0:01 : Anthony Stewart Head‘s intro about the Slayer is back again.

0:19 : Oz is staring at the cheerleading trophy that still houses Catherine Madison, whose own spell trapped her there in Witch. You can just imagine a squeaky Catherine yelling…

1:01 : Oz’s line, stumbling over his words because he can’t speak around Willow without his mouth opening in awe: “My time was also of the good.” Clearly a good example of what fans have, over the years, come to know as ‘Buffy Speak’. It’s a reference to the made-up language spoken on all of Whedon’s shows.

1:19 : Larry is back – and his personality hasn’t improved. He was last seen in Halloween.

1:37 : Note, Oz doesn’t look at the girl like the others. Buffy is right: still a couple of guys, getting it right.
    We also find out that Larry and Oz are Seniors.

2:16 : Buffy signposts the whole episode by pointing out that Oz doesn’t seem the type to be consumed by his animalistic passions…

2:37 : It’s beautiful to see Willow growing in confidence as her relationship with Oz, and therefore everyone around her, shifts. Her attitude towards Xander and Cordelia appears to have kicked her into gear, regarding her romances at least. Her maturity here regarding Xander and Cordelia should be noted…

2:57 : Cute: Willow’s self-deprecating “Do you want me to go away?” No, Willow. Never.

3:16 : Okay, so she’s not over it completely. Willow has clearly also channelled her feelings into some prepared snarky comments. Meow indeed.

3:40 : As Cordelia reminds him, Xander spent most of the last episode obsessing over Buffy. Now this week, he’s trying to process his feelings for Willow. As he indeed says later in the episode, his life is complicated.

4:21 : If Cordy is in her father’s car, where is her own? We’re sure the car was written off for tax purposes.

4:15 : It’s deliberately pointed out, in what could be a change to most people’s expectations, that in the BuffyVerse at least, werewolves appear on the night of the full moon and the two nights surrounding it.

4:30 : The franchise’s first depiction of a werewolf. The costume worn in this episode is vastly improved by the time Oz has to transform on a regular basis in season three.

5:41 : As unlikely as it seems, Cordelia is something of a closet Superman fan. Her description of a ‘distress call only he can hear,’ is a reference to Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, who had a signal watch that only the Kryptonian could receive. She also mentions ‘Bizarroworld’ in The Wish, calls Xander ‘Jimmy’ in The Zeppo and claims to look like the Joker when her make-up goes astray in Expecting.

6:40 : Just when you think there’s a glimmer of hope for Cordelia, she rips it away: is she really that shallow that all she can think of is her dad’s car?

6:56 : Willow is terrified for the fate of Sunnydale’s bunny population until Oz reassures her that bunnies can ‘really take care of themselves.’
    We’re unsure how Anya would take this statement.

7:32 : Giles, for his part, is delighted to be dealing with a classic – and throws himself into his research. More on this later…

7:44 : The unnamed coach is played by Camilla Griggs, who also had a small role in Babylon 5 spin-off Crusade.

7:55 : Forgive my British ignorance, but are gym classes in the US usually held with mixed juniors and seniors?

8:24 : Larry mentions that he was bitten by a wild dog, which sets him up as a suspect. But this is the BuffyVerse, and we should expect the unexpected: Oz’s reference to his cousin’s biting him is very cleverly tagged in.

8:43 : Theresa Klusmeyer, another one-off Sunnydale High student is played by actress Meghan Perry, who also contributed again to the BuffyVerse as the voice of Simone Doffler in the Season 8 Motion Comic.

8:56 : Larry’s face drops when he sees Buffy – clearly remembering their less than civil encounter in Halloween.

9:08 : Buffy’s annoyed (and brilliant) reaction to being told to act like a ‘meek little girly-girl like the rest of us’: “Spoil my fun.”

9:42 : Giles throws himself into his work, providing a well-rehearsed demonstration that bore the Scoobies and then laughs at Xander’s jokes, clearly losing focus. This is emotional fall-out from Jenny’s betrayal in the previous episode.

10:43 : Giles and Buffy draw their lines straight on the moral right side, declaring that they won’t kill someone who’s human most of the month.

11:12 : Buffy tells Giles all the student gossip he didn’t need to know in this moment. A lovely scene reminding us that Buffy’s just as human and fallible as the rest of us.

12:08 : Enter werewolf hunter Gib Cain. If he looks familiar, it may be Jack Conley‘s other BuffyVerse role as Sahjhan in Angel that’s sprung to mind.

13:50 : Cain says that werewolf pelts fetch a price in Sri Lanka. The Angel episode Unleashed not only shows us a different species of werewolf, but also reveals more information on them – including the fact that to some twisted individuals, werewolf meat is a delicacy.

15:54 : The band in the Bronze is Lotion, who are performing their song “Blind for Now.”

16:14 : Boy, Willow and Cordelia’s friendship has certainly changed. Compare their talk here to their interactions in the first episode, and the growth of both characters is on display. They actually seem to be comparing notes on Xander! Also, it’s worth noting that while Cordy’s social circle criticise her relationship with Xander, Willow is, at least, cool enough to talk to.

