Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 1, Episode 1: Welcome to the Hellmouth Review (Happy 4th!)
Happy 4th of July!
Hopefully you're having fun. As a special treat, I'm introducing a new series to the queue of reviews, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Here's the first review.
Welcome to the Hellmouth
Original Airdate: March 10, 1997
Writer: Joss Whedon
Director: Charles Martin Smith
Of the many shows to be based off movies, this is one of, if not the only, instance where the TV show manages to outshine its source material. However, the film was critically panned and forgotten in many minds by the time the series premiered. The fact that this got on the air is more a testament to Joss Whedon's loyalty to his work than any market demand. He has never been one to let a project he loves die. A few years ago he fought to get a film adaptation of his short lived series Firefly made, a campaign that proved successful with the release of Serenity. Almost ten years earlier he showed the same dedication to "Buffy". While I've never seen the film, I've heard much about how it didn't mesh with what Joss envisioned and that it was a commercial and critical disaster. Nonetheless, he worked to get the idea resurrected in some form. Luckily for him, this coincided with the rise of a new network, one who was willing to take a risk on Whedon's idea.
Joss wisely decides against rehashing the movie in this pilot. Instead, he uses the movie as a prologue. This makes this episode's slant more interesting. "Buffy" frequently uses supernatural elements as analogies for growing up. Buffy wanting to leave her slayer identity behind is very similar to how people hope for that fresh start when they relocate. However, the true second chance is rare, and when you're destined to be the one person to protect the world from evil, you can't escape that.
Buffy is not much different than the average teenager. She wants to live a normal life and is struggling with her identity. This is essentially her problem throughout the series. While Giles hopes to teach and train her about hunting and killing demons, even he doesn't know some of the facts about slayerdom that we discover later in the series. This could apply to any teenager trying to figure out who they are, and even the parents and guides unable to help fully because they too don't know.
One of the major things that inspired Whedon to create "Buffy" is the old archetype of the blonde in a horror film. Usually the life span of that teenage girl is around four to five minutes (if they're that lucky). Not only is Buffy defying that cliché, but Darla does as well in the prologue. We've seen the scared girl go with the bad boy to some make out place only to be killed countless times before, which makes the twist that Darla is the evil one a refreshing change. So the blonde could be both a menace and a hero.
It is no surprise that Xander has an instant crush on Buffy. That outfit would make a lot of guys get into accidents. Thankfully, they scrapped the skateboard part of his character because it doesn't feel right for him. If they tried it as him trying something new to appear cool, then it would've made some sense.
Jesse feels like a clone of Xander, only a bit more awkward and pathetic. He keeps coming on to Cordelia, who keeps on rejecting him. He has that teenage thing refuses to listen to reason, which could definitely be set off by someone as hot as Cordelia. At one point, he suggests he nibble on his shoulder, perhaps a little foreshadowing for later in the episode.
Cordelia is what Buffy was before she was called upon for slayer duty. She's beautiful, vain and a little too much in love with herself. It does make sense that Buffy would initially draw to her, but while Cordelia teases Willow for her poor fashion sense, Buffy sees that isn't who she is anymore. Since the show is about outcasts, it makes sense to have a character represent what is alienating the heroes. However, there are hints of a change in Cordelia's character, which fits her arc.
Along with Cordelia, Willow has experienced the most dramatic transformation in her character arc. While they didn't want a supermodel in glasses playing the nerdy best friend, Alyson Hannigan is another beautiful woman in the cast. However, they don't overcompensate with the geekiness. It's more in Hannigan's performance; she is very effective at playing this type of very self conscious, shy character.
Giles rounds out the core group of four. As an Englishman, he could've been written as a stuffy stereotype or some absurd Monty Python wannabe. However, he's a lot more complex than that. Yes, he's knowledgeable, but he lacks social skills and awareness, like slamming the Vampyr book on an unassuming Buffy or going to the Bronze still wearing a suit and tie. There is also the male teacher/nubile teenage girl dynamic, which could be taken the wrong way. Luckily, they settled this to make Giles a father figure, but it isn't fully functional in this pilot.
