In the sixth episode of the third season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, multiple antagonists from the past team up to let loose a curse on Sunnydale, and I will never be the same again. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Buffy.
HELP ME. HELP ME. WHAT DID I JUST WATCH? WHAT JUST HAPPENED? OH MY GOD THIS IS EVEN WORSE THAN “BEWITCHED, BOTHERED, AND BEWILDERED” IN TERMS OF AWKWARDNESS AND HORROR AND PLEASE HELP ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON.
- SWEET HELL, THE MAYOR MADE A PACT WITH A DEMON. IT ALL MAKES SO MUCH SENSE. HOLY SHIT, WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?
- OKAY, HAS THE WORD “TRIBUTE” BEEN TOTALLY TAKEN OVER BY THE HUNGER GAMES FOR ANYONE ELSE? I KEPT SEEING KATNISS THE ENTIRE TIME ANYONE SAID “TRIBUTE.”
- HOLY FUCK, WHY IS ANGEL DOING TAI CH’I THE FUNNIEST THING ON THE PLANET?
- OH MY GOD, I LEGITIMATELY FEEL BAD FOR ANGEL.
- WOW, ANGEL SWEATS A LOT.
- WOW, WHY AM I TAKING TIME OUT OF MY DAY TO TALK ABOUT THIS?
- OH NO. OH MY GOD. BUFFY’S ALIBIS HAVE ALL DISCOVERED THEY ARE ALIBIS. THIS IS A DISASTER.
- ALSO, I CAN RELATE TO BUFFY A LOT HERE BECAUSE MY MOTHER USED TO REFUSE TO TRUST ME TO DO ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF HER PERMISSION IF IT WASN’T SCHOOL. ONCE, SHE CAME ONTO CAMPUS AND YELLED AT ME IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE CROSS COUNTRY TEAM BECAUSE I WAS TWELVE MINUTES LATE COMING HOME. OKAY, SO MAYBE MY MOM WASN’T JOYCE SUMMERS, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE FEELING OF YOUR PARENTS REFUSING TO TRUSTH YOU.
- XANDER AND WILLOW, STOP PLAYING FOOTSIE UNDER THE TABLE.
- WAIT WHAT THE FUCK IS MS. BARTON DOING.
- WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING.
- WHAT THE FUCK ARE GILES AND JOYCE DOING?Â
- WHY ARE THEY BEING SO NICE?
- WHAT THE FUCK?!!?! WHY IS GILES SMOKING AND WHY IS JOYCE DRINKING KAHLUA? WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING? WHAT ARE MY EMOTIONS DOING?
- WHY IS GILES CALLING HIMSELF RIPPER? WHY DID HIS ACCENT CHANGE? HELP ME. I CAN’T. I CAN’T DEAL WITH ANY OF THIS. MY BRAIN IS FALLING APART. HELP ME.
- THE BRONZE IS FOREVER SCARRED BY THE MEMORY OF WHAT I HAVE JUST SEEN.
- PRINCIPAL SNYDER, YOU HAVE INSTANTLY BECOME THE BEST CHARACTER IN ALL OF FICTION. HELP ME. I AM LAUGHING AND SHRIEKING AT THE SCREEN AT THE SAME TIME.
- WILLOW’S DOCTOR JUST TRIED TO STAGE DIVE. I AM LAUGHING SO HARD THAT TEARS ARE STREAMING DOWN MY FACE.
- OH MY GOD, PRINCIPAL SNYDER WANTS TO BE BEST FRIENDS WITH WILLOW, OZ, AND BUFFY. I JUST FELL OUT OF MY CHAIR.
- BUFFY WATCH OUT FOR THAT CA – OH. WHY DID NONE OF YOU GET HURT? THAT CRASH LOOKED BRUTAL.
- PRINCIPAL SNYDER, I SWEAR. I WILL NEVER LOOK AT YOU THE SAME AGAIN.
- OH, YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. ETHAN RAYNE AGAIN??? HOW IS HE NOT DEAD YET?
- THE ENTIRE SCENE OF JOYCE AND GILES OUTSIDE THAT CLOTHING SHOP WILL FOREVER BE ETCHED INTO MY MEMORY AS BOTH THE FUNNIEST AND MOST TERRIFYING THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED ON BUFFY. IT IS THE MOST BRILLIANT SKEWERING OF PUNK ROCK ATTITUDE I HAVE WITNESSED IN MY LIFE. OH MY GOD, THEY ARE MAKING OUT ON THE COP CAR OF THE OFFICER THAT GILES JUST PUNCHED OUT. I CAN’T HANDLE LIFE. I CAN’T. THIS IS IT. THIS IS THE END.
- WHY DO I KIND OF LIKE GILES/JOYCE. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME.
- BUFFY FOUND HER MOTHER MAKING OUT WITH GILES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
- MR. TRICK, DON’T YOU THINK IT’S RATHER COMPLICATED TO INTRODUCE A CURSE TO THE ADULTS OF SUNNYDALE THROUGH CHOCOLATE JUST SO YOU CAN KIDNAP SOME NEWBORNS FOR LURCONIS? LIKE COULDN’T YOU HAVE JUST HAD SOME VAMPIRES TAKE THEM? I SUPPOSE I SHOULDN’T COMPLAIN OR THINK TOO HARD ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THEN THIS EPISODE KIND OF UNRAVELS COMPLETELY.
- ALSO, THE WAY WILLOW DELIVERS THE LINE ABOUT LURCONIS EATING BABIES MADE ME LAUGH UNTIL I COULDN’T BREATHE.
- ALSO, THE LURCONIS HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE ONE CREATURE ON BUFFY WITH THE WORST CGI TO DATE. IT LOOKS AWFUL.
- PRINCIPAL SNYDER, THE ADULTS VANDALIZED THE SCHOOL. HOW DARE YOU MAKE THE SCOOBIES CLEAN UP AFTER THEM. HOW IRRESPONSIBLE.
- UM. UM. DID I READ THAT FINAL SCENE RIGHT? DID SOMETHING HAPPEN BETWEEN JOYCE AND GILES? WHAT IS AIR? WHAT IS LIFE. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS SHOW. WHAT DID I JUST WITNESS
HELP ME.
Death Count: 4. The four vampires. I think? Now I’m not sure. Did Buffy only kill two of them? I CAN’T REMEMBER. Total: 18
I will forever ship me/Ripper. Anthony Stewart Head STOP BEING SO DAMN SEXY.
This episode it possibly my favorite hour of television on Earth. Principal Snyder omg STOP BEING SO HILARIOUS.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS EPISODE.
Anthony Stewart Head STOP BEING SO DAMN SEXY.
I believe that is physically impossible for him. Damn it.
This is definitely one of my absolute favorite episodes of the series – largely because, as friends of mine love to point out, I have wildly inappropriate feelings for Ripper. I feel no shame.
There is no such thing as inappropriate feelings for Ripper. There are those who are in love with him, and everyone else is WRONG.
THIS.
I think wildly inappropriate feelings for Ripper are wholly appropriate.
IAWTC SO HARD. I love this episode so much. And let me add a 'net word I never ever use: "UNF."
Band Candy!!! THIS IS SUCH A FABULOUS EPISODE. It is tremendously funny from start to finish. Honestly, if I tried to post the moments that made me laugh loudly I would probably end up posting about three-quarters or more of the script!
Things I Particularly Liked
•Buffy method of answer choice for the SAT’s, this is exactly how I would choose when I didn’t know the answers.
•That the descent into teenage behavior was kind of gradual, that you can see the inklings of it beginning in Joyce and Giles’ conversation with Buffy after she uses them as alibis. They are acting slightly less mature and understanding in that scene.
•PRINCIPAL SNYDER!!!!! Everything that man says in this episode is hilarious! Particularly his excitement about being able to do whatever he wants because he’s the principal, him wanting to participate with the Scooby gang, and his failed attempts at flirting with Joyce.
•Angel doing tai chi(?) shirtless!!!!!!
•Joyce and Giles after Buffy leaves Giles apartment; from the “Do you think she noticed anything?” moment to this whole conversation
Joyce: You got good albums.
Giles: Yeah, they're okay. (lights the cigarettes)
Joyce: Do you like Seals and Croft? (gets a look) Yeah, me neither. (accepts a cigarette) Thanks. So how come they, uh, call you Ripper?
Giles: Wouldn't you like to know.
Giles: Hmm, wait a minute. Listen to this bit. (guitar riff) It rocks!
Joyce: It's good.
Giles: Man, I gotta get a band together.
Joyce : Hey, Ripper, you wanna watch TV? I know how to order pay-per-view.
Giles: No, let's go out and have some fun. Tear things up a bit.
Joyce: Okay. We could go to the Bronze.
Giles: Not bloody likely. That place is dead.
•Ms. Barton!
•The Bronze, just everything at The Bronze
•Ethan Rayne is back!
•Giles glee when Buffy punches Ethan
•“Why would anyone want to kiss rocks?”
•THIS LIST COULD GO ON FOREVER, but I’m going to end it here……..
On a random note, I was impressed with Buffy’s Death of a Salesman reference, I know high school me couldn’t have pulled up his name for a witty comment. Nyfb, vg’f shaavre va yvtug bs nyy bs gur Qrngu bs Fnyrfzna fghss va Erfgyrff.
And now, official stuff!
Episode 6: Band Candy
Written by Jane Espenson [no wonder this episode is wonderful], Directed by Michael Lange
As Buffy stress over her SATs, Principal Snyder enlists the students to sell candy to raise money for the band’s new uniforms. Everyone knows kids love candy, but what these chocolate bars do to the adults of Sunnydale is anything but sweet.
Snyder flirting with Joyce and the *look* she gives him! So much love.
And <3 Jane Espenson! I think this was her first Buffy episode, yes?
Jane Espenson ROCKS (but doesn't kiss rocks.)
why would anyone want to kiss rocks… oh. wait.
classic willow delivery <3
THIS! FOREVER THIS!
Thanks for posting the official stuff. I was wondering, where are you getting the episode description? The original season 3 DVD set is slightly different: "Sunnydale's adult population begins acting like immature teenagers after eating candy bars being sold to finance new high school band uniforms."
And I share your love for Jane Espenson.
The information is from the book that came with my collection (The Chosen Collection). It's basically an episode guide. I am a relatively new Buffy fan (since 2007!) and so I didn't have the original DVDs when the collection came out, so I bought it!
I didn't realize the chosen collection has different episode guides. I assumed that they would just use the same ones. Now I want to compare the two to see if all the descriptions are different or just some.
good reason to treat yourself 🙂 i bought it after having bought every season separately, and then having to sell them all (except i couldn't part with season 6 – QBA'G WHQTR ZR! 🙂 when i got laid off, so now i own the chosen collection (with the bonus disc! and joss' note!! and a couple of other extra's) AND season 6's original DVD's.
to paraphrase "the sure thing" – do you think i lack self discipline?
I LOVED THIS EPISODE. A LOT. I was REALLY sad when it ended. If the rest of the season was just reruns of Band Candy, I wouldn’t be upset in the slightest. In fact, I might even be really excited.
I was just wondering if any of the Scoobies were applying to college. For me, junior year up until April of senior year was COLLEGECOLLEGECOLLEGE all the time, so it’s weird to see them so relaxed about it. Joyce’s line at the end about writing Buffy a note to get out of the SATs made me die a bit inside, because OMG IT’S THE SATs YOU CAN’T JUST WRITE A NOTE. PLUS, IF YOU DON’T DO WELL YOU WILL DIE. I loved Cordelia’s bit about testing well and her “what? I can’t have layers?”. I LOVE HER SO MUCH.
I have no other coherent thoughts. GILES AND JOYCE!!! SNYDER!!!! EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT
except for the weird worm at the end, but I don’t even care.Yeah, I definitely had more anxiety about it than they seem to, but, you know, that's not the focus. I was mostly mentally chiding them for leaving the SATs until after homecoming. Cutting it a little close to application deadlines, aren't we?!
And yes, that Cordy line was perfect. <3
Yeah, I definitely had more anxiety about it than they seem to, but, you know, that's not the focus of the show. I was mostly mentally chiding them for leaving the SATs until after homecoming. Cutting it a little close to application deadlines, aren't we?!
And yes, that Cordy line was perfect. <3
I hated the SATs. And then I didn't do well enough the first time, so my dad made me retake it, but the only available date was while we were on vacation in a different time zone. So I ended up taking them while super jet lagged in a school full of people who all knew each other and I'd never seen before and then I got exactly the same score. stupid SATs
Oh no!! That sounds really, really terrible. My school wasn’t a testing station so I had to go a couple towns over, but we all had to do it so it wasn’t bad.
They were so stressful and so pointless. My year was the New SAT year so there was all this confusion and added stress about it, and because in Japan the test is EVERYTHING, my mom went waaaaay overboard. I still/i> get shit about them (my scores weren’t bad, but I guess I could have done better?) even though that was over 6 years ago. It’s because my sister is currently applying to college, but I’m done with the SATs! What can I do about my score now? If I had a time machine the absolute last thing on my mind would be to go back and take them again.
Oh no!! That sounds really, really terrible. My school wasn’t a testing station so I had to go a couple towns over, but we all had to do it so it wasn’t bad.
They were so stressful and so pointless. My year was the New SAT year so there was all this confusion and added stress about it, and because in Japan the test is EVERYTHING, my mom went waaaaay overboard. I still get shit about them (my scores weren’t bad, but I guess I could have done better?) even though that was over 6 years ago. It’s because my sister is currently applying to college, but I’m done with the SATs! What can I do about my score now? If I had a time machine the absolute last thing on my mind would be to go back and take them again.
Because of the colleges I was applying to, I also had to take a few supplementary tests that are now just included in the new SAT. It would have been nice to have that all covered in one thing. Then I wouldn't have had to pay for additional testing and for extra scores to get sent out.
And, yeah, my score wasn't terrible. It was just my dad being my dad. It's weird how much pressure you put on these things that then don't matter, like, a year later. (see also: my GPA)
Yea, I took 2 or 3 supplementary tests, I think? Because of the change from the old SAT to the new SAT, most schools recommended we send EVERYTHING (SAT, SAT II, ACT, AP, whatever) and they’d sort it out because they weren’t sure how much of a change there would be. It was a nightmare. And ridiculously expensive. It should not cost that much to apply to college!
I did really well on the Verbal and didn't have to take any English or Writing classes when I started college. Unfortunately, those were my favorite classes.
I took the regular SATs twice and the SAT IIs once. UGH. THEY ARE THE WOOORST.
Oh, me too. I had to take three different SAT II tests. I made the mistake of taking the World History SAT II even though I'd only taken AP European History in school, so I was fine on all the Euro stuff but once the South American or Asian history popped up I was shit out of luck.
Plus, I'm from the South, so I had to take the ACT on top of that. It still makes my brain hurt.
I always thought the worst part about the SATs is they made you take them on SATURDAY MORNING. It's like they were deliberately trying to sabotage us.
I spent most of ‘Band Candy’ doing this:
<img src="http://i42.tinypic.com/9zm4h4.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
I’m torn between finding the whole thing hilarious and cringing in total second hand embarrassment. Which I guess was the intent of the episode so…good job?
