Episode names

[nightshade]

Are there any episodes that you think were either named really well for the ep, or thought that the name really didn't go with what happened in the episode, if so what would you rename it?

Overall I think the episode names go well with the content.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Overall I think the episode names go well with the content.

Eh, I suppose. The one that always gets me is "I Robot, You Jane" I dont know why.. well, I know why, but I mean I often think it's the Ted episode.

 

[Mr Trick]

IRYJ actually doesn't work. I get why its called that, but there is no character called Jane in it. I know I Robot You Willow does have the same ring. but they just should have come up with a different title😉

 

[VisionBoy]

I've always wondered about "What's My Line?" Am I missing something? Because I never really got that title.

I often get "Wild at Heart", "Where the Wild Things Are" and "New Moon Rising" mixed up.

For BTVS: I've never been crazy about "I Robot...You Jane", "Inca Mummy Girl" or "Killed By Death"

ATS, the only one I can think of that I dislike is "The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco", but I also think it's a dreadful episode, so...

 

[Blaze]

've always wondered about "What's My Line?" Am I missing something? Because I never really got that title.

I've always taken it as in Kendra stealing Buffy's line. Like when Kendra shows us she says she's Kendra, the vampire slayer. I might be totally way off on this one.

 

[AnthonyCordova]

Angel was the best for great episode titles:

Rm w/a vu
Guise will be guise
Benediction
Habeas corpses
Orpheus
Power play
Not Fade away

 

[Fuffy Baith]

I agree about "I Robot...You Jane". I get the double play on words, but it's pretty stupid. Is Moloch trying to be the Tarzan to Willow's Jane? Cause that what it makes me think off. Also "Inca Mummy Girl" Is a little too on the nose, and much like the episode it gives away the character right away. Also 'Reptile Boy' is terrible, sounds like a cheesy horror comedy. lol. I don't know what I would re-title those though.

I like: 'Welcome to the Hellmouth', 'When She Was Bad', 'Faith, Hope and Trick', 'Dopplegangland', 'The Harsh Light of Day', 'Wild At Heart', 'This Year's Girl', 'Fool for Love', 'Dirty Girls'. I also some others, but the episodes don't fit the title.

Angel was the best for great episode titles:

I agree, Angel had a lot of good episode titles. Some were not so good though. I don't like 'Hearthrobe' as the season opening title. 'She' is too vague and gives me no imagery.

 

[thetopher]

I've always wondered about "What's My Line?" Am I missing something? Because I never really got that title.

I thought that 'What's My Line' is something you say on stage when you don't know the next line for your role, or forget it and don't know what comes next. Buffy doesn't get to 'play' as she says because its all being laid out for her.
But then Kendra comes along and puts Buffy's nose out of joint by'stealing her line' and making her unsure of herself/her role.
It's one of those double-meaning titles (or triple in this case) which I like.

'School Hard' = Die Hard. I always liked the simplicity of that one.

'Something Blue' = Depressed Willow and Buffy planning her wedding. Fun! 🙂 (I remember Buffy's wedding being incredibly girly)

' Conversations With Dead People' where their all taking with somebody dead instead of each other. Nice sense of isolation throughout this episode and its some nice creepy, foreshadowing.


Ones I don't like tend to be overly self-important sounding for some reason:

'Where The Wild Things Are' (are we supposed to think Buffy/Riley boinking non-stop is 'wild' because it really isn't...)

'Older And Far Away' is a good title for an otherwise dull episode.

Stuff like that.

 

[Wesley Pryce]

Angel was the best for great episode titles:

Rm w/a vu
Guise will be guise
Benediction
Habeas corpses
Orpheus
Power play
Not Fade away

Yes! I love Angel episode titles, they always nailed it. 

I agree about "I Robot...You Jane". I get the double play on words, but it's pretty stupid. Is Moloch trying to be the Tarzan to Willow's Jane? Cause that what it makes me think off. Also "Inca Mummy Girl" Is a little too on the nose, and much like the episode it gives away the character right away. Also 'Reptile Boy' is terrible, sounds like a cheesy horror comedy. lol. I don't know what I would re-title those though.

I like: 'Welcome to the Hellmouth', 'When She Was Bad', 'Faith, Hope and Trick', 'Dopplegangland', 'The Harsh Light of Day', 'Wild At Heart', 'This Year's Girl', 'Fool for Love', 'Dirty Girls'. I also some others, but the episodes don't fit the title.

I agree, Angel had a lot of good episode titles. Some were not so good though. I don't like 'Hearthrobe' as the season opening title. 'She' is too vague and gives me no imagery.

