Well, well, we’re done with season one of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and are now moving on to season 2. I asked you guys (very ambivalently, I apologize) if we should watch an extra episode on Monday for two reasons: (A) It seriously did seem rather weird that we’d only watch the premiere of a season and (B) I sort of wanted to see more of season 2 before I began assessing it. People argued that the premiere episode sort of feels like a natural end to season one, and I won’t counter that in any way. It’s true, it does feel like an end to the story. But at the same time, it feels very season 2. It’s different. It’s part of all the “epicness” that I’ve been hearing about. And even then, it’s still part of season 2, regardless of how much it may be season 1-ish.
Well, anyway, we watched a bonus episode, which at the end of the day sort of gave me zero clues as to what differs seasons one and two at this point. But here’s what I have noticed:
People’s hair is different. But like waaayy different, you guys. Not so different that it’s unnoticeably them, but different enough for the show to be like “We’re just sayin’. This ain’t the same season, y’all.” And by the same token, THEY CAN ACTUALLY FIGHT. It’s no longer just a leg and then a delayed reaction shot. It’s real fighting. Glory days!
Oh, and one more note about Buffy’s new hairdo… uh… isn’t that totally The Rachel?
Well it’s reminiscent. And what about Calendar’s new ‘do? Tell me it doesn’t remind you of Monica’s bob!
They’re both the same hairstyles just with bangs. Okay, I’m just grasping at straws. But I do own all ten seasons, a board game, some VHS tapes, and a book on Friends so I WILL continue to make these comparisons. It’s just inevitable. Oh, and speaking of hair…
YOU GUYS. Come on!!! The hair! Cordelia is totally Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne in Scooby-Doo. How meta is that? And it’s not just the hair — it’s everything. They’re both prissy. They both seemingly want to help without damaging their nails. And they’re both total damsels in distress! It’s like every week Cordelia is being tied up by some bad guy. Just even MORE evidence that SMG took on Buffy to study for Scooby-Doo. It’s overwhelming at this point!
And this is more than I have EVER talked about hair in my entire life. So I NEED to move on.
Lastly, look who gets the Turn Face treatment in season 2 of Buffy!
That’s right! Everyone’s favorite whisperer has just been given a season regular option. Which means we get to raise the volume on our TVs even more often. Yes, I love doing that — not annoying whatsoever!
All right, enough about season 2 as a whole. Let’s get down to the individual episodes. Beginning with…
It’s the season premiere of Buffy the Vampire Slayer — new season, new school year. Buffy’s been away all summer long with her father (which Joyce was happy about, “Have fun with your daddy, Bianca!”). And Xander and Willow have just been hanging out…and maybe even making out…
Which (A) OMG THE TENSION you guys! I was screaming at them to make out, as well! Even though I’m so incredibly annoyed that Xander is still hung up on Buffy and the way he sort of passively thinks of Willow sometimes, who can deny the greatness of this ice cream scene? And (B) How much was Xander’s emphasis TOTALLY Chandler Bing in this scene? Could this should BE anymore Friends?
Anyway, so they’re about to crash their mouths together when a vampire totally mouth blocks them.
They’re none too pleased, as you’d might expect. But thankfully, Buffy enters the picture with her new hairdo (pictured above) and kicks this vampire’s ass. Apparently, there have been zero vampire attacks since she left, which is just incredibly convenient, and they decided to bury The Master’s skeleton…instead of questioning WHY THERE WAS A SKELETON LEFT!!?!?!!!
Anyway, back at the Summers residence, Buffy’s dad is helping Joyce unpack her things. And they’re both the best and worst parents at the same time. I wish my parents would unpack things. Shit, I wish my parents would buy me things that I could then have to unpack!
So we don’t exactly know why yet, but this episode basically deals with Buffy acting like a…uh… like if it was her…uh…hmm…how do I say this without being totally sexist?
She was being a total meanie face. Well, not precisely. She was acting a bit cold and distant, but at the same time she was progressively getting more agitated. And no one really understood why, not even the audience, until we got a sneak peek in this training montage with flashes of The Master in between:
As it turns out, Buffy still has some pent up anger OVER DYING or whatever. Typical girl drama.
