New year! 2025, and first post of the year we are kicking off with a Catch-Up. Who could’ve possibly seen that coming?
Hopefully we have some fun this year. I have some posts in my head I just have to get around to writing, and a list of shows I am eager to visit either again or for the first time. Let’s hope motivation strikes.
All that said, hope your holidays treated you well, and let’s dive into this, shall we?
You know the drill. Check the tags.
SPOILERS AHEAD
A Christmas Special
Firstly, lets get this out of the way.
There was many-a looked forward to Christmas Specials this year, all of which achieved high ratings, but the only one I watched – and not even on Christmas for that matter – was the Doctor Who special “Joy to the World”.
At 5pm when this lovely little thing was due to air, me and family were wrapped up in a lovely game of Catan, and as such opted to skip it and catch up on it later on iPlayer – which I did, several days later.
The reason it is not the focus of this post, or even getting a Complete Comments post for itself is because I don’t really have much to say about it.
It was pleasant and sweet and I enjoyed it, yes, but it wasn’t… anything special?
I don’t know. Look, if I’m being honest I’ve been underwhelmed by Doctor Who for the last year, and while I have hopes for all the new episodes we continue to get there has been very few that were particular stand outs. Even 13’s seasons have more standouts, even if for the wrong reasons. It’s just- underwhelming.
The Special itself was nothing bad, it ended in an odd but sad way in my opinion. I wasn’t in any tears or anything but, ya know, they tried. The acting was great, I liked his year of waiting, the references that I caught. It did inspire the thought that Moffat really likes to kill but not kill companions, but that’s a thought for another time. It was okay.
So, now that we’ve covered our Christmas bases, let’s move on to what’s consuming me.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
So, let’s talk Vampires and Slayers.
I have watched BtVS before. A few times actually. Late to the party as always, I think I found it somewhere in the pandemic, but I could be wrong and it was just before. I do know I started it because I was bored, and “Everyone talks about Buffy, right? Suppose I’ll check it out”. Anyways, it, of course, consumed me after that. I love it.
As of writing I am very early in Season 2, but I’m excited because any casual fan knows this is the season where the show truly finds its footing. It might be, on many occasions, devastating. But if you’re not being devastated are you even being entertained? When this show inevitably makes me cry, I have asked for it, and gone into it completely aware it will do so. I am excited.
There is a brief disclaimer, I suppose, that could come with this one. Generally I consume my favourite pieces of media outside of real life facts, but I do like to gather said facts to just live rent free in my brain. Further to that point, that when it comes to writing about these things for my blog, I tend not to mention them and keep the focus on the show itself, if possible. However, with that in mind, there is a reason enough to make allusions to the controversies and revelations that have come from the Behind The Scenes of BtVS in recent years. This news is a few years old now, but it is nevertheless there, and feels worth noting before I go on to praise every aspect of Buffy. I will not go into the details, for this is the start of the year and we shall remain happy, but I will say that like many creators at the time stated, I choose to watch Buffy separating the art from the artist, and in support of everyone else who worked on the show. One among many should not cause them all to suffer. The actors, crew and etc, who worked their damn butts off delivering this masterpiece still earned their checks. Okay? Moving on.
This is not the first time Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been mentioned on the blog, the tag has existed for awhile and it has been mentioned in passing on a few posts, but I do believe this is the first time we’re actually talking about Buffy. That said, I will not be doing the introduction this post, largely because I don’t want to.
So, let’s move on and talk about something fun.
One of the reasons I am watching BtVS again is because my feed has decided I should.
No, irregardless of how algorithms work one mention of the show in your text messages and edits, photos and all of said show will plague your feed till you cave to it. So, I did. Peer pressured by social media and I don’t even care.
This show is a work of art, and anyone who has treaded even a little further than the fringes into it will let you know that. There’s a reason they teach courses on it. It’s accolades are earned. If my feed is going to remind me why I love it so much, I am going to glance back at past posts realise it’s been over a year minimum since I watched it last, and decide it is high time for a revisit.
So, here we are.
Not only am I rewatching Buffy, but I am letting that piqued interest bleed over into my other socials, and consuming much of the content there is to about it on YouTube. A video essay about Season 6 here, a brilliant edit there, rewatching TPN’s Buffy Guide when I get the chance – A guide, by the way, that is amazing and you should check it out. Letting their video on the HD Remaster reignite my desire to watch the original episodes. It just is what it is. One should always let things consume them. Casual enjoyment is overrated.
When it comes to Buffy there are many themes, characters and etc. to talk about. I want to talk about her isolation, but as that is a running theme for all seven seasons, perhaps we put that on the back burner until I’ve finished and instead take a focus towards something in Season 1.
Rocky First Steps
No one, even the most die hard of Buffy fans, will tell you Season 1 is phenomenal. Aside from a few standout episodes, and we really mean few, Season 1 is a largely rough start to what will become a truly amazing show.
Trying to get someone into the show when they have to sit through at least 8 Episodes with questionable successes, inconsistent landings and variable reception is hard. It is 11 Episodes of “I swear it gets better.” and then an eager watching for the season finale as you hope Episode 112: “Prophecy Girl” is enough for them to understand. It might not be.
