Out of My Mind • S05E04 • TPN's Buffy Guide
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Sources:
Field, Mark. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Myth, Metaphor & Morality. Mark Field. 2017.
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Stafford, Nikki.
Bite Me: An Unofficial Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
ECW Press. 2004.
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Passion of the Nerd reviews Out of My Mind. From Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 5, Episode 4. Directed by David Grossman. Written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner. Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers. Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris. Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg. Marc Blucas as Riley Finn. Emma Caulfield as Anya. Michelle Trachenberg as Dawn Summers. James Marsters as Spike. And Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles. Guest Starring Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers and Amber Benson as Tara Maclay.
#buffythevampireslayer #josswhedon #sarahmichellegellar
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Firefly S01E03 Bushwhacked
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Is the hangout stream when you’ll play Legendary Buffy? I think it’ll be 6 am for me, so I hope not....
@@quibily Negative. Have to set that up with Jess and Audrey
Passion of the Nerd Oh, good!
quibily What's "Legendary Buffy?"
Chesterette It’s a board game. :). ruclips.net/video/UPDel52ZGg4/видео.html
Dawn innocently playing with the stethoscope and the fact people just let her do it is really endearing.
RIGHT?!?
Definitely one of those little underrated moments that I personally think make her feel more fully fleshed out as a character. Like, the acting is sometimes a little hit and miss (I recently rewatched the scene where Spike sees Buffy for the first time post-resurrection, and honestly Michelle Trachtenberg's acting is a bit distracting in it), but she's young and in a really weird position, character-wise, being expected to fit with these others like she's been there the whole time when she hasn't, and she hasn't even had time to learn the character itself. I find that most of Dawn's best moments are the ones where she's just doing some innocuous little sister thing.
@@spookymia8135 I didn't think her acting was bad. How would you act telling someone you care about that someone you both care about who had died is no longer dead? I thought she was perfectly believable.
@@rowynnecrowley1689 she was just very wooden, which was something she struggled with a lot early in her acting career, particularly on Buffy. There were awkward pauses in her speech that didn't feel natural, her lines feel forced, and when she wasn't the one speaking it seemed like she didn't know what to do with herself. It can be read as emotional disassiciation, but to me it felt more like she wasn't comfortable enough with the scene. And I find it hard to read that way because Dawn had always emoted, sometimes excessively, in emotionally charged scenes, so her lack of feeling was jarring. It reminded me too much of newbie actors in the various theater productions I've been a part of, who aren't yet sure what to do in a difficult scene, for me to see it as anything else. She did a much better job than most people give her credit for, I think, but in this one specific scene it was distracting for me.
One of the things about her character that I've always liked.
No mention of one of my favourite Harmony moments? She apologising for smoking in a nonsmoking area is just too funny.
Roger Lie She is my favorite female vampire in this series. Her bits are just SO GOOD!
That scene is fantastic.
My favorite moment
Harmony: Wow Spikey! How does it feel?
Spike: Like somebody's cutting into my brain with a knife, you silly bint.
8:11 Spike: "This won't hurt a bit, Slayer."
Buffy: "Oh, trust me, Spike, it's going to hurt a lot."
At that moment, both parties shuddered ominously. Neither had any idea why.
Spike falling after monologuing always reminds me of... "I hope she fries, I'm free if that bitch dies... I better help her out!" Same energy tbh
Falls in a grave in that episode as well. It's just, in that episode, she's falls with him. :-)
@@PassionoftheNerdahhhh she falls with himm👀i never pieced that out until now..
Ah, we've finally reached Spike's little realization- my reaction to all those approaching scenes pretty much boils down to 'how are they both SO. DAMN. ATTRACTIVE.'
It's coming, Fool for Love is coming closer. I can't wait.
PanelHopper RIGHT!? Absolute fav episode :) can’t wait for Iain’s analysis xx
That would be the hands down beat episode of the season if the Body and the gift weren't in the same season
My personal favorite episode as well.
Ah, Fool for Love!!! It can't get here fast enough.
Hell Yeah. One of the best episodes.
On Spike: "falling for Buffy", I also accept that he is distracted by his obsession with her - causing him harm, failure, falls.
seems more acceptable to me, since he is obsessed with her.
He’s always been obsessed with her since day one. Except in the beginning, it was the obsession of killing her; now it’s different
Buffy did the reading?
Buffy understood the reading?
definitely another good quote of Willow, proving what she thinks about Buffy, academically. I'm surprised he didn't use that clip from Earshot as the example lol.
Yet Buffy scored a 1430 (out of 1600) on her SAT, putting her in a position to enroll almost anywhere she wanted.
And yet I remain with Willow for the debate.
Buffy did the homework? Was I supposed to do the homework?
When did she study...was I supposed to study
I love how Spike was meant to be around for a couple of episodes only and ended up saving the world and appearing on Angel as well.
YES! Always loved Spike
Ah Spike in love. Finally.
And we're so close to doofus leaving.
😂😂😂😂. My fav Spike in Love episode is Fool for Love. Huge fan
I just wanted to add a little costume symbolism. In the dream that Spike has we see him in a black shirt and Buffy in a white one. In order to kiss her and express his love he takes off his shirt.
It becomes really easy to see the subtext - to be able to love her he has to remove the black, the evil.
There is so much symbolism in the costumes of this show!
Yes great symbolism and motifs
I think it was just to make the scene hotter lol that's all
Riley's insecurity, Joyce's illness, Spike in love, Tara concerned about Willow's power...good point at the end about this episode setting up all the elements that will take us through the end of Season 5 (and 6!)
Graham always struck me as someone from the Initiative who actually in deference to Buffy and regarded her as a skillful fighter, perhaps on some soldier level but I think that kinda speaks to his character. She is the Slayer and that means something. Especially after the "If you tell me to hurry, I'll kick your ass." part and Graham knows that, it just a fact. Basically, I'm saying that he doesn't seem to feel his masculinity threatened because she's the Slayer, he respects her for it.
It also makes sense since he complimented her abilities in "The I in Team"
Graham is good people.
