Buffy the Vampire Slayer || 2x05 || Full Reaction

like Angel?

darby72

I enjoyed watching your reaction. I like this episode. It has some great moments, like, Willow telling off Giles and Angel, Angel vamping out when Buffy is in danger, the scenes of Xander at the frat party with the pay off at the end, when he is beating on the frat dude. Oh yeah, and penis demon, haha. Penis demon that Buffy lops off with a sword.

Kirby

hahaha okay remind me when we get closer and i definitely will ;)

Alley Box

@Shashank Singh, of course! a couple of people had problems with creating a preview and watching the video straight from the website, so if it is needed for people to download, at least its a little faster haha @KiwiJello omgggg I RELATE haha. i edit fan videos sometimes and i always have 20 different files with names like wipppp1.mp4, plsplswork.mp4, plscomputergodsexportthis.mp4 hahaha

Alley Box

I don't think it was enthusiasm that was responsible for Liam's recent troubles , it's downright malicious to state I can't wait to see your reaction to the next episode , or my favourite character appears in episode x . I mean how hard is it to keep quiet about upcoming plot unless you are determined to spoil something .

L R

LOL I can relate. I have filenames like this: xxx_THIS ONE STUPID.doc

KiwiJello

No spoilers but for season 4 episode 11 PLEASE wear one of the Hawaiian shirts I see in your closet. Please.

TaraFromTerra

WTF dude.

Nikolai5

yay someone else who likes this episode. It doesn't really push anything but it is entertaining. I love how they went for a frat house and turned the creep factor up times 11 cause frat houses are already creepazoid central lets make these guys demon worshipers who feed it women. I am also a huge fan of Angel being part of the group and fighting alongside the others.

Rockworm

I and probably others appreciate the smaller size, otherwise with other reactors I have to compress the files myself if I want to keep them.

Shashank

Bryce Carlson

@Adam Hinch, Fun Fact: David Greenwalt was on set and need a name for his patriarchy demon — excuse me, his reptile demon and spotted "Makita" everywhere (the crew used them). What is more remarkable to me is that he intended Makita to be a recurring villain, which...no thanks. I'm glad that someone shot that down (presumably Joss). I actually like this episode.

Rachael

1) I just finished watching it after getting home from work. It’s not as horrible as I remember. You definitely made it funner. The one change I would make is to cut out the ‘chasing the girl in danger through the graveyard’, it’s so cliche, and then you have a lot more mystery as you first find the bloody bracelet (but that could be a vampire) and you don’t know the frat guys are evil til you suddenly see the chained up girl in the basement. And then it would seem scarier because maybe they are just evil guys without a monster. The one thing we lose is her breaking the glass when she escapes that Buffy stumbles on later, but that clue goes nowhere anyway. 2) Have to point out something I read in a book. That end scene in the Bronze clearly takes place a day or two later, and has Angel following Willow’s advice and asking Buffy out for coffee, yet Xander is reading in the paper that the frat boys have already been SENTENCED to long prison terms. Justice really is fast in Sunnyvale! It’s so ridiculous, but I’ll allow it since I can head cannon it with something I can’t talk about yet.

Richard Lucas

bro if u make that fic, i would read it 😳 lmao

Alley Box

Makes sense, I have noticed that your file sizes are a lot smaller than the other Buffy reactor I follow

ModernArtery .

i put all my videos thru a software that makes the files smaller sizes while also keeping the quality the same. makes it easier to manage, store, and upload. i use “THIS” as my indicator of which of the 2 files is the correct one haha

Alley Box

Alley I'm just curious, why do your filenames all have the word THIS at the end?

ModernArtery .

Ah, the humor of Bangel-speak. It's both addictive and hilarious. Oh, and I now have a desire to write SVU/Buffy crossover fics. Is this a thing?

FernWithy

People are being a little over-the-top with the Reptile Boy hate. But you did say you're here for the drama!

