Was the reaction to a new season always like this?

D

Daniel Osbourne

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Reactions to Season 8 have been... well, let's admit it, for the most part people loathed it. Dawn and Kennedy received the usual vicious bashing. People turned the Twilight story arc into a Spike vs. Angel shipping war. There were complaints concerning the more global scale the series had taken, although that's pretty much what the finale of the television show promised. Many, many people complain that the plot is incomprehensible and over-the-top. Well, the show featured plot MacGuffins and OTT behaviour ever since three teenagers and a librarian were pitted against the master vampire and his Mercedes symbol of evil.

What I want to know is whether every season of the show initially received such utter panning on the part of the fans as Season 8 has. Or has the fandom in general simply become much less tolerant?
 
I would have no idea. This is the first seasons "airing" that I actually followed.

But I think the new medium had a lot to do with it how season 8 was recieved. Season 9 will probably have less people saying "I don't like comics, Buffy should have ended with Chosen, Joss is trying to milk the show, etc etc" since people who read this season will be much more used to the new medium.

Also, Darkhorse basically stole Angel from IDW during this season, and that made people angry. I know, not in a illegal way, but it's never happened before that fans had to see a character hijacked and taken from one show to another like that. I'm not a huge fan of the Angel series after issue 27, but I still thought "Wait, what? But IDW had dibs and big plans for him. And now Darkhorse won't even share!"

So I'm guessing that kind of anger might not show up as much for season 9. Or I'm wrong, and it hasn't passed or faded, and people will be twice as critical to season 9 because they will be thinking "I wonder what IDW had in store for Angel?". That might add tension.

Other than that, I don't see season 8 as ...different than other seasons. Not mor radical, over the top, etc etc. Actually, after season 6 of Buffy, I feel kind of... accepting. It's hard to make me go WTF for very long. Sure, whining about Twangel kept me busy for a month or so, but now, I'm kind of over it. Watching Joss stuff has made me pretty accepting.

Also, a lot of the stuff people thought was over the top, the burning trees, Dawn's transformations, Batsu, were things I liked. Could be why I don't think it's too much over the top. Sure, The Master coming back, the magic ending, Spike living in big ship, it would have been pretty big if I hadn't still been going "Angel is Twilight? NO! Huh?" I mean, after Twangel, the rest didn't shock me. Season 6 of Buffy has the same effect.

Not sure how on topic this post was, but .... ehm... I'm done.
 
I watched Buffy as it was aired and honestly could not fault any of it. My friend and I (and one of our teachers that loved it to) were rushing into school the next day (despite being tired as it was airing at 11pm) excited and looking forward to raving about the brilliance. This continued on through Season 6 and 7, even though through repeated watchings and discussions I have found things to dislike and whinge about.

Of course there were the usual discussions and thoughts - "God Dawn is annoying!" or "Argh, how annoying is Kennedy!", but there were never the feelings that I get towards Season 8 such as "really Joss? Really?" or "Oh dear, I'm actually embarrassed that I'm spending money on this crap" or "Is there anything useful I can do with these comics? Perhaps use it to start a small fire in my barbeque and cook some prawns?"

Short answer? I can't speak for everyone, or the fan community in general as I wasn't part of it, but my answer - a big fat stinking no.
 
I never watched the show live so I can't really comment on how the televised series was received by fans, but another factor into S8 & 9 hate is also that it's been going on for so long. A lot of people think it should be put to rest already. With Season 10 already confirmed, I think they have a point. Personally, I just can't let go of Buffy yet and I'm interested in the ideas for Season 9, but I understand not liking Season 8 or Season 9. Can't say I'm a huge fan of the back half of Season 8 myself.
 
NY State of Mind said:
I think season 8 being long and in comic form helps it generate more hatred towards certain aspects IMO.
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Oh yeah, that's right. "The endless season." The impatience certainly didn't help the season. Waiting for years for one season to end. I mean it took 25 issues before Dawn was returned to normal. That felt weird (and OOC of the characters, to wait that long before doing something about it).
 
