"Phases" & "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" (2x15-2x16) | BTVS REACTION

[@not-that-Chris]

"Oz is the greatest fictional teenage boy to ever walk this earth" Yes!

[@TheRealGSmith]

Solid statement.

[@insimilecupitre]

No líes we're told!

[@commonstragedy]

I think the standoff between Angelus and Oz was just two apex predators recognizing each other and realizing it wasn't worth it to attack.

[@godmagnus]

Apex recognize apex

[@zemoxian]

@@godmagnus I was going to say “game recognizes game,” but yours is better.

[@Homelandz]

Angelus kind of back off though.

[@paulmilner8452]

It’s simple lore vampires fear werewolves

[@obredaanps3]

As someone who graduated high school in 95, I was friends with someone who was very similar to Larry. He was very macho and cocky in high school but a few years after graduation he came out and then his entire personality changed for the better.

[@DanielOrme]

Re Angelus not killing Buffy immediately: One of the most important things to understand about Angelus is that he is an absolute sadist. Giving maximum pain to his victim is as important as the kill, if not more so. Also he can be obsessive with the objects of his attacks. Go back to the Lie To Me episode, where he tells Buffy how, before turning Druscilla, he first drove her mad, visiting every torture he could devise on her. That is Angelus.

[@partycitydumpster]

And life as a vampire would get pretty boring if you didn't toy with your victims in this way.

[@mintyfresh3533]

@@partycitydumpsterI’m not sure. It seems like most vampires are perfectly happy to kill and feed, often to the point of being smug about the prospect. And the more complex the emotions emotions, the more powerful the vampire. Angelus’ pleasure at wringing every drop of suffering out of his victims is what makes him one of the worst.

[@spamfilter32]

To an extent that is also Angel, emotional sadism is an intrinsic part of him. The difference is that with a soul, Angel is more discerning in who, and how, and where he brings that out of himself. When you get a chance, listen to Angel's combat banter (or any banter he has with people he doesn't like). Buffy's combat banter is lighthearted, and humorous (You have fruit punch mouth.) While Angel's is meant to hurt.

[@malgorzataj6356]

@@spamfilter32 Angel or Angelus - he's a vampire. What do you expect,, a glittering pretty boy?

[@spamfilter32]

@malgorzataj6356 being a vampire isn't what makes him an emotional sadist. [Spoilers ahead] He was an emotional sadist before he was made into a vampire. His sadism is what attracted Darla to him. Watch Liam's interactions with his dad, with the understanding that he wants to hurt his dad, gives you a new understanding of his actions. He wasn't a drunken felandering layabout because his dad was mean to him. He was those things because being that hurt his dad. It was deliberate on his part. It was the only way he knew how to hurt his father.

[@jameshenner5831]

"Werewolves, it's one of the classics!" - Giles

[@jennarobinson4136]

"What she did should last this long, I just didn't think the show would make the cold shoulder last" This is weirdly one of my favourite parts of Buffy. I feel like when something happens, either to a character or there's something they do, there are always consequences, it's not just forgotten about by next episode. It makes things more impactful for the viewer, because things aren't just swept under the rug emotionally or consequence-wise.

[@pajander]

Cass going through a whole ass emotional journey during Phases, I love it!

[@LeeCarlson]

Angelous interaction with Buffy is that of a cat playing with its prey before finally killing it.

[@Madbandit77]

Spot-on description of that dynamic. 😎👍

[@maddwitch]

I think that Xander is used to being the only guy in Willow's life, of her being all about him, and now that it's changing, he's jealous of her time and attention being on someone else, but I don't think that he's suddenly into her. I see it more like when your bff gets a new friend and they're suddenly all about the new friend. I think that Xander really likes Cordelia, but he's still got those unrequited feelings for Buffy that, imo, are harder to shake for having never been worked through.

