It's been taking me a long time between these posts because I haven't loved watching Buffy. Not so much that it's not a good show, it's more the detailed analysis I have to do as I watch instead of just watching it for fun. I think the next post will have a different style, focusing more on my thoughts on the episode than what happened in the episode. I mean, you guys know what happened, I'm the Buffy virgin here. By the end of this season, though, I'm getting really into it and looking forward to next season!
Ep. 12: Bad Eggs
While Buffy is at the mall trying to convince her mom to let her buy an outfit that makes her look like a “streetwalker”, she spots a cowboy vampire and beats him up but he gets away. In this episode, Buffy is learning about responsibility. She gets grounded more than once for being irresponsible. The whole class is learning about responsibility, actually. They’re doing the classic egg baby project in health class. As if carrying around a chicken egg making sure it doesn’t break is anything like having to care for a human infant. Although, these eggs actually contain weird little mind-controlling demons, so maybe they’re not so different.
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| Willow's reaction compared to Buffy's reaction. |
Buffy kills hers, but just about everyone else gets one attached to them, making them slaves to the big mama demon thing in the school basement. Buffy and Xander save the day, kill the big blobby demon, scare away the cowboy, but Buffy still gets grounded.
I’m Confused: When asked what she thinks about, Buffy straight-up tells her mom “Saving the world from vampires.” And her mom just brushes it off. But her mom was there when Spike and a bunch of vamps were running around the school and she even beat up Spike to save Buffy. Was there some kind of memory wipe after that I missed? What did she think that was?
New Characters: Cowboy vampire brothers
Favorite Quote: “I can’t do this. I can’t take care of things. I killed my Giga Pet. Literally, I sat on it and it broke.” Maybe Buffy should have tried a Tamagotchi or a Nano Pet instead.
Mythology Lesson: The cowboy vampire brothers were bad guys even before they were vampires back in the wild west. They also seem to know, or know of, Angel(us).
Demon Deaths: One cowboy vampire brother, big blobby demon
Human Deaths: Zero. Good job, Buffy.
Ep. 13: Surprise
Big episode. All the things. Much drama.
Drusilla is back! Remember when they thought they killed Spike & Drusilla just because they were buried under a collapsed church? I guess after killing so many inferior vampires and demons, you don’t think of double-checking that they’re definitely dead. Well, Drusilla is back in full force but poor Spike has some scars and rolls around in a wheelchair while Drusilla plans a party.
Love is in the air. Buffy and Angel make-out and in a weird indirect way maybe decide to have sex sometime? Willow and Oz ask each other out in an adorable way. Xander tries to convince Cordelia to be a real couple but she’s still too embarrassed by him.
So, Jenny Calendar is not a techno pagan? But she is a gypsy whose family put the curse on Angel so he would suffer for all of eternity as vengeance for killing Drusilla. (I’m putting that together from what I remember of Angel’s & Drusilla’s history. He didn’t actually say her name...) Jenny’s uncle insists that Jenny get rid of Buffy because she is making Angel’s life less horrible than it should be.
But Angel can’t leave because they’re interrupted by vampires who get their arm back, and they put all the pieces together to create The Judge. Buffy and Angel have a close call when spying on the vamp party, meeting The Judge, but make it back to Angel’s place where they confess their love and do the do. Not on screen, but I’m assuming that’s why one second they’re making out and the next, they’re sleeping in his bed. But Angel jumps up like he’s in pain and suddenly he’s fully clothed outside in the rain and we get a “to be continued”, so let’s continue and find out if that was actually just another one of Buffy’s prophetic dreams.
New Characters: Jenny Calendar’s uncle, The Judge
Favorite Quote: Willow explains their ‘Round Robin’ concept. Buffy: “Thus freeing us up for world save-age.” Willow: “And all night keggers! What, only Xander gets to make dumb jokes?"
Mythology Lesson: Jenny Calendar is actually a gypsy sent to Sunnydale to make sure Angel is still cursed.
The Judge is a demon that will rid the world of humanity, bring on Armageddon, etc. He can’t be killed, but he was dismembered.
