I dunno. I didn't email them, just went through the steps on the web site to get the return label. I'd rather send the bad one back first anyhow, to make sure I don't forget to send it back and end up paying for two sets.

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1) Joss, as usual, wrote my favorite scene

What kills me in the commentary is that there is no information on why Joss wrote that scene, or what RRK had written in place of it. I do remember reading around the time the episode came out that Joss re-wrote the scene, but I can't remember if the actually filmed the original scene and re-shot Joss' scene, or if the re-write came earlier.

Information of that nature is what commentary tracks are supposed to be for, IMHO.

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Jeff - I couldn't agree more. I'm always hoping for some insight or point that I missed the first time around. I think one of them says at the beginning of the commentary that Emma was supposed to be there that day. It made me wonder if maybe the two that showed up were hoping that she would have planned something to say.

If there's no insight to be added, then skip the commentary and do another one for another ep. instead.

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I do remember reading around the time the episode came out that Joss re-wrote the scene, but I can't remember if the actually filmed the original scene and re-shot Joss' scene, or if the re-write came earlier.

I think the original scene was shot, Joss didn't like it. Wrote a new one and they reshot. The original scene had Spike and Buffy snarky and antagonistic towards each other. I could be wrong about the reshoot - Joss might've just disliked it in the script phase - which kind of seems more likely to me, since he does see each script before shooting.

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I don't know if that scene was reshot, or not. I know the end of S7's Beneath You (a Petrie script) was rewritten by Joss and reshot. In that case, I also remember that everyone hated the blue sweater on James, so we had to suffer through him shirtless. Skin smoldering as he leaned against the cross...
*cough*
Where was I?

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Joss wrote the cross scene too? I think I knew that but had forgotten.

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Yes, I know, that was so awful...I think of it often. The trauma. Poor ugly bastard.

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We watched Bargaining, last night. I fell asleep sometime after Buffy clawed her way out of her own grave, but before the Scoobies saw her (but I know how that story ends, so it isn't important).

I hate the biker demon villain-device more, each time I watch this. They feel so out of place in that 'verse. I reminded myself repeatedly, that it is a season of unusual villains: the nerds, and Willow. It didn't help much. I tried imagining the same overall story, with biker vampires. I liked that better. I don't know if it would have flown on screen, but it worked in my head.

Still, there's a lot of good here. There was playfulness among the surviving Scoobies, during the breakfast/unstart making sandwiches/don't answer the phone, Buffy-bot!/I am a man and I have a tool scene. I always find Anya and Giles' slap-fight over the Ramadan effigy a little over the top, but still enjoy it.

I panic with Buffy, when she first comes back to life in her casket. I feel for the poor, broken Buffy-bot. I feel for Spike. They did a masterful job of showing how even though the -bot was necessary for their temporary survival, she was so painful to be around. We have Spike, most obviously. We have Willow's pain, when she's trying to make the -bot not feel bad about Spike not looking at the -bot. We have poor Dawn coming to the -bots room, and curling up with her for artificial comfort. We have Giles trying to teach her about Chi.

SMG so becomes the -bot that the -bot really is a totally different character. When I'm in the story, I forget this is the same actress. It's just the Buffy -bot. I'm trying to ready myself to watch the whole season in order. We've had the DVDs forever, and I just can't do it. Last night, watching Tara and Willow, so happy, and obviously in love--it just hurts. And now, with foreknowledge? When Willow kills the fawn, to obtain the vino de madre, Tara's death seems such an inescapable consequence.

Watching Giles' plane take off, I recalled how that image hit me, when the season was new. It was right after 9/11 (maybe a month) and just seeing a plane was painful. I remember gasping lo those almost three years ago. Seeing the Tower crumble at the end, didn't affect me as much as seeing the plane.

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When Willow kills the fawn, to obtain the vino de madre, Tara's death seems such an inescapable consequence.

Willow should not wear white. It's never a good day for her.

I just finished watching the S6 DVDs last week. I liked it the first time around, but I was surprised at how much more I liked it. I don't describe as well as Cindy, so I'll just stand in the corner with her.

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I liked it the first time around, but I was surprised at how much more I liked it. I don't describe as well as Cindy, so I'll just stand in the corner with her.

I'm with you - I'm half-way through the S6 DVDs and I'm really enjoying these episodes on a second viewing. So, please make room for me in the "corner".

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