Sarah Michelle Gellar and Eliza Dushku did a really good job impersonating each other's characters. In particular, I thought Dushku's Buffy impression when she's talking to Giles was spot-on.
Yeah the dialogue helped there. It was definitely a conversation Buffy and Giles would have in that exact way but she really killed it with her acting as well, which made the performance pretty perfect. Eyes open or closed,….all i can see/hear is Buffy. I think they both did great but the dialogue plus acting there was definitely the best part of the episode, imo. I would say acting wise I think SMG’s best was in the middle ish when Faith really started to, I guess, feel like Buffy, and you can see Faith’s body language and dialogue and you can see Buffys at the same time and it creeps in more and more, so it’s like SMG trying to play Faith while Faith tries to forget who she was and lets Buffys character start to creep back in slowly. Idk hope that makes sense.
Eliza Dushku definitely shined verbally when acting like Buffy. You can tell she studied how she would deliver certain lines. I have no doubt that Eliza and Sarah worked together to bring this episode to life.
I heard they did this by first having Sarah perform as Buffy-in-Faith's body, then have Eliza imitate Sarah's performance-and vice versa the other way around.
Personally I like when Wesley breaks her out of jail, then lets her get attacked to see if she's still in shape. Afterward he asks how it was to get back to slaying and she replies "Like riding a biker."
SMG is so brilliant in this episode. Such an underrated actress, in my opinion. She has all of Faith's mannerisms down and it's such a phenomenal sight to see.
That Faith in Buffy/Spike scene at the Bronze is one of my favorite scenes from the series. The chemistry between Sarah and James was great. The dialogue is really fun too. What's more interesting is that Spike didn't back away or resist when she started pushing up against him...
The first time they "Held hands" (even though it wasnt for that reason ;] ) I started screeching "THEY'RE GAY!!!!" And my mom and sister were like "No they're just doing magic" but I KNEWWW and then just watching the relationship develop... And then when she said she was Willows I started screeching again, but this time my mom and sister couldn't deny it
Consider the year that this season aired. Something like what's happening between Willow and Tara was a big deal, a huge step. It's becoming more commonplace in television these days, but in the year 2000? Holy crap.
You can’t really blame Riley for not knowing when her friends who have known her a lot longer and Giles who is basically a father to her didn’t notice either. I always liked that Tara was the one that found out as it was like an outsiders point of view. And honestly I’m never not shipping Spuffy haha
Becky Howell I’m so glad you pointed this out. Remember a key exchange last episode. “I’ve been sitting still for 8 months B”. Only 8 months have passed since high school. Riley just MET Buffy maybe 5 months ago. They weren’t dating at thanksgiving. So I’d say at this time they have maybe been dating a month to 6 weeks.
Can I just say that I absolutely love that you pause when you want to say something? I see so many reactors start blabing on while the video they're watching continues and during important moments and I'm like SHUT UP you're missing everything!
Mariely77 -- I know! I recently watched someone else, reacting to a different show, and he was basically talking to the screen, telling the girl to tell the guy how she feels, and he talked right over and completely missed it when she did what he wanted. I'd much rather have someone pause so they don't miss the very thing they were hoping to see.
After Show Reactions: You will find with the comment section that whatever choice you make people will find fault with it. Some individuals watch reactors only to try and control how others react to a show, people need affirmation and the comment section tends to be how they try and control a reaction to get their desired effect. You enjoy the show, you react your way and please stop worrying about how others feel? Thank you for sharing this with us.
I'm happy you like Willow x Tara and more specifically Tara herself, Tara's great. Also if you think Faith's got self-hatred now then you haven't seen anything yet.
@21:06 That's the point! Faith always thought that Buffy's the only real slayer, the fact that she became slayer by "mistake" guess triggered her feelings of being BORN by mistake... Dig deep in Faith's psyche, and you'll get that... She was insecure since day 1, she was just hiding it by trying to look like a badass... And she only could start doing the right thing, when she believed she could, being in Buffy's shoes... Everyone for once looked up at her, trusted her, loved her... It took her a while, but she finally got why you just shouldn't do certain things, because"it's wrong". I love this double episode!
I just love everything about this episode. SMG does such an amazing job playing Faith. Eliza does a good job playing Buffy, too, but SMG's Faith just blows me away. Who doesn't love, "I could ride you at a gallop until your legs buckled and your eyes rolled up. I've got muscles you've never even dreamed of. I could squeeze you until you pop like warm champagne and you'd beg me to hurt you just a little bit more. And you know why I don't?... Because it's wrong." And it's made even better by when you notice just how completely turned on Spike was by the fact that "Buffy" was saying those things to him. Also, "Willow's not driving stick anymore." I love the way Faith says that!
peggin169 both actresses played the parts perfectly. The reason why people always prefer SMG in this switch is because Faith’s character is more fun and eccentric. Comparing the two characters at this point is hard to do; but when you look at them both and how they were both played, both women played them perfectly!
There's no SMG's Faith lol, SMH didn't do anything organic or that moved the needle with Faith, she did a broad-strokes imitation that came off as Buffy trying to be bad girl. Even in the scene where she moves and sits less femininely, which should be natural to Faith, it came off as putting on an act instead of it being how Faith naturally moves about. As opposed to when Eliza does it as Faith which comes off as natural to the character. In the few moments Eliza had as Buffy, she nailed the inner aspect and physicality of Buffy trying to show she's herself while trapped in Faith's body. Back to the point, Faith works and comes alive because of Eliza's portrayal - everything from the psychological shifts to the physicality. The writers and Whedon themselves said that Faith was made full by Eliza's portrayal of the character. There's also a lot of subtext that Eliza put into her character portrayal that Whedon hadn't put on the page, including the undercurrent of Faith being into Buffy through her desire to have an emotional connection with her, but being unable to process that and being facetious with it. Eliza introduced that subtext in her portrayal. It was because of Eliza's subtext portrayal that fans read into those moments and even Whedon had to comment on it saying that he didn't write that and didn't intend for that (that subtext in Faith is also more subtly seen in season 7 though a more emotionally mature Faith after her return from Angel. The writers even included a line low key acknowledging it). Seeing SMG's superficial imitation in Buffy's body for what is a major psychological development for Faith didn't quite hit as we're not actually watching Faith, we're not getting the natural interpretation and so not the full experience of her development there. It was entertaining watching the swap, but Faith is grappling with something difficult and complex, and Buffy isn't, so Eliza as Buffy had little to do in the few moments she had and Sarah did not really capture Faith herself in the complexity of what Faith was experiencing. The fault doesn't lie there though, as the concept of this episode yields limitations in what we could experience organically from both characters. This Faith development should've been in an episode in which Eliza portrayed the character so we truly experienced what Faith is experiencing. But focusing on Faith's psychological and emotional trauma isn't something that would've been continued on Buffy, so I'm glad that Eliza got to portray the continuation of Faith's arc in Angel, especially starting with one of the best episodes 1x18 which was essential to truly understand the depth of Faith's downward spiral, and the continuing of the her arc on Angel was also essential to her return on Buffy in s7.
Actually after thinking about it again I just realized. What Faith did to Spike is what Buffy did to Xander in When she was bad. Guess Faith really is kinda like Buffy
Interesting how there are instances where the more "evil" characters are also the most intuitive. Spike in 'Something Blue' mentioning Willow is hanging on by a thread after breaking up with Oz. And in this episode, Faith could see from a mile away that Tara and Willow are definitely crushing on each other. The Scooby Gang doesn't seem to notice what Willow's going through more than what's on the surface. We can see the group slowly drifting apart this first year after high school, but I think that's natural. We're coming up on the end of the season pretty soon and I'm excited to see your reaction to how it all turns out.
