From: owner-stillpt-digest@smoe.org (stillpt-digest) To: stillpt-digest@smoe.org Subject: stillpt-digest V3 #174 Reply-To: stillpt@smoe.org Sender: owner-stillpt-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-stillpt-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk stillpt-digest Wednesday, November 7 2001 Volume 03 : Number 174 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: b/talisman ["Berni Phillips" ] a/The Prime of Miss Cordelia Chase ["Berni Phillips" ] b/1+w/feeling ["Donald G. Keller" ] Re: b/once more, with feeling ["Marta Grabien" ] b/once more with feeling [Todd Huff ] Re: b/1+w/feeling [meredith ] Re: b/1+w/feeling ["Vicki V" ] Re: b/once more, with feeling [allenw ] b/w.feeling ["David S. Bratman" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001 17:19:20 -0800 From: "Berni Phillips" Subject: Re: b/talisman From: "Dawn Friedman" > Sure, getting drunk wasn't a great idea, but why > should Willow get cut off instantly because of Buffy's experience in Beer > Bad? (Perhaps the gang feels more protective toward Willow than toward > Buffy?) I think there was some justice in Willow's complaint that everyone > was willing to be supportive as long as it caused them no > inconvenience. If their sympathy had had more stamina, she wouldn't have > been left to her own devices. I think this is true, Willow being treated differently because of her personality type. Being more of a Willow (quiet and seen as innocent) than a Buffy (impulsive and seen as not-so-innocent) myself, I can attest to such things. When I was a music major (voice) in college, the department handyman (fixed musical instruments) used to warn me away from the drama majors, who were generally much wilder than I could ever be. I didn't see him going around warning some of the other voice majors. Different personality types get cut more slack in some areas and less in others. Willow has been moving from being a supporting character to center stage, and they were still treating her as a bit player. Glad to be middle-aged, Berni ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001 17:25:46 -0800 From: "Berni Phillips" Subject: a/The Prime of Miss Cordelia Chase I really like where they've been moving Cordelia's character. She's obviously been becoming more rounded as a human being since her association with Angel Investigations. I'm impressed that they're now training her physically as well. This is as it should be. With all the Cordy's been through since Buffy Summers came to Sunnydale, it's fit and proper that she start to learn to defend herself properly. No more acting "bait-y" for her. (Although I can't help but notice that with all the times she had to be the bait in Sunnydale, she was never hurt as much physically as she has been since her association with Angel. Buffy was a better protector for her. The only time Cordy was really hurt was when she ran from Xander's betrayal and fell through the rotted stairs.) I think the training with Angel signifies how Cordy has really been taking control of her life and her responsibilities/power (the vision thing). Fred also makes a dandy Greek chorus, I think. Berni ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 21:26:27 -0500 From: meredith Subject: b/once more, with feeling Brilliant. Fnurkin' brilliant. Joss is god. When can I buy the CD? :) (But hey, why didn't Willow get her own song?!?) ======================================= Meredith Tarr New Haven, CT USA mailto:meth@smoe.org http://www.smoe.org/meth "an eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind" -- mahatma gandhi ======================================= Live At The House O'Muzak House Concert Series http://www.smoe.org/meth/muzak.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001 22:39:20 -0500 (EST) From: "Donald G. Keller" Subject: b/1+w/feeling Briefly, first. Too much to absorb on one listen (Freudian slip! viewing!), and I ended up watching (most of) =24= afterwards (pretty good, but do I want to tape it?) One thing's for sure: that's a damned sophisticated piece of work for a first professional composition. A gripe: either the "plot" didn't work...or I failed to understand it. And I still like Buffy's song ("Life's a show...") the best. More when more. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001 19:54:14 -0800 From: "Marta Grabien" Subject: Re: b/once more, with feeling Hey, It hasn't been shown here yet. > Brilliant. > > > > > Fnurkin' brilliant. > > > > Joss is god. > > > > > When can I buy the CD? :) > > > (But hey, why didn't Willow get her own song?!?) > > ======================================= > Meredith Tarr > New Haven, CT USA > mailto:meth@smoe.org > http://www.smoe.org/meth > "an eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind" -- mahatma gandhi > ======================================= > Live At The House O'Muzak House Concert Series > http://www.smoe.org/meth/muzak.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001 19:54:18 -0800 (PST) From: Todd Huff Subject: b/once more with feeling Brilliant is the word for it, yeah. I now have a new favorite comic episode, and yet Joss managed to slip in so damn many plot points as well. Next week it all starts hitting the fan. "Dawn's in trouble? It must be Tuesday." Find a job, post your resume. http://careers.