I mean I never understood guys like that IRL, either. It'd be like feeling de-masculated because superman beat up the scary alien warlord and sent him back through his own space-portal that he came from... Sure if Buffy was regular human with martial skills and the ability from tha to take out 3 or 4 commando-guys with relative ease...... sure, then we got at least a basic functionality for that feeling to be valid.
But Buffy is a supernaturally superpowered female that takes down vampires with relative ease and can duke it out with demons! If you can take down such creatures - even if you're bruised and sore the next day, then you are at the peak human level of capability!
@@ronaldfasshauer4390 Graham was the most sensible guy in the Initiative. It's too bad he wasn't the one that Buffy dumped books on in S4. LOL
Spike found out it was Faith in Buffy's body in season 7 when Faith made a reference to that scene.
My memories of EFFIN FINALLY!! when Spike realizes he has a crush from like 15 years ago are still fresh, a moment of pure happiness lol. After Something Blue it was only a matter of time, and I'm not referring to the spell, but to everything that happened before and after, the neck-biting flirting, the dumb over-the-top dramatic screaming in each other's faces, how oblivious they both were to it all, how Spike waited for Buffy's reaction to the kiss after the spell was broken and then followed her lead. How delightfully stupid, and yet a huge step towards denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance... and then growth.
@@EmoBearRights It could come up during one of those under-the-rug conversations they used to have? Spike understood what Faith was talking about immediately, so you're probably right
*sees this video is 17 minutes long*
*sits up and gasps dramatically*
PotN blows my mind with how in depth his videos all are. If you haven't already, check out the one for "Restless". It's inSANE!
I must say... I was quite impressed with the dramaticness of your gasp.
Amazing
Buffy Summers is a Trekkie: HEADCANON ACCEPTED
1980rlquinn,
I think she has some familiarity with the series, but isn’t a Trekkie. Xander probably is a Trekkie. I can see Joyce watching TOS, but not DS9.
Gotta be. The Q comparison most would brush off as a reference to Bond. For Buffy to clarify she's not talking about Star Trek would be something most Trekkies would not need to do.
@@tsstevensts A closet trekkie would totally do it though.
@@1980rlquinn Hmm, I'd identify as a casual Trekkie. Tasha Yar, Elite Force, play Online, good comics. Never Kirk vs Picard or the details of Voyager's Barge of the Damned or evil Federation's episodes...aside from they are scary. Personally I'd go with a Qyburn reference but that's just me.
@@tsstevensts why Qyburn?
The fact that Buffy can drop Q that casually into a conversation, AND make the distinction between the two different characters named Q, means that she's a fan of both Star Trek and James Bond. She may not be the biggest fan ever, but she knows enough about each franchise to know not only who those characters are and what they do, but why one is Much better in regards to the particular circumstance addressed than the other. Slight side note regarding Q, actually. I have read a rather good bit of fanfiction that puts Buffy and Star Trek in the same universe, and posits that Sweet was actually Q in disguise.
I can actually see Buffy and Willow watching Star Trek with Xander and maybe thinking it was dorky at first, but then being into it the more they watched it. they did have scenes in the show where it showed that that was one of the things they liked to do with each other, was watching movies and TV shows while hanging out.
I rather like the fan theory that Firefly is the distant future of the Buffyverse, and that River is the first Slayer to appear in centuries
Don't think even Big Bang Theory needed to clarify between the two. The reference would likely have even gone over the heads of most Trekkies.
VegetaLF7 Don’t forget the part where Cabin in the Woods was how Earth became, the Earth that was. Also River wouldn’t be the only slayer in space, Blue Sun has a whole school with River’s abilities. If we assume River was a slayer so were the others at the academy. It’s not like we got confirmation on any male students and the ones that appear in the Firefly comics are all female.
It may have just been a nod to the audience. Like a 4th wall break so the audience wouldn't get confused.
Spike's chip is in his head to control his passion for violence which comes from his heart and Riley's chip is in his heart to control his agency which comes from his head.
Well, technically, it all comes from the head. The heart is just the muscle pumping blood to the brain.
@@rowynnecrowley1689 well of course but for the purposes of a thematic reading you can interpret a text on a metaphorical or poetic level.
That comparison of Riley to the Gentlemen actually chilled me to the bone...that never clicked until now.
I love that the beginning of the season shows that Buffy is starting to find a balance, she's doing well at college, she's learning more about her calling and she's improving her fighting and slaying skills. Just as she's blooming and starting to reach a balance of personal life, academic life and slaying life, it all goes to hell because of factors outside of her control. It makes everything that happens this season so much more upsetting, just as she's finding herself she has to give up her life to care for her mother, her sister and then make the ultimate sacrifice
I love that you justified the silly slapstick moments of Spike falling as clever subtext. I guess that’s why it works. He can plot to kill her all he wants, but he won’t be able to. We just thought it was because of the chip. And, if he hadn’t spent so much time getting to know her since season 2, it might have just been that.
Also, I couldn’t help but smile and laugh when you pointed out that it’s unclear whether Spike ever found out that what Faith!Buffy said to him wasn’t really Buffy, so he might start to think that she’s into some kind of S&M and/or antagonistic role playing stuff so he rises to the occasion to be her bad boy.
[Spoiler]
So he could justify Buffy’s dismissing him as her just playing the part and never has to admit to himself she doesn’t love him back. (Yet)
Also, I learned a new word from your video. Treacle. Thanks!
defrostedrobot77 Oh, yeeeahhhh. I forgot about that. Dang.... ya go a year without re-watching eps and ya go soft.... whoops.
Kind of reminds me of the brilliant knife scene in Kung Fu Hustle. The foreshadowing is so hilarious and yet subtle enough that it works.
Tosh Omni I had to re-watch that scene when you mentioned it and could not stop laughing! I love that movie. Stephen Chow is so good at slapstick. It always fits so well in the world he builds-and it retains the sweet nature of slapstick and isn’t vicious or trite. Which takes me back to Spike slapstick. Spike falling over just makes him vulnerable and endearing-and the slapstick isn’t repeated nor does it overstay its welcome. Also, the Whedonverse is all about diverting expectations within the genre, and the villains having an epic monologue is part of that. Spike thinks he fits that villain stereotype, but he doesn’t. He’s more vulnerable and fleshed out than that.
