Buffy season five had Glory, a lovebot with feelings, and a mental breakdown- where's that get fun? by chrisisall

BUFFYVERSE

Buffy season five had Glory, a lovebot with feelings, and a mental breakdown- where's that get fun?

POSTED BY: CHRISISALL
UPDATED: Sunday, July 13, 2008 13:52
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 5391
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Thursday, June 5, 2008 10:48 AM

Outside of The Body, Fool For Love, and a slickly directed finale, what was so good about the fifth season?
Glory was a weak "God", Riley's departure was WAAAAY contrived, the lovebot was just plain dumb, Buffy's breakdown was silly/depressing (a strange combo...), and we got a vehicle chased by medieval horse riding types!!!!
Please guys, tell me the reason y'all like it, if ya do....

Curious Chrisisall

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Thursday, June 5, 2008 11:05 AM

EVILDINOSAUR

I think I just enjoyed the emotional roller coaster, it probably also helped that the first time i saw it, I watched pretty much the whole season in one sitting, ending sometime in the early hours of the morning.

And of course the finale was just awesome in my opinion, I loved the whole sacrifice thing. Really the only complaint was Dawn's screaming, it got a little old about the first time she did it. I like the character, but yea, the screaming was annoying.

"Haha, mine is an evil laugh."

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Thursday, June 5, 2008 11:34 AM

CHARLIEBZ

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
... and we got a vehicle chased by medieval horse riding types!!!!

Not just any vehicle but a motorhome! I liked the medieval bretheren. Also liked Glory. Didn't care for the manner of Riley's departure but he was a good character - what with his vamp addition and all.

Other good things:
Tara & Willow.
Capitalist Anya.
Olaf.
Ball of Sunshine!
Two Xanders.
Dawn. I like the annoying, bratty little sister.
Spike and Dawn friendship.
Harmony & her vampire minions.

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Thursday, June 5, 2008 11:38 AM

CHRISISALL

But, is that a season you revisit much? I've seen 3 and 7 like, three times each, 4 and 6 twice (this doesn't include repeats of favourite single eps), but for 5, once was enough for me...

Never say never thoughisall

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Thursday, June 5, 2008 12:02 PM

FARFLY

Season five is one of my favorites. The insertion of Dawn as if she'd always been there was great, that she looked like her sister was even better. The introduction of Glory was classic, giant metal door kicked in to reveal hot chick in a red dress dusting off her hands. Glory was my favorite villain and like most gods (check the shortcomings of other gods such as Ares or Poseidon) she was flawed. That aside, Glorificus was excellently portrayed by Clare Kramer and she got some great lines, as did all actors in this series.

The downer for me in season five was the loss of Joyce in The Body. Another excellent episode but leave it to Joss to kill off someone you love.

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Thursday, June 5, 2008 1:06 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by farfly:
Glorificus was excellently portrayed by Clare Kramer and she got some great lines

True, she was cast well.

Hmmmmisall

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Thursday, June 5, 2008 2:27 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by CharlieBZ:

Capitalist Anya.
Olaf.
Two Xanders.

Ahhhh, I had almost forgotten.....

Chrisisall

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008 7:43 AM

GROOSALUGG

S7, on the other hand, had the revelation that the origin of the Slayer's power was, in essence, a demonic rape. Kinda a strange choice for a show with the core theme of female empowerment. And that's only scratching the surface of the final year's many, many problems.

So I guess give me the lovebot and the 'weak' god any day of the week. At least they were both funny--something S7 was sorely lacking, except when Andrew was on-screen...

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008 7:48 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Groosalugg:
the final year's many, many problems.

At least the final season didn't kill off the main character in a vain & desperate attempt to be 'meaningful'.

So thereisall

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008 4:41 PM

GROOSALUGG

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
At least the final season didn't kill off the main character in a vain & desperate attempt to be 'meaningful'.

No, but it did poke one of the main character's eyes out, in a vain, desperate, and last-ditch attempt to give the poor guy SOMETHING approaching a decent storyline that season...

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008 6:15 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Groosalugg:

No, but it did poke one of the main character's eyes out

It was all fun and games until then.

20 20 Chrisisall

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008 6:44 PM

OPPYH

Yes, the big bad for 5 was a bit silly. Shouldn't even been one. Season 5 was about one thing only:
Family.

Besides 2,and 3, season 5 is close behind as the best. I liked 6, but the geeky trio...give me a break. At least 7 redeemed the series and the character of Buffy herself. Too bad the other characters were left in the dust in the developmental department.

