NOTE : Before we begin, we have to talk about the initial postponement of this episode when the season originally aired. Despite the theme of the episode being the opposite of reality, the real events and consequences at Columbine High School meant that any mention of school violence would be uncomfortable in the wake of the national tradgedy. In the end, the episode was delayed until after the rest of the season, out of respect for the families involved and the country in grief.
    Despite the circumstances surrounding its broadcast, Earshot remains one of the show’s strongest episodes, highlighting through comedy, action and horror just how genre-busting – and unique – the series had become.

0:41 : The demons, whatever they be, are not named anywhere in the episode. Even the official guides refer to them as ‘Mouthless Telepathic Demons’.

3:07 : Oz, as ever, is straight in there with exactly what he thinks, when he thinks it: “That was kind of an anti-climax.” Poor Giles!

3:30 : And a brilliant moment as Wesley interrupts Giles and then repeats what he’s already said – leading to the gang all getting up and walking out on him! And Giles sits there and shrugs at him: “Demon Azarath?”

4:20 : Buffy is still on her break with Angel, which she asked for. It won’t last long, but she’s still rattled by his performance from the previous episode. Willow repeats her advice from the previous episode: ask him!

4:45 : Hogan Martin is played by Justin Doran, who also appeared in Starship Troopers, along with guest roles on Fringe and Stargate Universe.

4:59 : Percy is back! Already! And this time, he’s a model student, actually being noticed by his classmates. Willow is a really good teacher!

6:09 : Fantastic comedic moment for Sarah Michelle Gellar as Giles casually uses the word ‘infect’ regarding her and the demon. She asks him: “Infect?” He doesn’t answer. “Infect?” Silence. “Giles! Infect?” Brilliant!

7:26 : There is something so Oz about the fact that he goes straight to the Obituaries every week!

8:00 : Willow’s brilliant stunned line needs to be highlighted: “Was it a boy demon?” It’s the look of terror on her face!

8:27 : Xander proves that despite the anger and the wicked verbal sparring between Cordelia and him, he actually does still care about her, referring to her as ‘my Cordy’ and getting instantly jealous of Wesley’s looking at her.

8:35 : Check out Oz’s look at Xander as he says: “You’re a very complex man, aren’t you?”

9:32 : Angel is skulking around in the shadows this week. Buffy doesn’t even sense him creeping up on her. “I didn’t see you, so I should have known you were there,” is the Slayer’s response.

11:22 : Oz’ reaction to almost having an expression during the game: “I felt one coming on, I won’t lie.”

12:48 : Teacher alert. Mr. Beech is played by actor Robert Arce, who also had roles in The X-Files and Alias.

13:28 : Buffy has developed her aspect of the demon: a telepathic ability to read the thoughts of others. Buffy has no active control over this power. Giles believes it may be useful in combat (see later for why that’s not necessarily the case), whereas Buffy thinks it’ll help with shopping and school work!

14:33 : We meet Ms. Murray, another new teacher, who is clearly teaching an English Literature class (they’re studying Shakespeare’s Othello). She’s played by Molly Bryant, who also appeared in Weeds and The Office.

14:38 : The really jealous and snippy Nancy is played by Lauren Roman. She is not the same Nancy that appeared in The Wish. She had played Laura in All My Children, alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar.

15:26 : Freddy Iverson, played by Keram Malicki-Sanchez, is a senior and editor of the school newspaper. We’ve never seen a school paper until now, so it’s not inconceivable that we wouldn’t have met him before. The actor later had roles in Without a Trace, 24 and ER.

15:31 : We’ve got an excuse, but what’s Buffy’s? Why wouldn’t she already know who Freddy Iverson is, having been around for three years? Why would she need to ask Willow at all?

17:30 : This is the part where Giles’ battle strategy may not work: Angel is immune to Buffy’s ability, in the same way that a vampire’s reflection cannot be seen. They don’t register, so to speak. So, does that mean all demons cannot be read?

18:51 : Angel says he’s been with plenty of bad girls. He’s not wrong, certainly if you count Darla and Drusilla.

19:02 : Angel gives an age here that will stick and go up accurately every season from this point on. He’s 243.

19:40 : This whole scene of the Scoobies with Buffy is illuminating for so many reasons: as suspected, and as he told Cordelia in Innocence, all Xander thinks about is sex. Wesley questions how far away he has to be so she can’t hear him. Cordelia is completely uncaring. Oz, being Oz, gets really deep on the subject and proves that he thinks how he speaks. Fantastic!

