PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A SPOILER-RICH ZONE

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A SPOILER-RICH ZONE. If your diet requires you to dine on television spoiler-free ... good luck with that.

REVIEW ARCHIVES

Thursday, May 31, 2012

A little less ritual and a little more fun

Episode 2.3: School Hard. Original Airdate 9.29.97




Me and Dru, we're moving in.


"Buffy's mother and friends become trapped inside Sunnydale High School when a vampire named Spike launches an attack against the Slayer."















Daniel's Thoughts:
Miss Edith speaks out of turn. 

  • Sheila is chewing gum in the entire opening scene...but I don't think there is any gum in there!  Acting!
  • I like Willow in pigtails.
  • Welcome to Sunnydale, Season two Spike!
  • I love that saying "I was at the Crucifixion" is like a  common vampire boasts.
  • Dru is so freaking creepy.  I love it.
  • I love the whole moment between Dru & Spike when they're introduced.  The scratch, lick, creepy smile.  It really encapsulates their characters.
  • I heard that they didn't originally know where Spike would be from and James Marsters played with a few accents including Southern American.  I'm glad he didn't go with southern. [It was Cajun, I believe. - Z]
  • Nice transition: Spike: "Is she tough?" Cut to Buffy combing her hair and saying "ow".  Hee.
  • Worst. Mom. Ever.  "We moved once because of YOU!".  Shut up, Joyce.
  • "Je Stink" ~ I've used that.
  • I love Spike acting like a predator, stalking his prey.  Spike is smart. He studies his prey before he attacks.
  • Why is Sheila going home with two gay leather daddies?
  • Did I mention that I love Dru?  And I love her creepy dolls.
  • I love that Buffy cuts up the cucumbers with a machete.  I did that kind of fake out in a tenth grade film project.  Please note, this was pre-Buffy and therefore, I came up with it first. :)
  • Aly Hannigan is great at physical comedy.  I love her face when she tries the lemonade.  Great timing too.
  • Spike roaming through the halls of the high school.  This...was when Spike was scary.
  • This episode begins the Snyder/Joyce rivalry.  Love it.
  • Willow gets a bit vengeful in this episode.  I love how she offers Cordelia the lemonade and also when she tells her to pray for aspirin at the end.  Rowr!
  • "You get the hell away from my daughter!" ~ OK, Joyce has somewhat redeemed herself.


Zelda's Thoughts:
"Ask for some Aspirin." <3
  • "The Fire Marshall said it could have been mice." // "Mice." // "Mice that were smoking?"
  • This is kind of a stupid plan, Snyder. "I know! Let's have the two biggest fuck-ups in school plan a party that is intended to make the school look good for all the parents! This can in no way backfire for my image with the School Board!"
  • They're finally giving Willow some supercute quirky fashion and I likes it.
  • Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay SPIKE IS HERE AND HE IS AWESOME.
  • I remember when I thought combat boots were a good look. That was a strange time.
  • I notice the Annoying One's voice doesn't have that weird echoey effect anymore.
  • Fun trivia: Spike speaks so slowly in this episode because JM wanted to avoid the obnoxious lisp the vampire teeth give all the vampires (see: VampJesse).
  • Oh Drusilla. You're such a complete nutbar. And not annoying about it yet.
  • JM YOU ARE SO TALENTED I LOVE YOU. Such quiet menace, and confidence in his ability to tear everyone in the room to pieces, if he felt like it.
  • Buffy is wearing her overalls. I thought those were for her depression?
  • HAHAHAHA Giles tried to be authoritative by leaning on his fists on the table ... and got red paint all over his knuckles. I never noticed that before. That was awesome.
  • Oh Buffy and her ineptness at French.
  • Sssssssssssstalker Sssssssssssspike.
  • This episode is just so well-crafted. Love the scene in the Bronze.
  • Spike tells random dancing fools there's some big guy out there trying to bite someone. And .... they don't even blink. They keep dancing. For they are extras.
  • Xander spazzing over the tampon - kind of adorbs.
  • Spike does the slow clap. Because he's sassy like that.
  • Um....why didn't Buffy just chase down Spike and kill him then? Why did she let Mr. Vague Threat just walk away?
  • "Who are you?" "Who do you want me to be?" Spike is ... Julia Roberts?
  • "Why do they call it a mace?" I love ya, Willow.
  • Cordelia: "Even slaves get minimum wage!" ....No they don't.
  • "Cordelia, have some lemonade." XD
  • ...It's after nine. Why are there still any parents around at this hour?
  • Yeah, Willow, beaning a vamp with a bust. You is awesome.
  • And yeah on Buffy being her true hero self and taking charge right away, herding the civilians away from danger.
  • Yay! We're in the action movie section of the episode.
  • Snyder immediately says the vamps are a gang on PCP, which seems a pretty strong indicator that he knows what's what in Sunnydale. A fact which, unfortunately, is never really borne out.
  • "Someone's in the ceiling." eeeeeeeeeeee
  • I like Buffy's plan of action - she has to fight the baddies, but makes sure the person she can trust most - Giles - will get her mother out safely.
  • Spike is so infuriated at the incompetence of his minions. It's kind of adorable.
  • Annnnnnnnnnd Spike mispronounces Angelus and thus ruins the name for all of Season Two.
  • I do really like Angel playing at Angelus in this episode. It's a great teaser for what's coming. And nice to see his dynamic with Spike.
  • "Undead liar guy."
  • Wait, did we not kill VampSheila? She just runs away. [She ran to Jessedom. Never to be seen again. Is that a thing? It should be. - D]
  • "You think you can fool me?! You were my sire, man! You were my ... Yoda!" Spike is a nerd.
  • "I just like them. They make me feel all manly."
  • "The last slayer I killed, she begged for her life." - LIES LIES LIES. Neither Slayer did that.
  • I don't understand why they never gel StuntSpike's hair. It makes his stuntstatus very obvious.
  • "You get the hell away from my daughter." Hey Daniel, did Joyce win back some points from you? [Yes, as answered above :) - D]
  • Oh Angel and your total lack of giving a shit whether Xander lives or dies.
  • The police are also in on the vamp/PCP cover story. What is the up?
  • I want to call a shenanigan on the fact that Buffy left for home without making sure Willow wasn't dead.
  • "That sure as hell wasn't in the brochure." I just ... I love all the lines in this episode.
  • Yay Spike coins the name "The Annoying One" for us ... just in time to kill him. Whee! Thanks Spike! We're all very grateful.
  • "You should lay down your life!" Spike just looks at him, clearly not giving a teeny tiny crap what he has to say.
  • Such an awesome way to kill the kid (and without showing a kid dying on screen).
  • "Let's see what's on TV." - nice final line showing us that these are modern vamps we have on our hands.

