Nailed it.
Didn’t I say it? Back at the premiere? I said, “the First Evil,” and lo and behold. Who’s your daddy? Say it. Who’s your daddy? (Except my kids don’t have to say it because, y’know, they know that already.)
Show’s coming together. Seems to be more spark in the performances. Willow’s arch dressing down of Andrew followed by the “Okay?” was perfect. Spike seemed more dangerous than he has in two seasons. Xander’s useful explanation of what happens to sleeper agents (“Either they blow their heads off or they escape in a nuclear submarine”) was priceless. Was wildly pìššëd øff to see Tony Head’s name missing in the “guest starring,” so we figured (correctly) that we were going to be kept hanging until freakin’ January (God, for the days when they’d just run the shows through the season from beginning to end.)
And hey, let’s consider the following: A primal force of Biblical level evil uses catspaws to play ruthless and evil mindgames before opening a dimensional gate to unleash the first vampire. Last night’s episode? Apparently. But also SUPERGIRL issues #68-#74, except it was Lilith instead of the First and the Carnivore–the first vampire–as opposed to butt-ugly who crawled up from below. For that matter, the Carnivore also did the mind-messing stuff as far back as SUPERGIRL #48. I’ll be curious to see whether the fans who consistently claim that I rip off Joss Whedon will take note of the fact that I was first out of the box this go-around. Then again, they’re the same ones who claim that Buzz was a rip-off of Spike even though Buzz (and his romantic obsession for the blonde heroine) predated Spike.
By the way, SUPERGIRL #76 is also sold out from the publisher. Two in a row. I knew the demand would be there. Unfortunately, the retailers didn’t. Missed sales, missed opportunities. Kind of a Pyrrhic victory there.
PAD
• 
Yes, Peter, you’re my daddy.
A small piece of rank speculation: that’s not a vampire as we know it in the Buffyverse. That’s the real deal – whatever it is that possesses humans to make them vampires. They’ve always said it’s a demon taking up residence in a human body, so this might well be the real deal that came up.
Great title to the episode. “Beneath Me” manages to reference William the Bloody’s being beneath that girl back in the 19th century, also being beneath Buffy (nicely referenced in the episode), and having a vampire come up from beneath him. All in a nice tidy package.
And hey, I was just happy to see Johnathon again. I had a real soft spot for the little twerp – he had become an interestingly complex character, more pathetic than evil.
Really have been liking Buffy this season, with the Big Bad being a big presense. That show really knows how to lay out anticipation of forth coming events. It was masterful with the build up in Season 3 with the Mayor – and this build up is a thousand times better, and scarrier!
Though, I have to admit, these kinds of tactics have a way of backfiring, with so much of your imagination thinking whats coming – when it finally gets there it’s a little disapointment.
But boy what a ride! Really have been loving it! Even though I’m a big Buffy fan, I sorta want the series to end this season. Let the show end on top, instead of dragging on as cast members drop off.
BTW, do you think this big bad may have some connection with the Devil Monster who popped out of the earth in Angel?
Both enemies these seasons are really blowing me away!
Also – The Two Supergirl issues really where fantastic! Keep it up – it’s awsome! And keep driving for a TPB
While you were correct about the First being this season’s Big Bad, I should point out that your speculation about the Council being evil and possibly controlled by vampires seems to be slightly off the mark in light of last night’s episode’s events. Still, I must give credit where credit is due. Good call right out of the box this season.
While you were correct about the First being this season’s Big Bad, I should point out that your speculation about the Council being evil and possibly controlled by vampires seems to be slightly off the mark in light of last night’s episode’s events. Still, I must give credit where credit is due. Good call right out of the box this season.<<
Ah ah. I didn’t speculate that the Council *was* evil. I said that if I wanted to shake things up, that’s the direction I would have gone.
PAD
Well, my speculation this season has always been with a name like “Robin Wood” that the principal of the school was working for the watcher’s council. I’d love to see him turn out to be something more, perhaps from the good witches group that Giles re-established contact with to help Willow.
Also, love Jonathan as a character. Seeing him in this episode already dead leads me to believe of the promise of him coming back in some way (although still dead, probably)… or possibly could bring him to the Angel series as a go-between from the powers that be and Cordelia… not that he’s liking this job, but he has to do it.
