FEATURE: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Amends

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Angel has returned from a hell dimension, but the gang are struggling to forgive him for the murders he committed beforehand, namely Jenny Calendar.

It's a rare festive episode this time with Amends, the Joss Whedon take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol via your standard supernatural route. It's unseasonably hot in Sunnydale as the holiday season gets underway, both Christmas and Hanukkah for Willow who is not worshipping at the altar of Santa. Angel begins seeing the faces of victims past in his dreams and in front of him, tormenting him about his previous life and trying to guilt him into committing suicide for their own ends. Buffy and her really awful fringe decide to try and bring him back. 

Redemption is very much the order of the day here, not just for Angel who we shall talk about later, but for the Scoobies themselves who are still making their own amends for mistakes earlier in the season. Oz and Willow's reconciliation is suitably low-key and adorable, beginning with an awkward hug, nearly flatlining with an unsuccessful seduction attempt and yet still remaining nice and sweet at the end. Xander and Giles too make their peace with Buffy's relationship with Angel, offering her their help in his time of need.

The subject matter ensures that it is pretty gloomy for a Christmas episode though I don't really expect Buffy to indulge in something light and fluffy involving elves or candycanes. There are small moments of welcome relief in the episode like Xander's attempt to get information out of Willy the Snitch or Willow's seduction with added Barry White. What it does do is hark back to the Dickensian tale I mentioned at the beginning without the sense of humour. The First takes on the role of the Ghost of Christmas Past, haunting Angel with his victims and mistakes, taunting him into believing that he will never be able to repent for his actions. Buffy becomes his Christmas Present (both in temporal and relationship terms - they officially get back together here), trying everything to keep him in the world and talk him down from committing suicide. Angel therefore becomes his own Christmas Future, offered a second chance with a Christmas miracle as snow falls on a sunless Sunnydale morning.

For a relatively small scale episode in the middle of the third season, Amends has got a fair amount going on in it which will have further repercussions across both this series and on to Angel. It seems appropriate to kick off with The First Evil, the foe of the episode trying to get Angel to turn evil in this instalment and then going on to be the eventual final season Big Bad. For something that will have a massive impact on Sunnydale later, the First don't really make all that much of an impression here, acting as more of a facilitator for character moments than a foe in their own right though they do offer weird dream sex to tempt Angel into killing Buffy and turn evil again. Nefarious. Also, their minions are creepy, particularly if you have a thing about missing eyes (I do), and the First's ill-defined powers offer a glimpse into Angel's past (and a less than welcome return for Appalling Irish Accent Angel). 

However, what it does do is give David Boreanaz a chance dig a bit deeper into the good side of the equation. Much of his guilt stems not from his strength as a vampire, but from his weakness as a man. The flashback to his human life shows him drunkenly falling over, seen earlier in the series, his turning with Darla is based more on the fact that he thought he was going to have sex with her than actually becoming a vampire and losing his soul to Buffy is seen as a sign of weakness by all involved. Throughout his whole speech, he refers to this chance to commit suicide, to rid the world of his evil, as something strong, until Buffy turns it around on him by stating the strong thing to do would be to stay and fight it.

In that beautiful, haunting final scene before the snow starts to fall, it sets up Angel's solo mission swiftly with the idea that he can repent for his previous sins. Angel suddenly gets a renewed focus and an extra depth that being Buffy's beau just never offered. His final scene in which his soul is laid bare and he is seconds from suicide is a powerful rendition of complete and utter desolation. It's one of the best pieces of writing in the entire series and perfectly establishes Angel's renewed sense of self.

The final Christmas Miracle snowfall that allows Angel to escape with his life has been talked about a lot over the years since it first aired. It's hard to avoid the overtly Christian connotations in such an act, particularly given the episode's themes of redemption and repentance, but it also allows for your own interpretation. Though The First take credit for bringing Angel back, that wouldn't account for the miracle to keep him alive. Personally, I think it's the Powers That Be who go on to help Angel in his own series are responsible, particularly given the Shanshu Prophecy. Oops. Getting ahead of myself there (very much looking forward to starting Angel too).

Quote of the Week:

Angel: It's not the demon in me that needs killing, Buffy. It's the man.

Let's Get Trivial: The Mutant Enemy at the end of this episode wears a Santa hat.

- Becky

You can check out Becky's look at previous episode The Wish here.

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FEATURE: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Passion

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Giles and Jenny's relationship has fractured due to the revelations of her part in ensuring Angel loses his soul, Angelus continues to taunt the gang and Buffy finds herself struggling to keep him at bay.

I'm writing this first paragraph before I even begin watching this week's episode because there are few episodes that stick so clearly in the mind like Passion does. Several images immediately come to mind when someone talks about Passion; Willow's fish, the drawing of Buffy left on her pillow, the final chase, the rose petals... Even now, I'm getting a little upset just thinking about it. It's an episode that revels in its own darkness, because Angelus' particular brand of emotional torture gets to take centre stage and we get literally into his head. Very few Buffy episodes use a voiceover, but its sparing use over the course of the series' run really allows it to work effectively, hammering home the emotions of the episode in which it is featured. David Boreanaz is on voiceover duties here and the thought of it gives me the shivers.

