h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So, having fairly recently purchased the s.5 dvd, and re-watching the season in order, I have just got around to finally seeing the one episode I had not yet seen. And, yes you were all correct, my god, what an episode. The rawness of emotion on display was awesome. The acting was superb. SMG in particular was outstanding, but I'm almost hesitant to pick out just one when the whole cast was so good. Perhaps my favourite scene was the scene between Willow and Tara - AH at her best. But pretty much everything was great. I think part of the reason I haven't chosen the early scenes of Buffy before Giles arrived as my favourite is because they are just so raw (and incidentally, kudos to both SMG and the make-up department for the look on and of her face when she went to the back door after being sick). The direction was also of course superb - such an overwhlming sense of the silent, still and sterile (what amazing use of the absence of score). And then JW goes and finds what I think is possibly the only appropriate and right way to end this masterpiece, with Dawn about to touch the body, but ending just before.

So, in summary, wow.

Glad, you finally got around to seeing it Bud - welcome to the admiration club.

I thought the best/worst bit was when Buffy told Dawn.

Willow saying that one word, "Tara" still brings tears to my eyes and that is without even watching it. SMG was quite brilliant as always. If she would occasionally have an off day people would appreciate her a lot more. There were so many moments in that episode that it is hard to extract the special moments, but Tara and Buffy at the hospital was brilliant for what was not said as much as for the words. Buffy at the back door, Will and Tara, Tara and Buffy...All great.

My personal favourite/most heartrending momnt is when Anya trying to understand why Joyce won't come back

I love all of the first section with Buffy the best.

I'm with Honest Iago on this one (though, of course, the entire ep is brilliant).

Bud, I'm not sure whether to be happy for you that you've finally seen this masterpiece, or a bit sad that you don't have something like it to be looking forward to anymore... No, happy. This one is far too good to be missed.

Yeah, that's true, hadn't thought of it like that. Now there is no more unseen BtVS for me to see. Gosh, I guess it's only just hitting me. Still, I think The Body was worth it (now, if someone could just have perpetually stopped me getting around to seeing Wrecked, well, that might be different - only joking, no epsiode of BtVS is worth missing really).

I still need to watch "Ted" although I don't think I'm for as much of a treat with that one.

I hate to be so boringly upbeat but I am currently watching season 4 because I needed to watch Hush again and even though I have seen all of Buffy many times I still find nuances that I missed first, second, even third time around. Interesting little details, turn of phrase, background incidents...There does not seem to come a time when I can actually claim to have "seen it all".

[Without wishing to be even more nerdly, Firefly has the same kind of effect...watch it if you can overcome your resistance to SciFi...it is not star treck!]

C

Don't worry, vampadvoacate, Ted is actualy a really good episode, in my opinion, despite having seen it somewhat criticised in some reviews. Not as good as The Body, perhaps, but still something to look forward to.

And yes, you're right, DrFerris, rewatches of BtVS are always worth it, and since I now have all the dvds bar the final 2 seasons, something I can indulge myself with more often. (BTW, s.4 has some great episodes doesn't it? - Hush, obviously, but also Restless, The Yoko Factor, and my personal favourite, New Moon Risisng. Also, I just can't get enough of comedy Spike, especially in Pangs - 'A bear! She made a bear!')

I have just watched New Moon Rising. It was last nights treat! I have watched from Hush onwards to get a better understanding of how the relationship between Willow and Tara was developed in writing terms. Trouble is it becomes so emotional when Willow cries on Taras shoulder that I completely lose the plot and have to start again. Extra Flamey!

Yeah, New Moon Rising is a true classic. Pretty much every scene with Willow and Tara in generally rocks my world, so an episode devoted to the relationship? Bud_White heaven (well, as you all know, actually that's Lie to Me on repeat, but you get the idea). I also think it's the true moment when the most important relationship in Willow's life stops being Oz, and becomes Tara. But then, I suppose, that's a rather obvious observation. Ah, well, my analytical skills aren't what they used to be I guess.

It is fun when you move on to The Yoko factor and concentrate on the Willow/Tara relationship instead of the main theme. Spike does not try to shake their relationship but uses it against the others. Xander finds out for the first time, so that which has been obvious to us is a revelation to him. Giles' response...."Bloody Hell!" and then is embarrassment when Will and Tara call for the computer is manifest. When it comes to the plot though, Tara is still excluded even though she is arguably a more powerful witch than Will. She is not in at the kill in Primeval nor is she in Restless as her self. However she plays an enormous part in the dream sequences of all the scooby gang suggesting that she holds the key to all their futures. It suggests a much more aggressive start for her in season five than she actually had. Regrettably I will now have to watch season five to check it out.
C

Regrettably?

It is a tough life and we must all make sacrifices. I watched Dracula tonight. How painful it was not to be able to watch Big Boredom or celebrity toilet cleaning/gardening/screaming brat/Anne "charlady" Widdecombe,etc and have to watch intelligent well written Buffy with Willow and Tara looking cuter than hell. Mind you I did watch "Sugar Rush" on Channel 4 and that is a really mature and well made black comedy. Well worth the thirty minutes of life used up.

C

I love The Yoko Factor as well, and the comedy moments of 'She's your girlfriend?!' and 'Bloody hell' are so great (and my big passion on the small screen is comedy).

But yeah, the Willow and Tara relationship is so well developed, and I love it personally, it is what for me makes Tabula Rasa such a great episode.

It's hard to say what makes this relatiopnship so great - perhaps the fact I can't name what makes them mesh so well, but can only feel it, is part of the reason it is so great.

And, for the record, for me, it is the best, and most 'healthy' (whatever that means) relationship the show ever had.

I think it was they each made the one another feel more secure and you just felt they each understood each other so well - they were both such giving people as well which I think made them so good together. I agree that exactly why their relationship was so beautiful was hard to define. I think they were the most romantic relationship of the Buffy/Angel verse as there was a real sweetness to it - it was just incredible cute.

Ok, I'm going to get my bit in on The Body forst because if I start off on the whole Wilow/Tara relationship, we could be here for weeks.

I also didn't see TB until I got the dvds and then I actually learnt that I held my breath for most of it, only inhaling/exhaling at the end of each scene.
Im hopeless when Willow cries, colour me sobbing but over time I think Im becoming a tiny bit immune and can now watch that scene without dehydrating through sobbing but its Anya's speech that gets me now. Its so childlike and yet mature in the same instance. I dont understand how anyone cannot adore this for the wonderfully painful script and superb acting.


Right, Willow and Tara... oh welcome home!! Of everything on BtVS, Willow and Tara is always the safe place to go. When everything else has gone to hell in a hand basket, you know that Willow and Tara will always love each other forever.
Its one of the reasons I love Tabula Rasa, although I always forget about the end and end up crying and eating too much chocolate.

Of all the episodes, there are only two lines that can get me sobbing just by hearing them, and it doesn't even need to be the characters saying them. Those are; "Things fall apart....." so beautiful and perfect. I remember the first time I saw it, I was leaping up and down on the chair uttering something along the lines of; "If you don't want her Will, I'll have her!!" Closely followed by; "Get off your ass and kiss the woman!!!!!!" then collapsing in happy tearage.

The second one being; "Hey black eyed girl....." Its no secret that I have a problem when it comes to season 6. I have watched it so many times that I can recite every one of Dark Willows lines without the sound or subtitles on and still be in perfect sync with AH. I need help!! Dark Willow will always be my all time favourite but the Willow/Tara relationship is something I think we all strive for, and if its not, then it should be. They were so perfect and right together that I find it hard to see how anyone could have aproblem with it. Maybe Im just a little biased?

Will