Reliable Dog Geyser Person

Episode 3.16: Dopplegangland.  Original Airdate: 2.23.99

"While casting a magic spell, Anya & Willow accidentally summon Willow's evil double from another universe."

Zelda's Thoughts:

• So what's with D'Hoffryn's lair being a random basement with oriental rugs over cement?
• "Florist means crazy right?"
• "heee buffbuff" this episode open is all about how lovable and cute Willow is. BECAUSE OF EVILWILLOW.
• "Just don't mark the box that says 'I sometimes like to kill people.'"
• This whole conversation is pretending to be about the difference between Faith and Buffy but it's actually foreshadowing about Willow's potential for evil and their inherent belief that she could never be evil. And while the intention here is to set up the contrast with VampWillow, all I can think about is scary veiny black-haired Willow of S6.
• "You want us to breed?" Daniel and I both just laughed embarrassingly loud. Sorry, Daniel's neighbors.
• Snyder Snyder Snyder I love you. You're so tiny and evil.
• Also who's the little girl on your desk?

Is that your kid? Did you breed little Snyders?

• I keep forgetting this is a Joss Whedon episode. I mean, I shouldn't be surprised, but it's not one of his famous stunts like Hush or Restless or ... you know ... that other one.
• "It's just like fun ... only boring."
• Faith is acting like a team player now, following instructions from the various Watchers. BUT WE KNOW THE TRUTH.
• Awww Mayor Evil bought Faith an apartment! No vampires invited here.
• And see, right here, is when he becomes her father figure. She tries to get flirty, calling him sugar daddy, and he corrects her immediately. And then says "Let's kill your little friend."
• Willow's wearing another fluffy pink sweater, but we already documented this one.
• I don't think you're allowed to be this much of a douchey tool when your name is Percy.

• Let's lay it on thick how much everyone takes Willow for granted. But at least it doesn't have the forced out-of-character feel of Xander's treatment in The Zeppo.
• Spell time!
• "Did you try looking inside the sofa in hell?"
• Seriously, I could just type the entire transcript from this episode and that could be my review, because ... amazing.
• "I believe these chicken feet are mine." You see what I mean?
• Welcome back, VampWillow! I already appreciate how different your inflection is than our Willow's. AH, being awesome.
• "Bored now." aaaaaaaaaaaaaah I kinda love you, VampWillow. Who am I kidding, I full love you.
• "Aren't you gonna introduce me to yourholy GOD you're Willow." SMG, also doing excellent work this episode.
• Aw Buffy looks so hurt when VampWillow says she doesn't like her.
• HAHA I love that the hench-vamps the Mayor sends after Willow meet VampWillow instead. Great plotting.
• And just like that, she has minions. Well done, VampWillow. I suspect you're way better at being a super evil vampire than either Angel or Spike.
• "Way better than me." // "Much much better." [I like this exchange because funny, but it's now especially funny if you consider it a reply to my previous point.]
• They're so sad. It's okay, guys! She's not evil.
• "Geez, who died? Oh God, who died?" PERfect
• IT'S SO SWEET THEY LOVE HER SO MUCH
• AND THEN GILES HUGS HER BECAUSE HE LOVES HER TOO
• "Say you all didn't happen to do a bunch of drugs, didja?"
• "I'm not a vampire." AH is really on fire this episode. Every delivery perfect.
• Angel and Oz look like they're the same height. How many feet below Seth Green is David Boreanaz standing?

I'm gonna go with at least four feet.

