Teaser
27A) "It's like its eyes follow you wherever you go. I like it." CONTINUITY CHECK: "A reference to Catherine Madison in The Witch (her soul is imprisoned in the statue--see 3YY) and foreshadowing for the next [episode] Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered in which her daughter Amy Madison makes her seasonal reappearance (see 28O). Given the appearance of Larry and his actions and dialogue with Oz it's also interesting from the perspective of opening the show with reference to an evil witch and a human beast. These scenes take place in the school hallways, transitional or liminal space."--submitted by aliera
THE WONDER OF OZ: "Oz: We've met him a couple of times before, and he comes over as very appealing, a very distinct individual. Oz is a musician; a character who is laid back without being inactive. He is 'cool', in temperament as well as in the sense of being appealing to his peer group.We have always seen him on his own, never with his crowd or a peer group. He seems to cultivate non-conformity: he's said that he has no ambition except to improve musically. He seems extraordinarily self-sufficient. When we come across him in this episode he is closely observing a trophy in a case, wondering that the eyes seem to follow him (a phenomemon more often observed in oil portraits). It is a typical quirky Oz moment, showing both a strong element of self-possession (he is not embarrassed by explaining his rather odd action) and self-awareness (he is ready as always to articulate and explain his thoughts). It is therefore all the more surprising to us that he turns out to have a bestial alter-ego."--MsGiles, Wednesday, 04/16/03 at 06:49:13 See 16RR.
27B) "Uh, my time was also of the good." SLAYER SPEAK: See 13CCC.
27C) "You've really mastered the single entendre." LANGUAGE SLAYING: "Oz is riffing on the expression 'double entendre.' From An Incomplete Education, by Judy Jones and William Wilson, Ballantine Books, New York, NY (c) 1995, p. 660: 'DOUBLE ENTENDRE (DOO-bl-ahn-TAHN-dr): Literally, to hear or to understand double; in practice, a remark with a racy, spicy, off-color undertone as well as a flat, seemingly innocent surface meaning. Actually, the French themselves say "double entente," but that's their problem.' Oz is very definitely letting Larry know that he considers Larry's remark a) off-color, b) stupid, and c) not something he wants to hear. Oz is displaying both his calm and his coolness in standing up for Willow in this way."--submitted by Rhys
"Larry is the epitome of the high school bully, a real one-note player. This is actually ironic and quite not-what-it-seems, as we find out later (see 27TTT)."--submitted by aliera
27D) "Oh, thank you, Thighmaster!" SUZANNE SOMMERS STRIKES AGAIN: "And not content with startling the girl to (maybe) cop a feel and force her into a position where she has to either expose her thighs/underwear or crouch in a submissive posture, Larry--who is no Greek god himself--now makes another tasteless remark. The Thighmaster is a piece of long, ropy, sping-loaded steel with two loops for the feet (or, alternately, the hands). http://seenontv-products.com/products/5387759.html describes it this way: 'The Thighmaster will tone and strengthen key areas of your body including your hips, thighs, buttocks, upper and lower arms, chest, abdomen and upper back. Simply squeeze the two different ends of the Thighmaster together and you will be well on your way to achieving the toned, strong look you desire! Using the Thighmaster system is incredibly easy. To tighten and strengthen your inner thighs and hips simply place Thighmaster gold between your legs and squeeze.'"--submitted by Rhys
27E) "Dating a junior?" WHICH YEAR IS LARRY?: "It's implied here that Larry is a senior, yet he's still around Sunnydale in season 3. Did he fail? Or was he covering up his lowly junior status as well?"--ponygirl, Sun, 04/13/03 at 09:51:55
DATING RULES: "The high school hierarchy is at work here. For reasons of status (and because the seniors will be off at college next year and unable to pursue last year's relationship with someone who is still in high school), seniors, as a rule, date seniors--not juniors, and most certainly not sophomores or freshmen. Oz, a senior, is breaking this unwritten rule by dating Willow, a junior."--submitted by Rhys
27F) "Yeah, she's actually an evil mastermind." ISN'T IT IRONIC?: "Surely unintentional but Willow actually does become Evil in Season 6 and the innocent school girl look is used quite effectively by Darla in picking up boys to nosh on in season 1 (see 7V)."--submitted by aliera
Larry's schoolgirl comment refers "to the popular porn concept of the seemingly innocent and virginal (and often Catholic) schoolgirl, who is nevertheless sex personified when seduced."--submitted by Rhys
27G) "I mean, she's gotta be putting out, or what's the point? What are you gonna do, talk?" LARRY THE PIG: Is "Larry...mocking Oz or Willow's taciturnity, or both?"--KdS, Sat, 04/12/03 at 07:06:09
"This is the logical conclusion of Larry's attitude toward women [or the attitude he projects]. Women are there to have sex with. Period. Otherwise, there is no point in dating them. The notion that a woman could have something to say that he would want to listen to is, in Larry's view, laughable."--submitted by Rhys
27H) "I'm good to go here." TABLES TURNED: Gender twistage in the Buffyverse. Here we see the girl more interested in getting the guy to "put out" than the guy seems to be! Later, the same will be true of Cordy (see 27S).
