Buffy Blogthrough: 1.12 "Prophecy Girl"

Parenthood has slowed both my TV watching and my writing. It's way past time to get back into both habits!

1.12 “Prophecy Girl”
broadcast:  June 2, 1997
writer:  Joss Whedon
director:  Joss Whedon

The season finale is early Whedon at his best―not incidentally, it's also his directing debut. He manages the climax of the romantic rectangle with particular elegance: Willow turns Xander down in one emotionally fulfilling scene, and later Xander invites his rival Angel to help him rescue Buffy. Their actions mirror Buffy's maturity in facing the Master despite a deadly prophecy. Her reaction upon hearing that fate is the episode's peak, and her subsequent resurrection feels like a reward. But to evaluate “Prophecy Girl” honestly, the battle royale of the back half feels anticlimactic. The witticisms pale (“Oh look, a bad guy!”?), the combat is hard to follow, and the tentacles that wave from the Hellmouth suggests that the budget has been exhausted. Maybe the over-earnest heroics need more time than they're given. Instead, Whedon spends that time resolving character conflicts, a gesture that sets Buffy apart.

Buffy Blogthrough: 1.11 "Out of Mind Out of Sight"

Parenthood has slowed both my TV watching and my writing. It's way past time to get back into both habits!

1.11 “Out of Mind, Out of Sight”

broadcast: May 19, 1997

writer: Joss Whedon (story) and Ashley Gable & Thomas A. Swindon (teleplay)

director: Reza Badiyi

Non-linear television is rare enough that this episode's black/white flashbacks are noteworthy. But otherwise, where the last episode succeeded by abandoning Buffy's established structure, this one works mostly because it follows the blueprint so well. “Out of Mind” applies the monster-rific metaphor of invisibility to a high school wallflower. The student aims to avenge her condition by mutilating Cordelia for her haughtiness and narcissism, which, coupled with the Hellmouth, has caused her condition. Her motivations are relatable but ostracism renders her psychotic (a classroom allusion to Shylock fits in here). But this episode excels in its characterizations. Buffy remembers her pre-Slayer popularity as May Queen and feels like a third wheel in Xander and Willow's long friendship. And Cordelia, finally centerstage, admits to her own streak of alienation but (again like Shylock) uses it to justify her cruelty. In a bonus subplot, a prophecy sets up next week's finale.

Buffy Blogthrough: 1.10 "Nightmares"

Most mornings, to warm up my brain I write & edit 150 words on yesterday's entertainment — a TV episode, movie, news item, or whatever. Now that I've got Lady Hotspur watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've decided to post these exercises so you & she can enjoy them too!

1.10 “Nightmares”

broadcast: May 12, 1997

writer: Joss Whedon (story) & David Greenwalt (teleplay)

director: Bruce Seth Green

Buffy has already flirted with dream-states—think of the fake-out that opens “Teacher's Pet”—but it makes a commitment in “Nightmares.” The plot is an afterthought, almost a means to an end: a comatose Little Leager accidentally conjures dreams into reality. The episode's tension, and it gets intense, is seeing what the characters truly fear. Some of their arcs are conventionally cathartic, like Xander punching a scary clown. Then there's Buffy's absentee father visiting Sunnydale to explain her role in her parents' divorce. Their conversation is staged without even a touch of surrealism; it's hard to tell whether it happened or not. The scene may be Gellar's strongest performance in all seven seasons. Plotwise, on the other hand, “Nightmares” is one of the series' slackest. It's a mirror image to the rest of Season One, abandoning the formula of well-made, socially-driven metaphors for a more formally adventurous style.

Buffy Blogthrough: 1.9 "The Puppet Show"

Most mornings, to warm up my brain I write & edit 150 words on yesterday's entertainment — a TV episode, movie, news item, or whatever. Now that I've got Lady Hotspur watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've decided to post these exercises so you & she can enjoy them too!

1.9 “The Puppet Show”

broadcast: May 5, 1997

writers: Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali

director: Ellen S. Pressman

Buffy already has shown a gift for final scenes, but the one in this episode—Buffy and pals performing Oedipus very poorly—is especially winsome. This coda typifies the tone of “The Puppet Show”, the series' first episode to go all-out for comedy without compromising on action and thrills. “Show” even cheerfully undercuts Buffy's triumph over this week's monster by showing us the baffled reaction of the new principal (Armin Shimerman as a perfect martinet) to the typically gory scene. The light touch eases the potential silliness of the titular puppet, who's not the predictable demon-doll but a demon-hunter cursed to inhabit a ventriloquist's dummy. That twist is one of the plot's many red herrings, which get turned so deftly they cover for the lack of a social theme. Taken alone, “The Puppet Show” is forgettable fun, but the success of its execution points ahead to better episodes.

