#btvs review
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Buffy the vampire Slayer.
Season 2
Ep 7 - Lie to me
Please don't kill the kid, I hate it. Leave the kids alone
Drusilla and angel... Do they have a past? Interesting.
Oh for fuck sake! Not again! Why does buffy walks in the worst time ever. Now its angel and Drusilla. Great.
Sometimes Cordelia needs to shut up. Girl, just don't.
A new guy, billy ford, buffy's giant 5th-grade crush. Welp he's either gonna be our new fav guy or die in this episode.
Lmao Xander, you are funny. Also, willow that song is not about fat guys.
Jealousy jealousy all around. Tension all around here. Angel jealous, love it.
Ford knows everything. What do you mean you know about vampire and that she's the slayer!? WTF MAN!
He's a bad guy, I am sure of it. He's a vampire, maybe...? Or he wants to be one...?
Awww, angel is jealous. I love men get jealous in shows or books.
I love awkward mess willow. She's me and I love it.
Dont trust the ford guy. I know he's cute buffy but cute guys are trouble. Stick to women.
Spike and drusilla/drusilla's relationship is creepy .
This ford guy is totally crazy and dumb. Wanna be a vampire, just die.
Jesus Angel is dramatic, "Do you love me?", "maybe you shouldn't ", just shut up.
Jesus fucking Christ, Angel. What he did to Drusilla is pure evil. Poor girl. I hope she gets to torture and kill him. Wtf man.
Xander: "Angel was in your room?", Willow:- "Ours is a forbidden love". God I love willow. She's my favorite .
Man, buffy really has the worst taste in men. None of them are good. Angel(his fucked up past), billy ford, the creepy cemetery guy, the college guy who was a reptile worshipper and in sacrifice cult. Girl, maybe get some therapy at this point,.
Spike is kinda hot and I think I need some therapy now.
Oh OH, this ford guy is max from Rosewell(or whatever it's called), the one with insane chemistry between him and Liz. Lmao, never watched the show but I've watched gif's of them making out, which are...something 🤤🙈
Buffy for the win again.
Spike is gonna kill ford isn't he? Poor guy should've stayed in the Rosewell universe.
I kinda feel bad that ford he died. Poor guy was crazy.
I like this little moment between buffy and giles. It's emotional, raw and real.
B:- "does it get easy", G:- "what, life", B:- "yes", G:- "what do you want me to say", B:- "lie to me". Damn, I don't know why but it got me.
The last scene between giles and buffy, in the end, got me. I mean this show is pretty heavy and emotional at the times but I feel like it's gonna get much more from here.
Also, the "lie to me", episode title. Perfect for this episode. The theme of this episode was literally "lie to me", the conflict, the delusions, denials, characters lying to themselves. Ford, buffy, Giles, angel, all of them lying to themselves in different ways. Their pain and turmoil. Perfect.
Alright, another solid episode. Honestly, other than one or maybe two episodes, I've been pretty much invested in the show and haven't got bored at all.
I loved this episode. Little more sneek peek in angel's past, and drusilla and damn her past broke me, poor girl. Honestly she can go on a killing spree and I wouldn't blame her, the girl has been through hell. Angel ruined her life because he became obsessed with her? Fuck you angel.
Not sure how I feel about ford, he was a one episode guy so no attachment but like dude just die. It's kinda sad he spiralled that far away.
I really need more angel, I am not gonna lie, he doesn't even feel like a character to me anymore. It's weird how little or Barely he is in the show. I know he has his own show but I don't wanna watch that because ain't no way I am putting myself through cordelia and angel bullshit.
A really great ending to the episode, really liked that they touched on Buffy's emotional turmoil, even if it's briefly.
I guess that's all, loved the episode. Not much xander in it, it was more buffy and angel focus and angels past which included drusilla. Someone needs to get her justice because poor girl.
Anyway, see ya in the next one. Cheers 🥂
#buffy the vampire slayer#btvs#btvs s2#btvs s2 ep 7#ep 7#btvs review#btvs s2 review#buffy btvs#buffy#xander#willow#buffy x willow x xander#angel#buffy x angel#spike#btvs spike#drusilla#drusilla × angel#angel is fucked up for what he did to drusilla.#lie to me
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my favourite line from each btvs s2 ep:
2x01: Yeah, that's the worst part of being hung upside down by a vampire who wants to slit your throat: the stains.
2x02: Sorry, but I'm an old-fashioned gal. I was raised to believe that men dig up the corpses and the women have the babies.
2x03: If every vampire who said he was at the crucifixion was actually there, it would have been like Woodstock.
2x04: I can translate American salivating boy talk. He says you're beautiful.
2x05: And you! I mean, you're gonna live forever! You don't have time for a cup of coffee?!
2x06: Do you love my insides? The parts you can't see? Eyeballs to entrails, my sweet.
2x07: A hundred years, just hanging out, feeling’ guilty…I really honed my brooding skills.
2x08: Do you know what you need, Xander, besides a year's supply of acne cream? A brain.
2x09: I'll dance with you, pet, on the Slayer's grave.
2x10: Well, I sorta test well, which is cool, except then it leads to jobs.
2x11: Well, apparently the secret ingredient is not love.
2x12: Do you know what this says about me? That I am doomed to lead my mother's life! How deeply scary is that?
2x13: Just because she's "Miss Save the World", we have to make a big deal? I have to cook!
2x14: To kill this girl, you have to love her.
2x15: What's his number? Oh, yeah. 1-800-I'm-dating-a-skanky-ho.
2x16: And keep your mom-aged mitts off my boyfriend! Former!
2x17: If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace, but we would be hollow, empty rooms…shuttered and dank. Without passion, we'd be truly dead.
2x18: Tact is just not saying true stuff. I'll pass.
2x19: Did Cordelia win another round in the broom closet?
2x20: It's a slap in the face to everyone who studied hard and worked long hours to earn our D's.
2x21: No one asks for their life to change, not really. But it does. So what are we? Helpless? Puppets? No, the big moments are gonna come, you can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find out who you are.
2x22: That's everything, huh? No weapons...no friends...no hope. Take all that away...and what's left? Me.
