WWBD? Part 8
Season 2, Episodes 13 - When she Was Bad
We open in a graveyard, where Willow and Xander are walking home, playing guessing games. We learn that it's the new school year, and the summer was quiet as far as demons go. We also learn that Buffy had spent the whole summer with her dad, and we see the beginning of what could be a romance between Xander and Willow. Just as a vampire runs up to them. Then Buffy appears and saves them.
Xander comments that that was the only vampire they have seen since Buffy had killed the Master, and Willow tells her that they had a ritual to bury the Master while she was gone.
We see Buffy's parents talking back at the house, about how Buffy seems to be distant.
Next day at school, we see Cordelia with her friends, then Giles and Synder and Miss Calendar, (big intro of all the main characters)
When Buffy tells Giles that she slayed a vampire the night before, he nods and tells her that he must consult is books, whereupon Xander admits they bet on how long before he got all serious again. After school, and big training montage. In which, Giles starts to get worried about how much Buffy's aggressiveness has taken over her, unknowing that she's having visions and nightmares of the Master.
We then are at the factory, where a group of vampires are gathered planning revenge, led by a vampire preacher. The Anointed One at the center of their meeting.
Next day, back at school, the gang are hanging out in the lounge talking about dreams, and Willow nearly admits that she has naught Xander dreams. Giles rushes in telling Buffy that he's killed her once and should be able to again then attacks her, and she rips his face off to expose the Master. This ends up having been another one of her nightmares, as Buffy wakes up in her room to find Angel sitting in her window. Angel tells her that the Anointed One is putting together an army.
We then see Buffy's mom giving her a lift to school, trying to get her to open up about what is really bothering her. When Buffy tells Xander and Willow that Angel had stopped by, Xander gets all jealous, just as Cordelia shows up.
Later that night at the Bronze, Willow and Xander try to figure out what the problem is with Buffy and her new mean streak. Meanwhile, the group of vampires are at the graveyard digging up the bones of the Master. Back at the Bronze, Angel asks Buffy if she's upset because of him, but she snubs him, flirting with Xander. Cordelia then confronts Buffy in the alley, then gets grabbed by vampires.
Cordelia gets tossed into the basement of the factory and finds Miss Calendar already there knocked out. On her way home, Buffy sees the open grave where the Master had been buried and panics.
The next morning at school, Giles, Willow, and Xander try to figure out again what is the issues Buffy is dealing with, just as she walks in. She tells them that the vampires are planning to bring the Master back.
Later in the library, the group starts to research the rising ritual, which says that the final element is someone who was close to the Master. Buffy assumes it means her since he killed her. Just then, a rock comes through the window with a note and Cordelia's necklace. Buffy freaks out on them telling them that she can't babysit them anymore as she goes to save Cordelia.
Angel shows up just as she arrives at the Bronze, and tells him she doesn't trust him either. They enter the Bronze to find only one vampire and both agree that sending just one vampire seems off.
Back at the library, Giles re-reads the ritual and realizes that they are what the vampires need, the people who were standing beside him when he died.
Buffy realizes it too and heads back to find the library destroyed, and Xander bleeding. The others having been taken.
Buffy gets the location from the one vampire back at the Bronze by torturing her.
We see the vampires at the factory, as they start the ritual, just as Buffy, Angel and Xander show up. After saving the others and killing the vampires, Buffy smashes the bones of the Master to dust.
The next morning, Cordelia and Miss Calendar are talking about what happened, and in Cordelia's way, makes it about how the blood stains won't come out of her clothes. We then see Giles and Buffy talking about how alone she felt and how responsible she feels for having her friends in danger.
Final scene is the Anointed One standing alone in the factory and simply says he hates that girl.
This is the real turning point in the series, where it sort of became the show it was known for. Darker, grittier, wittier.
Showing posts with label btvs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label btvs. Show all posts
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
WWBD? Slayer Fest
Round One
Season 1, Episodes 9, 10, 11, 12
Episode 9- The Puppet Show
We open with a creepy voice talking about being flesh again, while watching the students backstage at the high school. We then see Cordelia singing off key while Giles is feeling the torture of having to run the talent show. Buffy, Xander and Willow arrive, mocking him and the other students, only to be caught by Mr. Synder who informs them that they have no choice and have to be in the talent show. We then see the kid with the dummy and right off Buffy has a bad reaction to the sight of it. When Willow asks her why, she simply says she's just always been creeped by them. The dummy's voice then changes and he starts telling dirty jokes.
We then see a female student in the locker room get attacked, by an unseen demon who once again says he will be flesh.
We then see the gang freaking out about what they are going to do. The kid with the dummy starts talking to them, the dummy hitting on Buffy.
We then see Synder and Giles talking about the history of the school, and the amount of strange deaths are connected to it. And we learn how much Synder hates kids, people in general. We hear a scream, and the dead body of the girl is found. Giles tells the group that the girls' heart was removed by someone with a knife, and they right away rule out demon. Buffy tells them that her slayer self is telling her that it is more likely to be a demon. They start to interview the students, and one tells them that the last person to talk to her was the dude with the dummy.
Buffy goes to talk to the student with the dummy, and walks in on what appears to be the dummy talking on it's own. When the student appears he tells her that he was practicing throwing his voice, then crumples clutching his skull and the dummy starts to mouth off at Buffy.
Back at the library, the group all figure that Morgan, the puppet guy is a murder, all but Buffy who still seems to think it's a demon. Giles tells her to go check his locker for anything that might prove he's the killer, like the missing heart. She doesn't find anything but Synder catches her, threatening her. Synder thinks she's the murder. Buffy manages to open the dummy case only to find it empty.
We then see Morgan arguing with the dummy, telling him that just can not kill Buffy, even though the dummy tells him this last kill will set him free.
We are then at Buffy's house, her mother teasing her about the talent show. At this point, her mom still has no idea about her being a demon hunter and thinks everything is normal teenaged stuff and gives her advice.
We see the dummy staring through the window at Buffy, then running around her room. She screams and her mom comes in, and Buffy has a normal moment of a kid being scared. Her mom notices the window is open, and Buffy says she never left it open.
The next day, back at the school, Cordelia is trying to get bumped up to the top of the show, but Giles spaces on her, and finally gets rid of her by commenting on her hair. Buffy walks in and tells the group that Sid the dummy is really alive. Xander and Willow wonder if Buffy is just freaked out too much, and put off the idea that the dummy is just a dummy. But Giles gives them a bit of research that talks about a group of seven demons that can take the form of non-humans, and who every so many years if they collect all the human organs can become human. They still think that Morgan is the main suspect.
Buffy sees the dummy move on it's own later in class, just before the teacher takes the dummy away and puts it in the cupboard. When he goes to collect it later, he sees it's missing, and panics.
Back at the library, we see Xander stole him. This gives Buffy a chance to talk to Morgan alone, while Willow and Giles do research in the demon section, which the dummy overhears.
Buffy runs into Synder in the drama room where he threatens her again. Back in the library, the dummy is missing. Buffy finds Morgan dead, then gets attacked in the drama room.
She wakes up to find Sid the dummy running around on his own. He attacks her with a knife, they fight, each thinking the other is the murdering demon. We find out Sid is a demon hunter who was cursed to be a dummy, but not till after having killed the other six of these demons. They realize that the demon is in the show, and have to figure out which student.
We get a little bit of history on one of the slayers from Sid, who had been alive in the 1930's. He tells her that if they get this last demon, the curse will be lifted and he'll just die. And admits that since he was cursed he's outlived countless demon hunters and slayers.
They realize no one in the show is missing, and have to come up with a different plan. Giles starts to suspect Synder, and follows him, while Buffy goes looking for Sid who is now missing. What she finds is Morgan's brain just left hanging around.
Back at the library, the group start to think they have been lied to by Sid. They then learn that Morgan was sick, and his brain was useless. They realize that Willow and Giles are the next targets. Giles meanwhile is talking to one of the students in the drama room, who is working on his magic act which happens to include a guillotine. Buffy manages to save him just in time, killing the demon, while Xander and Willow untie Giles.
Sid stabs the body in the heart and then dies himself. Just as the curtain opens for the beginning of the show, with everyone standing there.
Under the credits we see Buffy, Xander and Willow doing a scene from a play.
Episode 10- Nightmares
We open with Buffy in what looks to be a part of the Master's lair. The Master is stalking her, and manages to catch her, but just before he can bite her, she wakes up from a dream. Her mom lets her know that her dad will be there that weekend.
We see Buffy and Willow walking in school, talking about how she never sees her dad, and Buffy comments on the fact that they split up the same time she found out she was the slayer. We see the group in class, and one of the students opens his book to be covered in spiders, at the same time that Buffy sees a young kid in the doorway. The kid tells her he's sorry about that.
Back in the lair, we see the Master talking to the Anointed One about fear, telling him that it's all in the mind and can be controlled. He then says that something is happening above ground, something powerful that is bringing trouble.
