This episode!!!! It's such a perfect bridge between the monster of the week vibe of season 1 and what's to come in future seasons- snappy one liners, higher stakes (har har), more character depth, me crying.
Favorite lines:
Willow: "You think I wanna go to the dance with you and watch you wish you were at the dance with her? You think that's my idea of hijinks? You should know better."
Willow continues to be the best. She has such a remarkable but still believable quiet confidence in who she is and what she deserves.
Giles and Buffy arguing over who's going to sacrifice themself. A little silly, completely sincere, perfect.
Parts that made me cry:
Buffy "Giles, I'm 16 years old, I don't want to die". Give SMG a posthumous oscar for this scene I don't care that she's still alive and also that's not for TV.
Something I just noticed for the first time s that music at the end of this scene is very similar to the music we will hear at the end of The Gift in season 5. For seasoned Scoobies you know what scene, new watchers, you will get there and I'm sure as shit not spoiling this one.
Willow: "I'm not okay. I knew those guys. I go to that room every day. And when I walked in there, it... it wasn't our world anymore. They made it theirs. And they had fun. What are we gonna do?"
I've seen this episode many many times (maybe 8 now?) And this line has never hit me quite so hard. Maybe it's 2025 of it all but holy shit it hit me like a ton of bricks and I sobbed.
Total cries: 2
Fun Facts: This was the first episode both written and directed by Joss Whedon.
Sarah Michelle Gellar still has the iconic prom dress.
[https://people.com/style/sarah-michelle-gellar-rewears-original-prom-dress-from-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/]