#not necessarily the best ones and so what if they're from a lot of the same people#btvs#buffy the vampire slayer#s2#multi#btvs rewatch#btvs review
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The most important Venn Diagram I’ve ever made
#why there will never be another spike#get you a man who can do it all#I am not wrong lol these are scientifically sound and backed by peer review (my own opinions)#spike btvs#spuffy#james marsters
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The thing about Xander is that he's my terrible little brother. He's the worst person in the world and nobody else is allowed to be mean to him, not once.
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Buffy Season One Review
I’m on my first Buffy rewatch in a long time - I think over a decade? I have watched the entire series enough times that the episodes are all still kind of burned into my brain, but I’m curious what my reaction will be now I’m a bit older.
Anyway, I’ve finished Season One, and I thought I might do a quick review of each season as I go. Can’t promise I’ll be able to keep it up, but I’ll give it a go. So…
Season One Review
S1 is… fine. It’s okay. It’s not as good as later seasons, but it’s not bad; it’s shallower than later seasons, but having expected that I found there’s a surprising amount of depth here. (Partly because I’m watching after reading @herinsectreflection’s excellent analyses, which inspired this most recent rewatch.)
I actually don’t think there are many bad episodes in S1 - the problem is, there’s hardly any good episodes either, and none that rise beyond just being ‘good’. They’re mostly just perfectly serviceable - the metaphors are a bit blunt, the humour’s a bit broad, the MIDI soundtrack kind of sucks, the vibes are kind of cheesy and immature, and overall, it’s just…
It’s Power Rangers. It’s a bit deeper and scarier, and the action scenes are worse, but basically, Season One is Power Rangers. And that’s not bad - I kind of like Power Rangers, and it’s not a bad season by those standards - but it’s not what Buffy is trying to be, or what it will become.
Season Score: 5/10 - It’s fine.
Big Bad - The Master:
In some ways, the Master is perfect. It makes sense that Buffy’s first villain is this kind of ancient and powerful vampire - he’s not as interesting as later villains, but it feels appropriate that Buffy has to beat this more generic Big Bad to move on to them. And he has a strong enough presence that he can actually bear the mythic weight that is placed upon him - it makes sense that he’s the one that killed Buffy, that he sired the Bisexual Vampire Squad; it never feels inappropriate that he has this important place in the mythology of the series, and he can carry that weight in his rare later appearances.
Unfortunately, in this season, he’s a Power Rangers villain. He sits in his lair, sending out minions and screaming in frustration when they fail. (Even finally facing the hero directly in the finale, beating them easily before they get a power up and return the favour - classic Power Rangers villain stuff.) He spends most of the season both trapped and sickly - while at full power he’s a compelling, intimidating presence, for most of the season he seems weak and kind of effete, like a homophobic Bond villain. At his best, he's montrous yet civilised, brutal but witty; in his weakened state, he lacks the contrasts that make him compelling.
Still, he is charming, he does work well in the finale, and he’s always a delight in his rare later appearances. So…
Big Bad Score: 5/10 - He’s fine. (... and not in that sense.)
Rewatch Reevaluations
The biggest change in my perspective since my last rewatch is around Angel. When I was younger, I didn’t really think much about the age difference between him and Buffy; now I’m older, I’m extremely aware of it, but also, it seems like the show is too. The episode where he shifts from ‘random mysterious stranger’ to ‘potential love interest’ is Teacher’s Pet - an episode about an older sexual predator preying on teenagers. Then in ‘Angel’, we don’t just see him creepily staring at Buffy, we see him lie to her about it afterwards, in an episode where the age difference is a major topic of discussion.
In general, his obsession with her comes across as way more creepy and pathetic than I remember, and while part of that is just my interpretation, I do think think the series is aware of it; I think him following her around and staring at her from afar is meant to be kind of offputting. I’m curious how I’ll feel about their romance going forward - I remember on previous watches I thought their breakup in Season 3 was unmotivated, and I suspect I’ll feel very differently about it this time around.
I’m also generally more aware of some things after reading @herinsectreflection’s essays. In particular, I’m noticing Buffy’s relationship to death - from her ‘seize the day, because tomorrow you might be dead’ philosophy in the first episode, to her rebelling against and accepting it in the last… and her Faith-like smile as she enjoys mortal combat with vampires at the beginning of ‘Prophecy Girl’. I’m also much more aware of Giles as a very flawed figure torn between paternal affection for Buffy and sending her to her death - which is explicit in a few episodes, but I’m more aware of it as an ongoing arc, rather than just some isolated emotional beats.
Other than that, one thing I’m noticing is how much weight the show gives to the death of minor characters. It’s easy for an action/horror show to start treating death casually or flippantly, but so far the show is careful to give each death an emotional impact, to make every death matter… at least ‘til the end of the episode, at which point they’ll be promptly forgotten about. Sorry Jesse.
And unsurprisingly for a 90s show, I am finding the sense of humour a little mean and kind of misogynistic, especially towards Cordelia. That said, though Xander is often the face of this meanness, I honestly don’t dislike him, even in S1. The thing is, either the show is aware that he’s being an asshole, in which case it’s an intentional character flaw, which is good; or it isn’t, in which case I tend to blame the show itself rather than the character. Maybe that’s a little generous, but it lets me enjoy the character, so I’m willing extend that generosity. I am curious how I’ll feel about him going forward. I'm glad at least Cordelia gets to be more of a character towards the end of the season - it does make the jokes around her feel a lot less mean.
Honourable Mention Award for Underrated or Forgotten Characters Who Deserve to be Mentioned Honourably
3. Zookeeper Furry from ‘The Pack’. Just a really solid one-off villain performance, in an era where performances tend towards the broad and cheesy side of the spectrum.
2. The Black Cat from ‘The Witch’. Looks like stock footage, never shares a shot or even a set with another character, and achieves nothing except slightly startling Giles, after which he just continues as if nothing happened. Yet despite doing basically nothing, it achieves greatness by earning a place in the opening credits. Truly an inspiration.
1. Principal Flutey. With how much he gets overshadowed by Principal Snyder, it’s easy to forget how great Flutey is as a character. From tearing up Buffy’s permanent record and taping it back together again in front of her, to being eaten by Hyena-possessed students, Flutey is a delight whenever he’s on screen - he’s genuinely a highlight of Season 1 for me. Principal Flutey, I salute you, and hearby mention you as honourably as I can.
