Season 3, Ep 13
Added 2022-02-05 17:32:24 +0000 UTCHEY CORN POPS! happy tuesday ;)
a xander episode, huh?
feels good to be back :D
Comments
thanks brandon!! yeah i dont know if i loved the plot but im obsessing over the concept and the way it was done... its definitely going on my rewatch list! i think ill notice even more cooll things :D
darciesnothere
2022-02-13 19:39:36 +0000 UTCI just realized that the clouding spell Willow casts in the teaser merely breaks the tie she had with Cordelia for doing the most magic of any of the teenagers. (Cordy assisted Willow with the Magnus Tripod spell and both attempts at restoring Angel's soul; the only other time we'd actually seen Willow doing magic on-screen was the spell in "Passion" to dis-invite Angel from Buffy's house. Which means that Cordelia tied her when she unintentionally did the spell to summon Anyanka in "The Wish" [burning pictures of her unfaithful boyfriend], and Willow just broke the tie here. Huh.)
Jessica Roth
2022-02-13 03:02:48 +0000 UTCAs for the idea that Xander needs a "power" to be useful to the group, I vote no, no, a THOUSAND times no. I love the Avengers. I mean, I REALLY love the Avengers, going back to the original comic books. But this is not the Avengers. This is "one girl in all the World". BUFFY the vampire slayer. Let's not forget whose story this is. And I disagree that all these "super-people" are helping the group. We just spent last season proving that Angel being a murderous demon really doesn't HELP things. Ask Jenny how "useful" Angel is. Ask Kendra. (Ask Travis's neatly-arranged children…) Oz is a werewolf? How has that HELPED, exactly? It sentences Oz to a life of eternal confinement and torment, which NOBODY seems to give a crap about (grr…) and he gets free to roam and kill on a regular basis (this is the third time he's been free to roam in just 14 cycles since getting bit), but I haven't seen him "helping Buffy" yet. Giles and Willow can do spells? Yeah, that's called READING. I'm pretty sure Xander can read; I've seen him do it. Xander's DONE magic ("I Only Have Eyes for You"), Cordelia has done magic on MULTIPLE occasions, Oz has done magic, Angel's done magic, even SPIKE has done magic. I would really dispute that what makes Willow valuable but Xander useless is that she's a "witch" but he isn't. Willow isn't valuable because she reads some words every now and then; she's valuable because she's WILLOW. (As Buffy acknowledges early in "The Wish"…and which she equally includes Xander in. ["I have you guys."]) So yeah, even though Hawkeye is my favorite Avenger, I don't need Xander to take up archery to "earn" his place in the group. He's earned that since he went with Buffy to rescue Willow in the pilot. JMO.
Jessica Roth
2022-02-10 14:34:42 +0000 UTCSpeaking of plots that didn't go anywhere, so Giles lied to Buffy, betrayed Buffy, drugged Buffy, nearly got Buffy and Joyce killed (and arguably DID get Hobson and Blair killed; if Giles tells Buffy and the test gets called off, they'd still be alive)…and what has that changed? Pretty much nothing. The only thing wrong between Buffy and Giles is that she's eating his jelly donuts. Which might be her acting out, passive-aggressively, but still. (I mean, it is good that Buffy is actually EATING these days, and I think it's cute that Willow finks her out but still…) The critic David Hines, in reviewing "Helpless", thought that this would lead to real consequences between Giles and Faith, given that Faith is VERY sensitive about being betrayed by authority figures. Nope, Faith who? Unless you want to claim that humping Xander is Faith's way of taking out her anger with Giles, but that seems a REAL stretch. Nope, no consequences to Giles drugging Buffy. Just like no consequences to Joyce trying to MURDER Buffy in Gingerbread. (And no rift between Willow and her mom, either.). And no consequences to Angel being a hallucination-wracked wreck in "Amends", either.) (And why has the First stopped trying to manipulate Angel, exactly? Buffy didn't lay a hand on it and it's immortal. Whatever its plans, there's no reason it shouldn't keep trying. Angel should be seeing Ghost!Cal monring, noon, and night. But, you know, it's a new episode and we only hired Robia for the one guest spot. Sigh, It's at this point that David Hines started to get *really* frustrated with the season's lack of follow-through. I don't always agree with him [there's an upcoming episode that I love where we have fundamental disagreements], but I'm definitely seeing his point, here.)