Meanwhile, if you haven’t visited my website lately, the main page now as a CBLDF link, and there are more comics links (including some good indies) on the “Friends” link page.
Fine. “Daddy” you are, then.
>>Also, love Jonathan as a character. Seeing him in this episode already dead leads me to believe of the promise of him coming back in some way (although still dead, probably)… or possibly could bring him to the Angel series as a go-between from the powers that be and Cordelia… not that he’s liking this job, but he has to do it.<<
That’s not really Jonathan though. Just like it’s not really Warren. They are both The First in disguise. The real Warren and Jonathan are probably both dead and gone.
Fazhoul
“You’ve been lyin’ to your Daddy, boy, and you know you shouldn’t lie to your Daddy! It’s gonna stop. Who’s your Daddy? C’mon, you know who your Daddy is, who’s your Daddy? D’Argo, tell him who his Daddy is.”
“I’m your Daddy.”
—KRAD
Good to hear you upbeat about your works, PAD. Both Supergirl and CM are really wonderful. You have every right to be proud. It’s nice to see that people, if not the distribution systems, are responding.
peace
If it’s any consolation I noticed the Spike/Buzz connection and noted that Buzz predated Spike. But Spike also reminds me of Cassidy from Preacher and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one to notice that!
Seems to me Joss Whedon borrows a lot from all the things he likes to read/watch/listen to.
Fazoul wrote
<>
Yes, didn’t even have his voice… but Robin Wood finds Jonthan’s actual body and burries it next to the school a shallow grave on the construction site — probably meant to be easily found — just as long as it isn’t found in the school basement.
I don’t see Mr. Wood as someone working for evil, but rather someone who also is “blind” to this evil — or dedicated to one sort of task.
Re: Jonathan: Remember, that before he was killed, Andrew and “Warren” had that exchange quoting Obi-Wan: “If you strike me down, I shall only become more powerful.”
So, possible foreshadowing that we haven’t seen the last of the ‘real’ Jonathan…
Also, how freaky was it to see Quentin get blown up, and then show up just minutes later on 24 as the head of NSA?
That watcher’s council has its fingers everywhere!
“Spoilers” for Buffy S8 below:
The “Silver Age”/movie Buffy (Kirsty Swanson?) will mysteriously turn up in Sunnydale, just as SMG-Buffy is going over Spike mysteriously vanishing, chip & soul seemingly gone.
They mess around for a while, trying to get over the shock, then Swanson-Buffy is cast into SMG-Buffy’s body (and vice-versa), and Swanson-as-SMG-Buffy relives SMG-Buffy’s life up until her heroic sacrifice to save the multiverse from the gift, with every incarnation of every major character from Buffy & Angel looking on as SMG-as-Swanson-Buffy cries while cradling the lifeless body of the other Buffy, paving the way for SMG to leave the show.
🙂
[None of this should be taken seriously, either as spoilers for Supergirl or Buffy]
Well, my speculation this season has always been with a name like “Robin Wood” that the principal of the school was working for the watcher’s council. I’d love to see him turn out to be something more, perhaps from the good witches group that Giles re-established contact with to help Willow.
Over everything else, I’m really interested in this principal. I’ve been convinced that he was an upcoming love interest, but now I think he may have a more important role — although I’m hesitant to think that he’s evil at this point. I’m pretty sure that he knows about Buffy, and hired her to keep a close eye on her, but whether Wood’s connected to the Watcher’s Council, or something else, is a development that I look forward to.
This ep (hiding the body in the construction site) made him seem evil, but I have a feeling (like the poster above) that it’s just a part of some bigger, hidden purpose on his part.
Daddy, you the man!
I was so hoping to see more Giles this episode. And it was good to see the Watchers, if only for a minute or two. The Watchers are not evil, just focused on their task. They are the “get it done at whatever cost” kind of people.
Great episode though.
Now we have to wait until January.
Bobby
Bobby Nash
Writer @ Large
Hey, PADaddy!!
You called it, you th’ man!!
But speaking of speculations and rumors, anybody heard anything more on the one that Luke Perry will reprise his movie role of Pike??
Anyone? Bueller??
And, like you and most everybody else, I’m on pins and needles waiting ’til January to see if Giles managed to duck!!
