same hairstyle too. I think the reason why was 'cause the original was a stunt woman and not an actress, either that or she was busy with another stunt job to be cast again.
Some of the highest Spuffy moments in this episode. >Giles telling Buffy "your feelings for him are coloring your judgement" >Buffy saying "Why does everyone in this house think I'm still in love with Spike?" >Her conversation in the hallway with Spike about her date. >Buffy telling Spike "I'm not ready for you to not be here" Just cute moments.
During the scene of 'Jonathan' talking to Andrew, I got the impression that the First would be fine with Andrew killing Willow/Giles/etc., but that promising him that they weren't targets was just to get Andrew to agree to help
The reveal of exactly which Slayer was Robin’s mom is SO much fun. It’s such a great twist, and a great way to play with how Spike deals with his 100+ years of mayhem and murder; most of his victims are long dead, but here’s someone he hurt decades ago that wants revenge for it.
@@Henrik_Holst that's probably why. either that, or they weren't able to cast her again. as a stunt woman, she was probably busy with another stunt job.
@@HelloXrancidkitteh did some research and it turns out that casting though that she had aged to much visually to be able to play Nikki again at the age she was back then.
According to the canon comics, Nikki was 18 when she was pregnant (during her Cruciamentum). Then she was killed when Robin was 4 so that would make her 22 at the time of her death.
An odd question, but are there any existing comics after Season 12? I've got the library editions of all of 7 through 12, but haven't seen anything from Dark Horse or Boom. Thanks for any insight!
@@lilywong9672 "that would make her 22 at the time of her death."Which is pretty old for a Slayer. I mean...she lived...as much as Buffy(during the show)?🤔
The beginning of the Buffy/Angel started...when she was 15 and he physically 26. He admits he fell for her when she was 15 and started stalking her. That's with a soul. This is my issue with a ton of this fandom, like yes what Spike did was bad...but literally none of the other options are good either. It feels hypocritical to continuously judge him so harshly and ignore the actions of everyone else.
Or when Willow violated Taras mind with that forget spell when they had a fight knowing what she went through with her family and after what Glory did to her, and it was obvious that she did it more than once since she already had that spell on hand with the specific flower. Or when Xander tried to assault Buffy when he was possessed by the hyenas. Or when Xander did that love spell.
Okay, this is where Giles' character this season starts to become a bit off for me. He's worried about the First using Spike to attack everyone now that the chip is gone...except the chip didn't activate when he was under its control anyway. So frankly, removing the chip in this situation is a moot point. Buffy is wrong in that the soul alone will keep Spike from hurting people because he's already been controlled with a soul. Neither of their arguments hold up in this situation. It feels like a weak attempt at brewing tension when neither of them are paying attention to any of what they already know--because both of these things are known to the characters at this point.
As well as I know 'still in love' was Sarah MG adding to the line. Script should have 'in love' but seems like her inner voice unconsciously remade it into 'still'☺️
23:00 - Ah, Wood is so pretty, so I'll allow it 😉. Plus, we can say retroactively that he was introduced as a potential love interest in the beginning of the season. Their first interactions did have a cutesy, rom-com feel to them, saying the wrong thing, getting a bit awkward.
How many people, I wonder, recognize DB Woodside in one of his other famous roles before this one? To me, he is always Robin Wood before Wayne Palmer or Amenidel.
Let's do the list Preying Mantis Lady Inca Mummy Girl Cordy Willow Car Girl Faith Anya Ashanti Demon Other than during the love spell gone awry the only women attracted to Xander that weren't and never became evil are Dawn and the woman whose ex-boyfriend was a big worm.
@@marekkozub8957 Faith went so evil. Not entirely sure about Dawn either since she's a key that could destroy the universe. We know nothing about the car girl so she could have been a demon for all we know.
@@fiddiehacked exactly. she was big in the music world at the time too. I remember seeing it when it aired as a kid and being excited to see her in it.
"That's it, why did he not tell us this before." He didn't tell us because it was just "that". Someone came from behind and he killed him immediately, there's no reason to tell anyone some random kill that took 3 seconds.
Principal Wood was controlled by the First when he buried Jonathan's body. That's why he seemed a bit out of it when he met Buffy and Dawn in the basement. He didn't know what he'd just done, why he was carrying a shovel.
"Why doesn't the First open the seal and bring up multiple Turok-Han?". The Seal only opens with a sacrifice of blood. So one person being sacrificed means one Turok-Han can rise out of the pit, and it doesn't automatically open - when Andrew was manipulated into killing Jonathan, it didn't open because Jonathan was anaemic. It also know Buffy can kill one fairly easily, so making one at a time, means Buffy can kill them one at a time.
