My Mediocre Vampire Novel

In thinking about writing my mediocre vampire novel (MVN), I realize that it might be beneficial to watch the Twilight movie series.  I have avoided it thus far, but there's something they're selling to the teenage girls that could be to my benefit to analyze. 

That being said, I realize I stopped after season 2, episode 4 of my Buffy the Vampire Slayer recaps and commentary.  Since this is a far superior vampire series, I'm wondering if my first focus should be on completing this set of entries.  It would serve two purposes, getting me back into the habit of writing regularly and immersing myself yet again into the vampire lore.  Plus, I get the added bonus of watching one of my favorite shows again.

My sister and I have been watching Lost Girl on Netflix and it has rekindled my interest in writing my MVN. Probably the most interesting thing about this show is seeing how the female characters are so different than other shows that are currently on stations like the WB/CW or whatever it's called now.  It's so much closer to what Whedon was trying to achieve with Buffy than a lot of the television we've seen since.  While this show may not have the best acting, or sometimes even the best writing, there is something so endearing (and refreshing) about the friendship between Bo and Kenzi that I really don't care.

My point, is that more research is needed to get me into the right head space to write the MVN.

Existential Joss Whedon

I picked up a copy of The Existential Joss Whedon: Evil and Human Freedom in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Serenity, by J. Michael Richardson and J. Douglas Rabb, on the Kindle app on my phone.  (Normal copy would cost about $35 and the Kindle edition was $15.)  I have only read through about 14% of it, but I am having a hard time putting it down.  First of all, it discusses important plot lines and character development from one (some) of my favorite shows.  Second, it breaks down Existentialism into digestible pieces of information that I can comprehend.

The one that caught my attention last night was in chapter three, entitled "Buffy, Faith, and Bad Faith: Choosing to Be the Chosen One."  In the chapter it starts discussing Jean-Paul Sartre and the episode of Firefly, "Objects in Space."  The Richardson and Rabb talk about Sartre's idea of freedom.

We also encounter other people.  Unlike mere physical objects, they too have freedom, plans and projects which may, Sartre would say must, conflict with our own.  To reduce this conflict we do what we can, always in Bad Faith, to negate their freedom or to deny our own freedom.  At some level, we also want to be recognized by these other persons, but recognized as free conscious beings, not the mere things or objects to which they, also in Bad Faith, would like to reduce us in order to preserve their own precious freedom.  

And it just sort of clicked for me.  Of course, the example in the book of a woman out on a date could have helped with that as well.  It is incredibly easy to think of other people as two dimensional characters or objects filling up the spaces in our lives.  We are the center of our own lives; the stars of our own sitcoms, if you will, and everyone else is a supporting cast member. 

When I'm driving, usually home from a long day, I often think about the people in the other cars on the road.  They are all going somewhere, with some agenda in mind, and we wish everyone else would get off the road so we could get where we're going faster.  I often think that my problem is that I "deny [my] own freedom" too much when interacting with other people.  I'm far more concerned about the well being of others than I am about myself.  I have this sense of fairness that few people seem to have.  I will be paralyzed by indecision or avoid a situation altogether rather than make a choice that will cause someone to be harmed in some way.  Of course, this is not healthy and I am getting better at it. 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: S2E4

The thing that catches my attention about Inca Mummy Girl is that we see a possible future for Buffy.  Not meaning that she will become a mummy, but that here is a girl with a destiny very similar to Buffy's in that she is chosen to save her people.  We see Buffy struggle in these early episodes with the burden of being "chosen" when she never wanted that life to begin with.  So Ampata represents that part of Buffy that wishes for a normal life.

The difference being, of course, that Buffy would never take an innocent life to save herself.   We see this in later seasons when she is willing to sacrifice herself again and again to save the people around her.  Which makes me wonder if Buffy's sacrifices are really as noble as we are asked to think they are.  Buffy is willing to put her life on the line, but if she feels trapped by her "chosen-ness" is it really a sacrifice or an escape?  Is this the theme that is explored with Spike and after Season 5?

My point in talking about this episode is that we can see, through Ampata's actions, how the burden of protecting other people at such a young age can be a heavy one.  That Buffy struggles with it just as much as this girl, but that she is stronger and better than the Inca Mummy Girl or anyone else that would be in their position.  Spike has killed two slayers, didn't he say something about how they invited it?  Buffy definitely does from time to time, but she always has her friends to bring her back - emotionally or physically.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: S2E3

From the very beginning, Spike sets himself apart from the other vamps in town.

