AOQ Review 4-12: "A New Man"
Arbitrar Of Quality
threads.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Season Four, Episode 12: "A New Man"
(or "Same as the old man")
Writer: Jane Espenson
Director: Michael Gershman
I can see why Buffy doesn't like surprise parties; even when no one
gets body parts as a gift, they come at the most inconvenient times.
At least she can take solace in the fact that fewer things are going
wrong on her birthday every year; if this keeps up, she can expect to
have a totally supernatural-free day in 2013. Her reaction has the
right level of annoyance and the right level of understanding that
people are trying to do something nice. The party scene also has that
amusing bit with Xander's continued attempts to train Anya in the
ways of basic human behavior.
I was excited to see Robin Sachs credited in this one, since I liked
Ethan so much back in "The Dark Age." Soon thereafter, it's no
surprise that it turns into a Giles episode. I don't know if any
episode since TDA has gotten quite as much effective use out of Mr.
Rayne, though; this one reminds me of Espenson's last episode to
feature him, "Band Candy." You've got Ethan creating chaos, and
you've got Giles having some type of identity crisis and some type of
corresponding transformation. ANM doesn't go for the big jokes as
often as BC did, and has some nice little character bits, but has the
same feeling pervading it of being more silly than it needs to be, and
not saying a whole lot.
One thing that the episode does nicely is to portray how these kinds of
abandonment issues can arise through simple misunderstanding. The
situation in which Buffy just never got around to telling Giles about
the Initiative is the sort of thing that just happens, sometimes. No
malevolence or even obliviousness involved, just kinda assuming that
Giles knows what we know. Same with Buffy suggesting he meets Walsh;
you'd think an adult professor friend would be good for Giles. Too
bad Buffy forgets that she's pretty much a bitch, and that her
psychoanalytic ways will lead her to say things that Rupert will take
personally.
Ethan's initial appearance is a great TIRSBILA moment, as he goes
into his villain speech just a little too soon. And as much as Giles
wants to kick his ass, they do have just enough camaraderie as the
dying old guard of sorcerers in a technological world that it didn't
strike me as too absurd to see them drinking together. "We used to
be friends, Ripper. When did that all fall apart?" "The same time
you started to worship chaos." "Oh, religious intolerance! Sad,
there."
Both Rupert and Ethan find the Initiative disturbing even when they
can't be clearly said to be doing anything "wrong." Such vibes
are sure to continue as Buffy inevitably finds herself butting heads
with Riley's group sometime later in the year (or at least, I can't
imagine that not happening. Not sure which side Riley himself would
choose yet). Jumping ahead to the last scene, seems that Giles is
making his misgivings known, but is reluctant to tell Buffy how to run
her personal life, unless the situation worsens. He's a pretty
positive male role model.
In our other ongoing plotlines, Buffy and Riley spend a good part of
the episode working out their boundaries and comfort levels. Nothing
too exciting here (hey, it's Riley), but I kinda like watching him
trying to figure out what to make of a 5'2 blonde who can throw him
around the room. For most guys, such things take some getting used to,
but he seems to be holding up pretty well.
Spike moving out of Xander's place is a great little scene,
especially for Brendon's work doing "exasperated." "A gift is
traditional. I've read about it." "That's among friends.
With bitter enemies, we don't give them *my* lamp."
I like how the seemingly irrelevant Willow/Tara sequence ends up tying
into the rest of the story. Good moments in the subsequent lunch
conversation with Buffy include Willow matter-of-factly explaining
what's bothering Giles, Buffy being appropriately shocked that he's
ended up so out of the loop, and "oh yeah, I forgot that's what you
always do on the days when the earth rotates." No comment yet on a
certain lie of omission on Willow's part during that scene.
And of course, Ripper wakes up as a demon midway through the episode.
Um... okay, then. What a stupid premise. Things don't go too far off
track since he's very Giles in his reactions, with the increasing
frustrations as things go wrong, trying all the logical avenues like
the phone. But at least he can still talk and be sarcastic, right, so
he can go for help? Then he has to piece together the fact that
Whedonspeak doesn't translate very well into Fyarl. The decision to
not tell Buffy what's going on, on the other hand, is just stupid of
him, but he wasn't thinking very clearly about that topic to begin
with.