@@quibily Well said.
@@quibily yes. In the Fool for Love episode, we see Spikes sad past as he used to be mocked and was rejected by a woman. Though at this point it was over 100yrs ago, but that shaped a huge part of him and like you said he’ll always be more vulnerable than “tough”. That’s just a mask he puts on. Either way, I love Spike
Oooh. Loved that little "usually" dig at Xander
Jaycie Victory Yes! That was a super brief flash of a scene that I still despise to this day.
I just love that the Marcus Blucas joke is still going on
Mucus Blucus
@@annas9016 You win at comments!
@@DinaraTengri thank you, but I must admit I was quoting Ian from a stream.
@@annas9016 in that case, thank you for bringing it back!
I always assumed Xander was talking about himself it that situation, the "I have a friend just being a half-hearted attempt to diffuse the awkwardness of him reminding Buffy of that time he "acted like a tool"
(And to not risk drawing the ire of his girlfriend who still has no idea how humans work.)
No. Not consciously. He genuinely thought he was talking about Riley.
I always thought it was the blood showing her her "true nature is what broke her out of the thrall. She sees she's the slayer. Stronger than any cheap vampire parlor tricks
userasdf Yes! Also, she took something from him, a tiny bit of his power, maybe?
Did you just refer to Riley and Xander by a shipname, .... Rander... to save time?
ok proceed, thx for the cool video
PrincessOstrich I loved that quick “Rander,” too! And then he continued like it was nothing! Lol
I do that all the time. I blame Cisco for referring to Barry and Oliver as Boliver. Tho honestly, I was probably doing it before that. I'm gonna blame in anyway. BTW what's the ship name for Anya/Xander? Fred/Gunn? Lilah/Wesley? Lilah/Lindsay?
Rowynne Crowley I’m all for using “Xanya” for Xander & Anya. 🤗
@@rowynnecrowley1689 More importantly: Is Buffy/Spike Spuffy or Bike?
@@DrZaius3141 Bike is definitely funnier
Never really put into context how creepy and unhealthy Riley's comments this season are.
It's certainly eye opening to me. I've been guilty of those same sort of comments in the past, and seeing them from the outside definitely helps me understand why they're wrong.
On behalf of simp men everywhere, "Hey!" This crowd seems to relish in blaming Riley for most of the Buffy/Riley problems. Sure, Riley talks like a dork who's in love, but up to this point he's been a stand up guy in terms of what he's DONE for Buffy. Give him a break.
@@financefreedom8988 People aren't simps for not liking Riley. He's boring, overly insecure, too needy, thinks him not being the centre of Buffy's world means she doesn't love him and later in the season even with her mother having a brain tumour and a hell god after her sister Riley still thinks he's more important.
@@financefreedom8988he doesn't talk like a dork in love, he puts HIS responsibility of the relationship onto Buffy. A man should not ask his girl to teach him how to seduce her or to blame her when he acts irrationally
I agree that the writers got better and better at setting up elements that will be important in later episodes early in the series, such as introducing Ben in this one. Thanks for another great video!
This one tends to get overlooked by a lot of the fanbase (almost like it slips out of their minds) but in a lot of ways it's a very important episode in that it sets up two major plot lines. 1) Riley coming to terms that he's just not going to be with Buffy in the long term and 2) Spike realizing that his obsession with Buffy isn't really hate. This one is arguably where Spuffy gets it's start-I think "Something Blue" is merely an inadvertent hint that was largely unplanned by the writers. At this point in the series though it's since become apparent that Spike and Buffy were going to be the next central couple. At the time though I think a lot of us just went "huh...." It's the next 3 episodes that really start to push the plot forward.
Oh and "If that's what I wanted....I'd be dating Spike" just NEVER gets old.
That “dating Spike” line always cracked me up. Intentional foreshadowing by the writers
Yeah, when Spike's interest in Buffy is kinda retconned to being since they met (by Dru) it works so well because of the way Marsters acted in School Hard.
name name Yep! Even when this wasn’t planned from the beginning, Marsters said that he always played Spike attracted to Buffy ;0
"Fool for Love" (my personal favorite episode) retcons it.
It helps that he was always obsessed with her, even if the nature of that obsession changed several times over the years.
@@breakofdawn5249 Marsters said with heart. He always played, Spike with a soul. More odd, he saw Buffy as a Sister...🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♂️🧟♂️😵
✨🌈✨❤️🌎❤️
@@breakofdawn5249 yes I’m so glad Marsters wanted Spikes character to be that way. I found it fun to watch. I like Buffy/Angel but it was pretty immediate attraction whereas the Spike scenario is a slow burn…extremely gradual
I always wondered whether Joyce’s brain tumor was related to the appearance of Dawn. The monks inserted Dawn’s whole history into the fabric of Joyce’s memories. The brain is incredibly complex, so I immediately wondered if that had initiated the growth of a brain tumor in Joyce. The tumor itself isn’t magical, just the initiating event.
It makes sense because just when she realized that Dawn isn’t there she suddenly gets sick. I thought the sickness was explained as a mirage or something related to dawns appearance but then it was treated as real to the point that it killed her.
So much Riley to talk about and no appearance of sex face. I'm disappointed and also relieved. I was tense the whole time, ready to avert my eyes. :)
SPOILER IN LAST PARAGRAPH
I don't see why Buffy couldn't be a fan of TNG. It works. But for those who don't believe it, a lot of Star Trek knowledge is just known without ever seeing any of it either. I love that it could work either way.
I always loved Spike unintentionally comparing himself to Pacey from _Dawson's Creek_ and Dawn's unintentionally helping to save Riley twice (early Scooby Member in progress) by playing with the stethoscope and by giving Buffy the idea to contact The Initiative.
"What is it with him and forests" had my side aching from laughing so hard.
"At odds with themselves" is the perfect way to describe this season.
