tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70353138808033999232012-02-16T11:54:41.014-05:00A marathon viewing of Joss Whedon's films and shows, presented by The Cloister Room.Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.comBlogger681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-69491709995385119912011-02-17T19:02:00.000-05:002011-02-17T19:02:06.379-05:00

It's with a heavy heart that I announce to you what should already be obvious: the Whedoning is over. At least for the foreseeable future. I've enjoyed doing it, but I made the decision quite a while ago that I needed to shut it down to work instead on other projects I cared about more. Anyway, we're done here, kids. You know where to find me if you need me. 

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-66428504506960241012010-12-08T20:48:00.000-05:002010-12-08T20:48:57.119-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted on The Whedoning, and I just wanted to update folks on the status of the project. My intention was always to post Buffy season three without interruption during September and October, take a hiatus during November to participate in National Novel Writing Month, and then come back in mid-December with reviews of Buffy season four and Angel season one (which

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-57970473345909156262010-10-25T20:03:00.000-04:002010-10-25T20:03:47.727-04:00

"Earshot" would be a notable episode of Buffy even without taking into account the circumstances under which it aired, but it's kind of necessary to do that anyway. Either way, it's one of the best episodes of the third season, and I suppose that's what really matters. More after the jump. "I am my thoughts. If they exist in her, Buffy contains everything that is me, and she becomes me. I cease

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-50667564929262201902010-10-21T20:05:00.000-04:002010-10-21T20:05:48.004-04:00

In addition to exploring Faith's new role as a villain, in this episode we see the return of an old villain. Sort of. But not really. But... oh, you know what I mean. More after the jump. "You know how some people hate to say I told you so? Not me. I told you so. Angel's back in the really bad sense, and um, I told you so."- Xander Keeping secrets from the characters can be a great way to gain

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-13204688654956292632010-10-20T20:17:00.000-04:002010-10-20T20:17:37.106-04:00

It's not that often that the Buffy writers go back and revisit the concept from a standalone episode, but that's just what's going on here in "Doppelgangland." Luckily, what might have come off as beating a dead horse turns out to be a really enjoyable ride. More after the jump. "Bored now."- Vampire Willow I have to wonder how the idea for "Doppelgangland" came about. I imagine Joss simply

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-35152576040452109112010-10-19T23:02:00.000-04:002010-10-19T23:02:11.219-04:00

Coming after the events of "Bad Girls," and having a title like "Consequences," you know that something major's going down. And you're right. This episode moves the storytelling of the season forward by leaps and bounds. More after the jump. "I'm not looking to hug and cry and learn and grow."- FaithThe most interesting part is, as its title suggests, how it deals with the consequences of Deputy

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-22424381327819274762010-10-18T18:07:00.001-04:002010-10-18T18:09:36.262-04:00

A new watcher arrives and with him he brings new authority to refresh Buffy's rebellious spirit. It makes for an interesting episode that quickly takes some even more interesting turns. More after the jump. "No, you don't get it. I don't care!"- Faith "Bad Girls" is the first episode since "Revelations" where Faith seems to have a function on the show. Thus far, the character has been annoyingly

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-11906178105015693972010-10-17T17:56:00.000-04:002010-10-17T17:56:37.180-04:00

Apologies, once again, for the lateness of this review. Due to some unexpected circumstances, I moved into my new place a week early. And my new place has no Internet connection. That lack, plus the moving chaos, caused some issues getting the review up, but I think I'll be fine for the rest of the week. Anyhow. Review after the jump. "Jimmy Olsen jokes are pretty much gonna be lost on you, huh?

