Buffy the Vampire Slayer gained a following with its large number of supernatural tales that weren't restricted to the present's titular monsters, however a December 1997 episode is a robust instance of a notable misstep. Sarah Michelle Gellar led the Buffy the Vampire Slayer launched all through the present, taking the viewers on a thrill trip of horror hallmarks and sudden plot twists. Nevertheless, not the entire sharp left turns had been notably properly executed, nor had been they all the time true to the vibe of the present.
Buffy and your Angel the spinoff mixed to create a sprawling saga, telling quite a few tales that allowed crossovers and Easter Eggs to look in every present. Buffy the Vampire SlayerGeller's greatest episodes tended to revisit the unique menace to Geller's character and his allies – supernatural forces. That stated, the franchise has usually deviated from its relative predictability to subvert expectations. There are a number of examples of this being a triumph, however different instances the place the episode felt prefer it was from one other present.
John Ritter's character Buffy the Vampire Slayer being a killer robotic went too far
Ted turned out to be mechanical quite than supernatural
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2, Episode 11, “Ted,” is filled with plot twists. Sadly, this goes too far in making an attempt to catch the viewers off guard. The primary shock is that John Ritter's Ted Buchanan seems to be, to say the least, a totally disagreeable particular person. Ritter is thought for taking part in good guys, so having Ted initially appear to be he belongs in that class, solely to develop into horrible, is a superb method to shock viewers. Then, the episode exhibits Buffy unintentionally "killing" her mom's new love curiosityleading to a weird comeback.
Given how mysterious and stuffed with twists “Ted” already was, the revelation of the villain’s mechanical nature oversaturated the plot and made the episode really feel like a parody.
"Ted" throws one other twist into the combo when Ritter's character is revealed to be a robotic replica constructed by the unique Tedand never a supernatural monster, because the episode clearly tries to recommend. As an alternative, he was programmed to kidnap ladies who regarded just like the spouse who had deserted him a long time earlier and depart them to die in his bunker, similar to his late spouse. Given how mysterious and stuffed with twists “Ted” already was, the revelation of the villain’s mechanical nature oversaturated the plot and made the episode really feel like a parody.
Ted turning out to be human would have been a extra attention-grabbing situation for Buffy's character
It could have been a a lot darker and extra stunning twist for Buffy
“Ted” makes an attempt to plant one other type of misdirection after the villain's obvious loss of life, falsely declaring Ritter's character as simply an abnormal human being with no ties to the supernatural. This can be a shock. Given the present's historical past, it appeared like solely a matter of time earlier than Ted's sinister conduct turned out to be an act of foreshadowing. Nevertheless, as an alternative of utilizing your superior bodily energy as a Slayer to defeat a demon or different type of beast, Buffy is devastated when she thinks she is accountable for the loss of life of a personality who was basically defenseless towards it.
Sadly, “Ted” robs Buffy of her remorse when Ritter's character is revealed to be a machine. If Ted had been human and Buffy had killed him, it could have been an enormous second in his improvement. She remains to be very younger in Season 2 and though she has numerous fight expertise Buffy's determination to confront Ted with out confirming his nature exhibits a scarcity of situational consciousness. Coming ahead with the guilt of taking a human life after misinterpreting sure indicators would have been a way more crafty twist than the dearth of subtlety demonstrated by the robotic reveals.
The Sci-Fi Twist on 'Ted' Fully Ignored Buffy's Horror Style
John Ritter's Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode largely stayed away from supernatural themes
“Ted” doesn’t have a foul plot by any means. It's shockingly darkish in a approach that Buffy it not often succeeded, which is an effective factor, however it sorely lacked the otherworldly attraction that the present nearly all the time championed. In brief, it was extra of a science fiction thriller than a supernatural story. In fact, “Ted” wasn’t the one episode that performed with the collection’ stylehowever it was one of many first main makes an attempt to subvert expectations, and the rising pains actually confirmed within the type of overexertion.
Each Buffy and Giles (Anthony Head) might be seen finishing up their common patrol duties at numerous factors within the situation.
The episode introduced some glimpses of the same old, though they had been relegated to very quick sequences that didn't have a lot of an affect on the plot. For instance, David Boreanaz's Angel has a short scene with Buffy. Moreover, Buffy and Giles (Anthony Head) might be seen finishing up their common vampire patrol duties at numerous factors within the situation. That stated, none of this is sufficient to make this appear to be a satisfactory episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.