Passion finds Angelus stepping up his game when it comes to torturing Buffy and her friends. The cold open follows his gaze as he stalks Buffy whilst she dances at the Bronze and then follows her home to draw pictures of her while she sleeps. The gang work on a de-invitation spell to prevent Angelus from entering their various homes and Cordelia's car, which comically comes equipped with garlic bouquets later on. Meanwhile Jenny is trying to repair her reputation with the group by tracking down what's needed for the Ritual of Restoration which would give Angelus back his soul. She slowly rekindles her friendship with Willow and works to do the same with her relationship with Giles, the pair agreeing to meet on a date once she has finished translating the ritual. Angelus, however, has other ideas.

After the levity of Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, the psychological horror of Passion is quite the gear change, but handled characteristically well thanks to Ty King's script and Michael E. Gershman's direction. The opening scene's voiceover and the gaze-focused camera-work create the edgy, uncomfortable atmosphere that permeates the episode, placing us within Angelus' mind. We see some of the action throughout from Angelus' gaze, particularly the scene in which Buffy and Willow find out about Jenny. The focus on Buffy, Joyce and Willow with the stalking in the first half of the episode is a feint of sorts before the real attack takes place. We've heard much about Angelus' particular brand of villainy before and after he turned, but this is the first time we've really seen him in action. It's chilling.

David Boreanaz's performance in this episode is one of his best, getting to play all the playfully dangerous facets of Angelus' character and rolling with it. The scene with Joyce at the doorstep in which he reveals the true extent of his relationship with Buffy is masterful in its manipulation. Kristine Sutherland also puts in a wonderful performance here, discovering that Buffy hasn't exactly been telling her everything. It's a pre-cursor to her finding out about Buffy's dual life later in the season and it's handled well, demonstrating the strength of their relationship when its tested.

However, most of the preceding episode is to establish this tense atmosphere, building up to the moment in which Angelus confronts Jenny about her attempts to restore his soul. The chase through the school is made even more dramatic by the knowledge that everyone who could possibly help Jenny is elsewhere; there is no last minute dramatic rescue as Buffy bursts through the doors, Jenny is completely alone. Famously, Whedon ensured that Boreanaz was in full vamp face for this particular death, because he didn't want viewers to hate Angel, but to entirely associate this with his other half. As with Buffy, it's the moment in which the audience finally sees Angelus' ruthlessness. It also serves as a double-edged revelation; this is the first instance of Whedon's characteristic willingness to kill off characters to demonstrate a point. Here, it's no character is safe.

As if killing Jenny hadn't been enough, the final ten minutes of the episode continue to show Angelus' emotional torture. The scene where Giles discovers Jenny's body, mistakenly thinking she'd set up a romantic date for the two of them, is one of the most heartbreaking sequences Buffy produced in its seven seasons. La Boheme is playing on the record player; the specific piece is O soave fanciulla, the piece the central couple sing to each other as they realise they are falling in love. It's a choice dripping with irony, much like the rest of the scene and it's another turn of the screw as Giles ascends the stairs to find her body. Angelus reminds me of Heath Ledger's Joker in this respect; yes there is an endgame, but really he just wants to see how far he can push people before they break entirely.

Giles very nearly does break entirely, going off on a vengeance mission half-cocked and overly emotional, leading to Buffy bursting in to save the day and beat the crap out of Angelus before saving Giles' life. If you hadn't already shed a tear at the discovery of Jenny's body, or the near-silent phone call as Buffy and Willow find out, then you certainly will as Buffy hits Giles to calm him down and then clutches him as he sobs uncontrollably. I'm an emotional wreck by the end of this episode every time I see it. This last viewing was no exception.

I've mentioned before that I'm a fairly emotional television watcher, I get far too wrapped up in these things. However, Passion stands out as one episode in which it is entirely justified. We've been getting to know these characters over the course of twenty-nine episodes and the Scoobies always felt like a family from the outset. By killing off a character who has been with us from the beginning and who means so much to people in the group, Passion forces us to confront the nightmarish world they live. Sure Buffy died, but she was always going to come back somehow. Jenny won't. The fragility of life on the Hellmouth suddenly is pulled sharply into focus and, building into the final episodes of the season, it becomes increasingly apparent that the stakes are too high for everyone to get out alive.

Quote of the Week:

Angelus: Passion... it lies in all of us. Sleeping, waiting, and though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir, open its jaws, and howl. It speaks to us, guides us... passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments; the joy of love, the clarity of hatred, and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank... without passion, we'd be truly dead.

Let's Get Trivial: In an interview with the BBC, Anthony Head revealed this to be his favourite episode.

- Becky

You can read Becky's look at Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered here.

