Mark Watches ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’: S03E16 – Dopplegängland

In the sixteenth episode of the third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this is the best thing in the universe and every alternate reality ever. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Buffy.

THINGS I DID NOT LIKE

  •  uh

THINGS I LOVED

  • ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING EVER

I’m pretty sure that when we all ascend to heaven that we will have to watch “Dopplegängland” before we are allowed through the pearly gates. Whenever a person views “Dopplegängland,” fourteen French bulldog puppies are born. Every time we laugh at a brilliant joke in “Dopplegängland,” scientists are one step closer to discovering a cure for the common cold.

I only have the desire to be ridiculous, egregious, over-the-top, exaggerated, and absurd at this point. I feel so much joy running through me after watching this episode. Never have I experienced something that’s so unnerving and hilarious at the same time. I watched this episode in a library, which means that I had to clutch my own face to not make any sound at all. DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD THAT IS? DO YOU KNOW HOW BADLY I JUST WANTED TO SHRIEK WITH HAPPINESS WHILE WATCHING THIS?

You know, I genuinely believed that this would be a deeply serious episode because it brought back both Faith and Anya. (ANYA IS BACK HELP ME.) We see how Faith is giving her services to the Mayor, and we’re left wondering how this is all going to be ruined. Instead, pretty much all my thoughts about “The Wish” are rendered moot and inconsequential when Willow’s spell BRINGS HER ALTERNATE UNIVERSE SELF INTO OUR WORLD. THIS IS SO AMAZING THAT I COULD PUKE. And as funny as this all is (I’ll get to that), it’s such a wonderful deconstruction of Willow’s character. She really is the most consistently dependable person in this show, aside from Giles. She’s used by others for her talents that many don’t appreciate openly. Everyone – from Principal Snyder to Giles to Xander to Buffy – knows that they can count on Willow, and they do this in ways that ignore that she also has a life that she’s trying to live. How is that fair to her?

It’s with the introduction of Vamp Willow that every character, including Willow, gets to see a side of their friend they never thought they would. Initially, I didn’t find it too funny, though I suspect I wasn’t supposed to. That first scene in the Bronze is HORRIFYING, especially when Angel and Oz realize that Willow has been changed to a vampire. Normally, I don’t know that anyone would be able to pull of a tonal change like Joss Whedon does here, but from the moment Angel leaves on, “Dopplegängland” is just comic brilliance.

Part of that obviously comes from the fact that Vamp Willow is so entertaining to watch; it’s a treat to see Alyson Hannigan expand on her version of herself from “The Wish” at a much greater length. What I liked the most, though, was the chance to see all these actors and actresses use their masterful sense of comic timing to bring out the humor of this situation. I had tears in my eyes from trying to hold in my laughter during the scene where Willow arrives and the Scoobies suddenly realize Willow is not a vampire. Ugh, Giles’s hug nearly destroyed me. It’s a good thing this scene was played for humor because I could have gotten so emotional then. But bless this cast for pulling that off so well, mixing disbelief and joy so believably. Even Angel’s reaction to Willow being alive nearly set me into a laughing storm.

There are just so many amazing jokes here. Anya’s age and her frustration at being stuck as a senior in Sunnydale is just beautiful to me. I have a feeling she’ll appear in this season again. The first scene where Willow and Vamp Willow meet is Buffy perfection, played equally between horror and humor. The entire part where they all admit that Willow was better than them all. AND CORDELIA’S LECTURE TO VAMP WILLOW ABOUT XANDER IS JUST SO PERFECT AND WONDERFUL TO ME. Oh my god, Cordelia and Wesley are totally going to do it one day, aren’t they? They are kind of adorable!

But seriously, can we talk about the beauty of Willow pretending to be a vampire? I can’t. I just can’t deal with it. I just laughed at the thought of it for a good thirty seconds. How did Anya not know immediately that this was the wrong Willow before her? Oh god, Willow, you tried so hard, and it was a gorgeous thing to witness. Alyson Hannigan, I want to give you all the awards.

You know, I really enjoyed that after all of this, Willow refuses to let her alternate-reality self get killed. Like, it’s such a noble thing of her to not let this end in violence, despite that she’d probably be justified in it. For Willow, she can’t escape the idea that Vamp Willow is evidence of what Willow could be if she made worse decisions. (Also, I know the episode totally didn’t mean to say this, but there’s a very unfortunate implication that Vamp Willow was a bad version of Willow, and since Vamp Willow was kind of gay, that might be a bad thing. Again, I think it’s just something no one thought through, but it made me laugh. OMG THIS SHOW IS BIGOTS.) I enjoyed that she described this as having “double guilt coupons.” To be fair, though, Vamp Willow did get Percy to stop trying to force her to do her homework, so there’s that.

For real, though, this might be my most perfect episode of the show so far. It was a goddamn treat to watch, intelligently written in terms of dialogue and character development, and one of the funnier things I’ve experienced. Bravo, Joss Whedon. You allowed joy to exist, and it was wonderful.

About Mark Oshiro

Perpetually unprepared since '09.
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412 Responses to Mark Watches ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’: S03E16 – Dopplegängland

  1. The Funny Side of Death

    Giles: She was truly the finest of all of us.
    Xander: Way better than me.
    Giles: Much, much better.

    Willow: What's going on? Jeez, who died? …Oh, God! Who died?

    Angel: Buffy, I…I just…Something's happened that… Willow's dead. Hey, Willow. Wait a second.
    Xander: We're right there with you, buddy.

    Wesley: Was that…?
    Cordelia: Willow. They got Willow. So, are you doing anything tonight?

    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/1ONKg.jpg"&gt;

    Shameless Plug Alert! Attention: Bay Area Watchers!

    I am in an evening of comedic short plays that opens this Friday called Eat Our Shorts 4: Love and Other Disasters. And I think it's kinda gay! Well, actually, it's super gay, as nearly all of the characters are gay men. See, it's almost relevant to this episode. ALMOST.

    In “Flip the Switch,” I am one half of a gay couple at the gym who grill their workout instructor about his love life, and in “A Match Made in Heaven and Hell,” I am an extremely condescending waiter tending to Jesus and Lucifer on their first date. Both plays are hilarious and full of surprises, and I get to say things I never thought I’d say onstage. Or in general. This night will contain saucy language, blasphemy, and references to Richard Simmons, so leave the kids at home.

    Eat Our Shorts 4: Love and Other Disasters
    Stage Werx (446 Valencia St, San Francisco)
    February 24-25, March 1-3, March 8-10
    8:00 PM
    $15 online, $20 at the door

    I know Mark and dazyndara are planning to come closing weekend, so maybe there can be a whole group of you guys!

    • ladililn says:

      Oh my god, that second one especially sounds absolutely hilarious! Ugh, I wish I could come…I'm so excited to live in the Bay Area now (well, at least for most of the year), because it means there are all these cool events I can go to! But I am a bit limited by lack of transport/money. Well, currently I'm just limited by the fact that it's Parents' Weekend at my school so I'm a bit booked.

      But anyway! Best of luck! Break a leg! I'm sure you'll be awesome. 🙂

      • dazyndara says:

        You're at Stanford too, right? I'm saving up for a car to make going to the city easier, but until then if you ever want a Caltrain/sketchy bus buddy, let me know! 🙂 (fyi it's like $4 to bus to or from the city)

    • dazyndara says:

      Yes! We should have an awesome posse of us! It would be the best ever! And if spectralbovine's reading of a children's book about ladybugs is anything to go by, it really will be HILARIOUS!

    • cait0716 says:

      Willow: And I'm eating this banana! Lunchtime be damned! <- I have said this before. I got strange looks.

      • sirintegra42 says:

        That line reminds me of the IT Crowd with Moss' 'would it blow everyone's mind if I ate dessert first?'. It kills me every time, well most of the IT Crowd does really. If anyone hasn't seen it I urge you to. There's only about eighteen episodes in all so it's not a massive commitment to watch.

        • GirlWith1Eye says:

          i love the IT crowd! moss is my favorite but richmond is such good times too, simply because i love noel fielding. i still have yet to see anything after season 3, but i own the first couple seasons.

        • amyrouse says:

          I love love the IT Crowd!

          This is London, Jen. It's not someone with cake. Unless that cake is made of dog poo and knives.

    • hpfish13 says:

      Bummer, I wish I could come see this, but I'm a S. California resident! Curses upon California for being such a large state! Break a leg! Can I use your shameless plug to put in one of my own?

      I am also in a play, pretty much at the opposite end of the spectrum from yours. It's an interactive version of Cinderella and I am playing one of 3 mice. I have a preview and everything (it's our 3rd run)!
      [youtube ZuVs566vZiM&context=C3be5560ADOEgsToPDskKL5AhPy3z0LcNiAOscUYuW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuVs566vZiM&context=C3be5560ADOEgsToPDskKL5AhPy3z0LcNiAOscUYuW youtube]

      Here's all the details
      Cinderella
      Sierra Madre Playhouse (87 W Sierra Madre Blvd
      Sierra Madre, Ca 91024) http://www.sierramadreplayhouse.org/FairyTaleThea
      Running every Saturday at 11 AM February 25-March 17
      $18 for adults, $12 for children

      *is now mildly embarrassed about borrowing your thread*

      • No no no, BORROW AWAY! That's awesome, and it sounds like fun. I was actually just thinking that, geez, I hope I don't seem like a self-involved dick for pimping my show here, who am I to ask you to come to my show…but it was only because no one else was doing it! So…is no one else doing cool things or is no one else brazen enough to ask people to come? I HAVE BROKEN THE ICE. EVERYONE PROMOTE YOUR COOL THINGS SO WE CAN COME SEE THEM.

        • hpfish13 says:

          Thanks! Also, it led to me realizing that now there is a possibility that I will get to do the two March liveblogs because our show only runs till the 17th! Yay!

  2. Kickpuncher says:

    First of all: WESLEY/CORDELIA ROMANCE OF THE CENTURY, EVERY CENTURY

    But most importantly: Back when Mark was all disappointed by The Wish not really having much in the way of immediate consequences, I was waiting for him (or any of the first-time watchers) to realize that the Monster-of-the-Week, while defanged, was still very much alive and running around Sunnydale High. I don't think anybody did. Welcome back, Anya, you're even better than you were last time.

    In fact, even though plenty of other great things happened this episode, I'm going to make this thread an Anya Love-in. She's pretty great this episode, highlights being the "I'm flunking math!" from the cold open, her attempt to order a frickin' beer, and her unimpressed reaction to "Could a human do THIS?"

    When Anya introduces herself to Willow, she describes herself as "I'm kinda new here. I know Cordelia." I kinda wonder what's been going on with Anya and Cordelia since The Wish. I hope they were friends. Cordelia could have used a friend during that time.

    FIRST-TIME VIEWERS, PLEASE SPECULATE ABOUT ANYA SO I CAN LAUGH AT YOU.
    For what it's worth, the first time I watched this episode, I thought that Anya was going to become another Ethan Rayne sort of villain, who would periodically show up to cause trouble, be foiled, vow to get the Scoobies next time and disappear into the night. Maybe I was right. Maybe I was wrong and Anya never showed up again. Maybe she dated Willow briefly in Season 4 (you all saw the raw sexual chemistry). Maybe Anya and Angel started a Recovering Demons Clinic and that's what Angel the Series is all about. Maybe she grew a mustache. The important part is that I hope first-time viewers are wrong about whatever happens, because I like laughing at you. Also, Emma Caulfield is welcome on my TV anytime.

    • cait0716 says:

      I love Emma Caulfield. She seriously needs to be in more things.

      I entirely feel her pain when she can't order a beer. I would be so pissed.

      • misterbernie says:

        Eh, I doubt the Bronze is the kind of club to stock anything but your standard American making-love-in-a-canoe beer. I'd stick to Coke there, myself.

        • cait0716 says:

          Sometimes that doesn't matter. Sometimes you make do with a Bud.

          And they probably have some equivalent of Fat Tire or Yuengling. Or even Corona or Heineken. Most bars do.

          • arctic_hare says:

            No Yuengling over here on the west coast, but they'd probably at least have a Sam Adams (and definitely the Corona and Heineken) and maybe a Blue Moon.

            • misterbernie says:

              I take it they're drinkable beers – I'm kinda spoilt by our local stuff; I can't even remember the last time I drank beer that's been brewed west of the Lech, north of the Danube or east of the Salzach* 😛

              *Or "outside roughly-Bavaria-proper-without-the-Upper-Palatinate"

              • arctic_hare says:

                Yeah, they're waaaaaaaaaaaaay better than the typical frat boy kegger beer (Bud, Miller, Coors, etc.).

                (My favorite term for that crap is from Sandman, so I shall rot13 it, even though it doesn't really spoil anything: "inthryl orre-vfu fjvyy". Gunax lbh, Ubo Tnqyvat.)

                • misterbernie says:

                  …yeah, that's what I think of when I think of the non-Central European beer stereotype (and yes, I know y'all got some fine microbreweries but as I said, I'm spoilt because our worst beer, Löwenbräu (which is quite bad), was still better than what I had to drink when I was in Finland (I'm sure there was a difference between Lapin Kulta and Karhu, but good god they were both awful).

                  Plus, I really really like wheatbeer, which is not easy to find outside Germany 😐
                  Fun fact: around here, that's called Weißbier (literally white beer), and there's a dark variant, so most of the time, I end up ordering a dark white beer /coolstorybro

            • cait0716 says:

              Sam Adams was the one I couldn't think of. I think of Fat Tire and Yuengling as sort of equivalent, better than bud or coors, but not as good as a lot of other stuff. They're my every day beers (depending on which side of the Mississippi I'm on)

          • pica_scribit says:

            I tried to drink a Coors once. It tasted like water and I couldn't finish it. I'm done with mainstream American beer and I'm American….

            I miss Yuengling. I haven't seen it since I got back to the Pacific NW. It used to be my go-to cooking and casual drinking beer (ever had a beer cola? It was perfect for that) when I lived in Virginia.

      • Have you seen TiMER? It's cute. Although, alas, I see that you do not have Netflix, for, lo, it is on Instant. Any other Emma Caulfield fans, though, may enjoy it!

        • cait0716 says:

          I saw previews for TiMER, but have not actually gotten around to seeing it. Someday.

        • Jenny_M says:

          Oh gosh, that is the cutest movie! <3 Emma!

        • LadyPeyton says:

          LOVED it!

        • Binx says:

          I would like to thank you for posting that suggestion. I have been on a full-blown Netflix instant-watch binge and was looking for new meat. Looks really good – and I do love me some Emma.

          Also, if anyone's interested and has been in the same boat as me looking for new watches, here a few good ones I've watched on there lately:
          – Agora (starring Rachel Weisz as the famous philosopher/mathematician Hypatia)
          – Black Death (starring Sean Bean as a Crusader during the bubonic plague)
          – Rabbit Hole (starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as a couple dealing with the loss of their child)
          – Winter's Bone (starring the girl who will play Katniss in Hunger Games, who plays a teen girl trying to solve her drug dealer dad's disappearance)
          – Centurion (about a small group of Roman soldiers who try to make it out of Britain while being hunted down by the Picts)
          – Black Water (an Australian crocodile horror film)
          – Love and Other Disasters (starring Brittany Murphy – pretty general rom com)

          Looking forward to TiMER!

    • etherealclarity says:

      V ybir ybir ybir ybir ybir ybir ybir Naln, nyy gur gvzrf. V xvaqn znlor eryngr gb ure n yvggyr ovg orpnhfr V pna or n ovg bire-ybtvpny naq nyfb V yvxr pncvgnyvfz. Ohg nyfb fur'f uvynevbhf naq fur unf n ernyyl vagrerfgvat punenpgre nep naq V urneg ure nyy gur gvzrf.

      • cait0716 says:

        Ure jubyr fcrrpu nobhg gur tbbq byq "hf" bs N vf bar bs zl snibevgr zbzragf bs uref. V guvax ure jubyr ybir bs zbarl pna or genprq onpx gb jura fur jba gur Tnzr bs Yvsr va "Gur Erny Zr"

    • Raenef_the_5th says:

      Unun, rkcrpgngvba fcbvyref va lbhe raguhfvnfz zhpu? Sbe jung vg'f jbegu, V ybir Naln gbb.

    • ScarecrowCeno says:

      Anya is fab but fur vf gur zbfg synaqrevfrq punenpgre va gur jubyr bs Ohssl. ybbx ng ure va Gur Jvfu naq guvf rcvfbqr. Fur xabjf cenqn. Fur nfxf sbe orre, fur npgf yvxr fbzrbar jubfr byq naq n qrzba, jub unccraf gb or fghpx va uhzna sbez. Naq fher, fur qbrfa'g xabj rirelguvat nobhg phygher naq "orvat uhzna"… ohg obl qbrf fur trg vapernfvatyl vtabenag… naq pbaibyhgrq.

      Fur'f n Qrzba, gung jbexf naq V cersre gung. Znxvat vg fb fur'f uhzna bapr… jryy, frrzf bqq. Rira zber fb orpnhfr jul gura qbrf fur xabj fb yvggyr nobhg orvat uhzna. Naq Qrzba Naln va gur Jvfu vf sne zber pbaivapvat guna gur yngre synfuonpxf jr frr.

      Naln vf n terng punenpgre, naq irel shaal naq svgf n terng ivrj. Ohg ng gur fnzr gvzr, fur'f fgvyy punatrq fb zhpu naq znqr vapernfvatyl vtabenag. Juvpu vf n funzr va n frafr. V guvax fur'f oevyyvnag nf gur byqre, zngher Qrzba va n lbhat obql nf va guvf.

      • Kickpuncher says:

        V gbgnyyl nterr, rirel gvzr Iratrnapr Qrzbaf cynl n znwbe ebyr va n Ohssl rcvfbqr, gur ehyrf ner pbzcyrgryl qvssrerag guna gurl jrer gur ynfg gvzr gurl pnzr hc.

        Vs V ernyyl jnagrq gb snajnax vg, V pbhyq fnl vg'f n pbafrdhrapr bs Iratrnapr Qrzbaf tenagvat ernyvgl-nygrevat jvfurf nyy jvyyl-avyyl. Rirel lrne be fb, gurl jbex pbzcyrgryl qvssreragyl, ohg nyy bs gurz erzrzore nyjnlf orvat gung jnl. Vg'f n pbzcyrgryl obthf rkcynangvba, ohg vg urycf zr fyrrc ng avtug.

        Zbfgyl V yvxr Naln orpnhfr Rzzn Pnhysvryq unf nznmvat qryvirel, naq trgf terng yvarf.

      • John Small Berries says:

        V unq gur fnzr ernpgvba gb n punenpgre va n fubj (gelvat abg gb fcbvy) va juvpu na naqebvq jnf noyr gb cnff pbaivapvatyl sbe uhzna, ohg bapr vgf npghny angher jnf erirnyrq gb gur bgure punenpgref, fhqqrayl vg zbecurq vagb gur "V unir ab xabjyrqtr bs lbhe uhzna phfgbzf naq nyfb V pnaabg hfr pbagenpgvbaf" fgrerbglcr.

        Vg'f yvxr Ubyyljbbq jevgref guvax gur nhqvraprf jba'g npprcg aba-uhzna punenpgref hayrff gurl'er irel oyngnagyl Bgurerq.

    • LadyPeyton says:

      I love Anya more than I adore puppies or rainbows, or air, or bunnies. Especially more than bunnies.

    • t09yavosaur says:

      I'm trying so hard to speculate for you but I have nothing at the moment. I will probably enjoy seeing her again but at the moment there are so many possibilities for the trouble she could cause that I can't think of anything specific.

      Since everyone knows about her now, even if they don't know what she was exactly, I doubt she can easily trick any of them again. But she can join with other demons, or she could get over losing her powers and join the good guys.

      I am sorry this post is lacking in teasing opportunities.

    • Knoxus says:

      Vg'f ernyyl sha gb frr Naln va gurfr rneyl rcvfbqrf, xabjvat jung na nznmvat punenpgre fur jvyy orpbzr (cbffvoyl zl snibevgr).

    • g_aurelia says:

      Emma Caulfield fans should check out her webseries, Bandwagon.

    • brandy says:

      IKR? Everyone was complaining about how the episode was kinda meaningless because no one would remember it, and I just wanted to be like HELLOOOOOOO, *somebody* here just lost her powers and is not gonna forget that!

      I would love to see Anya predictions. She's my favorite (jryy, Pbeqryvn'f zl snibevgr gur svefg guerr frnfbaf gura Naln gnxrf bire nsgre Pbeql yrnirf)!

  3. ladililn says:

    Every single time, this episode blows me away. To be more precise, Alyson Hannigan blows me away. She is such a phenomenal actress, especially when you consider that she's essentially playing four different roles here–regular!Willow, vamp!Willow, Willow pretending to be vamp!Willow, and even, briefly, vamp!Willow pretending to be regular!Willow. And she does it so well!

