Episode Trivia
(Non) Irish Doyle
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The character of Doyle wasn’t originally intended to be Irish, but was written that way when Dublin-born Glenn Quinn got the part. This was the first role in which he could use his own Irish accent. He said in an interview with The Irish Times in July 1999:
“I’ve been hiding it for so long that it’s amazing to have some freedom. It was like putting on an old pair of shoes–it’s bringing my soul back to life.”
Jane Espenson said in her commentary for 1.05 Rm W/A Vu that Glenn often had to redub his lines to sound more Americanised as his accent was sometimes hard to understand. This was often the case with ‘th’ sounds, which Glenn would pronounce as ‘t’.
Apartment set list
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The set list for th episode 1.05 Rm W/A Vu included: “Bad apartment. Very bad apartment. Worse apartment”
Aspercreme
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In 1.05 Rm W/A Vu, Cordelia references the topical pain cream Aspercreme:
Cordy: “It’s her, I know it. That place has that weird little old lady smell, - like - like violets and Aspercreme.”
Aura
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Aura was a friend of Cordelia who discovered a body in her locker - the first victim Buffy saw at her new school in 1.01 Welcome To The Hellmouth. The character is heard in the Angel episode 1.05 Rm W/A Vu when Cordelia talks to her on the phone, and she is also mentioned by Cordelia in the episode 1.12 Prophecy Girl:
Cordelia: “Well, it’s all in the AV room. The sound system and the decorations… and oh! Aura needs help moving the coolers.”
B. J. Porter
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B. J. Porter played Dennis Pearson in 1.05 Rm W/A Vu. His character went on to become Cordelia’s ghostly room-mate, and B. J. did not appear in any other episode - though he can be seen in the opening credit sequence in every episode. He has also appeared in Cake Boy, Melvin Goes to Dinner, Run Ronnie Run (which he also wrote), Touched by an Angel, Malcolm in the Middle, Sham, Just Shoot Me! and Mr. Show with Bob and David (which he also wrote).
Batman
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The comic Batman, by DC Comics, is mentioned several times in Buffy.
- In 2.02 Some Assembly Required, Buffy alludes to the ‘Bat-Signal’ in Gotham city which is used to alert Batman that he is needed when she says to Willow:
“Sorry to interrupt, Willow, but it’s the Bat-Signal.”
- In the Batman comics, Catwoman is a cat-burglar, and the alter ego of Selina Kyle. In 2.06 Halloween, Xander says to Cordelia:
“Catwoman, you’re with me.”
- The Batcave was Batman’s high-tech base and Alfred was his loyal butler. In 4.20 The Yoko Factor, Xander says:
“You and Willow go do the superpower thing, I’ll stay behind and putt around the Batcave with crusty old Alfred here.”
- The nerds’ freeze ray gun in 6.09 Smashed may have been inspired by Batman’s Mr Freeze, who used a similar device.
- In 7.02 Beneath You, Spike refers to the 1960s TV show Batman in which Batman and Robin would slide down poles to the Batcave when they were needed when he says:
“A little touchy-feely, and you’re off to the Batpoles?”
- In 7.10 Bring On The Night, Andrew mentions Batman’s foe The Riddler:
“You think I’m a super-villain like Dr. Doom or Apocalypse or The Riddler. But I admit I went over to the dark side but just to pick up a few things and now I’m back. I’ve learned. I’m good again.”
- Vincent Schiavelli, who played Jenny’s uncle in 2.13 Surprise and 2.14 Innocence played the Organ Grinder in the movie Batman Returns.
- In the Angel episode 1.02 Lonely Hearts, Doyle refers to the Bat-signal, saying:
“It’s not like you have a signal folks can shine in the sky whenever they need help, you know?”
- In 1.03 In The Dark, Spike says of Angel:
“Quickly to the Angelmobile, away.”
- In 1.05 Rm W/A Vu, Cordy says:
“They gave it to a blonde that showed up in a skintight leather cat suit. She is supposed to be a housewife. She looked ridiculous. She looked like cat-woman taking out the cat-trash.”
- In 1.12 Expecting, Cordelia smudges her lipstick across her face and says (referencing Batman’s nemesis):
“And now I look like the Joker.”
- In 3.21 Benediction, Lilah says of Connor (referring to the name often given to Batman’s sidekick, Robin):
“Who’s the boy wonder?”
- In 4.02 Ground State, when the gang are climbing the gates to get into the auction house, Gunn says:
“This is so much harder than it looks on Batman”.
- In 5.19 Time Bomb, Hamilton says:
“It’s a business, boys, not a Batcave.”
