S01.E09: The Puppet Show

[Lisin]

From Wikipedia:

After Principal Flutie's death, the new sheriff in Sunnydale High, Principal Snyder, forces Buffy and her friends to participate in the school talent show. When a girl's heart is harvested, Buffy suspects a fellow student and his strangely talkative dummy.

 

This episode has grown on me. I think when I first saw it I just thought it was strange but on this watch I really enjoyed it. Maybe I'm just more used to Joss strangeness? I don't know but it's a fun episode. 

[Dianthus]

I remember liking this ep overall. Snyder is a blast. A great foil for Buffy and her friends. I love Sid's film noir, forties tough-guy attitude. Very un-PC by today's standards, but I don't care. Also, actors playing non-actors, who couldn't act their way out of a wet paper bag. Too meta.

[CletusMusashi]

This was the ep that originally sucked me in. I was channel flipping around and came to the "Redrum!" scene where Xander was playing around with Sid. I didn't even know what I was watching. Hell, I didn't even know if it was a TV show or a movie or what, but I did know that any time you see a ventiloquist's dummy being picked on like that people are about to start getting sliced up, so of course I stayed on that channel, and I loved it. By the time anyone even clued me in by saying "Buffy" or "slayer," I already knew I was hooked on... whatever it was.

[buffyjunkie]

 

This was the ep that originally sucked me in. I was channel flipping around and came to the "Redrum!" scene where Xander was playing around with Sid.

Cletus have you listened to the episode commentary?  I believe they said NB extemporized some of that dialogue.

[Joe Hellandback]

On ‎31‎/‎05‎/‎2014 at 5:24 PM, Lisin said:

From Wikipedia:

 

This episode has grown on me. I think when I first saw it I just thought it was strange but on this watch I really enjoyed it. Maybe I'm just more used to Joss strangeness? I don't know but it's a fun episode. 

2 great things here, Snyder and reversing the evil doll cliché. Also like ASH as a theatre director.

 

On ‎10‎/‎06‎/‎2014 at 11:48 PM, buffyjunkie said:

Cletus have you listened to the episode commentary?  I believe they said NB extemporized some of that dialogue.

WHOA WHOA WHOA! I thought WTTH was the only ep in S1 with a commentary?

The Puppet Show;
The Good; The introduction of Snyder. Cordy's performance and the hair gag with Giles. The triple Keyser Soze, Buffy's relationship with Sid. The exciting finale, Snyders reaction to it and the Scoobies scene at the end. Don't you just love the fact that Buffy the superhero runs into her mum's arms when she get's scared in the night? Something only a female hero could do, what would we think of Clark Kent if he did that on Smallville?

The Bad; Not much, a very strong episode, easily one of the best of the first season

Best line; Buffy; "Euuuugghhhh, dummy! They freak me out, ever since I was little" Willow; "What happened?" Buffy; "I saw a dummy, it freaked me out, there really wasn't a backstory there" (anyone else reminded of Gremlins?)

Observations and questions;

The police put the butcher knife in a plastic bag? Don't they have some better form of container? Willow suffers from stage fright. Willow is clever enough to know that 841 has a square root of 29 but how does Xander know that to ask her? A shame Joyce doesn't come to the talent show. Will plays the piano?

Spoiler

Our first hint that there are other individuals fighting the forces of darkness like Whistler and Doyle. The scene the Scoobies perform at the end is from Oedipus which Angelus references in season 4 of Angel and American Gothic. It was painted by Grant Wood who Riley refers to in season 4. Cordy sings 'The Greatest Love of all' which she also sings for Lorne on Angel. She hasn't the best voice. Giles in bondage, the first of a long line of Scoobies to be tied/chained up. Snyder obviously going to be a lot harder on Buffy than Flutie was although as an authority figure that probably works better for the series. At this point though he doesn't really seem to know what's going on (does he ever?). Flutie was a nice guy but has the misfortune to be the 2nd recurring character killed in the course of the series. 

 

8/10

[Halting Hex]

On 6/5/2018 at 10:20 AM, Joe Hellandback said:

WHOA WHOA WHOA! I thought WTTH was the only ep in S1 with a commentary?

There are "special features" on the S1 DVDs (some editions, anyhow) where Joss (briefly) discusses the six episodes which were part of the original VHS tape sets.  (Yes, it was that long ago.)  Not a full commentary, just a couple of minutes' worth of remarks.  One for the two-part premiere, one for Witch and NKaBotFD, and one for Angel and this ep.  I presume that's where Joss talks about this.

