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Post by Clare on Sept 23, 2008 7:54:03 GMT -5
2.01 When She Was Bad - Episode #013
Season Two premiere - Buffy returns from her holiday with a new attitute and faces meeting The Master again
Review (also post a score out of 10) and discuss this episode.
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Post by cyclica on Sept 26, 2008 11:04:34 GMT -5
Ugh. Terrible. Easily one of the worst episodes of the first 5 years.
Ok so lets look at the flaws in this episode. First it starts with xander almost kissing willow. Whoa, since when were they so close? Why is it that that the vampires didn't show up at all after they fought the master? You'd think some of the ones that tried to attack the school would have stuck around, especially since the slayer is gone.
Why do the master's bones survive if all other vampires don't leave bones... and if he's the only one because he's unique in some way, why is it there's a ritual giles conducts (with robes) when they bury the bones? And another ritual the vamps go through to bring him back? Shouldn't there not be any already existing rituals if its an unprecedented occurance? And why are all those vamps following that little kid? I'm sorry but I'm not buying the annointed one at all. Its one thing for the master to be teaching him lessons, but now he's the leader of a gang, it looks ridiculous.
There were a few good moments (snyder describing what the 'kids' are doing behind him, the three muskateers comment, and the whole ending where buffy gets acepted back). But they aren't enough to save this incoherant, flawed, and half the time depressing episode. I'm giving it a 3.
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Post by jennf10 on Nov 25, 2008 18:47:28 GMT -5
WHEN SHE WAS BAD is the opener for Season 2. The show opens with Willow and Xander walking, talking about what they were doing over the summer break, along with whether or not they have seen Buffy. During this walk, a little sexual tension arises and we almost see Xander and Willow kiss. They are, of course, attacked by a vampire and our heroine comes to the rescue. "Hi guys. Miss me?"
As the show progresses, it becomes obvious that Buffy has not dealt emotionally with what happened with the Master. She is withdrawn, cruel and very focused on her training. She ultimately ends up harming every one close to her, including Angel. Cordelia is the only one who steps up to put Buffy in her place.
However, there is a plan underway by the vampires to bring back The Master from the dead. The ritual requires Master bones and the four people closest to him when he died. Buffy assumes it is her and falls for a trap to lure her away from the Scoobies. When she returns from the trap, she discovers that they took Giles and Willow, as they were close to the Master in proximity when he died. At this point, Xander has had enough of Buffy's attitude and puts her in her place.
Buffy tracks the vampires down and with the help of Angel and Xander, manage to free Giles, Jenny Calendar, Cordelia and Willow. The heart of the show is after the fight with the vampires. Buffy takes a sledgehammer and basically smashes Master bones to bits. Angel ends up comforting her, once she has broken down from the emotional baggage she has carried around for months.
Very well done season opener. Put a rest to the Master storyline and allowed for the relationship between Angel and Buffy to move forward. It is very important in this episode to realize that Snider makes references to everything that ends up happening to Buffy in this season. Joss went into every season with a plan!
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Post by partcynic on Oct 5, 2009 15:56:52 GMT -5
2x01 “When She Was Bad”
Episode Rating = 5
“Buffy” commences its best season with “When She Was Bad”, a professional opening that takes the brave risk of portraying the show’s title character at her most unsympathetic. Despite being a potential turn-off for viewers who skip S1, Buffy’s nasty behaviour is totally understandable in context, and the ways in which both the character and her friends note the bizarreness of her actions emphasise the fact that she’s not her usual self. Although the ep serves more as a footnote to S1 than a true intro to the new year, it still manages to incorporate novel elements, with all of the key characters making important appearances and the numerous relationship subtexts being raring and ready to go – resulting in what is a pleasantly solid offering.
What I Liked about “When She Was Bad”:
- The first scene with Xander and Willow is funny, charming and romantic, and the movie guessing game and ice cream nose moment are excellent. Buffy’s arrival provides a fun vamp pummelling, and her “did you miss me?” comment is cute in addressing both the other characters and the audience.
