Okay, now let us get to why you are all here, to talk about John Rit. . . I mean Buffy the vampire slayer. The episode starts off with Willow and Xander having a friendly argument while Buffy ignores them completely. She is lost in her own head, not really listening. They make it to Buffy's house where they find the door slightly open. She tells the others to wait outside while she goes in for a look. Seconds later she hears glass break and her mom squeak. She rushes to the kitchen to find her mother, the annoying Joyce, kissing John Ritter, or well his name on this show is Ted.
Ted cooks for the gang and impresses Willow with free demos, which causes her to freak out in a good way. Everyone seems to love Ted, but for Buffy who pretends to be okay before taking all of her anger out on some poor vampire. He never asked for any of this but does the slayer care? Oh no, she just wants to cause him pain. Even Giles is trying to calm down. Buffy complains to Giles about vampires but it is clear that she is talking about Ted. The next day at school Xander is raving on and on about Ted and even Buffy can't find anything bad to say about him. She just doesn't like the guy and doesn't know why. It doesn't help when he shows up at Sunnydale High and invites them to play minigolf and Xander signs them up. Now let's move away from Ted for a bit and go and check in on Giles. He makes his way to Jenny's classroom to tell her that he has some of her text books. It is clear he wants to talk to her but doesn't know how, not since she was possessed by the demon that was after him in Dark Ages. She tells him that she needs space, he can't keep coming around and trying to fix things. It makes her feel bad that she doesn't feel better. Giles leaves heartbroken. God can we just sit here for a moment and cry for our beloved Giles? Buffy is alone with Angel and all she wants to do is bitch and complain about Ted. She seems a bit obsessed with him and Angel tries to get her mind off of it. The next day everyone is playing minigolf and Ted lectures Buffy on her grades before trying to act like her father. This is where we finally start to see that Buffy is right, there is something really off with Ted. He even threatens to slap her across her face. He makes a smart remark about not being wired a certain way which is telling. It is also important to note that everyone loves his cookies. Cookies are evil. As Buffy tries to tell Joyce about Ted, Joyce lets it slip that she might be in love with him. The look on Buffy's face is heartbreaking. Her mother just confessed love for a man who was not only rude to Buffy but scared her, not much can scare the slayer but Buffy is also a teenage girl. A teenage girl whose parents just got divorced and this new man in her life is trying to change everything for her. That would be scary for any child. It all gets worse when Joyce doesn't believe Buffy when she says that Ted threatened her. Xander complements Cordy and she snaps at him. She gets pissed off at him for saying it in front of his friends because she doesn't want anyone to know. He promises her that no one will ever know and then asks if she wants to make out. She is disgusted that that is all he thinks about and then agrees to it. I love them together. Being the tech wizard that she is, Willow finds out where Ted works and Buffy goes to his job to spy on him. This is where things go sideways. Ted is a workaholic who never misses a day but is taking off for his wedding. His wedding to one Joyce Summers. Buffy is going to have a new step dad and she is not happy. At dinner it's important to note that Buffy has yet to eat anything that Ted cooked. This is important to keep in mind. Buffy asks Ted and her mother if they are engaged and they tell her not yet, but Ted asks how that would make her feel. Buffy tells him that it makes her feel like killing herself. Joyce sends her away and apologizes to Ted for her daughter. It makes me sick how bad a mother she is. To be fair she is under a spell, wait what? We will get to that. It's a slow night in the vampire world so Buffy heads home. Sitting in her room is none other than Ted. He threatens her once again, telling her she is to do whatever he says from now on or he will show her journal to Joyce and have Buffy locked up for believing in vampires. Buffy tries to stop him from taking the journal and he hits her. The two of them fight as Joyce watches on in horror. Ted falls down the stairs and lands at the bottom, dead. Buffy confesses to the police that she pushed him and they question her. She tells them that he threatened her and hit her. The cop comments that he must not have hit her hard because she doesn't have bruises. Buffy almost breaks down, it just makes you feel for her so much. But not nearly as much as the silent car ride home. Joyce doesn't say a word to her. The next day at school everyone just watches her, judging her. Xander and Willow start asking her all these questions, such as what kind of demon he was. When Buffy admits that he was human you can see the judgement in her friends eyes. This episode really pulls on the heart strings a lot. The police are at school questioning teachers about Buffy trying to figure out what kind of person she is. Willow tries to find anything she can about him online as Xander rants about how everything is bad and he hates Ted. He takes one bite of a cookie left over from Ted and everything changes. He is no longer