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shadowkatDifficult and tedious day - went to get lab work after work - which was supposed to take fifteen minutes, and in actuality took forty-five. NYU Langon has had a lot of turn-over and is heavily under-staffed. So they had to close the fourth floor lab and pull everyone to the second floor lab.
That would have been fine? But during that - someone pulled the emergency brakes on the R, and as a result, the R train was running on the Q and N line with severe delays. And there was a fire on the Brooklyn Bridge - so the 4/5, 1/2, and Q/N/J were experiencing delays.
I ended up giving up on the R, up the steps, across the street, and to the 4/5 elevator.
Guy on elevator: So where you from?
Me: I live in Kensington, Brooklyn.
Guy (doesn't believe me): No, where are you from?
Me: New York.
Guy: No originally.
Me: Well, I've lived in NY for over 30 years, came here in 1996 and lived here longer than anywhere else
Guy nods: Okay, in that case - I'll give you that. New York.
Me: Good, Otherwise I'd have to give you a list...
Honestly I've lived in this State longer than some people who were born here. And it's true, I'd have to provide a list. I stayed in NYC the longest, and chose it. I'm from New York.
Took two elevators to get to the Brooklyn track. Ended up on a packed train to Borough Hall, got off, then up steps to the street, walked about ten to twelve blocks to Bergen station and caught a G home, with another five blocks. So did an equivalent of 4 miles today, not all at once, with a bad knee. (I also apparently have a strained hamstring.)
***
Was listening to a podcast by Juliet Landau which featured the actors who played Lilah, Lindsey, Holtz, and the writer David Greenwalt chatting at a con. During it - I discovered a few interesting tid-bits. Christian Kane prior to snagging the role of Lindsey on Angel, was up for the role of Riley Finn on Buffy (it went to his friend Marc Blucas), and both Kane and Romanov (Lilah) were supposed to just be in three episodes.
Buffy/Angel Rewatch
I've made it up to and part way through "Hells Bells" Buffy Episode 16, and up to Loyalty Angel Episode 15 - which I'm kind of saving? (I like the episode, Loyalty, not Hells Bells. I don't like Hells Bells.)
There's a handful of episodes in Buffy S6, between roughly Dead Things and Normal Again, that I could have done without? Or I wish had been written better? Doublemeat Palace is actually underrated, and hilarious at times, it's not a bad satirical piece on fast food restaurants and American advertising and consumerism, specifically the Burger Wars which were a thing in the later half of the 20th Century and beginning of the 21st.
(I can see why that was the episode that made the network rethink leaving the writers completely on their own. They got notes on how they were handling fast food.) It also is focused, and really centers on two perspectives, Buffy and Willow. The better episodes focus on Buffy and Willow in S6, actually.
As You Were - aka the return of GI Joe (& GI Jane) to split up Spike and Buffy, also fight monsters, and end Buffy's job at the Doublemeat Palace (or does that end after Normal Again? Not sure.) She takes off in the middle of a shift to help Riley - which would normally get her fired, but she also has leverage - so maybe she can't get fired? Shame, I agree with the network - the fastfood jokes are getting kind of old, and there's a lot of folks who have to do that for a living. They are littered throughout this episode. Everyone mentions that Buffy smells bad because of her job.
Only one who doesn't is Spike.
The problem with As You Were - is Spike is actually coming across as a nice boyfriend. He's not really that demanding, coaxing maybe? He isn't asking anything from her. And he's always there for her. No matter what. Contrast with Riley in S5 - who was the exact opposite. That's a problem. The writers should have made Spike a bit more obnoxious? Instead, Buffy's obnoxious to Spike in the episode, so my sympathy is with Spike - and I don't think that's the intent?
