Passion #4: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Here we go again with another of my major passions! I arrived late to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. When it was first shown on TV, I scoffed at the silly name of the main protagonist and decided it was some kind of teenage "comedy", so I decided to bypass it. When I reached university, Season 3 of Buffy had just started and my flat were very into it. I sat and watched the first episode and found myself utterly gripped by the characters, the dialogue, the emotion. I also spent half the time saying 'Who's that?' or 'Where has that naked man come from, who is he, why are you all surprised to see him?' My housemates were extremely patient, and one of them gave me Seasons 1 and 2 to watch so that I could get myself all caught up. And that was where my love affair began.

I have tried to follow other series (like Charmed, and Smallville, and, more recently, Chuck and BSG). While I have enjoyed them well enough - except Charmed.... - none of them held the same draw for me. None of them seemed to combine the same humour and darkness, and relationships and passion. The central pairing of Buffy and Angel in the first few seasons was inspired, and I longed for them to find peace with each other, even while I knew it could never happen.

Anyway, I thought I would showcase my top five Buffy episodes with stills from the show and my favourite quote. And I would invite you in the comments to share your own favourite episodes. It goes without saying that The Body and Once More, With Feeling are amazing, but they're so often listed as favourite episodes that I tried to present some different ones. Oh, and these five are in no particular order! It was hard enough to narrow down five I loved, let alone then try to put them in some kind of order and pick an absolute favourite *grins*

1) Passion - Season 2

I can't say a lot about the events of this episode without giving spoilers to those who haven't seen it. And I wouldn't want to spoil this explosive episode for ANYONE. When I watched it my jaw was almost permanently dropped. It was one of those episodes where you realised that life in Sunnydale actually was dangerous. The emotions displayed were so powerful - Anthony Stewart Head, in particular, did a stunning job.

Quote of the episode:

Buffy: It's so weird. Every time something like this happens, my first instinct is still to run to Angel. I can't believe it's the same person. He's completely different from the guy that I knew.
Willow: Well, sort of, except ...
Buffy: Except what?
Willow: You're still the only thing he thinks about.

2) Lovers Walk - Season 3

Spike was always one of my favourite characters, so any episode heavy on the Spike goodness was just fine with me. This one resonates with me particularly, because of the situation between Buffy and Angel - insisting that they're only friends, when everyone but them realises that their passion is unchecked.

Quote of the episode:

Spike: The last time I looked in on you two, you were fighting to the death. Now you're back to making googly-eyes at each other like nothing happened. Makes me want to heave.
Buffy: I don't know what you're talking about.
Spike: Oh, yeah, you're just friends.
Angel: That's right.
Spike: You're not friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love 'til it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other 'til it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains, children, it's blood -- blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.

3) Hush - Season 4

Alright, so I didn't include The Body or Once More, With Feeling - but there was NO WAY I could not include this episode in my favourites. It is simply remarkable, from the creepy Gentlemen to the lack of dialogue to the wonderful score. Joss Whedon always enjoyed pushing the boundaries and I believe this is one of his finest hours across everything he's worked on.

Quote of the episode:

Obviously there is not a great deal of dialogue to pick from in this one - in fact, one of the very funniest parts of Hush is where Buffy mimes staking a vampire several times. You try it now, if you haven't seen it, and tell me what it looks like *chortles* #childish I did find an amusing exchange though:

[At Giles's apartment, Xander and Anya are arguing about their relationship.]
Xander: If you don't know how I feel about -
Anya: I don't. This isn't a relationship! You don't need me. All you care about is lots of orgasms.
[The others are silent with disbelief.]
Xander: OK... remember how we talked about private conversations? How they're less private when they're in front of my friends?
Spike: Oh, we're not your friends. Go on.
Giles: Please don't.

4) Fool For Love - Season 5

The first of two from Season 5 - this one deals with flashbacks into Spike's history (remember how I said I rather liked his character? *grin*), and shows his encounters with the two Slayers he has killed in the past. I loved the flashbacks (although Angel's dodgy Irish accent is constantly painful) and I loved the element of vulnerability brought to Buffy's character in this episode. Beautiful work between Sarah Michelle Gellar and James Marsters, as usual.

