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Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete Fourth Season

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete Fourth Season

List Price: $59.98
Your Price: $44.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Buffy Goes To Collage~
Review: It's another Buffy adventure but this one is all about growth. In season 1-3 we had Buffy in high school. Many people say this is the "weakest" season but I have to disagree. This season is amazing! Buffy is getting over Angel, feeling left out, and she finds collage only brings her bigger and "Badder" monsters. The initave plot I didn't like too much, I have to admit but it all tied togethar and was a sort of twist. There are many extras in this DVD pack as well as the two famous episodes "Something Blue" and "Hush". I could watch them over and over again and still love it! I would definetly buy this dvd pack. Its great!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Another stellar chapter in the Buffy Saga
Review: Season Four finds the Scooby Gang leaving high school and either heading to college at UC-Sunnydale or the real world. No single season of BUFFY ever witnessed as many changes as this one did. Buffy, Willow, and Oz all head off to college, Angel and Cordelia head off to Los Angeles, Giles is no longer a watcher and no longer a librarian and no longer has a sense of what he is supposed to be doing, Xander flounders in a number of horrid jobs until finding his niche in construction, Joyce has to struggle with her daughter being in college, Anya, the former vengeance demon, has to struggle with being a mere human being, and Spike has to adjust to the fact that he is no longer a Big Bad due to a chip in his head that prevents his attacking humans. As if this were not enough, Oz leaves the show entirely; Willow unexpectedly falls in love with a fellow Wicca, Tara (to bring forth the first convincing and realistic homosexual relationship in television history); and Buffy gets a new boyfriend, Riley, who is probably the least popular character (with the possible exception of Connor in ANGEL) in the Buffyverse.

If you read reviews of the five seasons of BUFFY that have either been released or announced on DVD in the US, you will find people willing to label any of these five as "the best." I think this kind of diversity of opinion is awesome, and it shows how magnificently BUFFY appeals to a huge range of people at a variety of levels. My own opinion is that Season Four is a bit of a drop off from Seasons Two and Three, and not quite as good as Season Five would be. Part of the reason it strikes me this was is the enormous amount of change that I alluded to in the first paragraph. So many things were changing and altering, that my sense is that it all didn't mesh quite as well as in previous seasons. An additional reason was the unexpected departure of Seth Green to pursue film projects. Not having Oz around hurt the cast chemistry, and while adding Spike as a core character was a tremendous addition (he and Anya managed to take over Cordelia's role of bluntly saying aloud what others might merely be thinking), Riley is perhaps the lone BUFFY character who simply never meshed with the rest of the cast (I know some feel this way about Dawn, but I always liked her, perhaps because I have a daughter the same age as Dawn). To top matters off, the Initiative was just a bit too clinical and not sufficiently evil to rank with Angelus of Season Two, or the Mayor in Season Three, or Glory in Season Five. Adam, the Frankenstein-like creation of Professor Maggie Walsh, was not particularly involving, perhaps because the make up hid most of the actor's face, making him particularly inexpressive.

Nonetheless, BUFFY at not quite at its best is still better than 99.99% of anything else ever done on television, and while the season as a whole may not be quite as strong as others, there are some individual episodes that easily rank among the best in the history of the show. I have two favorites. First, the justly celebrated episode "Hush," in which the fairy tale monsters The Gentlemen capture the voices of all the inhabitants of Sunnydale, forcing most of the show to be played out in mime. The sheer visual imagery of the episode is profoundly unsettling. The Gentlemen are simultaneously terrifyingly evil, and a parody of obsequiousness. Bowing in a parody of extreme politeness to one another with macabre grins on their faces, they glide down the streets hovering a foot or so off the ground. The episode garnered an Emmy nomination, the only one the show ever received for writing, which is utterly absurd when one considers that it is probably the best-written show in the history of television.

My other favorite episode is the second half of the two-parter dealing with Faith's awakening from her coma and her attempt at avenging her near-death at the hands of Buffy. The first part, "This Year's Girl," is good, but it primarily sets up the extraordinary second part, "Who Are You?" In the former, the Mayor, in a videotaped message made before his Ascension, gives faith a device that will allow her to switch bodies with Buffy, which she does at the end of the first part (allowing the eerie opening credits of part two, where it reads: "Eliza Dushku as Buffy"). Body switching has been a staple of television and movies for decades, but BUFFY does something amazing with it. Primarily, the focus of the episode is an exploration of Faith's sense of self. We gain insight into her own lack of self and moral focus in the scene immediately after first entering Buffy's body when just after taking a bath she stands in front of a mirror and keeps repeating the words, "It's wrong!" in a parody of what she imagines to be Buffy's moral judgmentalism. Gradually Faith interacts with Buffy's friends and boyfriend, and comes to understand what Buffy has and she lacks: a strong group of friends who care for her and support her. This triggers self-doubt about her own worth, and when in the climax she in Buffy's body beats Buffy in hers, the viewer realizes that both the blows and the angry epithets she screams are directed not at Buffy but at herself. "Who Are You?" ends up being one of the most profound episodes of any season. Upon getting their own bodies back, Faith flees to LA in an attempt to get revenge on Angel instead. The Angel episodes "Five by Five" and "Sanctuary" ended the Faith Saga until her return in Season Four of Angel, and her return to Sunnydale in BUFFY's final season.