I’ve always rolled my eyes at all the Kennedy hate. I can see people not loving her, but the amount of vitriol is so over the top. I think it’s really the fact that Kennedy isn’t Tara & that’s not her fault. I’d imagine if Buffy lasted for 9 seasons, most people would love her by the end. Then again, I think she’s very hot, so maybe I’m just a simp..🤣
That’s good character writing though. Kennedy was born into a rich family and raised in the lap of luxury. She even admits to be a brat who always gets her way. The fact that she pushes Willow is just the writer’s way of showing that character trait. I mean, you don’t have to like it but you cannot deny that’s it’s good writing.
This was one of my favorite episodes in Season 7. Robin Wood is a great character. Hold on for the ride. If you enjoy graphic novels Buffy's story continued. Kennedy and Willow continue in Season 8 in the graphic novel that Joss Whedon collaborated with after realizing there were more stories to continue. I agree with you about Kennedy let Willow be happy as she can be in the last season. I love all your genuine reactions. Season Seven was only the beginning in the graphic novel Buffy universe.
@@RonHelf-er4nz that was not the reason though, according to her, casting though that she had aged to much: "the casting stated that "there was 'a certain maturity' about me now, and that I didn't get the part.""
Honestly, feels like it's the opposite to me: He can't really win unless everyone else is a bit dumb. All he does is talk; that's literally all he can do, he can't touch anything, can't hurt anyone, can't move things, nothing. His only power is being annoying really. And sure he gets underlings to do his works, but that kinda shows how powerless he is on his own, that he needs underlings to do the damage for him.
we don't know that. we do know that it's subject to some kind of limitation(s) that we know basically nothing about. the fact that we don't know what it's allowed to do is a big problem with season seven.
@@sirmoonslosthismind No that's the thing: We know what he's allowed to do; nothing. Well, ok, not nothing: He can show up besides anyone he wants, he can talk, and he can take the shape of people who died. And, yeah, he can't be killed, but that's like the bonus to his biggest weakness: He can't touch anything, so in return nothing can touch him. So, yeah, ok, he has a set of powers, I guess I can aknowledge that. But that flaw of him, where he can't even physically affect anything or anyone, that seriously makes him kinda weak IMO.
@@ChevaliersEmeraude It's the kind of villain who seriously needs a right-hand man to be a real threat. When your villain can't menace the heroes themselves, they benefit a lot from a powerful and intimidating 2IC. Glory kind of had the same problem, but from the opposite end: she was so powerful that the only way the show could get an entire season out of that storyline was to make her too lazy and self-absorbed to just start killing Buffy's friends one by one until she told them where the Key was, so she really could have done with a minion who was actually threatening. But at least Glory was very dangerous when she actually bothered to directly get involved. The First explicitly can't do anything to the heroes directly, and its "creepily using the bodies of the dead to torment its victims" shtick gets old quickly. Plus, it could have gotten so, *so* much more mileage out of the fact that it can look like Buffy and Spike.
"oh that's so cool, another slayer made it to the age of having kids!!!" me here dying of laughter because her brain didnt register yet that this black guy fits in age with the black slayer spike killed hahahaahaha omg
Well... It makes sense you didn't recognized Wood's mother, cause the role was re-casted for this final season (I suppose the actress that played her in Fool For Love wasn't avalaible). And I'm kinda with you about Willow x Kennedy. I don't like this couple as much as I like Willoz or Tillow, which are respectively my #2 and #1 favorite couples of the show, but I think that Kennedy is just what Willow needed after the events of last season. A strong personality partner, that will take the lead in their relation, and give her some confidence back.
she was available and willing but according to her the casting told her that she had aged to much to be able to play the role: "the casting stated that "there was 'a certain maturity' about me now, and that I didn't get the part.""
I don't remember anyone actually liking the whole Kennedy Willow thing. Giles is right though. Simply having a soul doesn't make you good. It's about the choices you make. I continue to not care about Tucker's brother to an incredible degree. The First knows how to properly build to a climax. You never go after the main protagonists too early. I always admire a villain with a good sense of drama.
This is true, having a soul doesn't mean you're good. People can have a soul and do bad things or be bad (Willow, Faith, Andrew, Warren...). The choices are what matters. But that's exactly why Buffy is right in my opinion. Because Spike with a soul (aka William) is a good person. He was nice, gentle and even if he still has Spike's memories and is a little different, he does not want to kill anymore. He proved it. His soul being back changed the vampire he was. Also, about the chip, Buffy's right too. Putting that chip is not a good thing. Doing that, means controlling and torturing beings. Vampires and demons, yes. But that doesn't make it good. It's still wrong. Spike should be good because he wants to be, not because he is forced to, or tortured into it. He wants to help right here, with his soul. He helped save Xander by choice, not because of the chip or anything else and he is helping with the potentials, or the first. That's why the soul is important here, more than the chip. Because Spike's choices with a soul are the ones of a good person. He is not selfish anymore. He is not a cold blooded killer...
