FULL REACTIONS ON PATREON (for $1 a month or more) and exclusive extras: www.patreon.com/dukeofswindon PO BOX DETAILS: Liam Duke PO Box 4203 Swindon SN2 9JZ
'So this is what it is. Talking about communication, talking about language. Not the same thing. It's about the way a child can recognize and produce phonemes that don't occur in its native language. It's about inspiration, not the idea but the moment before the idea when it's total, when it blossoms in your mind and connects to everything, before the coherent thought that gives it shape, that locks it in and cuts it off from the universal. When you can articulate it, it becomes smaller. It's about thoughts and experiences that we don't have a word for.'
I love the scene with the “Wicca” group. Willow’s sympathetic look to Tara when she’s too shy to speak up. It’s like she’s remembering what she was like. It shows just how far Willow has come in confidence since season one when her first response to people talking to her was to apologise for existing or assuming she’s in the way. Way back when this episode first came out the gentle men terrified me! When I annoyed my older sister she used to start humming or singing the rhyme because that was enough to give me a nightmare again 😂
"Can't even shout, Can't even cry, The Gentlemen are coming by, Looking in windows, Knocking on doors, They need to take seven, And they might take yours, Can't call to mom, Can't say a word, You're going to die screaming, But you won't be heard."
This episode came about for 2 reasons. 1) People were always praising Joss for his excellent dialogue, to the point where Joss was getting a little tired of it and wanted to prove he was capable of more than just snappy dialogue. 2) The Gentlemen were from a nightmare that Joss had and he was so into that nightmare that he wanted to include it in the show. Additionally, this episode made Joss reconsider his dislike of mime and mimes. He hired mimes to play The Gentlemen, including Doug Jones, and was so impressed with how their performances turned out that he pretty much said "ok, mimes are cool". I do love how in this episode they made a clear distinction between language and communication, and showed how language can sometimes get in the way of communication. It was thought provoking and quite moving.
This episode is one of the biggest reasons Buffy is being studied at Universities like, Yale, Harvard, NYU... innovated and incredibly creative. There has never been an episode like this on TV before or since!
I liked the Gentlemen float silently so you don't even hear them coming. Their minions were pretty quiet for flopping around too. IIRC, the Gentlemen were played by professional mimes. Also, that fakeout with Tara knocking on the door that you think Willow is going to answer always gets me! :O
Schornforce The Gentlemen were played by Doug Jones, Camden Toy, Don Lewis, and Charlie Brumbly. Jones has played tons of tall monsters and tall aliens in many programs (e.g., Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, STDiscovery).
Back in the days I was an admin for a big German Buffy fansite and after the finale aired we had a huge poll of most favorite and least favorite episodes, ships, kisses, villains, fight scenes, etc. Everyone could give three votes in every category, and Hush won Favorite Episode by a huge margin with something like 48%, and no one named it as a least favorite. The Gentlemen also won Scariest Villain and Favorite Monster Of The Week. It’s probably my second favorite episode. Cute detail that seldom gets mentioned: The last spoken line of the first act before everyone loses their voice is „That’s enough small talk, don’t you think?”
All the actors agreed that this was the most difficult episode to shoot, as Joss was OCD about every detail. (You have to think the timing was difficult with almost no verbal cues). You may feel the "destroy the box" solution is simple, but really that is the key to this episode's greatness. It gives it that fairy tale quality that other episodes don't have. Every other episode is "kill the power source" and you win. This one is "free your power (voice) from their control and use it". It's interesting that this is one of many ideas Whedon took on first but was later embraced by Hollywood (A Quiet Place). You may not guess the others still to come ... Yeah. This is in my top 10.
I always thought how it all originated in the G.I. Joe comic books, issue #21 Silent Interlude when they introduced Storm Shadow for the first time, very unique issue. And it was great that Joss was the first to do it on screen.. I’ve seen it now in Mr. Robot too
RubyD That shit pisses me off so much. Why must people do that shit? Just let him watch it with no preconceptions. It shouldn’t be that hard. I’m sure several other episodes have been overhyped for him as well..
@@mavoc3094 I love the episode where Sunnydale is flooded and everyone is attacked by demonic shark monsters! And the one where they eat kittens! And the one where aliens invade earth! And the one where everyone goes crazy!
I so wish people would think more before posting. They are coming here to watch you react to the show for the first time and don’t get that they shouldn’t 1. Say someone that showed up for the first time that they have been waiting for this or this is their favorite character. A new person should find out a character is important by watching subsequent episodes. 2. Say they can’t wait for you to get to episode x. Let you experience it for yourself. Like this one. Hyping an episode is spoiling. 3. Say they like or dislike a character before you have experienced the things that made them feel that way. 4. Point out something that is foreshadowing. 5. Use words that have to do with future episodes in a way that you know it is meaningful. Like saying, “you’ve just got to have faith.” As more and more people do it, you start to realize it means something, then when she shows up in her first episode it is like number 1. I think a lot of people think these things don’t spoil it because they aren’t actually telling you anything. But it does. It spoils the surprise of seeing everything with new eyes. A blank slate except your imagination. Some people might even like being spoiled themselves.
Kiriel Branson Completely agree. Thank you for posting this. I always feel like like people don’t understand what the big deal is & I always feel like a parent or something, chastising everyone, but it’s a shitty thing to do to a reactor. Their job is to try & give an unspoiled review, so when you ruin that part for then, it’s really disrespectful. I understand a lot of times people do it out of excitement for the series & characters. I just ask everyone to use a little sense before posting or, barring that, at least delete things if someone tells you it’s a spoiler.
It makes me so mad seeing those comments. People try to call them out on it and a lot of times they're like "Oh, it's not a spoiler" like yes, it really is. People mentioning Hush puns were not at all being clever and it was very obvious.
Garnet Another thing I don’t think people understand is that, sure, it’s one little comment, but a bunch of people are making ‘one little comment.’ It’s not hard for a reactor to see all those comments & put together what’s going on. At least generally. ASR talked about that really pissing her off. Everyone thinks they’re being clever, but they’re not. It’s easy to figure out when a ton of people are doing it.
I literally just got done watching your reaction to "Something Blue" and then I click to see that you uploaded this episode. My excitement level is beyond high.
That actually adds yet another layer to the episode. Was this also a kind of commentary on the Y2K scare with people fearing a total breakdown in communication?
