Reasons Why Erin Loves the Whedonverse: Dances of Pylea
For humans, the hell dimension of Pylea is not a great place to be. At best you are worked to death as livestock, unless you have visions, then you are well-fed livestock puppets of the ruling religious leaders. For the other residents, however, it's just there home and place to live. Not necessarily a great place, but a place nonetheless. There's no music, but there is dancing. As long as you are not human and like a world of moral absolutes, Pylea isn't so bad. In other words, Angel loved it, at least until he realized that he'd involuntarily turn into a full-fledged vampire demon thing.
I mean, Lorne's cousin seems to enjoy adventuring in a world of clear cut morality. And his brother Numfar (the Mose Schrute of the Deathwok clan)* seems to enjoy his life as the family's dancing fool. Had Lorne not developed the ability to sing and appreciate music, he probably would have been content with the simple life of Pylea. Of course, that isn't how it went, so it was fortunate for him he got sent to our dimension, where cocktails and music are plentiful.
The visit to Pylea for the Angel gang was important for many reasons. It introduced Winifred "Fred" Burkle, the Groosalugg, and fleshed out Lorne's backstory a bit. In addition, it conveyed the idea that demons weren't necessarily actively evil. It had been hinted before on Buffy and Angel, but would become far more prevalent as time went on.
Still, as important that series of episodes were, they are still favorites of mine because they are pretty damn funny. And of course, the funniest part of those episodes were the dances. So dance on, Numfar, do the dance of Honored Thanks for our accolades, as I will join in with the Dance of Joviality.
ALSO: Check out Erin's "bonus" reason, #15.5: Dr. Horrible/Loki.
*Interestingly, Numfar was played by Joss Whedon, while Mose is played by Michael Schur. I like how these two favorite show creators/writers of mine played small, yet hilarious, bit parts on their shows.
Showing posts with label Angel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Angel. Show all posts
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
I love the Whedonverse, Part 12
Why I Love the Whedonverse #12: Spike
Ah yes, Spike. Strange that he was originally going to be a one off villain, considering how important he later came to be. Frankly, I could write an entire post (or more) about Spike, but this isn't the time or place. Suffice it to say that the Whedonverse wouldn't be the same without him.
As a side note, I really like the fact that his and Angel's argument over who would win between cavemen and astronauts comes from "A Hole in the World". It's a rare funny part of a rather somber episode. It's hilariously stupid, yet so accurate as to how we all get in silly arguments like that. Besides, everybody knows that astronauts would win.
EDIT: The episode title is not "A Hole in the Ground". Last time I checked there weren't any hobbits in the episode, as Jonathan wasn't in it. Thanks to Erin for bringing that to my attention.
Ah yes, Spike. Strange that he was originally going to be a one off villain, considering how important he later came to be. Frankly, I could write an entire post (or more) about Spike, but this isn't the time or place. Suffice it to say that the Whedonverse wouldn't be the same without him.
As a side note, I really like the fact that his and Angel's argument over who would win between cavemen and astronauts comes from "A Hole in the World". It's a rare funny part of a rather somber episode. It's hilariously stupid, yet so accurate as to how we all get in silly arguments like that. Besides, everybody knows that astronauts would win.
EDIT: The episode title is not "A Hole in the Ground". Last time I checked there weren't any hobbits in the episode, as Jonathan wasn't in it. Thanks to Erin for bringing that to my attention.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Why Erin Loves the Whedonverse, part 8 of 31
Starting today, we will be cross-posting Erin's excellent series of Tumblr posts about why she loves the Whedonverse on this blog. Currently she is on #8, so go back through her Tumblr and check out the first seven. All of them have been pretty great, but this one is probably the best, so it's a great introduction to her series.
In addition to giving you the link, I'll also be adding some short thoughts of my own.
Why I Love the Whedonverse #8: Doyle's Commercial
When I started marathoning Angel on Netflix after I finished season three of Buffy, I was fairly underwhelmed. The show was competent, but kind of boring. It probably didn't help that it was following one of my favorite TV seasons ever, but I was having trouble continuing with it. I struggled through those first eight episodes, wondering if the other 102 episodes would take as long to get through. Then I fired up "Hero", and the rest is history.
I'll admit that part of the reason I like the episode is that it cleared the way for the return of Wesley, whose arc is probably my favorite non-musical thing from the Whedonverse. But that is the minor part, as "Hero" is the first great episode of the show. And of course, Doyle's commercial is a big part of that.
In addition to giving you the link, I'll also be adding some short thoughts of my own.
Why I Love the Whedonverse #8: Doyle's Commercial
When I started marathoning Angel on Netflix after I finished season three of Buffy, I was fairly underwhelmed. The show was competent, but kind of boring. It probably didn't help that it was following one of my favorite TV seasons ever, but I was having trouble continuing with it. I struggled through those first eight episodes, wondering if the other 102 episodes would take as long to get through. Then I fired up "Hero", and the rest is history.