Beth Grant
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Alabama-born Beth Grant played the interfering ghost Maude Pearson in 1.05 Rm W/A Vu. She is probably best known as Kitty Farmer in Donnie Darko. Beth has also appeared in many other movies and TV shows including Six Feet Under, Wonderfalls, Malcolm in the Middle, CSI, Pearl Harbor, The X Files, Providence, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Doctor Dolittle, Cybill, Friends, Speed, City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold, Murder, She Wrote, The Golden Girls, Child’s Play 2, Flatliners, and Rain Man.
Casper
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Casper the friendly ghost was a cartoon and movie character who wanted to make friends with humans.
In 5.02 Just Rewards, Angel says to Spike,
“You’re not in this world… Casper.”
In 5.04 Hell Bound, Spike says, “Or playing Casper with one foot in the fryer.”
In 1.05 Rm W/A Vu, Cordy says to her ghost, “Listen good, Casper, you haven’t won a thing here!”
In 4.07 Apocalypse, Nowish, Gunn says of a ghost, “Yep, Casper’s dealing with the big boys now.”
In the Buffy episode 2.06 Halloween, Buffy calls Willow “Casper” when she sees her in her ghost costume.
Cordettes
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The nickname for the group of girls that hung around school with popular girl Cordelia Chase. They turned on her when she dated Xander and Harmony became their new leader. Angel called Cordelia’s friends the ‘Cordettes’ in the Angel episode 1.05 Rm W/A Vu.
Dennis Pearson
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Dennis was murdered by his mother, Maude, and his spirit trapped into an apartment Cordelia later moved into. Cordy vanquished the ghost of Maude and released Dennis in 1.05 Rm W/A Vu, who became her ghostly roommate. Dennis is very protective of Cordelia, becoming jealous of her dates, keeping her safe from intruders and soothing her wounds.
Doyle’s phone number
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In 1.05 Rm W/A Vu, we see Doyle’s number in Cordelia’s address book. It’s (213) 555-0189.
Ghost
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In 7.09 Never Leave Me, Andrew compares Warren/The First to Patrick Swayze. Swayze starred in the 1990 movie Ghost in which his non-corporeal ghost attempts to avenge his own murder. In 1.05 Rm W/A Vu, Cordelia mentions the same movie when she says:
“Old lady ghost. How come Patrick Swayze’s never dead when you need him?”
In 5.02 Just Rewards, Harmony says to the now non-corporeal Spike:
“Why should now be any diff’? Just ’cause you’ve gone all Patrick Swayze?”
Jane’s phantom payment
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In her DVD commentary for 1.05 Rm W/A Vu, Jane Espenson mentions that when a writer creates a character, they get a small payment whenever that character is re-introduced in subsequent episodes. She takes credit for creating Cordy’s “Phantom Dennis” but since we never actually see the ghost in any later episodes, Jane has not received any residual payments.
Mastercard
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Doyle says in 1.05 Rm W/A Vu:
“What about friendship and family, all those things that are priceless like they say in the credit card commercial?”
This is a reference to Mastercard adverts.
Maude Pearson
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Maude Pearson murdered her only son, Dennis, because of his relationship with a girl whom she did not approve. Mrs. Pearson tied up her son and trapped him behind a wall in her apartment. She then died from a heart attack moments after the deed. Ever since, she haunted her apartment, killing the tenants because she thought they were the girl after of her Dennis. Cordelia moved into the apartment in 1.05 Rm W/A Vu and eventually stood up to the ghost, releasing Dennis’s spirit, who sent his mother to hell.
Ode to Joy
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When Angel arrives at the hospital in 2.18 Killed By Death he is rather unsympathetically whistling ‘Ode to Joy’ from Beethoven’s ninth symphony. He also listens to this piece of music whilst showering in 1.05 Rm W/A Vu.
Peanut butter in bed
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In 1.05 Rm W/A Vu we see the following scene, when Cordelia stays at Angel’s place:
Angel: “You got peanut butter on the bed.”
Cordelia: “Really? I don’t think so. I’ll look.”
She returns:
Cordelia: “Angel, at some point in the recent history you got peanut butter on your bed, and it’s gross. I think you’re gonna have to change the sheets.”
Angel: “I don’t eat.’
Cordy: “Well then, I don’t even want to know how it got there.”
Three episodes later in 1.08 I Will Remember You, we see Buffy and Angel eating peanut butter in bed.
PoliGrip
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Cordelia’s line in 1.05 Rm W/A Vu, “Back off, PoliGrip!” is a reference to the dental product used as an adhesive for dentures. As it is mainly used by elderly people, the line is also intended to be an insult to the ghost’s age.
Re-Lease
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Jane Espenson says in her commentary for 1.05 Rm W/A Vu that the original episode title was to be Re-Lease.
