Out - for - a - walk - - bitch
Wednesday 20 June 2007 – 21:35No Place Like Home (Doug Petrie)
No Giles, you can’t hide from it: they are wearing those outfits.
I try not to use words like hate (sorry for being so unsuccessful) but I hate what they are doing to Riley and, by extension, to Buffy. He is coming across as an arse who can’t handle being the “weaker ” half in a relationship and Buffy is whiny and self-centred.
I get quite (utterly irrationally) upset when I read criticism of a certain actress when people have the temerity to suggest that she isn’t that good - which may be true but they don’t get to say that - so, on that note: Ben and Glory*.
Glory’s entrance is wonderfully flat: did they view the rushes and think bugger why did we waste Katharine Towne as Sunday in one episode only?
The wordless exchange between Giles and Buffy is an almost perfect BtVS moment.
“It appears to be paranormal in origin.” “How can you tell?” “Well, it’s so shiny.” - Giles looks so sweet when he says this.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay! The stutter’s sexy. Keep it coming.” - oo, they should’ve kept that line for later in the series.
The trance sequence is unnerving and watching Dawn fade in and out is spooky. And discovering that Joyce’s health problems are not supernatural is painful.
“Out…for…a…walk…bitch.” - hilarious - but I pray (again and again and rather in vain) that Buffy would just stop hitting Spike without provocation: just kill him already.
“Satisfied? You know, I really hope so because God knows you need some satisfaction in life besides shagging Captain Cardboard and I never really liked you anyway and…and you have stupid hair.” - poor Spike, he is so confused.
“Would someone please rip that bloody bell off its hinges?” - I love the bell especially in Life Serial.
“I didn’t ask for this! I don’t even know…what is she?” “Human…now human. And helpless. Please…she’s an innocent in this. She needs you.” “She’s not my sister.” “She doesn’t know that.” - maybe it’s the monk’s accent but I actually feel quite weepy when I watch this.
Let the hair stroking begin!
*Apparently Clare Kramer is a sweetheart in real life and I think it shows.
4 Responses to “Out - for - a - walk - - bitch”
“I get quite (utterly irrationally) upset when I read criticism of a certain actress when people have the temerity to suggest that she isn’t that good - which may be true but they don’t get to say that - so, on that note: Ben and Glory*.”
Are you talking about Amber Benson? I remember when she first appeared on the show that I thought she wasn’t a very good actress, but I’ve come to the realization that Tara was badly and blandly written at first. I think Amber seems a notably better actress in season six when she actually gets to do some interesting things. After seeing her in other roles, it’s nice to see that she can do more than just a variation on essentially the same character. She is also very naturally funny. Have you seen her guest appearance on ‘Supernatural’? I’m not a regular watcher of that show at all, but I have seen that episode and enjoyed her portrayal of a vampire with a conscience. She is creepy and yet warm at the right moments. Amber is really good at bringing a lot of warmth to her characters.
In general, I like this episode pretty well. I find Buffy’s insistence on finding a supernatural cause to her mother’s illness and consequent attack on Dawn a little heartbreaking. I also thought the notion of Buffy having to struggle with her false memories of Dawn in subsequent episodes sounded interesting. The scene with Dawn telling Buffy that she can be the janitor of her “I had a bad day” club is very sweet.
I’ve expressed some Dawn hate elsewhere, so I would like to clarify my opinion. Dawn is a character whom I want to like, but the writers often discourage me from doing so. I think Michelle Trachtenberg does a pretty decent job of playing Dawn. She and Sarah Michelle Gellar generate some nice sister chemistry and have some sweet scenes together. At times, I also genuinely feel sorry for Dawn despite her incessant whining, and I think that she starts out season seven as pretty kick-ass. However, the writers persisted in characterizing her and the other characters’ treatment of her as if she were ten or eleven rather than fourteen. The writers also never quite managed to figure out what to do with her and after season five ultimately did very little.
Now Riley I feel pretty comfortable disliking. Marc Blucas, in my opinion, never gave Riley the depth I needed to find him sympathetic despite the writers’ characterization of him as needing to feel dominant in his relationship with Buffy. Though I do really like Blucas/Riley when he returns in “As You Were.”
[small voice]I actually kinda like Glory.[/small voice] Now she isn’t close to The Mayor or even Spike and Drusilla, but I like her a lot better than Adam. However, I think that Glory suffers from the same problem as every big bad subsequent to The Mayor: she talks too much. Maybe if she had been introduced later in the season…? I don’t know. I do agree that she often feels like a retread of Harmony, who irritates me 95% of the time.
I also like Buffy’s scene with the monk. I like the rhythm that actor used in speaking — I think it brought a lot of pathos to the scene.
By nullasalus on Tuesday 3 July 2007 – 14:30
I am very touchy when it comes to criticisms of things I love. I do take it very personally unlike my husband who is totally convinced about the things he likes (particularly music).
What I meant with my “which may be true” is that with the wrong material she can be clunky and I have seen Gryphon so I do know what I’m talking about. She was particularly fine (in more ways that one) in Supernatural (all fifteen minutes of her). She was also excellent in The Inside (we were lucky to get the series shown in its entirety over here) in a rather different role. Actually, I’ve tried to see all of her work (except for the horror films) post-Tara (especially her own films) and more than enough Jack Reeds to last a lifetime. I always liked her as Tara (though in the early days I did wondered why she smiled like that) and when I read more about what a great person she was I was sold. She has the filthiest laugh as this mp3 of her singing with Common Rotation shows.
The problem with Dawn is that the programme makers carried on making the mistake of treating her like a child and not a teenager and as you said did nothing with her.
I will reserve my judgement on Glory as the series progresses except to say she is better than Adam.
By Hazel on Tuesday 3 July 2007 – 16:57
I agree about Amber. My profound affection for her stems more from her off-screen personality than her acting ability. I do think that she has talent, but as you said she can be clunky (good word!) even as Tara at times. I think the quality of her work depends on the director.
While I have not seen Gryphon, I am the owner of Chance and Lovers, Liars, and Lunatics. And I’m waiting for my copy of Simple Things to arrive in the mail. Race You to the Bottom is supposed to come out on DVD in a couple of weeks! I have such a crush on this woman. It’s almost sad.
I’m envious that you were able to see all of The Inside. What kind of character did she play in her guest appearance?
And thanks for the link to “Tom Dooley.” She does have a great laugh, and that’s a nice cover of the song.
By nullasalus on Wednesday 4 July 2007 – 4:16
In The Inside she plays a psychopath married to another psychopath. She manages to terrorise Steve Sandvoss with a belt. I don’t really want to give it away just in case it’s ever released on DVD except she is creepy, vulnerable and pathetic - sometimes at the same time.
“I have such a crush on this woman. It’s almost sad.” LOL, strike one word from that sentence and that’s me, I’m too old for this sort of thing.
By Hazel on Wednesday 4 July 2007 – 12:49