Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 43

A3.06 Billy
This is an interesting episode looking at girl power in the face of male misogyny. I really liked that Cordy was the one to play the hero of sorts in this episode, she's a major member of the team, but rarely fights so it was good to see her saving the day, even if she isn't the one to directly do it. She does do it through Lilah with their brilliant scene together and its good to see Lilah come through, even if she, as she puts it, isn't a Lindsey.
The more chilling part of the episode is Wesley chasing Fred, who shows what she's made off here. But poor Wesley, bad things always happen to him. Just when he is considering acting on his feelings for Fred this happens. Ironically him so deeply questioning his 'manhood' is what makes him such a good man, but obviously he's far too tortured to see it.
As a villain, Billy is interesting, more so that he's partly human. He wasn't that creepy though, Alexis Denisof pulled off the creepy far better, which meant that Billy wasn't as scary as he perhaps should've been. (7.5/10)

B6.09 Smashed
This is a bit of an aimless episode in a way, though its probably best viewed as a two parter. It was nice to see Amy back and have her rat story finally solved. You can't blame her for wanting a little fun after 3 years as a rat but when did she get so powerful? Was she that powerful in high school?
As for Buffy and Spike, their storyline got a lot more interesting at the end with their awesome fight and *ahem* climactic end. It seems like a bit of a plot convenience that Spike can now hurt Buffy, but the pair had their best chemistry whilst fighting so it fits in with the overall story.
There wasn't much for Anya and Xander to do apart from comment on magic and I did like seeing Tara and Dawn spend some time together; it makes sense and is a great way to keep Tara in the show. (7.5/10)

B6.10 Wrecked
A lot of people don't like the magic as drug addiction metaphor, but personally I think it works, honestly I've found the past analogies for sex and drink the show has used much harder to buy. The addiction did come over very quickly though I guess its been coming since the season opener. Rack is a creepy guy and the scenes at his place were weird, but added to the dark nature of this episode. Willow high on magic towards the end of the episode was also weird to watch as its such a different Willow than we're used to knowing. Alyson Hannigan plays it brilliantly though as does Michelle Tratchenberg as the terrified teen.
Buffy and Spike were good to watch in this episode though they talked a little bit too much and it often went round in circles, making it a little repetitive. (8/10)

B6.11 Gone
This was a bit of a silly yet very fun episode. Buffy enjoyed herself being invisible and that came through in the episode. Buffy's hijinks when she was invisible were fun and brought some light hearted humour after the last two darker episodes. The trio are little annoying and ineffectual, but their first meeting with Buffy was funny to watch as she slowly realised who they all were and also this tied up the diamond stealing from two episodes ago.
I'm not sure if I entirely get why Dawn was so angry with Willow, it was really her fault, but it fit in with the story I guess. Xander and Anya again didn't have much at all to do, which is a bit of a shame. (8/10)


Also I just want to add RIP Andy Hallet whose one year anniversary was on the 29th March.

Mini Reviews- March 29th

Desperate Housewives- 6x09 Would I Think of Suicide
Not a bad episode and perhaps better than the last. Gabby/Carlos go to war with Lynette over her hiding her pregnancy. Since I like Carlos, I'm almost glad to see that it was Gabby holding his strings for most of the episode. Carlos had a right to be pissed but he was childish and I was on Lynette's side by the time he fired her.
Katherine's descent into crazy is a little tiresome now, especially since her Mike obsession is a little hard to understand (I mean he's no Nathan Fillion!). Her stabbing herself was very effective though.
Poor Danny Bolen or should I say Tyler? Its a hard on him that his dad got to Julie first, especially when it was obvious that Danny liked her. His suicide did mean we got some more details into the Bolens past, though I have to say I hope we don't get too many too soon as it that has spoiled many a mystery in DH.
Oh and I didn't buy Susan forgiving Bree so easily, Susan is very vindictive and likely to hold a grudge.
Note also was the dead waitress still of school age, Ana said she was friends with her, but the waitress seemed much older.

Brothers and Sisters- 4x11 A Bone to Pick
An endearing yet rushed episode. Ryan's treachery was revealed and no surprises but he was the only match for Kitty and he came through, despite the not very tactful way Nora asked/told him. Kitty's scenes were very sad especially with Evan; her recovery felt rushed though, its probably something that could've waited till the next episode. The side story of Kitty's affair with a famous Democrat was amusing and a bit silly but I liked the way in which in tied the story together and also gave us some sibling time. No comments on her adultery with a married man though, which is odd.

