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| "When She Was Bad" | |
|---|---|
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Joss Whedon |
| Written by | Joss Whedon |
| Production code | 5V01 |
| Original air date | September 15, 1997 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"When She Was Bad" is the season premiere of the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the thirteenth episode in the series. The episode aired on The WB on September 15, 1997. The episode was written and directed by series creator and executive producer Joss Whedon.
When Buffy returns home to Sunnydale after a spending the summer away, Xander and Willow become concerned with her disturbingly cold and distant behavior. Meanwhile, Cordelia and Sunnydale High teacher Ms. Calendar are kidnapped and Buffy is convinced that the fight to protect them and the world from the undead is hers alone. Still reluctant to risk getting close to Angel, Buffy turns him away before either one can express their true feelings. [1]
Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Willow (Alyson Hannigan) are walking near a cemetery, reflecting on how quiet the summer has been in Sunnydale since the Master's (Mark Metcalf) defeat. Xander admits he's actually looking forward to the start of school. When he playfully puts ice cream on Willow's nose, the two nearly share a kiss — until a vampire suddenly appears behind her. Xander tries to fend off the attack, but Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) arrives just in time to slay the vampire.
At home, Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) questions the number of clothes Buffy brought back from her shopping spree in Los Angeles. Hank (Dean Butler) admits that Buffy seemed distant throughout the summer, so he overcompensated by letting her shop.
At school, Principal Snyder (Armin Shimerman) expresses his disdain for students while speaking with Giles (Anthony Head), who discreetly slips away upon spotting Jenny Calendar (Robia LaMorte). In the hallway, Giles and Jenny run into the Scooby gang, but Buffy appears aloof during the reunion. When Willow mentions that Buffy killed a vampire the night before, Giles explains that although the Hellmouth is closed, residual mystical energy still draws evil to Sunnydale. He asks Buffy to resume her training after school but seems concerned by her eagerness.
While training in the library, Buffy has a sudden vision of the Master and begins furiously attacking the training dummy. Giles urges her to stop, but she kicks the dummy across the room and declares that she's ready for whatever comes next.
That night, Buffy has a nightmare in which she is choked by the Master, who appears disguised as Giles. She wakes to find Angel (David Boreanaz) at her window. He warns her that the Anointed One is gathering forces. When Buffy dismisses his concern, Angel admits he missed her but leaves before she can respond.
The next day at school, the Scoobies run into Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), who casually mentions Buffy's Slayer identity, unaware it's supposed to be a secret. Buffy snaps at her, and Xander and Willow are taken aback by her hostility.
That evening at the Bronze, Xander and Willow discuss Buffy's recent behavior. Willow attempts to recreate the ice cream moment from the cemetery, but Xander simply tells her she has something on her nose. Meanwhile, the Anointed One and a vampire named Absalom (Brent Jennings) are forcing other vampires to dig up the Master's bones by hand, despite the consecrated ground.
When Buffy arrives at the Bronze, Angel asks if she is angry with him. Buffy tells him to get over himself, saying she has moved on "to the living." She then shares a slow, passionate dance with Xander, clearly unsettling both Angel and Willow. Buffy abruptly leaves Xander mid-dance after asking if he would like her to thank him for resurrecting her.
Outside, Cordelia confronts Buffy, telling her to get over whatever is bothering her. Buffy tells Cordelia to mind her own business and walks away. Moments later, Cordelia is grabbed by two shadowy figures and dragged into a building. She is thrown into a basement, where she finds Ms. Calendar unconscious on the floor. Meanwhile, Buffy visits the Master's grave in the cemetery and finds it empty.
The next day at school, Xander and Willow express concern about Buffy, and Giles suspects she has not fully processed her traumatic encounter with the Master on a conscious level. Buffy suddenly appears and informs them that the Master's bones have gone missing. When Giles mentions revivification rituals, Buffy becomes upset that he never told her about them. After Buffy snaps at Willow, Xander defends her. Principal Snyder arrives, dismissing them to class and telling Giles he wants to expel Buffy, as he smells trouble around her and finds it weird when Giles suggests giving her a chance.
