Dawn's Review

Okay... another season has started. A pared-down group of Slayerettes misses and hits the boat in what was truly an excellent starting episode for the year. That doesn't mean this review will be up to Joss' high standard killing wit, but I'll be giving it a shot this year a few times.

Synopsis
The show opens up with Willow helping Buffy try to pick out what courses to take in the upcoming year. It's been a "slay-heavy" summer and Buffy's been too busy (or made herself too busy) to pick them out earlier. While they discuss the courses, and Buffy admits to not wanting to take too heavy a course load (putting not even a smidgen of damp on Willow's glee), the vamp they're waiting for wakes up. At first looking like a happy camper ready for breakfast, he slinks off after seeing the heavy artillery they've got piled up beside their stuff to an oblivious Buffy and Willow. So much for paying attention.

New Intro! New Intro! With Spike!!!!!!!!! (sorry) Good intro. Me happy.

We're on Sunnydale U campus and there are people and flyers and causes galore. Buffy's facing multiple line-ups and disorientation while Willow and Oz have their lives firmly under control. Oz' band has played on campus numerous times and he's living with some friends off campus. Both Willow and Buffy are living on campus but not together. Best friends sometimes shouldn't ever live together. I'm glad they (or Oz or Giles) talked them out of it if they had the aspiration.

Buffy is clearly overwhelmed with the sheer number of people around her, and the implication that she's going to have to survive by using her brain. Since that's something she's always felt inadequate about (especially when near Willow), what happens next is hard to watch but believable. The libraries huge, and filled with people actually using it, she gets kicked out of the one class she thought she could handle (pop culture), and her Psych prof "isn't afraid of using the big words". Her new roommate Kathy seems high on something, and bears an uncanny resemblance to Celine Dion. She meets a cool looking guy (Riley) but has an attack of "Xander-speak" and he remembers her as "Willow's friend".

So when Buffy meets Eddie late that night, another (literally) lost soul and uses his map to figure out where they are helps point him towards his dorm, she's reassured that she's not the only one feeling overwhelmed. Unfortunately for Eddie, his relief at meeting someone he can relate to is short lived as he gets munched on by a gang of "sophomore" vamps shortly after they part ways. The vamps also take the time to break into his room, steal all of Eddie's stuff and leave a note saying he's quit.

Buffy misses seeing him in Psych class and goes looking. When she finds his room empty except for the book Eddie never mentioned going without, she investigates further and smells a vampire. When she goes to Giles for guidance, she gets one of the more unpleasant shocks of her life when she meets Olivia; a English woman dressed only in one of Giles' shirts and who knows Giles from when he went by "Ripper". Giles is cool, calm, debonair, etc... and basically tells Buffy that since she can handle it by herself -- she should.

So Buffy goes back to the campus, sees Eddie, sees Eddie vamp and dusts him (we're all feeling sad now), and here's a....

moment of silence for Eddie

Ok -- Eddie's in teeny tiny pieces on the ground (probably never even had a chance to eat someone), and Buffy finds herself surrounded by a gang of vamps that carry themselves like the epitome of College cool. Facing Sunday, a blond vamp who's more sarcastic than Buffy, Buffy has a really bad fight where she show's none of the fighting panache, verve and sheer ferocity that we've come to know and love. Basically, she gets trounced and runs away.

That's where we get about ten minutes of Buffy feeling sorry for herself. She avoids Willow and Oz, finds out the vamps have stolen all her stuff, and then goes home to see her Mom and probably have a good cry in her room. Unfortunately for Buffy, she discovers that inevitable truth: when you leave home, your parent(s) see your room as extra storage space. Buffy's Mom "didn't move a thing", but her room is now filled with crates.

She retreats to the Bronze where she meets up with an older, wiser, Yoda-quoting Xander who's cross-country trip got as far as Oxnard (i.e. about 50 miles) before his car broke down and he learned what dishwashing was all about... as well as a short stint as a male stripper. When he went home, he didn't even have a room. He's now living in his parent's basement and paying rent.

