Subject line courtesy of Allison.

So, who watched the season premiere last night? I'm kicking myself for not watching this show before now...but at least I have Buffy syndication on F/X.

New powerful witchy Willow was excellent. Spike's "cuppa tea, cuppa tea, almost got shagged, cuppa tea" line was my favorite, and also excellent. Buffy--trapped in her own coffin? God, that was scary. I got sympathetically claustrophobic for her. What is going to happen to her? And did anyone notice that the longer she was resurrected, the better she started to look? I think she even had on mascara and lip gloss by the end of the show.

And here's how much of a new kid I am--I had NO idea that Giles was leaving the show. Man!

Talk amongst yourselves.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

Answers

I get Scotland next week. Y'all get Buffy. Who wins?

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

I don't know what that means, WG, but I think I win.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

It was a good episode but I'm so glad the "how will she return" nonsense is done and they can move on.

Why was her hair red when she came back?

Why doesn't Spike come ravage me at night?

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

Why doesn't Spike come ravage me at night?

Hahaha! An excellent question I've asked myself as well.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

I thought the hair thing was weird, too. Shouldn't it have been blonde, still, but maybe with some roots? I do know she looked like shit.

Anya gets on my nerves.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

I, um, cried, from the moment Dawn saw the Real Buffy through the end. A lot.

Of course, I also then cried when Malik met his grandmother on the Real World, so what do I know.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

I cried then as well, but I cry at everything. I cry at movies, I cry at sports (don't ever watch the "One Shining Moment" song with me at the end of the NCAA Basketball tournament cause I am a mess.), I cry at the Christmas Candlelight Service at church. Hell, I even cried at the Saved by the Bell when they all graduated high school, and I HATED Saved by the Bell.

Oh yeah, Buffy. I don't have cable, and I missed her for the year she was gone. Yay!

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

I don't know what that means, WG, but I think I win.

It means I bought plane tickets to Glasgow and back for £35 yesterday. Hee.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2001

Gah. Who watched last night. What Buffy had did, was that she had broken my heart, what with the whole, "Yeah, I was in heaven, and my friends jerked me out of it, but don't ever tell them", thing.

Spike is hot.

-- Anonymous, October 10, 2001

Love love love Buffy this season (well the two episodes so far). Life should be dark and dangerous and fucked up for the Slayer and her friends. She's not fucking Rainbrow Bright.

Last night I was hella pissed at all of them with their "We saved her from a HELL dimension! Why isn't she THANKING us?" How could it never occur to any of them that she spent her life battling evil, she died saving the WORLD, the WORLD people, and that she might just be in Heaven with her mom and the chocolate? Ingrates.

Spike IS hot. And now with hot motorcycle action too.

-- Anonymous, October 10, 2001

Dear Lord, y'all. Last night the episode was so dark I felt I ought to turn up the brightness of my TV screen. So she's been yanked from Heaven, Giles isn't sticking around, her friends are either ineffectual or potential threats (I hereby predict that Willow will turn out to be the Big Bad of Season 6), and she's more biz-noke than any of us have ever been.

And Jonathan is evil! WTF?

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2001

Jonathan isn't evil so much as misguided. They were like the Lone Gunman of Buffy. I think they are supposed to be the Big Bad for the season with the Scoobs all "who the HELL is doing this" while we at home know it's just 3 D&D dorks.

Plus, I don't get the impression she's all THAT broke since they were discussing having all the new roomies pay rent or selling the house to get an apartment. Plus Dawn should be getting social security each month since her mother passed away. And her father should still be providing child support for Dawn.

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2001

So, I watched it tonight and I really liked it. I've seen it a few times before, but I think the last time I watched it she was a freshman in college.

I know that Willow and Tara are lovers and Willow's a witch. Dawn is Buffy's sister. (But she's not a slayer, right?)

Is Buffy the only slayer?

Who is Giles? Her mentor?

Who/what is Spike? A "nice" vampire?

Someone wanna give me a crash course?

-- Anonymous, October 30, 2001

Dawn is Buffy's sister. (But she's not a slayer, right?)

Dawn is actually a creation of some weird monks to hide the Key, which is a force which would have united Glory (last season's Big Bad) with two other demons and destroyed the universe. Everyone remembered Dawn being Buffy's sister, and only gradually learned their memories were implanted. But for all intents and purposes, yes, Dawn is Buffy's sister, and not a Slayer.

Is Buffy the only slayer?

There are other Slayers; I'm not sure how they get assigned to Sunnydale or other potential places of evil. Buffy is the only Slayer in Sunnydale; when she died (briefly) at the end of Season 1, another Slayer (Kendra) was called to take her place, and when Kendra died Faith replaced her. Since Faith is still alive, she technically replaced Buffy while Buffy was dead, even though she's in jail in LA.

Who is Giles? Her mentor?

Giles is her ex-Watcher. Every Slayer has a Watcher to guide her through the use of her powers. Giles was officially stripped of his Watcher title by the Council of Watchers when he helped Buffy during a trial administered on her 18th birthday. So now he's Buffy's unofficial father figure.

Who/what is Spike? A "nice" vampire?

