Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 5 Review

Wow, your predictions for season six are...interesting. LOL You've seen enough of season six now to see why I say that. You said the villain would be more than one person. You were right. To borrow a phrase from Oz, "That's fairly freaksome." Also, that Willow will continue to be your cinnomon role. Well. To borrow a phrase from Adam, (rubs hands together) "This *will* be interesting."

Raven Dark

It's interesting hearing you mention love stories as a theme and bringing up artificial love, but also the love between Buffy and Dawn. In a way, that love is artificial, because Dawn was manufactured, so in a way, so is the love between them. It's ironic, because that love is also very real. It's fake, but it's not, all at the same time. Like Dawn.

Raven Dark

It's also funny hearing you say that Dawn was a stereotype at the start. You're right. She was. And it's just hitting home as you say it, that that's the point. As you said, she was created by people who don't have the best concept of what a 14 year old girl should be. The monks had a very rudementary understanding of what she should be, so, in a rather brilliant and ironic way, her being like that is what worked. She was kind of a carboard cut out at first. Yes, because she was manufactured. I love that you see that.

Raven Dark

You called Glory "minimal." The god. ROTFL. That's just really funny.

Raven Dark

Don’t hate me, but I think The Body is overrated. It’s definitely a brilliant episode, but imo The Gift is far superior. The Body is not even in my top 10 of the entire show, while the Gift for me is not only the best Buffy episode, but my favorite hour of television ever.

S144

After having watched the Buffyverse countless times, one of the things I appreciate most about BtVS is that each season is its own thing, with its own focuses, themes, styles, moods, trajectories etc. Liam has said that season 5 is his favourite so far. Art is so subjective and seasons 6 and 7 have so much to offer... that I won't be very surprised if Liam (or anyone else) likes one of them best of the series. Even my least favourite seasons are incredible experiences.

UTU49

Place your bets!

UTU49

The Body is a sneaky piece of art. I would love to analyze it more than I have -- particularly if I were involved in film-making -- but I'm not sure I can. I think I would very much struggle to observe the details when I get so completely sucked in to the head spaces of the characters. I call it "sneaky", because very few movies or TV episodes have so totally obliterated my defenses. Joss Whedon has said, "Make the audience go through what the characters are going through." Mr. Whedon, your attempt to do this has been extremely successful.

UTU49

And since this video is almost 3 hours long, you only have to watch it about 3.5 times to get to ten hours. SWEEEET!!

UTU49

I think I waited ..a year to rewatch Buffy, and although I knew The Body was very hard to get through.. I watched it again with my brother who I had introduced the show to. And I think every time I’ve watched it since, I come out with a more nuanced view of things. I’ve learned and caught things even after several viewings. Sometimes I’m less distraught, sometimes very distraught, but it doesn’t take away from it for me. But yes, it’s an episode I can go years without watching.

Alexis Cardarella

Buffy can't catch a break. In season one she listened to Giles and died. In season five she refused to listen to Giles and died again. Also, don't forget the introduction to Season 5, aka “Restless”. There's some foreshadowing scattered throughout that episode but it also establishes where each character is at that time, and that time happens to be the stepping off point for the fifth season. The writers bring that up in the final scene with Buffy & Giles as a reminder, but then gradually revert to their usual subtle ways of telling stories by adding more stories on top of the continuing stories and creating a beautiful mosaic of stories to pick-and-choose from on any given re-watch.

Bruce Trogdon

Loved the season 5 review! And I'm so excited you're on season 6 now. I understand why some people don't enjoy it, but it's one of my very favorite seasons. Even though picking a fav season of Buffy is a bit of a Sophie's choice for me, I probably re-watch season 6 most of all. I feel like it's even more character focused, which says a lot for this, or any, Joss Whedon show. I hope you enjoy the ride, can't wait for the reactions! Yours are the best, most in-depth Buffy episode reactions I've come across, so I always look forward to them. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into each and every one.

Lydia Anderson

Liam’s Season 6 Review will be 4 hours! LOL.

Stephen Mintac

Season 6 is usually always tied for my favorite season alongside season 5, though 5 usually edges out just a bit but they are super close in my rankings. Watching this season with you has been such a delight and I am really looking forward to your reactions to season 6!!!

