Wednesday, September 9, 2009

September Silliness - The Buffy Episode Tournament (Round 1c)

THIS POLL IS CLOSED FOR VOTING

On to the second half of Round 1! We're trying to determine which Buffy episode is the fan favorite all month long. We started with 128 randomly paired episodes fighting for the title. There was some definite heat in Round 1b. Here's a rundown of those results:

"The Zeppo" beat "Help" - 687 to 244
"Amends" barely beat "Graduation Day pt 1" - 661 to 632
"Hush" beat "Lies My Parents Told Me" - 821 to 118
"Earshot" is advancing, beating "When She Was Bad" - 624 to 310
"Blood Ties" beat "Real Me" - 575 to 283
"Crush" beat "The Harvest" - 669 to 244
"This Year's Girl" is advancing, beating "The Killer in Me"- 599 to 292
"A New Maan" barely inched out "Lie to Me" - 494 to 428
"Bad Girls" beat "Killed by Death"...to death -702 to 203
"Innocence" beat "Angel" - 731 to 200
"Chosen" demolished "Into the Woods" with the largest margin - 830 to 56
"The Prom" pulled ahead of "Something Blue" - 566 to 513
"Buffy vs Dracula" beat "Spiral" - 479 to 406
"Halloween" took out Jonathan's "Superstar" - 677 to 236
"The Yoko Factor" beat "Anne" - 527 to 389
and finally
"Graduation Day pt 2" beat the ever living shit (Bitsy's words) out of "The Initiative" - 845 to 62

Looks like if Riley's in it, it gets the most bash.

OK, just like first 2 rounds, Round 1c below has 16 matches. Voting for this part ends Thursday at 11:59 pm EST at which point the final part of Round 1 will begin.

If you need a refresher, click here for the full list of episodes and their descriptions. Happy voting!

Region 3: Scotland
Location: Base at the Citadel







If your curious to see the entire bracket of Round 1, click here to enlarge:


21 comments:

Anonymous said...

This round is so much harder than the last! "Conversations with Dead People" vs. "School Hard" and "Passion vs. The Body" are the hardest choices for me. I still haven't voted on those two yet.

Anything could beat "Doublemeat Palace" IMO. I'm surprised it didn't make the initial purge. It's my least favorite Buffy ep-- even worse than that awful one in which Buffy and Riley have sex for the whole ep.

"Checkpoint" vs. "Fool for Love"
was tricky too, as I love Buffy's speech to the council … but I had to go with "Fool for Love."

"Him" vs. "Gingerbread"? Hmmm, which ep do I dislike more? Went for Gingerbread because it does have some great moments, including Amy the Rat.

Tara said...

This round really did line up trickier than the others. Having "Passion" or "The Body" out in the first round is kind of a travesty...but hey, that's how the random rolls.

I really had a hard time on that first match. "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" is so very different from "Choices". I think I lean toward "Choices" for quality and depth, but went with "BBB" for standalone greatness.

I also hit a speed bump at "Wild at Heart" vs. "What's My Line Part 1"..but ended up voting "What's My Line"

Zacki said...

Passion vs. The Body is an impossible choice. I ended up voting for Passion because I enjoy the first seasons better. But as far as I'm concerned they should both go into the next round. Two great episodes.

Scar said...

Passion vs The Body is the most difficult descision I've ever made! I ended up going for The Body because it's so moving all the way through.

Anonymous said...

School Hard was an obvious choice for me, the introduction of Spike and Drusilla was just so great! And she is my favorite vampire of the show!

Others were easier, though I do have a guildty pleasure in Checkpoint, so a bit sad to see that (probably) go.

And finally, Him vs. Gingerbread. I couldn't pick the worse of those, so I just refuse to vote for either of them... Blah! (

Anonymous said...

I ended up going with Passion, because The Body is just hard to watch. The Body is an amazing work of art, but I don't really ENJOY watching it. Evil Angelus I enjoy watching and re-watching.

Also, I ended up voting School Hard for the nostalgia factor. Plus: first Drusilla & Spike awesomeness, and the hilarity of Joyce hitting Spike over the head with an axe. The choice still breaks my heart a little, however, as I just watched Conversations yesterday, and it is amazing. However, it loses points for extreme Dawn-screaming, and Amber Benson not coming back to play Tara. It still makes no sense that the 1st didn't appear as Tara, from a plot standpoint.