Lexi, I'm disappointed in you! After the flawless trivia game you had, you didn't recognize Spike's coat on Principal Wood's mom? Or remember that Spike killed the second slayer in a subway? I was sure you would guess right away as soon as Wood confessed to Buffy, since I had faith you would totally remember the slayer's last name, and put together the timeline. I'll chalk it down to a momentary flub.
Weird thing is, if I remember correctly, Whedon gave Robin such a gender-ambiguous name because he wasn't sure if the character would be a male or female. So we could have had a *daughter* of a Slayer, and I'm not sure if they would have tried to make that a thing with Buffy the same way.
That conversation the Gang have in ‘First Date’ with Xander saying he’s decided to turn gay because demon women want him all the time and Buffy’s like “What if you just started attracting male demons?” She’s probably not wrong. He most likely would. If there’s any character in the show that shows themselves to be blatantly gay,… it’s Xander. There are so many hints. More than there ever is for Tara or Willow who are the actual canon gay characters. Even more than Faith and Andrew who are extremely coded as gay or at least bisexual. Or Spike and Oz who are more so queer in their identities if not their sexualities. And then there’s Buffy…. Who is as straight as anything but the show writers throw in double-entendres and allegories of queerness with her being a Slayer and especially in her “coming out” about it to her mother and later when Tara understands that she doesn’t want to “come out” about sleeping with Spike. But Xander is clearly the character the writers wanted and intended to have go gay from the very beginning because they are constantly making hints to it in the writing. In the character’s own dialogue of which he makes a point of not being serious about but you can tell it’s really all just down to fear why he does that. They chose it to be Willow in the end because the timing just worked out that way with Seth Green leaving the show and the whole theme of Season 4 being about the characters growing up, growing apart from each other and finding out who they really are. It just happened to work out better that it was Willow even if it’s never really made all that apparent that Willow is anything but straight. I mean there’s ‘Dopplegangland’ with Vampire Willow but they even make her out to be bisexual in that she’s with Vampire Xander but still has an attraction to human Willow. The writers never actually make Willow out to be gay until Willow emphatically states herself to be gay. You have to really look under the surface of the character to find any evidence or any indication that she is gay. So if it is wasn’t for Willow declaring it explicitly… you would just automatically assume “She’s bisexual” because she is shown to have attraction to both the male and female form as well as have serious and meaningful relationships with both men and women. But Xander… I could gif all the times he shows himself to be blatantly gay. So why didn’t they just do it? Why couldn’t they have both Willow and Xander as gay characters? Why couldn’t they have WLW and MLM representation with the both of them being gay? It would have made more sense that way, wouldn’t it?
That was on purpose, Willow and Xander both had hints, I feel the plan from the start was to have one of them be, they choose willow because of Seth Green leaving the show, and Anya being so popular.
@@gnarleytarley3870 I know it was on purpose. But my point is the hints never really end for Xander even though they’ve already chosen Willow as their gay character. Xander just always seems at least bi-curious all throughout the show.
@@gnarleytarley3870 Whedon said he always intended one of the characters to be gay, and thought it would be Xander, and when Tara was introduced, she was supposed to be just a friend, but Alyson and Amber had such amazing chemistry they decided to make that into a romantic relationship. He also said that Willow would have been bi, except at the time the show was made, that wouldn't have been allowed. Even having a gay relationship in a show was a huge stretch.
@@dancerkris95 I know. Still not too sure what to think of them. Most comments implying Angel swings both ways seem to be put in for the hell of it. Just for laughs. I don’t like that. Funny jokes at the expense of a character exploring their sexuality or queerness is not cool. Funny jokes involving them for the experience of being queer is cool - but they’re few and far between. Most comments implying a character is queer in the BUFFYVERSE seem to be put in because the writers are making fun of it. Alluding to the interpretation that it’s wrong or weird. Not cool.
First Date, I think this wasn't a particularly great episode, but entertaining nevertheless. As we have been led to believe we know there is more to Principal Wood, and of course he has an arsenal of knives and swords in a cupboard in the school as you would. When Buffy does go on the date with Wood, we see him in Jackie Chan/Jet Li mode as a martial arts master! We know as well that Xander seemed to get the date too easy with what Anya called the 'hardware whore', both Spike and Anya experiencing jealousy here. When Wood does come clean to Buffy he mentions his mother was a Slayer, and his mother's Watcher raised him. The part Ashanti played was written specially for her as she was a huge fan of the show, and as with Xander's previous experience with women we know that eventually she will be some sort of demon, as Willow said back in Something in S4 Blue to Xander 'you're a real demon magnet'. The First trying to work through Jonathan to Andrew is interesting, however as foolish and cowardly as he is, he seems to be doing the right thing this time. Funny when Willow gets the coded text from Xander trying to decode it. Spike appearing at the restaurant is funny playing gooseberry, but then we see Xander getting stabbed by Lissa/Ashanti. When they turn up to free Xander after the fight and Lissa is defeated, we see Buffy go to Spike, and we see Wood's face. Giles getting fed up of all the comedy is telling, and very telling scene when Buffy says to Spike she wants him to stay. Great final scene with Wood and his mother as The First Evil and telling him Spike killed her. A really good reveal here, that of course we always suspected leading to some great following episodes on that particular theme.
