tv, of a sort

[rivendellrose]

So, the UW media collection doesn't have Babylon 5. Alas, this means I must rent it from Scarecrow, which means I foresee nights of myself marathoning whole huge chunks of the series and, thus, losing my mind. When I go completely nuts from trying to watch whole seasons in the space of a week, you all know who to blame. ...Oh, and miss_arel, too. She's an enabler. XD

They do, however, have Buffy. And since I keep saying "I need to see Buffy at some point," well, no time like the near future, right? However, since I've been thoroughly spoiled for this one and feel no particular need to see it in order...

[Poll #730733]

Comments

[ursula]

. . . the new Dr. Who.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I want to see that so badly, yes! I don't think it's on DVD yet, though. Alas.

[ursula]

glasseye's dad taped some of it for us, but I haven't seen the Christmas special or any of the new season (and of course, I always like the one character everyone else thinks is boring!)

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

I voted for season 1. It's nowhere near as good as 2 and 3, but it really is best to start at the beginning. Makes the impact of the later greater episodes even stronger.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Awesome, thanks!

[ciara-belle.livejournal.com]

I'm a big fan of starting at the beginning. Seasons 2 and 3 were definitely my favourites, but I think everything will make a lot more sense and be more powerful if you start at season 1.

DO NOT start at the end and work backwards, whatever you do. I absolutely hated seasons 6 and 7 and season 5 was questionable in parts. I stopped watching the show almost entirely by season 7 because I just didn't enjoy it anymore. I couldn't even be excited by Nathan Fillion being in Season 7 because I didn't know who he was then.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

*Laughs* I was mostly kidding about the starting at the end thing. It's novel to me to be able to make a poll, so I wanted to make all the possibilities. ;)

[ciara-belle.livejournal.com]

Hee, fair enough.

I am beyond obsessive about starting from the beginning and watching things in order. That's why I hate getting into shows midseason or midrun.

Personally, I'd just watch seasons 1-4. I'm planning on at some point getting the Buffy DVDs and I'm trying to decide if I want all of seasons 1-4 or just 2 and 3. Because I think 2 and 3 were the strongest overall, but 4 has "Hush" and "Something Blue" and "Fear, Itself" which are all just awesome.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I don't mind coming in mid-stream, normally, but there are some series that are just waaaaay too arc-based for me to try it.

That's what I keep hearing from other people, that the last few seasons got a little iffy. Good thing, since it's going to take me long enough to get through just those four seasons, I expect. ;)

[ciara-belle.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I mean there was some good stuff. But I really wasn't a fan of a lot of the storylines. Willow's whole "magic addiction" bit kind of rubbed me the wrong way. And the whole Buffy/Spike thing. That only worked when it was a joke.

[lovelies.livejournal.com]

I liked seasons 3 and 4 best, but I'd also vote for starting at the beginning - it's really one long story, spanning the arch of the series.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I figured that was going to be what most people would suggest, but I couldn't resist using the poll feature for the first time. ;)

[penmage.livejournal.com]

Do you watch Veronica Mars? Because it is the excellentest. Seriously, it is, and it just got renewed for a third season. I believe the second season is re-airing starting tonight. And you don't need to have seen S1 to enjoy S2, though cindywrites has an excellent S1 recap over in her journal if you'd like it.

I highly recommend it. People call it Buffy without the supernatural, and it sort of is, but what it really is is fifteen other kinds of awesome. Even Joss Whedon loved it enough to loudly endorse it and even cameo on it.

Watch it! And if you're in the mood to download, I can hook you up with a source or two. ;)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... yeah, I've heard a lot about Veronica Mars from various people. Maybe I'll check out the S1 recap to see if it's something I think I'd like. Thanks for the recommendation!

[penmage.livejournal.com]

I hope you do! To make life easy for you, recap 1 and recap 2.

Enjoy!

[tonsai.livejournal.com]

I know we don't tend to like the same things (well, I'm not as much into sci-fi/fantasy, usually), but I gotta second the VM. I love the crap out of it. The premise sounds super hokey, but it works out awesomely. Season 1 is at least twice as good as season 2.

[reve-lucide.livejournal.com]

BSG -- hello? I haven't convinced you yet?

Maybe Katee in bed with a cigar will convince you. XD

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

*Laughs* I had a feeling that was coming. I'll see if the first season is available anywhere - if it's not, I'll probably wait patiently til it shows up on DVD. I seem to be running 5-10 years out of date with TV shows, lately...

[reve-lucide.livejournal.com]

Oh, the miniseries, the entire first season, and half of the second season are already on DVD, and I've got the last half of s2 on my computer, just waiting to be send-spaced to whoever might need them ...

[cirakaite.livejournal.com]

Season 2 & 3 are the best . . . I didn't even bother with the last couple of seasons, because 4 & 5 bored me so much. So I'd vote for starting at the beginning, or with S2 if you don't mind missing some of the build up.

(And re: one of the comments above . . . I have Battlestar Galactica & Veronica Mars both on ripped dvds, if you can't find them locally and want a copy)

[coralia13.livejournal.com]

My compulsive nature leads me to vote for season one first, although I retract the "dumbass." :) Even if you know what happens to all the characters, I still like to start at the beginning, because no matter how much you know, you can only get the intricacies of their pasts and relationships by beginning at the beginning, I think. Also, season one is short. Also, it will allow you to laugh at their funny 1996 clothes. And, although the acting of all the stars improves dramatically (as does Whedon's writing) in the later seasons, season one is a necessary and realistic bridge between the movie and the series (even if you have never seen the movie - and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it - the first season is still a good jumping off point). Also, there are a lot of fun episodes in season one, including: Buffy as a cheerleader! Angel shirtless! A murderous dummy! The Master! The Master is important later, so it's good to see what he is. Also, season two starts off with bitchy!Buffy, and I would hate that to be your first impression of her. Buffy's my hero (most of the time).
Although season two is arguably the best, I would still recommend starting with season one and going through chronologically. After the show switched to UPN (which I think happened at the same time Buffy came back from the dead the second time), the show pretty much went to hell (no pun intended), but if you're invested by the time you get to that point (as I was), then keep watching to the end. The series finale is sweet. There are also a few amazing episodes in those final seasons, like the one where they all forget who they are, and the musical.
I'm sure that's more than you wanted to know, but I grew up on Buffy, it being the second all-consuming love of my life, right after I finally got over Titanic. So yeah, you've got questions, I've got answers!

...I so wish I had a Buffy icon right now.

[maho-kiwi.livejournal.com]

Season's 1-3 are good, but it deals mainly with Buffy and Co in Highschool.

If you have to start somewhere other than one, four at least is a good starting-off point. The only thing you miss is a few character introductions, returning villians, that sort of thing.

In my opinion, seasons 4 and 5 are the best, overall.

[lacrimaeveneris.livejournal.com]

Start at the beginning, the series makes WAAAY more sense that way. :)

[barn-swallow.livejournal.com]

I also say Season 1. Season 2 is my favorite and seems to have the most effect on the rest of the series, but a lot of the intro information in Season 1 is worth knowing. Plus her clothes are so funny, hello late 90s/Clueless fashion!

And add me as another vote for both Veronica Mars and BSG, I love them both so much =) I don't have a BSG icon so you get a VM one!