Dalton said...

I sat for 15 minutes trying to decide on the hardest four contests. Torture.
Some of the greatest Buffy moments are here, imo.
In Passion when Buffy slugs Giles and then falls to her knees with Giles and hugs him and in The Body when Dawn reaches out to touch Joyce's body and the episode ends before she's able to do so.
Lover's Walk has always been one of my favorites, but I reluctantly chose OMWF, as it is pretty high on my list, as well. Should I pick the one I like best or the technically better episode? I sold out and went with the latter option.
I love Doublemeat Palace, and while lots of people make fun of it, Buffy's character and humanity start to really shine in the most important ways in this arc. Had to go with Grave, though.
A couple others gave me the fits.
Okay, I spent 25 minutes trying to decide....
Actually 30.

Nolan said...

"Bewitched, Bothered..." is a fun episode, but definitely isn't one of my favourites. Neither is "Choices," really, but I went with it anyway of the two.

I enjoy "Life Serial" as well as just a fun episode, but "Becoming Part 1" takes that match pretty easy.

"School Hard" and "Conversations..." is a tough one. The introduction of Spike and Dru, the raid on the school, its a great episode. But "Conversations" is really awesome as well, it has an interesting structure, great writing, and some really creepy moments to top it off. But what makes it get the vote is having the song "Blue" written for it, one of my favourite music uses in the show.

I always found "Doomed" to be a kind of filler nothing episode. "Two to Go" is at least part of the grand finale of season six.

While "Potential" is probably one of my favourite Dawn-centric episodes, I remember when I was first watching the series and for some reason I had to skip over "Helpless." So I ended up reading a transcript of the episode online, and actually found that to be a really good episode just from that. So it gets the vote.

Ugh, neither of "Gingerbread" and "Him" are my favourites, but I suppose I need to pick one. "Him" has some great funny moments what with bank robbery and attempts at transgendering spells and whatnot, but "Gingerbread" actually kind of scared me when I first saw it. Mob mentalities are scary enough, let alone when it is your parents who make up the mob and they are targeting their children.

"The Replacement" has always been one of my favourite episodes.

"Entropy" always makes me upset to watch because of the Spike/Anya hook-up. Usually I can recognize that an episode can be strong and good and whatever, and having a negative reaction to something on television doesn't mean that the thing that caused the reaction was bad, but in this case I just flat-out can't get over it. So it's lucky that "Prophecy Girl" is the better episode in my mind anyway.

"What's My Line Pt. 1" is great, but I can't not give it an episode that focuses on one of my favourite characters.

"Pangs" has been one of my favourites from the first time I saw it. I don't know why, but I just get infinite amounts of enjoyment out of that episode. It could probably beat near any other episode in my books.

Of course "Lover's Walk" vs "Once More..." is a tough one, but I have to give it to "Once More..." because it has catchier songs.

Fun fact: "Intervention" was the first Buffy episode I ever saw. I didn't see the whole thing, I only saw from when Buffybot and Spike were getting it on in the cemetery. I had no idea who any of the characters were. I wasn't even sure what show it was until Sarah Michelle Geller started fighting things when I vaguely realized "this must be that vampire show from the 90s." Anyway, neither it nor "End of Days" really sticks out as being anything spectacular in my mind, but I'll give it my vote based on that.

I love both "Checkpoint" and "Fool For Love," but I'll give it to "Fool For Love" due to the cross-time fight scene thing towards the end, which is too cool.

I think "The Puppet Show" is probably one of the strongest episodes in the first season, but I don't think it can quite edge out "What's My Line Pt. 2." Bummer.

I actually don't dislike "Doublemeat Palace" like a lot of people do. I think its quite fun in its own way, and a breath of not-so-morose air in an otherwise morose-heavy season. But at the same time, there's nothing in there that I rewatched over and over like I did with the Yellow Crayon speech.

