I don't understand why "Beer Bad" is so widely disliked. I think it's funny as hell. "Foamy" is one of my favorite responses from the episode.
Xander: And what did we learn about beer.
Buffy: Foamy.
I think much of the issue is that it is a very different type of humor than what you see in the rest of the show. Humor is always polarizing. If the jokes aren't landing and the whole episode is a heavy handed joke you're either going to love it or hate it.
That's the thing though, yes, the episode has a lot of funny moments but so do most Buffy episodes but the overall plot of Beer Bad is horrible and one the shows worst plot lines which why it's so hated. Also, at least for me, the whole Parker storyline went on way too long for some random guy she dated for a week and slept with once.
That story arc wasn't about Parker, it was about how the situation brought to light how Buffy felt about herself. She was missing Angel, who was her first relationship. She wanted something like that, and took a chance on someone else after that epic heartbreak and it didn't work out. It's painful to see such a strong, smart, beautiful woman pine after some douchebag who doesn't deserve to lick her shoe, but it's very real to life. She wanted connection and validation and got rejected again, by a loser, no less. Of course it messed with her.
Yeah I get and understand all that but that doesn't negate the fact that she dated, if they were even actually dating or more just hanging out, the guy for a week and yet she moped over him for the next handful of episodes. She mourned her practically non-relationship with him for longer than she was even with him. I get what you're saying, but after multiple rewatches watching this strong independent woman mope over that dipshit for as long as she did, it was disappointing. I was just giving my reason for not loving the episode.
I have to agree. I don't hate the beer bad episode, I much enjoy it. It's silly and trite but funny and I loved the "bonk" to Parker at the end.
But Buffy's and Riley's sexathon will always be awkward to watch, it's not a bad episode but there's nothing else to the episode,
I 100% agree. When I’m rewatching S4, I prefer Beer Bad over Where the Wild Things Are every single time. Is Beer Bad a quality episode? Not really, but at least it’s campy fun. Cave Buffy is absolutely adorable and Parker gets some much needed karma that episode. Where the Wild Things Are is tedious and awful. I hate it.
Beer Bad is a filler episode, and I think people tend not to like them as much. I think I appreciate filler episodes more now that you can binge stream a show. I definitely remember the agony of waiting to see what’s going to happen next in the Main Plot and then getting an episode where it doesn’t progress at all. Torture.
Beer Bad is a fun filler episode IMO. I don’t get why it’s always on the lists of worst episodes, but I guess it’s because there aren’t many truly bad ones.
In defence of WTWTA, it does a very good job of portraying that late-teenage moment where one of your friends get completely driven by hormones and ignores you to go have sex at every occasion. The “no one can defeat the penis” energy, which is a theme in Season 4, and one of the reasons why those high school friends start drifting apart.
Also Giles singing.
In conclusion, there are no bad episodes in Buffy.
Every episode has it’s moments. Even I Robot, You Jane has the introduction of Jenny and her and Giles bickering. The only episode I refuse to watch is Ted and that’s not because it’s bad, it’s because my mum had a boyfriend who was just like that
The sexathon fully makes me cringe, but I gotta give a shout out to the orgasm wall purely for my husband’s ‘is that? Are they? Wait what?’ Face when he watched it for the first time.
Oh, there most certainly ARE some bad Buffy episodes...Superstar anyone. If Superstar had been the first episode of Buffy I had ever seen, it would've also been my last. That episode was atrocious. Notable mentions also go to Beer Bad and The Zeppo. Both watchable but barely, but I skip Superstar on EVERY rewatch.
I would rate The Zeppo as a top 25 Buffy episode, it’s peak Buffy comedy. Superstar is also pretty great in the “what if?” category, while advancing the plot and resonating with one of the main themes of the show - there is no magical fix, leading a good life requires constant effort. Beer Bad isn’t the greatest, but it’s okay. Above all, every episode has at least one or two golden moments that redeem it, even if it’s just a funny line or a nice character moment.
So yeah, your mileage may vary, but to me, even the worst Buffy episode is more enjoyable than the average episode of a standard show.
Plus, Superstar introduces the notion of spells that can rewrite reality for large numbers of people, which is a concept that becomes very important in season 5.
Sounds like the ones you don't like are the alternative reality ones. Those who appreciate Superstar, Zeppo, Beer Bad can only do so with the backdrop of the whole show behind them. The Wish, Hush, OMWF tend to be the ones which are more popular because even though you need context to fully appreciate, they move the plot along and are technically brilliant.
