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Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete Fourth SeasonRating:
Release Date: 10 June, 2003 Retail Price: $59.98 OUR Price: $44.99 You SAVE: $14.99! Cast: |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete Fourth Season Reviews
Buffy continues to deliver kick-ass entertainment!!
A lot of people mourned the loss of Angel to the series and really had trouble with Buffy's new romantic interests in Season Four. Nevertheless this show establishes that with the core group of Buffy, Xander, Willow and Giles the series can and does continue to be top drawer entertainment on all levels!!
Enjoy this season again and again--the wit never stops and the effects only get better!!
Ever Evolving And Keeping Pace
After watching the amazing content provided in "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" seasons 2 and 3, it's hard to believe that the series could top or even measure up to the standard it had set for itself. Add in the fact that the show lost pivotal characters like Angel, Cordelia and later Oz, and it becomes even harder to believe that the show could continue on triumphantly. However with season 4 Joss Whedon and his team of writers have taken the series to new levels, proving that they could indeed survive all the aftermath of what happened in previous seasons. Without a doubt, season 4 was a step in the right direction for Buffy and the scoobies, and like it or hate it, the show gained tremendous momentum which would carry all the way through to season 6. No matter the disputes among fans on how good or bad this season is, it is essential viewing for all interested in Buffy/Angel, and may even impress some with the amazing amount of content and depth it provides.
To begin the gang has all graduated from high school. Now they prepare to take on the new world known as College, as Buffy (Gellar), Willow (Hannigan) and Oz (Green) all enroll in UC Sunnydale. However to think that the trials of a slayer or the ferocity of the hellmouth would end with High School would be incorrect. The biggest turn in season 4 is the introduction of "The Initiative", a secret government organization created to eliminate (although we would find out their true intentions later in the season) all forms of demonic life threatening the human population. This took the series somewhat out of the Goth/Horror frame, and added a touch of something new, which I for one enjoyed. Along with The Initiative came Buffy's new love interest Riley, a nice farm boy from Iowa who spends his nights as a soldier for The Initiative. To replace the outgoing Angel, Cordelia and Oz (who leaves shortly into the season) we get a new trio: Spike, Anya and Tara. Whedon's masterstroke of bringing Spike (Marsters) back into the story and forcing him to reluctantly fight alongside Buffy and her allies because of a chip implemented in his head by the Initiative was pure genius. Thankfully Spike would remain a part of the cast throughout the rest of the series. Anya (Caufield), ex-vengeance demon and now love interest of Xander, provides a lot of comic relief as she struggles to adapt to the human way of life and its drawbacks. Tara (Benson), Willow's new "girlfriend", is also a nice addition to the cast, although her acting is sometimes flat and unconvincing. While they might not exactly be Angel, Cordy and Oz, the new additions give the cast plenty of chemistry and dynamics to sustain the show.
The story arc for season four is quite nice as well. The first deals with the introduction of The Initiative, and finding out the mystery behind their intentions in Sunnydale. The second concerns Adam, The Initiative's super demon soldier, who was constructed to be a superb military combat weapon (ah true intentions revealed) for war. Unfortunately for the Initiative, Adam decides that he would much rather do his own bidding, and after killing his creator Professor Walsh, escapes into the outside world to reak havok. Besides the underlying arc theme, the episodes found off the arc are great as well. None more so than the terrific two parter in which Faith comes out of her coma and switches bodies with Buffy. There are a couple of clunkers here and there (Buffy once again rededicating herself to slaying, Buffy dealing with a roommate from hell), but overall the content found on these episodes is easily on par with any of the three previous seasons.
As far as the set is concerned, You get the commentaries on selected episodes, as well as behind the scenes footage, actor info and bloopers. These are all nice touches to the set, but only the most die hard fans will truly appreciate what comes along with the episodes. Even so the extras are just a nice bonus, because the real reason to get this set is for the show itself. While they might be welcomed, the extras are only icing on the cake to the excellent episodes found within.
For all concerned, Season 4 could have been the biggest disaster the series had seen, but instead Whedon and company proved that their well of ideas had not yet run dry. Everything introduced in season 4 was fresh and new, and really gave the series a different feel and renewed success. Like it or hate it, there's no denying how important this season was to the show. The departure of Angel, Cordy, Wesley (who were spun off into "Angel") and "Oz" could have easily hurt the show beyond belief. Instead it turned out to be one of the best moves the writers ever made, as we also got another stellar show in "Angel". If you were ever interested in the BtVS series, then season 4 is a must, even if you're fond of the previous three. There's too many good things to say about this season, and I could never list them all. Just do it already!
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