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| Writer: | Marti Noxon |
| Director: | James Whitmore, Jr. |
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| - | Review |
This is an absolutely riveting episode! There is flawless material at work here with perfect execution, and I find myself captivated by it every time. It is creepy, atmoshperic, has fantastic special effects, stunning cinematography, and a powerful message of forgiveness. What could have been just a boring ghost story was turned into an unusual and meaningful experience for Buffy.
It begins with a sad, repressed, and alone Buffy looking down at her friends and others having a good time. This is an interesting correlation to her S6 arc where she's in a similar personal state. There are some huge parallels specifically to "Dead Things" (6x13) at work here. Buffy's mood in this episode reminds me of how, in "Dead Things" (6x13), she is looking down on the dance floor in a similar (although much darker) state of mind, again alone with her friends down below having a good time.
Here in S2, though, she can still talk with her friends about her feelings as she does with Willow. Buffy tells her that she's done making impulsive decisions for a long while. In S6, it's the world and her friends she's hiding from when she has dispaired sex with Spike on the same balcony as she is standing on here. This entire episode is about forgiveness and the conclusion of "Dead Things" (6x13) involves Buffy crying in Tara's lap about feeling she, once again, doesn't deserve forgiveness for her questionable actions. In S2 she won't forgive herself for doing something that wasn't her fault (she didn't know Angel would lose his soul) while in S6 she won't forgive herself, once she realizes she didn't come back from the dead 'wrong,' for making real mistakes that are her fault.
There are a lot of metaphors at work in this episode, and they are all handled with care and are not "in your face." Giles says, "See, uh, many times the spirit is plagued by all manner of worldly troubles. Being dead, it has no way to, uh, to make its peace. So it, it lashes out, growing ever more confused, ever more angry." Buffy quickly replies, "So it's a normal teenager, only dead." Most teenagers experience great bouts of confusion, anger, and happiness: aggressive manifestations of both sides of the emotional spectrum.
The plot really captured my attention and imagination. I found the execution and directing of the plot stunning, and that's what really makes this episode much better than it could have been. It also has an aura of creepiness to it that really works. The special effects are wonderful as well, especially the sequence where the wasps are buzzing around the school and then suddenly separate to make a path so Buffy can enter the school.
While all of what I've discussed is great, it's the ending sequence that really propells this episode into fantastic territory. Buffy thinks the ghost doesn't deserve forgiveness, but that's exactly what the ghost needs. The reason why Buffy feels this way is because she is exactly like the ghost. She badly needs to forgive herself for causing Angel to lose his soul, but she isn't willing to give it to herself. She wants to be punished for her action and thinks she doesn't deserve forgiveness.
The ghost wants her because she's the only person it can truly identify with. Through possession she is able to forgive the ghost and the ghost is able to forgive her. It's so perfect that Angelus was possessed by the women, and that Buffy was possessed by the man who committed the tragedy. What the ghost is saying is directly applicable and meaningful for Buffy and Angel's situation as well. This entire scene is quite moving thanks to fantastic acting by both Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz. There's also a beautiful song in this sequence in the background. Frankly, kudos to everyone involved with that scene.
The episode wraps up back at the new mansion where Angelus is literally washing himself. He's complaining of being "violated by love." This is such an amusing sentiment, because many people think that love is often blinding and uncontrollable. If you twist that definition a bit, you can reach the word 'violating' to describe real love too. After Angelus and Drusilla wander off to kill people, Spike gets out of his wheelchair and announces he's back in business, and is extremely angry at Angelus. I love this entire episode: it's got chills, meaning, resonance, beauty, fantastic music, and power. How downright satisfying and tasty!
