Heeeey, I didn't know that thou was a Virgo too. I should have listened to the signs. If someone were to ask me to guess that would have been my guess. lol Anyhoo, happy Late Bday!
The priestess officiating Tara & Willow’s wedding: “If anyone present here today would like to object, **cocks gun** please do so now at your own risk.”
I remember when Jonathan did my taxes and saved me so much money, then he talk to my wife and saved my marriage and let my children see that I was someone to be listened to and respected... I sure hope that wasn't just some weird spell...
I love this episode. The opening credits including Jonathan was great. It's such an amazing and bold idea for an episode. Let's take an extremely minor reoccurring character from season 2 and 3 and make an entire episode dedicated to the them, but also have it revolve around them as if they were the star. I wonder how the idea for this episode came about and how Danny Strong felt when contacted about this episode.
S5 E1& 5 spoiler ahead: It's also WAY more important than people give it credit for imo. The way Jonathon altered reality here is VERY similar to the spell we see the monks perform in episode 5. The one that alters reality in the first episode. It acts as even more foreshadowing imo, if not of the event itself then of the interpretations a perceptive viewer can draw from it (we know more than Buffy, so when Buffy makes certain assumptions, we get to feel super smart when she's proven wrong and eventually learns the truth we know/suspect for much longer. Extremely clever storytelling!)
Jonathan loves to commit a single action in hopes to change his situation. In Go Fish he peed in the pool. In Earshot he brought a gun into a clock tower. In Superstar he summoned a demon. This is so consistent with his character. And he doesn't ever seem to learn...
"Fantasies are fun, aren't they, Jonathan?" I love how that little scene from "Earshot" seems like such a throwaway at the time but ends up setting up this whole damn episode.
5:02 - Confused dab. 😂 Earshot made an impression, of course, but this one definitely made it a lot of fun for everyone to spot Jonathan in the earlier episodes. He's in the unaired pilot, but his first official appearance isn't until Season 2, IIRC. This is one of my favorites, but I guess it's not for everyone. It's a funny one, but also has cool character stuff and explores meta concepts, so it's kind of right up my alley. Fun Fact: The singing was not done by Danny Strong, but by Brad Kane, who was the singing voice for Aladdin in the animated film. Brad also previously appeared on Buffy as the loser who trained the hellhounds to attack the prom.
What do you mean "miss an episode?" Don't you know Jonathan has always been the main character :P (Also I haven't said this in a while but I'm always appreciating the quote cards ^^ )
Remember when Jonathan destroyed the Judge with a homemade rocket launcher, then he created the very first iPhone and made everyone pancakes! whatta mans
I remember when Johnathan explained to Marvel that instead of doing individual movies they should create and expanded universe with interconnected storylines, then he plotted them out using little known Marvel heroes and created an entire franchise!
@@rexracer3221 It was so impressive in Infinity War, when he turned out to be strong enough to withstand the Gauntlet snapping Thanos away. Man, what an ending!
You're onto it when you notice Buffy's hair. It's similarly styled in 'Beer Bad' when Buffy is under the influence, and when her body is taken over by Faith. Basically, when she's not herself. I'm with you when it comes to Tara, she's my favourite character on the show. I always appreciate her quiet strength (like when she'll try to look for a solution in 'Hush', is brave with her feelings for Willow making it clear she's hers, defends herself from a demon in this one... she powers through).
I love the episodes that break the normal setups of the show. Like how The Zeppo was from Xander's perspective or how this one completely rewrites the world for the sake of one guy's power fantasy. It's also hilarious how Jonathon's knowledge here actually makes sense and helps Buffy in the end.
It's been theorised that Anya's non understanding of humans and child like behaviour is a metaphor for her autism. And finding that I'm on the spectrum in my late 20s, I've fallen deeper in love with Anya being there in my childhood and helping me feel normal in all my little quirks. 😊
It always felt a bit off to me that Anya"didn't understand humans"since she *was* one once...I mean,OK,a lot of time passed but most vampires aren't as naive as she is about"human stuff"...this _might_ explain the whole thing a little bit better...🤔
@@Nicamon I think that's the way Anya has always been written, to not understand not people. I think the more you watch of her with the knowledge that she's on the autistic spectrum in mind, the more you can see it and where she's coming from. :)
Some important things happen in this episode! We learn more about how alternate realities work in the Buffyverse. We got a crap ton of information on Adam, including how to defeat him. And most importantly, we learn that there could be a WORLD WITH JUST SHRIMP!!
Jonathan's singing voice was provided by Brad Kane, who played Tucker Wells (the hellhound summoner) in _The Prom_ He is also the singing voice for Disney's _Aladdin_
So glad u mentioned Buffys hair! Notice in season 4 her hair goes curly when something isnt quite right or she's part of some sort of spell. Beer Bad, Something Blue, Who Are You, Superstar..
This episode does a good job at making viewers question WTF is happening, playing up the comedy of it all and then grounding it in the seriousness by having the characters say that it was a real alternate reality while it was happening. Danny Strong said in the audio commentary that the crew had him go in for the episode's photo shoot before he even received the script. I like that they gave Danny Strong an episode seeing as he was built up from a background character with no lines. I love the through lines of Jonathon helping Buffy with her Riley/Faith issues, Adam knowing its an alternate reality (as well as more information on Adam), and Riley incorporating himself into the Scooby meetings. Moments like that keep this from being a filler and/or stand-alone episode. Jonathon's singing voice is _The Prom_ episode's villain and _Disney's Aladdin_ singing voice. Willow being surprised that "Buffy was right" is the most normal any character acts in this reality until Buffy starts remembering. "Went to counseling and someone had a spell." Sunnydale life.