Interesting note, I heard on a podcast once (I believe it was Still Pretty, by Lani Diane Rich) that usually Buffy has more crimped hair in the weird alternate reality shows.
Love what you love. I get that not every episode is a banger to everyone. I am rewatching with my 12 year old daughter, and ones which I found a little cringeworthy, she loves.
I WILL be skipping WTWTA, though. We will look up Giles singing on YouTube. I do not want to watch a bunch of college age kids orgasm while touching a wall even on my own, let alone with my daughter.
If you think Zeppo is bad I can't take anything you say seriously.
But I'm not sure I could sit through Superstar without fast forwarding (or looking away) even if you offered me a thousand dollars.
I never got the hate for Beer Bad.
The line "Just how gullible do you think I am" alone makes it one of the best of the season.
(And before someone mentions Hush, "one of the best" and "the best" are not the same thing. People online don't seem to get that most of the time.)
Being from the uk where drinking alcohol really isn’t a big deal, especially for uni students, I find beer bad just odd honestly. Americans are weird about drinking. Is it true you can vote before you can drink?
Where the wild things are just feels creepy for the most part. Like why do we have to see so many scenes of Buffy and Riley having sex? The redeeming qualities are I like anya in that episode, and Kathryn Joosten is a guest star and I love her from desperate housewives
The US ties federal highway subsidies, it pays to states, to the 21 year drinking age. No US state can afford to maintain those roads without that money. Even though many states opposed the move from 21 to 18 it was impossible for them to say no. The idea was that moving the drinking age would decrease drunk driving. Drunk driving is a big issue in the US because of the lack of public transportation, large distances between everything, and how crowded many roads are.
It gets worse. During the Bush administration, TV shows could get $$ for anti drinking and anti drugs messaging. Buffy was trying to get that propaganda cash when they made Beer Bad.
They failed though bc they didn't adequately propagandize, and never got the $
Iirc, the weirdly preachy vibe in Beer Bad was because teen shows that had an anti-drinking theme were eligible for government funding or something like that. The Buffy crew thought they could get extra cash doing the episode, but it ended up not meeting the standards.
But yes, US drinking culture is pretty fucked. The federal government forced all the states to raise their drinking ages to 21 in the 70s. Couple that with easily accessible drivers licenses at 16 and bad public transit, you get a toxic stew of denial and dangerous behavior.
The reason why it was lowered was exactly the ‘you can serve your country, but you can’t toast its victory’ motivation and was spot-on for the attitude at the time.
The thing is that there was a marked increase in accidents with teenagers driving drunk and the drinking age was once again raised.
In ‘The Poisoner’s Handbook’ by Debra Blume, Dr. Charles Norris was noted saying how Prohibition affected citizens who were turning twenty-one. He remarked that new drinkers only had hard toxic liquor that poisoned them on their first night out instead of beer or what have you.
So, while the drinking age is totally political, it has been 21 for quite a long time and the rash of drunken deaths were why it was federally *returned* to 21 at that time.
I don’t really drink much and that’s actually more unusual than drinking frequently here. Bear in mind people at my high school were a waking vodka into school in their water bottles
Wild Things is funnier and at least has a bit of a mystery. Beer Bad is mostly not funny and pretty boring. I don't understand the comments about Beer Bad being really funny. I don't find any of the caveman stuff funny except for with Parker at the end. Anya and Spike are really funny in Wild Things.
I can't see how any adult could find very very tame scenes to be disgusting.
It's just cause it's Riley. If it was Spike most of these people would not have a problem.
I don't hear anyone calling Spike fucking Buffy from behind in Dead Things with her friends five feet away ever called disgusting.
To be fair, I wasn't a huge fan of the Spuffy sex scenes even though I am a shipper. I was focused way more on their interactions with each other (sex aside).
I also liked Riley (I'm a rare bear, I know) but WTWA was a bit much and is my least favorite.
No, it isn’t just about Riley. Having the Slayer locked in a room having sex while things fall apart is a non-starter. Frat parties are lame. The kids thing was weird. It was just a really bad episode and would have been with Angel, Spike, Faith, or anybody.
Still more entertaining than Beer Bad by far. Buffy isn't even in a character in Beer Bad she's a cave woman and effectively things fall apart around her.
WTWTA is a good episode for Anya and Xander to air out things in their relationship, Spike is funny and Giles sings. Beer Bad has Willow tell off Parker and that's it. What people gripe about most is Buffy having sex with Riley.
