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Post by Clare on Sept 23, 2008 8:05:43 GMT -5
2.04 Inca Mummy Girl - Episode #016
Xander falls for an 'older' woman
Review (also post a score out of 10) and discuss this episode.
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Post by cyclica on Sept 26, 2008 11:00:34 GMT -5
The main plot of this episode isn't all that great, but this ep is interesting for a few reasons. Firstly, because angel does not appear at all during this episode. And second, because this is the first appearance of several characters - Jonathan, Oz and Devon (the lead singer in oz's band).
During this episode, oz sees willow in an eskimo costume and asks 'who is that girl?' In a later ep, Halloween, he says the same thing when he sees willow in her slightly slutty ghost costume. It's not untill much later on in the season that the two properly meet each other.
I give this ep a 6. It would have been a 5 if it weren't for all the first appearances in this ep.
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Post by jennf10 on Nov 25, 2008 18:50:09 GMT -5
While on a field trip to the local museum, one of the students breaks a ceramic seal in the coffin of an Incan mummy. The mummy rises and must consume the life-force of others in order to remain alive and retain her human appearance. She tries to fit in with the students at Sunnydale, and even starts to have real feelings for Xander. But when Buffy, Willow, and Giles realize who and what she really is, they may have to rescue Xander before he becomes the mummy’s next victim.
My Review:
This was a Xander-centric episode that never truly worked for me. After the appearance of Spike in "School Hard" the week before, it was just kinda of a downer with this filler episode that really did not move the plot forward. This really did not do anything for me, and I generally skip the episode on my DVD set.
Rating: 3/10
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Post by cyclica on Oct 13, 2009 9:09:59 GMT -5
Another ok episode. There were a few good scenes, like xander almost revealing the gang wasn't the archeolegy club after all, they're the.... crime club. Buffy and giles were clearly not happy about xander almost blowing their secret just to impress a girl. And I liked oz's appearance in the bronze too, throughout the episode we feel bad for willow because she's alone and can't be with the guy she loves, but seeing oz falling for her gives a little ray of hope that there is a guy out there who likes her, which will pay off in later episodes. And I loved the scene when willow suggests the bully might have stepped out for a smoke, xander says 'for 21 hours?' and willow replies 'it's addictive you know'. That scene always makes me laugh.  As for the main story, well I have mixed feelings about it. I like how they tried to make the story interesting by doing a new take on a mummy story, but I didn't like how we are supposed to sympathise with 'ampata' even though we know she's a killer right from the start. And what's with the comparasons between her and buffy? Ampata is refered to as the 'chosen one', and that 'only she could defend her people from the nether world'... wait a minute, was ampata a slayer? It would have been a great twist if she was, and it would explain why she was so strong during the fight scenes. And if she was just an ordinary girl (or inca princess) what would buffy and ampata have in common to bond over, beyond them being 'chosen' for something? Nitpicks- What kind of museum would allow anyone to just walk up to the exhibits and touch them, let alone break a seal or walk away with a piece of it? Where is the security, or the velvet ropes, or anything? And it's not really a flaw but - I just hated the lighting in the scene where ampata was about to kiss jonathan. Everything was yellow. I don't get it. Upon rewatching I found I like this episode slightly more than before, if only because it occured to me that ampata might be a slayer, which probably wasn't the intention of the writers, but I'm sticking with it anyway. I was going to deduct a half point because of the museum nonsense and a poor first appearance of oz and devon (though oz does have a better scene later in the episode), but I'm going to put the half point back and leave it at a low 6. |
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Post by partcynic on Oct 13, 2009 10:55:26 GMT -5
2x04 “Inca Mummy Girl”
Episode Rating = 7
I know it’s always been trendy to bash “Buffy”’s standalone stories for not advancing major plot arcs, but for me, hindsight has revealed that the monster-of-the-week tales are often better than the ‘epic’, multi-episode battles (S4 is the obvious example here, but it’s also true for S5, S7 and even the uniformly excellent S3). “Inca Mummy Girl” is one of those eps that tends to get unfairly criticised or dismissed in the shuffle, when it’s actually a minor highlight of early S2. While obviously not being as fantastic as “School Hard” or “Halloween”, it contains all of the high quality aspects I expect from the show, and is a great reminder of just how awesome Xander once was.
What I Liked about “Inca Mummy Girl”:
- The opening sequence with the gang at the museum is strong throughout, with lots of humorous lines. I wouldn’t say that there was anything brilliant, but it was spot-on Buffyverse writing, with solid quips including Xander’s dad trying to sell him to Armenians, Buffy always using violence to solve problems, Rodney being the “gift to the bell curve” (and thinking there were fourteen natural elements), and Cordy saying that Buffy “live[d] on the edge” for not choosing her exchange student based on looks.