There's a lot of discourse in the fandom around Faith's double r*pe of Riley and Buffy in the last episode. I feel sa is one area that dates this show as if it was made now, they would have a much bigger discussion around what it actually meant for them both.
yeah i honestly was not sure how to even address this topic in an appropriate manner bc at first i just didnt understand the gravity of the situation and then once i talked about it with people, i felt horrible about the whole thing :( its something that is like both glossed over but also addressed by the show if that makes sense? like i just wasnt sure what to think, but the whole situation makes me sick looking back on it
@@alleybox totally makes sense. Looking back, it's hard to believe that at the time of airing it didn't seem like such a huge thing. But even then my friends and I couldn't work out how they just seemed to forget about it so quickly. I think that's a flaw of the show generally though. Too often something horrific happens and you don't see a lasting impact or any kind of trauma response. Passion of the Nerd's commentary of this episode is brilliant, really insightful.
@@imnickij yeah and then when she goes to angel and sees faith, she has a very good motive with this. faith used her body to assault her boyfriend without their consent. but its never really brought up (at least from what i remember) so that also seems odd looking back. and i cant wait to watch Passion of the Nerd's videos. heard amazing things about it
@@alleybox I honestly can't watch this episode of Angel without literally feeling SICK . The way they portrayed Buffy as a "villain" for being angry at Faith always triggers me. As a SA survivor, I put myself in Buffy's shoes and I felt like my experience had also been underestimated in some way.
@@catarinemarques231 yeah seriously! i was mostly on angels side while watching that episode and looking back im like ??? why did they frame it like that?? they add in faith and give her so much screen time for her redemption and by the time buffy gets to properly address it with her, we all feel bad for faith so her aggression isnt understood properly by the audience :/ i hate how i respond during that episode looking back bc i didnt fully understand
I remember watching this episode when it first aired on TV (broadcasting at 10:30pm Tuesdays). I was in high school and doing homework and I had to double take at the episode opening! By the time the opening finished I had the biggest grin on my face and thought, "Oh yeah, this episode is going to be special...also wtf?!"
You are being bias. The best thing was Jonathan, but I guess you know that... xD on a more serious note, Tara does make a wonderful dream like character, where you can't wish for anything better in a person.
Great episode, very memorable. I love how they don't explain anything, we're left on our own to figure it out. And Spike forgetting Buffy's name cracks me up. Jonathan was like Buckaroo Banzai (which if you haven't seen that movie it's a cult classic, must-see).
For some reason I adore this episode. It's just the perfect amount of random. Also, yes for Tara being the sweetest and most adorable person in this series. She is precious 💖
I don't know if you read fanfic, but Jonathan in this ep, is pretty much the Mary Sue concept come to life. ( or as they do it currently, Jonathan is the y/n reader char) He's perfect, friends with everyone, and turns the canon characters into side characters in 'his' story
I have watched Buffy since it originally aired. I was never a fan of Tara (nothing to do with Amber Benson). During my rewatch this year which I do every two years is when I finally appreciate the character. I think a lot has to do with that I still ship Willow and Oz.
@@jimc7445 Yeah, I watched it when it originally aired, too, and I've probably re-watched it hundreds of times since the series ended (god that feels like a long time ago!), and I love Oz, but I just really liked Tara right from the start, too, and this was on the heels of Something Blue a few episodes earlier, so I was still kind of mad at Oz, too, for breaking Willow's heart.
@@jimc7445 At the time,I used to love Oz,then I got heartbroken in"Wild Heart",I instantly loved Tara in"Hush"and I was conflicted as fuck in"New Moon Rising"but eventually happy at the way it ended. Now,20 years later,I still love Oz,I still got heartbroken while re-watching"Wild at Heart",I still deeply love Tara and I'm STILL conflicted as fuck about"New Moon Rising"but overall happy at the way it ended. Oz&Tara will be forever a perfect tie in my shipper heart.🧡🤍
"It's complicated but it's worth it" is a meta statement. In ordinary life you can't win all of the time, you can't be a "superstar," but even though the beauty is sometimes subtle, or "complicated," it's worth it.
I just started watching Buffy the vampire slayer for the first time a couple of weeks ago and am excited to watch it and then come here and see your reactions 🥰✌🏼
There's something I've always found fun with this episode. It might have something to do with the fact that I started watching Buffy regularly right in between season 4 and 5. I had caught the occasional episode here and there, but hearing the premise for 5x01 piqued my interest; and subsequently caught the tail end of season 4 of Buffy (and season 1 of Angel) as they were playing in late summer reruns going into the new seasons. So this was _one of_ the first episodes I watched as I became a regularly viewer; while I simultaneously started going back and catching up on earlier seasons. Consequently I was totally oblivious to anything being out of the ordinary when they went to ask Jonathan for help - or just how far back his involvement with the show had been prior to this episode. I think it was a while before I started noticing him in earlier episodes and making that connection, but that's largely because getting caught up, _at that time_ , was so disjointed being largely reliant on reruns; and the scheduling from some of those networks was nuts. I've since watched both series from start to finish _so_ many times now, it's strange to look back at how much I originally watched these two shows out of order. It took ages to see season 1 of Buffy, because of how some of the networks syndicating the series kept screwing with the schedule; or the entirety of season 4, because it was so recent... Ah, the early aughts...
