I've recently watched most of the 1st two seasons of Buffy (I'm in the UK, and my brother buys the box sets, this is as far as we've got with video releases), and is it just me, or does the series start to get a lot better around the middle of season 2? The characters start to get much more intesresting, it becomes a step up from the 'monster of the week' format. Just my thoughts.
Season 1 of most series is never as good as 2 or three IMO. The actors and writers are still getting used to the roles and characters.
I only noticed this for the first time during the season 4 episode "Doomed" when Xander commented that Spike, in trying to commit suicide, would have ruined one of his shirts. Why do the clothes also get dusted when a vampire is staked?
Callie - maybe their clothes (and stakes that are left through their hearts) get dusted because it it actually a small, not so "sponateous" combustion? Random, but it would explain why objects in contact with them get dusted, too.
The dusting of the stakes is more arbitrary than "if it is left in the vamp's heart." Sometimes It will not dust even in the vamp's heart, often, but not always, because the slayer (small "s" because Buffy [or Kendra/Faith] is not the only one shown dusting vamps) is still gripping it.
And then there are the "Cinderella's slipper nits" (eg. the Master's skeleton and the ring of the member of the Bretheren of Aurelius) which are not dusted along with the vamp only because they are needed as plot devices.
I miss the "Buffy"/"Angel" crossovers, of which there were two or three in Season Four of "Buffy" (Season One of "Angel"), and of which we haven't seen since then. Of course, "Buffy" moving from the WB ("Angel"'s network) to UPN for Season Six of "Buffy" makes a crossover more complicated than it would be if both shows were on the same network. However, I've seen that sort of thing done before, as when "Ally McBeal" (Fox) and "The Practice" (ABC) had a crossover, and when "Boston Public" (Fox) and "The Practice" (ABC) had a crossover.
The reason I'd like to see at least one more "Buffy"/"Angel" crossover some time soon is that major things have happened to the characters on each show since the last crossover. It's about time at least some of the characters on each show checked in some of the characters from the other show.
The two groups have been shown keeping in touch. (Of course the last time was the phone call to let Angel know that Buffy was back from the dead [again].) It's not the same as a real crossover, but not all of the "real crossovers" were "real" crossovers.
Still, it would be interesting to see the reaction to some of the news. (for example, after hearing about Cordelia's "demonization " Xander ponders how all his exes are demons, or Wesley, hearing that Giles has returned to England considers either returning himself, or offering his services to Buffy, now that he can't return to the Hyperion.)
I don't know about that. People just lose touch. Westley and Buffy were never on good terms. Too much of that cross series referencing becomes name dropping.
I think some acknowledgement between the shows is essential, but Matt is right if you do it too much it is just terrible name dropping. However we should see certain reactions about events on each show, here is a list of things that should be dealt with and acknowledged.
1. What does Buffy think about Connor, and his disappearance.
2. Cordelia's reaction to Xander's engagement and his leaving Anya at the alter.
3. Angel's reaction if he found out about Buffy and Spike.
These are just some basic things that should get a reaction on each show.
Just an observation:
2005 seems to be the year of "Buffy" alumni television comebacks. Allyson Hannigan ("Willow Rosenberg") is a co-star on "How I Met Your Mother", a new show on CBS. David Boreanaz ("Angel") is a co-star on "Bones", a new show on FOX. Nicholas Brendan is a co-star on "Kitchen Confidential"), a new show on FOX (although I haven't seen much of that show lately, so I don't know whether it's been cancelled). Charisma Carpenter ("Cordelia Chase") has a recurring role on "Veronica Mars", a second season UPN show. And James Marsters ("Spike") has a recurring role on "Smallville", a fifth season show on The WB. On the "Angel" front, Amy Acker ("Winifred Berkle") has a recurring role on "Alias", a fifth season show on ABC.