Why they did a S1 tape set and included the "wacky dummy episode", which doesn't really develop any of the characters (beyond some generalized Buffy-angst) and left out the likes of The Pack, Nightmares and Prophecy Girl, well…I got nothing.

I also find this kind of dull; no scenes between any two of the Scoobs, one on one, just Buffy/Sid or B/W/X together.  Doesn't let the pace breathe.  Misdirection about Snyder (I do like the shot where they light his ears from behind, as a homage to Quark) doesn't make up for it for me.

[Joe Hellandback]

10 hours ago, Halting Hex said:

There are "special features" on the S1 DVDs (some editions, anyhow) where Joss (briefly) discusses the six episodes which were part of the original VHS tape sets.  (Yes, it was that long ago.)  Not a full commentary, just a couple of minutes' worth of remarks.  One for the two-part premiere, one for Witch and NKaBotFD, and one for Angel and this ep.  I presume that's where Joss talks about this.

Why they did a S1 tape set and included the "wacky dummy episode", which doesn't really develop any of the characters (beyond some generalized Buffy-angst) and left out the likes of The Pack, Nightmares and Prophecy Girl, well…I got nothing.

I also find this kind of dull; no scenes between any two of the Scoobs, one on one, just Buffy/Sid or B/W/X together.  Doesn't let the pace breathe.  Misdirection about Snyder (I do like the shot where they light his ears from behind, as a homage to Quark) doesn't make up for it for me.

Why on earth do they not release Buffy on Blue Ray and get the cast to do commentaries?

I never noticed that Snyder thing, was it deliberate or a happy accident? 

Edited June 8, 2018 by Joe Hellandback

[Halting Hex]

4 hours ago, Joe Hellandback said:

Why on earth do they not release Buffy on Blue Ray and get the cast to do commentaries?

You've got me; there are still so many popular and uncommented episodes that a cast commentary would be welcomed on.  David B. for Angel, Sarah for Prophecy Girl, David and Sarah together for Becoming, Alyson for Döppelgängland…heck, I'll take Michelle Trachtenberg's commentary for Blood Ties (or does that episode already have one?  I don't own S5).  It's an enduring product, why not cash in?

4 hours ago, Joe Hellandback said:

I never noticed that Snyder thing, was it deliberate or a happy accident? 

Deliberate; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was on the air at the same time, so this was a nod to Armin Shimerman's other gig.  (And the reason why there wasn't very much Snyder in S2; apparently Quark was a busy Ferengi that year.)

If I understand correctly, DS9 wrapped at the same time Snyder

Spoiler

was becoming Mayor kibble

, and so Armin went from two jobs to none.  Acting, it's a rough gig.  (He's done fine, though.)

Edited June 8, 2018 by Halting Hex

[Joe Hellandback]

34 minutes ago, Halting Hex said:

You've got me; there are still so many popular and uncommented episodes that a cast commentary would be welcomed on.  David B. for Angel, Sarah for Prophecy Girl, David and Sarah together for Becoming, Alyson for Döppelgängland…heck, I'll take Michelle Trachtenberg's commentary for Blood Ties (or does that episode already have one?  I don't own S5).  It's an enduring product, why not cash in?

Deliberate; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was on the air at the same time, so this was a nod to Armin Shimerman's other gig.  (And the reason why there wasn't very much Snyder in S2; apparently Quark was a busy Ferengi that year.)

If I understand correctly, DS9 wrapped at the same time Snyder

  Hide contents

was becoming Mayor kibble

, and so Armin went from two jobs to none.  Acting, it's a rough gig.  (He's done fine, though.)

Checking out his IMDB page I wonder if there was a 90s series Armin Wasn't in?

[lembergwatcher]

Probably my favorite part of the episode.

Quote

Willow: Morgan, you're really getting good! Where did you come up with that voice?

Morgan: It's kind of an imitation of my dad.

Buffy: Sounds real!

Sid: It is real. I'm the one with the talent here. The kid's dead weight. (to Willow) How about you and I do a little rehearsin' on our own, honey?

Xander: Uh, hey!

Sid: You know what they say: once you go wood, nothin's as good!