Hooper
Lessee, the sudden arrival of a character who really shouldn’t exist becoming Supergirl’s sister…nah, nothing Buffy at all there. 🙂
Come to think of it, has anyone seen Peter and Joss together. I mean, both their wives are pregnant and all too, Peter does musicals, Joss does musicals, etc.
Only question is just when “Petoss” got injected with the mongoose blood to enable him to run three shows, write four ongoing comic series, several novels in the past year, etc. 🙂
Totally changing the subject, when’s Peter going to start the baby birth pool? I’m in for December 7th, 6:30 a.m. for personal reasons. 🙂
Here’s a bit more speculation:
The Nosferatu-looking dude is not the First Evil — that’s the First Vampire (in the first episode of the series, Giles explained that vampires were created when the last of the Old One-demons to leave earth fed off a human — that’s the Nosferatu-looking dude).
The First Evil is whatever it was that caused all the “Old Ones” demons to leave earth in the first place.
And …
Wait for it …
That’s also whatever it is that gives the Slayers their power.
That’s why it told Willow (through Cassie) that it’s done with the whole good-bad-balancing the scales thing.
Now, the question I have:
Why does the First need a vampire with a soul to do its dirty work?
(What its done to Spike is what it seemed to be trying to do to Angel, back when it originally showed up — turn him to evil in its service).
Whoops! I accidentally cut the thing that prompted my post in the first place:
Excellent prediction on the identity of the shape-changing Big Bad. Interestingly, though, it’s name is not “The First Evil” — in AMENDS, it simply calls itself “The First.”
(Buffy’s the one who says basically “Got it, you’re evil” — but it doesn’t identify itself as either evil or good … just something that exists that “the darkness fears.”)
Ok, just received Supergirl #76 (it takes some time until it gets to Israel) and read it the instant I got home. Fun ish, great dialog and the story seems to be the best Supergirl has ever seen. But what really blew my mind was the artwork.
PAD you have finally found the perfect artist for the book. As much as I loved Kirk I haven’t enjoyed the artwork on one of your books this much since Gary Frank.
Please, make him stay for the long run. Anxiously waiting for #77.
Geez-a-loo…I didn’t realize there’d be no new ‘Buffy’ episodes ’til January. (I recorded Tuesday’s show, and the recording stopped during the commercials that immediately precede the ‘coming attractions’ part of the show.)
At any rate, this was an excellent episode; I’m enjoying seeing things come together. Can’t wait to see what the good Mr. Whedon has in store for us. If this is truly the last year of the show, I’m guessing he’ll want to go out with a bang.
Has there been any talk of ‘Buffy’ continuing as a film series?
Here’s hoping for a reprint on #76, Peter.
The powers that be behind “Buffy” would have been smart to release season 3 on DVC on December 8 instead of January 8 since everyone is going to need a Buffy fix if there are no new episodes until January. I didn’t pick up on the show until season 5 so I can’t wait.
The first season of “Angel” comes out on DVD in February. I understand this show has gotten much better since it’s first season. Can anyone tell me if buying this is worth my time?
As other people have mentioned, I’d love to see a PAD Buffy novel too. So far the only ones I’ve found that have been worth reading were the ones written by Christopher Golden.
I think you’re all giving Principal Wood a bad rap. I don’t think he knew what he was doing when he buried Jonathan’s body. It seemed to me that he was being controled by something. He was acting very robotic.
If people giving Joss credit for stuff you came up with first is irksome, I must ask… have you read the back of the “Dogs of War” trade paperback? It basically takes the stuff that Mantlo introduced during his 6-year run, and which you expanded upon gloriously during your 12-year run, and credits all of that accomplishment to a 9-issue arc by Paul Jenkins.
That has jack to do with Buffy or Supergirl, but I know I was irritated as all hëll when I read it, so I just wanted to rant.
Nice spotting on the “First Evil” bit, Mr. David. Really great episode in general. The Watcher-buidling-explosion scene was a “holy šhìŧ” moment followed by thoughts that it should’ve been seen coming.
Just thought I’d toss out, that according to BuffyGuide.com, the next new episode will be out on December 17. I don’t know if that’s “official” or just speculation.
