Content warning for the distressing uncanny valley alternative universe cast.

Rewatching it today, I am impressed by how well the makeup and overall creepiness of the monsters this show created is. Well done. Not a lot of shows from so long ago can do that.

IMO Willow is definitely among the best characters of Buffy, but the main reason I don't love her more is her cutesy quirkiness (the ramblings, baby talk, intonation, etc). I know it's a core part of the character, but I think there is a fine line to go from endearing and awkward to plain annoying. I recently rewatched Faith, Hope and Trick, and it gets rough. It's not exclusive to her character, obviously. It's characteristic Joss Whedon/Buffy dialogue. But I believe she's the one they overdid the most with.

Any guesses as to which one?

I love this scene and how bright his smile is. I don't know how I've been a fan for so long and never drawn anything for it before.

oop… I apologize in advance at how insensitive the photo i chose could be.

Finally finished season 2 - I was emotionally unstable after ep17 so took a little break before devouring the last episodes of the season… and i’m back to being emotionally wrecked by that finale.

yall did warn me to buckle in! and i truly thought i knew what i was expecting 🫠

thoughts on season 2:
Im genuinely shocked - this is the first late 90s/early 00s show that im not bored with and/or that I was able to walk away from and then get right back in it & i think it speaks to how dynamic of a season this was
- the story arc for buffy and angel & then angelus was chefs kiss
- the story arc and growth of cordelia!
- the devastation that was angelus
- teasing willow as a future watcher(?) 🤭 <— that’s speculation btw & i could be off base - please dont tell me if im wrong or right!
- Xander - do i like him? do i not like him? i haven’t decided but i know he’s a dang good friend & deserves happiness
- why was spike so willing to help buffy? is this foreshadowing they become friends/more than friends - their banter that last episode was hot.
- and the funny zinger one liners were spot on!

will be diving into season 3 this weekend!

without spoiling - what’s one thing I won’t understand until I finish season 3?

Lol maybe i watch too much tvd and they remind me of caroline and klaus, and this is a total crack ship but i feel like cordy and spike would lowkey be sooo cute together. as we see in season 2 with drusilla, and spikes feelings for buffy, he’s extremely devoted to the woman he loves. cordy has a very intense personality and at times is slightly unreasonable (love her regardless) and i think spike would actually like that, plus he loves a woman that’s mean to him. i could see him really liking cordelia because she would make him feel needed. GRANTED i have never watched angel so my characterization of cordy is solely from btvs. i know spike has been shown to not like “superficial” stuff (harmony) but cordelia has a
more depth and nuance i think he’d appreciate. lol plus they both are sassy and drama queens i think it would’ve been a hilarious dynamic. and i always thought their interaction in Angel season 1 was so funny when he told her she looked great LOL. On top of that they both have a love for money, trying to make it in silly ways lol. i could also see them totally hating each other Lol

S6 is my absolute favorite season and i'd love to talk about it with you all but this is not a perfect season. And one of my biggest problem of the season is this episode.

The episode itself is excellent, seeing buffy trying to escape reality but at the end she decides to accept the world for what it is. It's great and it fits with the themes of S6.

So yeah i love this episode...except the ending, with the fact that it implies that what we saw since S1 is only in buffy's head.

First of all, I was never a fan of the "it was just a dream" kinda ending because then why did i even watch the show since nothing matters. But that's not the issue i have with that. Let's also forget that i don't even think the twist make sense when you think about it.

No, the issue i have is that it's just thematically disonant.

When you understand what the episode is trying to do and when you see Grave, this scene kinda doesn't make sense. Because in Grave and Normal again the lesson is that no matter how hard things are, you must not try to escape, you have to accept who you are and the world you live in even tho it's hard.

But with this scene what it is supposed to say ? Since the ending shows that buffy purposefully go back to her illusion, that means that when life is too complicated you must....escape ? It's kinda incoherent and I always skip that scene.

But you might say : well it's ambigious, so we don't really know" , but it doesn't make any sense for the same reasons.

because if a) The buffyverse is real and the asylum is not then it's great but if b) the buffyverse is not real and then it doesn't make sense.
Depending on the answer, the ending can be thematically disonant. The ambiguity is not used well at all in this case.

Insert here the "he would not fucking say that" South Park meme.

