Reviewed by Adam Bardwell
Rating: 7/10
Its a new season and as usual for Buffy this means changes and a new storyline. However, this episode only hints at the new story while introducing the new environment of college to the viewers. Along with this change to college have come more sophisticated fights, new vampire make up and a totally new look in the way it is filmed. The result is a more polished episode although I personally liked the old look (when it was filmed on 16 mm) but that maybe just me. Of course the other big change is the lack of Angel and Cordelia. It is a pity that the fact Cordelia isn't there isn't mentioned- I think she is only mentioned once all season. The characters have new looks, also, with Willows being the most dramatic with her short hair and trendier cloths.
This season could easily be described as the year of Willow (I'm hoping season 5 really will be the year of Xander) and this episode, while not really being about Willow, really shows why Willow thrives in College. She is able to come into her own because she is surrounded by like minded people who want to learn and an environment which encourages spurty knowledge.
The show is really about Buffy and her difficulties at making the jump from high school to college. She becomes overwhelmed by everything that is going on. This makes sense for High School and College are very different but as Buffy realises at the end of the show not as different as she originally thought. I was surprised that there was no metaphor in the story for this disorientation it was shown straight so to speak. The villains of the piece, Sunday and her henchvamps, were used to force Buffy to question whether she could cope with college.
Sunday kicks Buffy's ass in their first confrontation. Compared to later episodes such as "The I in Team" where Buffy seems invincible this is a little unbelievable but it is a product of Buffy struggling to cope with college. It is a pity that this struggle didn't last longer. Only the Parker storyline carried on the idea that Buffy was reacting badly to college life and this arc only lasted for a handful of episodes. As an aside this storyline again used the idea of men becoming monsters after sex (although as a male I assue all you women out there that this isn't always the case) straight instead of with real monster metaphors like they were played in season two with Angelus this trend is repeated throughout this season with far less emphasis on the mystical side of the show and the metaphors they represented.
I thought the character of Sunday was very cool - it was a pity that she only lasted this episode. I can see why Joss did it - it gave Buffy a foe to overcome which is paralleled in her problems with college. Looking at it this way I suppose there is a metaphor of sorts in this episode. The slacker / stoner henchvamps. were also fun. The fat vamp wasn't dusted so she could return at some point which would be cool. It is a pity that we saw little of this idea of vampires on campus thought the season as it seemed that this episode was setting up this idea to be explored further.
What this episode does hint at is the growing apart of the gang which come to a head in "The Yoko Factor". Buffy doesn't want to involve Willow and Oz with her problems as they are getting on well with college and do not need the hassle of helping Buffy. It takes a funny yet sweat conversation with the returned Xander to convince her that she can cope and that they will face the evil together. Some of the shows humour doesn't quite work but Xanders, like always, does. It is a real shame we don't get to see any of his little adventure he described because it would of been very funny!
The growing dysfunctionality of the group though the season comes from the independence which college brings. This is what Giles was actually encouraging in his first conversation with Buffy. I am glad he changed his attitude for a reluctant to help Giles would have got even less screen time that he ended up with. The group grow apart without him forcing Buffy to do everything by herself although she has become quite independent from him no longer training with him (I'd personally like to see her go back to this - the scene where she kicks his ass are very funny!).
The scene where Buffy answers the phone and there was no one there seemed weird and pointless when first viewed. On watching the Angel opener "City Of...." all becomes clear. It is Angel ringing to see how Buffy is but he can't speak because it is too painful. This was a nice way to tie the two shows into the same universe and it also indicated that the time frame of the two shows was the same meaning crossovers proper could occur.
This episode is really just a set up for the new environment. The ending is very good with mysterious army men taking out a vamp. It was a good way to end the show - it is just a pity that it took so long for the mystery that this produced to be pay off with the episode "The Initiative" being the seventh to air.
Great Buffy Moment: The first sight of The Initiative at the end.
In a nut shell: A solid start to the season with a great villain in Sunday who deserved to last longer.