"Gingerbread" & "Helpless" (3x11-3x12) | BTVS REACTION
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 14 дек 2023
- I hope you enjoy my reaction to Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 3, Episodes 11 & 12 - "Gingerbread" & "Helpless" :)
FULL Reaction Here: / cassreacts
Instagram: / cassiekarmadisco
Twitch: / cassiekarmadisco
Business Email: officialcassreacts@gmail.com
Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/cassreacts/
PO Box: PO Box 977, West Bend, WI 53095 
Развлечения
The moment where Cordy realises buffys actually upset and instantly drops any kind of act and just acts with kindness is fairly widely regarded as one of Cordys top moments
I think there is also a bit of female solidarity aspect to it. She realises what might have happened and wants to ensure she supports Buffy.
Definitely an all-time Cordy moment.
@@zenithquasar9623wait are you saying she thought Giles sexually assaulted buffy?!!
A lot of fans believe (it's not at all confirmed on screen, but it's plausible) that the real purpose of the "test" is to eliminate Slayers who grow old enough to show some independence, so that the Council always has a young, more obedient Slayer under their control.
It's the only thing that makes sense because it's truly a pointless test.
Yes! I was saying that to my wife. I hadn't considered that before until this watch.
Fully agree with that. The Watchers' council is evil. They may fight evil, but that doesn't stop them from being evil themselves.
I can find reasons through the series to believe that's not the case; they could be just that mindlessly hidebound by archaic ordeal rituals (probably going all the way back to pre-classical antiquity), or just that ruthless in trying to push Slayers to the maximum. But I can also find reasons to believe it. I call it plausible, but not certain.
The purpose of the bureaucracy is to stay in power. It does not matter if the bureaucracy does anything useful as long as it stays in power, and in place. The council does nothing but perpetuate itself. The only reason for a test like this is to get rid of a slayer. If somehow rather a slayer passes the test.,she will be weakened. Buffy Only survives the test because Giles comes to the rescue and kills the other vampire. The reason that Buffy continues to grow older is that she has a support system. At one time or other, she has been saved by her friends, angel, or outside help. Every other slayer has been alone… Just think of Kendra or Buffy. In the world, Cordelia wished for. They are just like faith, all alone, and really vulnerable.
“Did i get it? Did i get it?” this is one of my favorites Buffy moments 😂
"I don't like the Council" is perhaps the least controversial opinion of any Buffy reactor. 🙂
"Just the word gingerbread brings me joy"
Poor soul. That's how they get you.
"A doodle. I do doodle. You too. You too do doodle too" Classic Willow line!
Buffy's birthdays never go well.
There's a fan theory that the Watcher's Council never thought much of Giles (because of the Eygon stuff, because he rebelled, maybe because they thought he had preferential treatment because he was a legacy, because because because) and that's why he got assigned to be Buffy's slayer. The theory goes that never expected her to last very long since she was called so late (as opposed to, say Kendra, who they spotted early on and who was raised by her Watcher) and wasn't their idea of a good, methodical slayer. They thought she'd die quickly and, if not, this tradition they have of locking up a weakened slayer with a crazy vampire would take care of her. (Others will have mentioned the other theory about how this whole tradition is a good way to get rid of Slayers who get older and are, perhaps, not as easily controllable once they start to mature and realize their own power.)
So this was a win-win for them. Buffy could have died and they got to get rid of Giles in the process.
Quentin at least saved the relationship between Giles and Buffy at the end with his comment about Giles having a father's love for her. The fact he could see it, and that he said it, made Buffy immediately believe and accept it. If it had been one of her friends she would have doubted. Would have entertained the notion they were just trying to help, to mend the relationship. But Quentin had no ulterior motives in saying it, so it was accepted.
Also, _that look she gives_ when he says it. It's such a small shift, the tiniest of emotives, but it says *so much.* SMG is such a good actress.
Helpless is a tough one, I feel for Buffy but also for Giles having to do that to Buffy must've been extremely difficult for him. Especially the way she looks at him that breaks me
There is no teaching them "the cunning", this is clearly a test designed to either kill off the Slayer once they turn 18 or make them a huge PTSD mess (with any trusting relationship with their watcher broken) so that the slayer more easily dies in combat. The council obviously don't want a mature Slayer capable of taking control of her own destiny.