Some thoughts:
– I’m trying so hard to think of anything more funny than Angel doing shirtless Tai-Chi, but it’s just not coming.
– ETHAN!!!!!!1!!121! Please be in all the episodes Actually, what happened to him? I mean, Trick said he got paid, so he must have escaped I guess. Sorry, but YAY. Every episode with him so far has been pure gold.
– The Mayor is also a wonderful, fantastically creepy bad guy. He’s just such a change from last season, and while I loved Spike and Dru (omg please come back to meeeee) his calm, almost workmanlike approach to evil is very different to their over-the-top antics. I’m really enjoying seeing this plot unfold.
– Oh god, Giles with Tony Head’s London accent…*swoon*
– Giles and Joyce…holy awkward Batman. OK, actually I did kind of enjoy all this stuff, it was pretty funny and brilliantly acted. Did they…I mean, did they? Because it’s kind of implied…look I’m gonna pull a Buffy and just try not to think about it.
– Favourite moment of the episode was definitely Buffy walking past her mom and Giles making out…and the look of utter horror on her face when she realised what she’d just seen.
– Snyder just cracked me up in this episode. I love how he’s hanging around them trying to be their friend! It’s almost adorable that the guy is a total loser whatever age he is.
– Willow and Xander. URGH JUST STOP IT. I just really hate the way this is playing out. You are both in happy, committed relationships with people who not only love you, but are perfectly suited to you, personality-wise. Why are you causing yourselves unnecessary problems??
– The awful 90s CGI snake demon was wonderful. Wonderful.
that gif is going to haunt me forever.
The obvious solution is to make more. Then *this one* won't haunt you
This is really the only next step to take.
It's beautiful and I will continue to use it whenever possible. 😛
YOU ARE IN A SQUARE GIF OF EMOTION!
Perfect Mark gif is perfect
Oh.MY.God this gif is just tremendous. I just have to say that I cannot stop laughing.
V ybirq Fcvxr naq Qeh bzt cyrnfr pbzr onpx gb zr
yby
Seconding your desire to have Ethan in all the episodes. Ethan brings instant awesome!
Although, admittedly, he probably wouldn't work as a regular villain. But more Ethan would be nice!
"Magic Jane" Espenson debuts as a Buffy writer!
I thought Giles and Buffy's mother went the whole way on that cop car. That's going to be awkward.
Znlor Tvyrf vf ernyyl Qnja'f qnq!
Bu zl tbq V arire gubhtug bs gung orsber. Unununun
I was literally just thinking "Ohg qvq gurl hfr cebgrpgvba?!" orpnhfr Wblpr vfa'g GUNG byq… >.>
Ohg fheryl Qnja'f nyernql 10-vfu ng guvf cbvag? Ubjrire zhpu V'q ybir sbe Tvyrf gb or Qnja'f sngure, V whfg qba'g guvax gur gvzryvar pna fheivir gung…
Be abarkvfgrag. Tbq bayl xabjf jub Qnja'f cneragf npghnyyl ner, nf gur bayl vasbezngvba jr trg vf gung fur jnf "znqr sebz Ohssl" naq "funerf Ohssl'f oybbq."
…Fb, lrf, V unir frra svpf jevggra jvgu Qnja orvat Tvyrf naq Wblpr'f xvq.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/VkotC.jpg">
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/VkotC.jpg">
Oh yes, don't even need to rot13 it!
YES!
Always nice when I don't have to un-rot13 something
Dirty laughing.
HAHA
I got as far as typing the first word into rot13 before I realised what it was. And ROFL
YES GOOD.
YES. OMG HAHAHAH YESSSSS.
oh holy jesus
I've been saying that inside my head since I realized today's episode was Band Candy.
lmaooo
V fgvyy qba'g xabj jung n fgrirqber vf >_>
V ybbxrq vg hc n srj lrnef ntb orpnhfr V qvqa'g xabj rvgure. Vg'f nabgure grez sbe qbpxjbexre/ybatfuberzna/jungrire grez lbh'q hfr sbe fbzrbar jub jbexf ba qbpxf.
…jnvg jung rknpgyl qvq Wblpr qb va ure lbhgu gb znxr gung pbzcnevfba?
it is my fondest wish to smoke a doobie and listen to disraeli gears with giles. that is all.
word.
That scene whit Giles and Joyce and the car… Priceless.
Okay, I know a lot of you are still mourning the loss of Jenny and will ship Giles/Jenny until the end of time, but this is where I admit that I really want Giles and Joyce to get together.
Anyway, this is a great pick-me-up episode of Buffy because it's basically just funny all the way through. We get Trick and Ethan teaming up and being awesome, though slightly bumbling. Ethan's "You might want to hurry" when he sees Buffy is completely perfect. We get Snyder acting like a teenager and see all his social awkwardness come out. We get Buffy's horrible driving. We get Giles and Joyce hanging out and being adorable. I just love all of it so much!
Gjb bs zl snibevgr pnyy onpxf va gur ragver fubj ner gb guvf rcvfbqr
Gur svefg, va Rnefubg, vf Ohssl'f uvynevbhf yvar "Lbh unq frk jvgu Tvyrf? Ba gur ubbq bs n cbyvpr pne?! Gjvpr!?!
Gur frpbaq vf nsgre Wblpr qvrf naq Tvyrf zbheaf ure ol yvfgravat gb Gnyrf bs Oenir Hylffrf.
a big "hell yes!" to both of those references.
Bu zna, V qba'g guvax V rire pnhtug gung frpbaq bar. Fb zl frpbaq vf gur bar nobir.
I didn't even have to un-rot13 that first one. I also love the "fgrirqber" pnyyonpx.
I always liked the idea of Joyce/Giles… if this wasn't a Whedon show. For him, it's just too perfect. Buffy's mom getting together with her father figure? Too fairytale-like for Joss to get behind! So I kind of anti-ship them for that reason.
V ybir gung frpbaq bar, rira vs vg qbrf znxr jngpuvat gur bevtvany fprar urer ovggrefjrrg.
Giles/Joyce is the ONLY thing I will even consider considering shipping beyond Giles/Jenny.
Because…they're both really awesome? And they both really care about Buffy? And I really just want both of them to be happy? Even if I do feel like a TRAITOROUS TRAITOR saying it.
Look, I will never again ship anything in the world as much as I ship Giles/Jenny. But in a purely logical and reasonable way…yeah I can get on board with this.
I'll just pull a Dumbledore and try to be happy that there's a little more love in the world. Or at least…a little more…possible awkward police car sex.
D:
"Because…they're both really awesome? And they both really care about Buffy? "
I agree that they are both awesome, but I have a problem with shipping them precisely because of their Buffy connection. They both love her, but Giles is pretty much always going to have to send her out to possibly get killed, and I think will always be a source of tension between him and Joyce.
Juvpu vf jul V guvax Tvyrf/Wblpr nf qbar va gur frevrf vf cvgpu cresrpg. Fbzr ubg lrg veerfcbafvoyr frkl gvzrf, fbzr natre/erfragzrag, naq riraghnyyl n pnhgvbhf sevraqfuvc gung trgf zber pbzsbegnoyr bire gvzr.
ETA: Also, I cannot truly embrace Giles/Joyce because I am shipping Spike/Joyce until the end of time.
Ahahahaha have you read that alternate universe fanfic where Spike married Joyce and became Buffy's stepfather?
I have not.
Do you have a link?!
I should warn you: it's actually a Buffy/Spike fic. Read at your own risk. But, here you go!
Thanks! I'll put it on my 'things to read while I'm procrastinating on my thesis writing' list.
Or at least…a little more…possible awkward police car sex.
Something we can all wish the world had more of! 😉
Vg nyfb vf erfcbafvoyr sbe gur engure qrcerffvat pnyyonpx va Gur Obql, "nf ybat nf lbh gjb fgnl njnl sebz gur Onaq Pnaql…" 🙁
JOYCE/GILES IS MY FAVOURITE (INAPPROPRIATE) BUFFY SHIP TOO.
**still DYING of laughter**
Qba'g sbetrg Tvyrf jnyxvat vagb gur gerr! Abg gb zragvba "Jung'f n fgrirqber?"
V arire abgvprq gur frpbaq bar. Abj V'z fnq. 🙁
I always kind of wanted Giles and Joyce to get together, even from the first season. It would be so perfect–Giles is already the closest thing Buffy has to a father. (Her actual father is not doing a great job.) THEN THEY COULD ALL BE A HAPPY FAMILY AND NOTHING BAD WOULD HAPPEN TO THEM EVER.
BZT, lrf gb gur frpbaq! V'q fbzrubj arire ernyvmrq gung hagvy gur ynfg gvzr V jngpurq guebhtu guvatf, naq V cerggl zhpu ohefg bhg fboovat yvxr n gval onol jura vg tbg gb gung cneg.
V JVYY FUVC TVYRF/WBLPR SBERIRE NAQ AB BAR PNA FGBC ZR!
HOLY FUCK, WHY IS ANGEL DOING TAI CH’I THE FUNNIEST THING ON THE PLANET?
When this is about the least hilariously awkward thing in an episode, you know it's a winner.
I love that Buffy's like, "I didn't know you could do that." Um, tai ch'i isn't exactly the most difficult thing in the world… I'd imagine it's a piece of cake [or chocolate!] for super strength vampires.
Alice's Dad's Comment Of The Episode:
"I bet the demon dimension was just a thousand years of Tai Ch'i lessons. That'd drive anyone mad."
I want MST3K versions of Buffy, with your Dad making the snide comments. Too funny!!
If it was, Angel would have been a lot better at it.
But credit where credit is due — David B obviously spent more time practicing his tai chi than his Irish accent.
By the way, is anyone keeping a tally of Shirtless Angel episodes?
Alice's dad is as awesome as Alice.
The problem for me is that now I see people doing Tai Chi and my brain immediately goes "WATERBENDING! :D"
me toooo. Angel = blood bender, duh.
laughing way too hard at this
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/ZJZ9o.gif">
I want to laugh and throw up at the same time
Also, why is he doing it in dress pants?
Hey, he can't control what kind of Trousers of Change appear!
Coincidentally, the New England Journal of Medicine just tweeted about some of the benefits of tai chi for Parkinson's patients: #TaiChi more effective than resistance-training, stretching in improving postural stability of pts w/ Parkinson’s. nej.md/znM1HQ
Its right above Mark's tweet about Band Candy on my twitter homepage.
I love that you love it, as it's always been one of my faves. It's very "Juice Newton."
I KNOW, ISN'T IT WONDERFUL?
I AGREE WITH YOU. JOYCE/GILES FOREVER.
Band Candy! Who doesn't like this episode, because who doesn't like happiness and rainbows? Sure, there are some things I don't like [Willow and Xander, please stop kissing each other this will only end in tragedy for everyone] but does that detract from the absolute brilliance of the episode? Definitely not! Although, forever bitter that my chocolate allergy means that I will never be able to recapture my misspent youth.
First off, teenager!Giles! Okay, there's a bit of Ripper's rebellious side to him but mostly he just wants to make out with Joyce. I WILL FULLY SUPPORT THIS.
And the other best part of the episode is Principal Snyder. HE JUST WANTS TO BE LOVED AND ACCEPTED, EVERYONE. It definitely explains his characterization, I think.
OMG, allergic to CHOCOLATE?
I am so very sorry for your loss. Maybe seek out some sort of anti-curse spell.
It's okay, I've gotten used to it. But yeah, there was a rough time in high school where we hadn't figured it out yet, so I was getting seizures in the middle of class and stuff. FUN TIMES. But it's been over ten years since we figured it out, and I deal. After all, it's not nearly as bad as my ~quirky~ salt water allergy which is oh-so-convenient considering I've lived right by the ocean my entire life [except for those four years in Chicago]. The rest of my family got normal allergies like cat hair and pollen; I got chocolate, salt water and mold.
Though Snyder definitely doesn't act like he wants to be loved when he's an adult. Accepted, maybe, respected, perhaps, but not loved. Maybe at some point he realized he wouldn't be popular and basically decided to give that up and, well, become the way he is?
YAAAAAY Jane Espenson! She's here and her first episode is WONDERFUL! Yes this is an important thing to mention.
– The mislead of Giles apparently reading something mystical but actually helping Buffy study is sweet, helpful Giles brings spare pencils in case you have to use one as a weapon!
– The Master's cabinet of Evil…and scotch apparently.
– "A giant answer bubble screaming 'NONE OF THE ABOVE!'" And I thought my dreams were weird.
– Once again Snyder's warped interpretation of "volunteering", both handing out the candy and cleaning up the grafitti. It's awful but it's consistent awful!
– I love how Giles and Joyce are passing the Band Candy around almost constantly during the confrontation with Buffy at the house. It already seems to be affecting them by the end of that scene.
– Buffy's reaction to the offer of car keys is incredibly cute.
– Ahhh Ripper!Giles and Dorky!Joyce, wonderful performances by ASH and Kristine Sutherland. They both feel so genuine.
– Gunaxf gb Sberire tvyrf naq Wblpr yvfgravat gb Pernz vf whfg irel fnq abj.
– Love Sarah's completely freaked out delivery of "Principal Snyder?" when they see him in the Bronze. Teen Snyder is every bit as perfectly done as Giles and Joyce. He's just so irritating and doesn't seem to realise it.
– Giles and Joyce walking down the street together was pretty cute.
– "Ba gur ubbq bs n cbyvpr pne? GJVPR?!" Vg arire trgf byq.
– Buffy's delayed reaction to seeing them making out always makes me laugh, and then feel really bad for her because of how awkward it is.
– "I'm your Watcher, now sod off!" Nice try Ripper.
– I still love seeing SMG and Robin Sachs interacting. Even if it is mostly her punching him or hitting him with the phone.
– Giles' sliding accent when he remembers the information about Lurconis is a nice choice, shows us he's at least starting to come out of it.
– Oh Lurconis, almost makes the Machida effects look good. Almost.
– Giles' sliding accent when he remembers the information about Lurconis is a nice choice, shows us he's at least starting to come out of it.
For some reason this watch-around, Giles's "Ripper" accent was so eerie to me. It was like watching a completely different person yet someone who looks exactly like Giles. Which I guess is the point. Anyway, when he slid back into his old accent while remembering demon info, I was like YES FINALLY GILES IS STARTING TO COME BACK. The Ripper accent was great but if I were Buffy I would be so relieved to see Giles back in buttoned-up tweed!
It looks like it is. What a way to start!
HOLY SHIT BAND CANDY
It’s finally time, yes yes yes! Man, I love this episode so very much! There are just so many great lines and things and events in this episode. Inexplicably one of my favorite lines comes from Mrs Barton, when she asks Willow “are there any nachos in here, little tree?” That never fails to crack me up. Also, “kiss rocks? Why would anyone want to kiss rocks?”
I must say, I never really felt attracted to Giles (in my younger days. Now? Yes, please), except for in this particular episode. He’s annoying and immature and that’s the way I like them, apparently. And Giles/Joyce is just perfect.
I don’t care about the tribute or Lurconis or Trick or any of that, really. I just want more adults acting immaturely and more freaked out teenagers.
