 6, then 7, then 5, then 3,1,2,4. A bit out of order but I loved it from the first episode (which was 'DoubleMeat Palace')

All Comments | Link2 | AshleyHalliwellJan 5, 2010 @ 10:02am

I was a Buffyholic from the very first episode. I had just finished being obsessed with 'Charmed' and I seriously needed a new obsession. I had heard of BTVS, but the title sounded so lame that I didn't even want to give it a try. Eventually I watched the pilot and I was amazed! In the very first scene, after Joyce says something about being late for school, my first thought had been 'wouldn't want that.' And then that's exactly what Buffy said. The dialogue really drew me in and then I really started loving the characters and the drama. If that one scene in Buffy's bedroom (about school) didn't do it for me then it was definitely when the show dared to kill off that dude who was Xander and Willows friend.

All Comments | Link3 | Nathan.TaurusFeb 12, 2010 @ 6:34pm

I can't remember the first episode I watched of the series as it was a while ago. Buffy first aired in Australia on December 3rd 1997. (The same day as "Stargate: SG1")
I do remember watching the first episodes of Season 2 when they first aired and I watched the entire series until it finished. I watched all of "Angel" first time out.

I was close to 13 when I started watching and turned 18 when the series came to a close and I have watched the entire series at least four times through from the television to the DVD boxset and I can say "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is my favourite television series ever with "The Simpsons" second...possibly "Angel" third.

More people should give it a go instead of being turned off by the title or only watching a handful of episodes because it is one of the greatest shows of all time.

All Comments | Link4 | AlieJul 7, 2010 @ 7:31am

For me, I was in Sonic Boom (a used DVD and record store in Toronto) when my mom picked up season 1 for my dad for Christmas. My parents had already watched the series when it was on television in it's first run. In fact, the episode "I Robot, You Jane" aired on the day I was born. After watching the first episode, I fell in love with the show, and my dad's Christmas present quickly became mine. We watched the whole series within a span of a year and a half, roughly. Just on Monday, I watched "End of Days" and then "Chosen". I started the series when I was 11, and ended at 13. Luckily, this past Christmas my mom bought my dad season 1 of Angel, so now I have to finish that next.

All Comments | Link5 | xojupiterjazzAug 16, 2010 @ 7:46pm

My friend online was a fan and said I should give it a try. I actually hated the series too thinking it would drag on too long but like you, Passions was the one that struck me. I hadn't become a fan then but it's what kept me watching. I hadn't become a fan until after I watched it. I thought it was okay but when it was over, I felt sad which was weird. I guess it just became a part of my life as I powerwatched it last summer, averaging about 4 episodes a day. Strange at it seems, it was after it ended that I realized that I did in fact like it and started looking up articles on it before starting on rewatching. Knowing what the characters go through later, S1 doesn't seem as bad.

All Comments | Link6 | AndreasOct 21, 2010 @ 5:57am

Like you, I came to Buffy initially through Firefly. After that Dollhouse, which could have been incredibly great but wasn't quite, helped me become a firm Whedon fan. The characters! The dialogue! Mind completely blown!

I hemmed and hawed over Buffy but after reading lots of positive comments from io9.com posters whose opinions I respected I started watching Season 1. A few months later, I'm half-way through Season 6. I guess I liked it.

I convinced my wife to start watching too. She was quite skeptical but I pointed out that I told her Chuck was good despite a very silly premise and she loves that show. So now I'm re-watching the show with her. We're half-way through Season 3.

Great site. Great reviews.

"(*** copy your comment in case of failure!!! ***) " Heh. More sites should point this out. ;)

All Comments | Link7 | RahelDec 28, 2010 @ 10:28am

I watched Welcome to the Hellmouth when it first aired in Israel, sometime in the 90's, and I wasn't really impressed. I thought it was amusing, but kinda lame. the next episode I watched was the one with the hyenas, and that really turned me off.

In 2003 I moved to a new country with my husband, and we were living in ikea-furnished student housing, complete with a TV (which we don't normally own). They were running season 7. Winter was starting, and it was a lot colder than what I was used to, so we stayed in a lot. Also, I heard good things about Buffy in the meanwhile, and we decided to give it another chance. So we got hooked on Buffy by watching the second half of season 7 first, which is kinda crazy.

