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5.1 Buffy vs. Dracula

Buffy: "You know, I really think the thrall has gone out of our relationship."

BtVS tends not to have really good season-openers; I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because BtVS is best when the story arc heats up and momentum builds and the characters really have something to work with. This one was fun and introduced some good stuff, though, and we got a strong indication of what may be happening this year.

I really enjoyed Buffy's "count encounter" and what they did with Dracula; they cast a seriously gorgeous guy and I think he was able to pull it off. It was fun the way they put in references to all those Dracula plot elements, with Xander as Renfield, Giles with the sisters, and the magically appearing castle. I loved Xander doing the Count from Sesame Street. And of course, there were also some wonderful zingers: "I really think the thrall has gone out of our relationship." "A good Sunnydale rule of thumb: avoid white-skinned men with capes." "No more chick-pit for you."

But I also thought it was jarring for Riley to be playing the straight man fearless vampire hunter while Buffy, Giles, and the Slayerettes turned into Drac's comic sidekicks. Wouldn't it have been much more in character for Giles to figure out what was behind Buffy's scarf? Plus I just don't see Buffy letting Drac bite her the way Angel did. It was a much different situation with Angel, not just an attraction to a gorgeous, unusual vamp in a black coat.

On the serious side, it was about time that Buffy asked Giles to be her Watcher again. She really does need him. What is a Slayer, after all? Buffy most certainly is a hunter and a killer like Dracula said, when you come right down to it. If Slayers tend to die young, do they develop into something else if they manage to survive? I noticed that Buffy sounded a lot like Faith a few times during this episode; I'm really looking forward to BtVS exploring the issue of the darker side of Slayer powers and the possibility of being tempted by immortality.

Finally, I like the way they just snuck Buffy's new "little sister" in there. She so obviously wasn't there earlier in the episode when we saw Buffy and Joyce eating dinner alone and Joyce was talking about how lonely she'll be when Buffy went back to school, so somehow Dawn sneaked her way in there sometime during this episode. I'm really interested in seeing what they do with this story line.

Bits and pieces:

-- I thought it was cool that they added references to other established vamp universes (the Masquerade, with references to "kindred" and "embrace," as well as the "pimply, overweight vamps calling themselves Lestat").

-- Emma Caulfield is now in the official cast. And speaking of Emma Caulfield, it's a shame they didn't show Anya and Drac together, since they actually knew each other once.

-- Willow's hair just gets shorter every season. She also seems to be dressing sexier and using more make-up; hubba hubba.

-- Spike's crypt has gotten a lot more homey. I like it.

-- It looks like Xander might finally be ready to do something about his life. Yay!

-- Scanning an entire library usually takes a couple of years and a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities; it's not exactly a project that Willow could whip through during the summer. Sorry, the librarian in me just has to come out sometimes.

Quotes:

Giles: "Thank you, Willow. Obstinate bloody machine simply refused to work for me."
Willow: "Just call me the computer whisperer."

Buffy: "Who are you?"
Dracula: "I apologize. I assumed you knew. I am Dracula."
Buffy: "Get out!"

Buffy: "So lemme get this straight. You're ... Dracula. The guy, the count."
Dracula: "I am."
Buffy: "And you're sure this isn't just some fanboy thing? Cause I've fought more than a couple of pimply overweight vamps that called themselves Lestat."

Xander: "Look who's got a bad case of dark prince envy."
Dracula: "I have no interest in you. Leave us."
Xander: "No, we're not going to (in Dracula's accent) 'leave you'. And where'd you get that accent, Sesame Street? Vun, two, three -- three victims. Mwa ha ha!"

Joyce: "He seemed so nice and normal. A little pale."
Willow: "A good Sunnydale rule of thumb? Avoid white-skinned men in capes."

Giles: "Oh, my shoe. Silly me, I'll just pop..."
Riley: "No no no, sir! No more chick pit for you."

Riley: "Buffy! You okay?"
Buffy: "Yeah. Chock full of free will."
Giles: "And Dracula?"
Buffy: "Eurotrashed."

Three out of four stakes,

Billie





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