And this is when we find out that there’s still some evil stuff going on, thanks to this guy:
Which as a minority makes me feel good that there was another minority face onscreen. But I just knew he was going to die before the episode’s up, because c’mon. As it turns out, we’ll later learn, these vampires want to revive The Master. And what they need is the blood of people who were physically near him when he died — who are Willow, Giles, Cordelia, and Calendar.
Speaking of Calendar and Giles (or Calendiles!), they too had a little scene earlier in this episode where it was very obvious that Giles has a crush on her. I don’t know how I feel about this new development, where it’s so overtly obvious. I’d rather them bicker about books and computers some more. But I’ll talk more about that in the episode 2 recap.
So, anyway, the vampires are hoping that The Anointed will help them revive The Master and now he’s still extremely powerful.
Then, Buffy has a nightmare of Giles murdering her but then it turns out to be The Master in disguise (wait…) and wakes up because that’s some scary shit.
…to Angel…who’s just in her room like it’s all good.
He’s basically there to tell her that shit’s still about to go down and to not underestimate The Anointed even though he looks like a child. And Buffy’s like, “Fuhhhh again?” And then goes to sleep. With him just staring at her. Romantic?
Skip forward and everyone’s at the Bronze because some band is playing, so Buffy enters like she owns the place, walking all sexy-like. And Angel just knows she’s there and does some serious Turn Facing.
EVERYONE’S staring at her. And why not? She’s Buffy effin Summers. But she’s still got this chip on her shoulder, and so to make Angel jealous, she decides to dance with Xander — who is really okay with it.
And then Buffy raised her arms, and that’s when you KNOW some stuff was about to go down.
So they just stood there, gyrating about two inches constantly. And then my favorite dance move EVER happened!
Buffy kept trying to seduce Xander with her shoulder. Of all the joints, I think shoulder comes in second to last in the sexy-meter. The least sexy OBVIOUSLY being elbows, guys. Have you ever brushed up against an elbow? It’s like sandpaper. But shoulders is a close second.
And if you wanted to know, the first sexy joint is weed. Duh. This list is, of course, if we’re NOT counting the phalanges or toes or anything like that. Because who even thinks of those? And besides sometimes those joints in the hands come in handy for—
OH MY GOD we’re soooo off track. So returning to Buffy the Vampire Slayer…
Buffy and Xander are dancing.
But Xander isn’t really enjoying it because it’s painfully obvious what’s happening. And then she gets a bit sassy with him with some Basic Instinct-like dialogue. “Did I ever thank you for saving my life? Don’t you wish I would?”
Gurl. Don’t make a promise you can’t keep.
So she walks out after giving Xander serious wood and Cordelia follows after.
And Buffy just walks away, even though Cordelia’s advice is really sound and solid. But even though she’s only ten feet away, she doesn’t hear when they kidnap Cordelia.
Anyway, the next day everyone’s looking for Cordelia and that’s when they realize the vampires are trying to bring The Master back to life. Then, the gang gets a threatening message. So everyone wants to go save Cordelia, but Buffy’s all “No! Me slayer. You irrelevants.” And they’re all pretty pissed at her, but she goes by herself anyway. (Angel meets her up, but he’s so quiet you probably didn’t even notice.) When they get there, they realize it’s actually a trap — and the vampires have taken Willow, Giles, and Calendar as well.
So Buffy and Xander decide to save their friends and NOT have The Master be revived, and that’s when cool fighting stuff happens like the following:
And so Buffy kicks all of their asses. Including minority guy.
And then Buffy picks up a sledgehammer and goes IN on The Master’s skeletal remains.
It was much more poignant than it looks, actually. We finally, truly, got to see what the real issue was here. And perhaps the best thing is that Buffy’s death was not downplayed in any way, unlike, I don’t know, when Xander tried to rape her and we all just laughed it off in the end? Yeah, like that. It was so poignant, I won’t even mention that it was a puddle that killed Buffy, because it would ruin the moment.
Anyway, it ends with everyone on good terms again and The Anointed swearing that he will rise to power or some such nonsense.