I'm so glad you mentioned the music; Christophe Beck's score was gorgeous. And my favorite scene, the scene where Giles had the overhead projector and transparencies, they used Saint-Saens's "Danse macabre" - perfect! (That scene was hilarious anyhow: Anya bringing popcorn, Buffy's miming the staking of a monster, Giles and Willow being Giles and Willow ... lovely!) And the Gentlemen are amazing. So eerie. The juxtaposition of their graceful movements, their gentle golf claps and their brutality is just horrifying. I think the word "rictus" was created just to describe their faces. (Okay, not really, but it's a perfect descriptor - truly, is it a grin or a grimace of agony?)
Also this episode would never work in today's world - it's such a throwback with the overheard projector and landlines and CD. These days everyone would just grab their phones ;)
Kate Lattey The projector and CD could be easily updated, but definitely texting would make communication much easier. You’d still have the issue of not being able to scream while the Gentlemen cut out hearts, though, so I think the episode could work today too.
Watching this episode made me sort of nostalgic 'cause I remember those overhead projector days and took them all for granted. I definitely enjoyed Giles' cute little drawings 😁 I noticed that when Giles showed the slide with 'Buffy' holding a bow and arrow and Buffy's reaction was "Hey I'm not fat!" lol the gesture says it all 😂
YAAAAY love this episode! Your concern at the start that it wouldn't live up to the hype made me laugh... I was sat here saying "it's okay, you'll love it, don't worry..." :D So hilarious, yet the Gentlemen are probably the scariest Buffy villains of all. Pretty sure this episode is on EVERYONE'S top 10 list, if not their top 5. Glad you enjoyed!
Not only is this episode fantastically written and acted but I think the comedy is some of the best its ever been for this show. A lot of jokes here, I still think about on a regular basis and laugh at. A lot of really gif-able moments too, as you can imagine haha
Part of what makes these monsters so great is the guy who acts the main gentleman is the same guy that acts a lot of TV and movie monsters. Pretty sure he was both monsters in Pan's Labyrinth, he was Abe Sapien in Hellboy (not the new one), and he was that creature in The Shape of Water. His name is Doug Jones.
Fun insight, thanks... So literally losing their voices was a metaphor for figuratively losing their voices? Finding your voice and who you are in a post high school world is a theme of the season...Haven't noticed that trick before... Willow now has superpowers, stopping monsters by moving vending machines with her mind powers. Big character development from 1x1.
This was the only episode of "Buffy" to be nominated for an Emmy, which says a lot as there are so many award-worthy episodes in the series. The "Gentlemen" are creepy as hell but I had to laugh when they clapped for their cohort for all the hearts he collected. So interesting that with their voices back, Buffy and Riley still had difficulty communicating. Poor Spike taking a beating for what he didn't do. Glad you liked the episode!
I think that because the lack of speech in this episode forces us to really concentrate on the characters’ faces, the rictus grins of the Gentlemen have much greater impact and take already creepy villains to the next level!! Brilliant stuff!! And a great reaction Liam, thank you.
@@amandabagwellpruitt2541 No, we have Shredded Wheat too - and that is much nicer than Wheetabix. Wheetabix is much more dry, it's like flakes compressed into a solid lump - about the same size as Shredded Wheat.
Everyone outside of the UK. The Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish eat Wheetabix too! (Not me though, I hate it.) I love this shared Britishness between Spike & Giles. :)
the tall gentleman was played by Doug Jones, who you might know from the Arrowverse as the meta who randomly had laser vision. The actor is a real sweetie. I met him at a convention in Boston and he's VERY tall and thin. The other Gentlemen were played by mimes, and Joss says on the commentary that he had so much respect for their ability to preform just with movement that "My mockery of mimes decreased by about 30%"
You ever wonder what inspired the Silence on Doctor Who? Here's your answer. Moffett was a Whedon fan. Also I'm convinced Matt Smith's doctor is based on the guy from Firefly. PS that's Doug jones in the lead Gentleman outfit. He did Abraham in Hellboy and the satyr in Pan's Labyrinth as well as lots of others. And you should check out The Normies reaction to this episode. They only reacted to 2 episodes and this is the one they watched first. This is Buffy's episode that is like the Blink of Doctor Who
Joss wrote this episode to prove what a great group of actors they had. At the time most of the credits were credited to the writing. So he wrote the episode without hardly any dialogue.
When you started doing your comments in silence, I gotta admit, I cackled out loud! 😂😂 As alot of people have commented, this is one of my Top 10 Episodes, everything is pure gold! And the over arching theme is all about communication, and how sometimes words can stop you from actually communicating the way you actually want or need to. Xander not being able to say how he feels about Anya, but shows it without words while he beats Spike to a pummel. Buffy and Riley suffering from verbal diarrhoea whenever it looks like they are going to get with the smoochies. Willow finding a bunch of "Wicca-Wannabes" who are just concerned with Bake Sales than actual magic, but finds a friend and ally in Tara and they don't even have to say a word to each other. Magic stuff!
Edit: My bad, the main Gentleman is played by Doug Jones, with Camden Toy playing the second in charge guy (for want of a better description) - Both Doug and Camden are exceptionally good physical actors. (One of) The main Gentleman character is played by the brilliant Camden Toy (I suggest Liam NOT look him up, just yet, due to spoilers). He's a character actor mostt noted for playing roles requiring use of prosthetic makeup. He has a background in various martial arts, commedia dell'arte, vaudeville, mime & physical aspects of clowning. He's also worked as a screenwriter and editor.
Ah yes, the episode that was written almost entirely out of spite because idiots said that Joss could only write snark and quips. So what does he do. Write one of the best episodes in an already amazing series and was either nominated and/or won and emmy for it for best writing and it's 90% no dialogue. Fucking Joss Whedon man. And yes, it's been reported that this episode was pretty difficult to film. Because it's mostly no dialogue, every motion, action, and block was ludicrously choreographed to the millisecond.
I saw this episode when it first aired and the ads hyped the amount of time where no human voice would be heard, big event. Also, one of the gentlemen was played by Doug Jones, the guy who played the amphibian man in The Shape of Water, Abe Sapien from Hellboy, and Billy Butcherson from Hocus Pocus. Love that guy so much! EDIT: he was also Mac Tonight, which is... weird.
Very much the 'Blink' of Buffy. FYI the lead Gentleman is Doug Jones of Abe Sapien / Shape of Water / Commader Saru fame. What I love about Tara is that you can see that Willow has come so far since S1e1 compared to Tara who is almost who WIllow was when we first met her.
No spoilers. NO HINTS. The fewer hints we give the reactors, the more fun the show will be for everyone. We want the reactors to be surprised by EVERYTHING. Right? RIGHT?!
