December 16, 2024 • 42 mins
Melanie and Sean open this podcast discussing major choices in their lives. Melanie tells Sean about her high school band and Sean recounts his college application experiences.
While exploring the paths taken (and not taken) in the Buffy episode "Choices", Sean provides his thoughts on several of the Scooby gangs' fashion choices and shares a translation of the spell Willow used on the Box of Gavrok. Melanie points out what may be the first efficient use of a crossbow in the series and questions Willow's decisions while trapped in City Hall.
A little over 2 weeks left to enter our 5 X 7 X 5 Season 3 Haiku contest! Submit those entries to thesunnydalediaries@gmail.com by 12/31/24!
Check out the video version of this episode!
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Episode Transcript
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(00:19):
-. Sean: Hello!
Welcome to the SunnydaleDiaries, a podcast where I, Sean,
Melanie (00:24):
I, Me llamo Melanie,
Sean (00:27):
watch and discuss every episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
and how the related themes ofthose episodes impact our lives.
Thanks
Today, we are talking aboutseason three, episode 19 choices.
Melanie (00:41):
Choi choices.
Sean (00:45):
If you are new to the podcast, welcome.
If you are returning, welcome back.
if you are watching onYouTube, please subscribe.
If you are listening onSpotify, drop us a comment.
We got a comment recently from Bixby Boom.
this is their fourth Buffy podcastwhere it's one Buffy fan and a
(01:08):
Buffy Virgin watching at the sametime and discussing the episodes.
They I think like the format.
We are their fourth one, andthey also did not like the Zeppo.
We are not alone.
Melanie (01:23):
Thanks for writing.
Sean (01:24):
Yeah we have a contest going on right now, with about a
little more than two weeks left.
5x7x5, Buffy Season 3 Haiku!
Contest.
Get those fingers ready and type out ahaiku related to Buffy Season 3 send it
to us at thesunnydalediaries@gmail.comand we will choose the winner in January
(01:49):
and they will get a fabulous prize.
Melanie (01:51):
Fabulous.
Sean (01:52):
so just about a little more than half of the month
left to get those entries in.
Melanie (01:58):
Get them in.
I was telling my mom aboutgetting entries for this contest.
And she said, your listeners areall like nerdy, smart people.
If you asked me to write a haiku, I'dbe like, what the heck is a haiku?
I know it's a poem, but I don't know.
Blah, blah, blah.
But probably you say that toyour listeners and they're
like, Ooh, that sounds like fun.
I hope so.
Sean (02:18):
I definitely had to pause for a second when we started talking
about it to remember the format.
Melanie (02:22):
Yeah.
Sean (02:23):
See?
575.
Melanie (02:25):
that's good stuff.
Sean (02:25):
It's just Faith.
Just Faith with a 7 in the middle.
Melanie (02:28):
that's right.
Sean (02:29):
You don't need to remember.
Okay.
If you can, please leaveus a rating or review.
Tell your friends.
Tell your neighbors.
Melanie (02:37):
Talk to your pets.
Sean (02:38):
Tell.
Yep.
Tell the cashier at the grocery store.
You look you like Buffythe Vampire Slayer.
Melanie (02:46):
We had company for Thanksgiving and I talked up our podcast to
them and gave them stickers andhopefully they're listening now.
Sean (02:55):
Very cool
Melanie (02:55):
I know.
I'll tell anybody that listens.
Sean (02:58):
Yeah, I I got my shots today and I purposely did it on my tattoo arm, hoping
it would strike some conversation, but
Melanie (03:07):
Alas.
Sean (03:09):
it's all right.
Somebody else.
Melanie (03:10):
That was a good, that was clever though.
That was clever.
Sean (03:15):
All so choices.
Melanie (03:17):
Yes.
My prediction was, what was my prediction?
Buffy was going to decidewhat to do about Faith.
Wesley was going to have to decidewhether to make a move on Cordelia.
And Xander was going to decidewhat kind of Jell O he wanted.
Sean (03:30):
You were adjacent to the plot.
Melanie (03:32):
And then you know
what, they can't all be winners.
Sean (03:38):
and again, with the one word titles.
Melanie (03:40):
Yeah.
Sean (03:40):
It's
Melanie (03:41):
tough.
Sean (03:41):
Hard.
With the prom?
Melanie (03:43):
I think I know what that one's about.
Sean (03:46):
So I was thinking about choices as I was getting ready for
Melanie (03:49):
Yeah.
Sean (03:49):
Because this week is the 20 year anniversary of when we moved to Florida.
Melanie (03:55):
Wow.
Sean (03:56):
And how I, if you would have asked me when I graduated college,
okay four years from now, you'renot gonna be working in the lab.
You're not going to beliving on Long Island.
You're going to be living in Florida,working for a software company,
writing software requirements.
I just.
Melanie (04:14):
You never would have believed it.
Sean (04:16):
no no, it was just it's just so different.
I remember even when I I startedgetting calls for the interview
and I messaged my sister, she'syou're not moving to Florida.
And that was it.
And she moved on from the conversation.
And then
Melanie (04:29):
And that's when you made the choice.
Watch me.
Sean (04:34):
you know what, what was the clincher for me?
When so they, I interviewed on a Friday.
They flew me down, excuse me.
They flew me down Thursday night andit was like, I don't know, maybe 5
30 and the sun was starting to setand I was driving over the Courtney
Campbell Causeway towards the sunset.
if you've never been on that, pretty
Melanie (04:55):
Yeah.
Sean (04:56):
Now I'm just jaded.
I'm like, yeah, palm trees, whatever,
Melanie (04:59):
This bridge is so effing long.
Sean (05:03):
so much traffic.
But now that was the moment where if Iget the job, I'm definitely taking it.
Melanie (05:07):
Yeah.
Sean (05:10):
You you have a choice moment like
Melanie (05:12):
So very similar
very
Sean (05:12):
Something that,
Melanie (05:13):
So my plan of life was from second grade on.
I knew I was going to be anelementary school teacher.
That was just what I was going to do.
I was going to go to college andget my degree and then teach.
And then I don't know if it was a choice.
The choice, when I graduated, I didn'tget a teaching job and I went into I.
T.
just totally accidentally andended up doing that for 20 years.
(05:38):
The choice, was to not go back toteaching, and keep trying that.
I don't know.
Life chose for me.
Sean (05:50):
yeah,
Melanie (05:51):
But my choice to leave my I had a really great job.
My first real IT job was a greatjob at Shands in Gainesville and my
choice to leave there to move to St.
Pete, that was a good choice.
It was
Sean (06:07):
I
Melanie (06:08):
quite a yeah, that was quite a leap, but it was like,
I was living in, Podunk AlachuaCounty and I was not married and
I wasn't really meeting people.
Cause I was living in a cottage in thewoods, and unless I was going to marry
the Culligan man, what was I going to do?
Yeah, it was, that was abig choice and a big change.
(06:29):
And it, but it worked out great.
That's why I'm here where I am now.
With my awesome friend, Sean.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sean (06:37):
Even like for me, like applying for that job at the hospital where
we worked at, Up until that point, mywhole career was like hospital lab or
hospital lab software choosing to applyfor a job, about surgery scheduling.
And even when they were talkingto me about it, I'm like, I'm
sure I could learn it, but
Melanie (06:57):
Yeah.
Sean (06:57):
what am I doing?
But then when, I had the interview, I hadthe in person interview and immediately
fell in love with you, like not ina romantic way, but I was like yeah,
Melanie (07:09):
You knew we were baited.
Yep.
That's right.
Sean (07:11):
it.
Melanie (07:11):
That's right.
Sean (07:14):
had a very good interview style.
Melanie (07:16):
Yeah.
That is to say the anti interview style.
Sean (07:21):
I was very at ease.
It was very
Melanie (07:23):
That's good.
Because we didn't ask you whatchallenges have you faced and
what's your strength and weakness?
We asked you, who's your favorite Batman?
Sean (07:31):
Yes.
I remember it was Star Wars or Star Trek.
And I think I said Wars and youmade a face, like not really,
just I think to mess with me.
Trek.
Yeah, it
really depends.
Honestly, it's,
Melanie (07:45):
no wrong answer except for I don't watch sci fi.
Sean (07:51):
don't watch
Melanie (07:51):
Yeah, I don't watch television.
That's the wrong answer
Sean (07:54):
You're out.
Melanie (07:57):
Let's talk about a college acceptance.
That's what this one was about We're notgood college application and acceptances
Sean (08:06):
I remember I filled out my application to Stony Brook
using our typewriter that we had.
Melanie (08:11):
Ooh.
Sean (08:12):
an electric typewriter.
Melanie (08:14):
Fancy.
Sean (08:14):
horrible handwriting.
Melanie (08:16):
You really do.
Sean (08:17):
Yeah, you
Melanie (08:18):
I love you, Sean, but you do.
Sean (08:20):
hold the pen wrong and nobody noticed until fifth grade.
And at
Melanie (08:25):
American education.
Sean (08:26):
And I just, I can't go back to the right way, the normal way.
Melanie (08:31):
Yeah.
Sean (08:31):
So yeah, I remember I filled it out.
In the dining room, that's wherethe electric typewriter was.
the only school I applied to.
Melanie (08:39):
Really?
Sean (08:40):
Yeah
Melanie (08:41):
Wow.
All your eggs in that basket.
Sean (08:44):
Yeah, we talked about a little bit in the past that like It was that or the
community college, which is a very goodschool My sister went there her first two
years before she went to Stony Brook fornursing school In her junior and senior.
I just I didn't want to go there.
I wanted a big campus collegethat truly felt like a, college,
Melanie (09:07):
Yeah.
Sean (09:07):
grade 13.
I don't think
Melanie (09:09):
Do you remember what you wrote your college essay about?
Your application essay?
Sean (09:15):
I don't think I had to write an essay.
Melanie (09:17):
Ugh.
Sean (09:18):
I don't.
I, I didn't have to write one,other than English composition
in my freshman year of college.
I didn't have to write any papers.
The rest of college.
Yeah.
When you get a science degree, I'm notsaying this is all science degrees.
Like I know, I remember mysister in nursing school had
to write tons tons of papers
Melanie (09:37):
Sure.
Sean (09:37):
I had, I never had We did like a research project my very
last semester where we had to comeup with, a hypothesis and then do
experiments and then that was a
Melanie (09:50):
Yeah.
Sean (09:50):
But even that it was a group thing.
So yeah, I didn't, I never had to write
Melanie (09:54):
Wow.
Sean (09:55):
my master's degree was very different.
I had to learn how to do it.
Melanie (09:58):
Yeah,
Sean (09:59):
Yeah, I didn't have to.
Melanie (10:01):
well, as an English minor and education major, man, I
wrote a lot of papers, but I don'tremember if I wrote a college essay.
I must have.
If I did, I don't remember what it was.
It was a long time ago.
I do remember my best friend'scollege admission letter or essay.
She went to Sarah Lawrence.
(10:23):
I still have it somewhere.
It was all about it was funny.
It was definitely funny.
And it was about the band that she andI started when we were in high school.
Now, neither of us played an instrument.