Okay, looong backstory here . . . Spike and Angel were friends and fellow vamps back in the day (either Angel sired Spike or Angel sired Drusilla and Drusilla sired Spike, depending on what episode you're watching). Spike was pretty much unrepetant evil until Season 4, when he was captured by secret government agents and had a chip implanted in his head that renders him unable to do violence to living creatures. Then he developed a huge crush on Buffy, which has led to him befriending her. Even though, supposedly, he's still evil and has no soul.

Damn, when all that's written out the show looks pretty silly.

-- Anonymous, October 30, 2001

Damn, when all that's written out the show looks pretty silly.

Maybe, but it definitely helps! Thanks!

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Dizamn, WG. I'm glad you did that, because I was going to, and knew it would take forevah. Good job.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Okay, a few more:

Who/What is Xander?

Does Tara have any powers?

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Xander is just a regular guy--he's been on the show since the beginning.

Tara is a witch, too, but not as powerful as Willow.

And GAH! Last night, at the end, with the Willow memory spell? Scary. But I loved it.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

I've been catching up on old episodes I'd never seen.

What did Jenny Callendar do to make Giles so mad at her right before she was killed?

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Having never seen the end of Season 2, I think Jenny, who was a Gypsy, knew something about Angel/Angelus's curse; either she knew how to lift it and refused, or prevented Giles from lifting it, or something like that. I think that episode is recapped on MBTV.

Tara has witch powers -- when she met Willow at the beginning of S4 she was the only other girl who took "witchery" seriously. But apparently Willow's powers have outstripped hers.

I think Amber Benson is adorable, but that's me.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Just to add a few details and stuff.

Actually the Key would (and did) open a portal to all alternate dimensions which would have allowed Glory, who was actually a Goddess not a demon, to return to the dimension she was banished from. There were no other demons she would have reunited with; there was false spoiler info last season that there was a Triad but it didn't work that way. Ben wasn't a demon, he was the human host that Glory lived in so she wouldn't die. There was a demon played by Joel Grey who worshipped Glory and cut Dawn to open the portal.

There are other Slayers; I'm not sure how they get assigned to Sunnydale or other potential places of evil. In all of history there was always one Slayer at a time and she was sent where the forces of evil were doing the most harm, that's why Buffy is in Sunnydale now due to the Hellmouth. When a Slayer dies a new one is called. When Buffy died and Kendra was called the Slayer line shifted to Kendra (and then to Faith when Kendra died). Buffy is now the only working Slayer because Faith is unable to fight. However, no new Slayer was called when Buffy died last year and won't be when she dies again because the line is with Faith. It is most likely that after Buffy dies there will never be two Slayers again.

Giles was officially stripped of his Watcher title by the Council of Watchers when he helped Buffy during a trial administered on her 18th birthday. So now he's Buffy's unofficial father figure.

He is an unofficial father figure but he is also an official Watcher again. Last season the Council of Watchers came to Sunnydale to test Buffy, again, and she turned it back on them and forced them to re- hire Giles with a raise in pay. Whether he's still under their pay and official since she died and came back hasn't been addressed yet.

either Angel sired Spike or Angel sired Drusilla and Drusilla sired Spike, depending on what episode you're watching Actually they've been consistent with that. Angelus sired Dru who sired Spike; however, Spike sometimes refers to Angelus as "sire" because he's his grandsire.

I think Jenny, who was a Gypsy, knew something about Angel/Angelus's curse; either she knew how to lift it and refused, or prevented Giles from lifting it

Jenny, aka Jana, was a Gypsy sent by her tribe to watch Angelus. His soul was their curse for killing a beloved daughter. Her job was to watch him (and then he and Buffy) and make sure nothing happened to lift the curse (make him lose his soul). She never revealed who she really was to Giles and the Scoobies until after Buffy and Angel bumped uglies and the curse was lifted causing him to lose his soul. She then told them that she was sent to watch but couldn't tell. Buffy refused to forgive her for not telling her in advance about the ramifications of Angel achieving happiness/contentment and Giles alienated Jenny in a show of support. Jenny was initially unable to rstore the soul because the translation of the original text was lost. However, she wanted to help and created a computer program that did translate it and was ready to give it and the gee-gaw that was needed to do it to Giles when Angel found out, killed her, detroyed the gee-gaw and the computer she worked on. Foreshadowing dropped the back up disk behind a desk though.

[edited by AB to fix a tag]

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

Thanks, Slickery. I'm a little confused about the Triad thing, because I remember thinking after the ep with the medieval knights chasing the RV, "Gee, could they rip off the plot of Diablo [in which three demons try to hook up and destroy the world] any more?" But maybe I'm misremembering.

I'd also forgotten that Giles got rehired. I'm still not clear (and this is speculation, not fact) why the Watchers don't re-hire or make some arrangements for Buffy -- clearly they need her. I didn't see the ep where Giles gave Buffy the check.

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

--

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

Sorry about the italics all y'all, apparently I suck.

The Buffy/Watcher thing is really nebulous right now. They did bring her back officially last year but I don't think they pay her, just Giles, sadly. Probably because, well, she's the Slayer whether they fork over the dough or not whereas Giles can Watch or not, there's no special powers/destiny/people gunning for your back aspect.

On the F/X reruns Jenny died Tuesday so for those of you playing catch up a lot of big stuff will happen over the next few re-runs.

