A 'Buffy'/'Deadwood' rewind clarification
Note that both the podcast and blog rewinds will begin with two episodes at once
Don't forget to watch both halves of the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" pilot before our next podcast.
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So on Tuesday, Fienberg and I announced that this summer's podcast rewind would be season 1 of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and on Thursday, I added that the blog rewind would be season 2 of "Deadwood."
What we failed to do a good job of in either instance was to clarify exactly how much you all should be watching before the first discussion begins.
With "Buffy," it's the two-hour series premiere as it aired on the WB 15 years ago, but which has been separated into two episodes for syndication, on DVD and now on Netflix and Amazon streaming. So watch both "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "The Harvest" before the next podcast, which may be this coming week or may be the following, given Dan's travels.
With "Deadwood," I decided after watching the first two episodes — "A Lie Agreed Upon, Part I" and "A Lie Agreed Upon, Part II" — that even though they didn't air on the same night the way the "Buffy" premiere did, the titles and the structure suggests that David Milch wanted them to be viewed as one big premiere story, so that's what we're going to do. I'll be discussing both at once with the review going up on Friday morning, and the plan is to do one episode per week after that, give or take my own summer travels.
Sorry for the added wrinkle, but I wanted to make sure everyone knew what the homework assignment was before the next class.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupTarasa
May 26, 2012 at 8:36PM EST Reply to CommentSo excited about the Buffy rewind!
Tarasa
May 26, 2012 at 8:37PM EST Reply to CommentSo excited about Buffy rewind
Frank
May 26, 2012 at 9:15PM EST Reply to CommentSeason 2 of "Deadwood" is my favorite season of that show, and one of my favorite seasons of TV, period (mostly because of Garret Dillahunt's brilliant turn as Wolcott). I'm stoked!
JedyKnight Is also my favorite, because it feels like a full story was told.. S1 is more like the show finding itself and introducing the characters and how they will realate to each other.. and S3, for many of us, was like the first part of a 2-season story that was cut short. But S2 really rocked.
May 26, 2012 at 10:20PM ESTkeith I stopped watching in season 2 because it seemed to lack the drive of season 1. In season 1 you knew exactly what everyone needed and how they would come into conflict, so the story made sense to me. In season 2 they brought Garret Dillahunt back from the dead with no comment or explanation and everyone seemed to be mostly mulling around rather than needing and conflicting, so I got confused and stopped watching.
May 27, 2012 at 5:14AM ESTGarret Dillahunt @ Keith If u thought that Francis Wolcott was Jack McCall resurrected just because the same actor played both roles, you were really confused. I'm sure Alan's articles on the Season are going to be of great help understanding it.
May 27, 2012 at 9:19AM ESTkeith No, but you can't have the same actor in 2 roles that close together without it meaning something. If it means nothing you have to hang a lampshade on it, or people will be wondering wtf is going on.
May 27, 2012 at 12:44PM ESTsepinwall Milch doesn't think that way, Keith. He recycled actors all the time on Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue, and likely would have done the same with John From Cincy or Luck had they run long enough. He likes working with the same actors, and if it means having someone return in a different role after the first one made such a big impression — like when Dennis Franz became the hero of the last 2 seasons of Hill Street after playing a memorable villain much earlier in the series (and without remotely the change in appearance that Dillahunt went through), then so be it.
May 27, 2012 at 2:04PM ESTjoel
May 26, 2012 at 10:33PM EST Reply to CommentThanks for the clarification, teach! I will do my homework.
Oaktown Girl
May 26, 2012 at 10:47PM EST Reply to CommentQuestion to the gallery: Anyone else besides me going to be on the Buffy "Newbies" thread?
Deadwood Season 1 vs. 2 - I definitely understand why some folks found Season 2 superior. But gun to head if I had to live the rest of my life having only one, it would be Season 1. Sure, it may not have been as "complete" as Season 2 because a lot was introductory and so much was still in the unfolding stage, but it's that very quality and how well it was done that gives it such a special place in my heart.
Dudleys Mom Well, I've never made it past the premiere of Buffy...maybe this time it will stick. Will give it a shot!
May 26, 2012 at 11:01PM EST
May 27, 2012 at 5:54AM EST
May 27, 2012 at 5:54AM ESTMathias Bear in mind that while Buffy's first season has some highlights, the show starts showing its true potential on season 2.
May 28, 2012 at 5:03AM ESTYou should try to watch the show past that ugly make-up (that gets kinda awesome later on) and give it a shot.
Tina
May 26, 2012 at 11:04PM EST Reply to CommentThis is great! I had planned to rewatch all of Buffy this summer, so this will be a nice start. And I'm always up for Deadwood, although I may try to speed through Season 1 first.
Jim
May 26, 2012 at 11:38PM EST Reply to CommentI'm on S 4+5 of The Wire this weekend before going to Deadwood.
Thanks Alan.
Oaktown Girl Tim - I laughed out loud, literally! Thanks, I needed that.
May 27, 2012 at 1:46PM ESTYeah, I finally got the chance to do The Wire just last year. You can see my comments on Alan's blog years after he originally did the episode write up!
Mathias Season 4 is my favorite. Enjoy it, man. What would I give to be watching it again for the first time...
May 28, 2012 at 5:04AM ESTNarrim
May 27, 2012 at 1:15AM EST Reply to CommentWhoa, a Buffy rewind?
And I just started up Angel Season 1 again, lol. I guess I can do both.
Ser Mosh
May 27, 2012 at 7:58PM EST Reply to CommentI'll be doing this as a complete Buffy newbie and my standards for what constitutes a spoiler are as high as yours in the Game of Thrones reviews. Will I be safe reading your Buffy posts?
AJ Buffy is the podcast rewind show, so there won't be posts.
May 27, 2012 at 8:06PM ESTBigTed
May 27, 2012 at 8:15PM EST Reply to CommentI've been re-watching some random "Buffy" episodes on cable when I'm up too late at night, and they hold up beautifully after all this time. (Except for Dawn, who's even more annoying than you remember.)
MirrorGirl
June 5, 2012 at 3:53AM EST Reply to CommentGreat couple of shows to go over again, as both are examples of exemplary writing (completely different, but both exceptional). I just re-watched all of Deadwood after reading and watching several adaptations of Shakespeare, a natural progression. I wanted to just immerse myself in Milch's language. Thanks for picking two of the most unusual and interesting things ever to appear on TV.
MirrorGirl
June 5, 2012 at 3:55AM EST Reply to CommentGreat couple of shows to go over again, as both are examples of exemplary writing (completely different, but both exceptional). I just re-watched all of Deadwood after reading and watching several adaptations of Shakespeare, a natural progression. I wanted to just immerse myself in Milch's language. Thanks for picking two of the most unusual and interesting things ever to appear on TV.