I do often wonder if I would have felt the same way about Tara as I do Kennedy if Tara had been masc-coded and masc-expressed or if the way I feel about Willow and Kennedy is genuinely due to Iyari Limon having 0 on-screen chemistry with Alyson Hannigan. Or could it be a combination of both? Is the fact Tara is FEMME and Amber and Alyson have insane chemistry together why I love and ship them? Much to think about. 🤔 Edit: No, but it may answer why I have the hots for Willow and not Tara. I’ve always preferred MASC over FEMME when it comes to what’s attractive to me. And Willow definitely expresses more MASC energy than Tara does but not quite as much as Kennedy does. And I just find Kennedy unlikable anyway regardless how she’s coded or how she expresses. I mean I do also find Willow unlikeable sometimes too but that’s more so in a way of loving to hate than hating to love. I don’t feel like I’m forcing my emotions when watching her but with watching Kennedy I do. I feel like I’m forcing myself to like her when I just can’t. I genuinely like Tara but not in a sexual attraction way. So it’s difficult. It’s like I like characters but then I also like like characters. But then I don’t like characters but I then also don’t like don’t like characters. 🥴 It’s confusing to say the least. Willow’s only unlikable when she’s being a turd. But then I find her being a turd very interesting. So… 😖 Would I put up with it in real life? No, I fucking wouldn’t. Not even in the slightest. To watch on TV? Hell yeah - bring the popcorn!
I'm surprised Lexi didn't guess the Wood/Spike connection. She has one of the best memories for details and even the word "subway" didn't do it.
True, but it made for a better reaction though.
And even Nikki wearing the coat didn't do it!
The actress playing Nikki (Robin’s mom) is a different actress from the episode Fool For Love but they are wearing the same outfit
same hairstyle too. I think the reason why was 'cause the original was a stunt woman and not an actress, either that or she was busy with another stunt job to be cast again.
Some of the highest Spuffy moments in this episode.
>Giles telling Buffy "your feelings for him are coloring your judgement"
>Buffy saying "Why does everyone in this house think I'm still in love with Spike?"
>Her conversation in the hallway with Spike about her date.
>Buffy telling Spike "I'm not ready for you to not be here"
Just cute moments.
I love how you knew about Xander’s date from the beginning. You’re one of the best Buffy’s reactors I’ve ever watch! ❤❤
😭😭❤️❤️
During the scene of 'Jonathan' talking to Andrew, I got the impression that the First would be fine with Andrew killing Willow/Giles/etc., but that promising him that they weren't targets was just to get Andrew to agree to help
The reveal of exactly which Slayer was Robin’s mom is SO much fun. It’s such a great twist, and a great way to play with how Spike deals with his 100+ years of mayhem and murder; most of his victims are long dead, but here’s someone he hurt decades ago that wants revenge for it.
just to bad they didn't use the same actress even though the first one was more a stunt woman than an actress
@@Henrik_Holst that's probably why. either that, or they weren't able to cast her again. as a stunt woman, she was probably busy with another stunt job.
@@HelloXrancidkitteh did some research and it turns out that casting though that she had aged to much visually to be able to play Nikki again at the age she was back then.
According to the canon comics, Nikki was 18 when she was pregnant (during her Cruciamentum). Then she was killed when Robin was 4 so that would make her 22 at the time of her death.
An odd question, but are there any existing comics after Season 12? I've got the library editions of all of 7 through 12, but haven't seen anything from Dark Horse or Boom. Thanks for any insight!
@@kendavis8046 No, Season 12 was the last one from this original Buffyverse (from either IDW and Dark Horse). Then Boom did a modern reboot.
@@lilywong9672 I haven't seen the reboot comics, but thanks. I will look for them.
@@kendavis8046 The reboot is bonkers. It's so different lol.
@@lilywong9672 "that would make her 22 at the time of her death."Which is pretty old for a Slayer. I mean...she lived...as much as Buffy(during the show)?🤔
The way you have no idea how crazy it’s gonna get! It keeps escalating into a banger of a finale tbh
Why doesn't he keep his weapons at home?
Because his house (one assumes) isn't over the Hellmouth.