Sean (10:36):
I've never heard of this
Melanie (10:38):
Oh, you haven't?
I've never told you about our band?
Do
Sean (10:40):
No,
Melanie (10:40):
my best friend and I had this band.
It was really a concept.
It wasn't really a band.
We did record a couple songs, which I
Sean (10:48):
Okay.
Melanie (10:49):
share with you if I can ever find the cassette.
The name of the band was Naked Salamis.
And what was the name of thecassette, the album we did?
I don't remember, but we wrote a lotof songs about beer, which neither
of us had ever tried and, aboutanger and, uh, something about, we
(11:12):
wrote about Ed McMahon in one song.
I don't know.
We were just stupid, but
her college essay, which I alsohave somewhere around here was
all about our band, Naked Salamis.
Sean (11:27):
I must have, I got a couple of scholarships in like senior
year, like little ones, like 500
Melanie (11:32):
Yeah.
Sean (11:33):
were still helpful.
I must have had to writean essay for those.
I probably wrote about writing, becausethat's what so much of high school was for
Melanie (11:43):
Oh, yeah.
Sean (11:44):
and literary magazine
Melanie (11:46):
Yeah.
Sean (11:47):
That, I imagine that's what I would have written about.
But yeah, that was my, my college choicewas pretty much, very much made for me,
Melanie (11:57):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sean (11:58):
I got to choose between the two.
And I'm very happy with my choice.
I loved Stony Brook.
Melanie (12:03):
It's just,
Sean (12:03):
Seawolves!
Melanie (12:05):
it's interesting to me in this show how they seem to be applying
to lots of different colleges.
That's not cheap.
If I remember correctly, you gotta payto apply to these colleges nowadays, and
I imagine it's even more expensive now.
Oof.
Sean (12:21):
And plus transcripts and all that
Melanie (12:24):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sean (12:28):
I don't miss that.
Even like now I think when I went wentto get my master's, I had to get my,
my, my Stony Brook transcript and.
a pain.
Melanie (12:39):
Yeah.
Sean (12:40):
At least we don't have to fax things anymore.
Melanie (12:43):
Do you remember the curly fax paper
Sean (12:46):
Oh
Melanie (12:46):
that smelled like the, that weird smell?
Oh boy.
Faxing.
Sean (12:54):
Choices.
Melanie (12:55):
Choices.
You ready to get into this episode?
Sean (12:59):
I am.
Melanie (13:00):
right, let's do it.
Sean (13:01):
Okay.
We got a previously on.
I feel my notes only start the same.
Previously on Faith is Evil.
Melanie (13:07):
Yeah.
Previously on Faith the BadassSlayer, the Mayor, and the Ascension.
That sums it up.
Sean (13:14):
to the mayor's office.
Gross.
Melanie (13:18):
It's, yeah.
More presents from Daddy Mayor,
Sean (13:21):
Yeah.
Cookies and
Melanie (13:23):
cookies and presents, and and it's a crazy knife.
Sean (13:27):
Yeah.
Which I don't know how I knowthis, but it's named the Jackal.
It's not mentioned this episode.
Melanie (13:32):
know how you know that either.
Sean (13:34):
I it was in my head and I Googled while you were looking
for the tape and confirmed.
Yeah.
It's the Jackal, which makesit sound even more vicious.
Melanie (13:41):
Sinister.
Sean (13:42):
that's a knife.
Melanie (13:42):
That's a knife.
And she takes it out, and she's very,she's excited about it, but she does this.
I was like, what are you smelling for?
Sean (13:53):
Like that, that cool metal smell,
Melanie (13:55):
I, okay.
All right.
Sean (14:00):
the whole thing with the cookies, it just grosses me out.
Melanie (14:03):
I wrote this somewhere else in here.
He's, again, with this weird daddy energy.
It's very strange.
The father figure.
He tells her that he's got a packagecoming from South America that's needs
something needed for the Ascension,which we still don't really know about.
Then we cut to Buffy and Angelfighting some vampires in the
cemetery, typical Thursday night out.
Sean (14:24):
That's what they do.
Melanie (14:25):
Yeah, that's what they do.
And that's the wholediscussion is, are we in a rut?
Are we in a relationship rut?
You never take me anywhere new.
Although I did, I thought youdid go to that dirty movie.
No,
Sean (14:41):
They're starting to think about their future.
I think she even says when she's50 and he's looks the same and
Melanie (14:48):
she said, and you're still the same.
And I was like, no, he'll be older.
He'll look the
Sean (14:55):
age
Melanie (14:56):
but he'll be older.
Yeah I would say she'sthinking of their future.
Sean (15:01):
yeah,
Melanie (15:02):
He seems perturbed by her thinking of the future.
So yeah, that's that'sgoing to be an issue.
Sean (15:08):
yes.
Melanie (15:09):
And then we get some credits.
Sean (15:11):
Credits.
went back and looked last episodewe talked about the Amy's mom
scream out and Giles with the torch
Melanie (15:18):
Yes.
Sean (15:19):
in, and I went searching.
The whoosh is from passion.
Melanie (15:23):
Okay.
Sean (15:23):
the one where Jenny Callender dies, and he, him by himself,
goes to the mansion take out Angeland, he gets, ends up getting
knocked out and Buffy rescues him.
Melanie (15:34):
Of course.
Sean (15:34):
he had a torch,
Melanie (15:35):
Oh, that's the whoosh.
Okay.
All right.
Sean (15:38):
We know.
Still want to know why?
Melanie (15:40):
All right.
Sean (15:41):
but we
Melanie (15:42):
Why and when?
Sean (15:44):
yes,
Melanie (15:45):
Okay.
So we open with Buffystudying in the kitchen.
Sean (15:49):
first time we've seen her study in three seasons.
Because she got into Northwestern.
Melanie (15:56):
How'd she get into Northwestern?
2.
8 GPA.
And then Joyce even saysyou've got so many choices.
Like she just assumes Buffy'sgoing to get all these offers
to go to different colleges.
Like 2.
8 Joyce.
Are you not aware of herher academic history?
(16:17):
No, probably not.
Sean (16:18):
Know, Joyce closed that out.
One of those offshore accountsand sent the money to the Dean
of admissions at Northwestern,like Buffy's getting in, right?
She's, she was very excited.
She was a proud mom.
I think that's the firsttime we've seen her proud.
Melanie (16:35):
She was proud.
. But Buffy did, it's funnyas I did write down here.
How are they going topay for Northwestern?
Oh, Joyce's money inthe offshore accounts.
Yeah.
Sean (16:44):
If Almanzo pitches in,
Melanie (16:47):
We're not going to see Almanzo again.
Almanzo's on Cameo.
Yeah.
Sean (16:54):
Oh, your
Melanie (16:54):
I thought about sending you a cameo from Almanzo.
But I'm going to makehim say it's me, Monzo.
Sean (17:06):
Joyce, they actually use the word choices.
She said, Joyce said she's pleasedabout having so many choices.
Melanie (17:13):
She did say that.
Sean (17:14):
aunt too, because they live in Illinois,
Melanie (17:21):
Oh Joyce.
Sean (17:21):
I asked you to suspend your disbelief a lot.
I had trouble suspending my disbelief,believing that she got into Northwestern.
Melanie (17:31):
All right.
And I just let it go.
I did say 2.
8.
I don't know about that,but all right, whatever.
Sean (17:37):
I the 2.
8 was, I think that was season one.
Maybe she's really trying senior year.
Melanie (17:42):
Sean, that was the beginning.
Look at everything she'sbeen going through.
There's no way she brought that GPA up.
she's
Sean (17:51):
buckling
Melanie (17:51):
down
Unless you've got Willowtaking all her tests for her.
Sean (17:56):
because she just walks out of tests
Melanie (17:57):
Yeah.
Kids at this school, theyjust don't go to class.
Alright now we're back at school andPrincipal Snyder is harassing a couple
kids about their brown bag lunch.
She's is that the new drug lingo?
No, it's my lunch.
Sean (18:14):
The sack lunch bunch.
Melanie (18:15):
Yes.
Yep, pretty funny.
Buffy is talking to Willow and Ozabout how she can't leave to go
to college because, of her lifebeing the Slayer, which we knew.
And she's just gonna staylocal at UC Sunnydale.
Sean (18:32):
The college in the town that we know all about.
Melanie (18:35):
Ah.
I almost went to UC Riverside.
When I lived out there.
Sean (18:38):
were living in California?
Melanie (18:40):
That was the year I lived out there and I was trying to get residency
status so I could go to UC Riverside.
And then they told me.
Sean (18:47):
How
Melanie (18:47):
no, we are not going to grant you residency.
And so then I went to, I called UFand they were like, come on back.
Yeah, sure.
No problem.
There you go.
That was my choice.
Sean (18:57):
Yeah, and if you didn't do that, you wouldn't have met your now husband.
Melanie (19:02):
That's right.
That is true.
That is true.
Life crazy.
Sean (19:08):
Life finds a way.
Melanie (19:09):
What's that?
Sean (19:11):
Life finds a way.
Melanie (19:11):
It's true.
Willow is gonna go to Oxford,where they make little Gileses.
Sean (19:17):
Yeah, that was cute.
Melanie (19:19):
And she says, I can study and have scones.
Sean (19:22):
I do like a good scone.
Melanie (19:23):
Yeah, much too often you get a bad scone.
You don get good scones,
too often around here.
Xander is sitting under the treereading Kerouac, or pretending
to read it anyway, and he, now
Sean (19:37):
got the book open.
Melanie (19:37):
He's he's gonna be the anti establishment wanderer when he graduates,
Sean (19:44):
drive.
Melanie (19:44):
huh?
Yeah.
Sean (19:45):
drive.
Just drive, that's all he's gonna
Melanie (19:47):
Yeah,
Sean (19:47):
gonna drive.
Melanie (19:48):
I don't know where he's gonna get the money for gas And then Cordelia
does her little drive by meanness.
She's so
Sean (19:56):
I have
Melanie (19:56):
She's extra mean lately.
Sean (19:59):
I feel like they ruined her character.
Now, like when I rewatch Buffydon't start like what we're doing.
I didn't start episode one andgo episode one I jump around.
So it's been a while since I'veseen season three all the way
Melanie (20:15):
Yeah,
Sean (20:15):
And ever since they broke up, I feel like they just like
yeah, you've said it a few times.
She comes in, she getsher little digs and she
Melanie (20:23):
she's very one dimensional
Sean (20:25):
yeah, I don't like it.
And I don't like her inthe sweater vest either.
It makes her look so old,like she could be a teacher.
Melanie (20:36):
She could be a teacher.
We know this.
All she has to do is go into theclassroom and be the teacher.
Sean (20:43):
Alright, I'm done ranting.
Melanie (20:46):
Okay, so then we're in the library and Buffy is telling Wesley that
she wants to leave after graduation.
She wants to go to college and getout of there and she'll come back
on breaks and they're going to takecare of this whole Ascension thing
and then she's going to go away.
And he It says no.
It
Sean (21:02):
You can't leave Sunnydale.
What are they do, arrest her?
Are they going to send the council
Melanie (21:07):
wouldn't be the first time.
