Anne

These snapshots may contain SPOILERS for the entire series, so if for some reason you haven't yet seen some of the episodes and do not want to know what is going on, read no further.
----------------------------recap-------------------------------
It is the end of summer vacation, and Buffy is still missing. Willow, Xander, Oz, and Cordelia are attempting to keep the Sunnydale vampire population in check during Buffy's absence... with only moderate success. They miss having the Slayer around, but more than that they miss their friend. Meanwhile, Buffy has been working as a waitress in L.A., going by her middle name, Anne, and trying to forget her old life. But of course, someone always needs the Slayer's help...
--------------------------end recap--------------------------

Guard: Who are you?
Buffy: (perky) I'm Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. And you are?

Good character development, average dialogue and a good plot.

Buffy has truly run off. But she isn't your average runaway. She has a job and is supporting herself. Not in luxury, but not too shabbily. She isn't fleeing responsibility, she's fleeing her fate. She just doesn't want carry the burden of being the Slayer any more, aside from all of the emotional turmoil with getting kicked out of school and her home. Not to mention the trauma of having to kill your re-ensouled boyfriend to save the world.

But life is just never that easy. How far do you have to run to lose yourself? For Buffy it obviously wasn't far enough. When a man is about to be run over by a car, she saves him. When asked for help by Lily, she gives it. When she is in the demon dimension the demons force everyone to say they are nobody. They attempt to squash everyone's individuality. The demon guard walks down the line of workers, striking everyone who doesn't deny their identity. When he comes to Buffy and asks who she is, she says "I'm Buffy the Vampire Slayer". This is her recognizing and accepting herself, and that part of her core identity. It's the acceptance of the fact that she didn't become the Slayer, but that she always was one. Being the Slayer isn't just a matter of being strong, it's a matter of empathy and the responsibility to set things right. Like a lot of teenagers, Buffy is searching for herself, and in this climactic moment she accepts her nature, a major part of which is the Slayer heritage.

All of which sheds some light on the confrontation between Giles and Buffy's mother. She blames Giles for Buffy's runaway status. From her point of view, Giles turned her daughter into the Slayer. But that really isn't the case. Giles is merely trying to help Buffy come to grips with her identity, not force it upon her. When Buffy finally does come to grips with herself as both Buffy and Slayer, that realization enables her to defeat the demonic forces of despair and return home.

Buffy in the past has faced demons and monsters of various sorts. Here, she deals with a real world problem. Giving into despair. We know Buffy came close to doing this. And we know it happens all the time in the real world. Luckily Buffy is able to overcome her loss of self and get back to Sunnydale.

Identity really is at the core of this episode. Buffy tries to abandon her Slayer identity. She becomes Anne. But when the chips are down, she realizes that Buffy is who she really is. And Chanterelle/Lily whom she befriends, now adopts the Anne persona. Unlike Buffy, she's still searching to find herself. And I find it heartening that this is the persona she sticks with and goes on to help others on Angel the Series.


A bit of a communist side theme here, we get the great fight scene with Buffy wielding the hammer and sickle.


My views/status of characters;
Buffy - like
Willow - like
Xander - like
Giles - like
Cordelia - like
Spike - absent
Angel - neutral
Oz - like

Overall I consider this a good episode compared to the rest of the season.

When She Was Bad

These snapshots may contain SPOILERS for the entire series, so if for some reason you haven't yet seen some of the episodes and do not want to know what is going on, read no further.
----------------------------recap----------------------------
Buffy returns from summer vacation with a "major attitude" and recurring nightmares involving the Master, even as the Anointed One and his followers plot their revenge.
--------------------------end recap--------------------------

Buffy:  Hi, guys!  Miss me?

The season opener starts, albeit after summer vacation, pretty much right where it left off in "Prophecy Girl." This didn't really register the first time watching, but after repeated DVD viewings it starts to sink in, I like the continuity, it gives the episode a nice flow and unites this with the first season quite smoothly. This episode does a good job of tying up all the loose ends from last season. It begins by showing that events have long term consequences, and plots will move across more than 1 episode or season. This episode also seems to be more about Buffy fighting her inner demons more so than the vampires who come across more as an ancillary plot device.

