Buffy The Vampire Slayer"The Replacement"
My 11 All-time Favorite "Buffy" Episodes
DVD Season 5, Episode 3
Jenny D - TwoCents Staff Writer
jennyd@thetwocentscorp.com
This is one of my favorite episodes for 3 reasons: 1)Xander is my favorite character and he rarely gets the spotlight, 2) Nicholas’ real life twin, Kelly, makes an appearance, and 3) we get to see Xander in a way we never had before; cool, suave, intelligent, and getting exactly what he wants. Well, at least half of him.
There comes a time in every person’s time when it is time to grow up and move out. For Xander, the time has come. With everyone else going to college and living on their own, in his parent’s basement has started to make him feel like a loser. So after a date night with Anya and Buffy and Riley, Xander decides to go look at an apartment. Of course Anya wants to know how soon he can have it, but Xander is unsure of his job and reluctant to make the commitment. Of course, this pisses Anya off (what is new).
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Buffy The Vampire Slayer
ReplyDelete"The Replacement"
My 11 All-time Favorite "Buffy" Episodes
DVD Season 5, Episode 3
Jenny D - TwoCents Staff Writer
jennyd@thetwocentscorp.com
This is one of my favorite episodes for 3 reasons: 1)Xander is my favorite character and he rarely gets the spotlight, 2) Nicholas’ real life twin, Kelly, makes an appearance, and 3) we get to see Xander in a way we never had before; cool, suave, intelligent, and getting exactly what he wants. Well, at least half of him.
There comes a time in every person’s time when it is time to grow up and move out. For Xander, the time has come. With everyone else going to college and living on their own, in his parent’s basement has started to make him feel like a loser. So after a date night with Anya and Buffy and Riley, Xander decides to go look at an apartment. Of course Anya wants to know how soon he can have it, but Xander is unsure of his job and reluctant to make the commitment. Of course, this pisses Anya off (what is new).
The demon Toth is looking for the slayer and find Giles at the Magic Shop instead. When the Scoobie gang goes looking for him, Xander gets caught in the cross fire and gets hit by Toth’s power. Toth takes off and everyone goes to check on Xander, who is lying in a pile of garbage. He gets up and they leave, but there is another Xander there.
Xander number 2 wakes up in the dump very confused and wondering why his friends left him there. He goes home to find the other Xander getting ready for work. Totally convinced that the other Xander is a demon, he goes to call Buffy, but instead follows the other Xander as he passes by on his way to work. When Xander 1 gets to work, the boss says he wants to talk to him. When he goes into the office, his boss talks about wanting to keep him on and promote him. While Xander 1 is talking to his boss, he plays with a coin, convincing Xander 2 even further that he must be a demon and using magic on everyone. After Xander 1 gets his promotion, he goes straight to the apartment to tell the apartment manager he will take it. But as he goes along, we notice something different about Xander 1. He is cool and confident, he dresses nice and presents himself well. All traits that we have not seen much from Xander. The apartment manager even hits on him. Trying to stop “the Evil Xander”, Xander jumps him as he leaves the apartment. “Evil Xander” punches him and leaves.
Xander is worried about his evil double and goes to Buffy and Giles. The other Xander has already made it to them and told them what is happening. Xander then goes to Willow for help and she finds out that Toth is behind this. Xander is worries about Anya and goes to find her. She has gone to meet the other Xander at the new apartment. He goes there to find them together. He busts in with a gun and threatens “Evil Xander”. Neither Xanders know that they are actually both Xander and they have to both be alive to exist. Both are part of him, the better parts and the other parts and if one dies, they both do. Luckily, Buffy and Riley arrive in time to stop them from hurting each other and explain what is happening. Toth meant to hit Buffy so he could go after and kill the weaker half, but hit Xander instead. To convince them they are both Xander, Buffy has them guess a number she is thinking of. What I love is that they keep switching back and forth between Nicholas and his brother depending on which Xander is speaking. So one minute, Nicholas could be cool Xander and the next time the camera comes back, he could be the other one. I loved that about this episode when they two of them were together.
As they go to leave, Toth suddenly appears. Buffy kills him; there goes the cleaning deposit Xander put down.
And now it is time to make two halves whole again. Even though one half is definitely cooler, it is still evident that it is Xander. OF course, Anya wants to know all about both Xanders being the same and wants to take them home and have sex with both of them. Once again, typical Anya! And what if it doesn’t work? “Kill us both Spock,” they both laugh. Willow puts them back together and they help Xander move out of the basement. Riley and Xander have a heart to heart about Buffy and Anya. And Riley admits to Xander that Buffy doesn’t love him . I really liked the two of them together.
Well, that was number 9 on my list. Would it have made your top Buffy episodes list? If so, where at? Next week I will be reviewing number 8 on my list, “I Only Have Eyes For You”, season 2, episode 19. Please leave your two cents in the comment section or e-mail me at JennyD@thetwocentscorp.com. I will see you next week!