I'm three episodes into the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Somehow, despite hearing so much about this show before watching it, I don't think I ever entirely knew what it was. By this point, I know that it's a magnificent collision of a ridiculous teen high school drama and a ridiculous fighting-the-supernatural drama, and it is great, great fun.
'Cordelia. This is the last place I expected you to hang out,' Angel says, apparently sincerely, upon finding Cordelia hiding in a dumpster. He's so weird. I love it.
In 'School Hard', Buffy criticises Angel for failing to read her cues despite having two hundred years of dating experience. But the great thing is that he doesn't! He's been a recluse even from other vampires for a century and he doesn't have the first idea about how to talk to people. I'm so delighted by how useless Angel is at basic human interaction. Big handsome loser.
'School Hard' is also, it turns out, Spike's first episode!
I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR SPIKE'S ACCENT. I'd seen 'Once More, With Feeling' before, and he sounded fine there, but evidently his accent had needed time to develop! Spike's accent in his first appearance is a disaster and I can't cope with it at all. At least I know it's going to improve.
I knew before starting to watch that both Angel and Spike were vampires Buffy would become romantically involved with, but I didn't know the circumstances under which they'd be introduced. It's interesting that they're initially presented so differently; Angel is a socially awkward 'good' vampire who doesn't attack people, whereas Spike is a charming, sadistic, conscience-free antagonist. (And of course Angel was introduced from the start as a love interest for Buffy, whereas I don't think that was necessarily the intention with Spike; that definitely makes the characters feel different.)
Joyce saving Buffy with the axe and gaining some respect for her bravery and resourcefulness in 'School Hard' was really nice to see.
'Cordelia. This is the last place I expected you to hang out,' Angel says, apparently sincerely, upon finding Cordelia hiding in a dumpster. He's so weird. I love it.
In 'School Hard', Buffy criticises Angel for failing to read her cues despite having two hundred years of dating experience. But the great thing is that he doesn't! He's been a recluse even from other vampires for a century and he doesn't have the first idea about how to talk to people. I'm so delighted by how useless Angel is at basic human interaction. Big handsome loser.
'School Hard' is also, it turns out, Spike's first episode!
I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR SPIKE'S ACCENT. I'd seen 'Once More, With Feeling' before, and he sounded fine there, but evidently his accent had needed time to develop! Spike's accent in his first appearance is a disaster and I can't cope with it at all. At least I know it's going to improve.
I knew before starting to watch that both Angel and Spike were vampires Buffy would become romantically involved with, but I didn't know the circumstances under which they'd be introduced. It's interesting that they're initially presented so differently; Angel is a socially awkward 'good' vampire who doesn't attack people, whereas Spike is a charming, sadistic, conscience-free antagonist. (And of course Angel was introduced from the start as a love interest for Buffy, whereas I don't think that was necessarily the intention with Spike; that definitely makes the characters feel different.)
Joyce saving Buffy with the axe and gaining some respect for her bravery and resourcefulness in 'School Hard' was really nice to see.
