Angel Praise w/ Firefly Apologia by Sarahetc

ANGELUS ARCANUM

Angel Praise w/ Firefly Apologia

POSTED BY: SARAHETC
UPDATED: Thursday, May 8, 2003 12:20
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Monday, April 28, 2003 7:19 AM

I don't actually watch Angel, but I thought those of y'all who do might like this.

http://www.teevee.org/archive/2003/04/25/index.html

Relevant Firefly paragraph:

Quote:
The supporting cast is excellent as well, despite its enormous proportions. When Whedon expanded Buffy's ensemble to J.Lo-entourage size, it went straight downhill. His recent Firefly failure was probably caused by its lousy Friday night time slot, but its confusing ensemble of 256 main characters didn't help much either. Somehow each Angel character has managed to find his or her own niche, and there are very few times when someone's floating around aimlessly. These writers are every bit as sharp and funny as Buffy's and much less apt to get bogged down in the ponderous us-against-the-world monologues that seem to drag down so many Buffy episodes these days.

Sarah

I'm a dying breed who still believes, haunted by American dreams. ---Neko Case

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Monday, April 28, 2003 12:50 PM

SUCCATASH

Here's how it goes, listed in order of coolness.

#1 - Firefly
#2 - Buffy
#3 - Angel

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Monday, April 28, 2003 1:26 PM

LUPA

I think it depends on the season. Firefly is the best of the three hands down and although overall Buffy has been a better and more influencial show than Angel will ever be, I think this season in particular has been more solid for Angel than for Buffy.

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Monday, April 28, 2003 2:14 PM

JRC

I don't understand the reference to 256 characters. There are eight or maybe ten main characters, but 256? What's that, a typo?

Talk peace, but, carry a BIG stick.

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Monday, April 28, 2003 6:07 PM

SARAHETC

Nine main characters is way more than you ever see on a standard t.v. show. Plus, they're all fairly unique, which makes it simultaneously easier and harder to keep track of who is whom, etc.

Really, they were just being sarcastic. The guys at TeeVee wrote some great things about Firefly. Check out their archives.

Sarah

I'm a dying breed who still believes, haunted by American dreams. ---Neko Case

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Monday, April 28, 2003 7:05 PM

SLOWSMURF

I guess they're too dumb to keep track of them all?

I mean, I've NEVER seen a show with more variation between the characters(even Buffy/Angel has more bleedover now and then than firefly had so far), how can they be hard to tell apart? Oh well, people are stupid, people watch reality TV, so I supposed people can't remember a few characters.

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Monday, April 28, 2003 7:45 PM

COLITIS

Quote:
Originally posted by Lupa:
I think it depends on the season. Firefly is the best of the three hands down and although overall Buffy has been a better and more influencial show than Angel will ever be, I think this season in particular has been more solid for Angel than for Buffy.

I think:

a) From what we've seen of Firefly so far, it's had by far the best first season of the three (and it's also much better than Buffy S7 and Angel S4).
b) Buffy S7 and Angel S4 have both been annoying me in a big way.
c) Firefly S1 isn't as good as the best Buffy, though.

I'd rank them thus:

1) Buffy S2
2) Firefly S1
3) Buffy S3
4) Daylight
5) The rest

:)

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Tuesday, April 29, 2003 11:59 AM

MATWANG

Here's my 2 cents:

1) Firefly (the one and only)
2) Angel
3) Buffy

In my view, Angel moved past Buffy last year, when Connor came back and Wes went dark.

The season finale of last year's Angel was a bonafide work of art. (Cordie going up, Angel going down, breathtaking stuff visually and symbolically)

Buffy's fun and still has her moments, but it's waning, especially this season. Last years 2-hour finale was flat-out tiring.

Poor thing, going back to be a counselor at Sunnydale, certainly a "level of hell" for anyone, but especially Buffy! Spike keeps it lively, though. If they kill Spike, what's to watch?

It's going to be fun seeing how they end the two shows this year.

I'm hooked, big time!

And absolutely YES< I'll miss Buffy when it's over. It's a great show.

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Tuesday, April 29, 2003 3:40 PM

KASUO

I agree with Matt on this: Angel seems light years more interesting than Buffy.

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Thursday, May 8, 2003 12:20 PM

CHRISTHECYNIC

I have never seen the beginning of Angel but from what I've seen of BtVS (all of it) what I’ve seen of Angel (most of it) and what I’ve seen of firefly (same as everyone else)

I have to say that BtVS takes a definitive third. Quite simply the plots are stock and trite, the acting is good but the stuff they are given to act with (i.e. the writing) is sub par. I have done better and I'm a horrible author. There is nothing in BtVS that didn't steal from something else in a way that was so blatantly obvious that it was sad.

Vampires with a soul, the fact that they can be good, and their love affairs with vampire killers are stories that have been around longer than Dracula has been in print. It was only when Angel got his own show that original stuff started happening with him. So even the Angel arc in BtVS was unoriginal.

That said there have been some very good things in BtVS, I think that the thing holding it down is Buffy. Just when the writing is at it's best, the characters are being well acted and well written, it all breaks down as the story is twisted in an unrealistic way so that the character of Buffy can come to center stage.

I think it’s stupid, if willow, or spike, or another character is doing something worth following, and that is where the story progresses it should stay there. The show shouldn’t bend over backwards to reach title character on center of attention quota.

Faith, Spike, Angel, Giles, (and often) Willow and Xander are the best-written characters in BtVS. Note that Buffy isn’t one of them. They either should have focused more on them, or figured out how to do Buffy better.

As for Firefly and Angel, I give Angel a very close second.

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