I still can't stand season 1, btw. As far as I'm concerned, buffy has 6 seasons :)

All Comments | Link8 | JohnnyWJan 2, 2011 @ 12:31am

I had a similar experience. I had always given Buffy a wide-berth, imagining it was nothing more than a young woman in sexy outfits, taking out bad-guys, with some funny one-liners. My impression of it was so poor that I think I actually looked down on those who said they liked it... And I'd never even seen it. (How terrible of me.)

Over the years I came across people who's opinion I respect a great deal, who insisted the show was excellent. I couldn't believe it, but, one day, I finally decided to give it a go. Like you, I picked up the first season for next to nothing.

As I started to watch it, though, I discovered how wrong I was... but I still thought the show STUNK. After hearing about how great it was I couldn't believe THIS is what they were talking about. I made it to "Teacher's Pet" and gave up. It was TERRIBLE. So bland, so predictable. Just normal reset TV. Nothing for a discerning adult looking for something different and challenging... just dull tropes. A freak of the week, with some pretensions of something bigger, but really it just came back to the beginning by the end of the episode. The characters, aside from Buffy, were nothing more than exposition machines and/or joke blowers. AWFUL.

I complained to my friends who had recommended it to me and they said, nonchalantly, "Oh yeah, you've got to get through Season 1, it gets better in 2." I couldn't believe it. Not a little deflated at this point, I gave up and forgot about Buffy for a while.

Eventually, after still hearing about how great it was from various people, and after still being told that it "gets better", and after still feeling so incredulous at just HOW bad it was, I decided to give it another go. I groaned my way through the first eight episodes again (I don't know how I managed to get through "I Robot, You Jane" -- I was practically cursing my TV at how awful it was), when, finally, a bit of sunshine burst through the clouds: "The Puppet Show".

It was the same freak of the week formula (I couldn't see how the writers could ever escape it -- and was wondering how on earth they were going to get through seven seasons -- were they having vampire clowns from outer space by then?), but the ending had a neat little twist that I wasn't expecting. Instead of hearing about how the terrible baddie had finally been destroyed, once and for all (as in the previous week's episode), they did something different. It was only a very minor thing, and I really don't know why it had such an effect on me, but it did.

I guess it showed that Buffy was actually not afraid doing something new. I also think it was the first time that the show did something that I wasn't expecting. I was so delighted by this, that I think it really picked me up.

After that the episodes started to get much better, and the final three crescendoed on quality until I think I was in tears at the end of the season. I was so amazed that they'd managed to reach such a high quality... I was finally getting something from this show!

I bought Season 2 and watched the first episode. "Oh my god", I thought, "they've managed to take it up a notch. They've gotten EVEN BETTER. This is amazing." I thought that if they can keep doing this (ditching the freak of the week formula, and creating really compelling drama) that I was going to love this show... Except, I really couldn't see how they could maintain. They would, I reasoned, inevitably have to fall back into the old formula, and things would stop being so gripping.

Except, somehow, it didn't. It never went back down to the level of Season 1. It kept me compelled all the way through... and I never looked back.

Sure, there were some misfires (I thought "Go Fish" sucked, for example), but if anything, it managed to get better. Season 3 was amazing, and then Angel happened, and I loved that, too. Season 4 stunk a bit (the Initiative was a terrible idea, but I suppose everybody thought that at the time), Glory was a little weak, and Season 6 and 7 had their issues. But it didn't matter. I was, and remain, a total and complete converted Buffy geek.

All Comments | Link9 | MichaelMay 12, 2011 @ 1:05pm

Yeah, I also watched Firefly first after my brother-in-law mentioned it to me. Now, I've never been a huge fan of that show, but it was definitely better than the other science-fiction shows on TV I've seen then or since (with the exception of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which is, to this day, my favorite sci-fi TV show). Well, my brother-in-law's favorite show is Buffy (mine as well, nowadays), and he really wanted me to give it a chance by watching a few episodes with him. Having seen snippets of the movie, I resisted the idea of watching the TV show quite fiercely, but eventually relented when he assured me that Buffy was even better than Firefly. So, I watched the first few episodes of season one with him. "Not awful," I thought, "but certainly not better than Firefly." Nevertheless, my interest was piqued, so when I saw the box-sets for seasons 1 and 2 on sale at a used DVD store one day I made the plunge, thinking "the show really was kind of cute," and started watching from where I had left off at my brother-in-law's house. My enthusiasm wasn't really aroused until I watched the episode "Angel," which is still, to my mind, the best episode in season 1. "Okay," I thought, "this is pretty cool." A couple of episodes, specifically "Angel" and "Prophecy Girl," were pretty good, and the young Boreanaz was hot even when he was unable to act.

