Without posting spoilers, I'd say the 730 is more for events towards the end of the season
Buffy ep by ep; rewatch and reviews
- Thread starter saturn5
- Start date
There are 730 references throughout season 4. The most obvious one is in "Restless" during the scene in Dawn's room where Tara says "The clock is wrong." and the clock reads 7:30. The countdown isn't until Dawn arrives, it's a reference until Buffy dies. (Or, as it was at the time, the end of the show.) That would have been two years from G-day.
Another interesting bit about the number 730 is that, in the US at least, it's the legal code for schizophrenia and in California an S730 file is on that relates to child custody.
Just something to think about.
Another interesting bit about the number 730 is that, in the US at least, it's the legal code for schizophrenia and in California an S730 file is on that relates to child custody.
Just something to think about.
Ah, missed that bit, but yeah, I was referring to Buffy and what happens at the end of S5.
My that's interesting, maybe after the end of Chosen Buffy really does wake up sane again in the asylum? Or maybe they're both real and the other Buffy is sane again post-Chosen but continues to share her dreams with Sunnydale Buffy (and writes them as the comics for a living?)
The Freshman (or Freshwoman?)
The Good;
Very clever ep, it's interesting that we really feel for Buffy, we're used to her being invincible but here she's bested by an ordinary vamp and it shakes her and us (note that people refer to her as 'Willow's friend'). Of course, our girl comes back and it's possible she was only off her game because Kathy had been sucking her soul. Great opening gag with the vamp behind Buffy and Will and it's amazing how funny the old comedy cliche of the smallest person carrying the biggest load can be.
The Bad;
It is disturbing to see Buffy so upset but the whole idea of putting the heroine in peril is to see her overcome
Best line;
Xander; You're sitting here alone looking like you've been diagnosed with cancer of the puppy
Whedon Cliches;
Character death; poor Eddie. Buffy says it's been a 'Slay-heavy summer'.
Shot;
no Scoobies but the vamp tranqulised at the end
Tied up;
No but Eddie's favourite book is 'Of human bondage'
Knocked out;
No although Riley says he has a slight concussion
Women good/men bad;
Professor Welch considers herself the 'evil bitch monster of death'. Sunday tells Buffy she 'fights like a girl' (which is maybe why Buffy beats her?)
Jeez!;
The idea of Sunday and co not only killing the weaker students but mocking them is awful.
Kinky dinky;
Buffy thinks 'Of human bondage' is porn which she's 'trying to cut down on'. Xander spent the summer working in a male strip club kitchen (and possibly on stage?) Read a great fanfic once where Wes pays for his motorcycle by working in the same club under the stage name 'Huge Grant'. Buffy compares Giles to Hugh Hefner and he now has the lovely Olivia as his own girl next door. Buffy thinks Giles shouldn't have a private life because he's old and it's gross which is a bit of a blow for Guffy. When Xander is all alone he sometimes wonders what Buffy is wearing. Willow compares learning to a sexual act
Calling Captain Subtext;
Xander and Oz don't hug because they're too manly. Buffy comments that she hopes her mum has a 'funny aneurysm' which is foreshadowing indeed as is the reference to Joan Armatrading's 'Once more with feeling'.
Guantanamo Bay;
Scoobies to the ER;
No, Buffy's arm is hurt but not broken (and even if it was would heal pretty quickly)
Where's Dawn?
Interesting scene where Buffy goes home to find Joyce is storing stuff in her room. You wonder why she didn't put it in Dawn's room which isn't occupied yet?
What the fanficcers thought; the real story of Xander's summer http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3029445/1/The_Fabulous_Ladies_Nightclub
Questions and observations;
Interestingly Buffy hasn't accepted Christ as her personal saviour, the series has always had an ambiguous relationship with Christianity. Five Scoobies at this stage, Buffy, Giles, Xander, Willow and Oz. Buffy shows great tactical awareness, Faith or Kendra might have fought to the death even when they know it's hopeless, Buffy retreats, get's reinforcements and defeats the bad guys. Great gag where Buffy answers the phone, we know it's actually Angel phoning just to hear her voice. Buffy just walks into Giles, doesn't even knock.
