A Bitca?

Episode 2.1: When She Was Bad. Original Airdate 9.15.97

"Buffy returns from summer vacation sporting an attitude and suffers from recurring nightmares involving the Master. Meanwhile, the Anointed One and his followers plot their revenge."

Daniel's Thoughts:

• I think these genre writers could have come up with better movie quotes for the movie quote game.
• Nice and short exposition - catching us up on what happened over the summer.




"I mock you with my ice cream cone, Amish Guy!"


• Ice cream moment – if Xander and Willow got together now, I might have bought it.  I don't buy it when it actually happens.  More on that later! Spoilers!
• I agree with Buffy – no stake,  no cross, no garlic, nothing? Come on guys!
• Buffy: Hey guys, miss me? Me: YES!
• Worst mom ever: "I’ll just be happy if she makes it through the school year."
• Cordelia: "Is it possible to have too much character?"
• Aww Giles in love J
• Jenny is such a hippie - Burning Man? Really?
• I like this episode as a continuation of the last episode of season one – it didn't just end with Buffy killing the Big Bad. It showed that this show is good (most of the time) with follow-through.
• Xander and Willow are even witty in Buffy's nightmares!
• Giles turning into the Master – creepy! 
• Three musketeers convo – hilarious - I love all the back and forth and witty banter.  It's also nice that Cordelia is able to show both sides: She's still bitchy and insulting but you can tell she wants to be a Scooby.



Made by Darathy!  My Favorite scene

• The whole scene at the Bronze is one of my favorite directed scenes on Buffy.  From the music, to everyone's reactions and performances.  The timing is just perfect and I love especially when Buffy walks past each character.
• As shown in last year's English class, Cordelia can be surprisingly observant.
• I love the bitchfest between Cordelia & Buffy – it’s a very well written scene.
• Snyder:  There're some things I can just smell. It's like a sixth sense. Giles:  No, actually that would be one of the five.  Hehehe!
• Everything Snyder says is so awesome.
• “PS this is a trap.” – I love smart, sensible Willow.
• Vampire’s name is Tara!  It's never spoken, but it's listed in the credits.
• Musta been fun for SMG to smash up those bones!

Zelda's Thoughts:

• I was surprised to hear from Daniel, as we started watching this episode, that it is one of his favorites. I have it sort of set in my head that the season premieres are never as strong as the later meat in the season, or the finales. And while I have absolutely nothing wrong with this episode, and it is in fact really pretty dang good, it didn't ever stand out for me on my list of favorites. For that, I apologize. It's awesome.
• 

  

  Hey guys, what's up? Whatcha doing?

  
  And so we begin with Xander's flirting with Willow even though he's not actually into her. And so we begin with my hating Xander a bit.
• Shenanigans! Would that vampire just hover next to them while they're about to kiss?
• First clue Buffy is being a bitca: she calls her two best friends losers almost right away.
• Buffy is 16. Her parents are unpacking for her???? Is this a thing parents do for their 16 year old children? I don't remember ever not packing for myself.
• "One day the campus is completely bare. Empty. The next, there are children everywhere. Like locusts." Oh Snyder, I missed you.
• "Nice to see you. And don't ever call me that." Giles! I missed you too. (I ... guess I'm pretending I took the summer off as well?)
• In the midst of her crazy-fueled training montage, Buffy decided she blamed the punching dummy.
• Shut up, Absalom.
• $(@#*)$)(# it, the Annoying One is back.
• Love the moment of Xander and Willow swapping snacks in the common room, completely sans dialogue.
• And oh my god, I forgot this was a dream sequence, so Giles saying "I've killed you once, it shouldn't be too difficult to do it again" HURT!
• Creep Alert! Angel watches Buffy sleeping! I thought only sparkly vampires did that.
• Willow: Uh, yes! Our own personal demons. // Xander: Such as, as, as lust and, uh, thrift! <3
• "Cordelia, your mouth is open and sound is coming from it. This is never good."
• I can't wait for Oz to show up so Willow will stop being pathetic about Xander.
• Is Absalom Jewish? What's with the six-pointed star necklace?
• Aw, Angel is such a kicked puppy, thinking Buffy is mad at him. heeeeeeee.
• Buffy's sexy dance is a big escalation in her meanness that has been present all episode - she's now punishing Xander, Willow, and Angel. I do like that Xander isn't all gropy on her, that he's not fully giving in to her game. I think he recognizes that something is wrong. But then, that clenching jaw could be his attempt to not get a hard on.
• I like that Cordelia is the one who calls Buffy out on her bitca-ness.
• In general, I really like the rather unusual way they're exploring Buffy's PTSD. She's so strong, and is used to relying on that, and is trying to make herself as emotionally strong/cold as she thinks she needs to be, which translates into meanness, but the truth is she's terrified because she's seen her own weakness laid out for her - she can be killed, and the creature who killed her is looming, threatening to return.
• Giles's face as he drinks his soda. Hilarious. I don't even know.
• Also a good sign of Buffy's skewed sense of priorities: she's known since last night that the Master's bones have been dug up, but she buries the headline and waits until the next day to tell Giles.
• "The part that says 'P.S. this is a trap!'" So many good lines in this episode!
• I'm glad Willow is not a total dishrag about the crappy way Buffy is treating them. It would be so easy, on another show, to have the meek geek just cow down when someone is mean, but she fights back.
• What a mess in the library! This is why California schools can't have nice things. That, and bankruptcy.
• NB is very good in this episode. I don't care what Daniel says.
• Buffy torturing the vamp with her cross in the mouth - badass.
• I guess it makes sense that the Master's followers would be all religious and stuff, but I'm still bored by it.
• "I'm gonna kill them all. That oughta distract them."
• Buffy smashsmashing the Master's bones - awesome. SMG's crumpling face as she does it - awesomer.
• And the Buffy/Angel theme music comes in! Is this the first we've heard it? I honestly can't remember. But we're gonna hear it sooooooooo much this season.
• Willow: We saved you a seat! // Me: By ... not putting anything on it to save it and just assuming that no one would want to sit by us!
• "Well, we could grind our enemies into talcum powder with a sledgehammer, but gosh, we did that last night." = best line of forgiveness ever?
• Annoying One: I hate that girl. // Me: I HATE YOU.

Favorite Lines:

Daniel: “Cibo Matto can clog dance?” - Willow.  Ok line, excellent delivery.

Zelda: "Trout? (notices Buffy behind him) Trout! Yes, trout ... is a fish. Good morning." - Giles

90's Factoid:



Vests. They were a thing.



Arc/Continuity Stuff:

•  Angel has joined the opening credits as a regular!
• Our first time in the Sunnydale High common room set.
• Cordelia has gotten over her Sunnydale-induced amnesia regarding all things monstical, and now remembers quite clearly vampires and other things that go "grr. argh."

Stats:

Voiceover: Giles

Dead Humans: 0

Dead Undeads: 6

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