So, while this is not my favorite season of BUFFY, it is still an enormously entertaining one. The addition of Spike can hardly be underestimated. Always a welcome guest in previous seasons, his permanent addition to the cast brought a caustic edge to the humor that definitely lacking after Cordy's departure to LA. As a whole, the season reflected the growing pains the characters in the show also experienced. For any BUFFY fan, this is an essential set.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: A lousy season of Buffy
Review: The fourth season of Buffy aired in the 1999-2000 season. It was (with the exception of Angel,) better than anything else that was on that season. It (Buffy) was better than the other television shows that were on but it was lousy in comparison to the three previous seasons of Buffy. It had some good episodes but it didn't have any GREAT episodes. The overall plot of the season was just really weak and the stakes (no pun intended) were just not high enough. Episodes that should have been exciting were dull (the two-part Faith episodes,) and the writing was just silly and stupid at times. Guest stars like Kathy (Buffy's roommate) and Parker (the jerk liar) were just dull and they didn't really seem to have much personality at all. Riley also hurt the show because he came in too soon and he was just not a great choice for a love interest. He was a okay addition but he was dull and lifeless in comparison to Angel and his boy-next-door act was just so wimpy and wholesome that it made him seem like a creepy "Leave it to Beaver" character at times. Buffy's future love interest Spike on the other hand, (the excellent James Marsters,) was a great addition to the season. It would have been a lot worse if he were not there. When it is all said and done I would have to say that there are only two good things about Season four:
#1.Spike
#2. Wild at Heart.
Wild at Heart is, without a doubt, one of the most underrated episodes in the history of the series. It is worth seeing because it provides Willow with some future character development and it has a really great seductive villain that makes the idea of becoming a monster almost seem sexy and cool.

I was surprised by the positive reviews this DVD got. I liked the extras but I just really did not like the season. Most of the Buffy fans that I know hate this season as much as I do. I thought it would get one star or two stars from most of the fans that wrote reviews. I am shocked to see how many people think "Hush" was a great episode. Hush is one of my least favorite episodes in the series because it too overrated. I can't understand why anyone would say that it was the best episode of the series. It will never compare to the brilliance of "Surprise," "Innocence," or "Passion" (episodes from season two) in the end. It lacks the depth and intelligence that the Buffy/Angel stories had. You (those of you that like that episode,) shouldn't say that you like the episode because it is silent. Silent episodes in a series are nothing new. "Space: Above and Beyond" and "Mad About You" and even the dreadful "Two Guys a Girl and a Pizza" did silent episodes before Hush ever aired. The idea is hardly new or innovative.

You should buy this DVD if you are a diehard fan like myself but you should AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE if you are just getting into Buffy for the first time. You should check out the Season two DVD's if you want to see the best episodes in the series. Season four would just be a really painful waste of time and money.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: You think Season Fours Bad? Ya right...
Review: First off, I just want to say that my least faovrite season would be season 5. I think the whole story with the key was a little too confusing. If you just started liking Buffy tis best you start out with season 1-3 but if your a true Buffy afn you have to purcahse season 4!!! It was amazing. Some people just don't see that Buffy is dealing with going to collage! The spike story was great. The Initiratve was a little boring - but Buffy spiced things up. The last episode though, was just boring and annoying. But the rest of the episodes were great. If you watn to see Riley you have to purchase season 4! It's one of the best seasons out there!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: great season
Review: buffys gold year the first episode is amazing buffy misses angle so much and imagines him as other men shes taken out of class lives with a weird roomate and has to fight a superstrong vampi5re who beats and breaks her arm the episode should habve been called a bad insted of the freshman great villian adam another strong bad guy tara is a great and mysterious character anya is causing side splitting laughter the demon from part three back shes human shes so confused and so funny riley is the worst character in the show

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A great season
Review: This is one of the best seasons so far. Hush is a great episode and it is unique in its ability to "shock" you. You know the scene..the dorm room where the helpless guy....no spoiler here! I like also when Riley is introduced and how Buffy and Riley have no clue on each other's night life. It seems that Buffy may have a chance to have a "normal" life.... or does it?

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Worst Season, Yet Still Amazing
Review: Season 4 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS) becomes quite a contradiction. One on hand, it is arguably the worst BtVS season in terms of overall story-arc and conflict. One the other hand, it contains some of the best individual episodes of any season.

The Initiative... quite frankly, who cares? It seemed like Joss Whedon's (the show's creator) little boy fantasy to have Magicks take on the army. I suppose it could have worked out better, but honestly, if Whedon couldn't pull it off, I'm not sure anyone could. After coming off a season containing possibly the best villain ever, this was a big let down. The Mayor of Season 3 was hilarious and pure evil, and acted on many levels. He was a father figure to the rouge Slayer Faith, he led a community, and at the same time plotted to destroy the world. We actually cared about The Mayor. The Initiative on the other hand... well, they were suspicious immediately, they were boring right way, and their big villain was Adam, the human/demon/machine that honestly couldn't be more lame, to put it bluntly.

