#ReWatchablePodcast

[rewatchablepodcast]

Join ReWatchable as we discuss Angel 4×04, “Slouching Towards Bethlehem,” and Angel 4×05, “Supersymmetry.”

Superfans: Caitlin and Karen Newbies: Ariana and Kristen

Fun Facts: Caitlin watches TV. Kristen is a holiday pooper. Ariana is doing her job leave her alone. Karen drinks wine.

Angel season 4, episode 4, “Slouching Towards Bethlehem”: – Synopsis – Connor is a big fat liar. – Considering Cordy kind of got dropped in their lap, it’s understandable the pancakes would be hesitant to tell her the whole scary truth. – Lilah and Wes are terrible together but do we hate that we love it? – WHAT APOCALYPTIC HORRORS WILL BEFALL US – Caitlin tries out her poetry professor voice. – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Angel season 4, episode 5, “Supersymmetry”: – Synopsis – FRED AND GUNN ARE THE CUTEST/SEXIEST – Fred is the girl Wes wishes he could be with… Lilah is the girl he should be with. – Fred still has PTSD from Pylea. – Angel has fans on the internet! – Wes helps out Fred but does he have ulterior motives? – Can Fred and Gunn ever come back from this? – CONNOR’S OEDIPUS COMPLEX IS THE GROSSEST – Cordy’s heading back to Angel’s place. Boi bye. – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Listener Feedback: – DO A BOY MEETS WORLD REWATCH – Wes is in character and y’all are whack.

[bespangeled]

Souls and self in the B-verse

I was listening to Rewatchable, and the subject of what a soul is came up. The soul question has always intrigued me, so this is what I have put together, using canon events and lines.

The soul is your moral compass - it is what you use to make decisions about what is right and what is wrong. And it is the core of your identity - literally who you are. When Angel told Buffy about the curse, he told her that the gypsies had returned his soul (not given him a soul).

ANGEL They restored my soul.....When you become a vampire, the demon takes your body. But      it doesn't get the soul. That's gone. No conscience, no remorse . . . it's an easy way to live.

When we see Angelus getting resouled, we see Liam. He doesn't know where he is but he knows who he is and what he has done.

When Giles first tells the scoobs about vampires, he tells them that the person is dead when they become a vampire - in other words when the soul is removed and the demon takes over.

Giles: "A vampire isn't a person at all. It may have the movements, the memories, even the personality of the person it took over, but it's still a demon at the core. There is no halfway"

In Buffy, the moral compass - the soul is also the actual person  - is the core of that being, The choice you make - what you do - defines who you are. The Bverse is all about choices and consequences - they define the core personality. Buffy has a strong moral compass - even if she screws up she is trying to do good.  This goes for all the human characters in the Fang Gang and the Scoobies.

ANGEL I'm weak. I've never been anything else. It's not the demon in me that needs killing, Buffy. It's the man.

Angel told Buffy in Amends that he had always been a weak man - Liam was weak. Liam was never evil, but self control was not a virtue of his. He wanted to kill himself because the First convinced him that he (Liam) couldn't be trusted to control himself (Angelus - the demon). If the soul wasn't actually the core personality, then having been a weak man would have nothing to do with his doubts

Now - Spike. As a man, he was loves bitch. As a vampire he was evil - but he was still a Romantic poet - the rescuing knight to the beautiful princess. He and Drusilla shared intense affection - in some ways they truly showed love for each other. But the lack of a moral compass means they killed people while feeling this way.

Spike with a chip adapted - and learned new ways to interact with people. He began to see some people as more than happy meals with legs. He fell in love with Buffy, cares about her deeply, can be empathetic at times.  But he has no moral compass - he doesn't know how to make choices that help her.This is a key part of what love is to humans - it's how we show love. There is no big picture for him - just what he feels, and what he thinks Buffy wants. William was a good man - Spike can love but it isn't the love of a good man.

It isn’t until William returns that he can see the big picture - and rather than wanting to possess Buffy, he wants to support her. His love remains unchanged - but he now is able to put aside wanting to possess her completely as the goal of his love. He doesn’t want to pull her away into the dark with him - he wants to support her in whatever way she needs in order to make reparation for hurting her.

Anyway - that’s my theory, how I interpret canon. Feel free to agree, expand, or disagree.

@rewatchablepodcast

[old-people-like-avatar]

Avatar/Korra Podcast Roundup

Given that I have a 45 minute commute each way to and from work, I have listened to -- or at least tried -- most, if not all, of the Avatar- and Korra-related podcasts available on iTunes.  

Below I offer my personal roundup of these Avatar-verse podcasts.  I generally look for podcasts with not a lot of recap and more focus on analysis or commentary.  As someone who has rewatched ATLA and LOK numerous times (too many to count, in the case of ATLA), I am also partial to podcasts that feature newbie reactions.  (I enjoy hearing newbies fall in love with the show, as I did.)  I also look for good host chemistry.   Your mileage may, of course, vary.  

Roundup below the jump:

My favorite podcasts

(1)   Earth Kingdom Prairie Home Companion (@earthkingdomradio​)

In the process of covering ATLA, and has just recently returned from a 5-month hiatus caused by technical difficulties.  I am hopeful that the hosts will finish covering all of ATLA.

This podcast has my favorite format: it pairs one newbie who has never seen the show with two fans who have.  So we get the benefit of newbie reactions and questions, guided along gently by devoted fans in a [mostly] spoiler-free fashion.

I particularly appreciate the hosts’ thoughtful commentary and insight.  At least two of the hosts have literary backgrounds of some sort, so they consistently offer high-quality analysis, including criticism of episodes where warranted.  The podcast is not just focused on recapping each episode, or on pointing out cool/funny lines from the episode. 

What differentiate this podcast from other newbie/fan formats is that the fans host a “spoiler” segment where they discuss spoiler-y thoughts without the newbie. 

I also enjoy the mix of genders on this podcast, given that the female perspective is sorely missing from some of the other Avatar-verse podcasts.  The three hosts are friends in real life, which manifests as great chemistry on the podcast.

(2) The Avatar Returns (http://theavatarreturns.podbean.com)

Covered ATLA and is almost done with LOK

This podcast, run by 3 experienced podcasters, pairs one newbie who has never seen the shows with two who have.

Like Earth Kingdom Prairie Home Companion, The Avatar  Returns offers thoughtful commentary on episodes and is not focused on recaps.  

My only nitpick is that the hosts often “banter” at the beginning of each episode about non-Avatar topics, but do not indicate in the show notes when the Avatar stuff begins, which makes it difficult for me to skip straight to the Avatar stuff I want to listen to.  