35:45 That's the point. A young slayer is usually malleable. An Adult slayer less so the watchers only have power so long as they can control the slayer. The slayer dying and another being called is not a problem for the watcher's council.
Made double stupid, since Buffy's death already activated another slayer, a new one isn't going to do anything (at least, according to Joss).
@@migmit but how would the council know that, plus the test was not designed for Buffy, they have done this for hundreds of years.
@@migmityeah, I just deleted my comment because I had a brain fart and thought I was in Season 2. Doh!
Quentin sees Buffy as "an instrument" for the Council --not really human
@@migmitSPOILER
In universe no one knew for sure that Buffy's death wouldn't call a new slayer not until she died again and no slayer was called.
I've always theorised that the test is actually designed to kill the Slayer. I would imagine a child under 18 is easier to control than an adult with rights & stuff. If she makes it, then fair enough. It means she's double tough & will kick some serious evil ass but their preference is likely for a new, malleable slayer to manipulate. Ironic given that in this case if Buffy had died they wouldn't even have got a new slayer, they would have just wasted probably the only time in history that they've had two.
It's exactly this. They don't want them to reach adulthood.
Good point. Although there has been debate as to whether or not her abilities would have passed to someone else upon her death. It could be possible that there would now be two Slayer lines.
That's a commonly said theory, I'm not sure why you're saying it like it's your theory.
It’s also a good indicator for why they’re so against watchers having any sort of parental love for their slayer
Dead on
Sunnydale's selective memory problem is just a reflection of the real world's selective memory problem.
Gingerbread was an interesting episode on many levels. The main message here is showing how 'mob rule' can easily be influenced by misinformation and even turn on their own friends and family. The burning of the books also an obvious reference to The Nazis who did the same in the 1930s. The overt references to Hansel and Gretel regarding the children very interesting too. Again when get some comic relief with Oz and Xander falling through the roof at the end in their rescue attempt. A very decent S3 stand alone episode again.
Americans have book burnings. Not just Nazis.
Or cancel culture LOL
What is cancle culture?@@ibgvox
@@ibgvox Ya, okay kid.
it's very rare that buffy is as afraid of demons as she is of two human men catcalling her at night.
Holy water is really funny in this universe, it always works as dramatically as possible. Like the vampire always goes "haha, water? That's what you got?" and then a good couple second later you get the Looney Tunesesque comedy beat of "oh noooooo it's burning" when presumably it'd be like a human dipping their hand in boiling hot water or acid or whatever.
For small quantities most likely just like a small exposition to the sun would just make them start to fume or even just have a small flame lighting up but an overdose exposure would be lethal in both cases.
I think the relationship between Giles and Buffy reaches a turning point here in many ways, but most non-spoilerish of all is that in 'Gingerbread' and 'Helpless,' Buffy treats Giles as *both* a friend and father figure *and* as a utility to help her accomplish her responsibilities and goals as a Slayer - "find me the thing that did this."
Before, Giles would have to prod Buffy - and direct her to the things going on in town; having read about them in the newspaper or been informed by the council. He'd then have to lead her to her destiny by the hand - helping her research her foe, and acting as a weapons dealer and planner.
In S3, however, Giles might still be training Buffy - but she begins to meet, interact with, understand and independently plan against her own enemies: finding her own ways of doing what she must.
I don't think she becomes disrespectful to Giles by using him as a research tool, a knowledgeable older party - a weapon in her arsenal against the dark - but you can see her begin to find herself as a leader, as a Slayer, and as a woman. The roles begin to reverse slightly as she takes on her identity fully, now understanding some of the theory to bolster her Slaying, and as she begins to utilise the talents and interests of those around her to better fight the unimaginable evils ahead.
I think it might be easier to accept Cordelia's self absorption because the show is more self aware about her being self involved. The show didn't seem to be as aware of Xander's toxic tendencies, at least to me.
Not true. The show knows about his bad traits. He even makes a choice later on based on it.