I don't think it's so much "evil" characters in general as it is that Spike specifically has always been shown to be intuitive when it comes to relationships. That makes sense considering that he is, at heart, a romantic, even if it is rather buried.
This episode has so many brilliant moments in it. Willow and Tara, Spike and 'Buffy', Even the Riley and 'Buffy' is a rather genuis in the idea. Giles at the church, the Church fight. So so many.
I think despite everything, Faith admired Buffy, and wanted to be more like her. She originally switched bodies to escape the law, but then realized it was her own life she was really escaping from.
There were so many great moments in this episode that I'll probably have to rewatch it several times to truly catch all your reactions, but... ... ...but... .... 7:15 to 7:48...the rapid eye-blink, the sloooooow intake of breath, the slight smile, and finally the lip-nibbling....wow. THAT is what I call a R-E-A-C-T-I-O-N!
This episode is so complex. I needn't expound upon the phenomenal acting, but the characterization was also incredibly done. You learn so much about Faith here, and her relationship with Buffy sort of clicks. She loves Buffy, but she hates herself. So she takes that loathing out on the person she truly respects, the person who makes her feel even more inferior. It's just a wonderfully nuanced portrayal of complicated relationships, and one of the best things the show has ever done.
Even with all the bad stuff she did, I'll always feel sorry for Faith not having family and friends. Faith got a taste of love and gratitude during this episode. From Joyce, the girl she saved and Riley and every time it made her uncomfortable. At the beginning of the body switch she uses "Because it's wrong" in a sarcastic way to Spike but by the end she legitimately means it in the church. And yesss that scene with Faith in Buffy (Fuffy?) and Spike in The Bronze is sooo great.
19:37 ...Did she just say Buffy's lines without even knowing they're coming? OK, I'm convinced. The adorkableness, the fangirling over sexy do-gooder vampires, and now this? Guys, all this time, we've been watching the next Slayer reacting to the last one's show!
The subtext is rapidly becoming text. A stevedore is a dock worker, someone who loads and unloads cargo from ships. And yes, I only looked that up because of this episode. Who said you don't learn anything from TV? ;) Oh, and the Bertha comment was a reference to prison rape. :( The fact that NONE of Buffy's friends or even her mom noticed that Buffy wasn't Buffy - well, Faith at least did a semi-decent job of pretending with Joyce and the Scoobies. Riley did pick up something was wrong - he asked her what game she was playing. But Tara noticed. TARA! Faith's transformation in this episode is a masterpiece. I admit, I hated Faith by this point in the show and never thought I'd root for her again. But this episode, seeing her having to deal with Buffy's life was heartbreaking. She had to learn not just responsibility but empathy. She learned what it was like to be the recipient of gratitude and affection and caring, and the fact that she couldn't handle it shows how broken she is inside. At the end, she's finally starting to get it. You hear her go from using "Because it's wrong" as a joke to using it as, well, can't help this since it was in church ;), using it as gospel. Like, she gets it. And having that moment of epiphany right before being confronted with her old body and all the darkness and hatred that represents to her just really gives me all the Faith feels. Something I've noticed after a few rewatches of the show - Buffy's hair goes frizzy whenever she's about to have some magic worked on her - Something Blue, Hush, and now here. LOL. I'm sure it's just coincidence. :D I'm not a Spuffy shipper, but dang, that scene at the Bronze was hilarious and intense.
in riley's defense, to the best of his knowledge there is no such thing as magic. the initiative's entire approach is based on violence and science, and on several occasions we've seen that the initiative was openly dismissive of the mystical aspect, as i'm sure many people would be in real life as well. riley had no frame of reference from which he could have imagined that possession of someone's body was even possible. by contrast, tara recognizes what's going on because at this point in the series she knows more about it than anyone else. she had to explain to willow how possession has effects that are observable even to someone who doesn't know either the possessor or possessee.
@@sirmoonslosthismind Also: A Stevedore is a horse.😅 I'm a gen-xer who watched this series with my mom as it aired. I was Buffy: "What's a Stevedore?" My boomer mom raised on a farm: "A thoroughbred horse." She had two horses growing up. One other thing of note: Shan is disappointed that nobody picked up on Buffy not acting like herself, but the subtext of Willow & Tara's "Big O" spell seemed to fly right over her head. Maybe it's bc I'm older or bi, but I knew that was more than "intense" when I watched it, smh & lol.
@@alysiamerdavid-wasser9165 i'm pretty sure joyce was comparing rupert to an old school dock worker, and not to a horse. presumably joyce has never had sex with a horse before. (cue spurned internet users creating jorse porn.)
@@sirmoonslosthismind That's not the joke tho, lol. In the early '00s, women used to use the horse analogy all the time. It was a reference to stamina. "Sex And The City" did a whole episode about "stallions", and a Stevedore is a breed of stallion. ua-cam.com/video/ymj0SinXzG8/v-deo.html That's what women in their 30s & 40s like Samantha Jones, Carrie Bradshaw, or even a coupla of Kansans like us, called good sex. I doubt Joyce or Joss was thinking "dock worker" in the late 90s, it just wasn't a "thing".
@@alysiamerdavid-wasser9165 I have never heard of a horse breed called Stevedore until reading your comment. I did, however, know what a stevedore was as it relates to dockworkers prior to watching this episode back when it aired, so that's where my mind went. I am almost positive more people know a stevedore as a dockworker than a breed of horse.
I love that you love Faith. So do I and I feel so bad for her. Broken is the best word to describe her. She is very broken. She's also very observant. Funny that she spotted Tara and Willow right away. She knows how to read everyone except herself. I also notice that she didn't actually physically harm Joyce or any of Buffy's friends.
FYI; the network didn’t allow Lesbian kissing/touching on the show during this season, so Whedon’s team decided to replace instances of “intimacy” between willow and Tara with spells.
This pair of episodes are stellar and get better with every re-watch. The scene with Faith-in-Buffy and Spike was incredible and the beginning of Willow and Tara with the two of them all sweaty and surrounded by a giant ‘O’ - just love it.
I think out of everyone Riley is the one who shouldnt have guessed they switched. The rest of them have so much experience with magic and possesions / swaps and have known buffy for so long. Riley hasnt been dating Buffy long at all, and she's always been distant with him. And he has no experience with magic etc, the iniative pretty much see demons as animals, not supernatural. Though i get from an emotional viewpoint your boyfriend is the one you'd want to notice most. To know you even when your not you. But then Riley really doesnt know Buffy, because she doesnt share her feelings or her past with him.
Since Willow and Tara, 'casting a spell' got a whole new meaning. And it was intended by Whedon, it was the only way he could get the lesbian relationship past the network and on the screen.