The resolution is decent enough. Two of the heroes fighting each
other, one of whom is just trying to defend himself while
communicating. The audience is naturally inclined here to yell
"stop! It's Giles, you moron." So it's good that ANM shows us
pretty well that Buffy et al can't really be expected to know
what's going on. Buffy seeing the truth in his eyes is a little
overdone, but I still kinda liked it (and the fact that it came too
late to actually help). Anyway, things work out all tidily, and Ethan
pays the price for his need to stick around and gloat.
This Is Really Stupid But I Laughed Anyway moment(s):
- "Turns out, I suddenly find myself needing to know the plural of
'apocalypse.'" [Actually, that one's not so stupid, but it
made me smile.]
- "If you can't find third gear, don't try for third gear!"
I wonder if the demons are afraid the Initiative will make them think
obsessively about math? (I'm enough of a geek that the number 314 is
inextricably linked with p.)
Anything I didn't mention I probably don't care about. I honestly
don't have anything else to say. Seems like a pretty straightforward
episode.
So...
One-sentence summary: Has its moments.
AOQ rating: Decent
[Season Four so far:
1) "The Freshman" - Good
2) "Living Conditions" - Decent
3) "The Harsh Light Of Day" - Good
4) "Fear Itself" - Decent
5) "Beer Bad" - Weak
6) "Wild At Heart" - Excellent
7) "The Initiative" - Decent
8) "Pangs" - Good
9) "Something Blue" - Good
10) "Hush" - Good
11) "Doomed" - Weak
12) "A New Man" - Decent]
eli...@gmail.com
my favourite bits, along with Spike urging Giles to fight.
Having recently watched 'The Dark Age', I have to say that Giles does
his very best to keep Buffy out of the loop there also. I guess parents
generally don't like to let their children know when they've done
something stupid.
mariposas rand mair fheal greykitten tomys des anges
> imagine that not happening. Not sure which side Riley himself would
> choose yet). Jumping ahead to the last scene, seems that Giles is
can you have any doubts where captain vanillas real loyalty lies?
> making his misgivings known, but is reluctant to tell Buffy how to run
> her personal life, unless the situation worsens. He's a pretty
> positive male role model.
giles is in a difficult position which walsh attacks him on
he is a father figure to buffy but he lacks the right to discipline as a father
she comes to for father comfort
but if he thinks shes doing something wrong
all he can do is try to persuade
arf meow arf - nsa fodder
al qaeda terrorism nuclear bomb iran taliban big brother
if you meet buddha on the usenet killfile him
Horace LaBadie
"Arbitrar Of Quality" <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
> Anything I didn't mention I probably don't care about.
Like Giles' speech about refusing to yield to his demonic urges,
followed immediately with a yell for Spike to stop the car so that he
can put a scare into Walsh?
Or that most significant event in the episode, the demise of the Citroen?
HWL
Michael Ikeda
news:1146831090....@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:
> A reminder: Please avoid spoilers for later episodes in these
> review threads.
>
>
> BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
> Season Four, Episode 12: "A New Man"
> (or "Same as the old man")
> Writer: Jane Espenson
> Director: Michael Gershman
>
> This Is Really Stupid But I Laughed Anyway moment(s):
> - "Turns out, I suddenly find myself needing to know the plural
> of 'apocalypse.'" [Actually, that one's not so stupid, but it
> made me smile.]
Giles: Yes. Fabulous technology. See, if anyone has information I
need to know, they can, uh, simply tell me about it. (lifts the
handpiece) Through this ingenious speaking tube. I'm very excited.
(Again, not stupid, but I thought it was neat.)
--
Michael Ikeda mmi...@erols.com
"Telling a statistician not to use sampling is like telling an
astronomer they can't say there is a moon and stars"
Lynne Billard, past president American Statistical Association
George W Harris
<tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
:I like how the seemingly irrelevant Willow/Tara sequence ends up tying
:into the rest of the story.
What does a rose usually symbolize? What
would their spell signify?
:This Is Really Stupid But I Laughed Anyway moment(s):
"Why would a demon steal a car?"
"Why would a demon steal *that* car?"
--
"If you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce, they taste more like
prunes than rhubarb does" -Groucho Marx
George W. Harris For actual email address, replace each 'u' with an 'i'
mariposas rand mair fheal greykitten tomys des anges
George W Harris <gha...@mundsprung.com> wrote:
> On 5 May 2006 05:11:30 -0700, "Arbitrar Of Quality"
> <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
>
> :I like how the seemingly irrelevant Willow/Tara sequence ends up tying
> :into the rest of the story.