@@ShieldVids Xander makes many choices, some of them great, some of them bad. But I'd disagree the show is fully self aware of Xander's toxic traits. Sometimes they are, but they also glaze over a lot as if it's just boys being boys. Joss wrote Xander as the character in the show supposed to represent himself, and he is in many ways a typical 90s funny guy, he's just not as ahead of his time as a lot of the rest of the show.
I love Xander and its obvious he is fiercely loyal and wants the best for everyone, and I absolutely think he's a good person. But he's got some persistent toxic traits that the show doesn't really acknowledge with self awareness.
@@ceceliam9014 That's a foolish generalization that Xander represents all teenage boys at that time because I don't think all teenage boys, then and now, would use a "dream girl" like Buffy to escape from their problems. However, you're right that the show has an underbelly of misogyny, despite it being pro-feminism. JW was basically showing his fractured psyche here, and it's pretty bad.
@@Madbandit77 That would be a foolish generalization, and one I absolutely never made, but okay 🤷🏼♀️
@@ceceliam9014 It wasn't meant directly against you, and I apologize if you felt offended.
im so unspeakably excited for the zeppo, its one of my favorite buffy episodes
The last 10 minutes of gingerbread is just hilarious.
"Did I get it? Did I get it?" 😂
Funny thing about willows Mom calling Buffy bunny. In the original unaired pilot the principal had a hard time remembering Buffy's name. And he called her bunny at 1st😉
Helpless was a very good episode exploring trust and betrayal. Many were so angry watching this at the time that Giles could do such a thing. You can see the anger Buffy has towards both Giles and The Council, and yes' The Council are highly irritating throughout the whole show. This episode reminds us of course that Buffy is indeed human, and all the weaknesses and fears that go along with that. Even though she passes her test, we still feel cheated for her you can see Giles hates doing it too, and has nothing but contempt for Quentin Travers. This episode actually was a watershed for Buffy as she was now truly leaving her adolescence behind and becoming an adult. A very touching scene at the end when Giles tends to Buffy's wounds. A very good but disturbing episode.
My favorite bit in "Gingerbread" is "MOO" as the acronym when "MOTTO" is so much better (and even more appropriate).
I think it's because "to" and "the" (if not at the beginning) isn't usually included in acronyms.
Slayers are always girls, they're usually called when they're around 15 years old. Sometimes a little older. It's widely recognised in the fandom that the council prefer that because they can mold and shape younger girls, they're less likely to stand up for themselves. They can't control Buffy in that way which is why they try to make things awkward for her.
One of the things I actually miss about the movie was the fact that her Slayer Sense was linked to cramping. Having it be that connected to menses really highlights the inherently feminine nature of the Slayers' power. (Giving life/Taking life)
About Helpless -The Watcher's Council is a reactionary Patriarchy ..The test "a tradition done for thousands of years " kills off most slayers on their 18th birthday.The slayer taking the test dies and is replaced by a younger more submissive slayer (more controlable ) .Any Slayer that has survived the test is more likely to be more obedient to the Watcher's Council .Giles's father was a Watcher .So he became one .Giles by telling Buffy about the test is questioning the authority of an Organization he had been a part of for years .And Buffy in Helpless sees the dark side of The Watchers Council for the 1st time .Love it when Buffy says Bite me to Quentin.Footnote --the actor who plays Quentin played a corrupt Cop in Scarface with Al Pacino
Harris Yulin, who played Quentin, played the judge in "Ghostbusters 2".
The Council is all about the big picture, power and control. Individual slayers don't mean much to them and younger ones are easier to control. I always thought that after the Buffy/Kendra/Faith scenario, someone in the council was thinking about systematically killing and resurrecting slayers to get a slayer army.
Xander and Oz's awkward little encounter in the lunch line has always been one of my favorite comedy moments in the whole series.
"...........so, a burrito!"
"...this IS a burrito."
"Damn straight!" 😂😂😂
I do love the little bonding arc the two of them get that episode, and that final moment of them falling through the ceiling is also gold.
'Helpless' is a tough watch in some ways, but is excellent and like you said, is very much structured like a classic horror film. Anthony Head and SMG both give it their all, and the emotion in that final scene is just incredible.