| - | Minor Pros/Cons (+/-) |
| Pros: | |
| + | Love the Jenny and Giles theme song playing when she is discussed briefy. |
| + | The recurring use of the same extras. The bearded teacher in Buffy's class, Jonathan, Larry, and many of the students keep making appearances. This is just awesome. |
| + | Spike pretty much giving up getting mad at Angelus at this point. Also great acting from James Marsters showing very clearly this bottled up cold anger he has for Angelus. |
| + | Giles assuming the poltergeist is Jenny even though the rest of the Scoobies know better. |
| + | We find out more about Snyder's knowledge of Sunnydale and why he was assigned to this school. He knows they're located on a hellmouth. |
| + | Willow's first time dabbling into magic. This episode planted the seed that slowly grew in each season through S6. |
| + | Cordy asking if the school gets shut down, would they all automatically graduate. Back in Jr. High I used to ask that same question to myself. |
| - | Foreshadowing |
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| - | Quotes |
| BUFFY: | No, no, you seem like a really great guy, it's...me. I-I'm not seeing anybody. Ever again, actually. |
| BUFFY: | I don't incite! I stopped that boy from killing his girlfriend, ask him. Ask the janitor. |
| SNYDER: | People can be coerced, Summers. I'm no stranger to conspiracy. I saw JFK. |
| BUFFY: | I'm telling you, something weird is going on. |
| XANDER: | Something weird is going on. Isn't that our school motto? |
| XANDER: | Oh, no, no. No. No cool. This was no wimpy chain rattler. This was 'I'm dead as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore.' |
| GILES: | Well, despite the Xander-speak, that's a fairly accurate definition of a poltergeist. |
| ANGELUS: | What do you know about it? I'm the one who was friggin' violated. You didn't have this thing in you. |
| DRUSILLA: | What was it? A demon? |
| ANGELUS: | Love! |
| DRUSILLA: | Poor Angel. |
| - | Score | Learn about the Grading Scale |
| 95/100 |
A ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ |
A sharply written episode consisting of zero major mistakes. Usually develops characters in a meaningful manner and is a joy to watch on repeat viewings. Near perfect, but not quite there.
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| - | Screencaps |
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Comments (39)
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| 1. | CareySep 2, 2006 (Sat)View This Person's Comments | Link | |
| This is a really freakin good episode. No joke. Your grading is so perfect - It's really good, but I dont think it QUITE deserves a P, compared to the other episodes that earned a perfect score. But its really great and I'm glad its on the Top 25. |
| 2. | LottieSep 5, 2006 (Tue)View This Person's Comments | Link | |
| Also I love how the writers used the fact that Buffy feels she has killed Angel (and in a way, she has) by doing something, as she puts 'rash, stupid and selfish'. I also just want to say that think its great the way your site analyses Buffy in the depth it deserves. |
| 3. | NinaaJun 23, 2007 (Sat)View This Person's Comments | Link | |
| SHIT YEAH THIS EPISODE IS AMAZING! i mean come one! Buffy and Angels tension is amazing and beyond excellent! I love the script for this episode, i mean who can beat that "just wake up and stop loving somebody!" its just terrific. i cant even think of words! its just amazing! love this episode and i love how you have reviewed it. your doing a really good job =D Ninaaarrrrrr/x |
| 4. | GilliJun 28, 2007 (Thu)View This Person's Comments | Link | |
| This is without a doubt my FAVORITE episode! it's perfect in like every way for me. when Angel turned back to Angelus i was missing the love between him and Buffy, and although they were possessed, it was beautiful between them btw...i must agree with Ninaa.....these reviews are freaking awesome!! |
| 5. | AlimaemiaJul 4, 2007 (Wed)View This Person's Comments | Link | |
| One of my favourite things about this episode is the editing. A bad editor could have ruined this episode. |
| 6. | LibMaxJul 25, 2007 (Wed)View This Person's Comments | Link | |
