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S02.E15: Phases

Mya Stone

By Mya Stone
in Buffy The Vampire Slayer

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Mya Stone

Mya Stone

  Quote

 

Buffy and her friends discover secrets about themselves as they battle a werewolf, its hunter, and their own emotions.

 

A slight break from the intensity of Buffy/Angelus. 

The wolf hunter - corny, corny, corny - even worse all these years later. But I can overlook that for two scenes: 

-Oz on the phone with his aunt, finding out his cousin is a werewolf. Short, sweet, and to the point - oh, that's Oz in a nutshell. 

-Larry coming out to Xander. I remember at the time thinking nothing of it (as a "theater girl" in high school I had gay friends who were out), but it was really kind of a big deal. 

Plus, this interaction between Oz and Larry makes me laugh a lot, even to this day: 

Larry: I would love to get me some of that Buffy and Willow action, if you know what I mean.

Oz: That's great, Larry, you've really mastered the single entendre.

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DAngelus

DAngelus

(edited)

"He'll be a little sore in the morning, but... he'll be Oz."  Awww!  (And, as you might have noticed, I'm not normally one to "Aww" over Oz/Willow.)

 

Joss really does a beautiful job of making sure that the two episodes between Innocence and Passion have two of the most uplifting endings in the series.  Keeps the unremitting drear from setting in, as it does from S5 on.  (When Him aired, I noted that the last episode that ended on a truly happy note was Where The Wild Things Are, almost three seasons earlier.) Not that this episode, like BB&B, doesn't have its somber moments ("I live with that every day" and "she had a lot of friends" are two of the most sympathy-inducing Buffy lines in the series, IMO), but on the whole uplifting and affirmative.  

 

Even the funeral home sequence, which starts with Buffy depressed and ends with her despairing, includes this lovely bit of Xander-support:  

 

  Quote

Buffy, you can't blame yourself for every death that happens in Sunnydale.  If it wasn't for you, people'd be lined up five-deep waiting to get themselves buried.  Willow would be Robbie the Robot's love slave, I wouldn't even have a head, and…Theresa's a vampire!

 

Awww.  (Plus credits-worthy easel-slayage; good ep for Xander.)

 

One of my favorite lines is "I didn't leap.  I took a tiny step and there conclusions were."  I think I've even used a variant of it online, a couple of times.

 

One of my favorite "Lines You'll Never Hear on Buffy the Vampire Slayer" contributions was also based on this ep:

 

  Quote

XANDER:  You're not boned, you're Buffy.

BUFFY:  Of course, I'm boned!  How do you think Angel lost his soul, anyway?
XANDER:  Um, Buff, that's not what I—

BUFFY: I'll give you a hint…it wasn't crême brulée.

 

I do wish they'd cut a little bit of Cain melting his silver bullets, or whatever, and left in the "Willow and Cordelia work out their issues by beating up Xander during the self-defense class" scene from the script.  It reads as though it might have been fun to see.

 

And speaking of girls who aren't currently Buffy, I notice that after Cain tells Buffy and Giles that werewolves are "suckers for that whole sexual heat thing", we see Oz-wolf invade the Bronze, where he ignores an entire dance floor full of horny teenage couples and drops down to interrupt…Willow and Cordelia.  Apparently, Oz's werewolf senses are so keen he can sniff out Willow's physical reactions to Cordelia's proximity, years before Will herself is aware of that aspect of her sexuality.  Cool.  (And Cordy was sitting with her legs pointed towards Willow, which is said to be a sign of interest…)

 

Once again, middle-of-the-season in quality, but definitely a fun ep.

Edited by DAngelus
ladyrott

ladyrott

  Quote
One of my favorite lines is "I didn't leap.  I took a tiny step and there conclusions were."  I think I've even used a variant of it online, a couple of times.

 

 

That is one of my favorite, and most quoted, lines of the series.  :)  I just watched Phases last night (doing a rewatch of the series with my best friend who just moved in with me). 

 

Phases has always been one of my favorite episodes.  I unapologetically adore Willow/Oz and her final line about not being that nice to be around three days out of the month never ceases to make me smile.  That episode had everything....Willow/Oz love, great snark, Willow/Cordy interaction, classic Cordy (loved her reaction to daddy's car being messed up) and even Xander getting to stake a vamp (RIP Teresa). 

