Buffy the Vampire Slayer Talk || s3e19 "Choices" 

Can we talk about how Oz calmly walks toward the cauldron, violently hurls it toward the wall, and then calmly turns back to the group and is like "Are we done arguing? We're going to save my girlfriend now, right?" Cause that right there is an awesome Oz moment.

The faith-mayor relationship is a shadow version of Buffy-giles. Giles gives Buffy freedom to make choices, while the mayor treats Faith more like a child. One of the things that willow cues into here is that being like Buffy requires the ability to make adult choices and accept consequences, and Giles supports Buffy’s autonomy that way, while the mayor allows faith to place the blame for her circumstances on others. It’s an interesting contrast

"Why couldn't you be dealing drugs like normal people?"

Willow finally unleashing that confidence she’s been building for nearly all three seasons is a beautiful thing.

I think Snyder believed he knew more than he did. He knows monsters and hellmouths exist, but that's not the same as knowing anything about them. He's a lackey. Snyder was made principal by the mayor, because he would do what he's told (impede Buffy/ maintain status quo) but he's not smart enough to question why. This episode was a moment where I think he realized he didn't know shit about fuck-all, and was in WAAAAAY over his head.

Alley: "If Angel has a moment of true happiness again, he's fucked" Me: Interesting choice of words xD

Part of what makes the Mayor such a great villain is that he does have real human feelings, sick and twisted as they may be.

"Couples that slay together, stay together."

I love the mayor as a villain. He is this weird blending of a totally proper man (maybe a bit OCD on the cleanliness side) who has totally owned the idea that you take what you want to rise to the top and that it's OK to step on some people to get there. That combination takes him to some very unusual but very hillarious comedic moments! You can say he's for real or that he's fake, but he certainly feels real. Only time will tell!

Alley, Christophe Beck went from Buffy to the MCU, in case you didn't know.

You can tell how much Buffy's other boyfriend didn't matter from the fact that alley forgot his name

Back in Doppelgängland, when Willow stuck that pencil into a tree, I thought "There's a way a vamp's gonna dust!"

Buffy and Angel have twice received advice from strange sources... Spike and his "You'll never be friends" and now the mayor and his, "Because you don't age, you two have nothing but a sad future." Or basically, he was saying to Angel, if you truly love her, you have to let her go. I thought both Spike and the Mayor's advice were inciteful because you can tell the writers have thought about this. The writers understand the characters and the dynamics between them.

"Why couldn't you be dealing drugs like normal people?" - my favorite line of the whole series :D

Faith has potential for redemption, but not any easy path. She can't just switch sides and have everything be okay. Any redemption arc for her would take a long time, and considerable effort on her part to turn her life around. But most importantly, she has to choose it. That's really not where the character is, at this point. As for Snyder, he knows about the Hellmouth, he knows the Mayor is powerful and dangerous, and he knows that Buffy is an inconvenience to the Mayor. But he doesn't know about the whole Ascension thing, and I'm not certain if he knows about Buffy being the Slayer.

Love the defense of Cordelia's honor! Even if she's fully capable of doing it herself 😉 By the way, that Mission Impossible edit made me actually laugh out loud!

Maybe I'm on an island, but I love Faith and The Mayor's relationship. he consistently shoots down any romantic advances she throws his way and treats her with respect, confidence, but also tenderness. He may be an evil demon seeking to destroy the world, but I do feel like he GENUINELY cares for Faith beyond just having her as an employee. And I think Faith likes having someone who means well for her without any expectation of intimacy.

Cordelia working in a clothes shop is huge, her parents are supposed to be rich so why does she need to work. Willow standing up to Faith is everything, her words cut faith deep which I why she punched willow.

Love Oz smashing the spell and Willow choosing to go to college to help Buffy. Both are heroes ❤️

Choices is what the entire series is about. Everything comes down to the decisions the characters make and the repercussions of them.

The way I stopped my art to click at Lightening McQueen™️ speed-

Clearly this isn't a drug deal... it's a bug deal.

Wow I feel dumb, until Alley brought it up it never occurred to me that Cordelia being unusually mean at the start of the episode is her taking out the stress of what's going on at home on the group.

If you haven't seen it already, I think you'd really like and be fascinated by the sitcom The Good Place for all the moral philosophy. Lol, the guy Buffy dated in school was named Scott Hope and it was early this season rather than last season. I was looking forward to your reaction to Willow's witch fu with the box forcefield given that you had remarked on her going the 'full Sam Winchester' before. I wish I could see your reaction to Oz destroying the cauldron. On the other hand, if Willow had grabbed a whole book and been stopped while trying to escape, they would have taken it from her, as opposed to ripping out important pages and keeping them hidden. .

