Buffy S1E1: Welcome to the Hellmouth launches our Invite Me In podcast. The idea is simple: Two superfans (Xander and Jess) try to convince a ‘never see never will’ (Jim) that Buff is the best darn show on this planet. As Jim wrestles with the superfans (like how does an old dude hanging out in a teen club not draw police or parental eyes!?), he gets guidance from the ‘first timer’ (Trav) as things are explained from a ‘moment of time’ aspect of the series.
Will Xander regret taking his stage name? Will Jess ever admit that MASH has a better theme song? Will Trav regret or relish dedicating months of his life to watch a series that has a bagillion episodes?! Will Jim ever watch Buffy?! All this and more on the first episode of…Invite Me In!
Where to buy Buffy the Vampire Slayer? (Affiliate Links)
As always, here is the (unedited and maybe wonky) transcript!
00:00.00
jimbohaunted
Hey, everyone welcome to a exciting new podcast Jim Phoenix here of course and this podcast is so new. We just renamed it. That’s right, it’s invite me in invite me and I you want to hear the podcast you’renna. Oh my god this is this brilliant idea idea and. This brand new series. We have to super fanns e just say hello and sanderser say hi with one person who’s just watched a series or an episode for the none time if Travis say hi.
00:24.90
Travis Wilson
Yeah, hello.
00:26.55
xanderinvictus
Hello.
00:35.67
Travis Wilson
A.
00:38.99
jimbohaunted
And of course me Jim Phoenix who is just a blathering idiot and I haven’t seen crap just asking to my staff so the concept is simple None super fans None new person and None dude from the outside and today’s series is I guess is ah a thing buffy the the whatno ah, buff the who who was it a zombie killer right? Buffy all right Buffy The Zombie Killer cheerleader Twirler Baton person all this and more on our very none episode. Yeah.
00:58.40
xanderinvictus
Um, something like that.
01:02.38
Travis Wilson
You know? Yeah, you’re you’re you’re on the right track.
01:15.45
jimbohaunted
All right guys. So I guess how many okay I’m just ask questions straight out how many seasons this thing run like 2 Well we know if there’s an official word.
01:22.39
xanderinvictus
Um, officially.
01:22.44
Travis Wilson
There are.
01:28.64
xanderinvictus
Well officially there’s 7 Tv series or seasons rather and then after that dark horse released as far as I know they’re incan and comic book series I think went up to season 9 or 10
01:45.13
Travis Wilson
Um, and we’ve got the spinoff series angel which ran for 5 seasons. Yes, detective bones.
01:48.13
xanderinvictus
Are.
01:49.73
jimbohaunted
I love bones that that’s also I know I that’s I think there’s a thirst spin enough right? There was bones. That’s only I’m actually watching bones right now that’s lawyers and I know this otherwise I have no idea what you guys talking about. Okay, so ah, a few episodes a few episodes out there I did watch a movie Travis did you watch a movie too. Oh well we can re reap and reverse on this one go so the movie all I remember was Luke Perry floating being kind of a because.
02:13.55
Travis Wilson
Um I have not seen the movie and.
02:25.98
jimbohaunted
Donor laid back vampire and a cheerleader and Pebe Herman
02:30.60
Travis Wilson
And what.
02:30.24
xanderinvictus
Both written by Jos Sweden by the way he he wrote the movie and the tv show.
02:35.72
Travis Wilson
So I have a question in this right here is this the school that is referenced in the beginning of the None episode that she burns down the gym. Yes, okay, no the movie. Dude you said you watched it.
02:45.67
jimbohaunted
Wait that there’s way she burns on the gym in the None episode. Oh ah, yeah I was just trying to street cred I don’t really remember the movie that much. There was a gym.
02:54.12
Travis Wilson
No yeah. Okay, I’ve ever I’m not ever actually seen the movie but I know enough about it’s not required viewing for the show but the they make little references to it.
03:03.78
xanderinvictus
1
03:09.33
jimbohaunted
Okay, so it’s not like Firefly and ah we the movie was I can’t remember itremity. Thank you which I actually like the movie better than the series I couldn’t get into the series. So.
03:18.78
Travis Wilson
Serenity.
03:26.53
jimbohaunted
This is the series version of Buffy The Vampire Slayer starring Sir Michelle Geller all right got that 1 right.
03:31.17
Travis Wilson
Yes, Sarah Michelle Geller Allison Hannigan Nicholas Brendan and Tony head we’ll get you there. They’re the core. So no o perry no kind of bum.
03:33.40
xanderinvictus
Yep.
03:41.26
jimbohaunted
Nice, nice, nice, nice, nice, nice smile.
03:48.33
Travis Wilson
About that I guess I don’t know I could see him fitting in this gas. Maybe.
03:50.81
xanderinvictus
The Scooby gang.
03:52.88
jimbohaunted
See and that would be amazing for me which I think that I think Riverdale’s just like Buffy Revamped ah
03:55.81
xanderinvictus
Um I tried to watch that and it it weirded me out because when I was in high school I used to read a lot of Archie comics. So I’m like oh let me see what this is and I’m like I like.
04:00.37
Travis Wilson
And.
04:12.97
xanderinvictus
To me like I watched like the None 4 or 5 episodes to me. It wasn’t good. It wasn’t bad I just didn’t know how to approach riverdale after growing up reading Archie comics.
04:19.95
jimbohaunted
Now. Okay, same thing for me for Buffy because I grew up roaring roaring reading vampire comics I have no way they were buffe exist so walk me through it walk me through the episode what happens in episode 1
04:32.52
Travis Wilson
Okay, well it starts off with um, 2 adults breaking into a gym for a date as you do? Um, yeah.
04:38.50
xanderinvictus
The.
04:40.45
jimbohaunted
What seriously like ah when you say adult are you like older adults or they just graduated last day. Oh.
04:48.62
Travis Wilson
These guys are probably like they’re reaching 30 and well one of them is significantly older than the other guy. No no, no, no, no, no, do you not.
04:56.75
jimbohaunted
Ah, for the.
05:00.88
Travis Wilson
Remember No I remember the guy the guy because he’s got like that whole bad boy thing where he’s trying to be like mysterious and like hey yeah break into a fucking gym. Yeah it it seems it seems like you expect it to be that he is the bad guy right? But then I am she.
05:01.37
jimbohaunted
Hey.
05:08.20
xanderinvictus
Are.
05:10.11
jimbohaunted
Let’s prick into the gym.
05:17.54
xanderinvictus
Product number.
05:18.85
Travis Wilson
Gets all VantFacey and ah attacks him tails spin.
05:22.42
jimbohaunted
Okay.
05:22.68
xanderinvictus
By the by the way the vampire the darla there to beginning you want to talk about your connections to other shows is Julie Bens who played Dexter’s life
05:35.75
jimbohaunted
Oh you know what? I just seen Julie Ben’s on not survivor god paranormal. No what’s a show with that car. Ah no, the other show at the car serenity. No those 2 brothers that go out and do stuff.
05:44.25
xanderinvictus
Night rider.
05:47.80
Travis Wilson
Um.
05:50.75
xanderinvictus
Oh supernatural.
05:53.10
Travis Wilson
And that’s the that’s the takeaway the the show with the car. Not like you.
05:53.84
jimbohaunted
Supernatural that one the co it’s going to carn it. That’s all, there’s other stuff that happens to I guess but I already have a I have a fan theory about supernatural I’m only into like the None 2 episodes are 3 or 4 Whatever and I think Jeffrey D Morgan’s character
05:56.28
xanderinvictus
The show with the car.
06:12.61
jimbohaunted
Is that same character in supernatural and walking dead boom season one has not proved me wrong so far I’m guessing like season 2 Mike but all right? So she’s from say so Dexter’s girlfriend who’s also supernatural is in Buffy and she’s a bad guy.
06:14.32
xanderinvictus
Um, oh.
06:19.76
Travis Wilson
Assistant.
06:28.38
xanderinvictus
Yeah, she plays Darla the vampire. Yeah, she’s the vampire at the beginning of the episode.
06:28.97
Travis Wilson
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
06:32.35
jimbohaunted
She’s a bad guy in but okay, she’s dar. Okay and the oh oh ah, ah.
06:36.34
Travis Wilson
Yep, and that’s what I meant when one of them is significantly older than the other. Ah yeah, it did look really old like I mean a lot of people in the show look really old for the characters. Theyre playing but well yeah yeah.
06:48.18
jimbohaunted
For teenagers.
06:48.38
xanderinvictus
Well I also found out doing you know research to writing efforts the review for episode 2 and as of the filming of that episode I guess you would say the None 2 were practically 1 episode.
07:03.50
Travis Wilson
Basically.
07:04.51
xanderinvictus
Ah, there was only 2 teenagers that were like legit teenagers in real life when they filmed out Sarah Michelle Geller was 19 and then her name was Mercedes Mcnap she was Cordelia’s her blonde friend. Yes 16 Yes.
07:07.26
Travis Wilson
Who were they? um yes harmony harmony oh the one from hatchet do what we girl from Hatchet yeah, cool.
07:22.30
xanderinvictus
Yes, she was 16 at the time of the filming of those episodes those were the only 2 teenagers on the entire cast.
07:26.46
Travis Wilson
Ah, yeah Chris is Charisma Carpenter was almost thirty at the time of filming. Damn yeah yeah, she’s fifty one and she like she is bang in cordelia.
07:30.44
xanderinvictus
Um, still looks the same by the way. Absolutely gorgeous court the when that played Cordelia she’s if yeah.
07:37.79
jimbohaunted
Qui this I don’t know who queer you is outuch. She’s the bit of the show.
07:44.52
Travis Wilson
She’s the bitch. Yeah.
07:48.33
xanderinvictus
But no, she looks and she looks like I think she’s a vampire in real life. She looks.
07:50.56
Travis Wilson
She could be. She’s I looked at her Wikipedia um, just because I wanted to confirm something um on episode 3 but she like she was shot when she was shot at when she was younger like she.
08:06.30
jimbohaunted
Cheese shot and shooting.