For all my love for this episode, I have remarkably little to say about it right now. I think I’m just gonna read everyone’s responses now ( you know, once everything stops crashing). It’s just one of those “THIS IS EVERYTHING I NEVER KNEW I WANTED” episodes, which are (naturally) my favorites in any show.
Also, this episode really made me crave chocolate which I am eating right now except not American chocolate because I tried that when I was over there on holiday and what the fuck is wrong with you guys.
This show is bad for my health, is what I’m saying.
Do you eat British chocolate and what is different about the American version?
I love British mint chocolate.
Other than that, I can safely say that German chocolate is incredibly good. I've tested.
At least some American chocolate uses the "Hershey process", which to UK tastes (well, mine at least) means it's revolting! I don't even much like the typical British chocolates like Cadbury or Galaxy.
Well you guys don't have Reese's peanut butter cups so.
WE WIN.
(Slightly embarrassed to admit that I used to go to a store in Kensington to buy imported Reese's peanut butter cups when I lived in London. BUT I HAVE PRIORITIES, OK?)
No other candy has that amazing weirdly salty and crumbly peanut butter. SO ADDICTIVE.
To be fair, when I went to New York I was impressed by how many different flavours of M&Ms you had. I mean, there were ones I didn't know existed! Over here you can really only get Chocolate, Peanut and my favourite Crispy M&Ms.
Also, as my brother-in-law would point out, you guys still have Vanilla Coke. I bought him some cans of Vanilla Coke for Christmas over the internet one year because he loves it so much and you cannot get it over here for love nor money.
I miss Crispy M&Ms! We haven't had them here in years! And then they introduced the crappy pretzel M&Ms which use the exact same packaging as the crispy M&Ms used to and every time I see them in the store I get my spirits all up and then they are crushed. I didn't know they still existed anywhere.
Ugh, the packaging always gets my spirits up too! Before I had seen advertising for the pretzel M&Ms, I saw one of my friends with a bag of them and I freaked out because I thought he had somehow found crispy M&Ms. 🙁
I heart Vanilla coke. Good flavor for normal drinking and the best for mixing drinks. Good whiskey/bourbon with vanilla coke is a simple pleasure.
You don't get Vanilla Coke in Britain? That's like a crime!
We used to get Vanilla Coke but they discontinued it. 🙁
They gave it to us and then they cruelly ripped it away.
You can custom-order any COLOR of M&Ms in any combination, too. Not just the colors you see on the shelves.
I pretty much only buy M&Ms in the special seasonal-colors bags. Red and green for Christmas, pastel for Easter, etc. They even used to have orange and black for Halloween, and I swear the black ones tasted better than regular M&Ms. I haven't seen those on the shelves in the past couple of years, though.
The black ones definitely taste better. This has been proven by science
YES
No, I think the Italians win because THEY INVENTED NUTELLA.
(I just ate a small box of strawberries with Nutella. Made noises like Irene Adler's text alerts to Sherlock the entire time)
FACT! NOT FICTION!
strawberries with Nutella
strawberries with Nutella
STRAWBERRIES WITH NUTELLA
WHY HAVE I NEVER TRIED THIS. My life is incomplete.
+1 for the text noise I am now hearing in my head.
I am currently in America on a university exchange and other than the complete lack of real cheese (no, you cannot call it Cheddar if it's not from the town of Cheddar, even if you stick American in front of it. Sorry, but as a Somerset girl who only lives half an hour from Cheddar, this bugs me), the lack of chocolate is the worse thing. Well, the lack of Cadbury's, specifically, because sometimes only Cadbury's will do.
Mmm… Cadbury's.
<img src="http://www.ourcupsrunnethover.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/cadbury-mini-eggs.jpg">
THESE ARE THE BESSSSSST. I ate so many of these last spring.
Oh my god, Mini Eggs…I have…wait, let me check…no less than FOUR empty bags of those in my bin right now. That's just from this last week.
Every time Easter rolls around I just end up gorging myself on Mini Eggs!
BEAUTIFUL THINGS. I'm actually glad that they've started stocking Easter chocolate from January now as it gives me more time to stock up on these and creme eggs, as well as those Malteser bunnies which are gorgeous.
OMG YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE THOSE MALTEASER BUNNIES.
THEY ARE SO GOOD.
THEY MAKE ME FLY INTO AN ALL CAPS GUSH OF JOY.
I'm not even gonna try to tell ya how many of those I've eaten in the past few days. But they're two for a pound at the supermarket just five minutes down the road…
THE FIRST TIME YOU TRY THEM YOU DON'T THINK THEY CAN BE THAT GREAT BUT THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL.
Just felt I'd join in with the all caps :D. I've been trying to resist getting them so far as I know I'll end up eating way too many but this talk of chocolate is really making me want some right now. Why can't they sell them all year round damn it?!
I am counting down the days until those are on sale again (should be the 15th, once all the Valentine's Day candy is gone, right?)
But I must admit, I do prefer the American ones to the English ones. I was visiting my brother in London a couple of years ago and was excited to buy some, and discovered they were quite different from what I'm familiar with. American Mini Eggs are very solid and the outer shell is crispy, but the English Mini Eggs I had were softer and the chocolate was kind of crumbly. They even tasted slightly different.
I'm sure some people will insist those qualities make the English ones better, but I guess it's a matter of what one is used to.
(And meanwhile, my parents, who were staying in my house during my trip so they could do some touristy stuff and see friends in the area, ate ALL the Mini Eggs I had still at home, which was like three bags' worth. In six days.)
Having lived in both the US and UK, I have VERY SERIOUS opinions about American vs British candy. And while I prefer British Mini Eggs to American Mini Eggs, I feel very strongly that American M&Ms are superior to British M&Ms
But LOL @ your parents eating all your Mini Eggs. I cannot say that I wouldn't have done the same. I would have felt bad about it afterwards though.
I've never actually had British M&Ms, but I do think Smarties are superior to M&Ms anyway. The chocolate is just a bit sweeter, and the shell a little thicker and crunchier. And sadly, I've not been able to find them anywhere in this country, and Canada is an 8 hour drive from me.
My parents had no regrets about eating the Mine Eggs, though. I think when I mentioned it, they reminded me how much money they spent raising me and sending me to college. 🙂
SMARTIES! I used to collect the little cardboard box containers they came in when I was little cuase they had pictures on the outside? Like, a castle landscapes but it was just parts and you collected the boxes and put them together to make different castles? And I think there was a contest? Does anyone else remeber that? But yes. Smarties! Can't get them in the US. My first halloween over here my friend said "I got some smarties!" And I was SUPER EXCITED! Becuase someone had found smarties! And oh wait – sweet, pastel colored sugar candies. WTF.
Glad to find another Somerset girl on here :D. I'm further north in Clevedon (well I am when I'm not at uni in Hampshire but shhh) but it still counts damn it! I don't know what I'd do without a good mature Cheddar personally.
I'm not Somerset, but within spitting distance – well, depending how far you can spit :p – up in Gloucestershire 🙂
Trying to survive 5 years in San Diego, I came down to "baked beans, toothpaste, chocolate, tea" as my minimum requirements from home.
My biggest complain with the chocolate was just the hassle of finding anything that didn't have peanut butter in it… what's with that? And while I'm complaining, what is the american fascination with putting pork in baked beans?!
THIS IS AMERICA
WE PUT MEAT ON EVERYTHING
INCLUDING OTHER MEAT
I CAN GET BEHIND THAT
PUT BACON ON ALL THE THINGS
My favorite example of meat-on-meat is from Leverage, when (rot-13'd because Mark might watch Leverage?) [Fbcuvr vf pbzcynvavat nobhg n ubgry ebbz freivpr zrny jura gurl'er va Aroenfxn be fbzr fuvg. Fur'f gbyq vg'f "puvpxra-sevrq fgrnx," naq fur lryyf "Zrng fubhyq arire or hfrq nf na nqwrpgvir!"]
We do. We put meat in all the things, lol. Although, from an American's perspective…how are beans considered a breakfast food? Beans on toast? What the what?
YES WHY WOULD YOU ADULTERATE CHOCOLATE WITH PEANUTS.
I'm glad that's not just me!
Yeah, agreed on the baked beans. I keep somewhat kosher, so I don't eat pork, which makes getting baked beans annoying…but at least there are some vegetarian options out there.
Theo Chocolate and Green&Black are the only companies in the US that make good chocolate… though I could be biases because I live 2 blocks away from the Theo Chocolate Factory and it always smells like chocolate in my neighborhood around 6pm
Oh hai, fellow Seattleite! Theo Chocolate is indeed excellent.
Speaking as an American… I don't eat US chocolate because I genuinely love chocolate, and I have standards. Usually anyways. 🙂
So, after I finished my BA, I moved to London for a while, and got a job at Hotel Chocolat in Moorgate. Oh so delicious. And it was particularly useful when I didn't have money to buy food (that awkward period between getting a job and actually getting money in exchange for doing that job), so I would just eat the broken chocolates that were too broken to serve as tasting samples. I still fondly remember the breakfast of 36 white chocolate champagne truffles…
Anyway, I moved back to NZ and our Cadbury's tasted like soap to me :p
I WANT THAT JOB *drool* Hotel Chocolat does some amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing chocolate <3
I knooooooow I miss it so much! I know they have stores on the East Coast here, but that's all the way over there, and you can't get a lot of my favourite things from their US stores/warehouse anyway 🙁 One of these days I'll save up some money, get cheap flights, and go back to London basically to buy chocolate :p
Although Cadbury chocolate is pretty good, as well as being technically owned by Americans now (damn you Kraft! I live just down the road from where the old Cadbury factory is in Keynsham so it's kind of a sore point in the west country), I personally love either good Swiss chocolate or anything made with either Ecuador or Peruvian cocoa beans. It has to be at least 70% cocoa solids though, I love my chocolate dark. Nom nom nom.
I don't know how I forgot but MONTEZUMA. Best chocolate ever, ridiculously expensive but gorgeous.
American chocolate is, like, the appearance of chocolate without the substance. My family only goes for European chocolate. Helps that my parents are European.
Actually, my maternal grandfather was a travelling salesman for Verkade.
Keep this thread running long enough, it might actually rival the tea thread from the comments a few episodes ago for length…..
On my first visit to the US, for a con, I took a couple of dozen Flakes and several packs of fun-sized Cadbury bars. I was mobbed. Repeatedly, till it had all gone.
It's mildly worrying to me that I seem to keep starting really long food-related threads. I recall a rather in-depth Brie discussion a few days ago too.
Oh God, I just checked, and the tea discussion was my fault too! What am I doing with my life??
I like Ghirardelli and Godiva.
And Reese's Peanut Butter Easter Eggs will be the death of me.
I am amused at all the Popular Off-Topic Threads lately. Yesterday it was all about Homecoming and stuff.
And…YOU DO SEEM TO BE THE ONE STARTING THEM ALL.
I guess we just like you and think you're weird.
Weird in an 'everyday things are really weird, let's talk about them' way.
I don't think she's weird. I'm joining her in finding you Americans weird 😛
What am I doing with my life??
Eating and drinking all the right things, apparently.
^what he said; eating and drinking some very good things. Don't stop doing that!
I cannot wait for the day we have a discussion on orre (ORRE ONQ, NUNUNUNUNU!!!!)
This remind me of when I was younger and I was SO excited because a local grocery store had decided to import American candy and snacks, finally I was going to eat all the fun things I'd heard about in the movies! I can't even begin to describe how disappointed I was in the candy (most of which was chocolate), everything just tasted like 99% sugar. But peanut butter turned out to be delicious, so at least something good came out of it 😉
Now that I've read through this whole thread I WANT CHOCOLATE! Which is bad timing since I just got back from the store. Now I have to go our again 🙁
Beside the awesome funniness that everyone is already mentioning, I must point out that I really loved the Buffy/Giles interactions at the start of the episode. That bit in the graveyard with slayage/SAT studying is just charming (Giles' SCARF!), and the blindfold training scene is maybe my favorite Buffy training scene ("OK — you're just doing this to take funny pictures of me, aren't you?").
I also love the scene Buffy has with Joyce at the start. Such a great mix of love, witty banter, and worried mom.
Also: "Screw you! I want candy!" Oh, Joyce. I died.
The training session is perfect. Buffy totally trolls Giles. And he's so sweet to help her study for the SAT. Best Giles Ever
I guess when you're spending your days slaying vampires and averting apocalypses, there's not a lot of time left to stress out over SATs?
V unq fbzrubj sbetbggra nobhg gur "jung'f n fgrirqber?" yvar. Juvpu vf fnq orpnhfr vg'f sebz bar bs zl snibevgr rcvfbqrf bs gur ragver frevrf. Fb V fubhyq unir fnvq gung guerr bs zl snibevgr pnyyonpxf ner gb guvf rcvfbqr.
How I Met Jane Espenson
Comic-Con 2009! Friday night, my friends Dahlia and Erin and I head into the Gaslamp District and walk around, looking for a good place to eat.
We're walking past an Italian restaurant when a man at a table calls, "Dahlia!" We stop. The woman he's with turns her head. She looks startlingly like Jane Espenson.
I forget how Dahlia and the man know each other, but they chat. The woman extends her hand and introduces herself: "Hi, I'm Jane." OMG. YEAH. WE KNOW.
"Big fan, actually," says Dahlia.
"Your Buffy episodes were some of my favorites," I say after shaking her hand. I forget to mention Angel and Firefly as well but deliberately do not mention Battlestar Galactica, as her episodes were some of my least favorites.
Erin stays behind, and I wonder whether she wants to get in on this action. I don't think she quite processes what's going on.
We mention we're looking for dinner, and the man and Jane recommend the neverending pasta bowl at this place. They are already done eating, or it could have been some awesome HEY DO YOU WANT TO HAVE DINNER WITH JANE ESPENSON? moment.
The man wants to make sure Dahlia has his number in case she wants to contact him later. He pulls out his iPhone. Jane idly scans the address book on her iPhone as well, pulling up his name. Dahlia comments, as she had just a few minutes earlier, that Comic-Con must be the biggest confluence of iPhones in the world.
As we walk away, Dahlia and I flail a bit. I didn't even introduce myself! Erin confirms that she didn't realize who it was.
(The "Hi, I'm Jane" kills me to this day.)
You didn't even like The Hub? That was one of my favorite BSGs.
You didn't even like The Hub? That was one of my favorite BSGs.
edit: Looking it up on Wikipedia, I also liked the one where Tyrol starts a labor union, which she has a co-writing credit on. The other three are episodes that didn't make much of an impression on me. I'd probably put The Hub in my top 10 of BSG episodes, though.
-Someone who has been in town before…Spike!?
-So Mayor is like that fraternity, sacrificing to a demon for power?
-I used to help sell candy for the band. My Design Tech teacher hated/loved me and his daily Snickers fix.
-I love that Joyce is eating her take-out Chinese with chop sticks. I only have done that once (my chinese place doesn't give out chopsticks and the rice isnt sticky enough.) at a Chinese restaurant. My mom laughed at me after for how studiously I ate the rice after it declumped.
-Its ok Buffy, I didn't get my license until I was 20.
-I applaud your masterful parental figure manipulating Buffy. Angel needs his walk.
-Where did Angel learn Tai Chi?
-Watching Joyce eat the chocolate is setting off my Spidey Senses. Especially with what happened last time food was freely given out?
