The Last Ship, Season Four, Episode Five: Allegiance

Allegiance marks the official halfway point of the season. The Nathan James set sail this year without Chandler at the helm because he resigned his commission. Chandler has claimed that the reason for his resignation is that he lost his way.  You'd think that given the fact that his children have no one to look out for them that would be the reason but as it turns out, Chandler is having temper issues and occasionally acts out of a desire for vengeance. I guess that explains why he stupidly decided to steal Giorgio's boat for having his daily catch stolen. 

While many of the crew were happy to see Tom in Greece, they are still ambivalent about his presence on the Nathan James. While Tom was off fishing and dealing with his demons, they kept pressing forward.  As much as seeing Tom makes them happy, they want Tom to reenlist and vow to stay aboard with them. Continuing on with the pathetic Tom worship, it's Kandie who suggests that Tom running into the team on a mission is a sign from fate that Tom is meant to lead the mission to not only find the seeds but to secure a food source. Yes, the crew actually feels abandoned by Tom.

Is anyone going to remember that Tom has children that he needs to care for? Yeah, they're just kids without any family or anyone who has vowed to see them through to adulthood, trapped somewhere on a Greek island, where a known villain happens to visit on a regular basis, while the entire world is going through a food shortage. How old is Ashley anyway? 12? The kids might as well not exist because Sasha, Slattery and Jetter make a point that not only did Tom disappear for sixteen whole months, he maintained radio silence. The very nerve of Chandler. Doesn't Tom know that the world needs its straight, white, cisgender, able bodied, male leader? When Tom finally remembers he has kids, he gives them a call. Tom need not have worried because Ashley readily accepts the fact that a sailor has to be at sea and besides, Tom's girlfriend is letting them work in her restaurant now.  Uh huh. I'd use a gif here but I think the crying baby has already taken up a lot of real estate, so use your own imagination as to my response to Ashley's reaction.

The Torrent of Homophobia on 'Misfits'

The title of Misfits has caused many to give it a pass on what can clearly be described as terribly problematic language and behaviour. There can be no doubt that the misfits are clearly to be understood as anti-social personalities but this does not excuse their continually contemptible behaviour and language. There comes a time when even the most tolerant viewer will move from, “I don’t like to admit it but this cracks me up,” to “this is beyond offensive.” In season four the last original Misfit left the show and in many ways, it seems that the writers/producers feel that increasing the problematic language and behaviour is necessary because the audience no longer has a long running relationship with the characters. Week in and week out, marginalised communities are in someway maligned or made the butt of a joke.

From the very beginning, sexuality has always been a problem for Misfits. Much of the ways in which Simon was verbally abused by Nathan, included clearly homophobic taunts. For Nathan, attacking Simon’s masculinity meant repeatedly calling him gay, thus implying that gay men are not suitably masculine or otherwise inferior and worthy of derision. And no, you can’t use “gay” as an insult without saying something negative about gay people.

Simon is not the only man who Nathan has used homophobia to attack. In season one, episode two, Nathan discovers his mother’s boyfriend Jeremy lying naked on the ground.  There are many conclusions that Nathan could have jumped to - drugs for example, but instead, Nathan decides that Jeremy has to be a gay man, with some sort of disgusting sexual perversion - and, of course, no straight people troll for sex. He then takes his suspicions to his mother and asserts that Jeremy must be involved in some sort of “rough trade.”  

When Nathan leaves the show, his character is replaced by Rudy, who seems to exist to increase the usage of the usage of oppressive language. Rudy’s target for homophobic attacks is Finn. Though the two men are clearly friends, these taunts continue to exist. When you are on a roll with using an ism to attack, why not up the ante?  Finn, is interested in fellow misfit Jess, who wants to date Alex. Determined to prove that Alex is no good, Finn photographs Alex accepting an envelope from a man in a garage and extrapolates that Alex must be gay, involved in some sort of rough trade, as well being diseased (personally, I would have assumed a drug a deal since it makes more sense than exchanging money for sex and not actually having sex). Finn actively encourages Jess to question Alex’s sexuality and though she initially does the right thing and dismisses Finn’s charges, when she sees that Alex has pictures of himself and another man on his wall, has colour co-ordinated clothing, and can cook, Jess takes the opportunity to question his sexuality. I suppose nothing says “must be gay” like having the knowledge to cook, so you don’t end up eating take away or starving to death. These stereotypes were tired in the 90s, it’s ridiculous that a show in 2012 is perpetuating them.

