Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S2/E18 Killed By Death

Buffy is hospitalised and suspects she has discovered a monster.

"Cordelia: So this isn't about you being afraid of hospitals 'cause your friend died and you wanna conjure up a monster that you can fight so you can save everybody and not feel so helpless? Giles: Cordelia, have you actually ever heard of tact? Cordelia: Tact is just not saying true stuff. I'll pass."
 * Artistic Licence Medicine: Buffy reinfects herself with the flu in order to get a fever that allows her to see the demon. She would still be immune from her earlier infection, and it would take at least a day to kick in anyway.
 * Then again, its the Hellmouth.
 * Bald of Evil: Der Kindestod, of course.
 * Blatant Lies: Buffy has never tried Playing Doctor.
 * Brutal Honesty

"Ooo, if he asks you to play chess, don't even do it. The guy's, like, a whiz."
 * Bridal Carry: Xander carrying Buffy into the hospital.
 * Call Back: To Willow's "frog fear" in What's My Line, Part 2.
 * The Cape (trope): Buffy playing as a child. Power Girl to the rescue!
 * Cassandra Truth: The Scoobies are quietly (with the exception of Cordelia) skeptical that Buffy did see something in the hospital, wondering if she is using this as a coping mechanism for her cousin dying.
 * Chess with Death: Lampshaded by Xander.

"Cordelia: It's called Der Kindestod. The name means "child death". This book says he feeds off of children by sucking the life out of them."
 * Child Eater / Names to Run Away From Really Fast

"Cordelia: Eww, what does this do? Giles: It extracts vital organs to replenish its own mutating cells.
 * Comically Missing the Point: Giles and Cordelia are researching demons.

Cordelia: Wow! What does this one do?

Giles: It elongates its mouth to engulf its victim's head with its incisors.

Cordelia: Ouch! Wait, what does this one do?

Giles: (incredibly irritated) It asks endless questions of those with whom it's supposed to be working so that nothing is getting done.

Cordelia: Boy, there's a demon for everything!"

"Cordelia: Oh, right. Your obsession with protecting Buffy. Have I told you how attractive that's not? Xander: Cordelia, someone's gotta watch her back. Cordelia: Yeah, well, I've seen you watch her back. Xander: What is that supposed to mean? Cordelia: Well, I was using the phrase "watch her back" as a euphemism for looking at her butt. You know, sort of a pun. Xander: Oh! Right. [beat] Hey!"
 * Don't Explain the Joke: Cordelia snarks that she's seen Xander "watching Buffy's back". He doesn't get it.

"Buffy: Homework! Willow: It's my way of saying, 'get well soon'. Buffy: You know, chocolate says that even better. Willow: I did all your assignments. All you have to do is sign your name. Buffy: Chocolate means nothing to me."
 * Dutch Angle / Mood Lighting: Buffy's dreams.
 * Everything's Better with Chocolate: The Scoobies bring their hospital gifts. Willow plunks some school books on Buffy's bed.

"Angelus: Buffy's White Knight. You still love her. (leans in close) It must just eat you up that I got there first."
 * Evil Gloating: Angelus taunting Xander.

"Giles: I found a picture of how it kills. Let me talk to her. Cordelia: (takes the book and looks) Oh! Eww! Buffy: What? Cordelia: Oh! Uh, you should see this thing! The way it does its thing...I mean, eww! Why do I let you guys drag me into this stuff? (hands Giles the phone and leaves) Giles: (into the phone) Uh, uh, Buffy? Are you, are you still there? Buffy: Hanging on every 'eww'."
 * Expy: Der Kindestod is sometimes referred to as Der Krugerstod.
 * Eye Scream: Kindestod has stalked mouths that come out of its own eye sockets.
 * Gory Discretion Shot: A verbal version. Cordelia is on the phone to Buffy.

