8: "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" (BTVS S2E16)

[00:00:00] Hm?

[00:00:01] Ah!

[00:00:02] Oh.

[00:00:03] One can't speak alone.

[00:00:12] Now and at last.

[00:00:15] Buff, give me a heart attack.

[00:00:17] Oh.

[00:00:18] I'm gonna give you more than that.

[00:00:21] Buff.

[00:00:22] For the love of God.

[00:00:24] Don't open that raincoat.

[00:00:26] Come on.

[00:00:27] It's a party. I know what his heart wants. Funny. I know what your face wants. What is this? You're two-timing me? God is heckity worked I will. Uh-oh. Before thee let thee unclean think cross. What? I'm sorry.

[00:01:40] I'm sorry.

[00:01:42] I'm sorry.

[00:01:44] I'm sorry. 10th, 1998, just in time for Valentine's Day. Yes, just in time. I have a new sound effect for us to bring us back to the 90s for the events of the time. Oh my God.

[00:03:01] I love that.

[00:03:06] I thought you'd like that. That's fantastic. at the time, a former teacher violated her probation by seeing 14-year-old father of her baby. She was sentenced to seven years in prison. I'm sure everybody who was alive during this time remembers that case. How can you forget?

[00:04:20] It was not as big as the Lewinsky-Clinton scandal,

[00:04:24] but it was That's My Boy by Adam Sandler that came out in 2012. It was kind of a pretty similar situation to the Mary Kay Lauterno situation.

[00:05:42] I'll tell you, I know we've made a I was like, my brain is broken right now. I was just like, X is 10 V and then all the then you had to subscribe to a service like America Online Comp you serve It was it was just a really different setup. There was dial-up modems

[00:08:24] You had to listen to the horrible scratchy noise and it was expensive sixth grade, so that was good. That is so funny. I love that so much. And poor just Xander getting himself into trouble with love. Joyce, Joyce gets an interesting contribution in this one.

[00:12:26] But it's just, it really, you know, Allison Hannigan has an amazing ability to make you feel sorry for her. Like it's like the tiniest facial expression. And then you're like, don't hurt my Willow. Like she's just such a little like sweet little cute baby in the early seasons.

[00:13:44] You know, later she she gets she gets stronger. And all of that in the episode really just emphasizes how fricking young they are. Like these are teenagers dealing with this mess and it's definitely messy. Harmony and her little pack of mean girls are not subtle at all, right? Like they don't just say like snide comments to Cordelia.

[00:15:03] They come right out and are like, you dated Xander

[00:15:07] so we're making fun of you. for him. Oh sweet. She had to go and like pretend to get it out of her locker when it's actually around her neck. And I remember, you know, in the forums and stuff, like discussions about this episode theories that the reason it didn't actually work on Cordelia is because she was already in love with Sand a lot of subtle stuff. You know, he's the comic relief, it's often physical comedy, but he got a few moments in this episode that were really fantastic and that he sold with really small movements.

[00:17:42] My favorite, of course, is the scene

[00:17:45] when he comes to Buffy when something is going in her life going wrong, or even with Willow,

[00:19:02] he's gentle and patient.

[00:19:04] And with Xander, he is like, you idiot.

[00:19:08] Like, just. surprising at all, that given access to the dark arts, he would use it for something petty and stupid. And as a teenage boy, like, I don't like your average teenage boy in that situation, I just wonder how many would make that same choice or girl, vice versa.

[00:20:21] But the fact that he at first wanted to do episode and from this instance. It sticks with him, I think throughout. That's not really a huge spoiler. It sticks with him throughout the seasons. He remembers what happened here. And I had better with how it turned out,

[00:21:42] but I just, I like that Giles reacts the way he does

[00:22:42] All I can think is, she's the Slayer. She could kill you so easily.

[00:22:45] And when she hits Amy, I'm like, is Amy still alive?

[00:22:49] Like, I know.

[00:22:52] It's like somebody needs to go make sure she's okay.

[00:22:54] Cause like angry Buffy is not good.

[00:22:57] It's not like any other angry teeny tiny little girl.

[00:23:01] Angry Buffy is scary.

[00:23:04] I do love, like there are a couple of moments

[00:23:07] that made me really happy. And then she looks, she's like, have you been working out? And Nicholas Brendan does this like little head tilt, like points at her and like looks at Giles. Like, do you see what I mean? And that's what Giles is like, oh, I 100% see what's going on. Like he completely gets it. And Robia Lamort is so funny.

[00:24:21] She's like, she turns into this like girlish little thing.