WILLOW STRAIGHT?: "This, and several other, occasions where Willow laments Oz's lack of seduction are very hard to tie in with the belief that Willow was always gay and her relationship with Oz a desperate attempt at denial."--KdS, Sat, 04/12/03 at 07:06:09
"I wouldn't necessarily agree. There are quite a few possibilities:
a) Willow is bi, but chooses to identify as gay. ('Not women, woman, actually' - or whatever it was she said to Kennedy.)
b) Willow is gay, but sublimated her sexual desires in a relationship with a non-threatening male during her first forays into the world of dating. This is very, very common - a lot of people (particularly girls in this society at least) don't have a very real sense of thier own sexuality at this age. You are supposed to date boys, so you date boys. A girl as self-conscious and, well, repressed, as Willow may have no real sexual thoughts at all. (I know this seems impossible to people who were involved in passionate relationships in high school. All I can say is that, cough, I know for a fact that there were goody-goodies among you whose sexual fantasies were about as racy as as a post-Code Hollywood movie - kiss and fade to black.) In which case, her complaints about Oz's lack of sexual initiative may indicate that1) She wants to see herself as desirable, so feels rejected that he is not more forceful.
2) She wants to see herself as cool and worries that he thinks she is prudish and uptight.
3) She's waiting for the 'kick' to kick in - as in, this just isn't doing it for me, maybe if we went a little further....
4) Or, of course, maybe she does enjoy it, some, just not as much as she did with Tara and does with Kennedy."--dream of the consortium, Tues, 04/15/03 at 10:35:40
27I) "Well, I think it's nice that he's not just being an animal." WOLFY OZ: "The ironical theme of the episode."--Sophist, Sun, 04/13/03 at 15:18:05
27J) "I've dropped anvils." ACME, INC.: "As ME does sometimes…are they dropping one in this ep?"--submitted by aliera
27K) "What guy could resist your wily Willow charms?" WILY WILLOW: "Cute. Charms. Witch. Get it? Here's an anvil but maybe not the anvil."--submitted by aliera
There's also a possible subtle joke here in Buffy's choice of the word, wily, as a reference to the classic Looney Tunes character, Wile E. Coyote, obviously from the wolf family. It also alludes to Wile E. Coyote's habit of attempting to drop anvils on his intended prey, the Road Runner's, head.
27L) "At last count, all of them. Maybe more." FORESHADOWY GOODNESS: "This is the first episode in which one of the characters, albeit a minor one, admits to being gay (see 27TTT). There is in fact a link to Willow at this point...[Her] last sentence [here] sounds like a silly throw-away bit of teenage hyperbole, until Willow decides she is gay, years later. Then it makes sense. At this moment, not only are most all the guys resisting her charms, but the girls as well."--Cactus Watcher, Fri, 04/11/03 at 20:24:00
27M) "But I want Oz to get an 'A', and, oh, one of those gold stars." SCHOOL DAYS: Willow is referring here to the practice that some elementary school teachers have of putting gold stars on homework on which children did a good job. Some teachers even put up "star charts" on their walls, and afix a gold star for each child each day he or she is good.
27N) "I don't want to be the only girl in school without a real boyfriend." PARALLEL LIVES: This is the first indication in this episode that Buffy and Angel's relationship is being paralleled with Willow and Oz's (see ). It is also an indication that the characters have still not gotten used to Angel being evil. Willow says this because she is still used to Buffy and Angel being together that the thought that Buffy doesn't have a boyfriend doesn't even cross her mind at the moment.
27O) "I'll give Xander a call. What's his number? Oh, yeah, 1-800-I'm-Dating-A-Skanky-Ho." MEOW INDEED!: "Catty but pointing out what everyone thinks including Cordy and Xander themselves [at this point]. This is a physical attraction only." Xander will arguably never completely get out of this mindset, while Cordy (unfortunately for herself) does.--submitted by aliera, with additions by Rob
SLANGUAGE: "Street slang to say Dru's a slut (ho = whore)."--Sophist, Sat, 05/31/03 at 20:49:38
CURSY WILLOW: See 13*1 and 33Gx4.
27P) Cut inside Cordelia's car in a secluded area of the park that night. HORROR MOVIE CONVENTIONS: "We know that something is going to attack Xander and Cordy at the start of the film, as they make out in the car. Widespread car ownership and the cult of the teenager both came to pass in 1950's America, and the custom of making out in secluded parking spots followed very shortly. The sense of guilty excitement coupled with the real vulnerability to attack resulted in any number of variants on the Mad Murderer Car Attack folk myth."--MsGiles, Wednesday, 04/16/03 at 06:49:13
27Q) "We came here to do things I can never tell my father about because he still thinks I'm a... good girl." CORDY VIRGINAL?: "Is Cordelia about to say 'virgin' here? (Continuing the Expecting debate)."--KdS, Sat, 04/12/03 at 07:06:09 See 18F, 21Qx4, and 24M.
27R) "I just don't trust Oz with her. I mean, he's a senior, he's attractive..." PROTECTIVE XANDER: "Xander [is] guessing [here] that Willow's attracted to [the] externals of Oz" only, which reinforces the major theme of this episode--how deceiving surface appearances can be. Xander's suspicion of Oz is a good moment of continuity from a deleted scene from the shooting script of Surprise, when Xander voiced similar concerns (see 25OO). Unlike his comments about Buffy and Angel together, however, his words about Oz do not seem to be jealousy of a sexual or romantic nature, but a big brotherly concern, and also perhaps a platonic jealousy that his best friend may have another man in her life now.--submitted by aliera, with additions by Rob
Act
One
27S)
"I thought I heard something." MORE GENDER
TWISTAGE: "The stereotypical horror movie situation, two teens
making out in a car, hearing a noise that signals upcoming slash and dice. Usually
though it's the girl who hears something, in a typical Buffyverse reversal,
the girl is more sexually aggressive and dismissive of scary noises."--ponygirl,
Sun, 04/13/03 at 09:51:55 See 27H.