I'll admit that part of the reason I like the episode is that it cleared the way for the return of Wesley, whose arc is probably my favorite non-musical thing from the Whedonverse. But that is the minor part, as "Hero" is the first great episode of the show. And of course, Doyle's commercial is a big part of that.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
TV Week begins: My Favorite Seasons of TV
From Tuesday through Friday, I'll be writing a post each day about TV. Why? Because I like writing and thinking about TV. Oh, and it's about time for new shows to return to the big four networks (and NBC*). Also, because Blogger's stats have shown people like reading my TV posts.**
Anyway, we begin with a list of my favorite seasons of TV.
For most TV shows, even in this age of serialization, a season is merely a business unit. A production schedule that says when new episodes are aired, and when they are replaced by reruns or a inconsequential and terrible summer reality show. Most people look at a show, and judge it on an episode to episode basis. Occasionally, some people will comment if a season was particularly full of great episodes, or was a complete departure from a previous season (good or bad). And of course there are the shows like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Game of Thrones which are heavily serialized, so a season is like a book and its episodes are a chapters.
Being that I am not most people, I have a tendency to obsess over not only episodes, but seasons. This is true even for shows that aren't (or weren't) serialized at all, like The Simpsons or Newsradio. I like to compare a particular season of a show with another season, or occasionally compare a season of one show up against the rest of the seasons of TV I've ever watched. I am not a huge fan of ranking shows from best to worst, most to least, or some other metric. However, I do like creating collections of seasons that I consider the best of the show as a whole, or even the best I've ever seen.
It is with this in mind that I share my list of favorite seasons of all time. The rules are few and fairly simple.
1. Only one season per show. For some shows (Arrested Development) this isn't too hard, but others (The Simpsons), it can be pretty tough.
2. When I think of a TV show, the season has to stick out in my mind. As much as I love Breaking Bad and Mad Men, not a single season on either show separates itself from the others. This is not a bad thing, as it means all of the seasons are of a considerable high quality. It just means that I don't have a favorite.
3. Shows must have at least three seasons to qualify. In other words, I apologize in advance to any aggrieved Browncoats***.
4. For the purpose of this list, season whatever I associate more to be a comprehensive season. This should be known as the Futurama rule. In the case of that show, the "fourth season" means the fourth volume of the DVDs. These episodes were actually was split over two actual broadcast seasons. However, I became fully acquainted with them on the DVDs, and as such that is how I will treat them.
5. It should go without saying that this only applies to shows I have watched in their entirety, their currently available entirety, or at least a large enough body of their entirety to make an accurate assessment.
With those rules in mind, let's get started!
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season Three
Some people feel quite strongly the show went downhill after the Scoobies graduated from high school. While there is still plenty to recommend about the last four seasons of the show, there is no doubt that season three was the high point for the show. A big part of this is due to the season having the best big bad of the bunch in The Mayor. Unlike other seasons of the show, season three was consistent in tone, character traits, and quality. Also, this season had one of my favorite episodes, "The Zeppo", so that counts for something.
Angel: Season Five
Many shows get canceled well before their time, leaving fans to commiserate about what might have been****. Other shows hit the opposite extreme, limping along from season to season until every character has been married, won the lottery, or died of a heart attack*****. It is a rare show that ends it runs on a high note. After an enjoyable, but at times messy fourth season, Angel rebounded with a vengeance. It made troublesome or borderline annoying characters from BtVS awesome (either again or for the first time). It had that wonderful Whedon mixture of humor and senseless tragedy. It promised demon fighting brothers who were also Mexican wrestlers, foul mouthed demon puppets, and a not-annoying Connor, and somehow delivered on all three. And the ending of the last episode...that had to be one of the most thematically appropriate endings to a series I've ever seen.
The Office (US): Season Three
Yes, young ones, there was a time when Jim and Pam's relationship wasn't incredibly dull, and they were actually likeable. There was a time when Dwight wasn't such a cartoon, and was occasionally even sympathetic. Hell, Andy was even occasionally funny, but nowhere near as funny as that clueless Michael Scott. The awful British lady and fat James Spader were nowhere to be found. Ryan was still a dick, but a relevant dick. There was no Gabe, and Dunder-Mifflin was an independent company, with corporate officers who were actually interesting. Ann Perkins from Parks and Recreation was on the show, and she actually brought complications to Jim and Pam's relationship, which wasn't as yet consummated. Sure, Creed and Stanley were still funny, but so were Angela and Kevin on occasion. The show was funny, the cast was likeable, and it was well written, directed, and produced. So when we reminisce about those days, as that god-awful The Farm enters its sixteenth season, please turn off your holoproj of Office Babies and watch this crusty old video and see what we mean.
