Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season One, Volume 1

Book Description

"It's my first day [of school]. I was afraid that I'd be behind in all my classes, that I wouldn't have any friends, that I'd have last month's hair. I didn't think there would be vampires on campus."
-- Buffy, "Welcome to the Hellmouth"

A true fan knows that one of the very best aspects of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is its hip, irreverent, witty writing. Slayer-speak packs one of the show's strongest punches. And the scripts are as much fun to read as they are to watch.

Here, collected in one volume for the first time ever, you can find the first six scripts from Season One. Read along as Buffy arrives in Sunnydale, and revisit her early encounters with the "gorgeous in an annoying way" Angel. Best of all, these scripts represent the most complete source for the writers' and creators' vision-complete with production cues and dialogue and scenes that never made it to the small screen!

Read these killer scripts: "Welcome to the Hellmouth," "The Harvest," "Witch," "Teacher's Pet," "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date," and "The Pack"

Customer Reviews:

In the beginning of Buffy there were the scripts..........2001-12-26

The good news is that original shooting scripts of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" are available, as in this volume offering up the first six episodes of Season One. But the bad news, relatively speaking, is that we just get the scripts without any extras. The pages are your traditional Courier style font (including the title page), and while the pages are not in blue, pink, green, yellow, goldenrod and salmon to reflect the various revisions, if you follow the revision dates on the top of the pages you can figure that part out. Therefore, while I appreciate having the original scripts in front of my while watching the episodes so I can see what has been deleted/added/changed (these are not transcripts; big difference), I would have really liked to have a bit more such as introductions by the writers talking about the genesis of the script ideas or problems they had to overcoming in putting the script into production, beyond the production notes and stage directions. Certainly some of what I am looking for can be found in "The Watcher's Guide," which covers the show's first two seasons, but given how first-rate the BtVS companion volumes have been I am rather surprised this is a comparatively bare bones effort.

Included in this volume for those of you who do not have the first 100 episodes totally memorized are "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "The Harvest," both written by series creator Joss Whedon, "Witch" by Dana Reston, "Teacher's Pet" by David Greenwalt, "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" by Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali, and "The Pack" by Matt Kiene and Joe Reinkemeyer. After the two-part pilot these other episodes reflect a time when the Buffy mythos was just starting to get organized. After all, Buffy has yet to find out about Angel's true nature and the emphasis is on how high school is a living hell if you are a teenager, but even more so when you are perched on the Hellmouth. Besides, once you get the first half of Season One you have to pick up the second half as well. Then there is Season Two...

This book rocks my world.......2001-08-28

It's valuable for fans of Buffy, full of hints and descriptions that make the tv episodes even more enjoyable; it's also a very cool book for anyone interested in writing tv scripts who're curious about the format, or looking for insight into how to blend comedy and suspense and juggle an excellent ensemble cast without shortchanging anyone.

It's all in the dialogue, Baby!.......2001-05-29

Of course it's not all in the dialogue. You've got great acting, directing, editing, costuming, etc. HOWEVER, the Buffy writers obviously not only love what they do, but are also very good at it.

The pop culture references mingle freely with the historical. Renaissance Poetry class was never so much fun.

These scripts give you a chance to catch anything you might have missed the first time around. It's peppy. Is Poppy a word? Well, I know it's a word, but is it a word the way I mean it? Anyhow, I would recommend this book for any Buffy fan.

Joss, you are truly brilliant.......2001-02-15

This book is one of the ultimate companions to the blockbuster show of the same title.

In a day and age when show creators and producers have gotten into the habit of talking down to their ausiences, Whedon again breaks the mold by sharing the direct scripts with us, the loyal fans.