Future pop culture references: Defining where you sit in class with your relationship with your friends? Again, that’s…
And I know that the big scene was when she powdered The Master’s skeleton, but the real emotional scene here for me was this one. I mean, just look at Buffy’s face once she realizes how true her friends are:
THE FEELS, Buffy. ALL OF THEM.
The Grade: This was a really great episode, actually. I love having the little mystery to solve (re: Buffy’s emotional stability) throughout the installment, and I think it really gave gravitas like the series hasn’t had before. Somehow, every element of the series was firing on all cylinders. And I’m a huge fan of episode setup like these. It sort of reminded me of Veronica Mars episode “Donut Run” (where Veronica — SPOILERS — helps Duncan flee the country. The dynamics were somewhat the same. Of course, Veronica was faking it however — END OF SPOILERS).
Could there be a more fitting episode title? Yeesh. I’m not going to lie to you; I sort of wish this episode kind of didn’t happen. It was a bit…eh. And that’s coming from ME, you guys.
Basically, some dead kid’s brother and his weirdo friend are trying to make him a zombie bride (sans the eating people part). And they choose Cordelia. The gang saves the day. The end.
Mostly, I’m just not a fan of the on again off again season arcs stuff on this show. It feels too abrupt for my taste. Of course, I’m watching in one sitting and just a few episodes at at time. So, let’s just talk about some key things.
Calendiles: As I said before, not really a fan of this new direction that they’ve been headed. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I was sort of elated when I realized the show was making them a thing. But I kind of wanted more a of a slow burn. I’m a masochist that way.
Someone asked me why I like Calendar or Calendiles on Twitter because she’s soooo annoying apparently, but I honestly have seen no reason not to like her character at the moment. Other than her “Buffy is so little” comment. B—, please. Why don’t YOU go fight some vamps? Okay, thank you.
Anyway, Giles is trying to figure out how to ask Calendar out and Buffy says, “Then you say, ‘How do you feel about Mexican?'”
And Giles says, “How do you feel about Mexicans?” And that’s so very OBVIOUSLY incorrect because we already know how you feel about minorities, Buffy. And then the line that Calendar uses to pick him up is the same line and then that whole “You noticed that HUH? LOOK HOW CUTE WE ARE!” Ehh too much. But whatever, it’s happening. So I’m happy about that at least.
FOTEs: Let’s discuss the FOTEs of this installment. FOTEs, of course, standing for “Friend of the Episode”s (just in case you’re new here).
This is Eric (or EriK?). He’s just really creepy and likes to take pictures of stuff. And also he’s really creepy, if I didn’t mention that already.
And this is Chris, who looked like he was going to be a romantic interest for Willow (MAJOR chemistry, right?). But then nope. His brother died a high school football star and is now reborn…and is basically just REALLY horny. It was a weird episode.
And Daryl, Chris’s brother.
Anyway, a lot of stuff goes down but the gist is this: Chris realizes he made a mistake bringing his brother back. Daryl dies in a fire. Calendiles is going out for a second date. Cordelia and Xander might turn into a thing (!!!!!!). I mean, I’m just saying…that scene where she thanks him for saving her life…c’mon. And Buffy and Angel have a moment…
…that I can’t hear. But something was said.
Hahaha! No, I’m totally kidding (but seriously). Turns out Angel is jealous of Xander because he gets to “see you in the sunlight.” Well, aw. They’re so star-crossed, those two!
The Grade: Off the charts. Let’s say that.
Well, I have to say, after a VERY good first episode and then no second episode to my recollection, I can’t wait to MEET SPIKE OMGGGG, like everyone has been telling me. Apparently, he’s the best or something? I don’t know. But can’t wait to make up my mind about THAT one!
We watch another three episodes this Monday at 9:30PM EDT! #BuffyRewatch!
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Very accurate observations! I love reading your thoughts on the episodes. Also, can't we always watch 4!? This rewatch is going a little too slow for my liking!
Anytime you wanna change up the schedule to add more watching, I'm in!
