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Television is rarely surprising, at least not in a good way. And most
people seem to like it that way; they don't want to be challenged or
forced to concentrate. (We call it the idiot box for a reason.)
Which is why that small army of Joss Whedon fans is so rabid. These
are people who like to be surprised, to be kept on their (our) toes.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which is an awful name for a show, although
it's still a heck of a lot better than
Urinetown
- The Musical) spent seven years breaking the rules of
television drama or comedy or whatever the heck it was supposed to
be. But even in a show as innovative and accepting of risk as that,
there are moments that stand out. And this is one such moment,
perhaps the biggest creative risk of the show's run. Because to do a
musical in an hourly drama is crazy, but to figure out a way not only
to make the singing and dancing relevant, but to have the songs be
essential to the revelations of the plot, that's a whole different
kind of genius.
I loved this episode when I first saw it, even though I didn't know
the show well enough to get the context. Seeing it again on DVD as
part of Buffy's sixth season made me appreciate it even more. And
now, just listening to the songs on their own, I wish more shows would
take insane risks. Because win or lose, they'd be interesting as
hell.
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