I remember how happy I was when I heard that BTVS was going to be a television series and this book brought back the early euhphoria that I experienced with the revival. Thank you again Joss for everything.

language delights of "Buffy".......2001-01-14

Watching "Buffy" T.V. series or cassettes is huge enjoyment already. Reading this script brought pure delight: sharp wit, self-derogatory under-/overstatements, punch and speed - this script is, quite definitely, for lovers of language. Stage directions, as indicated between parts of dialogue,are about as savoury as dialogue itself. I've just one reservation:I suppose, to really relish this book as it should be relished, one should obviously have seen related episodes on either TV or cassette. One then remembers Charisma Carpenter's studied drawl, Sarah Gellar's brisk deadpan humour, and Nicholas Brendon's fantastic "fool's faces". Only then does one realize, not just how good the writing is, but also, how brilliantly the whole cast has done its job. Yes, this definitely does show just how brilliant the whole "Buffy" act was - and still is. Can we PLEASE have scriptbooks of what follows?!...

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season One, Volume 2

Average customer rating:

Not much has changed.
Lots of fun
Fantastic

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season One, Volume 2
Various Authors
Manufacturer: Simon Spotlight Entertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743419359
Release Date: 2000-11-28

Book Description

"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty. Which is more than I can say for you."
-- Buffy, to the Master, in "Prophecy Girl"

A hip fan knows that when it comes to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the dialogue is as entertaining as the action. Buffy-speak is a unique, pop-culture savvy creation that's as much fun to read as it is to hear.

Collected here in one complete volume is the exciting conclusion to Season One. These six scripts track the conclusion of Buffy's first year as a Sunnydale resident-including the revelation of Angel's true nature, Willow's disastrous first relationship, and the manifestations of the gang's most terrifying dreams, as well as the dramatic season finale featuring Buffy's historic, prophesized showdown with the Master and her (brief) death. Best of all, these scripts represent the most complete source for the writers' and creators' vision-with production notes, dialogue, and scenes that never made it to the television screen.

Sink your teeth into "Angel," "I Robot, You Jane," "The Puppet Show," "Nightmares," "Out of Mind, Out of Sight," and "Prophecy Girl"

Customer Reviews:

Not much has changed........2001-06-01

If you like Buffy, you will like the scripts. This is my self fulfilling prophecy to you.

It is the second half of Season One, so if you are a latecomer to the Buffy franchise, this will give you a great opportunity to catch with the crowd until the DVD comes out.

Lots of fun.......2000-12-13

What a great idea. The writing on Buffy has always been its greatest asset. These scripts just sparkle. I was especially pleased to read the scripts of episodes I missed. The writing is so good -- and the actors have done such terrific jobs establishing their characters -- that I felt like I was watching the show, not reading about it. These two volumes have some wonderful hidden gems, too -- such as dialogue and scenes left on the cutting room floor. (Good decision, by the way. The omitted scenes tend to be dull.) The only dud in the collection is "I Robot, You Jane." I remember enjoying this episode when it was on television. On paper, though, the dialogue falls flat. In general, a real treat.

Fantastic.......2000-12-04

Just as with the first volume of scripts from season one, this second volume gives you the writers insight, deleted scenes and production notes. It is a must if you have the first volume as it wraps up the first season. It is interesting to see how the writing improves as the year went along. The characters start building deeper personalities and we get to know them better. That is always the key with successful TV shows, the ability to connect and relate to the characters and caring about how their "lives" turn out. Just like volume one, a great and funny read.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 1

Average customer rating:

More cut dialogue, inside jokes, and "BtVS" shooting scripts

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 1
Various , and Tk Tk
Manufacturer: Simon Spotlight Entertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689860161

Book Description

Reeling from her battle with Angel and the emotional repercussions of having to kill her true love, Buffy Summers flees to a big city where she attempts to get by anonymously. But as Buffy herself loves to remind people, trouble seems to follow the Slayer. And there's no escaping her identity as the Chosen One -- particularly when Faith, a Chosen Second arrives in Sunnydale!

Follow along as Buffy returns to her hometown to the lukewarm welcome of the Scooby Gang, rekindling old bonds even as Faith ingratiates herself to the group. The true Buffyphile knows that the genius of the program lies in its savvy scriptwriting, and now fans can follow along to original shooting scripts, complete with inside jokes, production notes, and cut dialogue.

Customer Reviews:

More cut dialogue, inside jokes, and "BtVS" shooting scripts.......2003-07-15

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.