I just finished watching Buffy for the first time and I like watching people’s reactions so when I found your Channel I IMMEDIATELY subscribed lmao love your reactions 😂❤️
@@fabianhebestreit3240 It’s overall liked, though there’s still a good amount of fans who throw shade at it. However, I consider it a top 10 episode of the series and possibly the best episode of season 3. Very few people even put it in their top 20 for the series.
@@liteflightify Over the years,I forgot both those episodes existed.I've rewatched them recently.I overall appreciated"Helpless",but I still don't like"Superstar".
Spike's scene actually served an interesting purpose: it really highlighted just how much Jonathan's spell had to diminish the other characters (in this case, Buffy), in order to make himself cooler. It was shown elsewhere, of course, but I think the Spike scene is really where you realize: WTH happened to Buffy? The entire episode is just a really great meta commentary on Mary Sues. :)
They make a point of saying that magic doesn't work if you don't have the power. Which mean's Xander's random bout of Latin was somehow potent enough to set fire to a book on accident.
Yeah, I do think the handling of the Riley "sleeping with Faith" thing is one of the ways the show does show its age. 20 years on, I think we're a little more aware of consent issues, how men can also be victims, ect. I was a teenager watching when this first aired, and honestly? Didn't notice anything weird about how that was done first time around. It was perfectly in keeping with the attitudes I was picking up around me in general. But now, it definitely seems "off", and I hope someday soon we get a fantasy show that better uses it's supernatural elements to explore and discuss those kinds of consent issues with a more modern, educated lens.
I think part of Buffy's anger stems from the fact that Riley didn't even notice something was off. Just earlier this season, Buffy nearly killed Giles when he was in a demon body, yet she still stopped herself because she realized that the demon wasn't just a demon. I think Buffy figured that Riley should've noticed that she wasn't herself. That said, the fact Riley didn't is proof to me that their emotional bond is actually quite weak. Angel and Buffy had a better emotional bond and could always read when the other was troubled. This isn't the case with Riley and Buffy.
@@4everbuffylover Exactly. I guess the "showing its age" part for me is Buffy's reaction to what happened to Riley, while narratively understandable (it's Buffy's story, and she's still very young), doesn't take into account that he was victimized as well. It's an issue that crops up in more than one Whedonverse series (even Agents of SHIELD).
Good news; this is a brilliant ep and Danny Strong is wonderful. Bad News; this is the halfway point of the series, after this you have fewer eps to watch than you have watched. I always thought it was unfair of Buffy to resent Riley not realising it was Faith, if Joyce couldn't tell the difference how could he?
But do you think someone wouldn't think that? I'm not saying he's responsible in any way but surely it would be a real source of insecurity for an 18 year old.
Regarding your comment in the beginning about Buffy being mad at Riley, Buffy had just learned she had been raped and that her boyfriend was a part of it. Of course her initial reaction is to feel betrayed and devastated. However, she’s rational and understands that Riley was also raped.
The actor playing Jonathan is actually a quite successful director btw. Also, I love this episode in both being a great funny standalone, while subtly moving all of the main plots along as well. (Adam, the Buffy/Riley, Willow/Tara relationships, Spike mischief etc.) And (SPOILER) actually being the episode which reveals Adam's weakness... again in basically a scene played for comedy. Brilliant on so many levels.
alley, i currently joined your pateron and i just want to say thank you for all your hard work with these reactions. congrats on 12k subs, you deserve it
On rewatches I always chuckle because in my eyes Danny "Jonathan" Strong is a Superstar since he created Empire and gave us the icon that is Cookie Lyon. He is so fun to watch but also really talented!
I like this episode the first time, but in a rewatch I love it. Jonathan is so great (as he always be) I didn't read it but there is a comics book about Jonathan.
😶 I just... realized? Adam's "no one has ever been as awake as I am speech." Is... is Adam a metaphor for the Pretentious College Boy archetype? Self-important and oh so very forgettable? 🤔
the spell Jonathon used turns you into the centre of a reality...so everything and everyone revolves around you. but as he said it has a draw back...as all things do. as we well remember in High School jonathon had hardly any friends and was bullied a lot...he just wanted all that to stop.
@@alleybox Someone made an interesting point below about how Buffy knew Giles even when he was in a demon body. Don't get me wrong, the show definitely failed to recognise or address that Faith sexually assaulted Riley, but that is something I hadn't really considered before. Buffy's perhaps taken it as a sign that he doesn't really know her, is hurt that he could go as far as sex without recognising it wasn't her. Considering that thing happens with Giles in the same season, did the writers intend to imply foundational problems in the relationship 🤔
I wonder if some of the idea of Jonathan just being there and has always been there - like the war with Eastasia - is to get you used to this sort of thing happening, blowing over in a single episode, with a simple explanation. That way, if it happens again, you know what to expect, and those expectations can be subverted.
I think the Riley and Buffy/Faith thing comes down more to: would Buffy have actually done that? And should he have known better? Because the gang not being able to tell is supposed to be because they have sort of drifted apart in this season with their different lives after high school. But it’s been Spike and Tara who have been able to realize when there is something off about the gang. Riley is arguable one of the ones closest to Buffy this season, so the question is if he should have been able to tell if Buffy was acting like Buffy or not. PS. I also don’t think there is any good answer to this. Because either he should have known better (knowing her personality, plus knowing sometimes supernatural situations cause her to not be totally herself like in Something Blue and Beer Bad, I assume he is filled in by now), and therefore instead of thinking critically and having both their best interests in mind, he was only thinking about having sex with her. OR he wouldn’t have known better, because he doesn’t actually know her that well. Both answers would hurt Buffy because either he doesn’t care about her before sex, or they just aren’t as close as she thought they were.
