Speculative Archives - Page 4 of 7

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Beauty and the Beasts

I love the way The Call of the Wild frames this episode. Buffy’s voiceover sets the mood in much the same way that Angelus did in “Passion.”

It’s a tale of three beasts – two good and one evil. When Xander falls asleep on Oz duty, and a fellow student is killed in what looks to be an animal attack, the gang concludes that werewolf Oz may have done it. Though I’m puzzled that no one wondered why a werewolf would crawl back through the window and sit in a cage waiting for morning.

With Pete and Debbie being Scott’s friends, they were able to ease into the episode without screaming potential villains and/or victims (their appearance did at least whisper that, though). And Pete’s snide remarks about Buffy made you hope he would be one of the two.

And of course you know Mr. Platt will end up being a victim, because he connects with Buffy. I hate it when Buffy comes in to talk with him, almost in tears, only to find out that he’s dead. I wonder if she thought of him, years later, when she became a school counselor herself.

The scene in the morgue was hilarious. First, you have Willow keeping her evidence-gathering supplies in a Scooby-Doo lunchbox (a fun tip to the group that gave the Scooby gang of this show their moniker). Then Xander comes up behind her and is freaked out by the dead body. Then Cordelia walks into the room and scares Xander:

Xander: We’re doing crime here. You don’t sneak up during crime.

And she in turn is even more freaked out by the corpse. Willow remains all business until it gets to her and she suddenly faints.

Angel’s reappearance sends Buffy reeling. After knocking him out in his beast-like state and chaining him up in the mansion, she heads to the library to do research. Giles finds her there in the morning. (By the way, when Xander confesses that he fell asleep while watching Oz, Giles yells at him. But when he finds Buffy asleep when she should have been doing the same thing, he doesn’t even bring it up. Or did he assume Faith was there the whole night?) Buffy says she had a vivid dream about Angel returning to explain why she’s looking through the books.

Buffy: Is there a chance even? Could it happen?
Giles: Well, there’s no record of anyone returning from a demon dimension once the… gate was closed. I can’t imagine how it could happen or-or why.
Buffy: Let’s just pretend for a second that… Angel somehow found his way back to Sunnydale. What would he be like?
Giles: I really can’t say. From what is known about that dimension, it would suggest a world of… brutal torment. And time moves quite differently there, so…
Buffy: I remember. So he would’ve been down there for hundreds of years.
Giles: Yes.
Buffy: Of torture.
Giles: It would take someone of extraordinary will and character to survive that and retain any semblance of self. Most likely, he’d be a monster.
Buffy: A lost cause.
Giles: Maybe. Maybe not. In my experience, there are two types of monster. The first can be redeemed, or more importantly, wants to be redeemed.
Buffy: And the second type?
Giles: The second is void of humanity, cannot respond to reason… or love.

Hmm, that whole idea of a monster wanting to be redeemed . . . does that explain Spike? The “void of humanity” phrase seems to point back to the Judge – he sensed the humanity in Spike but not in Angelus. (And I think Angel’s vs. Spike’s methods of regaining a soul would add an interesting twist to a predestination vs. free will theological debate.)

I wish the show had a better way of visually portraying werewolves – their “man in a furry suit” approach makes Oz and Pete’s fight seem laughable. But I love how Angel’s first sane actions are defending Buffy – and the first word he speaks is her name.

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Warehouse 13 – Steampunk Secrets

Warehouse 13 briefly flitted by my radar when it first began airing, but the premise didn’t capture me and I didn’t recognize the actors. Over the years I heard mostly good things about it, so when an acquaintance recommended it, I got the first disc from Netflix to try it out.

The pilot was a little slow (being a double-length premier at 90 minutes long) but interesting. The two main characters had a Bones- and Castle-like opposites attract chemistry, and I loved their new boss’s penchant for retro gadgets and milk and cookies. The show’s focus on supernatural objects rather than supernatural beings helped it stand apart from other speculative shows.

Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly play U.S. Secret Service agents Pete Lattimer and Myka Bering, who are ordered to the mysterious Warehouse 13 after saving the President. The warehouse is managed by the eccentric Artie Nielsen, played by Saul Rubinek, who I know best from the pilot of Leverage (I’ve seen the pilot so many times I can quote just about every line). He tells them the warehouse stores items with unique or mysterious qualities, and their new job is to collect them.

The second episode runs a little tighter, and guest stars Tricia Helfer (best known for Battlestar Galactica, but she was also in several episodes of Burn Notice) as an FBI agent reluctant to share information with a team who can’t even explain their reason for being there. It was about halfway through this episode that I knew I would keep watching this show. And as the opening credits ran for episode three, I knew I loved Warehouse 13.

At only three episodes in, it’s hard to compare it to shows I’ve watched for years, but I’d put it on par with Alphas, a fellow SyFy show I’ve recently fallen in love with. Definitely better than my experience so far with Supernatural and Suits, though not as amazing as Veronica Mars and Bones. I love the steampunk feel and the sibling-like bickering between the partners, and in many ways so far the show seems like a weird mishmash of Bones and Angel (minus David Boreanaz).

But Netflix isn’t going to cut it, not if I’m going to be rewatching episodes with a friend. So I just bought myself season one.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Faith, Hope, and Trick

Yeah, it was only as I was getting ready to type the title of this post that I realized that “Hope” in the episode title referred to Scott Hope, the guy with a crush on Buffy. Sad, I know. However, this is only the second time I’ve watched the episode so it could have been worse.

Side note: I just reread most of the Buffy season 8 comics, and Scott is one of the few multi-episode characters who wasn’t deceased (presumably) when the show ended but didn’t show up in season 8. True, he was a minor character, but even Parker was referenced in the comics. But my main reason for mentioning the comics was to share this amazing poster of what season eight would be like as a movie (primarily the first 10 issues or so of the comics). Be sure to zoom in to get the full effect!

