RE: by batmarlowe

BUFFYVERSE

RE:

POSTED BY: BATMARLOWE
UPDATED: Wednesday, November 3, 2010 13:33
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Sunday, October 24, 2010 11:48 PM

It’s finally finished. Round Two of my Buffy Bracketology. I finished watching the eps a few months ago. So I guess I lied. I did not post the results as soon as I finished. It just took me a long time to get off my lazy butt and take the time to type this stuff up. But I never would have dreamed it would have taken me THIS long.

Anyway if there’s anyone actually reading this and doesn’t know what this is about, please see BUFFY BRACKETOLOGY - ROUND 1. And always, this is just my opinion even if it isn’t stated as such.

So here’s the results: 72 contests, 36 winners. And away we go…

001. Doppelgangland (3-16) Vs. 143. I Was Made to Love You (5-15)
Everybody loves the Aprilbot but she’s no match for Vampire Willow. That, and Doppelgangland is just a great ep. Winner: Doppelgangland

004. Prophecy Girl (1-12) Vs. 142. The Real Me (5-02)
I know PG is kind of the more important ep, but it just isn’t as well put together as TRM. I really find it to be very enjoyable. Winner: The Real Me

005. Lovers’ Walk (3-08) Vs. 139. Hush (4-10)
An upset given Hush’s reputation. I like it a lot but I honestly think Lover’s Walk comes together better and is more resonant when it comes to the characters. Winner: Lover’s Walk

008. The Puppet Show (1-09) Vs. 138. Tough Love (5-19)
This one is definitely an upset but dammit, TPS just works. TL is just fine but some of the character conflict feels a little forced in this one. Winner: The Puppet Show

010. The Body (5-16) Vs. 136. New Moon Rising (4-19)
I think it’s obvious. Winner: The Body

012. Crush (5-14) Vs. 134. Dead Things (6-13)
I really hate Dead Things. It’s a minor a miracle it made it to Round 2. And Crush is a good, solid ep. And I really hate Dead Things. Winner: Crush

014. Graduation Day, Part Two (3-22) Vs. 132. Inca Mummy Girl (2-04)
Maybe the best season finale of the entire show. Not a contest. Winner: Graduation Day, Part Two.

015. Passion (2-17) Vs. 129. Conversations with Dead People (7-07)
Tougher call. CwDP is the best ep from S7 and the scenes with Buffy and Webs can stand with virtually anything else in Buffydom. But the high quality of Passion is more consistent and it’s one of the most important eps in the development of the Buffy mythology. Winner: Passion.

017. The Yoko Factor (4-20) Vs. 126. Potential (7-12)
Potential has that great Dawn/Xander scene but YF is more entertaining and more interesting all the way around. Winner: The Yoko Factor

018. Fool for Love (5-07) Vs. 121. Faith, Hope, & Trick (3-03)
Two landmark eps but Fool for Love feels like it’s two or three great and significant eps in one whereas FHT is merely great (or pretty close anyway) and significant. Winner: Fool for Love.

020. A New Man (4-12) Vs. 118. Out of My Mind (5-04)
These are just about equal. Granted there’s a lot more happening in OoMM but the emotional impact of A New Man is stronger and it’s more entertaining too. Winner: A New Man

021. Bargaining, Part One (6-01) Vs. 115. Chosen (7-22)
B pt 1 has more going for it than I originally gave it credit for but Chosen has a little girl playing softball. Seriously, in spite of some flaws it does a great job summing up the series and has some great scenes and dialogue. And a little girl playing softball. Winner: Chosen

022. Becoming, Part Two (2-22) Vs. 114. School Hard (2-03)
School Hard is one of those highlight eps. Good story. Well written. Significant. Becoming, Part Two is all that and more. It really packs an emotional wallop. Winner: Becoming, Part Two

023. The Prom (3-20) Vs. 113. Same Time, Same Place (7-03)
Have you ever compared Citizen Kane to They Saved Hitler’s Brain? Of course not. Winner: The Prom

025. Becoming, Part One (2-21) Vs. 109. As You Were (6-15)
AYW has some really good stuff. Sam. Seeing Riley and Buffy together again. It’s frustrating that doesn’t bear more fruit but overall it definitely an uptick for S6. But Becoming, Part One is almost as good as Part 2. Winner: Becoming, Part One

026. Halloween (2-06) Vs. 103. Helpless (3-12)
Another case of a great ep going up against a greater ep. Helpless is one of those that delivers at a high level from start to finish. Winner: Helpless.