Favorite Lines:

Daniel: "Miss Edith speaks out of turn. She's a bad  example and will have no cakes today." - Dru. She's so creepy and wonderful.
Zelda: "What were you thinking? Or were you even thinking at all?" - Willow. This is one of my favorite moments in the entire series. (close second, because I also use it a lot: "We're hindering.")


90s Factoid:
Those blue school chairs.

Actually, we're just assuming that's a 90s thing. Are those still around? We're old.




Arc/Continuity Stuff:
  • Spike and Drusilla's first appearance!
  • Spike was at Woodstock.
  • Spike killed two slayers - one during the Boxer Rebellion.
  • Spike loves to brag. 
  • Drusilla is batshit crazypants.
  • Angel knows Spike!
  • First appearance of Miss Edith.
  • Dru nearly died in Prague.
  • Spike used to be known as William the Bloody, who tortured victims with railroad spikes. He's barely 200, younger than Angel.
  • Spike calls Angel his sire. This is later retconned that a "grandsire" can also be called a sire. By that logic, The Master is also his sire.
  • The last we will ever see or hear of the Annoying One.

Stats:

Voiceover - Giles
Dead Humans - 5
Dead Undeads - 4
Giles Unconscious - 0
Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0
Buffy Breaks a Door - 0
Evil Reveal - 0
Unevil Reveal - 0
Shenanigans Called - 1
Apocalypse Called - 0

7 comments:

  1. I might be the only person alive who wasn't completely annoyed by the annoying one. I kind of wanted to see where that would have gone. That being said, I loved the introduction of Spike and Dru. They were so brazen and creepy and it was a nice refresh from the traditional vampires of season 1.

    Ah the days when I actually liked Spike too. I love him with Druscilla and being his evil menacing self.

    Snyder is also great in this episode, well he's great in all of the episodes he is in. I really wish they had expanded more upon the police cover up too. I guess I can fanwank and say that the Mayor ordered the law enforcement and higher ups to cover up the demon thing so that people would not panic and move and he'd have lots of people to munch on for his ascention. That is basically the reason given anyways.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So Snyder knows to cover up the weirdness on behalf of the Mayor, but doesn't know any more specifics? Including the fact that the Mayor is a big ol' spoiler?

      I mean, I guess, but ... I have doubty thoughts.

      Delete
    2. He could have told him that the cover up was to keep Sunnydale a respectable place? I dunno. They just never really expanded on it so my best guess is that he just wanted to keep human sacrifices in Sunnydale.

      I do wish we had gotten more info about it. Snyder seemed to be in the know in this episode but later on seems a bit clueless.

      Delete
  2. I like Drusilla much more when she's weak and not onscreen. Also, when she's with Spike.

    Hey, didja notice how all the books disappear from the table when Xander comes back to play with the tampon? Those busboys at the Bronze should be paid more.

    ReplyDelete
  3. And the hottest Slash Threesome is set into motion in every fangirls(and My) Mind

    ReplyDelete
  4. How come Spike knows who yoda is but has no idea about bobba fett in season 6?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Because everyone knows who Yoda is and not everyone knows who Boba Fett is? (me, for instance). Yoda is a cultural touchstone at this point; You only know Boba Fett if you know your Star Wars, which I don't.

      Delete