This morning we talked about the ten episodes that I thought should be buried at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, never to be seen again. For something a little more positive, let's talk about my ten best episodes. It's a list that's changed dramatically over the course of this project, and if you guys want to see what my pre-Snark Squad list would have looked like, just let me know and I'll put it down in the comments.
Also, y'all should be impressed with my editing skills because when I finished filming, I had 25 minutes worth of footage of me rambling vaguely about how wonderful these episodes are. I mean, a decent chunk of it was bloopers. But still - 25 minutes worth of footage down to 4 minutes? I HAS WIKKID SKILLZ. Ahem.
Well. Here we are, six hundred and twelve (according to the internet) days after our first Buffy post went up. Finishing this project is definitely a bittersweet experience, because it's been SO MUCH FUN, but it's also been an epic trip down the Everything Sucks And I Hate This Highway on the struggle bus. Which, now that I think about it, is probably the same highway that the Scoobies were on when they piled into a Winnebago and left town at the end of season 5...
ANYWAY. I had more thoughts on the subject of finishing Buffy than I can possibly convey, and if you feel the need, you can go and read a lot of them HERE because it seemed like a more appropriate place to dump all of my thoughts.
ANYWAY. I had more thoughts on the subject of finishing Buffy than I can possibly convey, and if you feel the need, you can go and read a lot of them HERE because it seemed like a more appropriate place to dump all of my thoughts.
Hanna stomps through the Rosewood Hospital looking for room 312. Spencer tries to slow her down and talk her through a plan. They are going to replace the note in Garrett's Mom's room with a fake note, meant to lead whoever Garret is working with to a location where the Liars will be waiting. Spencer knows all that part of the plan, but points out that they should probably pick out a location before stomping into the coma room. Hanna quickly picks the church. Apparently, the girls assume that whoever Garrett is trying to communicate with on the outside is also A. And Spencer is assuming that Lucas is A, because he doesn't take showers. Or because they found those pills used to drug Emily amongst his things. Probably both.
Sweeney: Why are they finalizing this plan at the hospital?
Sweeney: Why are they finalizing this plan at the hospital?
We figured we'd give this its own post, mostly so you all could also rank with us in the comments.
I feel like I'm going to put this order up, wake up tomorrow and feel differently. Seasons are made up of so many moving parts, that ranking this way is difficult. I think I'm stalling now. OKAY. OKAY. Here we go:
I feel like I'm going to put this order up, wake up tomorrow and feel differently. Seasons are made up of so many moving parts, that ranking this way is difficult. I think I'm stalling now. OKAY. OKAY. Here we go:
- Season 5 - When season 5 took first place in my eyes, it surprised me.
Lorraine: We started ranking the episodes after season two, meaning we never got around to doing this little project for season 1. It was quickly decided that we would circle...
Lorraine: I hardly know how to fit this all in my brain. We did it. We finished. Seven seasons of Buffy. Everything I say here is probably coated with a...
We open at a cool looking floating space station that looks like it has lots of TV monitors on it. So basically my dream home. Inside, there's a carny guy in a tall hat telling passerby that he'll convince them to believe in aliens once they see what's inside his freak show circus tent. The Mad Hatter says it will haunt their dreams and harrow their very soul.
Lorraine: I love the idea that humans are now in space, and people are still debating the existence of aliens. "Yep. They're here.... somewhere..."
Sweeney: LOOK HARDER, HUMANS! Look harder.
Lorraine: I love the idea that humans are now in space, and people are still debating the existence of aliens. "Yep. They're here.... somewhere..."
Sweeney: LOOK HARDER, HUMANS! Look harder.
The Liars discuss their previous lies: being at Ali's grave the night her body disappeared, pretending to be at the Lake House of Secrets instead, etc. They're on their way to go comfort Hanna about not having a pretty wolf to kiss anymore when an ambulance shows up across the street. The paramedics wheel out Garrett's mom on a stretcher, which doesn't seem that important plot-wise but this is PLL, so.
Also, this neighborhood must be a very strange shape if they all live next door to each other and also next door to Alison's old house and also next door to New Jason and Garrett. It defies all logic. Aria sees a hoodied person watching them, and the girls freak, as usual.
Also, this neighborhood must be a very strange shape if they all live next door to each other and also next door to Alison's old house and also next door to New Jason and Garrett. It defies all logic. Aria sees a hoodied person watching them, and the girls freak, as usual.
Holy shit balls, you guys. We made it. Episode 144. It's been a long time coming - I mean, we started this whole crazy trip at the start of July 2012 - and I think the three of us have been anticipating this moment for months now. And now that it's here, I don't quite know how to deal with it. Sure, we haven't always loved the show, and sometimes recapping it twice a week has been indescribably painful. But I'm not sure how to adjust to life without Buffy recaps. Seriously - I wrote S07 E22 up there in the title and immediately teared up.
Sweeney: There's going to be a lot of that. It's been a long road and it's surreal to be here. MANY FEELS.
Lorraine: Just chiming in to say, "YEP." Perhaps I wasn't as ready to say goodbye as I thought I would be. For that reason, I should also warn you that things get very capslock-y and SQUEE-y in the recap below. I'm not even sorry that I'm not sorry. No apologies; feels abound.