| I also love this episode. It's the first and maybe the best of the episodes which took the arcs and issues and themes that had been working out in prose through the rest of the season and spun them into poetry (others, in my opinion, are Earshot (parts of it, anyway), Restless, Weight of the World, and Normal Again). Something I'd like to add to MikeJer's excellent analysis. Not only is James (his side of the dialog and his situation generally) a neat metaphorical match for Buffy, but Grace Newman is an equally neat match for Angelus, though it's harder to see. Grace was the older one, the one who should have been more sensible (but wasn't when it counted). And now she's rejecting James out of the clear blue sky for reasons that make no sense to James. He just wants things back the way they were, but she know that's impossible. But it's not because she's stopped loving him. James doesn't want to hear what she has to say and finally kills her (and then goes away to kill himself). But when she finally gets her chance (because bullets won't kill Angelus), Grace tells James that it wasn't his fault and that she never stopped loving him. What's all this got to do with Angelus? Well, in the first place, Buffy "killed" Angel by sleeping with him and releasing Angelus. But I don't think Angelus ever stopped loving Buffy. As Willow pointed out (in Passion?), "You're still the only thing he thinks about." Without I Only Have Eyes For You, Angelus's motives don't seem to make much sense. He's obsessed with Buffy, claims that "to kill this girl, you have to love her" (Innocence), fusses over how best to send his regards (Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered), and generally makes her as miserable as he can (Passion, etc.) without actually attacking her. Then, after I Only Have Eyes For You, he's suddenly done with Buffy and looking to destroy the world instead, something Angelus never tried to do in all his decades of villainy. Spike calls it an "appetite for destruction," but it came from nowhere. Why the sudden shift from Buffy to Acathla? I think it's because I Only Have Eyes For You forced Angelus to face the fact that he was still as in love with Buffy as Angel, only dealing with it differently (the vampire version of a punch on the arm, pigtails in the inkwell, etc.). That's why he's so frantically scrubbing himself at the fountain - not because Grace's love for James hijacked his body, but because he's been made to confront his own (twisted and evil) love for Buffy. I think it's his inability to deal with true love (not to mention the indignity of sharing an emotion with Angel) that makes Angelus decide to end his existence. And of course, if he's going to end his own, he owes it to his reputation to end everyone else's. I think Acathla makes perfect sense for Angelus, but if and only if we acknowledge that his encounter with Grace Newman revealed feelings that he was trying to hide from himself (as she was), feelings he couldn't deal with (just like her). YMMV. |
| 7. | MikeJerJul 25, 2007 (Wed)View This Person's Comments | Link | |
| Very intriguing thoughts LibMax. I've always had a problem with Angelus just randomly deciding he wants to suck every living being (and all his food) into hell. This explanation, though, is interesting and feels very plausible. I like it. :) |
| 8. | AustinAug 21, 2007 (Tue)View This Person's Comments | Link | |
| What Exactly do you mean when you say atmospheric? |
| 9. | buffyholicOct 16, 2007 (Tue)View This Person's Comments | Link | |
| Amazing episode. The story is good but when we combine Angel and Buffy´s story and Buffy´s need to be forgiven, this episode is just incredible. The final scene where they re-enact James and Grace´s final moments is thrilling when we see that it parallels Buffy and Angel perfectly. Wonderfully done, wonderfully acted, just wonderful. |
| 10. | Andrew KernJan 13, 2008 (Sun)View This Person's Comments | Link | |
| I just re-watched this. I've got a different take than LibMax on why Angelus wanted to send the world to hell and how this relates to loving Buffy (or not). I don't think it had to do with Angelus' inability to deal with the true love hidden within him. I think he did it because he realized how easy it would be for him to turn once again into his opposite, someone who loved. Here's my reasoning: * The Judge, after touching Angelus, says "There's no humanity in him." Not even a spark. And this is the same Judge who could burn a vampire flunky simply because he reads. If there was anything of Angel's love for Buffy in Angelus, I think the Judge would have sensed it. * Angelus, in explaining why he wanted to destroy Buffy in the worst way possible, said, "She made me feel like a man. That's not something you just forgive." For Angelus, the worst thing imaginable is to love, to be human in that way. Anything which could bring that about must be punished and destroyed. * Murderous obsession and hatred is not a different way of dealing with love. If we were to say that, I think we'd have to say that Warren loved Katrina. * Unlike with un-souled Spike, I see no evidence that there was anything redeeming about Angelus. There is nothing within him calling out for something different, for him to become someone different. Angelus can only be redeemed from the outside, and that would