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FEATURE: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Xander and Cordelia are now officially a couple, Buffy and Angel are still at loggerheads and Willow appears to have moved on from her best friend with newbie Oz.

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered finds the gang approaching Valentine's Day with a mixture of both excitement and trepidation; newly single Buffy discovers that Angelus has a particular penchant for torturing his victims and their puppies on Valentine' Day whilst both Xander and Willow are getting ready for a Valentine's Day actually in relationships. However when the pressures of popularity get to Cordelia and she dumps Xander on the day itself, he takes drastic steps to get his revenge, employing Amy, now a practicing witch, to cast a love spell on Cordelia. However, Amy's still a fledgling and magic used for personal gain never goes very well so Xander actually enchants the entire female population of Sunnydale to fall obsessively, madly in love with him. Even Drusilla.

Over the past few episodes, it's become slowly apparent that Xander can be kind of a dick. Not just to the women in his life, but just in general. It's a fairly accurate phase for a teenage boy to go through and in that sense, Xander's flawed character does feel very genuine, even if it is slightly galling to realise that one of your favourite characters isn't quite how you remembered them. Whilst this episode isn't the apotheosis of Xander's dickishness (hello Becoming or maybe even Hell's Bells), it does showcase it supremely. The cruel intent to manipulate Cordelia understandably comes from a place of heart, but with Buffy's equating of magic with drugs, the idea of a love spell is essentially like vengefully Rohypnolling someone (there's a reference to Roofies in the episode itself). 

That it backfires leads to some wonderful comic karma as well as a chance for Xander to redeem himself when forced to deal with the advances of various Sunnydale women, not least of all Buffy. The scene with Buffy goes some way to repair his reputation in my eyes because he knows she is not actually consenting to do the things she's offering, trenchcoat and all. The idea of consent was addressed in the earlier episode Reptile Boy much less successfully, offering a mixed moral message that tended to suggest it was Buffy's fault she was drugged and nearly eaten. It is handled slightly better here with Xander taking responsibility for his actions and it being made clear that it is the fault of the drugger, rather than the druggee. 

Whilst this episode is ostensibly Xander-centric, I'd argue that it's actually more important for the long term development of Cordelia. In this episode, she dumps Xander unceremoniously because her friends, Harmony in particular, have decided that he's not cool enough or worthy of her. Unable to reconcile her popularity with her boyfriend, Cordy chooses the latter and breaks Xander's heart in the process. Although callous here, she later stands up to Harmony declaring her to be a sheep and making it clear that Cordelia Chase isn't afraid of anyone. It's the beginning of her journey that would culminate in Angel where she realises that she doesn't actually have to be mean all the time. It feeds into one of the dominant messages of Buffy of always being true to yourself and you will never be alone if you are.

Aside from the development of the Xander-Cordy relationship, the episode is also a comedic delight, a lot of the humour wrought from the seduction attempts of Sunnydale's various ladyfolk. They're also particularly hilarious in the post-Belieber/One Directioner era when teenage girls exhibit all the signs of crazy people). Drusilla wants to make Xander immortal so she can love him forever, Willow decides to kill him after he rejects her advances and Amy turns Buffy into a rat for the majority of the episode. There's even a hilarious moment for Joyce coming over all MILF before getting a little psychotic in her own home. The ladies of Buffy rise to the challenge and some of the one liners are particularly sharp. Buffy's exchange with Oz once she regains her human form remains one of their characters' best interactions whilst Giles' yelling at Xander carries a fair amount of satisfaction as well as humour.

One of the strongest aids to the humour of this episode is Christophe Beck's lively score. Music has always been an integral element of Buffy but Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered is perhaps the first where it really has a chance to shine. Beck uses strings to up the ante on the episode's playfulness, allowing them to form an accompaniment that is more akin to the scene-setting of a silent movie than the usual background filler of a teen TV score. It is also impressive how the tone of the score switches easily between the aforementioned playfulness into the darker escalation of tension that builds throughout the episode, particularly when Xander and Cordy are trapped in the basement. It helps to keep the pace on what could have been a repetitively structured episode.

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered does suffer slightly by appearing after the sublime Phases and before the heartwrenching Passion; it's memorable more for the humour than its message. However, it does allow Xander to be both annoying and redemptive whilst giving Cordelia a time to shine. Another strong episode then and this season just keeps getting better. Shush. We're not at Go Fish yet.

Quote of the Week:

Cordelia: "You know what you are, Harmony? You're a sheep."
Harmony: "I'm not a sheep!"
Cordelia: "You're a sheep. All you ever do is what everyone else does, so you can say you did it first. And here I am scrambling for your approval when I'm way cooler than you because I'm not a sheep. I do what I wanna do and I wear what I wanna wear, and you know what? I'll date whoever the hell I wanna date! No matter how lame he is..."

Demonology 101: This is the first time the phrase Big Bad is used, a phrase which has become synonymous with the master threat of a television season, first coined by Buffy when she calls Angel 'the big bad thing in the dark'.