Buffy Blogthrough: 1.8 "I Robot, You Jane"

Most mornings, to warm up my brain I write & edit 150 words — a TV episode, movie, news item, or whatever. Now that I've got Lady Hotspur watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've decided to post these exercises so you & she can enjoy them too!

1.8 “I Robot, You Jane”
broadcast: April 21, 1997
writer: Ashley Gable & Thomas Swynden
director: Stephen Posey

So far, Willow has gone woefully underdeveloped. But rather than reveal new facets to her personality, this episode simply leverages her established mousiness and tech savvy into a story. The plot follows the template set by “Teacher's Pet”, subbing a paranoia about computer dating for the earlier episode's sexual anxiety. Of the show's social issues, this one has dated worst all around: in concept, special effects, and in its stereotypical computer geeks. But as shaky and cliché as “I Robot” is, on balance it's slightly stronger than “Pet.” The show's voice is more confident, so that Buffy and Xander have a goofy camaraderie as they snoop around a factory. And while Giles extols the value of books in a fine speech, his viewpoint is balanced by his potential love interest, “technopagan” Jenny Calendar. Oh, and this was the first episode of Buffy I ever watched!

Buffy Blogthrough: 1.7 "Angel"

Most mornings, to warm up my brain I write & edit 150 words — a TV episode, movie, news item, or whatever. Now that I've got Lady Hotspur watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've decided to post these exercises so you & she can enjoy them too! 

 

1.7 “Angel”
broadcast: April 14, 1997
writer: David Greenwalt
director: Scott Brazil

Despite its ugly score and the uncharacteristic gunplay at its climax, “Angel” is the first episode to suggest the level of storytelling that Buffy would reach. That's not just because it's the first to complicate the slayer/vampire relationship, to delve into backstory, or to kill a major character. It's not the minor moments like Giles' hospital conversation with Joyce. Partly it's that the driving metaphor is more than a “teen social issue” this time around, it's one actually freighted with stakes (Angel must get over his ex before he can date someone new). Geller's portrayal of Buffy's calf-love for her Byronic stranger makes shocking the otherwise predictable revelation that he's a vampire. Then there's the episode's portentous final beat, where her kiss literally tortures him. Best of all, the episode shows characters who grow and relationships that change, which is why Buffy finds its voice with “Angel”.

Buffy Blogthrough: 1.6 "The Pack"

Most mornings, to warm up my brain I write & edit 150 words — a TV episode, movie, news item, or whatever. Now that I've got Lady Hotspur watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've decided to post these exercises so you & she can enjoy them too!

1.6 "The Pack"

broadcast: April 7, 1997
writers: Matt Klein & Joe Reinkemeyer
director: Bruce Seth Green

Xander gets a second chance to take center stage in another episode based on high school “issues”. On a zoo trip, he and a gang of bullies get zapped with an animal-possession spell. Their violently feral actions culminate in the gang devouring the principal! As juicy and hardcore as that twist is, the hyena behavior and its use as a metaphor for cliques are both a bit silly (especially the stoner giggles). It only really works when Xander is the focus. His transformation into an asshole is stronger as a real teen concern than simple cliquish bullying — and one that the show will return to. It also takes good advantage of the Buffy-Xander-Willow triangle, especially since it finally gives Willow a substantial role and emotional stakes. And the outcome — that Xander is ashamed at acting on his more caddish impulses, even inadvertently — feels as authentically true to life as anything on Buffy so far.

Buffy Blogthrough: 1.5 "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date"

Most mornings, to warm up my brain I write & edit 150 words — a TV episode, movie, news item, or whatever. Now that I've got Lady Hotspur watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've decided to post these exercises so you & she can enjoy them too!

 

1.5 “Never Kill a Boy on the First Date”
broadcast: March 31, 1997
writer: Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali
director: David Semel

As a superhero, Buffy is a riff on Peter Parker, where ethical responsibilities frustrate the hero's normal adolescence. This conflict gets dramatized in the series' best episode so far. Buffy's first date with a hunky bookworm becomes a vampire hunt; though everyone survives (except the vampire, of course), she turns down a second date. The basis for her decision gives an extra twist to the Parker Archetype: the problem isn't her secret identity, it's her beau, who's a thrill-seeker and so a danger to himself and others. The episode's plot plays more as a structure to hang the character conflict on than a key development in the season's arc. The bat-like vampire king recruits an “Anointed One” who, according to prophecy, will kill the Slayer. The fake-out — this Anointed One isn't the scripture-quoting psycho vamp but a little kid — is satisfying mainly because we know the truth but Buffy doesn't.