    (Something super exciting happened to me in Pscyh lecture today: I saw somebody (before the lecture began, I mean) watching Buffy on their laptop! I'm pretty sure it was a season 2 episode, judging from the haircuts of Willow and Xander, but I'm not positive. I got really excited and wanted to a) compliment them on their viewing tastes and b) ask them if they were a Watcher (not the evil British kind, the cool Internet kind), but they were far away and I was too shy. :/ So hey, if you're reading this and you're thinking "Hey, I was watching a Buffy season 2 episode this very morning in Pscyh lecture!" well then, who knows, we might be classmates! XD)

    • cait0716 says:

      I agree about Alyson Hannigan. She's an incredible comic actress and I love her so much. Both in this and on How I Met Your Mother. I hope she has a very long and fruitful career so that she's always on my television screen in some way

    • tanbarkie says:

      "Vamp!Willow pretending to be normal!Willow" is one of those parts that's somewhat overshadowed by the OMG HILARITY of everything else in this episode. But the scene in which she has to listen to Cordy hold court on the "ethics of boyfriend stealing" is, as far as I'm concerned, one of the funniest things the show ever did.

    • znachki says:

      Joss Whedon wrote this episode because he liked VampWillow.

  4. Seventh_Star says:

    -urer'f jvyybj'f ovt rcvfbqr jurer fur trgf fbzr punenpgre rkcybengvba naq fur trgf gb or raqyrffyl shaal naq punezvat, ohg gung'f abg ernyyl jung v nz guvaxvat nobhg jura v jngpu guvf rcvfbqr. nsgre frrvat jurer ure punenpgre tbrf qhevat gur erfg bs gur frevrf, nyy v abgvpr urer ner gur ovt jneavat fvtaf. jvgu synfuvat yvtugf.

    -fbzr vyyhzvangvat punenpgre genvgf gung bhe nqbenoyr jvyybj unf qvfcynlrq guhf sne:
    1. fur'f vafhygrq ol orvat pnyyrq "eryvnoyr". fur fuehtf bss n ybg bs guvatf, ohg guvf vfa'g bar bs gurz. fur'f abg pbzsbegnoyr orvat guvf jnl. fur'f sbeprq vagb vg orpnhfr fur unf n uneq gvzr fgnaqvat hc sbe urefrys naq srryf thvygl jura fur qbrf.
    2. fur frysvfuyl qbrfa'g jnag gb qrny jvgu ure ceboyrzf. vs gurer'f n dhvpx svk (zntvp be bgurejvfr), gung'f ure pbhefr bs npgvba. nf frra va "ybiref jnyx" naq "gur jvfu".
    3. fur gevrf gb fbyir guvatf jvgu zntvp jvgubhg pbafhygvat gur bgure crefbaf vaibyirq. nf frra va "gur jvfu".
    4. fur svaqf zntvp serrvat. jvgu vg fur vf noyr gb fbzrjung funxr bs gur funpxyrf bs byq obevat jvyybj naq or cbjreshy frys-pbasvqrag jvyybj.

    abg gung fur qbrfa'g unir znal cbfvgvir dhnyvgvrf nf jryy, ohg gurfr ner gur genvgf gung uryc gb hygvzngryl yrnq ure vagb n qnex cynpr (gur qnexrfg cynpr) ol frnfba fvk, naq jr frr gur ortvaavatf bs vg urer. "zntvp vf qnatrebhf, naln. vg'f abg gb or gblrq jvgu." fher, jura vg'f fbzrbar ryfr naq abg lbh, evtug?

    -gurer unir orra znal qvfphffvbaf ba urer nobhg jurgure n inzcver vf cher qrzba jvgu ab crefbanyvgl genvgf bs gur erpragyl qrprnfrq uhzna orvat be jurgure gung crefba'f crefbanyvgl vf pneevrq bire vagb gurve inzcver crefban. v guvax guvf rkpunatr fnlf vg orfg:

    ohssl: "jvyybj, whfg erzrzore, n inzcver'f crefbanyvgl unf abguvat gb qb jvgu gur crefba vg jnf."
    natry: "jryy, npghnyyl…gung'f n tbbq cbvag."

    gur fbhy vf tbar. gur qrzba qbrf gnxr bire. ohg gur crefba gung gurl jrer vf fgvyy gurer vafvqr. gung'f zl bcvavba, naq v'z fgvpxvat gb vg. jvyybj, jub unf orra n chfubire sbe zbfg bs ure yvsr, oybffbzf vagb guvf inzcver fvera jura ghearq- uhatel sbe cbjre, uhatel sbe nggragvba, uhatel sbe nssrpgvba. ng svefg, vg'f wneevat sbe gur ivrjre, ohg jura lbh fgneg gb guvax nobhg vg, vg znxrf gbb zhpu frafr.

    -"v frr abj jurer gur cngu bs ivpr yrnqf. v zrna, fur zrffrq hc rirelguvat fur gbhpurq. v qba'g rire jnag gb or yvxr gung."
    ohg gura fur vf vzzrqvngryl erjneqrq sbe inzcl jvyybj'f onq orunivbe ol crepl, jub vf abj gerngvat jvyybj jvgu erfcrpg naq qbvat nf fur nfxrq.

    guvf vf pregnvayl abg n yrffba yrnearq. naq jr nyy xabj ubj vg gheaf bhg…

    • ambyrglow says:

      All the plus ones. ALL OF THEM.

      And the new viewers are so unprepared. . . .

      • Seventh_Star says:

        thank you! i am having an…interesting day at work, so it was hard to marshal all my thoughts, but i tried! i'm glad they seem to be coherent. ha!

    • Seventh_Star says:

      correction: 3. fur gevrf gb fbyir guvatf jvgu zntvp jvgubhg pbafhygvat gur bgure crefbaf vaibyirq. nf frra va "ybiref jnyx".

    • cait0716 says:

      Gurer vf fb zhpu sberfunqbjvat va guvf rcvfbqr. V ybir vg fb zhpu. Jvyybj unf n qnex fgernx n zvyr jvqr, ohg fur jbexf fb uneq gb ercerff vg. Naq gura vg farnxf hc ba ure naq rkcybqrf va ure snpr. V nterr jvgu lbh nobhg ubj gur inzcver guvat jbexf. Gurl unir zber va pbzzba jvgu gurve uhzna pbhagrecnegf guna gur Pbhapvy vf jvyyvat gb nqzvg.

    • arctic_hare says:

      love this comment. So much agreement.

    • James says:

      This is pretty much everything I was thinking rewatching this episode. +1MILLION

    • robin_comments says:

      "jvyybj, jub unf orra n chfubire sbe zbfg bs ure yvsr, oybffbzf vagb guvf inzcver fvera jura ghearq- uhatel sbe cbjre, uhatel sbe nggragvba, uhatel sbe nssrpgvba. ng svefg, vg'f wneevat sbe gur ivrjre, ohg jura lbh fgneg gb guvax nobhg vg, vg znxrf gbb zhpu frafr. "

      lrf, jr qrsvavgryl frr va pnaba gung uhzna!jvyybj unf n pheeragyl-uvqqra uhatre sbe cbjre. Naq gur shyy pbefrg trg-hc gung ure inzcver frys jrnef fpernzf gb zr bs gelvat gbb uneq. Jura jr frr ure htyl rkcerffvbaf bs wrnybhfl ng Pbeqryvn naq Snvgu'f zber bcra frkhnyvgl, pbzsbeg jvgu gurve obqvrf, naq novyvgl gb znxr bguref qrfver gurz, ure inzcver frys'f ulcre frkhnyvmrq ybbx naq orunivbe znxrf nyy gbb zhpu frafr.

      Gurer'f n pregnva pbzzbanyvgl sbe zr orgjrra Fcvxr naq Jvyybj'f rkgerzr ghea jura gurl orpbzr inzcverf… obgu bs gurz srry bccerffrq naq jrnx nf uhznaf, frpergyl lrneavat sbe nggragvba naq erpbtavgvba, naq gura jura fbhyyrff gurl wblshyyl guebj gurzfryirf vagb gurve arj ebyr nf n onqnff perngher bs gur avtug naq gurl pryroengr srryvat serr gb or naq gnxr rirelguvat gurl frpergyl raivrq nf uhznaf.

    • V nterr jvgu lbh ba nyy gur cbvagf.

      V ernyy, ernyyl ybir jvyybj. V fgnegrq gb jngpu ohssl va gur fvkgu frnfba fb V nyjnl xarj va juvpu jnl ure cngu jbhyq yrnq, ohg V guvax vg vf terng, gung lbh pna frr ubj ure punenpgre qrirybcf naq gur 'qnex jvyybj' qbrfa'g pbzr bhg bs gur oyhr. Gur graqrpvrf jurer gurer, ohg ure sevraqf bayl fnj gur avpr naq eryvnoyr jvyybj naq qvqa'g erpbtavmr va gvzr, gung fur unq ure bja ceboyrzf nf jryy naq znlor jbhyq unir arrqrq zber fhccbeg (rfcrpvnyyl jvgu gur zntvp guvat jurer fur vf qbvat arneyl rirelguvat whfg ba ure bja. Qvq abobql guvax gung guvf pbhyq trg qnatrebhf? Tvyrf pnyyf ure ba vg bar be gjb gvzrf, ohg arire frevbhfyl).

      Fb, terng nanylfvf.

      Naq orfg punenpgre rire. Va rirel frnfba 🙂

    • UnstrungZero says:

      Totally agreeing with the clamoring of praise for this comment. I also was thinking ALL of these things. It put a totally new spin on the episode for me.

  5. Noybusiness says:

    "Virgin State of Mind"

    [youtube VjHAwqrY1g0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjHAwqrY1g0 youtube]

    • queenie says:

      Ever since I first saw this episode, that's been one of my favorite songs. I even have it my i-pod.

    • guest_age says:

      Thank you for posting this song! I really love it. I even used it for a River Tam fanvid I made once. It's one of those songs that as soon as I hear it, I have to stop whatever I'm doing and just listen.

    • LisaChimes says:

      Love, love, love this song. I listen to it every so often and I completely forgot that this was the ep that introduced me to it.

    • Binx says:

      Love this song. I have it on my MP3. It's so sensual.

      Also, it's by K's Choice if anyone is wondering.

  6. misterbernie says:

    – I am pretty much the same as Willow whenever I accidentally make a pathetic pun, so I can’t fault her here. I can fault her for her attitude towards Faith, though. No wonder girl feels like she needs to join the forces of evil if she’s that welcomed.
    – url, jngpu bhg sbe gung obk lbhefrys, Jvyybj. Naq, lrnu, Jvyybj naq zntvpny uvwvaxf ner fbeg bs abg gung shaal va uvaqfvtug, ner gurl.
    – Willow, I don’t even understand the sports part, so you’re doing better than me so far. Some kind of thing with a ball, I assume?

    <img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzsrq7nMEv1r7k3tso1_250.gif"&gt;
    I have no particular motivation for this except for Giles and a lollipop.

    – Aww Oz, I would’ve loved to date you in high school.
    – Poor Willow. I know all the feels you have right now 🙁 when you’re in a bad mood and then just everything and everyone seems to be out to offend you in some superpersonal way even if they intend the opposite and then you just want to go out and drink and fuck all night and maybe I’m projecting at this point, but anyway, Willow <3

    <img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzsrq7nMEv1r7k3tso2_250.gif"&gt;

    – MORE WACKY HIJINKS MUSIC! Sofa in Hell!
    – VAMP WILLOW!
    – Loud children have the same effect on me, Vamp Willow oh god we’re so bonding right now.
    – "there’s a chair in my head on which I used to sit"? YEAH I CAN’T BLAME YOU FOR BEING WEIRDED OUT BY THIS WORLD, I mean, really W H A T
    – can we move away from that music and get on with the plot
    – please?
    – now?
    – NOW?
    – thank you.
    – (okay, clarifying note because it didn’t go over the last time I mocked the Bronze music (HEY DID YOU KNOW CIBO MATTO IS PLAYING TONIGHT), it’s not to my personal taste but I can understand that other people’s tastes differ and that’s okay and super, really, just I am bonding with Vamp Willow right now don’t judge)

    <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzsrq7nMEv1r7k3tso3_250.gif"&gt;
    giffed because of that face

    – Yep, Xander, Willow seems to totally need a hand there. (HANDS!) Also, Vamp Willow, you couldn’t see he’s alive by his massively deteriorated fashion sense?
    – Vamp Willow beating up the Mayor’s henchpires is a good scene. Yes.
    – "Geez, who died? … oh god, who died?" can I just say that I love the acting here and, basically, ALL THE THINGS
    – GILES BEAR HUG OMG I WANT ONE TOO ALL THE ADORABILITY
    – The bartender may be one of my favourite one scene characters.
    – I love this little Angel/Oz interaction. He can actually be, like, a normal person when the writers don’t put him in the same scene with Buffy.

    <img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzsrq7nMEv1r7k3tso4_250.gif"&gt;
    …this is relevant to my interests.

    – Ehehehe, Angel reporting in… STILL LOVING ALL THE THINGS HERE
    – Vamp Willow/Vamped-by-VampWillow-Willow? I ship it.
    – resourceful Willow!
    – "I’m so evil and skanky… and I think I’m kinda gay. "

    <img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzsr0eBFe61r7k3tso1_400.gif"&gt;

    – "gosh, look at those" hrhrhrhrhhr
    – Okay I’m repeating myself, but I really love Alyson Hannigan here. As Willow, Vamp Willow, Willow as Vamp Willow, and Vamp Willow as Willow… just flawless. "I like books… because I’m shy."
    – Vamp Willow/Cordelia? I ship it.
    – Well, kudos to Wesley for being prepared with a cross and things. Still can’t be bothered to care about him, NEXT SCENE
    – Also, this vamp may be one of my favourite one-off vamps. This episode contains a lot of my favourite things, really.
    – Awesome fight scene is awesome.
    – Vamp Willow/Willow? I still ship it.

    And because alluded to swears are funny:
    <img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzsrq7nMEv1r7k3tso5_250.gif"&gt;

    So, apart from that one line, I BASICALLY LOVED ALL THE THINGS

    German title: Doppelgängerland, because proper German.

    • myeck says:

      RE: “alluded to swears”

      YES! I hope Mark noticed that Vamp Willow’s mouth was doing something slightly different when she got dusted this time! That’s the sort of little detail that makes this show so rich.

    • enigmaticagentscully says:

      Oooh I forgot about Giles wit the lollipop.

      A few bonus points for the episode then. 😛

    • Danny_SAP says:

      I'll be late with my formal review again (it's a hectic week) but the "evil bisexual" trope will never not get side eye from me. (Vamp!Willow's relationship with Vamp!Xander establishing her as attracted to men.)

      • misterbernie says:

        My eyebrow goes primarily to the aligning of "evil" with "skanky" and "gay" in Willow's line, but yes, the Depraved Bisexual trope expressed in Vamp Willow's is also in there. It's a very meaning-laden eyebrow.

        V znl unir vtaberq gur yvar vs vg jnfa'g sbe fbzr bs gur yngre gerngzrag/pbzzragnel ba znyr dhrrearff naq ovfrkhnyvgl.

        • Danny_SAP says:

          I get a little cross-eyed… with one going towards Willow for her line and another towards the writers for the trope.

          • arctic_hare says:

            Ditto to both of you.

          • misterbernie says:

            That sounds uncomfortably headache inducing 🙁
            *queer solidarity fistbump*

            • Skyweir says:

              V unir npghnyyl ernq guvf nf gur svefg ortvaavat ernyvmngvba bs ure bja frkhnyvgl ol Jvyybj, naq abg nf n fyhe. Gung vf: "V'z fb rivy naq fxnaxl….naq V guvax V'z xvaq bs tnl?" jvgu n dhrfgvba znex. Zl thrff vf gung guvf vf jura Jvyybj fgnegf ragregnvavat gur abgvba gung fur zvtug npghnyyl or nggenpgrq gb tveyf, juvpu fur npgf ba bayl n srj zbaguf yngre.

              Bs pbhefr, V pna nyfb fur ubj gur fragrapr zvtug cynl vagb pbzzba gebcrf yvxr "rivy ovfrkhnyf", zl zvaq whfg qvq abg tb gurer rira gur svefg gvzr V jngpurq guvf fubj. Vg qvq ubjrire znxr zr guvax: "Jvyybj jnf cerggl wrnybhf bs Snvgu naq Ohssl…."

        • hamnoo says:

          Znyr dhrrearff? Jub?
          Be qb lbh zrna Knaqre'f (naq rirel qbhpuront'f) srne bs orvat pbafvqrerq tnl orpnhfr gung jbhyq or gur jbefg guvat va gur jbeyq, (bayl frpbaq gb orvat pbafvqrerq srzvavar? Gurer ner gbb znal qbhpurontf bhg gurer, naq gurl whfg qba'g fgbc rkvfgvat. Jul?)

          Bu jnvg, Knaqre'f abg gung onq va yngre frnfbaf. Abg *gung*.

          • misterbernie says:

            V'z ersreevat gb Naqerj naq gur Ubfg/Ybear, jub ner vzb dhvgr svezyl pbqrq nf dhrre, ohg vg'f zbfgyl hfrq sbe wbxrf vafgrnq bs cbgragvny punenpgre qrirybczrag, naq V'z pevgvpvfvat gur jevgref urer naq abg nal punenpgref va-havirefr.
            Gurer'f nyfb gung pbzzragnel ovg jurer Wbff gnyxf nobhg gur wbxr bs Natry/Fcvxr orvat vagvzngr "gung bar gvzr", juvpu ntnva, vg'f hfrq sbe n wbxr naq abg nalguvat zber, juvpu va gur jubyr pbagrkg bs gur gjb fubjf whfg qbrfa'g fvg evtug jvgu zr.

            Cyhf, guvf dhbgr sebz Wbff' pbzzragnel ba N Ubyr va gur Jbeyq:
            “Lbh xabj, hz, V whfg jnaan fnl Natry naq Fcvxr, gurl jrer unatvat bhg, hu, sbe lrnef naq lrnef naq lrnef, gurl jrer va, lbh xabj, nyy xvaqf bs qrivnag, gurl jrer inzcverf… Ner jr guvaxvat gurl arire…? Pbzr ba, crbcyr! V’z whfg fnlva’. V’z whfg fnlva’. Lbh xabj, gurl’er bcra-zvaqrq thlf. Gurl znl or rivy ohg, lbh xabj, gurl’er abg ovtbgrq be pybfrq-zvaqrq.”
            Rira jvgu gur ynfg yvar guebja va, vg fgvyy cynlf vagb gur Qrcenirq Ovfrkhny gebcr naq… jryy, Wbff = boivbhfyl fgenvtug thl, va gung ertneq.

            • arctic_hare says:

              Gung dhbgr vf bar bs gur znal ernfbaf V fvqr-rlr Jurqba.

            • hamnoo says:

              V qba'g rira xabj ubj jryy V nz noyr gb shyyl ybbx ng Ohssl/Natry sebz n qvfgnag crefcrpgvir orpnhfr vg'f fb vzzrefrq vagb zl grrantre rkcrevrapr fb zl srryvatf bs vg ner nyy xvaqf bs whzoyrq.
              V arire rkcrevraprq Ybear nf tnl, be znexrq nf tnl, gubhtu jvgu uvf shaxl pybgurf naq rirelguvat ur vf bs pbhefr pyrneyl fvzvyne gb tnl va bhe zbqrea fbpvrgl. Ohg gnyxvat sebz na va-havirefr crefcrpgvir: Qbrf ur rire rkcerff n frkhny vagrerfg va nalbar? V nyjnlf sryg gung ur jnf n-frkhny, znlor.
              V nyfb arire gubhtug bs Naqerj nf tnl, abg rira abj.
              Nyfb, Fcvxr naq Natry, vg jnf nyjnlf xvaqn boivbhf gb zr gung gurer unq orra fbzrguvat unccravat fbzr gvzr va gur cnfg, ohg V'q nyjnlf orra xvaqn qvfnccbvagrq gung vg jnf arire ernyyl fubja. Bs pbhefr, zl gura-zvaq qvqa'g qvssre orgjrra gur qvfphefvir zrnavatf bs "rivy vf tnl" naq "*abezny* vf tnl". Ba gur bgure unaq, znlor gung jnf xvaq bs whfgvsvrq orpnhfr Natry/Ohssl arire ernyyl qvssreragvngrq gung pybfr (rfcrpvnyyl va yngre frnfbaf) orgjrra "abezny rivy" naq "qrzbal rivy"- naq aba-rivy. V qba'g xabj gubhtu. Whfg zl gubhtugf.