27T)
"I-is Willow sending out some sorta distress signal that only *you*
can hear?" FORESHADOWY GOODNESS: "No. But, a
few years down the road she'll be able to. We first hear her using telepathy
in The Gift."--Cactus Watcher, Fri, 04/11/03 at 20:24:00
27U)
A hairy arm with a clawed hand punches through the convertible top. LINKAGE:
"This is actually similar to the scene in the [original] BtVS
movie in which Amelyn [a vamp] punches through the roof of Pike's [Buffy's boyfriend's]
van and is knocked off by a tree branch. In the film, his arm is actually ripped
off in the process, which they obviously couldn't do to Oz."--KdS,
Sat, 04/12/03 at 07:06:09
POP CULTURE TIME: "In Michael Jackson's Thriller, a short pop-video tribute to a whole swathe of the horror genre, he is making out with a girl in a car at night when the werewolf appears. In this case it is him, transforming ('I'm not like other boys ..') Michael Jackson is a musician. So is Oz."--MsGiles, Wednesday, 04/16/03 at 06:49:13
27V) "And you're sure it was a werewolf?" STANDING WOLF: "In Phases, Oz as a werewolf is seen walking upright and very menacing. In subsequent episodes he is seen using all fours and in different less frightening makeup."--submitted by aliera
27W) "Daddy just had this car detailed." AUTOMOBILES N' STUFF: "Meaning cleaned thoroughly and waxed by hand."--Sophist, Sun, 04/13/03 at 15:18:05
27X) "I mean, they might not look it, but bunnies can really take care of themselves." IT MUST BE BUNNIES!: Oz's comment humorously foreshadows Anya and her bunny-phobia. Although we've never seen a Buffyverse bunny, they must be quite formidable creatures! See 38H.
27Y) "Werewolves, it's...it's one of the classics." GILES' IDEA OF FUN: See 3L.
WEREWOLF LORE: "Werewolf legends are second only to vampire legends in the annals of folklore monsters. Any modern werewolf tale is indebted to The Wolf Man, the 1941 Universal Studios classic starring Lon Chaney, Jr. The visual aspects of the werewolf in this episode seem to be influenced mostly by the 1981 horror-comedy An American Werewolf in London (see 27MMM), and we should probably mention the campy 1957 flick I Was A Teenage Werewolf, starring Michael Landon, and the 1985 comedy Teen Wolf, in which Michael J Fox discovers that lycanthropy can make you more popular at school. Well, Oz is a teenage werewolf too, isn't he?
'The word werewolf is a combination of the Old Saxon word 'wer' (which translates into "man") and the English word "wolf," i.e., "manwolf." The word "lycanthropy" comes from the Greek, lykos (wolf) and anthropos (human being), i.e., "wolf man."...(The "lycan" in the word lycanthropy refers to Lycaon, a figure in Greek mythology who was visited by Zeus in Arcadia, a region plagued by wolves; Zeus turned Lycaon into a wolf who feasted on human flesh). Stories about the werewolf were widely believed in Europe during the Middle Ages. In America, the "loup-garou" (the French version of the werewolf) is a central figure in Louisiana's Cajun folklore. The myth of a human who undergoes metamorphosis to change into a terrifying beast is found in many cultures: Africa has were-leopards; Peru has were-jaguars; India has the were-tiger; Russians the were-bear; and the Chinese have both were-foxes and were-tigers…(Based loosely on essay at www.shamanshop.com/publish/werewolf.html)'
'While
most people would agree that the Hollywood version of a werewolf is totally
fictional, there are facts behind the legend. These stories are timeless, and
like many such myths, serve to explain an unknown quantity. In the case of the
werewolf, there are three distinct medical conditions that are now known to
modern man, that may be the basis for the werewolf's history. Lycanthropy, congenital
generalized hypertrichosis, and even rabies, are all conditions that would appear
to a simpler people as a human morphing into an animal.
...[L]ycanthropy is a mental disorder in which the patient believes that he
is a wolf or some other non-human animal. Both the superstition and the psychiatric
disorder are linked with belief in animal guardian spirits and totemism. The
folklore, fairy tales, and legends of many nations and peoples show evidence
of lycanthropic belief. Here in America, the Native American culture included
animal totems and shapeshifting was part of the shamanistic rituals.
Congenital generalized hypertrichosis (CGH) is an extremely rare disorder characterized
by excessive hair growth on the face and upper body. It has been dubbed "Werewolf
syndrome" by the popular press, and the unfortunate individuals with this
condition have in the past appeared in circuses as "dog-men" and "ape-men".
The re-appearance of primate-like characteristics in humans, albeit rare, serves
as a reminder that genetic information has not been lost during evolution, but
lies quietly within us.
Last but not least, is the vicious disease of rabies...A rabid animal, according
to clinical observations, becomes "increasingly irritable, restless, and
nervous.... It shows exaggerated response to sudden stimuli of sight and sound...at
this stage the animal is now very dangerous because of its tendency to bite
anything that it encounters, be it man, animal, or inanimate objects. If the
animal is confined it will bite at chains or bars of the cage or kennel, breaking
its teeth, and inflicting severe trauma on its oral tissues. The horror of a
crazed beast, frantically assailing people, is often amplified by the hair-raising
sounds which rabid animals emit due to the paralysis of their laryngeal musculature.
The symptoms of the disease in humans include hyperactivity, disorientation,
hallucinations, seizures, bizarre behavior, and stiffness or paralysis of the
neck. In most cases a period of marked hyperactivity develops lasting hours
to days. The hyperactivity consists of periods of agitation, thrashing, running,
biting, or other bizarre behavior. These episodes may occur spontaneously or
may be precipitated by tactile, auditory, visual, or olfactory stimuli."
Rabies may truly explain the werewolf myth.