Out of all of Eliza Dushku’s characters, my favorite is Echo from Dollhouse. I think it’s because I get annoyed with the tough-girl attitude her characters often wear, but Dushku is stunning at portraying vulnerability. She gets to do that most often with Echo, but we get a taste of it here with our first glimpse of Faith.

Well, not the first glimpse exactly – for that we have crazy dancing, vamp dusting, and colorful storytelling. Since I know now that Faith’s from Boston, I was able to catch a few hints of an accent, but it seemed inconsistent (perhaps Faith’s trying to get rid of her accent and slips up occasionally?).

I find it interesting that Faith’s Watcher was a woman – was the show already setting up the Mayor as a father figure for her, and wanting to have him not compete with a memory? But I love Xander and Willow’s tour of Sunnydale High:

Willow: And over here, we have the cafeteria, where we were mauled by snakes.
Xander: And this is the spot where Angel tried to kill Willow.
Willow: Oh, and over there in the lounge is where Spike and his gang nearly massacred us all on Parent-Teacher night. Oh, and up those stairs, I was sucked into a muddy grave.
Xander: And they say young people don’t learn anything in high school nowadays, but I’ve learned to be afraid.

Mr. Trick seems to continue the trend of unique vampires (he’s no Spike however – the thing I hate most about season three is Spike’s absence for all but one episode). His techno-speak is refreshing after season one’s chants and rituals.

While Scott’s repeated efforts to connect with Buffy are cute, he pulled a big no-no – giving her the same gift her dead ex-boyfriend had. But it’s interesting to note the difference between the giving of the two rings. Scott’s is just a retro friendship gift for a crush. Angel’s is a gift from his past (perhaps the only untarnished thing he has from then) and a promise for the future to the woman he loves.

But my favorite part of the episode is this:

Buffy: Angel was cured.
Giles: I’m sorry?
Buffy: When I killed him, Angel was cured. Your spell worked at the last minute, Will. I was about to take him out, and… something went through him… and he was Angel again. He-he didn’t remember anything that he’d done. He just held me. But it was… it was too late, and I, I had to. So I, I told him that I loved him… and I kissed him… and I killed him. I don’t know if that helps with your spell or not, Giles.
Giles: Uh, yes, I, I believe it will.
Willow: I’m sorry.
Buffy: It’s okay. I’ve been holding on to that for so long. Felt good to get it out. I’ll see you guys later. (leaves)
Willow: Giles, I know you don’t like me playing with mystical forces, but I can really help with this binding spell.
Giles: There is no spell.

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Supernatural – Skin

This episode started off with a glimpse at the middle of the episode (since it was a misdirect instead of stealing thunder from the climax, I didn’t mind), which seemed far more like an episode of Criminal Minds than Supernatural. That and the “normal” introduction to the attack – a friend falsely accused of murder – didn’t really influence me toward believing there was a natural explanation for all this. I hope Supernatural does throw in a few non-speculative scenarios eventually, if only to make red herrings less blatant. But in episode six of a show? The theory’s not even worth considering.

“Skin” did add a few twists to the shapeshifter trope. I hadn’t heard of the whole silver bullets thing to kill them before, but using silver to kill supernatural baddies is old hat. What impressed me was the whole “downloading memories,” thereby foiling the one easy way to tell the shapeshifter and the real person apart; needing the person to be alive to maintain the charade (unlike the First in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which needed the person to be dead to impersonate them); and the elaborate skin-shedding process (which was pretty gross).

I liked that this episode continued to build on Dean and Sam’s relationship, which still needs some work if I’m going to get addicted to this paranormal-battling duo. I hate that I’m still lukewarmish about this show. It’s been almost two months since I watched the first episode and this is only number 6. In that same amount of time I’d watched 4 seasons of Bones, or watched 5 seasons of Buffy and 2 of Angel.

What say you, Supernatural fans? Should I keep going or give up on the show?

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Dead Man’s Party

Buffy’s back in Sunnydale, and this episode picks up a few hours after the previous one ended, giving us the opportunity to see everyone’s reactions to Buffy’s return. My favorite is Xander’s; how they almost attack each other and then just stare at each other, until Buffy decides to break the silence:

Buffy: Didn’t anyone ever warn you about playing with pointy sticks? It’s all fun and games until somebody loses an eye.
Xander: You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that!

Of course, it’s a little less funny knowing what’s going to happen to Xander at the end of season seven. But the scene almost makes me want to be a Xander/Buffy shipper.

Speaking of future seasons, this episode serves as a microcosm of early season six – Buffy’s difficulty re-adjusting to the life she once knew, wanting to “leave” again, Giles’ joy at her return, her friends misunderstanding what she needs from them, and connections rebuilt by fighting bad guys.

I mentioned it in an earlier post, but I absolutely love Giles’ quiet smile of happiness in the kitchen. I also love how he seems to know exactly what Buffy needs at this point, even when the rest of the Scooby gang overrules him. In addition, it’s fun to know that Giles can hotwire a car. And I love how he goes after Principle Snyder at the end, smiling all the while. Plus this:

Giles: Unbelievable. ‘Do you like my mask? Isn’t it pretty? It raises the dead!’ Americans.

I’m glad the writers deposed of Pat rather quickly. Like Ted, she was too annoying to make it through an entire episode. Makes other characters I wasn’t too fond of (such as Riley and Dawn) seem amazing in comparison. Buffy’s dream didn’t seem to have any reason, besides showing that memories of Angel are still haunting her. But the gang teasing Giles about the cat is fun:

Oz: It looks dead. It smells dead. Yet it’s movin’ around. That’s interesting.
Cordelia: Nice pet, Giles. Don’t you like anything regular? Golf, USA Today, or anything?
Giles: I’m trying to find out how and why it rose from the grave. It’s not as if I’m going to take it home and offer it a saucer of warm milk.
Oz: Well, I like it. I think you should call it Patches.