[00:24:26] And she like, somehow she looks more petite

[00:24:28] than she even is. like, I've been in your bed before. He's like, yeah, but we were both in footy pajamas. This is not the same. And when she starts sucking on his ear. It's so great. I was like, oh no. And then he says something like, don't make me force you, or something like that. And she's like, oh, force is good. Yeah. It cracks me up every time.

[00:25:42] Because it's the last thing you expect innocent,

[00:25:45] little bunny face willow to say. And when you say like, can you get me some clothes? He's like, I could do that. He understands too. Like he's full on. Yeah, he's been there. Been there. But it is true. Like Oz, that's one thing I think I love about Oz is that he is just so non-threatening as a guy. Like you just kind of inherently trust him

[00:27:03] and that makes me happy.

[00:27:04] It's his inner calm.

[00:27:05] I kind of feel that way episode that focuses on somebody else. And that's going to become more common in future seasons.

[00:28:20] We'll get more of those.

[00:28:22] Well, it's just, I don't know quality of the show just like ramps up solidly to the end of season two. And then it's just, it's high after that. It's just a high level of quality. It almost feels like a different show.

[00:29:41] Like not entirely, but once you have that

[00:29:44] Angelus storyline introduced, it's, I don't know.

[00:30:46] He can't walk, he's stuck in a chair, and he has to literally sit there and watch Angel just like tromp all over his relationship.

[00:30:49] Right?

[00:30:50] And Angel is clearly enjoying himself so much.

[00:30:56] He's like, ha ha ha, I can pick on Spike again today.

[00:31:01] And the Valentine's, oh, I haven't decided what to get her yet for Valentine's Day. And Spike is like, why don't you rip her lungs out? That makes a statement. And Angel says, oh, it lacks poetry. And Spike, this is why I love Spike. Oh, it doesn't have to.

[00:32:20] What rhymes with lungs?

[00:32:22] Yes.

[00:32:23] He's just like, focus on Buffy, Angel.

[00:32:26] Like, stop it. And it's the same thing with Buffy, like he knows what makes her tick and what will get to her. And it's just all the parallels that they draw in this episode make me happy. I will say too, I think it's also very clear that one of the true examples of love that we get is the way Spike is towards Drusilla.

[00:33:45] I agree. It's like as beautiful as it can be given who they are. And then later when Drusilla falls for the spell, right? Oh my gosh. And she's gonna, she offers Xander eternal life. And I love that Angel is like, what is happening? He's so confused.

[00:35:00] He's like, Drew, is this a game?

[00:35:03] I don't know what you're doing.

[00:35:04] Like he's like, what?

[00:35:06] It's still one of my favorite parts of the episode. And she's, you know, like all loving on him and calling him kitten. And he just looks so terrified. She's like, see Xander, this is why you don't mess with love spells. Yeah, no kidding.

[00:36:20] Oh, my God.

[00:36:22] It's so great.

[00:36:23] And then when all the girls like when things that Angel has done in the past. So Buffy's prepared and he's like, oh, here's another one. He's like, ah, yes, Angel nails a puppy too. Then she's like, skip it, skip it.

[00:37:40] Like don't have a puppy, don't wanna know.

[00:37:43] I was like, yes, please don't finish.

[00:37:45] None of us wanna know what happened there.

[00:37:47] That just sounds awful. still the way they frame it, it ends up being a hilarious exchange. That's why I love this show. And Giles, Giles had some good moments in this one. Like when was it when he goes up to Buffy and says, might I have a word? And she's like, have a sentence even. And when it clicks for him and he just kind of giggles and he's like, the priest signed a letter from your Valentine to his jailer's daughter, whom he had befriended, and by some accounts he also had healed her from blindness. Other accounts say that it's St. Valentine of Terny, who was a bishop. It's also possible that those two Valentines were the same person.

[00:40:22] This is how history goes. It's a little vague when it gets back to the, you know, Canada, Australia, and Argentina, France, Mexico, and South Korea. In the Philippines, it is the most common wedding anniversary and there are mass weddings of hundreds of couples on that date. According to both the New York Times and History.com,

[00:41:42] another possible origin for the holiday

[00:41:44] was is the ancient pagan festival, Lupercalia sounds a little bit more like what

[00:43:02] the hellmouth would bring us for Valentine's day.