The beginning of the Buffy/Angel started...when she was 15 and he physically 26. He admits he fell for her when she was 15 and started stalking her. That's with a soul. This is my issue with a ton of this fandom, like yes what Spike did was bad...but literally none of the other options are good either. It feels hypocritical to continuously judge him so harshly and ignore the actions of everyone else.
Or when Willow violated Taras mind with that forget spell when they had a fight knowing what she went through with her family and after what Glory did to her, and it was obvious that she did it more than once since she already had that spell on hand with the specific flower. Or when Xander tried to assault Buffy when he was possessed by the hyenas. Or when Xander did that love spell.
Okay, this is where Giles' character this season starts to become a bit off for me. He's worried about the First using Spike to attack everyone now that the chip is gone...except the chip didn't activate when he was under its control anyway. So frankly, removing the chip in this situation is a moot point. Buffy is wrong in that the soul alone will keep Spike from hurting people because he's already been controlled with a soul. Neither of their arguments hold up in this situation. It feels like a weak attempt at brewing tension when neither of them are paying attention to any of what they already know--because both of these things are known to the characters at this point.
As well as I know 'still in love' was Sarah MG adding to the line. Script should have 'in love' but seems like her inner voice unconsciously remade it into 'still'☺️
I believe the line was written as "Why does everyone STILL think I'm in love with Spike?"
I have to say I prefer the line as it is in the show 😅
@@Ebbagull or this way, the main point is that it wasn't 'still in love'. I also like the final version more. Sarah's mind made it's choice.
Sort of gives me the warm and fuzzies.
As much as people didn't like Riley their hate of Kennedy makes it look like Riley was Prince Charming!
I still do not see much wrong with either one. My guess is Riley isn't Angel and Kennedy isn't Tara.
@@Kratos-GodOfWar they just made Riley’s character annoying and Kennedy is flat out annoying!!
23:00 - Ah, Wood is so pretty, so I'll allow it 😉. Plus, we can say retroactively that he was introduced as a potential love interest in the beginning of the season. Their first interactions did have a cutesy, rom-com feel to them, saying the wrong thing, getting a bit awkward.
Xander on a date with Ashanti😮😮
Your reaction was amazing when you realized who she was :D 20:33 I love the call back in this episode to Fool For Love.
Am I the only one who recognized Ashanti?
How many people, I wonder, recognize DB Woodside in one of his other famous roles before this one? To me, he is always Robin Wood before Wayne Palmer or Amenidel.
First thing I saw him in was "Scarred City", with Stephen Baldwin, Tia Carrere and Chazz Palminteri.
Man, when you rewatch this, all the sight-related diction in Xander’s lines just hits you right between the, um…eyes.
Let's do the list
Preying Mantis Lady
Inca Mummy Girl
Cordy
Willow
Car Girl
Faith
Anya
Ashanti Demon
Other than during the love spell gone awry the only women attracted to Xander that weren't and never became evil are Dawn and the woman whose ex-boyfriend was a big worm.
Car girl wasn't evil.
Also Faith.
@@marekkozub8957 Faith went so evil. Not entirely sure about Dawn either since she's a key that could destroy the universe. We know nothing about the car girl so she could have been a demon for all we know.
@@marekkozub8957 Thank you, I thought I had her on there. Fixed
@@lilywong9672 Car girl was absolutely evil. Car girl gets you in more trouble than you thought was possible.
I love that you can go back to season five and get the scene where spike kills woods mom. This show is amazing at tying nots
Its crazy that we saw Robin's mom die way back in season 5.
So weird to see Ashanti in Buffy
A lot of people miss that, you must be a fan of hers. Created a stir when this episode was released.
@@fiddiehacked exactly. she was big in the music world at the time too. I remember seeing it when it aired as a kid and being excited to see her in it.
@@HelloXrancidkitteh She also showed up in Sabrina the Teenage Witch season 7.
She did a great job in this episode
"Datefest 2003". Funny :)
Also twenty years ago... wow.
Mr. Trick would've loved it.
"That's it, why did he not tell us this before."
He didn't tell us because it was just "that". Someone came from behind and he killed him immediately, there's no reason to tell anyone some random kill that took 3 seconds.
Principal Wood was controlled by the First when he buried Jonathan's body. That's why he seemed a bit out of it when he met Buffy and Dawn in the basement. He didn't know what he'd just done, why he was carrying a shovel.
I guess the First just didn't think it could convince what's-his-name to kill the Scoobies in addition to the potentials.
"Why doesn't the First open the seal and bring up multiple Turok-Han?". The Seal only opens with a sacrifice of blood. So one person being sacrificed means one Turok-Han can rise out of the pit, and it doesn't automatically open - when Andrew was manipulated into killing Jonathan, it didn't open because Jonathan was anaemic. It also know Buffy can kill one fairly easily, so making one at a time, means Buffy can kill them one at a time.
