This week on Buffy and the Art of Story: Out of Mind Out of Sight (Season 1, Episode 11 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

Along with plot turns about an invisible girl,  this episode covers (1) scene transitions (done so well!); (2) flashbacks (maybe not done so well) (3) theme; (4) strong dialogue; and (5) a midpoint that's not so strong. 

As always, the discussion is spoiler-free, except at the end (with plenty of warning).

Sorry, no Season 1 DVD commentary for Out of Mind Out of Sight.  

Next Up:  Prophecy Girl S1 E12 

Last Week: Nightmares S1 E10

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About Lisa M. Lilly

Lisa M. Lilly is the author of the bestselling four-book Awakening supernatural thriller series and the Q.C. Davis mysteries. She also wrote the short-story collection The Tower Formerly Known as Sears and Two Other Tales of Urban Horror, the title story of which was made into the short film Willis Tower.

In addition to fiction, Lilly writes non-fiction under L.M. Lilly.

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She is also the founder of WritingAsASecondCareer.com.

Episode Transcript for Out of Mind Out of Sight

Hello and welcome to Buffy and the Art of Story. If you love Buffy the Vampire Slayer and you love creating stories or just taking them apart to see how they work, you’re in the right place.

I am Lisa M. Lilly, author of The Awakening Supernatural Thriller Series and the QC Davis mysteries and the founder of WritingAsASecondCareer.com.

This Week: Out of Mind Out of Sight

This Monday we’re talking about Season 1, Episode 11: Out of Mind Out of Sight. In particular, I’ll cover:

the excellent transitions from scene to scene;

the intriguing themes the episode explores;

the great dialogue lines;

but what I see as a weak Midpoint that undermines the story;

and flashbacks and whether or not they have a purpose here or are justified given that they slow down the present-day story

Out of Mind Out of Sight was written by Joss Whedon, Ashley Gable, and Thomas A Swyden and directed By Reza Badyl.

As always, there will be no spoilers until the very end so I can talk about foreshadowing. But I’ll give you plenty of warning.

Okay, let's dive into the Hellmouth.

What To Include In Opening Conflict

As we should, we begin with our opening conflict. Cordelia and her friend Harmony are talking and walking in the halls of Sunnydale. And this might be the first time that we get Harmony’s name. I’m not positive on that, but it’s noticeable because it’s right at the beginning.

Cordelia is talking about getting her dress specially made for the spring dance because off the rack gives her hives. Though she hasn’t been elected May Queen yet, she is confident she will be.

Buffy, coming from the side, trips and falls right in front of Cordelia and Harmony. All her weapons fall out of her bag. She tries to explain, saying it’s for history class and Mr. Giles.

Cordelia and Harmony make fun of her and walk away.