Jessica Roth
2022-02-10 14:22:43 +0000 UTCAnd Darcie, you raise a very good point about whether O'Toole's end means that Oz killed a dude. I have to say "yes" upon reflection. Yes, O'Toole is technically dead, but he's clearly more alive than Angel (normal skin color, can walk outside in daylight, consumes normal food, doesn't share his body with a demon), and Buffy would consider killing Angel to be "killing a person". Will this lead to deep self-examination by Oz and the group FINALLY trying to cure him? What do you think?
Jessica Roth
2022-02-10 14:10:56 +0000 UTCWhile I'm waiting for the new reaction, I guess I should probably point out some ordinary hack writing, specifically the things done to set up the "Oz eats O'Toole" joke. • Why does O'Toole open that door? It's obviously not the way he came down, For all he knows, it's a broom closet. • If Oz is ravenously hungry and ready to pounce, how is he COMPLETELY silent during the Xander/O'Toole face-off? No growling, no throwing himself against the door, no nothing. I mean, you could say that Oz is SUCH a good pal to Xander that even Oz-wolf knows Xan "likes the quiet", but that seems to be pushing it. • How is the damn door UNLOCKED? And it opens out, so even if Oz-wolf can't work a knob (DOGS can work doorknobs, YouTube is full of evidence), a couple of good hurls should do it and Oz could go roam. • Why doesn't Oz go roam? Why didn't he wake up in the woods, why isn't the gang worried about how he got free? Well, obviously, because Dan Vebber dgaf about any of that. He just want's his "oddly full" joke. Hack! (Hey, if the Scoobs didn't find O'Toole's mangled body, that means Oz completely devoured him, right? Bones and all? Which consider Channon Roe's size is completely ridiculous, but don't think about that, apparently…)
Jessica Roth
2022-02-10 14:07:03 +0000 UTC(They went away. Back to work.) Once upon a time, Whedon said he WANTED the audience to be involved. That he was trying to inspire "obsessive devotion". But now that he's reaping the rewards of all that, he's too cool for school (or the kids who go there). "Why so serious?" Because that's what the story demanded, "cool guy". YOU wanted us to tremble when Angel left Buffy in tears. You wanted us to cry when Jenny was butchered. You wanted us to gasp when Buffy sent Angel to hell. Now you're saying "it's no big deal, can't you take a joke?" Fuck you. I wrote earlier that while the scene of Xander interrupting Buffy and Angel's Intense Angsty Discussion and cutting off their Dramatic Music was really funny, it was also emblematic of why this episode sucks. Because just THREE episodes before, Joss was asking us to take B/A's histrionics completely seriously. Are Buffy and Angel the TWU WUV of the Ages, a tortured romance? Or are they a big joke who really need to get over themselves? You can't have it both ways, you know. But that's what the show wants us to do. Heck, even Dan Vebber specifically closed his own (IMO wretched) "Lovers Walk" with Buffy and Angel having an Angsty Breakup because Spike gave Wise Romantic Advice (sorry, that concept still gives me the giggles) about how they'll never be friends, blah blah blah. Now, a mere FIVE episodes down the road, Vebber wants us to forget about all the sad feelings he tried to engender in 3.08 and see Buffy/Angel angst as just a comedy trope, anybody who cares about them is just a dumb geek, is that it? Uh, no. Respect your audience, you smug pricks. I didn't like getting spat upon by condescending men even before I had to worry about viruses in the saliva. (Sorry about that analogy, Darcie. Glad you're better.)
