You can't please everyone. I'm watching this reaction because i want to see your reaction, not how people want you to react so keep being you. That's why I'm watching and many others I'm sure.
Exactly. I've lost count of how many times I've watched this series beginning to end - and I can certainly watch on my own again any time I want to see the full episodes. The reaction is the point and I just really appreciate that she's already very keyed into examining the show's underlying themes and commentary. Looking forward to hearing her thoughts as we get deeper into this season and beyond.
@@agnawkneemoose6373 "I can certainly watch on my own again any time I want to see the full episodes."That's not the point,the point is that you get surprised/disappointed when _some specific scenes_ get cut out because they're super-important/intense and it's weird to see a reactor not noticing them or not reacting to them as intensly as you'd expecting. And I'm not talking about a case of"I know what will happen later so I know this scene is important",I'm talking about"I know what *already happened* or what's *happening right now* and *THAT'S* why I know this scene is important". So it has nothing to do with spoilers or the fact we've seen the show multiple times already,it's literally the 1st time reaction WE had and it can confuse us how those same scenes could just"fly over someone's head". In other cases you get disappointed simply because there's a scene you're particularly fond of and you _couldn't wait_ to see the reaction...and insted the whole scene just gets cut out... that simply hurts,whether the scene was objectively"important"or not.🥺💔
@@Nicamon Reactors on RUclips _can't_ include everything. They have to pick and choose - and sometimes do some extreme editing to avoid copyright claims. The system is arbitrary and inconsistent. A clip that 5 other reactors had no problem with might be the thing that needs to get cut in number 6's reaction. Some reactors can get on a company's radar to the point where they have to distort the video and/or audio just to post any reaction at all. If they opt to go for the scenes where they felt they had a more interesting reaction that's their prerogative. It may be disappointing, but I trust them to know what _they_ found interesting enough in the episode to leave in the edit. If you want to make sure you don't miss their reaction to a specific scene, there's always the Patreon.
@@Nicamon And I just explained why voicing that disappointment (especially WRT "favorite" scenes) reads as entitlement on this platform. I've watched a lot of reactors for _their_ insights or thoughts on a show. To see it through _their_ eyes. If they're genuinely unspoiled, there are bound to be things they miss or don't put as much weight on as people who know what's coming. While there are reactors who seem to miss things because they're just passively watching and not engaged with the show, that's not what I get from Cass. She _is_ engaged, and has picked up on a lot of the themes the show is trying to convey. I'm okay if I don't see her "in the moment" reaction to my favorite line in an episode occasionally.
Don't think of vampires as lacking emotions. Think of them as lacking a conscience and a sense of social connection. The "love" that is felt by Spike and Drusilla is an obsessive love based on desire and passion. They lack any concept of being willing to sacrifice for the other, they just each pursue their own desires which happen to overlap. This is what Angel means about having been with Darla for over a century and never loving her. He thought he did just as she thought she loved him, but it was a love that lacked true connection. It is only now that he has a soul that he can connect with someone.
@@adamdavis1648 Who says he was hungry? Moreover, I'm being careful not to mention any spoilers, but if you've seen Spike's backstory in Angel, he's exactly the kind of personality who wants to put girls on a pedestal. It's not exactly submissiveness, but it serves his desires to shower her with gifts.
The capacity for vampires to feel emotions is pretty ambiguous in this franchise. Not to spoil anything, but a certain vampire's actions immediately after they were turned suggests that they may be able to feel real love despite not having a soul.
You’re becoming one of my favorite Buffy reactors because of your introspection and analysis on characters motivations and thought process. That’s how I like to consume media a lot of the time, and it helps me better understand them and grow closer and more emotionally invested in the show itself. I really appreciate your open mindedness with how you navigate the comment section!
I love hearing you react to the comments. Please continue! You skipped past it in the editing, but they do clearly explain what happens with Eyghon at the end. He can only exist on this plane by jumping into the nearest dead or unconscious body. Since Angel is, technically, dead, the demon jumped into his body. But there's already a demon living in it. Angel says he's had a demon inside him for a long time spoiling for a fight. Once that demon won, Eyghon was expelled and is destroyed.
I loved how Willow's comment on that song fit so perfectly with Cass talking about how she used to love "Hot in here" when she was incredibly young and her mom had to tell her not to sing it in public.
I think other commenters might have given their take on this, but I'd want to add mine. About vampires being able to feel or love without a soul. In the context of this show, losing your soul doesn't make you lose your feelings or anything, except maybe for one: guilt. The soul is basically the person's moral compass, their conscience, but when it comes to their ability to love or feel other feelings, those are still there. So that's why Spike and Dru's feelings can be considered genuine despite their lack of souls. And it's also why Angel got punished by being given his soul back; what they really gave back to him is his conscience, his sense of guilt, so that he have to face everything he did prior to that. And I guess I kinda want to add a third thing to that, because a lot of people miss it: They separate Angel from Angelus, like it wasn't him that did all the s**t he did. But really, ask Angel if he thinks like that, and he'd say no.
Others need to separate the two or it would be too difficult to deal with on a daily basis and Angel can go along for their benefit (there is a scene where he literally switches from "I" to "Angelus" when he realises a particular person is listening), but he knows Angelus is him minus self-control imposed by a conscience.
Don't worry about what everyone else thinks. Your genuine reactions are what we're here for. Just be yourself and don't worry so much. Haters gonna hate. ❤
I enjoy your replying to comments, but DEFINITELY don't let the negative comments get to you. Your style of reaction, introspection, and analysis is exactly why I, and I'm sure many, many others, enjoy watching. To that point, you drew a fantastic parallel that I'd never caught before, between the vamp cult and Heaven's Gate. The fact that the timeline between the real event and the episode is that close... Very interesting. Oh my God, you don't know John Cusack?! Fantastic actor, started in the 80s as a teen but has continued to appear in interesting roles for 4 decades running. If you ever wanted to react to some of his stuff (which would be fantastic), start with Better Off Dead, then watch High Fidelity, then try 1408 or Identity.
Drusilla is easily one of the most interesting characters in the show. Sort of a hybrid between Cassandra of Troy and Ophelia. BtVS plays a lot with the Jungian concept of the shadow throughout its run, but I think Buffy/Drusilla is one of the best examples. Thanks for the great content Cass. You're already one of my favourite reactors on here.
I don’t comment often on RUclips, but I’ll be ironic here, ignore the comments. Buffy fans can be kind of harsh on RUclips and spoil a lot by trying to tease. I look forward to these videos every week. Just enjoy the show, it gets better and better! Also loving the commentary!
Anytime there’s a new reactor, I usually leave a comment recommending that they get a moderator to filter out any possible spoilers. I usually do that because I see so many spoilers in the comments of EPISODE 1 & it’s so frustrating. That or they can watch a couple seasons in advance & always stay ahead that way. It won’t stop all spoilers, but it can keep quite a few away. In general, most commenters are really good about not spoiling. I’ve seen many reactors get to major plot points or episodes & remain unspoiled. Unfortunately, it only takes one or two numbnuts to ruin everything, either intentionally or not.
@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 same, I love Buffy and want others to enjoy it the same way I did. I get their enthusiasm but I hate they spoil things or are mad cause the reactor didn’t react how they wanted to something. I know Cass said she had her mom reading comments at first, but she def needs a mod to filter them out or tread very lightly. Hopefully she’s got someone to help, I’d help but not sure how I could. It’s such a wonderful show and I’m loving her reactions/commentary! Has been some of the best so far!
The Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles were super big in the 90s. Had a big effect on taking Vampires out of the realm of "monster's" and (super) humanized them as something like a"higher" form of existence. Most Vampire fiction since then has more or less followed a similar approach with Buffy being a significant exception. So, yeah... Vampire Wannabes ("Blood Dolls") were a thing.
Anne Rice books may have humanised vampires, but the main theme of Interview With the Vampire is that vampirism is *miserable.* Immortality is not depicted as being fun at all. And those vampires definitely still harmed people. So this would have been a bad idea even in the Anne Rice universe.
Lie to me is the defining episode of the Buffyverse. There's a lot going on there I won't talk about yet, but the most important element of the show is there. How is a Hero defined in the Buffyverse? By the choices they make, especially the impossible choices. Buffy clearly contrasted Ford in what decision she felt was right. He chose to sacrifice other's lives to preserve his own. Buffy felt the only real choice would be to suffer his fate, if it meant keeping everyone else safe. Although the principal has been defined here, it can be found all through the shows, including the pilot. Keep an eye out for it. Many times characters may end up suffering by making the hard, but right choice. Alternatively, there will also be many times where they choose poorly or refuse to make a choice and consequences will result. In the pilot episode, Buffy's refusing to do something likley lead to Jessy's death. It may seem unfair, but unfortunately, the slayer is forced to make life or death decisions, and when she makes the wrong ones, people end up dying. It also happened in the season finale when she quit. While at home those students in the school died. It's a terrible burden, but the show doesn't pull those punches.
I am so sad that i found this channel so early into your journey so i cant just binge all your videos :(. But completely seriously I've watched a lot of buffy youtube and if you are able to maintain an enjoyment of this show you just might be the buffy reactor goat, the amount of effort you put into actually watching and analyzing the show is amazing.
This is my first comment as normally I'm one of the silent viewers! But I just wanted to say how much I love the level of attention you give to the reactions, especially when you talk about themes of the episode like in Halloween. There's a lot to analyse with Buffy so you never have to worry about reading too much into things. I love the idea of you continuing a discussion from the comments as long as it doesn't make you feel like you're having to defend yourself - you can't be expected to pick up on everything the first time around! 'Lie to me' is another episode that gets a lot of analysis. Buffy's line that 'you don't have a good choice but you have a choice' can be seen as the lesson behind moments like Buffy's choice in 'Prophecy Girl', the comparison between her and Ampata in 'Inca Mummy Girl' etc.
Lie to Me is such a great episode. It explores the concept of choice and really says a lot thematically about Buffy as a show. 'You don't have a good choice, but you have a choice'. The theme of choice is explored heavily through out the show. Love your reactions! I really appreciate that you genuinely enjoy the show and like to speculate about what's going to happen. I think people forget sometimes that just because they're intimately connected to every important 'beat' in the show (because they've spent years watching it), for a new viewer quite a few things of "fandom importance" are going breeze past you. But that's ok! I hope none of the more critical comments are getting to you because you're doing a wonderful job with these videos. 😊
The closing Buffy/Giles scenes in these two episodes offer a nice contrast. In the first we have Giles (as usual) giving wisdom and reassurance. But in the second it's flipped and Buffy does the same for Giles. I love that.
fun fact of the week: Robia LaMorte (Jenny Calendar) and Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia) are the same age also, I really like your responses to the comments
It's funny you mentioned being annoyed by certain TV tropes. It's funny because the website TV Tropes was originally a Buffy fansite, and then it expanded to cover tropes generally, not just those in Buffy.