"Man, Buffy! My whole life just flashed before my eyes! [Beat] I gotta get me a life!"
 * Ignored Confession: Delirious Buffy babbling to Joyce and the hospital staff that she has to kill the vampires. Given the circumstances the Scoobies are easily able to pass it off as being due to the fever.
 * I'll Kill You!: Xander to Angelus. "You're gonna die. And I'm gonna be there."
 * Innocent Innuendo: Willow mentions that she and Xander used to play doctor. She would get out medical books and diagnose him with things.
 * Invisible Monsters / By the Eyes of the Blind: The demon can only be seen by sick people.
 * Invisible to Adults: What Buffy thinks she's up against at first.
 * It's Personal: After Giles describes its method of killing, Buffy realises the Monster of the Week is what killed her cousin.
 * Long-Lost Uncle Aesop: Buffy exhibits a phobic reaction to being in the hospital, and we learn that it's because of her cousin Celia's death when they were kids. They were close, and Buffy was traumatized as a result of watching her die. While some of this trauma is legitimately resolved in the episode, the lack of mention of Celia before or after makes the whole thing seem to come out of nowhere. It is particularly jarring because Buffy spends a great deal of time visiting the hospital in Season Five, and shows no phobia beyond an appropriate reaction to the immediate circumstances. Nor does the First Evil ever manifest in Celia's form, which would seem an obvious way to get under Buffy's skin if the writers still remembered the character.
 * Granted, the actress playing Celia - a long-deceased child character - could not conceivably return, since the First Evil was only prominent five years later. It might've worked in the Season 3 episode "Amends", but then the First was focusing more on Angel than Buffy.
 * Monster of the Week
 * My Life Flashed Before My Eyes: Xander after Buffy nearly stakes him.

"Xander: You don't know how to kill this thing. Buffy: I thought I might try violence. Xander: Solid call."
 * Neck Snap
 * Nightmare Fuel Coloring Book: Ryan draws a creepy picture of Der Kindestod. He thanks Buffy for killing the demon by drawing a not-much-less creepy picture of Buffy in the act.
 * Non-Answer

"Cordelia: Nobody told me I was supposed to bring a gift. I was out of the loop on gifts. Giles: It's tradition among... people."
 * Not So Invincible After All: The Slayer is brought down by the flu.
 * Shadow Discretion Shot: Dr Barker's death.
 * Show Some Leg: Cordelia is caught in the record office by a security guard. A Description Cut later and he's preening under her charms while Xander sneaks out with the required files. Xander is not happy afterwards.
 * Sick Episode
 * Stealth Insult

"Intern: What happened? Willow: The flu. Xander: She fell. Cordy: She fainted. Xander: The flu, fainted and fell. She's sick, make it better!"
 * Stereo Fibbing: Xander, Willow, and Cordy take an unconscious Buffy into the Hospital Emergency room.

"Ryan: We're gonna be safe in here. (Kinderstod grabs him from behind)"
 * Suspect Existence Failure: The Scoobies become convinced that the villain killing the sick children in the hospital is the creepy (and, it turns out, criminally negligent to the point of malpractice lawsuits) Doctor Backer... until Backer himself is killed by the invisible monster that is actually killing the children.
 * Tempting Fate: Ryan and the other children have fled to the basement.

"Xander: So, is this the part where we say, what can we do to help? (Description Cut to Xander and Cordelia breaking into the hospital records room) Cordelia: (whispers) You had to ask that, didn't you?"
 * They Really Do Love Each Other: A subtle version where Cordelia stalks off after arguing with Xander, then returns with coffee and donuts.
 * This Is the Part Where

"Buffy: I'm still the Slayer. And as long as I am, Angel's not gonna kill anybody else. Angelus: (behind her) Aw, c'mon. (she turns to face him) Just one more."
 * Also Angelus pinning Buffy and saying, "Uh-oh. This does not look good for our heroine."
 * Took a Level In Badass: Xander stands up to Angelus. Angelus. After trading snarks Angelus, despite his confidence he could get to Buffy, walks away at the threat to kill him. Xander's balls dropped about a foot here, and tripled in size.
 * Troubled Backstory Flashback: Buffy remembers playing superhero games with her cousin, then later witnessing her horrible death in hospital.
 * We Need a Distraction: Willow acts hysterical to make it appear she's the violent patient the security guards have been told to intercept, giving Buffy a chance to get away.
 * Walk in Chime In

"Angelus: If I decide to walk into Buffy's room, do you think for one microsecond that you could stop me? Xander: Maybe not. Maybe that security guard couldn't either. Or those cops... or the orderlies... But I'm kinda curious to find out. You game?"
 * Zerg Rush