This constant homophobia is clearly meant to be funny - and that can’t be clearer than repeatedly using being gay as a punchline. In season two, episode 3,  Nathan becomes a victim of Vince, a tattoo artist who uses his power to make Nathan fall in love with Simon. This of course includes Nathan getting sexually aggressive with Simon and trying to take his trousers off. The whole episode is one long gay joke that we’re supposed to be chuckling along with - but what is funny here?  Why is a man being attracted to another man funny? Why is unwanted sexual attention funny?   To exacerbate matters, when Kelly rightfully calls Nathan out, believing that he is teasing Simon, Nathan responds, "gay, straight retarded, why do we have to put labels on everything?" This completely dismisses the label he has been constantly using to demean.

Alexander Skarsgard in OUT Magazine

Alexander Skarsgård vs. Jonas Åkerlund

The star of True Blood and Lars Von Trier’s upcoming Melancholia talks with the filmmaker about the Swedish conquest of Hollywood, national differences in etiquette, and why Swedes get so much sex.

What is it about Sweden that is making this far-flung country of less than 10 million people so culturally relevant right now? From Robyn and the Knife to the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Sweden has leaped ahead of its European neighbors and infiltrated America’s mammoth entertainment machine. We invited Alexander Skarsgård, best known for his role in HBO’s lusty drama True Blood, to sit down with director Jonas Åkerlund — whose seminal videos have included Madonna’s “Ray of Light,” Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful,” and Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi,” (which starred a then–largely unknown Skarsgård as Gaga’s paramour) — to help answer the question.

Out: As Swedes abroad, both working in the entertainment industry, you must feel like the go-to spokespeople for Sweden.

Alexander Skarsgård: I love my country. I always love talking about it, especially as an expat. When you live there you bitch about everything, but when you move away, all you remember is how amazing and wonderful it is. You remember all the sunny days and forget the rainy days.

Jonas Åkerlund: It was very rare to hear about Sweden, period, when I moved to Los Angeles in 1996. You were still mixed up with Switzerland. Now there’s Swedish music everywhere, actors and directors, everything, everywhere. And it didn’t used to be like that. You were very happy and proud when you heard Ace of Base on the radio.

Skarsgård: Not to mention all the songwriters and producers, as well as the musicians. Every other song on Billboard seems to be produced or written by a Swede.

Åkerlund: The one profession that was left behind was filmmaking, which is now catching up a little. Music and fashion has been out there for a while, but lately I’ve also begun to notice Swedish co-producers and directors working abroad.

Skarsgård: The reason I went to L.A. a few years ago was because the young interesting filmmakers didn’t get a chance to tell their stories or do their movies because the older generation, who were pretty mediocre filmmakers, were the only ones making movies in Sweden. That’s changed so much now. I’m excited about going back to Sweden to work with young, cool Swedish filmmakers. It’s really a vibrant industry. And now, for the first time, there are a lot of Swedes working on Hollywood projects, often on super low-budget films.

Åkerlund: But it becomes a trend — everyone wants a Swede now. Getting that opportunity is one thing, but living up to it or holding onto it is another thing.

Skarsgård: Exactly, we’re like the flavor of the month. Next month it will be Finland.

Åkerlund: Oh, never say that. Never Finland. It’s interesting, though, Alex. I met you at the Chateau Marmont. We looked around and there were, like, 10 Swedes around us, and not one Finn, no Danes. Wherever you go there are Swedes. But I rarely meet other Scandinavians.

Out: Is there anything that helps define a Swedish sensibility or identity?

Skarsgård: I think it has to do with minimalism in terms of everything. There’s a lot going on under the surface. It’s something hidden. And that’s always interesting to me. You have to dig deeper. It’s like a duck — calm on the surface, but paddling like a motherfucker underneath.

Åkerlund: It all depends on where you are in the world. It’s easier for a Swede to stick out in America than, say, Italy or France, because their personalities are so different. The one thing we learn is we don’t really talk much about what we’re doing — we just do it. And that’s the biggest difference between us. In America, people talk a lot. I never talk; I just work. To me, to be on time and to deliver on time and stay on budget, and not just say, “Let’s do lunch,” but actually call up and book a lunch — that makes you different.

