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Post by Allan on Feb 28, 2007 15:50:47 GMT 10
Yeah, I think you've just hit on some of the major issues with season one in comparison to latter seasons, Beck. The Master was lame compared to some of the other villains (but Mark Metcalf was awesome in the role). Part of it is the lack of episodes in the season, and part of it was due to the monster of the week factor. Also, I think the lack of a budget in the show's first season really impeded what a threat the Master ended up as.
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Post by Paul on Feb 28, 2007 18:43:54 GMT 10
i really liked the master, i agree that he could of been better but joss had no idea if there was going to be a season 2, and i think he did really well with the budget he had,
im so glad things did get better tho
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Post by Glenn on Mar 1, 2007 0:40:43 GMT 10
I dont think they had much choice but to do a lot of monster of the week episodes. In the future we get a lot of character based eps because we actually have a history and back story to work with them. In season one there was no platform, they had to show that the Hellmouth draws in an unnatural amount of beasties and also creates its own nastiness.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2007 5:04:02 GMT 10
I think a lot of it is a catch-22. Not only is this the first season of the show (that follows...however loosely...on the heels of a rather low-quality movie) so Joss and the others don't know what's going to make it with the audience and what won't, but money, length, time, network execs, and whatever else could have hindered Joss in making the first season as high-quality as later seasons stood in his way.
To make better effects, costumes, etc. you have to have the money. To get more money, a show has to be successful. While he probably could have stretched the Master arc out a little further in just those 12 episodes, he had to do that along with setting up personal histories and connections with each character. I'm not always thrilled with the first season's monster of the week episodes, but I think both types (monster of the week and arc) are needed in a series like this. On top of a shorter season length, it was a completely new show. There was no way for them to know if it would make it to a second season, if fans would like this or that, etc. On the other hand, you could say having a shorter, twelve episode, season could have done the show in right there by not giving the audience enough time to get to know the show.
Ultimately, I think you either love the season or hate it, and what side you take from the arguments listed above will depend on whether you like it or not.
I think, though, that given what Joss had to work with (at least, with what I know he had to work with) he gave us a good solid first season and the reason he was able to produce such wonderful future seasons was because of the first season's base (the back stories of the characters and mythology and whatnot) and its success.
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Post by Allan on Mar 5, 2007 22:05:28 GMT 10
I think, though, that given what Joss had to work with (at least, with what I know he had to work with) he gave us a good solid first season and the reason he was able to produce such wonderful future seasons was because of the first season's base (the back stories of the characters and mythology and whatnot) and its success. I couldn't agree more. It's far from my favourite season, but that said, it was still (for the most part) great TV. It was hindered by a lower budget and a shorter season, and time had to be taken to establish the world. Also, Joss and co were far less experienced at that point, as well. I started watching with season one, and it kept me entertained enough to keep watching into season two and beyond. |
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Post by Glenn on May 18, 2007 8:35:54 GMT 10
I dont know if season one would have been enough to hook me had i started there. Anyone else agree with that or like Allan did season one have enough to keep you coming back for more?
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Post by Beck on May 18, 2007 8:48:36 GMT 10
It would have been enough to bring me back, though I saw half of season 2 first (other than one episode of season 1). I enjoy season 1, its not as good as the other seasons, but its still much better than most other shows and has an interesting plot, and interesting characters.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2007 8:37:20 GMT 10
I dont know if season one would have been enough to hook me had i started there. Anyone else agree with that or like Allan did season one have enough to keep you coming back for more? Season 1 was enough to keep me coming back. I wasn't actually hooked until a little ways into season 2, but I enjoyed season 1 and recognized the potential the show had. |
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Post by Allan on Jul 11, 2007 19:27:20 GMT 10
While season one had enough to keep me coming back, I wonder whether if had the quality been higher and then dropped to season one's level later, whether people would have continued.
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Post by Amber on Jul 12, 2007 0:45:21 GMT 10
I didn't really enjoy season 1 all that much while I was watching it, but since those weren't the first episodes I'd ever seen, I knew it was going to get a lot better.
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Post by shred on Jul 12, 2007 17:42:42 GMT 10
I was wondering whether people would have enjoyed the season more if it was longer. To me, that's why the season wasn't great - because there were too little episodes and too many things going on.
I would have enjoyed it more if the arc was fleshed out properly over 22 episodes.
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Post by Allan on Jul 12, 2007 22:15:41 GMT 10
I don't think the number of episodes mattered, really. The latter seasons were more complicated, and Joss and co knew that they had 12 episodes to play with.
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Post by Bre on Jul 13, 2007 7:07:26 GMT 10
I think a lot of it had to do with the length. They didn't have as much time to introduce the characters and their relationships, plus introducing us to the demon world would be difficult to respectively in 12 episodes.
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Post by Beck on Jul 13, 2007 11:18:23 GMT 10
I think season one could have been longer, but they only had 12 to work with. I don't think it would have been better with more episodes, its just of lesser quality both with acting and budget in this season.
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Post by shred on Jul 14, 2007 23:41:45 GMT 10
I feel season one could have been better if they had 22 eps. The whole Master arc could have stretched out nicely and the end of it could have more impact. Would also mean more time to properly introduce the characters. It would have worked.  |
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Post by Allan on Jul 15, 2007 1:01:54 GMT 10
I think it would have worked with 22 episodes, though they would have had to add to it, otherwise it would have come across as diluted. But I think it worked well enough with 12 episodes. The season has its issues, but I don't blame the number of episodes.
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Post by shred on Jan 14, 2008 12:16:23 GMT 10
I dont know if season one would have been enough to hook me had i started there. Anyone else agree with that or like Allan did season one have enough to keep you coming back for more? I only got hooked on the show when I started watching a few eps of season 2. Knowing how season 1 was like now, I doubt the season would have kept my attention for long. If I were to introduce the show to a new viewer, I would have him/her watch season 2 instead of season 1. |
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Post by Forsaken on Feb 19, 2008 12:28:39 GMT 10
I first started watching in season 1 (about 3/4 thru) and I was hooked hard and fast. I watched all most all the episodes that my friend had taped that night. It's important to know I went in think it was going to be dumb and that the movie had been lame. When I watched season 2 I thought it was even better and then season 3 again so of course it improved but from the get go it beat most tv that was airing. Also, you might notice that alot of the themes and hooks in the later (sweet) episodes are touched on in the first season. They just didn't get a chance to be fleshed out.
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Post by Allan on Feb 19, 2008 20:48:07 GMT 10
You're right about the themes being in season one, and them not having time to flesh them out in the 12 episodes they had. The first season was stronger than most first seasons (still the Jossverse's weakest season one IMO), and I think experience played a role in the gradual improvement in the show. It definitely laid the groundwork for a great series.
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Post by Bre on Jul 19, 2010 13:08:06 GMT 10
OK so I am sort of re-watching Buffy (just before I go to bed .. I watch a bit of an episode) and I'm watching "Welcome to the Hellmouth". Remember when Buffy finds the dead guy in the locker room then goes to Giles and tells him about it and they go through this dialogue: Don't you think Giles would know that?? Wouldn't that be taught in Watcher 101?? I never noticed it before but it really bothered me.  |
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