I'm currently in a state of confusion since I'm typing up this recap while listening to the Once More, With Feeling soundtrack but it's too good to turn off so I'm just going to have to deal. So here's the deal with this recap since we haven't ever done a season recap in non-video form. Sarah gets to make the rules since she's the one currently typing this *evil laughter*
So I'm going to set everything up with Sarah's answers in blue and Kali's in bronze (I asked Kali what color she wanted and she said she'd "like bronze. Ravenclaw colors ftw!" so there you go...)
We're going to format our discussion as we usually do our videos, except with not as much conversation between us and more of us just each writing our own answers (and taking the time to think about what our answers are as opposed to 45 minutes of unused footage.)
So, let's begin with...
Season Four Summed Up
Season four is one of my favorite seasons of Buffy because of how much growth our characters go through individually, yet still learning how to find their way back to each other. Obviously, I love Willow's arc through this season. I adore Tara and believe this arc was handled near perfectly (which is saying something since my main area of interest is sexual and gender identity issues and how they are shown within the media.) But apart from Willow, this season was beautifully done because it was incredibly real. Yeah, everything in Buffy has a supernatural twist but season 4 is the first that really deals with life changes as a cause for turmoil and distruction as opposed to just the Big Bad of the season. This season dealt with changes from high school to college in terms of identity, family, relationships, etc. Everyone learned and everyone became a better person because of this season.
I'm with Sarah about how this season really shows a lot of individual character growth, which is pretty much what happens when you leave high school. You have to learn to be your own person outside of your group dynamic. Outside of high school, Willow discovers her sexual identity. Buffy learns that she's not the big man on campus anymore in the first episode, but still finds her way in the first half of this season. She really backs away from her Slayer duties this year. Just think back to how few of times we saw her in a cemetary compared to the past 3 seasons. Xander is still searching for his place by the end of this season, but he has matured by leaps and bounds this season with the help of his relationship with Anya. While they have a very odd relationship, it's actually perfect for both of them. Giles has been a Watcher his entire life and is at first enjoying a life of leisure but that gets old fast so he tries to figure out what exactly he should do now. I feel like this season is a perfect set-up to season 5. Everyone has grown and grown apart through the whole season, but finally come together at the end. Now we will see what our characters do with all of these developments next season.
Favorite Season Four Moment
I wonder what I'm going to choose...
So I'm going to set everything up with Sarah's answers in blue and Kali's in bronze (I asked Kali what color she wanted and she said she'd "like bronze. Ravenclaw colors ftw!" so there you go...)
We're going to format our discussion as we usually do our videos, except with not as much conversation between us and more of us just each writing our own answers (and taking the time to think about what our answers are as opposed to 45 minutes of unused footage.)
So, let's begin with...
Season Four Summed Up
Season four is one of my favorite seasons of Buffy because of how much growth our characters go through individually, yet still learning how to find their way back to each other. Obviously, I love Willow's arc through this season. I adore Tara and believe this arc was handled near perfectly (which is saying something since my main area of interest is sexual and gender identity issues and how they are shown within the media.) But apart from Willow, this season was beautifully done because it was incredibly real. Yeah, everything in Buffy has a supernatural twist but season 4 is the first that really deals with life changes as a cause for turmoil and distruction as opposed to just the Big Bad of the season. This season dealt with changes from high school to college in terms of identity, family, relationships, etc. Everyone learned and everyone became a better person because of this season.
I'm with Sarah about how this season really shows a lot of individual character growth, which is pretty much what happens when you leave high school. You have to learn to be your own person outside of your group dynamic. Outside of high school, Willow discovers her sexual identity. Buffy learns that she's not the big man on campus anymore in the first episode, but still finds her way in the first half of this season. She really backs away from her Slayer duties this year. Just think back to how few of times we saw her in a cemetary compared to the past 3 seasons. Xander is still searching for his place by the end of this season, but he has matured by leaps and bounds this season with the help of his relationship with Anya. While they have a very odd relationship, it's actually perfect for both of them. Giles has been a Watcher his entire life and is at first enjoying a life of leisure but that gets old fast so he tries to figure out what exactly he should do now. I feel like this season is a perfect set-up to season 5. Everyone has grown and grown apart through the whole season, but finally come together at the end. Now we will see what our characters do with all of these developments next season.
Favorite Season Four Moment
I wonder what I'm going to choose...
Still very funny
It's cheating to say the whole Willow/Tara storyline so, if I have to choose one moment, I think I'd choose Tara telling Willow that she's hers. This moment is a good summation of their relationship and the high level of adorableness it contains.
