Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S2/E15 Phases

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


A werewolf is loose in Sunnydale.

  • Actually Pretty Funny: Giles is talking about how the phases of the moon exert a great deal of psychological influence, and the full moon "tends to bring out our darkest qualities." Xander quips, "Yet, ironically, also led to the invention of the moon pie." Buffy and Willow are unimpressed as always but Giles almost cracks up.
  • Always a Bigger Fish: Oz in werewolf form follows a trail of blood until he finds Theresa's corpse, Angelus in vamp face standing over her. The two snarl and growl and piss at each other until Angelus decides he would not like to be torn limb from limb and withdraws.
  • Armoured Closet Gay: Larry acts like a lecherous Jerk Jock to hide the fact that he's gay.
  • Auto Erotica: Cordelia has this in mind, but Xander is too busy griping about Willow taking up with Oz.

Cordelia: Look around. We're in my daddy's car, it's just the two of us, there is a beautiful, big full moon outside tonight. It doesn't get more romantic than this. So shut up!

Cordelia: It was so awful. (puts her head on Xander's shoulder)
Xander: (puts his arm around her) I know.
Cordelia: (tears herself away) Daddy just had this car detailed.

Willow: Great. I'll give Xander a call. What's his number? Oh, yeah, 1-800-I'm-Dating-A-Skanky-Ho.
Buffy: (surprised) Meow!
Willow: (smiles) Really? Thanks. I've never gotten a 'meow' before.

  • Caught in a Snare: Buffy gets caught in Cain's net trap.
  • Clothing Damage: We hear (but not see) some tearing sounds as Oz transforms.
  • Coincidental Broadcast: This one via car radio.
  • Comically Missing the Point: Xander uses his "hyena-sense" to work out who the werewolf is, and realises the answer is right in front of him. Oz looks alarmed as he's standing before Xander, who says...it's Larry!
  • Delinquent: It appears not all of Buffy's bad reputation is from her Slayer activities.

Willow: There is one name that keeps getting spit out. Aggressive behavior, run-ins with authorities, about a screenful of violent incidents.
Buffy: Okay, most of those were not my fault. Somebody else started 'em. I was just standing up for myself.
Willow: They say it's a good idea to count to ten when you're angry.
Buffy: (Death Glare at Willow) One... Two... Three...

Giles: (quietly) Anything yet?
Buffy: Yes. And you won't believe what I saw. Brittany Podell was making out with Owen Stadeel, but he goes with Barrett Williams. (gets a look from Giles) If she ever found... No, um, no, no sign of the werewolf. How about you?
Giles: Uh, the same. (looks around) I thought we might, uh... I thought we might knock on a few windows, uh, ask if anyone has seen anything yet.
Buffy: (gives him a look) Giles, no one's seen anything.
Giles: Oh, yes. No, of-of-of course not, no.

Willow: But I guess none of that means anything, because instead of looking up names with me, here you are, all alone in your house, doing nothing but yourself!

Willow: I mean, three days out of the month I'm not much fun to be around either.

Buffy: What guy could resist your Willow charms?
Willow: At last count? All of them, maybe more.

Xander: I just don't trust Oz with her [Willow]. I mean, he's a senior, he's attractive -- okay, maybe not to me, but -- and he's in a band. And we know what kind of element that attracts.
Cordelia: I've dated lots of guys in bands.
Xander: (nods) Thank you.

Larry: Man! Oz, I would love to get me some of that Buffy and Willow action, if you know what I mean.
Oz: That's great, Larry. You've really mastered the single entendre.

Cordelia: Excuse me? We didn't come here to talk about Willow. We came here to do things I can never tell my father about because he still thinks I'm a... good girl.

  • Master of the Mixed Message: Xander and Oz, according to their girlfriends.
  • Mistaken for Gay: Inverted, then played straight, when Xander accuses Jerk Jock Larry of harboring a secret (he thinks he's a werewolf), and Larry comes out to him. Since Xander had tried to sympathize by saying he "had been there" (when he was possessed by a hyena), Larry then thought Xander was also gay.
    • Even better, at this point Whedon still hadn't decided on whether to make Xander or Willow gay, and if he had picked Xander, this was going to be Foreshadowing.
  • Mr. Exposition: Guess who.

Oz: I spoke to Giles. He said I'll be okay. I just have to lock myself up around the full moon. Only he used more words than that. And a globe.

Giles: Let's not jump to any conclusions.
Buffy: I didn't jump. I took a tiny step, and there conclusions were.

  • The Not-Secret: After realising he's a werewolf, and that he'd been bitten earlier by his cousin Jordy, Oz gets on the phone.

Aunt Maureen? Hey, it's me. Um, what? Oh! It's, uh... actually it's healing okay. That's pretty much the reason I called. Um, I wanted to ask you something. Is Jordy a werewolf? Uh-huh. And how long has that been going on? Uh-huh. What? No, no reason. Um... Thanks. Yeah, love to Uncle Ken.

Giles: Yes, I must admit I, I am intrigued. Werewolves, it's... it's one of the classics. I'm sure my books and I are in for a fascinating afternoon. (leaves)
Buffy: He needs to get a pet.

Xander: This is all so weird. I mean, how are we supposed to act when we see him?
Buffy: Well, it's gotta be weird for him, too. Now that we know so much.
Xander: All I know is I'll never be able to look at him the same again.
Buffy: He's still a human being. Most of the time.
Xander: Who are we talking about?
Buffy: Oz. Who are you talking about?
Xander: No one...

Willow: I don't want to be the only girl in school without a real boyfriend. (reaction Buffy) Oh, I'm such an idiot. I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't even be talking about... Do you want me to go away?
..
Xander: I'm practically an expert on the subject.
Willow: On account of once you were a hyena?

Xander: I know what it's like to crave the taste of freshly killed meat, to be taken over by those uncontrollable urges.

Buffy: You said you didn't remember anything about that.

Willow: Well, last night was the night before the full moon, traditionally known as... 'the night before the full moon.'
(And also)
Xander: You're Buffy. Eradicator of Evil. Defender of...things that need defending.
(Willow reporting that Oz is a werewolf)
He-he said he was going through all these changes. Then he went through all these... changes.

Coach: Sunnydale is becoming more dangerous all the time. And a full moon like tonight tends to bring out the crazies, but with some simple basics of self-defense each of you can learn how to protect yourself.
Buffy: (sotto voice) Here's a suggestion: move away from the Hellmouth.

Xander: What, it's not okay for one guy to like another guy just because he happened to be in the locker room with him when absolutely nothing happened and I thought I told you not to push?