Greek- 3x19 The First Last
Its a shame that the show was only recently renewed as its obvious the show was fearing cancellation so tied up many loose ends in this episode before the characters go on Spring Break next week. The Blue Ribbon competition was nicely rounded off with ZBZ winning back their number one status, though I would've preferred to see another Green Week in the next chapter. Calvin and Grant inevitably broke up- there were hints of a possible Calvin and Heath reunion, which I would absolutely love! I was most excited by the KT's plans for revenge, can't wait for the finale now!

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 42

B6.05 Life Serial
Not a terrible episode surrounding the Trio. The tests they put upon Buffy were childish and yet quite ingenious, especially Jonathan's and at least they had the sense to know that Buffy would triumph through them all. Its almost nice to have a villain who isn't trying to actually kill Buffy.
The other main story thread was that of Buffy at work and trying to get her life in order. All the Scoobies helped out in this way and it was a nice way to have all of them involved as well as showing how aimless Buffy's life is right now. Buffy's time with Spike, in the crypt at least was probably the most entertaining; the pair relationship at this point in the show is actually very sweet and its easy to root for them here. Sadly this isn't the best episode the show has done and is mostly just filler before we move onto more important things in the next few episodes. (6.5/10)

A3.05 Fredless
Aw this was a sweet episode. I love that Fred's parents turned out to be nice normal people, who truly loved Fred and just wanted the best for her. Its not hugely common in the Buffyverse to have that, so it was a nice change of pace. Having the rest of the gang fall for the parents was really sweet as well.
The bug demons in the episode were a little queasy inducing but it was a good background for Fred to find herself and her place in the team.
I do wish however we'd had a little more from Lorne in this or a subsequent episode though, his anger at having his club trashed never fully gets going and it would've been good to have a little focus on Lorne. (8.5/10)

B6.06 All the Way
This was filler episode intended so the next episode could be shot and it shows. Its good to get a focus on Dawn and the first kiss guy turning out to be a vampire is a pretty standard Sunnydale story, in many ways it was a hark back to the high school days. Most of the hijinks with the teens however are a little tedious, especially with the old man. I did enjoy getting to see Giles get some fighting action and also in the parental role to Dawn; he does it so well. Whilst I do think Giles is being a little harsh on Buffy, trying to get her to stand on her own two feet, in this instance, Buffy would've been the perfect person to talk to Dawn as she's been through it herself.
The opening Halloween scenes and the engagement party are my favourite bits of the episode and one of my favourite parts of season 6. Its a rare moment of happiness before it all goes to hell. (7.5/10)

NOTE: I take a little detour from the episode order I'm following from here, as some of the episodes that should directly follow each other are broken up by episodes from the other show on the guide. I wanted to watch the story arcs without too many gaps or interruptions.

B6.07 Once More With Feeling
This is a hard episode to review, mostly because the songs are just so damn catchy I was singing along through the whole episode, no matter how much I tried not to! There are many reasons why this is regarded as one of the best Buffy episodes. The songs are one obviously, but the fact that its a musical episode doesn't mean the story part is forgotten. The episode is cleverly written so that every character has an issue that they either reveal or need to hear, which is laid bare in this episode. Some of the storylines were set up in the last episode- Xander's wedding fear, Tara's worry over Willow's magic use- but these are legitimate issues which are not resolved and continue to impact well into the rest of the season. Other issues such as Buffy returning from heaven and Spike's feelings for her are brought to a head in the episode though these also continue as storylines, making the episode more than just a ratings gimmick (I have to bit I squeeed a little when Buffy and Spike kiss at the end. The relationship sours later in the season but here its very sweet and very genuine). One of the things I noticed about the episode this time round was the production value of it, a lot of the scenes were obviously shot against a green screen and/or spliced together using computer magic, which makes the episode more impressive when you consider the work that was put into it before/during/after it was shot. (10/10)

B6.08 Tabula Rasa
Its very apt that this episode is called Tabula Rasa as the last episode lay out all the secrets open so this was effectively a new start for the gang. Of course there are even more secrets now, as I said in the last episode Buffy and Spike really work together at this point in the series and of course their chemistry is humming so them kissing again at the end of the episode is very satisfying.
Spike's debt collector's provide the monster story for the week but honestly they aren't that interesting and the shark demon is weird. The main part of the story of course comes from Willow's forgetting spell. I forgot how funny this part of the episode was; its hilarious to hear Spike/Buffy call each other Randy/Joan, Anya and Giles as the engaged, bickering couple is highly amusing, I adore Spike musing over helping the helpless (love that Angel reference) and Giles/Spike as the father/son combo? Laugh out loud funny. Its all ended (and begun for that matter) with heart wrenching leaving scenes which make the episode intensely powerful. (10/10)

