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DVD Snapshot's Guide To Buffy The Vampire Slayer On DVD
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In the crowded world of DVD releases, some companies tend to rise above the rest. We've been fans of Fox's TV-on-DVD efforts for quite a few years now. They have consistently put out quality television DVD sets with great bonus features, and they started doing it long before anyone else. Even back before DVD, Fox started releasing The X-Files in episode and then season collections on VHS (remember VHS?), proving Fox's commitment to both popular and cult properties.
Just recently, Fox went and quietly repackaged and repriced all seven season collections of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. They are now available in slim sets for a suggested retail price of $39.98, which is quite a discount from their previous SRP's. To celebrate the new, more affordable versions of the Buffy DVD collections (which are identical in every way to the original sets, just in slimmer packaging), we've put together the DVD Snapshot Guide To Buffy The Vampire Slayer On DVD.
We've gone through each set and shared our thoughts on every season, broken down each DVD sets' extra features for you, pointed out key episodes, and basically thrown in everything we could think of to fill you in on the world of Buffy. If you haven't picked them up on DVD yet, now is most definitely the time.
By the way, we'd love to hear what you think. Do you agree with our episode picks? Disagree? We want to hear from you. Drop us a line at info@DVDsnapshot.com and let us know what you think of our guide to Buffy!
Finally, just in case you haven't watched the show yet, be aware that there are SPOILERS below.
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Official Synopsis:
Buffy Summers just wants to be a normal teenager. After the death of her first Watcher back in Los Angeles, she is hoping the move to Sunnydale will give her and her mother a new start. But once she meets school librarian Rupert Giles, she realizes there is no escaping her destiny – especially since her new high school sits right over the Hellmouth. So with Giles as her new Watcher, she reluctantly steps back in to her role as the Slayer. But this time she is not fighting alone; for at her side stands an inner circle of friends, Willow, Xander, Cordelia, and a mysterious young man named Angel, all willing to come to her aid and help dust a vamp or two.
Our Take:
A great start, Season One introduced most of the show's major players and really set the tone of Buffy as something different from the norm. Joss Whedon's sense of humor was evident from the beginning, and it was clear early on that this show was something special.
DVD Special Features:
* Interview With Joss Whedon and David Boreanaz (4 minutes) - Short interviews with Whedon and Boreanaz.
* Commentary - Joss Whedon provides commentary for "Welcome to The Hellmouth."
* Joss Whedon on "The Puppet Show" and "Angel" (3 minutes) - Joss talks about these two episodes.
* Joss Whedon on "Welcome to The Hellmouth" and "The Harvest" (3 minutes) - Another short interview clip with Whedon.
Joss Whedon on "The Witch" and Never Kill A Boy On The First Date" (3 minutes) - A last short interview.
* Photo Gallery - A collection of about 25 promo photos.
* Original Pilot Script - A still-frame representation of the original scripts for the first two-part episode.
* Buffy Trailer (1 minute) - An original promo for the show.
Key Episodes:
* Welcome to the Hellmouth/The Harvest - The two-parter that kicked things off and introduced most of the cast. Forget the movie; this is what Buffy should be all about.
* The Witch - A great episode that started the show’s trend of infinite attention to detail and continuity. Look for this episode to be referenced in subtle ways well into future seasons.
* The Puppet Show - An underrated episode that sets things up so you're sure who the culprit is, and then it turns out to be someone else. Nice foreshadowing to the twists and turns the show would continue to surprise viewers with throughout its run.
* Prophecy Girl - The first time Buffy died. Proved that the stakes (no pun intended) were high in this show and that a little death couldn't stop our heroine.
Choice Quote:
"There are no dead students here. This week." - Principal Snyder, in ‘Out of Mind Out of Sight.’
Overall Picture:
Season: A-
DVD Set: B
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Official Synopsis:
After her death at the hands of The Master and a much needed summer vacation, Buffy returns to Sunnydale strangely withdrawn and a little too eager to renew her Slayer training. She is also determined to break off her relationship with Angel. But when two new vampires, Spike and Drusilla, arrive in town, Buffy and Angel find themselves thrown even closer together as they battle this new and deadly threat. But in the end, it is a single night of passion between Angel and Buffy which proves to be even deadlier – unleashing an ancient curse that endangers not only vampire and Slayer but all of Buffy’s friends, her mother, and even her Watcher.
