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watcherscouncil2025-03-30 09:04 am
wearing_tearing) wrote in watcherscouncil2025-03-30 09:04 am
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BtVS - 3.16: Doppelgängland
Original Air Date: February 23, 1999
Writer: Joss Whedon
Director: Joss Whedon
Anya! I feel for her re her being stuck at Sunnydale High. Her threatening to find someone who will restore her powers and the episode cutting right to Willow as she performs MAGIC right in front of SEVERAL HUMAN PEOPLE at SCHOOL is telling.
Does Willow ever use the pencil trick to kill vampires? Because that’d be really useful.
Can principals bully students into tutoring? Do students get anything for tutoring? Like extra credit or money or???
Why would the Council evaluate Slayers when there’s only one chosen one per generation, with the great exception of right this minute because Buffy died at the end of season 1… It’s not like they can hire someone else to be the Slayer? Unless they then scheme to have that Slayer killed if she fails and then hope the next one does better… Yikes.
“Thanks, sugar daddy.” Gross. Gross, gross, gross. Glad the Mayor (can’t believe I’m saying this) told her he doesn’t appreciate that sort of stuff. Yuck.
DON’T DO IT, WILLOW. LET HIM FAIL.
Being reliable does have its downsides. It means some people will not do what they need to do because they think you’ll take care of it, just as we see. And then Willow doesn’t even question Anya’s well of information about a spell…
AND VAMPIRE WILLOW IS IN THE WRONG UNIVERSE \o/
Shoutout to this episode’s band: K’s Choice!
I looooove how shocking it is for Xander and Buffy to come across Willow at The Bronze and not realize it’s not their Willow until Wishverse Willow shows them her fangs. The DEVASTATION of thinking your best friend in the entire world has fallen victim to the evil you try to fight and you weren’t there to protect and save her.
The hug when they see human Willow again!!! It’s so damn sweet. I love friendships <3
Anya getting carded despite being ancient is the kind of humor I’m here for. Just let the vengeance demon drink some alcohol! She’s around teenagers all day, she deserves it.
At least she finds a partner in Vampire Willow to try and get herself back together. I’m glad it happens with Oz around there to hear Anya mention this Willow is from a different universe.
THE WILLOWS MEET. Also very interesting that Wishverse Willow was previously all about the dudes and now we have her obviously favoring women! Willow being able to catch that right away instead of just dismissing it as some weird vampire thing is also very !!!!! to me.
Oz’s little smile as Willow pretending to be Wishverse Willow talks about her tendency not to stand up for herself? So cute.
Aaaahhh, Cordelia. She saw an opportunity and she took it! I love the thought of Wishverse Willow being forced to listening to Cordelia talk about the ethics of boyfriend stealing lol
Willow throwing a punch at Anya is also amazing <3 We love to see her not kicking ass <3
Willow asking Buffy not to kill her Wishverse self is sweet and speaks a lot about Willow as a person. She understands that Wishverse Willow still represents a part of her—someone who didn’t have Buffy as a best friend—and so the decision to send her back to her world makes sense. Too bad she dies 2 seconds later.
All in all, I do like this episode quite a bit! Alyson Hannigan does a wonderful job of playing two Willows as two very distinct and complex characters—from the way she holds herself to her tone of voice and facial expressions. It’s always so fun when the show lets the actors play around like that :D
Vampires Slayed: 4(?).
Series Total: 79.
Giles Taking Off/Putting On Glasses: 2.
Series Total: 77.
Episode Quote:
Willow: And I think I’m kinda gay.
Writer: Joss Whedon
Director: Joss Whedon
Buffy and the real Willow must save the day when from the bleak alternate universe in which vampires rule Sunnydale, Willow's blood-sucking doppelganger is brought forth into this world and wreaks havoc and confusion on Sunnydale. Meanwhile, Buffy goes into full training mode so she can ace out Faith on the Watchers Council tests, while Faith's unholy new alliance is already paying handsome dividends.I do miss when shows did relevant “previously on” cuts at the start of a new episode. It gives so many hints about what’s to come while still, obviously, making sure to remind the audience about some plot bits.
Anya! I feel for her re her being stuck at Sunnydale High. Her threatening to find someone who will restore her powers and the episode cutting right to Willow as she performs MAGIC right in front of SEVERAL HUMAN PEOPLE at SCHOOL is telling.
Does Willow ever use the pencil trick to kill vampires? Because that’d be really useful.
Can principals bully students into tutoring? Do students get anything for tutoring? Like extra credit or money or???