• "Why don't I believe him?" // "Well, he lacks credibility."
• And Anya immediately recognizes VampWillow because she's the only one who's met her before.
• Aw Oz's face. EVERYONE'S FACE. Except Angel's because it never does anything.
• Everyone's reactions to Angel's confusions. So much love. If only Angel weren't strangely breathless in this scene. Is DB trying to act again?
• The two Willow camera work ALMOST works. Like, almost. It's better than it should be for budget 90s TV, but it still looks fake.
• Yay tranq gun! "Bitch!"
• "I'm so evil and skanky, and I think I'm kinda gay."
• "Just remember, a vampire's personality has nothing to do with the person it was." // "Well, actually ... that's a good point." THIS IS SUCH IMPORTANT CANON INFORMATION. It means that we don't absolve people for their VampSelves, that there is a choice involved in who we become. (I'm looking at you, Spike)
• I just keep mocking DB's bad acting and bad hand motions. I'm so mature.
• Aw real Willow's so uncomfortable in VampWillow's skin. So to speak.
• "I killed her ... and sucked her blood ... as we vampires do." They really should have figured it out immediately, that she wasn't VampWillow. Maybe these vampires were formerly deeply stupid policemen. After all, they work for the Mayor.
• Poor Cordy really has nothing left to do anymore. Her one plot is flirting with Wesley.
• "Cuz I'm so helpless." // "I was looking at books. I like books ... cuz I'm shy." Yeah, VampWillow isn't great at LiveWillow roleplaying either.
• If I were feeling meaner, I'd call shenanigans both on the vamp minions not realizing LiveWillow isn't VampWillow and on Cordy not realizing VampWillow isn't LiveWillow, but ... I love this episode, so I'm giving it a pass.
• hahaha I freaking love this scene with Anya and Willow. No analysis. Just love. I'm useless.
• Yay twitchy Wesley.

• "I'm a bloodsucking fiend! Look at my outfit!"
• "Ow ow ow happy but ow."
• Pretty awesome fight sequence.
• They have pastries at the Bronze! Because of course!
• Both Willows scoffing at Anya's blustering.
• Great continuity! VampWillow was still killed by a blonde Oz, even though he has black hair in this episode.
• Haha Percy is so whipped, I love it.
• HE GIVES WILLOW AN APPLE. AN APPLE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. IT'S A METAPHOR YOU GUYS.

Daniel's Thoughts:

• YAY ANYA is back!
• Hey D’Hoffryn!  You’ll be as witty as the Mayor eventually…
• "And I'm flunking math!"  Emma shines and shows her comedic timing int his episode so freaking much.
• But also, why is she bothering to go to school in the first place?
• "Do you have any idea how boring 12^th graders are!”
• YAY!  Willow is getting good at…floating a pencil! (Scary veinyness is imminent.)
• BuffBuff!
• “I sometimes like to kill people” joke, Willow about Faith…too soon…
• Hey Percy – you’re a dick.  And a thirty-year-old High School Student.
• “You want us to breed?” HA!
• We know Faith is evil.  They know Faith is evil.  But we’re all acting like she’s trying…
• The set designers really love the arch thing.  They put it in everything.

Ok, it's time to design Faith's new apartment.  How about another arch?