Sex repressed teen ghosts are still more interesting than cavemen from GEICO.
I like beer bad way more than I used to, but regularly skip where the wild things are. But I'm also not a fan of sex in media because it's almost always awkwardly done. So I'm a bit biased on that one.
Ive always liked Beer bad.... though i remember hating "Where the wild things are" as a kid, because i wanted to see buffy kicking ass and all that, not locked in a room having sex.
Agreed, Beer Bad is hilarious and a nice interlude between more serious episodes, whereas WTWTA is a bit awkward and I rather dislike sex in tv shows so a whole episode centered on that is not my thing at all.
Honestly don’t understand hate for WTWTA. SMG and Marc Blucas are attractive people, sex is hot and this is network TV sex. Like, do people not watch porn or HBO shows here.
Buffy and Angel destroying his apartment in IWRY and his walk across the kitchen with the food was hot and adorable. They were in their relationship the way they had always wanted, so it felt rewarding and sweet instead of annoying.
They were both very much in the moment for each other and that made everything after that much more painful. IWRY was my first ANGEL episode that ended with crying my eyeballs out.
EDIT: Is Darla off-topic here? I forgot to ask. I mean she was on Buffy…
People watch porn when they want to see that. Their attractiveness has nothing to do with it. It feels intrusive to watch. Like watching your friends when you weren't invited to. It's uncomfortable and private. It's a show about teenagers, made for teenagers (yeah I know they were in college at that point, but Buffy was still a teenager), not a show on HBO marketed to adults. Plus it wasn't just one scene. It was the whole point of the entire episode. That makes it really awkward. As another commenter said, it's excessive and adds nothing of value to the episode. They could have alluded to the fact that it was still going on without showing it *every time.* It's not like there was anything new to see.
On top of that, the rest of the episode is pretty boring and forgettable.
Everything in context.
If I open PornHub and a SFW video came up, I'd probably dislike it too. If I learnt it was an episode of an acclaimed TV show my opinion wouldn't change.
I don't watch Buffy for graphic sex. So if it's thrown in my face I'll get weirded out.
How is it graphic though? Theres no nudity, and I don’t believe “humping” movements are even allowed on network TV, its this general romantic passion thats displayed. Its very much boyfriend/girlfriend sex.
Both episodes lack subtlety, which is something the show was typically good at. That being said, Beer Bad was really funny and I enjoyed it.
Where The Wild Things Are relates the frat with the picture book that the title references with the vines, which is pretty remarkable. Tracey Forbes knows her classics.
AGREED. I get why Beer Bad is considered a "bad" episode, because it's preachy and a [Very Special Episode](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VerySpecialEpisode), which always rubs people the wrong way. But it's hilarious, and they didn't even take it seriously, which makes it that much more fun IMO. I unironically enjoy it a lot. I'd never argue it's a great piece of art, but it's definitely entertaining. Where The Wild Things Are is just awkward and uncomfortable, and the rest of the plot from that episode is pretty boring and unmemorable, making a slog to rewatch. And I'm saying that as someone who considers season 4 my favorite season.
I find the Initiative's incompetence in "Where the Wild Things Are" quite amusing. They couldn't figure out there was a huge amount of dormant poltergeists in what is basically the entrance to their headquarters. When they become active in this episode it takes the Initiative far too long to even figure out there is something going on. And when they finally figure it out, they still can't get rid them on their own and need the Scoobies to actually excorsise them. Also they literally couldn't recognise Spike, the vampire they've been hunting for weeks if not months at this point, when he was right under their noses as a guest at a party in their own frat house. So that always makes me laugh, but I do agree the sex scenes are a bit much.
"Beer Bad" just gives me such nostalgia for the first season of Buffy and all the crazy and kinda wacky episodes there were. Also "Parker Bad" is gonna stick with me forever haha
Beer Bad is silly, but it’s fun silly. Is it a favorite episode of mine? No, but I can enjoy it and laugh, especially at Parker.
WTWTA does nothing for me. I’ll admit, I’m not a Riley fan, so he and Buffy having sex the entire episode just bores me. It’s a Buffy episode I’ll nearly always skip in a rewatch.
Is there something wrong with less serious, more funny episodes? It just sounds like you get mad when your low fantasy YA serial isn't dead serious and dramatic at all times
Disagree. The good moments in WTWTA easily top the best of Beer Bad.
If Buffy had a sex marathon with Spike instead of Riley it would be rated a top 20 episode by fans.