I like to personally believe Spike liked Buffy unconsciously since _School Hard,_ but wasn't aware of it until this episode. It would make the arc of their entire series story a lot more understandable if looked at from that perspective. A lot of that is that fact that soulless vampires only love selfishly as well. Its a conversation that will definitely last longer than just this single video.
I never noticed the gravestone Spike destroyed as saying momma. Personally wished it had been a character we'd seen buried: Darryl Epps, Ford, Jenny Calendar, or perhaps even a character we knew died but hadn't seen their body (crushing Kendra's gravestone would have had a bit of irony to it as he has killed two slayers and was coming to grips with loving another one).
Love the way you describe Buffy and Riley's relationship in the video and am so glad you brought up him saying, "what are you?" instead of who are you as I have always found that a little insulting. And Riley "using romantic phrases to indicate his half of the relationship is actually Buffy's responsibility" has always been a fault that put his at low character rating status for me. I love the fact that Buffy doesn't go down the codependent path with Riley like she did with Angel. Shows she learned from her mistakes after failing to with Parker.
The dating pattern with Buffy I think has more to do with what Xander said in S1 than what Riley thinks about her history with men. Xander in _Never Kill a boy on the First Date_ said that she needed someone who already knew her secret and was still willing to date her. Problem is that most "Joe Normals" aren't built for what Buffy does with her life and the ones who are either get addicted to the danger like Owen or cannot handle it like Riley or bail without trying to understand why Buffy might be distracted. So for Buffy with either the theory in the video or this theory it makes her having any relationship feel a little bit of a double-edged sword. But also, the characters themselves as of the last scene in _I Robot, You Jane_ knew their dating life was gonna suck no matter what. They called it on themselves early.
I think Riley starts his downward mobility in Buffy's eyes at least, starting when Xander informs him of his views on Buffy and Angel. Never realized that Riley was making the same mistake Buffy made in S2 by making their romantic partner their whole lives.
Xander is stating that he knew he acted like a jerk to Buffy in _Prophecy Girl_ (and still has never apologized for it) and is trying to justify Riley's actions out of it. This only makes me dislike both characters even more. He needs to stop trying to fix other people's problems and worry about his own. I like that he has a bond with Riley, but all I see is him hoping Riley doesn't leave and worry about how a potential breakup between Buffy and Riley will affect him.
SPOILER STARTS HERE
Love the fact that you brought up that all magic has a cost when Willow was talking about what she considered a small spell. I believe her S6 story started with restoring Angel's soul.
END SPOILER
i see you comment on every Buffy related video, i honestly just respect your passion
@@callumburns9378 Thank you.
As far as Magic being something not to use lightly goes much back to the beginning with Giles repeated warnings that are poo poo’d the entire time
While Xander's speech can be applied to "Prophecy Girl", I honestly think he was just thinking about Riley. How does the break up affect him?
As for Spike, it's hard to tell when he began falling, though Drusilla left him because Buffy was already on his mind, so somewhere during S2. According to her, it was since he and Buffy decided to work together
@@nobodycares-q9o "How does the break up affect him (Xander)?" Xander loses the only other guy in the group (not including Giles as he isn't in their age bracket) and someone he has grown close enough to that he isn't giving Buffy any benefit of the doubt on their relationship issues despite the fact that it is Riley who is screwing up, as Ian said in the video. There is a line Xander says in an episode (no idea which one) where he realizes what he said was inappropriate as he is in the company of no other male character and he replies with "I miss Oz. He wouldn't say anything. But he'd get it." Riley (and Oz to some extent) filled the void of male friend to Xander (especially Riley though). The best example is at the beginning of _Family_ when they're play-fighting over Riley calling Xander something that "might have been latin." That all goes away if Buffy and Riley break up, and Xander knows it.
As for Spike. it's all opinion, but the reason I have my opinion is because James Marsters said he played it that way. And when Drusilla called him out on it, it works as going from unknowing into denial and from denial into the realization during this episode.
fun fact: James Marsters said in an interview, that Spike was most probably in love since day one with Buffy. Dru was the reason he couldn't understand it at that time.
Don’t. You. Dare... lol. Great video, love the opening herself up to power and darkness. The Gift is my favorite season finale too. Two more episodes and you’ll be to my favorite Buffy episode: FAMILY.
Michael Cain Cannot wait for that one. It’s a really heartwarming one and honestly the first Tara centric episode that isn’t also about Willow. Might be the only Tara episode.
Buffy = Hero. Forget the season finale. When we hit Family we get to see Buffy at her absolute best.
tsstevens,
Dawn is pretty awesome in that scene, as are Xander and Giles. The male MacClays are troglodytes.
@@beachgirl4583 Except for Spike.
His words...except yes even Spike which we'll go over in great detail when Ian recaps.
tsstevens,
Are you talking about “you’re a real piece of work; I like you” to Tara’s dad?
don't worry I am on your side with the star trek thing. Plus I have a headcannon based on multiple times Cordelia has referenced dc comics that she is a fan. Her referencing things like Bizzaro and Jimmy Olson. and nobody better ruin that for me
I am taking that head canon and running with it.
Maybe the timing of her references don’t gel, but is it possible that Xander got her into the comics while they were dating? Because if that’s possible then that’s what happened, because it’s adorable.
"Plus I have a headcannon based on multiple times Cordelia has referenced dc comics that she is a fan. Her referencing things like Bizzaro and Jimmy Olson."
Oooooooh. Nice observation.
Another tidbit. Cordy calls Xander "Nighthawk" a couple of times when he wants to use it as a code name. Reminiscent of "Nightwing".
Here's one: Buffy's uncle is Jack Bauer.
Think about it, her watcher and mother were Donald and Kristen Sutherland. Kiefer played a vampire. And that Russian towel torture is not unheard of but where have we seen that before? Buffy doing much the same before 24 aired. Where'd she get the idea from? Or maybe she gave Jack the idea. Plus one of the guys he worked with is none other than Mr. Buffy Summers, Freddie Prinze.
Let's just make it widespread fanon that Cordy and Buffy are both huge closet nerds.