If you happen to convince a friend to start Buffy but find them struggling with getting through the first season, I highly recommend you send them over to TPN’s Buffy Guide, then reconnect with them either at the Season 1 finale, or Season 2. That guide will get them over the first hurdle, and when they are hooked – because, c’mon, even if they don’t develop an aching consumption, they will enjoy the series (probably) – they can revisit the Season 1 episodes they sort of skipped for all the good moments, small as they are, a fan loves in those episodes.
This is the thing, for a series like Buffy. No series should be defined by their rocky episodes. The problem is the rockiest episodes tend to be at the start, and even the best pilots can’t save you from a face plant in episode two or three. This is not to say you may not get a rocky episode in the limp to the conclusion either, we all know a series or two that have far outlived their peak. Buffy, not one of these in my opinion. Season 7 might not rank as my favourite, but I do enjoy it enormously. My point is, the hardest hurdles to jump are in the beginning.
This reminds me somewhat of ones foray into Critical Role. The quality of those first episodes makes them… painful. Jumping into the Campaign 9 Levels deep means there is obviously a history that even a recap video will never inform you on. This team is formed, it’s foundations far in its past, and you just have to hope you catch on. Advice on starting Critical Role – even if you intend to watch all of it (quite a feat let me assure you, I am crawling there) – will direct you to start with Campaign 2, when the format of the show is found, and you’re watching the foundations and getting to know the cast, and this set of characters with the cast. When and if you start to like the characters and then the cast you can take yourself back to Campaign 1, with the knowledge that it will get better, this Campaign is worth these first few episodes, and you enjoy them enough already to stomach some audio and visual issues.
This little aside… aside; jump the hurdles.
I think this is my advice for most series. Jump the hurdles.
Now, don’t get me wrong, even if you jump the hurdles you might find something is still not for you, and I will be hurt and concede to your opinion (but you are wrong). There are many shows I have jumped the first season and still found it’s really not for me, or at the very least it did not hook its claws into me like plenty of other series have. I might humour them to their end, but I’m unlikely to revisit them. That’s fine, I suppose. Everything is not made for everyone. Irregardless, jump the hurdles.
BtVS Season 1 has… a lot of hurdles. I love this show, and even I have some episodes in Season 1 (and even later seasons) that I struggle to sit through. I do, because they’ve got something to love irregardless, Buffy has some tight writing, but they’re just not episodes that hit the spot for me overall. That’s okay. I have episodes like this for many other shows I love too. Agents of SHIELD has some episodes I just don’t look forward to, and we’ve discussed heavily how much I love that one. Once Upon A Time has some arcs I struggle to find light in. This is fine.
In many ways, isn’t it great you get through most of Buffy’s lack-luster episodes first? Biggest hurdles at the start of the race makes the rest of it easier.
Besides, I say all this and you still might find one you love in Season 1. The first two being the pilot and set up (Episode 101: “Welcome to the Hellmouth”, Episode 102: “The Harvest”) are very good as far as pilots go. Pilots are hard, and Buffy is among the shows with one of the strongest I’ve seen, if not struggling slightly for it’s cheesy ‘to be continued’ ending. After that Episode 107: “Angel” and “Prophecy Girl” are great outliers, and as TPN outlines, some of the most significant from the first season. As first season finales go “Prophecy Girl” is brilliant. It’s got far more drama than half the rest of the season has had combined, all the same humour we expect, and some mildly horrific realisations all balanced and wrapped up in a lovely 45-minute package. Enjoy at your own risk.
But, when not scaling the season on some of it’s better episodes, what guilty pleasures does one find it? Personally, I kind of love Episode 108: “I, Robot, You, Jane”. It’s not because it’s good. As it goes, it’s mostly ‘meh’ at it’s best. However, Moloch – especially in his robot form, as stupid as it is – makes me laugh. His dialogue is hilarious, cheesy, but hilarious. Episode 103: “Witch” is an episode that I kind of just adore, for it’s witch craft, iconic battle and Buffy’s first near death experience. Another personal favourite is Episode 111: “Out of Mind, Out of Sight”, it’s not anything particularly brilliant but it is fun. Finally, Episode 109: “The Puppet Show” is not great, but watching Sarah Michelle Gellar try her best to wrestle with a puppet is kind of funny. Also, Snyder. A character who I have never hated and loved so much at the same time.
So, all this said, rocky start but, gods, is it worth it. I have watched BtVS numerous times before. I know what marathon I have just started, and I know as I jog through these episodes what awaits me to come. I cannot wait. There is glory on this road, and by the gods is it beautiful. Just wait. You’ll hear about it.
To Conclude
2025 is off to a hell of a start. I’ve got work I’ve got to do, stuff I don’t want to do, and so much stuff I want to do and haven’t… but, it’s fine. Everything is fine.
All in all this last two weeks was something. Not a lot of watching, quite a bit of playing games, and a vague notion of what I wanted watch. Only in the last week has my mind really decided and settled on something and now that I’m already letting it consume me it really is time we keep going with it. Posts to come, I am sure. If the last two decades have said anything, no one has lacked for something to say in regards to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
So, I hope your holidays treated you well, however you spent them. Glad you’re checking in again in 2025, and with all the stuff to come (fingers crossed) I hope you stick with me.
Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you in two weeks.
In the meantime feel free to leave a comment or send me a DM on socials.
You can follow me on Instagram at: @thebomff or on Threads at: @thebomff
On to the next!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the images, narratives or characters present or referenced in this post. All rights belong to WB, ABC, Marvel, Critical Role and all other relevant parties.