From: owner-buffy-digest@lists.xmission.com (buffy-digest) To: buffy-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: buffy-digest V2 #99 Reply-To: buffy@xmission.com Sender: owner-buffy-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-buffy-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk buffy-digest Wednesday, February 11 1998 Volume 02 : Number 099 In this issue: Re: BUFFY: Bewitched, Hot and Bothered (Spoilers!) BUFFY: BBB Comments BUFFY: Spoiler for Feb. 24 episode BUFFY: Angel Parts (SPOILERS bbb) BUFFY: BB&B BUFFY: RE: B,B,&B/OZ and others BUFFY: RE.: THE ARCHANGEL'S KEEPING TIPS.... Re: BUFFY: BB&B BUFFY: Content-Type: text/plain BUFFY: BBB Quotes and Potential Flub Re: BUFFY: BBB Quotes and Potential Flub BUFFY: V-day ep BUFFY: Dru (was Angel Parts BUFFY: BB&B Random Comments BUFFY: BB&B ROCKED! BUFFY: Review--"BB&B" **SPOILERS!!** Re: BUFFY: BB&B thoughts See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the buffy or buffy-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 23:12:12 -0800 From: Lisa Rose Subject: Re: BUFFY: Bewitched, Hot and Bothered (Spoilers!) At 10:35 PM 2/10/98 -0800, I wrote: >Spoilers for BBB: > >Gotta point my little canoe straight downstream >and go completely with the flow of effusive praise >for this episode. Ooh, ooh, forgot to mention that I was certain that Cordy was someday going to face social ostracism for clandestinely dating the school geek. The school may be blind to supernatural events, but no high school is oblivious to who's dating whom on the sly. Cordy finally reaped what she had sown all those years. And its bitter taste finally convinced her to plant something sweeter this spring. Glad to see Joss didn't leave that big loose-end hanging. Lisa - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 00:18:12 -0700 From: David Simpson Subject: BUFFY: BBB Comments My family really had a good time watching this episode (actually watching it twice). We taped it at 6 PM while we had dinner, and then watched it at 7 PM when it had finished taping. It certainly makes for a more intense Buffy session when you can fast forward through the commercials and get right back to the show. I really liked the development of Cordelia in this episode. Remembering her from the first season and seeing her now shows the growth that she has made in becoming a more interesting and likable person. The first season Cordelia is not someone I liked. This season's Cordelia is someone I would not mind meeting. And I like how she was willing at the end of the episode to be seen in public with Xander, after basically berating Harmony and her other (former) friends about their shallow attitudes. After Innocence aired, I was worried about how safe Buffy and Willow would be with Angelus on the loose. When Angelus grabbed Xander out of Buffy's bedroom, I decided that they were not very safe. There are certainly further possibilities along those lines that could be brought up in future episodes. All in all, I really liked this episode. It will go on my list of episodes to rewatch. David Simpson mailto:simpsond@utah-inter.net Willow: Don't forget, you're supposed to be a weak little girlie-girl like the rest of us. Buffy: Spoil my fun. --- Phases (BtVS) - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 00:25:52 -0700 From: David Simpson Subject: BUFFY: Spoiler for Feb. 24 episode Next week, Feb. 17, is a rerun of The Dark Age episode. For those who are into spoilers, the following is from the Click TV listing for the Feb. 24 episode. Spoiler countdown... 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Spoiler starts--> Buffy the Vampire Slayer Passion Program Type: Network Series / Adventure Parental Guidance: TV-14 Angel's (David Boreanaz) obsession with Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) hits home, forcing her to involve her mother (Kristine Sutherland); Jenny (Robia La Morte) attempts to fix things with Giles (Anthony Stewart Head). (1 hr.) <<-Spoiler ends Sounds like Mom is (maybe) going to be forced out of denial mode. David Simpson mailto:simpsond@utah-inter.net Willow: There is one name that keeps getting spit out. Aggressive behavior, run-ins with authorities, about a screenful of violent incidents. Buffy: Okay, most of those were not my fault! Somebody else started them, I was just standing up for myself! --- Phases (BtVS) - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 