Back at Sunnydale High, we see Buffy getting dropped off by her mom, who asks her why she was screaming in her sleep again? Buffy is more concerned about hanging out with her dad for the weekend. We then see her and the others talking about the spiders in the classroom the day before, and how did it happen? This gets them talking about some of their fears, and find Giles running around lost in the shelves. Giles tells them that they need to talk to the student who the spiders happened to. They learn that he's a specialist in the topic of spiders, and that he's haunted by nightmares of them, because he feels guilty for having left his brother looking after his pet spiders and they all died.
We then see Buffy go to a class that she's been skipping all year, only to find out there is a test that she was not aware of, and the panic sets in. Before she knows it, class is over and she's failed the test. We see the same young boy from the day before standing in the doorway again, the kid sees another student heading to the basement and tells her she shouldn't go in there. The female student is standing in the basement, and a creature attacks her. The creature simply says "Lucky 19".
Buffy and Giles then show up at the hospital to see if they can find out who attacked her. While they are at the hospital, they learn that there is a boy in a coma that was attacked the same way.
Back at the school, we see random students have some of their worst fears come true. Like a biker wannabe's mom shows up to embarrass him. Then Xander and Willow walk into class and suddenly Xander is naked.
Back at the library, Giles is poured over newspapers and his biggest fear of not being able to read has come true. Buffy notices a photo of the kid she's been seeing around the school and realizes it's the first victim in the coma. Giles brings up the idea of astral projection, as being the reason the kid was around school. Buffy's dad then shows up out of nowhere and tells Buffy that he doesn't want anything to do with her ever again, and that she's the reason they got divorced. This is one of Buffy's biggest fears. Then we see the kid again in another doorway.
Back in the library, Willow and Xander show up, and tell Giles about the naked fear coming true. We then learn that Willow is afraid of being noticed. Giles then realizes that it's all their nightmares coming true. We learn that the kid, Billy, is the reason the nightmare world has become true.
Cordelia's nightmare is that she becomes a major geek with braces and bad hair. Meanwhile, Buffy has started to follow astral Billy around the school. Just as Buffy starts to talk to him, the creature shows up.
Big battle, and the creature manages to get Buffy on the run. Her and astral Billy exit the school and see a baseball game, where astral Billy hints at the creature being the baseball coach. They then run into a graveyard where the Master buries her alive. Giles, Willow and Xander split up trying to find Buffy, each having their own big nightmares. Willow is forced to star in an opera, Xander is chased by a killer clown, and Giles sees Buffy die becoming a vampire.
Giles tells Buffy that they have to wake Billy up from his coma, in order to return everything to normal. They arrive at the hospital to find total chaos. They see Billy still in his coma, and astral Billy hiding in the back of the room. The creature then shows up, and Buffy attacks him, taking advantage of this vampire nightmare self's new strength. Knocking the creature out, she tells astral Billy that he needs to unmask the creature in order to kill him. The kid needs to face his fears.
A mystical light appears, and everyone is back to normal, with Billy coming out of his coma. Just then the coach walks in, unaware that Billy has woken up, and tells Xander that he comes by every day, waiting to see if his Lucky 19 will wake up. When Buffy tells the coach that Billy is awake, he tries to run, but Giles and Xander grab him.
Back at school, the group are talking about how the coach was arrested for what he'd done, as Buffy's dad shows up to pick her up for the weekend.
Episode 11- Out of Mind Out of Sight
We open with Cordelia and her friends talking about the spring dance, and Buffy trips over them spilling everything in her purse. Buffy starts to remember when she was the school queen bee.
In class, we see that Cordelia is actually smarter then they thought, but we learn just as shallow as always. We then see Cordelia's boyfriend in the locker room, and we hear a girl's laugh just before he gets attacked by a flying baseball bat.
Cordelia is then seen bribing students for their vote on prom queen, making Buffy feel even more lost. When Xander and Willow start mocking Cordelia for it, Buffy admits that she used to be the Cordy in her old school.
We then see Synder talking about how there are no dead students there in the school that week as we see Mitch, Cordelia's boyfriend being wheeled out by medics. Buffy goes to check the crime scene but is stopped by Synder, but Willow's quick thinking gets Synder's attention letting Buffy investigate. Buffy sees the word "look" written on the lockers where the attack happened.
In the lunch room, Giles and the group talk about the different kinds of ghosts or someone with telekinesis, trying to figure out what the cause was.
In the yard, we see Cordelia talking to Harmony about Mitch, and her shallowness is on display. We see a flashback of a similar conversation that happened a few months before and hear a girl's voice say hi, and Cordelia brush them off. Buffy then shows up to talk to Cordelia, just as someone pushes Harmony down the stairs. Synder starts asking what happened, and Cordelia says she fell but Harmony swears someone pushed her. Buffy then hears the girl's laugh again and follows it. She doesn't see anyone but someone bumps into her. She then sees a panel in the ceiling move.
We see two strange guys in suites standing around the outside of the school as the gang walk by talking about ghosts. Xander comments about an invisible people and admits he'd love to be invisible in order to spy on the girls' locker room. They realize it's someone with a grudge on Cordelia because both attacks were on her friends. Buffy decides to hunt down the invisible girl, and Giles tells her to focus on listening, which will play a major role in coming seasons with her slayer powers.
Buffy stakes out the school later that night and hears someone playing the flute. We then see Giles in the library, also hearing strange sounds, only to discover Angel waiting for him.
They talk, and Giles makes the comment about a vampire in love with the slayer and how poetic and sad it is. Angel then tells him something bad is about to happen with the Master. They continue talking about a missing book called the Cotex, which we find that Angel has. Giles then has a moment of fanboyness at the idea of getting his hands on the missing volume.
We then see another flashback of the girl trying to fit in with Cordelia and her friends, totally ignoring her. Back to the present, Cordelia wins the May Queen, and we see the gang standing around the edge of the school yard talking about the list of dead and missing students, with Buffy still certain that Cordelia is the real target. Willow notices the guys in suites just as Buffy reads about one girl named Marcy on the missing list. Her profile says that she played the flute, and Buffy tells them that she had heard someone playing a flute the night before in the school.
Buffy then goes to the music room and investigates, finding a hidden room in the attic where a girl's made herself a home.
We then hear the girl's laugh again right before a teacher gets attacked. Cordelia shows up and saves her, just as something writes the word "listen" on the chalkboard behind them.
Back in the library, the gang are discussing what she found in the attic. And Buffy shows them the yearbook she found, pointing out that no one had anything to say to her. Giles then realizes that it's not really a magical issue that caused her to become invisible but a scientific one. More of a quantum physics. Explaining that because of the way we perceive things, we manifest our own reality, and because the girl felt invisible she made herself become invisible. Cordelia comes running into the room, and begs Buffy for help because of having seen her bag of weapons. The gang tells her that it's an invisible girl and points out a photo of Marcy, where upon Cordelia says she's never seen her before in her life.
In the attic we hear Marcy talking angrily about Cordelia. We get a bit of insight on Cordelia, and learn that she's just as insecure as everyone else. The rest of the gang hear the sound of a flute and follow it, which ends up being a trap. Meanwhile, Cordelia and Buffy are grabbed.
In the basement where Xander, Willow and Giles are trapped, the gas has been turned on, while Buffy and Cordelia are being held at the Bronze.
We see the word "learn" in gold glitter on the wall of the Bronze. We hear Marcy telling them that her plan is to make Cordelia a monster by slicing her up.
Meanwhile back at the school, Angel shows up and gets Willow, Xander and Giles out. We then see Buffy trying to fight Marcy. Closing her eyes, Buffy is able to focus on what she hears and manages to defeat Marcy. Just then, the men in the back suites who end up being FBI break into the Bronze and take Marcy.
We then see the gang walking through the school, and Cordelia thanking them, and we see the beginning of the change in her. Until Mitch shows up and mocks the group.
Final scene is a teacher in front of an invisible class, and as Marcy opens her text book we see she's begun Assassination training.
Episode 12- Prophecy Girl
We open at the Bronze. Xander is talking to what we think is Willow, asking her out, but he's actually practicing what he wants to say to Buffy.
We then see the graveyard, where Buffy is fighting a vampire, a few feet way from where Cordelia and Mitch are parked in car making out. We then see Giles in the library, reading the Cotex that Angel had given him in the previous episode, and we learn that the Master is about to rise. Giles then goes into a panic as he realizes that Buffy is going to die.
Sunnydale is then hit by an earthquake. We see the Master screaming for joy, then turns to the Anointed One and states in a flat voice "what do you think? 5.1?"
Back at the library, we see Giles looking deflated and worried. We learn that it's the next morning, and Giles hasn't left in almost a day and a half. Buffy shows up and tells him that she slayed three vampires within minutes of each other the night before.
Buffy, Xander and Willow are walking through the yard, and Xander shoos Willow off in order that he can talk to Buffy alone. He starts to ask her out but she has to let him know that it's not going to happen. Xander then reacts by insulting Angel and walking away.
