Ted (David Greenwalt and Joss Whedon)

I liked this episode a lot though it was an uneasy mixture of deadly serious (Buffy thinks she has killed an ordinary human – a situation not dissimilar from Faith and her killing of Allen Finch) and the humorous (Willow is so cute in this episode – not as cute as in a parka – but still sweet in her geeky eagerness). John Ritter was great as Ted – jovial, sinister and jerky. SMG was superb. I find it easy to under appreciate her which is just wrong. Her vulnerability and fear was moving when she tries to speak to her mother about what she did.

The conversation at the beginning about Captain and Tennille shows that Buffy, contrary to Xander's opinion, was not “raised in a culture-free environment” but is, in fact, a normal sixteen year old who, quite rightly, wouldn’t know the good Capt if he bit her in the neck. This sort of dialogue reveals the age of the scriptwriters and is not very convincing.

“Oh, that's the sound she makes when she's speechless with geeker joy.”

“Vampires are creeps.” “Yes, that's why one slays them.” “I mean, people are perfectly happy getting along, and then vampires come, and they run around and they kill people, and they take over your whole house, they start making these stupid little mini pizzas, and everyone's like, 'I like your mini pizzas,' but I'm telling you, I am...” “Uh, uh, Buffy! I-I believe the...subtext here is, is, rapidly becoming, text.”

“What? Freud would've said the exact same thing. Except he might not have done that little dance.”

“But I'm sure it wasn't your fault. He started it.” “Yeah. That defence only works in six-year-old court, Will”

“I don't get it. Buffy's the Slayer. Shouldn't she have...” “What, a licence to kill?” “Well, not for fun. But she's like this Superman. Shouldn't there be different rules for her?” Sure, in a fascist society” “Right! Why can't we have one of those?”

“That's right, little lady, you killed me. Do we have something to say about that? Are we sorry?”

“No, no, really, I, uh, I don't think it went in too deep. The advantages of layers of tweed. Better than Kevlar” – the reconciliation of Giles and Jenny is sweet

“Oh, Will, you're supposed to use your powers for good!”