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

Oh! Now I'm even more confused. So many characters!

Can you rent season 1 on DVD or do you have to buy it?

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

Is the Season One DVD out yet? I know it was released in England a while ago but I think it's not here until after the new year. It will probably be rentable too. There are select early episodes on tapes available to rent. They are story/character arcs rather than entire seasons but they'll fill in some details.

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

If you want to buy it, it's easy enough to go the amazon.co.uk. It's also not much more expensive - I do that often for books that are out in the UK, but not in the US.

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

Keep in mind that DVDs have to be coded Region 0 to work on US DVD players -- if it's Region 1 (the UK standard) you need a Region 1 or all-region compatible player.

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

Buffy the Musical! Tonight!

I can't wait.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

I just remembered that! I must get home from the gym on time!

I watched a few episodes from Buffy's Sunnydale High days this weekend. Xander was a little high school hottie, no?

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

Hannah: if you haven't watched "The Zeppo" yet, you'll be in for a treat.

"Yeah, I'm up . . . it's just that I've never been Up With People before."

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

One more question: why are they called Scoobies?

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

I'm not positive, but I think that people not on the show--like, fans posting in forums--made calling them the Scooby Gang up, and it stuck.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

Ah, tis what I thought.

But then on the offical site they're called the scooby gang as well, so I was wondering.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

They did refer to themselves as the Scoobies in a few early episodes; whether that was after fans started as a shout out I don't know.

I made the mistake of downloading the "behind the scenes" clip for tonight's episode from the official UPN site. It had spoilers and I am sad sad sad because I was determined to be spoiler-free this whole season. Nothing major major but I know a lot more about the episode then I did from just the commercials.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

Anyone taping?

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

I'm going to watch BTM with several film school classmates. We're that geeky.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

Ah! It was so good!

I missed the first 10 minutes, but no matter. So good.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

I TiVOd and rog is under strict orders never to delete it.

So good! The dancing was a bit stiff and I think Dawn used a voice double but the concept and plot and songs were great. The demon guy kicked some ass.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

His voice sounded super familiar.

It was just so campy. I loved it.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

WAH! It was so good, y'all!

I think I burst into tears about three times when the songs started turning serious. What a fool.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

Lyrics to some of the songs:

http://www.voy.com/13746/60192.html

link courtesy Xeney's forum.

-- Anonymous, November 08, 2001

Whee! I got some of the songs!!

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

What did y'all think of last night?

Joan and Randy. Hee.

What's the deal with Buffy and Spike? Will they get together for real?

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

I loved it! I loved Joan and Randy Giles the most. And Anya and Giles had WAY more chemistry than she and Xander have EVAH had, didn't y'all think?

And hellooo, Evil Willow. I'm excited about that.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

"I think I'm gay!"

So, Giles is gone for good?

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

I heard 6 episodes for Giles this season and I think he's already done that many so he's gone for this season I think. Maybe more guest appearances next season after he's spent time with his family.

Y'all, the bunnies. I love the bunnies. Heh.

I still haven't seen the Doppleganger episode so I got the reference to the "I think I'm kinda gay" but I wish I'd seen the first one.

I think SMG's acting this season has really gone forward in leaps and bounds.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

Don't forget -Buffy: The Musical encore tonight at 8 p.m. on UPN!

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2001

Ah, my love for HB knows no bounds now. I hadn't realized it was on tonight, and you see, there was a little misunderstanding in my household about our tape/tivo division of labour, and long story short, we missed the last 15 minutes of Buffy this week.

But now I can see the whole thing. Because I have no friday plans. Because I am a loser.

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2001

Be warned: it's running at the standard time, cutting 8 minutes.

By the way, I was Wrongy Wrongerton in posting about DVDs earlier. Region 0 can be played anywhere; Region 1 is US-compatible only; Region 2 is UK-compatible only. But some DVD players (especially computer ones) can play any region.

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2001

So did everyone watch it again?

I really missed the "what can't we do if we do it together" bit. I did not, however, miss Dawn's dance with the demons.

-- Anonymous, November 19, 2001

Gah! Spike and Buffy!

So, he's saying that he can hurt her because she's no longer totally human?

And can someone please catch me up on those 3 guys? And they are...? Just big techies?

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

Please tell me I wasn't the only one who laughed through that scene. And then asked my roommate who in God's name goes commando while wearing a leather skirt.

The Legion of Dumb (tm I'm not sure, but probably Ace or Sep) are all recurring characters from previous years. Jonathan was the kid who threatened to kill himself in "Earshot" (Season 3) and then created an alternate universe (I think) where he was the star ("Superstar," Season 4). Warren, who looked at Spike's chip, was the creator of the Buffybot. And the other is the brother of the guy who planned to let demon dogs loose on Buffy's senior prom.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

Evidently she wasn't going commando, as Spike flicked her thong back in her face this episode.

Whoa! Waking up naked. TWO different scenes with a naked Spike? Go UPN!

So is Willow in MA now?

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

I thought last night's ep was very disappointing. How does Amy find the One-Eyed Magic Pusher after ONE DAY of de-ratted status? How does she (let alone Willow) suddenly turn into a magic junkie in, again, ONE DAY?

