Which song was your fave!? Intro music “Prince” by Amari Leone! Check them out here: th-cam.com/video/_1v9LNk5rew/w-d-xo.html open.spotify.com/artist/4yrwvORh4v5WCkTp4VrIGr?si=grT_m0rmR-CMSdbvWwle-g
My favorite has always been Sweet, the dancing demon's song. It's so good and changes the whole tone of the show. The entire episode is also my favorite episode in any series, ever.
@@AnaCVazquez I read that too and checked it out, but it was actually someone named Adam Shankman. Battle is still amazing and probably assisted in some way since he's choreographed before.
There’s also a double entendre in that it’s about the most insulting thing (stupid, jerky) conductors ever say to professional musicians..like, let’s rehearse this again (for the incompetent conductor) and since they have nothing intelligent to say, they ask for “with feeling”..as though they never play with feeling and have to be told..
Chris nails it completely. This is exceptional storytelling- to reveal/resolve all the issues and character arcs that were currently in flux, they would have had to do it over 2-3 heavy episodes. Instead, they managed to do it all in one, in an original and engaging manner. Stellar writing, the cast did a great job, amazing episode! Looking forward to next week…
@@JH-jw7pu Except many fans say that other musical episodes don't actually progress the story like this one does. "The Bitter Suite" from Xena: Warrior Princess definitely did since it's about mending the broken relationship of the two leads, but that aired years before this episode.
Although Tara finding out that Willow erased her memory was revealed through dialogue by Dawn. Dawn's kleptomania & Giles wanting to leave remain unrevealed. While Xander & Anya revealed insecurities that don't leave much of an impact on their relationship. The important points progressed through songs were Buffy's resurrection from heaven & "romance" w/ Spike.
@@JudgeMazzabuffy is in a deep state of depression after being pulled out of heaven. So much so that she cannot even feel things like happiness and joy and emotion. But when she is with spike, she feels passion and lust, which to her, is better than just being devoid of emotion. Even if she doesnt love spike, even if she doesnt return his affections and feelings for her, the lust and passion she gets from indulging in spike is better for her than being an empty cold husk.
This episode is the reason “musical episodes” are common nowadays. They weren’t the first to do it, but they did popularize it! Prior to this, musical episodes were considered to be a joke but “Once More with Feeling” showed that story and development can be shown through song. The theme of communicating without communicating is present throughout the whole show (ex. Hush).
That's actually a misconception b/c "The Bitter Suite" from Xena: Warrior Princess, which precedes this episode by a few years, was basically a story arc finale. It starts w/ the two leads wanting to literally murder each other but ends w/ them getting back together again. It was also well-received, just not as popular.
@@jp3813 That's exactly what they said though. Buffy wasn't the first to do a musical episode (neither was Xena), but the episode definitely popularized the conceit.
@@fabianhebestreit3240 I was referring to the OP's sentence that starts w/ "Prior to this..." Many people here claim that what sets this musical episode apart from those that came before & after is that it progresses & develops the storylines. The misconception is that no other shows, especially prior, ever did so.
@@Lady-Seashell-Bikini Hilariously: While everyone else was expressing themselves deeply, her casual remark, "I think this line's mostly filler," hinted strongly that her focus was more on her magical pursuits rather than her connections with those around her. Additionally, in this episode, she stands out as the sole character who doesn't undergo any significant personal development or progression.
Sweet has the distinction of being one of only a handful of demons who antagonized the crew and just flat out came out on top. At no point in this episode is he ever in danger and he only leaves when he finds out the wrong person made the pact.
Which is why he survives. He saw the profit margin drop and bailed before they could even try to fight him properly. Saving himself the trouble of dealing with the slayer and her magical friends who eventually manage to kill anyone who sticks around too long. I honestly think he might have bailed even with Dawn but she at least had enough value to him to maybe try and deal with future issues. Xander just kinda spoiled the fun. I mean he noted willows power and Buffy the slayer survived the dance number. I wouldn't cross both of them and friends for Xander. He's a powerful demon who knows when its not worth it even if you could win in the end.
Sweet obviously understands humans on a level most demons don't. Which makes total sense for a musical demon. Most demons wouldn't be satisfied without being able to kill the slayer and would keep trying until they ended up dead. But Sweet was able to walk away satisfied because he understands that you can bring chaos and ruin to someone's life without having to physically harm them.
Life's not a song, Life isn't bliss, Life is just this It's living You'll get along, The pain that you feel You only can heal By living Yes, his part got me through a number of very tough and dark times.
Chris had the PERFECT explanation of why this episode works so well and the incredible storyboarding points it was able to tackle because of the concept.
It was mostly Buffy's secrets that were revealed through songs though. Tara found out what Willow's been doing to her through Dawn's dialogue, Dawn's & Giles' secrets remain hidden, while Xander's & Anya's were mostly expected insecurities even between them both.
@@jp3813 Some of these plot points don't get fully resolved within the story yet, but they do provide insights to the audience, which isn't nothing. I'm pretty sure Joss wrote these songs and then had the previous ep(s) set them up!
@@TheRulesLawyerRPG It's not about resolving the plot points but progressing them. Musical songs are always for the audience's benefit, but as far as the characters are concerned, they didn't need the songs except for Buffy's issues.
@@jp3813 Upon further reflection, I think the songs that are "internal" DO advance the plot, because internal character realizations move the plot forward as well. Tara realizing Willow was controlling her mind led to her confronting Willow next ep. Giles realized finally he should leave. Also, Xander and Anya did hear each other and referenced each other's statements during the street scene... buuuut the show doesn't do much with what they realize there admittedly
@@TheRulesLawyerRPG Tara found out that Willow was controlling her mind b/c Dawn told her and she looked it up in a magic book. Giles' realization was due to Buffy telling him that she thought he spoke to Dawn already. Xander & Anya's duet was just for fun. Remove the songs and the progressions for those subplots remain the same.
I agree with Suraj here 25:59. If you pay attention to Buffy's and Spike's interactions together, she's attracted to unhealthy ways of wanting to "feel" again. Also, when Buffy sang "I just want to feel" while Spike stated how she made him feel [since he's in love with her], that blatantly states the reasons they kissed each other. Buffy is using Spike to feel something again after dying and is attracted to him, while Spike has real feelings for her.
Anya's jab at Xander about his penis having diseases from some tribe was in reference to the season 4 thanksgiving episode when the Indian spirits gave Xander syphilis.
It's so perfectly executed how all the secrets & personal tension building since the premier all come out and crescendo, leaving the question "Where do we go from here?" in the aftermath.
R.I.P. Hinton Battle. He was 67. ( Nov 29, 1956 - Jan 30, 2024 ) He played the red demon, Sweet. He was the first to portray the Scarecrow in the stage version of The Wiz ( a role then taken on by Michael Jackson in the 1978 film adaptation ). In honor of Battle, the Broadway League announced all 41 Broadway theaters would dim their marquee lights on March 12, 2024. Dimming the lights of Broadway theaters is a tradition reflecting the honoree's influence and career.
Lethe’s bramble is a reference to the Lethe, a river in the Underworld in Greek Mythology. Anyone who drank from that river would forget everything they knew
I’m kind of disappointed by their reaction..they always spend so much time talking over the dialog they miss a lot of the show, then they criticize it. This episode was genius on so, so many levels, and I was a pro symphony musician for my adult life, I remember dreading this episode, and I was in love with it before Buffy finished her first number..
@@benllewellyn297 mmm..there were actually other shows that had musical episodes going all the way back to “I Love Lucy,” in the 50’s. I would agree with you however that this show was so good at it, it did inspire many more modern ones (that weren’t as good as this..lol..)
