Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV Series) Homecoming (1998) User Reviews

Enter the Mayor

[katierose295 · 7/10 · 14 October 2008]

Big Bad for Big Bad, they just don't come any funner than Mayor Richard Wilkins. For the rest of the season, his polite brand of villainy will take Sunnydale by storm. The Mayor's a germ-phobic, milk-loving, sociopath who is just so gosh-darn entertaining that you can't help but sort of vote for him. He's a real nice guy, he's just... well... evil. His appearance in "Homecoming" marks the beginning of his reign as season three's antagonist and it's worth watching the episode just to see him. The Mayor will play a bigger and bigger role as the season rolls along, so his introduction in this episode is an important glimpse of things to come.

"Homecoming" revolves around Sunnydale High's homecoming dance. Cordy is running for homecoming queen and, of course, expects to win. Buffy, meanwhile, is feeling invisible. After her new boyfriend dumps her and she misses getting her photo taken for the year book, she's determined to prove that she's a part of Sunnydale High. She tosses her tiara into the Homecoming queen ring, too. This immediately starts problems in the Scoobie ranks, as both Buffy and Cordy think that everyone should be on their side.

Willow and Xander have problems of their own. A formal wear induced fluke has left them sort of attracted to each other. Their post-kissing guilt leads them to over compensate and help Cordy's cause. Then, feeling guilty over THAT, they decide to try and mend fences by leaving Cordy and Buffy alone in the Homecoming limo to work out their differences.

Unfortunately, it's also Slayer Fest '98. Mr. Trick has helped to organize the event, which is basically a hunting expedition for demons and people who want to bag a Slayer. Lyle Gorch, last seen in season two's 'Bad Eggs,' is back with his bride to join in the fun. Thinking that Cordelia and Buffy are really Faith and Buffy, a team of hunters waylays the limo and attacks. Buffy and Cordy have to work together to escape the hunters and make it to the homecoming dance.

There are some good parts to this episode. I love the class photos. Xander's "Hey, there" leer, Cordy's prom queen smile, Willow's puzzled droop... Too funny. And I continue to enjoy Mr. Trick. The guy's a great addition to the cast. And Faith confronting Scott on Buffy's behalf with the snarky "Good news, Honey, the doctor says that the itchy, swollen rash will disappear if we just use the cream" is hilarious. As for Willow and Xander's kiss, I kind of like them together. I think Xander's right. When everything else is long gone, it'll be Xander and Willow side by side in a nursing home somewhere. They are the most important people in each other lives and always will be.

On the downside, couldn't Buffy be a little more interested in and supportive of Angel? I mean... Geez! The poor guy spent hundreds of years rotting in a hell dimension and all Buffy can do is prattle on about how she needs the stability of her new boyfriend, Scott. She leaves Angel all alone in that mansion, like it was HIS fault that he lost his soul and killed all those people last season. You have to laugh when Scott dumps her. Serves Buffy right. Yes, I know, I'm biased, because I love Angel, but still... He looks so sad.

My favorite part of the episode: The "tie" for homecoming queen at the end. For a second, I thought the episode was going to do some kind of cop-out, "you're both winners!" deal. But, it totally surprised me and still remained true to the show. Very fun.

I just love season 3...

[m-47826 · 8/10 · 23 June 2021]

But this episode has a special place in my heart. It is one of the first I saw of it, on TV. Taped it, and watched it a lot. It has everything that makes a Buffy episode so good. The music, the humor, the action. I personally love the soundtrack in this one. It featured some of my favorite artists like Lori Carson, Lisa Loeb, Fastball and Four Star Mary. You know, Oz's band... And perfectly placed comic reliefs. Not that the show was particularly dramatic, but it was distributed nicely. The part where Faith puts Scott back in his place, is always unexpected and very appreciated. I can't really think of any episode I don't like this season, even though Amends isn't one I look forward to rewatching, every time I do season 3. And I'll get back to it later. But it surely was off to a great start with episodes like these.

Slayerfest '98

[ossie85 · 8/10 · 9 August 2022]

Buffy and Angel are still struggling with their relationship and then Scott breaks up with Buffy. After a war of words, Buffy and Cordy go head to head in the race for Prom Queen. Mr. Trick organises a group of demons to hunt down Buffy and Faith in an event known as Slayerfest '98. These demons include Lyle Gorch (first seen in Bad Eggs). Xander and Willow kiss and now feel really guilty about it.

Why It's So Good - Lots of Hijinx with he bad guys mistaking Cordelia for a slayer. Buffy and Cordelia are always good value when sharing scenes, and a lot of good action scenes.

Watch Out For - Faith telling Scott of his disease.

Quote - "No, I'm not a friend. I'm a rabid dog who should be shot! But there're forces at work here! Dark, incomprehensible forces." - Willow feeling guilty.

The true beginning of season 3, in some ways

[nightwishouge · 10/10 · 12 April 2021]

"Anne" was a decent season premiere, and "Faith, Hope and Trick" does a good job setting the table for what's to come in terms of the season arc. But in my opinion, the amazing "Homecoming" is the first truly great episode of season 3. From here on out there's hardly a bad moment all the way through the two-part season finale, let alone a bad episode (well, there's Gingerbread, but I did say "hardly").

