Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Reptile Boy

Reptile Boy
Season 2, Episode 5
Airdate	October 13, 1997
Production Number	5V05
Written by	David Greenwalt
Directed by	David Greenwalt
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Season Two

Reptile Boy is the fifth episode of the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the seventeenth episode overall.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel)

and Anthony Stewart Head (Giles)

Guest Starring: Greg Vaughn (Richard), Todd Babcock (Tom Warner), Jordana Spiro (Callie Anderson)

Co-Starring: Robin Atkin Downes (Machida), Danny Strong (Jonathan), Christopher Dalhberg (Tackle), Jason Posey (Linebacker), Coby Bell (Young Man)

Uncredited: Scott Duthie (Frat Brother #2), Kavan Smith (Man)

Plot Overview

Buffy feels she has no social life due to Giles's taxing schedule and Angel's reluctance to dating. She rebels by setting aside her better judgement and going with Cordelia on a double-date with a couple of college boys. What they do not know is that the fraternity they belong to has built its power on a long tradition of worship and sacrificing girls to a demon.

Notes

Monster of the Week

The monster at the center of this episode, though it doesn't appear until the final acts of the episode, is a reptilian snake demon named Machida. If the Zeta Kappa chanting is to be believed, Machida is the source of all their good fortune and wealth and they are required to sacrifice three girls to him annually to it. The tradition had been going on for at least 50 years, according to the article that Xander reads after the ordeal is over.

Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1	Machida	Buffy	Cut in Half	Zeta Kappa Basement

Music

• "Bring Me On" by Acts of Faith: The song that plays after the pledge is admitted into the fraternity following the recitation of a pledge is "Bring Me On" by Acts of Faith.

• "She" by Louie Says: The song that plays when Buffy is nearly attacked by a drunken frat boy and saved by Tom is "She" by Louie Says. The song was the band's only single, although it wasn't particularly popular. The song originally appeared on the band's debut (and final) album, 1997's Gravity, Suffering, Love, and Fate. The song plays again in the last scene.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Vampire Lore: When the gang and Angel storm the fraternity house in order to save Buffy and Cordelia, it is worth noting that Angel is able to enter the house without being invited. Angel is able to do this because the house is a temporary residence and not a regular house.

Trivia

The Show

• Moral High Ground: Much like the appearance of guns in the series, occasions where alcohol is drunk also spell bad news for the characters. In this episode, Buffy and Cordelia are both drugged when they drink the liquor that Richard gives them and Buffy is nearly date-raped before Tom intervenes.

Behind the Scenes

• Originally, Machida was to reappear, furious at the frat for their failure, departing, but not before grabbing Tom. It was cut due to the restraints of CGI and also prevented Machida from returning to the series.

• International: Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been dubbed into many different languages and the title translated for each different international version. Some international translations of this episode's title are:
  • French: "Dévotion" ("Devotion")
  • Italian: "Macabra festa" ("Macabre Party")
  • German: "Der Geheimbund" ("The Secret Society")
  • Japanese: "気持ち悪い男の子" ("Kimochi Warui Otoko no Ko" - "Bad-Feeling Boy")
  • Portuguese: "O rapaz réptil" ("Reptile Boy")

Goofs

• Greg Vaughan's last name is spelled Vaughn.

• The headline for the newspaper Xander is reading says the fraternity was arrested, yet he reads aloud that they were sentenced to consecutive life sentences. A trial of that magnitude would not be concluded fast enough for a newspaper to announce the arrest and verdict in the same issue.

• Christopher Dahlberg's last name is misspelled Dalhberg.

Quotes

• Willow: (trying to explain the Indian film they are watching) She's sad because her lover gave her twelve gold coins, but then the wizard cut open the bag of salt, and now the dancing minions have nowhere to put their big maple... fish thing.

• Willow: I know! We could go to the Bronze and sneak in our own tea bags and ask for hot water.

Xander: Hop off the outlaw train, Will, before you land us all in jail.

• Giles: Buffy, you think I don't know what it's like to be sixteen?

Buffy: No. I think you don't know what it's like to be sixteen. And a girl. And the Slayer.

• 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 wanna die.

• Xander: So, Cor, you printing up business cards with your pager number and hours of operation, or just going with a halter top tonight?

• Willow: I can't believe she lied to Giles. My world is all askew.

Xander: Buffy's lying? Buffy's going to frat parties? That's not askew, that's cockeyed.

Willow: Askew means cockeyed.

• Willow: The reflection thing that you don't have. Angel, how do you shave?

• Willow: (to Angel) Well, why do you think she went to that party? Because you gave her the brush-off! (to Giles) And you never let her do anything except work and patrol! And I know she's the Chosen One, but you're killing her with the pressure! I mean, she's sixteen going on forty! (back to Angel) And you! I mean, you're gonna live forever! You don't have time for a cup of coffee? Okay, I don't feel better now, and we've gotta help Buffy.

• Xander: One day I'll have money. Prestige. Power. And on that day they'll still have more.

• Buffy: I told one lie, I had one drink.

Giles: Yes, and you were very nearly devoured by a giant demon snake. The words "let that be a lesson" are a tad redundant at this juncture.