We know the world didn't end, cuz ... check it out: Season Two in Review

Series Stats:

Dead Humans - 49

Dead Undeads - 66

Dead Flashbacks - 5

Giles Unconscious - 8

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 6

Buffy Breaks a Door - 11*

Evil Reveal - 26

Unevil Reveal - 8

Shenanigans Called - 51

Apocalypse Called - 4

Season Two Stats (including comparison to previous season):

Dead Humans - 27 (+5)

Dead Undeads - 45 (+24)

Dead Flashbacks - 5 (news stat)

Giles Unconscious - 4 (=)

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 5 (+4)

Buffy Breaks a Door - 5 (-1)*

Evil Reveal - 17 (+8)

Unevil Reveal - 5 (+2)

Shenanigans Called - 26 (+1)

Apocalypse Called - 2 (=)

Zelda's Thoughts:

Season Two is when they really started bringing arc to the show, and it was enormously satisfying. In Season One we had a lot of set up, monsters of the week, and character pieces, but the main throughlines (beyond Willow's and Xander's growing competence in the slayage world) was Angel-is-a-vampire-but-also-hot and The-Master-is-evil-and-stuff. Here, a lot of things were set up and followed through in really satisfying ways. Giles, Willow and Xander all got romantic partners, Willow started exploring the magics, Amy starting witching about too, everyone got their heart broken in some shape or other, Oz arrived and became a werewolf, Larry was gay, Jonathan was nebbishy (and EMMY WINNING, wait that happened now, not then), Spike arrived and was just a new brand of awesome, and, most importantly, Buffy's and Angel's relationship steadily progressed in intensity, leading to the sexes and the soullessness...es. Season Two is definitely one of my favorite seasons - I think the emotionally arc tracks extremely well and organically, and is still effective years later. It gives me Spike, whom we all know I love. It gives us Angelus, who will always be loads more fun than Angel (for both DB and for us, I suspect). The season overall is very strong, and there are some stellar individual episodes as well. Which is probably why I keep forgetting (and am surprised by) the BAD episodes here. Inca Mummy Girl, Reptile Boy, Go Fish - though each contain some funny, I dread the rewatch on all three of these. Sometimes it's just because the metaphor is too preachy/overdone, but sometimes (mostly?) it just feels like bad writing - the funny isn't funny enough, the poignant isn't poignant enough, and I can't be made to care.

But then ... oh, but then ... there is Buffy's sad crumpling face, in Innocence or in Becoming Part 2. There is her small childlike voice asking "Angel?" in I Only Have Eyes For You. There is Buffy with the rocket launcher. There is Spike disposing of the Annoying One. There is Oz falling in love with Willow, over and over again. There is Buffy asking Giles to lie to her about adulthood. There is beautiful, wonderful Giles with the roses in Passion, and in the factory afterward. And yes, there is Sarah McLachlan.

And damn, Season Two is good. I can't wait for Season Three.

Come back, Buffy!

*Stats updated to reflect the door Buffy broke in Bad Eggs.


*******************SHAMELESS PLUG*******************
Zelda's book of short stories, This Is What They Made It Out Of: tales from the end of the world, is now available on Amazon Kindle. Get your copy today!

Have you tried not being a slayer?

Episode 2.22: Becoming: Part 2. Original Airdate 5.19.98

"Spike strikes an unlikely alliance with Buffy to keep Angel from destroying the world."

Zelda's Thoughts:

• Hello Sunnydale police. Nice to see you.
• "You stupid little troll, you have no idea." Them's fighting words. Also, LOL at Synder's puppy twitches when she knocks out the cop.
• Buffy's a fugitive from da LAW. Shit just got real.
• Okay, fine, shit got real last episode. But it's REALER now.
• Okay, OKAY, shit got real back in Surprise/Innocence. But this is the REALIEST.
• Willow's unconscious in bed. This is NOT okay. See? Shit. Real.
• Buffy and Xander both think the attack was because she was trying to curse Angel. In this context, I can sort of understand Xander's Big Lie later. But ... well, I"ll get to it.
• I would love to see Buffy wearing a ribcage hat.
• "What are you, just some immortal demon, sent down to even the score between good and evil?" // "Wow. Good guess."
• Yay Spike! "Hello cutie."
• God, JM was so young. His skin is so smooth.
• "I want to save the world." ironic smile
• I love that he's feeling for smokes the whole speech.
• Does Spike want to stop Angelus because he likes the world with all its happy meals with legs, or because he's mad that Angelus has been shtupping Drusilla? JM's quotes this speech a lot, so I think he thinks its the first reason, and maybe it partly is, but I'm inclined to believe it's mostly all about the jealousy.
• "Let me take this opportunity to not care." I've used that. Or wished I could, to be more accurate.
• "I'm all you've got." But Whistler told us that ain't so!
• Xander's in Trig? Does that mean he'll take Calculus next year? HAHAHAHAHAHA
• Oz's bowling shirt says Larry. Just thought you'd like to know.
• OzandWillowtheirloveissotrue.
• Ugh. Poor Giles. Thank you for being a teen show so we don't have to see much of the torture.
• Angelus is cleaning Giles's glasses. This doesn't count as a stat, but it is a cool detail.
• yay we're about to begin my favorite section. Buffy and Spike in a band. "She plays the triangle." "Well, I sing."
• Buffy came out to her mom! Yay!
• Spike and Joyce in the living room. Loves.
• "Dru bagged a slayer?! She didn't tell me. Hey, good for her! Though not from your perspective, I guess."
• I get that Buffy has kind of a lot on her plate, but I wish she weren't so dismissive of Joyce trying to understand. Joyce is trying to understand, and she doesn't. There's too much being thrown at her, too many changes to what she thought was reality.
• The showdown between Buffy and Joyce. I have such feels. The look she gives her mom before she leaves. waaaaaaaaah
• "Okay, I missed out on some stuff, didn't I? Cuz this is all making the kind of sense that's ... not." - Oz
• Okay, see - Xander has one mission: All Willow wants him to do is tell Buffy she's gonna try the spell again. And he doesn't. He takes away Buffy's choice, and the reasoning, at least in the strict canon of the show, never made sense to me. I've read a bunch of different interpretations and analyses on other blogs and forums, that he didn't trust Buffy to make the hard choice if she thought the spell might work, and maybe that's it. Maybe it's that he didn't want Angel to have a chance of coming back, because his hatred really ran that deep. Maybe he didn't think the spell would work because Willow was so weak. I don't know. This is all speculation. Here's the facts of the matter though: Xander lied to Buffy, one of his best friends, whom he loves/worships in one form of another for the entire series, about one of the most important people in her life. He lied to her, not about whether he stole her candy bar, but about something major. He lied to his friend and he didn't blink. Fuck you, Xander. I don't understand your choices and maybe I don't want to understand. Lying is one of the worst betrayals in my book. And he's never really held accountable for it (though I cheered SO FUCKING LOUDLY when Buffy brought it up again in Selfless in S7).
• "You must perform the ritual in a tutu ... pillock." Giles is my favorite. I'm aware I have like 12 favorites. Shush.
• "The police of Sunnydale are deeply stupid." Word.
• "You're expelled." // BUFFY PULLS OUT BIGASS SWORD. Your argument is invalid. 

