#btvs episode the zeppo

[willlic]

My fiance and I were blabbing about potential one piece movie ideas last night and I'm obsessed with this one idea and I know it will never happen but FUCK I wish it would. So basically the premise is its a normal fantastical high stakes adventure for the strawhats, that doesn't change. Plot beats don't change either. But, the twist is its all from usopps perspective. Not like literal looking theough his eyes, but focused on him, and his experience. Generally as a character he notices everything, it's his job to be the sniper, and that paired with anxiety makes usopp hyper aware of his surroundings, the crew members, and where they're at. Idk if you guys have noticed, but unless he's super into a hobby or something he's doing for fun, he's super aware of everyone and their emotional state, safety, his environment etc. That's part of why he's scared all the time, he's very risk aware. So the movie would be showcasing that basically. You would see his strategy options he debates and why, the things he notices about crew members, and get a good look at his internal workings and his perspective of his crew members and their capabilities. And because he values them highly, it will end up having these moments of appreciation when he's observing their strengths. But the story would be his perspective, his experience as he's running around, his thought process and concerns for others that motivate his behavior etc. It wouldn't jump to other characters, just show his story. And after my fiance was done describing the opening scene and its cool details(I won't even try, he did it so beautifully and I can't recreate it) I was like "wait, so are we basically describing 'the zeppo' buffy episode but just usopp instead of Xander as a premise?" And he was like, "oh my God, yes. That's the one where the world is ending but we just follow Xander around and see his highjinx and emotional journey of recognizing his value right?" "Yes, and by the end he doesn't need other people to see his value, or know his experience because he sees it himself and that's good enough." Anyways I'm obsessed with this idea now and desperately wish it would be a real movie. Usopp is such an undervalued character and his scenes are framed as comedic even when he's really cool. This could break that form(slightly, it would still be fun but he wouldn't be comedic releif) and also could showcase characters like nami and chopper as well. Usopp sees their value as well and I don't think namis fights in this would be reduced to just using thunderbolt tempo etc.

[sunny-rants]

is The Zeppo? my favourite Buffy episode yet?? The Zeppo is totally my favourite Buffy episode yet!!

[wolfstrong]

The Zeppo or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

[bestepisode]

Vote on more episodes here!

See the full list of round 2 polls here.

The Harvest: Buffy and her friends encounter a powerful vampire bent on opening a portal to a dimension inhabited by demons. The Zeppo: Xander experiences an adventure of his own when he encounters a group of reanimated corpses out to construct a bomb. Meanwhile, Buffy and her friends battle the forces of evil when the Hellmouth reopens.

[horsegirlhob]

Xander is such a frustrating character. Whether I like him or not depends entirely on the writing of any given scene he’s in. He could be so interesting and fun but unfortunately he is also awful to every woman in his life.

[baelavelaryon]

Xander's "I don't think you're ready for death" "Are you?" "...I like the quiet." scene is so integral to understanding Xander and we as a society don't talk about it enough.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Monday October 28 - Tuesday October 29

Willow: Thanks for having me over, Buffy. Especially on a school night and all. Buffy: No problem. Hey, sorry about your fish. Willow: Oh, it's okay. We hadn't really had time to bond yet. Although for the first time I'm glad my parents didn't let me have a puppy.

~~Buffy Episode #29: "Passion" ~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Lingual Downtime (Willow, Xander, T, Devil May Cry xover) by madimpossibledreamer

Team Bonding (Willow, Xander, T, Devil May Cry xover) by madimpossibledreamer

Certain Admissions (Riley Finn/Buffy Summers, T) by captainamergirl

Sea Change (Pike/Buffy, G) by StrictlyNoFrills

The Family Itch (Spike, Angel, G) by Higgystar

temporary tattoo (Rupert Giles/Buffy Summers, M) by Skyson

V for Victory (Buffy Summers, Rupert Giles, Xander Harris, G) by Callarose_aka_FireDragon

Sacrifice (Angel/Spike, G) by MistressKat

Betrayal by omission (Buffy/Spike, T) by JSBirsa

Oh My Goddess, Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Maxine Eden

Tricked, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Maxine Eden

[Chaptered Fiction]

What's in a Soul Ch. 1 (Spike/Buffy Summers, T) by Iris_Dietrich

Hope is the thing with feathers Ch. 14 (Buffy/Spike, E) by wildflowerr_wildfire

Near to the Wild Heart Ch. 8 (Buffy/Spike, M) by toooldforthis_ef

Aegis Ch. 28 (Xander, T, multiple xovers) by dogbertcarroll, Narsil

I was a Zombie for the FBI Ch. 1-2/2 (COMPLETE) (Buffy/Spike, T) by Callarose_aka_FireDragon