Riley is just as annoying as he when he left. Which is also a problem. Blucas to give him credit, makes the character slightly less annoying. But the actress who plays GI Jane (Sam Finn) doesn't help - the actress is a former supermodel who was doing a bunch of sci-fi films at the time. I also find both characters to be triggering. And I think you are supposed to - to a degree - since Buffy is at low point, pretty much rock bottom. She's in love with an evil vampire who lives in a crypt and is sleeping with him, she works at a fast food joint, barely has time for her friends, and her application to University of Sunnydale is rejected. Poor Buffy. Then up pops Riley, and he asks her to hunt demons with him and gives her a cool outfit - only to ruin everything, by not telling her that he has a wife, a hot, super-tall, super capable wife, who totally gets him. Worse when she kills the monster - they tell her she screwed up, they wanted it alive.
All her friends, Willow, Xander, Anya, Dawn adore the couple. And when Buffy goes to her evil vampire lover to get comfort, Riley discovers them, and worse exposes Spike's latest scam - which involves selling demon eggs on the black market.
Buffy: It's just Spike. I'm not saying he's good or not evil, just that he's too incompetent to manage something like this - he's not that capable.
Riley: Dangerous? Deadly. Amoral, and Opportunistic. Or have you forgotten?
Spike (gives Riley a stare - but one half of respect and understanding) and glares at Buffy.
It does get across why the sexual assault in Seeing Red happens - or has to happen? Because Spike doesn't see what he's doing with the demon eggs as remotely harmful to Buffy, and even if they were - she can manage it. He's not hurting her directly. It's separate from her. He's kind of compartmentalized their relationship. He's not redeemed - or so the writers are trying to remind both Buffy and the audience.
Spike, however, comes across as more sympathetic in this exchange than either Buffy or Riley do, which is problematic. With a few tweaks they could have have fixed that? Maybe had someone other than Buffy and Riley be in danger from the creatures in the eggs? Show the demons as being deadly - as opposed to the info dump?
Buffy comes to Spike, asks him if he loves her, if he wants her. Makes love with him or fucks him, depending on your point of view, and goes to sleep with him. Riley pops up, Buffy is humiliated, Spike is gleeful. Riley jumps to the conclusion that Spike's the Doctor (unlikely - he's most likely holding the eggs for another entity as part of deal or scheme), and pokes at both Spike and Buffy. Then reveals the demon eggs. Spike tries to explain. Riley hits him. Buffy hits him. And yells at him.
And Spike, looking hurt and confused, states, almost as an echo to Riley's earlier statement: You know what I am. You always have known. But come to me all the same. Changing the rules or making them up as you go. And I do whatever you want.
That's the problem. He's confused. He doesn't know what the rules are - and he's not sure where they stand. He has no power in their relationship, not really. She has all the power. Each time, he thinks he has some power, or some equal standing - she pulls the rug out from under him.
"I'm using you."
"Don't hear myself complaining."
"It's killing me."
And that stops him dead. He can't bear to hurt her. But she keeps hurting him. And being a demon - he kind of wants to hurt her back, and god, who can blame him? And therein lies the flaw in the story-thread, yet it's an incredibly interesting flaw. Made all the more interesting by - why doesn't he kill her? Why doesn't he hurt her? It's in his nature, right? And more to the point, why doesn't she stake him? He can kill her at any time or could? They are dancing an odd dance with each other - both could easily kill the other, and have tried at various points, and come close. Riley even tells Buffy - that he was told to take out the Doctor, whom he believes is Spike but won't unless she gives the okay. She's stunned by the question. But states, in tears, "how can you even ask me that? I'm sleeping with him, I'm sleeping with Spike."
It's such an impossible relationship. And all the more interesting because of that. But damn, I wish As You Were was written better? It has some cringe-inducing dialogue and scenes in it. "Slayer, if I'd known you were coming, I'd have baked you a cake?" Someone was asleep in the editing room.
Rest for another day. Off to bed.
That would have been fine? But during that - someone pulled the emergency brakes on the R, and as a result, the R train was running on the Q and N line with severe delays. And there was a fire on the Brooklyn Bridge - so the 4/5, 1/2, and Q/N/J were experiencing delays.
