Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
The College Years
Opening Day of College:
Buff and the gang are off to UC Sunnydale - everyone except Xander and Anya that is. Oh yah, and Angel and Corde are missing (well at least for this hour - we find them in LA for the second hour). And school is not looking any more promising for the Buff than the last four years (barring the Mayor's Ascension, which is hard to top)……
The Buff has a new roomie (for two episodes anyway), and she's a real keeper! If we weren't sure she was going to turn out to be a "Creep-a-zoid" of some type - we definitely got the hint when the Celine Dion poster went up…. Alas, I digress….
Buff is back to being "plain Jane", at least amongst the college campus. Apparently no one in Sunnydale knows of her talents outside the High School, but they sure all know Oz because he plays music (hmmm… go figure)……….. Anyway…….
The hour is a hodge podge of a lot of different subjects and intro's to new people. We find out Xander is not in college; meet a new TA at the college (romance for the Buff is definitely in the future with this guy); a tough teacher (who is most likely going to be Giles's home-chick of the future); and a strange group of "hunter like people" scoping out the campus and killing off bad guys!
Amongst the introductions we have the battle of the kickboxing females to keep us entertained. Apparently college doesn't just make the kids smarter - it seriously enhances their fighting skills. Buff runs into the seemingly "main Vampire chick" (at least for this week), leading her own little clique of bloodsuckers, and a battle ensues. However, not only does this Vampire Vixen kick Buffy's ass in a fight second only to the Faith\Buff battle of last season; but she then proceeds to steal the Buff's stuff! (Dr. Sues forgive me…)
Xander (hanging around the campus he does not attend) helps the Buff track the League of Doom back to their bat cave. Xander goes for help, while Buff watches Vampire Vixen go through her clothes. Tragically though, our Slayer falls through the glass skylight (because those are popular with Vampires don't ya know?); and our second battle of the night begins! WAHOO!
Once again, our Slayer is getting her butt kicked, right up until stupid Vampire Vixen breaks Buffy's Umbrella gift from Sunnydale High. Okay folks, let's say it together - this was about as smart as some warlord taking Gabrielle hostage from Xena; or an alien kidnapping Captain Janeway's Baby Borg!
Buff swings into action as the rest of the Scooby gang arrive to lend a hand. Buff does some serious damage this time around, and in the end all bad guys are staked!
This first episode really accomplishes a lot, and in my mind gets the show off to it's best start yet! Having seen the premiere of "Angel" right after this, I can tell you both shows are going strong.
To be honest, I was wondering whether Wheldon could keep up the pace he had set with Buffy for both shows while dividing his cast; but after a few weeks now, there is no doubt in my mind that not only can he keep up the pace, I think he's picking up speed!
Three Cheers for you Wheldon!