08:08.27
Travis Wilson
She had a wild life like.
08:09.17
xanderinvictus
But yeah, she’s because I follow her on Twitter and I’m just like you don’t like I think you were bit during the filming of the show because she has not aged since 97 I think this started absolutely beautiful woman.
08:21.59
Travis Wilson
Yeah, she’s yes.
08:26.23
jimbohaunted
Okay, so we have Cordelia we have darla and we got Someddy’s fresh meat so they break into the gym to be eaten. It seems like a very bad planning in the guy this part.
08:34.77
Travis Wilson
Um, yeah I think he thought he was going to take advantage of her because she is this tiny little petite blonde lady as Jos tends to like them. Um, but you know she turns the tables on him.
08:49.60
jimbohaunted
Okay, I’m sorry I’m sorry so ah is this based in reality people do this or I mean obviously that might happen but like why would you pick a school gym wouldn’t that be just like.
08:52.66
Travis Wilson
Yeah.
09:06.70
Travis Wilson
You must not be from a small town.
09:09.35
jimbohaunted
A hat on a hat at this point or.
09:12.46
xanderinvictus
I’m I was gonna say I’m from a small town and we didn’t break into the gym because none of us wanted to be at school to begin with.
09:15.76
jimbohaunted
There actually I I did break into a gym before once or None times but only to play basketball never to get my face written off by a vampire. Oh how.
09:27.66
Travis Wilson
I Don’t think that was part of his plan. Well.
09:30.13
xanderinvictus
He was just gonna be like hey it’s cool to break into the gym and make out because that’s what the cool kids do and he even mentioned he had already graduated.
09:34.82
jimbohaunted
The cemetery is taken.
09:40.00
Travis Wilson
Yeah, he is definitely a ah peaked in high school kind of guy. Yeah, definitely.
09:43.55
xanderinvictus
Yeah, so it’s cool for you to graduate high school pick up a girl and then break into the gym of the high school you graduated into to hopefully have sex with this girl because cool.
09:45.30
jimbohaunted
Ah.
09:58.31
jimbohaunted
So you kind of cheer when it gets his face bitten off.
10:01.89
Travis Wilson
Yeah, you’re not heartbroken.
10:03.38
xanderinvictus
No you, you’re like oh no, she hasn’t arrived at the school yet.
10:05.91
jimbohaunted
And Buffy lets this happen kind of what kind of bampfire slayer is this just letting people get in face bit enough in the first five minutes
10:08.89
Travis Wilson
Well Okay, yeah.
10:18.47
Travis Wilson
Dude, she’s in her bedroom asleep right? now there’s boxes all around her mom wakes her up and it’s like Buffy you’re going to be late for your None day because we need to get that exposition out of the way so she doesn’t know yet about the vampire happenings.
10:31.66
jimbohaunted
Okay, but she is she a vampire slayer on this None episode. Okay, so it’s not the origin story. Okay, it’s not like spider manford 15 time cool.
10:35.26
xanderinvictus
Yes.
10:35.50
Travis Wilson
Um, yeah, yes, no.
10:40.10
xanderinvictus
No, it’s it’s it’s like it’s like the mcu Spiderman he’s already established as Spiderman again.
10:45.21
jimbohaunted
Okay.
10:45.36
Travis Wilson
Yeah, we don’t have to watch Uncle Ben actually in the beginning of the episode. They kind of give like a very brief like 5 None intro like there’s a vampire swayer and they have to do this shit and then it cuts to like the I read it I wish that is how Jos recorded the intro.
11:00.89
xanderinvictus
Yeah, shit happens I also do I was like also the before we get any farther can we talk about how awesome the Buffy Theme song is.
11:04.61
Travis Wilson
Yeah I mean that that was my takeaway.
11:06.42
jimbohaunted
There you go.
11:11.32
Travis Wilson
Yes, yeah, nerf herder oh my god it’s um Travis skipped it when we watched the None episode and I yelled at him and I said you are not allowed to do that for this show. Okay, you know.
11:14.33
jimbohaunted
There’s a theme song.
11:17.53
xanderinvictus
It’s one of my all time favorite Tv theme songs ever. Oh.
11:29.76
Travis Wilson
So Jesse has like been watching this show pretty much every morning for the past year so and whenever we’re getting ready for work in the morning I’m in the bathroom I getting out the shower and I all I can hear is that theme song playing. So I’ve heard it like every morning like but you got 4 years the fun things going on on the screen I saw it in the. So it’s and then it changes from season to season and Jos likes to like fuck with people’s heads with who gets credited in the opening so you got to look out for those little things. Ok, whatever. Yeah like when they’re like showing starring you know sir Michelle Gelller blah blah blah like
11:57.69
jimbohaunted
Wait people get credited in the opening what wait? what.
12:08.20
Travis Wilson
We’ll get to it in later seasons. Um, and because we’re not spoiling anything future. So but it it He has a lot of fun with opening credits. So.
12:08.10
jimbohaunted
Okay, okay, yakka right.
12:12.74
xanderinvictus
No.
12:21.40
jimbohaunted
Oh okay, so there’s a song by someone We can’t miss is not the match theme song which is the best theme song on the whole white world and until you listen to the lyrics.
12:29.42
Travis Wilson
It is very solid.
12:30.72
xanderinvictus
But this might be top 10 if not top 5 in my opinion of all time theme songs. It used to be my ringtone no more than about a couple years ago
12:36.65
Travis Wilson
Yeah, it’s when I literally never get sick of hearing.
12:43.40
jimbohaunted
Ah I’m feeling out of place guys trap Steve okay tra is this with me right? The theme song is okay, but it’s kind of like ah.
12:49.17
Travis Wilson
I Yeah, Ah, maybe it’ll um it’ll grow on me a little bit more have you ever heard it. You should maybe listen to it. Maybe I’m in the minority here I mean I don’t think it’s you know, bad. But you know it It definitely. So like rock and roll. It’s not a theme song guy a song unless it’s dragon Ball. No Dragon Balls go like that is like classic. But.
13:11.25
jimbohaunted
Okay, now dragon ball my my very deep omission right here I didn’t know there’s difference between dragon ball and Dragon Ball Z so I just thought like wow they are the kids again like what thell going on here.
13:21.28
Travis Wilson
Ah, there is and there isn’t because in the comics. It’s all Dragon ball in the show they split it up but that’s a different show a different podcast Dragon ball.
13:26.93
jimbohaunted
Oh all, right? and the dragon ball podcast. So all right? So we got to the scene where Buffy’s waking up all right.
13:40.50
Travis Wilson
Yeah, we are 5 minutes in all right? Oh sorry.
13:46.59
jimbohaunted
But and then Buffy has a dog in this episode I love it but can also kill vampires which you know in the 90 s all all things had dogs. They turn Hooch came out then 89 ish earth
13:51.91
Travis Wilson
Apparently who has 0 shell.
14:05.77
Travis Wilson
Yeah, and we’ll get the lore for how to kill vampires in this show because I think every everybody handles Vampire lore differently between series and movies and stuff and they have their own rules for this that will uncover as the series goes best of them. Well that nope.
14:05.99
jimbohaunted
9 is the way. So yeah, oh.
14:22.61
jimbohaunted
Shuman The face.
14:25.14
Travis Wilson
It seems pretty standard so far like I haven’t noticed anything different than any other vampire movie I’m just saying like they developed their lore. Okay, so.
14:35.93
xanderinvictus
There’s there it for the most part. It’s relatively the same but everybody puts put likes to put their own little wrinkle on stuff.
14:40.63
Travis Wilson
Yeah.
14:42.83
jimbohaunted
Well that we’ll find out as that goes so what Travis what were your None impressions when you see the high schoolers filled up with like 35 year olds.
14:55.65
Travis Wilson
Um, I was definitely put off especially whenever we see I guess sander for the none time because that guy has got like very well-defined shadow and you know I mean I went to school with a guy that had a full beard in middle school. So I know that it can happen. But it’s never not going to be jarring for me everybody else I think looked pretty close to the h but you Knowander’s pretty he’s definitely like well into his 20 s.
15:15.54
jimbohaunted
Um, right? okay.
15:24.10
xanderinvictus
Hi I’m a new freshman.
15:27.51
jimbohaunted
All but you know we always we seen that I have friend like that could buy beer and like in grade school. Yeah, it’s always like man you feel like almost inadequate sometimes like oh I’m supposed to be ah more more shaving this all right? So walk me through it.
15:45.99
Travis Wilson
All right? She gets to school. We see ander skateboarding which is definitely a thing that we’ll see throughout the whole series and are always skateboarding true hobby of his. Ah um, is that the only time we see it? Yeah oh okay.
15:46.53
jimbohaunted
Let’s go for it. What’s the what’s the None she gets to school. Oh.
15:58.52
xanderinvictus
Absolutely yeah, 10%
16:05.98
Travis Wilson
He doesn’t really look like he knows what he’s doing out there anyways, he’s just kind of like going in a straight line and making people dodge out of his way that is literally the description of Xander for the entire series. So good job up. Okay, cool. So maybe they were on to something there like okay we’re gonna.
16:18.21
xanderinvictus
Hey hey guys I picked up and hi you guys I picked up a new hobby next episode no mention of it’s like it could be like hey I picked up falconry this is gonna be important for 1 episode and then never do it again.
16:30.50
Travis Wilson
Speaking of important for only 1 episode. We also meet his friend Jesse um is 2 episodes 2 episodes I mean this guy’s got.
16:36.41
xanderinvictus
No.
16:44.45
Travis Wilson
Not an important character rid all over him I don’t know if it’s the way that he talks or the way that he looks but something about him is just like yeah this guy’s not going to stick around. He’s got who know? Yeah, he’s a high score. Yeah.
16:45.74
xanderinvictus
Yeah, he got a also a very John waters mustache to no Jesse the the yeah the.
16:54.60
jimbohaunted
In high school but but he’s an a high school kid huh. Where’s this high school located I should probably start there.