>
> What does a rose usually symbolize? What
> would their spell signify?
dont they traditionaly symbolize jesuss blood from the scourging?
is this whedons comment on willows abandoning her faith for wicca?
eli...@gmail.com
fgenvtugsbejneq ybir flzoby.
George W Harris
:>is this whedons comment on willows abandoning her faith for wicca?
:Well Willow is Jewish, so I guess not. V'q tb jvgu gur ebfr nf whfg n
:fgenvtugsbejneq ybir flzoby.
Vg'f fbzrguvat n ybg zber rkcyvpvg guna gung.
--
They say there's air in your lungs that's been there for years.
George W. Harris For actual email address, replace each 'u' with an 'i'.
Rowan Hawthorn
> On 5 May 2006 08:43:05 -0700, eli...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> :>is this whedons comment on willows abandoning her faith for wicca?
> :Well Willow is Jewish, so I guess not. V'q tb jvgu gur ebfr nf whfg n
> :fgenvtugsbejneq ybir flzoby.
>
> Vg'f fbzrguvat n ybg zber rkcyvpvg guna gung.
Zzzzz, Jvyybj/Gnen crgnyf...
--
Rowan Hawthorn
"Occasionally, I'm callous and strange." - Willow Rosenberg,
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
mariposas rand mair fheal greykitten tomys des anges
George W Harris <gha...@mundsprung.com> wrote:
> On 5 May 2006 08:43:05 -0700, eli...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> :>is this whedons comment on willows abandoning her faith for wicca?
> :Well Willow is Jewish, so I guess not. V'q tb jvgu gur ebfr nf whfg n
> :fgenvtugsbejneq ybir flzoby.
>
> Vg'f fbzrguvat n ybg zber rkcyvpvg guna gung.
sometimes a cigar is not just a cigar
William George Ferguson
<gha...@mundsprung.com> wrote:
>On 5 May 2006 05:11:30 -0700, "Arbitrar Of Quality"
><tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
>
>:I like how the seemingly irrelevant Willow/Tara sequence ends up tying
>:into the rest of the story.
>
> What does a rose usually symbolize? What
>would their spell signify?
What is beneath the text and can be cut with a knife in this scene?
--
HERBERT
1996 - 1997
Beloved Mascot
Delightful Meal
He fed the Pack
A little
William George Ferguson
tomys des anges <mair_...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>In article <gnlm52tt2fn890hml...@4ax.com>,
> George W Harris <gha...@mundsprung.com> wrote:
>
>> On 5 May 2006 05:11:30 -0700, "Arbitrar Of Quality"
>> <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> :I like how the seemingly irrelevant Willow/Tara sequence ends up tying
>> :into the rest of the story.
>>
>> What does a rose usually symbolize? What
>> would their spell signify?
>
>dont they traditionaly symbolize jesuss blood from the scourging?
>is this whedons comment on willows abandoning her faith for wicca?
Since her faith is Judaism, why would a Christian symbol represent that?
William George Ferguson
>A reminder: Please avoid spoilers for later episodes in these review
>threads.
>Ethan's initial appearance is a great TIRSBILA moment, as he goes
>into his villain speech just a little too soon.
I started calling it 'Bwahaha-interruptus' about here (see Spike's 'The Big
Bad's back in [ZAP]')
>This Is Really Stupid But I Laughed Anyway moment(s):
>- "Turns out, I suddenly find myself needing to know the plural of
>'apocalypse.'" [Actually, that one's not so stupid, but it
>made me smile.]
That one has pretty much passed into the language.
eli...@gmail.com
George W Harris
<wmgf...@newsguy.com> wrote:
:On Fri, 05 May 2006 09:46:53 -0400, George W Harris
:<gha...@mundsprung.com> wrote:
:
:>On 5 May 2006 05:11:30 -0700, "Arbitrar Of Quality"
:><tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
:>
:>:I like how the seemingly irrelevant Willow/Tara sequence ends up tying
:>:into the rest of the story.
:>
:> What does a rose usually symbolize? What
:>would their spell signify?
:
:What is beneath the text and can be cut with a knife in this scene?
What is the link between Marion Davies and
"Citizen Kane"'s MacGuffin?
--
"The truths of mathematics describe a bright and clear universe,
exquisite and beautiful in its structure, in comparison with
which the physical world is turbid and confused."