Angel, in his brief appearance, is a bit ambiguous. The clothes definitely set the stage for his brooding character. He could be spouting his own poetry at a coffeehouse's open mic night. For some reason, explained later, he has some interest in helping Buffy take care of the vampires, alluding to The Harvest, presumably a mass murder of humans by vampires.
While those unfamiliar with the movie may be confused with some of the blanks left unfilled, there is a decent amount of background information given. Vampire mythology can vary, so it's important for Whedon to establish what his vampires do, how they kill, are killed, feed and are born. Although there isn't anything significantly different, such ground rules help the pilot.
Also nicely covered is the history of demons and humans on earth. The Master is trapped below earth by some force field. Presumably, other demons are trapped in similar situations and The Harvest will free The Master and maybe "The Old Ones" Luke refers to. The concept of "The Old Ones" lasts through Angel's final season. Now that's some good foreshadowing!
Although most of the subsequent big bads would be some type of demon or evil being, it makes sense to have the big bad early on be a vampire because of the title of the series. The Master's appearance draws some comparisons to Murnau's Nosferatu. Early on, they wanted to have vampires appear more demonic as they aged. Considering every other vampire looks the same when they vamp out, this concept was one that was quickly scrapped (with one exception early in season three). The Master serves as a type of transitional device, to lure in fans of old vampire stories while the leather jacket could be an update of the look.
Considering that WB was going for a young demographic, there are a lot of things meant to appeal to younger viewers. For example, The Bronze would be the setting for numerous musical acts in the future. It feels a bit forced in this episode, but as the series progressed, they had better success integrating it. The difference between old school and new school horror is established in the opening title sequence. The organ intro drowned by a shredding guitar, while symbolically saying that Buffy isn't going to be the blonde in peril in need of rescue, also says that this is going to be different than standard vampire/slasher stories.
Obviously, with that eye-catching title (that unfortunately turned off some people from watching it, including me initially), this wasn't going to be a show to take itself too seriously. It was also a merging of several genres. In that title, we have sci-fi/fantasy, action, comedy and drama. Merging genres also helped a show with a less humorous title, The X-Files, who along with Buffy became touchstones for the new generation of sci-fi fantasy.
Having Sunnydale positioned right over a Hellmouth is a decent narrative device, even if it is an easy way out of explaining demonic activity. I'm sure everyone has felt that high school is hell at some point (and if you haven't you're a liar). For an analogy, it works perfectly. Although how did they manage to have the Summers move right in the Hellmouth's backyard is anyone's guess.
Joyce's role, as unaware parent, isn't played as a typical dumb adult in many teen oriented shows. While that may be relatable to young people, Joss does a different angle and it still works. Buffy can't tell her mom her secret, so that works with the "parents don't understand" theme every teenager has felt at some point.
One thing worth noting is how far the "dusting" technology came during the seven years from this episode to Angel's finale. In the early episodes like this one, a staked vamp explodes into dust. Over Buffy and Angel's run the disintegration became much more sophisticated. While it may not be the best for continuity, it's interesting to see in perspective.
Also, the film quality is significantly lower than around season three forward. According to Whedon's commentary, they filmed on 16-millimeter stock, which is cheaper than 35 mm (I'll try not to bog this review down with a lot of techno babble). However, this does leave the picture a bit grainy. The lighting in this episode is much darker than later seasons (that could just be the film stock), which makes some of the scenes a bit hard to see.
The dialogue is also very different, but it needs some fine tuning. The pop culture references didn't always blend in with the rest of the lines, but that becomes much easier as the writers discover what they want this show to be. Although it wasn't Whedon's true intention, I enjoyed seeing Aphrodesia and Aura's superficial conversation filled with buzzwords and slang abruptly stop when the guy fell out of the locker.
While hardly amongst the Buffy classics, this is an effective opener. Our first taste of Whedon created TV shows potential, but it will take some time before they get to where Buffy is considered a classic.
