Episode Trivia
Alastair Duncan
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Alastair Duncan, who played Collins in 4.15 This Year’s Girl and 4.16 Who Are You? did voice overs for the video game Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy and played the theatre manager in The Three Stooges. He has also appeared in Maybe It’s Me, Charmed, Providence, Diagnosis Murder, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Babylon 5 and Highlander. He played Collins again in the Angel episode 1.19 Sanctuary.
Body-switcher
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Writer Doug Petrie made a sketch of what the body-switching contraption in 4.15 This Year’s Girl should look like and Buffy designers made an exact copy. Doug keeps the sketch on his wall at home.
Brian Hawley
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Brian Hawley, who played the orderly in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, previously played an ape in the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Chet Grissom
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Chet Grissom, who played the Detective in 4.15 This Year’s Girl has also been in Robbery Homicide Division, MDs, The Practice, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Any Day Now, Ally McBeal, Time of Your Life and The X Files.
D. C. Gustafson
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When Faith looks through a shop window in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, she sees an ad for ‘Gustafson Blades’. D. C. Gustafson was a Leadman who worked on Buffy during the first two seasons. He sadly died in November 2000 at age 41 after fighting cancer and AIDS. The episode 5.10 Into The Woods was dedicated in his memory
Doves
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In her dream in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Faith’s shirt has three white doves on it. Doves are the traditional symbol of peace.
Draconian Katra spell
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The Draconian Katra spell enables two people to switch bodies a-la-Freaky-Friday. Faith and Buffy’s bodies were swapped in the two parter 4.15 This Year’s Girl and 4.16 Who Are You?. Tara and Willow were able to conjure a similar spell to put the girls back in their rightful bodies. Tara said of the spell:
“I think there’s a way we can… the passage to the Nether Realm. There’s a ritual. If you can find Buffy there, you should be able to see… Well, the Nether Realm exists beyond the physical world. Accessing it is… it’s kind of like astral projection. It’s very intense. I’d have to be your anchor, keep you on this plane.”
The spell involved the incantation, “Sightless sea. Ayala flows through the river in me. The inward eye, the sightless sea”, plus lots of carpet-stroking in a highly sexually-charged atmosphere. Ooo err.
Faith’s dream
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Here is a stage direction for Faith’s dream in 4.15 This Year’s Girl:
“We cut back to the Mayor. He’s being horribly, brutally HACKED APART by Buffy with her knife. He’s real dead, real fast. Finished with this prey, Buffy whips her gaze to Faith, impatient and peeved.”
Faith’s knife
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The Mayor gave Faith an intricate knife as a present in 3.19 Choices. She used it to kill one of the Gavrok spiders and Buffy then took it away. Buffy stabbed Faith with the knife to try and cure Angel in 3.21 Graduation Day (Part One), then taunted the Mayor-snake with it in 3.22 Graduation Day (Part Two). In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Faith dreamt that Buffy killed the Mayor with the same knife, and also that she still had the knife in her when talking to Buffy whilst making a bed.
Fire in This Year’s Girl
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Writer Doug Petrie wanted a real fire in the scene in 4.15 This Year’s Girl in which Faith spies on the Scoobies in Giles’s home. He wanted to create a comfortable family atmosphere to make Faith feel even more excluded from the group. He also adds what a “pain in the ass” it was to have a fire on set - as fire marshals need to be brought in.
Five by Five
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Faith often uses the phrase “Five by Five” to say she’s ok. The origin of the phrase is unknown, but it can be related to a poker term, a piece of wood, US Army talk for a radio signal being loud and clear, and it’s also a reference to the movie Aliens. Five by five was used in the space program in the 1960’s, used by Apollo astronauts. In the transcription of the air-to-ground Apollo 11 mission are the words: “Roger, 11, You are coming in five-by-five here. Beautiful signal.”
1.18 Five By Five became the name of a Faith-centered episode in Angel’s season one.
Foreshadowing the Dawn arc
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There are two significant references to the character of Dawn before she first appeared in 5.01 Buffy Vs Dracula.
In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Buffy and Faith are making a bed in Faith’s dream. They have the following conversation:
Buffy: “I wish I could stay, but…”
Faith: “Oh, you have to go.”
Buffy: “That’s just what…”
Faith: “Little sis coming. I know.”
Buffy: “So much to do before she gets here.”
As well as referencing Dawn verbally, the two Slayers are making the bed in Dawn’s future room.
The second reference occurs in the episode 4.22 Restless. Tara says to Buffy:
“Be back before Dawn”.
There is also a couple more, slightly cryptic, references. In 3.21 Graduation Day (Part One), Buffy walks into Faith’s apartment and Faith says:
“Look at you, all dressed up in big sister’s clothes.”