Watching this episode on repeat viewings is fun during binges because you see Sarah Michelle Gellar doing the marrarisms/speech patterns that Eliza Dushku does as Faith and Eliza doing the mannerisms/speech patterns Sarah does as Buffy. Also notice that Eliza Dushku in the credits is credited "as Buffy" to reflect who she is playing. Loved your reaction and afterword speech about Faith in Buffy's body hitting on Spike. Same with when Faith calls Tara on liking Willow. From this episode until a future episode not to be named here as it most likely hasn't been watched, a part of the fanbase was up in arms about Willow and Tara. Some of them took it out on Tara. Those "fans" got so bad at one point that Amber Benson (Tara) posted a message on a message board that was a very Oz-like way of saying they were wrong to air their bigotry in such a manner. Tara noticing while Giles, Xander and Willow didn't says a lot about a theory I have on the Slayerettes (not the Scooby Gang). That even the three Slayerettes (despite how they are close nit to the point of not letting anyone else into the inner circle) only have a friendship so long and Buffy can do her duties. Their friendship with her is based more on her protecting them while Buffy is the one that considers them true friends. It is a working theory that doesn't have much weight behind it, but also a little inkling nag that pops into my mind once in a while. Willow and Tara's spell has been described by Joss as a sex scene. Faith wouldn't need to ask what a stevadore was. "The one and only." Technically it is true as Buffy hasn't officially been the slayer since she died.
Buffy8Fan I had no idea fans didn’t take to Tara initially! I liked her instantly. I also liked Riley and to this day can’t see what all the hate was about. But I also like Angel and Spike and the guy way back in Never Kill A Boy On The First Date. I never found Riley boring, just sweet and kind and caring. Sure he did some not great things along the way, but so has EVERY character we love in the series!! But I do truly hate Parker. I never met anyone that douchy in college, and I’m surprised the fans didn’t take to Riley when he decked him.
Everyone hated Parker. Although at first I briefly thought Parker's "lines" were just bad acting on the actor's part. Riley had fans, even back then, but for the most part his character was exactly what you saw and little more. Plus there was an Angel void he wasn't filling. Therefore fans weren't too impressed (and still aren't for the most part). I never was either. With Tara though, missing Oz combined with the stigma of gays at the time, and then not knowing what to make of the character herself, made two groups: hatred or unsure. I personally was unsure until SPOILER the Oz returns for closure episode END SPOILER All characters do bad things, true. I actually have admitted a hatred for Xander and love Faith and Spike. The reasons would make this comment longer than it is already getting. The point though, is that opinions shape our views and characters make the show work more than anything else.
I see only one mistake in an otherwise PERFECT performance from Sarah and Eliza. in the fighting scenes, Sarah tends to pucker her lips while Eliza grits her teeth. I guess it's a difficult job, but they should have switched those expressions too. You're absolutely right, the sex scene was beautifully shown from Faith's perspective, but it failed to show Riley's perspective too. He WAS raped.
In case you're still wondering, a stevedore is another name for longshoreman or dockworker, a manual laborer who is responsible for loading cargo on ships.
The exchange of bodies allowed us to appreciate again the talents of Sarah and Eliza. SMG shows us to know how to fall well even in the role of "bad girl", between facial expressions and credibility in the part, a perfect "blonde Faith", and not just a villain version of her Buffy. ED has less space, but she has also been able to replicate the typical movements of Buffy, especially in the scene where she is recognized d Giles, then passed for both tests. For the rest we see Faith find for the first time to really have a family and a boyfriend in love, things that gradually have resurfaced her Yang, her Good Side, the Buffy side of her person, and apparently to want to redeem for mistakes made in the past. Seeing her furiously beating her face is the emblem of her change, and now she will be in Faith to prove that she has changed ... also because her actions have left their mark, and now the Buffey's situation has become decidedly embarrassing XD Note of merit for Tara that proves much less naive and more pondered than Willow.
It’s fun to overhear the scenes and imagine the characters correctly. If you’re not looking at the screen and either Buffy/Faith enter the scene and say their first line, if you’re just listening, you mistake them for each other.
Dude, yes. Hands down Sarah Michelle Gellar and Eliza Dushku pulled that off VERY convincingly. The mannerisms and the lingo for both of them was on point! And that fake-out scene with Faith stabbing Willow, omg, was hilarious. You actually thought she did that. And she would've too. Oh and that moment with Spike...ooh girl! That was H-O-T-T HOT! Damn Faith! Lol. Buffy and Spike, because it's so wrong, we think it's so right! Yep. It's cool if Buffy had a thing with Spike. I don't see a future for them cuz he's a vamp and she's human. She wants more than just being the slayer. But in the meantime, I could see Buffy try something with Spike. I mean, it's the college years so go ahead and explore that lol. But boy, this episode had some heavy, deep shit. Faith beating the crap out her own body as way of expressing how much she hates herself. Damn. I feel so bad for her. I loved this episode from start to finish. Hope to see more of Faith. It's like you said, she is a very interesting person. - Yvette
No matter how many times I watch this I am still amazed at all the details they were able to get immitating the other to the point it really does seem like SMG is Faith and Eliza is Buffy. I just caught that SMG did Faiths eye roll. It's not just an "Oh brother" eye roll. Faith will often kind of roll her eyes, when she's trying to make a point, and other times, like when the Mayor complimented her and she was flattered. It's such a minor character nuance, but SMG does it when she's Faith looking in the mirror pretending to be Buffy.
I don't know when the rape law changed to include impersonating someone else but as the US law is now, what Faith did to Riley was indeed rape. It is important to remember that at this point, Riley has just learned that magic is real. They never explained it well in the show but the soldiers, including Riley, thought that demons where just intelligent natural animals of a kind few people see because they hide underground. So him not realising Buffy wasn't the real Buffy is not that strange. But he probably did find that she acted strange but maybe thought it was because of stress. The reason Tara notice it is because she has special powers.
The scene with Reilly where Faith pushes him off makes me really sad. She must have really intense attachment disorder to react so traumatically towards love and intimacy.
Everything in this episode is fantastic, and your reactions are just wonderful. You notice all the right stuff, and pick up on the nuances that have me biting my lips (figuratively) to keep from blurting out spoilers. Something I've seen few people notice: Faith has been properly trained as Slayer, by a Watcher, for much of her life. She recognizes Spike with just a hint, and even refers to him by his other name, William the Bloody. She would not have gotten that from Giles, it'd be from her former Watcher. Also, by the way, Angel and Spike have the same name, sort of. _Liam_ is a shortened form of _William._ Can't wait for _Superstar!_ Oh, and in the future, you may want to watch the end credits before summing up, at least the acting credits.
There was a Faith/Spike series in the work. It was delayed, so they moved Spike to Angel. Not that long after that, Joss Whedon and Eliza Dushku created Dollhouse. FYI > There was a Ripper series in the work for years. I would still love to see that, whether it was an old Giles, or a young Giles/Ethan series.
Both Buffy and Riley were raped in this- also. you can see the shock on Buffy's face in the end after realising How Faith saw herself... and yet whoever wrote the cross over episode FORGOT this key moment and wrote Buffy all fucking wrong.
Tara noticed because of her witch powers (she's been at it a lot longer than Willow). Riley is unobservant, sure, but really, her friends tend to be too (although, to be honest, how would any of them really have known?). Or maybe he's used to roleplay... ;)
Both actresses did an amazing job at portraying each other's character in this episode. Every little move, speech or mannerism was perfect. Great reaction as always, this is my first post on your reactions and I came here specific for buffy and I think you are doing great reactions and really looking deep into characers and emotions of the show that are just so epic. Keep it up!!!
One of my favorites episodes! So Buffy 4x17-18-19 should be next, and then Angel 1x18-19 followed by Buffy 4x20, which is the last cross-over of the season. It won't make a lot of sense if you watch it any other way ;)
You're right it was basically rape. The fact that it's not addressed, and in fact shown as if it's a slight that Riley made toward *Buffy* and not Faith who raped Riley is really messed up. I also think it dates the show, because it's expressing outdated ideas about how only women can be raped.