Angel said the claddagh ring is from his people, so I guess Angel is Irish?
Demon Deaths: A few vamps
Human Deaths: No one yet
Ep. 14: Innocence
Okay, it wasn’t a dream. Angel is actually in pain, but then suddenly isn’t because he’s in full-on vampire mode. Soulless Angel goes to hang out with Spike & Drusilla because they can all be friends now.
Jenny’s uncle tells her that Angel’s curse has been lifted because the soul they cursed him with experienced true happiness (aka banging Buffy).
While Willow is all freaked out about catching Xander and Cordelia making out, Angel shows up to reveal his new/old self to everyone. Jenny the Gypsy also reveals her part in all this. Buffy is very upset the whole time because she finally gave it up to her boyfriend and now he’s evil and mean to her and trying to kill her friends and all of humanity. Teenage drama, huh.
While Willow is all freaked out about catching Xander and Cordelia making out, Angel shows up to reveal his new/old self to everyone. Jenny the Gypsy also reveals her part in all this. Buffy is very upset the whole time because she finally gave it up to her boyfriend and now he’s evil and mean to her and trying to kill her friends and all of humanity. Teenage drama, huh.
The vamps decide the mall is the best place for The Judge to begin Armageddon, so Buffy shows up with a bazooka to blast apart The Judge.
New Characters: No one new.
Favorite Quote: “Does looking at guns make you wanna have sex?” “I’m 17. Looking at linoleum makes me wanna have sex.” -Cordelia & Xander
Mythology Lesson: Angel’s curse is lifted when his soul experiences true happiness, which apparently was doing it with Buffy.
Demon Deaths: The Judge
Human Deaths: The Judge zaps a few people at the mall
Ep. 15: Phases
This big stupid jock guy is talking to Oz about gettin’ some Buffy and Willow action, asking Oz how far he’s gotten with Willow. High school boys are so gross! He’s so gross, he knocks a girl’s books out of her hands so he can watch her pick them up and grabs Buffy’s ass during a self defence class. We’re also led to believe he might be the werewolf that attacked Cordelia & Xander. Another misogynist creep is this guy hunting werewolves. He laughs at Buffy when she says she’s hunting werewolves because “you’re a girl” and continues to say stupid sexist comments to Buffy while they try to find the werewolf.
Xander confronts the big stupid jock about being the werewolf in a hilarious way that neither says what they’re actually talking about, which leads to the jock confessing that he’s gay. Typical over-compensating closet homosexual. Well, if dumb jock isn’t the werewolf who is? It’s cute little Oz! But they manage to find him and catch him before the hunter can kill him. And then he and Willow finally kiss!
New Characters: Jock dude. (Played by “Ice” from Hocus Pocus. Hehehe.)
Favorite Quote: “Let’s not jump to any conclusions.” “I didn’t jump. I took a tiny step and there conclusions were.” - Giles and Buffy
Mythology Lesson: The nights before and after a full moon count as a full moon when it comes to mythical magical stuff like werewolves.
Demon Deaths: Angel turns a girl from school into a vamp and Xander stakes her
Human Deaths: I guess that can also count as a human death.
Ep. 16: Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered
It’s Valentine’s Day soon and love is in the air. Or, not. Xander wants to give Cordelia a necklace for the big day but Cordelia breaks up with him because her friends tease her. Xander is so upset that he blackmails Amy to work a love spell for him after he catches her using magic to hand in imaginary homework.
Giles, however, is less worried about teen romance and more concerned about what Angel will do for Valentine’s Day as he has a history of Valentine’s Day massacres. Angel sends Buffy roses with the ominous note “Soon". Angel is also busy showing Drusilla some love with a lovely human heart, which seems to beat out Spike’s gift of a necklace.
Xander and Amy’s love spell backfires. Instead of making Cordelia want him, the spell makes every other female obsessed with him. Buffy comes onto him, so Amy gets jealous and turns her into a rat. While Oz runs around the school trying to find Rat Buffy, Xander and Cordelia run away from the hoards of girls that want to kill either Cordelia because she didn’t appreciate him, or Xander because if they can’t have him, no one can.