Got a limited 04/50 Gemstone in my pack of Cardsmiths. Pretty cool.

Watching the home videos of Buffy stunt coordinator Jeff Pruitt (definitely worth checking out on his YouTube channel) and discovering that they filmed alongside a REAL BEAR!

https://youtu.be/pfRnihbZRPM?si=Qpan5WWABG_YyX3I&t=85

I think I just assumed they would've filmed the scene with someone in a bear suit or something, and then later incorporated some shots of a real bear in post.

I have so much respect for Sofia Crawford, what an incredible stuntwoman! And respect to that bear actor too! I really hope he was treated well! 🐻

Why didn't Dawn's creation have consequences like every other use of magic in the Buffyverse?

One thing I've never understood about Season 5 is how the monks were able to create Dawn without any apparent magical consequences.

They didn't just turn the Key into a human. They created an entire person, altered everyone's memories, changed photographs and records, and basically rewrote reality to make it seem like Dawn had existed for 14 years.

Yet somehow none of this seemed to come with a magical price.

In Season 6, Spike explicitly says that magic always has consequences. We see this when Willow resurrects Buffy and the spell creates a demon through thaumogenesis. Tara even explains that the world doesn't like people getting something for free, especially when magic is used to accomplish something enormous.

So why wouldn't that same principle apply to Dawn?

I'd argue that creating an entirely new human being and rewriting the memories of everyone who supposedly knew her is at least as significant as bringing someone back from the dead.

I know Glory hunting the Key ultimately leads to Buffy's death, but that seems more like a consequence of Glory wanting the Key rather than a magical consequence of the monks' spell itself.

And it's not like the monks were simply performing some minor spell. They fundamentally changed reality on a massive scale.

So why didn't the creation of Dawn trigger something similar to what happened when Buffy was resurrected? Was there ever an explanation for why the monks could perform such powerful magic without an apparent price, or is this just an inconsistency in how the show treats magic?

I know it's probably a dumb question but the guy that tried to shoot Buffy with a taser blast at around 2:00 (when Buffy blockd it using an human shield) is supposed to be Riley or a different soldier?

I always assumed it was Riley because the next moment we saw Rikey sprint towards Buffy before Walsh stopped them but I was rewatching the episode and I noticed that when she stop them Riley is empty-handed.

Did he threw his rifle away off-screen for some reason or it's a different guy that previously shoot her?

"Passion" is undoubtedly the episode that showcases the full potential of Angelus—the episode that defines him best. It is often discussed for moments like Angelus’s monologue, the scene where Giles discovers the body, or the fight at the factory.

However, there is a detail that many overlook: just how meticulous Angelus was in the way he left the body. Angelus didn’t simply drop off the body and leave; he carefully arranged the scene—setting the stage so that Giles would believe he was about to have a romantic evening with Jenny—ensuring the blow would be even more devastating.

Not to mention that it leads characters like Giles or Spike to switch roles.

Angelus caused Giles—the kind-hearted librarian and Buffy’s mentor—to lose his composure and act out of rage, even though Giles himself had previously advised Buffy not to let Angelus provoke her.

Another scene worth noting is when Spike confronts Angelus about the prank; he’s scolding him, while Angelus remains completely calm—though it feels as if he might pounce on Spike at any moment. Spike, who was typically impulsive, shows a more reflective side here.

This reveals not only a profound level of malice but also an extraordinary degree of meticulousness. He planned everything down to the last detail, keeping every element perfectly organized—all while knowing that Giles could walk through the door at any moment. Watching this episode, one gains a deeper understanding of Angel.

My sister found the tee she had signed by a bunch of cast members at a con 20 years ago and I thought it would be appreciated here.

According to her, the signatures are from James C. Leary, Ken Feinberg, Amber Benson (in the moon with the heart), Jonathan Woodward, Nathan Fillion, Kelly Donovan (in the middle), Stacey Scowley & Camden Toy.

Having a spooky day watching Truth or Scare in the dark (If you guys haven’t watched it, you so should. It was filmed during season 7 and it feels like something Dawn and Andrew put together while everyone else was busy😂) now about to paint my nails black in honour of Spike and get into a Buffy novel.
What Buffyish things are you all doing for the spooky season?