Episode Rankings
Might not do this for every season, but hey, it’s a short season, so why not. Starting from the top:
'Prophecy Girl' - Obvious choice, needs no explanation.
'Angel' - Strong character work, introduces a bunch of ideas that’ll be important for the rest of the series, and solves the problem of making a single vampire a threat by giving her guns, which I respect.
'Welcome to the Hellmouth'/'The Harvest' - A solid introduction to the series; I wouldn’t call it great by most standards, but it competently introduces everything the setting, characters and the premise of the series, which is impressive in its own way. Luke is perfect in his role - he’s a compelling presence that feels like a genuine threat, but he’s not so interesting that he distracts from the important things.
'The Pack' - A solid guest performance from the zookeeper, Principal Flutey’s last stand, and some juicy thematic and character goodness makes leaves this Monster of the Week episode at the head of the pack. (… I am so terribly sorry.)
'Nightmares' - Character! Themes! Imagery! This episode has it all, at least by the standards of Season One.
'Out of Mind, Out of Sight' - The first episode that treats Cordelia like an actual character. Also, invisible assassin school! Everybody loves invisible assassin school.
'The Witch' - A perfectly competent MOTW episode, this gets a boost for featuring the cat that accomplishes nothing.
'I Robot, You Jane' - Yeah, the 90s hacker schtick is goofy, but this ep’s not bad - I like the goofy robot demon and the surprisingly good demon prosthetics for its non-robot body that barely appears in the episode. I like the idea that scanning a magic book can summon a demon into the internet itself. Also, Jenny’s here.
'Teacher’s Pet' - Another MOTW episode that does its job adequately. I’m inclined to think of this as the Most Typical Season 1 Episode - it perfectly represents the season at its baseline.
'Puppet Show' - I kind of like some of the ideas in this episode, but the puppet’s a creep and parts of the plot feel contrived. (Why are they sure the demon will leave as soon as it has the organs? Why would Giles get into a guillotine under any circumstances?) Overall… Eh, it’s fine.
'Never Kill A Boy on the First Date' - There’s some good stuff in here, especially around Buffy’s relationship to Giles and to her own Slayerhood. Unfortunately, the plot just doesn’t work - even this early on, one vampire just doesn’t feel like enough of a threat to build an episode around, and generic serial killer vamp is no exception - he's certainly no Luke. It’s a plot entirely concerned with setting up the larger arc around the Anointed One, and that would leave this episode feeling empty and boring even if it was for an arc that was actually, you know, good.
So that's Season One. I enjoyed it fine, but... I'm definitely looking forward to the series really getting good. If somehow you've actually read this far: Thank you for putting my words into your brain. I take it as a great compliment, and hope you liked them - or, failing that, that they invoked in you a great fury, such as only the worst opinions may conjure.
In any case - and regardless of whether I can be bothered to write any more of these - I will continue my rewatch into the Actually Good seasons of Buffy.
#i'm actually a couple of episodes into s2#and honestly#even Some Assembly Required is a significant improvement#it's not great Buffy#but it IS Buffy#the show has arrived#it's become itself#btvs#btvs rewatch#review#meta#btvs S1#long post#really long post#maybe went a little overboard on this one
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Reading reviews of some Buffy book to see if I should risk it because I don't often like them and they're very hit or miss (or miss or miss or miss) but this one looked kind of cool, but half of the reviews are just like "ugh, this is filled with buffy references and characters," or "people who aren't familiar with buffy won't get/enjoy it" or "this is so confusing and bad" followed by an "(I've never watched the series)," or "I wish this was less about old buffy characters" and it's like girl (gn), why are you, as a non-Buffy fan, picking up the book that clearly says it is fully based on the TV show and fan favourite characters, like are you truly surprised that the book labelled "This is a Buffy the Vampire Slayer book set in the Buffyverse about Buffy the Vampire Slayer for people who are fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is gonna be about things that were not already established in Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Did you miss the context clues? Or look at the giant dead dove: do not eat label and look anyway?? Like yeah sure, maybe it sucks objectively too even as a Buffy fan, I don't know, but girl (gn), that still doesn't explain why you bought a duck and expected it not to quack. Like it's Buffy fanfic that managed to get published, do you go into the fanfic tags for other fandoms on ao3 and say this *enter specific fandom* fic is too much about *enter specific fandom,* too?? Ignore me I'm rambling, just ??
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Enjoying the Buffy renaissance on this site (or I simply happen to be following several people who are getting into Buffy; hard to tell) and thinking about everyone complaining about MCU quippiness versus general appreciation for Buffy’s dialog. I think part of it is that this was fresh when Buffy came out, but also... Buffy (the show but also the character) knows when to stop quipping. The show has quiet and emotional moments. There’s room, because it’s longform storytelling. Also, every character has their own characterization, so although there are a lot of wisecrackers on the cast, they all sound different. I think most of the complaints about MCU quippiness is that there aren’t enough slow, quiet character moments, and everyone starts sounding the same.
#i haven't watched enough MCU stuff to say haha#I saw a very brutal review of w359 complaining that the dialog sounded like a marvel movie#and FIRST no it sounds like buffy they are clearly buffy fans and joss whedon did that first#and second they do know when to stop quipping there#we forced my brother's partner to watch s1 of btvs when they were here last#when will they return so we can begin s2
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#buffy rewatch#buffy btvs#buffy the vampire slayer#buffyverse#buffy summers#buffy x spike#television review#90s nostalgia
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One Girl in All the World: a super spoilery review
There’s a non-spoiler review on my insta but here I’m planning to go all out. I wanna share my thoughts on all the things that were going through my mind while I was reading, but because there were too many, I’m just gonna talk about some.
In Every Generation was exactly what I wanted the canon to be. Picking up after the show’s been off the air for a while (a long while), not focusing on what happened to the majority of main characters (but briefly hinting at that), and telling the story of a slayer (or the slayer).
And One Girl continues this tradition, putting Frankie against a new Big Bad.
Here come the spoilers so go on ahead if you’ve read the book.