Hopefully you're having fun. As a special treat, I'm introducing a new series to the queue of reviews, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Here's the first review.
Welcome to the Hellmouth
Original Airdate: March 10, 1997
Writer: Joss Whedon
Director: Charles Martin Smith
Of the many shows to be based off movies, this is one of, if not the only, instance where the TV show manages to outshine its source material. However, the film was critically panned and forgotten in many minds by the time the series premiered. The fact that this got on the air is more a testament to Joss Whedon's loyalty to his work than any market demand. He has never been one to let a project he loves die. A few years ago he fought to get a film adaptation of his short lived series Firefly made, a campaign that proved successful with the release of Serenity. Almost ten years earlier he showed the same dedication to "Buffy". While I've never seen the film, I've heard much about how it didn't mesh with what Joss envisioned and that it was a commercial and critical disaster. Nonetheless, he worked to get the idea resurrected in some form. Luckily for him, this coincided with the rise of a new network, one who was willing to take a risk on Whedon's idea.
Joss wisely decides against rehashing the movie in this pilot. Instead, he uses the movie as a prologue. This makes this episode's slant more interesting. "Buffy" frequently uses supernatural elements as analogies for growing up. Buffy wanting to leave her slayer identity behind is very similar to how people hope for that fresh start when they relocate. However, the true second chance is rare, and when you're destined to be the one person to protect the world from evil, you can't escape that.
Buffy is not much different than the average teenager. She wants to live a normal life and is struggling with her identity. This is essentially her problem throughout the series. While Giles hopes to teach and train her about hunting and killing demons, even he doesn't know some of the facts about slayerdom that we discover later in the series. This could apply to any teenager trying to figure out who they are, and even the parents and guides unable to help fully because they too don't know.
One of the major things that inspired Whedon to create "Buffy" is the old archetype of the blonde in a horror film. Usually the life span of that teenage girl is around four to five minutes (if they're that lucky). Not only is Buffy defying that cliché, but Darla does as well in the prologue. We've seen the scared girl go with the bad boy to some make out place only to be killed countless times before, which makes the twist that Darla is the evil one a refreshing change. So the blonde could be both a menace and a hero.
It is no surprise that Xander has an instant crush on Buffy. That outfit would make a lot of guys get into accidents. Thankfully, they scrapped the skateboard part of his character because it doesn't feel right for him. If they tried it as him trying something new to appear cool, then it would've made some sense.
Jesse feels like a clone of Xander, only a bit more awkward and pathetic. He keeps coming on to Cordelia, who keeps on rejecting him. He has that teenage thing refuses to listen to reason, which could definitely be set off by someone as hot as Cordelia. At one point, he suggests he nibble on his shoulder, perhaps a little foreshadowing for later in the episode.
Cordelia is what Buffy was before she was called upon for slayer duty. She's beautiful, vain and a little too much in love with herself. It does make sense that Buffy would initially draw to her, but while Cordelia teases Willow for her poor fashion sense, Buffy sees that isn't who she is anymore. Since the show is about outcasts, it makes sense to have a character represent what is alienating the heroes. However, there are hints of a change in Cordelia's character, which fits her arc.
Along with Cordelia, Willow has experienced the most dramatic transformation in her character arc. While they didn't want a supermodel in glasses playing the nerdy best friend, Alyson Hannigan is another beautiful woman in the cast. However, they don't overcompensate with the geekiness. It's more in Hannigan's performance; she is very effective at playing this type of very self conscious, shy character.
Giles rounds out the core group of four. As an Englishman, he could've been written as a stuffy stereotype or some absurd Monty Python wannabe. However, he's a lot more complex than that. Yes, he's knowledgeable, but he lacks social skills and awareness, like slamming the Vampyr book on an unassuming Buffy or going to the Bronze still wearing a suit and tie. There is also the male teacher/nubile teenage girl dynamic, which could be taken the wrong way. Luckily, they settled this to make Giles a father figure, but it isn't fully functional in this pilot.