Also, I felt the whole thing was deeply out of character for Willow. She's had her dark side moments, but she's never just not cared about someone else's welfare, as she did with Dawn. With the exception of "Something Blue," (where Willow's petty mutterings take effect: Giles goes blind, Spike and Buffy are a schmooopy couple, etc. -- but that was unintentional on Willow's part), all the things she's done (bringing Buffy back, making Tara forget, etc.) were in the hope of making things better for herself and the others. She's been selfish, yes, but not completely forgetful and blind.

Any more episodes like that one and I'll be joining the Deep Bitterness Society. And I never thought I'd say that.

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

Yeah, I haven't been watching very long and even I was like, she's an ADDICT now? It seemed fast. But I guess the point was that addictions can happen very quickly. They can happen after one experience if the substance is strong and addictive enough. Like, she didn't seem very comfortable with the idea of going to that place, but once she did it, she had to have more.

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

I think you're right, H. It was evident when she pulled that big crying act in the shower after the first time, so we know she hated what was happening to her, but then she couldn't stop.

I liked it when Buffy was mean to her--when she said, "GET up." But I also felt terrible for Willow, because that feeling of being so out- of-control you don't know what to do with yourself has got to be incredibly frightening.

Was anyone else not super-freaked by those weird Fred Durst (or whoever that Limp Bizkit guy is) eyes on Willow? I could hardly look at her like that.

Naked Spike! Yum.

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

So I'm assuming that tonight's episode was "Hush," the one I've heard so much about.

It was good. And scary.

So who is Riley? Did they date? And is he in the military or something? (See, I'm glad they're showing repeats because I'm getting caught up, but they give me more questions!!)

Although it was cool to see how Tara and Willow met.

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2001

H, Riley was in a secret paramilitary anti-demon unit called The Initiative. It was run by the professor shown at the beginning of the episode. She turned out to be eeeevil in subsequent episodes: in the episodes immediately following Hush, she first embraces Buffy's slayerness, but then turns against her when it becomes apparent that Riley loves her & so she tries to have Buffy killed. Then she creates a super hybrid demon-man (Adam) whose mission is to make a super-race of similar hybrid demon-men to take over the world! Muahahahaha! First, though, Adam kills the not-so-good Professor with a squicky stab through all chest organs. Ew.

Anyway, Buffy & Riley do indeed fall in love, make with the nookie, save the world, start an insurrection against the Initiative, and Buffy joins her spirit with Willow's, Xander's, and Giles's in a magic spell to call forth the essence of the First Slayer in order to defeat Adam.

And then the essence/spirit of the First Slayer gets pissed at having been called forth from her well-earned but haircare-impaired slumber, and tries to kill them all in their dreams in the Season 4 season finale episode Restless, which, if you are so inclined, you can watch over and over again in attempts to unlock the many secrets of Seasons 5 and 6. Not that I have done that.

I left out some stuff (like Buffy/Angel crossovers and Faith waking from her coma, and Oz coming back, but all that stuff is coming soon on F/X syndication), but that's the gist of it.

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2001

Now THAT was a recap!

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2001

But what happened to Riley? I miss him already. So "Hush" was from season 4 and we're now in season 6, right?

When did Buffy drop out of college?

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

I miss Riley, too. Actually, I don't miss Riley all that much, but I miss Marc Blucas. Not enough to drive me to go see Summer Catch, but still.

Basically, at the end of Season 4 the Initiative is destroyed, so Riley's out of a job. Then at the beginning of Season 5 he feels shut out when Joyce gets diagnosed with cancer and Buffy starts, basically, closing up and shutting everyone out; he gets depressed (my friend BuffyFan's theory) or succumbs to bad writing (the reigning MBTV theory) and ends up getting vampires to suck on him for kicks. Buffy finds out, they have a big fight, he gets an offer to join a new top-secret military project and leaves before they can make up.

Apparently there are hopes among the Buffy brass to bring him back at some point, but Blucas's schedule is full o' movies.

BTW, Hannah, if they reshow "The Body," don't watch it without tissues handy.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

According to the previews, they're reshowing "The Body" next Tuesday on UPN. Eeeee!

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

I know! The preview looked sad enough. So that's the one where Joyce dies?

Why is UPN showing all repeats?

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Holiday break like most shows, but they only get the rights to certain repeats since they originally aired on WB. They got good ones to repeat though. I think they are repeating the Dracula one too. Next new ep is scheduled for Jan. 1 I heard.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Well, that makes sense. But at least it's easy to tell which are repeats - anything with Giles.

Who was that Olivia woman? And was she ever mentioned again?

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

I can't remember if Olivia was in any earlier episodes, but she does pop up in Restless the Season 4 closer, in Giles's dream.

I don't really miss Riley, or Marc Blucas -- I thought he was too full of "gee-whiz" faux earnestness.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Olivia is in an episode after Hush, still in town, and oddly enough Buffy acts like she has NO idea who she is. Then she's in the dream in Restless and then no more Olivia. They have been very bad with the consistency of Giles love life (what he had of it). There was Jenny and then Jenny wasn't mentioned and then Olivia came in with implied past/fuck buddy vibe that never came up prior and then she disappeared and was never heard of again. Which sucks cause she's pretty and has a cool accent.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

The showed "Fool for Love" (the one from season 5 where Spike explains to Buffy how he killed the two slayers) on F/X, and of course, you know that gave me more questions.

