Post by Sweet on May 30, 2016 16:01:40 GMT
I'm doing a rewatch with some Buffy fans on LJ so I thought I could share my thoughts here as well 
Feel free to agree, disagree or whatever!
Welcome to the Hellmouth was a lot better than I remembered. What makes it stand out is the dialogues, they are so clever and funny and they succeed in 40 minutes of show in telling us much of what we need to know about the characters. It's not an easy job.
This first episode makes me think of the say 'appearances can be deceiving' and the need we all have to 'believe' (like the title of the song that's played at the Bronze)
Some thoughts:
⦁ Darla. She is so not believable in her high-school disguise that you can tell it's a disguise. I like that she doesn't just kill the boy and get over with it, she plays with him like a cat with a mouse and she uses sex to do it. Same later with Jesse. It's IC with what we learn about her on ATS. On the other hand she is totally OOC in the final scene. I HATE her servile and frightened behavior with Luke!
⦁ Buffy's dream: the water, the angel statue, the cross angel gives her. There is a lot there to dwell over
⦁ Jesse. I don't like his character. The only thing he cares about is getting in some girl's pants! even when he hears that a guy has been killed, he still keeps hitting on Cordelia.
⦁ why is Buffy carrying a stake at school? does she think she will meet some vampire in broad daylight?
⦁ Cordelia seems so nice in the beginning but then she is shamelessly mean with Willow in front of the 'new girl'. She acts like there is nothing wrong in her behavior
⦁ I love the first meeting between Giles and Buffy! His excitement in showing her the Vampyr book is really something. He is like a kid with his new toy lol and he is puzzled when she refuses it and runs away. I guess he is so eager to start his job as a Watcher that he just assumed the slayer would be just as eager.
⦁ Giles mentions incubi and succubi but these kind of monster was never part of the show. I wonder why
⦁ also he says nothing about Sunnydale being the Hellmouth. So the Watchers didn't know yet?
⦁ "the sleeper will wake, the sleeper will wake"... god can we cut that scene please??
⦁ but Luke IS creepy... and that's the waterhole from Buffy's dream!
⦁ I like Joyce. I really do. Her comment at the beginning about not being kicked out of school may sound harsh and insensitive but the tone of the conversation, her face and most of all Buffy's smile contradict this feeling. Maybe I was influenced (by some haters' comments in the forums) to believe that she was an horrible mum until s5 but here she seems truly nice. It's clear that she loves her daughter and is trying really hard to help her with what she believes to be Buffy's issues.
⦁ ugh! Buffy's choice of a dress and hairstyle must be her worst outfit in the whole show, seriously.
⦁ ok, now Angel is stalking her and I'm feeling a Edward/Bella vibe... except that Edward is a good guy
⦁ "Ma'am", "I don't bite", "I didn't say I was yours". He is so...so... smartass? braggart? oh, he is playing with her alright! Not so different from Darla playing with her victim. They only have different goals and different techniques imo
⦁ so, Angel knows about the Hellmouth. And about the Harvest. How does he know?
⦁ god, his acting is really embarassing! and what's with the arm swinging?
⦁ he gives her the cross - does this symbolize that he will be a cross on Buffy's heart? - and she takes it. Buffy, Buffy... no one teached you not to accept gifts from strangers? especially from those who stalk you in the dark??
⦁ is it me or she doesn't seem too impressed by him? Compare that to speechless Buffy the first time she meets Spike
⦁ Willow is adorable. I know I'm not saying nothing new, but seriously, I miss that Willow so much
⦁ it's weird to see Giles hanging at the Bronze. I think it's the one and only time he did?
⦁ Buffy is over confident. She thinks she's able to spot a vampire by the dress but she didn't feel that Angel was a vampire.
⦁ she breaks a leg off a chair. That's weird, in the morning she brought a stake at school and then she goes out in the night unarmed?
⦁ and how did Buffy know where the young vampire would bring Willow?
⦁ I like that Willow and Xander learn the truth about Buffy from the first episode.
⦁ Darla clearly has no idea what Buffy is and acts like she has never met a slayer before.
