Buffy season five: Name the really good episodes... by chrisisall

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Buffy season five: Name the really good episodes...

POSTED BY: CHRISISALL
UPDATED: Wednesday, June 6, 2007 17:50
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Sunday, May 27, 2007 9:30 AM

Fool For Love is my hands down favourite episode! Sure, The Body is great, and the Gift is incredibly well directed, but FFL was an example of this series at it peak!!! We get an origin, an explanation of Spike's scar, and an unexpected tender moment...plus COOL fights! What more could you ask?

Name your greats...

His Glorificus Chrisisall

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Sunday, May 27, 2007 9:43 AM

DEEPGIRL187

I'll go with two that might not be mentioned normally, "Into The Woods" and "The Replacement". I liked Riley's speech to Buffy at the end of the former, and seeing a more mature Xander in the latter.

I'd say "Intervention" as well, but I'm sure chrisisall will get around to it eventually.

Plus, the whole Buffybot/Spike thing creeped me out.

*************************************************

"If you want to win a war, you must serve no master but your ambition."

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Sunday, May 27, 2007 9:58 AM

CHRISISALL

The Replacement was cool, but I liked Buffy Vs. Dracula better than Intervention (Not that it was bad, I REALLY do like B Vs. D!!!!)

Xander as Renfield Chrisisall

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Sunday, May 27, 2007 12:12 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by deepgirl187:
"Into The Woods"

Actually, not a fan of that one. It smacked of "Get rid of Rebound Guy" immediacy.

Finnfan Chrisisall

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Sunday, May 27, 2007 12:17 PM

ARCADIA

Hmm... I must agree that "Fool for Love" was a standout, if not the standout, in season 5. And yes, "The Body" was incredibly moving. "The Gift" was amazingly directed and had some powerful going on (though, it garners most its power from all thats happened in the season; it doesn't stand as well as its own as either "The Body" or "Fool for Love" does).

Yeah, those three are probably the best. I also really like:

"Intervention" -- While the quest was kind of hooky, the Buffy/Giles interaction was fun, the buffybot was comedy gold, but what really sold me was Spike after he's captured by Glory... wow, my heard went to him. Buffy's reward kiss was well deserved.

"I Was Made to Love You" -- April was fun, and her death, and what it meant for Buffy, was surprisingly moving. It was a well put together episode.

I always go back and forth on whether to include "Shadow" and "Listening to Fear". In these episodes the over-arcing plot with Joyce's brain tumor and its effects on Buffy and Dawn is just amazing, heart-wrenching stuff, but the monsters of the week are HORRIBLE. So lame. In "Shadow" this could have been ignored if the CG hadn't been so terrible, but it "LtF" --- umm, aliens? really? No thanks.

"Checkpoint" is very well put together structurally, but it doesn't quite have the emotional depth that I want it to.

Arcadia (aka Greyfable and/or Katie)
www.stillflying.net -- picking up Firefly were Joss left off. We will hold 'til he gets back.

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Sunday, May 27, 2007 12:17 PM

REGINAROADIE

Well, definitely THE BODY was hands down the best episode not only of the season, but of the entire series. But no one seems to mention the episode that followed it, FOREVER.

I liked how it continued in dealing with the minutiae of death and preparing for a funeral and the conflict of emotions it brings up. I loved the bit between Xander and Spike at the beginning with him saying "Joyce was the only one of you lot that I could stand. She didn't put on airs. And she didn't treat me like a freak." I liked the small scene in the graveyard with Buffy and Angel as she finally unburdens herself and opens up to him about what has just happened. The post-coital moment between Xander and Anya was both touching and funny.

Anya: Exactly. Sex is like a big party for our aliveness. But it's more than that. It's about making life.
Xander: Right. When two people are much older and way richer and far less stupid.
Anya: Breathe. You're turning colors. I'm not ready to make life with you. But I could, we could. Life could come out of love and our smooshing and that's beautiful. It all makes me feel like we're part of something bigger. Like I'm more awake somehow, you know?