Whoa! Not What I Expected! Ch. 6 (Xander, T, NCIS xover) by danu40k

What If Love Was Enough? Ch. 1-17/17 (COMPLETE) (Spike/Buffy, E) by Spikelover4ever

Fury of the Fallen, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, E) by CheekyKitten

reciprocity, Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, E) by HappyWhenItRains

Near to the Wild Heart, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, M) by toooldforthis

Just Two Lost Souls, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Holly

Nemesis, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by scratchmeout

Not Ready to Make Nice, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, E) by tragic

One Loop at a Time, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by hydranjenna

A Bite After Midnight, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Maxine

Always, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Spikelover4ever

The Neighbor's Point of View, Chapter 142 (Buffy/Spike, G) by the_big_bad

Perfect Clarity, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Ragini

The Science of Being Yours, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, E) by ClowniestLivEver

Blood and Fame, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Desicat

Psyer Ch. 10 (Xander, T, Psyren xover) by JoshuAB

It Started in Oxnard - How it All Began Ch. 13 (Xander/Tara, E, Highlander xover) by redjacobson

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Chosen One (Buffy) by glitch-h

Video: buffy the vampire slayer - this is war by Giulia Wonderwall

[Reviews & Recaps]

PODCAST: BTVS 605 - Life Serial by Another Buffy Podcast

PODCAST: The Yoko Factor by Buffy the Vampire Straya

PODCAST: Episode 47 - Death by Grape Soda (The Zeppo) by The Sunnydale Diaries

[Community Announcements]

Tuesday Prompts: Monsters & Magic by comment_fic

[Fandom Discussions]

How could the Shanshu Prophecy NOT have been about Spike in Chosen? by violettathepiratequeen

This is a Kendra headcanon that I like a lot but that I’m not sure will ever make it into anything I’m writing. by coraniaid

btvs 6x04 willow & giles kitchen conversation is so good it makes me feel so insane. by lesbianmarrow

For today’s fic back Friday, I wanted to recommend the fic To Live In The World by IvorySteel92. by noratilney

Why was Ethan Rayne such a wimp? by burrunjor

My alternative season 7 by hoponlilmama

Titles of episodes in English and other languages by Antho

Anybody find the “potential” melodrama and the squatting towards the end of Season 7 sort of unfit and strangely funny? by KENZOKHAOS

Season 6x18 Entropy by anon63171

I really loved the frenemy relationship of Buffy and Cordelia ! by Cailly_Brard7

What band plays at the Bronze in S6E6 "All the Way?" by Putrid_Humor4834

Did I Spoiler Buffy for a Friend? by aperturecake

Buffy season 7 by Prudent_Border5060

Would Buffy/Faith have been more interesting than Willow/Tara? by jogaforacont

Rewatching Buffy... Again by ALWS_0rweLL

S2E3 School Hard by Unimatrix_Zero_One

Just had a Buffy shower thought (season 6 spoilers) by jaduhlynr

Need Help Finding A Giles "Brain Bleach" Quote I Think Maybe Exists... by NikkolasKing

buffy the vampire slayer - this is war by buffy the vampire slayer - this is war

buffy the vampire slayer - this is war by buffy the vampire slayer - this is war

The most horrific thing in Buffy... *spoilers* by InternationalTeam605

Superstar hidden Easter egg spoilers for season 6 by soybeansms

S2 ep8 of Angel??? by Dismal_Present_8993

Loving all the late 90's/early 2000's fashion in my current Buffy rewatch by WerewolfBarMitzvah09

Do you think they were going for a love triangle in season 2 but decide not to ? by Cailly_Brard7

I Wish the Demon Had Finished off the Trio in "Flooded" by NikkolasKing

Disharmony episode... fun parts & newfound insights by sirtch_analyst

What's your favorite interaction between Spike and a character whose last name isn't Summers? by InfiniteMehdiLove

Does anyone ever think… by Kat-Attack-52

The board game by Anuk_Su_Namun

Slaying It Podcast? by becky119

So... Jasmine. by yukeee

Vampire martial arts by taylorscrews1

season 3 episode 2…. by thunpnz

One set of foils I think people sleep on a bit is Amy and Tara: by DeaththeEternal

Once more, With Feeling by Fuzzy-Reference1061

General Buffy to Chosen by Moon_Logic

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

PUBLICATION: Amber Benson looks back on 'Buffy's game-changing queer couple by Out Magazine

PUBLICATION: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Perfected the Halloween Episode With “Fear, Itself” by Den of Geek

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[btvspolls]

Do any of these episodes send you into a frothy rage if you think about how popular they are? rant away in the tags about it, go nuts!

