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watcherscouncil2024-04-14 09:17 am
wearing_tearing) wrote in watcherscouncil2024-04-14 09:17 am
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BtVS - 2.01: When She Was Bad
Original Air Date: September 15, 1997
Writer: Joss Whedon
Director: Joss Whedon
The season starts with a usual sight: the cemetery! I do like Willow and Xander banter-y moments when they’re just having good fun. Usually their interactions end up with Xander talking about his crush on Buffy and… yep, there he goes.
Buffy’s been away for the summer and Sunnydale has been nice enough to be boring and not at all dangerous while she’s away. As soon as she comes back, however? Vampires!
It’s clear she’s a bit standoff-ish from the beginning. I don’t think BtVS ever addresses the possible PTSD from all of her experiences, but it’s obvious she’s struggling with her fight with the Master. Even her parents notice how distant she is.
Cordelia, amazing as always.
Giles and Jenny are so damn cute, though! I do love the framing of Principal Snyder talking about teenagers and hormones while Giles is all heart-eyes for Jenny in the background.
The explanation that the Hellmouth is closed, but not gone brings some interesting things to light! We’re kind of back to where we started in the last season with that. The evil energy will still attract evil guys!
So many things happen in that library… No one ever questions it…
Oh, right! The Anointed One still lives and is around to cause problems on purpose! I totally forgot about him with the big fight against the Master in the season finale. Good to know they didn’t drop this plot point like my brain did.
Great way to show us how Buffy is still affected by what happened with the Master: her nightmare about Giles as the Master trying to kill her. I feel like some current genre shows forget that the characters can be traumatized by the things they face and happen to them? I very much appreciate them having the care to have Buffy struggling with her experiences and trauma. However, it does make this episode a little bit slow.
Angel, lurking! And bringing bad news! And making Buffy sad!
Shoutout to Cibo Matto as this episode’s band! It’d been a while since we had one.
Willow finally notices something’s up with Buffy, but Xander dismisses her worries. We cut to vampires digging up the Master’s grave because… of course. Why didn’t they burn the bones???? Make it make sense.
… Okay, pretty shitty of Buffy to do that to Angel and to Xander. Willow was right that Buffy had never been mean before like she’s being now. Lots of hurt feelings all around. I do understand her being a traumatized teenager, but it’s hard to watch.
Cordelia being the one to call her out on her behavior is wonderful. And then she gets kidnapped, because of course.
It’s wild to me that Willow, Xander, and Giles talk about Buffy being possessed because she’s not acting like herself. Big points to Giles for getting to the root of the issue and realizing it’s actually because of her death and fight with the Master.
I do understand why Buffy is acting the way she is, but I find it a little tiring. She’s having lots of trouble trusting others than herself while, at the same time, thinking she’s invulnerable. It’s not a good combination and it’s not a conflict I enjoy.
Vampires in the library again! One would think they would have tried to fix that issue after last season.
I do like the switcharoo in regard to the ritual! It was a good trap. It’s very obvious that is not going to work, though. But the fighting that follows is pretty cool to watch.
And Buffy takes her anger and hurt and fear out on the bones! As it should have been done from the start! It’s so sad to watch her finally let go, but I believe it’s a very important scene for her. I don’t enjoy as much how that seems to have cured her of everything…
The POWER OF FRIENDSHIP! Honestly, that’s a really cute scene between Buffy, Willow, and Xander. I wish we had more moments of them just being besties without all the supernatural stuff.
But, of course, the final scene of the episode needs to remind us that the Anointed One still lives! And he hates Buffy :D
Vampires Slayed: 6.
Series Total: 23.
Giles Taking Off/Putting On Glasses: 1.
Series Total: 19.
Episode Quote:
Buffy: Hi, guys. Miss me?
Writer: Joss Whedon
Director: Joss Whedon
When Buffy returns home to Sunnydale after a spending the summer away, Xander and Willow become concerned with her disturbingly cold and distant behavior. Meanwhile, Cordelia and Sunnydale High teacher Ms. Calendar are kidnapped and Buffy is convinced that the fight to protect them and the world from the undead is hers alone. Still reluctant to risk getting close to Angel, Buffy turns him away before either one can express his or her true feelings.Let’s go, Season 02!
The season starts with a usual sight: the cemetery! I do like Willow and Xander banter-y moments when they’re just having good fun. Usually their interactions end up with Xander talking about his crush on Buffy and… yep, there he goes.
Buffy’s been away for the summer and Sunnydale has been nice enough to be boring and not at all dangerous while she’s away. As soon as she comes back, however? Vampires!
It’s clear she’s a bit standoff-ish from the beginning. I don’t think BtVS ever addresses the possible PTSD from all of her experiences, but it’s obvious she’s struggling with her fight with the Master. Even her parents notice how distant she is.
Cordelia, amazing as always.
Giles and Jenny are so damn cute, though! I do love the framing of Principal Snyder talking about teenagers and hormones while Giles is all heart-eyes for Jenny in the background.
The explanation that the Hellmouth is closed, but not gone brings some interesting things to light! We’re kind of back to where we started in the last season with that. The evil energy will still attract evil guys!
So many things happen in that library… No one ever questions it…
Oh, right! The Anointed One still lives and is around to cause problems on purpose! I totally forgot about him with the big fight against the Master in the season finale. Good to know they didn’t drop this plot point like my brain did.
Great way to show us how Buffy is still affected by what happened with the Master: her nightmare about Giles as the Master trying to kill her. I feel like some current genre shows forget that the characters can be traumatized by the things they face and happen to them? I very much appreciate them having the care to have Buffy struggling with her experiences and trauma. However, it does make this episode a little bit slow.
Angel, lurking! And bringing bad news! And making Buffy sad!
Shoutout to Cibo Matto as this episode’s band! It’d been a while since we had one.
Willow finally notices something’s up with Buffy, but Xander dismisses her worries. We cut to vampires digging up the Master’s grave because… of course. Why didn’t they burn the bones???? Make it make sense.
… Okay, pretty shitty of Buffy to do that to Angel and to Xander. Willow was right that Buffy had never been mean before like she’s being now. Lots of hurt feelings all around. I do understand her being a traumatized teenager, but it’s hard to watch.
Cordelia being the one to call her out on her behavior is wonderful. And then she gets kidnapped, because of course.
It’s wild to me that Willow, Xander, and Giles talk about Buffy being possessed because she’s not acting like herself. Big points to Giles for getting to the root of the issue and realizing it’s actually because of her death and fight with the Master.
I do understand why Buffy is acting the way she is, but I find it a little tiring. She’s having lots of trouble trusting others than herself while, at the same time, thinking she’s invulnerable. It’s not a good combination and it’s not a conflict I enjoy.
Vampires in the library again! One would think they would have tried to fix that issue after last season.
I do like the switcharoo in regard to the ritual! It was a good trap. It’s very obvious that is not going to work, though. But the fighting that follows is pretty cool to watch.
And Buffy takes her anger and hurt and fear out on the bones! As it should have been done from the start! It’s so sad to watch her finally let go, but I believe it’s a very important scene for her. I don’t enjoy as much how that seems to have cured her of everything…
The POWER OF FRIENDSHIP! Honestly, that’s a really cute scene between Buffy, Willow, and Xander. I wish we had more moments of them just being besties without all the supernatural stuff.
But, of course, the final scene of the episode needs to remind us that the Anointed One still lives! And he hates Buffy :D
Vampires Slayed: 6.
Series Total: 23.
Giles Taking Off/Putting On Glasses: 1.
Series Total: 19.
Episode Quote:
Buffy: Hi, guys. Miss me?