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-48951482099674049892010-10-14T18:29:00.000-04:002010-10-14T18:29:56.201-04:00

For some reason, "Helpless" didn't resonate with me very much the first time I watched Buffy all the way through. After watching 144 Buffy episodes and 110 Angel episodes, a lot of it starts to bleed together and some of the less memorable episodes become a bit of a blur. This was among the less memorable ones on first viewing, but this time around it's probably one of my favorite episodes so far

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-78918117785301768022010-10-13T20:43:00.004-04:002010-10-13T21:27:19.730-04:00

It was only a matter of time before Buffy took a stab at the witch hunt. Given its enduring popularity as an allegory and the prominence of witches in the Buffyverse, an episode like "Gingerbread" was bound to happen eventually. What results is a pretty fun episode. More after the jump. "We need to save Buffy from Hansel and Gretel."- GilesIt was nice to see Xander and Oz working together on

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-85005616899355294282010-10-13T07:24:00.001-04:002010-10-13T09:55:01.587-04:00

Because he was a recurring character, I suppose I owe Scott Hope a bit of a retrospective. But considering his relative lack of importance, it's going to be a short one. Buffy's inability to connect romantically has long been a theme of the show, and so in this respect Scott is hardly unique. In many ways, his character does little more than expand upon the themes explored with Owen in "Never

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-67418842511904589322010-10-12T19:16:00.001-04:002010-10-12T19:31:33.697-04:00

In this episode, Angel faces some demons from his past. Or rather, some people from his past, when he was a demon. It leads to a pretty interesting episode which does a lot to advance Angel's character arc. More after the jump. "Angel, you have the power to do real good, to make amends. But if you die now, then all that you ever were was a monster." - BuffyIn a lot of ways, this episode continues

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-12802821387006963432010-10-11T20:29:00.001-04:002010-10-11T21:04:50.824-04:00

So with Xander and Cordelia a thing of the past, this episode leads us to expect that we're going to be following a story about how Cordelia deals with it all. And that's sort of right. But it turns out we're getting something a bit larger more ambitious than we bargained for. More after the jump. "Oh, the Bronze isn't cool in this reality. I've got to make these little adjustments." -

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-75962182682870341132010-10-10T12:22:00.000-04:002010-10-10T12:22:09.385-04:00

Sorry for the delay. "Lovers Walk" is a Buffy classic, both in terms of how fun it is and how well it throws the characters' romantic lives into chaos. More after the jump. "Gee, and we'd all hoped those crazy kids would make it work."- Xander There are going to be points in the future of The Whedoning when I'm going to complain about the way Spike is used, and one of the things that's going to

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-36468510656599696722010-10-08T19:02:00.000-04:002010-10-08T19:02:22.378-04:00

I know I said the reviews would run without interruption, but stuff got in the way of me posting yesterday. There will be another review late this evening or early tomorrow morning to get us back on schedule. With a new Slayer must come a new Watcher. But on a delay of several episodes, apparently. Anyhow, the arrival of Gwendolyn Post brings out a lot of interesting drama in this outing. More

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-28518030151379585372010-10-06T18:27:00.000-04:002010-10-06T18:27:47.775-04:00

"Band Candy" is another Buffy episode which focuses mainly on thrills and laughs, and it works wonderfully. Find out why after the jump. "They're teenagers. It's a sobering mirror to look into, huh?"- OzComing as I did from a high school without a marching band, I suppose I don't know much about the sale of band candy, but it seems strange that every student in the school is expected to sell it.

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-26464296832626693822010-10-05T19:02:00.000-04:002010-10-05T19:02:47.648-04:00

It's homecoming time, and retreading old ground would seem to be the order of the day. In some ways it works, and in other ways it doesn't. Find out more after the jump. "P.S. The limo was not cheap. Work it out."- Note left for Buffy and CordeliaIt's hard to be too down on an episode that features characters in formal dress being chased around a forest by monsters who want to kill them. There's

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-41456698108441241752010-10-04T20:14:00.000-04:002010-10-04T20:14:17.063-04:00

The full moon comes around again, and with it comes... well, not much of interest, despite a major advancement of the season's plot. More after the jump. "Every guy from Manimal down to Mr. I-Love-The-English-Patient has beast in him. And I don't care how sensitive they act. They're all still just in it for the chase."- FaithIt's a pity that this episode had to be such a rehash of "Phases." I've

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-17041625528272687392010-10-01T19:23:00.002-04:002010-10-01T19:30:16.237-04:00

This wraps up the first week back! I just want to thank you all for your patience, and assure you that it still looks like season three will run interrupted. There will be a planned hiatus afterward, just to give me time to get some more reviews queued up and to make sure that Buffy season four and Angel season one can run concurrently with no breaks (or as few as possible). In any case, thanks

