So this week I discover my season one DVDs do have subtitles
and am left to wonder why they didnt work on any other week
Anyways, The Pack
Sunnydale, Elephants, Hyenas, and random students looking at leaflets.
Buffy, in either knee high socks and shoes or the same tall boots she's been wearing practically the whole season. With a coat that makes it look like she has nothing on underneath it. Brown. And a bag that may be camouflage pattern.
Wandering alone, consulting her little booklet, and confronted by this weeks enemy-
"Oh look. It's Buffy and all her friends."
The soon to be pack are dressed in assorted colors, green, yellow, stripes, nothing in common I can see yet. One of them seems to have cross patterns on his shirt. Wonder how popular a fashion statement that is in Sunnydale. I mean it would increase ones chances of survival noticeably.
"Careful! She might beat you up!"
The Elephants, then Xander and Willow arrive (both in blue with horizontal stripes).
So we go, Buffy alone, picked on by popular kids, unpopular because of the whole violence and notoriety thing, then theres Xander and Willow. Swift recap of series so far.
"It was like the Heimlich, with stripes!"
LOL
um, stripy Xander and Willow went to watch stripy mating. funny.
The Elephants information board says 'Family Matters'. It also has Sunnydale written at the top, so its a deliberate.
So what is this weeks episode about? In groups, not in groups, picking on people, friends, mating, and family.
Kind of a short summary of high school without the classes part.
Primate family reunion. The pack all giggling together. The whole hyena thing really didnt do a whole lot to them did it?
"I've had it up to here with you four."
really making the point they are four together.
So Principal Flutie (all stripey squares this week) asks for the truth and instead he gets
"They weren't doing anything."
peer pressure at work.
And where does it lead you? To nearly getting eated by hyenas is where. Remember, kids...
nice informative shot of chimp banging bag around. What's with that?
When Xander is all "I'll handle it" the girls in the background are all raised eyebrow amusement. Because Xander handling stuff himself is implausible? To them, apparently.
The pack do everything together, the scooby gang spilt up and get back together and disagree and wander around and stuff. Its a comparison but I dont yet know what its saying.
Willow is so pink. Blue and pink both at once. and flowers. Buffy is brown and camouflage. Not exactly fitting in like that.
Creepy zookeeper has almost the same shape glasses as Giles. Guess they're popular.
"Even if they call your name."
odd creepy guy.
but the little story is clearly about sticking with the known friendly crowd in the light instead of heading off after your own name into the dark.
Lance seems all smiles and happy they're including him. Because some people really are suckers like that.
Xander: Why don't you pick on somebody your own species?
Okay, either Xander is insulting Lance, or he's insulting the pack and himself at the same time. Because, Xander getting Lance out the way and getting himself in the way, saying pick on Xander. Species. If the pack and Xander are human, Lance is not. If the pack aren't human, Xander is not.
Probably a poorly thought through insult from the Xan man, but odd nonetheless.
because right then, stopping being human species.
We see the four eyes go green, but not Xander. They turn and laugh. Then Xander turns, does the shouldnt be sexy cause its twisted grin, and gets the glowy eyes. Part of the group but also seperate. And not laughing yet.
Then the opening credits.
Bronze. Buffy in Angel's jacket, again. Because now she is somewhere Angel could see
I, er, see a whole lot less romance in this viewing around. Its so teenage.
"It goes with the shoes." shyeah, right.
Buffy in white and black.
Willow in black, or possibly really dark blue.
"Is talk about vampires" and she sort of whisper says the v word. Not casual about it.
Xander in black and white with a ghastly brown shirt over the top.
Already acting different. I mean checking out a girl, not unusual, but being unapologetic about it, not doing that half cowering thing he seems to do so much, that would be new.
At least two rings left hand, one of them possibly the coffin shaped one.
Xander wears a lot more shinies than I expected in this season.
Willow one ring on each hand.
No I can find no pattern, I'm just saying.
"And the weird behavior award goes to..."
Then the pack come in. Dark shirts over blue or green, or blue green swirlys on the girl I can see. Visually much more unified than they were a minute ago.
Its way easier to pay attention to song lyrics when they're written all over the screen. Not so easy to see whats going on behind them tho.
The whole long significant look thing... its kinda wierd. I mean yeah theres threat, but theres also intense connection. Buffy looks puzzled, Willow looks carefully blank (the dont see me face of the invisible person). Then when they've passed her she gets worried.
The pack are wearing brown, once they're in enough light to see it clearly.
So, Xander color matched to them now.
And now also laughing along with them.
Giles for the day- stripy shirt, dark red wooly sleeveless jumper, dark red and gold tie, and white padded apron with blue targets on.
*giggles*
I realise its practical but... *giggles more*.
We see Buffy actually training in martial arts with Giles. I believe this is a first. Why start here? This ep is about acts of aggression and acting like animals. So, contrast, but also comparison, Buffy aggression, acting like Slayer.
And the look on Giles face, slightly worried, and backing off all the time "Right! That's enough training for one day."
Giles is scared of getting hit even when he's holding up the targets.
Think that through- it is his job to train the slayer, yet here he is all scared of the martial stuff. Because being the target, not fun. But we see him later apparently just as scared to hit her. Still, Buffy just does like she is supposed to and hits the targets, doesnt seem to let it worry her he looks scared. Or possibly just doesnt notice.
Getting hit by someone with super strength has to count as hazardous duty.
"While I wait for the feeling to return to my arms."
its funny, but he does this how often?
volunteering to get beat up for a living. for the greater good. hmmm.
Buffy blue top matching targets.
Giles tie is definitely one we've seen before. Grid with diamonds in it. Finally a finite supply of ties.
Spooky music and screaming and... pig squeals?
Funny
Buffy in blue today.
Principal Flutie in very dark blue and light yellow.
Herbert in green and the little red and yellow helmet.
Look on Buffy's face when Flutie is all "He's not cute!", lol
Flutie wont touch the piggy. Buffy is the only girl in the whole school brave enough. Thats just silly
Buffy is wearing Angel's cross today.
Willow orange and green, Xander black over grey. Not matching at all today.
"We've been through this." This is the Willow version of the pep talk? Or something Xander says a lot? It sounds more Xander-y somehow.
Book in the bin. I know its a math book but *shudders just a tiny bit*
"I don't get it. I won't ever. I don't care."
It seems like this is angrier than usual but kind of a usual theme. Xander not big with the self esteem perhaps. Or the math.
And Willow big with the patient helping. Willow the teacher already. Which is why Buffy originally contacted her too. Ends up teaching computers and loving it. Later theres teaching Dawn about magic. I think the common thread is teaching, a love of knowledge and trying to pass it on.
Mr. Flutie: See, the problem is you kids today have no school spirit.
Hold on, let me get his outfit off. (removes it) Today it's all gangs
and drugs and those movies on Showtime with the nudity. (Buffy gives him
a look) I don't have cable, I only heard. When I was your age we cared
about the school's reputation and the football team's record, all that
stuff! Of course, when I was your age I was surrounded by old guys
telling me how much better things were when they were *my* age.
So theres an age thing, when I was your age. Also a make Flutie human thing. He isnt a bad guy. He's sort of vastly ineffectual and constantly undermined, but not bad.
And mention of gangs. Gangs are of course the RL equivalent of the animal possessed pack, with the acts of aggression, hanging together. If comics are to be believed even calling each other dogs. Not that comics are a reliable source of pop culture. But my point, this is Buffyverse gangs in schools stuff.