Our Take:
The single best season of the show. If Angel turning evil and going on a killing spree (taking out a major character in the process) didn’t break your heart, then Buffy running him through with a sword and banishing him to hell right after he regained his soul must have. The show was never better than this, in my opinion, and this was the season that truly cemented Buffy as television above and beyond the rest of it.
DVD Special Features:
* Commentaries - Four episodes feature separate commentary tracks by writer/director David Greenwalt, writer Marti Noxon (two episodes), and Joss Whedon.
* Scripts - Still frame presentations of the scripts for "Reptile Boy," "What's My Line? Parts One and Two," and "Innocence."
* Interviews With Joss Whedon - Six short interviews with Whedon, about particular episodes, with a total running time of about 10 minutes.
* Designing Buffy (14 minutes) - A look at the show's production design.
* A Buffy Bestiary (29 minutes) - Interviews with the actors who play the show's villains, as well as the creative teams that bring them to life.
* Beauty and the Beasts (20 minutes) - A look at the show's make-up processes used to create the baddies.
* Art Gallery - Four galleries that give us a look at still photos, monster designs, set blueprints, and set designs.
* Trailers and TV Spots - Nine different commercials.
* Biographies - Text biographies of the cast and crew.
Key Episodes:
* School Hard - The introduction of Spike, one of the greatest vampire characters ever to grace the screen. Oh yeah, and Drusilla, too.
* Halloween - A funnier episode that saw the entire cast having to play against type.
* What's My Line, Parts I and II - A new slayer arrives on the scene. Brilliant. The main character dies last season (and comes back, of course) and there are actually repercussions. A rarity on network television.
* Surprise/Innocence - The cream of the crop. Angel loses his soul, Buffy loses her innocence, and we lose more than a few tears.
* Phases - We find out that Oz is a werewolf, setting up a great storyline that would continue for some time.
* I Only Have Eyes For You - A heartbreaking episode that sees Buffy and Angel reunited in the most painful way possible.
* Becoming, Parts I and II - The climactic season finale two-parter showed that this series pulled no punches and that no characters were safe. The pinnacle of emotional moments on the show.
Choice Quote:
"Well, I like you. You're nice, and you're funny, and you don't smoke. Yeah, okay, werewolf, but that's not all the time. I mean, three days out of the month I'm not much fun to be around either." - Willow, in ‘Phases.’
Overall Picture:
Season: A+
DVD Set: A
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Official Synopsis:
Living in Sunnydale, atop the human portal to the bestial, demon-breeding Hellmouth, and defending the world from its undead inhabitants, is tough enough. But Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), must also struggle with the very human challenges of being a typical high school student, where popularity can make or break you. It does not help that her cohorts Xander and the shy Willow, start dating, while all Buffy seems to have is the company of Angel, her boyfriend, if you can even call him that, since he is more devil than anything else. Even more daunting are the deliriously gruesome battles Buffy takes to the underworld – only to discover one shocking surprise begets another.
Our Take:
An overall good season marred by a horrible season finale. Granted, the last episodes were truncated after the real-life tragedies at Columbine, but frankly, the Mayor turning into a giant snake wasn't all that exciting to begin with. Still, the Mayor was a fun if goofy villain, and Season Three did introduce us to Faith and Wesley, both interesting characters in their own right and, especially in the case of Wesley, a major player down the line in the Angel series.
DVD Special Features:
* Buffy Speak (6 minutes) - A look at the unique language and dialogue from the show.
* Season 3 Overview (21 minutes) - Cast and crew share their thoughts on season three.
* Interview With Monster Maker John Vulich (5 minutes) - Make-up artist John Vulich shows us some make-up techniques.
* Wardrobe (7 minutes) - Focuses on the show's costuming.
* Weapons (5 minutes) - A look at the show's weaponry.
* Special Effects (13 minutes) - Learn how the vampire dusting effect and other visual trickery is accomplished.
* Commentaries - Separate commentary tracks on four episodes by writer David Fury, writer Doug Petrie, director Michael Gershman, and writer Jane Espenson.