I like the idea of you interacting with the comments so long as it is helping your process and thinking, and you are enjoying it - but if you plan to do that I think you need a strong mod team to keep the comments safe from spoilers and people who will make those interactions negative. Some people will always be jerks, and some jerks will be drawn even more to a channel where they know they might get a reaction “on air”. I love your reactions and style on here; so whatever helps keep your experience as positive and thoughtful as it has been!
Regarding vampires and feelings, I’ve always thought of it not necessarily as they aren’t able to feel (we see them express all kinds of emotions all the time) but more to what characteristics those feelings hold. They might not be able to show compassionate, caring, romantic love but love isn’t always like that. There’s the toxic, jealous, possessive love where it’s a power play, excitement, the highest highs and the lowest low. That’s the love Spike and Drusilla shares.
There's also an element where we get a lot of information about Vampires from Angel... and he's not exactly impartial or objective here. He bases what he says on his own experiences, but his experiences aren't universal, and his perspective is coloured by his own guilt, shame, and regret. There are examples I could give, but they'd be spoilers.
You’ll notice as seasons progress some vampires have heavier traces of their humanity but their emotions usually reflect the shadow side of those emotions. Love plays out in vamps as jealous, obsessive , abusive and toxic. Think of it like in the tarot you have the card the lovers which can be harmony but then you have the devil card which has the lovers depicted but in their shadow aspect. Example evil angel was obsessed with Drusilla because he had feelings for her and was monstrous in depicting his “feelings”
"Lie to Me" is such a powerful episode. It's one of the "written and directed by Joss Whedon" episodes. They're usually outstanding. A quick look at the script shows several instances of the theme of "lying" sprinkled all throughout: FORD: "I know Buffy. You don't have to LIE...I know you're the Slayer." WILLOW: "You want me to LIE to her? It's Buffy. Besides I don't LIE good. I LIE bad." BUFFY: That's the vampire Ford said he killed. GILES: He LIED? BUFFY: "Who's Drusilla? And don't LIE to me. I'm tired of it." ANGEL: "Some LIES are necessary." FORD: "We all have flaws." BUFFY: "So I'm learning. I'm still fuzzy on exactly what yours is. I think it has to do with being a LYING scumbag." FORD: "Everybody LIES." And finally the last scene where Buffy tells Giles, "Lie to me."
Plays into the whole ignorance is bliss, but you need to learn and accept the truth to grow and become a better more mature person. The truth can be hard, but when you figure out the lie you were shielded from, it hurts and harms more than if they told the truth in the first place.
It never fails. There are always whiners in a reactor's comments trying to get them to change their style, instead of finding someone who already does what they like. Do what you enjoy doing and the ones who vibe with it will stick around and the ones who don't will eventually move along.
Love your reactions! Every reactor has their own unique style and takes on the episodes, and luckily, Buffy fans have many different reactors on this platform to choose from if they prefer certain elements in these reactions. Please keep commentating in the way you feel and stay true to yourself! It's so enjoyable how much you care about details & minor characters and how you try to catch every moment, that is something that makes you stand out 😄
Thanks for all of your honest opinions, reactions, analysis, etc. I LOVE BtVS & love watching others love it too. So just enjoy the journey. There will be many people who might cross some lines & write rude comments- just ignore them. You're not going to be able to please everyone, nor should you try. You be you; you do you; & people who want to watch will watch. 💜
Yeah, it's always difficult when a favorite line gets missed, but I fully understand that either jokes are dated, or people didn't get the depth on first watch, or people simply are reacting over a line. If I ever express anything, it's only just regret and not any form of blame -- I love your reactions. And as far as interaction, that's great. Hopefully you now have someone more Buffy-versed than your mom to prescreen comments for spoilers. It's great fun to talk about the show and any deeper meanings we see in things. I'm glad you're getting something back in return from the interactions. And it appears that vampires can feel something that's very much like love for each other, even if it's not a pure, unselfish love like we strive for.
I really enjoy you bringing the conversation into the next video, because it makes the reaction feel like a community experience. You truly have some of the most insightful discussions in your videos from reactors that I've seen, and you are really easy to listen to as well which I think helps a lot. I'm sorry that you've had to deal with a few toxic fans. I remember watching other reactors saying how cruel people in this fandom were to them, and I really hope that sort of negativity doesn't come here. I'll do my best to bring the positivity when I watch your videos, to help cancel out the negative. I know it doesn't truly work that way; the rude comments have a way of sticking with you, but I want you to know that most of us are here for you and your reactions. Please don't get discouraged, because your reaction to this series is one of the highlights of my week. Thank you again for the work you put in.
Imagine one being able to pick up on every little detail on the first watch. Youd have to be superhuman 😂 also would strip the fun of rewatching. And this show can be rewatched many times and still not be boring for this reason 😊
What happened with Angel is pretty much what you said at the end: When Igon entered Angel, it got into a fight with the demon already inside him over control of the body, and the vampire demon won out.
Ya, it's a bit odd, cause it's explained right after in the shop that that is what happened. Didn't make the cut though, so I guess something caused her to miss the explanation
Do not be worried about your reactions! As a diehard OG fan (I sent proposals for the Buffy academic conference during my MA and was part of the official fan club when the show was on) I just love seeing new fans react to the show, especially when you pause and give your thoughts in the moment. Your commentary is great and I don't comment often because most of the things I want to respond to would be spoilers but I do respond out loud in real time for my cat to hear 😆
Oh, please don't apologise! I absolutely love your introspection and your takes, including when they are different from mine. I'm really saddened to hear you've had nasty comments. I'd not seen them and thought that the Buffy fandom was largely free of that kind of thing. This very unwelcome news comes on top of my own negative experience last week on a different reactor's channel where i gave a take someone didn't like and they proceeded to kinda eviscerate me, which included stating that all of my opinions in life were clearly worthless too. I was rather surprised but what saddened me even more is that the diatribe got 5 likes. Which suggests there are more ppl like that in the fandom than I ever realised. If we see comments like that here we will politely but firmly make it clear that is not welcome and they will be pushed out if it continues. Keep being you, please! You're ace 🌻
I really appreciated how you reacted to Willow feeling oressured to wear a sexy costume. I loved how you focused on her motivation for wearing the clothes and supported her either way as long as her motivations were healthy self expression.
When I saw Lie To Me for the first time, I thought, "Oh, this is show is different." I love having an antagonist be absolutely terrible and then find out he's entirely sympathetic as well. Great storytelling, and great reaction. Really glad you are enjoying it!
One reactor that I watched said that Lie To Me was the episode that really got her hooked on Buffy, and made her realize that it wasn't just an ordinary show.
Love the comment interaction! Eyghon can only remain on this plane/dimension/whatever if there is a host body available (dead or unconscious). Angel's body was the only option bc technically he's dead, but the demon inside him wasn't about to let Eyghon take over so he booted him out and back to the other dimension Eyghon went.
Yeah, it's also worth noting that our understanding of vampires primarily comes from the humans fighting against them, and Angel (who is both biased, and only going off his personal experience). If we factor in the words and actions of other vamps in the show, it seems pretty clear that they are capable of love, but it's also possible it's a different kind of love. Like, they're clearly capable of passion, loyalty, attachment, and devotion. But are they able to feel empathy or be truly selfless for the other person? Debatable.
I wouldn't say it's complex per se; it's just inconsistent. That's why I've never liked the term "soul" for what Angel has that other vampires supposedly lack: it's too nebulous and is often interpreted as having an effect on specific emotions, but not others (a vampire can hate, but not love, which is weird considering those two emotions are really just two sides of the same coin). I think a better term for what Angel has is a "conscience." If you approach it with that mindset, vampires retain all their emotional sensibilities after death; they simply no longer have moral inhibitions. Or, perhaps, what was once their conscience gets replaced by the voice of the demon, which drives them to do evil. Anyway, in this light, vampire relationships start to make more sense. Spike and Dru can absolutely love each other just the way any human couple would, but without morals, their love gets expressed differently. They might decide a fun date is torturing a small child, for example.
I actually just watched a video by about that topic by a RUclipsr called Cool Channel DreadTube. It ended up being more of a breakdown of types of love with respect to the different expressions of love in the show. I'd recommend it to Cass if it weren't filled with spoilers. But the mythos of vampires is still being cemented at this point in the show, and just generally the writers cared more about theme than concrete worldbuilding, so concepts can be muddied over time as they are used as metaphors for different things.
@@Tantalus010 I always saw it as, if you accept the literal mechanics of how the show describes vampires working, that becoming a Vampire meant an entirely separate being takes over your body. It may have your memories, even some influences of your former personality since it is your brain, but it is its own unique creature and is far more pre-disposed towards animalistic predatory behavior. All Id, no Ego essentially. In this setup then the "soul" is just the original human being taking control of that body again and the human mind, outside of certain mental disorders, trends to be more balanced and rational on top of us naturally being more instinctively social. We'd also be heavily influenced by the social norms we are raised in and the instilled morals of those societies, things the vampire would lack. All of which just combines to make a human far less likely be the monster the vampire is even though in reality humans are absolutely capable of it. So it's not that Vampires are incapable of "positive" emotions that humans are, it's just that their instinctive drives emphasize satisfying their Id-driven impulsive desires and de-emphasize consideration of consequence. A vampire absolutely can "love", it gets the same chemical mixture that produces that sensation in us, but its far more likely for that emotion in a vampire to turn twisted and dark as it lacks the strong Ego and Super-Ego that humans generally have.