Back in the library, Giles is on the phone when Miss Calendar walks in. They start comparing notes on all the weird stuff that has happened in the last few weeks, and Miss Calendar says that a monk in Europe has emailed her with a message about the Anointed One. Giles then starts to really pay attention. He tells her to get ahold of the monk and find out everything she can.
We then see Cordelia and her new boyfriend talking, she asks Willow to do some electronic stuff for her, just as Xander tells Willow that Buffy turned him down. He then asks Willow, and she turns him down telling him that it would hurt too much to go with him.
Night time, and Buffy is in the school bathroom, seeing blood pour out of the sink. When she goes to tell Giles, she walks in on him and Angel talking about how there is a prophecy in the Cotex saying that she will die the next night.
Buffy starts to laugh, getting their attention and starts to wonder what the next slayer is going to be like? She breaks down in the middle of the library and tells them that she quits. Both Angel and Giles tell her that she can't, it doesn't work that way. In a gesture of frustration and fear, she rips the cross off her neck that Angel had given her in episode one.
We then see Willow trying to call Xander, who is laying in his room listening to country music. Next is Buffy pouring over photos of her and the gang, her mother walks in to see if she's okay. She figures it's the prom that has Buffy upset, and shows her a dress that she bought as a gift for her.
Next morning at the school, we see Cordelia and Willow talking about the fact that Cordelia's new boyfriend bailed on her. They then see him and his best friend watching tv in the staff lounge, and when they go to confront them, find them the entire group was slaughtered.
We then see Buffy in her prom dress which happens to be white, as her mother tells her that Willow is on the news. We then see Buffy sitting with Willow in her room, Willow telling her that it really hit her that life wasn't ever going to be the same. Willow then comments on liking the dress. Which she's wearing under a back leather jacket. (just like Kristy Swanson did as Buffy in the original movie in 1992)
Meanwhile, in the lair, the Master sends the Anointed One to the surface.
Back in the library, Giles and Miss Calendar are taking about the Hellmouth. Giles then tells her that he's planning on killing the Master himself, just as Buffy walks in and tells him that it's her job she's going to handle it. They argue, then she knocks him out.
Buffy then goes outside, and spots the Anointed One, knowing who he is and willingly follows him.
Back in the library, the rest of the group is there, talking about the end of the world. Xander gets all angry and heads off. We then see Buffy in the lair, in her dress.
Xander shows up at Angel's and tells him about Buffy running off, and demands that he take him to find them.
Back in the library, they try to figure out where the Hellmouth will open.
In the lair, Buffy and the Master begin their fight, while Angel and Xander make their way through the sewers. Willow and Miss Calendar believe that the Bronze, where the prom is being held, is the spot that the Hellmouth will open and race off there. But, they only make it half way out the parking lot before a mob of vampires come after them.
Back in the lair, we see the Master grab Buffy, and tells her that had she not shown up, he'd have been unable to feed and would have been trapped. He bites her, then as he pushes her into a puddle, tells her that he likes her dress. The barrier that has been holding him suddenly breaks open and he goes to the surface. Just as Angel and Xander run in to find Buffy dead.
Xander refuses to give up and says that since she drowned in the puddle, she can be brought back with CPR. Xander then manages to save her.
Back at the school, we see Cordelia drive up and tell Willow and Miss Calendar to get in the car. Cordelia drives right into the school and they all run for the library. (this is one of those Night of the Living Dead at the door moments)
We see the Master then on the rooftop of the school, gloating. Back in the lair, Buffy tells them that she feels stronger, different, and they head off to find the Master.
Meanwhile, in the library the floor has opened up and creatures are starting to rise. We see Buffy, Angel and Xander heading to the school. The Master is watching from the roof's window. He's shocked when he sees Buffy standing beside him still alive. They fight and Buffy throws the Master through the window onto a broken piece of wooden table. As he turns to dust, the other creatures and vampires run away, the Hellmouth closed.
We see the whole gang now in the middle of the library wondering what to do now that they saved the world. Buffy closes out with the line "We saved the world, I say we party." And then Angel tells her that he really likes her dress.
That brings us to the end of season one. I'll be back later with the next round of the Slayer Fest...hang in there.
Season 1, Episodes 9, 10, 11, 12
Episode 9- The Puppet Show
We open with a creepy voice talking about being flesh again, while watching the students backstage at the high school. We then see Cordelia singing off key while Giles is feeling the torture of having to run the talent show. Buffy, Xander and Willow arrive, mocking him and the other students, only to be caught by Mr. Synder who informs them that they have no choice and have to be in the talent show. We then see the kid with the dummy and right off Buffy has a bad reaction to the sight of it. When Willow asks her why, she simply says she's just always been creeped by them. The dummy's voice then changes and he starts telling dirty jokes.
We then see a female student in the locker room get attacked, by an unseen demon who once again says he will be flesh.
We then see the gang freaking out about what they are going to do. The kid with the dummy starts talking to them, the dummy hitting on Buffy.
We then see Synder and Giles talking about the history of the school, and the amount of strange deaths are connected to it. And we learn how much Synder hates kids, people in general. We hear a scream, and the dead body of the girl is found. Giles tells the group that the girls' heart was removed by someone with a knife, and they right away rule out demon. Buffy tells them that her slayer self is telling her that it is more likely to be a demon. They start to interview the students, and one tells them that the last person to talk to her was the dude with the dummy.
Buffy goes to talk to the student with the dummy, and walks in on what appears to be the dummy talking on it's own. When the student appears he tells her that he was practicing throwing his voice, then crumples clutching his skull and the dummy starts to mouth off at Buffy.
Back at the library, the group all figure that Morgan, the puppet guy is a murder, all but Buffy who still seems to think it's a demon. Giles tells her to go check his locker for anything that might prove he's the killer, like the missing heart. She doesn't find anything but Synder catches her, threatening her. Synder thinks she's the murder. Buffy manages to open the dummy case only to find it empty.
We then see Morgan arguing with the dummy, telling him that just can not kill Buffy, even though the dummy tells him this last kill will set him free.
We are then at Buffy's house, her mother teasing her about the talent show. At this point, her mom still has no idea about her being a demon hunter and thinks everything is normal teenaged stuff and gives her advice.
We see the dummy staring through the window at Buffy, then running around her room. She screams and her mom comes in, and Buffy has a normal moment of a kid being scared. Her mom notices the window is open, and Buffy says she never left it open.
The next day, back at the school, Cordelia is trying to get bumped up to the top of the show, but Giles spaces on her, and finally gets rid of her by commenting on her hair. Buffy walks in and tells the group that Sid the dummy is really alive. Xander and Willow wonder if Buffy is just freaked out too much, and put off the idea that the dummy is just a dummy. But Giles gives them a bit of research that talks about a group of seven demons that can take the form of non-humans, and who every so many years if they collect all the human organs can become human. They still think that Morgan is the main suspect.
Buffy sees the dummy move on it's own later in class, just before the teacher takes the dummy away and puts it in the cupboard. When he goes to collect it later, he sees it's missing, and panics.
Back at the library, we see Xander stole him. This gives Buffy a chance to talk to Morgan alone, while Willow and Giles do research in the demon section, which the dummy overhears.
Buffy runs into Synder in the drama room where he threatens her again. Back in the library, the dummy is missing. Buffy finds Morgan dead, then gets attacked in the drama room.
She wakes up to find Sid the dummy running around on his own. He attacks her with a knife, they fight, each thinking the other is the murdering demon. We find out Sid is a demon hunter who was cursed to be a dummy, but not till after having killed the other six of these demons. They realize that the demon is in the show, and have to figure out which student.
We get a little bit of history on one of the slayers from Sid, who had been alive in the 1930's. He tells her that if they get this last demon, the curse will be lifted and he'll just die. And admits that since he was cursed he's outlived countless demon hunters and slayers.
They realize no one in the show is missing, and have to come up with a different plan. Giles starts to suspect Synder, and follows him, while Buffy goes looking for Sid who is now missing. What she finds is Morgan's brain just left hanging around.
Back at the library, the group start to think they have been lied to by Sid. They then learn that Morgan was sick, and his brain was useless. They realize that Willow and Giles are the next targets. Giles meanwhile is talking to one of the students in the drama room, who is working on his magic act which happens to include a guillotine. Buffy manages to save him just in time, killing the demon, while Xander and Willow untie Giles.
Sid stabs the body in the heart and then dies himself. Just as the curtain opens for the beginning of the show, with everyone standing there.
Under the credits we see Buffy, Xander and Willow doing a scene from a play.
Episode 10- Nightmares
We open with Buffy in what looks to be a part of the Master's lair. The Master is stalking her, and manages to catch her, but just before he can bite her, she wakes up from a dream. Her mom lets her know that her dad will be there that weekend.
We see Buffy and Willow walking in school, talking about how she never sees her dad, and Buffy comments on the fact that they split up the same time she found out she was the slayer. We see the group in class, and one of the students opens his book to be covered in spiders, at the same time that Buffy sees a young kid in the doorway. The kid tells her he's sorry about that.