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-8057821725263051062010-09-30T18:28:00.000-04:002010-09-30T18:28:46.239-04:00

As I settle back into blogging, Buffy has to settle back into Sunnydale. We'll see how it goes after the jump. "We should figure out what kinda deal this is. I mean, is it a gathering, a shindig or a hootenanny?"- OzIt always bothers me in Buffy when characters are so extraordinarily thick with regard to what's causing the supernatural problem du jour. Even after the undead cat appears, nobody

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-54828880895377133962010-09-29T15:47:00.000-04:002010-09-29T15:47:23.164-04:00

After a major downer finale to season two, season three opens in a suitably melancholy fashion. But of course it's not long before Buffy is kicking demon ass again. It makes for a strange season opener, but it's certainly an enjoyable episode. More after the jump. "Gets easier. Takes practice."- BuffyBecause the lives of high school students essentially have a soft reboot every fall, Buffy must

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-27360888311880912962010-09-28T17:36:00.000-04:002010-09-28T17:36:00.721-04:00

It's taken a while to get here, but finally we've finished the second season of Buffy. What is it about this season that makes it so popular with fans? Click through to hear about my thoughts. "I would love to be upstairs watching TV or gossiping about boys or, god, even studying! But I have to save the world. Again."-Buffy, "Becoming (Part 2)"It's not unusual for a series to take a while to find

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-61419224600846089022010-09-27T19:20:00.001-04:002010-09-27T19:21:44.070-04:00

Aaaand we're back. Given that Kendra appeared in multiple episodes, I suppose she warrants a proper retrospective. But unlike Jenny Calendar, she only appeared in two stories, so it'll be a little less substantial. What I do have to say, you can read after the jump. "You talk about slaying like it's a job. It's not. It's who you are." Kendra, Buffy 2x10 - "What's My Line, Part 2"While Kendra is

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-52425170569907728612010-09-20T22:26:00.003-04:002010-09-20T22:27:06.423-04:00

I'll be back next Monday if not sooner. And then reviews of each episode of season three will run without interruption. Promise!

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-36970085225904674452010-08-31T16:33:00.000-04:002010-08-31T16:33:50.182-04:00

So, yeah, end of the season. Another review. You know the drill. On a lesser show than Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the curse would work, and then Angel would be back to normal, then he and Buffy would take out Acathla and kiss and then go back to the bronze for high fives and everyone would be like, "Awww yeaaah! We can beat anything! Go team!" Or, at most, Angel would be back to normal, but

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-47566424552343068482010-08-30T13:53:00.000-04:002010-08-30T13:53:53.132-04:00

As Season Two of Buffy rapidly approaches its ending, the emotional tension is building and everything seems to be coming together. But in the midst of all this forward momentum, the show slows down and dwells on the past. It results in an episode that works great on its own as an episode of television, and also does an excellent job of setting up a finale that will, quite obviously, be pretty

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-75026607970706801142010-08-29T19:14:00.002-04:002010-08-29T19:16:19.677-04:00

(Once again, apologies for the lack of images or a quote in this review. That's how this will have to be for the next few days. I'll edit them in later.) "Go Fish" is perhaps not as remarkable as "Only Have Eyes for You," and certainly not significant to the ongoing plot of Buffy in any notable way, but it is a pretty solid hour of television. It features some great humor, a pretty interesting

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-88298834027283484642010-08-29T12:02:00.001-04:002010-08-29T12:02:08.475-04:00

(Sorry this review is going up without images.  At the moment I'm more interested in just getting them published at all.) "I Only Have Eyes for You" is often considered one of the high points of Buffy's celebrated second season, and that's a reputation that's well deserved. It's a pretty damn enjoyable episode of Buffy, and more emotionally raw than many, and it contains some pretty damn good

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-36102555502686696382010-08-27T17:11:00.030-04:002010-08-27T17:11:00.267-04:00

Before I get back to the reviews (which I will soon, I assure you), I want to say a few words on the topic of the new Edgar Wright film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and the series of comics that inspired it. What, you ask, does this have to do with Buffy, or Joss Whedon in general? More than you might think, I say. Fans of Buffy would do well to check out Scott Pilgrim, and vice versa. Find out

