What is THE Joss Whedon scene?

Crispee

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Hey Escapist goers, I'm doing a presentation in University about Joss Whedon. What would you say is THE scene that demonstrates his writing/directing/general creative style? Ideally under two minutes long. Doesn't have to be a scene, can just be a dialogue exchange or something.
 

Crispee

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Random Argument Man said:
I'd suggest watching Buffy's episode Hush. There's not much dialogue, but you're bound to found a Joss Whedon moment.
That's a start, I did always like Giles' slide presentation in that scene.
 

Ed130 The Vanguard

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Sep 10, 2008
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The walkthough of Serenity at the start of the movie Serenity. both humor and seriousness combined with some clever tricks with the camera and shot positioning.

Mind you I haven't watched many of his works so there could be something out there thats better suited for your presentation.
 

SonOfVoorhees

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The one where Buffy finds her mum dead. Done so well, especially being that people died all the time in Buffy but the impact of that scene is so well done.
 

ayvee

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How about basically everything about "the harbinger" in Cabin in the Woods. But especially the phone scene.
 

redknightalex

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SonOfVoorhees said:
The one where Buffy finds her mum dead. Done so well, especially being that people died all the time in Buffy but the impact of that scene is so well done.
"The Body."

Written and directed by Whedon and it really is one of the best episodes of any show I've seen. It's also rather well-known for its lack of any music, incidental or otherwise. It's a standout for anything Whedon related.

If you had to pick a scene from that episode, I believe there's a moment with Buffy sitting in a waiting room go for the scene near the beginning of the episode when the EMTs pronounce Joyce dead and Buffy has to deal with the news by herself.
 

Rellik San

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The very end of Cabin in the Woods, with the two sat on the steps, caked in blood, smoking a joint, the acceptance of the inevitability of death hanging over them and the calmness that follows when your at peace with that... right before the world ends and credits roll.

It's a surprisingly quiet note on which to end the movie after all the bombast and unicorns leading upto it.
 

bigfatcarp93

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Wow, as someone who's just starting Buffy for the first time, this was the wrong thread to visit.
 

KazeAizen

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I don't know much about the Whedon verse as I've only really seen Dollhouse but I'd say for me the scene that sticks out in my mind is that 30 second money shot for The Avengers. You know the one I"m talking about.
 

KissingSunlight

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ccdohl said:
The part where Captain Reynolds returns from the mission off the ship in the first episode of Firefly and shoots the guy who has taken the crew hostage like it is no big deal.

Or when Hulk smashes Loki in Avengers.
You beat me on mentioning that scene from Firefly.

I would also mention the very first scene from Buffy "Welcome To The Hellmouth" where a high school couple sneaks into the school at night. It looks like the boy is going to take advantage of the girl. Turns out the girl is a vampire and attacks the boy.

The Buffy episode "Passion" where he gets the reputation of killing off his main characters.

This scene from Angel "Epiphany" - Angel: Well, I guess I kinda worked it out. If there's no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters... , then all that matters is what we do. 'Cause that's all there is. What we do. Now. Today. I fought for so long, for redemption, for a reward, and finally just to beat the other guy, but I never got it.

Kate Lockley: And now you do?

Angel: Not all of it. All I wanna do is help. I wanna help because, I don't think people should suffer as they do. Because, if there's no bigger meaning, then the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world.
 

Darth Rosenberg

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First you've got to define what Whedonesque even is. Generally, he'd be known for; humour, focus on character narrative, and using expectations and genre conventions to invert or recontextualise.


Must it be demonstrably penned by Joss himself? Because I'd argue one of the most Whedonesque episodes of any show he's created didn't technically have him down as a writer; Buffy's S7 classic, Conversations With Dead People.

It's very tough to find a single scene under 2mins, but several of the Buffy/Holden scenes would surely qualify. They feature genre expectations/awareness (Buffy vs hostile vamp), which are then subverted (vamp used to know her from school), humorously (Buffy doesn't remember him, but tries, badly, to pretend like she did) for the purposes of furthering the character narrative (vamp turns out to be a psychology student, and he begins to give her an ad hoc therapy session. in the process, Buffy is forced to reflect, sincerely on her egoism and insecurities).