Brandon Scott

I definitely agree with @Koz and @DB here. Knowing the full work here and... well... gives us a different perspective and absolutely raises the bar. But even having said that, I don't see this episode as a trash episode at all. While it is true, for me, that the "reptile boy" as a practical effect was SERIOUSLY lacking and campy, I'm with you, @AlleyBox, when you say that there was a lot here that moved along the development of our characters. Being a big fan of the show for many years and knowing it inside and out, I look at an ep like this one and see the little gems we're given here about the relationships between Buffy and Angel, Buffy and Giles, Cordelia and Angel, Willow and Giles, as well as some individual character traits that are peeking out from beneath the surface to tease things to come. Regardless, I think we all enjoyed your reaction even if some of us don't care for this episode.. d

Brandon Scott

Alley: "My chair spins" *spins* Me: *dead* Alley" "Is that a frat boy?" Me: *Watches entire opening with Cheshire Cat smile* Your reactions are great as ever. Buffy is like the MCU for me. Some of the episodes are not as great as others, but that's because they are compared to the others. Whereas this episode was still better than most TV episodes of other shows at the time.

The Movie Guru

Can't beat Joss Whedon for some good character development.

Brandon Scott

Bangel speak makes me want to die....🤣🤣😂

SpikesEcho

i think patreon needs a downheart to block comments from showing but still viewable to help prevent spoilers

Damon Pearcy

Oh man, not a lot of love for this one. Personally, I've always had a soft spot for this one because I first watched it when I was about 11, living in a college town, across the street from a frat house. And I hadn't at that point seen anything that portrayed frat boys as heartless bastards sacrificing girls to a giant penis monster for wealth and power, so I like it. I also think it fits nicely into the shows ongoing metaphors about responsibility vs "normal" teen life, and the journey towards adulthood, both in work obligations, and in sexual/relationship navigation. It also features our first/only human murderers. Amy's mom is a human, Billy's coach is human, Marcie Ross and those who ignored her are human, and I think those are the only other human characters that did bad things without the influence of a demon, or possession. These frat guys aren't under the demon's thrall, they are engaging in a clear-headed exchange of human life for reward. They might not actually kill the girls but they do everything but that to contribute to it. So in some ways aren't they the most chilling monsters we've seen yet. And. Yes, the giant snake is named Makita which is the brand name of the tools used on Buffy, so it's a very intentional "tool" reference. This episode also features an example of what's known as Bangel speak, where the two have an overdramatic conversation about their will they/ won't they relationship status. And I think I said that vaguely enough not be spoiler-y.

Miranda

the demon being shaped like a giant phallic symbol wasn't a coincidence. this episode is total filler, but the metaphors/symbolism make it more interesting and terrifying.

cil

I'm so with you on this one, Alley! I have always really liked this episode! I'm a sucker for all the teenage drama, and I can't deny it even if I'm turning 31 this year (help!).

Hilde Olaussen

no hints, please

John Sturchio

Oooooooooooooooh, snazzy backdrop! :-)

AlyAdmirer

I rank this episode low, but I still like it a lot. I really like Season 2.

UTU49

Buffy's birthday? Hmm...

Chas Summers

Unfortunately Jordana Spiro didn't get much screen time. I really liked 3 series she starred in: The Mob Doctor, My Boys, and The Huntress which is currently streaming for free on NBC.com.

Tom Tattershall

Yeah we’re a hardcore group of people, mostly I blame Joss. He trained us well.

Ryan

Alley referencing Cas and Olivia Benson 😂 love that

Jessie

My favorite part is the look on Willow's face as Buffy is lying through her teeth to Giles. I actually usually skip this episode on the re-watches and hadn't seen it in a few years. It has such witty quips and it's nice to see through a first-timer's eyes.

Kitty

I love the Xander and Angel frat party team up moment, also the demon design is one of my favorites and that Faustian deal that resulted in board room suicides was a cool touch reminiscent of invisible assassin school

Superfan Giovanni

Oh dang, we got those Every Time We Touch vocals now yeaaaaaa!!!!!