Buffy: Okay, Morgan. We get the joke. Horny dummy, ha, ha, it's very funny, but you might wanna consider getting some new schtick. Unless you want your prop ending up as a Duraflame log.

Is it just me or does our Xander-shaped friend show some sure signs of, you know, good old jealousy? I'm just suggesting... 

[Halting Hex]

Season 1 thus far:  Willow is interested in Thomas (Welcome to the Hellmouth).  Buffy slays him.  Willow is interested in "Malcolm" (I Robot, You Jane).  Buffy slays him.  Sid (showing vast common sense by going for the redhead first) hits on Willow.  Buffy threatens to slay him, especially as he just interrupted her adoration at the thought of Willow playing the piano.

Seems as though our Slayer may be just a tad territorial about the Willster, too.  Xander better not get too close to being "the belle of the ball" if he wants to make it out of the season alive, methinks.

Spoiler

See, this is why Willow turns Xander down when he wants her to be his back-up prom date in Prophecy Girl.   She's trying to save him from a painful death-by-jealous-Buffy fate ;)

[lembergwatcher]

Let Buffy have her undead guy. Willow is too good for her. And that's a little too much for Buffy to have both Angel and Willow, while Xander's only "romance" so far was with the giant praying mantis.

Spoiler

Then again Buffy's attraction to Willow doesn't last that long. Season 2: Angel nearly snaps Willow's neck, Buffy lets him walk away in the mall, then ends up trying to re-ensoul (i. e. save) her boyfriend. Season 3: Anya's hocus-pocus almost gets Willow killed, Buffy lets Anya continue her meaningless existence. Season 4: Spike attempts to kill/sire/rape Willow, not only does Buffy keep him undead, but tolerate his participation in the gang's business and then start fucking him... As you may see, Buffy's love for anyone is a fickle thing. The only one Buffy loves all through the series, from the first season to the seventh, happens to be her precious Broody Boy.

[Halting Hex]

And don't forget…

Spoiler

School Hard:  Buffy completely forgets about Willow and Cordelia, leaving them locked in the supply closet for hours after Spike has gone.  Not even Joyce's praising her for "think[ing] of others in a crisis" triggers Buffy to remember her imperiled and still missing best friend.

Lovers Walk:  Spike kidnaps, terrorizes, and nearly kills Willow and Xander.  But Match-head gives Buffy and Angel some soppy relationship "advice" and they just let him stroll off.

The Harsh Light of Day:  Newly-vamped Harmony bites Willow, only driven off because Oz thinks quickly in the moment.  Buffy, informed about this, makes jokes at Harmony's expense, rather ignoring the part where Willow nearly got killed.  (To be fair, in the script there's a line where Willow chides her for this and Buffy apologizes.  But she shouldn't be ignoring Willow's being bitten in the first place.)

What do all of these episodes have in common?  Spike.  I guess the Bleached Wonder's ability to make Buffy forget all about her friends was present even before the Monks of Mindfuck worked their "magic".  Sigh.

Edited January 4, 2019 by Halting Hex

[Joe Hellandback]

20 hours ago, lembergwatcher said:

Let Buffy have her undead guy. Willow is too good for her. And that's a little too much for Buffy to have both Angel and Willow, while Xander's only "romance" so far was with the giant praying mantis.

  Hide contents

Then again Buffy's attraction to Willow doesn't last that long. Season 2: Angel nearly snaps Willow's neck, Buffy lets him walk away in the mall, then ends up trying to re-ensoul (i. e. save) her boyfriend. Season 3: Anya's hocus-pocus almost gets Willow killed, Buffy lets Anya continue her meaningless existence. Season 4: Spike attempts to kill/sire/rape Willow, not only does Buffy keep him undead, but tolerate his participation in the gang's business and then start fucking him... As you may see, Buffy's love for anyone is a fickle thing. The only one Buffy loves all through the series, from the first season to the seventh, happens to be her precious Broody Boy.

Now if they had a Buwillgel trinagle? The only one Buffy loves throughout;

Spoiler

is the Dawnster. 

16 hours ago, Halting Hex said:

And don't forget…

  Hide contents

School Hard:  Buffy completely forgets about Willow and Cordelia, leaving them locked in the supply closet for hours after Spike has gone.  Not even Joyce's praising her for "think[ing] of others in a crisis" triggers Buffy to remember her imperiled and still missing best friend.

