Buffy the Vampire Slayer Vs Charmed

Troyaferd

Zero-Cool wrote: »

I look for other shows that sound similar but none have lived up to that greatness

Agree, there are many Series that imitated it, however none came close to it. The closest (beside Angel and Firefly) I think would be Veronica Mars, which I really liked too.

gimli2112

Buffy, Firefly and Veronica Mars are all excellent. I liked Angel but personally felt it's biggest problem was that it wasn't Buffy. It also had a very dark ending that was quite sad.

Troyaferd

same as me, Angel always felt to me like Buffy No 2 (though it did it's own thing and has it's own flair) and I didn't watched all Seasons of it.

CastorTroy

Yeah Veronica Mars is one of the closest, minus the actual monsters. Joss is even a fan, even appearing in an episode, as well as multiple Buffy cast members. iZombie, by the creator of Veronica is another one

Troyaferd

CastorTroy wrote: »

Yeah Veronica Mars is one of the closest, minus the actual monsters. Joss is even a fan, even appearing in an episode, as well as multiple Buffy cast members. iZombie, by the creator of Veronica is another one

I haven't seen iZombie, is this good?

gimli2112

Troyaferd wrote: »

I haven't seen iZombie, is this good?

yes very it goes downhill rather quickly maybe after or even during season 3 but the main characters remain endearing. I haven't seen the last series and it was approaching Dexter levels of losing it's way.

Troyaferd

gimli2112 wrote: »

yes very it goes downhill rather quickly maybe after or even during season 3 but the main characters remain endearing. I haven't seen the last series and it was approaching Dexter levels of losing it's way.

I see, maybe check it out some day. Thanks

The White Wolf

I was a Buffy geek and have the merchandise, both absurd and cherished, to prove it. Don't think I watched one episode of charmed tbh.

The Phantom Pain

gimli2112 wrote: »

Buffy, Firefly and Veronica Mars are all excellent. I liked Angel but personally felt it's biggest problem was that it wasn't Buffy. It also had a very dark ending that was quite sad.

I thought the ending of Angel was great. I loved the first 3 seasons of Angel and I often went back and forth between what was the better show. I preferred Angel season 3 to Buffy season 6 for instance. But in the end Buffy edged it. Angel's latter seasons were really bad and they did Charisma Carpenter dirty IMO.

gimli2112

I'd completely gone off Angel by the end. I caught the later series well after it finished. I felt real bad for Fred, in fact I'm fairly sure my mind has blocked out what happened to her, it must have fairly traumatised me.
Buffy probably went on too long but I never wanted it to end. The only one I haven't watched a lot of was 7

Zero-Cool

Angel was strange for. Went from loving it to finding it very boring, hard to remember how it even finished even though only rewatching it a couple of years ago.

Must check out Veronica Mars although i dunno how serious I'll be able to take your one because of The Good Place.

Speaking of Buffy, isn't there a remake coming?

Penn

gimli2112 wrote: »

I'd completely gone off Angel by the end. I caught the later series well after it finished. I felt real bad for Fred, in fact I'm fairly sure my mind has blocked out what happened to her, it must have fairly traumatised me.

Traumatised everyone.

She became possessed by an ancient demon called Illyria who took over her body, killing her in the process. Illyria then occasionally "became" Fred to taunt (or sometimes help) Wesley and the gang. But yeah, Fred basically died a horrible, horrible death. However, it meant for the last few episodes we got some incredible Wesley/Illyria scenes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRR98r8-U7A

Mr.Nice Guy

Thought Buffy went downhill when they left the school and went to college. Didn't help that I really disliked Riley and Tara.

Angel I thought was going great up until they introduced Connor and did all that creepy stuff with Cordelia. I thought they got back on track in the final season.

I'd agree Wesley had one of the best character arcs of any character in the shows. Also think Faith was handled brilliantly on both shows.

Troyaferd

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Thought Buffy went downhill when they left the school and went to college.

I wouldn't say that, Season 4 and 5 are two of the strongest Seasons and also parts of Season 6 are really good.

S.M.B.

I'm in the 'Buffys high points were in seasons 4-7' camp but understand why many prefer the more cohesive earlier seasons.

Troyaferd

S.M.B. wrote: »

I'm in the 'Buffys high points were in seasons 4-7' camp but understand why many prefer the more cohesive earlier seasons.

What are your high points in Season 7?

Penn

Troyaferd wrote: »

What are your high points in Season 7?

I enjoyed Season 7 too for the most part. Conversations With Dead People was a fantastic episode. Some great scenes and moments sprinkled throughout the season too, all the actors really nailed it throughout even if many of the episodes were fairly weak on their own. Lies My Parents Told Me, Storyteller and The Killer in Me were great episodes though.

Nathan Fillion as Caleb really added a lot to the last few episodes. I know he was brought in because Firefly ended and they needed a physical enemy for Buffy and them to fight, but would have been great if he'd been introduced earlier and had a bigger role.

Plus the Season/series finale was great. Really ended the whole show fantastically.

AulWan

I thought Season 4 /5 were the weaker seasons of Buffy overall. Season 4 was always going to struggle after Angel left, and the setting moved from High School to College. The whole Riley / The Initiative / Adam thing didn't work for me, but season 4 did have some wonderful character development, especially for Spike's character - he really came into his own when Angel was gone. I also loved Willow in Season 4 - she met Tara and really started exploring her witch powers. Then there was Giles Magic Shop, and the wonderful episode "Hush". So not all bad.

