I gave Joyce a pass for her behavior post-Buffy's return, though of course it was her ultimatum in "Becoming" that made Buffy feel she couldn't go home. But "freaked-out Mom who hasn't heard from her teenage daughter in months" trumps just about every other excuse for overreaction.

This.

Joyce gets a pass- there is so much she didn't know, and she still wasn't sure what she knew.

Ack! I missed the Sunday rebroadcast and the "Witch" rewatch!

*Bangs head penitently*

Something I didn't notice anyone comment on, was that a cheerleader named Amber has a coach named Benson.

Oh, and about "gimme the Spielberg," yeah, it's from the "Harvest" commentary. Joss says something about how he told his director that and got exactly what he wanted.

Edited for tagginess.

I gave Joyce a pass for her behavior post-Buffy's return, though of course it was her ultimatum in "Becoming" that made Buffy feel she couldn't go home. But "freaked-out Mom who hasn't heard from her teenage daughter in months" trumps just about every other excuse for overreaction.

Oh, yes. I actually do give Joyce a pass. I can't blame her for not trusting Buffy once she's back. It's all new to her, too. In fact, I think Buffy was a bit of a crankybabyhead with Joyce.

I sort of understood their bitterness and resentment, though. She just poofed, and they didn't even know if she was alive. She was the center of their world, once she arrived -- she brought them all together, and they had a purpose they'd never had before she came. (Except for, you know, Joyce.) They were entitled to a little acting out, I think, but I'm glad they got it over with in one episode.

I don't know. When Buffy and Willow talk it out at the end, I want to slap Willow, even though we're at the making up part. Buffy was discovered by her mom, kicked out of her house, and had to kill her lover, and Willow's all, "I was going through some major stuff." Bitch, please.

First BtVS I ever saw. It confused the Hell out of me and I needed to watch another episode just to find out what was going on.

I'm trying to think of an episode that would be worse introduction to the show (great though I think the episode is), at least from the first few seasons. I mean, "Bad Eggs" was mine, which wasn't a good thing, but that was a case where it was a MotW ep., and a pretty bad one. I was intrigued by the Wild Bunch reference, though.

Hey, speaking of MotW eps. our first one of those is coming up (I don't think "The Witch" falls under that category due to lack of M)! I've actually got a few thoughts, even though it's not a particularly good episode, but I'll wait for the appropriate time.

I'm trying to think of an episode that would be worse introduction to the show

I tuned in to watch naked Angel return from Hell. "Bwuh?"

I tuned in to watch naked Angel return from Hell. "Bwuh?"

Plot confusion would be one thing (Innocence or Becoming Pt. II would be equally off-putting), but tone confusion is what I'm referring to. The Zeppo treats both a potential apocalypse and the whole Buffy/Angle relationship from a perspective that wasn't typical of the show (I don't count Doomed wrt "end of the world" scenarios because I think we were supposed to take it somewhat seriously; they just botched it).

Ah, I kind of ignore Dead Man's Party because everyone in it seemed to be drunk or insane.

yeah, but it has one of my favorite lines --

Giles: See my pretty mask? It raises the dead! snorts Americans!

I tuned in to watch naked Angel return from Hell. "Bwuh?"

If I hadn't already been watching religiously for two years, that alone would have sold me on the show.

Where's Narrator? She should be piping up about Angel's ring, any moment, now.