Back in the lair, we see the Master talking to the Anointed One about fear, telling him that it's all in the mind and can be controlled. He then says that something is happening above ground, something powerful that is bringing trouble.
Back at Sunnydale High, we see Buffy getting dropped off by her mom, who asks her why she was screaming in her sleep again? Buffy is more concerned about hanging out with her dad for the weekend. We then see her and the others talking about the spiders in the classroom the day before, and how did it happen? This gets them talking about some of their fears, and find Giles running around lost in the shelves. Giles tells them that they need to talk to the student who the spiders happened to. They learn that he's a specialist in the topic of spiders, and that he's haunted by nightmares of them, because he feels guilty for having left his brother looking after his pet spiders and they all died.
We then see Buffy go to a class that she's been skipping all year, only to find out there is a test that she was not aware of, and the panic sets in. Before she knows it, class is over and she's failed the test. We see the same young boy from the day before standing in the doorway again, the kid sees another student heading to the basement and tells her she shouldn't go in there. The female student is standing in the basement, and a creature attacks her. The creature simply says "Lucky 19".
Buffy and Giles then show up at the hospital to see if they can find out who attacked her. While they are at the hospital, they learn that there is a boy in a coma that was attacked the same way.
Back at the school, we see random students have some of their worst fears come true. Like a biker wannabe's mom shows up to embarrass him. Then Xander and Willow walk into class and suddenly Xander is naked.
Back at the library, Giles is poured over newspapers and his biggest fear of not being able to read has come true. Buffy notices a photo of the kid she's been seeing around the school and realizes it's the first victim in the coma. Giles brings up the idea of astral projection, as being the reason the kid was around school. Buffy's dad then shows up out of nowhere and tells Buffy that he doesn't want anything to do with her ever again, and that she's the reason they got divorced. This is one of Buffy's biggest fears. Then we see the kid again in another doorway.
Back in the library, Willow and Xander show up, and tell Giles about the naked fear coming true. We then learn that Willow is afraid of being noticed. Giles then realizes that it's all their nightmares coming true. We learn that the kid, Billy, is the reason the nightmare world has become true.
Cordelia's nightmare is that she becomes a major geek with braces and bad hair. Meanwhile, Buffy has started to follow astral Billy around the school. Just as Buffy starts to talk to him, the creature shows up.
Big battle, and the creature manages to get Buffy on the run. Her and astral Billy exit the school and see a baseball game, where astral Billy hints at the creature being the baseball coach. They then run into a graveyard where the Master buries her alive. Giles, Willow and Xander split up trying to find Buffy, each having their own big nightmares. Willow is forced to star in an opera, Xander is chased by a killer clown, and Giles sees Buffy die becoming a vampire.
Giles tells Buffy that they have to wake Billy up from his coma, in order to return everything to normal. They arrive at the hospital to find total chaos. They see Billy still in his coma, and astral Billy hiding in the back of the room. The creature then shows up, and Buffy attacks him, taking advantage of this vampire nightmare self's new strength. Knocking the creature out, she tells astral Billy that he needs to unmask the creature in order to kill him. The kid needs to face his fears.
A mystical light appears, and everyone is back to normal, with Billy coming out of his coma. Just then the coach walks in, unaware that Billy has woken up, and tells Xander that he comes by every day, waiting to see if his Lucky 19 will wake up. When Buffy tells the coach that Billy is awake, he tries to run, but Giles and Xander grab him.
Back at school, the group are talking about how the coach was arrested for what he'd done, as Buffy's dad shows up to pick her up for the weekend.
Episode 11- Out of Mind Out of Sight
We open with Cordelia and her friends talking about the spring dance, and Buffy trips over them spilling everything in her purse. Buffy starts to remember when she was the school queen bee.
In class, we see that Cordelia is actually smarter then they thought, but we learn just as shallow as always. We then see Cordelia's boyfriend in the locker room, and we hear a girl's laugh just before he gets attacked by a flying baseball bat.
Cordelia is then seen bribing students for their vote on prom queen, making Buffy feel even more lost. When Xander and Willow start mocking Cordelia for it, Buffy admits that she used to be the Cordy in her old school.
We then see Synder talking about how there are no dead students there in the school that week as we see Mitch, Cordelia's boyfriend being wheeled out by medics. Buffy goes to check the crime scene but is stopped by Synder, but Willow's quick thinking gets Synder's attention letting Buffy investigate. Buffy sees the word "look" written on the lockers where the attack happened.
In the lunch room, Giles and the group talk about the different kinds of ghosts or someone with telekinesis, trying to figure out what the cause was.
In the yard, we see Cordelia talking to Harmony about Mitch, and her shallowness is on display. We see a flashback of a similar conversation that happened a few months before and hear a girl's voice say hi, and Cordelia brush them off. Buffy then shows up to talk to Cordelia, just as someone pushes Harmony down the stairs. Synder starts asking what happened, and Cordelia says she fell but Harmony swears someone pushed her. Buffy then hears the girl's laugh again and follows it. She doesn't see anyone but someone bumps into her. She then sees a panel in the ceiling move.
We see two strange guys in suites standing around the outside of the school as the gang walk by talking about ghosts. Xander comments about an invisible people and admits he'd love to be invisible in order to spy on the girls' locker room. They realize it's someone with a grudge on Cordelia because both attacks were on her friends. Buffy decides to hunt down the invisible girl, and Giles tells her to focus on listening, which will play a major role in coming seasons with her slayer powers.
Buffy stakes out the school later that night and hears someone playing the flute. We then see Giles in the library, also hearing strange sounds, only to discover Angel waiting for him.
They talk, and Giles makes the comment about a vampire in love with the slayer and how poetic and sad it is. Angel then tells him something bad is about to happen with the Master. They continue talking about a missing book called the Cotex, which we find that Angel has. Giles then has a moment of fanboyness at the idea of getting his hands on the missing volume.
We then see another flashback of the girl trying to fit in with Cordelia and her friends, totally ignoring her. Back to the present, Cordelia wins the May Queen, and we see the gang standing around the edge of the school yard talking about the list of dead and missing students, with Buffy still certain that Cordelia is the real target. Willow notices the guys in suites just as Buffy reads about one girl named Marcy on the missing list. Her profile says that she played the flute, and Buffy tells them that she had heard someone playing a flute the night before in the school.
Buffy then goes to the music room and investigates, finding a hidden room in the attic where a girl's made herself a home.
We then hear the girl's laugh again right before a teacher gets attacked. Cordelia shows up and saves her, just as something writes the word "listen" on the chalkboard behind them.
Back in the library, the gang are discussing what she found in the attic. And Buffy shows them the yearbook she found, pointing out that no one had anything to say to her. Giles then realizes that it's not really a magical issue that caused her to become invisible but a scientific one. More of a quantum physics. Explaining that because of the way we perceive things, we manifest our own reality, and because the girl felt invisible she made herself become invisible. Cordelia comes running into the room, and begs Buffy for help because of having seen her bag of weapons. The gang tells her that it's an invisible girl and points out a photo of Marcy, where upon Cordelia says she's never seen her before in her life.
In the attic we hear Marcy talking angrily about Cordelia. We get a bit of insight on Cordelia, and learn that she's just as insecure as everyone else. The rest of the gang hear the sound of a flute and follow it, which ends up being a trap. Meanwhile, Cordelia and Buffy are grabbed.
In the basement where Xander, Willow and Giles are trapped, the gas has been turned on, while Buffy and Cordelia are being held at the Bronze.
We see the word "learn" in gold glitter on the wall of the Bronze. We hear Marcy telling them that her plan is to make Cordelia a monster by slicing her up.
Meanwhile back at the school, Angel shows up and gets Willow, Xander and Giles out. We then see Buffy trying to fight Marcy. Closing her eyes, Buffy is able to focus on what she hears and manages to defeat Marcy. Just then, the men in the back suites who end up being FBI break into the Bronze and take Marcy.
We then see the gang walking through the school, and Cordelia thanking them, and we see the beginning of the change in her. Until Mitch shows up and mocks the group.
Final scene is a teacher in front of an invisible class, and as Marcy opens her text book we see she's begun Assassination training.
Episode 12- Prophecy Girl
We open at the Bronze. Xander is talking to what we think is Willow, asking her out, but he's actually practicing what he wants to say to Buffy.
We then see the graveyard, where Buffy is fighting a vampire, a few feet way from where Cordelia and Mitch are parked in car making out. We then see Giles in the library, reading the Cotex that Angel had given him in the previous episode, and we learn that the Master is about to rise. Giles then goes into a panic as he realizes that Buffy is going to die.
Sunnydale is then hit by an earthquake. We see the Master screaming for joy, then turns to the Anointed One and states in a flat voice "what do you think? 5.1?"
Back at the library, we see Giles looking deflated and worried. We learn that it's the next morning, and Giles hasn't left in almost a day and a half. Buffy shows up and tells him that she slayed three vampires within minutes of each other the night before.
Buffy, Xander and Willow are walking through the yard, and Xander shoos Willow off in order that he can talk to Buffy alone. He starts to ask her out but she has to let him know that it's not going to happen. Xander then reacts by insulting Angel and walking away.