worried about anything. He is just in a great mood. The key is in the cookies, in the food. Never trust great tasting food made by people you don't know. It could be drugged. Giles decides to take over for Buffy on patrol since Buffy is riddled with guilt. Buffy tries to talk to her mom about everything but Joyce won't hear it. She wants nothing to do with Buffy right now. Willow finds out that the cookies have something similar to ecstasy. Cordy finds an address and old marriage licenses, something isn't right and the gang heads out to his house. Jenny tracks down Giles and tells him that she forgives him for putting her in danger, seconds later she is once more put in danger as a vampire attacks. Speaking of attacks, Buffy is alone in her room when Ted attacks her. He man handles her in a way that no human should be able to. We intercut between this and Jenny shooting Giles with an arrow. It's a funny moment, lucky he isn't hurt too bad and uses the arrow to dust the vampire. Buffy hits Ted and we see that he is a robot, say what!!! Ted knocks her out and heads downstairs to find Joyce as the Scoobies break into his house. Turns out he has been married four times and is a lot older than he looks. They find nothing in his house until they find a rug out of place. It leads to another house below that one. Joyce is in shock at seeing Ted standing before her. He makes up a story about only being dead for a few moments before waking up. His house is right out of the 50's. He clearly has been around for a long time and he as for his old wives. Yeah he keeps them in the closet, well their dead bodies anyways. Ted tries to talk Joyce into coming away with her but she is more worried about Buffy, for once. Ted's programing starts to act up and Joyce thinks that something is wrong with him, still not thinking that he is a robot because, well, who would? On a happy note, Giles and Jenny patch things up. It's good to see them happy together. They were really cute together. Buffy wakes up just as Ted is trying to get Joyce out of the house. She is stalling for time but he won't allow it. She now sees that the man is insane. He throws her into a wall and is about to carry her out when he hears Buffy and goes in search of her. She hits him with a pan of all things and we see his robot face. It is right out of terminator, very cool. Another hit and he is down for the count. No more Ted, poor John Ritter. Joyce and Buffy are back on good terms, I'm glad for Buffy even if I'm not a fan of Joyce. The police also know he is a robot so Buffy is not in any legal trouble. This is truly a great episode, and even hints at the fact that Willow never grows. She kept part of Ted because he is a robot and she finds that cool. She will go on to keep the Buffybot because it's a robot and that is cool. Damn Willow, try to learn. Okay before we go, this is the 20th anniversary of Buffy and Entertainment Weekly did a great reunion video for the show so I thought I'd put a link to it down below if you guys want to check it out. It's about 40 minutes and worth the watch! I love this show!!!
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Buffy and Willow have a nice classic sitcom montage where they keep cooking cookies until they get it right. No sooner do they finish when Giles comes with information. It would seem that the real teacher has gone missing. Something we already know. So what does Buffy do? She hits the streets for information. Slayer style.
She all but gives up as the morning sun starts to come up. That is when she hears a scream from inside a local bakery. She rushes inside to come face to face with the giant tiger and gets her ass handed to her. The baker runs off and the tiger grows bored, leaving Buffy alone. Now here is how you know that McDonald is a skilled writer. There are a lot of hints at things to come later in the story. All sprinkled in, to the point that you wouldn't even notice it if you weren't paying attention. Buffy almost blowing up her house, the Fry the Tiger Café. All important hints to the ending of the story. That's a master right there. The next day in class the teacher shits on Buffy's cookies but loves Xander's dessert. As luck would have it, Xander bought them from the same bakery that the tiger attacked that morning. The teacher asks Xander to stay after class while Buffy heads off to meet up with Willow and Giles. Giles figured out that the giant tiger likes to collect humans to cook for them, this tips Buffy off to who the tiger is, the new teacher!! She makes it back to class just in time to witness the tiger attacking Xander. She tries to stop him but the tiger is just too strong. He takes Xander and flees, leaving a defeated Buffy behind in his wake. Buffy, Giles and Willow find the tigers hideout in the Fry the Tiger Café. Willow made two fake desserts full of the same ingredients that Buffy almost burnt her house down with. Buffy distracts the tiger while Xander mixes them in with the rest of the food. The tiger takes a bite and it's night night tiger. The day is saved once again thanks to the Scooby gang! Well that and a sword to the eye delivered by Buffy. After everything is said and done Buffy finally turns in good well cooked cookies! To the real teacher this time and Willow even gets a good grade on her art. To be fair it's because the teacher thought it was abstract, it wasn't. But it is a fun end to a fun story and a nice addition to the slayers journey!
