Season 8 Favorites thread

VisionGirl

VisionGirl

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We've all griped ad nauseum about the things we don't like about season 8, and WA has started a "requiem for season 8" thread already, so I thought I'd do what I have done with each season of both shows: a favorites thread.

So, here goes...
List/discuss your:
Favorite issue(s)
Favorite arc(s)
Favorite character(s)
Favorite 'ships
Favorite bads/demons/villains
Best/favorite dialogue
Best/favorite artwork

---------- Post added at 12:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:06 PM ----------

Also, please address Favorite Fight Scene(s).

---------- Post added at 12:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:23 PM ----------

Favorite issue(s): As individual not-related-to-a-specific-arc issues, I love The Chain and the e-comic Always Darkest, for its Spangely goodness + a dose of Caleb/NF! I also really like Anywhere But Here, with the backstory of how they came up with the Robin the Minder character.

Favorite arc(s): have to be NFFY, P&P (in particular the Tokyo backdrop, with Dracula!), & TOYL.

Favorite character(s): Buffy, of course; Xander, Faith, Riley, Andrew, and the return of Oz!!!! In general, I loved the growth/development of Xander & Andrew in s8- the 2 "normal" guys really came into their own. Sometimes they seemed to believe in the mission more than Buffy did.

Favorite 'ships: Hmm, this is hard since my favorite 'ships took hits this season. But Willow/Kennedy grew on me more, or at least Kennedy did, because I could see Willow/Kennedy was doomed early on. And I was surprised to like Dander! Liked the Satsu/Kennedy interactions, as well as Giles/Faith (in an unromantic way of course, ick). Amy and Warren were oddly funny together.

Favorite bads/demons/villains: Dracula! I wasn't very fond of him in s5, but man did I love him here, he was badass and sympathetic.

Best/favorite dialogue: Wow, there's a lot, hard to narrow it down & since I did some of my reading via the library, don't have all issues in front of me (although I did find some transcripts here: http://buffyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=164). But some favs:

Giles: "Burst"

Courtney to Faith: "Oh my God you're her, you're Buffy!"
Faith: "She's calling me names, G."

MEL: Buffy Summers.
BUFFY: Present.
MEL: Buffy Summers is dead.
BUFFY: Occasionally.

Buffy: "Boy, the English language is just *losing* it. (to herself) I should have treated it better…"

Melaka Fray: "Summers, you drive like a spaz!"
Buffy: "And that phrase stood the test of time?


Best/favorite artwork: all the Jo Chen covers, it's really hard for me to pick.

Favorite Fight Scene(s): love the initial Melaka/Buffy fight, where they're falling off the building.

I wanted to add that I especially loved discussing season 8 with y'all (at least since August anyway) since I didn't watch a lot of Buffy in real-time so I didn't get to do that then. I also appreciated sosa lola and others defending season 8. 🙂
 
Before making my list I'm gonna say three things I'm grateful to S8 for:

Satsu. She makes me really wish that S8 was on TV just to see which actress will play her. I hoped for more Satsu in S8, but now that S9 is gonna be less global, I'm positive she's gonna get enough panel time.

Xander's character finally getting out of the "everyman" box and being more central and important. Finally getting storylines that aren't about his uselessness: being a squad leader, being friends with a vampire, being in a triangle with Buffy and Dawn, and his tight friendship with Buffy. Here's hope he gets to befriend a certain blonde vampire in S9.

Buffy's character going to grey areas and making bigger mistakes. I love how she couldn't handle the pressure, I've read plenty "Buffy could have done this" "Buffy had other options" "Buffy should have done this" comments, but if Buffy always did things perfectly and reasonably, then she won't be real, she'd be just... a character. Buffy this season is like a celebrity who couldn't take the pressure of fame and annoying paparazzies.
 
Favorite arc(s) - No Future For You. I love this Arc. Faith enough said. I also loved the Fray crossover arc.

Favorite character - Faith as always lol.

Favorite 'ships - I actually liked Buffy/Satsu and Dawn/Xander did grow on me.

Favorite bads/demons/villains - yeah no one, lol.

Best/favorite artwork - Everything drawn by Jo Chen but gotta say that cover with Xander holding Dawn is just soo beautiful.
 
Favorite issue(s) #31, the Buffy/Xander talk was perfectly written.

Favorite arc(s) Wolves at the Gate. It felt like a real BtVS episode with the mix of comedy and drama.

