Maybe I'm only seeing it this way because Passion of the Nerd said so, but Owen's interest in Dickinson is part of his fascination with death - he says he likes Dickinson because she's morbid and writes about death and pain. I think the point is he likes death and danger too much and wouldn't be careful. And it seems maybe he likes the danger more than he likes Buffy. Let me throw the transcript at you.
"Owen: I mean, last night was incredible! I never thought nearly getting killed would make me feel so... alive!
Buffy: (looks down and starts to walk) So that's why you wanna be with me.
Owen: (follows her) Oh, absolutely! When can we do something like that again?
Buffy: Something like...
Owen: Like, walk downtown at three in the morning, a-and pick a fight in a bar. How about tonight?"
Well, that makes sense, sort of. But I don't see the Scoobies as being particularly careful. They maybe don't exactly go looking for trouble - except when they do - but trouble finds them anyway. And knowing the score is what happens when you learn the score
( ... )
"If Darla or Ms. French had decided that Owen was the one they wanted, how would NOT being a Scooby help him, exactly? I can see Buffy not wanting to date him for any number of reasons or no reason at all, but thinking that she's keeping him safe by cutting off all contact isn't realistic." Yeah. He's probably a *little* safer if he doesn't actively pursue supernatural trouble, but if the Scoobies really want to keep people like him safe, it would help to clue people in more. Supernatural PCP gang self-defense classes for everyone...
Yeah, poor Owen - he just seemed a bit slow on the uptake. Angel is a dick for a lot of Season 1. And why is Buffy so angry in the first episode? I love The Master!
Buffy is on a bummer in most of the season openers. Sometimes I get it - she died! she killed her lover! she died, again! - but sometimes it's less clear just why. In this case, I can see that switching schools mid-year would be stressful. Finding that you are still expected to fight the forces of evil every night, when it just got you expelled...well, it's confusing. If we take Normal, Again into consideration, she's also fresh out of a mental institution, into which she was wrongly placed. That would be irritating, I imagine. ;-) Plus, she's having nightmares.
Yes to all your other points. The Master is corny as hell, but it's fun that he is. I went to a drag show mash-up of the first two episodes and "Angel" in which the Master was even campier and it was delightful. *\o/*
1. Ms. French is a super fun villain! Bug sandwiches!
And the power to unconvincingly turn her head 180 degrees! Jesus, the special effects in the early episodes...
Love to read your thoughts on these. Makes me want to start a rewatch myself, it's been way too long. Maybe I'll even find something to like about TP and NKABOTFD, two of my least favourite episodes. I get the feeling that both could have worked better with some tweaks - in the latter case, sharpening up the character work, in the former, buying a few more lightbulbs so you could actually see what the hell is going on.
Special effects don't age well, even the big budget ones, but Ms. French's neck was pretty ridiculous. And, man! The lighting for the first 2 seasons is terrible. Maybe they were trying to contrast the sunniness of one of Buffy's worlds with the dankness of the other? Mission accomplished, but we'd get it even if we could see anything. Sheesh. At least we know they come to see the error of their ways by season 3.
I'm not sure I can do a full-on rewatch, but it is fun ruminating on things again. And every episode has something worthwhile and likable. My least favorite episode doesn't happen until season 3, but even that contains some valuable nuggets.
I think Jesse suffered from the "Pilot" problem aka something that existed in the first episode and was scrapped. I think the writers wanted to focus on the new core 3.
Yeah, I get that Jesse wasn't really necessary after Xander dispatched him, but there are so many references to things past and throwaway lines that build the BtVS world - and consequently aren't throwaways at all - that it seems like just a mention wouldn't have been so hard. They show is so good with continuity in other ways. I just wonder why not in this case?
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"Owen: I mean, last night was incredible! I never thought nearly getting
killed would make me feel so... alive!
Buffy: (looks down and starts to walk) So that's why you wanna be with
me.
Owen: (follows her) Oh, absolutely! When can we do something like that
again?
Buffy: Something like...
Owen: Like, walk downtown at three in the morning, a-and pick a fight
in a bar. How about tonight?"
(<-and this is when Buffy rejects him ( ... )
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"If Darla or Ms. French had decided that Owen was the one they wanted, how would NOT being a Scooby help him, exactly? I can see Buffy not wanting to date him for any number of reasons or no reason at all, but thinking that she's keeping him safe by cutting off all contact isn't realistic." Yeah. He's probably a *little* safer if he doesn't actively pursue supernatural trouble, but if the Scoobies really want to keep people like him safe, it would help to clue people in more. Supernatural PCP gang self-defense classes for everyone...
"It's like Spike" - omg, it really kind of is!
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Buffy is on a bummer in most of the season openers. Sometimes I get it - she died! she killed her lover! she died, again! - but sometimes it's less clear just why. In this case, I can see that switching schools mid-year would be stressful. Finding that you are still expected to fight the forces of evil every night, when it just got you expelled...well, it's confusing. If we take Normal, Again into consideration, she's also fresh out of a mental institution, into which she was wrongly placed. That would be irritating, I imagine. ;-) Plus, she's having nightmares.
Yes to all your other points. The Master is corny as hell, but it's fun that he is. I went to a drag show mash-up of the first two episodes and "Angel" in which the Master was even campier and it was delightful. *\o/*
Reply
And the power to unconvincingly turn her head 180 degrees! Jesus, the special effects in the early episodes...
Love to read your thoughts on these. Makes me want to start a rewatch myself, it's been way too long. Maybe I'll even find something to like about TP and NKABOTFD, two of my least favourite episodes. I get the feeling that both could have worked better with some tweaks - in the latter case, sharpening up the character work, in the former, buying a few more lightbulbs so you could actually see what the hell is going on.
Reply
I'm not sure I can do a full-on rewatch, but it is fun ruminating on things again. And every episode has something worthwhile and likable. My least favorite episode doesn't happen until season 3, but even that contains some valuable nuggets.
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