Rachel Espiritu

Reason number 537 on why I love BTVS. Even an episode that for most shows would be just a filler to give a season the required number of episodes we get the growing father/daughter vibe between Buffy and Giles. There is the wonderful rant and great one liners from Willow. A "bad" episode of Buffy still contains more substance than good episodes of so many other shows. Loved the reaction.

Allan Cornett

I really enjoy Alley's observations about college related material on this show, her observations and shorthand are completely foreign to me and simultaneously immediately understandable.

Superfan Giovanni

@Dave, though, I get where you're coming from but I might actually suggest removing the title from the episode you're referencing, so as to avoid the exact sort of accidental, anticipatory spoilers you're worried about?

Bixgirl1

Callie is on my top five list of fave extra characters in Buffyverse. And in my overall list Buffyverse list she's in top 20 I follow the actress on Instagram she grew very very beautiful but yeah I just really enjoyed her acting in this one. 444 🌻💙⚡👑 #ShesCool #SecretCrush

Juan Sanchez

I think the reboot has been a topic for some time already, but the boost on IMDB is really recent. I've been going on there to check the user ratings and reviews on episodes, etc. And it's always been in the 120-130 rank - which is great too! But the jump into Top 100 is from the past week or so. Definitely due to Alley's influence and some other new reactors going into season 2 now.

JuliaM

Damon - I'm the same age - and Buffy is still a classic - not because of when it aired, but it was so thoroughly original and ground-breaking.

Dave Ford

There has been talk about rebooting Buffy so that's likely boosting interest.

Sean

I don't think it's course-correcting as much as people remembering the whole of the season rather than the individual episodes. It's always been my personal opinion the this season as a whole is greater than the sum of it's parts, but it seems like the fandom as a whole maybe forgets that and on a piece-by-piece basis don't necessarily know how to articulate that this or that episode may be kinda 'meh' or not their favorite, but it's all still a part of the whole season arc. Or maybe they just don't know how to say it in a non-spoilery way.

Lindsey Metcalfe

I wouldn't call it "overhyping". Each season has monster of the week filler episodes that tend to be forgotten. When we love a season, it's because of the main plot line, not the filler episodes. In my opinion, this is the second best season because of the developments of the main conflict and how the characters deal with it. Plus, it has a couple really good filler episodes.

Sean

Again, the fanbase turns on it's own beloved Season 2. What's that, 4 episodes out of five that are "Ehhhhhh"? I think it's a case of over-hyping Season 2 while you were still on season 1, and now that you've landed, a lot of people are knee-jerking the other way, course correcting so they don't set expectations too high (but, kinda... it's too late, isn't it?) - This is season 2. Not every episode is the greatest hour of Television ever, but damn do people forget how atrocious most TV was at the time. I mean, there's was basically this and Frasier. 1997 is before the Sopranos, Cable networks with original content, and waaaaay before anyone was doing long-form storyarcs. Talk about the X-Files all you like, it was the "Lost" of the 90s. Their mythology arcs seemed to be leading somewhere, but they never did. That's the difference. Buffy isn't trying to be some 24-type stunt series. It's a TV show that happens to have crazy high quality writing, talented creators and actors, and each episode has it's magic moments. And it's a f*cking joy to watch you discovering those moments! I'm still having a blast, and I hope you are, too!

Ed Badalucca

That’s my hope, that I’ve just forgotten it. The opening is of my two least favorite of Buffy, if I’m remembering it correctly.

Richard Lucas

omgggg dang 😳 guess im glad i only went to clubs there are a couple frats that r known on campus for bein wild with their parties and most of them dont dress up, they wear school football jerseys mostly lol

Alley Box

I usually skip this one on my rewatchs, but I forgot that there are some fun little moments, like Willow going off on Giles and Angel, Buffy's iconic "when you kiss me it makes me want to die" line, and the bit of advancement of the Bangel relationship. I think just the whole frat boys sacrificing high school girls to a giant snake to gain power and success plot always struck me as super gross on every level.