Book Description

Angel: "This isn't some fairy tale. When I kiss you, you don't wake up from a deep sleep and live happily ever after."

Buffy: "No. When you kiss me, I want to die."

-"Reptile Boy"

You've seen each episode and you've got them all on tape. You can practically recite each line by heart. But if you're any kind of fan, you'll want to get your hands on the actual scripts.

Here, collected in one volume, are the original scripts of the first six episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season Two. Read along as Buffy returns to Sunnydale after a relaxing summer to find that her penultimate foe, The Master, may be on the rise; as she first encounters The Big Bad, Spike, on the inauspicious parent-teacher night; and as her relationship with the ever soulful Angel continues to unfold. Complete with production notes, cut dialogue, and inside jokes!

These scripts will knock you dead:

"When She Was Bad," "Some Assembly Required," "School Hard," "Inca Mummy Girl," "Reptile Boy," and "Halloween."

Customer Reviews:

A mixed group of scripts kicks off a phenomenal season.......2003-11-21

As fine as Season One of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER had been, it was nonetheless at the start of Season Two merely a very good show. During the second season, however, Joss Whedon and his stable of crack writers would transform the show into something truly great. Nonetheless, it took some time for Season Two to achieve the greatness that it ended up being. So, in a sense, the scripts in this volume represent the last shows where Buffy was struggling to realize its enormous potential. Not that they aren't very good, or even in a couple of instances quite exceptional; they simply aren't as stellar as what immediately followed.

"Lie to Me" is, like many season openers, the product of Joss Whedon. As fine as other writers on the show are, I don't think anyone would question that Whedon always remained the King of the Hill. This script provides a marvelous transition from "Prophecy Girl," the Season One finale. Buffy returns to Sunnydale after spending the summer in L.A., and she is obviously reexperiences the trauma of her encounter with and death by the Master. She completely supplants Cordelia as the Queen [word that rhymes with "witch"] of Sunnydale high. Not only is she indifferent to almost everything, she is positively nasty to Cordelia, and engages in an over-the-top sexy dance with Xander that both unmercifully steams him up only to dash him with cold water, and cruelly makes Angel jealous. As Xander and Willow agree, Buffy has always been different, but she had never been mean before. But when vampires kidnap Willow, Giles, Jenny, and Cordelia to perform a ritual to resurrect the Master, Buffy not only saves her friends, but as Xander puts it "works out her issues" by killing all the vampires.

"Some Assembly Required" is one of the weakest episodes in the entire run of the show. When fans are polled on the worst episodes ever, it usually garners one of the highest vote totals. As a rule, Buffy is a highly nonderivative show, but this episode is a fairly lame updating of BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. It does contain one of my all time favorite exchanges. Upon seeing Giles, who is trying to work up the nerve to ask out Jenny Calendar, Xander says: XANDER: And speaking of love . . . WILLOW: We were talking about the reanimation of dead tissue. XANDER: Do I deconstruct your segues?

"School Hard," written by David Greenwalt, is a very good episode, with several memorable moments. I don't think it is quite up to the level of the better scripts later in the year, but it is still extremely fine. Two things make it especially memorable. First, we meet Spike and Druscilla for the first time. Spike's part is especially well written, but reading the script demonstrates just how much James Marster's brings to the role. All the performers bring a great deal, but I believe he adds more to his part than any other performer. The second great thing in the episode is Spike's killing "the Annoying One" near the end of the episode. The episode is also crucial for reemphasizing the nontraditional nature of our heroine. Most heroes are loners, bereft of friends and family, but Buffy is great because of her friends and family. As Spike remarks, "A Slayer with family and friends. That sure as hell wasn't in the brochure."

"Inca Mummy Girl," written by Matt Kiene and Joe Reinkemeyer, continues the pattern of the first season and a half of Buffy, of one very strong script followed by a fairly weak one. This episode isn't as bad as "Some Assembly Required," but it is one of the weakest of the season.