* Interviews With Joss Whedon - A few interviews with Whedon about season three, with a total running time of about 16 minutes.
* Scripts - Still frame presentations of the scripts for "Faith, Hope, and Trick," "Band Candy,""Lover's Walk," and "The Wish."
* Art Gallery - A collection of promo photos.
Key Episodes:
* Faith, Hope, and Trick - The first episode with Faith, this episode also gave us a new bad guy in the form of Mr. Trick, although he didn't last too long.
* Revelations - Wesley arrives on the scene and shows us another side of the Watchers.
* The Wish - Our first glimpse at a Buffy alternate universe, a genre staple. Wickedly fun episode.
* Doppelgangland - One of the alternate universe doubles comes to Sunnydale. Another genre trend gets the Buffy treatment.
Choice Quote:
"I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it." - Spike, in Lover's Walk
Overall Picture:
Season: B+
DVD Set: A+
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Official Synopsis:
With high school now just a fleeting nightmare, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) graduates to college and finds not only new academic crises, but ghost-ridden ones as well. Buffy’s boyfriend, Angel the vampire, is now dead to the real world as well, leaving her plenty of opportunities for romance, as well as facing the harpies of hell, who continue to haunt her. College is infinitely more difficult and dangerous than high school. To help her cope, Buffy takes on a tutor in her Grand-Guiginol studies, former friend Rupert Giles, the resident expert on darkness, devils and all things evil. Giles can certainly help, but when it comes to fighting darkness, Buffy is all on her own.
Our Take:
A strong season highlighted by some really amazing standout episodes, especially the stunningly powerful "Hush." As the first season without Angel, Marc Blucas's Riley had some big shoes to fill, but he managed to win over most of the show's fans as Buffy's love interest. The Initiative was also a great idea (even if the Frankenstein-ian Big Bad was a bit weak) that made for some terrific conflicts throughout the year. Oh yeah, and Buffy goes to college. You mean people can age on television? Fascinating.
DVD Special Features:
* Season 4 Overview (34 minutes) - Joss Whedon and cast and crew share their thoughts on the fourth year.
* Hush (5 minutes) - A featurette on the seminal episode.
* The Sets of Sunnydale (9 minutes) - See how the world of Sunnydale is built from the ground up.
* Spike, Me (11 minutes) - An interview with James Marsters.
* Buffy: Inside The Music (13 minutes) - An interview with composer Christophe Beck.
* Oz Revelations: A Full Moon (11 minutes) - Seth Green and company talk about his time as a werewolf.
* Commentaries - There are commentary tracks on seven episodes, by writer Doug Petrie (2 episodes); Joss Whedon, Marti Noxon, and Seth Green; Whedon alone (2 episodes); Jane Espenson; and writer David Fury & director James A. Contner.
* Scripts - Still frame presentations of the original scripts for the episodes "Fear Itself," "Hush," "Who Are You?" and "Restless."
* Biographies - Text bios of the cast.
Key Episodes:
* Fear Itself - A scary, funny episode with one of the most unique villains in the show's history. The ending is a classic.
* The Initiative - We find out who those guys sneaking around campus are. A great storyline that introduces the fact that Buffy and the Scooby Gang aren't the only ones who have noticed that there are things that go bump in the night.
* Something Blue - While it would be a while before this would become more than a funny plot element, this was our first look at the Buffy/Spike romance.
* Hush - One of the single finest hours of television in the past two decades. If you don't know what this episode is about by now, you must have been living in a cave. The moment when Buffy and Riley spot each other in action for the first time is priceless.
* The Yoko Factor/Primeval - Angel and Riley butt heads over Buffy in this two-part episode. Fun and dramatic at the same time.
Choice Quote:
" " - Buffy, in ‘Hush.’
Overall Picture:
Season: A
DVD Set: A+
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Official Synopsis:
This season, the likeable but brutally capable Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), is joined by her 14 year-old sister, Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg). Where Dawn has been buried up to this point is painstakingly revealed, tormenting Buffy like a freshly hung victim in a noose, kicking for dear life. Luckily, Buffy lands a new boyfriend, Riley Finn, the kind of suitor a father would love to kill – if he was not already dead. First year college disorientation is followed by a dreaded sophomore slump with more grown-up ghastliness and bizarre encounters. To help overcome new difficulties, Buffy’s gang gains two spectacular specters, Spike, a surly English vampire and Anya, Xander’s jealous 1100 year-old, and long-time- dead former ghoulfriend.
