Homecoming
Homecoming
Season 3, Episode 5 (Episode 39 of entire series)
Thank you, David Greenwalt!! This ep. featured some season-one type rivalry between Cordy & Buffy; resurrected Lyle Gorch, showed us the Mayor, brought back Mr. Trick, made me like Faith, made me not like Scott, showed the obligatory five seconds of Angel, and gave Devon some actual speaking lines, more than he's used to getting. Whew! Put a twist on that Van Damme flick Hard Target, and you've got one unforgettable episode! Now, if only I could remember the names of all those characters... Oh, what? I forgot a highlight? Hmm...oh yeah! Xander and Willow made with the smoochies!!
Everyone's at the Bronze, talking about the homecoming dance. Well, almost everyone. Buffy's mopey 'cause Scott hasn't asked her yet, but thanks to Cordy's big yap, he gets the hint and asks Buffy to go with him. Later, Buffy drops by the Mansion to see Angel and bring him some blood. She also lets him know that she's trying to be more involved with school, and that she kind of has a boyfriend. She tells Angel that the gang doesn't know that's he back and that she has no intention of telling them that he is.
I couldn't really get a handle on what's up with the Mayor in the episode. I'll check it out again...Anyhoo, Mr. Trick's assembled some vamps, some weird spindly-headed demon, and a couple of wacked-out German assassin-types, plus a computer guru guy, to introduce SlayerFest '98! Basically he hopes to take out Faith and Buffy...it's a sport I guess.
Meanwhile, Scott throws Buffy over, and Buffy decides to get involved in school more. When she tries to get her favorite teacher to write her a glowing report, the teacher has no idea who Buffy is. And when Buffy finds out that she's missed photos -- Cordy was gonna tell her about it, but got derailed in her quest to solicit votes for her Homecoming Queen campaign -- she gets a little nuts. She yells at Cordy and decides to throw her tiara into the ring, too. So ClawFest '98 is spurred! Buffy's got no idea that the vampgang is tracking her every move, either, for this SlayerFest thing.
Anyway, Willow's all jazzed about this dance and she and Xander are trying out their outfits together. That sentence sounds funny but you know what I mean. Anyway, while Will's trying on some outfits, Xander tries to guess how far she and Oz have gotten. Well, when Xander spies Willow in her black evening dress, he gapes a lot. And when they practice dancing, they kind of get caught in the moment and smooch. This is just great. I mean, well..whatever I have to say I'll say it on the 511 page. Anyway, they're freaked out about it and feel guilty and they blame it on the dress and the tux.
Cordy's and Buffy's campaigning is in high-cat-gear. The gang becomes divided (well sort of, they're mostly helping Cordy..but Buffy manages an "I saved your life how many times?" guilt trip for Willow and gets a little help from her.)
Willow and Xander are chatting later and Xander's doing the heartfelt "It's like I'm seeing you for the first time," thing while Willow's all upset over the Buffy/Cordy problem. Then when Xander's talking about that, she's talking about their relationship...or..whatever.
Basically it turns out that the gang decides to let Buffy and Cordy have the limo they rented so they can work out their issues. What no one knows is that the limo's being driven by the Trick people...they end up in Millers Woods and learn that they're the quarry. Cordy saves Buffy from stepping into one of those steel trap things. Hey, just 'cause her mind's like a steel trap (see I Only Have Eyes For You, where she said that to Ben) doesn't mean she wants her leg inside one. So Cordy and Buffy kinda bond while they're holed up in a cabin with a rifle. Cordy's armed with a spatula. When Spindle-Thing comes after them, Cordy beats him with the spatula and tries to shoot him after Buffy's cut. But basically, when the grenades are thrown into the cabin, Buffy and Cordy make it...thing guy doesn't.
The chicks make it to school where they're met by Gorch & Wife. Buffy takes out Wifey and Cordelia lays it on thick to Gorch..he runs out of there. The girls realize that the corsages they got in the limo weren't from the gang, but are instead tracking devices...Buffy hatches a plan and the German dudes take each other out.
Back at the gym, it's time to do the coronation...the chicks look like hell..but since neither of them won, I guess it doesn't much matter. Well, Mr. Trick's dragged into the Mayor's office...we know now that the Mayor knows who and what Trick is, and that he wants to recruit him to keep the "bad element" down...namely..Buffy? Is this guy like The Father of the Demons or what? Who knows?
This episode ends with a lot of loose ends..what's gonna happen between the original Slayerettes? Does Giles have to like finger sandwiches? When will Angel get to talk for a minute? How come Larry wasn't in this dredge-up-the-characters outing? And..what's gonna happen between the original Slayerettes? And..Oz? And..Cordy? Yaaaag!
Okay, I'll have more on my views of this on the character pages..especially where Buffy's concerned...look for that some time before the millennium! kidding.
1. Jungle Bob/Daniel Boone guy got caught in his own trap.
2. Kulak of the Miquot Clan went face-to-face with the Germs' grenade thing.
3. Cindy Gorch bought the end of the spatula (from Buffy I think).
4. Cordy "talked tough" to Lyle Gorch and he...fled.
5. Buffy faked the nazi-type hunter guys out so they blasted each other.
1. Xander's having it for Willow. (about time!)
2. Faith's a stand-up Slayer -- the rash thing with Scott was great!
3. Giles has a sense of humor...and he's using it more often.
4. The Mayor is big into cleanliness...well, it is next to godliness.
5. If you never go to class, odds are good that the teacher won't know you.
1. Sunnydale High School
2. The Garden Mansion
3. Millers Woods
4. The Bronze
5. Willow's room
6. A cabin
7. Mr. Trick's place
8. The Mayor's office (City Hall)
1. Buffy
2. Willow
3. Xander
4. Giles
5. Cordelia
6. Angel
7. Oz
8. Faith
9. Scott Hope
10. The Mayor (aka Richard Wilkins)
11. Lyle Gorch
12. Candy Gorch (Gorch's wife)
13. Jonathan
14. Devon
15. Mr. Trick
16. Allan
17. Ms. Moran
18. Frederick & Hans Gruenshtahler
19. Holly Charleston
20. Michelle Blake
21. Kulak of the Miquot Clan (aka Spiny-headed thing)
22. Jungle Bob/Daniel Boone Guy
23. Wheelchair Guy
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