So, it's easy it miss, but Angel is actually very unique. A vampire, when made, has a demon expel the soul of the body and it inhabits it, becomes part of the body. When Angel was cursed, his original soul was forced back into his body alongside the demon. It was also given control over the body. The intention was to torture the demon in him, as having a conscience would be torture to a being that lived so long without one. Just imagine how having a conscience would be after what he did to Drucilla? More, Angelus, the name of the demon inside him, was one of the most ruthless vampires in all the world, to the point that even the Master was in awe of him. Suffice to say, Angel, or his human soul side, was tortured. So, in this episode, technically, despite having a soul, Angel is still dead. So, when he contained Jenny so the she couldn't escape, the demon fled her and went into the closest dead being, namely Angel. The problem was though, that Angel already had a demon in him. The two demons fought inside him and Angelus won. What can you say, demons aren't great at sharing. Some of this was also explained in previous episodes like 1x07, Angel.
I really like the triplet these two episodes + Reptile Boy form on the theme of lying. First, in Reptile Boy, Buffy learns the potential harm of her own lies. Lies to Giles in particular. And through that Giles realizes he needs to give her a little more space to be someone outside of The Slayer. In Lie to Me Buffy learns about the harm and hurt caused by those around her lying, but also, in the case of Angel, how asking for the truth sometimes facing harsh truths. Through all these lies she learns that's it not as simple as black vs white, lies vs truth, but that there is complexity in both. And that there is also complexity in people-including 'villians' (A bit of a theme throughout this season, Buffy as a bit of a villian in When She Was Bad, our Frankenstein boys, our Inca Mummy, and now Ford, Angel's history, and Giles). And finally at the end of the triplet we get the lies of the trusted mentor and pseudo-parent Giles, who Buffy learns is also, a complex, flawed human. Something, which is very normal to realize about parental figures when we are teens, and which Buffy is IMO much better equipped to handle after going through the other two episodes, so that now she can react maturely, offering Giles forgiveness and grace for his mistakes.
I love how you analyze the show and pay attention to details. I watch your reactions because I want to hear a different perspective on a show I've seen countless times! It is easy for fans to get defensive of the characters, but the best part of the characters is that they are flawed. It makes the character development really pay off, so keep giving us your genuine opinions - good and "bad"! I also like how you pointed out that vampires in this show are portrayed differently than other shows you have seen. Understanding that vampires are demons without souls adds to the excitement and is why Buffy had to kill Ford after he turned. Even though Spike/Drusilla have affection towards each other, I don't think they can love the same way as Buffy/Angel because Angel has his soul. I see it as a selfish vs. selfless type of love based on what we have seen so far.
It seems to me that Billy was doomed to die either way. He could have accepted a natural death, but even by becoming a vampire, he would eventually succumb to Buffy.
I absolutely love this new concept of taking comments and discussing at the top of the reaction. Two huge thumbs up from me! Your reactions so far to me are incredibly good. Thought-provoking, insightful, worthwhile and meaningful. Keep doing what you're doing, it's awesome. Lie to Me has Jason Behr as Ford. He achieved the rare trifecta of appearing in three WB series at the height of 90s popularity: Buffy, Dawson's Creek, and of course my favorite, Roswell. This episode is interesting for its theme of choice. Ford's goal is a choice. Not a good one. But as a cancer survivor, I can't help but feel for him. To feel like you have your life ripped away and taken from you and dying so that you aren't yourself at the end had to have played with his mind. I like that he isn't completely evil, and how the show played with his relationship with Buffy to illustrate that, rather than just someone we didn't know. The Dark Age is so interesting because it really lets us delve into the "Ripper" part of Giles. To see him sitting there, drinking to the point of passing out opens a fascinating layer to his character. The Dark Age as I took it refers to the dark side of his character. Oh, and my Anywhere but Here is probably back in Italy with my husband, eating pasta 😊and gelato and just exploring anything and everything.
I really love the comments discussion part. Its really fun to: 1- Feel heard 2 - Have that chance to go deeper into some of the show topics. Buffy is a surprisingly deep show wich is why we are all so addicted to it.
Regarding the love between Spike and Dru. Vampires seem to fall on a spectrum of personality depth. Some seem little more than animals preying on people. Some have fully developed personalities and quirks, and are enthusiastically evil. Some are followers, some can lead or command other vampires. Are they soulless corpses occupied by demons? Does the fact that "everyone" knows about the blood delivery at the hospital perhaps imply that not all of them insist on killing to feed?
“And the rest is silence” is what Giles says when Buffy turns off her workout music, is a call back to the 1992 Buffy movie, which is worth a watch at some point
The 90’s also went out of their way to romanticize vampires. When Spike shows up the first time in “School Hard “ he tells Angel, “They still fall for that Anne Rice routine?” He is referring to the Author who wrote the Vampire Chronicles starting in 1976 and through the early 90’s. Interview With A Vampire the movie came out in the early 90’s and they heavily romanticized vampires. Even Dracula to some degree does the same. That is kind of the reason I enjoy the Buffy version of them (for the most part) it puts them back into the Nosferatu type of lore.
This is SO good! I can't stop watching this reactions. It's such a joy watching a new fan enjoy my favorite all time show, with such attention and beautiful analysis. Thank you so much for this! You are amazing!❤
In Buffy according to Whedon himself a soul is basically a conscience. Something that allows for self reflection, selflessness and the ability to grow as a person. So spike and Dru can love each other, but it’s a selfish love. They can feel…strongly, but they can’t put others above themselves and their wants.
If it helps, I just enjoy watching you enjoy the show. Thanks for you taking the time to participate in conversations about the show. That's half of the Buffy fun!
I'm sorry to hear some of the comments in the previous video were negative. You're easily my favourite Buffy reactor and I look forward to your reactions so much. You've got such a lovely personality and your insights into the themes, writing and characters are excellent and so interesting. Plus, you just make your videos so fun.
Okay. Anywhere but here. I'm in a 1967 Chevrolet C10, on an endless road trip, zigzagging across Canada and the US on back highways and less traveled roads. I stop when I want, for as long as I want. I stay for an hour, a day, a week, or a month, but, mostly, I drive. I've relocated the fuel tank from behind the seat and installed an aftermarket stereo. I have a thermos, and a travel mug, of strong, black, coffee and a carton of Player's cigarettes. Classic rock and metal pounds through the speakers, mixing with the rumble of the V8 and the hum of the tires as I tear up the open road.
So here's the thing about vampires and love and it's a theme that permeates the Buffyverse over time and one that is explored a lot, but that a whole lot of people miss. Vampires cannot love. They can't properly feel love at all because they have no soul, and with their lack of soul they have no compassion or empathy or morality and you cannot love without those things. Vampires CAN feel emotions and so they will feel lust and they will feel jealousy and possessiveness and they will feel happy when with someone who does things that makes them happy. They will feel anger and rage at someone taking that person away from them. Even if the one taking them away is the one they are fixated on deciding to leave for themselves! Throughout the Buffyverse we see a lot of examples, things I don't want to spoil, of vampires who are "in love" or who think they are "in love" and Spike and Drusilla are a prominent and early example here but you also pointed out Darla thinking that her and Angel were in love as well. The issue is that vampires feeling these emotions THINK that they are love, but they have no empathy or compassion so they don't understand that what they're feeling isn't actually love: it's obsession. Addiction even. The definition of codependence and it creates incredibly toxic relationships but they don't view them as toxic. You have to watch more of the series to really get a grasp on it, but it was all spelled out by Giles in season 1 when he was describing a vampire and is shown over and over throughout the series. It's spelled out again quite a few times over the series. But a LOT of watchers really struggle with this concept no matter how hard Joss hammers it home and still think that vampires can be capable of the kind of true selflessness that love requires. They cannot. Even when they do things that on the surface appear selfless, their underlying motivation is always selfish desire. Keep up the great content! Keep talking about comments, keep pausing all the time, keep up with your insight and perspective. Don't do what you think people want to see, do what you want to do and make the content you want to make and people will gravitate to it!
Lie to Me is a great episode focusing on the moral grey areas discovered when growing up, and facing difficult choices. Buffy is the perfect one to judge Ford's choice to sacrifice others so he could live (and before him the Inca Mummy Girl who also killed to maintain her own life). Buffy faced a similar choice in the Season 1 finale, and after initially struggling with it, made the choice to give up her life to kill The Master and save others.
feel·ing /ˈfēliNG/ noun plural noun: feelings 1. an emotional state or reaction. "a feeling of joy" strong emotion. “God bless you!” she said with feeling" 2. a belief, especially a vague or irrational one. "he had the feeling that he was being watched" an opinion, typically one shared by several people. "a feeling grew that justice had not been done" 3. the capacity to experience the sense of touch. "a loss of feeling in the hands" the sensation of touching or being touched by a particular thing. "the feeling of water against your skin" 4. a sensitivity to or intuitive understanding of. "he seems to have little feeling for art" Vampire's have feelings! It's the expression of those feelings that is in question.
I really enjoyed your Thrones reactions, was sad when the channel went away, and was happily surprised when the algorithm gave me your new channel. Keep doing what you do. The reactions are great
Please don’t let anyone upset you. You’re doing great and it’s good to see a reaction that’s fresh and new. Spike didn’t turn Billy, he just killed him. If Buffy killed him, they wouldn’t have to go back for the body.
Spike did turn Billy. Buffy stakes him at the end. The tombstone behind the vampire that pops up during Buffy and Giles heart-to-heart says "William Fordham".
I'm sorry you're dealing with shi**y people! I love your reactions and I'm sure most people that watch you really enjoy you being you! I hope you can keep enjoying buffy!
1. Eyghon killed Philip and possessed his body. People thought he was dead because he was. 2. Angel was choking Jenny to the point when Eyghon realised it wasn't safe to stay in Jenny's body. He tried to find another host, and found one in Angel himself - who is technically dead. So, he jumped, but found a tough competition, and was now trapped, with nobody else to jump into. He fought Angel's inner demon, and lost. Bye-bye Eyghon, we barely knew you. 3. Removing a tattoo probably won't work by itself - the link is still present, it might be less pronounced, but still. Ethan was probably still a target, he just created another one for Eyghon to chew on, so that he can escape. Buffy is removing it not because it threatens her (Eyghon is no more), it's just she finds it ugly (and doesn't want Joyce to see it).
The explanation to Spike and Drusilla's relationship is that vampires are able to have an emptiness shaped like a soul. It's not a soul, and the difference shows up often enough to see the difference (they're extremely selfish and possessive), but it can have similar features.
Do your reactions your way. Sometimes we forget, after seeing the episode for the 3rd or 8th time that we are watching to see you discover the show in your own way. We are here for you.