The story
It feels like season 2, where Frankie already has her slayer routine down, has her Scoobies in check and training, and a demon to swoon after. I guess, for a slayer, this would be what passes for normal life. First of all, this all fits in well with Buffy s2. It definitely gives off the same vibe and, what I like most, the Big Bad is not ancient evil like the Countess, but something more personal – a slayer. Or rather a band of slayers with Vi, which makes it personal for Hailey, and Aspen as their leader, which makes it personal for Frankie (because she’s Grim’s evil ex although he himself may or may not be evil, so…). And the fact that Buffy’s disappeared makes it personal for everyone else.
Of course, you don’t trust the sappy “I want to give the power back” from Aspen. You buy it from Vi, but we know her. Vi isn’t evil but she’s traumatized which I love as a concept because we never got to see the real impact of surviving the first with no slayer power to back you up. And those girls went through hell. Just getting the power doesn’t make you strong and doesn’t make you a hero.
But Aspen wasn’t there, and she’s the other side of that coin - when you get the power you might want more. I think I called it right away through all of the hints at her personality. Which are brilliantly done, I can almost see how it could have happened in the show, somewhere mid-season. So Aspen is the evil slayer who recruited a bunch of others, including Vi, for her cause that is seemingly humanitarian but really just a power grab. I actually see Kennedy trying to pull something like that and not just because she’s irritating, but because she’s too power-hungry. Alas, it’s not her. It’s Aspen, who skillfully invents just enough propaganda to brainwash a bunch of slayers who weren’t in s7 and are nowhere near Buffy’s inner circle.
Speaking of Buffy, she’s alive (which no one tells Dawn, which IS classic Willow to be fair), and imprisoned in another dimension. This is a good balance between where we need her to be – not in this story, and where we can’t in good faith put her – in the ground (again! Third time’s a charm). And this is very fair, since Buffy has no place in this particular story. No matter, at what point she shows up, she will immediately draw all attention to herself. She is a great motivation and role model for Frankie, and in a way, it would’ve made every bit of sense to me even if she was dead. Yeah, I love Buffy and don’t go all you’re betraying the icon for a new kid. But as long as Buffy’s alive, it would be hard to let her go and follow another slayer.
And the inevitable question of who she ends up with? It shouldn’t really be resolved. That’s it on Buffy because see? She’s already taking up too much time, and this isn’t even her story.
So Frankie’s up against slayers which is scary and unfair and seems impossible.
To make things worse, she’s up against an army of familiar demons. And here is one of the things I love: every book tries to namedrop the demons we know: Fyarls, M’Fashniks, hellhounds, etc. Most do it randomly and aggressively and you feel slightly irritated. This one gives you a damn good reason with the beacon and doesn’t really focus on the demons as much as their impact. And the “greatest hits” comment is very well deserved.
The swim team tho… that really made me laugh out loud and with joy. It’s like every easter egg is done in a very loving manner. I love that, and while it doesn’t hit at nostalgia (because I just finished a rewatch and because I watched the show 8 times in 3 years), it does tie in to the history of Sunnydale.
Frankie and her Scoobies are up to the challenge though, and with a little help from their friends and adults, they defeat demons with blunt force and slayers with smarts. Which really sums up Frankie and establishes her as her own slayer with her own approach. She has the “I’m not Buffy” moment and I love her for owning that. And once again, this follows the show in a smooth manner. Something similar, mind you, already drove Faith to evil, so could we stop comparing slayers?
The story is wholesome like a tv season, so you feel like you’re still watching the show. And its ending leaves so many stories to be told. I am really not ready for this to be just a three-book story.
The Characters
Always my favorite part.
Are we the grownups?
I watched Stranger Things just last year and the thing I loved most is that it feels like a ya show, but it has several arcs for several groups of characters with different ages thus avoiding the absent parent issue that used to be a staple for ya.
This same thing happens in both IEG and OGIATW. Only the adults are actually involved where it matters. We know these adults and we know how it used to be only their thing. Yeah, they had Giles also, but he was still very much a watcher, an authority. And Willow and Oz, they feel much more like how we feel now. Relatable. They still don’t know what they’re doing (because who ever does?) and they have to combine parenting with the supernatural stuff. They wonder how Joyce and Giles managed (they drank). This hits close to home whether or not you have kids. And immediately you can put yourself in Willow and Oz’s shoes.
How mature are any of us anyway?
There’s their relationship as well, that’s brought up again in this book. The fragile co-parenting thing on top of their past. It’s lovely how this gets resolved and then Sarafina shows up to both complicate and uncomplicate things. Again, like in the show, life is happening and it feels cozy.
The kids are alright
The only issue I have with this book is there’s not enough room for everything that I wanna know. I wanna spend more time with these characters, hang out with them between patrols more and I understand that that’s simply impossible in just one book. But some side stories would sure be nice. Tell them in comics because I don’t see much fan art and I want to see fan art. I think I’m most impressed by their non-toxic dynamic. Buffy, Willow, and Xander managed to be terrible to each other and never address them. We still love them, (except for Xander) but we call this out daily. Frankie, Hailey, and Jake are not that at all. They are supportive and open, and that helps them. That’s why when Frankie’s with Jake before the final battle, getting their kindergarten magic, it seems natural and honest. If they ever turn on each other, there better be a damn good reason.
Frankie
This girl is fantastic. I already covered her slayer side and her skill. But I’m yet to talk about who she is. Which is something she herself is trying to figure out, and like most teens, she compares herself to others. Like most teens, she looks at herself through a magnifying glass and finds herself lacking. But she learns to appreciate it and sticks to her own style. That’s so useful coming from a teen character who isn’t confident. Gaining that confidence without relying just on superpowers (because so what if she’s a slayer, who isn’t?) is what Frankie does flawlessly.
There’s also first love (in her case it’s really more hormones than in Buffy’s). Still, all the similarities are done in such a hilarious way when everyone around her says “No, no, no!” (except Hailey who’s all “Go for it!”). I love how it dawns on Willow that she used to be that same support group for Buffy. But Frankie did indeed, inherit the main Slayer gene with going for the dark broody type who may or may not be evil. And there’s something both mature in the fact that she understands this ambiguity right away, and her incredibly immature teen-crush attitude.
