Season 2 - Episode 1 - When She Was Bad
Reviewed by Christophe | Rating: 6/10

When She Was Bad
Written and Directed by Joss Whedon

Here we are, visiting Sunnydale yet again, this time in season 2! This season is a favourite among fans, and although personally I feel the show improves with each season, many viewers find themselves enjoying season 2 the most. The season’s first episode, “When She Was Bad,” is written and directed by Joss Whedon (the series creator – so it’s pretty much guaranteed to be great!) and efficiently gets the ball moving for the slayer’s next year of high school. Vampires continue to prove troublesome for Buffy, when they attempt to bring the Master back to life. The slayer must deal with this, while also dealing with some inner issues that have been brewing inside her since last season….

Something is definitely up with Buffy – and it has something to with the Master. We can first notice the slayer’s uneasiness, when Willow mentions the Master’s burial, which took place while she was holidaying with her father. Buffy does the whole “dart eyes like a trapped animal” thing, alerting us that serious issues lurk beneath that face. In a scene involving both Buffy’s mother and father, Hank Summers tells Joyce that Buffy seemed distant, as he was unable to make a connection with his daughter.

At first, Buffy’s attitude towards her friends seems usual. She’s bright perky, happy to be back. But there is definite underlying tension.
She has a dream about Giles turning into the Master (a great little scare compliments of Joss!). When she awakens, she finds Angel at her window. He had come to warn Buffy of the anointed one, telling her not to underestimate him. But Angel soon leaves after Buffy turns up the bitch meter, firing verbal bullets after Angel’s every sentence. Angel tells her he missed her, somehow softening Buffy. She tries to tell him that she felt the same way, but he had already left.
The next day, is when Buffy’s bitch meter reaches boiling point. After a few one liners to Willow, Xander and Cordelia, she leaves the three in a state of shock and wonder. But the real bad-girl stuff comes that night at the Bronze. Cibo Matto is playing – much to both mine and Willow’s delights! They make fantastic music - great to have on the show. Their song “Sugar Water” is playing when Buffy enters. After talking with Angel in her cool and sly manner, she makes her way over to Xander and Willow. Buffy pulls Xander onto the dance floor. The two share a slow and sexy dance together, much to the horror and dismay of both Willow and Angel. So…Buffy the bomb, hits Willow and Angel, but she’s not done yet, she has to get 3 in a row. Who’s next in line? Xander!
Buffy: “Xander, did I ever thank you for saving my life?”
Xander: “No”
Buffy: “Don’t you wish I would?”
And with that she splits, leaving her three victims stunned. On the way out, Cordelia advises her to get over her issues, because pretty soon she’ll lose all her friends.

Okay. You may be wondering, “what else am I watching this episode for other than seeing the buff get bitchy?” Well of course vampires are a major theme. As soon as Buffy walks away from Cordelia outside the Bronze, she is snatched up, and locked away with an unconscious Jenny Calendar!
Buffy discovers that the Master’s bones are missing. They had previously been dug up by the Anointed One’s minions, despite the ground being consecrated.
The next day, Willow, Xander and Giles discuss Buffy’s extremely odd behavior. Willow suggests that she may be possessed, but Giles thinks the problem is not of the supernatural kind. He concludes that Buffy just has issues with her dying experience. He thinks that she hasn’t yet dealt with the Master and her death on a conscious level. Before they can further chat about Buffy, she arrives yet again in her paltry persona. She’s pissed about the fact that the vamps in town are trying to raise the Master. And with lines like “this is slayer stuff, can we just have a little less from the civilians?” Looks like hurricane Buffy is still blowing.

Giles does some research, and finds that for the Master to be raised, his bones are needed (which they already have), and also the person closest to him. Buffy quickly decides that this person would be her – “killing each other really promotes togetherness.” Soon after, the gang receive a note with Cordelia’s bracelet attached. The note says for Buffy to come to the Bronze for Cordelia. Buffy hurriedly departs, claiming that she can deal with the situation, ignoring her friends’ warnings which say it’s a trap.
Upon arriving at the Bronze, Buffy finds that it was a trap. Get ready for the plot twist though – it wasn’t for her, think Giles, Willow and Xander!
Back at the smashed up library, Buffy finds only Xander, as Willow and Giles had been taken. Xander informs Buffy that while she was away Giles retranslated his text, and found that the vampires actually needed the people who were physically closest to the Master when he died. That would mean, Giles, Willow, Cordelia and Miss Calendar. By now the vamps had collected the whole set.
To find out where they had taken her friends, Buffy threatens to torture a female vampire left at the Bronze, ramming her cross down her throat. The weak vampire obviously couldn’t endure the pain, and told Buffy where the vamps had her friends.