I ended up giving up on the R, up the steps, across the street, and to the 4/5 elevator.
Guy on elevator: So where you from?
Me: I live in Kensington, Brooklyn.
Guy (doesn't believe me): No, where are you from?
Me: New York.
Guy: No originally.
Me: Well, I've lived in NY for over 30 years, came here in 1996 and lived here longer than anywhere else
Guy nods: Okay, in that case - I'll give you that. New York.
Me: Good, Otherwise I'd have to give you a list...
Honestly I've lived in this State longer than some people who were born here. And it's true, I'd have to provide a list. I stayed in NYC the longest, and chose it. I'm from New York.
Took two elevators to get to the Brooklyn track. Ended up on a packed train to Borough Hall, got off, then up steps to the street, walked about ten to twelve blocks to Bergen station and caught a G home, with another five blocks. So did an equivalent of 4 miles today, not all at once, with a bad knee. (I also apparently have a strained hamstring.)
***
Was listening to a podcast by Juliet Landau which featured the actors who played Lilah, Lindsey, Holtz, and the writer David Greenwalt chatting at a con. During it - I discovered a few interesting tid-bits. Christian Kane prior to snagging the role of Lindsey on Angel, was up for the role of Riley Finn on Buffy (it went to his friend Marc Blucas), and both Kane and Romanov (Lilah) were supposed to just be in three episodes.
Buffy/Angel Rewatch
I've made it up to and part way through "Hells Bells" Buffy Episode 16, and up to Loyalty Angel Episode 15 - which I'm kind of saving? (I like the episode, Loyalty, not Hells Bells. I don't like Hells Bells.)
There's a handful of episodes in Buffy S6, between roughly Dead Things and Normal Again, that I could have done without? Or I wish had been written better? Doublemeat Palace is actually underrated, and hilarious at times, it's not a bad satirical piece on fast food restaurants and American advertising and consumerism, specifically the Burger Wars which were a thing in the later half of the 20th Century and beginning of the 21st.
(I can see why that was the episode that made the network rethink leaving the writers completely on their own. They got notes on how they were handling fast food.) It also is focused, and really centers on two perspectives, Buffy and Willow. The better episodes focus on Buffy and Willow in S6, actually.
As You Were - aka the return of GI Joe (& GI Jane) to split up Spike and Buffy, also fight monsters, and end Buffy's job at the Doublemeat Palace (or does that end after Normal Again? Not sure.) She takes off in the middle of a shift to help Riley - which would normally get her fired, but she also has leverage - so maybe she can't get fired? Shame, I agree with the network - the fastfood jokes are getting kind of old, and there's a lot of folks who have to do that for a living. They are littered throughout this episode. Everyone mentions that Buffy smells bad because of her job.
Only one who doesn't is Spike.
The problem with As You Were - is Spike is actually coming across as a nice boyfriend. He's not really that demanding, coaxing maybe? He isn't asking anything from her. And he's always there for her. No matter what. Contrast with Riley in S5 - who was the exact opposite. That's a problem. The writers should have made Spike a bit more obnoxious? Instead, Buffy's obnoxious to Spike in the episode, so my sympathy is with Spike - and I don't think that's the intent?
Riley is just as annoying as he when he left. Which is also a problem. Blucas to give him credit, makes the character slightly less annoying. But the actress who plays GI Jane (Sam Finn) doesn't help - the actress is a former supermodel who was doing a bunch of sci-fi films at the time. I also find both characters to be triggering. And I think you are supposed to - to a degree - since Buffy is at low point, pretty much rock bottom. She's in love with an evil vampire who lives in a crypt and is sleeping with him, she works at a fast food joint, barely has time for her friends, and her application to University of Sunnydale is rejected. Poor Buffy. Then up pops Riley, and he asks her to hunt demons with him and gives her a cool outfit - only to ruin everything, by not telling her that he has a wife, a hot, super-tall, super capable wife, who totally gets him. Worse when she kills the monster - they tell her she screwed up, they wanted it alive.