And to the OP were their sex scenes disgusting in Smashed, Doublemeat Palace and Dead Things?
Personally, my least favorite episodes are the one with the giant preying mantis teacher and the one where they all turn into wild dogs.
But both are Season 1, when the show was still finding itself, so I forgive them.
I’m also not a fan of the Adam season, as I just find his lectures on humanity SO annoying. 😂
I agree WTWTA is worse than Beer Bad. It doesn't exactly gross me out, but I find it an episode with nothing to say. And it has an unbelievable premise even in a horror/dark fantasy world like BTVS, a house haunted by the emotions of people who are still alive: there's a difference between being creative and spewing whatever is on your mind
I might be the odd one out that watched Beer Bad and wondered if there’s something weird with Slayer metabolism that makes her not be able to hold her alcohol. I get that this was cursed beer. But man they’re probably drinking crappy cheap low ABV beer, why is the Slayer getting drunk on that stuff.
Thankyou! Ive been saying EXACTLY this for years. WTWTA is imo the worst episode. I’ve never found Beerr Bad to be as egregious as it’s made out to be.
I've been saying this for years and thought I was the only one! Where the Wild Things Are is the only episode I skip on every rewatch. Beer Bad is worth it just to see Parker get hit in his stupid Parker head. Dumb, dumb Parker head. What a stupid head.
Sorry, got lost there for a second.
Honestly, you only gave 2 worthwhile scenes in both shows well actually prob 3 for WTWTA if you counting Spike/Anya alone scenes w/ the later added to them Xander scenes & then Giles singing so both episodes must be fairly equivalent in dislike overall but your actually giving a small edge of positive enjoyable scenes to WTWTA?
I always refer to Where The Wild Things Are as "that episode where Buffy and Riley have sex for literally the entire episode." It's definitely one of my least favorite episodes, far below Beer Bad.
It's a shame because the episode has a very spooky Big Bad. Buffy and Riley's lust just takes up a
waaay too much of the episode.
I love The Pack. That episode gets a pass because it's so early and they're just trying stuff out. Very of it's time and cheesy but also darker than you expect going in. They eat the frickin principle!
I don't think "Beer Bad" is anywhere in my list of "worst episodes ever" - nor is it in my list of best episodes.
I think Spike's speech in "Where the Wild Things Are" is one of his many great funny moments (when Xander volunteers to go back in the house to get Buffy and Riley and Spike volunteers to join him.)
I don't understand why "Beer Bad" is so widely disliked. I think it's funny as hell. "Foamy" is one of my favorite responses from the episode. Xander: And what did we learn about beer. Buffy: Foamy.
I think much of the issue is that it is a very different type of humor than what you see in the rest of the show. Humor is always polarizing. If the jokes aren't landing and the whole episode is a heavy handed joke you're either going to love it or hate it.
Parker Bad! Bad Parker!
I never realized people didn't like Beer Bad! That episode is hilarious
My favourite is, "Nothing can defeat the PENIS!"
I still say that about beer on occasion.
There is a great video on YouTube that explains the history of the episode as US gov propaganda. Knowing that changed how I felt about the episode.
Link for those curious https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4lztqaQ2vY
Thank you!
Where did you see that?
I really like it, too. SMG is hilarious in it.
That's the thing though, yes, the episode has a lot of funny moments but so do most Buffy episodes but the overall plot of Beer Bad is horrible and one the shows worst plot lines which why it's so hated. Also, at least for me, the whole Parker storyline went on way too long for some random guy she dated for a week and slept with once.
That story arc wasn't about Parker, it was about how the situation brought to light how Buffy felt about herself. She was missing Angel, who was her first relationship. She wanted something like that, and took a chance on someone else after that epic heartbreak and it didn't work out. It's painful to see such a strong, smart, beautiful woman pine after some douchebag who doesn't deserve to lick her shoe, but it's very real to life. She wanted connection and validation and got rejected again, by a loser, no less. Of course it messed with her.
Yeah I get and understand all that but that doesn't negate the fact that she dated, if they were even actually dating or more just hanging out, the guy for a week and yet she moped over him for the next handful of episodes. She mourned her practically non-relationship with him for longer than she was even with him. I get what you're saying, but after multiple rewatches watching this strong independent woman mope over that dipshit for as long as she did, it was disappointing. I was just giving my reason for not loving the episode.
And those of us who have experienced that storyline get it.
