Witch
Original Airdate: March 17,
1997
Writer: Dana Reston
Director:
Stephen Cragg
As
the show shifts beyond the introductory phase, there had to be more to face
Buffy than just vampires, as that would've gotten stale quick. So this episode
would be a good time to show that there's more than
bloodsuckers to contend with on the Hellmouth. It's
fitting to have the first episode not about vampires (or to feature any
vampires) be about witchcraft, because that has a growing role in the show,
especially from season two forward.
It
certainly reveals a lot about Giles. Judging by his ease in performing the
spell to reverse the "Freaky Friday" curse, especially as he dunks
his hands in boiling water, he has some history with magic and witchcraft. He
also seems a little too thrilled to know that there are other problems besides
vampires facing them. There is a lot more to this supposedly proper Englishman
than we initially thought.
Buffy,
as is common with teenagers, is trying to live a normal life, but she has to
deal with her chosen status. Becoming a cheerleader is a good example of what
she would do to get that. However, as is always the case, she can't escape who
she is, so there is evil activity amongst the cheerleaders, like fate
intervened and used her desire to be normal to send her directly to the threat.
Some
parents live vicariously through the achievements of their children. From
disturbing stage and beauty pageant moms to parents who get so wrapped up in
their kids' sports games that they beat each other up over little infractions.
This episode is a literal example of this, as Catherine lives in her daughter's
body while Amy is trapped in her mother's body at their home (wonder if there
is a father anywhere or what they do for money?) It's like "Freaky
Friday", only disturbing.
Amy
(or Catherine) is clearly emotionally abused. It wouldn't be hard to believe
Amy has an eating disorder considering how militant Catherine is over her body
size and even the smallest fluctuation. In addition, her mother must constantly
berate her about how she'll never come close to what she accomplished. This
need to be perfect is very unsettling.
This
episode focuses on parental pressure with parallels between Buffy & Joyce
and Amy & Catherine. Obviously there are major problems between the
witches. On the other hand, Joyce is faring better, although work and the
friction over the trouble Buffy's gotten into distract her. She accepts that
she won't be able to understand Buffy because she is a teenager. With
Catherine, she'd rather lock her daughter away and live life as a teenager
again.
Some
elements of this episode got on my nerves. For example, they need more cheers,
and the ones they have are lame. "Go Sunnydale
Go!" repeated constantly during the re-reversal scene? Even a "2, 4,
6, 8" variation would've been an improvement. I know, they're cheers, it's
not supposed to be Mozart, but they couldn't think of a couple catchy rhyming
lines?
Second
would be the obvious way the gang tried to out Amy as the witch. It is
especially bad when Buffy gets a sample of Amy's hair. The only way Buffy
could've been more obvious is if she yanked out Amy's hair. Couldn't she have
done something distracting like bump into her or ask her to look elsewhere
while she,
Buffy's
behavior is rather inconsistent (was Catherine too upset to focus on that
spell?) after she is bewitched. She goes from being annoyingly perky to
intoxicated, but occasionally emerges from this stupor to help reveal the
truth. The other curses are consistent (although Cordelia's
eyes don't go white until after Buffy saves her from the truck), but it isn't
clear what exactly Catherine did to Buffy's state of mind.
On
the line of inconsistencies, Cordelia seems a lot
chummier now than last episode, where she was rather nasty to the gang. This is
likely caused by the writer not knowing the characters (which, to be fair can
be a little pompous to say a few years after both Buffy and Angel went off the
air). I guess her reversal of behavior, if it is explainable, is out of her
gratitude, albeit reluctant, of having Buffy saving her from Luke.
For
someone who has spent a year or so slaying, she is rather naïve as far as love
is concerned, or at least Xander's affections. The
"Yours Always" bracelet should be pretty telling to anyone about Xander's feelings. Unfortunately, Buffy sees him as a
friend, and dismisses his advances as just being friendly. Of course, telling a
guy he's "one of the girls" is going to crush him. This episode
could've been a good place to put in Angel with the tension between them, but
he is absent, much to the ladies' (and gay men's) dismay.
Many
the flaws in this episode could be explained because of the novelty of the show
and that the writer just wasn't as familiar with the characters or premise as
the more established writers would become in the future. Dana Reston wouldn't
write anymore episodes, but I doubt that is because of the episode's mediocre
effort. It is early in the series, and mistakes like this can happen. It is not
a bad episode, just forgetable.
Score: 5/10