I know that Angel sired Dru who sired Spike (becasue I read it above, and because I saw last night where Dru sired Spike) but here are my questions.

Why does Angel have a soul and Spike not if Spike became a vampire later? Why did Spike tell Buffy that he too had to claw out of his own coffin? And who is the blonde vamp in their gang? (I think I remember seeing her in another episode where she's like Spike's girlfriend or something??) Were Spike and Dru in love?

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Hannah:

Angel was a very, very evil vampire when he sired Drusilla. Shortly thereafter, he killed a daughter of a gypsy tribesman, and the tribe cursed him by reinstating his soul and causing him to live with the full guilt of all the evil things he'd done. Later, he helped and then fell in love with the Slayer, and when they made love he achieved perfect happiness, thus reversing the gypsy curse and turning him into evil Angelus again. Good times.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Ah. Much more sense. So Buffy saw no wrong in loving him because he had a soul, but now, on his own show, he's evil again?

(Seriously. How much of an annoying newbie am I?)

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Okay.

1. Yes, Spike and Dru were in love. She left him at the end of Season 2, but came back briefly in Season 5, in time for Spike to inform her that he was over her.

2. The blonde is Darla, Angelus's (Angelus=vampire Angel) squeeze. Buffy staked her in Season 1, but she was revived by Wolfram & Hart in Angel, and recently was re-staked (by her own hand) after giving birth to Angel's (non-vampire) son. (I've stopped watching Angel because it is just SO crazy.)

3. Angel only got a soul because a Gypsy curse gave him one, after he slaughtered a Gypsy family (IIRC). In theory he should be the only soul-carrying vampire. Why Spike has been acting all soul-y for the last season and a half has yet to be explained.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

As for the Re-Evilification of Angel: he's not evil on Angel. There was a brief time when he was acting semi-evil, but he was apparently just really, really horny. Darla showed up -- thanks to Wolfram & Hart, the evil law firm Angel battles -- and they finally had breakup sex and Angel was all better. At least until Darla came back pregnant.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Okay, I think I got it. So the blonde vampire who lived with Spike wasn't Darla? She was just some random vampire chick?

I really hope I get the season 1 DVD set for Christmas. I need it!

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Oh, that blonde vampire. That was Harmony, who went to high school with Buffy and the Scoobies (I believe she was friends with Cordelia -- someone help me out). I don't remember who sired her, but she got vamped at some point and basically became Spike's live-in arrangement (tm PG).

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Harmony was a member of Cordelia's snooty posse. She was killed by a vampire henchman of the Mayor on graduation day.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

I have to say that explaining the Buffy Mythology always gives me a secret twinge of shame.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Bust out the hankies, 'cause tonight's episode is The Body, also known as The Joyce Death Episode, and as The Episode That Shoulda Been A Contendah But Got Totally Shafted By The Emmys, Those Stinking Rat Bastards. Which is to say that it rocks, and features some of the best acting and writing ever seen on TV.

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2001

That was so good. So sad. I cried a lot. But I really cried during Anya's speech.

And as the fates would have it F/X aired the preceding episode at 7, so I was sort of caught up. (SPIKE commissions the Buffy Bot?!)

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2001

Oooooooooooooh. So good.

I forgot just how striking that episode was. From the acting to the camerawork to the lack of soundtrack...just so wrenching.

(Plus, a notable lack of the usually copius lipgloss. Serious drama has no need for lipgloss, folks.)

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2001

That is such a great episode. I'd forgotten about the little touches, like SMG's looking haggard, the way you'd expect someone to look after discovering her mother's dead body, and the bit where the EMT is explaining what happened to Joyce and all she can see are his lips moving. I also like how they managed to get in a very real Tara-Willow kiss without making it the EVENT of the show, the way they do on David E. Kelley shows. There's pretty much nothing bad that I could say about this episode.

Re: the BuffyBot, it's, um, kinda nasty, but it/she inspires some amusing moments, too. And the role gives SMG an opportunity to play funny, which she rarely has a chance to do anymore.

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2001

It really was good. I wonder if this means that f/x will be airing it tonight? Since it seems that they've been airing them in order. Or maybe they were working with UPN or something.

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2001

Huh, something went wrong with my last attempt to post this.

None of the eps from WB seasons that UPN is rerunning (Hush, The Body, Dracula, the other one I can't think of) will air on F/X until after this season on UPN is done.

If you are watching the new season and didn't see Dracula (or, like me, thought it wasn't a very good episode) make sure to watch it or tape it Christmas Day. Beth and the others at her forum have been speculating that some of that will tie into explaining why Buffy came back "wrong" and/or where her powers come from. I think they are right on.

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2001

What a great show! Whoa Spike. That was, that was at least a cable rating, I thought!

And the Nemesis nemesieses part was funny. Too bad next week's a repeat! (But a show I haven't seen yet and probably should!)

-- Anonymous, January 08, 2002

I loved that they used the conceit of an invisible Buffy to increase the naughtiness factor. I couldn't believe what I was (not) seeing on prime time! I've been hating on the Geeks of Doom quite a bit, but I liked that they made one of them really eeeevil. If they're going to be the Big Bad this season, at least they're becoming, you know, bad.