1) He arrives via car, destroying the "Welcome to Sunnydale" Sign. - how have the other vampires in Sunnydale arrived there?  Honestly, we don't know.  They either already exist in the town or they are created there.  So it's probably unfair of me to say that Spike arrived in a different manor not really knowing how the other vamps travel.  But to this point, we have not seen a vampire make use of this modern technology.

2) He has an actual romantic relationship with Drusilla. - We haven't seen this type of relationship between vampires yet.  Angel is able to care for Buffy, but then he has a soul so there are special rules for him.  But Spike's relationship with Drusilla goes beyond the basic Sire/Child or the Master/Servant relationships we've seen thus far from the Sunnydale Vampires.  We see that Spike actually cares for Drusilla (brought her to a place of safety, encourages her to eat and get healthy).  When they are together the entire world can disappear around them.

3) He has no respect for the rituals and doesn't listen to authority. - while the other vampires are cowering around "the Annointed One" and doing his bidding, Spike has no respect for the kid.  In the end, he even strings the Annointed One up in the sunlight and kills him.  It really seems so simple when he does it you wonder why any of the other vampires hadn't thought of it first.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: S2E2

This episode gets away from the vampires a little bit and retells the Frankenstein story in a modern setting.  Things are a little different from the Shelley tale, in that Chris resurrects his brother for a specific reason (grief) rather than the fact that he could.  It's Darryl, Chris' brother, who refuses to go outside for fear of what people will think of him rather than Frankenstein hiding his creation from the world.  Still, Darryl and the Monster will suffer the same lonely existence in this world because of their "different" appearance.

I had forgotten how adorable Jenny and Giles are together.  ***SPOILER ALERT***It really makes me sad to know how this season and season 8 both end.   Jenny is exactly what Giles needs to pry him from his dusty books and enjoy what life has to offer, even on the hellmouth.  She animates his rather dull existence in a way that being a watcher never has. 

It seems that love, or rather not being lonely, is the general theme of this episode.  Giles is trying to make things work with Ms. Calendar and Angel is jealous of Xander's interactions with Buffy.  Even Darryl, newly resurrected from the dead, wants a companion. Cordelia is dragged further into the Scoobies' world and we start to see the beginnings of her attraction to Xander.

Then again, thinking of Darryl and his desire for a companion so he won't be alone in the world (à la Frankenstein's Monster)  it seems that the big question is "what makes life worth living?"  Angel has been around for hundreds of years but since he's had his soul restored it's been a lonely existence for him.  Buffy brings color to his dark world and makes some joy possible in his life.  Darryl decides to die, again, with his half-formed bride rather than be alone.  Willow and Xander have each other, but even they wish for something more.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: S2E1

Willow and Xander share a tender moment which is promptly interrupted by the first vampire they've seen all summer.  Thankfully, Buffy is there to save them and renew all of Xander's fanboy love.  I am kind of upset by this moment, especially considering season 8.  It seems that Buffy has to have Xander in her unrequited pile.  She does the same thing to Willow in Season 2 that she does to her own sister in Season 8 and she uses/abuses one of her good friends, Xander, to avoid dealing with her own emotions.

Of course, it could just be that she needs to feel loved by someone even if she can't return it.  Case in point, Spike later in the series. Though it's also a great way to keep people at arm's length.  Of course, Buffy is putting on a brave face for everyone and she's suffering from the events in season 1.  Angel is concerned but she can't stop pushing people away.  It's easier to protect people when your enemies can't use them to get to you.  Buffy is falling into the classic superhero trap.

We start to see the change in Cordelia in this episode.  Cordy is as intrigued by the vampire gruesome as Willow and Xander even though she's been too cool to admit it.  She quizzes them on their summer activities and then calls Buffy out on her behavior and tells her to get over her issues before she loses everything.  Cordelia knows her place and she knows Buffy's role better than Buffy at this point.

I like the first introduction of the vampire cult.  It's the same old cult type we saw in season 1 with the same old ritual reading, etc.  The anointed one seems to be getting everyone together for a round two of the previous season, but I know how Spike interrupts that plan later.  A little foreshadowing of Season 2's ending when Buffy challenges Angel to an ass-kick-off.  She even says, "Haven't you ever wondered what it would come down to?"