Sean (21:09):
I like Giles in that blue shirt with the suspenders.
I
Melanie (21:14):
top of the fashion this episode.
Sean (21:18):
thought it was a really good color.
It
Melanie (21:19):
I think I have one fashion note at the very end of
this episode, but we'll wait.
We'll keep you in suspense.
Sean (21:26):
Ooh.
Melanie (21:27):
Now we cut to Sunnydale Executive Airport, where the special package
from South America is arriving, viamysterious tattoo guy with pointy shoes.
Sean (21:38):
I did.
I didn't notice the
Melanie (21:39):
Now, don't worry about getting to know him because he's taken
out really quickly by the crossbow.
Sean (21:46):
The first time I think in the three seasons that the crossbow has
Melanie (21:51):
It's the first, it's
Sean (21:52):
successfully used,
Melanie (21:53):
first effective use.
Sean (21:55):
A far away target.
Melanie (21:56):
Yeah, for sure.
Yes.
Yes.
Sean (21:59):
him.
Melanie (21:59):
Yeah.
He did.
Yep.
That was good.
Yep.
And then we we'll cover this lateragain, but this is my favorite line
of this episode where the vamp, thevampire driver is like, you killed him.
And she goes, what are you?
The narrator.
Sean (22:15):
And then she pulls out the jackal and apparently cuts his hand off.
Cause I guess he washandcuffed to the box.
Melanie (22:19):
Yes.
Yeah.
The driver's you can't cut throughthe metal with those that she's
oh, but it'll cut through bone.
We love her.
Sean (22:26):
Yeah.
Melanie (22:27):
And in my head, I imagine that she's going to deliver the box with the
handcuffs with the hands still attached.
Sean (22:34):
Oh yeah.
Melanie (22:35):
And then it took me like at least 30 seconds when she walks
in and I was like, Oh, I guess thehand would have fallen through that.
No.
Sean (22:44):
you ever read Gerald's game by Stephen King?
Melanie (22:49):
No.
And that was the movie, right?
Sean (22:52):
Oh, they did make it into a movie on
Melanie (22:53):
Yeah.
Sean (22:53):
Netflix.
Yeah, I never saw the movie.
I only read the book.
That, that involves hands andcoming out of handcuffs and ewww,
Melanie (23:01):
There's a name for that.
What she does to get out of this.
Sean (23:04):
degloving
Melanie (23:04):
Yes.
That's it.
De gloving.
Gross.
So we're back at city hall Buffy isin the bushes and she sees Faith come
back with the package, with the box.
Sean (23:16):
She just comically
Melanie (23:18):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sean (23:20):
laughs.
But yeah, she sees Faith with the box
Melanie (23:23):
Yes.
And then Buffy accosts the limodriver to get some information
out of him about what's going on.
Sean (23:30):
Faith and the mayor are talking about the box.
He can tell that she's still a littleknow, angry, annoyed, upset about
the whole thing with Buffy and Angel.
And goes to open the box.
And he freaks out, which you don't see him
He's don't open the box
Melanie (23:47):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sean (23:48):
Find out it's the box of Gavrok.
Melanie (23:51):
Okay.
Sean (23:52):
I thought that could have been a good opportunity for a Buffy pun.
It could have been the boxof, the box of Gravlax.
Melanie (23:58):
That's what I thought when they said that.
I was like, Oh, Gravlax , that's not it.
It houses demonic energy and themayor is going to, I don't know,
ingest it or something, take inthat energy on graduation day.
Willow and Giles come in and, Oh,I do have fashion notes because
this dress that she is wearing isvery slinky and witchy looking.
(24:21):
No Willow,
Sean (24:23):
Okay.
Melanie (24:23):
sorry.
Willow and Giles come in andshe's wearing this long, slinky.
I
think she would have gotdress coded for that.
Sean (24:34):
Buffy made a Mr.
Pointy reference.
I don't think we've had one since Kendra..
Melanie (24:37):
she did.
She did.
Wesley is trying toget a word in edgewise.
Nobody's paying attention to him.
Nobody's listening to him or his ideas.
And they decide they're gonna haveto get the box and they're gonna
have to use some strong black magic,which Giles is like, Oh yeah, the
breath of entropic, entropics,which we never hear about again.
(24:59):
You
Sean (24:59):
Yep.
Melanie (25:01):
and then to ritually destroy the box, not just physically, but ritually.
They send Xander off toget some ingredients.
Wesley tries to tell everybodyhe's still in charge.
We need to be careful.
Nobody's listening to him.
They're just on.
Buffy's taking charge.
Da.
Then, let's see.
(25:21):
Xander goes into townto get the ingredients.
He sees Cordelia through a shop window.
admiring a dress and of coursehe must confront her because
that's all they do now.
Sean (25:35):
They do now.
Yep.
Melanie (25:36):
His assumption is that she's jealous because
she didn't get into college.
Sean (25:41):
But she did.
Melanie (25:41):
She did.
Sean (25:42):
lot.
Melanie (25:42):
into quite a few good schools.
Sean (25:45):
Very good schools
Melanie (25:46):
Yeah.
Sean (25:46):
Yeah.
And then he makes a commentabout our father's money,
and she tells him to get out
Melanie (25:51):
yeah.
The gang pulls up to city hall inwhat the school's library's black van,
Sean (25:59):
Yeah, it's a library van
Melanie (26:00):
the nondescript black van.
Yeah.
The library has for, I don't know what.
Sean (26:05):
the books.
Melanie (26:06):
Oh, okay.
Yeah.
They drop off Buffy Willow andAngel to break in via the unsecured
skylight at the top of the building.
Oz and Xander are in the libraryputting the ingredients into the.
pot
Sean (26:24):
Yeah, Willow left them instructions with little stick figure
drawings, and Oz knows which oneis him because she drew a guitar.
Melanie (26:31):
That's so fun.
Sean (26:31):
then he said, there's nobody like my Will.
And I was just, I
Melanie (26:35):
Yep.
Sean (26:36):
love him.
That's when I texted you, Isaid, I texted you last night
I love Oz, or something like
Melanie (26:41):
You said "Freakin Oz."
Sean (26:42):
Just so
Melanie (26:42):
Oz.
Sean (26:43):
Oh, yeah.
I meant it in a good way aw, freaking
Melanie (26:45):
Freaking Oz.
I love him.
Back at the City Hall, they'reat the unlocked skylight.
They sprinkle the magic dust throughthe skylight onto the box below.
Say some magic words and theshield, the CGI shield dissipates.
Sean (27:00):
I translated that Latin.
Melanie (27:02):
Oh, tell me
Sean (27:04):
Are you ready?
Melanie (27:05):
ready.
Sean (27:06):
Just be relaxed.
I'll put up a strong shield no longer.
And don't try to protectthe Ark from the hands.
Melanie (27:15):
You texted me that too.
And I was like, for sure,that's the line in this show.
Sean (27:19):
did text you that.
You didn't say anything.
Melanie (27:22):
I, what am I going to say to that, Sean?
I thought maybe it was someweird thing that Oz would say
Sean (27:29):
yeah.
Okay.
Melanie (27:30):
yeah, okay.
That makes no sense.
Sean (27:33):
Now, it was Google Translate.
I get what it's trying to It'sbreaking the spell, basically,
Melanie (27:39):
Yeah.
Sean (27:39):
doing,
Melanie (27:39):
Yeah.
Sean (27:40):
Maybe Google Translate was a little off last night.
Maybe somebody, forgot to flip a switch,
Melanie (27:45):
Tell me again what it said.
Sean (27:47):
Just be relaxed.
I'll put up a strong shield no longer.
And don't try to protectthe Ark from the hands.
Melanie (27:58):
Somebody needs to incorporate that into a haiku.
Sean (28:04):
Imagine if it was just as is, but it's
Melanie (28:06):
Oh my God.
Okay.
Sean (28:06):
would be good.
Mission Impossible.
That was a
Melanie (28:09):
Um, let's see.
Where am I?
Where am I?
Oh, okay.
So then Angel lowers Buffy down intothe room, Mission Impossible style.
I really was waiting for her to dothe little Tom Cruise splay out.
Sean (28:25):
That was the first Mission Impossible.
Whoa.
Melanie (28:27):
in Mission Impossible, yeah, that was a good scene.
This scene, not so great.
The ropes lock up and she's stuck.
Just dangling.
And of course that's when the guardsenter and she's stuck there on the rope.
Angel drops in, there's a fight.
She does get out of the rope somehow.
(28:48):
And then they run through thehallways they get out of the building.
This was funny.
They jump into the bushes.
The van pulls up and thebad guys chase the van.
Sean (28:59):
Man.
Yeah,
Melanie (29:00):
That's pretty smart.
Then the mayor, back atthe mayor, he is not happy.
Sean (29:05):
no, he has a tantrum.
Melanie (29:06):
He is, yeah, a mayor tantrum.
He starts off calm, but hehas these little explosions.
That's scary.
Like you don't knowwhen he's going to snap.
And then, but then Faith comes inand she's got Willow at knife point.
Then we go to commercial.
Sean (29:22):
Yeah, that was a good twist.
Melanie (29:23):
We're back at the library and everybody's arguing about what to do.
Buffy and the gang, they wantto trade the box for Willow.
Wesley says, no, the destructionof the box will prevent the
ascension and save the town.
I have to say, I think I agree with Wesleyas much as I love Willow and they're
all friends, the good, or, what is it?
(29:43):
Sacrifice the one forthe good of the many.
Sean (29:46):
Yeah.
Melanie (29:47):
I think and then there's lots of shouting back and forth until
as soon as Oz started moving behindquietly, I was like, Oh no, Oz is
going to do something and he topplesover the pot that was on the pedestal
Sean (30:03):
Hold it.
Melanie (30:03):
of the cauldron.
Thank you.
And I guess that just settles it.
Sean (30:07):
They're I'm going to go for a trade.
Melanie (30:10):
they're going to go for a trade.
Willow is locked in the city halland I thought this was funny.
There's all sorts of boxes and shejust like lifts, she lifts a box lid,
but she doesn't really look in it.
Walks to the next thingand kind of looks at that.
Doesn't open it.
She very half heartedly lookingfor something to help her escape.
(30:30):
And then the vampire guard enters andhe's gonna, he's gonna drink from her.
He's going to, he says, I'm justgoing to take a little taste.
Sean (30:38):
Snack a little amuse bouche
Melanie (30:38):
What was that?
And then he moves.
This is another reenactmentthat I should do.
I should get Drew in here.
He moves so slowly.
This is her head.
He's
Sean (30:46):
Boosh.
Yes.
need to reenact that.
Please.
Melanie (30:52):
so slow.
And then while he's doing that,you see the pencil go up behind him
and he gets staked with the pencil.
Sean (31:01):
See floating pencils.
It does have a purpose.
Melanie (31:03):
Gotta watch out.
Those number twos.
Lead poisoning.
Not good.
So this is when, so then she gets out.
She's wandering through the halls.
She hears she tucks into a room andshe overhears the mayor and Faith
talking about how he's gonna kill Buffy.
And then she gets out.