(3) Republic City Dispatch

Covered LOK

This podcast covered LOK episode-by-episode as the show was airing.

The hosts seem like experienced podcasters and offer interesting observations.

It also features episodes dedicated to interviewing the Track Team (Jeremy Zuckerman and Benjamin Wynn).  

(4) Republic City Report (Tim Bridgewater)

Covered LOK

This podcast is hosted by Tim Bridgewater.  Because it’s just one host, we don’t have “host rapport,” which can be a fun part of other podcasts.  But he offers some interesting thoughts and fun predictions.

Tim also focuses on trying to weave in fan commentary.

(5) Hypable's ReWatchable (@rewatchablepodcast)

Covered ATLA & LOK

Fun format (mixing newbies and fans) and good host chemistry.  

Other podcasts I enjoyed (in no particular order)

(6) The Avatar State (http://www.theavatarstate.com)

Covered ATLA

This podcast pairs two newbies with two superfans.      

The hosts are fun and the podcast is entertaining overall.  

But they spend a little too much time recapping each episode.  The     podcast also weirdly turns into a Zukaang podcast, which, while funny the first few times, does get a little old.  I also don’t much care for the segment where the hosts ask fan questions and read fan responses.

(7) From the Spirit World (@DongbuFeng)

(8) Avatar the Last Airbender Online (@avatarthelastairbenderonline; http://avatarthelastairbenderonline.com/category/podcast)

(9) Flamio Radio (https://assortedgeekery.wordpress.com/category/flamio-radio)

Notable one-off podcast episodes

Many podcasts (e.g., those dealing with animation or general nerd-ery) have covered either ATLA or LOK in one episode.  I cannot recall all of the ones I have watched, but I wanted to recommend the following stand-alones:

Imaginary Worlds podcast, "Growing Up Avatar-American”: http://www.imaginaryworldspodcast.org/growing-up-avatar-american.html

JV Club Podcast -- Janet Varney, voice of Korra, interviews Mike & Bryan:     http://www.nerdist.com/pepisode/the-jv-club-124-boys-of-summer-mike-dimartino-and-bryan-konietzko    

The jury is still out on…

I have only just started the following podcasts so have no view one way or another on their quality.

(10) Chatz: A Television Podcast (@chatzpod)

In the process of covering ATLA

This podcast pairs a newbie with a fan, which is one of my favorite formats.      

(11) The BoomerAang Squad

In the process of covering ATLA

(12) Avatar: The Last Podcast

This podcast attempted to cover ATLA, but appears to end in the middle of Book 3 without going to the finale.  I generally skip over podcasts that have not covered the full series (unless they are currently in progress).  But since this one makes it pretty far, I thought it was worth giving it a try.

Podcasts I have yet to try

(13) Movie Fail / Ember Island Airwaves (http://moviefail.com/tag/ember-island-airwaves; @moviefail)

***

Okay, young’uns.  That’s it.  Do you know of an Avatar-verse podcast that should be on this list?  If so, do tell.  

[rewatchablepodcast]

This came in from @spikesjojo after the season 6 finale of Buffy, and Angel’s season 3 finale.

First off - thank you for the Wesley love last week - it was much appreciated. I don't think what Wesley did was evil because his intent was to prevent evil. The consequences of what he did were horrible - but for me evil is about intent. The group staying away from Wesley isn't evil - but it is hurtful. It's also understandable. That doesn't make me hurt any less for him.

Now - this week. Spike's journey to Africa, the things he said and his actual goal are a sweet callback to his lines in OMWF  "I hope she fries. I'm free if this bitch dies -.I better help her out."

Xander's speech to Willow is a callback to his actions with Ampata in Inca Mummy Girl. He stands in front of Willow, willing to risk death for the chance to save her life. He protected Willow, telling Ampata that if she was going to kill anyone, he deserved to be the first one. Now he's telling Willow the same things trying to bring her back. I agree that it's to show that the bond they had even before Buffy moved to Sunnydale is always gonna be part of them both. I really love the scene.

I can do that, and still hate so much of what Xander says and does in season 6. I hate him telling Dawn about the rape most of all - not only because of his intent but also because Buffy specifically indicated she didn't want him to do so when they talked an hour or so earlier.

Who would ever have thought I would be defending Xander - always have hated him. What he does is awful, but in a way I can relate to - Xander's flaws are our flaws. Raise your hand if you have never said the exact wrong thing at the exact wrong time - if you have never been defensive, petty, uncaring, short sighted, even mean. And if you lie to yourself or rationalize. I hate it in someone else, and in me.

But I have never gutted a friend to feed them to a vampire like Buffy. I have never flayed a person, or killed a teacher, or killed a human who could morph into a hell god. I can't really relate. I judge from afar. So when I judge how horrible a character is, I probably should choose the ones who commit murder - not the guy with no powers who can be a real douche too often. I hate, passionately despise, and seriously loathsome of  Xander's choices, part of the problem is he is a normal person in a superhero universe.

Finally - there is not a single BTVS fan in the universe who did not see Giles and scream "GILES!". Every cell in my body screamed in joy.. It's still one of my favorite scenes in the series.

Also - the idea that Buffy is the longest lived slayer in history is pretty much pure fanon. The show never addresses the subject.

If you want to send your own feedback, head over to the twitter, send it here on the tumblr, or email us, and be sure to keep it spoiler free like @spikesjojo did so that our newbies both on and off the podcast can enjoy what you have to share!

[rewatchablepodcast]

We got this really neat soul theory after our discussion of ‘Entropy’ and ‘Double or Nothing’ from @spikesjojo, who gave us permission to share it here on the tumblr as well.

The soul questions intrigued me, so this is what I have put together, using canon events and lines.

The soul is your moral compass - it is what you use to make decisions about what is right and what is wrong. And it is the core of your identity - literally who you are. When Angel told Buffy about the curse, he told her that the gypsies had returned his soul (not given him a soul).

When we see Angelus getting resouled, we see Liam. He doesn’t know where he is but he knows who he is and what he has done.

When Giles first tells the scoobs about vampires, he tells them that the person is dead when they become a vampire - in other words when the soul is removed and the demon takes over.

In Buffy, the moral compass - the soul is also the actual person  - is the core of that being, The choice you make - what you do - defines who you are. The Buffyverse is all about choices and consequences - they define the core personality. Buffy has a strong moral compass - even if she screws up she is trying to do good. Warren has a corrupted moral compass - reflected by the choices he makes.