The Silence and The Gentlemen

I have been very excited for the new series, aka season, of Doctor Who to start and I missed the first two episodes due to my trip to Ireland.  Of course, I was able to watch the episodes on TV there as well, but there was so much to do that one hates to rush back for something that can be seen back home.  I have officially caught up with the series and can't wait for the next episode on Saturday.  I do have to say that I am very glad I didn't have to wait an entire week to watch the second part of the season opener.  "The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon" are probably two of the best episodes we've seen from Steven Moffat and quite ballsy, too, I might add.  I won't spoil anything for those that haven't seen it and plan to at some point, but I do have to discuss the villain.  So if you don't want to have anything spoiled, please cease reading now.

Okay, now that I have your attention, I have to say that there was something very familiar about these creatures.  And no, it's not because I've seen them before and have forgotten them while I was looking away.  These villains are quite unsettling as one forgets all about them as soon as they are out of sight.  We are treated with scenes where River Song panics at the sight of a dozen of them hiding in a sewer only to return to her friends and announce that there wasn't anything there and she's going back to further investigate.  The most horrifying to the viewer is the scene where Amy Pond comes across one in the ladies room.  While she's stuck staring at the creature an innocent women comes out of a stall and shrieks at the sight of it.  The innocent then promptly forgets it's even standing there when she turns her head to respond to Amy's warning to back away from the creature and then repeats the same initial reaction three times before it kills her.  How does one defend themselves from a villain one can't even remember?

But back to my point about these villains being eerily familiar somehow.  Do you remember, haha, the Gentlemen from Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Season 4 episode, "Hush?"  I thought you might.  One of the creepiest villains in the Buffyverse and one of the scariest episodes because of the silence.  Visually, they are slightly different but have a lot in common; notice the suits and pale flesh.  There is, of course, a lack of creepy smile on the Doctor Who villain as they don't really have a mouth.  The Silence don't float, they seem to just appear in the corner of your eye.   The Gentlemen don't talk at all.  Both, however, play on our basic human fears.

The Gentlemen take away your voice and then kill you when you can't scream for help.  The vulnerability in that is what shakes the audience down to its core.  The Silence can influence you to do whatever they want and you won't even remember why you are doing it.  It's a sort of mind control through subconscious suggestion and they've apparently been on earth for a number of years; shaping and changing the destiny of the human race for who knows how long.   The Doctor clearly says that human beings decided to go to the moon because the Silence, "needed a space suit."  We just haven't learned the why yet.  As a writer, it's a brilliant plot device as it's possible we've seen them in previous adventures but can't remember them.

I will have to visit this again once the new season is over and I know how the Silence end.  Then I can fully compare them to the Gentlemen and see what is what. 

**Side Note: I also have drafts of entries for the days I was on vacation that I need to finish up and post.  Otherwise, I will have a huge gap in my year and my Buffy entries.**

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: S1E12

Once again, I have to give major credit to Xander.  Yes, Angel cares about Buffy and doesn't want her to get hurt.  Yes, Angel works with Giles to find a way around the prophecy.  But who actually goes out to help Buffy?  Xander.  He even recruits Angel to come with him, which would imply that Angel was sitting on his hands about the whole thing.  When they find Buffy, face down in a puddle of water, who is it that can actually save Buffy?  Xander!  So really, how helpful is Angel?

In real life, Buffy should choose Xander and they could have adorable babies together.  But this is a television show, and a sci-fi one at that, so they are not meant to be.  Their lives are not going to be normal, happy ones and this is why we tune in week after week.  Though having the girl choose the bad boy over the obviously decent guy is pretty real to life.  Plus, having a Buffy/Xander-ship would ruin the entire dynamic in the Scooby Gang and we would have an awesome character like Anya later on.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: S1E11

This is the episode where Cordelia starts to drift toward the Scooby gang.  She intentionally seeks them out for protection against her invisible assailant and even attempts to thank them properly at the end of the episode.  We get to see a softer, more vulnerable, side to Cordelia Chase when she talks about being alone in a crowd.  This is definitely where we start to see the change in her character that will lead her to further development in the Angel series.  (We also get Angel back in the series, delivering an ancient text that will play heavily in the final episode of the season.)

I also think this episode really drives home the problems of popularity in high school.  Though it takes it to an extreme, where even the teachers ignore Marcie, I think everyone can identify with that feeling of invisibility at one point or another in his or her life.

Angel vs. Spike

@whedonesque The Friday Poll - if you had to choose which vampire with a soul should become human, which one would it be? Angel or Spike?