This is one of the few times I felt really bad for Riley. He is only started to get to know Buffy, and has never met Faith, so of course he sleeps with his girlfriend when she comes on to him wearing a special outfit. It kind of felt like a double violation to me... She uses Buffy's body without consent to trick Riley into having sex with her. She violates Buffy and Riley in one act. This right here is where I think Buffy just goes from "I hope Faith can be redeemed" to "I hate that bitch"... and I cannot really blame Buffy for feeling this way.
5:47 - is it bad to laugh at your distress? I feel bad and yet can't stop laughing. Sorry... :)) 7:12 - 8:07 - Priceless...wordless... 15:43 - Tara noticed because she was a practicing witch for most of her life and she felt wrong energies. Angel would have noticed because he knows Buffy since she was like 14 and know when she acts *completely* out of character. But Riley knows her for less than a year and most of that year they were lying to each other.
Firstly, yes Fuffy has fantasies that have murder in it. 2nd, Adam really knows how to rile up some demons and 3rd, Yes seeing Baith prove she is who she is by explaining to Giles how she remembers him and Joyce. Ha ha ha!
A thought about Riley: he does seem pretty oblivious to Buffy being body-switched, but remember, Riley's pretty new to magic at this point. He's fought demons and vampires, but spells are pretty much outside of his experience. He probably doesn't even realize that body-switching is something that's possible.
"The one and only" "Not really though" I consider that line can be taken in two ways. One that fits with what people have said through various parts of the series is that Faith does consider Buffy the one and only. The real Slayer and herself kind of an imposter. The other is that at the moment she thinks that Buffy in Faiths body is on her way to England now, and thus she's the only one/it's up to her, So she is the one and only active Slayer at the moment.
I remember watching this live. I completely lost plot after Spike threw that beer bottle. I can’t PROVE that scene made me bisexual, but I also can’t not prove it. 😂 Sarah Michelle Gellar in black leather truly could’ve been the tipping point.
SMG and Eliza really kill it in each others' roles in this one. They're just wrong enough that they seem off, but not so wrong that we'd pick up on what's wrong right away if we didn't already know.
"Stevedore Literally "one who stuffs". Originally referred to longshoremen or cargo workers in the maritime industry since before the industrial revolution. Nowadays in common usage it describes someone who swears profusely or who garners a lot of poon tang." thanks urban dictionary..........
@@UTU49 When this aired, (before urban dictionary) I asked my mom who is Joyce's age, bc I thought it was a horse. It's a horse-a thoroughbred. My boomer mom got the horse joke. A "dockworker"? Not so much.
My overall memory of Season 4 was that I didn't like it that much - but I'm realizing it's mostly because of Riley, The Initiative, Adam and last and least Professor Walsh. There are several great episodes (like this one!)...and Spike!
All the best episodes of season 4 have almost nothing to do with the Initiative plot. Season 4 is weird as it has a very weak main plot, but a lot of great standalone episodes.
I don't agree with that. Most seasons have a stronger main plot than season 4, or at least (in season 7) one that's more compelling most of the standalones in the season. The best episode of season 1 by far is its finale. Season 3 is a mixed bag in that respect as there are many great standalones (The Wish, Earshot, Helpless, Doppelgangland...) but the main plot and villains are also very strong, and episodes like Consequences and Graduation Day are among my favorites of season 3. In season 6, it's a bit fuzzy what exactly can be considered to be or not to be a part of the main plot, due to the specific nature of the main theme, but almost all of the episodes I consider best are tied to the main plot (I certainly would not consider OMWF a standalone - it's pretty much the crucial episode for the plot and the character development - which are really the same thing in season 6, and sets up most of the things that go down, while it's the episodes that have the least to do with the plot (like Doublemeat Palace, Older and Far Away or As You Were) that are the weakest. In season 7, the main plot and villain may not have been that great (though it showed a lot of promise in the first half of the season), but it's still mostly those episodes dealing with it that are the most memorable, like Conversations with Dead People (like OMWF, it is tied up to and sets up a lot of the season's plot), Dirty Girls or even Chosen, which I find to be flawed but which still has some of the most memorable moments of the season. The only standalones that are exceptional are Selfless and Help (again, YMMV on whether Storyteller can be considered a standalone). On the other hand, there are some weak main plot episodes, but also even weaker standalones (like Him or First Date). Season 4 is an exception because I really find all of the main plot episodes forgettable (the finale-in-all-but-episode-number Primeval comes the closest, but it's still less memorable than any other season finale), but so many of the standalones are really excellent, and some of the best Buffy episodes of all time (although, to be fair, it does have a couple of weak standalones as well - but the majority of the season really consists of standalones, there are only 5 or 6 episodes that are about the main plot.).
Yes! Tara & Willow! You put the pieces together finally. :) The follow up episode to this of Angel is great too. If you don't have a lump in your throat at the end of that episode I don't know what to tell you.
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Eliza Dushku did a really good job impersonating each other's characters. In particular, I thought Dushku's Buffy impression when she's talking to Giles was spot-on.
she did that light Buffy stutter that distinguishes her from Faith
Yeah the dialogue helped there. It was definitely a conversation Buffy and Giles would have in that exact way but she really killed it with her acting as well, which made the performance pretty perfect. Eyes open or closed,….all i can see/hear is Buffy. I think they both did great but the dialogue plus acting there was definitely the best part of the episode, imo.
I would say acting wise I think SMG’s best was in the middle ish when Faith really started to, I guess, feel like Buffy, and you can see Faith’s body language and dialogue and you can see Buffys at the same time and it creeps in more and more, so it’s like SMG trying to play Faith while Faith tries to forget who she was and lets Buffys character start to creep back in slowly. Idk hope that makes sense.
Eliza Dushku definitely shined verbally when acting like Buffy. You can tell she studied how she would deliver certain lines. I have no doubt that Eliza and Sarah worked together to bring this episode to life.
They had the same agent before and during Buffy at the time too which must have helped
I heard they did this by first having Sarah perform as Buffy-in-Faith's body, then have Eliza imitate Sarah's performance-and vice versa the other way around.
"So Willow isn't driving stick anymore" is maybe my favourite line in all of Buffyverse.
Personally I like when Wesley breaks her out of jail, then lets her get attacked to see if she's still in shape. Afterward he asks how it was to get back to slaying and she replies "Like riding a biker."
I like that "Eliza Dushku as Buffy" in the credits.
Tara: "I am, y'know."
Willow: "What...?"
Tara: "...Yours?"
I have to say, your reaction to that scene was very touching :)
SMG is so brilliant in this episode. Such an underrated actress, in my opinion. She has all of Faith's mannerisms down and it's such a phenomenal sight to see.
That Faith in Buffy/Spike scene at the Bronze is one of my favorite scenes from the series. The chemistry between Sarah and James was great. The dialogue is really fun too. What's more interesting is that Spike didn't back away or resist when she started pushing up against him...
It was so fun seeing you put the pieces together slowly episode by episode about Willow and Tara 😂
"I am, you know."
"What?"
*"Yours."*
MY GAY HEART CANNOT TAKE IT OH MY GOOOOOOOOD. I love them so much.
Lol
The first time they "Held hands" (even though it wasnt for that reason ;] ) I started screeching "THEY'RE GAY!!!!" And my mom and sister were like "No they're just doing magic" but I KNEWWW and then just watching the relationship develop... And then when she said she was Willows I started screeching again, but this time my mom and sister couldn't deny it
"Oh, I ship it. I don't even care."
Love this comment by you!
Consider the year that this season aired. Something like what's happening between Willow and Tara was a big deal, a huge step. It's becoming more commonplace in television these days, but in the year 2000? Holy crap.