Season 5 brought the introduction of Dawn, which I hated. But it also has that probably most perfect episode of all, "The Body".

Penn

AulWan wrote: »

I thought Season 4 /5 were the weaker seasons of Buffy overall. Season 4 was always going to struggle after Angel left, and the setting moved from High School to College. The whole Riley / The Initiative / Adam thing didn't work for me, but season 4 did have some wonderful character development, especially for Spike's character - he really came into his own when Angel was gone. I also loved Willow in Season 4 - she met Tara and really started exploring her witch powers. Then there was Giles Magic Shop, and the wonderful episode "Hush". So not all bad.

Season 5 brought the introduction of Dawn, which I hated. But it also has that probably most perfect episode of all, "The Body".

Yeah Season 4 & Season 6 were the lowest in my opinion. Both seasons had some of the best episodes, but overall with Season 4 The Initiative and college stories were fairly weak, and Season 6 was too depressing for too long. Season 5 I didn't mind as much.

pinkypinky

I love Buffy and Angel to a lesser extent.
My phone ringtone is the Buffy theme music still.
Own all of Buffy on VHS - which is mainly now an art installation since my tv can't connect to the video player!

Season 7 is weak because they retconned their own chronology (Buffy keeps saying if she dies then one of the potentials could be called but Buffy already died and the lineage is surely with Faith). I do blame Joss Whedon for being more focused on the (excellent) Firefly.

Season 6 features one of the worst episodes of the entire run (Doublemeat Palace) but counters it with the brilliant but unrelated Once More with Feeling immediately followed by Tabula Rasa.

I did watch all of Charmed to fill a Buffy shaped hole later and I enjoyed it but it has no rewatchability quality, whereas I'd happily have any Buffy on in the background and have rewatched the complete run more than once.

AulWan

pinkypinky wrote: »

I love Buffy and Angel to a lesser extent.
My phone ringtone is the Buffy theme music still.
Own all of Buffy on VHS - which is mainly now an art installation since my tv can't connect to the video player!

Season 7 is weak because they retconned their own chronology (Buffy keeps saying if she dies then one of the potentials could be called but Buffy already died and the lineage is surely with Faith). I do blame Joss Whedon for being more focused on the (excellent) Firefly.

Season 6 features one of the worst episodes of the entire run (Doublemeat Palace) but counters it with the brilliant but unrelated Once More with Feeling immediately followed by Tabula Rasa.

I did watch all of Charmed to fill a Buffy shaped hole later and I enjoyed it but it has no rewatchability quality, whereas I'd happily have any Buffy on in the background and have rewatched the complete run more than once.

God, yes, I remember running into HMV on release days to get the VHS boxsets.

I still have the complete collections of both Buffy and Angel in special edition DVD Boxsets (region 1 for the extra features!). I can't bring myself to part with them.

*Has anyone read the comics that came after the TV shows?

I never watched much of Charmed, I found the middle sister and Leo annoying.

Penn

pinkypinky wrote: »

Season 7 is weak because they retconned their own chronology (Buffy keeps saying if she dies then one of the potentials could be called but Buffy already died and the lineage is surely with Faith).

The way I understand it, Buffy died at the end of Season 1, thereby making Kendra the Slayer (and then Faith), but Buffy was brought back to life so she was also the Slayer. But her death and resurrection in Season 5 was different as she died through a different magical way (rather than death) and was brought back via dark magic, so it didn't create a new Slayer (but instead meant the First was able to try and return).

So Buffy and Faith were both Slayers and if either of them died, one of the potentials would take their place.

S.M.B.

Penn wrote: »

I enjoyed Season 7 too for the most part. Conversations With Dead People was a fantastic episode. Some great scenes and moments sprinkled throughout the season too, all the actors really nailed it throughout even if many of the episodes were fairly weak on their own. Lies My Parents Told Me, Storyteller and The Killer in Me were great episodes though.

This, I adore Storyteller.

The majority of my favourite episodes come from 4-7 but the season long arcs are not as strong as 2 and 3.

I'll take standout individual episodes over a strong season long arc any day of the week, especially when they are as strong as Buffys standout moments.

The White Wolf

SMG's disinterest was clear in season 7 so that's why it would be pretty low in my ranking of the seasons. That and I absolutely hated the First as a villain.

I would say some of 4, and all of 5 and 6 was SMG's best work on the show, but Seasons 2-3 was peak of the show for me.

Troyaferd

For me S7 was the weakest, beside S1.

But Conversations with Dead People is a very good Episode.

pjohnson

Spike is brilliant

Sonics2k

Let's not forget this beautiful scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpbagkZuJsw

pjohnson

Sonics2k wrote: »

Let's not forget this beautiful scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpbagkZuJsw

Was it the start of Angel or end of Buffy where Spike was a ghost?
That led to some great comedy.

CastorTroy

I think it was the final season of Angel as it was after what happened him at the end of Buffy

The White Wolf

CastorTroy wrote: »

I think it was the final season of Angel as it was after what happened him at the end of Buffy

Yeah it was.

Wasn't mad about some of the decisons they made in the final two seasons of Angel and they were the final blows in me being turned off by Whedon. There's such a thing as too much misery and it was piled on in Angel.

I found Buffy season 7 very mean spirited also.