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

I hope you are finding it comfortable and the TV is still working in there.

I had to emerge from my own seclusion from All-News-Buffy-Related, only because I had to find out whether Angel had been renewed this week. And it has. Yay!

To my horror, slayage.com is peppered with articles from various sources with such titles as "Good Riddance Buffy", and "The End is not Too Soon", and other such travesties. Who are these people? Obviously the US sources are only an episode or two from the end, and for whatever reason this is bringing the naysayers out of their dank cellars. Pooh, pooh to them.

I have loved the last couple of episodes, and I love LMPTM so much that I have not been able to put together an objective review. Neither have you, by the looks. Are we going to be in a photo finish tomorrow morning?

Are you a convention attender or does that involve too great an excursion from your box? A Buffy convention is scheduled in London in June. I am intrigued by the overlap, if any, between people who love to intellectualise Buffyverse and indulge in the pleasures of viewing over and over, and people who like to make idols of the actors, and indulge in the pleasures of fandom - if that is what convention-going amounts to. Maybe you have a view?

I tried to watch Firefly on Sci-Fi channel the other night and had to give up half way through. It made me question Joss' godliness.

See you here tomorrow!

Hi Flavia, and thanks for your concern. The spoiler-avoidance is going pretty well at the moment. I am pleased to report that I still have no idea what is planned, having severed links with such outlets as teletext, magazines, newspapers etcetera, and I hope this continues until the end. However, I have been drawing strange looks when I leave the house wearing blinkers and ear-plugs. Still, it'll all be worth it I'm sure. At least I hope it will be. Has it crossed your mind as well what sort of weight will be on Joss' shoulders to deliver the goods in the finale? The expectation is going to be huge and I can't help feeling that having been served such riches in the past for end-of-season episodes, he's going to have to dig extra deep to satisfy us this time. Although, if anyone can do it, it's the Jossmeister.

It's a real shame that people have decided to slag off Buffy as you report. There will always be the attention-seeking types, though, and despite these hurtful comments I think Buffy has already cemented its place in the history of groundbreaking T.V. shows.

I've been posting sparingly just lately as available time becomes a factor. I'm sure you're aware of the current Buffy bonanza taking place on our screens. After all those weeks of complaints about Buffy going AWOL, we now have it on Sky at 6:00 as well as Thursdays at 8:00, along with BBC's showing of S6 (finally). To cap it all, the S6 DVD boxset came out on Monday and I've now got to try to fit that into my wafer-thin slot of free-time. (Good job I don't have a life as well!) I don't really write as fluently as you and the others seem to, either, so by the time I've processed my thoughts on an episode, the following Thursday might come around and I'll think 'well, maybe next week'. I just read one of your posts on Seeing Red, by the way, and loved your use of the word 'quasi-chivalric'. I've just GOT to try using that in conversation sometime!


SPOILER FOR SEASON 7 FOLLOWS










As regards LMPTM, I too thought it was a superb episode, but I wasn't too convinced by Giles' plot against Spike. I know he's never been too happy with Spike's presence, but to go along with the plot to kill him behind Buffy's back was a massive abuse of trust and also hypocritical from the 'we need all the help we can get' perspective. Spike's an ally now and Giles knows it. DB Woodside was fabulous, however, as was Marsters, and the scenes with William and his mother were touching.

I'm not sure whether conventions are really my scene. Whilst I appreciate the appeal of seeing our favourite stars in the flesh along with the autograph sessions, sharing opinions with fellow fans etc., I just wonder if I'd suffer from the flip-side of this and become star-struck at the actors' presence! I've also read about certain conventions featuring James Marsters being compared to Beatles' concerts in the 60s due to the hordes of screaming teenage girls. Being star-struck is one thing, but when hearing about these extreme examples, it makes you wonder whether it is actually fun to be there. Maybe this is a rare occurrence, though, and I'm sure there's a lot to be gained by just meeting other fans.

Hope to speak to you soon. Bye for now.

How funny that you say you don't write as fluently as others - your posts are always so readable that I guess I just thought you rattled them off as the thoughts occurred to you. Thoughtful too.

It is hard for me to get home for 6pm so I am not going to get too excited about the Season 1 fest (I saw WTTH/Harvest on Mon and Tue) - but it is wonderful on Sky's part to put it on in the lead up to the final ever episode. I am beginning to see the Sky corporation in a softer light.

SEASON 7 SPOILER FOLLOWS



I agree that Giles' animosity was a little hard to fathom - compare this Giles to the Giles that shared the St Crispin's Day joke with Spike in The Gift. But then, that was before he knew about Buffy's bonkfest with Spike last season and I think it is obvious that he genuinely believes her feelings for Spike are a hindrance to her leadership, they were when it came to Angel except in the crunch, and also genuine when he says he thinks Angel was the better man for leaving Buffy and not allowing their relationship to interfere in their slaying. Sincere but misguided.

From Buffy's perspective, Spike stayed because she asked him to and because she needs him. That was enough for him. Angel wouldn't do that for her. He thought his judgment was better than hers. Giles is here making the same mistake.

I can't help feeling it was a little contrived on the writers' part because, as you say, objectively speaking they need everyone they can get - old Giles would have seen that as indeed he did in The Gift. Here, it is actually his feelings about Spike that are the hindrance.

I agree with you re the conventions - the star struck hordes might be a little overwhelming, or then again they might be infectious - which is maybe worse. I am still thinking I might go to one day of the convention in London, at least as a social experiment. Maybe take a camcorder and interview people dressed up as Spike about their motivation.

Thanks for your kind words about that Seeing Red comment. Encouraged, I will go and put together some more words on LMPTM.

Stay well. Cross fingers that Spike is not killed off by the writers this week, now that he has reached some kind of epiphany.