Season 2, which I waited a few weeks to watch after season 1, was definitely superior from the very beginning. The opening episode was dark and moody and captured me completely. I wasn't entirely in Joss' lap, however, until "Passion," which was an absolutely brutal episode. The episode that made me a fan, however, was "Becoming part 2." THAT was incredible.

After that I absolutely had to see the rest. Luckily it was around this time that a box-set of all the seasons was on sale for $100. And the rest was history... that, and me trying to explain to Buffy-virgin-friends how a show about a smart-ass teenage vampire slaying cheerleader was able to keep me locked in the basement with the good TV for several weeks).

All Comments | Link10 | huhahuhaMay 18, 2011 @ 11:50am

I came to the Whedonverse late. I watched all his major works in a reverse order. I saw Dollhouse on TV, quite impressed, and I absolutely loved Firefly/Serenity. Then, I decided to give Angel a shot since I thought it was more for adults (still having the misconception that Buffy was for teenagers and I was really turned off by the goofy name).

I really loved AtS, finishing the whole show in two weeks. By the end of Angel, I have already decided to buy all Buffy DVDs. The exact moment I wanted to see more of Buffy was probably the episode "I will Remember You." When I watched it, I knew very little of the story of Buffy/Angel, except that she is his ex. But SMG totally blew me away. The emotional up/downs in this short episode was as griping as the best I have seen on TV, especially the final two minutes before the clock was turned back. I was weeping even though I did not know the whole back story and why they were so sad.

I later did some research and to my surprise, Buffy was ranked very high on many best TV lists, beating my beloved Battlestar Galactica in almost all the lists, which was my favorite show at the time. So I ordered the first 3 seasons of Buffy online. I was lucky since I got season 2 first and started watching it immediately (so I did not need to endure the mediocrity of S1).

I must say I was hooked from the very beginning of S2. Even though the first half of S2 was uneven, but it got several things right: the Buffy/Angel romance was progressing steadily and beautifully, the lovely badass couple of Spike/Dru was introduced and the Annoying One was gone, and the monster of the week was the relative calmness before the tumultuous, breath-taking, gut-wrenching, and roller-coaster ride of the last 10-episode arc from Surprise to Becoming II. I actually watched the 10-episode arc in one day, I never felt such a sense of darkness, despair, impending doom, but sympathy and admiration for Buffy at the same time (and laughed hard occasionally even among all the gloom). After the credits of Becoming II, I remained motionless in the sofa for a long time, I felt as devastated as Buffy herself, at the same time in awe at how wonderful this series was. I have to agree with Mike that Becoming 2 was the best hour of TV, ever.

The rest was the same as all other fans. I bought all the DVDs, watched all of them, again and again. And now I am a very devoted Buffy fan.

All Comments | Link11 | buffyholicMay 31, 2011 @ 7:31am

I started the show completely by chance. I was channel-surfing and came across Welcome to the Hellmouth. The show completely hooked me in because of the dialogue, characters and just because I love vampire or any supernatural show or movie. But the more I watched, the more amazed I´d become by the gutsyiness and the bold risks Buffy took.
Now, I am completely in love with this show and I have started my fifth rewatch just recently. I just have to say that Buffy changed the way I see television now because I had never encountered a show that had such amazing themes, episodes and character development.

All Comments | Link12 | ErinJun 4, 2011 @ 8:53pm

I got into Buffy through my family. My dad and auntie have always been massive Buffy fans and were always ranting on about how good it was. My dad has always had good taste, so I followed his advice and watched the series through with him and my sister. I fell in love with it.

