Angel/Five by Five--excellent, excellent ep. Best since the premiere. But then Faith just has that effect, doesn't she? Didn't see the ending coming, but the flashbacks made all the sense in the world given that ending. Don't want to say more for fear of spoiling the UK folks!

I'm sure some of the Drew Carey folks sang while in improv comedy troupes.

Still, interesting idea.

First, Drew Cary is a comedy so doing a camp musical style can still be funny and not violate the basic idea of the show.

For Buffy it would just be plain wrong. This is a serious show with glints of humor to punctuate the drama.

If you need anymore reasons, think about Xena:The Bitter Suite. This show went from being decent to being awful with every descent into musical comedy.

The episode that aired here in Oz this week for Buffy was funny. A NEW MAN. Giles as a Demon was just a piece of pure comedy.

Jack: oh, THAT I'd like to see!

MWRuger & Obi: Think Obi hit it when he said, unless it's done REALLY well. I trust that Joss would do that, and do it in the right context--such as a dream or alternate reality. Did you like The Zeppo? Because that had LOTS of out-of-character stuff going on, very very over-the-top and campy. I agree that it can be a disaster when not done right, you break faith (not Faith) with the audience. As in some X-Files eps. Context is everything.

The show should stay true to its dark roots and leave the glimpse of light to contrast the dark world of Buffy.

Keep in mind how many people die in this show. This is very dark stuff. There are very few happy endings. Almost every story arc ends with overall positive but with a negative as well.
(Kill Snakey Mayor=Angel goes and school blows up)
(Buffy/Angel tryst=Numerous Murders)

Re: our writing discussion on the other thread, I think the best fantasy writers aren't writing fantasy at all, they're writing about us/the world and using fantasy to do it. Is BtVS about killing vampires or is it about the capacity for evil in all of us?

I hated the movie BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, but evidence is mounting that its defects were really the fault of its producer-director team, the Flying Kuzuis. (Paul Reubens was hilarious, though, and I always enjoy Rutger Hauer and Donald Sutherland. You know, Sutherland was talking to director Roland Joffe and his producer partner Jake Eberts one time, and they asked him "What're you doing these days?" and Sutherland was so humiliated that he was doing BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER that he couldn't even say the title -- he had to write it on a cocktail napkin. Joffe and Eberts laughed at him mercilessly, but I don't know what they were feeling so superior about -- they were preparing the even more disastrous SUPER MARIO BROS. at the same time.)

The original choice to score the original BUFFY was Christopher Young, but he turned it down because he didn't think the schedule was realistic. Carter Burwell did it instead. I don't think it hurt either of their careers too much.

Enjoyed the episodes tonight. Spike has always been one of my
favorite (and under utilized) characters, and I’m hoping by the
end of this season, he’ll join forces with the good guys. Ah,
always the idealist. I’ve noticed increased drinking on Giles part
over the past few months that was especially exaggerated tonight.
Maybe a detox episode next year? And Riley in that last scene
tonight? (Maybe that was Spike in disguise?) Or have we all been fooled,
and a BIG twist is coming.

Action music in both Angel and Buffy was, as usual, excellent. I
always noticed the strong love theme between Angel and Buffy; however
with Riley and Buffy, it seems like muted strings without a
discernible melody...or I’m deaf. So is next week the end
of the season, and then we’ll have 3-4 months of reruns? Ugh!

There are two more episodes of each show left for this season. Joss decided to do the post season finale episode as part of this season so he can lead off with a stronger episode next season.

Jack: Buffy meets Twin Peaks? Yeah, kinda looked like that! Or The Matrix. Angel score--I noticed, too. Re-used cues from Anne & Who Are You. Which is curious since those are Beck cues & Rob Kral has supposedly been doing all the scoring for Angel for most of the season. Deadline crunch?

Jack/Joan: Season finale--more than one staffer has called that ep "strange." Jeff Pruitt said to Joss' assistant, "I don't get this. What does this all mean? Is the network going to allow this?" The reply was "We don't care. Heh-heh." Whedon said it was strange "even for me." And Chris Beck said he was " trying to find a Middle Eastern vocalist" for the score.