Xander's the man though, the one that Buffy knows will understand when she confesses to being down and afraid ("what if I can't cut it?"). He then cheers her up ("you're my hero") by reminding Buffy exactly who she is and what she can do. They go off, break into school records, Buffy breaks into the computer system and they figure out the vamps are hiding out in an old frat house that was closed down in the 1980s.

When they get to the frat house, they go to the roof, and look down into the main room through a skylight (a skylight? vamps? what's wrong with this picture?). Buffy's lying down on top of the glass and when Buffy realizes their going through her stuff, the ire starts to rise. She sends Xander off to get her weapons while she waits and plans on fuming until he gets back. The vamps gloat, make fun of what's in her diary and Buffy realizes she shouldn't have had so much to eat... because the window breaks and she falls down (weaponless) right in the middle of five hungry vamps.

Meanwhile Oz and Willow have discovered Buffy's empty room and Willow starts freaking when she realizes that Buffy might have taken off again. Fortunately Xander arrives (Hug to Willow, hug to a perturbed Kathy/Cathy), and a wisecrack to ("manly") Oz) to tell everyone that it's due to some of Buffy's friends playing a bad prank on her. Thinking they've got plenty of time, they head to Willow's room for weapons.

Buffy's still getting trounced although she's fighting back a bit more. When Sunday makes the mistake of breaking the umbrella that Buffy got at the prom... well -- let's just say that the tide turns, Buffy shrugs off her impression of a punching bag and the other vamps in the room are starting to think about leaving.

As they head for the door, the gang arrives and the melee continues. Willow gets one with a crossbow, Xander and Oz take down another, one escapes and Buffy takes care of the others. Life is back to normal and Buffy is pumped.

They gather up some of her stuff and head back to her room. On the way, they encounter a distraught Giles, who's beside himself with guilt for not backing Buffy up earlier. He's also carrying enough weaponry to get himself arrested on sight or start a war. Taking his turn of attitude in stride, Buffy just recruits him to help carry his stuff. Xander (showing a mercenary nature that will probably stand him in good stead) claims ownership of some of the vamps loot.

Meanwhile... remember that vamp who escaped? Well -- let's just say that there seems to be a bunch of ninja wannabes with tazer guns hunting vampires on campus. We'll hopefully find out what happened to him later.

Continuity
Things are hooked up smoothly with what's happened in the previous seasons. Xander's had his trip (short lived though it was), Buffy's without a watcher and Weslie is gone. There's no mention of Cordelia, but Buffy does get a mysterious phone call that we later learn is from a lonely Angel in Los Angeles. The umbrella from the Prom and Gordo the teddy bear are still around.

Relationships
Buffy and Angel -- over.

Giles and (newcomer) Olivia -- whoa! Giles looked good in that dressing coat. We don't know much about Olivia except she's casual about being discovered half-dressed, that she knew Rupert Giles as Ripper, and that she's got fantastic hair.

Oz and Willow -- still going strong.

Xander and Kathy -- well... what do you think? snerk!

Characters
Giles is all over the place -- or rather goes from one extreme to the other, and yet remains true to his character anyway. He's far from the awkward suitor in first season, and treats Buffy's arrival while he has a half-dressed guest in his apartment extremely casually. In his only other scene of the show, he's falling over himself with concern. Will the real Giles stand up? Thanks to ASH, we can believe both scenes.

Buffy faces the demons of self-doubt, and wins with a little help of the one person she can really talk to about what's bothering her. Doubting her own intelligence is a weakness that has reappeared throughout the series, and it hits her hard in this episode as she goes into a world where her beauty and attitude are still assets, but not enough to make her feel "in control". Watching Willow blossom really undermined Buffy's self-esteem.

I found it very interesting that she seems to sometimes be more self-reliant and confident when she's not around Willow. If Willow is there, she depends heavily on her hacking skills and knowledge of pretty much everything. Take Willow out of the equation, and Buffy's breaking into computers and getting the job done.