Let's Get Trivial: Buffy spends the majority of the episode as a rat because Sarah Michelle Gellar had to be in New York to host Saturday Night Live. The episode was written in a matter of days to accommodate this.

- Becky

You can read Becky's look at Phases here.

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FEATURE: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Ted

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Cordelia and Xander got the smoochies on during the showdown with I-Am-The-Bug-Man from the Order of Taraka, Jenny is still reeling a little from everything that went on in The Dark Age and Buffy's identity as the Slayer still remains a secret from her mum Joyce.

Ted finds Buffy having to deal with the fact that Joyce is in a relationship with a man named, you guessed it, Ted. He gives her the wiggins but everyone else seems entranced by him; he cooks a mean mini pizza and gives Willow free software for her computer. When Ted threatens her during a game of mini-golf, Buffy employs the gang to do a bit of snooping. However, Ted does some snooping of his own leading to a showdown with Buffy which doesn't end so well for Ted. Well, until it turns out he's actually an android serial killer with a penchant for his wives.

The last time Buffy attempted a technological episode, it was the laughable I Robot, You Jane which has not aged well at all in the eyes of this discerning viewer. Ted on the other hand feels like a completely different episode to the one I watched when I was younger. This was always an instalment I skipped (along with Bad Eggs - next week's offering) because I just didn't think it was very good; I didn't like the premise, there was a lack of fighting and Ted just irritated the hell out of me and not in the way he was supposed to.

Now, however, I beg to differ (I will never use that phrase again. It gives me the creeps). I actually think this may be one of the scariest episodes Buffy has ever produced, a domestic nightmare with, until the end, very little to actually fight. Rather than make this a lesser episode, as I thought before, it actually makes it far more tense and makes the fight between Buffy and Ted seem all the more important. 

First let's look at the character of Ted; seemingly perfect human being who makes great food, works really well at his job and seems to love the hell out of Joyce. In reality, he's a serial killing robot and, because this is Buffy, he's a woman-hating serial killing robot with domestic violence tendencies. John Ritter's performance is so perfect as Ted that I can actually feel my skin crawl as I'm writing about him. His turns of phrase, his benign facial expressions and the tension that runs through his body when Buffy and Joyce start to stand up to him is measured brilliantly; he's a figure it is so easy to hate and that is where the episode's power lies. Also, I have to mention SMG's reaction expressions in this episode, which beat those of What's My Line by a country mile.

Like many other episodes in this season, Ted is a metaphorical glance at the life of a teenager through the eyes of monsters. Here, Buffy is forced to confront an evil that might be entirely human and might become her stepfather. She feels powerless because no one else can see quite what she does thanks to her Slayer sense. When she thinks she killed Ted, her world is rocked (just as it will be when Faith dispatches the Deputy Mayor in Season Three) because Buffy's moral code does not allow for the harming of humans, even those she doesn't happen to like a whole bunch.

The domestic violence angle lends an interesting dynamic to that problem. Does the fact that Ted hit her first and threatened her further make it ok that she strikes back? Well, prior to the robot discovery, no not really. Buffy really goes for him and uses her abnormal strength against him, something which she only does with humans in extreme situations (like when Larry attempts to grope her or attack Xander). It adds another dimension to Buffy's tenure as the Slayer - she's very good at killing demons but will never use her powers against another human unless she has to. It's this moral dilemma that will make Faith so tricky to deal with next season.

And elsewhere in the episode, for balance, Xander and Cordelia are carrying on in secret and Giles and Jenny rekindle their relationship with some smoochies in the library (boy am I dreading Surprise).

A complete 180 on this episode then; Ted may not be full of action, but as a slow-burning domestic thriller involved robots, it's pretty damn good.

Quote of the Week: Xander - "Can we say over-reaction?"     
                                Buffy - "Can we say sucking chest wound?"

Let's Get Trivial: Both John Ritter and Sarah Michelle Gellar were horrendously ill when filming their fight scene, which might also explain why the climactic fight is more Indiana-Jones-esque and involves just a couple of whacks with a frying pan.

Demonology 101: Ted may be the first human robot hybrid on the show, but he certainly won't be the last and it will become an interesting exploration of similar themes to this episode later in the series.

- Becky

You can read Becky's look at the What's My Line two-parter here.

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FEATURE: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Dark Age

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: An old friend of Giles', Ethan Rayne, has already shown up and caused chaos on Halloween, leaving an ominous note. 'Be seeing you'.

Oh it's been a while hasn't it? I do apologise for the considerable gap between posts, but it's been a mad couple of months for me. Who knew applying for things would be so much work? Anyway, we are back, we are enthusiastic and we are raring to go. And what better way to kick it all back off again than with one of the best episodes of the (rather excellent anyway) second season run.