17:02.50
xanderinvictus
He’s supposed a high school kid but he’s rocking the John Waters mustache
17:02.91
Travis Wilson
Yeah.
17:08.61
Travis Wilson
Um, California yeah so cal.
17:08.76
xanderinvictus
Cat California so be Southern California yeah
17:12.82
jimbohaunted
Like so southern cow or no no cow. so so cal okay all right I can almost not see this at all. Okay, so far is so good I think we have Bart Simpson riding a skateboard and then.
17:28.30
xanderinvictus
Um.
17:28.95
jimbohaunted
Ah, John Waters is there and a cheerleader wait wait is she really a cheerleader in this too. Oh I was like did just like make her a cheerleader None day that’ll like be upsetting to to cheer spots. Okay sorry, didn’t want a spoiler.
17:31.45
Travis Wilson
Ah, no, no.
17:33.42
xanderinvictus
Not yet.
17:39.74
xanderinvictus
No, that that comes later.
17:40.31
Travis Wilson
Yeah, we’ll get. We’ll get to that.
17:46.96
jimbohaunted
the Buffy The Cheerleader Vampire Killer not geleater.
17:48.42
Travis Wilson
Um, yeah, no, but we see like Xander asked willow for math. So that way we can get um her exposition that she’s um, a nerd because she’s also wearing like a plaid overall dress and very thick tights they make a comment. So. Cordelia right? She’s the one that comments on her outfit being kind of lame but I actually thought it was nice I like the the softer side of Sears as as it. Yeah.
18:13.88
xanderinvictus
Yeah I I also noticed with the None episode that like to me the one of the biggest knocks of the None episode and it to me as far, you know it it obviously improves as the show goes on the cantors are very one dimensional. It’s like Willow.
18:28.74
Travis Wilson
Oh yeah, exposition.
18:32.85
xanderinvictus
Yeah, willow oh hi I’m the quiet nerdy girl. That’s all I do Cordelia’s like I’m a plastic I’m Regina George and then Jesse’s the creepy guy and then ah yeah, light yeah, but like Jesse’s the more like.
18:42.30
jimbohaunted
Sanders a skateboarder.
18:43.80
Travis Wilson
Sanders also Sanders also the creepy guy.
18:50.35
xanderinvictus
Oh hey, how we do and that you want to go out again. I even though you told me no 15 times.
18:53.97
Travis Wilson
Um, yeah I think that I think that Jesse played it a little bit cooler than sander because Anders’s kind of act in the full trying to get Buffy’s attention and then he’s like actually calling him out being like bro you you need to chew right now. Yeah.
18:54.70
jimbohaunted
Um, is he ducky.
19:01.10
xanderinvictus
He it? oh.
19:06.58
xanderinvictus
Yeah, but no, they’re very, they’re very um, yeah, like yeah they have their high I’m character trait and I’ll be playing.
19:13.33
Travis Wilson
Expositional it’s out. Yeah I likeed in the beginning like whenever Buffy first shows up and then whenever Xander walks into the school he like sees Jesse. He’s like oh dude did did you see the new girl. He’s like yeah dude, what’s her deal is’s like she’s the new girl like. Dude, she just walked into the school for the none time None conds ago how the fuck are you gonna know exactly what her deal is that’s that was it but we learn we learn her deal pretty quickly though because she goes into the principal’s office and ah.
19:37.31
jimbohaunted
She’s a new girl. That’s all we need fresh meat year. Really.
19:40.66
xanderinvictus
Um, I mean you weren’t far off.
19:51.80
Travis Wilson
Fluty tells her that ah she gets a clean slate here and he rips up her record and then he reads something about Jim Burn down and quietly tapes it back together. So this is to them pretty much like making references to the movie right? Yeah, okay.
19:51.79
xanderinvictus
Ready.
20:00.58
jimbohaunted
Um, oh.
20:07.10
xanderinvictus
Yeah.
20:10.37
Travis Wilson
And he’s not really giving her a queensway because he’s really holding the shit against her like basically threatening her about like if she doesn’t behave. She’s going to be pretty much expelled immediately I know right.
20:19.25
jimbohaunted
A principle being an ahole now. Thirst there’s there’s no stasis for this. Okay, so that so it is realistic and is a continuation of the movie sort of now. Ah I all right I will let this 1 unfold.
20:21.24
xanderinvictus
No.
20:29.95
Travis Wilson
Um, yeah, or.
20:36.73
jimbohaunted
Before I ask my question.
20:38.51
Travis Wilson
Okay.
20:38.55
xanderinvictus
But yeah, so it it basically the good first third of the episode is just introducing basically the main characters for the majority of the series. Ah and then like beforehand that you know they do introduce her mom which um Sarah Maso Galler and then i.
20:47.94
Travis Wilson
Yeah.
20:57.50
xanderinvictus
Forget her name the actress to play her mom had like thank you amazing chemistry like you honestly would think that they’re actually mother and daughter.
20:58.58
jimbohaunted
Okay.
20:58.84
Travis Wilson
Christine Sutherland
21:02.65
Travis Wilson
Yeah, that there I I know she’s technically a guest star on basically every episode that she’s present for but I think she’s just she’s wonderful as Buffy’s mom
21:12.11
xanderinvictus
Ah, and because she’s like because they had to move to a different talent and she’s like look I’m just trying to do this I want you to be happy, but we can’t keep doing this. Yeah.
21:19.85
Travis Wilson
I Kind of felt bad for him on like she just having to uproot her whole wife because you know she doesn’t really understand what’s going on and buffy can’t really realistically explain it sounds like she’s tried to in the past because she’s like I don’t know what you you’re talking about with this vampire stuff I Just don’t get it but you know whatever. Yeah I Just kind of felt bad for her. Yeah well she I was gonna say she doesn’t know anything about buffy being a slayer she doesn’t know anything about vapire didn’t she try and like tow her before no she she is just like you. You don’t understand it wasn’t that I fell in on with the wrong crowd. It was just something I had to do. She’s.
21:38.83
jimbohaunted
Now Yeah, go. But.
21:57.30
Travis Wilson
Supposed to be and we’ll see this um in the episode is after she leaves Flutie’s office later on when she goes to the library and Giles pops up and she kind of alludes to the fact that she’s. Lonely and can’t tell anybody and it’s her sacred duty that she has to bear alone and all of this and they’re really setting it up that a slayer is not meant to have a support system because of patriarchical reasons that we will talk about as we go through the series.
22:22.40
jimbohaunted
Because the guffin that’s why.
22:24.80
xanderinvictus
Um, yeah, there’s a lot of stuff that happens that we can say because yeah, but this basically the None episode or 2 kind of sets up stuff that happens throughout the entire series.
22:30.87
Travis Wilson
Yeah on you.
22:31.48
jimbohaunted
It’s gonna spoil. Okay.
22:38.00
jimbohaunted
Now you guys said the None episode or you know the None 2 episodes I might really just been 1 episode cut in None Okay, okay.
22:38.14
Travis Wilson
Yeah.
22:44.73
Travis Wilson
yeah yeah I mean the None episode literally ends with a to be continued on screen.
22:44.80
xanderinvictus
Yeah, or at least or at least 1 script may not necessarily like film together. But at least 1 whole script for the 2 episodes. Yeah.
22:54.75
Travis Wilson
Um, it it picks up immediately after the None episode. So like yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.
22:59.11
jimbohaunted
Is this kind of like a pilot feel or okay, thanks right? Not she’s taking her classes with people and the the mom thinks interesting because most kids have to move because Their’re parents.
23:02.90
xanderinvictus
Yeah, oh a hundred percent
23:16.27
Travis Wilson
Um, yeah.
23:18.68
jimbohaunted
And this is like the flip on then then the kids don’ understand like why do I have to keep moving. Well you know Daddy’s in marine like keep getting station other places.
23:24.30
Travis Wilson
Yeah, and and we don’t know the full deal about her parents yet. We just know that her mom is a single mom at this I Made a note about that I thought that was nice that they didn’t give like clunky exposition like you know something about oh well, you know your father since you left you know like I’m I’m kind of glad that they’ve left that kind of open does that. And mean you don’t have to spoil anything that I play like into any future episodes? Yeah, okay, not not like yeah yes and no like okay so not like anything like huge plotwise I didn’t know if that was like them pointing a seed like that you know, maybe something added down the line. It. He.
23:49.14
jimbohaunted
You’re your father who is found dead with a stake in his heart.
24:01.43
Travis Wilson
The father thing will come up um in significant and non-significant ways. So okay.
24:05.87
jimbohaunted
The dad’s negan heard here first that dad is Negan that’s my new theory. Everyone’s Negan now bow I’m gonna be over 2 on this turry arm die. Okay, it’s okay.
24:13.72
xanderinvictus
But. But and then they also the the big part is that you know the vampire part of the show they bring them in and it’s just because what they’re trying to do and Ah, even though I totally didn’t call him the leader in the first article I wrote and had to. Change it to the master because that’s his real name I totally didn’t do that.? Ah So what they did is is that this is all underground and they’re trying to bring it because he can’t leave the little underground um temple.
24:53.62
Travis Wilson
It’s like a collapsed church I think.
24:56.10
xanderinvictus
Something like that and he’s been stuck there I think they said at least 300 years and he has to feed before he can go basically the he needs to feed so he can come back and bring upon the apocalypse.
24:58.93
jimbohaunted
Ah, ah.
25:05.77
jimbohaunted
Out. Okay, and so on like yeah.
25:05.92
Travis Wilson
Yeah, but 1 thing about this show is that vampires are obsessed with the apocalypse they love it. They’re fucking all about ending the world.
25:20.20
jimbohaunted
Is that because that’s just biologically them or is that more philosophy or it for the None episode. Yeah.
25:25.10
Travis Wilson
So and this is covered in this episode I think is that um vampires in this universe. Um, so when a person is turned into a vampire. They are no longer the person they were the trace of the human is completely gone and they have.
25:41.59
jimbohaunted
Okay, oh it’s possession.
