Episode Trivia
Anastasia Horne
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Anastasia Horne, who played Percy’s date Laurie in 4.11 Doomed, has also been in Port Charles (as Lark), The Batchelor and Boy Meets World.
Birth of the Buff
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In 4.11 Doomed, Buffy says that she’s a Capricorn on the cusp of Aquarius, which confirms that her birthdate is somewhere between the 17th and the 20th of January. This corresponds to the fact that her birthday episodes usually air that week in the US (usually the 18th or 19th episode of each season).
Buffy and Riley
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Joss Whedon had the following to say about Buffy and Riley’s controversial relationship:
“Some people think they’re just too cute and fluffy. Well, maybe I think it would be nice for Buffy to have an easy, stable relationship for once that doesn’t cause her any grief, doesn’t become dark and confusing so she can have some peace! Or maybe I’m Joss…”
Burned out school
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The ruins of Sunnydale High seen in 4.11 Doomed were all computer generated.
Can’t go there again
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In 4.11 Doomed, Buffy talks about a failed relationship with someone who knew her secret identity - she is obviously talking about Angel:
Buffy: “Riley, I just… can’t.”
Riley: “Can’t talk?”
Buffy: “Can’t any of it. I can’t be with you. It’s just a huge black pit of a mistake and I can’t go there again.”
Riley: “Again? You’ve dated me before?”
Buffy: “No! Look I was involved… (sighs) You don’t know what my life is like.”
Riley: “But I’m dying to find out.”
Buffy: “Dying being the operative word here. Okay, there is too much risk. There is too much… it’s just doomed! And I can’t do doomed again right now. Sorry.”
CBS
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When looking at a mystical symbol in 4.11 Doomed, Xander says:
“It’s kind of the CBS logo. Hey, could this be the handiwork of one Mr. Morley Safer?”
CBS is a television network whose logo is an eye. Morley Safer is a newscaster for CBS.
Demon violence
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Spike discovers, much to his delight, in 4.11 Doomed that he can still be violent as he can hurt demons without the chip wrecking his head:
“Come on! Vampires! Grrr! Nasty! Let’s annihilate them. For justice and for the safety of puppies and Christmas, right? Let’s fight that evil! Let’s kill something!”
This doesn’t explain why Riley said in 4.07 The Initiative:
“The implant works. Hostile 17 can’t harm any living creature in any way without intense neurological pain.”
Earthquakes
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In 4.11 Doomed an earthquake in Sunnydale signals the end of the world (again). The last time there was an earthquake was in season one’s 1.12 Prophecy Girl, when the Hellmouth opened and the Master drowned Buffy. Buffy says, “the last time we had an earthquake I died” referring to the events of that episode. We discovered in season one that it was an earthquake which had trapped the Master underground in 1937, and in 4.08 Pangs the Scoobies found out that an earthquake in 1812 buried the Sunnydale mission. We learn in 6.22 Grave that Prosepexa’s temple was sunken into the ground in the Sunnydale earthquake of 1932.
Echobelly
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‘Mouth Almighty’ by Echobelly, can be heard at the party in 4.11 Doomed, when Willow overhears Percy talking about her.
Ethan Erickson
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Ethan Erickson, who played Percy West, started out as a gymnast before turning to acting. Joss Whedon gave Ethan his role on Buffy after he performed a back-flip at his audition. Ethan dated Rose McGowan in 1998. He appeared on an episode of Friends (as Dirk in ‘The One With The Soap Opera Party’).
Fun coma
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In 4.11 Doomed, Buffy says:
“The last person I know that believed that is in a coma right now because she had so much fun on the job.”
She’s talking about her nemesis Faith, who she stabbed in 3.21 Graduation Day (Part One).
He Got Game
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Forrest, played by Leonard Roberts, tells Riley in 4.11 Doomed that he “don’t got game,” which is an in-joke because Leonard was in the 1998 movie He Got Game.