[00:43:06] I'm gonna, I think fuck with the hellmouth. Like just don't do it. It never ends well. And even like poor Amy's telling him like, uh, Xander, like, that's not a good idea. Your intentions have to be pure and he was

[00:44:20] like, they're, they're pure, pure revenge. Like, I know what I want. And even Buffy makes a roofie reference to Xander when talking about Cordelia. She's like, she loved you before you invoked the great roofie spirit. Yeah. And I was like, well, that's pretty appropriate. Because, you know, in this situation, nothing happened that. Good man. Like that's, the bar is so low for men. It is. Oh shoot, sorry Daryl. I almost knocked Mrs. Darryl Dixon off my shoulder because I was getting so worked up about Santa. There are-

[00:47:01] But it's true.

[00:47:02] There are other Love Potion movies obsession or actually being obsession. But, you know, it's been around forever and looking the English major in me was remembering different times. I, you know, read about it. And the first thing that popped into my head was some of the versions of Tristan and his old involve the use of a love potion,

[00:48:23] Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare, there's a love makes me think that the writers of this episode were at least subconsciously aware of that connection. Yeah. I think they were aware because this is the same season where we had Reptile Boy, you know, with actual roofing. Yes. That's true. And the fact that Xander doesn't take advantage of any of these women is, you know, mildly

[00:49:47] commendable. And she did such a good job in this episode. Yeah. Which of course leads to her wonderful sheep speech. Yes. She basically declares her independence from the ridiculous shenanigans of popularity in high school. She's like, oh my god, this is all about conformity

[00:51:03] and following and your gatekeeping.

[00:51:08] Who's cool? things. And this is just part of that growth where she's like, oh my God, like this high school hierarchy garbage is just, it's just temporary. And it it's pointless. And it doesn't mean anything. And I don't need to participate in any more if I don't want to. And I think it takes most women until they're

[00:52:20] like 45 before they can confidently be like, I don't

[00:52:25] care what you think about me. And my God. There's something about the number. It's really liberating. I when I turned 50, I expected to be sad or something or feel like, you know, oh, I'm halfway through life and I haven't accomplished everything I thought I would accomplish.

[00:53:41] No, none of that.

[00:53:41] All I felt was like, you know what?

[00:53:43] I am done trying to meet society's expectations for women.

[00:53:48] I just was like, I'm done with that. political figures because TikTok is one of those places where there's a free exchange of ideas and you know you can think what you want about TikTok but depending on your algorithm I see all sorts of fantastic you know who do, you know, photo shoots where they don't allow any airbrushing or no makeup, oh my God, the no makeup ones. And it's just like, yeah, huge. That is what a woman actually looks like. And it's so empowering in this like era of, you know,

[00:56:22] super contouring makeup and filters and all this like like a Cordelia rewatch or a Faith rewatch, or there's like sometimes different characters grab my attention in different ways. It's kind of funny, I feel like because of the podcast now I'm sort of on a, I'm back to Buffy as my character that I'm the most focused on. Like I've gone full circle around through all the other characters

[00:57:40] and now I'm really focused on Buff.

[00:57:42] Even if I try to give equal,

[00:57:45] because I'd never really focused on Buffy that much before, It cracks me up. Yeah, it's really funny. He's just so surprised. Like, well, didn't do that right. Oops. I mean, at the beginning of the episode, there's that moment in the classroom where he's joking about or talking about how he's not going to get an F on the paper. He's going to get a D minus, and he's happy about it.

[00:59:02] And it's so funny that Xander is constantly

[00:59:05] sort of portrayed as being pretty dumb. smart who knows everything and remembers everything and is a hacker somehow. He doesn't seem dumb, but he definitely is not school smart if he's getting a D-minus and he's happy about it. Oh, Xander. That was one part two that kind of bugged me when Amy kind of looks back and forth around

[01:00:25] the room real quick. somebody asked me what five things I would take from any given universe, that would be a good one. Everything about Doctor Who, I would love to have a TARDIS, that thing is awesome. And a sonic screwdriver, even though sometimes I'm not entirely sure what it actually does. Everything, it does everything. Yep. It's still fun.

[01:01:41] Somehow makes fish fingers and custard maybe taste good together.

[01:01:47] Today is Matt Smith's birthday, so. a classic Buffy line of the way she words things and the way she puts emphasis on things. It's so cute and clever. And it cracks me up every time. And I always wanna say it. And nobody ever asks me the question in exactly the right way.

[01:03:01] So that I can like organically come out with,

[01:03:03] believe me when I say, uh-huh.

