#and though i get why xander and oz kind of ditched the girls some to hang-out with the druids. xander because he wanted to learn cool druid

[oveliagirlhaditright]

Thoughts on "Return to Chaos."

At the start of this review, I'm probably going to sound like I disliked this book or something. I swear I didn't (it's not something like "Coyote Moon", "Halloween Rain", or even parts of the "Unseen Trilogy", imo). It was good, just not great to me? At least the Druid parts.

I just feel like the stuff with the Druids was pretty predictable? That the leader of them, George, had been led astray by this deal he'd made with the vampire Eric--and really, he was being controlled by Eric--and that he was going to be seduced by ideas of grandeur and try and sacrifice Willow to try and get rid of demons forever and stuff.

I also felt like I strangely like the short Druid story in one of the "The Longest Night" Angel stories better, maybe. I don't know.

I did like that the three boys weren't on their uncle's side, of course. And the three boys in general, but I kind of feel like the novel could have done a better job at differentiating them all. I think we got a throwaway line about Ian being the serious one, the middle one (that I don't even remember the name of) being the funny one, and then the youngest one, Dave, being the youngest one, and because of that, desperate to prove himself and impress. But after that, they still kind of felt sames-y to me, and I often couldn't really tell them apart.

I also wasn't big of Buffy and Ian's romance, partly because I didn't think Ian was that developed. And also because I felt like he and Buffy didn't even really spend that much time together--especially not alone. As I guess Druids usually only date other Druids--and most of the book, Ian's kind of focused on what's going on with his uncle--and it just sort of seems like they only really like each other, because they're both people who fight the darkness (and probably because Buffy's on the rebound some). And I guess there are worse reasons to form a connection to someone, but I just didn't feel any chemistry, or anything else in common with them at all.

I also feel like Buffy wouldn't have been as gung-ho about Ian at this point in season three. I know she thinks she can't be with Angel--and fair: she can't--and she does think about Angel in this some. (I think this is after Buffy's "We're not friends. We never were" speech to Angel in S3.) But I guess I just expected her to be hung-up on him more, while trying to move on with Ian here? IDK.

Willow being kidnapped to be a sacrifice is definitely interesting to me, though--poor thing--and her cleverness in trying to get out of it. It makes me wonder if the books are canon at all, if Willow could relate to when Dawn was kidnapped to be sacrificed by Glory later on.

I also enjoyed Giles and Willow trying to find a way to give Buffy a break, so she isn't always bamboozled by sudden apocalypses and whatnot, by creating a computer algorithm that can predict bad things to come to the Hellmouth before they happen. That's how Willow was trying to get out of her captive situation, in fact, because the computer spat out a prophecy, and Willow was telling George that he got it all wrong.

What I really liked about this book were two of the female vampire villains that we had, who were both a joy to read. Because I was recently thinking that I wished that we had more girl vampires in this series.

The one is a former rival of Cordelia's, who puts Cordelia under a mastery spell--thrall, essentially--and is making Cordy do stuff the entire novel and then forget about it right after she's done it (because she was jealous of Cordy and wanted to destroy her life), which was a really interesting plot and my favorite part of this story.

I also loved the lore bit: that apparently this mastery spell thing was something vampires used to have, but they'd eventually lost the ability (the antagonist of this book Eric has it, though, and teaches it to Cordy's rival). And they mention how Drusilla is one of the few who reportedly still has it--and I'm assuming the Master? And Dracula, of course--and that's surely how she got Kendra under her spell so easily, to kill her:(

This all even fits in with the Angel & Faith comics, where Angel tells Drusilla that she was always so good with the hypnotism, but he could never get the hang of it.

Anyway...

Edit: One other cool thing I liked about this novel, was how it seemed like Joyce had some prophetic dreams herself.

[silvanoir]

Buffy rewatch (seasons 1-3)

Buffy was a show that was special to me because it was on when I was in highschool, She was Class of ‘99, I was Class of 2000.  There weren’t that many shows for teens, about teens then.  And everyone watched it (that I cared to talk to).  We’d have discussions the next day at lunch about the episodes.  Even when I changed friend groups.  It wasn’t on cable or streaming, everyone who had a tv could watch it and did.  Do kids even have that now?