Hush is so great!! It's my second favourite episode of the entire show. My favourite is yet to come. Won't say which, though. The gentlemen's appearance actually came from a nightmare Joss had. How terrifying is that? I love everything about this episode!! It's one of the most genuinely terrifying episodes of TV ever. Imagine watching this as a 13yo 😳😂 chills!!
How hard is it to just not hype specific episodes at all? Sometimes it works out fine-I’m glad this one lived up to the hype for Liam-but I wish people wouldn’t. There’s an episode in S6 that people love to talk about (that’s the only detail I’ll give here, but probably ppl can guess correctly which one I mean). After Show Reactions somehow did not know anything about what the episode was about before watching it, and it was, in my opinion, the best reaction to that episode I’ve ever seen by far. Most reactors knew the title or otherwise knew about the episode beforehand, and that makes for a very different reaction.
So glad you liked this one!! Yes, the Gentlemen are about the creepiest things I've ever seen. The actors (professional mimes, if I remember correctly) really knocked it out of the park. Absolutely brilliant.
Dude, been waiting for this episode reaction for SOOOO LONG!!! Was just about to log off my computer at work and go home till i saw the notification, thought "screw the extra 30 minutes at work, gotta watch this episode" Didn't disappoint 👍👍👍
Anthony Head was in the pilot for Jonathan Creek which i loved however he got the role in Buffy so his part was recast. Dance macabre used during the projector scene was the shows theme tune.
Great reaction to my favourite Buffy episode! Yes, the Gentlemen are top 3 scary monsters in the show for me, and now I have the Gentlemen pop keeping an eye on me whilst I sleep XD
I was having a really shit day and then this notification popped up! Thank you for making my day better. I love this episode so much! This episode is soooo great, one of my favorites in the whole series. side note: I'm mad people keep hyping things up and spoiling stuff for you! You need more moderators! Anyway...great ep! Loved your reaction, especially to the creepy Gentleman. Thanks for all you do.
Having the voice and power to speak, scream and shout is empowerment. So many women all over the world are oppressed to the point where they can't freely do that because that power has been taken away from them. So I wouldn't say that it is ironic.
Repeating some of my patreon comments for UA-cam, but this is definitely my absolute equal favourite Buffy episode ever (alongside another that I can't mention, because it's in a future season). And that Wicca group scene as well, OMG I relate to that so much. I've been in very similar situations with some groups, where the type of Wicca I practice is a lot more traditionally based than what the groups were about, and it's not like the people in the groups weren't super nice, or anything, but it's so frustrating having to sit there and listen to a bunch of talk about stuff where you're just politely gritting your teeth and thinking, "Okay, this is all very nice and all, but can we get to the bit where we start talking about Wicca, please'. I remember getting a real laugh out Willow's whole, 'Blah blah Gaia, Blah blah moon, menstrual lifeforce power thingy' speech when the episode first aired.
And we arrived at the most famous episode of the series, a well-deserved fame :) Congratulations indeed to both Joss and his team and to the cast actors for the performance they gave us. The Gentlemen are surely the scariest and most disturbing enemies that appeared up to now, and I still wonder who came up with the idea of making them with this aspect. Fantastic the sequence where the Gang studies a plan to save the city, with Buffy protagonist of two moments to remember for a long time (how not to understand her disappointment in front of the way in which Giles has drawn her. Come on, Buffy is much, much more beautiful, Rupert!), And what about Anya eating popcorn while talking about gutted people? The moment when Xander thinks Spike bit Anya and finally shows him his feelings for her is also mythical; poor Spike though XD Willow seems to have found a new friend, a witch like her; Tara then gives the idea of being a lovable and sweet person and her closeness could really do well to our Will. And in the end it happened, Buffy and Riley have unmasked each other, in a scene worthy of a Cinecomix, managing to win the battle thanks to an excellent ..... well….. a discreet collaboration. How not to adore Buffy for how, even having received a stab in the back, she was able to annihilate the Gentelmen (which sucks though). Now Buffey's relationship will no longer be the same, but perhaps the difficult will come if the Initiative becomes the Big Bad this season!
For a long time, this was my favorite Buffy episode. It's the one I used to persuade friends to watch this series. Can't say how, when, or why it's no longer my #1, but I'm looking forward to it. :D
As a super fan of Buffy, I can only imagine how hard it was to choose which moments to show for some of these episodes. There are so many episodes where ALL of it is so good. I can't imagine having to pick and choose which ones to share.
I repeat what I said in the previous reaction, you are spoiling us. Thank you. This episode freaked me out when I first saw it and they still creep me out lol I love Spike with Giles and Xander, the projector scene, Tara’s chase scene. This episode just so good and I agree, the music for the show is just the best. I’m sorry people hyped up this, and previous episodes, for you. I try my best not to, no matter how much I love the upcoming episode. I just hope nothing is ruined for you in the future
This is the best episode of anything ever! Camden Toy and Doug Jones (the lead Gentlemen) scared them so much at auditions that they don’t have the fake smiles like the other Gentlemen. This episode gives me nightmares to this day. It helps knowing they’re big sweeties in real life. Cam is on my pic.. he’s even wearing my glasses. 😂
This one has always creeped me out. This was voted no 2 of favourite episodes of buffy when it was 20th anniversary in the uk. Also in top 10 scariest moments on tv
I love that you enjoyed that episode as much as I do. That and the previous are two of my favorites. To be fair though, I have a lot of favorites in this show. I love re-watching them because there so full of clever and funny moments. I'm glad you enjoyed both the episodes so much.
I started watching Buffy when I was 9 (still a fan of the show 15 years later) and you can imagine how terrified I was of this episode! I used to wake up in the middle of the night and make sure I could still talk 😂
Sorry if someone else told you this already: the Gentlemen came from a nightmare Joss Whedon had. He was the boy who was killed in his bed in the episode, seeing those things floating towards him and unable to scream. I can't write more because my son needs the computer for a school project (school keeps bothering even when you finish it!). Great reaction, Liam!!! Looooove it!!!!
Trying to do this without spoilers, so bear with me. Hush is universally considered a Top-10 Buffy episode, and Top-3 by most. It definitely lives up to, and deserves the hype. There are a couple more Top-10ers this season, one of which is a bit confusing on first watch, but gets better when you come back to it.