• Man, I really hate that fuzzy pink sweater Willow is wearing.
• Aww, poor Willow.
• “Old Reliable…there’s a sexy nickname.”
• The storming off joke was in another episode.  It made more sense when Oz said it.
• Anya: “I know Cordelia”.  Really?  Where’s she been? Can you bring her back onscreen?
• Willow and Anya actually seem like they could be friends at this point!
• "Did you try looking inside the sofa in hell?" Hahha
• VampWillow!
• This is such a neat episode for Alyson sink her teeth in.
• Oh lesbian 90s rock at the Bronze
• “Bored now!” Yay!
• I love Buffy’s reaction to Willow’s “new look”.
• Aww, the “I don’t like you” line is so sad.
• I love that when Willow gets vamped, she’s not just a generic vamp – she gets power and respect and she can really kick some ass.  I think that proves how much untapped potential Willow has as a human.
• Buffy/Giles/Xander grieving scene could have been a little better. It’s more comical than it needs to be. We know it's not real but they don't.  There were more tears when Jenny Calendar died.
• “Geez, who died?"//  "Oh God, who died?!”
• Though when they finally see her alive, it’s really nice.
• “I’m 1120 years old, just give me freakin' a beer!”  “ID.” “Give me a coke…” Such a brilliant exchange.
• Oz’s reaction to seeing VampWillow is much better…
• Sandy’s first appearance – which only the die hard Buffy fans know comes back in season five for a couple of episodes.  Even I’m having trouble remembering exactly how she fit in.  The actress also played her is Pacey's  annoying "British" roommate in the final season of Dawson’s Creek.
• I like when David Boreanaz does comedy. “Willow’s dead.  Hey Willow.”
• “What are we gonna do with me? The other me.”  It’s an interesting philosophical question. They know nothing of VampWillow's world.  What if they send her back and she wreaks havoc and destroys Sunnydale?  And how would Willow feel if she knew she was going to be vamped?  Would she want Buffy to kill her?  I'd assume so.  And what does Xander "willow-says-kick-his-ass" Harris have to say about this?
• Bad 90s special effects – but – it’s really not as horrible as it could be.
• Willow on Willow action.  That’s…..yes, disturbing, Willow.  I’d use that word, too.
• “And I think I’m kinda gay” – yay! First reference to Willow possibly being gay.
• Alyson playing Willow playing VampWillow is amazing.
• Waving at Oz was a bit risky.
• Why is Cordelia in an evening gown?  Oh…it’s because of Wesley…
• You can break out of that bookcage, VampWillow.  It’s not hard.
• What’s with the explaining? Willow pretending to be VampWillow: “I sucked her blood…because that’s what we vamps do…”  And VampWillow pretending to be Willow, “I like books….because I’m shy.”  People don’t explain what and why they do what they do.  They just…do.
• You know, I’ve been waiting for Cordelia to confront Willow for a while…it’s about time.  And I like that it happens this way.
• Anya is smart! 
• Wesley is such a wuss.
• I’m sorry but as much of a bitch Cordelia is, I don’t buy that she would just dismiss Willow’s death like that. This reads incredibly false for me.
• "Can a human do this? *scream*"// “Yeah..yeah I think a human could do that.”
• See, Faith?  When someone screams “no!”, you can stop yourself from killing someone. [Preach. - Z]

Favorite Lines:

Zelda: "You think I'm boring." // "I'd call that a radical interpretation of the text." - Willow/Oz, because I have used this
Daniel: "For a thousand years, I wielded the powers of the wish.  I brought ruin to the heads of unfaithful men. I brought forth destruction and chaos for the pleasure of the lower beings.  I was feared and worshiped across the mortal globe.  And now I'm stuck at Sunnydale High! Mortal. Child. And I'm flunking math!" - Anya

Crossfire:

"A Virgin State of Mind" has nothing to do with sanity.

Sarah Bettens: There's a chair in my head on which I used to sit.
Daniel & Zelda: No.
Sarah Bettens: Took a pencil and I wrote the following on it.
Daniel & Zelda: No...
Sarah Bettens: Now there's a key where my wonderful mouth used to be.
Zelda:  This song makes no sense!
Daniel: No!

90s Factoid:

Willow taped Biography last Friday.

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

It won't be the last spell.

• First appearances: D'Hoffryn, Percy West.
• Recurrings: Anya, Snyder, Devon, Mayor, Faith, Wesley.
• Anya's back! She lost her powers and she wants them back.
• Willow can do pencil floating.
• Anya's and Willow's first time doing a spell together.
• VampWillow hails from the AlternaSunnydale Cordelia created in The Wish
• Anya's 1120 years old.
• Sandy, the girl VampWillow pervs on and then bites, becomes a vampire and will return twice in S5. Even though we don't see her participate in the whole sucking thing.
• The gang once again uses Giles's fool-proof book cage to trap a dangerous demon thing.

Stats:

Oz's Hair - black

Anya's Hair - brown shoulder length

Dead Humans - 1

Dead Undeads - 3

AlternaDead Undeads - 1 (VampWillow dies again)

Giles Unconscious - 0

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Evil Reveal - 0

Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called - 0

Apocalypse Called - 0