While Giles says Buffy has 'issues' everyone else falls victim to Buffy's Bitch Queen attitude. Some have called this PTSS. Or in the words of the immortal Yoda "fear leads to ... hate" which definitely turns you into one mean SOB. Everyone gets skewered by Buffy in one form or another, before the end of the episode. While not putting her in the best light you can empathize with her, its not easy being killed.

The vampire preacher gets more boring every time I watch.

Buffy tortures the vamp for information.

Angel showing up in Buffy's bedroom while she's sleeping to watch her. Remember, she rolled over and saw him already there. Can you say stalker?

Started noticing / liking the music from this episode onwards (eg. Alison Krauss "It Doesn't Matter").

Really began noticing SMG's acting after the first rewatch. Was always good but this season started giving her some added depth to play with. Fear, anger, angst, sexpot, etc. The happy ending seemed kind of forced, though. After acting like the Bitch Queen, when did Buffy apologize for all those mean/hateful things she said/did? Yes, I can see her being forgiven, but some form of 'sorry' would have been nice to see.


Foreshadowing
JOYCE: I'll just be happy if she makes it through the school year.
SNYDER: That Summers girl. I smell trouble. I smell expulsion, and just the faintest aroma of jail.
GILES: Buffy, ... that was hardly the, the worst mistake you'll ever make.
BUFFY: (to Angel)... you must've thought about it. What would happen if it ever came down to a fight, ... Well, why don't we find out?



My views/status of characters;
Buffy - understandable
Willow - like
Xander - like
Giles - like
Cordelia - like
Angel - neutral


Overall I consider this a good episode compared to the rest of the season.

Welcome to the Hellmouth

These snapshots may contain SPOILERS for the entire series, so if for some reason you haven't yet seen some of the episodes and do not want to know what is going on, read no further.

----------------------------recap----------------------------

Buffy Summers is the Slayer, but after being expelled from her old  high school for burning down the gym (full of vampires) she  just wants to forget about her destiny and be a normal  sixteen-year-old girl. She and her mother move from L.A. to Sunnydale,  California. A new school, new friends, and a chance to start over.

But Sunnydale is on top of a Hellmouth -- a center of mystical  convergence that draws evil and demonic forces -- and Buffy soon  realizes that she will have to pick up her stakes and holy water  in order to save her new friends.

--------------------------end recap--------------------------


"In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer."

I like how the teaser opens with what appears to be a generic horror scenario. Boy and girl sneaking away to have sex (presumably), and just when we get to the part where the girl, or both the boy and girl, get killed our expectations are completely overturned and the girl turns into a vampire and kills the boy.

Overall a passable job of introducing our protagonists, the story, the setting, and our villains for the season.

The episode does well in establishing that our heroine is super powered compared to ordinary folks. She has greater than human strength and reflexes as well as what appear to be prophetic dreams. Background info. is established for the other main characters, but Buffy's story is already established. She is not new to slaying vampires. She has already had to fight for her life, lost her friends, and been kicked out of her former school because of her calling. She doesn't want to do this any more. However when she sees what's happening, vampire going off with one of her new friends, she can't just stand idly by.

The other main characters are introduced as rounded individuals that we can like or hate from the start. Don't get me wrong, there is a long way to go in establishing a 3-dimensional character background for our core four, but they start off feeling like someone we might have known in our own high school. There is only so much that can be done in an hour, and this does a passable job of introducing our protagonists to the audience.


Sunnydale is established as a small town;

 'Well, not much goes on in a one Starbucks town like Sunnydale."
"...It's in the bad part of town. About a half a block from the good part of town. We don't have a whole lot of town here."
"It's two hours on the freeway from Neiman Marcus."
"This is Sunnydale! How bad an evil can there be here?"

We are introduced to Angel, who gives Buffy several gifts, a cross and information about the Harvest. The Big Bad (the Master) also makes his appearance before the end of the cliffhanger.

My view/status of characters;
Buffy - like
Willow - like
Xander - like
Giles - undecided
Cordelia - dislike
Angel - undecided
The Master - undecided

Overall I consider this a good episode compared to part two as well as the rest of the season.