In 4.22 Restless. In Giles’ dream, Olivia is pregnant, which may signify the coming of Dawn as Giles became a father figure to her after Joyce died.
In 3.22 Graduation Day (Part Two), Buffy dreams that she and Faith are making a bed together (again!). Faith says:
“Miles to go. Little Miss Muffet counting down from 7-3-0″.
Faith’s riddle is explained later in the series. “730″ is a forshadowing of Buffy’s own death (Buffy dies to save Dawn). It means 365 multiplied by 2, meaning in two year’s time. This date coincides with the episode 5.22 The Gift where Buffy dies. The number crops up again in season four’s finale 4.22 Restless, where Buffy sees a clock saying 7:30 and Tara tells her the clock is wrong. It is: there are no longer 730 days before Buffy’s death, there are 365.
Going for the boyfriend
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In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Buffy asks Faith if she’s “going for the boyfriend again?” Faith tried to get at Buffy through Angel in 3.17 Enemies, by trying to seduce him then attempting to remove his soul by magic. Faith eventually sleeps with Riley in 4.16 Who Are You? when she takes over Buffy’s body.
Harry Groener
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Harry Groener played the Mayor of Sunnydale - Richard Wilkins III. He was born in Germany in 1951. Harry has three Tony nominations for his stage work in Oklahoma, Cats and Crazy for You. He has also been in Dear John, The West Wing, Roswell, Malcolm in the Middle, The Drew Carey Show, Boston Public, Judging Amy, Charmed, Family Law, Just Shoot Me, Mad About You, Home Improvement, Star Trek: Voyager, Law & Order, Quantum Leap, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Enterprise and Remington Steele. His final Buffy episode was 7.20 Touched.
I Know What You Did Last Summer
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Sarah Michelle Gellar appeared in the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer in 1997. There are a couple of possible references to this film in Buffy. In 2.16 Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered, Angel sends Buffy a bunch of roses with a card reading, “Soon”. This could be a reference to I Know What You Did Last Summer, in which the character played by Sarah wakes to find the same message written on her mirror in lipstick.
When Faith is running from Buffy in her dream in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, the scene is reminiscent of the scene in the movie where Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character runs from a killer.
In addition
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The scenes of Willow and Tara, and Giles and Xander looking for Faith in 4.15 This Year’s Girl were added later as the episode was 9 minutes too short.
Jack Esformes
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Jack Esformes, who played the doctor in 4.15 This Year’s Girl has also appeared in Wag the Dog, Breaking In, Defense Play, The Drew Carey Show, G vs E and Seinfeld (playing Mike in the episode ‘The Frogger’).
Jeff Pruitt
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Jeff Pruitt was the stunt co-ordinator for Buffy during seasons two, three and four. He is married to Sophia Crawford, who was Buffy’s stunt double until the end of season four. He appeared in the episodes 3.01 Anne (as the bouncer at the Family Home), as a vampire in 2.11 Ted and he played the first cop that Faith pushed down in 4.15 This Year’s Girl.
Jeff has done stunt work for the movies The Whole Ten Yards, Last Man Standing, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, and Before She Met Me, as well as stunt work on Fear Factor and The New Adventures of Robin Hood.
Jeff Ricketts
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Jeff Ricketts played Weatherby in 4.15 This Year’s Girl and 4.16 Who Are You?. A regular member of the Buffyverse, he has appeared in Angel as Weatherby, and he also played the Spider Monster in Angel’s season four episode 4.20 Sacrifice. Jeff played Malcolm in Amber Benson’s movie Chance. He also appeared in a couple of episodes of Joss Whedon’s Firefly. He has also appeared in Holes and Clockstoppers.
Kevin Owers
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Kevin Owers, who played the Watcher’s Council’s Smith in Buffy and Angel, also appeared in Ballad of the Nightingale and Titanic. He has been in The West Wing.
Mark Gantt
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Mark Gantt, who played the demon in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, was assistant property master for Full Frontal, For Love of the Game, The Deep End of the Ocean, The Siege, 1.01 City of, Volcano and Barb Wire. He appeared in Good for Nothing, Ocean’s Eleven and The Hollywood Sign, and was a driver for the movie Desperado. In 2003 he wrote, directed, produced and edited Martine.
Marvellous speaking tube
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In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Giles uses the new phone he got in 4.12 A New Man, after his old one was destroyed. Buffy also uses the phone in 4.19 New Moon Rising.
Mayor’s tape
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The Mayor made a tape sometime between Faith’s stabbing in 3.21 Graduation Day (Part One) and his Ascension in 3.22 Graduation Day (Part Two). She saw the tape, and received his body-switching contraption in season four’s 4.15 This Year’s Girl.
