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Rating: 
Summary: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" scripts: Season 3, Episodes 7-12
Review: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 2" gives us episodes 7-12 from the senior year at Sunnydale High School for Buffy and the Scoobies. This is the eighth volume of scripts available to date, the rest dealing with the previous two seasons and the "Once More With Feeling" musical episode of "BtVS." The attraction here for those who are trying to carrying on now Joss Whedon's legions of fans are down to watching "Angel" and waiting for Buffy to make a guest appearance is that these are the shooting scripts for these six episodes. You can look for typos and other mistooks that they failed to corrupt, but the attraction is getting dialogue and even full scenes that were cut before the final version was broadcast on the WB (the idea of deleted scenes out there is as maddening as the smell of fresh blood would be to newly risen vamp). I used to suggest that you could read along with these scripts while you watched the episodes on DVD, but I think most of us know the episodes so well by now that we can easily pick up on what was added, omitted or alterred in the final aired version (e.g., the tree sellers in "Amends," p. 216). Still, you have to admit it is a lot easier to read the script this way than going frame by frame when one of them is available on the DVDs. But even when there are not changes you get Joss Whedon's wacky stage directions, a type of humor that has obviously rubbed off on some of the other writers as well (e.g., "Anya looks deeply perplexed," page 165). Included in this second volume of Season Three scripts are: "Revelations" by Douglas Petrie, "Lovers Walk" by Dan Vebber, "The Wish" by Marti Noxon, "Amends" by Joss Whedon, "Gingerbread" by Jane Espenson (story by Espenson and Thania St. John), and "Helpless" (previously "18") by David Fury. These half-dozen episodes bring us up to the point where Giles is fired by the Watcher's Council, which means in Volume 3 we will see means the next volume (which should have the next five episodes) will begin Faith's slide toward becoming a rouge slayer. Interesting to note that "Amends" which was the episode submitted by Whedon for Emmy consideration from Season Three, and "Helpless," are both entirely "WHITE" shooting drafts: no revisions as in no "BLUE" pages, no "PINK" pages (I know, you cannot tell by the color of the pages in this book, but they are labeled at the top so you can see what was revised and hazard your guesses as to why). This latest volume reaffirms that "BtVS" was rich series where every script has a few choice morsels on which we can subsist while we wallow in despair that the show is now part of cult television history.
Rating:
Summary: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" scripts: Season 3, Episodes 7-12
Review: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 2" gives us episodes 7-12 from the senior year at Sunnydale High School for Buffy and the Scoobies. This is the eighth volume of scripts available to date, the rest dealing with the previous two seasons and the "Once More With Feeling" musical episode of "BtVS." The attraction here for those who are trying to carrying on now Joss Whedon's legions of fans are down to watching "Angel" and waiting for Buffy to make a guest appearance is that these are the shooting scripts for these six episodes. You can look for typos and other mistooks that they failed to corrupt, but the attraction is getting dialogue and even full scenes that were cut before the final version was broadcast on the WB (the idea of deleted scenes out there is as maddening as the smell of fresh blood would be to newly risen vamp). I used to suggest that you could read along with these scripts while you watched the episodes on DVD, but I think most of us know the episodes so well by now that we can easily pick up on what was added, omitted or alterred in the final aired version (e.g., the tree sellers in "Amends," p. 216). Still, you have to admit it is a lot easier to read the script this way than going frame by frame when one of them is available on the DVDs. But even when there are not changes you get Joss Whedon's wacky stage directions, a type of humor that has obviously rubbed off on some of the other writers as well (e.g., "Anya looks deeply perplexed," page 165). Included in this second volume of Season Three scripts are: "Revelations" by Douglas Petrie, "Lovers Walk" by Dan Vebber, "The Wish" by Marti Noxon, "Amends" by Joss Whedon, "Gingerbread" by Jane Espenson (story by Espenson and Thania St. John), and "Helpless" (previously "18") by David Fury. These half-dozen episodes bring us up to the point where Giles is fired by the Watcher's Council, which means in Volume 3 we will see means the next volume (which should have the next five episodes) will begin Faith's slide toward becoming a rouge slayer. Interesting to note that "Amends" which was the episode submitted by Whedon for Emmy consideration from Season Three, and "Helpless," are both entirely "WHITE" shooting drafts: no revisions as in no "BLUE" pages, no "PINK" pages (I know, you cannot tell by the color of the pages in this book, but they are labeled at the top so you can see what was revised and hazard your guesses as to why). This latest volume reaffirms that "BtVS" was rich series where every script has a few choice morsels on which we can subsist while we wallow in despair that the show is now part of cult television history.