BIGASS SWORD

• Dru pretending to be Jenny to trick the answer out of Giles. DAMMIT STOP MAKING OUR GILES SAD. [Hey, I'll steal this idea, too - 666 Park Avenue writers]
•  Of course, this did start the tradition of if you get killed, you get like 3 more episodes on the show.
• "Did I mention I didn't take Latin?" It's okay, neither did Angelus.
• Spike whacking Angelus down: Awesome. Spike continuing to wail on Angelus over and over: hilarious. And then Dru sidetackles Spike and that's hilarious too.
• Oh look, Xander does have a purpose: he rescued Giles. He's still a lying liar who lies.
• Angelus pulls the sword out: oh fuck moment. Now, regardless of Willow's spell, there's no turning back for Buffy.
• This sword fight. So good. Even if I am audibly announcing every time I see a stunt performer.
• Willow scary spell possession. Eep.
• "God, he's gonna kill her." eyebrow shrug. It's a good moment because it really clarifies Spike's morality, especially in regards to my question earlier: he's not staying to stop the world from ending - he got Dru back, and that's all he wanted. Even if he did suffocate her with MAGIC.
• "Take all that away, and what's left?" // "Me." Our Buffy is the best Buffy.
• Oh God it's so sad. Buffy's face. The music. The yawning void of Acathla hell. It's so sad. "Close your eyes." Joss you bastard.
• Is it better or worse for her grief that she got to say goodbye before he died?
• Oh god and then her face crumples.
• And the closet is empty. And Joyce's face crumples.
• And they're all at the school, and quietly cheeful, quietly optimistic.
• "Maybe it wasn't in time. Maybe she had to kill him before ..." do I detect a tone of hope that you won't get caught in your lie? Fucker.
• I know this song got overused, especially on the WB, but this was the first I heard it and it broke my little heart. "Pulled down by the undertow, never thought I could feel so low."
• Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. I need a hug.

Daniel's Thoughts:

• Buffy, to Snyder: "You stupid little troll!" - GO BUFFY!

• 

  I work for this group, you probably
  never heard of them ... the Powers That Be ...

• So Willow's knocked out in a hospital bed but she hardly has any wires attached.  Shouldn't she have a feeding tube?  I guess it's too soon for that?
• Whistler: The first hipster.  I knew a demon started that trend.  ----------------->
• Yay! Spike and Buffy join forces!
• I love Spike's speech about how he likes this world. It adds dimension and direction to the Buffy Universe.
• They realllly have nice hospital rooms in Sunnydale!  I guess people spend a lot of time there...
• It's about time Joyce found out although - 
• Worst. Line Reading. Ever. "Buffy, what is going on?" - I make fun of this line all the time.  Joyce just saw a supernatural happening. She saw a guy turn to dust and yet she asks this question like her daughter has just joined a rock band or something and she's just finding out.
• I don't know if I believe Buffy would just invite Spike inside her home. Can't he wait outside?
• Joyce's confusion is both hilarious and awful. The lame comparisons (read: obvious metaphor) to sexuality is the hilarious part.  "Have you tried not being the slayer?"  I...seriously?
• Oh Oz, he doesn't quite get it but he's still in it for Willow.
• Especially with Willow's resolve face!

This face means business.

• Mayor! Foreshadowing! Season 3!
• Aww, Jenny!
• Angel is the key? NO! Dawn is the SPOILER!
• Buffy! Littering!  What's with all the littering this season??
• "Kick his ass" - Fuck you, Xander. (Stated more eloquently by Zelda above.)
• Shenanigans!  Spike suffocates Dru which knocks her out...except Dru doesn't breathe so how would that work exactly?
• Sword fight!  Kick ass sword fight!
• Willow!  Magic!  It begins!
• So horrible and sweet but awesome TV: Buffy knows she has to do and it's heartbreaking for her and for us.
• I love when TV characters are shown leaving on long trips with one duffel bag.  

Crossfire!

Zelda & Daniel will never admit the tears. NEVER.

Favorite Lines:

Zelda: "It doesn't stop! Do you think I chose to be like this? Do you know how lonely it is? How dangerous? I would love to be upstairs watching TV or gossiping about boys or - GOD - even studying! But I have to save the world. Again." - Buffy

Daniel: "This is all making a kind of sense that's not." - Oz

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• Detective Stein, who also appeared in Ted, is back for more detecting.
• Xander's in Trig.
• Snyder expels Buffy and she's still officially a fugitive from the law.
• Apparently it's good news for the Mayor if Buffy gets expelled.
• Dru uses her hypnosis to make Giles think she's Jenny.
• Willow channels the dark magics.
• Oh right, Angel's soul was restored, Buffy sent him to hell anyway, and then ran away from home.

Stats:

Oz's Hair - red 

Dead Humans - 0

Dead Undeads - 4

Dead Flashbacks - 0

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 (we called it last episode)

Someone Wasn't Worthy

Episode 2.21: Becoming: Part 1. Original Airdate 5.12.98

"Angel plots to revive an ancient demon bent on sweeping everything on earth into hell itself."

Daniel's Thoughts:

• I wish they hadn't made Angel Irish.  I feel he could have done another accent better.  Spanish maybe?  Or make him American like Darla. [I would pay good money for a Russian Accent. That would be hilarious. - Z]
• Darla!  She's back!  In....a flashback!