Message from beyond
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The Mayor’s video message to Faith, seen in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, would have been made sometime during the events of Graduation Day, Part Two - after Faith was hospitalised, but before he went and turned into a giant snake.
Not helpful
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In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Willow wonders if they should get the Watcher’s Council to help them get Faith. Xander says:
“Been there, tried that. Not unlike smothering a forest fire with napalm, as I recall.”
He’s referring to the fact that they failed to control Faith the last time they captured her, in 3.15 Consequences.
Orgazmo
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In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Xander says:
“Now, if it were called the Orgazmater, I’d be the first to try your basic button press approach”.
This could be a reference to the Trey Parker movie Orgazmo (1997), which was produced by Fran Rubel Kuzui and Kaz Kuzui (both executive producers on Buffy and Angel).
Pent up feelings
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When looking for Faith in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Xander says:
“The point being, I could be the target here. If Faith finds Mr. Xander Harris still in town, she’ll go tighter than cat gut. Got a lotta pent up feelings there. I’m only saying.”
He and Faith had sex in 3.13 The Zeppo, leading Xander to believe it meant more to Faith than it did.
Pretty out there
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In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Riley apologizes to Willow after he pushed her down in 4.14 Goodbye Iowa.
Quitting the Council
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Buffy says to Riley in 4.15 This Year’s Girl,
“I know how you feel. Giles used to be part of this Council and for years all they ever did was give me orders… The point is, I quit the Council. And I was scared. But it’s okay now.”
She’s referring to the Watcher’s Council, which she quit in 3.22 Graduation Day (Part Two).
Red
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In 4.04 Fear, Itself, Xander calls Buffy “Red”. Spike called Willow “Red” in 7.03 Same Time, Same Place and 4.20 The Yoko Factor, and Faith called Willow this in 4.15 This Year’s Girl. Kennedy also calls Willow “Red” in 7.22 Chosen, when they’re in the Principal’s office getting ready for Willow to work her mojo.
Rise and Shine
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The episode 4.15 This Year’s Girl (in which Faith awakens from her coma) was almost called ‘Rise and Shine’ - something the Mayor would surely have said to Faith.
Sara Van Horn
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Sara Van Horn, who played the nurse in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, played Minnie Belle in Great Balls of Fire! (1989). She has played nurses before: in Mockingbird Don’t Sing, The Perfect Nanny, and Boston Public. She has also appeared in Will & Grace, Malcolm in the Middle, Strong Medicine, The Practice and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.
Scarf part of me
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In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Riley tells Buffy that the red scarf that Buffy gave him when he was sick in 4.14 Goodbye Iowa was the only thing that kept him going.
Shawshank Redemption
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The scene in Faith’s dream where she looks up to the sky with the rain pouring down her is an homage to Tim Robbins’ escape from prison in the 1994 movie Shawshank Redemption.
Slayer Handbook
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The Slayer Handbook was a rule book for Slayers, which also suggested study material. Giles decided not to bother with one for Buffy as soon as he met her (which explains why he told Buffy he had no “rule book” for her in 1.05 Never Kill A Boy On The First Date), as he realised it would be useless in her case. He told this to Buffy in 2.10 What’s My Line? (Part Two).
In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Buffy said to Giles:
“Why? Because ray guns aren’t in the Slayer handbook?”
Sporting goods
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In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Faith looks in the window of the same sports store that she and Buffy were arrested in, in 3.14 Bad Girls.
Taser blazer
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In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Xander tries to repair the faulty taser-gun which Maggie Walsh gave to Buffy in The I in Team:
“Sure. As soon as I get my master’s degree in advanced starship technology.”
Riley finally fixes it and Buffy uses it in 4.20 The Yoko Factor.
The glass trick
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Faith and Buffy fight and crash through a sheet of glass in 3.07 Revelations. They do this two more times whilst fighting: in 3.21 Graduation Day (Part One) and 4.15 This Year’s Girl.
The Patty Duke Show
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The Patty Duke Show was a 60’s sitcom in which Patty Duke played identical cousins. The theme song goes as follows:
“Meet Cathy, who’s lived most everywhere,
From Zanzibar to Barclay Square.
But Patty’s only seen the sights
A girl can see from Brooklyn Heights –
What a crazy pair!But they’re cousins,
Identical cousins all the way.
One pair of matching bookends,
Different as night and day.Where Cathy adores a minuet,
The Ballet Russes, and crepe suzette,
Our Patty loves to rock and roll,
A hot dog makes her lose control –
What a wild duet!Still, they’re cousins,
Identical cousins and you’ll find,
They laugh alike, they walk alike,
At times they even talk alike –
You can lose your mind,
When cousins are two of a kind.”
In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Buffy jokes about her situation with Faith:
Willow: “What did you tell him?”