Liz Siron

Frat parties were the dumbest and dullest parties I went to in college. They tried to be hype but were just kind of gross and awkward. The first one I went to had a dress code (white and silver, I thought I was very cool so I wore black and gold) and the pledges were dressed exactly like they were in this episode and you weren't allowed to talk to them, it was very weird. And they never had more than one kind of beer available, I brought my own beer after making that mistake once and there was nowhere to put it? And the final frat party I ever went to, I spent the whole night trying to get a belligerently drunk girl off of the ground in the back alley and into the yard where she'd be marginally safer (Edit: we ended up calling her boyfriend to come pick her up) So yeah, accurate episode.

KT

I found After Show Reacts, and she's a sweet kid, but I found her after show reactions... lacking. During the episode, sure, she makes some comments. But when it's over, she either gets really quiet, or just ends the video a lot of the time. I kinda need some downtime with my host after the ep. Tell me what you liked, disliked, etc. That's why I'm here, supporting Alley. She's nailing the reacts, pre-, post-, and during! She's a lot of fun!

Ed Badalucca

Well there's the surface socio-political metaphor with the fart and demon worship. But as with all Buffy I think the metaphors here are mostly about Buffy: her growing interest/desire for Angel. She’s having dreams about him she tells Willow. Her and Angel’s whole conversation at the start is about where this is going. Angel telling her she’s just a girl, Giles treating her like a kid as well. She’s feeling burdened and oppressed and wants to do what she thinks being an adult is: getting to do what you want. Here that means letting Cordelia talk her into going to a Frat party, having a drink, lying to Giles to get out of slayer responsibilities…..and this leaves to the aaahhhh on the nose lizard dildo that wants to devour her…..which she kills by cutting it off…..a bit on the nose or something. That’s what it means to me anyway.

Shashank

Because of the forgettability of the plot in this one, I've been confusing it for another S2 episode for the better part of 20 years.

Ed Badalucca

I was unaware of Dolly Parton's connection to the show. I Googled it and found this, which may be of interest to anyone else who didn't know already: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/90871/you-can-thank-dolly-parton-buffy-vampire-slayer Thanks, Heather, and thanks, Dolly Parton!

Drew Vogel

That's the thing about Buffy, even the worst episodes have some great character work or at least a nice moment or line.

Joemanji

Joss has a way of straddling that clever/stupid/cheesy line with a lot of his stuff. People try and make it one or the other (because human nature) but I like to think he's just putting it out there right in the middle to appeal to the average so both sides at least get the metaphor even if they think it's stupid and cheesy.

Lindsey Metcalfe

I read Buffy's bday is Dolly Parton's bday (obviously not the year), because of Dolly Parton's association with the show :) I just want all the grown men to maintain their social distancing from the 16yr old girl.....is that really too much to ask? LOL

SpikesEcho

I was seriously considering suggesting Alley think about getting a mod for Patreon comments as well after watching Liam Duke's latest. We're just so dang enthusiastic, and Alley's Patron count has skyrocketed this past few weeks, so it's going to get more and more difficult to keep an eye on each other for spoilers.

Lindsey Metcalfe

ive never really known what to make of the metaphors in this episode, a bunch of frat guys drugging girls to feed them to a giant...ahem...''serpent'' named ''makita'' a company that makes...ahem...''tools''. that's either really clever or really stupid and i can't decide which

TheSilverfinch

(I'm just keeping a running commentary as I watch) I love that you correctly got that it was a fat and second-guessed yourself because of the robes. Also your concern about drink safety is everything and I adore. And how Cordelia has grown on you is cute. That you're so amused by her bitchiness when you hated it so much to begin with. And Willow is a total cinnamon roll.

Lindsey Metcalfe

almost at the end of what I class the 'boring' part of s2 lol. I personally really enjoy the bulk of s2, but to me there are a few episodes (much we have already seen) that feel like s1 rejects/ tag-alongs lol. Ep2, 4,5 and a few others this season i definitely skip a lot. But i love all your reactions and seeing you're thoughts and emotions definitely lets me see episodes differently lol.