27:29 this is why Tara’s line “they’ll be nothing left of me” is so sad. No one has loved Tara for who she truly is and Willow erasing her memory is trying to change who Tara is at her core.
What a person does isn't automatically what that person intends to do. Willow wipes Tara's memory just b/c she doesn't want to argue. The logic of "she's happy, no harm done". It's awful, but it never crossed her mind that she's altering who Tara is.
@@jp3813 to me it doesn’t matter if she is intending to alter Tara or not she is being selfish and only doing what is best for her and is willing to erase the memory of someone she loves to do it which is terrible.
@@AFCompany Like I said, it's awful. The result doesn't change, but in terms of psychoanalyzing Willow, she thinks that everyone benefits from her magic by maintaining their happiness. Hence, she doesn't realize that she's being selfish.
Fun fact: the guy singing about the mustard stain was Executive Producer David Fury & the woman singing about a parking ticket was Executive Producer Marti Noxon
Michelle trachtenberg, who plays Dawn, apparently didn't think she was a good enough singer to do a musical number, however she is apparently a classically trained ballet dancer so she requested instead of a song to do a ballet scene.
Scrubs did well incorporating their musical as a symptom of a patient whilst actually staying in character and telling a story, all in a 22 minute sitcom episode. But yes 'Once More with Feeling' is definitely the best for its dramatic impact, quality of songwriting and plot development. Most other shows just do a musical episode as a gimmick. Whedon treats it like high-art
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds had a great musical episode in season 2. That was very risky for the franchise considering it's science fiction and Strange New Worlds has only ten episode seasons but they managed to do what "Once More With Feeling" did in progressing the plot, progressing character relationships, and had an impactful story within the world.
@@ejr87r it's true "Once More, with Feeling" is the gold standard for musical episodes. I'm not disputing that. However, what "Subspace Rhapsody" managed to tackle are things that have been unanswered questions since the 1960's; particularly why Spock didn't get in a relationship with Christine Chapel. Spock, Nyota Uhura, Kirk, etc. are cultural icons that have stood the test of time and the recent series explores things that haven't been explored with their established characters for their 60+ year history. The episode did amazing job of wrapping up and completing some stories that have been a mystery for decades. Why the musical episode works in Strange New Worlds is in large part because it forwards characters that have been well loved, established characters for over half a century and directly answered some questions that have hung over the franchise for as long as I can remember.
Along with Giles' sad solo, Tara saying, "Playing with my memory... you know I've been through hell," also breaks my heart because after all Tara went through with Glory destroying her mind, Willow has done something terrible by magically messing with her mind just to avoid an argument. There's a lot of interesting stuff being revealed in these songs.
@@jp3813 while I haven’t seen those I still think this specific episode was a big influence on other musical episodes and that it’s one of the best ever made.
@@lunawebster3748 This episode and the entire show are definitely more popular. I'm just saying that Xena paved the way for BTVS & OMWF. Specifically "The Bitter Suite", the 12th episode of the 3rd season which aired on 02/02/1998. Clips of it has been uploaded as well as its soundtrack.
Rana said she hated musicals a whiiile ago, but we all knew she’d love this, and her grinning almost the entire time plus singing along at one point says so much. Also the clapping at the end.
This episode is an A+ use of everyone's talents. The best singers carry as much of the music as they can (you can hear them supporting the weaker singers during the group numbers,) the songs are very lyrical and heavy on clever wordplay (ideal for a novice songwriter with a lot of screenwriting experience and a great ear for dialogue), and the weaker singers get to compensate with something they're good at. Michelle Trachtenberg studied ballet, so she gets a dance number. Nick Brendon gets by on his skills as a comic actor. And Alyson Hannigan and Sarah Michelle Gellar both act their asses off.
Since Buffy ended, Amber Benson has written Novels, Screenplays and directed movies . I met her, she is very funny and smart. Read some of her novels --any books that make me go look up words in a dictionary, I am for .
I like how downright grumpy the kiss made Micky. He had that look of disappointment on his face like one of them grumpy muppets. It made for a good contrast with the more excited Normies. Also, I like how Marketa has turned around on Spuffy from where she was approximately a season ago. The writers certainly took their time to lay the groundwork.
Remember from Season 3 that they basically kill Slayers when they reach 18 (Buffy beat the odds and lived), so presumably they expect Slayers to be minors, supported by their Watcher and/or family, and have no mechanism for dealing with adult Slayers.
What's interesting about this is how narrow minded it is. Paying people gives you power over them. The Council likes having power over Slayers. Imagine what the Council could make Buffy do in Season 6 when she desperately couldn't afford to lose her paycheck.
I cannot believe they got Hinton Battle to perform in an episode of Buffy. I had been listening to him on my mucial recordings for a decade before this came out. Pure talent!!!
Well said, Chris, about how all the secrets coming out in this episode could have made it "the most downer episode since Joyce died" but the musical made it easier to deal with it all. Great observation!
She kept laughing for no reason though, and said that the episode was just "interesting" at the end. Hence, it wouldn't be surprising if she doesn't rank this one highly.
I think Jenny Calendar would have been a great teacher/mentor for Willow. The thing with Willow regarding magic, she's doesn't really to turn understand the magic but more about hrowing her powers. She tries to take shortcuts. Even all the way back in season 3, when she really started getting into it, she's constantly crossed boundaries with her magic. Tara's strong in magic, but she's more about because she's an actual Wiccan. So one's more seeking growth in power, while the other has respect of boundaries with magic.
One thing I loved about this show is how they knew where they were going and season or two before and would lay ground work and clues for things to come.
I get how viewing this episode first time it can seem a little awkward and you laugh a lot. But, it’s an episode that really benefits from subsequent viewings and when you listen to the lyrics, you realise it’s bloody perfection. There’s a reason a lot of people bought the cd of this musical!
Interesting tidbit: The widescreen "remaster" (more like "demaster", destroying the contrast and the bottom part of the screen) completely removed the context that this was the first widescreen Buffy episode. Back in the day on our 3:4 CRT TVs they showed this episode with black bars on top and bottm of the screen to make it look even more cinematic.
Anthony Head's final note in that final chord on "Where do we go from HEEEEEEEEEEEEERE?" is one of my favorites. He sounded awesome. That whole final chord was fantastic. Very classic musical epic. (I am a musical kind of gal, though, so I ate up this episode with relish, man. I loved it.)
To use the method of musical storytelling as an in-universe yet meta comment on the plot of the characters around them, to genuinely good tunes, taking into account what the actors did and did not want to do (singing/dancing) advancing the plot of the overall serious and honouring the genre of musical, written by the man (as awful as he is) who helmed the series... a stroke of genius television has rarely ever seen. And with these actors along with it?! Forget about it. Genius. I'm glad many moments were appreciated
Pro: 11:12 “Sing, Buffy, Sing!” Was spot-on. It took me a few viewings to realize that she ran away because she didn’t want to sing, not because she was just uncomfortable with the situation. Con: The headline Broadway Star number was not the time for extensive talk-over.
That reveal of Buffy's secret at the end...what a crazy way to do it, but also pretty good ? I think it was a wise choice to do it this way, that secret for a character would have made her go crazy !!
Hinton Battle was the guy playing Sweet, the demon. Broadway choreographer and so forth. Top notch. SMG also(despite not being a singer herself) worked like crazy to be able to do her parts. Willow's actress had so few lines for singing because she isn't great. Dawn's actress is ballet-trained, hence the ballet scene.