Marks out of 10; 6/10 I think although that might be a little generous
The Good;
Very clever ep, it's interesting that we really feel for Buffy, we're used to her being invincible but here she's bested by an ordinary vamp and it shakes her and us (note that people refer to her as 'Willow's friend'). Of course, our girl comes back and it's possible she was only off her game because Kathy had been sucking her soul. Great opening gag with the vamp behind Buffy and Will and it's amazing how funny the old comedy cliche of the smallest person carrying the biggest load can be.
The Bad;
It is disturbing to see Buffy so upset but the whole idea of putting the heroine in peril is to see her overcome
Best line;
Xander; You're sitting here alone looking like you've been diagnosed with cancer of the puppy
Whedon Cliches;
Character death; poor Eddie. Buffy says it's been a 'Slay-heavy summer'.
Shot;
no Scoobies but the vamp tranqulised at the end
Tied up;
No but Eddie's favourite book is 'Of human bondage'
Knocked out;
No although Riley says he has a slight concussion
Women good/men bad;
Professor Welch considers herself the 'evil bitch monster of death'. Sunday tells Buffy she 'fights like a girl' (which is maybe why Buffy beats her?)
Jeez!;
The idea of Sunday and co not only killing the weaker students but mocking them is awful.
Kinky dinky;
Buffy thinks 'Of human bondage' is porn which she's 'trying to cut down on'. Xander spent the summer working in a male strip club kitchen (and possibly on stage?) Read a great fanfic once where Wes pays for his motorcycle by working in the same club under the stage name 'Huge Grant'. Buffy compares Giles to Hugh Hefner and he now has the lovely Olivia as his own girl next door. Buffy thinks Giles shouldn't have a private life because he's old and it's gross which is a bit of a blow for Guffy. When Xander is all alone he sometimes wonders what Buffy is wearing. Willow compares learning to a sexual act
Calling Captain Subtext;
Xander and Oz don't hug because they're too manly. Buffy comments that she hopes her mum has a 'funny aneurysm' which is foreshadowing indeed as is the reference to Joan Armatrading's 'Once more with feeling'.
Guantanamo Bay;
Scoobies to the ER;
No, Buffy's arm is hurt but not broken (and even if it was would heal pretty quickly)
Where's Dawn?
Interesting scene where Buffy goes home to find Joyce is storing stuff in her room. You wonder why she didn't put it in Dawn's room which isn't occupied yet?
What the fanficcers thought; the real story of Xander's summer http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3029445/1/The_Fabulous_Ladies_Nightclub
Questions and observations;
Interestingly Buffy hasn't accepted Christ as her personal saviour, the series has always had an ambiguous relationship with Christianity. Five Scoobies at this stage, Buffy, Giles, Xander, Willow and Oz. Buffy shows great tactical awareness, Faith or Kendra might have fought to the death even when they know it's hopeless, Buffy retreats, get's reinforcements and defeats the bad guys. Great gag where Buffy answers the phone, we know it's actually Angel phoning just to hear her voice. Buffy just walks into Giles, doesn't even knock.
Marks out of 10; 6/10 I think although that might be a little generous
I like season four. It may have been an awkward transitional year into the next era of Buffy, but I thought it was an effective season overall. Maybe its because I was finishing up school and starting uni myself when it first aired, and I could relate to the new scenarios the Scoobs found themselves in.
Maybe The Fresh Girl?
Buffy may be off her game, but Xander and Whedon certainly aren't. The Freshman is an excellent start to the season, bringing the gang back together in an elegant and enjoyable manner. Lots of snappy one-liners, great visuals (Buffy goes widescreen and Sunnydale has never been sunnier!) and of course one or two digs at university life. The pop-culture lecturer being obnoxious was a nice touch.