have to happen completely against his will. (BTW, this is one reason why I find Spike to be a much more interesting character than Angel.) * That's his motivation for going after Buffy so viciously. He saw her as the one thing which could redeem him and make him feel love again. Not only must she be punished for making him love, she must be destroyed to prevent him ever loving again. * That's where IOHEFY comes in. In this episode, something besides Buffy makes him feel love, and it does so easily and instantly. He doesn't even have time or the ability to fight it. In total opposition to Angelus, he becomes someone who would love and forgive the person who murdered him, not because the person deserved it but because they needed it – a very human act, the antithesis of Angelus. His visceral growl once the possession is over sums up perfectly how he feels about this. I think he washes himself so vigorously precisely because "Grace's love for James hijacked his body." * Suddenly, it's not just Buffy who could make him love. I think that after this experience, Angelus sees the whole world as filled with unseen and deadly potential sources of love. His existence as Angelus is seen as thoroughly vulnerable, and the rebirth of Angel as immanent within the world itself. Thus, destroying the world by casting it into hell becomes preferable, if not a necessity, to the certainty that Angelus would once again become (in his eyes) that sappy, brooding go-gooder gazing doe-eyed at the Slayer. * In short, Angelus wants to destroy the world not because he loves, but because he doesn't and because he needs to ensure that he never does. On another note, I have to add my admiration for DB's acting in this. I wasn't all that impressed with his acting up 'til then, but this was great stuff. I can see why Joss started thinking about an Angel spin-off. And yes, it is a wonderful, complex episode and a great example of how BtVS could take a plot which could have been just a retread of a retread of a cliche and create something amazing out of it. |
| 11. | NinaaJun 3, 2008 (Tue)View This Person's Comments | Link | |
| Andrew Kern ^ you have such an interesting theory. You may be onto something, but we will never know simply because we weren't the ones that wrote the episode, I personally think that he shifted to demolishing the world because he loved buffy and that killed him, he didnt want to love her. He hated the fact that Angel loved her and it could be leaking out onto Angelus, for that ghost to just possess him and be able to make him feel those feelings, to tap into them make him realise he loved that slayer, and he followed her constantly, torturing her, pissing her off ect. because he loved her, and he didnt realise that untill he got possessed which made him think there's no way of shaking that feeling and the only way he could would be to demolish everything. |
| 12. | JadenSep 3, 2008 (Wed)View This Person's Comments | Link | |
| poor angel got called a bitch. thank god he didnt walk like a woman and have a lisp or thing would have got ugly! |
| 13. | AmberNov 21, 2008 (Fri)View This Person's Comments | Link | |
| One of my favorite Seasons from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, It so riveting and a ride of excitement, love, heartache. Oh my gosh Sarah and David both play this episode to a T. He has shown his obsession for her in past episodes, Willow has also stated that she is still the only thing he thinks about. Angelus seeks Buffy with Druscilla's vision, meeting her in the school hall way. They begin there James and Grace skit and all happens as it turns out Buffy(James) winds up in the music room where Angelus(Grace) goes onto reunite with Buffy(James). It gets so intense when they begin to kiss and after the James and Graces' spirits lift them. Still kissing and finally coming back to reality that moment that Buffy looks and realizes who she kissing saying his Souled name "Angel". You see as he opens his eyes for a moment he seems as if he is content almost as if he is where he wants to be. But of course has to do the "MANLY or so DEMONY" thing throw her to the side with his scary growl. I think they were both caught in the moment. |
| 14. | JimOct 18, 2009 (Sun) @ 9:52amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| Incredible, just astonishing television. The final 10 mins are the best the show's ever been and some of the best TV I've ever seen. "Miles, I need you" "You do?" |
| 15. | Aussie SlayerDec 23, 2009 (Wed) @ 4:49amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| I just have to say that I LOVE your reviews! Thanks for the great work! |
| 16. | Smallprint84Mar 13, 2010 (Sat) @ 4:04amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| Terrific episode.