[elizadushkudaily]

Faith Masterlist!

October 1998 - May 2003 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Eliza Dushku plays Faith Lehane - full 26 episode masterlist below! All episodes are from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BTVS) unless they are from Angel (noted with ATS).

This was Eliza's first TV show role. Faith Lehane is a charismatic working-class Slayer from Boston, who befriended Buffy.

You can also find this by season in the Faith Lehane posters.

Masterlist: 3x03 Faith Hope and Trick 3x04 Beauty and the Beasts 3x05 Homecoming 3x07 Revelations 3x10 Amends 3x13 The Zeppo 3x14 Bad Girls 3x15 Consequences 3x16 Doppelgangland 3x17 Enemies 3x19 Choices 3x21 Graduation Day Part 1 3x22 Graduation Day Part 2 4x15 This Year’s Girl 4x16 Who Are You? 1x18 Five by Five [ATS] 1x19 Sanctuary [ATS] 2x01 Judgment [ATS] 4x13 Salvage [ATS] 4x14 Release [ATS] 4x15 Orpheus [ATS] 7x18 Dirty Girls 7x19 Empty Places 7x20 Touched 7x21 End of Days 7x22 Chosen multi [multiple episodes]

Some multi tagged gifs are also tagged with each individual episode.

In case you haven't seen these shows: On Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BTVS) a young woman (Buffy) deals with her life fighting evil, with the help of her friends. On the spin-off Angel (ATS) a cursed vampire (Angel) aids people while questing for his own redemption. (credit to IMDB)

All gif credit to @starryeyesxx! - crawl (BTVS S4) thanks to starryeyesxx - behind bars (ATS S1) thanks to starryeyesxx - (left) blue uniform (ATS S4) thanks to starryeyesxx - (right) good slayer now? (BTVS S7) thanks to starryeyesxx

[clockwards]

wanna talk about all the things i love and wish were developed more in the btvs boys

- xander is never a coward even though he repeatedly says he is/looks down on himself and his abilities. he is sometimes even more willing than buffy to go into to danger to protect his friends in the first few seasons, and although it's written as an excuse to 'get the girl' it never ends up that way. i wish instead of them having him remain a "weaker" comedy character and pressing on his insecurities they let him begin to trust himself and have the others trust his abilities in turn. s3e13 'The Zeppo' is such a COOL fucking episode for him but no one else knows what happened and he goes back to being "the same old xander" afterwards. I wish he was written to be allowed to grow into his confidence without directly growing his insecurities towards the girls and their levels of power. in later seasons he does but then his old insecurities pop up just for the writers to cause group friction. anyway i wish we got to see more of just xander, I think that would've been so fun and cool

- i love early s4 Average Joe riley. he's just a dorky guy who loves psychology and doesn't even realise when he has a crush. I love that he's awkward and the potential he and willow had for friendship that kind of petered off. sometimes I really wish that they'd let him actually be an Average Joe and see what that changed for the season. and we never really see that awkward side of him again! he had all the traits to be a malewife and they took that from us because they wanted a strongman instead :[

- giles' morals degrading over the series!!!! him being so proper at the beginning and each apocalypse/major event undoing that just a bit more. realising that if he is Buffy's Certified Adult then she deserves his full and absolute protection wherever he can provide it. and he does fall into the dad role quite well but he is first and foremost a Protector (which he isn't meant to be because he's a Watcher!!!). also I don't think I've seen anyone talk about him putting on the record he and joyce were playing during band candy shenanigans after her death. and him full out killing ben end of s5 :D

- angel!!! angel being a dumbass!! you don't get to see it much in btvs so I guess this is more ats content but listen! he's new at having a soul and sure there's the guilt and the brooding and the torment but there's also joy and humour and comfort and silliness. angelus is a very focused character who does feel things, but only very intensely and basically one at a time. angel feels it all at once! and he gets to have fun, or he should. ats shenanigans are good for the heart, he deserves cordy and wes being annoying and lorne dragging him to parties and playing video games with gus and fred.