The Dark Age finds Giles front and centre as one of his friends from university arrives at the library looking a bit/a lot perturbed. It turns out that a demon they once summoned from the nethers has arrived back in town to take them one by one. Philip (friend at the library) is being pursued by the considerably worse for wear Deirdre, who turns into a puddle of blue goo before the credits hit. Each of Giles' friends share the Mark of Eyghon (said) demon and now all but he and the returning Ethan Rayne are dead. A confrontation with the demon leads to it possessing Jenny Calendar and with Giles out of commission, it's up to the gang to work out how to solve this week's feature creature.

Anthony Head has been the quiet stalwart of the cast so far, only really getting one chance to display any major depth to Giles during Halloween when he kicks the crap out of Ethan. There was a nice interplay there, hinting at something lurking in Giles' past that he isn't keen to see let out. An inner demon, literally speaking, is a really effective way to get under the character's skin and see him unable to make the clear-headed decisions he's usually known for as both he and the woman he loves with are pursued by the demon. It's also the first major insight into the 'hates the world ticking time bomb' Giles that we will later see more of in the sublime Band Candy.

It's also an important episode for Buffy's development. In the second season's theme of growing up, this is the moment in which you realise your parents aren't so dull or boring as you might think, that they too had a life before they started taking care of you and one day, you are actually going to have to fend for yourself. Giles' parental figure hasn't really been challenged in Buffy's eyes just yet, but here she is forced to confront his past as a hard-drinking, black magic performing bad guy whilst also having to solve the mystery herself. It's a big step for their relationship, one which is never quite as smooth as people tend to remember; there's an inbuilt reliance between the two of them on them staying within their roles, the slightly wayward daughter and the stern but fair father. When that balance is rocked, sparks fly.

The chemistry between Head and Gellar has always been one of the best elements of Buffy, perfectly capturing that surrogate father/daughter dynamic and one in which the audience invests a huge amount. I still remember feeling the same sense of betrayal writ over Buffy's face when Giles answers the door all drunk and dismissive. However, it's a necessary moment in their relationship, one that won't really be put to the test in the same way until later seasons, and both actors handle it brilliantly. It also proves to be a stronger relationship than either of them realise as Buffy defies him at every turn to try and save his life, jeopardising hers regularly in the process.

Elsewhere, it's one of the first major Scooby moments for Cordelia as she jumps into help Giles in his hour of need because she cares. Always skirting around the inner circle, Cordy seems to join in out of a genuine, if not vocalised, desire to help and it's at this point that she starts becoming more actively involved in the Slayerettes. Note in particular, the chemistry with Xander at this point; it's the classic "we hate each other so obviously we're going to kiss at some point." We also get another hint to Angel's dark side as the demon in him is just dying for a fight, and gets one, when Willow figures out that Eyghon will jump into the nearest dead person.

It's another good 'un as we draw ever closer to where the season really takes a plummet in the light and fluffy stakes. Next week, it's careers advice...

Quote of the Week: Giles - Wonderful. You work on your muscle tone while my brain dribbles out of my ears...

Let's Get Trivial: Sarah Michelle Gellar's stunt double does some odd grunting in this episode. Speaking of which, SMG'S stunt double is Sophia Crawford, who was also the stunt double for the Pink Ranger. Go go 90s kids.

- Becky

You can go all the way back to read Becky's look at previous episode, Lie to Me, right here.

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FEATURE: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Some Assembly Required

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Cordelia has discovered just what the Scooby Gang get up to in the library and finds herself increasingly involved. Also, she's crushing on Angel who is crushing on Buffy who is also crushing on Angel but no one's really doing anything about it.

So far in my Buffy posts, I've been following a fairly standard formula; watch the episode, talk about what I like about it, go for some brief analysis if anything interesting crops up. This is great, and I'm really enjoying it, but this week is going to be a little different for two reasons. 1). Some Assembly Required isn't all that great as episodes go and I think I'd run out of stuff to talk about quite quickly and 2). It's an homage to one of my favourite novels of all time and that alone means I get to do some nice intertextual comparison here. 

Oh and 3) (sorry, a bit Spanish Inquisition of me), there just happened to be an X-Files episode dealing with similar themes and also based on Frankenstein that same year, airing just two months after Some Assembly Required, called The Post-Modern Prometheus. So in this post, I'm basically going to be looking at how two genre shows approach the Frankenstein story and the way in which they interpret the novel, but also other adaptations that have gone before.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a seminal piece of work, kickstarting the science fiction genre way back in 1818 and is now widely considered to be a critical darling. If you haven't read it, please do. It's the perfect book for dreary autumnal evenings. Boris Karloff may be the most iconic image of the creature (not Frankenstein, that's the doctor and yes this totally matters) but he appears, as does the mad scientist Dr Frankenstein (not all that mad in the book, just proud and lacking in common sense), in many incarnations across various art forms, particularly film and television. 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer will tackle the Frankenstein story several times over the course of its seven season run, particularly in the fourth season when monstrous creation Adam takes over from his creators and nearly fulfils Victor Frankenstein's fear of a race of monsters, but also in Warren's creation of his girlfriend April and the Buffy bot. But we get ahead of ourselves. Whedon first tackles it in Some Assembly Required, in which two science nerds attempt to create the perfect woman for a deceased, and now reanimated, student. In The X-Files, Mulder and Scully are called to investigate the mysterious impregnation of a woman who claims to have been knocked up by The Great Mutato, a character in her 18 year old son's comic book.