-Eulogy for G.H.Hardy
Stephen Tempest
>Ba 5 Znl 2006 05:11:30 -0700, "Neovgene Bs Dhnyvgl"
><gfz...@jvyqznvy.pbz> jebgr:
>
>:V yvxr ubj gur frrzvatyl veeryrinag Jvyybj/Gnen frdhrapr raqf hc glvat
>:vagb gur erfg bs gur fgbel.
>
> Jung qbrf n ebfr hfhnyyl flzobyvmr? Jung
>jbhyq gurve fcryy fvtavsl?
>
>:Guvf Vf Ernyyl Fghcvq Ohg V Ynhturq Naljnl zbzrag(f):
>
> "Jul jbhyq n qrzba fgrny n pne?"
>
> "Jul jbhyq n qrzba fgrny *gung* pne?"
>
*Fvtu* V jnf ubcvat gb frr vs NbD jbhyq svther bhg jung jnf tbvat ba
jvgu Jvyybj ol uvzfrys, fvapr ur'f abg zragvbarq vg uvzfrys naq
nccneragyl n ybg bs crbcyr zvffrq nyy gur yrfovna fhogrkg jura guvf
frnfba svefg nverq. (Juvpu crefbanyyl V jnf fubpxrq ol, fvapr vg nyy
frrzrq cerggl boivbhf gb zr, ohg naljnl...)
Ohg vg frrzf fbzr crbcyr pna'g erfvfg gur uvagf naq fcbvyref. Nu
jryy.
Xhqbf gb znevcbfnf sbe gur nggrzcg ng erqverpgvba, naljnl.
Stephen
Rowan Hawthorn
Url - ng yrnfg V EBG-13q *zvar*...
Kevin
Arbitrar Of Quality wrote:
> it turns into a Giles episode. I don't know if any
> episode since TDA has gotten quite as much effective use out of Mr.
> Rayne, though; this one reminds me of Espenson's last episode to
> feature him, "Band Candy."
I think each subsequent appearance of Ethan is less interesting and
less necessary than the last. I thought he was fantastic originally in
Halloween, and great in TDA.
A New Man is the kind of funny that doesn't hold up terribly well on
multiple viewings; when I first saw it, though, it had me rolling more
than anything else in Season 4 (even Something Blue). That
cliche-stomping act break, with Giles interrupting Ethan's evil
soliloquy, is a Jane Espenson bit if ever there was one. MonsterGiles
& Spike in the car, and Drunk Giles, were worth the price of admission
too. But the Plot? Not so great, just like Band Candy. Humor OFV
gets an A from me, though (just like Band Candy).
--Kevin
Don Sample
"Arbitrar Of Quality" <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
> A reminder: Please avoid spoilers for later episodes in these review
> threads.
>
>
> BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
> Season Four, Episode 12: "A New Man"
> (or "Same as the old man")
> Writer: Jane Espenson
> Director: Michael Gershman
> This Is Really Stupid But I Laughed Anyway moment(s):
Buffy trying to pretend to be impressed by Riley's "killed or captured"
count. Since I think Riley was counting hostiles killed or captured by
him and his team, using the same rules, Willow's probably got a higher
score by now.
--
Quando omni flunkus moritati
Visit the Buffy Body Count at <http://homepage.mac.com/dsample/>
vague disclaimer
George W Harris <gha...@mundsprung.com> wrote:
> On Fri, 05 May 2006 10:04:18 -0700, William George Ferguson
> <wmgf...@newsguy.com> wrote:
>
> :On Fri, 05 May 2006 09:46:53 -0400, George W Harris
> :<gha...@mundsprung.com> wrote:
> :
> :>On 5 May 2006 05:11:30 -0700, "Arbitrar Of Quality"
> :><tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
> :>
> :>:I like how the seemingly irrelevant Willow/Tara sequence ends up tying
> :>:into the rest of the story.
> :>
> :> What does a rose usually symbolize? What
> :>would their spell signify?
> :
> :What is beneath the text and can be cut with a knife in this scene?
>
> What is the link between Marion Davies and
> "Citizen Kane"'s MacGuffin?
Naq jura qbrf n ahqtr-ahqtr-jvax-jvax uvag orpbzr n fcbvyre.
--
A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend
One Bit Shy
> amusing bit with Xander's continued attempts to train Anya in the
> ways of basic human behavior.
I guess Giles has regaled Anya before with tales of treacle and
headmasters. I wonder what those pranks may have been.
I like how Anya beams with pride when she politely apologizes for her
behavior. And it's really a stitch that Xander, of all people, is
playing Professor Higgins to Anya's Eliza.
