Happy "insert whatever you want for at-times-very-annoying political correctness"! I just wanted to take the time to stop at the end of the year and say that I hope all of my readers are doing well and have a fantastic coming year. I know this hasn't been a very good year for my reviews, but a lot's been going on in my life lately. Back in the days of school and... well... skipping class, I had plenty of free time to play games, relax, hang out with friends, and review like there was no tomorrow. I just won't be able to attain that pace ever again. With that said, my personal New Years Resolutions[TM] primarily consist of continuing to work out and making a lot more progress on this review project of mine. So there's something to be excited about!

To hold you over until the end of the month... or possibly the new year, I'll say that I'm almost caught up reviewing all four issues of the S8 comic arc "No Future for You," and that I'm extremely excited about tackling "Dead Things" (6x13).

Hey, look at that: I finally got around to another review! Check out my thoughts on Doublemeat Palace (6x12)!

Note: My thoughts are not liable to that depicted by this photo.

• I got an awful cold that took a lot out of me for a couple weeks.
• I bought my first car (2005 Acura TSX), with all the panic and subsequent calming down that entails.
• Work got a lot busier for a while.

Now things are finally beginning to calm down a bit again. I know I've been pathetic when it comes to reviews this year, but there's unfortunately not much I can do about it. Getting back on track with new reviews has definately been on my mind lately though.

In other news, to all of you out there who aren't opposed to playing a video game, I must whole-heartedly recommend Valve Software's Portal to everyone. It's got the most wicked sense of humor of any game I've ever played before and I feel the crowd who frequents my site would find much to appreciate in it. Go look it up!

Coming back to Whedon-related news, have you heard about Whedon's new TV series Dollhouse!? Yep, you heard that right: a brand new Whedon-helmed TV show starring Eliza Dushku (Buffy's Faith) herself. Tim Minear of Angel and Firefly fame is onboard as well! Check out the launch thread in my forum for more info!

That's it for now. Cross your fingers for some new reviews and a podcast in the somewhat near future! Like Buffy in "Fear, Itself," I've been a bit down lately... but things are finally beginning to bounce back. Happy Halloween!

Finally, new reviews! Check out Gone (6x11) and The Chain (8x05). Also, keep note of the fact that from now on I'm reviewing each S8 arc issue only after the entire arc has been released. I feel that this will allow me to write much more fluid, and therefore better, S8 reviews. Also, I hope to record a new podcast sometime this month! Check out the podcast page for details as they gradually appear.

    

The extremely despised extremely despised Wrecked (6x10) is reviewed! Check it out and (doubtfully) be enlightened!

The very underrated Smashed (6x09) is now reviewed! You'll probably quickly notice that the episode did not receive a score on an interval of 5. From now until the end of the series I'll be scoring more with more aim (any integer between and including 0 and 100 is now valid). All episode scores before S6 will be adjusted to reflect this change after I'm done with S7, at which point I'll be making some additions and revisions to many of my reviews beginning with S1.

New reviews are here!! Check out my very delayed reviews of The Long Way Home Pt. 3 (8x03) and The Long Way Home Pt. 4 (8x04)!

        

It's really amazing how quickly time seems to pass by these days. Amidst several questions of whether or not I've stopped reviewing, I've decided to make a statement right here: no, I'm not done reviewing. I just haven't been posting reviews very frequently for a while now. Despite my persistent optimism that I could quickly get back on a regular reviewing schedule, it turns out there's just been way too much going on lately in my life to do that. I guarantee that there will be a time when I get back on track. Unfortunately, I don't know when that time is, aside from the fact that it will be before the end of the year. What are some of these 'life' things going are that are taking up so much of my time you ask?

• Lots of changes at work both for myself and others: a new schedule and ever-increasing responsibilities.
• Changes at home: I'm looking to move into a bigger apartment, so I've been spending time digging into specifics. Before year's end I also hope to have a new car, so I've been researching which car that'll be.
• Entertainment occupation: I've been trying to get back into gaming a little bit. So now that takes up a bit of my free time as well. Also, until recently (season finales and all), I was watching new episodes of Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, 24 (yes it's a poor show, but fun to laugh at, especially this last season), and Veronica Mars (R.I.P.).
• Buffy occupation: yes, there's still a friend or two of mine left who hasn't seen and loved the entire series. Over the last few months there's been one in particular I've been watching the entire series with. Usually once or twice a week that sucks up entire evenings.
• Unlike most people in the Buffyverse, I don't hate my family. Sure they can be annoying as hell, but I still love and appreciate them for their better qualities and somewhat frequently spend time with them. That means, one or two weekends a month, I'm visiting them (they live an hour and a half north of me). Hence no reviews.
• Various other smaller things that whittle away at my time like, ya know, hanging out with friends.