Back in the library, Giles is on the phone when Miss Calendar walks in. They start comparing notes on all the weird stuff that has happened in the last few weeks, and Miss Calendar says that a monk in Europe has emailed her with a message about the Anointed One. Giles then starts to really pay attention. He tells her to get ahold of the monk and find out everything she can.
We then see Cordelia and her new boyfriend talking, she asks Willow to do some electronic stuff for her, just as Xander tells Willow that Buffy turned him down. He then asks Willow, and she turns him down telling him that it would hurt too much to go with him.
Night time, and Buffy is in the school bathroom, seeing blood pour out of the sink. When she goes to tell Giles, she walks in on him and Angel talking about how there is a prophecy in the Cotex saying that she will die the next night.
Buffy starts to laugh, getting their attention and starts to wonder what the next slayer is going to be like? She breaks down in the middle of the library and tells them that she quits. Both Angel and Giles tell her that she can't, it doesn't work that way. In a gesture of frustration and fear, she rips the cross off her neck that Angel had given her in episode one.
We then see Willow trying to call Xander, who is laying in his room listening to country music. Next is Buffy pouring over photos of her and the gang, her mother walks in to see if she's okay. She figures it's the prom that has Buffy upset, and shows her a dress that she bought as a gift for her.
Next morning at the school, we see Cordelia and Willow talking about the fact that Cordelia's new boyfriend bailed on her. They then see him and his best friend watching tv in the staff lounge, and when they go to confront them, find them the entire group was slaughtered.
We then see Buffy in her prom dress which happens to be white, as her mother tells her that Willow is on the news. We then see Buffy sitting with Willow in her room, Willow telling her that it really hit her that life wasn't ever going to be the same. Willow then comments on liking the dress. Which she's wearing under a back leather jacket. (just like Kristy Swanson did as Buffy in the original movie in 1992)
Meanwhile, in the lair, the Master sends the Anointed One to the surface.
Back in the library, Giles and Miss Calendar are taking about the Hellmouth. Giles then tells her that he's planning on killing the Master himself, just as Buffy walks in and tells him that it's her job she's going to handle it. They argue, then she knocks him out.
Buffy then goes outside, and spots the Anointed One, knowing who he is and willingly follows him.
Back in the library, the rest of the group is there, talking about the end of the world. Xander gets all angry and heads off. We then see Buffy in the lair, in her dress.
Xander shows up at Angel's and tells him about Buffy running off, and demands that he take him to find them.
Back in the library, they try to figure out where the Hellmouth will open.
In the lair, Buffy and the Master begin their fight, while Angel and Xander make their way through the sewers. Willow and Miss Calendar believe that the Bronze, where the prom is being held, is the spot that the Hellmouth will open and race off there. But, they only make it half way out the parking lot before a mob of vampires come after them.
Back in the lair, we see the Master grab Buffy, and tells her that had she not shown up, he'd have been unable to feed and would have been trapped. He bites her, then as he pushes her into a puddle, tells her that he likes her dress. The barrier that has been holding him suddenly breaks open and he goes to the surface. Just as Angel and Xander run in to find Buffy dead.
Xander refuses to give up and says that since she drowned in the puddle, she can be brought back with CPR. Xander then manages to save her.
Back at the school, we see Cordelia drive up and tell Willow and Miss Calendar to get in the car. Cordelia drives right into the school and they all run for the library. (this is one of those Night of the Living Dead at the door moments)
We see the Master then on the rooftop of the school, gloating. Back in the lair, Buffy tells them that she feels stronger, different, and they head off to find the Master.
Meanwhile, in the library the floor has opened up and creatures are starting to rise. We see Buffy, Angel and Xander heading to the school. The Master is watching from the roof's window. He's shocked when he sees Buffy standing beside him still alive. They fight and Buffy throws the Master through the window onto a broken piece of wooden table. As he turns to dust, the other creatures and vampires run away, the Hellmouth closed.
We see the whole gang now in the middle of the library wondering what to do now that they saved the world. Buffy closes out with the line "We saved the world, I say we party." And then Angel tells her that he really likes her dress.
That brings us to the end of season one. I'll be back later with the next round of the Slayer Fest...hang in there.
Friday April 19th 2013
Slayer Fest is coming!
I see that the most popular articles on the blog are the WWBD? episode recaps. Okay, I'll give you my lovely Spudguns! what you want, a full blogging day of BTVS. I was toying with the idea of doing this anyway, just not so soon in the year.
And for those of you who have noticed, I haven't even touched the spin-off Angel yet, that is because, well Angel didn't get the spin-off until Buffy started season 4. Once I hit the end of season 3, I'll start doing both Buffy and Angel episodes together.
-love Ardeth Blood
Thursday, April 18, 2013
365 Days-Day 56
WWBD? part 6
Season 1 Episode 8- I Robot You Jane
We open with a scene in the 1400's, in Italy. A demon promises everyone's wildest dreams if they promise to love only him. Once they give their pledge, he kills them. A group of monks bind him to a book with a spell.
Present day, and we see Willow transferring copies of old books on demonology into the computer, unknowingly releasing the demon back into the world. This is the intro of the character Miss Calendar who becomes Giles' love interest for the rest of this season and half of the next.
We then see a sentence appear on the computer screen that says "Where Am I?"
The next scene, we see Willow walking through the school a goofy grin on her face, as Buffy comes running up to her, asking where she had been the night before because she could not get a hold of her. We learn a full week has past since she scanned the book, and the grin is because she has been chatting online for days with some mysterious guy.
They walk into the computer class, and we see one of the other students online talking to himself saying that he'll do anything. Then the teacher, Miss Calendar comes into the room and tells Buffy to leave. But before she does, she tries to warn Willow that having an online boyfriend might be dangerous. Unknown to them, the demon has taken control of the whole computer system in the school, and has checked the files of all the students, targeting Buffy. We then see another student get a message flash on his computer screen telling him to watch Buffy's every move.
We then see a random student working on their homework, only to find that someone has screwed around with their thesis report on Nazi Germany.
Xander then teases Willow about the new online boyfriend, showing some jealousy. Willow starts to skip school and peppers her sentences with "Malcom said you would feel this way." Buffy then goes to talk to the first student that we saw talking to the computer, asking for him to track someone for her. When he learns that she wants him to hunt down Malcom, he gets weird. Buffy then tells Giles that something is wrong and he tells her to just trail the kids.
Buffy starts to follow the one student, and ends up at a computer factory. We then see the second student receive a live video feed from a security camera telling him to kill Buffy.
Back at the library, Buffy,Xander and Giles about the whole thing and we learn that the factory is suppose to be closed. Buffy and Xander decide to stake-out the place.
We then see Willow once again online with Malcom, who makes a comment about Buffy's past school records. This clues Willow into the fact that he's not all he's cracked up to be and starts to feel panicked.
Back in the library, Giles and Miss Calendar are arguing about how important computers really are. She then starts to flip through the pages of the book Willow had scanned and asks why he has a diary in the library? Giles then looks at the cover and walks away.
Meanwhile, the first student that Buffy had followed, tracks her down and tells her that Willow is in the girl's locker room looking for her. Buffy heads there and finds the second student tries to kill her. She survives, but the first computer student is considered a traitor and killed. Malcom has written a suicide note on the computer. Giles then confides to Buffy and Xander that he thinks Malcom is Moloch, who had been inside the book.
They then realize that the demon is in the computer system and try to delete the files, but are unable to. They see an image of him, and realize that he's able to do more damage online then if he were in the flesh.
They split up and start hunting for Willow. Buffy goes first to the computer labs and finds the dead body of the first student hanging with the suicide note. Buffy then tells Giles to get Miss Calendar to help him with getting the demon bound again, while she goes to Willow's. But Willow has been kidnapped by the second student.
We hear the news saying that criminals over the planet have been mistakenly let out their profiles wiped clean. Giles tries to tell Miss Calendar about the demon online, and she just stands there saying she already knows. We learn then that she is a Techno-Pagan, which seems to relax Giles.
We then see Willow in the factory, as a sort of sacrifice, and see Moloch in his now robot form.
Buffy and Xander break in before the sacrifice can be made, while back at the library, Miss Calendar goes online and calls up her coven. They form the Circle of Kayless, to help bound Moloch back into his book. Only, he doesn't end up back in the book, he stayed in the robot body. Buffy outsmarts him, and gets him to punch a fuse box, and gets fried.
We then see Giles visiting Miss Calendar in the computer labs, and she asks him why he doesn't like computers, and he tells her they have no smell. Smell being one of the things that effects memory.
We then see Buffy, Willow and Xander talking about how they have all managed to date some sort of demon, and that they are all three doomed to bad relationships.
The themes in this episode vary from be careful what you wish for you just might get it, to you never know who you are really dealing with.
We also have the foreshadowing of many of their ways of dealing with the demons as a group, not just the friends of the Slayer, but as honest heroes themselves.