23:23:02 -0800 (PST) From: Flora Subject: BUFFY: Angel Parts (SPOILERS bbb) S P O I L E R S P A C E After watching BBB, I realized something. Angel's parts in the show are really limited now. He's constrained in so many ways. He can only interact with the other players in evil and menacing ways and this limits his options greatly, since, obviously, you can't allow him to hurt or kill principal players. Angel only comes in now when there's a really plausible way to get him back out of the shot without his killing Buffy or the gang. Which, after a while, I predict will get reeeeeallly hard to do, without making it look totally stupid. It's getting hard to come up with plausible explanations for him not taking out Buffy mom, or Xander or Cordy or Willow because, if he really did want to drive her mad, that's what he'd start to do. All this stuff about "Finding the perfect revenge" is wearing thin. Do it or get off the pot, as it were. At the very least, there should be more fighting within the vampire group. I'd like to see Spike "get well" and maybe go at it with Angel for entertainment purposes, at least. Maybe a good fight over Dru. Would I be violating list rules if I said I find her sooooo unatractive? I can't even begin to see the physical atraction. But maybe with vamps, strenght and age take over for physical beauty. Anyway, that's my rant for tonight.... == Coolest Buffy Site (really!): http://surf.to/buffy ********************** Keeper of sanity (and a bad one at that) ********************** Wrigle@Yahoo.com _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 21:54:28 -0800 From: lrous@juno.com Subject: BUFFY: BB&B That was absolutely one of the best eps yet. Bravo and brava to all participants. Now, how long until we get another new episode? Len R. _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 00:19:21 EST From: cmonkey1@juno.com (Shannon M Keane) Subject: BUFFY: RE: B,B,&B/OZ and others Spoiler Space: For those of you who were unfortunately preemted b/c of Basketball or whatever.... =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) Okay......This was a great episode....I laughed alot and totally loved Xander, Cordillia, Willow, well the entire cast! Jenny was too funny (I did have some shrudders at the thought of teachers and students together/smotchies). OZ...His reaction to Willow mooning over Xander was great. I do wonder what would happen if Oz became really mad, in normal human form. Or would there be any danger, considering he is a werewolf. Giles.....He did seem hyper critical of Xander's love spell, almost hypocritical even. He has done some pretty stupid things in his youth (referring to Dark Ages) and caused considerable harm to others because of his actions even though he didn't mean for events to turn out the way they did. (Talk about a long sentence) Maybe he was peeved at Jenny's affections towards Xander. And despite himself he redirected his anger at Xander? I am pondering this one. Cordillia.....she rocked. I am so glad that she has vocalized finally that she doesn't need to please the crowd around her. She is a leader, not a "sheep" and doesn't need others approval for what she does. She did have her monents of insecurities, snobishness, and sweetness. When she took the necklace off, that was so nice.... Great episode! I have rambled on long enough. Peace and love, Shannon :-) cmonkey1@juno.com They've come to take me away!!! Ha-ha-hee-hee-ho-ho... _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 19:43:53 EST From: the_archangel_gabriel@juno.com (THE ARCHANGEL GABRIEL) Subject: BUFFY: RE.: THE ARCHANGEL'S KEEPING TIPS.... Sorry I'm a little late kids. The ol' ARCHANGEL's been lookin' for love in all the wrong places. What can you do? What? KEEP that's what. That's right....it's a new episode tonight. "B.B.B." and it promises to be pretty racey. WHOO!!! HOO!!! Anyhow here's the hints. KEEP AWAY!!! - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATED FEBRUARY 10, 1998 This has been updated taking into account site changes, new pages, and any changes in procedure. I will post updates as necessary or, given the influx of new fans to the lists, when requested. If anyone has additional information or changes that I haven't noticed, please send them to me so I can make the appropriate changes. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BUFFY FANS, ONE AND ALL!!! THIS IS A POST ON KEEPING. PLEASE READ THIS IF YOU HAVE EVER HAD A QUESTION ABOUT SAID SUBJECT!!! Keeping is for fun. It's a way of showing our love for the show and for our favorite characters. That's it. It's not meant to be a mad charge to see who can post first onlist about what thing they want and if you don't get it go crazy. I haven't seen it happen onlist for a VERY long time....that's a good thing....but it does happen. I just wanted to remind everyone that KEEPING is done purely for the joy of it. HINTS ON KEEPING: 1. Don't Do It Onlist (Xmission, PlanetX): In all honesty no one cares. The Keeper List owners may read your request but it doesn't matter because it's not "OFFICIAL." There are quite a few Buffy lists and they all have Keepers of things. The Official Keeper sites are used by all groups. If your very lucky, maybe the list owner will take pity on you and contact you back privately and tell you the proper procedure....but don't count on that. The rules that have been established are simple and are there for everyone. They're not written in stone, we're all friends here, so if you have a question ask a Keeper list owner. It may take a little while but they'll get back to you OR contact me (my addy's below). I'm a veteran of the "First Season Keeper Wars" and am more than willing to lend a hand. 2. Check the Keeper Pages First: This is a big one for all you rookies out there. Buffy fans are creative, literate, & compulsive. Obvious things get picked off in a heartbeat....so don't hold your breath on things from first season. The Keeper List's are updated weekly or as time permits but if you ask them for something they'll send you back a verification. So even if it's not on the list at least you'll know your the Keeper. Your best bet is to go to Lisa's Keeper Index page. It has all the current links to all the Keeper pages. If you bookmark any page for Keeping, this is the one. 3. Send Requests Directly to List Owners: After the first two, this one should be pretty obvious. Send your claim to the List Owner via their web pages or directly through E-mail. 4. Don't Fight or Flame: I know it's hard sometimes. You claim something the right way, then turn around and see someone on list praising there good fortune for claiming the same thing the wrong way. It happens. It's no big deal. Like I said before, I haven't seen many public flames but I've seen a couple polite "I Claimed it First Posts." If this happens you can do three things. 1: FLAME!!! FLAME!!! FLAME!!! This is not the preferred method & in all honesty is pretty petty & childish. Besides from that, your not gonna make any new friends of other list members or owners that way. 2: Share. Yes Share!!! There's quite a few CO-KEEPERS. So if your real horked about Keeping something and can't imagine living without it....ask to share it. This pretty much refers to new things though, people who've been Keeping an item since WTTHM aren't gonna be all that willing but you can always try. And 3: Defer Keeper problems to the Individual List Owners. Just tell them your boggle and they'll make an Official ruling. But keep in mind, when you do this the List Owners decision is like the word of God. It's final. If two people can't agree on something....someone else will decide for you. You've got to be willing to accept that. 5. Speed is of the Essence: Whatever your preferred way of claiming, do it fast. The Keeper List Owners get flooded with mail the second after an episode ends. Once again, don't waste time sending claiming messages onlist. While your doing that, someone else is claiming it directly & the right way. If you claim something right after a NEW episode you don't have to check the Keeper Pages to see if what you want is already taken....it's a NEW EP, of course it's not claimed yet. Send your message promptly, even time tag if you want for extra validity cuz' it's FIRST COME....FIRST SERVE. 