Television

Episode Title: The Zeppo

Original Air Date: January 26, 1999

“You know, it’s not like I haven’t helped before. I’ve done some quality violence for these people.” – Xander

Time for another underrated episode this week aswell one of the more creative pieces of writing on the show as we are given one plotline only for the real focus to be on the B plotline as the episode uses the same kind of misdirection we got with “Big Trouble In Little China” were the viewer is lead to believe they are following the hero only to in fact discover it’s the sidekick they’ve been following. This episode also being noted as key inspiration for not only the “Doctor Who” episode “Love and Monsters” while Joss Wheldon would go on to refer to “Agents of Shield” as being “The Zeppo Tv Show” which is probably a nicer description than the one I would give for that show.

Opening to Buffy and the Scoobies battling a group of demons in an underground nest which results in Xander being hurt after he is buried by rubble leaving Buffy to fear for the safety of her friend and suggesting that he stays out of the fighting and in turn leaving Xander struggling to find his place within the group especially as he is the only member of the group with any disenable power outside of his ability to collect a donut order and crack wise with the puns.

Continue reading Buffy The Vampire Slayer S:03 Ep:13

Episode Title: Helpess

Original Air Date: January 19, 1999

“If I was at full Slayer power, I’d be punning right about now.” – Buffy

One of the great things about revisiting this show with a more critical eye is that it really makes you realise how certain seasons play out which seemingly so far has been completely different than I remember. This is also something which can be certainly said for this season were I was sure at this point the Mayor was much more involved than he currently is. Of course this isn’t a bad thing, especially knowing what is still to come and more so when we get classic episodes like this one.

Here we find Buffy approaching her 18^th birthday and looking forward to going to an ice show with her father, which she is also using to distract herself from the feeling that her Slayer powers appear to be fading more so when she is almost killed by a vampire attempting to use her own stake on her. Little does she now that her fading powers are all part of a test being setup by head Watcher Quentin Travers who plans to test the now weakened Buffy by locking her in a building with the powerful and insane vampire Zachary Kralik played here with gusto by Jeff Kober and making it little surprise they would bring him back as rack in Season 6, another advantage of heavy make up I guess.

Continue reading Buffy The Vampire Slayer S:03 Ep:12

Episode Title: Gingerbread

Original Air Date: January 12, 1999

“Aw, man, it’s Nazi Germany, and I’ve got Playboys in my locker!” – Xander

Until point Buffy’s mum Joyce has largely been a background for the most part, there to play the supportive ear and occasional get drawn into the week’s events with her dalliance with Giles in “Bad Candy” clearly still an awkward memory here it would seem. This week though while engaging in alittle mother daughter slaying she stumbles across two young children who appear to have been sacrificed by witches. Now fuelled with a vigilante spirit she sets up MOO (Mothers Against The Occult) to save Sunnydale from the supernatural in particular witches which she believes are to blame for the death of these two children, while Buffy sets out to find out who the real culprit is.

Continue reading Buffy The Vampire Slayer S:03 Ep:11