- I really liked the brief scene with Joyce and Hank, which is the last one the latter had before beginning his inexplicable transformation into a deadbeat dad. The dialogue between the two had just the right amounts of concern and tension, and it was refreshing to see a divorced couple portrayed as mature adults instead of squabbling teenagers.
- We don’t get treated to much Cordy in this story, but her mini-appearances are always good. Her continued self-absorption continues to bring laughs (I love how she’s more concerned at people learning that she hung out with the Scoobs than with the Hellmouth monsters, and finds the most traumatic thing about being kidnapped to be the clothing stains), and her talk with Buffy shows her being unexpectedly astute (with Buffy’s retort serving as a very witty comeback)
- Snyder’s two scenes are both fantastic, first with his ‘back to school’ monologue (with Giles being distracted by Jenny and inadvertently doing all of the things Snyder criticises), and later with his complete bewilderment at Giles’ faith in the students. He’s a simple character, but he’s wonderful when shown in small, neat doses.
- Planned or not, this episode has a large number of clever foreshadows of what will happen later in the season. With Joyce simply hoping “[Buffy]’ll make it through the school year”; Snyder saying he can smell expulsion in her future; the sexual connotations of Angel’s otherwise lame “Why are you riding me?” line (immediately followed by a discussion about who’d win if they had to fight each other); the vamps luring Buffy away so that they can attack her friends; and Giles trying to reassure Buffy that endangering the Scoobs’ lives was “Hardly the biggest mistake you’ll ever make”, it’s a veritable treasure trove of smart hints.
- Sarah Michelle Gellar looks great during this episode - the style/hair/make-up people have finally gotten the Buffy character’s look right, and her sexy dance with Xander certainly lived up to its billing.
- While not being hugely fun to watch, Buffy’s ‘bitca’ behaviour all flows naturally from the events of “Prophecy Girl”, and any sympathy points she may lose are redeemed by her (rather touching) breakdown at the end. It also helps that the other characters are frequently calling her out on her actions, and the final scenes where she expresses her regret to Giles and is then re-accepted by her friends are very nicely written; providing her with some interesting character development. It was a brave choice to have the usually ‘up’, triumphant season openers showcase Buffy’s bleaker side, and the episode deserves respect for being able to pull it off.
- The big action scene is a nice step-up from those in S1, with improved choreography and better effects. Plus, Buffy simultaneously dusting and torching two vamps was just cool.
- The very final moment (with the Anointed One surveying the factory floor and saying he “hates that girl”) was a perfect, light-hearted way to finish the episode. I chuckle every time I see it.
What I found to be a mixed bag about “When She Was Bad”:
- It’s a bit shaky how Willow and Xander state that there have been no vampire sightings all summer. It admittedly fits with the S1 conception of vamps being an underground group centred around one leader, but they must have been out siring new individuals and feeding at some point, warranting either frequent visits from Buffy, or her staying in Sunnydale over the vacation period.
- The main monster plot could have done with some significant work. I’m fine with the concept of the Master leaving bones behind (it kind of makes sense that as vamps age, their demonic energy may grow to the point that their faces morph and their bodies become more resilient), but it’s something that should have reappeared later with Kakistos and the Ubervamps.
- The score music has taken huge strides forward, and is actually starting to be emotionally evocative. However, there are also some overdone moments, and the gruff guitar during the training session was cliched and cheesy.
What I Disliked about “When She Was Bad”:
- Buffy’s appearance at the start is conveniently timed. How did she know where Xander and Willow were when she’d only just gotten back? Did they happen to walking past a graveyard in view of the Summers house?
- Wouldn’t it have been prudent for Giles to have actually researched potential revivification rituals earlier? If he knew they could take place, it might have been wise to find out what they entailed – after all, just because none succeeded before, it doesn’t mean they would never work.
- When the vampires attacked the gang at the library, why didn’t they kill Xander? Considering their number and the gang’s comparative lack of fighting skills, it would have been easy (and practical) for them to eliminate someone who’d otherwise get in the way (and might pass information on to Buffy if he survived).
