DakaraJayne patreon

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Reaction 4x17

🕑 Added 2022-08-23 10:00:04 +0000 UTC

Comments

Todd Bolton

The highlight: you singing the theme song to "Two and a Half Men"

SORPunk

I kinda get why no one has brought up Tara and Willow, Its Willow. No one wants to push her. Especially after Oz. And with something that big, they are probably waiting on Willow to say it out loud.

jasonm

I know I'm a little late to the party here, but just catching up on your videos. Incidentally, this is where the "world without shrimp" gag gets started.

Mitch M

Xander says that Jonathan beat the master, so I'd say the spell affected their memories retroactively for certain. While I agree that power levels shift, I prefer it this way to a framework, especially because I wouldn't say the shifting occurs from scene to scene or episode to episode so much as from enemy to enemy and spell to spell (except in 7X21, where it's obvious, but like Whedon himself, I don't care because I prefer the themes of the show being coherent than the math of the world). It makes sense to me that some vamps would be more athletic or stronger than others, the same way some people are more athletic or stronger. Some breeds of demon would be more powerful than others. It also makes sense to me that some spells would be readily done by a rookie and others would require a more powerful and trained witch. Magic would be like any other skill, imo, such as baking. Any rookie (Xander) can make a simple loaf of bread with a set of instructions but even trained bakers struggle with Genovese sponge.

John

I'm fine with them being a bit bendy with the rules; especially for these one-off episodes that are just silly fun; flammable Latin included. I put Superstar in the same category as SPN episodes like Tall Tales or Mystery Spot. You make an excellent point about timing. I do enjoy the episode but I would enjoy it a lot more in the first half of the season. On a (multiple) re-watch it can be a bit frustrating. There's too much other stuff going on right now. They need to focus on Adam and figure that shit out, and I'm sorry but Buffy, Giles and Xander aren't impressing me with their powers of observation lately... just 5 episodes left, scoobies. Quit mucking about and go fight some monsters!

G.Un.

Another fun “what if” episode, not my favourite of this kind, but in general a perfectly good episode, the only problem for me is always the same, with only five episodes left, I'm starting to feel the need for the writers to focus more on the main topics of the season (no, not Adam). What I found a little bit confusing is the Jonathan's spell. It made him super cool and powerful, fine, but did it act retroactively? So did it make him the coolest person from the day he was born? Did he face the Master even before Buffy's arrival in Sunnydale? And if he didn't, why? It's a bit messy. I know, it's not a big deal, this spell thing it's one time thing and, including Jonathan in the title sequence, the authors basically told us not to take the episode too seriously, however it bothers me because it hits in an area that I would have liked to have been handled better by the show, internal consistency. Apparently, without training or study, Jonathan manages to cast a world changing spell at the first try, or Xander can invoke fire from a book saying a couple of words in latin. Who exactly can or can not cast spells and what kind of spell, if Willow and Tara are powerful, how much and how can you tell? The same for the power of slayers or the power of vampires which changes from episode to episode, if not from scene to scene. It's confusing. If they would have set up some kind of system, a framework, for all these sort of things, not for us, the viewers, but for the writers and the directors, I think that the final result would have been more smooth, more clear. I really like Buffy, but I think that, with a little more internal consistency, I would have liked it even more.

Nica Marie

Xander makes a very telling statement here: that Jonathan always made him feel valued and respected. It's telling because obviously Xander doesn't feel valued or respected by his friends or family. Not even really by himself.

Merkavar

What do you mean, Johnathan is perfect, he has no flaws. Best written character ever.

Nicholas Corgan

I don’t typically come back to this episode on my own, but it’s one of my favorites to see reactors see for the first time.

Christopher simeon

This is a creative way to have the Mary Sue (Gary stu in this case) trope put into the show. A character with no flaws, or insecurities and is great at everything is not a good character. They are the product of lazy writers who usually put them in as author wish fulfillment so it is very fitting that Johnathan was doing that exactly.

Neil Silverman

Definitely not my favorite episode, but I do think it's cute, and I like that the bring back characters like Jonathan - it makes the world of the show seem very cohesive and well put together.

Ian

I was so confused for the longest time had no idea what was happening 😂 penny dropped eventually. Fun reaction as always dak 🎉 oh and btw I started Lucifer on episode 9 now and it's really good 👌

Koz

I like how much you enjoyed that one. And I liked how much you appreciated Riley with his shirt off. 😆

Denni Caid

He was also the singing voice for Aladdin in the 1992 animated film!

Paul Maki

Of course, I commented before watching…

PaulC

It's not Danny Strong (Jonathan) singing in the Bronze, the voice is actually Brad Kane who played the kid who tried to ruin prom in season 3.

denmaroca 2

So, you think the writers are at pains to twist a knife deeply into everyone's heart at regular intervals? Spot on! 😈 Very enjoyable episode - as I generally find these kind of 'what if' stories - though some people don't like it because they think it didn't really advance the season arc much. But, Buffy comedy episodes often advance character arcs and/or contain foreshadowing.

Sharon Owen

Yes that is indeed Rob! He's such a baby here, even with the vamp make up on! I love how he calls Adam the 'evil messiah guy' (those that know SPN know why that's funny)