              • misterbernie says:

                Sebz na va-havirefr crefcrpgvir, gurer ner ybgf bs cbvagf gb or znqr sbe uvz abg orvat nal uhzna frkhnyvgl – ur vf n qvssrerag, nyorvg uhznabvq fcrpvrf, naq sebz jung jr'ir frra, uvf phygher qrsvavgryl unf qvssrerag fgnaqneqf bs srzvavavgl naq znfphyvavgl, naq V pna'g erzrzore uvz rkcerffvat frkhny be ebznagvp vagrerfgvat, rvgure.
                Ohg V crefbanyyl pna'g vtaber gur bhg-bs-havirefr nfcrpg, naq uvf svefg nccrnenapr vf bs uvz fvatvat "V jvyy fheivir", naq uvf trareny znaare erzvaqf zr gbb zhpu bs gur pnzc tnl gebcr gb vtaber. Fb lrnu, ba gur jubyr, uvf punenpgre whfg obguref zr va gung ertneq, be engure, gur jnl gur jevgref pubfr gb gerng uvz.

                Naq jryy, sbe zr, Naqerjf vf cerggl zhpu gur Qhzoyrqber gb Jneera'f Tevaqryjnyq. Bayl yrff njrfbzr (jryy bxnl V pbhyq jevgr na rffnl nobhg ercerffrq ubzbfrkhnyvgl naq ulcreznfphyvar orunivbhe gb znxr hc sbe creprvirq frkhnyvgl-eryngrq jrnxarff ohg V'z trggvat gbb qehax evtug abj, naq nyfb V arrq gb fnsr zl zna!tre sbe jura jr npghnyyl trg gurer).

                • Danny_SAP says:

                  V irel zhpu nterr jvgu gur ernqvat bs Ybear nf tnl pnzc. "Pbasvezrq onpurybe" svgf uvz dhvgr jryy.

                  Naq V'z abg fher jung gb qb jvgu n ernqvat gung qbrfa'g vaibyir Naqerj nf tnl? Orpnhfr vs gur ehaavat tnt vfa'g gung ur'f n pybfrgrq tnl zna, gur tnt vf gung ur npgf yvxr bar… arvgure bs juvpu vf n cnegvphyneyl fuvavat cybg qrivpr sbe Grnz Zhgnag Rarzl.

                  • hamnoo says:

                    V qba'g xabj. V arire haqrefgbbq uvf ehaavat tnt fgnghf, V arire ernyyl yvxrq uvz, fb znlor gung'f jul V arire haqrefgbbq uvz gb or tnl (be ivpr irefn). Ur whfg nyjnlf frrzrq gb or gur tbbsl thl gung ercynprq rneyvre Knaqre naq V whfg arire … fnj gur arrq sbe uvz. Nf jryy nf sbe gur gevb va trareny. (Gubhtu V haqrefgnaq jul vg jnf chg va gur fubj, xvaqn yvxr V haqrefgnaq jul frnfba 5 bs Natry srngherq fb znal gevgr, rirelqnl yvsr yvggyr guvatf: orpnhfr vg'f gur yvggyr guvatf gung obt lbh qbja naq rng njnl ng lbh. Fgvyy, V pna'g uryc srryvat yvxr gur jevgref npghnyyl yvxrq gur Gevb naq yngre Naqerj sbe frys-vafregvba ernfbaf, naq htu, ur'f whfg fghcvq, naq naablvat sbe zr yvxr Knaqre jvgu uvf "frk-penivat fyhg-funzvat grrantre fpugvpx"

                    • @Ivana2804 says:

                      Naqerj jnf boivbhfyl tnl ohg fb qrrc va gur pybfrg gung rira ur qvqa'g ernyvmr gung. V qba'g guvax ur'f rire unq frk jvgu nalbar (ng yrnfg abg ba gur fubj… Znlor ur'yy pbzr bhg va gur pbzvpf). Ur jnf boivbhfyl va ybir jvgu Jneera. Unf n znffvir pehfu ba Fcvxr. Vf nggenpgrq gb n ahzore bs znyr pryroevgvrf sebz Fpbgg Onxhyn gb Ivttb Zbegrafra. Unf n guvat sbe Knaqre. Vf fubja fuvccvat Knaqre/Naln ohg vqragvslvat jvgu Naln naq zbhguvat ure jbeqf juvyr jngpuvat gur ivqrb ur fubg bs gurve pbairefngvba. Vfa'g vagrerfgrq va Jvyybj naq Xraarql xvffvat (Fgbelgryyre) naq va frnfba 8, vf oberq juvyr n ohapu bs Fynlref nebhaq uvz ner cynlvat fgevc cbxre. Gurer ner sne gbb znal uvagf.

                    • Danny_SAP says:

                      Gur yvfg tbrf ba naq ba naq ba…

    • cait0716 says:

      Apparently Willow/Cordelia is Wordy (I just made this discovery a month or two ago). What is Vamp Willow/Cordy? Vordy? Vawordy?

    • arctic_hare says:

      I love your comment and your gifs <3 and have to especially remark on the bits about the music. WTF INDEED @ at that song

      • misterbernie says:

        <3 I'm on a roll today 😀
        I'm sure there's deep poetic meaning behind it, but it really sounds like… indie for the sake of indie.

        • arctic_hare says:

          <3 indeed you are 😀 😀 😀

          It does, it so does. I distinctly remember going "UH. WHAT THE HELL IS THIS. BIZARRE SONG." the first time I saw this episode.

        • hassibah says:

          Actually, it sounds very Nirvana-inspired to me. Also not a good thing in my books, but I am pedantic about these things sometimes (sorry! BtW this is about as apologetic as I get about my opinions.)

      • hamnoo says:

        There's a book about that episode (it's part of the Willow's stories, literarized), in which vamp Willow actually goes "WTF" about the song.

        I love it though. I mean, yeah, the lyrics are kinda strange but I DON'T CARE.

      • hassibah says:

        YES IT IS SO WEIRD THERE IS NO REASON TO BE DIPLOMATIC ABOUT THAT.

    • Ginsue says:

      Vamp Willow/Willow? I still ship it.

      My primary thought during this episode was, "I wonder if Willow/Willow is popular in fandom," and, "Why am I surprisingly okay with this?" I love alternate timelines so very much.

    • pica_scribit says:

      "there’s a chair in my head on which I used to sit"? YEAH I CAN’T BLAME YOU FOR BEING WEIRDED OUT BY THIS WORLD, I mean, really W H A T

      I actually have this MP3. My ex-fiance was really into mid-90's girl rock, and I sort of ended up with all his music at some point. K's Choice, Evanescence, Bif Naked…. He enjoyed chick flicks more than I did, too. (And before anyone asks, yes, he was straight; he was just secure enough in his masculinity to enjoy things most people would consider "girly".)

      The bartender may be one of my favourite one scene characters.

      He is Not Impressed with teenage shenanigans, and I suspect he hates the music, too.

      And you clearly need to check out The Erotic Adventures of Buffy and Evil Vampire Willow webcomic. Basically, all the 'ships. (SPOILERS for later seasons for anyone who is considering clicking that link)

    • Gorimek says:

      But the "proper German" misses the "gangland" pun.

      Then again, perhaps that *is* the proper German way…

  7. enigmaticagentscully says:

    Giles hugging Willow is one of my favourite things to happen in life, ever. It’s right up there with patheticdrunk!Spike. One day I will make a list of my favourite random THINGS from Buffy and it will be glorious.

    Ooooh I'm probably gonna disappoint a lot of people here but…

    I wasn’t…AS into this episode as probably most people are. Don’t get me wrong, it was kind of a fun premise, but vamp!Willow just doesn’t really do anything for me? It was fun seeing her in ‘The Wish’ (and I LOVE THAT EPISODE FOREVER) but she got a little boring here with a whole episode to herself. Basically the whole point of her character is to be all ‘Ooooh look at how weird it is to see cute and innocent Willow being all evil and ~sexy~ and wearing leather’ and it just gets a meh reaction from me. Nothing against the concept, I just felt like we’ve seen it before. Also, there’s a certain amount of the whole ‘evil promiscuous bisexual’ thing going on here, which always makes me uncomfortable. Actually, isn’t that on TV Tropes? ‘Depraved Bisexual’, right?

    So Vamp!Willow shows up and is all evil and badass, and then real Willow helps to foil her schemes. Not a whole lot really happened. As I already mentioned, the best part of the episode was when everyone briefly thought she was dead – that was pretty sad to watch even though we knew it wasn’t true. There was a bit of character development with Willow trying to be more assertive and spontaneous but it doesn’t really suit her. I like my Willow the way she is! Though that Percy dude being totally terrified of her now is kinda hilarious.

    Soooo, what else was there in this ep? Like I said, nothing much actually happened. Oh yeah, it seems like Wesley and Cordelia have some kind of…I don’t even know what they have. They’re both sort of into each other and I’m not sure why? But I imagine it will lead to some hilarity, so why not?

    We saw ‘Anya’ again of course, but apart from providing the impetus for the plot, she basically stood around a whole lot. I’m interested to see if she becomes a recurring antagonist though, since her powers (if she ever gets them back) could provide some cool episodes. I like her! Y’know, based on the tiny handful of scenes she actually had.

    Meh. I feel a bit guilty writing this, because I feel like I should have really loved this episode. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it. But somehow it never quite clicked for me. Sorry!

    • enigmaticagentscully says:

      OH GOD JUST READ MARK'S REVIEW AND EVERYONE ELSE'S COMMENTS.
      IT HAS HAPPENED.

      I would just like to direct you to one of my predictions for season 3…

      "19) There will be one episode of which I feel completely differently about to the rest of the fandom, and I will really embarrass myself by the comments I make. (This hasn’t happened yet, but I live in fear of it)"

      I feel so alone. 🙁

      • darkwater says:

        Apparently so.

        Bad, Alice. No cookie.

      • arctic_hare says:

        Seriously, though, I know how you feel. There are episodes of shows (this one included) where I feel completely different about from the rest of the fandom, so I get how you feel alone.

      • tomomakimou says:

        Don't worry. You are never alone, no matter how unpopular your opinion may seem 🙂

        I like this episode a lot and it's always on my S3 re-watch list, but it's not my absolute favorite, either. (Also S3 is not my favorite season.)

        If it's any consolation, I don't like Band Candy at all (and now I know which episode to pick for the "Episode You Hate That Everyone Else Loves" for 30 days of Buffy meme ! ). There. I said it. *runs to hide*

    • YOU ARE DEAD TO ME.

      DEAD TO ME.

      UNDEAD TO ME.

      Okay I still like you fine.

    • Nattlinnen says:

      Wo! You are the first (of quite many) to not adore this episode! Well maybe, through training you can change your mind!

      • hassibah says:

        I like this episode and I think it's fun like many Buffy episodes are, but yeah it's not really listed in my top 3 things that I would have to watch if I had one day left to live, which seems to be how most people rate it. Compared to my other unpopular opinions though I don't know how badly this would rank.

    • cait0716 says:

      I really want to see your list of favorite random THINGS. It will be glorious!

    • tanbarkie says:

      In all seriousness, watch it again – but this time just focus on Hannigan's performance. When you watch with the understanding that she's going to spend the episode playing FOUR DIFFERENT ITERATIONS of the same character, Doppelgangland's brilliance may just reveal itself to you. 🙂

      • enigmaticagentscully says:

        Oh her performance was brilliant, I'm not denying. There just wasn't quite enough plot for me to go with it.

        Like I said, I really loved seeing Vamp!Willow in 'The Wish', but with a whole episode dedicated to her, I think I kind of got overexposed to it, if that makes any sense?

    • Danny_SAP says:

      Unease at the depraved bisexual is the best reason for feeling meh about this episode.

      • enigmaticagentscully says:

        I am bi myself, so maybe that had more of an effect on me than I thought? It is a common trope that really bothers me.

        I'm trying to put my finger on exactly why this episode didn't do much for me, now I know how much it's generally beloved…

        • arctic_hare says:

          It bothers me too. I still love a lot of this episode, but it bugs the hell out of me regardless.

        • Danny_SAP says:

          Likewise… there are very few incidences of bisexuals in media that aren't also murderers or otherwise morally questionable. So having BtVS devote an episode to an alt-Willow who is sexually aggressive and bisexual and kinky and murderous, directly after an episode where Faith displays her sexually aggressive kinky murderous streak… (Is Faith straight or bi, btw?) is just like… can there be a sexual being on this show who isn't also shown as morally deviant? Please?

          So enjoyment of the episode is predicated on being able to move past the offense. I'm pretty sure I'd have a similarly hard time enjoying it if I encountered it for the first with the politics I have now.

    • LadyPeyton says:

      The thing I find interesting is it's a great episode for insight into exactly what a vampire is after a person gets turned. They're more than simply eeeeeevvvvviiiiilllllll! We finally have an example of a character *and* their vampire persona to compare and contrast throughout an episode and it provides fascinating information.

    • Ellie says:

      Well, I like this episode very much and think it's hilarious, but I'll agree it doesn't hold a candle to The Wish, which I love with all my heart and soul and which would probably make my Top 10 if I was ever foolish enough to try to narrow it down.

      Nygubhtu, orgjrra gur Jvyybj sberfunqbjvat naq Naln gheavat bhg abg gb or n Zbafgre Bs Gur Jrrx, gurer'f fb zhpu zber gb Qbccrytnatynaq guna arjovrf pbhyq xabj.

    • Neet says:

      I actually felt a bit like that with "The Wish" the first time I saw it. I came into the show heavily spoiled: knowing both the premise and that it was a fan favourite, so I had incredibly high expectations that didn't quite get met. It never quite clicked for me and I'm not sure why, because objectively I can appreciate what the episode is doing. Conversely, that meant that I significantly lowered my expectations the first time I saw this episode, knowing Vamp Willow would return and instead I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't quite get her in "The Wish" so I did get her here. It's just one of those things.

  8. arctic_hare says:

    <3 <3 I love this episode <3 <3

    Nitpicky thing of the day: It is ESpresso, not EXpresso. GAAAAAAAAH.

    Also, I really don't like the way Willow is talking about Faith here. It feels very ableist and shaming of the trauma Faith went through, and the fact that a portion of her animosity towards Faith comes from jealousy makes it sit even less well with me. She did attack Xander, that is true, but Willow disliked her prior to that due to jealousy over Faith "sharing her people" and admitted it outright as some of her bias when she expressed her desire to see Faith put behind bars with no rehabilitation attempts. It feels very much like Xander's biased behavior towards Angel, and I don't like it any more than I did his actions/words.

    Plus, we know that in an alternate world, Buffy would be a lot like Faith. So I know that Willow is wrong about that, though nobody onscreen (except Anya) does.

    Gur pbairefngvba qbrf gnxr ba n pregnva nqqrq jrvtug jura jr ybbx ng gur riragf bs frnfba fvk, gubhtu, va ertneqf gb Jvyybj. Fur zbfg pregnvayl qbrf "unir gung va ure".

    Faith's new apartment is pretty nice. HAHAHA A PLAYSTATION. Oh, do I remember those days when that system was the newest, hottest thing. Fondly, I might add – I have a lot of affection for that era of gaming. (Psst – Nrevf qvrf.) Ah, but on a much more serious note, I can't help but notice Faith's expression when the Mayor says "let's kill your little friend". Taken in tandem with the way she wishes Buffy good luck on the test, I think she definitely still cares about the Scoobies and isn't ready to actually kill someone she knows yet, even if she doesn't trust them and has utterly rejected them. She's onboard with the Mayor, on his side, but she's still struggling with the whole "killing humans" thing. Proof that she is not wholly evil or completely beyond help.

    Percy, you are such a fucking tool.

    Xander and Buffy crack me up here. I especially love SMG's delivery of "Xander, I beg you not to help me."

    Gbb onq lbh pna'g erzrzore gung snpg yngre va yvsr, Jvyybj.

    I love Vamp Willow so, so much. <3 <3 <3

    Their grief is well-played, but I can't help but laugh because I know their Willow isn't dead and what's coming. Though, awwww at the hugging bit, especially when Giles hugs her. <3 Xander shaking the cross like it's malfunctioning is hilarious too.

    Poor Anya. 🙁 🙁 🙁

    Oz/Angel interaction, that's something you don't see every day.

    V frrz gb erzrzore Fnaql orvat bar bs gur inzcverf Evyrl uverq gb fhpx uvf oybbq be jungrire gur shpx gung fgbelyvar jnf. ERGPBA ERGPBA ERGPBA orpnhfr gurer'f ab rivqrapr urer gung fur jnf inzcrq, jr whfg frr Jvyybj qenvavat ure.

    Angel's reaction to seeing human Willow there is priceless, and I <3 Xander's "We're right there with you, buddy." line. I think it's the delivery, I don't know. He's pretty funny to me in this episode overall.

    I love the interaction between the two Willows, and human Willow pretending to be vampire Willow. This episode is a fantastic showcase for Alyson Hannigan's acting talents.

    URGH, Willow, did you have to use the word "skanky"? BAD WILLOW. BAD. Ugh, I hate that word. Really, the whole line just bugs me.

    • arctic_hare says:

      Oh, how I love that bit where Angel says “Well, actually -” wrt to a vampire’s personality. Opens up so many fascinating questions. Though obviously Buffy cannot deal with the idea of Angelus’ personality being in any way similar to Angel’s.

      Nabgure ernfba jul V ybir Natry gur frevrf, frnfba gjb rfcrpvnyyl: vgf rkcybengvba bs guvf snpg. Natry naq Natryhf ner gur fnzr crefba.

      I love SMG’s delivery of “Uh, I have a really bad idea.” Complete with hand raising. FLAWLESS.

      <3 Cordelia and Wesley.

      Xander's moment with Vamp Willow at the end is why I don't tend to buy into the "Xander just hates all vampires!" excuse for his previous shitty behavior towards Buffy/Angel. He seems to find it pretty cool that he has a badass vampire alternate self that everyone's afraid of. It's a funny little moment, and I'm not criticizing him here, but it does contradict that argument in my eyes.

      Crefbanyyl, V'yy nyjnlf srry gung vg jnf n uhtr zvffrq bccbeghavgl gung gurl qvqa'g bcg gb qb na rcvfbqr yvxr guvf sbe Knaqre. Nyy jr tbg jnf uvf qbbsl qbhoyr va Gur Ercynprzrag, na rcvfbqr V sbhaq rira yrff vagrerfgvat guna Gur Mrccb. V jbhyq'ir ernyyl rawblrq na rkcybengvba bs uvf qnex fvqr ivn Inzc Knaqre fbzrubj gheavat hc, gubhtu. Gung pbhyq unir orra n ybg bs sha naq yrq gb fbzr terng punenpgre tebjgu, ohg sbe jungrire ernfba gurl qrpvqrq abg gb tb gung ebhgr. Cvgl.

      Awww, it's kinda sad that she still gets staked (by Oz, no less), but it's hilarious to me that she got cut off as she started to say "aw, fuck!". 😀

      I have to heavily side-eye the inclusion of the "dying a virgin" line in Willow's list of things she feels like doing now that she's seen her dark half. Because oooh, having sex makes you such a BAD PERSON. It's such an EVIL thing to do! Except not. Gross, writers. Gross.

      "V zrna, fur zrffrq hc rirelguvat fur gbhpurq. V qba'g rire jnag gb or yvxr gung." BU TBQ. Frnfba fvk sberfunqbjvat gb gur znk.

      Percy is so fucking hilarious in this scene.

      • hamnoo says:

        Knaqre qvq unir gung va gur jrqqvat rcvfbqr, xvaqn. Gubhtu V thrff V'q nyfb unir cersreerq n inzc Knaqre rcvfbqr naq nabgure qbccrytnatre rcvfbqr sbe Jvyybj. V nyfb guvax gur "ivetvavny Jvyybj if. rivy tnl Jvyybj" jnf xvaq bs bayl gurer sbe hf gb frr Ivetva Jvyybj va n yrngure pbefrg.

      • @Ivana2804 says:

        Gurl cebonoyl qvqa'g qb n Inzc!Knaqre rcvfbqr orpnhfr vg jnf haarprffnel orpnhfr gurl nyernql unq qbar gur Ulran!Knaqre rcvfbqr, juvpu vf cerggl zhpu gur fnzr guvat. Knaqre jnf gur svefg punenpgre gb unir na rcvfbqr gung rkcyberq uvf rivy fvqr.

      • Danny_SAP says:

        The writers DO redeem themselves slightly by the bit with Percy at the end… I was all pissed off about the die a virgin line but once Willow sees that her vamp alter ego commanded percy's respect she drops her ridiculous guilt and agrees to go out with Buffy. It's an interesting complication.

      • Hyaroo says:

        Xander's moment with Vamp Willow at the end is why I don't tend to buy into the "Xander just hates all vampires!" excuse for his previous shitty behavior towards Buffy/Angel. He seems to find it pretty cool that he has a badass vampire alternate self that everyone's afraid of. It's a funny little moment, and I'm not criticizing him here, but it does contradict that argument in my eyes.