The red shirt Buffy is wearing at the start of the episode is same as the episode in the body
I know .. riiight ... I ❤ this season 🎉🎉
Kennedy was alright. Hard to follow up Oz and Tara, and we never really got a lot of time with her & Willow due to the big bad season finale build up.
I’ve always rolled my eyes at all the Kennedy hate. I can see people not loving her, but the amount of vitriol is so over the top.
I think it’s really the fact that Kennedy isn’t Tara & that’s not her fault. I’d imagine if Buffy lasted for 9 seasons, most people would love her by the end.
Then again, I think she’s very hot, so maybe I’m just a simp..🤣
I just don’t think they have any chemistry 🤷🏻♀️ And I don’t love how often she pushes Willow further than she’s comfortable
That’s good character writing though. Kennedy was born into a rich family and raised in the lap of luxury. She even admits to be a brat who always gets her way. The fact that she pushes Willow is just the writer’s way of showing that character trait. I mean, you don’t have to like it but you cannot deny that’s it’s good writing.
Kennedy wasn't horrible, it's just that Oz and Tara were EPIC.
This was one of my favorite episodes in Season 7. Robin Wood is a great character. Hold on for the ride. If you enjoy graphic novels Buffy's story continued. Kennedy and Willow continue in Season 8 in the graphic novel that Joss Whedon collaborated with after realizing there were more stories to continue. I agree with you about Kennedy let Willow be happy as she can be in the last season. I love all your genuine reactions. Season Seven was only the beginning in the graphic novel Buffy universe.
(Psst! When we mention characters in the comics, it tells her they survive the season, which robs some of the tension from the story.)
The mixed emotions of being happy there is a new episode but sad your finishing the show soon
17:53 well, about that 😄
To be fair...they did change the actress for that Slayer between Fool for Love and this episode.
@@RonHelf-er4nz that was not the reason though, according to her, casting though that she had aged to much: "the casting stated that "there was 'a certain maturity' about me now, and that I didn't get the part.""
Honestly, the First seems like a cool concept, but they have to severely limit its intelligence to keep it from winning immediately.
Honestly, feels like it's the opposite to me: He can't really win unless everyone else is a bit dumb. All he does is talk; that's literally all he can do, he can't touch anything, can't hurt anyone, can't move things, nothing. His only power is being annoying really. And sure he gets underlings to do his works, but that kinda shows how powerless he is on his own, that he needs underlings to do the damage for him.
we don't know that. we do know that it's subject to some kind of limitation(s) that we know basically nothing about. the fact that we don't know what it's allowed to do is a big problem with season seven.
@@sirmoonslosthismind No that's the thing: We know what he's allowed to do; nothing. Well, ok, not nothing: He can show up besides anyone he wants, he can talk, and he can take the shape of people who died. And, yeah, he can't be killed, but that's like the bonus to his biggest weakness: He can't touch anything, so in return nothing can touch him.
So, yeah, ok, he has a set of powers, I guess I can aknowledge that. But that flaw of him, where he can't even physically affect anything or anyone, that seriously makes him kinda weak IMO.
@@ChevaliersEmeraude It's the kind of villain who seriously needs a right-hand man to be a real threat. When your villain can't menace the heroes themselves, they benefit a lot from a powerful and intimidating 2IC.
Glory kind of had the same problem, but from the opposite end: she was so powerful that the only way the show could get an entire season out of that storyline was to make her too lazy and self-absorbed to just start killing Buffy's friends one by one until she told them where the Key was, so she really could have done with a minion who was actually threatening. But at least Glory was very dangerous when she actually bothered to directly get involved. The First explicitly can't do anything to the heroes directly, and its "creepily using the bodies of the dead to torment its victims" shtick gets old quickly. Plus, it could have gotten so, *so* much more mileage out of the fact that it can look like Buffy and Spike.
so what should the first have done if it had been intelligent in order to win immediately?
Minor note - the Giles pictures are kind of a call back to "Hush". He sings well, he can't draw for crap!
She knows. That’s why there’s a shot from Hush paired with a shot of this episode’s drawings at the start of the video.
A lot of people don’t like Robin, but i think he’s a pretty cool character so far🤷🏻♂️
I haven't seen anyone hate Robin. Most people seem to enjoy him and wish the writers would have had more backstory to him.
Why does anyone hate Robin? He was cool, and I wish there had been more of him
@@Kratos-GodOfWar Idk how to say anything without giving away spoilers
@@McCrispyTaco fair.
Spike wears the coat he stole from Robin's mother, Nikki
I loved Ashanti in this episode!