Honey, if that aint me with Tara, she a cutie patootie, so soft so smol uwu Anya is my 2nd fave character (after Cordie...so I have a type, sue me) & I love when we get more stuff with her
Did you notice that the vampire talking to Adam during the “This is intriguing but wrong scene” was Chuck from Supernatural? Edit: Never mind. I see a comment farther down. But if you watch Buffy carefully, you’ll see a lot of actors/actresses you’ve seen in other things.
I feel you described it perfectly, "Superstar" was a fun type of catch our breath episode at this point of the season. I remember originally viewing this and being confused with the title sequence too but to my recollection this is the only time in the show where they did so much with it for a non regular
We all know perfectly well that Alley said something that will come back and bite her in the ass later on in the show. We don't have to exemplify what it was. LOL.
@@alleybox Clearly, a Superstar type spell has been cast to make you forget Adam's existence as soon as a scene with him ends. Or, you know, he's really tedious and 2D...
thank you guys so much for 12k!!! holy shit!!
my bday was last sunday so it was an awesome present :)
happy late birthday
Happy Belated.
Heeeey, I didn't know that thou was a Virgo too. I should have listened to the signs. If someone were to ask me to guess that would have been my guess. lol
Anyhoo, happy Late Bday!
happy belated birthday!
HBBD!!!
One of the best funny moments "Xander don't speak Latin in front of the books"
Oh yes, I replay that one in my head constantly!
.
Classic line. ❤
Tara was an amazing addition to the show. Amber does such an amazing job in the role.
Tara is the best.
"This is now a Tara fanbase."
Did you drop this crown, Queen?
Alley putting music over scenes with Willow and Tara in the same shot is what we’ve been all been waiting for this season ❤️💕
The priestess officiating Tara & Willow’s wedding: “If anyone present here today would like to object, **cocks gun** please do so now at your own risk.”
I remember when Jonathan did my taxes and saved me so much money, then he talk to my wife and saved my marriage and let my children see that I was someone to be listened to and respected... I sure hope that wasn't just some weird spell...
Absolutely LOL!
I love this episode. The opening credits including Jonathan was great. It's such an amazing and bold idea for an episode. Let's take an extremely minor reoccurring character from season 2 and 3 and make an entire episode dedicated to the them, but also have it revolve around them as if they were the star. I wonder how the idea for this episode came about and how Danny Strong felt when contacted about this episode.
S5 E1& 5 spoiler ahead:
It's also WAY more important than people give it credit for imo.
The way Jonathon altered reality here is VERY similar to the spell we see the monks perform in episode 5. The one that alters reality in the first episode.
It acts as even more foreshadowing imo, if not of the event itself then of the interpretations a perceptive viewer can draw from it (we know more than Buffy, so when Buffy makes certain assumptions, we get to feel super smart when she's proven wrong and eventually learns the truth we know/suspect for much longer. Extremely clever storytelling!)
He was in season 1, too, and even the unaired pilot.
@@rfresaHe was in the unaired pilot, but he never appeared in an actual premiered episode of season 1 iirc.
Jonathan loves to commit a single action in hopes to change his situation. In Go Fish he peed in the pool. In Earshot he brought a gun into a clock tower. In Superstar he summoned a demon. This is so consistent with his character. And he doesn't ever seem to learn...
"Fantasies are fun, aren't they, Jonathan?" I love how that little scene from "Earshot" seems like such a throwaway at the time but ends up setting up this whole damn episode.
5:02 - Confused dab. 😂
Earshot made an impression, of course, but this one definitely made it a lot of fun for everyone to spot Jonathan in the earlier episodes. He's in the unaired pilot, but his first official appearance isn't until Season 2, IIRC.
This is one of my favorites, but I guess it's not for everyone. It's a funny one, but also has cool character stuff and explores meta concepts, so it's kind of right up my alley.
Fun Fact: The singing was not done by Danny Strong, but by Brad Kane, who was the singing voice for Aladdin in the animated film. Brad also previously appeared on Buffy as the loser who trained the hellhounds to attack the prom.
Tucker. Heard he has a brother.
@@arg3824 🤣🤣🤣
I love Jane Espenson episodes. Band Candy was her first, Pangs, Superstar... She has some good ones coming in the future.
I...don't like _any_ of those episodes...é__è
What do you mean "miss an episode?" Don't you know Jonathan has always been the main character :P
(Also I haven't said this in a while but I'm always appreciating the quote cards ^^ )
starting off the dawn adjacent gaslighting early i see lmao
@@chelsjones Jonathan walked so Dawn could run
Remember when Jonathan destroyed the Judge with a homemade rocket launcher, then he created the very first iPhone and made everyone pancakes! whatta mans
I remember when Johnathan explained to Marvel that instead of doing individual movies they should create and expanded universe with interconnected storylines, then he plotted them out using little known Marvel heroes and created an entire franchise!
@@RICHIEV333 Jonathan starred as Tony Stark/Iron Man... You don't remember that?
@@rexracer3221 It was so impressive in Infinity War, when he turned out to be strong enough to withstand the Gauntlet snapping Thanos away. Man, what an ending!