"I didn't hear a about a chair shortage...oh"

• We haven't had a good ol' fashioned vamp slaying opening in a while.  Love it.
• Fish stick theatre!  Xander is doing something funny!
• I love the whole chair shortage conversation.  Willow/Alyson has hilarious timing.
• Snyder: This isn't an orgy people, it's a classroom//Buffy: Yeah, where they teach lunch.  HEE!
• London - 1890 - here's some stock footage.
• Interesting seeing Dru as a human and how they made her crazy.
• I like Willow in teacher mode.
• I still stay it's a ridiculous curse and I'll keep saying it until it stops. It punishes the man, not the demon!
• And Xander has the same idea as the g*psies: Punish the man, not the demon.
• Kendra is dressed like she's in the army!
• How the heck did Kendra get that sword through customs?
• Giles uses the Orb of Thesula as a paperweight!  Just like the shopkeeper said in Passions.  Yay for continuity!
• I'm not completely unimpressed with the Manhattan set. It's totally fake but well done.
• Flashback: Ewww, Angel's in love with a 15 year old girl.
• Mr. Pointy!
• I feel like they only brought Kendra back to kill her off...

Zelda's Thoughts:

• Hiya Darla! I'm glad you're not attempting an accent.
• I don't think we ever find out, even on his show, when Angel lost the Irish. It's there in some flashbacks, and then it's not.
• "It'll all be over soon." // "Yes, my love. It will." SHUT UP. At least when Ethan tries that sort of thing, Giles catches him at it and undercuts it.
• For our stats: 1 dead fishstick.
• "I think you'd sweat cute blood."
• THEY'RE ALL SO CUTE. Xander and Cordy and his fish hands, Willow and Oz and their Willow- and Oz-ness
• Aw human Dru. Still creepy looking.
• "I don't want to be an evil thing." This episode is not just about Liam becoming Angelus who became Angel who became Angelus, or about Angelus becoming the worthy vessel for the Tomb of Alfalfa, or even about Buffy becoming a slayer or an adult and whatnot. We've also got Dru becoming a crazyass vampire, or at least the lead up to it.
• Love the transition of "God is watching you" to full on crazy present Dru striding along.
• Spike reads the newspaper! He keeps up with current events! Our modern-day vampire.
• I love love love their realization that they're looking at the soul restoration spell. I love it so hard. This show, you guys.
• Hi Romania! You look kinda like the parking lot.
• So when they restored his soul the first time, he was drawn to where the spell was being cast, so the Romanians could give him the speech of "you suck." This didn't happen when Willow does it later - he doesn't even feel the spell coming until it hits.
• While Xander's right that Angelus is a killer, and is not ready to forgive that, Angelus and Angel are two separate creatures in terms of culpability. Angel will feel the remorse of his actions as Angelus, but they're not actions he would commit. If we can tolerate the Angel of S1 and S2 pre-Surprise, with all the murders he committed, Xander's point holds less power. The problem is the deaths are more personal now.
• This argument is so good you guys.
• Hi Kendra!
• "And we're sure this was the Tomb of Alfalfa." Oh Buffy. Sometimes you shouldn't say words.
• I think we shoulda let Angel keep eating the rats of Manhattan. Think of how much less of a vermin problem we could have in the city!
• Hi Whistler! Who the fuck are you and why do you never ever exist again? I like the idea, but why is he never used again (yes, I know, the original plan was to have him show up on AngeltheShow, but they had Doyle instead).
• "You can become someone. A person."
• Pre-slayage Buffy! So cute, so sweet, so shallow! I wants to keep her safe. Also, it's a pretty good wig, in that it doesn't scream wig. Maybe it's just extensions.

"Yeah? Hi! What?"

• Poor little Buffy! She's so scared and small.
• Wait - so when Angel smiles, after his day of stalking, it's when he's watching her cry in the mirror. wtf, dude. Though "I want to help her. I want to become someone." is pretty cool.
• "I want to learn from you. But I don't want to dress like you." And thus was born his penchant for dark button downs and black pants.
• "Someone wasn't worthy." And then he just sits there and tries not to laugh as Angelus blusters and Dru twitches. Love me some petty Spike.
• wtf, self-immolating vampire messenger. wtaf. How would he convince her to do that?
• I love Buffy's blue-green coat so much.
• Alpert!
• Al Franken.
• I'm aware the last two things barely count as bullet points. Shush you.
• Daniel and I both cracked up at DB's physicality as he jumps after "All right, we'll fight."
• Jesus. This fight is so brutal. I gasped when the bookcase fell on Willow. And poor Xander's hand.
• Oh God and Buffy's running as fast as she can once she realizes it was a trap. She's running as fast as she can and it's already too late.
• What an awful way for Kendra to die.
• Slow motion run. God. And the Buffy/Angel theme of sadness is playing, but with a muffled drum beat below it. Goddammit I love this show. It's just so freaking good.
• And we think we're at our last moment as she runs to Kendra's dead body, but then - for like the first time, there's police.

Favorite Lines:

Daniel: "It's a big rock.  I can't wait to tell all my friends.  They don't have a rock this big".  - Spike 

Zelda: "The big moments are gonna come, can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find out who you are." - Whistler. I mean, yes, all of Spike's lines, but also this.

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• Oz has animal crackers on his tray.
• The disc that fell beside the desk in Passion is rediscovered!
• Buffy finds the claddagh ring Angel gave her for her birthday.
• Giles specifies that the soul-restoration spell would use black arts, not just rainbow happy magic.
• Giles keeps an Orb of Thesula as a paperweight, as the shopkeeper in Passion said people do.
• Angel saw Buffy get called to her Slayerness. Also, kind of a stalker.
• "And you fall for it every single time!" - He's referring to when she fell for a similar trap in When She Was Bad.
• Dru has hypnotic powers, which she uses to thrall Kendra into submission before killing her. Most vampires don't seem to have this power.
• Kendra, the next in the slayer line, is dead.

Stats:

Voiceover - Whistler's thing (not the official Buffy shpiel)

Oz's Hair - red

Dead Humans - 3

Dead Undeads - 4

Dead Flashbacks - 3

Giles Unconscious - 1

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Evil Reveal - 0

Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called - 0

Apocalypse Called - 1

Dude, What is that Foulness?

Episode 2.19: Go Fish Original Airdate 5.5.98 

"When several members of the Sunnydale High swim team are mysteriously skinned alive, Buffy and the gang take it upon themselves to protect the remaining members, which results in Xander revealing a side of himself rarely seen."