In 3.02 That Vision Thing, Gunn says:
“Damn. Grandma and grandpa got game.”
Hostile Sub-Terrestrials
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Hostile Sub-Terrestrials (or HSTs as Buffy accurately guesses in 4.11 Doomed) was the Initiative code name for vampires and demons. In 4.11 Doomed, Riley says that the Vahrall demon is “not a capture, it’s a kill,” meaning that the Initiative don’t capture all their specimens alive for experimenting.
Lilac One
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Lilac One was Riley Finn’s Initiative call sign, seen in 4.11 Doomed.
Marc in the credits
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Marc Blucas was added to the opening credits as of the episode 4.11 Doomed, an indicator to fans that his relationship with Buffy would be fairly long-term.
Marc’s second chance
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Marc Blucas mentioned in an interview about how he got the part of Riley:
“They had narrowed it down to five or six guys and we all went in to read with Sarah. The night before, I was playing basketball and I got undercut. I landed on my back, so I got hurt. That had never happened before. I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t put on my socks and shoes. I was really messed up. And I went in to read with Sarah in a pair of shorts, a T-shirt and flip flops. The whole scene I did leaning up against a bookcase. I just couldn’t physically move. And at that point, I had already read for Joss and the other producers, and it was my first time reading with Sarah. It was a very intimate scene. They wanted to see the guy who wasn’t intimidated by her.
They wanted to obviously try to see some chemistry between the actors, but someone that could go up and physically approach her and hold their own against Sarah as a presence, as an entity. You know, she holds the screen. She’s a star. And I didn’t have an opportunity to do that.
I walked out saying, “Sorry for wasting your time, thanks for having me. Good luck.” Because I was horrible. The acting was bad, everything that the scene was intended to do, I couldn’t do.
And so the next day, Joss called me at home. He said, “I’ve seen you do this. I know you’re my guy. When are you going to be ready.” And I said, “Joss, this has never happened to me before. I don’t know. I might need two weeks. I can’t put on my socks right now.” And he said, “All right, well, I think Sarah’s going out of town for about two weeks, and so when she comes back…” he more or less bought me time. And I went in two weeks later when I was fine and read with her and he said, “That’s it.” Then I got the job that way. Second chances don’t come a lot in this town because there’s just too much money at stake. They usually just don’t happen. So I will be forever grateful to Joss Whedon for giving me the second chance.”
More on Riley
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We discover in 4.11 Doomed that Riley is a Psychology graduate student, which means that he already has a Bachelor’s degree, and that he’s at least 21.
Nintendo
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In Angel’s season five episode 5.12 You’re Welcome, the video game Spike is playing is the original Donkey Kong game by Nintendo, the first videogame ever to feature Mario, Nintendo’s main mascot. You can tell by the very recognizable music and Spike’s comments about a “plumber” and a monkey.
In 4.11 Doomed, referring to a fancy Initiative device (which looks like a Nintendo Gameboy) held by Riley, Buffy says:
“Is this really the time for Donkey Kong?”
In the scene when Faith (in Buffy’s body) has slept with Riley in 4.16 Who Are You? the camera pans up from the bed past the alarm clock, and you can see that there is a black Game Boy Pocket in front of the clock.
Office romance
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In 3.21 Graduation Day (Part One), Buffy says that her relationship with Angel will be her “last office romance”. She contradicts this in later seasons with her relationships with Riley and Spike.
Percy West
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Percy was a basketball playing jock who Willow was forced to tutor in order for the school’s sports teams to do well. She gained his respect when her vampire lookalike beat him up in the Bronze in 3.16 Doppelgangland. She later met him at a college frat party in 4.11 Doomed and was upset to hear he thought she was square. We learnt in 4.11 Doomed that Percy was attending the University of Southern California (USC) on a football scholarship.
Pizza boy
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Xander has another new job in 4.11 Doomed - despite his construction job gig in 4.08 Pangs. This week he is delivering pizzas.