Favorite character(s) Xander, Satsu, Buffy, and Dawn. Those four were a joy to read.

Favorite 'ships Buffy/Xander, yeah I know they didn't become a ship but I loved the whole Buffy started having feelings for Xander and he moved on. Their friendship was the highlight of the season.

Favorite bads/demons/villains The Japanese vampires in Wolves at the Gate.

Best/favorite dialogue Hmmm, a lot. I do love Xander and Amy's banter in #2.

Best/favorite artwork All Jo Chen's covers and some of Jeanty's panels, especially the one with Buffy crying over Giles.
 
Favorite issue(s):
Issue 5, 12, 25 and Always darkest

Favorite arc(s)
Wolves at the Gate. The only one I really loved. The others were good or meh.

Favorite character(s)¨
Spike & Dawn.

Favorite 'ships:
Batsu and Spangel!

Favorite bads/demons/villains:
None I really thought was cool or that entertaining. I guess I would have to go with the evil slayer in No Future For You.

Best/favorite dialogue
"I, uhm Hi? Or I mean... Roar?" (Dawn, WatG)
"Neigh"(Dawn, ToYL)
"Burst" (Giles, NFFY)
Also, Faith & Buffy talking about their feelings, Faith expressing the burden (to Giles) she feels over what she has to do (in Last Gleaming I think) and the Buffy&Dawn conversation in issue 25 & 40. The Xander & Dawn moments were sweet as well. Not loving Buffy trying to steal Xander away from Dawn, but I like how Xander handled it.

Best/favorite artwork:
Georges Jeanty's stuff. Jo Chen is brilliant too though. And Cliff Richards does a amazing Faith.

Favorite Fight Scene(s):
The last fight. Buffy fighting Twangel, Giles riding on that demon to fight the others.
Dawn stomping vampires in Wolves at the gate.
The Retreat fight against Twangel's army.
Satsu and Buffy in TLWH, specially when Buffy jumps up into the air, spins and lands.

There's other things as well I like. I like that Dawn was a giant, a centaur and a doll! I like that Xander fell for Renee and later Dawn. I like the Dawn & Buffy moments, the Buffy & Faith ones, that Buffy hugged Giles in Retreat, that we saw Faith grow in No Future For You and later on, that Spike came back, the Spangel one shot, the Spangel dream sequence. I could probably come up with more.

All in all, I stopped loving the season around ToYL, and it became hard to read during the Twilight arc, but it's still in my heart.
 
VisionGirl
VisionGirl
Aww, it's in your hard, cute! Nice post!
VisionGirl said:
We've all griped ad nauseum about the things we don't like about season 8
Click to expand...

*stomps foot & folds arms* But I like griping SO much! 😛

Fine, I'll play nice 😉


Favorite issue(s): The Chain. No question. One of the best stories Whedon has ever written. Period.
Favorite arc(s): Faith's Arc. So so good. Her and Giles' budding relationship was on point and it hit all her emotional issues where it hurt.
Favorite character(s): Xander. He was literally the glue that kept it all together. I loved his friendship with Buffy. I even like his relationship with Dawn. The irony that he was the adult of the bunch, was not lost.
Favorite 'ships: *sigh* I'm still woefully undecided as to how I feel about B/A this season, so since I can't honestly say whether I am angry or elated about their treatment, I'm going to say Batsu. For what it was, it worked exceptionally well.
Favorite bads/demons/villains: The Master. "My face?". LMAO.
Best/favorite dialogue: The truth? There is no truth. There's just what you believe.
Best/favorite artwork: Every single piece by Jo Chen, but I must say despite my misgivings on B/A during this season, Gentry's work on there sex issue makes me a ridiculously happy shipper. Especially this image:

neckscar.jpg
 
VisionGirl
VisionGirl
Aha, someone who likes the space-frakking? ;)
S
Skytteflickan88
Gentry? Lol, you mean Georges Jeanty?
VisionGirl agrees: Aha, someone who likes the space-frakking?

On a purely shallow and aesthetically pleasing That's-my-ship-frakking-in-many-places-and-positions-sense, then yes, I love the space frak.

I also love many of the things Buffy and Angel said to each other before, during and after it. What I don't like is the fallout.
 
VisionGirl
VisionGirl
[No message]
Skytteflickan88 agrees: Gentry? Lol, you mean Georges Jeanty?