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008 6:57 PM

OPPYH

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Groosalugg:
the final year's many, many problems.

At least the final season didn't kill off the main character in a vain & desperate attempt to be 'meaningful'.

So thereisall

WOW! Chrisisall, your like Rambo in First Blood. Your systematically taking out the entire small town that is season 5. Well, you must have your reasons.
You may win this debate, but remember one thing: It's serious melodrama that makes Buffy what it is.

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008 6:50 AM

GROOSALUGG

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Groosalugg:

No, but it did poke one of the main character's eyes out
It was all fun and games until then.

You said it, brother.

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008 9:04 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by OPPYH:

WOW! Chrisisall, your like Rambo in First Blood. Your systematically taking out the entire small town that is season 5. Well, you must have your reasons.

There wouldn't be no trouble except for that king shit Groosalug! All I wanted was to say season seven was better than five. But the man kept pushing Sir.
He drew first negative comparison, not me.
He drew first negative comparison....

Quote:

You may win this debate, but remember one thing: It's serious melodrama that makes Buffy what it is.

NOTHING IS OVER! YOU DON'T JUST TURN IT OFF!!!

Got me startedisall

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:25 PM

OPPYH

Chrisisall=brilliance.

Your threads are legendary, and your comments are always a good read. Keep it up.

"I thought you said you were headed north"

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 6:41 AM

WYTCHCROFT

ok sunshine - dueling pistols at dawn (no, not THAT dawn!)

'dracula sucks' aside - (and hell, even that aint as bad as the crappy bits of 4)

this is my favourite season and by a long, long, long, long way. (and you KNOW i am a Faith fan too) and you best BELIEVE i get the urge to watch it.

the scoobs are peaking (SMG apparently lost interest after here and started 'going through the motions')- aly especially. but Spike gets many awesome scenes.

the BEST costumes of the show (er, except SMG's trousers in the gift).

the photography is rich and the lighting and lense use the best of the show. the budget is used effectively and the direction is cinematic and fluid. ok - enuff of that.

Fool for Love, The Gift, The Body, real me, family, The Replacement,intervention, checkpoint and on and on - these are prime bloody episodes!

the occasionally limiting aspects of the highschool show have gone, to be replaced with great weight (pun, no pun - your call) which has yet to crush the show beneath it (parts of the much underrated 6th season and some of 7) enuff of that.

DARK WILLOW!

Tough Giles (and not Pod-Giles!)

KILL THEM BOTH SPOCK! (and the snoopy dance)

Tara

Glory

much truly top notch pythonesque minion taunting

the season has real waves to it - humour , sadness, action, power - but never feels choppy and dislocated.

the finale (despite many production traumas) is just stunning (expect for - see above).

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 6:49 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by wytchcroft:

this is my favourite season and by a long, long, long, long way.

Hey- to each their own... just remember where OMWF & Chosen come from.

isall

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 6:55 AM

WYTCHCROFT

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:

ha ha! actually the hard part for me is remembering where Hush and Restless (possibly my favourite episode) come from. I really like six (but i can't lie and say it's perfect) and hell Seven has Conversations, Bad Girls, Selfless etc (it just also has things i dislike - but so does S2!)

i tend to go, uh 5,3,1,6,7,2,4

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 7:06 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by wytchcroft:

i tend to go, uh 5,3,1,6,7,2,4

Me: 7, 3, 4 (those three are so close), 6,5, 2, 1

isall

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 11:35 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Chrisisall wrote:

Quote:
At least the final season didn't kill off the main character in a vain & desperate attempt to be 'meaningful'.

Why Chris ol' bean, I wouldn't have taken you for the cynical type? D'you really think the Jossone would stoop to such 'hack' type lows....

I always wanted the Buffy character to die in battle trying to save the world, it's somehow so much more epic and poetic, or 'poepic' (yes I made that word up and I'm liking it actually!)

I think season five had a kind of unforced darkness that suited where the season went.

I liked the episodes where Dawn does the narration in her diary, and where Dracula makes an entrance and the way all the girls are swooning over him. Plus it allowed Xander to utter those great words about not being anyones but monkey! Cracked me up. Glory, whilst a bit of a strange nemisis, did have some superb lines, and those minions constant reach for superlatives in describing her magnificence did put a smile on my face everytime. The medieval clan was fun too.

One episode that frequently is overlooked is FOREVER, where Dawn attempts to bring Joyce back from the dead. I thought that was really powerful, because lets face it who hasn't lost a loved one and wished so desperately to somehow be able to bring them back. That tugged at the heart strings almost as much as The Body. To put a character like Dawn under such a temptation was brilliant.