Our Take:
A slightly uneven season where the good ultimately outweighs the bad. Spike joins the cast full time, which is a brilliant idea, but we also get Dawn. While she would grow to be an integral part of the show, the first handful of episodes with her were a bit strange. Still, Glory was a lot of fun as a villain, and having Spike around full time was definitely a bonus.
DVD Special Features:
* The Story of Season 5 (28 minutes) - Joss Whedon and cast and crew share their thoughts on the fifth year.
* Buffy Abroad (4 minutes) - A featurette on the worldwide appeal (and merchandise) of Buffy.
* Casting Buffy (7 minutes) - A nice look at how the cast was put together.
* Demonology: A Slayer's Guide (11 minutes) - A feature hosted by Danny Strong (Jonathan) about the show's numerous demonic villains and how to combat them.
* Action Heroes! The Stunts of Buffy (11 minutes) - Focuses on the action and stuntwork of the show.
* Natural Causes (9 minutes) - Actress Kristine Sutherland and the show runners talk about the death of Buffy's mom
* Spotlight on Dawn (7 minutes) - Michelle Trachtenberg and the crew talk about Dawn.
* Commentaries - There are commentary tracks on three episodes, by writer Doug Petrie; writer/producer Jane Espenson; and Joss Whedon.
* Outtakes (2 minutes) - A gag reel, the first time for the Buffy DVD's.
* Scripts - Still frame presentations of the original scripts for the episodes "The Replacement," "Fool For Love," "Into The Woods" and "Checkpoint."
* Still Gallery - A collection of promotional photos.
Key Episodes:
* Real Me - The first time we are introduced to Dawn in a substantial way. Important for continuity since she would be a key player for the remainder of the show.
* Fool For Love - A nice background episode in which we learn when, where, and how Spike killed two slayers.
* The Body - An extremely poignant episode featuring the death of a major supporting character.
* The Gift - The 100th episode, and the last on The WB. Also, Buffy dies. Again.
Choice Quote:
"Oh, good show Giles. At least you didn't get knocked out for a change." - Giles, in ‘Buffy Vs. Dracula.’
Overall Picture:
Season: A-
DVD Set: A+
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Official Synopsis:
Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) grapples with balancing both her enchanting femininity and unrelenting formidability as she copes with being a beautiful, sexy young woman as well as savior of the world. Previously, she had sacrificed her own life for her sister’s, which although harrowing, now gives Buffy a maturity she has never enjoyed before. But along with growth comes even more treacherous obstacles. If you think you have seen everything so far, wait until you discover what happens this season. Buffy’s destiny draws her deeper into the netherworld, while above ground, her relationship with Spike takes some unexpectedly inhuman turns. Will Buffy keep it together while the evil axis of demonic destruction around her -- tears everything apart?
Our Take:
Another uneven season. The trio of Adam, Warren, and Jonathan as the Big Bad for the year was a lot of fun, and their geekery made for some hysterical genre-fan in-jokes and dialogue. But the Dark Willow storyline was a bit, well, dark. There were some great individual episodes, but it wasn't necessarily a season that left you with a great taste in your mouth. Of course, this was also the season that brought us ‘Once More, With Feeling,’ the musical episode that proved that Joss Whedon could pretty much do no wrong.
DVD Special Features:
* Academy of Arts & Sciences Panel Discussion (59 minutes) - A live Q&A session from 2002 with most of the cast and crew, although sadly not Sarah michelle Gellar. Still, this is a great, fun feature.
* David Fury's Behind-the-Scenes of Once More With Feeling (28 minutes) - A truly fantastic taped-on-set look at the making of the famous episode.
* Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Television With A Bite (43 minutes) - An A&E Network special on the show. This one does include interviews with Gellar.
* Buffy Goes to Work (5 minutes) - A quick look at Buffy's stint as a fast food worker.