Lovers Walk:  Spike kidnaps, terrorizes, and nearly kills Willow and Xander.  But Match-head gives Buffy and Angel some soppy relationship "advice" and they just let him stroll off.

The Harsh Light of Day:  Newly-vamped Harmony bites Willow, only driven off because Oz thinks quickly in the moment.  Buffy, informed about this, makes jokes at Harmony's expense, rather ignoring the part where Willow nearly got killed.  (To be fair, in the script there's a line where Willow chides her for this and Buffy apologizes.  But she shouldn't be ignoring Willow's being bitten in the first place.)

What do all of these episodes have in common?  Spike.  I guess the Bleached Wonder's ability to make Buffy forget all about her friends was present even before the Monks of Mindfuck worked their "magic".  Sigh.

Spoiler

I would say;

School Hard-Buffy assumes Will and CC fled the school as they're nowhere to be found

Lovers Walk-Spike makes good on his bargain so they feel honour bound

THLOD-it's only a band aid wound?

[Halting Hex]

I talked (in the Nightmares thread) about this episode possibly showing some of Xander's self-esteem issues, but it's true that the boy isn't exactly covering himself in glory here.  Not only does he refuse to believe Buffy about Sid being alive (er, what part of "my best friend was turned into a vampire, I nearly got raped by a giant praying mantis, and then there's the bit where I was a hyena" don't you understand, exactly?  Say it slowly, kid: "Hellmouth"), but he jumps to jumpiness a little too quickly when he sees Sid "missing" in the Library.

Because, you know, inanimate objects do sometimes fall off of chairs if you haven't balanced them properly. Take a second to make sure Sid hasn't just simply collapsed onto the floor.  Then you can panic.

Speaking of brains, did Sid know about Morgan's brain cancer?  Seems a bit of a dick to be using him in Sid's quest for revenge against the demons when Morgan might well have more important things (pun alert!) on his mind.

And speaking of creeps, why exactly is Marc (still in Marc-form) hunting for victims in the girls' locker room?  What, you couldn't catch Elliot alone and spare the Talent Show audience from his harpistry?  You had to go after Emily?  Whatta perv.

(Although, to be fair, he did wait until she finished changing.  And she had the track meet coming up, so maybe she was the only Talent Show participant who needed to change clothes.  But still creepy…and not in a "I want to cut out your heart" kind of way, either.  Bad demon! Bad!)

[lembergwatcher]

On 3/30/2019 at 1:48 AM, Halting Hex said:

Speaking of brains, did Sid know about Morgan's brain cancer?  Seems a bit of a dick to be using him in Sid's quest for revenge against the demons when Morgan might well have more important things (pun alert!) on his mind.

That's what I was thinking after watching this ep for the first time. Very strange alliance, so to speak.

[Halting Hex]

So, wait…Buffy's mom doesn't go to the Talent Show, after all?  I'm looking at the audience in the end, and I only see Snyder, Giles, and a few extras.

Huh.  I know Buffy asked her to skip attending, but I'd think a parent who wanted to be more involved could at least pop in and watch from the rear of the auditorium, or something.  I was hoping that after realizing she didn't even know that Buffy was trying out for the cheerleading squad in Witch, Mrs. Summers would try to be more involved with her daughter's life.  But I guess her parenting form is still "a little shaky on the dismount", even now.

I mean, if Mrs. Summers (I presume; we've never heard her name said, so she might not have kept "Summers" after the divorce) wants to give Buffy some more freedom, that would have been useful in The Harvest when Buffy needs to save the world, and her mom still grounds her.  This feels like less of an attempt to meet Buffy halfway and more of a "eh, Buffy's activities are inconvenient for me to keep track of, anyhow;  if she wants me to skip, that's cool" move.  I'm not sure I approve.

I recognize that starting a new business is difficult (as the mother references when talking about "bills"), but even so.  JMO.

[lembergwatcher]

8 hours ago, Halting Hex said:

So, wait…Buffy's mom doesn't go to the Talent Show, after all?

Maybe some force majeure with the gallery?..

[Halting Hex]

Certainly possible; unexpected events have even greater potential to be disruptive in Sunnydale, I should think.

But I hesitate to hypothesize an "explanation" out of thin air to cover holes in the actual episode.  If Buffy's mom doesn't show and we never hear why, I hew to the simple explanation that she chose not to do so.  And thus my (moderate) displeasure.  JMO.