And the cool school-scene with the wasps reminded me of that great Argento film "Phenomena". Witch I can recommend you to watch it some time. |
| 17. | G1000May 15, 2010 (Sat) @ 2:54pmView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| Apparently I'm the only one not completely over-the-moon about this one. It's good, but nowhere near the quality of "Passion", "Innocence", or even "School Hard". Giles' stubborn refusal to give up on Jenny didn't work for me. The main plot was good, but the locusts and snakes were overkill. Also, while I identified with Buffy and Angel, I just didn't care very much about the teacher and student.
Loved Spike at the end. Best part of the episode, easily. |
| 18. | yippers6Jul 11, 2010 (Sun) @ 11:38amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| this was the first episode i watched and it still really doesn't make sense because how did angel have a soul. I agree with zander the school motto is something weird is going on I think that's the whole town's motto is thatand i agree with the fact that the ending with spike was surprising. |
| 19. | nathan.taurusJul 29, 2010 (Thu) @ 10:36pmView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| G1000: I am with you. No where near a 95.
The Good: Willow getting interested in magic because of Jenny. The 50's high school girls speech. "Oh, he's dreamy." It is so swell. They probably have the names Sandy Sue and Norma Jean. Giles flustered and declaring he is right about the ghost and everyone else is wrong. The scene with Buffy watching the couple dance in 1955. Buffy and Angelus do the reverse roles of the doomed play. The Bad: The student in the class when the teacher wrote the line on the blackboard. "Did you see what he wrote?" Of course we did, dumbass! So annoying. There was still snakes in the cafeteria. Animal control wouldn't just leave them 'till the morning. The glass panels on the exit door to the stairs where the shooting takes place has the same marks as 1955. Now that's good glass. A good episode, but not as good as many say in my opinion. A High 80's. |
| 20. | MaggieJul 31, 2010 (Sat) @ 9:07pmView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| This is another one of my top 6 episodes. I absolutely loved it. But I'll admit, I wouldn't like it nearly as much if it weren't for the scene where Buffy and Angel were acting out the same killing scene with reversed roles. Perfect. |
| 21. | StephAug 3, 2010 (Tue) @ 4:57pmView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| This is definitely one of my favorite episodes of the entire season for many reasons. I had no idea that a random ghost story would be able to pull off such high marks in my favorite's list. One specific reason why I love it is that I think it's perfectly plausible for Giles to WANT to believe Jenny is the ghost. We don't really get to see a lot of his grieving process in this season after she dies. We do see him fueled with rage right after it happens, but after the anger or denial wears off there is also that sadness. In my opinion, he probably knew deep down that Jenny wasn't the ghost, but he wanted some sort of resolution/closure, so he could pick up the pieces and try to move on with his life. If he could "release" Jenny from being trapped then he thought maybe it, would in turn, release himself from his grief. However, in the end it was so sad to me when Willow said, "Giles, Jenny could never be this mean." Giles: "I know. It's not her, is it?" I thought it was a very good scene for Giles. It also felt completely normal that Willow was the one almost speaking from Jenny's behalf. After Jenny passes away, Willow picks up Jenny's magical influences and computer classes. Willow also gives Giles Jenny's healing stones. Willow: "I think she'd want you to have them." I liked the small connection that Willow and Giles have after Jenny's death and probably because of Jenny's death. |
| 22. | smallprint84Sep 22, 2010 (Wed) @ 3:49amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| Another cool thing I noticed: The kiss between possessed Buffy and Angelus, it has a little saliva string at the end . Haha just like the famous kiss scene between SMG & Selma Blair in Cruel Intentions. Then Buffy: "Angel?" Angelus: "snarls" and storms off.
It's great! |
| 23. | Elianne23Nov 26, 2010 (Fri) @ 6:50pmView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| Simply the best. This is still my all-time favourite episode: the acting!
