HOMECOMING; thoughts and reviews

[Saturn 5]

Homecoming;

The Good;
Buffy and Cordy's campaign is the funniest thing ever! Jonathon! Love the ending, love the hunting, love Cordy facing off with Lyle Gorch, love the Mayor and Mr Trick, love everything about it, truly fantastic.

The Bad;
Find me some? Actually, why bring back Lyle Gorch who is a stupid villain if there ever was one?

Best line;
The Mayor; "Oh no, that wouldn't be a problem" (wonderful line from Harry Groener, it's all in the way he delivers it, perfectly polite and reasonable but with all the menace in the world)

Wheldon Cliches;
Character death;
Shot; no, despite all the lead flying around. Odd to see Buffy using a gun although it seems to run out of ammo awfully fast.
Tied up;
Knocked out; yep, Giles again and Buffy
Women good/men bad; Scott dumping Buffy but he has his reasons. Faith and Buffy plan to pick up a couple of studs, use them then dump them as revenge on the male of the species. Although I'm sure they won't be complaining!
Kinky dinky; Willow and Xander, awwwwwww. Even the most dedicated of Tara's kittens can't help but be charmed by this scene, especially the music. How does Buffy get her SDH 'letterman' jacket for her campaign? Borrowed from Larry or as a gift in return for her favours? "That thing with her mouth that boys like"? Or is it Xander's from his time on the swim team? Buffy describes Cordy as a 'vapid whore'. Xander refers to Cordy as his 'conquest' whilst Oz and Willow are 'rounding 2nd' which is apparently slang for heavy petting.
Calling Captain Subtext; just as they're getting serious Scott dumps Buffy. But in Conversations with Dead People we discover why, I don't think his Homecoming date would have got too far either (he earlier comments that he's a bad liar). Willow's attraction to Xander gives more credence to her status as bi. Xander refers to Buffy and Faith in the library 'Getting all sweaty' whilst Oz suggests that Buffy and Cordy have been mudwrestling. Essentially in this ep Faith asks Buffy out on a date to the Homecoming dance and Buffy says yes. She also says 'Boys should break up with you more often' Plus half-naked musclely German men wrestling for no apparent reason.

Questions and observations;
Love the list of Buffy's rivals set of strengths and weaknesses especially that going out with Xander is considered one of Cordy's weaknesses. What does PB crazy mean? Playboy? Just what are the chances that the shack that Buffy and Cordy stumble upon has a working phone? Love Faith's little trick against Scott. There is no Vulcan deathgrip. Wonderful introduction for the Mayor, Harry Groener is just amazing. Nice line where Mr Trick tells him that the whole 'not fitting in' concept was old even before he became a vampire (although one ventures that the undead really couldn't care less about human concerns such a racial politics just as Spike doesn't care about the Nazis in 'Why we fight?'). The picture scenes are smashing and lovingly recreated in the SDH Yearbook. Faith believes rage 'gives you an edge'. Buffy asks if she's invisible, well not yet. Xander refers to his relations with money, presumably not Uncle Rory. The only time we see Faith all dolled up at the dance and she looks beautiful. Buffy tortures the hunter in the trap.The SDPD seem to overcome Mr Trick very easily.


10/10 no question

[gumgnome]

I agree - this episode is a real tour-de-force and highlights the best in many characters, especially Mr Trick, the Mayor, Faith and Cordy. The Mayor is instantly one of the best characters on the show. I was frightened for Allan immediately when The Mayor asks him to show him his hands. He's only had 30 seconds of screen time and I was already scared! The way he flips instantly from trivial hygiene chat to the problem of the Germans. Very effective!

I love the modern touches we get with Mr. Trick coming to the fore again with the television in the woods telling them all about their impending deaths.

This episode contains an excellent montage sequence in which the good guys are preparing for the prom and the baddies are preparing for Slayerfest (although the yellow-skinned demon seems to have terrible aim with his little arm knife things).

The inclusion of the working telephone in the hut is strange, but that scene does rock. I never thought I'd get to see a propelled explosive in Buffy again, but the part where the demon jumps against a boarded up window and lands face down on the grenade is very cool.

Scott's a jerk for splitting up with Buffy right before prom, but she has given him almost nothing to go on in the relationship so far. That said, I'm always glad when they do split up, because who ever thought that was gonna last?

I for one welcome the return of Lyle Gorch, because I thought he was hilarious in "Bad Eggs". He has less to roll with in this ep, but still brings a smile to my face.

Best lines:
BUFFY: Hey.
WILLOW: Hi! How are you? You good? You look good. Anything new? Hey, did I mention you look good?
BUFFY: Willow, it's okay that you're helping Cordelia. We're best friends. I'm not gonna hold it against you.
WILLOW: No, I'm not a friend. I'm a rabid dog who should be shot! But there're forces at work here! Dark, incomprehensible forces.
BUFFY: And I'm sure they're more important than all we've been through together, or... the number of times that I've saved your life.
WILLOW: What do you want?
BUFFY: Fifteen minutes alone on your computer with Cordelia's database.
WILLOW: 'Kay.

Devious from Buffy + very very cute from Willow = awesome!

[Saturn 5]

Scott was never the long term guy for reasons that will become a lot more apparent in CWDP

[hedgehogvampire]

Homecoming is defiantly one of my favorites from the whole series. It's defiantly one of the funniest. Every thing from the year book pictures to Cordy intimidating the cow boy vampire, and the competition for homecoming. This to me is a perfect episode.

[Saturn 5]

It's damn good, maybe the last hurrah of the Buffy/Cordy relationship?