[01:03:06] That is a good line. exact puffy heart necklace. I still have it. It's in my it's in my bedroom. That's so cool. It's very 90s. puffy hearts were really big at the end of the 90s. I had that what was that the little cami pajama the like baby blue pajama top that Buffy came out in when she was watching

[01:04:22] a movie. Oh, with like, it. "'Men are not a new sensation. "'I've done pretty well, I think. "'But this half-pint imitation put me on the blink. "'I'm wild again, beguiled again, "'a simpering, whimpering child again. "'Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I.'"

[01:05:40] Nice.

[01:05:40] Half-pint imitation, that comes up again later in the song.

[01:05:45] It's like he's. Speaking of music, I can start going into notes.

[01:07:06] Just to tip it. little boy. Yeah, that's oh my god. So terrified. So funny. And then when he has the realization that Joyce is coming on to him and she starts talking about like, you know, hot chocolate and like rubbing his back and he just slams his head on the table. Yeah. It's like, yeah, the sounds better, right? Look, he's exhausted.

[01:08:21] It's a really funny moment because, you know, he thinks vengeance against her will somehow make him cool. It won't. Like everyone else in the school is still gonna pick on you because they think you're dork. Like that's not gonna change it, but. I'm sure it's all so weird. Like, I don't know. And I don't know what other high schools were like

[01:09:42] or how typical my high school experience was,

[01:09:45] but I don't recall anybody ever like making fun wants her to be humiliated and feel the pain and hurt that he felt. And she's like, damn, man, like that could not be less pure in your intention for this love spell. That is intense. It's unclear if he ever explains that to Cordy because when she finds out that

[01:11:02] the spell was supposed to be for her, I think she interprets it as because

[01:11:07] he wanted her back. Brendan because you can see it. He's like, what, huh? Oh, oh, no. Oh, that means. Oh, no. Like he's little by little. This grief. And then and then he's like, now I don't know what to do. It's it's really it's really sad. But it's sad because we know how much he

[01:12:21] like, quote unquote, loves Buffy and how Buffy is still essentially

[01:12:25] apparently his first choice. to be like, she's only interested in me as part of a weird traumatic experience. Oh gosh. Oh, Xander. Yeah. I also really enjoyed when Angel was about to bite him and he's like, if it's any consolation, I feel really close to you now.

[01:13:42] And I was like, actually that's worse.

[01:13:44] Xander hates you. who are convinced. You know what? Good on them. Have your theory. And there was, and still is not enough bisexual representation on TV. So you gotta find it where you can until that time that there is enough representation. It's definitely becoming more common,

[01:15:01] but not like it needs to be.

[01:15:03] Yeah.

[01:15:05] And especially not in 1998.

[01:15:07] No.

[01:15:07] That's for the film.

[01:16:28] Man, if you had told me when we started talking that we would be like, Alpert, every time they show that to me. I had a friend with that last name in law school, so it already was always jumping out at me. Nice. Also, Sky One in the UK pulled Buffy from its schedule after this episode and replaced it with Third Rock from the Sun. And it was almost a year before Buffy was shown

[01:17:43] in the UK again and people were able to catch up

[01:17:46] on the rest of season two.

[01:17:48] Yeah, bummer. Argentina in 2005. Just like, you know, I always like to watch a little bit of TV when I'm in a foreign country, because I like to get the flavor of it. So, you know, I would flip channels and I'd be like, oh my God, Buffy, and I'd watch a little bit and then be like, this is ridiculous. I don't speak French. I'm gonna go out and see Paris some more.

[01:19:01] But when I was in Argentina, I was working on my Spanish

[01:19:04] and I do speak some Spanish.

[01:19:05] So I was able to of what I think are the great things about Buffy. So I think I might know your answer to Does It Still Slay?

[01:20:23] It definitely still slays. Our first bit of listener feedback is from Facebook and it's Jolene Abbey. She said, I love this one. Bit of foreshadowing with Amy turning Buffy into the rat and good for Cordelia at the end. This was a huge turning point for her character. Totally agree.

[01:21:40] Absolutely.

[01:21:41] It's when Cordelia cements herself as one of the Scoobies too.

[01:21:46] She's like, I'm chosen.

[01:21:47] I'm in this group. We'll see if he does. That would be excellent. It'd be really great. So curious. We got a couple of voicemails from Anwen and Steve. Hey, Scoobies, it's Anwen. I loved your episode last week. Jim's enthusiasm is infectious. It was really fantastic.