-My fears are justified. Hi Ethan! Whatchya doin?
-This is making me uncomfortable so I am going to mention how I am once again reminded of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Movie.
-Interesting, the Mayor didn't warn Snyder.
-Oh I See. It childifies the adults.
-…Giles was looking at music…They are trying to get rid of Buffy…Are they on a …date*?
-Oh, nope just hanging out. Being irresponsible.
-Sounds like Miss Barton has had a bit to much of something.
-Awww, Principal Snyder is tagging along with the only person he has a relationship with.
-Did Ethan not think of 16 year old Giles being on the loose?
-I guess now it is a date*.
-That is a whole lot of chocolate.
-Oh gosh, I thought sacrifice was going to be the teens.
-The demon is a sarlacc.
-Heh, awkwardness.
*the word date here is interchangeable with “make-out party”
I was 25 when I finally decided to get my license, and I only did it then because I was about to move to rural Vermont. But now? I love driving, and I love my purple pickup truck!
I had planned on waiting to get my license until after I was 18, the insurance is cheaper, but after that it took my parents 2 years to find the time to teach me to parallel park.
I like driving well enough but it isn't my favorite thing. I would like to learn stunt driving some day though.
In my state you don't have to get a "graduated license" if you're older than 18, you can just take the test. Which was great for me, because the graduated license thing has all sorts of weird rules. When you're at the "probationary license" stage, from midnight to 5 a.m. you can drive alone only if you're driving between school, home, and work. And only your immediate family members can be in the car with you, or something? I don't know. I'm just glad I didn't have to deal with any of that.
See to me the US system is totally strange, that you don't have to have a test to drive alone at ANY time. Over here, the provisional license only allows you to drive with another, competent, driver in the car. And most people are taught by professional instructors. You can't drive on your own until you've passed the theory and practical tests.
Though we don't have driver's ed in school.
I live in the US, and for me it was at 15 you could get a Driver's Permit which required a multiple choice test, and with it you could drive, but only with an adult. Then at 16 take an actual driving test to get a full license. Never had driver's ed at any of my schools – yet there seems to be one in every school on tv. Not sure what the story is there
That's more like it is here, you can't get a provisional license until you're 17. But there's no limit on when you can take the test.
A friend of mine in Texas, in order to get her full license, just had to get her dad, who had taught her, to certify that she had had a certain amount of experience and was a capable driver. That just blew my mind – soooo open to abuse!
"The demon is a sarlacc. "
Quoted for truth.
As a huge Power Rangers geek, I'm very happy that you mentioned it. I never once made the connection of the similarities between it and this episode. Hmmm.
I recently caught the movie on tv and bought it on dvd so it is fresh in my mind.
I didn't get mine until I was 21. I would have been an awful driver at 16. I took the class at that age, but the driving teacher said I was nowhere near ready to take the road test, and then I had to go away for school, so what with one thing and another I kept putting it off. I have two close friends who still don't have licenses–they pretty much bike or walk places.
I don't think I was too bad of a driver when I got my permit (at 17) but both my parents were terrified of taking me out.They had an argument once, with me it the room, about which one "had to do it". My grandfather was the one who actually taught me to drive during a week he was visiting. By the end of the week I was taking the curviest road in town at about 40 and he stayed relatively calm.
Yeah unless parents are able to totally detach themselves, I don't think they make good driving instructors. Not for their own kids, anyway. I was taught by a friend of the family, and that was much less pressure for both me and my parents.
It's kind of weird to me that a lot of permits require you to have someone else in the car with you, because I feel personally that I'm a better driver when there's no one else in the car to distract me by having a conversation with me, so I can just concentrate on the road.
My parents were actually somewhat okay. My mom freaked out sometimes at the driving ("There's a stop sign up ahead!" "Mom, it's in three blocks. I'll stop in time."), but she was excellent at teaching parking. My dad, on the other hand, kept pushing me to park in spaces that were NOT required on the test and were WAY too complicated ("Park there!" "…Dad, that's a tiny space on the left side of the street. No."), but he was excellent at teaching the driving.
…But I also took lessons with a driving school anyway.
Well I think that's more about knowing the poses. Clearly Angel actually took the time to learn Tai Ch'i at some point. With 250 years under his belt I'm sure there's a ton of stuff he can do that Buffy doesn't know about
I thought it might have something to do with control, like that Angel's been having trouble moving in such a deliberate and controlled way after being in the hell dimension.
That's probably why he's practicing tai chi–in order to get that control back. Doesn't make that scene less LOL-worthy though.
I like to think he taught himself 12 languages, knitting, archery, ceramics, acupuncture, taxidermy…
You get an extra special Doctor/Donna hug for the Americans and chocolate and what the fuck is wrong with them sentiment:
<img src="http://oi39.tinypic.com/2rf9a3s.jpg">
Jryy, jr xabj ur fcrag fbzr gvzr va Puvan, ng yrnfg…
haha this episode is the best. It's a running joke in my house that the downstairs could get robbed and I wouldn't hear anything cos I was too busy on the computer but I am not so irresponsible that I'd fail to spot babies being taken away… "dozy cow."
We get to see a different side to the adults that we're so used to being firm, strict and adult-like that when they really let go, you wish they were firm, strict and adult-like again! The Bronze scene is perhaps the most hilarious thing in the world. "Willow, hahaha that's a tree… are there any nachos in here little tree?"
Joyce hands handcuffs to Buffy
Handcuffs? Why do you even have handcuffs?
Spoilers. 😉
Sandman spoiler below:
Also, is it just me, or does the mayor have gur Pbevaguvna'f fxhyy in his cabinet?
HE SO DOES
YES. That creeped me the fuck out, noticing that.
Holy crap I think he does.
I'm pretty sure I read somewhere (could have been imdb) that he indeed does. Now to the more important question: where the hell did he get it?
Wow, it just took me half an hour to get this page to load. Traffic much?
This is easily one of my very favourite Buffy episodes. There is no bad here. Snyder tagging along with the gang? Giles essentially turning into Spike? The return of Ethan Rayne? The Mayor?
If I had said before today, "Remember that one episode where Giles and Joyce get it on on the hood of a police car?" Mark and the other Unprepareds probably would have thought I was kidding.
Is it problematic to equate teen behaviour with irresponsibility? Probably. There are plenty of responsible teens out there (like Buffy) who, when called to, shoulder a maturity well beyond their years. Do I care whether or not that's true in the context of this episode? Hell no! This is just too damn much fun.
I was having so much fun that it took me until about halfway through the episode to notice that there's a complete lack of Faith.
Mark and the Unprepareds sounds like a great name for a rock band.
Do you find its lack of Faith disturbing?
*snort*
That was really just a gift of a feed line, wasn't it?
I try my best.
The ability to destroy responsibility is insignificant next to the power of the Force.
Haha, you beat me to this joke by nine hours. Stupid late shift.
Tvyrf rffragvnyyl gheavat vagb Fcvxr?
Anu, sebz gur ybbxf bs vg pnaqvrq!Tvyrf vf n ybg orggre jvgu gur ynqvrf guna Fcvxr unf rire ernyyl orra XD
Bu zna, V pna'g jnvg sbe Fcvxr'f ovt synfuonpx rcvfbqr ^.^ Nygubhtu ur'yy or onpx ba Sevqnl naljnl…! 😀
It could be that the responsible regressed adults just stayed home and read.
Band Candy!!! It’s one of my favorite episodes because it is so fun. And funny. Some of the many things that make it awesome:
Giles helping Buffy study for the SATs and the way Giles pulls a new pencil out of his pocket to replace the one Buffy broke staking the vampire.
Buffy: “…and then I was being chased by an improperly filled in answer bubble screaming, ‘None of the above!’ ”
Willow: “I hope that wasn’t one of your prophecy dreams. Probably not.”
I love how SMG says “none of the above.” And I always have at least one bad dream a year, usually around September or finals time regarding either oversleeping and missing a test or not knowing what or where my classes are at the beginning of a new quarter. I still have those dreams and I’ve been out of school for a few years.
Ethan Rayne!
Xander: “Does anyone else want to marry Ms. Barton?”
Cordelia: “Get in line.”
Snyder: “Whoa, Summers! You drive like a spaz.” Or pretty much anything Snyder says this episode. His lines crack me up because they’re so cheezy and awful, which makes it awesome.
Tony Head’s real accent
Giles and Joyce! Giles being a badass.
Joyce sheepishly taking the handcuffs from under her coat and Buffy saying “NEVER tell me.”
Giles’ glee at Buffy hitting Ethan.
☺
Whoa, Summers! you drive like a spazzz!! has to be one of the greatest lines/deliveries EVER.
i LOVE LOVE LOVE giles/joyce <3<3<3
Naq fgnegf gur jubyr "Ohssl vf vapncnoyr bs qevivat n pne" zrzr gung ehaf naq ehaf naq ehaf…
v xabj bs abg jung lbh fcrnx… rayvtugra, cyrnfr!!
V fbzrubj vagrecergrq vg nf "Ohssl unf raunaprq ersyrkrf, gurersber jung frrzf gbgnyyl svar sbe ure vf SEVXXVAT GREEVSLVAT gb gur cbbe fbhy va gur cnffratre frng" fbzrjurer nybat gur jnl…
I saw that, too!
Tvyrf rffragvnyyl gheavat vagb Fcvxr
Enaql Tvyrf!
I saw a theory that Ethan was also putting something else in the chocolate. Like, Buffy and Willow just assume that it's everyone regressing in age, but it could very well be a curse that specifically targets responsibility. Unfortunately, Xander's joke about not being affected sort of undoes this theory, but oh well.
Well, he and Willow playing footsies is pretty irresponsible, when you think about it.
Also:
"Tvyrf rffragvnyyl gheavat vagb Fcvxr?"
Phccn grn, phccn grn, qrsvavgryl tbg funttrq, phccn grn.
Ok apperantly this episode is really popular among commentors here, because I haven't managed to get onto the site until now.
Anyway.
Really nice episode, one I’ve watched every re-watch, because it’s a lot of fun and so upbeat.
I love that Giles is studying with Buffy, even if it’s in a graveyard, it seems so fatherly.
What I always wondered, do SATs only contain multiple choice tests?
I really would have liked some multiple choice in school, it seems so easy.
Ooh, ominous spooky cabinet is ominous.
Again Snyder misses the point of volunteering.
Selling candy for school clubs, another thing I’ve never done and that every US TV show directed at teens does at least once. Has anyone her ever done that? Where you tempted to eat the chocolate yourself? Did you get something in return, like a price for the most sold candy?
Oh yes, the Thai Chi scene, mmh Angel!
I like that the process of trusting Buffy again takes some time for both Giles and Joyce. Still, poor Buff, having to make up excuses to see your undead (ex)boyfriend really sucks.
Ugh, more of the Willow/Xander fluke. They’re kind of cute, but I feel bad for Cordy and Oz.
Giles is smoking – something supernatural is going on.
Buffy in a car, bad idea, really bad idea.
Joyce and Giles as teens are so much fun, especially as Joyce thinks Ripper so cool, she is the total fangirl.
Snyder; now we know for certain he never went on a single date, he’s even more geeky than Xander.
Ethan and Trick is an interesting combination, I wonder how that happened.
I have the feeling Ethan only does all this to anger Giles or to get his attention.
I love Ripper strolling through the streets, completely reckless, with a girl on his arm. V jvfu jr pbhyq unir tbggra fbzr synfuonpxf, ur vf fhpu na vagrerfgvat punenpgre
(Naq urer jr unir gur frk ba n cbyvpr pne. Tbbq sbe Ohssl gung fur bayl pnhtug gurz fabttvat.)
You wanna swap?” Willow’s face when hearing this is hilarious.
“Hit him. Hit him.” I love this so much, Giles is so giddy.
Somehow sacrificing babies is a surprisingly gruesome subplot for such a lighthearted episode.
Gas pipes, the universal excuse for Sunnydale’s demon problems, even the Mayor isn’t more creative.
That CGI snake is so bad, but fortunately dead really fast.
It’s amusing how nervous Trick is around the Mayor, as Xander said in Teachers Pet “when scary things get scared, not good”.
“Ng yrnfg V tbg gb lbh orsber lbh npghnyyl qvq fbzrguvat.” *pbhtu*cbyvpr pne*pbhtu*
The SAT used to be just multiple choice (two sections, math and verbal- well, really language would be a better title) but they added an essay section a few years ago, right before I took it. As a test, it really is pretty narrow in its fields.
Hah. I never sold any candy, but I had friends who did. The sales in high school were ongoing, not just a time period, because the band always needed money. And it was regular Snickers/Twix candy. I know some of our fundraising things had prizes, but I'm pretty sure the trade off for selling band candy was being able to do stuff as a club (the choir being able to travel out of state, etc)
I took the SAT before they added the essay section, and I'm glad, because I do much better with multiple choice than open-ended questions. I can't impress people with my score anymore, though, because it just seems ridiculously low now 🙂
There are multiple choice tests, and there are the SATs. With the SATs, if you don't know the answer, you're taking a risk by answering – you get marked down if you answer incorrectly. It's not that easy of a test, and it is used by colleges to determine academic aptitude. Like LucyGoosey said, there is now an essay portion. I was in the first year that had to take it, but since it was so new and they didn't know how reliable it was, there was pretty much no college that looked at it.
As for candy selling, I've done it for a few different things. You don't get anything (directly) for doing it, but sometimes organizations will have prizes for the person/people who sold the most. The point is that the profit goes into the organization, so it's beneficial to the members to sell lots of it, because they get more stuff for their group that way. And I have bought candy from myself before. (Damn you toffee crunch See's candy /shakefist) It's pointless to "steal" the candy, because they know how much they gave you, and they know how much money they should be getting back. If you're short, it comes out of your pocket anyway. Realistically, Snyder wouldn't have handed them the chocolate like that – they would've had to sign up with the band's fundraiser itself.
"I have the feeling Ethan only does all this to anger Giles or to get his attention. "
'Cos he's in LOOOOVE . . .!!!
Seriously, have I mentioned how hard I ship Giles/Ethan?
Kids are ALWAYS selling something for their schools in the US. Candy, frozen cookie dough, frozen pastries, wrapping paper, whatever. Cause if we properly funded school activities, we'd be communists.
Yep, sold candy, cookies, cookie dough, frozen pizza, gift wrap, misc. crap no one really needs but buys because it's for the school (i.e. socks with reindeer on them).
I love teen Joyce/Ripper so much. It's so hilarious and brilliant and she is the total fangirl, isn't she?
At my high school we were required to sell at least 20 candy bars for a fall fund-raiser every year. There were always a few who went ridiculously far beyond that, and we'd have someone who'd sold several hundred, and they'd always get some sort of prize. Back in grade school, we had this crafty catalogue that we'd tote around the neighborhood so that people could order wrapping paper and knickknacks and our school got money for… something. I have no idea what.
“'Hit him. Hit him.' I love this so much, Giles is so giddy."
This is one of my favorite Giles moments of the entire series, which says a lot because he's my #1 dude. I cannot get enough of him just bouncing around behind Buffy as she interrogates Ethan.