While many may say that it was the same for Buffy, I can’t agree. Buffy was more independent by that point, her life was entirely different, and she continued to grow in that relationship. Also, 200 years vs 2000 is a considerable difference. But you know what, we aren’t talking about that, and not ever in comparison to real life.
Back to Frankie and her hot demons. She has her own way of dealing with relationship issues, and that’s a damn straightforward one. I admire that, and to me, this is one of the things that modern teens probably do better than we used to. There are fewer games and assumptions. Still, even with that, a teen is a teen, so she isn’t wise beyond her years and she will make mistakes.
Hailey
The dynamic between sisters, especially conflicted, is something I had no doubt Kendare Blake could manage. After Three Dark Crowns and (earning redemption for Kat of all people), that is a given. Hailey is the “powerless” one of the bunch. But she works hard and she is a very formidable opponent even for demons. She has a lot going on too, with the new relationship that seems to be going well prior to meeting the parent. And that’s a timeless issue, I mean when was it ever not an issue? Expectations are absolutely always in the way and she ends up in this annoying limbo where she wants to know what Sig is thinking but he doesn’t let her. And like so many of us, she takes the only exit we know – push ‘till you get the answer. Is that right or not? I mean, who really knows?
Now there’s an irreparable strain on her and Sig, and Sarafina might go away but the issues won’t.
See, High school is still hell doesn’t matter whether you’re actually in class.
Jake
Jake also has things to sort out. First of all, with his wolf: he wants to get the level of control Oz has, but is he doing it for the right reasons? This can be a metaphor for a lot of things, especially in your teens. But he’s trying to grow up faster and become more of use. While no one actually knows how it would work for him. I honestly even forgot that he was born a werewolf, and we haven’t seen that yet. But I love that with this book Buffy lore is getting richer.
The other thing for Jake is his feelings for Sam (who’s still wondering why Spike didn’t let him join the D&D campaign). Sam is Jake’s friend, we already met him, and here has his first encounter with the demonic creatures. He is gonna have a tough choice to make and had it been a show, imagine the drama. But so far it seems like their relationship is gonna go fine, they both like each other and have things to discuss and figure out. I keep saying it feels like season 2, and it does because of these little things. That’s why I want more time with these characters, they have their own sectors of life that are so exciting.
Spike (neither a kid nor an adult really)
I was thinking of throwing him in with the adults but come on, it’s Spike. If you missed him for what he was in the show, then don’t sleep on this series. It’s literally the same character: he’s not an overly romanticized love interest, he is still recalling the good old days when he ate people, he attends a poetry club (which is both funny and perfect for him), he’s irresponsible when it comes to his day job (rebel). And you can bet he will try to look cool when there’s a chance of seeing Buffy again.
Not to compare but the things that irritated me in Big Bad and Bloody Fool for Love (neither book is bad but I prefer both vampires closer to canon) are averted here. You instantly recognize the Spike you know. And his Watchering… well let’s just say we could argue whether his statement from the first book is true and Wesley was the worst. I mean both got rogue slayers on their hands, and he is still learning how to be the good Watcher with Frankie. But no one is perfect and he’s at least getting closer.
Personally, I think Robin Wood would’ve been the perfect Watcher. Much better than Andrew.
To sum it up:
The story continues to metaphorize teen experiences.
It works well for both old and new Buffy fans, and for every generation.
Every character we know feels absolutely true to who they should be by now.
Lore gets expanded and some theories even bring more sense to the go show.
New Scoobies are established and going strong.
There are hints at future character arcs and a strong idea of what’s at the core of the next book.
As far as expansions on the canon go, this one is perfect in every sense.
#books#buffy books#in every generation#one girl in all the world#buffy#buffy summers#willow rosenberg#spike#frankie rosenberg#hailey larsson#jake osbourne#scoobies#btvs#buffy the vampire slayer#kendare blake#book review#talk to me
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I'm obsessed with the new Disney film Prey (minor spoilers to come) that has been released this month, to the point that i've already rewatched it many times for many reasons, but the most important is it's impossible for me to not interpret it as a passionate and long love letter to BtVS.
I know that the film is a new "opus" in the Predator franchise but the influence of Buffy is so much everywhere (she spent her time killing all kind of predators on BtVS), that this story could have been easily used to completely reboot my favourite vampire show, if the intent to resuscitate it was still in the air.
Let's be clear i'm not usually a fan of crossover, i saw the first Predator film but wasn't into it because there was no reason for me to bother with so much testosterone, when the Alien franchise offered me years before an heroine like Ellen Ripley.
But Prey is a new concept: i watched the gifs on Tumblr and was immediately and intensely attracted to the vibe of the film, without knowing anything about it.
The landscapes alone (the story takes place in the Northern Great Plains in North America in 1719 so a very wild and breathtaking environment, with seemingly endless sweep of prairies, forests and mountains) are to die for.
But it's really the cast that makes it worth: an ensemble cast of almost only native americans (Comanche people) with as main character a teen heroine (between 16 years old and 18 years old), named Naru and her amazing dog Sarii. They are both at the center of a story that focus on her fight to survive and to protect her community/tribe from a monster coming from space.
A predator looking constantly for new preys, acting with the strength and ferocity of a wild animal and the intelligence of a human hunter, while being also equipped with the most advanced technology (heat sensor, an unbreakable field that can cut heads and many more weapons).
The script shows very well Naru's progression: how she develops her real even solid hunting skills and tools that aren't, despite her training, enough to convince her tribe that she could be a hunter like her brother that everyone admires.
The plot is driven by the question of her ability to eventually come at the top of the chain of all the different kind of predators that the film presents. Will she convince her community that she has the capacity to lead them in the many other fights coming for survival, against the european settlers (and possibly more monsters from space), that are deliberately reducing drastically their habitat and their access to the food?
The most exciting part being how i can make connections with Buffy. This story was already more or less contained in the seasons 3 and 4 of the tv show.
It's like Buffy from the episode Helpless - the version of our heroine without supernatural powers but with better coordination than she had in the episode and still ressourceful - had met Beer Bad/cave Buffy for the fashion sense and they both become one and jumped into the world of Pangs.
But instead of fighting the Chumash people, she would be a part of them and would lead them to fight the colonial and patriarcal system of the white settlers (The Initiative) and the cyber monster half human/half demon that they created: Adam.