Jessica Roth
2022-02-09 03:45:24 +0000 UTCRemarkably, though, the most wretched thing about this episode isn't how it exemplifies and tries to excuse the maltreatment of Xander, specifically. It's the contempt the episode shows for the AUDIENCE and the series as a whole. Now, it's okay to tweak the show's particular tropes on occasion. Greenwalt does a nice job of it in "Nightmares", twice: XANDER: Yeah, the Hellmouth. The Center of Mystical Energy. Been there. BUFFY: You're getting a little blase, aren't you? GILES: It's Billy. XANDER (to Willlow). Well, that explanation was shorter than usual. It's Billy! (to Giles) Who's Billy?? Yes, even before a single episode of the show had even aired, they were aware that Giles generally gives a LOT of exposition and that they have to constantly explain the concept of the Hellmouth to justify the premise of the show. So the writing makes fun of that. No problem. And some of the other "meta-" moments work, too. I dislike the bit in "Passion" where they're all shocked that students actually use the Library (and walking out and leaving Jonathan alone is completely stupid), but it's not excessive. And I liked Cordelia tweaking Giles about his frequent brain injuries in "Gingerbread". But an entire "self-parody" episode is over the line for me. Haha, the Hellmouth is going to open again and Willow is so silly to be afraid of the Cthulu Muppet! Wasn't "Prophecy Girl" SUCH a cliche? Like we're supposed to be emotionally involved in BUFFY DYING? Pffft, don't be a jerk. Relax, it's just TV. Yeah, for me this episode doesn't show the writing staff being "mature", as SK Elkins hypothesizes…it shows them as being SMUG. I mean, they no longer have to worry about being cancelled. (A deal for syndicated reruns was struck with FOX on behalf of its local stations after Season 2. It was predicated on having at least 100 episodes to show. So unless the ratings totally collapse, seasons 4 and 5 are already guaranteed.). And hey, they're a spinoff coming, so we can make even more $$$! New sets, better film stock, bigger contracts,…life is good. So we can thumb our noses at those stupid fans who are always complaining and obviously wayyy y too involved in this stuff. "Prophecy Girl"? Can you imagine there are people who actually teared up at "Does it say how he's going to kill me? Do you think it'll hurt?" (I got gooseflesh on my arms just typing that. And I'm being distracted by a long conversation going on outside my house and my worries I should check to make sure there isn't any trespassing or worse going on. Hang on a sec…)
Jessica Roth
2022-02-09 03:30:29 +0000 UTCSo Xander spends the season treated as an utter clown, excluded from every relevant plotline. His love for Willow, which he proclaimed in "Becoming Part 2", is ignored for the first four episodes, and when they do finally kiss, it's retconned as a "clothes fluke" (oh, FUCK YOU, Joss), used to brand Xillow as Dirty Rotten Cheaters and make Buffy's spending MONTHS lying about hiding the mass-murdering demon who "killed half the class" and tried to suck the world into (a) Hell as no big deal, and reduce Xander to being a scratching post for Cordelia and him and Willow spending their days about how to be forgiven by Holy and Perfect Oz, Halllowed be His Name. Great, just great. The idea that ONE episode of Xander being "secretly cool", in which Xander is STILL an utter clown and is shunned by all the "important" characters, in any way makes up for this treatment is IMO ridiculous to me. Worse, it leaves open the possibility of letting the series *continue* to shit on Xander, and just use the presence of this episode as a justification. "Oh, sure, we had Xander fall into that pile of cow turds and everyone laughed, but don't worry! We know he's really not an utter loser! Remember 'The Zeppo'?". Ugh. Of course maybe that won't happen. Maybe now that Xander is all centered and self-confident and stuff, the other characters will respect him again and he'll be treated fairly in the writing. You know, like in the tag, where Buffy, Willow and Giles talk about how good it was that Xander was excluded and "safe". That really shows how much things have changed, you bet. Hey, wasn't it so funny when Lysette bores Xander so much with her car talk that he's desperate to see ANGEL and calls him "friend" and "buddy"?? Of course Angel dismisses Xander and tells him to stay away and stay safe, but he's just being sensible. I mean, what use can Xander be? (What, Xander's SAVED THE WORLD on MULTIPLE occasions? Not to mention saving the individual lives of Buffy ["The Harvest"], Giles ["The Puppet Show"] and Willow ["The Pack", "Inca Mummy Girl"]? You must be joking. Xander's a clown, we tell you! He sleeps outside and gets snowed on! He can't even open a jar! Ha-ha-ha! XANDER, saving lives? What drugs are YOU on?) Hey, you know what's really funny? Xander's begging for Angel's attention in the Bronze is literally the first time he's even spoken to Angel since "You're going to die. And I'm going to be there." in the Chad Kroeger episode. Because Xander apparently dislikes Angel less AFTER Season 2 than he did before Angel lost That Pesky Soul. Yeah, *that* makes sense. Except not. (Grrrr.)
Jessica Roth
2022-02-09 03:11:29 +0000 UTCSo, "Precious" is the most-precious supporting character, and his fans are the ones Joss is pandering to. And whom do the B/A fangirls and fanboys hate the most? Why Xander, of course. Not because he's trying to take Buffy away from her Twu Wuv. (he's dated every woman BUT Buffy this season, and of COURSE Dorky Xander could NEVER compete with Sexy Tortured Angel), but because he LIED to Buffy about the spell in "Becoming"! How dare he! If only he had to told the truth, then… Er, then… Well, then, Buffy would have… What do you mean, "The Lie" didn't harm Buffy or Precious Angel in any perceptible way? Whereas depending on Willow (recently emerged from a coma and having passed out in the hospital, for all Xander knew) to magically intervene stood a very good chance of going sideways, if the fight in part 1, where Buffy just tap-danced around (ANGEL: "Is it me, or is your heart not really in this?") and muttered, "C'mon Willow" has already shown. Nah, who needs facts? Xander hates Angel, he was trying to get Angel killed, we hate him! Joss should just kill him off. (The fan reaction was so negative that Joss had to give interviews trying to sweep it under the rug, and one of the interviews described Xander as "comic relief". Oh, joy.)