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 41

B6.01/6.02 Bargaining Parts 1 and 2 (these two episodes were shown together on the DVD so I watched them as such. I would've preferred to watch the episodes separately so I have scored them separately)
Re-starting the show on a different network was always going to be hard for the show and mostly they pulled it off successfully. The first half of this two parter was a lot more interesting to watch however. The Scoobies cope the best the can both with filling in for Buffy on the vamp fighting department and with raising Dawn. Its easy to see that all the characters are a lot darker than when we last saw them, which makes complete sense and set up nicely for the season ahead. SMG excels as the Buffy- bot and lightens the episode, which is much needed. I especially like the parent day part.
Even though it was an actor decision, in the show it never made sense why Giles would want to leave Sunnydale. Sure he is spurred on by the Buffy-bot leading to a wonderfully emotional scene at the airport, but surely it would make more sense for him to stay and fill the gap left by Buffy, especially in Dawn's life. The Scoobies might be equipped to handle the slaying but raising a teenager as well? It would be hard even for Giles.
The spell the gang perform is suitably creepy and major league magic- it had to be considering the show has toyed with the issue of raising the dead before (Forever in season 5 and The Zeppo in season 3 spring to mind). The snake, creepy under the skin bugs and swirling red energy all add to the impact of the spell they are performing. Plus of course there's that memorable deer killing bit beforehand which really sets Willow down a path this season.
The second part of the episode once Buffy is raised is a little less interesting to watch. Whilst I understand the importance of it; Buffy couldn't just jump straight back into life, it can be a little boring watching her wander about aimlessly. Also the motorbike hellions are fairly run of the mill demons and can be a bit tiresome to watch. I do like that Dawn was the one to bring Buffy back to life so to speak. It shows Dawn's importance in the group, when she seemingly does very little most of the time and demonstrates the strong bond between the sisters. (Part 1= 8.5/10) (Part 2= 7.5/10)

B6.03 After Life
A nice topper to the previous episodes. We have more of Buffy utterly shell shocked, but she's at least a bit more coherent here and we get a heartfelt explanation for why she is so shell shocked. Her bonding with Spike is perhaps inevitable as he's really the only one in the show who can understand coming back to life The demon story is a fairly good one, its a lot more interesting when the spirit inhabits the Scoobies bodies as it gives all the actors a lot to play with. Buffy dispatches it very quickly though, which is always a sign that it is the lesser story here. (7.5/10)

A3.04 Carpe Noctem
Not a huge fan of this episode. Whilst David Boreanaz does a great job during the body swap, the old guy is creepy and kind of a perv. Its actions are kind of justifiable , it can't be easier getting older, but even when this old guy gets the chance to be young, he wastes it being a complete dog. The gang figured out what was happening fairly quickly as well, which meant the episode was very neatly resolved and swiftly too but not necessarily in the best way.
There are some merits to the episode; it deals with Fred's crush on Angel which could've become tiresome had it continued, and also there's that very hot scene between Lilah and fake Angel which perhaps resolved some of the sexual tension between the pair. (6.5/10)

B6.04 Flooded
Giles returning in this episode is one of my favourite moments of the whole season. The scene in which he sees Buffy alive for the first time is just so touching and their subsequent scenes together continue to work and be enjoyable. Giles is much needed in this episode to provide some stability for both Buffy, Dawn and the rest of the Scoobies. A highlight scene for me is when he tells Willow off. She needs some grounding as can plainly be seen when she tells him not to piss her off. The power dynamic has clearly shifted in their relationship and in makes for a fantastic scene between the pair.
Buffy's money issues are good to see in a way, as it makes the show very real and grounded. It is a little ironic of course that the very thing Buffy scorns at (charging people for saving them) is what Angel now does, especially as she rushes off to see him at the end of the episode.
The demon and (re)introduction of the Trio isn't that interesting, Buffy dispatches with M'Fashnik quiet easily the second time and the Trio don't have that much impact apart from getting a few new toys. (7.5/10)

Scubs Season 9

Scrubs- Season 9

As the show is likely to be cancelled in May and the last episode aired last week, I thought I'd do a little review of the rebooted season.