Dialogue:
1.
"Xander: Buffy, this is all about fear. It's understandable, but you can't let it control you. 'Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to anger.' No wait, hold on. 'Fear leads to hate. Hate leads to the dark side.' Hold on, no, umm, 'First you get the women, then you get the money, then you...' okay, can we forget that?"
Buffy: Thanks for the Dadaist pep talk, I feel much more abstract now."
2.
"Xander: You up for a little reconnaissance?
Buffy: You mean where we all sculpt and paint and stuff?"
Xander also makes an "Avengers Assemble!" comment, using the rallying cry of Marvel's big-hitter superhero group, soon to be the eponymous stars of a movie to (probably) be directed by Joss Whedon.
Eight out of ten from me, though I may have been influenced by SMG's evident gorgeousness in this episode.
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Buffy may be off her game, but Xander and Whedon certainly aren't. The Frshman is an excellent start to the season, bringing the gang back together in an elegant and enjoyable manner. Lots of snappy one-liners, great visuals (Buffy goes widescreen and Sunnydale has never been sunnier!) and of course one or two digs at university life. The pop-culture lecturer being obnoxious was a nice touch.
Dialogue:
1.
"Xander: Buffy, this is all about fear. It's understandable, but you can't let it control you. 'Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to anger.' No wait, hold on. 'Fear leads to hate. Hate leads to the dark side.' Hold on, no, umm, 'First you get the women, then you get the money, then you...' okay, can we forget that?"
Buffy: Thanks for the Dadaist pep talk, I feel much more abstract now."
2.
"Xander: You up for a little reconnaissance?
Buffy: You mean where we all sculpt and paint and stuff?"
Xander also makes an "Avengers Assemble!" comment, using the rallying cry of Marvel's big-hitter superhero group, soon to be the eponymous stars of a movie to (probably) be directed by Joss Whedon.
Eight out of ten from me, though I may have been influenced by SMG's evident gorgeousness in this episode.
Didn't Buffy say that to Xander rather than the other way around. And personally I'm influenced by SMG's gorgeousness in every ep
Just checked on TwizTV, and the Avengers comment is Xander being true-to-form.
SMG is usually extremely good-looking, but IMO she's super-hot here. I would even - dare I say it? - rate her above AH in this episode.
** checks own pulse **
The Of Human Bondage quip is my favorite line.
And the stake twirl thingy was a nice touch.
And the stake twirl thingy was a nice touch.
For a moment I was afraid AH stood for Anthony Head.
Somehow I remember this as being a dull episode, and my least favorite season premier, but it has been years since I've seen it so...
Living Conditions
The Good;
Kathy is a wonderful character and I wish we'd seen her again (the actress later turns up as recurring character in Desperate Housewives, the nurse who accidentally kills Carlos' mother). I was genuinely suprised that she was a demon, I thought Buffy was going nuts (great performance from SMG, amazing what a little eye-shadow can do). The fight between the 2 at the end and the argument between Kathy and her dad is terrific. The final gag is excellent too although Buffy's scarf makes her look a lot like Joyce when she's had her operation.
The Bad;
Exactly how long would it have taken the demons to work out that Buffy wasn't Kathy?
Best line;
Kathy; I just wanted to make sure we didn't have a thief or somthing?
Buffy; Like who? Sid the wiley dairy gnome?
but I also like Oz; 'On the plus side you killed the bench which was looking shifty' and 'No one deserves mime'
Whedon Cliches;
Character death; none
Shot;
Tied up;
Buffy is netted and tied up by Xander, Oz and Giles. They need to work on their Boy Scout skills though (Buffy's been tied up and escaped countless times and I'm sure escapology must be part of Slayer training?)
Knocked out;
Yep, Oz and Xander by Buffy
Women good/men bad;
Patriarchical demons not letting their daughters go to college. On the other hand it seems that Hank still helps out with Buffy's tuition.