Did everyone buy his calendar?? You gotta get the calendar
@@Brandyalla Or when he weilded Thors hammer!
I think this episode is great - light-hearted, funny and I love the fakeout with the title sequence and playing the whole thing 100% serious.
You're onto it when you notice Buffy's hair. It's similarly styled in 'Beer Bad' when Buffy is under the influence, and when her body is taken over by Faith. Basically, when she's not herself.
I'm with you when it comes to Tara, she's my favourite character on the show. I always appreciate her quiet strength (like when she'll try to look for a solution in 'Hush', is brave with her feelings for Willow making it clear she's hers, defends herself from a demon in this one... she powers through).
This episode is a parody of fan-fiction, how people insert their own Mary Sues into their favorite stories. "Legolas by Laura."
I'm surprised Alley didn't notice the vampire with Adam at ~ 9:00 was God/Chuck from Supernatural.
SOMEONE MENTIONED THAT IN MY DISCORD AND I LOST IT
i didn’t recognize him with the prosthetic but thats so cool haha
I thought I recognised that voice!!
I didn’t notice that! And I’ve only been a fan for the past 22 years
Just James same!
@@JustJames83 same
Praise him
Reactor-ception! I love it 😂
Oh god, Liam's fallen prey to the minotaur! RIP, Liam.
Press "F" to pay respects 😂
I love the episodes that break the normal setups of the show. Like how The Zeppo was from Xander's perspective or how this one completely rewrites the world for the sake of one guy's power fantasy. It's also hilarious how Jonathon's knowledge here actually makes sense and helps Buffy in the end.
Even your dab was confused 😅
It's been theorised that Anya's non understanding of humans and child like behaviour is a metaphor for her autism. And finding that I'm on the spectrum in my late 20s, I've fallen deeper in love with Anya being there in my childhood and helping me feel normal in all my little quirks. 😊
someone mentioned that in my discord a while ago! i like that theory :)
It always felt a bit off to me that Anya"didn't understand humans"since she *was* one once...I mean,OK,a lot of time passed but most vampires aren't as naive as she is about"human stuff"...this _might_ explain the whole thing a little bit better...🤔
@@Nicamon I think that's the way Anya has always been written, to not understand not people. I think the more you watch of her with the knowledge that she's on the autistic spectrum in mind, the more you can see it and where she's coming from. :)
@@SashaRicky I should rewatch the ep with the flashbacks of when she was still human to check if that has always been a thing...🤔
@@Nicamon careful of spoilers. ❤️
Some important things happen in this episode! We learn more about how alternate realities work in the Buffyverse. We got a crap ton of information on Adam, including how to defeat him.
And most importantly, we learn that there could be a WORLD WITH JUST SHRIMP!!
I was here to comment on the world without shrimp! One of my favourite jokes in the Buffyverse.
I love the running joke about the shrimp universe so much
Eh, sounds like the type of world you'd grow tired of pretty quickly.
Jonathan's singing voice was provided by Brad Kane, who played Tucker Wells (the hellhound summoner) in _The Prom_
He is also the singing voice for Disney's _Aladdin_
Beat me to it.
This fact always blows my mind. Aladdin and Buffy seem like such different pop culture eras in my mind. 🙃
@@purcascade Fun Fact about that: Aladdin and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are both 1992 movies.
Anytime you see "Written by Jane Espenson", you are in for a treat.
I don't know..I've seen 3 episodes written by her mentioned in another comment and I don't like any of them.😕
Tara makes Oz's loss easier to swallow. I just love her so much!
So much truth spoken in just 1 tiny comment.
I'll never forget that time Jonathan stabbed Angel with a sword & stopped Acathla from opening a vortex & sending the world to a demon dimension.
Alternate realities are neat. Listen to Anya! She’s 1,120 years old… she knows her stuff.
Give her a friggin' beer!
So glad u mentioned Buffys hair! Notice in season 4 her hair goes curly when something isnt quite right or she's part of some sort of spell. Beer Bad, Something Blue, Who Are You, Superstar..
Imagine this being the only episode of Buffy you've seen :p
He invented The MCU as well :p
This episode does a good job at making viewers question WTF is happening, playing up the comedy of it all and then grounding it in the seriousness by having the characters say that it was a real alternate reality while it was happening.
Danny Strong said in the audio commentary that the crew had him go in for the episode's photo shoot before he even received the script. I like that they gave Danny Strong an episode seeing as he was built up from a background character with no lines.
I love the through lines of Jonathon helping Buffy with her Riley/Faith issues, Adam knowing its an alternate reality (as well as more information on Adam), and Riley incorporating himself into the Scooby meetings. Moments like that keep this from being a filler and/or stand-alone episode.
Jonathon's singing voice is _The Prom_ episode's villain and _Disney's Aladdin_ singing voice.
Willow being surprised that "Buffy was right" is the most normal any character acts in this reality until Buffy starts remembering.
"Went to counseling and someone had a spell." Sunnydale life.
There's a lot of discourse in the fandom around Faith's double r*pe of Riley and Buffy in the last episode. I feel sa is one area that dates this show as if it was made now, they would have a much bigger discussion around what it actually meant for them both.
yeah i honestly was not sure how to even address this topic in an appropriate manner bc at first i just didnt understand the gravity of the situation and then once i talked about it with people, i felt horrible about the whole thing :(
its something that is like both glossed over but also addressed by the show if that makes sense? like i just wasnt sure what to think, but the whole situation makes me sick looking back on it
@@alleybox totally makes sense. Looking back, it's hard to believe that at the time of airing it didn't seem like such a huge thing. But even then my friends and I couldn't work out how they just seemed to forget about it so quickly. I think that's a flaw of the show generally though. Too often something horrific happens and you don't see a lasting impact or any kind of trauma response.