  • Like 1
Joe Hellandback

Joe Hellandback

  On 7/14/2014 at 5:35 PM, Mya Stone said:

 

A slight break from the intensity of Buffy/Angelus. 

The wolf hunter - corny, corny, corny - even worse all these years later. But I can overlook that for two scenes: 

-Oz on the phone with his aunt, finding out his cousin is a werewolf. Short, sweet, and to the point - oh, that's Oz in a nutshell. 

-Larry coming out to Xander. I remember at the time thinking nothing of it (as a "theater girl" in high school I had gay friends who were out), but it was really kind of a big deal. 

Plus, this interaction between Oz and Larry makes me laugh a lot, even to this day: 

Larry: I would love to get me some of that Buffy and Willow action, if you know what I mean.

Oz: That's great, Larry, you've really mastered the single entendre.

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Yeah, it was quite  a gutsy move to have a relatively lightweight ep here (according to Marti Noxon they were getting calls from the network every day checking they were going to change Angel back) but it works. Yes, Larry coming out still cracks me up (reminds me of Glee?) nowadays no big deal but at the time big news. 

 

  On 7/20/2014 at 4:15 PM, wingster55 said:

Boy I wish we could've seen that mentioned scene between Giles and Oz. 

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Almost better when left to the imagination?

 

  On 7/21/2014 at 9:21 AM, DAngelus said:

"He'll be a little sore in the morning, but... he'll be Oz."  Awww!  (And, as you might have noticed, I'm not normally one to "Aww" over Oz/Willow.)

 

Joss really does a beautiful job of making sure that the two episodes between Innocence and Passion have two of the most uplifting endings in the series.  Keeps the unremitting drear from setting in, as it does from S5 on.  (When Him aired, I noted that the last episode that ended on a truly happy note was Where The Wild Things Are, almost three seasons earlier.) Not that this episode, like BB&B, doesn't have its somber moments ("I live with that every day" and "she had a lot of friends" are two of the most sympathy-inducing Buffy lines in the series, IMO), but on the whole uplifting and affirmative.  

 

Even the funeral home sequence, which starts with Buffy depressed and ends with her despairing, includes this lovely bit of Xander-support:  

 

 

Awww.  (Plus credits-worthy easel-slayage; good ep for Xander.)

 

One of my favorite lines is "I didn't leap.  I took a tiny step and there conclusions were."  I think I've even used a variant of it online, a couple of times.

 

One of my favorite "Lines You'll Never Hear on Buffy the Vampire Slayer" contributions was also based on this ep:

 

 

I do wish they'd cut a little bit of Cain melting his silver bullets, or whatever, and left in the "Willow and Cordelia work out their issues by beating up Xander during the self-defense class" scene from the script.  It reads as though it might have been fun to see.

 

And speaking of girls who aren't currently Buffy, I notice that after Cain tells Buffy and Giles that werewolves are "suckers for that whole sexual heat thing", we see Oz-wolf invade the Bronze, where he ignores an entire dance floor full of horny teenage couples and drops down to interrupt…Willow and Cordelia.  Apparently, Oz's werewolf senses are so keen he can sniff out Willow's physical reactions to Cordelia's proximity, years before Will herself is aware of that aspect of her sexuality.  Cool.  (And Cordy was sitting with her legs pointed towards Willow, which is said to be a sign of interest…)

 

Once again, middle-of-the-season in quality, but definitely a fun ep.

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Interesting, I never noticed that although I thought the Willow/CC dialogue was very suggestive? I wish we could have seen more of Theresa, they could have brought her back in

  Reveal spoiler

 Phases
The Good; Wonderful opening scene, Oz's reaction to the news he's a werewolf, the burgeoning Oz and Willow/Xander and Cordy relationships, the mislead with Larry is hilarious and a nice subplot with Theresa as Angelus and co are not forgotten.