[@jmwild1]

Interesting tidbit, Sarah Michelle Gellar needed most of a week off from shooting to prepare for hosting Saturday Night Live, so to compensate for it, they wrote Buffy being turned into a rat by Amy and out of commission for a significant chunk of the episode.

[@Dylan_Platt]

That was a great episode of SNL!

[@Xhalph]

It also must have made the episode easier to write. A violently obsessed Slayer might be an even bigger threat than the violently obsessed mob.

[@stephaniebarker472]

@@Dylan_PlattYes, it was! “I drive a Dodge Stratus!”…”I wish you were dead!’ 😂 Iconic!

[@LadyGreensleeves33]

10:14 - Yes, that was Larry. It was in Halloween. Xander and Larry got into it, then Buffy came and defended Xander and he got all upset that she made him look like he needed a girl to defend him 😂 Then Larry turned into his pirate costume and Soldier!Xander got to kick his ass a bit in defense of helpless Buffy. 42:00 - Giles is definitely upset at Xander for being foolish and messing with magic, but its also triggering some issues from his own past. HE used to be the young idiot messing with magic for immature reasons, and it was only a few episodes back that he was still dealing with the major repercussions of those actions decades later.

[@salyx]

Haha YOUR FACE when you realized the spell backfired 😂. I love that episode it’s so hilarious. It has a great score and some wonderful physical comedy.

[@kojiromusashi13]

You covered everything I came here to say! I especially love that not even vampires are immune... but that the consequences were already terrifying before we learn that.

[@salyx]

@@kojiromusashi13 haha, when Angel pulls Xander out the window and we see Drusilla under the spell is always where I just lose it! The pathos!

[@tool2158]

I really like your awareness that certain tropes which appear predictable and overused now weren’t necessarily back then. I can’t even tell you how many shows since were inspired by Buffy and took from it. But no worries, the main themes of Buffy will always stay timeless (I promise).

[@DanielOrme]

I had to smile at your mini-rant near the beginning of Phases. We've all seen too many teen dramas and so come to expect those same maddening plots centered on dumb misunderstandings. Fortunately, Joss Whedon & co. have seen them all, too, and know how to avoid them or make it seem like they're going there before switching it around on us.

[@Madbandit77]

To be fair, there wasn't a lot of teen dramas on TV before Buffy. The original 90210 was it, and I'm not counting the undercover teen cop drama, "21 Jump Street" and the after school specials CBS and ABC aired.

[@wildoneizzy]

​@@Madbandit77It was more prevalent in movie form but there was also Degrassi

[@adamdavis1648]

​@Madbandit77 There was also "My So-Called Life", but that one didn't last very long. From what I've read, Joss Whedon sometimes pitched Buffy as "a mix of My So-Called Life and The X-Files", or something along those lines. And I think in one of the DVD episode commentaries, he literally says he was "trying to make My So-Called Life with vampires."

[@myladynoir00]

Your reaction to Oz was so perfect 😅 "I knew he was too perfect.....you know what, he still is." Yes!

[@mandipandi303]

Angel said something along the lines of, "The victims were everything to me when I didn't have a soul. The torture and the fear were art to me." It's not an exact quote, but to Angelus, trapping Buffy with the anxiety that he's out there killing, and she hasn't stopped him yet is his goal. He wants her to suffer before killing her. He did pretty much the same thing with Drusilla. He tortured her to the point of madness before turning her into a vampire. That way, she'd suffer for all eternity. Angelus was one of the most sadistic, evil vampires in history because of his not only love of killing but his desire to torment his victims and their families for long periods.

[@malgorzataj6356]

Angelus - the most vicious creature I ever met, the master said. Remember first season? That master also turned Darla.