Many of the side conversations about computers were ground breaking, when you look at the episode all these years later. (this would have been 1997 when the episode first aired.)
Season 1 Episode 8- I Robot You Jane
We open with a scene in the 1400's, in Italy. A demon promises everyone's wildest dreams if they promise to love only him. Once they give their pledge, he kills them. A group of monks bind him to a book with a spell.
Present day, and we see Willow transferring copies of old books on demonology into the computer, unknowingly releasing the demon back into the world. This is the intro of the character Miss Calendar who becomes Giles' love interest for the rest of this season and half of the next.
We then see a sentence appear on the computer screen that says "Where Am I?"
The next scene, we see Willow walking through the school a goofy grin on her face, as Buffy comes running up to her, asking where she had been the night before because she could not get a hold of her. We learn a full week has past since she scanned the book, and the grin is because she has been chatting online for days with some mysterious guy.
They walk into the computer class, and we see one of the other students online talking to himself saying that he'll do anything. Then the teacher, Miss Calendar comes into the room and tells Buffy to leave. But before she does, she tries to warn Willow that having an online boyfriend might be dangerous. Unknown to them, the demon has taken control of the whole computer system in the school, and has checked the files of all the students, targeting Buffy. We then see another student get a message flash on his computer screen telling him to watch Buffy's every move.
We then see a random student working on their homework, only to find that someone has screwed around with their thesis report on Nazi Germany.
Xander then teases Willow about the new online boyfriend, showing some jealousy. Willow starts to skip school and peppers her sentences with "Malcom said you would feel this way." Buffy then goes to talk to the first student that we saw talking to the computer, asking for him to track someone for her. When he learns that she wants him to hunt down Malcom, he gets weird. Buffy then tells Giles that something is wrong and he tells her to just trail the kids.
Buffy starts to follow the one student, and ends up at a computer factory. We then see the second student receive a live video feed from a security camera telling him to kill Buffy.
Back at the library, Buffy,Xander and Giles about the whole thing and we learn that the factory is suppose to be closed. Buffy and Xander decide to stake-out the place.
We then see Willow once again online with Malcom, who makes a comment about Buffy's past school records. This clues Willow into the fact that he's not all he's cracked up to be and starts to feel panicked.
Back in the library, Giles and Miss Calendar are arguing about how important computers really are. She then starts to flip through the pages of the book Willow had scanned and asks why he has a diary in the library? Giles then looks at the cover and walks away.
Meanwhile, the first student that Buffy had followed, tracks her down and tells her that Willow is in the girl's locker room looking for her. Buffy heads there and finds the second student tries to kill her. She survives, but the first computer student is considered a traitor and killed. Malcom has written a suicide note on the computer. Giles then confides to Buffy and Xander that he thinks Malcom is Moloch, who had been inside the book.
They then realize that the demon is in the computer system and try to delete the files, but are unable to. They see an image of him, and realize that he's able to do more damage online then if he were in the flesh.
They split up and start hunting for Willow. Buffy goes first to the computer labs and finds the dead body of the first student hanging with the suicide note. Buffy then tells Giles to get Miss Calendar to help him with getting the demon bound again, while she goes to Willow's. But Willow has been kidnapped by the second student.
We hear the news saying that criminals over the planet have been mistakenly let out their profiles wiped clean. Giles tries to tell Miss Calendar about the demon online, and she just stands there saying she already knows. We learn then that she is a Techno-Pagan, which seems to relax Giles.
We then see Willow in the factory, as a sort of sacrifice, and see Moloch in his now robot form.
Buffy and Xander break in before the sacrifice can be made, while back at the library, Miss Calendar goes online and calls up her coven. They form the Circle of Kayless, to help bound Moloch back into his book. Only, he doesn't end up back in the book, he stayed in the robot body. Buffy outsmarts him, and gets him to punch a fuse box, and gets fried.
We then see Giles visiting Miss Calendar in the computer labs, and she asks him why he doesn't like computers, and he tells her they have no smell. Smell being one of the things that effects memory.
We then see Buffy, Willow and Xander talking about how they have all managed to date some sort of demon, and that they are all three doomed to bad relationships.
The themes in this episode vary from be careful what you wish for you just might get it, to you never know who you are really dealing with.
We also have the foreshadowing of many of their ways of dealing with the demons as a group, not just the friends of the Slayer, but as honest heroes themselves.
Many of the side conversations about computers were ground breaking, when you look at the episode all these years later. (this would have been 1997 when the episode first aired.)
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
365 Days -Day 15
WWBD? part 5
Season 1 Episode 7- Angel
We open with the Master and Darla and the Anointed One in the underground cave. They are talking about how to deal with Buffy, and decide to send "the Three" which are a group of warrior type vampires.
Next we see Buffy and Willow at the Bronze killing bugs and talking about Angel. Then Xander and Cordelia on the dance floor insulting each other. Buffy then leaves the party, and is attacked by the Three. Angel then appears and helps her fight them off. He gets injured and they take shelter in Buffy's house, and she bandages up his cuts. Buffy's mom comes home and she ends up hiding Angel in her room.
The next day at school, Buffy and Willow and Xander start talking about the vampires and Angel. Giles figures out who the Three are and lets Buffy know it's time to start using weapons in training.
We then see the cave and the Three offer themselves to the Master because they failed. Darla then stakes them.
When Buffy returns home, she believes that Angel has read her diary, which gives Angel the upper hand. They kiss and he turns into a vampire before jumping out of the window.
The next day at school the group are talking about the fact he's a vampire and are not sure how to handle it.
We then see Angel's apartment where Darla is hiding. We get the first real clue to Angel's background. Back at the library, the gang are reading the watcher's diaries about Angelus.
Back to Darla and the Master, talking about how they are going to get Angel to come back to the fold. Darla then goes to Buffy's house and bites her mom setting Angel up, who comes to rescue her. Buffy then walks in after Darla has gone to see her mom injured and Angel leaning over her. When her mom wakes up in the hospital she doesn't remember anything. She meets Giles for the first time in this episode.
Back at Angel's apartment, we see Darla trying to get him to feed.
Buffy then tracks Angel down, and he tells her about the curse on his soul. Darla then shows up and it's a battle between them. Then Angel stakes her. We then see the Master and the Anointed One planning to kill Buffy.
The final scene of the episode is the gang back at the Bronze, and Buffy and Angel share another kiss.
And this is the point where I would give a short list on what I think the themes of the episode are and a possible screen capture. Only, tonight I don't have a screen capture and I'm not really sure what the themes of this episode are.
Buffy has a crush on Angel. Angel has a crush on Buffy. Joyce meets Giles. Darla is given some history then staked.
The best I can come up with at this moment (and to be honest I have a headache and just want to finish this post) is how you can never runaway from your past. In order to have any kind of future with Buffy, Angel needs to truly end his past relationship with Darla. Mind you staking was a bit of an extreme...
Season 1 Episode 7- Angel
We open with the Master and Darla and the Anointed One in the underground cave. They are talking about how to deal with Buffy, and decide to send "the Three" which are a group of warrior type vampires.
Next we see Buffy and Willow at the Bronze killing bugs and talking about Angel. Then Xander and Cordelia on the dance floor insulting each other. Buffy then leaves the party, and is attacked by the Three. Angel then appears and helps her fight them off. He gets injured and they take shelter in Buffy's house, and she bandages up his cuts. Buffy's mom comes home and she ends up hiding Angel in her room.
The next day at school, Buffy and Willow and Xander start talking about the vampires and Angel. Giles figures out who the Three are and lets Buffy know it's time to start using weapons in training.
We then see the cave and the Three offer themselves to the Master because they failed. Darla then stakes them.
When Buffy returns home, she believes that Angel has read her diary, which gives Angel the upper hand. They kiss and he turns into a vampire before jumping out of the window.
The next day at school the group are talking about the fact he's a vampire and are not sure how to handle it.
We then see Angel's apartment where Darla is hiding. We get the first real clue to Angel's background. Back at the library, the gang are reading the watcher's diaries about Angelus.
Back to Darla and the Master, talking about how they are going to get Angel to come back to the fold. Darla then goes to Buffy's house and bites her mom setting Angel up, who comes to rescue her. Buffy then walks in after Darla has gone to see her mom injured and Angel leaning over her. When her mom wakes up in the hospital she doesn't remember anything. She meets Giles for the first time in this episode.
Back at Angel's apartment, we see Darla trying to get him to feed.
Buffy then tracks Angel down, and he tells her about the curse on his soul. Darla then shows up and it's a battle between them. Then Angel stakes her. We then see the Master and the Anointed One planning to kill Buffy.
The final scene of the episode is the gang back at the Bronze, and Buffy and Angel share another kiss.
And this is the point where I would give a short list on what I think the themes of the episode are and a possible screen capture. Only, tonight I don't have a screen capture and I'm not really sure what the themes of this episode are.
Buffy has a crush on Angel. Angel has a crush on Buffy. Joyce meets Giles. Darla is given some history then staked.