Jessica Roth
2022-02-09 02:55:16 +0000 UTC3.01: Just Buffy and Stupid Lily (the gang's comedy sub-plot ends before the looong Act IV resolution with Buffy, and Giles isn't even involved there) 3.02: Everyone, including Joyce 3.03. Faith 3.04. Angel (with Faith and Willow in the background) 3.05 Cordelia (Giles is, you guessed it, unconscious) 3.06. Just not-Giles and not-Joyce 3.07. Angel, Faith, Willow, Xander (Giles is in the hospital) 3.08. Angel only (fakeout subplot goes on pause until Cordy "dies") 3.09 Nobody at all. The only one of "our" cast in the AU is Cordelia and she's dead before the end of Act II 3.10. Just Angel 3.11. Willow, Cordelia and Giles (Joyce is drugged and an antagonist; Xander and Oz don't show in time) 3.12. Joyce and a late-arriving Giles. That's right, heading into this episode, Xander (allegedly the PRIMARY supporting character, according to the credit sequence) has been important in fewer episodes than freaking JOYCE. Not that Joyce's .250 batting average is anything to be proud of, I'll admit. Giles was.a useful part in 4 of the first 12 episodes (not bad for being unconscious in 3 separate climaxes), Willow in 4, Cordelia in 3, Faith in 3, and Oz is a one-dimension hologram that we use as a way to piss on Willow and Xander, but who doesn't actually do anything or have any depth of character or get used in the actual stories. (Perhaps the disgust on Seth's face this episode isn't about Oz's lycanthropy, but about how Seth feels about his cashing all these paychecks for no work?) Meanwhile, Angel got to be a key part in 4 of the 7 episodes between 3.04 (after his return) and 3.10. (He was recovering in 3.05 and 3.06, and 3.09 was the AU). He's been less-prominent since…but of course Angel was supposed to be off the series by now. (When Joss ran out to reassure the B/A 'shippers not to worry, Angel would survive [a] Hell and come back and David was still a regular and he'd be getting his own series, the plan was for the spinoff to be a mid-season show, just as this had been, originally. [This was reiterated at the Television Critics' Association conference that June, when the 1998-1999 schedules were previewed.] Presumably the idea was that, if the spinoff proved to not be viable, David could return for Season 4 and Angel could be written back into the season-plotlines. So at this point, Angel is supposed to be gone, baby, gone, which is why they don't really know what to do with him now.)
Jessica Roth
2022-02-09 02:46:25 +0000 UTCIMO, screentime alone is no balm. One of Season 3's big failings is Joss's decision to invest ONLY in Buffy/Angel and treat the supporting cast as disposable. Consider:: for the first EIGHTEEN episodes of the series (everything before "Lie To Me"), Willow Xander and Giles were involved in the climax EVERY SINGLE TIME. Sometimes Willow was just watching, but she was there. (Occasionally, the climax was in two different locations. For example, in the Moloch episode, Giles is in the Library casting spells with Calendar…but he's involved. In the Marcie episode, G/W/X are in a death trap, needing to be rescued, but they're part of the plot. In "Prophecy Girl", Xander's fighting vamps with Angel and Giles and Willow [and Cordy and Cal] are defending the Library, but still part of the plot.) Now? Who's involved in the episode climaxes this year, besides Buffy?
Jessica Roth
2022-02-09 02:25:16 +0000 UTCHey! Watch the video the date came out but didn’t have a chance to comment. Just wanted to say I really loved it. This isn’t always a fan favorite and there are many Xander haters out there but this is one of my favorites departure episodes of the entire series. One of my favorite episodes that sort of step away from the main plot in the main story arcs and give us something on the side. I love Xander. He definitely has his problems and his problematic moments. But I love him as a character and this one is just really fun for me so I’m really glad you enjoyed it.
Brandon Scott
2022-02-08 15:46:30 +0000 UTC
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