The Buffy Formula

That was an interesting little analysis, which could probably be made into an even longer article. It's a great topic!
 
Really interesting. ANd how the hell could I have missed it?
And just out of curiosity, does Angel have such a formula too? Well at least in seaosn4 it seems like it. The Beast would be the little bad and Jasmine the Big Bad, technically introduced when Cordelia reappeared. But for the other seasons I'm not so sure. Darla could be the little bad for season2, although she didn't die.
 
I'm glad I got validation as to why I thought S7 was so wonky. It's backwards!

S7 did get a little better upon rewatching (it was wretched on a broadcast schedule), but I always wondered what exactly Caleb was supposed to bring to the table that, say, Ubervamp couldn't (besides monologues.) Even the first time through, I thought he seemed too little, too late to be scary/interesting. And unlike many of the other problems that S7 had, his sudden appearance doesn't get less irritating the second or third time around.
 
Evilyn said:
So now, my question is, does Season 8 follow this formula at all?
Click to expand...

It does.

As TheHeartist said, little bads are Amy and Warren, and the big bad (as far as we know) is Twilight. SPOILERS FOR ISSUE 10:
Also, in Anywhere But Here, they said someone would betray them, so there's the formula right there.

Anyway, in regards to this article, as much as I'd like to disagree, it's true. Even though the article says otherwise, Ben was definitely the betrayer in season 5. Even though he didn't mean to shift into Glory, he eventually gave in and helped open the portal.

But the formula isn't necessarily a bad thing. Notice that the two seasons that don't follow it, seasons 1 and 7, are usually regarded as the two worst years of Buffy. Besides, I'm sure that, if you examine any TV show that closely, you're bound to find some kind of pattern.
 
I agree with caitaintdead. The whole formula thing struck me as rather obvious while watching the show. It is simply the way Buffy works structurally and, honestly, the way in which the article discusses it seems a bit trumped up and, well, belittling to the show in that it made Buffy seem, well, utterly formulaic.
 
nope. sorry. i agree that there is a 'formula' out there, but it BY FAR does not belong to buffy or joss whedon.

anyone ever watch a show called '24'? 24 follows "the formula".

smallville? yep, smallville too.

now, like the article says, every season differs slightly, but "the formula" stays the same. i think that theory should be applied to more shows than just buffy. i like to use the expression, "its the same recipe, just different ingredients."

you may think that i am opposed to "the formula" by the way i am writing. on the contrary, i love "the formula". its what keeps me coming back every week. ITS WHY I LOVE BUFFY AND JOSS WHEDON!

i dont want to know "whats coming next" or "who the bad guy is". i like the show to carry me down a path and then shove me 90 degrees.
 
R
randiann
you forgot all the csi type crime shows! Step 1: discover crime. Step 2: find "bad guy". Step 3: Find out that bad guy is not your guy, capture real bad guy and call it a night. At least Buffy had more than one script!
I think the "formula" is why I still enjoy shows like C.S.I. and House. Even though they ARE utterly formulaic, it frees my brain up to concentrate on the forensics/illness and the characters rather than having to wonder "Ooh, what's going to happen next?!" I think it's also why I didn't really like Angel at first; I was expecting it to follow the Buffy formula and it didn't.
 
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