Oh, and Joan, the R/B theme has a melody--I'd hum it for you but uh ;-) Re Riley--I've always suspected the Initiative was determined to keep him around for reasons of their own. I think Riley MAY have something in common with Spike, if you get my drift…

FYI all, Beck posted on the BtVS board. Re the soundtrack: "i do know they're in continued negotiations with several record companies, and one seems to be a front-runner, but I've stopped trying to estimate when this thing is gonna happen."

Sigh. Patience, so NOT my best virtue.

Musical spoiler for the finale: "Persian vocalist, big percussion, a lot of it backwards." Yikes! Also, "more nuanced and minimalist" and more original (less Elfman) than Hush.

Lastly, if anyone is an aspiring composer (or knows one)--he posted some very good advice on the CBCC: http://oxfordtwentyfour.ne.mediaone.net/cbcc/

J. Peter: A number of X-Men drafts were scrapped before the "official" first draft by Ed Solomon, which was "polished" by McQuarrie. Given the timeframe, you're right, Whedon's script was likely a rewrite of McQuarrie's, he's a well known script doctor, both credited & uncredited. True, more scripts are rewritten by multiple writers than we're aware of. But. A polish is one thing, a COMPLETE rewrite by more than one writer usually indicates major problems. Rumors are just that--just as many people have leaked that McQuarrie's script was NOT good as leaked it was fantastic. I hope it IS fantastic. However, Whedon's heart & soul would have been in X-Men, he's a BIG BIG comic book/X-Men fan, the rejection disappointed him greatly--stings more if you CARE & are not just a hired gun. He has NOT dissed Fox or McQuarrie, let's stop that rumor before it gets started. Just made clear that he DID NOT WRITE THE SCRIPT.

BTW, you can't always trust "official" credits. The Writer's Guild (WGA) has complex rules about credits-- a credited writer may not have ONE remaining word in the final script--hence my quotes around "polish"--the producer will call it that (to avoid bad press) even it's a complete rewrite. It's sometimes easier NOT to amend the official filing in order to avoid the whole messy protest process. That's why I compliment the writing, never the writer, when posting in a public forum (unless I'm absolutely sure) because I don't want to be giving credit not due. (i.e., Angel & BtVS, unless it's Fury, Noxon, Espenson, Whedon, Minear or another known staff writer, I don't take the credit as gospel).

And for those who might have missed it, run back those tapes! Beck had a cameo in Restless: he was the piano player with the band backing Giles.

I was particularly taken with the music in Xander's dream sequence. Holy Cow! Shades of Zimmer's "Gladiator" with Lisa Gerrard's vocalise work. Sounded appropriately at home in a nightmarish landscape!

BMustang: We got the big blowout two parter the previous two weeks--which is usually the finale. Restless wasn't meant to top that. I think this ep was about the Scooby gang's inner demons (not just fears, like Fear Itself)--which the First Slayer used against them. I think it also hinted at things to come next year. So it wasn't really about plot & story. Just makes us think. It was chockfull of symbols--some people are really into that, and some aren't. So some liked it, & some didn't.

I felt rather vacant about Primeval. I’m not too crazy about
surrealism, so I didn’t feel a strong connection to that episode.
Still, I immensely enjoyed the music and the allusions to movies
like Apocalypse Now. It was certainly portentous. It did delve into
each character’s inner demon which might be explored more next
year. Also, in Primeval, Buffy was granted new powers in order
to defeat Adam. Perhaps she’ll have more rigorous, unworldly
enemies next year instigated from the original Slayer’s world, and
these new powers will be necessary.(A second viewing of this episode would help me understand its message more. I'd know what to look for, I think.)

One inner demon I’m betting on is Giles seeming descent into
alcoholism. His drinking seems to be growing; he appears to feel
worthless or unneeded by an ever evolving, autonomous Buffy.
At least she did demonstrate her need for friends.
Xander seems to be struggling with finding a worthwhile and
meaningful future.

I was pretty sure that was Beck at the piano. The camera did
linger upon him. Looking forward to more musical development
from this talented man. Also enjoyed the last two episodes of
Angel; perhaps his partners will have more significance in episodes
next year.

Biggest bummer? Having repeats for the next few months.

Totally agree on the 314 score--can't believe the big sound Beck wrings from a synth--so big & orchestral. Restless' score was quite the opposite--personal, internal, subtle. Loved 'em both. Angel tidbit: Gunn (the street vamp fighter) will be a regular next season.

URL: http://whyy.org/cgi-bin/FAshowretrieve.cgi?2876