David Greenwalt's "Reptile Boy" is an odd bird: unpleasant story with a bevy of absolutely great lines. If you focus on the story, this isn't a very good episode, but if you focus on the lines, it is great. The opening bit with Buff, Will, and Xander watching TV is a stitch. The episode contains one of the greatest of all Angel/Buffy exchanges: ANGEL: This isn't some Fairy Tale: when I kiss you you don't wake up from a deep sleep and live happily ever after. BUFFY: No. When you kiss me, I want to die.

"Halloween" was the only script that Carl Ellsworth wrote for Buffy, and while it isn't an especially great one, it is definitely a lot of fun. The idea of people becoming who or what they dress up as on Halloween seems a tad familiar, but it is all done in fun fashion. One of the great things about the show is the continuity from one episode to another. On several occasions in the future, Xander's having been a soldier briefly plays a crucial role in plotlines.

So, overall, not nearly as strong a group of scripts as we would see later in the season. Season Two is unquestionably great, but it is on the basis of what came after what we find here. In fact, the greatness would start with the very next script that follows these: "Lie to Me."

As fun to read as to watch, thanks to the clever writing.......2001-11-04

In what is apparently the first of four books with the scripts from Season Two of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the one-liners come fast and furious with a liberal dose of drama.

The book begins with "When She Was Bad." At the end of Season One, Buffy was killed by the evil vampire known as the Master (albeit just for a minute) and this episode deals with the aftermath of that trauma. Buffy's friends try to find out why she's being such a...er, witch...to them while a group of vampires tries to revive the Master.

The second episode is "Some Assembly Required." Although well-written, it's probably one of the less impressive episodes in the book. It features Buffy and gang trying to find the secret behind grave robbers who now have their sights set on a living person...acerbic queen Cordelia.

"School Hard" introduces Spike and Drusilla, two of the series' mainstay villains (and sometimes hero, in Spike's case). Parent-Teacher Night at Sunnydale High happens to correspond with the Night of St. Vigeous, the day when vampires' power is at its peak. Needless to say, things get a little hairy in what is probably the best episode of the bunch.

Regular guy Xander gets a showcase in "Inca Mummy Girl". He's finally found a girl he likes (who isn't a giant praying mantis). Unfortunately, she's an ancient mummy who must survive by draining people's life force. Is it any surprise that it doesn't end well?

"Reptile Boy" is probably the worst episode in the book. It's still good, but not up to par with the other five. In it, evil frat boys are planning to sacrifice Buffy and Cordelia to a gigantic snake.

And finally, in "Halloween" one of Giles' old friends comes to town, and as a result everyone turns into their costumes - Willow becomes a ghost, Xander becomes a military private, and Buffy becomes a helpless aristocrat from the eighteenth century. It drops hints of Giles' past, which will come back to haunt him later in the season.

Without a doubt, a good buy for anyone who enjoys Buffy or wants to see what the fuss is all about (although newcomers might want to start with the Season One scripts).

Fun to read.......2001-07-29

The writing of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Television series is much celebrated by fans and critics alike. This book is a collection of the original shooting scripts for the first 6 episodes of season two. Included are When She Was Bad, Some Assembly Required, School Hard, Inca Mummy Girl, Reptile Boy and Halloween. Some of these scripts contain dialogue or scenes which were cut due to time or other concerns. This volume is a must for the Buffy collector and wonderful for anyone that appreciates quality television.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 2

Average customer rating:

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" scripts: Season 3, Episodes 7-12

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 2
Various Authors
Manufacturer: Simon Spotlight Entertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689863462

Book Description

"If I'm not the Slayer, I mean...what do I have to offer?"
-- Buffy Summers, "Helpless"

Only in Sunnydale could a new watcher be a harbinger of badness, and only the Hellmouth could offer refuge for a lovelorn vampire. But as Cordelia Chase learns when she wishes otherwise, life in Sunnydale could be a lot worse. Like, if Buffy the Vampire Slayer had never come to town, for example. Buffy has saved her friends -- heck, she's saved the world -- more than once, and even those loath to face the reality of things-that-go-bump-in-the-night are thankful. But Buffy's about to learn one of her most difficult lessons yet: how to beat the baddies as just a "regular girl...."