- Little by little, the special effects are getting better, and I particularly liked the way the mummy’s ‘eyes’ opened when Rodney broke the seal. The whole revived monster plot was an entertaining homage to Egypt-themed B-movies, with the show applying its typical formula and adding some twists to freshen the narrative.
- I love the short library scene where the gang learn of Rodney’s disappearance and joke about him waking the mummy, before their faces fall and they rush to the museum. That’s life in Sunnydale for you!
- Xander’s early misgivings about Buffy’s new housemate are funny (“there’ll be no melding!”), as is his sudden change of heart when he sees girl-Ampata. His ‘ay carumba!’ upon seeing her was the perfect act break, and I appreciated the time taken in the museum scene to make the mummy’s identity switch seem plausible (as she overheard the gang discuss Ampata and where they were going to meet him).
- Considering that this was a single-episode story, Ampata was a nicely developed, sympathetic (and beautiful) villain whose motivations were easy to understand. I couldn’t help but feel bad for her (like Buffy, she went to her own death for the good of others – and was then rewarded by being kept in permanent, undead stasis with no chance of moving on), and her desperation to live the life she never got to have made sense. I also enjoyed seeing her interaction with Buffy, and the parallels between how the two characters approached their tragic fates were interesting.
- All of the early Ampata/Xander interaction is delightful. Their dialogue is witty and sparkles, and their mutual attraction was charming and believable. The bleachers scene was particularly adorable (“please, don’t learn from my English”), and Xander’s incredulousness upon learning that she liked him was sweet (and his quip about her being a preying mantis made me laugh).
- Willow’s emotional conflict is kept at a good level. Her chat with Buffy about her two options is amusing (if somewhat saddening), and her willingness to encourage Xander to go to the dance with Ampata displayed her maturity (however, it’s good that this plot would be terminated soon, as I feel that more of it would have gotten old fast).
- Xander’s character growth here was great. Nicholas Brendon and Ara Celi had fantastic chemistry together, and it really felt like Xander and Ampata were experiencing the first flushes of attraction/love. It was also refreshing to see Xander have some fleeting success with women (while he is a bit of a dork, he’s hardly the gigantic loser the other characters treat him as), and there was some nice meaning when he offered himself as a sacrifice in Willow’s place.
- The introduction of Oz is organically handled, and fits with the plot. His initial chat with Devin is funny, and I loved how Willow’s unconventional look appealed to him over the more glammed-up girls.
- An insignificant point, but it’s cool to see Jonathon make his debut. I’m glad that he was kept as a recurring character later on.
- The side-bits with Cordelia and Sven were good fun, and I liked the Bronze reveal that Sven was articulate and completely confused by the monosyllabic commands Cordy kept issuing him.
- The closing moment with Xander and Buffy discussing Ampata is well done, making the important point that she wasn’t entirely evil and ending with some quiet understanding between the two after Buffy discusses her own death. It’s scenes like these that make me think Buffy/Xander could actually have been a workable, engaging couple.
What I Disliked about “Inca Mummy Girl”:
- How did the desiccated, staggering mummy manage to make it from the museum to the bus station without being spotted? And how did she even know where it was located?
- I know that this is thinking too much, but what exactly would have happened to the Gutierrez family? After all, their son disappeared/was murdered while visiting the US – wouldn’t they want some answers? Or did they receive government hush money in exchange for not starting an incident?
- What was the bodyguard doing in the girl’s bathroom? He didn’t enter after Ampata (else Xander would have seen and stopped him), so it appears that he was randomly waiting there and hoping she’d enter.
- The little portions of Buffy’s ‘normal’ life desire (and jealousy of how well Ampata was fitting in) were fine, but they have a limited shelf life sympathy-wise. It doesn’t help that both the previous and following episodes also deal with the ‘I want to be a regular person’ theme, and it’s something Buffy should be starting to get over after two years of Slayer-hood.
- Xander comes off as unintentionally jerk-like in a couple of scenes. Given that we know he’s aware of Willow’s crush on him (from his statements while possessed in “The Pack”), the incidences where he was telling her what a great friend she was made him seem rather insensitive.
- Why was there so little security at the museum? You’d have thought that an institution with a large array of valuable artefacts would have CCTV or some night watchmen assigned. Instead, people seem free to roam the building as they please. Also, why didn’t anyone notice the missing/shattered seal during the two days Ampata was loose? It’s weird that the fragments are left in exactly the same place on the floor – didn’t anybody come to check the exhibit (or give another tour of it)?
- Ampata manages to restrain Buffy a bit too easily. Sure, the sarcophagus lid would be heavy, but not enough to hold a conscious, active Slayer back.
Do I like this episode more or less than the last time I watched it?
I’ve always thought that this is an exceptionally underrated episode, and I’ve never gotten just why it’s ignored. While not being jaw-droppingly brilliant, “Inca Mummy Girl” is charming, funny, has great character insight and growth for Xander and Willow, introduces a couple of important future players, and has a villain who’s developed well considering her limited screentime. For me, those factors combine to create a well-above average episode, and one that I’m happy to give a score of seven out of ten.