the score! the terrific use of a 50s song! the character development! Well, I think Mike said it all. This episode never fails to have me in tears. The only minor crit. is the use of the same back shot of the gang in front of the school, after Buffy is trapped inside. Just a little nitpick in what is, for me, a perfect episode. |
| 24. | Elianne23Nov 26, 2010 (Fri) @ 8:38pmView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| Also, best Giles quotation ever - not witty, but wise beyond measure:
"To forgive is an act of compassion, Buffy. It's, it's not done because people deserve it. It's done because they need it." |
| 25. | ShinyJan 2, 2011 (Sun) @ 9:37amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| I adore this episode, and agree with Andrew Kern's interpretation of why it caused Angelus to seek the end of the world. But one thing annoys me about it. Nobody mentions whether the janitor is released (one might presume so based on the lack of a murder weapon, but there was a dead body and a witness). Or how difficult it's going to be for him to live with the fact that he murdered someone for absolutely no reason. I know it wouldn't really have fit into the emotional drama of the episode, but I always wonder... |
| 26. | thegirlwiththebutterflytattoosJan 2, 2011 (Sun) @ 7:38pmView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| I just have to say that I LOVE this episode. It's brilliant. :) |
| 27. | odigityJan 17, 2011 (Mon) @ 4:12amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| I didn't have the same interpretation of the two ghosts' actions and intentions. It seemed to me that Grace was possessing both the male and female in each interaction in order to replay the scene and get to the point where she can meet James in the music room, stop him from killing himself, and forgive him. This makes Buffy's comment that it's obviously James' spirit more meaningful, in that she's blaming the wrong person. I also got the impression that it's James' spirit that was causing all the scary stuff, like the locker monster, snakes, wasps, etc, to scare people away from the school so that Grace can't posses them - out of concern for the innocent victims of the reenactment. As proof, the one time one of the spirits appears in person is when a young man in a letterman's jacket (James, I assume) appears in rotted corpse form for a second to yell "GET OUT!" at one of the characters. Now, the only way Grace could get to the forgiveness scene is to cast someone in the role of herself that can survive the initial gun shot wound (in addition to fitting the role thematically). Only Angel meets these requirements, making Buffy the only choice to play James. When everyone else is driven away and Buffy shows up alone, James creates an opening in the wasp cloud to let her in so Grace can have one of the two people she needs to finish. I'd like to hear if there are any flaws in this interpretation, or argument for why a different interpretation is more plausible than this one. I took my a while to figure this out, and I'd like to know if I'm right, or if not, what the truth is. |
| 28. | fray-adjacentJan 18, 2011 (Tue) @ 10:38amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| Odigity, you should join the forum! You'll get a lot more excellent discussion there. |
| 29. | smallprint84Apr 19, 2011 (Tue) @ 5:00amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| Nice trivia: this is the episode, that Joss Whedon convinced that David B. should have his own spin-off. |
| 30. | deadlegoApr 19, 2011 (Tue) @ 5:52amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| @smallprint84 It was actually Angel's monologue at the beginning of 'Passion' that convinced Joss that David was good enough to have his own show, it had already been an idea before that but the acting in 'Passion' was what made Joss sure that David was good enough and that AtS should go ahead. |
| 31. | AndreaApr 19, 2011 (Tue) @ 11:07pmView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| @ LibMax - wow. You really blew my mind. I never realized quite how much the story was about Buffy and Angel. I always knew they were reenacting the murder, but I when I read your comment, and then watched Buffy and Angel start the repeating conversation, I realized that it was literally a conversation THEY could be having (which continues throughout the scene), rather than James and Miss Newman. The line: "Don't walk away from me, bitch!" Wow. Chilling. Hateful. Brutal. Probably one of the most brutal lines of the series. And all the actors who deliver it, deliver it with a believable, gut-wrenching hate (/love). SMG especially. I like how Giles's opinions on forgiveness seem to carry over to the forgiveness he eventually offers Angel next season. He walks the walk. Also, love Snyder's "I'm no stranger to conspiracy - I saw JFK." A big LMAO here. Wonderfully delivered from a consistently awesome Principal Snyder. And lastly, this song will creep me out forever. I have it on my iPod, and it plays amongst all the lovely old love songs, but it terrifies me every time. |
| 32. | Sam LMay 10, 2011 (Tue) @ 4:48amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| Fabulous review, Mike! The song "I Only Have Eyes for You", from which this episode gets its title, is one of the most romantic songs ever recorded. It was originally written by Al Dubin and the legendary lyricist and composer Harry Warren in 1934, and it has been covered many times. The most famous rendition of this song was by the Flamingos in 1959, and that's the one played in this episode. Since the James & Grace story takes place in 1955, it would have been impossible for them to dance to this song. However, you'll be hard pressed to find anyone complain about this continuity error, since this is one of the most spellbinding love songs ever written and it plays no small part in contributing to this episode's haunting atmosphere. In his last paragraph, Mike says that "love is often blinding and uncontrollable". The opening line of this song is "My love must be a kind of blind love/I can't see anyone but you". Coincidence? I think not. :) |
| 33. | huhahuhaMay 28, 2011 (Sat) @ 7:21amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| I think the final possessed Angelus/Buffy talk served 3 functions: resolution of guilt for the ghosts, Buffy letting out her guilt of "killing" Angel by having sex with him. I think the third function is foreshadowing of the events that will happen in Becoming 2. Did any one feel the same way? |
| 34. | AnaJun 13, 2011 (Mon) @ 3:23pmView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| I agree with huhahuha There was major foreshadowing in this episode!