Both shows treat their Frankenstein references in very different ways, exploring separate points of the narrative and themes of the novel. The results are... interesting. For Buffy, Some Assembly Required takes the moment in which the creature commissions Frankenstein to create a female companion for him who could share his isolation from the world. Daryl Epps is the version of the creature, reconstructed and reanimated by his distraught brother Chris, who is the instructed to piece together female students for his companion. 

The importance of fraternity is one of the key themes in Frankenstein and is key to the way in which the female companion episode plays out. After killing Victor's brother, the creature tells him his story (which we will return to in The X-Files) and then begs him to create a companion. Like Chris, Victor initially complies before destroying the female, an act which results in the creature declaring outright war upon Victor, later killing both his creator's wife and best friend. Buffy deconstructs this idea by having the creature as the brother of the creator. Here, Chris is not bound by the duty of creator to created, but by a fraternal bond. Whereas the creature is consistently shunned by Victor, Daryl is embraced by Chris and the conflict that arises between them stems directly from this sense of duty. It is one that Chris and Victor both struggle against, but thanks to Buffy and the gang, Chris is allowed his redemption as Daryl must perish.

In The Post-Modern Prometheus (a wonderful play on Frankenstein's subtitle, The Modern Prometheus), The X-Files takes a completely meta-fictional approach to the material; it is shot entirely in black and white with a superb classic Universal horror-themed score by Mark Snow. There's a mad scientist called Polidori (a nod to Byron's doctor who was present on the night on which Frankenstein was conceived during a competition between Polidori, Byron and the Shelleys). It's more of an homage to James Whale's Frankenstein from 1931 than Shelley's original text, but as a result, it still has a fair amount to tie it back to the novel. Particularly, it explores the moment in which the creature is taken in by a blind old man who, oblivious to his looks, teaches him a range of things, including the idea of understanding. Then upon the return of the old man's family, the creature is hounded away, much like Mutato.

The main theme is the idea of understanding and conversely, the rejection of the unfamiliar. This is best represented in the actions of the population in the unnamed town who actively pursue the Great Mutato, not from a lack of understanding or education, but from a willingness to pre-judge, to point, laugh and stare. In short, to actively choose not to understand the unfamiliar. In this respect, The X-Files is particularly vicious; the mob are fed on Jerry Springer and other such reality TV shows where being judgemental is par for the course. When faced with the creature, they are actively prepared to go into an attack, fuelled by Dr Polidori's framing of the creature for the murder of his father. Therefore, like the mob in Frankenstein, they rush to drive the Great Mutato out of their town, without really understanding why he did what he did.

Whilst The X-Files deals much better with the themes that arise from the use of the Frankenstein narrative, it also remains problematic; Mutato is essentially date-raping these women and, after an admittedly eloquent tale, he is sympathised with and rewarded with a visit to see his hero Cher. For a show that makes a big deal about women not in control of their bodies and the subsequent reproduction (the 'wrong' reproduction being a key theme in Frankenstein incidentally), it's odd that there is no reprimand for Mutato. However, Buffy tackles the inherent misogyny in Chris, Eric and Daryl's decision to create their 'perfect woman' based entirely on objectification. This is apparent most in Eric's locker in which a woman composed entirely from magazine pictures. Buffy outwardly criticises their actions several times, vehemently so, on these grounds. 

The one theme that both episodes explore successfully is that of isolation, the loneliness the respective creatures feel as a result of their appearance. For Daryl in Buffy, it is clearest in a scene in which he watches his former Sunnydale football teammates from underneath the bleachers. The haunting music perfectly scores the scene and, whilst not justifying his actions, serves to demonstrate his desire for a companion. For Mutato, it is his eloquent speech to the mob about his origin and upbringing, a direct reference back to the intelligence of Shelley's creature; he learns compassion from Cher's role in Mask while the creature learns of human nature from Milton's Paradise Lost, amongst others. 

The two characters of Daryl and Mutato get very different endings, each underscoring their respective episodes' key themes. Daryl dies in the fire that consumes his companion, unable to live with the thought of being the only one of his kind. Narratively, he is punished for his actions in both forcing his brother to nearly kill for him. For Mutato, he inspires a level of understanding that ensures his safety, and the safety of his offspring, in his town. He also gets to go to a Cher concert, thus kicking off one of the best endings to an X-Files episode ever; Mulder and Scully dance. What is not to love? Seriously, I defy anyone to watch that ending without a big grin on their face.