From memory, Joss knew it was time for a musical because of all the heightened drama and emotion, and it felt like the characters were close to bursting into song anyway. It fits so perfectly with his style though - Hush was an episode about words getting in the way of true communication. This was about words and conversation not being good enough way to express everyone's truth.
you know your stuff; I think you're literally quoting Whedon from BTS! How do you feel about Whedon these days? I honestly think his cancelling was blown way out of proportion and was mostly based on hearsay and unsubstantiated claims. Hypocritical actions but not crimes. Ultimately he's most likely an artistic asshole, but not the monster people have made of him. I dont know if we'll ever get shows with this much personality and authorship again
@@terminatrix92 They're very substantiated. If it was just Charisma Carpenter, I might agree with you, that could just be a personal beef, but over a dozen different people making similar claims? That's a pattern. There's a significant amount of evidence pointing to Whedon taking his personal issues out on people he had power over, some of which are evident in the shows themselves for reasons I can't get into because of spoilers.
@@terminatrix92 I think we need to quit classifying responses and consequences to people's behaviors as "canceling." Joss's various misdeeds finally caught up to him despite him being protected even by the people (actors, crew, friends, etc.) he harmed, and his beliefs/behaviors were starting to show up in his works as well, hence why his very awful Wonder Woman script was rejected. That said, we find out all the time that creators/creatives -- people in general -- are awful bts, and we all have to set boundaries of acceptance/separation in regards to that.
@@cajah88 I'll never understand why people care if a monster made the show they watch. If its good its good. Even the worst people can make the best things. Not saying he's the worst person, he's not obviously. Just that people can create wonders no matter how terrible or broken they are. We should embrace that rather than try to avoid it. Anyone can create something beautiful and that is a wonderful thing to know. You don't need to reject their works because they are bad.
I don't think the music was/is all that great. Joss is a great writer and story teller. Music composer? Not my cup of tea. Joseph LuDoca's composition on Xena more masterful.
One of the best episodes and it was such a bold move 20 years ago. So many shows have tried to do a musical ep since, but none have really matched this, due to the brilliance of the storytelling through the lyrics here. Also the lady getting a parking ticket is Marti Noxon, one of the exec producers of the show!
The big question is where do we go from here? Why is the path unclear, When we know home is near. Understand we'll go hand in hand, But we'll walk alone in fear. (Tell me) Tell me where do we go from here.
my all time favorite episode of Buffy. this episode got me into musicals didnt even know the genre existed before this episode also rip Hinton Battle he pasted on January 30 2024 he was an amazing actor loved him in Buffy as sweets and in the Wiz as the scarecrow and as bill bojangles Robinson in the Shirley Temple story
Yes, I was indeed one of those people. I was freaking out that I missed the ending and had to call friends that watched it live to find out what happened. The network must have realized that happened, because they re-ran the episode a second time not long after, but it was cut down for time so it wouldn’t run over. Like Dawn’s line about birthing a pterodactyl was cut, as was Xander asking if he had to be queen. That was how I finally saw the kiss, even though the curtain came down earlier, also trimmed for time.
@@nthdgree5078 Yes, me too! My job at the time ended - well, when we finished the day's work - but, usually at 10 PM (Eastern time zone) or later, so I couldn't watch live. My particular recording ended with Sweet clapping right after "Something to Sing About" - ! I believe it was Tabula Rasa's "Previously On" which first showed me the kiss! And I did hear about and record the re-broadcast - shown on a Friday night, irrc; but, as you say, it was edited to regular episode length. I believe, among other cuts, we returned from commercial with Dawn cast at Sweet's feet - the entire ballet cut! And yes, I never actually saw "Does this mean I have to..." and the response until I watched the DVD!
Amber and Tony's reprise of Under Your Spell/Wish I Could Stay is my favorite part So organic, and so moving. This is the greatest musical episode of TV ever done. And Hinton Battle made such a great Demon of the Dance. While many fans loathe this season, season six is my favorite. The big bad in this season is just...life. The antagonists aren't supernatural demons, but just impotent dudes that want power.
Before musicals became a thing, This episode gave the fans a taste of what a well scripted musical TV episode could be. It could be argued that this is The episode that pushed TV musicals into mainstream.
yeah I agree with Chris that this season has a lot more focus on the scoobies, the characters themselves and their own contributions and developments through everything they've gone through
This video should just be titled “Suraj predicting Tabula Rasa for 30 minutes” first the Michelle branch comment then him telling Willow to make Tara forget that she forgot lmao
RIP Hinton Battle aka the actor who played Sweet. The Normies talk about how ridiculous this show can get all the time and still seem surprised by a musical. That's more odd to me than them wondering, _Why this episode?_ The last time I reacted to this I mentioned that no one ever sees the credit stating original songs and music by Joss Whedon and didn't know it was a musical until Buffy starts singing. Then I saw in this reaction The Normies had the captions on and thought, _They might see it._ Two seconds later Suraj pointed it out. Tara to Willow: "You sexually assulted me." I mean: Tara singing to Willow: "I'm under your spell." And at the end of the song it's rape, as well. The metaphors in that song are more disturbing that some people realize. Marketa: "Anything magical that happens, I'm just gonn a blame Willow." And it ended up being Xander for this episode. He was ready to throw Dawn to the wolves until Giles said if it wasn't Dawn, and it was in the shop, it must be one of them. So, the excuse people try to give of him protecting Dawn doesn't work. Also, him not taking a spell seriously ("I didn't know what was going to happen" is pitiful after being a Scooby for five years (halfway through this year and season one being a half year). Having cold feet is a reason to talk to Anya, not do a spell. If he can't do that, then what Anya said when he proposed (she slapped him and stated he was doing so because they were going to die and he hadn't given it proper thought) is all true. Xander is directly responsible for thiose that burnt to death dancing. Sweet was just doing what he's supposed to do when summond. He isn't the bad guy. The character's issues were. I was a little disapponted in Spidey mentioning N'SYNC after Buffy was worried about an 80's traing montage. Chris's reaction to Sweet's puppet minion no singing was funny AF. It's not about them dancing in the background just before the group sings _Walk Through the Fire,_ it's about the fact that they're fighting, but because of the musical spell, that fighting is an interpretive ballat. The same thing happened when Dawn tried to run away from the puppet head minions after being kidnaped. Running away became interpretive ballet. The look on Willow's face is perfectly deserved when Buffy sings she was in heaven considering Willow was upset that Buffy didn't thank her for being ressurrected and told off Giles when he, who knew the dangers of magical addiction told her she was foolish for doing so. Sorry Marketa, even your "ahhhh" won't make me feel bad for Willow. Rana is only partially right. Sweet wasn't a therapist. He was the one who made everyone reveal the problems. Once Sweet leaves they have to deal with them. That's when the therapist really needs to start helping and Sweet isn't around for that one. The last song _Where Do We Go From Here,_ isn't a choice to sing. Just before Sweet leaves, he sings a spell on them to sing one last time, by singing, "Say (they're) happy now, once More, With Feeling." And Spike gets released from it first followed by Buffy only because they have a side story the spell wants them to do outside. Suraj, that's literally how Angel handles his business. Sometimes he helps people and sometimes he charges them. The only thing, in-universe, saying Buffy cannot do that is the fact that Anya suggested it and pride.
It's so fun to see the eye-rolling, sink me into this couch, reactions of the Normies who don't like musicals, every time a song starts. lol But they still got hit with the story beats that make this episode unmissable. I was raised with music and musicals, so I'm more like Chris. I felt that gleam in his eye! Marketa and Chris picked up on the intentional off-key elements that were repeated between Buffy and Spike's heavy-hearted lines. The musical elements add another layer of communication and storytelling that make this episode reach out to the viewer and drop you into Buffy's world.
The guy singing about the mustard is David Fury and the parking ticket woman is Marti Noxon, both head writers for Buffy and this season. Great you all saw this episode! Best Buffy episode ever.