Now, don't miss a word as Angel's return is uncovered by the Scoobies, and he makes peace with his inner demons, and as Willow and Xander, respectively, grapple with their feelings for one another as well as their place among the group. Complete with production notes, inside jokes, cut dialogue, and more, these scripts will slay you!

Dig into: "Revelations," "Lovers Walk," "The Wish," "Amends," "Gingerbread," "Helpless," and "The Zeppo."

Customer Reviews:

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" scripts: Season 3, Episodes 7-12.......2003-09-18

"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.

Average customer rating:

Possibly even better than the scripts that preceded these

Good Episodes

Awesome, Great, Spectacular, Fabulous, Except One Thing...!!

Great Buffy Script

My Review

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 2
Various Authors
Manufacturer: Simon Spotlight Entertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 4

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 1

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 1

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 2

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season One, Volume 2

ASIN: 0743423380

Book Description

"[Another] slayer? I knew this 'I'm the only one, I'm the only one' thing was just an attention getter."
-- Xander, "What's My Line? Part Two"

Buffy's first crush arrives in Sunnydale -- with a dark secret and a hidden agenda. Giles's rebellious past is uncovered. A second slayer hits the Hellmouth scene! Hands down, Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Season Two was rife with memorable Buffy moments.

Chances are, you're already familiar with these episodes. But the true fan-atic knows there's nothing more satisfying than getting your hands on the scripts themselves. Now, in one complete volume, read along as Buffy battles the "normal," such as her parental issues -- as Freud would have termed her attitude toward Joyce's new boyfriend -- as well as the "para" -- the usual cast of creepy crawlies. Complete with production notes, inside jokes, and dialogue cut from the final shoots!

Dig into:
"Lie to Me," "The Dark Age," "What's My Line? Part One," "What's My Line? Part Two," "Ted," and "Bad Eggs"

Customer Reviews:

Possibly even better than the scripts that preceded these.......2003-11-22

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.

Good Episodes.......2003-09-28

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. :)

Awesome, Great, Spectacular, Fabulous, Except One Thing...!!.......2003-08-29

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!!!

Great Buffy Script.......2002-03-04

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.

My Review.......2001-12-16

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.

Book Description

Angel: "That's everything, huh? No weapons, no friends. No hope. Take all that away and what's left?"

Buffy: "Me."

-- "Becoming, Part Two"

Buffy the Vampire Slayer couldn't have known that a moment of perfect happiness would revert her soul mate, Angel, to the vicious vampire Angelus. She couldn't have predicted that he would stalk her cruelly or murder her friends and loved ones. And if she had known, she might not have been able to prevent herself from loving him, regardless.

But she is prepared to kill him, even still.

Read along to the wrenching conclusion of Season Two as Buffy must thwart Angelus's plan to bring about the destruction of mankind. The true Buffy-phile knows that the genius of the program lies in its savvy scriptwriting; now follow along with original shooting scripts -- complete with inside jokes, production notes, cut dialogue, and more!

Sink your teeth into these episodes: "Killed by Death," "I Only Have Eyes for You," "Go Fish," "Becoming, Park One," and "Becoming, Part Two."

Customer Reviews:

Who imagined that television writing could be this good?.......2003-11-24

Television writing is simply not supposed to be this good. Or at least we have become acclimated to a good deal less even in very good shows. But I am not sure that any other show in the history of television has put together five shows with scripts this strong. In the history of Buffy, these are the episodes in which the show moved to an entirely different plane from all other contemporary shows. Not since TWIN PEAKS had TV seen anything this well written. Seeing these episodes for the first time, I was in complete awe that the Neanderthals running the WB had actually allowed anything this good to hit the screen. These are also significant episodes because in them Buffy started becoming a show that appealed as much to adults as to teens, as the themes and issues became progressively more complex and darker.