"Passion" and "The Body" are both fantastic episodes. Neither is easy to watch for me, at times (actually, probably no time is it easy to watch "The Body"), but both are just fantastic. So this is a tough one. But at the end of the day I have to go with the majority (so far) and say "The Body" is the winner for this round.

elainecleo said...

As much as I loved Smashed, I had to go with Pangs, one of my favorite funny eps. I really hate that Lover's Walk with the good Spike insight into Angel and Buffy had to be up against OMWF, but had to go with the music. Damn I really the computer, Passion and Angelus is my favorite eps and The Body is going to win this one...NOT FAIR at all.lol

Michelle said...

BB&B is so great and when Dru falls for Xander, it's so funny.

Poor "Life Serial" because it's funny, but has no chance against the amazingness that is the Season 2 greatness.

I love Spike and Dru in "School Hard". I also love Principle Snyder.

I went with "Two to Go".

"Helpless" shows amazing Buffy strength even without the slayer powers. Plus, it's pretty creepy. Oh, and plus the potentials suck.

I'm with everyone else the on the "Him"/"Gingerbread" front. Who cares.

I went with "Get it Done" but I don't know why.

"Prophecy Girl" has Buffy's "I don't wanna die" speech. It's so good, but I wish she would have remembered that feeling when Season 6 rolled around.

I love both "What's my Line" episodes. Everyone I love from the show is in it. Good times.

"Pangs" is funny.

I voted for "Lover's Walk" because it's a great episode, but also because OMWF is going to win and I felt bad.

I went with "Intervention" because the Buffybot is funny.

"Fool for Love" is a crossover event!

See my "What's my Line" reasoning above.

"Grave" because as much as it's a sad fest, Buffy is much more sad in "Doublemeat Palace"

Heroinetv said it best above. "The Body" is good, but I never watch it because it's so hard to take. "Passion", I'll watch over and over again.

Michael (mbatz) said...

I went with School Hard and Passion and BB and B. I'm just glad Prophecy Girl and Pangs are winning. Two of my all time favs. Prophecy Girl was the first ep that the scoobies all kinda worked together and I first noticed the potential for this great show.

Gio said...

Yes, that was a though round...
Bewithced, bothered and Bewildered got my vote over Choices after a long meditation, but they're indeed so different-and both very good-it was hard to compare..
Conversations with dead people is good, one of the best of its season..But School Hard had to win for me..There's Spike and Dru's arrival, and there's Joyce's awesomeness.. yeah, I had to go with it..
Wild at Heart wasn't hard to pick because the last episodes where Oz appear (this one and New moon Rising) are among the eps that still make me cry the most.."Don't you love me?"..always breaks my heart..
Lover's walk against OMWF? Really?? Why oh why?? Lover's walk is a GREAT episode, and yet I had to pick OMWF cause..cause! But *sigh* to Lover's walk sudden but inevitable dismissal..
Intervention is at the moment losing against End of Days..And ok, Endo of days is part of the final arc, and there's Angel, and such..but..BUFFY-BOT! No, I voted for Intervention and I hope Intervention will win, I love that episode, love, love, love!
Fool for Love, thanks to the Powers that Be, isn't against anything huge..Oh- I do like Checkpoint a whole lot, but not to the point of making me doubt..FFL FTW!
And then, there's Passion vs The Body.. That one is really cruel.. I ended up voting for Passion, basically because the Body is so painful that Passion is the one I rewatched the most between the two.. But-heh-hard one!

Kaaren said...

Wow, "Passion" vs "The Body?" Ouch! Painful to choose, but I did. *sigh*

I laughed at "Doublemeat Palace," and "Him." Not a fan of "Him."

Claire said...

I had a tough time choosing between Doublemeat Palace and Grave.
All the rest were easy enough for me to choose.

Dalton said...

Double meat is double sweet, Kaaren.
Ah, Claire. We stand united in our appreciation of Doublemeat Palace. When my dad died, my mom had to work menial labor to support me and my brother. Nobody expects death at an early age, but one does what one must to support those one loves. This episode (and subsequent Doublemeat related eps) really strikes a nerve because I know it took a lot of humility, love, and courage to do what Buffy did for Dawn, all on top of everything else she had on her plate, so to speak. Whedon, or whoever wrote the Doublemeat idea into Buffy, deserves a big Dalton and Alex B. hug...

