Welcome back! Here are my thoughts on Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode three, “Witch.”
1. No Vampires Here
In “Witch,” the first “monster of the week” episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the overarching plot of season one dealing with The Master and Angel take a back seat. Instead, Buffy and friends face off against a witch, like the title of the episode suggests. And this witch just so happens to really want to be on the cheerleading squad. Enough so that she’s willing to harm the other girls trying out. All of this sounds cheesy, but that’s just kind of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s vibe at the beginning. After all, Buffy is just a sixteen-year-old high schooler at the beginning of season one.
Funningly the episode does open up with Giles, in a very Giles manner, that he does not want Buffy to be a part of a “cult.” That’s very much a good Giles’s joke.
2. That Girl is On Fire
The first cheerleader to get hurt is set on fire. She would have eventually burst into flames if Buffy didn’t save her. Later on, Cordelia is blinded, almost resulting in a car crash. And lastly, Buffy is targeted with a spell that essentially leads her to basically acting drunk. All of these are clever ways of showcasing how powerful an opponent this mysterious witch is for Buffy and the “Slayerettes.”
Apparently, if you want to start in witchcraft, all you have to do is check out a couple of books at the library?
3. Freaky Friday
At first, the gang thinks Amy is the witch and she is, but not in the way they think. Amy, who will play a bigger role later, actually was her mom and her mom was her. This is a nice twist because it’s not your usual teenage jealousy story.
4. “Witch” Has Something to Say About Parenting
The monster of “Witch” is a parent who is so obsessed with the idea of her daughter wasting her youth that she switches bodies with her daughter by the way of witchcraft. Obviously, this is a metaphor for parenting and what not to do. Sadly, there are parents out there who just use their children to relive their youth. A parent shouldn’t ignore their child’s interests and force them to be just like them. That way of parenting is only going to lead to animosity.
On the flipside, we see Buffy’s mom handle this subject in a healthier way. At first Buffy’s mother tries to talk Buffy into pursuing her old high school hobbies, but eventually comes to the realization that Buffy is her own person with her own interests. She’s trying to be supportive, even if she doesn’t understand Buffy fully and that says a lot. By the end of the “Witch,” Buffy’s mom is the representation of how a parent should be.
5. The Lynchian Ending (Shoutout to All the Twin Peak Fans)
Amy’s mom is defeated when one of her spells are reflected back at her (conveniently by the way) and it’s not until the end we’re shown where she disappeared to. In a very David Lynchian manner, the ending reveals that she is now stuck in one of her old trophies. This reveal is one of the many Buffy the Vampire Slayer endings that stick with you.
And I don’t know about you, but the idea of being stuck in an object for eternity is horrifying.
Join me next week for episode four, “Teacher’s Pet.”