Oz: We should figure out what kinda deal this is. I mean, is it a gathering, a shindig or a hootenanny?
Cordelia: What’s the difference?
Oz: Well, a gathering is brie, mellow song stylings; shindig, dip, less mellow song stylings, perhaps a large amount of malt beverage; and hootenanny, well, it’s chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny.
Xander: Well, I hate brie.
Cordelia: I know. It smells like Giles’s cat.
Giles: It’s not my–

There don’t seem to be all that many pets in Sunnydale – perhaps because they’re easy bait for monsters? Willow seems to have most of them – her fish that Angelus killed, Amy the rat, Miss Kitty Fantastico. Drusilla had Sunshine for a bit, and the dog Rocky got killed in “Beneath You” – am I missing any others?

And I could probably write an entire post about the things people call Principal Snyder. This episode, even Buffy’s mom gets into it:

Joyce: I’ve been on the phone with the Superintendent of Schools. At least he seems more reasonable than that nasty little horrid, bigoted, rodent-man.

I loved that Cordelia stood up for Buffy when everyone else was attacking her, even though her methods needed a little work. And we got a fun random appearance by Jonathan, too.

I felt it was pretty unrealistic that all the zombies disappeared – the mask simply animated corpses, so they should have just returned to being dead bodies once it was destroyed. Of course, that would have been fun to clean up and explain to the police. I didn’t mind there being zombies in this episode, but out of all the horror standbys (vampires, werewolves, ghosts, shapeshifters, creatures from other dimensions, aliens), they are my least favorite, so I’m glad they never became a main part of the show.

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Firefly – Serenity

Other than watching “Jaynestown” a few months ago (as part of an effort to show Netflix that this was the type of show they should aim toward in developing original content), it had probably been at least a year since I’d watched any Firefly. My friend Anna had never seen it, so Sunday afternoon we turned on the pilot episode, “Serenity.”

Unlike those who watched the show when it first aired, “Serenity” was my first introduction to Firefly (not to be confused with Serenity, the movie, which I watched in its proper place after finishing the show). I think I fell in love with the show as soon as I saw Wash and his toy dinosaurs:

This is a fertile land and we will thrive. We will rule over all this land and we will call it… This Land.

Some people I’ve introduced the show to since then haven’t been drawn in quite as quickly, and while rewatching this episode I began to see why. Because the characters are so varied and complex, it’s hard to like most of them right away. In addition, there’s nine of them to get to know, and at first it’s hard to tell who are the bad guys and who are the good guys (especially with the good guys acting like bad guys quite often). Mal, in particular, doesn’t come off as someone you should be rooting for at first, stealing and calling Inara a whore and threatening to dump Simon and River off the ship.

I love how the show uses the dinner table as the place where the characters connect and feel like family. It also sets the stage for fun conversations like this:

Mal: Jayne, you will keep a civil tongue in that mouth, or I will sew it shut. Is there an understanding between us?
Jayne: You don’t pay me to talk pretty. Just because Kaylee gets lubed up over some big-city dandy doesn’t mean…
Mal: Walk away from this table. Right now.
Simon: What *do* you pay him for?
Mal: What?
Simon: I was just wondering what his job is – on the ship.
Mal: Public relations.

But that’s another way Firefly can be more of an acquired taste – many lines become more hilarious the more times you watch the show. Though some are great right from the start:

Mal: Can’t get paid if you’re dead.
Jayne: Can’t get paid if you crawl away like a bitty little bug neither. I got a share of this job. Ten percent of nothin’ is, let me do the math here… nothin’ and a nothin’, carry the nothin’…

The pilot manages to pack in a ton about the ‘Verse in just over 80 minutes – the Alliance, Reavers, border planets, backstabbing thieves, companions, shepherds, and real food being a luxury. But the story itself is only just beginning, so in a way this is more of a prequel. The best is yet to come.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Anne

And it’s onto season three! This was only the second time I’ve watched “Anne,” and I’d remembered it being sort of dismal, so I was pleasantly surprised at how fun the episode was despite Buffy hiding out and feeling depressed in Los Angeles.

First off, you get to see Willow, Oz, and Xander’s attempts to fight vampires in Buffy’s absence. Willow tries to copy Buffy’s style, and for a second you catch a glimpse of the uber-confident Willow of later seasons, but then normal Willow returns.

Xander: Okay, and the, uh, second problem I’m having . . . ‘Come and get it, Big Boy’?
Willow: W-well, the Slayer always says a pun or-or a witty play on words, and I think it throws the vampires off, and, and it makes them frightened because I’m wisecracking. Okay, I didn’t really have a chance to work on that one, but you try it every time.
Oz: Uh, if I may suggest: ‘This time it’s personal.’ I mean, there’s a reason why it’s a classic.
Xander: I’ve always been amazed with how Buffy fought, but in a way, I feel like we took her punning for granted.

This scene parallels the season two opening, only this time Buffy doesn’t come waltzing back in to save the day. She’s waitressing in LA, living in a dingy apartment, and being tormented by dreams about Angel.

Speaking of Angel, this episode begins building some of the framework for his show – the Los Angeles setting, the clip of a girl standing on the street that’s in all the Angel intro credits, and the reappearance of Chantarelle/Lily/Anne who will be on a few episodes of Angel.

One of my favorite parts about starting a new season of a show is the new opening credits. Season three of Buffy brought a slightly updated theme song, and captures many awesome moments.

I love Xander and Cordelia worrying about seeing each other again (especially Cordy, since it’s uncharacteristic of her), and Oz’s many incompletes give credence to him being absent for most of season two. And poor Giles, trying so hard to find Buffy only to have Joyce blame him for her leaving in the first place.

This episode guest stars Carlos Jacott, who is also in the Firefly pilot (which I just watched and will be blogging about soon), and an episode of Angel (as Doyle’s ex-wife’s fiance). I guess he just has a villainous face (though in two of them that’s not even his “real” face).