Fantastic reactions as always. Your thoughts and speculations are on point as usual, and with that in mind, I'm extremely excited to see what you think of what's to come. And i won't have to wait long -- next week, after an offbeat favorite, you'll be taking a deep dive into the heart of Season 3. If you think it's hard to resist the urge to watch the next episode sooner now... Hooboy. 😅
30:08 ..."Drug up your student. Perfectly normal explanation"...That line came out sooo wrong...🤣🤣
There's a lot more to this show than meets the eyue. Many of the monsters are also metaphors for the struggles of growing up but the Watchers Council itself might serve as a metaphor for the insidious nature of the patriarchy and how to recognize it and rebel against it.
It's interesting how both these episodes feature how parents or parental figures and institutions can let us down.
I played a Buffy role-playing game and my character was a former slayer who was a vampire so I called her Katrina, the vampired slayer.
Gingerbread is in this case not a reference to Christmas but rather to the gingerbread house the witch in Hansel and Grettle lives in. She temps the children by offering to let them eat the candy of the house.
The watchers council is all about control, once a slayer turns 18 and is now an adult they may start to question how things are, and they don't like that.
The Buffy/Giles relationship is my favorite one in the series, so good as Helpless is (as you said, it's one of the few times the show goes full-on horror), it's a difficult watch for me. The idea that Giles could do what he did tears at me, and when Buffy says "who are you" I'm completely on her side. Odd that Quentin observing that he has "a father's love" for Buffy allays some of the pain. He really is more her father now than her biological dad is.
Re the Watchers Council, to summarize what's already been said about them: The Council are a bunch of d**ks! 😠
I don't think that Giles reason for going through with the test was loyalty to the council over Buffy. But that if he didn't then they would immediately remove him as Buffy's watcher and assign a new watcher who would put her through the test anyway, and he does have a Paternal connection to Buffy that he couldn't stand not being her watcher. Still not a good thing, but not just simply loyalty to the council traditions over Buffy.
I feel like there was supposed to be a scene in Gingerbread in the vents with Oz and Xander that had to be cut for time. It felt like they were building up to some kind of scene between them.
Yeah, i had the same thought. cuz that whole scene as is didnt go anywhere except to give them screen time.
It would make sense if the reason they got there late was because they stopped to talk.@@Sforschondetta
I fully believe the whole reason for the test when a slayer turns 18 is meant to actually kill the slayer off in order to activate the next younger and more controllable slayer.
Buffy: *plays with phallic shaped crystal after sweaty Angel training session with no "satisfaction"*
Cass: "Aw, she must be nervous about her dad."
I AM CRYING AT THIS INNOCENT REACTION 😂😭😅 So wholesome 😂
Gingerbread: "Won't somebody please think of the children!" This episode explores what happens when a mother becomes too involved and overbearing. Helpless: A father's job is not just to buy the bike but to know when to take the training wheels off. In this episode, Giles gets fired for being too loving. Buffy's real dad remains employed because he cared more about quarterly projections than her. Which father figure would you want?
The council probably doesn't want an experienced, selfwilled slayer that they can't control ?
Gingerbread is hard to stomach cause I swear history just repeats over and over and over. Witch hunts on things people don't understand. "Othering" anyone who is different.
That Quentin fired Giles and did so for the reason given is probably what saved their relationship.
We definitely get more council lore as it goes on. From episodes we've seen, where the Watcher and Slayer thing gets mentioned, we know that the Council has to have some way of identifying potential Slayers, because a Watcher is supposed to be watching , and preferably training, the potential Slayer before she is chosen, and that there are multiple potential Slayers, because Kendra had been training since before Buffy was chosen. We know there are no boy Slayers because the prophesy specifies "one girl in all the world". We know that the Council doesn't choose who becomes the Slayer, because neither Buffy nor Faith had contact with a Watcher until they became a Slayer.
Personally, I think that with the manpower, knowledge, and magic at the Council's disposal, they could offer way more support to the Slayer than one Watcher to train her and do a better job at keeping her alive, if they really wanted to. I definitely throw my vote on the side of them preferring the Slayers to die before adulthood and this ritual being one of the ways to encourage that outcome.