> One thing that the episode does nicely is to portray how these kinds of
> abandonment issues can arise through simple misunderstanding. The
> situation in which Buffy just never got around to telling Giles about
> the Initiative is the sort of thing that just happens, sometimes. No
> malevolence or even obliviousness involved, just kinda assuming that
> Giles knows what we know.
No malevolence. I'm not so sure about no obliviousness. Perhaps more
to the point is that informing Giles isn't a priority - which Giles
would expect.
> Same with Buffy suggesting he meets Walsh;
> you'd think an adult professor friend would be good for Giles. Too
> bad Buffy forgets that she's pretty much a bitch, and that her
> psychoanalytic ways will lead her to say things that Rupert will take
> personally.
Take personally for good reason I think. Giles wasn't entirely artful
in his approach, but Maggie's reaction is brutal.
Walsh: And if it's true about hiking, ergo, it must be true about life.
That particular line is a debating trick I've encountered a few too
many times and is very successful here at getting me to curse that
witch.
Giles is blind sided here and pretty much trounced, but he does get in
one good wry comeback that I like a lot. "How wrong of me to choose my
own words."
Be that as it may, I think the interesting thing in this scene is
Maggie asserting authority over Buffy. It could be debated whether we
hear the reflexive remarks of bitch professor or if this is a
deliberate attempt to undermine Giles' role with Buffy. Either way, it
suggests Maggie's desire to control Buffy.
After all, Maggie had just heard Buffy relate her amazing tales of
super hero demon fighting. And presumably that would challenge
Maggie's own self image of powerful weilder of the Initiative forces.
> Ethan's initial appearance is a great TIRSBILA moment, as he goes
> into his villain speech just a little too soon.
And why exactly was Ethan in the crypt at that moment? The setup seems
a bit fuzzy to me.
> In our other ongoing plotlines, Buffy and Riley spend a good part of
> the episode working out their boundaries and comfort levels. Nothing
> too exciting here (hey, it's Riley), but I kinda like watching him
> trying to figure out what to make of a 5'2 blonde who can throw him
> around the room. For most guys, such things take some getting used to,
> but he seems to be holding up pretty well.
In this episode Riley is learning how cool the Slayer is. (And we
learn that Riley has keys to all the stores.) He also learns that
invoking Initiative authority doesn't stop Buffy from acting as she
chooses. Maggie learns all the same things. Somehow she doesn't seem
quite as excited and turned on by it.
> Spike moving out of Xander's place is a great little scene,
> especially for Brendon's work doing "exasperated." "A gift is
> traditional. I've read about it." "That's among friends.
> With bitter enemies, we don't give them *my* lamp."
Poor Anya. She was so pleased that she was doing the "human" thing,
but got shot down. It must have been so much easier as a vengeance
demon.
> I like how the seemingly irrelevant Willow/Tara sequence ends up tying
> into the rest of the story. Good moments in the subsequent lunch
> conversation with Buffy include Willow matter-of-factly explaining
> what's bothering Giles, Buffy being appropriately shocked that he's
> ended up so out of the loop, and "oh yeah, I forgot that's what you
> always do on the days when the earth rotates." No comment yet on a
> certain lie of omission on Willow's part during that scene.
Lie of omission? She flat out lied.
I thought it was kind of interesting that Willow's spell went wrong -
again - but this time not because of anything she did. One might take
that a couple ways.
> Anything I didn't mention I probably don't care about. I honestly
> don't have anything else to say. Seems like a pretty straightforward
> episode.
>
>
> So...
>
> One-sentence summary: Has its moments.
>
> AOQ rating: Decent
I don't think it's a terribly complex episode. It advances the
Initiative story line one step - mainly by revealing more about Buffy
to Riley and Maggie. But also by suggesting something hidden is going
on in the Initiative. (The closing scene with Maggie confirms that
Ethan was telling the truth about something.) And by showing that
Maggie wants to control Buffy - which (along with the boyfriend thing)
is having enough effect to at least distract Buffy from keeping Giles
in the loop.
mmm. Spike is moving out on his own again. (And Anya is the one quick
witted enough to think of the problem keeping blood fresh.)
I thought Giles was a very funny demon. The highlight of the episode
was probably chasing Maggie - though I rather liked his fishwife remark
too - and the crash of the Citroen - and watching them manhandle Ethan
- and paralyzing mucous (pretty good in a fight)...
And Willow and Tara floated a rose. Then Willow lied about it.