Overall season 9 wasn't bad at all, there was a lot of good stuff and real promise in the 13 episodes and I don't think bringing it back was a complete mistake, just that they made a lot of mistakes whilst doing it.

The biggest mistake they made was bringing back Zach Braff for 5 episodes, he had a perfect finale episode in season 8 and I don't feel we really needed to see his story continue here, especially once Elliot was brought back into the mix. Yes it was nice to know that his dreamed future of him and Elliot starting a family came true, but we could've done without. It was also a shame that JD was the man child of seasons 5-7, ie the character at his very worse during the very worse seasons of Scrubs.

Personally I think Donald Faison and John McGinley have enough acting and star power to carry the show as the returnees. I had to suspend my disbelief a little that the chiefs of the hospital and surgery spent so much time with a group of lowly med students but since they mostly interacted well (ie Cox calling the students murderers was a very funny recurring joke) I was happy to do that. Denise, the surprising star from last year's interns, was a welcome addition to the old returning cast and Eliza Coupe definitely helped to bring the funny to her character.

As for the new cast on the whole I liked them. Lucy was of course the weakest of the bunch which was a shame, but she became more enjoyable after they ditched most of the dream sequences. Cole was annoying but Dave Franco played the douche really well and he became a lot more likable as the show went on. Drew was the most endearing character, but I don't feel like we got to see enough of him. He was well partnered up with Denise, but it was a shame to have all the characters paired up a few episodes in, though that does seem to be creator Bill Lawrence's style (Turk and Carla were paired up in the first episode as was JD and Eliot for the most part).

The show was never really laugh out loud funny (though it did have its moments), but then for me Scrubs never really was. It was a dramedy and was successful when it found the balance between the funny and the sad moments. The season kind of felt like what season 8 was, a new cast of interns brought in to share the air time with the old cast and perhaps the season would've worked better had that been carried on rather than bring in the med students and restart again. It was a failed experiment, but by no means a bad one and the show at least tried something new which has to be commended. Ultimately the biggest mistake was that the show didn't go far enough in its changes. Had this been marketed as a spin-off and creatively been written so, with fewer returning characters to begin with and a change in style and tone, this show really could've succeeded; and for the new cast and crew, its a shame that it didn't.

Mini Reviews- March 22nd

Brothers and Sisters- 4x10 Nearlyweds
A lovely episode, if a little disappointing in places. The disappointment I'm referring to is the Nora/Simon storyline. The very first mention of money made the upcoming storyline very clear. Its such a cliche to have him run away with the money- is that all the writers could think of really?! I hope the story turns out to different to whats seeming to be happening.
Otherwise I enjoyed the episode as it had a wonderful family vibe to it. Loved seeing Tommy, Elizabeth and Julia back, especially nice to see Elizabeth. I loved seeing the youngest Walkers altogether for the first time I think at the end. Justin's break down was much needed considering how much he has going on, but I'm glad he came through. The pair should've postponed the wedding though, they showed they were not ready to go through with it.

Grey's Anatomy- 6x09 New History
Sadly Izzie returned to be a bitch to Alex, but at least Alex got some closure and she left after again after this episode.
There was a new arrival in the form of Teddy whom I'm glad was able to show a few things to Cristina who was being a bit of a know it all. I really enjoyed the lunch scene with all the attendings as it was a lot of fun.
Richards drinking problems cam to a head here. Adele accusing Richard of having an affair, especially with Bailey was kinda funny, but obviously lay at the heart of a much bigger issue.

Greek- 3x18 Camp Buy Me Love
Nice 80's themed episode for the show. I love the Ashleigh/Rusty pairing they work so well together and I'm glad he chose Dana at the end of it. Also liked that they hinted at a potential romance for Katherine. Also Evan took back his manhood; good for him, even though he had to hit Rusty to do it.
Casey is being way to pushy with Cappie and his parents showed that. I liked the conclusion she came to at the end as many (most) college relationships break up around the time of graduation, but I'd be surprised if they don't make it through somehow.

Desperate Housewives- 6x08 The Coffee Cup
A bit meh for me. The Angie/Bree/Orson storyline was the best, if contrived. Glad Angie protected both Orson and Bree (who is her boss) and bought Bree some time to make her decision.
Shame to see Carlos turning such a douche over Lynette's preganancy. Then again I would be pissed off too and Lynette was silly to keep that secret from him for so long, especially since they were friends so he might've given her a break.
The shock ending was shock-less for me since the TV guide spoiled it, but I think its too obvious to be Nick, even for DH.