Which brings us to the story of the day. A group of nerdy vampires lead by a girl named Hester. Even as an undead girl she still doesn't fit in with everyone else. They try and fail to get into a club made for vampires but can't get past the door man. He tells them that the only way in would be to kill the slayer. And we have a story!
Willow tries to help Buffy study and we start to see just how different the two of them are. A very important theme for this issue. Buffy doesn't like her new life and Willow can sense it. Meanwhile Hester hates her friends and the fact that they aren't cool. She talks them into trying to team up against the slayer. They find her at a graveyard, where else would she be? Buffy makes quick work of some vamps while Xander and Willow talk about if they are cool enough for Buffy. If she would even like them if she wasn't the slayer, if she was still "cool". She tells them she will meet up with them later when she is attacked by Hester and the other nerdy vamps. Before she can get a chance to slay them Hester points out that Buffy is a "cool kid", that she thinks she is better than everyone else. It gets into Buffy's head and gives the vampires a chance to escape. Buffy never shows up at the Bronze, instead going home and going to sleep. She has horrible dreams about being mean to her friends. This is the type of story that I wish I was better at writing. It fits in with the show so well. The underlining theme fitting perfectly with the monster of the week. Faith Hicks knows how to write! Buffy goes to school the next day and over does with the trying to show her friends how much she cares about them but it blows up in her face. Willow knows something is wrong and is hurt when Buffy won't tell her what. It also gives us the most amazingly Giles moment when he tries to cheer her up but is horrible at it. Giles is just the best! While Hester and Buffy seem to have a lot in common we quickly see just how different they are. Buffy may not always be the best at showing her friends how much she cares but she does care. Hester on the other hand doesn't. Maybe it's the vampire in her but more than likely it is the fact that she wants so badly to be liked that she will do whatever it takes, even turning on her friends. She sacrifices them to summon the demon she needs to kill Buffy but missed the part where she needed a fourth vampire to make the demon obey her. It turned on her and killed her without even giving it a second thought. Whereas Buffy's friend's showed up in the nick of time and saved her life. Showing that the Scoobies are true friends who always come through for each other when needed. This is a great addition to the slayer lore and if you want more Buffy you should really pick it up! It fits so perfectly with the show!
So enough chit chat, let's get to the review. If you recall last time, we left off with the two slayers in a stand off in Angel's apartment as we learn that this new girl, Kendra was also a vampire slayer. Say what! And that is right where we pick up. The two slayers facing each other arguing over who is the real slayer. After a tense few moments where Kendra tells Buffy information she already knows, such as when the slayer dies anther will be called, the two agree to call a truce and go and talk to Buffy's Watcher, who we all know to be the one and only Giles.