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Becoming

“Part One”

This is the first of the show’s flashback episodes, giving us a glimpse of significant moments in Angel’s, Drusilla’s, and Buffy’s past. Whistler narrates this episode, giving the whole thing a sense of inescapable destiny. He was actually supposed to move to Angel, but the actor wasn’t able to do the show, so the writers created the character of Doyle instead. I’m glad, since I think Whistler might have been too stuffy for a show that was already pretty dark.

We see Angel’s beginnings as a drunken lout all too willing to take Darla’s offer to show him the world. Right before she kills him, she says, “Close your eyes,” which will parallel Buffy’s words in the next episode. The scene showing Angel’s initial confusion after being cursed also sets up that scene.

Watching the scenes with Buffy being told she is the Slayer, after now having seen the (terrible) movie and read the comic, makes me wish they would have remade the movie with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Joss Whedon’s orginal screenplay. I’m curious to see what the remake they’re doing now will be like. Even though there’s been huge fuss about Joss not being involved, it sounds like it’s more his busy schedule than their outright snubbing. I know it won’t hold a candle to the TV series, but it has to be better than the original movie, right?

I love how Xander acts out the battle in the cemetery with fish sticks and a toothpick – “Die! Die! Die! Aah! Mother!” And Oz is back, though only for that brief scene. Kendra returns too, and meets her untimely end (due to Drusilla’s hypnotic “cheating”).

Angelus: Where?
Drusilla: At the museum. A tomb… with a surprise inside.
Angelus: You can see all that in your head?
Spike: No, you ninny. She read it in the morning paper.

Only one more episode before Spike’s gone for nearly all of season 3. 🙁 But what is with vampires, always wanting to reawaken demons? And if vampires weren’t supposed to suffer in this demon dimension, is his soul the only reason why Angel will?

Spike: It’s a big rock. I can’t wait to tell my friends. They don’t have a rock this big.

I hate the argument the group gets into over whether to restore Angel’s soul. The numbers seem simple – having Angel fighting for them is better than having him fight against them or simply dusted. And I don’t get why Xander’s more mad than Giles about Angel’s role in Jenny’s death, unless it’s not really about that. Yes, Xander was jealous of Angel from the get-go, but maybe it’s because Angelus went after Willow first. And he killed the last person who tried to restore his soul.

“Part Two”

This episode is one of my top five favorite Buffy episodes. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve watched it. So many aspects are completely amazing, and it finished off what many consider the best season of Buffy perfectly.

The only two things I didn’t like about this episode were the stunt actors for the sword fighting scene (after seeing it several times it became extremely easy to see which shots weren’t of David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Xander deliberately giving Buffy the wrong message from Willow. I can understand his motivation a little, being that he didn’t know about the whole “needing to kill Angel to stop Acathla” thing. He didn’t want Buffy to pull her punches while fighting Angelus, trying to buy time, which could get her killed. But I don’t think giving her the real message would changed what happened for the better. Best case scenario, Buffy would have been slightly more prepared for what she eventually had to do.

Everything Buffy has is stripped away, piece by piece, in this episode. Her fellow Slayer is dead. She’s on the run from the police. Her mother kicks her out of the house. The principal expels her. And then, when her wildest dreams come true and Angel is restored, she has to run a sword through him.

The music on this episode is breathtaking. Christophe Beck really outdid himself. From “Waking Willow” to “Vision of Jenny,” he captures the moments perfectly, and then finishes with my favorite piece of the score from the entire series, “Close Your Eyes.” And Sarah MacLachlan’s “Full of Grace” ends the episode beautifully.

Even despite this being a serious dramatic episode, the dialogue is full of zingers, like when Buffy catches Whistler at Giles’ house:

Buffy: I have had a really bad day, okay? If you have information worth hearing, then I am grateful for it. If you’re gonna crack jokes, then I’m gonna pull out your ribcage and wear it as a hat.

Probably my favorite part of this episode is Spike and Buffy’s alliance. It’s hilarious that the first action Spike does for the side of good is beating up a police officer. And I love Buffy’s shocked face when she realizes Spike actually wants to help save the world.

Buffy: Okay. You do remember that you’re a vampire, right?
Spike: We like to talk big, vampires do. ‘I’m going to destroy the world.’ That’s just tough guy talk. Strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood. The truth is, I like this world. You’ve got… dog racing, Manchester United. And you’ve got people. Billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs. It’s all right here. But then someone comes along with a vision. With a real passion for destruction. Angel could pull it off. Goodbye, Picadilly. Farewell, Leicester Bloody Square. You know what I’m saying?

And even more hilarious is Spike and Buffy trying to come up with a cover story for Buffy’s mom:

Spike: What, your mum doesn’t know?
Joyce: Know what?
Buffy: That I’m, uh… in a band. A-a rock band with Spike here.
Spike: Right. She plays the, the triangle.
Buffy: Drums.
Spike: Drums, yeah. She’s hell on the old skins, you know.
Joyce: Hmm. And what do you do?
Spike: Well, I sing.

Knowing how well Spike gets along with Joyce in later episodes (probably because she reminds him of his own mother), even their moments sitting alone in silence seem humorous. I was a little surprise that Buffy trusted Spike enough to leave him alone in a room with her mother. But it offered the opportunity for this:

Joyce: Have we met?
Spike: Um… you hit me with an ax one time. Remember? Uh, ‘get the hell away from my daughter.’

I love how Giles holds up so admirably under torture:

Angelus: You know, I can stop the pain. You’ve been very brave… but it’s over. You’ve given enough. Now let me make it stop.
Giles: Please!
Angelus: Just tell me what I need to know.
Giles: In order… to be worthy…
Angelus: Yeah?
Giles: You must perform the ritual… in a tutu.
(Angelus glares at him.)
Giles: Pillock!
Angelus: All right. Someone get the chainsaw.
Spike: Now, now, don’t let’s lose our temper.
Angelus: Keep out of it, sit ‘n’ spin.
Spike: Look, you cut him up, you’ll never get your answers.
Angelus: Since when did you become so levelheaded?
Spike: Right about the time you became so pig-headed. You have your way with him, you’ll never get to destroy the world. And I don’t fancy spending the next month trying to get librarian out of the carpet. There are other ways.