So [re: Double or Nothing] Gunn would no longer be Gunn - his core personality, his morals, his ethics, his battle against evil - it would all be gone. He might well be worse than Warren.

Angel told Buffy in Amends that he had always been a weak man - Liam was weak. Liam was never evil, but self control was not a virtue of his. He wanted to kill himself because the First convinced him that he (Liam) couldn’t be trusted to control himself (Angelus - the demon). If the soul wasn’t actually the core personality, then having been a weak man would have nothing to do with his doubts .

Now - Spike. As a man, he was love’s bitch. As a vampire he was evil - but he was still a Romantic poet - the rescuing knight to the beautiful princess. He and Drusilla shared intense affection - in some ways they truly showed love for each other. But the lack of a moral compass means they killed people while feeling this way.

Spike with a chip adapted - and learned new ways to interact with people. He began to see some people as more than happy meals with legs. He fell in love with Buffy, cares about her deeply, can be empathetic at times.  But he has no moral compass - he doesn’t know how to make choices that help her. This is a key part of what love is to humans - it’s how we show love. There is no big picture for him - just what he feels, and what he thinks Buffy wants. William was a good man - Spike can love, but it isn’t the love of a good man.

That's my theory.

As a lot of you may know, the subject of souls (and love) comes up quite a bit on the podcast, (and despite the unofficial motto of “don’t question the science” we don’t really let anything go) and this was a delightful read. I doubt we as a fandom will ever come to a clear consensus on either of these subjects, but I’ll never tire of discussing them.

If you want to send your own feedback, head over to the twitter, send it here on the tumblr, or email us, and be sure to keep it spoiler free like @spikesjojo did so that our newbies both on and off the podcast can enjoy what you have to share!

[rewatchablepodcast]

Join ReWatchable as we discuss Buffy the Vampire season 6, episode 20, “Villains,” and Angel season 3, episode 20, “A New World.”

Superfans: Karen and Maj Newbies: Kristen and Brittany

Fun Facts: Maj is excited for hockey to be back. It’s only preseason, but it’s still hockey. Kristen got to leave the 1,000th Amazon review for Cora Carmack’s Losing It. Brittany is sad to say that Groundhog’s Day has closed on Broadway. Karen really needs to play some volleyball, but instead she’s giving away five copies of Slayers & Vampires!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 20, “Villains”: – Synopsis – Brittany gives her impressions of “Seeing Red.” – While many were interested in seeing newbie reactions to “Seeing Red,” Karen was very much anticipating “Villains.” – Did we believe Tara was actually gone? – Willow doesn’t tell anyone that Tara died, and we have a few different reasons why that could be. – Andrew and Jonathan are still in prison, but Warren is celebrating his “victory” over the Slayer. – Willow literally absorbing magic is an awesome effect. – Was Willow there to save Buffy or was she hunting for the bullet to take down Warren? – Willow takes out Robo-Warren, which was a smart attempt at a rouse, but barely slows her down. – Buffy and Xander learn about Tara’s demise. – We have a moral dilemma regarding what Warren deserves. – Plus a serious parallel to current Teen Wolf events. – Buffy agrees to let Dawn stay with Spike, but instead finds a Clem. – There are all kinds of reasons why Buffy is maybe not ready to say a permanent goodbye to Spike. – Anya is back to her Vengeance Demon ways. – And take a deep breath, everyone, but it’s time to talk about Willow. – This is iconic Dark Willow. – Can Willow come back from this? – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Angel season 6, episode 20, “A New World”: – Synopsis – Connor is a total punk. – Is Cordy using Groo? Do we feel bad for him? – We are trying hard to give Connor a pass until he learns the rules of humanity, but it’s hard. – Connor has his first kiss, and then… she dies. Awkward. – The Connor/Angel dynamic is tough. – Did Angel give up on finding Connor too quickly? – Worst. Shootout. Ever. – Connor returns to Holtz after we thought he had a bonding moment with Angel. NOOOOO! – Not our favorite episode, but there were a lot of things we needed to see to put Connor back into this world. – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Listener Feedback: – A lot of listeners have a lot of thoughts about “Seeing Red.” – Someone sees some Connor/Renesmee parallels. – Are Warren and Andrew more like Voldemort and his Death Eaters or Grindelwald and Dumbledore?

Brittany’s Brainstorms/Kristen’s Kontemplations: – Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 21, “Two to Go” – Angel season 3, episode 21, “Benediction”

[rewatchablepodcast]

Join ReWatchable as we discuss Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 21, “Two to Go” and Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 22, “Grave.”

Superfans: Caitlin and Natalie Newbies: Kristen and Brittany

Fun Facts: Kristen just celebrated her birthday and went to the movies all day! Unfortunately, Karen was at NYCC so she missed out on mother!, Kingsman 2, and Flatliners. Natalie is prepping the airing order for next season. But also, she has friends visiting for 3 weeks straight and had to kick them out to podcast. Sorry! Brittany is exhausted from New York Comic Con and she isn’t even there. Caitlin’s sister and her nieces are coming to visit, one of whom she hasn’t met!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 21, “Two to Go” and Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 22, “Grave.” – Synopsis – Brittany was SO EXCITED ABOUT GILES. SO EXCITED. – Willow has crossed a line long before the gang realized she did – Is this a three strike system? – Anya is the light to Willow’s darkness… at least in terms of clothing – Willow tries to murder them with a semi truck. Okay. Sure – Clem is the best. We don’t deserve this demon – What, in this moment, does Dawn think she can do? – Killing Rack, stil not crossing a line – Willow threatening Dawn. Hell no. – Cool filming in this episode – Do we feel bad for Jonathan? Andrew? – XANDER RAGE – He should stop talking. Forever. And ever – Kristen likes Xander, so we have both sides – Hand-to-hand fighting was very cathartic – AND GILES RETURNS – Giles re-entrance was scripted as “Pure Ripper” – “I forgot about the fireball” – Laughing Giles is the best Giles – Watcher Council, LLC – funding Wolfram and Hart? – Did we think Anya was dead? – Buffy and Dawn need to work some things out after Xander ruins everything – Xander decides his skills of getting rope are wasted – We all feel emotional, but we don’t end the world – Cordelia and Willow contrast – Anya’s humanity truly shines in this episode – Queen lyrics are relevant here for Spike – Is this Spike versus William like Angel versus Angelus – Favorite Scenes x2 – Favorite Lines x2

Listener Feedback: – What does Justine actually do? – Can Angel get its groove back? – Brittany’s love of Giles takes over

Brittany’s Brainstorms/Kristen’s Kontemplations: – Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 7, episode 1, “Lessons” – Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 7, episode 2, “Beneath You”

[rewatchablepodcast]

Join ReWatchable as we discuss Angel season 3, episode 21, “Benediction,” and Angel season 3, episode 22, “Tomorrow.”

