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Post by Clare on Sept 26, 2008 9:57:04 GMT -5
5.12 Checkpoint - Episode #090
A Watcher's Council team arrives in Sunnydale, expecting a review of Buffy's skills in exchange for their information on Glory and the Key.
Review (also post a score out of 10) and discuss this episode.
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Post by cyclica on Feb 9, 2009 17:12:37 GMT -5
Everything about this ep is enjoyable- the interviews are funny, the watchers were scary (you don't need to be a killer to be scary, I feared for giles' future when they 'pointed a gun at his greencard') and the highlight was the big speech at the end.
And of course finding out glory was a god right at the end. Great stuff.
I give this ep a 7.
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Post by partcynic on Sept 3, 2010 13:22:53 GMT -5
5x12 “Checkpoint”
Episode Rating = 5
Since S5 is struggling a bit at the moment (with the last three episodes all being notably below “Buffy”’s typical level), it’s really good to finally receive a show featuring both style and substance. Perhaps it was the return of the Watcher’s Council reminding the writers of the concise, economic days of S3, but “Checkpoint” is penned with more skill than its predecessors, with attention paid to each of the crucial trio of plot/humour/development, and important progressions happening in both the main story arc and Buffy’s characterisation. It’s a shame that this type of writing would prove to be a blip rather than a set standard for the second half of the year, but that doesn’t detract from the quality here, nor from the praise it deserves.
What I Liked about “Checkpoint”:
- The theme of power and its implications is excellent (plus, it’s just nice to have an ep with a theme. We haven’t had one like that since “Fool For Love”), and ably expressed through Buffy’s character arc and the realisations she comes to as a result of her interactions with Quentin/Glory.
- In general, I loved seeing the Watchers again, and was pleased that Quentin was remembered. The delegation acted just as you’d expect it to, with that love-to-hate obnoxiousness the Council possesses being present in full force. Despite having relatively few lines, there were hints of personality from several members, and the sombre meetings between they and the Scoobs were nicely dramatic.
- The interview sequences are light and funny, and I welcomed the playfulness of the Watcher/Scooby conversations. Although a few of the jokes were really obvious (Anya’s constant hyper-vigilance about being labelled a demon; the cheap Willow/Tara “we’re lesbian, gay-type lovers” gag), they’re still amusing, and hearkened back to the high school days in the same way that “Triangle” did.
- Buffy/Giles has always been one of the show’s most important relationships, and I’ve felt somewhat cheated by S5 promising a stronger B/G tie in “Buffy Vs Dracula”, and then not going anywhere with it. What happened here was a step in the right direction, and it gave Tony Head the chance to act instead of stumbling around awkwardly. I particularly liked the chat he and Buffy had about the Council’s power, and loved the moment when Buffy stated that out of everything, she couldn’t lose him.
- I’ve been very critical of Clare Kramer’s acting in prior episodes, but I thought she was quite good here, especially during Glory’s chat with Buffy. She made her character come across as intimidating and powerful, and did it without resorting to the hammy shrieking that’s marred her other appearances.
- Spike’s Watcher interview is funny, and it’s a positive change to see him shown in a slightly darker light (the comedy stalker routine has been getting tired, and it’s good to remind people that he’s still dangerous). I also enjoyed the crypt-sitting with Joyce and Dawn – “I love what you’ve neglected to do with the place” is one of Joyce’s better lines, and their chat about “Passions” was a great callback to “Something Blue”.
- Buffy final speech is one of the best moments of the season, and something that the writers could have benefitted from rewatching when they were penning S7. The discussion flowed beautifully from the episode’s theme, was fuelled by logic and genuine emotion, and also included an appropriate amount of humour (throwing the sword). It was rousing and made Buffy seem intelligent and commanding, and you can easily understand why the Watcher’s Council acquiesced to her demands.
- The reveal that Glory’s a god remains a powerful moment even when you know it’s coming, and was a fascinating twist on first viewing.
What I Disliked about “Checkpoint”:
- In the ‘previously on’ section, the segment with Dawn listening to Joyce/Buffy/Giles chat should have been re-cut. As is, it looks like she directly heard them say that she’s the Key.