[@mandipandi303]

@@malgorzataj6356 Yes! People tend to forget that Angelus is a true monster, because we don't see a lot of the evil he does on-screen in season 2 of Buffy, but Angelus is the worst. The filmmakers intentionally didn't show it, because they didn't think viewers would ever accept Buffy allowing Angel back into her life if they saw what Angelus was like. °SPOILER° The quote I said was something Angel said to Spike in season 5 of Angel. Spike was saying that he wasn't tortured by his soul because Spike quote, "Got over it," and he never really cared about his victims. Angel was explaining why he could never be as glib as Spike was about the evil he did as Angelus with the quote I referenced, because Angelus delighted in their suffering.

[@malgorzataj6356]

@@mandipandi303 i watched both Buffy and Angel when they were still on TV. I do not need a "spoilers"😘

[@mandipandi303]

@@malgorzataj6356 I also watched both when they first aired! I just wanted to be careful. Especially since these are videos of someone experiencing the series for the first time. If that was the case for you, I didn't want to spoil a MAJOR plot point for you! I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I ruined that particular reveal for someone

[@malgorzataj6356]

@@mandipandi303 You know, I just want to say one thing - you know what I miss? Not Angel. Doyle.😔

[@drawnonwardfilms4589]

I'm so glad you questioned whether the trope"of "oh, the bully is actually gay? And now he came out so he's suddenly the nice guy?" was a trope at all back then. I was in highschool when Buffy aired and it was 100% NOT a trope yet! To 2023 audiences, a lot of things in this show seem over-used, obvious or antiquated but in 1998 they were revelatory. The entire concept of Buffy S1-3 "high school is hell....literally" was groundbreakingly simple but profound, especially when you were the same age, going through similar things (albeit non-supernatural.) I would go so far as to say that many of these tropes were actually CREATED during this era of TV.

[@terrystickland219]

On the website "TV Tropes", the entry for Buffy the Vampire Slayer starts with the sentence "Bluntly put, this show is why TV Tropes exists."

[@LeeCarlson]

I love that we are shown, rather than told, that all magic has consequences and you don't always know what they will be, however, they are usually something that you would prefer to avoid.

[@VBane]

I appreciate that the only reason he wanted a love potion was so he could dump her back, not to take advantage.

[@SilveryRow]

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered is one of my favourite Buffy episodes, it's so funny (despite the ick). Incidentally, Amy is shown to still be a noob witch as while Diana is a goddess of the hunt, she's not a goddess of love. That was a nice little detail. Obligatory Oz shout-out: The respect in immediately taking the torchlight off naked Buffy and switching it off. I mean, he didn't linger for a second.

[@morganwilliams5541]

Yes, Larry is a recurring character, and yes, buffy saved xander from him at Soda Machine, and xander was embarrassed about it.

[@migmit]

I think there is something about him in season 6 even.

[@ncorgan]

@@migmitIt’s a good thing this isn’t a blind reaction and references to later seasons wouldn’t be a spoiler. Wait…

[@migmit]

@@ncorgan Nah, I didn't actually reveal Larry becoming a siren, so, no harm done.

[@austinseven4720]

The Larry thing was rushed, but the basic building blocks were covered. As a guy who grew up in the 90s, and the collective immaturity of teen guys in general, the word 'gay' was thrown about as the harshest of insults. You see it go both ways. One of my best friends in school eventually came out as gay. He desperately hid his struggles from everyone until school was in the past. Another guy who I know is out and happy was much like Larry. Being an aggressive prick and behaving in a hyper-masculine way was his way of hiding, shielding himself from potential mockery and ostracism. Obviously he wasn't right to behave that way. But at that point in time, not surprising within the environment that existed in that era. So there was an element of accuracy within the episode.

[@bigdream_dreambig]

0:18 FYI (since you didn't appear to know): "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" is a classic jazz tune from 1940 (from the musical Pal Joey).

[@Dunybrook]

This show did start or popularize many of the tropes that are common in shows nowadays. More than that as it served as a model for a whole generation of writers on how to write quality television. However many other layers it has though it also remains a teen soap so don't expect anybody to stay happy forever.

[@Madbandit77]

I wouldn't put Buffy in the same room as work like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Wire, The X-Files or The Sopranos, because, knowing what I know about you-know-who, the show has cracks in its armor.

