Dramatically, a return to form. Spike actually served a purpose this time, and the whole "softening the bad guy" thing is finally starting to feel right, since Harmony is actually starting to edge him out on the evil-o-meter. I have to say, the set design and photography is a noticeable step up from last season, along with the wardrobe department showing us the best of the neo-Bohemian and classy semi-dress fashions of the late nineties-'00s. But it bugs me how much Buffy is barely eking out her place as likeable, which is a far cry from "darling girl" of the first 3-ish seasons. I really wish they would stop having Buffy kiss Riley so much. I feel like Dawn watching them. I felt a comforting hug would have been more called for when he showed up at the Bronze.
I'm realizing why-- other than the fact that I never saw the first few seasons originally --I wasn't more drawn to Buffy, and the show, Buffy, originally, starting at season 4 as I did. The episodes that don't drive the main plot forward feel a lot more like foot dragging as opposed to the first three seasons when there was always a place for character development and A/B interactions (Xandelia, X-Willow, WOz, Jenny/Giles), but here it just feels like the show should have already had a drastic, world-shattering showdown, but it's been over a season of disappointing opposition.
Still, nice "rural conservative patriarch treats lesbianism like a literal demon" allegory. Go back to your corn fields, ya' bigots!
Review by LNeroBlockedParent2022-06-03T21:36:38Z
Dramatically, a return to form. Spike actually served a purpose this time, and the whole "softening the bad guy" thing is finally starting to feel right, since Harmony is actually starting to edge him out on the evil-o-meter. I have to say, the set design and photography is a noticeable step up from last season, along with the wardrobe department showing us the best of the neo-Bohemian and classy semi-dress fashions of the late nineties-'00s. But it bugs me how much Buffy is barely eking out her place as likeable, which is a far cry from "darling girl" of the first 3-ish seasons. I really wish they would stop having Buffy kiss Riley so much. I feel like Dawn watching them. I felt a comforting hug would have been more called for when he showed up at the Bronze.
I'm realizing why-- other than the fact that I never saw the first few seasons originally --I wasn't more drawn to Buffy, and the show, Buffy, originally, starting at season 4 as I did. The episodes that don't drive the main plot forward feel a lot more like foot dragging as opposed to the first three seasons when there was always a place for character development and A/B interactions (Xandelia, X-Willow, WOz, Jenny/Giles), but here it just feels like the show should have already had a drastic, world-shattering showdown, but it's been over a season of disappointing opposition.
Still, nice "rural conservative patriarch treats lesbianism like a literal demon" allegory. Go back to your corn fields, ya' bigots!
7.5 Spike punches out of 10