Not sure if you caught this at the end, but in the Lyrics for the last song, they say "Curtain's close on a kiss, god knows we can tell the end is near", and then they immediately proceeded to close the curtains on the kiss at the end hahaha. So many little touches of detail peppered through here, it's honestly worth a re-watch! James Marsters, Anthony S. Head, and Amber Benson were highlights for me in this episode. Everyone did a great job, surprisingly so. But those 3 really stood out to me :) "Rest in Peace" is just great to listen to whenever, and I really enjoy Anthony Head's singing voice. I also really love the duet with Giles and Tara! Been looking forward to the reaction of this ep :D One of my favorites! Loved the demon as well lol, he is a real performer/tap dancer,a the BTS of this ep is really cool, i recommend!
About the fanbase wanting Spuffy, there was actually a pretty big divide between the Bangels and Spuffys. Some really big arguments on the old Buffy fan forums about it.
My favorite episode of Buffy. I own the soundtrack on vinyl. 😊 Also the Watcher's Council should pay Buffy, they pay Giles. Giles still works for the Watcher's Council he was reinstated last season.
@@visarr They don't because its not about Buffy being a woman. Its about her not even being a person to them. She's a weapon, a tool, a means to an end. Never a person. They show as much in how they treat slayers. Like animals to tame. The watchers watch them as if watching a dangerous beast rather than watching over a chosen warrior.
I've been looking forward to you guys watching this all week. They got the mustard out guy is David Fury the other executive producer for Buffy, 24, Lost and Angel. Parking ticket lady who mentions she's not wearing any underwear is EP Marti Noxon who also had another little show called Mad Men. The Buffy producer and writer tree beared a lot of fruit Shoutout to Jonathan Danny Strong co-creating Empire.
Anthony Stewart Head played Frank N Furter in a stage version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I remember seeing a low quality video of it on TH-cam somewhere.
I feel like they were so prepared for this episode, Rana had the most genuine reaction lol. But I understand not everybody likes musicals. Suraj again showing he knew some info beforehand with the Michelle Branch song lmfao.
And magic in this show is a sort of metaphor for drugs. Use it sparingly and intelligently, don't get into the super nasty stuff, and it's fine. However, once it becomes an addiction, everything goes wrong.
Spikes number in the graveyard always gets me. A very long time ago, there was someone that woke up my empathy, made me hunger to be a better person, to be worthy of them...and i failed them, and they remained out of my reach except for a few brief interludes...but never with us truly together. Just close enough to hang there, starved for more, while time wore on. That sense of being like a moth battering against a light you can never get close enough to...just fluttering near it helplessly, and also desperately wishing that you didn't feel the way you do. If only you could NOT feel or want what you feel and want...you could move on and be free. His song is close to a punk/rock blend... so that it matches my musical tastes as well. All that made the song, and the episode, a hit for me. Plus the joy of seeing the cast push the boundaries of their abilities, and break the TV prime time routine with something completely different from the norm. All adds up to one of the best episodes ever.
Which song was your fave!?
Intro music “Prince” by Amari Leone! Check them out here:
th-cam.com/video/_1v9LNk5rew/w-d-xo.html
open.spotify.com/artist/4yrwvORh4v5WCkTp4VrIGr?si=grT_m0rmR-CMSdbvWwle-g
I really appreciate the shout out guys! And great reaction per usual! 🔥🦁
My favorite has always been Sweet, the dancing demon's song. It's so good and changes the whole tone of the show. The entire episode is also my favorite episode in any series, ever.
Spikes for sure
Wake through the fire and standing
Under your spell
The actor who played Sweet, Hinton Battle, actually won 3 Tonys. He passed away last month.
He also did the choregraphing for this episode.
@@AnaCVazquez I read that too and checked it out, but it was actually someone named Adam Shankman. Battle is still amazing and probably assisted in some way since he's choreographed before.
@@AnaCVazquez no..the couple that choreographed it are dancing in the street just before the three street sweepers..
That's sad
F
Sweet's "say you're happy now, once more with feeling" is the single greatest "fuck you" delivered on this show.
And the way he unfurls his hand at his belt when he sings, "You've been real... swell." Oh my.
There’s also a double entendre in that it’s about the most insulting thing (stupid, jerky) conductors ever say to professional musicians..like, let’s rehearse this again (for the incompetent conductor) and since they have nothing intelligent to say, they ask for “with feeling”..as though they never play with feeling and have to be told..
He didn't really care that he didn't get his queen. He just wanted to stir up that drama.
One of the few (only?) bad guys who wins and gets away completely free at the end of the episode.
The off tone they hit during “I was in heaven” and Spike’s “liiiiving” gives me full body chills every time.
Not..an “off” tone..just a half step that changed the chord. Spike was slightly off, but that’s inexperience in singing..
@@johncspine2787 Not “off” like key, “off” like feeling.
@@johncspine2787Despite James Marsters being lead singer and guitarist in his band Ghost Of the Robot.
Chris nails it completely. This is exceptional storytelling- to reveal/resolve all the issues and character arcs that were currently in flux, they would have had to do it over 2-3 heavy episodes. Instead, they managed to do it all in one, in an original and engaging manner.
Stellar writing, the cast did a great job, amazing episode! Looking forward to next week…
100% the storytelling was executed wonderfully. Next week is another one of my favorites from the series.
Yup! Literally revolutionized the idea of musical episodes!
@@JH-jw7pu Except many fans say that other musical episodes don't actually progress the story like this one does. "The Bitter Suite" from Xena: Warrior Princess definitely did since it's about mending the broken relationship of the two leads, but that aired years before this episode.
Although Tara finding out that Willow erased her memory was revealed through dialogue by Dawn. Dawn's kleptomania & Giles wanting to leave remain unrevealed. While Xander & Anya revealed insecurities that don't leave much of an impact on their relationship. The important points progressed through songs were Buffy's resurrection from heaven & "romance" w/ Spike.
How come this video release 7 days ago and your comment is dated 1 month ago??
I think Buffy’s last line is the most important thing to remember going forward “This isn’t real, but I just want to feel”
What does that actually mean?
The line they cheered over and didn't hear...
@@JudgeMazzabuffy is in a deep state of depression after being pulled out of heaven. So much so that she cannot even feel things like happiness and joy and emotion. But when she is with spike, she feels passion and lust, which to her, is better than just being devoid of emotion. Even if she doesnt love spike, even if she doesnt return his affections and feelings for her, the lust and passion she gets from indulging in spike is better for her than being an empty cold husk.
This episode is the reason “musical episodes” are common nowadays. They weren’t the first to do it, but they did popularize it! Prior to this, musical episodes were considered to be a joke but “Once More with Feeling” showed that story and development can be shown through song. The theme of communicating without communicating is present throughout the whole show (ex. Hush).
That's actually a misconception b/c "The Bitter Suite" from Xena: Warrior Princess, which precedes this episode by a few years, was basically a story arc finale. It starts w/ the two leads wanting to literally murder each other but ends w/ them getting back together again. It was also well-received, just not as popular.
@@jp3813 That's exactly what they said though. Buffy wasn't the first to do a musical episode (neither was Xena), but the episode definitely popularized the conceit.
@@fabianhebestreit3240 I was referring to the OP's sentence that starts w/ "Prior to this..." Many people here claim that what sets this musical episode apart from those that came before & after is that it progresses & develops the storylines. The misconception is that no other shows, especially prior, ever did so.
Xena had a pretty powerful one maybe 2-3 years before this, but i agree with you. Buffy took it up another notch (they had body swap episodes and all)
THE musical episode. 100% content, all character development, not a wasted line, or superfluous song.
"...not a wasted line..."
Not even "I think this line's mostly filler?"