Zelda's thoughts:

• Goddammit. This episode is so stupid.
• What music is that extra dancing to?
• It's significant that both I Only Have Eyes For You and this episode have a guy hitting on Buffy in the teaser. In IOHEFY she shuts him down very quickly. Here, she allows it. Because of ARC and CHARACTER and what happened in IOHEFY.
• Aw bitty Jonathan. Rejecting Buffy's help. She's like the one kid who's nice to you.
• Shenanigans - While I totally believe he'd be playing solitaire in class (our school computers had games), how would he have the option of naked ladies on the cards? That's not a default skin (pun unintentional).
• "We've been having trouble finding a competent teacher this late in the term." My school did it, when a teacher unexpectedly retired midterm. Granted, it was history, not computers, but feh.
• Buffy's face while swimman blathers on. Soooooooo bored. :)
• "Are you wearing a bra?" What to the fuck, dude?
• So Snyder pulls her in to punish her for breaking Cam's nose ... did they go out driving during school? Whaaaaaaat.
• Even the funny isn't quite funny enough for me to like this episode. Nice try with the oreo cookie analogy, Willow.
• "You're gonna think about that later, mister, and you're gonna laugh." I"ll laugh at that, but not about what you're talking about. GO AWAY, EPISODE.
• Maybe I'll start using "go fish" as an alternative for "go fuck yourself."
• "You're lucky I'm hungry." // "The cafeteria's closed." // "Not to me." THERE'S NO FOOD THERE YOU NITWIT.  I hate this episode.
• Though the steam rising out of the skin shed by the fishmen is a nice touch.
• "I think I've lost all will to cheerlead."
• Buffy sucks at espionage. We learned this in I Robot, You Jane.
• Hi Angelus! Time for some more pretense at being evil without any follow-through? Oh right you do try to bite Gage.
• Actually a pretty cool way to reveal Gage has fishy blood.
• Buffy and Willow are eating a bucket of popcorn while they watch ... swim practice?
• Gage waving at Buffy from the pool. Cutie.
• Xander twitchily hiding behind the boogieboard. Love it.

What are you hiding there?

• Our school didn't have a steam room. But we also didn't have a pool, so who am I to talk.
• "Tag, you're it." okay that bit was cute. I still hate this episode.
• "After the fall of the Soviet Union ..." No. What. No. Just STFU. STFU. Stop. Just stop. Look at your life. Look at your choices. This is terrible writing.
• He had the gun just sitting out on the countertop. Um ... no? They didn't even try for logic in this episode. There's so little effort.
• Thank God that's over.

Daniel's Thoughts:

• Xander is a Yankees fan. Figures.
• Hey! Willow and Cordelia are getting along! I like this!
• Cameron Walker is a sleeze with bad pick-up lines. Come on Buffy!
• Ok, she's catching on now...good for you!
• Xander: I love when you guys mess with her. Me: Me too!
• Cordy can draw! [What? I can't have layers? - Cordelia]
• Buffy is terrible at undercover.  She'll admit it later.
• Wentworth Miller (Gage) does a stereotypical Californian accent until he doesn't. When he gets scared or has to deliver an emphatic line, his British accent comes out in full force: "Was that the thing that killed Cameron!" You know, my mate! My chum! Stiff upper lip, Buffy!
• Hellloooooooo boys in speedos: 

Buffy and pre-lesbian Willow agree

• OK, I'll admit, Xander actually looks pretty good, too
• Willow: The trick is not to leave any marks. Me: Uh...wow.
• Jonathan peed in the pool! HA! and EWW.
• Coach has an odd idea of what fish people need: People as food? Sex? They don't even have penises!
• Aww, Cordy's speech is so sweet! She wuvs Xander! She does!
• Did they really call animal control for fish people?

Crossfire!

Z: Angel's a pretty flaccid villain. Except for when he killed Jenny. If this were a Showtime show, he'd be killing someone every episode.
D: Yeah, but if it were a Showtime show there'd be a lot more characters to kill off.
Z: I'm not gonna call them out on it too much though, because it's not Showtime, and it's a teen show.
D: Plus, there's 22 episodes as opposed to 13.

Favorite Lines:

Zelda: "I don't know two finer boys than Cameron and ... that other one." - Snyder
Daniel: "Oh I'm not worried about me".  - Buffy in response to Cameron's "Relax. I'm not going to hurt you."

90s Factoid:

• "Good pie charts everyone!"
• Also, Gage is playing a Gameboy.

Remember these?

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• Willow interrogates Jonathan, not for the last time.
• Buffy's still taking French, but her teacher doesn't remember her name.
• The library cage being used yet again to secure potential monsters.

Stats:

Voiceover - Giles
Dead Humans - 6
Dead Undeads -0
Dead Flashbacks - 0
Giles Unconscious - 0
Giles Cleans His Glasses -0
Buffy Breaks a Door - 0
Evil Reveal - 2 (Coach Carl Marin and Nurse Greenliegh are behind the steroid fish steam)
Unevil Reveal - 1 (the fishmen aren't killing the swimmers; they are the swimmers)
Shenanigans Called - 1
Apocalypse Called - 0
We're counting the humans transmogrifying into Fishthings as human deaths because their human self is dying - going by the same standard as counting someone turning into a vamp as a human death.

Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

Episode 2.19: I Only Have Eyes For You. Original Airdate 4.21.98

"Sunnydale High School is haunted by the ghosts of of a former student and teacher who reenact their tragic romance through the bodies of the school's current inhabitants."

Daniel's Thoughts:

• Aww, Xander and Cordelia dancing is sweet
• "I'm Ben.  We had Algebra II together last year".  And...now I'm a senior in college?  Nice casting...
• Also, not to be confused with hottie doctor Ben! [Yes, "Doctor" Ben, who can't pronounce the word muscle. - Z]
• Oooh, It's a spooky possession story!
• Snyder: "I'm no stranger to conspiracy.  I saw JFK".  Hee
• Buffy! Don't just put the moving-by-itself book back!  It's a clue!
• Oh, poor, sad Giles :(
• Hey! It's Chris Gorham!
• "Did you see what he wrote?" -Stupid extra in regards to the GIANT WRITING ON THE BLACKBOARD.  
• Scary arm through the locker!  I LOVE GHOST STORIES!
• The direction in this episode is really well done.  There are four sets of couples and each have a very similar intonation with their deliveries.  I wonder if everyone had to watch "James" and "Ms. Newman's" performances to mimic them well.  And the choreography is key and well done, too.
• Again, poor, sweet Giles.  He wants to believe so badly.
• Aren't prison rape jokes funny and not at all cliche?  ....
• Eww, snakes!
• This is the first time Snyder admits he knows about the hellmouth.  
• When do they have time for homework?  
• Really spooky effects - especially for the 90s - Cordy's face, Willow getting pulled into a hole - very good.
• I love the role reversal - Buffy being possessed by him and Angel being possessed by her.  It works so perfectly.  As Buffy says, he possessed her because he identifies with her.
• And it's a great acting exercise for David and Sarah.