The Bad; Very little, excellent ep

Best line; Willow; "Three days a month I'm not much fun to be around either" Is just beaten by; Giles "Let's not jump to conclusions" Buffy "I didn't jump, I took a tiny step and there conclusions were"

Questions and observations; Willow and Cordy seem to be bonding despite Will's reference to CC as a 'skanky ho', their disparaging of men smacks mightily of subtext. That said Willow says she 'Wants smoochies' and seems less alarmed by Oz's possessing chains than intrigued. He doesn't wear them however unlike Buffy who finds herself helpless once more, caught in Cain's net. Cain's suspicion of Buffy and Giles in a May-to-December romance seems incredible but what else would the pair be doing in lover's lane at midnight? Guffy? Buffy's comments on the male nature of the werewolf are positively misandrist (and later we'll see

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The scene where Angelus offers to walk Theresa home is just chilling. I think what makes it so effective is that he seems so plausible, the devil with the Angel's face.

Oz is shot for the second time and knocked out for the first whilst Xander kills his second vamp. It had to be pointed out to me at the time but now it seems hard to miss the 2 guys pushing Giles' car as it arrives at the Bronze.

So presumably Oz's cousin bit him whilst human? So a werewolf can infect someone even in human form? Willow better not let Oz give her any lovebites. And did Oz's cousin get bitten or does being a werewolf run in families, Teenwolf style? How come Oz wakes up the second night naked and wondering what happened but not the first? Probably the best ever example of Slayer strength, Buffy bending the barrel of Cain's rifle in her bare hands, totally impossible for any human to do.

I always thought the Owen who Buffy spots cheating on his girlfriend in Lovers Lane was the same Owen from Never Kill A Boy on a First Date but it's not (nice to see that despite her own heartache Buffy still likes romantic gossip). Nice reference to The Witch too with Oz examining the cheerleader trophy. Larry and Xander is a wonderful scene, one of my favourite of the entire series. Surely even the most fervent of 

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can't fail to be charmed by the Willow/Oz romance?

The series just hitting a series of straight sixes right past the boundary every time, 10/10

Halting Hex

Halting Hex

(edited)
  On 7/22/2014 at 2:48 PM, ladyrott said:

her final line about not being that nice to be around three days out of the month never ceases to make me smile.

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My late father always found it uproarious.  Kind of explains my parents' divorce, come to think of it.

  On 6/20/2018 at 3:53 PM, Joe Hellandback said:

according to Marti Noxon they were getting calls from the network every day checking they were going to change Angel back

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Oh, FFS, really?  Goddamn 'shippers, let the writer tell his story.  

What they should have done was 

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  On 6/20/2018 at 3:53 PM, Joe Hellandback said:

Willow better not let Oz give her any lovebites. And did Oz's cousin get bitten

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She tells him this, "no biting, though.  Okay?"  And I guess so, given that there's no mention of inherent lycanthropy.  I guess cousin Jordy had a bad encounter with a "big dog" that saw him as easy pickings before he got rescued.  Only to discover that they don't make a rabies shot for this.

  On 6/20/2018 at 3:53 PM, Joe Hellandback said:

Larry and Xander is a wonderful scene, one of my favourite of the entire series

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And only slightly spoiled by Larry Bagby III mis-emphasizing a phrase, with that "what do you want, hush money?"  No, Larry, Xander wants hush potatoes, instead.  (You want to hit the "hush" part of that, Mr. Bagby; the adjective modifies the noun, not the reverse.)

  On 6/20/2018 at 3:53 PM, Joe Hellandback said:

It had to be pointed out to me at the time but now it seems hard to miss the 2 guys pushing Giles' car as it arrives at the Bronze.

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Sure, being powered by IATSE (the stagehands' union) means that the Citroen doesn't have much of a top speed, but OTOH, it's completely emission -free.  Giles, doing his bit for green energy well before the Tesla came on the market.  Good show, Rupert.

Edited by Halting Hex
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Joe Hellandback

Joe Hellandback

(edited)
  On 6/24/2018 at 10:19 AM, nosleepforme said:

I always wonder if Larry would

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I kind of liked how such a relatively minor character like Larry got some development over the run of the show.

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I don't think so, I don't think the show was that brave. 

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. I think it took Glee to do that and even they preferred to show us Britanna getting it on than Kurt and Blaine actually ever doing anything together

Edited by Joe Hellandback
lembergwatcher

lembergwatcher

Willoz is a travesty. Therefore this ep happens to be one of my least favorite.

