"Witch"

Written by Dana Reston, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, co-starring Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter and Anthony Stewart Head, featuring Kristine Sutherland, Elizabeth Anne Allen and Robin Riker, also with Jim Doughan, Nicole Prescott, Amanda Wilmshurst and William Monaghan.

This episode is the first ever written without vampires in it. In the beginning, it’s a bit confusing, but as you get into the mood, you discover a complex, layered context of parental and peer pressure. Amy, played by Elizabeth Anne Allen, is forced by her mother to tryout for cheerleading. Here you can see the parental pressure. This episode strives to show the public that sometimes, parents ought to let their kids do what they want, and not what their parents want.

This leads us to Buffy. In this episode, she wants to do something normal, something that has nothing to do with slaying. And so, she tries out for the cheerleading squad too, where she finds out about all the pressure on Amy, and tries as well as she can to help. But she is meddling in something very dangerous indeed, and her head is now on the chopping block as well as the other cheerleaders.

Of course, Willow and Xander want to help. At first, Buffy is reluctant to put them in danger, but as Xander says: “I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide until it goes away.” This is my very favourite quote in, I think, all the seasons I have viewed so far.

Then, there is the fact that Xander is completely into Buffy, and she keeps on not noticing, which sort of puts him off. He is nervous, obviously, not having a very good history with girls, and that does nothing to help. Maybe we will soon find out what happens there!

20th Century Fox Television and Mutant Enemy Inc., Kuzui Enterprises and Sandollar Television.

Next time (unconfirmed): "Teacher's Pet".