Of course, Giles and Amy get the undo spell to work just in time and everyone (except our gang) forgets what happened. We end on a happy note when Cordelia stands up to her friends and tells them she’s going to date Xander and the two walk off together. Aww!
New Characters: Amy is back.
Favorite Quote: “I seem to be having a slight case of nudity here.” I think being completely naked is more than a slight case, Buffy.
Mythology Lesson: Amy’s mom was a witch who switched bodies with her to relive her cheerleading days. And also kill some teenage girls. (Season 1, Episode 3)
Demon Deaths: Only 1 vamp that Buffy gets on her regular patrol.
Human Deaths: Fortunately none of the love-sick girls manage to kill each other or Xander in their rage.
Ep. 17: Passion
Angel narrates over this episode a lot, talking about “passion” and super creepy things. He creeps out Buffy, and her loved ones, with notes and drawings. Talented artist that he is (he’s had a lot of time to practice), his work is not appreciated.
Jenny is trying to make up for what her family’s curse did to Angel. (He was cursed with a soul, but lost it when he banged Buffy.) She gets her hand on a crystal ball thing that can capture a soul, she just needs to translate some text in order to use it. As her computer finishes the translation, Angel shows up to show her how much he doesn’t want his soul back. He smashes the orb and, lacking a full grasp of technology, smashes the computer and burns the printed copy on the computer fire. (Because on TV, anything electronic will start a roaring fire if smashed.) Angel chases her down as she tries to escape and snaps her neck. Little does he know that Jenny invoked the golden rule: Back up your work. The translation is saved on a technological marvel known in the 1900’s as a “floppy disk”.
Angel, being the sick fuck that he is, stages a romantic evening at Giles’ home complete with roses, champagne, music, and Jenny’s dead body. Giles seeks revenge, but, thankfully, Buffy figures out his plan and swoops in to save the day. We’re all sad about Jenny’s death and her lost plans, until Willow unknowingly knocks the floppy disk between the desk & filing cabinet and we all get excited that there’s still hope for Angel. If only anyone ever cleaned between furniture like that...
New Characters: None
Favorite Quote: “The ‘Na na na na na na!’ approach to battle.” “Yes, Xander. Once more, you’ve managed to boil a complex thought down to its simplest possible form.” - Xander & Giles
Also, honourable mention for Xander’s use of the movie title Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
Mythology Lesson: The Orb of Thesulah can capture a soul and hold onto it until you’re ready. Jenny needs to translate an ancient text before she can use it, though.
Demon Deaths: None
Human Deaths: Ms. Jenny Calendar, the Techno-Pagan.
Thoughts So Far:
How much longer is Angel going to be evil? As much fun as it is to see the new relationship dynamic between Spike, Drusilla, and Angel, I like it better when Angel is kind of playing for both sides. Buffy & the gang get the help of a really old vampire and Buffy gets her weird relationship problems. I was not sorry to see Jenny go. I got bored of her character right away. Sorry, Giles, only the teenagers get to be in love. I guess I’m still watching, waiting for something more exciting to happen than just the demon-of-the-week...
Ep. 18: Killed by Death
Buffy has the flu and Cordelia's main concern is that Buffy looks gross. While fighting Angel, Buffy passes out and wakes up in the hospital. Cordelia makes some comment about how Buffy should get that thing on her face fixed while she's in the hospital. What thing on her face?!
Buffy has fever dreams of a Freddy Kruger kind of guy walking to the kids' ward of the hospital and the kids say "death" comes for them at night. Buffy is already creeped out by hospitals because when she was 8, she witnessed her cousin dying in a hospital. Cordelia makes the surprisingly intelligent observation that Buffy might be making up this demon in an attempt to create a defeatable opponent because she can't fight disease & death.
Once the kids' doctor suffers the same fate as the kids, removing him from the suspect list, Buffy gets the idea to infect herself with the fever again so she's able to see the demon so she can fight it. It works and she kills it with violence, as usual.