But it's the final scene between Buffy and Dawn that truly gets me.

"Listening to Fear" was another favorite of mine. Yeah the killer snot monster from outer space ("I did not say that.") was a little hokey, but seeing Joyce slowly loosen her grip on sanity and the effect it has on Buffy and Dawn was just powerful. That moment in the kitchen when Buffy has that awful salsa music cranked up and then burst into tears as she's doing dishes just breaks your heart. And then the slow suspense that builds as we see Joyce in her room just babble inconsistently and then the reveal that the demon is right above her. It's almost Hitchcockian.

I dunno. I'm just a fan of characters who slowly go insane. At best, you get a powerful performance that haunts you, and at worst you get some entertaining scene chewing.

**************************************************
"Have you ever fired two guns whilst jumping through the air?"
"No."
"Have you ever fired ONE gun whilst jumping through the air?"

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Sunday, May 27, 2007 12:24 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Arcadia:
what really sold me was Spike after he's captured by Glory... wow, my heard went to him. Buffy's reward kiss was well deserved.

That actually gets a couple of tears outta me...

*snif*Chrisisall

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Sunday, May 27, 2007 5:24 PM

SIRI

OK - you got me going here. I just began a Buffython since it's been a while. I'm just starting with Season One - but Season Five was one of the my favorites. I know there are folks who didn't like Glory at all, but I thought she was a hoot. Nothing like a totally insane god with a shoe fettish and a gaggle of grotesque minions to run your bath.

Siri

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Monday, May 28, 2007 12:50 AM

HEROUVCANTON

Nobody ever picks "Triangle", but I've always loved that ep. Abraham Benrubi is hilarious, and I just love the campiness. I love Willow's response after Olaf destroys the magic shop: "He's no ball of sunshine...", not to mention the back story to Anyanka. A great stand-alone episode.

"PUNY RECEPTACLE!"

Dear Diary: Today I was pompous and my sister was crazy. Today, we were kidnapped by hillfolk never to be seen again. It was the best day ever.

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Monday, May 28, 2007 6:12 AM

DEEPGIRL187

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Actually, not a fan of that one. It smacked of "Get rid of Rebound Guy" immediacy.

Finnfan Chrisisall

Oh, don' get me wrong, I'm a Riley fan myself. I just was happy that he (as well as Xander) was able to say some important things to Buffy that she really needed to hear.

*************************************************

"If you want to win a war, you must serve no master but your ambition."

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Monday, May 28, 2007 6:33 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by deepgirl187:

Oh, don' get me wrong, I'm a Riley fan myself. I just was happy that he (as well as Xander) was able to say some important things to Buffy that she really needed to hear.

It's just that feeling like she could have held on to Riley if she'd gotten there a moment sooner, combined with her Mom's leaving put her in a place where she was okay with dying to protect Dawn; in fact she welcomed it. I find that pretty sad, almost too sad to watch sometimes.

Poor Chrisisall

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Monday, May 28, 2007 8:27 AM

SERENITYINSCOTLAND

Suprised (or maybe I am having a special moment and missed it) that no-one mentioned 'Family'. This is one of my favourite eps of season 5. I liked how Tara properly came into the Scooby Gang at the end, and how it revisited a classic Joss theme of women being repressed.

Plus, it had a couple of classic humour moments (for me anyway). Riley's "Huh..then how come Xander didn't laugh?" followed by Xander's reaction and when Tara is thanking Giles for the cheesy crystal ball and then Dawn jumps into the picture with a broomstick - I was laughing my head off. And of course the nice (although classic Sunnydale-Syndrome) moment at the end with Willow and Tara floating. Awwww...

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Monday, May 28, 2007 11:24 AM

GROOSALUGG

Quote:
Originally posted by HerouvCanton:
Nobody ever picks "Triangle", but I've always loved that ep. Abraham Benrubi is hilarious, and I just love the campiness. I love Willow's response after Olaf destroys the magic shop: "He's no ball of sunshine...", not to mention the back story to Anyanka. A great stand-alone episode.

