Episode Trivia
A Christmas Carol
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In 3.06 Band Candy, the Scoobies run into Principal Snyder who is giving students chocolate to sell. Xander says:
“You weren’t visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, by any chance?”
He’s referring to the Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol, in which a man named Scrooge changes his miserly ways after being visited by three ghosts who show him his past, present and future.
In 6.11 Gone, Buffy paraphrases a famous line from A Christmas Carol when she says:
“I am the ghost of fashion victims past”.
The following is from 4.15 Orpheus:
Angelus: “It annoyed the crap out of me the first time around. This sucks. And why do you get to be Marley’s ghost?”
Alyson Hannigan
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Alyson Hannigan played the computer nerd turned witch Willow Rosenberg in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her birth name was Allison Lee Hannigan. She was a child star, and appeared in hundreds of commercials and TV shows. Her first big break came when she was fourteen, when she landed a role in the film My Stepmother is an Alien. Seth Green, who played her boyfriend Oz in Buffy, played her love interest in the movie. Alyson is also famous for starring as flute-playing Michelle in three American Pie movies.
In 2004, she appeared in a stage version of When Harry Met Sally in London, alongside Luke Perry, who starred in the original Buffy movie. She played Trina Echolls in two episodes of Veronica Mars and had a guest appearances in That 70’s Show in the episode ‘Sally Simson’. Alyson’s current project is a TV show called How I Met Your Mother, in which she plays Lily.
Since 2003, Alyson has been married to Alexis Denisof, who played Wesley Wyndham-Pryce in Buffy and Angel.
Angel drinks with a soul
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There have been a few occasions where Angel has fed from a human while he has had a soul:
- 3.21 Graduation Day (Part One) - Buffy
- 2.08 Shroud Of Rahmon - Kate
- 4.01 Deep Down - Wesley
- 4.15 Orpheus - The cashier of the diner
- 5.13 Why We Fight - He sires Lawson.
- Although Angel bit Rebecca Lowell in 1.17 Eternity, he did not drink from her.
- In 2.07 Darla, we learn that Angel has been selective in his feeding habits:
Angel: “Look I’ve killed men. You’ve seen it!”
Darla: “Rapists and murderers, thieves and scoundrels. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? - Only evildoers, that’s all you hunt now. You swore to me. You said, if I took you back you’d prove yourself.” - As well, he unknowingly drinks Connor’s blood. A sample is stolen from the doctor’s office in 3.15 Loyalty. In 3.16 Sleep Tight, Angel realizes that Wolfram & Hart has spiked his pig’s blood.
In the Buffy episode 1.07 Angel, Angel tells Buffy that he hasn’t fed off a human since he was cursed:
“You have no idea what it’s like to have done the things I’ve done… and to care. I haven’t fed on a living human being since that day.”
Yeah, right.
Angel the puppy
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Angel is referred to as a ‘puppy’ on a couple of occasions:
- In 3.09 The Wish, vampire Willow keeps Angel locked in a cage as her plaything, and refers to him as “Puppy”.
- In 4.03 The Harsh Light Of Day, when Parker asks Buffy about the scars on her neck, she replies that they they were caused by an “angry puppy”. They were actually from when Angel bit her in Graduation Day, Part Two.
Puppies are a recurring theme in Buffy and Angel:
- In 2.16 Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered, Giles tells Buffy that one Valentine’s Day, Angel nailed a puppy to something (we don’t find out as Buffy stops him before he can finish).
- In 4.15 Orpheus, we see that Angel saved a puppy from being killed in early 1920s Chicago.
- In Enemies, Faith says that as a child she suffered because her mother didn’t let her have a dog before she kisses Angel.
- In 1.06 The Pack Willow regrets that Xander is not possessed by a puppy instead of a hyena
- In 7.02 Beneath You the puppy’s death is the only thing that seems to move Anya (and also Spike later on).
Angel versus Angelus
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David Boreanaz said of filming the Angel/Angelus fight scene in 4.15 Orpheus:
“That was a probably one of my top five episodes, that one. The filming was all split. They were using a double, but I did all of my dialogue back and forth to the double, with myself.
[To do] all of the angles it went through, I had to time out. The camera [would] move, I’d watch the movement of myself while doing it, and get that down, [so that] actually playing the other, Angelus part, [I’d] understand his movements.
There was a technical challenge to that aspect of it. It took a while. It was a hard episode to shoot.”