Passion of the Nerd's commentary of this episode is brilliant, really insightful.
@@imnickij yeah and then when she goes to angel and sees faith, she has a very good motive with this. faith used her body to assault her boyfriend without their consent. but its never really brought up (at least from what i remember) so that also seems odd looking back.
and i cant wait to watch Passion of the Nerd's videos. heard amazing things about it
@@alleybox I honestly can't watch this episode of Angel without literally feeling SICK . The way they portrayed Buffy as a "villain" for being angry at Faith always triggers me. As a SA survivor, I put myself in Buffy's shoes and I felt like my experience had also been underestimated in some way.
@@catarinemarques231 yeah seriously! i was mostly on angels side while watching that episode and looking back im like ??? why did they frame it like that?? they add in faith and give her so much screen time for her redemption and by the time buffy gets to properly address it with her, we all feel bad for faith so her aggression isnt understood properly by the audience :/ i hate how i respond during that episode looking back bc i didnt fully understand
The Tara love on this channel is so refreshing I love you guys ✨🌞💛
I remember watching this episode when it first aired on TV (broadcasting at 10:30pm Tuesdays). I was in high school and doing homework and I had to double take at the episode opening! By the time the opening finished I had the biggest grin on my face and thought, "Oh yeah, this episode is going to be special...also wtf?!"
I think this is an underrated episode. I enjoyed it!
I may be biased, but Tara is the best thing that ever happened to television 💕
It’s true though
I see no lies here
You're objectively right
You are being bias. The best thing was Jonathan, but I guess you know that... xD
on a more serious note, Tara does make a wonderful dream like character, where you can't wish for anything better in a person.
@@Unbaked_P0tat00 amity pfp, checks out
Thank you for your hard work getting this up alley !!
of course!!! :’)
How many notes of the the James Bond theme can you play without being sued? Apparently the answer is two!
Great episode, very memorable. I love how they don't explain anything, we're left on our own to figure it out. And Spike forgetting Buffy's name cracks me up. Jonathan was like Buckaroo Banzai (which if you haven't seen that movie it's a cult classic, must-see).
*Yog-Sothoth:* "Great episode, very memorable."
*Me,who literally forgot this episode existed:* 😶 Ok, bro.
Funniest dab yet.
For some reason I adore this episode. It's just the perfect amount of random.
Also, yes for Tara being the sweetest and most adorable person in this series. She is precious 💖
She’s so cute! I’m totally under her spell..
I Liked the comment for Tara,but not for the episode.
“...You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into… the Twilight Zone." 😆😆
I don't know if you read fanfic, but Jonathan in this ep, is pretty much the Mary Sue concept come to life. ( or as they do it currently, Jonathan is the y/n reader char)
He's perfect, friends with everyone, and turns the canon characters into side characters in 'his' story
always enjoy seeing Rob Benedict pop up in a show.
Yeah, for a Supernatural reactor I'm almost a little surprised she didn't catch God in the Adam scene.
Jane Espenson!
Got to love those "Best at everything" spells.
One of the greatest episodes ever is happening, Alley.
I think most Buffy fans love Tara. Amber Benson did a fantastic job in that role.
I have watched Buffy since it originally aired. I was never a fan of Tara (nothing to do with Amber Benson). During my rewatch this year which I do every two years is when I finally appreciate the character. I think a lot has to do with that I still ship Willow and Oz.
@@jimc7445 Yeah, I watched it when it originally aired, too, and I've probably re-watched it hundreds of times since the series ended (god that feels like a long time ago!), and I love Oz, but I just really liked Tara right from the start, too, and this was on the heels of Something Blue a few episodes earlier, so I was still kind of mad at Oz, too, for breaking Willow's heart.
@@sadfaery I can see that. That is fair play.
@@jimc7445 At the time,I used to love Oz,then I got heartbroken in"Wild Heart",I instantly loved Tara in"Hush"and I was conflicted as fuck in"New Moon Rising"but eventually happy at the way it ended.
Now,20 years later,I still love Oz,I still got heartbroken while re-watching"Wild at Heart",I still deeply love Tara and I'm STILL conflicted as fuck about"New Moon Rising"but overall happy at the way it ended.
Oz&Tara will be forever a perfect tie in my shipper heart.🧡🤍
"It's complicated but it's worth it" is a meta statement. In ordinary life you can't win all of the time, you can't be a "superstar," but even though the beauty is sometimes subtle, or "complicated," it's worth it.
I just started watching Buffy the vampire slayer for the first time a couple of weeks ago and am excited to watch it and then come here and see your reactions 🥰✌🏼
There's something I've always found fun with this episode. It might have something to do with the fact that I started watching Buffy regularly right in between season 4 and 5. I had caught the occasional episode here and there, but hearing the premise for 5x01 piqued my interest; and subsequently caught the tail end of season 4 of Buffy (and season 1 of Angel) as they were playing in late summer reruns going into the new seasons. So this was _one of_ the first episodes I watched as I became a regularly viewer; while I simultaneously started going back and catching up on earlier seasons. Consequently I was totally oblivious to anything being out of the ordinary when they went to ask Jonathan for help - or just how far back his involvement with the show had been prior to this episode. I think it was a while before I started noticing him in earlier episodes and making that connection, but that's largely because getting caught up, _at that time_ , was so disjointed being largely reliant on reruns; and the scheduling from some of those networks was nuts.
