I dated one of the characters voiced by him and yes I was surprised when I found that out but he does quite a lot of video game voices these days - huge video game geek always has been apparently used to take pleasant in beating up tough guys in street fighter games as the Chinese girl that Nicki Minaj rapped about.
Discussion of 5.01 "Buffy Vs. Dracula" - Aired 9/26/00 (WB-US)
- Thread starter Buffy Summers
- Start date
Season 5 marks a certain unique period of growth in the series, and it's something you could tell right from the first episode. Unlike the season 4 vibe of "moving on from high school to college," Buffy vs. Dracula is more focused on Buffy's maturity as a Slayer, with Giles admitting that she has become wiser and stronger that she very well might not need him anymore. Naturally, by the end of it, this is proven to be not true in a very heartwarming moment that's definitely a highlight moment in the series.
I like this development. For much of season 4, Giles (along with Xander) has been sitting around being treated as the elderly facing midlife crisis. This development in the season 5 opener gives us the reminder of Giles' significance among the Scoobies, Giles the Mind.
I love Dracula and the other Universal Monster Trio, and I think this crossover was a matter of time. Many superheroes have gone against Dracula, from Spider-Man to Batman, so the Vampire Slayer has to have this one encounter with the vampire of legends. Unfortunately, he turns out to be something of a joke, but it's not surprising considering whom he's up against. Dracula is just among the many who underestimates the Slayer's powers (see the equally cheesy Sunday from "The Freshman"). That said, I love that Marti Noxon really played up all the familiar vampire tropes associated with Dracula; turning into mist, turning into a wolf, turning into a bat, hypnosis, etc. But in hindsight, it makes Dracula feel like such a drama queen, prettying up his entrance instead of getting down to it. Bonus points for the Lestat reference as well.
Speaking of references, Xander wins the best joke of the episode: "Also, where did you get that accent? Sesame Street? Von, two, three! Three victims! Mah-ha-ha-ha!" Ouch! Somebody get Dracula a wet towel for that burn.
As with season 4, Xander is becoming more likable than the first three (even if he still has that childish fetish for Willow's relationship with Tara). It's so Xander in these later seasons to remain pleasant while under Dracula's thrall: "I'm supposed to deliver you to the Master now. There's this whole deal where I get to be immortal. You cool with that?" Bonus points for Xander acknowledging his long-running status as a butt-monkey. Whether if the writers would decrease the usage of such a tired trope remains to be seen.
Other characters would still remain the same this episode without any growth or maturity... namely Riley:
"I couldn't believe the first 20 times you told us, but it's starting to sink in now."
"What with Angel, it's understandable that there would be transference."
"But you are NOT going anywhere near (Dracula) again."
And there's the passive-aggressive misogynist I loathe so much. Welcome back, I guess. Could you please leave? Like forever? Like never return to the series this or the next season? Pretty please with a cherry on top? Sigh.
To be fair, the other male characters were also under the influence of jealousy as well, so Dracula might have simply amplified the inherent toxicity within Riley up to eleven. Who knows with Dracula lore? It's so arbitrary. Like is Dracula going to stay as mist for the rest of the series? Oh well.
I also hated this line from Riley: "If the Initiative was still around, we would have been able to find everything in a few hours." I'm sorry, but you lost me at "If the Initiative was still around." Do you have rocks for brains, Riley? Initiative, evil, remember? It's like Captain America saying, "Boy oh boy, if only the HYDRA-infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D was still around!" 🙄
Something of a return to form that I like is Willow becoming computer-savvy again. While she did do some hacking in season 4, those moments were far and few between, so I'm hoping we get more of these moments to show Willow's smartness with both magic and technology.
Also, beginning this season, every of Joyce's dialogue feels like it would be a foreshadow to "The Body". What little dialogue she has in this episode feels like it's building up on the loss of connection between her and the Scoobies, with her voicing out about her loneliness and her own midlife crisis.
Overall, a fun season opener, but not one that says as much about the characters as the other openers, especially "The Freshman". In fact, I would rank this above Freshman just for being far more fun, and also how it introduces us to the darker elements behind Buffy's Slayer powers.