- oz has that autistic rizz (I know this because I'm autistic and had a dream we kissed)

- spike [LOUD YELLING, SCREAMING, CRIES OF THE DAMNED AND DOOMED TO HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY] haha yeah nothing much to say here. just a totally normal guy.

[chrispypapas]

Chris, I need to know what you think would happen in a Xander spin-off. Because, unless I am remembering wrong, Xander was one hell of a tool.

im kissing you on the lips for asking me about btvs

season 3 ep 13 'the zeppo' is a Xander POV episode of btvs and tbh that's one of my favorite episodes of btvs. its the gang leaving Xander out of the apocalypse of the week due to him being "too weak", just for Xander to get involved in his own dangerous adventure where a group of zombies try to get him to join their gang. i think a Xander series would have been better than the angel series bc the Angel series did not know what its purpose was. its such a bad show. the only saving grace of that show is Cordelia is there, and when she leaves the show it becomes complete trash. Cordelia needed to be there to balance out the stupid shit Angel is doing. If you like the Angel series I'm so incredibly happy for you and my opinion on it should not diminish how you feel about it. I'm just some guy lol i think a POV from the 'normie' of the group would have been more interesting in terms of story telling. You would be able to put yourself in Xander's shoes and it could have been following the aftermath of season 7 of btvs; where everyone who could ever be the slayer was awakened thanks to willow unlocking everyone's potential. btvs continued its story through the comics after the show ended and the plot of the comics was Buffy running a slayer organization where ander worked as support for slayers out on missions (ala Kazuhira Miller in MGS peacewalker and MGSV). now i enter my unhinged rambling of Xander's character

Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris has many, as you put it, "one hell of a tool" moments in the show that I'm going to get into. A lot of them I can see as "this is a teenage boy saying stupid teenage boy shit" but a lot of it is also unwarranted and inherently selfish. Early series "tool" moments are

Xander's attitude towards Buffy for not returning his feelings and his haterid of Buffy having feelings for Angel (Season 1)

Xander blaming Buffy for Ms Calendar being killed by Angel (Season 2)

Xander exploding at Buffy for leaving Sunnydale after Joyce (Buffys mom) told her she better never return to their house after Buffy told her mom that shes the slayer (Season 3)

Xander being upset with Willow and Buffy for going to college (Season 4)

Xander yelling at Buffy for letting Riley (a good guy in his own words) "get away" when Riley gives Buffy an ultimatum (Season 5)

when Xander says hes disgusted by Buffy and can't even look at her after finding out she's been sleeping with Spike (Season 6)

and finally when Xander thought Buffy was being a terrible leader in season 7 bc she had to be a commander of an army of potential slayers (Season 7)

However on the flip side, Xander has multiple moments of being incredibly loyal and willing to do anything in his power for his friends, and that he really is the heart of the group reminding everyone of their humanity. Xander, much like the rest of the Buffy cast, is a complex character who has good and bad qualities and I think it's important to take the good with the bad. I don't agree with most things he says/does, but I also recognize that inherently he is a good person. Wanting the best for those around him even if his perception of what "the best" for his friends isn't necessarily what they "need".

BTVS is a hard series to defend. A lot of the actions of the characters are uncomfortable due to the creator of the IP, but when you create a piece of media those characters start to also belong to the fans. A lot of what Joss Whedon wrote for the characters at times felt incredibly OOC and just "we're going to torture the afab characters bc I hate women" kind of writing, but it's important to remember that there were other writers on the show and how actors wanted to portray their characters too.

That being said, I like Xander, and I like a lot of what others have done to explore his character bc im gay and like to analyze media. I think a spin off buddy cop Xander and Spike show would have been leagues better than Angel. One of the spin off Buffy comics I really like have Xander and Spike being friends from the beginning and exploring more of what their dynamic could be. I think it's an interesting alternative universe from Buffy canon and its work checking out <3

anyway ty for reading i hope ur having a good day xoxo

[on-this-day-btvs]

January 26, 1999

The Zeppo aired for BTVS season 3, episode 13. This is a Xander centered episode. At the start of the episode Xander is told to stay "fray adjacent" by Buffy. However, Xander has a series of adventures, including hanging out with Jack O'Toole (shown above with his large knife) and his friends. Xander gets a car, helps Faith out, and interrupts Buffy and Angel having an angsty conversation. He also saves everyone from a bomb explosion.