I always think of this as a favorite ep, but it's really more the individual moments: the unexpected moment of truth from the Mayor, Oz and the cauldron, the reveal with Cordy feeling humiliated over her circumstance but fronting bravely...but most of all Willow. Two stand-up-and-cheer moments for her, verbally slapping down Faith and then her killer-smoov handing over the pages. Also: @7:29 Love me some Lalo Schifrin!

The Cordelia thing... is meaningful because, 'y'know her family is supposed to be rich. If so, why does she need a job to buy a fancy dress?

-Just because you're evil doesn't mean you're a liar. The Mayor is 100% right in his advice to Buffy and Angel. -I think Faith and Mayor's relationship is interesting, and this always left me wanting more. -From what I remember reading, Angel was supposed to die in Becoming 2 and not come back. Around that time the WB became interested in spinning off Angel, and so they decided to bring him back. -I think Snyder knows a lot, maybe not about Buffy being a Slayer. -Willow's outfit in this episode is probably my favorite she wears in the series, and it is like NEVER referenced or used in merch or fan art.

10:00 I always had the perspective that the mayor, despite his evil motives, is still human. He has loved and been loved by others. And, I suppose, he was talking to the only people who might understand that situation. Maybe a couple lines of dialogue and a relationship with a main character isn’t enough to really drive the point home, but it still shows a different side of him.

This episode the way the Mayor lays on truth to Angel is one of my favourite moments.

Firstly, that mission impossible sequence... AMAZING!! 😂😂 Buffy and Angel have been back together since episode 10 in Amends. But it can get confusing between them, lol. Snyder does know about the hellmouth and stuff; but it seems knowing and seeing is a different experience. He also wouldn't likely know about the Mayor being invincible, so that's why he looked shook there.

Faith's knife is a Hibben Jackal, and it's turned up in a couple of Star Trek movies, as Klingon and Romulan blades. I almost bought myself one, when I saw it in a store in San Francisco, but I was flying home the next day and didn't think it would sit well with airport security, or Canadian Customs.

"if angel have a monument of true happiness again he is fucked." its the other way around

Re: The music. Buffy had a single composer--Christophe Beck--for all of seasons 3 and 4 (and half of season 2, including all of the Angelus-arc episodes). It's why we have musical themes that persist and grow across the seasons (like the season 2 Buffy-Angel theme "Close Your Eyes" and the "Remembering Jenny" theme). His romantic-orchestral but also fluid and fun approach to composing for the series defined its sound, even after he left as full-time composer. (If you recall, season 1 and the other half of season 2 were much more electronic X-files-ish in their sound.) He's gone on to become one of Disney's core composers in the years since.

I’m surprised you didn’t include when Oz smashed the living fire preparations so they had to trade the box for Willow. When Oz is mad, he’s mad...

The editing is IMMACULATE

_Sigh!_ I'm so relieved that alley didn't question either the quantity or quality of my realness in this video.

This is one of my favorite episodes. I think Wesley was correct that the quick solution to free Willow was not what they should do. They really didn't spend time thinking through other approaches. The Mayor's deconstruction of Buffy/Angel was brilliant.

That scene with Willow and the pencil is freakin amazing and I love it. And what follows, what she says... it's amazing.

The mayor would never betray faith. Eos

I ask the important questions. Why is Giles in a coffee cup?

Buffy NEVER gets a long term relationship. The curse of being The Slayer.

I'm on season 4 and The Mayor is definitely my favorite Big Bad so far. He's so funny and a perfect villain.

The next episode "The Prom" has one of my favorite all-time TV scenes.

In general, slayers don't have to worry about a "long term" relationship because slayers don't typically last that long. They are inevitably killed and replaced by the next Slayer, usually sooner than later. A Buffy and Angel relationship 50 years from now when Buffy is old and Angel is still the same is almost a moot point because the assumption is that Buffy would never survive that long anyway (and what's more is she knows that!). Angel should be thinking about making Buffy happy now because that is all there is, even while knowing he will be setting himself up for major heartbreak in the probably not-so-distant future. Grim but true.

Willow knowing that she can't escape, might get killed trying and will probably be exchanged for the box, it makes sense that she settles down and tries to learn as much as possible about the Mayor so she'll have knowledge to share.

Underrated episode it is great. Soon the end of this fantastic season :)

I burst out laughing at 7:40 😂🤣😂🤣 The MI theme song and the crazy angle turns is so extra 👍👍 When Angel was trying to pull Buffy up, I wondered why he struggled: either Buffy's too heavy or Buffy with the box made it heavier or something wrong with that pulley lol

Choice is the central theme of the show. The name of the episode signifies the importance of the episode.

