Joss Whedon’s 5 Finest TV/Movie Moments

With the release last week of the second season of the awesome Dollhouse Season 2 on DVD (you can read my last post about Dollhouse here on BM) I wanted to spend some time paying tribute to the man behind that not just that show, but some of the finest stories, characters and screenplays in modern times…

Joss Whedon is one of my favourite Writer/Directors. The man has so much talent and imagination and a great sense of humour. Before I knew what he looked like I wanted to marry him, but now… well let’s say I’d really love to be his best mate.

I think Joss’s (yes, first names – we’re best mates remember?) biggest strength is his ability to create amazing characters who are real and alive and who, even in the hands of other writers and directors, will stay just as powerful. Another thing I love about his work is the strong female characters he creates. They are beautiful, smart, funny and amazingly tough (usually with some kind of super power and they can kick anyone’s ass). I wonder what the Freudian take would be on that.
Anyway here are my 5 favourite Joss Whedon moments on the small – and big – screen:

1. Angel: City of…

This was the first episode of Angel. Angel had to leave Sunnydale because he and Buffy could no longer stand being near each other but not together. He went to Los Angeles with no other purpose than to be left alone to drown his sorrows. But of course that was not to be the case. A great new character, the funny and charming Doyle was introduced, oh yeah and he had a sexy Irish accent! Cordelia also joined him, which made sense since there really wasn’t a place for her in Buffy anymore. This is a favourite moment because spinoffs can be a bit dodgy if they’re not made properly and there is a moment when you are watching the first episode, holding your breath and hoping for the best. When it’s over you are either going to be really excited and think “yay my Wednesday nights are sorted”, or mutter under your breath cursing the creators for ruining a good thing. Angel did of course deliver to my and I’m sure a lot of other Buffy fans’ great relief.

2. Veronica Mars: Rat Saw God

I loved Veronica Mars; it was quirky, funny and really clever. Veronica herself is cute as a bug and goes around solving various mysteries, some light hearted and funny and some with a more sinister twist.  It fast became one of my favourite TV shows (been recently enjoying reruns too) and I guess Joss Whedon shares my enthusiasm because in 2005 he made a cameo appearance in this episode.  He played the despised and grumpy supervisor at a car rental place where Veronica was fishing for information and refused to fall for Veronica’s charm. The first time I watched it I had no idea what he looked like so when I found out I dug out some photos of him online and had to watch it again to try and spot him.

3. Glee: Dream on

I’ve come to have really great expectations whenever I hear the name Joss whedon and it was great to hear that he had directed an episode of Glee. He was of course up to the challenge and it was a really good episode. And on top of it all Neil Patrick Harris was in it too as a disillusioned bitter old Glee member who had come back to destroy the Glee club. He and Will Schuster sang a couple of duets which was just great.

4. Buffy – The gift

This was the season 5 finale and Joss Whedon came back to write, direct and produce it himself and boy am I glad he did. It was one of the best Buffy episodes ever. It was a mixture of action, horror, comedy and a LOT of drama and it ended with Buffy throwing herself off a huge tower to save Dawns life. What a way to end the series.

5. Toy Story!

Who knew Joss Whedon had helped write the screenplay for the original Toy Story?? I didn’t!! And I’ve loved Toy Story and watched it many times since it came out in 1995. I only found out recently and had to include it in this list.

So what were yours? I’m sure you can remember other favourites so do drop a comment.  I can’t wait to see what he comes out next – a quick check on IMDB tells me he’s been hard at work on screenplays for indie scary flick Cabin in the Woods, as well as the Captain America and Avengers movies that are currently being made, plus a documentary about Comic Con – so comic book fans you’re gonna be well catered for! Personally I want to know when he’s going to come out with his next TV series and let loose a whole new set of characters and fantastic stories for us to feast on… we love you Joss!

Related articles

• Eliza Dushku Hasn’t Discussed ‘Avengers’ With Joss Whedon (Yet), But Knows Who She Wants to Play! (splashpage.mtv.com)

If you enjoyed reading this post, then please remember to post a comment, Subscribe to my RSS feed.