You can’t really blame Riley for not knowing when her friends who have known her a lot longer and Giles who is basically a father to her didn’t notice either. I always liked that Tara was the one that found out as it was like an outsiders point of view. And honestly I’m never not shipping Spuffy haha
Becky Howell I’m so glad you pointed this out. Remember a key exchange last episode. “I’ve been sitting still for 8 months B”. Only 8 months have passed since high school. Riley just MET Buffy maybe 5 months ago. They weren’t dating at thanksgiving. So I’d say at this time they have maybe been dating a month to 6 weeks.
Also, even if he did notice something was wrong, why question it in that situation?
Can I just say that I absolutely love that you pause when you want to say something? I see so many reactors start blabing on while the video they're watching continues and during important moments and I'm like SHUT UP you're missing everything!
Thank you, I've been told it can be annoying having me pause it aswell so I try to balance it by not pausing that much :P
I think pausing is totally fine! Great even. I would rather you process and not miss anything.
I don't like when you pause too many times or for too long, but I appreciate that you're not talking over the dialogue :)
Mariely77 -- I know! I recently watched someone else, reacting to a different show, and he was basically talking to the screen, telling the girl to tell the guy how she feels, and he talked right over and completely missed it when she did what he wanted. I'd much rather have someone pause so they don't miss the very thing they were hoping to see.
After Show Reactions: You will find with the comment section that whatever choice you make people will find fault with it. Some individuals watch reactors only to try and control how others react to a show, people need affirmation and the comment section tends to be how they try and control a reaction to get their desired effect. You enjoy the show, you react your way and please stop worrying about how others feel? Thank you for sharing this with us.
I died at 19:40 when you both asked what a stevedore was.
I'm happy you like Willow x Tara and more specifically Tara herself, Tara's great.
Also if you think Faith's got self-hatred now then you haven't seen anything yet.
@21:06
That's the point!
Faith always thought that Buffy's the only real slayer, the fact that she became slayer by "mistake" guess triggered her feelings of being BORN by mistake... Dig deep in Faith's psyche, and you'll get that... She was insecure since day 1, she was just hiding it by trying to look like a badass...
And she only could start doing the right thing, when she believed she could, being in Buffy's shoes... Everyone for once looked up at her, trusted her, loved her... It took her a while, but she finally got why you just shouldn't do certain things, because"it's wrong".
I love this double episode!
I just love everything about this episode. SMG does such an amazing job playing Faith. Eliza does a good job playing Buffy, too, but SMG's Faith just blows me away.
Who doesn't love, "I could ride you at a gallop until your legs buckled and your eyes rolled up. I've got muscles you've never even dreamed of. I could squeeze you until you pop like warm champagne and you'd beg me to hurt you just a little bit more. And you know why I don't?... Because it's wrong." And it's made even better by when you notice just how completely turned on Spike was by the fact that "Buffy" was saying those things to him.
Also, "Willow's not driving stick anymore." I love the way Faith says that!
peggin169 both actresses played the parts perfectly. The reason why people always prefer SMG in this switch is because Faith’s character is more fun and eccentric. Comparing the two characters at this point is hard to do; but when you look at them both and how they were both played, both women played them perfectly!
@@marceline_mal I think it's also down to the fact that SMG naturally had more screen time than Eliza.
There's no SMG's Faith lol, SMH didn't do anything organic or that moved the needle with Faith, she did a broad-strokes imitation that came off as Buffy trying to be bad girl. Even in the scene where she moves and sits less femininely, which should be natural to Faith, it came off as putting on an act instead of it being how Faith naturally moves about. As opposed to when Eliza does it as Faith which comes off as natural to the character. In the few moments Eliza had as Buffy, she nailed the inner aspect and physicality of Buffy trying to show she's herself while trapped in Faith's body. Back to the point, Faith works and comes alive because of Eliza's portrayal - everything from the psychological shifts to the physicality. The writers and Whedon themselves said that Faith was made full by Eliza's portrayal of the character. There's also a lot of subtext that Eliza put into her character portrayal that Whedon hadn't put on the page, including the undercurrent of Faith being into Buffy through her desire to have an emotional connection with her, but being unable to process that and being facetious with it. Eliza introduced that subtext in her portrayal. It was because of Eliza's subtext portrayal that fans read into those moments and even Whedon had to comment on it saying that he didn't write that and didn't intend for that (that subtext in Faith is also more subtly seen in season 7 though a more emotionally mature Faith after her return from Angel. The writers even included a line low key acknowledging it). Seeing SMG's superficial imitation in Buffy's body for what is a major psychological development for Faith didn't quite hit as we're not actually watching Faith, we're not getting the natural interpretation and so not the full experience of her development there. It was entertaining watching the swap, but Faith is grappling with something difficult and complex, and Buffy isn't, so Eliza as Buffy had little to do in the few moments she had and Sarah did not really capture Faith herself in the complexity of what Faith was experiencing. The fault doesn't lie there though, as the concept of this episode yields limitations in what we could experience organically from both characters. This Faith development should've been in an episode in which Eliza portrayed the character so we truly experienced what Faith is experiencing. But focusing on Faith's psychological and emotional trauma isn't something that would've been continued on Buffy, so I'm glad that Eliza got to portray the continuation of Faith's arc in Angel, especially starting with one of the best episodes 1x18 which was essential to truly understand the depth of Faith's downward spiral, and the continuing of the her arc on Angel was also essential to her return on Buffy in s7.
SPUFFY!!! SMG was smoldering there in the confrontation with Spike...
Actually after thinking about it again I just realized. What Faith did to Spike is what Buffy did to Xander in When she was bad. Guess Faith really is kinda like Buffy
Interesting how there are instances where the more "evil" characters are also the most intuitive. Spike in 'Something Blue' mentioning Willow is hanging on by a thread after breaking up with Oz. And in this episode, Faith could see from a mile away that Tara and Willow are definitely crushing on each other. The Scooby Gang doesn't seem to notice what Willow's going through more than what's on the surface. We can see the group slowly drifting apart this first year after high school, but I think that's natural. We're coming up on the end of the season pretty soon and I'm excited to see your reaction to how it all turns out.
I don't think it's so much "evil" characters in general as it is that Spike specifically has always been shown to be intuitive when it comes to relationships. That makes sense considering that he is, at heart, a romantic, even if it is rather buried.
"Stop inching! You were inching!"
Lmao, Eliza Dushku did so well as Buffy this episode.
This episode has so many brilliant moments in it. Willow and Tara, Spike and 'Buffy', Even the Riley and 'Buffy' is a rather genuis in the idea. Giles at the church, the Church fight. So so many.
Yes, you caught the details of Sarah playing Faith, including the way she says 'about' close to sounding 'like 'a boat' (Boston accent).
Tara saying i'm yours, was the cutest fucking thing ever. and 19:36 was perfect timing
I think despite everything, Faith admired Buffy, and wanted to be more like her. She originally switched bodies to escape the law, but then realized it was her own life she was really escaping from.
There were so many great moments in this episode that I'll probably have to rewatch it several times to truly catch all your reactions, but...
...
...but...
....
7:15 to 7:48...the rapid eye-blink, the sloooooow intake of breath, the slight smile, and finally the lip-nibbling....wow. THAT is what I call a R-E-A-C-T-I-O-N!