So, I hope that list outlines why my time is so frustratingly vacant these days. However, a lot of things on the list are not permanent. This means that eventually my time will open up in a big way and reviews can begin flowing out of me once again! Lets just hope that happens sooner than later though!

Now, all this doesn't mean that I won't be reviewing at all for however long it takes me to get back to frequent reviewing, but rather that the reviews will continue to be, well, infrequent until that time. I will, however, make a concerted effort to keep on track with the comic reviews starting with Issue #5. So to wrap up this entire speech about me, I just want to ask all of you to hang on with me here. As exhausting as reviewing can be these days, I still do enjoy writing them (especially when they're finished and I can see the finished product). There's been a lot of changes in my life over the last year. I will get back on track and I will finish reviewing the series. For that you have my unconditional guarantee.

Check out my new review of Tabula Rasa (6x08)! A huge 'sorry' for the long wait. I'm going to try really hard to get back on full track within a week. :)

I apologize for the lack of news since my last update. I've been very busy lately, and being sick really didn't help. However, that gool old fashioned motivation is stirring within again which can only mean one thing: lots more reviews are on the way! I'm getting very excited to continue moving through Season 6, and I hope to have the time to begin this fascinating rocky road with you soon. Hang on for just a little while longer. Lots of great content coming soon! :)

• The Long Way Home Pt. 2 (8x02) is finally reviewed! Sorry for the wait!
• "Tabula Rasa" will be reviewed by the end of the weekend (hopefully)!
• Don't forget to check out my latest, very well-received, podcast: Once More, With Analysis

The long-awaited OMWF podcast is DONE!! Head over to the Podcast page and go download the MP3 of Episode 2! Thanks everyone for your participation! On a side note, "The Long Way Home Pt. 2" will be reviewed by the end of the weekend. I apologize for the delay, but the podcast took priority and I'll be away with family most of this weekend.

I regret to inform everyone that the big OMWF podcast is not complete yet. But it's now my only focus as I've gotten the written review done along with another little piece of fun content I threw together. I'll be working on the podcast as much as I can over the next few days. Hopefully I'll have it up mid-week! I know I said I'd be releasing everything together, but since I'm delayed I figure I'll give all of you something to hold you over until the podcast releases.

• My written review of the fan favorite Once More, With Feeling (6x07) is complete!
• A new article is up detailing my favorite Fanvideos! Go check it out and share what your favorite vids are in the forum.

Just a reminder that OMWF requests are now closed. I'm in the process of collecting everyone's recordings and then putting everything together. I'm really shooting to have this out by the end of this weekend, but we'll see if I get the time. I've been pretty swamped with Buffy-related activities as of late, so my time has been a bit divided. Things will get back on track, though, once this wave of content releases.

I've decided to extend the deadline for OMWF request submissions until this Friday, the 23rd. That will definately be the the last day (PST) to submit requests to be heard in my next podcast. I have not gotten an overload of requests, so if you're thinking about doing this and are just too nervous, get over it! There are plenty of people participating that are in the same boat as you. The more people's opinions I get in here the better, so please join in on the fun. "I'm on the joy train!" :)

My very first non-retrospective review of Buffy is now up! Go check out my review of the long-awaited first issue of the brand new Season 8: The Long Way Home Pt. 1 (8x01).

As a reminder, I still need more song requests from different people for my upcoming "Once More, With Feeling" podcast! Upon my approval, your opinion (and voice) could be heard in my next podcast! If you're interested, send me an e-mail with the following information:

• Your favorite OMWF song and, more importantly, why it's your favorite. You need at least ~5 minutes worth of material to record, so if you just say "I like gilez!!11" as your reason for submission, you can count on me denying your request.
• The minimum of 20 seconds of your favorite song that you plan on singing. If you're a great singer and want to sing more, go right ahead, but for those of you who can't sing (like me), 20 seconds of the best you can do will be just fine. And yes, you must sing to be a part of this. That's half the fun! ;)

'Winners' will be announced after the submission period has ended (currently March 21). My written review of OMWF will accompany this podcast as well, so expect them to come out together. For now, enjoy the new Season 8!

The I/O machine is now ready to process All the Way (6x06)! Expect my review of the just-released "The Long Way Home Pt. 1" (8x01) by the end of the week!

