"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Band Candy (1998)

Director:

Michael Lange

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator)
Jane Espenson (written by)

TV Series:

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997)

Original Air Date:

10 November 1998 (Season 3, Episode 6)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

As Buffy deals with Giles and her mom treating her too much like a child, the mayor hires Ethan Rayne to make special kinds of candy bars. The more candy the adults of Sunnydale eat, the more they begin to act like teenagers.

Plot Keywords:

Male To Female Footsie Playing | Heroine | Library | Playing Footsie | Female Protagonist

Cast

Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon	...	Xander Harris
Alyson Hannigan	...	Willow Rosenberg
Charisma Carpenter	...	Cordelia Chase
David Boreanaz	...	Angel
Seth Green	...	Oz
Anthony Head	...	Rupert Giles (as Anthony Stewart Head)
Kristine Sutherland	...	Joyce Summers
K. Todd Freeman	...	Mr. Trick
Robin Sachs	...	Ethan Rayne
Harry Groener	...	Mayor Richard Wilkins
Armin Shimerman	...	Principal Snyder
Jason Hall	...	Devon MacLeish
Peg Stewart	...	Ms. Barton
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stacy Arnell	...	Trix

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Company:

Mutant Enemy

Trivia:

The accent used by Anthony Head for Young Giles is his own.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: At 23:50, as Buffy drives towards the camera, to the right of her car in the background you can plainly see a mobile lighting tower, parked at an angle to the curb with its mast extended up out of frame. It supplies all the illumination for the scene, backlighting the trees Buffy is passing and casting a dense shadow underneath her car. It can be seen again when Buffy has her auto accident, parked at the curb in the distance.

Quotes:

[all the adults are acting like teenagers]
Buffy: Principal Snyder?
Principal Snyder: Call me Snyder. Just a last name, like... Barbarino.

Movie Connections:

References "Welcome Back, Kotter" (1975)

Soundtrack:

The Time Warp

A really funny episode

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Pretty much any time Ethan Rayne comes to town, things get fun. In this episode, Ethan returns with another scheme to disrupt life in Sunnydale and the results are pretty hilarious. "Band Candy" is a great episode. It explores ideas of growing up and taking responsibility, but still manages to be one of the funniest episodes of the season. It also adds another layer to the often complicated Joyce and Giles relationship, which will be referenced again in season three's "Earshot" and season five's "Forever." All in all, you shouldn't skip this episode.

The episode revolves around the Mayor's newest plan. Unlike other politicians, The Mayor keeps his campaign promises and he's cut some pretty unsavory deals to get where he is today. In an effort to fulfill his obligations, he has to keep the residents of Sunnydale distracted for awhile. Enter Ethan Rayne and his candy plan. Sunnydale High's marching band needs new uniforms and all the students are expected to sell chocolate bars in order to help finance them. But this isn't ordinary candy. It has a little bit of magic mixed into the recipe that makes everyone who eats it act like a teenager. In no time, the adults of Sunnydale are drag racing, partying at The Bronze and generally blowing off their responsibilities to have a good time.

At first Buffy and the Scoobies are happy with the changes. Joyce lets Buffy drive the car, teachers begin skipping school and everyone seems to be a pretty good mood. Things begin to deteriorate fairly quickly, though. Giles as a teenager is kind of... Spike-like. Rolling his eyes, smoking cigarettes and starting fights with everyone he meets. Joyce is totally enamored of him and the two of them are all over each other... Much to Buffy's dismay. In fact, all the adults are beginning to get annoying. Cordy, Oz, Willow and Xander work to undo the candy's spell, while Buffy, Giles, Joyce and Principal Snyder confront Ethan and try to stop the Mayor's plan.

This is a really funny episode. Giles and Joyce are just hilarious together. Their speech patterns, their clothes, and their personalities are all different as teenagers and they play off each other so well. Giles urging Buffy to punch Ethan is great. "You're my Slayer and I say punch his capped teeth down his throat." And Snyder is so, SO fun as he hangs out with the Scoobies and hits on "Foxy Ladies" at The Bronze. Willow and Xander's secret "affair" continues and for some reason I really like that their shoes match as they play footsie under the table. It's just a cute little touch.

"Band Candy" is all responsibility and the theme comes up over and over throughout the episode. Giles lecturing Buffy about the SATs, Joyce refusing to let Buffy drive, The Mayor insisting that he has to keep his word to the big snake demon in the sewer, the children acting MORE responsible as the adults get LESS so, etc... "Band Candy" utilizes the monster-of-the-week format to give us a metaphor for growing up and taking responsibility for our lives. Buffy's becoming an adult. Even when it's not always such a positive experience, like having to pay for the damage to her mother's "Geek Machine," she has to start taking charge of her destiny.

On the downside, I wish Angel had been in this episode more. Granted he gets his own "17 Again" episode over on "Angel." (Season four's "Spin the Bottle.") But, still, I would have liked to see him reacting to the teenagers invasion in "Band Candy."

My favorite part of the episode: Principal Snyder tagging along with Buffy and the others. "Summers! You drive like a spaz!"