Ragnarok

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.

Killed by Death

Buffy is sick with the flu, but tries to patrol anyway, meeting, fighting and losing to Angelus, before the Gang step in with crosses and kicks to head aplenty. The stress of this causes Buffy to faint, and she is taken to hospital where her flu is diagnosed as serious enough to keep her in hospital for a couple of days. While delirious with the fever, she sees an ugly demon creeping through the hospital after a small boy, who dies the next day. Angelus tries to visit Buffy, but Xander faces him down in a tense confrontation. The flu is very strong, and although Buffy is recovering, these kids are dying. Giles is skeptical of Buffy's account of the demon, and believes it to be the work of the sinister Dr Backer. He is killed the next day, so Buffy infects herself with the flu virus so she can see the demon, and kills it.

RtS: Beat Living Conditions in the play-in round; lost to The Gift in the first round.

Not one of my favorite episodes. I thought the linkage of the Kindestod to Buffy's cousin's death was very contrived. The demon itself was pretty creepy, and the use of the doctor as a red herring was well done. I couldn't help wonder, though, what Buffy planned to do if the doctor was in fact the culprit. Slayers don't kill humans, right? The one outstanding scene in the ep was Xander facing off with Angelus at the hospital. One of Xander's best moments ever, IMO.

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

Next week: 2x19, I Only Have Eyes For You.

Scythe

I quite liked this episode I liked that Buffy wasn't as strong as she normally is, this made us see another side of her.





Aw! Angelus gave Xander flowers



Cordelia: Ouch. Wait, what does this one do? (points to another)

Giles: (frustrated) It asks endless questions of those with whom it's
supposed to be working so that nothing is getting done.

Cordelia: Boy, there's a demon for everything.





No more frogs

sum1

I love this ep. Marvellous creepy weird stuff. It's a bit of a precursor to Hush. Compare Kindestod to The Gentlemen.

Scythe

It's always creepy when something is happy when it kills *shudders* Gnarl, The Gentlemen and Der Kindestod were all creepily happy

sum1

I'm happy every time I kill Angel, does that make me creepy?

Ragnarok

Yes.

What, you thought I was just gonna let that lie there?

Nice screencaps, Jen!

The Kindestod was very creepy, I just didn't like the tie-in to Buffy's past. It wasn't convincing, and it didn't make the monster any scarier.

And Buffy got her butt kicked a lot in S1 and 2, so seeing her down and out really wasn't much of a novelty at this point.

sum1

There's nothing creepy about killing Angel (or about enjoying it). It's a worthy endeavor.

Scythe

It doesn't make you creepy because you're just helping the world! Buffy isn't creepy when she smiles whilst trying to save the world

Thanks

I agree, it lso didn't help that the little girl they chose to play past Buffy didn't look anything like her in fact every time they have a past Buffy it looks nothing like her Meh

*Krissy*

I remember the first time I saw this ep... I was watching it alone at night and I was a little scared. I thought the Kindestod was very creepy.

Bkrstar

I liked this ep. A nicely done "Monster of the Week" ep for S2, but still keeping up some of the themes.

saturn5

Killed by death

The Good;
Very creepily shot and the central concept is just terrifying. Love the scoobs at the end and the kids drawing. Cordy's funny scene with the security guard, Cordy 'helping' Giles with research. Best of all though is Xander's Dirty Harry style confrontation with Angelus.

The Bad;
Not much

Best line;
Angelus; If I chose to walk in there do you think for one moment you could stop me?
Xander; Maybe I couldn't. Maybe those orderlies couldn't. Or that security guard. Or those cops. But I'm kinda curious to find out..." (the coolest Xander moment ever!)

Wheldon cliches;
Knocked out; yep, Buffy
Character death;
Shot;
Tied up;
Women good/men bad;

Questions and observations;
Willie Garson is great as the security guard, he also plays Carrie's friend Stanford in Sex and the City (which SMG guest stars in). Love Cordy's high-heels and miniskirt. Buffy passes out. Willow's frog fear re-occurs. You wonder if Buffy had taken the concentrated flu virus would it have killed her, she's pretty tough? Or once again is Buffy saved by her friends and family where any other Slayer would have died. Slayer healing again.
Obvious similarity to Nightmare on Elm Street although I also think the demon rather resembles Kid Rock? (anyone else read the fanfic where Freddy Kreuger kills Anya and Buffy only to wake up strapped to the bed in a mental hospital with Buffy as his nurse?)
The first alternate Buffy played by Mimi Paley. She's ok but not as good as the little girl we'll see in season 5. Buffy's had a cousin called Celia, Aunt Arlene's daughter? Even as a kid Buffy played at being a superhero and attracted the supernatural. Again, isn't Joyce a bit suspicious about Giles' turning up at Buffy's bedside? Love the bit about the Scoobs playing doctor (anyone else share Cordy's sceptisim about Buffy's denials?).
10/10 up to the standard of late Buffy season 2 and you can't give much higher praise than that