So, this fearsome monster has a fairly logical explanation, based on several
valid medical conditions (http://www.solitaryphoenix.com/SanctuaryBumpInNightOct01.html)
ANOTHER THEORY: 'If we accept the theory of evolution, then we know that humanity has only recently (in terms of aeonic measurements) completed the transition from animal to human. As such, I see the myth of the werewolf as a sort of "genetic memory" of the time when we had fur and fangs and went about on all fours. But what, you may ask, is the importance of looking back and "remembering" our animal heritage and just how do werewolves have anything to do with this? My opinion is that because an animal heritage and nature is certainly an inherent part of all humans, it is wise to explore and learn about one's lower self in order to better understand the higher self and indeed, life itself.
The
philosopher Nietzsche's work in Also Sprach Zarathustra seems to advise
recognizing the beast within as a prerequisite to becoming the "god-man,"
a state of being that fully utilizes the higher self. Occultists such as Aleister
Crowley understood this need to recognize and utilize the lower self and expressed
this in many of their writings, often as a form of angry criticism toward those
religions that denied their animal instincts and indeed condemned them as something
"sinful" or as a manifestation of the "Devil," i.e., as
being something that is negative or detrimental to the higher self.
It is this fear of animal-like amorality and aggression ("evil") that
civilization attempts to protect itself from, usually within the realm and banner
of the "good" and which has been symbolized by humanity's perception
of the lupine archetype as something dangerous, bloodthirsty, and predatory
by nature. And it is from this negative perception that the myth of the werewolf
was born.
We now know through modern study and observation of the wolf that much of the
brutal characteristics attributed to them simply are not true. There have never
been any fully documented, reliable accounts of wolves attacking humans, but
that is not really what is important here. What is important is the fact that
these myths have been sustained throughout history and may well be classified
as examples of a genetic memory of our animal heritage (http://www.labyrinth13.com/Lycanthropy.htm)."--submitted
by aliera
27Z) "Here's a suggestion: move away from the Hellmouth." PARENTS OBLIVIOUS?: "This is a reoccurring question in the chat groups. Why doesn't everybody just move away…other version, why doesn't anyone notice all the freakiness? One riff on this is it's a comment on how adults are so unaware of what's really going on in their teen's lives. Since the demons function as metaphors for real issues the gang is dealing with, the fact that adults are oblivious or retcon to see what they want to see seems to support this."--submitted by aliera
In
the seventh season, as the final battle approached, people wisely actually did
start moving away, as we learn in Dirty Girls.
27AA)
"I think you splashed on just a little too much 'Obsession For Dorks'.
POP CULTURE TIME: "This is a reference to the famous
Calvin Klein perfume - 'Obsession for Men/Women'"--submitted by aliera
27BB) "By being prepared, you have the power." KNOWLEDGE IS POWER: "Power was often equated with knowledge in the early seasons. Fighting the demon started with hitting the books …research."--submitted by aliera
FORESHADOWY GOODNESS: This foreshadows the major theme of the seventh season, the idea that power is the most important thing in the world to have. While the Biggest Bad of all, the First Evil, believes that power equates to the ability to use its malevolent forces to squash out all good, power can also refer to the strength and resolve heroes like Buffy use in order to stand up to evil. Joyce visits Buffy in a dream in Bring On the Night, and tells her that she has to "wake up," that the only way she can fight the First is by being prepared. Only then will she have the power.--suggested by Sophist
SELF-DEFENSE FOR DUMMIES: "Self defence is commonly taught in high schools (I presume, it certinaly is in the UK), but I wonder whether certain elements of the faculty ie Snyder (who is admittedly a nasty little man, but presumably doesn't want all students dead), who are aware of Sunnydale's true nature, are trying to give the kids some defence not just against muggers and rapists, but the things that go bump in the night as well. Sadly, Theresa didn't remember anything she was told in this lesson. She allowed a virtual stranger to engage her in conversation when she really should have been remembering some of those moves."--Helen, Mon, 04/14/03 at 02:44:02
27CC) "My cousin Jordy just got his grownup teeth in?" WEREWOLF BITES: Of course, the irony being here that while Oz brings up Jordy in order to compare his bite to that of a huge dog, his analogy isn't so off the mark. "'In horror or dark fantasy stories, if the were bites (in some tales if they so much as scratch) you, and you live, "even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright." (1) You become a werewolf when the moon is full ~ changing into a hairy, feral beast, with huge canine-like teeth with a lust for the taste of human flesh. Sometimes slowly and sometimes rapidly, the main character transforms physically into the were-creature...' (http://www.darkmoonrising.com/issues/sep99/fth.html)--submitted by aliera, with small additions by Rob
"A real departure from most werewolf legends, in the Buffyverse it seems that lycanthropy can be transmitted in the human as well as shifted form. Given the closeness of Oz and Willow's future relationship, this does bring up some potential problems regarding body fluids." At the very least, they'd have to make sure to keep the biting down to a minimum...which Willow mentions at the end of the episode! On a more serious analytical note, though, the fact that an innocent-looking child was the one to administer the bite ties in nicely with the current Angel/Angelus arc.--KdS, Sat, 04/12/03 at 07:06:09, with some additions by Rob, based on a submission by aliera
27DD) "And I'm one of the few." LINKAGE: "This reminds me of Buffy's 'rescue' of Xander in [Halloween--see 18V]. Larry and Theresa's interchange is a forshadowing of what's to come with a different beast."--submitted by aliera
27EE) "Spoil my fun." DECEVING APPEARANCES: Importantly, in an episode all about how deceiving outward appearances can be, Willow reminds Buffy to keep on the facade of being a "meek little girlie-girl."
FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: The original script contained an amusing longer scene here, which may make it easier to understand the seemingly uncharacteristic "bonding moment" Cordy and Willow later have at the Bronze (see 27ZZ):
Willow JOINS Xander and Cordelia in their group. Xander is pulling a large PADDED HELMET over his head.
