Overall Rating: 5.3
Which kind of story is this, guys? Funny/farcical or character-driven drama? You can't do both and have it turn out like anything other than a hodgepodge of weird scenes smashes together. The character stuff isn't particularly insightful (or in character, in some cases) and the humor is...well...lame.
Plot Summary:
Enjoy this bizarre recap, care of BuffyGuide.com.
The Skinny:
C'mere Tucker Gates...C'mere! *THUD!* Please do not do this to us again? If you direct other episodes, please do not approach them with such an intensely distracting, weird-feeling mesh of camera angles and show-off maneuvers. The message I get from all the fuss you raised over this goofball episode is that you are a pompous braggart and don't have the skills to back it up. The scene, for example, when we realize the party is haunted with terrors of all stripes actually hurts my eyes to look at. Here's a little tip as well...gruesome dead bodies with broken necks and tiny fear demons that get squished like a bug...don't mix. Seriously...WTF was this??
And no...Gates was not the only one at fault here...the writing feels to me like it delivered a potentially valuable point very haphazardly. If you used the tiny fear demon for a chuckle while simultaneously trying to point out that often, the thing we fear is far less threatening than we believe until we encounter it...then the reveal shouldn't have been foisted on us so suddenly and the denouement should have included some commentary to wrap that point up...someone...anyone from the regular cast...should have taken that lesson to heart in some way. All we get is some admittedly amusing banter regarding the demon and regarding Anya's weird fear of bunnies. I'm all for a good frivolous fluff piece if it's done correctly, but this one just came across as clunky and weird.
While we're talking about the apparent failures of this script, we should mention that we feel that Xander's fear (falling behind the rest of the group) was not adequately delivered. I don't think he felt INVISIBLE...just...useless and trapped. They should have done something a lot scarier like have Xander encounter a fake Buffy or Willow who tells him off and asks him to leave the group because he's a pathetic loser who lives with his parents. I also don't think we did enough for Willow (afraid of her rising magical powers? That's her biggest fear? I thought it was being exposed to the world unprepared? That's what we usually see in other episodes), or for Anya...or for GILES (yes, those last two showed up late...but we should still have had time to scare the crap out of them too). Basically...this would have worked if a little more imagination and better consistency with surrounding plot themes had been applied.
Writing: 4.0
See above...I think the biggest failures in this episode relate to the script and the direction. Characterization was a bit weak and shallow, story telling elements felt rushed and pressed together awkwardly.
Acting: 6.0
Props to Tony Head for TOTALLY pulling off the gaucho costume! Also props to Emma Caulfield...her screen presence is a major asset to this show.
Message: 6.0
I'd approve of a message that when you see your fear in the broad daylight, it tends to be unimpressive...but it was delivered so clumsily that I'm just not feeling generous.
No comments:
Post a Comment