But hey, each to their own brand of kipper right?

Rix

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 11:41 AM

CHRISISALL

Gee Som...when ya put it like that....

Truth is, first box set of season 5 I see for $20 or less is mine.

After all my weedgingisall

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 11:43 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Quote:
Originally posted by wytchcroft:
ok sunshine - dueling pistols at dawn (no, not THAT dawn!)

'dracula sucks' aside - (and hell, even that aint as bad as the crappy bits of 4)

this is my favourite season and by a long, long, long, long way. (and you KNOW i am a Faith fan too) and you best BELIEVE i get the urge to watch it.

the scoobs are peaking (SMG apparently lost interest after here and started 'going through the motions')- aly especially. but Spike gets many awesome scenes.

the BEST costumes of the show (er, except SMG's trousers in the gift).

the photography is rich and the lighting and lense use the best of the show. the budget is used effectively and the direction is cinematic and fluid. ok - enuff of that.

Fool for Love, The Gift, The Body, real me, family, The Replacement,intervention, checkpoint and on and on - these are prime bloody episodes!

the occasionally limiting aspects of the highschool show have gone, to be replaced with great weight (pun, no pun - your call) which has yet to crush the show beneath it (parts of the much underrated 6th season and some of 7) enuff of that.

DARK WILLOW!

Tough Giles (and not Pod-Giles!)

KILL THEM BOTH SPOCK! (and the snoopy dance)

Tara

Glory

much truly top notch pythonesque minion taunting

the season has real waves to it - humour , sadness, action, power - but never feels choppy and dislocated.

the finale (despite many production traumas) is just stunning (expect for - see above).

Wow... I'm not sure I've ever seen season five as someones favourite season before... That is interesting. Good on you. Must say it's nice to see you mention the production. It was good wasn't it. (except Dracula's wardrobe :P)

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 11:48 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Gee Som...when ya put it like that....
Truth is, first box set of season 5 I see for $20 or less is mine.

Does Joss pay commission, I think I may have earnt it

Ha, Ha!

P.S. it wasn't a Jedi mind trick!

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 11:19 PM

WYTCHCROFT

what about angel then? chris? anyone?
(tip toes mischievously away, having lit the touch paper...) heh heh heh

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Saturday, June 14, 2008 7:59 PM

REGINAROADIE

I totally agree with "Forever" being an underrated episode. That they were able to continue with the emotional bang of "The Body" and expand upon it. The funeral preparations, Spike dropping off flowers, Buffy and Angel in the graveyard and Xander and Anya's post-coital discussion is some of my favorite stuff in Season 5. And that final scene is probably the best it of acting SMG has ever done. Just that line of "Of..COURSE...I care." is right up there with Edie Falco saying "Lunch?" to Tony in the "Isabella" episode of THE SOPRANOS in an example of a single line reading that speaks volumes. And Buffy basically admitting that she has no idea what to do really shows just how much of an impact Joyce had on the series. She really was one of the best characters on the show, and her character transformation over the five years was incredible. That even though her daughter was the Slayer and is this powerful being that has to save the world over and over, she was still her mother.

Fro whatever mis-steps season 5 may have taken, Joyce's illness and death elevated it above everything else. It was a sobering bit of reality that was needed to balance out the heavy fantasy angle the show was saturated in.

**************************************************
"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."

Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

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Saturday, June 14, 2008 9:01 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by reginaroadie:

Joyce's illness and death elevated it above everything else. It was a sobering bit of reality that was needed to balance out the heavy fantasy angle the show was saturated in.

I wouldn't say it elevated above 'everything else', but it was amazing television.

Missing Joyceisall

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Sunday, June 15, 2008 10:56 PM

THESOMNAMBULIST

wytchcroft wrote:

Quote:
what about angel then? chris? anyone?
(tip toes mischievously away, having lit the touch paper...) heh heh heh

Most of season five. Including Spike just didn't work. Also bringing back Lindsey as some sort of threat failed to make an impact, and Eve and the supposed sexual tension was way off.

Wes and Fred's 'moment' did absolutely nothing for me... By this stage Joss had overused the 'true loves' that cannot be theme and it just didn't make a dent in my ol' pump.

There's more but I'll come back to it...

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008 6:34 AM

EMBERS

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Gee Som...when ya put it like that....
Truth is, first box set of season 5 I see for $20 or less is mine.

After all my weedgingisall

keep an eye on Costco, I found sets there for $16/each
(that is how I finally picked up all the Angel seasons!)