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-50030523334189447122010-08-17T13:08:00.000-04:002010-08-17T13:08:23.153-04:00

In addition to my previous apologies for sparse posting, I'd like to apologize for the fact that a very early draft of this post went up a couple of weeks ago. And by very early draft I mean rough notes. And by rough notes I mean a single rough note. The post was meant to be an empty placeholder just as a reminder to myself of its place in the schedule, but I accidentally scheduled it to

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-10539569213957763692010-08-15T13:15:00.000-04:002010-08-15T13:15:30.248-04:00

First order of business: I'm going to get back to writing reviews again soon, really. I assure you that I have every intention of seeing The Whedoning through to its conclusion, but I fully recognize (as I hope you do too) that the schedule was only ever a guideline and it may well take quite a bit longer. And I also have a few posts lined up which contain some Buffy-related content other than

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-28733310316619568282010-07-29T18:20:00.001-04:002010-07-29T18:22:50.189-04:00

After an extremely dark episode, which advanced the ongoing story arc a lot, we get something a little more standalone and less dark. It's a strange occasion when an episode about a monster that murders sick children can be described as "less dark." Anyhow, more after the break. "So this isn't about you being afraid of hospitals 'cause your friend died and you wanna conjure up a monster that

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-28447940711263921902010-07-28T19:30:00.001-04:002010-07-28T19:30:15.230-04:00

Just when you think the tension can't get any higher, Buffy surprises you with a frightening and dramatic look at the depths of Angel's obsession... or as he calls it, "passion." More after the jump. "Without passion, we'd be truly dead."- AngelThe most immediately striking thing about "Passion" is the narration by David Boreanaz. On first viewing, as the episode began, I admit I rolled my eyes.

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-61132732651275540322010-07-27T18:46:00.000-04:002010-07-27T18:46:20.142-04:00

"Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" is an episode composed mostly of frivolous fun and a horribly cumbersone title. However, as is common on Buffy, the fun leads to some interesting character moments, as we get some nice developments in Xander's relationship with Cordelia. More after the jump! "Oh, no, I'm twice the fool it takes to do something like this."- XanderWhile Xander's

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-17737958558481285882010-07-26T17:28:00.001-04:002010-07-26T17:55:07.802-04:00

EDIT: [ by a bizarre coincidence, this review was posted on the full moon. How weird is that? You might think I planned it that way, but I'm nowhere near smart enough (or organized enough) for that. ] While Buffy's love life has taken a turn for the absolute worst, the Cordelia/Xander/Willow/Oz love trapezoid has now been fully activated, and this episode features the show's first earnest

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-4786788331985818642010-07-25T14:38:00.000-04:002010-07-25T14:38:07.527-04:00

My complaint about "Surprise," that none of its numerous constituent parts seem to go anywhere, is rectified more or less completely in "Innocence." Not only do all of the threads of the previous episode bear fruit, but they all collide and intersect in deceptively complex ways, without getting in the way of the episode's considerable emotional weight. More after the jump. "She made me feel like

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-60623613260674485362010-07-24T09:55:00.000-04:002010-07-24T09:55:42.936-04:00

I apologize for that little hiatus. Things got away from me. In some ways, reviewing Buffy three times a week is harder than reviewing it five times a week, because there's less momentum to sustain. That shouldn't be a problem in the coming week, as I post new reviews daily (or as close to daily as I can get) until I catch up to the schedule. So, on with it. "I think we're going to. Seize [the

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-35672280904907088942010-07-13T17:22:00.001-04:002010-07-19T20:23:39.886-04:00

Bad Eggs? More like... Bad Episode! HEY-OH! I kid. But this wasn't really the strongest episode we've seen recently, and I'll explain why after the jump. "It's an egg, Buffy. It doesn't emote."- CordeliaThe notion of all of Buffy's friends being possessed is kind of creepy, and the episode does a great job of giving everyone something to do. This is especially true of Xander and Cordelia, whose

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-58925528513302892842010-07-10T14:00:00.002-04:002010-07-19T20:23:37.921-04:00

After a fairly long run of episodes centering on the serialized aspect of the show, Buffy takes a breather from Spike and Drusilla for a mostly self-contained episode focusing on Buffy's home life. A standalone Buffy is not necessarily a bad Buffy, though, as this episode proves by uncovering some interesting themes and making great use of its first celebrity guest star, sitcom actor John Ritter.

