Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2x19) - I Only Have Eyes for You

[fajrdrako]

Buffy (2x19) - I Only Have Eyes For You

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Sadie Hawkin's Day. Do people still do that? I don't know, but it's a nice old-fashioned idea in keeping with a story about ghosts from 1955.

1. The interesting thing about Buffy's conversation with Ben is that she says she'll never see anyone ever again. Clearly, she is not getting over Angel. I wonder how long it's been since his transformation now.
   
   
2. Love Buffy's description of Angel as the demon that wears her boyfriend's face. Good description.
   
   
3. Then we get te reenactment of the crime passionel from 1955, though we don't know at first that this is what we're seeing: "Love is forever." I like the notion that a ghostly gun can fire real bullets, and kill.
   
   
4. Snyder to Buffy: "What would Sunnydale High do without you around to incite mayhem, chaos and disorder?" Love the man. Always true to form. "You stink of lies."
   
   
5. Also loved his lines: "I'm no stranger to conspiracy. I saw JFK. I'm a truth seeker." Hee.
   
   
6. And the follow-up:

   Secretary: Mr. Snyder, Billy Crandal chained himself to the snack machine again.
   Snyder: Pathetic little no-life vegan.

   
   
7. Good Xander line: "Something weird is going on. Isn't that our school motto?"
   
   
8. The arm in the locker grabbing Xander didn't make much sense to me. In terms of the ghost story - does it fit in? Same with the snakes in the cafeteria and the vortex in the floor that almost gets Willow. Seems extraneous. Lame.
   
   
9. I didn't remember who Dr. Laura was so I looked her up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Laura. Right. I can't tell from this Wikipedia article whether she still has a show.
   
   
10. I love the way we begin to see more and more of the original fight between the teacher and the student who loved each other, and to recognize the dialogue, even as the participants change (radically).
    
    
11. How did Angel, Spike and Drusilla find a deserted mansion? Do empty deserted mansions litter the California landscape, waiting for squatters to move in? Or vampires? Nice place, anyway. An improvement on their old place. I like that. Vampires with a sense of style, that's our guys.
    
    
12. And Giles thinks Jenny is the ghost. I like that: both Giles being wrong (rare enough!) and still thinking about Jenny. We're seeing a lot of that: people who lose a love and can't forget it. (Angel, Buffy, Giles, the ghosts.) And I love Giles' speech about it: "Yes, well, I appreciate your thoughts on the matter, in fact I... well, I encourage you to, to always challenge me when you feel it's appropriate. You should never be cowed by authority. Except, of course, in this instance, when I am clearly right and you are clearly wrong."
    
    
13. And Buffy's having more prophetic dreams.
    
    
14. Enjoyed Snyder's discussion with the Police Chief about the Hellmouth.
    
    
15. A scapula is a bone - the shoulder blade. What word was Whedon playing off here? A quick Google search did not bring me any magical definition.
    
    
16. I love Spike's description of Angel as "all hat and no cattle". Also love the increasing jealousy and rivalry between Angel and Spike.
    
    
17. Wasps. Huh.
    
    
18. I liked Giles' comments on forgiveness: "To forgive is an act of compassion, Buffy. It's, it's not done because people deserve it. It's done because they need it."
    
    
19. And now I forgive all the silly bits of the episode for the wonderful climactic scene where Buffy and Angel are re-enacting the 1955 tragedy with Buffy in Jim's role and Angel as Miss Neuman. It's both sad and terrifying. And they do it so perfectly. And the appropriateness is brilliant. I like the scene in the music room, where Buffy looks into the mirror and sees Jim.
    
    
20. I like the way Buffy has trouble with the doomed love and forgiveness concept. Because she's still living it.
    
    
21. And - Spike is ambulatory. Very cool.

Comments

[gillo]

Clearly, she is not getting over Angel. I wonder how long it's been since his transformation now.

I think we can assume several weeks have passed. Her birthday is late February, so it's probably late March/early April by now.

Snyder to Buffy: "What would Sunnydale High do without you around to incite mayhem, chaos and disorder?" Love the man. Always true to form. "You stink of lies."

He's so wonderfully, totally obnoxious, isn't he?

The arm in the locker grabbing Xander didn't make much sense to me. In terms of the ghost story - does it fit in? Same with the snakes in the cafeteria and the vortex in the floor that almost gets Willow. Seems extraneous. Lame.

I think it's all to keep others away from the pair at the crucial moment of re-enactment.

I love the way we begin to see more and more of the original fight between the teacher and the student who loved each other, and to recognize the dialogue, even as the participants change (radically).

It works beautifully, so we become more and more familiar with the dialogue by the climax.