XANDER: Be gentle with me.CORDELIA: (to Willow) You first. I wouldn't want to be accused to taking your place in line.
WILLOW: Oh, I think you pushed your way to the front long before this.
CORDELIA: Hey, I can't help it if I get the spotlight just because some people blend into the background.
WILLOW: Well, maybe some people could see better if you weren't standing on the auction block, shaking your wares.
CORDELIA: Sorry, we haven't all perfected that phony 'girl next door' bit.
WILLOW: You could be the girl next door, too. If Xander lived next to a brothel!
They BORE INTO EACH OTHER, breathing heavily. Xander, completely suited up, calls out to them.
XANDER: (innocently) Okay, who wants a piece of me?Cordelia and Willow look at one another. SMASH CUT TO: BAM! Xander reels from a PUNCH thrown by Cordelia. OOF! He buckles over from a KICK, administered by Willow. The girls WORK TOGETHER, eventually taking Xander to the ground. He looks up at them, confused and pleading:
XANDER: Why…?--"Phases" by Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 3
27FF) "Oh, Summers, you are turning me on." FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "Larry reaches down and GRABS A HANDFUL of Buffy's butt. No more girlie-girl. In the blink of an eye, Buffy GRABS hold of Larry, LIFTS him, and SLAMS him into the mat."--"Phases" by Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 3
27GG)
"And, uh, while there's absolutely no scientific explanation for lunar
effect on the human psyche, uh, the phases of the moon, uh, do seem to exert
a great deal of psychological influence." NEW MOON RISING:
"The full moon has been linked to crime, suicide, mental illness,
disasters, accidents, birthrates, fertility, and werewolves, among other things.
Some people even buy and sell stocks according to phases of the moon, a method
probably as successful as many others. Numerous studies have tried to find lunar
effects. So far, the studies have failed to establish anything of interest,
except that the idea of the full moon definitely sends some lunatics (after
luna, the Latin word for moon) over the edge. (Lunar effects that have
been found have little or nothing to do with human behavior, e.g., the discovery
of a slight effect of the moon on global temperature, which in turn might have
an effect on the growth of plants.)
Ivan Kelly, James Rotton and Roger Culver examined over 100 studies on lunar
effects and concluded that the studies have failed to show a reliable and significant
correlation (i.e., one not likely due to chance) between the full moon, or any
other phase of the moon, and each of the following:
-the homicide rate
-traffic accidents
-crisis calls to police or fire stations
-domestic violence
-births of babies
-suicide
-major disasters
-casino payout rates
-assassinations
-kidnappings
-aggression by professional hockey players
-violence in prisons
-psychiatric admissions
-agitated behavior by nursing home residents
-assaults
-gunshot wounds
-stabbings
-emergency room admissions
-behavioral outbursts of psychologically challenged rural adults
-lycanthropy
-vampirism
-alcoholism
-sleep walking
-epilepsy--submitted by aliera, from http://skepdic.com/fullmoon.html
27HH) "Yes, the moon pie." DARK AND LIGHT: Xander's joke also points to an important concept, that everyone has both good and bad qualities, a light side and a dark side, like the moon itself. Oz may be a werewolf 3 days out of each month, but for the rest, he is a kind, gentle person. The moon may bring out the darkest qualities in man, but it also lead to the invention of a delicious dessert!
GILES, WITH A SENSE OF HUMOR: "Extremely uncharacteristic for Giles to laugh out loud at a joke by Xander; usually, Giles is extremely strict with Buffy's main male friend, unable to suffer his (outer) foolishness. But in an extremely strange time such as this one, where the Scooby Gang's most powerful ally has become their most vicious foe yet, their old habits, hunting faceless demons by researching familiar library tomes, is a welcome change of pace; even Xander's stupid jokes feel safe and secure, rather than annoying."--Nitz the Bloody, Sat, 04/12/03 at 23:48:10
27II) "...that it e-emerges for three full consecutive nights: the full moon and, uh, the two nights surrounding it." THE MAGIC NUMBER: See 12F.
THAT TIME OF THE MONTH: See 27Sx4.
27JJ) "And it, uh, acts on-on pure instinct. No conscience, uh, uh, predatory and, and aggressive." WEREWOLF BITES: "The portrayal of werewolves in the Buffyverse echoes the anti-revisionist portrayal of vampires. As in the vampire case, the questioning of traditional moral codes, and consciousness of prejudice against minorities, in the second half of the 20th century led to the production of a number of novels and films featuring benevolent werewolves who retained full intelligence and moral awareness in animal form, making lycanthropy closer to a superpower than an affliction. Unlike the vampire case, however, the werewolf case in the Buffyverse is less clear cut. In S4 we see one other Buffyverse werewolf, Veruca, who claims to have a continuous consciousness as human and wolf but is sociopathically conscienceless as both. Oz assumes that this is an inevitable consequence of lycanthropy, but it is possible that Veruca was that evil before she became a werewolf. There is still room to argue that Oz's repression of his animal side was a mistake and that, given a different approach, he could have learnt to maintain his humanity in wolf form."--KdS, Sat, 04/12/03 at 07:06:09
27KK) "In other words, your typical male." DECEVING APPEARANCES: "Actually this episode goes out its way to turn those assumptions around: the insensitive jock is actually gay, Oz is not in the least sexually aggressive, and Xander would rather talk about his friends than make out with Cordelia."--ponygirl, Sun, 04/13/03 at 09:51:55
27LL) "The point is that our wolfman could also be a-a-a wolfwoman, or-or anyone who was bitten by a werewolf." WHO'S THE WOLF?: "Yeah, Giles! Men and women both have desires, connection to nature, a dark side."--submitted by aliera
27MM) "No matter who this werewolf is, i-it's still a human being, who may be completely unaware of his or her condition." THE RULES: The preservation of humanity is probably the most important thing in the Buffyverse. It is the reason Buffy fights for and protects the citizens of Sunnydale--to keep them from becoming soulless monsters (see 7NN). The worst offenses in the Buffyverse are those that rob people of their humanity and/or their free will, an issue that comes up every episode with the vampire issue, as well as sometimes more overtly, such as with the Bezoar in Bad Eggs (see 24VV). The werewolf is an interesting case because in some ways, it is worse than a vampire; it is far more predatory and feral, whereas a vampire, despite its soullessness, can maintain much of his or her humanity, for lack of a better word. In other ways, it is better, though, because the wolf reverts to complete human form, in mind, body, and soul for most of the year. The importance of not killing a werewolf does not just deal with Buffy's own sense of morality, but with the rules of the human world that compel her to not kill humans, not even villains (the justice system must take care of them--see 9R). The werewolf is a supernatural creature that one would think demands immediate slayage and yet when he turns into a human, he is souled and usually a good person unresponsible for the actions of his wolfie alter-ego (Veruca is a case of someone who is evil in both forms.).