I've since watched both series from start to finish _so_ many times now, it's strange to look back at how much I originally watched these two shows out of order. It took ages to see season 1 of Buffy, because of how some of the networks syndicating the series kept screwing with the schedule; or the entirety of season 4, because it was so recent... Ah, the early aughts...
I just finished watching Buffy for the first time and I like watching people’s reactions so when I found your Channel I IMMEDIATELY subscribed lmao love your reactions 😂❤️
Jonathan's singing voice is Brad Kane, who played Tucker Wells who tried to sic hellhounds on "The Prom."
This is one of my favourite episodes to watch reactors reacting to.
10/10 episode. i'd watch an entire jonathan season.
“Helpless” and “Superstar” might be the two most underrated episodes of the series. This one has gotten more appreciated with time though.
Helpless is underrated? It seems pretty well-liked in the fandom.
@@fabianhebestreit3240 It’s overall liked, though there’s still a good amount of fans who throw shade at it. However, I consider it a top 10 episode of the series and possibly the best episode of season 3. Very few people even put it in their top 20 for the series.
@@liteflightify Over the years,I forgot both those episodes existed.I've rewatched them recently.I overall appreciated"Helpless",but I still don't like"Superstar".
I never cared for this episode but I still re-watch it every time I go through the series of buffy the vampire slayer and angel because I don't skip
Spike's scene actually served an interesting purpose: it really highlighted just how much Jonathan's spell had to diminish the other characters (in this case, Buffy), in order to make himself cooler. It was shown elsewhere, of course, but I think the Spike scene is really where you realize: WTH happened to Buffy? The entire episode is just a really great meta commentary on Mary Sues. :)
They make a point of saying that magic doesn't work if you don't have the power. Which mean's Xander's random bout of Latin was somehow potent enough to set fire to a book on accident.
Yeah, I do think the handling of the Riley "sleeping with Faith" thing is one of the ways the show does show its age. 20 years on, I think we're a little more aware of consent issues, how men can also be victims, ect. I was a teenager watching when this first aired, and honestly? Didn't notice anything weird about how that was done first time around. It was perfectly in keeping with the attitudes I was picking up around me in general. But now, it definitely seems "off", and I hope someday soon we get a fantasy show that better uses it's supernatural elements to explore and discuss those kinds of consent issues with a more modern, educated lens.
I think part of Buffy's anger stems from the fact that Riley didn't even notice something was off. Just earlier this season, Buffy nearly killed Giles when he was in a demon body, yet she still stopped herself because she realized that the demon wasn't just a demon. I think Buffy figured that Riley should've noticed that she wasn't herself. That said, the fact Riley didn't is proof to me that their emotional bond is actually quite weak. Angel and Buffy had a better emotional bond and could always read when the other was troubled. This isn't the case with Riley and Buffy.
Yeah, it's a bummer that it doesn't really go into the fact that Riley was the one violated here.
They were both violated. Neither consented to being used by Faith
@@4everbuffylover Exactly. I guess the "showing its age" part for me is Buffy's reaction to what happened to Riley, while narratively understandable (it's Buffy's story, and she's still very young), doesn't take into account that he was victimized as well. It's an issue that crops up in more than one Whedonverse series (even Agents of SHIELD).
I mentally rewrite season 5 Riley as someone repressing a sexual assault. (Another call for Olivia Benson!)
Season four is crammed full of really cool, off-beat episodes like this one. While it's not my favorite, it's up there.
I was all "what's alley complaining about? this is a totally normal _Jonathan_ episode" until 11:13.
Good news; this is a brilliant ep and Danny Strong is wonderful. Bad News; this is the halfway point of the series, after this you have fewer eps to watch than you have watched. I always thought it was unfair of Buffy to resent Riley not realising it was Faith, if Joyce couldn't tell the difference how could he?
But do you think someone wouldn't think that? I'm not saying he's responsible in any way but surely it would be a real source of insecurity for an 18 year old.
Willow is always my favourite character, adding Tara in the mix is just pure love. :) They are the best.
Agree.💞
Regarding your comment in the beginning about Buffy being mad at Riley, Buffy had just learned she had been raped and that her boyfriend was a part of it. Of course her initial reaction is to feel betrayed and devastated. However, she’s rational and understands that Riley was also raped.
The actor playing Jonathan is actually a quite successful director btw. Also, I love this episode in both being a great funny standalone, while subtly moving all of the main plots along as well. (Adam, the Buffy/Riley, Willow/Tara relationships, Spike mischief etc.) And (SPOILER) actually being the episode which reveals Adam's weakness... again in basically a scene played for comedy. Brilliant on so many levels.
alley, i currently joined your pateron and i just want to say thank you for all your hard work with these reactions. congrats on 12k subs, you deserve it
Was so looking forward to Alleys reaction to this episode 😂😂😂😂
"This is now a Tara fan page!"
I'm here for it. 👍
Honestly one of my favourite parts in this episode was how Johnathan's power was even making Xander all...hot & bothered 😂
On rewatches I always chuckle because in my eyes Danny "Jonathan" Strong is a Superstar since he created Empire and gave us the icon that is Cookie Lyon. He is so fun to watch but also really talented!