6. Be Polite: Another obvious one. Being nice is always appreciated by everyone and no one likes a jerk. It's as simple as that.... 7. Make Requests at the Appropriate Time. DON'T EVEN TRY to claim items that haven't even appeared yet. Just because you see something on a preview or hear about something onlist does not make it legal to claim or keep until that given episode actually airs. Now, I know some of you are saying, "But ARCHANGEL....what about time zones? If I live in Cali. I'm gonna see the new ep hours after the Bostonians. What up?" Well, there's no real answer to this except....move to the East Coast for Buffy's sake. The different airing times of the episode is just a fact of life. Just get your requests in as soon as possible. Another quick note. KEEPERSHIP of any of the characters themselves, their body parts, their love, hearts, family members, etc.... is not allowed. Just items/situations that they've used on the show (Buffy's Dance, Angel's Ring). I know you'll see exceptions to this on the lists (I.E. GUARDING), so if you want to try your luck go ahead. It's a general disclaimer. O.K. There's the hints. Not that hard to understand and you'll find that Keeping becomes less of a chore if you know what to do. Below I've broken down all the Keeper Lists and List Owners. Use them. First is Lisa Rose's Index Page. This has links to *ALL THE CURRENT KEEPER PAGES.* Once again....If your gonna bookmark a page, THIS is the one. KEEPER INDEX PAGE: http://www.wco.com/~cybrpaws/keepindx.html Heres the Break Down of List Owners: Buffy Keeper's: Owner: Nic E-mail: Angelnbuffy@juno.com Site: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/6358 Willow Keeper's: Owner: Brenda E-Mail: creatv@concentric.net Site: http://www.concentric.net/~creatv/willow/index.html Note: Brenda has also compiled a list of unclaimed items. So if your looking to KEEP something check out the list. Xander Keeper's: Owner: Courtney E-Mail: thehalo@hotmail.com Site: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/6383/xclub.html Giles Keeper's: Owner: Sonja Marie E-Mail: GASPers@eskimo.com (This is for all GASP & ASH stuff) Site: http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/7728/gaspers.html Angel Keeper's: Owner: Lori E-Mail: lady_rowan@hotmail.com Site: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/4949/Angel-list.html Cordelia Keeper's: Owner: Mike E-Mail: PalOBuffys@aol.com Site: http://members.aol.com/PalOBuffys/Cordelia.html Ms. Calendars Keeper's (Techno-Pagans): Owner: Sabrina E-Mail: sabrinawww@hotmail.com Site: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/9097/mctp.html Spike & Drusilla Keeper's/Guardian Page: Owner: Miriam and Livia E-Mail: Contact Miriam at Divine1798@aol.com for KEEPING. Contact Livia at audreyb@u.washington.edu for GUARDING. Site: http://www.angelfire.com/wa/SpikesPrincess/angels.com Ethan Keeper's: Owner: Livia E-Mail: audreyb@u.washington.edu Site: http://www.angelfire.com/wa/EthanKeepers/ Kendra Keeper's: Owner: Kimberly E-Mail: krbliss@mindspring.com Site: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/2659/Kendra.html Darla Keeper's: Owner: Lisa Rose E-Mail: cybrpaws@wco.com Site: http:///www.wco.com/~cybrpaws/darla.html Joyce Keeper's: Owner: Lisa Rose E-Mail: cybrpaws@wco.com Site: http://www.wco.com/~cybrpaws/joyce.html Oz Keeper's Owner: Zan E-Mail: sls229@is7.nyu.edu Site: http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/9102 The Bronze's Keeper's: Owner: Cedra E-Mail: Cedra@angelfire.com Site: http://www.angelfire.com/ca/Cedra/Bronze.html Quote Keeper's: Owner: Christine E-Mail: tsbear@aol.com Site: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/9977/index.html All Other Keeper's: Note: Just go to Lisa's Index Page, choose "& More...." then pick "All Others" Heroes & Innocents: Owner: Alexia Email: alliy@hotmail.com Site: http://www.internet2k.com/innocents/ Monsters and Villains: Owner: WillowSlay Email: WillowSlay@aol.com Site: http://members.aol.com/WillowSlay/keepers.html Places, Songs & Things: Owner: Alexia Email: alliy@hotmail.com Site: http://www.internet2k.com/everything/ Keep in mind that all these people put their time and effort into these pages. They work hard to make sure all us crazed Buffy fans have a place to display our addiction. Treat them well and shower them with thanks. There it is kiddies. Learn it. Love it. Live it. Brought to you by the ever humble..... THE ARCHANGEL GUARDIAN OF KEEPERSHIP _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 08:24:26 -0500 (EST) From: tan3@cornell.edu Subject: Re: BUFFY: BB&B You know, I just had a thought...don't be *too* surprised; it's been known to happen occasionally... Anyway, lots of people (including myself) were wondering about why the hack they chose Diana, goddess of chastity and generally known for avoiding the company of men (with a few notable exceptions), as