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-2940848210811504042010-07-08T17:17:00.001-04:002010-07-19T20:23:35.828-04:00

"What's My Line, Part 2" picks up right where "Part 1" left off, with Buffy and Kendra at a stand still, Angel in danger of death by sunlight, and Cordy and Xander in Buffy's house with the second member of the Order of Taraka: a man made entirely out of bugs. But while we're left with some really tense cliffhangers, the major cliffhanger is a sort of existential or ontological cliffhanger

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-19491527606145799432010-07-06T15:10:00.001-04:002010-07-19T20:23:34.235-04:00

This episode and the following are a two-parter, but while they, unlike "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "The Harvest," share a title, also unlike those episodes they weren't aired together. They were also produced as separate entities, with different directors and separate writing credits. So although the episode doesn't really tell a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end, I'm going to

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-39834538003302045252010-07-03T11:10:00.001-04:002010-07-06T15:14:52.807-04:00

Sadly, I'm not going to be able to say as much about "The Dark Age" as it probably deserves. I'm vacationing in beautiful Cape Cod, and my internet access (and writing time) are limited at the moment. What little I do have time to write, you will find after the jump. "Nobody can be wound as straight and narrow as Giles without a dark side erupting."- Xander"The Dark Age" continues this season's

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-44378558947741898672010-07-01T12:51:00.000-04:002010-07-01T12:51:04.735-04:00

"Lie to Me" is yet another fantastic hour of Buffy, and yet for completely different reasons from "School Hard" and "Halloween." It just goes to show how well this show is maturing as it tackles a variety of different kinds of stories. But I think "Lie to Me" might just top both of those episodes. Find out why after the jump. "It'd be simpler if I could just hate him. I think he wanted me to. I

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-46073835379244248662010-06-29T12:59:00.000-04:002010-06-29T12:59:28.606-04:00

After a couple of pretty weak episodes, Buffy rebounds with "Halloween." While the episode lacks the suspense, action, and dramatic heft of "School Hard," it makes up for these shortcomings in zany fun, complete with a few good character moments. More after the jump. "Well. This is just... neat!"- Spike "Halloween" is fun simply by virtue of its premise: the characters dress in costumes, and

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-60187923046441973282010-06-26T09:09:00.000-04:002010-06-26T09:09:41.654-04:00

It's irregular for me to post on a Saturday, but I'm breaking the routine for an announcement. A special announcement. A scheduling announcement.  Don't worry. I'm not going away. I am, however, reducing my weekly output. Starting with the coming week, The Whedoning will be switching to a thrice-weekly schedule for the summer (and hopefully not much longer than that). I feel I owe you a brief

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-40081790014603055012010-06-25T14:33:00.000-04:002010-06-25T14:33:41.001-04:00

If you thought "Inca Mummy Girl" had a case of season one retrogression... well, you were right. And so does "Reptile Boy." Review after the jump. "Don't you think it's a little late to be reading me a warning label?"- BuffyOther than that, though, I don't have too much to say about "Reptile Boy," which was decent but largely uninteresting. Giles's attitude toward Buffy, which had seemed to be in

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-17433022998116948962010-06-24T11:31:00.000-04:002010-06-24T11:31:59.597-04:00

Isn't that always the way? After the excellent "School Hard" we get the rather lackluster "Inca Mummy Girl," backsliding into the so-so monster-of-the-week territory of season one. It's not a bad episode, but it's a bit boring in how much familiar territory it covers. Find out more after the jump. "You're not a preying mantis, are you?"- XanderThe episode begins with the student of Sunnydale on a

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-74941437632130794252010-06-23T14:53:00.000-04:002010-06-23T14:53:32.047-04:00

I know it's highly unusual for me to post twice in one day, but I'm not here to say much. I just wanted to express my happy birthday wish for Joss Whedon. Because I know he reads this. Happy birthday, Joss! Tomorrow, we shall return to our regularly scheduled Whedoning.