        Actually, that does touch on something I hadn't really noticed (or at least not thought of) before… Is it just me, or does Xander seem more tolerant of Angel lately? Ever since he showed up to aid Buffy and Giles in helping Angel back in Amends, on the few occasions where he's interacted with Angel he's been much more positive, even caling him "buddy" a couple of times. Granted, when he did it inThe Zeppo it was under… not-very-normal circumstances, to say the least, but when he says "we're right there with you, buddy" in this episode, it does feel… sorta genuine?

        I don't really know where I'm going with this, but it does seem like Xander is growing up a little and maybe beginning to realize that things aren't as black-and-white as he tends to view them. I would have liked to see a little more of what led to this, other than a claim that he got the "Hanukkah spirit."

        Fgvyy, V qb nterr gung Knaqre graqf gb trg funsgrq ba npghny, va-qrcgu punenpgre qrirybczrag, naq V guvax gung'f cnegyl orpnhfr ur'f fghpx va gur "pbzrql eryvrs" ebyr naq gur jevgref qba'g ernyyl frrz gb xabj ubj gb zvk gung jvgu npghny qrirybczrag; naq fb juvyr Knaqre qbrf tebj nf n crefba bire gur frira frnfbaf, uvf punenpgre wbhearl frrzf njshyyl funool naq abafrafvpny; fbzrgvzrf ur'yy tb guebhtu ovt, yvsr-punatvat fvghngvbaf naq abg punatr ng nyy, bgure gvzrf ur znxrf gurfr cerggl fhofgnagvny ghea-nebhaqf sbe ab nccnerag ernfba.

        • arctic_hare says:

          Oh, it's not just you, he does seem to be more tolerant of Angel lately. I forgot to write it down in my Zeppo comment, but I actually found that scene really funny even if he does still dislike the guy, because the sheer desperation to get away from someone boring him to death was well acted/written (and because moments like that always strike my funny bone). I too would've liked to see more of why this is lately.

          V xabj ur'f tbg n zbzrag pbzvat hc va Tenqhngvba Qnl cneg gjb jurer ur znxrf gung erznex gb Natry nobhg srrqvat bss gur tvey ur ybirf gb fnir uvzfrys, naq ur qrsvavgryl qbrfa'g frrz sbaq bs uvz gurer, ohg V npghnyyl qba'g unir n ceboyrz jvgu gung, juvpu V'yy trg vagb va zl pbzzrag sbe gung bar jura Znex trgf gurer.

          Lrnu, uvf qrirybczrag ernyyl vfa'g jung vg fubhyq'ir orra, naq jung fgvpxf va zl penj zbfg nobhg vg vf gung qhr gb gur jevgref arire univat nalbar pnyy uvz bhg ba vg, ur qbrfa'g ernyyl yrnea gung uvf fyhg-funzvat nagvpf ner n onq guvat, guhf yrnqvat gb gung ubeevoyr fprar va Ragebcl jvgu Naln naq Fcvxr. Guvf tbrf onpx gb jung ebova_pbzzragf fnvq nobhg synjrq punenpgref naq ubj gurve ernpgvbaf – naq zvar gbb – ner qvssrerag qrcraqvat ba ubj gur aneengvir gerngf gurz, ernyyl.

    • Angel's reaction to seeing human Willow there is priceless, and I ♥ Xander's "We're right there with you, buddy." line. I think it's the delivery, I don't know. He's pretty funny to me in this episode overall.
      Just imagine if Angel's first girlfriend turned into the moon!

      • arctic_hare says:

        THAT'S ROUGH, BUDDY

        • Jenny_M says:

          God that is my favorite line in all of A:TLA. Like, it doesn't get any better than Dante Basco's delivery in that moment.

          • guest_age says:

            In total agreement. Nothing is better than that.

          • LadyViridis says:

            I have a lot of favorites, but definitely up there is "Can your SCIENCE explain how it RAINS?" "YES. YES IT CAN."

            See also: pretty much everything from The Ember Island Players. It was so brilliant, it all counts as one quote.

            • I have a lot of favorites, but definitely up there is "Can your SCIENCE explain how it RAINS?" "YES. YES IT CAN."
              When I first heard that line, I nearly fell off the couch laughing. Definitely a favorite.

            • hpfish13 says:

              On the Ember Island Players note: I'm currently watching the show with a new watcher, and when Jet died he asked something along the lines of "Did Jet die, because I'm not really sure"

              I just barely contained my laughter.

    • misterbernie says:

      Fnaql vf gur svefg bar gb ovgr Evyrl, naq ol vzcyvpngvba gur bar jub trgf uvz "ubbxrq", gubhtu fur qbrf vg sbe serr.
      Naq lrnu, ure inzcvat vf fhpu n ergpba, cerggl zhpu yvxr Unezbal'f.

      And yeah, Willow seems to lead in the "saying awful things" department this week.

    • Nattlinnen says:

      Lrn, vg'f evyrlf ybir. Naq lrf, rira gubhtu vg'f snveyl avpr bs rz gb oevat onpx fhpu na byq inzcver punenpgre, fur ernyyl fubhyqa'g or n inzc…

    • icy says:

      Oh, how I love that bit where Angel says "Well, actually -" wrt to a vampire's personality. Opens up so many fascinating questions. Though obviously Buffy cannot deal with the idea of Angelus' personality being in any way similar to Angel's.

      Yes, this! It's kind of a throwaway here, but it opened up so many thoughts for me about the vampire vs. the human. It makes the First's pursuit of Angel in Amends more pointed, because the intelligent cruel specific Angelus was always a part of Angel, not some demon he can say wasn't "really him." Extending the analogy of the excuse, "well, I was drunk, I didn't really mean to xxx." Because it was always there somewhere inside you. And so having a soul gives you more of a choice over how you are, but the capacity for uber evil and uber good lies within every one.

    • guest_age says:

      V nterr jvgu lbh ba lbhe Ebg 13'q pbzzrag nobhg jul Natry gur frevrf vf fb terng–V ubarfgyl srry yvxr uvf nccrnenaprf ba Ohssl ner fbeg bs n punezvat ceryhqr gb jura Natry orpbzrf n erny punenpgre–V jvyy or ubarfg gung gur svefg gvzr V jngpurq guvf fubj, V qvqa'g yvxr Natry gung zhpu, ohg bapr V jngpurq NgF, V ernyyl ortna gb nccerpvngr naq rawbl uvz. (Abj, bs pbhefr, jura V er-jngpu Ohssl, V rawbl uvz n ybg zber orpnhfr zl bcvavba bs uvz vf pbyberq ol NgF.)

      As far as Xander's comment about his Wish!verse self at the end, I've always taken that as more of a comment that comes from his insecurities: in some other universe, he is respected/feared, and since those are things Xander wants in this universe, he thinks that's "cool." I think you're right about his treatment of Angel not being just him hating all vampires, but in this specific instance, I interpret his remarks to be less about "vampires, cool" and more about "having power and respect, cool." If that makes any sense. It sort of goes with the theme of this episode of Willow feeling like she's not sexy or dangerous enough and then meeting her dangerous and sexy counterpart. Only because Xander didn't get to see just how bad/evil his alt!self was, he doesn't get the same insight into, "thank God I'm me and not him" as Willow gets from meeting Vampire!Willow.

      • arctic_hare says:

        "Bayl orpnhfr Knaqre qvqa'g trg gb frr whfg ubj onq/rivy uvf nyg!frys jnf, ur qbrfa'g trg gur fnzr vafvtug vagb, "gunax Tbq V'z zr naq abg uvz" nf Jvyybj trgf sebz zrrgvat Inzcver!Jvyybj."

        Juvpu vf rknpgyl jul V jvfu jr'q tbggra gung vafgrnq bs jung jr qvq trg va Gur Ercynprzrag. FB ZHPU JNFGRQ CBGRAGVNY GURER.

    • etherealclarity says:

      "Xander shaking the cross like it's malfunctioning is hilarious too. "

      One of my favorite moments in the episode. Makes me laugh out loud every time.

    • Seventh_Star says:

      totally with you in the "espresso" thing. i always notice it.

    • robin_comments says:

      Also, I really don't like the way Willow is talking about Faith here.
      ug. I really hate that too. The fact that I don't think it's out of character for Willow either is one of the reasons it bothers me so much**. I'm like, WHY WILLOW, WHY? It's like the words Xander has used in the past to attack Cordelia — why go to that unnecessary place? There are legitimate angles for attack, but you're choosing to be petty and gross instead!

      I wish Willow would just stuck with what happened to Xander when she wants to trash on Faith (and man, I really wish the characters would give that more weight — just like in The Pack, I wish for more acknowledgement about the gravity of the assault and its affect on the victim. Being attacked like that by someone you know–both the sexual and violent components, that's not something you shrug off. I know it's not something the show wants to stop and focus on, but… I just wish it did? lol.)

      **I think possibly Willow tends to be slut-shamey (this kind of dialogue seems to pop up from her every so often, enough that it's a pattern to me) because her insecurities and social inadequacies make her look for ways in which she is "better", and so she starts to put value in the idea of her 'purity', the amount of her body that she covers, and her conservative expression of her sexuality –prizing these traits as something that sets her apart from people who she sees as otherwise more conventionally attractive/appealing compared to her. (I'm not saying this is an excuse, just a possible explanation.)

      • arctic_hare says:

        Agreed with all of this.

      • Skyweir says:

        Yes, that is how I see it too. I think that is a common problem in fact. Willow is insecure and she has clearly been both ostracized and bullied in the past, and she is trying to find a way to put herself above the people she despise. It is not right, but it is understandable. Willow feels unworthy of being Buffy's friend and felt sure she would lose her to Faith now that another was available to be Buffy's friend. This seems to be a recurring theme.

        Vaqrrq, guvf srne bs nonaqbazrag, vafrphevgl naq ynpx bs frys-rfgrrz yrnqf ure gb gur Qnex Fvqr yngre ba, naq jr pna nyernql frr vg unccravat n ovg va guvf rcvfbqr.

        Still, as I have mentioned earlier, I feel that Cordelia and others got away with a lot of other kinds of slurs towards Willow, the fandom seldom called Cordelia or even Faith on their attitude towards Willow, so my sympathies will always lie squarly with Willow to the point of irrationality.

        • CandyCane says:

          I'll pretty much always be on Willow's side in these kinds of things too. I also think that Shelia and Ira Rosenberg with the conservative clothes that they want her wearing (see her outfit in the pilot), forbidding boys in her room even though her two best friends growing up were boys and bits of religious strictness (having to go to Xander's to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas Special because she can't do something like that in her Jewish home) really enforced constricting notions on what's a Good Girl.

          It's not like she'll only apply severe judgement on sex to Cordelia or Faith. She'll self-flagellate to the extreme for hooking up with Xander, worry about whether making the first move on Oz makes her a slut, feel double-guilt coupons if her vamp self is skanky, dress incredibly childishly and have a coronary at her Halloween sexy-wear in S2. These constricting notions about sex were pretty drummed into her by her family and then reinforced by people like Cordelia and Harmony acting like she can never be sexy or interesting to the opposite sex and any attempt is just the worst sort of dysfunction.

        • robin_comments says:

          I think that is a common problem in fact.
          I agree, it's definitely a common problem, and one that's really larger than Willow — some women really do end up dealing with their insecurities and feelings of being marginalized by leaning on damaging stereotypes, internalized misogyny, and shaming of female sexuality and they're often even culturally encouraged to do so. And it's so easy to make yourself feel better about the idea of people preferring someone else's company over yours when you degrade them–cheapening their "victory" by tainting it with shame and making it about something they are doing wrong, so the rejection isn't a commentary on you at all.

          I agree that Cordelia has a lot of ugly classism that she deserves to be called out on. I think one reason that I don't much is that I feel like the show does –she's framed as someone tactless, who says hurtful things, and is not to be idolized as a good person (even though sometimes she is to be pitied). Naq gura ure pynff vf fgevccrq njnl sebz ure ng gur raq bs F3/Natry F1, naq fur'f sbeprq gb yvir gur yvsrfglyr fur zbpxrq, guebhtu cbiregl, n snvyrq npgvat pnerre, rira ivbyngvba bs ure pbairagvbanyyl nggenpgvir obql.

          Juvyr vg srryf gb zr crefbanyyl yvxr Jvyybj naq Knaqre'f bppnfvbanyyl bssrafvir qvnybthr nobhg Snvgu & Pbeqryvn vf arire frevbhfyl npxabjyrqtrq jvguva gur grkg. V crefbanyyl srry yvxr vg'f senzrq nf bx naq abg fbzrguvat gung ersyrpgf cbbeyl ba rvgure punenpgre. Naq fb vg obguref zr jnl zber naq V srry yvxr V arrq gb pnyy gurz bhg ba vg. [gubhtu gur fubj unccvyl yngre shyyl nqqerff fbzr bs Jvyybj'f bgure qnexre punenpgrevmngvba nfcrpgf.]

          But this is a typical response for me–character actions bother me 500x more when I feel like the *show itself* isn't acknowledging what I see as hypocrisy/cruelty/sexism/racism/unpleasant excessive arrogance or judgmentalness etc etc. Like, when I feel like the show keeps TELLING me a character is sweet, compassionate, humble, moral, admirable, heroic, etc but what I feel like they're SHOWING me has a lot of ugly bits that are being glossed over… I get itchy. Since I feel like the show does a good job of telling me Cordelia can be shallow & short-sighted person whose POV is not necessarily accurate or socially acceptable, I can shrug her dialogue off and laugh.

          That's sooo a personal thing, though. People's mileage may vary. There's nothing wrong with it bothering you the same. 🙂

          • Karen says:

            Upvote a million times! Especially the rot13-ed bit.

            V guvax gung gur znva ernfba gung V qba'g unir nf zhpu vffhr jvgu Pbeqryvn'f pynffvfz (bgure guna gur snpg gung gur fubj vf senzvat vg nf onq orunivbe) vf gung fur yrneaf ure yrffba nobhg vg va gur raq naq fur punatrf. Fur tbrf guebhtu yvivat va n penccl ncnegzrag naq abg univat avpr guvatf nalzber naq univat gb jbex sbe zbarl, Naq nf cneg bs ure punenpgre wbhearl fur ernyyl yrneaf gb pner nobhg bgure crbcyr. Jvgu Knaqre, vg arire frrzf yvxr ur npghnyyl yrneaf gung uvf fuvggl frkvfg pbzzragf ner jebat naq gur fubj arire pnyyf uvz bhg ba vg. Fb lrnu. Pbeqryvn'f pbzzragf va gurfr rcvfbqrf obgure zr yrff orpnhfr V xabj gung fur jvyy yrnea naq tebj.

          • misterbernie says:

            I join in the upvotes.

            And your second-to-last paragraph beautifully sums up my relationship to flawed characters.

          • arctic_hare says:

            Joining the chorus of upvotes and total agreement. This is a flawless comment. <3

            • knut_knut says:

              I just spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to click "Close Message". I didn't realize it was a screencap *facepalm*

              But, I agree- ALL THE UPVOTES

    • znachki says:

      Nitpicky thing of the day: It is ESpresso, not EXpresso. GAAAAAAAAH.

      I completely agree with you on this. It drives me up a wall. We can start a club. Or has someone already done that?

    • UnstrungZero says:

      Oz/Angel interaction, that's something you don't see every day.

      This was a bit I'd forgotten about, and was thrilled to see. I could watch them chat in their wry monotones ALL DAY.

    • "Percy, you are such a fucking tool."

      Totally thought you were talking about Harry Potter for a second here. 😉

  9. Ryan Lohner says:

    This one actually makes The Wish pretty depressing in retrospect, as it indicates the Wishverse is its own universe, and not just Anya's creation. So that moment when Giles declares any universe has to be better than this one and smashes Anya's power source? Nothing happened as far as he's concerned. He's still stuck in that world, and now all his friends are dead.

    • Noybusiness says:

      Or the time warp just reached back to when the Wishverse existed, but it doesn't anymore. Who knows?

      • Always one of my favourite Sci-Fi concepts. Like the Disappearance-verse from Haruhi Suzumiya. Which is apparently not on the Suggestions list (so it's OK to spoil?). Wish I'd thought to suggest it when the list was open.

        • Oh balls. That was supposed to be in response to caito716's "I always assumed that The Wish universe was just like, a universe bubble. Not fully formed and fleshed out. Just three days floating out there in the multi-verse that can now be accessed with temporal folds." But I got confused where I was posting when I was logging in.

    • LucyGoosey says:

      I think it was Anya's spell changed the timeline, but Giles breaking it caused the Wishverse to split off into an alternate universe, and bringing the main one back into existence. Still sucks for Wish!Giles though

    • etherealclarity says:

      Actually come to think of it, they pulled her out of the universe *just prior* to alt-universe Giles smashing the necklace, and they put her back in it at that same exact moment. So maybe the alt-universe still exists, but only prior in time to the necklace-smashing moment, at which point in time the alt-universe ends (rather than ceases to exist)?

      I mean, it's not significantly LESS depressing than the alternative. Alt-Giles ended the universe. None of the people in the primary universe will remember any of the alt-universe memories, so it is quite literally as if the world ended. Alt-Giles caused the apocalypse. But at least no one will know about it. And the implied alternative, that the primary universe ceased to exist unless the alt-universe was destroyed, is probably worse.

    • caia says:

      I thought that too, a couple weeks ago! And then I realized well, except Vamp!Willow is returned to a point in time within that alternate universe that we'd already seen, so there's no indication that time progresses at any point beyond Giles smashing Anyanka's power source.

      Maybe it loops forever, maybe you can access alternate points in a Wish dimension forever, who knows.

    • cait0716 says:

      I always assumed that The Wish universe was just like, a universe bubble. Not fully formed and fleshed out. Just three days floating out there in the multi-verse that can now be accessed with temporal folds.

    • Danel says:

      Not necessarily – Vampire Willow was drawn from before her death, and she dies before Giles smashes the amulet anyway. I tend to think of it as a pocket of time that exists for the time we saw it in The Wish, from Cordelia's arrival to Giles' destroying the amulet. It didn't actually exist before the Wish created it, and it ceased to exist after Giles smashed the amulet… but between that time, it existed and exists in a moment between moment s in the real world.

      It's much less depressing than the alternatives.

    • Avit says:

      If you think about it in Trousers of Time terms, there's two explanations (which could coexist, really): first, that Dopplegangland!Willowvamp came from a point in the timeline before the power-center smashing (canonical), and THAT universe simply doesn't exist after the timeline-point when it's smashed; second, that Dopplegangland!Willowvamp actually comes from a third altverse, in which the power center never was smashed :|a

  10. knut_knut says:

    THIS EPISODE
    <img src="http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r489/knutiscute/excited-AT2.gif"&gt;
    I loved this episode <3 I’m going to miss Vampire Willow’s “Bored now”s even though watching her break fingers was no fun at all. Maybe Willow can become evil?? Minus the finger breaking? I’m just going to make a short list of the things I loved
    – “You want us to breed?” Oh, Willow. Why did your brain go there? This is why I love you
    Giles: She was truly the finest of all of us.
    Xander: Way better than me.
    Giles: Much, much better.
    I LOVE SNARKY GILES SO MUCH.
    – I love how Angel’s expression didn’t change AT ALL when he realized Willow was still alive. The scene required neither brooding nor lurking so poor Angel’s face didn’t know what to do with itself
    – WESLEY’S SCREAM WAS THE ABSOLUTE BEST!!! And I loved how Cordelia was wearing a fancy party dress xD

  11. Jenny_M says:

    Yay so glad you loved this one! Anything involving Vamp Willow is a win in my book!

  12. settlingforhistory says:

    This episode is one of the funniest of the entire show. Willow as a vampire is wonderful; Willow pretending to be a vampire is priceless. Also we have Wesley being a hero and Anya trying to get her powers back. (hafhpprffshyyl guvf gvzr.)

    (“Vg'f nyy nobhg rzbgvbany pbageby.” Bs juvpu lbh unir fnqyl abg gung zhpu, Jvyybj.
    *crapvy fcvaf znqyl* Zl cbvag rknpgyl.)

    So now they have tests for Slayers, a little late. They should do that before a Slayer is called.

    Faith in her new apartment makes me so sad; if she had had someone to take care of her like the Mayor does here she could have dealt with being the Slayer and the events of the previous days much better.

    “Bxnl, gung'f n yvggyr oynpxre guna V yvxr zl negf” Tbbq Jvyybj, fgnl njnl sebz gur qnex, qnex zntvp.

    “Did you try looking inside the sofa in HELL?” I love it when Willow freaks out about what we as viewers already know.

    “Oberq abj” Gurer vg vf ntnva. *fuhqqre*

    VampWillow is a weird vampire; she is like a mix of Willow and Dru.
    I love how Alyson manages to play her so different, but still recognizable as Willow.

    Is it bad to laugh at the sorrow of the Scoobies? Every time I see them on the stairs and hear “She was… truly the finest of all of us.” I just can’t keep in the giggles.
    And then everybody hugs Willow and Giles almost crushes her and it’s simply the most awkward and hilarious hugs of all time.