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Buffy: (sees Willow walk by) Certainly gonna put a strain on Willow and Oz's relationship.

Xander: What relationship? I mean, what life could they possibly have together? (counts off on his fingers) We're talking obedience school, paper training, Oz is always in back burying their things, and that kind of breed can turn on its owner.

Buffy: I don't know. I kinda see Oz as the loyal type.

Xander: All I'm saying is she's not safe with him. If it were up to me...

Buffy: (interrupts) Xander...

Cut outside to Willow walking over to Oz sitting on a table.

Buffy: It's not up to you.

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It's good to see Xander as a sober and fair-minded type (except when it came to Cordelia). The real Xander.

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And Buffy... just shut up. You're the typical airhead, you know. Always support your friends when they make the dumbest decisions. 

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Melancholy

Melancholy

(edited)

Addressing spoilers. 

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I love this ep. This feeds into the spoilered but I love how Willow is so matter of fact about tasing WolfOz, clunking him on the head with a trash can, containing him with little melodrama or gnashing of teeth (er from Willow, not WolfOz). 

Edited by Melancholy
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lembergwatcher

lembergwatcher

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Joe Hellandback

Joe Hellandback

  On 10/23/2018 at 12:29 AM, lembergwatcher said:

Willoz is a travesty. Therefore this ep happens to be one of my least favorite.

It's good to see Xander as a sober and fair-minded type (except when it came to Cordelia). The real Xander.

  Reveal spoiler

And Buffy... just shut up. You're the typical airhead, you know. Always support your friends when they make the dumbest decisions. 

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There is no REAL Xander, there is just the character who develops over time. 

lembergwatcher

lembergwatcher

(edited)
  On 10/27/2018 at 9:50 AM, Joe Hellandback said:

Does he go back to being a teenager?

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There are lots of moments in season 2 when he acts more mature

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More importantly, he was able to confront Buffy when it was necessary.

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Therefore I prefer teenage Xander over "mature" one.

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Edited by lembergwatcher
Joe Hellandback

Joe Hellandback

  On 10/27/2018 at 6:29 PM, lembergwatcher said:

There are lots of moments in season 2 when he acts more mature

  Reveal spoiler

More importantly, he was able to confront Buffy when it was necessary.

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Therefore I prefer teenage Xander over "mature" one.

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I disagree, in the final few seasons he moves out of his parent's basement and takes charge to a huge degree.

Halting Hex

Halting Hex

Steven G. mostly liked this one, but he was surprised by Xander being so ultra-jealous about Willow/Oz.  I'd say that means they should have left the "I would have taken a bullet for you!" scene from the Surprise script in, but given how ginormous that shooting script was, I can see Joss being reluctant to open those particular floodgates.

And while "she had a lot of friends" is one of the great "Buffy's burden" lines (along with this episode's similar "I live with that, every day") and is the prompt for Xander's wonderful "Buffy, none of this is your fault" speech, I do wonder how accurate it is, given that Theresa seems to be a bit of a wallflower.  I mean, we don't see anybody other than Buffy step to her side when Larry is smirking at her in gym class, and she is walking all alone on that street when she runs into Angel.

But…there were a good number of signatures in the Funeral Home register.  Are the Klusmeyers an exceedingly-large family, and all the signatures are from relatives?  Are Theresa's parents key figures in the community, and all the signatures just sucking up?  Was Angel hanging around the Home, practicing his forgery skills while waiting for Theresa to rise, before getting bored and giving up?  

Or was Theresa actually quite popular and all her seemingly-invisible friends swung by the Funeral Home on their way back to Lovers' Lane?  Hmm.

lembergwatcher

lembergwatcher

  On 5/17/2019 at 11:46 PM, Halting Hex said:

But…there were a good number of signatures in the Funeral Home register.

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Theresa could've been "a bit of a wallflower" and a loner. But none of these should've been the reason for other people not to mourn her death. Popular or no popular, family or no family, death is still a tragedy. Thus people who left their signatures in the Funeral Home register didn't have to particularly like Theresa, be friends with her or even know her too well.