"PUNY RECEPTACLE!"

Absolutely! Not only is it one of the best eps of S5, it goes in my top ten list of favorites from the entire series.

"Fool for Love", "Intervention", "Triangle", "Real Me", "Crush", "Forever", and "The Gift" would get my votes as the best. "The Body" is obviously incredibly well done, but it's just so difficult to watch that I have a hard time listing it as a 'good' episode...

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Monday, May 28, 2007 11:50 AM

DEEPGIRL187

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
It's just that feeling like she could have held on to Riley if she'd gotten there a moment sooner, combined with her Mom's leaving put her in a place where she was okay with dying to protect Dawn; in fact she welcomed it. I find that pretty sad, almost too sad to watch sometimes.

Poor Chrisisall

I don't know. Even if Buffy had gotten there on time, I still don't think things would have worked out. Riley's problems weren't just about Buffy; he needed a purpose in life, something he lost after the Initiative went under. And since Sunnydale already had protectors, I'm not sure there would have been room for him (or that room would have been made for him).

*************************************************

"If you want to win a war, you must serve no master but your ambition."

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Monday, May 28, 2007 11:58 AM

CHARLIETHEBLOODY

yup "real me", it was a great introduction to dawn, it really worked (I thought) the way they plonked her in with no apologies or explanation, and made it seem like she really had been there along. plus as a middle child I can relate to both dawn's pain at being a younger sister and buffy's annoyance at being an older sister, that was really well done.

I love "triangle" too, anya's one of my favourite characters so it was brilliant to see her flashbacks.

fool for love and the body, obviously, goes without saying...

other than them I think my favourites are blood ties, family and the weight of the world...

I don't really like the joyce's illness arc, I've never liked her, I found her intensely irritating right from the first episode so although they were good and important and everything, they're not one's I like rewatching much

--------------------------------------
"I'm an artist, with an e and a beret."

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Tuesday, May 29, 2007 7:37 AM

SERENITYINSCOTLAND

I think 'Real Me' was the worst episode of Buffy ever. That's right, move over 'Go Fish', 'Reptile Boy' or 'Bad Eggs'. I hated it. Hated it, hated it, hated it. Harmony did my head in, I wanted to take a big hammer and smash her right on the noggin. The fights were crap, Dawn was annoying (and annoyingly mysterious) and it just sucked. Oi! Real Me! Look over here!

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Tuesday, May 29, 2007 7:39 AM

CHRISISALL

...one two three four, I declare a Dawn war....

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Wednesday, May 30, 2007 8:39 AM

SERENITYINSCOTLAND

NotAtAll, ChrisIsAll! I admit I didn't like Dawn for the first few episodes but after 'Blood Ties' I began to appreciate her character much more! Much like I did Connor after 'Spin the Bottle'. Maybe my dislike for 'The Real Me' is irrational, but that's the way the cookie crumbles!

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Wednesday, May 30, 2007 10:56 AM

REGINAROADIE

You didn't like Joyce? Huh. I actually found her to be something of an interesting character. Yeah, she started out as the typical "Mom" character. But from Season 3 onward, after learning the truth about Buffy and the world she's immersed in, her slow coming around to who her daughter is brought out a more interesting dynamic. That the fact that her daughter is a Slayer doesn't change the fact that she's still your child that needs protecting.

I loved at the beginning of "Gingerbread", when Buffy's on another patrol, and Joyce shows up, wanting to see what her daughter does night after night. I love it because it's a comic variation of a traditional parent thing. When a parent shows up while you're in the middle of something and be all "Don't pay attention to me." How can you not at a time like that. And then in "The Prom", when Joyce shows up to talk to Angel about him being Buffy's date. Even though he's a 400 year old vampire who walks the fine line between good and evil every day, she still treats him like he's any other boyfriend.