Meanwhile, Georgia Corsby's friend Aaron is starting to scare me.  When B/W/X were in shock over being assigned to perform, Georgia was speculating that Buffy could do gymnastics…and Aaron said he'd seen a keyboard in Willow's bedroom during I Robot, You Jane, and that she could play the piano.  I mean, he says this before Xander raises the issue.  (We're still in the teaser here;  the extended discussion of possible performances is early in Act I.)

I mean, I love IRYJ and I've seen it dozens of times, but I never noticed that keyboard.  Dang, Aaron.  Does this also mean that "Willow plays the piano" wasn't just something that Rob & Dean (episode writers) threw in for a joke here, but it's in Willow's "character biography", or something?  Does Alyson Hannigan play the piano, and the show is planning on using it at some point?  Huh.

The two also react to Snyder's appearance by recalling their speculation at the end of The Pack that the school would get a new, harsher principal to replace Bob Flutie.  Hmm, I always thought the show was just doing things on the fly, but was it always planned to bring in a "Snyder" character after Flutie left?  Was Fluite's death planned from the start? So far the show hasn't show much sign of "grand arc" planning (other than continuity about the vampire community and keeping Angel's secret [and you'll even find fans who don't think Angel's vampirism was in the original plan]), but perhaps there's more pre-planning going on here than at first glance?  Interesting.

One other thing you often find with this episode is that people take Buffy's abortive "we were fighting a de—" line to explain the three of them skipping afternoon classes the day before (as Snyder notes) to mean that this episode takes place right after the previous one.  But that can't be.  Willow is abducted at night, after she's gone home, and Buffy and Xander are at the school long after afternoon classes are over, dealing with the fallout of Dave's ambush in the showers, and later, Dave's "suicide".   Rather than leaving early, they were practically the last students left at school that day.

Which means that the group went from dealing with Moloch to whatever demon Buffy references here to Demon!Marc in this episode.  Three demons in a row.  Sheesh…Angel, come home!  We don't want to have to change the title of the series!

Edited February 22, 2021 by Halting Hex

[lembergwatcher]

5 hours ago, Halting Hex said:

but I never noticed that keyboard

I've noticed it a couple of times. Sad thing they never explored this side of Willow's personality. 

Spoiler

Otherwise, AH could've portrayed not one but two musically gifted characters.

 

5 hours ago, Halting Hex said:

Does Alyson Hannigan play the piano

"In school I played clarinet. Actually I just bought a keyboard, but it's sitting there collecting dust because I haven't had time to play. I played it a couple of times but just messing around, seeing what it can do".

"If I could learn how to play the piano that would be great, or actually I've always wanted to play the violin. So if I could just take a pill to know how to play that would be great".

[taken probably from some early Pie-era interview]

Spoiler

If Alyson was given enough time we could have had some multi-instrumentalist Willow...

 

[Halting Hex]

On 2/20/2021 at 8:31 PM, Halting Hex said:

Mrs. Summers (I presume; we've never heard her name said, so she might not have kept "Summers" after the divorce)

Actually, since we don't know a thing about Buffy's father, I suppose there might not even have been a divorce.  Perhaps Buffy's mom really did have "a lot of fun on Yearbook", came up preggers after one of those orgies, and has raised Buffy as a single mother from day 1, and "Summers" is her surname.

Or perhaps Mom's a lesbian, and Buffy was conceived of with the help of an anonymous donor and a turkey baster or a more refined form of IVF.   Maybe the reason the mother doesn't show is because Buffy told her about this hottie Ms. Calendar who's teaching computers, but then she mentioned how Willow heard that Ms. C. was all hot for Giles (not Girls) and Mom's had straight women break her heart before.  So she's avoiding all school functions, lest the local technopagan beguile her, bedazzle her…and leave her bereft.

It's hard being a single mother, you know.

[Halting Hex]

Newer reactors include Emma and Georgia (two English girls who run "The Cornerverse"), and Georgia noted here that perhaps the reason that Marc is such a lousy magician is because, as a demon, he's only taken on the "Marc" identity recently and simply hasn't had much time to practice.  (Also, planning murders cuts into your rehearsal time, I'd think.)

Logical enough, but more distressingly, when Marc (already having his demon skin showing) tells Giles that his assistant "called in sick", Georgia says that Marc probably dismembered her, possibly solely to have an excuse to entrap Giles.  Well, that's a dark thought! 😳