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thalia_seawoodAnd there's more...
Helpless
Great episode.
It becomes quite clear that Giles has become a father-figure for Buffy. When her father can't make it to the ice-show he had promised her as a birthday gift, it's Giles with whom she wants to go to the show then.
During the course of the episode Buffy becomes disappointed by both her real father and Giles.
Buffy without her slayer power:
I found it comforting to see that without her strength she has to cope with all the dangers other people face. Being bullied or not being strong enough to help someone who is bullied or being talked up when walking home alone in the dark. And like average people she is in turn frustrated and scared.
In the end, Buffy manages to rescue her mother and defeat a totally mental vampire without her special powers. One of her most courageous moments is when she packs all her slayer tools together and goes to the place where her mother is held captive all the while knowing she isn't really up to the task.
The scenes in the dark house have been filmed very well. I found them way more frightening than the monsters on the show. Especially the room with all the photographs or the kitchen with the corpse we never clearly see.
Buffy telling Angel that she was totally shallow before she became a slayer and he telling her that he loved her even then, is a beautiful moment.
The scene when Giles admits to Buffy what he has done to her and gives her the details of the initiation rite, is awsome. It packs an emotional punch, because Buffy feels so betrayed, yet you can see how absolutely awful this all has been for Giles as well.
The Council seems to be a bunch of people who only live in the world of theory. And, of course, attachments are forbidden. :-) Well, at least a watcher must be detached from the slayer he has been assigned to.
How old is Faith? Has she already been through this? If not, will Buffy tell her about it?
No shirtless Angel this time, but hey, sweaty Angel in workout mode is pretty close. ;-)
Zeppo
Another good episode.
I *love* the way the story is told: The big plot (Buffy, Faith, Willow, Giles and Angel are saving the world from complete destruction) is not the center of the story, instead we see what's happening to Xander in the meantime. Several times, he's seeing the other characters and is interacting with them (Angel, Giles, Willow, Faith and Buffy/Angel). He wants to ask them for their assistance, but always decides against it. What they seem to be doing appears to be so much more important than what he's going through. The irony is, of course, that ultimately he does assist them. I don't think the world could have been saved if the school had exploded. :-)
Some favorite moments:
- Xander and Oz talking. Well, mostly Xander talking. :-)
Xander: But... It's just that it's buggin' me, this 'cool' thing. I mean, what is it? How do you get it? Who doesn't have it? And who decides who doesn't have it? What is the essence of cool?
Oz: Not sure. (reaches for a chip)
Xander: I mean, you yourself, Oz, are considered more or less cool. Why is that?
Oz: Am I? (eats a chip)
Xander: Is it about the talking? You know, the way you tend to express yourself in short, noncommittal phrases?
Oz: (considers) Could be.
- Xander being so bored by the girl who can only talk about cars that he regards Angel as is saviour. I laughed out loud when he calls Angel "friend" and "buddy"; I think if Angel weren't so distracted he would be worried about Xander's mental health.
- So Jack calls his knife "Katey". He and Jayne from Firefly would have so much fun talking about their weapons considering Jayne has a gun called Vera. :-)
- Xander being the "wheel man" for a bunch of dead guys and not freaking out about it.
- Xander and Faith having sex. Faith definitely isn't romance girl, is she. :-)
- Xander facing down Jack in the school basement.
Xander: I know what you're thinkin'. Can I get by him? Get up the stairs, out of the building, seconds ticking away... I don't love your chances.
Jack: Then you'll die, too.
Xander: (raises his eyebrows) Yeah, looks like. So I guess the question really is... who has less fear?
Jack: (tries to psyche Xander out) I'm not afraid to die. I'm already dead.
Xander: Yeah, but this is different. Being blowed up isn't walking around and drinking with your buddies dead. It's little bits being swept up by a janitor dead, and I don't think you're ready for that.
Jack: Are you?
Xander: (glances at the bomb, smiles thinly) I like the quiet.
- Xander and Cordelia's last scene together with Xander just smiling mysteriously. He finally found the cool. :-)
After this episode Xander is starting to grow on me again. Like fungus... as Cordelia has said in the past.
Helpless
Great episode.
It becomes quite clear that Giles has become a father-figure for Buffy. When her father can't make it to the ice-show he had promised her as a birthday gift, it's Giles with whom she wants to go to the show then.
During the course of the episode Buffy becomes disappointed by both her real father and Giles.
Buffy without her slayer power:
I found it comforting to see that without her strength she has to cope with all the dangers other people face. Being bullied or not being strong enough to help someone who is bullied or being talked up when walking home alone in the dark. And like average people she is in turn frustrated and scared.
In the end, Buffy manages to rescue her mother and defeat a totally mental vampire without her special powers. One of her most courageous moments is when she packs all her slayer tools together and goes to the place where her mother is held captive all the while knowing she isn't really up to the task.
The scenes in the dark house have been filmed very well. I found them way more frightening than the monsters on the show. Especially the room with all the photographs or the kitchen with the corpse we never clearly see.