And then comes the terrible, poignant ending. I think I could watch it a hundred times and not get tired of it. And the little “Grr. Argh.” Mutant Enemy monster adds a final touch when he says instead, “Ooh, I need a hug.”

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Go Fish

Season two’s final standalone episode brings forward an aspect of high school life that is almost overlooked on Buffy – sports. Aside from Buffy and Dawn trying out for cheerleading and the football game on “Some Assembly Required,” this is the only episode that gives much emphasis to Sunnydale High’s athletic program. But since none of the gang is into sports, that makes sense. This episode provides two other reasons:

Cordelia: Well, all I know is, my cheerleading squad wasted a lot of pep on losers. It’s about time our school excelled at something.
Willow: Hmm. You’re forgetting our high mortality rate.
Xander: We’re number one!

So I guess it’s understandable that a lot of sport cliches get pushed into this one episode. Jocks’ popularity and sense of entitlement. Winning at all costs. Teachers pressured to give passing grades. Steroid use.

Only, since this is still Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the steroids have more than just their usual effects. The DNA-altering mix is turning the swim team into sea monsters. And who knew Cordelia could draw?

With the piles of skin and the half-eaten nurse, “Go Fish” is one of the show’s more gruesome episodes. Angel only makes a brief appearance, Oz is absent (again), but Jonathan has a couple of fun scenes. Willow interrogating him is hilarious, but I didn’t laugh because all I could see was her trying to kill him, four seasons from now.

After not showing up for most of the season, with this episode and the past one, Principle Snyder is finally making his presence known (likely building up for his role in the two-part finale). And Shane West (Michael from Nikita) has a brief cameo in the episode.

Xander and Cordelia’s relationship was fun to watch, both with Cordy’s new respect when Xander joins the swim team and her comments after she thinks he’s been turned in a sea monster:

It’s me, Cordelia? I know you can’t answer me, but… God, this is all my fault. You joined the swim team to impress me. You were so courageous. And you looked really hot in those Speedos. And I want you to know that I still care about you, no matter what you look like. And… and we can still date. Or, or not. I mean… I understand if you wanna see other fish. I’ll do everything I can to make your quality of life better. Whether that means little bath toys or whatever.

In the end, Xander saves Buffy, and the coach gets his own form of poetic justice. One thing I noticed this time watching season two – quite a few of the episode focus on Xander, and hardly any do on Willow. But of course that will all change in coming seasons . . .

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer – I Only Have Eyes for You

This is one of my very favorite episodes of Buffy – and it’s not just because it features Christopher Gorham (Auggie on Covert Affairs). There’s a symmetry to this episode, sort of a poetic rightness. But more on that in a bit.

The episode opens with a brief scene at the Bronze, where it’s clear Buffy’s still blaming herself for what happened to Angel, and now to Jenny. (Oz is absent again – somehow I’d remembered him playing a larger role in season 2 than he actually did.) The story then moves to a couple fighting, which Buffy interrupts by kicking a gun out of the guy’s hand. A few more strange things happen, including Xander’s locker sprouting an arm and trying to drag him in.

Giles: Ooh! Sounds like paranormal phenomena.
Willow: A ghost? Cool!
Xander: Oh, no, no. No. No cool. This was no wimpy chain rattler. This was ‘I’m dead as hell, and I’m not gonna take it anymore.’
Giles: Well, despite the Xander-speak, that’s a fairly accurate definition of a poltergeist.

Giles thinks it’s Jenny, but Buffy’s flashback dreams and other clues point to a 1955 murder-suicide. Willow, who has taken to teaching like a toddler to a mud puddle, does some research via Jenny’s files and sites on paganism. (But didn’t Angelus destroy Jenny’s computer? Perhaps they were on her home computer.) But with the sites and the exorcism spell and the healing rose quartz and the scapulas, this episode seems to mark Willow’s first step toward witchcraft.

Xander: Something weird is going on. Isn’t that our school motto?

Angelus, Drusilla, and Spike move into an abandoned mansion on the edge of town. Things are getting worse between Angel and Spike. Angelus is starting to act almost as crazy as Drusilla (which is saying something), recklessly provoking Spike while Dru loves it that her two guys are fighting over her. But Spike is not the sort of vampire you want to provoke. The murderous intent in his eyes makes the perfect lead-in to the season finale.

I love the feel of the 1950s flashbacks. The music, clothing, and lighting bring the period to life even though the building remains the same. Some of the paranormal occurrences look a little fake, but I thought they did a great job with Cordelia’s perceived disfigurement. And I believe this is the first episode where the mayor is mentioned, and it shows that Principle Snyder is afraid of him (knowing his fate, he has good reason to be).

The gang figures out the ghost keeps reenacting what happened that night, with the same result. (On another tangent, why hasn’t this happened before during the 40-some years since the incident? Is this the first year since then that they’re doing another Sadie Hawkins dance, and that’s what triggered it?)

Buffy: He wants forgiveness.
Giles: Yes. I imagine he does. But when James possesses people, they act out exactly what happened that night. So he’s experiencing a form of purgatory instead. I mean, he’s doomed to kill his Ms. Newman over and over and over again, and…forgiveness is impossible.
Buffy: Good. He doesn’t deserve it.
Giles: To forgive is an act of compassion, Buffy. It’s, it’s not done because people deserve it. It’s done because they need it.
Buffy: No. James destroyed the one person he loved the most in a moment of blind passion. And that’s not something you forgive. No matter why he did what he did. And no matter if he knows now that it was wrong and selfish and stupid, it is just something he’s gonna have to live with.
Xander: He can’t live with it, Buff. He’s dead.

My absolute favorite part of this episode is the climax, where Buffy and Angel act out what happened that night. Only this time, James chooses Buffy to play his role, with all her guilt about destroying the person she loved. And as the scene plays out, they don’t seem to be simply reciting events from decades ago. They are having the conversation they would have if Angelus could be Angel again, just for a few minutes.