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 23:24:29 -0500 From: meredith Subject: Re: b/1+w/feeling Hi, West coast-ers save this one for later... >A gripe: either the "plot" didn't work...or I failed to understand it. There wasn't much of a plot, but then there didn't need to be one. Xander, having forgotten any lessons he learned from that love spell that backfired all over him when he was back in high school, tries to cast a spell that will make everything (like, for example, his marriage) have a happy ending. This ends up summoning a song-and-dance demon who just wants to be entertained, darnit. Of course this has the unintended side effect of causing people to spontaneously combust (kind of a "Red Shoes" thing going there). Whoops. Oh yeah, and everyone's singing their deepest darkest feelings. I'm still not 100% clear on why the demon decided to go away -- I think he was sufficiently entertained by Buffy's final number, but I'm not sure. And yet, the songs themselves managed to further the season's various stories in fine fashion. - -- The gang now knows where Buffy really was (points to Willow for actually showing remorse) - -- Dawn's thieving has come to light (and we now know she's doing it just to see if anybody notices) - -- Giles tells Buffy he's going back to England so she will have to grow up, already (is this a final Watcher's test?) - -- Xander 'fesses up that the prospect of marrying Anya has him freaked out (was she even listening?) - -- Tara finds out what Willow did, and decides to break up with her (!) ... and finally there's the final shot, which of course needs no elaboration. Hoo-boy. It'd take me several screens to list my favorite moments, but on first viewing I think the winner is definitely Anya's "bunnies" song. Oh my. And Amber Benson can *sing*. Who knew?? I was expecting Anthony Stewart Head to be one schooling the others on that count, but she just blew the rest of them away. Wow. Judging from the few lines Alyson Hannigan did sing, I think I know why Willow didn't get her own song ... and SMG was surprisingly good. I can understand why she's been sitting on talk-show sofas all across the land vowing she'll never do such a thing again, though. :) I've heard that David Fury and Marti Noxon had cameos (I'm guessing Fury was the dude in the furry demon suit in Buffy's first number, and Noxon was the woman lamenting her parking ticket). Rob is convinced that Joss was one of the pallbearers in the cemetery, though I'll have to check that out again to make sure. This is one I'll definitely have to watch several more times. I repeat: Joss is god. P.S. Jon Stewart just made a few cracks about the episode on "The Daily Show". "I don't know, seeing vampires break into song and dance like that just takes away from the reality of the show for me." Ha, ha. P.P.S. There will be a CD, but not right away due to legal silliness. Darnit. ======================================= Meredith Tarr New Haven, CT USA mailto:meth@smoe.org http://www.smoe.org/meth "an eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind" -- mahatma gandhi ======================================= Live At The House O'Muzak House Concert Series http://www.smoe.org/meth/muzak.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001 20:30:01 -0800 From: "Vicki V" Subject: Re: b/1+w/feeling Marti Noxon was indeed the parking ticket woman. David Fury was in the dry cleaning mustard bunch when Buffy opened the shop door to see if others were singing. Vicki V. vicki@castles.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001 23:11:09 -0600 (CST) From: allenw Subject: Re: b/once more, with feeling SPOILER SPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . On Tue, 6 Nov 2001, meredith wrote: > Brilliant. > > > > > Fnurkin' brilliant. > > > > Joss is god. > > > > > When can I buy the CD? :) > > > (But hey, why didn't Willow get her own song?!?) > Yeah, I noticed that, if we count Dawn's dance number, the only Scooby to not get a number or duet of their own was.... Willow. Too powerful to be deeply affected? Or too... empty? (I'm reminded of B5, when Londo failed to see Kosh...) Allen w. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 22:14:13 -0800 From: "David S. Bratman" Subject: b/w.feeling Written before seeing other responses: Well, that was fun. To say the least. Nice plot integration; not as incomprehensible as Restless to viewers unfamiliar with the show's details; and what production values! They really worked on this, and it shows. My votes: Best singer: Amber Benson. That solo in the park is, as far as I'm concerned, her successful audition for her role after BTVS, as the next Joni Mitchell. Best song: Anya and Xander's "I'll never tell" duet, for being perky, putting a modest male voice in its best light, and most of all for being a good 50s Broadway number and not a rock song at all. Best backup singers: The demons in Buffy's opening song. Rather Lloyd Webberish, that one, but he's not as funny. Best spoken line: "Dawn's in trouble, it must be Tuesday." Works as a joke both within and outside the created universe. Best revelation: Willow's face after Buffy reveals she was in Heaven. Berni actually got back out of bed later to tell me that she thinks this'll be the turning point for Willow: knowing that she was so totally wrong when she was so sure she was right will generate a self-loathing that's sure to break out in unpleasant ways on the rest of them. Let's see now, how many artificially-induced Spike & Buffy romances have there been now? Five? ------------------------------ End of stillpt-digest V3 #174 *****************************