@@Lady-Seashell-Bikini Hilariously: While everyone else was expressing themselves deeply, her casual remark, "I think this line's mostly filler," hinted strongly that her focus was more on her magical pursuits rather than her connections with those around her. Additionally, in this episode, she stands out as the sole character who doesn't undergo any significant personal development or progression.
and the meta reason that Alyson didn't think she could sing and was allowed to just have one-off lines like that
What about "They got the mustard out!"? Lol.
Preceded for a few years by "The Bitter Suite" from Xena: Warrior Princess, which was all about her & Gabrielle fixing their relationship.
Sweet has the distinction of being one of only a handful of demons who antagonized the crew and just flat out came out on top. At no point in this episode is he ever in danger and he only leaves when he finds out the wrong person made the pact.
Which is why he survives. He saw the profit margin drop and bailed before they could even try to fight him properly. Saving himself the trouble of dealing with the slayer and her magical friends who eventually manage to kill anyone who sticks around too long. I honestly think he might have bailed even with Dawn but she at least had enough value to him to maybe try and deal with future issues. Xander just kinda spoiled the fun. I mean he noted willows power and Buffy the slayer survived the dance number. I wouldn't cross both of them and friends for Xander.
He's a powerful demon who knows when its not worth it even if you could win in the end.
I think it's just him and Kathy!
I think all he wanted was to have some fun, and he had that. Like when you're gambling, if you're on top, leave.
Sweet obviously understands humans on a level most demons don't. Which makes total sense for a musical demon. Most demons wouldn't be satisfied without being able to kill the slayer and would keep trying until they ended up dead. But Sweet was able to walk away satisfied because he understands that you can bring chaos and ruin to someone's life without having to physically harm them.
@@rfresaSPOILERS FOR SEASON 7 BELOW.....
and D'Hoffryn
Spike stopping Buffy from killling herself, the look in his eye, his voice, really got me through some tough times.
Life's not a song, Life isn't bliss, Life is just this
It's living
You'll get along, The pain that you feel You only can heal
By living
Yes, his part got me through a number of very tough and dark times.
Chris had the PERFECT explanation of why this episode works so well and the incredible storyboarding points it was able to tackle because of the concept.
It was mostly Buffy's secrets that were revealed through songs though. Tara found out what Willow's been doing to her through Dawn's dialogue, Dawn's & Giles' secrets remain hidden, while Xander's & Anya's were mostly expected insecurities even between them both.
@@jp3813 Some of these plot points don't get fully resolved within the story yet, but they do provide insights to the audience, which isn't nothing.
I'm pretty sure Joss wrote these songs and then had the previous ep(s) set them up!
@@TheRulesLawyerRPG It's not about resolving the plot points but progressing them. Musical songs are always for the audience's benefit, but as far as the characters are concerned, they didn't need the songs except for Buffy's issues.
@@jp3813 Upon further reflection, I think the songs that are "internal" DO advance the plot, because internal character realizations move the plot forward as well. Tara realizing Willow was controlling her mind led to her confronting Willow next ep. Giles realized finally he should leave.
Also, Xander and Anya did hear each other and referenced each other's statements during the street scene... buuuut the show doesn't do much with what they realize there admittedly
@@TheRulesLawyerRPG Tara found out that Willow was controlling her mind b/c Dawn told her and she looked it up in a magic book. Giles' realization was due to Buffy telling him that she thought he spoke to Dawn already. Xander & Anya's duet was just for fun. Remove the songs and the progressions for those subplots remain the same.
I agree with Suraj here 25:59.
If you pay attention to Buffy's and Spike's interactions together, she's attracted to unhealthy ways of wanting to "feel" again.
Also, when Buffy sang "I just want to feel" while Spike stated how she made him feel [since he's in love with her], that blatantly states the reasons they kissed each other.
Buffy is using Spike to feel something again after dying and is attracted to him, while Spike has real feelings for her.
She actually gonna feel real feelings for him
@@guilainefeutchine886 she does feel for him but it's different
@@brandyjohnson738 no, she clearly falling in love with him "why everybody in this house think im still IN LOVE with Spike" her words not mine
Anya's jab at Xander about his penis having diseases from some tribe was in reference to the season 4 thanksgiving episode when the Indian spirits gave Xander syphilis.
"A bear! You made a bear!!!"
@@phousefilms"Undo it! Undo it!"
His penis got diseases from a shumash tribe, always makes me laugh
@@kimberlyjeanne9456 **filled with arrows**
It's so perfectly executed how all the secrets & personal tension building since the premier all come out and crescendo, leaving the question "Where do we go from here?" in the aftermath.
R.I.P. Hinton Battle.
He was 67.
( Nov 29, 1956 - Jan 30, 2024 )
He played the red demon, Sweet.
He was the first to portray the Scarecrow in the stage version of The Wiz ( a role then taken on by Michael Jackson in the 1978 film adaptation ).
In honor of Battle, the Broadway League announced all 41 Broadway theaters would dim their marquee lights on March 12, 2024. Dimming the lights of Broadway theaters is a tradition reflecting the honoree's influence and career.
Oh dang... I hope he's enjoying himself in not hell.
He also would have played the Cat in the American version of 'Red Dwarf' had it made it past the pilot stage.
@@Qualimar Oh my God, I can see the resemblance in movement. He would've made a brilliant Cat.
There was a young woman/performer with the surnsne Battle who passed away a year or so earlier. Related?
@samsonau8205 If you are referring to Simone Battle I can't find any connection between them.
THEY GOT THE MUSTARD OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!!
Writer, director, producer and mustard guy David Fury has one of my favorite parts
I was looking for this comment.
Thank you.
He is also the horned guy in the beginning who goes OWWW. He also shows up in Angel in the Smile Time episode as the puppeteer.
That scene will live rent free in my head my entire life, I remember it so distinctly from the first time I saw it, I laughed so hard I cried.
@@bhelliom3 same. When I'm in a nursing home 20+ years from now I'll still remember and laugh at it.
Lethe’s bramble is a reference to the Lethe, a river in the Underworld in Greek Mythology. Anyone who drank from that river would forget everything they knew
I can't remember who on the couch said it in season 1 reaction, but they were like 'this show better not have a musical'. My laughter has now settled.
I’m kind of disappointed by their reaction..they always spend so much time talking over the dialog they miss a lot of the show, then they criticize it. This episode was genius on so, so many levels, and I was a pro symphony musician for my adult life, I remember dreading this episode, and I was in love with it before Buffy finished her first number..
This is a hard episode to go through their watching dynamic. Too much caos, i am afraid. But then we are here for exactly that caos, right?
@@johncspine2787 What did they miss here?
This was the show that STARTED the trend of shows having musical episodes
@@benllewellyn297 mmm..there were actually other shows that had musical episodes going all the way back to “I Love Lucy,” in the 50’s. I would agree with you however that this show was so good at it, it did inspire many more modern ones (that weren’t as good as this..lol..)
27:29 this is why Tara’s line “they’ll be nothing left of me” is so sad. No one has loved Tara for who she truly is and Willow erasing her memory is trying to change who Tara is at her core.
It's disgusting how WIllow tried to just erase the fight, rather than try to improve herself!
What a person does isn't automatically what that person intends to do. Willow wipes Tara's memory just b/c she doesn't want to argue. The logic of "she's happy, no harm done". It's awful, but it never crossed her mind that she's altering who Tara is.
@@jp3813 to me it doesn’t matter if she is intending to alter Tara or not she is being selfish and only doing what is best for her and is willing to erase the memory of someone she loves to do it which is terrible.
@@AFCompany Like I said, it's awful. The result doesn't change, but in terms of psychoanalyzing Willow, she thinks that everyone benefits from her magic by maintaining their happiness. Hence, she doesn't realize that she's being selfish.
