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tori_reviewsBuffy the Vampire Slayer: 2x03 – School Hard
So…in 20 years I’ve never given the title of this any thought to realize that it’s a play on Die Hard I guess? I am super on the ball with noticing things. I tended to treat it as s ‘fire bad, tree pretty’ abbreviated speech type comment. In my defense, I still don’t think it works as people usually say ‘Die Hard in a…’ instead of changing part of the title. Also in my defense (or not), I’ve never seen Die Hard.
I’m in a bit of a bind with this one. This is a good episode, does a whole lot of things well and right, there are many parts of it I like. But it also introduces Spike. I wish I could view this without my preexisting hatred of the character, I really do, but every positive thing I can say about him here makes me feel kind of dirty and like somehow I can be part of the problem with how a show that ended two decades ago decides to go.
I can tell that I probably would have liked Spike’s introduction here. He’s…cool, in a way that not a lot of the characters are. Confident, active, full of personality, even a little sexy. But all those qualities will contribute to him hanging onto the show long enough to become awful and my most hated character ever.
I feel especially dirty saying that he and Buffy do have chemistry. They banter well and I don’t think it’s all retroactive view to say that there is something sexual to it. It’s just something I wish the show had never gone near with a ten foot pole. And even though for now I’m willing to see the chemistry that is there (even if it makes me feel icky). I still find it more creepy than anything else. It’s the kind of chemistry that lends an extra creep factor to an enemy dynamic; not a place to start anything else from.
Look, I have almost no enemies-to-lovers inclinations. There are exceptions to every rule, but this is not one of them for me. And considering I’m icked out at this point, I don’t know how I’m going to feel going forward.
We do get our first foreshadowing of Angelus this way. This is still Angel playing Angelus, but it’s an appropriate thing to set up considering where the season goes. I wouldn’t say that makes it a good episode for Angel, he again comes off as a bratty idiot outside of trying to play Spike, and a bit questionable when he is. I mean, we know he only really cares about Buffy, so I’m not super okay with him casually using Xander like this.
It is a good episode for Buffy though. It shows strength in all three of her spheres of life, and while they don’t mesh all that well, they can all be relied on. And it’s nice to have an episode where she and Joyce grow closer and more understanding of each other.
Although the staging of some of this makes very little sense. Buffy and that classroom set are supposed to be across the hall from the library, and then she was going to go out of the library to clear the hallway; but for some reason Buffy seems to have to go all over the place to get from one spot to the other.
It’s a good benchmark episode for Willow and Xander. They don’t grow here, but it’s clear that they have gotten used to being part of this fight, fighting back sometimes, doing what they can to help, and just being good parts of the team. Cordelia is growing closer to the Scoobies, and the show is definitely doing the work to set up Xander/Cordy as a potential thing.
As usual, I have Giles thoughts. This is good follow up to Prophesy Girl, in a couple ways. We’re reminded that Giles wants to be in the fight, doing whatever he can to help Buffy out; but when it comes to the fight, Buffy is the general. Plus, having Jenny in the room for this talk, increases the similarity to PG. She’s still trying to talk Giles out of putting himself in the fight, but she doesn’t fight him on it; nor can she talk him out of it. If I was in a place to invest in this relationship, I would say it’s a good thing. That she gets that Giles may be employed as a librarian, but his life is being a Watcher and that will always come first, meaning Buffy will always come first. However one might choose to interpret that statement.
I forgot that we learned this early about the coverup going on in Sunnydale (for certain values of early, nothing was said in s1 I suppose). But as soon as Snyder brought up the gangs on PCP I wondered if that writing choice had already been made or if it was just very well worked in later. Turned out it was already set up for a reveal here. Now I can’t remember if the coverup comes from the Mayor; I assume it does, but I’m more doubtful that all those pieces are in the writers’ minds yet.
Although…they might have known there was more behind it than keeping the masquerade up. Because if there isn’t more driving it, you would almost think Snyder and said conspiracy would be backing Buffy. If the conspiracy of silence was for the purpose of the silence, then Buffy is as asset in keeping the vampire population under control. I guess knowing about vampires doesn’t mean they know how to identify a Slayer, but if someone’s recognizing the pattern of vampires, I feel like they can also see the pattern of who’s stopping them.
On the other hand, you could explain Snyder’s hostility to Buffy as coming from the Mayor, but if that’s the case I actually feel like he’s not hard enough on her. If there is a larger reason behind being a dick to Buffy, then it must be to try and get her away from everything, which they could do by starting with running her out of school. But if there is a benefit to letting Buffy go on keeping the vampire population down, then does the Mayor tell Snyder to keep Buffy on a tight leash? I don’t remember us ever getting a solid answer on that, but maybe with a reminder of some more of the pieces I can form a theory.
What am I shipping?
Hmm, I’m liking both Buffy/Willow and Willow/Cordelia. I think I just kind of want Willow and Cordelia to make out for a while but I naturally prefer the relationship between Buffy and Willow. Again, I’m predictable about what I ship.
I have some kind of weird feelings on Spike/Dru. Some of their stuff works, but some of it is creepy (and not in the evil vampire way). It’s making me wonder if I’m going to end up shipping them this time, since we get so little screentime of them being on equal footing. I guess we’ll see.