Holi117

classics, LoL, god i am old, 47, clasics to me is the black and white version of Lost in Space, oh time flies when you are old.

Damon Pearcy

Yeah, it's at the bottom of my pile - partly because it's cliched as hell, but I think mostly because the whole frat-sorrority thing is completely alien to UK viewers (outside of the context of stories about them, which are more or less all exactly like this) and because of the attitudes to drinking - which I'm not saying are right or wrong, but - well, - are sufficiently different in the UK to really not resonant well. Basically, what Xander and Buffy experienced in that frat house is about as familiar to UK viewers as what was going on with that water buffalo to them in that movie they were watching.

Dave Ford

Just spotted the comment about the fact that Alley has already watched the next one, so apologies if you only posted the 'yay can't wait for the next one' knowing this and wouldn't usually do it. The point still stands though.

Bonbon

No worries! It's sometimes really difficult not to comment with a "OMG you're gonna love episode x of season y" but I think most of us here are still behaving correctly with the spoilers. YT might be more of a problem.

DB

yes, i am fully aware about the Heisenberg's uncertainty principle on observation changes based on knowledge or perceived knowledge. i would love to have a chat with alley on psychology and stuff. thinking on it for now. will post something later.

Damon Pearcy

Hey, if that's the case - that's awesome! i think people expect reactors to spend patreon income on new camera's and shit - but you got your priorities straight.

Dave Ford

We'll see where it fits on your rundown of the whole season after you've finished watching them all. We're not being ruthless, just contextual :-)

Dave Ford

I think we tend to see a lot of those "bad" episodes through lenses of knowing the entire series already thus setting it up to much higher standards. But if a new fan enjoys them? Hell yes, that's even better!

DB

Glad you managed to watch the next episode before posting this - I'd STRONGLY recommend you keep at least one or two episodes ahead of these comments sections - even though your patreons are going to be better than the YT comment crowd (or, at least less deliberately evil), you will get over-enthusiastic fans gushing with excitement at what you're yet to post accidentally spoiling you.

Dave Ford

Re: Buffy's birhday.... Season One was a mid-season replacement which started in March 1997, so a good way to think about it is that it covered the second half of Buffy's sophomore year. And she was 16. We're now in the first half of her junior year, and she's still 16. At some point between now and the end of this season, she will turn 17. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

Drew Vogel

Yeah, my bad. Sorry!

Dave Ford

Fair enough - my bad. I've just seen Luke;s reaction to 'Seeing Red' get ruined by exactly this sort of non-specific hype.

Dave Ford

She already watched the next episode. She might not have liked it as much as me but I'm not hyping anything she hasn't seen ;)

DB

it is written in the description on this episode that she has already watched 2x6. so me hyping on it can't change her reactions to it. why i have not mentioned what future episodes i am waiting on.

Damon Pearcy

Angel's jealousy over nearly every guy in Buffy's orbit, including her own peers....guh, dude, you're a grown man. I cannot express how much I ADORE Giles in this ep!

SpikesEcho

There's a lot of new reactors ever since After Show Reacts fell in love with the show. I'm glad - it's been somewhat overlooked in the recent past. But 20 years on as good a time as any to get back into the classics.

Dave Ford

Oh don't - enough with the future hype.

Dave Ford

Stop hyping the next episode - you're literally helping to spoil the reaction.

Dave Ford

I don't know why this episode gets such a hard time tbh - yes, it's filler as far as the main plot goes but it's entertaining filler that still develops the overall characters and has the usual great interactions and scoobies / Giles greatness. Plus it fits well in to the high school / growing up / metaphor pot too. Just one observation on the comments - toning down the 'hey the next episode is great / can't wait for the next one' would be good. Not that this has happened in this instance but even saying someone is a favourite character when they first appear is a spoiler because then you know they will reappear later etc. The best way to watch a show for the first time is by knowing nothing about each episode beforehand, not going in to it knowing whether people love it or thinks it sucks!!