-- Anonymous, January 09, 2002

The newbie needs more help. (And it doesn't appear that MBTV has this ep recapped....)

The second ep on F/X last night was when Spike tried to bring Dru back to her former power by giving her Angel's blood. Now, I only saw the second half, but it was enough to give me a million new questions. Most pressing of course is this: I thought there could only be one slayer? (Exception: Faith.) So who was this Jamaican slayer girl? And why did she only have one shirt?

-- Anonymous, January 16, 2002

Okay, remember in a different thread when I was talking about a hypothetical Buffy newbie not knowing who Kendra was, and AB and Slickery (I think) assured me that everyone knew who Kendra was? After you read this, Hannah, their assertion will actually be true.

Anyway -- Kendra was the Slayer called when Buffy died (for about a minute) at the end of Season 1. Faith was called in turn when Kendra died, which happens sometime in Season 2, though I'm not sure when.

Over to someone more conversant in Season 2 than I am . . .

-- Anonymous, January 16, 2002

I should add that since the first episode I saw was the first episode of Season 3, I went a very long time without knowing who Kendra was. So I feel somewhat obliged to campaign on behalf of the poor, the helpless, the Kendra-ignorant.

-- Anonymous, January 16, 2002

I actually figured it out right after I posted! You're quick. So Kendra just ends up in Sunnydale and helps Buffy save Angel?

Damn. When will all of these be out on DVD? Season 1 is out now, right? Maybe I'll go buy that tonight.

-- Anonymous, January 16, 2002

I'm coveting the season 1 dvd, since I missed the finale.

I'm a new convert. I started watching in December, which means I started in the middle of the initiative episodes.

God bless FX for starting over at the beginning. I've missed about 4 episodes total so far, so I'm quickly catching up. I refuse to read much about the show so that things are still shocking. I now know who Kendra is. ;) But I haven't read most of this thread, since it's loaded with spoilers for a buffy newbie like myself. I'm told that buffyguide.com is a great resource for the rest of you addicts, but again, I'm not going to spoil anything.

I have been using Kazaa to download episodes, though. Is that wrong?

-- Anonymous, January 16, 2002

Kendra went to Sunnydale because her Watcher said there were signs of impending doom and she should help. Why she only had one shirt wasn't explained (nor if that meant one shirt with her rather than one shirt all together) but I think they meant it to fall in with "all Slaying, no fun" that was the totality of Kendra's personality.

Now the real question is, why did Kendra's parents send her to a Watcher when she was young? If she was called when Buffy died she should only have been training less than a year. There's some discontiunity (hey, I made up a word!) there with the precedent of Buffy being called as a teen.

And I heard Season 2 DVD is coming out in the Summer, June I think.

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2002

I bought season 1 on DVD. So far I've watched the first 4 episodes, and since I'd never seen any of them, they were of course excellent, as well as educational.

I now vow to quit asking so many annoying questions.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2002

You know, I haven't been watching Buffy too too terribly long, so in a lot of ways I don't quite understand her hesitence to love Spike, since most of my exposure to him has been post-chip. It's hard for me to buy him as evil, even though I know he is and all. He really seems to actually love her, despite all the rough sex etc. (Which is at this point is no longer shocking. It's annoying. Okay. We.get.it. UPN doesn't have a censor board.) HowEVER the Bronze scene was just too disturbing. It really made me realize that Buffy sleeps with him despite herself. I don't know.

Season 3 is on F/X right now, and there's really no comparison is there?

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2002

Spike and Buffy is currently the most twisted relationship I have ever seen. Those are two fucked-up people right there.

You're right about Season 3, though. That season had very few clinkers and one of the best villains ever. Plus Giles in "Band Candy". Rowr. (Hi, I'm desperately shallow.)

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2002

As much as I hate the way Buffy lets Spike treat her, I will not complain about this storyline as long as it continues to bring me half and as-close-to-total-as-broadcast-can-get naked James Marsters. Oh. Yeah.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

I'm finally all caught up! The first episode I ever watched was on last night, and now I know everything that has happened. Because of some out-of-order issues on my viewing, I have some chronology problems, but I know who Kendra is, and Amy, etc., etc.

And I'll miss Giles. He was the bomb, y'all.

-- Anonymous, February 13, 2002

I'm also all thrown off because F/X has been whipping through the seasons. I cried like a baby when Oz left.

Mayn.

-- Anonymous, February 13, 2002

I admit it. I cried when Riley told her that she was the strongest woman he'd ever known. And how creepy was it when Buffy called Spike "William"? Do you think he'll take that vengence demon to the wedding??

Also, "Reckless" was on F/X tonight and I have to ask: did we ever find out the significance of the guy with the cheese slices??

-- Anonymous, February 26, 2002

H, sadly, the relevance of Cheese Slice Man is all in the wacky sense of humour of Joss. Or so he claims. My pet theory is that it's a sly reference to the kid's nursery song that ends with "the cheese stands alone", because the episode was all about the Slayers in general being destined to be alone, but this Slayer in specific choosing to have peeps, which is what makes her the Best Slayer Ever.