    “I’m 1120 years old” Even in Sunnydale that won’t convince someone to sell you beer, at least if you still have a pulse.

    Gung fprar va gur Oebamr unf gur zbfg vagrenpgvba Bm naq Natry rire unir jvgu rnpu bgure naq cebonoyl gur ybatrfg pbairefngvba.

    “In my world there are people in chains and we can ride them like ponies.”
    Yes, that is not a creepy image at all.

    Oh god, I had totally forgotten how sad Angel is about Willow’s “death”.
    I almost burst into tears from laughing.

    VampWillow making out with Willow is strangely sexy, disturbing but sexy.

    (“V guvax V’z xvaqn tnl” V guvax V xvaqn nterr, Jvyybj qrne.)

    It’s amazing how unconvincing Willow is as her evil self. Alyson is such a great actress.
    The way she gets stuck in the girl’s hair; I just love how it ruins her act completely that she is so bad at being flirty.

    Oh Wesley, he is such a little boy and a great comedic character.
    “Back! Creature of the night! Leave this place!” What is she, a ghost?

    “V frr abj jurer gur cngu bs ivpr yrnqf.” Fb jura qvq fur sbetrg gung yrffba?

    Percy being scared of Willow at the end is so satisfying, it’s like a dream of all the bullied in the world, plus an apple. : )

    • cait0716 says:

      VampWillow making out with Willow is strangely sexy, disturbing but sexy.

      I would totally make out with myself given half a change. And maybe do other things. I imagine it's like masturbation but more fun.

      “V frr abj jurer gur cngu bs ivpr yrnqf.” Fb jura qvq fur sbetrg gung yrffba?

      Fbzrgvzr va frnfba svir jura Tybel xvqanccrq Gnen. Be znlor va frnfba sbhe jura Bm yrsg ure? Fur qbrfa'g qb fb jryy jura ure fvtavsvpnag bguref tb njnl.

    • L_Storm says:

      V pna'g jnvg sbe frnfba fvk'f Gnohyn Enfn… orpnhfr Jvyybj qverpgyl fnlf "V guvax V'z xvaqn tnl." V pna'g jnvg orpnhfr V'z ernyyl ybbxvat sbejneq gb cbvagvat Znex onpx ng guvf rcvfbqr naq cbvagvat bhg gung gurl jrera'g gelvat sbe tnl=onq, gurl jrer gelvat sbe fvzcyl sbefunqbjvat n tnl fpbbovr.

      Nyfb, vg'f n whfg snohybhf ersrerapr.

  13. SugarPumpkin says:

    I LOVE THIS EPISODE. I LOVE IT SO GODDAMN MUCH.

  14. Someday, before I die, I will make a Vamp Willow costume and wear it. It will happen.

  15. hpfish13 says:

    I love this episode!!!! It is among my most rewatched. For so many wonderful reasons

    -I find Percy's whole character to be really amusing, maybe because of how much he comes around by the end of the episode (the apple!)
    -Anya is back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    -This exchange
    Willow: No, it's fine. I'm 'Old Reliable'.
    Xander: She just means, you know, the geyser. You're like a geyser of fun that goes off at regular intervals.
    Willow: That's Old Faithful.
    Xander: Isn't that the dog that, that the guy had to shoot…
    Willow: That's Old Yeller.
    -Hands! Hands in new places!
    -Actual Willow showing up while they are mourning her.
    -Giles hugging Willow the second Buffy and Xander let go!!! (This might be my favorite part)
    -"I'm eleven hundred and twenty years old! Just gimme a friggin' beer!"
    -Angel: "Buffy, I… I just… Something's happened that… (blurts it out) Willow's dead. (distractedly) Hey, Willow. (very confused) Wait a second."
    -Willow tranqing evil Willow
    -Buffy's "really bad idea"
    -Willow trying to be evil and especially "I'm a blood-sucking fiend! Look at my outfit"
    -Cordelia in general in this episode!
    -This exchange too: Xander: So, um, in your reality, I'm like this bad-ass vampire, huh? People afraid of me?
    Evil Willow just looks askance at him, then rolls her eyes and turns away.
    Xander: Oh, yeah. I'm bad.
    -Did I mention that Anya is back?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    There are more reasons, but I didn’t think I should type up the entire script here.

    And onto official things:
    Episode 16: Doppelgangland
    Written and directed by Joss Whedon
    Original Airdate: 2/23/99
    Doomed to live life as a mortal since her amulet was destroyed by Buffy and the gang, Anya begs with a demon to get her powers back. When she approaches Willow for help, Willow agrees, hoping to shed her reputation as “Old Reliable.”

  16. cait0716 says:

    "Bored now"

    Except, the opposite of that. I love this episode so much. It retroactively makes The Wish more awesome because the consequence-free episode suddenly has some pretty major consequences. And those consequences come in the form of Vampire Willow.

    Vampire Willow is one of my favorite characters. Well, Willow is one of my favorite characters (I identify with her so much), and getting to see this alternate persona or other side of her or whatever is a lot of fun. And the ripple effects are even more fun. The way she treats Percy at the Bronze, followed by Percy showing up with his homework done (and then some). Her reaction to Xander ("You're alive!…ew, you're alive) contrasted with Human Willow's reaction to her friends (Who died?…Oh God! Who died?). And really that whole scene in the library is comic gold. From the gang's inability to deal ("She was way better than me" "Much, much better") to the look on Willow's face right before Giles hugs her (Oh god, the terror) to Angel's hilarious double-take ("We're right there with you"). It's all amazing.

    The confrontation between the two Willow's is also awesome, mostly for the contrast. They managed to both make the vampire version paler and give her brighter hair. I really like all the makeup choices here.

    We also get a rather lovely scene between Faith and The Mayor where he sets her up in an awesome new apartment. Their relationship is one of my favorites. He's exactly what she needed. Except for that whole evil thing. But they're just so cute that I don't care.

    My thoughts are short(er than normal), mostly because this episode puts me in more of a "squee!" mood than an analytical one. Vampire Willow just makes me happy.

    • Deimos says:

      "Oberq abj."

      Tbq V ybir sberfunqbjvat fb zhpu.

      Gung naq, "naq V guvax V'z xvaqn tnl…"

    • brandy says:

      Faith's daddy issues that become so totally clear via her interactions with the mayor really round out the character. It's so perfect.

  17. TrampyMcBitca says:

    One of my favourite episodes!

    …and I'm flunking math!

    You want us to breed?

    You're lazy, self-involved and spoiled. That's quite the challenge.

    Swim team mention!

    It's just like fun, only boring.

    Nice apartment

    I love the Mayor.

    Heh, a Playstation.

    I'd call that a radical interpretation of the text.

    I love Oz.

    Old Reliable, Old Faithful, Old Yeller

    Well, did you try looking inside the sofa in Hell?!

    I love VampWillow

    Bored now!

    Hands! Hands in new places!

    Holy God! You're Willow!

    VampWillow kicks ass.

    Jeez, who died? Oh god! Who died?

    Say! You all didn't happen to do a bunch of drugs did you?

    I'm 1,120 years old, just give me a friggin' beer!!

    Questions? Comments? (I had that as the Program Error sound in Windows for awhile)

    This just can't get more disturbing!

    Gosh, look at those!

    They split up as Buffy/Angel and Giles/Xander. Talk about a power imbalance. I hope they don't do that when they play sports.

    The little wave from Willow is adorable.

    I love Cordelia, except when she "mourned" Willow for about two seconds.

    Do I have something on my neck? Not yet!

    How did Wesley get between Cordelia and VampWillow?

    LOL at Wesley's shriek.

    I'm a blood sucking fiend! Look at my outfit!

    Nice punch Willow.

    Ok, why does VampWillow try to strangle Willow instead of eat her? Plus, she's much stronger, it shouldn't have taken that long to choke her.

    I guess being a bad ass vampire is fine if it's you, Xander?

    Send her back to her world and she stands a chance? She's a vampire!

    Hands! Hands!

    Bye VampWillow! 🙁

    Loved Percy giving Willow the apple.

    • t09yavosaur says:

      "How did Wesley get between Cordelia and VampWillow?"

      All I can think is that he was in one of the bathroom stalls.

    • robin_comments says:

      Ok, why does VampWillow try to strangle Willow instead of eat her? Plus, she's much stronger, it shouldn't have taken that long to choke her.
      Maybe her little soulless heart just wasn't into it and she was hesitating at actually going all the way with killing herself? I mean, that's a little creepy–even for a vampire. idk.

  18. pandalilies says:

    "Whenever a person views “Dopplegängland,” fourteen French bulldog puppies are born."

    YES! Also, none of the puppies can roll over because that's the cutest thing ever.

    [youtube qxdPYCc_1mU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxdPYCc_1mU youtube]

  19. kte says:

    Nyfb, V xabj gur rcvfbqr gbgnyyl qvqa’g zrna gb fnl guvf, ohg gurer’f n irel hasbeghangr vzcyvpngvba gung Inzc Jvyybj jnf n onq irefvba bs Jvyybj, naq fvapr Inzc Jvyybj jnf xvaq bs tnl, gung zvtug or n onq guvat. Ntnva, V guvax vg’f whfg fbzrguvat ab bar gubhtug guebhtu, ohg vg znqr zr ynhtu. BZT GUVF FUBJ VF OVTBGF.

    ururururururuururururururururur

  20. Karen says:

    I don't think I have a lot of deep thoughts about the main plot that deals with Vamp Willow and Human Willow, so I'm just going to bring up a couple of tangential points.

    I think it’s interesting what Buffy says about how she could be Faith under different circumstances. And I think it plays very nicely into the later scene where the Mayor gives Faith a nice apartment. Giles, the Council, Buffy and everyone were content to let Faith live in a run-down motel. But for once someone seems to actually give a shit about Faith. By the way she reacts, it really seems to me like she’s never had anything that nice before and that no one has ever cared enough about her to make sure that she was taken care of. So really, it’s no surprise that she seems to be loyal to the Mayor.

    Cordelia is used MUCH BETTER in this episode than she has been in the past few episodes. Sure, her premise of going to the library is a bit silly- she obviously crushing on Wesley and came up with an excuse to see him. But what follows is pretty great. I love that she actually sits down and talks with who she thinks is Willow (but turns out to be a vampire) about how she feels about what happened between Willow and Xander. And her crush on Wesley is pretty cute. Like, Wesley is a bit of a dolt, but he's ~older~ and English and good-looking and I can see why Cordelia, as a high schooler, would have a crush on him.

    Other than that, this is just a really fun episode, and it's really well constructed. I think it's hard for me to think of things to say because the episode itself was so good at drawing out the parallels and contrasts between the two Willows. I will say that Willow's "you want us to breed?" in Snyder's office cracks me up.

    • cait0716 says:

      I think there's a really cool parallel between Willow/Vamp Willow and Buffy/Faith that is ripe for exploration, but I just don't have the brain power for it today.

      I love the way The Mayor treats Faith. Their scenes are so adorable.

      I'm always torn on the Cordelia scene. It's good that she keeps Willow in a cage because Willow is a vampire. But she doesn't know that, and literally forcing Willow to listen to her rubs me the wrong way. I agree that this is a conversation that should happen, but not with one person locked up.

    • etherealclarity says:

      "By the way she reacts, it really seems to me like she’s never had anything that nice before and that no one has ever cared enough about her to make sure that she was taken care of. So really, it’s no surprise that she seems to be loyal to the Mayor. "

      Not to mention… she initially plays it off as a sexual thing, calling the mayor "sugar daddy", because presumably this is what she has come to expect of men. And he immediately shuts it down, without hesitation, without losing any sort of affection for her. She's not looking for the catch after that because she knows the catch already: he's evil. But as evil as he may be, he's already demonstrating himself to be a dependable, solid, supportive person in her life the way no one has before.

      • Skyweir says:

        He's a family man.

        And I agree. It is still amazing to me that noone did anything to get Faith (most likely a minor, though her age is not mentioned) out of that motel. Not the Council, not Giles and not Buffy. They all knew she lived there, but apparently that is ok…

        The look of joy on her face when she jumps on the bed and the look of near incredulity on her face when she sees the apartment and the Playstation (heh) is just wonderful and still a bit sad. How bad was her life really like before Sunnydale, if this and a pat on the head is all she needs to sell her soul?

  21. Ryan Lohner says:

    One thing to consider as you ship Wesley and Cordy: Alexis Denisof is actually married to Alyson Hannigan now.

  22. elisi says:

    From your review of The Wish:

    In terms of these characters, though? It stinks. I hate it. No one learns anything. No one remembers anything. Nothing happened. No one grew, no one became a better person, and the only person who could have possibly gleamed a message from all of this is the audience. […] But I’m just not a fan of stories that don’t matter. Why tell them if they just disappear and if they have no lasting effects?

    Now, have we learned something? *smiles perky Willow smile*

  23. ladililn says:

    Abg ovtbgel! Sberfunqbjvat KQ

    (Ab, ubarfgyl gur hasbeghangr vzcyvpngvbaf ner fgvyy gurer, fvapr abobql xabjf Jvyybj'f tnl lrg va-fubj be bhg-bs-fubj. Vg'f whfg znqr rira shaavre va uvaqfvtug, vf nyy.)

    • Nos says:

      Lrnu, V jnf gbgnyyl ynhtuvat ng nyy gur crbcyr guvaxvat gung 'xvaqn tnl' jnf fbegn ovtbgrq naq vzcyvrq gung orvat tnl jnf rivy. SBERFUNQBJVAT. V pnaabg JNVG sbe gur ernpgvbaf naq gur boivbhf fuvccvat bs Jvyybj naq Gnen naq gura sbe vg gb or PBASVEZRQ naq gurve SNPRF LNL

    • tethysdust says:

      Lrnu, qb lbh xabj vs guvf jnf qryvorengr be abg-qryvorengr sberfunqbjvat ng gur gvzr? V xabj grrantr-zr gbgnyyl qvqa'g cvpx hc ba vg, fb V jnf pbzcyrgryl fhecevfrq jura Jvyybj/Gnen pnzr nybat. (Grrantr-zr jnf nyfb cerggl furygrerq, fb gung pna'g unir urycrq…)

  24. dazyndara says:

    Basically this episode is all of the awesome!

    V urneg guvf rcbfvqr fb zhpu, naq LNL sbe ortvaavat gb vagebqhpr gur svefg dhrre punenpgre V vqragvsvrq jvgu ba GI (abg gung V npghnyyl pnzr bhg gb zlrys hagvy yvxr n lrne ntb, ohg l'xabj :C)

    • Lbh pnzr bhg gb lbhefrys, qvq lbh? Yvxr, gb n inzcver irefvba bs lbhefrys sebz na nygreangr havirefr, creuncf? …Orpnhfr gung jbhyq or pbby.

      • dazyndara says:

        Gung jbhyq unir orra gur zbfg njrfbzr naq qvfgheovat guvat rire. Fnqyl ab, V zrna zber va na vagreany erfyvfngvba jnl. Jurer'f zl ubg inzcver nygreangr ernyvgl frys?!

    • @liliaeth says:

      Vg'f bar bs gur ener zbzragf gung V erterg gung jr pna'g fcbvy nalbar. V ernyyl jvfu V pbhyq pbzsbeg Znex nobhg gur jubyr tnl orvat cneg bs Jvyybj orvat rivy, orpnhfr vg vfa'g.

      Gubhtu V fgvyy guvax fur'f ernyyl ov, vg'f whfg gung Jvyybj unf n graqrapl gb pngrtbevmr crbcyr, vapyhqvat urefrys. Naq vg'f rnfvre gb chg urefrys va gur obk bs 'tnl abj', guna vg vf gb nqzvg fur'f ov.

  25. guest_age says:

    (Nyfb, V xabj gur rcvfbqr gbgnyyl qvqa’g zrna gb fnl guvf, ohg gurer’f n irel hasbeghangr vzcyvpngvba gung Inzc Jvyybj jnf n onq irefvba bs Jvyybj, naq fvapr Inzc Jvyybj jnf xvaq bs tnl, gung zvtug or n onq guvat. Ntnva, V guvax vg’f whfg fbzrguvat ab bar gubhtug guebhtu, ohg vg znqr zr ynhtu. BZT GUVF FUBJ VF OVTBGF.)

    Vf nalbar ryfr guvaxvat bs Jvyybj/Gnen naq ynhtuvat fb uneq ng Znex'f hacercnerqarff gung vg'f fgnegvat gb uheg? ORPNHFR V NZ.

    This episode just proves that, while I think everyone on this show is talented at what they do, Alyson Hannigan is the best of the bunch. She is amazing and perfect and wonderful and this is my favorite Willow-centric episode. EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS FLAWLESS.

  26. LucyGoosey says:

    Dopplegangland brought over a couple of friends who didn't watch the show with minimal explanation. Its GREAT.

    I really relate to Willow's rebellion attempts. I hated being the goody two shoes in high school, but I somehow just knew that if 50 students did something wrong, I"D be the one who got caught. I only skipped class my last week of senior year when teachers were letting us watch movies and use the laptop cart. Lunchtime be damned indeed.

    Flaqvpngvba phgf gur chapuyvar gb gur "V guvax V'z xvaq bs tnl" yvar znxvat vg n bar bss wbxr vafgrnq bs sberfunqbjvat. Gurer jnf npghnyyl n GI fvgr sebz jnnnl onpx va gur qnl gung yvaxrq vg nf fcrphyngvba gung "Jvyybj znl unir ovfrkhny graqrapvrf" rira orsber frnfba 4 fgnegrq.

    • cait0716 says:

      Me too! I was a complete goody-two-shoes in high school. Then I went a bit wild in college which led to me hearing the phrase "Whatever happened to sweet, innocent, little Cait?" more times than I cared to. I managed to find a decent balance in the last few years, but there was a strange adjustment period in there.

  27. SecretGirl127 says:

    Three words; MORE VAMP WILLOW!

  28. Chris says:

    Wesley: Was that…?
    Cordelia: Willow. They got Willow. So, are you doing anything tonight?

    This is the one exchange in this episode that I absolutely DESPISE. Yeah, Cordelia is shallow, yes, she's currently mad at Willow, but I still find it really hard to believe she would be so blase about someone so close to her getting killed. It's a character-assassinating joke that isn't even that funny.

    Everything else in this episode, though? Perfection.

    • enigmaticagentscully says:

      Actually yeah, I forgot to mention that in my comment but I totally agree.

      Of course the audience knows that Willow is fine, but Cordy doesn't. As far as she's concerned, Willow has just been killed, and that line makes her come across as incredibly callous.

      It's sort of a weird moment.

      • hassibah says:

        IMHO sometimes Cordelia is really well written and sometimes they are more interested in making her a caricature of herself and this is one of those times. It doesn't change me overall loving her as a character(far from it), but I agree in this case and I don't like it.

    • Karen says:

      IA. It's really OOC for Cordelia. Yeah, she might be snooty and doesn't particularly like Willow right now, but come ON. She's not heartless. She wouldn't be so blase about the death of someone she was friendly with at one point.

    • misterbernie says:

      Oh god, yes. I totally forgot to comment on this so let me second your comment all the harder.

    • Skyweir says:

      Cordelia never liked Willow, and there are clear indications that she participated in some kind of bullying towards Willow before the show starts (look closely at their behavior in the first episodes of season 1….). I am not surprised at all that she did not care.

      But then again, I don't like Cordelia as a person or a character, so what do I know.

      • arctic_hare says:

        It completely contradicts the clear horror she felt upon learning from Wishverse Harmony that Willow and Xander were dead, though.

        • LisaChimes says:

          I try to rationalize the difference between her Wishverse reaction and this callous reaction by remembering that in The Wish Harmony actually said something along the lines of "well, they're dead" and not that they were turned into vampires. Maybe to Cordelia dead is more finite and worthy of sadness than vampification. Also, Willow kind of just tried to kill her which makes it slightly harder to grieve. However yes, it is slightly OOC for Cordelia to move right back to wooing Wesley after gaining this new knowledge.

      • Karen says:

        I don't think that's true though. Gaaah. I'm trying to remember the specific episode it happens in but back in… season 2 (I think?) there's a scene with Cordy and Willow hanging out at the Bronze and they seem to be friendly towards each other – even if they aren't actually FRIENDS.

        I just really don't think Cordelia is so heartless to be like "eh, whatever" at someone she was once friendly with being dead. Cordelia isn't besties with Willow, but I just think it's OOC for her to be so casual about Willow's apparent death. I think it's an example of the writer thinking that a moment would be funny and prioritizing that over character continuity.

        • @Ivana2804 says:

          "I don't think that's true though. Gaaah. I'm trying to remember the specific episode it happens in but back in… season 2 (I think?) there's a scene with Cordy and Willow hanging out at the Bronze and they seem to be friendly towards each other – even if they aren't actually FRIENDS. "

          Phases.

    • EmilianaDarling says:

      Aaaaaaaand this right here is one of the reasons I don't like Cordelia, and have a hard time understanding why people do.