The best I can come up with at this moment (and to be honest I have a headache and just want to finish this post) is how you can never runaway from your past. In order to have any kind of future with Buffy, Angel needs to truly end his past relationship with Darla. Mind you staking was a bit of an extreme...
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
365 Days- Day 8
WWBD? part 4
Season 1 Episode 6- The Pack
Buffy, Willow and Xander are on a school field trip at the zoo. Some of the other students are bullying another boy, and Xander follows them into the Hyena house stopping them. Unknown to them, the Hyena is magical and possesses the group of kids. Later that night, while out at the Bronze, Buffy and Willow start to notice Xander becoming less caring and mean, as he joins in with the bullies. He then sniffs Buffy, commenting on her having bathed thus changing her scent.
The next day at school, Xander shows up with the rest of the bullies who are now his new best friends. Buffy thinks something is really wrong and starts talking to Giles about it.
Giles has the best line of the episode at this point when he says "Xander's taken to teasing the less fortunate, and there's a noticeable change in both clothing and demeanor, and otherwise all his spare time is spent lounging around with imbeciles. It's devastating, he's turned into a sixteen year old boy."
We then see the pack eat the school mascot before turning on Mr. Flute, killing him. While this is happening, Xander is attacking Buffy only to get knocked out. Willow stands guard over Xander while Buffy and Giles go to the zoo to talk to the zookeeper. They figure out that it was the actions of Xander saving the boy from the bullies that activated the spirit switch, and agree to bring the pack there to undo it. Meanwhile, Willow is trapped by the pack in the school.
Buffy and Giles realize that the rules of Hyenas apply to the kids, one of which is that the pack will hunt down their missing member and race to the school to save her.
Once they do, they bait the pack to follow Buffy to the zoo, where Giles is already waiting with the zookeeper. Only Giles finds out the zookeeper was the cause of the whole mess to begin with, as he is a devotee of a cult that worships pack animals.
Buffy and the pack arrive just in time for her to save Willow, after Giles has been knocked out, and tosses the zookeeper into the animal cage where he is eaten by the Hyenas, reversing the possession. The students and Xander are freed from the curse.
This is the transition between Mr Flute and Mr. Synder. Sort of the innocent into the devious. The metaphor is summed up in the quote by Giles about Xander's hormones kicking in.
This episode also draws from folklore about shapeshifters and possessions, which will lay the ground work for so many elements in the rest of the series.
The scenes where Xander stalks Buffy have as much to do with her being an "alpha" female as it does his general crush on her. She's the only one who he recognizes as being stronger then himself. And with the animal spirit controlling his base nature, he for the first time is in the same league as her.
I think this episode carries with it enough reality to really make you understand why the show is as good as it is.
You never know when someone will change to either fit in, causing heartache to their friends, or when someone will simply grow apart from their normal group.
I love the fact the costume department put the pack in earth tones of grey and brown for this and not the typical black. It gives that subconscious idea that they are turning into Hyenas. The sound they make though when killing Mr. Flute to me sounded more like Monkeys then Hyenas.
This is one of my top favourite episodes of Buffy. (Top 5 list)
Season 1 Episode 6- The Pack
Buffy, Willow and Xander are on a school field trip at the zoo. Some of the other students are bullying another boy, and Xander follows them into the Hyena house stopping them. Unknown to them, the Hyena is magical and possesses the group of kids. Later that night, while out at the Bronze, Buffy and Willow start to notice Xander becoming less caring and mean, as he joins in with the bullies. He then sniffs Buffy, commenting on her having bathed thus changing her scent.
The next day at school, Xander shows up with the rest of the bullies who are now his new best friends. Buffy thinks something is really wrong and starts talking to Giles about it.
Giles has the best line of the episode at this point when he says "Xander's taken to teasing the less fortunate, and there's a noticeable change in both clothing and demeanor, and otherwise all his spare time is spent lounging around with imbeciles. It's devastating, he's turned into a sixteen year old boy."
We then see the pack eat the school mascot before turning on Mr. Flute, killing him. While this is happening, Xander is attacking Buffy only to get knocked out. Willow stands guard over Xander while Buffy and Giles go to the zoo to talk to the zookeeper. They figure out that it was the actions of Xander saving the boy from the bullies that activated the spirit switch, and agree to bring the pack there to undo it. Meanwhile, Willow is trapped by the pack in the school.
Buffy and Giles realize that the rules of Hyenas apply to the kids, one of which is that the pack will hunt down their missing member and race to the school to save her.
Once they do, they bait the pack to follow Buffy to the zoo, where Giles is already waiting with the zookeeper. Only Giles finds out the zookeeper was the cause of the whole mess to begin with, as he is a devotee of a cult that worships pack animals.
Buffy and the pack arrive just in time for her to save Willow, after Giles has been knocked out, and tosses the zookeeper into the animal cage where he is eaten by the Hyenas, reversing the possession. The students and Xander are freed from the curse.
This is the transition between Mr Flute and Mr. Synder. Sort of the innocent into the devious. The metaphor is summed up in the quote by Giles about Xander's hormones kicking in.
This episode also draws from folklore about shapeshifters and possessions, which will lay the ground work for so many elements in the rest of the series.
The scenes where Xander stalks Buffy have as much to do with her being an "alpha" female as it does his general crush on her. She's the only one who he recognizes as being stronger then himself. And with the animal spirit controlling his base nature, he for the first time is in the same league as her.
I think this episode carries with it enough reality to really make you understand why the show is as good as it is.
You never know when someone will change to either fit in, causing heartache to their friends, or when someone will simply grow apart from their normal group.
I love the fact the costume department put the pack in earth tones of grey and brown for this and not the typical black. It gives that subconscious idea that they are turning into Hyenas. The sound they make though when killing Mr. Flute to me sounded more like Monkeys then Hyenas.
This is one of my top favourite episodes of Buffy. (Top 5 list)
Saturday, January 5, 2013
WWBD? part 3
Season 1 Episode 5- Never Kill A Boy On The First Date
Buffy want's one thing, a date with Owen. Giles becomes aware of a new threat called the Anointed One, an unknown vampire that will serve as the Master's secret weapon. Buffy arrives late for her date to find Owen dancing with Cordelia and goes home. Much to the glee of Xander. Owen asks Buffy out again for that night, and both Willow and Xander help her to pick out her outfit. Xander tries to talk her out of anything that might be attractive but it doesn't work.
Meanwhile, there is a bus accident killing five people, and when Giles finds out heads over to the funeral home to try to stop the Anointed One from rising. He ends up trapped, while Buffy is back at the Bronze on her date. Cordelia and a few of her friends spot Buffy and Owen, trying to ruin the date but to no avail. Angel then shows up to warn Buffy about the Anointed One, and when he realizes she's on a date, we begin to see signs of jealousy from him. Willow and Xander arrive to get Buffy, and the three take off to rescue Giles.
Only, before they realize it, Owen has followed them. He thinks checking out the funeral home is a game and ends up getting hurt by one of the newly made vampires. Buffy fights with the vampire and kills it, thinking that the Anointed One has been stopped.
The next morning at school, Buffy sees Owen and he asks her out again, but it's not her he wants as much as the danger she brings. Turning him down, she realizes being a normal girl and the Slayer is not really an option.
We then see the Master talking to a little boy, who had been part of the bus accident. It's reveled that the little boy is in fact the Anointed One.
This sets up a few of the arches for the rest of both the season and the series. One being the character of the Anointed One, who plays a major role over the rest of the season. Another is the competition between Buffy and Cordelia throughout the series to the end of season 3. This is also the first real suggestion that Angel has some feelings for Buffy himself.
But I think the biggest bit of story arch that is set up in this episode is that Giles begins to be seen in a father figure role. His reaction to her dating Owen is much to be expected of a parent when their kid starts dating.
The last few episodes I've pinpointed the theme of jealousy, which plays a part here too. But this episode is about knowing when to go for the thing you want and when to hold back.
Buffy is disappointed to learn that Owen isn't what he appears at first, and that he's attracted to the danger of being with her.
There is a scene near the beginning of the episode where the character talks about not getting out much and how he is drawn to the morbidness of Emily Dickinson, and then admits later that he gets a complete rush from sneaking around the funeral home. He ends up being this sort of closeted goth guy - adrenaline junkie. Buffy has to acknowledge that a guy like that is not the kind of guy she needs in her life. It also gives her some more perspective on her own life and the job she's meant to do.
Buffy want's one thing, a date with Owen. Giles becomes aware of a new threat called the Anointed One, an unknown vampire that will serve as the Master's secret weapon. Buffy arrives late for her date to find Owen dancing with Cordelia and goes home. Much to the glee of Xander. Owen asks Buffy out again for that night, and both Willow and Xander help her to pick out her outfit. Xander tries to talk her out of anything that might be attractive but it doesn't work.
Meanwhile, there is a bus accident killing five people, and when Giles finds out heads over to the funeral home to try to stop the Anointed One from rising. He ends up trapped, while Buffy is back at the Bronze on her date. Cordelia and a few of her friends spot Buffy and Owen, trying to ruin the date but to no avail. Angel then shows up to warn Buffy about the Anointed One, and when he realizes she's on a date, we begin to see signs of jealousy from him. Willow and Xander arrive to get Buffy, and the three take off to rescue Giles.
