The Watcher Diaries - Dead Man's Party - Buffy Episode 3.2
Posted by Jason Chamberlain on 09.03.2008
With Buffy back in Sunnydale, the Scooby Gang should be one happy family, but it's not. Leave it to the Hellmouth to take advantage, as it sends zombies to Buffy's homecoming party! Check out the full review of "Dead Man's Party"!
Buffy's back in town, but her friends don't seem happy to see her. Cue the awkward welcome home party! You know what this party needs? Zombies!
3.2 Dead Man’s Party
Original air date: October 6, 1998
Written by: Marti Noxon
Directed by: James Whitmore, Jr.
Summary: Buffy and friends try to hide their true feelings upon her return to Sunnydale, but it doesn’t take long for the hurt and resentment to show. Meanwhile, Joyce brings home a demonic mask that raises Sunnydale’s dead, and gives them an invite to Buffy’s homecoming party!
Slayer Speak: “Do you like my mask? Isn’t it pretty? It raises the dead! Americans...” – Giles
Mike Gorman is up with the full review.
“A gathering, a shindig or a hootenanny?”
If the first episode of Season 3 is the “What I did during my summer vacation?” moment of the series, this week’s episode is a very hard to take “back to school.” As a big fan of Season 3, I realized that I was wearing my rose colored glasses when I first thought back to this episode. I think that my memory somehow focused more on the zombie attack caused by the mask in Buffy’s mom’s room than on the fact that this whole episode is not Buffy’s most shining moment.
The pre-credit sequence feels awkwardly long this time as we get a series of reunions. First, Buffy and her mother reunite. It is clear there are things that need to be said between these two but neither seems willing to say them for fear of shattering what fragile threads lie between them at the moment. Joyce knows now that Buffy is the Slayer but has had no way to really conceptualize for herself what that means so as Buffy tells her she is off to see her friends she does what any mother might do, offers to make dinner. Buffy leaves to track down her friends and finds that they are on patrol. This reintroduction is again uncomfortable, as Buffy seems to think she can just jump right back into things and her friends seem to need more than that.
When Buffy left at the end of Season 2 it seemed to make sense. She had just sent the love of her life to hell and was told she was not welcome by her mother; how could she not go? As witnessed in the scene above however we see that her leaving had a huge impact on everyone in her life. As the Slayer she had responsibilities and she let them go, not realizing that her friends and mentor would need to exhaust themselves trying to fill her shoes. I really hate to say it but this episode truly highlights that Buffy’s decision to go was selfish. Yet isn’t that what we should expect from a teenager put into such a level of crisis? This for me is the true first episode of the season as the gang is finally all back together and is forced to deal with all of the feelings bubbling up inside. Like Buffy and Joyce however, it is some time before the emotions truly surface. Before that we see several painful scenes where it is clear that Buffy’s friends are also walking on eggshells around her both afraid that they might make her leave again and that they might say something very mean.
Willow makes plans with Buffy but does not follow through on them. Giles is overcome at their reunion but only shows his feelings while alone in his kitchen. Joyce invites all of the gang over for a dinner party that they turn into a huge “hootenanny” (in Oz’s words) so that no one has to sit silently avoiding awkward conversation. At the party, Xander and Cordelia spend more time making out than talking to Buffy. For much of the episode Buffy tried to act like nothing was wrong but at the party she sees that she is not just being paranoid and that people are going out of their way to stay out of conversation with her. She also overhears her mother stating that while all she wanted all summer was for Buffy to return now that she had things were harder. What does all this angst do? It makes Buffy retreat to her room and starts to pack to leave again. Willow catches her and finally lets her have it. How could Buffy leave them when they needed her so much? Joyce comes in and sees Buffy’s packing. She also starts to open up and unload her anger towards Buffy. As Buffy flees them, Xander confronts her.
