Rating: 
Summary: The Official Companion to Seasons 3 & 4 of "Buffy"
Review: "The Watcher's Guide, Volume 2" is hard to rate because while it is superior to the vast majority of official (or unofficial) companion volumes to various hit television series, it does not seem to be as good as the first volume, which means it is still a great deal for fans of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." There are three major and two minor sections to this volume, with focuses on seasons three and four of Buffy. First there is the Buffyverse, which recaps what we need to know from the first two seasons of the series in terms of the whats and wheres, covers the main characters with choice quotes from each, and includes an interesting section on "The Pain" which explores the rich pathos of the series. Section two covers the episodes from seasons three and four by providing plot synopses, choice quotes, lines cut from the original teleplays, continuity concerns, pop-culture footnotes, and updates on "The Agony and the Ecstasy" dealing with the aforementioned pathos. The third section provides cast profiles, which are really a hit and miss compilation, with most of the regulars receiving brief treatment and then interviews of varying lengths and value with the rest, most of whom are guest stars. The use of interviews continues throughout the fourth section on the production side of Creating Buffy. The last two sections deal with "The Bands of Buffy" and "Merchandising." The first volume of "The Watcher's Guide" offered 300 pages and while Volume 2 taps out closer to 500 you do not really get the feeling you are getting that much more in terms of quality. When I look over this volume now I think I know why: It is not because the original team of Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder split up for him to do "The Monster Book" and her to do "The Watcher's Guide, Volume 2." It is because the second half of the book consists of interview transcripts and I think this comes across as being sort of the easy way out. There is some good information and stories in most of the interviews, but sure, a few of them are not worth the effort. You cannot fault Holder and her new cohorts Jeff Mariotte and Maryelizabeth Hart for being comprehensive, but taking more than one pass at each of these people might have been helpful. The main thing is that Joss Whedon's people are out there putting extra effort into these companion volumes and you are not going to find something for another show as good as this volume, whatever its problems.
Rating:
Summary: Better Than The First
Review: After I read the first Watcher's Guide book, I thought I had found my holy grail. It was perfect and nothing would top it. I was wrong. The Watcher's Guide Vol. 2 wipes the floor with Vol. 1 in everything. Sure, it's still great. This is better. It keeps the features that were in Vol. 1. Episode synopsis, character & actor bios, dialogue, pictures. The synopsis of each episode is more expanded than the ones in the first. Plus, we get a day by day look at the production of a single episode of "Buffy". It hits on everything!. I thought the first volume was the best inside guide to Buffy, and to any other television show for that matter. This one surpasses it in every way. You get everything you could possibly want or need in this new volume. It's stunning to look at and impossible to put down. This belongs on your book shelf. Nancy Holder has outdone herself on this one!.
Rating: 
Summary: Just What I Expected
Review: Being a huge fan of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," I was glad to pick up this book. I really enjoyed the behind the scenes pictures. It's great to see the people who bring "Buffy" to life. Any Buffy fan should enjoy this book. The book is full of quotes, and has an episode guide.
Rating:
Summary: Essential - a MUST for every Buffy fan!
Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a cult phenomenon. Starting off as a desperate-for-success show on a tight budget, it has gone to earn the title of one of the greatest programmes of all-time - and it certainly is. Blending the horrors of vampires and demons with the (even more important, if you're a teenager!) horrors of teenage school life, millions of loyal fans tune in every week to be left speechless and awe-struck. Every Tuesday night, college dorms all over the US fall silent as its residents succumb to the superb acting abilities of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, Nicholas Brendon and co. With the demise of programmes such as Friends, Ally McBeal and the X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer now shines the brightest of all the stars in the sky of TV, but not without competition from newcomers such as 24 and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (X-Files rip-off)... The second book in the series covers eveything that happens in Seasons 3 and 4. This book is my personal favourite of the two as it has more info and more pages. First off, there's Acknowledgements by the authors of the book Nancy Holder, Jeff Mariotte and Maryelizabeth Hart. Then there's the Foreword followed by the Buffyverse - an in-depth look at The Slayer, The Watcher, Sunnydale The Town, Bizzaro Sunnydale ("The Wish"), UC Sunnydale and The Initiative. Then there's a 69 page Character Guide. It's split up into two sections. The first section is on Series Regulars with info, pictures and quotes on Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, Cordelia Chase, Angel, Oz, Riley Finn, Spike and Rupert Giles. Then there's the Guest Stars with more info, quotes and picutres on Parker Abrams, Larry Blaisedale and many more! Then there's Quotable Knowledge on different subjects. After this 69 page section, there's The Pain; a look at the betrayal, hurt and loss in Seasons 3 and 4. After that, there's a 55 page Episode Guide on all Season 3's 22 episodes with even more quotes and pictures. This is followed by a Songlist for all the songs in Season 3. After this, there's a 59 page Episode Guide on all Season 4's 22 episodes with original US airdates, info, pictures, a Songlist and more quotes than you could possibly think of! Then there's a 73 page Cast Profile on Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, Nicholas Brendon, David Boreanaz, Seth Green, Marc Blucas and many more! Even though it's more of a repeat of what was in the first book, it's more detailed with more quotes (what a shock!) and more interviews than the previous one. Then there's the Guest Stars profiles on Elizabeth Anne Allen, Emma Caulfield, Amber Benson, Eliza Dushku, Kristine Sutherland and many more! Creating Buffy: The Production Process is next. This is perhaps the most fascinating part of the book. Clocking in at a whopping 134 pages, it looks at make-up, sets, monsters, lighting, costumes, scripts, arts, set designs, props, locations, extras, construction, stunt co-ordinator, transportation, post-production, mixing sessions and music co-ordination! Definetly the most amazing, revealing and intricate section of the book. It also includes interviews with almost everyone who works on the set of Buffy. People such as Joss Whedon, David Fury, Jane Espenson, Tracey Forbes, Amy Britt, Sophie Crawford (Buffy's stunt-double), David Greenwalt, James A. Contner and many, many more all come under the spotlight for interviews and loads more - the list is endless. Then there's the Music of Buffy; The Bands. With interviews from the bands who perform the songs on Seasons 3 and 4. The final section of this mammoth book is Buffy Merchandise; a look at all the different books, sweets, mugs, beach towels, chewing gum and much more! OVERALL GRADE: 10/10 No Buffy fan should be without this book. It has more information than you could ever dream of and will keep you reading for months. You could read the whole book and pick it up two months later and find something you didn't know. There's nothing bad about this book. It's a huge improvement on the first (and that was amazing) and has a glossy cover with a load more colour pages than the previous book. Buy this from Amazon.com today!
