The Magic Box

Hannah has spent much of the last two days watching season four of Buffy. I have spent much of the last two days watching season five of Buffy. I think she's getting the better deal, but having said that I've only seen six episodes and what I have seen I've liked. What bugs me, I think, is the overabundance of regular characters. As well as the four original Scoobies, there's also Riley, Anya, Spike, Dawn, Tara, and Joyce. It's overkill, I think - plus there needs to be screentime for the Big Bad, whose name I think is Glorificus, or something, and annoys me much more than fictional characters generally do. Annoys me in the good way, that is - the writers-know-their-stuff way.

I like Dawn. I wasn't expecting to, but I do. And I like Tara a lot more than I did; the one Tara-focused episode I've seen so far, Family, really made me squee. It's shamelessly sweet and romantic, which can only be a good thing - only on Buffy do you get characters crying and laughing and looking delighted at the fact, "He hit me in the nose!" Willow and Tara are so the cutest couple in the world, ever. I didn't even think the levitation was cheesy. Well, I did. But I can forgive.

But I think my favourite thing so far is the Magic Box, in general. I actually want to screencap all the background shots of it and make icons of the signs; the ones I've actually seen are below, although I'm sure there are more:

"Magic happens."

"Shoplifters will be transfigured."

My personal favourite is: "Don't forget! Winter Solstice, Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and Gurnenthar's Ascendance are coming!"

I've done other stuff, so I don't come across as totally lazy - I've started drafting my personal statement and I've done a few hours on rates of reaction and kinetics. But the main thing on the agenda next is more fun. Today's Buffy-watching gave me this scene, from Into the Woods:

Willow: Who would pay to get bitten?
Anya: Oh, that's been going on for centuries. Humans hire vampires to feed off them, they, well, you know, they-they get off on the rush.
Giles: And the ... hazards of the underworld can become addictive to, um... some people.
Xander: Why don't the vampires just kill 'em?
Anya: Because they get cash, hot and cold running blood, and ... they don't leave any corpses behind so they don't get hunted.
Giles: But still, it can be terribly dangerous for humans. I mean, people can end up dying accidentally, or, or meeting a, a vampire who only pretends to play by the house rules.
Buffy: You knew about this and you didn't tell me?
Giles: I hadn't seen it since my Ripper days.

Italics mine, but it's so intentional. Can we say, plot bunny? Heh.

And yes, that was my weekend. Now maybe I ought to do something productive.