Buffy/James: You can’t make me disappear just because you say it’s over.
Angel/Grace: I just want you to be able to have some kind of normal life. We can never have that, don’t you see?
Buffy/James: I don’t give a damn about a normal life! I’m going crazy not seeing you. I think about you every minute.
Angel/Grace: I know. But it’s over. It has to be!
Buffy/James: Come back here! We’re not finished! You don’t care anymore, is that it?
Angel/Grace: It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter what I feel.
Buffy/James: Then tell me you don’t love me! Say it!
Angel/Grace: Is that what you need to hear? Will that help? I don’t. Now let me go.
Buffy/James: No. A person doesn’t just wake up and stop loving somebody! (Raises a gun.) Love is forever. I’m not afraid to use it, I swear! If I can’t be with you…
Angel/Grace: Oh, my God!
Buffy/James: Don’t walk away from me, bitch! Stop it! Stop it! Don’t make me!
Angel/Grace: All right. Just… You know you don’t want to do this. Let’s both…just calm down. Now give me the gun.
Buffy/James: Don’t. Don’t do that, damn it! Don’t talk to me like I’m some stupid…
(The gun goes off.)

The “just wake up and stop loving someone” part is so perfect for Angel and Buffy, and the normal life part screams the end of season three. Yet to continue the perfection of this scene – this time Grace doesn’t die. Because Angel is a vampire and can’t be killed by a bullet. So this time, when James goes to reenact his suicide, Grace is able to stop him.

Buffy/James: Grace!
Angel/Grace: Don’t do this.
Buffy/James: But-but I killed you.
Angel/Grace: It was an accident. It wasn’t your fault.
Buffy/James: Oh, it *is* my fault. How could I…
Angel/Grace: Shhh. I’m the one who should be sorry, James. You thought I stopped loving you. But I never did. I loved you with my last breath.

Ooo, that last line is so perfect. All I can see is Angel in the alley, screaming Buffy’s name as his soul leaves him. But my heart breaks for Buffy, in that one moment after the kiss, when Grace and James’ spirits have gone. Buffy whispers, “Angel?” and for that half second you can see the wild hope that rises in her. Maybe Angel is back. Maybe he really does forgive her for what she did. But then he shoves her away, and she shatters.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Killed By Death

Okay, I don’t know who came up for the title for this episode, but it’s vague to the point of annoyance. I had to see a screenshot of the episode to remember what it was about. On top of that, it seems inanely redundant. I know the kid calls the monster “Death” and its German name means “child death,” but even as someone who watched the episode before, I didn’t make the connection of the title to this episode. Death is all too common in the Buffyverse.

Names aside, this is one of the few Buffy episodes that’s as spooky as Supernatural. Hospitals are creepy enough on their own, but add an invisible life-sucking creature that goes after kids and you have the stuff nightmares are made of. Buffy’s memories of what happened to her cousin and her delirious state only add to the dream-like quality.

This episode follows up with “Passion” well, having Angel come after Buffy twice in her weakened state, but her friends (especially Xander) have her back. Is Angel ready to kill her yet, or just torment her in her weakened state? At the cemetery it seems that his plan is to pick off her friends, one by one, preferably in front of her.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the Scooby gang manages to add a huge helping of humor to an otherwise somber episode, perhaps to prove that laughter is the best medicine?

Xander: Man, Buffy! My whole life just flashed before my eyes! I gotta get me a life!

Cordelia: So this isn’t about you being afraid of hospitals ’cause your friend died and you wanna conjure up a monster that you can fight so you can save everybody and not feel so helpless?
Giles: Cordelia, have you actually ever heard of tact?
Cordelia: Tact is just not saying true stuff. I’ll pass.

Xander: Finding out who this thing is takes priority. Cordy, you should go with Giles.
Giles: Why do I have to have… Uh, good thinking. I could do with a research assistant.
Cordelia: Let’s go, tact-guy.

I love Willow pretending she’s crazy by screaming that she’s covered with frogs (if I remember right, that’s the one animal she’s afraid of) to distract the security guards. One of the guards (the one Cordelia distracted earlier) is played by Willie Garson (Mozzie on White Collar). Until Eliza Dushku’s guest role on White Collar a few weeks ago, he was only credited actor to ever appear on both shows.

Other notable bits in this episode: We get to see Buffy as a little girl, and she sees herself in the role of the hero even then (perhaps an early hint of her awareness as a Potential?). Cordelia knows Xander’s not over Buffy. And Oz is once again absent.

The episode ends with a fun scene as the trio of friends lounge in Buffy’s room, watching TV and generally acting like six-year-olds:

Buffy: Oh, mom?
Joyce: Mm-hm?
Buffy: I wanted crunchy peanut butter.
Joyce: Oh, sorry.
Buffy: A-and I said extra jelly.
Joyce: Anything to help my daughter get well.
Willow: Oh, and while you’re up, could I get a refill? It’s just I’m so comfortable.
Joyce: Of course.
Willow: Thanks.
Xander: Oh, oh, oh, and another bag of cheesy chips.
Joyce: Uh, you ate the last one.
Xander: No, there’s another bag hidden behind the raisins.
Joyce: (sighs) I’m on it.
Xander: Your mom’s tryin’ to Bogart the cheesy chips. What’s that all about?

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Supernatural – Bloody Mary

Another good and creepy episode with the Winchester brothers. Out of all the shows I watch, Supernatural is the one most likely to make me worry about things that go bump in the night. I say most likely, because TV shows and movies rarely scare me – but then, I don’t really seek out ones that do. Horror is not my genre of choice. I much prefer thrilling adventures and deep characterization to cheap scare tactics.

It’s interesting – the three episodes of Supernatural I’ve enjoyed the most so far have all been ghost stories. Perhaps it’s because those types of stories seem to have more emotional depth, and their serious nature suits the somber tone of the show. Most episodes of other speculative shows I watch feature bad guys you can punch and behead (and sometimes toss out witty insults and puns while doing so).