Emmy and Golden Globe winner!
I like this episode the first time, but in a rewatch I love it. Jonathan is so great (as he always be)
I didn't read it but there is a comics book about Jonathan.
Agreed on Anya. She's my favorite character after Buffy.
Mine too, along with Buffy and Spike
EVERYONE has the same reaction to this episode "Did I miss an episode?" Same thing I shouted the first time I saw it.
Lmao, first time I watched this episode I was so confused as well. So many questions I had. Your videos rule!
😶 I just... realized? Adam's "no one has ever been as awake as I am speech." Is... is Adam a metaphor for the Pretentious College Boy archetype? Self-important and oh so very forgettable? 🤔
Give Adam some beer and watch him turn into a Cave Frankensteinmonster.
This episode is such a self-insert fanfic
the spell Jonathon used turns you into the centre of a reality...so everything and everyone revolves around you. but as he said it has a draw back...as all things do. as we well remember in High School jonathon had hardly any friends and was bullied a lot...he just wanted all that to stop.
I think you need to rewatch this, because it took you by surprise.
The monster at 7:20 looks just like the Drokken Demon on Angel season 2, ep 19, Belonging. The demon that came from Lorne’s home world.
Xander Is So Whipped
Not you not being able to do a full dab in the beginning because you had to still watch the screen to try and figure out WTF is happening!! 😂☠
appreciate the short Michelle Branch sound bite.
I can't wait for the moment she doesn't have to edit the Michelle Branch song into it..
Love the quote of the day!!
When Buffy got mad because Riley got sexually assaulted 😑
yeah i didnt fully understand the gravity of the situation until later. that is my bad, idk how i didnt get that while watching :/
The two were sexually assaulted last episode, but the show didn’t address it correctly
@@alleybox Someone made an interesting point below about how Buffy knew Giles even when he was in a demon body. Don't get me wrong, the show definitely failed to recognise or address that Faith sexually assaulted Riley, but that is something I hadn't really considered before. Buffy's perhaps taken it as a sign that he doesn't really know her, is hurt that he could go as far as sex without recognising it wasn't her. Considering that thing happens with Giles in the same season, did the writers intend to imply foundational problems in the relationship 🤔
Welcome to sexual politics in the year 2000 😞
@@jaycievictory8461 ohh thats a good point, i didnt think of it that way
seeing this episode for the first time as a kid, I was so confused, now I just laugh.
Just wait till (Angel) Guise will be Guise... Another Jane Espenson written episode... one of my favorites!
That's ... nummy.
To be honest I forgot this episode existed
I'm glad you like Tara so much, she's my favorite character
I wonder if some of the idea of Jonathan just being there and has always been there - like the war with Eastasia - is to get you used to this sort of thing happening, blowing over in a single episode, with a simple explanation. That way, if it happens again, you know what to expect, and those expectations can be subverted.
Most disturbing change in this episode: the missing 'balls' poster
I think the Riley and Buffy/Faith thing comes down more to: would Buffy have actually done that? And should he have known better? Because the gang not being able to tell is supposed to be because they have sort of drifted apart in this season with their different lives after high school. But it’s been Spike and Tara who have been able to realize when there is something off about the gang. Riley is arguable one of the ones closest to Buffy this season, so the question is if he should have been able to tell if Buffy was acting like Buffy or not.
PS. I also don’t think there is any good answer to this. Because either he should have known better (knowing her personality, plus knowing sometimes supernatural situations cause her to not be totally herself like in Something Blue and Beer Bad, I assume he is filled in by now), and therefore instead of thinking critically and having both their best interests in mind, he was only thinking about having sex with her. OR he wouldn’t have known better, because he doesn’t actually know her that well. Both answers would hurt Buffy because either he doesn’t care about her before sex, or they just aren’t as close as she thought they were.
Honey, if that aint me with Tara, she a cutie patootie, so soft so smol uwu
Anya is my 2nd fave character (after Cordie...so I have a type, sue me) & I love when we get more stuff with her
This is one of my favourite "filler" episodes. It's so stupid and funny.
Did you notice that the vampire talking to Adam during the “This is intriguing but wrong scene” was Chuck from Supernatural?
Edit: Never mind. I see a comment farther down. But if you watch Buffy carefully, you’ll see a lot of actors/actresses you’ve seen in other things.
I feel you described it perfectly, "Superstar" was a fun type of catch our breath episode at this point of the season. I remember originally viewing this and being confused with the title sequence too but to my recollection this is the only time in the show where they did so much with it for a non regular
We all know perfectly well that Alley said something that will come back and bite her in the ass later on in the show. We don't have to exemplify what it was. LOL.
What I hear: "No one, no human, nor demon, has ever been as boring as I am."
🙄🙄
FFCKCK PLSSSS “or forgettable” bc i keep forgetting he exists lmaoo
@@alleybox Clearly, a Superstar type spell has been cast to make you forget Adam's existence as soon as a scene with him ends. Or, you know, he's really tedious and 2D...
@@jaycievictory8461 Or maybe he's *[REDACTED SEASON FIVE SPOILER]*
Alley look back at 8:58 of this episode and you'll see a vampirey Chuck from Supernatural lol
Ah yes, the Dab of Perplexion🤣🤣
This is one of those episodes which is better on re-watch. First time it was kinda WTF.
3:15 I think the fact that it was her body was the point. He didn't know but he had sex with her without her consent.