Skarsgård: There’s something about the sincerity that I miss in America. When someone asks, “What do you think of this painting?” or “How do you like these shoes?” I would take a second and actually look at the shoes or painting and say, “I like it.” Some people are kind of uncomfortable with that. When you ask, “How do you like my shoes,” they say, “I LOVE THEM.” They say, “YOU LOOK AMAZING; I LOVE IT!” At the same time, the reason Swedes can hold back is just because they don’t want you to think that you’re special or great or better than they are. At least when people in the U.S. like something, they say it.

Read the rest of the interview here

Teen Wolf Episode 9

Another week, another episode of Teen Wolf. Here we have the alpha finally revealed, a lot of action and a whole lot of excitement inter-spaced with confusing dream sequences. Like last week, Renee and Sparky chatted while watching this episode together


Sparky: oh darkened classroom with arsehole teacher
I didn't catch what was on the note?
OOOOH please do kill him!

Renee: what's up with the list of names?

Sparky: Is this a dream sequence? I'm totally lost, that was the teacher... he's involved? With the alpha, he made the alpha? What?

Renee: I guess the alpha is a science experiment gone wrong

Sparky: and Scott is playing getaway with Stiles in his car? What happened, did we miss an episode?

Renee: I am not sure what the hell is going on

Sparky: bonus no teen angst at least. I'll sit and watch in hope :)

Renee: a lot of action though

Sparky: Stiles still amuses me :)
Aye good action too. I was almost on the edge of my seat - and not just to reach for my drink
Claw marks are connected to nightmares - he passes on his memories through a scratch?
Ooookay, who's the doctor with the scary sharp things?
Ah Nightmare. Isn't this episode confusing enough?
Still, CHEST. Yummy.

Renee: okay it's a dream. No nurse gets out of her seat like that...

Sparky: yeah, when someone comes up and practically asks "hey let me have an illegal scan of your computer.
Oh threatening a werewolf you know is a werewolf... in what reality is that even close to being a good idea?

Renee: What do you expect from a teen show?

Sparky: Ooooh here's the teen angst

Renee: You knew you were not going to make it through a whole episode without that

Sparky: Ok. quota has been met. They can stop now

Renee: And how long did she date him to be this worked up?
That cafeteria food could have been cooked by Jo

Sparky: a month? Tops? Maybe...
Wow, playing with the werewolf senses! That's kinda cool and impressive tbh. I like how it's done

Renee: Yeah the stuff of undying love

Sparky: Ok, less impressive, now all kinds of skeevy. Someone's gonna get eaaaaten.

Renee: Yeah I don't like how they are using her body and her sexuality this way. It makes seem as though she is Scott's possession.

Sparky: yeah - she's again another thing that's only relevant based on how it affects Scott. Same as the whole "does it make him strong or weak" thing
Ooooh chest

Renee: Break up text

Sparky: Wow... y'know if he does get eaten? He totally deserves it. I'm going to start wishing for it - EAT HIM EAT HIM EAT HIM EAT HIM

Renee: Lydia alone is capable of ripping him in two

Sparky: I was going to say - I mean he's made an enemy of a werewolf and Lydia... I'd fear Lydia more!
Awww, almost sweeet awkward parenting moment.

Renee: Yeah proud cause your kid is playing lacrosse and not cause he is a smart kid. I so don't do the over emphasis on sports.

Sparky: Tell me about it. I liked how the whole awkward/distant parent thing was done at least.

Renee: Great Scott is breaking into the house of werewolf hunters. Male spunky agency

Sparky: Well the women can't have spunky agency in Teen Wolf - that would involve them actually DOING something.
Ooooh chest! chest chest!

Renee: Miguel is not liking the nameLOL Derek does fierce wonderfully

Sparky: I never knew Derek could do comic relief :) hee and be hot and fierce at the same time
Oooh teen angst is back.

Renee: Not just teen angst, gay teen angst

Sparky: I meant Scott crying over the receipt
That "playing for a different team yet play ball" thing was supposed to indicate a gay character... is that the Maris?

Renee: Up yeah that would be the Marris and now you know why he had to take off his shirt repeatedly

Sparky: that was supposed to be a bribe to make him co-operate? oh dear...
Oh yeah - you go running and decide to check out the spooky abandoned derelict house?

Renee: That's Derek's house

Sparky: Someone get this woman some horror films already!
I think we're going to see the recruitment pitch for the werewolf hunters

Renee: Why is Scott sitting there and putting up with the third degree. He should just get up and leave the house

Sparky: But then he couldn't be part of the manly deciding how to protect the delicate little flower
I'd have been so out of there. And have eaten him too.

