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1.9 The Puppet Show

Snyder: "There are things I will not tolerate: students loitering on campus after school, horrible murders with hearts being removed. And also smoking."

This is one of the funniest episodes of the series; certainly the funniest in season one. The plot is a clever twist on the old possessed ventriloquist dummy plot, with dummy Sid actually turning out to be a human demon hunter trapped in a wooden body.

We are introduced to Principal ("Kids, I don't like 'em") Snyder, an educator you love to hate, and a much better character for this show than Flutie ("My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in my world now"). Armin Shimerman is perfect for the part. Even though he's an obvious suspect, he is clearly too good a character to waste on just one episode.

The onstage scenes are particularly funny. I loved the moment when Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles are all on stage in various states of disarray after defeating the monster, and the curtain opens. (Snyder says, "I don't get it. What is it, avant-garde?") And Buffy, Willow, and Xander, glassy-eyed with stage fright, are hilarious doing "Oedipus Rex" in the closing credits.

Bits and pieces:

-- The looks on the gang's faces as Sid is telling them his story are priceless. I also really enjoyed Sid describing Buffy lasciviously: "Strong, athletic, limber... nubile..."

-- Cordelia doesn't scream, but she does sing Whitney Houston.

-- Willow is so unnerved that she turns and runs off stage; her stage fright is a plot point in the very next episode, "Nightmares," and is also referred to in other future episodes.

-- Giles being unable to carry off a "power circle" is delightful.

-- Xander saves Giles' life.

-- Sid mentions another Slayer, a "Korean chick" in the thirties. The 1930s, we assume.

-- Xander makes Sid the dummy say, "Redrum! Redrum!" which is from Stephen King's "The Shining." (It's the word "murder" spelled backward.)

-- The "Oedipus Rex" scene in the closing credits was only broadcast once, but it can be seen on the official tapes and DVDs.

-- While playing Principal Snyder for three years on BtVS, Armin Shimerman was also playing Quark, the Ferengi bartender, on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." Both roles ended at the same time.

Foreshadowing:

-- Giles also directs a school play in the dream sequence episode, "Restless." It even looks like, and probably is, the same auditorium and stage.

-- It is mentioned briefly that there were originally seven demons that needed hearts and brains to remain flesh. This is somewhat similar to the Seven Gentlemen in "Hush."

-- Buffy mentions everyone looking at her as if she were in a bunny suit. See "Fear, Itself."

Quotable quotes:

Snyder: "My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in my world now."

Willow: "I think dummies are cute. You don't?"
Buffy: "They give me the wig. Ever since I was little."
Willow: "What happened?"
Buffy: "I saw a dummy. It gave me the wig. There really wasn't a story there."

Snyder: "Kids today need discipline. That's an unpopular word these days, discipline. I know Principal Flutie would have said, 'Kids need understanding. Kids are human beings.' That's the kind of woolly-headed, liberal thinking that leads to being eaten."

Snyder: "This place has quite a reputation. Suicide, missing persons, spontaneous cheerleader combustion... you can't put up with that. You've gotta keep an eye on the bad element."

Willow: "Once again I'm banished to the demon section of the card catalog."

Xander: "So, the dummy tells us that he's a demon hunter. And we're, like, fine, la la la la. He takes off, and now there's a brain. Does anybody else feel like they've been Keyser Soze'd?"

Snyder: "I don't get it. What is it? Avant-garde?"

I love this one. Three out of four stakes,

Billie





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