25:43.75
Travis Wilson
Ah, Demon has taken over their body. So it’s a demon in a human body. Yeah, do they they they seem to have their memories though right? Yeah, they have their memories but it’s it’s not them. Okay, yeah.
25:58.75
jimbohaunted
Okay, so why can’t you just shoot him in the face if it’s possession if you you shoot Reagan in the head not Ronald Rea but Reagan from the exercise in the head I’m pretty sure pezuzu’s done.
26:11.98
Travis Wilson
Because they’re they’re demons but they’re also vampires every demon in this show has its has its own way to be killed so what will kill 1 Demon will not kill another necessarily.
26:15.34
jimbohaunted
Um, what the demon and vampire. Oh oh good Lord wow.
26:27.14
Travis Wilson
Yeah, so with vampires you can decapitate them. You can stake them in the heart or you can set them on fire. That’s it.
26:30.62
jimbohaunted
Okay, they can’t do that with the demon who’s inhabiting is this like Pokemon is this all about buying more stuff is this merchandise 1 on 1
26:45.18
xanderinvictus
Ah.
26:45.66
Travis Wilson
At.
26:46.87
jimbohaunted
Ah, you don’t if it doesn’t it’s explain in the None episode. We don’t have to just okay, just so why I get this right? The vampire you can stake head cut off and blender. Whatever.
26:50.46
xanderinvictus
Not really.
27:01.48
xanderinvictus
Yeah, yeah.
27:03.98
jimbohaunted
That will kill the vampire is there demon inside the vampire that can’t be out of oh ah, okay.
27:05.69
Travis Wilson
The inside the vampire is the vampire. It’s all in 1 It’s a father the son and the holy ghost. It’s based off of what I’ve seen in this and what I’ve seen so far and you’ll know you got him when they turn to dust.
27:20.80
jimbohaunted
Okay, and less. It’s the cocaine demon and it’s like oh damn, you don’t know.
27:20.30
xanderinvictus
Um, it’s a very horrible. So yeah, it’s a very horrible cgi effect.
27:22.90
Travis Wilson
Yeah, just kind of poof I think a lot of the effects in this show are exactly good like I don’t think the prosthetics on of the vampires look very flattered. Yeah better.
27:31.19
xanderinvictus
Through No no I do like I do like the practical effects and the fact that they didn’t you know vampires are for the most part. They’re a very romanticized monster.
27:45.70
Travis Wilson
Um, they just kind of look like things from the Hills have eyes to me.
27:49.51
xanderinvictus
Yeah, and it’s just like instead of doing like the bello the Ghosti vampire or the sparkle vampires from Twilight These are like no when you know we’re a vampire we ugly.
27:51.73
jimbohaunted
Um, ah.
27:58.66
Travis Wilson
Yeah I guess I can appreciate that.
28:01.95
jimbohaunted
Ah.
28:02.13
xanderinvictus
And then there was a scene in the None episode where the master comes up out of this supposed to be like some kind of pool of blood and you can easily tell that they filmed the guy whoever of the actor playing the master like so crouching and then kind of coming out of the pool and then they just see ged a.
28:07.46
Travis Wilson
Um, yeah, it’s and.
28:21.28
xanderinvictus
Thing of blood around him like you can see the obvious breaks where it’s very late 90 s cgi.
28:23.54
Travis Wilson
Yeah, it’s yeah, cheap to I mean cheap for the time I’m sure and you know I don’t imagine them being able to do much with like a pilot episode budget now. Um, so.
28:34.42
xanderinvictus
Yeah.
28:36.53
jimbohaunted
I Mean we could use to die. But why not see. Yeah, Okay, yep, yep.
28:42.20
Travis Wilson
There’s 1 thing that I really want to get Jim’s unbiased opinion on in this episode um can we give him a rundown of Giles because I think that jowles comes across as a very creepy man in this None episode.
28:55.91
jimbohaunted
Okay, cool now that I’m glad you brought that up that actually iss gonna be my question. So I think my my my major question is gonna come up very very shortly so Giles who is he what is he? that’s John heard right head John Hadson John John Tony had that too.
29:11.26
Travis Wilson
Tony Head joles he apparently is a new librarian for the school who happened to also move here around the same time that buffy did yeah, there’s definitely a connection turns out, he’s supposed to be the watcher.
29:14.33
jimbohaunted
Tony are you kidding.
29:20.65
jimbohaunted
Ah.
29:28.77
Travis Wilson
So he and I don’t know he is supposed to like mentor her or something right? Yeah I mean it’s like Buffy says so slayer slays the watcher watches. So.
29:31.87
xanderinvictus
Yeah, but like if you guys seen the movie that was down down Sutherland’s character filled the same role in the buffy movie. Yeah, like it’s different character but it’s basically like.
29:42.00
jimbohaunted
Slayer stays.
29:43.40
Travis Wilson
Was it a different person playing him. Okay.
29:50.45
xanderinvictus
I’m supposed to train you and watch you I’m basically supposed to be uwatu the watcher I can help you I can’t help you directly but I can just kind of stand on the sidelines.
29:52.64
jimbohaunted
Um, but she’s already trained though. So what is he kind of doing.
30:02.42
Travis Wilson
She’s not trained. She’s kind of like imbued with magic in a way which gives her like super strength and reflexes. She’s got she’s had past experience and she’s had a previous watcher then right? yeah.
30:06.36
jimbohaunted
Burning shit down. Oh oh cool. That’s.
30:17.97
Travis Wilson
And she like but she’s supposed to like train with him and really hone her senses and they talk about that because um, you know after we get all of the school daytime exposition. They go to this? Um, teen friendly club called the bronze which will come up time and time and time again. Um. And Giles is there which I think this is what really got Travis really upset is that he’s at this. It’s only that. Okay, so let me let me just give the rundown on this guy to Jim real quick. So it’s this middle aged man and.
30:45.78
jimbohaunted
Um, okay yeah, aha.
30:52.80
Travis Wilson
The none the none creepy instance with him is in the hallway whenever Buffy is trying to refuse the whole thing he pins her down against the walker in the highway in the high school and is not lettingdding her leave That’s one red flag right there so that comes across as super creepy. Um, then later that night. He’s seen at a clubb all full of high schoolers buying stuff. He’s like the only adult in the clubb and he’s just kind of chilling with a bunch of high scoreers in a like a social setting at night. So I don’t know for me, it just kind of gives very creepy um predator vibes.
31:15.41
xanderinvictus
Are.
31:24.92
xanderinvictus
Um, it’s like that Steve you see me Gif how do you do folk fellow children.
31:25.10
jimbohaunted
Okay, this thought now. Yeah.
31:29.22
Travis Wilson
Kind of except this guy gives me a little bit more sinister. He gets okay I’m coming out those from the lens of having seen this year exactly and I am talking I know and I’m a huge giles fan and some of this behavior in the early season gets explained when you get more background.
31:43.11
jimbohaunted
Huh.
31:48.97
Travis Wilson
On the whole slayer watcher thing I’m talking purely as like a spectator like if I’m a kid walking down the hallway and I see the new librarian pin down the new kid and you know and then I see him at the club that night I’m like oh I know why this guy’s winning the work at schools Jesus yes, listen i’m.
31:51.28
jimbohaunted
Aha.
32:01.98
jimbohaunted
Like like this might be a stranger danger situation.
32:05.84
xanderinvictus
Um, yeah, and you like but a yeah.
32:08.61
Travis Wilson
And look I’m just saying that’s the vibe that I get you know he’s wearing tweed and he’s british. Yeah, he’s supposed to be an intellectual I get it. You know they do their best to try and make a more like very sophisticated but that shit don’t fly.
32:11.90
jimbohaunted
Why his word tweed.
32:21.59
xanderinvictus
He he follows under the same problem we were talking about earlier with like 1 dimensional like gradually that he improves as yeah, no, it’s just he he improves as a character as the series goes on and just.
32:25.22
jimbohaunted
Is the mentions of pedophile or what.
32:33.15
jimbohaunted
Ah, um.
32:35.91
xanderinvictus
Character wise. The characters aren’t very good in this episode. Honestly, yeah.
32:37.75
Travis Wilson
No, it’s it’s a pilot episode basically essentially.
32:39.12
jimbohaunted
The arc kind all right? So I have a question about the bronze before I can give my answer to Travis I have a question but the bronze so it’s a 18 under club. So there’s no alcohol is just like sodas and dancing.
32:52.86
Travis Wilson
No, like it’s teen friendly. They just I you when you go in and they like de’ Knowte who is 21 and were are they drinking like cap preson. Do it where are they drinking that they’re like a pree son look got like coke and yeah.
33:00.37
jimbohaunted
Oh they can kind of.
33:00.79
xanderinvictus
Um, yeah, actually you don’t see him drinking anything Honestly, it it looks like there’s a bar but I don’t think I ever see anybody actually walking around with a cup in hand.
33:06.14
jimbohaunted
Great Knee high.
33:12.52
Travis Wilson
Yeah, because we see you well at the bar. Yes.
33:13.12
jimbohaunted
Well, it’s it’s smart because there’s a pedophile there with little kids. Yeah, you shouldn’t drink anything at all good lord you know what? I agreeo Travis oh that’s just creeping this fuck I’m sorry that that that’s that’s creepy as how man.
33:24.60
Travis Wilson
Thank you, thank you like that’s why I know that you know I have like them having seen the show I’m sure that they have like you know oh no jauss is a good guy I have like very strong feeling. It’s about trials as like somebody has somebody like coming into the show for the None time it just kind of gives you like I’m just thinking of like.
33:37.21
jimbohaunted
Here’s a good guy wink.
33:43.92
Travis Wilson
As a None party if I’m in that setting and I notice that like I’m just not getting good vibes from that guy. Yes I think it’s also important to note when we talk about giles as the watcher.
33:48.50
jimbohaunted
Now if it’s the bartender there I get it like the yeah.