      Hagvy ure nep va 'Natry', jurer V ybir ure gb cvrprf.

    • batyachanna says:

      Fanwank:
      Of all the characters on the show, Cordelia may be the one who has to get most used to her friends dying. For Buffy, Willow and Xander the random students on the show who die every week are their responsibility, but not their friends. There's a good chance that, given her social standing, Cordelia actually has had a personal connection to many of the random victims of the week.

      So, It's not that Cordelia is particularly callous about Willow's death. She has just had to get used to people she is close to dying all the time, so she's put up walls to normalize it.

  29. stephanie says:

    This about sums it up for me:
    http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b172/fentablar/

    LOVE.

    That is all 🙂

  30. iremo says:

    Great episode!

    "Well, actually. . .*death glare from Buffy* "that's a very good point!"

    Bit lost on what the deal is with Anyanka being human now. Does that mean she has a soul? Did she have one before losing her powers? If she always had a soul, have other humanlike demons Buffy's slaughtered had them? If she just got one when she got stuck in human form, she's sure having less of a reaction to that than Angel did.

    • robin_comments says:

      In my personal opinion, Anyanka doesn't have a "human soul" like what Angel received. I base this opinion on the fact that, yeah, she isn't tortured at all by her past actions like Angel is. Also, she doesn't seem to have any conception of morality, an internalized sense of right vs wrong.

      So I think she could LEARN the human-defined rules of right vs wrong, but she doesn't have the sparkly cheat-sheet that Angel does.

  31. John says:

    One of my favorite episodes. EVER.

    As a gay man, I didn't see Vamp Willow –> bad Willow –> kinda gay –> gay is bad. It's okay to have sexually ambivalent villains as long as the story doesn't portray their sexuality as an inherent aspect of their villainy. I don't think that happened here. Buffy as a show already depicts being gay as a positive thing with Larry.

    • tanbarkie says:

      Vg'f vzcbegnag gung gur "Naq V guvax V'z xvaqn tnl" yvar yvaxf qverpgyl vagb Natry'f yvar nobhg jung nfcrpgf bs gur ubfg'f crefbanyvgl pneel guebhtu gb gur inzcver. Bapr Jvyybj qbrf ghea bhg gb or tnl, ure yvar va Qbccrytnatynaq pyrneyl orpbzrf sberfunqbjvat engure guna boyvdhr pevgvpvfz bs ubzbfrkhnyvgl. Guvf vf ervasbeprq jura gurl pnyy onpx gb gur yvar va "Gnohyn Enfn" – nggenpgvba gb jbzra vf cneg bs jub Jvyybj vf, rira vs fur unfa'g dhvgr svtherq vg bhg ng n cnegvphyne zbzrag va gvzr.

      • Avit says:

        Regardless, it's definitely indicative of internalized anti-queer sentiment (not to mention the slut-shamey crap). Also, I'm pretty sure there's interviews somewhere that say they unqa'g cynaarq gb znxr Jvyybj tnl hagvy yvxr… gur frnfba jura Gnen pnzr va, naq fcrpvsvpnyyl gung guvf yvar jnf n sbeghvgbhf pbvapvqrapr. That's not as important from a death-of-the-author perspective, but since we're talking social criticism, it does matter.

        • Raenef_the_5th says:

          Npghnyyl vs V erpnyy gurl nyernql qrpvqrq ng guvf cbvag gung gurl QVQ jnag gb unir Jvyybj qvfpbire fur jnf tnl fbzrqnl, ohg vg whfg jbexrq bhg gung ure purzvfgel jvgu Gnen shegurerq gung nybat dhvpxre. V erzrzore na vagreivrj jvgu Wbff Jurqba ng fbzr cbvag va be evtug nsgre frnfba 3 jurer, jura nfxrq nobhg uvf cynaf sbe Jvyybj, ur onfvpnyyl pnpxyrq naq fnvq bu ur unq cynaf nyy evtug. I could be wrong though about the interview timing, but I do agree that the statement does reflect internalized anti-queer sentiments, juvpu vf cneg bs gur punenpgre, ohg tynqyl fbzrguvat gurl'yy zbir ba sebz fbzrqnl.

        • etherealclarity says:

          Ab, Wbff nofbyhgryl unq cynaf gb znxr RVGURE Jvyybj BE Knaqre tnl, snveyl rneyl ba, pregnvayl cevbe gb guvf rcvfbqr. V'z abg fher ng jung cbvag ur qrpvqrq vg jbhyq or Jvyybj bire Knaqre, ohg jurgure ur'q qrpvqrq ba Jvyybj be abg, vg'f uvtuyl yvxryl gung gurl jrer qryvorengryl ynlvat gur sbhaqngvba sbe rvgure bar gb unccra, naq gung guvf yvar jnf gurer ba checbfr.

    • @Jody_927 says:

      I agree. If anything, I think Willow's response to it is just surprise and a little confusion. And I second the point that Larry's character shows that it's not a bad thing to be gay. There is nothing wrong with being gay and the importance of accepting oneself is the message I get from Larry.

      • cait0716 says:

        This is how I read it, too. The gay is separate from the evil or the skanky. That's why she says all three things.

        • etherealclarity says:

          I sort of interpreted the statement as more of a "She's not like me at all! She's evil (and I'm not), she's skanky (and I'm not), and I think she's kinda gay (and I'm not)". I think they were setting up the line about how much vampires are or aren't like the human they started out as.

          But I do think that the pairing of two negative characteristics with a third characteristic (gay) is very unfortunate.

  32. NB2000 says:

    – Hey Anya! Welcome back.
    – Um, Willow as fun as the floating pencil is, should you really be doing that out in the open at school? What if someone sees it? Accidentally stabbing it into the tree is fun though.
    – Snyder please go away, poor bossed around Willow.
    – lol at Faith glaring at Wesley for the "Sloppy" comment.
    – Her new apartment is pretty awesome. Love the big windows.
    – "There are immoral liasons going on." "Yeah plus all the screwin'" hee.
    – "There's something about you that's causing me to hug you." Aww Oz
    – "Did you try looking in the sofa in HELL!" so much funny in this episode.
    – "Ybbx, zntvp vf qnatrebhf Naln, vg'f abg gb or gblrq jvgu." Lrrrnnnu
    – Vamp!Willow beating up Percy is pretty awesome, mostly because he's such a jerk beforehand.
    – "Holy God you're Willow" Sarah's delivery is amazing on this line.
    – "Way better than me." "Much, much better." Well said Giles.
    – The gang hugging Willow is adorable and I hope someone has GIFed it.
    – "You all didn't happen to do a bunch of drugs did ya?" Aside from the line I love Buffy's expression during it, she's so happy to see Willow alive.
    – Angel and Oz are characters we don't see interacting very often, or possibly ever.
    – Two Willows! Just, Two Willows! Go Alyson playing against herself.
    – "V guvax V'z xvaqn tnl." Gurer'f sberfunqbjvat nyy bire gur cynpr va guvf rcvfbqr.
    – "Gosh look at those." Hee
    – Willow pretending to be a vampire and completely failing (her little wave to Oz! It's so cute) is so perfectly done.
    – For whatever reason Devon cowering ehind the drumkit makes me lol.
    – That is a really nice dress on Cordelia. "They got Willow. So are you doing anything tonight?" Oh Cordy.
    – "Nice reflexes" Interesting that they're so good right after Bad Girls/Consequences…just…interesting.
    – Love the Willows rolling their eyes in tandem. That would also make an awesome gif (I'm not being very subtle about these am I?)
    – Vamp!Willow's little smile after "Hands! Hands!" is adorable.

  33. ensignkt says:

    I am much in agreement with this episode love; it's pretty much my favorite. I too prefer my alternate universes when the usual universe can react at them, confused. And I love characters running into evil versions of themselves. Plus it's Willow! Plus hilarity! So yeah, love this episode.

    I think it's funny that Vamp Willow is about as good as pretending to be Willow as Willow is Vamp Willow.

    As a side note, last year I was taking some psychological tests and, to my shock, there was actually a question about wanting to be a florist! I immediately thought of the conversation from Buffy. I'd always thought that was just a joke!

  34. Jenny_M says:

    Oh, I totally meant to comment on the fact that K's Choice is the band playing in this episode BECAUSE the first concert I ever went to when I was like…11 or 12 was Alanis Morissette and K's Choice was opening for her and Alanis was so the artist that brought about my baby steps into feminism with Jagged Little Pill. Also K's Choice was pretty good and I think when I saw them it was pre-Buffy appearance. They only had one minor hit with "Not An Addict" that was the most 90s song EVER. I think they're still together.

    All that is to say that I have this weird thing with accidentally seeing bands that end up on TV shows. Like Phantom Planet and Rooney. Because The OC is ALWAYS relevant to my interests.

    • UnstrungZero says:

      omg I love Not An Addict, STILL.

    • dasmondschaf says:

      Oh my gosh, they were responsible for "Not An Addict"? I neither like nor dislike that song, but I definitely remember the first time I heard it; I was up late and listening to the radio in my room and the night-time DJ was all "and here's something new for you guys…"

      And then stopped the song halfway, going "OK, sorry, that was actually terrible; no one should have to listen to that."

      Oh, for a time when DJs on major corporate rock radio stations were allowed to have opinions~

  35. robin_comments says:

    “This world’s no fun.”
    “You noticed that too?”

    Now, this is a S3 episode that I’ve watched AGAIN AND AGAIN. I adore everything this episode chooses to be.

    Willow says that some people “just don’t have it in them” and then naturally they’re confronted with Willow as a vampire, with Angel’s subtle indicator that the vampire personality IS actually connected to the human one. (And of course cute gags like both of them turning their head together with the same expression LOL.)

    Little things that I’m fixating on how after just watching Consequences: god, when Faith touches Buffy’s arm all gently, saying “good luck” I actually shivered with disquiet. And then when she’s casually pumping Willow for information… It’s all just so creepy, because we know it’s completely fake affection (see: her lack of any real objection to Willow being murdered and not going behind the Mayor’s back to give any warning – MORAL HORIZON OFFICIALLY, PERMANENTLY CROSSED)

    Kinda reminds me of The Vampire Diaries when gung rcvfbqr jurer Xynhf cbffrffrf Nynevp, orpnhfr lbh unir gb jngpu lbhe orybirq punenpgref vagrenpgvat jvgu guvf crefba jub'f hfvat gurve vzcyvpvg gehfg ntnvafg gurz gb svfu sbe vasbezngvba gung jvyy or hfrq ntnvafg gurz. FB HAFRGGYVAT.

    The Mayor&Faith relationship is so charming, though. I really love watching them together. Even though I don’t like Faith as a person right now, I’m enjoying her character still. Yay!

    The spell is kind of SUPER SCARY when you think about the “teensie temporal fold” (LOL WILLOW, THAT’S NOT A RED FLAG FOR YOU?) and how what they really did was accidentally bring Vampire Willow into the future. She’s not coming from an alternate universe, she’s coming from this universe, from when Cordelia’s wish actually transformed their world. She’s actually this Willow as a vampire transported from earlier in their timeline. Whoa.

    So, I actually get kind of emotionally attached to displaced Vampire Willow. I want to give her hugs, except for how she’d eat me. <3 I guess it’s because she’s so lost–thrust out of the world she knows, where all the rules and people are suddenly different. I was really glad that the gang doesn’t stake her and just sends her back to where she belongs (which, personally, I don’t think is a dubious choice at all –when it comes to things like alternate universe and time travel, I say: error on the side of caution and put things back in order as close as you possibly can. Don’t meddle with things from other times and other worlds that you don’t understand.) It makes me much sadder to see her staked this time around, though obviously it needs to happen because that’s what happened already in the past (see: why they needed to send her back). ;_;

    Anya is an interesting character in this episode, because she’s now a mortal human, but she hasn’t also magically adopted that “human heart” that Angel was referencing last episode. She isn’t suffering from any remorse—she’s an unrepentant murderer who was happily granting grotesque and violent wishes and desires to do so again. She shows no compassion or concern for human life in this episode and is frustrated with human mores.

    and Wesley & Cordelia together continues to be PURE DELIGHTFUL COMEDY

  36. stellaaaaakris says:

    "Buff Buff." hehe But Willow is seriously violating the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery. Watch out for Howlers, Willow. Not that anybody in Sunnydale would notice a giant, screaming, floating red letter.

    Anyways, I loved this episode. I never expected to see Vampire!Willow again (I blocked most of that atrocity out of my mind, but didn't My Immortal have a character named Willow? Or was that a friend the author kept yelling at in the author's notes?). And I didn't even have to see her with a version of Xander! At least, not for long. I thought Alyson played both versions magnificently. Naq V guvax vg'f ernyyl vagrerfgvat gung Natry uvagf gung gur uhzna'f crefbanyvgl pna cynl n cneg va gurve crefbanyvgl nf n inzcver. Inzcver!Jvyybj vf nyy frkl jvgu rirelobql naq bar bs gur srj guvatf gung (V guvax) unir orra fcbvyrq sbe zr, V qba'g xabj jurer, vf gung erny Jvyybj vf nggenpgrq gb tveyf. Qba'g xabj jura gung'f erirnyrq ohg guvf frrzf yvxr n uvag.

    • cait0716 says:

      The Buff Buff! It suddenly makes the name "Buffy" seem somewhat less ridiculous. It's just a reference to her strength! In a girly way

    • kte says:

      But what house would Willow be sorted into? She would be a tough sort.

      • Raenef_the_5th says:

        Hmm. I vote Ravenclaw! And Xander can be Hufflepuff, and Buffy in Gryffindor.

        • arctic_hare says:

          Crefbanyyl, V guvax Jvyybj vf n Fylgureva. Fur'f nyy vagb gur fghqlvat, lrnu, ohg vg'f sbe cbjre – xabjyrqtr vf n zrnaf gb na raq jvgu ure, abg na raq va vgfrys.

          • Raenef_the_5th says:

            Whoa, you're right! Great choice too!

          • robin_comments says:

            Completely agree.

          • misterbernie says:

            Gur bayl cneg jurer V'q qvfnterr vf gung V guvax fur jbhyqa'g yrg urefrys or fbegrq vagb Fylgureva.

            • etherealclarity says:

              VZB gur fbegvat ung gnxrf lbhe pubvprf vagb nppbhag, ohg vg qbrfa'g yrg lbh pbzcyrgryl bireehyr vgf whqtrzragf. Uneel tbg n pubvpr orpnhfr ur jnf ba gur phfc, ohg V guvax Jvyybj'f Frnfba 6 pubvprf chg ure fb svezyl va gur Fylgureva pnzc gung gurer jbhyqa'g or zhpu fur pbhyq qb nobhg vg.

              Ohg gura ntnva, vs jr tb ol gur nffhzcgvba gung Fylgurevaf ner nyzbfg nyjnlf rivy gura V pna frr ure qrfver gb ABG or Fylgureva npghnyyl nssrpgvat ure shgher pubvprf naq znxvat ure orpbzr zber bs n Telss ng urneg, juvpu zrnaf fur zvtug or rabhtu bs n obeqreyvar pnfr gb nyybj ure bja cersrerapr gb znggre. Ohg gung bayl unccraf vs fur vf fbegrq rneyl rabhtu.

              FB PBZCYVPNGRQ.

          • Meenalives says:

            Gbgnyyl nterr. Zvabe gnatrag: guvf vf nyfb gur ernfba V arire nterrq jvgu gur crbcyr jub gubhtug Urezvbar fubhyq or va Enirapynj. Fur nyjnlf frrzrq gb fghql nf n zrnaf gbjneqf nqzvengvba naq frys-jbegu, abg ernyyl bhg bs gur ybir bs xabjyrqtr sbe vgf bja fnxr. I think Giles is the real Ravenclaw in the Scoobies.

      • Karen says:

        ROT13-ing because my reasons are spoilery, but Jvyybj vf n Fylgureva. Fur'f vagrerfgrq va zntvp orpnhfr bs jung vg pna qb sbe ure naq orpnhfr vg tvirf ure n xvaq bs cbjre. Fur'f abg nobhg xabjyrqtr sbe xabjyrqtr'f fnxr, fb vqtv jura crbcyr chg ure vagb Enirapynj. Fur yvxrf zntvp orpnhfr bs gur cbjre naq orpnhfr fur pna hfr vg gb znxr ure yvsr rnfvre sbe urefrys, naq fur'f nyjnlf gelvat gb orpbzr fgebatre naq zber cbjreshy. Fb lrnu, fur'f qrsvavgryl tbg gur nzovgvba bs n Fylgureva.

      • kte says:

        ng yrnfg gur fpnes bs frkhny cersrerapr fbeg jbhyq or rnfvre

  37. LadyViridis says:

    Lrnu, fbeel Wbff Jurqba, ohg ab znggre ubj znal gvzrf lbh gryy hf gung abar bs gur bevtvany crefbanyvgl erznvaf jura lbh trg znqr n inzcver, V qba'g dhvvvvvvgr oryvrir lbh. Nyfb, rirel gvzr gurl oevat hc gur fbhy = tbbq, ab fbhy = rivy guvat, V varivgnoyl guvax "Hu, thlf? Lbh xabj nobhg frevny xvyyref, evtug? Evtug? Lbh xabj ybgf bs uhznaf (jvgu fbhyf) qb rivy guvatf, evvvvvtug?" Vg whfg naablf zr fb zhpu gung n fubj juvpu vf pyrneyl gelvat sbe zbeny nzovthvgl obvyf guvatf qbja gb fhpu n fvzcyr, oynpx-naq-juvgr qvivqr.

    (Some spoilers for Dollhouse):
    Npghnyyl, vg erzvaqf zr n ybg bs gur rkpunatr va Qbyyubhfr jurer gurl'er nethvat nobhg Nycun naq jurgure be abg uvf zheqref unq nalguvat gb qb jvgu jub ur jnf orsber ur orpnzr n qbyy (nafjre: gurl gbgnyyl qb). Gur jubyr dhrfgvba bs jub n crefba vf naq ubj zhpu gurve zrzbevrf qrgrezvar gurve crefbanyvgl gung vf rkcyberq va Qbyyubhfr frrzf yvxr n zhpu zber gubebhtu rknzvangvba bs gur dhrfgvba cerfragrq ol Natry naq gur inzcverf va trareny jvgu ertneq gb vqragvgl. Ohg V qb guvax Qbyyubhfr qbrf n orggre wbo bs nafjrevat vg.

    • Jenny_M says:

      Dollhouse! That is all I have to add to this but…I miss Dollhouse! I know it wasn't perfect but gosh, it could be excellent when it wanted to be. *raises a glass to it*

      • LadyViridis says:

        I'm currently introducing the series to four of my friends and I am excited to see Mark eventually review it as well. It's probably my favorite of Joss Whedon's works (next to Dr. Horrible) and I really like the ideas they explore. It's a great show to rewatch because there's a lot of subtle cues you don't pick up until later. I think this is my third or fourth rewatch, and I'm still picking up new things.

        Also, there are so many twists and they are all so awesome. I <3 the show.

    • @Ivana2804 says:

      Rkprcg gung Wbff arire npghnyyl fnvq gung? Naq ur jebgr guvf rcvfbqr juvpu pyrneyl uvagf gung vg'f abg gehr.

      Sbe fbhy/ab fbhy: Gur fubj arire fnvq gung crbcyr jvgu fbhyf ner tbbq. Whfg gung gurl unir n punapr gb or tbbq; vs gurl ner fgvyy rivy, gung znxrf gurz nyy gur jbefr. Crbcyr jvgu fbhyf jub qb rivy naq qba'g srry thvygl va nal jnl nobhg vg ner cbegenlrq nf veerqrrznoyr naq qba'g zrrg n avpr raq, sebz Pngurevar Znqvfba gb Crgr gur qbzrfgvp nohfre gb Znttvr Jnyfu gb Jneera gb Pnyro.

      • etherealclarity says:

        Guvf. Crbcyr jvgubhg fbhyf ner gerngrq zber yvxr navznyf. Gurl ner npgvat nf gurve vafgvapgf qrznaq, naq vs bar npgf fbzrjung pbhagre gb gurve vafgvapgf (Fcvxr) gurl ner gerngrq nf gur nabznyl gung gurl ner.

        Crbcyr jvgu fbhyf pna fgvyy qb rivy guvatf, ohg gurl unir yrff bs na rkphfr gb qb fb, orpnhfr gur fbhy fubhyq or vafregvat rabhtu pubvpr vagb gur zvk gb ubyq crbcyr nppbhagnoyr sbe gurve npgvbaf.

  38. VicarPants says:

    First time I saw this episode I had to skip back and watch Giles hug Willow no fewer than twelve times.

  39. @sesinkhorn says:

    V ybir gur uvag bs frg-hc sbe Jvyybj orvat n yrfovna fbbbb zhhhhhpu. Yvxr jura Ohssl'f yvxr, "Jura lbh trg inzcrq, n qrzba gnxrf bire naq yrnirf abguvat bs lbhe byq frys oruvaq." Naq Natry'f yvxr, "Jryy, npghnyyl…"

  40. Anninyn says:

    One of my favourite episodes!