I wonder though whether the Klusmeyers even gave Theresa a proper burial since her body "disappeared" etc.?..

Overall, not a bad episode. But I still don't like it. 

Halting Hex

Halting Hex

"Buffy says sometimes a girl has to make what seems to be the first move."  Willow's past her sit-at-home-and-wait days.  Good for her.

And she did make it to Oz's lair before sunset, so no supernatural worries for her.  It's not as if she's expecting Oz to be the werewolf.  (He did have multiple chances to own up to it during the day, after all.  I'm not going to blame her for assuming Oz would have had the sense to do so.)

lembergwatcher

lembergwatcher

  On 5/17/2020 at 6:37 PM, Halting Hex said:

And she did make it to Oz's lair before sunset, so no supernatural worries for her.

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There are lots of supernatural worries for my beloved Will 😊 Or you mean she didn't plan going back home (after dark whether we like it or not) after having conversation with Mr. Perfect?

 

  On 5/17/2020 at 6:37 PM, Halting Hex said:

Willow's past her sit-at-home-and-wait days.  Good for her.

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Sometimes it's better to sit & wait a little bit more... 

Halting Hex

Halting Hex

  On 5/17/2020 at 11:36 PM, lembergwatcher said:

There are lots of supernatural worries for my beloved Will 😊 Or you mean she didn't plan going back home (after dark whether we like it or not) after having conversation with Mr. Perfect?

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Depends how the conversation goes, heh.   But on the more practical tip, "Oz has a van."  I'm fairly sure he'd be gentleman enough to give her a lift.

Halting Hex

Halting Hex

(edited)

And now, the dramatic climax!

  Quote

Willow BURSTS through the doors.

WILLOW: It's Oz! It's Oz!

BUFFY: What's Oz?

WILLOW: The werewolf!

GILES: Are you certain?

WILLOW:  Can't you just trust me on this?! (distraught)  He... he said he was going through all these changes, and then he went through all these... changes.

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Yeah, seriously, G-Man.  I'm a big fan of caution and skepticism, generally…but what part of "Willow saw Oz turn into a werewolf" are you not getting, exactly?  

I grant you she doesn't specify this until her next line, but still.   I'm having a hard time imagining what "mistake" Willow could be making here…she saw Oz toweling off after a shower and mistook his back hair for evidence of lycanthropy, is that what needs more investigation, are you thinking?

I rather think "it's Oz!" pretty much clinches things, IMO.

Edited by Halting Hex
Halting Hex

Halting Hex

(edited)
  Quote

BUFFY (undoes Theresa's scarf, revealing her wounds; points):  Vampire.

XANDER:  Well, that's good, right?  I mean—

Buffy gives him a Look.

XANDER:  No.  There is no good here.

BUFFY (sadly):  No.  Instead of not protecting Theresa from a werewolf, I was able to not-protect her from something just as bad.

Buffy goes to sign the register.

BUFFY:  She had a lot of friends.
XANDER:  Buffy, none of this is your fault.  If it weren't for you, people in Sunnydale would be lined up five-deep, waiting to get buried.  Willow would be Robbie-the-Robot's love slave, I wouldn't even have a head…(surprised)…and Theresa's a vampire!

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So much beauty there.  (And yes, I'm doing it from memory.  Just showing off.)

So anyway, then we get the fight, and "Angel sends his love!" and Xander rescuing Buffy with the easel, and his reassuring Buffy, and that hug that nearly becomes something more, and Buffy and Xander pulling apart, to the relief of all the nervous Bangel fans (as well B/X should; it's barely been a week, after all). 

And they share a look and Buffy leaves, and Xander muses, "oh, no.  My life's not too complicated."

…and then we don't see Xander again until the tag.

Bit of a bummer, but I may have figured out why.  In the tag with Buffy (and briefly, Larry), Xander's hair is noticeably shorter. 

  Reveal spoiler

  So Xander dealt with his trauma by…getting a haircut?

Okay, not the world's worst way to pass an evening.  I'm just sorry we couldn't have cut (pun!) from Willow running for her life with Wolf!Oz in pursuit to Xander pawing through an old issue of Good Housekeeping while waiting to get his hair done.  I mean, talk about revving up the tension!