Fun episode to my mind. Nothing earth shattering about it, but I had a
good time with it and would rate it Good.
OBS
KenM47
>A reminder: Please avoid spoilers for later episodes in these review
>threads.
>
>
>BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
>Season Four, Episode 12: "A New Man"
>(or "Same as the old man")
>Writer: Jane Espenson
>Director: Michael Gershman
>
<SNIP>
>
>One-sentence summary: Has its moments.
>
>AOQ rating: Decent
>
IMO, more than moments. Some funny stuff and a lot of season arc
moving right along.
Knowing what's to come, the highs and the lows, makes it difficult to
comment further.
Just to repeat what others have noted. Emma Caulfield had a marvelous
knack of comic timing and expressions. What a find she was!
I'll go with Good.
Ken (Brooklyn)
William George Ferguson
>In article <1146831090....@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,
> "Arbitrar Of Quality" <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
>
>> A reminder: Please avoid spoilers for later episodes in these review
>> threads.
>>
>>
>> BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
>> Season Four, Episode 12: "A New Man"
>> (or "Same as the old man")
>> Writer: Jane Espenson
>> Director: Michael Gershman
>
>> This Is Really Stupid But I Laughed Anyway moment(s):
>
>Buffy trying to pretend to be impressed by Riley's "killed or captured"
>count. Since I think Riley was counting hostiles killed or captured by
>him and his team, using the same rules, Willow's probably got a higher
>score by now.
I loved the unspoken joke, where Walsh is bragging on Riley's dozen or so
'killed or captured' and then asks Buffy how many HSTs she has (break to
commercial).
I think we had agreed back in the day that her kill count by this time was
already well into triple digits.
William George Ferguson
NbD qvq cvpx hc ba vg, nygubhtu abg arprffnevyl gung gur svefg guerr
yrggref bs fhogrkg ner tbvat gb tb njnl (va nobhg sbhe rcvfbqrf). Uvf
yvggyr zragvba gung ur'f erfreivat pbzzrag ba Jvyybj abg zragvbavat Gnen gb
Ohssl vf cerggl zhpu na npxabjyrqtrzrag bs njnerarff.
Nyfb, pbzzragvat ba gur cerfrapr bs gur (oyngnag) fhogrkg qbrfa'g orpbzr n
fcbvyre hagvy fbzrbar cbvagf bhg gung vg'f n fcbvyre, nyjnl n ceboyrz jvgu
guvf fbeg bs guvat. Gur snpg gung gur fhogrkg rkvfgf naq vf orvat cynlrq
jvgu ol gur jevgref orpnzr boivbhf jvgu guvf rc (n ybg bs hf fnj vg va
Uhfu), jurgure be abg nal guvat pnzr bs vg va gur shgher.
Don Sample
William George Ferguson <wmgf...@newsguy.com> wrote:
Buffy's kill count is into the triple digits by this point, just
counting the ones we've seen. (One of these days I really ought to do a
breakdown by *who* did the killing, but by the end of season three we
had seen 155 vampires and demons killed, most of whom were killed by
Buffy.)
vague disclaimer
Don Sample <dsa...@synapse.net> wrote:
And the summer after season 3 was 'very slay-heavy'.
Plus there's the whole apocalypse prevention rate.
vmac...@yahoo.com
Citroen? -
At least it died on the job.
There was an unused scene along the lines of Spike leaving the crash
saying to himself "I can fight demons, I can wreck cars...things are
looking up!" - wish they'd put it in; they really left things up in the
air there.
VMacek
"Please continue your story! ...hopefully it involves treacle and the
headmaster."
DysgraphicProgrammer
Well, the apocalypse prevention rate is by definition 100%. If it
wasn't, no one would be around to measure it.
George W Harris
<l64o...@dea.spamcon.org> wrote:
:Naq jura qbrf n ahqtr-ahqtr-jvax-jvax uvag orpbzr n fcbvyre.
Jura fbzrbar fghcvqyl sbetrgf gb ebg13.
Q'bu! Fgbbcvq svatref.
--
"I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar." -Wash, 'Serenity'
chr...@removethistoreply.gwu.edu
> A reminder: Please avoid spoilers for later episodes in these review
> threads.