However, almost worse than the Initiative was Riley, Buffy's new boy toy. Talk about boring! Corn bred Iowa boy, picked as an obvious opposite to Angel, her love interest since Season 1. *Quick SPOILER* He turns out to be in the Initiative, not as shocking as Joss probably intended. *End Spoiler* Most people don't care about this relationship at any point and time, which is a big mistake for BtVS because often the relationships between characters are the main reason to watch the show. The whole supernatural, mythology approach is just a nice added bonus.

But don't let these negative statements deter you from watching Season 4 of BtVS. As mentioned early, certain story lines were absolutely phenomenal. The episode "Wild at Heart" sets me off in tears for hours. The return of Faith in the two-parter "This Year's Girl" and "Who Are You?" ended up being a highlight of the season, despite it's detachment from everything else that was occurring. Plus we gain the character Tara, the gay Wicca who will forever change Willow's destiny... a beautiful character.

The real highlights of the season occurred in two very separate episodes. First we have "Hush," the scariest episode ever, and one the scariest things I have ever seen in general. Imagine having no voice, being held down by demented mime-like Gentlemen, and getting your heart sliced out... freaky, hey? This mainly silent episode (silent as in no talking; the music score is actually amazing) took major risks and succeeded in all of them.

Possibly an even more risky episode ended off the season. "Restless" is a David Lynch type look into our characters' minds through dreams, while the spirit of the First Slayer is hunting them. Amazing cinematography, references flying all over the place, and oh yeah, can't forget the Cheese Man.

Not the best season for complete watching, but those individual episodes make the DVD set worth the purchase. (Plus did I mention Tara?) Skip the crap and go for the good stuff. By the way, "the crap" on this season is still better than the vast majority of television; don't forget that.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Whedon and Co. Show Amazing Consistency
Review: The obvious highlight of Buffys' fourth season is "Hush," which features the spine-tingling gentlemen, who rob Sunydale's voice, and mutilates a few people for their hearts. But they are so many other exceptional moments in this versatile offering from Joss Whedon and his amzing creative team. The season opener finds Buffy dealing with college life (prothetic now that my older brother is attending Truman State) as well as annoying roommates. "Believe" is a good song but if radio didn't kill it, Summers' roommate did. The season also marked the arrival of Riley, Buffys' new beau (seeing that her old one went to Los Angeles for his own small screen claim to fame). Riley keeps a secret from Buffy that he is working for the initiative, a secret government agency experimenting on various demons and ghouls, including vampires. What Buffy also doesn't know is that the Intitative is creating a super soldier from the remains of perished ones. The result is Adam (note the biblical reference), a towering, ultra-strong Zombie warrior. He is a captivating villian, but he can't match the perverse power-lusting of the Mayor from the previous season or the moral chaos that stemmed from Angel turning sour from season two.

However, like it always is with Buffy, the amazing writers infuse the high story-arcs with whip-cracking dialouge, amusing wit and dynamic character development. Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles and Oz are taken deeper with each passing frame, although the new additions are not that far behind. And, as always, Sarah Michelle Gellar is the shows able infrastructure, knowing Buffy inside and out, from her wise cracks and sarcasm, to her deeply penetrating sadness and boiling anger. Nicholas Brendon continues his run of "Most Memorable Jokester on Television" while still deftly building his role. Alyson Hannigan is impressive as well, showing new dimensions to Willow (a lesbian, who saw that one. Oh right she called her double "kinda gay."). But Anthony Stewart Head is the shows' unsung hero, playing Giles as a man carrying all the emotional weight of a man whose had enough loss in his life to make weaker men buckle under it. But he carries on, knowing his responsibility to Buffy.

In short, Joss Whedon and everyone involved with this season of Buffy knew the reputation they had to live up to, the fluid consistency that they had shown since Buffy stepped into Sunnydale back in 1996. Don't feel hesitant to say they passed with flying colors.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Josh Sabbagh
Review: I have to give buffy season 4, 5 stars being one of the biggest fans! Buffy Season 4 Is a very interesting season it took a lot of work and is different. It is not my favorite season but a lot of my favorite episodes are in it. I didnt really care for the initiative but it has a lot of good episodes, like the emmy nominated episode hush, the leaving of Oz, Willow going through changes and evolving in magic, spike helping buffy,Dealing with the loss of angel, faith returning, and an appearance of the first slayer! With guest appearances from David Boreanaz and Eliza Dushku-FAITH

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Season 4
Review: Buffy has always been one of the best shows on television. I have been a fan sice the third episode premiered. However, season 4 was not the best season. Here's my season order:
1) 7
2) 5
3) 3
4) 2
5) 6
6) 4
7) 1
However, I still bought this because of the fact that I own 1-3. If you are not an absolute fan of BTVS, you'd be better off watching season 4 on FX.


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