And then in season 4, my other favorite Joyce moment was in "This Years Girl", when Faith was holding her hostage. And after Faith goes on some tirade, she just goes "Actually, I was thinking my daughter is going to kill you soon." That moment tells us that she has fully accepted the world that she's been dragged into. That stuff like this is no longer out of the ordinary.

Giles may have taught her a lot about being a Slayer, but Joyce was as powerful as a role model in her life as a woman.

**************************************************
"Have you ever fired two guns whilst jumping through the air?"
"No."
"Have you ever fired ONE gun whilst jumping through the air?"

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Wednesday, May 30, 2007 11:13 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by reginaroadie:

Giles may have taught her a lot about being a Slayer, but Joyce was as powerful as a role model in her life as anyone else.

Totally agree, RR, totally.

Missing Joyce Chrisisall

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Friday, June 1, 2007 1:27 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Well top would be The Body. Closely followed by The Gift - which was a wonderful conclusion to the whole Myth. However noticable mentions to: SPIRAL - I just loved the Knights chasing down the gang and the innevitability of it all. Also I liked the Real Me - I thought it introduced Dawn in a really clever way. Weight of the World was a nice touch too as seeing Buffy in that state really put her somewhere vulnerable that we'd not seen since Angel turning in Season2.

Oh also The Replacement - because It's Xander and he always has the best comedy.

www.cirqus.com

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Friday, June 1, 2007 1:41 AM

DESKTOPHIPPIE

Quote:
Originally posted by SerenityinScotland:
Suprised (or maybe I am having a special moment and missed it) that no-one mentioned 'Family'. This is one of my favourite eps of season 5. I liked how Tara properly came into the Scooby Gang at the end, and how it revisited a classic Joss theme of women being repressed.

Plus, it had a couple of classic humour moments (for me anyway). Riley's "Huh..then how come Xander didn't laugh?" followed by Xander's reaction and when Tara is thanking Giles for the cheesy crystal ball and then Dawn jumps into the picture with a broomstick - I was laughing my head off. And of course the nice (although classic Sunnydale-Syndrome) moment at the end with Willow and Tara floating. Awwww...

Yeah, Family is one of my favourite episodes too. In fact, it's the one I tend to watch the most when I want to cheer myself up. It's that moment towards the end when Cousin Beth turns to Tara and asks her acidly "Are you happy now?" and Tara grins a big, wide, happy grin for pretty much the first time in the series. I love that. I always end up smiling with her.

And how cute is Dawn in that episode? Seriously, who couldn't love her?

Buffy: You want her, you have to come through me.
Dawn: And me!
Mr. McClay: Is this a joke? I won't be threatened by two little girls!
Dawn: You don't wanna mess with us!
Buffy: She's a hair puller.

(written from memory so it may not be correct. Yeah, I watch that episode a lot!)

Plus it resolved all those little moments when we knew she was hiding something. And the twist was great fun too - she's a 100% normal human! Didn't see that coming!

That being said, I think Fool For Love is one of the very finest episodes of Buffy ever written. In fact, I rank it right up there with The Body, Hush and Restless. The more I watch it, the more perfect it becomes. The action, the humour, the seamless blending of flashback and plot progression and that excellent "death is on your heels, baby" moment when Spike looks out from the past and speaks directly to the viewer. Absolutely perfect.

Banners, Avatars, LJ Icons and other fun stuff at www.desktophippie.com

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Friday, June 1, 2007 3:59 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by DesktopHippie:

Buffy: She's a hair puller.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

I also LOVE:
D'Hoffryn: That's where I was going with that, yeah.

LOLChrisisall

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Friday, June 1, 2007 4:01 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:
The Gift - which was a wonderful conclusion to the whole Myth.

I thought Chosen was the conclusion....?

Sheepish Chrisisall

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Friday, June 1, 2007 4:34 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:
The Gift - which was a wonderful conclusion to the whole Myth.
I thought Chosen was the conclusion....?