But what did she do next episode when Tara said she had violated her mind? Did the same thing again. So she knew.
Marketa last ep: “I don’t ship them, I don’t ship Spuffy”
Marketa one ep later: “I hope the kiss is real!”
Wait, Marketa was saying she was open to them pairing in the ep prior to this. It was Micky who said he was against them
Fun fact: the guy singing about the mustard stain was Executive Producer David Fury & the woman singing about a parking ticket was Executive Producer Marti Noxon
This, Hush and The Body are commonly thought of as the best episodes. But I think the next episode should be up there too.
Agree!!
@@smashbrandiscootch719 100%! "Conversations" is fantastic.
@@smashbrandiscootch719 I'll also throw in Restless.
Toss in “Becoming” parts 1 & 2 as a double feature
My top 5: This, Lovers Walk, The Body, Convos w Dead People, Chosen
Michelle trachtenberg, who plays Dawn, apparently didn't think she was a good enough singer to do a musical number, however she is apparently a classically trained ballet dancer so she requested instead of a song to do a ballet scene.
No real idea of her singing abilities, but the ballet was exactly right at the perfect time, and she nailed it.
I think this is part of the strength of this episode. The songs (and other performances) are adapted to the characters, not the other way around.
The best musical episode of all time. It actually progresses the story, unlike other musical episodes of tv.
Scrubs did well incorporating their musical as a symptom of a patient whilst actually staying in character and telling a story, all in a 22 minute sitcom episode. But yes 'Once More with Feeling' is definitely the best for its dramatic impact, quality of songwriting and plot development. Most other shows just do a musical episode as a gimmick. Whedon treats it like high-art
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds had a great musical episode in season 2. That was very risky for the franchise considering it's science fiction and Strange New Worlds has only ten episode seasons but they managed to do what "Once More With Feeling" did in progressing the plot, progressing character relationships, and had an impactful story within the world.
@@chaost4544 It did, but because we know these characters better and longer, it's impact doesn't measure up to this episode.
@@ejr87r it's true "Once More, with Feeling" is the gold standard for musical episodes. I'm not disputing that. However, what "Subspace Rhapsody" managed to tackle are things that have been unanswered questions since the 1960's; particularly why Spock didn't get in a relationship with Christine Chapel.
Spock, Nyota Uhura, Kirk, etc. are cultural icons that have stood the test of time and the recent series explores things that haven't been explored with their established characters for their 60+ year history. The episode did amazing job of wrapping up and completing some stories that have been a mystery for decades. Why the musical episode works in Strange New Worlds is in large part because it forwards characters that have been well loved, established characters for over half a century and directly answered some questions that have hung over the franchise for as long as I can remember.
I love musical numbers that progress the story. Every show that does it becomes a fave for me. Few have managed it to this degree though.
Cordelia specifically complained about Angel being 200 years old and not having a financial plan.
Along with Giles' sad solo, Tara saying, "Playing with my memory... you know I've been through hell," also breaks my heart because after all Tara went through with Glory destroying her mind, Willow has done something terrible by magically messing with her mind just to avoid an argument. There's a lot of interesting stuff being revealed in these songs.
This isn’t A musical episode it is THE musical episode. It paved the way for musical episodes and is done so much better than most.
Xena: Warrior Princess actually did two musical episodes prior to this. One was an epic story arc finale while the other was just filler.
@@jp3813 while I haven’t seen those I still think this specific episode was a big influence on other musical episodes and that it’s one of the best ever made.
@@lunawebster3748 This episode and the entire show are definitely more popular. I'm just saying that Xena paved the way for BTVS & OMWF. Specifically "The Bitter Suite", the 12th episode of the 3rd season which aired on 02/02/1998. Clips of it has been uploaded as well as its soundtrack.
Rana said she hated musicals a whiiile ago, but we all knew she’d love this, and her grinning almost the entire time plus singing along at one point says so much. Also the clapping at the end.
This episode is an A+ use of everyone's talents. The best singers carry as much of the music as they can (you can hear them supporting the weaker singers during the group numbers,) the songs are very lyrical and heavy on clever wordplay (ideal for a novice songwriter with a lot of screenwriting experience and a great ear for dialogue), and the weaker singers get to compensate with something they're good at. Michelle Trachtenberg studied ballet, so she gets a dance number. Nick Brendon gets by on his skills as a comic actor. And Alyson Hannigan and Sarah Michelle Gellar both act their asses off.
Since Buffy ended, Amber Benson has written Novels, Screenplays and directed movies . I met her, she is very funny and smart. Read some of her novels --any books that make me go look up words in a dictionary, I am for .
I like how downright grumpy the kiss made Micky. He had that look of disappointment on his face like one of them grumpy muppets. It made for a good contrast with the more excited Normies.
Also, I like how Marketa has turned around on Spuffy from where she was approximately a season ago. The writers certainly took their time to lay the groundwork.
The council never paid Buffy which is absolutely ridiculous. They pay the men watching the slayer but not the slayer 😅
Don't you think that checks out pretty well? It makes sense
The council doesn't even treat Buffy like a person so it makes sense.
Remember from Season 3 that they basically kill Slayers when they reach 18 (Buffy beat the odds and lived), so presumably they expect Slayers to be minors, supported by their Watcher and/or family, and have no mechanism for dealing with adult Slayers.
What's interesting about this is how narrow minded it is. Paying people gives you power over them. The Council likes having power over Slayers. Imagine what the Council could make Buffy do in Season 6 when she desperately couldn't afford to lose her paycheck.
@ShadowDogProduction what do you mean by that? What could possibly the council could make Buffy do?
One of if not the best musical episode in television history. Now you guys need to watch Dr. Horrible Sing-Along-Blog
That was my favourite thing to come out of the writer’s strike.
I cannot believe they got Hinton Battle to perform in an episode of Buffy. I had been listening to him on my mucial recordings for a decade before this came out. Pure talent!!!
Well said, Chris, about how all the secrets coming out in this episode could have made it "the most downer episode since Joyce died" but the musical made it easier to deal with it all. Great observation!
Considering the grin on Marketta's face almost the entire episode, I don't think she's regretting missing her vacation. 🤣
She kept laughing for no reason though, and said that the episode was just "interesting" at the end. Hence, it wouldn't be surprising if she doesn't rank this one highly.
I think Jenny Calendar would have been a great teacher/mentor for Willow. The thing with Willow regarding magic, she's doesn't really to turn understand the magic but more about hrowing her powers. She tries to take shortcuts. Even all the way back in season 3, when she really started getting into it, she's constantly crossed boundaries with her magic. Tara's strong in magic, but she's more about because she's an actual Wiccan. So one's more seeking growth in power, while the other has respect of boundaries with magic.
One thing I loved about this show is how they knew where they were going and season or two before and would lay ground work and clues for things to come.
I keep "walk through the fire" on my playlist
I get how viewing this episode first time it can seem a little awkward and you laugh a lot. But, it’s an episode that really benefits from subsequent viewings and when you listen to the lyrics, you realise it’s bloody perfection. There’s a reason a lot of people bought the cd of this musical!
After The Body and The Gift weren’t a full couch reaction, I’m so glad this one is.
Interesting tidbit: The widescreen "remaster" (more like "demaster", destroying the contrast and the bottom part of the screen) completely removed the context that this was the first widescreen Buffy episode. Back in the day on our 3:4 CRT TVs they showed this episode with black bars on top and bottm of the screen to make it look even more cinematic.
Love the Normies opening credit for this. Well done producers/editors.
Even the little demon at the end of the credits sings!
I love this so much and I never see a reactor notice it.