I'm in the planning stages of Episode 2 of Fallen Innocence. I plan on making this a tie-in to my written review of "Once More, With Feeling" and I want you to be a part of it! If approved, you'd record and submit ~5+ minutes detailing what your favorite song is and, more importantly, why it is your favorite. Before you get too excited, wait, there's a catch! In order to do this you must SING 20+ seconds of your favorite segment in that song! None, including myself, will be immune to this restriction I'm placing on submissions. Note that there's no guarantee you'll be in the podcast, as I'll hand select which ones I decide to use. If you're interested in participating, please send me an e-mail to mikejer(at)gmail(dot)com with your favorite song and a brief written description of why you love it. Provided that there aren't too many submissions for that song already and you offer something interesting to the discussion, I'll reply and let you know to go ahead and record it.

The one restriction that applies to requests is that "Walk Through the Fire" is off limits. This is because it's my favorite and I plan on discussing it extensively. Everything else is fair game. I'll be taking requests for 1 week (although I might extend that if I'm running a bit late), so anytime on March 21 is the current cutoff. I can't wait to see how this comes together! It should be loads of fun!!

I just wanted to say Happy Anniversery to Buffy! Ten years ago Buffy aired on network television, and guess what!? I wasn't there! *cryface* As much as I wish I was able to find the time to write up something special for this occasion, I just didn't. But I can promise that I'll have lots of exciting, interesting reviews coming up along with a new episode of Fallen Innocence in the near future!

This site should be evidence enough of my love and devotion of this insanely brilliant television show, so I'll spare you all a touching little explanation. Instead I'll just gather up my focus and keep on track in pumping out (hopefully) spectacular reviews and insightful podcasts! So, as Buffy and friends took a pause in "Graduation Day Pt. 2," I shall take a pause here. (beat). Long live Buffy!! I know this series will be forever a part of my life. Maybe not always to the extent it is now, but always in some capacity. :D

My review of Flooded (6x04) is up! As a reminder, I've also recently added a podcast section and some new features on the reviews page. Consume.

• S6 reviews have begun(!): Bargaining Pt. 1 (6x01), Bargaining Pt. 2 (6x02), and After Life (6x03).
• Graphical updates: new splash image and menu bar, made by me!
• As I hinted I was interested in a long ways back, I've started up a podcast! It is called Fallen Innocence and the introduction episode is already up and ready to download! More info on the new Podcast page.
• I've added two new features to my episode review page: the Comment List and the Writer/Director Episode Search.
• Reviews of "Flooded" and "Life Serial" will appear sometime soon.

I have ambitious plans for the future of this site. These plans will be gradually released as I get closer to finishing my reviews of the series. To hold you over, here's some (hopefully) tantalizing hints: completely redone S1 reviews and brushed up S2 reviews, a new section added to every single review, a vastly expanded Articles & Essays section, and more!

There's lots to look forward to, but for now enjoy the occasional podcast and consistent stream of new episode reviews. Please give me feedback (e-mail, forums, whatever) on everything I do so I can continuously work to improve my material and the site itself. I'm welcoming in new readers every month, and I want to welcome even more! If you love this site, please spread the word about it to any Buffy fans you know that might be interested. Thank you for all your encouragement and enjoy all the new material!

Status update: lots of fun ahead! I've got all kinds of new stuff on the way along with three new episode reviews (I've already started the writing!), some site design upgrades, and a completely new section that should prove very interesting. All of this is "coming soon!"

Well, it's finally arrived. Here, proudly, lies my Season 5 Review! Consider this my Valentine's Day gift to all of you! Additionally, you may notice that I've added a section on the reviews page for the upcoming Season 8. This is just me getting prepared to jump into reviewing right from the first issue -- I can't wait! Expect me to begin reviewing S6 within a week or two. This season should prove to be very challenging and fascinating to review, and I really look forward to it. Well, that's it for now! :D

The Season 5 Review is not done yet. I just wanted to report that I'm about half done with it and that it should be up within another week or two. Sorry for the wait, like usual, but my time is limited and these things are pretty large (this one being the largest so far). I promise it'll be worth the wait though!

• The four-part S5 finale is completely reviewed! Check out Tough Love, Spiral, The Weight of the World, and The Gift!
• Update: a security code field is now enabled for all comments. This prevents spammers from putting junk in the comments forcing me to delete them. Please copy your comments before submitting them, just in case you got the security code wrong.
• I have officially decided to review Buffy S8 as it releases. If I didn't, I'd be forced to wait until all issues are released, and I just couldn't wait that long.
• Expect the Season 5 Review within a couple weeks. These reviews usually take a little while, but I'll do my best to get it finished in a timely manner.