“Bloody Mary” starts out with a trio of preteens playing Truth or Dare, with one dare involving saying “bloody Mary” three times in front of a mirror. Sam and Dean notice an unusual death notice in the paper, and head to Toledo to investigate.

The topic of money comes up briefly when Sam bribes a morgue clerk with Dean’s poker “earnings,” which makes me wonder what Dean and Sam are living on. Yes, a few of the jobs they could get with referrals would earn some cash, but the majority of the work they do involves no payment at all. Yet they have to pay for gas, food, and motel rooms somehow. What about Sam’s college tuition?

I love it that the ghost, set free by the breaking of the mirror, has to confront the idea of all the people she’s killed when faced with another mirror. But why did Dean’s eyes start bleeding too? Was it the power of the ghost set free and out for vengeance, or does Dean have a secret in his past involving a death, too?

I liked the way this episode finally starts to deal with some of what Sam’s going through with Jessica’s death. And a bit more of the mystery is peeled away. Sam had dreams about what was going to happen? Since he was a baby when this thing killed his mother, even if he heard all the details later there is no way he’d be able to picture it exactly. So it had to be some sort of psychic warning (which given one spoiler I’ve seen about the show, makes perfect sense). But I’m glad they still showed that it’s effecting him. Something that traumatic, even if Sam’s making steps toward healing, should not go away in 4 episodes.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Passion

As soon as Angelus begins narrating this episode, you know it’s going to be dark and deadly. After two episodes of biding his time, sending Buffy undead classmates and roses, Angel begins to strike at her, both directly and indirectly.

At first, he’s merely watching from the shadows. Buffy doesn’t sense that he’s there, though she was able to do it quite easily before, when he had a soul. None of the four leaving the Bronze even notice as he kills someone right in the alley. (Speaking of which, where was Oz in this episode? Perhaps his band had a gig out of town, but would he really be absent from school for several days?) Angelus sneaks into bedrooms, leaving drawings and dead fish. And then he goes after Buffy’s mom.

As Spike warns him, he’s playing a dangerous game, taunting a Slayer. But Angelus doesn’t seem to care. Perhaps he’s trying to create a new masterpiece, to top what he did to Drusilla. I don’t think he’s intending to turn Buffy into a vampire (though that would be a volatile mix, being a Slayer and a vampire, especially if he drives her insane first), just to hurt her. He tends to be pretty picky about who he turns, and having her around, even as a vampire, would be a constant reminder of the humanity he was once reduced to. After all, he didn’t turn his family into vampires, but simply destroyed them and any connection he had to humanity. Becoming a vampire, to him, is an honor, a reward, and he wants to punish Buffy. Now I could see him turning someone close to her to punish her, but not Buffy herself.

Of course, the tragedy of this episode is the cruel end to Giles and Jenny’s love story. First Giles’ past gets between them, then Jenny’s, and just as they get past that AND just as Jenny discovers a way to restore Angel’s soul, Angelus strikes. Joss Whedon is so mean. (Spoilers ahead for the season eight comics!) And it’s horribly sad but almost right in a way that both Jenny and Giles die in the same way. At the hand of the same person. (Though controlled by Angelus in one instance and Twilight in the other.) Side note: I think that’s one reason why people liked Spike even when he was still evil. He never killed anyone we cared about.

It’s Drusilla’s vision that tips Angelus off that Jenny’s trying to restore Angel’s soul. That’s one thing that bugs me about Drusilla – she doesn’t fight fair with all her psychic visions and hypnosis. But she’s hilarious in this episode, carrying the owner-less (thanks to her) puppy around. I love how she names it Sunshine, which for a human would be like naming it Radioactive Poisoning or Arsenic.

Speaking of lighter moments, I love how excited Willow gets about covering the class for a few minutes:

Jenny: Um, I might be a little late tomorrow. Do you think you could cover my class till I show?
Willow: Really? Me? Teach the class? Sure!
Jenny: Cool.
Willow: Oh, wait. W-what if they don’t recognize my authority? What if they try to convince me that you always let them leave class early? What if there’s a fire drill? What if there’s a fire?
Jenny: Willow, you’re gonna be fine. And I’ll try not to be too late, okay?
Willow: Okay. Good. Earlier is good. Will I have the power to assign detention? Or make ’em run laps?

The episode ends on a somber note as Willow prepares to take over the class until a new teacher arrives. And a lone floppy disk falls to the floor, awaiting a future episode . . .

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

I love how this show has both humorous and serious episodes, with many being a macabre mix of both elements (“Tabula Rasa” comes to mind as one). This episode definitely falls on the comedy side as Xander faces the consequences of a love spell gone wrong.

Xander and Cordelia’s relationship is finally out in the open, and since it’s causing her popularity to wane, Cordelia decides to break up with him, right after he gives her a sweet little heart-shaped necklace for Valentine’s Day. I think the moment I finally began to like Cordelia’s character was when Xander asked for the necklace back and we find out Cordelia’s wearing it, hidden under her shirt. The look on her face when she takes it off is heartbreaking.

Amy’s back to cast the spell gone awry, and while most of the special effects seem cheesy, it’s interesting to note that her eyes go black and even red, consistent with what we’ll see in season 6. But I wonder why no one even thought of going to Amy for help with the gypsy curse later on this season? Of course, her error in this episode might give them cause to discard the idea.

In a recent roundtable discussion, Sarah Michelle Gellar mentioned this episode, saying something along the lines of, “I was getting burned out, so they turned me into a rat for an episode.” (Tried to find the exact quote but couldn’t.) And I love it that Oz punched Xander, and his fumbling statement afterwards:

Oz: I was on the phone all night, listening to Willow cry about you. Now, I don’t know exactly what happened, but I was left with a very strong urge to…hit you.