She hears she tucks into a room andshe hears the mayor and Faith talking
about how he's gonna kill Buffy.
And then that's where he says, beforeyou can say Jack Robinson, you'll
get to see me kill her like a dog.
(31:24):
What does that mean?
Is that a saying
Like Bob's your uncle?
Sean (31:29):
let me open the Google.
Melanie (31:31):
All right.
Before you can say Jack Robinson, Ithought maybe Jack Robinson is like
a writer on the show or something.
Yeah.
Sean (31:41):
phrase, before you can say Jack Robinson, originated in the 1700s.
Mayor's old but the identityof Jack Robinson is unknown.
It's used to describe somethingthat happens very quickly.
Melanie (31:53):
Wow.
Sean (31:54):
May have originated from a person who made short social visits departing
before his arrival was announced.
Melanie (32:01):
You guys, use that tomorrow before you can say Jack Robinson.
You,
Sean (32:05):
I'll have the TPS reports completed.
Melanie (32:09):
Sean, I fully expect you to text me tomorrow and tell me you, you
said that on a work call or something.
Sean (32:14):
I will
Melanie (32:15):
All right.
Sean (32:16):
I only have one meeting tomorrow, but maybe I could put
Melanie (32:17):
it in.
You can do it.
You can do it.
Willow goes into the mayor's office andshe finds his closet of ritual stuff.
And she also finds the books of Ascension.
And instead of taking it somewheresafe to read it, she sets down in
the middle of his office, splayed
Sean (32:35):
when you
Melanie (32:35):
out with all the books around her.
Sean (32:38):
All right, I have a question for you.
Because there's four orfive books of Ascension.
They are very large.
With
Melanie (32:44):
take one!
Take one!
Sean (32:46):
You that.
What is in this books thatrequires five, five tomes?
Melanie (32:53):
we're talking about a big ritual.
This is a big thing that's,it took a whole season to
talk about and get ready for.
Sean (33:01):
been, and he's been waiting for hundreds of years.
Fine.
Fine.
Melanie (33:06):
This makes perfect sense.
Sean (33:09):
You're right.
All right.
All right.
I'll accept
Melanie (33:12):
what doesn't make sense is that she doesn't grab one and leave
with it and bring it back to Giles.
She just sits there with five books on thefloor around her until they discover her.
Sean (33:21):
She can't stop.
Nancy Drewing.
Melanie (33:23):
Oh my God.
Okay.
And then Willow.
Sean (33:25):
you read?
Melanie (33:25):
And so then Willow's telling Faith, faith is you wanna cha think,
I hope I'll change or whateverand Willow says It's too late.
You made your choice.
She's
Sean (33:35):
I was this, I think this is the first time we've really seen
Willow stand up to someone likeshe has a little bit here and
Melanie (33:43):
been a couple moments, but yeah, definitely.
Sean (33:46):
Was feeling
Melanie (33:46):
yeah, and she's just you're nothing.
You're nothing.
And faith punches her in the face,
. And then Willow says,I'm not afraid of you.
It's will.
Yeah.
Okay.
She gets right back up.
She bounces like one of thosebouncy uh, punching things.
Faith pulls out herCrocodile Dundee knife.
She's what about this?
You're afraid now,
Sean (34:06):
the jackal.
Melanie (34:06):
The mayor comes in he got the call from Buffy,
they're gonna do the trade.
Okay, so the gang has themselves locked.
They've locked up the school.
They're all gathered in the cafeteriawhere Xander, I'm sure, got some jello.
Sean (34:19):
Hello.
Melanie (34:20):
And then the lights go out.
The mayor and his goons come in.
And then he says to Buffy,Ah, so this is the Slayer.
And I was like, Is this the firsttime they're meeting in person?
Interesting.
Sean (34:34):
They've never met before.
The lights go out, but the overallchange of light to dark is not that much.
Melanie (34:42):
It's a TV show, Sean.
Sean (34:44):
I
Melanie (34:44):
They've got to have lighting.
And plus, you're in a school.
It's like a hospital.
There's emergency lighting.
There's generators.
This is not where thesuspension of disbelief goes.
There's lots of places we can do that.
This doesn't have to be one of them.
Um, let's see.
The mayor says he doesn't understandwhy Angel would pick Buffy over Faith.
(35:05):
And he says, I guess I like them sane,and in parentheses, I put, except
for that whole Drusilla episode.
Sean (35:15):
Yeah, but that wasn't Angel.
That was Angelus.
Melanie (35:18):
Oh, Angelus.
That was Angeles.
That was Los Angeles.
Sean (35:22):
Yeah.
Melanie (35:24):
That was the mayor of Los Angeles.
Okay.
So then the mayor keeps talking abouthow rough Buffy and Angel are going
to have it in their relationshipbecause he's a mortal and she's not.
And then we find out the mayorhad a wife, a mortal wife, and
he was with her up to the end.
It was so hard and again, he's likehaving this weird father figure,
(35:48):
paternal, I'm looking out for you thinggoing on, which is very confusing.
I don't get it.
Sean (35:58):
I
Melanie (35:59):
odd.
He's
Sean (36:01):
Yes, yeah, he is.
Melanie (36:02):
an odd character.
Sean (36:03):
interesting that, this is the second time that Buffy and Angel
are basically getting a lectureof how it's never gonna work.
Spike did it to themearlier in the season.
Melanie (36:13):
Yeah,
Sean (36:14):
The Mayor is doing it.
It's they need more of thatbecause it's not gonna work.
Melanie (36:22):
we all see it.
They make their trade and then Snyderwalks in because he thinks there's
some drug stuff going on in there.
Because of course Snyder is there, 10 p.
m.
He says, I knew you kidswere up to something.
It reminded me very muchof some Scooby Doo stuff.
And he thinks there's drugs in the box.
He goes to open the box and thenrealizes, oh, it's the mayor.
(36:44):
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I didn't realize.
But then the is it acop or security guard?
Whatever.
Sean (36:51):
Yeah, I thought it was a cop.
Melanie (36:52):
OK.
Opens the box.
And out comes the spider puppet.
Sean (36:58):
Oh, you thought it was a puppet?
I thought it was CGI.
Oh
you're right.
The one that attacked
Melanie (37:01):
oh my god.
Sean (37:02):
yeah.
Melanie (37:02):
Puppets.
Horrible.
Sean (37:03):
ones that skitter.
Are not puppets, though.
I thought those were CGI.
Melanie (37:07):
Oh, I thought they were all puppets.
Oh my god.
They were horrible.
Either way, they were awful.
With their little skitter noise.
Sean (37:17):
They were freaky.
Melanie (37:20):
I always love when there's something like that attacks somebody
in the face like that, or jumps onsomebody, and you just imagine that
actor has to act that scene out.
Ah!
Usually they're like this.
Ah!
Yeah, that guy died.
Sean (37:40):
Yeah.
Melanie (37:41):
the spider runs away.
They're all looking for it.
The spider does dropdown on the mayor's face.
It seems to jump off pretty quickly.
The mayor does have some cuts.
But of course they heal becausehe, whatever power he has.
Sean (37:54):
That freaked out.
Snyder.
Melanie (37:55):
yes.
Yeah.
The Snyder was out andBuffy gets the box closed.
There's one of the spiders on the walland Faith impales it with her big knife.
And then she's bummed cause she has toleave the knife there when they all leave.
She looks at it longingly
oh, poor Faith.
Sean (38:16):
Oh.
Melanie (38:17):
then Buffy gets the knife out of the wall.
Now she's got the big knife.
Willow is recounting thestory of what happened with
her and Faith at the mayor's.
She did get to read someof the Books of Ascension.
And she has some of the pages.
See, she was smart.
She gives them to Giles,and Giles is happy.
Wesley is not.
(38:38):
Pfft.
Sean (38:38):
Yeah.
Melanie (38:39):
Whatever.
Huh.
Let's see.
We are in the schoolyard.
Now, Willow's wearing her cute overalls.
Sean (38:48):
Yeah.
The red ones.
Melanie (38:49):
Yes.
Buffy's in her cool girl outfitof jeans and leather coat.
Looking cool.
Willow says she's going to go to UCSunnydale so she can stay and help Buffy.
Help people.
Sean (39:04):
I'm glad that they had her say I'm not staying 'cause of you.
I'm staying because Iwanna fight evil and help.
Melanie (39:10):
Yes.
Sean (39:11):
and, be a badass Wicca.
.Melanie: She's making her choice.
Yeah.
She wants to be a badass Wicca.
That is not proper grammar.
Wicca is the spiritual practice.
The Wiccan,
the
Melanie (39:25):
the concept, the Wiccan is the person that practices it.
So she's going to be a bad ass Wiccan.
She could be a bad ass, if she was anEwok, she'd be a bad ass Wiccan Wicket..
Ba dum boom!
Sean (39:44):
So just like 90210 when they went to college, or Saved by the Bell
the college years, oh, they're all
Melanie (39:50):
They don't really go to college.
They go, but they're all going to stayand it's going to be all the same sets.
Then we find out, we see Cordelia inthe shop looking at the dress again.
But then we find out,no, she's working there.
Twist!
No wonder she's so angry.
Sean (40:10):
Yeah,
Melanie (40:11):
She's, yeah, something's going on.
The end.
What's your rating on this episode, Sean?
Sean (40:20):
three and a half.
Melanie (40:21):
Ooh, okay.
I said 2.75.
It was fine.
I
Sean (40:26):
Okay.
Interesting.
That's lower than you haven't lately.
Melanie (40:30):
know.
I know.
I've been, I thought to myself, I'vebeen rating these too high lately.
I'm getting carried away here.
Sean (40:39):
Favorite line.
Melanie (40:40):
Was when the vamp driver said, you killed him and Faith
said, what are you, the narrator?
Sean (40:44):
So normally I go for something funny, but I'm going to actually go for
an action and not so much of a line aswhen they're all arguing in the library
about the trade and Oz goes and justdestroys the cauldron urn, whatever,
Melanie (40:58):
says a lot without saying anything.
Yes,
Sean (41:02):
That's why I went
Melanie (41:02):
the argument was over.
Sean (41:04):
Yep.
Next we have Season 3,Episode 20, The Prom.
Melanie (41:09):
I predict
That this is going to be about the prom.
Sean (41:15):
Wow.
Let's see if you're right.
I cannot wait.
Melanie (41:18):
Yes I predict but I predict the prom is not going to
go as a prom should go there willbe Disruption and chaos, of course
Sean (41:26):
hijinx.
Melanie (41:27):
hijinks will ensue.
Yes.
Sean (41:29):
You wanna tell them about the socials?
Melanie (41:31):
you guys Check us out on the socials.
We are everywhere except for xand snapchat and in most places
We are @thesunnydalediaries.
On blue sky we are @sunnydalediarieswe have a website which is
thesunnydalediaries.com where youcan find all of our episodes, you can
find a link to our discord server.
(41:53):
You can find a downloadableJenny calendar for 2025.
You can also find the rules for our5 by 7 by 5 haiku contest, which
Sean (42:05):
You
Melanie (42:06):
ends at the end of this month.
So check it out.
you can email usthesunnydalediaries@gmail.com
we would love to hear from you.
