"I Only Have Eyes For You" hype

L

Lethe

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I know a lot of people have this ep marked as their favorite of if not season two, of all time.

My question:

Why?

What's so great about it? I liked the idea that Buffy could not understand the aspect of forgiveness, because she could not forgive herself for Jenny's death. But that wouldn't mark it as a top episode for me.

Why does everyone like it so much?
 
Largely Giles' quote, which is gorgeous, and could found religions.

"To forgive is an act of compassion, Buffy. It's not done because people deserve it. It's done because they need it. "

The theme of forgiveness is just powerful. It's not just Buffy who can't understand why she'd forgive him, it's us. I mean, he murderered her. But she still loves him. Their relationship was taboo to begin with (I'd certainly find the idea of falling in love with one of my teachers a little .... odd) but in typically Buffy fashion, their love isn't judged to be deviant by the end of the episode, even though one was a minor and murdered the other.

It's also interesting because it's James who solves his own problem rather than Buffy and Friends fixing what's wrong. The Scoobies play no active role at all in breaking James' loop. They can only witness the drama play out, whether they can grasp it or not

But even leaving all that aside... it's one of the few BTVS episodes that's genuinely spooky. Just hearing that song on the radio gives me the creeps... The haunting is well realised, and the plot ticks away quite nicely. One of my fave one-offs...
 
It's not totally Jenny's death that Buffy is feeling remorseful about. The main part is her guilt over having sex with Angel.
She knows that that was the reason that he turned back into
Angelous. So the whole "he destroyed the one thing he loved"
comment the sceen in the livingroom right before she gets
called back to the school. She's talking about her and Angel.
She's saying that she shouldn't be forgiven.
 
K
Kimm
I totally agree
It's my fave ep of season 2 for a few reasons. One being the Buffy and Angel love scene together even with Angel still being evil. I mean there's alot of things in there that point sorta to a foreshadowing that he'll forgive her when she has to kill him in the end of season 2 and that she still loves him for who he was, stuff like that.
Plus the ghostly aspect is interesting in itself. Spiritual realism is something I have an interest in and I felt that it was done really well.
But then IT could just be my fave because I'm such a buffy/angel shipper but hey at least I'll admit that as a reason. :Angel_ani
 
I didn't really see why the ep was hype up either. There are a lot better episodes like 'killed by death' and 'becoming 1&2'
 
I'd consider it far and away better than Killed by Death, though I like KBD. Becoming is in a league of it's own, and I'll agree IOHEFY is nowhere near it. Like Delaneya said though, it's a rather sad reflection on how we're sometimes the ones that condemn ourselves hardest.
 
DB & SMG performances were pretty powerful and that is one thing I really like about IOHEFY. This was the episode where JOss thought Db could carry his own series.
 
Hmmm. . .

David and Sarah played great in this episode -- they brought about raw emotions that you could really tell were being pulled to the surface.

Also, I liked the whole, Buffy and Angel factor in it -- it added some drama, and it was good to see Angel back in a good guy role.

Personally, I wouldn't consider it to be one of the greatest Buffy episodes -- nor Season Two's, but it was good. None-the-less.
 
I agree - David and Sarah were great in this episode, especially since as Grace and James's ghosts they were playing the opposite sex. Joss Whedon mentions that in the interview on the DVD.

I wouldn't consider this to be the BEST episode of Season 2, but it was at the top of the list. I particularly liked the theme of forgiveness, and Buffy's little outburst about it was really heartwrenching:

Buffy: "No. James destroyed the one person he loved the most in a moment
of blind passion. And that's not something you forgive. No matter why he
did what he did. And no matter if he knows now that it was wrong and
selfish and stupid, it is just something he's gonna have to live with."

Xander: "He can't live with it, Buf. He's dead."
 
This episode was great for so many reasons.

Like most of you are saying we are always harder on ourselves.

Grace and James are like Buffy and Angel.

James has to let go of Grace and Buffy has to let go of Angel.

The quotes were good as well especially Giles speech about forgiveness, and how it is needed and not earned.

Plus I love the song by The Flamingoes.
 
I loved this ep. The parrells between the two relationships was really well done. And it was interesting to watch Buffy solve her problems with Angel through experiencing someone elses pain.

Plus I like it so much because us bangel fans had been starved of some good bangel smoochies for too long 😉
 
The reason this is one of my faves is because it's like the dimond in the ruff. It was such a good eppie. The passion between Sarah and David, i cryed more at the end of this eppie then becoming. It was like awww they kissed and then BAM! he pushes her away and runs off. Plus Buffy got to see how the whole situation wasn't her whole fault.

Plus Joss says when Angelus gets possessed, he said the way David carried the scean her knew he could carry his own show and thrus Angel became.
 
I agree and think the ep was one of the best of Season 2, I just really enjoyed and the story was great and the performances my Sarah and David were amazing.
 
i just watched it for the first time (in a long while) and i really enjoyed it. the storytelling is really great. i like how i saw the repetition of the final dialogue and how you learned more each time it happened. and of course the twist with buffy and angelus with the duality of circumstances, plus the conflict of their kiss which is a shock because it seems so taboo. i even enjoyed a lot of the "scary" parts too. it just has a lot in there for me to love.
 
lil_slayer said:
I didn't really see why the ep was hype up either. There are a lot better episodes like 'killed by death' and 'becoming 1&2'
Click to expand...

I personally think that Killed by Death is the worst episode in Season 2. I Only Have Eyes For You is way better, although it isn't my favourite of the season.
 
the episode was brilliant and its theme - forgiveness was really beautifully played out. buffy couldn't forgive herself not for jenny's death, she couldn't forgive herself for what she's done to angel, that's why when the ghosts possessed her and angelus, the roles - for the first time - reversed. james possessed buffy because it's her he related to, they both "killed" the person they loved most. grace possessed angelus because like him, her love was inwardly unwilling to let go, yearned for forgiveness.
giles' speech about forgiveness is a quote to remember, that's for sure. there are some lines in btvs that juststay with you and this is definitely one of them.
another beautiful thing in this episode is the b/a relationship and how it was played out for the sake of the storyline. i loved that.
but all in all... not my favorite ep 🙂
 
I loved this episode because it had the essence of what buffy is usually known for. It had deep pain and humor in the same scene, at the same time. Most people who watched the show were grieving for Buffy because of Angelus but at the same time they were the opposite sexes as the ghosts. I cried at that part but I was trying not to laugh at the same time.
It's just such a dramatic episode in both directions that it's hard not to love.
 
I have to say that I Only Have Eyes For You is my favourite Buffy episode ever! It is so amazingly good, it has a great story line and there is so much going on in one ep for example, Angel & Buffy, Giles & Jenny, Buffy not being able to forgive and so on. I love the way that Buffy blames James for the whole thing, she is treating James as if he is Angelus, also it is SO scary when the place is all haunted and everything, when James grabs Buffy, and that hand grabs Xander. Yet it has a really emotional side to it too, the love between James and Grace is so beautiful, and it's like Buffy & Angel's relationship - If Angel wasnt a vampire and Buffy wasnt a slayer.
And the ending was amazing, cus throught out the ep the people were acting it out and it was Boy=James and girl=Grace but when Buffy and Angel did it, it was reversed and Buffy then understood about the need for forgiveness.
And the speech is so beautiful it is the best episode EVER :bounce: 🙂 :monkeybut
 
See I always thought Buffy was treating James as herself in placing all the blame for Angel's transformation into Angelus upon herself.

Buffy didn't think she could forgive herself for what had happened.
 
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