Diary of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer Virgin – Unresolved issues, Spike, Dru and Oz

(Season 2, Episodes 1-4)

Wow, the second season of Buffy really started things off with a bang! There are so many questions based on one scene at the end of “School Hard” about the whole of Sunnydale. Not to mention in that same episode, the debut of Spike; does James Marster just eat up the scenery every time he’s on camera?

In just four episodes, one of which was actually pretty terrible, this show just became about as compelling television as I’ve ever seen. And it really all comes down to these characters. Willow is so tragically sweet that you pine for her to find happiness (which I know she will). I don’t know Xander’s ultimate fate, but he’s proven himself a real hero. Cordy is getting roped more and more into the storylines, and even though I know she’s destined for a whole different spin-off, I’m really curious how she gets from here to there.2.1 – “When She Was Bad” [SEASON PREMIERE]
(Original Air Date: September 15, 1997) First things first, though, we had to deal with the aftermath of last season’s battle with The Master. I liked that Whedon and company had Buffy spend the summer hiatus at her father’s house. That way, her issues with what happened could remain unresolved, and apparently make her into a superbitch, which surprisingly Cordelia called her out on.

The opening scene with Xander and Willow was so beautifully heartbreaking. In other circumstances (no Hellmouth, no Slayer) they may have wound up together and happy, but alas, fangs just keep getting in the way.

I was happy to see both Jenny Calendar and Principal Snyder back, as I enjoy both characters and I think they serve an important role of expanding the Sunnydale faculty. The principal, in particular, is a fascinating character in that he so loathes children, and our Buffy in particular.

The gang goes through some serious emotional turmoil, when Buffy is raging against everyone, and grinding on Xander. And while it was a bit convenient for her to turn it around so quickly, it does help move the story forward. That was one of the most awkwardly hottest dances I’ve ever seen on television. Poor Xander!

In the end, I was glad to see Buffy smash the shit out of The Master’s bones; I was also glad to see The Anointed One sticking around for a bit, as I thought he was an intriguing character. At least that’s what I thought at this point.

2.2 – “Some Assembly Required”
(Original Air Date: September 22, 1997) Well, you can’t win ‘em all, and try as they might the team couldn’t make this Frankenstein knock-off anything less than dreadful. It was an important episode in that it furthered both the Giles-Calendar relationship and the Buffy-Angel one. Other than that, it was just annoying.

It did also feature the continued slow integration of Cordelia into the Scooby gang, as she’s pulled into yet another supernatural event, albeit a stupid one this time. A nerdy kid building a bride for his resurrected jock brother? I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t get behind this one at all. I did, however, find his mother’s behavior appalling. Maybe she should go downstairs and be the dead son’s “bride.”

2.3 – “School Hard”
(Original Air Date: September 29, 1997) How do you make up for a dreadful second outing in your second season? Make that third episode about as amazing as an episode of Buffy has ever been. I’m so glad David Boreanaz earned full series regular status this season as I love the dynamic he brings to the crew.

Vampires were back on the menu, and new in town were Spike and Drusilla. Crazy in love and both crazy, in their own ways. Drusilla is seriously damaged in the brain, and Spike is just a psychopath. Unfortunately, as Giles learned, he’d already killed two Slayers in his short 200 year life. Now we can add to that an Anointed One, meaning we’ll never know what the hell his deal was.

I already know that Spike and Dru are significant characters throughout the Buffy-verse, so it was fun seeing their introduction to it. And what a powerhouse performance by the both of them. Juliet Landau (Drusilla) absolutely owns her dementia in a very believable way. And Marsters?

I knew about the role of Spike, but I’d never seen a single scene of him. I loved Marsters in Doctor Who but didn’t think he was the greatest thing to hit the screen, as Spike fans seemed to. But apparently the blend of Marsters acting and the Spike character created absolute magic. I could not keep my eyes off of this performance.

I hate to beat a point into the ground, but this was one of the single most enjoyable character introductions I’ve ever seen. Even if he probably should have just killed Buffy’s mother when he had the chance. Which leads to the big reveal of the episode.

Principal Snyder and apparently at least the police seem to know about the vampires in Sunnydale. What else then do they know? Do they know about Buffy? And how is Buffy’s mother rationalizing what she saw? Crazy kids hopped up on PCP? Really buying that one? Questions raised not answered.

2.4 – “Inca Mummy Girl”
(Original Air Date: October 6, 1997) I’m starting to sense a pattern for Xander. Fall in love with a girl, find out she’s not exactly a regular girl and then try to avoid getting killed by her. First it was a preying mantis teacher and now it’s a foreign exchange mummy. Guy can’t catch a break, and there’s an adorable eskimo standing right there googly-eyeing him. Go figure.

I actually enjoyed the story of the mummy girl. They created a perfect tone of suspense and danger for Xander, all the while keeping the viewers a few steps ahead of the Scoobies so we could scream at them from our couches. No, there’s a mummified corpse in that case Buffy, don’t go get the door… Look at it!

And while it was definitely underplayed here, I also know that Seth Green’s Oz is a character of some significance. So far he’s just a short guitarist who manages to be attracted to Willow despite the fact that she’s jammed deep into a parka at the time. I can definitely see why this show developed such a dedicated following. This second season improved already on a winning formula.

Previously on Diary of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer Virgin
Now you can just click the show title under TV Shows over there on the right for all our previous installments. Handy, isn’t it?

Clacked by Jason Hughes
on Jun 15, 2009 @ 11:00 EST5EDT