33:57.24
Travis Wilson
He’s got all of this knowledge and kind of like where buffy has like the sacred duty. He’s got this sacred duty as well and he’s had to study up on demonology and all of this and he talks about um sunnydale essentially being a hell mouth I don’t think they say hell mouth until the None episode. We we hear a mouth of hell. So. Yes, but no, um, but he talks about how this is where all manner of the supernatural converge. Um, which I it’s really just a way for them to be like hey it’s called Buffy The Vampire Slayer but there’s going to be other things hey I want to see that episode.
34:29.84
jimbohaunted
Get ready for leprecons right.
34:31.67
xanderinvictus
Oh.
34:35.36
Travis Wilson
Oh and it’s also important that ah Xander was in the library and overheard this exchange between Giles And Buffy that’s another thing that library seems like super empty at all times. Oh yeah, that’s that’s a huge plot hole throughout the whole. Yeah, it’s a thing.
34:48.82
jimbohaunted
Ah, it is a library in the night is.
34:51.94
xanderinvictus
Where it’s like hi I’d like to check him. No not now hi I I I need something from English Just not now we’re talking vampires go away.
34:55.26
Travis Wilson
Yeah, it it literally It’s ah it’s insane if you feel like you have the suspension of disbelief for all of the supernatural things now I don’t have a problem with that. What I can’t wrap my head around is how nobody ever comes into the library. It also looks that.
35:00.77
jimbohaunted
Talking to the.
35:10.21
xanderinvictus
Yeah, vgapires weird old guys at the club fine but nobody in the library something isn’t right here.
35:14.75
Travis Wilson
Fine. The library does he look like a school. Yeah, it is the most ornate fucking library. How high are taxes and sunnydale like how are they funding this public high schools like architecture.
35:30.94
xanderinvictus
Um, mine totally did not look like that.
35:34.90
Travis Wilson
No mine have like the grossest like Griniestt carpet secondhand shelves like you’ve got like the little rickety metal cart that they push all the return books all around like none of this I don’t think mine had books on vampires and witchcraft either.
35:40.80
xanderinvictus
Oh yeah.
35:44.25
jimbohaunted
Yeah, a single room.
35:46.35
xanderinvictus
Yeah, no I don’t even think so.
35:50.56
jimbohaunted
No his. So this all do shows up None day and he tries a corner students alone in the library. Oh oh, just just the the female students that’s much better.
35:50.96
Travis Wilson
But those but dial’s personal collection.
36:00.88
Travis Wilson
Just buffy that makes it better.
36:04.75
xanderinvictus
Oh yeah, no, no, just buffy. He ignores everybody else.
36:09.84
jimbohaunted
Well okay, yeah, not creepy at all so and no one sees this like no one else besides okay Xander kind of overhears it but like the faculty just don’t go a do even the faculty should probably step into this point like ah yo man.
36:21.83
Travis Wilson
I would imagine that would have been something that would have been brought up but no, you don’t see anything.
36:25.94
xanderinvictus
Yeah, but but also you also noticed like throughout this episode throughout the show like adults don’t exist unless they’re important part of the story. You don’t you don’t see group. Yeah, you don’t see grownups unless.
36:36.42
Travis Wilson
Yeah, pretty much I’ve noticed that much.
36:36.49
jimbohaunted
Oh.
36:43.21
xanderinvictus
They’re part of the actual direct. Basically.
36:44.67
jimbohaunted
But.
36:46.60
Travis Wilson
Adults are a plot device. Yeah, they’re usually an obstacle or a villain from what I’ve seen so far. Yeah.
36:50.80
xanderinvictus
Um, yeah I think Buffy’s mom is like 1 of the only parents you see throughout the show.
36:51.32
jimbohaunted
Oh.
36:56.57
jimbohaunted
Um, go okay.
36:58.17
Travis Wilson
Yeah, there there’s a few episodes that are parent centric. But again it’s because they’re you know, acting as an obstacle or a villain. So yes, yes yeah, and he’s.
37:06.70
jimbohaunted
Um, is this does anyone get killed in this episode. Besides the kid early on with with Julie. Oh good.
37:15.48
Travis Wilson
But not, he’s been stuffed into a locker in when some of the girls go to the locker room to get ready for gym class. He falls out and it’s well well.
37:21.21
jimbohaunted
Is Giles there I’m wondering is giles button that bylet locker because he’s the watcher.
37:28.62
xanderinvictus
Now he was in the library. There was actually Cordelia’s locker that ah he was stuffed in she was there because I know she screamed her ass off? Oh okay, but yeah, like he was.
37:29.50
Travis Wilson
Well Buffy wasn’t in the locker room. Yeah, so no, it wasn’t it was that other girl it it was one of the cordettes lockers. Yeah.
37:41.28
jimbohaunted
Ah, cordelic Cordelia there’s different people.
37:45.83
Travis Wilson
And Cordelia comes to tell buffy that gym class is canceled so she can’t see the lady with the chest hair. Um, because there’ a dead body in the locker room and buffy immediately gets weird and is like howd he die and shes like um, that’s morbid and gross and she was like were their holes in his neck and she was like what the fuck. Yeah.
37:51.28
jimbohaunted
I heard.
38:03.33
xanderinvictus
Tell me everything.
38:03.84
Travis Wilson
So she goes to try and check. Yeah, she goes to check out the crime scenen and then she that’s when she tells Giles that she acknowledges there are vampires and that she didn’t want this to happen and she’s pissed because she doesn’t want to be the slayer and Giles is like it’s just take good birthright. And that’s when Xander over here’s everything.
38:22.88
jimbohaunted
Ah, but they don’t doing if that’s the the to B continue right? Oh down Really how long is an episode.
38:29.26
Travis Wilson
No now. Yeah yeah, all right? So let’s let’s move it on to the quad because basically that’s what happens. Um it all kind of yeah so they got to know they don’t have club music all of these teenagers.
38:29.44
xanderinvictus
Um, late that doesn’t happen yet. Oh yeah, this about to yeah.
38:45.51
jimbohaunted
Oh.
38:49.26
Travis Wilson
Are listening to grundrock yeah is this like a were these real bands on a Tuesday night
38:50.11
xanderinvictus
On a Tuesday by the way this is on a to yeah I was like I get you want to have teen clubs you want to go. We’re gonna to good life music but this is a school night and they’re like yeah we’re going out to like 2 in the morning.
38:50.67
jimbohaunted
Ah, ah yeah.
39:03.19
jimbohaunted
Okay, and their defense I did the same thing all week. Yeah, we never did the weekend parties. We just did like oh it’s it’s Wednesday let’s do it.
39:12.92
xanderinvictus
But yeah, yeah, the yeah vampires decide hey we need to start feeding because we need to bring the master up to cause it into the world and blah blah blah bad stuff happens. So the vampire this actually they also introduce angel very shortly in.
39:23.36
Travis Wilson
Yeah, and and oh yeah I and I expect that and I told Travis that this is ah the least dramatic he will see angel throughout the rest of the series.
39:31.21
xanderinvictus
Angel is introduced for about 2 minutes
39:34.90
jimbohaunted
Oh.
39:38.37
xanderinvictus
Oh compared to the rest of the series. This man is a subtle nuanced character.
39:42.89
Travis Wilson
Yeah, and that he was so over the top in this one too like he’s just he doesn’t say anything. He’s just like oh I’m a friend you know like oh I’m going to say this.
39:51.76
xanderinvictus
Hi I’m dart brooding and muscular. You will love me later.
39:58.41
Travis Wilson
So I’m rewatching buffy again I had never watched angel the series before and my good friend convinced me to start watching it and I was like I Just don’t care about Angel as a character I Really I have such a different opinion on him now that I watched angel.
40:01.69
xanderinvictus
Same.
40:07.75
xanderinvictus
Um, I’ve never watched an episode of angel.
40:16.30
jimbohaunted
Oh.
40:17.89
Travis Wilson
I like I still don’t know how I mean I feel about him starting Buffy over having seen angel the series now or some of it I’m still working my way through it. Um I don’t know how I’m going to feel about him in Buffy But Angel the series is way better than I expected it because I just like i.
40:28.12
xanderinvictus
Okay.
40:35.94
Travis Wilson
Care So little about angel.
40:36.33
xanderinvictus
But yeah, so he’s like a shit’s about to go down K By yeah, he’s like K Shit’s about to go down buy and then cause so so she’s like hey I want to go to the club to fit in and then vampires start attacking. You know like we need to feed the.
40:41.64
Travis Wilson
He’s kind of that dick.
40:52.70
jimbohaunted
Okay, so I attacked the club.
40:56.11
xanderinvictus
And there’s but they also do say specifically it was either on this episode but I know they do approach it on the second one hey we need young blood. We need the virginal blood to we need as pure blood as possible to make sure the master. Well they know they wouldn’t to.
41:06.57
jimbohaunted
So they go to a club. Yeah, but that’s where we’re on the virgins hang out again I went to work a high school club on a Tuesday for virginal blood. Okay.
41:08.92
Travis Wilson
Yeah, yeah, good.
41:12.10
xanderinvictus
Well yeah, but no, they go to the high school because they’re like we need as pure as blood as possible. Yeah.
41:16.92
Travis Wilson
Yeah, so yeah, so these vampires yeah these vampires are trying to lure people away to bring the master food. Um, and they’re they’re getting to pure people which in Buffy Verse means nerds. So ah, basically.
41:33.46
jimbohaunted
Owl Bank camp.
41:35.31
Travis Wilson
Ah, willow gets flirted with and Jesse gets flirted with and they’re both like oh ok, so yeah I’ll follow you into the cemetery I like um I like how they are able to tell the vampires. Um, so um.
41:40.92
xanderinvictus
Sure strange person follow you into the dark because it’s very safe.
41:51.99
Travis Wilson
Giles is there and then he’s trying to get buffy to like stiff out the vampires in the crowd and she’s pointing out that they have very dated outfits like the guide dress from the seventy s that’s how you can tell because they have been under ground for like a decade so they are not address. Yeah.
41:56.16
xanderinvictus
Yeah, yeah.
42:01.88
xanderinvictus
And she was right? That’s the thing that she was 100 she’s like oh that we don’t wear that anymore. Totally a vampire and you’re like man now he just doesn’t know oh yeah, no wait look. He’s a vampire it was kind of funny.