19:22 : Giles slowly loses his control as each encounter with Cain riles him up more and more. He’s unable to hide his dislike of the hunter.

19:50 : Does this count as Angel versus Oz? Would Angelus recognise the human scent underneath? Either way, Angelus seems to leave his prey for the wolf with an unspoken show of who’s the superior between the two.

21:35 : Surprise! Oz wakes up, naked and alone, in the woods and seems hugely surprised when he realises where he is. The only problem is, wouldn’t he have woken up in a similar position – and therefore figured this out – the night before?
    Also, when we say ‘hugely surprised,’ we are referring to his brief, but perfectly accurate “Huh.”

22:07 : This is the only time we see Oz’s house. He appears to live alone, as we never see his parents. His aunt Maureen and uncle Ken are the only relatives we hear about, and they don’t seem surprised by the revelation that Jordy is a werewolf.
    Just how do they know this? Are they a pack? Is Oz related to a wolf clan somehow? How did a werewolf get near baby Jordy to infect him in the first place?

23:00 : Oz enters the library looking shifty, talking about the werewolf with the group. Add this to the fact that he’s never been in the library before and we have to ask why the others aren’t suspicious of him.

24:05 : Xander thinks he can get inside the head of the wolf, simply because he was possessed by a hyena spirit in The Pack. Unfortunately for him, he told the girls he didn’t remember anything about the possession. Watch Giles, who agreed to keep the secret, smirk as Xander is found out by Buffy.

26:15 : We’re once again on location in Torrance High for the locker room scene.

27:34 : Larry becomes the first LGBT+ character in the series, but is heavily curtailed by the era in which the series was made. He is never seen in a relationship or even in the company of a love interest and seems to serve as more of a plot point for Xander in this episode rather than a statement of intent to start a specific storyline. Indeed, nothing comes of this before Larry becomes a casualty in Graduation Day.

28:14 : We know from interviews conducted at the time that the series was considering one of its characters to be LGBT+. Both Xander and Willow were considered, but the possibility of it being Xander never comes up again.

29:40 : Buffy points out to Willow that when men acquire more body hair, they also lose all common sense. A rather fitting turn of phrase considering.

31:41 : Xander references that without Buffy, Willow “would be Robby the robot’s love slave,” a reference to Moloch in I Robot, You Jane (as well as Lost in Space). He also says he wouldn’t have a head, a reference to Teacher’s Pet, where he nearly lost his head – and almost more – to the pincers of the She-Mantis.

32:07 : This is the first episode where we see Xander stake a vampire in battle. Previously, Jesse was killed by accident. Not that anyone ever remembers…

32:40 : For a moment – just one brief moment – and a spark appears between Buffy and Xander. She walks away. It’s here that Xander realises how complicated the threads that bind them together really are.

33:40 : Willow asks it in a moment, but it’s worth asking here: exactly why does Oz have heavy-duty chains/manacles in his home? What could they possibly be used for?

34:10 : This entire minute, with Willow’s tirade – just as she did to Xander over Cordy in the last episode – is sublime. Alyson Hannigan‘s comic timing is on top form again and it’s easy to see why the character’s humour was embraced more going forward. Her emotions burst from her and it’s truly a beautiful moment, one of this author’s favourites.

35:19 : Seth Green is wearing the first make-up layer, signifying the start of his transformation. After that, stunt performer Keith Campbell is inside the wolf costume.

38:50 : Willow’s delivery of the line “I shot Oz.” It makes us chuckle every time. She’ll be shooting him again…

39:14 : Buffy’s closing quip to Cain is also sassier than we might expect: “How about you let the door kick you in the ass on your way outta town.”

39:15 : Cain leaves town, but appears in the non-canonical story Oz: Into the Wild, printed as both a novel and comic story. It’s canonicity is subjective: it’s set after Oz leaves Sunnydale in season four and is never contradicted onscreen.

40:09 : Larry’s behaviour is notably different now that he has come to terms with his sexuality. Xander on the other hand is visibly uncomfortable the moment his conversation with Larry is brought up. Make of this what you will.

41:18 : Buffy’s line to Xander is long-overdue. When questioning the future of Willow and Oz, Xander begins to point out that if it were up to him… Buffy interrupts him and flatly tells him that it’s not up to him.

41:30 : Oz mentions that he will lock himself away around the full moon, per Giles’ instructions. He also mentions that Giles demonstrated his new alter ego with his use of a globe, which he did earlier in the episode.

42:20 : The final scene of the episode is another almost perfect moment between Willow and Oz, something that’s becoming a more regular occurrence. The chemistry between the two actors, helped by their good and long-standing professional relationship, is palpable and one clearly built on mutual respect and admiration. Oz’s best moment so far: “You are quite the human.” Also, Willow’s insistence that three days of the month, she’s not fun to be around either. Perfect.

43:02 : Willow makes a cute, if daringly suggestive, “no biting” rule for their relationship. Oz admits he’s in love with Willow here. He always will be. Their first kiss occurs here and it’s magical.