The point that always disturbs me is not that Angel(us) killed Jenny, it's that he took all that time to set the scene. He placed and lit those candles on each stair, sprinkled the rose petals, put the music on and posed her body. Oh, and he didn't feed on Jenny. It wasn't about that, it was about hurting Buffy and those close to her. That all makes it (and him) so much worse. As for crying, this show had me in tears more than any other show I've watched.
El_Jefe_TX that is the big difference between Spike and Angelus. Spike is a brawler while Angelus was always a mental torturer. instead of physically besting his opponent, he much more enjoyed tearing them apart psychologically first.
They work as filling in each other's flaws to be honest. Angelus is calculating and methodical while Spike is extremely emotional and physical. If Angelus is so horrifying because he has no humanity in him at all, Spike has too much of it for a monster. Makes sense why they would have been allies as well as why they would completely hate each other.
So cool how nearly 20 years on Jenny's death still shocks the fuck out of people. This was horrific, she was a really likeable character which made it worse for me as I thought she was safe. Poor Giles, loved the Buffy hug too.
That whole scene with Giles and Buffy is amazing. She drops him with one punch to keep him from getting himself killed, then immediately clings to him like a child seeking comfort from her father. Thing is, if you tried something like that in most shows, it would come off as something you'd laugh about. Not even remotely the case here. Here, it's both touching and natural.
This was the episode where Joss Whedon said no one's safe, this is not a happily ever after show and don't take anything for granted. It also set the standard for the habitual moment of wonderfulness he gives beloved characters right before he offs them, thereby snatching your soaring heart from mid air, throwing it to the ground and stamping on it!!
'Why is it doing this to me?' Because it's Buffy. There is a reason it's ranked among the greats. Shedding tears is normal when watching a Whedon series.
Was looking forward to seeing your reaction when Willow found about Jenny. In that moment, I knew it wouldn't be the last time on this show that she'd break my heart. Allyson Hannigan has an amazing ability to turn on the water works at will and stab the viewer through the heart with her tears.
It should be noted though Angel/Angelus is one of Joss Whedon's best creations. You really started to understand how dangerous he was if like me you started enjoying him{Angelus). And hats off to David Boreanz who with no direction became the only actor to actually change the way he spoke & the way he moved between ensouled & vampiric, everyone else just played it the same after getting turned.
He even changed the look in his eyes. He is brilliant. You can really see it during season 4 of Angel. Angel has a soft, kind gaze. Angelus looks downright psychotic.
One of the best father/daughter relationships on tv. Remarkable really, considering they're not actually related, and she was just about to turn 16 when they met.
The episode/story arc with Angelus is so fantastic because you realize that Angel is such a good guy/tortured soul because Angelus is such a monster. Love how Joss Weadon never had a problem with spontaneously killing main characters. Also the growing tension with Spike where you know that he wants to beat the crap out of Angelus as soon as he can walk again. So hard not to drop spoilers, Great review man!
Ah Passion, the episode that so masterfully encapsulates everything that's so great about Buffy. And this is just the tip of the crazy, twisted and dark iceberg. God I love this show.
'Passion it lies in all of us Sleeping, Waiting And though unwanted unbidden it'll stir open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us guides us Passion rules us all and we obey What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love. The clarity of hatred. The ecstasy of grief It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms shuttered and dank. Without passion we'd be truly dead. I have memorised this speech and it is so creepy I get chills every time I think about it. Definitely shows the full ability of whedon.
There is nothing that makes me happier than watching someone watching Buffy for the first time. My heart worries you'll be spoiled, my mind prays your Buffy friends make sure this never happens. Thank you muchly for doing Buffy, hopefully you'll consider watching Dollhouse and of course, Angel, but there is no show IMO that is as amazing as Buffy
I’ve watched all of your Buffy videos up to this point in 24 hrs. Thank you for taking me back to my childhood/early teens. Jenny’s death never gets easier, even all these years later and when Giles finds her 😭
Innocence wrecked me but this was the episode that completely blew me away. I was thirteen when it first aired and I never expected Jenny to die like that, at Angel's hand. It was the drarkest thing I had ever seen.
Well I guess now you know where that Season 3 Agents of Shield plotline comes from and why everybody labeled that character doomed the moment she started talking about tacit smell of books, since that is how Jenny and Giles started in Season 1. I love how calculating an d methodical Angelus is in murdering Jenny. Before ambushing her he took care of locking the doors and laying out a path for her to run and escape just long enough to give her a bit of hope before killing her. I mean the way she dies literally shows that Angelus could have outrun her at any time but chose to prolong it. Its brutal awful and horrifying and it is one of many things that makes Angelus such a great villain. And that's not even talking about how methodically he prepares her body's discovery for Giles.
