The Zeppo

[GATEGOD]

The moment i saw it I was mesmerized, it felt as if 3 hours passed by and the show was only half way through, Which i loved, because I was loving the ep. The story followed Xander around which was the best possible thing they could have done!! Throughout the entire following around of Xander an entirely different world ending story is going on that know one wants to fill him in on, all the while while he save's all there lives in the end. Doing the deed with Faith ^.^ Hanging with dead people, Saving the school, all in one night, then acting all cool in the morning. I really loved the entire concept of just following him around and seeing everything through his eyes basically. A 10/10 episode.

Your thoughts?

[Buffy obsessed fan]

My thoughts, ah, I love it when people ask me for my opinion :p Anywho, I liked this episode, because, well, it was like the first episode to focus on Xander! It was really interesting seeing him without the other Scoobies. But I felt so sorry for him when he saved all of their lives and they didn't even know it.

[GATEGOD]

My thoughts, ah, I love it when people ask me for my opinion :p Anywho, I liked this episode, because, well, it was like the first episode to focus on Xander! It was really interesting seeing him without the other Scoobies. But I felt so sorry for him when he saved all of their lives and they didn't even know it.
Yea but then he's all cool as he walked away from Cordy lol that was priceless :coolman:

[Buffy obsessed fan]

I know! Cordy was so confused, I love that scene, because I hate shallow SHS Cordy, I only like Cordy in Angel :p

[GATEGOD]

I know! Cordy was so confused, I love that scene, because I hate shallow SHS Cordy, I only like Cordy in Angel :p

Ditto :lmao: lol and i just remembered, Oz killed the dead guy who was trying to blow the school up ahahahaha funny funny. Know if only Xander would have told them that he saved them while they were saving the world ^_^ Xander is the man :coolman: lol I can't get over that this entire apocolypse is happening and we are only seeing Xander's side to the story! Amazing ep!

[Buffy obsessed fan]

But would they have BELIEVED Xander? That is my question :p

[GATEGOD]

Eh, probably not lol, Good thing he didn't tell them then, makes it cooler

[Keanoite]

I love Xander themed eps! They are always so enjoyable and show talented Nick Brendon is (like we didn't already know!!).

I love when the bomb is about to explode and he just says 'I like the quiet'...its so good!!

[Joyce Summers]

Yeah, ditto. Xander is so unbelievably cool in this episode. I love how we only see his side, and even we don't know what the apocolypse is about. And while they're fighting the big demons Xander saves all their lives on a lotmore mundane but jusr as grand scale. The thing what was the best was that once he did all this, he was confident enough to not bother about having to have a 'cool thing', you know? Which was why he was able to walk away from Cordy's jibes without even having to resort to insulting her back. Brilliant.
And any Xander-centric ep has gotta be great.
Love the scene where he chases the zombies down the corridor and then he comes back out of the corridor and he's the one being chased! Plus the bit where he's quoting a film to one of the dead guys with bombs and the dead guy runs off mid way and Xander's like 'Hey! I wasn't finished!'
Perfect- Plus Oz eating the bad guy was great. Especially the next day when he was like 'I'm oddly full today...'

[Dancing man]

I like the Zeppo its shows Xander is not useless. Also it has some very funny lines.

[palabravampiress]

This was one of my favorite episodes! I don't remember it so clearly, though. I just remember thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Oh, heck, I think I'll go rewatch it now!

[GATEGOD]

This was one of my favorite episodes! I don't remember it so clearly, though. I just remember thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Oh, heck, I think I'll go rewatch it now!

lol It's an amazing episode ^_^ you should!!

[palabravampiress]

lol It's an amazing episode ^_^ you should!!

I did!

Oooh! I loved it. Then, I watched Band Candy. Loved it, too. Hot Giles!

Anyway, I suppose I should say something vaguely intelligent about the Zeppo now. I really liked the way Xander was all calm and cool when he said, "I like the quiet." I also love Oz's last line. "No thanks; I'm oddly full today."

I really liked the way the episode played with POV. We writers have a saying: "Every character thinks he's the main character." This episode took that concept and ran with it. It let the audience in on that notion and showed us how much goes on off-camera. Xander isn't just hanger-on guy. Like Buffy, he's got a full and exciting life of his own. The fact that our typical POV doesn't let us see that doesn't mean that it isn't there or that it doesn't come into play in the dialogue and action that we do see from him. Harm's Way, on Angel, did the same thing. I loved that episode, too.

