A Three Chocolate Bar Day

[shadowkat]

1) Been having a difficult and somewhat depressing week.

Work and personal issues that I can't quite go into. Anyhow...anyone have any good jokes?

I went to the newstand guy in our lobby and bought three candy bars. Decided it was a three candy bar day. Butterfinger, 3 Musketeers, and Hershey with Almonds - not the greatest, but gluten-free and did the job.

2) After much thought on the topic, probably more than it deserves, I've decided that Mark Watches/Reads is a great way for people new to a tv or book fandom to get their feet wet without getting spoiled. Sure, the man doesn't have an analytical bone in his body and his reviews are hardly "academic" but seriously, does it matter? He's writing about himself, his life, and how he views the show or book, how he is relating to it, and allowing others to respond and say some of the same things. And making some money off of it in the process. Not really all that different than
someone blogging about cooking or buttons or cats and doing the same thing. Although a lot more interesting to me, I personally find cooking and button and craft blogs (which my sisinlaw has been known to do) deathly boring. Nor is it all that different than an academic blog or academic journal or teaching a course on Buffy for that matter. I guess you could say more value is provided via the academic journal or course - but is it really? Buffy was mostly about emotions. And all of this is subjective in any event. At any rate - confession? Yes, I read Mark Watches Buffy, and probably will continue - mainly out of an odd sense of curiousity...will he or his commentators react to the show in the same manner I did or differently? I find how people react to media and books interesting - obviously, or I wouldn't be here discussing these things.

3) Reading Master and The Margritta, but very slowly...it's not a really a page-turner, it's sort of philosophical satire. Has an interesting take on Jesus and Pontias Pilot - sort of reminds me of The Story of Jeusus according to his best friend Biff. (I can't remember the title - but it was by Christopher Moore). Except this is a whole a lot darker, and a lot more complicated. Bulgrave is a better writer than Moore - but he also has a lot more to say...and didn't have as easy a life.
Probably unfair to compare the two. It just reminded me of it, is all.

4) Five Positive Things?

*A bus didn't hit me on the way to or from work, although they certainly tried
* It was sunny and not too cold, so lovely walk around the park - plus a big lovely park to walk around in that is within easy walking distance to the office (which is not as easy to find in a big dirty city as one would think)
* Chocolate and the ability to afford it
* My ipod music playlist and the ability to distract myself by telling stories with the playlist. (Yes, I create stories to music. And have been known to create playlists for stories.)
* A new Justified episode recorded and waiting for my watching pleasure.

Comments

[sophist.livejournal.com]

Hm. In my view it's a serial all the way. Each episode has a purpose in the season arc and fits in with the season themes.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

True. But...in first few seasons there were a lot of episodes that could stand alone. Skipping them didn't hurt your understanding of the story or the arc. By that I mean - you can be a casual viewer and not watch everything. I sort of was actually in S1-4. There were episodes that I skipped over when I watched the show live. I saw them later when F/X re-ran them. I'd see the first fifteen minutes and flip channels. OR just miss it because I was doing something else. I know in rewatches I've done that too.

Episodes that act as stand-a-lone:

S1
*Witch
*the one with the Pray Mantis
*I Robot You Jane
* the one with the Puppet
*Out of Sight Out of Mind

S2
Inca Mummy Girl
Some Assembly Required
Bad Eggs
Ted
Go Fish
Killed by Death

S3
The episode about the dance with the cowboys - Slayerthon? Homecoming
Beauty and the Beasts
Gingerbread
Earshot

(less in S3...this is where it started to become a serial a bit..)

S4
Living Conditions
The Freshman
Wild at Heart
Fear Itself
Superstar
Where the Wild Things Are
(these are less stand-a-lones than previous years...but you can still more or less follow them without knowing what already happened.)

Whedon sucks at stand-a-lone's - even his stand-a-lone's sort of require some
back story. He really can't do episodic tv well - which is his problem with network television - they prefer episodic tv, it's easier to sell to advertisers.

[sophist.livejournal.com]

I agree you could skip most of those if your only concern was the surface storyline. IMO though, all those episodes serve a metaphorical/thematic purpose on Buffy's journey. For example, Bad Eggs is all about sex because it's setting up the fact that Buffy's about to have sex with Angel. Now strictly speaking you don't have to know any plot fact in Bad Eggs to appreciate Surprise/Innocence, but thematically it's step along the way.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Oh, I agree with you. But keep in mind that a lot of people watched on a surface level. Mark Watches is at the moment, he's not really delving that far beneath the surface. I don't expect that to start happening until S3-4 - where all of sudden the writers decide to get experimental and do interesting things. (ie. The Wish, Dopplegangland, The Zeppo in S3) and (HUSH, Who are You, Superstar, and Restless in S4). I think some of those episodes may blow that boy's mind. I know Hush and Restless will. That's when you can't do surface level any longer or you'd be completely lost.