New Firefly fans should check this out: http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=15816

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008 6:41 AM

EMBERS

Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:
Re Angel:
Most of season five. Including Spike just didn't work. Also bringing back Lindsey as some sort of threat failed to make an impact, and Eve and the supposed sexual tension was way off.

Wes and Fred's 'moment' did absolutely nothing for me... By this stage Joss had overused the 'true loves' that cannot be theme and it just didn't make a dent in my ol' pump.

There's more but I'll come back to it...

Wow.... I have to say just about EVERYTHING in Angel's S5 worked for me!
I loved Angel's relationship w/Spike
I loved Cordy out of the coma for a day
I HATED Eve, but then her relationship w/Lindsay made up for it
and I adored Hamilton (I always adore Adam Baldwin)
Fred's death didn't move me, but I was blown away by Illyria
Everything about Wesley worked for me.... particularly:
Illyria 'pretending' as he died'

I hate to say it, but Angel's s5 was really the only Angel season that I loved. Other than that I just liked a few episodes in seasons I found kind of dull and pointless....

New Firefly fans should check this out: http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=15816

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008 6:45 AM

EMBERS

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by wytchcroft:

i tend to go, uh 5,3,1,6,7,2,4

Me: 7, 3, 4 (those three are so close), 6,5, 2, 1

isall

It does amaze me how we all watch the same shows and get such different things out of them! I believe I've said it before, but my favorites are:

4, 2, 7, 3, 6, 1, 5
(five and 1 are the only seasons where I want to skip whole episodes when rewatching the DVDs)

New Firefly fans should check this out: http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=15816

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008 11:38 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Embers Wrote:

Quote:
It does amaze me how we all watch the same shows and get such different things out of them!

Indeed. I guess that's testament to a great show, that so many people are able to engage with it in so many different ways. Buffy works well like that.

oh and: 3,4,2,7,5,1, 6

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Friday, July 4, 2008 9:43 AM

DEFTPUNK79

I liked season 5. Season 1 was the worst season for me. It had more of monster of the week feel to it that I didn't like too much.

The Buffybot grew on me as Willow tweaked her more and more. It almost seemed like she was striving to be human. I also felt bad for her when she would just totally miss the point of a comment or question.

My season list: 6,3,7,5,4,2,1

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Saturday, July 12, 2008 7:28 PM

SERENITYSMYSHIP

i think season 5 had some good episodes, but the season as a whole didn't really work for me-i'm not sure why, because i didn't have a problem with any of the characters, but it felt like there was no story arc, and i can't figure out why. i think it has something to do with the fact that this was the season where joss became less directly involved all the time.

my episode list would have to be:

2413675

(altho the sixth season DID have OMWF...maybe it should get a better place just fore that...)

i don't see anything wrong with being trigger happy...as long as you hang out with the right people...

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Saturday, July 12, 2008 8:48 PM

SIGMANUNKI

I'm going to have to say that it was a fairly strong season with a great ending. And ending which should have been an overall ending. Sure, there were points not exactly in its favour. But, nothing is perfect and CharlieBZ gives a nice short-list of the many good things in it.

My problem with Buffy in general is that it lacks staying power. As in, the show was great at the time in which it aired and shortly thereafter. But, it just isn't even remotely as good after these many years. I've watched the series 3 times through at this point and I'm going to have to say that I like it less on each viewing.

My solution to this problem is to seek out other series that I didn't get to watch when it was on, or didn't have the time for or only got subtitled/dubbed and hide in obscurity. There's a fair number of them. So, I watch "new" stuff all the time.

Well, that's my 2 cents anyway.

----
I am on The Original List (twice). We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

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Sunday, July 13, 2008 9:39 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by SigmaNunki:

My problem with Buffy in general is that it lacks staying power. As in, the show was great at the time in which it aired and shortly thereafter. But, it just isn't even remotely as good after these many years.

*general disagreement*

Xanderisall

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Sunday, July 13, 2008 11:56 AM

SIGMANUNKI

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by SigmaNunki:

My problem with Buffy in general is that it lacks staying power. As in, the show was great at the time in which it aired and shortly thereafter. But, it just isn't even remotely as good after these many years.

*general disagreement*

Xanderisall

Says the guy who keeps posting threads on how much the various seasons suck.

----
I am on The Original List (twice). We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

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Sunday, July 13, 2008 1:52 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by SigmaNunki:

Says the guy who keeps posting threads on how much the various seasons suck.

?

What? I just said 5 sucks...

Strawman Victim Chrisisall

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