With a few exceptions, the ten unpopular opinions meme strikes me as an invitation to more line drawing and kerfuffling, so I wasn't going to do this. Really I wasn't. But I can't seem to get the thousands of words (do these count for nanowrimo?) I want to say about Destiny out unless I do. So let me preface this by saying that I have declared war on kers, and refuse to fuff. And let me warn you that I'm terminally slow at responding to meaty comments, but will get the job done eventually if you choose to comment.
1. I think Destiny was an episode on par with the very, very best of AtS and BtVS.
2. I adore Buffy. I adore Spike. I adore Buffy with Spike, any mix and match seasons as you please, there's always a great tale there. But I recognize that Buffy is gone from my tv never to return in new stories, so I want them to tie up loose ends with Spike and let him move on. But they'd damned well better convince me. So far, they're doing a decent job. We'll see if they can get to the finish line with me believing them.
3. I loved S6 with fiery passion. It is my favorite, though I'd toss Grave into the rubbish bin before I'd give up Beer Bad in my collection.
4. I was mortally disappointed with where S7 went after CWDP, but think the first seven eps were the best run BtVS ever had, with the second half of S2 close behind.
5. I desperately miss the story they did not tell of how Willow recovered from the depths of depravity and evil. I am convinced that Giles had a lot to do with it.
6. The only time I ever cried while watching BtVS was when Oz left. But I came close during Becoming. B/A weren't forever, but they were moving.
7. The only character I've ever wished horrible death on is Andrew, may his Jonathan-killing-weakling self rot in hell forever. Except for the Anointed One. His death was the beginning of my love for Spike.
8. Stephen DeKnight has never written an episode that I am less than over-the-moon in love with. I also love David Fury, but he's got a few clunkers.
9. I hated the Gift when it aired. Still do. The whole "oh wow, she's made from me so I can die in her place" bit was just flat stupid.
10. Dead Things and CWDP tie for my all-time favorite episodes.
1. I think Destiny was an episode on par with the very, very best of AtS and BtVS.
2. I adore Buffy. I adore Spike. I adore Buffy with Spike, any mix and match seasons as you please, there's always a great tale there. But I recognize that Buffy is gone from my tv never to return in new stories, so I want them to tie up loose ends with Spike and let him move on. But they'd damned well better convince me. So far, they're doing a decent job. We'll see if they can get to the finish line with me believing them.
3. I loved S6 with fiery passion. It is my favorite, though I'd toss Grave into the rubbish bin before I'd give up Beer Bad in my collection.
4. I was mortally disappointed with where S7 went after CWDP, but think the first seven eps were the best run BtVS ever had, with the second half of S2 close behind.
5. I desperately miss the story they did not tell of how Willow recovered from the depths of depravity and evil. I am convinced that Giles had a lot to do with it.
6. The only time I ever cried while watching BtVS was when Oz left. But I came close during Becoming. B/A weren't forever, but they were moving.
7. The only character I've ever wished horrible death on is Andrew, may his Jonathan-killing-weakling self rot in hell forever. Except for the Anointed One. His death was the beginning of my love for Spike.
8. Stephen DeKnight has never written an episode that I am less than over-the-moon in love with. I also love David Fury, but he's got a few clunkers.
9. I hated the Gift when it aired. Still do. The whole "oh wow, she's made from me so I can die in her place" bit was just flat stupid.
10. Dead Things and CWDP tie for my all-time favorite episodes.
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1. Not exactly an unpopular opinion. :-) (My MinO is proud to be a MinO and will not brook being imitated!)
2. Yeah... what you said!
3. Me too! S6 rules (though Grave was a bit weak).
4. I'm with you, but I'd extend that to Ep. 9. Everything kind of turned to mush after Never Leave Me. They pulled it back together with LMPTM, but then the final five were just a slide downhill.
5. I'm with you there. Willow hardly figured in S7, and she should have.
6. Well, I joined long after that and only caught up on Willow/Oz later, so it didn't have the same emotional impact.
7. Die, Andrew! Die!
8. I have only just seen my first SDK episode I don't like. I think it's the fact that he's writing to AtS specifications now rather than Buffy specifications that makes the difference for me. I like Fury too.
9. OK, not with you here. I saw Buffy's sacrifice as a metafor for giving up her youth to become Dawn's parent. I just wish that she had eventually rediscovered her inner child and become happy again.
10. Dead Things and CWDP are certainly near the top of my top ten list. But I'd have to get some others in there.
Anyone as well reasoned and talented as you, Elsa, is always welcome here!
I knew we'd agree on quite a bit of it -- and some of them are minorities only in the bizarrely wide-ranging set of journals I read ;-) I've seen several actual relations of your MinO elsewhere here (as opposed to unauthorized clones *g*), but I think you're right, Destiny!Love seems to abound.