42:11.76
Travis Wilson
Yeah, actually really like that I thought that was nice I love how yeah Giles was so mad because he’s like you didn’t sense it and choose like context clues bro I don’t know how to tell you? yeah.
42:22.11
xanderinvictus
Yeah, did you see that shirt but and then it that you know everything you know goes hinky and no no actually a couple of the vampires. Do she does kill a couple vampires.
42:22.86
jimbohaunted
But.
42:32.42
jimbohaunted
They all died out.
42:33.92
Travis Wilson
No yeah, she kills. Um I think I think they say his name is Thomas because ah so they’re in this ah crypt um and Jesse has been. Slightly eaten by Darla and willow is freaking out and then buffy manages to get there and Xander has followed along behind her because he’s like I knew to say willow on Jesse. Um, so she’s like fighting them while Willow Xander and Jesse are trying to get away and he.
43:04.48
xanderinvictus
Um, and then there was another another name vampire named Luke a big muscular guy.
43:09.45
Travis Wilson
The most dramatic of this episode he Monologues so much and I’m like can you please just dust him already I’m I’m so over him immediately.
43:22.67
jimbohaunted
You now know my pain when I watch some of ah of the tv show when they do the voiceover monologues and like oh please, maybe this for the None person to die please.
43:30.79
Travis Wilson
Yeah, like they’re all like vaguely religious sounding Monologues and he’s just like and his his voice is so deep and their their mouth prosthetics are not as good in season ones and they all have like a little bit of like a list but. Going on. Didn’t you describe him as his monologues is like a video game character like yeah boss yeah, like he basically it’s like when you’re playing a video game and you’re sneaking up on the boss character and you just hear like all of their stock dialogue happening so you know you’re nearby and they’re doing bad guy things. That’s what.
44:03.80
xanderinvictus
For press x to skip but and then but and then I was you know doing the research for the None episode because they were talking about because these prosthetics were bad because they had trouble. Ah.
44:03.30
Travis Wilson
That’s all all of his are exactly what he sounds like yeah basically.
44:03.32
jimbohaunted
Bad guy stuff.
44:21.95
xanderinvictus
Pronouncing that that you know some of the syllables and so they actually just so at Weden actually had to go get new prosthetics made for those that had like several lines and then kept the crappy ones for the vampires that really didn’t speak or really.
44:36.80
Travis Wilson
Couldn’t they just like dub over that. Ah, okay, but just think about how obvious the special of like the visual effects were think about how obvious the dubbing would have been ah back then? yeah I don’t think it would have been great.
44:38.86
jimbohaunted
That’s how I was wondering. Yeah, why would they just like do post.
44:48.30
jimbohaunted
In tong food movie. Oh but.
44:54.48
Travis Wilson
I don’t think they would have done all of the sound vising they needed to do to make it sound natural. Um does the choreography like the fight choreography get better throughout because I thought it was kind of whacking in this None episode. Um, they get some really elaborate fight scenes eventually they get.
44:56.45
jimbohaunted
It fucking Bob be Bob from that one movie.
45:13.12
Travis Wilson
Because the sometimes the stunt double for Buffy is really fucking obvious? Oh yeah, um and they switch no, it’s ah it’s a female stunt double now.
45:19.62
jimbohaunted
Guy a mi. Yeah oh was that is that like spaces where it’s like that one dudes focus a guy are like oh yeah I want.
45:30.54
Travis Wilson
Yeah now. Ah they things get better throughout the series I’ve just in general.
45:35.14
xanderinvictus
Yeah I mean to be a fair. This is a rough episode. Yeah, it’s it’s and it’s a good episode but it’s also not one of the better ones.
45:45.10
Travis Wilson
Yeah, it’s it’s necessary so you have some background information. Um I thought it was fun like establishing the series like I enjoyed it like you know I wanted to see more. Um, basically it ends at that fight by the way Jim um like he they dust the guy.
45:55.41
jimbohaunted
Um, oh okay.
46:03.80
Travis Wilson
And then the girl goes to run after like willow and sander and buffy is like pinned down by Luke and then it’s like to be continued.
46:07.60
xanderinvictus
In yes, he got her pinned out in a coffin So she’s basically stuck and then it’s like Cave I see you next week.
46:14.79
Travis Wilson
Yeah, but I thought it was fine. Oh oh, he pins her down but he also like has a monologue as he’s pinning her down. Oh yeah, so.
46:16.29
jimbohaunted
Oh that had be frustrating.
46:26.34
jimbohaunted
Puffy like I wish I just want to do cheleadering stuff come up. Oh so yeah, and on time now. Okay so is Travis this made you want to actually see the next episode though.
46:31.90
xanderinvictus
It’s more like a mono Luke A.
46:31.35
Travis Wilson
A.
46:38.70
Travis Wilson
It did um maybe because of the 2 be continued but you know I also thought it was nice like they say that the characters are kind of 1 dimensional here I think that’s kind of standard for pilot episodes especially when you’re just establishing everything. So um.
46:54.54
jimbohaunted
Which 5 right.
46:58.56
Travis Wilson
I Thought it was fine like you know my only takeaway was jaws as a fucking creep.
47:02.37
jimbohaunted
I Think this might take away to it Maybe like the hallway thing wouldn’t be that bad but get the hallway thing plus the club plus he keeps trying to the the library and yeah, call him the peeper all right.
47:09.79
Travis Wilson
The Clubb is what sells the deal for me.
47:18.74
jimbohaunted
But this is ah this is interesting as someone who’s never seen Buffy Before I appreciate everyone explaining it I can do the mental pictures and that we’ll never have to watch this again or never watch it again and about to watch it.
47:21.80
xanderinvictus
I.
47:26.32
Travis Wilson
So so my question for you though is hearing this not making you the slight best slight bit interested in watching it.
47:36.50
jimbohaunted
Okay I do want to see the Bronze I Want to see the bronze only because I want to see if there’s a place I would have hang out with okay is this like the peach pit or oh so maybe the place I do hang out.
47:41.91
Travis Wilson
Okay.
47:48.23
xanderinvictus
No, it’s actually more like it looks like an old warehouse it it.
47:49.53
Travis Wilson
Oh you know you you had a peach pit. We had a cherry pit in college. Yeah we did. Yeah, it’s not a place you want to hang out but it’s a place you do hang out. No you know what Jim you know what? you should do you should like.
47:55.57
jimbohaunted
Cool. Really.
48:07.30
Travis Wilson
Not watch Buffy but you should watch angel and then see if we can give you enough context throughout the show. They’ll like be able to like know what’s going on there. No he will. He will get spoiled for some angel stuff in buffy if he watches angel oh you can give him the watch order that the angel does.
48:07.85
jimbohaunted
Angel Ah oh well tell what.
48:25.22
Travis Wilson
And start until season 4 of buffy. Okay, well, then we can know fine during season 4 they were just currently I think that would be hilarious.
48:26.58
jimbohaunted
After season 4 or dirt and I’ll do it right now with ah I have one questionable angel and you it’s okay to spoil it when does he become an Fbi agent that that’s what I want to know.
48:40.25
Travis Wilson
What.
48:44.48
jimbohaunted
That season 6 see I’m I’m still going for the extended universe I swear it man this extended universe that all loop together. It’s Stan Lee’s Taos they’re all looped. Well this is exciting guys. Thank thank you so much I yeah.
48:51.67
Travis Wilson
Do you know.
48:57.39
Travis Wilson
Um, yeah.
49:02.99
jimbohaunted
To answer your question just part of me is like okay I I do want to see Julie Rip off a face I want to see that I want to see like as I said like the brons I want to see aspects of it I am not hooked enough to see the host show or episode.
49:13.33
xanderinvictus
And.
49:17.70
Travis Wilson
Okay, well, that’s that’s my goal for you is to is to convince you eventually that you need to watch the show.
49:21.90
jimbohaunted
Um, not hunted enough. You’re all.
49:27.75
jimbohaunted
And convince any listeners at home who’ve never seen this show or seen it for the None time or the millionth time. That’s what kind of this podcast is for I had a lot of fun. So with out any further ado I want to say as with jazz hands.
49:44.91
Travis Wilson
And.
49:46.84
jimbohaunted
This is great on behalf of myself Jim Phoenix and the super fanns Xander and Jess and the new come on None time ever Travis like to say thank you everyone by see you next week with episode 2
49:56.38
xanderinvictus
Think that.
50:03.20
Travis Wilson
Yes, the harvest to be continued.
50:04.11
xanderinvictus
Yes.
50:05.54
jimbohaunted
Yeah Bye everyone.
Today on Nightmarish Nature we’re gonna revisit The Blob and jiggle our way to terror. Why? ‘Cause we’re just jellies – looking at those gelatinous denizens of the deep, as well as some snot-like land-bound monstrosities, and wishing we could ooze on down for some snoozy booze schmoozing action. Or something.
Honestly, I don’t know what exactly it is that jellyfish and slime molds do but whatever it is they do it well, which is why they’re still around despite being among the more ancient organism templates still in common use.
Jellyfish are on the rise.
Yeah, yeah, some species like moon jellies will hang out in huge blooms near the surface feeding, but that’s not what I meant. Jellyfish populations are up. They’re honing in on the open over-fished ocean and making themselves at home. Again.
And, although this makes the sea turtles happy since jellies are a favorite food staple of theirs, not much else is excited about the development. Except for those fish that like to hide out inside of their bells, assuming they don’t accidentally get eaten hanging out in there. But that’s a risk you gotta take when you’re trying to escape predation by surrounding yourself in a bubble of danger that itself wants to eat you. Be eaten or be eaten. Oh, wait…
So what makes jellies so scary?
Jellyfish pack some mighty venom. Despite obvious differences in mobility, they are related to anemones and corals. But not the Man o’ War which looks similar but is actually a community of microorganisms that function together as a whole, not one creature. Not that it matters when you’re on the wrong end of a nematocyst, really. Because regardless what it’s attached to, that stings.
