Once More, With Feeling (Joss Whedon)


"Going Through the Motions"

"She ain't got that swing" "Thanks for noticing!"

"How can I repay you?" "Whatever!"

Sarah Michelle Gellar looks lovely when she sings that she "just wants to be alive".

"I've Got a Theory"

Jazz hands!

I love the crickets just after Anya makes her bunnies suggestion.

"Hey, I've died twice."

"Well, I'm not exactly quaking in my stylish yet affordable boots"

"Under Your Spell"

Poor Tara - she can only think in terms of reflected glory and can't see her own worth.

I love Amber Benson's dirty laugh sneaking through.

Those lyrics are outrageous perhaps a little too much so.

How uncomfortable does Amber look lying on that plank as she is elevated by, what exactly? Willow tickling her feet? That dress sure isn’t being ruffled.

"I'll Never Tell"

"She eats these skeezy cheeses that I can't describe."

"His penis got diseases from a Chumash tribe!"

Emma Caulfield's voice is just beautiful as she sings the above line.

"It's just, clearly our number is a retro pastiche that's never going to be a breakaway pop hit."

"Work with me, British man."

"I was able to examine the body while the police were taking witness arias."

"Rest in Peace"

"So, you're not staying then?"

I always skip this one when I listen to the soundtrack.

"What You Feel"

"What I mean, I'm fifteen, so this queen thing's illegal"

Michelle Trachtenberg's voice is so sweetly reedy.

Hinton Battle is so Broadway.

"Standing"

I'm not to keen on this either.

"Under Your Spell/Standing Reprise"

This I adore.

"Walk Through the Fire"

This is my favourite song from the musical. A great ensemble piece.

"First he'll kill her, then I'll save her"
"Everything is turning out so dark"
"No, I'll save her, then I'll kill her"
"I think this line's mostly filler"

"Something to Sing About"

"She needs backup. Anya, Tara."

I can't explain but this line is simply brilliant.

Amber bangs into a pole and they don't reshoot it. Were people watching Buffy rather than Tara? Weird.

I love the flatness in SMG's voice as she sings "I think I was in heaven".

I always sing (in my head) "so give us a kiss" after the line "life isn't bliss".

"The hardest thing in this world...is to live in it."


This is awesome stuff. Chock full of amazingly clever and witty lines (and that is just the dialogue). It is often referred to as a standalone episode but the plot is advanced a great deal - after all it ends with Buffy and Spike kissing... I like that because Willow doesn’t sing we don’t hear her innermost thoughts. Crafty or coincidence?

I don't like that Xander’s little summoning costs the life of at least one (two?) people and he isn’t ever called to account. I also don't get Giles' motivation in not initially helping out Buffy after her sister has been kidnapped and held to ransom.

Otherwise, a bona fide classic.