New Characters: Kids in the hospital
Favorite Quote: "Flowers for m'lady." "I think they call those balloons." "Ya, stick 'em in water maybe they'll grow." Good one, Xander.
Mythology Lesson: Der Kindestod- means "child death". He feeds off children by sucking the life out of them, leaving them looking like they died of their illness. He does this by sitting on them. (Babysitter joke, anyone?)
Demon Deaths: Der Kindestod
Human Deaths: A few kids, the kids' doctor
Ep. 19: I Only Have Eyes for You
The Sadie Hawkins dance is coming up- don't even get me started on the gender stereotyping rant that I went on to myself watching this episode. In honour of the upcoming Sadie Hawkins dance, I guess, a tortured spirit is haunting the school. In a sort of poltergeist-time loop mash-up, people are getting temporarily possessed and reenacting a scene between lovers. It seems to be a forbidden romance and she is leaving him, so he shoots her. Well, it doesn't get that far because Buffy interrupts some teens who don't remember acting out the scene, and the gun disappeared. That troll of a principal is back and out to get Buffy, trying to blame her for the incident. The poltergeist activity also includes Buffy seeing scenes of the student-teacher relationship that is causing the haunting, and a teacher writing out DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME BITCH! on the blackboard. Doing some research, they find out about the past relationship and how it ended. They suspect the boy's spirit is holding on, seeking forgiveness.
Meanwhile, Angel is full of wheelchair puns for Spike and I love it. Turns out Spike is faking his paralysis, though! I'm really enjoying this Angel-Drusilla-Spike love triangle.
Willow is teaching Ms. Calendar's class (What?! Students can just teach classes now?!) and going through her research and spells. Is this the beginning of Willow becoming a witch?
They try to exorcise the school with a spell and it kind of works, but I guess not because Buffy goes back in and so does Angel and they both get caught in the love scene, except Angel in the woman's place and when he gets shot, he doesn't die, so they continue being possessed and are able to act out a nice ending for the spirits, who go into the light or whatever.
I'm Confused: The principal and the police chief have a conversation about what to say to hide this weird activity, like we've seen them do before, but this time they actually mention being on the Hellmouth and bring the mayor into it. So, the important town officials know about all this? How much do they know? Do they know that Buffy is the Slayer? You'd think the principal would cut Buffy a break if he knew how important it is for her to be able to miss school and do this crazy stuff, but maybe he doesn't like her because he knows about this demon stuff but is on their side? I'm intrigued to say the least...
New Characters: The spirits acting out their love affair.
Favorite Quote: "Something weird is going on." "Isn't that our school motto?"
Mythology Lesson: A student and teacher had an affair back in the 50's. When she ended it, he shot her and then himself.
Demon Deaths: None
Human Deaths: The possessed janitor shoots a teacher.
Ep. 20: Go Fish
I hate just about every male in this episode. And the American school system. The swim team boys finally won semi-finals so they're getting special treatment in classes and generally being misogynistic asshats. It makes me sad to hear Cordelia even reenforcing this shit saying Xander runs "like a girl" and "some people deserve special treatment". Ugh.
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| Buffy is having none of your victim-blaming bullshit. |
One of the swim team boys takes a shining to Buffy, and forces himself on her in his car, so she rightfully smashes his head against his steering wheel. The principal and this kid are just the worst people ever saying all that victim blaming shit like "You were leading me on." "Well, look how you dress." etc. Ugh.
Well, the stupid swim team gets what they deserve (sorry, a little harsh) because they're being killed off, only their skin remaining. Xander goes undercover to find out what's going on. Turns out the coach is putting what they all think is steroids in their steam room. It's actually some weird science experiment that is making them all good swimmers because they're actually turning into fishy creatures, that climb out of their own skin.
The coach is the real bad guy here, and he gets attacked by his monsters and then they escape to the sea. Be free, fishies, be free!