This entire scene is handled very well in my opinion. The gang starts to really impress upon Buffy what her leaving meant to them. She expresses that she thought she was just doing what they wanted and was making their lives easier. Their complete lack of communication is exposed in a raw, painful manner that in my opinion was a very nice echo to the crescendo of last season’s emotions. As a fan it seems like there is no way out for them; that their words and feelings might serve to tear them apart in an irreparable manner. Luckily this is a show about monsters and just as it seems Xander and Buffy might come to blows, the zombies attack! The mask in Joyce’s room turns out to raise the dead. There is more to that subplot but I think the details of the mask and its effects are almost irrelevant. Instead they serve their purpose as a crisis, a monstrous “deus ex machina” as it were, re-forging the Scooby Gang and allowing Joyce to see her daughter in action. The attack allows them to remember what it was that brought them all together in the first place and that a breakdown in communication should not destroy their powerful bond. There will be other conversations needed and it will take time for all wounds to heal but by episode’s end we see that they will go through it all together.
The episode ends with Buffy and Willow at a coffee place resuming their sarcastic banter as Willow calls Buffy a quitter and Buffy retaliates with “whiner.” This scene re-establishes the status quo as we move into a very powerful season.
This episode reminds you why this show is so great, the characters. For me it cleared up the lagging questions of Season 2 and presented a clean stage for Season 3. Of course there is that little nagging bit of the Angel dreams to be addressed and this will come soon!
Jeremy Thomas
"It's a dead man's party; who could ask for more? Everybody's comin', leave your body at the door..." Ahem...sorry. Big Boingo fan here. The first Marti Noxon episode sees Buffy coming back to Sunnydale, where she walks into an awkward situation, as her arrival isn't quite as welcome as she might have hoped. Willow is avoiding her, Principal Snyder is back to making her life hell, Giles is repressing his emotions, Cordy and Xander are too busy sucking face to talk to her, and her mom is having problems coping with her being back. To make it all worse, Buffy's walked into a mix of Pet Cemetary and a Romero zombie movie. "Dead Man's Party" is an episode about repressing your emotions, and the consequences of what that can do. No one's talking about the real issues surrounding Buffy's vanishing over the summer, and it explodes in their faces.
The metaphor with zombies is actually a bit more subtle than the usual ones, but it makes complete sense. While the fact that the zombies are basically a pastiche of King and Romero, they're still pretty enjoyable, and there's a lot of things I enjoyed about this one. It starts to lay the groundwork for the Mayor, with the scene with Snyder at the beginning, and the little hints of other things is fun like Giles hotwiring the car while saying "Like riding a bloody bicycle." This also includes one of my favourite quotes of the season, where Giles loses it and says, with hilarious snappiness, "'Do you like my mask? Isn't it pretty? It raises the dead.' Americans!" You gotta love the man. Episode Rating: 7.5
Ronny Sarnecky
While “Anne” dealt with the aftermath of Season Two’s finale, this episode deals with the effects on everybody now that Buffy has returned back home to Sunnydale. Right from the start, there was an awkward feeling towards Buffy by her mom, Giles, and the “Scooby Gang.” Rightfully so. In a situation like this, there shouldn’t be a happy reunion, as there were unresolved issues that needed to be worked out before things could get back to normal. Because of this, “Dead Man’s Party” was a slower paced episode. One thing that bothered me during this episode is Joyce Summers invited the gang over for dinner, and Willow turned it into a party. What gives her the right to do that? I just thought that was dumb. The “evil” mask is an early candidate for Season Three’s Worst Villain award for our end of the season Roundtable. I loved when Xander was giving Buffy hell. She deserved it, and he called her out on it. Even Willow got in on the Buffy hating action. My favourite part of the show was when Joyce was hitting a zombie repeatedly with a baseball bat. I love it when Mama Slayer gets into the action. Despite Joyce’s walk on the slayer side, this episode was not on par with the normal brilliance of a Joss Whedon show. Final Episode Score: 6
Ron Martin
We have some issues to resolve still before we can get to Season Three proper. These issues will be ironed out in the form of zombies in "Dead Man's Party." Buffy is home, but she doesn't feel like she fits in with her group anymore. Could be because she took off all summer, but who am I to judge? This is the first we see of the selfish, unlikable Buffy that would come back in Seasons Six and Seven. You can see the beginnings of Buffy's "I am better than you," way of thinking. From here on out, even though they work together closely and go through some really bad dialogue where they will tell each other that they love each other multiple times, Buffy really is separated from the Scooby Gang, at least mentally.