You can reach out on yourstreaming platform comment
anywhere you're allowed to.
And I think I got it.
Sean (42:25):
You got them all.
Melanie (42:25):
All right.
That's it.
Sean (42:28):
Okay.
be back next time with The Prom.
Melanie (42:31):
Bye you guys.
Sean (42:32):
Bye.
-. Sean: Hello!
Welcome to the SunnydaleDiaries, a podcast where I, Sean,
Melanie (00:24):
I, Me llamo Melanie,
Sean (00:27):
watch and discuss every episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
and how the related themes ofthose episodes impact our lives.
Thanks
Today, we are talking aboutseason three, episode 19 choices.
Melanie (00:41):
Choi choices.
Sean (00:45):
If you are new to the podcast, welcome.
If you are returning, welcome back.
if you are watching onYouTube, please subscribe.
If you are listening onSpotify, drop us a comment.
We got a comment recently from Bixby Boom.
this is their fourth Buffy podcastwhere it's one Buffy fan and a
(01:08):
Buffy Virgin watching at the sametime and discussing the episodes.
They I think like the format.
We are their fourth one, andthey also did not like the Zeppo.
We are not alone.
Melanie (01:23):
Thanks for writing.
Sean (01:24):
Yeah we have a contest going on right now, with about a
little more than two weeks left.
5x7x5, Buffy Season 3 Haiku!
Contest.
Get those fingers ready and type out ahaiku related to Buffy Season 3 send it
to us at thesunnydalediaries@gmail.comand we will choose the winner in January
(01:49):
and they will get a fabulous prize.
Melanie (01:51):
Fabulous.
Sean (01:52):
so just about a little more than half of the month
left to get those entries in.
Melanie (01:58):
Get them in.
I was telling my mom aboutgetting entries for this contest.
And she said, your listeners areall like nerdy, smart people.
If you asked me to write a haiku, I'dbe like, what the heck is a haiku?
I know it's a poem, but I don't know.
Blah, blah, blah.
But probably you say that toyour listeners and they're
like, Ooh, that sounds like fun.
I hope so.
Sean (02:18):
I definitely had to pause for a second when we started talking
about it to remember the format.
Melanie (02:22):
Yeah.
Sean (02:23):
See?
575.
Melanie (02:25):
that's good stuff.
Sean (02:25):
It's just Faith.
Just Faith with a 7 in the middle.
Melanie (02:28):
that's right.
Sean (02:29):
You don't need to remember.
Okay.
If you can, please leaveus a rating or review.
Tell your friends.
Tell your neighbors.
Melanie (02:37):
Talk to your pets.
Sean (02:38):
Tell.
Yep.
Tell the cashier at the grocery store.
You look you like Buffythe Vampire Slayer.
Melanie (02:46):
We had company for Thanksgiving and I talked up our podcast to
them and gave them stickers andhopefully they're listening now.
Sean (02:55):
Very cool
Melanie (02:55):
I know.
I'll tell anybody that listens.
Sean (02:58):
Yeah, I I got my shots today and I purposely did it on my tattoo arm, hoping
it would strike some conversation, but
Melanie (03:07):
Alas.
Sean (03:09):
it's all right.
Somebody else.
Melanie (03:10):
That was a good, that was clever though.
That was clever.
Sean (03:15):
All so choices.
Melanie (03:17):
Yes.
My prediction was, what was my prediction?
Buffy was going to decidewhat to do about Faith.
Wesley was going to have to decidewhether to make a move on Cordelia.
And Xander was going to decidewhat kind of Jell O he wanted.
Sean (03:30):
You were adjacent to the plot.
Melanie (03:32):
And then you know
what, they can't all be winners.
Sean (03:38):
and again, with the one word titles.
Melanie (03:40):
Yeah.
Sean (03:40):
It's
Melanie (03:41):
tough.
Sean (03:41):
Hard.
With the prom?
Melanie (03:43):
I think I know what that one's about.
Sean (03:46):
So I was thinking about choices as I was getting ready for
Melanie (03:49):
Yeah.
Sean (03:49):
Because this week is the 20 year anniversary of when we moved to Florida.
Melanie (03:55):
Wow.
Sean (03:56):
And how I, if you would have asked me when I graduated college,
okay four years from now, you'renot gonna be working in the lab.
You're not going to beliving on Long Island.
You're going to be living in Florida,working for a software company,
writing software requirements.
I just.
Melanie (04:14):
You never would have believed it.
Sean (04:16):
no no, it was just it's just so different.
I remember even when I I startedgetting calls for the interview
and I messaged my sister, she'syou're not moving to Florida.
And that was it.
And she moved on from the conversation.
And then
Melanie (04:29):
And that's when you made the choice.
Watch me.
Sean (04:34):
you know what, what was the clincher for me?
When so they, I interviewed on a Friday.
They flew me down, excuse me.
They flew me down Thursday night andit was like, I don't know, maybe 5
30 and the sun was starting to setand I was driving over the Courtney
Campbell Causeway towards the sunset.
if you've never been on that, pretty
Melanie (04:55):
Yeah.
Sean (04:56):
Now I'm just jaded.
I'm like, yeah, palm trees, whatever,
Melanie (04:59):
This bridge is so effing long.
Sean (05:03):
so much traffic.
But now that was the moment where if Iget the job, I'm definitely taking it.
Melanie (05:07):
Yeah.
Sean (05:10):
You you have a choice moment like
Melanie (05:12):
So very similar
very
Sean (05:12):
Something that,
Melanie (05:13):
So my plan of life was from second grade on.
I knew I was going to be anelementary school teacher.
That was just what I was going to do.
I was going to go to college andget my degree and then teach.
And then I don't know if it was a choice.
The choice, when I graduated, I didn'tget a teaching job and I went into I.
T.
just totally accidentally andended up doing that for 20 years.
(05:38):
The choice, was to not go back toteaching, and keep trying that.
I don't know.
Life chose for me.
Sean (05:50):
yeah,
Melanie (05:51):
But my choice to leave my I had a really great job.
My first real IT job was a greatjob at Shands in Gainesville and my
choice to leave there to move to St.
Pete, that was a good choice.
It was
Sean (06:07):
I
Melanie (06:08):
quite a yeah, that was quite a leap, but it was like,
I was living in, Podunk AlachuaCounty and I was not married and
I wasn't really meeting people.
Cause I was living in a cottage in thewoods, and unless I was going to marry
the Culligan man, what was I going to do?
Yeah, it was, that was abig choice and a big change.
(06:29):
And it, but it worked out great.
That's why I'm here where I am now.
With my awesome friend, Sean.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sean (06:37):
Even like for me, like applying for that job at the hospital where
we worked at, Up until that point, mywhole career was like hospital lab or
hospital lab software choosing to applyfor a job, about surgery scheduling.
And even when they were talkingto me about it, I'm like, I'm
sure I could learn it, but
Melanie (06:57):
Yeah.
Sean (06:57):
what am I doing?
But then when, I had the interview, I hadthe in person interview and immediately
fell in love with you, like not ina romantic way, but I was like yeah,
Melanie (07:09):
You knew we were baited.
Yep.
That's right.
Sean (07:11):
it.
Melanie (07:11):
That's right.
Sean (07:14):
had a very good interview style.
Melanie (07:16):
Yeah.
That is to say the anti interview style.
Sean (07:21):
I was very at ease.
It was very
Melanie (07:23):
That's good.
Because we didn't ask you whatchallenges have you faced and
what's your strength and weakness?
We asked you, who's your favorite Batman?
Sean (07:31):
Yes.
I remember it was Star Wars or Star Trek.
And I think I said Wars and youmade a face, like not really,
just I think to mess with me.
Trek.
Yeah, it
really depends.
Honestly, it's,
Melanie (07:45):
no wrong answer except for I don't watch sci fi.
Sean (07:51):
don't watch
Melanie (07:51):
Yeah, I don't watch television.
That's the wrong answer
Sean (07:54):
You're out.
Melanie (07:57):
Let's talk about a college acceptance.
That's what this one was about We're notgood college application and acceptances
Sean (08:06):
I remember I filled out my application to Stony Brook
using our typewriter that we had.
Melanie (08:11):
Ooh.
Sean (08:12):
an electric typewriter.
Melanie (08:14):
Fancy.
Sean (08:14):
horrible handwriting.
Melanie (08:16):
You really do.
Sean (08:17):
Yeah, you
Melanie (08:18):
I love you, Sean, but you do.
Sean (08:20):
hold the pen wrong and nobody noticed until fifth grade.
And at
Melanie (08:25):
American education.
Sean (08:26):
And I just, I can't go back to the right way, the normal way.
Melanie (08:31):
Yeah.
Sean (08:31):
So yeah, I remember I filled it out.
In the dining room, that's wherethe electric typewriter was.
the only school I applied to.
Melanie (08:39):
Really?
Sean (08:40):
Yeah
Melanie (08:41):
Wow.
All your eggs in that basket.
Sean (08:44):
Yeah, we talked about a little bit in the past that like It was that or the
community college, which is a very goodschool My sister went there her first two
years before she went to Stony Brook fornursing school In her junior and senior.
I just I didn't want to go there.
I wanted a big campus collegethat truly felt like a, college,
Melanie (09:07):
Yeah.
Sean (09:07):
grade 13.
I don't think
Melanie (09:09):
Do you remember what you wrote your college essay about?
Your application essay?
Sean (09:15):
I don't think I had to write an essay.
Melanie (09:17):
Ugh.
Sean (09:18):
I don't.
I, I didn't have to write one,other than English composition
in my freshman year of college.
I didn't have to write any papers.
The rest of college.
Yeah.
When you get a science degree, I'm notsaying this is all science degrees.
Like I know, I remember mysister in nursing school had
to write tons tons of papers
Melanie (09:37):
Sure.
Sean (09:37):
I had, I never had We did like a research project my very
last semester where we had to comeup with, a hypothesis and then do
experiments and then that was a
Melanie (09:50):
Yeah.
Sean (09:50):
But even that it was a group thing.
So yeah, I didn't, I never had to write
Melanie (09:54):
Wow.
Sean (09:55):
my master's degree was very different.
I had to learn how to do it.
Melanie (09:58):
Yeah,
Sean (09:59):
Yeah, I didn't have to.
Melanie (10:01):
well, as an English minor and education major, man, I
wrote a lot of papers, but I don'tremember if I wrote a college essay.
I must have.
If I did, I don't remember what it was.
It was a long time ago.
I do remember my best friend'scollege admission letter or essay.
She went to Sarah Lawrence.
(10:23):
I still have it somewhere.
It was all about it was funny.
It was definitely funny.
And it was about the band that she andI started when we were in high school.
Now, neither of us played an instrument.
Sean (10:36):
I've never heard of this
Melanie (10:38):
Oh, you haven't?
I've never told you about our band?
Do
Sean (10:40):
No,
Melanie (10:40):
my best friend and I had this band.
It was really a concept.
It wasn't really a band.
We did record a couple songs, which I
Sean (10:48):
Okay.
Melanie (10:49):
share with you if I can ever find the cassette.