New Characters: Shane West and Wentworth Miller play guys from the swim team! 90's heartthrobs!
Favorite Quote: "It's one thing to be dating the lame unpopular guy but it's another to be dating a creature from the blue lagoon." "Black lagoon. The creature from the Blue Lagoon was Brooke Shields."
Mythology Lesson: Coach says something about the fish stuff being leftover after the fall of the Soviet Union, an experiment to make soldiers better swimmers.
Demon Deaths: None? I don't think they killed any of the fish guys...
Human Deaths: Swim coach
Ep. 21: Becoming: Part 1
We get to see first hand Angel's origin story. Both becoming a vampire and becoming a vampire with a soul. And how he came to Sunnydale and started falling for Buffy. David Boreanaz's Irish accent isn't quite up to snuff. It doesn't explain why he came to New York after being cursed with a soul, or why he adapted an American accent.
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| Like, OMG, Buffy, you're like totally a vampire slayer! As if! |
Angel is hellbent on bringing hell to Earth. Another big scary mythical creature/demon is unearthed and Angel wants to use it to bring on the apocalypse (This show needs some new big plot ideas besides ancient demons who can bring on an apocalypse.) While Buffy and Willow are trying to find a way to stop him, they finally find that floppy disk with Ms. Calendar's translation of the thing that can bring Angel's soul back!
While Buffy confronts Angel, Drusilla and some vamps attack the gang in the library while they're trying to do the spell. They steal Giles hoping that he will help them activate this evil thing. Buffy is found over the body of Kendra (Oh, yeah, the other Slayer showed up) and runs from the police.
I'm Confused: We see some of Buffy's origin story in this episode as well. Is this stuff from the movie? Is that man her Watcher who showed up to tell her she's the Slayer? Should I have watched the movie?
New Characters: Mysterious guy who brings Angel to Sunnydale (Rune from Gilmore Girls!)
Favorite Quote: "I wish for once you would support me! And I realize right now that you were and I'm embarrassed, so I'm gonna get back to the point." Oh. Xander.
Mythology Lesson: We get to see some of Angel's origin story.
Demon Deaths: None?
Human Deaths: None?
Ep. 22: Becoming: Part 2
Spike catches up with Buffy on the run wanting to strike a deal. He just wants to get himself and Drusilla out of the country, Buffy can have her Angel back. Buffy takes Spike home to talk where they run into her mom and the secret is spilled. Her mom overreacts and tells Buffy if she leaves (to go save the world) she can't come back. Harsh, mom. She's the Slayer, okay? She can't help it.
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| Buffy's mom and Spike share an awkward moment. |
Willow is able to do the spell again and Angel gets his soul back right has he and Buffy are about to kill each other. They share a kiss and then she stabs him to close the portal to hell.
I'm left with many questions: Why hasn't Buffy's mom remembered anything until now? She says she does remember hitting Spike that time.
Where is Buffy going on the bus? Is she homeless? On the run from the police? Going to visit her dad for the summer again?
Where did Spike and Drusilla go?
Does Angel find a way back from hell? Does he turn up somewhere else and that's why he gets his own show?
Since Buffy's death (that she came back from) triggered the new Slayer, Kendra, while Kendra's death trigger the next Slayer? Is that Faith?
New Characters: That mysterious guy from Angel's past again
Favorite Quote: "Have we met?" "You hit me with an axe, one time. Remember? 'Get the hell away from my daughter.'" "Oh." Buffy's mom + Spike. I ship it.
Mythology Lesson: Angel opened the portal to hell, so only he can close it.
Demon Deaths: Some vamps. Angel?
Human Deaths: Kendra, the other Slayer
Thoughts on Season 2
I'm finally really interested in this show! So much as been revealed that I want to know more about. I want to know what the principal and the mayor really know about the Hellmouth and Buffy. I want to know more about Angel coming to America. I want to know if Willow is a witch now. I want to know if Faith is going to show up now. I want to know if Angel is going to come back. I want to know where Spike & Drusilla went, and when Spike is coming back because I know he does. I. Am. Interested.
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