the goddess of love in this episode. What I think we're all forgetting is *the spell didn't work*! Maybe that's why Cordelia wasn't affected. Hear me out here.... look at the relative Xander-attraction level. Cordelia drops severely, relative to everyone else, just as someone who's being shielded by the goddess of chastity and maidenhood might. Maybe it was a bad spell, or mis-translated, or non-specific, relying on the witch herself to do the research, or soemthing like that. Anyway, it's just an idea.... Also, what are the possible repercussions against Amy here? I mean, Giles at least is going to want to stop her, right? She's using her powers to get out of homework and the like, so she's not exactly helping the forces of good here... Cheers! Tracey tan3@cornell.edu Keeper of the Cluelessness of the Rest of the Show - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 05:26:17 PST From: "Weeboon Ng" Subject: BUFFY: Content-Type: text/plain whew! all i can say is that its a relief to know that SMG isn't gonna leave BTVS just yet. Dyou people know that here in Western Australia, we haven't even finished the first season of BTVS yet? isn't it horrible? and now they've taken the show off because of the olympics. i feel like crying 'sniff'. and regarding the Sarah vs Kate thingo...i don got nothing agains't Kate but...honestly the only thing Titanic did for me was help me improve my bladder controlling skills (3 hours is a very long time) and to help me improve my concentration...some parts of that film could send you to sleep... Paul 'Buffy Rocks!...says so on the back of my head! ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 08:36:13 -0400 From: Michelle LaRose Subject: BUFFY: BBB Quotes and Potential Flub This is my first post! Spoiler space 'cause this quote might give something away... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * My favorite quote from BBB is when Xander and Cordy are in Buffy's room... XANDER: We'll be safe here... ANGEL: (as he's pulling Xander out the window) Works in theory! Xander's non-verbals during this episode were great...his facial expressions as he's walking down the hall slow-mo...his look to Giles as Jenny is caressing him....thunking his head on the table...the way his face falls when Cordy says "No matter how lame he is". Do the doors to the library open both ways??? Because when Xander and Amy leave the library they definitely open the door IN and then when Buffy comes in in her raincoat after Xander has pushed the card catalog in front of it (LOL) she opens it OUT. Also a question (this is longer than I thought it was going to be!)...Do you get the impression that Buffy is now fully aware of Xander's feelings for her? Is this the first time she's had any inkling? If so, don't you think some sort of "It just can't work for us but you're still my best friend" conversation should have ensued? I kind of get the feeling that either she didn't exactly understand what Xander was saying to her as she was attempting to jump his bones in the library, or she's just kind of blowing it off. Okay I'm done now. Michelle - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 08:13:45 -0600 (CST) From: "Joseph C. Teate" Subject: Re: BUFFY: BBB Quotes and Potential Flub On Wed, 11 Feb 1998, Michelle LaRose wrote: > Is this the first time she's had any inkling? If so, don't you > think some sort of "It just can't work for us but you're still my best > friend" conversation should have ensued? I kind of get the feeling that > Actually, this conversation occured in Prophecy Girl when Xander asked Buffy to the Spring Fling/Prom. The "You're one of my best friends" line was what she told him, much to his chagrin. So she has been aware of how he feels for quite some time now. BTW, I'm glad to see that I am not the only person on this list who thinks that Buffy's hair needed a little help this episode. -- jct - -- Joseph C. Teate, Jr. - -- teatejc@eng.auburn.edu - -- "I'm not ashamed. It's the computer age; nerds are in. They're still in, right?" Willow, Prophecy Girl WITH Standard.Disclaimer; USE Standard.Disclaimer; - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 09:36:48 -0500 (EST) From: Theo Ching Subject: BUFFY: V-day ep Wasn't this a fun episode? ;-D I swear the teens on this show get more action than MOST adults on all the other sci-fi shows! Xander & Cordy may be back together again, but