A World Without Shrimp

Episode 4.17: Superstar. Original Airdate 4.4.00


"Buffy senses that something is amiss when Jonathan becomes a hero to everyone in Sunnydale."

Daniel's Thoughts:

• Ok, first of all, I have to say that I love how life imitated art and Danny Strong (Jonathan) is super famous now.  Not that I’m saying he did a spell…
• Buffy still has that odd curly hair but it’s a bit better than last episode.
• Putting random scenes with Jonathan in the credits is amazing.
• Haha, that cereal – Johnny O’s!

• I don’t care what anyone says. This episode is hilarious!
• Extras with cameras!
• At times, this episode feels like it’s on an indoor set with an audience that should be laughing and saying “uh ohhh!”  - which I think is the point.
• Haha, I love that Willow & Tara are cutting out pictures of Jonathan.
• It’s nice that even though this is a one-off funny episode, they’re still getting in some continuity – especially with everything that happened in the last episode with Faith.
• Haha, The balls poster has been replaced with a Jonathan Poster.
• SHENANIGANS! OK, it’s nice that they remembered that Buffy had to pay for the coffee…but I hate  on TV, when people just reach into their pockets and throw money down without even looking at it.  How do they know it’s enough?  How does she know she didn't accidentally put down a hundred dollar bill?
• Even though all this is fake, it’s interesting that Jonathan is the one that finally learns how to kill Adam.
• Oh no! Karen with a K!
• What an odd looking demon.
• Nice music.  It must be old people night at the Bronze.
• So Willow and Tara are out in public together.  I’m assuming Tara’s met everyone…yet no one knows yet…interesting, since the only people they've invited into their inner-circle since the original crew have been significant others.  Also, when Oz found out - it was a secret...and then, BOOM, vampires.  With Tara...there was no scene, etc - not even an introduction to Xander.
• The only time I like Xander is when he reminds me of Bruce Campbell.  And when he’s watching Jonathan and Anya suggest sex and he agrees, he totally reminds me of Ash right there.
• Yes, Adam, we get it.  You’re special.
• Tara is always getting attacked in these dorms.  I think it’s about time she moved.
• Interesting that Buffy’s first question is, “What did this” and not “Who did this?’  After all, she is a girl in college found with scratches, cowering in a janitor closet.
• Aww, Anya is so awkward, I love it.
• The props department really went to town on this episode – it’s amazing.
• Anya’s explanation of alternate realities is truly truly awesome.
• They’re all really good at transitioning into this world.
• "“Blah, I wish there weren't any shrimp", you'd say"
• "We're all like his prawns"//"Or Prawns…"// "Stop with the shrimp!"  Hehehe.
• Oh man, the Jonathan swimsuit calendar.
• I like that Anya has so many lines in this episode… They're really starting to see how valuable she is.  Too bad she won't get her own episode until the final season...
• No matter what Jonathan does that’s wrong – he still has good intentions….and tries to fix it at the end.  We will revisit this in season six, when the show counters that.
• “And who really did star in the Matrix?” Heh.

Zelda's Thoughts:

• I'M SO EXCITED I LOVE THIS EPISODE.
• I love that you immediately see she's not at full Slayer capacity, looking daunted as she stakes a vampire.
• Parking lot! Do a shot!
• WHAT ARE YOU GUYS WEARING.

Anya, your wardrobe is acceptable. Buffy and Willow ... seriously, what.

• IT'S GOLDEN GLOBE AND EMMY WINNING DANNY STRONG.
• I love the Bond-esque lick to the music.
• Daniel and I can't get over all the shots of Jonathan being badass in the credits. It's just so fucking brilliant and interwoven.
• I seriously. I just. You guys. Danny fucking Strong. And this episode. And badass Jonathan walking with a billowing coat in slow motion.
• I like that part of his spell is not just that he's the best at everything and a celeb, but he's the leader of the Scoobies too. Because he knew about Buffy's heroic ways and he wanted to be in on that too.
• And he out-hacks Willow at computer hacking.
• And he out-chesses Giles at chess.
• Danny Strong is my hero. He's so damn awesome.
• And yes the paparazzi are waiting in the cemetery for Jonathan. Does that mean in this reality that vampires and slaying isn't a secret? How long after the spell breaks will people remember that? I feel like that's important for us to know.
• Aw it's so important to Super Jonathan to lift people up that he even vaildates Spike, by saying he's still dangerous. Then he threatens to make him instant soup mix. So, you know, what one hand giveth, one hand ... the other thing.
• DAMMIT WILLOW IS THAT A PINK SWEATER. Fine, it's salmon. I'm still counting it.