Yes! Buffy is a Trekkie ! It’s now cannon! 😃Just when you thought she couldn’t get any more amazing! Plus it actually makes sense. Buffy has always had keen sense of the cultural zeitgeist and a great sense of taste. I could see Zander and Willow exposing her to to Star Trek, a genre she normally wouldn’t watch, then over time developing her own appreciation of it. Now where is my epilogue of all the Scoobies watching TNG: Tapestry?
For the last 20 years, I've been rewatching this show time and time again. It's like a drug to me. This video revived that weird sensetion.
Nothing can match what this show means to me. And it is not nostalgia speaking, this show is just uniqe about story telling chemistry.
M Bayrak,
I think of rewatches as therapy, or comfort, or both.
Commentators have said that real teenagers, don't speak like Whedon-verse characters. I wonder if Joss created Riley as an answer? Bless him, he does try, but Riley is too square to make the Buffy-isms work. Great job Ian, as always.
Speaking of "stunted" Xander, there's a detail I noticed the last time I watched Restless. In Xander's entire dream sequence, there are three women who talk without moving their mouths, and they only appear in sexually charged sequences--Joyce, Tara and Willow. On the other hand, Buffy and Anya speak to Xander normally.
The detail may not be conscious, and Whedon did explicitly say he wrote each dream with an attempt at an unconscious, surrealist process. But in either case, it implies that Xander's emotional relationship with Buffy has become complex whereas it is still one-dimensional with Joyce and Tara.
Does it imply Xander is more self aware than he was in Season 1? Almost certainly. And I'm not saying that Xander has overcome any arrested development when it comes to Buffy. But since his troubled emotional relationship with Buffy is the core of his character flaws, I kind of think they deserve a careful vetting. His emotional relationship with her doesn't finally become balanced until Seeing Red and finally Selfless. But by this point he at least sees Buffy as more an object of his sexual fascination, like he did up to Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered.
(Before you say it, the reason why Xander may have sexualized Willow in Restless--she was one of the women who do not speak in his dream--probably has multiple layers. Xander is much less close to Willow in Season 4 because Anya monopolizes his personal life. But also his revelation in The Yoko Factor that Willow and Tara are a couple is more likely to create emotional distance between them. New Moon Rising gives evidence for both. So, in that context, it makes sense that Xander would be emotionally aware of the obstacles that separate him from Willow. Case in point, in Restless he crawls toward Willow in the back of the ice cream truck but all for naught.)
This is an awesome analysis!
Maybe he sexualized Willow because he remembers that she used to have a crush on him? And when she did, he never seemed to pay much attention to her-but in that episode, he’s worried his life is locked in, and he’ll never grow further beyond where he is at that point, so he gets excited at the prospect of a girl who used to like him dating a girl.
To be honest, I find their relationship a bit confusing. They’re supposed to be lifelong buddies, but weren’t that close u til Buffy came around-seems to me, at least. I especially find what he did at the season six finale kind of confusing and maybe a bit of a retcon? Dunno. Maybe I need to re-watch.
I think that relationship seems confusing because Willow definitely transitions to seeing Buffy as her “best” friend throughout the series. Xander and Willow are always referred to as best friends because of the longevity of their relationship.
Riley makes the fatal mistake of allowing a relationship to consume him and for it to be his everything... God I empathise with him this season.... first loves are the hardest to navigate. In some ways I have been riley... it was a necessarily cruel lesson .. i totally love your insight Ian, I could definitely use a few friday night wines with you!
His mistake wasn't that. It was his insecurity and him not willing to take any responsibility in the relationship. He always blamed Buffy for all of his reactions. It's like he was the girl cliché in the relationship and Buffy was the man cliché always reassuring him and cuddling him. My ex was like this and I wasn't his first love at all
I just want to take a moment here and say thank you for making this series, it's not only given me more appreciation for a show that I grew up with (literally my mom saw the premiere when she was pregnant with me, I'm 22, and only a couple months younger than the show), but its given me a new way to talk about the series with my mom, who like i said saw the premiere before I was born and is a stake holding member of the OG Buffy Fandom. And I do me OG, she used to talk to the writers on episode airing days on the web forum The Bronze. And I deeply appreciate that. So thanks :)
That subliminal flash @5:17 -- "...at least they're not Creed." lol
pavlovsbell,
Creed is worse?
I like your username. I bought that song after seeing the episode with Aimee Mann.
@@beachgirl4583 No judgment there -- I don't listen to either. Thank you, I love Aimee Mann and that song. I was also a Psych major with a cat named Pavlov, so synchronicity. :)
pavlovsbell,
I didn’t know that any band was as universally loathed as Nickelback.
Film Studies, Psych, and English Literature were my concentrations.
“Voices Carry” was the first Til Tuesday song I heard. She seemed to have disappeared until she showed up on Buffy.
Does your Pavlov wear a bell, or did he learn to ring one? My dog is trained to ring a bell when she wants to go outside. Mostly, she’s trained me.
It’s true! Creed is SO much worse! I will die on this hill!!!
LOL! I had to do some digital acrobatics to finally pause and read that part! I listened to both bands in HS and did a dance solo to a Creed song, so I experienced a bit of a gut-punch at that take. 😅
One thing that has always irked me about this episode is at the end when she asks Riley if he is going to be okay so she can go see how her mom is doing and he seemed to get pissed off and it hurts
every time I get to the end of the existing buffy reviews I get so sad there's not more - but so glad to know that they're coming! I really appreciate all the work you do in creating these, they are always so charming and insightful and just generally creating of the good feelings. thank you!
in all honesty: you said The Gift at the end and I got actual chills of anticipation
I just realized that this I've caught up with the guide. From now on, I will have to wait for the next episode to come out.
Oh god no.
I am so thankful for these video essays! You go SO thoroughly in depth in every single one and each video brings SUCH dimension to the episodes! It truly blows my mind how much you are able to piece together and how eye opening all the content is. Thank you SO much for all of your diligent, hard work!
Something blue and faith’s deception definitely could have been factors that made spike realize his lust for buffy, but like you said, he has for suree been attracted to her from the first episode he was in. Whats most important to mention tho is that from the beginning, not only did he have attraction for her, he also had admiration for her. In some of his first scenes hes giving props to her fighting skills and complementing her wit. He sees her as a worthy opponent, and later towards the end of that season sees her as a reliable ally. In season 4 when hes in the initiative cell he even comments ‘i dont care how brilliant she is’.