Quote of the episode:

Flashback Spike: Death is your art.
Spike: You make it with your hands, day after day.
Flashback Spike: That final gasp. That look of peace.
Spike: Part of you is desperate to know: "What's it like? Where does it lead you?"

[Flashback Spike snaps Nikki’s neck]
Flashback Spike: Even you. The only reason you've lasted as long as you have is you've got ties to the world... your mum, your brat kid sister, the Scoobies. They all tie you here, but you're just putting off the inevitable. Sooner or later, you're gonna want it. And the second- the second - [Both Spikes clap their hands together inches from Buffy's face]
Spike: ... That happens... You know I'll be there. I'll slip in... have myself a real good day. Here endeth the lesson.

5) The Gift - Season 5

There were some very high points in Seasons 6 and 7, but part of me thinks that this episode is the *perfect* ending to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is fitting and moving - and I cry every damn time. Incredible performances across the board, and a killer finish. Just wonderful TV.

Quote of the episode:

I couldn't have picked anything else but this...

Buffy: Dawn, listen to me, listen. I love you. I will always love you. But this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles… tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I'm okay. And give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world… is to live in it. Be brave. Live… for me.

If you've watched Buffy, then you'll already have your reasons for loving the series. If you haven't watched it, I'm sure you have good reasons. But if this is a series you've just never got around to picking up, then please do it. Season 1 can be a bit rough at points, but once they hit their stride in Season 2 it is amazing viewing. Even the bad episodes are better than 90% of what is being put out most of the time.

Go on - share your favourite episodes, or characters, or lines of dialogue!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 1, Episode 5

Never Kill A Boy On The First Date


In this episode we discover the Master working towards a new prophecy concerning The Anointed One, in another bid to regain his freedom. Buffy ends up frustrated by Giles, since his desire to prevent said prophecy from coming true causes her dating issues with Owen, a brooding and mysterious guy from school she has a monumental crush on. This episode fits neatly into the Arc of Season 1, by focusing on themes of responsibility and duty.

Some of my thoughts:

- The introduction of the Anointed One (or, as he is dubbed later, the Annoying One): the most boring and underused villain in the history of TV shows. I REALLY didn't like him.

- I loved Giles' faintly accusatory tone when Owen blunders into the library to, y'know, take out a book (not something usually seen!): "What do you want?"

- Owen is such a weird contradiction of a character and I so don't get why Buffy gushes over him so badly. He sounds like a wet blanket when he talks about Emily Dickinson (although kudos for mentioning this poet in a prime time TV show for teens); he then confesses to liking death and being morbid; and then confesses to getting off on the danger of being punched out by a vamp! Get better taste in guys, Buffy!

- The misdirection about the Anointed One was done in an okay fashion, but that scene with the bus and the muttering evil murderer dragged on for far too long, as did the scene in the funeral home with Buffy and Giles looking through the mortuary trays.

- There were some seriously bad outfits going on in this episode! First we have Buffy's crazy fur coat she wears while waiting in the cemetery with Giles, then she compounds the error by wearing a grotty tie-dye top to school. Xander gets in on the act with his heinous spotty shirt - and then Cordelia (who can usually be relied on to get outfits right) rocks a crimped hair look! Icks all round from me!

- Seriously, this guy Owen? How dumb and gullible can you be? How could ANYONE fall for Buffy and Giles' little routine about the librarian coming round to a student's house after hours to chase late library books?

- This episode does have the cutest scene in the Bronze, though: Angel getting all jealous about Buffy being on a date with Owen, followed by Willow and Xander pretending to be a couple. The awkwardness and one liners are great!

Any frustrations?

Apart from all those to do with Owen, and the fact that the Anointed One just doesn't achieve anything, I have to mention the fact that in the first scene the vamp's clothes dust along with him, yet his ring falls on the floor to give a handy clue about the prophecy! Yeah, yeah, I know - don't analyse too closely.

Quote of the Week:

Giles: All right, I-I'll just jump in my time machine, go back to the twelfth century and ask the vampires to postpone their ancient prophecy for a few days while you take in dinner and a show.