Angel, in his brief appearance, is a bit ambiguous. The clothes definitely set the stage for his brooding character. He could be spouting his own poetry at a coffeehouse's open mic night. For some reason, explained later, he has some interest in helping Buffy take care of the vampires, alluding to The Harvest, presumably a mass murder of humans by vampires.
While those unfamiliar with the movie may be confused with some of the blanks left unfilled, there is a decent amount of background information given. Vampire mythology can vary, so it's important for Whedon to establish what his vampires do, how they kill, are killed, feed and are born. Although there isn't anything significantly different, such ground rules help the pilot.
Also nicely covered is the history of demons and humans on earth. The Master is trapped below earth by some force field. Presumably, other demons are trapped in similar situations and The Harvest will free The Master and maybe "The Old Ones" Luke refers to. The concept of "The Old Ones" lasts through Angel's final season. Now that's some good foreshadowing!
Although most of the subsequent big bads would be some type of demon or evil being, it makes sense to have the big bad early on be a vampire because of the title of the series. The Master's appearance draws some comparisons to Murnau's Nosferatu. Early on, they wanted to have vampires appear more demonic as they aged. Considering every other vampire looks the same when they vamp out, this concept was one that was quickly scrapped (with one exception early in season three). The Master serves as a type of transitional device, to lure in fans of old vampire stories while the leather jacket could be an update of the look.
Considering that WB was going for a young demographic, there are a lot of things meant to appeal to younger viewers. For example, The Bronze would be the setting for numerous musical acts in the future. It feels a bit forced in this episode, but as the series progressed, they had better success integrating it. The difference between old school and new school horror is established in the opening title sequence. The organ intro drowned by a shredding guitar, while symbolically saying that Buffy isn't going to be the blonde in peril in need of rescue, also says that this is going to be different than standard vampire/slasher stories.
Obviously, with that eye-catching title (that unfortunately turned off some people from watching it, including me initially), this wasn't going to be a show to take itself too seriously. It was also a merging of several genres. In that title, we have sci-fi/fantasy, action, comedy and drama. Merging genres also helped a show with a less humorous title, The X-Files, who along with Buffy became touchstones for the new generation of sci-fi fantasy.
Having Sunnydale positioned right over a Hellmouth is a decent narrative device, even if it is an easy way out of explaining demonic activity. I'm sure everyone has felt that high school is hell at some point (and if you haven't you're a liar). For an analogy, it works perfectly. Although how did they manage to have the Summers move right in the Hellmouth's backyard is anyone's guess.
Joyce's role, as unaware parent, isn't played as a typical dumb adult in many teen oriented shows. While that may be relatable to young people, Joss does a different angle and it still works. Buffy can't tell her mom her secret, so that works with the "parents don't understand" theme every teenager has felt at some point.
One thing worth noting is how far the "dusting" technology came during the seven years from this episode to Angel's finale. In the early episodes like this one, a staked vamp explodes into dust. Over Buffy and Angel's run the disintegration became much more sophisticated. While it may not be the best for continuity, it's interesting to see in perspective.
Also, the film quality is significantly lower than around season three forward. According to Whedon's commentary, they filmed on 16-millimeter stock, which is cheaper than 35 mm (I'll try not to bog this review down with a lot of techno babble). However, this does leave the picture a bit grainy. The lighting in this episode is much darker than later seasons (that could just be the film stock), which makes some of the scenes a bit hard to see.
The dialogue is also very different, but it needs some fine tuning. The pop culture references didn't always blend in with the rest of the lines, but that becomes much easier as the writers discover what they want this show to be. Although it wasn't Whedon's true intention, I enjoyed seeing Aphrodesia and Aura's superficial conversation filled with buzzwords and slang abruptly stop when the guy fell out of the locker.
While hardly amongst the Buffy classics, this is an effective opener. Our first taste of Whedon created TV shows potential, but it will take some time before they get to where Buffy is considered a classic.
Score: 7/10
posted by Matt @ 1:32 AM
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