I hope you start watching Angel when the spin off starts! I feel like you don't get the full story if you don't want both shows 😁
I just noticed Willow's mom also has a widow's peak like Willow does..nice casting
The Watchers Council don't want her stronger or more cunning. They prefer their slayers to die young, before they become self-sufficient, independent women. It's about control. They're literally the patriarchy, and it's a wonderful thing to have Giles no longer be part of it.
To me, the run from The Wish until the end of the season is absolutely the height of the series, at least in terms of consecutive amazing episodes. I'd give almost every episode in this run at least an 8/10.
It's a doodle. I do doodle. You too. You too doodle too.
I think it's presented as a test for the slayer but was instead a loyalty test for the watcher.
My "Quentin Travers is a master of three-dimensional chess" theory is that the Cruciamentum is actually designed to deliberately alienate the Slayer from the Council in particular and her Watcher in particular, in order to teach her independence and to stand on her own. But that simultaneously makes him both more Machiavellian and altruistic than most fans are willing to believe.
"Dead children? Possessed children? Demon children? Cult children? Victims of a cult children?"
...Kind of all of the above?
Council represents patriarchy. And the point of the test is to indirectly kill an old slayer to have a new younger and easly to comtrol a young one
in this household we boo at willow's mom
"You will not speak to Bunny Summers again!"
Ugh, she’s the worst 😅
@@gungho1284no problem, since I don't know anyone with that name 😊
I love the father-daughter dynamic of Buffy and Giles. Reminds me of the 12th Doctor and Clara.
Cass: "Do we need Giles to come over and lay down... umm..."
Me: "...Joyce? On the bed? On a car?" 🤔
Excellent reaction to & discussion of both episodes. Enjoyed your thoughts on Cordy & Zander. Love the Helpless episode and the Buffy/Giles relationship.
Yes, the Slayer is always a girl, and yes, when one is called, they are always teenagers. Buffy was called at 15, Kendra at 16, Faith is a bit uncertain, but she is younger than Buffy. Probably also 16, but she could be 17 at the oldest.
In Giles defense I think if he said no to the council he would have been terminated and her next watcher would have still performed the test on her
GINGERBREAD MAN
This was okay, The main reason to watch for me is that we actually see Willow's Mom.
HELPLESS
This is SOOOOOO GOOD!!!!
I love the whole history this opens up about The Watcher's Counsel and how they try to keep control. I feel like the Counsel does this test to force a Slayer change. A Slayer who is now an adult is no longer able to be controlled by a bunch of old men and women (yes there are women too) so they do this so she'll die and another teenager will be called. There was a TV show in development for The Watcher's Counsel but it didn't get past the writing stage.
There are only women, we are given a reason later on, but in the sequel comics we do get a male Slayer and a Slayer who is turned into a vampire. We do get more Watcher's Counsel stuff throughout Buffy and Angel.
I loved the escalating hysteria of the mob yet there were no names or facts about the children. Although Social Media was not a thing when this was filmed, it demonstrated how that is so easily abused and manipulated in this era. Being betrayed by both her Dad and giles hit Buffy very hard.
24:28 - The return of The Train! Haven't heard that in a while!
15:10 'She got little demon children in her ear'
An actual demon child skulks in the background!
Helpless was one of series few freelance episodes they did during the first 3 seasons (Joss had his team from S4 onwards). David Fury pitched the idea, Joss liked it but he changed one thing: at the end Giles returned as Buffy's watcher but he kept him fired. Joss suddenly had new plans 😎
I think Helpless goes to show how powerful the gang really are when fighting. Buffy’s helplessness is how everyone feels. It’s just especially jarring for Buffy and the Council literally don’t care. They’ll accept no substitutes when it’s the world on the line. They’ll make a young woman suffer if it meant the world is safe. It’s all very sacrificial.
"Helpless" is where we learn unequivocally how misogynistic the Watcher's Council actually is. The "rite" occurs just as a young woman is reaching adulthood, a time when she might begin to exert more independence in thought and deed. Giles seems to be the exception in this woman-hating club, so of course they fire him.