The more I think about season 3, the more I think it's really about identity. In this episode, Buffy and Cordelia come into conflict because Buffy is struggling to reconcile her popular, pre-Slayer persona with her current responsibilities, and how those responsibilities have changed her as a person. She decides to run for Homecoming Queen as a way to recapture the high school experience she feels she is missing due to her Slayer duties, and our Cordy--who back in season one's Out of Mind, Out of Sight elucidated her reasons for working really hard to be popular ("it beats being alone all by yourself")--sees this as a threat to her position atop the social hierarchy. This sets into motion an epic battle for school dance supremacy that will wrench the Scoobies apart, but in an amusing way.

By the end of the episode, Buffy and Cordelia are being stalked by an amusing variety of henchmen as part of Slayerfest '98, a ploy by Mr. Trick to rid Sunnydale of his two biggest problems (he mistakes Cordelia for Faith). There are some amazing character beats here for both girls, although Cordelia furiously beating a demon with a spatula takes the take. Buffy's angst about missing out on key high school moments won't be resolved until The Prom, but by the end of this episode she and Cordelia have a newfound mutual respect; as Buffy laments the loss of the popular girl as she became the Slayer, Cordelia finds a bit of the Slayer within the popular girl. The final reveal of who actually wins Homecoming Queen is priceless.

The only real downside to the episode--and it's a nitpick--is that I don't believe David Greenwalt has a sufficient grasp of the high school social dynamic to believably portray Homecoming Queen candidacy. If a girl in my high school had been trying to BUY votes with cupcakes or--more egregiously--money, I think people would have just thought she was desperate and pathetic. But it's funny enough, so I'll let it slide.

(Okay, another demerit for Faith sabotaging Scott's date. His reasons for dumping Buffy are completely legitimate. I mean, can you really blame a high school student for breaking up with somebody because they turn out to be a bit of a high-maintenance bummer? What are you supposed to do, waste six months on a relationship with them when you could be dating somebody who's actually fun and seems invested in you and isn't secretly pining away for somebody else? But it's in keeping with Faith's incredibly selfish understanding of the world, even if she's doing this on her friend's behalf.)

I would also like to defend the somewhat controversial Willow/Xander infidelity subplot set off by this episode. A lot of viewers seem to object to it on the grounds that Xander and Willow have known each other for so long they seemingly should have hooked up already if they were going to at all, so why is it happening now?

To me it makes complete sense. For Willow's part she clearly has unresolved feelings for Xander, in spite of her relationship with Oz, and I think it wouldn't take much for her to act on those very old and deeply set impulses; all she needs is one small sign Xander reciprocates. As for Xander--well, we saw in Anne that his relationship with Cordelia is completely racked with doubts and insecurity, as evidenced by the fact that neither of them saw one another over the summer and came back to school without even knowing if they were still a couple. In episodes like Go Fish and Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered last season, their relationship--founded thus far only on the sexual tension of mutual bickering and disdain--was shown to have grown sufficiently to the point that Cordelia was willing to make significant sacrifices to stay with him. But Xander, being innately insecure, cannot bring himself to trust, in spite of this evidence, that the relationship is anything besides one of convenience; he can't believe he could really mean that much to her. From his perspective Cordelia is out of his league in every possible way--rich, smart, beautiful, and socially adept. In his mind, he is certain the other shoe is going to drop; he just doesn't know when. So when he sees Willow--his best friend, his soul mate, his "sure thing"--standing in front of him looking all womanly, he gives in to the newfound sexual attraction because he knows there is absolutely NO WAY Willow will reject him, the way Cordelia inevitably must. If he pre-emptively sabotages his relationship with Cordelia, he can control the narrative of that rejection. He is not only attracted to Willow now, but to that sense of control. Humans do counter-intuitive things like that all the time in real relationships, and I think the storyline was a mature take by the Buffy writers on immaturity, if that makes sense.

Slayerfest 98

[Realrockerhalloween · 1 October 2016]

Homecoming deals with Buffy missing her old life as popular girl and wants to reclaim her crown by winning the home coming queen award. Cordelia feeling like she is stepping on her territory wages her own campaign against her causing friction within the group causing them to set up a rise to get them together and evil sets out to kill both slayers. The episode is great at humor as both girls wage war against one another by posting pics over each other's faces, flirting with the guys and trading insults. I found it sweet how the team care so much about their friends they spring for a limo to get their friends to make up or play favorites and treat each other the same through out the competition. Buffy may have befriended them longer and been nice yet once your apart of the circle your in no matter your history.

On a side note I love the idea of Slayerfest yet it feels like a retread of what's my line using different assassins to try and take out the two slayers just set in a new location. Still it does have it's perks as Cordy toughens up to help her take them on by figuring out the corsage has a tracking device inside of them and even stakes a vampire about to bite her. I find it heroic & hilarious how she uses her personality to scare off the feared Lyle Gorch instead of him making her into a snack showing the champion inside.

