Skip to content
Clare Dootson reviews
Season 2
- Cert:
- Cat.no: 21412 DVD
- Running time: 990 minutes
- Year: 1997
- Pressing: 2001
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 330 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Dolby Surround)
- Languages: English, French
- Subtitles: English, Dutch, French
- Fullscreen: 4:3
- 16:9-Enhanced: No
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: 6 * DVD 9
- Price: £79.99
- Extras: 3 Featurettes (Designing Buffy, A Buffy Bestiary, Beauty and theBeasts), TV Spots, Trailers, Set Designs, Characters Profiles, Stills,Biogs, Slip sheet illustrating book imagery, Audio commentaries.
Directors:
- Joss Whedon (JW), Bruce Seth Green (BG), David Greenwalt (DG), Ellen Pressman (EP),David Solomon (DS), David Semel (DSe), Michael Lange (ML), James A.Conter (JC),Michael E. Gershman (MG), Deran Sarafian (DSa), James Whitmore (JWh)
Producer:
- Michael White
Screenplay:
- Jim Sharman and Richard O’Brien
Music:
- Richard O’Brien and Richard Hartley
Cast:
- Buffy Summers: Sarah Michelle Gellar
Xander Harris: Nicholas Brendon
Willow Rosenberg: Alyson Hannigan
Cordelia Chase: Charisma Carpenter
Angel: David Boreanaz
Rupert Giles: Anthony Stewart Head
Disc One
1. When She Was Bad (JW)
2. Some Assembly Required (BG)
3. School Hard (JW & DG)
4. Inca Mummy Girl (EP)Disc Two
5. Reptile Boy (DG)
6. Halloween (BG)
7. Lie To Me (JW)
8. The Dark Age (BG)Disc Three
9. What’s My Line? Part 1 (DS)
10. What’s My Line? Part 2 (DSe)
11. Ted (BG)
12. Bad Eggs (DGr)Disc Four
13. Surprise (ML)
14. Innocence (JW)
15. Phases (BG)
16. Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered (JC)Disc Five
17. Passion (MG)
18. Killed By Death (DSa)
19. I Only Have Eyes For You (JWh)
20. Go Fish (DSe)Disc Six
21. Becoming Part 1 (JW)
22. Becoming Part 2 (JW)
The long-awaited Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVD Season 2 is here.It comes on six discs altogether, containing 22 episodes, working out ataround £13 per disc which is fairly good value.The box comes in a glossy book style which has the discs slotted inside, butbeware that they are very tightly packed in and could easily be scratched orsmudged as I found out to late. I understand Fox might be looking into thisand if I get any info I’ll post an updated review.
The book style comes from the idea of the library and the fact that Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) loves his books. It comes with a episode guideat the front of the book. I’d prefer to have had them separate like the firstseason and, in fact, they should have kept it one way or the other forcollectors reasons.
The fact that I’m a Buffy addict is not the point. This series has come on leaps and bounds over the years and with its spin-off series,Angel,which gets a good audience too, I am sure that there are more seasons in thebag.
BtvS has been watched very carefully over in the States, as it has justbeen poached by UPN from the WB. Let’s hope that Buffy fans don’t let JossWheedon down by not tuning in. If you’re wondering about Angel therewere rumours that it would be going too, but WB have kept a tight hold of theseries for another season and even if the WB had cancelled it, UPN hadpromised to take on Angel anyway.
Season 2, it has to be said, is the best season by far, but I reckon the fifthmight top it. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and the ‘Scooby’ gang findthat their lives are in danger time and again and here we see that nothing haschanged.
The season is split into two and then come together for a fantastic finale. The first half sees Buffy fighting the good fight against evil, trying to keepher secret from her mum (Kristine Sutherland) and her love affair withAngel (David Boreanaz) is getting stronger. This part of the seasonwe also find that Drusilla (Juliet Landau) – with psychic abilities -and Spike (James Marsters) finding a way how to make Drusilla wellagain. The only way this could happen is by the blood of Angel: Angel wasDrusilla’s sire (“What’s My Line? Part 2”).
The other half of the season finds Buffy and Angel where they have never been before. They eventually make love, which has an affect on the latter.He loses his soul and joins forces with Drusilla and Spike to take over theworld and to kill Buffy and her friends.
Sarah Michelle Gellar(Scream,Cruel Intentions),has never stopped work over the years. She puts her all into Buffy and isalways the star of the show. David Boreanaz (Valentine), a relativenewcomer, comes into his own this season and with every passing episode he increases in confidence…. And with his own show now, he has become awell-known star (cute as well 🙂
Watch out for brilliant acting and the supporting cast including JamesMarsters, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter and Nicholas Brendon.
The picture is not without its problems. Presented in 4:3 fullscreen as filmed,there are many dark scenes, but even in the light ones some obvious artifactsin the background are present and, with the NTSC-to-PAL conversion, there’ssome motion blur when people move which is rather unsettling.The average bitrate varies around 5.5Mb/s to 6Mb/s depending on the episode.
The surround sound is perfectly adequate. When Buffy turns action queen you’llget what’s expected and in others the atmosphere is well catered for.
The extras are very good and full of information about Buffy and the fanswill enjoy it. There are six discs in the boxset, but only four containsupplemental material in the form of 3 Featurettes (Designing Buffy, A Buffy Bestiary, Beauty and theBeasts), Scripts, TV Spots, Trailers, Set Designs, Characters Profiles, Stills,Biogs and audio commentaries for some episodes.
Each episode contains 15 chapters, there are subtitles in English, French andDutch and the menus – created for an anamorphic 16:9 ratio – are exquisite withmotion and music inbetween each of them.
Overall, with its glossy cover and all the hype over the series, fans are sureto buy, but whoever came up with the idea for the packaging this time roundneeds their head examining. Let’s hope for a return to form, a la season 1,when season 3 comes round.
And how about some Angel while you’re at it too?
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALLE-mail Clare Dootson
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.