"Surprise" was written by Marti Noxon, who had very quickly in her first season on Buffy established herself as one of the best writers on the show. She was not merely good; she was prolific. This is one of the more interesting scripts to compare to the actual show produced. These collections compile the shooting scripts; they are not transcripts of the final product. Usually, one will find slight wording alterations, or small scenes that got excised in the final shooting. Often shooting instructions provide a great deal of insight into what is happening in the scenes. But in this script, there are significant differences between the final result and the script, especially scenes involving Cordy and Xander. The script was much, much too long for the time slot, and heavy editing took place. The story itself, of how Buffy came to lose her virginity to Angel, resulting in his losing his soul, provides the foundation for everything that happens thereafter in both BUFFY and ANGEL. We'll leave aside the fact that the gypsy curse-that because he has a soul Angel lives in torment for his past crimes, but if he achieves a moment of perfect happiness he loses his soul and reverts to the evil Angelus-is a bald and rather dumb plot device. It makes no sense as a curse, and his potentially becoming evil again makes the curse profoundly self-defeating. But so much else is tremendous, I and apparently everyone else cut them some slack on this one.

Joss Whedon himself wrote "Innocence," in which we learn that Angel, after having made love to Buffy, has lost his soul. If the show had been a teen series before, it was not after we see Buffy's boyfriend literally transformed into a monster on the morning after. It's an old adage that bad characters are more interesting than good ones, and it is reproven in the transformation of Angel into Angelus. But not just Angel, but Buffy is transformed as well. I believe the title in part is a reference to Blake's SONGS OF INNOCENCE AND SONGS OF EXPERIENCE. Buffy loses her innocence as she gains in experience. Willow also struggles with new pain when she catches Xander and Cordelia kissing in the stacks. (By the way, part of the joy of the scripts is reading the directions. As Xander and Cordy begin to kiss we read: "They haben der big smootchen." And when Willow sees them she "has pain on her face like a blush.") In an episode of many awesome moments, one of my favorites is the freshly reborn Angelus killing a streetwalker smoking a cigarette, and then him expelling her smoke out of his lungs after he kills her. That was shot precisely as written.

"Phases" was written by the team of Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali, who were also the final script editors on the show until they left for THAT SEVENTIES SHOW. Often in Buffy episodes as strong as "Surprise" and "Innocence" are followed by relatively weak episodes, as if they are trying to create a balance between weak and strong scripts. But "Phases" is a fun, fascinating, and tragic episode in its own right, although it provides a break from the emotional roller coaster of the previous two shows. Buffy never deals with potentially hackneyed subject like werewolves in unoriginal fashion, and that is true here.

Well, others start noticing Cordy and Xander's not-terribly-well-hidden relationship, so Cordy dumps Xander to salvage her social reputation. Marti Noxon produced yet another stellar script in "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered," in one of the funniest shows ever in the series. Because Cordy dumped Xander, he wants revenge by having Amy the school witch (from the first season) created a love potion that would make her love him, allowing him to then dump her. But it backfires and every girl in the school EXCEPT for Cordelia falls her him. After the emotional stress of the previous episodes, the show provides a great deal of comic relief. Great moment: Xander demands that Cordy give back the necklace he gave her as a Valentine's present. She goes to her locker to get it, but discretely takes it from around her neck.

"Passion" by Ty King is simply stunning. The show had often proven it could be funny, and sometimes scary, but there is gothic horror in this episode that can bring a tear to the most hard-hearted. Angel's voiceovers would work perfectly in the final shooting, giving a structure to what is one of the most tragic episodes in the run of the show. The episode also served as a warning to its fans: anything can happen on this show. On other shows, the main characters are safe, but here they can die, and proved it by having Angel murder Jenny Calendar. But her death was not as horrific as the macabre scene where Angel has rearranged Giles's apartment to make it seem like Jenny had staged a romantic tryst, only for a romantically touched and excited Giles to ascend his stairs to find Jenny's body in his bed.

This is by far the best single collection of scripts yet published in this series. One writer in the early nineties stated that television had a greater potential for excellence than cinema, and that eventually a series could come along to prove this. I believe that it was in these five episodes that BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER did precisely that.