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Post by partcynic on Oct 13, 2009 11:10:09 GMT -5
Why? As Buffy said, she got a really raw deal. Her reward for doing something that was supposed to help her people was to be kept in a permanent vegetative state - she didn't even get to die properly and 'move on'. Besides, I don't think the episode was trying to ignore or dismiss her murderous behaviour - it explicitly condemned it, but also pointed out that morality isn't always black and white.
The Slayer take is an interesting one, but I've always seen this as being the generic human sacrifice thing. Many ancient South American cultures would ritually kill people as offerings for their gods, in order to provide guarantees for simple things like the sun rising. It's perfectly possible that 'Ampata' was offered to her culture's god of death or the underworld as protection from evil spirits etc - it doesn't have to be literally interpreted. In fact, it may mean that her death was completely unnecessary, which makes her story even sadder.
Isn't that enough for half an episode's worth of parallels? It's not like they were intending to have Ampata be a recurring character. And having the maturity and devotion to others to give up your own life is a pretty big (and rare) thing to connect over.
Can you explain what you thought was poor about it? I didn't have any problems with how their introductions were handled.
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Post by cyclica on Oct 13, 2009 11:24:22 GMT -5
- Considering that this was a single-episode story, Ampata was a nicely developed, sympathetic (and beautiful) villain whose motivations were easy to understand. I couldn’t help but feel bad for her (like Buffy, she went to her own death for the good of others – and was then rewarded by being kept in permanent, undead stasis with no chance of moving on), and her desperation to live the life she never got to have made sense. Agree to disagree? I felt bad for 'ampata' too when hearing of her tragic past, but she was still a killer, she murdered the bully and the real ampata at the start of the episode. I know she was doing what she had to do to stay alive, but she didn't seem to care about who she killed, she was even willing to kill xander at the end. I admit she was endearing and I wanted things to work out ok for her and xander during the show, but the end scene showed she had become evil, not just acting on survival instinct. - How did the desiccated, staggering mummy manage to make it from the museum to the bus station without being spotted? And how did she even know where it was located? Good point. Perhaps she kissed someone soon after being revived, asked someone else for directions, and reverted to being a mummy again by the time she reached the bus station. - I know that this is thinking too much, but what exactly would have happened to the Gutierrez family? After all, their son disappeared/was murdered while visiting the US – wouldn’t they want some answers? Or did they receive government hush money in exchange for not starting an incident? Perhaps all this just happened offscreen, or maybe giles called the watcher's council and they handled it. - What was the bodyguard doing in the girl’s bathroom? He didn’t enter after Ampata (else Xander would have seen and stopped him), so it appears that he was randomly waiting there and hoping she’d enter. Perhaps he was... ok I have no idea.  |
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Post by cyclica on Oct 13, 2009 11:47:53 GMT -5
Why? As Buffy said, she got a really raw deal. Her reward for doing something that was supposed to help her people was to be kept in a permanent vegetative state - she didn't even get to die properly and 'move on'. Besides, I don't think the episode was trying to ignore or dismiss her murderous behaviour - it explicitly condemned it, but also pointed out that morality isn't always black and white. I was reminded of the conversation at the end of 'damage': SPIKE: She's...one of us now. She's a monster. ANGEL: She's an innocent victim. SPIKE: So were we... once upon a time. I felt bad for everything she had to endure during her life, but she's a killer now. I don't hate her or see her as being as evil as most of the villains in the show, but at the end of the day I can't excuse her actions. The Slayer take is an interesting one, but I've always seen this as being the generic human sacrifice thing. Many ancient South American cultures would ritually kill people as offerings for their gods, in order to provide guarantees for simple things like the sun rising. It's perfectly possible that 'Ampata' was offered to her culture's god of death or the underworld as protection from evil spirits etc - it doesn't have to be literally interpreted. In fact, it may mean that her death was completely unnecessary, which makes her story even sadder. I agree, and I was half joking about beleiving she was a slayer. It's plausable that she might be, but it's more likely she was a sacrifice like you said. Isn't that enough for half an episode's worth of parallels? It's not like they were intending to have Ampata be a recurring character. And having the maturity and devotion to others to give up your own life is a pretty big (and rare) thing to connect over. She gave up her own life? I assumed she was killed or sacrificed against her will. Even if she chose to give up her life for the good of her people, it's not like it would really have been a choice, the town most likely wouldn't have let her change her mind. Whereas buffy was willing to die of her own choice... well ok it was prophesized she would die, but she quit, and then chose not to quit. Can you explain what you thought was poor about it? I didn't have any problems with how their introductions were handled. It felt like an interuption to the story. I was pulled out of the narrative by two guys I had never seen before talking about dating. It was ok as a setup for oz's later encounter with willow, but taking their initial scene on, it's own I didn't enjoy it. |
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