Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2x16) - Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered...

[fajrdrako]

~ ~ ~
A Valentine story. Aired in February. Of course. 1998.

Interesting to see Amy again. I liked this plot: again, a clear variation on 'beware what you wish for' and 'be careful when you mess with magic". The best Xander-centred story since "The Pack" - and no, I'm not sure which one I prefer.

This was a good portrayal of Giles. I like seeing him use magic.

1. Xander is (understandably) defensive:

   Xander: Okay, big yuks. When are you guys gonna stop making fun of me for dating Cordelia?
   Buffy: I'm sorry. But never.

   And really, Xander has invited this treatment.
   
   
2. And then Buffy says to Xander: "Sorry to say, Xand, slaying is a tad more perilous than dating." In her case, that isn't exactly true.
   
   
3. So Cordelia's former friends are being bitchy to her. Since she'd been bitchier than any of them in the past, this is hardly surprising. Harmony is at last named. (I have no idea why Harmony is significant, but people keep mentioning her to me. Don't tell me.)
   
   
4. Time to hand in assignments. Xander doesn't seem to have high aspirations for his: "This time I'm ready for you. No 'F' for Xander today. No, this baby's my ticket to a sweet D-minus." "At least it's done," he's thinking, as I have thought many a time. And Amy hands in an invisible paper. Her mistake was in letting Xander see it.
   
   
5. Willow is cute, being all excited about saying "My boyfriend's in the band." Nice to see her happy with Oz.
   
   
6. But Buffy's feeling jaded:

   Buffy: Valentine's Day is just a cheap gimmick to sell cards and chocolate.
   Amy: Bad breakup, huh? [Amy's not dumb!]
   Buffy: Believe me when I say, 'uh-huh'.

   
   
7. So Giles is so worried about Angel that he wants Buffy to say hidden and protected. Uh-oh. And he doesn't want to talk to Jenny.
   
   
8. So vampires celebrate St. Valentine's Day too. Interesting irony - demi-demons celebrating a saint's day? Well, why not? Spike gives Dru a necklace and Angel gives her a fresh heart - "I found it in a quaint little shopgirl." Heh. And oh, his oneupmanship with Spike: "I know Dru gives you pity access, but you have to admit it's so much easier when I do things for her." I love the way their conversation matches their personalities:

   Spike: You would do well to worry less about Dru and more about that Slayer you've been tramping around with.
   Angel: Dear Buffy. I'm still trying to decide the best way to send my regards.
   Spike: Why don't you rip her lungs out? It might make an impression.
   Angel: Lacks... poetry.
   Spike: It doesn't have to. What rhymes with lungs?

   
   
9. Willow says to Xander: "Oz has his cool hair today. I think I'm a groupie!" Nice to see her happy.
   
   
10. So Angel stalks Buffy. And Joyce. Scary.
    
    
11. And Cordelia tries to break up with Xander. His distress is perfect: "Do you know what's a good day to break up with somebody? Any day besides Valentine's Day! I mean, what, were you running low on dramatic irony?" So Xander, in desperation, turns to a life of crime:

    Xander: Blackmail is such an ugly word.
    Amy: I didn't say blackmail.
    Xander: Yeah, but I'm about to blackmail you, so I thought I'd bring it up.
    Amy: What do you want?

    
    
12. Xander explains: "I intend revenge. Pure as the driven snow." Revenge has become an interesting theme in the show: the desire of Enyos and the Gypsies for revenge against Angel, Angel's desire for revenge against Buffy.
    
    
13. The Buffy comes on to Xander and Xander gets scared. Then Amy. Then the others. Uh-oh. And Willow waiting in his bed, and not ready to take rejection lightly. "It's time for me to act like a man - and hide."
    
    
14. Love the conversation where Jenny is trying to reconcile with Giles and keeps being distracted by Xander. "Rupert, we need to talk. Hey, Xander. Nice shirt. Look, Rupert, I know that you're angry at me, and I don't blame you, but I am not just gonna go away. I mean, I care far too much about you to... Have you been working out?"
    