Only, before they realize it, Owen has followed them. He thinks checking out the funeral home is a game and ends up getting hurt by one of the newly made vampires. Buffy fights with the vampire and kills it, thinking that the Anointed One has been stopped.
The next morning at school, Buffy sees Owen and he asks her out again, but it's not her he wants as much as the danger she brings. Turning him down, she realizes being a normal girl and the Slayer is not really an option.
We then see the Master talking to a little boy, who had been part of the bus accident. It's reveled that the little boy is in fact the Anointed One.
But I think the biggest bit of story arch that is set up in this episode is that Giles begins to be seen in a father figure role. His reaction to her dating Owen is much to be expected of a parent when their kid starts dating.
The last few episodes I've pinpointed the theme of jealousy, which plays a part here too. But this episode is about knowing when to go for the thing you want and when to hold back.
Buffy is disappointed to learn that Owen isn't what he appears at first, and that he's attracted to the danger of being with her.
There is a scene near the beginning of the episode where the character talks about not getting out much and how he is drawn to the morbidness of Emily Dickinson, and then admits later that he gets a complete rush from sneaking around the funeral home. He ends up being this sort of closeted goth guy - adrenaline junkie. Buffy has to acknowledge that a guy like that is not the kind of guy she needs in her life. It also gives her some more perspective on her own life and the job she's meant to do.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
WWBD? part 2
Season 1 Episodes 3 and 4 - Witch and Teacher's Pet
The Witch... Buffy wants something familiar and normal, and decides to try out for the cheerleading squad. Soon, she discovers that all the competition are suffering from strange accidents. Like one girl who's mouth closes over, and Cordelia's sudden blindness, and another girl bursting into flames. Buffy herself falls victim becoming drained of energy. The gang learns that Amy, one of the cheerleading hopefuls, is hexing everyone. But Amy isn't who they think she is. Her mother has switched bodies with her, and is really the one behind it all.
This ends up being Giles's first moment. We start to get some background on where his knowledge really lies as he is the one who unmasks the witch, and saves Buffy's life in order for her to stop Amy's mom.
This also is the introduction to the character of Amy, who ends up having a recurring role in the lives of the gang down the series. (topics of peer pressure, greed and addiction seem to be part of Amy's arch)
The main topic of this episode is jealousy. Amy's mom had been the school star when she was younger, and wants to be again. She uses her magick to pull a body switch with her own daughter, and does whatever she has to in order to become the head cheerleader and live her life over again.
This episode is also about regrets. The character feels she wasted her life being a wife and mother and uses that as an excuse for her evil behavouir.
In this episode, the script introduces pieces of real folklore and mythology, setting a foundation for the rest of the series as far as magick and rituals go.
Teacher's Pet... The science teacher goes missing, and the new replacement seems to have a crush on Xander. A few of the other boys in the class start to brag about their sexual histories, making Xander feel he needs to be able to keep up. This leaves them all at the mercy of the new teacher who is not what she first appears. Meanwhile, Buffy is given another cryptic message from Angel, informing her about a vicious vampire with a claw for a hand. When Buffy goes hunting, she spots the vampire as he appears scared of the new teacher, and runs underground. This clues Buffy in, that the new teacher is some sort of monster. Buffy, Willow and Giles do some research and discover that the new teacher is a She-Mantis; a creature of folklore that preys on and devours virgin men.
The opening scene is actually a fantasy Xander is having while in class. Dreaming about being the hero, saving Buffy from a vampire and then becoming a rock star, wooing everyone else in the room. Pretty typical. And also a foreshadowing for Xander in the rest of the series. Always on the edge but never really getting there.
This episode is Xander's introduction in the sense that it sets up a running joke that Xander is like catnip for female monsters. The fantasy segment also hints at the role he does end up playing more then once in the rest of the series, as he does save Buffy down the line.
The themes here are how things aren't always as they first seem, and the pressure put on modern males. Not every guy needs to be an uber stud. And those who sometimes claim to be, are not worth your time.
The Witch... Buffy wants something familiar and normal, and decides to try out for the cheerleading squad. Soon, she discovers that all the competition are suffering from strange accidents. Like one girl who's mouth closes over, and Cordelia's sudden blindness, and another girl bursting into flames. Buffy herself falls victim becoming drained of energy. The gang learns that Amy, one of the cheerleading hopefuls, is hexing everyone. But Amy isn't who they think she is. Her mother has switched bodies with her, and is really the one behind it all.
This also is the introduction to the character of Amy, who ends up having a recurring role in the lives of the gang down the series. (topics of peer pressure, greed and addiction seem to be part of Amy's arch)
The main topic of this episode is jealousy. Amy's mom had been the school star when she was younger, and wants to be again. She uses her magick to pull a body switch with her own daughter, and does whatever she has to in order to become the head cheerleader and live her life over again.
This episode is also about regrets. The character feels she wasted her life being a wife and mother and uses that as an excuse for her evil behavouir.
In this episode, the script introduces pieces of real folklore and mythology, setting a foundation for the rest of the series as far as magick and rituals go.
Teacher's Pet... The science teacher goes missing, and the new replacement seems to have a crush on Xander. A few of the other boys in the class start to brag about their sexual histories, making Xander feel he needs to be able to keep up. This leaves them all at the mercy of the new teacher who is not what she first appears. Meanwhile, Buffy is given another cryptic message from Angel, informing her about a vicious vampire with a claw for a hand. When Buffy goes hunting, she spots the vampire as he appears scared of the new teacher, and runs underground. This clues Buffy in, that the new teacher is some sort of monster. Buffy, Willow and Giles do some research and discover that the new teacher is a She-Mantis; a creature of folklore that preys on and devours virgin men.
This episode is Xander's introduction in the sense that it sets up a running joke that Xander is like catnip for female monsters. The fantasy segment also hints at the role he does end up playing more then once in the rest of the series, as he does save Buffy down the line.
The themes here are how things aren't always as they first seem, and the pressure put on modern males. Not every guy needs to be an uber stud. And those who sometimes claim to be, are not worth your time.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
What Would Buffy Do?
Season 1 Episode 1 and 2- Welcome to the Hellmouth and The Harvest
We open Welcome to the Hellmouth with two teenagers breaking into the high school, only to find out that one is a vampire. From there we see Buffy having nightmares and discover she's psychically linked to the Master vampire.
Then, high school starts and we are introduced to the rest of the cast, and learn that the story sort of picks up after the original movie. (I say sort of because it's a brief nod to the fact in the original 1992 film Buffy burns down her old high school to get rid of a nest of vampires)
Buffy has a moment when she talks to Giles about loosing her friends, being kicked out of school for what they considered bad behavouir and suddenly Giles becomes aware that life as it's been known can't ever be replaced.
Cordelia has the best line in this first episode "Gym was cancelled due to the extreme dead guy in the locker" It sets the tone for the whole series, drawing the dark humour out of the depression.
In The Harvest, we start to see the baseline of what the talents are each member of the group brings. Willow has the knowledge, Giles the quiet authority, Xander the strength to fall back on. While Cordelia and Angel at this point are sort of just along for the ride. Both representing bookends of the situation, Cordelia is "reality as we know it" and Angel is "the real reality". You could almost say they also represent the gang's past and future.
This was a two part opening episode.
What do I think the main themes in these two episodes are... transitions from who you thought you were to who you are meant to be. The setting of high school is the metaphor itself more then anything else right off the bat. Buffy knows she's has no choice but to face what is in store for her, but isn't excited about it at all.
Cordelia is the familiar safe iconic side of Buffy (past) and Angel is the unknown scary side (future)
We open Welcome to the Hellmouth with two teenagers breaking into the high school, only to find out that one is a vampire. From there we see Buffy having nightmares and discover she's psychically linked to the Master vampire.
Buffy has a moment when she talks to Giles about loosing her friends, being kicked out of school for what they considered bad behavouir and suddenly Giles becomes aware that life as it's been known can't ever be replaced.
Cordelia has the best line in this first episode "Gym was cancelled due to the extreme dead guy in the locker" It sets the tone for the whole series, drawing the dark humour out of the depression.
In The Harvest, we start to see the baseline of what the talents are each member of the group brings. Willow has the knowledge, Giles the quiet authority, Xander the strength to fall back on. While Cordelia and Angel at this point are sort of just along for the ride. Both representing bookends of the situation, Cordelia is "reality as we know it" and Angel is "the real reality". You could almost say they also represent the gang's past and future.
This was a two part opening episode.
What do I think the main themes in these two episodes are... transitions from who you thought you were to who you are meant to be. The setting of high school is the metaphor itself more then anything else right off the bat. Buffy knows she's has no choice but to face what is in store for her, but isn't excited about it at all.
Cordelia is the familiar safe iconic side of Buffy (past) and Angel is the unknown scary side (future)
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