Sheepish Chrisisall

It was eventually Big 'C' yes... I meant up until then viewing it realtime, at the time, I believed it to be the conclusion, and as such it worked for me.... Imagine my surprise when season six came along

www.cirqus.com

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Saturday, June 2, 2007 9:27 AM

EMBERS

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
...one two three four, I declare a Dawn war....

I really enjoyed Dawn in 'Forever', when she and Spike went out to raise Joyce from the dead.
I would have enjoyed more times when Dawn was taking action instead of screaming 'get out, Get Out, GET OUT'

But I am sad no one else even mentions 'Crush'
I LOVE that episode...
with the return of Drusilla,
with Spike declaring his undying love to Buffy while he has her in chained up.
(The only chance you had with me was when I was unconscious) LOL

But mostly I loved the end when Dru, Buffy AND Harmony were all united in putting down poor old Spike....

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Tuesday, June 5, 2007 2:19 AM

DESKTOPHIPPIE

Quote:
Originally posted by embers:
Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
...one two three four, I declare a Dawn war....

I really enjoyed Dawn in 'Forever', when she and Spike went out to raise Joyce from the dead.
I would have enjoyed more times when Dawn was taking action instead of screaming 'get out, Get Out, GET OUT'

In fairness to Dawn, she did only scream "get out Get Out GET OUT!" twice in the show. Once in 'Blood Ties' and once in 'Older and Far Away.' That's twice over three years - she took action a hell of a lot more than that, not even counting her whole Junior Watcher bit towards the end of season 7.

Technically, she screamed "Glory Glory Glory GLORY!" at Ben in 'The Weight of the World' to force him to change into Glory, but personally I thought that was really cool. Especially after the absolute bitterness of that "Change. Be her. I don't wanna look at you." line.

Banners, Avatars, LJ Icons and other fun stuff at www.desktophippie.com

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Wednesday, June 6, 2007 5:50 PM

BRANDONCOLLINS

I'm surprised that "Checkpoint" has gotten more mentions. I LOVE that episode. "Checkpoint" seems, to me anyway, to be the blueprint for the entire season. You have everything that's going on. Dawn's in trouble. Buffy's questioning how she's going to be able to save Dawn and deal with everything. Giles is put in jeopardy, which foreshadows his leaving and his big stabbage towards the end of the season. Not to mention that this was one of the earlier episodes to have a good Buffy speech, before the speechifying in Season 7. I just love the:

Buffy throws sword at the guy in the wall, it lands inches from his face.

BUFFY: I'm fairly certain that I said no interruptions.

Just like Xander, everytime I say "That was excellent."

"The Body" ranks up there for me as well, because I've been through losing a parent, so I just love how Joss hammered home every single feeling that you go through, all in one episode. Want to know what it's like to lose a parent? Watch that episode. That's really the way it happens people.

Not to mention the fact that Anya's "Fruit Punch" speech gets my crying everytime, as does Willow's endless shirt changing, and Buffy screaming at Giles "We're not supposed to move the body!!" Those are the three points at which I bawl like a baby every time.

Truly, I think that every episode this season was good, and I don't think I could honestly lump one into the "bad" category with some like Bag Eggs, Beer Bad, etc. No episode of Buffy was every horribly awful, but some of them just didn't reach that normal level.

Oh, and I love "Into the Woods" for two things: One is Riley giving Buffy the ultimatum. It is just the highlight of their relationship for me, because it's so beautiful how the characters have progressed. Riley is at a point now where he feels he has to threaten his girlfriend into staying into the relationship, while Buffy, pigheaded as ever, is taking the Slayer stance and saying "I don't negotiate with terrorists." It's not until Xander comes in and plays the role he plays so well that Buffy finall realizes that she's been this incredible dolt and runs to find Riley. The second thing I love is Xander telling Buffy what she needs to hear. That doesn't happen again until Season 6 when Giles leaves.

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