- We’ve had confrontations occurring in an empty Bronze before, but both of them were given proper explanations (the fumigation in “Angel”; it being daytime in “Out of Mind, Out of Sight”). Here, the vamps leave a decoy for Buffy to go after, and the usually packed club is empty (and unlocked) for no reason.
- The scenes with Buffy torturing the vampire feel a little off, perhaps because of their uncharacteristic extremity. I have no problem with vamps getting some rough treatment, but Buffy shoving her cross down the girl’s mouth came from nowhere.
Do I like this episode more or less than the last time I watched it?
I feel pretty similarly. The episode’s plot could have done with some work in fully explaining the revival rituals and stating just why the Master left bones, but its primary focus was on developing Buffy’s character, and it succeeded admirably in that. Like many eps, I probably wouldn’t sit down with “When She Was Bad” outside of a series run-through, but I enjoy seeing it when it’s on, and it provides a worthy start to my favourite season.
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Post by cyclica on Oct 7, 2009 17:45:57 GMT -5
I stand by everything I said in my last review. This is an episode I would only watch during a season marathon... or actually make that every other marathon. I dislike this episode to the point that I'd be willing to skip it even if I'm watching the rest of the season all the way through. Or maybe just watch the opening, up the the point where buffy says 'miss me?'. Then I'd hit menu on my remote control and go straight to 'some assmebly required'. Even the worst eps of s6 and s7 at least felt like you had to see them, whereas this episode is totally skipable. Like I said before, this episode does not make any sense. So buffy's gone, and all the vamps are gone too (even though they had the unprotected town to themselves), and they happen to return on the same day, the same exact moment that she does. One thing I hadn't noticed before - buffy's been gone a long time without being in contact with her friends, and they aren't worried that something might have happened to her? So buffy then spends the whole epsiode acting out of character, that is until she gets into a big fight at the end and smashes the master's bones. I don't get it. Why was she being such a bitcah? (nice joke btw). She seemed fine at the end of PG, and she never let things get to her like this back in s1, back when she was in danger all the time. So why now? Is she traumatised from... winning the fight against the master? The pressure of slaying? Surely these feelings would have presented themselves soon after the events PH, she wouldn't suddenly be feeling this way now. Another big problem is the lack of story. I don't mind a character driven episode, but it seems like there's not enough actual story to hang it off of. About half this episode could be cut out without any problem. Buffy doesn't even meet the villains until the penultimate scene. And speaking of the villains, what is up with that vamp woman? She looks deformed, her fake teeth are practically falling out of her mouth. Cordelia: "spank your inner moppet". Huh? What are you talking about? And since when did cordy care so much about buffy anyway? Buffy noticed the master's bones were dug up, and she doesn't tell anyone until the next day? That's not bitchy buffy, that's stupid buffy. Another weird thing I only just noticed upon rewatching- in her last scene, buffy is wearing an *upside down* cross. I can only assume that's a mistake.  There is one cool thing about this episode though, and that's the vamp leader with the short temper. It was really fun to watch him get furious, like when buffy made a quip, he paused as if to say 'I can't beleive this human dares to speak back to me', then screamed in pure rage and charged at her. That was cool.  But the rest of this episode was not. Like I said before, it's the worst ep of the first 5 years. And I'm giving it a low 3. |
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Post by cyclica on Oct 7, 2009 18:01:56 GMT -5
- Wouldn’t it have been prudent for Giles to have actually researched potential revivification rituals earlier? If he knew they could take place, it might have been wise to find out what they entailed – after all, just because none succeeded before, it doesn’t mean they would never work. - When the vampires attacked the gang at the library, why didn’t they kill Xander? Considering their number and the gang’s comparative lack of fighting skills, it would have been easy (and practical) for them to eliminate someone who’d otherwise get in the way (and might pass information on to Buffy if he survived). - We’ve had confrontations occurring in an empty Bronze before, but both of them were given proper explanations (the fumigation in “Angel”; it being daytime in “Out of Mind, Out of Sight”). Here, the vamps leave a decoy for Buffy to go after, and the usually packed club is empty (and unlocked) for no reason. Hah! I found way too many flaws the last time I watched this episode, I found a few more upon rewatching... and you've found even more!  -- The scenes with Buffy torturing the vampire feel a little off, perhaps because of their uncharacteristic extremity. I have no problem with vamps getting some rough treatment, but Buffy shoving her cross down the girl’s mouth came from nowhere. It didn't come from nowhere, it came from buffy being a bitcah. |