The name of the band was Naked Salamis.
And what was the name of thecassette, the album we did?
I don't remember, but we wrote a lotof songs about beer, which neither
of us had ever tried and, aboutanger and, uh, something about, we
(11:12):
wrote about Ed McMahon in one song.
I don't know.
We were just stupid, but
her college essay, which I alsohave somewhere around here was
all about our band, Naked Salamis.
Sean (11:27):
I must have, I got a couple of scholarships in like senior
year, like little ones, like 500
Melanie (11:32):
Yeah.
Sean (11:33):
were still helpful.
I must have had to writean essay for those.
I probably wrote about writing, becausethat's what so much of high school was for
Melanie (11:43):
Oh, yeah.
Sean (11:44):
and literary magazine
Melanie (11:46):
Yeah.
Sean (11:47):
That, I imagine that's what I would have written about.
But yeah, that was my, my college choicewas pretty much, very much made for me,
Melanie (11:57):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sean (11:58):
I got to choose between the two.
And I'm very happy with my choice.
I loved Stony Brook.
Melanie (12:03):
It's just,
Sean (12:03):
Seawolves!
Melanie (12:05):
it's interesting to me in this show how they seem to be applying
to lots of different colleges.
That's not cheap.
If I remember correctly, you gotta payto apply to these colleges nowadays, and
I imagine it's even more expensive now.
Oof.
Sean (12:21):
And plus transcripts and all that
Melanie (12:24):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sean (12:28):
I don't miss that.
Even like now I think when I went wentto get my master's, I had to get my,
my, my Stony Brook transcript and.
a pain.
Melanie (12:39):
Yeah.
Sean (12:40):
At least we don't have to fax things anymore.
Melanie (12:43):
Do you remember the curly fax paper
Sean (12:46):
Oh
Melanie (12:46):
that smelled like the, that weird smell?
Oh boy.
Faxing.
Sean (12:54):
Choices.
Melanie (12:55):
Choices.
You ready to get into this episode?
Sean (12:59):
I am.
Melanie (13:00):
right, let's do it.
Sean (13:01):
Okay.
We got a previously on.
I feel my notes only start the same.
Previously on Faith is Evil.
Melanie (13:07):
Yeah.
Previously on Faith the BadassSlayer, the Mayor, and the Ascension.
That sums it up.
Sean (13:14):
to the mayor's office.
Gross.
Melanie (13:18):
It's, yeah.
More presents from Daddy Mayor,
Sean (13:21):
Yeah.
Cookies and
Melanie (13:23):
cookies and presents, and and it's a crazy knife.
Sean (13:27):
Yeah.
Which I don't know how I knowthis, but it's named the Jackal.
It's not mentioned this episode.
Melanie (13:32):
know how you know that either.
Sean (13:34):
I it was in my head and I Googled while you were looking
for the tape and confirmed.
Yeah.
It's the Jackal, which makesit sound even more vicious.
Melanie (13:41):
Sinister.
Sean (13:42):
that's a knife.
Melanie (13:42):
That's a knife.
And she takes it out, and she's very,she's excited about it, but she does this.
I was like, what are you smelling for?
Sean (13:53):
Like that, that cool metal smell,
Melanie (13:55):
I, okay.
All right.
Sean (14:00):
the whole thing with the cookies, it just grosses me out.
Melanie (14:03):
I wrote this somewhere else in here.
He's, again, with this weird daddy energy.
It's very strange.
The father figure.
He tells her that he's got a packagecoming from South America that's needs
something needed for the Ascension,which we still don't really know about.
Then we cut to Buffy and Angelfighting some vampires in the
cemetery, typical Thursday night out.
Sean (14:24):
That's what they do.
Melanie (14:25):
Yeah, that's what they do.
And that's the wholediscussion is, are we in a rut?
Are we in a relationship rut?
You never take me anywhere new.
Although I did, I thought youdid go to that dirty movie.
No,
Sean (14:41):
They're starting to think about their future.
I think she even says when she's50 and he's looks the same and
Melanie (14:48):
she said, and you're still the same.
And I was like, no, he'll be older.
He'll look the
Sean (14:55):
age
Melanie (14:56):
but he'll be older.
Yeah I would say she'sthinking of their future.
Sean (15:01):
yeah,
Melanie (15:02):
He seems perturbed by her thinking of the future.
So yeah, that's that'sgoing to be an issue.
Sean (15:08):
yes.
Melanie (15:09):
And then we get some credits.
Sean (15:11):
Credits.
went back and looked last episodewe talked about the Amy's mom
scream out and Giles with the torch
Melanie (15:18):
Yes.
Sean (15:19):
in, and I went searching.
The whoosh is from passion.
Melanie (15:23):
Okay.
Sean (15:23):
the one where Jenny Callender dies, and he, him by himself,
goes to the mansion take out Angeland, he gets, ends up getting
knocked out and Buffy rescues him.
Melanie (15:34):
Of course.
Sean (15:34):
he had a torch,
Melanie (15:35):
Oh, that's the whoosh.
Okay.
All right.
Sean (15:38):
We know.
Still want to know why?
Melanie (15:40):
All right.
Sean (15:41):
but we
Melanie (15:42):
Why and when?
Sean (15:44):
yes,
Melanie (15:45):
Okay.
So we open with Buffystudying in the kitchen.
Sean (15:49):
first time we've seen her study in three seasons.
Because she got into Northwestern.
Melanie (15:56):
How'd she get into Northwestern?
2.
8 GPA.
And then Joyce even saysyou've got so many choices.
Like she just assumes Buffy'sgoing to get all these offers
to go to different colleges.
Like 2.
8 Joyce.
Are you not aware of herher academic history?
(16:17):
No, probably not.
Sean (16:18):
Know, Joyce closed that out.
One of those offshore accountsand sent the money to the Dean
of admissions at Northwestern,like Buffy's getting in, right?
She's, she was very excited.
She was a proud mom.
I think that's the firsttime we've seen her proud.
Melanie (16:35):
She was proud.
. But Buffy did, it's funnyas I did write down here.
How are they going topay for Northwestern?
Oh, Joyce's money inthe offshore accounts.
Yeah.
Sean (16:44):
If Almanzo pitches in,
Melanie (16:47):
We're not going to see Almanzo again.
Almanzo's on Cameo.
Yeah.
Sean (16:54):
Oh, your
Melanie (16:54):
I thought about sending you a cameo from Almanzo.
But I'm going to makehim say it's me, Monzo.
Sean (17:06):
Joyce, they actually use the word choices.
She said, Joyce said she's pleasedabout having so many choices.
Melanie (17:13):
She did say that.
Sean (17:14):
aunt too, because they live in Illinois,
Melanie (17:21):
Oh Joyce.
Sean (17:21):
I asked you to suspend your disbelief a lot.
I had trouble suspending my disbelief,believing that she got into Northwestern.
Melanie (17:31):
All right.
And I just let it go.
I did say 2.
8.
I don't know about that,but all right, whatever.
Sean (17:37):
I the 2.
8 was, I think that was season one.
Maybe she's really trying senior year.
Melanie (17:42):
Sean, that was the beginning.
Look at everything she'sbeen going through.
There's no way she brought that GPA up.
she's
Sean (17:51):
buckling
Melanie (17:51):
down
Unless you've got Willowtaking all her tests for her.
Sean (17:56):
because she just walks out of tests
Melanie (17:57):
Yeah.
Kids at this school, theyjust don't go to class.
Alright now we're back at school andPrincipal Snyder is harassing a couple
kids about their brown bag lunch.
She's is that the new drug lingo?
No, it's my lunch.
Sean (18:14):
The sack lunch bunch.
Melanie (18:15):
Yes.
Yep, pretty funny.
Buffy is talking to Willow and Ozabout how she can't leave to go
to college because, of her lifebeing the Slayer, which we knew.
And she's just gonna staylocal at UC Sunnydale.
Sean (18:32):
The college in the town that we know all about.
Melanie (18:35):
Ah.
I almost went to UC Riverside.
When I lived out there.
Sean (18:38):
were living in California?
Melanie (18:40):
That was the year I lived out there and I was trying to get residency
status so I could go to UC Riverside.
And then they told me.
Sean (18:47):
How
Melanie (18:47):
no, we are not going to grant you residency.
And so then I went to, I called UFand they were like, come on back.
Yeah, sure.
No problem.
There you go.
That was my choice.
Sean (18:57):
Yeah, and if you didn't do that, you wouldn't have met your now husband.
Melanie (19:02):
That's right.
That is true.
That is true.
Life crazy.
Sean (19:08):
Life finds a way.
Melanie (19:09):
What's that?
Sean (19:11):
Life finds a way.
Melanie (19:11):
It's true.
Willow is gonna go to Oxford,where they make little Gileses.
Sean (19:17):
Yeah, that was cute.
Melanie (19:19):
And she says, I can study and have scones.
Sean (19:22):
I do like a good scone.
Melanie (19:23):
Yeah, much too often you get a bad scone.
You don get good scones,
too often around here.
Xander is sitting under the treereading Kerouac, or pretending
to read it anyway, and he, now
Sean (19:37):
got the book open.
Melanie (19:37):
He's he's gonna be the anti establishment wanderer when he graduates,
Sean (19:44):
drive.
Melanie (19:44):
huh?
Yeah.
Sean (19:45):
drive.
Just drive, that's all he's gonna
Melanie (19:47):
Yeah,
Sean (19:47):
gonna drive.
Melanie (19:48):
I don't know where he's gonna get the money for gas And then Cordelia
does her little drive by meanness.
She's so
Sean (19:56):
I have
Melanie (19:56):
She's extra mean lately.
Sean (19:59):
I feel like they ruined her character.
Now, like when I rewatch Buffydon't start like what we're doing.
I didn't start episode one andgo episode one I jump around.
So it's been a while since I'veseen season three all the way
Melanie (20:15):
Yeah,
Sean (20:15):
And ever since they broke up, I feel like they just like
yeah, you've said it a few times.
She comes in, she getsher little digs and she
Melanie (20:23):
she's very one dimensional
Sean (20:25):
yeah, I don't like it.
And I don't like her inthe sweater vest either.
It makes her look so old,like she could be a teacher.
Melanie (20:36):
She could be a teacher.
We know this.
All she has to do is go into theclassroom and be the teacher.
Sean (20:43):
Alright, I'm done ranting.
Melanie (20:46):
Okay, so then we're in the library and Buffy is telling Wesley that
she wants to leave after graduation.
She wants to go to college and getout of there and she'll come back
on breaks and they're going to takecare of this whole Ascension thing
and then she's going to go away.
And he It says no.
It
Sean (21:02):
You can't leave Sunnydale.
What are they do, arrest her?
Are they going to send the council
Melanie (21:07):
wouldn't be the first time.
Sean (21:09):
I like Giles in that blue shirt with the suspenders.
I
Melanie (21:14):
top of the fashion this episode.
Sean (21:18):
thought it was a really good color.
It
Melanie (21:19):
I think I have one fashion note at the very end of
this episode, but we'll wait.
We'll keep you in suspense.
Sean (21:26):
Ooh.