*face palm* I've clearly been reading far too much feminist IR. Of course I meant, Georges Jeantry. 🙂
 
Skanky Vamp
Skanky Vamp
Gentry? 've clearly been reading far too much feminist IR HAHAHAHA that is just golden.. that really made me laugh.. alot!
S
Skytteflickan88
It's sort of a cute werid-ish nickname. Gentry, lol.
Kean said:
VisionGirl agrees: Aha, someone who likes the space-frakking?

On a purely shallow and aesthetically pleasing That's-my-ship-frakking-in-many-places-and-positions-sense, then yes, I love the space frak.

I also love many of the things Buffy and Angel said to each other before, during and after it. What I don't like is the fallout.
Click to expand...

Kean, I've had an opposite point of view on the space frak it was kinda boring and was more like cheap porn, and digusting at the same time. Buffy loses major points for betraying all her morals in that scene its really messed up, and thats even if you don't add in the world destroying part. Angel comes off like a lunatic who endangered innocent lives for space sex and daffyduckland as described by Buffy, she becomes the bella sterotype who lets herself get manipulated and abused by the man who suppostly loves her, and she hurts her friends, the slayers that are counting on her, innocent people just caught in the crossfire, and the entire world in the process. Now I'm being very negative but thats my view of the entire scene and the aftermath, I see it as one of Buffy's lowest moments, its like Smashed on steroids as people compared it to earlier, so I really have nothing postive to say about it, so I'm ranting and I mean no offense to you and your certainly entiled to your own opinon. Since this is suppost to be a postive thread Anywhere But Here, TOYL, TLWH, NFFY, and Last Gleaming are better arcs that were compelling, I geuss Xander lines in the space frak are the only postive thing I can think of because at least someone questions whats going on with the whole space frak destiny line.
 
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citiegal17 said:
Kean, I've had an opposite point of view on the space frak it was kinda boring and was more like cheap porn, and digusting at the same time. Buffy loses major points for betraying all her morals in that scene its really messed up, and thats even if you don't add in the world destroying part. Angel comes off like a lunatic who endangered innocent lives for space sex and daffyduckland as described by Buffy, she becomes the bella sterotype who lets herself get manipulated and abused by the man who suppostly loves her, and she hurts her friends, the slayers that are counting on her, innocent people just caught in the crossfire, and the entire world in the process. Now I'm being very negative but thats my view of the entire scene and the aftermath, I see it as one of Buffy's lowest moments, its like Smashed on steroids as people compared it to earlier, so I really have nothing postive to say about it, so I'm ranting and I mean no offense to you and your certainly entiled to your own opinon. Since this is suppost to be a postive thread Anywhere But Here, TOYL, TLWH, NFFY, and Last Gleaming are better arcs that were compelling, I geuss Xander lines in the space frak are the only postive thing I can think of because at least someone questions whats going on with the whole space frak destiny line.
Click to expand...

Honestly? I'm fairly certain I agree with you. Hence my conflict. And, why I said I love it for purely shallow reasons. I didn't discuss why I don't like it because of the nature of this thread. 🙂
 
Kean said:
Honestly? I'm fairly certain I agree with you. Hence my conflict. And, why I said I love it for purely shallow reasons. I didn't discuss why I don't like it because of the nature of this thread. 🙂
Click to expand...

Kean, thats why I added postive comments to mine I didn't realize it was a postive thread till I had already said something negative, I can understand the conflict if I had look at it from a shallow perspective I think thats kinda where the writers screwed up I guess they must have expected all the audience to be shallow and as you know apparently their not that shallow.
 
Oh, I like that we see more of Kennedy's good sides. We see some bad ones too, but I like that the character got fleshed out.

I also like Satsu. I hope we see her around more.

Dander, did I mention dander? (Dawn+Xander that is, not Dracula+Xander. That made me unhappy.) I like that we got to see Dawn & Xander's first be friends then lovers.

Can't say I hated the art in the Bangel sex scenes, but it felt wrong to like it. Hot and wrong. Kind of like the Spuffy and Wesley+Lilah(shipname anyone) sex scenes.

Jo Chen's covers. I want all of them as posters. I know they made them for issue 1, 2, 10, 16 & 20 and I have the first three, but I want more. I want Georges Jeanty's art as posters we well, but that might get cluttered since I don't have much wall space, lol. I'll just settle with the original art I have from him.

Issue 5 makes me cry, WatG makes me laugh so many time, and Retreat is exciting. And Oz! We got Oz! That he had a family both made me happy and sad, because I really liked the Willow&Oz(Woz?) relationship.

