Re: A Second Look: BTVS S7D5

"Arbitrar Of Quality" <tsmtsm@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:b0517048-3b35-42b1-a32e-71209c082c25@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
>Season Seven, Episode 16: "Storyteller"
>Writer: Jane Espenson
>Director: Marita Grabiak

>I’ve always been tempted to make more of this than it is.  About three
>quarters of “Storyteller” is flat out comedy and Andrewness, but it
>positively begs to be taken seriously and plumbed for depths.  At
>least to me.  It helps that many of the jokes are funny – I have to
>differ from what some have said and say that whether or not one likes
>the comedy ****tions does highly depend on one’s tolerance for Andrew

Me too. My tolerance for Andrew was always pretty low before Storyteller, 
but give him his own episode, and he ****nes

>(I don’t think I’ve praised Lenk yet this go-round for his handling of
>an unwieldy sort of role that would sink a lesser actor).   Andrew’s
>character development makes a strikingly smooth transition from goofy
>shtick to emotional catharsis.  The aspect of the episode that I think
>some people – including yours truly – don’t spend enough time
>pondering is the way it’s a way to view the show, and Buffy in
>particular, from a perspective outside that of the main cast we’re
>normally stuck with.

I think the humour with which it treats the story at this stage (and I
love 
the treatment of Buffy's speeches, and can only wish that they had used
this 
treatment of Dark Willow in the actual "Two To Go") does show audiences
the 
way to respond to some of the fare hat is to come, ie, "you have to
laugh".

Buffy's treatment of Andrew also *raises* the question of whether Buffy is

actually on side with the writers at this point. Andrew is adopting the 
positions of storyteller (ie, like the writers) or passive observer (ie, 
like the audience), and Buffy abuses him for it. Is Buffy against us now?
Is 
Empty Places the writers revenge on her for her insubordination?


>Rating: Good

Good for me too. I actually reduced my rating for this epsiode very
slightly 
on this viewing, droping it below 3 episodes that had been just below it, 
but it turned out that movement of other episodes around it since last
time 
cancelled out and reversed that movement, raising Storyteller to 54th best

BtVS episode, 3rd best in Season 7 (though a loooong way behind Selfless
and 
CWDP). Last time it had been 57th and 4th


-- 
Apteryx