I still say it's 90% physical/forbidden fruit attraction. I suppose Xander will be in for more criticism, but he deserves most of it. And Amy (forgot how cute she was ^_^) is treading thin ethical ice by using the "Jedi mind trick" on her teachers. It was surprising that Spike got jealous of Angel -- the 2 are supposed to be a grandpa--grandson relationship. Hunter D - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 08:59:02 -0600 From: Mia_McDavid@em.fcnbd.com Subject: BUFFY: Dru (was Angel Parts Flora said she does not find Dru attractive. I agree with her, but, interestingly, my hubby says she's the hottest thing on the show. There's no accounting for tastes . . . Mia - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 10:36:49 From: Jeff Rohaly Subject: BUFFY: BB&B Random Comments First of all, this is one of my favorite episodes to date even though it's hard to compare a humorous, quirky one such as this to something like Innocence or Prophecy Girl (my other faves). A few thoughts: 1. Any episode that features a healthy dose of Cordelia is fine by me. Oh sure, I enjoy leering at Charisma Carpenter but it's more than that. I love the dual nature of Cordy's character (epitomized by the "I'll date whoever the hell I want to date -- no matter how lame he is.") and I hope they're able to maintain an edge to her. Seeing her be sweet and caring will lose its meaning if she's not the old Cordy at least a good portion of the time. 2. Xander (or I guess Nicholas Brendon) was in full Mathew Perry mode with some of his lines in this one. I think it struck me most with the "You know what's a good day to break up with somebody. Any day besides Valentine's Day." 3. For some reason, I thoroughly enjoyed Harmony. "A girl wants to look good for her geek" had me laughing as well as her innocent little "I'm not a sheep." Almost as good as "Lunch Lady Doris" chasing after Xander with her rolling pin. 4. I guess we're going to keep the running gag that Oz is unfazed by *any* strange occurrence you present him with. Learning that Buffy had been turned into a rat barely got a response. Given his ability to handle new revelations with ease, I think he has a future as an adviser in the Clinton administration. 5. We got part of the answer to the invitation question. Judging by what happened with Drusilla, it seems as though a vamp is actually physically unable to enter a home without being invited. Since Angelus at least reached in through the window, it looks as though his previous invite still stands. I'm sure they're going to have to deal with this in more detail soon. If previous invites for Angel work for Angelus now, I think Willow should be terrified. She invited him into her room in Lie To Me, his pattern is to kill off Buffy's friends, he's tried to kill her before, and her wily Willow charms aren't much of a superpower with which to fight him off. 6. I wonder what was up with Larry during this whole love spell. That's about it. Jeff Rohaly rohaly@iaw.com - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 10:40:20 EST From: NuPhalanx@aol.com Subject: BUFFY: BB&B ROCKED! Hi! This was another great episode! I liked how the various themes of love, obssesion, and revenge were played out, and how all three related to each other. Great scenes in Xander's bedroom, in the library, and in Buffy's basement. I loved Giles when he dismissed Xander - I thought 'The Ripper' was about to make an appearance. Cordy did the right thing. Yay! And I would like to see Amy appear in more shows - her character would have great potential, especially if the rumors are true and Jenni is killed. cordially, Mike Z. GASP wanna-be Proud Member of the DC/Metro Buffy Crew Keeper of Cordelia's Gold Choker, 'Queen C' Vanity Plates, Wet Blue Dress, Jenni's Crossbow Skill, Willow's pink and burgundy striped v-neck sweater, and Buffy's white coat and gogo boots. - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 10:44:21 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Hickerson Subject: BUFFY: Review--"BB&B" **SPOILERS!!