[@tokentroll]

The turning point of the series was “surprise” and “innocence” powerful, as I matured I realized how deep this episode was.

[@xyex]

Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered made me a fan of Xander/Cordy. I'd just thought it was weird up to that point, but Xander talking to Buffy at the start, and Cordy wearing the necklace still and her speech at the end just sold me on them.

[@stephaniebarker472]

Oh Cass, your face when you realize the werewolf is Oz…❤️… adorable. And you’re right, he’s still perfect.

[@DaDunge]

33:45 Yes. All Angel's good qualities followed angel's sul and passed on, remember the judge said he's pure evil, not a shred of humanity.

[@grife3000]

40:14 "Those guys, all of their expressions, it could be "God, I want you" or it could be "Get out of my face." They look the same to me" -- We have a little bit to unpack here about your life. I love not only do we break down how the episode went, we also break down how the show you're writing in your head is going as well. It's kinda cool how little of the future of the show from any kind of cultural passdown, as your predictions vary from spot-on to not even close. It's refreshing that you're pretty darnded unspoilt.

[@NessOnett8]

Larry is, in fact, a recurring character. He will recur again.

[@spikejr3113jr]

Kind of sad we never get to meet Oz‘s cousin, the one that bit him and turned him into a werewolf because he’s a werewolf too so is there another werewolf out there free or does he lock himself up. Also fun fact Harmony is played by Mercedes McNab who was the girl Scout in the Addams family movie from 1991 then was more of a character in the Addams family values in 1993.

[@bluegrasskids52784]

“He does not like to be tickled”

[@menachemsalomon]

He's only two. It must be easy enough to keep him contained three nights out of the month. When he gets a little bigger, they'll have to make sure not to schedule sleepovers on those days.

[@Talisguy]

​@@menachemsalomon Hilariously, a minor plot hole accidentally implies that Jordy's werewolf form is fully grown. The best in-universe explanation for Oz not realising that he was a werewolf until day 3 (unless he shrugged off waking up naked in the woods the first time it happened, but given that he immediately suspects himself of being infected when it happens the second time...) is that the werewolf who attacked Cordy's car in the cold open wasn't Oz, and Oz didn't transform until night 2. And the only other confirmed werewolf in the story is Jordy...

[@menachemsalomon]

@@Talisguy That's a fair plot hole. I haven't given it much thought hitherto. On the other hand, for some reason I just never assumed Jordy's family lived in Sunnydale. But considering that Sunnydale is large enough to have a college or two - have we seen the frat house yet? And UC is rumored to have a Sunnydale branch - there's no need to blame Cordy's car on cute (?) li'l Jordy.

[@Talisguy]

@@menachemsalomon I'm mostly just choosing to believe it because it's funny.

[@TheRealGSmith]

Men (especially teenage boys) acting super "tough" and "manly" to hide the fact that they are gay isn't as much a movie trope as it is an actual thing. Toxic masculinity is very often a result of someone not feeling "manly" enough, which can be a side-effect of being attracted to other men. Of course it has a lot to do with the culture, upbringing and peers, but I can assure you it's very real and sadly quite common. As for shows addressing queer topics, BTVS was once again quite ahead of its time.

[@insolencestar]

more buffy! yay! i hope you and your family are holding up well, cass! sending love

[@Itsjandz105]

Every time I hear Giles say “Buffy rat” I lose it. Lol

[@3cho_dimension285]

Angelus is always long game, big picture, twist of the knife when you least expect it evil. Especially how Angel described his fascination and process with Dru

[@3cho_dimension285]

Maticulous like a seriel killer

[@shabadoo25]

Fun fact: Buffyrat was conceived to give Sarah time off to do Saturday Night Live.