>
>
> BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
> Season Four, Episode 12: "A New Man"
> (or "Same as the old man")
> Writer: Jane Espenson
> Director: Michael Gershman
Just a couple of brief comments:
> One thing that the episode does nicely is to portray how these kinds of
> abandonment issues can arise through simple misunderstanding. The
> situation in which Buffy just never got around to telling Giles about
> the Initiative is the sort of thing that just happens, sometimes. No
> malevolence or even obliviousness involved, just kinda assuming that
> Giles knows what we know.
It wasn't malevolence, of course, but I think she *was* being oblivious.
Buffy isn't giving Giles as big a place in her life as she used to.
Forgetting to tell Giles about Riley and the Initiative was an honest
mistake, but a pretty damn big one, given how long Giles had been worrying
about the mysterious commandos. It could only have happened if Buffy had
pushed Giles back to the less-frequently-accessed parts of her mind.
Giles' feelings of abandonment have some real basis. Buffy hasn't
abandoned him, but they aren't as close as they used to be.
Giles' feelings of abandonment and inadequacy in A New Man are sort of
parallel to Xander and Willow's feelings in Doomed. They aren't exactly
the same -- Giles emphasizes abandonment, while W and X lean more towards
inadequacy, and their feelings were helped to the surface by Spike's
prodding -- but the similarities are there. In both cases their
relationships with Buffy have become less than perfectly healthy. And now
Buffy has a new boyfriend, so the group dynamic may change even more.
(I didn't get around to posting in the Doomed thread, but I'll take this
opportunity to say that Doomed was by no means worse than Beer Bad!
Geez, you people.)
> Same with Buffy suggesting he meets Walsh;
> you'd think an adult professor friend would be good for Giles. Too
> bad Buffy forgets that she's pretty much a bitch, and that her
> psychoanalytic ways will lead her to say things that Rupert will take
> personally.
And Giles probably considers psychoanalysis a pseudoscience anyway. I
liked Buffy's unconsciously cruel line about Walsh to Giles: "She's
absolutely the smartest person I've ever met." And then, why she's not at
the party: "She's, like, forty. She's got better things to do than hang
out with a bunch of kids."
> In our other ongoing plotlines, Buffy and Riley spend a good part of
> the episode working out their boundaries and comfort levels. Nothing
> too exciting here (hey, it's Riley), but I kinda like watching him
> trying to figure out what to make of a 5'2 blonde who can throw him
> around the room.
Riley shows a bit more emotional range here, with the eager grin as they
start to spar and the disconcerted (and pained look) after she kicks him
into the wall.
> This Is Really Stupid But I Laughed Anyway moment(s):
How about
"Is this thing real silver?"
and
"Uh, oh, you have 'but' face."
And I'm looking forward to quoting Giles the next time someone at work
asks me how I feel: "Like snapping necks until everyone's dead."
--Chris
______________________________________________________________________
chrisg [at] gwu.edu On the Internet, nobody knows I'm a dog.
Apteryx
news:1146831090....@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>A reminder: Please avoid spoilers for later episodes in these review
> threads.
>
> abandonment issues can arise through simple misunderstanding. The
> situation in which Buffy just never got around to telling Giles about
> the Initiative is the sort of thing that just happens, sometimes. No
> malevolence or even obliviousness involved, just kinda assuming that
> you'd think an adult professor friend would be good for Giles. Too
> bad Buffy forgets that she's pretty much a bitch, and that her
> psychoanalytic ways will lead her to say things that Rupert will take
> personally.
It's the kind of thing that's obvious with hindsight that Giles and Walsh
would not get on. At this stage, they both want to be Buffy's older guiding
hand.
> Ethan's initial appearance is a great TIRSBILA moment, as he goes
> into his villain speech just a little too soon. And as much as Giles
> wants to kick his ass, they do have just enough camaraderie as the
> dying old guard of sorcerers in a technological world that it didn't
> strike me as too absurd to see them drinking together.
Even though kicking his ass would have been more fun for Giles :)
> Spike moving out of Xander's place is a great little scene,
> especially for Brendon's work doing "exasperated." "A gift is
> traditional. I've read about it." "That's among friends.
> With bitter enemies, we don't give them *my* lamp."
Anya is slowly getting the hang of it. But it's such hard work :)
> I like how the seemingly irrelevant Willow/Tara sequence ends up tying
> into the rest of the story. Good moments in the subsequent lunch
> conversation with Buffy include Willow matter-of-factly explaining
> what's bothering Giles, Buffy being appropriately shocked that he's
> ended up so out of the loop, and "oh yeah, I forgot that's what you
> always do on the days when the earth rotates." No comment yet on a
> certain lie of omission on Willow's part during that scene.