The Council has no skin in the game for this test. If the Slayer is killed, "Oh well, we'll soon have a new one." If the Slayer survives, I suspect that the majority have been so horrified by the experience that they fall into line in obeying the Council, for fear of another ordeal.
Perhaps Quentin will get a comeuppance at some point, but we can only hope.
Okay, I loved the line from Buffy that if she were at full Slayer strength, she'd " be punning about now." Also, the actor who played Zach the psychotic vampire did a wonderful job, in my opinion.
Helpless is one of the hardest episodes of the show…
Helpless really solidified how horrible the council are and how shitty they are towards Slayers
It must have been a hard thing for Giles to do and SMG’s acting when she finds out is heart-wrenching and I have to give Giles some leeway cuz he was just doing what the council told him and all his life of been on the council he always just blindly followed orders without question and considering the relationship he and Buffy has, you could tell it was difficult and I give him props for finally standing upto the council. And the council firing him for simply loving Buffy like a father would just firmly shows how screwed up they are
I think at some point it's counterproductive trying to find detailed in-universe explanations for why certain things happen, when fundamentally the whole series is one long coming-of-age metaphor. Helpless is an exaggerated exploration of how parents and the school system push kids out of the nest when they turn 18 and say, "Well, you're an adult now, we've taught you all we know! Good luck!" Obviously some familes err more towards the "sink or swim" mentality than others.
You know that Amy, "she's always, around."
While I do agree that the test is archaic and needs some serious revision, there is a point to it that is not simply, let's get rid of the old Slayers before they realize they don't need us. Slayers are gifted with tremendous physical gifts, speed, strength, agility, that it is easy to overlook the ability and necessity to outthink one's opponents, who sometimes may be faster, stronger and more agile than even a Slayer. And the point that it is also a test of the Watcher has some merit as well. If a Watcher becomes to attached to their Slayer, they may refuse to put them in mortal danger in the fight against evil. But being in mortal danger will always be the case for a Slayer. Remember back in season 1 in Prophesy Girl, Giles was not only willing to face the Master without Buffy, he was even ordering her *not* to face him. That level of attachment could put the whole world at risk. As for the risk of the Slayer dying in the trial, well, whenever a Slayer dies, a new one is called so that really didn't factor into the equation for the Council.
Tbf, impo, cunning isn't something that can really be taught. Its more something you learn thru experience
Helpless is such a good episode and in my top 5 probably. If u like that horror aspect of this episode, pls watch "I know what you did last summer" also with Sarah Michelle gellar. Then u might realise the similaritys. Scream 2, in which she also starring influenced this episode
I think you had the opposite reaction to Gingerbread than I had. I find it horrible that everything transpired, and that Joyce doesn't at least express a gigantic amount of remorse and/or trauma over her actions against her own daughter. Two episodes in a row where Buffy's parental figures betray her in horrible ways just make me so depressed, probably in worse ways than Passion ever did.
I accept any and all slander thrown at the council. I wish Buffy could have punched that other coundil dude right in his face as hard as she could. She didn't have her slayer strength, so it wouldn't have killed him and would have been fine. 😤
"Im not a big fan of the council" yea welcome to the club
To answer your other question. The slayer is always a girl "Into every generation a Slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a Chosen One. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer."
Without being spoiler-y, I think a reason why the council wants to keep younger slayers around is answered a couple of times over the course of the show.
If they make it to 18...yes, they WOULD actually prefer to start over with a new younger Slayer. More malleable, less independent. And yes they are all girls. Misogyny from many centuries of entrenched tradition.
But when the head guy said Giles had a father's love for Buffy, after sacking him, you could see Buffy start to forgive him.
All we can say, is eventually most of your questions will be answered. It may take a while. It may not be answered the way you want it to be. But such is Joss 🤷
I could have sworn Xander has already pointed out that he was wrong on several occasions in between his jokes and/or "defensive rants" I guess you could call them. Not to mention he seemingly apologized and tried to make up with Cordelia a bunch already? Hard to remember the exact details when you're only seeing parts of the show.