I also found it a bit odd that Giles was so hard on Xander in this episode. In fact, now that I think about it, I don’t remember Giles and Xander ever connecting very well. Which is a shame, since considering what Xander’s dad was like he could have really used a good father figure.

My favorite “discovery” on rewatching the episode was this little gem:

Angelus: Dear Buffy. I’m still trying to decide the best way to send my regards.
Spike: Why don’t you rip her lungs out? It might make an impression.
Angelus: Lacks… poetry.
Spike: It doesn’t have to. What rhymes with lungs?

Nearly three entire seasons after this, in our first introduction to Spike as a human, he’s an awkward young poet trying to find a word that rhymes. Side note: I didn’t realize until I read the new Spike comic (thanks to Erin on Twitter since I don’t live near a comic store to get the exclusive code) that what William chose to rhyme with effulgent was “a bulge in it,” not ebulgent as I’ve seen it written many times. And it’s not just in relation to the poem, so BtVS may have created a new word! Not that they haven’t reformed many other words over the years.

But the scene with the different gifts for Drusilla further clarifies just how different Angel and Spike are. Spike, evil vampire, gives Dru a necklace (interestingly, the same gift Xander gives Cordelia). Angelus, evil vampire, gives Dru a fresh human heart.

Since the gift of a necklace makes a stark parallel between the relationship of Spike and Dru, and Xander and Cordelia (or Cora, which is a name only Xander calls her), I think it’s worth exploring a few others. Both Dru and Cordelia sometimes treat their guys as mere boys, with disdain and condescension. Both break up with them because of perceived love for someone else. Both will or have been involved with Angel/Angelus. Xander used to be in love with Buffy, Spike will be in love with Buffy. Any other parallels I’m missing?

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Phases

This Oz-centric episode firmly establishes him as part of the Scooby gang. I love how he’s still his typical contemplative self, even when faced with the fact that he’s a werewolf. And I think it’s hilarious that he became one because his little cousin bit his finger.

Giles: Meaning the accepted legend that werewolves only prowl during a full moon might be erroneous.
Cordelia: Or it could be a crock.
Xander: Unless the werewolf was using last year’s almanac.
Buffy: Looks like Giles has some schooling to do.
Giles: (gets excited) Yes, I must admit I am intrigued. Werewolves, it’s… it’s one of the classics. I’m sure my books and I are in for a fascinating afternoon. (leaves)
Buffy: He needs to get a pet.

Having werewolves change for three nights instead of one puts a unique twist on the myth, and was probably very helpful to the writers. Willow’s comment about it at the end of the episode was fun, too, in the midst of this sweet exchange:

Oz: I spoke to Giles. He said I’ll be okay. I just have to lock myself up around the full moon. Only he used more words than that. And a globe.
Willow: I’m sorry about how all this ended up. With me shooting you and all.
Oz: It’s okay. I’m sorry I almost ate you.
Willow: It’s okay. I kind of thought you would have told me.
Oz: I didn’t know what to say. I mean, it’s not everyday you find out you’re a werewolf. That’s fairly freaksome. It may take a couple days getting used to.
Willow: Yeah. It’s a complication.
Oz: So… Maybe it’d be best if I just… sorta…
Willow: What?
Oz: Well, you know, like, stayed out of your way for awhile.
Willow: I don’t know. I’m kind of okay with you being in my way.
Oz: You mean, you’d still…
Willow: Well, I like you. You’re nice and you’re funny. And you don’t smoke. Yeah, okay, werewolf, but that’s not all the time. I mean, three days out of the month I’m not much fun to be around either.
Oz: You are quite the human.
Willow: So, I’d still if you’d still.
Oz: I’d still. I’d very still.

By the way, I love Willow and Cordelia connecting over their frustration with guys. And Xander’s reaction to them hanging out. Poor Xander, having to deal with the girl he used to love, the girl who used to be in love with him, and the girl he used to hate but now is starting to like. Which makes this a great lead-in episode for “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.”

Giles: It acts on-on pure instinct. No conscience, predatory and aggressive.
Buffy: In other words, your typical male.
Xander: On behalf of my gender, hey.
Giles: Yes, let’s not jump to any conclusions.
Buffy: I didn’t jump. I took a tiny step, and there conclusions were.

I also love all the references to season one in this episode. We have Oz noticing that the cheerleading statue’s eyes follow him, from “Witch.” Xander mentions being possessed by a hyena, a reference to “The Pack,” though he flubs up with keeping up the appearance of memory loss. And both “Teacher’s Pet” and “I Robot, You Jane” are mentioned here:

Xander: Buffy, you can’t blame yourself for every death that happens in Sunnydale. If it weren’t for you people’d be lined up five deep waitin’ to get themselves buried. Willow would be Robbie the Robot’s love slave, I wouldn’t even have a head, (looks at the coffin) and Theresa’s a vampire.

After Theresa hurried away from an approaching werewolf only to run into Angelus, I felt kind of sad. For half a second I’d thought, “Great, she’ll be okay now,” and then I remembered. Angel isn’t Angel anymore.

Which brings to mind another thought. If vampires rise the night after they’re turned, why are so many of them already buried? Yes, there have been a few episodes, like this one, where they rise in the morgue or at a funeral home, but it seems the majority of them in Sunnydale claw out of graves. And those graves usually already have inscribed headstones. Maybe things are different in California, but I live next to a cemetery and it takes weeks or longer for new graves to get a marker, and they’re usually the flat ones that are flush to the ground. But I guess the show thought recreating the iconic image of a vampire rising out of the dirt backed by a headstone was more important than being strictly realistic for the few people who would mind.

The werewolf hunter, Kane, going after Oz seems to foreshadow when the Initiative goes after him in season four. It also brings to light the whole monsters vs. monsters debate that will play a major role in several future episodes, both in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel (especially “That Old Gang of Mine”). And things just get murkier as you delve deeper into the Buffyverse. (Hmm, now I’m imagining someone writing a thesis on Buffy and the death penalty.) Where would you draw the line on creatures Buffy should slay versus those she shouldn’t?

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