And so to conclude. It is inevitable that I must talk about the quality of the two episodes discussed here. Some Assembly Required is one of the poorest Buffy episodes, reaching too high for a concept that it never quite tackles very well. It's handled much better when Buffy is a more mature show and has found its place a bit more. The Post-Modern Prometheus, on the other hand, is a joy from start to finish, worth it for the range of Gillian Anderson's cynical facial expressions alone. No one does wary dismissal in quite the same way. If you haven't seen it, I suggest a watch, even if you've never seen an X-Files episode before. Trust me, no prior knowledge is required.

Right, I must now try and get Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves out of my head.

Next Time: School Hard (SPIKE!)

Quote of the Week: Buffy on gender roles - "I'm an old-fashioned gal. I was raised to believe that men dig up the corpses and women have the babies."

- Becky

You can read Becky's look at the Season Two opener here.

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FEATURE: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Prophecy Girl

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Master remains trapped beneath Sunnydale in an old, abandoned church but he still has sights set on meeting the Slayer. Meanwhile, Buffy and Angel are slowly moving towards a romantic relationship, while Angel has given Giles the Pergamum Codex, an ancient text detailing key prophecies about the Slayer.

Well, here we are at the end of Season One - my, doesn't time fly? First of all, I must apologise for the week long lateness in this edition of the Great Buffy Re-watch - last week was my birthday and I was doing things like getting drunk and opening my presents (big shout out to my little brother who bought me a TARDIS-shaped teapot - yes it is as awesome as it sounds). However, I am back and ready to both rock and roll for the finale of the first season, Prophecy Girl, an episode which sets many things in motion, ties up a couple of loose ends (mainly, a Master-shaped one) and most importantly, it's pretty damn good.

Joss Whedon has frequently noted that Buffy was under constant threat of cancellation and so each finale was designed as an episode in which the main storylines of each season could be wrapped up with some form of closure for the characters whilst leaving it open for future developments. Prophecy Girl is one of the best examples and is a classic episode in terms of Whedon's determination to break all the cliches and produce one kickass show. Let's face it, most horror-themed shows would have taken the blonde in the prom dress and killed her off in the cold open. In Buffy, she gets to win (we'll ignore the impracticality of fighting in a floor-length dress). And that is the show in a nutshell. 

The episode opens with Xander comically rehearsing his 'asking Buffy to the dance speech' with an adoring Willow, Buffy slays three vampires while Cordelia makes out with a guy in a car and Giles discovers something in the Pergamum Codex. And then... Earthquake. Earthquakes in Buffy,  as we shall see in future episodes, are a Very Bad Thing and usually connected with the end of the world. And so it is here, as this earthquake finds the Master set free with some grandiose speeches followed by an excellently dry one-liner as he guesses where the quake is on the Richter scale. Apart from their brief encounter in Nightmares, an episode we'll refer back to shortly, Buffy and the Master haven't met and so the entire season has been building to this confrontation but it takes us a while to get there.

What is perhaps my favourite aspect of this episode is the way in which it builds to this confrontation, not just in apocalyptic signs such as a cat giving birth to snakes, but in the relationships between the characters, carrying far more dramatic weight than any tap running with blood. The scene in which Buffy overhears that she is fated to die the next day is one of the more heartbreaking scenes in a series full of them. Sure it's no "your shirt..." or "Mom? Mom... Mommy?" but it's up there. 

It is one of the many moments in which Sarah Michelle Gellar knocks it out of the park with a mixture of anger and fragility that comes to define Buffy through her central conflict; having a normal life or doing her duty. Also, credit must go to Anthony Head for this scene too; his paternal feelings towards Buffy smashed to pieces by the sense of helplessness that she reinforces. Both characters have to face up to the fears that they discovered in Nightmares (told you we'd come back) and Giles and Buffy must deal with her impending death. There's a wonderful dynamic between the two of them and this is properly explored here for perhaps the first time.

Likewise, it's a momentous episode for the other members of the Scooby Gang; Cordelia is forced to face up to the bloody reality of life in Sunnydale and all the horrors that come with it whilst Willow also gets a wake-up call when the pair discover dead bodies in the AV room. However, this episode is particularly important for Xander in his capacity as the male best friend; he's the one member of the Scooby Gang who charges after Buffy and then he is the person who saves her life. 

Episodes where Xander is the outright hero are few and far between and he here is, crucially, because he is alive and therefore able to administer CPR to the drowned Buffy. This also makes him responsible for rewriting Slayer history as bringing Buffy back to life means that she'll still be around when the new Slayer is called. The Xander-Angel rivalry has always been one of my favourite aspects of the first few seasons and it's great to go back to their first big moment together, particularly as their conversation provides one of the more humourous scenes; "You were looking at my neck!"

With that, there is little left to discuss but the final showdown between the Master and Buffy, a wonderful deconstruction of the dynamics of various genres, action and horror mostly. There's the pithy one-liners and then the Master's great put-down; 'ah yes, the feeble banter portion of the fight". Of course, death doesn't stop her and she returns in a blaze of Nerf Herder glory and kicks the crap out of him and sends the surprisingly-not-terrible-special-effects tentacle creature back into the Hellmouth which we now know is smack-bang beneath the library. It's the kind of battle that suits the big finale and though it will pale compared to the Buffy-Angel swordfight next season or Buffy versus Glory in season 5, it's still dramatic enough to hold your attention.