⦁ nice cliffhanger at the end! me likes cliffhangers
Feel free to agree, disagree or whatever!
Welcome to the Hellmouth was a lot better than I remembered. What makes it stand out is the dialogues, they are so clever and funny and they succeed in 40 minutes of show in telling us much of what we need to know about the characters. It's not an easy job.
This first episode makes me think of the say 'appearances can be deceiving' and the need we all have to 'believe' (like the title of the song that's played at the Bronze)
Some thoughts:
⦁ Darla. She is so not believable in her high-school disguise that you can tell it's a disguise. I like that she doesn't just kill the boy and get over with it, she plays with him like a cat with a mouse and she uses sex to do it. Same later with Jesse. It's IC with what we learn about her on ATS. On the other hand she is totally OOC in the final scene. I HATE her servile and frightened behavior with Luke!
⦁ Buffy's dream: the water, the angel statue, the cross angel gives her. There is a lot there to dwell over
⦁ Jesse. I don't like his character. The only thing he cares about is getting in some girl's pants! even when he hears that a guy has been killed, he still keeps hitting on Cordelia.
⦁ why is Buffy carrying a stake at school? does she think she will meet some vampire in broad daylight?
⦁ Cordelia seems so nice in the beginning but then she is shamelessly mean with Willow in front of the 'new girl'. She acts like there is nothing wrong in her behavior
⦁ I love the first meeting between Giles and Buffy! His excitement in showing her the Vampyr book is really something. He is like a kid with his new toy lol and he is puzzled when she refuses it and runs away. I guess he is so eager to start his job as a Watcher that he just assumed the slayer would be just as eager.
⦁ Giles mentions incubi and succubi but these kind of monster was never part of the show. I wonder why
⦁ also he says nothing about Sunnydale being the Hellmouth. So the Watchers didn't know yet?
⦁ "the sleeper will wake, the sleeper will wake"... god can we cut that scene please??
⦁ but Luke IS creepy... and that's the waterhole from Buffy's dream!
⦁ I like Joyce. I really do. Her comment at the beginning about not being kicked out of school may sound harsh and insensitive but the tone of the conversation, her face and most of all Buffy's smile contradict this feeling. Maybe I was influenced (by some haters' comments in the forums) to believe that she was an horrible mum until s5 but here she seems truly nice. It's clear that she loves her daughter and is trying really hard to help her with what she believes to be Buffy's issues.
⦁ ugh! Buffy's choice of a dress and hairstyle must be her worst outfit in the whole show, seriously.
⦁ ok, now Angel is stalking her and I'm feeling a Edward/Bella vibe... except that Edward is a good guy
⦁ "Ma'am", "I don't bite", "I didn't say I was yours". He is so...so... smartass? braggart? oh, he is playing with her alright! Not so different from Darla playing with her victim. They only have different goals and different techniques imo
⦁ so, Angel knows about the Hellmouth. And about the Harvest. How does he know?
⦁ god, his acting is really embarassing! and what's with the arm swinging?
⦁ he gives her the cross - does this symbolize that he will be a cross on Buffy's heart?
- and she takes it. Buffy, Buffy... no one teached you not to accept gifts from strangers? especially from those who stalk you in the dark??⦁ is it me or she doesn't seem too impressed by him? Compare that to speechless Buffy the first time she meets Spike
⦁ Willow is adorable. I know I'm not saying nothing new, but seriously, I miss that Willow so much
⦁ it's weird to see Giles hanging at the Bronze. I think it's the one and only time he did?
⦁ Buffy is over confident. She thinks she's able to spot a vampire by the dress but she didn't feel that Angel was a vampire.
⦁ she breaks a leg off a chair. That's weird, in the morning she brought a stake at school and then she goes out in the night unarmed?
⦁ and how did Buffy know where the young vampire would bring Willow?
⦁ I like that Willow and Xander learn the truth about Buffy from the first episode.
⦁ Darla clearly has no idea what Buffy is and acts like she has never met a slayer before.
⦁ nice cliffhanger at the end! me likes cliffhangers
