Long arcs, two parters or stand-alones

[Taake]

Which is your preferred format for the Angel/Buffy verse episodes?

Longer arcs (3 episodes or more, like the Pylea arc of Angel s2 or the Caleb/Dirty girls arc of Buffy s7)
Two parters
or Stand Alones

🙂

 

[thetopher]

I voted for two-parters on Buffy because the are simply more good two-parters than arcs, and they tend to be some of the best episodes either show has to offer.

'Surprise/Innocence', Becoming pt 1/2, 'Bad Girls/Consequences', 'Graduation Pt 1/2', 'This Year's Girl'/Who Are You', 'Bargaining' I think the writers are able to get the pacing right in two-parters, to expand on important storylines such as turns to the dark side or season climaxes.

Stand-alones are okay but arcs on Buffy tend to have many ups and downs in them, some episodes are really good and some are dead weight -such as 'Weight Of The World' in the big Glory showdown arc of S5, or 'Two T o Go' between the brutal 'Villains' and gripping 'Grave' of S6


On Angel though I'd have to say that the arcs are much better- Angel going dark, the Birth of Connor, Connor's return, the Apocalypse arc from S4 (which is actually 3 arcs joined together 'the Beast' arc, 'the Angelus' arc and then 'the Faith' arc)

Actually I can't think of any two-parters on Angel? Maybe the Illyria thing in S5.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I went with long arcs. I try to only watch long arc television in general. I think that's why I like season 4 and the Initiative because it was one long arc, and despite some of it's flaws season 7 was as well, after Conversations.

 

[Blaze]

In general, I like long arcs better. But I mean, that's a pretty undefined term. Like, I'd consider W&H an arc in itself, or Buffy's depression, or Faith's spiral down in darknest. I just like a show that has a plot that carries over a season, or even better the entire show. I like when there's continuity, and they build upon that. This, in my opinion, is what enables the show to have character development.

But like @thetopher said, the two parters on Buffy are just excellent. I think they are needed, as are the one parters. What makes those special is that not every episode is a two parter, or not every episode is a single contained story. So it's a question of everything is good but at the right proportion. I think both shows did a good job with this.

 

[nightshade]

This is a difficult one, many of the 2 parters are part of a long arc, surprise/innocence being the beginning of the Angelus arc and becoming part 1 and 2 being the end of it.

 

[white avenger]

There's obviously room, and reason, for all three, but I tend to prefer the two part story lines, mainly because a drawn out arc usually changes writers more often, letting the story line slow down or drift away from the original premise.

 

[Taake]

This is a difficult one, many of the 2 parters are part of a long arc, surprise/innocence being the beginning of the Angelus arc and becoming part 1 and 2 being the end of it.

There's obviously room, and reason, for all three, but I tend to prefer the two part story lines, mainly because a drawn out arc usually changes writers more often, letting the story line slow down or drift away from the original premise.

Sure, they all intersect with each other. I was just curious to see what peoples preference were, if they had a favorite layout. 🙂

Very good answer btw.

 

[sk]

Hmm, I find this surprisingly hard to answer.
Normally I'm a fan of long arcs storytelling. That's what I usually like and watch.

But even if BtVS is one of my all-time favourite shows so do I not think that they do the long arcs particularly well.
So on these shows it's not the long arcs that I love. It's rather the stand alone's or two episodes arcs.

/SK

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Normally I'm a fan of long arcs storytelling.

I would have never deduced that from your babylon 5 signature.

 

[Fuffy Baith]

I voted for two-parters on Buffy because the are simply more good two-parters than arcs, and they tend to be some of the best episodes either show has to offer.

I agree with this. Buffy has a lot of great two parters. Although I do like the 3 part Pylea arc and Faith arc in s2 and 4 of Angel more than the Buffy 3 parters. I think if I had to chose I would chose two parter episodes. There are a few episodes I wish were two parters, I just think for smaller stories or stories that need to start but not be wrapped up right now, 2 part episodes work best.

letting the story line slow down or drift away from the original premise

I think this is what tends to happen with some of the arcs, like the Initiative and S6 and 7. But there are a lot of good season or series long arcs that work really well. I think the Faith arc works well because 1) a lot of it takes place on Angel away from Buffy and 2) it's broken up throughout both shows so you don't get tired of it quickly. Overall I think the thing I love about Buffy is that it does the stand alones, the two-parters and the long arcs all very well and gives the show a nice mix between them.

 

[Mr Trick]

Its between the longer arcs (as in season long), or one off. I like many of the arcs in Buffy, but then I am not so keen on min-arcs such as the three-parters in Angel. They drag on, and there because they are just three parts there are enough character or stories to sustain interest over the three episodes.

There have been some great two parters such as Whats My Line? 1&2 But I like the creature of week feel to the one offs, along with the character devolpment in these episodes. After all Buffy as a show is more about the characters themselves, than the fantasy/monser naratives etc..