Superfans: Caitlin and Maj Newbies: Ariana and Brittany

Fun Facts: Ariana has no fun fact. Maj found a video of Anthony Stewart Head performing Rocky Horror! Watch it here. Brittany found time to read! What?! Caitlin has an adorable niece, but she also may have given Caitlin a cold.

Angel season 3, episode 21, “Benediction” and Angel season 3, episode 22, “Tomorrow”: – Synopsis – Is this really Pete Campbell’s backstory on Mad Men? – Wesley… what is happening to you? – We’re very mixed about this Lilah business – Does Cordelia’s new powers make us excited or bored? – Leveling-up Cordelia did not find a hairstyle – What is happening to Cordelia on the 101? – Groo can’t make it in LA, but he would succeed in Vegas – Lorne, too good for this world – Will Lorne and Cordelia return? – Caitlin finds Holtz to be one of the best villains – But we can’t agree on this either – What do the superfans think of Angel and Cordelia? – Can we agree on ANYTHING? – Oh, yes, we can! – The character we feel the most for is the ghost – Dennis – HE DESERVES BETTER – Favorite Scenes x2 – Favorite Lines x2

Listener Feedback: – Who said what about Xander? – Maj rocks on Tumblr – The more you Connor the more you will like Dawn – Wes and Willow are rockin’ the husband-wife darkness

Brittany’s Brainstorms/Ariana’s Assumptions: – Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 21, “Two to Go” – Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 22, “Grave”

[rewatchablepodcast]

Join ReWatchable as we discuss Buffy the Vampire season 6, episode 19, “Seeing Red,” and Angel season 3, episode 19, “The Price.”

Superfans: Caitlin and Natalie Newbies: Kristen and Mitch

Fun Facts: Mitch is in a FOMO Nintendo mode. Ariana wrapped One Day At a Time this week and is about to start a new job. Natalie has found and actually received a new secondhand vintage house wanker table. Caitlin has had Gage for one year on the day of this recording! But it’s not like he understands that or steak juice.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 19, “Seeing Red”: – Synopsis – Superfans have been dreading this episode since the start of the podcast. – Joss included Amber for the first time in the opening credits in this episode on purpose because he thought it would be “cute.” – The shooting environment for this show sounds so stressful. – This whole echo chamber effect for Joss’ work doesn’t do him any favors. – This episode marked the rise and fall of The Trio. – The inclusion of guns here was an interesting twist in the plot. – We want to like Jonathan, but that’s mostly because he’s played by Danny Strong. – Did any of us see it coming that Andrew had a crush on Warren? – Warren isn’t secure enough in his masculinity to get with Andrew. – The two orbs in a sac OMG. – That’s it, Mitch is going to Pigfarts. – The contrast between Tara and Willow getting back together and the end of this episode is crushing. – Is Dawn gay? Or why is she so excited about the sex happening in her house? – Aaaaand we’re done with anything resembling a fun and pleasant conversation. – Dawn should not have stuck her nose into Spike’s business. – Yeah, trigger warning for this whole episode. – Spike trying to take advantage of Buffy was such a horrific scene. – Natalie’s interview with James Marsters touches more on our thoughts on this horrific scene. – It’s important for show creators to understand that their material doesn’t exist in a vacuum. – Apparently, they didn’t do trigger warnings before content like this when this episode aired. – Why does Xander feel so entitled to Buffy’s attention and apology? – Where was Spike going on his motorcycle at the end? – Filming the rape scene was nowhere near fair for either actor. – There’s no break from the trauma, as Warren waltzes right in with the gun. – This death was not earned, as Tara’s death was used simply as a plot point. – Why is killing the lesbian girlfriend such a trope? – Is the treating of gay characters like this homophobic? – Ariana’s finally to the point of liking Buffy! – The Trio is no longer the bigger threat, as Evil Willow falls into line. – So it has to mean that Tara’s death sticks because Willow turned evil? – But it’s season 6, so it can only get worse. – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Angel season 6, episode 19, “The Price”: – Synopsis – Cordy is a beautiful light demon, yayyyyy. – The return of Thaumogenesis. – There were some horror movies potentially referenced in this episode. – The Pancakes are still struggling to figure out how to operate without Wes. – Connor is Dawn 2.0. – Natalie’s already apologizing for the misery we’re about to experience. – How about a demon prom, eh? That could be fun? – Groo and Cordy’s days are probably limited. – You never know where Cordy’s hair is going to go next! – Ariana isn’t feeling Cordy as much as before. – Cordelia is rightfully upset that Angel didn’t contact her about Connor. – We want Cordy to feel again. We’re missing out on some important scenes and confrontations from her. – Connor probably has some hell dimension issues. – What was the actual price of this episode? – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Listener Feedback: – Amber Benson (Tara) and Adam Busch (Warren) dated! – Does Warren have a soul? – “Seeing Red” is tough for all of us. – Yeah, why did Cordy never confront Wes?

Mitch’s Musings/Ariana’s Answers: – Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 20, “Villains” – Angel season 3, episode 20, “A New World”

[rewatchablepodcast]

Join ReWatchable as we discuss Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 17, “Normal Again,” and Angel season 3, episode 17, “Forgiving.”

Superfans: Caitlin and Maj Newbies: Brittany and Ariana

Fun Facts: Ariana has been binge-watching The Crazy Ones, Robin Williams’ last TV show starring Sarah Michelle Gellar! Maj is podcasting from the FUTURE (and we love her for stepping in). Brittany finds out a fun fact about her decision to draft a New England Patriot in the fourth round of her draft each year. Caitlin is ready for fall and Gage went to the park!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 17, “Normal Again”: – Controversy! Newbies weigh in. – The concept is all right, but is this the right place and right time for this episode? – Buffy needs to either live in a fantasy world or a world that seems more grounded in reality. – Xander smacking needs to happen every season. – Do the Scoobies feel more like siblings here? – Brittany is a bad friend. – Credits are spoilers. – The bad watcher Olympics. – The trio is actually… a threat? – Let’s talk about the writing lamp-shading the writing. – So, Buffy was committed! News! – Which is your favorite Joyce: Dead or Zombie? – Dawn is so out of character. – “Dawn could have taken out the garbage!” – Willow and Tara — can they be happy? – Soap opera trivia! – International titles – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Angel season 3, episode 17, “Forgiving”: – Cordelia is still MIA. – Lilah is pretty great, but she still sucks. – Angel is also not being very nice. – He needs to work at being a good person. – Can Wesley be good at prophecies, or is it a fundamental show problem? – OR is this an actual point the shows are trying to make? – Is this too important for Wes to ignore? – Angel looks like he might forgive Wesley, but nah. – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Listener Feedback: – WHAT IS THE JAPANESE TITLE FOR “NORMAL AGAIN”? – Diego Gutierrez writing credit! – William’s poetry!

