Mr Trick's Top Twenty Worse Buffy Episodes ever review thread

[sosa lola]

FXander cheating on his assignment is so petty, and yet amusing, and sums up High School Xander so well.

Willow: "You boiled your yoke?"
Xander: "Yeah I know its cruel, but sometimes you gotta be cruel to be kind. You can bet that little Xander here is thicked skin now"

Xander boiling his egg is just another example that belies the "Xander is dumb" mythology. It was a clever way to cheat. However, the darker read is that Xander intuitively believes that child-rearing should be harsh and painful to make a tougher kid- even though I think Xander has too much compassion and too much of a heart to ever do that a child of his own. However, see how he internalizes Tony Harris and basically discusses himself through the egg.

 

[Mr Trick]

Good review, this is a pretty dire episode. A fluffed idea and some nonsensical plots holes/characterization.

Good points: Other than what you mentioned I did like the bit where Buffy is given the egg and she thinks its some sort of punishment. Plus Xander's reaction to being called Machiavellian. Other than that I could happily delete this and have a different episode.

Good work.

Yeah I liked those moments too I almost extended the quote to include that Giles/Xander exchange but didn't want it to drag too long, besides I wasn't sure how to spell Machiavellian and didn't want to look it up

Thanks for the feedback guys! The next review should be up over the next few days.

 

[Mr Trick]

#19 The I in Team Season 4, Episode 13


There came a time around the middle part of the fourth season where what had been a pretty strong season up to that point was dragged down by the advancement of the dull Buffy-Riley romance (dull IMO don't start Riley weirdos!), but even more so than the big season arc of 'The Initiative' was beginning to creek and clunk all over the place. There are a few enjoyable and worthwhile scenes in 'The I in Team' but they mostly involve Giles, Willow, Anya, Xander and Spike who are reduced to supporting characters during the episode. Its true that Buffy spending too much time with her new man, and more worrying for her fellow-Scoobies with 'The Initiative' is a crucial theme of the season as a whole, but its not handled here in a very convincing or engaging way. The slight movement of Spike over to the good side is a welcome progression, there is some fine Scooby banter, and that's about it to recommend for this one.

Many of the scenes involving Buffy and Riley are way too cheesy, and do little to convince me of them as a credible couple. The actors themselves have almost no chemistry. To make matters worse Riley's 'Initiative' buddies are bland and one note, played by wooden actors to boot. I didn't really care about Forest's jealousy towards Buffy, or for that matter Graham's half-hearted efforts to embrace her as part of the team or his little jibes at Forest. The scene where Buffy is dressed as normal during an 'Initiative' briefing, acts a bit girly, and keeps asking questions is a cheap joke. Lindsay Crouse who plays Professor Maggie Walsh (originally intended as the season's big bad or so rumour has it) is a fine actress but isn't given enough to do during this episode.

The main problem with 'The I in Team' is that there is just too much crammed into a small episodes and it all feels rushed a not very convincing. This is the first episode in which Walsh has welcomed Buffy into 'The Initiative' and yet by the end of the episode she has decided along with another senior figure that joining forces with the Slayer is no longer and good idea, and so creates a lame plot to kill her off. The reasons for them having this change of heart are not credible enough. Riley and Buffy getting too close? Well I'm sure that Walsh cottoned onto the fact that they were dating in which case as an adult she had to figure that they would get down to the 'business' at some point right? As for Buffy asking too many questions? I'm sure that there was a more subtle way they could have handled that one. Besides which they should have put off that development for at least another episode. The other thing which drags the final third of this one down is that awful slow motion scene where we see Buffy/Riley/Initiative kicking demon butt intercut with Riley and Buffy having sex for the first time post-fight. It just looks so plodding, telegraphed and uneasy to watch. The small traces of Scooby wit are the only thing which make this watchable. The action sucks, the character moments mostly poor, and the plotting a bit all over the place.

Best Scene: The one where Spike takes cover with the Scoobies when being tracked by the Initiative and they help him to remove the tracking device. Funny scene and important to his link to the gang. I also enjoyed Spike's scene with Giles early in the episode, those two share such good banter

Best Line(s):
Xander: "Wish that Buff could have made it, this 3-hand poker's not quite the game"
Willow: "Guess she's out with Riley. You know how it is with a spanking new boyfriend"
Anya: "Yes we've enjoyed spanking"
Xander's cards go flying everywhere

Episode Rating: 4/10

 

[bespangeled]

Bad Eggs is definitely a rotten sulfur smelling stinker. The trouble was that there was no irony, no humor except for a few throw away lines. The Gorches were just stupid -so no humor there. All in all, this one gets the (ta-dum) Rotten Egg Award.

1. Normal Again. This episode deconstructs the Buffyverse to the point where you think you have been an idiot for investing effort into watching it.

And I like Normal Again for exactly these reasons. It shows me how incredibly bizarre the B-verse is, and then gives me more reason to invest in it.

 

[Mr Trick]

Bad Eggs is definitely a rotten sulfur smelling stinker. The trouble was that there was no irony, no humor except for a few throw away lines. The Gorches were just stupid -so no humor there. All in all, this one gets the (ta-dum) Rotten Egg Award.



