Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Episode Discussion: 2x03 School Hard

Ragnarok · 04-20-2004, 07:14 PM

Since we aren't going to have new episodes to discuss, we're going to have weekly episode discussion threads for old episodes. New threads will, of course, appear each Tuesday. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

School Hard

Something is rotten in the state of Sunnydale High. If you're Buffy. She's one step from expulsion, her GPA is a disaster and Parent's Night is in a few days time. That's the badness she knows about. The Night of St. Vigeous is approaching, when the power of all vampires will be at its peak. All that, however, is the good news. There's two new faces in town. One of them's under a bleach blond haircut and over a black leather trenchcoat, the other's in front of a criminally insane clairvoyant brain: Spike and Drusilla. Spike decides to crash Parent's Night, which actually does Buffy a favor, since she's trying her best to keep Joyce from Snyder. Spike nearly gets the better of Buffy till Joyce brains him with a fire axe. Women! Later, Spike kills the Annointed One, and sets up shop as ruler of Sunnydale. After he and Dru see what's on television, of course.

(Episode summary on loan from buffyguide.com)

RtS: #29; beat Bring On The Night in the first round; beat Normal Again in the second round; will face Conversations With Dead People in the third round.

I'm going to be very disappointed if this discussion doesn't get to at least page 2, because this episode rocks my world. Our introduction to two of the greatest characters in the Buffyverse. The scene when first Spike and then Drusilla enter the factory is one I'll still want to watch 20 years from now. Bonuses in the form of extreme Snyder jerkitude, a nice little role for Joyce, Willow and Cordelia trapped in the janitor's closet and of course, "get your hands off my daughter!". In truth, Spike and Buffy's first fight was really pretty lame, except for the Joyce part. But they'd make up for that later. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Please feel free to post your comments, screencaps, favorite scenes and quotes.

Next week: 2x04, Inca Mummy Girl.

sum1 · 04-20-2004, 07:52 PM

Spike was spectacular from his first entrance. Dru wasn't at full power until the end of What's My Line 2, but Juliet Landau did a splendid job with her, anyway. As for "get your hands off my daughter"... ahem... funny considering Spike's hands ended up very much on her daughter 4 seasons later. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Ragnarok · 04-20-2004, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sum1:
Spike was spectacular from his first entrance. Dru wasn't at full power until the end of What's My Line 2, but Juliet Landau did a splendid job with her, anyway. As for "get your hands off my daughter"... ahem... funny considering Spike's hands ended up very much on her daughter 4 seasons later. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Before anyone berates me, I just rewatched the ep tonight (DVDs are wonderful things) and I screwed up that quote. It's actually:

Quote:

Joyce: You get the hell away from my daughter!

Doesn't change the irony you pointed out, though.

Drusilla may not have been at full power, but that didn't detract from her entrance. I've seen a lot of vampires in TV and movies in my life, and Drusilla remains, pound for pound, one of the scariest and creepiest I've ever seen. Juliet Landau has been simply amazing in the role.

***Scythe*** · 04-21-2004, 01:32 AM

Gotta love the episode that brought us Spike [img]smilies/love.gif[/img] [img]smilies/buffy_spike.gif[/img]

TheCheshireKitten · 04-21-2004, 03:47 AM

I did love this episode. It was one of the many highlights of season two, IMO. And the introduction of Spike and Dru was fantastic.

sum1 · 04-21-2004, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ragnarok:
Drusilla may not have been at full power, but that didn't detract from her entrance. I've seen a lot of vampires in TV and movies in my life, and Drusilla remains, pound for pound, one of the scariest and creepiest I've ever seen. Juliet Landau has been simply amazing in the role.

Not in any disagreement with that. Juliet's take on Dru is quite amazing.

*Krissy* · 04-21-2004, 09:07 AM

Love this ep, for the simple fact that it introduced Spike & Drusilla. Dru was always really weird and I love that about her. As much as I love good Spike, evil Spike was pretty badass. I liked the end when he threw "the annoying one" into the cage and lifted him into the sunlight.

T O B Y · 04-21-2004, 10:39 AM

Entrance with style. More style and allure than most characters I've ever seen in my life.

You have to love this episode. Besides bringing up two stellar characters (Spike!), it was just plain fun.

One of the things I love about this episode is it's still true with retrospect to the whole series regarding Spike and Buffy. I don't doubt from the moment he saw her dancing in the Bronze, he wasn't instantly infatuated with her, regardless of intentions later. I love how they make that connection again too later in Fool For Love when Drusilla tels him something about ever since they left Sunnydale she can still see the Slayer dancing all about him. Or something.

And JM and Juliet just have a commanding presence together on the screen. They're always fun to watch.

And being such a huge Spike fan, this is where it all began. Great ep.

progirl · 04-21-2004, 10:56 AM

One of my favorite Spuffy scenes is where he steps out of the darkness and watches Buffy dancing. I also love when they both throw down their weapons to fight each other hand to hand.

Who would have thought they would ever have become a couple back then?
Anna

Ragnarok · 04-21-2004, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by progirl:
I also love when they both throw down their weapons to fight each other hand to hand.

Yes, I agree. I thought it was a great touch.

I don't think Spike was "attracted" to her at all in S2. I do think he started to become obsessed with her in this ep, but only in an "I have got to kill this girl" kind of way.

There's not much doubt that they both enjoyed fighting each other - we saw that especially in What's My Line, Part 2

**Fortyseven** · 04-21-2004, 12:30 PM

Oh I loved this one! [img]smilies/sigh.gif[/img] It's a classic! It brought us Spike, one of the coolest vamps in Buffy history and his lover Drusilla. In the beginning I though that Dru's gonna be staked very soon since she was so weak.... Boy was I wrong. [img]smilies/sigh.gif[/img]

The parent/teacher night was awesome and it had some really funny lines. Like Will and Cordy in the bathroom... Ask for some aspirin. I thought that was hilarious for some reason. [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img] And also W/C before that when Willow says Cordelia, have some lemonade after Cordy insults Buffy. [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img] I can imagine the taste of that lemonade. The look on Willow's face after she tried was priceless. [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img]

sum1 · 04-21-2004, 04:44 PM

[ 04-22-2004: Message edited sum1 ]

sum1 · 04-21-2004, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ragnarok:
I don't think Spike was "attracted" to her at all in S2.

In a season 5 flashback, we see Dru telling him she knew (psychically) that he "loved the slayer" already back when they were originally in Sunnydale. And anyway, you can see it in the chemistry they had, particularly in Becoming part 2.

Bronson · 04-21-2004, 05:48 PM

How do you rate Buffy and Spike's first fight?

L u x i e · 04-21-2004, 08:14 PM

Yes. One of the best, introduction of Spike and Dru made it the favorite that it is. This was the Spike that I loved, not the poncy twit that was Buffy-whipped. I loved how he just killed the Anointed One in a swift motion but everyone else couldnt figure out how.

Plus, Joyce was awesome in this ep, hitting spike with an ax. Very cool.