Brittany’s Brainstorms/Ariana’s Assumptions: – Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 18, “Entropy” – Angel season 3, episode 18, “Double or Nothing”

[rewatchablepodcast]

Join ReWatchable as we discuss Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 16, “Hell’s Bells,” and Angel season 3, episode 16, “Sleep Tight.”

Superfans: Karen and Maj Newbies: Brittany and Kristen

Fun Facts: Brittany is prepared with her fun fact and of course it’s about Andy Karl. She watched all of his episodes of Law and Order: SVU. Maj’s fotball team is advancing to the group round! Preseason should be banned in American Football, but Kristen is excited for football to be BACK! Go Lions! Karen spent three hours of her life coloring octopi and Loki!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 16, “Hell’s Bells”: – Bridesmaid dresses, the worst, but our hosts don’t have any true horror stories – Buffy could pull that dress off though – Willow is the best man, but never the best friend – Giles was absent, but there is a deleted scene that explains what happened – Humans are so much worse than demons – Xander is afraid of history repeating itself – Did Xander make the right decision? – Can they make it work? Maybe if Anya doesn’t turn into a vengeance demon again? – Bring on Anya the vengeance demon! – International titles are morbid this week! – We talk about Spike and Buffy in our favorite scenes and lines. Because, how could it not be? – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Angel season 3, episode 16, “Sleep Tight”: – Connor’s blood tastes… good? – Is Wes’ story arc frustrating or intriguing? – Look, Wesley needs to talk to people – And why do you trust Justine? – So many problems, Wes, so many problems – Is Wes going to live? – Lilah had great hair – Holtz in Utah would be great! But instead he chooses a hell dimension – Angel is going to be sooooo pissssssed when he finds Wes – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Listener Feedback: – Sam and Riley are world-breakers! – Reminder Gunn and Fred have no idea what Angelus is like – Product placement! – The wedding is sad, miscast, and missing Giles

Brittany’s Brainstorms/Kristen’s Kontemplations: – Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 17, “Normal Again” – Angel season 3, episode 17, “Forgiving”

[rewatchablepodcast]

Join ReWatchable as we discuss Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 14, “Older and Far Away,” and Angel season 3, episode 14, “Couplet.”

Superfans: Karen and Natalie Newbies: Brittany and Mitch

Fun Facts: We don’t remember Mitch, or when we podcast together, but he fills us in on his quest to get free TV! Natalie shares her reasoning behind why she shops second-hand and why having less options is SO much better. Karen can listen to certain artists while she works, while Brittany prefers to listen to songs she knows all too well. It’s a tangent. Do you expect anything less?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 14, “Older and Far Away”: – Dawn: Discuss – Should we feel bad for Dawn right now? Yes. Can we? Not really – Why can’t Buffy have a good birthday? – Anya’s bluntness is incredibly refreshing this week – “He can sing and do magic!” – Wonderbread 2.0 arrives and there is a weird ice cream thing happening – Spike arrives uninvited – Is everything fine with Spike and Buffy? – Look, we love Tara. Sorry not sorry – Willow is stashing magical items: how do we interpret this? – Does this group hang feel… natural? – WILLIAM – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Angel season 3, episode 14, “Couplet”: – MOW: A tree with a computer. Seriously – Reminder: every monster can have “one good day” – Why isn’t Cordelia picking up on Angel’s heart eyes? – Cordelia has truly embraced the fact that she has these visions – Sad Angel > Angelus? (Never, but close) – Let’s move on to Gunn and Fred – Splitting the check? – Is Groo too handsome? – We have a lot of hair bending to discuss – How aware is Cordelia right now? – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Mitch’s Musings/Brittany’s Brainstorms: – Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 15, “As You Were” – Angel season 3, episode 15, “Loyalty”

[rewatchablepodcast]

The other day we checked our email to find a very long and fabulous piece of feedback from Jessica and she generously allowed us to share it here on the tumblr. 

Hello, guys! :) I've been listening for a while now, but this is my first time commenting or leaving any kind of feedback. I live in work in Japan (in the Tokyo area), so that means long commutes no matter what, but listening to you guys discuss Buffy always makes my morning commute go by so fast. I apologize in advance for this massive e-mail (that is more like an essay). But I just had so much I wanted to say. Please feel free to just skim through it. I sectioned it off to make it easier to do so. Anyway, without further ado…

Mitch and His Amy Love: This week’s episode was a blast to listen to. Mitch’s excitement and joy over the Amy plot line and the Amy Rap were just fantastic, and his happiness was so contagious. I was waiting so long for you guys to get to this episode specifically for Mitch’s reaction, so I was so, so pleased that he was on this week. It should be noted that another one of Mitch’s predictions from way back in Season Four is going to be coming true this season and I can’t wait until you guys get to that episode as well. I remember listening to it back in Season Four and my mind being blown by how accurate it was.

“Restless” Foreshadowing and New Meanings: Speaking of Season Four, while there were some mentions of foreshadowing in “Restless” for events in Season Six (specifically in “Tabula Rasa”), a few were looked over/forgotten:

- In “Restless,” during the same sequence that had the references to Spike in the tweed suit and Giles being Spike’s “father,” there is this exchange:

Xander (to Buffy in the sandbox) : “Gotta keep moving forward.” Buffy: “Like a shark.” Xander; “Like a shark with feet and much less fins.” Spike: “And on land!” Giles (to Spike): “Very good.”

Foreshadowing of the Loan Shark! :D

Many moments and comments from Willow’s dream in “Restless” also take on a double meaning now. Back then it was very easy to relate everything to Willow discovering her sexuality and still trying to build up her confidence. But all the way back in Season 3 we saw Willow relying on magic to try and “fix” unwanted emotions and unpleasant situations. This gets worse in Season 4 with the My Will Be Done spell in “Something Blue” and what makes it worse is the fact that Willow tries to pretend that everything is okay by baking cookies. She knows that what she did was wrong, but she is able to sneak her way out of it. I think by Season 4 Willow was subconsciously aware of the power hunger that resided inside of her, but she still tried to keep up an innocent front. This acting becomes more and more prevalent in Seasons 5 and 6. So the “acting” aspect of Willow’s dream takes on new meanings, as does this line by Buffy (to Willow): “Your costume is perfect.” (Whispers) “Nobody’s gonna know the truth. You know, about you.” There are a few other lines that take on this new double meaning as well.