(this is going to get long...)

And I overidentified with her and viewed all events through her eyes that first time around.  So now going back to rewatch as an adult, and having rewatched Angel, I can see her blindspots and things from other character’s points-of-view.  Also I don’t like Angel as much now that I’ve paid close attention to him.... I think the soul he was “cursed” with wasn’t his original soul.... because as a human and then an evil vamp he only cared about himself, it was only after a curse and a lot of pushing by others that he reluctantly agreed to help people (after many years of slouching about) (and still backslides into selfishness and vindictiveness and some really ableist comments/actions... I know Spike and Lindsay were not the greatest of guys but thinks he did / said to them when one was in a wheelchair and the other was without a hand... yeesh).  So my teenage self wondered “Why can’t Buffy and Angel be together forever???”  whereas now I’m fine with them having broken up.

I didn’t find Xander annoying as a teen I think because the teenage boys I went to school with said and did much worse but by gum, boy, SHUT UP.  No one wants to hear about you being horny!

Too much romance drama... everybody liking everybody else at some point.... especially since they would have Willow end up a lesbian they should’ve ditched a lot of that for her.  I liked her an OZ though, still do.  *shrug*  But the fact that you could sit all these characters in a room together and ask them “who at no point had kissed or had a thing for anyone else here, or anyone related to/ connected to anyone here, raise you hand?”  and no one could raise their hand is bad writing, sorry!

There were some real duds of episodes and everyone knows what ones they were, I think (Hyena, Mantiss, Computer Demon, etc).  “I’m jacked in, I’m jacked in!”  lol.

I had forgotten how frustrating it was that that disk fell between the 2 desks and stayed there for multiple episodes!!!!

Was annoyed as a teen that werewolves went from having wolf faces to looking like cheap gorilla suits, still miffed.  Have wolves be wolves!

Oz’s offhand comment about school shootings becoming downright trendy.... yikes.  I mean, stuff was happening in the 90s but other than during the pandemic lockdown.... it really did, didn’t it..

Someone else on tumblr said on their rewatch “what is the weather, why are they dressed like that?” and I couldn’t stop thinking about it, because aside from some girls in some mini dresses everyone is in layers, chilly fall clothes, all the time... when SunnyDale in in California with palm trees and gets to be 70 f  in winter.  I do love Willow’s fuzzy sweaters.  Every other girl was trying to dress too mature (I blame the costume department, watched the extras and they said they were putting them in prada, etc).  Willow was the only teen girl dressing as a teen girl.

Faith being a rowdy girl from South Boston with a neglectful alcoholic mother... realistically wouldn’t dress in tight leather like that all the time.  I know that girl.  Been to school and worked with girls like that.  They all end up having the same look at some point: dark hair up in a messy bun, grey patriots sweater a little too big so you see a bra strap, tight pants but not the sexy kind, beat-up sneakers, holding a medium dunkin’ donuts coffee.  50/50 chance of a cigarette hanging off their lip.

I feel bad for Joyce.  New boyfriend ends up being an abusive robot.  Gets a friend her own age, friend turns into a zombie.  She’s not allowed to have anything but Buffy and her art gallery job, that’s it.

The Banned Candy episode was hilarious to me as a teen.  All these adults acting like irresponsible kids, haha!  But as an adult.... having worked with men ages 40-60 who never mentally/emotionally matured, and the US and UK (and Italy a while back) having politicians who say and do whatever and party it up while the world burns.  No cursed candy involved.  Suddenly... not so funny.  When you go from a teen thinking “I don’t know if these adults in charge are to be trusted” to an adult who looks at other adults and goes “I don’t think these adults in charge are to be trusted!!!” its a lot scarier, actually.

I wish my town had something akin to the Bronze as a teen.  A coffee-shop/club where anyone goes to listen and dance to alt rock. 

I don’t want them to ever reboot Buffy (or Angel) but I think it would be interesting to have something set in the same universe, present day, new characters.  WITH A BIGGER BUDGET.  Some  of the original characters could make brief guest appearances, but not the ageless vampires (since the actual actors have aged).