Skytteflickan88 said:
Oh yeah, that's right. "The endless season." The impatience certainly didn't help the season. Waiting for years for one season to end. I mean it took 25 issues before Dawn was returned to normal. That felt weird (and OOC of the characters, to wait that long before doing something about it).
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Yeah....its a good thing the next season is gonna be shorter 😛
 
F
Fake Shemp
really? yay! thank the VH Gods!
I remember people being pretty excited about every season as it aired, (except 8 of course). There were certain things that people would get upset about--like when Buffy died at the end of season 5 people were freaking out of course, but we all knew there would be a season 6 and that she would somehow come back, so that calmed things down a bit. I think people were also really thrown off at the beginning of season 5 when Dawn appeared, but the general sense wasn't that the show had "jumped the shark" or lost credibility or anything.
 
Gum Gnome33 said:
I remember people being pretty excited about every season as it aired, (except 8 of course). There were certain things that people would get upset about--like when Buffy died at the end of season 5 people were freaking out of course, but we all knew there would be a season 6 and that she would somehow come back, so that calmed things down a bit. I think people were also really thrown off at the beginning of season 5 when Dawn appeared, but the general sense wasn't that the show had "jumped the shark" or lost credibility or anything.
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Interesting! I wasn't on forums when I first watched BtVS, so I'm also intrigued to know how people were reacting as the series was airing. You remember anything else? What about season 4 ending on an episode like Restless(which I love)? Was the majority liking it, or thought it was boring?
 
Zalos said:
Interesting! I wasn't on forums when I first watched BtVS, so I'm also intrigued to know how people were reacting as the series was airing. You remember anything else? What about season 4 ending on an episode like Restless(which I love)? Was the majority liking it, or thought it was boring?
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Hmm good question! I can't remember too well...that was actually right around the time when I started dropping out of the "fandom" (was just discussing this in another thread actually!) so I didn't really check the PB much at that point. I seem to have a vague recollection though of people thinking it would grow on them; that it was something that needed to be seen more than once since they didn't know what to make of it. But now that I think about it, I don't know how much of that was my own opinion and how much was the consensus... Argh! Does anybody else out there remember?😕
 
Icarium said:
Have you considered the possibility that people might bash S8 so viciously because they honestly think it's crap and not due to whatever expectations they might have had?
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Agreed. I'm sorry Darkhorse, Season 8 sucks ass.

Angel: After the Fall is better in almost every single way...I wish IDW was handling season 9
 
NY State of Mind said:
I think season 8 being long and in comic form helps it generate more hatred towards certain aspects IMO.
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I think this is true.

caitaintdead said:
I watched Buffy as it was aired and honestly could not fault any of it. My friend and I (and one of our teachers that loved it to) were rushing into school the next day (despite being tired as it was airing at 11pm) excited and looking forward to raving about the brilliance. This continued on through Season 6 and 7, even though through repeated watchings and discussions I have found things to dislike and whinge about.
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Really? I didn't watch as it aired either, except for season 7 I think. But listening to people online makes me think that a lot of people really, really disliked season 6.

Honestly, as someone who likes season 8 (although not every bit of it, you guys have read my opinions before), I get a little tired of the season 8-bashing. We have a lot of negative stuff to say about it, but even though a lot of people like it, no one really wants to say what they like. Heck, I even started a "favorites" thread for season 8, just like I had with the other seasons, but not a lot of people participated. But, I accept that opinions vary. Although I'd rather get into an issue discussion talking about dialogue, character development, and symbolism, instead of a "whining" session. Just me, I guess.
 
T
The Unspoken
Yeah, I agree with this. Though the space frak sorta overshadows everything.
VisionGirl said:
Honestly, as someone who likes season 8 (although not every bit of it, you guys have read my opinions before), I get a little tired of the season 8-bashing. We have a lot of negative stuff to say about it, but even though a lot of people like it, no one really wants to say what they like. Heck, I even started a "favorites" thread for season 8, just like I had with the other seasons, but not a lot of people participated.
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I can help!

I like that Dawn was a giant, a centaur and a doll! I like that Xander feel 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, ... where's that thread?
 
Skytteflickan88 said:
I can help!

I like that Dawn was a giant, a centaur and a doll! I like that Xander feel 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, ... where's that thread?
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https://www.buffy-boards.com/showthread.php?t=52574
😀

---------- Post added at 01:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:59 PM ----------

Comments on this post
The Unspoken agrees: Yeah, I agree with this. Though the space frak sorta overshadows everything.
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The space frak doesn't bother me so much, but Angel as Twilight really, really does... and it's a huge part of season 8 unfortunately. 🙁
 
S
Skytteflickan88
Thank you.
T
The Unspoken
Yeah, I meant Angel being revealed as Twilight, and then proceeding to space frak, lol.
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