I didn't intend this post to be quite so long, but I'd forgotten just how good a finale Prophecy Girl is; I haven't even mentioned the excellent music for this episode - the theme makes a key appearance and then there's a gorgeous piano arrangement of it for the post-battle reflection scene. The final scene, in many ways, encapsulates Buffy like no other moment in the first series did. The humour is there, the drama, the conflict and the sense of family that you get from watching the gang defeat the Big Bad for the first time. Now we're on to Season Two which contains both some soaring highs and some crashing lows. It also happens to be my favourite season so I'm a tad giddy about revisiting it.

And Buffy? I know you've heard it before, but your dress really is very pretty.

Next Time: When She Was Bad

Quote of the Day: Buffy - "We saved the world. I say we party."

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of the previous episode here.

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FEATURE: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - I Robot, You Jane

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Buffy kissed Angel finally who turned out to be a vampire, but the good kind, "like a Care Bear with fangs" (sorry, jumping ahead there - kudos to anyone who knows which episode that quote is from). Willow has a major crush on Xander; Xander hasn't got a clue and is still trailing Buffy. It is a lot about love lives in this season isn't it?

Ah I Robot, You Jane. This episode bears the not-so-honourable title of being one of my least favourite Buffy out of the entire series, a cautionary tale about the dangers of the internet with all the subtlety of a large gold brick. After Giles decides to enter the 20th century and start cataloguing his books digitally, it turns out one of the books held a big old nasty demon in its pages, one who is now running loose on the world wide web. Yes, there's a demon on the internet. And he's set his sights on our Willow whilst picking up a couple of disposable Sunnydale students along the way.

To start on a positive note, it's not all terrible. It's the first episode to really showcase just how good the demon designs and prosthetics were for the show; Moloch's green visage is suitable impressive and it's a shame that we didn't get to see more of that. Though I did notice this time around that he bears a remarkable resemblance to Giles as a Fyarl demon in the fourth season's A New Man. It also marks a key episode in the development of Willow's character in particular as she finally gets a large amount of screentime, facing that teenage dilemma of potential new boyfriend or existing friends. Hannigan's earnestness in her early performances as Willow is so endearing, it's not hard to see why she's a big favourite amongst the fans. Plus, she hits Moloch/Malcolm with a fire extinguisher off her own back and isn't content to just be rescued. Go Willow.

It also marks the first appearance of Robia LaMorte as Jenny Calendar, techno-pagan and excellent foil to Anthony Head's still quite stuffy Giles. The pair form one of the many 'new versus old' binaries that hit you over the head in this episode in particular, though it's one of the central themes of the show. The introduction of Jenny gives Giles just that little bit more depth, going from being just a tweed-clad librarian with a handy line in exposition to moving towards a three-dimensional human being. Their flirting forms much of the comedy in the episode, particularly the moment with the corkscrew 'earring' (which I literally only just got in this viewing. Oh the naivety of youth).

And then we get to the bad. First up, that afore-mentioned theme of new versus old? You're going to be sick of it by the end of this episode; it doesn't just subtly interplay across the narrative, it tries to beat you over the head with the frankly gigantic computer monitors. It starts with an intriguing opening, all candlelight and chanting. There's a big demon fellow, a willing servant with a promptly snapped neck and some powerful monks who trap said demon in a big book. It's grandiose, but fits in with the general ritualistic style of the first season; bad guys don't just kill people, they recite scripture whilst doing it and good guys don't kill demons, they trap them in books. Said book is then transported to Sunnydale library centuries later and scanned into a computer, thus releasing the demon.

The 'new' in this case is the dread computer and the unspeakable evil that is the internet. The basic premise of a demon running around the internet is a decent metaphor for the dangers of meeting someone online, but it's over-egged to the point of just being ridiculous. Although Buffy and Giles are at pains to point out the dangers of having a demon running around the internet are quite large, there's no sense of peril involved at all because it's not a tangible evil and there's no great effort to make Moloch all that scary. 

The dialogue, for which Buffy is most remembered for, is pretty terrible in this episode and while there are a couple of good back-and-forths, these are largely overshadowed by such clangers as 'there's a demon in the internet'. And then there is the central problem of the plot itself; the trouble with making a film or episode specifically about the dangers of contemporary technology is that tech advances so quickly these days. This episode is so fantastically dated, it's hard to take seriously and I remember struggling with it even nearer the time. 

And Robot Malcolm is just silly.

Next Time: The Puppet Show

Quote of the Day: Xander - "To read makes our speaking English good"

Let's Get Trivial: The monk at the beginning is listed as Thelonious, an ace reference to the jazz musician Thelonious Monk. It's the little things.

- Becky

You can read Becky's piece about previous episode Angel here.

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