This episode also shows the difference between knowing what Angelus was and actually experiencing what Angelus was. The change of perspective is amazing....
Yep. Then again a lot of the show till now HAS been about escapism and Buffy trying to escape from the cold harsh reality into a delusion of playing an idealized superhero. Angelus is just one more step of the cold real world crashing through.
Yep, that was pretty much my reaction as well. Jenny was one of the reasons I started watching the show. The first episode of Buffy I saw was the one where she 1st appeared and was like "Wow, who's this?". This is where we realized Joss Whedon was an evil SOB.
Originally Angelus was supposed to kill Oz but Joss obviously changed it. I hate Jenny's death but what an amazing episode. Season 2 has some of the best of the series.
At 6:22, I think you needed the pillow. Or a hug. Or both. There have been more epic fights, but the catwalk ass-kicking remains one of my favorite BTVS fight scenes. Just the sight of Buffy grabbing that rope & smashing Angelus from side to side...YESSSSS. So satisfying. So deserved. I'm so glad you also get to enjoy the funny episodes, even if we don't get to see your reactions. :-) "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" (Xander love spell) is still hilarious no matter how many times it's re-watched. I totally get why this one was chosen, though. It's one of my all-time faves, so very happy to see the response. It's a weird thing, isn't it, that the exquisite pain of S2 is so horrific yet so amazing at the same time?! That Joss. I see you're heading into the final season - enjoy!
Joss is great with characters in general, but episodes like this are a brutal reminder of why he's particularly good at crafting heroines. They also make it difficult to ignore the fact that so many others fall so short in comparison. With Buffy, Whedon crafted a character who is both incredibly strong, yet undeniably vulnerable. She's confident to the point of cockiness at times, yet she frequently seeks guidance and direction. The fact that he can do all of these things is, in and of itself, amazing. The fact that he can pretty much do all of them in the same episode, without any of it seeming forced or unnatural is almost unheard of.
just realized the genius of the episode, having angel giving the monologue at the end soothing your soul after angelus did all that evil stuff. its so unsettling yet so good
Joss Whedon is the master of juxtaposition. Mixing in comedy, so the tragedy hits harder. Even the name of the show, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" causes you to underestimate it. "Oh, this is just a fun little show about a girl killing monsters." Next thing you know, it's punching you in the gut when you least expect it.
this show is about life on a hellmouth, where anything and everything can happen at a moments notice - even the death of a main character. the tears will flow through 7 seasons. they did for me.
First comment... I think! Hey Torchwood Boy! As always, loved your reaction. When I first started watching Buffy I noticed that some of the special effects were quite questionable, but as the seasons progressed they get better and better. The thing I realised from the start is how much heart the tv show has. How you start to care about the characters and the world they live in. That's what made me keep watching, and not all TV shows do that to me. I shed a lot of tears over the show, it just does it to you sometimes =)
PeopleAreStrange Perfectly said,the show really draws you in.I have never wanted to be part of a group more than I wished I was part of the scoobies.I cry all throughout the series,happy and sad moments.
Twice a week?! Yay!! I just found your reaction videos and I'm loving them! Buffy is one of my all time favorite shows and I'm really enjoying seeing someone's reactions who doesn't already know what's coming! I love your Dr. Who reactions as well! It's the first thing I watch after I see the episode!
I'd recommend watching the Passion of the Nerd's episode recaps. He goes into the metaphor and philosophy of both Buffy and Angel. He's currently on season 4 of Buffy and Season 1 of Angel.
Yes!! Yes!! Twice a week!! YES!!! :D Oh my, I still hadn't recovered from seeing you crying yesterday! This reaction has been intense, eve more than the previous one! By the way, the first victims were the little fishes, nobody grieves for them :P Thank you sooooo much!!!!
Imagine crying while watching a reaction with someone crying at a Buffy episode. I say imagine but that's what I just did. xD This episode was one of the first where I first noticed how sad and heartbreaking an episode can be.
I almost wish you kept Willow's reaction to Ms. Calendar's death in the video, as that was one of the highlights of the episode. But I'd understand if it was far too heartbreaking or something to go back to.
54345sdfa Um, standard PC 3 1/2 inch floppies held 1.44 megabytes. The older five inch disks held 720 K. I think a floppy formatted for Macintosh could hold 2M.
