Andy Cocker

Mid-season Buffy continues to blur together (Buffy’s line “Usually blows around May” is appropriate in more ways than one), and trying to avoid repeating myself is making these reviews unavoidably shorter. Everyone does pretty much the same thing as last episode, with the exception of Wood, who becomes more integrated into the group. It’s better than the ubervamp arc and there’s some good structure to the episode but it’s still pretty ordinary.

I liked Spike better in this one. He’s acting pretty soft at the moment. He’s trying to be good but he’s uncomfortable in his new role as a good guy and there was some interesting tension when he met Wood that’s been missing from this season. I can see why Angel had to mope about for so long to convince people that he’d changed.

They’re collecting quite a few potentials. Probably should get themselves a hotel like Angel. There’s a lot they could learn from him.

Buffy should stop fighting the system. Everyone needs more power and the price wasn’t that high. Maybe she hasn’t seen how crap her potentials are.

One’s initial impression of this episode is that it is remarkably similar to the previous four episodes, but on closer inspection it is easy to see that in fact it’s almost identical. Buffy continues stubbornly in her own direction, makes speeches and fails to do anything significant. Her fighting skills are average (She had trouble beating the demon girl even with Spike’s help) and she still mopes about thinking of Spike. Andrew continues to be useless but manages to break up the episode with geeky jokes. Anya says her one funny line in the episode and does nothing else. Xander, displaced from the position of loser by Andrew, is a bit lost in the middle of the group, like Dawn as mentioned a couple of episodes ago. Xander has dating trouble again but that’s the perils of living near the hellmouth.

It takes a lot of blood to open that seal to let out only one super vampire. The First should buy a herd of cows and keep it open. The First seems to taking things easy. There’s a small attempt to get Andrew back on side and set principal Wood against Spike. Hardly seems to be the actions of the First evil in my opinion. If the First was as effective as I thought it should be, I’d share Giles’ concerns about the lack of action and frequent dating in the face of an apocalypse. However the gang knows that an apocalypse isn’t the end of the world and so continues to do their own thing. Giles’ sensible concerns appear to be unfounded and are ignored. Still, souls are hardly a water tight prevention against evil acts.

And finally, Wood turns out not to be evil, despite my hope to the contrary. The gang could do with some more muscle and hopefully he’ll take down Spike so he could be useful. Plus it saves Buffy having to make excuses for missing work.

All I’ve get stopping from a month of holidays is one exam next Thursday. Unfortunately, it’s not a free-for-all gamecube-playing catch-up on-sleep holiday. I’m supposed to use the time to get a large proportion of my thesis done. At least that’s what my supervisors say. HAHAAHHAHAHA! And Tom thinks I’m going to write Buffy reviews when I have Enter the Matrix. Suckers. I will beat an agent. I am the one. Niobe is an anagram of one and IB. My mind just needs a bit more freeing. Anyway, I’d better get back to my ‘study’ now.

This looks like it’s a regular event. However gentle viewers, tonight I get to sleep. Now some of you may be thinking, what’s his secret? Has he indeed organised his work effectively? Has an agent stolen his body? I think most of it is a direct result of having less work to do this week. Sorry to disappoint you folks. No miracle here.

In other news, Kmart is having a sale tomorrow. Finally, Enter the Matrix for me. The Animatrix has many interesting extras on the DVD so if you’re a matrix fan/anime fan or like DVDs with extras, it’s well worth checking out.

Damnit. This looks like it’s a regular event. Someone should really give me a good talking to. I hate this cold winter. If I have to be up all night, at least things could be warm. Or perhaps I could go to bed. Who’s stupid idea was this anyway. Here’s the crazy plan for next week: Do work during the day and get lots of sleep. I’m a genius! I can’t wait for my sleep next week.

In other news, Myer didn’t have Enter the Matrix for GameCube. Bastards. They had it for all the other consoles. I could only buy The Animatrix, which is fortunate from a study point of view. Ah well, I might make do with a free version from the net for the time being. Why won’t you let me sleep!! Time for more coffee I think. Damnable apostrophes!!!!

Damnit. It’s late and cold and like the guy flying over Sydney on a giant dog, things look bad. I don’t know why I bother really. Is a little organisation so hard. I’d better get this epsiode done before the crowd starts complaining. It tried to BSOD me again but I was ready for it this time. I think there’s a problem with the colour palette. Who’s decision was it to start TAOKJ during exam week?

Aside from that I have to finish this assignment before dawn, and make up an excuse to placate my supervisor. ‘I was busy’ should be enough. These numbers make no sense. hmm umm Maybe more coffee will help.

Angel was another repeat. Why don’t I get repeat episodes. Stupid Buffy. Given me nothing but trouble from day 1. Why won’t she stay dead. I need a little silence to think.

gamecubegamecubegamecubehungrygamecubegamecube So many questions. So many miles to go before I sleep.

About to go to bed feeling unproductive as usual, with not nearly enough time to sleep before I have to work again. Will undoubtedly sleep in my break tomorrow and possibly attempt to run away from the legions of Agent Smiths chasing me in Enter the Matrix. Why can’t I play Neo damn it? Actually my Gamecube isnt being played much at all, and I feel bad when I do. So many little projects I couldn be working on, and for the moment, not enough time.