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Post by partcynic on Oct 7, 2009 18:31:36 GMT -5
Since they've known each other. Willow's side of the attraction is already established, and being a teenager, Xander was just pulled into a hormonally charged moment. Since it happened again in "Homecoming" it's not like this was a one-off incident without basis in the characters. This is up for interpretation, but I'm 99% sure that every vampire we were shown in S1 was Order of Aurelius and serving under the Master and his chain of command. When he died, the chain passed to the Anointed, who may have ordered them to lay low and quietly sire new vamps in preparation for the revivification ritual. Besides, just because Willow and Xander didn't see them, it doesn't mean they weren't doing anything. This is more the fault of later episodes, which should have shown older vamps leaving bones. Why would they be worried? Buffy wasn't away killing monsters, and it's not like she couldn't defend herself if she needed to. And they did have some contact - Wilow mentions having gotten some postcards from her. Do you mean 'out of character' here, or 'uncharacteristically'? Because I don't think any of her behaviours were OOC - namely because at the time this episode was produced, Buffy had never been through something so traumatic. There was no precedent set, so it's hard to make an OOC judgement here - plus, the episode acknowledged multiple times that Buffy's behaviour was off, and for a reason. ...Really? What she went through in 11/12ths of S1 was in no way comparable to what happened in "Prophecy Girl". There is a HUGE difference between being in danger and actually dying! And you can't really use the last five minutes of "Prophecy Girl" as precedent for saying that Buffy wouldn't be troubled by what happened. Nor did she 'suddenly' change - when her father's talking with Joyce, he says that she was off all summer, meaning that it's been about three months. This might provide some clarity as to what this episode is trying to present: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posttraumatic_stress_disorderA moppet is a young kid - she's riffing on the talk show cliche of being in contact with your inner child. It's an obsolete word now, but it's not unfeasible for someone like Cordy to know it. As for Cordy being a little more caring - well, of course she would be. Despite the way Cordy had treated her, Buffy stepped in to save her from Marcie only 2 episodes prior, and she also got a first hand view of Buffy stopping the apocalypse. Besides, it's not like she went out of her way to help - she just gave her some tough-love advice, which was perfectly in-character. |
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Post by cyclica on Oct 8, 2009 14:33:15 GMT -5
This is up for interpretation, but I'm 99% sure that every vampire we were shown in S1 was Order of Aurelius and serving under the Master and his chain of command. When he died, the chain passed to the Anointed, who may have ordered them to lay low and quietly sire new vamps in preparation for the revivification ritual. Sire new vamps? At the end of PH there were dozens of vampires, and now there's only a handful. Even if we assume that the vampires in this episode weren't all of his followers (as School Hard shows he had more), there were still way more vamps at the end of s1 than there were at the start of s2. Which leaves me to beleive they'd either been killed offscreen (by angel, since the scoobies hadn't seen any vamps) or they were not part of the master/annointed's gang (and therefore would be hunting and feeding like normal, and the scoobies should have heard about it). Besides, just because Willow and Xander didn't see them, it doesn't mean they weren't doing anything. If they were killing people, I'm sure the gang would know about it. It would either be in the paper, or word would spread, it is a small town (at this point at least). This is more the fault of later episodes, which should have shown older vamps leaving bones. Well ok the later episodes are at fault for not carrying on with the idea that older vampires leave bones, but that doesn't mean it makes sense to begin with. How old does a vamp have to be before it leaves bones? If there was a vampire a little younger than the