Bonbon

I don’t ever find a Buffy episode without something good on offer.

Koz

Although I may not have any overwhelming fondness for this episode, I am certainly not on board with people who think it’s the bottom of the barrel. A note: the original plan for this episode saw Machida reviving and grabbing the evil Tom. “Little something for the road” Machida would say before taking Tom back into the pit, followed by a chomping sound. I believe that it was cut for time.

Koz

verrrry true haha

Alley Box

@Inseriousity, I noticed that while editing!! did the costume department not get a script or something haha that was too funny

Alley Box

This is in the bottom teir of Buffy episodes for me. That being said bottom teir Buffy is still top teir TV overall

Rock and Roll Joe

finally got an upgrade thanks to patreon ✊🏻😌 haha

Alley Box

Also growing up watching Bollywood movies….it is hilarious watching everyone butcher a Bollywood movie plot. Some Buffy fans don’t like the really goofy campy episodes. I love the goofy campy stuff. I’m glad that’s not all Buffy is, but I’m also glad they can just be a bit silly and fun sometimes. It’s cool to see you enjoying the campiness of some of these episodes.

Shashank

LoL, a reaction video about a reaction video.

Damon Pearcy

glad you got a chair. if i sat on the floor as long as you have, my ass would fall a sleep.

Damon Pearcy

dangggg y'all r ruthless with this episode 😭

Alley Box

Willow's meltdown at angel and giles is always good value. It's the only thing about this episode I like. That and Cordelia telling Buffy the rules of the party "no black" and Buffy wears a black dress to the party lol

Inseriousity

Yep, next one is gonna be amazing. Season starts picking up the pace slowly.

Senfkrähe

I’m only watching this episode for your reaction, otherwise this one is a hard pass.

Ryan

it was due to Alley's influence i bet. found her a few days ago and didn't know reaction videos was a thing before now. i eagerly await her videos now.

Damon Pearcy

Has anyone noticed that Buffy jumped a whole bunch of spots on IMDB's Most Popular TV Shows chart? It's in the top 100 now, that's so awesome!

JuliaM

danggg was not expecting so many people to say this isn't one they like! I enjoy all the drama so I was about it lol and I also enjoyed the real world message of "never drink anything at a party that you don't see being made" haha

Alley Box

My least favorite episode of Buffy. I recall 0% redeeming factor in this. At least the season one episodes have a certain naive charm. I will still watch you react to it tonight to see if there is one scrap of goodness in the episode that I just don’t recall. You’ve made it past this one so it’s only uphill from here. There are a couple more that many fans don’t love, but they are still miles better than this one to me. Is this anyone else’s least fave in the whole series? (2-2 is pretty bad, but it still has that beautiful shot of the mom watching the old football tape. I was like, what is this achingly heartbreaking moment doing in this pile of horsecrap!?)

Richard Lucas

Honestly - this is the only Buffy episode I've never seen more than once - it's as meh as Buffy gets for me - but that means also there's going to be some great moments - probably with Queen C that I've completely forgotten - so looking forward to you reminding me of them! Loving these reactions.

Dave Ford

OH MY GODDDD that is amazing lmaoo

Alley Box

I'm a sucker for wholesome stories about frats that worship demons to maintain power, choosing the wrong girl to sacrifice and getting their s*** burned down. These are the heartwarming stories I need.

Shashank

I think the reactor failwhale34 described this episode as "alpha beta dildo" , which is pretty accurate

John Sturchio

OMG MY FAVOURITE EPISODE IS FINALLY HERE!!!! ....... nah, I think this one is stupid and pointless lol There's literally nothing memorable/interesting about it. At least IRYJ had introduction of Jenny. But yay for watching the next one! I love that one, can't wait :) Good luck moving!

DB

Oh good, next episode is the reaction video I want to see you on. And a few others in the future too

Damon Pearcy