Buffy The Vampire Slayer

A Praying Mantis, A Ventriloquist Dummy, and A Robot From The Internet

Last week, I wrote a piece called “When Is A Door Not A Door?”, which was basically an episode by episode review of the whole of Angel’s fifth season. In writing this article, I grew comfortable with both the concept and the format. So I proposed a series of articles that will basically be episode by episode reviews of each season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel (and perhaps Firefly and Wonderfalls as well, if I’m not completely bored in two months). You can expect two articles a week, and I’ll be taking a break one week to write a review of Angel’s series finale “Not Fade Away”, written by Jeffrey Bell and Joss Whedon, and directed by Bell.

So, without further ado...

BUFFY: SEASON ONE

Buffy 1.1: “Welcome To The Hellmouth”, written by Joss Whedon and directed by Charles Martin Smith

What can I say about this one? It was the first, and it still holds up today quite admirably. The opening sequence is interesting and captivating, we’re introduced to the genuinely terrifying villain The Master, and the regular cast of Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, Cordelia Chase, and Rupert Giles gels instantly, quelling any bad memories that the original film might have brought you. The dialogue is superb, a Joss Whedon trademark, and the supporting characters, like Luke, Darla, Joyce, Mr. Flutie, and especially Angel, are as interesting as the main cast. If there are any complaints, it has to be with the cheesy faux-horror music score (a problem that was fixed with a vengeance with the addition of Christophe Beck in season two), and the lack of apparent depth in the Cordelia character (something that was completely fixed by the end of the season).

Buffy 1.2: “The Harvest”, written by Joss Whedon and directed by John T. Kretchmer

There’s no change in style or feel from episode one, but it’s here that we first begin to get a glimpse of a darker side of the Buffyverse. The stakes (no pun intended), certainly, are higher, with the kidnapping and transformation of Jesse in a few scenes that really hit hard for a first-time viewer. We’re introduced to a load of new character nuances, and for the first time, we get to see Buffy The Vampire Slayer. This is also the second episode in a row with a darkly intriguing Angel scene that subtly foreshadows his vampire nature.

Buffy 1.3: “Witch”, written by Dana Reston and directed by Stephen Cragg

This is Buffy’s first real stand-alone monster of the week episode, and while it succeeds on many levels, it fails as a story. It also doesn’t hold up as well as Joss’s opening epic. We’re introduced to Amy Madison, a fantastic new character well played by Elizabeth Anne Allen. There are plot twists galore (not all of them make total sense) and it keeps your interest with its quick banter. It even does a good job in setting up a nice dynamic between the four main cast members. However, it left me somewhat cold in the end. I found myself not really caring. Plus we still have to deal with the bad makeup effects (like the girl with no mouth) and the downright awful music.

Buffy 1.4: “Teacher’s Pet”, written by David Greenwalt and directed by Bruce Seth Green

Better. Closer. Warmer. Greenwalt pulled off a rather interesting episode with a spectacular monster of the week. Ms. French, the Praying Mantis is a wonderful character. You even sort of feel for her until she tries to kill Xander. Perhaps she’s just working as a teacher. Though probably not because Dr. Gregory’s body was found in a freezer. Meanwhile, we get more from Xander, a character who, right around this point in the series, became a favorite of mine. Also, Greenwalt is the first writer to really give us a glimpse of the voice that Angel will have in future episodes. The man can write.

Buffy 1.5: “Never Kill A Boy On The First Date”, written by Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali and directed by David Semel

This is an interesting offering. The book Dusted, by Lawrence Miles, Lars Pearson, and Christa Dickson says that NKABOTFD was the turning point of the series. When Buffy became Buffy. I don’t know if I’d agree with that. While it does have some good one-liners, a solid predicament, and a brutally chilling ending, it still comes off kind of flat, mostly because Buffy’s latest beau Owen is a bit slack. We never really care for him and because of this Buffy’s closing decision lacks punch. However, we get the first of many wonderful conversations between Buffy and Giles. This one really makes you think. But I still think it could have been more.