master, would it leave bones, dust, or something inbetween, like bones made of dust or something? Why would they be worried? Buffy wasn't away killing monsters, and it's not like she couldn't defend herself if she needed to. And they did have some contact - Wilow mentions having gotten some postcards from her. If I had a friend who had a lot of enemies and was always being attacked, and they hadn't contacted me in a long time (it had apparantley been a while since the last postcard), I'd be a bit worried, whether they had superpowers or not. And willow and xander certainly were worried after the events of becoming, even though they knew buffy could take care of herself. Do you mean 'out of character' here, or 'uncharacteristically'? Because I don't think any of her behaviours were OOC - namely because at the time this episode was produced, Buffy had never been through something so traumatic. There was no precedent set, so it's hard to make an OOC judgement here - plus, the episode acknowledged multiple times that Buffy's behaviour was off, and for a reason. Ok you're right there, and I did mean 'uncharacteristically'. You can chalk that mistake up to me reviewing late at night, when my mind isn't at it's best.  ...Really? What she went through in 11/12ths of S1 was in no way comparable to what happened in "Prophecy Girl". There is a HUGE difference between being in danger and actually dying! And you can't really use the last five minutes of "Prophecy Girl" as precedent for saying that Buffy wouldn't be troubled by what happened. Nor did she 'suddenly' change - when her father's talking with Joyce, he says that she was off all summer, meaning that it's been about three months. Again you're right. Now that you bring up post traumatic stress disorder it makes more sense to me, and I should have taken into consideration the implications that dying would have on a person. Also, when I was doing the review I had forgotten about hank and joyce's conversation. For some reason I thought that the fact that buffy seemed fine at the end of s1 and the start of s2 would mean that she was fine inbetween as well. A moppet is a young kid - she's riffing on the talk show cliche of being in contact with your inner child. It's an obsolete word now, but it's not unfeasible for someone like Cordy to know it. Can I assume 'spanking your inner moppet' means 'getting in touch with your inner child'? I'd never heard that phrase before, and it's meaning was in no way self evident! As for Cordy being a little more caring - well, of course she would be. Despite the way Cordy had treated her, Buffy stepped in to save her from Marcie only 2 episodes prior, and she also got a first hand view of Buffy stopping the apocalypse. Besides, it's not like she went out of her way to help - she just gave her some tough-love advice, which was perfectly in-character. Well ok, I'll buy that cordy was grateful for being saved by marci and killing the master (although I didn't think cordy was aware of everything that happened in PH, unless she was filled in later), and she decided to give buffy advice. I guess I was just so used to cordelia being nasty it seemed odd when she was being nice. |
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Post by partcynic on Oct 8, 2009 15:10:26 GMT -5
I agree, but that's because of an asspull on PG's behalf. Prior to that all of the portrayed vamps were connected to the OoA, and they were fewer in number. I think it makes sense. If we can accept that very long-lived vampires will eventually shift into permanent vamp-face and have sternums so thick a regular stake can't penetrate them, then having their bones become stronger over time is also plausible (if anything, it provides a direct explanation for the staking issue). I'm not sure if it would happen gradually - I imagine there would just be a cutoff point so that they would either leave bones or not. Yeah, but most of the attacks Buffy endured weren't really due to her per se, just the fact that she resided on the Hellmouth. And as far as the characters know, Buffy doesn't really have any enemies to worry about - her only real foe has been long dead. I don't really think the "Becoming" comparison works here either - since in that instance, Buffy had abruptly run away and left no clue as to her whereabouts. In contrast, post PG the characters knew she was visiting her father in LA. Yep. I understand not being familiar with the term. I had vague memories of what 'moppet' meant when I first saw the episode, but it's a very antiquated word now. I didn't really see it being done out of niceness. Cordy even goes so far as to say she dislikes Buffy: "You know, we've never really been close, which is nice, 'cause I don't really like you that much, but you have on occasion saved the world and stuff, so I'm gonna do you a favor." |
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