I thought Heartthrob was on the money. James is heartbroken because his girl is gone, so he removes his heart in order to get vengence for her, seems fitting to me. As for "she" it was all about a dimension where women were oppressed so I think it worked as a title. I would rather an episode be kind of vague than give away too much about the episode in question.

 

[Mr Trick]

I agree about "I Robot...You Jane". I get the double play on words, but it's pretty stupid. Is Moloch trying to be the Tarzan to Willow's Jane? Cause that what it makes me think off. Also "Inca Mummy Girl" Is a little too on the nose, and much like the episode it gives away the character right away. Also 'Reptile Boy' is terrible, sounds like a cheesy horror comedy. lol. I don't know what I would re-title those though.

I like: 'Welcome to the Hellmouth', 'When She Was Bad', 'Faith, Hope and Trick', 'Dopplegangland', 'The Harsh Light of Day', 'Wild At Heart', 'This Year's Girl', 'Fool for Love', 'Dirty Girls'. I also some others, but the episodes don't fit the title.

I agree, Angel had a lot of good episode titles. Some were not so good though. I don't like 'Hearthrobe' as the season opening title. 'She' is too vague and gives me no imagery.

Awesome post dare I say one of your best ever!😛 Wild at Heart is an example of an episode where the title is way better than the episode.

Something Blue like another poster suggested is another classic title. I still think I prefer Buffy titles over Angels, Waiting in the Wings maybe my favourite from that show.

On Whats My Line? I assumed that it was an American reference to do with someone trying to find their voice or their career path etc.. Which would fit in with the subplot of the Scoobies starting think of careers when they leave High School. But then it maywell have something to do with Kendra.

 

[Wesley Pryce]

I would say I like most of them from BTVS and almost all from ATS. One of my favorites from BTVS would be Passion, so simple but it says all you need, from Angel it would be To Shanshu in LA, I just love it. 😛

 

[Mr Trick]

Agreed on Passion one of the all time great episodes and titles🙂 Sometimes the more time they spend trying to come up with a clever title the worse it ends up being. The simple ones are often the best.

 

[Fuffy Baith]

I thought Heartthrob was on the money.

I agree it fits the plot, but I also don't like James' story being the season opener. So I think it's where it's placed that makes me not like the title. I expect more I guess.

Wild at Heart is an example of an episode where the title is way better than the episode.

I can agree with this. I like the episode, I love the title.
I also like 'A Hole In The World', it's sounds like a sad title, for a sad episode and there's literally a hole through the Earth so I think it fits perfectly.

 

[Wesley Pryce]

I agree it fits the plot, but I also don't like James' story being the season opener. So I think it's where it's placed that makes me not like the title. I expect more I guess.
I can agree with this. I like the episode, I love the title.
I also like 'A Hole In The World', it's sounds like a sad title, for a sad episode and there's literally a hole through the Earth so I think it fits perfectly.

Well allow me to retort 😛 I think the placing was great, Buffy had died the previous season so they needed to address it, and this was as good a way as any to do it, its actually one of my favorite openers for either series.

 

[Fuffy Baith]

Well allow me to retort 😛 I think the placing was great, Buffy had died the previous season so they needed to address it, and this was as good a way as any to do it, its actually one of my favorite openers for either series.

And that's your opinion, not saying you're wrong, but for me it just doesn't work. I think the Angel stuff is good, but I really don't care about this James character that we've never heard of or seen. And his love that they kill off right at the beginning. It just doesn't work for me, but I do like idea of the "cure" that James got. But even that seemed a bit rushed. I feel like if it was the second episode it would have worked better, but that's just me. anyways back to episode names.

 

[PassionBecoming]

I agree on the titles on AtS being pretty awesome. They are more...quippy, maybe? I don't know. I thought quite a few on BtVS were pretty cheesy.

Obviously, I really like the titles "Passion" and "Becoming". 😛

As for "I Robot, You Jane": I think they were referencing Moloch taking everything over and looking for a mate (Willow). You usually hear "I Tarzan, you Jane" referenced when a guy is basically acting like the caveman sterotype. Like, I'm going to beat my chest, beat my woman over the head with a club, and haul her back to my cave. Which is basically what Moloch did.

"What's My Line": That was a game show, and it's also an idiom for "What do I do/say next?" So, Buffy and the gang are trying to figure out what to do with their lives after high school. Buffy actually references it in the show, I think when talking with Angel. She says something like "It's like everyone is playing 'What's My Line' and I don't get to play"; she's already the Slayer so she doesn't know what other opportunities she can have.

 

[UndeadAmerican]

"The Yoko Factor" I have always loved, thought it was clever (me being a Beatles fan probably has something to do with it) 😛