[Nabila]

This is one of my most watched episodes in S3. The first time I watched this my jaws ached from laughing. Yes they still ache now when I re-watch. This episode was a wonderful mess.

One of my favourite scenes is Xander and Jack outside the Bronze:

Xander: " Oh, gosh, Jack, are-- are you ok? I am really sorry about that...but your car came out of nowhere."

Jack: " I was parked."

The expression on Jack's face as he looked at Xander was precious as if he was thinking: Unbelievable! :lmao:

I felt so bad for Xander. But then there was Faith. And then I wondered was Faith Xander's first? I'm still wondering, in case someone here knows the answer.

I agree with Xander when he said " I can't believe I just had sex." I couldn't believe it either. And with Faith. It was a scream moment. Good for you Xander. I wondered too how Faith's male fans reacted. Maybe some of them went outside to howl at the moon. I don't know why they would do that. It was just an image that crossed my mind.

Someone once wrote that not every story needs a punchline. To me this is one such story. Xander was, for a change, not interested in a witty or even less-than-funny comeback for Cordy or the Scoobies. I loved the ending. It was so smooth.

[sosa lola]

Faith was Xander's first :) "I never popped with anyone before."

Of all his talk about sex, he only had it with two women (Faith and Anya) he had sex with less people than Willow and Buffy lol

[GATEGOD]

Faith was Xander's first :) "I never popped with anyone before."

Of all his talk about sex, he only had it with two women (Faith and Anya) he had sex with less people than Willow and Buffy lol

But probably more 'times' Anya was a machine :lmao: even more then Buffy/Riley's shagathon and Spike/Buffy's crazyness

[palabravampiress]

Faith was Xander's first :) "I never popped with anyone before."

Of all his talk about sex, he only had it with two women (Faith and Anya) he had sex with less people than Willow and Buffy lol

Yes. I concur. Faith was his first and Anya was his second.

That said, I think it is fair to say that he is the most experienced up until maybe seasons 6 or 7. Anya was 1000 years old. I'm sure she taught him a lot.

[Keanoite]

Faith was Xander's first :) "I never popped with anyone before."

Of all his talk about sex, he only had it with two women (Faith and Anya) he had sex with less people than Willow and Buffy lol

yeah but apparently he is a Viking in the sack! Its not about quantity it's about quality!!!!

[palabravampiress]

yeah but apparently he is a Viking in the sack! Its not about quantity it's about quality!!!!

Yeah, if he could keep Anya satisfied, then I'm pretty sure he has everyone else we've seen on both shows beaten when it comes to performance, which probably translates into way more experience.

Question, though: what about Cordy? There was that line about her being there to do the thing her dad couldn't know about because he still thought she was a good girl. There was that episode in which every time the teacher or someone said "sex," they cut to Xander and Cordy making out furiously. And then, on Angel, when Cordy gets pregnant from a one-night stand with demon's little helper, she tells Angel and Wes that "it was all very normal." That implies experience. So if Faith was Xander's first, then did Cordy have a whole love life about which we didn't know? And if she was already experienced when she was lusting after Xander like crazy, why didn't she just jump him like Faith did?

[Keanoite]

I always took it that she had met someone when she went to L.A. and done the deed with them. In saying that, her comment about it all being very normal, you don't have to actually have had sex to know whats 'normal' and whats not. And then the comment about being a good girl, contrary to what we are led to believe from the Buffy/Angel and the Willow/Oz relationships most teenegers experiment sexually before they actually go the whole nine yards, so more than likely Cordelia may have some experience with oral sex and what do you call it in America? third base? I don't see how Xander and Cordy could have went out that long and not experimented.

[palabravampiress]

I always took it that she had met someone when she went to L.A. and done the deed with them. In saying that, her comment about it all being very normal, you don't have to actually have had sex to know whats 'normal' and whats not. And then the comment about being a good girl, contrary to what we are led to believe from the Buffy/Angel and the Willow/Oz relationships most teenegers experiment sexually before they actually go the whole nine yards, so more than likely Cordelia may have some experience with oral sex and what do you call it in America? third base? I don't see how Xander and Cordy could have went out that long and not experimented.

Good theory.

I agree that Xander and Cordy were more likely to have a typical teenage experience than Buffy (with her vamp boyfriend) and Willow (since Oz seemed all on board the waiting train).