No one watches all the way through till the end! There are only a handful of different ends, but they are all worth it. 😢🎓🎶
Fantastic editing again, Spencer! Loved this reaction
"oh my god, did it sing?!" is one of the funniest
Anthony Head's final note in that final chord on "Where do we go from HEEEEEEEEEEEEERE?" is one of my favorites. He sounded awesome. That whole final chord was fantastic. Very classic musical epic. (I am a musical kind of gal, though, so I ate up this episode with relish, man. I loved it.)
To use the method of musical storytelling as an in-universe yet meta comment on the plot of the characters around them, to genuinely good tunes, taking into account what the actors did and did not want to do (singing/dancing) advancing the plot of the overall serious and honouring the genre of musical, written by the man (as awful as he is) who helmed the series... a stroke of genius television has rarely ever seen. And with these actors along with it?! Forget about it. Genius. I'm glad many moments were appreciated
“This isn’t real, but I just want to feel” is a pretty important line right before Buffy kisses Spike. A lot of people seem to miss it
"The hardest thing to do in this world is to live."
Pro: 11:12 “Sing, Buffy, Sing!” Was spot-on. It took me a few viewings to realize that she ran away because she didn’t want to sing, not because she was just uncomfortable with the situation.
Con: The headline Broadway Star number was not the time for extensive talk-over.
one of the few musical episodes that keeps the story going instead of just having the actors sing old hits to the camera.
That reveal of Buffy's secret at the end...what a crazy way to do it, but also pretty good ? I think it was a wise choice to do it this way, that secret for a character would have made her go crazy !!
Best thing Ive ever heard Pat say-
'we need to bring tap shoes back.'
Yes. Yes we do.
Hinton Battle was the guy playing Sweet, the demon. Broadway choreographer and so forth. Top notch. SMG also(despite not being a singer herself) worked like crazy to be able to do her parts. Willow's actress had so few lines for singing because she isn't great. Dawn's actress is ballet-trained, hence the ballet scene.
From memory, Joss knew it was time for a musical because of all the heightened drama and emotion, and it felt like the characters were close to bursting into song anyway. It fits so perfectly with his style though - Hush was an episode about words getting in the way of true communication. This was about words and conversation not being good enough way to express everyone's truth.
you know your stuff; I think you're literally quoting Whedon from BTS! How do you feel about Whedon these days? I honestly think his cancelling was blown way out of proportion and was mostly based on hearsay and unsubstantiated claims. Hypocritical actions but not crimes. Ultimately he's most likely an artistic asshole, but not the monster people have made of him. I dont know if we'll ever get shows with this much personality and authorship again
@@terminatrix92 They're very substantiated. If it was just Charisma Carpenter, I might agree with you, that could just be a personal beef, but over a dozen different people making similar claims? That's a pattern. There's a significant amount of evidence pointing to Whedon taking his personal issues out on people he had power over, some of which are evident in the shows themselves for reasons I can't get into because of spoilers.
@@Talisguy Actors being divas.
@@terminatrix92 I think we need to quit classifying responses and consequences to people's behaviors as "canceling." Joss's various misdeeds finally caught up to him despite him being protected even by the people (actors, crew, friends, etc.) he harmed, and his beliefs/behaviors were starting to show up in his works as well, hence why his very awful Wonder Woman script was rejected.
That said, we find out all the time that creators/creatives -- people in general -- are awful bts, and we all have to set boundaries of acceptance/separation in regards to that.
@@cajah88 I'll never understand why people care if a monster made the show they watch. If its good its good. Even the worst people can make the best things. Not saying he's the worst person, he's not obviously. Just that people can create wonders no matter how terrible or broken they are. We should embrace that rather than try to avoid it. Anyone can create something beautiful and that is a wonderful thing to know. You don't need to reject their works because they are bad.
13:44 I wish this extended to Angel, Lorne would love it.
Angel is already like a semi-musical throughout multiple seasons.
The best musical ever. And I'm including films in that.
I own the album for this episode… literally in my car CD player permanently. My husband is sick of it.
I remember downloading a digital version of this episode from Limewire or something before I could even get the CD.
I don't think the music was/is all that great. Joss is a great writer and story teller. Music composer? Not my cup of tea. Joseph LuDoca's composition on Xena more masterful.
One of the best episodes and it was such a bold move 20 years ago. So many shows have tried to do a musical ep since, but none have really matched this, due to the brilliance of the storytelling through the lyrics here. Also the lady getting a parking ticket is Marti Noxon, one of the exec producers of the show!
never in my years i would have thought spiders real name was joshua. Spidey gives me damien vibes but harper adds to the lore
The big question is where do we go from here?
Why is the path unclear,
When we know home is near.
Understand we'll go hand in hand,
But we'll walk alone in fear. (Tell me)
Tell me where do we go from here.
Rena waring the AALIYAH tshirt is ICONIC. A legendary singer and slayer.
my all time favorite episode of Buffy. this episode got me into musicals didnt even know the genre existed before this episode also rip Hinton Battle he pasted on January 30 2024 he was an amazing actor loved him in Buffy as sweets and in the Wiz as the scarecrow and as bill bojangles Robinson in the Shirley Temple story
4:22 David Fury
9:29 Marti Noxon
12:35 Anyone find it a little suspicious that Michell Branch is mentioned when she appears in the next episode?
This made me smile. At the end Buffy sings before kissing spike “This isn’t real but I just want to feel…”
I'm so flattered my patreon comment hit Rana so hard. And I get a call out in THIS episode!🎉
SDR Fam!
@@Thenormies 😅 did Rana write this comment? ...Isn't it SRD fam?
Even to this day, this is considered one of the best, well thought out TV musicals in an established tv episodes. Nothing will compare after this.
When the show first aired, it went a minute over so people who set their VCRs to record missed the kiss at the end.
Ohh that would have sucked
Yes, I was indeed one of those people. I was freaking out that I missed the ending and had to call friends that watched it live to find out what happened. The network must have realized that happened, because they re-ran the episode a second time not long after, but it was cut down for time so it wouldn’t run over. Like Dawn’s line about birthing a pterodactyl was cut, as was Xander asking if he had to be queen. That was how I finally saw the kiss, even though the curtain came down earlier, also trimmed for time.
@@nthdgree5078 Yes, me too! My job at the time ended - well, when we finished the day's work - but, usually at 10 PM (Eastern time zone) or later, so I couldn't watch live. My particular recording ended with Sweet clapping right after "Something to Sing About" - ! I believe it was Tabula Rasa's "Previously On" which first showed me the kiss! And I did hear about and record the re-broadcast - shown on a Friday night, irrc; but, as you say, it was edited to regular episode length. I believe, among other cuts, we returned from commercial with Dawn cast at Sweet's feet - the entire ballet cut! And yes, I never actually saw "Does this mean I have to..." and the response until I watched the DVD!
I appreciated those of you who appreciated the musical element
Aww the guy who plays sweet actually just passed a month or two ago, Sarah even did a post for him on her story
The greatest musical episode of all time
Also pretty much kicked off the trend of musical episodes
Buffy kicking the door in this episode was epic.
Amber and Tony's reprise of Under Your Spell/Wish I Could Stay is my favorite part So organic, and so moving. This is the greatest musical episode of TV ever done. And Hinton Battle made such a great Demon of the Dance. While many fans loathe this season, season six is my favorite. The big bad in this season is just...life. The antagonists aren't supernatural demons, but just impotent dudes that want power.
I’m loving the idea of slayers having sponsors 😂😂
Before musicals became a thing, This episode gave the fans a taste of what a well scripted musical TV episode could be. It could be argued that this is The episode that pushed TV musicals into mainstream.