    
15. I thought the scene were Buffy comes after Xander was very funny. And Amy's revenge - "Before thee let the unclean thing crawl!" - she turns Buffy into a rat. Oh dear.
    
    
16. I thought Diana was goddess of chastity, not love. (Wandering train of thought: is there a similar god of male chastity? Or does Diana cover both genders?)
    
    
17. So Oz hits Xander for his treatment of Willow and Giles is mad at Xander for setting the whole thing up and Buffy's a rat and all the women want a piece of Xander (is Larry around anywhere?) and, really, can it get any worse for Xander?
    
    
18. Apparently.
    
    
19. Willow gets scary.
    
    
20. I like the way Buffy's house has become a haven of safety. Except it isn't.
    
    
21. Lovely bit of dialogue with Cordelia, though:

    Cordelia: Why has everyone gone insane?
    Xander: Insane? Is it so impossible for you to believe that other women find me attractive?
    Cordelia: The only way you could get girls to want you would be witchcraft.
    Xander: That is such a... Well, yeah, okay, good point.

    
    Cordelia's not so dumb. Well, not in this instance.
    
    
22. In the progression of "getting worse for Xander": Angel. Drusilla. And Drusilla is at her scariest: "Don't fret, kitten. Mummy's here." As if he was one of her dolls.
    
    
23. I take it that Angel and Drusilla, faced with the girlish mob, decide to go away rather than feast on the crowd? Vampires in general here seem to like solo victims.
    
    
24. Amy reverses the spells in the nick of time.
    
    
25. Good speech from Cordelia to Harmony and friends: "You're a sheep. All you ever do is what everyone else does just so you can say you did it first. And here I am, scrambling for your approval, when I'm *way* cooler than you are 'cause I'm *not* a sheep. I do what I want to do, and I wear what I want to wear. And you know what? I'll date whoever the hell I want to date."
    
    
26. So things calm down and everyone is happy, except maybe Willow (doesn't she prefer Oz any more?) and Buffy, who can't forget Angel. I think the appearance of Angel and Drusilla was the best thing about this episode.
    
    
    

Comments

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

I sort of wasn't looking forward to watching this again and then I did and it was really funny. I think I was worried it was going to make Xander look bad, but I don't think it really does. It's pretty clear that his motivation is from being hurt and that he realises quite quickly what a stupid thing he's done. I really liked that he caught on so fast - there's this little moment when he's talking to Amy outside the library where he looks back in at Buffy and you can just see him realise that it's not what he hoped for, she doesn't really want him and it's just the spell affecting her.

I also liked that from that moment, there isn't the slightest hint that he would think about taking advantage of any of them. Buffy is the only one he responds to and that's when he hasn't realised it's the spell. After that Xander just does his best to talk everyone down and get away.

Harmony is at last named. (I have no idea why Harmony is significant, but people keep mentioning her to me

She's a recurring character, so once people have seen all the episodes we tend to spot the early appearances of characters like Harmony, Amy and Jonathon.

Spike gives Dru a necklace and Angel gives her a fresh heart

Once again, Spike goes for romance and Angel goes for the macabre.

Spike: Why don't you rip her lungs out? It might make an impression.
Angel: Lacks... poetry.
Spike: It doesn't have to. What rhymes with lungs?

This exchange really tickles me, for reasons that will become apparent when you learn more about Spike's backstory (sadly, this will not occur for a while, but hey, you might remember!)

Cordelia tries to break up with Xander. His distress is perfect

I like Cordelia's distress. They do a good job of not making her the villain bitch of the piece because we can see that she is also upset and struggling. I find it very sweet that she was wearing the necklace he gave her after they split up.

Willow waiting in his bed, and not ready to take rejection lightly

Did you catch:

Willow: Force is okay...

Interesting quirk.

I like the scene where Xander is walking down the hall and all the girls are drooling while the guys glare. It's fun.

So Oz hits Xander for his treatment of Willow

And yet, even when he has just hit someone, Oz still somehow manages to seem cool and laid back. I like how quickly he lets it go and helps Xander up too - not one for bearing grudges it seems. Also, what a great non-reaction to Buffy being turned into a rat!

