Buffy - More Season 2 impressions (episode 15)

[thalia_seawood]

Some thoughts about Phases behind the cut.



I knew it. I knew it. I knew it. Everybody dating Buffy or one of her inner circle is by default dangerous, cursed or both.
So not surprised that Oz got caught up in this pattern as well and now has a double identity as a werewolf.

Most scary scene: Theresa being caught moving from the frying pan (werewolf) right into the fire (Angelus). This was definitely not her lucky night out.
[Side note: I wonder what her family thinks when they see her body has disappeared from the coffin...]

Larry admitting out loud that he's gay is a nice moment. It made me realize that the episode as a whole deals with misconceptions we have:
- Larry has made up a strong hetero-facade for himself that everbody has believed so far.
- Larry is suspected to be werewolf, but isn't.
- Cain, the werewolf hunter, believes Buffy is a weak little girly and then has to realize that she's superhumanly strong.
- Theresa trusts Angel, because he looks like such a nice guy.
- Buffy and Giles think at first that Theresa got killed by the werewolf.
- Willow thinks Oz isn't interested in her after all.
- And a minor misconception would be Cain thinking Giles and Buffy are lovers.

This moment made me realize that Oz and Malcolm Reynolds could be brothers:

Cut to the werewolf asleep on the ground in the woods. The camera pans from its hind paws over to its head. When sunlight hits the
werewolf it morphs back into its human form. Oz wakes up, opens his eyes and looks around confused. He sits up and stares around at the forest. He looks down at himself and realizes he's naked.

Oz: (confused) Huh.

Like Malcolm, Oz is a master of understatement. As can also be seen in my favorite Oz moment of this episode:

Oz: Aunt Maureen. Hey, it's me. Um, what? Oh! It's, uh... actually it's healing okay. That's pretty much the reason I called. Um, I wanted to ask you something. Is Jordy a werewolf? Uh-huh. And how long has that been going on? Uh-huh. What? No, no reason. Um... Thanks. Yeah, love to Uncle Ken.

This phone call is so surreal. I *love* it. And who's this Jordy?

Comments

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Oz' cousin who bit him and who never gets mentioned again. *g*

But yeah, you knew it. Larry, btw, will benefit from his outing to no end.

Oz and Mal: true.

[ladyaeryn.livejournal.com]

Yes! I knew the "Huh" when Mal first sees River reminded me of someone on Buffy - can't believe I didn't remember it being Oz. ;) You're right - though Mal's not as laconic as Oz, there's definitely an air of ironic understatement to them.

"Phases" is one of my favorites from season 2 (though honestly, in the case of season 2, the shorter list would likely be the episodes I didn't love). I love any episode centering on Oz, and Willow's spontaneous kiss at the end still makes me squee like a little girl, as does Oz's "a werewolf in love"... with that tiny smile it seems only Willow can bring out in him. Oz is incredibly understated in his emotional reactions, and that smile speaks a hundred volumes.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Oz is incredibly understated in his emotional reactions

:-) Yep, you actually get the impression that he's regularly taking tranquilizers.

Oz is quite impressive: He's actually very small and delicate (especially when see next to the other guys), but you don't really notice it, because he's got so much self-confidence. Everybody respects him.

[ff-shiprecs.livejournal.com]

And who's this Jordy?
Jordy is his little cousin. He mentions in the self-defense gym scene that Jordy bit him while Oz was babysitting.

I love that "huh" so much, and it's so Oz that it always kind of bugged me that Joss stole it or re-used it or whatever for Mal.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Jordy is his little cousin. He mentions in the self-defense gym scene that Jordy bit him while Oz was babysitting.

Oh yes, now I remember. Thanks!