Renee: This dumb ass believes in werewolves but somehow werewolf hunters are weird.

Sparky: The uncle is the alpha? oooooooooooh that's good.
Though I have to say I'm not sold on another "scarred villain" trope

Renee: I'm confused

Sparky: Fight scene! the uncle is the alpha it seems. Not sure how they guessed - but the email bringing Alison to the school was from the hospital (which apparently has A&E and long term psychiatric care)
He BECAME an alpha - ahhhh the plot and world thickens. Moooore exposition *sits back and takes notes*
Well y'know when I go out to drinking I totally discuss murders and arsons with hot strangers.

Renee: So the science teacher made the alpha with some kind of chemistry? What the hell does the necklace have to do with it

Sparky: No, the science teacher taught a woman wearing that necklace how to make untraceable arson - and the woman (Alison's aunt) went to the Hale house and burned it down.
Ooooh, instant plastic surgery.

Renee: Oh okay get it now

Sparky: and then uncle apparently healed his injuries when he became an alpha - he got promoted or something.
Aww it's over. I liked that one. Lot less teen angst, a lot more action and a ton of exposition!

Renee: Yeah it was pretty good.

Sparky: Though I could do without "Alison is only important because of how she affects Scott" and "you can make a gay man commit crimes for you if you take off your shirt." but otherwise, of the goood :) and I looove me some world building :)

Renee: I will say that even though I am irritated it was good to finally put a face to the gay Maris but it sucks that he was only brought in to be used and teased.

Sparky: Makes me both intrigued and worried as to what'll happen in the future. Not sure if I want him to go back to being a Maris, tbh. Still I score this highly.

Renee: I suppose it will depend on what else they do with character

Thoughts on Season Seven of Buffy The Vampire Slayer

 

It was a long journey, but I have finally come to the end of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  I am going to miss sharing this experience with my twitter family and your often challenging remarks.  Out of all seven seasons, I would have to say that this was among my least favourite.  I believe that the show peaked between seasons  4-6.  I loved the character development of Willow and Spike, but as for Buffy herself, her selfish irritating ways, were only surpassed by Dawn.

Okay, I was not enthused with Spike having cognitive difficulties throughout most of the season.  I know that Whedon thought he was covering his ass blaming it on the woo woo, but really enough already.  When we consider that almost every second word coming out of Buffy's mouth is the word lame, it was just another sign of the disableism that has plagued the show from the very beginning. Also, can we possibly be more trope filled than neurologically atypical equals violent?

This episode also brought us the dueling mothers.  Spike was triggered by a song his mother sang to him and Principal Wood, was desperate to get revenge for the murder of his mother.  They ended squaring off in a battle and Spike declared that his mother loved him, and that Wood's mother chose the job over him.  So much for the supposed feminist slant of Buffy.  The treatment of Wood's mother suggests that one cannot possibly be a good mother and have a job. It is further problematic that the White mother was cast as ultimately loving, though she is the one who said hateful things to Spike after he changed her.

Teen Wolf: Episodes 5-8

Unlike True Blood, there really isn't much about Teen Wolf that requires an in-depth analysis each week, though it is an interesting show when it steps away from the teen angst.  At this point, we have learned that the Alpha not only wants Scott to join him, he wants Scott to kill off his friends.  Allison senses that Scott is lying to her after he conveniently throws Derrick under the bus to explain why a creature is stalking them in the local highschool.

Stiles remains Scott's ever present side kick; however, he had no problem taking time out to get all creepy when he comes across Lydia in a drugged state after a meeting with the alpha.  A note to all men big and small: unless you are helping a woman, interacting with her in a way that can in any way be understood to be sexual while she is drugged is WRONG.  I know that they have constructed Stiles to be one of the good guys, but even good guys cross the line.

We also have an ongoing problem with the way Allison is referred to. There's a lot of discussion about how she affects Scott - does she make him weak, does she make him strong, does she make the wolf hard to control... and Allison gets lost as a person in the middle of this - it's all about how she affects Scott, right up until she dumps him for keeping so many secrets.