The monster of Prey The Predator has nothing in common with humanity, but he strangely reacts in very human way sometimes. And of course he shares with Adam the same physical strength, size and weight, same taste for evisceration with sharp blades and a deep need to hunt and be at the top of the food chain, if only to dominate (but not necessarily to eat).
The cherry on the top/the highlight of those endless parallels and patterns: the fact that season 4 is the season that introduced the first slayer Sineya, and brought Buffy to the roots of her power and how the line of slayers was created.
Naru is "born" (as a hunter) from fighting a demon/monster never seen before but unlike the first slayer she's not sacrificed, forced to take the demon blood and become one of them to equal its strength and kill it. Naru chooses to hunt/fight the monster as a part of a ritual that all the hunters of the tribe must follow to earn their place.
Taking the monster's blood in this scenario would be a sign of victory and social prestige (and it's the reason why she at first wanted" to hunt something that could hunt her" before her journey became a revenge tale against the white men and the monster).
Like i said if anyone wanted to reinvent the origin of the entire line of slayers, it couldn't have been a better beginning.
I didn't think it was possible to get me so hooked about a possible reboot but this film raised the stakes to a new level. All of sudden, i find myself wanting a new BtVS prequel (show or film). Desperately. And i'm even ready for a new cast, as long as it's as good as this one (i've seen criticism of Prey cast and all i have to say is that it's pure racism in my book: they totally own their part, and are more real and credible that you can dream them to be).
Prey really deserves by itself all the praise and hype it can get: it's probably the best action film of the year.
But for a Buffy fan, it's a gift and one so much more exciting because it came out of blue, is so completely unexpected. I didn't need a new obsession but i really needed this new obsession and now i need more of BtVS too.
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BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Season 2
Ep 12 - Bad Eggs
Something is gonna happen in the mall, isnt it?
Welp. There you go I was spot on. The cowboy hat guy is supernatural. A vampire.
Yes, buffy save the poor girl.
Buffy always has something smartass remark before she kills a vampire. Everytime.
Xander and Cordelia. Kissing in the closet. Still hating each other. Still fighting, saying they dont need this but they can't stay away from each other so in reality, they in fact, need this. Back to snogging I guess.
Lmao, so they are having a sex banter in the classroom. What a foreplay. The sex is gonna be bed breaking.
Taking care of the baby (egg), the classic.
They massacred a village before they became a vampire!!? Buffy do not underestimate them.
"please, like angel and I are helpless slaves to passion, grow up", also buffy passionately makes out with angel on her job, doing absolutely no hunting.
Buffy girl do some hunting and slaying, they're literally sitting on the tree.
What's up with the egg?? What's in it?
Bitch, whatever it's ugly and creepy. Also, Buffy is in danger.
What's with this two killer vampires? They're weird.
What did that egg do to her!? She's fine(I mean not really) but what it did to her?
She's talking funny. Oh, it's both willow and buffy. So probably everyone.
Xander and Cordelia and they know just one word now, closet. Say closet and they're gone.
And its bangel make-out session again.
Ohhhh, its getting awkward and having hard talks. Babies, future. Damn you two poor stars crossed lovers.
Damn buffy. I love the passionate confession and It's lovely and sad but you can't have a life with angel.
It's either Cordelia and xander or a dead body or our security is gonna die.
Yup. Security just died. It's the professor isn't it?
Holy mother of God, the egg broke, in front of buffy and wtf was that? What the hell is that ugly spider thingy?
Yuck, she just killed it and yup, she just killed it.
Nah willow, check your egg. You're not safe, Oh fuck, too late for that. What did the egg do to willow!?
Joyce I get you but your daughter is the chosen one so get a life.
Cordelia just shut up.
Oh so xander got saved because he boiled it.
Oh no not everyone's egg. Xander is also yuck. It's everyone's egg.
Oh, so it's both Cordelia and willow and the rest of the school. Welp, it's a war from insects or whatever tf it's called.
Giles is also fine, right? Oh no he isnt. And neither is joyce anymore. Fuck! It's everyone now.
Oh thank God, buffy and xander are fine. Now go save everyone.
What exactly are these demon children building or well they're not building, they're collecting the eggs and setting their mummy free.
It's time to behave like them. Move like a zombie them. Blend in. Yes, go xander became one of them.
Oh cmon not the right time cowboy vampires, either help her or get the hell out.
Who made Willow the leader of mummy land.
Help buffy you freaky vampires.
YUCKS! WHAT KIND OF CREATURE IS THIS? GIRL RUN!
OH FUCK NOOOOOOO! DID THE MUMMY JUST TOOK BUFFY WITH HER?
Or wait did buffy killed the main mummy? You, she did. Good job slayer.
Joyce, there was a gas leak, ffs, give her a break, why aren't you more worried?
Grounded or not, buffy will get her Angel fix of the day. Alright, girl, we get it, you're horny and in love and he's good.
Also, now I've a question, well lots of it. Who gave schools the eggs?? Like, where did the eggs come from, did the teacher just collected them from the basement because the school is a cheap ass hoe Or did someone deliberately delivered these eggs for this purpose, if yes, then who is it? Damn, how it really happened? Someone tell me.
Well, another day, another episode and again, I loved it. This was a less intense episode then the last one and not the main plot focused, nevertheless I enjoyed it.
We had a lot of bangel, well more like bangel make out sessions, also xander and cordelia's make out sessions. I think this is the episode with most make out and kissing yet in BTVS. Not much of willow, which was weird as she was also possessed.
The plot was cool, ofc couldn't predict it but still was surprise. Gotta say the killing of the mummy in the end was pretty anticlimactic, like that was too fast and easy. I get it that she's the slayer and all but still she just did it like nothing. Also, how did she kill it?
The massacre vampires were a useless addition, they brought nothing to episode and had no point of being there. What the hell was the point of them in this episode? I just kept thinking how would they tie to everything else and nothing, I thought they would help buffy in the end but nothing. Why exactly were they in there? Unless BTVS brings them(or well just him as one died) then I can see but other than that it was just useless.
Joyce is sometimes getting on my nerves. Like, a gas leak and her first thought would be if her daughter is okay, instead it's why weren't you where I told you to be? Like some concern would be good.
