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My 68th least favorite Buffy episode of all time:

Season 2, episode 15.

Written by Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali

Oz starts to suspect that there might be something wrong with him, while the Scoobies are trying to find out the identity of the werewolf that has been terrorizing Sunnydale. Could the two things possibly be connected?

To be fair, I don't believe the writers themselves would put this episode very high on their own favorite Buffy episodes list. It was a "cute" episode, if there ever was one. Because Oz is a cute werewolf (at least before the days of Veruca) and Willow is a cute witch, and their discovery of one another is so darn cute. But that's all this episode is, really - cute.

What this episode lacks is real dilemma for the characters - I mean, did someone doubt, even for a second, that Willow would want to give Oz a chance despite his slight hairiness? All the conflicts in this episode were on the outside, nothing on the inside. It was clear for us and for the characters themselves how everyone would react to the curveballs thrown their way.

So why doesn't this episode rank as dead last? Because the writers sure know how to do a "cute" episode. All the characters are at their best, spewing classic quotes left and right. Watching "Phases" is like eating popcorn - you thoroughly enjoy it while it lasts, but you forget about it as soon as it's done.

High point:

Oz noticing Amy's mom in the statue. And Larry being gay. But the best part was how casually Oz accepted the fact that he's a werewolf. "Is Jordy a werewolf? Uh-huh……. Thanks. Love to Uncle Ken."

Low point:

The whole hunter storyline wasn't really needed. And the werewolf costume looked like… well, a werewolf costume.

Riddle of the day (an easy one): Larry wasn't the only jackass from Sunnydale high who came out of the closet over the years. Who was the other one we know of?

My 68th favorite Buffy episode of all time:

Willow takes her magic addiction to a whole new level (at least it couldn't get worse than this, right?), while Buffy has to deal with (or avoid) the consequences of having just slept with Spike.

I'm sure people are throwing rocks at their computer screens as they see this entry (not a smart thing to do - you would only have to buy a new screen after that), but I can't help it. It represents everything people hate season 6 for, and yet I fell for it completely.

I guess it worked for me because I was invested in Willow's and Buffy's heartaches and thus I couldn't help but feel for them and the misery they caused themselves in this episode - especially Willow. Some people thought that they were both acting out-of-character. I just thought that they were acting inside-a-character-who's-going-through-some-messed-up-things.

Unlike "Phases", this episode did not provide light-hearted Fun. It didn't even provide Half-hearted mild amusement. It was all about the depressing drama, the inner turmoil, the human suffering, the cruelness of life. And that's why it worked for me. That's the other thing that differentiates it from "Phases" - the conflict comes from the inside. The heroes are also the villains, and they make life hard enough for themselves so that you don't need full-moon werewolves to make it harder for them.

When Willow took Dawn to a night on the town, knowing this was probably a bad idea, I was terrified - not because of hairy, hairy monsters, but because the characters are doing things I would have never imagined them doing, and it all has a simple explanation that makes total sense - they are human (and not at all dancer). When they're lost, they turn to the most attractive comfort they could find, even if deep down they know that it would do them no good in the long run.

High point:
Willow bringing Tara's clothes to life and getting them to embrace her. One of the most touching moments in the series, and I'm not exaggerating.

Low point:
The slap from Dawn was way overacted. That scene at the end, when Buffy and Dawn confront Willow, could have been much more toned-down, and it would have still worked.

Riddle: When face-to-face with Willow, Rack Just wants to "take a little tour". When is this line repeated, by whom and in what context?

That's correct. She said it right before killing Rack in "Two to Go", which I had already ranked in this thread.

On to...

My 67th least favorite Buffy episode of all time:

Season 1, episode 5.

Written by Dean Batali and Rob Des Hotel.

Buffy has a date. With DEATH.

No, it's actually with Owen. Who has a date. With DEATH.

No, not really, he comes out of it alive.

This episode can be summed up in three points:

1) It's relevant to the show's theme. The difficulty the slayer has in maintaining a normal life is really explored here. At first, Buffy is angry with Giles for ruining her chance at happiness with Owen. By the end of the episode, however, she apologizes to Giles for leaving him in danger while she was busy with such unimportant things. It doesn't mean she's happy with the hard life that lies ahead of her; it just means that she accepts it. At first, Owen is the coolest guy on earth and she just wants to be near him. By the end of the episode, Owen is this foolish guy with a death wish. Perspective comes in peculiar ways, and life-threatening situations is one of them.

2) It's Fluid, Funny and other adjectives that start with an F. Let's face it, the first four episodes of Buffy were still struggling to find their exact pace and atmosphere (Kinda like the birth pains Dollhouse went through in its first season). The fifth episode is not problem-free by any means, but it's a huge step in the right direction, towards what would soon become the right Buffy "feel". Lightheartedness and wit thrown in with some dark elements and a few somethings to think about. No more second-rate horror movie clichés. Well, Less, anyways.

3) It's Misdirecting. I admit it, they got me. I was sure the anointed one was taken care of. The episode's last second was probably the moment I stopped looking at Buffy as a fun series to watch, and started looking at it as a fun series to watch out for. The kid is the warrior the prophecy was talking about! At the time, it seemed twisted and disturbing - or in other words, awesome.

High point: Xander's Tweety watch. The watch did a good job of explaining why we should all fall in love with Xander, and why Buffy never will.

Low point: The prophecy thing had an awesome conclusion, but why did they have to take it so seriously? Buffy's supposed to make fun of these things, not play along with them.

And the daily riddle: this piece of dialogue between Buffy and Giles contains at least one false statement. What is it?

GILES: (looks toward Owen) Seems like a nice lad.

BUFFY: Yeah. But he wants to be danger man. You, Xander, Willow, you guys... you guys know the score, you're careful. Two days in my world and Owen really *would* get himself killed. Or I'd get him killed. Or someone else.

GILES: I, I went to the funeral home of my own free will.

BUFFY: And I should've been there.

GILES: Buffy...

BUFFY: I blew it!

GILES: I have volumes of lore, of prophecies, of predictions. But I don't have an instruction manual. We feel our way as we go along. And, I must say, as a Slayer, you're, you're doing... pretty well.

BUFFY: Well. At least I did stop that prophecy thing from coming true.