As I see it: vampires can feel affection and even love, but it's always fundamentally a selfish love, or at best a transactional one. "I love being with you because you make *me* feel good" as opposed to "I want to make *you* feel good because I love you". Also, to complicate matters, some vampires like to play a role, or tell a story about themselves. I get the impression Spike likes to see himself as Drusilla's white knight and protector - not so much because he loves her (though I'm sure he'd say he did) but because he loves feeling strong and powerful and adored. Likewise, practically the first thing Drusilla said on the show was "I'm a princess". They're roleplaying -- but they've apparently been roleplaying for over a century, so they're presumably really deeply into their roles...
12:36 Alyson has the most expressive face, I love her look of realisation 'That's what that song is about!' 13:55 A lot of the drama in Buffy is seeing/hearing things out of context and misinterpreting them. I don't think the relationship between Spike and Dru is ever explained, they do seem to care for each other. We do learn a lot more about them and about their backstory in the future. 52:12 Always love it when Willow loses her temper, she's usually pretty easy-going so it doesn't happen often.
"i grew up in the age of vampires with Vampire Diaries and Twilight" - fun fact, Vampire Diaries books were written in the early 90s, after Ann Rice but way before Twilight and even before Buffy.
Lie to Me is one of those episodes that doesn't feel huge but ends up becoming a really important episode in more than one way in terms of character history and stories starting. The Spike & Druscilla affection is something that is addressed. The Cult theory works with that UFO thing, but there's actually other mass suicides that were similar in the 70's and 80's. But also in the mid-90's goth culture blew up and one of those also had vampire fans. They believe the films are what vampires are.
Hi, first time commenting here, but I've been watching from the start, not in a creepy way :) I was a teenager when this came out and I can honestly say that admiration for Vampires in books and media has been a big thing not only in the 90s but probably way before that too. Anne Rice's books featuring the vampires Louie and Lestat was probably where vampires were first looked upon as 'hot' or 'handsome.' But before that even, you had tons pf books like the vampire twins saga and before that Dracula of course with his Vampire harem and hypnotic powers. Vampire lovers and groups coming together because of their love of them is a pretty commonly accepted thing, I would say. Being willing to kill yourself off to be a vampire...that's going a bit far - but this reality has real vampires so all bets are off. Great comparison about the alien thing though, I wasn't aware of it.
Even when Lie to Me originally aired, there was a romanticized view of vampires in media and books. When I was a kid, my introduction to Dracula was Frank Langella. And then there was Coppola's version of Dracula which, while still horror, was highly romanticized. Plus there was Anne Rice's series mostly following Lestat.
When Eyghon entered Angel's body it tried to take control of it (Angel's body) but the demon that still lives in Angel fought Eyghon to keep it from doing so and prevailed. There was a dusting effect in the video overlaying Angel that shows that Eyghon was destroyed. As to Buffy needing to get rid of the tattoo, she wanted to do so before she had to explained to her mother why she got it.
23:10 I feel like Drusilla would carry on fine if something happened to spike. Spike however would be devastated by Dru’s death. But Spike is built different. He’s always been a lovesick fool.
First, your channel, your reactions, and how you engage with the viewers is fine. The thing about in-depth engagement is that it might lead to spoilers, because your analysis is often spot on, sometimes a bit off, and those of us who have been fans of the show since it originally aired know what is to come and might inadvertently respond in a way that includes some part of what is to come. I've been guilty of this a handful of times myself, but I try to avoid spoiling. It always gets pointed out when commenters do cross the line, though, so generally you'll get community support in comments to try to limit spoilage. Anyway, good reaction. Thanks.
When it came to vampires being in love and caring for each other in this show I myself always took it as love being deeper than just a human or soulful emotion. We look at love generally how it brings the best ourselves out ,but love is also an emotion that can bring the worst out of people to the point people also would kill for love. So for vampires I always just felt that something like love is in the realm of possibility for vampires
So it's explained a few times throughout both the Buffy and Angel series, but Vampires when they turn very much retain something like a exaggerated ramped up reflection of the original persons personality, drives, obsessions and so forth. They aren't just blank slate "Evil demon personality" taking over the body. So Spike and Drusilla are very much able to be obsessively 'in love' with each other..... that side of Spike kind of shows itself multiple times throughout Buffy, and even the source of that is touched on a little in episodes that cover Spikes personality and life before becoming a Vampire. As for what happened with Igon, it's explained by Angel shortly after Igon jumps over to him, it's been a good 10-12 years since I last watched that specific episode but he says something along the lines of "I've had a demon cooped up inside me for over 100 years just itching for a fight". Meaning when Igon possessed Angel the demon already possessing Angel and Igon fought each other for who would get to keep possession of his body, and Igon lost that fight. Which is actually a important point being made, that just because Angel has regained his soul doesn't change the fact that he does still have a Demon possessing him. That hasn't changed, it is still there and the regaining of a soul doesn't change that.... something that crops up in significance at various points across the two different series. There's a kind of interesting spin on the implications of the Demon still being present done in Angel during the last few episodes of Season 2, though personally I wasn't a huge fan of that whole arc other than the whole dance of joy.
I think your reactions are excellent! I love hearing your opinion and perspective on it. Some people comment mean things if someone isn't reacting the way they want them to, which is strange. I think most people just enjoy seeing someone watch the show for the first time and perhaps gain some new perspective on some of the scenes/episodes. Anyway, keep doing what you're doing! It's great content :) and if people are mad about some scene being cut from the reaction, then they just need to join your patreon for the uncut one!
When it comes to the mark/tattoo, I believe the had to mark themselves with the mark of Eyghon in order to allow him to posses them when they did so in their youths. Eyghon can enter anyone who is dead or nocked out, so the first guy was dead when he was taken. When it comes to the end of the episode, Angel put Eyghon in danger when he attacked Jenny so Eyghon felt the need to flee and the only dead/unconscious thing around was Angel whose vampire demon is still alive and well trapped within him and that demon didn't like sharing a space with Eyghon so it killed, or at least banished him back to where ever he came from thus resolving the issue.
A lack of a soul doesn't mean a lack of emotion. Anger, hatred, fear, obsession, lust, joy. Those are all emotions. Perhaps one can't have true love and happiness without a soul, but vampires in the Buffyverse clearly have emotions.
Please do not worry, you are doing great! Keep doing what you're doing. You're easily one of the best reactors to Buffy. I really enjoy both of these episodes, especially Lie to Me. As for my anywhere but here, maybe an English cottage & garden with a lots of books, tea, a great friend or two, and an excellent internet connection.
don't apologise, please! your analysis of willow and her confidence with the halloween costume was SPOT ON in my opinion. keep doing what you're doing and enjoy the ride cass.
Eyghon sounds like I-gone. It's a metaphor for drug experiments like LSD trips, which can get terribly wrong and sometimes bring flashbacks a long time after.
What happen to Eyghon? He got his ass kicked by Angelus, the demon that took Angel´s body and evicted his soul until a gipsy curse restored his soul to his body, but the demon is still inside Angel.
Re: The comments, I think it's hard sometimes for all of us, in our enthusiasm, to remember that we have the benefit of having not only watched the whole show + spinoff, and rewatched numerous times, but also had years to think about, read, discuss, watch video essays, interviews and commentaries. And so we get wrapped up in making sure you can appreciate every nuance of an episode, in the one chance we get to share it with you. But it wouldn't be very interesting to watch someone react and just immediately spout off every popular interpretation of every episode. Instead it's awesome to see how you individually engage with the show, I notice new things literally every time I watch a reactor watch Buffy, so your perspective is always welcome, and you're doing an excellent job. I love your enthusiasm. I hope our enthusiasm isn't too overwhelming and I'm sorry about anyone who is being a dickhead.
Regarding apologies, there's something Spike (kinda) taught me. (Don't worry, no spoilers.) In one episode that you won't see for a long time, he's confronted by someone he hurt in the past. He says "I'm sorry," the person rejects his apology, and Spike says "I wasn't talking to you." He was basically talking to himself, and he doesn't feel he owes this person an apology. Whether he did or not, my point is basically you don't owe us apologies, unless you say something hurtful or insensitive. When it comes to your reactions and your opinions, you don't owe it to us to feel or act a certain way in these videos. Be yourself, and if any viewer says they think you're doing it wrong, then they're the one who should apologize.
Good lord, you made note of Willow's central character conflict and people are complaining about it? It's like they've never watched the series. Also, they can have feelings and emotions, but they have no humanity so their relationships are all extremely toxic. Even the B/A relationship has serious issues.
The primary source of drama in entertainment is "asymmetrical intelligence," which is caused by one (or more) characters having information that others do not. As a result, the sharing of information would eliminate the asymmetry and the drama in the situation. Even when characters have competing/conflicting goals, if they talk about them there will be no drama.
probably someone already mentioned it but Buffy used her allowance to remove her tattoo removed, she said so at the end of the episode. Yes the comments are a nice touch.
You can't please everyone. I'm watching this reaction because i want to see your reaction, not how people want you to react so keep being you. That's why I'm watching and many others I'm sure.
Exactly. I've lost count of how many times I've watched this series beginning to end - and I can certainly watch on my own again any time I want to see the full episodes. The reaction is the point and I just really appreciate that she's already very keyed into examining the show's underlying themes and commentary. Looking forward to hearing her thoughts as we get deeper into this season and beyond.
@@agnawkneemoose6373 "I can certainly watch on my own again any time I want to see the full episodes."That's not the point,the point is that you get surprised/disappointed when _some specific scenes_ get cut out because they're super-important/intense and it's weird to see a reactor not noticing them or not reacting to them as intensly as you'd expecting. And I'm not talking about a case of"I know what will happen later so I know this scene is important",I'm talking about"I know what *already happened* or what's *happening right now* and *THAT'S* why I know this scene is important". So it has nothing to do with spoilers or the fact we've seen the show multiple times already,it's literally the 1st time reaction WE had and it can confuse us how those same scenes could just"fly over someone's head".
In other cases you get disappointed simply because there's a scene you're particularly fond of and you _couldn't wait_ to see the reaction...and insted the whole scene just gets cut out... that simply hurts,whether the scene was objectively"important"or not.🥺💔
@@Nicamon Reactors on RUclips _can't_ include everything. They have to pick and choose - and sometimes do some extreme editing to avoid copyright claims. The system is arbitrary and inconsistent. A clip that 5 other reactors had no problem with might be the thing that needs to get cut in number 6's reaction. Some reactors can get on a company's radar to the point where they have to distort the video and/or audio just to post any reaction at all.
