Beer Bad (2 Nov. 1999)

Xander finds employment as a bartender at a pub where some of Buffy's friends turn into terrifying Cro-Magnon creatures.

Director:

David Solomon

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator), Tracey Forbes

Stars:

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon	...	Xander Harris
Alyson Hannigan	...	Willow Rosenberg
Seth Green	...	Oz
Anthony Head	...	Rupert Giles (as Anthony Stewart Head)
Marc Blucas	...	Riley Finn
Adam Kaufman	...	Parker Abrams
Paige Moss	...	Veruca
Eric Matheny	...	Colm
Steven M. Porter	...	Jack (as Stephen M. Porter)
Lindsay Crouse	...	Professor Maggie Walsh
Kal Penn	...	Hunt
Jake Phillips	...	Kip
Bryan Cuprill	...	Roy
Lisa Johnson	...	Paula

Storyline

Gloomily gazing at Parker, who has moved to another one-night-conquest, still enamored Buffy misses out on another chance to approach charming teaching assistant Riley Finn in the college bar and accepts an invitation from some arrogant students. Those grossly embarrass the new barman, Xander, who finds the work and his boss harder then expected, while feeding Buffy gallons of pedantic crap and their adored 'panacea' beer Black Frost, which contains an inhibitions-blocking, addictive concoction, taken in such large quantities even turning them into ape-men, losing speech, wielding cudgels, setting fire to the college bar. Grumpy because her Oz has eyes for another band's female singer, Willow spits at 'never evolved, sex-obsessed' men to Parker, the cavemen knock them down. Giles loses her track after realizing Buffy's regression, but brave Xander kept up and saves the students from the fire; only her ex Parker is left to Buffy, who already felt like hitting him vindictively...

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Plot Keywords:

female protagonist | heroine

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 November 1999 (USA)

Filming Locations:

1800 Stewart St., Santa Monica, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Enterprises, Sandollar Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kal Penn stars in this episode as a frat extra.

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Goofs

Xander, Buffy, and Willow get up from the table. The personal microphone equipment clipped to the waistband at the back of Nicholas Brendon's pants is visible; he adjusts his shirt to cover it as they turn to walk.

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Quotes

Xander: And was there a lesson in all this, huh? What did we learn about beer?
Buffy: Foamy!
Xander: Good. Just as long as that's clear.

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Connections

References Cocktail (1988)

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Soundtracks

"Nothing But You"
Performed by Kim Ferron

User Reviews

Don't drink...

What the... This episode is one of the worst BtVS episode ever.

This episode had only one point - don't drink and that's it.

I have never seen an episode as bad as this one on BtVS.

As almost all episodes there often is one moment which makes you laugh and yes - there where some here too.

But there is got to be a reasonable plot - which unfortunately is missing here...

Revenge is the main plot - and we all know that it never ends good.

Even the sun has it marks and this is BtVS biggest mark.

I give this episode 3/10 but it's a really weak three.