That night, the Scoobies learn that a revivification ritual needs the blood of the closest person to the deceased. Buffy assumes that would be her, since she and Master killed each other. Suddenly, a large rock wrapped with Cordelia's watch crashes through the library window. Attached is a message summoning Buffy to the Bronze, threatening to kill Cordelia. The others believe it is a trap, but Buffy insists on going alone, saying she can't look after them while slaying.
Outside the Bronze, Angel offers to help Buffy, but she tries to pick a fight with him instead. Inside they find a vampire trying to pass for Cordelia. Buffy quickly realizes she was lured there as a distraction rather than a trap. Meanwhile, Giles discovers the true meaning of the translation: the ritual requires the blood of those physically nearest to the Master when he died — meaning Giles, Willow, Cordelia, and Ms. Calendar. Suddenly, several vampires emerge from the shadows of the library.
Buffy returns to find a bloodied Xander, who threatens that if anything happens to Willow, he will kill her. Buffy returns to the Bronze and tortures the vampire they found into confessing where the ritual will take place. When Buffy arrives at an abandoned factory, she interrupts the ritual and kills the vampires. As the Anointed One flees, Angel and Xander rescue the others. Buffy stares at the Master's skeleton laid out on the table and smashes it to pieces with a sledgehammer while her friends watch in silence. As she breaks down in tears, Angel hugs her.
The next day, Buffy talks with Giles about her fear of facing her friends again after treating them so badly and putting them in danger. He tells her she can't hide from them forever and assures her this was not the worst mistake she'll ever make. Buffy reluctantly enters class, where Willow and Xander have saved her a seat. Together, they joke and make plans for the night. Meanwhile at the factory, the Anointed One gazes at the scene of destruction and vows revenge on Buffy.
This season marks the first appearance of David Boreanaz in the opening credits.
Cibo Matto appears as the musical guest at The Bronze, performing two songs during the episode. [2]
When Willow and Xander play a movie trivia game, they reference the films The Terminator, Planet of the Apes , Star Wars , and Witness.
Jenny mentions having attended the Burning Man festival over the summer, an annual event held since 1986.
Cordelia calls Buffy, Willow, and Xander "The Three Musketeers," in reference to the title trio of characters from the 1844 adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas.
Xander suggests that being called The Three Stooges would be a better insult.
Cordelia tells Buffy to get over her Joan Collins attitude.
"When She Was Bad" drew an audience of 2.9 million households. When the episode was aired as a repeat in November 1997, it scored a higher 3.1 million household rating. [3]
Vox ranked it at #111 on their "Every Episode Ranked From Worst to Best" list (to mark the 20th anniversary of the show), suggesting it contains a metaphor "about how teen girls sometimes act like total nightmares because of the pervasive, unarticulated trauma" of being a teen girl. They add that the really memorable moment will be Buffy's seductive dance with Xander, which will show up in the opening credits henceforth. [4]
Noel Murray of The A.V. Club gave "When She Was Bad" a mixed review. While he praised the opening and closing scenes as well as other smaller moments, he felt that it dealt with the characters' emotions "erratically" and was not positive towards Buffy's attitude and carrying over the Master plotline. [5] A review from the BBC called "When She Was Bad" "another excellent episode", praising its tying up plot threads from the first season and developing the relationships between characters. [6]
Rolling Stone ranked "When She Was Bad" at #103 on their "Every Episode Ranked From Worst to Best" list, calling it a "strange episode, feeling almost uncharacteristic at times," adding that Buffy dealing with her traumatic encounter with the Master left her "scarred and traumatized. And while the episode is driving home how difficult it can be to overcome trauma, Buffy is kind of a dick here." They criticize Buffy's "weird seduction of Xander," saying it's "cruel, something that Buffy has never been before or will be again. There’s a catharsis at the close when she destroys the Master’s bones, which feels earned, but the road to that moment is littered with bumps." [7]
"When She Was Bad" was ranked at #105 on Paste Magazine's "Every Episode Ranked" list [8] and #109 on BuzzFeed's "Ranking Every Episode Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer" list. [9]