Buffy: Okay, at this point you're abusing sarcasm.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 1, Episode 4

Teacher's Pet

This is a classic Monster of the Week episode. Buffy's science teacher Dr Gregory goes missing, and the substitute teacher Natalie French turns out to be far more than she seems. There are a couple of moments that contribute to the overall arc of Season 1, but mostly this is about having fun with a new monster and allowing Xander to come central stage.

Some of my thoughts:

- It was interesting seeing Buffy from Xander's perspective in his dream sequence at the beginning; she looks so slutty with the heavy make-up!

- I enjoy the way that Whedon helps to build up character development in this episode, with just small glances or brief sentences. Here we can clearly see that Willow is painfully in love with Xander, who has eyes only for Buffy. Cordelia continues to obsess only about herself. Buffy and Willow have a couple of those 'girl' moments, where they speak volumes with just a glance.

- The flirting between Buffy and Angel ramps up, and the chemisty between them is amazing. It is easy to see that, even if Whedon had no plans to keep Angel in the show past Season 1, these encounters would have convinced him that the character had potential.

- Buffy lies to Giles about going out hunting: this is not the last time she will end up doing this.

- We have a couple of situations in this episode that will become recurring themes: Xander's unfortunate romantic track record with demons, and Whedon's ability to take a character you are starting to warm to and callously killing them off (Dr Gregory in this instance).

- Xander's middle name is LaVelle!

Any frustrations?

Well, yeah, a few - this is not an episode I would actively choose to rewatch very often! Here I was frustrated by Angel's hints about 'the fork guy'; it seemed very clumsy. Buffy then using the fork guy as a sniffer dog gives reason for the vampire being in the episode, but Angel warned her that the vamp was extremely powerful and then she defeats him in a matter of seconds off-screen! Lastly, why do we need the ominous view of the preying mantis eggs right at the end of the episode? They're never mentioned again across seven seasons!

Quote of the Week:

Giles: That's all he said? Fork Guy?

Buffy: That's all Cryptic Guy said: Fork Guy.

Giles: There are too many guys in your life.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 1, Episode 3

The Witch

In this episode Buffy is trying out for the cheerleading squad and making new friends with one of the other girls also trying out, called Amy. It's gradually realised by Buffy and her 'team' (the Slayerettes, term first coined in this episode by Willow) that the cheerleaders are being taken out by someone using witchcraft. They check it out and Buffy is almost taken down by a powerful witch.

My thoughts:

- Although one of the 'Monster of the Week' shows that the bulk of Season 1 is made up of, this one is superior to a large number of the others. The main reason for this is the absolute sparkling and comedy dialogue. There are some wonderful exchanges between characters, mostly involving Xander, that are biting and very funny.

- Wow, the sign at try-outs says 1996: can't believe Buffy is that old now! Still seems so fresh!

- There are a few very American-centric things in this episode that the English viewer might find incomprehensible or unfamiliar. This includes just why cheerleading is so obsessed about by young American girls; and the fact that Driver's Ed is offered as a class at many high schools.

- Joss Whedon is showing his comic book credentials in this episode, with mention made of both the Human Torch and the Invisible Man.

- It has to be said that there are a couple of genuinely creepy moments in this episode, such as when Lishanne's mouth is closed over by a spell and when Amy's 'mum' delivers the line: "She said I was wasting my youth. So she took it." This was beautifully done.

- Poor Sarah Michelle Gellar is really not the singer....

- A couple of themes re-occur in The Witch: one concerns an ongoing debate between Buffy and Giles about her responsibilities, and her constant striving to be a normal girl; the other concerns Buffy's mum Joyce simply having no idea of what her daughter is actually involved in.

- Speaking of Joyce, I felt that the scenes between her and Buffy reflected completely the type of relationship a 16 year old might have with her mum. They are the warm heart of this episode. I also appreciated the parallel that can be drawn with the scenes involving Buffy and Giles. The tenderness and protectiveness he is already feeling for Buffy puts him very much into a fatherly role, that will continue to develop across the seven seasons.