Rating:
Summary: Seasons Three and Four, and a Lot More Besides
Review: Every bit as good as the first Guide, with a lot more extras. Anyone new to the show will definitely find both Guides invaluable, as the series has more ongoing plot twists and character changes than a soap opera, and without a Guide to start you off, you could easily become lost - or worse, discouraged - and that would be a pity, because then you'd be missing out on one of the best shows on television. Not only does this volume thoroughly explain the Season Three and Four changes in Sunnydale, from demon mayor Richard Wilkins III and his partners in diabolical crime (like vampire fix-it man Mr. Trick, and Faith, the fallen Slayer) to the subterranean military experimental labs beneath the local university (and the nightmares there concocted, such as the seemingly indestructible Frankensteinian creature, "Adam"), but it also provides quite a few interviews with the primary and secondary cast members and production crew. And for the more mundane, there are a ton of great pictures. Whether you're looking for a roadmap of changes in the Buffyverse world of Sunnydale, or simply an album of its high school and college population for your own enjoyment, you can't go wrong with this fabulous Guide - or its equally fabulous predecessor.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant companion to an even more brilliant show
Review: For fans of the hit show, this is an absolute must. Whereas the last 'Watcher's Guide' was geared a little bit more towards a younger audience, the second installement (looking over seasons three and four) is definitely aimed at adults. Each episode of the two series is given a thorough synopsis, with quotes, pictures and pop culture references. Particularly worth pointing out is the respectable explanation of season four finale 'Restless', a complicated episode that has whole pages dedicated to its meaning on the Internet. The interviews are much more interesting, and longer, than in the previous guide. For instance, gone are questions about distinguishing marks. The only nitpick is that there isn't a proper interview with the big stars of the show such as Sarah Michelle Gellar herself. Saying that, the extensive cast biographies mostly make up for this. These are even expanded upon by what is probably the most interesting feature of the entire book: interviews with the people behind-the-scenes of 'Buffy'. The guide looks at what went into designing and decorating Tara's room, for example, right down to minscule details such as paintings on the wall. There are even small interviews and biographies of the lesser stars such as Paige Moss who played Verruca, and Fab Filipo who played Scott Hope. Overall, this is a definite must-have for any 'Buffy' fan.
Rating: 
Summary: Fails to live up to its predecessor
Review: honestly, i'd have thought this would be as great as the first volume of the watcher's guide. alas, it was littered with minor but glaring mistakes in continuity, detail in the episode guide, and was not worth the cash i paid for this. the text reads blandly, and i would have fallen asleep if it weren't for the fact that i was reading it just after i'd awoken. it's astoundingly disappointing to know that this shabby excuse for a guide comes from one half of the successful pair who wrote the first. much as i love the show as well as the books, i have to say that this is an incredibly bad official companion, and i'd advise the people out there not to buy it.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Guide To Go By
Review: I found 'The Watcher's Guide 2' a very interesting book. Not only did it have great detail about the main characters, but special guest stars as well (in character that is). I also found the choice of photos refreshing since they are not the same photos you seem to see everywhere.
Rating:
Summary: lives up to the original
Review: I loved this book, being a hard core buffy fan. It has lots of extra stuff, and it is HUGE. The important thing aboutt hat is that the information is actually intersting, and not just thrown in to make the book look more impressive.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have Book For Any Buffy Fan!!
Review: I recently bought and read this book, after doing the same with The Watcher's Guide 1. I loved essentially every part of it, and every Buffy fan should own a copy. My favorite parts are the quotes of the week, quotes from all of the characters, and the pop culture references from each episode that are pointed out. Each episode has a detailed description,which is very beneficial for those viewers who started watching late. The romantic relationships of all the charachters is chronicled, as is the continuity of the stories. It contains a lot of bonus information like music used in the episode, fun facts about filming a particular scene, and guest stars. I highly recommend this book!
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