** Warning: If SPOILERS make you "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered," you might want to turn back now... In short: A fun romp. Let's face it, the last three or so episodes of Buffy have been rather dark. And while I am not complaining about this in the slightest (in fact, I love the way the show is able to maintain a dark tone without it being overwhelming, mainly by our heroes being able to find the perfect sarcastic comment to throw in at the properly timed moment!), I have to admit that BB&B was a nice change of pace. Don't get me wrong here--it still had the characteristic elements of what makes Buffy great, but it also took a chance to give us an episode with the emphasis a bit more on the humor that usual. As some of you may know, I am a big fan of "Star Trek," and one of my biggest complains there is when a "Trek" series decides it's time to have a funny episode, it usually comes off as being outside an inside joke. You know the writers and producers must think the jokes are funny for some reason, but you just don't quite get it. So, if I hear an epiosde of a drama series is going for the humorous side, I get a bit nervous. And the best thing is that just as "Innocence" lived up to the promise of being an intense, series changing episode, BB&B lived up the promise of being a funny episode of Buffy. And who better to structure a humorous Buffy episode around that our good friend, Xander? But the best part of this episode is that the humor came out a serious situation. Whedon and company were able to take the a story about peer pressure in high school and take it from being an afterschool special to a story that had me absolutely falling off my couch laughing. And with all great jokes, the humor comes in the set-up. Joss is willing to take the entire first act to put Xander at a point in which he would ask for this spell. It works well, and it shows a bit of the dark side of our good friend Xander. If anything, this season has shown us a bit more of the dark side of the male leads on this show from Giles to Angel to now Xander. His first converstation with Buffy as they wait to slay the vampire about the present for Cordy to his rejection by her are wonderful moments to watch. And his seriousness as he threatens to expose Amy's secret is wonderfully realized. However, once the spell actually backfires and every woman except Cordy wants him, the show is absolutely hysterical. The scenes in which Buffy, Willow, and Ms. Canlendar all come on Xander are some of the funniest scenes the show has had in quite some time. But underlying them is a sense of how serious this is. As when we saw the dark side of Xander when he was hurt, here we see that side of Xander we really know nad love--a nice guy who made a rash decision and must pay for it. But also that is not willing to take advantage of the situation. He was willing to try and hurt Cordy because, let's face it, he loves her and to try and win her back. (I don't seriously think he'd have used the spell to get her back and then dump her. I think his nice guy side would have taken over. But that's just me!) But his reaction to what might be some of his wildest fantasies (Buffy offering herself to him, Willow wanting him to be her first time, etc.) is truly Xander. He wants to give in, but the part of him that cares about these people and is their friend won't do it--no matter how long he's had a thing for Buffy. All of that worked so well. I also have to admit that Ms. Calendar and Joyce finding Xander irrestible was a nice touch as well. Sure, it rings a bit of the on-going plotline of Pacey and his teacher on "Dawson's Creek," but it works here because it's never meant to be serious. (Whereas DC seems to get further and further away from believability with that story each week!) However, if this had been all that was going on in the episode, it might have been a bit more of a disappointment. But, Joss and company add a lot more. Outside of Babylon Five, Buffy is one of the few shows on TV that has a sense of continuity and building to something in each episode. (High praise from since I love Babylon Five!) And I get the feeling that something is building here. Mainly in the threesome of Dru, Spike, and Angel. Spike's only scene last night really showed this--with his jealousy and anger at Angel for commanding so much of Dru's affections. I get the feeling Spike is used to being the biggest bully on the block and now a bigger one has moved in and he's not quite sure what to do next. I get the feeling a major battle within the vampire leadership. Or at least a showdown betwen Spike and Angel. (Maybe in the season finale, perhaps?) And the fall out from "Innocence" continues. We see that in Angel's plotting