*NOTE:  This was posted on whedonesque's twitter some Fridays ago.  I wrote about it in my livejournal and am reposting it here so as to avoid missing days while I am on vacation in Ireland.  Hopefully my friends and family won't mind reading it again, but it will be new to any readers not privy to my livejournal.

As viewers of the show are aware, both Angel and Spike want to become Human again.  (cue: Disney song) They both posses souls and a certain amount of passion for one blond slayer.  Angel has had a chance at being human, in season 1 of Angel, and gave it up for a very specific reason; he can't be a hero if he's human.  Being human is very important in the Buffyverse, but not in the way we think it is.  All of the main characters in the Buffyverse walk a thin line between being a monster and being human.

Through seven seasons, we see Buffy struggle with her supernatural abilities and her very human life.   So we know that one must have a healthy dose of both in order to be a successful slayer.  One must have a reason to make the right choices.  Faith has major problems because she doesn't have that motivation.  She doesn't have the "normal" things that Buffy does and therefore succumbs to the "monster" within.  Angel without his soul is simply a monster.   Spike, now he's a different story.  As I've said before, he and Drusilla have a very different vampire relationship.  They "stink of humanity" in that they have the ability to love. 

Let's start with defining "human" in terms of the Buffyverse.  Human will refer to one's physical state of being and should not be confused with behavior.  Being Human means that one does not have a supernatural ability.  They do not heal quickly, nor do they possess any inherent martial arts abilities.  Of all the characters in BtVS, only two of them are true humans: Xander and Dawn.  (Dawn is definitely questionable since she started out a ball of energy and was formed into a human being, but for our purposes she is plain old human.)  Giles is not entirely a regular human.  We know he dabbled in magic in his past and has some extra abilities.  Willow starts out a plain old human until she begins her magic training.  Then she becomes a powerful Wicca, capable of destroying the Earth (until her friend appeals to her human side).  At several points in the show, Xander is cruelly reminded of his inadequacies and he helps Dawn to deal with her own lack of "specialness."  Yet, they are still able to hold their own when fighting with Buffy.  They come up with plans and make connections that further the efforts of their supernatural friends.  They are also, in many cases, the anchor that keeps their friends tethered to their individual humanity.  In other words, just because they don't have super powers it doesn't mean they are completely useless. 

Spike and Angel are different from other vampires in the show because they possess a certain amount of humanity.  They are, by no means, human but they do feel love and pain as human characters would.  They are vital to Buffy's struggle against the Hellmouth in that they have both the desire to stop evil and the means to do it.  (Obviously, Spike does not start out helpful but by the end of the series is on par with Angel.)    As we learned in "I Will Remember You", Angel is unable to protect Buffy with normal human strength.  He is injured and feels useless.  No doubt, in time he would have been able to find a niche in her life; some way to help her in the battle.  But he knows that being human has tipped the balance in favor of evil and made Buffy's struggle more difficult.  She needs warriors as well as friends around her, in order to succeed. 

There are obvious reasons why a vampire would like to be Human again. 

1) Sunlight. - Angel relishes being in the sun on the rare occasions he is allowed to exist in it. (The Gem of Amarra being one such time, his journey to Pylea being the other.) 
2) Food - A vampire with a soul can't really enjoy snacking on humans and must exist on animal blood instead.  Hamburgers must seem a lot more appealing.
3) Family - Vampire don't have the ability to father children.  When you live forever there's no need for a legacy.
4) Dying - As Darla expressed in Season 2 of Angel, some things were meant to end.  As a vampire there isn't much more than a pile of dust when one dies.  The soul departed when one became a vampire.  So what happens to a vampire that's been en-souled?  Certainly after a few centuries there must be something appealing about growing old and dying naturally.

Plus, I believe there's a certain amount of wanting to be "normal."  Having a soul in the body of a vampire can't be easy.  To have the knowledge of what you once were and what you are now must be very troubling.  A feeling of being "unnatural" must color every part of your life.  Which bears mentioning the gay-allegory in vampire mythologies.  (Of course, this can also be true for any group of people who are seen as outside the acceptable culture.)  The desire to be like everyone else.  The feeling that something isn't right, or that one is evil.  Wouldn't life be easier if one were like them? 