First off, the ghost dialogue is eerily similar to the sewer breakup scene in "Prom", with Angel leaving buffy so she could have a "normal life" and all Also Angel responding "I don't" when Buffy asks if he loves her (and in the prom episode thats his response to Buffy saying she wants a life with him) And I think the whole scene definitely foreshadowed Becoming pt. 2 as well! Because Buffy killing Angel, obviously, but also him forgiving her for killing him and saying he loved her til his last breath, etc. I know thats wasn't the main intent of the whole ghost scene (it was to rid buffy of her guilt of "killing" Angel...by doing the dirty with him) but these parallels just seemed to jump at me the second time I watched it And I know the use of that version of the song was off, but It just fit so well, I absolutely loved it! The music supervisor for Buffy is a genius (And I mean this in regards to the show as a whole) And everyone's always so willing to point that out but no one mentions how Willow getting lesson plans (or pagan sites) from Ms Calendar's computer would be very difficult seeing as Angelus smashed her computer and set fire to it in the last episode... And last but not least in my little rant ( I apologize, this is what happens when you lack a life) I'd like to say I totally agree with Odigity! and I hadn't even thought of that before reading your comment but I think it makes perfect sense and I just love that explaination! |
| 35. | Bangelus LoverJun 29, 2011 (Wed) @ 6:16amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| I love this episode, I really think it has an important place in the series ark, especially as part of the Bangelus relationship. The bit that always gets me (other than everything) is that moment after Buffy and Angelus finish kissing, before she asks for Angel. I really think if she'd reacted differently then Angelus would've too. He always seemed angry to me, and wouldn't you be if you kissed someone and they said someone else's name? I think Angelus loved Buffy, in an obsessive, unhealthy, dark sort of way. When he kissed her I think he almost admitted it to himself and when Buffy didn't want him he was furious. |
| 36. | StevenJul 12, 2011 (Tue) @ 3:19amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| Ana, it's likely that it was a forgotten thing that Angel damaged the computer that Ms Calendar had. However most schools do work off networks, so it's possible that admin just gave Willow the password to Ms Calendar's user account and was able to view her details. Easy fix to that slight mistake in the story. |
| 37. | ServenaAug 20, 2011 (Sat) @ 4:59pmView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| I agree with Mike, the part where Willow gives Giles the Rose quartz, with "Remembering Jenny" playing in the background, always gets me. I cried when I saw it, the first time ever for a TV show. Ahh, the power of Buffy. |
| 38. | Gemma Dec 19, 2011 (Mon) @ 2:55amView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| The Sadie Hawkins dance is approaching and its the time the girls ask the boys. sadly though Buffy hasn't a guy to ask she is still blaming herself for the things Angelus has done, not only that but she is suffering from the added weight of responsibility for being the reason Angelus is around and can't see beyond that. All her friends has provided her with forgiveness, Buffy wasn't to know about the curse but she needs forgiveness from one guy she can't talk to, Angel. This episode handled the Buffy Angel relationship expertly, Buffy is desperately in need of forgiveness from Angel as much as James is from his teacher girlfriend he killed out of love. He plays events over and over which produce the same saddening outcome. He can't find forgiveness. He identifies with Buffy, her emotions are on full alert, at first blaming James for what he did, the same thing she too will be forced to do, kill her lover. Buffy has come to accept that she will have to slay Angelus but ultimately this will mean that she will kill Angel; they share the same body. She can't save him. When James possess Buffy and Angel enters the field of play the ghost of the teacher resides within him. This led to an emotional confrontation but not between Buffy and Angelus but the much awaited Buffy and Angel. The roles they were playing in James drama