Buffy: “The truth? That she’s my wacky identical cousin from England,
and whenever she visits hi-jinks ensue?”
Willow: “It’s good you guys have such an honest relationship.”
The Right Stuff
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In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Buffy calls Riley “the clean marine”, a quote from the 1983 movie The Right Stuff.
The Terminator
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The conversation in 4.02 Living Conditions about Parker’s interest in Buffy, (Xander says “Hasta” and “Buffinator” and Oz says “He’ll be back”) is a reference to The Terminator movies, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by James Cameron.
In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Buffy called Adam:
“the Terminator without the bashful charm.”
In 2.01 When She Was Bad, Willow and Xander referenced the movie when playing “Guess the Movie”.
In 4.21 Primeval, Adam has an arm-gun (”I’ve been upgrading”). This is reminiscent of the gun the Terminator has in the movie trilogy.
In 6.06 All The Way, Janice calls her mother “The Mominator”.
In 3.06 Billy, Cordelia says,
“You can’t barge into a police precinct and go all Terminator.”
At one point in the original Terminator movie, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character drives into a police station and shoots up the place killing most of the police inside.
Walking by the Sun Cinema
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The Sunnydale street in front of the Sun Cinema is clearly a place of confusion, seeing as whenever a character is completely bewildered they walk down that road.
- Cordelia walked past the movie theatre when she landed in the alternate Sunnydale in 3.09 The Wish.
- Buffy and Angel walked down that street when it was snowing in 3.10 Amends.
- Vampire Willow walked down that street when she first landed in the real Sunnydale in 3.16 Doppelgangland.
- Faith walked the same road when she woke up from her coma in 4.15 This Year’s Girl.
Oddly though, Buffy didn’t make the trek down that road when she came back from the grave in 6.02 Bargaining (Part Two).
Weatherby, Smith and Collins
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Weatherby, Smith and Collins were tough members of the Watcher’s Council who helped to abduct Faith (not knowing Buffy was occupying her body) in 4.16 Who Are You?. They intended to take the Slayer to England to be reprimanded, but she escaped using their van.
Who rang?
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In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, when the Scoobies are all at Giles’s flat, the phone rings. It’s a call for Buffy, and it’s someone telling Buffy that Faith has awakened and escaped from the hospital. Who was it? And how did they know Buffy was at Giles’ house?
[Goof] Behind you
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When Buffy is making her speech about rescuing Riley in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, why didn’t Willow and Xander notice Riley coming down the stairs behind the Slayer?
[Goof] Boom mic operator
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The boom mic operator can be seen in a bush in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, just before Buffy sees the demon that Adam dissected. He’s to the right of the screen.
[Goof] Camera
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When Buffy and Faith are rolling down the stairs in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, you can see a camera following them to the left.
[Goof] Continuity error
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Buffy throws Faith across the dining table as they fight in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, knocking everything off the table. A few moments later, the tablecloth and some pieces of fruit are back on the table.
[Goof] Extra
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When Buffy and Willow are discussing what Buffy told Riley about Faith in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, a guy in a stripy sweater walks by on Buffy’s left. A moment later, as the camera cuts to a different angle, he walks by again.
[Goof] Extra extra
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When Faith is walking down the street after leaving the hospital in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, a couple walk behind her. The woman is wearing a blue jacket and pink scarf. As Faith walks, the couple walk from right to left three times. Then they walk from left to right.
[Goof] Faith’s grave
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When Faith crawls out of the grave in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, she takes a couple of small steps. In the next shot she’s several feet away from the grave.
[Goof] Faith’s hair
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When Faith and Buffy meet at the campus in front of the sign in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, you can see that Eliza Dushku’s hair is curlier at the back than her stunt double’s hair.
[Goof] Fake wall
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Whilst running away from Buffy in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Faith climbs a wall. The wall wobbles around giving away that it’s a fake.
[Goof] No tattoo
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When Faith is rummaging through Joyce’s make-up in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, you can’t see her trademark tattoo on her arm.
[Goof] Rain on Faith
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In Faith’s dream in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, as Faith drags herself out of the grave, the rain doesn’t appear to be actually hitting her. It looks like they just made Eliza Dushku wet, and then added computer generated rain, to avoid the difficulties of filming a close up rain scene.
[Goof] Riley’s shirt
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When Forrest confronts Riley as he’s trying to leave the infirmary in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Riley’s shirt is further open in some shots than in others.
[Goof] Tara’s pendant
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In 4.15 This Year’s Girl, Tara’s pendant around her neck moves without her touching it when she and Willow look for Faith.
[Goof] The snake
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When the Mayor and Faith are laying on the blanket having a picnic in 4.15 This Year’s Girl, you can see the grass snake in the Mayor’s hand. He then places it on the correct spot before he “notices it” and picks it up.