Xander was very excellent, and written much better than some of his appearances last year.

Willow and Oz -- not much development, but we do see that Willow still has doubts about Buffy's steadfastness in the face of problems that she can't fight physically.

Best Moments
The vamps seeing the slayage weaponry and sneaking off.

Kathy/Cathy putting up the Celine Dion poster.

Buffy looking into her room to find it filled with boxes (sad, but funny).

The Xander/Kathy hug.

Buffy killing Sunday with a truly well-timed and executed stake throw.

Giles running up to the gang overloaded with weapons.

SunSpeak

"Tonight's ep was very, very, very good. So nice to be a Canadian." -- Dawn, gloating

"I was over in California just recently, and spent a week one day in Oxnard. I swear I drove all around the damn place, but do you think I spotted that club. No! Damn, that would've made the whole trip!" -- Rastro; re: Xander's strip club

"I wanted to smack Willow a few times last night --- not that I don't sympathize with "cool!! College! Funness!" but she was getting on my nerves by the midpoint... Yes, we know you're enthusiastic and super-organized, but not everyone approaches all this with the belief they're going to succeed. :> On the other hand, she did feel bad later, and that "spurting knowledge" soliloquy was just a trip." -- Chris

"Anyone else think Kathy would only be happy if she had Felicity for a roommate? It's great --- Buffy gets to be the weird chick on that show, the one who practices spells and tarot and has bizarre secrets. I love Joss. :>> I'm *so* looking forward to seeing what happens as she figures out that her roommate is either wacko or into some deeply weird stuff." -- Chris

"I'm glad they killed Sunday. :> She was funny for a little bit, but by the half-way point, I wanted her really dead. Really irritating hair, too. :>> But that Klimdt vs. Monet exhibit was *wonderful*. Hehehehehe. I was lucky; I had an original poster that was neither of those, my first year. Of course, I also has a Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller poster.... But man, the concept of the nest of evil sophomores was great; just like real life. Joss managed to mock himself with that "monster sarcasm rally" line in there too. Never boring, this show." -- Chris

"I did have problems with how easily Sunday seemed to take Buffy down; but I can justify it with Buffy not being centered and feeling totally overwhelmed. Whenever she's not focused, her fighting sucks. Aad Sunday really pushed her buttons (and stole her lines!) with the fashion and freshman insults. Plus, she rallied pretty well, after Sunday started messing with her stuff. Big, big mistake. *snerk*" -- Chris

"And Giles! Yowza. Well. My my my. Yayy!! I'm so glad he got a *LIFE* this summer! And that it included a dish from England! *notbounce* yay yay yay. He screwed up on his timing with Buffy, but the sentiment was right. And he made up for it at the end, zooming to the rescue, just a little too late... : > > Love the shots of him in the opening credits. < fanfanfan >" -- Chris

"And what's up with the guys in the camo gear?? :> > I saw the Taser hit the vamp, went "wha--?", saw one guy in camouflage and thought, "great, someone thinks they're Batman", then saw two *more* guys and went "whoa!" Is Prof. Maggie collecting experimental subjects? Are there MIB's on campus? Is the council recruiting for another Slayer Test? Can't tell, too soon to call, and isn't it *cool*!" -- Chris

"I know some people have said they didn't like the weak Buffy or that they were made to feel sorry for Buffy. But I never reallydid. I identified with her. For the first time, really. During Buffy's high school years, I mostly identified with Willow, but more with her personality not her situation. She's changed. A lot. More on that later. But I never quite felt kinship with the High School stories -- I was too far removed maybe or maybe I just had such a bad high school experience that I never feel invested in it so I couldn't identify as much. But college is a more familiar territory. I got involved there. I cared. And I remember the feeling's I had when my mom dropped me off the first day of Band Camp. I remember being surrounded by a freaky new roommate (and worrying about which side of the room was the right side to take). Buffy.... was me.... only amplified by being a Slayer on her own.... and having friends nearby... but not as close as they had been. By missing the one person who would have completely understood her feelings of isolation. I never felt sorry for her; I just felt for her. That said, Xander's kick in the rear didn't come a moment too soon. "-- Mary Beth