(Or not.  Sometimes I'm just being silly, I admit.)

Edited by Halting Hex
Halting Hex

Halting Hex

So, I understand why Oz is disconcerted by Buffy's vows to use extreme violence against the werewolf, and his subsequent decision not to tell the group that it's him.  (I'm disappointed in him, but I understand it.). And, given that, I can see why he chooses not to help Willow research and be "someplace that was…away…from [her]".)

But…I don't know why Oz needs to literally run out of the Library.  Does he think Willow is about to tackle him?  That Buffy's getting a length of rope and is about to lasso him if he doesn't beat feet?

Take it easy, Wolfboy.  A simple stride will do you fine.  Stay cool, bro.

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Halting Hex

Halting Hex

(edited)
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OZ:  Oh, don't worry!  Bunnies can really take care of themselves.

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GILES:  The animal mutilations last night…

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So, basically, on night one, Wolf!Oz went after animals, but the little hoppy bunnies got away from him, is that it?  I mean, obviously he doesn't have a conscious memory, but a part of him must know that those wascawwy wabbits played him like he was Daffy Duck.  No wonder the wolf was so angry on night 2.

Alternative theory:  Oz doesn't really remember attacking Xander and Cordelia, but deep in his memory he recognized Cordelia, classified her as an attractive girl and conflated her with a Playboy Bunny.  (Perhaps his memory of Cordy's cat costume from Hallowe'en played into it.)

Too bad this was before

  Reveal spoiler

, or he might have put the pieces together sooner.

*********************************

  Quote

WILLOW:  Well, I like you.  You're nice, and you're funny, and you don't smoke.

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Now you or I might think this is reasonable, because we think smoking is gross, or it gives ypu bad breath, or Wilow shouldn't date a guy who's going to give her lung cancer from the second-hand smoke, or she shouldn't have to worry that Oz will always be bumming money to feed his habit.

All valid reasons.  But, "this being Sunnydale and all", there's a more important concern:  smoking means that you're EVIL.

What's the first thing Spike does after he steps out of the car?  Light up a cigarette. 

What does Angel do during his first evil act (killing the woman in the alley)?  Inhale her cigarette.

What does Angel do right after he reveals his evil nature to Spike and Dru?  Light up and have a smoke.

Honestly, you might be able to convince me that "Angelus" didn't actually lose his soul, he just was suffering from a really intense nicotene fit, decided he'd had enough of this "cold turkey" crap and once he was smoking again, all the rest came naturally.  "Sorry about Jenny, Giles, but between her and my smokes…well, you see my point."

  Reveal spoiler

 

Edited by Halting Hex
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Halting Hex

Halting Hex

  On 9/15/2021 at 9:24 PM, Halting Hex said:
  Quote

XANDER:  Buffy, none of this is your fault.  If it weren't for you, people in Sunnydale would be lined up five-deep, waiting to get buried.  Willow would be Robbie-the-Robot's love slave, I wouldn't even have a head…(surprised)…and Theresa's a vampire!

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One more thing that adds to the beauty of this scene is that Nick puts a special emphasis on saying the name "Willow" here, beyond even the "I" that follows.

Now is this because this is the pivot point from Xander speaking about general issues to specific cases, or is it about how he knows that losing Willow would be particularly devastating to Buffy?  And does he emphasize "Willow" more than "I" because he thinks that Buffy cares more about Willow than she does about him…or because he cares more about her than he does his own safety?

Whether you're wearing your Wiffy or your Xillow-'shipping glasses, it's one more note that makes the scene sing.   Ahhhh.

lembergwatcher

lembergwatcher

  On 6/15/2022 at 4:28 PM, Halting Hex said:

does he emphasize "Willow" more than "I" because he thinks that Buffy cares more about Willow than she does about him…

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Yes, because that's kinda obvious.
 

  On 6/15/2022 at 4:28 PM, Halting Hex said:

because he cares more about her than he does his own safety?

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Of course, he does. It sucks to be Xander, after all. So instead of caring about someone as mundane as himself, Xander cares about the Only Woman He Has Ever Truly Loved... 

Halting Hex

Halting Hex

  On 5/20/2022 at 8:32 PM, lembergwatcher said:

For twenty years I keep wondering what's exactly so "funny" about Oz... 