- Xander was absolutely brilliant in this episode! From the snarky one-liners to the look on his face when Buffy - all unaware - breaks his heart by saying he's just one of the girls to her.

Any frustrations? Well, just a couple of internal inconsistency or plot holes that need to be shrugged aside, such as the fact that Cordelia is totally disoriented all day, even before she is blinded. Also, when driving the car and going blind, surely it's an easy thing to hit the brakes rather than speed up and swerve all over the place? I'm also left wondering how Amy managed to get hold of Buffy's bracelet, short of tearing it off her wrist. Minor points really, and didn't detract from the episode at all.

Best dialogue? A few candidates this time!

Xander: I laugh in the face of danger! Then I... hide until it goes away.

Xander: For I am Xander, King of Cretins. May all lesser cretins bow before me!"

Willow: That girl's on fire!
Cordelia: Enough of the hyperbole!"

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 1, Episode 2

The Harvest

This episode picks up directly from the end of Welcome to the Hellmouth (honestly, they should be watched back to back). Buffy and Giles introduce Xander and Willow to the world of vampires with a lengthy infodump session, before Buffy leaves to try and rescue Jesse who has been taken by the vamps. While she is away Giles and Willow try to discover more about the Harvest - mentioned by the mysterious stranger that keeps popping up when Buffy is alone. The end denouement sees the vampires take over the Bronze, while Luke (hench-vamp to the Master) becomes the Vessel in order to try and release the Master from his mystical imprisonment. Again, I would rate this as a solid entry in much the same vein as Welcome to the Hellmouth.

A few thoughts:

- nice little use of the cross that Angel gives Buffy when it saves her from Luke at the start of the episode. Intriguing that despite being frustrated by him and protesting that he is 'good-looking in an annoying sort of way' Buffy wears the cross he gives her immediately.

- I had some amusement at the fact you need to seriously suspend disbelief and ignore plot-holes to truly enjoy this series - the idea of one girl being created to handle *all* the vamps in the world is vaguely ridiculous. Will Europe be over-run by vampires while Buffy is the Slayer and stays mainly in America?

- that computer looks so dated! And Giles' self-conscious reference to the Net is slightly cringe-making - although it does fit his character of being a complete technophobe.

- once again Whedon throws in off-handedly a theme that will reoccur many times - in this case it is the way Xander doesn't really have a role to fill. Giles is the monster expert; obviously Buffy is the Slayer; and Willow slots right in with her computer knowledge - but Xander immediately feels like a spare part.

- I was oddly amused to see a vampire called Collin.

- when Joyce says: "if you don't go out, it'll be the end of the world" it is a lovely irony that it actually would be the end of the world if Buffy doesn't get out of the house.

- just a comment: never thought that Cordy would be the type to go in for rock music. Always saw her as preferring manufactured plastic pop. Just goes to show.

Most frustrating? A few candidates in this episode. The first is the Master - considering he is this evil ancient bad guy who holds Luke and Darla in thrall, he seems a little... whiny. I never really got in these first episodes why he was considered *so* bad. Xander is an annoyance in this episode as far as I'm concerned - first he takes on board all the vampire stuff a little too quickly and goes all gung ho, then he shows the ultimate stupidity by following Buffy when she explicitly tells him not to. Lastly, I have no idea why Angel tells Buffy she really shouldn't go into the lair of the vampires when he well knows that she is the best equipped to deal with them.

Quote of the episode:

Giles: For as long as there have been vampires, there has been the Slayer. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One...

Buffy: He loves doing this part.

Giles: This world is older than any of you know, and contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons, demons walked the Earth, made it their home, their Hell. In time, they lost their purchase on this reality, and the way was made for mortal animals. For Man. What remains of the Old Ones are vestiges: certain magics, certain creatures.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 1, Episode 1

Welcome to the Hellmouth

This the the first part of the season 1 opener (the second part being The Harvest).

