Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 3, Episode 2: Dead Man's Party
Written by Marti Noxon; Directed by James Whitmore Jr.About half of this episode is really good, but the other half is a mess. The biggest problem is that they completely botch the reunion of Buffy and her friends. Okay, so she disappeared without telling anyone where she was going, but the way most of them act towards her is not only completely unreasonable but also completely out of character. Maybe it's the demonic head that's controlling their minds, but somehow I don't think that's it. The actual drama of the whole situation would have been pretty potent if the characters didn't seem to be possessed by different personalities, Season 7 style, and if the "monster of the week" plot wasn't so patterned after The Night of the Living Dead. Seems to me like a rather odd episode for a filler.
But I can't completely condemn it. The Buffy/Willow scene in Buffy's bedroom is wonderful, and Giles' little miniplot regarding the dead cat, and his drive to Buffy's house (including the hotwiring material that was deleted from the UK release) is good fun. The failure, I think, is not the idea itself, but the execution.
Overall rating: 6/10.
Next time: Faith, Hope and Trick.
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