Buffy 1.6: “The Pack”, written by Matt Kiene and Joe Reinkemeyer and directed by Bruce Seth Green

I love this episode. I think it’s one of the best of season one. By this point, practically every character is well-defined (even with the notable exception of Cordelia, this is an exceptional achievement). The episode is brutal, violent, and it hurts to watch. Just like most of the best Buffy episodes. The scene where Xander and his new Gang stalk up to the school as Far’s “Job’s Eyes” plays in the background is beautiful, and the infamous Dodgeball scene is terrifying to watch. This one really hits its mark.

Buffy 1.7: “Angel”, written by David Greenwalt and directed by Scott Brazil

To me, this right here was the turning point of the series. Greenwalt remained the one writer that can truly nail Angel’s voice, and this is a devastating episode. The cast continues to gel, Darla returns to great effect and dies (but she’ll be back), and we get some fantastic revelations about Angel. I, for one, didn’t really see it coming the first time I watched it, and the reveal of Angel in vamp-face is insane. David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar gave some of their best performances in this one. The back story created for Angel is rich and deep and full of possibilities. “Angel” was a sign of things to come.

Buffy 1.8: “I Robot, You Jane”, written by Ashley Gable and Thomas A. Swyden and directed by Stephen Posey

This was a return to formula to season one, and while it did a good job in advancing Willow’s character, it really didn’t work. The monster, Moloch, seems interesting at first as an incorporeal entity living in the computer. There were some wonderful possibilities with this storyline, some that Giles even brought up in one of his trademark Library Exposition monologues. However, once Moloch came out of the computer, in the form of a giant robot, it all just became a bit silly. On the bright side of things, we’re introduced to Janna of the Kalderash Gypsies, here only known as Ms. Calendar. She gets some wonderful, nearly philosophical dialogue with Giles, and integrates into the cast seamlessly.

Buffy 1.9: “The Puppet Show”, written by Dean Batali and Rob Des Hotel and directed by Ellen S. Pressman

Another silly monster of the week. There are some decent plot twists and surprises contained within this one, the only problem is the ending, which doesn’t exactly make sense and seems as though it was thought of by the writers to get themselves out of a hole. Sid, the dummy, is boring at first, and graduates into a mildly interesting character, but all in all, nothing great to be found here. Except that is, for the new character of Principal Snyder, played to delightfully weaselly perfection by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Armin Shimerman.

Buffy 1.10: “Nightmares”, written by David Greenwalt and directed by Bruce Seth Green

David Greenwalt continues to elevate his episodes. While this one does get up on a soapbox a bit (hey, don’t hit kids!) it still works really well. The images are terrifying (Buffy as Vampire! Killer Clowns!). And some of the scenes are downright gut-wrenching (Buffy’s father makes her cry...) There’s not much more to say about this one. It works.

Buffy 1.11: “Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight”, written by Ashley Gable and Thomas A. Swyden and directed by Reza Badiyi

Here’s the one where we get to know a bit more about Cordelia Chase. We finally get a glimpse of the kind of Cordelia we’ll come to know years later on Angel. It’s also the first genuinely good monster of the week episode since “The Pack”. Marcie Ross is an interesting and sympathetic villain, and Clea DuVall plays her really well. The sequence of a tied-up Buffy and Cordelia fighting against the invisible girl is one of the only visually rich scenes in the whole of season one, and the Invisible Assassin finale, while a bit jarring, is still bone-chilling.

Buffy 1.12: “Prophecy Girl”, written and directed by Joss Whedon

Absolutely a great episode. From the opening shot of Buffy flying through the air in slow motion, we’re beginning to see a different Buffy. In fact, we’re seeing Buffy as Joss Whedon envisioned it. The fight scenes are scary and intense, the characters are all given something interesting to do, there are tear-inducers (Buffy’s “I’m 16...” speech), there are some heartbreakers (Buffy turning down Xander in my personal favorite scene in all of season one), even the occasional smattering of cheese works (the Buffy theme song strut). I love this episode. This is the one where everything comes together. This is the one that will go down in history as the precursor to the brilliant season two...

To Be Continued