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2.5 Reptile Boy

Buffy: "I told one lie. I had one drink."
Giles: "Yes, and you were very nearly devoured by a giant demon snake. The words 'let that be a lesson' are a tad redundant at this juncture."

Buffy still has no life, which is a major theme in the second season. Giles is too demanding, and Angel, the object of her affection, is resisting her. What better way to act out, rebel, and let off steam than to go to a college party that she knows she shouldn't attend?

The premise of this episode is clever and creepy, although Machida the phallic monster leaves something to be desired. High school girls don't usually become human sacrifices at frat parties, but bad things, like binge drinking, drugging and date rape, are certainly known to happen.

Xander once again backs up Buffy, although this time without her knowledge. He braves wigs, bras, lipstick and paddles just on a hunch that Buffy might be in danger, although jealousy of frat boys might be playing a role here as well. Willow also shows a lot of courage (something she often does on someone else's behalf), admonishes Giles for how he pressures and overworks Buffy, and asks Angel sarcastically why he doesn't have time to go out for coffee when he's 241 years old. In the end, Giles does let up on Buffy, and readily forgives her for her poor judgment.

The Buffy/Angel romance is escalating and the two of them are moving into scary territory, which is illustrated by this fascinating exchange:

Angel: "This isn't some fairy tale. When I kiss you, you don't wake up from a deep sleep and live happily ever after."
Buffy: "No, when you kiss me, I want to die."

Bits and pieces:

-- It is established that vampires have a heightened sense of smell, since Angel can smell blood we cannot see on the ID bracelet.

-- Cordelia specifically tells Buffy not to wear black; Buffy wears it anyway.

-- Cordelia's license plate now says "Queen C".

-- There is a delightful Giles scene, where he is practicing future training with Buffy, thinking he is alone: "Will you be ready if a vampire is behind you?"

-- At the end, Cordelia is (briefly) dating Jonathan.

-- In this week's hair report, Cordelia's hair is dark again. Good.

-- Obligatory dog reference: Buffy: "Look, I wasn't lying. I was just protecting him from information that he wouldn't be able to... digest properly." Xander: "Like a corn dog."

Inconsistencies:

-- Richard and Tom are students at Crestwood College. This might have been a good time to introduce UC Sunnydale. Who knew?

-- Richard's last name is Anderson. Callie, the third sacrifice, also has the last name Anderson. One assumes they were not related.

Foreshadowing:

-- Angel tells Buffy that if they get involved, things could get out of control.

-- The evil frat house is done again in the episodes, "Fear, Itself" and "Where the Wild Things Are."

-- Cordelia, while giving Xander a hard time, mentions that he'll probably be delivering pizza to a college instead of going to college.

Quotable quotes:

Giles: "Just because the paranormal is more normal and less... para of late is no excuse for tardiness or letting your guard down."

Cordelia: "You know what's so cool about college? The diversity. You've got all the rich people, and all the other people."

Willow: "Angel, how do you shave?"

Two and a half stakes,

Billie





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