I've been waiting for this moment since Snyder debuted on the show. After seeing him in this episode it's impossible to not love him. If you go back and rewatch old episodes you will realize all of your hate for him has melted away and turned into kittens.
oooh, I like this better than mine
American chocolate (Hersheys, Nestle, Mars) is like half milk, 40% sugar, and 10% cocoa for coloring. But it's not even close to the right color.
Although Ghiradelli, which is based in San Francisco, is pretty good
mmmmm… half milk…. mmmmmmmmmmm
sorry, apparently that's how I like it. lol.
If it's what you grew up with, it makes sense. My mom banned the brands I mentioned from the house when I was a child because they were "imposter chocolate".
That's probably because Ghirardelli is owned by a Swiss company, Lindt. Which – my obsessive love for Lindt, LET ME SHOW YOU IT. <3 <3 <3
LINDT IS FAB.
Though actually it's not my all time favourite chocolate, especially for milk chocolate.
American chocolate is the worst ever. Sadly, British (where I live) is not that far behind. For best chocolate: Switzerland and Austria (obviously), but also Scandinavia surprisingly: both Sweden, Denmark and Finland have the most amazing chocolate brands like Marabou, Fazer and Anthon Berg. Now I must go and find some…
Depends on what chocolate you get. If you're just buying the cheap main brands in the US, yeah, it's not great. But that doesn't mean it's hard to get the good stuff.
Yeah, I just don't buy milk chocolate. Some nice 70 or 80% dark stuff, now we're talking. And I've eaten plenty of British chocolate and I don't like it either. Slightly better than a Hershey's bar, but still super sweet.
I haven't eaten plain Hershey's chocolate since our 7th grade production of Charlie and the Chocolate factory. I was the narrator and I had to hand out seven bars of chocolate to the audience, which naturally meant that we ATE seven bars at every rehearsal. Eurgh.
Nah, Belgian chocolate is still better.
(Sorry, matter of national pride*g*)
Oh that 'aint just national pride, that's just an undeniable fact. Belgian chocolate is the best.
Let the chocolate wars begin, I guess?
There is no war, there is already a victor: Belgium.
Belgium has to win at SOMETHING. May as well be the chocolate.
What about the waffles?
…I was just talking about the book The Chocolate War in my comment for this episode.
I can let others win the chocolate and even the beer wars, but I am willing to die on the bread hill for German/Austrian bread.
As long as that's bread in general, and not all bread products, because New York totally wins the bagel war.
I agree! We have so little to be proud of, let us have our chocolate. And waffles I guess? 😛
Don't forget Hercule Poirot!
Belgium pretty much rules?
I did a presentation on Belgium in sixth grade! Basically, I learned that they eat fries with mayonnaise.
When I lived in Philly, there was a Belgian eatery (Monk's) that served fries with a bourbon mayonnaise. So, so good.
They also had an eight-page beer menu. The most expensive option cost $78.
D'you know, it took me until like three years ago to realise that wasn't normal anywhere but in Belgium and the Netherlands? You're all missing out tbh.
Seriously. Fries with mayonnaise is the absolute best.
I forget where I picked the habit up, but I always eat fries with mayo now – especially garlic mayo! YUM!
Wait, what? I thought it was only 'frowed upon' in the US. That and mayonnaise on burgers (which I only learned when I watched 'Pulp Fiction'). Anyway, I was under the impression it wasn't considered gross in other European countries (Greek person here).
Seriously though, mayonaise makes EVERYTHING better <3
Have an internet for mentioning Poirot
And comic books! Come on, half the best comic books are Belgian!
You're right, especially Tintin is huge right now. I'm always confused when Americans talk about comics and mean, like, X-Men and stuff.
Yeah, at some point I claimed I didn't read many comics as a child, only to realize that I very much DID, just not superhero comics.
I have a special soft spot for Spip in Spirou et Fantasio. I love the way he basically facepalms his way through adventures.
Leonidas as a baseline? That just rocks. I just cannot visit Belgium without buying chocolate; it's a hard-wired response.
Mmm… marabou. (It's an advertisement cliché, but it's also true, so never mind.)
Although it is entirely possible to get icky chocolate in Sweden as well. Christmas calendars tend to be full of it.
I agree. I'm from Norway and we have great chocolate 😀
I saw this thread and wanted to mention Fazer, but you beat me to it!
FAZER IS THE BEST EVER
OMG I NEED TO GO TO FINLAND LIKE RIGHT NOW
While this is mostly a fun filler-type episode, there are some larger implications. We’re finally getting a hint of what the Mayor’s deal is. Apparently he makes deals with demons. And in this episode, he’s gotta pay up- with babies. (Also, the return of Ethan Rayne!!!!)
One of the big themes in this episode is the idea that ADULTS ARE PEOPLE TOO. This is something that every teenager discovers and it is disconcerting. For me it was less about my parents being people (although it was weird coming to the realization that my mom is flawed) and more about my TEACHERS being people. One of my English teachers in high school played… some first person shooter game. Call of Duty? Or something? And it was just like “whoa! Teachers have their own interests!?”. Maybe it’s because teenagers tend to be a bit self involved. Idk. And in this episode, Buffy is forced to confront the fact that her mom and her (father-figure) Watcher were teenagers once too. I mean, she already knew about Giles’s past, but it’s one thing to know about it. It’s another thing to see him making out with your mom.
The other big theme in this episode is how we NEED adults. As teenagers we might roll our eyes at them, but without someone being the responsible grown up, everything goes to hell.
I think that something that this episode does really well is that it takes the band candy stuff and the idea of all the adults becoming teenagers and puts that as the centerpiece of the episode, but there are still little ongoing side stories happening in the background. Buffy and Joyce’s relationship is still suffering consequences as a result of Buffy running away (even though in the scene where Joyce agrees to buy 20 candy bars from Buffy, you can see that they have returned to an easy and affectionate relationship). Joyce still can’t fully trust her and is scared that Buffy will bolt again. This conflict runs right up against that classic conflict of parents (specifically Joyce) still seeing their children as kids while their children assert their independence. In that vein, omg Buffy, lying to your mom and your Watcher so that you can hang out with your (sorta) boyfriend? THIS WILL NOT END WELL. Especially because Joyce is already struggling with trust issues.
Anyway, all that good stuff is going on and it is the setting for some truly hilarious moments. Like Joyce and Giles smoking and listening to music. Or them making out. Or the fact that Giles is walking around with a pack of cigarettes rolled up in his sleeve. Or the confrontation where Buffy is interrogating Ethan and Giles is pacing around in the background all “hit him! You’re my Slayer! Knock his teeth down his throat!”. And then he punches the air when Buffy does actually hit Ethan. OH GOD THIS EPISODE IS SO FUNNY. I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
And Snyder is just THE BEST. That moment where he hits on Joyce and she’s just like “ugh” and walks away is amazing. IDEK. THIS EPISODE GIVES ME SO MUCH JOY.
The one bummer is Xander and Willow playing footsie under the table. YOU GUYS. SERIOUSLY. SET SOME BOUNDARIES IF THIS IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE AN ISSUE.
For me it was less about my parents being people (although it was weird coming to the realization that my mom is flawed) and more about my TEACHERS being people. One of my English teachers in high school played… some first person shooter game. Call of Duty? Or something? And it was just like “whoa! Teachers have their own interests!?”. Maybe it’s because teenagers tend to be a bit self involved.
I used to sub at a middle school in VT, and one of the kids told me that teachers only listen to classical music. I could not resist snarking him. I replied, "Yes. And we live in the school basement, and when the kids go home at the end of the day, we cry and cry." I was the most sarcastic substitute teacher ever.
When I was a H.S. senior a couple friends and I were at a shopping mall and we spotted our former art teacher. She was very pregnant. And we were all OMG! Sister Mary Vera’s PREGNANT!?!?!?
At least we finally understood why she left the school. She was a great art teacher.
I remember being seven or eight and running into a teacher at the grocery store. I did NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. My mom says I cried, like my illusions of teachers living in the school were shattered.
Your comment about your teacher reminds me of third grade. One of the third grade teachers was considered the most popular because he was so fun and engaging. I remember that I wanted to be in his class so badly because he was the only grown-up I had ever known who enjoyed watching cartoons.
I wasn't in his class 🙁
"Va gung irva, bzt Ohssl, ylvat gb lbhe zbz naq lbhe Jngpure fb gung lbh pna unat bhg jvgu lbhe (fbegn) oblsevraq? GUVF JVYY ABG RAQ JRYY."
Ab xvqqvat. Guvf jvyy ovgr ure va gur nff pbzr "Eriryngvbaf", naq tvir zr lrg nabgure Tvyrf urnegoernx zbzrag: "Lbh unir ab erfcrpg sbe zr be gur wbo V cresbez." 🙁
WHY DO I KIND OF LIKE GILES/JOYCE.
Because you are CORRECT.
I love this episode so hard. SO HARD. Which leads to my only other real input here: UNF, RIPPER.
Thoughts on this wonderful, beautiful episode that is among my all-time favorite Buffy episodes:
– Giles. Just. Giles. Perfection. <3 <3 <3
– ILU, Armin Shimerman. You are so amazing and one of the highlights of this episode for me.
– EW EW EW MORE WILLOW/XANDER ICKINESS. JUST STOP.
– Joyce is so hilarious on the candy. I love when she produces the handcuffs, especially.
– ETHAN!!! <3 One of my favorite moments is his obvious discomfort after Trick snaps that poor guy's neck.
– I'm iffy on how fair it is to make Buffy pay for that dent, it seems to me like it was the other guy's fault (and she should've gotten the license plate when the guy ran off).
– I'm pretty sure from that awkward as fuck interaction that you didn't get to them in time, Buffy.
<img src="http://i44.tinypic.com/5bbt46.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
Thoughts on this wonderful, beautiful episode that is among my all-time favorite Buffy episodes:
– Giles. Just. Giles. Perfection. <3 <3 <3
– ILU, Armin Shimerman. You are so amazing and one of the highlights of this episode for me.
– EW EW EW MORE WILLOW/XANDER ICKINESS. JUST STOP.
– Joyce is so hilarious on the candy. I love when she produces the handcuffs, especially.
– ETHAN!!! <3 One of my favorite moments is his obvious discomfort after Trick snaps that poor guy's neck.
– I'm iffy on how fair it is to make Buffy pay for that dent, it seems to me like it was the other guy's fault (and she should've gotten the license plate when the guy ran off).
– I'm pretty sure from that awkward as fuck interaction that you didn't get to them in time, Buffy.
<img src="http://i44.tinypic.com/5bbt46.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
I'm pretty sure from that awkward as fuck interaction that you didn't get to them in time, Buffy.
Also the handcuffs
excellent gif. I could watch that all day
I'm iffy on how fair it is to make Buffy pay for that dent
I think part of that was Buffy taking the car when Joyce had forbidden her to drive before and that Buffy doesn't even have a licence yet.
I love that gif by the way, Ripper grinning is so sexy.
But but… Joyce gave her the keys and told her to drive! Before Buffy realised something was up. Also, the other driver wasn't exactly paying attention. Though I'm sure insurance companies have long since given up on Sunnydale.
Now I'm imagining an insurance report for a typical Sunnydale event. "Now, you see, there where those boys on PCP and they stole my car and I have no idea how that dead girl got in the trunk. "
The rates for a life insurance have to be horribly high, too.
Ab jbaqre Ohssl unq fb zhpu gebhoyr cnlvat nyy gubfr ovyyf nsgre Wblpr qvrq.
Abj jurarire V erjngpu gur frevrf V'z nznmrq ol ubj zhpu gurl qb fznfu hc gur Fhzzref ubhfr, yvxr va Qrnq Zna'f Cnegl… ubj qbrf Wblpr cnl sbe vg nyy?! V xvaqn jvfu jr tbg gb frr ure tnyyrel ng yrnfg bapr, znlor vg'f ernyyl uvtu-raq fghss.
Vg jbhyq unir orra vagrerfgvat gb jngpu Wblpr jbex, orpnhfr vg'f fbzrguvat fb pbzcyrgryl ha-fhcreangheny naq whfg nobhg ure.
Znlor Unax urycrq n yvggyr jvgu gur zbarl, gubhtu ubj fur'q rkcynva gb uvz gung gurl unq gb ercnve gur jvaqbjf ntnva V jbhyq unir ybirq gb frr.
Knaqre jnf na njrfbzr nffrg yngre ba jura fbzrguvat arrqrq ercnvef.
V nyjnlf jbaqrerq jung unccrarq gb gur tnyyrel nsgre Wblpr qvrq. Gurer'f ab zragvba bs vg orvat fbyq be nalguvat.
Naq nyfb Jvyybj naq Gnen vs lbh ner tbvat gb yvir haqre Ohssl'f ebbs naq rng ure sbbq gur yrnfg lbh pna qb vf CNL URE ERAG. Tee. Gung nyjnlf obgurerq zr. Vs fur'f gung fgenccrq sbe pnfu ure sevraqf fubhyq abg or zbbpuvat!
Look at that face :D.
Random thought but did he have to repierce his ear once the chocolate took hold or does Giles secretly wear his old Ripper gear when he goes out of an evening? It's something I've never thought about before but I think I've gained a new head canon :).
Wow, I never even noticed the earring until you pointed it out. 😀 😀 😀
He looks a teeny bit like John Cleese here.
Va guvf rcvfbqr, Qnja fhqqrayl orpnzr bar bs gur srj erfcbafvoyr crbcyr Ohssl pbhyq eryl ba (orpnhfr, pbzcnerq gb Wblpr…). Fur pnzr nybat gb gur Oebamr (url, Wblpr qvqa'g zvaq) naq gura jrag gb gur yvoenel jvgu Jvyybj gb uryc ybbx fghss hc.
my mom takes tai ch'i and she thinks it's really hard O_O I think it's more difficult than it looks? Or she's not coordinated?
I couldn't stop laughing at Angel's sexy tai ch'i-ing because my mom practices it in the kitchen, in her pjs. Least sexy thing ever.
I've done tai ch'i and I didn't find it that hard at all? But of course, that was when I was super fit, doing yoga every day and running races and stuff. Maybe if I attempted to do it now, I'd be less successful.
Now I'm picturing Angel doing it in pajamas that have puppies and penguins all over them [it's what my pajamas have, okay?]
Be lhzzl fhfuv clwnznf yvxr Ohssl'f :).
She said she thought it was difficult to smoothly transition from one position to another. But she's also 60 😀
OMG I would love if Angel had puppy and penguin pajamas!! Way more arousing than wandering around wearing only magic vampire pants
I think your mom's right about t'ai chi being harder than it's generally portrayed (waterbending being based on it is an inversion of that trope, I guess?). But yeah, I was laughing because of the sexy shirtless t'ai chi being so unexpected.
Quick thoughts on this episode because I'm at work and didn't have time to do a proper review:
-Young Ripper!Giles will always be loved.
-Principal Snyder just wants to fit in and be friends guys!
-I understand Buffy's point, but she just ran away from home not too long ago, so she's got to get why her Mom isn't too happy to have her running off and doing whatever. The not driving thing is rather nonsensical though (imho)
-slightly shipping Joyce/Giles, and not just because of their candy induced love. They really seemed like Buffy's mom and dad when confronting her on lieing – him telling her to go to bed, they'd discuss it later, etc.