And a last, typically Whedonesque touch, is being sideswiped by a plot reveal that, again, recontextualises what's been shown to the audience thus far; it transpires Holden, the psyche 101 vamp, was sired by none other than Spike - who she's just been discussing, minus the name. That furthers the season arc, which is another defining quality.

Joss did contribute to - or perhaps flat out write - those Buff/Holden scenes, but he went uncredited.

The trouble is, whilst all those scenes are relatively short, they're obviously paced (brilliantly) throughout the episode. You might be able to cut together two examples? Or montage short sequences thematically?

I think those scenes go down as one of the best character studies Whedon's ever done, in any of his shows, comicbooks, or films. It essentially cuts to the core of who Buffy is, and why she is the way she is - not just in Season 7 . And it does it in a way that's inventive, and emotionally relatable (even those this is a vampire and a vampire Slayer sitting down to discuss their feels). Essentially, all the things Joss is known for are in full force in those scenes.

I could think of scores of examples... So there's plenty more if that doesn't suffice.

And whilst Dollhouse and Firefly (as well as Serenity, Cabin, Dr Horrible, and maybe even The Avengers. I've still never bothered with Angel) have their own quintessentially Whedonesque scenes, I think you'd need to use Buffy. Why? Because subverting or recontextualising pop culture icons was something that's shaped his whole career. With Conversations he's deconstructing a pop culture icon who already deconstructed genre conventions/tropes - which is pretty frikkin' meta...
 

Godhead

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The entire scene where Dr. Horrible sees Captain Hammer at the laundromat.

I never would have guessed the hammer was the penis if it weren't for good ol' Joss.
 

Sarah Kerrigan

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I have only seen a few Buffy episodes, but I will say it was ether Hulk Vs Loki in the avengers or even the thirty scond pan shot in the same movie. Just too awesome.
 

Anachronism

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I'd probably say that bit in The Avengers where Black Widow's being interrogated, but it turns out she's actually the interrogator, is playing the other guys for chumps, then beats them up while still tied to a chair.

Witty dialogue? Check. Subverting your expectations of the scene? Check. Making a female character every bit as badass as the men? Check.

I'd say it covers the bases pretty well.
 

Aetera

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I'd also have to agree with the posters suggesting the Buffy episode The Body. Either the beginning, when Buffy finds her mom dead, or Anya's speech on how she doesn't understand mortality. That episode was extremely well done. If you want to go for a lighter moment, though, maybe something from the musical episode in season 6, Once More with Feeling? Perhaps the song I've Got a Theory? It sums up the show pretty well.
 

Ne1butme

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I would suggest the 2nd season Buffy episode "Passion", specifically the scene were Angel is watching Willow and Buffy get a bad phone call. Something about that scene always gets to me. I think it was the moment i fell in love with Whedon's shows, even though he didn't write this specific episode.
 

YuberNeclord

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Also going to have to throw another vote at the Buffy episode The body.

Another episode from Buffy that I would recommend would be the season 6 Episode "Dead Things." I really liked that episode because of the major tonal shift that completely changed how I viewed The Trio and really added another layer of dark to a pretty bleak season.

Up until that point I saw The Trio as kinda goofy and almost non-threating. But then out comes Warrens horrific misogyny when he builds a 'cerebral dampener', a magical device designed to turn women into his love slaves, which he uses on his ex girlfriend. And Jonathan and Andrew go along with this plan without any moral objections, which just makes them horrible people too.

Within that episode I guess the best scene would be where Warren's ex snaps out of the spell they had her under and launches into this tirade at all three of them. Just that moment where she says to them "You bunch of little boys playing at being men. Well this is not some fantasy. This is not some game you freaks. It's rape." and it didn't even occur to Jonathan and Andrew that what they were doing was rape. I was just like, wow there is something seriously wrong with these guys.