Buffy - Season 4 impressions (episode 2)

[thalia_seawood]

Living Conditions

A summary for the episode can be found here.


This is the episode that could also be called "Roommate From Hell".

The monsters in this episode look really ridiculous and the episode doesn't have a lot of merits, but I enjoyed it.

When I studied in London, I had three different roommates - and the room we shared was *a lot* smaller. About the third of the size from Buffy's room with only about 1 m between the beds. So yeah. Sharing a room isn't for everyone.
I got along great with one of roommate, with another one it was okay, but with the third one it was hell. We just did not get along and tolerating one another got harder and harder. She couldn't be silent - like ever. And she whined! About everything, but especially her studies, her job, her parents and the boys and life in general. "Do you think he likes me?", "But if he does why would he have said this to me?" Wow, this is what sharing a room with one of Cordy's girl gang would be like. And while writing this down, I realise I'm still traumatised from the experience. :-)

Kathy really goes through the list of all the No's:
- oversmiling
- listening non-stop to Cher
- borrowing clothes without asking
- tagging along without being invited
- flossing her teeth outside the bathroom
- clipping her toenails
- ironing her jeans (How can she? Ironing is boooooooring.)

Loved how the tension between Buffy and Kathy grows from denial ("We like each other soo much." *oversmile*) to passive agression to open dislike to total hatred.
I bet Sarah Michelle Gellar had fun playing obsessed Buffy. :-)

Willow also has a difficult roommate. Hers overparties. Typical for Willow is that she doesn't complain, she just goes to the library...

The interaction between Buffy and Giles is fun.

Also Parker seems to be interested in Buffy and she seems to find him cute.
I hope he won't become Buffy's super-sensitive new boyfriend who I'm supposed to like.
He feels like a dishonest little weasel. Okay, maybe I should be understanding: Students are always hungry and he doesn't want to pay much for his food, but still... I'm not keen on the way he organises his food and is proud of it.
And he chats up Kathy and then is all interested in Buffy again. Or pretends to be.
And he does the soulful look when Buffy is short with him. The "hey, I'm so misunderstood and sensitive" look which I *despise*.

Open question: How does Buffy explain the disappearance of her roommate and the wreckage of the room?

Comments

[selenak.livejournal.com]

SMG has a real flair for comedy, and that's one of the episode showcasing it.

Parker: not saying anything. Just that you're insightful.

How Buffy explains: honestly, I can't remember if she does. But you know, she could write Kathy off as another victim of Wednesday's gang, i.e. one more dissappeared student...

[the-dala.livejournal.com]

I did not appreciate this episode until I got to college. Really, I didn't appreciate S4 until we got S6-7, which...well, you're watching the whole series, right? You'll get to it.

You're reading Parker like a book, and that's all I'll say :)

And Buffy and Willow live in the biggest dorm room EVER. As for how she explains it at the end, I dunno -- stress drove Kathy crazy?

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm coming to Buffy with zero expectations. I didn't have to wait weeks and weeks between the season 3 finale and the first epsiode of season 4. So I will pretty forgiving even if the show is "only" entertaining and not always on the level of e.g. Passion or Becoming.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

Season 4 is not a favorite for a lot of people, but I happen to love it -- great individual episodes, a cool overall arc, and the introduction or elevation of characters that I really like. I know some fans are purists and resent the shift of focus away from the "original scoobies". But hey, that's what growing up is about and I like the new characters! And don't get me wrong, there is good stuff to come from Willow, Xander, Giles, Oz, etc. It's just not "their" show anymore; there's a wider world.

I'm really looking forward to following your journey through this season, unspoiled, because there are some cool developments coming up.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

I know some fans are purists and resent the shift of focus away from the "original scoobies".

I totally don't mind the wider range of characters. Every character so far who gets more room has been extremely well-drawn so far: Harmony is fun to observe, Spike makes me laugh out loud with his evil/bratty antics, Riley is interesting. Hey, even Parker is great; I dislike him, but he's a cool character in as far as he feels so realistic.

So far I've enjoyed season 4 of Buffy.

And I'm so weary of fanatic purists. Sheesh, there are still people out there bitching about the prequels. By now I'm so used to it that I just listen to them and in the end I shrug and say: "Guess what, I really love these films. Your loss if you can't give them a chance." That usually silences them. :-) Sometimes they even get curious and want to know why I feel that way. And that's my chance to spread the love. :-))

Anyway, seems the Buffy purists are fairly similar to the Star Wars original trilogy purists.