Also in “Restless” we saw foreshadowing for Giles feelings towards Buffy and his role as a father figure towards her in this season. In the dream, Buffy came off as extremely childish and clinging, with Giles being frustrated by this and Olivia telling him to humor her and such. This shows that Giles was already starting to subconsciously view Buffy as being too dependent on him in a fatherly way (since, in the dream, the dynamic was more like a family at a summer carnival than a Watcher with his Slayer). When Giles enters Spike’s crypt we see Olivia crying in the corner with a baby carriage overturned, which shows that he has given up on/rejected the idea of fatherhood and having a family. He has devoted himself to Buffy and her slayer duties. So, when Buffy dies and that duty ends, I think Giles wanted to find himself again and be a little selfish in that sense. It’s a harsh love, but I think Giles does believe that his leaving is what is best for Buffy right now (and honestly, I agree with him).

Spuffy and Unintentional Foreshadowing…Especially in Season Two: As for the discussion about feeling conflicted over shipping Spuffy because it is very obviously unhealthy, I get that. I ship Spuffy, but the way I see it, as long as you acknowledge and understand the problematic aspects of an unhealthy ship or OTP then there is nothing wrong with that. You can enjoy a ship on a storytelling and/or entertainment level without necessarily viewing it as a “Relationship Goals OTP!”

As for me, personally, I just love the journey that this relationship has gone through thus far. The Spuffy relationship came about very organically in the series. It wasn’t planned from the beginning because, as we know, Spike was planned to be killed off back in “What’s My Line?”, but we still have some amazing unintentional foreshadowing for the pairing:

In “School Hard,” Spike first sees Buffy while she is dancing. James Marsters has stated that he, himself, decided to act out that scene with Spike being attracted to Buffy. That was a personal decision of his. The song that was playing then was “Stupid Thing” by Nickel. It is a song about a dysfunctional/unhealthy relationship with some lines like:

        “I did a stupid thing last night, I called you. A moment of weakness. No, not a moment, more like three months of weakness. I’m one step away from falling to my knees. I’m one step away from spilling my guts to you” and “You see, there’s this huge chunk of me missing. It’s gone. And I can’t feel it, I can’t feel it, I can’t feel” and “I called you. It’s the last time, and maybe tomorrow night, will be the last time…”

This song really reflects the type of unhealthy relationship that Buffy and Spike are spiraling into right now.

Also in “School Hard” when Buffy and Spike get ready to fight each other for the first time, they have this exchange:

        Spike: “[…] I’ll make it quick. It won’t hurt a bit.”         Buffy: “No, Spike. It’s gonna hurt a lot.”

This was meant to be in reference to their fight, but also had a very obvious second meaning of a sexual nature. It is in “School Hard” that we first start seeing the theme of Buffy’s sexual maturity that spans throughout the rest of Season Two. Concerning the quote above, Buffy ends up being right. Their first time together in “Smashed” ends up being very violent and Buffy using Spike is something painful both for her and Spike on an emotional level.

    - In Innocence Angelus tells Spike “To kill this girl…you have to love her,” a statement that I imagine probably haunted Spike during the time period that Buffy was dead. It likely added onto his survivor’s guilt.

    - In Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered we get this exchange between Angelus and Spike (about Buffy) :

        Spike: “Why don’t you rip her lungs out? It might make an impression.”         Angelus: “Lacks…poetry.”         Spike: “It doesn’t have to. What rhymes with lungs?”

    That last bit ends up being called back in Fool for Love where we see William asking, “What’s another word for ‘gleaming’? It’s a perfectly perfect word as many words go, but nothing rhymes, you see.” It also ties in with “Rest in Peace,” where Spike uses a ton of corny rhymes that just make me enjoy the song even more. So there is this added layer of cohesiveness to Spike’s history and backstory, even without his character having been planned for the long run so early on.

    - In Becoming Part Two when Buffy states that she is in a band, Spike states that Buffy plays the triangle, while Buffy says that she plays the drums. He corrects himself to try to keep up the (pathetic) lie and then answers that he sings. Once Spike falls in love with Buffy, we see that he ends up marching to the beat of Buffy’s drum. We also see that they ended up fighting together extremely well in Becoming Part Two. They communicated nothing verbally to each other when that vamp attacked Joyce, yet they moved perfectly together as a unit and got rid of it quickly. The little conversation that they have is about the vamp afterwards, is a very quick back and forth that shows that their thoughts are on the same wavelength.

    - In Lovers Walk Buffy and Spike end up falling right back into that banter that we saw glimmers of back in Season 2, and we see that Buffy was able to read Spike pretty well with her line that he likely had Willow and Xander at the old factory, which he did. Spike was able to read Buffy very well here too, as Buffy notes when she states that she can’t lie to herself anymore “Or Spike, for some reason,” about her change in relationship status with Angel.

    - Then in Season 4 we see a ton of UST between the two: Buffy teasing Spike with her neck in Something Blue, the fact that Willow states that Buffy and Spike should just get married, but make absolutely no mention of them needing to fall in love or make out. And this is also when we start to see Spike subconsciously acknowledging aspects of Buffy that he finds attractive, specifically her hair. He calls her Goldilocks in one episode and is shown touching her hair once or twice throughout the season (one time in Superstar). Buffy also says this to Willow in Season 4 “But I can't help thinking, isn't that where the fire comes from? Can a nice, safe relationship be that intense? I know it's nuts, but part of me believes that real love and passion have to go hand in hand with pain and fighting. (Stakes a vampire) I wonder where I get that from?” – something which is certainly present in her and Spike’s current relationship and which mirrors Spike’s own take on relationships in his Love’s Bitch speech.