If they opt to go for the scenes where they felt they had a more interesting reaction that's their prerogative. It may be disappointing, but I trust them to know what _they_ found interesting enough in the episode to leave in the edit. If you want to make sure you don't miss their reaction to a specific scene, there's always the Patreon.
@@Pooglian I just explained where the disappointment comes from.
@@Nicamon And I just explained why voicing that disappointment (especially WRT "favorite" scenes) reads as entitlement on this platform. I've watched a lot of reactors for _their_ insights or thoughts on a show. To see it through _their_ eyes. If they're genuinely unspoiled, there are bound to be things they miss or don't put as much weight on as people who know what's coming.
While there are reactors who seem to miss things because they're just passively watching and not engaged with the show, that's not what I get from Cass. She _is_ engaged, and has picked up on a lot of the themes the show is trying to convey. I'm okay if I don't see her "in the moment" reaction to my favorite line in an episode occasionally.
Don't think of vampires as lacking emotions. Think of them as lacking a conscience and a sense of social connection. The "love" that is felt by Spike and Drusilla is an obsessive love based on desire and passion. They lack any concept of being willing to sacrifice for the other, they just each pursue their own desires which happen to overlap.
This is what Angel means about having been with Darla for over a century and never loving her. He thought he did just as she thought she loved him, but it was a love that lacked true connection. It is only now that he has a soul that he can connect with someone.
But didn't Spike sacrifice a meal for Drusilla in "Lie To Me"?
@@adamdavis1648 Who says he was hungry?
Moreover, I'm being careful not to mention any spoilers, but if you've seen Spike's backstory in Angel, he's exactly the kind of personality who wants to put girls on a pedestal. It's not exactly submissiveness, but it serves his desires to shower her with gifts.
The capacity for vampires to feel emotions is pretty ambiguous in this franchise. Not to spoil anything, but a certain vampire's actions immediately after they were turned suggests that they may be able to feel real love despite not having a soul.
@@cmlemmus494 There is also the fact that Spike's "desire" for Drusilla will usually win over anything else he wants.
You’re becoming one of my favorite Buffy reactors because of your introspection and analysis on characters motivations and thought process. That’s how I like to consume media a lot of the time, and it helps me better understand them and grow closer and more emotionally invested in the show itself. I really appreciate your open mindedness with how you navigate the comment section!
I love hearing you react to the comments. Please continue!
You skipped past it in the editing, but they do clearly explain what happens with Eyghon at the end. He can only exist on this plane by jumping into the nearest dead or unconscious body. Since Angel is, technically, dead, the demon jumped into his body. But there's already a demon living in it. Angel says he's had a demon inside him for a long time spoiling for a fight. Once that demon won, Eyghon was expelled and is destroyed.
"Oh THAT'S what that song's about??" Alyson Hannigan's delivery here *kills* me 😅😅
I loved how Willow's comment on that song fit so perfectly with Cass talking about how she used to love "Hot in here" when she was incredibly young and her mom had to tell her not to sing it in public.
As _Friends_ would call them... _The One Where Everyone Lies to Buffy_ and _The One With Giles' Backstory._
I think other commenters might have given their take on this, but I'd want to add mine. About vampires being able to feel or love without a soul. In the context of this show, losing your soul doesn't make you lose your feelings or anything, except maybe for one: guilt. The soul is basically the person's moral compass, their conscience, but when it comes to their ability to love or feel other feelings, those are still there.
So that's why Spike and Dru's feelings can be considered genuine despite their lack of souls. And it's also why Angel got punished by being given his soul back; what they really gave back to him is his conscience, his sense of guilt, so that he have to face everything he did prior to that.
And I guess I kinda want to add a third thing to that, because a lot of people miss it: They separate Angel from Angelus, like it wasn't him that did all the s**t he did. But really, ask Angel if he thinks like that, and he'd say no.
Others need to separate the two or it would be too difficult to deal with on a daily basis and Angel can go along for their benefit (there is a scene where he literally switches from "I" to "Angelus" when he realises a particular person is listening), but he knows Angelus is him minus self-control imposed by a conscience.
Don't worry about what everyone else thinks. Your genuine reactions are what we're here for. Just be yourself and don't worry so much. Haters gonna hate. ❤
I enjoy your replying to comments, but DEFINITELY don't let the negative comments get to you. Your style of reaction, introspection, and analysis is exactly why I, and I'm sure many, many others, enjoy watching.
To that point, you drew a fantastic parallel that I'd never caught before, between the vamp cult and Heaven's Gate. The fact that the timeline between the real event and the episode is that close... Very interesting.
Oh my God, you don't know John Cusack?! Fantastic actor, started in the 80s as a teen but has continued to appear in interesting roles for 4 decades running. If you ever wanted to react to some of his stuff (which would be fantastic), start with Better Off Dead, then watch High Fidelity, then try 1408 or Identity.
Say Anything is another Cusak movie that’s essentially required viewing.
Drusilla is easily one of the most interesting characters in the show. Sort of a hybrid between Cassandra of Troy and Ophelia. BtVS plays a lot with the Jungian concept of the shadow throughout its run, but I think Buffy/Drusilla is one of the best examples.
Thanks for the great content Cass. You're already one of my favourite reactors on here.
"Okay, not sister, not sister! Dear God, I hope..." 😂😂😂
I don’t comment often on RUclips, but I’ll be ironic here, ignore the comments. Buffy fans can be kind of harsh on RUclips and spoil a lot by trying to tease. I look forward to these videos every week. Just enjoy the show, it gets better and better! Also loving the commentary!
Anytime there’s a new reactor, I usually leave a comment recommending that they get a moderator to filter out any possible spoilers. I usually do that because I see so many spoilers in the comments of EPISODE 1 & it’s so frustrating.
That or they can watch a couple seasons in advance & always stay ahead that way. It won’t stop all spoilers, but it can keep quite a few away. In general, most commenters are really good about not spoiling. I’ve seen many reactors get to major plot points or episodes & remain unspoiled. Unfortunately, it only takes one or two numbnuts to ruin everything, either intentionally or not.
@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 same, I love Buffy and want others to enjoy it the same way I did. I get their enthusiasm but I hate they spoil things or are mad cause the reactor didn’t react how they wanted to something. I know Cass said she had her mom reading comments at first, but she def needs a mod to filter them out or tread very lightly. Hopefully she’s got someone to help, I’d help but not sure how I could. It’s such a wonderful show and I’m loving her reactions/commentary! Has been some of the best so far!
The Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles were super big in the 90s. Had a big effect on taking Vampires out of the realm of "monster's" and (super) humanized them as something like a"higher" form of existence. Most Vampire fiction since then has more or less followed a similar approach with Buffy being a significant exception. So, yeah... Vampire Wannabes ("Blood Dolls") were a thing.
Anne Rice books may have humanised vampires, but the main theme of Interview With the Vampire is that vampirism is *miserable.* Immortality is not depicted as being fun at all. And those vampires definitely still harmed people. So this would have been a bad idea even in the Anne Rice universe.
@@TalisguyInterview is like that, but Lestat makes it seem like a lot of fun.
I love those books. Lestat is my favorite character.
Lie to me is the defining episode of the Buffyverse. There's a lot going on there I won't talk about yet, but the most important element of the show is there. How is a Hero defined in the Buffyverse? By the choices they make, especially the impossible choices.
Buffy clearly contrasted Ford in what decision she felt was right. He chose to sacrifice other's lives to preserve his own. Buffy felt the only real choice would be to suffer his fate, if it meant keeping everyone else safe.
Although the principal has been defined here, it can be found all through the shows, including the pilot.
Keep an eye out for it. Many times characters may end up suffering by making the hard, but right choice. Alternatively, there will also be many times where they choose poorly or refuse to make a choice and consequences will result.
In the pilot episode, Buffy's refusing to do something likley lead to Jessy's death. It may seem unfair, but unfortunately, the slayer is forced to make life or death decisions, and when she makes the wrong ones, people end up dying. It also happened in the season finale when she quit. While at home those students in the school died. It's a terrible burden, but the show doesn't pull those punches.
I am so sad that i found this channel so early into your journey so i cant just binge all your videos :(. But completely seriously I've watched a lot of buffy youtube and if you are able to maintain an enjoyment of this show you just might be the buffy reactor goat, the amount of effort you put into actually watching and analyzing the show is amazing.
28:36 - 28:43 "You know what, Summers? I really did miss you." That's why people fall in love with Buffy: her goodness.
This is my first comment as normally I'm one of the silent viewers! But I just wanted to say how much I love the level of attention you give to the reactions, especially when you talk about themes of the episode like in Halloween. There's a lot to analyse with Buffy so you never have to worry about reading too much into things. I love the idea of you continuing a discussion from the comments as long as it doesn't make you feel like you're having to defend yourself - you can't be expected to pick up on everything the first time around!
'Lie to me' is another episode that gets a lot of analysis. Buffy's line that 'you don't have a good choice but you have a choice' can be seen as the lesson behind moments like Buffy's choice in 'Prophecy Girl', the comparison between her and Ampata in 'Inca Mummy Girl' etc.
Lie to Me is such a great episode. It explores the concept of choice and really says a lot thematically about Buffy as a show. 'You don't have a good choice, but you have a choice'. The theme of choice is explored heavily through out the show.
Love your reactions! I really appreciate that you genuinely enjoy the show and like to speculate about what's going to happen. I think people forget sometimes that just because they're intimately connected to every important 'beat' in the show (because they've spent years watching it), for a new viewer quite a few things of "fandom importance" are going breeze past you. But that's ok! I hope none of the more critical comments are getting to you because you're doing a wonderful job with these videos. 😊
The closing Buffy/Giles scenes in these two episodes offer a nice contrast. In the first we have Giles (as usual) giving wisdom and reassurance. But in the second it's flipped and Buffy does the same for Giles. I love that.
fun fact of the week: Robia LaMorte (Jenny Calendar) and Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia) are the same age
also, I really like your responses to the comments
Ackchually, Robia is a whole 16 days older than Charisma.
It's funny you mentioned being annoyed by certain TV tropes. It's funny because the website TV Tropes was originally a Buffy fansite, and then it expanded to cover tropes generally, not just those in Buffy.
I did not know that! Wow 😊
I like the idea of you interacting with the comments so long as it is helping your process and thinking, and you are enjoying it - but if you plan to do that I think you need a strong mod team to keep the comments safe from spoilers and people who will make those interactions negative.