LOL!!!! Once again, you've made me burst out laughing like crazy up in here when you muted yourself for the review. You're so witty and clever dude. I honestly thought I accidentally muted you until I finally realized that it was on purpose. Uh, FACEPALM. Gosh darn it Liam. Now you got me trying to learn how to read lips so I can figure out what you said there in that bit. What was it that you said? It's gonna bug the heck out of me if I don't find out lol. The Gentlemen were creepy as hell but no that I'm older, they don't creep me out at all. Still remember this episode though. I also remember Joss telling the story of how it was all a mess when they started filming it. Everyone was in position and then when Joss yelled, "Action!" Everyone went at the same time, over each others cues including the extras in the background. What he didn't think through was the timing of when everyone was gonna do their part without stepping into someone else's part. Funny ain't it? :) - Yvette
Still bright and sunny over there? Lucky you. Its almost 11pm here and a storm just finished passing through. Ugh. Luckily The Gentlemen don't creep me out too much to keep me from sleeping. Like the only 'monster' that does that is Bloody Mary from Supernatural. Or maybe any episode of Penny Dreadful I've seen. ANYWAY, Glad to see you passing another Buffy milestone. This episode is epic (even if you cut the nummy treat scene short LOL). The next one should make you laugh too, and I'm looking forward to that reaction. o^^o Xander and Spike as roomies is hilarious.
@@Itcouldbebunnies , Its probably been 20 years since I watched the original IT...not gonna watch the remake. Never seen the Ring...and not gonna. :shudder: I typically don't do straight up horror stuff. Just so much nope.
I might be wrong, but I think the guy who plays the main "gentleman" was actually a mime. That's why he got the part. Whatever, he was very effective. Gives me the wiggins.
So glad people didn't overhype this episode for you. Thus far, we've all seen Liam break, laugh, and get all creeped out. He's doomed by the time this series ends, right? If someone reading this is an exceptional artist, please draw a portrait of Der Kindestod and The Gentlemen so that Liam can hang it on his wall behind him please :D
One of my fav episodes. If you haven’t already you should read the Wikipedia article about the episode. It explains all the metaphors and what The Gentlemen represent and what they represent with respect to their grunt workers. It’s all very interesting.
13:33 😲 No!!! Don't do this to me!! what were you saying?! lol yeah you know what this is one of the few Buffy episodes where the creatures are SO hauntingly creepy that I just had to cover that part of the video so that I wouldn't have to see it!! 😱 But I still wanted to see your reaction to everything in this ep so good thing I knew exactly when those creepy monsters appeared on the screen and I didn't have to see them. Still scares me to this day. 😫 I love that you were theorizing that Tara could be the grown up version of the kid in the beginning. Maybe, who knows 😉 And yes, you're right about the music. It's like watching a children's fairy tales... which happens to be originally horror factor than sweet and whimsical... My favorite parts were: Giles' overhead projector presentation for "The Gentlemen", Xander beating up Spike at Giles' place thinking that Anya got bitten 😂, Spike taunting Xander in his house, Willow and Tara using magic to move the shelf, which was a really cool scene (I was kind of bummed out for a bit that you looked down for a bit and missed how that whole thing happened), and the part where the Gentlemen's heads exploded when Buffy screamed (which was a long scream--I've tired that and boy did it feel exhausting!). Well, I'm glad you enjoyed this episode and that it lived up to your expectations. Not knowing what this episode was all about (no hype, nothing) when it first came out, it was easily a crowd favorite 'cause it's so creative in its concept.
FULL REACTIONS ON PATREON (for $1 a month or more) and exclusive extras: www.patreon.com/dukeofswindon
PO BOX DETAILS:
Liam Duke
PO Box 4203
Swindon
SN2 9JZ
everyone: buffy relies too heavily on whedon dialogue
whedon: here's one with no dialogue
everyone:
And it ended up being the only episode he got a writing nomination for!
Reaction: Bring back the dialogue please. bring back the dialogue please. bringbackthedialogueplease.BRINGBACKTHEDIALOGUEPLEASE!!!!
I heard that Joss' reason for making it was a critic who said that basically, the only thing that made it a good show was the great dialogue.
@@frakkintoasterluvva7920 The irony
"I love how they are communicating better when they can't speak" - you basically summarized the entire Joss Whedon commentary to the episode, btw
'So this is what it is.
Talking about communication,
talking about language.
Not the same thing. It's
about the way a child can
recognize and produce
phonemes that don't occur
in its native language.
It's about inspiration,
not the idea but the moment
before the idea when it's
total, when it blossoms in
your mind and connects to
everything, before the
coherent thought that
gives it shape, that locks
it in and cuts it off from
the universal. When you can
articulate it, it becomes
smaller. It's about thoughts
and experiences that we don't
have a word for.'
I love the scene with the “Wicca” group. Willow’s sympathetic look to Tara when she’s too shy to speak up. It’s like she’s remembering what she was like. It shows just how far Willow has come in confidence since season one when her first response to people talking to her was to apologise for existing or assuming she’s in the way.
Way back when this episode first came out the gentle men terrified me! When I annoyed my older sister she used to start humming or singing the rhyme because that was enough to give me a nightmare again 😂
"Can't even shout,
Can't even cry,
The Gentlemen are coming by,
Looking in windows,
Knocking on doors,
They need to take seven,
And they might take yours,
Can't call to mom,
Can't say a word,
You're going to die screaming,
But you won't be heard."
I'm getting that rhyme tattooed on a piece of parchment on my arm. Love it!
It's one of my favorite rhymes. Scarier than the Nightmare on Elm Street one.
Niles Knives It’s very haunting, yet cool.
This episode came about for 2 reasons. 1) People were always praising Joss for his excellent dialogue, to the point where Joss was getting a little tired of it and wanted to prove he was capable of more than just snappy dialogue. 2) The Gentlemen were from a nightmare that Joss had and he was so into that nightmare that he wanted to include it in the show. Additionally, this episode made Joss reconsider his dislike of mime and mimes. He hired mimes to play The Gentlemen, including Doug Jones, and was so impressed with how their performances turned out that he pretty much said "ok, mimes are cool". I do love how in this episode they made a clear distinction between language and communication, and showed how language can sometimes get in the way of communication. It was thought provoking and quite moving.
Thank you for pointing out Doug Jones. :) He is amazingly talented.
This episode is one of the biggest reasons Buffy is being studied at Universities like, Yale, Harvard, NYU... innovated and incredibly creative. There has never been an episode like this on TV before or since!
I liked the Gentlemen float silently so you don't even hear them coming. Their minions were pretty quiet for flopping around too. IIRC, the Gentlemen were played by professional mimes.