[@LeeCarlson]

You made the comment about "girl power" and BtVS was really one of the first shows (along with Charmed) that presented women as capable of holding their own in the world and not reliant on men to protect them, though at this time men still felt that women needed protection. And Larry's realization that he did not HAVE to be an asshole to be seen as a man (whether or not he was gay) comes from having seen Xander not being an asshole and then the talk with him in the locker room. Now Larry does not feel that he needs to be an asshole.

[@Nicamon]

COUGH!You forgot"Xena"...>o

[@Madbandit77]

​@@Nicamon I would also mention The X-Files

[@Nicamon]

@@Madbandit77 I never watched that,but I trust you.Scully seems fitting with the description.

[@jackmars931]

Larry is pretty cool guy. He plays football and doesn't afraid of anything.

[@TheRealGSmith]

Those are two things I absolutely can't relate to ;)

[@Atomic_Acorn969]

deep cut deep cut 👍

[@johnolexa1543]

Oh man! Angelus putting Spike's gift on Spike's girl 😅 Plus, everyone laughing at Xander after Cordelia broke up with him, I would have thought Xander would have had a little street cred for even going out with her. 🤷 Yeah, all the guys were pissed at him, because all the girls could only think/ talk about him lol.

[@Xhalph]

Yes, it's the same Larry!

[@blacktronlego]

31:14 Yes it is. 32:55

[@nicktoons125]

I love that Oz's phone conversation is one of my mom's favorite lines.

[@TheRealGSmith]

It's a great scene.

[@nicktoons125]

@@TheRealGSmith Oh it is, just sometimes she'll go "Hey is Cousin Jordi a werewolf?" And for a split second my brain is like "What the hell is she talking about?"

[@TheRetroGuy2000]

Enjoyed the reaction, Cass! I feel like the Angelus/Oz scene in "Phases" was a call-back to classic vampire-vs-werewolf films of the early to mid-20th century, when vampires and werewolves never got along. The flower in Angelus' hand felt like a call-back to the flower in Frankenstein's Monster's hand.

[@LeeCarlson]

Harmony never changes.

[@ernesthakey3396]

😂

[@Swooshez90]

Oh... maybe a little 😂

[@malgorzataj6356]

Even as a vampire😂

[@LeeCarlson]

@@malgorzataj6356, I was going to say that, however, if I had someone would have busted my chops for spoilers.

[@stormwreath]

The officially correct pronunciation of Angelus is with the stress on the middle syllable: an-GEL-us (or 'Anne jealous'). But a lot of the actors pronounced it wrongly, as AN-gelus, and the directors didn't always catch the mistake, or just let it slide. (This is mentioned in one of the DVD commentaries, from back in the day when TV shows came on DVDs. :))

[@anashiedler6926]

Also depends on the language you are watching it, for example in the german version angel/angelus is called "Angel" with a soul (English spoken name "/ˈeɪn.dʒəl/"), and "Angelus" (German-Latin spoken name "[ˈaŋɡelʊs]") without, so there is a much harder differentiation

[@spamfilter32]

@37:21 YES! this is correct. Cordelia already loved Xander so there was nothing for the spell to do to her, so it rebounded to every other women.

[@partycitydumpster]

A general note about spells in Buffy is that wording and passion are both important, and you can often figure out what specifically happened with the spell by listening carefully to the wording and analyzing the true feelings and intentions of the caster. Like in the love spell, they call upon the Diana, "goddess of love and the hunt." But tbh Diana is moreso the goddess of the hunt, and is invoked in matters of fertility, not love. And would probably be pissed that a man is trying to invoke her to curse a woman. Not saying she is a canon figure in this universe, it's just telling that the spell called upon her and it resulted in women literally hunting Xander down. And then when it comes to the true feelings of the caster, Xander's issue is that he wants what he can't have (as pointed out by Willow and Cordy in the previous ep), and what he can't have (according to him) is all women. I think his focus on Cordelia in the spell ironically protects her from it because Xander was not actually desiring her in that moment, he was angry with her. The spell otherwise doesn't pick and choose between the women it affects, even if Xander wouldn't actually choose to be with them, because Xander doesn't know what he wants.