I guess that's it, loved the bangel in this episode, we finally have them. Xander and Cordelia are still happening. No spike or drusilla in this episode. No jenny either. No oz either.
Well, that's it, see ya in the next one, cheers 🥂
#buffy the vampire slayer#btvs#btvs s2#btvs s2 review#btvs review#btvs commentary#btvs s2 ep 12#ep 12#bad eggs#buffy#willow#xander#angel#buffy x willow x xander#buffy x angel#cordelia#xander × cordelia#joyce#giles#rupert giles#creepy mummy#finally buffy and angel#btvs season 2#season 2
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my rewatch of i only have eyes for you btvs 2x19:
Ben from algebra, walk away. U do not deserve queen B
Yooo the seeds of Buffy being James are literally being planted in her convo with Willow! So good
“Love can be nice” cuts to two teenagers possessed by a teacher and student in love
It’s interesting how each of these actors take on the Grace/James scene. It’s different every time
“Pathetic little low-life vegan” I LOVE SNYDER
Buffy’s brown dress outfit is so cute
CALENDILES POST-DEATH IS SADDD
Some of these high school extras look like they’re 35
Man this Grace/James relationship is GROSS
“Did Cordelia win another round in the broom closet?” LMAOOO
So there’s a Xandelia scene that was cut from the script (their banter is great) and I thought there was an interesting bit at the end where Cordelia says everyone’s told Buffy the soul thing wasn’t her fault and Xander replied with “everybody except the one guy she needs to hear it from.” I get why it got cut but I thought it was a good bit to know
GILES IS HOLDING JENNY’S ROSE QUARTZ
Oh, Giles….he just wants to believe Jenny isn’t gone
Xander patting Cordelia’s hand is cute and underrated
I remember being so intrigued and excited by that little line abt the mayor
Buffy’s vehement hatred for James just makes the twist even sweeter
Man I love the way the actors commit to their roles
Looks like Spike is wearing blush and sparkly brown eyeshadow. I wanna know what products specifically bc he looks good
As someone who has been in her high school at night with no one around, it’s REALLY creepy
LOVE The Flamingos song
Buffy’s outfit is very similar to what Angel/Angelus usually wears….
Giles’s quote about forgiveness!!!! So wonderful and true
I think it’s a great detail that the scoobies subtly remind and ground Buffy to reality, they keep her in check and people seem to ignore or misinterpret that aspect of their friendship
I love that this ep covers Buffy’s trauma about losing Angel and having all this love for him that she can’t do anything about
All I see is that blooper where DB says “wops” instead of “wasps”
Angelus is SUCH an asshole to Buffy
AND WE GOT BANGEL BACK FOR A MOMENT AND IT WAS WONDERFUL, DB AND SMG’S CHEMISTRY IS ELECTRIC
SMG is so good. You see her sadness, anger, desperation, the way love has made “Buffy” completely irrational
This is one of my fav “Bangel” scenes. It’s so angsty and melodramatic and tragic and beautiful
SMG’s acting when Buffy shoots “Angel” is wonderful. The outrage that turns to devastation? HEARTBREAKING
Then Buffy’s face in the mirror is so sad and despairing, you really feel that shit in your heart….WHERE WAS SMG’S EMMY
That fucking kiss….they really went at it. The spit string when they break apart? Jfc
Man Angelus pushing Buffy and then her face is GUT WRENCHING
Drusilla’s tone when she says “poor Angel” is interesting. It’s not exactly jealousy or sympathy…I wonder how Juliet interpreted that line
So here’s why the reveal of Spike not needing the wheelchair isn’t that badass. What’s the point? The show plays it up and ngl I remember being impressed too, but Acathla wasn’t a thing until 2x21, Spike had no reason to hide that he was ok. It could’ve been a better twist
Overall, I really love this ep: the scoobies, SMG’s acting, interesting storyline with a twist, Bangel being possessed, so well-done
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AO3 PSA: There are only 35 fics tagged Faith x Lilah Morgan on AO3. This has been an AO3 PSA. (Lilah from ATS)
(insp)
(ao3 psa series)
#ats#faith lehane#faith x lilah#lilah morgan#ao3 psa series#only 35 huh#fanfic writers assemble#one day i will finish my stats review of top 40 ships on btvs#but not today#sadly with 35 Faith x Lilah is no where near the top 40#btvs
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youtube
NEW Buffy the Vampire Slayer Tarot Deck Walkthrough and Review!!
#buffy the vampire slayer#btvs#youtube#tarot#tarot review#tarot walkthrough#witchythings#witchcraft youtube#witch#spirituality#buffy tarot#Buffy the vampire slayer tarot#tarot decks#2023 tarot decks
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Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode 1x02: “The Harvest”
Notes:
- This episode aired alongside “Welcome to the Hellmouth” as a two-hour premier. I’m reviewing them separately, partly for convenience, and partly because they are technically different episodes. Both reviews are being posted simultaneously, though, to fit the original airing.
Summary: Buffy manages to fend off Luke (with help from the cross necklace given to her by a stranger identified in this episode as “Angel”) and save Xander and Willow, but Jesse is captured. The next day, after explaining the supernatural world with Giles to Xander and Willow, Buffy realizes where the vampires’ underground lair is and goes to rescue Jesse, with Xander later catching up with her to help. They find him, only to learn it was a trap and Jesse has been turned into a vampire. The two escape, and are informed by Giles and Willow that tonight is “the Harvest,” a once-in-a-century opportunity for the Master to free himself from his underground confinement by having a follower (Luke) serve as a vessel to transfer power from his victims to the Master in a ritual. Realizing that the vampires are going to strike the Bronze, the four go there to stop them: Buffy taking out Luke, Xander confronting vampire Jesse (and killing him when a fleeing woman pushes Jesse into his stake), and Willow & Giles helping civilians get out (with Willow saving Giles from Darla). The following day, Giles warns them about the Hellmouth will cause them to face many more demonic threats, to which the teens accept before joking about how Buffy can get kicked out, leading Giles to say “the earth is doomed.”
My thoughts: This episode is... okay. It technically does its job of concluding the rest of the pilot’s story and establishing the season’s central story arc/threat. However, I find the episode hard to be as engaged by as “Welcome to the Hellmouth,” I think partly because it’s paced oddly.