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-6552109434744809592010-06-23T10:54:00.000-04:002010-06-23T10:54:48.139-04:00

With School Hard, one of the Buffyverse's most popular characters arrives in Sunnydale with a bang. Or rather, a crash. The result is an incredibly enjoyable episode. Find out why, after the jump. "From now on, we're gonna have a little less ritual and a little more fun around here."- Spike"School Hard" is probably the best episode of Buffy so far, and I think it achieves this at least in part

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-87190527482738018592010-06-22T10:31:00.001-04:002010-06-22T19:02:38.174-04:00

After an enjoyable but heavily flawed season premiere, "Some Assembly Required" is a breath of fresh air. Not only is it a really solid monster-of-the-week episode, but it's also one of Buffy's most thematically interesting episodes to date. Click on through for the review. "I guess you'll say What can make me feel this way? My girl Talkin' 'bout my girl My girl"-EricIn my preliminary thoughts on

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-17449941553616018772010-06-21T11:23:00.000-04:002010-06-21T11:23:08.155-04:00

It's only been three days for us here on the Whedoning, but the gap between "Prophecy Girl" and "When She Was Bad" was three months. But now that the show's finally back, does it meet expectations? Well... yes and no. overall, it's not a stellar episode of Buffy, but in some ways the writing nad production is more assured, which is nice to see. More after the jump. "It's like they knew I was

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-54318727602682940302010-06-18T16:14:00.001-04:002010-06-20T15:49:52.771-04:00

So we're done with the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and now I have to take what's been a rather inconsistent, even schizophrenic little show, and tie it all up in a nice little bow. So what did I think? Well, obviously, you're going to have to click through to find out. "In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-8087203217529471072010-06-17T12:38:00.001-04:002010-06-20T21:50:43.886-04:00

It's been a lot of ups and downs for such a short season, but now we find ourselves at the end of the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's an episode that doesn't have the greatest deal of tonal coherence, but throws enough interesting material together that even while it doesn't really come together it's quite entertaining. "Giles, I'm sixteen years old. I don't want to die."-

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-42265093799785480122010-06-16T12:29:00.001-04:002010-06-20T21:50:03.475-04:00

If you were expecting that the penultimate episode of the season would lay the groundwork for Buffy's final confrontation with the monster, then you're bound to be disappointed by "Out of Mind, Out of Sight." What we get here instead is a fairly standard, high concept Buffy episode with only passing references to the ongoing plot, but with some long-overdue character development for Cordelia. "

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-7294464403175870242010-06-15T13:01:00.001-04:002010-06-20T21:49:41.323-04:00

"Nightmares" marks another attempt by the Buffy writers to delve into the psyches of their characters, with mixed success. But while some elements of the episode are less than inspired, it's overall a pretty enjoyable watch. Click through for the review. "Well, that explanation was shorter than usual. It's Billy! Who's Billy?"-XanderProbably the most interesting character here is Buffy herself,

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-36612109479353360022010-06-14T13:12:00.001-04:002010-06-20T21:49:16.198-04:00

This episode has a cringeworthy premise, straight out of Goosebumps, but the cheese factor is not always a problem. Buffy often rises above the ridiculousness of the premise to produce something pretty entertaining, and that's the case here. More after the jump. "Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny."- BuffyFrom the

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-77131093500834114832010-06-11T12:13:00.001-04:002010-06-20T21:48:35.082-04:00

The boy Willow is getting romantically entangled with turns out to be more than he had seemed at first. In other words, this episode seems in some ways to be a bizarre parody of the previous one. But aside from some extremely cheesy usage of technology, this episode held up pretty well. More after the jump. "I know our ways are strange to you, but soon you will join us in the twentieth century -

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-11140589208825864012010-06-10T12:53:00.001-04:002010-06-20T21:48:03.295-04:00

It's often said that Buffy doesn't really hit its stride until the middle of season two, but new fans take a look of "Angel" for a preview of what it's going to be like when it does. more after the jump. "Whoa, well, let's stop this crazy whirligig of fun! I'm dizzy!"-XanderIn some ways, "Angel" feels like part three of the series premiere, because after watching it you get the sense that only

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-82498827532861143132010-06-09T13:44:00.003-04:002010-06-20T21:47:30.935-04:00