Zelda's Thoughts:

• My dad taught me the proper grammatical use of the word "only," This song gets it wrong.
• "Like a steel trap." I use that a lot.
• Ben seems nice. Go with Ben, Buffy! He's human and stuff.
• 666 Park Ave just ripped off the premise of this. Stupid 666.
• Oooh they use the word bitch on TV. A lot. Daring!
• This episode is so well-crafted. The mystery unfolds slowly without telegraphing how it will go.
• "You stink of lies." He thinks he's in a noir movie, doesn't he.
• So is Willow missing all her classes while she teaches Jenny's classes? Also, where's the actual adult substitute? Should I stop?
• Poor sad Giles.
• Also I like that Willow is learning more of her witchy ways from going through Jenny's stuff. Carrying the banner of both tech-hacking and magic!

My hair will never be this short again.

• Hey, everyone who's a fan of Covert Affairs, Harper's Island, or Ugly Betty! Lookit the tiny Chris Gorham!
• The five-second reaction shot of Buffy and Xander not quite knowing how to react to the arm in his locker: beautiful, beautiful.
• "...some kind of locker monster." // "Loch Ness Monster?"
• "Despite the Xander-speak." It's called Joss-speak, Giles. You silly.
• I gotta say, all around very good acting from these one-offs re-enacting James and Grace's breakup.
• No wonder Giles thinks it's Jenny. He hears, separate from the re-enactment of the murder, a female voice saying, "I need you." James's pain is spazzing in all directions.
• Mansion! Fancy new set!
• "It'll be perfect when we want the sunlight to kill us."
• Spike quietly tolerating all of Angelus's assery. BECAUSE REVENGE WILL BE HIS.
• "I've read the book, seen the movie, and I'm still fuzzy about what's going on."
• I like that the scoobies, seeing Giles is irrational, don't persist in arguing with him, but go off to investigate on their own.
• "Dog spit is cleaner than human's."
• "The quality of mercy is not Buffy."
• They each respond to different parts of James's story - Buffy doesn't want to forgive him for killing his love (her baggage), Willow wants some allowance to be made because he was clearly a smart, good student (like her), and Xander recognizes the patterns of bad judgment in sabotaging a relationship.
• I've had it with these monkey fighting snakes in this Monday-Friday school!
• "I saw that movie! Even the priest died!" Way to spoil it, Cordy. I only just saw the movie this year.
• This episode is so awesome. Even outside of the amazing scene with Buffy and Angelus, this episode is so awesome.
• All the slamming doors. So cool.
• "Our man Angel here likes to talk, but he's not much for action. All hat and no cattle." Spike, calling it like it is.
• Poor Giles. Still looking for Jenny. DAMN YOU, JOSS.
• I like that when Buffy is watching James and Grace dance, there's a bit longing/jealousy in her. Even as she knows they both died, she still sees the love and misses her own.
• "Giles, Jenny could never be this mean." :(
• Spell didn't work. Giant swarm of wasps. RUN RUN RUN.
• "It is just something he is gonna have to live with." // "He can't live with it, Buff. He's dead."
• So would the ghost peter away after Sadie Hawkins? Could they have just let this one lie until next year?
• I like when Angelus slips out of Angelus into Grace. Joss said it was DB's performance in this episode that made him realize he could carry his own series. He's okay, the vulnerability is pretty good, but SMG is so much better. So are the flashbackers.
• Love the cutting between Grace/James and Buffy/Angel.
• Oh man, SMG is so freaking good.
• And it's such a brilliant brilliant twist - not just that Buffy's identifying with James makes her play his role instead of Grace's, but that that allows Angelus/Grace's spirit to survive the shooting to stop Buffy/James from killing her/himself.
• And like a (really creepy) fairy tale, the spell is broken with a kiss.
• Buffy's tiny voice after the kiss: "Angel." ::wibble::
• Aaaaand gratuitous shirtless DB.
• SPIKE CAN STAND. SPIKE CAN STAND. OH HAPPY DAY.

Crossfire!

Giles: Yes. Well. I appreciate your thoughts on the matter. In fact, I encourage you to always challenge me when you feel it's appropriate. You must never be cowed by authority. Except, of course, in this instance when I am clearly right and you are clearly wrong.

Daniel: Omigosh, it's Zelda!

Zelda: (small voice) Except that I am right!

Favorite Lines:

Daniel: "To forgive is an act of compassion, Buffy. It's not done because people deserve it. It's done because they need it."  - Giles. I remember feeling really touched by that sentiment the first time I heard it and continue to be so upon numerous rewatches.  

Zelda:  Um ... see the crossfire for mine.

90s Factoid:

"You just went OJ on your girlfriend!"

Just in case you forgot who he was

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• Buffy's flashback is during her US History class.
• Snyder is conspiring with the police on covering up Sunnydale High goings-on. This is the first time he admits he knows it's a Hellmouth. This is also the first time The Mayor is dropped as a threatening high source. Lookit that foreshadowing!

Stats:

Dead Humans - 1

Dead Undeads - 0

Dead Flashbacks - 1

Giles Unconscious - 0

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0

Buffy Breaks a Door - 1

Evil Reveal - 0

Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called - 0

Apocalypse Called - 0

We're also retroactively adding a Flashback Death stat for Buffy's cousin Celia.

Power Girl to the Rescue!

Episode 2.18: Killed by Death. Original Airdate 3.3.98

"While hospitalized with a severe case of the flu, Buffy battles a demon that sucks the life out of sick children."

Zelda's Thoughts:

• Poor Buffy's all fluey.
• Alpert Mausoleum! This should be a drinking game.
• Angelus really should have been able to kill her now, when she's all weak and dizzy. He's just useless this episode. They should fire him from being a vampire. I do enjoy how Spike repeatedly calls him out on the not killing of Buffy, at least.
• We're singing along to the theme song again. D is drumming too. WE'RE SO COOL.
• "Possible fractures?" What the - why? What? Why would he think that? No. Stupid doctor. He's fired too.
• I like how seriously they're all taking this, and it's an unnerving shift on the show we're used to - nothing mystical about what's taken Buffy down, or the way we're dealing with it.
• Poor delirious Buffy. She's so small and vulnerable. SMG is really good at that.
• "Shhh. Hospital zone. No singing." And Xander grins. BECAUSE HE WILL INVOKE THE SINGING SPELL IN FOUR YEARS.
• "You know that thing on her face? You know that thing. ... Am I the only one that's noticed that thing?" Never change, Cordy. No seriously. I hate your "growth" on AtS. Stay like this.
• I feel like they would have taken off her jewelry.
• Ew ew ew ew don't rip out your IV. I actually yelled at the screen. At least it was a dream?
• This is the creepiest hospital that's not in a zombie movie/tv show. Creepy children everywhere.
• It is nice of Xander to stand guard, even if he's not that effective a bodyguard, really. But he uses his brains to get Angelus to back down!
• Angelus accuses Xander of still loving Buffy. Do we think this is true? While his hatred of Angel certainly stemmed from that, and has only grown, but I think it's its own independent animal of hatred now. I don't think I think Xander is still in love with Buffy, personally.
• "Flowers for milady!" // "I think they call those balloons."
• "Nobody told me I was supposed to bring a gift." // "It's traditional among ... people." I love Cordy. and Giles. So much.
• Giles's theory the kids might be seeing the "true selves" of the adults, which manifest as evil deathy things, is awesome. It's wrong, but it's awesome.
• Krispy Kreme!!!! I wants.
• Der Kinderstod thinks it can battle Buffy by being all blinvisible. But she's battled the blinvisible before!
• "This is your work?" Giles asks as he tries to find a constructive comment on the artistry.