Rating:
Summary: Possibly even better than the scripts that preceded these
Review: Although BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER had been a first rate show from its inception, it was during the shows based upon the scripts that it started moving towards something approaching genuine greatness. Before these shows, it had been a superb series, but after these it became something considerably more. The most unbelievable thing is that as great as these six episodes (well, five of them anyway) are, the ones following were even greater, so great as to place Buffy among the greatest shows in the history of the genre, and arguably the greatest. The two episodes following these six would be "Surprise" and "Innocence," and from that moment on Buffy would exist on an artistic level unmatched on television. "Lie to Me" was written by Joss Whedon, and as fine as many previous shows had been, it is one of the first truly great moments in the series. Billy Fordham, played by Jason Behr (who would shortly after this achieve television stardom playing an alien in ROSEWELL), an ex-boyfriend of Buffy's from L.A., shows up unexpectedly in Sunnydale. Eventually we learn that he is, in fact, dying, and has cut a deal with Spike and his crew to turn the Slayer over to them in exchange for being made a vampire. The episode has many funny moments (such as when Angel, Xander, and Willow go to a faux vampire club, and Angel remarks that none of them know anything about vampires, including how they dress, when a wannabe walks by dressed exactly like Angel), but even more poignant moments, like when Ford explains to Buffy his reasons for betraying her. "The Dark Age" was written by Dean Batali and Rob DesHotel, who co-wrote a number a number of episodes of Buffy during the first two seasons. This is the best script they produced. Ethan Rayne, to whom we were introduced in "Halloween," makes his second appearance in the series. By far the most interesting aspect of the show is the way that we manage to learn more about Giles background, all the way to learning that his former mates had called him "Ripper." I enjoyed the few episodes that featured Ethan Rayne, and was always perplexed that he appeared in only four shows-"Halloween" and this episode in Season Two, "Band Candy" in Season Three, and "A New Man" in Season Four. There was talk on a couple of occasions of Anthony Stewart Head doing a show set in England based on "Ripper," and if he had, I'm sure Robin Sachs would have been his "Lex Luthor." "What's My Line?" is a phenomenal two parter, and is notable not merely for introducing Kendra, the second slayer, but for the writing debut of the great Marti Noxon, who would become one of the greatest writers in the run of the show as well as co-executive producer, eventually running things when Joss Whedon ceased the day-to-day overseeing of the show. She co-wrote the first half with Howard Gordon, and then wrote the second by herself. One of the major themes of Buffy during the first two seasons was her hesitancy to embrace her calling as slayer. Although she wouldn't fully accept the role until the first show of the third season ("Anne"), these two episodes stress her reluctance to be the Slayer more than any other shows prior to them (and even after "Anne," although she has accepted who she is, she struggles against her fate). These are exceptionally well-written shows, and one can engage in endless discussion the Kendra/Buffy relationship. Kendra, unlike Buffy, has completely accepted her fate, and while Buffy can never be like Kendra, she does learn from her to accept her calling. "Ted" (written by David Greenwalt and Joss Whedon) is not as strong on paper as it ended up being onscreen. Although it is a first rate script, John Ritter absolutely nailed the part of the psychotic robot Ted, and turned in one of the most memorable guest appearances in the entire history of the show. This is the episode that contains Giles famous quote about subtext rapidly becoming text. No other show in the history of TV has ever contained lines as clever as that one. "Bad Eggs" was Marti Noxon's third contribution to the show, and unfortunately perhaps the weakest script she ever did. One of the most amazing thing about the Second Season is that while the strong episodes established it as one of the great shows in the history of television, it nonetheless had a surprising number of pretty rotten episodes. Also, some of the strongest shows are preceded by the weakest. Just as "Becoming" would later be preceded by "Go Fish," so "Surprise" is preceded by "Bad Eggs." This might be an accident, but I doubt it. I suspect they realized it was a weak script, and wrapped the season-long story arcs around it. After this season, each season had considerably fewer weak episodes. These six scripts show Buffy, which was already a very good show, in the process of becoming a great one. The scripts that immediately follow the ones in this collection are arguably as strong a group of scripts as any show in the history of television.