"Im under your spell" song is my jam
yeah I agree with Chris that this season has a lot more focus on the scoobies, the characters themselves and their own contributions and developments through everything they've gone through
I love that this episode is both musical and satire 😂😂
This video should just be titled “Suraj predicting Tabula Rasa for 30 minutes” first the Michelle branch comment then him telling Willow to make Tara forget that she forgot lmao
Great reaction. I'm filled with satisfaction.
RIP Hinton Battle aka the actor who played Sweet.
The Normies talk about how ridiculous this show can get all the time and still seem surprised by a musical. That's more odd to me than them wondering, _Why this episode?_
The last time I reacted to this I mentioned that no one ever sees the credit stating original songs and music by Joss Whedon and didn't know it was a musical until Buffy starts singing. Then I saw in this reaction The Normies had the captions on and thought, _They might see it._ Two seconds later Suraj pointed it out.
Tara to Willow: "You sexually assulted me." I mean: Tara singing to Willow: "I'm under your spell." And at the end of the song it's rape, as well. The metaphors in that song are more disturbing that some people realize.
Marketa: "Anything magical that happens, I'm just gonn a blame Willow." And it ended up being Xander for this episode. He was ready to throw Dawn to the wolves until Giles said if it wasn't Dawn, and it was in the shop, it must be one of them. So, the excuse people try to give of him protecting Dawn doesn't work. Also, him not taking a spell seriously ("I didn't know what was going to happen" is pitiful after being a Scooby for five years (halfway through this year and season one being a half year). Having cold feet is a reason to talk to Anya, not do a spell. If he can't do that, then what Anya said when he proposed (she slapped him and stated he was doing so because they were going to die and he hadn't given it proper thought) is all true. Xander is directly responsible for thiose that burnt to death dancing. Sweet was just doing what he's supposed to do when summond. He isn't the bad guy. The character's issues were.
I was a little disapponted in Spidey mentioning N'SYNC after Buffy was worried about an 80's traing montage.
Chris's reaction to Sweet's puppet minion no singing was funny AF.
It's not about them dancing in the background just before the group sings _Walk Through the Fire,_ it's about the fact that they're fighting, but because of the musical spell, that fighting is an interpretive ballat. The same thing happened when Dawn tried to run away from the puppet head minions after being kidnaped. Running away became interpretive ballet.
The look on Willow's face is perfectly deserved when Buffy sings she was in heaven considering Willow was upset that Buffy didn't thank her for being ressurrected and told off Giles when he, who knew the dangers of magical addiction told her she was foolish for doing so.
Sorry Marketa, even your "ahhhh" won't make me feel bad for Willow.
Rana is only partially right. Sweet wasn't a therapist. He was the one who made everyone reveal the problems. Once Sweet leaves they have to deal with them. That's when the therapist really needs to start helping and Sweet isn't around for that one.
The last song _Where Do We Go From Here,_ isn't a choice to sing. Just before Sweet leaves, he sings a spell on them to sing one last time, by singing, "Say (they're) happy now, once More, With Feeling." And Spike gets released from it first followed by Buffy only because they have a side story the spell wants them to do outside.
Suraj, that's literally how Angel handles his business. Sometimes he helps people and sometimes he charges them. The only thing, in-universe, saying Buffy cannot do that is the fact that Anya suggested it and pride.
It's so fun to see the eye-rolling, sink me into this couch, reactions of the Normies who don't like musicals, every time a song starts. lol But they still got hit with the story beats that make this episode unmissable. I was raised with music and musicals, so I'm more like Chris. I felt that gleam in his eye! Marketa and Chris picked up on the intentional off-key elements that were repeated between Buffy and Spike's heavy-hearted lines. The musical elements add another layer of communication and storytelling that make this episode reach out to the viewer and drop you into Buffy's world.
"it's giving michelle branch" 👀
One of my top episodes. I love most of the songs tbh.
I could watch this uncut over and over just watching each normies' reaction. Probably rana and Chris twice
The guy singing about the mustard is David Fury and the parking ticket woman is Marti Noxon, both head writers for Buffy and this season. Great you all saw this episode! Best Buffy episode ever.
Not sure if you caught this at the end, but in the Lyrics for the last song, they say "Curtain's close on a kiss, god knows we can tell the end is near", and then they immediately proceeded to close the curtains on the kiss at the end hahaha. So many little touches of detail peppered through here, it's honestly worth a re-watch!
James Marsters, Anthony S. Head, and Amber Benson were highlights for me in this episode. Everyone did a great job, surprisingly so. But those 3 really stood out to me :) "Rest in Peace" is just great to listen to whenever, and I really enjoy Anthony Head's singing voice. I also really love the duet with Giles and Tara! Been looking forward to the reaction of this ep :D One of my favorites! Loved the demon as well lol, he is a real performer/tap dancer,a the BTS of this ep is really cool, i recommend!
About the fanbase wanting Spuffy, there was actually a pretty big divide between the Bangels and Spuffys. Some really big arguments on the old Buffy fan forums about it.
While the Riley fans sat quiet in the corner.
My favorite episode of Buffy. I own the soundtrack on vinyl. 😊 Also the Watcher's Council should pay Buffy, they pay Giles. Giles still works for the Watcher's Council he was reinstated last season.
They should pay Buffy, but, patriarchy.
@@lolilie There's women on the council too. They should speak up.
@@visarr They don't because its not about Buffy being a woman. Its about her not even being a person to them. She's a weapon, a tool, a means to an end. Never a person. They show as much in how they treat slayers. Like animals to tame. The watchers watch them as if watching a dangerous beast rather than watching over a chosen warrior.
@@Merilirem I agree. But patriarchy was brought up above. So, someone (not me) thinks it's about Buffy being a woman.
It's showtime!
I've been looking forward to you guys watching this all week. They got the mustard out guy is David Fury the other executive producer for Buffy, 24, Lost and Angel. Parking ticket lady who mentions she's not wearing any underwear is EP Marti Noxon who also had another little show called Mad Men. The Buffy producer and writer tree beared a lot of fruit Shoutout to Jonathan Danny Strong co-creating Empire.
And Danny Strong wrote last 2 movies of The Hunger Games franchise as well and won an award for it.
Anthony Stewart Head played Frank N Furter in a stage version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I remember seeing a low quality video of it on TH-cam somewhere.
My sister.went to see him think it was before Buffy
The fact that Joss wrote all the music is just remarkable.
I love how fun AND sad this episode is. Buffy is basically trying to die at her climax song
I feel like they were so prepared for this episode, Rana had the most genuine reaction lol.
But I understand not everybody likes musicals.
Suraj again showing he knew some info beforehand with the Michelle Branch song lmfao.
The left half of the couch in the last scene 😂💜 (to be fair, I still react the same way every time I rewatch)
The behind the scenes for the episode is really a good watch.
This is *the* "musical episode". The one that later shows tried to copy, but didn't really manage it half as well.
And magic in this show is a sort of metaphor for drugs. Use it sparingly and intelligently, don't get into the super nasty stuff, and it's fine. However, once it becomes an addiction, everything goes wrong.
I can still basically sing the entire episode without looking up any lyrics lol
Spikes number in the graveyard always gets me. A very long time ago, there was someone that woke up my empathy, made me hunger to be a better person, to be worthy of them...and i failed them, and they remained out of my reach except for a few brief interludes...but never with us truly together. Just close enough to hang there, starved for more, while time wore on. That sense of being like a moth battering against a light you can never get close enough to...just fluttering near it helplessly, and also desperately wishing that you didn't feel the way you do. If only you could NOT feel or want what you feel and want...you could move on and be free. His song is close to a punk/rock blend... so that it matches my musical tastes as well. All that made the song, and the episode, a hit for me. Plus the joy of seeing the cast push the boundaries of their abilities, and break the TV prime time routine with something completely different from the norm. All adds up to one of the best episodes ever.