Final Rating: 7/10
Next episode...
Oh boy.
I like this development. For much of season 4, Giles (along with Xander) has been sitting around being treated as the elderly facing midlife crisis. This development in the season 5 opener gives us the reminder of Giles' significance among the Scoobies, Giles the Mind.
I love Dracula and the other Universal Monster Trio, and I think this crossover was a matter of time. Many superheroes have gone against Dracula, from Spider-Man to Batman, so the Vampire Slayer has to have this one encounter with the vampire of legends. Unfortunately, he turns out to be something of a joke, but it's not surprising considering whom he's up against. Dracula is just among the many who underestimates the Slayer's powers (see the equally cheesy Sunday from "The Freshman"). That said, I love that Marti Noxon really played up all the familiar vampire tropes associated with Dracula; turning into mist, turning into a wolf, turning into a bat, hypnosis, etc. But in hindsight, it makes Dracula feel like such a drama queen, prettying up his entrance instead of getting down to it. Bonus points for the Lestat reference as well.
Speaking of references, Xander wins the best joke of the episode: "Also, where did you get that accent? Sesame Street? Von, two, three! Three victims! Mah-ha-ha-ha!" Ouch! Somebody get Dracula a wet towel for that burn.
As with season 4, Xander is becoming more likable than the first three (even if he still has that childish fetish for Willow's relationship with Tara). It's so Xander in these later seasons to remain pleasant while under Dracula's thrall: "I'm supposed to deliver you to the Master now. There's this whole deal where I get to be immortal. You cool with that?" Bonus points for Xander acknowledging his long-running status as a butt-monkey. Whether if the writers would decrease the usage of such a tired trope remains to be seen.
Other characters would still remain the same this episode without any growth or maturity... namely Riley:
"I couldn't believe the first 20 times you told us, but it's starting to sink in now."
"What with Angel, it's understandable that there would be transference."
"But you are NOT going anywhere near (Dracula) again."
And there's the passive-aggressive misogynist I loathe so much. Welcome back, I guess. Could you please leave? Like forever? Like never return to the series this or the next season? Pretty please with a cherry on top? Sigh.
To be fair, the other male characters were also under the influence of jealousy as well, so Dracula might have simply amplified the inherent toxicity within Riley up to eleven. Who knows with Dracula lore? It's so arbitrary. Like is Dracula going to stay as mist for the rest of the series? Oh well.
I also hated this line from Riley: "If the Initiative was still around, we would have been able to find everything in a few hours." I'm sorry, but you lost me at "If the Initiative was still around." Do you have rocks for brains, Riley? Initiative, evil, remember? It's like Captain America saying, "Boy oh boy, if only the HYDRA-infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D was still around!" 🙄
Something of a return to form that I like is Willow becoming computer-savvy again. While she did do some hacking in season 4, those moments were far and few between, so I'm hoping we get more of these moments to show Willow's smartness with both magic and technology.
Also, beginning this season, every of Joyce's dialogue feels like it would be a foreshadow to "The Body". What little dialogue she has in this episode feels like it's building up on the loss of connection between her and the Scoobies, with her voicing out about her loneliness and her own midlife crisis.
Overall, a fun season opener, but not one that says as much about the characters as the other openers, especially "The Freshman". In fact, I would rank this above Freshman just for being far more fun, and also how it introduces us to the darker elements behind Buffy's Slayer powers.
Final Rating: 7/10
Next episode...
Oh boy.
Last edited:
ILLYRIAN
A face that only a mother could love, shame she don't have a mother, just a few dippo monks.
Just a small correction that I only noticed now, something I can't really ignore:
"Overall, a fun season opener, but not one that says as much about the characters as the other openers, especially "The Freshman"."
I meant to say "except The Freshman," not especially. 😛 Most of the season openers except The Freshman felt significant to the character development, whereas The Freshman felt more like "Here we go again; Buffy is still on top form."
"Overall, a fun season opener, but not one that says as much about the characters as the other openers, especially "The Freshman"."