All Comments | Link13 | lee-annJun 20, 2011 @ 7:15pm

I thought Buffy was a typical teen show with childish dialogue. But I was a huge Seth Green fan and started tuning in to see him. I started with Graduation. In college I made friends with another Buffy fan. At first it was more of a social thing to watch Buffy Tuesday nights in the lounge, but with Spike and Buffy's kiss at the end of Once More With Feeling I finally admited to myself I was a fan. When I moved to a new city, and was depressed because I knew no one, I bought season 1 and loved it. I owned the first three seasons for years, and only recently (through reruns on a local channel) rediscovered why I never scheduled classes on Tuesday nights.

All Comments | Link14 | Mr Gordo's TailOct 10, 2011 @ 2:46am

I first got into Buffy when it premiered 22nd December 1997 at 6.00pm on BBC 2. It was advertised as this vampire-horror teen show, i just immediately thought "that's cool" so i got my bowl of cereal and settled in. I was completely sucked in (pardon the pun) the complete shock at the strength this little blonde girl had, while her quick wit and passion astounded me. What followed was years of worship, collecting magazines, video boxsets etc making sure i saved enough for the DVD Boxsets = £69.99!
It is now 2011 almost 14 years since i saw WTTH/TH and i am still completely in love with this show and everything it stands for, the only other show i support as strongly is Supernatural, however Buffy is life and also i love cookie dough!:) he he

All Comments | Link15 | AlexOct 10, 2011 @ 1:46pm

Mr Gordo's Tail, I have this sneaking suspicion that you might be someone that I know and recently directed to this site. Of course, I could be completely wrong. Am I?

All Comments | Link16 | LucyNov 22, 2011 @ 7:39am

It's my 10th anniversary as a Buffy fan! I started watching it with my friend when we were 17. She was already a fan, so I watched with her to be social, but I got totally hooked. I bought all the video box sets, only to have to replace them with the less-pretty DVDs (grr) and I've watched it all at least once a year since then which means I've watched the whole thing AT LEAST ten times! Tragically, I still missed important ideas that Mikejer etc point out to me on this site, which I think is THE BEST Buffy site available. (Thanks Mikejer!)

All Comments | Link17 | MikeJer | CREATOR/ADMINNov 22, 2011 @ 5:08pm

You're very welcome, Lucy. I'm glad you love the site. :)

All Comments | Link18 | blackwanDec 26, 2011 @ 12:30am

I got into Buffy. Becuase of my love for Sarah Michelle Gellar. Plus I'm a sci-fan. Another great vampire show is Forever Knight. Mike thanks for the reivews. After watching Faith, Hope, and Trick. The first two seasons were blur with the exception to When She was Bad. I did see the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie when it came out. And I'm a fan of it too. But the tv series is something else entirely.

All Comments | Link19 | Gemma Dec 26, 2011 @ 12:24pm

Buffy, was and still remains my comfort blanket! It picks me no matter what and having seen the episodes an abundance of times the characters feel like friends. I love them and all the episodes for divergent reasons.

I got into Buffy by coincidence, it was one Thursday night when the show was airing on BBC 2 in the UK, it was the episode The Witch and i was instantly mesmerised by it. I continued to watch and checked out the inaugural and the second episode. The show has been conducive to so many times in my life. The TV series is impossible to describe, its that good!

I did see the movie after the first season ended, it was insightful a sort of prequel to the season i had just seen but it isn't close to my heart unlike the series. All the cast in the series are cohesive and give a great deal of insight into their specific characters.

All Comments | Link20 | DavidFeb 16, 2012 @ 3:59pm

That was a great article it is always interesting to read what got people into certain games/series, Also i have begun reading your reviews and i must say they are excellent and having read some of your reviews i have begun to watch buffy more for its charecters than just its awesome action ^^

All Comments | Link21 | MikeJer | CREATOR/ADMINFeb 16, 2012 @ 4:26pm

Glad to hear it, David! Thanks for the comment. :)

All Comments | Link22 | peterApr 1, 2012 @ 3:06pm

I first got into buffy by chance this is going back 10 years i was ill off school and was homebound for a while and was bored so i went to see what dvd we had downstairs I saw buffy season 2 and thought "why not it is something to watch" after the first disc i was hooked then i watched season 1 then season 3 (wierd i know) and been hooked since XD

All Comments | Link23 | JohnMay 7, 2012 @ 11:52pm

I first caught a few episodes on pay per view a few years ago, bought the box set about 4 years ago and am currently re-watching the whole series. This site is great, I read the reviews after watching each episode, thanks muchly!