I know that it’s technically the second half of the pilot, and so is mostly providing the climax to what was set-up last time, meaning it will be more action-heavy. But the action sequences feel very dragged out and extended, to the point they lose tension as I begin to wonder why Buffy is having so much trouble closing a door. In addition, there’s a lot of scenes in-between that action that seem to be there for padding. Principal Flutie telling Buffy to not leave campus during school and locking the gate, only for Buffy to immediately jump over it, seems like it was there to pad out the episode. Similarly, Buffy stopping at home and being grounded by her mom (worried after the principal called due to her missing classes), only to immediately sneak out: it makes sense for the characters, and to an extent showcases their relationship, but it means nothing for this episode’s narrative and feels out of place.
There are some good scenes, however, that contribute more to the main characters. Xander is fleshed out more, showing a sense of inadequacy in the face of supernatural threats (as he can’t fight like Buffy, or research like Willow and Giles), intelligence in deducing they were going to attack the Bronze, and his hatred for vampires following Jesse’s death is established. Willow, meanwhile, has a strong scene where she speaks up in defense of Buffy when Cordelia and Harmony are trashing her, before messing with them by giving the wrong button that leads to them deleting their programming work. Her stepping up and being slightly less timid also plays into the episode itself, with her saving Giles in the climax by pouring holy water onto Darla.
For Buffy herself, I appreciate the fight with Luke where Buffy shows some cleverness behind her pure strength, tricking him into thinking the sun is she to distract him long enough to be staked.
Also worth noting we learn Angel’s name, although I really don’t like him in this episode. There’s some cryptic lines teasing his history (how the vampires don’t like him), but I find his crypticness to be annoying. He also adds nothing to this episode’s narrative, made worse when you learn he was watching the Bronze at the end but did nothing to help Buffy when it could have been the end of the world.
I’d say the character we learn the most about is the Master, learning his backstory (having tried to open the Hellmouth decades ago but failing due to an unexpected earthquake, leading to him being trapped in a church underground) and what an excellent job Mark Metcalf does in the role, striking the perfect balance between a campy performance and being imposing and threatening (really exemplified when some of the other vampires are scared of him).
I also noticed an interesting reflection between him and Buffy for the first time: both are essentially trapped. Buffy didn’t want to be the Slayer and was trying to avoid it before getting pulled back in, while the Master is physically trapped and working to break free, both drawn to this location by the Hellmouth. I may be over-analyzing here, but it stood out to me and I’m curious if the show plays this up in any manner in the future.
Favorite small moment: Giles asking Willow for her to help by searching on the web, saying, “It may be you can wrest some information from that dread machine.”
Overall: This is another episode that does what it needs to do - finishing the cliffhanger, fleshing out the cast a little bit more - but I don’t think is as engaging as the first episode. I wouldn’t call it bad, though - it has some good stuff with characters, Xander in particular, and is pretty much required viewing with how much it sets up.
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I posted 7,997 times in 2022
That's 499 more posts than 2021!
1,011 posts created (13%)
6,986 posts reblogged (87%)
Blogs I reblogged the most:
@comradesummers
@isagrimorie
@beatrice-otter
@thatgeeklover
@nerd-spikey
I tagged 6,095 of my posts in 2022
Only 24% of my posts had no tags
#btvs - 1,123 posts
#buffy summers - 872 posts
#tv: legacies - 745 posts
#faith lehane - 529 posts
#hope mikaelson - 521 posts
#critical role - 519 posts
#lizzie saltzman - 449 posts
#queue - 449 posts
#doctor who - 441 posts
#otp: buffy and faith - 367 posts
Longest Tag: 93 characters
#but also spike always picking fights with practically the strongest slayers of the generation
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
The way Marisha and Taliesin recoiled at the idea of Keyleth and Percy being in a sexual relationship was amazing.
And the solid belief of both Taliesen and Marisha that neither Kiki and Percy would ever touch each other in a sexual, except if Vex was involved.
But also, I love Marisha brought up the chilliness between Percy and Kiki! I love that it’s a little because they’re both being formal, playing good cop and bad cop, AND there might have been frictions between Percy and Kiki.
Taliesin is still of the idea that Percy can still be a little too bloody minded and that despite being best friends, Keyleth and Percy still have some arguments.
They are both leaders of their own respective places and sometimes what Whitestone prioritizes can be against what Zephra needs.
Also Percy being the Bruce Wayne from Batman Beyond. Amazing.
I also love Marisha clocked that Ashton was way too quiet when Laudna returned. Both Marisha and Tal are excited to have another one on one with each other.
And honestly, I look forward to both of Laudna’s interactions with Imogen and Ashton equally!
But also Taliesin’s knowing: “fRieNd???” when Marisha called Imogen Laudna’s friend.
You know he wanted to poke on that more.
But gah, everything’s reset back to zero for Laudna. She has a lot to work with to regain the certainty she lost about herself.
The good thing is this go around, Laudna is no longer alone to do it. She’s no longer like Tom Hanks in Castaway making imaginary friends.
She has real people willing to help her.
I am so EXCITED for everything.
423 notes - Posted November 2, 2022
#4
Rewatching Eve of the Daleks because I love it so much, especially this moment:
Sarah glances at her phone and out of screen, Thirteen asks, just a shade annoyed: "Er, where were you?"
Thirteen moves towards her opening her arms wide with a very annoyed expression. Her lips are a thin line.
See the full post
447 notes - Posted January 3, 2022
#3
See the full post
517 notes - Posted March 21, 2022
#2
I love the Donna of it all!
But in general this is what I’m feeling in light of him constantly overshadowing Thirteen and now Fourteen:
624 notes - Posted May 16, 2022
My #1 post of 2022
Favorite Thirteenth Doctor moment on Eve of the Daleks
1,459 notes - Posted January 9, 2022
Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →
#tumblr2022#year in review#my 2022 tumblr year in review#your tumblr year in review#lmao#i reblogged MYSELF#the most#doctor who#thirteenth doctor#i missed ye#also#i really posted a lot about buffy!#btvs#and tvd verse#critical role rose up pretty fast tho#god i loved the new year episode the most#its the most flux feeling out of the specials
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