Pink sweater #13

• Aw Tara, asking about Buffy's fallout from Who Are You. That's a nice not-a-friend-yet.
• Riley's Balls poster has been replaced with a poster of Jonathan playing basket...balls.
• Riley you are so borinnnnnnnnnnnnng.
• "If they just put a little trust in me, I know I could get the job done." // "I've felt that way my entire life." No, Buffy, you haven't, it's a spellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.
• The set decoration really is fantastic. From the cereal box Daniel noticed, to the poster in Riley's room, to just random pictures of Jonathan in the background of the Espresso Pump.
• You know the other thing I love about this episode? Besides from how fully awesome it is? That, much like the stunt episodes like Hush or Once More With Feeling, it also really does advance the arcs. Jonathan helps Buffy and Riley recover from the fallout of Faith. And then he helps the Initiative (and us) by explaining more about how Adam works, information that will help Buffy destroy him - the uranium 235 core.
• Hey Karen with a K, that's totally stalker behavior, for the record. You don't deserve to get attacked by creepy long armed demon thing, but dude you shouldna been there.
• Oh hey, I guess the backyard of Jonathan's mansion is also the parking lot. Do another shot!
• Riley, you SUCK at this scene. Stop saying lines wrong!
• I like that in Jonathan universe, the music at the Bronze is more big band swing than rock. 
• Aw, like any good musical (shut up, my world is a musical), everything is solved with a song. See, Riley and Buffy made up!
• JESUS WILLOW YOU'RE WEARING ANOTHER PINK SWEATER. 

Honestly, if I'd known there would be so many, I would have just added
it as a stat. 20/20 hindsight is a bitch. Anyway, pink sweater #14

• SMG is totally standing on an apple box for this shot. That's why they only sway when they dance.

• It's cute that both Xander and Anya are turned on by Jonathan's trumpet skillz.
• Hey, it's a deeply stupid police officer!
• "It's not a demon, just a monster." Uhhhh ... what?
• Uh oh. Buffy's spidey sense is a-tingling!
• While I find it interesting that Adam is not susceptible to the Jonathan spell, his explanation is shenanigan-loaded. "I'm aware." Whatever, dude. If you were aware you'd know what a shitty Big Bad you are. 
• Pensive Jonathan is pensive.
• TAWIST he's got a scar that matches the "monster." We decided it didn't count as an Evil Reveal, since it was clear to us (though not the characters) that something shrimpy was up with him.
• Aw, it's time for Tara to be schmuck bait again. Poor Tara.
• Jesus that was unpleasant. Props to her for having the presence of mind to self defense with some magicks.
• I'm gonna go ahead and say that the Jonathan spell is hurting Buffy's fashion sense because this coat.

• "Xander's not here." // "Oh." // "You're not going away. Why aren't you going away."
• Emma is amaaaaaaazing in this scene.
• Jonathan comics, Jonathan playing cards, Jonathan stickers on the globe, Anya reading Jonathan's book.
• "Hey! I was just at the part where he invents the internet."
• "No, he's not! He's just perfect enough! He crushed the bones of the Master, he blew up a big snake made out of Mayor, and he coached the U.S. Women's Soccer Team to stunning World Cup victory! We saw him doing those things!"
• "blah, I wish there weren't any shrimp"
• "Giles, do you have a Jonathan swimsuit calendar?" // "...No. ... Yes."
• "Then I'll explain." Everyone settles in happily to hear his explanation. So cute.
• Alpert! Hi Alpert crypt!
• Yep, definitely Spike's crush has begun thanks to Faith. Look at him petting Buffy's hair.
• "Hey, what are you doing? You're not supposed to do that!" hehe
• I love the way Willow says "Buffy was right." Like she's trying out a new idea that had never occurred to her.
• Aw see Jonathan, since he's Super Jonathan, still has heroic instincts. "You're gonna have to handle this one solo. You'll know. You used to."
• Also I love this sequence in terms of Jonathan whiplashing between heroic postures to twitchy run-and-hides.
• "I'll always remember the way he made me feel about me."
• "Poor Xander. I guess Jonathan hurt you most of all."
• "Did anyone else feel way too tall? I felt way too tall." Accurate, Riley. Accurate.
• Aw Jonathan you look small and powerless again.
• "You weren't socks! You were friends."
• "You can't keep trying to make everything work out with one big gesture all at once. Things are complicated. They take time and work."
• "This cool thing I said, that I don't really remember, I think it's right."
• SMG is so pretttttttttty.

Favorite Lines:

Daniel: "Say you really like shrimp a lot. Or we could say you don't like shrimp at all. 'Blah, I wish there weren't any shrimp,' you would say to yourself." // "Stop, you're saying it wrong! I think that Jonathan may be doing something so that he's manipulating the world and we're all like his pawns." // "Or prawns." - Anya (and Buffy)
Zelda: "Xander, don't speak Latin in front of the books." - Giles

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• Recurring: Anya, Tara, Jonathan, Graham
• Trivia! Jonathan's singing voice is provided by Brad Kane, aka Tucker Wells, aka Andrew's brother, aka THE SINGING VOICE OF ALADDIN SO JUST DEAL WITH THAT.
• Shoutout to the Class Protector Award in The Prom, except in this reality Buffy gave it to Jonathan.
• Shoutout to Anya's vengeance demon days
• Also a reference to making someone in love with William McKinley (isn't there a line about Mrs. Czolgosz?)
• Jonathan picked up his magical spelling ways in post-attempted-suicide therapy.

Stats:

Anya's Hair - short, curly, and honey colored

Dead Humans - 2

Dead Undeads - 5

Giles Unconscious - 0

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Jonathan Breaks a Window - 1

Evil Reveal - 0

Unevil Reveal -  0

Shenanigans Called - 2

Apocalypse Called - 0