For a Buffyverse Character, I would say this isn't true.  Being Human isn't going to make all your troubles go away.  The "bad guys" aren't going to leave you alone because you changed, it will simply make you easier to kill.  It will have you relegated to minor parts within story-lines and won't get you your own spin-off comic/tv show.  Does Xander have his own comic?  Would they build an entire series around his character?  No.  He's an integral part of an ensemble, but not one that would be able to carry his own franchise without developing some sort of special ability. 

I don't think either Spike or Angel should attain their heart's desire.  For that (being regular humans) would render them uninteresting.  There wouldn't be any more to their story, except the humdrum the rest of us deal with.  It would be the "happily ever after" of a  fairy tale.  The thing about life is that there are rarely "happily ever afters."  There is always something else, some other obstacle.  These obstacles are interesting only to those involved.  For a fictional character, this is equivalent to death.  We watch the shows and read the comics as a way to escape the mundane as well as to understand ourselves.  A fictional character like Spike or Angel has to have larger than life issues in order to reveal a truth about our own.  Their struggle to deal with their issues, their internal contradictions, and their hope for something better makes them more human to the audience than a mortal life ever could. 

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: S1E10

I like the way this episode was done.  It takes one's worst fears and nightmares and allows them plague you during your waking hours thereby making them real.  But we don't realize this at first.  As the audience we just see spiders attack a boy in class and wonder what new villainy is this.  It's not until Buffy sits down to take a test in a class she's never attended that we begin to see what's going on.  We are presented with the standard bad dreams: showing up for a test in a class you've never taking, performing in a show without rehearsals, and realizing you are in class without any clothes on. (I am really glad this was Xander's nightmare as it allowed for some ogling.)  But then there are the more serious nightmares like Buffy's fear that she's the reason her parents separated, Giles afraid that Buffy will die on his watch.  I have to draw a comparison between Buffy and her worst nightmare of becoming a vampire to Harry Potter and his fear of dementors when facing the Boggart.  In these cases, where one's worst fears can become reality, fighting them off isn't always simple. 

Side Note: Willow says the phrase "what do they need all those legs for anyway?" when talking about the spiders and it immediately reminded me of Anya when she sings about the bunnies in a later season.....

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: S1E9

I really like the misdirection in this episode, even though it makes it obvious that Morgan isn't who we think he is.  I also like how visibly upset Morgan gets as the episode continues.  It's clear that there's something wrong with him but we don't really know what and then we seem him slowly unravel until he almost has a freak out when Sid goes missing. 

I do have to say that the dummy attacking Buffy is a little creepy and not as cute as the Smile Time episode of Angel.  This isn't one of my favorite episodes, but it's a stand alone that has its moments.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: S1E8

This episode makes use of the new technologies,  i.e. the web, laptop computers with tiny, tiny screens.  Giles' reasons for not liking the Internet are pretty similar to my E-reader hesitations. 

Jenny Calendar: Honestly, what is it about them that bothers you so much?
Giles: The smell.
Jenny Calendar: Computers don't smell, Rupert.
Giles: I know. Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower, or a-a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell musty and-and-and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer is a - it, uh, it has no-no texture, no-no context. It's-it's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then-then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible, it should be, um, smelly. wledge gained from a computer is a - it, uh, it has no-no texture, no-no context. It's-it's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then-then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible, it should be, um, smelly.

We're also introduced to Jenny Calendar who is just adorable.  And she quickly dispels any prejudice we have about modern science vs. Magic.  They are not mutually exclusive and one can actually benefit the other. She definitely represents the idea of free knowledge and sees academia as "old white guys" who hoard it.  She states that the Internet is a new frontier, a new world, where they can make their own rules and I find this incredibly interesting.  It really was like that in the beginning, wasn't it?  I have to say the playful banter with Giles makes me a little sad, knowing how that romance will end.   

What I find most interesting are the fears surrounding the Internet and the anonymity of it all.  Buffy is immediately concerned for Willow when she learns about "Malcolm" because Willow doesn't know what this guy looks like and that it could be anyone.  Moloch even talks about the freedom he experiences on the web and how he knows the secrets of the world leaders.  I think this is still a relevant concern in our modern world, though we've gotten a lot better at policing it.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: S1E7

We finally get the low-down on this Angel character.  I have to say that I don't remember Angel having a tattoo on his back and I wonder if it plays any significance later in the series or is only used in this episode to identify Angel with Angelus in the Watchers' Diaries.  Do they ever explain what the tattoo design is?