"Loved: that Riley got hit on the head in his first seconds on screen. Not because I wanted him hit on the head, but because it's just like Joss to sorta give plenty of fans what they secretly wanted." "Oh, mannnn... and he got hit by Buffy! He's doomed to be a Slayerette! How did I miss this?!" -- Mary Beth and Chris

"Giles: Wow. Freaky. But cool. Loved his getting in touch with the inner Ripper. But his treatment of Buffy bothered me. I understand the fatherly instinct to "let her go" -- Joyce did it too. But... official or not... he's her Watcher. Glad he came around by the end. "
"I'd bet good money that he'd been reading parenting books over the summer. The whole "I know I'm supposed to let you go and be more self-sufficient" line. I can't see the Watcher Council _ever_ teaching him that. (As long as she can keep herself alive, they've show a preference to keep any Slayer as _dependant_ as possible-- and especially since they generally don't live to have much of an adulthood anyway....) But it's very much something he'd get from a "how to parent your teen" sort of book... one which (even in Sunnyhell) wouldn't exactly take into account the special needs of Slayer-teens." -- Mary Beth and Dianne

"Xander ROCKS. The whole show hit a new level when he finally showed -- both in humor and pacing. And in heart. His speech to Buffy.... *sigh* perfection. He's grown up a lot (more than I really want to know....) and I loved that he was the voice of reason for once. I hope he and Buffy remain powerfully good friends. They work well this way. " -- Mary Beth

"Loved the new sets and the new setting. Some nifty direction to set up that bustling overwhelming feeling. The flyers with all the causes was a great touch. And the music, both Chris Beck's and the incidental stuff. " -- Mary Beth

And last until I remember something else, but not least: Thank you Joss for maintaining that what Buffy and Angel *sniff* had is not something easily forgotten. Her seeing Angel in the Bronze and then his calling her.... wonderful touches. *sniffle* "
"Yeah, nice touch in the Bronze there. Gone, but not forgotten. And can I say I *loved* the phone call? I wondered what had happened during Buffy, but things moved so fast to the conclusion that I didn't remember the phone call again until Angel picked up the receiver in his series --- and then I knew, even before we heard Buffy's voice. If this is what they mean by "crossovers" when the characters don't visit, I can stand it. :>" -- Mary Beth and Chris

"Really had that first episode Joss-feel of "Buffy starts from a position of weakness and works her way up."
"But do we have to beat her into a friendless bloody pulp *every* summer??? Geez..." -- Chris and Dianne

"it was so natural... and such a nice turn around. In HS, Buffy was pretty, social, and set for instant popularity (well, until the slayer-fallout effect kicked in and killed her social career)... but she still could more naturally be "cool" in a given sitch, and (slaying aside) fit in quite nicely. Willow, OTOH, was too "nerdy" by nature-- too enamored of learning and intellectual pursuits to ever really fit in as well. Now-- over and above their growth over three years-- the position is completely reversed. Willow fits *perfectly* into college with her natural affinity for academic pursuits... whereas Buffy is thrown by the sudden turn around. Willow's approach is no longer an oddity but a serious advantage, while the HS "cool" factor of social status and clothes and such has been completely disrupted. Now I'm not saying Buffy's only in it for the clothes, or that all the elements of HS cool (clothes, dating, cliques) somehow disappear from college. But the balance has definitely shifted, leaving Willow spinning about in glee and Buffy dizzy and confused." -- Dianne

I would bet that yes, he did strip (at least once)... and that he felt like a fool and probably wasn't particularly good at it. I think he wants people to believe it's a cool dark secret, as opposed to a seriously embarassing way to get a few bucks he really needed. :-)"
"And in that light... I think someone talked him *into* stripping with that Dadaist line about fear and anger and the darkside, given some of the slips he made during that speech. *snerk*" -- Dianne and Chris