The scariest part about Angelus I believe, is that he lets you think there's hope of escaping and then he pulls the rug out from under you so to speak. The thought that he can literally smell you the whole time isn't very comforting either. Like a cat chasing a mouse. Not to mention that David Boreanaz is a big guy.
Hii hello dear alex!! i've been watching your reactions for once upon a time and now i'm watching you react for this epic show, wow! buffy brings me a lot of memories. 😊 it's the first time i comment. youre so sweeeeet 😆 love youre reactions (sorry for the bad english) 😕 i'm from Uruguay
I was dedicated to this show when it first aired. I like watching it through a newbies eyes. :) You're going to be on an emotional roller coaster as the show progresses. Buckle up!
The only part I have always had a hard time understanding was... How the heck does Angel get into Giles place to set Jenny in the bed... I don't remember him being invited in before... and I have seen these episodes a few times...
Since we see the two of them discussing events a few times at the library (Prophecy Girl for example) I've always assumed that one time Giles needed to talk to him when he was home or Angel sought him out there. They have an interesting relationship. They both care so deeply for Buffy but I'm sure Giles is worried about the two of them (the Slayer/Vampire thing, the age gap) but he respects Buffy too much to do the concerned 'father' routine. I wish we'd got more of them together tbh
One little side point here - small thing dominated by all the gut wrenching painful moments of this episode! I loved seeing your reaction to Drusilla trying to feed a cute little dog to Spike. I wonder what you think of what came just after your edit cut though? Instead of eating the dog, while Angelus is mocking Spike, Spike holds the dog on his lap! He looks almost protective of it - maybe he's not a fan of Angelus' penchant for nailing puppies to doors.. :)
oh, late to the party here! My weekend was so busy, I missed that you'd started the twice weekly posting. Your reaction to this episode is fantastic. As in, it's great to watch someone react who shows their emotions and has strong reactions to things - we get to viscerally re-experience how it was for us the first time we watched. Among the plethora of reaction vids on youtube though, there are some reactors who have really bland reactions - so yeah, you are great fun & very entertaining to watch. :) Which maybe sounds a bit odd on such a tragic episode as this, but even here that there's a kinda joy in a feeling of Buffyverse kinship, when we see someone go through the pain Joss inflicts on us! A kinda 'suprise!' this is what Joss is all about.
This episode is the one where we really get to see instead of just hear about Angelus' sadistic cruelty & love of psychological torture! Amazing moments, Jenny's death, Giles finding her in that set up, Giles going after Angelus with the flaming torch, Buffy & Giles punch/hug. And what we didn't see here - Angelus' narration as he spies in on Willow & Buffy's grief. It's one of my faves, gut wrenching as it is.
Hey sorry I'm sure you've already answered this but I've been catching up, what's with the huge skips in episodes that you react to? Which episodes are you planning on reacting to/not reacting to going forward. Just as a huge Spike fan don't really want to miss any great spike moments as he becomes a more important character going forward.
cline193 no I understand why they are edited down that's not what I meant, just with this he's not reacting to every episode like he does with his other shows. I'm not complaining or criticising, it's his channel and he can do whatever he wants, I just wondered why it was and if he'd already explained it somewhere.
Hi there, it just takes too much time to edit ALL of the episodes, so I have one of my best friends pick the best ones. And lemme tell you, she's doing an awesome job. I'm on Season 7 now, and I don't think she's missed any of the good ones yet.
Torchwood Boy ah ok, man you're almost done with the show! Thanks like I say was just curious not criticising, you post a hell of a lot of content and there's only so many hours in the day, cheers for replying.
Josh Whedon traumatized Teens with this show when it originally aired look at the death rate Miss Calendar, Tara McKay Joyce summers and Miss Kitty Fantastico. Josh has a sick mind oh and the end of this episode when Buffy beats up Giles still make me cry also the way angel put Miss Calendar Giles bed still shocking this show is the saddest show it tv history can not think of any show that makes me cry more then Buffy.
I'm sorry but I know these comments are all kind of late but I never met an opinion I didn't like plus I just luv your reactions @TorchwoodBoy so how could I not so here goes again Jenny isn't a "main" character really she is(was)expendable and it fits the story since it was her Gypsy tribe who cursed Angelus(that is who is doing all of this horrible stuff not Angel) in first place so he got his revenge from like 150 years ago!!!👿
After you finish Buffy, you should consider watching Charmed! If you haven't seen it already, I highly recommend it!! Would absolutely love to see your reaction to it! If you love strong, female heroines, then Charmed is DEFINITELY a show to watch! Please consider it! 😊