Anonymous said...

This time I just went with my first instinct and hit vote before I thought about it.

Then I cried a little. The hardest ones were Conversations with Dead People/School Hard, Smashed/Pangs, and OMWF/Lover's Walk.

*sigh* The life of a scooby is never easy.

Anonymous said...

Dalton, to clarify my stated dislike of "Doublemeat Palace": I too think Buffy getting employment in order to support her sister is an admirable thing. I'm a big fan of Buffy's journey in season 6. What I dislike about the episode is the extreme gross-factor--that phallic demon is just unwatchable for me. Ick.

Also, "Doublemeat Palace" features the least romantic sex scene of BtVS. I mean, up against a wall in an alley outside a fast-food joint, on her break from work? And that dead expression on Buffy's face throughout the scene? It's just sad to watch. Anyways, just my opinion, but wanted to clarify :)

Iceeh said...

GINGERBREAD IS BEATING HIM?!
What cruel, cruel world do we live in?
;_;

The Groosalugg said...

WOW, this were hard choices!

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered vs. Choices immediately made for quite a difficult choice. Both are stronger than avarage eps I'd say, but the season 3 Faith arc is one of my favourites in the series, so I went with Choices.

Becoming Part 1 vs. Life Serial was the hardest one of all for me. The first time I watched it, Becoming p.1 marked the moment I fell in love with the show, but Life Serial is one of the episodes I enjoy watching most on repeat viewings. Because it was so far behind (which it doesn't deserve) I voted for Life Serial.

And then the next one is Conversations with Dead People vs. School Hard, the difficult choices just keep coming this round. Both were great eps, but CwDP was a little bit better I'd say.

Two to Go vs. Doomed are both below avarage episodes, but Spike's hey, I can fight demons rant put's Doomed just a little ahead.

Potential vs. Helpless aren't among my favourites either, I voted for Potential, but I don't really care either way.

Him vs. Gingerbread both are episodes I enjoyed a lot, but the nostaligia laden humor of Him is my favourite by far. One of the high points of S7, if you ask me.

The Replacement vs. Get it Done, finally an easy one.

Entropy vs. Prophecy Girl, yet another difficult one. Voted Entropy because I really can't decide which one is better and it really doesn't deserve to lose by this margin.

Wild at Heart vs. What's My Line Part 1. While Wild at Heart had it's moment (mostly involving Spike, Anya or a singing Giles), on the whole enjoyed What's My Line Part 1 a lot more.

Smashed vs. Pangs, another easy one. Pangs is great!

Once More With Feeling vs. Lover's Walk, means though love for Lover's Walk, which, like Passion has rotten luck. A good ep, but up against one that beats anything.

Intervention vs. End of Days an other hard one. Both are enjoyable, End of Days just pulls ahead.

Checkpoint vs. Fool for Love, the Riley part of Fool for Love sucks, but the Spike part more than makes up for it.

What's My Line Part 2 vs. The Puppet Show, never liked The Puppet Show that much.

Doublemeat Palace vs. Grave, I really enjoyed Doublemeat Palace and hated Grave. Sadly I see I'm in a tiny minority.

Passion vs. The Body this is just rotten luck for Passion. Nothing beats The Body (except maybe OMWF, when they meet that's going to be a big one)

A very strong round all together, with some unfortenate pairings, which make for difficult choices.

Dalton said...

heroinetv,
Thank you for your note on Doublemeat Palace. You're right about the sex scene, and you might have inadvertently stumbled upon a future Buffyfest topic we'd all like to vote on-BtVS's best sex scene. Ah, a few scenes come to mind, but one of the best that didn't involve sex, but was somewhat related, was when Anya caught Andrew in the bathroom goofing off and asked him, "why can't you just masturbate like the rest of us." Words of wisdom we can all live by.
I appreciate your stance on DM Palace, htv. Hey, we all have our likes and dislikes, that's for sure. But alas, despite our differences, we're all united in our love for the Buff.
Thanks, again.

Anonymous said...

Passion VS The Body?! You're killing me! Had to go with The Body though. It's my favorite episode.