Jeez!;
Kathy slamming the phone into Buffy's face is gruesome yet oddly funny
Kinky dinky;
Xander wonders why Giles doesn't have any manacles like any self-respecting bachelor? Both Oz and Xander admire Parker's 'driveby' hitting on Buffy.
Calling Captain Subtext;
Kathy puts the moves on Parker much to Buffy chagrin. Buffy and Willow end up in the end being roomates. And here is Veruca for the first time, the little scene between her and Oz subtle but incredibly significant. Willow refers to Parker as the cutie-patootie once again casting her as Bi rather than gay. Willow refers to Giles as their 'grown up friend' but not in a creepy way.
Guantanamo Bay;
Scoobies to the ER;
Buffy isn't hurt despite the no-holds barred thrashing she and Kathy give each other
Where's Dawn?
Kathy comments that Buffy has always been an only child, well not always. She also says she and Buffy are like sisters, well Dawn and Buff fight too and Dawn turns out not to be what she seems
Questions and observations;
Giles reads Scooter and Motorbike magazine, did he sell Wes his? A funny but pretty slight ep with some good performances from the leads. I think season 4 is just taking a little time to find it's feet.
Marks out of 10; 6/10, a slight ep but a cracker, funny and interesting.
The Good;
Kathy is a wonderful character and I wish we'd seen her again (the actress later turns up as recurring character in Desperate Housewives, the nurse who accidentally kills Carlos' mother). I was genuinely suprised that she was a demon, I thought Buffy was going nuts (great performance from SMG, amazing what a little eye-shadow can do). The fight between the 2 at the end and the argument between Kathy and her dad is terrific. The final gag is excellent too although Buffy's scarf makes her look a lot like Joyce when she's had her operation.
The Bad;
Exactly how long would it have taken the demons to work out that Buffy wasn't Kathy?
Best line;
Kathy; I just wanted to make sure we didn't have a thief or somthing?
Buffy; Like who? Sid the wiley dairy gnome?
but I also like Oz; 'On the plus side you killed the bench which was looking shifty' and 'No one deserves mime'
Whedon Cliches;
Character death; none
Shot;
Tied up;
Buffy is netted and tied up by Xander, Oz and Giles. They need to work on their Boy Scout skills though (Buffy's been tied up and escaped countless times and I'm sure escapology must be part of Slayer training?)
Knocked out;
Yep, Oz and Xander by Buffy
Women good/men bad;
Patriarchical demons not letting their daughters go to college. On the other hand it seems that Hank still helps out with Buffy's tuition.
Jeez!;
Kathy slamming the phone into Buffy's face is gruesome yet oddly funny
Kinky dinky;
Xander wonders why Giles doesn't have any manacles like any self-respecting bachelor? Both Oz and Xander admire Parker's 'driveby' hitting on Buffy.
Calling Captain Subtext;
Kathy puts the moves on Parker much to Buffy chagrin. Buffy and Willow end up in the end being roomates. And here is Veruca for the first time, the little scene between her and Oz subtle but incredibly significant. Willow refers to Parker as the cutie-patootie once again casting her as Bi rather than gay. Willow refers to Giles as their 'grown up friend' but not in a creepy way.
Guantanamo Bay;
Scoobies to the ER;
Buffy isn't hurt despite the no-holds barred thrashing she and Kathy give each other
Where's Dawn?
Kathy comments that Buffy has always been an only child, well not always. She also says she and Buffy are like sisters, well Dawn and Buff fight too and Dawn turns out not to be what she seems
Questions and observations;
Giles reads Scooter and Motorbike magazine, did he sell Wes his? A funny but pretty slight ep with some good performances from the leads. I think season 4 is just taking a little time to find it's feet.
Marks out of 10; 6/10, a slight ep but a cracker, funny and interesting.