So…in 20 years I’ve never given the title of this any thought to realize that it’s a play on Die Hard I guess? I am super on the ball with noticing things. I tended to treat it as s ‘fire bad, tree pretty’ abbreviated speech type comment. In my defense, I still don’t think it works as people usually say ‘Die Hard in a…’ instead of changing part of the title. Also in my defense (or not), I’ve never seen Die Hard.
I’m in a bit of a bind with this one. This is a good episode, does a whole lot of things well and right, there are many parts of it I like. But it also introduces Spike. I wish I could view this without my preexisting hatred of the character, I really do, but every positive thing I can say about him here makes me feel kind of dirty and like somehow I can be part of the problem with how a show that ended two decades ago decides to go.
I can tell that I probably would have liked Spike’s introduction here. He’s…cool, in a way that not a lot of the characters are. Confident, active, full of personality, even a little sexy. But all those qualities will contribute to him hanging onto the show long enough to become awful and my most hated character ever.
I feel especially dirty saying that he and Buffy do have chemistry. They banter well and I don’t think it’s all retroactive view to say that there is something sexual to it. It’s just something I wish the show had never gone near with a ten foot pole. And even though for now I’m willing to see the chemistry that is there (even if it makes me feel icky). I still find it more creepy than anything else. It’s the kind of chemistry that lends an extra creep factor to an enemy dynamic; not a place to start anything else from.
Look, I have almost no enemies-to-lovers inclinations. There are exceptions to every rule, but this is not one of them for me. And considering I’m icked out at this point, I don’t know how I’m going to feel going forward.
We do get our first foreshadowing of Angelus this way. This is still Angel playing Angelus, but it’s an appropriate thing to set up considering where the season goes. I wouldn’t say that makes it a good episode for Angel, he again comes off as a bratty idiot outside of trying to play Spike, and a bit questionable when he is. I mean, we know he only really cares about Buffy, so I’m not super okay with him casually using Xander like this.
It is a good episode for Buffy though. It shows strength in all three of her spheres of life, and while they don’t mesh all that well, they can all be relied on. And it’s nice to have an episode where she and Joyce grow closer and more understanding of each other.
Although the staging of some of this makes very little sense. Buffy and that classroom set are supposed to be across the hall from the library, and then she was going to go out of the library to clear the hallway; but for some reason Buffy seems to have to go all over the place to get from one spot to the other.
It’s a good benchmark episode for Willow and Xander. They don’t grow here, but it’s clear that they have gotten used to being part of this fight, fighting back sometimes, doing what they can to help, and just being good parts of the team. Cordelia is growing closer to the Scoobies, and the show is definitely doing the work to set up Xander/Cordy as a potential thing.
As usual, I have Giles thoughts. This is good follow up to Prophesy Girl, in a couple ways. We’re reminded that Giles wants to be in the fight, doing whatever he can to help Buffy out; but when it comes to the fight, Buffy is the general. Plus, having Jenny in the room for this talk, increases the similarity to PG. She’s still trying to talk Giles out of putting himself in the fight, but she doesn’t fight him on it; nor can she talk him out of it. If I was in a place to invest in this relationship, I would say it’s a good thing. That she gets that Giles may be employed as a librarian, but his life is being a Watcher and that will always come first, meaning Buffy will always come first. However one might choose to interpret that statement.
I forgot that we learned this early about the coverup going on in Sunnydale (for certain values of early, nothing was said in s1 I suppose). But as soon as Snyder brought up the gangs on PCP I wondered if that writing choice had already been made or if it was just very well worked in later. Turned out it was already set up for a reveal here. Now I can’t remember if the coverup comes from the Mayor; I assume it does, but I’m more doubtful that all those pieces are in the writers’ minds yet.
Although…they might have known there was more behind it than keeping the masquerade up. Because if there isn’t more driving it, you would almost think Snyder and said conspiracy would be backing Buffy. If the conspiracy of silence was for the purpose of the silence, then Buffy is as asset in keeping the vampire population under control. I guess knowing about vampires doesn’t mean they know how to identify a Slayer, but if someone’s recognizing the pattern of vampires, I feel like they can also see the pattern of who’s stopping them.
On the other hand, you could explain Snyder’s hostility to Buffy as coming from the Mayor, but if that’s the case I actually feel like he’s not hard enough on her. If there is a larger reason behind being a dick to Buffy, then it must be to try and get her away from everything, which they could do by starting with running her out of school. But if there is a benefit to letting Buffy go on keeping the vampire population down, then does the Mayor tell Snyder to keep Buffy on a tight leash? I don’t remember us ever getting a solid answer on that, but maybe with a reminder of some more of the pieces I can form a theory.
What am I shipping?
Hmm, I’m liking both Buffy/Willow and Willow/Cordelia. I think I just kind of want Willow and Cordelia to make out for a while but I naturally prefer the relationship between Buffy and Willow. Again, I’m predictable about what I ship.
I have some kind of weird feelings on Spike/Dru. Some of their stuff works, but some of it is creepy (and not in the evil vampire way). It’s making me wonder if I’m going to end up shipping them this time, since we get so little screentime of them being on equal footing. I guess we’ll see.
