The Good: Stories, Moments of character, Moments of acting.
The Bad: Times when the plot overwhelms character and acting aspects
The Basics: Despite how predictable and poorly-acted "Enemies" is, "Earshot" makes those who are not fans of Buffy The Vampire Slayer notice.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer is one of those television series' that when it was on, it seemed to be quite popular and powerful in the world of science fiction/fantasy fandom, but once it was off the air, it seems to have fallen hard in the collective unconsciousness. Conversely, it seems like certain seasons of Buffy are almost idealized while others are just forgotten. In fact, many fans of the show that I meet at conventions seem to hold the third season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer in such high regard that it is almost surprising to learn that they continued watching the series after that. While a perfect season of television is not necessarily made up of absolutely perfect episodes, it still has to hit the mark with consistent greatness.
With "Earshot," Buffy The Vampire Slayer fans who argue on behalf of the third season have quite the compelling case to make. Sadly, they often neglect "Enemies," which appears on a single tape with the superior episode. "Enemies" is overrated and in some ways a "necessary evil" plot that needed to be made, but could have been pulled off much better. Instead of being clever and compelling, "Enemies" simply advances the plot of the third season . . . ridiculously.
In fact, the only reason this VHS is ultimately recommended by me is that "Earshot" is just that good; it is so good it ought to be seen.
In "Enemies," Faith's transition to the Dark Side as the new henchman for the Mayor is complete and that pits Buffy and Faith on opposite sides of the Sunnydale law. While Faith is wooed by the Mayor, who takes on a rather fatherly role in her life, Buffy and her comrades try to figure out how to stop the Ascension from occurring. Faith is given her latest assignment by the Mayor, which is to separate Buffy and Angel and to bring Angel over to their side. To make the Mayor's plan work, Faith robs Angel of his soul and sets him to tormenting Buffy.
In "Earshot," Buffy starts by taking out a demon that she does not recognize, in the process getting some of its blood on her. Soon, though, she develops a side effect to the fluid; the ability to hear the thoughts of her peers. Sadly, the ability soon becomes a curse as she hears the thoughts of everyone around her all of the time, leaving her disoriented and in tremendous pain. As Giles and the gang work to cure her of her ailment, she overhears one of her peers planning a shooting spree.
That both of these episodes are put on a single tape is almost an insult to fans and collectors. "Enemies" is a remarkably standard and bland plot. Villain works to overcome the heroes and tries to drive a wedge between the two most powerful heroes. Oh, wow. That's not new and while the viewer can understand Joss Whedon and the Buffy team going there in order to keep the overall arc of the series realistic (obviously one of Buffy's strengths is her relationship with Angel and to weaken that bond would certainly, quite reasonably, fracture the power of the heroine), fans of genre works want something better than how this is executed. On the plot front, "Enemies" is predictable, droll and possibly one of the least original or clever episodes the series ever produced.
Furthermore, it falls down completely on the character and especially the acting fronts. As written, the lines are not terrible, though it is disappointing to see a character who is characterized as so streetsmart as Faith treated like an imbecile who has never seen "Defeat The New Villain Plot #2" on television. Faith is treated as remarkably naive in "Enemies" and it is more than unfortunate, it seriously undermines the credibility of her character. It is astonishing how little credit the writers gave her for her character's intelligence in this episode. Before this, Faith might be reckless, in "Enemies," she is just stupid.
The only thing worse than the treatment of Faith's character in "Enemies" is the acting. Eliza Dushku plays along as Faith just fine, the problem is who she is acting opposite. Anyone who has seen Buffy The Vampire Slayer before will know the ending by the acting of Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz. Boreanaz gives a terrible performance that gives away the supposed surprise of the episode to anyone who has ever seen Boreanaz act as Angelus on prior episodes. He is bland as the soulless Angelus in this episode and it informs the end in one of the earliest scenes.
But Sarah Michelle Gellar's performance is unforgivably bad in "Enemies." Her performance is dull and lacks any sense of subtlety, nuance or even genuine emotion. Instead, the episode illustrates how stiff she can be. This makes both Buffy a weaker character and Faith dumb for not recognizing how Buffy is trying to swindle her.
In contrast, "Earshot" is a truly wonderful episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Years ago, I was doing a convention and I had the opportunity to meet James Marsters (who plays Spike on Buffy). While getting his autograph, he was especially talkative and when I told him I had never seen an episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer (which was true at the time) he began to give me a lecture on why I should be watching it. He cited the show's audaciousness and specifically referenced "Enemies" as being groundbreaking and more daring than anything on television at the time. While some of that is hyperbole, Marsters was right; "Earshot" is intelligent and surprising, everything that Buffy The Vampire Slayer could be consistently good at . . . if it were consistent.
As far as the storyline goes, "Earshot" is an intriguing combination of the obvious science fiction conceit (the mind reading plot) and intelligent social commentary (the student shooter plot). When Jonathan takes to the clocktower, the series becomes darker and a commentary on the state of our times and the struggles of those growing up in today's world. The episode was delayed in its airing because of the Columbine shooting and on VHS it is refreshing to see it restored.
Moreover, "Earshot" becomes something smarter than one might expect from Buffy The Vampire Slayer because it surprises the viewer with the ultimate resolution. Instead of being exactly what one might expect of a drama with a teenager with a gun, it becomes something that is surprising and in the final moments, it reminds the viewer that television can still be audacious and realistic while making commentary on the problems we suffer in the United States in this age.
What makes the episode work is the character of Jonathan and the acting of Sarah Michelle Gellar and Danny Strong. Jonathan is a recurring character in Buffy The Vampire Slayer who is essentially a geek and a loser who tries to get noticed in Sunnydale. He is almost universally mocked and he is even lower on the school's ladder of popularity than Xander. In "Earshot," it becomes utterly believable that he would get a gun and potentially menace the school. But even better is how his loser character ultimately defines him and in the final moments he reinforces the integrity of the concept of his character.
In large part, "Earshot" works in its resolution because Danny Strong is a consistent actor who makes the improbable believable. Strong is usually goofy as Jonathan and in "Earshot" he plays the character as quiet and disturbing. Strong infuses a quiet and very desperate quality into his performance of Jonathan in this episode and it is masterful.
But it is Sarah Michelle Gellar who carries "Earshot." She is funny as Buffy realizes her new power and Gellar has the ability to play giddy well, something she is not usually able to do. As the character is imposed upon by her gift more and more, Gellar makes her more desperate and harmed. She develops the ability to play Buffy as sleepless and deeply hurt. She is wonderful and her performance is dark. She is exceptional and her performance makes the idea of "Earshot" seem new.
On the balance, this VHS is a tough sell. "Earshot" is as brilliant as "Enemies" is droll and this makes it hard to recommend. Ultimately, I fell toward recommending it because the message of "Earshot" is too smart to neglect.
[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Buffy The Vampire Slayer - The Complete Third Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the graduation season here!
or the complete series is available here!
Thanks!]
"Enemies" - 4/10
"Earshot" - 6.5/10
VHS - 5/10
For other television reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2011, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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