Sweeney: There's going to be a lot of that. It's been a long road and it's surreal to be here. MANY FEELS.
Lorraine: Just chiming in to say, "YEP." Perhaps I wasn't as ready to say goodbye as I thought I would be. For that reason, I should also warn you that things get very capslock-y and SQUEE-y in the recap below. I'm not even sorry that I'm not sorry. No apologies; feels abound.
A sorority house at Eastern Iowa University. A mousy looking girl dresses for a date in a denim skirt and long sleeved button up blouse. She asks her roommate what she thinks, and said roommate "Oh, honey, no"s her. (S: True friend material.) She crosses to her dresser and grabs a midriff baring lacy red halter top and insists that Mousy Girl wear that instead. After a little reluctance, Mousy Girl puts it on. Ho Suspension Roommate approves and tells her not to do anything she wouldn't. Mousy Girl says that there's nothing she wouldn't do as she heads out. "That's true," Ho Suspension Roommate grins as she flips through her magazine.
Cut to an SUV pulling up under a wooden bridge in the dark. From the shadows, we see a silver hook glint. Mousy Girl says that she thought they were going to a party, and her date says they can't possibly arrive on time. She eyerolls a little at his obviousness, then leans over and kisses him.
Cut to an SUV pulling up under a wooden bridge in the dark. From the shadows, we see a silver hook glint. Mousy Girl says that she thought they were going to a party, and her date says they can't possibly arrive on time. She eyerolls a little at his obviousness, then leans over and kisses him.
This episode title is a liar because there's one more episode! It's JUST BEFORE the end. Silly title. This episode begins immediately where we left off. Faith tells everyone to get down and the bomb blows. Buffy eyes her prize as Priest-ion comes downstairs, gloating about how she can't pry it from solid rock and she easily lifts it up. It's a nice callback to the time it was assumed that the troll hammer couldn't be wielded and Buffy lifted it all NBD. Wolf howl.
Kirsti: Buffy's insta-pull and Priest-ion's face made me giggle.
Kirsti: Buffy's insta-pull and Priest-ion's face made me giggle.
We skipped out on the dance party during our season three wrap-up post, but hot damn do we deserve it this time:
Season four was an interesting experience. I think I felt a similar need to get out of a season back when we were doing Buffy season 6, but at the same time this was a completely different beast. Buffy season 6 made me angry. I understood the story, but I didn't like the story. These are all things you've heard before. The point is that here, there was a lot less anger, but like exponentially more head scratching.
And bursts of laughter.
Season four was an interesting experience. I think I felt a similar need to get out of a season back when we were doing Buffy season 6, but at the same time this was a completely different beast. Buffy season 6 made me angry. I understood the story, but I didn't like the story. These are all things you've heard before. The point is that here, there was a lot less anger, but like exponentially more head scratching.
And bursts of laughter.
We pick up immediately where we left off. Angel demands to know what Lilah's doing there, but Wes insists that it can't be Lilah on account of he chopped her head off. "There's a signed dollar in your wallet that says different," Lilah says. Wes turns away. Lilah looks to Angel and tells him to use his creepy vampire senses. He tells Wes that it's really Lilah. Fred asks how it's possible, and Angel uses his supersmelling powers to deduce that Lilah's still dead. (L: EW. JESUS. WHY.)(S: Mega letdown because I was hoping for crossover magic with this being first!Lilah. Boo.) (K: That would have been much better than reality.) Gunn asks if she's a vampire, and she "EW NO GROSS"es before pulling down the high collar on her shirt to show the line across her neck from where Wes decapitated her, which means she can't be a vampire. She and Wes share a meaningful look.
We open to a deserted Los Angeles and the zoomy cameraman zooming all over the place. He zooms in on the city, then individual buildings, then pans underground and zooms some more in the sewer tunnels. The battle continues between the Fang Gang and the soldiers. Connor throws Wes across the room into a wall, and demands to know where Angel is. Segue Magic to the alterna-world. The creature close in on Angel, then cower away when he holds up the magic glow ball. He looks up to see a path leading to a temple-y looking thing and THIS WHOLE SCENE IS SO BADLY BLUE SCREENED THAT I JUST CAN'T EVEN. Thankfully, we're thrown to the Electric Cellos.
Lorraine: But why does the blue orb keep the Clickety Demons away? WHY?
Lorraine: But why does the blue orb keep the Clickety Demons away? WHY?
In an attempt to make Connor even more unsympathetic than he was before, it appears he is immune to Gina Torres's blood. We join him now, telling Angel that he's wrong about everything and that they are going to tear him apart. More Jasminenites approach. Angel reacts quickly, shutting the door and using his body weight to hold it closed. He tells the rest of the Gang to make a run for it. Someone who knows the truth must survive. They all take off down the fire escape as Angel keeps trying to hold the door.
In an attempt to make Connor slightly less unsympathetic than a minute ago, he starts banging on the door, and in between hits, he says he's finally part of something.
In an attempt to make Connor slightly less unsympathetic than a minute ago, he starts banging on the door, and in between hits, he says he's finally part of something.