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 40 (BtVS Season 6/Angel Season 3)

Start of Seasons 3/6! A couple of notes to start:

• I stupidly left of my scoring for seasons 5/s overall in the last Buffy/Angel blog. I have updated the post now with some justification added on, but for convenience the overall season scores were Angel: 8.5/10 and Buffy: 9/10.

• I took a small break before starting these seasons, for two reasons really. Firstly a lot of other TV shows started recently I and I found I was short on time to watch everything. Secondly, whilst I love Buffy and Angel I have been watching them non-stop for 6 months and it was a little bit of overkill! So I took a break of about a month. This now also means that I can post episode review blogs as I write them and not quite weeks after like I was doing during seasons 2/5.

As always spoilers ahead!

A3.01 Heartthrob
A fairly decent opener for the season. The writers faced the tricky task of having Angel dealing with Buffy's death but not mentioning her too much due to the restrictions placed on them by the now differing networks. It was very apt that Cordy would help Angel deal with Buffy's death the most seeing as she was the only one around for the Buffy/Angel saga so maybe understands what Angel is going through. It was nice to see that Angel has grown from hi puppy like crush of Buffy, in that he didn't fall apart when she died; his reaction to her death here is what makes Angel in his own show a much more likable character than he was in Buffy.
The flashback story of the other couple was somewhat interesting if only to see the other couple Darla and Angelus teamed up with before Drusilla and Spike, showing that like human couples, vamp couples also need a best friend couple! The present day part of the storyline was less interesting though.
Very little of Wes and Gunn in the episode, and some glimpses of Fred's crazies as she adjusts to life in LA. I loved the 'reappearance' of Dennis, Cordy's ghost. Their scene was actually very sweet, but also good in foreshadowing Cordy's future in terms of the visions. (7/10)

A3.02 That Vision Thing
A nice little episode re-introducing Wolfram and Hart, new and improved (?) as the big bad as well as focusing on Cordy's visions. The idea of Lilah's is a good one and one they have used before (To Shanshu in LA); attack the person Angel cares most about. Clearly this is Cordy now as his actions and concern for her showed. Cordy's little speech to Angel about her importance shows a great deal of growth of Cordy's part, the Cordy of old would never have put up with the agony and physical disfigurements she had to in this episode.
One thing I liked about the episode is that its part of the larger arc, the man Angel saves turns up a few episodes later, as does Skip. There is also some foreshadowing with regards to Gunn and Wes' attraction to Fred and Angel's to Cordy.
Also I liked the appearance of Skip here as he's pretty funny, learning more about Darla's pregnancy and mostly the whole gang working together (including Lorne and Fred this episode). (8/10)

A3.03 That Old Gang of Mine
I enjoyed this episode more than I have on past watchings and its a fairly decent episode for Gunn. For some reason, Gunn centric episodes always revolve around with Gunn being at odds with Angel as vamp, maybe to give the episode some friction. In a way this is an episode which should've happened a little sooner than it did, I'm surprised that Gunn's crew weren't more annoyed that he has got into business with a vampire and didn't shun him earlier. The hostage scene in Caritas goes on a little too long and gets very tiring as the crew make threats and don't actually follow through (which would've at least made things more interesting!)
As Wesley himself, the episode deals with the shades of grey we so often see in Angel. Gunn's crew were killing 'innocent' demons, when they themselves aren't squeaky clean. Gunn struggled with both sides of the coin- killing all demons or just the bad ones and in that way this episode is a good showcase for how he's feeling. However since Gunn's not a talker, we don't get enough exposition from him to really empathise.
Also Lorne is great in this episode using his talent to turn the tables, the Cordy and Fred stuff is nice; we don't get enough of that through the series, and Wesley is brilliant as the diplomatic yet stern leader. (7/10)

Flashback to the 80's- Brothers and Sisters

Had to post this link: SpoilerTV has promo pics from the 1980's segment of the upcoming Brothers and Sisters flashback episode.
I'm totally loving the 80's fashion, young Kitty and Sarah are sporting, plus how adorable is little Justin?!?
This is my favourite pic of them all (I'm pretty sure its all the young Walkers, the one in the cast might be another character judging by later photos, but I might be mistaken, it could be Tommy):

Apparently this two parter will reveal shocking secrets (?!) Not sure about that, but I;m excited about the flashbacks!