I'm really enjoying your discovery of this series, soon to branch out into "Angel" as well. When you try to guess what's going to happen next, I am glad you can't see my face - my expression would be sure to give MANY spoilers away. You have the most entertaining mix of "that guess was really good" and "she's so completely wrong", with a side of "she's not gonna believe it". Knowing what's going to happen ahead of time, and watching you react to finding out what we already know is delicious fun. You're also delicious fun, so I'll keep coming back for more.

Principal Snyder "Why couldn't you be dealing drugs like normal people?" With the chair! Hahaha! That is my favorite Snyder moment...

Cordelia is actually my favorite character. Not as a joke. As a person. She is just really great , and her few , minor unlikable traits arise more out of loneliness and a fear of being hurt or abandoned than malice.

The thread under this comment contains some unmarked spoilers from other comment people. Read at your own risk. I find it interesting that Spike and The Mayor are the only ones willing to say home truths to Buffy and Angel about their relationship status this season and overall. This is an interesting episode for not being very plot driven. The Mayor gets the box, but other than that it is more of a character-based episode.

I just realized someone watching now when the Mayor say's "03" they won't realize he is saying 1903

The Mayor is CEO, Snyder is "Middle Management", he knows what his superiors want him to know and believes everything they say. It seems weird that at the end of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Senior Year, that the show has you worried about the future of the group and hoping they will all keep in touch almost as if there are some parallels to real life (I am not mocking, merely pointing out, how well delivered/thought out this was). It is amazing how this show, puts the audience right where they are supposed to be, every time, it doesn't matter the background of the person at certain points, everyone gets on the same path....this show is brilliant, it actually trust its audience.

You're in for so many surprises. Can't wait to see your future reactions!

I'm looking for you reviewing Angel so much! And we're getting closer.

Just subscribed! I’ve been secretly watching all along, but I finally made the jump. I need this content.

I love your reaction videos. They are always both enjoyable and thought-provoking. I've seen this episode 3 or 4 times, maybe more, but I'm finally putting some things together about the Whedon-verse that are kind of important. Thanks again, and Happy New Year! Hope you get to 10,000 soon!

I'm so looking forward to your season 3 analysis! And to all of your reactions of course :D Love hearing your thoughts and feelings about each episode. Plus it's really interesting how you analyse the show from a psychological perspective (I also studied psychology and could probably talk for hours about what theories could be applied to Buffy lol, it's cool to know I'm not alone 😂). Anyway, thank you for making this content. Hope you enjoy the rest of the series!

Thank you for making this series. I am watching buffy for the first time I just finished season 3 last night. And it's nice to listen to someone else talk about the episodes since my current friend group is not watching buffy rn lol

Did you notice that, as the Mayer was leaving with the box, Faith took a moment and looked back, not at the monster she killed from the box, but at the knife she had to leave behind. The knife the Mayor gave to her. You can see that she was emotionally attached to the knife, and didn't want to leave it behind.

Willow is awesome and her character just gets better and more in depth in future seasons.

The next episode is one of my favorites in the entire series. Can't wait to see how you react to that one.

Ally’s end game predictions-so fun to hear! 😅

Even floating pencils can be a useful skill! Yes, it's a big reveal because Cordy has never had to work before, her family buys her the latest fashions, a fancy car with a personalised number plate, they all go on expensive foreign holidays. You'll find out why this is no longer the case very soon, probably next episode. Snyder must know something about the mayor because when Joyce is trying to get Buffy back into school, she threatens that she will go to the mayor and Snyder just says that will be interesting.

Hearing you talk about the Angel/Buffy relationship at the end of this episode makes me REALLY want to hear your take on the hot mess that is the latter seasons of Vampire Diaries

New Video!! Thank you! This made my Saturday lol

5:07 - What is that sound effect from? I'm 90% sure I heard it before I started watching this channel, but I can't recall what it's from if I have. 7:50 - Well, Christophe Beck would eventually go on to work for Marvel on Ant-Man and WandaVision. I reckon Snyder is just kind of vaguely aware of the weird. He was probably told he'd have to keep a lid on the weird and keep things running smoothly, but he's definitely not in the know or in anybody's inner circle.

I love your edits so much lol

Willow told her.. Lol ! She's got stones.

ur reactions are amazing and I hope 2021 goes well for u! im a fellow psych student to I relate to alot of the things say XDD

Snyder and the Police know some things... not much. Lol Cordy doesn't need to work. That is the big reveal. It means something is up. That's not a spoiler. Love the Cordy defense btw. :) And the mayor would definitely like to sew any sort of trouble within the scoobies. That MI theme edit was magic.

"Is this a big reveal, why?" Oh give me strength.......

I did the math, and even if it only takes him 5 second per monster, it would take him about 8,000 years to eat all "50 billion" of them.... Just some "food" for thought

The music of seasons 2-6 was composed by Christophe Beck, who I believe composed some of the MCU movies himself.