    - When Season 5 rolls around the subtext starts becoming text when Spike realizes he is in love with Buffy. A lot of the elements from the earlier seasons carry over (they still fight well together, Spike is falling in line to the beat of Buffy’s drum, etc.) but now we have the romantic feelings in the forefront. We learn in this season that violence for Spike is similar to “third base,” thus showing that he also enjoys violence in his romantic and sexual experiences, something which was hinted at with his relationship with Drusilla. We see Spike starting to figure out what true love is all about and we see Buffy starting to notice his changing and starting to trust him in this season. In The Gift, the last time Buffy and Spike talk, she is ascending the stairs and looks down on him as he speaks. She is ascending to her room on a physical level, but on a symbolic level it can be seen that she is ascending to heaven/a heavenly dimension. In After Life, the first time Buffy and Spike speak to each other post-resurrection, the conversation doesn’t start until Buffy has fully descended the stairs and is on level ground with Spike. She has returned back to earth, which in this case, can be viewed as a hell dimension. This shows that now sees herself on the same level as Spike, which is something we are seeing pop up in this relationship. Also, that parallel and symbolism was not spotted by me, but rather someone on Tumblr (as were many of the Season 2 moments of foreshadowing).

We have been told and now are being shown the violence that both Buffy and Spike associate with love and sex. It definitely is a kink of theirs, but it squarely falls into abuse rather than a healthy BDSM relationship because we aren’t shown Buffy and Spike communicating at all with each other before engaging in violent sexual acts, which is a big “no-no” in these types of relationships.

Buffy and Spike’s relationship is certainly problematic and unhealthy – even downright abusive, but it is also extremely compelling storytelling. Their relationship has been a slow burn, which I personally like over instant/love at first sight type of romances, and we are being shown their relationship changes, rather than being told it. I personally could never get into the Bangel relationship because I felt that we were just being told of their relationship changes, rather than seeing these changes. It left me confused and disconnected whenever Buffy and Angel said they loved each other, because I just never saw the “falling in love” part happen. With Spuffy there has always been a constant forward movement and a constant change that I could see unfolding and that just appeals to me more.

Willow and Tara and Engaging in Sex After the Mind-Wipe: Trying to ship an unproblematic relationship in Buffy (BTVS specifically, not necessarily in the Buffyverse as a whole) is pretty much impossible to do anyway. All the major relationships in the series have some unhealthy or problematic aspect to them. Right now, Willow and Tara’s relationship is toxic and abusive. Willow was gaslighting Tara and we also had Willow engaging in sex with Tara after using magic to erase Tara’s memory of the fight that they were still kinda in the middle of. There is some debate within the fandom if that can be viewed as not only a mind rape, but also physical rape.

Personally, I view it as such, seeing it as similar to someone purposefully giving someone else alcohol or a drug of some kind and then engaging in sex. Rape is about power and control, after all, and in that moment Willow was taking control over Tara in the sense that she was wiping away a memory that, if it had not been erased, would have resulted in absolutely no sex. By wiping Tara’s memory, Willow is making Tara more compliant and willing, and that definitely feels like a form of rape to me. Some fans view it as more like sexual assault or dubious consent and still others see nothing wrong with the situation (since Willow didn’t have the specific intent to engage in sex with Tara after wiping her memory). What do you guys think?

BTVS Characters and Hogwarts Houses: Moving away from such a heavy, heavy topic as that though (and wanting to end this massive essay on a lighter note), let’s talk about the BTVS characters and Hogwarts Houses! In the Rewatchable episode for Smashed the hosts discussed what Hogwarts House each of the ATS characters would be in. I want to do that for BTVS now (Angel, Cordelia, and Wesley were already done, so I won’t include them here, but I will include Oz). For me:

    Gryffindor: Buffy and Spike

    Ravenclaw: Giles and Dawn

    Hufflepuff: Oz, Tara, and Xander (Gryffindor could be argued for Xander, some may argue Ravenclaw for Oz)

    Slytherin: Anya and Willow (Arguments could be made for Ravenclaw for Willow)   

I based their houses off of what the characters are shown to value as well as what their behaviors reflect. A lot of fans will put Spike in Slytherin, but I feel they do that because of the whole false dichotomy that Slytherin = evil/bad/morally ambiguous characters (and many fans will put all of the Scoobies in Gryffindor automatically because of the false dichotomy that Gryffindor = good/morally righteous and sound characters). Really, Spike doesn’t value ambition or power. He likes women who are physically powerful (but not power itself, he is fine with handing that over to people that he respects, especially in combat) and he does wish to prove himself, but the way he goes about it shows that he values courage over either power or ambition. He tries to prove himself through risk taking. He is a thrill seeker who is an open book and wears his heart on his sleeve. Nothing about him really conveys Slytherin in that sense. I can see Spike being a Hufflepuff or even a Ravenclaw over a Slytherin.

As for Xander, he certainly wasn’t loyal to Cordelia when he cheated on her with Willow, but he demonstrates his love for loyalty when it comes to his friends over all, which works as a double-edged sword for his character in some ways. And while he wasn’t hard working in high school, he does value hard work once he finds a job that fits him and he values it when he sees it in others.

I placed Willow in Slytherin rather than Ravenclaw because I always viewed her desire to learn and master things coming from the power trip that comes with it. She values the ambition behind learning and having knowledge, rather than the things being learned and the knowledge itself, this is what makes her differ from Giles, who gets genuinely excited to simply learn new things. Giles is more of the stereotypical Ravenclaw, the one that fans tend to think of first and foremost. Dawn is definitely more of the Luna Lovegood weird type of Ravenclaw though. She has been shown to be naturally curious about things and will take initiative to learn about things that interest her. She is also very experimental…at least with her food, haha.

I feel like Buffy, Tara, Oz, and Anya’s placements are all pretty self-explanatory and probably wouldn’t be viewed as overly debatable.

Ending Notes: If you made it all the way through this e-mail, then I congratulate you! This turned out way more massive than I had planned, but I just feel like there is so much that can be talked about and discussed in the later seasons of Buffy. I’m a big fan of Seasons 4-7 (as well as the comics…for the most part, some comic seasons I view more favorably than others), so I am happy to see that the newbies have been enjoying Season 6 so far.  

Thank you so much for this, Jessica!  You’ve made a lot of interesting points here and I see this sparking quite a bit of debate in the future - and I’m not just talking about Hogwarts Houses ;) Seriously, your points about Spike and Buffy’s slow burn came as a very nice reminder to this superfan, as I keep forgetting that like Darla, Spike wasn’t actually meant to stick around. Disagree on Giles leaving being a good thing, but I dig your style. Now, I think this is long enough without me writing a response, but really. This was amazing.

If you feel the same urge to write, email us and be sure to keep it spoiler free like Jessica did so that our newbies both on and off the podcast can enjoy what you have to share!

[rewatchablepodcast]

Join ReWatchable as we discuss Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 10, “Wrecked” and Angel season 3, episode 10, “Dad.”