Also, that fakeout with Tara knocking on the door that you think Willow is going to answer always gets me! :O
Schornforce The Gentlemen were played by Doug Jones, Camden Toy, Don Lewis, and Charlie Brumbly.
Jones has played tons of tall monsters and tall aliens in many programs (e.g., Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, STDiscovery).
@@theadamabrams
... The Silver Surfer.
@@UTU49
The lead in The Shape of Water...
Really, this episode is all about communication, but I don't want to talk about it.
An episode about communication in which no body has anything interesting to communicate about.
Back in the days I was an admin for a big German Buffy fansite and after the finale aired we had a huge poll of most favorite and least favorite episodes, ships, kisses, villains, fight scenes, etc. Everyone could give three votes in every category, and Hush won Favorite Episode by a huge margin with something like 48%, and no one named it as a least favorite. The Gentlemen also won Scariest Villain and Favorite Monster Of The Week. It’s probably my second favorite episode.
Cute detail that seldom gets mentioned: The last spoken line of the first act before everyone loses their voice is „That’s enough small talk, don’t you think?”
All the actors agreed that this was the most difficult episode to shoot, as Joss was OCD about every detail. (You have to think the timing was difficult with almost no verbal cues).
You may feel the "destroy the box" solution is simple, but really that is the key to this episode's greatness. It gives it that fairy tale quality that other episodes don't have. Every other episode is "kill the power source" and you win. This one is "free your power (voice) from their control and use it".
It's interesting that this is one of many ideas Whedon took on first but was later embraced by Hollywood (A Quiet Place). You may not guess the others still to come ...
Yeah. This is in my top 10.
I always thought how it all originated in the G.I. Joe comic books, issue #21 Silent Interlude when they introduced Storm Shadow for the first time, very unique issue. And it was great that Joss was the first to do it on screen.. I’ve seen it now in Mr. Robot too
I hope no one spoils you for more things and overhypes others. I'm glad you enjoyed the episode!
RubyD That shit pisses me off so much. Why must people do that shit? Just let him watch it with no preconceptions. It shouldn’t be that hard. I’m sure several other episodes have been overhyped for him as well..
@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 Best way to counteract it is to band together and hype up random episodes and make fake spoilers.
@@mavoc3094 I love the episode where Sunnydale is flooded and everyone is attacked by demonic shark monsters! And the one where they eat kittens! And the one where aliens invade earth! And the one where everyone goes crazy!
This episode is one of my all time favourites. Complete excellence in every aspect.
I so wish people would think more before posting. They are coming here to watch you react to the show for the first time and don’t get that they shouldn’t
1. Say someone that showed up for the first time that they have been waiting for this or this is their favorite character. A new person should find out a character is important by watching subsequent episodes.
2. Say they can’t wait for you to get to episode x. Let you experience it for yourself. Like this one. Hyping an episode is spoiling.
3. Say they like or dislike a character before you have experienced the things that made them feel that way.
4. Point out something that is foreshadowing.
5. Use words that have to do with future episodes in a way that you know it is meaningful. Like saying, “you’ve just got to have faith.” As more and more people do it, you start to realize it means something, then when she shows up in her first episode it is like number 1.
I think a lot of people think these things don’t spoil it because they aren’t actually telling you anything. But it does. It spoils the surprise of seeing everything with new eyes. A blank slate except your imagination. Some people might even like being spoiled themselves.
Kiriel Branson Completely agree. Thank you for posting this. I always feel like like people don’t understand what the big deal is & I always feel like a parent or something, chastising everyone, but it’s a shitty thing to do to a reactor. Their job is to try & give an unspoiled review, so when you ruin that part for then, it’s really disrespectful. I understand a lot of times people do it out of excitement for the series & characters. I just ask everyone to use a little sense before posting or, barring that, at least delete things if someone tells you it’s a spoiler.
Agree 100%!!! I wish fans would think before they type something!
It makes me so mad seeing those comments. People try to call them out on it and a lot of times they're like "Oh, it's not a spoiler" like yes, it really is. People mentioning Hush puns were not at all being clever and it was very obvious.
Garnet Another thing I don’t think people understand is that, sure, it’s one little comment, but a bunch of people are making ‘one little comment.’
It’s not hard for a reactor to see all those comments & put together what’s going on. At least generally. ASR talked about that really pissing her off. Everyone thinks they’re being clever, but they’re not. It’s easy to figure out when a ton of people are doing it.
I suggested in a comments several times to appoint moderators. They can mark comments for Liam - and he would be able to skip them
I still think that the Gentlemen are somehow related to the Grrrrrrrr UUUUUUUUUUrg monster at the end of every episode.
Oz: Nobody deserves mime.
I literally just got done watching your reaction to "Something Blue" and then I click to see that you uploaded this episode. My excitement level is beyond high.
I found out recently: This was the last Buffy episode to have aired in the 1990s. (December 14, 1999)
That actually adds yet another layer to the episode. Was this also a kind of commentary on the Y2K scare with people fearing a total breakdown in communication?
Wow, that just made me feel a little bit sad and a little bit old. It's such a great episode though that I'm going to consider it timeless.
Finkeren. Remember the time when we were worried for *one* day.
I'm so glad you mentioned the music; Christophe Beck's score was gorgeous. And my favorite scene, the scene where Giles had the overhead projector and transparencies, they used Saint-Saens's "Danse macabre" - perfect!
(That scene was hilarious anyhow: Anya bringing popcorn, Buffy's miming the staking of a monster, Giles and Willow being Giles and Willow ... lovely!)
And the Gentlemen are amazing. So eerie. The juxtaposition of their graceful movements, their gentle golf claps and their brutality is just horrifying. I think the word "rictus" was created just to describe their faces. (Okay, not really, but it's a perfect descriptor - truly, is it a grin or a grimace of agony?)
Giles' slideshow might be one of the most perfect scenes in the entire series. Every single frame is delightful.
Also this episode would never work in today's world - it's such a throwback with the overheard projector and landlines and CD. These days everyone would just grab their phones ;)
Kate Lattey The projector and CD could be easily updated, but definitely texting would make communication much easier. You’d still have the issue of not being able to scream while the Gentlemen cut out hearts, though, so I think the episode could work today too.