SHOULD OZ BE KILLED?: "Even if a human being is aware of being a werewolf, they have not chosen to be a werewolf, and therefore should not be killed simply in virtue of that fact. Other methods to restrain them should be found. Regardless of how many people Oz killed when he first changed, it does not make him guilty of anything. At the time, ignorance left him without known options. Now that he knows what is happening, he has options. Oz...walks into his cage without coercion. Killing Oz would be like killing anyone with a contagious fatal disease. We don't do that. We just try to keep them away from the rest of us. (Michael Hennebry, 07 Jul 1999 16:29)--Masquerade, "Phases" Analysis, from http://www.atpobtvs.com
27NN) "So tonight we bring 'em back alive." POP CULTURE TIME: "The phrase 'bring 'em back alive' was made famous by American adventurer Frank Buck. His book by that title (1930) describes his adventures supplying animals for various zoos."--Sophist, Sun, 04/13/03 at 15:18:05
"Just to add a bit, Buck also starred in some of the first short "naturalist" films of animals in the wild. They were sensationalist, but not pure fantasy as the Tarzan films contemporary with him were. Later safari filmers like Dana Brown, a coffee mogul and hunting enthusiast, and Marlin Perkins, the zoo director, copied aspects of his filming and story-telling technique for their own work."--Cactus Watcher, Sun, 04/13/03 at 18:40:27
Act Two
27OO) "What the hell?" PRODUCTION NOTES: "Jack Conley, who played Cain, should be familiar to anyone who's seen Season Three of Angel, in which he plays Sahjhan. He's also appeared in cult shows Dark Skies and Freaks and Geeks."--submitted by aliera, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/buffy/indetail/phases/trivia.shtml
SYMBOLISM: "Cain is the second example of the predator in man [in this episode]...Larry is the first mild example. Notice Buffy's holding a flashlight (to illuminate: to see better, to understand) he has a gun (to kill)."--submitted by aliera
27PP) "The name's Cain." WHAT'S IN A NAME?: "Means 'acquired' in Hebrew. In Genesis in the Old Testament, Cain was the first son of Adam and Eve. He killed his brother, Abel, [out of jealousy] after God accepted Abel's offering instead of his." According to the Bible, Cain is the first murderer, who famously responded to God's question of the whereabouts of his brother, "Am I my brother's keeper?" For the offense, God placed a curse on Cain and on all of his future offspring: "When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth." Cain protested that others will try to kill him, so God gave Cain a mark of protection on his head (known as "the mark of Cain"). Anyone who would dare to harm Cain would know from this that they and their family would be cursed for generations.--submitted by aliera, with additions by Rob
FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: According to the original script, Cain is this character's last name. His first is "Gib."--"Phases" by Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 3
27QQ) "...how about we do something about me being in this net thing?" OOPS!: Buffy asks for help getting down. "Kane then reaches out and cuts the rope sending Buffy to the ground. The problem? The rope is slack before he cuts it, and clearly not supporting her weight."--Cactus Watcher, Fri, 04/11/03 at 20:24:00
27RR) "Well, it's good to get the fruit while it's fresh." METANARRATIVE HUMOR: "A meta on some fan commentary and fan fic that built 'more' into the Giles Buffy relationship." Also another example of appearances being deceiving in this episode.--submitted by aliera, with additions by Rob
27SS) "Exactly how many of these animals have you taken out?" BLACK AND WHITE: "It all black and white for Cain...the werewolf looks like an animal so it is an animal" regardless of the fact that it's human and unaware of its actions for most of the month.--submitted by aliera, with additions by Rob
27TT) "I tore a tooth from the mouth of every werewolf that I killed...This next one will bring the total to an even dozen." WISELY-CHOSEN WORDS: "Notice his use of language, not 'removed' but 'tore'. Violence [not unlike the werewolves he so mercilessly hunts down]. Scorekeeping. Judging by the outside person so an inability to really see, and that's at the heart of the episode."--submitted by aliera
27UU) "And it doesn't bother you that a werewolf is a person twenty-eight days out of the month?" BUFFY GOOFS: "Pointing out that the werewolf is a normal person, probably unaware of his full-moon murders, Buffy seems to feel that a lunar month lasts 31 days...[She should have said the werewolf is a human] 25 [days out of the month] - there are 13 lunar months of 28 days each per year, with the moon being full for three days out of each one." Of course, it's perfectly consistent characterwise that Buffy would not know this.--submitted by aliera, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/buffy/indetail/phases/trivia.shtml
27VV) "No, but the werewolf is. They're suckers for that whole sexual heat thing." DIRTY BEAST: "Another characteristic that has been labeled as lupine is human sexuality. In the book Apocalypse Culture, author Adam Parfrey describes the children's story of Little Red Riding Hood as a 'parable of sexual awakening' in which the wolf is portrayed as an 'erotic stranger whose lycanthropic sexuality subverts his social conscience. (a)
[Anyone
who doubts this should look at the original text of the fairy tale, as written
by the famous French fairy tale author, Charles Perrault:] 'Little Red Riding
