Phases (27 Jan. 1998)

Buffy and her friends discover secrets about themselves as they battle a werewolf, its hunter, and their own emotions.

Director:

Bruce Seth Green

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator), Rob Des Hotel,

Stars:

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan

Cast

Episode cast overview:
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)
Seth Green	...	Oz
Camila Griggs	...	Gym Teacher
Jack Conley	...	Kane
Larry Bagby	...	Larry Blaisdell (as Larry Bagby III)
Megahn Perry	...	Theresa Klusmeyer
Keith Campbell	...	Werewolf

Storyline

While Xander and Cordelia make out in the woods in her dad's car, they are attacked by a giant werewolf, who also killed various animals, on the night before the full moon. Giles insists no silver bullets, as a werewolf remains an innocent human except for three nights per lunar month, an ethical consideration wasted on former ivory poacher Kane, who wants his twelfth werewolf kill for the fur. Xander suspects and confronts school bully Lary, but finds out his secret is in fact queerly innocent and worth keeping. When they check the corps of Theresa, the only human fatal victim, Xander saves Buffy staking her: she's a vampire, attacking courtesy of her sire Angelus... After Oz wakes up naked in the wood, his aunt confirms Jordy is a werewolf too, but Willow is trough waiting for him to make the first move...

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Plot Keywords:

library | female protagonist | hero gone bad | heroine

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 January 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

Joss Whedon originally didn't know whether it would be Willow or Xander who turned out gay. Xander's conversation with Larry in this episode could have been slightly foreshadowing had Xander been chosen to be gay. As it is, this is not the first instance in the series where there is the hint of doubt about Xander's sexuality.

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Goofs

Giles is in the library, and his glasses repeatedly disappear and reappear between shots.

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Quotes

Oz: It's not everyday that you find out that you're a werewolf. That's fairly freak-some. It may take a couple of days of getting used to.
Willow: Yeah. It's a complication.
Oz: So maybe it'd be best if I just sorta...
Willow: What?
Oz: Well you know like... stayed out of your way for a while.
Willow: I don't know. I'm kind of OK with you being in my life.
Oz: You mean... You'd still...
Willow: Well, I like you. You're nice and you're funny. And you don't smoke. Yeah, OK, werewolf. That's not all the time. I mean three days out of the month ...
[...]

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Connections

References Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Teacher's Pet (1997)

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Soundtracks

"Blind For Now"
Performed by Lotion

User Reviews

Werewolf of Sunnydale

I really love Willow and Oz together. They are probably the sweetest couple ever featured on BTVS. And this is the episode that really jump starts their relationship. See, it turns out that Oz is more than just a bad guitar player... He's also a werewolf and he truly loves Willow. You really can't skip this episode if you're watching the show on DVD. Oz's werewolf-ness and how it effects his relationship with Willow will be a major story line for the next couple years. "Phases" is actually a lot of fun, with some interesting twists and character development. All in all, a great episode.

Basically, "Phases" centers around a werewolf attacking Sunnydale. In the Buffyverse, werewolves are afflicted on the three nights surrounding the full moon and this episode spans them. On the first night, animals turn up dead and Cordy's car roof is nearly torn off. Giles gleefully begins researching this new creature, eager for a non-vampire related monster to hunt. The Scoobies don't want to hurt the werewolf, who is just a regular person most of the month. They just want to lock it up while it's in wolf-mode and make sure that it can't attack anyone. Unfortunately, Cain, a professional werewolf hunter arrives, with much less peaceful plans for the beast. He wants to sell its skin for profit and he's not about to let Buffy and Giles stand in his way. As the Scoobies hunt, Oz is beginning to realize that he is the werewolf. After the second night, he wakes up naked in the forest, with no clue how he got there. When Theresa, a Sunnydale student, is found dead, he begins to fear that the Scoobies will turn against him. Or, perhaps even worse, that he might harm Willow. Xander and Buffy investigate the murder and realize that a werewolf didn't kill Theresa, though. Angelus did. Meanwhile, Willow is hurt that Oz seems to be ignoring her. She goes to his house on the third night, just as he begins to change...

There's a lot to like about this episode. Cain, the werewolf hunter, is great. (The actor will also appear over on "Angel" as Shajhan.) You have to like his baffled annoyance at Giles and Buffy. They want to save the werewolf and he's just as determined to kill it. His crack about now having to deal with people for the "ethical treatment of werewolves" is hilarious. And I love all the references to earlier episodes that pop up in "Phases". ("The Pack," "The Witch," "I Robot... You Jane," "Teacher's Pet," etc...) It's so great that the show builds off of it's history. Larry and Xander's scene is also wonderful. Larry will be back in several other episodes, but I think this is his best. I like his realization that he's gay and how he thanks Xander for helping his see the truth. Xander's panic over Larry's assumption that he's gay, too is really funny part, though. "That's probably why I beat up on you all those times," Larry muses, thoughtfully. "I saw something in you that I didn't want to admit about myself." Xander's face is priceless. Part worry that someone else might might hear, part desperation to leave and part "Oh God, what if Larry's right?!?" They should have brought Larry up again in season four, when Willow starts dating Tara.

I do have some complaints. Angel went evil just one episode back. Yet, aside from a few sighs and half-hearted laments, Buffy seems to be in remarkably good spirits. You'd think that she'd be desperately trying to bring him back to his old soul-having self. Also, I don't see how Cain could kill werewolves and THEN skin them. When werewolves die, they revert to human form, right? (At least, that's the rule over on "Angel.") He'd have to skin them alive. And I'm not sure why they reintroduced the Buffy/Xander unrequited love thing at Theresa's funeral. It undermines his relationship with Cordy. I can only assume it's to add tension between Xander and Angelus in the episodes to come. But, it seems out of place.

My favorite part of the episode: Oz's conversation with his aunt where he tries to determine if his little cousin biting his finger is the cause of his problems. "Say, is Jordy a werewolf? Really. So, how long has that been going' on." The best explanation EVER.