Buffy Blogthrough: 1.4 "Teacher's Pet"

Most mornings, to warm up my brain I write & edit 150 words on yesterday's entertainment — a TV episode, movie, news item, or whatever. Now that I've got Lady Hotspur watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've decided to post these exercises so you & she can enjoy them too!

1.4 "Teacher's Pet"
broadcast: March 24, 1997
writer: David Greenwalt
director: Bruce Seth Green

Of all the supporting characters, Xander has made the strongest impression so far. So he's the logical first choice for a focus on the supporting characters. In “Teacher's Pet,” he bumbles into a sexual encounter with a substitute teacher. But, this being Sunnydale, she's actually a human-sized praying mantis who implants her eggs in young male virgins. That's a zesty metaphor for adolescent male sexual anxiety about the mysteries of reproduction and female desire. But the execution, by Greenwalt and Green, is rough. The predictable plot does let Buffy exhibit her intelligence, first by using a vampire as a bloodhound and then by applying her science lessons to defeating the she-mantis. As nicely feminist as this turn is, it shifts the drama away from Xander and leaves his sexual anxiety unresolved.  Buffy's dedication to its secondary characters is an admirable strength, but this first example is a poor demonstration.

Buffy Blogthrough: 1.3 "Witch"

Most mornings, to warm up my brain I write & edit 150 words on yesterday's entertainment — a TV episode, movie, news item, or whatever. Now that I've got Lady Hotspur watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've decided to post these exercises so you & she can enjoy them too!

1.3 "Witch"
broadcast: March 17, 1997
writer: Dana Reston
director: Stephen Cragg

Part of what makes early Buffy appealing is how it dilutes the teen melodrama by couching them in a comedic-heroic tone. This week's subject is parental pressure on children. Buffy auditions for the cheerleading squad despite her mother's lack of enthusiasm (Joyce was on the yearbook staff). Their conflict parallels another blonde student, who's pressured by her mother, once the pep-squad leader, to excel at an activity she's ill-suited for. This being Sunnydale High, someone uses witchcraft to eliminate the competition, a predictable plot except for one clever turn: the mom has swapped bodies with the daughter! This magic twist makes literal the theme of mothers living through their children—a dramaturgical tactic unavailable to realistic dramas. Still, the plot does resolve itself conventionally (though the witch's fate caps the episode nicely). The richer drama is on the margins, in Joyce's displays of maternal clumsiness and in Xander's bumbling crush on Buffy.

Buffy Blogthrough: 1.2 "The Harvest"

Most mornings, to warm up my brain I write & edit 150 words on yesterday's entertainment — a TV episode, movie, news item, or whatever. Now that I've got Lady Hotspur watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've decided to post these exercises so you & she can enjoy them too!

1.2 “The Harvest”
broadcast: March 10, 1997
writer: Joss Whedon
director: John D. Kretchmer

This episode can't stand alone as easily as Part 1 did, mainly because it gets bogged down in exposition and resolution. An okay comedic beat at the climax (“You forgot about sunrise…”) undercuts a sense of Buffy's triumph. And the low point has her trundle through tunnels while the vampires simply lurk in longshot. The pleasures of “The Harvest” are in its supporting characters. The cast fills their roles out nicely, especially Nicholas Brendan as sidekick Xander, who delivers the episode's best lines with great timing. The Master, Buffy's arch-villain, makes a good impression: his origin is Lovecraft and his look is Nosferatu, but his style is as casual as the teens'. And the show all comes together when Buffy's mother grounds her, saying, “Everything is life-or-death when you're a 16-year-old girl”. Then Buffy pulls her slaying paraphernalia from a closet stash and sneaks out the window to save the world.
 

Buffy Blogthrough: 1.1 "Welcome to the Hellmouth"

Most mornings, to warm up my brain I write & edit 150 words on yesterday's entertainment — a TV episode, movie, news item, or whatever. Now that I've got Lady Hotspur watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've decided to post these exercises so you & she can enjoy them too!

1.1 “Welcome to the Hellmouth”
broadcast: March 10, 1997
writer: Joss Whedon
director: Charles Martin Smith

Originally the pilot was two hours, but it's got two directors and on DVD it's two episodes. Part 1 focuses on Buffy's character and setting, showing a springier step than Part 2. The setting—Sunnydale and its high school—have the genre hallmarks of teen life that go back to Archie Comics (the name of the cool girl, Cordelia, echoes her Archie analogue Veronica). But Buffy stands out in this episode with her courage and confidence. Though she does protest initially against her destiny, she then goes straight to work hunting vampires. Buffy has prior experience as a vampire hunter, but she also already finds her destiny incompatible with her typical teen lifestyle, having been expelled from high school in LA for burning down a gymnasium full of the fiends. Her personality is defined, and her conflict is encapsulated by the show's comedic title: a preppy teen fighting vampires.