Hood pulled the bobbin, and the door opened. The wolf, seeing her come in, said
to her, hiding himself under the bedclothes, '…come get into bed
with me.' Little Red Riding Hood took off her clothes
and got into bed... Moral: Children, especially attractive,
well bred young ladies, should never talk to strangers, for if they should do
so, they may well provide dinner for a wolf. I say, 'wolf,' but there are various
kinds of wolves. There are also those who are charming, quiet, polite, unassuming,
complacent, and sweet, who pursue young women at home and in the streets. And
unfortunately, it is these gentle wolves who are the most dangerous ones of
all.' (b)
'Much of this association of the bestial with human, sexuality probably stems
from the Judeo-Christian fear and guilt of the sex act itself. But just as an
aggressive instinct is sometimes necessary for survival, protection, food, etc.,
so is the sexual urge in that through our instinctual desire to have sex, we
assure our survival as a species through procreation.' (a)--submitted by
aliera, from (a) http://www.labyrinth13.com/Lycanthropy.htm;
(b) http://www.dictateur.com/Noel_contes/Anglais_Chaperon_rouge.htm
27WW) "We just have to make it there before mein furrier." THAT'S PUNNY!: "Buffy quickly nicknames the loathsome were-pelt hunter 'Mein Furrier' - a pun on Mein Fuhrer - the way Nazis addressed their leader, Adolf Hitler." This nickname carries with it all the implications about Cain's racism and the gleeful way he slaughters a race of creatures, by denying them their humanity.--submitted by aliera, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/buffy/indetail/phases/trivia.shtml, with additions by Rob
27XX) Theresa is walking home. WHAT'S IN A NAME?: "From the Spanish and Portuguese name Teresa. The meaning is uncertain, but it could be derived from Greek theros 'summer', from Greek therizein 'to harvest', or from the name of the Greek island of Thera (the main island of Santorini). A famous bearer was Maria Theresa, an Austrian Habsburg queen of the 18th century. She inherited the domains of her father, Charles VI, the Holy Roman Emperor, which began the War of the Austrian Succession...Saint Teresa was a 16th-century Spanish nun who reformed the Carmelite monasteries. She also wrote several spiritual books."--submitted by aliera, from http://www.behindthename.com/nm/t.html
27YY) ...twirls a daisy... FLORAL SYMBOLISM: Collier's Cyclopedia of Commercial and Social Information and Treasury of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge, published in 1882, has a section on "The Language of Flowers," describing what each flower symbolizes. Extremely significantly, the daisy is the symbol for "innocence"! Not only does this tie in with the previous episode's title and theme, but it also reinforces the outward-appearance-is-deceiving theme of this episode: Angelus traps a girl into his web by not only acting like a gentleman, but also presenting her with the symbol of innocence!--submitted by aliera, from http://www.apocalypse.org/pub/u/hilda/flang.html, paraphrased by Rob
27ZZ) "He's so busy looking around at everything he doesn't have, he doesn't even realize what he *does* have." WAITING TO EXHALE: This is a very sweet scene because it is the first (and perhaps only) instance of true girl-bonding between Cordy and Willow (although a deleted scene from the script may have made their sudden chat seem a little more organic--see 27EE). Willow's line here works on two levels: it can be used to describe her feelings for Xander (Willow and Cordy are both pining for the same guy and both, interestingly, feel equally ignored by him, and each blames the other, yet now bond over this), as well as her feelings for Oz, who she fears is drifting away from her. Cordy and Willow bond both over their annoyance of one specific guy, Xander, and at all guys in general.
27AAA) Giles and Buffy come rolling up in his decrepit car as patrons flee for their lives. OOPS!: "The heads of two stage crew pushing the car are visible through its rear window."--KdS, Sat, 04/12/03 at 07:06:09
27BBB) "Who could resist Sunnydale's own house of hormones?" THAT'S PUNNY!: Buffy's really on a roll tonight! This is a riff on the classic 1946 horror movie, House of Horrors.
27CCC) "The werewolf, it's in there." BALL AND CHAIN: "Notice Willow sees the beast but it is Buffy who confronts it in the Bronze and attempts to chain it up. The chains will appear again in Season Three first on Angel and then later on Faith after she has assumed the role of Buffy's shadow or Beast."--submitted by aliera
JOSEPH
CAMPBELL & THE HERO'S JOURNEY: "In Campbellian mythology the
Bronze as a set location has special meaning (see 1TT)...Willow...function[s]
as [a symbol for] Buffy's spirit, [so] here is where her spirit meets another
aspect of the monster within, the shadow. The monster guards the threshold;
the threshold to adulthood." Here, the werewolf is the Guardian of the
Threshold, just as Cordelia was in Welcome
to the Hellmouth.
Campbell says that the threshold is where the monster of the abyss has come
to meet the hero. Here is the place of reckoning and there are then two possibilities.
o The hero is consumed by the monster and then resurrected: In this case, the conscious personality had to die in order to integrate the energy of the unconscious, and then emerge with a new way of life (Flowers, p. 146).
o The hero overcomes the monster, but must taste of the monster's blood “in order to take to himself something of [that] power” (Flowers, p. 146). Once tasting the blood, the hero is reconnected with nature and is transformed.