I just have to say that I love your reactions and you deserve MUCH MORE ppl on your channel. Keep doing what youre doing and I cant wait for the new lana reactions. Make and record videos that make you happy and you will have no limits. I usually dont comment on ppls videos but I just had to say it. Love u and keep it up. And I also hope you will see this comment! ❤❤
a) slayers are all young teenage girls. This was done to turn the trope of the monsters eating cheerleaders on its head. Practically speaking though, this allows the slayer to be an "ambush predator" aka she looks like an easy victim for vampires, which can help lure them in. b) I don't think the council selects the slayers, that is done by the magics that empower slayers I think? The council uses magic to identify them so they can track them down and train them etc.
Gingerbread is such an unrated episode imo, I love it! remember too that in The Wish, Sunnydale had learned about Vampire lore - see it as sort of foreshadowing for this episode, it also keeps the universe fresh. Also just so many comical moments in this episode. As far as Xander, this definitely feels like an episode where the writer just doesn't get Xander. I agree with Cassie, not too funny in this episode. Each character and many writers I think end up doing this from time to time. Xander and Cordy are probably the most underserved and inconsistently written in that regard. I especially hate when the writers prioritize a Xander joke over a character developing moment - the thing is some writers do them better justice so I tend to give Xander the benefit of the doubt.
27:16: No, Cass. That was the writers being clever- Buffy was referring to sexual energy, after her, shall we say, physical encounter with Angel. Note the rather phallic- shaped crystal Buffy is fondling as she says her line.
Start to Helpless, such a great episode, this season is almost perfect
6:14 "Did she not see her on Christmas?"
Well, Willow and her family are _Jewish,_ but the point of her mom being oblivious to Willow's life and appearance stands...
Christmas? Her last name is Rosenberg!
It just occurred to me. Probably the council arranged for her father to not be available.
Helpless shows how the Counsel treats slayers like they are disposable. Slayers are always young women who are much easier for them to control.
All Slayers are post pubescent girls. Usually 15 or 16. The average combat lifespan is a year or two.
One(of several) reasons is that they lose the will to live and either become careless or reckless. Buffy of "The Wish" was there, clearly not giving a damn if she lived or died. There was a look of peace on her face when she died
The😢 Watchers have known about adrenal suppressors and muscle relaxants for centuries that they've been doing this test? They've really been holding out on the medical profession.
They want young Slayers that are easier to control. As they get older they might realise the Watchers need the Slayer far more than the Slayer needs the Watchers.
The Slayer is always a girl and always has been. There are a number of 'potential Slayers' who will get the Slayer skill and strength if they are 'activated' when the current Slayer dies.
U should watch the original film from 1992 its a different actress as buffy but its buffy becoming a slayer in LA and goes into the lore alot donald sutherland plays her original watcher
Enter Quentin Travers the biggest A** for the good guys!
M.O.O. We're making Sunnydale great again.
~Joyce Summers
This is Principal Snyder, and i approve this comment, wholeheartedly.
~Principal Snyder
You're gosh darn tootin.
~Willow Rosenberg
loved the reaction :)
typical Amy to RAT OUT badum tssss
Yeah the test isn’t really about testing the slayer’s ability at all. The whole premise of the test is nonsensical; test the slayer without her powers to see if she’s worthy of staying the Slayer. But the entire point of the Slayer is that they’re gifted with the powers to be able to fight demons. She doesn’t need to be able to kill without her powers, because no normal human is expected to be able to. Are we giving Watchers tests at 18 to see if they’re worthy of being a teacher to the Slayer?
I and many others think the test is about control. If the Slayer has become too independent, it’s a convenient way to get rid of her and start with a new naïve Slayer. And even if she somehow passes, she’ll probably be traumatized and unlikely to go against the Council.
And Giles reports to the council so they know how unorthodox Buffy is when it comes to her job. She has cunning and creativity in spades.
I wonder when we're going to see Willow's mom again.
I thought you said “booze slushee cup”. Monsters Inc on ice isn’t just for the kids. 😂
The Rosenberg's family holiday is Hanukah.
Into every generation, there is a chosen one. One GIRL in all the world. SHE alone will wield the strength and skill to stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers. SHE is the Slayer.
There are no boy/men slayers. It's always a girl and it's always when they're in their teenage years.