"The Pack" continues the trend of the previous episode, digging into the characters and using their personalities as an engine for drama as well as comedy. But unlike that episode, the main plot here suffers from some really lackluster performances. Even so, it has enough good moments to make it seem pretty entertaining, if inconsequential. “It’s devastating. He’s turned into a sixteen year old

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-70598896941091512632010-06-08T10:48:00.003-04:002010-06-20T21:46:13.639-04:00

As I’ve been writing these reviews, I’ve been doing only a very small amount of “research”, looking up a little bit about what people have said previously about these episodes. It seems to me that "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" hasn’t exactly been celebrated, and that's not really fair to it. It won't be making any top ten lists, but it’s a very good episode that’s significantly different

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-84298910380793432822010-06-07T12:57:00.001-04:002010-06-20T21:45:47.851-04:00

Frankly, "Teacher's Pet" is a pretty uninteresting episode of Buffy, which is a bit of a surprise because it comes from David Greenwalt (who was a frequent contributor to Buffy and also a co-creator of Angel). But this is his first episode, so I'll give him a pass. Besides, we don't really know how much the writing credit means. In the Buffy writer's room, as in most shows, the script is a

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-2986626644730379472010-06-04T12:00:00.007-04:002010-06-20T21:45:24.431-04:00

This week it's "business as usual" for Buffy and friends. But don't for a second think that means I won't write extensively on it. Perhaps someday I'll settle into the paragraph-length reviews I originally intended, but today is not that day. More after the jump. "Yeah, you're the Slayer, and we're like the Slayer-ettes."- WillowDuring the first season of any show, inconsistencies are natural as

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-2559081736002329932010-06-03T12:21:00.006-04:002010-06-20T21:44:30.565-04:00

"Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "The Harvest" were originally aired on the same night (under the former title), but the DVD and other official episode lists list them separately so I decided to treat them as such. And a good thing too, because after the long review I wrote for the previous episode, breaking them up seems like the only sane thing to do. Another longish review after the jump. "All

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-31791207242000248372010-06-02T13:30:00.005-04:002010-06-20T21:41:40.346-04:00

If you've watched the earliest episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer just to see what all the fuss is about and you're unimpressed, then I urge you to keep with it because, in the opinion of a lot of people I know, the first season is not very good. So, stick with it. It gets good later. That's their take on the first season of Buffy, and I encourage you to follow their guidance, because it may

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-1349217313949263262010-06-01T12:22:00.002-04:002010-06-20T21:41:10.240-04:00

You can't watch the unaired Buffy the Vampire Slayer pilot legally. There are bootlegs, which I won't link to. It's not very difficult to find if you want to (I found it fairly easily). In 2003, IGN Movies (or, as it was drolly called back then, IGN FilmForce) did an interview with Joss in which they discussed the possibility of it ever being released: IGNFF: Is the [pilot] presentation ever

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-4869240451522995592010-05-31T11:43:00.002-04:002010-06-20T21:40:41.986-04:00

NOTE: If you happen to be new to Whedon's work and Buffy in particular, the movie, while chronologically first, is probably not the best place to start (for reasons I'll get into below). Probably better to begin with Buffy 1x01 - "Welcome to the Hellmouth," which will be reviewed in a few days. That said, on with the review, after the jump. "I'm the Chosen One, and I choose to be shopping." -

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-31939656493347601772010-05-26T07:19:00.001-04:002010-06-20T21:39:51.815-04:00

Next week The Whedoning will officially kick off with the Buffy film, the unaired pilot, and the first three episodes of the show’s first televised season. So I feel the need for some preliminary remarks, which you'll see after the jump. "You think you know... what's to come... what you are. You haven't even begun."Buffy 4x22 - "Restless"But the more I think about Buffy and try to boil it down to

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7035313880803399923.post-56852357803283523482010-04-28T23:50:00.002-04:002010-05-30T17:05:15.623-04:00

Hello. I'm Tom Dickinson, the host of the podcast The Cloister Room, a podcast about Doctor Who and other things. You may also know me from Videobloggery, or somewhere else, or nowhere at all. Whatever the case, welcome to The Whedoning. The Whedoning is a project I conceived of on a whim. The original idea was to watch all of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel in a year, blogging

Tom Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00541908416077704576noreply@blogger.com0