Rating:
Summary: More cut dialogue, inside jokes, and "BtVS" shooting scripts
Review: Given that I already have all of season three of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on DVD, it is a legitimate question to ask why I feel the need to pick up "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 1" (along with the its half dozen predecessors and the "Once More With Feeling" script). My answer would be now that "BtVS" has sailed off into television history and Sunnydale is just a big old hole in the ground, if we are never going to have any more new episodes to watch, then we might as well go back and milk every last vestige of enjoyment out of the old ones. The sources of enjoyment are twofold. First, these teleplays represent the original shooting scripts for the first six episodes from the third season. That means you get not only typos and misattributions, but dialogue and even full scenes that were not included in the final broadcast version of the show because they were cut due to length (but if you read along while you watch the episodes on DVD you will notice that sometimes there are additional establishing shots, a sure sign that the episode was running short instead of long). Second, there are stage directions and if there is anybody on the face of the earth whose stage directions you would want to read in a television script those would be those that escape from the fertile mind of Joss Whedon. True, he only writes one of the episodes of the half-dozen collected here, but it is well known that he is involved in editing the rest of the scripts. Included in this volume are the scripts for: "Anne" by Joss Whedon, "Dead Man's party" by Marti Noxon, "Faith, Hope & Trick" by David Greenwalt, "Beauty and the Beasts" by Marti Noxon, "Homecoming" by David Grenwalt, and "Band Candy" by Jane Espenson. If you do not know that these are the episodes where Buffy comes back from her adventures in Los Angeles where she fled after killing Angel, that she receives a less than warm welcome from the Scoobies, and that Faith arrives in Sunnydale, then the final question is why are you looking at this volume? These shooting scripts are meant to be enjoy by those who have these episodes memorized, not newbies.
Rating:
Summary: More cut dialogue, inside jokes, and "BtVS" shooting scripts
Review: Given that I already have all of season three of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on DVD, it is a legitimate question to ask why I feel the need to pick up "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 1" (along with the its half dozen predecessors and the "Once More With Feeling" script). My answer would be now that "BtVS" has sailed off into television history and Sunnydale is just a big old hole in the ground, if we are never going to have any more new episodes to watch, then we might as well go back and milk every last vestige of enjoyment out of the old ones. The sources of enjoyment are twofold. First, these teleplays represent the original shooting scripts for the first six episodes from the third season. That means you get not only typos and misattributions, but dialogue and even full scenes that were not included in the final broadcast version of the show because they were cut due to length (but if you read along while you watch the episodes on DVD you will notice that sometimes there are additional establishing shots, a sure sign that the episode was running short instead of long). Second, there are stage directions and if there is anybody on the face of the earth whose stage directions you would want to read in a television script those would be those that escape from the fertile mind of Joss Whedon. True, he only writes one of the episodes of the half-dozen collected here, but it is well known that he is involved in editing the rest of the scripts. Included in this volume are the scripts for: "Anne" by Joss Whedon, "Dead Man's party" by Marti Noxon, "Faith, Hope & Trick" by David Greenwalt, "Beauty and the Beasts" by Marti Noxon, "Homecoming" by David Grenwalt, and "Band Candy" by Jane Espenson. If you do not know that these are the episodes where Buffy comes back from her adventures in Los Angeles where she fled after killing Angel, that she receives a less than warm welcome from the Scoobies, and that Faith arrives in Sunnydale, then the final question is why are you looking at this volume? These shooting scripts are meant to be enjoy by those who have these episodes memorized, not newbies.
Rating:
Summary: Great Buffy Script
Review: I happen to like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and I love reading through the scripts when I'm bored with watching the same episodes over and over. Its just nice to be able to read.