Yeah, when i do my rewatches it's like 8-10 a day. lol
I personally get through a slower pace in S2, because its still one of very emotionally taxing seasons(alongside fifth, sixth and seventh) and then after ward I just can't stop, finishing rewatch of entire show within a week.
every time its like watching show anew, for the first time. especially latter half of S2 and S5, S6, S7.
The rewatch pace was twofold: (A) So that the masses can do it. Some had to check out for the fourth episode on Monday. And (B) So that I can recap without killing myself! :D I agree, sometimes on a lazy Thursday, I want to watch a few episodes, etc. We'll see :)
Haha to the shoulder thing. Too funny.
Seriously though, very good reviews! I totally agree that Some Assembly Required is 'bleh'. The next ep is infinitely better! I'm excited to see what you think!
Yeah, I'm surprised no one warned me about it, seeing as everyone was vocal about their least favorite episodes in season one. But it's completely "bleh." Also, that shoulder is VERY sexy. Get it, Buffs!
Glad you're liking the recaps/reviews. Can't wait for tomorrow!
I was a huge Buffy fan back in the day but haven't watched it pretty much since it aired, so it's good reliving it through your recaps. Aaaaand turn! - Hilarious :-)
Aaaaaaaaaand TURN!
Glad you're liking my ridiculousness :)
Spike was so much better Season 2. Season 4 kinda. Season 5 and up they just ruined him. Season 2 spike FOR LIFE.
I dunno, I definitely don't want you to get your hopes up...as a Buffy fan, I was able to watch it as the new episodes were coming out (I started watching halfway through season 1). So I got to decide for myself that it was awesome. Sometimes when something gets hyped to an almost mythological status and you go in being TOLD that it's SO AWESOME, ...I dunno, it may not land the same way for you that it did for me while I was watching the episodes fresh without the aid of the internet/buffy fandom, knowledge of what a fandom is in general to raise my expectations.
I'd love to know what you think about Buffy compared to the Vampire Diaries. Obviously VD has more of a modern sensibility while Buffy is a little retro and so a bit campier. But...I dunno. What do you think? Actually, you should totally let us know in your write up on season 2, when it ends.
I am not sure I agree.
In my opinion, Spike is one of best developed characters, alongside Buffy. There's those quirks and moments in S2 where you see just how..."theatrical" his portrayal of badguy is, considering why he is doing that and for whom.
Agreed on TVD part. Would be really interesting to see those thoughts after BTVS S2 watch ends
Also its not even a secret anymore that TVD tried to rip off certain scenes, plotlines or characters. I personally feel that TVD was trying way too much to copy stuff, but just could not pull it off, ending up with an inferior versions of some great characters like Spike, not to mention failing to hit the right notes in certain scenes they wanted to copy.
Not to sure I agree on "retro" and "modern" definitions. I'd say S3 of TVD has been way campier than worst episodes of first two seasons of buffy. BTVS, for what its worth, has far more realism for me in both how characters react to stuff and how everything works, especially as show grows and matures.
For me, with BTVS its the opposite of TVD in terms of liking - in BTVS every season gets better and stronger, while opposite is true with TVD, where every season gets weaker and worse.
I know what you mean. I'm also watching Mad Men for the first time and (hopefully I don't get beat up for saying this), but it's just not that great to me. I think the hype really built up my expectations to an inconsiderably degree. But at the same time, I knew the kind of show it was—I just thought it would be a better version of that show than it actually is. It seems, to me, crazily overhyped.
So far, I'm much more excited to see an episode of Buffy than of Mad Men, so that's definitely a plus. But I won't lie to you when I say that I'm struggling to know if I actually like both shows. It's unusual because when I start to watch a show from the beginning like this, I instantly know I love it and continue. That's how I felt with Veronica Mars, or Chuck, or Nikita, or Pushing Daisies, or Dead Like Me, or any show I marathon'd from the beginning.
It's definitely not the same with Buffy. But people have been telling me to wait it out until mid season 2, and so I very much intend on doing that. (As for Mad Men, I have NO idea why I'm still watching. I think I FINALLY became captivated by it…in mid-season 2 as well.)