Melanie (21:27):
Now we cut to Sunnydale Executive Airport, where the special package
from South America is arriving, viamysterious tattoo guy with pointy shoes.
Sean (21:38):
I did.
I didn't notice the
Melanie (21:39):
Now, don't worry about getting to know him because he's taken
out really quickly by the crossbow.
Sean (21:46):
The first time I think in the three seasons that the crossbow has
Melanie (21:51):
It's the first, it's
Sean (21:52):
successfully used,
Melanie (21:53):
first effective use.
Sean (21:55):
A far away target.
Melanie (21:56):
Yeah, for sure.
Yes.
Yes.
Sean (21:59):
him.
Melanie (21:59):
Yeah.
He did.
Yep.
That was good.
Yep.
And then we we'll cover this lateragain, but this is my favorite line
of this episode where the vamp, thevampire driver is like, you killed him.
And she goes, what are you?
The narrator.
Sean (22:15):
And then she pulls out the jackal and apparently cuts his hand off.
Cause I guess he washandcuffed to the box.
Melanie (22:19):
Yes.
Yeah.
The driver's you can't cut throughthe metal with those that she's
oh, but it'll cut through bone.
We love her.
Sean (22:26):
Yeah.
Melanie (22:27):
And in my head, I imagine that she's going to deliver the box with the
handcuffs with the hands still attached.
Sean (22:34):
Oh yeah.
Melanie (22:35):
And then it took me like at least 30 seconds when she walks
in and I was like, Oh, I guess thehand would have fallen through that.
No.
Sean (22:44):
you ever read Gerald's game by Stephen King?
Melanie (22:49):
No.
And that was the movie, right?
Sean (22:52):
Oh, they did make it into a movie on
Melanie (22:53):
Yeah.
Sean (22:53):
Netflix.
Yeah, I never saw the movie.
I only read the book.
That, that involves hands andcoming out of handcuffs and ewww,
Melanie (23:01):
There's a name for that.
What she does to get out of this.
Sean (23:04):
degloving
Melanie (23:04):
Yes.
That's it.
De gloving.
Gross.
So we're back at city hall Buffy isin the bushes and she sees Faith come
back with the package, with the box.
Sean (23:16):
She just comically
Melanie (23:18):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sean (23:20):
laughs.
But yeah, she sees Faith with the box
Melanie (23:23):
Yes.
And then Buffy accosts the limodriver to get some information
out of him about what's going on.
Sean (23:30):
Faith and the mayor are talking about the box.
He can tell that she's still a littleknow, angry, annoyed, upset about
the whole thing with Buffy and Angel.
And goes to open the box.
And he freaks out, which you don't see him
He's don't open the box
Melanie (23:47):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sean (23:48):
Find out it's the box of Gavrok.
Melanie (23:51):
Okay.
Sean (23:52):
I thought that could have been a good opportunity for a Buffy pun.
It could have been the boxof, the box of Gravlax.
Melanie (23:58):
That's what I thought when they said that.
I was like, Oh, Gravlax , that's not it.
It houses demonic energy and themayor is going to, I don't know,
ingest it or something, take inthat energy on graduation day.
Willow and Giles come in and, Oh,I do have fashion notes because
this dress that she is wearing isvery slinky and witchy looking.
(24:21):
No Willow,
Sean (24:23):
Okay.
Melanie (24:23):
sorry.
Willow and Giles come in andshe's wearing this long, slinky.
I
think she would have gotdress coded for that.
Sean (24:34):
Buffy made a Mr.
Pointy reference.
I don't think we've had one since Kendra..
Melanie (24:37):
she did.
She did.
Wesley is trying toget a word in edgewise.
Nobody's paying attention to him.
Nobody's listening to him or his ideas.
And they decide they're gonna haveto get the box and they're gonna
have to use some strong black magic,which Giles is like, Oh yeah, the
breath of entropic, entropics,which we never hear about again.
(24:59):
You
Sean (24:59):
Yep.
Melanie (25:01):
and then to ritually destroy the box, not just physically, but ritually.
They send Xander off toget some ingredients.
Wesley tries to tell everybodyhe's still in charge.
We need to be careful.
Nobody's listening to him.
They're just on.
Buffy's taking charge.
Da.
Then, let's see.
(25:21):
Xander goes into townto get the ingredients.
He sees Cordelia through a shop window.
admiring a dress and of coursehe must confront her because
that's all they do now.
Sean (25:35):
They do now.
Yep.
Melanie (25:36):
His assumption is that she's jealous because
she didn't get into college.
Sean (25:41):
But she did.
Melanie (25:41):
She did.
Sean (25:42):
lot.
Melanie (25:42):
into quite a few good schools.
Sean (25:45):
Very good schools
Melanie (25:46):
Yeah.
Sean (25:46):
Yeah.
And then he makes a commentabout our father's money,
and she tells him to get out
Melanie (25:51):
yeah.
The gang pulls up to city hall inwhat the school's library's black van,
Sean (25:59):
Yeah, it's a library van
Melanie (26:00):
the nondescript black van.
Yeah.
The library has for, I don't know what.
Sean (26:05):
the books.
Melanie (26:06):
Oh, okay.
Yeah.
They drop off Buffy Willow andAngel to break in via the unsecured
skylight at the top of the building.
Oz and Xander are in the libraryputting the ingredients into the.
pot
Sean (26:24):
Yeah, Willow left them instructions with little stick figure
drawings, and Oz knows which oneis him because she drew a guitar.
Melanie (26:31):
That's so fun.
Sean (26:31):
then he said, there's nobody like my Will.
And I was just, I
Melanie (26:35):
Yep.
Sean (26:36):
love him.
That's when I texted you, Isaid, I texted you last night
I love Oz, or something like
Melanie (26:41):
You said "Freakin Oz."
Sean (26:42):
Just so
Melanie (26:42):
Oz.
Sean (26:43):
Oh, yeah.
I meant it in a good way aw, freaking
Melanie (26:45):
Freaking Oz.
I love him.
Back at the City Hall, they'reat the unlocked skylight.
They sprinkle the magic dust throughthe skylight onto the box below.
Say some magic words and theshield, the CGI shield dissipates.
Sean (27:00):
I translated that Latin.
Melanie (27:02):
Oh, tell me
Sean (27:04):
Are you ready?
Melanie (27:05):
ready.
Sean (27:06):
Just be relaxed.
I'll put up a strong shield no longer.
And don't try to protectthe Ark from the hands.
Melanie (27:15):
You texted me that too.
And I was like, for sure,that's the line in this show.
Sean (27:19):
did text you that.
You didn't say anything.
Melanie (27:22):
I, what am I going to say to that, Sean?
I thought maybe it was someweird thing that Oz would say
Sean (27:29):
yeah.
Okay.
Melanie (27:30):
yeah, okay.
That makes no sense.
Sean (27:33):
Now, it was Google Translate.
I get what it's trying to It'sbreaking the spell, basically,
Melanie (27:39):
Yeah.
Sean (27:39):
doing,
Melanie (27:39):
Yeah.
Sean (27:40):
Maybe Google Translate was a little off last night.
Maybe somebody, forgot to flip a switch,
Melanie (27:45):
Tell me again what it said.
Sean (27:47):
Just be relaxed.
I'll put up a strong shield no longer.
And don't try to protectthe Ark from the hands.
Melanie (27:58):
Somebody needs to incorporate that into a haiku.
Sean (28:04):
Imagine if it was just as is, but it's
Melanie (28:06):
Oh my God.
Okay.
Sean (28:06):
would be good.
Mission Impossible.
That was a
Melanie (28:09):
Um, let's see.
Where am I?
Where am I?
Oh, okay.
So then Angel lowers Buffy down intothe room, Mission Impossible style.
I really was waiting for her to dothe little Tom Cruise splay out.
Sean (28:25):
That was the first Mission Impossible.
Whoa.
Melanie (28:27):
in Mission Impossible, yeah, that was a good scene.
This scene, not so great.
The ropes lock up and she's stuck.
Just dangling.
And of course that's when the guardsenter and she's stuck there on the rope.
Angel drops in, there's a fight.
She does get out of the rope somehow.
(28:48):
And then they run through thehallways they get out of the building.
This was funny.
They jump into the bushes.
The van pulls up and thebad guys chase the van.
Sean (28:59):
Man.
Yeah,
Melanie (29:00):
That's pretty smart.
Then the mayor, back atthe mayor, he is not happy.
Sean (29:05):
no, he has a tantrum.
Melanie (29:06):
He is, yeah, a mayor tantrum.
He starts off calm, but hehas these little explosions.
That's scary.
Like you don't knowwhen he's going to snap.
And then, but then Faith comes inand she's got Willow at knife point.
Then we go to commercial.
Sean (29:22):
Yeah, that was a good twist.
Melanie (29:23):
We're back at the library and everybody's arguing about what to do.
Buffy and the gang, they wantto trade the box for Willow.
Wesley says, no, the destructionof the box will prevent the
ascension and save the town.
I have to say, I think I agree with Wesleyas much as I love Willow and they're
all friends, the good, or, what is it?
(29:43):
Sacrifice the one forthe good of the many.
Sean (29:46):
Yeah.
Melanie (29:47):
I think and then there's lots of shouting back and forth until
as soon as Oz started moving behindquietly, I was like, Oh no, Oz is
going to do something and he topplesover the pot that was on the pedestal
Sean (30:03):
Hold it.
Melanie (30:03):
of the cauldron.
Thank you.
And I guess that just settles it.
Sean (30:07):
They're I'm going to go for a trade.
Melanie (30:10):
they're going to go for a trade.
Willow is locked in the city halland I thought this was funny.
There's all sorts of boxes and shejust like lifts, she lifts a box lid,
but she doesn't really look in it.
Walks to the next thingand kind of looks at that.
Doesn't open it.
She very half heartedly lookingfor something to help her escape.
(30:30):
And then the vampire guard enters andhe's gonna, he's gonna drink from her.
He's going to, he says, I'm justgoing to take a little taste.
Sean (30:38):
Snack a little amuse bouche
Melanie (30:38):
What was that?
And then he moves.
This is another reenactmentthat I should do.
I should get Drew in here.
He moves so slowly.
This is her head.
He's
Sean (30:46):
Boosh.
Yes.
need to reenact that.
Please.
Melanie (30:52):
so slow.
And then while he's doing that,you see the pencil go up behind him
and he gets staked with the pencil.
Sean (31:01):
See floating pencils.
It does have a purpose.
Melanie (31:03):
Gotta watch out.
Those number twos.
Lead poisoning.
Not good.
So this is when, so then she gets out.
She's wandering through the halls.
She hears she tucks into a room andshe overhears the mayor and Faith
talking about how he's gonna kill Buffy.
And then she gets out.
She hears she tucks into a room andshe hears the mayor and Faith talking
about how he's gonna kill Buffy.
And then that's where he says, beforeyou can say Jack Robinson, you'll
get to see me kill her like a dog.
(31:24):
What does that mean?
Is that a saying
Like Bob's your uncle?
Sean (31:29):
let me open the Google.
Melanie (31:31):
All right.