Star Wars
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George Lucas’s Star Wars films are a cult phenomenon. They are referenced numerous times in the Buffyverse. The original trilogy included the movies Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return Of The Jedi (1983) and the movies The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005) were made later on.
- 2.01 When She Was Bad: when Xander and Willow play Guess the Movie from the tag line:
Willow: “Use the Force, Luke.”,
Xander: “Do I even have to dignify that with a guess?” - 2.03 School Hard: Spike told Angel that, “You were my Yoda!” Yoda was the ancient Jedi master who became the mentor and teacher for both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker.
- 3.13 The Zeppo: A visual reference to Star Wars is seen when Xander runs into the corridor and runs back out with the gang members chasing him. Han Solo does the same thing in Star Wars.
- 3.19 Choices: Buffy says that Faith has turned to ‘the dark side’.
- 4.01 The Freshman: Xander confuses the Star Wars Jedi code quoted by Yoda in The Phantom Menace.
“Hate leads to anger…no wait…Fear leads to hate, hate leads to the dark side.”
Also in that episode, the old frat house that the vampires are holed up in is the Psi Theta house. If you write those two greek letters together, and pronounce them together, you get Sith.
- 4.04 Fear, Itself: Xander says to Oz, “Sensing a disturbance in the Force, Master?”
- 5.08 Shadow: Buffy using the chain to choke Sobek the snake-demon is reminiscent of Princess Leia killing Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi.
- 5.17 Forever: Ben calls Glory’s minions “Jawa rejects” after the small hooded and robed creatures in Star Wars.
- 6.05 Life Serial: Andrew paints a Death Star from Star Wars on the side of the gang’s van. It’s the Empire’s revised design from Return of the Jedi, which Jonathan says is flawed.
- 6.21 Two To Go: Andrew says:
“We’ve got maybe seconds before Darth Rosenberg grinds us all into to Jawa burgers and not one of you bunch has the Midichlorians to stop her.”
These are all Star Wars references: Darth is a title given to a Sith Warrior (such as Darth Vader); Jawas are the hooded creatures who live on Tatooine, and Midichlorians are micro-organisms which exist in all living things.
In that episode, Andrew says another two Star Wars quotes:“Laugh it up, Fuzzball.”
“…in a galaxy far, far away…”
- 6.06 All The Way: Tara and Willow see a couple dressed as Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker kissing in the Bronze. Willow asks:
“Do they know they’re brother and sister?”
- 6.09 Smashed: we see that the three nerds own a mint condition (though out of its packaging) 1979 Boba Fett action figure. Though Boba Fett was first introduced in The Empire Strikes Back (made in 1980), the earliest Boba Fett figure was made in 1979, before the film was released.
- 6.13 Dead Things: Jonathan and Andrew play fight with green light sabres.
- 6.18 Entropy: Warren calls Jonathan “Padawan”.
- 7.07 Conversations With Dead People: Jonathan and Warren have the following conversation, all quotes from Star Wars:
Warren: “Come on, “If you strike me down…”
Andrew: “I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine…That boy is our last hope.”
Warren: “No, there is another.” - 7.12 Potential: Xander says to Andrew:
“Say Skywalker, and I smack you.”
- 7.11 Showtime: Andrew says, “I’m bored. Episode I bored.” He’s referring to George Lucas’s disappointing movie Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. He also says: “Um, deflector shields - deflector shields up!”
- 7.09 Never Leave Me: Warren/The First says, “I’m like Obi Wan”. He also says to Andrew, “We’re right in the trench, and the exhaust port’s in sight.” This is a reference to the scene in Star Wars in which the Death Star is under attack.
- 7.10 Bring On The Night: Andrew says:
“I’m like Vader in the last 5 minutes of Jedi with redemptive powers minus a redemptive struggle of epic redemption which chronicles…”
He’s referring to the last scenes of the final Star Wars movie Return of the Jedi. He also says:
“I admit I went over to the dark side, but just to pick up a few things, and now I’m back.”
- 7.16 Storyteller: there are two framed Star Wars comics on the wall in Andrew’s opening scene.
- 7.18 Dirty Girls: Andrew says:
“But like so many tragic heroes, Faith was seduced by the lure of the dark side.”
- 1.06 Sense And Sensitivity: Cordelia’s line “Jar Jar is getting his own talk show” is another reference to Star Wars.
- 1.05 Rm W/A Vu: Cordy says to her ghost, “Hey, hey - Phantom Dennis, put that back.” Jane Espenson says in her commentary fo the episode that she insisted the ghost be called Dennis to be able to pun the title of The Phantom Menace which was in cinemas at the time.
- 1.11 Somnambulist: Cordelia references Star Wars again when she calls Penn “Psycho-Wan Kenobi”.