Contains three of the greatest Buffy's scripts ever written.......2003-11-16

This collection of shooting scripts contains three of the greatest scripts ever produced for the show, as well as one of the weakest. The two-part "Becoming" solidified the emergence of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER as one of if not the best-written shows in the history of television. Although the season as a whole was remarkable, earlier in the season with "Surprise" and "Innocence," the show moved beyond being merely one of the finest shows on television to one of the finest ever produced. The emotional depth and complexity of those two episodes, and later of "Passion," signaled that this truly was a remarkable series.

The question as the second season began winding down was whether the season ending could match the highpoints of the season.

"Killed by Death" didn't bode well for the end, being the second weakest show of the season (following "Some Assembly Required"). It was not a flat out dreadful show, but it failed to match the inventiveness and passion of earlier episodes. Whenever fans vote for the weakest episodes in the history of the show, "Killed by Death" usually receives a significant number of votes, though it never rivals such shows like "Some Assembly Required" or "Beer Bad" for the top (bottom?) slot. The episode provides some opportunities for some funny lines, such as Xander's "My whole life just flashed before my eyes. I've got to get me a life."

If one had any idea that the show might be slipping at all, "I Only Have Eyes for You," put any fears to rest. Marti Noxon's final script for her first year with the show, is arguably her best in the superb way she blends a wonderful ghost story about a female teacher who had been murdered by a student with whom she had been having an affair, with Buffy's feelings about her relationship with Angel. Although the scene between the dead lovers is played out twice earlier in the episode, the force and power when the two ghosts reenact the scene near the end is almost overwhelming in its power, not least because the ghost of the murdering male enters Buffy, and Angel speaks the lines of the school teacher. When it was filmed, an actress I have always loved but have too rarely seen, Meredith Salinger, plays the schoolteacher. I'm baffled why she hasn't been in more roles in her career.

"Go Fish" is not an episode that I like very much. It doesn't do much in carrying forward the story arc, though it was probably helpful to have a tiny bit of a break before the emotionally overwhelming end to the season. The episode provides a few laughs at the expense of Xander, but I just couldn't get into the story of a high school coach who biochemically alters his swimmers to enhance their performance.

Joss Whedon saved the final two episodes of the season, "Becoming," for himself. I am not sure that anyone not named Joss Whedon has ever written two better scripts for a television series than these, and in non-series perhaps only Rod Serling. Whedon is like a juggler with eight or nine balls in the air at once while riding about on a unicycle. The balance between all the elements in these two shows, as Angelus gradually brings the crisis to a head, Kendra returns to Sunnydale and is killed by Druscilla, and Buffy is separated from all her friends and mother is nothing short of astonishing. Every few seconds in the show brings forth some gem, either a new shock (like Kendra dying or Joyce learning that her daughter is the slayer) or line (as when Joyce asks "Have you ever tried not being the Slayer?") or comic moment (such as Joyce and Spike sitting silently in the Summers's living room, and her asking whether they had met before) or jolt (such as Angel recovering his soul only to have Buffy kill him a few seconds later) or even introducing a new character (the extraordinary and mysterious Whistler, who tragically did not become an occasional visitor on the show, but who at least managed some utterly memorable lines), all of it culminating in that one heartbreakingly awful moment when Buffy finishes kissing Angel, and whispers to him, "Close your eyes." For me this remains the two most emotionally devastating hours in the history of television.

At the end of the first season, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER had established itself as an absolutely first rate, funny, and exceedingly hip show, but one wouldn't after the first twelve episodes have been able to describe it as truly great. But Season Two changed that. Buffy became a genuinely great show this season, one of the high-water marks in the history of the medium. And the foundation for that was the writing. It isn't an accident that the scripts of this show are being reproduced: it is a demonstration of what truly great writing grounded the whole show.