Check out the surprisingly important I Was Made to Love You (5x15), new and reviewed! Note that the next two reviews will be released at the same time. I hope you can figure out why. ;)

I've got an early special treat for New Years! Two new reviews!! Clocking in is two excellent episodes: Blood Ties (5x13) and Crush (5x14)! Happy New Years!

• My review of Checkpoint (5x12) is complete!
• A new holiday banner is up throughout the site. I hope everyone enjoys it, as it's my small way of saying Merry Christmas, et al. I may do seasonally themed banners from now on.
• The Buffy S8 comics are getting ever closer to release (March '07). Recently discovered is that, besides Whedon himself, Jane Espenson, Doug Petrie, Drew Goddard, and others will be returning to pen some of the issues! So lots to look forward to there. At this time I am unsure how I will review S8. It will be reviewed, I'm just not sure if I should wait until I'm finished with the rest of the series first. I think that's the smart way to play it. I'll keep you updated right here on my official plans though.

I had planned to have several new reviews up by today, but as some of you may have heard on the news, Western Washington got hit by a giant windstorm Thursday night that knocked the power out for over 1.5 million people. I haven't had power myself for over 61 straight hours with temperatures below freezing. I just got back up and running and will need a little bit of time to get things back to normal. The review for "Checkpoint" is already partially done and will be up as soon as I have time. I really look forward to getting back on track with this. Thanks a ton for all your patience.

Well, my excuses are running out here. What has been keeping my occupied over the last week or so has been tearing through prematurely cancelled TV shows (in case you're wondering: Freaks and Geeks, Wonderfalls, and Joan of Arcadia). I'm really sorry about the lack of new reviews in, like, forever. I don't know when, but I will have more frequent reviews coming out again. The specific time of when this will happen I cannot say. Will it be days? Possibly. Weeks? Maybe. Months? No. So hopefully that gives you some kinda of timeframe. Thanks again for all your patience!

The first week of my new job ends today and it's going very well. Things are finally beginning to settle down and I look forward to getting new reviews up in the very near future! :)

Up front I'll say that I hope to have my review of "Triangle" (5x11) up by tomorrow evening. With that said, I just got a job working as a tools developer for the Microsoft Xbox Operations Team (think Xbox Live) in Redmond, WA. What this means for you is that I will be even more excessively busy than I have even been lately for the next couple of weeks or so. After things settle down (with the needing to move and all) I hope to get back into a more frequent review routine again.

Don't worry, the reviews will most definately continue to be posted as I'm completely committed (and always have been) to this site. This is both an exciting and nerve-wracking time for me, but it should calm down with a little bit of time. Thanks for your patience! :)

At long last, a new review! Say hello to Into the Woods (5x10) - Reviewed Edition. My review of "Triangle" (5x11) should be up within a few days.

I apologize for the delay, but I've been excessively busy this last week getting my life together. I hope to have new reviews up soon, but I'm not going to make any promises. It shouldn't be too much longer though. Thanks for your patience! :)

Nothing new this time. I just wanted to keep everyone updated on the fact that I'll have another two reviews up within the next few days. I've been delayed recently due to getting myself prepared for a job hunt.

Expect my "Fool for Love" review to be up tomorrow. I apologize for taking so long, I didn't even know I actually had a life until recently. Where'd all these 'friends' come from anyway? I mean, seriously. ;)

Quick update. My review of "Fool for Love" will not be up for around a week. Sorry for the delay, but I have had and am having a lot of company over lately. Thanks for your patience (that is, if you have any).

My review of Family (5x06) is up. While you're at that, take a look at my new BtVS Writer/Director Episode Search. With this you can find out every episode of BtVS the writer you searched for wrote (same with directors) along with how I scored those episodes and the average score. Another way to access this page is to click on the writer(s) or director now located at the top of each of my reviews. I should have a direct link to the page somewhere on the site as soon as I find a place to stick it. Let me know what you think in the forums (or via e-mail). Note that I eventually plan on adding Angel episodes to the search as well.

• My review of the fantastic No Place Like Home (5x05) is done! It's the first P I've handed out this season, and to many a surprising one at that.
• I've finally implemented a much asked for comment system. At the bottom of every review you can now instantly add your own thoughts on my review or the episode. If people or internet bots start abusing the comments, I will be forced to restrict them to registered forum users only (or some other security method). If you encounter any problems, please e-mail me right away.
• Update: the Top 20 list has now become the Top 25 list. I just couldn't resist any longer! :)