Some people will always be jerks, and some jerks will be drawn even more to a channel where they know they might get a reaction “on air”.
I love your reactions and style on here; so whatever helps keep your experience as positive and thoughtful as it has been!
She said she has her mom or someone moderating the comments for her
Regarding vampires and feelings, I’ve always thought of it not necessarily as they aren’t able to feel (we see them express all kinds of emotions all the time) but more to what characteristics those feelings hold. They might not be able to show compassionate, caring, romantic love but love isn’t always like that. There’s the toxic, jealous, possessive love where it’s a power play, excitement, the highest highs and the lowest low. That’s the love Spike and Drusilla shares.
There's also an element where we get a lot of information about Vampires from Angel... and he's not exactly impartial or objective here. He bases what he says on his own experiences, but his experiences aren't universal, and his perspective is coloured by his own guilt, shame, and regret. There are examples I could give, but they'd be spoilers.
You’ll notice as seasons progress some vampires have heavier traces of their humanity but their emotions usually reflect the shadow side of those emotions. Love plays out in vamps as jealous, obsessive , abusive and toxic. Think of it like in the tarot you have the card the lovers which can be harmony but then you have the devil card which has the lovers depicted but in their shadow aspect. Example evil angel was obsessed with Drusilla because he had feelings for her and was monstrous in depicting his “feelings”
"Lie to Me" is such a powerful episode. It's one of the "written and directed by Joss Whedon" episodes. They're usually outstanding. A quick look at the script shows several instances of the theme of "lying" sprinkled all throughout:
FORD: "I know Buffy. You don't have to LIE...I know you're the Slayer."
WILLOW: "You want me to LIE to her? It's Buffy. Besides I don't LIE good. I LIE bad."
BUFFY: That's the vampire Ford said he killed. GILES: He LIED?
BUFFY: "Who's Drusilla? And don't LIE to me. I'm tired of it." ANGEL: "Some LIES are necessary."
FORD: "We all have flaws." BUFFY: "So I'm learning. I'm still fuzzy on exactly what yours is. I think it has to do with being a LYING scumbag." FORD: "Everybody LIES."
And finally the last scene where Buffy tells Giles, "Lie to me."
Plays into the whole ignorance is bliss, but you need to learn and accept the truth to grow and become a better more mature person. The truth can be hard, but when you figure out the lie you were shielded from, it hurts and harms more than if they told the truth in the first place.
It never fails. There are always whiners in a reactor's comments trying to get them to change their style, instead of finding someone who already does what they like. Do what you enjoy doing and the ones who vibe with it will stick around and the ones who don't will eventually move along.
Love your reactions! Every reactor has their own unique style and takes on the episodes, and luckily, Buffy fans have many different reactors on this platform to choose from if they prefer certain elements in these reactions. Please keep commentating in the way you feel and stay true to yourself! It's so enjoyable how much you care about details & minor characters and how you try to catch every moment, that is something that makes you stand out 😄
Thanks for all of your honest opinions, reactions, analysis, etc. I LOVE BtVS & love watching others love it too. So just enjoy the journey. There will be many people who might cross some lines & write rude comments- just ignore them.
You're not going to be able to please everyone, nor should you try. You be you; you do you; & people who want to watch will watch. 💜
You are one of the most intelligent and sensitive Buffy reactors. Your reactions are very enjoyable to watch. Just keep going.
Yeah, it's always difficult when a favorite line gets missed, but I fully understand that either jokes are dated, or people didn't get the depth on first watch, or people simply are reacting over a line. If I ever express anything, it's only just regret and not any form of blame -- I love your reactions.
And as far as interaction, that's great. Hopefully you now have someone more Buffy-versed than your mom to prescreen comments for spoilers. It's great fun to talk about the show and any deeper meanings we see in things. I'm glad you're getting something back in return from the interactions.
And it appears that vampires can feel something that's very much like love for each other, even if it's not a pure, unselfish love like we strive for.
You are honestly my fav Buffy reactor, the way you analize things and you always seem excited about characters and details. Keep being you gurl!😊
I really enjoy you bringing the conversation into the next video, because it makes the reaction feel like a community experience. You truly have some of the most insightful discussions in your videos from reactors that I've seen, and you are really easy to listen to as well which I think helps a lot.
I'm sorry that you've had to deal with a few toxic fans. I remember watching other reactors saying how cruel people in this fandom were to them, and I really hope that sort of negativity doesn't come here. I'll do my best to bring the positivity when I watch your videos, to help cancel out the negative. I know it doesn't truly work that way; the rude comments have a way of sticking with you, but I want you to know that most of us are here for you and your reactions. Please don't get discouraged, because your reaction to this series is one of the highlights of my week. Thank you again for the work you put in.
Imagine one being able to pick up on every little detail on the first watch. Youd have to be superhuman 😂 also would strip the fun of rewatching. And this show can be rewatched many times and still not be boring for this reason 😊
What happened with Angel is pretty much what you said at the end: When Igon entered Angel, it got into a fight with the demon already inside him over control of the body, and the vampire demon won out.
Ya, it's a bit odd, cause it's explained right after in the shop that that is what happened. Didn't make the cut though, so I guess something caused her to miss the explanation
Feel like saying again how I appreciate reactors who pause what they're watching to give their thoughts, rather than talk over the scenes.
Do not be worried about your reactions! As a diehard OG fan (I sent proposals for the Buffy academic conference during my MA and was part of the official fan club when the show was on) I just love seeing new fans react to the show, especially when you pause and give your thoughts in the moment. Your commentary is great and I don't comment often because most of the things I want to respond to would be spoilers but I do respond out loud in real time for my cat to hear 😆
Oh, please don't apologise! I absolutely love your introspection and your takes, including when they are different from mine. I'm really saddened to hear you've had nasty comments. I'd not seen them and thought that the Buffy fandom was largely free of that kind of thing. This very unwelcome news comes on top of my own negative experience last week on a different reactor's channel where i gave a take someone didn't like and they proceeded to kinda eviscerate me, which included stating that all of my opinions in life were clearly worthless too. I was rather surprised but what saddened me even more is that the diatribe got 5 likes. Which suggests there are more ppl like that in the fandom than I ever realised. If we see comments like that here we will politely but firmly make it clear that is not welcome and they will be pushed out if it continues. Keep being you, please! You're ace 🌻
I really appreciated how you reacted to Willow feeling oressured to wear a sexy costume. I loved how you focused on her motivation for wearing the clothes and supported her either way as long as her motivations were healthy self expression.
When I saw Lie To Me for the first time, I thought, "Oh, this is show is different." I love having an antagonist be absolutely terrible and then find out he's entirely sympathetic as well. Great storytelling, and great reaction. Really glad you are enjoying it!
One reactor that I watched said that Lie To Me was the episode that really got her hooked on Buffy, and made her realize that it wasn't just an ordinary show.
Love the comment interaction! Eyghon can only remain on this plane/dimension/whatever if there is a host body available (dead or unconscious). Angel's body was the only option bc technically he's dead, but the demon inside him wasn't about to let Eyghon take over so he booted him out and back to the other dimension Eyghon went.
The issue of vampires' capacity for love (versus lust) is a complex one in BTVS.
Yeah, it's also worth noting that our understanding of vampires primarily comes from the humans fighting against them, and Angel (who is both biased, and only going off his personal experience). If we factor in the words and actions of other vamps in the show, it seems pretty clear that they are capable of love, but it's also possible it's a different kind of love. Like, they're clearly capable of passion, loyalty, attachment, and devotion. But are they able to feel empathy or be truly selfless for the other person? Debatable.
I wouldn't say it's complex per se; it's just inconsistent. That's why I've never liked the term "soul" for what Angel has that other vampires supposedly lack: it's too nebulous and is often interpreted as having an effect on specific emotions, but not others (a vampire can hate, but not love, which is weird considering those two emotions are really just two sides of the same coin). I think a better term for what Angel has is a "conscience." If you approach it with that mindset, vampires retain all their emotional sensibilities after death; they simply no longer have moral inhibitions. Or, perhaps, what was once their conscience gets replaced by the voice of the demon, which drives them to do evil. Anyway, in this light, vampire relationships start to make more sense. Spike and Dru can absolutely love each other just the way any human couple would, but without morals, their love gets expressed differently. They might decide a fun date is torturing a small child, for example.
I actually just watched a video by about that topic by a RUclipsr called Cool Channel DreadTube. It ended up being more of a breakdown of types of love with respect to the different expressions of love in the show. I'd recommend it to Cass if it weren't filled with spoilers.
But the mythos of vampires is still being cemented at this point in the show, and just generally the writers cared more about theme than concrete worldbuilding, so concepts can be muddied over time as they are used as metaphors for different things.
Just like in the non-BTVS universe! Also, some explanation of vampire love comes with character development, so wait for it.
@@Tantalus010 I always saw it as, if you accept the literal mechanics of how the show describes vampires working, that becoming a Vampire meant an entirely separate being takes over your body. It may have your memories, even some influences of your former personality since it is your brain, but it is its own unique creature and is far more pre-disposed towards animalistic predatory behavior. All Id, no Ego essentially. In this setup then the "soul" is just the original human being taking control of that body again and the human mind, outside of certain mental disorders, trends to be more balanced and rational on top of us naturally being more instinctively social. We'd also be heavily influenced by the social norms we are raised in and the instilled morals of those societies, things the vampire would lack. All of which just combines to make a human far less likely be the monster the vampire is even though in reality humans are absolutely capable of it.
So it's not that Vampires are incapable of "positive" emotions that humans are, it's just that their instinctive drives emphasize satisfying their Id-driven impulsive desires and de-emphasize consideration of consequence. A vampire absolutely can "love", it gets the same chemical mixture that produces that sensation in us, but its far more likely for that emotion in a vampire to turn twisted and dark as it lacks the strong Ego and Super-Ego that humans generally have.
If you haven't seen any John Cusack start with High Fidelity. Love your reaction videos so far. You are so good about guessing plot twists.
Great movie! But I think Willow was thinking more of Say Anything, since High Fidelity hadn’t come out yet.
@@stephaniebarker472 Yes absolutely true! For Willow it would be all about Say Anything.