It basically takes the stuff that Mantlo introduced during his 6-year run, and which you expanded upon gloriously during your 12-year run, and credits all of that accomplishment to a 9-issue arc by Paul Jenkins.<<
And you’d be surprised by this…why? The purpose of sell copy is to sell the book in the person’s hands. Not give an historically accurate overview of what’s gone before. Such a thing would be more the province of sell copy on a collection of my work on the Hulk, such as the one Marvel was coming out with in July before it was canceled.
PAD
Supergirl 76 was a success? Huzzah! And don’t worry, Peter, ’cause I’m sure it’ll get published in a TPB as well later on! 🙂 DynamiC news!
(Yes, that’s meant to be a clever use of DC’s initials. Ole!)
The creature which has been talking to Spike all season is “The First Evil”. the same thing which was seen trying to drive Angel nuts after he was dumped back into Sunnydale from his trip to Hëll.
The thing which climbed up out of the hole under Spike is a “True” Vampire. One of the ancient demons who, just before they were driven from the Earth, infected a mortal with their blood and created what we commonly call “Vampires” on the show.
They are two different bad guys, likely with the nasty from the hole working for the First Evil.
I have a feeling there are more steps which need to be enacted before the First Evil can manifest physically.
PAD,
In answer to your question, “And you’d be surprised by this… why?”
Well… not so much surprised as annoyed. I mean, if you’ve got to basically lie to sell the bloody book, why not just take a different tack entirely? The back copy of “Ground Zero” doesn’t say, “Yeah, the Hulk sucked… until Peter David came along, made the Hulk grey and crafty… etc.” It gives a pretty accurate summation of the story’s plot, of the book’s contents.
Perhaps enough has been said about it, but this recent revisionism on the part of Marvel’s company line– this whole, “Yeah, everything Marvel did in the 90s sucked, but now it’s going to be great!” — it annoys me that your run on the Hulk is a casualty of that. Jenkins basically had to evoke all your material in order to bring sales back up from Byrne’s abysmal second run (ironic, since you’re the one who saved the book after his first run), and the company line is, “Jenkins saved The Hulk!” Never mind that he had to re-hash the “horrific” 90s material to do it…
But — as someone once said — I digress. Point is… not suprised. Annoyed, on your behalf, but not surprised.
Good going, Mr. David.
I too, had guessed the identity of the “big bad,” primarily because I was a latecomer to the series, and having recently obtained a sattelite dish, was able to catch up on reruns quickly. The episode was still in my mind.
The thing that is driving me NUTS, though, is that The show made such a big deal about how, if a slayer died, a new slayer was created. Buffy dies – Kendra becomes a slayer. Kendra dies – Faith becomes a slayer. So why isn’t there a new slayer? Buffy died again. Heck, if her heart stopped after that bullet hit her, she’s died three times. What’s the deal? I try not to speculate too much though, because this show does seem to have a long memory, and good writing.
The official line, according to Joss Whedon, is that there’s only one “real” Slayer at a time. Buffy died back in high school, so Kendra became the Slayer. When Kendra died, Faith became the Slayer. The fact that Buffy came back from the dead (twice) is irrelevant to the forces that “call” a Slayer to duty. So is the fact that Faith’s in jail. She’s still the Slayer, until she dies. There are plenty of strong, demon-fighting girls out there (or there were, until the beginning of this season). There’s only one Slayer.
–Daniel
Okay, but didn’t Buffy and friends channel the power of the original slayer from within her? Besides, everyone still calls Buffy the Slayer(even the title.)
Buffy is the acting Slayer, sort of the way the Speaker of the House runs the country when no one else is available to perform those duties. I have a vague recollection that, before Faith went bad, Buffy was thinking of letting her take over primary Slayer duties, so Buffy could lead a more-or-less normal life. Can anyone confirm this?
Buffy still has superhuman abilities, even if she’s lost some of her official standing. She apparently hasn’t lost her connection to the line of Slayers who came before (and after) her. She and the season-four-Scooby-Gang cast a spell that combined all their abilities and placed them into Buffy’s body. That spell invoked the original Slayer. The spell had serious consequences, as spells always do, and I’m not convinced we’ve even seen all of them yet.
–Daniel
Is Linda/Supergirl ever going to go back to the traditional red and blue attire?