"The Zeppo" REACTION - Buffy 3x13 Commentary (Early Access YouTube)
Added 2024-12-02 12:54:19 +0000 UTC
Comments
Hello! And don't worry at all, never any pressure 😊 glad to have you back!
Tyler Alexander
2024-12-15 22:04:45 +0000 UTCSuch a great reaction and love that you loved this episode. Yeah, Xander grows on us all but watching his growth and transformation in this episode is so epic.
Tanya TMS
2024-12-13 03:36:00 +0000 UTCsorry my sub lapsed for a couple of weeks. Behind on following videos. Look forward to catching up on Buffy and BCS. I think this is where I need to start. I missed a lot of content in 2 weeks. lol. But back.
Tanya TMS
2024-12-12 00:57:42 +0000 UTCGreat analysis as always! I love the character growth from Xander this episode 🙂
M C
2024-12-04 05:29:10 +0000 UTCAdditionally I do think it's not a completely fair parallel to compare Xander to a hypothetical victim-Faith: although I do think it's not ok behaviour from Faith it's clear that Xander wasn't under the impression that this was some kind of serious relationship - it was literally consensual but it was also truly consensual in the sense that Xander consented not just to the sex but to the situation as a whole, a one-night stand where he would lose his virginity. And although Faith didn't treat him nicely afterwards she also didn't ever give the impression that she was looking for anything other than satisfaction for herself. And lastly we do see Xander happy with his experience later on with his "I can't believe I had sex" comment - we don't get any sign of regret from him (Tyler obviously hadn't seen that at this point, but it is also easily inferable from what we know of Xander's personality). So while the description of "just taken Faith's virginity and kicked her out of the room in just a bedsheet" is literally true it paints the wrong impression because culturally we hope for people's first times to be tender moments with a loving partner who will continue to respect you afterwards. But the better analogy in this example would be if Xander told Faith he was horny, asked if she wanted to shag, she said yes, they had sex, and then he kicked her out to go and have a shower. Still not very kind and respectful behaviour, but not borderline-rapey as your comment makes it out to be.
Jack
2024-12-03 22:38:13 +0000 UTCUsually, I am not a big fan of Xander-centric episodes but this one is really good. I love how funny it is and, at the same time, how it allows Xander to grow as a character. It fits the general theme of the season while making fun of the show itself (particularly the melodramatic scene between Buffy and Angel). Good writing and good directing (love the choices of music). There is a lot a good lines in this one but I think my favorite is from Oz at the end when Xander asks if anyone wants to eat something: "Oddly full today." Yeah Oz, I wonder why^^ As usual I love your commentary and I'm glad you continue to enjoy the show. Take care of yourself.
Aurelius 19
2024-12-03 20:13:49 +0000 UTCGenuinely adore this episode. Inverting the A and B plots is such a fun concept, and it's one of the first Buffy episodes where it feels like the writers decided to take risks, poke fun at themselves a little and trust their audience would get what they were going for. Great commentary on how the show tackles masculinity as always! And I don't think I've ever seen anyone guess in advance that Xander wouldn't brag about saving them at the end. Such an important moment for his character growth.
Lucy
2024-12-03 09:57:20 +0000 UTCOh yeah, interesting to hear that other reactors have that sort of response. I mirror your feeling, we've had so much of that and Xander is a character that I've wanted character growth from for a long time to the point that the way this episode went was refreshing.
Tyler Alexander
2024-12-03 06:54:45 +0000 UTCThanks Millie 😊
Tyler Alexander
2024-12-03 06:53:19 +0000 UTCThanks! Yeah, I can clarify on that. I could have made a note there because you're right, the unceremonious pushing of Xander out isn't nice or okay in any context, and especially not considering it was someone's first time. My reaction to that was honestly just non-verbal acknowledgement of 'that's not great', and my initial response of 'well you had fun' was more a consoling comment motivated by 'okay that's not a great thing to have happened, remember that it was all consensual and that the act itself was something you wanted and enjoyed even if this is not a nice ending'. My comment wasn't intended to brush it away as okay by justifying it as 'well you had fun, right?' But I can absolutely see how it came across the way it did. Some things honestly I see and they're so obviously bad I don't always comment on them because I feel as if we all collectively agree it's not good (which wasn't a conscious thing by the way because I think it's still worth calling these things out, but that's why it slipped by me without comment in the moment), but I appreciate my first comment leading from that gives the impression my opinion sways otherwise. My bad 😅
Tyler Alexander
2024-12-03 06:47:35 +0000 UTCReally excellent commentary, as usual, Tyler. However- and please correct me if you feel I am wrong here- considering your awareness of the perceptions of masculinity/toxic masculinity in this episode as well as in other Buffy episodes I was a little surprised by your reaction to the Faith/Xander scene. Yes, Xander was being placed in a submissive role and Faith clearly had the power there, but when she very unceremoniously kicked him out, your reaction was, "Well, but you had fun, right?". Imagine if that situation had been flipped and Xander- or any other person- had just taken Faith's virginity and kicked her out of the room in just a bedsheet. Would you have had the same reaction? Of course the scene is a product of its time and it is all played for laughs. And I do agree that in the end, this episode is all about Xander growing up a bit and "becoming a man" so I get the underlying message. But seeing it through 2024 eyes, I feel Xander deserved better than "But you had fun, right?" On a separate note, I've always thought Buffy's hair was different in this episode because we are seeing everything from Xander's point of view. Perhaps this more wild-haired Buffy is what Xander prefers, or is more representative of how he sees her, a bit more tousled and sexy.
StephanieB
2024-12-03 04:13:07 +0000 UTCNever been a fan of this episode, but I love your analysis of it
Zach Davis
2024-12-02 23:56:16 +0000 UTCThis is one of my favorite episodes to watch people react to! We've had bizarro episodes before, but nothing told completely from another POV than Buffy's. I love that from Xander's POV, the show makes fun of itself with how melodramatic everything is between Buffy and Angel lol And I love that while Xander plays out this whole thing that no one will ever know about, the Scoobies are doing the same and the world will never know about their fight. It's a neat parallel. I'm very excited about your thoughts on the rest of the season from this point on. Well, I'm always excited for your thoughts lol. But particularly because of some things you've said along the way. The next arc is one of my favorite in all of Buffy.
Jennifer McIntyre
2024-12-02 23:50:42 +0000 UTCExcellent video as always! Glad you enjoyed the comedic moments and character growth. Am really looking forward to seeing your reaction to 3x14, that one marks a big shift in the series!
Millie H
2024-12-02 19:35:12 +0000 UTCYeah, this is one of my favorite eps. I’m a card-carrying Xander Hater (TM) but he gets excellent solo episodes, and he shines in this one with some much needed self-confidence. You can see that the writers room is already tired of the traditional “Buffy episode” formula and they’re ready to spoof themselves. The Bangel melodrama in particular gets me every time, the tone changes are just so funny as Xander pops in and out with his cheeky little violin music. I’ve seen reactors complain that they wanted to see the apocalypse, which I kinda don’t get. We’ve seen that story already, multiple times at this point, so flipping the A and B plots is a really clever and interesting idea to me.
FandomReferenceHere
2024-12-02 17:24:30 +0000 UTCI knew this episode would be ripe for some commentary on masculinity from you - excellent analysis, thank you!
Jack
2024-12-02 14:09:33 +0000 UTC