028. The Initiative (4-07) Vs. 101. Earshot (3-18)
Welp, there’s an awful lot to like about The Initiative, but Earshot explores more interesting territory--and fairly deeply at that. Winner: Earshot.

029. Storyteller (7-16) Vs. 099. What’s My Line, Part Two (2-10)
Storyteller is one of the best S7 has to offer but WML2 is bigger and better in every way (except humor). Winner: What’s My Line, Part Two

033. Once More, With Feeling (6-07) Vs. 098. The Weight of the World (5-21)
It’s too bad one of these two great heavyweights has to lose. But one’s weight is heavier than the other’s. Winner: Once More, With Feeling.

034. End of Days (7-21) Vs. 097. Intervention (5-18)
Intervention is full of great scenes and moments: Spike and the Buffybot, Spike and Buffy’s playing the Buffybot, SMG’s performance as the Buffybot, Buffy and her mission of self-discovery, Xander and Willow discovering Spike and the Buffybot. Humor, Melodrama, Pathos. What more do you want? End of Days...y’know, it’s good. Winner: Intervention

035. I, Robot…You Jane (1-08) Vs. 096. The Freshman (4-01)
IRYJ is kind of an ordinary the-show-isn’t-up-to-speed-yet Season 1er. I’ve always felt The Freshman was a little bit underrated. Winner: The Freshman.

037. First Date (7-14) Vs. 095. Primeval (4-21)
First date has a lot going for it. Primeval has more. Stuff like Uberbuffy and making up while repelling. The whole ep is a great statement about how much the gang means to each other. Winner: Primeval.

038. Superstar (4-17) Vs. 093. Restless (4-22)
This may be the single toughest call I’ll have to make in the entire Bracketology. This was like when Thor fought the Hulk in the Avengers/Defenders conflict. A reference I’m sure absolutely everyone on Earth is familiar with. I watched each ep twice and still had to think and think on it. Superstar is just about perfect for what it is and Restless is just about perfect for what it is. But one takes more risks and pulls it off. Winner: Restless.

039. Surprise (2-13) Vs. 90. What’s My Line, Part One (2-09)
WML1 is a good ep but Surprise really cooks. All kinds of significant things are happening, not the least of which (in fact the opposite of the least of which) is Buffy losing it to Angel. Winner: Surprise.

040. The Wish (3-09) Vs. 089. Buffy Vs. Dracula (5-01)
I’ve always been a supporter of B vs. D (for one thing SMG never looked better) but The Wish is The Wish. Winner: Buffy vs. Dracula (c’mon that smile!) Not really. Winner: The Wish.

041. Doomed (4-11) Vs. 088. Homecoming (3-05)
Doesn’t S3 just rock? Doomed is good. It’s very good. But Homecoming is just one of those purring-like-a-vintage-Cadillac eps. And one of the most entertaining in the entire canon.

043. Revelations (3-07) Vs. 085. Ted (2-11)
Ted’s good. Revelations is better. It’s a fuller and richer ep. John Ritter’s really effective though, but…Winner: Revelations.

045. Something Blue (4-09) Vs. 084. Blood Ties (5-13)
Something Blue is IMHO the single funniest episode of Buffy. And Blood Ties is a gooder too—a perfectly fine ep. But SB just stands out more. Winner: Something Blue

051. Who Are You (4-16) Vs. 081. Angel (1-07)
WAY is a hoppin’ ep with a great premise and all kinds of interesting stuff going on. Angel is very significant but it’s just not on the same level. Winner: Who Are You

053. Beauty and the Beasts (3-04) Vs. 078. Consequences (3-15)
Not much to say here. The B story in BatB is more interesting than the A story. Consequences is the more compelling and better written ep. Winner: Consequences.

054. Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered (2-16) Vs. 076. Innocence (2-14)
BBB is such an enjoyable ep. But Innocence is one of those outstanding and significant this-is-why-we-watch-Buffy ones (although I’d like to know how it is a rocket launcher isn’t forged). Winner: Innocence.

058. The Zeppo (3-13) Vs. 072. Family (5-06)
The Zeppo gets better every time I watch it. The more you think about it the more it stands as a shining example of the unique talents and vision of Joss and the ME gang. Family’s good too.
Winner: The Zeppo.