While he did hate her, he also admired and respected her skills. I feel that the more time he spends getting to know her personality , and not just her slayer side, that admiration and respect slowly evolves into love.
His obsession with besting her all the sudden is instead an obsession with her and how she makes him feel, whether that is frustration or flutters.. sorry for rambling 💀..spike is just such a fascinating character, its really interesting to try to piece out why and when this villain falls for a hero.
It's confirmed Spike didn't know that it was Faith in Buffy's body til Spike actually met Faith in Season 7.
Man, I was just thinking about how much I'd love for a new episode of the Buffy guide today, and then this popped up on my feed. This was everything I needed! Thank you so much for making these :D
It's crazy how I find Riley more toxic than *Spike*
Alannah same
No, it's not.
Spike is a significantly better manipulator than Riley could ever be
Riley is more toxic to Buffy than Spike is because she doesn't see the toxicity in her relationship with Riley. Ever. Not even a year after they break up. She can see the problem Spike poses, but she's blind to Riley's flaws. That makes him far more dangerous to her emotional health. Spike can only hurt her when she allows him to. Riley has an all access pass to do whatever damage he likes without her even seeming to notice.
Spike tried to rape Buffy. They aren't on the same level. Riley's a pill. Spike is abusive. Don't get me wrong, Riley is a dull, whiny bitch baby and Spike is a much more fun, relateable and interesting character, but Spike isn't a better person just because he's a better character.
Clicked as soon as I saw the video up! Absolute favorite channel, and the only one I get notifications for. Thanks for the amazing content
You gave me my first honest laugh of the week. "By... Nickelback."
Like a total Jen.. I'm wondering how many peoples not going to get that reference... I love these videos
Me too, total Creek head here, one of my favorite shows to this day...
Pacey is Spike, Joey is Buffy and Harmony is Jen😆😆
Only one more episode until the appearance of the glorious Glory
Wait...didn't Glory appear in this episode?
@@PassionoftheNerd did she? I hadn't got a chance to watch your review fully and it's been a while since I rewatched the show
@@The810kid 3:58
nope, Glory is not in this episode.... kind of. But I can't say anything (spoilers)
The “dating Spike” comment is actually interesting, because she seems to connect to the softer sides of certain people in the future, the conflicts in those relationships are based around the problematic parts of both personalities , and her truest connections in the future are based of honesty and vulnerability despite those conflicts
Both Ian and Buffering are in season 5 and I'm so excited and so dreading when they're both done
I'm loving the parallels you're drawing between Xander and Riley. Including how they are both guilty of making others responsible for their emotions and sometimes poor actions under the guise of romantic love. I just wish the episodes were more explicit about calling out that this is wrong. I'm not always convinced the text is as feminist as your brilliant reading of it. I adore BtVS but more and more I'm recognising that Whedon is not quite the feminist he first appeared.
Amazing article recently on the Buffy verse treatment of certain female characters, epecially Cordelia, and how problematic it was. Have you read it?
Jaycie,
Can you link it? I, too, think Joss is not the feminist he purported to be.
He punished Charisma and Sarah. Then he abused his position to cheat on Kai and gaslight her, with women who worked “under” him.
He weight shamed Tara (wardrobe didn’t help!), though Amber was clearly not overweight. Courtney Thorn-Smith described how it felt being the only tall, size 7 actress in a show with short size twos as the “norm” (Melrose Place).
I admit, I was a little bummed 'cuz a friend of mine told me that she'd recently started watching Buffy but couldn't get past season 3 because of all of the stuff that's come out about Joss Whedon in the past few years. But the thing she said was that he can't write women, which baffled me. I could see a case for that with literally any other show he's worked on, but I always thought the women in Buffy were really well written. On my last watch-through, it was the handling of the men that bothered me, when anything did. Xander really does get away with a lot that he probably shouldn't (though I think it's at its worst in season 6).
@@beachgirl4583 That's not fair. It would be one thing if he called himself a feminist while doing these things WITHOUT contributing to the feminist movement, but he's been supporting and promoting organisations like Equality Now, making an effort to hire and promote female writers, and giving actresses opportunities to play well rounded characters. He's done a lot more for the cause than most people. I really hate that this record is now deemed meaningless because he wasn't perfect, as if every person claiming to be feminist has never had a sexist thought or action. It's happening all to often with older feminists.
I'm not sure what Courtney Thorn-Smith has to do with anything - she hasn't worked with Whedon, as far as I'm aware. I'm also unaware of any conflict he had with SMG, nor of any Tara fat shaming. Are you referring to how he wasn't originally on board with Amber Benson because he originally envisioned Tara to be a mousy girl?
Alright now I'm really going to come off as an apologist, but I don't think the situations with CC or his affairs are as black-and-white as people make it out to be, and only radfems who consider all het sex to be rape would consider infidelity to be a feminist issue.
First, Charisma Carpenter: I think it's somewhat inaccurate to say he punished CC for getting pregnant. His (and the other producers') annoyance with her was that she didn't tell them she was pregnant until well into production. So Whedon was being vindictive and unprofessional in soft firing her because he's always been petty, but it wasn't misogynistic as is often portrayed.
As for his ex's accusations, she said he slept with "actresses, co-workers, fans, and friends". I don't consider having sexual relationships with friends to be anti-feminist. Actresses and co-workers? Well, it depends who and when. Were the actresses working on Buffy or promised jobs on Buffy? Does co-workers refer to writers? Co-producers? WB employees? The more icky of the alleged relationships is that with fans, but as someone who would jump at the opportunity to screw Jude Law, I'm not going to make judgements without knowing the details. I'm not even sure if having sex with someone with less power than you is even a feminist issue, provided it's consensual.
@@beachgirl4583 Here you go: www.tvguide.com/news/angel-anniversary-cordelia-chase/
@@EmoBearRights Because he's the "normal" guy who gets to be with Buffy?