In a few weeks things will return to some form of normality — meaning I will be working a mere six days a week! Im actually very stoked about this. Days off are brilliant things, although at the same time its not like I have anything better to do. Not really, except maybe find out where to buy some more Sweet Chilli sauce.

Sleep tight.

This looks like Live Journal mark 2, and combined with TAOKJ season two, it really is the year of the sequel yet it’s been a rough transition back into the writing daily episodes thingy combined with a real work load this semester and a terminal case of laziness and a site manager who insists that everything be one long sentence which is a crazy choice of grammatical style that he’s picked but I think that I shall cope, but for now, I’ve stuff to do.

A Willow episode this week. That’s right, it looks like it’ll be more poor old Willow. Still hasn’t got over Tara. I sympathise with ratgirl in some ways. Willow did turn evil and attempt to destroy the world yet she’s still accepted as good. Ratgirl who pissfarts about being a little bit evil all the time is shunned and doesn’t get to hang out with the good guys at all. Andrew, who only went over to the dark side to pick up a few things and came back, is only in the group under sufferance, although this could be because he’s a nerd. While on the topic of Andrew, what was that phrase ‘weird with a beard’ a few episodes back about? His lame attempts to fit into the group are holding the season up as far as I’m concerned. Three nerds was a bit much but one seems about right.

Mind you, it’s not like Willow became powerful overnight. Ratgirl was a rat for a few seasons and it was during that time that Willow really increased her powers, so she’d must have got a fair bit of practice in during that time. Perhaps Willow has plenty of potential whereas ratgirl’s going to be crap forever.

Willow doesn’t appear to have done much mourning over Tara yet. She’s still hanging on to her memory as if she’s alive. I don’t why, it’s not like Tara was a very exciting character. Kennedy seems much more interesting despite coming on so strong. The bar scene seemed odd, with Willow defensive and confused and Kennedy flirting big time. Willow’s Tara this and Tara that all of a sudden, probably all the alcohol.

Despite this the end scene wasn’t too bad. Kennedy was confused about Willow switching back and forth being Warren sorry for Tara’s death and being Willow sorry for the feeling of betraying Tara’s memory by kissing Kennedy and having to let go of Tara.

Naturally, Kennedy decides the best solution is to kiss Willow, which sets everything right and they go have some ‘tea’. As for the others, Buffy’s fighting is still sub-par and I don’t think we can hope for Spike to die before the end of the season. I could have been worrying about Giles had I not seen a spoiler, and I feel sorry for him if no-one’s hugged him since he came back.

After last week’s dismal effort, the only way is up. Thankfully, it’s a big jump up. It’s back to the classic “I’ve got a big problem but I’m not going to tell anyone. I can solve it myself.” plots.

It’s nice to finally see the potentials are into some training, even if it is only Buffy training them. She drones on and on and on about trusting your instincts. Nearly ruined the entire episode by herself. She’s still into big speeches, and dramatic gestures. She just loves the attention. While Buffy goes on and on about being special, the potentials may have tuned out but the point is hammered home into Dawn very well. It looks like this will be a Dawn episode, but don’t switch off now in disgust, I’ve told the truth about this being a half decent episode so it’s worth watching until the end.

Back to the training. "This is the bar. If you’re unsure how to kill the bad guy and the rest of the gang has found nothing in the books then this is where you come. Just beat everyone up until someone tells you the answer. Trust your instincts." I’m glad the wrinkly demon isn’t as lame as I thought he was.

On to the crypt. “This is a crypt. Look out for vampires. Trust your instincts. Blah blah blah. Disturbing reference to my relationship with Spike. Trust your instincts. Believe in yourself and so on. Good luck with the vampire.” I guess it was too much for them to die to that vamp but at least now they have some practical experience.

The Dawn plot was in typical Buffy style. Here’s a new character with a problem. Buffy tries to scare her away with some incessant babbling about her own issues but the new girl wouldn’t give up that easily. Dawn manages to work herself up a lot about nothing. The others unknowningly insult her within her hearing range, except for nice guy Xander who is on her side. Time to run away.

Well, well well. It’s new girl again. I thought it was odd that she could dodge the vamp but since she’s apparently a potential she probably used those slayer reactions they keep talking about. Dawn’s very willing to go fight vamps. She’s must be confident in her non-existent slayer abilities. Obviously seen how easy it is for Buffy to kill vamps.

It’s all wrapped up nicely with a touching scene between Xander and Dawn. Dawn’s having some trouble going from an ordinary teenager to the key to a nobody to a potential and back to a nobody. Dawn doesn’t like being a ordinary but she’s relieved that she’s not a potential. The group’s still close despite recent tension and everyone focusing on their own issues.

On the comic side of things, Andrew’s inability to fit into the group gives plenty of chance for comic potential with some help from Anya. The whole Dawn plot was a great change from the previous focus on potentials and Buffy, making this episode nearly self contained and a relief from the serial nature of this season so far.

“Remember that thing about they share the same blood or whatever.”
“Yeah, I never got that.”