[sosa lola]

Or... as Spike in one of my fics says, "Right. An ex-demon who hadn't been shagged for centuries now will accept any offer." So maybe the whole sex with Anya has to do with Anya being horny more than Xander being good...

Why am I putting poor Xander down? :D

[Keanoite]

Or... as Spike in one of my fics says, "Right. An ex-demon who hadn't been shagged for centuries now will accept any offer." So maybe the whole sex with Anya has to do with Anya being horny more than Xander being good...

Why am I putting poor Xander down? :D

I really don't know?!? and how do we know that Anya wasn't getting any as a demon??

Edit:

Good theory.

I agree that Xander and Cordy were more likely to have a typical teenage experience than Buffy (with her vamp boyfriend) and Willow (since Oz seemed all on board the waiting train).

Tv shows seem to shy away from that aspect of relationships, that stage just before you sleep together but you have pretty much done everything else. I suppose it's hard to romance something that is so blatantly sexual in nature and make it suitable for viewing.

[sosa lola]

I just loved Xander/Cordelia, before and after the break up. They were always interesting to watch. Unlike Xander/Anya who were only interesting after Hell's Bells. One of the reasons I was glad Xander had left Anya was that it gave Anya a chance to shine because IMO she was nothing but a cartoon character before Hell's Bells.

[Keanoite]

I just loved Xander/Cordelia, before and after the break up. They were always interesting to watch. Unlike Xander/Anya who were only interesting after Hell's Bells. One of the reasons I was glad Xander had left Anya was that it gave Anya a chance to shine because IMO she was nothing but a cartoon character before Hell's Bells.

Would you look at that! we actually agree on something Xander related!! I'm very much for Xander and Cordy! I loved them in high school and think they would be even better together now after everything they have gone through.
I read a truly fantastic fic awhile back, it was essentially B/A but it included everyone, The Sunnydale gang end up in L.A. after a pretty tragic death and it just shows how perfect xander and cord would be together again.

[GATEGOD]

See... I loved Anya from the beginning >.< ...

[LittleMissLikesToFight]

honestly, i know this episode is quite popular, and xander is my buddy lol but i wasn't big on it. but now i want to watch it again with these newer perspectives on it.

[Nabila]

Thanks everyone for clarifying that for me. I was really doubtful about Xander and Cordy having gone all the way. There was not even a subtle hint about it.

I just loved Xander/Cordelia, before and after the break up. They were always interesting to watch. Unlike Xander/Anya who were only interesting after Hell's Bells. One of the reasons I was glad Xander had left Anya was that it gave Anya a chance to shine because IMO she was nothing but a cartoon character before Hell's Bells.

I agree with all my heart. I found Anya interesting when she first appeared. I started getting annoyed when she became like Xander's watcher in a "every breath you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you," way. I wasn't annoyed all the time. She was a charming and funny character, and later a clever businesswoman. But somehow, her Xander obssession got in the way. Xander and Cordy had a more balanced relationship. Well, as balanced as you can get with a zeppo and a campus queen. :lmao:

[sosa lola]

Would you look at that! we actually agree on something Xander related.

Hee! :cheering:


I love The Zeppo for a lot of reasons, but the biggest one is that it's completely seen from Xander's prospective. We see a lot of exaggeration in the episode, Cordelia is extra bitchy because that's how Xander sees her, Buffy, Willow and Giles treat Xander as useless because that's how he thinks everyone sees him, Buffy/Angel looked too melodramatic because that's how Xander saw their relationship. I really loved that about the episode.

[palabravampiress]

Hee! :cheering:


I love The Zeppo for a lot of reasons, but the biggest one is that it's completely seen from Xander's prospective. We see a lot of exaggeration in the episode, Cordelia is extra bitchy because that's how Xander sees her, Buffy, Willow and Giles treat Xander as useless because that's how he thinks everyone sees him, Buffy/Angel looked too melodramatic because that's how Xander saw their relationship. I really loved that about the episode.

Yes! I don't think anyone has yet mentioned how the POV skewed more than just the action. POV is a powerful thing. I am currently researching for a project that I plan to write from the POV of a minor character from a popular novel. My story will be a sequel that will also include flashbacks of events that were mentioned in the novel, but occurred "off stage," so to speak. In searching the original text for every bit of information related to my main character, I was astonished by how much the story and the characters changed. The heroine seemed positively daft and not a little self-important. The hero was unbearably judgmental. An event that had seemed completely horrible in the source material now seemed relatively benign and actually quite lucky. Things that I had taken as fact during every subsequent reading now looked like extremely biased and unreliable opinions. Basically, my perspective of everything was turned completely on its head -- and all because of a little research done with a different POV in mind.