We are introduced to Buffy Summers, a blonde sixteen year old girl just trying to fit in at a new school in Sunnydale. Over the course of the episode she is revealed to be more than she first appears - a vampire slayer. This episode introduces the mythos of the Buffyverse and the recurring characters in a neat manner, using both snappy dialogue and action sequences to define them. Considering the episode is only 40 minutes duration, Joss Whedon effectively showed us a glimpse into Buffy's history (being kicked out of her previous school; evidently being popular at her old school); the quirky and cute relationship between Xander and Willow that will play such a huge part in future seasons; the fatherly attitude of Giles towards Buffy; the wonderfully realistic relationship of confused mother and hormone-y teenage girl in Joyce and Buffy. He also finds the time to shoehorn in the Master and Darla - two recurring characters over the course of the first season - and shows us Angel for the first time.

This episode is tremendous mostly for being the start of something amazing. Held up on its own, it is a solid but not wonderful entry into the world of Buffy. We are mostly shown glimpses of the brilliance that is to come, in some of the dialogue between the characters. In all honesty, if it were to be shown for the first time today, I would be interested enough to tune in for the next one, but not blown away and raving about it to all my mates.

Just a few thoughts:

- love that the first part before the credits subverts the usual cliche of the baby-voiced girl being weak and in trouble.

- the Buffster is wearing loads of make-up here! And could her skirt get ANY shorter?! I like that she is more curvaceous than in later seasons - is this a commentary in general on how women have become more and more obsessed with size zero over the years since BtVS was first aired?

- amusingly, this is the first and only time we see Xander on a skateboard (maybe because he is so bad at it?)

- it is lovely seeing Giles being patient but slightly exasperated and overwhelmed - this Slayer is definitely NOT what he expected. It is great that Whedon introduces from the get-go the conflict that Buffy faces as a Slayer who just wants to be a normal girl - this sense of reluctant duty will be taken through the whole seven seasons.

- Willow is so cute! I especially love the reference to her and Xander breaking up because he stole her Barbie.

- Wonderful foreshadowing when Buffy says: "It's not like I have fluffy bunny feelings about them" when referring to vampires.

Biggest frustration? Angel's introduction. Later we find out that Angel has already been watching Buffy for a while, so why act as though he's never even seen her? The mystery of who and what he is was handled quite clumsily at this early point. Honourable mention goes to Jesse, who is never referred to again after these opening two episodes, despite the fact that he and Xander seem to be quite close friends.

Quote of the episode:

Buffy: Dead?

Cordelia: Totally dead. Way dead.

Xander: It's not just a little dead, dead?

Cordelia: Don't you have an elsewhere to be?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 2, Episode 5

Reptile Boy

Synopsis

Giles is pushing Buffy in her Slayer training, her mother’s rules are becoming more and more strict, and Angel is growing more over-protective. Buffy is feeling pulled apart. When Cordelia’s college crush shows up on campus with a friend who has eyes for Buffy, Cordelia convinces Buffy to come with her to the frat party. But the party soon turns sinister, and Buffy learns the connection between the fraternity and the local girls who have recently gone missing. Xander, Giles, Angel and Willow must crash the party before all Hell breaks loose.

Review

This is not one of the stronger episodes of Buffy, especially in Season 2, when there was a string of unbelievably good storylines that dominated the latter half.

We have a Monster of the Week episode here, which barely deals with any of the ongoing issues of the Season - such as Spike and Drusilla's presence in Sunnydale, or Buffy and Angel's burgeoning relationship.

There is some clumsy commentary on the evils of drink - Buffy decides to take an alcoholic drink, which just so happens to be spiked and she ends up becoming the offering to a rather phallic-shaped demon. Kids, be warned what happens when you drink! This is not the first time that a Buffy episode handles the drink=wrong slant.

The over-riding theme of the episode is Buffy struggling to deal with the responsibilities of being a Slayer while attending high school and wanting to be a normal girl. This is handled sensitively with some excellent scenes between Giles and Buffy. Here we see Giles taking on the fatherly mantle for the first time - and there is a very lovely conclusion to their conflict at the end of the episode.

Quote of the episode:

Buffy: I told one lie, I had one drink.

Giles: Yes, and you were very nearly devoured by a giant demon snake. The words "let that be a lesson" are a tad redundant at this juncture.

Not a great Buffy episode, but still better than a many series on television even at its slowest points!