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Eh, Oz makes a certain number of attempts at humor.  ("Cordelia, she's a wonderland tour." "Why can't I meet a nice girl like that?" "The diminished ninth, that's a man's chord.  You could lose a finger." "All monkeys are French.  You didn't know?" "Our band's moving towards this new sound where…we suck.  So, practice."). He may not be the joke machine Xander's capable of being, or in Buffy's league with the quips or even up there with Giles in the sarcasm, but he's no dour Angel, who could only manage one teasing "Cordelia, this [the dumpster] is the last place I expected you to hang out" before turning.

One could argue that Oz's witticisms are irrelevant towards his wooing Willow, given that she already has that in her life, but that's not to say they don't exist.  Credit where credit is due, and all.

"Gee, Larry.  You've really mastered the single-entendre." may not be up there with "I hope you mean 'like the wind' (wrt to Buffy being "fast"), but it'll do, IMO.

Halting Hex

Halting Hex

(edited)

It's been noted that the scene of Cain making his silver bullets is rather superfluous and I personally wish they had cut it to make room for the cut "Willow and Cordelia hash out their Xander issues in self-defense class" scene, but aside from that (and aside from how it's been pointed out that liquid metal takes a significantly longer time to cool), Mike from the 732 review crew (he's back!) wonders if Cain really shouldn't have his bullets ready before this.

Fair point, IMO.  Cain's been waving that rifle around all episode, but he hasn't actually shot at anything.  Shouldn't he have his bullets already ready before he goes hunting?

************************

When the gang is examining Cordelia's damaged car roof in Act I, Joe goes "Oh, it's a convertible! I was like 'Bro! Holy Shit!'"  

Yes, it makes sense that they had to swap out Cordy's previously established (Prophecy Girl, Some Assembly Required, Reptile Boy, What's My Line) Chrysler Cirrus (with the "Queen C" vanity plate) here for her dad's convertible.  Punching through a steel roof with one blow would be a bit much, even for a werewolf.

Although I can't help imagining what might have happened if Cordy hadn't swapped cars…

  Quote

DEVON:  Dude! Hey!

OZ:  Hey.

DEVON:  What's up with that cast, man?

OZ:  Broken hand.

DEVON:  Ouch, dude.  How did it happen?

OZ:  No idea.

DEVON:  Bummer

Expand  

Kind of lacks punch, pardon the pun.  So perhaps that canvas top didn't die in vain, when you consider the alternative.

**************************

Should the news reports be releasing Theresa's name, immediately?  I mean, she was only 17.  I'd think they'd need to get the family's permission, first.

**************************

Apparently, Mikey and Mike (of the review crew) were high school classmates, but Joe went elsewhere.  So when we had the scenes of Giles and Buffy "patrolling" in Lovers Lane, Mikey and Mike recalled that their school didn't have a Make-out Point or other romantic nature setting.  Their classmates had to make do with the bushes outside of the Sears department store at the local mall.

Joe was cringing in horror, but I couldn't help smiling.  That has to be the most New Jersey thing I've heard of in several years.

(For those who didn't read the comment where I first mentioned the "732 Review Crew", let me note once more that "732" is an area code in Jersey.)

"Hey, babe.  I really dig how hot you look in that skirt.  Let's go spend a little time in the bushes."  LMAO!

Edited by Halting Hex
Halting Hex

Halting Hex

(edited)

Jay has just gotten here, and as always, he maintains his delightfully over-emphatic devotion to his favorites.

Which are not always my favorites: I don't even 'ship BAngel, truly, whereas Jay is so heartbroken by Angel's turn that he winces when he even mentions it, much less when Angel is on-screen.
 

But we do agree on Willow, so I enjoyed this:

  Quote

BUFFY:  What guy can resist your wily Willow charms?

WILLOW:  At last count?  All of them.  Maybe more.

BUFFY:  Then none of them know a thing.  They all get an 'F' in Willow.

JAY:  They get an 'F' in life!!

Expand  

Amen, Jay.  To not appreciate the Willow is to fail at life.