Slayer
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In 4.11 Doomed, Forrest thinks Riley is talking about the band Slayer:
“thrash band. Anvil-heavy guitar rock with delusions of Black Sabbath.”
Fred thinks the same thing in 4.06 Spin The Bottle:
“Slayer? The band?”
Slayer comma The
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In 4.11 Doomed, Buffy realises that Riley has never heard of the Slayer, though Forrest had. He says to Riley that she is a myth:
“some kind of bogeyman for the Sub-Terrestrials. Something they tell their little spawn to make them eat their vegetables and clean up their slime pits.”
Spike’s white knees
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The following conversation, from when Spike is wearing Xander’s clothes, was cut from 4.11 Doomed:
Xander: “Look at you! You have knees! Very white knees!”
Spike: “Damn things keep doing that.”
Xander: “You know I’m not any happier about you wearing my stuff than you are.”
Spike: “That cannot be true. Don’t know how you let yourself be seen in this … wanker-wear.”
Superman
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Comicbook hero Superman has been epitomised in many comics (by DC Comics), movies, TV shows (eg. Lois and Clarke, Smallville - in which James Marsters played Brainiac), cartoons (eg. The Adventures of Superman) and even a musical. He and the world he lives in have been referenced many times in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel:
- 1.05 Never Kill A Boy On The First Date: Buffy says, “even Clark Kent has a job”, alluding to Superman’s alter-ego.
- 2.05 Reptile Boy: Xander’s chances of ever belonging to a fraternity of rich and powerful men are rubbished by Cordy as likely only “in the Bizarro world.” The Bizarro world is a weird, back-to-front version of the real world in Superman.
- 2.11 Ted: Cordelia says of Buffy, “But she’s like this Superman.”
- 3.09 The Wish: Cordelia says to vamps Willow and Xander:
“No. No! No way! I wish us into Bizarro Land, and you guys are still together?! I cannot win!”
- 3.12 Helpless: Oz and Xander discuss which colour Kryptonite hurts Superman. Writer David Fury said in his DVD commentary for the episode that he wasn’t sure which Kryptonite was which so wrote this scene as such.
- 3.13 The Zeppo: there are a few references to Superman: Xander’s line, which he acknowledges as a “Jimmy Olsen joke”:
“But, gee, Mr White, if Clark and Lois get all the good stories I’ll never be a good reporter”
He also name-checks the Daily Planet’s editor Perry White, Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent, and his colleague Lois Lane. Cordelia’s jibe “You must feel like Jimmy Olsen” is another reference to the Daily Planet’s youngest photographer.
- 4.11 Doomed: Forrest says to Riley,
“Granted they’re a little rarer than the one’s you grew up with on that little farm in Smallville.”
Smallville, Kansas, was the small town where Clark Kent (Superman) grew up.
- In 4.17 Superstar, Xander mentions Kryptonite again.
- 5.02 Real Me: Xander says, “She can turn this place into the fortress of solitude again”. Superman built the Fortress of Solitude in the North Pole as a place where he could relax and keep his souvenirs.
- 6.11 Gone: Andrew mentions Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor. Buffy also mentions Bizarro World again.
- 6.21 Two To Go: Andrew says:
“Lex Luthor had a false epidermis escape kit in Superman Versus the Amazing Spider-Man Treasury edition”.
- 7.10 Bring On The Night: Andrew says, “An evil name should be something like Lex” He’s referring to Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor.
- 1.19 Sanctuary: While Faith flips through the channels, we briefly see a Superman cartoon.
- 1.21 Blind Date:
Wesley: “The human eye is only capable of registering a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. But if Brewer were somehow equipped to see outside that range…”
Cordelia: “She’d be Superman.” - 4.02 Ground State: Gwen says “what are you, Lex Luthor?” to Elliott when she finds out he’s double-crossed her.