What I like about this episode is that you don't have these characters ready to jump into a relationship despite their differences.  They recognize that they shouldn't be together, even though they have a great attraction to one another, and desperately try to do the "smart" thing.  How often do you see teenagers behaving in a logical and mature manner?  Even if you take into account that certain other pop-culture vampires force their loved one to wait until marriage for any serious physical action.  That other series, which shall remain nameless for now,  has the girl so anxious to be with the guy she doesn't care about the dangers.  It's only through his superiority that she is "saved" from her own desires.  But in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we have two characters who understand the consequences of their hormones and make the conscious decision to stay apart.

Isn't that what young people should do?  To fully understand their desires and make the best decision without succumbing to them without reason?  And this really establishes Buffy and Angel as equals, emotionally speaking, even though he is "like 224 years older" than she is.  He has had years to grow and mature, yet here is this 16 year old girl who is able to make an equally mature and difficult decision.  And it's not bringing him down to her level either.  It sets them up as an evenly matched pair for the relationship they eventually begin later on in the series.

On a different note:  Darla uses a pair of handguns when confronting Buffy.  Clearly, she knows of the slayer's abilities and isn't taking chances or she has a desire to torture her victim a little before finally killing her.  I am going to guess it's somewhere in the middle.  We see that Darla is jealous of the budding romance between Angel and Buffy and I can't help but think this has something to do with her sadism.  I think it also sets these vampires apart from others in fiction.  Most vampires rely on their strength and vampire powers to attack and kill victims, but the BtVS vamps have no problem with taking advantage of what the modern world has to offer.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: S1E6

Yet another perfect example of Xander being a hero.  We're introduced to four class bullies as they pick on a weaker student.  They persuade the boy kid to enter the closed Hyena exhibit and Xander follows to help the boy.  While there, we see Xander stand up to the bullies and push the boy to safety.  It's then that the Hyena's possess the bullies and Xander.  What I think is interesting is that Xander essentially becomes the leader of this pack, seemingly the exact opposite of his "normal" personality.  Once he's released from the curse, he readily comes to Willow's aid without a second thought.  So is this pack leader mentality really so counter-Xander?  Though he has shown himself to be incredibly loyal to his friends over and over and here, once again, he's proven that he'll put himself on the line to protect them no matter what the consequences may be.

Kind of disturbing is the scene where Xander attempts to rape Buffy interspersed with the scene where the bullies eat the Principal.  We see that this show isn't afraid of the ugly topics and it doesn't pull any punches.  Characters we see regularly are going to go through terrible situations and/or die.  Our friends are going to do things to betray our trust and life goes on.  Though I am glad that Buffy locks Xander up in the Library cage before he's dragged along into eating innocent people with the rest of his pack.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: S1E5

Buffy catches the interested of the dark, brooding guy all the girls at school wish they could date.  He reads Emily Dickinson and spends a lot of time by himself.   This sounds a lot like that Edward Cullen guy, FYI.  It's no surprise when he becomes overly interested in Buffy's dangerous life since he's already a little obsessed with the idea of death.  I have to hand it to Buffy though, she is able to realize the unhealthy relationship before it even begins and declines a second date with Owen. 

There's a little standoff between the human boy and the vampire love interest at the Bronze and we begin to see the mutual attraction between Buffy and Angel.  I am a little bit impressed with Owen's ability to fend off a vampire in the funeral home.  He comes to Buffy's defense and is able kick a lot of ass before being knocked unconscious.

Angel/Buffy vs. Edward/Bella

***Note: This is a reposted entry from my livejournal, circa 2009.  It's been a long time since I read that first Twilight novel, but I don't think my opinion has changed.  My opinion about Angel on the other hand is a little different this time around.***

I read an article the other day about the vampire romances in pop culture and the young girls who love them, a la Edward Cullen.  It mentioned the Buffy/Angel relationship in the Buffy Series and called them similar.  I said, "ha," at the time.  So I sat down last night and watched most of season 1.  It's been several years since I've seen any of these episodes and the storyline, in my mind, was sketchy at best. 

First let me say, that I can see the article's point.  Angel is a vampire, with a soul, who is going against his nature to get along with the humans and help them against his own kind.  The article said the vampire in any teen romance was like the ultimate reformed bad boy.  And, I have to admit the author had a very good point.  Angel is actually much more attractive than I remember him being.  He's dark and mysterious, only showing up to warn Buffy of potential danger.  I always thought he was whiny and preferred Spike.  However, after watching the first 8 episodes of Season 1, I can admit that Angel is not that bad.  In fact, I find myself wanting them to get together.