I liked it when Buffy called Spike "William" -- I thought she was acknowledging his humanity even as she was giving him the big kiss off. I also like how the show has developed her whole sex-denial-sex-denial-sex-dealing-sex-ending it arc. If they'd only been making with the rumpy pumpy for a single episode and then had her dump him, it would have been too after school special-y.

-- Anonymous, February 26, 2002

Restless. Restless. Not Reckless.

Anyway. "Normal Again." What did y'all think? Creep.Ie.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

Totally gave me the wig. What's going to come of that whole asylum scenario? Is it going to be more than a one-episode deal? Are we meant to think that Buffy has gone all St. Elsewhere?

SMG's acting keeps getting better and better, and this episode was a super showcase for her range, I thought, what with the fear, the vulnerability, the steely homicidal tendencies, and the remorse. I can't believe there are just 5 episodes left in the season.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

I only hope that since we saw scenes with the doctor talking to her before AsylumBuffy woke up that the last scene was in her head too because she didn't have the antidote yet. If they are implying this is all really in her head? Where the fuck does that leave Angel the Series?

Willow looked so cute with her hair in that ponytail!

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2002

There was a bunch of discussion over at The Usual Suspects to the effect that, based on leaked scripts and spoilers, the major themes of this episode were originally intended to take place earlier in the season. So their theory is that this episode is basically out of order, and a one-off, in terms of the mindfuck that they're pulling.

I'll be really mad if we're supposed to think the show is all in Buffy's head. I think if they were going to pull something like that, it would have happened in the show's final episode.

Also, I've heard a rumour that the episode author (Diego Gutierrez, or something) is actually Joss, writing under a pseudonym. I suspect this will become an episode close to "Restless" in terms of the deconstruction & analysis it will inspire.

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2002

Also, I've heard a rumour that the episode author (Diego Gutierrez, or something) is actually Joss, writing under a pseudonym.

Over at TWOP someone said that Diego Gutierrez is Joss's assistant.

(I missed it. Every time I checked the WB it was in commercial. Sob.)

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Ah, his "assistant." Riiiight.

Actually, if Mr. Gutierrez really is Joss's assistant, so much the better. The writing on that episode was very good, and Joss is like the John Sayles of TV. I can't imagine a better TV-writing mentor than Mr. Whedon.

I'm sure they'll re-air it, WG. The acting was really first-rate all around, and I haven't seen the Scoobies so tight and unified in ages. Anya really has to go. She throws everything off.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

But why would Joss use a pseudonym, though? It's not like he's hesitated to say when he's written stuff himself before.

I'm very curious about this ep, since I've been watching less and less this season -- "Wrecked" really disappointed me, and I turned off "Hell's Belles" about 15 minutes in.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Oh, I don't really doubt that Gutierrez is Joss's assistant. I was just foolin' up there. I was serious about Joss being a great mentor, though.

I think this season has been far, far stronger than last year. I like that there's no Big Bad a la The Master or Angelus, because the Big Bad is adulthood, and that's plenty scary, thank you. It feels more like the older seasons of Buffy to me, actually, because it acknowledges the scariness of daily life while continuing to make the heroine face supernatural evil, as well.

"Wrecked" was a disappointment, I agree, but in so many ways, this season has given new life to the show. We've been taping the show & sending the tapes to my sister. I'm sure she's done w/them, so if you want to catch up, you can e-mail me your address (if you feel comfortable w/that) and we can send them to you.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

See, to me the virtues of S6 -- and some of the early Spuffy eps were great -- have been undermined by the crappy character handling. The Dawn-centric episodes have been incoherent, with Dawn either a well- adjusted teen, resentful and abandoned, or rebellious and bratty depending on what the writers need for the plot that week. Granted, we were all inconsistent as teenagers, but it's felt to me like Dawn's character is at the mercy of the plot rather than driving it.

And I was so looking forward to an EvilMagicUser!Willow storyline that I ended up more disappointed than I should have been, possibly, by "Wrecked." It felt more anvil-y than most eps, it didn't fit with Willow's use of magic in previous seasons (I don't remember references to hangovers after she did magic with Tara in S4, for example), and it changed the storyline from potentially evil Willow to weak-and-addicted Willow. Feh.

I'm glad there's been more Tara, because I heart Amber Benson,but overall I've come to care less and less about the show. Apparently I keep catching the crappy eps ("Wrecked," "Older and Far Away") and missing the good ones ("Dead Things"). Maybe "Normal Again" will change my mind.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

The magic is a drug addiction storyline is crap and getting crappier. And I agree there was no "hangover" type allusion before but there were physical consequences before. After Willow cast the teleportation spell that moved Glory from the hospital to hanging in mid-air over the town she had a headache and bloody nose. They referred to an on-going headache in at least one other episode.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

I've been thinking about this hangover thing, and though I agree that Willow's magic "addiction" seems a little bit slapdash, particularly given Joss "I've worked out the next three seasons' plot arcs already!" Whedon's track record, I do think the show has always been remarkably clear about the dangerous qualities of magic.

Giles's ex-buddy Ethan Rayne is a good example of that, sort of pinballing from one bad mischief escapade to another, while Willow's recovery at the end of Season 2 was slowed after she did the big spell to give Angel back his soul. Magic, in the Buffyverse has never been consequence-free.