- 5.10 Soul Purpose: Lindsay references Superman when he’s talking about Spike:
“I mean, he hasn’t sewn a big red S on his chest yet, but he’s getting there.”
- 5.12 You’re Welcome: Cordelia ends her seeming obsession with the Bizarro world when she says:
“What Bizarro-world did I wake up in?”
The Hellacopters
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At the party in 4.11 Doomed, we hear ‘Hey’ by The Hellacopters while Willow talks to Percy.
The museum
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Buffy’s class go on a school trip to the museum in 2.04 Inca Mummy Girl. The scenes were shot at the Natural History Museum, at 900 Exposition Boulevard near the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Sunnydale Museum is also seen in 2.21 Becoming (Part One) (where Acathla was examined), 4.11 Doomed (where the gang studied the Word of Valios) and 6.09 Smashed (when the nerds stole the Illuminata diamond).
UC Santa Cruz
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Buffy writer Marti Noxon attended UC Santa Cruz. Three colleges from Santa Cruz are named in season four of Buffy: Stevenson, Kresge and Porter.
In 4.02 Living Conditions, Buffy tells Parker her dorm is in Stevenson Hall (number 214). There’s a party at Porter in 4.11 Doomed and in 4.13 The I In Team, Buffy mentions Kresge Hall.
In 5.05 Life Of The Party, Eve says:
“Angel, it’s not like this is the first time I’ve had sex under a mystical influence. I went to U.C. Santa Cruz.”
Vahrall demons
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Vahrall demons are green, three metres tall (according to Riley), with spines across the back of their scalps, and clawed hands. They are said to be:
“Slick like gold, and gird in moonlight, father of portents, and brother to blight, limbs of talons, eyes like knives, bane of the blameless, thief of lives.”
Their aim in 4.11 Doomed was to end the world using the Hellmouth, the blood of a man, the bones of a child, the Word of Valios, and three sacrifices (themselves).
Word of Valios
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Three Vahrall demons attempted to open the Hellmouth in the episode 4.11 Doomed using the blood of a man, the bones of a child and the Word of Valios. This was a fifteenth century talisman, which Giles just happened to have in his apartment. He says he brought it at a “sorcerer’s estate sale”.
[Goof] Buffy’s fall
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How does Buffy manage to fall into the Hellmouth more quickly than the demon in 4.11 Doomed?
[Goof] Buffy’s hair
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In the first scene of 4.11 Doomed, Buffy’s hair is different than at the end of 4.10 Hush, though it is supposed to be a continuation of the end scene in that episode.
[Goof] Camera tracks
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When Spike, Willow and Xander are leaving the Museum after searching for the Word of Valios in 4.11 Doomed, you can see what appear to be the tracks the camera operator uses to keep the camera steady at the right of the frame. These can be seen at the end of the scene as Spike walks away.
[Goof] Dead eyes
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When the lights first turn on to show Willow with the dead guy in 4.11 Doomed, his eyes are open. In the close-up shots his eyes are closed.
[Goof] Riley’s analysis
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When Riley briefs the Initiative on the demon in 4.11 Doomed, he says it was:
“three metres tall… based on my visual analysis”.
His visual analysis is way off - it certainly wasn’t that tall.
[Goof] Spike’s stake
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When Spike attempts to stake himself in 4.11 Doomed, the stake goes flying off and cannot be seen in the shot of Spike lying on the floor. Xander then steps in front of him, and picks the stake up, though the stake wasn’t there a moment before.
[Goof] Spike’s trousers
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When Spike, Willow and Xander leave the museum in 4.11 Doomed, Spike is wearing Xander’s short trousers, but when they get to the school, he’s wearing jeans.
[Goof] Vamp face
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When Buffy and the gang are fighting the demons at the High School in 4.11 Doomed, in the scene where Xander is against the wall fighting the demon (35:40), if you look behind him at Spike, you can see he is in vamp face but when we next see him he has his normal face on and doesn’t vamp out until he realises he can hurt demons.