Watching this episode made me sort of nostalgic 'cause I remember those overhead projector days and took them all for granted. I definitely enjoyed Giles' cute little drawings 😁 I noticed that when Giles showed the slide with 'Buffy' holding a bow and arrow and Buffy's reaction was "Hey I'm not fat!" lol the gesture says it all 😂
With mobile phones i can't help but wonder if anyone would even notice if we all lost our voices 😂
Yah you'd just text them lol
"I love that she has a witch friend"
YAAAAY love this episode! Your concern at the start that it wouldn't live up to the hype made me laugh... I was sat here saying "it's okay, you'll love it, don't worry..." :D So hilarious, yet the Gentlemen are probably the scariest Buffy villains of all. Pretty sure this episode is on EVERYONE'S top 10 list, if not their top 5. Glad you enjoyed!
This episode is genius...Whedon deserved the recognition for it (even though he should have got more appreciation for other episodes)
"Oh the episode is called Hush" 🙄🙄🙄🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 bless you
I am so happy to get so many Buffy reactions this week! WOW. Thanks so much! I hope you are making sure to get lots of rest. Please take care. :)
Not only is this episode fantastically written and acted but I think the comedy is some of the best its ever been for this show. A lot of jokes here, I still think about on a regular basis and laugh at. A lot of really gif-able moments too, as you can imagine haha
One of the all time great episodes in all of Television.
I LOVE your Buffy Reactions!
I always get chills when willow and tara connect and move that machine
Part of what makes these monsters so great is the guy who acts the main gentleman is the same guy that acts a lot of TV and movie monsters. Pretty sure he was both monsters in Pan's Labyrinth, he was Abe Sapien in Hellboy (not the new one), and he was that creature in The Shape of Water. His name is Doug Jones.
Fun insight, thanks... So literally losing their voices was a metaphor for figuratively losing their voices? Finding your voice and who you are in a post high school world is a theme of the season...Haven't noticed that trick before... Willow now has superpowers, stopping monsters by moving vending machines with her mind powers. Big character development from 1x1.
This was the only episode of "Buffy" to be nominated for an Emmy, which says a lot as there are so many award-worthy episodes in the series. The "Gentlemen" are creepy as hell but I had to laugh when they clapped for their cohort for all the hearts he collected. So interesting that with their voices back, Buffy and Riley still had difficulty communicating. Poor Spike taking a beating for what he didn't do. Glad you liked the episode!
That golf clap is hilarious, I always clap along when watching
I always thought “The Body” was nominated as well. I guess I’m wrong.
@@everythingshiny And the guy waving it off "Oh I don't deserve your praise!"
"oh & he cant scream" because the ability to scream would make having your heart cut out so much better lol
I think that because the lack of speech in this episode forces us to really concentrate on the characters’ faces, the rictus grins of the Gentlemen have much greater impact and take already creepy villains to the next level!! Brilliant stuff!! And a great reaction Liam, thank you.
I always forget how close this episode was to "Hero" , a welcome reprieve, if you wish to call it that.
"10$! Robbing bastard!!" I love it!
I can't believe how quickly you are getting through this season 😊 Glad you loved it 👏 and that you've been enjoying so many episodes this season 🤗
everyone outside of England: "WTF is Wheetabix?"
It's a cereal... I think it's kinda like our Shredded Wheat cereal in the US....
@@amandabagwellpruitt2541 No, we have Shredded Wheat too - and that is much nicer than Wheetabix. Wheetabix is much more dry, it's like flakes compressed into a solid lump - about the same size as Shredded Wheat.
We actually have Wheetabix in the US. It just hasn't caught on.
@@plottwisted172 Not surprised, it's nasty ;-)
Everyone outside of the UK. The Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish eat Wheetabix too!
(Not me though, I hate it.)
I love this shared Britishness between Spike & Giles. :)
Definitely one of the most iconic episodes of television ever !
One of my most favourite episodes, I can watch it time and time again. Truly creepy bad guy and some really great acting.
Oh my GOD!!! I am so fucking happy that you’re done with university! It’s like Christmas in June all damn week!
the tall gentleman was played by Doug Jones, who you might know from the Arrowverse as the meta who randomly had laser vision. The actor is a real sweetie. I met him at a convention in Boston and he's VERY tall and thin. The other Gentlemen were played by mimes, and Joss says on the commentary that he had so much respect for their ability to preform just with movement that "My mockery of mimes decreased by about 30%"
dude! this is easily in my top 5 of the series. hands down!
Terrifying yet fantastic episode! I’m glad it lived up to the hype for you, though I wish people wouldn’t give any hints about future episodes.
“I really don’t like them” he says with a smile.
One of my favorite episodes. EVER!
You ever wonder what inspired the Silence on Doctor Who? Here's your answer. Moffett was a Whedon fan. Also I'm convinced Matt Smith's doctor is based on the guy from Firefly.
PS that's Doug jones in the lead Gentleman outfit. He did Abraham in Hellboy and the satyr in Pan's Labyrinth as well as lots of others.
And you should check out The Normies reaction to this episode. They only reacted to 2 episodes and this is the one they watched first. This is Buffy's episode that is like the Blink of Doctor Who
Joss wrote this episode to prove what a great group of actors they had. At the time most of the credits were credited to the writing. So he wrote the episode without hardly any dialogue.
When you started doing your comments in silence, I gotta admit, I cackled out loud! 😂😂 As alot of people have commented, this is one of my Top 10 Episodes, everything is pure gold! And the over arching theme is all about communication, and how sometimes words can stop you from actually communicating the way you actually want or need to. Xander not being able to say how he feels about Anya, but shows it without words while he beats Spike to a pummel. Buffy and Riley suffering from verbal diarrhoea whenever it looks like they are going to get with the smoochies. Willow finding a bunch of "Wicca-Wannabes" who are just concerned with Bake Sales than actual magic, but finds a friend and ally in Tara and they don't even have to say a word to each other. Magic stuff!
Edit: My bad, the main Gentleman is played by Doug Jones, with Camden Toy playing the second in charge guy (for want of a better description) - Both Doug and Camden are exceptionally good physical actors. (One of) The main Gentleman character is played by the brilliant Camden Toy (I suggest Liam NOT look him up, just yet, due to spoilers). He's a character actor mostt noted for playing roles requiring use of prosthetic makeup. He has a background in various martial arts, commedia dell'arte, vaudeville, mime & physical aspects of clowning. He's also worked as a screenwriter and editor.
Ah yes, the episode that was written almost entirely out of spite because idiots said that Joss could only write snark and quips. So what does he do. Write one of the best episodes in an already amazing series and was either nominated and/or won and emmy for it for best writing and it's 90% no dialogue. Fucking Joss Whedon man.