On a side note, outside of this review, the Buffy fan pages on Facebook are insane. And I mean insane, someone admitted to not liking Joyce and it's like okay, I'm right there with you and people went crazy. Not only defending what might be the worst mother in the history of the world but also bashing Giles and Oz. Uh what? Who doesn't love Giles and Oz? What happened in your childhood that makes you hate either one of them? There is just no pleasing some people I swear! Anyways, back to the episode at hand. The vamp with the soul, Mr. Angel himself, is still locked up in the cage at Willies. The sun is moving towards him at an alarming rate. The credits save him, for now! Back at the library Giles tries to make sense of how Kendra could also be a slayer. Once Willow shows up Kendra starts calling everything into question. A slayer should work alone, and yet Buffy has friends. While explaining it to Willow Giles figures out that Buffy drowning is what caused Kendra to be summoned. Kendra calls Angel Angelus, something that just fills me with joy. It's around this time that the gang learn what Kendra did to Angel. Buffy is beyond pissed and can you blame her? This girl just comes in, steals her destiny and tries to kill her boyfriend. That's a no no. Lucky for Angel Willie drags him out of the cage and drops him in the sewer before the sun can get him. Well maybe not to lucky. He sold him to Spike. Could this be the end of the ensouled vampire? Back at the Buffy house Cordy is trying to buy makeup from a weird guy who turns out to be out of bugs. Xander comes in and tries to remove him from the house before getting wise and running. The two of them dart into the basement as the bug man tries to come into the room from beneath the door. Kendra and Buffy question Willie but he lies through his teeth. We start to see just how different these two slayers are. Spike brings Angel to Dru and tells her that one the ritual is completed she will be back to normal. Dru smiles and asks if she can play. Now if you know the back story between these two you know that nothing good can come from this. From everything we know so far it would seem that the ritual could be deadly for Angel. The watchers agree that Kendra should stay and help out Buffy till everything is taken care of, something that doesn't sit well with Buffy. Part of her feels like she isn't good enough, or at least that she doesn't want this life. She toys with the idea of giving the slayer gig over to Kendra while she tries to live a normal life. It's a nice dream that you have to imagine that she thinks about a lot. Could you blame her? Now here comes one of my favorite moments of the Buffyverse, the start of Xander and Cordy. I love these two together. I mean I understand why they didn't work out but they were still great for each other and you can't help but feel like they truly care for one another. It also always makes me laugh how their relationship, at least in the start was always sprung on by hate. The two share their first kiss and get freaked out and dart out of there as fast as they could. The bug man drops down on Cordy and Xander has to hose her off before they take off in her car. Now I'm not big on bugs but bugs that are also a demon, that would just be scary. And while we are on couples that you can't help but love, Willow and Oz have a great little moment where we start to see how much they fit together. They are both just the right kind of odd. To bad their moment is broken up by a cop trying to kill Buffy and shooting Oz in the arm. The cop takes Jonathan, you know the co-creator of Empire, hostage and Kendra has to save the day. Xander meets Kendra and tries to hit on her. She gets so flustered, it's cute. Giles figures out that the ritual requires that Angel's life be given in order to save Dru. Kendra doesn't like the idea of trying to save Angel but she agrees to help. Buffy is in full on slayer mode now that she knows Angel is danger. A woman in love is nothing to mess with. Can we all take a moment to just be in awe of how amazing it is every time Dru talks? The things she says and the way she says it is just the greatest writing that has ever been put to page. I always love to hear how different the two slayers are. Kendra's parents gave her up to be trained and Kendra believes that Buffy is weak because of her emotions, but Buffy out smarts her and shows her that not only is she not as in control as she thinks but that anger gives her strength. The slayers make Willie talk and tell them where Angel is as Angel tries to get Spike to kill him. It almost works but Dru stops him. Kendra believes that Angel should die and that Buffy is a fool for trying to save him. She is far too by the book. Well maybe Kendra has a point. No sooner does Willie get Buffy alone, than he delivers her to vampires to keep her busy. Meanwhile Spike starts the ritual. Draining Angel's life and giving it to Dru. It takes a while to complete. Willie brings Buffy into the church and Spike is pissed but he can't help but be cocky. All hope seems lost until Kendra breaks in and turns the tide against Spike. Giles and the rest of the Scooby's are right behind her. Cordy and Xander trap the bug man in pant and kill him. Aw you have to love sweet revenge. Buffy stops the ritual which is the only thing that distracts Spike long enough to allow Willie the chance to escape. Which is good because I've always liked him. A fire breaks out at the church and Spike cuts Dru down and tries to run but Buffy stops, knocking him into the wall. It caves in on him as Buffy turns her attention to Angel and Kendra rushes over to help them all escape. It would seem that the slayers work well together. The Scoobies leave Spike and Dru to the fire as they pile out. Willow checks in on Oz and he teachers her about the monkey and his pants. He uses this moment to slip in a complement. They are far too cute together. Xander forces Cordy to talk to him about what happened. At first she doesn't want to but she agrees. They try to figure out what it all means, the conversation doesn't last long before they are once more locking lips. As Buffy says goodbye to Kendra, Kendra drops some knowledge on her. Being the slayer isn't a job, it's who she is. She should embrace it and not fight against it. A lesson that Buffy needed to hear. Now on to the end. Dru is back to full strength and carries an injured Spike out of the ruins. Now from what I have heard, Spike was supposed to die right then and there. But the fans liked him so much Joss decided to keep him around. The best call he ever made if you ask me. After all, who doesn't love Spike? I know I do. |
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November 2020
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