As for campiness — I LOVE campiness. I don't even understand why people use that to describe the show in a bad way. Right now, the show's problem seems to be that it can't find its tone yet. Once it picks a direction and sticks with it, I'm sure it will be better. And concerning TVD/Buffy comparisons, *NOTHING* could be worse than the second half of TVD season 3. But I'll make sure to write up some comparisons soon or at the end of season 2. (They're very different shows, however, already.)
OMG I LOVED Pushing Daisies!! Was so pissed when they cancelled. And SUPER UBER PISSED that Netflix took Dead Like Me off of streaming and now only have the crappy movie that followed that burned my retinas and made me vomit in my mouth a little. I refuse to even watch TVD anymore. I was hesitant in the beginning after being such a devoted fan of the books as a preteen...and yeah, just like I figured. They screwed it all up. No desire for Mad Men over here, whatsoever.
Let's not talk about the movie. But at least they wrapped up the story. And Pushing Daisies was a fantastic, little gem that I finally got around to watching last winter. Ahh…
I just started Mad Men a few months ago (AMC started re-running it and my DVR made friends with the show), and I had the same initial response. I just didn't get the hype. But that show did warm up a lot as it went on. I have no idea how far you are in Mad Men, but I feel like "it gets better" is appropriate here.
RE: Buffy. I REALLY don't want to overhype it and therefore ruin it for you. Maybe ignore everything we say about future eps? idk :(
@Miss S Great comment, have kind of replied elsewhere
I agree, too much hype can be a bad thing. I was so pleasantly surprised by Buffy because I decided to watch it expecting it to be ridiculous out of loyalty to Joss Whedon (Firefly fan). I really wasn't anticipating I would like it that much.
I don't agree about Spike, I LOVE SPIKE'S DEVELOPMENT. Except in season 5. 6-7 though? Good stuff imho. :)
"Aaaaand, tur-- oh, shit, i orgasmed" Hahaha:) you make me super happy, Michael, I'm glad you exist
Why thank you! I'm very super happy that YOU exist :D
When she Was Bad is one of the first brilliant cases of exploring what makes Buffy tick.
First of all it explores the "influence" of Buffy into the group dynamics of xander and willow.
Second of all it explores Buffy's own conflicting feelings. She was basically playing this whole "superhero" game for a whole season and more and suddenly BAM, she got killed without being able to do ANYTHING. And now she is back in this life she is not even sure that she wants to be a part of (hence her sort-of angry targeting of Xander for saving her).
Xander Willow And Giles ALSO happen to remind her of her own fragility and mortality, hence why she is very antagonistic towards them this episode and is longing to separate herself from them as something "Better and stronger".
She is literally stuck in the moment of her death, unable to accept it, which basically happens in the very end of that episode.
Also what I love is that her hairstyle in the very end is pretty much same as at the start of episode, yet again paralleling that everything did not suddenly become right and happy in her life(colors and hairstyles generally play strong thematic role int his show)
I see the first few episodes after When She was Bad as a way to say "Hey there's still weird stuff happening out there", at the same time showcasing that Buffy did not exactly "get over" her whole dying stuff.
yes sure, she resolved some issues dealing with Master, but life's not the same. She's far more agitated, more intent on blowing up at people with sarcasm and cynicism and is generally far less cheery than S1 Buffy. Solving her phobias and unresolved feelings about her death did not change the fact that, you know, she, well, DIED?
Also thematically one way or the other it deals with death and resurrection, establishing one of the ground rules of this show - dead people stay dead. There's no magical spell, no magical ring, no magical blood to undo it. Once person dies, he/she is dead.
Some of such episodes might be better, some worse(Some assembly required and mummy girl), but in overall scheme of things it really helps to feel that "yes those characters one starts to care about can actually die"
It also has those nice moments where we see how how nice and normal Buffy/Angel relationship...is not. It really showcases on just how....weird it is for them both.
To avoid you being taken by surprise again...Season Two's episodes "I Only Have Eyes for You" and "Go Fish" are also pretty disappointing. But for the most part, Season Two is well worth the watch.
I disagree. I think "IOHFY" is amazing; a surprise that DB's acting overpowers SMG's in the ending scene. It was actually during that scene that JW realized he could hold his own show, hence Angel. (according to the commentary). And Go Fish is campy good fun!
