Teebee show that was full of cheesy postmodern goodness. Whatever you do, do not watch the movie. It was before the series and is baaaaaaaad.

PB 2.0 - Supplement the wonk!

Before it died the 7 year death. See also, Star Trek TNG.

Angel, sadly, didn't make it to that.

For my money, two of the best investments in TV SciFi series DVDs are Buffy - Collector's Set and Firefly - The Complete Series.

Both of them brilliant, well-written, well-cast, well-acted, smart, witty, complex, nuanced, just over-the-top enough to keep you on your toes and more than enough complexity to allow multiple viewings with some new reward every time.

Buffy is worth it for Season 3 alone, when the smart kids are confronted with the undeniable truth that the battle will never end, that winning will never happen, that evil just keeps on coming and there is nothing for it but to get up again tomorrow and keep slaying demons as fast as you can. Firefly carries much the same message, that courage is not what carries you to victory but rather what keeps you fighting in the face of defeat.

Life lessons, in a boxed set.

I never watched Buffy, but in the genre of brainy, smart-a$$ed, take-no-prisoners high school girls, Veronica Mars was fab.

Was that the season after she and Angel, uh, you know...?

Coz that was probably the most bestest ever amazingest season finales ever. I sat there in shock.

Buffy got me through grad school, and the first couple of my new job.

What a hoot.

The most important thing to know about Buffy is that there's almost no human emotion, trauma, drama, or situation that can't be analogized to it. Yeah, it's that epic.

But done with wit, both snarky and evocative, and drama as opposed to melodrama.

But Lambert, you were snarking, surely?

I was trying (months ago) to think of any person who I would drink the Kool Aid for as resoundingly as some of the Obama followers we've seen, worship as slavishly, defend as vehemently, or profoundly lose all reason or even self respect in service to.

And Joss was the only one. Whedon 08! That's the ticket!

Yes, even when she went evil.

Of course, I'm a huge Eliza Dushku fan.

She and Whedon have a new project, FOX's Dollhouse, which I am eagerly awaiting.

I loved how Buffy took real life challenges and translated them into the demon of the week. Like when she started college, she got her ass handed to her by the first vamp she fought, illustrating how much more challenging college is, vs high school. Or, after she came back from the dead, and had to get a job.

Yes, I am a fangrrl, why do you ask?

Does anyone read the comics? I've been curious about them.

Downloaded it the other day from iTunes, but haven't watched it. I'm excited about it though because it's Joss Whedon and Neil Patrick Harris. What more could anyone want?

I'm telling you. I've already voted for her, like, twice.

Great writing sometimes verging on unbelievably good---"Hush" anyone?

Terrific acting---Sarah Michelle Geller is astonishing (except she can't fake laugh), the sidekicks are good to great, and the villains, especially the mayor, are just as good. (Except Glory, which was busted writing more than busted acting.) A new level of TV cinematography---they shot like a movie and it looks like it. Art direction that deserves numerous awards and pretty good music.

Mythic and human. Death, life, love, sex, work, morality, good, evil, campiness, fighting for right because it's the right thing to do. And Buffy does good because she is, afterall, a hero, you see. (Cue Giles smothering Ben after Buffy and the Buffy-bot kick Glory's ass.)

And then, of course, America's favorite lesbian couple.

The Buffyverse had some of the best dialogue ever written for teebee.

Here's one of my favs (from Angel):

Cordelia Chase: "I'm getting a vibe. She's got a vibe.... She's vibey."

I don't know why I like it, but I do.

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Around these parts we call cucumber slices circle bites