A similar effect is definitely at play in the Zeppo. As you say, the other characters and situations appear as Xander sees them, which is sometimes vastly different from the way that they appear when we view them from the typical Buffy-centric POV.

[LittleMissLikesToFight]

well i just watched it and definitely liked it way more than i remembered. I forgot how funny it was that all this major stuff is supposedly happening while Xander himself is dealing with something major, for him to deal with on his own, and he gets to be the hero and no one knows about it.

I especially love how they almost poke fun at Angel and Buffy's dramatic arguments, when Xander interrupts and then leaves and then they go back to being emotional and it was just so funny.

And it was so depressing when Xander gave that face and said "i like the quiet". poor Xandy! I think he really did figure that if he died itd be ok, maybe better even. awwww love him! So yeah, def liked it a lot more seeing it again.

OH! And when the hydras head pops through the wall when he's about to go the basement and he's like "other way!" cracked me up the way he delivered that.

[UlaGan]

I like The Zeppo. It's nice to see another 'KTE' star - Channon Roe in 'Buffy' too. I love Xander-in-his-blue-car, playing it cool yet remaining being 'just young boy'.

[Bangelxx]

good epsiode...not my fave but I was glad to see Xander was the main character in it!

[Jules]

I'm not really a huge fan of this episode. I get that its a Xander episode and it's supposed to show how he comes into his own, but I thought it was a little silly. The scene were everyone is fighting the Hellmouth just looks daft. And I think that the scene at the end excludes Xander even more from the group. He walks away without them ever knowing what he's done :(

[LittleMissLikesToFight]

But they don't need to know. He was the one who needed the validation for himself, not for them.

[Five]

I always like this episode. Last week, though, as I re-watched it for like the fifth time, I was oddly frustrated. I mean, come on, I know the concept is to show everything from Xander's perception and all, I also know there was nothing really written about this Apocalypse thingy (I mean you can guess that, for example, when Buffy says to Giles "it was the bravest thing I've ever seen", well, the writers didn't know exactly what this was referring about, it was just to make us wonder and stuff, which was a great idea), but haaa I'm thinking we missed like a hell of an episode! It would have been great if the next ep had been from Buffy's perception, or Willow's. When you see Willow hugging Xand in the street and telling him she loves him, you just want to see more. Even mystically, the demon thingy must have been so cool, and the battle is supposed to be one of the most spectacular in Buffy. Anyway. I like the concept but now that I know really well this episode, I'd just like to see more. Wouldn't you ?

[sosa lola]

And I think that the scene at the end excludes Xander even more from the group. He walks away without them ever knowing what he's done :(


My brother stormed out of the room when Xander didn't tell his friends that he saved them. I think it hit him hard that the Scoobies still thought of Xander as someone less when it comes to fighting demons.

white avenger agrees: I always figured that he and Cordy managed to go all the way at least once during their time together. They must've made out at least a few times somewhere besides the school broom closets, and they were going at it too hot and heavy not to have.

I think Xander and Cordelia went far with flirting, maybe even to second base, but they didn't go all the way, judging by Xander's "Never popped with anyone before" and Joss confirming that Xander's first was with Faith.

[crabby patty]

The Zeppo has a special place in my heart as it is the first ever episode of Buffy I watched

[NightBird]

I love this ep.

I love how at the start Xander doesn't feel valid and though out the course of the ep he has to face challenges and soon comes to the realisation that the only validation one needs is their own.

[The Ferg]

I actually just watched this yesterday, and it kicked ass! I thought it was funny how there could be an apocolypse going on, but Xander has no idea, and it was also great to show Xander as not just some random guy that has mystical friends. After seeing that episode, he immediately changed to my favorite Buffy character of all time.

"Am I interrupting?" -Then a long VERY awkward silence. (That was great!)

[day walker]

i loved the ep :)

i thought it was grate how they made the hell mouth deamon fight the back ground story and the xander story the main one

[WhiteHat]

I loved Giles' line: What's that smell?
And Xander said: Oh, that's Bob.

ROTFLMAO!