Spike is back! Not loving that the ongoing Lynch series got cut short because of Darkhorse taking the license back, but we get canon Spike written/superwised by Joss and that's great as well.

The humour! There's still lot of humour and heart in the show, which makes up for the lack of scary.

I complain a lot about how "big" the story got (everyone gets superpowers and are flying all over the world, people are robbing banks and living in castles and using submarines, it's very global and superhero-comic-y) but since we're promised a more down to earth arc for season 9, I'm happy we got to have Buffy in a bigger scale for a while.
 
Can't rep you anymore Skytteflickan88, but I think that I agree with your entire post! 🙂

Honestly season 8 made me kind of like Kennedy, so that's an amazing thing LOL. (I'm not a big Kennedy-hater to begin with, but still...)
 
Favorite issue: Anywhere But Here. It's perfect. Super important in the light of the entire season and Willow's relationship with Aluwyn and Buffy. Also, the little talk they had about resurrection was something I was waiting for since "Once More, with Feeling". Other favorites - "A Beautiful Sunset", "The Last Gleaming 5" and "Goddesses and Monsters".

Favorite arc: "Wolves at the Gate". Call me shallow, but it had lesbian sex, Mecha brawl and Dracula. I've been preparing for this my entire life!

Favorite character: Other than Buff/Xander/Will/Dawn? Satsu, because she's pretty much the only mature person Buffy has ever had sex with, not to mention hot, hair, katana. I also liked Faith.

Favorite 'ships: Buffy/Satsu and oh God...Buffy/Willow, I'm freaking hopeless, stop fluttering about it gals, OK? Dawn/Xander, because it was bound to happen since season 5 and I loved it.

Favorite bads/demons/villains: Aluwyn and by extension, Willow. I know that Willow pulled Vader, but still, bad witch.

Best/favorite dialogue: "Internal blah de blah"

Best/favorite artwork: "Last Gleaming 3" "No Future For You 1" "After these messages - we'll be right back!" "Living Doll" "Retreat 2/3" "Twilight 4"
 
VisionGirl
VisionGirl
Love this post!
Favorite issue(s): Chain for sure. It's a shinning example of Joss is capable of when his concept and execution are in sink.
Favorite arc(s) Wolves at the Gate. Up until that point, something was just not clicking for me, it didn't really feel like the Buffyverse to me, but damn it if Drew Goddard made me feel like I had my show back, lesbian sex included.
Favorite character(s): Faith, for sure. I personally think she came out the winner this season for the one who had the most positive development while staying completely in line of her previous moods and behavior.
Favorite 'ships: Umm...::shurg:: Buffy/Satsu, I guess...but not really. Yeah I don't have one. Dawn/Xander really creeps me out, though.
Favorite bads/demons/villains: The Master 🙂
Best/favorite dialogue: Don't have one off the top of my head.
Best/favorite artwork: Jo Chen is all kinds of awesome. I think the image of "I want you to be strong" is really great.
 
Favorite issue(s): The Chain. It's the first time that a comic made me cry. Perfect.

Favorite arc(s): No Future For You, Time of Your Life.

Favorite character(s): Buffy, Spike. I think they'll always be my favorite characters. But I like them all.

Favorite 'ships: I liked the crumbs that Spuffy got. I liked Xander and Dracula bits.

Favorite bads/demons/villains: Strangely, both are slayers: Gigi and Simone.

Best/favorite dialogue: I love the future!language in TOYL! As a foreigner, I can appreciate Buffy's efforts to understand and speak the language she understands only partly.

Best/favorite artwork: Jo Chen's covers are very pretty. Her final Buffy cover breaks my heart. I like her Bangel cover (although I remade it as a Spuffy cover🙂 I adore her Faith, especially #24.
 
Favorite issue(s) No Future For You was definitely one of my favorites, as well as The Chain
Favorite arc(s) Fray's arc, 'nuff said
Favorite character(s) Faith, Oz, Spike and Satsu
Favorite 'ships Didn't really ship anything throughout S8, but I guess I'd go with Buffy/Satsu
Favorite bads/demons/villains The Japanese Vampires in Wolves at the Gate
Best/favorite dialogue
ANDREW (to Warren): Are you high? The shield was my idea!

COURTNEY: Oh my god, you're her! You're Buffy!
FAITH: She's calling me names, G.

Best/favorite artwork I really like Jo Chen's awesome art, the final Buffy cover is just so well done
 
VisionGirl
VisionGirl
My favorite s8 Faith quote!
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