Buffy Season Two Episode Seventeen

"Are you insane? We're supposed to kill the bitch, not leave gag gifts in their friends' beds."

Only have time for a few quick notes. The first half of the episode seemed very clumsy in its exposition. I wonder if I were to watch it again if I would find it less clumsy and more appropriate, since the payoff turned it into a good episode. Still maybe a little wet and obvious, and now we maybe have too good an idea of what's next for Angel's state of mind.

What pulls the episode together is the scene that's actually least essential to the plot, the one where Buffy and her mom have The Serious Talk about Buffy's sex life. It's what brings the show to emotional reality, establishes that at the deepest level Buffy and her mom can trust each other, and we maybe can trust Whedon et al. (I'm still not there yet.)

( Joyce watch )

( Cordelia watch )

( Angel watch )