This episode is so complex. I needn't expound upon the phenomenal acting, but the characterization was also incredibly done. You learn so much about Faith here, and her relationship with Buffy sort of clicks. She loves Buffy, but she hates herself. So she takes that loathing out on the person she truly respects, the person who makes her feel even more inferior. It's just a wonderfully nuanced portrayal of complicated relationships, and one of the best things the show has ever done.
My Buffyverse OTP is here!
Actually, make that OTPs (WillowxTara and Spuffy)
Even with all the bad stuff she did, I'll always feel sorry for Faith not having family and friends. Faith got a taste of love and gratitude during this episode. From Joyce, the girl she saved and Riley and every time it made her uncomfortable. At the beginning of the body switch she uses "Because it's wrong" in a sarcastic way to Spike but by the end she legitimately means it in the church. And yesss that scene with Faith in Buffy (Fuffy?) and Spike in The Bronze is sooo great.
"I want it" hahaha you are so cute!!! I love it. Spuffy feels
"...Pop Like warm champagne... " I love your reaction to it!!!
I love this episode! Such a great performance by SMG as Faith as Buffy.
Eliza Dushku did a great job mimicking SMG too.
19:37 ...Did she just say Buffy's lines without even knowing they're coming? OK, I'm convinced. The adorkableness, the fangirling over sexy do-gooder vampires, and now this? Guys, all this time, we've been watching the next Slayer reacting to the last one's show!
...because it's wrong.
The subtext is rapidly becoming text.
A stevedore is a dock worker, someone who loads and unloads cargo from ships. And yes, I only looked that up because of this episode. Who said you don't learn anything from TV? ;)
Oh, and the Bertha comment was a reference to prison rape. :(
The fact that NONE of Buffy's friends or even her mom noticed that Buffy wasn't Buffy - well, Faith at least did a semi-decent job of pretending with Joyce and the Scoobies. Riley did pick up something was wrong - he asked her what game she was playing. But Tara noticed. TARA!
Faith's transformation in this episode is a masterpiece. I admit, I hated Faith by this point in the show and never thought I'd root for her again. But this episode, seeing her having to deal with Buffy's life was heartbreaking. She had to learn not just responsibility but empathy. She learned what it was like to be the recipient of gratitude and affection and caring, and the fact that she couldn't handle it shows how broken she is inside. At the end, she's finally starting to get it. You hear her go from using "Because it's wrong" as a joke to using it as, well, can't help this since it was in church ;), using it as gospel. Like, she gets it. And having that moment of epiphany right before being confronted with her old body and all the darkness and hatred that represents to her just really gives me all the Faith feels.
Something I've noticed after a few rewatches of the show - Buffy's hair goes frizzy whenever she's about to have some magic worked on her - Something Blue, Hush, and now here. LOL. I'm sure it's just coincidence. :D
I'm not a Spuffy shipper, but dang, that scene at the Bronze was hilarious and intense.
in riley's defense, to the best of his knowledge there is no such thing as magic. the initiative's entire approach is based on violence and science, and on several occasions we've seen that the initiative was openly dismissive of the mystical aspect, as i'm sure many people would be in real life as well. riley had no frame of reference from which he could have imagined that possession of someone's body was even possible. by contrast, tara recognizes what's going on because at this point in the series she knows more about it than anyone else. she had to explain to willow how possession has effects that are observable even to someone who doesn't know either the possessor or possessee.
@@sirmoonslosthismind
Also: A Stevedore is a horse.😅 I'm a gen-xer who watched this series with my mom as it aired. I was Buffy: "What's a Stevedore?" My boomer mom raised on a farm: "A thoroughbred horse." She had two horses growing up. One other thing of note: Shan is disappointed that nobody picked up on Buffy not acting like herself, but the subtext of Willow & Tara's "Big O" spell seemed to fly right over her head. Maybe it's bc I'm older or bi, but I knew that was more than "intense" when I watched it, smh & lol.
@@alysiamerdavid-wasser9165
i'm pretty sure joyce was comparing rupert to an old school dock worker, and not to a horse. presumably joyce has never had sex with a horse before. (cue spurned internet users creating jorse porn.)
@@sirmoonslosthismind
That's not the joke tho, lol. In the early '00s, women used to use the horse analogy all the time. It was a reference to stamina. "Sex And The City" did a whole episode about "stallions", and a Stevedore is a breed of stallion. ua-cam.com/video/ymj0SinXzG8/v-deo.html
That's what women in their 30s & 40s like Samantha Jones, Carrie Bradshaw, or even a coupla of Kansans like us, called good sex. I doubt Joyce or Joss was thinking "dock worker" in the late 90s, it just wasn't a "thing".
@@alysiamerdavid-wasser9165 I have never heard of a horse breed called Stevedore until reading your comment. I did, however, know what a stevedore was as it relates to dockworkers prior to watching this episode back when it aired, so that's where my mind went. I am almost positive more people know a stevedore as a dockworker than a breed of horse.
I love the evolution of Faith saying "It's wrong". by the end of the episode, you can tell she really means it
I love that you love Faith. So do I and I feel so bad for her. Broken is the best word to describe her. She is very broken. She's also very observant. Funny that she spotted Tara and Willow right away. She knows how to read everyone except herself. I also notice that she didn't actually physically harm Joyce or any of Buffy's friends.
She's the embodiment of the TV Trope "Broken Bird". tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BrokenBird
The thing that stands out to me too is the way SMG says "about" as Faith, she nailed.
FYI; the network didn’t allow Lesbian kissing/touching on the show during this season, so Whedon’s team decided to replace instances of “intimacy” between willow and Tara with spells.
Sarah and Eliza did an excellent job of behaving like the other.
This pair of episodes are stellar and get better with every re-watch. The scene with Faith-in-Buffy and Spike was incredible and the beginning of Willow and Tara with the two of them all sweaty and surrounded by a giant ‘O’ - just love it.
I think out of everyone Riley is the one who shouldnt have guessed they switched.
The rest of them have so much experience with magic and possesions / swaps and have known buffy for so long.
Riley hasnt been dating Buffy long at all, and she's always been distant with him.
And he has no experience with magic etc, the iniative pretty much see demons as animals, not supernatural.
Though i get from an emotional viewpoint your boyfriend is the one you'd want to notice most. To know you even when your not you.
But then Riley really doesnt know Buffy, because she doesnt share her feelings or her past with him.
I love Baffy and Faith`s love/hate relationship so much!!
15:40 Tara noticed with witchcraft though not by noticing. Also I’m more alarmed by faiths rapyness tbh. (Ah glad you noticed that haha)
Haha. You sounded like such a nerd when you said 'that was really cool' XD But yes SPUFFY! So sexy. They have so much chemistry.
Since Willow and Tara, 'casting a spell' got a whole new meaning. And it was intended by Whedon, it was the only way he could get the lesbian relationship past the network and on the screen.
Watching this episode on repeat viewings is fun during binges because you see Sarah Michelle Gellar doing the marrarisms/speech patterns that Eliza Dushku does as Faith and Eliza doing the mannerisms/speech patterns Sarah does as Buffy. Also notice that Eliza Dushku in the credits is credited "as Buffy" to reflect who she is playing.
Loved your reaction and afterword speech about Faith in Buffy's body hitting on Spike. Same with when Faith calls Tara on liking Willow.
From this episode until a future episode not to be named here as it most likely hasn't been watched, a part of the fanbase was up in arms about Willow and Tara. Some of them took it out on Tara. Those "fans" got so bad at one point that Amber Benson (Tara) posted a message on a message board that was a very Oz-like way of saying they were wrong to air their bigotry in such a manner.