Box jellies are among the most venomous creatures in the world and can move of their own accord rather than just drifting about like many smaller jellyfish do. And even if they aren’t deadly, the venom from many jellyfish species will cause blisters and lesions that can take a long time to heal. So even if they do resemble free-floating plastic grocery bags, you’d do best to steer clear. Because those are some dangerous curves.
But what does this have to do with slime molds?
Absolutely nothing. I honestly don’t know enough about jellyfish or slime molds to devote the whole of a Nightmarish Nature segment to either, so they had to share. Essentially, this bit is what happened when I decided to toast a bagel before coming up with something to write about and spent a tad too much time in contemplation of my breakfast. I guess we’re lucky I didn’t have any cream cheese or clotted cream…
Oh, and also thinking about gelatinous cubes and oozes in the role-playing game sense – because those sort of seem like a weird hybrid between jellies and slime molds, as does The Blob. Any of those amoeba influenced creatures are horrific by their very nature – they don’t even need to be souped up, just ask anyone who’s had dysentery.
And one of the most interesting thing about slime molds is that they can take the shortest path to food even when confronted with very complex barriers. They are maze masterminds and would give the Minotaur more than a run for his money, especially if he had or was food. They have even proven capable of determining the most efficient paths for water lines or railways in metropolitan regions, which is kind of crazy when you really think about it. Check it out in Scientific American here. So, if we assume that this is essentially the model upon which The Blob was built, then it’s kind of a miracle anything got away. And slime molds are coming under closer scrutiny and study as alternative means of creating computer components are being explored.
Jellies are the Wave of the Future.
We are learning that there may be a myriad of uses for jellyfish from foodstuffs to cosmetic products as we rethink how we interact with them. They are even proving useful in cleaning up plastic pollution. I don’t know how I feel about the foodstuff angle for all that they’ve been a part of various recipes for a long time. From what I’ve seen of the jellyfish cookbook recipes, they just don’t look that appealing. But then again I hate boba with a passion, so I’m probably not the best candidate to consider the possibility.
So it seems that jellies are kind of the wave of the future as we find that they can help solve our problems. That’s pretty impressive for some brainless millions of years old critter condiments. Past – present – perpetuity! Who knows what else we’d have found if evolution hadn’t cleaned out the fridge every so often?
Feel free to check out more Nightmarish Nature here.
The second half of 2024 was a bit of slow for Doctor Who news. Ncuti Gatwa’s first season finished in June, and the Christmas special was months away. Comics and audio plays continued, and a Blu-Ray set of Season 25 was released – but that was all.
However, what was new and exciting was a spate of unofficial recreations of missing Doctor Who stories from the sixties. Re-animations of missing stories have occurred previously, both officially by the BBC and unofficially by fans. However, animation production time means it’s rare to have more than a few episodes a year. However within the space of six months, forty-four recreated episodes were released, with the promise of more to come.
The reason how so many stories have been released so quickly is artificial intelligence (AI). These reconstructions are Generative AI, funded by professional songwriter, film producer, and fan, Ian Levine. This decision to make Doctor Who AI Reconstructions, to put it mildly, has been controversial online.
But is it worth it, in order to having otherwise missing stories returned to us? I’ve examined many of these Doctor Who AI reconstructions, and the discourse around them, to find out.
In Brief – Missing Episodes
A decent proportion of Doctor Who’s earliest years shockingly does not exist anymore. Doctor Who is one of the BBC’s biggest revenue raisers, and most famous show around the world. However it was not always the case.
When Doctor Who first began in 1963, the idea of keeping media was not really considered. Home video did not exist, and would not exist for two decades. Repeats were rare, due to the costs at the time to store old material and pay people involved in them. Also, old film presented a fire hazard. So it was often disposed of.
Despite this, Doctor Who is fairly lucky compared to other series. Firstly, fans at the time recorded the audio of each story. This means even the first ever Christmas Special – “A Feast of Stephen,” never broadcast internationally or repeated, still exists as an audio.
Doctor Who is also lucky because of only six seasons are not complete. In addition, of those six seasons, only half are missing only episodes from one or two stories. This allows us to get a feel for the early years of Doctor Who in a way fans of other series, like “Quatermass” and “The Avengers” aren’t able to. And part of the reason most of these early seasons survive is due to Ian Levine.
Who is Ian Levine?
Ian Levine professionally is a songwriter and DJ. He has written and produced records connected to such bands as Take That, Pet Shop Boys, Bananarama and Bucks Fizz. His total sales exceed 40 million records.
He is also well known as a prominent Doctor Who fan. There are many prominent Doctor Who fans. The series from 2004 onwards has been largely made by prominent Doctor Who fans of the 70’s and 80’s. Many of these fans contribute to Doctor Who in official ways. For instance, many older fans have written books, or audio plays. All three showrunners for the modern series would be considered prominent fans from the nineties. For Ian Levine, his main contribution is seeking to find and restore missing episodes of Doctor Who.
This work started in 1978 where Levine reportedly requested the permanent halting of old episodes of Doctor Who. At the time the idea of home video was being considered, leading to more reasons to keep old film. Levine also claimed to have rescued the first ever Dalek story from being sent into a furnace. Following this, he began purchasing private copies of the remaining stories, and attempting to return them to the BBC.
He also connected with the Doctor Who Production Team of the eighties in other ways. This included composing the theme tune for the spin-off series “K-9 and Company”, and the protest/charity album “Doctor In Distress.” His was also consulted about continuity during seasons eighteen to twenty-two.
However, he also gained a notorious reputation as obsessive in an unappealing way. During the 1985 Doctor Who hiatus, Levine was encouraged by Producer Jon Nathan-Turner to use protest the decision. Levine argued against the decision on television, and smashed his television with a hammer, and inviting newspapers to photograph it.
So he is fan who has both done great things, but also sought notoriety and negative attention.
More recently, Levene has worked with animating missing or incomplete episodes. This started in 2010 with “Mission to the Unknown.” This was not allowed to be shared or sold due to it being made without BBC authorization. In 2013, Ian hired an animated reconstruction of the unfinished story “Shada.” This version used pre-existing footage and new audio to create a finished product he hoped could be licensed. However, the BBC chose not to. Instead they made their own animated version that was released four years later.
- Join the Doctor (Tom Baker), Romana (Lalla Ward), and K-9 (voiced by David Brierley) as a visit to a Time Lord living incognito on Earth leads to a desperate race to a distant prison planet
- A BBC strike halted filming of this never-broadcast Baker six-episode serial written by “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” author Douglas Adams
- Christopher Neame, Victoria Burgoyne co-star
Last update on 2025-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Subsequently, Levine made comments regarding Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor which were deemed by many to be sexist. Levine responded by publicly quitting the fandom, though later created his own private Doctor Who Facebook group.
This group has now become the location where his AI recreations he has funded and received donations for are shared.
The Doctor Who AI Reconstructions – How to Access
The Facebook Page: “Ian Levine’s Facebook Group” requires an agreement to two questions to join. Firstly, you must agree to respect the right to criticize Jodie Whittaker. Secondly, you must recognise this is Ian Levine’s group for sharing his opinions on Doctor Who. Agree to all this, and you’re allowed in.
Inside the group, Levine has shared around twenty videos. This includesall of “The Dalek Masterplan,” “The Massacre,” and “The Savages.” However for the remainder, you must make a donation of fifty pounds, to become a contributor to the series.
Once your donation is confirmed, you are authorized to join the separate contributors group, for contributors only. This is where all the current videos being made are released.
Except…. None of these videos are unavailable privately. Ian Levine has placed them all on Youtube. They are unlisted, so they cannot turn up in either a Google or YouTube search. However, if you have a direct link or URL to them, they are accessible to everyone. Unlike other systems like Patreon which restrict content to only certain subscribers, nothing stops these links being shared elsewhere.
And of course, these links are shared. In response, Levine has issued threats and warnings against other Facebook groups and leakers trying to destroy his vision. In his group, people support him and join in denouncing those who criticize his work or mock it. People outside the group in response denounce Ian Levine and his supporters.
One thing I hate about internet culture is the push for tribalism. This is the idea we are joined in a selective tribe and must fight the rivals to connect. Over time the views become more strict in supporting your own tribe, and rejecting the opposition, and the middle ground is lost.
In the case of Ian Levine’s group, this is best shown by the view of alternative animations of missing Doctor Who stories. All of these are seen as not as good as Levine’s AI reconstructions. Levine’s reconstructions are seen as the only correct way Doctor Who is meant to be.
Initially Ian Levine’s AI project aimed to complete the ten missing stories not completed by the BBC. The initial project recognised the slow time it took to animate missing stories, and focused on stories that were difficult and costly to animate with people. Very soon after, however, Levine denounced many of the prior animations as “Silly Scooby Doo Cartoons.” The project was quickly extended to include stories previously animated by the BBC. Levine’s argument appears to be Levine’s objections to story changes animation had included. These included adding a surprise image of the Master in “Fury from the Deep”, prior to his debut appearance. Given Levine’s history of making things for the BBC, with the hope the BBC would license them, there have been rumours Levine initially was hoping the BBC would license some of his AI recreations, which has not come to pass.
Levine presents his animations as the most authentic way to view the missing episodes. Therefore appreciation of official animated reconstructions are not allowed. A poster saying they enjoyed the animated version of “The Celestial Toymaker,” was informed by Levine tht anyone who enjoyed the animation was unwelcome. Common responses of new animations being announced are people accusing the BBC of ruining another story. When Levine had a fault pointed out in one of his stories by Frazer Hines, who played the second Doctor’s companion, Jamie, Levine’s first response was to accept that the animation had limitations, but insisted it was still better than any animation the BBC has made. Most of all, posters all reinforce the message that AI reconstructions are the true version of the lost stories and the BBC are fools for not paying for them.