All her friends, Willow, Xander, Anya, Dawn adore the couple. And when Buffy goes to her evil vampire lover to get comfort, Riley discovers them, and worse exposes Spike's latest scam - which involves selling demon eggs on the black market.
Buffy: It's just Spike. I'm not saying he's good or not evil, just that he's too incompetent to manage something like this - he's not that capable.
Riley: Dangerous? Deadly. Amoral, and Opportunistic. Or have you forgotten?
Spike (gives Riley a stare - but one half of respect and understanding) and glares at Buffy.
It does get across why the sexual assault in Seeing Red happens - or has to happen? Because Spike doesn't see what he's doing with the demon eggs as remotely harmful to Buffy, and even if they were - she can manage it. He's not hurting her directly. It's separate from her. He's kind of compartmentalized their relationship. He's not redeemed - or so the writers are trying to remind both Buffy and the audience.
Spike, however, comes across as more sympathetic in this exchange than either Buffy or Riley do, which is problematic. With a few tweaks they could have have fixed that? Maybe had someone other than Buffy and Riley be in danger from the creatures in the eggs? Show the demons as being deadly - as opposed to the info dump?
Buffy comes to Spike, asks him if he loves her, if he wants her. Makes love with him or fucks him, depending on your point of view, and goes to sleep with him. Riley pops up, Buffy is humiliated, Spike is gleeful. Riley jumps to the conclusion that Spike's the Doctor (unlikely - he's most likely holding the eggs for another entity as part of deal or scheme), and pokes at both Spike and Buffy. Then reveals the demon eggs. Spike tries to explain. Riley hits him. Buffy hits him. And yells at him.
And Spike, looking hurt and confused, states, almost as an echo to Riley's earlier statement: You know what I am. You always have known. But come to me all the same. Changing the rules or making them up as you go. And I do whatever you want.
That's the problem. He's confused. He doesn't know what the rules are - and he's not sure where they stand. He has no power in their relationship, not really. She has all the power. Each time, he thinks he has some power, or some equal standing - she pulls the rug out from under him.
"I'm using you."
"Don't hear myself complaining."
"It's killing me."
And that stops him dead. He can't bear to hurt her. But she keeps hurting him. And being a demon - he kind of wants to hurt her back, and god, who can blame him? And therein lies the flaw in the story-thread, yet it's an incredibly interesting flaw. Made all the more interesting by - why doesn't he kill her? Why doesn't he hurt her? It's in his nature, right? And more to the point, why doesn't she stake him? He can kill her at any time or could? They are dancing an odd dance with each other - both could easily kill the other, and have tried at various points, and come close. Riley even tells Buffy - that he was told to take out the Doctor, whom he believes is Spike but won't unless she gives the okay. She's stunned by the question. But states, in tears, "how can you even ask me that? I'm sleeping with him, I'm sleeping with Spike."
It's such an impossible relationship. And all the more interesting because of that. But damn, I wish As You Were was written better? It has some cringe-inducing dialogue and scenes in it. "Slayer, if I'd known you were coming, I'd have baked you a cake?" Someone was asleep in the editing room.
Rest for another day. Off to bed.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-14 06:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-01-14 01:37 pm (UTC)The Anya/Xander dialogue is actually pretty good as are their scenes. So is some of the dialogue between Buffy and Spike (the dialogue at the end is good).
To give the actors credit - they sell the heck out of it. And the direction is good. It's the writing that fails here - it's really clunky in places. I'm not surprised Doug Petrie hasn't done much since Buffy, he was a weak writer, and it's not surprising he didn't move over to Angel like DeNight, Fury, and Goodard did. I think he probably wrote most of this? Fool for Love was mainly written by Whedon and Noxon, with Petrie getting credit for it (Petrie only wrote the Riley scenes - which are the weak parts of Fool for Love).
Poor Riley - he has some of the worst episodes in the series - and it's not Blucas, it's the writers - they can't write military guys to save their lives.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-15 02:03 pm (UTC)