Out of Mind, Out of
Sight
Original Airdate: May 19,
1997
Writers: Ashley Gable and
Thomas A. Swyden
Story: Joss Whedon
Director:
Reza Badiyi
As
the season winds down, the writers finally decide to shed some light on Cordelia, the least developed of the lead cast. Her
function so far has been to personify what is keeping the gorgeous Buffy from
being one of the most popular kids in school. This episode fleshes out her
character, while giving her a reason to become a member, albeit reluctant, of
the soon to be dubbed Scooby Gang (a title perhaps hinted with
Like
the previous episode, this episode touches upon Buffy's past. Before her
calling, Buffy wasn't that different from Cordelia.
Had she moved earlier, she would've likely been among the Cordettes
like Harmony. This episode is much like a bookend to Buffy and Cordelia's initial meeting in the pilot, addressing some
elements that haven't been mentioned much since they occurred.
Cordelia wouldn't be one to forget Buffy accidentally attacking her,
and that is the incident that would've put Buffy on Cordelia's
bad side for a long time otherwise. However, this episode shows her that there
is a lot more to this town than she ever realized,
which places what Buffy did in a different context. Of course, Buffy saving her
from being mutilated appeals to her sense of vanity.
It's
remarkable to see these early episodes of vain Cordelia,
knowing what is in store for her in future episodes. Her maturity is one of the
more rewarding character arcs, and this episode is the first step in that.
While she is beautiful and popular, she is lonely because her friends don't
offer anything substantial for her or care for anything besides what their
status will become by hanging out with her. She only maintains this role out of
fear of being alone.
While
"Buffy" is a show about social misfits, Marcie is in another league
as far as alienation goes. It’s never specific why she is such an outcast.
Perhaps because Clea DuVall
(of Carnivale fame), doesn't resemble a supermodel.
Being a band geek isn't going to help her much either. It still doesn't explain
why she is more reclusive than Xander or
Whatever
the reason, we knew, so to speak, someone like that from high school.
Invisibility is a perfect to the point of cliché metaphor for the person who
feels like no one notices them. This concept can be corny if it isn't delivered
properly, which is common when the villain is invisible. It can be hard for
them not to make it look like someone is clearly not there. They pull it off
rather well, not focusing too heavily on special effects.
One
of the underdeveloped elements from this episode comes from Buffy trying to
focus her powers so that she doesn't need to see her opponents to attack them.
This could've been a good point to feature more prominently, as it makes a big
point in the climactic showdown. However, the climax was well done anyway,
using the slow motion rather well.
Of
course, Marcie as a secret assassin is as odd as it is a cute epilogue for the
story. It doesn't appear to help that her textbook is nothing more than Beatles
lyrics with the title phrase changed (OK, that was an
Easter egg). Like many of the early episodes, this one is another sampler
piece, likely to appeal to fans of "The X-Files", the most popular
sci-fi show on when "Buffy" came on. Beside that, it makes sense that
the government would want to learn about supernatural occurrences in hopes of
using it for their objectives, but we wouldn't see much of that until later.
Angel's
appearance in this episode may be a bit detached from the main plot, but it
does offer hints to what will come in the finale. The Prophecy plays a crucial
role, and in this episode, we learn a bit more about vampire mythology, like
that they don't have to breathe and they can't cast a reflection. The first one
plays a big part in him rescuing Giles,
This
episode is another piece of theme episodes that feature throughout the first
season, before they started the overarching stories of future seasons. It is
the start of Cordelia's main arc, as well as bringing
in elements from The Master arc into fruition for the finale.
Score: 7/10