And for episode 8 Renee and Sparky decided to chat while watching together - it usually gets us more snark

True Blood: Me And The Devil

 

Am I the only who thought that True Blood was absolutely awesome last night?  Okay, first let's start with Tommy committing parenticide.  I know that it was violent but honestly it really gave me a sense of relief.  I really, really, really, did not want to see Joe-Lee in those yellow drawers again.  The story line with Sam's parents was irrelevant last season, and I am so glad that it was nipped in the bud early in this season.  From this event, we also learned that Sam is a murderer twice over.  I am unsure of where this dark side is leading to, because Ball created a back story for Sam, that is completely the opposite of the books.

Arlene and Terry decide to have their home blessed to scare away the evil. I for one am sick of the sins of the father routine that they have been using with the baby.  I was also upset to see that the house was blessed with sage, because this is a direct appropriation from First Nations culture. When we consider the harm that Christianity has done to Native Americans, this appropriation was absolutely horrible.  If that were not enough, Arlene called Lettie Mae and her new husband, "you people."  When they asked what she meant, she answered that she was referring to their religion.  Their easy acceptance of Arlene's response made them look ridiculous.  I really think that Ball could have taken this scene so much further, but maybe this is a sign that at least in the case of Arlene, he intends to follow the books and have her involved in a religious anti-vampire cult he decided to let it go.  

There Tara sat on the couch pouring her heart out to Sookie, and yet in Sookie's basement Eric was asleep for the day.  I am so glad that Tara told Sookie off. With the exception of organizing Egg's funeral, what has Sookie ever done for Tara?  This is a one sided relationship if ever I saw one.  Instead of going after Tara, Sookie stayed to soothe Eric.  As much as I love my kick ass Nordic vampire, the truth of the matter is that he has done terrible things to Sookie and her friends.  When she said to him that she always saw good in Eric, I have to admit that I gagged.  It's amazing what one can convince oneself of when hormones are involved.  I will say that I appreciated the kiss between Sookie and Eric, as well as Eric's low hanging shorts.  You're a tease Allan Ball, a super tease.

Thoughts on Season 6 of Buffy The Vampire Slayer

 

When I first started watching Buffy, fans promised me that I would adore the series given my love for urban fantasy.  The first five seasons were hard for me to watch and quite honestly if I didn't have a project which required me to watch Buffy, I would have stopped.  Season 6 however was a game changer.  Buffy left behind much of the teen angst with the exception of Dawn (can we drop a house on her?) and was much darker and far more adult.

Since season five, I desperately wanted Spike and Buffy to get together and that desire was met by an abusive relationship that culminated in rape. I know that some fans don't see the abuse in the relationship prior to the rape, and that is why I think a discussion is absolutely necessary.  Even though Buffy was more than capable of defending herself against Spike's physical assaults against her, he continually hit her to provoke sex.  He prayed upon her vulnerabilities using shame, and then systematically attempted to isolate her from her friends.  These are the hallmarks of abuse and should never be seen as some sort of romantic interlude. 

As much as season six was adult, it was also more problematic.  After waiting for Tara and Willow to finally kiss and share the same sort of romantic screen time as heterosexual couples, viewers were rewarded with watching them break up due to Willow's abuse of magic (more on that later) and finally Tara's death.  Really Whedon?  It's bad enough that Tara died, but to kill her after she and Willow had sex, makes it seem as though death is the penalty for same sex love. How many times have we seen this trope carried out in the media?  After witnessing Tara's death, I don't understand how this show could be seen in any way as a positive representation of the GLBT community.  I know that some will defend Tara's death behind Whedon's nasty habit of breaking up couples, but when it comes to gay/lesbian relationships, the fact remains that violent death is often how they are ended in the media. Tara's death is an absolute reflection of lesbophobia and can be seen as nothing else.

The Problem with Fandom in Urban Fantasy

As you know, I have been watching and reviewing Buffy The Vampire Slayer for a project that I am working on. I have written a review for each season, and each time I do so, some silly fan nonsense occurs.  I am of the belief that because we live in an imperfect world, that you simply have to say fuck it I like it from time to time, otherwise you would never be able to listen to music, read a book, or watch a movie or television for that matter.  There is however a line between saying fuck it I like it, and ignoring the multitude of isms that are perpetrated daily in our mainstream culture. It is more than possible to think critically about a text and still enjoy it. Warts should never disappear, because when they do, it means that we are internalizing an ism that is harmful, or we are openly and passively denying our various privileges.

On a post I wrote regarding the chaste lesbian relationship in season four of Buffy the vampire slayer, quite a few of the people who follow us on tumblr were upset, but one response really stood out to me.