-Xander and Willow – stop it. Oz and Cordelia deserve better!
First thing's first: I found Giles ridiculously attractive at some points during this episode. Like when he lit up that cigarette right after Joyce gave Buffy her keys, when he was still dressed in Giles' buttoned up fashion. *fans self* Yes, please.
All right, now that that's taken of, other thoughts! I agree with Buffy's style of choosing answers. In senior year of high school, my teacher named me "Queen of AP Government" because I managed to get 96s on a few tests when the rest of the class was in the 70s. When she asked me how I did it, I told her I answered B for every question I skipped because I didn't have enough of them filled in on my scantron. Hey, it worked.
As a former marching band geek, the tall feathered hats really do go with everything. Our conductors didn't entrust us with our plumes; they would hand them out before every game/parade.
About the actual episode: I found it delightful and really enjoyable in a passing the time kind of way. It seems like a pretty throwaway episode where the only real thing we learned was that the Mayor pays tribute to demons (watch me eat my words later and see this episode as a crucial moment). But we also got some pretty memorable things that I am glad are now in my life. For example, immature Snyder! He was a hoot and a half. It was fun seeing him be nice to Buffy and, boy, was he animated. And there was some Joyce/Giles! OMG I thought we'd see that at some point, but not until a later season and certainly not the way it happened. But it was so funny! The only bits I really disliked were all the Xander/Willow moments. Stop it, you guys! You're ruining my beautiful ships of Willow/Oz and Cordelia/Xander. I'm going to be so pissed if this a whole season long thing.
Another marching geek here. Our band director did the same thing with the plumes!
I think that was pretty common? Oz is right, those things weren't cheap, and they were very easy to ruin compared to other parts of the uniform. Well, at least speaking as someone whose cat would go after anything that had feathers on it.
We got our plumes during the 2nd quarter, and they were collected as we filed back into the stands after halftime. Our directors were HARDCORE PLUME PROTECTORS.
We got ours before the game because we did a whole pre-game show and stuff. But we gave them back after the game, and we always had the case for them with us in case it started to rain or anything.
We didn't get to keep any part of our uniforms. We "changed" once we got to the band room or to the parking lot of whatever competition we were in. "Changed" because the uniforms just went over whatever we were wearing, usually gym shorts and t-shirts or tanks.
I usually come up with the right answer on tests, but I totally do the "pick the same answer on all the questions I don't know" thing. It seems weird, but statistically it's far more likely you'll get some of those answers right if you choose all one letter instead of just changing it up at random.
Dude, we weren't even allowed to TOUCH our plumes. The band moms and dads came around with their white gloves on and put them on our hats for us.
More marching band people yay! Yeah, my high school marching band also didn't let us keep the plumes with the students. (We had detachable feathered plumes and not big hats, but I know my school used to have the big hats. Or maybe it was just the drum major.) Course, that didn't stop some people from smuggling the cleanest, most white ones in their hat box.
Re your guessing on tests in an AP class, did your teacher not do the guessing penalty or did you just guess anyway?
The drum majors had fancy sashes and gloves to go with their special uniforms. And bigger and different colored plumes.
I don't think we had a guessing penalty. We usually got 4 points off for every question we skipped/got wrong so guessing was a better option. But those were just regular tests. When we did practice APs, I think we we got +1 for every question we got right, 0 for everything we skipped, and -0.5 for everything we got wrong. I think. But I almost always guessed on multiple choice questions, penalty or no.
(Penalty was probably only -0.25; there's actually a good reason for why they set it up the way they did.)
I know that if you could eliminate even one of the answers it was supposedly worth it to guess, so I didn't generally omit unless I had absolutely no clue what the answer was. I had various AP teachers format and score their classroom tests in different ways, but I was always thankful my first AP class had a teacher that tried to emulate the style of the AP test as much as possible on class tests. Gave me a method that I started out being used to.
But apparently the AP test will no longer have the guessing penalty.
V arire pnhtug vg rvgure! V'z fb snvy!
Pbzr ba, lbh unir gb vapyhqr ng gur raq bs Rnefubg. "Lbh xabj, vs lbh'er abg gb ohfl univat frk jvgu zl zbgure" *Tvyrfgerr* FZT'f tenqhny punatr bs gbar va gung yvar whfg xvyyf zr.
Rirelguvat nobhg guvf vapvqrag, naq rirel shgher ersrerapr gb vg vf whfg znqr bs gur orfg jva cbffvoyr
Waheeeey Ripper.
…it's very warm in here all of a sudden.
to put it into context, this was the first fully CGI monster that the team (i believe it's zoic) ever did for btvs, and it was on fairly short (SHORT) notice. yeah, it's pretty bad, but they did their best 🙂
Fher. Jr pna jbex bhg nsgre fpubby.
Lbh xabj, vs lbh'er abg gbb ohfl
UNIVAT FRK JVGU ZL ZBGURE!
*tvyrf jnyxf vagb n gerr*
jub pna'g jnvg sbe guvf zbzrag???????
nyfb, zhfg or fnvq gung'f n wnar rc gbb 🙂
*tvyrf jnyxf vagb n gerr*
Lbh xabj, V npghnyyl gubhtug gung jbhyq or va guvf rcvfbqr.
Fb jngpuvat gur raq bs onaq pnaql abj V jnf nyernql purrevat uvz ba "jnyx vagb gur gerr, qb vg!" Naq gura "Bu, evtug, qvssreag rcvfbqr."
Vg'f bar bs zl snibhevgr Tvyrf zbzragf.
I was about to comment this hilarious episode that is “Band Candy”.
Talking about how it describes perfectly the fear and horror to have parents/adults acting like teenagers, about how much teen Giles is badass, how horrifying it is for Buffy to see Giles and her mom making out, how teen Snyder shows us who really is adult Snyder, how I want to learn Tai Ch’I with Angel….
But then I ended up laughing my ass off after reading your review…. I can’t make a proper commentary anymore. Thanks for that Mark! 😉
Damn, I’m going to miss the next 5 reviews. Damn.
In future, I’ll have to be careful when I leave on vacations with what Mark is going to review.
This website has turned my life more complicated. lol
Edited an episode title out of your comment.
HOLY FUCK, WHY IS ANGEL DOING TAI CH’I THE FUNNIEST THING ON THE PLANET?
It's even funnier when you remember that Waterbending was based on a style of Tai Chi. So my mind went "WHY IS ANGEL TRYING TO WATERBEND?" because I've got Avatar on the brain, clearly.
That combined with Mark's comments about how sweaty Angel is made me think "He's trying to practice Katara's Sweatbending technique! There's a reason for the sweaty!"
Is there a rot13.com to turn all caps to no caps? Because as awesome as Band Candy is, if we're breaking out the all caps for it I'm not sure I'm going to make it through the recaps for the rest of the series.
(Not trying to be mean, because I do legit enjoy the recaps, but I'm just hoping that feedback will decrease the amount of caps in the future.)
caps help make with the funny!!!! caps are of the good!!!!! 🙂
It has always bothered me that something like this doesn't exist. And at a very basic, like keyboard level or something. Captializing a letter is as easy as adding 8 (or 100) to it and this should totally be a standard, simple button. It's easier than bolding or italicizing or underlining. And yet it doesn't exist.
/rant
Yep, you want to go to http://www.convertcase.net for all your anti-caps lock needs!
This episode MAKES ME DIE EVERY TIME.
I cannot love 16-year-old Giles and Buffy together any more. It is an impossibility. I'M YOUR WATCHER. SOD OFF. HIT HIM IN THE TEETH. My heart is BURSTING.
And the look Joyce does when she realizes Snyder is hitting on her. MEIN GOTT.
I love this episode so much I hardly even have words. It is forever in my top 10 favorites for all the reasons mentioned above but most importantly because we get to see Ripper!Giles again!
And seriously, these two lines from Snyder make me laugh so hard:
"Just the one name. Like Barbarino."
"Summers you drive like a spaz!"
I'm trying to remember if we even learn Snyder's first name, and I am drawing a total blank.
Quark. Quark Snyder.
V'q sbetbggra gung bar, gbb. Abj V'z nyy fnq.
HOLY FUCK, WHY IS ANGEL DOING TAI CH’I THE FUNNIEST THING ON THE PLANET?
Holy shit! Yes it is rediculous.
WHY DO I KIND OF LIKE GILES/JOYCE. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME.
EVERYTHING THAT IS GOOD IN THIS WORLD.
Everyone is going to talk about how hot Giles is here, but let's also appreciate how pretty Joyce looks. She looks so happy to get to wear that coat and not mom clothes!
Also even though there's so many good lines "it must be really exciting being from England" wins this watch.
I'm not even sure how this happened but Mr. Trick now reminds me of John Waters.
I like how Ethan just automatically runs away no matter what the sitch.
Also I wince so hard when Cordy said "BX", right when all that stuff was literally going on behind her back, dammit she doesn't deserve this.
I'm kind of surprised we didn't see more of adults throwing their backs out while they try to stagedive and pull other shit off they really can't pull off anymore. Yes to killing vampires with a #2 pencil but this episode being so good doesn't mean that it doesn't suffer from a lack of Faith.
I agree that teenage!Joyce is teh hot.
this episode being so good doesn't mean that it doesn't suffer from a lack of Faith.
I think there may be a reason the writers didn't put Faith and teenage!Giles in the same room…
My thoughts exactly.
I think they should have put her in the episode. I would have loved to have seen Giles shun Faith in favor of Joyce. Seriously, where was she!? Just hiding in her apartment because too many adults were around!?
"I would have loved to have seen Giles shun Faith in favor of Joyce."
Um, I'm not sure Mr. Loves-Demon-Orgies would think of it as an either/or kind of situation.
I just thought he might be called 'Ripper' because he broke women's hearts. 🙁
My thoughts exactly 😉
Fur vf, nsgre nyy, gur qb-gung tvey.
Good point. They probably would have had to cut that scene.
Gur jubyr frg hc gb Ybiref Jnyx vf whfg oehgny. Va Ubzrpbzvat jr yrnea gung Pbeqryvn'f va ybir jvgu Knaqre naq vg'f gur rcvfbqr jurer Knaqre naq Jvyybj xvff. Urer jr yrnea gung fur guvaxf bs yvsr va grezf bs orsber naq nsgre Knaqre juvyr Knaqre naq Jvyybj ner cynlvat fghcvq sbbgvrf va gur onpx bs gur pynff. Nygubhtu gur vavgvny xvff qvqa'g znxr zr znq orpnhfr yvxr fuvg unccraf ohg gurl'er whfg orvat fb shpxvat ehqr nobhg vg naq htu V unir zber srryf nobhg guvf guna V gubhtug V qvq. V whfg qb abg yvxr gurz ng nyy evtug abj. #GrnzPbeqryvn 4rin.
Cerggl zhpu :/
I see the John Waters thing now and I can't unsee it!
me too
hahaha awesome.
During band candy season at our school, the kids with the white box of chocolatey goodness were like gods. You always remembered some small change cash to carry with you and hunted down your favorite band geek and hoped they had the good stuff left 😛 It was cheaper than the vending machine, less likely to eat your money and you got to feel good about helping out the band.
'Respectable Giles' never really did anything for me, but Oh, good god, this episode. The whole jacket stealing/ cop scene gets me every time. And how happy he is when Buffy hits Ethan.
Speaking of Ethan, I love how Trick paid him anyways. He's a good businessman, lol.
I remember students selling candy bars to fundraise, and they were always from this weird candy company that nobody had ever heard of, and their caramel bars were the most delicious thing on this earth. Or they were when I was a kid, anyway. If I ate them now I'd probably be like THIS IS DISGUSTINGLY SUGARY AND ALSO EW MILK CHOCOLATE.
Yeah, the ACT was required for me just because I lived in Colorado, but then none of the schools I applied to would accept those scores. It sucked, because I actually did far better on that test than I did on the SAT
I will forever love Principle Snyder because of this episode (and mostly because he's Quark and I can never differentiate that from any other character). SNYDER RULZ!
Anytime I see someone doing Tai Ch'i, all I can think about is my 4th grade teacher who tried to make our class do it. Can you imagine trying to make a bunch of ten-year-olds move slowly for any extended amount of time? Even then, I knew it was ridiculous.
Oh that would have been so cute to watch…
Doubtful. My teacher was really grouchy and high-strung. I strongly suspect that the only reason she made us do this was because *she* wanted to do it and couldn't find the time.
Funny enough, Anthony Stewart Head's accent as Ripper is more his real accent than the one he adopts as Giles. James Master's is American so when he was doing Spikes accent, he based on Head's actual accent.
Hearing James Marsters speak in his actual accent always startles me – it just seems WRONG.
omg ikr….it's so disconcerting. gur fnzr tbrf sbe jrfyrl(nyrkvf qravfbs)'f npprag
V xabj, V qvqa'g rira ernyvmr vg jnf uvz ng svefg ba UVZLZ. Ur cynl'f Ebova'f perrcl pb-napube.
Ur'f uvynevbhf ba UVZLZ. Ur'f fb FZNEZL naq BENATR.
Ha, it looks like you are talking about Pat Benatar!
LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD
I was at a gig JM did in London in December, as part of which he read an abridged version of A Christmas Carol to us. He started with all the narration in his own accent, but it rapidly turned more and more English. It was adorable.
On one hand, I get where all the Xander/Willow hate comes from, because cheating is a pretty awful thing to do, and it's something that usually torpedoes my sympathy for couples that do it in TV shows, but…
I went to a private Christian high school that was discouraging of people having relationships at all, so when I see Xander and Willow sneaking around and being dumb and trying to play footsie in class, it just reminds me of when I was a dumb teenager almost getting caught, and I can empathize with the Willow/Xander relationship more than I can with Cordelia/Xander (which I love, but it's a very "TV" relationship with the sweeping music and the bicker-bicker-makeout dynamic) or Willow/Oz (which I've never really liked for reasons I can't really put my finger on. Part of it is that I've never really taken to relationships where a new character is introduced specifically to be a love interest for an existing character, and Oz himself has never really lit me on fire either). I realize my experiences aren't everyone's, but doing my best to ignore the context in which it's happening, Willow/Xander appeals way more to me on a personal basis than the existing ships.
Long story short, I love the Xander/Willow dynamic but I hate that it's happening like this.
This is one of my all time favorite episodes. It’s just infinitely rewatchable! I can’t count how many times I’ve seen it and it’s still delightful. Yvxr frnfba sbhe’f Fbzrguvat Oyhr.
Giles helping Buffy study for the SATs is adorable.
“I’m a very delicate person.” ILU MR TRICK.
Selling candy and/or magazines = hideous rite of passage for all American students. I always hated it SO MUCH. *shudders* My personality is just not conducive to salesmanship.
Somehow it is SO cute to me that Giles bought the other 20 candy bars.
“It’s not that simple… OW.” hahahaha
Sorry, I can’t take Angel’s meditative martial arts seriously. Zbfgyl V oynzr guvf ba svir frnfbaf bs Natry gur frevrf. Rfcrpvnyyl gur jnpxl qnapvat.
It makes me sad that Angel won’t drink his blood in front of Buffy but I love her for bringing it.
Ethan! That’s always a happy sight for me!