059. Checkpoint (5-12) Vs. 071. Reptile Boy (2-05)
Reptile Boy’s a fun one but Checkpoint is really juicy. And again it features Buffy’s best Eff off scene. That alone makes it the…Winner: Checkpoint

062. Band Candy (3-06) Vs. 70. Living Conditions (4-02)
BC is one of the most outstanding stand-alones in a season full of them. And the other contender for funniest ep. Living Conditions is just fine but there’s really no comparison. Winner: Band Candy

063. Graduation Day, Part One (3-21) Vs. 68. Teacher’s Pet (1-04)
Teacher’s Pet has a giant mantis and a hot babe. Who is the giant mantis. And that great Xander dream sequence that opens the show. That’s about it. GD1 is part of the climax to the unbelievably great storytelling machine that is season 3. Winner: Graduation Day, Part One

065. Enemies (3-17) Vs. 066. Lie to Me (2-07)
Y’know, Lie to Me is a good, poignant ep and it’s a great example of the elaborate tapestry that is Buffy. That is to say the introduction of a minor character who stays in the background throughout Buffy/Angel yet evolves (Chanterelle/Lily/Anne). Enemies has similar qualities in terms of mythos but really turns up the heat. Winner: Enemies.

So that’s it. Again I thank anyone who actually bothered to read all this. I should be starting Round 3 soon. And since the world is waiting with baited breath, I’ll try and do better and get the results up much quicker.

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Thursday, October 28, 2010 5:39 AM

MALACHITE

Wow -- your dedication is impressive. What are you going to do after this? Angel? Also, I wonder if whichever episode is #1 is truly #1 (that is, it is better than any Buffy episode out there and would have beaten any episode it came up against)or if it is #1 because it got some lucky match ups in the bracketology? I'm thinking some great episodes could have gone further if they hadn't had unfortunate matchups with the very best episodes... It will be interesting to see if your elite 8 episodes match with some of the viewer polls for best buffy eps. I'm wondering if you had to pick your 16 favorite episodes, how well it would correlate with the 16 episodes in the Sweet Sixteen of your bracketology, too.

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Friday, October 29, 2010 5:57 PM

BATMARLOWE

Thanks for the response, Malachite. I don't know what I'm going to do after this. Angel would be the most logical choice because it has so many eps. Firefly and Dollhouse have too few eps to warrant an entire bracketology. For instance I already know OOG gets my nod for best ep of FF.

As far as a true #1 goes, it's a fair question. I've felt for a very long time the NFL in particular should do away with Conferences. The best team in one conference isn't neccessarily better than the second best team in the other. Same with the NCAA basketball tournament. How do we we know any of the losers in region 1 couldn't have beaten the winner of region 2?

That's why I didn't subdivide the eps of Buffy. I could have had 8 groups of 16 and concocted a "play-in" tournament for the remaining 16 or something like that. But I felt it was best for the very reason you point out to make all 144 eps one big bracket.

Let's call the winning ep "Sturm with Extra Drang". Let's say it beat out "Angst and Ice Cream" to win. And let's say earlier in the tournament, Round 2, for example, "Angst and Ice Cream" defeated "Zits-a-Poppin'". So if "Sturm with Extra Drang" beat "Angst and Ice Cream" and "Angst and Ice Cream" beat "Zits-a-Poppin'", I don't see how "Zits-a-Poppin'" could have beaten "Sturm with Extra Drang". So I think #1 will be a true #1. But you have a point, #2 on down will not be reflective of my true remaining top episodes.

I suppose the fairest way to do it would probably be a Round Robin, in which every episode takes on every other episode. And then I guess you'd see which ep had the most victories. But that would be 10,296 viewings. Yowtch.

Anyway I appreciate your interest. I'll be starting Round 3 fairly soon. Got my Dollhouse DVD's to watch!

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010 6:03 AM

MALACHITE

batmarlowe wrote: "Sturm with Extra Drang". Let's say it beat out "Angst and Ice Cream" to win. "

Great titles! I want to see these episodes... Of course, you can't judge an episode by its title. I started watching a movie on netflix called, "Stupid Teenagers Must Die", which I thought was a hilarious title, but I stopped after a few minutes because the movie was just awful...

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010 7:28 AM

CHRISISALL

I predict Chosen will come out on top. Little girl playing softball...

The laughing Chrisisall

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010 9:40 PM

BATMARLOWE

I watched this movie called "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" because the title made me laugh. I thought it was fairly bad so for years it kept me from watching the show based on the movie.

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010 9:40 PM

BATMARLOWE

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010 9:51 PM

BATMARLOWE

Don't be surprised if "Sturm with Extra Drang" takes the whole enchilada.

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Wednesday, November 3, 2010 1:33 PM

BATMARLOWE

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Wednesday, November 3, 2010 1:33 PM