"oh that's so cool, another slayer made it to the age of having kids!!!"
me here dying of laughter because her brain didnt register yet that this black guy fits in age with the black slayer spike killed hahahaahaha omg
I think Nikki was a slayer in the bronx in the late 70"s but can't remember 🤔🤔
Maybe mid-70s
it's been almost 15 years since the Season 8 comic book arch and I'm not sure S8-10 worked that well. Specially Twilight as the main villain
Watching Season 7 with Lexi is legit the first time I've ever enjoyed Season 7. She might actually get me to see it differently.
Honestly, yeah. Same. I’m glad I’m watching her reactions for it.
I've always loved season 7 but I do get this feeling with angel s4 lol I feel like I'm watching it with fresh eyes
Well... It makes sense you didn't recognized Wood's mother, cause the role was re-casted for this final season (I suppose the actress that played her in Fool For Love wasn't avalaible).
And I'm kinda with you about Willow x Kennedy. I don't like this couple as much as I like Willoz or Tillow, which are respectively my #2 and #1 favorite couples of the show, but I think that Kennedy is just what Willow needed after the events of last season. A strong personality partner, that will take the lead in their relation, and give her some confidence back.
she was available and willing but according to her the casting told her that she had aged to much to be able to play the role: "the casting stated that "there was 'a certain maturity' about me now, and that I didn't get the part.""
I don't remember anyone actually liking the whole Kennedy Willow thing. Giles is right though. Simply having a soul doesn't make you good. It's about the choices you make. I continue to not care about Tucker's brother to an incredible degree.
The First knows how to properly build to a climax. You never go after the main protagonists too early. I always admire a villain with a good sense of drama.
This is true, having a soul doesn't mean you're good. People can have a soul and do bad things or be bad (Willow, Faith, Andrew, Warren...). The choices are what matters. But that's exactly why Buffy is right in my opinion. Because Spike with a soul (aka William) is a good person. He was nice, gentle and even if he still has Spike's memories and is a little different, he does not want to kill anymore. He proved it. His soul being back changed the vampire he was.
Also, about the chip, Buffy's right too. Putting that chip is not a good thing. Doing that, means controlling and torturing beings. Vampires and demons, yes. But that doesn't make it good. It's still wrong. Spike should be good because he wants to be, not because he is forced to, or tortured into it. He wants to help right here, with his soul. He helped save Xander by choice, not because of the chip or anything else and he is helping with the potentials, or the first. That's why the soul is important here, more than the chip. Because Spike's choices with a soul are the ones of a good person. He is not selfish anymore. He is not a cold blooded killer...
You want them to be friends? 🤔What? 🥴😐😂
kennedy is amazing, and everyone who disagrees is wrong.
Lexi, I'm disappointed in you! After the flawless trivia game you had, you didn't recognize Spike's coat on Principal Wood's mom? Or remember that Spike killed the second slayer in a subway? I was sure you would guess right away as soon as Wood confessed to Buffy, since I had faith you would totally remember the slayer's last name, and put together the timeline. I'll chalk it down to a momentary flub.
Weird thing is, if I remember correctly, Whedon gave Robin such a gender-ambiguous name because he wasn't sure if the character would be a male or female. So we could have had a *daughter* of a Slayer, and I'm not sure if they would have tried to make that a thing with Buffy the same way.
Might've made Female!Robin a love interest for Willow.
What happened to Ted Lasso?
❤🧡💛💚💙💜
That conversation the Gang have in ‘First Date’ with Xander saying he’s decided to turn gay because demon women want him all the time and Buffy’s like “What if you just started attracting male demons?” She’s probably not wrong. He most likely would.
If there’s any character in the show that shows themselves to be blatantly gay,… it’s Xander. There are so many hints. More than there ever is for Tara or Willow who are the actual canon gay characters. Even more than Faith and Andrew who are extremely coded as gay or at least bisexual. Or Spike and Oz who are more so queer in their identities if not their sexualities.
And then there’s Buffy…. Who is as straight as anything but the show writers throw in double-entendres and allegories of queerness with her being a Slayer and especially in her “coming out” about it to her mother and later when Tara understands that she doesn’t want to “come out” about sleeping with Spike.
But Xander is clearly the character the writers wanted and intended to have go gay from the very beginning because they are constantly making hints to it in the writing. In the character’s own dialogue of which he makes a point of not being serious about but you can tell it’s really all just down to fear why he does that.
They chose it to be Willow in the end because the timing just worked out that way with Seth Green leaving the show and the whole theme of Season 4 being about the characters growing up, growing apart from each other and finding out who they really are. It just happened to work out better that it was Willow even if it’s never really made all that apparent that Willow is anything but straight. I mean there’s ‘Dopplegangland’ with Vampire Willow but they even make her out to be bisexual in that she’s with Vampire Xander but still has an attraction to human Willow. The writers never actually make Willow out to be gay until Willow emphatically states herself to be gay. You have to really look under the surface of the character to find any evidence or any indication that she is gay. So if it is wasn’t for Willow declaring it explicitly… you would just automatically assume “She’s bisexual” because she is shown to have attraction to both the male and female form as well as have serious and meaningful relationships with both men and women.