- Dawn’s had four or five episodes where she’s been fine, but she’s starting to get bratty again. Her pouty “I can get a snack if I want to!” at the start was annoying, and you have to marvel at her cluelessness in being willing to chat with Glory just to spite Buffy. Even if she doesn’t know anything about Glory, the fact that her Slayer sister is clearly concerned might suggest acting cautiously.
- A number of the Watcher’s Council accents are dodgy. I know that James Marsters has spoilt us, but I expect better from the casting department. It would also be nice for the diversity of English accents to be represented – there’s no need for all of them to speak in the ‘upper-class twit’ style.
- The Knights of Byzantium are by far my least favourite element of the season, and I really don’t get what the writers were thinking when they conceived of such a group. The problem isn’t necessarily their role in the plot, but the manner in which they speak and behave. I cringed throughout the Knight/Buffy chat in the fourth act – his dialogue sounds like it was cribbed from a cheesy fantasy flick, and it didn’t sound real (even for the Buffyverse). I’m also confused as to why they walk about in chain mail, which makes them stand out and would hinder their movements in combat. Suffice to say that little about them makes sense.
- The very last moment tried to be funny, but wasn’t, and instead let the air out of what was otherwise an excellent scene. Given that the season has been enamoured of using dramatic cliffhangers (featuring them even when they’re not necessary), it’s strange that the writers messed up on the one instance where a dramatic ending would have been most fitting.
- This episode suffers from a number of gratuitous scenes. The first half of the initial Glory scene (where she brain-sucks the postman) didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know, and her later conversation with Jinx just recycled old dialogue and behaviours. In addition, the bit with Buffy at college was unneeded. It directly copied from “The Freshman” (and was equally unbelievable – why are all of the professors at UC Sunnydale so snooty and up themselves?), and lent nothing to the ‘power’ theme that wasn’t provided by the plot-relevant material with Glory. On top of that, we also had the pointless vampire fight and Spike’s intrusion, as well as the discussion of Riley that served no purpose for the narrative or the characters.
- The first half of this episode is a bit slow (due to the previously-mentioned, gratuitous scenes).
Do I like this episode more or less than the last time I watched it?
I like its good parts more, and its bad parts (Knights of Byzantium – blech) less. However, I’d overall say that “Checkpoint” is a positive step for the season – after a worrying number of shows that were over-dramatic soap opera connectors instead of fully realised stories, it’s rewarding to get an episode with good humour, a meaningful theme, and a plot (and subsequent character development) that builds naturally from it. These strengths to combine to make “Checkpoint” one of the best entries in S5’s midseason, though one that’s still limited by some glaring problems. Nonetheless, I’m happy to get another ep in the classic “Buffy” style, and am thus awarding “Checkpoint” a five out of ten.
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Post by cyclica on Nov 6, 2010 13:19:56 GMT -5
- The theme of power and its implications is excellent (plus, it’s just nice to have an ep with a theme. We haven’t had one like that since “Fool For Love”), and ably expressed through Buffy’s character arc and the realisations she comes to as a result of her interactions with Quentin/Glory. Agreed. And since this episode did such a good job covering the subject of 'power', it amazes me that the entire seventh season tries to cover the exect same thing. - The interview sequences are light and funny, and I welcomed the playfulness of the Watcher/Scooby conversations. Although a few of the jokes were really obvious (Anya’s constant hyper-vigilance about being labelled a demon; the cheap Willow/Tara “we’re lesbian, gay-type lovers” gag), they’re still amusing, and hearkened back to the high school days in the same way that “Triangle” did. I didn't mind the 'we're lesbians' joke, but I did feel anya's lines were too over the top, she was acting as though this was her first day among humans. Unfortunately this is also the scene where anya gives her name as "Anya Christina Emanuella Jenkins", clearly a made up name, but it seems as though the vast majority of buffy related websites have latched onto this line and regard that as her real name. It's annoying.  - I’ve been very critical of Clare Kramer’s acting in prior episodes, but I thought she was quite good here, especially during Glory’s chat with Buffy. She made her character come across as intimidating and powerful, and did it without resorting to the hammy shrieking that’s marred her other appearances. It helps that she just showed up in buffy's house. Knowing she can enter buffy's 'safe area' at any time makes her especially intimidating. - Buffy final speech is one of the best moments of the season, and something that the writers could have benefitted from rewatching when they were penning S7. The discussion flowed beautifully from the episode’s theme, was fuelled by logic and genuine emotion, and also included an appropriate amount of humour (throwing the sword). It was rousing and made Buffy seem intelligent and commanding, and you can easily understand why the Watcher’s Council acquiesced to her demands. Agreed. It's oneof the best speeches she's had on the show. - The reveal that Glory’s a god remains a powerful moment even when you know it’s coming, and was a fascinating twist on first viewing. Meh, saying she's a 'god' doesn't mean much when gods have never been mentioned on the show before. And having the character be a god doesn't really make sense in a show where vampires can be hurt by holy water and crusifixes. Are we supposed to beleive both Christianity and pagan/demon gods exist? To make sense of it, I choose to beleive 'hell-gods' are a higher form of demon, and don't have the power of any god found in actual religions. - The Knights of Byzantium are by far my least favourite element of the season, and I really don’t get what the writers were thinking when they conceived of such a group. The problem isn’t necessarily their role in the plot, but the manner in which they speak and behave. I cringed throughout the Knight/Buffy chat in the fourth act – his dialogue sounds like it was cribbed from a cheesy fantasy flick, and it didn’t sound real (even for the Buffyverse). I’m also confused as to why they walk about in chain mail, which makes them stand out and would hinder their movements in combat. Suffice to say that little about them makes sense. I liked the idea of a 'third party' who were enemies of both buffy and glory, and I can buy that a religious sect exists that feels duty bound to destroy the key, and even to wear armour in public. Though I don't buy that 'if it takes a thousand we send a thousand'. How can there be so many, and why don't they all appear later on? And why send just three knights, if they know she's the slayer? - The very last moment tried to be funny, but wasn’t, and instead let the air out of what was otherwise an excellent scene. Given that the season has been enamoured of using dramatic cliffhangers (featuring them even when they’re not necessary), it’s strange that the writers messed up on the one instance where a dramatic ending would have been most fitting. It tried to be funny? I just thought it was dramatic. - This episode suffers from a number of gratuitous scenes. The first half of the initial Glory scene (where she brain-sucks the postman) didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know, and her later conversation with Jinx just recycled old dialogue and behaviours. True it was pointless, but I still found it kinda fun to see glory again. In addition, the bit with Buffy at college was unneeded. It directly copied from “The Freshman” (and was equally unbelievable – why are all of the professors at UC Sunnydale so snooty and up themselves?) Agreed. That scene would have stuck out like a sore thumb, if it weren't for all the more cool scenes later on which lead to the college scene being forgotten entirely. What were they thinking? ..... I still give this ep a 7. |
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Post by partcynic on Nov 7, 2010 13:17:01 GMT -5
Yep.
I admit, that bothers me too. Has official merchandise done the same thing?
I don't really see how that's a problem. While the show uses small bits of Christian iconography, it doesn't follow any Abrahamatic conception of god. Why would co-existence be an issue? We're shown multiple times in "Angel" that the Powers that Be (the closest thing the Buffyverse has to god) don't really care one way or the other.
Except that at the start of "Blood Ties" Giles says that Glory/hell-gods do have that kind of power.
If they'd wanted it be be dramatic, they would have closed with a plain reaction shot of Buffy. Instead, they chose to have her say something unnecessary. That kind of thing is Jane Espenson's usual type of humour, but it didn't work there.
Yes - it's such blatant filler. Probably some of the most obviously pointless stuff in the first five seasons.
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Post by cyclica on Nov 9, 2010 18:11:00 GMT -5
I admit, that bothers me too. Has official merchandise done the same thing? I don't know, aside from dvds/videos I've stayed away from buffy merchandise. Except that at the start of "Blood Ties" Giles says that Glory/hell-gods do have that kind of power. They say glory used to have powers such as 'bolts of lightning' and 'blasts of fire', which I'm willing to accept a powerful demon-like being may have. But I can't accept that she is any kind of creator. |
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Post by partcynic on Nov 11, 2010 15:54:31 GMT -5
Why would you need to do that, anyway? It's never stated or implied that Glory is a creator of any kind - but that's not necessary for god status. The Ancient Celts, Greeks, Romans and Egyptians (as well as present-day Hindus) all have gods that are worshipped without having contributed to the creation of humanity.
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Post by cyclica on Nov 13, 2010 15:57:59 GMT -5
^
Well ok, but I don't see her as being a god who is 'of' anything, and/or existing on a higher plane either.
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