Moral Orel: Season Three
For two seasons, Moral Orel was a funny, often pointed and biting satire of fundamentalist Christianity. It centered around a young sinner named Orel, who in all respects seemed to be a genuinely good person who tried to be a good Christian, as well as a good son, brother, friend, and citizen. Even if that meant raising the dead, drinking his own urine, or helping the "slow" kid unlearn all that sciency crap. While Orel, and a few other characters as well, were treated with sympathy, the townsfolk and his parents were mainly their as foils, used to show the hypocrisy of extremism and absolutism, no matter the stripe. If those two seasons were alone, it would have still been an enjoyable Adult Swim show.
And then the third season happened.
In many ways, the seeds were sown from the beginning, as the first episode aired by Cartoon Network, "The Best Christmas Ever", was incredibly depressing. But the two part second season finale, "Nature" took it up another notch. Frankly, that was one of the darkest pieces of television I have ever seen.
Season three took it from there, weaving a connected story of the people of Moralton through its thirteen episodes. There are long parts of most episodes where there isn't much that is funny. Instead, we see into the lives of the people, and the vast majority of them are lonely, troubled, and in need of serious help. So many of them try to live up to the ideals of their church and society, despite it causing them so much grief and self-doubt. Even Orel himself comes to have doubts, wondering (justifiably so, given the events of "Nature") whether or not there is anything about his father that is worth honoring. Though few and far between, there are a few moments of clarity and healing for some of the people of Moralton. However, these require the people transcending the strictures of their extremist society and taking a more open and compassionate view towards their fellow man.
Despite all the darkness, the grief and the loneliness, the series ends on a hopeful note. Apparently there were seven scripts that were never produced, the show canceled before they could get any further. To me, that's a damn shame, although I probably represent about 17% of the fan club for the show.
=============
This is getting much longer than I intended it to be. In the interest of staving off
"tl;dr"s, I'm going to pick this up again tomorrow. Don't worry, this won't count as tomorrow's piece. Also, don't worry about this list being front-loaded. Many of my all time favorites will be in the list tomorrow as well.
*BURN! Oh wait, a few of my favorite shows are on NBC, and they are about to be canceled. Now I made myself sad.
**Or they like bouncing immediately elsewhere, because there are no nude photos of stars of a tagged show.
***But hey, two other Whedon shows qualify! And wasn't The Avengers a damn fine movie?
****Freaks and Geeks, Firefly, Luck
*****The Office (US), Family Guy, and Roseanne. The Simpsons should probably be on this list, but while far from the quality of their golden years, it still can sometimes knock a homer out of the park.
Anyway, we begin with a list of my favorite seasons of TV.
For most TV shows, even in this age of serialization, a season is merely a business unit. A production schedule that says when new episodes are aired, and when they are replaced by reruns or a inconsequential and terrible summer reality show. Most people look at a show, and judge it on an episode to episode basis. Occasionally, some people will comment if a season was particularly full of great episodes, or was a complete departure from a previous season (good or bad). And of course there are the shows like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Game of Thrones which are heavily serialized, so a season is like a book and its episodes are a chapters.
Being that I am not most people, I have a tendency to obsess over not only episodes, but seasons. This is true even for shows that aren't (or weren't) serialized at all, like The Simpsons or Newsradio. I like to compare a particular season of a show with another season, or occasionally compare a season of one show up against the rest of the seasons of TV I've ever watched. I am not a huge fan of ranking shows from best to worst, most to least, or some other metric. However, I do like creating collections of seasons that I consider the best of the show as a whole, or even the best I've ever seen.
It is with this in mind that I share my list of favorite seasons of all time. The rules are few and fairly simple.
1. Only one season per show. For some shows (Arrested Development) this isn't too hard, but others (The Simpsons), it can be pretty tough.
2. When I think of a TV show, the season has to stick out in my mind. As much as I love Breaking Bad and Mad Men, not a single season on either show separates itself from the others. This is not a bad thing, as it means all of the seasons are of a considerable high quality. It just means that I don't have a favorite.
3. Shows must have at least three seasons to qualify. In other words, I apologize in advance to any aggrieved Browncoats***.
4. For the purpose of this list, season whatever I associate more to be a comprehensive season. This should be known as the Futurama rule. In the case of that show, the "fourth season" means the fourth volume of the DVDs. These episodes were actually was split over two actual broadcast seasons. However, I became fully acquainted with them on the DVDs, and as such that is how I will treat them.
5. It should go without saying that this only applies to shows I have watched in their entirety, their currently available entirety, or at least a large enough body of their entirety to make an accurate assessment.