Published at last: Joss Whedon's scripts for "Becoming".......2003-03-11

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Script Book, Season Two, Volume 4" finally provides in print Joss Whedon's scripts for the two part of "Becoming." It was the second season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" that established the show as being operatic television, in which case "Becoming" is the grand aria in which Whedon hits the highest note on the scale. "Becoming, Part 2," in which Buffy has to kill Angel and send him to a demon dimension to save the world, is still one of the ten best television episodes I have ever seen in my life. Having a copy of the script in my hands puts the final touches on my enjoyment of these episodes, not because it is a question of finding differences between what is in the final shooting script and what got aired on television, but simply because I finally get to see Whedon's stage directions. For example, after Joyce has learned Buffy is a vampire slayer there is a scene in Buffy's living room. There is no dialogue, just the shot, which is described as follows: Joyce sits in the living room with Spike. They both are silent and uncomfortable, like it's Sunday and he's come a 'courtin'. Joyce has a glass of bourbon in her hands, which shakes only slightly.

For such small gems of insight into the mind of Joss Whedon picking up this collection of scripts is going to be worthwhile for "BtVS" fans. Completing the Angelus story arc that covered the second half of Season Two begun in Volume 3, you will find in Volume 4 "Killed by Death," "I Only Have Eyes for You," "Go Fish," "Becoming, Part One," and "Becoming, Part Two." Actually, I enjoyed "Go Fish" a lot more being able to read the inside jokes, production notes, and cut dialogue than I did actually watching that rather [weak] episode. Overall I think it was a good move to have divide the scripts for Season Two this way, so that the first two volumes do the Spike-Dru story arc and the last two the Angelus story arc. I was going to point out that all six of the episodes for the "BtVS" Season Two video tape set are from this latter arc, but now that we are in the world of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on DVD this is no longer a concern.

Not the same as before..........2002-12-21

Though the quality is not as great as the previous script books, Volume 3 of Season 2 does have some of the best scripts of the season!
The book is slightly smaller than the previous 4, yet holds as many scripts. The pictures of the side and cover are smaller as well. Still, it holds the scripts that are the main point. Nice otherwise for any Buffy fan!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Script Book, Season 1

Average customer rating:

Buffy finds out about Angel, dies, and takes out the Master

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Script Book, Season 1
No Author
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

Popular Culture | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0613632613

Customer Reviews:

Buffy finds out about Angel, dies, and takes out the Master.......2003-11-01

The good news is that original shooting scripts of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" are available, as in this volume offering up the last six episodes of Season One. But the bad news, relatively speaking, is that we just get the scripts without any extras. The pages are your traditional Courier style font (including the title page), and while the pages are not in blue, pink, green, yellow, goldenrod and salmon to reflect the various revisions, if you follow the revision dates on the top of the pages you can figure that part out. Therefore, while I appreciate having the original scripts in front of my while watching the episodes so I can see what has been deleted/added/changed (these are not transcripts; big difference), I would have really liked to have a bit more such as introductions by the writers talking about the genesis of the script ideas or problems they had to overcoming in putting the script into production, beyond the production notes and stage directions. Certainly some of what I am looking for can be found in "The Watcher's Guide," which covers the show's first two seasons, but given how first-rate the BtVS companion volumes have been I am rather surprised this is a comparatively bare bones effort.

Included in this volume are "Angel" written by David Greenwalt, "I Robot, You Jane" by Ashley Gable and Tom Swyden, "The Puppet Show" by Rob Des Hotel and Dan Batali, and a trio of scripts by series creator Joss Whedon, "Nightmares," "Out of Mind, Out of Sight" and "Prophecy Girl." These are the episodes where BtVS kicks into high gear, starting with Buffy's discovery that Angel is a vampire and ending with the Slayer's return from the dead top finish off the Master. The emphasis in the second half of season one was a bit more on the Buffy mythos, but still paying attention to the idea that high school is literally a living hell when you are a teenager. You also find the elements falling into place for the shattering conclusion of Season Two.

Average customer rating:

Joss Whedon's original scripts for both parts of "Becoming"

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Script Book: Season 2, Vol. 4
Joss Whedon
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Screenplays | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Television | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Vampires | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0743467779

Customer Reviews:

Joss Whedon's original scripts for both parts of "Becoming".......2003-11-01

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