Pot, kettle, sir?

• This episode is funnnnnnnny. It's kind of a stupid title though.
• "Let's go, tact guy."
• Aw Giles is so annoyed at Cordy. "It asks endless questions of those with whom it's supposed to be working so that nothing is getting done."
• Man this demon wins at the creepy. Good makeup and good physical acting by James Jude Courtney.
• My friend Lucy's favorite line in the whole entire series: "No more frogs."
• NOOOOOOOOOOES DON'T KILL THE CHILDREN.
• Buffy, to Kinderstod: "You make me sick." PUNNNNNNNNNN!
• Seeeeeeeee, Daniel? Joyce is being support-o-mom to Sick Buffy. And to moocherfriends Willow and Xander. [Yeah, but she's bogarting the cheesy chips - Xander]

Daniel's Thoughts:

• Parking lot cemetery!
• Cordelia: “We’re all concerned about how gross you look.”
• Giles is cleaning his glasses a lot more lately!
• There’s no thing on Buffy’s face, Cordy – but you have a weirdly shaped mole on your cheek you might wanna get checked out.

• Creepy kid alert!
• Hey, it’s German Freddy Krueger!
• Power Girl!  The first incarnation of the Slayer!
• I love how Giles ignores that Willow did all of Buffy’s assignments
• Sunnydale General looks like Sunnydale HS. 
• Willie Garson!  He’s so good.
• “Fine, watch my back.”  And...stupid Xander looks and doesn't even smirk or appreciate Cordy's fine buttocks. MAKE A BETTER CHOICE, BRENDAN.
• Aww, Cordy brought Xander Krispy Kreme even though he’s a dick.  That’s love.
• Hehe, Willow was playing ‘doctor’ wrong
• Also, thank god she was because it saved Buffy from a potential lethal dose of the flu virus
• Why is basement access right off the children’s ward? Seems kinda dangerous.
• Der Kinderstod – a pre-cursor to the Gentlemen?

Crossfire!

Should we include Celia (young Buffy's cousin) in our death stats? She's only in flashbacks. You decide!

Favorite Lines:

Zelda: My bed is better than any bed that's not my bed. - Buffy

Daniel: Tact is just not saying true stuff. - Cordelia

Arc Stuff:

• When Buffy was 8 her cousin Celia died in a hospital, so Buffy is scared of hospitals now.
• Also when Buffy was 8 she had brown hair. 

Stats:

Voiceover - none

Dead Humans - 2

Dead Undeads - 1

Giles Unconscious - 0

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 1

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Evil Reveal - 0

Unevil Reveal - 1 (Dr. Backer)

Shenanigans Called -0

Apocalypse Called - 0

Shoddy G*psy Craftsmanship

Episode 2.17: Passion. Original Airdate 2.24.98

"Angel steps up his torment of Buffy and her friends as Jenny searches for a way to restore his soul."

*Notes from us in 2020: We have retroactively redacted the slur in our 2012 post title and will make sure that we do not use the word in any new posts going forward.*

Daniel's Thoughts:

• It’s cheesy but I kinda like when Angel narrates the episodes.
• No peripheral vision, really?  They walked right by Angel killing someone.
• Angel is an excellent artist!  Not…what I’m supposed to get from the picture.
• I love how Cordelia continues to be paranoid about her car throughout the entire episode and no one ever corrects her.
• Funny, tongue-in-cheek, reference to the fact that no kids are ever in the library.
• Again, I think they’re being way too hard on Jenny.
• Ok, points to Joyce for noticing something is wrong but she had to spoil it with, “I read all the parenting books.”  What are all these parenting books that she’s always spouting on about?
• Aww, Willow’s fish!
• Don’t eat the puppy, Spike! Ruff. Good Dog.
• The Orb of Thesula is pretty.

preeeeeeeeeeeeetty.

• In other vamp films, it’s stated that pretty much any religious symbol would work.  I wish they incorporated it here and used a Jewish star instead of a cross for Willow’s threshold.  But I’m glad, at least, Willow at least mentions that it would bother her dad if he saw it.
• "Sorry Angel, I changed the locks." Fuck yeah moment!
• Oh good, Dru still hasn’t killed the puppy!
• Would a computer really make that much fire?
• The Angelus/Jenny chase is great.  Really well choreographed.  And great use of the set. 
• Also, Jenny :( 
• “Sure! Like what would you say?”  Oh, Willow.  So good with the subtly letting Giles know that his business there is done.
• Ok, I concede. Joyce is being good mom.
• Oh Giles, poor sweet Giles :( 
• Angelus is so evil that that he has to not only kill Jenny but see the reaction of those most affected by it.  And the smile he gives is so creepy.
• And does Xander have to wear such a ridiculous outfit in this type of episode?
• I think the puppy is growing on Dru!
• Giles is so badass!
• Such a nice scene between Buffy and Giles. 
• Weird to end this episode on Willow taking over the teaching.  This is something that angers a friend of mine a lot.  He says they’d never allow a student to teach a HS class.