With those rules in mind, let's get started!
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season Three
Some people feel quite strongly the show went downhill after the Scoobies graduated from high school. While there is still plenty to recommend about the last four seasons of the show, there is no doubt that season three was the high point for the show. A big part of this is due to the season having the best big bad of the bunch in The Mayor. Unlike other seasons of the show, season three was consistent in tone, character traits, and quality. Also, this season had one of my favorite episodes, "The Zeppo", so that counts for something.
Angel: Season Five
Many shows get canceled well before their time, leaving fans to commiserate about what might have been****. Other shows hit the opposite extreme, limping along from season to season until every character has been married, won the lottery, or died of a heart attack*****. It is a rare show that ends it runs on a high note. After an enjoyable, but at times messy fourth season, Angel rebounded with a vengeance. It made troublesome or borderline annoying characters from BtVS awesome (either again or for the first time). It had that wonderful Whedon mixture of humor and senseless tragedy. It promised demon fighting brothers who were also Mexican wrestlers, foul mouthed demon puppets, and a not-annoying Connor, and somehow delivered on all three. And the ending of the last episode...that had to be one of the most thematically appropriate endings to a series I've ever seen.
The Office (US): Season Three
Yes, young ones, there was a time when Jim and Pam's relationship wasn't incredibly dull, and they were actually likeable. There was a time when Dwight wasn't such a cartoon, and was occasionally even sympathetic. Hell, Andy was even occasionally funny, but nowhere near as funny as that clueless Michael Scott. The awful British lady and fat James Spader were nowhere to be found. Ryan was still a dick, but a relevant dick. There was no Gabe, and Dunder-Mifflin was an independent company, with corporate officers who were actually interesting. Ann Perkins from Parks and Recreation was on the show, and she actually brought complications to Jim and Pam's relationship, which wasn't as yet consummated. Sure, Creed and Stanley were still funny, but so were Angela and Kevin on occasion. The show was funny, the cast was likeable, and it was well written, directed, and produced. So when we reminisce about those days, as that god-awful The Farm enters its sixteenth season, please turn off your holoproj of Office Babies and watch this crusty old video and see what we mean.
Moral Orel: Season Three
For two seasons, Moral Orel was a funny, often pointed and biting satire of fundamentalist Christianity. It centered around a young sinner named Orel, who in all respects seemed to be a genuinely good person who tried to be a good Christian, as well as a good son, brother, friend, and citizen. Even if that meant raising the dead, drinking his own urine, or helping the "slow" kid unlearn all that sciency crap. While Orel, and a few other characters as well, were treated with sympathy, the townsfolk and his parents were mainly their as foils, used to show the hypocrisy of extremism and absolutism, no matter the stripe. If those two seasons were alone, it would have still been an enjoyable Adult Swim show.
And then the third season happened.
In many ways, the seeds were sown from the beginning, as the first episode aired by Cartoon Network, "The Best Christmas Ever", was incredibly depressing. But the two part second season finale, "Nature" took it up another notch. Frankly, that was one of the darkest pieces of television I have ever seen.
Season three took it from there, weaving a connected story of the people of Moralton through its thirteen episodes. There are long parts of most episodes where there isn't much that is funny. Instead, we see into the lives of the people, and the vast majority of them are lonely, troubled, and in need of serious help. So many of them try to live up to the ideals of their church and society, despite it causing them so much grief and self-doubt. Even Orel himself comes to have doubts, wondering (justifiably so, given the events of "Nature") whether or not there is anything about his father that is worth honoring. Though few and far between, there are a few moments of clarity and healing for some of the people of Moralton. However, these require the people transcending the strictures of their extremist society and taking a more open and compassionate view towards their fellow man.
Despite all the darkness, the grief and the loneliness, the series ends on a hopeful note. Apparently there were seven scripts that were never produced, the show canceled before they could get any further. To me, that's a damn shame, although I probably represent about 17% of the fan club for the show.
=============
This is getting much longer than I intended it to be. In the interest of staving off
"tl;dr"s, I'm going to pick this up again tomorrow. Don't worry, this won't count as tomorrow's piece. Also, don't worry about this list being front-loaded. Many of my all time favorites will be in the list tomorrow as well.
*BURN! Oh wait, a few of my favorite shows are on NBC, and they are about to be canceled. Now I made myself sad.
**Or they like bouncing immediately elsewhere, because there are no nude photos of stars of a tagged show.
***But hey, two other Whedon shows qualify! And wasn't The Avengers a damn fine movie?
****Freaks and Geeks, Firefly, Luck
*****The Office (US), Family Guy, and Roseanne. The Simpsons should probably be on this list, but while far from the quality of their golden years, it still can sometimes knock a homer out of the park.
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