I’ve been rewatching the Buffy Guides and I’m loving how much this video touches on elements of what came before, contextualizing an episode I didn’t care too much for
can we talk about youve saved my life and continue to do so? this show changed my life, but watching it through your lense does so much. i hope one day to shake your hand and thank you for all of this.
"What are you?"
*stares* "...Capricorn on the cusp of Aquarius. You?"
Wow Riley, way to start a serious convo on secret identities. I felt like that was The Initiative talking through him somewhat, but still wow dude.
maybe part of his phrasing has to do with how he sees himself. What is he? A solider. It might just be the esteem he holds to titles. Him as a solider is his identity. Just a lil devil advocating here....
Same question could be asked of both Buffy and Riley: Is the Slayer _what_ Buffy is or _who_ Buffy is? Is DRI Agent _who_ Riley is or _what_ Riley is?
For Buffy, the question has already been addressed by Kendra: "You say it likes it's a job; [but] it's who you are." _(What's My Line, Part 2)_
@@menachemsalomon I mentioned before that Riley's Initiative speak slipped out cause he likely thinking like an Agent rather than a guy who just found out a girl she like. It's when Buffy answers sarcastic does he realize how that his question came out colder and more technical than he meant. I get he's a covert Gov't demon hunter and this is the first time he's mean a human with that kind of power. At the same time, the question regards Buffy as less than human, hence her answer.
But to answer your question, the Slayer is _who_ Buffy is, even if she still sees it as "a pesky life or death job [she] can't quit or even take a break from." (Real Me)
The Agent is _what_ Riley is, a title, a trained soldier that he _did_ quit.
@@brittonius2 Exactly. As Kendra puts it, the Slayer is _who_ Buffy is, even if she wants to treat it as just a job. Special Agent Finn is _what_ Riley is, but he does to work out _who_ he is when that falls apart. (Ultimately, though, the role is too comfortable - and comforting - for him, so he slides back into it.)
Wow, great job on this! For as many times as I’ve seen this episode, you’ve pointed out so many things I never thought about or completely missed.
Go back to the scene in School Hard where Spike's stalking Buffy in The Bronze. He always had the hots for her.
Well... Of course. But Spike didn't realize that 😃
For Buffy to clarify or even reference Q from Star Trek would mean she out nerds Xander. Xander! A casual comment non Trekkies would get, sure, we can buy that, but Q is not the first or even tenth things fans would think of, and the obvious point of reference would be Bond and not a bit character in a long retired series.
It's interesting that the thought of being powered down scares Riley into insecurity because he sees Buffy as /competition/. When Angel became human again, the thought of being normal scared him because he couldn't /protect/ Buffy or others.
I can't help but love the way you always read between the lines, maybe too much, maybe appropriately.
Thank you so much, Ian!!! Fantastic review!!!
I think you might also be able to read the destruction of the “Mama” headstone as foreshadowing to the end of “I Was Made to Love You”
or his pent up resentment for *ahem* season 7.
Noooo. I caught up when I wasn't paying attention. This is a binge watch, how am I supposed to binge watch when there arent any more episodes?
I was around Dawn's age when she was first introduced in the series and I was so annoyed by her portrayal. I find her character surprisingly poorly written or researched from a such a great team of writers. Most of the time, they made her act like an annoying 5 years-old.
I mean, I don't care how inspired the sound was in that scene where she's playing with the doctor's stethoscope, could we just stop and acknowledge how unseemly it would be for a 14 years-old girl to just grabbed the doctor's stethoscope and play with it like a little kid? It was surreal! As if the writers seemed to think that 14 years-old don't know how to behave in public. I almost expected Buffy to hand her a lollypop so that she'd behave for 5 more minutes.
And then, we have to appreciate the fact that the writers seem to imply that a 14 years-old would be too immature or uncaring to listen to what a doctor is saying about her mother's condition. Yeah, no, just no! You can bet any girl her age would be listening closely to what the doctor was saying. I don't blame the actress for this, she's just following the script. I actually think the actress is great! This is 100% on the writers.
I have been told that the role of Dawn had been intended for a small child, which would explain this weird behavior, but when they settled on an older actress, it's like the writers were to lazy to adapt the scrip, and it really shows.
Sorry about the rant. Great analysis as always!
thrillergirl021 Yes! I agree with you completely. This is what bothered me the most about Dawn. The writers should have introduced Dawn as a 9 or 10 year old because that’s how she was written for most of the show. It always grated me and I couldn’t understand why the writers made the choice to make Dawn 14 but act like a child even in later seasons. And so many folks just accepted it but 14 isn’t a child, in fact she is only 2 years younger than when Buffy became the slayer. It’s mind blowing and so irritating.
I mean, I did that as a fourteen year old. If you outgrew the "fiddles with whatever is available" phase by then good for you but not all of us did.
She wasn’t *really* a 14 year old girl. Even though everyone had memories of her, she had really only been human for a very short amount of time. In that context it makes a lot of sense to me.
Not to burst your bubble but… I think bond and Star Trek are both known by people who aren’t necessarily fans. I *was* a huge STTNG fan, can’t stand bond but I still know who Q is from bond, and how the like relates. (Oops this was meant for the main thread)
Same , I would have never seen a 14 years old act this way. It's childish behaviour, not teenage stuff
HOLY SHIT THAT MARAT AND RILEY PARALLEL my god my literature teacher would've loved you
Ahem. *steps up to the microphone* 🎶Heart, keep racing
Let's make mistakes
Let us say "so what?" and make worse what was already pretty bad
This secret is safe
No reason to throw it away when there's love to be had
Hold me tight as I tell myself that you might make sense
And make good what has been just so bad
Let's see this through
It's a pretty good bad idea
Me and you🎶
Happy Buffyversary to me!
I love waitress but am so confused as to the connection haha
@@Jill-ih9dq That last part of the song is how I feel about the way the episode ended. When Spike and Buffy start making out, I kinda wished it was a legit thing. And shipping them at this point is a "pretty god bad idea" to me.
Man, I just can't wait until we get to Spike's monologue in Beneath You (s7 ep2.)
Love getting notified of a new Buffy episode guide!