Zelda's Thoughts:

• I don't want to - this will make me sad - let's just skip it nooooooooooooooooo.
• OMG they're so innocent and sweet, Willow even has a lolipop, WHY DOES THIS SHOW HATE US.
• I can't even tell if the narration in Passion is good. I never listen to it, honestly. DB's delivery is just so uninflected and dull.
• Also shenanigans Buffy didn't notice the vamp feeding RIGHT NEXT TO HER, even if that was a cool stalking shot.
• Angelus is such a creepy fucktard. But a good artist.
• Look! Giles is stamping books! He's actually pretending to be a librarian. And then he even tells Jonathan where to find books on Stalin.
• Guys, can we take a moment to acknowledge that Danny Strong is now an EMMY WINNER and will be writing the final Hunger Games screenplay? Can we just ... bask in that for a moment?
• "By sneaking in her room and leaving stuff at night? Why doesn't he just slit her throat or strangle her while she's sleeping or cut her heart out? What? I'm trying to help." Good point, Cordy. Calling her own shenanigan there.
• "The more people know the secret, the more it cheapens it for the rest of us!"
• "because otherwise chaos could ensue." I love you Willow.
• "Yes, well, that's one of the unpleasant side effects of betrayal." :(
• GILESANDJENNYTHEIRLOVEISSOTRUE. I hate Angelus.
• Props to Joyce for reading our Continuity notes and remembering that Angel is "the college boy who's tutoring [Buffy] in history."
• Gawd. He killed her pretty colorful fish. He truly IS diabolical.
• "She's an orphan. Her owner died ... without a fight." PUPPY.
• "We were worried." // "No we weren't." JM always wins at delivery.
• I love that when she finally puts the puppy in his lap, he does start petting it. 

No one can resist a cuddly puppy.

• "I don't like computers. They give me the willies." Said the guy in the magic shop.
• "Five hours of lesson planning yesterday down the drain." Five HOURS???? On one day's teaching?
• Yay Buffy for looking past her pain and resentment to try and help Jenny and Giles mend, as much as she can. "I don't want him to be lonely. I don't want anyone to."
• Angelus is so creepy. Actually pretty interesting that he seems to be playing into the story Buffy told Joyce, saying he needs to be with her. I wonder what his actual intention was with all this though. I ... am actually not sure. Unless his intention was never to kill Joyce, but just more psychological torture of Buffy, trusting she'd get there in time to save Joyce (since he left the note at Willow's place)? Yes. I'm going with that.
• As soon as Jenny tells Giles she spoke to Buffy, he visibly lightens - maybe there's hope for them yet! Except NOT because Joss hates us.
• So Spike didn't eat Sunshine the Puppy yet. New mascot?
• We're both annoyed by the banter about Angelus being invited to the school. It's not a residence; he'd be fine regardless.
• He is legitimately creepy. And it is legitimately upsetting when he smashes the Orb of Thesula.
• Poor Jenny. I think she knows now she's going to die, even if she'll try her hardest to escape. And I believed she would get away. They always get away on TV. Not in all the horror movies, but on TV. I didn't believe they'd actually kill her, and I continued to not quite believe it, the first time, til Giles found her.
• And he kills her so cruelly, too. Laughing in her face. Doesn't even feed.
• The Talk with Joyce and Buffy ... actually well-handled. And sad. Poor Buffy. Poor sad Buffy. 
• NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I DON'T WANT TO WATCH THIS SCENE. I want to protect Giles from the sad.
• The music, the lighting, the smash of the glasses, ASH's face as he realizes. It's all so well done and so horrible. So well orchestrated. Angelus is a bastard and I hate him. Can we kill him now?
• And then he goes to watch Buffy find out. Not Giles, but Buffy. Because it's all about her. He's so awful. That little smile.
• Everyone's so good in this episode.
• Beautiful tracking shot through Giles's apartment as he arms himself for his suicide mission.
• I'm just spitballing here, but it looks like Angelus has - AGAIN - killed the beloved daughter of the whatsit tribe. THEY SHOULD CURSE HIM AGAIN.
• "I'm sorry, but let's not forget that I hated Angel long before the rest of you jumped on the bandwagon." Except your hatred was born of jealousy and you're petty. This is the first time the rest of us really hate Angelus I think. Well, for me anyway. Not so much for killing Jenny, but for hurting Giles. NO HURTING GILES.
• Giles wailing on Angelus with fiery torch? Yesthankyoumoreplease.
• Buffy shows up, and Dru calmly wheels Spike out of the way.
• Battle at the factory is pretty badass awesome. All the Buffy/Angel fights are, really.
• Angelus running away from a fight again. He's got a coward's pattern here.
• Buffy's face after she punches Giles. Giles's face. I can't, you guys. It's too sad.
• Oh God and Willow walking into the classroom to take over. She's so sad.
• AND THERE GOES THE DISC.

Crossfire!

D: How does [Jenny] have a tombstone so quickly?

Z: Maybe they make 'em really fast in Sunnydale.

Favorite Lines:

Daniel: "You can't leave me. I can't do this alone." - Buffy

Zelda: "Hey, how come Buffy doesn't get a snotty 'once again you boil it down to its simplest form' thing? Watcher's pet." - Xander

90s Factoid:

Jenny uses a dot matrix printer

Arc Stuff:

• Jonathan!
• Angelus has permission to enter Buffy's house, Willow's house, Gile's house and Cordy's car. Not anymore though.
• Our first time in a magic shop! Though, as this one is below street level, clearly not OUR magic shop.
• An Orb of Thesula will restore Angel's soul.
• Willow's father's name is Ira. And he's big on the Jewishness.
• Xander does the Snoopy Dance every year at Christmas for Willow.
• Angelus told Joyce he and Buffy slept together.
• First major character death (if you don't count Jesse, which why should you, since NO ONE REMEMBERS HIM) with Jenny.
• The disc with the re-ensoulment spell is hidden in the crack by the desk.

Stats:

Voiceover - none (unless you count Angelus's episode-long thing)

Dead Humans - 3

Dead Undeads - 0

Dead Fish - 3

Giles Unconscious - 1

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Evil Reveal - 0

Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called - 1

Apocalypse Called - 0

Works in Theory

Episode 2.16: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered. Original Airdate 2.10.98

"As Valentine's Day approaches, Xander tries to improve his love life through witchcraft and finds himself with too much of a good thing."

Zelda's Thoughts:

• See, I like Xander better at the beginning of the episode. He got Cordy a nice necklace, and asked Buffy to stop mocking his relationship.
• "I'm glad that you guys are getting along. Almost really." I want to start using that qualifier.
• Xander's fall backward after being surprised by the vamp was quite cute.
• Hello Alpert Mausoleum! We are old friends. 
• Amy mind-controls her teacher. Creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepy.
• Awwww Giles and Jenny are all sad and awkward. Lovely Giles, sticking by Buffy, even as he clearly misses and loves Jenny. IT'S SO SAD YOU GUYS.
• WHY IS THIS EPISODE SO SAD. Oh right Marti Noxon wrote it.
• Hi Spike and Dru! Hi Angelus, hijacking Dru from Spike!
• "I found it in a quaint little shopgirl." Why is DB so much better at playing a douchebag. Oh. Never mind.
• Wait, I'm bonding with Cordelia! I remember when all my friends randomly decided they hated me, and ignored me and walked away. :(
• Shenanigans! "Somebody left these for you." Buffy's name is not "Soon," Joyce.