* Life Is The Big Bad: Season 6 Overview (30 minutes) - Joss Whedon and cast and crew share their thoughts on the sixth season.
* Buffy Karaoke - Sing along with three songs from Once More With Feeling.
* Commentaries - There are commentary tracks on six episodes, by writers Marti Noxon and David Fury; Joss Whedon (on Once More With Feeling); writer Drew Z. Greenberg; director David Solomon and writer Rebecca Rand Kirshner; director Rick Rosenthal and writer Diego Gutierrez; and director James A. Contner and writer David Fury.
* Outtakes (2 minutes) - A short gag reel.
Key Episodes:
* Flooded - Jonathan, Adam, and Warren team up to take over Sunnyview. In what other show could you find three has-been/also-ran characters joining forces to become an actual threat?
* Once More, With Feeling - Did anyone think this episode would really work? Nobody I knew did. But it was absolutely brilliant; great story, a plot that actually mattered even in the context of being told mostly through the songs, and the music. The music rocked.
* Tabula Rasa - Tara and Willow's break-up helped usher in the Dark Willow storyline.
* Normal Again - Another poignant episode in which Buffy hallucinates that she's a normal girl and that her life as the slayer is all a delusion. Powerful, moving stuff.
* Seeing Red - The death of Tara. Proving once again that no actor on this show had job security.
Choice Quote:
'That's a limited edition, 1979 mint condition Boba Fett.' - Andrew, in ‘Smashed.’
Overall Picture:
Season: B
DVD Set: A+
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Official Synopsis:
And so the fight of good versus evil continues. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is now a working woman and along with all the pressures that entails in the real world, she must also face the never-ending haunts in the unreal world -- against vampires, poltergeists and unfathomable creatures. For good measure, throw in raising a love-sick teenager, to-the-death battles between friends and her own salacious romances. With some new tricks up her sleeve, Buffy’s power waxes, although the inhabitants of the Hellmouth have not just been lying around in their coffins either. They are back – and they are mad as hell. Buffy takes to her ever-evolving destiny like warlocks to wands, as our remarkable vampire slayer vows to face the new fight wherever it takes her – to Hades and beyond.
Our Take:
Buffy's final season was a bit convoluted; but then again, there was the continuity from six previous seasons to wrap up. The new slayer trainees were a fun storyline, and while it was weird to see our cast growing up and moving on with their lives, the show still worked, and worked well.
DVD Special Features:
* Season 7 Overview: Full Circle (30 minutes) - Joss Whedon and cast and crew discuss the final season.
* Buffy 101: Studying the Slayer (14 minutes) - TV critics talk about the show and its impact.
* Generation S (8 minutes) - Focuses on the new slayers introduced in season seven.
* Buffy Wraps (5 minutes) - Footage from the show's final wrap party.
* Buffy: It's Always Been About The Fans (4 minutes) - A quick look at a live Buffy fan appreciation event.
* The Last Sundown (9 minutes) - Joss Whedon shares his ten favorite Buffy episodes.
* Commentaries - There are commentary tracks on seven episodes, by Joss Whedon and producer/director David Solomon; Solomon and writer Drew Goddard; director Nick Mark, writer/producer Jane Espenson, writer Drew Goddard, and actors Danny Strong and Tom Lenk; Solomon and writer Drew Z. Greenberg; Goddard, writer David Fury, and actors James Marsters and D.B. Woodside; Goddard and actor Nicholas Brendon; and Joss Whedon on the show's final episode.
* Outtakes (3 minutes) - A short gag reel.
Key Episodes:
* Help - Buffy starts work as a school counselor, and tries to counsel a girl who has seen her own death. A neat ending to this one.
* Him - A lighter episode in a heavy season, this show saw the beginning of the Spike and Xander as roommates plotline, something that was always good for a laugh.
* Conversations With Dead People - Every season has its emotionally draining show, and this one is it for season seven.
* Bring on The Night - Giles returns, and brings some new slayers with him.
* Chosen - The curtain falls.
Choice Quote:
"In every generation, one slayer is born... because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule." - Buffy, in ‘Chosen.’
Overall Picture:
Season: A-
DVD Set: A
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