[@Buffy8Fan]

2x15 Cass's face upon the Oz as a werewolf reveal was wonderful. 2x16 Xander's somehow still managed to get the girl to like him by the end despite why he did the spell to begin with. Too bad she didn't know that part.

[@killianlpc]

Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered was the first of the real comedic episodes of the series. Here we see Xander jilted by Cordelia and looking for a type of revenge. Amy obliges but as always the love spell goes wrong, and we see Xander become irresistible to all women except Cordelia. We see Harmony and her Airhead friends also act as you would expect, however once under the spell want Xander too. Funny when the peaceful Oz punches Xander, and Jenny Calendar and Joyce both hitting on Xander. When Buffy comes in to the library in her sexy outfit it all goes wrong when she thinks she is being two timed and the jealous Amy turns her into a rat, when she comes back to human form a funny ending saying to Xander she remembers coming on to him, and a 'sudden need for cheese'. Strangely Buffy and Cheese are weirdly connected throughout this show!

[@corgiluver9718]

Glad you enjoyed these episodes so much. Especially the Bewitched episode is a lot of fun and hopefully provides enough of a break before the show turns serious again. Really love hearing your thoughts on BTVS. Take care.

[@SarahTheBloody]

"I know what I signed up for" Are you sure about that? :P *laughs in Whedon*

[@TheHeartbanger]

I always liked that they keep Angelus in for every episode even if it just a "monster of the week". The second half of this season is still my favorite part of the entire show. Beginning with "Surprise" the production and writing reached another level.

[@blimfark875]

I love how you noodle out the episodes, it reminds me of watching them for the first time.

[@KaiInMotion]

"Don't give me piano music for Larry, uh-ungh" LMFAO

[@clayprice7626]

Phases is my favorite oz episode and bewitched bothered and bewildered is my second favorite Xander episode, it hits home for those of us who are invisible to girls

[@bigdream_dreambig]

"Don't give me piano music for Larry -- uh uh." 🤣

[@moviecrush8624]

Your predictions about Xander/Cordelia were so on point xD, both of the things you mentioned happened in the very next episode

[@TheRealGSmith]

Concerning Angelus (however he's supposed to be pronounced): He's one of the most sadistic MFs and and just thrives on bringing people misery. He finds great fun in torture of any kind. Simply killing Buffy, or anyone for that matter, without psychologically damaging them first just isn't as satisfying to him. Kinda gives a whole lot more meaning to what Angel said in season one: "Do you have any idea what its like, to have done the things I've done, and to care?" He didn't just kill to survive.

[@DaDunge]

37:00 So the reason is rebounds is that Cordelia was already in love with Xander. True love is an increadibly powerful anti magic.

[@psychomagicshop]

Oh boy I’m bracing myself for the next reaction

[@zarathustrasserpent1850]

The nineties was when we realized that guys who behave in an over-masculine way are often closeted gays. To hide it, they were imitating the behavior of straight guys, but because it wasn't natural to them, it was always a little off. Straight guys usually don't treat women the way Larry does at the beginning of the episode. Yes, it quickly became a trope. But it was still a new realization at the time this was made.

[@eyelesspotato2189]

Love these episodes, especially in the arc of the season... Just when Buffy's relationship with Angel falls apart, the next two episodes involve Willow and Xander solidifying new relationships.

[@greigclement9081]

One of the most popular tropes in fantasy media is the Love spell. Lust & Attraction spells are also a bit dicey, but the power of obsessive love is very dangerous. Many shows & movies have seen disastrous results from amateurs casting a Love spell.

[@blacktronlego]

Yes, in the Halloween episode Larry and Xander had a confrontation and when Buffy saved Xander, he felt she had made him look weak. Later in the episode he knocked out Larry while he was a soldier and Larry was a pirate. 14:10

[@wobaguk]

Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered is one of several Buffyverse episodes named after song titles, try to spot them all!