I don't really have a favorite scene. I do love when Tara tells Willow that she hers. I also have always loved when Faith is in Buffy's body and tells Spike how she'll make him pop like warm champagne.
Who Are You has some really great moments in it.
Favorite Episode
New Moon Rising & Who Are You
First episode should be very obvious since I wrote all about my love for it in my post. But, if you missed that post or tried to read it but lost interest because of the number of times I mentioned how much I adore Willow, the basic reason why I love this episode is because it's very realistic. It's common for friends and family to react as Buffy has (or worse) and for the person coming out to not actually say that they're coming out but rather just suggest it as Willow did. This scene alone could make this episode one of my favorites, but I also really enjoyed the Oz storyline and how Willow was the only thing that made him lose control of his wolfyness and Tara's with her telling Willow that she'd be there for her whether she was just a friend or something more.
Who Are You is also awesome because I enjoy Faith a lot and I think her transformation throughout the episode is really sad and well done. At first, she was just mocking and messing with Buffy's life, but then she really learned who she could be if she were treated as Buffy is. And, on the flip side, Buffy learned about how Faith is treated and really didn't learn much of anything...
I won't cheat and pick two like Sarah did (mostly because my second would also be Who Are You) and I will go with Restless. I think it's pretty obvious how much I love when Joss writes dreams for the characters in the show. And it's not just the amazing dialogue and symbolism in this show, but the visuals and the lighting and all of the cinematography. It's hard to pick a favorite episode for this season because while I think this season as a whole isn't very cohesive in theme or elements, I think it has some of the best individual episodes of the whole series. That's probably why I season itself isn't great in following a theme each episode because each episode stands alone in awesomeness.
Favorite Quote:
Do you guys remember when we used to do favorite quotes for each episode? I guess sort of forgot this time around; we'll have to remember to bring it back for season five. Anyways, to figure this out, I'm going to use wikiquote *looks* THIS IS TOO HARD! Okay, to solve this issue, I'm having a favorite from each person.
*Anya: I like you. You're funny and you're nicely shaped. And, frankly, it's ludicrous to have these interlocking bodies and not... interlock. Please remove your clothing now.
*Oz: (Xander: I could've been God.) Blasphemer.
*Willow: (investigating the professor's death in Pangs) No. She cut off her ear, then killed herself, then dumped the body--I'm really off my game, aren't I?
*Buffy: Giles, Faith has taken my body and for all I know she's taken it to Mexico by now. I don't have time for bondage fun.
*Xander: Sometimes I think about two women doing a spell, and...then I do a spell by myself.
*Giles: A watcher scoffs at gravity!
*Tara: I am you know (Willow: what?) yours
I'm such a cheater...
Yes you are! And it hurts my feelings that you didn't do a Spike quote Sarah, so just for that I will pick 3 favorite Spike quotes for Season 4!
From Something Blue- Spike: Oh, pouty! Look at that lip.. gonna get it.. gonna get it..
From Primeval- Spike: Well, then everything's all right. And we all get to be not staked through the heart. Good work, team.
From Primeval- Spike: Well, then everything's all right. And we all get to be not staked through the heart. Good work, team.
From Superstar- Spike: Someday sweet slayer." [He puts a hand on Buffy's hair.] "I would love to take you on." [He moves his hand to her neck and just below her throat.] "See you face the evil alone for once."
Kali's right! I forgot to include Spike's because I didn't have to look one up for him on wikiquote! Favorite Spike line: A Bear! You made a Bear! Undo it, undo it!
Kali's right! I forgot to include Spike's because I didn't have to look one up for him on wikiquote! Favorite Spike line: A Bear! You made a Bear! Undo it, undo it!
How Seaon Four Ranks with One, Two, and Three
For me, it goes in reverse numerical order with Four being first and One last. I really don't love One or Two but Three and Four are pretty amazing. Four beats Three though because Each episode is awesome in Four whereas I felt Three wasn't great until the second half.
I agree with Sarah (big surprise there). Like I said above, Season 4 doesn't really have a good flow or cohesive theme throughout other than growth, but it has some really amazing individual episodes (Hush, Restless, Who Are You, etc). Season 3 on the otherhand I see as one giant linked season with no episodes that really stood out on their own, but when looked at altogether made a pretty good season.
How Excited Are We For Season Five
So excited I just wanna hug everybody!
Kali is so excited she wants to do a happy dance (and yes that excitement is partly because of how FREAKING AWESOME Spike's story is this season):
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