Tara noticing while Giles, Xander and Willow didn't says a lot about a theory I have on the Slayerettes (not the Scooby Gang). That even the three Slayerettes (despite how they are close nit to the point of not letting anyone else into the inner circle) only have a friendship so long and Buffy can do her duties. Their friendship with her is based more on her protecting them while Buffy is the one that considers them true friends. It is a working theory that doesn't have much weight behind it, but also a little inkling nag that pops into my mind once in a while.
Willow and Tara's spell has been described by Joss as a sex scene.
Faith wouldn't need to ask what a stevadore was.
"The one and only." Technically it is true as Buffy hasn't officially been the slayer since she died.
Buffy8Fan
I had no idea fans didn’t take to Tara initially! I liked her instantly.
I also liked Riley and to this day can’t see what all the hate was about. But I also like Angel and Spike and the guy way back in Never Kill A Boy On The First Date.
I never found Riley boring, just sweet and kind and caring. Sure he did some not great things along the way, but so has EVERY character we love in the series!!
But I do truly hate Parker. I never met anyone that douchy in college, and I’m surprised the fans didn’t take to Riley when he decked him.
Everyone hated Parker. Although at first I briefly thought Parker's "lines" were just bad acting on the actor's part.
Riley had fans, even back then, but for the most part his character was exactly what you saw and little more. Plus there was an Angel void he wasn't filling. Therefore fans weren't too impressed (and still aren't for the most part). I never was either.
With Tara though, missing Oz combined with the stigma of gays at the time, and then not knowing what to make of the character herself, made two groups: hatred or unsure. I personally was unsure until
SPOILER
the Oz returns for closure episode
END SPOILER
All characters do bad things, true. I actually have admitted a hatred for Xander and love Faith and Spike. The reasons would make this comment longer than it is already getting. The point though, is that opinions shape our views and characters make the show work more than anything else.
THE LONGEST PAUSE IN THE HISTORY OF PAUSES
".... I want it."
LOL
The way this episode ends made me feel so bad for Faith. No one should feel that way about themself.
I see only one mistake in an otherwise PERFECT performance from Sarah and Eliza. in the fighting scenes, Sarah tends to pucker her lips while Eliza grits her teeth. I guess it's a difficult job, but they should have switched those expressions too.
You're absolutely right, the sex scene was beautifully shown from Faith's perspective, but it failed to show Riley's perspective too. He WAS raped.
In case you're still wondering, a stevedore is another name for longshoreman or dockworker, a manual laborer who is responsible for loading cargo on ships.
The exchange of bodies allowed us to appreciate again the talents of Sarah and Eliza. SMG shows us to know how to fall well even in the role of "bad girl", between facial expressions and credibility in the part, a perfect "blonde Faith", and not just a villain version of her Buffy.
ED has less space, but she has also been able to replicate the typical movements of Buffy, especially in the scene where she is recognized d Giles, then passed for both tests.
For the rest we see Faith find for the first time to really have a family and a boyfriend in love, things that gradually have resurfaced her Yang, her Good Side, the Buffy side of her person, and apparently to want to redeem for mistakes made in the past. Seeing her furiously beating her face is the emblem of her change, and now she will be in Faith to prove that she has changed ... also because her actions have left their mark, and now the Buffey's situation has become decidedly embarrassing XD
Note of merit for Tara that proves much less naive and more pondered than Willow.
Spike and buffy flirting *
'I WANT IT!'
... We all do
Haha "I WANT IT!!!" 😂🤣😂🤣😂
It’s fun to overhear the scenes and imagine the characters correctly. If you’re not looking at the screen and either Buffy/Faith enter the scene and say their first line, if you’re just listening, you mistake them for each other.
Dude, yes. Hands down Sarah Michelle Gellar and Eliza Dushku pulled that off VERY convincingly. The mannerisms and the lingo for both of them was on point! And that fake-out scene with Faith stabbing Willow, omg, was hilarious. You actually thought she did that. And she would've too. Oh and that moment with Spike...ooh girl! That was H-O-T-T HOT! Damn Faith! Lol. Buffy and Spike, because it's so wrong, we think it's so right! Yep. It's cool if Buffy had a thing with Spike. I don't see a future for them cuz he's a vamp and she's human. She wants more than just being the slayer. But in the meantime, I could see Buffy try something with Spike. I mean, it's the college years so go ahead and explore that lol. But boy, this episode had some heavy, deep shit. Faith beating the crap out her own body as way of expressing how much she hates herself. Damn. I feel so bad for her. I loved this episode from start to finish. Hope to see more of Faith. It's like you said, she is a very interesting person. - Yvette
And yes, Sarah Michelle Gallar and Eliza Dushku absolutely killed it in this episode.
1:23... Self reflecting scene in the mirror is the absolute best part. Love how she says "I'll kick your ass." Phenomenal performance.
Acting Emmys very rarely go to sci-fi, fantasy shows, but SMG deserved one just for her performance in this episode. She was pitch perfect..
No matter how many times I watch this I am still amazed at all the details they were able to get immitating the other to the point it really does seem like SMG is Faith and Eliza is Buffy. I just caught that SMG did Faiths eye roll. It's not just an "Oh brother" eye roll. Faith will often kind of roll her eyes, when she's trying to make a point, and other times, like when the Mayor complimented her and she was flattered. It's such a minor character nuance, but SMG does it when she's Faith looking in the mirror pretending to be Buffy.
11:00 So Willow is not driving stick anymore - Who would have thought.
BEST REACTION EVER on UA-cam. Thank you so much
that "Yours" from Tara gets me every time, hits me like a sledgehammer and makes me shiver all over xD love that moment, it's just so romantic :)
LOL when “Buffy” was talking to Spike even Shan got turned on!! 🥴
When I originally watched Buffy when this aired I was a kid. I didn't know Willow and Tara were together for the longest time lol!
I don't know when the rape law changed to include impersonating someone else but as the US law is now, what Faith did to Riley was indeed rape.
It is important to remember that at this point, Riley has just learned that magic is real. They never explained it well in the show but the soldiers, including Riley, thought that demons where just intelligent natural animals of a kind few people see because they hide underground. So him not realising Buffy wasn't the real Buffy is not that strange. But he probably did find that she acted strange but maybe thought it was because of stress.
The reason Tara notice it is because she has special powers.
7:16 for the moment when ASR stopped shipping Bangel and joined Team Spuffy!
Something Blue is when it begun.
@@AfterShowReactions Yeah, Something Blue gave us a taste, but this scene made us NEED it
The scene with Reilly where Faith pushes him off makes me really sad. She must have really intense attachment disorder to react so traumatically towards love and intimacy.
@8:30: I... I think she's broken...
Everything in this episode is fantastic, and your reactions are just wonderful. You notice all the right stuff, and pick up on the nuances that have me biting my lips (figuratively) to keep from blurting out spoilers.
Something I've seen few people notice: Faith has been properly trained as Slayer, by a Watcher, for much of her life. She recognizes Spike with just a hint, and even refers to him by his other name, William the Bloody. She would not have gotten that from Giles, it'd be from her former Watcher.
Also, by the way, Angel and Spike have the same name, sort of. _Liam_ is a shortened form of _William._
Can't wait for _Superstar!_ Oh, and in the future, you may want to watch the end credits before summing up, at least the acting credits.
There was a Faith/Spike series in the work. It was delayed, so they moved Spike to Angel. Not that long after that, Joss Whedon and Eliza Dushku created Dollhouse. FYI > There was a Ripper series in the work for years. I would still love to see that, whether it was an old Giles, or a young Giles/Ethan series.
