Tiny Fences: A Buffy Podcast

It's Valentine's Day in Sunnydale! Which, of course, means magic and mayhem for our Scoobies! You'd think Xander would know better, but apparently when hearts get broken, common sense goes out the window.  Amanda and Andrea have a lot to talk about in this Xander-centric ep, it's all about 'careful what you wish for' for our resident comic relief. We also have lots of music to talk about and a few fun SNL related facts. There's also annoyance with Amy's mythology knowledge, Xander's inability to barricade a door, and worries about Joyce's ability to suppress the insanity going on around her. Also, there was apparently SO much conversation related to 'Phases' that we have the first ever re-visit to a previous episode! ENJOY!

People, we have a lot of thoughts about Phases. Andrea wants to talk about this as one of the few Oz-centric eps in the series, but Amanda can't get over how awful almost every other male is in the ep! And she's right, it's pretty awful.  The ladies also talk about how they're watching the same show, but are getting such different things out of it, Andrea wants the comedy, Amanda wants the emotion. This is probably because Andrea just wants everyone to be happy, and Amanda can't help being an empath.  In the end, the episode has its fair share of problematic elements, and those are off-set by some seriously adorable Willow/Oz moments.  

Recorded live at La Fontana Caffe in Burnaby, BC, home of NerdHQ! Amanda and Andrea welcome back John, as they discuss the episode that changes it all for season 2, Innocence.  It seems as though Amanda and Andrea have switched places, with Andrea having a lot more energy than normal, while Amanda wants to really drill down and focus. There's lots of music talk from Amanda, Andrea won't shut up about Joss' commentary on the DVD, and keep count for John and his gypsy talk...

It's a surprise-filled birthday for Buffy and the gang! Jenny's a gypsy! Oz, vampires are real! Spike's in a wheelchair! Drusilla's building a giant demon! SO MANY SURPRISES! Amanda and Andrea talk a lot about relationships in this episode. There's a lot happening in this first half of the second two-parter of season 2 with the couples, ALL OF THEM! Oz/Willow, Spike/Dru, Cordy/Xander, Giles/Jenny and especially Buffy/Angel. It's a lot of set up, mostly so Joss can kick us in the heart in the next ep.

Ugh, well at least it's over with now, one of the worst eps of Buffy, Bad Eggs, is done and dusted. As per usual with bad eps, this podcast's a little longer than usual. Amanda starts out trying to defend the episode, but it doesn't take long for Andrea to bring her over to her way of thinking - that this episode is terrible, and (very unusual for Buffy stand-alones) has no point or moral. Or if there is, it's very poorly executed. We also feature a fan-edit of our theme song by fan and friend Peter, and talk generally about how much we love our fans, and how knowledgeable they are about so many things!

It's Ted time on Tiny Fences. We start off the episode a little dark, but transition to lighter fare with a musical number! The ladies talk about parenting, domestic violence, loneliness, and Buffy's questionable journaling style. They also get into a little chat about the rules for superpowered people, and Andrea wants everyone to read Marvel's Civil War event. Amanda also waxes poetic about Christophe Beck and his fantastic score.

Time to wrap up Career Week with a BANG!  The girls discuss, yet again, what makes Buffy unique as a Slayer, especially her ability to outsource things to the Scoobies.  Amanda's enamoured with Coriander and Andrea talks about some animal cracker love, and how Alyson Hannigan's TV relationships give her potentially unrealistic #relationshipgoals. 

It's the first big two-parter of season 2 and is there ever a lot to discuss! Kendra! The Order of Taraka! Career Week! Amanda and Andrea take a career test to see what they should've done with their lives (hint: neither of them got podcaster). Amanda also gets to talk about the big shocker of the episode, THERE'S ANOTHER SLAYER! (who has a terrible accent, and questionable fashion choices) And, unsurprisingly, Andrea gets derailed again by talking about her love of Oz. 

Andrea and Amanda welcome guest Julia as they delve into Giles' past and discuss episode 208, The Dark Age. Looking into Giles' history with Ethan and Eyghon gives A&A some insight into why Giles is the way he is with Buffy.  The ladies also get in a game of anywhere but here, have a brief Hogwarts tangent and debate which word is better: aerobicize or calisthenics.  