Barry Manilow
details | 2 comments | suggested by Jess
The first song Angel first sings in Caritas in the episode 2.01 Judgement is “Mandy” revealing his secret shame - a love of Barry Manilow (”I think it’s kinda pretty”). He also listens to the song in the episode 4.15 Orpheus, and sings a version for Jasmine in 4.19 The Magic Bullet.
In 5.04 Hell Bound, Angel and Spike say:
Angel: “Yeah, I never told anybody about this, but I…I liked your poems.”
Spike: “You like Barry Manilow!”
In 2.06 Guise Will Be Guise, Lorne says to Angel:
“You don’t have to sing. A break for you, a break for me, and a break for Mr. Manilow.”
Coma Again
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In the Angel season four episode 4.15 Orpheus, Willow visits LA after getting a call from Fred so that she can re-ensoul Angel. She visits Cordelia and they have the following conversation:
Willow: “How have you been?”
Cordelia: ” Higher power. You?”
Willow: “Ultimate evil. But I got better.”
Cordelia: “You heard about Faith?”
Willow: “Coma again.”
This is a reference to both Dark Willow from season six of Buffy, and Faith’s coma after fighting Buffy in 3.22 Graduation Day (Part Two).
David’s tattoo
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David Boreanaz has Kanji tattoos on each wrist. One means “Soul” and the other means “Destiny”. The tattoo on the his left wrist can be seen in 4.15 Orpheus. It’s noticeable while Angel is cradling Faith’s head in the ally (34:25).
E! True Hollywood Story
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E! True Hollywood Story has been referenced twice on Angel.
1.17 Eternity:
Cordelia: “We have to use this now, before she’s just another E! True Hollywood Story!”
Angelus: “I don’t believe this. You’re the one behind this whole True Hollywood sob story?”
Faith and comas
details | 4 comments | suggested by Smash
Faith has had bad luck with comas - her first being the result of a fight with Buffy at the end of 3.21 Graduation Day (Part One). She is stabbed with her own knife, but jumps off her balcony onto a moving truck before she can kill her. She then shares a dream with the also unconscious Buffy.
In the Angel episode 4.15 Orpheus, she drugs herself, and is bitten by Angelus, leaving her in a second coma, during which she shares a dream (of sorts) with both Angel and his evil alter ego.
Faith is knocked unconscious by an explosion for most of 7.18 Dirty Girls, and at the end of 7.22 Chosen, says, “I just want to sleep, yo, for like a week.” Dangerous request, considering her track record!
MacArthur Park
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In 2.08 Shroud Of Rahmon, Angel says:
“You know, I’m getting pretty sick of this vampire-killed-my -sister-so-now-I’m-all-entitled song. Don’t you know any others? Like, say, MacArthur Park?”
MacArthur Park is a song written by Jimmy Webb. The most famous version is by Donna Summer. We hear the song in the season four episode 4.15 Orpheus, and in the season five finale, 5.22 Not Fade Away, Lorne sings a high note from MacArthur Park to distract the demons that Lindsay has to kill.
Missing Willow
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Willow heads off early in the episode 7.17 Lies My Parents Told Me and doesn’t tell Buffy why. She actually goes to L.A. after a phone call from Fred, to help with a little ‘Angelus’ problem that they have at Angel Investigations. This can be seen in the Angel episode 4.15 Orpheus. The timing of these episodes was a little off as 4.15 Orpheus was shown before 7.17 Lies My Parents Told Me in the U.S and in the U.K.
Mook
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The term ‘mook’ has been used on the following occasions…
Little Tony: “Who’s the mook?”
Angel: “Herb Saunders, Baltimore!”
M’Fashnik: “You have cost me, Slayer.”
Buffy: “I cost *you*? That’s a designer lamp, ya mook!”
Lorne: “Ugh. I know I’m still unconscious during this part of the story, but… can you believe these mooks?”
Angel: “Take a hike, Betty. Scram.”
Girl: “Well, pound snow, you mook!”
Nate Dushku
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Eliza Dushku’s brother, Nate Dushku, played the character who shoots the doughnut shop clerk in 4.15 Orpheus. Nate has also appeared in Kiss Me Again, The Zodiac, Joan of Arcadia, Learning Curves, My Dinner with Jimi, Vampire Clan, Wolf Girl, Undressed, and Felicity.