I meant to say "except The Freshman," not especially. 😛 Most of the season openers except The Freshman felt significant to the character development, whereas The Freshman felt more like "Here we go again; Buffy is still on top form."
Faded90
Scooby
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2020
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- 1,073
- Age
- 68
Riley is like a giant fun sponge in that scene in Giles’ apartment. The others are all having fun talking about their experience. Plus he’s pacing behind the sofa while the others are all sitting amongst each other. Buffy looks uncomfortable at him a few times this scene as he’s making it clear how jealous he isSeason 5 marks a certain unique period of growth in the series, and it's something you could tell right from the first episode. Unlike the season 4 vibe of "moving on from high school to college," Buffy vs. Dracula is more focused on Buffy's maturity as a Slayer, with Giles admitting that she has become wiser and stronger that she very well might not need him anymore. Naturally, by the end of it, this is proven to be not true in a very heartwarming moment that's definitely a highlight moment in the series.
I like this development. For much of season 4, Giles (along with Xander) has been sitting around being treated as the elderly facing midlife crisis. This development in the season 5 opener gives us the reminder of Giles' significance among the Scoobies, Giles the Mind.
I love Dracula and the other Universal Monster Trio, and I think this crossover was a matter of time. Many superheroes have gone against Dracula, from Spider-Man to Batman, so the Vampire Slayer has to have this one encounter with the vampire of legends. Unfortunately, he turns out to be something of a joke, but it's not surprising considering whom he's up against. Dracula is just among the many who underestimates the Slayer's powers (see the equally cheesy Sunday from "The Freshman"). That said, I love that Marti Noxon really played up all the familiar vampire tropes associated with Dracula; turning into mist, turning into a wolf, turning into a bat, hypnosis, etc. But in hindsight, it makes Dracula feel like such a drama queen, prettying up his entrance instead of getting down to it. Bonus points for the Lestat reference as well.
Speaking of references, Xander wins the best joke of the episode: "Also, where did you get that accent? Sesame Street? Von, two, three! Three victims! Mah-ha-ha-ha!" Ouch! Somebody get Dracula a wet towel for that burn.
As with season 4, Xander is becoming more likable than the first three (even if he still has that childish fetish for Willow's relationship with Tara). It's so Xander in these later seasons to remain pleasant while under Dracula's thrall: "I'm supposed to deliver you to the Master now. There's this whole deal where I get to be immortal. You cool with that?" Bonus points for Xander acknowledging his long-running status as a butt-monkey. Whether if the writers would decrease the usage of such a tired trope remains to be seen.
Other characters would still remain the same this episode without any growth or maturity... namely Riley:
"I couldn't believe the first 20 times you told us, but it's starting to sink in now."
"What with Angel, it's understandable that there would be transference."
"But you are NOT going anywhere near (Dracula) again."
And there's the passive-aggressive misogynist I loathe so much. Welcome back, I guess. Could you please leave? Like forever? Like never return to the series this or the next season? Pretty please with a cherry on top? Sigh.
To be fair, the other male characters were also under the influence of jealousy as well, so Dracula might have simply amplified the inherent toxicity within Riley up to eleven. Who knows with Dracula lore? It's so arbitrary. Like is Dracula going to stay as mist for the rest of the series? Oh well.
I also hated this line from Riley: "If the Initiative was still around, we would have been able to find everything in a few hours." I'm sorry, but you lost me at "If the Initiative was still around." Do you have rocks for brains, Riley? Initiative, evil, remember? It's like Captain America saying, "Boy oh boy, if only the HYDRA-infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D was still around!" 🙄
Something of a return to form that I like is Willow becoming computer-savvy again. While she did do some hacking in season 4, those moments were far and few between, so I'm hoping we get more of these moments to show Willow's smartness with both magic and technology.
Also, beginning this season, every of Joyce's dialogue feels like it would be a foreshadow to "The Body". What little dialogue she has in this episode feels like it's building up on the loss of connection between her and the Scoobies, with her voicing out about her loneliness and her own midlife crisis.