LIES! That's what episode 207 is all about. Andrea and Amanda welcome their first Skype guest, Tom from Toronto.  Amanda gives her first impressions of Ford, Andrea talks about one her favourite scenes in all of Buffy, and Tom talks about how early 20s Tom loved the melodrama of this episode.   

The first Halloween episode! Andrea and Amanda welcome back John to chat about how amazing this episode.  It's a extra-long one and that's because there's so much to talk about! Favourite costumes, how strong Willow is in this ep, how much Andrea loves Oz, how cute Willow and Oz are even though they haven't really met yet... And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Admittedly not one of the greatest episodes in season two, but that doesn't mean Andrea and Amanda don't have lots to talk about!  We've got some seriously overt morals, and tips for picking up boys with Cordelia; complete with fake laugh, Andrea's is decidedly evil, while Amanda's is much more flirty. Amanda launches the ladies into an interesting discussion about why the bad decisions were made in this episode, and Andrea has some casting theories for Firefly. (it involves punches to the face)

It's finally Oz time on Buffy! Andrea celebrates the arrival of her favourite character, while Amanda mourns the death of her ship, yes, Xillow is done. :( Amanda and Andrea have different, but complementary, ideas of what the 'theme' of this episode is. This leads them off on to some very different, but very interesting tangents. 

SPIKE'S HERE! That's right folks, we've finally made it to 2x03! This week we welcome our first return guest, Sam, and we also have our good friend Gian on for the introduction of Spike! We've also updated our theme song, find out that Amanda thought Spike was going to be a good guy, and have maybe figured out why Andrea has issues with people constantly bringing up the fire. Due to popular demand, Amanda's elegies are back! AND she's created the most AMAZING shout out song EVER!

Amanda and Andrea welcome Carolyn and Vanessa from Not Another X-Files Podcast Podcast for episode 2x02, Some Assembly Required! The girls discuss science fairs, how Frankenstein just always wants a girlfriend, and how the Scoobies are finally getting interpersonal on us - well, except for Xillow of course! (much to Amanda's despair)

We’re back for season two! (and it’s a LONG one!) We delve into the themes of friendship and dealing with trauma for 2x01. Amanda tests Andrea’s movie knowledge, and Andrea debuts a new jingle for Amanda’s predictions. While Amanda's Xillow is in an interesting place, she's finally coming around to Andrea's views on the Buffy and Angel relationship.   The ladies also get into a deep discussion about musical scores, Christophe Beck and how Buffy’s strong use of music set it apart from ‘regular’ shows. Plus a WHOLE bunch of extra ridiculousness...it IS an extra long episode after all!

Andrea and Amanda discuss Prophecy Girl and season one in general in front of a LIVE audience at Northwest Fan Fest!  The ladies talk about how great the episode is, and then almost get into a fight when Amanda makes some less than flattering remarks about our heroine! The drama continues when Amanda conveniently forgets Andrea’s favourite quotes, so Andrea reminds the audience that Amanda hasn’t watched ST:TNG Will the podcast go on with so much friction?!  (SPOILER ALERT! Uh, of course!)

Quantum mechanics and high school outcasts are the name of the game this week on Tiny Fences! Amanda makes a revelation that makes Andrea question how she’s still alive. Plus the ladies discuss their high school experiences, their mutual clumsiness, and whether they believe in ghosts.   There also a bunch of shout outs to our awesome fans, and a fun tangent into our favourite Vancouver geeky debate show, Geeks vs Nerds!

FEAR! That's what 'Nightmares' is all about, so naturally the ladies discuss the fears of the characters and their own phobias. This episode also has a ton a of new additions to the "Tips from Tiny Fences on what NOT to do in a Horror movie", inlcuding Andrea noticing how Xander would 100% be eaten by a witch in a gingerbread house.  Amanda has a lot of fun with the soundboard, and may have made her most ridiculous name guess yet.  Also, randomly, there's an usually large amount of sportstalk for a pop culture podcast this time around. *shrug*

Dummies, Snyder and Oedipus, OH MY! It must be time for Amanda and Andrea to dive into an episode that divides the Buffy fandom, 'The Puppet Show'! Amanda meets Principal Snyder for the first time, and Andrea talks about her soft spot for the campy horror in this episode, along with it's many awesome words (mostly courtesy of Giles). The ladies also improv a song about hygiene, and chat about their shared taste in movies & TV shows. Amanda gets Andrea to talk about her time working in the Vancouver film industry and how it helps her appreciate the things she watches a little bit more.