The major differences between Buffy/Angel and Bella/Edward:  First, Joss Whedon and his team of writers are ten times better at conveying emotion and crafting plot than Stephanie Meyers.  Second, Angel's attraction is not based on the fact that she's his favorite smelling snack.  Third, as the slayer, Buffy knows the dangers for real, real.  She walks away from Angel, at the Bronze.  They both acknowledge their attraction, she realizes what he is and she walks away.  Fourth, Angel doesn't sparkle, he can't go out in the sunlight, and he doesn't feel the need to repeat high school over and over again.  Fifth, Buffy actually has super human strength and can hold her own with the vamps.  So she's not this constant damsel in distress.  Their relationship, when it happens, is the meeting of two equals, so to speak.  Sixth, one of Buffy's biggest  "no" points for a relationship with Angel is that he's "like 224 years older." 

Seventh, the actor playing Angel, David Boreanaz, is built.  The actor playing Edward, Robert Patterson, has the skinny emo look.  Angel actually wreaked havoc through Europe for at least a century before having his soul restored and being reduced to dark and emotional.  Edward is just lame from the beginning.  Angel is paying penance for evil deeds he committed before the soul restoration.  He's been the big bad and he's come back from it.  He actually admits to Buffy that, when Darla framed him for attacking Buffy's mom and Buffy sought his destruction for the attack, he wanted to kill her, but he doesn't.  Edward is just self loathing from the get go. 

So perhaps it is the introduction of this newer, whinier, lesser vampire, Edward Cullen, or perhaps it is seeing the episodes through older, different perspective eyes, but Angel is not half as bad as I used to think he was.

Other thoughts:  The Hyena episode, where Xander is possessed, is kind of awesome.  First, Nicholas Brendan is kind of hot.  Second, the other hyenas eat the principal.  Kind of brilliant

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: S1E4

I have to feel sorry for Buffy in this episode.  We get a glimpse of some self-esteem issues she may have.  Dr. Gregory calls Buffy to task on her school work and we see her face fall.  She has this defeated attitude about school and assumes that the teacher is going to treat her the same way the principal did in the first episode.  But the teacher tells her he knows she can do better and expects nothing but the best for her.  He ends his speech with a wink, telling her they'll prove the nay-sayers wrong.  Of course, the guys lasts for all of five minutes before this episode's monster of the week kills him.  Thus ends the only supportive teacher we've seen in Buffy's school career.

But the main focus of the episode is on Xander and the substitute teacher who is really a giant praying mantis.  We see his self-esteems issues in the opening dream sequence; saving Buffy from a vampire before playing a kick-ass solo on stage.  In his dream he's confident and the strong hero.  But as we've seen, when it matters Xander truly does possess these qualities.  Most of the time, however, Xander doubts his own abilities and it's not exactly reinforced by his attraction to Buffy who doesn't seem to notice.  I am sure that having the hot teacher try to eat you after seducing you isn't helping either.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: S1E3

Even though the title of the show is, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," it's not all vampires all the time.  I had forgotten that Amy Madison was introduced this early in the series.  It's interesting to see how she began as the shy, formerly fat, girl given that she plays such an important part later in the series.  (I haven't read all of Season 8 yet, so I don't yet know how complicated she becomes or if she is able to come back from the edge of evil at all.)  Here, the gang is facing magic.  Giles warned Buffy in the previous episodes that there was more to be found at the Hellmouth than the garden variety vampires she faced in LA(read: the movie), but here we actually get to see what he's talking about.  I really like that the show tackles a different type of supernatural bad guy so early in the series.  It allows the show to stay fresh and not get bogged down in it's own mythology.

I also appreciate that this series is more than just Giles, Angel, and the Scoobies with extra characters thrown in for the convenience of plot.  There are minor characters who start with and develop alongside our heroes, i.e. Amy, Harmony and Jonathan.  The plot lines are a little more believable with characters already known, to the audience, in peril or succumbing to the evil of the Hellmouth.  We feel that these people are really living and interacting in Sunnydale even when the camera isn't following them for our entertainment.  As we've seen in the previous episodes, Whedon has no qualms about killing off "regular" characters. (Alas, poor Jesse)  Though I find it odd that Jesse is introduced as such a great friend of Willow and Xander's and then we never hear about him again in the series.  Do they ever lament their dead friend in later episodes?