- 2.03 First Impressions: Gunn says to Cordelia and Wesley,
“You two? I find Deevak, I’m gonna need more than C-3PO and Stick Figure Barbie backin’ me up, no offence.”
C-3PO was a droid in the Star Wars films, designed to assist with etiquette, customs, and translation so that meetings of different cultures run smoothly.
- 5.11 Damage: Andrew says (about Dana): “Driven insane by Yoda-knows-who.”
- 5.10 Soul Purpose: Spike references Star Wars, when he says “Sorry Mr Vader, but I don’t have an itch to join the evil Empire.”
- 4.15 Orpheus:
Wesley: “Sorry. I think my sense of humor’s trapped in a jar somewhere.”
Willow: “It does seem like you’ve given in to the grumpy side of the Force.”
Steve and Dave Paymer
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In 1.05 Rm W/A Vu, Cordelia says on the phone:
“But things are going great. - Well, my new apartment for one thing. Celebrities are practically on top of me. Oh, Steve Paymer, - that’s Dave Paymer’s brother lives right down the hall. Oh, you’d know him if you saw him.”
Later, in 1.13 She, at her party, Cordy says:
“Okay. – Steve Paymer came, can you believe it? - David Paymer’s brother, - Steve? (Angel just looks at her. Cordy thrust the half-empty bag of ice at him and walks off) Steve!”
Dave Paymer has appeared in Quiz Show, Searching for Bobby Fischer, City Slickers, State and Main, Payback, Get Shorty, and Ocean’s Thirteen. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1992 for Mr. Saturday Night. Steve is a lesser-known actor and has appeared in TV shows including Las Vegas, Everybody Hates Chris, CSI: NY, Will & Grace, and 3rd Rock from the Sun.
In reality, Steve Paymer lives in the same apartment block as the writer of the episode, Jane Espenson. She mentions this in her commentary for the episode.
Sunnydale memories
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There are a few references to Cordelia’s time in Sunnydale in 1.05 Rm W/A Vu. When confronting the ghost, Cordelia says:
“I’m not a sniveling whiny little Cry-Buffy. I’m the nastiest girl in Sunnydale history. I take crap from no one.”
Later, Doyle notices her burnt up High School graduation diploma to which Cordelia replies, “rough ceremony” - referring to 3.22 Graduation Day (Part Two).
Cordelia also mentions the mansion that Angel lived in in Sunnydale in the following dialogue:
Cordy: “Like I’m still getting punished.”
Angel: “Punished. For what?”
Cordy: “I don’t know. For what I was? For everything I said in High School just because I could get away with it? - And then it all ended, and I had to pay. - Oh, but this apartment – I could be me again. Punishment over – welcome back to your life! Like, like I couldn’t be that awful if I get to have a place like that? - It’s just like you!”
Angel nods: “Working for redemption.”
Cordy frowns confused: “I – I meant because you used to have that mansion.”
Cordelia also speaks to Aura, one of her Cordette’s from Sunnydale, seen in 1.01 Welcome To The Hellmouth.
Tattoo cover up
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In her commentary for 1.05 Rm W/A Vu, Jane Espenson points out that you can briefly see a tattoo on Cordelia’s back as she battles the ghost. Jane says that it was decided that Charisma Carpenter’s tattoos would be covered up as it was felt that Cordelia wouldn’t have any. Charisma’s tattoo can also be seen in 1.10 Parting Gifts as Cordy talks to Barney in the kitchen.
In 5.12 You’re Welcome, Cordelia’s left wrist is always covered - either by a long sleeve, bandage or a leather wrist band. This is to cover Charisma’s tattoo which she had done between seasons 4 and 5. The tattoo is of rosary beads - something Cordy certainly wouldn’t have considering her relationship with a vampire!
The Bitch Is Back
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In 1.05 Rm W/A Vu, Cordelia says:
“Well, get ready to haul your wrinkly translucent ass out of this place, because lady, the bitch is back.”
The Bitch Is Back is a song by Elton John.
The Mills Brothers
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The song ‘You Always Hurt the Ones You Love’ by The Mills Brothers is heard a few times in 1.05 Rm W/A Vu. Jane Espenson says in her commentary for the episode that a friend of hers thought the song would be fitting for the episode.
Wagner and Verdi
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In 1.05 Rm W/A Vu, when Angel and Kate are looking up previous murder-suicides in Cordy’s apartment, two officers on Kate’s computer screen are listed as Richard Wagner and Joseph Green. This is a reference to the two famous composers, Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi (which translates to English as Joseph Green).
[Goof] Fireplace tile
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When the Kaliff demons arrive at Cordy’s house in 1.05 Rm W/A Vu, one of them shoots at the ghost and damages the tile on the fireplace, but when we see the tile again at 36:10 there is nothing wrong with it.