B-X. BEFORE XANDER. It’s so horrific to hear Cordelia talk like that and then there’s infidelity RIGHT BEHIND HER. I usually fast forward past this scene, to be honest.
And then the teachers all become absolutely precious!
And it’s like the sequel to “Dark Age”, with ripper Giles! wheeeeeee.
One of the best parts of this episode for me (besides teenager Giles & Joyce), is the revelation that Buffy’s driving really IS that awful and her mom was right to fear her behind the wheel.
Of course Ripper wants to “tear things up a bit” instead of tv. Oh GILES. And Joyce is just perfection as the girl hanging with a boy that she knows is super ~cool and inappropriate, trying to fit in.
”Are there any nachos in here little tree?” LOL forever. (Is she supposed to be stoned? I choose to believe so.)
Snyder is the BEST after Giles&Joyce and Buffy’s driving. And him not wanting to be ditched is surprisingly endearing. “whoa Summers, you drive like a spaz!”
Ripper breaking into a shop, beating up a cop, taking his gun, doing Joyce on a police car. HEEEEE. I would watch an hour of that.
I love how Snyder continues to follow, and Giles & Buffy dash after Ethan together.
Sorry Cordelia, but I don’t believe in age limits for Lycra pants. I think they should just be outlawed, period.
Giles egging Buffy on to knock Ethan’s teeth down his throat is… predictably adorable.
LOL the handcuffs. “Never. Tell me.”
The mayor being concerned about exposed pipes in the sewers really makes that whole scene.
Giles and Joyce’s implied awkward morning after moment just seals the deal on the complete joy of this episode. <3
Lrfffff! guvf bar naq Fbzrguvat Oyhr… FB TBBQ. Gurl obgu unir zl irel snibevgr Tvyrf npgvat yvxr n sngure zbzragf. Urer jvgu gur FNGf naq va Fbzrguvat Oyhr jura sbe n srj frpbaqf ur ybbxf FB ubaberq Ohssl nfxrq uvz gb jnyx ure qbja gur nvfyr
Bu, lrf. Gung zbzrag bs orvat gbhpurq naq gura yvxr, "jnvg.. AB!" vf bar bs zl snibevgr Tvyrf zbzragf RIRE. Gur jnpxl rcvfbqrf nyjnlf graq gb tvir ernyyl terng Tvyrf, va zl rkcrevrapr. Ur rfcrpvnyyl fuvarf.
Ripper breaking into a shop, beating up a cop, taking his gun, doing Joyce on a police car. HEEEEE. I would watch an hour of that.
I'd watch it with you, and bring popcorn. (OMGGGGGG INAPPROPRIATE SHIPPING, I AM DOING IT)
Doesn't everyone go through a phase of awful driving before they can drive well? That's why you're supposed to practice in empty parking lots and shit, though, not just take your mom's SUV out on the road randomly.
I would have been an absolutely horrible driver at sixteen. So glad I waited until I was 21 to get my license finally.
Also this: Sorry Cordelia, but I don’t believe in age limits for Lycra pants. I think they should just be outlawed, period.
Right? When Cordy said that I was like WHY DO YOU EVEN OWN LYCRA PANTS.
True, I didn't get my license until 18.
Right? When Cordy said that I was like WHY DO YOU EVEN OWN LYCRA PANTS.
*nods* I was a teenager in the 90's, so they can't fool me. I KNOW BETTER.
First the Faith/Buffy shipping, and now with the Giles/Joyce it feels like this weeks batch has me running to find quality fanfiction to go along with these episodes.
However, in my first watch I remember being so into the idea that Xander and Willow were finally both into each other and now it just seems so wrong and foolish, and really uncomfortable to watch. Nyfb hcba ernyvmvat gung ol sevqnl jr jvyy or ernqvat gur erivrj sbe ybiref jnyx naq gur jubyr knaqre & jvyybj ebznapr jvyy or bire V gubhtug, jbj gung jnf n fubeg yvirq syhxr nssnve gung frrzrq gb ynfg zhpu ybatre va zl zrzbel.
But all in all I adore this episode from start to finish and there are too many great hilarious parts to point out.
Angel: You're being careful, right?
Buffy: (looks up surprised) With Scott?
And this exchange was so very, very awkward.
"V gubhtug, jbj gung jnf n fubeg yvirq syhxr nssnve gung frrzrq gb ynfg zhpu ybatre va zl zrzbel."
Gung'f fb vagrerfgvat, orpnhfr zl ernpgvba unf orra "jbj gung jrag ba jnl ybatre guna V erzrzore". V unira'g jngpurq guvf frnfba nyy gur jnl guebhtu va n ernyyl ybat gvzr naq sbe zr vg jnf n fubpx gb ernyvmr gung gur J/K syhxvat fgnegrq va rcvfbqr svir naq pbagvahrq guebhtubhg rcvfbqr rvtug. Va gur onpx bs zl zvaq, vg fgnegrq evtug orsber Ybire'f Jnyx naq gura vzzrqvngryl raqrq — abg guvf rkgraqrq crevbq gung frrzf gb pbire ng yrnfg n zbagu ba gur ogif gvzryvar.
Gehr, znlor V erzrzore vg ynfgvat ybatre orpnhfr bevtvanyyl V unq gb jnvg n jubyr jrrx va orgjrra rcvfbqrf naq abj V'z jngpuvat gurz onpx gb onpx bire gur pbhefr bs n srj qnlf. Cyhf gur enzvsvpngvbaf bs gur syhxr qb tb ba sbe zhpu ybatre naq jr nyfb trg n yvggyr zber bs gurz orvat gbtrgure va Gur Jvfu nygreangr ernyvgl.
yeah, if anyone has good Giles/Joyce recs I would eat them up BECAUSE JOSS WHEDON MAKES ME CRAVE DISASTROUS THINGS.
(oh god this is so wrong but I still like this episode so much)
Yes.
I don't even want to think about how many bags of those I ate last year. It's probably for the best that I'm back in the States where I don't walk by a Tesco that sells Mini Eggs every day on my way home. I have really poor impulse control sometimes.
I love this episode, terrible CGI monster and all. It's one of those episodes that probably falls apart if you think about it too hard, but everything about it is just so utterly delightful that you're not thinking about it too hard because you're too busy smiling.
I really love how it's not just the writing that's great, but all the perfect acting and everything that creates all these great little moments like Giles smoothly pulling out a new pencil in the opener (perfectly punctuated by ASH's line "All systems tend towards chaos"), the car squealing out of frame followed by Snyder's "Summers, you drive like a spaz!" and SMG's delayed-reaction look of utter horror as she realizes that Giles and her mom are making out. It really elevates the already-funny material.
Band Candy is my favorite episode of the season. Yes, shit gets real later, but this is still my favorite episode. It has everything good and nothing bad in it.
I heart this episode so hard! Particularly Proud!Willow at the start, she's so adorable! And Cordy being all like "I have layers!"
But basically teenager GILES/JOYCE 4 EVA! So hilarious, and poor Buffy re. the handcuffs.
I could say I wasn't looking forward to your watching this episode with a deep, eager glee, but then I would be lying, so.
The reactions, they are all that could be hoped for.
Hi… soooo… I'm very sorry to say that I've been reading Mark's posts for quite a while now (since Firefly, or even Harry Potter, I think) and have never commented. Despite my love for the subject matter I refrained from commenting on Doctor Who, Battlestar and even Firefly. I really enjoy reading everyone else's comments but I often feel like I've got nothing new to say on the matter.
But, earlier this week I decided that today would be the day I would break my silence because, (OMG guys!) this is my favourite episode of one of my favourite shows EVER! I could watch it to infinity. Every moment is beautiful to me (Ignoring the Willow and Xander wrongness – ohg jvgu xabjvat jung unccraf va Ybire'f Jnyx rira guvf unf n ernyyl jbaqreshy fnq gentrql nobhg vg).
I always totally love episode's where the characters act wildly out of character because of the plot, even though I know it wouldn't be anywhere near as enjoyable if I didn't know the characters so well to start with.
Despite the hilarity (Oh my, the hilarity!) I think this episode is really clever in presenting the adults as teenagers. As an adult who was once a teenager I want to imagine that it humanises the adults and let's the Scoobies realise that Joyce and Giles (and Snyder!) were cool and wild and irresponsible and fun once too. That haven't always been boring stuffy worry heads. But it doesn't! It's super embarrassing and cringey! It also, as Oz sums up so well with his "It's a sobering mirror to look into, huh?" line, holds a mirror up to adolescence – with all it's raging hormones an.d irrational behavior.
I think it's a really neat chapter in Buffy's coming of age story – yet again she has to be the adult way before her time.
I LOVE IT SO MUCH!
Naq ba Sevqnl vg'f Ybire'f Jnyx! Jung n cresrpg rcvfbqr gb raq gur jrrx ba.
Abg nf cresrpg nf Gur Jvfu jbhyq unir orra. Vg jbhyq unir orra xvaqn arng gb unir gur Jvyybj/Knaqre nssnve naq gur vzzrqvngr snyybhg nyy unccra ba gur fnzr jrrx.
Cyhf Gur Jvfu >>> Ornhgl naq gur Ornfgf
Ooh… you're right, you're right.
Naq, V unir orra rntreyl nagvpvcngvat Gur Jvfu fvapr lrfgreqnl'f erihr nf vg'f na nznmvat Pbeqryvn rcvfbqr.
But, think of it this way: Fgnegvat lbhe jrrx jvgu Gur Jvfu! Lrf, vg'f sehfgengvat gb unir gb jnvg nyy jrrxraq sbe gur erivrj ohg vg jvyy or fb pbzcyrgryl jbegu vg!
bzt gur jvfu!!! inzcver knaqre naq jvyybj naq qbzzr jvyybj naq gur znfgre naq naln! naq gur juvgr ungf….bzttt v'z fb rkpvgrq sbe gung rcvfbqr
Fcvxr: (snprf gurz) Lbh'er *abg* sevraqf. Lbh'yy arire or sevraqf.
Lbh'yy or va ybir gvyy vg xvyyf lbh obgu. Lbh'yy svtug, naq lbh'yy funt,
naq lbh'yy ungr rnpu bgure gvyy vg znxrf lbh dhvire, ohg lbh'yy arire or
sevraqf. (cbvagf ng uvf grzcyr) Ybir vfa'g oenvaf, puvyqera, vg'f
oybbq… (pynfcf uvf purfg) oybbq fpernzvat vafvqr lbh gb jbex vgf jvyy.
orfg fcrrpu rire (jryy, bar bs gurz, ng yrnfg… vg'f wbff' jbeyq… gurer pna arire or whfg bar!)
"V znl or ybir'f ovgpu, ohg ng yrnfg V'z zna rabhtu gb nqzvg vg"
WITH ALL THE YES's!!!!!!!
naq ubj gur urpx qvq v zvff gung cneg… bu genafpevcg-l zvfgnxr!!
Fcvxr unf gur orfg fcrrpurf ba guvf fubj – guvf bar, naq gur "rirel avtug V fnir lbh" bar, naq gur "Gbhpurq" bar . . . .
again with all the YES!
v'ir erjngpurq ybire'f jnyx fb zhpu yngryl. v ybir gung rcvfbqr sbe znal ernfbaf gbb….ernfbaf zhpu yrff tyrrshy naq sha guna jul v ybir onaq pnaql, ohg fgvyy n terng rcvfbqr. cyhf fcvxr vf onpx!
V nyjnlf rawbl jngpuvat fcvxr vagrenpg jvgu Wblpr. Gurer'f n penpx fuvc V pbhyq trg oruvaq (V'z gbgnyyl xvqqvat).
(By the way I'm secretly thrilled by how much Rot13 my very first post has generated!)
-Svefg fynlvat jvgu n crapvy?
“Oh god, are we killing something again?” – Cordelia
“Only my carefree spirit.” – Buffy
“Those tall fuzzy hats aren’t cheap” – Snyder
“Yeah, but they go with everything” – Oz
-THIS EPISODE HAS THE BEST DIALOGUE, start to finish
– How cute, Buffy brings her ex-boyfriend blood and has awkward conversations with him
– Does Giles ever lock his door? People are always just walking in
– “You’ve got great hair” – Snyder to Oz.
SO FUNNY, Snyder’s delivery and Oz’s expression are perfection
– SNAKE, you predicted it Mark
-Gur PTV vf zhpu jbefr va gur svanyr
– All this the night before the SATs. Man, that’s rough.
This episode never gets old
So this is the season 3 episode I saw when it aired live. I was not nearly as confused as the last time I jumped in in the middle of a season (i.e., "Innocence"); aside from "What's going on with Willow and Xander?" there wasn't anything I'd missed that came as a complete surprise.
Beyond that, I really don't have that much to say about this episode. Love it to death, Joyce and Giles and Snyder are excellent, and it's always nice to see Ethan Rayne again.
—–
Re: Death Count:
– Buffy killed a vampire during a break from SAT practice with Giles.
– Mr. Trick killed a candy factory worker for sampling the goods. (Or so that no one else would.)
– In Lurconis' lair, Buffy killed two vampires and Lurconis ate one.
– Buffy set Lurconis on fire.
So that's six.
Oh wow, this episode. I was watching this episode with a giant thought bubble full of all caps.
– First of all… Bad Giles is ridiculously hot. Lord.
– ARMIN GODDAMN SHIMMERMAN. Perfection.
– Joyce has handcuffs. GTFO!
– So… they cursed ALL of the adults in the entire town in order to steal FIVE babies? Um… Okay, I can't think too hard about this. I can let it go. All the actors were fabulous, and this episode was really hilarious, so I'll grant some suspension of disbelief here.
– Worst. Monster. Ever.
Random, but I always thought your icon was a cylon. Now I see it's an umbrella, so that's just really weird to me.
LOL I've been staring at my icons for 5 minutes now trying to figure out how it could be a cylon. But when I look at it as a tiny picture, I can kinda see where you got that! 😛
So… they cursed ALL of the adults in the entire town in order to steal FIVE babies? Um… Okay, I can't think too hard about this. I can let it go. All the actors were fabulous, and this episode was really hilarious, so I'll grant some suspension of disbelief here.
Yeah, that's pretty much my thought, too. I'm not going to spend too much time trying to think about it logically, because it's a fun episode. They could have wanted to feed the demon couch cushions and I'd have been fine with the setup.
You know, I probably would have too. Just because ARMIN SHIMMERMAN is amazing in this episode. I want more quirky Principal Snyder!
Or Quarky Principal Snyder?
AHAHAHAHA *dies*
Well played, ma'am. Well played.
Oh God, I always cringe seeing Willow and Xander do the footie thing. It's just so…unnatural! When are you SO ATTRACTED to each other that your shoe-clad feet can't stay away from each other when you're IN CLASS. WITH YOUR ACTUAL PARTNERS omg. Like, they could have held hands or something? 😛
Haha, Angel doing Tai Chi. Sometimes I really can't tell when we're supposed to take him seriously and when he's actually being a parody of himself 😉
First thing. YAY! BAND CANDY!
Favourite bit: " Hit him, your my slayer" then when she does " Yes!"
Also, I really didn't think the cgi was that bad for the snake.
GREAT EPISODE OR GREATEST EPISODE?
