R E V I E W S
"Life Serial"
(Season 6, Episode 5)
Written by: Eric Teall
I remember reading an Entertainment Weekly issue a couple of years ago. It was the issue that actually convinced me to start watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Anyway, it rated all of the episodes, and although several of them received D's or even F's, the authors were quick to point out that even the worst episode of Buffy is better than the best episode of Walker, Texas Ranger or The Real World. With this dictum in mind, I have to give "Life Serial" a mere 4 Stakes because, despite its humor and action, its predictability makes it a below average Buffy.
This episode is funny. From the mindless spewing (or spurting, as Willow might say) of Sociology to the sexism of construction work to the endless hell of retail, this episode gets to some of the funniest parts of all of them. I found Buffy's class experience with Willow to be the most enjoyable, having been in classes like that myself, where all the students are required to memorize a bunch of information from the reading. Willow's ability to answer a question she barely heard is particularly amusing.
The Supervillain Guys get some funny stuff in there as well. Andrew's need to cover the van in all things Star Wars was perfect, especially for those of us who have considered getting ourselves a horn like that. The bit about "The exhaust port's above the superlaser!" was also very funny. One thing I really appreciate about the way the show is handling these three is that there is little danger in them (with the possible exception of Warren). Let's all be honest: in a world with Masters, Evil Angels, Mayors, Adams, Glorys, and possibly Willows, these three simply do not cut the supervillain mustard. I'm glad the writers aren't asking us to believe that these three represent any credible threat to Buffy. Oh, yeah: the Buffy drinking noises gag was funny, too.
As much as I enjoyed the fight scene, I must say that I'm getting fairly sick of hearing recycled fight music. Much of this is exactly the same stuff we heard in Season Five (although they've reused the Buffy vs. Faith music a few times, as well). I don't know about the rest of you, but I identify a scene strongly with its music, and to hear another scene's music confuses parts of my brain.
Still, the episode is too predictable; so much, in fact, that the pacing seemed almost pedantic. Each 15 minutes was a different Supervillain Guy's little test, and it was pretty obvious what was going to happen next with each one. I enjoyed the episode for what it is, but it certainly is not one that I would show to someone to impress them with the wit and charm that is Buffy. Perhaps part of the predictability comes from the lack of story-arc development here. We get little resolution from Buffy's reunion with Angel and only the "Giles won't be here every episode" idea is really advanced (I'm not counting the Supervillain Guys, because I don't think they'll last too long). The storylines are one of my favorite parts of the show, and so to not have them in an episode makes it less interesting to me.
Oh, well. It's still entertaining, and it says something for this show that with only one or two exceptions like "Anne" (3-1) or "Beer Bad" (4-5), none of the episodes ever legitimately fall below the 4 Stakes mark. This episode gives Gellar a chance to flex her comedic muscles, and the fact that I went through the whole thing with a smile on my face means that my other big complaint of the season-too serious-has been answered. That Buffy will have trouble with life is a given; that we can all face it with occasional laughter is a necessity. All in all, I'll take it.
Rating: 4/6 Stakes
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