Buffy finds her friends, unconsciously dangling above the Master bones. But before the vampires can complete the ritual, Buffy and Angel team up to fight them. There are the usual great fighting moves here. When there are only two vamps left, Buffy uses a torch pole to destroy them both at once – one end burning up the vampire, and the other end meeting the heart of another vampire.
To finish up, Buffy smashes the bones of the Master with a sledgehammer. She is unable to control her emotions, as she begins crying, embracing Angel as she does so.
The next day, Buffy reconciles with her friends. With the Master behind her, the slayer can only look forward to a new season of bad guys!

This episode is good for so many reasons. A big one of these is the change of Buffy’s character. Before this episode, Buffy’s character was pretty 2-dimensional. She was just a normal high school girl who was really strong and good at fighting. But after this episode, another facet to her personality is added. She has feelings. She closes up. She can be a bitch. This is what makes “When She Was Bad” important – it is such a turning point episode. This is the first of many progressing character developments in season 2.
Another reason for the episode being a turning point, is the way a vampire dusts! Obviously season 1 hit the mark on television, and allowed the creators to improve the special effects. So, vampires that are fortunate enough to meet Buffy’s stake, will dust in a much more visually spectacular manner.

Good music is played during this episode! Of course seeing Cibo Matto at the Bronze, is a highlight! Also, a song that appears on the Buffy Soundtrack is included – “It doesn’t matter what I want” by Alyson Kraus.
One final thing – watch out for the Willow/Xander continual ice cream on the nose play, it’s a gem!

So, there you have it folks, the reasons why this episode is good! And there are no reasons why the episode is not good. A fantastic introduction to season 2, that even hints about what’s to come. “When She Was Bad” steers BTVS as a show on a new course, and definitely is a highly enjoyable and entertaining episode!

6/10

Buffy: "Mm. Slept. I had weird dreams."
Xander: "Dreams are meaningful."
Willow: "Tsh! Tell me about it. The other night I dreamt that Xander... Uh, I-it wasn't Xander. I-in fact it wasn't me. It was a friend's dream, and she doesn't remember it."

"So, is this a social call? It is kinda late. Or, well, it is for me, anyway. What is it for you, lunch hour?"
- Buffy when Angel visits her at night.

Cordelia: "Buffy. You're really campaigning for bitch-of-the-year, aren't you?"
Buffy: "As defending champion, you nervous?"
"Whatever is causing the Joan Collins 'tude, deal with it. Embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever, but get over it. 'Cause pretty soon you're not even gonna have the loser friends you've got now."
- Cordelia to Buffy on the way she is acting.

Willow: "She's possessed!"
Giles: "Possessed?"
Willow: "That's the only explanation that makes any sense. I mean, you should've seen her last night. That wasn't Buffy."
Xander: "Are we overlooking the idea that she may be very attracted to me?...(get's looks from the others)...She's possessed".
Willow: "That's what it was! I mean, why else would she be acting like such a b-i-t-c-h?"
Giles: "Willow, I think we're all a little too old to be spelling things out."
Xander: "A bitca?"

Buffy: "This is Cordelia's. (Looks at the note) 'Come to the Bronze before it opens, or we make her a meal.'"
Xander: "They're gonna cook her dinner?...(gets looks from everyone)...I'll pretend I didn't say that."

Cordelia: "What an ordeal. And you know what the worst part is?"
Jenny: "What?"
Cordelia: "It stays with you forever. No matter what they tell you, none of that rust and blood and grime comes out. I mean, you can dry clean 'til judgment day, you are living with those stains."
Jenny: "Yeah that's the worst part of being hung upside down by a vampire who wants to slit your throat: the stains."
Cordelia: "I hear ya!"
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