Fab-ul-ous!

[Joxerlives · 10/10 · 10 February 2012]

Homecoming;

The Good; Buffy and Cordy's campaign is the funniest thing ever! Jonathon! Love the ending, love the hunting, love Cordy facing off with Lyle Gorch, love the Mayor and Mr Trick, love everything about it, truly fantastic.

The Bad; Find me some? Actually, why bring back Lyle Gorch who is a stupid villain if there ever was one?

Best line; The Mayor; "Oh no, that wouldn't be a problem" (wonderful line from Harry Groener, it's all in the way he delivers it, perfectly polite and reasonable but with all the menace in the world)

Shot; no, despite all the lead flying around. Odd to see Buffy using a gun although it seems to run out of ammo awfully fast.

Knocked out; yep, Giles again and Buffy

Women good/men bad; Scott dumping Buffy but he has his reasons. Faith and Buffy plan to pick up a couple of studs, use them then dump them as revenge on the male of the species. Although I'm sure they won't be complaining!

Kinky dinky; Willow and Xander, awwwwwww. Even the most dedicated of Tara's kittens can't help but be charmed by this scene, especially the music. How does Buffy get her SDH 'letterman' jacket for her campaign? Borrowed from Larry or as a gift in return for her favours? "That thing with her mouth that boys like"? Or is it Xander's from his time on the swim team? Buffy describes Cordy as a 'vapid whore'. Xander refers to Cordy as his 'conquest' whilst Oz and Willow are 'rounding 2nd' which is apparently slang for heavy petting.

Calling Captain Subtext; just as they're getting serious Scott dumps Buffy. But in Conversations with Dead People we discover why, I don't think his Homecoming date would have got too far either (he earlier comments that he's a bad liar). Willow's attraction to Xander gives more credence to her status as bi. Xander refers to Buffy and Faith in the library 'Getting all sweaty' whilst Oz suggests that Buffy and Cordy have been mudwrestling. Essentially in this ep Faith asks Buffy out on a date to the Homecoming dance and Buffy says yes. She also says 'Boys should break up with you more often' Plus half-naked musclely German men wrestling for no apparent reason.

Questions and observations; Love the list of Buffy's rivals set of strengths and weaknesses especially that going out with Xander is considered one of Cordy's weaknesses. What does PB crazy mean? Playboy? Just what are the chances that the shack that Buffy and Cordy stumble upon has a working phone? Love Faith's little trick against Scott. There is no Vulcan deathgrip. Wonderful introduction for the Mayor, Harry Groener is just amazing. Nice line where Mr Trick tells him that the whole 'not fitting in' concept was old even before he became a vampire (although one ventures that the undead really couldn't care less about human concerns such a racial politics just as Spike doesn't care about the Nazis in 'Why we fight?'). The picture scenes are smashing and lovingly recreated in the SDH Yearbook. Faith believes rage 'gives you an edge'. Buffy asks if she's invisible, well not yet. Xander refers to his relations with money, presumably not Uncle Rory. The only time we see Faith all dolled up at the dance and she looks beautiful. Buffy tortures the hunter in the trap.The SDPD seem to overcome Mr Trick very easily. Joss basically reuses this storyline for the second episode of Dollhouse, it's derived from the famous short story 'The Most Dangerous Game' which in turn inspired real life serial killer Robert Hansen who hunted and murdered over twenty people after kidnapping them, releasing them into the Alaskan wilderness and giving them a head start.

10/10 no question

The One With SlayerFest '98...

[taylorkingston · 10/10 · 17 October 2014]

I love this episode. It's so funny. The idea of SlayerFest is just so good.

In this episode, Cordelia and Buffy go head-to-head for the position of Homecoming Queen. And all because Buffy missed her school photo, because Cordelia forgot to tell her what day it was. So, there you go. That's the most interesting part of this episode. I'm lying. It's not. Mr. Trick and several other demons, vampires, and random killers have organized SlayerFest '98. They planned to steal Buffy and Faith's limo to the Homecoming Dance, trap them out in the woods, and kill them. And it would've all gone according to plan, but Xander, Willow and Oz, decided that the fighting between Buffy and Cordelia had to stop. So they put them in the same limo. That limo got taken, and it wasn't so much SlayerFest, as it was one Slayer, one soon-to-be Homecoming Queen. This leads into hilarious things. In the end, they escape and kill most of the things coming after them, and neither of them win Homecoming Queen.

Overall, I give this episode a 10 out of 10.

Oz: As Willow goes, so goes my nation.

[bombersflyup · 6/10 · 17 September 2019]

Homecoming is about who will become Homecoming Queen and SlayerFest '98.

The two main plots are rather silly, not awful or anything, but fluff. Scott breaks up with Buffy... rewind.. what? Ridiculous! Quality moments between Xander and Willow, but after all that has happened it's so wrong of Xander to want Willow now. She can't help it, it's entirely his fault. Mr. Trick just roles with the punches and enjoys himself, with the Mayor soon to make his presence felt. Good Lisa Loeb music.