And I like Normal Again for exactly these reasons. It shows me how incredibly bizarre the B-verse is, and then gives me more reason to invest in it.

I don't dislike BE as much as you there are still enough good moments to make it watchable, but that is all it is, is an episode of moments and I don't think it adds a whole lot to the character.

So the question is will Normal Again be on this list or even the best list? Now that would be telling

 

[Puffy]

To be honest ,for me there are no bad Buffy episodes. Really, there is not a single episode, I cant like. Even, if we are talking about "Ted".

I only grade Buffy episodes between "phenomenon" , "very good" and "ok".

P.S.
But when it comes to Angel, well, there are episodes that are no longer "ok"...I guess "below average" could describe that couple of Angel episodes.

 

[Mr Trick]

To be honest ,for me there are no bad Buffy episodes. Really, there is not a single episode, I cant like. Even, if we are talking about "Ted".

I only grade Buffy episodes between "phenomenon" , "very good" and "ok".

P.S.
But when it comes to Angel, well, there are episodes that are no longer "ok"...I guess "below average" could describe that couple of Angle episodes.

Well I actually like Ted, so no major spoilers but don't expect to see it on this list

There are bad episodes in any long running television shows, it is just nearly impossible to avoid it. Thing with Buffy is that even the bad episodes are still better than a lot of other television, and still has watchable moments in them.

 

[Puffy]

Thing with Buffy is that even the bad episodes are still better than a lot of other television, and still has watchable moments in them.

Thats the spirit.

Without the stunning characters some episodes would be "bad", but with characters like Buffy, Willow, Spike, Faith, etc... (and their cutting edge interactions) "bad" becomes minimum "ok".

Very importend, because that makes Buffy special, compared to other television shows.

 

[Spanky]

because that makes Buffy special

That explains why all of the busses were short.

 

[AubreezyBaby]

I also liked Jonathan's one scene.

Omgosh that's one of the few scenes in buffy that still makes me literally laugh out loud. He is freaking out screaming, "get it off me!" and then stands up saying he tripped. Omg so funny.

 

[Samuel Reyes]

@Mr Trick: I know you made reference to it, but it's also worth mentioning how the montage of Briley sex intercut with them fighting a demon proves Faith's theory about how sex/violence are part of the nature of a Slayer.

 

[Mr Trick]

@Samuel Reyes Not sure I did mention it actually, I know Fuffy Baith mentioned it in another thread. No matter the scene still stinks

 

[nemilyxo]

i am going to weigh in here and apologies if you don't agree. my two least fave episodes are
1) Where the Wild Things Are; why?! i just don't understand it at all. the only good thing is giles singing in this episode for me.
2) Beauty and the Beasts; it just makes me really sad this episode. i mean i guess the episode tackled domestic abuse in a different light but it just makes me uneasy. i just wish that angels return was in a different episode to this one. the pete and debbie relationship is just quite random and i don't like Petes crazy side.

 

[Mr Trick]

i am going to weigh in here and apologies if you don't agree. my two least fave episodes are
1) Where the Wild Things Are; why?! i just don't understand it at all. the only good thing is giles singing in this episode for me.
2) Beauty and the Beasts; it just makes me really sad this episode. i mean i guess the episode tackled domestic abuse in a different light but it just makes me uneasy. i just wish that angels return was in a different episode to this one. the pete and debbie relationship is just quite random and i don't like Petes crazy side.

And I like the Spike-Anya stuff. Two good choices anyway. They may or may not be appearing on my list

 

[Xanderectomy]

Go Fish is easily one of the worst Buffy episodes.

 

[DeadlyDuo]

Go Fish is easily one of the worst Buffy episodes.

Agreed. It certainly doesn't help that it is stuck between two strong Buffy episodes.

 

[Xanderectomy]

Agreed. It certainly doesn't help that it is stuck between two strong Buffy episodes.

apparently inhaling fish dna through a sauna literally turns you into a fish (the more you know).

 

[Fuffy Baith]

i am going to weigh in here and apologies if you don't agree. my two least fave episodes are
1) Where the Wild Things Are; why?! i just don't understand it at all. the only good thing is giles singing in this episode for me.
2) Beauty and the Beasts; it just makes me really sad this episode. i mean i guess the episode tackled domestic abuse in a different light but it just makes me uneasy. i just wish that angels return was in a different episode to this one. the pete and debbie relationship is just quite random and i don't like Petes crazy side.

I love the Oz story line in this though. The problem is that Oz isn't abusive so there's really not a parallel to Pete like they try to make. This idea of not controlling the animal in you. Or like Faith says "all men are beasts". I think the thesis of the episode is off. I also don't like the return of Angel and him basically saving the day. I do like Buffy talking to Mr. Platt. So there's some good in it. For me I just enjoy it more than Dead Man's Party or Gingerbread.

And I like the Spike-Anya stuff. Two good choices anyway. They may or may not be appearing on my list

I agree, I love Spike and Anya. That's the only thing good about this ep. Oh and singing Giles. Lol. But yes it should be on your list. Probably top 5, top 10 at least. Lol