"Wara"... "Tillow"... I don't know, I just love it!
"....because it's wrong."
And there ladies and gentlemen you have season six summarized in a nutshell.
You all already noticed but i will say it anyway: Willow and Tara's spells are a methaphor for sex.
Both Buffy and Riley were raped in this- also. you can see the shock on Buffy's face in the end after realising How Faith saw herself... and yet whoever wrote the cross over episode FORGOT this key moment and wrote Buffy all fucking wrong.
Man, this moment (Spike & Faith) was REALY NOT for Kids! "Because its wrong!"
This just show how amazing Sarah Michelle Gellar actress is 👌🏻💯 She is one of the most underrated actresses in Hollywood
Tara noticed because of her witch powers (she's been at it a lot longer than Willow). Riley is unobservant, sure, but really, her friends tend to be too (although, to be honest, how would any of them really have known?). Or maybe he's used to roleplay... ;)
I always have and always will ship Buffy and Spike.
Both actresses did an amazing job at portraying each other's character in this episode. Every little move, speech or mannerism was perfect. Great reaction as always, this is my first post on your reactions and I came here specific for buffy and I think you are doing great reactions and really looking deep into characers and emotions of the show that are just so epic. Keep it up!!!
And they even said some words in their opposite characters accent, you can ear that in some scenes. They did a really good job on this episode.
One of my favorites episodes! So Buffy 4x17-18-19 should be next, and then Angel 1x18-19 followed by Buffy 4x20, which is the last cross-over of the season. It won't make a lot of sense if you watch it any other way ;)
You're right it was basically rape. The fact that it's not addressed, and in fact shown as if it's a slight that Riley made toward *Buffy* and not Faith who raped Riley is really messed up. I also think it dates the show, because it's expressing outdated ideas about how only women can be raped.
I think Spike was upset about that conversation with Faith in Buffy's body because he thought it was hot. He was sexually confused.
bel410la i always wondered why he got so mad about that
This is one of the few times I felt really bad for Riley.
He is only started to get to know Buffy, and has never met Faith, so of course he sleeps with his girlfriend when she comes on to him wearing a special outfit.
It kind of felt like a double violation to me... She uses Buffy's body without consent to trick Riley into having sex with her. She violates Buffy and Riley in one act. This right here is where I think Buffy just goes from "I hope Faith can be redeemed" to "I hate that bitch"... and I cannot really blame Buffy for feeling this way.
5:47 - is it bad to laugh at your distress? I feel bad and yet can't stop laughing. Sorry... :))
7:12 - 8:07 - Priceless...wordless...
15:43 - Tara noticed because she was a practicing witch for most of her life and she felt wrong energies. Angel would have noticed because he knows Buffy since she was like 14 and know when she acts *completely* out of character. But Riley knows her for less than a year and most of that year they were lying to each other.
Firstly, yes Fuffy has fantasies that have murder in it. 2nd, Adam really knows how to rile up some demons and 3rd, Yes seeing Baith prove she is who she is by explaining to Giles how she remembers him and Joyce. Ha ha ha!
"Baith and "Fuffy". LOL Brilliant. I'm going to start using that for this episode, though people may find it confusing.
A thought about Riley: he does seem pretty oblivious to Buffy being body-switched, but remember, Riley's pretty new to magic at this point. He's fought demons and vampires, but spells are pretty much outside of his experience. He probably doesn't even realize that body-switching is something that's possible.
LOVE your reactions! Keep them coming!!!
great reaction. i loved when you and BIF said "what's a stevedore" at the same time
"The one and only" "Not really though"
I consider that line can be taken in two ways. One that fits with what people have said through various parts of the series is that Faith does consider Buffy the one and only. The real Slayer and herself kind of an imposter. The other is that at the moment she thinks that Buffy in Faiths body is on her way to England now, and thus she's the only one/it's up to her, So she is the one and only active Slayer at the moment.
Thank you for uploading both of these today! Great episodes. XOXO
I remember watching this live. I completely lost plot after Spike threw that beer bottle. I can’t PROVE that scene made me bisexual, but I also can’t not prove it. 😂 Sarah Michelle Gellar in black leather truly could’ve been the tipping point.
19:37 LOL it's like you're in sync with the characters!
SMG and Eliza really kill it in each others' roles in this one. They're just wrong enough that they seem off, but not so wrong that we'd pick up on what's wrong right away if we didn't already know.
"Stevedore
Literally "one who stuffs". Originally referred to longshoremen or cargo workers in the maritime industry since before the industrial revolution. Nowadays in common usage it describes someone who swears profusely or who garners a lot of poon tang." thanks urban dictionary..........
oic... so stevedore actually means stuff-edore.
Stevedore means "one who stuffs"... um... CERTAIN THINGS... into... OTHER things.
@@UTU49
When this aired, (before urban dictionary) I asked my mom who is Joyce's age, bc I thought it was a horse. It's a horse-a thoroughbred. My boomer mom got the horse joke. A "dockworker"? Not so much.
One of the best episodes
My overall memory of Season 4 was that I didn't like it that much - but I'm realizing it's mostly because of Riley, The Initiative, Adam and last and least Professor Walsh. There are several great episodes (like this one!)...and Spike!
All the best episodes of season 4 have almost nothing to do with the Initiative plot. Season 4 is weird as it has a very weak main plot, but a lot of great standalone episodes.
I don't agree with that. Most seasons have a stronger main plot than season 4, or at least (in season 7) one that's more compelling most of the standalones in the season. The best episode of season 1 by far is its finale. Season 3 is a mixed bag in that respect as there are many great standalones (The Wish, Earshot, Helpless, Doppelgangland...) but the main plot and villains are also very strong, and episodes like Consequences and Graduation Day are among my favorites of season 3. In season 6, it's a bit fuzzy what exactly can be considered to be or not to be a part of the main plot, due to the specific nature of the main theme, but almost all of the episodes I consider best are tied to the main plot (I certainly would not consider OMWF a standalone - it's pretty much the crucial episode for the plot and the character development - which are really the same thing in season 6, and sets up most of the things that go down, while it's the episodes that have the least to do with the plot (like Doublemeat Palace, Older and Far Away or As You Were) that are the weakest. In season 7, the main plot and villain may not have been that great (though it showed a lot of promise in the first half of the season), but it's still mostly those episodes dealing with it that are the most memorable, like Conversations with Dead People (like OMWF, it is tied up to and sets up a lot of the season's plot), Dirty Girls or even Chosen, which I find to be flawed but which still has some of the most memorable moments of the season. The only standalones that are exceptional are Selfless and Help (again, YMMV on whether Storyteller can be considered a standalone). On the other hand, there are some weak main plot episodes, but also even weaker standalones (like Him or First Date).
Season 4 is an exception because I really find all of the main plot episodes forgettable (the finale-in-all-but-episode-number Primeval comes the closest, but it's still less memorable than any other season finale), but so many of the standalones are really excellent, and some of the best Buffy episodes of all time (although, to be fair, it does have a couple of weak standalones as well - but the majority of the season really consists of standalones, there are only 5 or 6 episodes that are about the main plot.).
Pretty sure this is one of my fave episodes if not my favourite it is just perfect to me
Yes! Tara & Willow! You put the pieces together finally. :)
The follow up episode to this of Angel is great too. If you don't have a lump in your throat at the end of that episode I don't know what to tell you.
Yeah Willow and Tara for the win!!!!
I miss when Willow was straight. I shipped her and Oz!
@@mrseddiediaz Your 2nd sentence would've been sufficient.