"I figured either a baddy (a la the Mayor) collecting henchmen/subjects/food/possiblecompetitors, or else the psych experiment angle. Or else there are already vampire killers/controllers in town-- ones that probably developed from a commando "save the helpless" approach and probably has nothing to do with or even know about slayers (like vampire exterminators... just a bigger, scarier breed of nasty bug). Or else it was a delegation from "Undead Wild Kingdom" and they were going to tag him and release him in his natural habitat (the Hellmouth proper?). (O.K., so I have no clue either. But now I have an image of the commandos hiding in the bushes while the becoming-undrugged vampire stumbles confusedly to his feet, blinks a lot, then scurries off for the nearest cover, unaware of the big collar around his neck and the little orange tag in his left ear. I'm having fun with it. :-)" -- Dianne

"I was completely confused as to who that pod person shaped like Giles was when we first see him. It was just soooo...un-Giles (bathrobe aside - the bathrobe struck me as pretty Giles) to me. It felt all wrongish. " -- Deb

"That did sorta frustrate me. Her unease in college did work for me, but then when she was unable to really kick in and fight Sunday, Joss lost me a bit. I would've expected Buffy to say, "Okay, cool, slayage, *this* I know. I may not know fancy psych terms, but *this* is my domain," and regain confidence while she was on a more familiar playing field. On reflection, I'm guessing that part of the reason Sunday affected Buffy's confidence so immediately in ways that much more intimidating villains haven't might have to do with her (Sunday's) seeming so much like the type of "you're a loser" tormentor that someone might really *encounter* at college or in a new situation...she made it mean and personal, at a time when Buffy was lacking confidence. A big old Luke-style vampire or a Mr. Trick-type wouldn't have thrown her off her game--but Sunday, who looks and talks like a peer, got under Buffy's skin in a way those other vamps never could. So now the scene makes better sense to me, although it still doesn't ring entirely right." -- Gina

"XANDER! Honey, I've missed you for so long! You disappeared sometime after When She Was Bad, and I couldn't find you!!!! I'm annoyed that Xander couldn't have a character while Angel was around, but grateful that Angel is now no longer around. And someone spent too much time hiding in the bathroom in between showings of Phantom Menace..." -- Lizbet

"After the first fight with Sunday, Jack turned to me during the commercial and asked, "Why didn't I believe any of that?" My response was "Because it wasn't terribly well put together. She was moving too slow, and making wrong choices." Very un-Buffy-like, and actually un-Jeff-like. I understood that she was meant to be appearing off her game because of the whole starting-college upheaval thing, and it worked better for me as the ep went on and I got distanced from that particular fight, but it still didn't hit *quite* the right note for where they were aiming. I did *love* how she suckered Sunday in at the end. "Oh, and by the way? The arm's hurt." **WHAM!!** "It's not broken." Now *that's* our Buffster!!!" -- Valerie "That's what didn't work for me...I mean, my goddess, Buffy went through the hell that was the Watchers' idea of a test of her abilities, she knows she can defeat a vampire even weakened to the point where *Cordelia* has more oomph than she does. Why does being nervous and in an unfamiliar environment mean she can't slay? She was nervous and in an unfamiliar environment when she first came to Sunnydale and she kicked Luke's behind--and I'd venture to guess that Luke was a much stronger vamp than Sunday. I went with the psychological theory to explain it, the Sunday-as-a-peer-type-putting-her-down deal affecting her much more than other vamps might've considering her other circumstances, but it still feels like an *explanation* to me, rather than something fitting together right." -- Gina

"I was just going, "Wow, Xander's screwing up a movie quote? From *Star Wars*???? He MUST have a lot of other things on his mind!" I laughed uproariously at the whole thing, largely *because* it was strange. But it seemed very Xandery to me. Except that I had to leap a bit to buy him screwing up a Yoda quote." -- Valerie