Uh just so you know, the network that Buffy was airing on at the time, the WB, wouldn’t allow them to do anything more than hold hands. They weren’t allowed to kiss, they weren’t allowed to be shown in bed together. Joss Whedon wasn’t the culprit in that area, and what he did with their relationship with the boundaries set, was absolutely amazing to the point where Alyson and Amber got letters from fans saying they didn’t kill themselves because they were in that relationship in Buffy.

What the flying fuck.  Yes, to defend the fact that two meters of air were kept between Alyson and Amber throughout the season, except when it encouraged the sexual fantasies of a straight male, the author decided to invoke gay suicide.  My head began to spin. The rate of gay teens committing suicide is absolutely horrendous, and to invoke this to defend Buffy is unconscionable.  Something this serious should never ever be used as a ploy.

Even if I were to believe in the veracity of the above statement, how exactly does this change the fact that the relationship between Willow and Tara is unreasonably chaste in comparison to the heterosexual relationships on Buffy the Vampire Slayer? If people embraced the relationship, it was not because it was good, but because it was the best of the bad at the time.  Buffy the Vampire Slayer may have been progressive in terms of the GLBT community for its time, but it is far from progressive.

Thoughts on Season Four of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

As I have previously mentioned, for a project that I am working on, I have to watch all seven seasons of Buffy.  I have written a review for each season that I have watched thus far:  one, two and three respectively. In previous seasons, the teen angst has certainly been an issue for me.  I know that it is to be expected with a teenage protagonist; however, that does not mean that I have any real tolerance for it.  With Buffy and the Scooby gang in college, and Angel across the country, the angst level finally began to tone down, and I began enjoying it somewhat. 

From a social justice perspective, by far the most troubling episode that I have viewed to date was episode 8 of season four entitled Pangs.  It begins with Willow quite matter of factly stating why she and her mother have a problem with celebrating Thanksgiving.  All of the guilt however, is quickly overshadowed when the Chumash warrior Hus runs amok in Sunnydale -- after their grave site is disturbed, because of an attempt to build a Cultural Center at UC Sunnydale.  The Chumash warrior Hus rightfully want revenge for what was done to their people, but all Buffy can do is respond with White guilt and angst.  When she finally gets her slayer on, they sit down at a table to have Thanksgiving dinner, thus proving that they didn't learn a damn thing.  Whedon made a point of having Willow explain why Thanksgiving is a problematic holiday at the beginning, but dismissing that, after once again letting the White people defeat the supposedly bad Native people, and then eat a meal in celebration, was disgusting to say the least.

After being unable to control himself around a female werewolf, Oz leaves Sunnydale.  During his absence, we begin to see a budding romance between Willow and Tara.  Of course, it is all rather chaste and other than some hand holding, the audience is left to assume there is more going on.  If Whedon can film Buffy making out and having sex with both Angel and Riley, why is a kiss between Tara and Willow forbidden?  It hardly feels progressive when straight characters are highly visible and LGBT characters are not.  I know this was made in the 90's, but I am not going to give it a pass on that basis.  Whedon had a chance to be progressive and he blew it big time.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season One

Okay, because of the project that I am currently engaged in, I have been forced to watch all seven seasons of Buffy.  Since I know that there are plenty of urban fantasy fans reading this blog, I thought that I would share my impressions of each season with you.

While I was into vampires when Buffy originally aired, it was something that I never got around to watching.  Now that I have seen the first season, I am convinced that I didn’t miss a thing.  The original Star Trek had better special effects than Buffy. For all the punches and kicks that Buffy threw, it didn’t look look like she actually connected with a single one. Filming the fight scenes in bad lighting certainly did not fool me.  The title of the first season should have been shoestring budget.

What I find interesting about the series is that Buffy truly is the archetype for unlikeable female protagonist, who is filled to the brim with spunky agency. I get that she is the chosen one — the slayer— but really, is caution really such a bad thing?  Gotta vampire to kill, why not bring your date along? Then there is Angel. Mmmm Angel, the archetype for the musty vampire.  He denies who is, drinks blood from bags and so he is one of the rare good ones.  I know that Anne Rice started this trend in 1976 when she wrote the character of Louis de Pointe du Lac, In Interview With the Vampire,  but I am convinced that had Whedon just left the mustiness alone, it might have died the slow painful death that it deserved.  For me, the musty vampire, (see Louis, True Blood’s Bill etc) just needs to be gone for good.