Earshot (28 Sep. 1999)

Buffy fears she will descend into madness after she acquires the ability to read minds.

Director:

Regis Kimble

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator), Jane Espenson

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
Charisma Carpenter	...	Cordelia Chase
David Boreanaz	...	Angel
Seth Green	...	Oz
Anthony Head	...	Rupert Giles (as Anthony Stewart Head)
Kristine Sutherland	...	Joyce Summers
Alexis Denisof	...	Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Ethan Erickson	...	Percy West
Danny Strong	...	Jonathan Levinson
Larry Bagby	...	Larry Blaisdell (as Larry Bagby III)
Keram Malicki-Sánchez	...	Freddy Iverson (as Keram Malicki-Sanchez)
Justin Doran	...	Hogan Martin
Lauren E. Roman	...	Nancy Doyle (as Lauren Roman)

Storyline

After an encounter with a mouth-less demon, Buffy is infected with the demon's blood and she gains the ability to hear people's thoughts. At first her newfound ability is useful for cheating on schoolwork and eavesdropping on the thoughts of those around her, but when the voices continue to flood her mind, she realizes that she cannot control the power. Amid the chaos, Buffy hears a killer planning a mass murder at the school. Now she must keep herself from going mad long enough to prevent a catastrophe.

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Plot Keywords:

library | 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:

28 September 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

When the gang are together in the library, Oz thinks to himself "I am my thoughts. If they exist in her, Buffy contains everything that is me, and she becomes me. I cease to exist". This is a nod to French philosopher René Descartes, who came up with the Latin phrase "Cogito, ergo sum" which translates to "I think, therefore I am". Descartes used it to prove his own existence, claiming his ability to form thoughts made him a real, living, human being. On her DVD commentary, writer Jane Espenson says that Joss Whedon suggested Oz's reaction by telling Jane to "write him something that sounds like something Friedrich Nietzsche would have said in the situation."

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Goofs

Buffy looks up at the clock tower and it says the time is 12:40. She then runs a few metres and looks up again. The time is now 12:10.

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Quotes

Xander: For a minute there, I thought you were gonna make an expression.
Oz: Well, I felt one comin' on. I won't lie.

User Reviews

If your friend develops the ability to read minds, just remember your times tables...

Although 'Earshot' doesn't advance any of the wider arcs of the Season, it's still a very entertaining and thought-provoking episode.

The crux of the matter is that, after getting infected by a demon she slayed, Buffy can now read minds. At first this is really cool to Buffy, as you can imagine, and she certainly makes the most out of being able to hear her teachers' and friends' thoughts...the scene in the library is particularly hilarious, with Xander trying desperately not to think about sex, Wesley trying desperately not to think about how good Cordelia's looking, and Cordelia...well, Cordelia thinking exactly what she says. Shocking! The power also reveals an awkward secret or two later in the episode, with Buffy discovering that her mum had sex with Giles...TWICE! Cringe.

However the power comes with some pretty serious consequences too. Buffy hears someone thinking about killing the students whilst in the cafeteria, and eventually her poor mind begins to unravel as she is bombarded with the thoughts of all of Sunnydale! As Giles, Angel and Wes search for a cure for Buffy, the rest of the Scoobies hunt down the would-be killer, with limited success.

Considering this episode is effectively a stand-alone, with little to no reference to the bigger picture besides the odd mention of Faith, I actually thoroughly enjoyed it. The interactions between Buffy and her friends and family are hilarious as they all try to evade her ability, whilst Angel saving the day and winning back Buffy's trust was a nice element too. 'Earshot' has an effective balance between humour and drama , and I think that is what makes it a success. Buffy's new power is a heavy burden to bear, but it does give her an insight into the minds of those around her, and helps her to understand that these people are all carrying burdens too.

Thankfully Buffy is cured in time to save the day, and the student with the gun turns out to be a red herring - the real would-be killer is in fact the lunch lady with the rat poison in the cafeteria kitchen! (It's not quite Clue, but it'll do)

So all-in-all, not much progresses in 'Earshot' but with the themes it addresses that's perfectly acceptable.