I do think that originally, they had Willow becoming Baaaaad, but then changed their minds sort of at the last minute because they felt an "addiction" storyline would be more in line with the season's theme of "Oh, Grow Up!"

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2002

I do think the show has always been remarkably clear about the dangerous qualities of magic

Okay, I've only seen this particular episode once, and it was awhile ago, but do remember when the watchers council interviewed Willow and Tara? The questions were something like, "What level are you?" and "Are you registered?"

Willow's a smart gal, why didn't she follow up and find out what this registration is? Why didn't she ever pursue 'formal' training in something she was obviously very gifted at?

Dunno... I think Joss did a great job for the first couple seasons, and even made some wonderful things happen in season 5(*), but I'm not convinced that he still has a plan. Just seems like things are falling apart.

(*) The first coma sequence in season 3? Dushku says, "Yeah, counting down from 730. Little miss muffet is coming." And 2 years later Dawn makes her first appearance, and is referred to as "Little Miss Muffet". Brilliant, cryptic, wonderful.

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2002

Bumping up to say - holy smokes, a new ep tomorrow! It's only been since March 12th. Man, that's a looooong time for fans to wait for a new episode.

-- Anonymous, April 29, 2002

I like "Entropy." Xander was an ass, but I felt for Anya. Big time.

Anyone else watching the repeats on F/X? I saw "The Prom" for the first time this week and cried and cried and cried.

Anyone know why they had Cordy go with Angel the Series and not stay with BtVS? I guess because she and Xander were no longer, but I have to say I sort of miss her.

-- Anonymous, May 01, 2002

This show had me crying when watching the whole series on FX the first time. I'm watching the second time, and I'm pretty blah about it. Anybody finding that the second time around just isn't as believable as the first?

I'm finding myself thinking things like, "WTF? Willow's teaching a high school class, while she's a high school student? Yeah, right." While, the first time I watched those episodes, I was so caught up in other drama that I would ignore those little details. Well, there're a lot of those little details, and I'm having trouble ignoring them now.

Am I alone?

-- Anonymous, May 01, 2002

Holy freaking COW.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2002

Holy fucking SHIT.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2002

No kidding. Man. That was some sobering shit.

(And next week with Evil Willow. My God.)

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2002

Well then... So much for Spike and Buffy. So much for Tara. So much for pretty much everything about that show. Didn't pull too many punches.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2002

AB doesn't hold back.

The whole rape thing though sort of pisses me off, but maybe that's just because I love Spike. But what Buffy said really hit, the only difference is that this time she stopped him. All of the encounters began with him pushing himself on her. It's just before, she always relented. But still! Mayn. Spike.

And I didn't have any feelings for Tara one way of the other, but that moment was just too too real. "Hey, what's on your shirt?"

Sob.

Except you know, like I GET it. The greatest evil is humanity. Demons have nothing on a fucked up loser with a gun.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2002

Yeah, I liked that. The show has always been very anti-gun, so this murder at the hand of one, human man and a gun makes sense.

The Buffy/Spike scene was really difficult to watch. In a way, though, I think it was kind of neccessary for the evolution and/or completion of that storyline.

I can't decide if Spike will come back dechipped or with a soul.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2002

Also, I was finally liking Tara, so I just knew they were going to kill her. Oh, well. Bring on the evil.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2002

Well, he's got his soul back. I knew it and I'm super happy. Even though that robot looking cave in the cave was cheeseolicious.

And y'all cried when Giles walked in didn't you? Because, uh, I did. And then I didn't stop. For an hour. How did I get so invested in this show?

Xander saved the world! And he said "anvil."

-- Anonymous, May 21, 2002

I totally fell for the finale. So many series and season themes pulled together, plus Giles! (I didn't cry when he appeared, but I did a fair amount of squealing.) Loved it.

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2002

I only got to the second half of the finale. Enh.

First off, I want Tara back, but I know that's not rational on my part.

Second, why couldn't Buffy and Dawn have had the whole "I can't protect you" conversation earlier this season? I don't hate Dawn, but I still think her character has been really inconsistently written. But to have that conversation while (a) they're trapped, (b) Willow is trying to destroy the world, (c) Giles is dying -- the hell?

Third, the Timex!Xander performance -- "I love you!" ZAP! "I love you!" POW! "I love you!" BAM! -- felt pretty silly to me. That said, I loved Giles's "Xander saved the world" comment, and the fact that the show paid tribute to Xander and Willow's friendship.

I'm curious what they'll do with Spangel, and a revived Willow with blood on her hands, in Season 7. And I hope Anya sticks around. The Nonsmoker speculated that Xander and Willow are going to hook up next season; I really hope not, because Anya has grown the most on me as a character, and she and Xander clearly have things to work out before either of them can safely hook up with anyone else.

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2002

I like the season finale. Giles totally made me smile. He grounds the show, offers a center point for them to collect around. Without him, the show, to me, felt a little disconnected this season. I'm kind of glad that Spike got his soul back because, loathe though I am to admit it, I really liked Spike and Buffy together - even post attempted rape.

But, WG, I have to agree on the Xander thing. Actually, it reminded me of a really screwed up version of that scene in Good Will Hunting. I wish they would flesh him out. He quite clearly had SERIOUS childhood problems, but they have never focused on that for more than about 5 minutes combined.

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2002