Why would the Council evaluate Slayers when there’s only one chosen one per generation, with the great exception of right this minute because Buffy died at the end of season 1… It’s not like they can hire someone else to be the Slayer? Unless they then scheme to have that Slayer killed if she fails and then hope the next one does better… Yikes.
“Thanks, sugar daddy.” Gross. Gross, gross, gross. Glad the Mayor (can’t believe I’m saying this) told her he doesn’t appreciate that sort of stuff. Yuck.
DON’T DO IT, WILLOW. LET HIM FAIL.
Being reliable does have its downsides. It means some people will not do what they need to do because they think you’ll take care of it, just as we see. And then Willow doesn’t even question Anya’s well of information about a spell…
AND VAMPIRE WILLOW IS IN THE WRONG UNIVERSE \o/
Shoutout to this episode’s band: K’s Choice!
I looooove how shocking it is for Xander and Buffy to come across Willow at The Bronze and not realize it’s not their Willow until Wishverse Willow shows them her fangs. The DEVASTATION of thinking your best friend in the entire world has fallen victim to the evil you try to fight and you weren’t there to protect and save her.
The hug when they see human Willow again!!! It’s so damn sweet. I love friendships <3
Anya getting carded despite being ancient is the kind of humor I’m here for. Just let the vengeance demon drink some alcohol! She’s around teenagers all day, she deserves it.
At least she finds a partner in Vampire Willow to try and get herself back together. I’m glad it happens with Oz around there to hear Anya mention this Willow is from a different universe.
THE WILLOWS MEET. Also very interesting that Wishverse Willow was previously all about the dudes and now we have her obviously favoring women! Willow being able to catch that right away instead of just dismissing it as some weird vampire thing is also very !!!!! to me.
Oz’s little smile as Willow pretending to be Wishverse Willow talks about her tendency not to stand up for herself? So cute.
Aaaahhh, Cordelia. She saw an opportunity and she took it! I love the thought of Wishverse Willow being forced to listening to Cordelia talk about the ethics of boyfriend stealing lol
Willow throwing a punch at Anya is also amazing <3 We love to see her not kicking ass <3
Willow asking Buffy not to kill her Wishverse self is sweet and speaks a lot about Willow as a person. She understands that Wishverse Willow still represents a part of her—someone who didn’t have Buffy as a best friend—and so the decision to send her back to her world makes sense. Too bad she dies 2 seconds later.
All in all, I do like this episode quite a bit! Alyson Hannigan does a wonderful job of playing two Willows as two very distinct and complex characters—from the way she holds herself to her tone of voice and facial expressions. It’s always so fun when the show lets the actors play around like that :D
Vampires Slayed: 4(?).
Series Total: 79.
Giles Taking Off/Putting On Glasses: 2.
Series Total: 77.
Episode Quote:
Willow: And I think I’m kinda gay.
no subject
My guess with the Watchers' Council evaluating the Slayers is to compare them to past Slayers and see where they need to improve/what areas their Watcher needs to focus on with them. But of course, in this case, there could be multiple reasons why. I do, however, seem to recall them saying that it was the expected time for the evaluations, so I'm leaning more towards my first answer. :)
Again, with Faith and the sugar daddy thing -- I think it just really goes to show what kind of upbringing this poor child had, and the kind of interactions she'd been forced to become accustomed to. I remember her seeming rather shocked at his reaction, and then like yeah, okay, I'll let you play the card but I know we'll come back to this was the kind of feel I got from her after. She's never really never had a kind adult to help her, I'm thinking, except for maybe her first Watcher until she/he was killed. Which also probably terrified her and was the bigger reason she high-tailed it for Sunnydale, where the other Slayer was.
I think Willow wasn't too surprised when Anya knew more than she did in the magic realm, because Willow's still very much just beginning to learn at this point. She's excited to see what all magic can do, and if Anya/the vision of the other realm hadn't spooked her, she likely would have continued to be impressed by Anya -- and I don't think we really would've wanted to see where that could have led at this point in time.
You really could feel Oz's pride in Willow in this episode, and it was SUPER sweet!! <3 Reminded me why I used to LOVE them so much and was a late supporter of Willow's change. I kept hoping they'd bring Oz back and just let Willow be bi and bring in a different gay character! I was thrilled at the idea of the first Lesbian kiss on TV being on Buffy, but I was just SUCH an Oz/Willow shipper!
And yes, this episode DEFINITELY showed off Alyson's acting chops! And Ash's too, I think! :)