************************

You have to feel for Oz getting screwed so badly; last week he went from "hi, the supernatural exists" to "we need to kill Angel; let's steal weapons from the Army, which could get you at least a decade in Federal prison!*" in just two days, and now he's a freaking werewolf and all Giles can think to say is "lock yourself up, this is your life now, kid."

*-(remember, everyone else is underage; Oz is looking at full weight, though.)

I grant you that Giles is bummed about the whole "Jenny lied to me the whole time; for all I know, she doesn't even like me!" deal, and is quite possibly knocking back a few shots on the sly, as theorized above, but still.  It's a pity he isn't talking to Jenny, otherwise she might tell him about this useful thing they've just launched called "Google", which is apparently even better at searching those "fabulous web pages" than AskJeeves, which has been around since 1995.  If they tried it, they might notice a whole book's worth of ideas on how to control/end lycanthropy, rather than "chain yourself up, see you Tuesday!" as Giles basically defaults to here. 

But still; major fail, G-Man.  You haven't effed up this badly since you blithely told Kendra "No, no, [Angel's] good now" and nothing more.

  Reveal spoiler

************

That said, the ending is cute, but I don't know if (preferences aside) I should be getting behind Oz/Willow as a couple here:  It's literally been a week and one movie date since both of them knew Willow was mostly trying to make Xander jealous; should we really be heading into "newly romantic" territory so fast.  Much as Willow has a rough history  Cordelia, would she be all "skanky ho" if she wasn't rather jealous about what she just saw in the stacks last episode?

I mean this cut in the teaser makes it as explicit as you can get:

  Quote

WILLOW:  I mean, what can he see in [Cordelia], anyway?
 

Cut to Xander and Cordelia, making with the smoochies.  Xander pulls away.

XANDER:  I mean, what can she possibly see in [Oz]?

Expand  

Xander and Willow are territorial and jealous and more interested in each other than they are in their own separate "love interests".  It's pretty plain that there's a parallel there.

(It would be even plainer if the "Xander hears about Willow inviting Oz to the party and is instantly jealous" scene hadn't been cut from Surprise, but even without it, you can see what's going on.)

So yes, Oz and Willow go through a bonding experience here and end up much closer.  But Buffy and Xander go through similar bonding at the funeral home.and we're left wondering if we should rooting for them, or if this is too fast for Buffy, considering that Angel and her just broke up.  Therefore, shouldn't we also be wondering if this too fast for Willow, given that she just found out about X/C in pretty much the worst way possible?

Still, it was a sweet finish:

  Quote

WILLOW (anguished): I shot Oz!

JAY:  Oz, getting shot again.

Expand  

Yeah, it's only been five episodes since that, too.  Don't want that to become a habit, I wouldn't think.
 

Edited by Halting Hex
Halting Hex

Halting Hex

Oh, there's also this:

  Quote

XANDER: I'm gonna find [Larry].  Force a confession out of him.
GILES (barely paying attention):  Yes, go.  Do that.

Expand  

See, Xander's so silly, thinking he can go intimidate Larry!  I mean, we know how that's going to end, right?

  Quote

LARRY:  I could hide my fist in your face…

Expand  

What the heck is Xander thinking??

Oh…wait.

  Quote

BUFFY:  Uh…waiting! —Inca Mummy Girl

Expand  

How did the last time Xander saw Larry (in Halloween) end up again?
 

  Quote

PRIVATE HARRIS:  It's strange, but beating up that pirate gave me a weird sense of closure.

Expand  

Yeah, let's check that Scoreboard:

PRIVATE! Xander-1

PIRATE! Larry-0

And we just found out last episode that Xander remembers all of that.  (Which means that Larry should as well.). So he shouldn't have any reason to fear Larry, even if Larry wants to get physical again.

(He's just a bit taken aback by how Larry's "getting physical" with guys, nowadays.)

And let's also recall that Xander went investigating because he was recalling his time as a hyena.  How did that episode end, again?

  Quote

GILES:  Your secret's safe with me.

Expand  

Even as Xander's investigation ends thusly:

  Quote

LARRY:  Your secret's safe with me.

Expand  

The moral is clear:  men keep other men's secrets, whether it's about acting like a hairy-backed beast…or making "the beast with two backs".  Rawr.

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