Seriously, everything in this episode was just awesome. We had the Mayor, who is clearly up to something and he's creepy but so…normal? Mild-Mannered? We had Ethan, who is one of my favorite characters ever. (partly because he's Zaeed.) And then we had all the adults acting immature. And acting like teenagers. Ah, but I repeat myself.
Just…this episode was perfection, and no one can convince me otherwise.
Fb. Evccre-Tvyrf cynlvat "Gnyrf sebz Oenir Hylffrf" sbe Wblpr? Sha zbzrag, shaal zbzrag, CRESRPG zbzrag jevggra fb cerpvfryl. V XABJ grrantr Wblpr, hafher bs ure bja bcvavbaf, jnagvat gb vzcerff guvf pbby thl jub qrvtaf gb unat bhg jvgu ure' Evccre qbvat uvf orfg boyvivbhf nqbyrfprag fjnttre. Ybir ybir ybir.
….Yrnqvat gb bar bs gur dhvrgyl fnqqrfg zbzragf bs gur frevrf: Tvyrf, nybar, yvfgravat gb "Gnyrf sebz gur Oenir Hylffrf" nsgre Wblpr'f qrngu.
Ubyq zr.
Yes. Especially to your first paragraph. I KNOW HER SO WELL.
yes! seals and croft are NOT cool, joyce, but BLESS YOU for trying.
"Tai Chi"
[youtube FrpLlZzkXQ4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrpLlZzkXQ4 youtube]
"Sugar High"
[youtube 1UHNVH9iLjo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UHNVH9iLjo youtube]
I just discovered that if you try to embed two videos into the same post, both of them become the first one.
-I'm really concerned about Buffy keeping Angel a secret for so long. The longer it goes, the more awkward it's going to be for her to tell her friends. I don't want them to fight anymore!
-On that note Willow and Xander stop it you guys. (Does anyone actually play footsie? Like really?)
-Ripper Giles is just amazing and Ripper/Joyce is great too. That awkward moment at the end is making me think something more may happen…
-I thought the old friend that Trick mentioned was gonna be Spike, but I was happy with Ethan Rayne. I think we'll see him again and he'll be messing with people's perception of themselves again, seems to be his superpower.
TRUTH INDEED.
(I grew up in what is still a Third World country and remember giving away the bags of Hershey's kisses our American aunts brought back because they tasted so awful)
And Hershey's chocolate bars taste like they were made with CURDLED MILK. How is that even possible?!!
This was on purpose. When bar chocolate was first being introduced, the American palate was not accustomed to sweet. Hershey decided that it needed a bit of a zing. Then as it took off, he figured everyone would expect chocolate to taste his way, and ruin it for other chocolatiers. For a long time he was right, and it's only been in the last 30 years or so that mainstream alternate chocolates have chiseled away at that monopoly.
I actually think Hershey's is too sweet. I prefer my chocolate super dark and bitter. Same with beer and coffee
It's not so much the bitterness with Hershey's for me – I love good dark chocolate – it's that weird "tang"… blech!
Where are all the gifs of Ripper jumping up and down behind Buffy saying "Hit Him"? Serious lack of gifs.
I wish I could upvote this more!! I love that moment!!!
I think this episode was the one where I stopped caring that I was attracted to ASH and just gave in.
Also, Ethan? Your plans might not work out for you, but they make me smile in my delight of 'evil'.
i have been waiting for this episode. it's one of my favorites! so awkward. so terrifying. so absolutely hilarious.
If Giles/Joyce shipping is wrong, I don't want to be right. I KNOW IT'S INAPPROPRIATE BUT I AM STILL SO INTO THIS EPISODE.
(and yes, this is with the realistic knowledge that there's not a snowball's chance in hell it could work out when they're not under the influence of cursed sugar)
I admit a deep geeky love for this ep mostly because: TEENAGE GILES. C'mon. What's not to love? Yeah, it unravels a LOT but still any ep that uses an excuse for parents to act like teenagers and for their teenagers to witness it and be horrified I've got to give a grinning thumbs up too.
Daily Buffy Quotable:
"Oz is the highest scoring person ever to fail."-Willow
"Oh God, are we killing something again?"-Cordelia
"Giles better get here. I'm bored and he isn't here to give me credit for it."-Cordelia
"What? Excuse me, I meant WHAT?"-Buffy
"Parents acting like teenagers. This is a sobering mirror to look into huh?"-Oz
"There should be an age limit on lycra pants."-Cordelia (actually there should be a limit on lycra pants but what can you do?)
"Whoa Summers, you drive like a spaz!"-Snyder
"Never…tell…me."-Buffy
"They never leave. They always gotta say something."-Buffy
"Kiss rocks? Why would anyone want to…oh I get it."-Willow
I couldn't even keep up a stream of consciousness thought list for this one because I quickly realized it would become entirely "Ripper! *drools*" I CANNOT EVEN. I mean, in a normal episode, I appreciate Giles, but I definitely don't think of him as being attractive. I blame the tweed though, because as soon as he's in that white t-shirt and jeans….. drool pretty much covers it. Also, I'm glad the walls in my building are thick because I was laughing SO LOUDLY and would not have been able to stop even if someone had complained.
Ha ha, see, as much as I love Ripper!Giles . . . it's adorkable tweedy!Giles that makes me blush inappropriately.
Tony Head was quite fit when he was younger, too.
<img src="http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad219/Gilly-O/Family%20stuff/Private%20ish/ASHinWoof.jpg" width="450" />
Oh my thank you for posting that.
So I had to do friendship things instead of watching Band Candy WHICH IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE EPS EVER
curse real life, etc
Not that I would've been able to comment much, because, well, Ripper?
<img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyg6tu8Idx1qc3xcc.gif">
This is the episode where I started to see why people have a ~thing~ for Giles.
German title time: Außer Rand und Band – that's difficult to re-translate, maybe "Cutting Loose" or "Gone Wild" or something. This is imo one of the best title choices, particularly in light of the concept of 'band candy' being something alien to German high school culture, as well.
Google Translate gives me "Rock Around the Clock." Hee.
And I like that they got the word "Band" in there somehow.
LOL, google translate.
Weirdly enough today was the first time I actually noticed that myself.
Though painfully literally, it would be something like "outside of edge and bond"; this Band is pronounced differently from the Band 'music group' (where we borrowed the word with its pronunciation; well, loosely).
YES! I love Band Candy!
-Very smart idea guys, studying on patrol. It's also kind of adorable, having Giles help Buffy study for the SAT.
-Ooooooh, creepy cabinet. I love how he follows that up by casually wondering about his scotch.
-”She's always cute” True that, Oz. Well, except for when she's fluking with Xander behind your back 🙁 Naq nyfb jura fur'f ivbyngvat ure tveysevraq'f zvaq naq xvyyvat crbcyr. Ohg gung vf YNGRE naq sbe abj V nz tbvat gb eryvfu rirel zbzrag bs abg-njshy Jvyybj orpnhfr guvf gvzr vf cerpvbhf gb zr.
-Was it just my school that actually sold quality candy for our fundraisers? For one thing, the candy never came ready to sell in the box. You had these little catalogs with a form people filled out with their information and they gave you the money. Then the fundraiser people shipped the stuff to you and you delivered it. For my orchestra we had awesome quality candy and food and cookie mix made by this place in Wisconsin. IT WAS DELICIOUS. I wish I was back in High School so I could have more.
-And Angel has decided to take up Tai Chi. I'm pretty sure they want to make it look super serious and difficult, but my brain is just "LOL, slo-mo Angel looks funny" because I'm a complete child.
-Aw shit, now both Giles and Joyce are teaming up to keep an eye on her. Sneaky!
-Hi Ethan! Long time no see!
-Willow, Xander, stooooooop! How many times do I have to ask you to knock that shit off!
-Yay, Joyce hanging out with Giles.
-JOYCE SHE DOESN'T HAVE A LICENSE WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
-Ooooh dear Buffy drives even worse than I remember. I would be just as terrified (if not more) as Willow is. And Giles has become Ripper! Yes good.
-Fun fact: the cockney accent is actually Anthony Head's natural accent.
-Suddenly the Bronze is taken over by the 40 and over crowd and it is hilarious.
-"Are there any nachos here, little tree?” Ms. Barton, you are suddenly wonderful and I don't even know you.
-Also I'm sorry but the part where Willow's doctor stage dives is even funnier than it originally was for me since I just found out about the fact that Mark stage dived at an AFI performance.
-OH GOD SNYDER. I AM LAUGHING FOR ALL OF FOREVER.
-Ripper!Giles is both frightening and kind of sexy. ASH Must've had a lot of fun with this.
-JOYCE/GILES MAKEOUT! YES! Is it wrong that I ship it?
-Well at least you acknowledge your immaturity, Xander.
-Giles jumping up in the air and getting excited over Buffy hitting Ethan is one of the funniest things I've seen from him.
-BABIES NO D8
-Joyce and the handcuffs “Never tell me” hehe
-Oh wow this CGI is pretty silly looking.
-My goodness Giles and Joyce are certainly being incredibly awkward with one another.
This episode is made of wonderful beautiful crack and it always makes me laugh. It's way too much fun seeing all these adults act like teenagers even if the plot is really weird and makes little sense. And anything that ends up with Joyce and Giles making out on a police car is a good thing in my book.
A super fun episode, with great belivable acting from Antony Stewart Head and Kristine Sutherland. Snyder is totally belivable too as a really sad teenager. Five stars for all!
Now, if only I could remember how to act like a teenager … a cool one, I mean, not the one I actually was.
This is one of my favorite episodes in the entire run of Buffy. Also, I hereby add myself to the never-ending roster of Ripper groupies. OMG SO HAWT!
I actually do not like this episode. I don't hate it, but it goes beyond apathy into dislike for me. Basically everyone is acting irresponsibly in some way – Buffy drives when she's shit at it, Xander and Willow are cheating on their SOs, said SOs are not exactly irresponsible here but it's hard for me to watch them since they don't know what's going on with Xander and Willow, and of course adults are acting like foolish teenagers. It's too much secondhand embarrassment in one episode, with the addition that the plot is contrived and forgettable. And I'm now past my teenage years, but I know I wasn't that irresponsible. I wasn't leaving doors unlocked, or driving when I didn't know how, or backstabbing my friends, and I'd care if someone I knew got in a car accident, etc. etc.
It's just way too forced to me and doesn't really make any sense, and I'm not exactly interested in the whole 'deaging' thing if it causes so much secondhand embarrassment. I can see the funny, but it doesn't make up for the rest of the episode for me.
Yeah, I think it's totally possible for teenagers to be responsible, way more responsible than most of the adults are acting in this episode. I don't think the candy was just to "de-age" them, I think it also put some kind of blinders on them so they couldn't see any situation as very serious. I mean, Buffy, who yeah, drives horribly in this episode, is also the "responsible" one, making sure shit gets done when all the adults are ignoring everything. Part of the theme of the show is that Buffy has to grow up too fast, even though she still sometimes acts like an "irresponsible teenager"–she's still carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
I totally was that irresponsible as a teenager when it came to personal relationships, though. I learned everything about dating the hard way.
I love this episode! It really shows how great the actors playing Joyce, Giles and Snyder are since I completely get into their teenage selves. It actually came as a slight shock at the end where Joyce and Giles are acting normal. Teenage Snyder is so great, it's so sad that the chocolate had to wear off!
I have a kind of unrelated thing to bring up though, you're allowed to drive without a licence in America? In Australia we have to do a test to get a learners permit where we're not allowed to drive without a licensed adult in the car and must always have Learner plates on the car, document 100 hours of driving experience over a year, do a practical exam that most people fail the first time, get P plates for a year where we're not allowed more than one passenger at night, do another test where we get different P plates for another year, then finally get a full license.
What all of these ramblings are getting to is that driving rules where I live are very extensive and strict. So is it because this is old, or was Buffy just being irresponsible or are you guys allowed to drive whenever? Because I am extremely jealous!
What Buffy did is illegal.
Some detail of how driving works, and I don't know the specifics of what's US law and what's California law, but since I'm from CA and so is Buffy it doesn't really matter.
Basically, you first need to pass a written test about driving rules. When you pass, you then get a learner's permit. This lets you drive a car while someone with a license is present and able to teach you. So you learn the rules of driving, take a written test, and only then are you supposed to start learning how to drive the car. Then there's the actual driving test, where someone enters your car and you drive them while they tell you which way to go. Once you pass that you get your driver's license. There may be some rule about not driving minors around the first year – I don't actually know whether that's a rule or something that just sounds familiar to me. But I don't think the plates or the license changes – one you pass the driver's test you're basically good to go.
EDIT: I think there's a certain number of documented hours (60 hours?) of learning to drive with an instructor needed if you're under 18 (which Buffy is), but if you're over 18 you just need to prove driving proficiency during the test. Also, I think the learner's permit expires within 6 months, meaning once you pass the written test you have to pass the practical exam within 6 months to get the license. If you don't pass within 6 months then the permit expires and you need to retake the written before you can attempt the practical.
In this episode Joyce says, "Honey, you failed the written test. They wouldn't even let you take the road test."
So presumably Buffy doesn't even have her learner's permit and is not supposed to be behind the wheel ever – she's not even at the point she should be learning how to drive the car, let alone doing it without an instructor present. VERY ILLEGAL AND UNSAFE. BAD BUFFY!
Ok, thanks for clearing that up, it makes a lot more sense now. No wonder Willow was nervous to be in the car with Buffy driving! Although she is driving really well for somebody who presumably has never driven before? My first time in the car I could barely go faster than a crawl in a deserted parking lot. I guess she is the Slayer though.
It sounds like the rules are basically the same as here, which makes me feel better. Although in America can't you get a full licence at 16? I remember seeing a Mary-Kate and Ashley movie about it.
I have a kind of unrelated thing to bring up though, you're allowed to drive without a licence in America?
No. The rules vary from state to state, but generally, you're allowed to get a learner's permit before you get your license, once you reach a certain age (in my state, 15 and a half for a permit, 16 for a license), and as long as you have your permit, you can only drive with an adult in the car with you. Once you turned 16, and had taken the driver's training class, you could take the drive test, or you could wait until you were 18, and skip the training class.
It's one of those things where no, you're legally not allowed to drive without at least a learner's permit, and then only with an experienced driver in the car with you–but as long as nobody pulled Buffy over and checked her ID, nobody would know about it, which is probably what she was counting on. We don't have different license plates for learners in the US. Unfortunately she got in an accident and I don't know what the fallout from that was exactly, but the legal (and probably insurance) penalties would be worse with driving illegally than they would otherwise.
This is, like, my fourth favourite Buffy Episode in the whole season.
And is also probably when I developed my Older Man Thing. Dear GOD Giles.
Whole series, even.
Magic Jane joins the team!
I love this episode with great passion. Giles is so funny, and Joyce trying to be as cool as him is wonderful. And police-car sex! Snyder – gross and unpleasant as a teenager too, but you have to feel sorry for him in a weird sort of way.. That scene in the warehouse is just genius.
I LOVE THIS EPISODE FOR ALL THE REASONS YOU LISTED.
"Kiss rocks? Who would want to kiss rocks….oh."
Willow! WILLOW! Get over here so I can hug you.