Killed by Death (3 Mar. 1998)

While hospitalized with a severe case of the flu, Buffy battles a demon that sucks the life out of sick children.

Director:

Deran Sarafian

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator), Rob Des Hotel,

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	...	Angelus
Anthony Head	...	Rupert Giles (as Anthony Stewart Head)
Kristine Sutherland	...	Joyce Summers
Richard Herd	...	Dr. Stanley Backer
Willie Garson	...	Security Guard
Andrew Ducote	...	Ryan
Juanita Jennings	...	Dr. Wilkinson
Robert Munic	...	Intern
Mimi Paley	...	Little Buffy Summers
Denise Johnson	...	Celia
James Jude Courtney	...	Der Kindestod

Storyline

Buffy barely survives Angelus' latest attack because she falls prey to a very common enemy: influenza, an epidemic among Sunnydale Highs students. Yet in hospital, a place she fears since she was alone with a dying close cousin aged 8, she lends credence to children who claim there is a killer invisible to adults which comes at night, they call Death. Initially Giles is skeptic, but after Buffy, who suspected Dr. Stanley Backer who has a dodgy record, experienced it herself, the monster is found out to be an actual child killer (Kindestod in German) which Buffy should slay...

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Plot Keywords:

hero gone bad | monster in hospital | heroine | female protagonist | library

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 March 1998 (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

The title is taken from a Motörhead song.

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Goofs

The first night after Buffy is admitted to the hospital, while she's lying in bed in her room, you can see the clock on her night stand clearly click over from 2:26 to 2:27. A couple of moments later, the clock is shown with the time 12:15. Then, a little later on, after Buffy sees a little boy and a monster walk past her door, the clock is shown a 3rd time clicking over from 2:26 to 2:27 again.

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Quotes

[Angel comes into the hospital whistling]
Xander: Visiting hours are over.
Angelus: Well I'm pretty much family.
Xander: Yeah well why don't you come back during the day. Oh see no, I guess you can't.
Angelus: If I decide to walk into Buffy's room do you even believe for a micro-second that you can stop me?
Xander: Maybe not, maybe that security guard couldn't either, or those cops or the orderlies, but I'm kind of curious to find out. You game?
Angelus: Buffy's white knight, you still love her.
[leans toward Xander's ear]
Angelus: It must eat you up that...
[...]

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Connections

References A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

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Soundtracks

"Ode to Joy"
(uncredited)
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven

User Reviews

Sinister and superb

Killed by death

The Good; Very creepily shot and the central concept is just terrifying. Love the scoobs at the end and the kids drawing. Cordy's funny scene with the security guard, Cordy 'helping' Giles with research. Best of all though is Xander's Dirty Harry style confrontation with Angelus.

The Bad; Not much

Best line; Angelus; "If I chose to walk in there do you think for one moment you could stop me?" Xander; "Maybe I couldn't. Maybe those orderlies couldn't. Or that security guard. Or those cops. But I'm kinda curious to find out..." (the coolest Xander moment ever!)

Knocked out; yep, Buffy

Questions and observations; Willie Garson is great as the security guard, he also plays Carrie's friend Stanford in Sex and the City (which SMG guest stars in). Love Cordy's high-heels and miniskirt. Buffy passes out. Willow's frog fear re-occurs. You wonder if Buffy had taken the concentrated flu virus would it have killed her, she's pretty tough? Or once again is Buffy saved by her friends and family where any other Slayer would have died. Slayer healing again.

Obvious similarity to Nightmare on Elm Street although I also think the demon rather resembles Kid Rock? (anyone else read the fanfic where Freddy Kreuger kills Anya and Buffy only in the follow up story for him to wake up strapped to the bed in a mental hospital where he's been from the first night he was torched. But as his nurse walks away you realise she's actually Buffy?)

The first alternate Buffy played by Mimi Paley. She's OK but not as good as the little girl we'll see in season 5. Buffy's had a cousin called Celia, Aunt Arlene's daughter? Even as a kid Buffy played at being a superhero and attracted the supernatural. Again, isn't Joyce a bit suspicious about Giles' turning up at Buffy's bedside? Love the bit about the Scoobs playing doctor (anyone else share Cordy's scepticism about Buffy's denials?).

10/10 up to the standard of late Buffy season 2 and you can't give much higher praise than that