[@Steef_Lee]

As a 90s teen gay myself I distinctly remember the 3 types of closeted gays. The kinda cool funny guy who was close with the cool girls and blew the straight guys, the internalized homophobes like Larry that resorted to hiding behind toxic masculinity, and the dorky feminine outcasts. It was a wild time of gay civil war and the hetero conflicts, there were many casualties. Then Will & Grace happened and things started to get a little better. Now it’s so cool my friend’s kids have all gone through the pretending to be gay phase lol. We still have to deal with ignorant morons and the internalized homophobia Ben Shapiro types, but it’s so much better.

[@babadoudidadouda]

No, the Larry thing wasn't a trope at the time, as far as I can remember. And it was a big deal to have a character in the show who was explicitly LGBTQA+. I remember feeling very happy about it. And it's not so much that Larry is "acting nice", but it's more that he now doesn't feel the need to play an act to prevent people from finding out about his sexual orientation (which could have dire consequences for him. Because being openly gay in a USA high school in the '90s could be a dangerous gamble). It's an imperfect storyline, and it doesn't absolve Larry from his previous actions, but it's still important. Also, yes, unfortunately, some people in the real world can be misogynistic in a cartoonish way.

[@spamfilter32]

This is the first time Xander has killed a Vampire deliberately. He has killed 2 vampires previously, but both times were accidents.

[@bigdream_dreambig]

24:36 T.V. Tropes calls this "Armoured Closet Gay." You may be right about it being a trope that arose in the '90s. The earliest I could find it featured in mainstream film or TV was in an episode of Quantum Leap that predates this Buffy one by only 6 years: "Running for Honor" (January 1992).

[@justinpilla5741]

I think BBB is my favorite Buffy episode. That scene when Xander walks down the hall, and all the girls are eyeing him up.

[@nicktoons125]

Also happy you liked Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered! One of my personal favorite episodes. Always felt like Buffy making fun of the typical Valentine's Day episode other WB shows were doing at the time (It was billed as a Valentine's Day episode).

[@stpetie7686]

Not only is it Friday, Cass posted a Buffy video! Now that's the way to start a weekend.

[@Kap00rwith2os]

38:51 The A-HAAAAH moment 💡👆 😂

[@nayalaa]

I really enjoy your commentary especially on some of the more cultural aspects of the show! I remember thinking this show was very progressive when it came out but compared to today's standards, it's not great, lol! There are a few times where this show does stuff like that, that was maybe acceptable in the 90s and isn't really anymore. I think it's important to remember that. This show WAS very progressive in some aspects, especially in future seasons!

[@CoolEnginesChristytrekkie]

Missed opportunity here, they should have had Larry in the BBB one lol.

[@tetamale4280]

her face when she sees Oz’s secret 😂

[@IDyce88]

yes that was Larry, he asked Xander if Buffy "was fast" which is basically implying someone sleeps around a lot...or in shorter terms a slut. the reason why Angel and the Wolf didn't fight is because wolf bites are fatal to vampires...Angel knew it was smarter to just leave the wolf alone.

[@ulrichs3061]

As far as I know the "fatal" bite is a thing mentioned in TVD, never in this show.🤔

[@zemoxian]

I think the purpose of the Judge was to eliminate the idea that anything “good” remained in Angel. At best anything resembling hesitation on Angelus’s part is a desire for revenge for making him feel love.

[@robertmckenna3994]

At least Larry didn’t have an appearance in “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”. He doesn’t look like he would take no for an answer.

