This week on the podcast Buffy and the Art of Story: When She Was Bad (Season 2 Episode 1 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

For the Season 2 pilot we’ll cover (1) how the major plot points, despite all the action, are emotional ones; (2) why Giles can hang out with teenagers all the time without it being creepy; and (3) the ways the episode foreshadows so much of Season 2 (in the Spoiler section). 

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

Next Up:  Some Assembly Required S2 E2

Last Week: Season 1 Overview  

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Additional Episode Links

Check out or rewatch The Terminator streaming (or DVD here) to see how that storyline resonates with Season 2 and the Buffy/Angel story arc.

Season 2 Buffy DVDs

Buffy DVD Complete Box Set

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About 

In addition to hosting the podcast Buffy and the Art of Story, Lisa M. Lilly is the author of the bestselling four-book Awakening supernatural thriller series and the Q.C. Davis mysteries, as well as numerous short stories. She also writes non-fiction, including books on writing craft, under L.M. Lilly. She is the founder of WritingAsASecondCareer.com.

Podcast Transcript for When She Was Bad

Hello and welcome to Buffy and the Art of Story Season Two. 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 Q.C. Davis mysteries and founder of WritingAsASecondCareer.com

This week we're talking about Season Two Episode One, When She Was Bad.

We’ll cover how the key plot points here, despite all the action, are emotional ones for Buffy. And why Giles can hang out with a group of students all the time and not have it be creepy. Also, I love the way this episode foreshadows the whole of Season Two and some aspects of later in the series, but you'll need to stay tuned to the spoiler section for that.

Okay, let's dive into the Hellmouth.

Opening Conflict In When She Was Bad

When She Was Bad Was Written and directed by Joss Whedon. In our opening conflict, we start in the graveyard, but not with Buffy. Xander and Willow are walking. They’re playing movie game, where one says a line from a movie, and the other tries to guess what it's from.

Willow uses a line from my favorite movie of all time, The Terminator. She uses the quote: “In that short time we had, we loved a lifetime's worth.” Xander guesses it fairly quickly, and after that the lines get easier and easier and we can tell they’re bored. They played this game a lot.

Xander in particular is talking about how the summer is dull Willow teases him about why he's so eager for school to start – because Buffy will be back.

When they can't think of any more movie lines Xander, who is holding a vanilla ice cream cone, dabs ice cream on Willow's nose and uses a line from the movie Witness. Willow laughs, and the two have a moment where they almost kiss. I found this very believable. Even though before this we didn't get any sense that Xander reciprocated Willow's feelings for him. It's just this really nice moment with the two of them.

So of course we see a vampire behind them.