So, it's easy it miss, but Angel is actually very unique. A vampire, when made, has a demon expel the soul of the body and it inhabits it, becomes part of the body. When Angel was cursed, his original soul was forced back into his body alongside the demon. It was also given control over the body. The intention was to torture the demon in him, as having a conscience would be torture to a being that lived so long without one. Just imagine how having a conscience would be after what he did to Drucilla? More, Angelus, the name of the demon inside him, was one of the most ruthless vampires in all the world, to the point that even the Master was in awe of him. Suffice to say, Angel, or his human soul side, was tortured.
So, in this episode, technically, despite having a soul, Angel is still dead. So, when he contained Jenny so the she couldn't escape, the demon fled her and went into the closest dead being, namely Angel. The problem was though, that Angel already had a demon in him. The two demons fought inside him and Angelus won. What can you say, demons aren't great at sharing. Some of this was also explained in previous episodes like 1x07, Angel.
I am loving your Buffy reactions!
I really like the triplet these two episodes + Reptile Boy form on the theme of lying. First, in Reptile Boy, Buffy learns the potential harm of her own lies. Lies to Giles in particular. And through that Giles realizes he needs to give her a little more space to be someone outside of The Slayer. In Lie to Me Buffy learns about the harm and hurt caused by those around her lying, but also, in the case of Angel, how asking for the truth sometimes facing harsh truths. Through all these lies she learns that's it not as simple as black vs white, lies vs truth, but that there is complexity in both. And that there is also complexity in people-including 'villians' (A bit of a theme throughout this season, Buffy as a bit of a villian in When She Was Bad, our Frankenstein boys, our Inca Mummy, and now Ford, Angel's history, and Giles). And finally at the end of the triplet we get the lies of the trusted mentor and pseudo-parent Giles, who Buffy learns is also, a complex, flawed human. Something, which is very normal to realize about parental figures when we are teens, and which Buffy is IMO much better equipped to handle after going through the other two episodes, so that now she can react maturely, offering Giles forgiveness and grace for his mistakes.
Yes. Please do NOT stop talking about episodes the character actions and consequences. I love that stuff!!!
I woke up in a horrible mood, but it’s hard to stay that way after seeing your happiness (laugh and/or smile)
I love how you analyze the show and pay attention to details. I watch your reactions because I want to hear a different perspective on a show I've seen countless times! It is easy for fans to get defensive of the characters, but the best part of the characters is that they are flawed. It makes the character development really pay off, so keep giving us your genuine opinions - good and "bad"!
I also like how you pointed out that vampires in this show are portrayed differently than other shows you have seen. Understanding that vampires are demons without souls adds to the excitement and is why Buffy had to kill Ford after he turned. Even though Spike/Drusilla have affection towards each other, I don't think they can love the same way as Buffy/Angel because Angel has his soul. I see it as a selfish vs. selfless type of love based on what we have seen so far.
It seems to me that Billy was doomed to die either way. He could have accepted a natural death, but even by becoming a vampire, he would eventually succumb to Buffy.
I absolutely love this new concept of taking comments and discussing at the top of the reaction. Two huge thumbs up from me! Your reactions so far to me are incredibly good. Thought-provoking, insightful, worthwhile and meaningful. Keep doing what you're doing, it's awesome.
Lie to Me has Jason Behr as Ford. He achieved the rare trifecta of appearing in three WB series at the height of 90s popularity: Buffy, Dawson's Creek, and of course my favorite, Roswell. This episode is interesting for its theme of choice. Ford's goal is a choice. Not a good one. But as a cancer survivor, I can't help but feel for him. To feel like you have your life ripped away and taken from you and dying so that you aren't yourself at the end had to have played with his mind. I like that he isn't completely evil, and how the show played with his relationship with Buffy to illustrate that, rather than just someone we didn't know.
The Dark Age is so interesting because it really lets us delve into the "Ripper" part of Giles. To see him sitting there, drinking to the point of passing out opens a fascinating layer to his character. The Dark Age as I took it refers to the dark side of his character.
Oh, and my Anywhere but Here is probably back in Italy with my husband, eating pasta 😊and gelato and just exploring anything and everything.
Vampires can love but it's more like a selfish obsession rather than selfless love. Great reaction.
I really love the comments discussion part. Its really fun to:
1- Feel heard
2 - Have that chance to go deeper into some of the show topics. Buffy is a surprisingly deep show wich is why we are all so addicted to it.
Regarding the love between Spike and Dru. Vampires seem to fall on a spectrum of personality depth. Some seem little more than animals preying on people. Some have fully developed personalities and quirks, and are enthusiastically evil. Some are followers, some can lead or command other vampires. Are they soulless corpses occupied by demons? Does the fact that "everyone" knows about the blood delivery at the hospital perhaps imply that not all of them insist on killing to feed?
“And the rest is silence” is what Giles says when Buffy turns off her workout music, is a call back to the 1992 Buffy movie, which is worth a watch at some point
Also Hamlet’s last line.
The 90’s also went out of their way to romanticize vampires. When Spike shows up the first time in “School Hard “ he tells Angel, “They still fall for that Anne Rice routine?” He is referring to the Author who wrote the Vampire Chronicles starting in 1976 and through the early 90’s. Interview With A Vampire the movie came out in the early 90’s and they heavily romanticized vampires. Even Dracula to some degree does the same. That is kind of the reason I enjoy the Buffy version of them (for the most part) it puts them back into the Nosferatu type of lore.
This is SO good! I can't stop watching this reactions. It's such a joy watching a new fan enjoy my favorite all time show, with such attention and beautiful analysis. Thank you so much for this! You are amazing!❤
thank you💜💜💜
In Buffy according to Whedon himself a soul is basically a conscience. Something that allows for self reflection, selflessness and the ability to grow as a person. So spike and Dru can love each other, but it’s a selfish love. They can feel…strongly, but they can’t put others above themselves and their wants.
If it helps, I just enjoy watching you enjoy the show. Thanks for you taking the time to participate in conversations about the show. That's half of the Buffy fun!
I'm sorry to hear some of the comments in the previous video were negative. You're easily my favourite Buffy reactor and I look forward to your reactions so much. You've got such a lovely personality and your insights into the themes, writing and characters are excellent and so interesting. Plus, you just make your videos so fun.
Okay. Anywhere but here.
I'm in a 1967 Chevrolet C10, on an endless road trip, zigzagging across Canada and the US on back highways and less traveled roads. I stop when I want, for as long as I want. I stay for an hour, a day, a week, or a month, but, mostly, I drive. I've relocated the fuel tank from behind the seat and installed an aftermarket stereo. I have a thermos, and a travel mug, of strong, black, coffee and a carton of Player's cigarettes. Classic rock and metal pounds through the speakers, mixing with the rumble of the V8 and the hum of the tires as I tear up the open road.
Doesn't Angel explain what happened? He still has the vampire demon in him and it fought the new demon that tried to possess him and won.
So here's the thing about vampires and love and it's a theme that permeates the Buffyverse over time and one that is explored a lot, but that a whole lot of people miss.
Vampires cannot love. They can't properly feel love at all because they have no soul, and with their lack of soul they have no compassion or empathy or morality and you cannot love without those things.
Vampires CAN feel emotions and so they will feel lust and they will feel jealousy and possessiveness and they will feel happy when with someone who does things that makes them happy. They will feel anger and rage at someone taking that person away from them. Even if the one taking them away is the one they are fixated on deciding to leave for themselves!
Throughout the Buffyverse we see a lot of examples, things I don't want to spoil, of vampires who are "in love" or who think they are "in love" and Spike and Drusilla are a prominent and early example here but you also pointed out Darla thinking that her and Angel were in love as well. The issue is that vampires feeling these emotions THINK that they are love, but they have no empathy or compassion so they don't understand that what they're feeling isn't actually love: it's obsession. Addiction even. The definition of codependence and it creates incredibly toxic relationships but they don't view them as toxic.
You have to watch more of the series to really get a grasp on it, but it was all spelled out by Giles in season 1 when he was describing a vampire and is shown over and over throughout the series. It's spelled out again quite a few times over the series. But a LOT of watchers really struggle with this concept no matter how hard Joss hammers it home and still think that vampires can be capable of the kind of true selflessness that love requires. They cannot. Even when they do things that on the surface appear selfless, their underlying motivation is always selfish desire.
Keep up the great content! Keep talking about comments, keep pausing all the time, keep up with your insight and perspective. Don't do what you think people want to see, do what you want to do and make the content you want to make and people will gravitate to it!
Lie to Me is a great episode focusing on the moral grey areas discovered when growing up, and facing difficult choices. Buffy is the perfect one to judge Ford's choice to sacrifice others so he could live (and before him the Inca Mummy Girl who also killed to maintain her own life). Buffy faced a similar choice in the Season 1 finale, and after initially struggling with it, made the choice to give up her life to kill The Master and save others.
feel·ing
/ˈfēliNG/
noun
plural noun: feelings
1. an emotional state or reaction.
"a feeling of joy"
strong emotion.
“God bless you!” she said with feeling"
2. a belief, especially a vague or irrational one.
"he had the feeling that he was being watched"
an opinion, typically one shared by several people.
"a feeling grew that justice had not been done"
3. the capacity to experience the sense of touch.
"a loss of feeling in the hands"
the sensation of touching or being touched by a particular thing.
"the feeling of water against your skin"
4. a sensitivity to or intuitive understanding of.
"he seems to have little feeling for art"
Vampire's have feelings! It's the expression of those feelings that is in question.
I really enjoyed your Thrones reactions, was sad when the channel went away, and was happily surprised when the algorithm gave me your new channel. Keep doing what you do. The reactions are great
Please don’t let anyone upset you. You’re doing great and it’s good to see a reaction that’s fresh and new. Spike didn’t turn Billy, he just killed him. If Buffy killed him, they wouldn’t have to go back for the body.
Spike did turn Billy. Buffy stakes him at the end. The tombstone behind the vampire that pops up during Buffy and Giles heart-to-heart says "William Fordham".
@@deirdrestatham5730 You are correct. Spike kept his side of the bargain. That was Ford who Buffy stakes at the end.
Huh? I was pretty sure spike turned him. He's the vampire Buffy kills in the last few seconds, isn't he?
@@andrewshirley9240 He is.
I'm sorry you're dealing with shi**y people! I love your reactions and I'm sure most people that watch you really enjoy you being you! I hope you can keep enjoying buffy!
1. Eyghon killed Philip and possessed his body. People thought he was dead because he was.
2. Angel was choking Jenny to the point when Eyghon realised it wasn't safe to stay in Jenny's body. He tried to find another host, and found one in Angel himself - who is technically dead. So, he jumped, but found a tough competition, and was now trapped, with nobody else to jump into. He fought Angel's inner demon, and lost. Bye-bye Eyghon, we barely knew you.
