Plot
Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is waiting in a cemetery for a vampire to rise when Angel (David Boreanaz) suddenly appears. They argue, with Buffy accusing him of being jealous over her dance with Xander (Nicholas Brendon) at the Bronze. As Angel turns to leave, Buffy follows him and accidentally falls into an open grave. She notices drag marks nearby and realizes a body has been removed.
The next day, Buffy and Xander interrupt Giles (Anthony Head) in the library as he rehearses how to ask Jenny Calendar (Robia LaMorte) on a date. Buffy informs him that the stolen body belonged to Meredith, a student who recently died in a car accident. In the school hallway, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) signs up for the science fair with Chris, while his friend Eric (Michael Bacall) is seen taking photographs of female students.
Willow discovers that Meredith died alongside two other cheerleaders from a local high school. When Giles speculates that a voodoo priest might be raising the dead to create an army of zombies, Buffy suggests checking the other graves to see if more bodies are missing.
At the cemetery, Giles and Xander dig while Buffy and Willow watch nearby. When Buffy complains about Angel, Willow brings up Buffy's sexy dance with Xander, remarking, "Love makes you do the wacky." She tells Buffy about Cordelia's (Charisma Carpenter) crush on Chris' older brother Daryl, a Sunnydale High football player who died in a rock climbing accident. When Buffy opens the unearthed casket, they discover it is empty.
Meanwhile, Cordelia walks to her car after cheerleading practice and notices someone following her. After hiding in a dumpster, she is surprised by Angel. As she climbs out, she discovers a severed hand stuck to her skirt.
When the Scoobies return to the library, they find a frightened Cordelia clinging to Angel. After Angel notes the accuracy of incisions on the body parts found in the dumpster, the group decides to search the lockers of students in the science club. They find medical books and an article on Meredith in Chris' locker and Eric's collage of female body parts.
In Chris' basement, Eric and Chris work on assembling a body. Eric hangs up three photographs to dry: Buffy, Willow, and Cordelia. At school, Buffy questions why someone would create a girl. Xander explains that people desire what they cannot have — the more unattainable, the more attractive. Meanwhile, Giles struggles to ask Ms. Calendar on a date until she suddenly invites him to accompany her to the football game.
Later, the Scoobies learn that three female heads were found in a dumpster, confirming Eric and Chris are still searching for body parts. Eric warns Chris that the body will deteriorate without a head attached soon. Daryl, grotesquely discolored and stitched together, reminds Chris of his promise to provide a companion. After Eric shows Daryl several photos, he chooses Cordelia.
In the library, Willow and Giles realize the head of a living female is required, as formaldehyde accelerates neural decay in brain cells. Buffy visits Chris' house and discovers evidence in his basement indicating Cordelia is their next target.
In the school locker room, Cordelia prepares for the football game when Eric attempts to kidnap her. Buffy arrives and fights him off. Buffy confronts Chris, who admits that he and Eric are creating a companion for his brother. They head to Chris' house and discover that Daryl is missing.
As Giles and Ms. Calendar take their seats at the game, Xander and Willow arrive, interrupting their date. Under the bleachers, Daryl watches Cordelia cheer from the sidelines. When she approaches the water cooler, he drags her away.
At an abandoned science lab, Eric prepares to behead Cordelia. When Daryl removes her blindfold, she screams in horror at his appearance. Daryl admits to ignoring her at school but now appreciates how much she wanted him. Buffy and Chris arrive, and a fight breaks out, knocking over a burner. Xander rescues Cordelia while Giles and Willow drag Eric to safety. Before Daryl can kill Buffy, Chris intervenes. As flames engulf the room, Daryl chooses to die alongside his unfinished companion while the others escape.
Outside, Buffy talks with Chris when Angel suddenly arrives. Jenny expresses interest in a second date with Giles. After Cordelia tries to thank him for saving her, Xander brushes her off and complains to Willow about his failure to get a date. Buffy and Angel walk in the cemetery, where he admits jealousy of Xander's ability to be with Buffy "in the sunlight." Buffy reassures Angel she doesn't love Xander and offers to walk him home.
Reception
"Some Assembly Required" had an audience of 3.2 million households. [3]
Vox ranked it at #118 on their "Every Episode Ranked From Worst to Best" list (to mark the 20th anniversary of the show), writing that it's "a solid entry into the goofy/campy/silly stretch of early Buffy." The review also notes the episode is "nothing earth-shaking, but it does see Giles and Jenny on their first date, and it lays some groundwork for Xander and Cordelia's relationship later in the season." [4]
The episode received mixed reviews. Billie Doux complained about "the lame Frankenstein monster plot": "I've never understood why mad scientists cut the bodies up and sew mismatched pieces together before flipping the switch. Wouldn't they have more luck with reanimating a complete dead body, like Chris did with his brother?" She also praises Charisma Carpenter for "her ability to scream convincingly on cue." [5] Roger Pocock agreed, saying, "The supernatural Hellmouth location is an effective sticking plaster for a lot of otherwise absurd story ideas, but instead the script plays fast and loose with what is even remotely scientifically possible in a way that feels at least a couple of decades behind its time." However, "The trio's twisted expression of the human mating impulse is offered up in stark contrast to some real new relationships, just getting started. The attraction between Buffy and Angel continues to be an effective slow-burn, while Giles agonising over asking Jenny on a date is the highlight of the episode." [6]
Rolling Stone ranked "Some Assembly Required" at #121 on their "Every Episode Ranked From Worst to Best" list, describing the episode as "a pretty classic and goofy Buffy premise," and called it "whacky throughout" but is noted as one that "doesn’t move the needle too much." However, it does feature the first date between Giles and Jenny Calendar, which the reviewer highlights as the beginning of "one of the season's best plot lines." [7]
Mike Loschiavo called Eric and Chris "the California version of Burke and Hare" and adds, "it was inevitable though; we had to have an episode that was about Frankenstein at some point." [8] Theresa Basile lists it among her "10 Underrated Episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer," saying, "the villain of the week is not totally monstrous but rather sympathetic, even though we condemn his actions. Angel is a complete dork which is how I like him best." [9]
"Some Assembly Required" was ranked at #128 on Paste Magazine's "Every Episode Ranked" list [10] and #132 on BuzzFeed's "Ranking Every Episode Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer" list. [11]