Jenn Rose

Fantastic work. I love it. I listened to almost all of it. I love hearing your thoughts. You really understand what makes quality and I appreciate that.

Angela Colon

Put me down for 2 hours 38 minutes. $100

UTU49

Liam, have you considered having a meetup/ celebration at the end of the Buffy verse? It'd be so much fun to meet other UK- based Patreon peeps....

Briony Addey

Great stuff, as always. Seasons 5 & 6 are my favourite seasons, but for very different reasons. I can't bloody wait!

In regards to The Body, it is not only my number one episode of season 5, but to this day it remains my equal best episode (alongside Hush) out of the entire show. It is just so brilliant, and well done, and so very, very personally meaningful to me that I utterly adore it, but it's also not an episode I enjoy rewatching. My husband and I are actually looking to do indie films at some stage, and while we're waiting for the time and finances for me to do a film studies course I've been going over a lot of different movies and TV episodes, good and bad, and looking at what worked and what didn't (pacing, camera work, use of sound, dialogue, characterisations, story, etc). The Body is one of those TV episodes that in the last year or so I have rewatched a number of times in order to study various aspects of it, and I have honestly found that even watching the episode with more a 'detached observer' mindset it still never fails to be an absolute gut punch for me. Obviously subsequent viewings will never be the same as that initial raw response when seeing the episode for the first time, but for me at least the impact of The Body has not diminished with repeat viewings. It is just that good and that impactful.

Claire Eyles

Season 5 definitely makes it obvious why Buffy the Vampire Slayer is listed as one of the top 100 shows of all time as well. All the foreshadowing and symbolism of growing up etc contribute to it being the most academically studied show of all time. There are so many layers to it. You can watch it 10 times and still pick up something in a joke or a pun, some symbolism missed or some cool continuity call back. It has so much re-watchability for this reason.

Dutchkel

You touched on what makes Buffy such an amazing show and character (hands down my favourite in the show), and that is that Buffy is strong in so many ways other than just her physical strength. She is the epitome of what she said earlier in the series to Ford about still having choices even if none of them are good choices (to paraphrase). Whilst I certainly wouldn't say that Buffy is infallible, she has emotional and moral strength in spades, and her choices tend to be grounded in this, and therefore tend to be admirable. The reason the show and Buffy herself are held as feminist icons is because Buffy is a strong woman in every way that counts. Personally, in my life, I have many times genuinely thought "what would Buffy do?" in a situation, and then gone from there, and I know I'm not alone in finding the character an inspiration in this way. As Giles said, she's a hero you see. :)

Dentarthurdent

Just watched! So lovely! I could listen to you talk for ten hours, Liam. You're so eloquent and well-spoken. And I love your take on s5 of Buffy. It's very similar to my own—maybe that's why I like it! Oops. ♥

Abby

Sorry, PLUS, there are things you notice later that you might not have noticed before, PLUS you are witnessing a masterpiece. To get to observe it, experience it again, the writing, the acting, the directing, the cinematography, well, it is just impossible not to be in awe each time, plus a little bit more

Mark Judge

ok, finished- Sorry, 1 last thing. I totally understand that each person experiences all art in a very personal way. For me, I have watched The Body at least 10 times since 2006 maybe. I love it more today than I did when I 1st watched it. Watching it multiple times didn't diminish how special it is. That might have happened for me if I had watched all of Buffy once, but The Body 10 times, BUT, I watched the whole series 10 times and each time I watch, I love the characters more than I did before. So, that knowledge, that love of all of their imperfections and struggles and triumphs and quirks are what makes The Body more personal and more special, for me.

Mark Judge

and, for no particular reason other than I just want to make sure you had seen this. You may have already commented that you had, and you probably did, but just in case you hadn't- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4SLoYD-Cfc

Mark Judge

So mnay funny funny lines, and a lot of the from Anya- But certainly one of my favorites is this- Xander: I'm having fun already. Anya: Me too, woo hoo!---- it doesn't read as funny so much, but the way she delivers the line is gold!

Mark Judge

I'm ready!

Collete L

I got snacks and a drink, let's do this! I'm guessing your S6 review will be 3 hours? ;)

Jenn Rose