I'd consider the series more to be undead.

Nebula1400 | November 21, 04:57 CET

Apart from placing The Body in Season Four, and suggesting that The First was also known generally as "Jenny," (and not just appearing as her, amongst others, in one episode), that was a really terrific personal take on BtVS. And the excerpted quotes were well-chosen too. One to clip and circulate, a la ChrisInVirginia, methinks.

SoddingNancyTribe | November 21, 06:25 CET

In addition to the errors you mentioned, SNT, a "crew of doppelgangers"? Far as I know, it was just Willow...
But really, those are all minor nitpicks, for such a great article. He got the spirit of the show right, which is more important. And a lengthy article in a major newspaper. The kind I like to occasionally forward on to my various friends and family members who think I've lost all sanity, not to mention taste, for loving a show called Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Plus, one of the quotes at the end was even a new one for me. I don't remember Anya's computer/Lutheran comment at all, though it's a great quote.
Thanks for posting!

acp | November 21, 08:18 CET

I wouldn't show this one to my friends though... it's got spoilers!! =(

Ronald_SF | November 21, 10:34 CET

"Buffy Keeps Vamping"? Hope not. More like slaying is what she's keeping on ...

Udo Schmitz | November 21, 14:17 CET

"Collection of doppelgangers" presumably includes Vampire Xander, Loner Buffy etc in The Wish.

mjwilson | November 21, 16:37 CET

And double Xander in The Replacement, and the Buffybot.

dreamlogic | November 21, 16:48 CET

Having worked with Mr. Elfman - he used to be a music reviewer for my newspaper - I can attest to him being a great guy and well worth reading. Still didn't stop me from writing to him just now and busting his chops for not fact-checking :)

C. A. Bridges | November 21, 17:06 CET

True - I know there were a few other doppelgangers throughout the series, but this article made it sound like a collection all showed up in Sunnydale in one episode in season 3, and that they all met their doubles. My guess is that the writer was mixing Doppelgängland and The Wish in his mind. Except that in the Wish, no one except Cordelia is aware of the other world.

[ edited by acp on 2005-11-21 15:51 ]

acp | November 21, 17:51 CET

Definitely a clip and send, SNT, especially to my cousin and his wife who live in the Chicago area, and who just recently finished Season 7 (having gotten jump-started by me in July.) They are total Whedonverse converts, and the multiplier effect is in play--his sister-in-law is on board, too.

Other than the already noted errata, my major quibble with this otherwise marvelous piece is this: "while the episode played out in silence."

"Hush" didn *not* play out in silence...to my thinking, it was one of the loudest Buffy episodes ever...the music was soaring, eerie, majestic, scary, but the episode wasy anything but silent. Obivously the characters themselves were silent, but the acutal episode was supremely, well, noisy, in a great way.

Chris inVirginia | November 21, 19:05 CET

In "The Body", Buffy did not simply wait around for paramedics while having hallucinations. Another hazy memory rather than checked fact. But I agree, the tone is beautifully positive.

Gill | November 21, 21:13 CET

The Sun-Times had better fact check before they print that sucker. Otherwise, a pretty glowing (if not eloquent) review, wisely ending with words from the series itself. Some forgotten (by me) bon mots that had me laughing out loud at work today. The 'Dale dances on. Huzzah.

blutortu | November 22, 02:13 CET