'Myths deal with [transformation and consciousness] going from one way of thinking to another. We are transformed through trials and tests, which are certain illuminating revelations' (HA). The hero's journey is the story of the transformation, either through physical or spiritual deeds, and this journey is one, which the hero is ready for, 'it is a manifestation of his character. The adventure he is ready for is the one he gets' (HA)."--submitted by aliera See 1Q, 1S, 1Y, 1JJ, 1TT, 2T, 2RR, 3FF, 11GGG, 12LLL, 27CCC, 35XXX, and Appendix A.
27DDD) Tables and chairs are lying everywhere, spilled drinks are splattered on the floor. Buffy sees a shadow behind a bead curtain and makes for it. As she walks she takes off her backpack and pulls out a chain. Cut to the restroom and backstage area. Buffy sees the bead curtain that leads to the stage office swinging. She climbs the few steps and goes in. CROSSING THE THRESHOLD: "To me this is pretty clearly a move from conscious to subconscious space. The bar/tables are transitional space. (Also an indication of the disarray of normal life for Buffy?) The stage is the space of seeing or viewing. It's also the place of her memorable conflict with Luke in which she 'let in the light' before staking him (see 2OO). Going behind the scenes like this is crossing from external (what we 'show' others) to internal (in our heads, behind the scenes). In her head, Buffy is going to try to capture and chain the beast."--submitted by aliera
27EEE) "And Daddy's doing a great job carrying her bag of milk bones." POP CULTURE TIME: "Milk Bones are one of the most common [brand of] doggie treats."--submitted by aliera
27FFF) "You know, sis, if that thing out there harms anyone, it's going to be on your pretty little head. I hope you can live with that." LINKAGE: "This [foreshadows] the following scene [where Angel meets Oz-wolf] and Buffy's responsibility in the Angel sequence. Giles participation (Giles as 'mind') indicates that intellectually (in her head) she knows she should have killed Angel in the last ep (see 26FFF). In her spirit (Willow) she wants to find a way to meet and contain the Beast. While her heart? Xander is playing the role of the boy-beast interested primarily in sex...Xander actually physically played the role in Season 1 in The Pack (see 6EE)."--submitted by aliera
27GGG) "I live with that every day." MORAL DILEMMA: "This dialogue sets up the events of Passion. Buffy's ethical dilemma is acute -- it's easy to agree with her judgment in this case, but the next scene gives us the death of Theresa at the hands of Angelus and Passion costs us Jenny Calendar (see 29UUU)."--Sophist, Sun, 04/13/03 at 15:18:05
27HHH) "First they tell me I can't hunt an elephant for its ivory..." ANIMAL RIGHTS: "Hunting of elephants, of both African and Asian species, has drastically reduced the numbers of both species, placing both on the endangered list. The U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species placed a ban on worldwide ivory trading in 1990, making ivory hunting illegal. Economic losses in Africa and elephant overpopulations had the ban revised, to allow for some ivory hunting, but it is still heavily regulated and monitored. Obviously Cain, who would view these creatures as stupid beasts to be killed for his pleasure and profit, would not see any benefit to taking away his pleasure. With werewolves, it is not so much an ecological debate as a moral one; lycanthropy is a curse, and werewolves seem to have no necessity to any ecosystem. But there is a human being behind the fur, and to Buffy, Cain's hunting is murder."--Nitz the Bloody, Sat, 04/12/03 at 23:48:10
27III) "Now I've gotta deal with People for the Ethical Treatment of Werewolves." THAT'S PUNNY!: "Riff on [the organization] PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals."--submitted by aliera
27JJJ) Angelus returns the growl, baring his own fangs and staring the werewolf down... PARALLEL LIVES: "This is a really interesting scene. They don't just show us Angel killing Theresa but also the Oz-beast meeting the Angel-beast." The similarities between these two creatures are intensified when we see both growling with the same savage animalistic noises. This is not the only time Oz-wolf and Angelus will be compared. It happens again in the thrid season's Beauty and the Beasts.--submitted by aliera, with additions by Rob
27LLL) "No. I'm guessing you didn't see anything either from that vantage point of having your eyes closed." EYES WIDE SHUT: "Again with the seeing (this is like having anvils dropped!--see 27J and 27K). Commentary on how adults are often oblivious to the transformations that occur in adolescence."--submitted by aliera
27MMM) "He sits up and stares around at the forest. He looks down at himself and realizes he's naked." INTO THE WOODS: "Again, the woods as liminal space and a place of transformation. The woods represent not just the subconscious but that space which is not yet subdued by man, outside the bounds of civilization. Oz wakes naked and is revealed to himself." In many fairy tales and mythologies, the hero must go into the woods to "find" him or herself, which is the main theme of Stephen Sondheim's classic fairy tale musical, Into the Woods.--submitted by aliera, with additions by Rob See 27Hx4.
CINEMATIC LINKAGE: "The shot sequence and framing in this scene almost exactly echo a sequence in the film An American Werewolf in London (see 27Y) in which the protagonist wakes up after his first night as a werewolf, naked in a wolf cage at London Zoo."--KdS, Sat, 04/12/03 at 07:06:09
FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "EXT. SUNNYDALE WOODS - SAME TIME - DAY We BEGIN TO PAN UP the body of the werewolf as it lies, curled up, beneath a tree. It GROWLS softly. The growling turns into a human kind of MOANING. By the time WE REACH THE HEAD of the werewolf, it has fully transformed into its human state. The state of Oz. Oz takes note of his outdoor surroundings. And the fact that he's wearing no clothes."--"Phases" by Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 3
27NNN) "Huh." THE WONDER OF OZ: "Classic Oz. Understated to the max."--submitted by aliera