were fitting for their characters. From the inaugural season Angel has always known on some level that his relationship with Buffy will always be grey, never running smoothly. Buffy has said that all she thinks of when she ponders the future is him, she can't see anything but for him. This is also quintessential of the emotions James felt. Buffy through James finally received the the forgiveness she needed from the guy she needed to hear it from. The scenes with our two leading characters was cohesive, the fluency between them was felt leaving the episode and the emotions shared between them anything but contrived. - Great to see these two get the closure they needed before the show down. The other cast had some bright moments as well, Giles holding on to the idea that Jenny was the ghost behind the events was touching, the emotions of her passing are still flowing through the episodes making her death all the more real and significant. Willow's dabbling with magic begins here, foreshadowing her character arch. Xander and Cordelia deliver the much needed Buffy-Verse comedy. Some parts of the show did feel a little contrived and left me with a feeling of confoundedness; Willow teaching a class? When Giles is available to at least be present and supervise? Spike shone in this episode, his can't be bothered to show his anger at Angelus with regards to Dru and the put downs he suffers,. The best scene though is when he stands at the end of the episode, it leaves you with so many what ifs. When i first watched this episode i couldn't help but think up little scenario's. Will Spike kill Angelus? |
| 39. | keekeyDec 19, 2011 (Mon) @ 10:07pmView This Person's Comments | Link | |
| This episode is definitely in my top 10--maybe even in my top 5. There are a lot of great episodes leading up to it (e.g., Halloween, Passion) but it's the first episode I watched where, at the end, I thought, "Wow, that was completely brilliant." The use of the ghost story to give Buffy some closure with Angel was a really terrific concept and wonderfully executed. I really like the Giles subplot in this episode, too. Seeing Giles, who is almost always so sensible, latching onto the idea that the poltergeist is Jenny is so sad and shows clearly how much he loved Jenny and how much he is struggling to come to terms with her death. He misses Jenny so much that he'd rather see the negative and malicious behavior of the poltergeist as a sign of Jenny's presence than accept the fact that she's really gone. This is a theme (i.e., willingness to accept some perverse facsimile of a loved one rather than let that person go) that comes up again later in the series in Forever (with Dawn attempting to bring Joyce back even knowing that she might come back "wrong") and in After Life (Spike telling Xander that Willow hid Buffy's resurrection from him because, even if she came back "wrong," if some part of what came back was Buffy, he wouldn't let Willow get rid of it). Here, I love the moment between Willow and Giles where she tells him that the poltergeist can't be Jenny because Jenny could never be so mean and Giles finally accepts this. He realizes that he's clinging to a fantasy and, in the process, ruining rather than preserving Jenny's memory. The ending with Spike getting out of the wheelchair is also great. If you'd told me when I was first watching School Hard that before the season was over I'd be rooting for Spike to take down Angel, well, I wouldn't have believed you but, wow, that's totally what I was doing at the end of this episode. It's interesting, looking back, how early in the series Spike's interests become aligned with those of the Scoobies. Although Willow at one point says that, even now that Angel's evil again, Buffy is still all he thinks about, I would argue that he actually seems quite focused on tormenting Spike too--thus setting up pretty much the only scenario in which Spike would end up being a sympathetic character. Nobody deserves to be tormented by Angelus! Although I thought DB could be a little wooden as Angel, I loved him as Angelus--for me, he's still the best Buffy villain of all. Also, John Hawkes, who I loved in Deadwood (and a lot of other things), is great as the janitor in this episode. This episode would get a P from me. Loved it! |
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