3. Removing a tattoo probably won't work by itself - the link is still present, it might be less pronounced, but still. Ethan was probably still a target, he just created another one for Eyghon to chew on, so that he can escape. Buffy is removing it not because it threatens her (Eyghon is no more), it's just she finds it ugly (and doesn't want Joyce to see it).
Ford is played by Jason Behr, who would later be a regular on the sci-fi drama, "Roswell" and worked with SMG again on "The Grudge" remake.
The explanation to Spike and Drusilla's relationship is that vampires are able to have an emptiness shaped like a soul. It's not a soul, and the difference shows up often enough to see the difference (they're extremely selfish and possessive), but it can have similar features.
Do your reactions your way. Sometimes we forget, after seeing the episode for the 3rd or 8th time that we are watching to see you discover the show in your own way. We are here for you.
As I see it: vampires can feel affection and even love, but it's always fundamentally a selfish love, or at best a transactional one. "I love being with you because you make *me* feel good" as opposed to "I want to make *you* feel good because I love you".
Also, to complicate matters, some vampires like to play a role, or tell a story about themselves. I get the impression Spike likes to see himself as Drusilla's white knight and protector - not so much because he loves her (though I'm sure he'd say he did) but because he loves feeling strong and powerful and adored. Likewise, practically the first thing Drusilla said on the show was "I'm a princess".
They're roleplaying -- but they've apparently been roleplaying for over a century, so they're presumably really deeply into their roles...
12:36 Alyson has the most expressive face, I love her look of realisation 'That's what that song is about!'
13:55 A lot of the drama in Buffy is seeing/hearing things out of context and misinterpreting them.
I don't think the relationship between Spike and Dru is ever explained, they do seem to care for each other. We do learn a lot more about them and about their backstory in the future.
52:12 Always love it when Willow loses her temper, she's usually pretty easy-going so it doesn't happen often.
"i grew up in the age of vampires with Vampire Diaries and Twilight" - fun fact, Vampire Diaries books were written in the early 90s, after Ann Rice but way before Twilight and even before Buffy.
Lie to Me is one of those episodes that doesn't feel huge but ends up becoming a really important episode in more than one way in terms of character history and stories starting.
The Spike & Druscilla affection is something that is addressed.
The Cult theory works with that UFO thing, but there's actually other mass suicides that were similar in the 70's and 80's. But also in the mid-90's goth culture blew up and one of those also had vampire fans. They believe the films are what vampires are.
Hi, first time commenting here, but I've been watching from the start, not in a creepy way :) I was a teenager when this came out and I can honestly say that admiration for Vampires in books and media has been a big thing not only in the 90s but probably way before that too. Anne Rice's books featuring the vampires Louie and Lestat was probably where vampires were first looked upon as 'hot' or 'handsome.' But before that even, you had tons pf books like the vampire twins saga and before that Dracula of course with his Vampire harem and hypnotic powers. Vampire lovers and groups coming together because of their love of them is a pretty commonly accepted thing, I would say. Being willing to kill yourself off to be a vampire...that's going a bit far - but this reality has real vampires so all bets are off. Great comparison about the alien thing though, I wasn't aware of it.
Even when Lie to Me originally aired, there was a romanticized view of vampires in media and books. When I was a kid, my introduction to Dracula was Frank Langella. And then there was Coppola's version of Dracula which, while still horror, was highly romanticized. Plus there was Anne Rice's series mostly following Lestat.
When Eyghon entered Angel's body it tried to take control of it (Angel's body) but the demon that still lives in Angel fought Eyghon to keep it from doing so and prevailed. There was a dusting effect in the video overlaying Angel that shows that Eyghon was destroyed.
As to Buffy needing to get rid of the tattoo, she wanted to do so before she had to explained to her mother why she got it.
23:10 I feel like Drusilla would carry on fine if something happened to spike. Spike however would be devastated by Dru’s death. But Spike is built different. He’s always been a lovesick fool.
I love Lie to me because it serves the main arc, the characters with an interesting storyline well written
First, your channel, your reactions, and how you engage with the viewers is fine. The thing about in-depth engagement is that it might lead to spoilers, because your analysis is often spot on, sometimes a bit off, and those of us who have been fans of the show since it originally aired know what is to come and might inadvertently respond in a way that includes some part of what is to come. I've been guilty of this a handful of times myself, but I try to avoid spoiling. It always gets pointed out when commenters do cross the line, though, so generally you'll get community support in comments to try to limit spoilage.
Anyway, good reaction. Thanks.
When it came to vampires being in love and caring for each other in this show I myself always took it as love being deeper than just a human or soulful emotion. We look at love generally how it brings the best ourselves out ,but love is also an emotion that can bring the worst out of people to the point people also would kill for love. So for vampires I always just felt that something like love is in the realm of possibility for vampires
You were right about what happened when Eyghon went into Angel. Angel's demon (the vampire part of him) fought with Eyghon and won.
So it's explained a few times throughout both the Buffy and Angel series, but Vampires when they turn very much retain something like a exaggerated ramped up reflection of the original persons personality, drives, obsessions and so forth. They aren't just blank slate "Evil demon personality" taking over the body. So Spike and Drusilla are very much able to be obsessively 'in love' with each other..... that side of Spike kind of shows itself multiple times throughout Buffy, and even the source of that is touched on a little in episodes that cover Spikes personality and life before becoming a Vampire.
As for what happened with Igon, it's explained by Angel shortly after Igon jumps over to him, it's been a good 10-12 years since I last watched that specific episode but he says something along the lines of "I've had a demon cooped up inside me for over 100 years just itching for a fight". Meaning when Igon possessed Angel the demon already possessing Angel and Igon fought each other for who would get to keep possession of his body, and Igon lost that fight.
Which is actually a important point being made, that just because Angel has regained his soul doesn't change the fact that he does still have a Demon possessing him. That hasn't changed, it is still there and the regaining of a soul doesn't change that.... something that crops up in significance at various points across the two different series.
There's a kind of interesting spin on the implications of the Demon still being present done in Angel during the last few episodes of Season 2, though personally I wasn't a huge fan of that whole arc other than the whole dance of joy.
I think your reactions are excellent! I love hearing your opinion and perspective on it. Some people comment mean things if someone isn't reacting the way they want them to, which is strange. I think most people just enjoy seeing someone watch the show for the first time and perhaps gain some new perspective on some of the scenes/episodes. Anyway, keep doing what you're doing! It's great content :) and if people are mad about some scene being cut from the reaction, then they just need to join your patreon for the uncut one!
I don't get annoyed if something gets cut out I was expecting, I ride high on the vibes throughout and the review at the end and yours are great 👍
When it comes to the mark/tattoo, I believe the had to mark themselves with the mark of Eyghon in order to allow him to posses them when they did so in their youths. Eyghon can enter anyone who is dead or nocked out, so the first guy was dead when he was taken. When it comes to the end of the episode, Angel put Eyghon in danger when he attacked Jenny so Eyghon felt the need to flee and the only dead/unconscious thing around was Angel whose vampire demon is still alive and well trapped within him and that demon didn't like sharing a space with Eyghon so it killed, or at least banished him back to where ever he came from thus resolving the issue.
A lack of a soul doesn't mean a lack of emotion. Anger, hatred, fear, obsession, lust, joy. Those are all emotions. Perhaps one can't have true love and happiness without a soul, but vampires in the Buffyverse clearly have emotions.
Please do not worry, you are doing great! Keep doing what you're doing. You're easily one of the best reactors to Buffy. I really enjoy both of these episodes, especially Lie to Me.
As for my anywhere but here, maybe an English cottage & garden with a lots of books, tea, a great friend or two, and an excellent internet connection.
Ford should've been Pike from the Buffy movie, he didn't have to be played by Luke Perry just keep the name so we would've had more of an attachment
don't apologise, please!
your analysis of willow and her confidence with the halloween costume was SPOT ON in my opinion. keep doing what you're doing and enjoy the ride cass.
Eyghon sounds like I-gone. It's a metaphor for drug experiments like LSD trips, which can get terribly wrong and sometimes bring flashbacks a long time after.
What happen to Eyghon? He got his ass kicked by Angelus, the demon that took Angel´s body and evicted his soul until a gipsy curse restored his soul to his body, but the demon is still inside Angel.
Re: The comments, I think it's hard sometimes for all of us, in our enthusiasm, to remember that we have the benefit of having not only watched the whole show + spinoff, and rewatched numerous times, but also had years to think about, read, discuss, watch video essays, interviews and commentaries. And so we get wrapped up in making sure you can appreciate every nuance of an episode, in the one chance we get to share it with you. But it wouldn't be very interesting to watch someone react and just immediately spout off every popular interpretation of every episode. Instead it's awesome to see how you individually engage with the show, I notice new things literally every time I watch a reactor watch Buffy, so your perspective is always welcome, and you're doing an excellent job. I love your enthusiasm. I hope our enthusiasm isn't too overwhelming and I'm sorry about anyone who is being a dickhead.
Regarding apologies, there's something Spike (kinda) taught me. (Don't worry, no spoilers.) In one episode that you won't see for a long time, he's confronted by someone he hurt in the past. He says "I'm sorry," the person rejects his apology, and Spike says "I wasn't talking to you." He was basically talking to himself, and he doesn't feel he owes this person an apology.
Whether he did or not, my point is basically you don't owe us apologies, unless you say something hurtful or insensitive. When it comes to your reactions and your opinions, you don't owe it to us to feel or act a certain way in these videos. Be yourself, and if any viewer says they think you're doing it wrong, then they're the one who should apologize.
Good lord, you made note of Willow's central character conflict and people are complaining about it? It's like they've never watched the series.
Also, they can have feelings and emotions, but they have no humanity so their relationships are all extremely toxic. Even the B/A relationship has serious issues.
The primary source of drama in entertainment is "asymmetrical intelligence," which is caused by one (or more) characters having information that others do not. As a result, the sharing of information would eliminate the asymmetry and the drama in the situation. Even when characters have competing/conflicting goals, if they talk about them there will be no drama.
We are finally getting to the truly good episodes :)
probably someone already mentioned it but Buffy used her allowance to remove her tattoo removed, she said so at the end of the episode. Yes the comments are a nice touch.