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

Werewolf of Sunnydale

[katierose295 · 9/10 · 27 July 2006]

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.

More than a guilty pleasure episode.

[m-47826 · 7/10 · 15 June 2021]

It was one of my favorites as a teen. And it scared me. I used to skip ahead into it, because I refused to go thought Innocence heavy melodrama. I wanted fun. Phases is the first werewolf themed episode, all viewers been waiting for. The design of this creature, on the show, is all wrong. But this first « draft » looks goofy and kind of cute, when you're all grown up. But it's a cool episode, where Oz becomes a series regular. It also has really funny and chilling bits. As well as the impending threat of Angelus lurking in the shadows. And an unexpected coming out scene, clearly making the best of the show's theme, in a very hilarious and sweet way. It's one which flaws can easily be overlooked.

The Werewolf of Oz

[ossie85 · 7/10 · 9 August 2022]

Angelus is still killing Buffy's friends, but when animals turn up mutilated and Cordy and Xander are attacked by a hellhound, the gang come to the conclusion that a werewolf is about. When Oz wakes up in the woods naked, he realises that he is the werewolf and he hides it from Willow. A werewolf hunter arrives.

Why It's So Good - Seth Green was underutilised until this episode. Oz finally got some work to do, and in true Buffy style, a supernatural edge was added. Willow's story often parallels Buffy's, and this is no exception, but at a smaller scale.

Watch Out For - Oz on the phone to his cousin.

Quote - "Great. I'll give Xander a call. What's his number? Oh, yeah, 1-800-I'm-Dating-A-Skanky-Ho." - Willow.

Arooooo! Werewolves of Sunnydale

[Joxerlives · 10/10 · 24 January 2012]

Phases

The Good; Wonderful opening scene, Oz's reaction to the news he's a werewolf, the burgeoning Oz and Willow/Xander and Cordy relationships, the mislead with Larry is hilarious and a nice subplot with Theresa as Angelus and co are not forgotten.

The Bad; Very little, excellent ep

Best line; Willow; "Three days a month I'm not much fun to be around either" Is just beaten by; Giles "Let's not jump to conclusions" Buffy "I didn't jump, I took a tiny step and there conclusions were"

Questions and observations; Willow and Cordy seem to be bonding despite Will's reference to CC as a 'skanky ho', their disparaging of men smacks mightily of subtext. That said Willow says she 'Wants smoochies' and seems less alarmed by Oz's possessing chains than intrigued. He doesn't wear them however unlike Buffy who finds herself helpless once more, caught in Cain's net. Cain's suspicion of Buffy and Giles in a May-to-December romance seems incredible but what else would the pair be doing in lover's lane at midnight? Guffy? Buffy's comments on the male nature of the werewolf are positively misandrist (and later we'll see the female werewolf is deadlier than the male). Cordy refers to the things she can't tell her father about because he still thinks she's a good girl? It's pretty clear Xander doesn't have sex until The Zeppo so how far do they go?

The scene where Angelus offers to walk Theresa home is just chilling. I think what makes it so effective is that he seems so plausible, the devil with the Angel's face.

Much better werewolf than we'll see later, note they switched back to the more traditional image for Nina on Angel. Oz is shot for the second time and knocked out for the first whilst Xander kills his second vamp. It had to be pointed out to me at the time but now it seems hard to miss the 2 guys pushing Giles' car as it arrives at the Bronze.

So presumably Oz's cousin bit him whilst human? So a werewolf can infect someone even in human form? Willow better not let Oz give her any lovebites. And did Oz's cousin get bitten or does being a werewolf run in families, Teenwolf style? How come Oz wakes up the second night naked and wondering what happened but not the first? Probably the best ever example of Slayer strength, Buffy bending the barrel of Cain's rifle in her bare hands, totally impossible for any human to do.

I always thought the Owen who Buffy spots cheating on his girlfriend in Lovers Lane was the same Owen from Never Kill A Boy on a First Date but it's not (nice to see that despite her own heartache Buffy still likes romantic gossip). Nice reference to The Witch too with Oz examining the cheerleader trophy. Larry and Xander is a wonderful scene, one of my favourite of the entire series. Surely even the most fervent of Tara's kittens can't fail to be charmed by the Willow/Oz romance?