That says "Buffy"

• Poor Xander. He's trying to be all declarative, and Cordy even likes the necklace, but she knows before he starts that she wants to break up. Sadface.
• "Do you know what's a good day to break up with somebody? Any day besides Valentines Day!" Good perf by NB in this scene.
• "Amy! Good to see you. You're a wwwitch."
• I don't like this plan, Xander. I don't. He wants Cordy to want him again, just so he can break up with her, and be the pain inflictor rather than receiver. I don't like this at all. [Does his dickishness surprise you? -D]
• We weren't allowed to decorate the outside of our lockers at our school. We also weren't allowed to decorate with stickers at all. I guess my town wasn't basically Sunnydale after all. :(
• So question. Does the love spell backfire because the intent wasn't pure, as Amy warned, or does she just fuck it up?
• So as of first thing in the morning, the spell hasn't taken effect yet, but once he gets the library, the mojo starts to work on Buffster. And as we see with Amy, it seems to be taking effect even before Xander interacts with the ladies - they find him. By day two it seems to be the whole town. 
• Oh god it's so mortifying. Willow in Xander's bed. No NO NO.
• I like the decor in Xander's room.
• I'm glad Xander comes clean to Giles ... relatively quickly. He recongizes this is bad and isn't just luxuriating in it. Moral Compass for the win?
• Jenny lusting after Xander MIGHT be the most hilarious. She just keeps touching herself. GIles: "Don't leave the library." Jenny: Slowly shaking her head.
• Also I respect Xander for not taking advantage of willing naked Buffy. "This isn't real to you."
• And then Buffy goes psycho on him, and for the rest of the episode all the women are terrifying.
• So is Goddess Hecate the patron goddess of ... rats?

Hecate does not approve.

• And now people besides Buffy are violent. Boy, that escalated quickly.
• "We have to catch the Buffy rat." - words Giles never thought he'd say.
• Oz punched Xander. Hee.
• Giles's loathing for Xander: "Just go. Get out of my sight." So cutting.
• Jesus. Poor Cordy. This is worse than Beatles mania.
• Lunch Lady!
• It's interesting that it's not just they're all obsessed with Xander; they're all convinced he loves them back.
• Willow with axe. Ack. Ack. And she's crying! AH is good at being scary.
• It's rather telling that Buffy the rat is a brown rat. Dye job!
• Shenanigans! Why is it dark out? He JUST left the high school followed by the mob.
• Also why go to Buffy's house rather than his own? (maybe he didn't want to risk his mom hitting on him?)
• Again with the small-time terrorizing, Angelus. Though, going after a friend of Buffy's is more in his psychological torture line. Okay, I'll stop criticizing.
• It's kind of sweet Cordy and Xander get back together in the same basement where they initially hooked up. Kind of. Almost really.
• So when the spell breaks, most of the girls say "what's going on? Where am I?" So at this point anyway, no one remembers what happened, with that patented Sunnydale selective amnesia. But Willow and Buffy and ... I guess anyone who's already in on the magicness, remember it.
• Harmony's self esteem is awful. No wonder she dates Spike.
• Harmony's a sheep!
• Awww Cordy and Xander, together again.
• So that's two feel-good episode endings in a row. WE ALL KNOW THIS WON'T LAST. :( :( :( (Next week: Passion)

Daniel's Thoughts:

• I love Buffy reassuring Xander of his thing for Cordelia even if she clearly doesn’t approve.
• Interesting Cordettes, this episode:

I swear it's Kirsten Dunst!

And what's with this one's hair?

• I love that they brought back Amy and the witchcraft continuity.
• Aww, Jenny.  I kinda forgot about her…  Err…Again, I think they’re being way too hard on her but they need someone to blame and she’s an easy target.
• Eww, Angel gave Dru a real heart.
• Oh God, Devon’s very shiny shirt.
• Do people in HS really laugh at you because you got dumped?  Are kids really that cruel?  I guess so, damn.  Also, what’s with the track suit, Xander?  Yes.  This is one train of thought.
• Aww, Cordy is wearing Xander’s locket.
• Ya know, with Larry coming out last episode, they really missed an opportunity here. [Oh. My. God. YES. - Z]
• SMG looks incredible in this episode:

Also? Auditioning for Cabaret

• UGH, Willow in Xander’s bed is so awkward
• Ok, I know the guys are supposed to be mad but some of them look like they’re checking him out too.   Again, a missed Larry opportunity.
• Jenny is fantastic lusting over Xander
• Wow, Amy is pretty powerful
• BUFFY RAT BUFFY RAT!
• The cattiness is amazing
• Ok, what is it now, you don’t like my locker combination?
• Lotsa hitting in this episode.  Also, go Oz!
• Seriously, Giles being disappointed with you is like your dad being disappointed with you
• Yes, GH fans – that frenzied extra is Tamara Braun, Carly #2
• Willow with an axe!
• I love the “this is a kooky episode” music
• Eww, Joyce hitting on Xander is even worse than Willow
• …and then there’s Dru.
• It’s never actually stated, but I think the spell never worked on Cordelia because she actually does love him.  That's the theory I'm going with, anyway.
• Except…I guess that doesn’t make sense since Willow does still sorta love Xander.
• “Harmony, you’re a sheep!”
• Cordy is pretty awesome in this episode – great with the comedic timing

Favorite Lines:

Zelda: Spike: Why don't you rip her lungs out? That might make an impression.

Angel: Lacks poetry.

Spike: Doesn't have to. What rhymes with lungs?

Daniel: Buffy: I seem to have a slight case of nudity here.

Oz: But you're not a rat. So call it an upside.

90s Factoid:

Cordy's knotted button down shirt:

Like the Carrie Bradshaw of the 90s

Arc Stuff:

• Harmony's back!
• So is Amy! And she's been partaking of the witchcraft.
• So is Devon!
• Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Amy all have ... some class together where they write papers.
• Angelus goes extra-psycho on Valentines Day. Delightful. Psychoness included nailing a puppy to - skip it.
• The Dingoes play Pain, the one song they play.
• Do we think Buffy's ratness was the beginning of her love of cheese?

Stats:

Voiceover - none

Oz's Hair - honey blonde (his cool hair)

Dead Humans - 0

Dead Undeads - 0

Giles Unconscious - 0

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 1

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Evil Reveal - 0

Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called - 2

Apocalypse Called - 0