7:35 yesss haha i was waiting for someone to edit this music in !

The other day I read about historical influences on esoteric religious expressions. C G Jung came up. Campbells monomyth was suggested to be influenced by him. A story was said to be heavily influenced by Jung because "symbolic beings are used here to represent inner conflicts". Also, esoteric movements often suggested alternative routes to knowledge. Since the discorse of science and theology has been historically dominated by males, these perspectives became a way for women to be accepted as authority. The parallells are striking.

My take on Snyder is that he's mostly unaware and this is in part a source of his over-the-top authority act. He's kind of projecting his own insecurity with what little he does know as an act, as if to say to "See, I'm in control of all this stuff I can't clearly be in control of!"

the way faith looks at the knife kills me

All I can say is the best is yet to come and you will love it!

One of my favorite Willow episodes, she's so cool and awesome in this one. Facing off with Faith, stealing the pages, the pencil-staking of the vamp--so good!

This episode brought back the excitement and promise of preparing for college. The future felt boundless. Now that I'm on the other side, the chasm between school and the working world is all I notice. Post-college life was a slap in the face. The main people who cared about my degree were bill collectors. My current position, which boasts an office and an assistant, only came because I spent 9 years as a peon in the office. College was mainly a drag on my finances. Sorry for the therapy session.

When it comes to choices in this show it's very important, remember that word for later seasons.

Wow almost done season 3! 🖤. Great few last episodes coming up!

Wow all those questions about where people will go after school. Girl is in for some fun and unexpected surprises.

Snyder knows about vampires and the hellmouth but he doesn't know about the mayor's plans.

09:11 - 09:26 Badass Willow right there,ladies&gentlemen.😎Pretty stupid and reckless(and also rude!)but still...b-a-d-a-s-s.😎 09:41 - 09:57 I hate it when Villains are right.X-((

So far best part of 2021

Joss Whedon made the first avengers movie and he created Buffy there’s a reason the music sounds similar. Also willow couldn’t run she was in the villains layer with probably tons of security.

On the subject of colleges, it's a bit weird that a 'one Starbucks town' where the bad part of town is 'about half a block from the good side of town' has an Ivy League University.

The question of Fatih is quite complex; Willow was not mistaken in blaming her for having betrayed those who trusted her, but our little witch also forgot how she never really tried to be friends with Faith, unlike Buffy, because she was jealous of the relationship that she had with her BFF. Faith had her reasons for betraying the Gang, she did not feel understood by them or part of the group, and the fact that she has a huge weight on her shoulders both for her powers and for the murder she committed, however her actions remain in each case unjustifiable. Will she be able to redeem herself? Difficult to say; when you go to the dark side it is very difficult to go back, she will have to understand that she is wrong. The Mayor is a really interesting villain because of his being considerate towards his sidekick like Faith, certainly manipulating her for his own evil plans but at the same time loving her like a daughter, which in fact makes the two the evil counterpart of Buffy and Giles. His speech to Angel and Buffy is sadly absolutely correct, Bangels are not like Bella and Edward, both immortal and destined for an eternity of love, their love is expiring and maybe the two of them have never really thought about it since. now, closed in a false hope of always being together. We must not forget that if Angel returns happy then he will become evil again and Buffy will be forced to kill him again to save her loved ones! What future will there be for them? The final embrace between Buffy and Willow is very tender, the 2 BFFs will still be united also at the University, and we hope that Xander, Giles and Oz will stay with them too. Snyder seems to have realized that The Mayor has to do with the supernatural events of Sunnydale, will we see him ally with Buffy against Big Bad too? Cordelia appears to be in a bad situation! Has the kharma hit her? XD

Cordelia was always the rich popular girl, which is why it's odd that now she's working. This is the start of her setups for the near future...

Estás re adelantada en Patreon!😭 Necesito un par más de videos. No estar tan lejos. Al menos estar ya en s4.

What makes the mayor's conversation to Angel so intriguing is that nothing he is saying is incorrect. He makes a lot of good points. He's evil, and he might be trying to throw them off, but he isn't wrong either about the Buffy and Angel's relationship.

What new place does Buffy want Angel to take her?? Sunnydale is a small town.

Buffy had a love interest, Faith.

Everyone rags on Willow, but if she didn't stay and read all that material... Well then they wouldn't have gained knowledge of what's going on with the Mayor.

When you get to Angel’s show you should skip the opening until episode two or not look at the screen and just listen to the theme song just so it won’t tell you if any characters other than Angel are in it.

about Willow and the books, the mayor probably have more than one vampire on guard, her chances of escaping are actually pretty slim, in the end she makes the right move.

Paused the doc I was watching to click on this!