av Mr Chase » ons mar 10, 2004 1:16
Mr Chase only has eyes for, well you know who...
31. I Only Have Eyes for You
Not one of the top season 2 episodes in my mind even though a lot of people seems to like it. I don't know, but the Haunted High premise didn't leave any lasting impressions on me even if it was a nice twist to see Buffy and Angelus being possessed by ghosts.
Buffy gets a chance to fight her the inner demon that can't forgive herself for being responsible for Angel turning Angelus. Isn't that a bit old by now? It wasn't her fault. Of course it is complicated by the fact that she also feels responsible for the death of Jenny Calendar. I don't know, maybe I'm not seeing something I should be seeing.
Buffy: "Impulsive? You remember my ex-boyfriend, the vampire? I slept with him, he lost his soul, and now my boyfriend is gone forever and the demon that wears his face is killing my friends. The next impulsive decision I make will involve my choice of dentures."
The ghosts are slightly more interesting. James, a high school guy, and Grace, his pretty teacher, fell in love back in 1955 but cannot for obvious reasons consume a relationship. So he freaks out, kills her in desperation and commits suicide afterwards. But he craves forgiveness before his ghost can go to rest so he, and she, are doomed to relive the tragic incident by possessing different people at Sunnydale High.
Here is where I have another problem. How long has this been going on? From the episode you'd think it's just started but the incident took place more than four decades ago. So why hasn't there been any previous reports about people in Sunnydale High going on a violent killing spree for no apparent reason?
The ending of this episode makes up for its flaws. Angelus, possessed by Grace, is the only one who can break the loop since he can't die -- at least not from a gunshot wound. So he-as-she can then forgive Buffy-as-James. That was a nice if rather convenient plot twist. The cross-editing of the shooting drama was excellent. At the same time Buffy could work out some of her own anxieties regarding Angel. And their kiss was both sweet and very creepy. No wonder Angelus felt violated afterwards.
Giles is also rather tragic here. He still can't get over Jenny's death, and I for one don't blame him, so he deludes himself at first that it is her ghost trying to say something. In fact he is rather helpless and it falls upon the Slayerettes, led by none other than Willow, to find a solution.
Cordelia is surprisingly not complaining about her part as a Slayerette even if she gets bitten by a snake, courtesy of the Cafeteria Food from Hell (remember that, kids?). And Xander holding her hand when she's being treated for it is sweet. She has lunch with the rest of them. She even gets into the exorcism act ("I *totally* cast out all evil...") despite having seen the movie. And she's definitely not a hairy-legged feminist, thank God!
As indicated, Buffy has problems with forgiveness, as her take on James shows.
Buffy: "He should be doing sixty years in a prison, breaking rocks and making special friends with Roscoe the Weightlifter."
Xander: "Yikes. The quality of mercy is not Buffy."
Here Xander intentionally misquotes Portia from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, act 4, scene 1:
"The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest"
And Giles delivers a great case for forgiveness which, at the time, flies by Buffy.
Giles: "To forgive is an act of compassion, Buffy. It's not done because people deserve it. It's done because they need it."
Buffy: "No. James destroyed the one person he loved most in a moment of blind passion. That's not something you forgive. No matter why he did what he did, and no matter if he knows now that it was wrong and selfish and stupid. It's just something he's going to have to live with."
Xander: "He can't live with it, Buff. He's dead."
A great bit of continuity is displayed with the conversation (again) between principal Snyder and the Chief of Police. Some adults know very well that their quaint little town isn't really that quaint. It also has the first mention of the Mayor, of whom Snyder seems to be afraid,
Spoiler s3
and that for a good reason.
Snyder: "We're on a Hellmouth. Sooner or later, people are gonna figure that out."
Chief: "The city council was told that you could handle this job. If you feel that you can't, perhaps you'd like to take that up... with the Mayor."
The interactions between Drusilla, Angelus and Spike are getting progressively worse. Angelus shamelessly flirts with Spike's girl and she *likes* it. Granted, she is a couple of cans short of a six-pack but honey, you play a dangerous game indeed if you keep this up. And you can just tell that Spike truly *hates* Angelus. When he gets up on his feet I couldn't help but cheer for him. You go get him, Spike!
Fun lines includes Xander's: ""Something weird is going on. Isn't that our school motto?" and Willow teasing Xander about his ghost-ripped shirt: "Xander, what happened? Did Cordelia win another round in the broom closet?"
Senast redigerad av
Mr Chase ons mar 10, 2004 1:51, redigerad totalt 1 gång.
Rupert Giles: "I'll be back in the Middle Ages."
Miss Calendar: "Did you ever leave?"