21:51 : Just as he did in Homecoming, Oz leaves the library, to ‘follow the redhead.’

23:03 : Danny Strong turns up in the cafeteria alongside Mr. Beech, Nancy and Freddy. You’re meant to think it’s just an average cameo…

23:48 : Then Buffy hears a lone voice in her head, obscured. “This time tomorrow, I’ll kill you all.”

24:08 : When Buffy starts checking people to find the voice, Larry can be seen on the table, once again played by Larry Bagby.

24:49 : Cordelia’s only thoughts outside concern herself. We refuse to believe she’s that vacuous?

25:05 : Xander makes a joke about the lunch lady poisoning their food. Ahem.

25:33 : This line, a rather unfunny joke by Xander, is one of the reasons that the episode wasn’t aired, and it was cut in the UK broadcast originally as well: “Who hasn’t idly thought about taking out the whole place with a semi-automatic?”

27:07 : Xander mentions that he’s having trouble believing that someone would gun down the class. Cordelia then mentions sarcastically that it never happens in American high schools. Oz then makes a comment about it bordering on trendy at this point. As above, the lines were cut in the UK broadcast on first airing.

27:56 : Buffy sits up in bed after reading her mother’s thoughts: “You had sex with Giles? You had sex with Giles? On the hood of a police car? TWICE?” This, of course, happened in Band Candy.

28:55 : Willow interrogates Jonathan again, just as she did in Go Fish.

29:57 : Cordelia, tactful as ever, goes straight to Mr Beech and asks him point blank if he’s planning to “kill a bunch of people tomorrow? Oh, it’s for the Yearbook.”

31:27 : Giles does his research and discovers that the demon’s heart has to be consumed to remove it’s gift from the infected. Giles is worried about who’s going to go and get the heart from the demon… He gets bonus points for calling Wesley a ‘berk’.

31:32 : Angel, presumably off his own back and concern for Buffy, has tracked the demon down, determined to take it’s heart!

32:29 : Xander questions Larry, skirting around his uncomfortableness after he came out to him in Phases. Larry admits to Xander that he’s happy since he’s come out. He offers Xander some advice on the subject…

34:53 : Jonathan, the ‘slippery little weasel’, is in the clocktower…

35:50 : Freddy is cornered by Oz and the Scoobies – turns out he gave the Dingoes a bad review, which is why he was avoiding him…

36:06 : Oz, however, completely agrees with the negative review after reading it aloud! Honest question: does nothing phase this guy?

36:36 : Cordelia casually finds a note, a confession from the apparent killer and reads it aloud – and seems to genuinely not know what’s she’s saying when she finishes and asks why no one is praising the cheerleaders!

37:57 : This is a great sequence. Buffy spots Jonathan in the clocktower and, in full view of her classmates, runs up the staircase and propels herself onto the roof…

38:29 : We need to talk about guns for a moment. Guns aren’t used often in the series, but they do cause horror later on, when they’re used against the Slayer and her friends. The series never glorifies weaponry of any kind, but goes out of it’s way on several occasions to say that guns are generally never good.

39:15 : This whole speech by Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, accompanied by Danny Strong, is magnificent. She plays it with power, feeling and performs it earnestly with respect for the subject matter, and honestly, she should have been Emmy-bound for this one.

41:37 : Jonathan says he would never hurt anyone. He’s well intentioned, but that’s not how it all works out…

41:43 : Okay, silly question, but was Jonathan really going to commit suicide with an massive assault rifle?

41:57 : The lunch lady, who we’ve seen in the background throughout this episode, is played by Wendy Worthington. She’s appeared on everything, from 2 Broke Girls to Ally McBeal, to NCIS, Scorpion and Glee.

42:05 : Xander was right! His reaction to discovering the lunch lady lacing rat poison into the food has him, hilariously, run out into the cafeteria, throwing people’s food away from them, as the lunch lady pursues him with a meat cleaver!

42:55 : Now that they’ve actually had a conversation about what happened with Faith, Buffy and Angel seem to be back on track. For another few weeks at least.

43:21 : Jonathan has been suspended from school, but he’ll remember what Buffy did for him this day as will the school in regards the lunch lady…

43:55 : Buffy then tells Giles that she’s ready for training – if he’s not too busy having sex with her mother!

43:58 : And Giles promptly walks straight into a tree in shock! Perfect! We don’t see if it knocks him unconscious though, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt this time!