    In fact, I think season three is probably my favourite season for reasons I can't express.

  41. tanbarkie says:

    ONE OF MY TOP FIVE EPISODES

    I'VE SAID IT IN ROT13 ELSEWHERE BUT I'M SAYING IT FOR REALSIES HERE NOW

    SO FUCKING GOOD

    brb gonna watch it again AND LAUGH AND LAUGH AND LAUGH

  42. Inseriousity. says:

    This episode is so funny but has quite a scary plot underneath. It's so hard to pick out best joke of the episode though. I'm torn between the ID scene, "can a human do this -SCREAM-" "ye ye i think they can" and "Of course I'm a vampire, look at my outfit, I'm a bloodsucking fiend" 😀

    ps think its kinda adorable you watched Buffy in a library. Was giles there?

  43. Plactus says:

    • So… I love this episode. It's between this, "Lovers Walk," and "Rnefubg" for my favorite of season 3.
    • "Emotional control?" "I'm working on it." The scene's good as it is, but I somehow got the image of Luke levitating R2-D2 in my head and then… spinning him out of control before throwing him into a tree. Hilarious.
    • Vampwill wandering around Sunnydale noting that she's not in the Wishverse anymore is… okay, I'm a sucker for this kind of thing and it's done well here.
    • He may be a jerk about his concept of tutoring, but I almost feel sorry for Percy. Almost.
    • "Aren't you going to introduce me to your holy God you're Willow."
    • Xander shaking the cross as if it's broken is perfect visual comedy.
    • "I love you guys too… okay, oxygen becoming an issue…" Aw. And Giles, too.
    • "Did anybody else just go to a scary visual place?" I can't imagine Willow (minus vampire) as a dominatrix, but… if I could, I wouldn't call it scary, exactly.
    • "Willow's dead. Hey, Willow." Buffy and Xander's patiently amused looks are priceless.
    • Willow isn't good at undercover.
    • Vampwill isn't any better.
    • "Nice reflexes." "Well, I work out." And Buffy does better than Faith in a real live battle situation.
    • The apple's a nice touch.

    Spoilery thoughts:
    • Fb, jngpuvat Jvyybj naq Naln pnfg gung fcryy, nyy V pbhyq guvax bs jnf Gnen naq fhogrkg naq… vg'f rvgure shaal be qvfgheovat va yvtug bs ubj zhpu Jvyybj naq Naln qba'g trg nybat.
    • "Zntvp vf qnatrebhf, Naln. Vg'f abg gb or gblrq jvgu." Ojnunununununun.
    • Bxnl, gung'f gur fnzr Fnaql jub pbzrf ba gb Evyrl va frnfba svir; fher ybbxrq yvxr fur jnf whfg xvyyrq naq abg fverq urer.

    Body Count:
    • Sandy, killed by (Wishverse) Willow.
    • Vampire, killed by Buffy.
    • Vampire, killed by Giles.
    • Alphonse, killed by Buffy.
    • (Wishverse/Second Time) Willow, killed by Oz.

  44. Ginsue says:

    They brought a character from "The Wish" back! Yay continuity!

    I've been holding back some feelings for the third season. I was slightly disappointed that it wasn't as arc heavy as the second season (Okay, I just miss Spike). However, I have to admit, not only are the stand-alone episodes in the third season better, they seem to have an overall tying theme. Even episodes that I thought were not going to effect the characters have elements that come back in later episodes: The Xander episode and now "The Wish," each have elements that effected the character's decisions drastically in later episodes. These singular episodes were best at just setting character, especially Faith's character. Looking back, her standalone episodes each had a similar theme of her losing control and losing trust in others.

    Also, I noticed that Xander is definitely better as the third season progresses. Yet, other characters are experiencing some jerk-wad behaviors. Also, I am starting to warm up to Angel more. It happens.

  45. zephyras13 says:

    Is it bad that I kind LOVE the evil promiscuous bisexual trope? I mean, logically, I know it's bad, with, you know, all the unfortunate implications, but my visceral reaction isn't that being bisexual makes them worse villains. It just makes them AWESOME villains.

    *is completely missing the point, as well as doing it wrong*

    • cait0716 says:

      One of the reasons I love vampire literature so much is that all of the characters tend to be bisexual in canon and it makes for some awesome reading. I also tend more towards the sympathetic view of vampires (they aren't any more evil for eating humans than humans are for eating cows)

  46. hassibah says:

    "I'm challenged
    -You're lazy, self absorbed and spoiled, that's quite a challenge"
    Just cause a scooby didn't say this doesn't mean it's not worth quoting!

    Oh, and I think everyone's gotten this out of their system by now but holy shit today's band was easily the 90sest thing that has ever been on the show.

  47. sirintegra42 says:

    The downloading gods have been good to me today and I'm in the mood to procrastinate so I actually got to watch today's episode on time, yayyy. It's a good thing as this is one of my favourites. So here goes:

    – D'HOFFRYN! Possibly my favourite sassy demon ever (jryy hc hagvy frnfba frira gung vf, lbh pna arire sbetrg gung ur'f npghnyyl n pbzcyrgr onfgneq nsgre gung.) He's also one of Joss' hat tricks apparently, although I'm not sure which roles he played in Angel and Firefly.
    – I always wonder what Anya's been doing for the last few episodes aside from going to school. It's not like she has parents or anyone to talk to. It's kind of sad thinking about it.
    – Serious CG fail on that levitating pencil.
    – Why does wanting to be a florist make you a candidate for an asylum?
    – It's odd after watching Consequences to be back to the usual light Buffy conversations, although I don't think I could deal with every episode being that dark.
    – The fact that Wesley is doing so many psychological tests seems to refer back to it though. Clearly he's trying to be sure that Buffy won't do the same as Faith, which I guess would be a good idea if he wants to keep his job.
    – I agree with Buffy in this scene. Willow isn't particularly objective though, as the pencil shows.
    – What is it with Willow and hideous knitwear?
    – Cue the start of the slightly odd but touching Faith and Mayor father daughter relationship. (V'z nyzbfg fnq jura ur trgf xvyyrq orpnhfr fur ernyyl arrqrq fbzrbar jub pnerq nobhg ure gung zhpu, rira vs ur jnf rivy. Vg'f bqqyl gbhpuvat gung gur bayl gvzr ur trgf ernyyl natel vf jura Ohssl chgf Snvgu va gur ubfcvgny.)
    – When the Mayor asks Faith to kill Buffy she's clearly conflicted. She still has a conscience, it's just deeply buried.
    – I always empathise with Willow because I tended to be the one in my group of friends who was the reliable one and it seemed like if I needed anything there was no one who could be that for me. Ah, teenage angst.
    – Anya's hissy fits make me happy.
    – Is it me or is the music especially good in this episode?
    – The lyrics of this song make absolutely no sense. I guess that's the point though. Who is the music editor for this? I feel like I should write to them about their odd choices sometimes, although they did introduce me to Transylvanian Concubine so I have that to thank them for.
    – 'HANDS! Hands in new places!' You know, occasionally I remember why I like you Xander, despite your many flaws.
    – 'She was truly the finest of us all.' 'Better than me?' 'Much much better.' Let me love you Giles. His and Xander's weird sniping at each other may be my favourite think behind his snarkiness towards Wesley.
    – OK, Giles tackle hugging Willow may actually be my favourite thing.
    – 'Well uh, something strange is happening.' So much Giles gold in this episode.
    – Oz and Angel make an oddly good team, possibly because they both make what little they say count. (Vg'f cneg bs jung V ybir nobhg Va gur Qnex, bgure guna Fcvxr bs pbhefr. V jvfu gurl'q oebhtug Bm onpx vagb Natry ntnva orsber ur yrsg.)
    – 'Did anyone else go to a scary visual place?' What are you talking about Xander? That was a good visual place.
    – Now to spend the rest of the episode trying to work out how they did all of this double Willow stuff. I think there were a lot of doubles involved and green screen stuff but specifics make my brain hurt.

    (continued in reply)

    • sirintegra42 says:

      – This brings up the vital question: if you met yourself from a parallel universe, would you have sex with them or just go out for drinks or something more platonic? Hmmm.
      – Alyson Hannigan's delivery of the word 'bitch' is perfect.
      – 'Well remember Willow, a vampire's personality has nothing to do with how it was as a human.' 'Well, actually…' (Guvf vf na vagrerfgvat cbvag npghnyyl naq bar juvpu gurl qrirybcrq zber nf gvzr jrag ba, rfcrpvnyyl jvgu Fcvxr naq uvf cnfg nf Jvyyvnz gur oybbql njshy cbrg. V nyjnlf rawblrq gung pbagenfg jvgu Natry naq uvf cneglvat qnlf nf Yvnz.)
      – 'Gosh, look at those.' Cue awkward coughing from Giles and extreme ogling on my part.
      – Willow is really terrible undercover. I could probably quote all of her dialogue in these scenes but I'll leave that to people who have more screencapping expertise.
      – Wesley screaming like a woman is always good for comedy value, as is his cowardice.
      – 'I'm a bloodsucking fiend, look at my outfit!' I need this on a t-shirt.
      – Anya and that random vamp's reaction to Willow screaming is a beautiful thing.
      – Haven't you watched Firefly Willow? Hitting someone with a closed fist is never a good idea, even if it is hilarious.

      Then I stopped making notes because I was enjoying the episode too much. I'm glad you liked it Mark and I hope that you enjoy The Wish more on rewatching it now that you know it did have an impact on the main plot.

      V ernyyl pna'g jnvg sbe uvf ernpgvba gb Pbeqryvn naq Jrfyrl'f njxjneq xvffvat fprar abj. V'yy unir gb svaq gur cnaryf sebz Fpbgg Cvtyevz bs Fpbgg naq Xavirf' xvff nf vg cerggl zhpu fhzf hc ubj V srry nobhg gung. 'Vg jnf greevoyr sbe rirelbar, naq gung vapyhqrf lbh.' 🙂

      • t09yavosaur says:

        I won't do a full rundown because I don't want to ruin the movie magic for anyone and I would have to rewatch the episode (and that would be a monster post and look slightly obsessive) but there wasn't too much green screen stuff that I noticed. I think only the moments where you clearly saw both Willow's faces.

        "'I'm a bloodsucking fiend, look at my outfit!' I need this on a t-shirt."

        I haven't looked at it since Mark started his watch (to avoid spoilers) but CafePress has quite a large collection of Buffy quote material; Joss has his own search tag. You might be able to find such a shirt.

        • sirintegra42 says:

          Yeah, the moments when they're in the same screen the edges look a little bit fuzzy on the front Willow in the shot, although it is hard to tell with that jumper :D. I enjoy trying to work out these things (I do the same with Lord of the Rings whenever I watch it) so I'll probably watch it again and try to work it out. Maybe we could all compare notes or something? 🙂

          I'll have to have a look around. Someone's bound to have made one. That's probably a good place to start though, thanks.

          • t09yavosaur says:

            The moment in the library was the most obvious one for me, but there was another moment when they were standing next to each other but they were far enough apart that there wasn't much fuzz. My favorite moments were when one of the Willows' face was always blocked by her hair, I don't think I noticed every time but when I did I felt proud of myself.

    • Plactus says:

      Naql Hzoretre (Q'Ubssela) jnf gur fgnyxre va "V Snyy gb Cvrprf" ba Natry. Abg fher nobhg Sversyl.

      • sirintegra42 says:

        Nun, gur thl jub pbhyq chyy uvf obql ncneg evtug? V frrz gb erzrzore ur jnf whfg n enaqbz Nyyvnapr onfgneq ba Sversyl, nygubhtu V znl or jebat. Gunaxf naljnl.

  48. Shanna says:

    One of my favourite lines in this episode is Willow’s refusal that she is a vampire. The delivery is perfect.

  49. Mary Sue says:

    Giles: She was truly the finest of all of us.
    Xander: Way better than me.
    Giles: Much, much better.

    I used to not like that exchange. Now I'm all, WOO! PREACH IT, GILES!

    Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, one more round of applause for the star of this episode–

    –ha, I bet you thought I was going to say 'Willow's corset' again–

    –Alyson Hannigan!

    (Who would be nowhere without her key supporting player, THE CORSET!)

    So, yes. This is my absolute favorite episode of Buffy of ALL TIME.

    Why?

    CORSET.

    *is shallow*

  50. CandyCane says:

    I think people are being way too harsh on Willow for her attitude toward Faith. People's feelings are their feelings- it's what they *do* with their feelings that counts. And Willow acknowledged her bias against Faith publicly, tried to assume the best of her ("Maybe she's in shock?") when Buffy was complaining about how unremorseful Faith was, proposed getting Giles involved in the murder of Allen Finch which was the right thing to do for Faith and tries to have an affect of (distant) civility when Faith talks to her in the library. Willow doesn't like Faith and that leads to angry comments but IMO, Willow is giving Faith a fair hearing.

    Besides, in this ep, Faith has no objections to the Mayor putting a hit on Willow once Faith learns that she's getting a Playstation. So perspective…

  51. "Mistress of Pain. "

    that is all.

  52. NyssaOfTraken says:

    What a brilliant episode! In `The Wish` I had no problem with Vamp Willow being dusted, but this time, when she got teleported back just in time to get the point, I knd of felt sorry for her. Is that wierd?

    Nyfb, jr trg bhe svefg uvag gung Jvyybj zvtug whfg or `n ovg zber syrkvoyr jura vg pbzrf gb qnapvat`!

  53. NateClark says:

    Willow: It's horrible! That's me as a vampire? I'm so evil and… skanky. And I think I'm kinda gay.
    Buffy: Willow, just remember, a vampire's personality has nothing to do with the person it was.
    Angel: Well, actually… That's a good point.

    Natry lbh unq fb zhpu zber gb fnl qvqa'g lbh

  54. Nattlinnen says:

    GAAAAH! I FORGOT! My favourite willow/everything quote is in this episode!!!

    "Aren't you sort of naturally buff, Buff? Buff buff!"

  55. Polgara says:

    >Nyfb, V xabj gur rcvfbqr gbgnyyl qvqa’g zrna gb fnl guvf, ohg gurer’f n irel hasbeghangr vzcyvpngvba gung Inzc Jvyybj jnf n onq irefvba bs Jvyybj, naq fvapr Inzc Jvyybj jnf xvaq bs tnl, gung zvtug or n onq guvat. Ntnva, V guvax vg’f whfg fbzrguvat ab bar gubhtug guebhtu, ohg vg znqr zr ynhtu. BZT GUVF FUBJ VF OVTBGF.

    Bzvtbq V pna'g JNVG sbe arkg frnfba!

    • Jordan says:

      lrnu… guvf rcvfbqr unf fb zhpu sberfunqbjvat… ybbxvat onpx ba vg nsgre pbzcyrgvat gur frevrf V ernyvmrq ubj zhpu zber gurer vf gb guvf rcvfbqr guna gur svefg gvzr V jngpurq vg.

    • robin_comments says:

      V xabj, vg'f FB UNEQ. lbh'er yvxr tevggvat lbhe grrgu orpnhfr lbh jvfu lbh pbhyq gryy uvz gung npghnyyl vg jnf (n) rcvp sberfunqbjvat naq (o) lrg nabgure njrfbzr vaqvpngvba bs uhzna/inzcver pbzzbanyvgvrf. NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNU.

  56. Bricker501 says:

    "Turns out there were two president Roosevelts" makes me loose it. The setup for that joke came almost a half hour before the punchline.

    I was a bit surprised that tranquilizer guns work on vampires, but like Mr. Trick's uzi I think this is a bit of detail I should politely forget for the sake of the show.

    Does a whole bunch of people in Willow's school think she killed that girl?

  57. PS: The bird bites says:

    I have been waiting for you to see this episode since "The Wish", because it COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY VALIDATES ITS EXISTENCE OH MY GOD I LOVE "DOPPELGäNGLAND"! And I love Anya: "For a thousand years I wielded the powers of the wish. I brought ruin to the heads of unfaithful men. I brought forth destruction and chaos for the pleasure of the lower beings. I was feared and worshiped across the mortal globe and now I'm stuck at Sunnydale High! Mortal. Child. And I'm flunking math."

    Not to mention Willow pretending to be VampWillow, the best thing to ever exist ever: "I'm a blood-sucking fiend! Look at my outfit!"

    • robin_comments says:

      "I'm a blood-sucking fiend! Look at my outfit!"
      Even cuter to me when I think about how when Willow became a bloodsucking fiend, this IS the outfit she picked. Like, to Willow that's what you'd wear if you're a vampire! Naturally! LOL.

  58. sirintegra42 says:

    I have no idea, sorry. Within the UK it's on 4OD but I'm not sure about legal methods outside of this country unfortunately. Anyone know about these things?

    • sudden_eyes says:

      If 40D is web-based? Use Tunnelbear or Expatshield or another VPN, and end up with a British ISP that will give you access to UK-restricted content.

  59. @farwell3d says:

    The fact that Snyder uses the swim team from last year as a reason why Willow needs to "help" Percy and the basketball team is just so amazing.

    "Look at my outfit. I'm a blood-sucking fiend." Win. Forever.

  60. SnarkyWriter says:

    Wesley's scream = best thing ever.

  61. Shiroikami says:

    Apparently this episode was written because Joss liked Vamp!Willow so much that he wanted to give her and entire episode all her own.

    I wholly approve of this. 😀

  62. UnstrungZero says:

    I almost completely forgot my love for the line: "Say, you didn't all happen to do a bunch of drugs, did you?" ALL THE LOVE. So much quotage in this ep. <3 And as I said in reply to someone else, the Oz/Angel chat was something I'd forgotten and was THRILLED to see. They would have the BEST conversations.

    *vafreg boyvtngbel BZTGURSBERFUNQBJVATVFNZNMVAT pbzzrag nobhg Jvyybj*

  63. t09yavosaur says:

    -I like this title.
    -Poor Anya. Calculus is tough.
    -So we will be time traveling today?
    -Snyder!! Where ya been?
    -I was expecting 'I have a boyfriend' but “You want us to breed” is soooo much better!!
    -Snyder has a picture of a little girl on his desk? I don't know who she is but she is adorable.
    -Giles is eating a lollipop. Are we in an alternate dimension already?
    -Oh snap! They dragged out Vampire Willow!
    -Was Willow calling for her lost wild side from the temporal fold?
    -Those are not the Dingoes.
    -Why look, more problems caused by no memory of the Wish.
    -Though if Vamp!Willow keeps the Mayor's goons away from real!Willow I don't mind.
    -Haha, random hug attacks are awesome! Especially considering Willow was feeling down this episode.
    -“Have you been taking drugs?” and “I'm not a vampire” AH's tone is perfect.
    -I don't have any notes for this part because it was TOO AWESOME.
    -Why yes, Cordelia just came to return some books while on the way to a fancy cocktail party.
    -Cordelia! Talking vampires to death since 1999.
    -Scared straight program: just bring in your aggressive vampire counterpart for assistance.

    • Noybusiness says:

      "-Was Willow calling for her lost wild side from the temporal fold? "

      The sand was supposed to go on the representation of the necklace to call the necklace. It went on Willow's hand instead, so it called Vampire Willow.

  64. woadgrrl says:

    I take the point about the issue over listing “kinda gay” amongst the list of Vamp Willow’s negative attributes. However, despite how Willow phrases it, I think that, in terms of the series itself, it’s not that cut-and-dried.

    The series is all about identity, and one of the things that’s already been played around with is the sort of ‘Jekyll/Hyde’ compartmentalising of personalities. Characters learn to accept and even embrace attributes that they might be uncomfortable with, or may not even be aware of. We’ve seen this a bit with Giles/Ripper, and certainly with Buffy learning she can’t just stop being the Slayer.

  65. romanatwin says:

    Sorry, but I don't understand how unleashing an evil, soulless vampire into a civilian populace is noble. Willow: "We send her back to her world, and she stands a chance." A chance to do what exactly? Kill people? Torture people? Make more vampires to kill and torture people?

    Remember, they are not sending Vampire!Willow to some demon dimension. Willow to Vampire!Willow: "Try not to kill people!" The Scoobies know that they are merely sending her to an alternate Sunnydale. What would happen if any of the Scoobies of this world got turned into a vampire? Are they saying that they would just let a Vampire!Giles feast on locals because they can't bring themselves to kill him?

    Also, why not re-soul her before sending her back? Has Willow suddenly forgotten how to cast the spell? The fact that Vampire!Willow immediately dies upon arrival in her world does not justify the Scoobies' actions in any way as they had no idea that that's what was about to happen to her. To me, this is the most irresponsible thing they have done to date.

    • John says:

      Sending her back is the right thing to do. It's restorative to some cosmic balance, or…something.