The series just hitting a series of straight sixes right past the boundary every time, 10/10

Cordelia: Excuse me? We didn't come here to talk about Willow. We came here to do things I can never tell my father about because he still thinks I'm a good girl.

[bombersflyup · 9/10 · 7 August 2019]

Phases is about a werewolf attacking people on the night before the full moon.

Although it may feel as a bit of a comedown slotted behind "Innocence" without much in the way of continuance, it's a splendid episode. Riddled with humour throughout and a new subject matter of werewolves and its bestowal upon Oz. So joyous given the circumstances, none of the characters moods are down. Sarah's so damn beautiful.... my god. Willow and Cordelia now oddly hanging out.

Is Jordy a werewolf? Oh no reason...

Werewolves of Sunnydale!

[kellyq12 · 9/10 · 1 June 2022]

Fun episode. I love Willow-Oz, and their exchanges are really sweet. Buffy vs. The werewolf hunter is fun stuff too. All of the threads of the characters continue to evolve in a satisfying way.

A werewolf in Sunnydale

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 31 August 2017]

As Xander and Cordelia are parked in 'Lovers' Lane' in Cordelia's father's convertible they are attacked by a large doglike creature… obviously a werewolf. Research reveals that they become werewolves on the night of the full moon and the two nights either side. As they are human for the remainder of the time is it quickly determined to try to take the creature alive. As they search for the creature it emerges that there is another werewolf hunter in the area and he intends to kill it for its pelt. That night there is an attack that Buffy and the gang assume is linked to the werewolf but it later emerges that it was Angel sending a message to Buffy. As the third night approaches they prepare to look for the werewolf again… not realising that he is rather closer to them than they think.

This was an impressive episode which didn't spend too much time dealing with the aftermath of Angel's return to evil but neither did it leave it altogether. There was some enjoyable character development as Willow worried that Oz was behaving a bit distantly and Cordelia complaining that Xander does mothering but talk about Willow and Buffy when he is on a date with her. A subplot involving a sexist jock provides a laugh when Buffy throws him and a surprise when it emerges that his behaviour was just his way of hiding the fact that he was gay… the scene where he comes out to Xander was rather amusing. The revelation that Oz is the werewolf was a nice surprise when I first watched the episode and explained his behaviour towards Willow. Seth Green does a fine job in the role of Oz. The werewolf effects are decent enough; not as good as the classic werewolves of 'An American Werewolf in London' but that would have been too frightening for a prime time TV show! Cain, the werewolf hunter, was a good guest character; it was fun having a somewhat antagonistic human character who wasn't obviously evil… just a bit unpleasant. Overall this was a pretty decent episode.

The One Where Oz Is A Werewolf...

[taylorkingston · 7/10 · 3 June 2015]

I really enjoy this episode. It's cool to see werewolves come into the Buffy Universe.

In this episode, people are being attacked by what is believed to be a giant dog. But Buffy and the gang realized that it's actually a werewolf, so they go to catch it. They meet a man who kills werewolves for sport, and who doesn't care that a werewolf is a person for most of the year. Oz was bitten by his cousin Jordy, and after waking up naked in the woods, he calls his aunt and finds out that Jordy is a werewolf, which leads Oz to become one as well.

Best part of the episode: When Buffy kicks the werewolf hunter's butt.

Worst part of the episode: The look of the werewolves, they're just super creepy.

Overall, I give this episode a 7 out of 10, which in my ratings book is: Great.

A bad moon arising

[Realrockerhalloween · 1 October 2016]

Phaser is about a huge dog roaming the streets of Sunnydale. Oz who has taken a liking to Willow believes he may be the creature after being bitten by his cousin and has to dodge a bounty Hunter who collects their teeth. This is a weak episode for me as it doesn't try to show is a metaphor or an inner meaning for the characters. It seems making Oz a werewolf only serves a purpose to make his character interesting and throw a monkey's wrench in his relationship with Willow.

The side story of Angel targeting her class did grab my interest as he sets his sights on ruining her life like Dru's making her insane and for making his alter who Angel feel like a man at one time. The look on her face when she visits Teresa's funeral only to deliver a message from him was priceless and sad knowing how much he can hurt this delicate being.