Alyson Hannigan is HOT! If I can think of only one reason that proves without a doubt that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a worthwhile watch, this would be it. But seriously, if you consider yourself to be a fan of one of the greatest horror-hybrid shows to hit the small screen, then you really don't have an excuse for not owning this 6-Disc DVD set yet. FOX has finally delivered. The delivery being the second season of Buffy on DVD, and while the results are a bit wishy-washy, there's still plenty of goodness to make this set worth just about every penny you'll plunk down on it (yeah, I said plunk, you got a problem with that?). The second season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, is undoubtedly the most important of the series, which brings me to my next point; there is a lot of room for spoilage. I'm going to do my best to stay away from any major spoilers so newbies and forgetful fans alike should be safe here.

Season 2 lays down the architecture for Buffy, as we know it today. Characters and relationships are introduced that are still in effect as we speak. Season 2 IS Buffy the Vampire Slayer, period. We're introduced to long term bad boy Spike, and his best gal Dru. We're introduced to Oz and his relationship with Willow (did I mention how cute and HOT Willow is?) begins to develop. Buffy and Angel's relationship takes a few unexpected twists and turns as they sleep together for the first time, and their lives change forever. Not to be left out, Cordelia and Xander find many closets of their own for some making out and hea-hea-hea-heavy petting (excuse me) time.

Why is Buffy The Vampire Slayer such a great fuckin' show? The answers to this question are many with the standout answer being the characters, which include some of the most well developed and sympathetic characters one could hope to find on the many channels of the idiot box. The characters on Buffy are quirky (just look at Willow and Xander for prime examples) yet sympathetic. They're teenagers that not only have to deal with the troubles of good grades, acne, and the school dance; they also have to battle the undead and countless demon incarnations. Each of the main characters is an outcast in their own right; outcasts we can all identify with. The combination of soap opera style story lines (without getting too sappy) and horror/adventure action is blended to near perfection. If you liked films like THE GOONIES, THE MONSTER SQUAD, and THE NEVER ENDING STORY (did I leave out THE LOST BOYS?) as a child, I'd be willing to wager you're also a fan of Buffy (or could be a fan of Buffy). It's fun, plain and simple. The show fills a weird kind of adventurous void we may be lacking in our own daily 9-5 lives. Let's face it, if you don't have a fascination with the "possibility" of the undead, and creepy creatures from beyond, you may actually be one yerself. Buffy features monster after creature after monster after creature of incredible coolness. AND, last but not least, let's not forget that Alyson Hannigan is HOT, and wears cute hats by the dozen!

Now I bet you're wondering, "OK this is all fine and good, but what about the audio and video quality?" Well, the word is that it's good. Good yes, but certainly not without its problems. As with Season One, the producers were working with really tight budgets and schedules. The second season, as with the first was shot on 16mm film (hence the full frame image). Basically this means we can expect a lot of grain, and a lot of grain we get. Another problem with 16mm is that it's very difficult to light for. What we get are darker scenes that suffer because of heavy grain, while interiors suffer from poor lighting conditions. Scenes outdoors in the bright sunlight seem to exhibit the best available picture quality (no surprise here). I noticed a definite shift by Episode 7 LIE TO ME. From this point forward, lighting appears to be fairly balanced from scene to scene (indoor and outdoors alike as well as with darker scenes), and starts to take on a more realistic quality. Before we reach Episode 7 expect to see a lot of the lighting issues I spoke of as well as shifts in quality from scene to scene, keeping in mind that eventually things begin to clear up. I don't fault any of this on FOX or their mastering job, etc. Considering the low budget origins and the use of 16mm film stock I'm sure this is the best we could expect the show to look. Episodes are most likely transferred to video for broadcast immediately afterwards so it's even unlikely that some of the original film elements still existed for this transfer (or existed in good shape) to be used. Much different than remastering a theatrical film, I'd say that FOX did the best they could, and I am definitely pleased, as this is much better than VHS or broadcast quality.

Sound is presented in its originally broadcast Dolby 2.0 Mix. There's nothing to really write home to mom about here as it boils down to a static mono surround mix, which means not too much in terms of immersive depth. However, sound is crystal clear with no distortion, and dialogue is nice and crisp. You'll find that the surrounds usually kick in during heavily scored scenes, as well as concerts in The Bronze. It's nice to see that dialogue still remains balanced during these transitional surround moments, so for the most Part you'll probably find the sound mix to be adequately pleasing.

OK, this all sounds good, but what about the extras? Well, I'd say that most fans should be pleased, as FOX has not skimped on the goodies with this release. There are commentaries over 4 of the 22 episodes including a Joss Whedon commentary on INNOCENCE. The other 3 episodes to receive the commentary treatment are REPTILE BOY and WHAT'S MY LINE (Parts 1 & 2). There are also 6 mini Joss Whedon "interviews" for the following episodes; SURPRISE, INNOCENCE, PASSION, I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU, and the season finale BECOMING (Parts 1 & 2). There's still more as there are some cool extras to round out the 6th and final disc including 3 featurettes; Designing Buffy (set design), A Buffy Bestiary (the many creatures of Buffy) and Beauty and the Beasts (make-up and SFX). There are also plenty of still galleries, including set designs, monster sketches and publicity stills. Finally, we're given a plethora of TV trailers (domestic and UK) as well as your standard cast and crew BIOS, noyce! Also, here's a word to the wise. Most of the extras contain major spoilage, so you'll probably want to stay away from them until you've watched the entire set (this includes commentaries, interviews, and featurettes). There are also spoilers within for future seasons of Buffy, you have been warned.

This is a great set for Buffy fans, as it includes hours upon hours of vampire slayin' goodness. This is also a really great way for newbies to kick back and better acquaint themselves with The Vampire Slayer and her friends. FOX has done good as this is truly a great set (right down to the animated menus and fold out digipack design). Still not convinced? Hmmm, then I only have 4 words for you. Alyson Hannigan is HOT!

Epsiode Listing Season 2 Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Disc One
When She Was Bad
Some Assembly Required
School Hard (introduction of Spike and Dru)
Inca Mummy Girl

Disc Two
Reptile Boy
Halloween (Sexy Willow, Reeeoowwr!)
Lie to Me (turning point in image quality, you WILL notice a difference)
The Dark Age

Disc Three
What's My Line (Part One)
What's My Line (Part Two)
Ted (Evil John Ritter!)
Bad Eggs

Disc Four
Surprise (Buffy and Angel turning point)
Innocence
Phases
Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered

Disc Five
Passion
Killed By Death
I Only Have Eyes For You
Go Fish

Disc Six
Becoming Part One (Season Finale)
Becoming Part Two (Season Finale)

Remaining Supplements also laid out on Disc Six