Superfans: Karen and Maj Newbies: Kristen and Danielle

Fun Facts: Karen is getting ready for SDCC… sort of. Danielle is apartment hunting which has her making Buffy connections via Northwestern University. Kristen is having no fun at all, thanks to an unfortunate situation with her car and a leaky air conditioner. And Maj has jumped headfirst into podcast editing and has found it rather enjoyable.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 10, “Wrecked”: – Let’s start with a little Tara love. – She is responsible and worried about caring for Dawn when Buffy and Willow are handling their personal problems. – Buffy and Spike are just outright mean to each other post-sex. – Did we feel bad for Spike after the stuff Buffy had to say? – Do we feel bad for Buffy after Spike volleys her insults back at her? – Buffy’s reaction to the sex is similar to Spike’s reaction to his first Buffy dream. – Willow and the Drug/Magic Den – Buffy lets Willow know she messed up. – She is there for her friend, despite being a Mama bear over Dawn’s involvement. – We read Ariana’s point straight from the doc about Willow and her addiction. It’s an important realization. – Lots of Willow talk. Is this rock bottom? – Is it fair for the show to compare Buffy’s addiction to Spike with Willow’s magic addiction? – Did Amy know Rack in high school? – Could he have been her introduction to magic once her mother was turned into a trophy? – If we’re equating magic and sex (which we’ve talked about before) what is going on with Rack and Willow? – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Angel season 3, episode 10, “Dad”: – How cute is Daddy Angel? – Lorne moves into the hotel and starts hearing a mysterious humming noise. – Holtz kills the mindless lackeys, goes for a new protege instead. – Kristen thought Holtz decided not to kill Angel in the last episode, so she was confused when he came back with plans for more vengeance. – Cordy is trying to be the supportive friend and advise Angel to let them all help with the baby and he is acting the fool a bit. – Who else kept getting more angry with Angel for not trusting Cordy and Co with the baby? – Cordelia, aka Angel’s soulmate, is the first person to hold little baby Connor. – So, are Wolfram and Hart really backing down? Seems anticlimactic. – What is next for baby Connor? – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Listener Feedback: – WE GOT AN ITUNES REVIEW! – Mitch’s reaction to Rat Amy’s return to humankind was well worth the wait. – Buffy makes it clear that vampires don’t have souls in the Buffy-verse, and that makes for an even more interesting debate than the usual, “Do vampires have souls?” debate.

Kristen’s Kontemplations/Danielle’s Deliberations: – Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 11, “Gone” – Angel season 3, episode 11, “Birthday”

[rewatchablepodcast]

Join us as we discuss Angel season 3, episode 5, “Fredless” and Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 5, “Life Serial.”

Superfans: Natalie and Maj Newbies: Ariana and Kristen

Fun Facts: Natalie is having internet issues and she is so over it. More of a not-fun fact. Kristen had a night of nine-year-old fun with her niece last night and it was just what she needed. Ariana was a bridesmaid in her friend’s wedding and had a ton of fun. Maj has two fun facts: She got to pick her own bridesmaid’s dress last year from Asos and she just saw Wonder Woman.

Angel season 3, episode 5, “Fredless”: – Synopsis – The gang theorizes about what happened between Buffy and Angel during their little rendezvous midway between Sunnydale and L.A. – Why do we think the show didn’t show or tell us what happened between Buffy and Angel? – Angel the show is tired of being Buffy‘s little brother. – Yet another conversation about Angel and his “moments of perfect bliss” (AKA his sex life). – We take a poll: Did we all think Fred’s parents were evil? – Fred the Texan physicist. – Lorne gets a whole storyline, so he seems to be more of a fully fleshed-out character. – Lorne advised Fred to keep running, that she “hadn’t run far enough.” Sad Lorne is sad. – Fred was pretty happily in denial about her Pylea life, but is forced to confront it by her non-evil parents. – Mom runs a bug over with a bus! – Fred leaves. Sadface. – But, wait! She comes back to save the day! – We are all weirded out that Gunn forgot that demon head wasn’t a prop. – Fred finds her place at Angel Investigations and she gets a fresh start after painting over her walls. – Is Fred still crushing on Angel? Or is this fresh start a completely new one? – A few trivia items for this episode! – Fred grew a lot in this episode, and it’s important to see just what she has to offer to the team. – Wesley is the liberal arts kind of smart, while Fred is more math and sciences. – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 5, “Life Serial”: – Synopsis – Everyone has expectations about what Buffy should do with her life now. – Team Tara is awkwardly trying to keep things together. – Buffy entered college without a good idea of what she wants, and that’s perfectly okay. (Natalie explains how different it is in Australia.) – This episode’s antagonists, The Trio: AKA JAW/WAJ/Prime Lords of Sunnydale? – Jonathan is spells, Warren is technology, and Andrew is… unclear. – What is with the Trio? What do they want? – First Spell: Time fast-forwarding device? What? Disorienting, just like Willow’s classes. – Second Spell: Jonathan summons demons for Buffy to fight at the construction site. – Third Spell: A time loop while she works at the Magic Box. – Fourth Spell: Red Demon thing? Drunk Buffy still beats him up. – We all agree that the first spell is the worst and freakiest, but the time loop was frustrating and stressful. – Buffy and Spike hangout time. – We all weigh in on our Spike/Buffy feels. – What do we think Buffy feels/thinks about hanging out with Spike? – Why does she choose to hang with him? – Buffy solidly hands Giles his parental unit card when she compares him to her mother. – Favorite Scenes – Favorite Lines

Listener Feedback: – There is no Ariana hate. Only love. – Buffy should *totally* be getting paid. – We are already at two years of Buffy/Angel! What could possibly be next? – Would a chance Buffy was in hell outweigh the possibility of heaven?

Ariana’s Answers/Kristen’s Kontemplations: – Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 6, “All the Way” – Angel season 3, episode 6, “Billy”

[rewatchablepodcast]

ReWatchable ModPost~

Hi, We're very sorry that there's been a bit of a delay in the release of episode #211 (Buffy 5x21 & Angel 2x21), but both episode #211 and #212 (Buffy 5x22 & Angel 2x22) should be coming this week! 

And as a note for next week (#213), we’ll be doing a double Angel podcast episode discussing 3x01 and 3x02, as those episodes were aired before Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s 2-hour season 6 premiere. We’ll cover that premiere in the week after Angel, and then we’ll be switching back to our regular one Buffy episode and one Angel episode. 

Remember, if you have any comments or questions, you can contact us either here at the tumblr, at the twitter, or at the latest podcast episode post over at Hypable. If you have a longer comment you can always email us.

We hope you’ve been enjoying following along with us, and we thank you for your patience <3