I hated Living Conditions. It's my least favorite pre-season six episode. And no, I haven't forgotten Beer Bad. Yes, Oz has some good lines, but this episode bugged me as much as Kathy bugged Buffy.
The Harsh Light of Day
The Good;
Spike's back and the series is better off with him in it. Our first sign that Harmony survived graduation and is now a vamp. Great fight and some excellent comedy, especially love Spike's workers groaning when Harmony starts bleating on about France again. Also like Parker's complaining about guys who are so 'Dark and brooding, give me love'. Nice reveal of Spike
The Bad;
None, good ep, best of season 4 so far
Best line;
Buffy; 'Spike, with Harmony. What you lose a bet?'
but I also like Willow (on Harmony being a vamp) 'She must be dying without a reflection'
Whedon Cliches;
Character death;
nope, the guy Spike and Harmony bite at the party survives and we see Asian Joe again in 'Pangs' so the Scoobs obviously rescue him.
Shot;
Tied up;
Asian Joe chained to the wall.
Knocked out;
Xander in the fight with Spike
Women good/men bad;
The final scene with a broken hearted Buffy, Anya and Harmony all miserable having been dumped. Xander remarks that he's 'Actually turning into a woman as he's saying this' when hesitating before the offer of casual sex with a beautiful girl. But as he says 'Still more romantic than Faith'. Spike and Harmony have an abusive relationship but in fairness to Spike she seems just as bad as he is and even more manipulative.
Jeez!;
Spike's 'trash-talk' with Buffy whilst fighting her (he should know better!)
Kinky dinky;
Harmony may be dumb but she knows how to get what she wants. She hints that she and Spike have bondage, S&M and exhibitionist sex. Anya does a striptease for Xander (cue juice gag!) and brings black condoms for their coitus. Parker and Buffy have sex but he dumps her afterwards. Harmony seems to have a thing for Antonio Banderas. Spike comments that he loves syphilis more than he does Harmony. Xander dreams of being naked at the Walmart. Willow seems to want to know the details of Buffy and Parker's night of passion, not graphically but as a 'blurry watercolour'.
Calling Captain Subtext;
Harmony wants to bite Willow. Maybe there was an underlying attraction between the 2 all these years? Parker suggests Buffy and Spike used to go out and she laughs.
And here's an interesting line;
Buffy;"If Spike wants me? I go alone, lead him away from the popular spots, and give him what he wants."
Guantanamo Bay;
The gang threaten Harmony to try and find Spike.
Scoobies to the ER;
Xander is hurt in the final fight but not too badly. Willow needs a band-aid.
Where's Dawn?
Questions and observations;
Where season 4 kicks into gear really, quite marvellous. Willow becomes the 3rd Scooby to be bitten by a vampire (Buffy twice by Angel and the Master, Angel and Joyce by Darla although the latter is not a Scooby). Buffy still has the scar from where she was bitten but is that from The Master or Angel? Personally I never know what to make of Parker, Buffy seems to think their sex is the beginning of a relationship whilst it's casual to him. I don't think he's a bad guy really. Giles never locks his door and owns a TV which disappoints Oz who nevertheless seems to appreciate his vinyl albums just as Joyce did in Band Candy. Good music, especially like 'Lucky' (for the Buffy/Parker sex scene) and the interestingly titled 'Faith in love'. Asian Joe, the guy who is chained to Spike's wall is a recurring extra as a Sunnydale High School student (Harmony comments she used to have a class with him), you can see him in many eps but most prominently in Earshot where Buffy hears him thinking about being a 'software gillionaire'. Unfortunately the last appearance of Devon in the series although he's mentioned in Something Blue. What happens to the treasure that went along with the ring? Would have been useful in season 6
Marks out of 10; 8/10, very good
The Good;
Spike's back and the series is better off with him in it. Our first sign that Harmony survived graduation and is now a vamp. Great fight and some excellent comedy, especially love Spike's workers groaning when Harmony starts bleating on about France again. Also like Parker's complaining about guys who are so 'Dark and brooding, give me love'. Nice reveal of Spike
The Bad;
None, good ep, best of season 4 so far
Best line;
Buffy; 'Spike, with Harmony. What you lose a bet?'
but I also like Willow (on Harmony being a vamp) 'She must be dying without a reflection'
Whedon Cliches;
Character death;
nope, the guy Spike and Harmony bite at the party survives and we see Asian Joe again in 'Pangs' so the Scoobs obviously rescue him.