Xander never grows or improves but knows how to point out everyone's faults ,and he's never called out on it in-universe. Great Big Sigh
I seem to recall Buffy calling him out in S7 ep 'Selfless'. He does wriggle off the hook because of the situation but I feel like him losing an eye in the long run is punishment enough.
@@JHallenbeck I feel little sympathy for his being maimed lol.But yeah,he does wriggle out of it.
I actually see a lot of character growth in him over the seasons. Not as much as the other core characters but he does.
Buffy started watching Star Trek TNG with Xander, but after a few episodes, she began to also watch it on her own at the Summer’s house!
Take us to the Gift? I think not. THIS! THIS IS our gift Ian. 🤯 I'm outta my mind with how good this is. 🥰
One of your best analysis or analysis-es... Any way you're adding so much to my rewatching of this season. Thanks Boss.
Thanks Ian! 😀
I think what Riley see's as "Buffy's attraction to power" is actually "Buffy's attraction to understanding", which, in her case, often overlaps with power because it is her own Slayer power that she's looking to understand. I mean feeling kindred to Angle was definitely part of the attraction, Parker making her think he "got her" was part of his manipulation, Scott is a "normal Joe" but he's also her age and a school student making him "like her" in the ways Angle was not, Dracula literally used the opportunity to better understand her power as seduction, Riley was initially an older psychology student who seemed to have some power to analyze her (even before she knew of his physical powers), she spends a long time with her dead ex-classmate later on who analyzes her, I would argue that when Spike starts to "notice" things about her is when she starts being drawn to him (not necessarily in a good way, but it definitely gets her attention), and then there's how inciting Faith (a fellow slayer) is to her (even if we say it's not sexual romantic, there still is some type of enticement). And in all cases she begins to loose interest when she can see they no longer "get" her or can't offer her any understanding. So it's kinda paradoxical, cause while Riley tries to be more and more the Macho Man and less and less the behavioral analyst, I think he actually looses what she was interested in. But, of course, ultimately when what motivates your interest in others is to feel understood yourself, the true end of the arch (which Buffy eventually gets to) is to learn to find that within yourself.
I love all of the points you made. I think thats what humans seek in their relationships in general, understanding of their own selves through another person, seeing eachother and understanding eachother is what makes compatibility . And as riley begins to consume himself with his own insecurities of feeling unneeded he ironically starts to actually be unneeded by buffy because he no longer understands her or sees her, to blinded by what he wants her to be for him instead of what she is. The compatibility is lost in their relationship,and id argue was never fully there, because riley constantly lets his insecurities sabotage it.
@@l4rkm3ssit's sad that his behaviour was never called out. Buffy was blamed. My ex was like Riley, consumed by insecurities that brought a lot of arguments and toxicity. And yet he never put himself in question
Best notification all daaaayyyy!!
Tysm for this video, ive never liked the way riley treats buffy and you have been able to break it down in a way i could never articulate
Hey. Love your stuff. But if you put text on the screen, you need to leave it up long enough so ppl at the very least have time to pause. But love it. Thank you for doing what you do
Buffy's line "...then I'm still going to make you go and see that doctor" was such a badass moment. Though it did give Riley a way to not be an adult in that storyline
Buffy likes Star Trek! It's official!!!!
3:47 - "Sugar Bombs", I am SO sure, is a reference to Calvin & Hobbes. Aside from it not being "chocolate frosted"... but I guess they can't get away with too much.
As ever, your insights are nuanced and wonderful.
These videos deserve no down votes.
A NEW PotN video!!!!!!!!! YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I really love this series. Thank you so much! I hope there is more episodes soon. This and Buffering The Vampire Slayer are helping my new obsession/love for this show
I've been looking forward to this one forever! I saw it last night, but I wanted to wait to watch until I had time to really enjoy it!
Hi, Ian,
Don't know if you will read this as it's been 2 years since the vid was posted, but I just wanted to point something out that Alyssa Rosenberg wrote in her excellent piece about BTVS in the Washington Post (dated March 6, 2017) in regards to Riley:
"...their relationship foundered as Riley struggled to accept that Buffy was more powerful than he was: his character became a warning to anyone who wanted to enjoy Buffy’s abilities, as long as her powers didn’t challenge their own sense of self, or any man who says he likes powerful women but doesn’t really mean it."
Yep.
Exactly.
These are all excellent, great to watch and think about.
But I have to be a bit Fezzik here and say, I don't think that word means what you think it means...
posthumous
/ˈpɒstjʊməs/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
occurring, awarded, or appearing after the death of the originator.
"he was awarded a posthumous Military Cross"
(of a child) born after the death of its father.
"Newton was the posthumous son of an illiterate yeoman"
Buffy may not be a Star Trek Nerd, but her best friend is. I have no doubt that Xander would've gotten her into Star Trek enough to be familiar with Q. Speaking as someone who had a "Xander" of her own, once upon a time, and this is exactly what happened to me. I'm more surprised that she watches Bond.
I don’t watch Bond… can’t stand Bond. But I know who Q is. 🤷🏼♀️
Continuing to make it feel like i watched the show with ear plugs or something. How did I not pick up on a lot of this?
Regarding Buffy's previous relationships at this point it's actually made textual by her in the Thanksgiving episode. When questioning the moral implications of fighting the villain in that episode she says "I like my evil like I like my men: evil". Yes it's played as a joke but at least she's somewhat self-aware!
Yeah. There's also a bit where Buffy expresses some boredom because, as Willow puts it, he's not making her miserable. And that if relationships don't come with this big dramatic upheaval they don't feel real to her. She then stabs a vampire and says, "I wonder where I get that from." Into the Woods is coming. :-)
These are very entertaining! Can you do the Intervention episode with the Buffy bot I love that one!
Wow, way to point out the foreshadowing of Buffy’s dating of Spike and Joyce’s death.
OH CRAP! WAS THAT BEN WE JUST SAW DAWN USING THAT DOCTOR INSTRUMENT ON!?
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all the videos you make... the Whedon 'verse is my favorite one ever and you talking about it just makes my day! Thank you!!!!