We get a glimpse of why Season Three is so great as Xander and Willow lace into Buffy. Buffy is in the wrong here, the writers confront the challenge, everyone stays in character and all is resolved. The writing team is at its best this season. Faced with the same situation in later seasons, an inferior writing team wouldn't fare so well.
I like the mask. It brought Joyce into the story nicely as she needed to be part of the group to confront Buffy on her security issues. Also, even though we've dealt with the undead the entire series, zombies somehow seem fresh. As the icing on the cake, it gives Giles a reason to mock the "stupid Americans." Any time Giles can do that is a good time for me. There's also a "what an odd pairing" feeling whenever Oz and Cordelia are paired up for anything. Solid if unspectacular episode. MY RATING: 7.5
Shawn S. Lealos
Buffy: “I’d like to find Willow and Xander” Joyce: “Will you be slaying?” Buffy: “Only if they give me lip”
Buffy returns to Sunnydale and finds her friends have all taken up vampire slaying without her. Giles and Joyce seem to be having the hardest time readjusting, and I really have started to see the trend of Buffy being a little oblivious to the pain she causes people. After abandoning everyone, she actually tells Willow that friends don’t leave friends alone. This is the season where Buffy really started to be a character I disliked in a show full of characters I love.
As for the monsters, this episode gives us zombies. Of course, with Whedon there are always parallels with the monsters and the actual drama, and it is no different here as Buffy pretty much returned to the land of the living, same as the monsters she finds herself fighting. There were a lot of dislikes I had with this episode, starting with the drama at the party between “drama queen” Buffy and her friends and family. The fact that a big fight is all that it took to bring them back together was weak. The zombies disappearing when the final demon was beat made no sense either. It was nothing more than a transitional episode and one that can be skipped.
Hey Look! It’s Jonathan! MY RATING: 5.0
Jason Chamberlain
“We should figure out what kinda deal this is. I mean is it a gathering, a shindig, or a hootenanny? Well a gathering is brie, mellow song styling’s. Shindig, dip, less mellow song styling’s, perhaps a large amount of malt beverage. And hootenanny? Chock full of hoote with just a little bit of nanny!” - Oz
This episode brought Buffy back to Sunnydale, and though the Scoobs don’t quite give her the cold shoulder, they don’t give her a warm welcome either. On the surface everything is fine, but it’s easy to see that each member of the group is withholding their true feelings and harbouring some resentment towards the Buffster. And it’s not like you can blame them, as Buffy made a selfish choice and continues to exhibit some selfishness when she returns, yet they don’t call her on it. Unfortunately, lack of communication is a flaw the Scooby Gang will exhibit quite a bit throughout the show, and it will divide them more than once.
The zombies are a cool enemy and a fitting one considering the metaphor of the futility of Buffy and friends hiding their true feelings (“They’ll come right back up to get you.”). They’re played more for laughs than villainy, though. Watching Xander try to take one down with a golf club as it wobbles around Buffy’s kitchen is pretty great, as is Oz’s succinct appraisal of the zombie cat (“I like it. I think you should call it Patches.”)
Elsewhere, Buffy keeps having her Angel dreams, which are clearly just a way to shoehorn David Boreanaz into episodes, as his contract stipulates. I still think it would have been more dramatic to have the audience truly wondering if he was going to return at all.
We’ve also got some Dingo action. I love me some Dingoes! When I think about what Buffy sounds like, I think of the theme song and I think of the Dingoes, and their backing band Four Star Mary. To me, it’s one of the reasons why the show never quite feels the same, or reaches the same heights, after the third season (and Oz’s departure). Oz fanboy, right here! I give this an 8.
Well, us Scoobs were sure divided on this one weren’t we? I think we’ll agree more next week when Buffy goes back to school and a badass new Slayer hits town to make everyone forget about Kendra De Vampayah Slayah.
GRR!!! ARGH!!!
The 411: Overall this episode is exactly what I expect from this series, i.e. an emotional ride with some beasties along for the fun. It does not shy away from going to the painful and awkward places these characters have spent their summer living in. There is no reset button in their lives but they are shown to be strong enough to conquer their personal demons together.