(mod note: highly recommend the excellent meta essay on the episode The Zeppo written by herinsectreflection. it includes commentary on Xander's role throughout BTVS.)

(image credit to buffyversefans)

[dorothygale]

anyway the zeppo is like top 5 character exploration episodes in btvs argue with the wall

[bestepisode]

Round 3 has started!

The polls will be posted throughout today and tomorrow, and will all be tagged "btvs best episode". Links to each one will be added to this post as they're published. As always, propaganda for your favorite episode is encouraged!

Friday:

Halloween vs. The Initiative

Phases vs. Once More with Feeling

Lovers Walk vs. Intervention

Homecoming vs. Graduation Day (Part 1)

This Year's Girl vs. Family

Bad Girls vs. Blood Ties

Anne vs. Graduation Day (Part 2)

Passion vs. The Zeppo

Tough Love vs. Selfless

Gingerbread vs. Fear Itself

Enemies vs. Lies My Parents Told Me

Surprise vs. Band Candy

Consequences vs. Beneath You

Innocence vs. Conversations with Dead People

Smashed vs. Touched

Restless vs. Out of My Mind

Saturday:

Who Are You? vs. Superstar

Forever vs. Gone

Checkpoint vs. Tabula Rasa

The Prom vs. Fool for Love

Witch vs. The Wish

Doomed vs. Bargaining (Part 2)

Angel vs. Becoming (Part 2)

Pangs vs. Grave

School Hard vs. Storyteller

Doppelgangland vs. I Was Made to Love You

The Body vs. Chosen

Prophecy Girl vs. Choices

Something Blue vs. Dead Things

What's My Line (Part 2) vs. The Weight of the World

I Only Have Eyes for You vs. The Gift

Hush vs. Crush

[renlyslittlerose]

As someone who rewatches BtVS every few months or so and was thrilled to discover you enjoy the show too, I would love to know your fave episodes.

Also, super excited for your vampire obikin fic!!

Oh man, the noise I made when I saw this ask. Someone actually asking me to talk about my hyperfixation? Without me having to direct them towards it? My lucky day, indeed! I'm tempted to say every episode is my favourite (except for maybe 'Where the Wild Things Are'), but I will limit myself to five!

Fool for Love - Really enjoy the ride we go through in terms of Spike's character arc throughout the series, and I thought this episode really did him, his relationships, and his background a lot of justice. The scene where he's explaining the 'lesson' to Buffy in the alleyway, spliced with his fight with Nicky in the subway, is absolute perfection. And I really thought they did a great job mixing the flashbacks on Buffy with the sister episode on Angel.

Becoming Part 1/2 - Not the biggest Angel fan when he's on Buffy (it took his own show for me to warm to him), but his flashbacks did a lot to inform us of who he was, whereas before we didn't get a lot of that? Plus, Buffy determined to save the world despite knowing that it'll destroy hers, is both heartbreaking and inspiring. And the part where Angelus has Buffy cornered and is about to take the final blow, when Buffy catches the blade and shows us why she's the slayer??? Gets me every. damn. time.

The Zeppo - I know, I know, Xander is... a piece of work, to put it lightly. But the whimsy, the self-effacing humour, the genuine character growth that Xander goes through (and then seemingly loses come season six but whatever), all makes it really stand out to me.

I Only Have Eyes for You - LISTEN, again, it's not a ground-breaking episode, but I fucking love it. Flashbacks to the 1950s? A ghost story??? Placing the traditionally 'masculine' male character in the role of a vulnerable, scared woman??? THE FLAMINGO'S 'I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU' PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND???? Not to mention the development of Buffy and her grief and guilt is really beautifully done.

The Gift. What more is there to say? And while I enjoyed season 6 and, to a lesser extent season 7, I really do think this would have been the perfect finale for the show. "Be brave. Live." <- this has gotten me through a lot of tough spots, for sure.

But I honestly adore almost every episode. Just as you do, I re-watch Buffy an obsessive amount of times - it's my comfort show! What are your favourites, anon?

And you didn't ask this but here is my quick top five list for Angel: 'Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been' , 'Five by Five', 'Lullaby', 'A Hole in the World', 'Not Fade Away' ✨ (and I'm so glad you're excited for the fic! Almost done the first draft, then it's time to comb through it all and hope it makes sense. And for those who don't watch Buffy, don't worry, the story should still make sense - it's mostly me mashing together Star Wars lore with basic Buffy stuff and hoping it works?)