Shot;
Tied up;
Asian Joe chained to the wall.
Knocked out;
Xander in the fight with Spike
Women good/men bad;
The final scene with a broken hearted Buffy, Anya and Harmony all miserable having been dumped. Xander remarks that he's 'Actually turning into a woman as he's saying this' when hesitating before the offer of casual sex with a beautiful girl. But as he says 'Still more romantic than Faith'. Spike and Harmony have an abusive relationship but in fairness to Spike she seems just as bad as he is and even more manipulative.
Jeez!;
Spike's 'trash-talk' with Buffy whilst fighting her (he should know better!)
Kinky dinky;
Harmony may be dumb but she knows how to get what she wants. She hints that she and Spike have bondage, S&M and exhibitionist sex. Anya does a striptease for Xander (cue juice gag!) and brings black condoms for their coitus. Parker and Buffy have sex but he dumps her afterwards. Harmony seems to have a thing for Antonio Banderas. Spike comments that he loves syphilis more than he does Harmony. Xander dreams of being naked at the Walmart. Willow seems to want to know the details of Buffy and Parker's night of passion, not graphically but as a 'blurry watercolour'.
Calling Captain Subtext;
Harmony wants to bite Willow. Maybe there was an underlying attraction between the 2 all these years? Parker suggests Buffy and Spike used to go out and she laughs.
And here's an interesting line;
Buffy;"If Spike wants me? I go alone, lead him away from the popular spots, and give him what he wants."
Guantanamo Bay;
The gang threaten Harmony to try and find Spike.
Scoobies to the ER;
Xander is hurt in the final fight but not too badly. Willow needs a band-aid.
Where's Dawn?
Questions and observations;
Where season 4 kicks into gear really, quite marvellous. Willow becomes the 3rd Scooby to be bitten by a vampire (Buffy twice by Angel and the Master, Angel and Joyce by Darla although the latter is not a Scooby). Buffy still has the scar from where she was bitten but is that from The Master or Angel? Personally I never know what to make of Parker, Buffy seems to think their sex is the beginning of a relationship whilst it's casual to him. I don't think he's a bad guy really. Giles never locks his door and owns a TV which disappoints Oz who nevertheless seems to appreciate his vinyl albums just as Joyce did in Band Candy. Good music, especially like 'Lucky' (for the Buffy/Parker sex scene) and the interestingly titled 'Faith in love'. Asian Joe, the guy who is chained to Spike's wall is a recurring extra as a Sunnydale High School student (Harmony comments she used to have a class with him), you can see him in many eps but most prominently in Earshot where Buffy hears him thinking about being a 'software gillionaire'. Unfortunately the last appearance of Devon in the series although he's mentioned in Something Blue. What happens to the treasure that went along with the ring? Would have been useful in season 6
Marks out of 10; 8/10, very good
The wily dairy gnome is my favorite line from all of Buffy.
I used it once years ago when my dad asked who drank all the milk. He started laughing so hard I thought he was going to have an aneurysm.
I used it once years ago when my dad asked who drank all the milk. He started laughing so hard I thought he was going to have an aneurysm.
Of course not; no-one can compete with Anthony Head.
I actually quite like this one. Best line? Buffy's "I knew it!" after discovering that the roommate from hell is in fact the roommate from hell. (Well, a hell.)
I think everyone has had a roommate like Kathy; it's the theme of the piece.