[01:23:01] And I just love how all of these episodes in season two

[01:23:05] are kind of setting up's Angel and he's supposedly good, but all that behaviour we've talked about before

[01:24:22] about not listening to her and just being kind of all into her, live Steve of it but the live Steve was like got into like the four minute five minute I won't send those because that's way too long for you to play um but anyway um gosh this this episode I love it it's so great there's so many things in this episode that I mean yes it's

[01:25:43] episodically it's contained in just this episode but there's so many so many things going on that his character remained that strength. He had that strength, that valor, that valor, that honor throughout the entire series, really, if you look at it and not swell anything. But yeah, so that's the main thing for me is we see that Xander's core character doesn't change.

[01:27:04] And I love that about him, the loyalty, of the time period. And he says a lot of problematic stuff, but his actions are typically heroic, right? We talked about this in Innocence, where he goes up to Angel to rescue Willow and the way that he just will dive in all the time

[01:28:20] to save Buffy without regard for his own safety.

[01:28:24] He is a very heroic interested in that perspective. I agree. I think that would be great. And we should definitely invite Steve to come on. That is the end of the main section of the podcast. Stay tuned if you want to hear the spoilery discussion.

[01:29:42] And if you'd like to join the conversation so I can listen to them because I've only seen the first two seasons. Oh, but they're not being spoiler free. Yeah, so you listen. Okay, that makes me feel better. I'm gonna go download all their episodes now. But I have still been listening to all of Strange think their coverage of Haunting of Hill House is what made me really kind of fall in love with and appreciate Mike Flan want to miss that one. It's a very light episode, really fluffy, nothing really happens. Yeah, super light. Yeah, very light. Thanks everyone and remember, your face is a poem. I can read it.

[01:33:44] Really? It doesn't say spare me by any chance?

[01:33:47] Shh! Hi, it's me again. I forgot to say in the last voicemail that I left, how funny it was to watch Buffy coming on to Xander. It was hilarious. But the funniest part to me was Jenny, and the way that she kind of looks at him when she first comes in to talk to Giles,

[01:35:00] and then she's distracted by him.

[01:35:01] She does this double take.

[01:35:03] So hilarious. I just loved it.

[01:35:05] Also on Jenny, of the plot later with Willow. Really love to see that in this episode as well. Okay, that's bye again from me. Bye. Bye, Anwen. Thank you for two voicemails, which is awesome. Yeah. Yeah, Jenny's character, Jenny's storyline honest about his past or his past experiences. And then, you know, she does try to convince Angel to get out of town and leave. But I don't think that is completely out of line. And, you know, she's raised as a child to,

[01:38:44] I guess that makes me feel a little better because for whatever reason, this rewatch in particular, it's just been bugging me a little bit more.

[01:38:48] Interesting.

[01:38:49] I'm just like, can't you see where she's coming from?

[01:38:52] But it does, you know, Buffy is his priority.

[01:38:56] Yeah.

[01:38:57] So I can see that.

[01:38:58] And but you know, the effect on Buffy was so devastating.

[01:39:04] So devastating that anyone who had any attachment to it happening, Buffy just- I wonder if it's because the most like I hadn't watched rewatch Buffy in a while, but I had rewatched Angel Last year and for some reason like I just started thinking about Connor's storyline and Connor Spoilers for Angel. Yeah, by the way, but you know Connor being raised to hate Angel

[01:40:21] Yeah, I was just like well Ginny didn't And it's like this frantic need to run away. So this is not the last time Xander will resort to magic regarding his love life. He very stupidly repeats almost this exact mistake in season six,

[01:41:40] but we forgive him because it resulted in the musical episode,

[01:41:45] which is brilliant. That is such a good episode. It's just, ugh. It's so funny. And it's another episode that has very little of Buffy in it. There's just a few little moments with Buffy, and the rest of it is all Xander. I love the way that episode is structured, how it goes in and out of this other story. But it's just so clever.

[01:43:01] So funny.

[01:43:02] It's really good.

[01:43:02] And it has Michael Cudlitz in it, who later becomes a beloved Nicholas Brendan carries those episodes excellently. He really does. Even the pack. Oh, I love the pack. Yeah. He's got great comedic timing. He's just, he's so good at what he does. He's just too good looking to be such a dork in high school.

[01:44:25] It's hard to believe that ha, ha. So that's why I dated my little bit of rebellion was dating a skater in high school. But he was also in GT with me. So that didn't really have as Such a great episode. That is a fantastic episode. It kind of combined my like, you know, elementary school, middle school, which has continued into adulthood obsession with the Salem Witch Trials and my love for Buffy.

[01:47:02] And the fact that poor Amy is going to use that spell again that turned Buffy into a

[01:47:08] rat.