Enjoyed Snyder's discussion with the Police Chief about the Hellmouth.

Yup. From now on we become more and more aware that, while ordinary citizens of Sunnydale may be in denial, the authorities are fully aware of the nature of their town.

Also love the increasing jealousy and rivalry between Angel and Spike.

Good, because we get elements of this for five more seasons, not to mention in

Angel

from time to time. I love it.

And now I forgive all the silly bits of the episode for the wonderful climactic scene where Buffy and Angel are re-enacting the 1955 tragedy with Buffy in Jim's role and Angel as Miss Neuman. It's both sad and terrifying. And they do it so perfectly. And the appropriateness is brilliant. I like the scene in the music room, where Buffy looks into the mirror and sees Jim.

It's gorgeous, isn't it? It brings all the key themes of the episode together, including redemption - which Angelus really doesn't want.

And - Spike is ambulatory. Very cool.

I love that moment when he stands up and we realise he's going to be a force to contend with again.

The final four or five episodes in a season all focus on the story arc with increasing intensity. And, usually, pathos.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

think we can assume several weeks have passed.

In the long run, the timing seems to be like on Veronica Mars or Smallville - each season corresponds to a year, skipping over the summer. But it isn't anything like real time, so it can be confusing.

He's so wonderfully, totally obnoxious, isn't he?

I'm surprised how much I love his gleeful malice.

It works beautifully, so we become more and more familiar with the dialogue by the climax.

I totally love that. I think it's such clever writing. We are being taught, step by step, what the dialogue is - and we see it expand, and then be twisted backwards on itself. Brilliant.

while ordinary citizens of Sunnydale may be in denial, the authorities are fully aware of the nature of their town.

And therefore, I would assume, taking advantage.

It brings all the key themes of the episode together, including redemption - which Angelus really doesn't want.

Wonderful ironies there. Ex-lovers in pain. And foreshadowing, too.

I love that moment when he stands up and we realise he's going to be a force to contend with again.

Nicely paced, but I've been waiting for it.

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

I'm fond of this episode, though nothing really big happens in it. I like the way different people keep playing out the story and how it gives Buffy some resolution about her guilt over Angel.

Then we get te reenactment of the crime passionel from 1955, though we don't know at first that this is what we're seeing

I like the reveal after the teaser where the couple are so freaked about it and don't even know where the fight come from.

I also like the first scene we see between Grace and James. I thought the actors they had for them were really good - it's touching seeing them.

The arm in the locker grabbing Xander didn't make much sense to me. In terms of the ghost story - does it fit in? Same with the snakes in the cafeteria and the vortex in the floor that almost gets Willow. Seems extraneous. Lame

A bit lame, I suppose. I think it is supposed to be the James ghost flailing out his guilt and rage, though it doesn't really follow logically.

I love the way we begin to see more and more of the original fight between the teacher and the student who loved each other, and to recognize the dialogue, even as the participants change (radically).

I always feel very sorry for the janitor in this - the poor man killed a teacher and will go to jail for something totally out of his control.

How did Angel, Spike and Drusilla find a deserted mansion? Do empty deserted mansions litter the California landscape, waiting for squatters to move in? Or vampires?

In Sunnydale, apparently they do. It's the town with everything. The mansion does have style, but I miss the chairs from the factory. They were very cool.

And Giles thinks Jenny is the ghost

I feel bad for him, because he wants so badly to be able to talk to her again he can't see anything else. I like how Willow convinces him that it couldn't be her because she could never be that mean though.

Buffy's having more prophetic dreams

But from the past, and that's new. I wonder if her dreams are coming from the Grace-ghost. She can't get through to James, so she's showing Buffy how they used to be.

Enjoyed Snyder's discussion with the Police Chief about the Hellmouth

I like that because it makes clear that the majority of the population is being purposely kept in the dark about the Hellmouth; it's not just that they don't see what's going on, things are being covered up by city hall.

A scapula is a bone - the shoulder blade

I think they spelled it wrong in the scripts. A scapular is part of a monk or nun's outfit, but is also the name for a devotional necklace thingy of two small squares (cloth, wood or laminated paper) bearing religious images or text that are joined by two bands - so one square is positioned over the chest, one band goes over each shoulder and the other square hangs down the back. No idea if there is a tradition of them being used in magic, but since they are performing an exorcism it does kind of fit.

I like Cordelia's line later about The Exorcist film too: "Are you crazy? I saw that movie. Even the priests died!"

(To go off on a tangent, The Exorcist is one of the funniest films I've ever seen in a cinema.)

I liked Giles' comments on forgiveness: "To forgive is an act of compassion, Buffy. It's, it's not done because people deserve it. It's done because they need it."