Buffy telling Angel that she was totally shallow before she became a slayer and he telling her that he loved her even then, is a beautiful moment.
The scene when Giles admits to Buffy what he has done to her and gives her the details of the initiation rite, is awsome. It packs an emotional punch, because Buffy feels so betrayed, yet you can see how absolutely awful this all has been for Giles as well.
The Council seems to be a bunch of people who only live in the world of theory. And, of course, attachments are forbidden. :-) Well, at least a watcher must be detached from the slayer he has been assigned to.
How old is Faith? Has she already been through this? If not, will Buffy tell her about it?
No shirtless Angel this time, but hey, sweaty Angel in workout mode is pretty close. ;-)
Zeppo
Another good episode.
I *love* the way the story is told: The big plot (Buffy, Faith, Willow, Giles and Angel are saving the world from complete destruction) is not the center of the story, instead we see what's happening to Xander in the meantime. Several times, he's seeing the other characters and is interacting with them (Angel, Giles, Willow, Faith and Buffy/Angel). He wants to ask them for their assistance, but always decides against it. What they seem to be doing appears to be so much more important than what he's going through. The irony is, of course, that ultimately he does assist them. I don't think the world could have been saved if the school had exploded. :-)
Some favorite moments:
- Xander and Oz talking. Well, mostly Xander talking. :-)
Xander: But... It's just that it's buggin' me, this 'cool' thing. I mean, what is it? How do you get it? Who doesn't have it? And who decides who doesn't have it? What is the essence of cool?
Oz: Not sure. (reaches for a chip)
Xander: I mean, you yourself, Oz, are considered more or less cool. Why is that?
Oz: Am I? (eats a chip)
Xander: Is it about the talking? You know, the way you tend to express yourself in short, noncommittal phrases?
Oz: (considers) Could be.
- Xander being so bored by the girl who can only talk about cars that he regards Angel as is saviour. I laughed out loud when he calls Angel "friend" and "buddy"; I think if Angel weren't so distracted he would be worried about Xander's mental health.
- So Jack calls his knife "Katey". He and Jayne from Firefly would have so much fun talking about their weapons considering Jayne has a gun called Vera. :-)
- Xander being the "wheel man" for a bunch of dead guys and not freaking out about it.
- Xander and Faith having sex. Faith definitely isn't romance girl, is she. :-)
- Xander facing down Jack in the school basement.
Xander: I know what you're thinkin'. Can I get by him? Get up the stairs, out of the building, seconds ticking away... I don't love your chances.
Jack: Then you'll die, too.
Xander: (raises his eyebrows) Yeah, looks like. So I guess the question really is... who has less fear?
Jack: (tries to psyche Xander out) I'm not afraid to die. I'm already dead.
Xander: Yeah, but this is different. Being blowed up isn't walking around and drinking with your buddies dead. It's little bits being swept up by a janitor dead, and I don't think you're ready for that.
Jack: Are you?
Xander: (glances at the bomb, smiles thinly) I like the quiet.
- Xander and Cordelia's last scene together with Xander just smiling mysteriously. He finally found the cool. :-)
After this episode Xander is starting to grow on me again. Like fungus... as Cordelia has said in the past.
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no subject
Date: 2005-10-30 05:10 am (UTC)Oh, they're totally the Jedi.*g* Anyway, Helpless, yes, great episode. Faith is younger than Buffy, so no, she hasn't gone through the Cruciamentum. As for your other question, well, it sort of becomes redundant.
Big potential plothole of the Buffyverse: that drug which takes away a Slayer's power must be the best kept Watcher secret ever, otherwise wouldn't all the smarter vampires and demons use it?
The Zeppo is a fun episode, but I have one problem with the basic premise. To wit: Xander has never been pizza boy before. He's been around for the fight on several occasions (Innocence and Becoming spring most glaringly to mind), and so the whole "Xander is underestimated and needs to find his self-esteem" smacks a bit of artificiality. Still, there are a lot of lovely moments here, so by and large, I like it. In addition to the ones you named:
- Buffy and Angel have their usual tragic lovers scene, complete with music; Xander walks in; music stops, normal talk; Xander walks off, music starts and melodrama ensues (never let it be said the Mutant Enemy writers don't poke fun at themselves, too).
no subject
Date: 2005-10-31 09:11 pm (UTC)Yes, they basically introduced this concept for the one episode. Would have been more powerful if they had hinted at such a development sooner.
I mean things could have been nicely developed in this direction: After all, Faith's presence and Willow's growing witch powers would shift the balance; Xander might well be pushed into the bystander position.
They should just have shown us this development over a couple of episodes instead of introducing it for one ep and then dropping it again.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-09 11:03 pm (UTC)Oh, that scene completely cracked me up! LOL. Zeppo made me love Xander even more. And it was the first time the end of the world was treated with humor and all. And Helpless was one of the first episodes, I think, with such an awful atmosphere, almost claustrophobic. And seeing Buffy, well helpless for lack of a better word was really interesting. And it gives ground for great acting and emotions with the betrayal issue. Oh and in retrospect, the Council sure sounds like the Jedi council. How interesting...