4. I'm with you, but I'd extend that to Ep. 9. Everything kind of turned to mush after Never Leave Me. They pulled it back together with LMPTM, but then the final five were just a slide downhill.
For me, it was *definitely* at Sleeper they lost me. If I'm clear about it, I'd say that I liked Get it Done on through to the end, given what they *didn't* have to work with. Caleb was a waste. I enjoyed Chosen thoroughly, though. No tears, but close.
8. I have only just seen my first SDK episode I don't like. I think it's the fact that he's writing to AtS specifications now rather than Buffy specifications that makes the difference for me. I like Fury too.
Nods. AtS is *definitely* a different show, and I often think a different universe. Fury writes the best Spike I can think of. He manages to write all the contradictions that make him such a fascinating character exactly to suit me. Eps that others hated, I've adored, including Crush and Gone. Probably many more, but I think those are two I remember much hatred running round about.
9. OK, not with you here. I saw Buffy's sacrifice as a metafor for giving up her youth to become Dawn's parent. I just wish that she had eventually rediscovered her inner child and become happy again.
Will gladly agree to disagree on this one -- I know my thoughts are pretty tiny MinOs on this one. I could write a page-long rant on why I hate The Gift, actually. I ought to amend my original. I think the real reason I hated the Gift was much more than the stupidity of the sudden blood similarity. I saw it as Buffy escaping -- Willow brought her back once, and was destined to bring her back again in S6 to continue the path of misery that was begun in S5. They did a much better job of it in S6, imho. I didn't see jumping as a noble act at all, but one of suicide. I didn't see acceptance, but rejection. It felt flat and contrived. Part of the problem, I think, is that S5 failed to build a connection to Dawn for me to begin with (that's a big understatement), so it didn't feel real with Buffy, either. I was almost a year off from discovering fandom, so I didn't even know the show was leaving WB. I just assumed there would be another season and that they were bringing her back, so the whole thing was truly lost on me. Shrugs. I'm pretty sure that's my worst sin as a BtVS fan, this irrational despising of The Gift.
Oh, yes. This is one of my biggest pet peeves- what a waste of a storyline.
#2 - I'll love them forever in fanfic, but would keel over in amazement to ever see it on screen at this point. So if they make it believable, I can move on if Spike does, though I'll never buy her with Angel at this point, even if SMG makes a random guest appearance.
#5 - Yes, yes, yes. That was a huge story that should have been told - could have done with fewer random SIT storylines and more of Willow's recovery.
#6 - Willow/Oz was the sweetest relationship on the show, hands down. I bawled like a baby. I want them to meet in Istanbul still.
#7 - Why do people love that weasel so? He killed Jonathon, damn him.
Bitterness warning: Because he's cute and got all of Xander's lines.
Who should go do her own opinion list...rather than just reacting to other people...hmmmm!
2. I adore them both and I agree. I’m ready for Spike to move on. He got over Dru, so he can get over Buffy. But I’m not seeing him waking up, looking at Fred and thinking “I always preferred brunettes.” I want to be convinced.
3. Loved season 6 too. I didn’t always like the characters, but the plot rocked.
8. Stephen DeKnight rocks, as does David Fury. However, neither is suited to a career in public relations work.
10. Dead Thigns and CWDP are definitely two of my favs too.
Is there a ballot box somewhere I can stuff? Because I am sooooo with you on this.
9. I hated the Gift when it aired. Still do. The whole "oh wow, she's made from me so I can die in her place" bit was just flat stupid.
Right there with ya babe. I never liked Dawn (while the show was on) and I thought that Buffy dying for her was retarded.
After CWDP is definitely where Season 7 started to sour.
Insert no meaning into my icon, because for this post it means nothing in particular, I just wanted to use it. :-)
yeah
7. The only character I've ever wished horrible death on is Andrew
but where'd we be without Andrew and his video camera? Sans six of the hottest frames ever shot in the Summers' kitchen or the Buffyverse, for that matter. too horrible to contemplate. sniff.
Oh baby, no. Those didn't come even close to hottest for my taste ;-) Give me Smashed and Gone and Dead Things over the sweeping romance any day... I can let that one go, if it means I never have to lay eyes on that squinty eyed traitor and consumer of Xander's role-that-wasn't in S7. *grins*
I loved DT, but I've only ever been able to watch it that one time, because I find the alley scene too painful. That entire season was unbelievable and easily the most compelling TV I've ever seen; I waited for each episode with bated breath, practically counting down the hours.
I didn't know about fandom at the time of the Gift, and by the time I did find it, the floods of post Gift fic and such had me convinced I was alone in my dislike.
Who knew?