[@shaytutty1989]

Yeah, no. Jr high/high school was about as savage as Sunnydale makes it look. (At least it was in the 90s and 00s)

[@ernesthakey3396]

Regarding werewolf vs vampire, I think the werewolf's enhanced senses can smell that a vampire is kinda mostly dead, and also hear that they have no heartbeat; they wouldn't be good to eat. Larry's story isn't too horrible, he was acting out of a need to prove how macho and masculine he was, which was a trope around closeted gay men - a tired trope, and the writers may have gone a bit too far - but I like the new Larry enough to give him a shot. Xander: "We're gonna do a little spell." Cass: "Wait, what?!? I thought..." Me: "Cass, did you forget the episode title, hmm?" 😂

[@spamfilter32]

Oz was about to tell the gang that he was a werewolf, but then Buffy started talking about killing it since she thinks the werewolf killed her classmate. So he held his tongue from telling them.

[@spamfilter32]

Terresa was a double cruelty on Angelus' part. Not only was Angelus telling Buffy she couldn't protect people she cared about from him, but also, he made her kill someone she cared about.

[@charmingjinx9379]

An•GEL•us You know that cute little happy ending that you wanted and that you got this time? Yeah, don't get used to that.

[@alysharichards3757]

Right?!

[@Nicamon]

THE CORRECT PRONUNCIATION IS Àngelus,NOT Un-jealous!!!!!>O

[@alysharichards3757]

@@Nicamon Levio-SAHH

[@Nicamon]

@@alysharichards3757 Exactly.😉

[@michaelbastraw1493]

"What is wrong with this school?" Hellmouth... Best. Mike.

[@bigdream_dreambig]

21:48 You crack me up! 😆🤣😆

[@BloodofaFool]

Did you know Sarah and Seth were actually really good friends before Seth got on the show! They remain friends to this day! Sarah has been a voice on robot chicken (his show on cartoon network) multiple times!

[@Nyctm91]

Your disappointment when it’s reveal oz is the werewolf was funny

[@chrisbronico3667]

Yes Larry was that guy buffy embarrassed Xander in front of and he was the pirate in the Halloween episode😊

[@tommyross3298]

People sometimes take sides about the pronunciation of Angelus, but people pronounce it both ways on the show, so both are technically correct.

[@ShadowDogProduction]

I thought Sofie was the best Ship Detective on KZbin but you're earning that honor. Lol

[@ItsNotTasha]

Yay!!! Love your opinions and predictions. Buffy has changed my life since I first watched the pilot on a random Tuesday and I love watching others journeys with it, especially those who care about the characters and storylines like you do Glad you got a little lightheartedness this round! 🫣👀😬

[@aggreacts1391]

love the folklore hoodie

[@rustyshackleford3293]

Hope things are looking favorable with your grandma and her health situation. Don't know that I'm the best person to be throwing out prayers but I put one out in the either for you and her anyways. Best wishes and thanks for the reactions, they make my day a little better.

[@UTU49]

You're not sure how to pronounce "Angelus", because the show itself is not consistent. Not many people know this, but his name is actually "Anne Jealous". In one of the commentaries, Joss explains that they always intended it to be pronounced as above, but they didn't get around to insisting on it until later seasons of the Buffyverse.

[@Dilzik]

Season 2 has some bangers for sure

[@ceceliam9014]

I agree with your idea that Angel stalls a lot on actually doing anything to kill or even really hurt Buffy. Yes, he is the slow game kind of guy, but I think some part of him isn't really ready to take action with harming Buffy.

[@planetwatch0000]

Angelus is a complete sadist. He really would rather mentally torture Buffy than just kill her.

[@killianlpc]

In Phases we have Oz the coolest character in The Buffyverse, not only is he a lead guitarist in an indie band, he just becomes even cooler now he has Superpowers too as a Werewolf. Some great foreshadowing from S1 I Robot You Jane when Buffy says to Willow about her virtual computer boyfriend ' he could have a hairy back' well Oz definitely does! I think we can see now you really are loving the show now.

[@migmit]

10:16 You might need the Du Lac cross. Larry is actually quite likeable, once he came out. You'll see. Given that Buffy advocates making the first move (and in this matter she is a stereotypical teenager), I'd say it's just Willow's insecurity, of which she has plenty.