Omission?
> And of course, Ripper wakes up as a demon midway through the episode.
> Um... okay, then. What a stupid premise. Things don't go too far off
> track since he's very Giles in his reactions, with the increasing
> frustrations as things go wrong, trying all the logical avenues like
> the phone. But at least he can still talk and be sarcastic, right, so
> he can go for help? Then he has to piece together the fact that
> Whedonspeak doesn't translate very well into Fyarl. The decision to
> not tell Buffy what's going on, on the other hand, is just stupid of
> him, but he wasn't thinking very clearly about that topic to begin
> with.
I'm sure a better metaphor for the fact that he is being ignored would be
making him invisible (but been there, done that) or an insignificant
insect - "Help me! Help me!" (but I guess their SFX budget didn't run that
far). At least Buffy and the gang can't hear what he has to say. Except
Spike, who always seems to to understand when others don't. But would Spike,
being evil as he reminds us, really prefer having a couple of hundred
dollars over the chance to kill Giles? It's possible of course that once he
knows its Giles, the chip would prevent him, but he doesn't even test that
theory.
>
> Anything I didn't mention I probably don't care about. I honestly
> don't have anything else to say. Seems like a pretty straightforward
> episode.
>
>
> So...
>
> One-sentence summary: Has its moments.
>
> AOQ rating: Decent
Pretty much. It's fun, it advances the story. But it doesn't really grab me.
For me, its the 92nd best BtVS episode, 15th best in Season 4
--
Apteryx
Mel
Don Sample wrote:
> In article <1146831090....@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,
> "Arbitrar Of Quality" <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>>A reminder: Please avoid spoilers for later episodes in these review
>>threads.
>>
>>
>>BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
>>Season Four, Episode 12: "A New Man"
>>(or "Same as the old man")
>>Writer: Jane Espenson
>>Director: Michael Gershman
>
>
>>This Is Really Stupid But I Laughed Anyway moment(s):
>
>
> Buffy trying to pretend to be impressed by Riley's "killed or captured"
> count. Since I think Riley was counting hostiles killed or captured by
> him and his team, using the same rules, Willow's probably got a higher
> score by now.
>
Hmmm, I thought it was more she was trying not to laugh at them for
being so impressed with such a small number.
Mel
Arbitrar Of Quality
> (I didn't get around to posting in the Doomed thread, but I'll take this
> opportunity to say that Doomed was by no means worse than Beer Bad!
> Geez, you people.)
At least "Beer Bad" knew its place.
> "Uh, oh, you have 'but' face."
Ah, yeah, forgot about that one.
-AOQ
Stephen Tempest
>I wonder if the demons are afraid the Initiative will make them think
>obsessively about math? (I'm enough of a geek that the number 314 is
>inextricably linked with p.)
Incidentally, have you noticed what the number of Buffy and Willow's
dorm room is?
Stephen
Mel
Stephen Tempest wrote:
Umm, 214?
Mel
Don Sample
Stephen Tempest <ste...@stempest.demon.co.uk> wrote:
It's 214.
mariposas rand mair fheal greykitten tomys des anges
Don Sample <dsa...@synapse.net> wrote:
> In article <dqun52lrtng2laqa2...@4ax.com>,
> Stephen Tempest <ste...@stempest.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> > "Arbitrar Of Quality" <tsm...@wildmail.com> writes:
> >
> > >I wonder if the demons are afraid the Initiative will make them think
> > >obsessively about math? (I'm enough of a geek that the number 314 is
> > >inextricably linked with p.)
> >
> > Incidentally, have you noticed what the number of Buffy and Willow's
> > dorm room is?
> >
> > Stephen
>
> It's 214.
is that room in 1984?
arf meow arf - nsa fodder
al qaeda terrorism nuclear bomb iran taliban big brother
if you meet buddha on the usenet killfile him
Eric Hunter
> Don Sample <dsa...@synapse.net> wrote:
>> Stephen Tempest <ste...@stempest.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>> "Arbitrar Of Quality" <tsm...@wildmail.com> writes:
>>>
>>>> I wonder if the demons are afraid the Initiative will make them
>>>> think obsessively about math? (I'm enough of a geek that the
>>>> number 314 is inextricably linked with p.)
>>>
>>> Incidentally, have you noticed what the number of Buffy and
>>> Willow's dorm room is?
>>
>
> is that room in 1984?
No, that's room 101.
http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/1984/22/
Eric.
--