It's a great line. I like how it's Buffy that realises what James wants too - because it's what she wants from Angel. And that's why she takes James' role.

I also really like Xander's line after her outburst: "He can't live with it, Buff. He's dead"

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm fond of this episode, though nothing really big happens in it.

I like its cleverness. It's beautifully crafted. Not as good as many others - it didn't break my heart or amaze me - but it wove together a story that worked on so many different levels.

I think it is supposed to be the James ghost flailing out his guilt and rage, though it doesn't really follow logically.

It maybe adds to the creepiness, though not to the pathos.

I like Cordelia's line later about The Exorcist film too: "Are you crazy? I saw that movie. Even the priests died!"

I like the way Cordelia sometimes just gets to the heart of a situation!

I like how it's Buffy that realises what James wants too - because it's what she wants from Angel.</i. Loved it.

stupid too-small comment boxes

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

the wonderful climactic scene where Buffy and Angel are re-enacting the 1955 tragedy with Buffy in Jim's role and Angel as Miss Neuman. It's both sad and terrifying. And they do it so perfectly. And the appropriateness is brilliant

Yeah. Especially when Grace takes over Angel and he starts saying: "I just want you to be able to have some kind of normal life. We can never have that - don't you see?"

I love the way it shifts backwards and forwards between Grace and James talking and Buffy and Angel. It's interesting as well that Buffy is in the male role and Angel the female because it alters the feel of the scene somehow when they are the actors - it's unusual to have the female character being aggressive like that while the male one is scared and placating.

It's interesting as well that Angelus feels violated by having to feel Grace's love and forgiveness for James. It freaks him out so much that he doesn't even attack Buffy, he just flees. Without a soul he seems to have so much revulsion for any kind of feeling like that - he talks in a previous one about not forgiving Buffy for making him feel like a human being.

I like the exchange about the school being back to normal at the end:
Cordelia: Yep. School can open again tomorrow.
Xander: Explain to me again how that's a good thing?
Cordelia:I'm drawing a blank...

And - Spike is ambulatory. Very cool

And he's going to have fun. Sooner than Angelus thinks. Yay! (I like that moment when he stands up).

[liliaeth]

It's also interesting to know, that it was this episode and David Boreanaz acting in it, that convinced Joss to give Angel a spin off.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Interesting! And yes, Boreanaz was at his best here.

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

I think this is what they meant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scapular

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes - that seems likely.

[teaphile.livejournal.com]

Do empty deserted mansions litter the California landscape, waiting for squatters to move in?

In Los Angeles, at least, they do. Most of them are empty because they're balanced precariously on the edge of a cliff, ready to tumble in the next big rainfall. It's highly entertaining to watch the news during mudslide season.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Most of them are empty because they're balanced precariously on the edge of a cliff, ready to tumble in the next big rainfall.

Ah - just the thing for vampires. They wouldn't care about mudslides. Thanks for pointing that out!

[babydraco.livejournal.com]

Sadie Hawkin's Day. Do people still do that?

Not that much. I mean, it’s not that unusual for girls to ask guys to dances these days. But tv writers are always a bit out of touch when it comes to high school traditions.

Do empty deserted mansions litter the California landscape,

They’re near LA, so maybe it was a house owned by a Golden Age of Hollywood type movie star who just faded away. Or a Gold Rush/Railroad magnate. Or, maybe it was colonial Spanish. It’s an area where people tend to gain a ton of money really fast and lose it just as quickly, plus, as someone else mentioned, sometimes people decide that the weather conditions make living there not worth it after all. Plus, it's on the Hellmouth, so random houses appearing is not...as unusual as you'd expect.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

tv writers are always a bit out of touch when it comes to high school traditions.

Yes, and the concept worked well in terms of the story. And they made it a sort of retro thing. After all, Xander cites Beatles' songs - more a characteristic of my generation than his.

Hellmouth houses appearing and disappearing - I like that idea!

[teenygozer.livejournal.com]

FYI, Jim is played by baby Christopher Gorham, lately on Ugly Betty, but also known in fannish circles for starring in Jake 2.0 and Odyssey 5.

I love that Spike is biding his time, waiting for the right moment to spring his ability to walk again on Angel. For a character known for his impulse problems, that took a certain amount of patience, which tells you just how much Spike hates Angelus at this juncture. The actor hated and detested being stuck in the chair!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I am so clueless - I've heard of Ugly Betty but not Jake or Odyssey.

I love that Spike is biding his time

Yes, it's so very Spike-like - using his brains and strategy to accomplish his goals. He lets Angel think he's the one in control. I love that so much. Spike - the perfect vampire.

The actor hated and detested being stuck in the chair!

I bet he did. But that made Spike's reactions very convincing.