Puff, the Magic Dragon
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“Puff, the Magic Dragon” is a song performed by the group Peter, Paul and Mary. It was written by Leonard Lipton and Peter Yarrow.
In 4.15 Orpheus:
Angelus: “All right. So what is this, huh? Puff the Magic Dragon City? Fairyland?”
The band and writers deny claims that the song is written about marijuana use. Since Angelus made this statement while under the influence, he may have disagreed.
Puppy saving
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In 5.03 Unleashed, Fred says of Angel:
“Girls, guys… puppies. He’s pretty much an equal-opportunity saver.”
This could be a reference to the episode 4.15 Orpheus, when Faith witnessed Angel’s past life - including saving a puppy.
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.”
The Wizard of Oz
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The movie The Wizard of Oz, made in 1939, in mentioned several times in Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
- Buffy refers to the hyena-possessed bullies in 1.06 The Pack as the “winged monkeys”. The phrase comes from the scene in The Wizard of Oz in which the Wicked Witch of the West sends her loyal winged monkeys to collect Dorothy and the ruby slippers.
- In 6.04 Flooded, Andrew says he trained flying demon monkeys to disrupt the school play.
- In 1.10 Nightmares, Billy Palmer awakens from his coma and, seeing the Scoobies around his bed, says, “I had the strangest dream. And you were in it, and you”. This is a reference to when Dorothy wakes in her bed and sees her friends around her.
- In 2.10 What’s My Line? (Part Two), Xander says, “Welcome my little pretties”. In The Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West called Dorothy her “pretty”.
- Dorothy kills the Wicked Witch of the West by throwing water on her. The following dialog is from 1.17 Eternity:
- In 4.20 The Yoko Factor, Willow says, “If ever a whiz there was.” This is a line from the song in the film ‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road’ / ‘We’re Off To See the Wizard’.
- The episode 5.05 No Place Like Home takes it’s name from Dorothy clicking her heels together and repeating the phrase, “There’s no place like home” in order to get back to her Kansas home.
- A similar reference to this phrase is in the Angel episode 2.22 There’s No Place Like Plrtz Glrb. In that episode, Lorne also sings the song ‘Over the Rainbow’.
- In 6.22 Grave, Willow says, “Fly my pretty…fly!” when she sends her ball of fire to find Andrew and Jonathan. This is what the wicked witch says to her flying monkeys when she sends them off.
- In 7.19 Empty Places, Rona says, “Ding, dong, the witch is dead.” This is from a song in The Wizard of Oz.
- A similar reference to this phrase is in the Angel episode 4.13 Salvage. Lorne says, “Well, ding-dong, the Beast is dead!”
- The title of the Angel episode 2.20 Over The Rainbow is another reference to The Wizard of Oz, in which the land of Oz is said to be ‘over the rainbow’. In that episode, Cordelia clicks her heels three times (as Dorothy does in the film) and says, “Worth a shot.”
- In 4.15 Orpheus, Cordelia says, “You want to go, Glinda?” This is a reference to Glinda, the Good Witch of the South.
- In 5.02 Just Rewards, Angel says, “To see the wizard”, is a reference to The Wizard of Oz song called “We’re Off to See the Wizard”.
- In 5.21 Power Play, Lorne says, “And what if he’s skipped too far down that evil brick road?” This is a reference to the yellow brick road which Dorothy and the others follow to Oz.
(Cordy pulls off the top of a water container.)
Cordy: “Back off!”
Angel: “What are you going to do? Melt me?”
Cordy: “One more step and you’ll find out. You think this is just water?”
Willow’s sexuality
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During a phone call in 2.17 Disharmony, Willow informs Cordelia that she’s gay:
Willow: “Cordelia! Okay. We’re all clear on the fact that Harmony is a vampire, right?”
Cordelia: “Oh. Harmony is a vampire? - That’s why she - oh, my god, I’m so embarrassed! All this time I thought she was a great big lesbo! … Oh, yeah? Really? … Well, that’s great! Good for you.”
Willow: “Thanks for the affirmation. Cordelia, Harmony is very dangerous. You have to get out of there!”
From the following conversation in 4.15 Orpheus, it appears Cordelia hadn’t told Wesley:
Wesley: “You seem exactly the same as when I left. No other major changes I’m not up on?”
Willow: “Just little things. (beat) So… Fred. What’s her story?”
Willow’s tattoo
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In the Angel episode 4.15 Orpheus, when Willow ducks to catch the little marble, you can see a tattoo on her back.