Overall, a fun season opener, but not one that says as much about the characters as the other openers, especially "The Freshman". In fact, I would rank this above Freshman just for being far more fun, and also how it introduces us to the darker elements behind Buffy's Slayer powers.
Final Rating: 7/10
Next episode...
Oh boy.
I’ve always interpreted Riley in Willow’s dream in Restless as that Willow just doesn’t view Riley as fitting in with them ‘why is there a cowboy in the play anyway?’. This is painfully clear in this episode because he never joins in with their dorky fun and clearly despite all evidence seems to view The Initiative as superior to the scoobies efforts
palabravampiress
Bidet of Evil
Just did a rewatch of this ep after reading Season 8: Wolves at the Gate. Honestly, I was disappointed with Drac in the TV show. Season 8 really gave me the Drac that I wanted (and that the character deserves).
In the S5 opener, while I enjoyed the humor, I would have liked an explanation of why they, apparently, let Drac and his brides live. Err, un-live? No one went back to stake the brides. Side note: get you some, G-man. At the end, Buffy let him dissolve into mist with something like, "Seriously? I'm still here."
There seemed to be professional respect and admiration on both sides which, actually, I really liked.
Not terrible, but S8 Wolves at the Gate? Waaaay better.
P.S. Would love to see Buffy vs. Lestat, but not the pimply fanboy versions. Maybe those, too.
In the S5 opener, while I enjoyed the humor, I would have liked an explanation of why they, apparently, let Drac and his brides live. Err, un-live? No one went back to stake the brides. Side note: get you some, G-man. At the end, Buffy let him dissolve into mist with something like, "Seriously? I'm still here."
There seemed to be professional respect and admiration on both sides which, actually, I really liked.
Not terrible, but S8 Wolves at the Gate? Waaaay better.
P.S. Would love to see Buffy vs. Lestat, but not the pimply fanboy versions. Maybe those, too.
Priceless
I loved Drac and Xander's relationship in Season 8 so much
Stake fodder
What about my me?
I think Dracula proved impossible to kill. He just kept turning into mist and re-forming. The truth is, they're always letting vampires un-live, if they have any kind of relationship with them.
crazy chicklet
Glory worshipper
I watched this episode yesterday.This episode is better than I remembered.It was cheesy but still entertaining.I wouldn't say Its my favorite episode.But I still enjoyed with it.I think It is a great opening for a solid season.
Cohen
Hellhound
I love it as an opening too. It seems out of place but the last 30 seconds set the season going forward with the (jarring) introduction of Dawn. I still remember the “huh?” feeling I had the first time I watched it!
Plasma
Very jealous of that “huh” feeling. Would’ve loved to have seen it when it first aired!
TamsinValencia
Scooby
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A great start to the season maybe a little unconventional but its fun. I love that Dracula made an appearance and I wish we got to see more of him. It's what every horror fan could hope for lol.
TamsinValencia
Scooby
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AlphaFoxtrot
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Eh, my head canon is that the last Belmont struck Grandpa Munster down in A.D. 1999, so Dracula in the 21st Century is absurd. Never the less, it was really just a retelling of the original story, with little impact on the larger mythos.
TamsinValencia
Scooby
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thrasherpix
Scooby
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Strangely, this episode has grown on me. Just take it for a fun ep and don't think about it too hard.
twoslayers
Potential
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Yes I like it just as a fun season opener after the big saving the world drama at the end of Season 4. The beach scene at the start with Willow's magic gone awry is cute, the dynamic between Buffy and Dracula is great, even Xander who I'm not the biggest fan of is kind of amusing in this one. Its actually probably by favorite season opener.
wolfheart
MoonHowler
I liked this episode, my dream episode would be with blade who gets verbal with spike, loved to see that happen.
NotASlayer
𝕮𝖍𝖔𝖈𝖔𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝕻𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖘𝖘 🍫 👸🏻
It just doesn't seem to work for me and I don't really know why. For me, it's the Superstar of S5, an episode that seems like it should be fun but is just "meh" for me.