Halloween, a Vampire's Night Off (except that it never is)
At last I get an episode to talk about that's generally loved by all (it is, right?) rather than cheerleading for episodes everyone thinks aren't any good (even though they are, so there! Except for Some Assembly Required).
Such a fun episode.
In fact, all the Halloween episodes are really good, though I think this is arguably the best of them.
From Spike showing he's a modern, up-to-date vamp by getting his minions to film Buffy's fighting technique so he can kill her better down the line...
...to Angel going to the Bronze in his pyjama top
(evidence)
and actually laughing at someone's jokes...
(evidence. Well, his lips are going up at the corners anyway)
...though sadly for Buffy, they're not hers. The jokes, I mean, not the lips. Those are definitely hers.
To Principal Snyder and a reprise of his quaint idea of what constitutes volunteering.
You'd think he'd know better after what happened on Parent Teacher Night, wouldn't you?
Probably, though, it's just part of his evil plan to get Buffy expelled (and that look on her face is almost reason enough).
And if the above weren't enough reasons to find this episode quite wonderful, there's also...
...Buffy and Willow sneaking into the library to steal Giles's Watchers' Diary...
...in which they learn stuff about Angel, but not enough, apparently, to realise that the above is a picture of Darla (well, it looks like her to me), and not therefore someone Buffy ought to want to copy.
Finally, this episode features the introduction of one of the most popular recurring characters in the entire show (despite the fact he was only ever in four episodes),
Ethan Rayne. Hoorah!
What else do we learn in this ep, apart from the fact that nice eighteenth century girls aren't very good in a fight?
Well, there's a reminder that Spike isn't much for tradition. He's perfectly willing to take advantage of Ethan's spell-induced chaos to go Slayer hunting, even if it is Halloween.
He very nearly kills Buffy this time.
In fact, she's only saved by another first for this episode, the first appearance of the Ripper version of Giles.
Actually, we do get a brief flash of him in The Witch in season 1 (one of the reasons why I love that episode), but this is his first full-fledged appearance. I remember how shocked I was by it when I first saw this episode (way more shocked than by Angel turning out to be a vampire).
There's so much in the episode to enjoy. More Oz/Willow UST.
Cordelia being completely unfazed by the news that Angel is a vampire.
Okay, she probably doesn't believe it in this scene, but she's still totally unfazed at the end of the episode, by which time she has to have realised it was true.
This is one of the episodes that makes me think how brave Cordelia is, despite the occasional bout of running and screaming.
There's Dru being prescient and bonkers,
There's Ghost!Willow...
....emerging from a wall and making Giles jump,
There's manly Xander the soldier getting his manly revenge on Larry the bully,
and last but not least, Cordelia as a great big cat.
.
In fact, there's nothing not to enjoy. The final scene is a sweet little scene between Buffy and Angel (who, thankfully, has remembered to put a proper shirt on this time), in which he tells Buffy she didn't need to dress up like Darla (though of course he doesn't say that, probably because Joss hadn't worked out the backstory of his siring at the time) to be interesting to him. He found the women back in the powdered wig days deadly dull, and always wanted to meet someone different and interesting, like Buffy.
I guess you sort of did, Angel, didn't you? Not that he tells Buffy that either.
His habit of being economical with the truth will come back to bite Angel in a big way in the next episode. But I can't say I blame him. The truth in this instance is almost unbearable.
Best line: Too many to mention, but I am fond of the entire scene where Cordelia (dressed as a great big cat) tells Oz to tell Devon she doesn't care, which finishes with Cordelia stalking off and Oz saying,
Oz: Why can't I meet a nice girl like that?
Thoughts, anyone?
Such a fun episode.
In fact, all the Halloween episodes are really good, though I think this is arguably the best of them.
From Spike showing he's a modern, up-to-date vamp by getting his minions to film Buffy's fighting technique so he can kill her better down the line...
...to Angel going to the Bronze in his pyjama top
(evidence)
and actually laughing at someone's jokes...
(evidence. Well, his lips are going up at the corners anyway)
...though sadly for Buffy, they're not hers. The jokes, I mean, not the lips. Those are definitely hers.
To Principal Snyder and a reprise of his quaint idea of what constitutes volunteering.
You'd think he'd know better after what happened on Parent Teacher Night, wouldn't you?
Probably, though, it's just part of his evil plan to get Buffy expelled (and that look on her face is almost reason enough).
And if the above weren't enough reasons to find this episode quite wonderful, there's also...
...Buffy and Willow sneaking into the library to steal Giles's Watchers' Diary...
...in which they learn stuff about Angel, but not enough, apparently, to realise that the above is a picture of Darla (well, it looks like her to me), and not therefore someone Buffy ought to want to copy.
Finally, this episode features the introduction of one of the most popular recurring characters in the entire show (despite the fact he was only ever in four episodes),
Ethan Rayne. Hoorah!
What else do we learn in this ep, apart from the fact that nice eighteenth century girls aren't very good in a fight?
Well, there's a reminder that Spike isn't much for tradition. He's perfectly willing to take advantage of Ethan's spell-induced chaos to go Slayer hunting, even if it is Halloween.
He very nearly kills Buffy this time.
In fact, she's only saved by another first for this episode, the first appearance of the Ripper version of Giles.
Actually, we do get a brief flash of him in The Witch in season 1 (one of the reasons why I love that episode), but this is his first full-fledged appearance. I remember how shocked I was by it when I first saw this episode (way more shocked than by Angel turning out to be a vampire).
There's so much in the episode to enjoy. More Oz/Willow UST.
Cordelia being completely unfazed by the news that Angel is a vampire.
Okay, she probably doesn't believe it in this scene, but she's still totally unfazed at the end of the episode, by which time she has to have realised it was true.
This is one of the episodes that makes me think how brave Cordelia is, despite the occasional bout of running and screaming.
There's Dru being prescient and bonkers,
There's Ghost!Willow...
....emerging from a wall and making Giles jump,
There's manly Xander the soldier getting his manly revenge on Larry the bully,
and last but not least, Cordelia as a great big cat.
.
In fact, there's nothing not to enjoy. The final scene is a sweet little scene between Buffy and Angel (who, thankfully, has remembered to put a proper shirt on this time), in which he tells Buffy she didn't need to dress up like Darla (though of course he doesn't say that, probably because Joss hadn't worked out the backstory of his siring at the time) to be interesting to him. He found the women back in the powdered wig days deadly dull, and always wanted to meet someone different and interesting, like Buffy.
I guess you sort of did, Angel, didn't you? Not that he tells Buffy that either.
His habit of being economical with the truth will come back to bite Angel in a big way in the next episode. But I can't say I blame him. The truth in this instance is almost unbearable.
Best line: Too many to mention, but I am fond of the entire scene where Cordelia (dressed as a great big cat) tells Oz to tell Devon she doesn't care, which finishes with Cordelia stalking off and Oz saying,
Oz: Why can't I meet a nice girl like that?
Thoughts, anyone?