And yes, it's been reported that this episode was pretty difficult to film. Because it's mostly no dialogue, every motion, action, and block was ludicrously choreographed to the millisecond.
I saw this episode when it first aired and the ads hyped the amount of time where no human voice would be heard, big event. Also, one of the gentlemen was played by Doug Jones, the guy who played the amphibian man in The Shape of Water, Abe Sapien from Hellboy, and Billy Butcherson from Hocus Pocus. Love that guy so much!
EDIT: he was also Mac Tonight, which is... weird.
Hush is easily one of the best Buffy episodes ever.
This episode is ICONIC
One of the best episodes of the series. Such a talented cast.
Very much the 'Blink' of Buffy. FYI the lead Gentleman is Doug Jones of Abe Sapien / Shape of Water / Commader Saru fame. What I love about Tara is that you can see that Willow has come so far since S1e1 compared to Tara who is almost who WIllow was when we first met her.
No lie. I'm laughing at some of the wording in the review 🤣😂🤣😂...
Saaaame haha
Ash Lee Can - Yasssss! We can’t mention ANYTHING without spoiling stuff and his wording was killing me!!! 🤭😬
He should come back to this reaction later on and laugh too
No spoilers.
NO HINTS.
The fewer hints we give the reactors, the more fun the show will be for everyone. We want the reactors to be surprised by EVERYTHING. Right?
RIGHT?!
one of the best episodes ever!! (of buffy and other shows)
I was refreshing the page all day waiting for this! I know it will be worth the wait. Such a classic episode.
Hush is so great!! It's my second favourite episode of the entire show. My favourite is yet to come. Won't say which, though.
The gentlemen's appearance actually came from a nightmare Joss had. How terrifying is that?
I love everything about this episode!! It's one of the most genuinely terrifying episodes of TV ever. Imagine watching this as a 13yo 😳😂 chills!!
How hard is it to just not hype specific episodes at all? Sometimes it works out fine-I’m glad this one lived up to the hype for Liam-but I wish people wouldn’t.
There’s an episode in S6 that people love to talk about (that’s the only detail I’ll give here, but probably ppl can guess correctly which one I mean). After Show Reactions somehow did not know anything about what the episode was about before watching it, and it was, in my opinion, the best reaction to that episode I’ve ever seen by far. Most reactors knew the title or otherwise knew about the episode beforehand, and that makes for a very different reaction.
So glad you liked this one!! Yes, the Gentlemen are about the creepiest things I've ever seen. The actors (professional mimes, if I remember correctly) really knocked it out of the park. Absolutely brilliant.
Dude, been waiting for this episode reaction for SOOOO LONG!!!
Was just about to log off my computer at work and go home till i saw the notification, thought "screw the extra 30 minutes at work, gotta watch this episode"
Didn't disappoint 👍👍👍
Anthony Head was in the pilot for Jonathan Creek which i loved however he got the role in Buffy so his part was recast. Dance macabre used during the projector scene was the shows theme tune.
"Use the force Willow" 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Now That's an episode 7-9 I could get into.
You're putting out so many buffy/angel episodes and I am so here for it.
Great reaction to my favourite Buffy episode!
Yes, the Gentlemen are top 3 scary monsters in the show for me, and now I have the Gentlemen pop keeping an eye on me whilst I sleep XD
I was having a really shit day and then this notification popped up! Thank you for making my day better. I love this episode so much! This episode is soooo great, one of my favorites in the whole series.
side note: I'm mad people keep hyping things up and spoiling stuff for you! You need more moderators!
Anyway...great ep! Loved your reaction, especially to the creepy Gentleman. Thanks for all you do.
You really should have someone reading the comments for you to make sure you don't get any spoilers.
It's ironic/fitting in a show about female empowerment that the day was saved by a girl's scream.
I do love how powerful they made Buffy look as she was letting out that scream. It was a scream of rage, not of fear.
Having the voice and power to speak, scream and shout is empowerment. So many women all over the world are oppressed to the point where they can't freely do that because that power has been taken away from them. So I wouldn't say that it is ironic.
Repeating some of my patreon comments for UA-cam, but this is definitely my absolute equal favourite Buffy episode ever (alongside another that I can't mention, because it's in a future season). And that Wicca group scene as well, OMG I relate to that so much. I've been in very similar situations with some groups, where the type of Wicca I practice is a lot more traditionally based than what the groups were about, and it's not like the people in the groups weren't super nice, or anything, but it's so frustrating having to sit there and listen to a bunch of talk about stuff where you're just politely gritting your teeth and thinking, "Okay, this is all very nice and all, but can we get to the bit where we start talking about Wicca, please'. I remember getting a real laugh out Willow's whole, 'Blah blah Gaia, Blah blah moon, menstrual lifeforce power thingy' speech when the episode first aired.
🥰 love all these Buffy Reactions videos. I was the biggest Buffy nerd fan growing up and this awesome to watch
And we arrived at the most famous episode of the series, a well-deserved fame :)
Congratulations indeed to both Joss and his team and to the cast actors for the performance they gave us.
The Gentlemen are surely the scariest and most disturbing enemies that appeared up to now, and I still wonder who came up with the idea of making them with this aspect.
Fantastic the sequence where the Gang studies a plan to save the city, with Buffy protagonist of two moments to remember for a long time (how not to understand her disappointment in front of the way in which Giles has drawn her. Come on, Buffy is much, much more beautiful, Rupert!), And what about Anya eating popcorn while talking about gutted people?
The moment when Xander thinks Spike bit Anya and finally shows him his feelings for her is also mythical; poor Spike though XD
Willow seems to have found a new friend, a witch like her; Tara then gives the idea of being a lovable and sweet person and her closeness could really do well to our Will.
And in the end it happened, Buffy and Riley have unmasked each other, in a scene worthy of a Cinecomix, managing to win the battle thanks to an excellent ..... well….. a discreet collaboration. How not to adore Buffy for how, even having received a stab in the back, she was able to annihilate the Gentelmen (which sucks though).
Now Buffey's relationship will no longer be the same, but perhaps the difficult will come if the Initiative becomes the Big Bad this season!
Hush is to Buffy what Blink was for Doctor Who. Pure genius.
For a long time, this was my favorite Buffy episode. It's the one I used to persuade friends to watch this series. Can't say how, when, or why it's no longer my #1, but I'm looking forward to it. :D
Right there with you.
Hush is a lot of people's favorite episode, I'm not surprised you've been getting bugged about it lol.
As a super fan of Buffy, I can only imagine how hard it was to choose which moments to show for some of these episodes. There are so many episodes where ALL of it is so good. I can't imagine having to pick and choose which ones to share.