But Xander… I could gif all the times he shows himself to be blatantly gay. So why didn’t they just do it? Why couldn’t they have both Willow and Xander as gay characters? Why couldn’t they have WLW and MLM representation with the both of them being gay? It would have made more sense that way, wouldn’t it?
That was on purpose, Willow and Xander both had hints, I feel the plan from the start was to have one of them be, they choose willow because of Seth Green leaving the show, and Anya being so popular.
@@gnarleytarley3870 I know it was on purpose. But my point is the hints never really end for Xander even though they’ve already chosen Willow as their gay character. Xander just always seems at least bi-curious all throughout the show.
@@gnarleytarley3870 Whedon said he always intended one of the characters to be gay, and thought it would be Xander, and when Tara was introduced, she was supposed to be just a friend, but Alyson and Amber had such amazing chemistry they decided to make that into a romantic relationship. He also said that Willow would have been bi, except at the time the show was made, that wouldn't have been allowed. Even having a gay relationship in a show was a huge stretch.
Oh, and there's also been hints about Angelous and Spike as well back when they were with Darla and Dru.
@@dancerkris95 I know. Still not too sure what to think of them. Most comments implying Angel swings both ways seem to be put in for the hell of it. Just for laughs. I don’t like that. Funny jokes at the expense of a character exploring their sexuality or queerness is not cool. Funny jokes involving them for the experience of being queer is cool - but they’re few and far between. Most comments implying a character is queer in the BUFFYVERSE seem to be put in because the writers are making fun of it. Alluding to the interpretation that it’s wrong or weird. Not cool.
First Date, I think this wasn't a particularly great episode, but entertaining nevertheless. As we have been led to believe we know there is more to Principal Wood, and of course he has an arsenal of knives and swords in a cupboard in the school as you would. When Buffy does go on the date with Wood, we see him in Jackie Chan/Jet Li mode as a martial arts master! We know as well that Xander seemed to get the date too easy with what Anya called the 'hardware whore', both Spike and Anya experiencing jealousy here. When Wood does come clean to Buffy he mentions his mother was a Slayer, and his mother's Watcher raised him. The part Ashanti played was written specially for her as she was a huge fan of the show, and as with Xander's previous experience with women we know that eventually she will be some sort of demon, as Willow said back in Something in S4 Blue to Xander 'you're a real demon magnet'. The First trying to work through Jonathan to Andrew is interesting, however as foolish and cowardly as he is, he seems to be doing the right thing this time. Funny when Willow gets the coded text from Xander trying to decode it. Spike appearing at the restaurant is funny playing gooseberry, but then we see Xander getting stabbed by Lissa/Ashanti. When they turn up to free Xander after the fight and Lissa is defeated, we see Buffy go to Spike, and we see Wood's face. Giles getting fed up of all the comedy is telling, and very telling scene when Buffy says to Spike she wants him to stay. Great final scene with Wood and his mother as The First Evil and telling him Spike killed her. A really good reveal here, that of course we always suspected leading to some great following episodes on that particular theme.
I do often wonder if I would have felt the same way about Tara as I do Kennedy if Tara had been masc-coded and masc-expressed or if the way I feel about Willow and Kennedy is genuinely due to Iyari Limon having 0 on-screen chemistry with Alyson Hannigan.
Or could it be a combination of both?
Is the fact Tara is FEMME and Amber and Alyson have insane chemistry together why I love and ship them?
Much to think about. 🤔
Edit:
No, but it may answer why I have the hots for Willow and not Tara. I’ve always preferred MASC over FEMME when it comes to what’s attractive to me. And Willow definitely expresses more MASC energy than Tara does but not quite as much as Kennedy does. And I just find Kennedy unlikable anyway regardless how she’s coded or how she expresses.
I mean I do also find Willow unlikeable sometimes too but that’s more so in a way of loving to hate than hating to love. I don’t feel like I’m forcing my emotions when watching her but with watching Kennedy I do. I feel like I’m forcing myself to like her when I just can’t.
I genuinely like Tara but not in a sexual attraction way. So it’s difficult. It’s like I like characters but then I also like like characters. But then I don’t like characters but I then also don’t like don’t like characters. 🥴
It’s confusing to say the least.
Willow’s only unlikable when she’s being a turd. But then I find her being a turd very interesting. So… 😖
Would I put up with it in real life? No, I fucking wouldn’t. Not even in the slightest.
To watch on TV? Hell yeah - bring the popcorn!