to stalk and destroy Buffy but also in Giles's reaction to Ms. Calendar. And I have to admit that while at first I didn't like Jenny much for what her actions or lack there of in turning Angel back, I have to admit that I did see her logic in wanting to try and talk to Giles about what had gone on. I hope we get to see the conversation in the near future. And speaking of Giles, we really got to see his dark side again last night. His anger at Xander for what using amy to invoke the spell seemed like some the same anger he had in "Dark Age." It also served as a counterpoint for his scenes with Buffy and how he was willing to be more forgiving and protective of her in dealing with Angel while being very upset and venting his anger on Xander. I wonder if we may see Giles begin to get a bit darker as the pressure builds up toward the end of the season. It will be interesting to watch. About the only thing that really got me in this episode was Cordy's big speech at the end. Because while I'd like seeing her give in to the peer pressure and dump Xander and then realize she's made a mistake, I just didn't quite buy her "Afterschool Special" moment at the end. Yes, it was nice to see her character develop to a person who can think for herself, but it might have been more interesting to end it on a bittersweet note with Cordy watching Xander walk away or maybe meet up with Buffy. Of course, if you keep that going on too long, you get "Who's the Boss?" So, that about wraps it up, except for a few minor things.... --I loved Willow's scene in the beginning when she told Amy that Oz was in the band. Very cute and funny. --Also on the Willow front, her attempted seduction of Xander was a hoot, as well as Oz's reaction. ("I just felt I had to punch you in the face.") --I haven't commented much on Amy's part in the story, but it worked out well. I have not seen her first appearance so I can't comment much on the continuity there. However, I do wonder if she might have some way to put the curse back on Angel or a spell to curb Oz's werewolf transformation. Just a thought. Overall, this was a fun episode and one I enjoyed a great deal. It has some humor, some serious moments, and most of all, it gave us a unique look into Xander. Chalk up another success from Joss and company. Final Rating: 8.0 (out of 10.0) Next up: A repeat of "Dark Ages." Michael Hickerson *************************************************************** *"Just look behind your own soul and the person that you'll * * see just might remind you of me." --Colin Raye * *************************************************************** - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 10:57:25 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Hickerson Subject: Re: BUFFY: BB&B thoughts > Finally, am I the only one that is going to have trouble if they try to > put Buffy and Angel back together if/when his soul is restored? I have > visions of bloody hearts and puppies nailed who-knows-where dancing in > my head. I don't want to see them get back together right away, if at all. I think way too much stuff has gone on for Buffy to take him back right away as Cordy took Xander back at the end of this episode. However, you could see her eventually taking him back since even though he did al of this brutal, ugly things as a vampire, he is stil a sensitive, sweet guy with his soul. She shouldn't condem him for his past if he has truly changed. I think Giles needs to take notes and talk to Ms. Calenadar! It is beginning to feel like they are manufacturing reasons for them to be apart. > JMHO. I loved the music for the Xander slo-mo scene. I'd ask what it > is, but I'll just wait and check, someone is bound to say what it is. I think it was supposed to be a take-off of Saturday Night Fever (leisure suit and all!). I am not sure if they used the same music or not. Michael - - ------------------------------ End of buffy-digest V2 #99 ************************** To subscribe to buffy or buffy-digest, send the command subscribe buffy-digest or subscribe buffy to majordomo@xmission.com. You will need to go through a confirmation process, and the listowners have to manually approve your subscription request, so it may take some time. Back issues of this digest can be found at: ftp://ftp.xmission.com/pub/lists/buffy/archive/ For help, contact Jill Kirby (jtkirby@mcs.com) or sah (romana@mindspring.com)