1 of the top 10 episodes of Buffy for sure
I repeat what I said in the previous reaction, you are spoiling us. Thank you.
This episode freaked me out when I first saw it and they still creep me out lol I love Spike with Giles and Xander, the projector scene, Tara’s chase scene. This episode just so good and I agree, the music for the show is just the best. I’m sorry people hyped up this, and previous episodes, for you. I try my best not to, no matter how much I love the upcoming episode. I just hope nothing is ruined for you in the future
This is the best episode of anything ever! Camden Toy and Doug Jones (the lead Gentlemen) scared them so much at auditions that they don’t have the fake smiles like the other Gentlemen. This episode gives me nightmares to this day. It helps knowing they’re big sweeties in real life. Cam is on my pic.. he’s even wearing my glasses. 😂
Love riley's face like 'you' re welcome'
this has always been one of my favorite Buffy episodes... also one of the creepiest
So glad you enjoyed the episode!
7.30 best bit hahaha 😂 this episode has always been one of my fav episodes the work that goes into this episode is crazy!
This one has always creeped me out. This was voted no 2 of favourite episodes of buffy when it was 20th anniversary in the uk. Also in top 10 scariest moments on tv
I love that you enjoyed that episode as much as I do. That and the previous are two of my favorites. To be fair though, I have a lot of favorites in this show. I love re-watching them because there so full of clever and funny moments. I'm glad you enjoyed both the episodes so much.
I started watching Buffy when I was 9 (still a fan of the show 15 years later) and you can imagine how terrified I was of this episode! I used to wake up in the middle of the night and make sure I could still talk 😂
Sorry if someone else told you this already: the Gentlemen came from a nightmare Joss Whedon had. He was the boy who was killed in his bed in the episode, seeing those things floating towards him and unable to scream.
I can't write more because my son needs the computer for a school project (school keeps bothering even when you finish it!).
Great reaction, Liam!!! Looooove it!!!!
Trying to do this without spoilers, so bear with me. Hush is universally considered a Top-10 Buffy episode, and Top-3 by most. It definitely lives up to, and deserves the hype. There are a couple more Top-10ers this season, one of which is a bit confusing on first watch, but gets better when you come back to it.
LOL!!!! Once again, you've made me burst out laughing like crazy up in here when you muted yourself for the review. You're so witty and clever dude. I honestly thought I accidentally muted you until I finally realized that it was on purpose. Uh, FACEPALM. Gosh darn it Liam. Now you got me trying to learn how to read lips so I can figure out what you said there in that bit. What was it that you said? It's gonna bug the heck out of me if I don't find out lol. The Gentlemen were creepy as hell but no that I'm older, they don't creep me out at all. Still remember this episode though. I also remember Joss telling the story of how it was all a mess when they started filming it. Everyone was in position and then when Joss yelled, "Action!" Everyone went at the same time, over each others cues including the extras in the background. What he didn't think through was the timing of when everyone was gonna do their part without stepping into someone else's part. Funny ain't it? :)
- Yvette
You’re funny dude! I came across your reactions this morning and I’m entertained by you! And when you got scared in this episode made me laugh lol
Still bright and sunny over there? Lucky you. Its almost 11pm here and a storm just finished passing through. Ugh. Luckily The Gentlemen don't creep me out too much to keep me from sleeping. Like the only 'monster' that does that is Bloody Mary from Supernatural. Or maybe any episode of Penny Dreadful I've seen. ANYWAY, Glad to see you passing another Buffy milestone. This episode is epic (even if you cut the nummy treat scene short LOL). The next one should make you laugh too, and I'm looking forward to that reaction. o^^o Xander and Spike as roomies is hilarious.
Pennywise always freaks me out, and that girl who climbs out of the tv in the movie "Ring"😳
@@Itcouldbebunnies , Its probably been 20 years since I watched the original IT...not gonna watch the remake. Never seen the Ring...and not gonna. :shudder: I typically don't do straight up horror stuff. Just so much nope.
I might be wrong, but I think the guy who plays the main "gentleman" was actually a mime. That's why he got the part. Whatever, he was very effective. Gives me the wiggins.
Camden Toy is the actor. I couldn't remember his name off the top of my head.
@@karinhuddleston6232 Doug Jones actually played the main Gentleman. Camden Toy was another one of them.
So glad people didn't overhype this episode for you. Thus far, we've all seen Liam break, laugh, and get all creeped out. He's doomed by the time this series ends, right? If someone reading this is an exceptional artist, please draw a portrait of Der Kindestod and The Gentlemen so that Liam can hang it on his wall behind him please :D
Everyone: Joss Whedon relies too much on dialogue.
Joss: Okay, here you go.
Everyone: *Gulp* *squeak* We take it back now.
I LOVED your reaction in this, worthy of this extraordinary episode! What a season, eh?
I just realised that Andy Hallett is (un-)credited as one of the students in 'Hush'. But I can't see him anywhere...
One of my fav episodes. If you haven’t already you should read the Wikipedia article about the episode. It explains all the metaphors and what The Gentlemen represent and what they represent with respect to their grunt workers. It’s all very interesting.
13:33 😲 No!!! Don't do this to me!! what were you saying?! lol yeah you know what this is one of the few Buffy episodes where the creatures are SO hauntingly creepy that I just had to cover that part of the video so that I wouldn't have to see it!! 😱 But I still wanted to see your reaction to everything in this ep so good thing I knew exactly when those creepy monsters appeared on the screen and I didn't have to see them. Still scares me to this day. 😫 I love that you were theorizing that Tara could be the grown up version of the kid in the beginning. Maybe, who knows 😉 And yes, you're right about the music. It's like watching a children's fairy tales... which happens to be originally horror factor than sweet and whimsical... My favorite parts were: Giles' overhead projector presentation for "The Gentlemen", Xander beating up Spike at Giles' place thinking that Anya got bitten 😂, Spike taunting Xander in his house, Willow and Tara using magic to move the shelf, which was a really cool scene (I was kind of bummed out for a bit that you looked down for a bit and missed how that whole thing happened), and the part where the Gentlemen's heads exploded when Buffy screamed (which was a long scream--I've tired that and boy did it feel exhausting!). Well, I'm glad you enjoyed this episode and that it lived up to your expectations. Not knowing what this episode was all about (no hype, nothing) when it first came out, it was easily a crowd favorite 'cause it's so creative in its concept.
My 2nd fave Buffy episode. Genius!