I would agree with half of it.
Go Fish would be disappointing if not for a beautiful anti-rape message gracefully placed in it.
"I Only Have Eyes For You" is one of best episodes, full of metaphorical symbolism, emotions and angst. It also shows David Boreanaz grow even more as actor and put on his best performance yet. Not to mention that its also a beautiful retrospective to everything that happened through the season, showcasing how it affected Buffy and exploring her character. Also, the episode manages to be genuinely scary from time to time.
I keep meaning to comment on your recaps and have finally sat down to do it so sorry if this is a bit long. First of all kudos on the awesome job you are doing so far, each week's recap has made me laugh out loud at least once. As a massive Friends fan as well, I can't believe I never saw these similarities in appearances, probably because all shows had similar hairdos back then!
Re the comment by Miss S below and responses, I actually feel really strongly about this - I think Internet fandoms etc can really work against somebody's enjoyment of a show for its own sake, especially when watching shows/seasons which have already aired. Not only are there heartbreaking amounts of spoilers out there which takes away a vital part of what made these shows must watch tv each week, but the opinions of so many others can't help but sway your expectations/lack thereof. For example, @Kassie below didn't enjoy 'I only have eyes for you' while to me that is literally my go to episode if I ever feel like watching just one Buffy. It really affected me when I first watched it when it was on tv, with no idea what was coming in the episode or the show, and I still get chills whenever I watch it. would that be the case now, knowing that others found it disappointing? I hope not, but I will never know!
When I watched V Mars, I completely banned myself from looking up anything about it but I still knew from being,well,alive that Veronica and Logan were going to get together, and that the show ended abruptly in season 3 and knowing both those things definitely impacted my experience, though I still loved it.
Discus cut me off- so my rant is basically triggered by your totally reasonable experience watching Mad Men. I found season 1 frustratingly slow in parts and just pushed on because I had been given the DVD set but actually knew nothing about the show because it hadn't really hit the radar in Australia much yet. For this I am eternally grateful, because when it did get under my skin it was such an amazing experience- it is a show that I think is best watched alone or with your best friend only, in a bubble with no external opinions, hype etc. so you can have a completely personal experience of it. Perspectives, interpretations and opinions of it vary so widely in the public domain that I don't think it adds anything to a first viewing experience, just erodes the artistry of it. I hope you enjoy it more as you watch more, which is different to liking it, if you know what I mean.
All this said, if everyone keeps an open mind and has fun, there is nothing more awesome than chatting about pop culture shows in forums like this one (if only we could block those scary Gossip Girl shippers....)
Why hello! And thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying the recaps. As for Veronica Mars, I watched a few out of order reruns and then went out and bought the DVDs, but it definitely didn't stop my enjoyment. I try to remain as spoiler free as possible, but it's definitely difficult. I think you're right, there's a lot to be said about watching TV socially (and obviously, I recommend it — this being a TV blog and all) but there's also a lot of desire to just experience the show on your own, with not outside interaction. It's hard thing to do now, especially since interaction is at your fingertips (and everyone is pushing to be social). I'm aware about this while watching Buffy. I'm always thinking, "Okay but how would people have felt about this in 1997?" Or at least, I TRY to be. It's a difficult task, to say the least.
I agree. Spike IS the best!! Can't wait :D
Hola Michael, I just want to say that I love you so eff much!!!I I found this site like 3 months ago and always make laught a lot,!!! ...Im from a small town in Mexico, that's why my English sucks and probably will not comment more but I wanted to congratulate you for your hilarious recaps and let you know that I read you religiously not only for this show, I like GG and TVD too but Buffy is one of my favs shows ever...so basically you are hilarius!! love the coments about buffy´s mom and angel whispers, and I can not wait to read your thoughts from the rest of the season....
besos
ahh and the shoulder thing hahahaha priceless...
Hola, Silouh! I'm glad you found the site and FINALLY decided to comment. I think you should comment ALL THE TIME. So please come back and leave us feedback :D Thanks for taking the time! And yes, the shoulder dance move is MY FAVORITE.
Besos y abrazos