Before you can say Jack Robinson, Ithought maybe Jack Robinson is like
a writer on the show or something.
Yeah.
Sean (31:41):
phrase, before you can say Jack Robinson, originated in the 1700s.
Mayor's old but the identityof Jack Robinson is unknown.
It's used to describe somethingthat happens very quickly.
Melanie (31:53):
Wow.
Sean (31:54):
May have originated from a person who made short social visits departing
before his arrival was announced.
Melanie (32:01):
You guys, use that tomorrow before you can say Jack Robinson.
You,
Sean (32:05):
I'll have the TPS reports completed.
Melanie (32:09):
Sean, I fully expect you to text me tomorrow and tell me you, you
said that on a work call or something.
Sean (32:14):
I will
Melanie (32:15):
All right.
Sean (32:16):
I only have one meeting tomorrow, but maybe I could put
Melanie (32:17):
it in.
You can do it.
You can do it.
Willow goes into the mayor's office andshe finds his closet of ritual stuff.
And she also finds the books of Ascension.
And instead of taking it somewheresafe to read it, she sets down in
the middle of his office, splayed
Sean (32:35):
when you
Melanie (32:35):
out with all the books around her.
Sean (32:38):
All right, I have a question for you.
Because there's four orfive books of Ascension.
They are very large.
With
Melanie (32:44):
take one!
Take one!
Sean (32:46):
You that.
What is in this books thatrequires five, five tomes?
Melanie (32:53):
we're talking about a big ritual.
This is a big thing that's,it took a whole season to
talk about and get ready for.
Sean (33:01):
been, and he's been waiting for hundreds of years.
Fine.
Fine.
Melanie (33:06):
This makes perfect sense.
Sean (33:09):
You're right.
All right.
All right.
I'll accept
Melanie (33:12):
what doesn't make sense is that she doesn't grab one and leave
with it and bring it back to Giles.
She just sits there with five books on thefloor around her until they discover her.
Sean (33:21):
She can't stop.
Nancy Drewing.
Melanie (33:23):
Oh my God.
Okay.
And then Willow.
Sean (33:25):
you read?
Melanie (33:25):
And so then Willow's telling Faith, faith is you wanna cha think,
I hope I'll change or whateverand Willow says It's too late.
You made your choice.
She's
Sean (33:35):
I was this, I think this is the first time we've really seen
Willow stand up to someone likeshe has a little bit here and
Melanie (33:43):
been a couple moments, but yeah, definitely.
Sean (33:46):
Was feeling
Melanie (33:46):
yeah, and she's just you're nothing.
You're nothing.
And faith punches her in the face,
. And then Willow says,I'm not afraid of you.
It's will.
Yeah.
Okay.
She gets right back up.
She bounces like one of thosebouncy uh, punching things.
Faith pulls out herCrocodile Dundee knife.
She's what about this?
You're afraid now,
Sean (34:06):
the jackal.
Melanie (34:06):
The mayor comes in he got the call from Buffy,
they're gonna do the trade.
Okay, so the gang has themselves locked.
They've locked up the school.
They're all gathered in the cafeteriawhere Xander, I'm sure, got some jello.
Sean (34:19):
Hello.
Melanie (34:20):
And then the lights go out.
The mayor and his goons come in.
And then he says to Buffy,Ah, so this is the Slayer.
And I was like, Is this the firsttime they're meeting in person?
Interesting.
Sean (34:34):
They've never met before.
The lights go out, but the overallchange of light to dark is not that much.
Melanie (34:42):
It's a TV show, Sean.
Sean (34:44):
I
Melanie (34:44):
They've got to have lighting.
And plus, you're in a school.
It's like a hospital.
There's emergency lighting.
There's generators.
This is not where thesuspension of disbelief goes.
There's lots of places we can do that.
This doesn't have to be one of them.
Um, let's see.
The mayor says he doesn't understandwhy Angel would pick Buffy over Faith.
(35:05):
And he says, I guess I like them sane,and in parentheses, I put, except
for that whole Drusilla episode.
Sean (35:15):
Yeah, but that wasn't Angel.
That was Angelus.
Melanie (35:18):
Oh, Angelus.
That was Angeles.
That was Los Angeles.
Sean (35:22):
Yeah.
Melanie (35:24):
That was the mayor of Los Angeles.
Okay.
So then the mayor keeps talking abouthow rough Buffy and Angel are going
to have it in their relationshipbecause he's a mortal and she's not.
And then we find out the mayorhad a wife, a mortal wife, and
he was with her up to the end.
It was so hard and again, he's likehaving this weird father figure,
(35:48):
paternal, I'm looking out for you thinggoing on, which is very confusing.
I don't get it.
Sean (35:58):
I
Melanie (35:59):
odd.
He's
Sean (36:01):
Yes, yeah, he is.
Melanie (36:02):
an odd character.
Sean (36:03):
interesting that, this is the second time that Buffy and Angel
are basically getting a lectureof how it's never gonna work.
Spike did it to themearlier in the season.
Melanie (36:13):
Yeah,
Sean (36:14):
The Mayor is doing it.
It's they need more of thatbecause it's not gonna work.
Melanie (36:22):
we all see it.
They make their trade and then Snyderwalks in because he thinks there's
some drug stuff going on in there.
Because of course Snyder is there, 10 p.
m.
He says, I knew you kidswere up to something.
It reminded me very muchof some Scooby Doo stuff.
And he thinks there's drugs in the box.
He goes to open the box and thenrealizes, oh, it's the mayor.
(36:44):
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I didn't realize.
But then the is it acop or security guard?
Whatever.
Sean (36:51):
Yeah, I thought it was a cop.
Melanie (36:52):
OK.
Opens the box.
And out comes the spider puppet.
Sean (36:58):
Oh, you thought it was a puppet?
I thought it was CGI.
Oh
you're right.
The one that attacked
Melanie (37:01):
oh my god.
Sean (37:02):
yeah.
Melanie (37:02):
Puppets.
Horrible.
Sean (37:03):
ones that skitter.
Are not puppets, though.
I thought those were CGI.
Melanie (37:07):
Oh, I thought they were all puppets.
Oh my god.
They were horrible.
Either way, they were awful.
With their little skitter noise.
Sean (37:17):
They were freaky.
Melanie (37:20):
I always love when there's something like that attacks somebody
in the face like that, or jumps onsomebody, and you just imagine that
actor has to act that scene out.
Ah!
Usually they're like this.
Ah!
Yeah, that guy died.
Sean (37:40):
Yeah.
Melanie (37:41):
the spider runs away.
They're all looking for it.
The spider does dropdown on the mayor's face.
It seems to jump off pretty quickly.
The mayor does have some cuts.
But of course they heal becausehe, whatever power he has.
Sean (37:54):
That freaked out.
Snyder.
Melanie (37:55):
yes.
Yeah.
The Snyder was out andBuffy gets the box closed.
There's one of the spiders on the walland Faith impales it with her big knife.
And then she's bummed cause she has toleave the knife there when they all leave.
She looks at it longingly
oh, poor Faith.
Sean (38:16):
Oh.
Melanie (38:17):
then Buffy gets the knife out of the wall.
Now she's got the big knife.
Willow is recounting thestory of what happened with
her and Faith at the mayor's.
She did get to read someof the Books of Ascension.
And she has some of the pages.
See, she was smart.
She gives them to Giles,and Giles is happy.
Wesley is not.
(38:38):
Pfft.
Sean (38:38):
Yeah.
Melanie (38:39):
Whatever.
Huh.
Let's see.
We are in the schoolyard.
Now, Willow's wearing her cute overalls.
Sean (38:48):
Yeah.
The red ones.
Melanie (38:49):
Yes.
Buffy's in her cool girl outfitof jeans and leather coat.
Looking cool.
Willow says she's going to go to UCSunnydale so she can stay and help Buffy.
Help people.
Sean (39:04):
I'm glad that they had her say I'm not staying 'cause of you.
I'm staying because Iwanna fight evil and help.
Melanie (39:10):
Yes.
Sean (39:11):
and, be a badass Wicca.
.Melanie: She's making her choice.
Yeah.
She wants to be a badass Wicca.
That is not proper grammar.
Wicca is the spiritual practice.
The Wiccan,
the
Melanie (39:25):
the concept, the Wiccan is the person that practices it.
So she's going to be a bad ass Wiccan.
She could be a bad ass, if she was anEwok, she'd be a bad ass Wiccan Wicket..
Ba dum boom!
Sean (39:44):
So just like 90210 when they went to college, or Saved by the Bell
the college years, oh, they're all
Melanie (39:50):
They don't really go to college.
They go, but they're all going to stayand it's going to be all the same sets.
Then we find out, we see Cordelia inthe shop looking at the dress again.
But then we find out,no, she's working there.
Twist!
No wonder she's so angry.
Sean (40:10):
Yeah,
Melanie (40:11):
She's, yeah, something's going on.
The end.
What's your rating on this episode, Sean?
Sean (40:20):
three and a half.
Melanie (40:21):
Ooh, okay.
I said 2.75.
It was fine.
I
Sean (40:26):
Okay.
Interesting.
That's lower than you haven't lately.
Melanie (40:30):
know.
I know.
I've been, I thought to myself, I'vebeen rating these too high lately.
I'm getting carried away here.
Sean (40:39):
Favorite line.
Melanie (40:40):
Was when the vamp driver said, you killed him and Faith
said, what are you, the narrator?
Sean (40:44):
So normally I go for something funny, but I'm going to actually go for
an action and not so much of a line aswhen they're all arguing in the library
about the trade and Oz goes and justdestroys the cauldron urn, whatever,
Melanie (40:58):
says a lot without saying anything.
Yes,
Sean (41:02):
That's why I went
Melanie (41:02):
the argument was over.
Sean (41:04):
Yep.
Next we have Season 3,Episode 20, The Prom.
Melanie (41:09):
I predict
That this is going to be about the prom.
Sean (41:15):
Wow.
Let's see if you're right.
I cannot wait.
Melanie (41:18):
Yes I predict but I predict the prom is not going to
go as a prom should go there willbe Disruption and chaos, of course
Sean (41:26):
hijinx.
Melanie (41:27):
hijinks will ensue.
Yes.
Sean (41:29):
You wanna tell them about the socials?
Melanie (41:31):
you guys Check us out on the socials.
We are everywhere except for xand snapchat and in most places
We are @thesunnydalediaries.
On blue sky we are @sunnydalediarieswe have a website which is
thesunnydalediaries.com where youcan find all of our episodes, you can
find a link to our discord server.
(41:53):
You can find a downloadableJenny calendar for 2025.
You can also find the rules for our5 by 7 by 5 haiku contest, which
Sean (42:05):
You
Melanie (42:06):
ends at the end of this month.
So check it out.
you can email usthesunnydalediaries@gmail.com
we would love to hear from you.
You can reach out on yourstreaming platform comment
anywhere you're allowed to.
And I think I got it.
Sean (42:25):
You got them all.
Melanie (42:25):
All right.
That's it.
Sean (42:28):
Okay.
be back next time with The Prom.
Melanie (42:31):
Bye you guys.
Sean (42:32):
Bye.
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