Buffy Season One Episode Eight

[koganbot]

15th-century demon inhabits world's online computers, but Willow comes to doubt his capacity to love. Meanwhile, librarian's first name revealed to be Rupert.

(One of the better episodes so far. I'd been a little disappointed in the Angel episode, since previously the caring, shyness, confusion of the incipient Angel-Buffy relationship had been given us in touching little hints; full-on as a story of love and loss, it was normal TV heartbreak. But in this demon-computer episode, Buffy gets to be the breezy girl who, behind the breeze, is observing and trying to see into her friend Willow. The show does a good job with the two computer nerdboys, one fighting internally to remain his awkward self, the other gaining a sense of presence as the demon endows him with purpose.

Buffy, after almost being electrocuted in the shower: "Tell me the truth: how's my hair?"

As usual, though, the action at the climax isn't as interesting as the psychology that led up to it.)

Comments

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

yes, i think this ep rather undersells willow's emotional intelligence, in order to establish a useful (but for a girl atypical) in-group craft-skill for her (= computers), and then have a bit of fun with the perils that come with such skills (a recurrent idea that will be far more deeply explored in

the basic plot-idea feels a bit left over from five or even ten years previously: nerd possessed by the spirit of dungeons and dragons...

[koganbot]

What this ep did best was Buffy's and Xander's reactions to Willow and her reaction to Buffy's reaction: Buffy knowing that Willow is a neophyte when it comes to romance, and that what's being built up in a few days online is tenuous, but Willow retorting in effect, don't I get to be the romantic lead? And Buffy thinking, well, she's got a point. And then Xander expressing his misgivings over what's coming over Willow in his typical ironic way, "Yeah, color in the cheeks, bounce in the step... it's not healthy!" And then Buffy telling him he's jealous. Xander, "I'm not interested in Willow like that." "Yeah, but you got used to being the belle of the ball." And everybody - Gellar, Brendon, scriptwriters - pitch these things just right: banter on top, concern working its way up through the banter. And good unobtrusive use of movement: Xander starting to walk away from Buffy in mock upset that no one wants to go with him to the club, a buzzer ringing and student motion in the background, his walk away becoming his and Buffy's walking together and continuing to talk, their stopping and facing each other as they express more worry over what Willow might be in for, but none of this done so obviously that we halt our own flowing with the story to say "Oh, see how they've stood still and looked at each other in order to show us that they feel concern."