I like the way Buffy's house has become a haven of safety

I like Xander's reaction to Buffy's mom hitting on him. And Cordelia's - I love that she kicks Joyce out of the house.

In the progression of "getting worse for Xander": Angel. Drusilla.

I thought Xander did well there. He manages to think of Cordelia to tell her to run and he does his best to fight back instead of just giving up. He even keeps his wits with Drusilla.

I love Angeuls' reaction to Dru saving Xander as well. I suspect that once the mob appears, he drags her away to see if he can get her back to her normal level of disturbing and not one that involves seducing Xander.

Amy reverses the spells in the nick of time

I like Buffy's reaction to being naked in the basement and Oz's reply of "But you're not a rat. Call it an up side."

Good speech from Cordelia to Harmony and friends

Remember how we all told you during the first season that Cordelia gets more interesting? I love that speech from her.

everyone is happy, except maybe Willow (doesn't she prefer Oz any more?)

Yes, she does. But since she still does have unresolved feelings for Xander, the spell is rather more personally upsetting for her because she can't dismiss it as unreal and only because of the magic. Plus she is also probably upset about how it made her treat Oz.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I did and it was really funny.

Yes. After some of the intensity of suffering in the relationship between Buffy and Angel, it's a nice change of pace, to get an episode where the romantic issues - though strong - aren't deep. And the menace is simple magic.

I was worried it was going to make Xander look bad, but I don't think it really does.

Really not.

I really liked that he caught on so fast

Yes. I think what came through to me, in terms of Xander's characterization, is that he has grown and matured. Instead of thinking of himself as a punching bag for life (and a doormat for girls), he's thinking of himself as someone who deserves more than what Cordelia is offering. So he acts stupidly, but from that action shows maturity in dealing with the consequences - realizing that he doesn't want Buffy if she doesn't want him, for example. (Bringing to mind Oz's recent comments to Willow about wanting her to want to kiss him.)

from that moment, there isn't the slightest hint that he would think about taking advantage of any of them.

Not in the least. Proving, among other things, that Xander is essentially a decent guy, just has trouble expressing it sometimes.

Spike goes for romance and Angel goes for the macabre.

I like the way that works.

I find it very sweet that she was wearing the necklace he gave her after they split up.

Implying that she has mixed feelings - and that's confirmed when she wants Xander again.

Did you catch: "Willow: Force is okay..." Interesting quirk.

Yes. My thought: "Oh, you want that, girl?" There are strange hints of darkness to Willow - I'm not sure if they are increasing or just random. Willow seems quite complex and it isn't necessarily easy to guess what's really in her head.

what a great non-reaction to Buffy being turned into a rat!

Oz is so good. But I can see it: a guy who's a wolf can be cool about a girl being a rat. It's just one of those things. Stuff happens.

He even keeps his wits with Drusilla.

But feels himself outclassed - all the more reason to try to fight or resist.

her normal level of disturbing

Good phrase. I'm sure Angel can imagine her carrying Xander back to share their home with him and Spike. Four's a crowd.

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

realizing that he doesn't want Buffy if she doesn't want him, for example. (Bringing to mind Oz's recent comments to Willow about wanting her to want to kiss him.)

Ooh, good catch. I missed that parallel.

My thought: "Oh, you want that, girl?" There are strange hints of darkness to Willow - I'm not sure if they are increasing or just random. Willow seems quite complex and it isn't necessarily easy to guess what's really in her head.

Heh. You're much more on the ball watching this than I was the first time around. You should find a couple of episodes next season interesting...

I'm sure Angel can imagine her carrying Xander back to share their home with him and Spike. Four's a crowd.

Ah, the horror, the horror! Poor Angel - not what he wants at all.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

You're much more on the ball watching this than I was the first time around.

Really? Well, that's cool - I guess! I think part of it is that because I am making written comments on the episodes as I go, I'm thinking about the details of dialogue and characterization and theme a little more than I would be if I was just watching one episode after another without stopping for episode-by-episode consideration.

You should find a couple of episodes next season interesting...

Well - good!

the horror, the horror! Poor Angel - not what he wants at all.

Angel's version of a nightmare.