![Doctor Who - The Celestial Toymaker [DVD]](https://hauntedmtl.com/wp-content/plugins/aawp/public/image.php?url=YUhSMGNITTZMeTl0TG0xbFpHbGhMV0Z0WVhwdmJpNWpiMjB2YVcxaFoyVnpMMGt2T1RGUWVsZFROSEZ5V0V3dVgxTk1NVFV3TUY4dVgxTk1NVFl3WHk1cWNHYz18MTc0MzE1ODkzOQ=)
- The Celestial Toymaker sees the Doctor and his companions separated when they come up against the Toymaker
- While the Doctor plays the Trilogic Game, Steven and Dodo are forced to play their own seemingly childish, but ultimately dangerous games, with the aim of being reunited and getting back to the TARDIS
- Who will be the first to make a false move in this battle of wits, and will the TARDIS ever escape the Toymaker’s snare Fans of Doctor Who have long lamented the loss of the original 1966 master recordings of all except one of The Celestial Toymaker
Last update on 2025-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
In response to this, or provoking this, depending on your point of you, external Facebook groups and YouTube channels are highly critical of the AI reconstructions. Some videos see them as threats, preventing the BBC from every investing in animation involving real people. Some hav dismissed the project as a scam.
So with such strong opinions on both sides, it’s time to actually watch them.
The AI Reconstructions
My first response on watching is they’re not that bad, but they’re not that good. Animation varies wildly in quality from story to story, making it hard to tell an overall trend towards or away from quality. However there are some good examples of how to recreate a story. “The Massacre” and “The Dalek Masterplan” for instance are incredible to watch. “The Savages” on the other hand is laughingly bad.
I chose to mostly focus on the stories not yet officially animated, so as to judge these stories by their own merit rather than compare to other animated versions of the same stories. However, it’s interesting the similarities that occur between the official animations and AI reconstructions. Non human characters (Particularly Daleks) look and move great, but people largely do not.
Animating People
Across most forms of Missing episode recovery, whether AI or human drawn, the difficulty is always animating people to show emotions and movement. Many of the official BBC animations often leave characters looking like stick figures bobbing up and down.
However one of the key things the official reconstructions provide is consistency. A human being develops a pre-existing model for characters, and because of this, these characters stay consistent over time.
AI on the other hand appears to forget things, or lose focus unless properly guided. People’s faces can change dramatically from shot to shot to the point, as in “The Savages” characters can be unrecognizable. This means, unlike with official animations, I often had to follow a story summary to figure out what was going on.
AI also forgets smaller things that make people seem human. In “The Highlanders” for instance the Doctor’s companion Polly does not blink for most of episode one, despite being in shot. This is a small detail, but throws the story into the uncanny valley – characters involve look like people but they feel wrong based on how they act.
Movement is a struggle for all reconstructions because human movement is difficult to animate. Once again, “The Massacre” demonstrates small examples of movement than seem fluid, particularly in the first episode. “The Savages” on the other hand has main characters seemingly to perform scissor jump spread legged when the script call on them to walk.
How the animation occurs
Having watched many of these animations, some of means AI generated these reconstructions became clearer. A lot of these animations, especially some of the later ones, do not actually generate much new material, instead using existing material in different ways. The First Doctor saying goodbye to Susan in the TARDIS, from Episode 6 of the Dalek Invasion of Earth, for instance is frequently re-used. This scene is redubbed multiple times in the reconstructions, when a missing story needs a scene of William Hartnell standing alone in the TARDIS.
Another method is using the telesnaps, and slightly animating the mouth and face. This creates a sense of fluidity and movement, but a very limited one. This is particularly noticeable in the Space Pirates. The resconstructions rely on switching between static photos of one cast member with mouths moving. On the one hand, this is no worse than the telesnaps, but the telesnaps were aware of their limitations, so often would use narration or subtitles to fill the gaps. However these reconstructions are presented as the most life like renditions of the missing episodes. As the original story did not have subtitles or narration, therefore, they are not allowed. As a result the story is incomprehensible.
Benefit – it exists
But despite the complaints, there is a significant benefit in these reconstructions. And that’s the fact that they exist.
Currently nine missing stories have not been officially animated by the BBC. I would love for all missing stories to be animated. However, the reality is most of the stories remaining might be too costly to animate.
Of the nine stories, six are pure historicals – stories with no science fiction elements apart from the TARDIS and its crew. These stories tended to have a larger number of human characters than stories with monsters, and a human being with their range of emotions is harder to animate than a Dalek.
Historicals also tend to have more detailed and complex scene change. A story in the future can replicate cold, grey corridors throughout a space colony. Historicals however must recreate significant locations in the world at particular times in history. Having to recreate 15th century France, for instance, is made up of multiple distinct locations. This makes historical stories more time consuming and therefore costly to animate. Therefore, despite stories being reanimated for almost twenty years now, the total number of historical episodes animated have been two – both missing episodes of the Reign of Terror.
For the remaining three stories, the limited human cast and isolated space station locations makes Wheel in Space relatively simple to animate. The Space Pirates, may also be animated as the story focusing mostly on space ships should make some aspects of the design easier to manage.
That just leaves The Dalek Masterplan¸ a massive twelve episode story, with a one episode prequel, where the Daleks chase the Doctor throughout time and space. The cast is huge, and while it is not a historical, the story would require animated sets of ancient Egypt during the building of the pyramids. None of this would be easy to do on the current BBC animation budget.
Therefore, it appears of the remaining nine missing stories, only two are highly likely to be animated.
And this is where AI can play a role. As AI does not rely much people, it means the costs to recreate a story like the Dalek Masterplan is significantly easier and cheaper than hiring a production studio to make it. While the end result is not as good as a professionally animated episode, for stories where hiring professional animations is not feasible, this is one way for people to observe a version of a story we otherwise cannot access.
Ultimately the frustrating thing about these reconstructions is they’re not allowed to be what they are. If they were simply an attempt to make otherwise lost stories more accessible, without any pretention or idea of superiority they would be fine. There are no shortages of fan made reconstructions, which vary in quality, but are all warmly received because they don’t pretend to be more than fan made animations. They are no better or worse than any other reconstructions.
If Levine’s reconstructions were presented with the same humbleness, the response would be more positive. If Leveine would present it as a project, and be accepting of others not needing to accpet them, there would be less retaliation online. But they aren’t presented as a fun way to view a loss episode. The reconstructions are presented as the only correct way to view the stories, superior than any other effort. In fact, he considers the stories no longer lost due to his AI reconstructions.
But by doing so, he puts the reconstructions on a pedestal of perfection. But they aren’t perfect, not by a long shot. By Leveine presenting these as perfect, he ultimately encourages people to notice how they are lacking by comparing to perfection. In comparison, more humble attempts of reconstruction, by presenting themselves as not the best, encourage people to notice what they do right.
So, try to enjoy the reconstructions for what they are. Some are surprisingly good – especially The Dalek Masterplan and The Massacre, and it’s a chance to see stories animated that you may not get to see animated elsewhere. But try to filter out all the rhetoric about how amazing and perfect they should be, and just enjoy them as they are.
(2 / 5)
Daisy Johnson’s, The Hotel is a collection of stories that tell the tale of a hotel built on cursed land. Originally written and recorded as a series for BBC Radio 4 in 2020, (you can find the recordings here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000mrcg/episodes/player )
The fourteen-story collection was released in hardcover in 2021. Johnson’s prose is haunting, weaving together the stories of generations of families who have been tempted, forced, or serendipitously dumped at The Hotel. Most leave the message, “I’ll be there soon,” and many disappear from room 63.
- ‘The British literary heir to Stephen King’ Johanna Thomas-Corr, Sunday TimesA triumph of contemporary horror from the Booker Prize-shortlisted author, this collection of short stories will haunt you long after you turn the final pageA place of myths, rumours and secrets, The Hotel looms over the dark Fens, tall and grey in its Gothic splendour
- Built on cursed land, a history of violent death suffuses its very foundations –yet it has a magnetism that is impossible to ignore
- On entering The Hotel, different people react in different ways
Last update on 2025-03-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Plot.
The Hotel tells the stories of the people who are drawn to The Hotel, or, more accurately, the ground the hotel is built on. The first story explains what we know about the hotel, its tendencies, moods, and … hobbies. We are then introduced to Mary Southgraves, ‘The Witch’, who comes to live with her husband on the land on which The Hotel will be built. The villagers in the pond drown her for predicting a sickness that takes the village children, (no this is not a spoiler she tells you she dies on the first page of her chapter.)
The proceeding chapters build upon this story. We meet the workers who are brought in to fill the pond to begin construction. A child of a guest in 1968 who meets another girl who may or may not actually be there. A maid who takes part in séances and Ouija board sessions. The stories progress through time into the present.
Highlights.
The haunting prose of The Hotel does the majority of the heavy lifting for this collection, which makes sense since it began as a podcast series. Johnson’s prose leans towards poetry, albeit more Poe than Keats.
The repetition of specific characters and family names throughout the different stories was intriguing, giving the stories links. These links trigger a sense of recognition for the reader. There is also a sense of anticipation, knowing what has happened to these families already, we wonder how much more they can withstand. The Hotel is like a curse following these families, but I think Johnson is commenting on lineage and the consequences of past actions. The sins of the father and all that.
- Fifteen highly original and darkly unsettling supernatural stories, performed by some of Britain’s finest actresses ‘This is what we know about The Hotel
- It is bigger on the inside than on the outside
- Do not go into Room 63
Last update on 2025-03-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Drawbacks.
These stories can get confusing at times and I think this is due to the briefness of the stories. It’s hard to keep track of a character that you have spent four pages with and remember them three stories later. I found myself having to stop and turn back to check if that person was who I thought they were. This pausing to turn back interrupts the reading experience. It pulls you out of the story and destroys the atmosphere that Johnson has worked to create.
The Final Take.
The Hotel was an interesting read. Johnson is a talented writer who has published a collection of linked stories that will keep the reader turning pages if only to find out the final fate of these families. That being said, it is obvious that the stories were initially written for a podcast. I’m not sure if it’s the way they are put together or… I don’t know, there’s just something ‘podcasty’ about them. As such I would recommend listening to the audio episodes (see the link above) over reading the book.
(3 / 5)
