First, relationships. There were SO MANY relationships that I wanted to discuss here but in the end I had to trim it down. Between Buffy's attitude problem, Xander's failed love life, Giles and Jenny, Giles and Angel (which I've been itching to talk about since season one), Buffy and Angel, Cordelia's change of heart, Spike and Angel, Willow and Xander, and now Willow and Oz.
That is too much for one post. So I had to stick with what was strictly relevant.
First is Buffy's attitude problem in episode one. She snappish towards Willow and Xander and cutting towards Giles. That night when Angel visits her she pushes him away for being a vampire. Angel comments that he missed Buffy before leaving but when Buffy finally decides to admit the same in return he is gone.
Her attitude towards Willow and Xander continues the next day and when Cordelia comes along she is cruel towards her. Incidentally it is Buffy's attitude towards Cordelia that finally makes Willow realize something is going on. That night at The Bronze she mocks Angel then dances inappropriately with Xander and teases him - which hurts Willow both because it's not fair to Xander and because Buffy knows Willow is in love with Xander. Oddly enough this is Cordelia's breaking point who not only can't believe what she is hearing but is actually visibly upset by it. She finally confronts Buffy about it and tells her she needs to get over whatever is bothering her before she loses her friends.
Willow and Xander, fearing Buffy is possessed, turn to Giles who theorizes that Buffy is probably having a hard time processing what happened between her and the Master - especially her death at the Master's hands.
In the end what snaps Buffy out of her attitude problem is the realization that her friends are in danger when they are abducted for a ritual to raise the Master. With Angel and Xander she goes to save them. The stop the vampires and save their friends. Buffy then destroys the skeleton of the Master so he can never be revived and Angel holds her while she cries. The next day at school, despite her fears of potentially losing her friends, she faces them and life continues on as normal.
And, there is a closer look at Cordelia. In these episodes Cordelia begins opening up more to the group. In "When She Was Bad," despite Buffy's bitchiness, Cordelia is actually kinda nice to Buffy and her friends. She even inquires if they slayed any demons over the summer which was probably an attempt at conversation with a group of people she has nothing in common with. Of course, when they ask her if she has been telling people the truth she is horrified at the thought of everyone knowing she spent prom night with them. And later on in that episode Cordelia finally decides she has had enough of Buffy's attitude problem and tries to give her the advice of being nice to her friends before she loses them. There is nothing in this for Cordelia, but she does it none the less.
During "Some Assembly Required" she is actually present in the library when everyone is discussing what is going on with the empty grave that Buffy found. An invitation is even extended to Cordelia to join them as they investigate other recent graves that night. She blows them off but the invitation was extended. In "School Hard" she is actually in the library with everyone sharpening stakes for Buffy while waiting for the parents to show up for Parent/Teacher Night.
In "Inca Mummy Girl" she talks to Buffy about the foreign exchange students coming. Cordelia is excited for herself and Buffy because they will be getting exchange students in their homes for two weeks. Cordelia sees her's as a handsome foreigner and when she finds out Buffy knows nothing about her own she informs Buffy that she is brave for not picking a handsome one. Yes, Cordelia is incredibly shallow here but more importantly she is NICE. And nice with no personal gain in sight. Lastly in "Reptile Boy" she pressures Buffy into going to a frat party because Cordelia's invitation says that Buffy must be invited. Her we see old Cordelia - bitchy, rude, and self-centered. But seeing old Cordelia for one episode doesn't erase seeing a changing Cordelia for the past four episodes.
Then there is Giles and Jenny. Giles has decided that he does have feelings for Jenny and decides to act on them in a purely Giles way. Everyone finds Giles practicing pick up lines in the library and Buffy tries to give him some advice. When he finally does try to ask Jenny out he fails at it miserably, however she realizes what is going on and gives him the offer to discuss what is on his mind that night. Suddenly he finds himself going to dinner and a football game with Jenny. While out with her Jenny casually makes a comment about it being a date, which catches Giles of guard.
While on their date Willow and Xander show up. When Giles tries to send them away to find out what Buffy is doing they instead decide to crash Giles's date and eat the popcorn he had bought for himself and Jenny. Later on the four of them go to help Buffy and Jenny makes a comment about her and Giles going on a second date.
Lastly I have two honorary mentions. I could have saved Cordelia for another episode but I there really isn't much to say about these two since the story lines are at the beginning so I decided to throw them in at the end.
One is Xander's failed love life. So far we have seen Praying Mantis Woman and Buffy's rejection. Here we have Inca Mummy Girl. Xander cannot catch a break with a normal woman - a theme that runs throughout the show.
Then there is Willow and Oz. We meet Oz for the first time in "Inca Mummy Girl" and for him it's love at first sight. Ironically enough Willow spends this episode finding out that Xander is completely not in love with her (despite their almost kiss is "When She Was Bad") then gets to see him fall head over heels for Ampata (who they don't realize is the Inca Mummy Girl). She even has a scene with Buffy where she talks about how maybe she should give up on Xander and move on with her life but she's not sure that she is ready to do that.
So, favorite episode?
I think I'm going to have to go with "Reptile Boy." "When She Was Bad" was good, and it did have some good Cordelia moments (unlike "Reptile Boy") but in all honesty Buffy's attitude problem towards Willow and Xander didn't make any sense. Towards everyone else? Yes. Them? No. Plus, in "Reptile Boy" we finally see Buffy caving to all the pressure that is constantly on her. All that pressure causes her to lie to Giles about her whereabouts and try to date someone who isn't Angel who just blew her off - all so she can feel like a normal girl. There is also the very amusing scene where Willow knocks both Giles and Angel down a peg for these exact reasons. And, we see Xander determined to save his friends when they are kidnapped even though he has no super powers and no plan. The good thing about Xander is that he might always be a normal guy but he is a normal guy determined to do the right thing even when he knows he is just a normal guy. Plus, when the episode ends we see Angel finally admitting to Buffy that maybe they should date.
The first five episodes of season two:
When She Was Bad - Season 2, Episode 1
Synopsis - Buffy comes back from visiting her father all summer distant and with an attitude problem - along with nightmares about the Master.
Some Assembly Required - Season 2, Episode 2
Synopsis - Buffy and her friends discover someone is digging up graves to steal body parts.
School Hard - Season 2, Episode 3
Synopsis - Principal Snyder volunteers Buffy and another girl named Shelia to set up the school for Parent/Teacher Night. A new vampire in town crashes the event trying to kill Buffy. This is Spike and Drusilla's first appearance.
Inca Mummy Girl - Season 2, Episode 4
Synopsis - A mummy of an Incan Princess comes to life and starts dating Xander. This is Oz and Devon's first appearances.
Reptile Boy - Season 2, Episode 5
Synopsis - Cordelia and Buffy are invited to a frat party but they are actually sacrifices for a reptile creature in the basement.
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