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Summary: Spike, Dru, Kendra and Ted join Buffy for more Slayer fun
Review: Tell the truth. You know you have all of the episodes from Season 2 of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" so what is the point of picking up the scripts? Well, there are two points. The first is that the stage directions can be lots of fun, especially when series creator Joss Whedon is doing the scripting. The second is that there are lines that get cut in the final version that ends up being televized, so if you sit and follow along with the script while you are watching these episodes on DVD, then you can discover what had been cut (e.g., from "Lie to Me," when Angel says, "Yeah, I eat too. Not for nutritional value--it just kind of passes the time."). Contained her in Volume 2 of the Season Two scripts, are episodes 7-12, which brings us just short of the pivotal "Innocence"/"Surprise" two-parter when Buffy gives Angel that one true moment of happiness and he turns into Angelus. You will find herein: "Lie to Me," written by Joss Whedon, in which Billy "Ford" Fordham, Buffy's former crush and best friend from her old high school, transfers to Sunnydale. It seems Ford knows about Buffy being the Slayer and has joined a club of vampire wannabees, thinking that if he turns the Slayer over to Spike, the Big Bad will turn him into a vampire as well. "The Dark Age," written by Dean Batali and Rob Des Hotel, finds the past catching up with Giles once again, which means old bud Ethan Rayne is in town. It seems that once upon a time back in merry Ol' England the lads made the mistake of summoning the demon Eyghon, who is now in Sunnydale jumping from body to body and is now inhabiting Jenny. "What's My Line? - Part 1," written by Howard Gordon and Marti Noxon, adds a major element to the Slayer mythos as we discover that when Buffy was technically dead for three minutes in the Season One "Prophecy Girl" finale, a new slayer was called. Thus it is a very surprised Buffy who encounters Kendra the Vampire Slayer. Meanwhile, three supernatural assassins from the Order of Taraka are in town hunting down the Buffster. "What's My Line? - Part 2," written by Marti Noxon (who does commentary for both parts on the DVD), finds things becoming more complicated. Not only does Buffy have to deal with the assassins from the Order of Taraka, but Spike has captured Angel to use his blood to help restore Drusilla to the precarious level of sanity that for her passes as normal. "Ted," written by David Greenwalt and Joss Whedon, has Buffy discovering her mom has a boyfriend. Everybody likes Ted, except Buffy, and when he threatens her during a supposedly friendly little game of miniature golf, we figure there is more to Ted than meets the eye. Still, given how upset Buffy was in the previous episode that somebody was messing with her boyfriend, it is rather ironic than in this one she kills her mom's boyfriend. "Bad Eggs," written by Marti Noxon, finds the Groch brothers, a pair of lunatic wild west vamps, in town for funny. That is the good news. The bad news is that the gang have a class project that requires them to care of eggs like they were children and, of course, those eggs are not ordinary eggs (eerie music plays). Now, there are ten episodes to go from Season 2 and if they can figure out whether to break it down as five and five or six and four or all ten as the "Angelus" story arc, we can continue with our textual analysis.
Rating: 
Summary: My Review
Review: This book is great for fans who haven't seen the first six episodes of the second season. It gives the lines and stage directions to them so you feel like you've seen the actual episode. It even includes scenes which may have been removed from the original episode. This book chronicles the first arrival of Spike, whom is now an important character. It also has "Halloween" which includes some funny stage directions from Joss Whedon. If you haven't seen the beginning of the second season of Buffy or if you want in-depth information on the episodes' scripts, you should definately buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome, Great, Spectacular, Fabulous, Except One Thing...!!
Review: This was the first Buffy script book I ever bought and I thought it was pretty good. I could now act it out with my friends (I was always Buffy he he ) and stuff. The only problem was that it was the original script and some of the dialouge wasn't right. (as you will see with all the other Buffy scripts) but I think its totally worth your money!! Its brilliant! Awesome! Amazing! You'll capture Buffy, Drusilla, Spike, Angel, Kendra, Willow, Xander and GILES' humor, peronsality and everything that makes Buffy great!! BUY IT BEFORE THE RUN OUT!! ITS THE BEST!!!
Rating:
Summary: Good Episodes
Review: This was the first scriptbook I bought and I was really excited to read it. Some of the dialouge was wrong but most of it was correct. The episodes were spectacular and immediatly I got my freinds togethar and we acted it out. Its been about 3 months and my script book is starting to curl at the ends. :( But thats alright because its still in good condition .... I dont know why I'm telling you this ... If you love to act this is for you!! This is ALL SCRIPT!! Unlike, Once More With Feeling -- this is a bit of a better buy. :)
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