    • arctic_hare says:

      What would happen if any of the Scoobies of this world got turned into a vampire? Are they saying that they would just let a Vampire!Giles feast on locals because they can't bring themselves to kill him?

      I've always wondered that myself.

    • Noybusiness says:

      I think that spell was tailor-made for Angel, or they could be using it all the time. It does say "Gods bind *him*, cast *his* heart from the evil realm" etc.

  66. feminerdist says:

    Things I love:

    – Giles and the lollipop. Holy god.
    – Giles hugs Willow. Awwwwww. Such a wonderful moment of sweet immediately after the pure comedy of Xander shaking the cross to make it work better.
    – "Willow's dead. Hey Willow" Comic timing gold.
    – Vamp Willow's boredom at Cordeila's lecture. Hilarious scene.
    – Willow waving at Oz in her "disguise" (lol) in the Bronze. I almost fell out of my chair laughing. So much cute and so much amazing.

    This episode was hilarious.

  67. Ryan Lohner says:

    Off topic but…Team StarKid is making a Batman musical!

    [youtube aPLeg4Huh-M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPLeg4Huh-M youtube]

    Dare I hope for Lauren Lopez as Robin?

  68. fantasylover120 says:

    And here we have another ep that's in my top ten eps of Buffy. I don't need to explain why do I?
    Daily Buffy Quotable
    "Do you have any idea how boring twelth graders are?"-Anya
    "You're lazy, self-involved, and spoiled. That's quite a challenge."-Snyder
    "It's just like fun. Only boring."-Faith
    "There's something about you that is causing me to hug you."-Oz
    "Xander, I beg you not to help me."-Buffy
    "And I'm eating this bananna! Lunchtime be damned!"-Willow
    "You know how my foot loves to live in my mouth."-Buffy
    "I'm eleven hundred freaking years old! Give me a freaking beer!"-Anya
    "Ten to one. Could get pointless."-Oz
    "Did anyone else go to a scary visual place?"-Xander
    "When I get my powers back you will all grovel before me."-Anya
    "Good luck with everything. Don't try to kill people."-Willow
    Oh hell, nearly this whole episode is quotable.

  69. @redbeardjim says:

    "Who do you work for?"

  70. kelseyofcake says:

    I'm actually pushing it y trying to comment tonight since I have so much homework. FUCK THE POLICE, I LOVE THIS EPISODE.

    -Yay, we get to see Anya again!
    -Willow you're being adorable on a level that I am not able to handle.
    -I've made a lot of notes about the ableism in Buffy, but at this point I'm ready to just sigh and hang my head.
    -“You want us to breed???” I recall having to pause the episode because I laughed so loud. Something about the way she says that line cracks me up.
    -Giles is holding a heart-shaped lolipop. I don't know why he is, but it's cute. He should do that more often.
    -Faith, that top is highly distracting. Also, since I didn't get to say it yesterday: FAITH! No, don't turn evil! I love you and want you to be happy. 🙁
    -Uuuugh, this guy bullying Willow into writing his paper is such an ass. Why don't these types of kids ever understand that, aside from being jerks, they're just hurting themselves more in the long run?
    -“And I'm eating this banana, lunchtime be damned!”
    -Uuuh, you're being way too trusting here. If someone at Sunnydale comes up and asks for help with a spell you've never even done before, you should be a little more hesitant. Her cover story is pretty shady.
    -Well, good thing you're backing out now.
    “Magic is dangerous, Anya. It's not to be toyed with!” Bu, gur havagragvbany sbefunqbjvat….
    -YES! The return of vampire Willow! And so begins the carnival of funny.
    -God, those bone-snapping sound effects. Once again I display my wimpiness.
    -“Way better than me.” “Much, much better.” Giles you are perfect. This scene is perfect.
    -LOL! I still laugh so hard at the part where Giles tackle-hugs her. EVERYTHING IS PERFECT.
    -Anya arguing with the bartender over her age is one of my favorite things. Poor Anya, can't even get herself a beer to drown her sorrows in.
    -Cracking up over Angel's confusion in this scene. I'm easy to amuse as it is, and the comedic timing is perfection.
    -Wow, brain, I'm really judging you here. How dare you find vampire Willow flirting with human Willow hot? That's creepy and disturbing! No, wait, it is pretty hot. Yes, I like this.
    -“That's me as a vampire? I'm so evil and skanky. [quietly to Buffy] And I think I'm kind of gay.” Implying something is wrong with sex (but then, it is Willow, who is still fairly innocent about that), or being gay. I don't think that was the intent here, but, eesh. Awkward. Npghnyyl V qb ynhtu ng gung yvar abj fvapr V xabj gung fur VF tnl. V fbzrgvzrf yvxr gb cergraq fur jnf frpergyl n yvggyr ovg nggenpgrq gb ure inzcver frys whfg orpnhfr gung jbhyq znxr gur fvghngvba rira zber jrveq naq uvynevbhf.
    -She fails so horribly at pretending to be a vampire and I love it. I'm with Mark on this. How the hell did Anya NOT know as soon as she started talking?
    -Ooooh, nice dress Cordy! Again, I find myself distracted.
    -Vamp-Willow's face while Cordelia is ranting at her is BEAUTIFUL.
    -I'm pretty sure I just woke up the entire house laughing at Wesley's shriek of terror.
    -“I'm a blood sucking fiend! Look at my outfit!”
    -I find it interesting that Willow was unable to let Buffy kill her alternate vampire self.
    -“Hands, hands!”
    -I love when Percy overcompensates by running back and giving Willow that apple. It's so cute!
    “Sbe Jvyybj, fur pna’g rfpncr gur vqrn gung Inzc Jvyybj vf rivqrapr bs jung Jvyybj pbhyq or vs fur znqr jbefr qrpvfvbaf.”
    *fbof vagb gur nolff*

  71. GamgeeFest says:

    BEST. EPISODE. EVER!!!!!

    Really, this ep is perfection! I’d quote my favorite lines, but I’d just be quoting the whole show!

    I love that Willow’s idea of rebelling is eating a banana before lunch time. I love Cordy’s evening gown when she comes to return books, hoping to find Wesley there. And of course, Wesley’s manly yelp. Love Xander shaking the cross at if it’s broken. 😀 LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about Vamp Willow (Bored now.) and our Willow pretending to be Vamp Willow, and Vamp Willow waking up in that pink sweater. Anya’s back! Naq jr frr Q’Ubssreba sbe gur svefg gvzr!!! YBIR Q’UBSSREBA! And can I just say, the score in this ep is perfect. This ep is like Band Candy on a sugar rush.

    Nyfb, V xabj gur rcvfbqr gbgnyyl qvqa’g zrna gb fnl guvf, ohg gurer’f n irel hasbeghangr vzcyvpngvba gung Inzc Jvyybj jnf n onq irefvba bs Jvyybj, naq fvapr Inzc Jvyybj jnf xvaq bs tnl, gung zvtug or n onq guvat. Ntnva, V guvax vg’f whfg fbzrguvat ab bar gubhtug guebhtu, ohg vg znqr zr ynhtu. Bzt guvf fubj vf ovtbgf.

    AB! AB! AB, Znex! Nyy gur ABRF!!!!! Jr’er nyzbfg gb jbaqreshyarff gung vf Gnen/Jvyybj! Whfg unat va gurer. Gurer’f, jung, 10? 12? zber rcvfbqrf. Vg’f whfg sberfunqbjvat naq vg’f cresrpg naq ornhgvshy!

    And of course I must end this with the bestest best line of television ever to be written ever:

    “I’m a blood-sucking fiend. Look at my outfit!”

  72. Batyachanna says:

    Mark, I hope that someday when you’re done with all 7 seasons of buffy you take the opportunity to go back and reread all of the reviews that you wrote so that you can laugh at yourself as much as we’re laughing at you right now. It’s truly delightful.

  73. Knoxus says:

    Love love love this episode. Alyson Hannigan is amazing in it. One of the funniest episodes.

    Awesome band in the Bronze, K's Choice from Belgium. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THhU28gc-VA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6C38UzVFQQ

    Two of their best songs.

  74. Hella says:

    V qba'g guvax gurl zrnag gb fnl orvat tnl jnf onq. vg jnf whfg pyrire sbefunqbjvat sbe Jvyybj orpbzvat tnl.

  75. batyachanna says:

    Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Anyanka Freed http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1010024062

  76. pica_scribit says:

    Just in case y'all are not aware, there was a web comic for a while called "The Erotic Adventures of Buffy and Evil Vampire Willow". It was a very silly thing, and you should not go looking for it unless you have watched all of Buffy. I know there were spoilers through at least Season 6, and possibly 7 as well. But I still use this image as one of my LJ icons.

    <img src="http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/42122983/145933"&gt;

    P.S: Mark, the complete unpreparedness you demonstrate in this review is even more adorable than a Scoobie group hug.

  77. Danny_SAP says:

    <img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lztqyz8Vb91qz5stv.png"&gt;

    ANYA For a thousand years I wielded the powers of The Wish. I brought ruin to the heads of unfaithful men. I brought forth destruction and chaos for the pleasure of the lower beings. I was feared and worshipped across the mortal globe. And now I'm stuck at Sunnydale High. Mortal. Child. And I'm flunking math.

    Questions! How does Anya afford food? Where does she live? Why does she feel compelled to go to classes at a school where she is presumably not actually enrolled?
    <img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lztr1ee0sb1qz5stv.png"&gt;

    FAITH Thanks, Sugar Daddy.
    WILKINS Now, Faith, I don't find that sort of thing amusing. I'm a family man. Now, let's kill your little friend.

    Faith really doesn't know how to interact with men who don't want to fuck her.
    <img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lztr2i6Mnx1qz5stv.png"&gt;

    VAMP!WILLOW You're alive!
    XANDER Uh… Will, this is verging on naughty touching here. Don't wanna fall back on bad habits. Hands! Hands in new places!
    VAMP!WILLOW You're alive.

    Comedic gold.
    <img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lztr31LG101qz5stv.png"&gt;

    WILLOW It's really nice that you guys missed me. Say, you all didn't happen to do a bunch of drugs, did ya?
    XANDER Will, we saw you at the Bronze. A vampire.
    WILLOW I'm not a vampire.
    BUFFY You are. I-I mean, you, you were. Giles, planning on jumping in with an explanation any time soon?
    GILES Well, uh… something… something, um, very strange is happening.
    XANDER Can you believe the Watcher's Council let this guy go?

    This recap is dedicated to Allyson Hannigan's face.
    <img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lztr3khekZ1qz5stv.png"&gt;

    ANYA You know this isn't your world, right? I mean, you know you don't belong here.
    VAMP!WILLOW No. This is a dumb world. In my world there are people in chains, and we can ride them like ponies.

    I like ponies.
    <img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lztr4w6hxy1qz5stv.png"&gt;
    For your shipping purposes.
    <img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lztr5jVS811qz5stv.png"&gt;

    WILLOW It's horrible! That's me as a vampire? I'm so evil and… skanky. And I think I'm kinda gay.
    BUFFY Willow, just remember, a vampire's personality has nothing to do with the person it was.
    ANGEL Well, actually… That's a good point.

    Willow with the gay panic and slut shaming… I do not like it at all. Captain Lurk, on the other hand, is brilliantly tactless.
    <img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lztr67foON1qz5stv.png"&gt;

    WESLEY Grr.

    There are a lot of spectacular faces in this episode.
    <img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lztr93qGdP1qz5stv.png"&gt;

    WILLOW A human? Oh, yeah? Could a human do this?
    ANYA Sure. Yeah. Humans do that. Yeah.
    ALFONSE Yeah. Yeah, I think, yeah.

    I like Alfonse.
    This episode does a great job of showing how funny the cast and writers can be, and also how readily they fall into the Depraved Bisexual trope. It's plenty disappointing, particularly on the heels of the plotline where their resident slut, Faith, turns murderous sociopath.
    Transcript

    • DonSample says:

      I always assumed that Anya, back when she was demon, set up a good cover for herself as a student at Sunnydale High. She was able to rewrite the whole universe. Putting herself onto the Sunnydale High role, and giving herself a source of income while she was there would have been child's play.

      • GamgeeFest says:

        Her fake dad owned a bunch of utilities or something? Or she could have money stored somewhere. 1120 years granting wishes and destroying men has to pay for something.

        Jr frr va "Frysyrff" ubj fur cerggl zhpu whfg yrrpurf ba gb jungrire pbzrf ure jnl naq qbrfa'g ernyyl rknzvar urefrys naq ure bja zbgvirf irel zhpu. Fur jnf va gur ebyr bs n fghqrag jura fur ybfg ure cbjref fb fur whfg xrcg ba jvgu gur thvfr orpnhfr fur qvqa'g xabj jung ryfr gb qb jvgu urefrys.

        • Danny_SAP says:

          Your rot13 makes the most sense to me. She keeps going to class/school because that's the role she's got going on right now. It just seems weird to me that she'd be so complainy about it when she seriously could just stop going.

    • misterbernie says:

      …that pony sorta looks like a doggy.

  78. DonSample says:

    "Gosh, look at those!"

    Buffy Body Count totals for this episode:

    Sandy, killed by vamp Willow
    4 vamps, staked by Buffy, Angel, Xander and Giles

  79. DonSample says:

    One scene in this episode really struck me as a contrast between Buffy and Faith:

    When Buffy raises her stake to strike vamp Willow, and Willow shouts "Buffy! No!" and Buffy stops.

    The timing is almost identical to the scene in "Bad Girls" when Faith raises her stake to strike at Finch, Buffy shouts "Faith! No!" and Faith doesn't stop.

    I've never seen a definitive comment on it from Joss, but I've always felt that this was done deliberately.

    • Gorimek says:

      Thanks!

      Always more gold in the Buffymine…

    • cait0716 says:

      I wonder if that's a move that Buffy's been practicing since Faith accidentally killed the Deputy Mayor. It does seem very deliberate, but also like part of Buffy's earlier stated desire to do better than Faith

  80. theDMG says:

    Doppelgangland is the only episode that contends with "Innocence" for best in the series in my mind. So, so many great lines and a great, if bizarre, character study. I've probably seen this episode at least 30 times and I didn't even start watching Buffy until the seventh season was airing.

  81. notemily says:

    THINGS I DID NOT LIKE

    – uh

    This is my favorite list yet, Mark 😀

    Right, so this episode is FANTASTIC. I always forget how GOOD some of the episodes of this show are until I find myself laughing at every other line of dialogue because the awesome JUST DOES NOT STOP. This is one of those episodes.

    Newly mortal Anya is flunking math! Does anyone else wonder why she stayed in high school in the first place? So did the Cullen family for absolutely no reason whatsoever. I do love that they came back to Anya's story. Usually we wouldn't get to find out what happens to an episode-of-the-week demon after they are defeated and their powers removed. I like the idea that they would struggle to get along in the mortal world.

    Willow and Percy! "You want us to breed?" Hee.

    The scene with the Mayor giving Faith an apartment (and a PlayStation, heh) is so great. I wonder if he knew anything about Faith's life beforehand, or if he just intuited that she would respond to a father figure who showered her with affection and gifts. The scene where he makes her stop jumping on the bed because no shoes on the bed–it's so DADLIKE. And Faith, rather than being her usual closed-off, distrustful self, is drinking it in. Which makes me think that she really WANTS to be able to trust people who are nice to her, and deep down she still hopes that she can. Which just breaks my heart because she has chosen THE MAYOR to pin this hope on.

    "And I'm eating this banana! Lunchtime be damned!"

    Willow decides that she's too reliable (or faithful, or possibly Yeller) so when Anya comes to her with the idea of doing magic to get her necklace back, she jumps at the chance to do something "dangerous." But then she gets in over her head, and when she sees the flashes of the Wishverse she wants nothing more to do with Anya's spell. And Anya can't even get Amy to help, because Amy is a rat. Where's Michael? Anyway.

    "Did you try looking inside the sofa IN HELL?"

    Of course neither Willow nor Anya realize that they've brought a little bit of the Wishverse back with them. The magic sand spills on Willow, so Vamp!Willow is suddenly transported to the regular Buffyverse. And she doesn't like it. I love the scene where she runs into Xander–"You're alive! …you're alive." FLAWLESS DIALOGUE.

    "Hands! Hands in new places!"

    The Mayor makes good on his threat of sending vampires to kill Willow, except they find the wrong Willow. "Who do you work for?"

    When Buffy and Xander and Giles all think Willow has died, it's sad for them, but absolutely HILARIOUS for us, especially when Willow shows up. And Xander SHAKES THE CROSS to see if it's defective. "Jeez, who died? …Oh god, who died?" "Say, y'all didn't happen to do a bunch of drugs, did you?" Alyson Hannigan really shows off her acting chops in this episode, to hilarious results.

    Oz and Angel, who don't have enough scenes together, have a little Deadpan Snarker exchange at the Bronze. "Why don't I believe him?" "Well, he lacks credibility." Then Willow comes in, and she NAILS EVERY LINE. "Questions? Comments?" UGH THIS EPISODE IS SO GOOD

    Angel amuses me by casually using the word "cadre."

    Vamp!Willow and Regular Flavor Willow are alone at last! Or… at first, since they've never actually met. Also, Vamp!Willow sure does like licking people.

    Then Buffy delights me by having "a really bad idea." YESSSS.

    Willow's really bad at pretending to be a vampire. Luckily, henchvamps in this universe don't seem to be too bright. Anya notices, though. I smile at Willow's indictment of herself. "She's so weak and accommodating."

    Vamp!Willow is likewise horrible at pretending to be human. Unluckily, Cordelia is too self-absorbed to notice. Hee.

    "Leave this place!" "Don't wanna." *cross and holy water* "…Whatever." I love you, Vamp!Willow.

    WESLEY'S SCREAM adhafhdsdfs;;dfjkls

    "Could a human do this? *scream*" "Sure, yeah." Hee hee hee

    "This world's no fun." "You noticed that too?" Aww, Willow.

    ["Fur zrffrq hc rirelguvat fur gbhpurq! V qba'g rire jnag gb or yvxr gung!" Qba'g jbeel, lbh jvyy.]

    And then the return of Percy just caps off this fantastic episode perfectly. "It turns out there were two president Roosevelts…" I. CAN'T. aklsdjfjadflsadfsdjklfajklsdfbj;';lkjsdfjdfks FLAWLESS.

    • Danny_SAP says:

      I really like the "you noticed that too" line. It's surprisingly subtle.

    • etherealclarity says:

      "Juvpu znxrf zr guvax gung fur ernyyl JNAGF gb or noyr gb gehfg crbcyr jub ner avpr gb ure, naq qrrc qbja fur fgvyy ubcrf gung fur pna. Juvpu whfg oernxf zl urneg orpnhfr fur unf pubfra GUR ZNLBE gb cva guvf ubcr ba. "

      Gur zbfg oevyyvnag naq urnegoernxvat guvat nobhg guvf vf gung gur Znlbe arire QBRF yrg ure qbja. Rira vs ur unq fheivirq orlbaq gur raq bs Frnfba 3, V qba'g guvax ur rire jbhyq unir oebxra ure gehfg. Ur jnf rivy nf rivy pna or, ohg ur trahvaryl pnerq nobhg Snvgu, gb gur raq.

    • devilscrayon says:

      "Which makes me think that she really WANTS to be able to trust people who are nice to her, and deep down she still hopes that she can. Which just breaks my heart because she has chosen THE MAYOR to pin this hope on."

      EXACTLY.

  82. theunlikelyone says:

    I've been looking forward to you getting here. Oh boy. I'm so glad you liked it, this easily ranks in my top ten favorite episodes.

  83. DonSample says:

    Shooting this ep, they had multiple stand ins and stunt doubles for Alyson Hannigan, leading to some interesting pictures that got taken on set:

    <img src="http://www.buffybodycount.ca/Stuff/FourWillows.jpg&quot; alt="Four Willows">

  84. John Small Berries says:

    (Also, I know the episode totally didn’t mean to say this, but there’s a very unfortunate implication that Vamp Willow was a bad version of Willow, and since Vamp Willow was kind of gay, that might be a bad thing. Again, I think it’s just something no one thought through, but it made me laugh. OMG THIS SHOW IS BIGOTS.)

    Except that Vamp Willow isn't actually gay, but bisexual: we know from in "The Wish" that she was involved with Vamp Xander. Of course, regular Willow never saw that; she only experienced Vamp Willow coming on to her.

    There's another component to Vamp Willow's sexuality, though: she's now decidedly predatory about it, and that certainly could be called a bad thing.

  85. @eruvadhril says:

    "gurer’f n irel hasbeghangr vzcyvpngvba gung Inzc Jvyybj jnf n onq irefvba bs Jvyybj, naq fvapr Inzc Jvyybj jnf xvaq bs tnl, gung zvtug or n onq guvat. Ntnva, V guvax vg’f whfg fbzrguvat ab bar gubhtug guebhtu, ohg vg znqr zr ynhtu. BZT GUVF FUBJ VF OVTBGF."

    AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

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