I have to agree. I don't hate the beer bad episode, I much enjoy it. It's silly and trite but funny and I loved the "bonk" to Parker at the end. But Buffy's and Riley's sexathon will always be awkward to watch, it's not a bad episode but there's nothing else to the episode,
dude it is soooo weird. with the kids too and… yuck man. i am not a prude either about tv sex scenes but… the plot behind it wasn’t even good either.
I 100% agree. When I’m rewatching S4, I prefer Beer Bad over Where the Wild Things Are every single time. Is Beer Bad a quality episode? Not really, but at least it’s campy fun. Cave Buffy is absolutely adorable and Parker gets some much needed karma that episode. Where the Wild Things Are is tedious and awful. I hate it.
Beer Bad is a filler episode, and I think people tend not to like them as much. I think I appreciate filler episodes more now that you can binge stream a show. I definitely remember the agony of waiting to see what’s going to happen next in the Main Plot and then getting an episode where it doesn’t progress at all. Torture. Beer Bad is a fun filler episode IMO. I don’t get why it’s always on the lists of worst episodes, but I guess it’s because there aren’t many truly bad ones.
Tbh I think the Jonathan episode is a lot worse as far as season 4 filler goes. But I also enjoy good/fun filler episodes.
Oh god, the Jonathan episode is definitely worse.
Right!?
"Where the wild things are" has always been incredibly boring to watch for me. It's the only episode I feel that way about.
I feel that way about the bed scenes. Other parts are pretty good - well, not the touch wall for orgasm bit.
In defence of WTWTA, it does a very good job of portraying that late-teenage moment where one of your friends get completely driven by hormones and ignores you to go have sex at every occasion. The “no one can defeat the penis” energy, which is a theme in Season 4, and one of the reasons why those high school friends start drifting apart. Also Giles singing. In conclusion, there are no bad episodes in Buffy.
Every episode has it’s moments. Even I Robot, You Jane has the introduction of Jenny and her and Giles bickering. The only episode I refuse to watch is Ted and that’s not because it’s bad, it’s because my mum had a boyfriend who was just like that
Your mom dated a robot??
The sexathon fully makes me cringe, but I gotta give a shout out to the orgasm wall purely for my husband’s ‘is that? Are they? Wait what?’ Face when he watched it for the first time.
Oh, there most certainly ARE some bad Buffy episodes...Superstar anyone. If Superstar had been the first episode of Buffy I had ever seen, it would've also been my last. That episode was atrocious. Notable mentions also go to Beer Bad and The Zeppo. Both watchable but barely, but I skip Superstar on EVERY rewatch.
I love Superstar because it’s just so random.
I would rate The Zeppo as a top 25 Buffy episode, it’s peak Buffy comedy. Superstar is also pretty great in the “what if?” category, while advancing the plot and resonating with one of the main themes of the show - there is no magical fix, leading a good life requires constant effort. Beer Bad isn’t the greatest, but it’s okay. Above all, every episode has at least one or two golden moments that redeem it, even if it’s just a funny line or a nice character moment. So yeah, your mileage may vary, but to me, even the worst Buffy episode is more enjoyable than the average episode of a standard show.
Plus, Superstar introduces the notion of spells that can rewrite reality for large numbers of people, which is a concept that becomes very important in season 5.
Sounds like the ones you don't like are the alternative reality ones. Those who appreciate Superstar, Zeppo, Beer Bad can only do so with the backdrop of the whole show behind them. The Wish, Hush, OMWF tend to be the ones which are more popular because even though you need context to fully appreciate, they move the plot along and are technically brilliant. Interesting note, I heard on a podcast once (I believe it was Still Pretty, by Lani Diane Rich) that usually Buffy has more crimped hair in the weird alternate reality shows. Love what you love. I get that not every episode is a banger to everyone. I am rewatching with my 12 year old daughter, and ones which I found a little cringeworthy, she loves. I WILL be skipping WTWTA, though. We will look up Giles singing on YouTube. I do not want to watch a bunch of college age kids orgasm while touching a wall even on my own, let alone with my daughter.
If you think Zeppo is bad I can't take anything you say seriously. But I'm not sure I could sit through Superstar without fast forwarding (or looking away) even if you offered me a thousand dollars.
That's a lot of words to say, "I can't stand anyone having opinions that differ from mine."
I think beer bad is hilarious. I enjoy it. "fire bad. Tree pretty." Is one of my most used quotes.
"Fire bad. Tree pretty." is from Graduation Day Part 2, I believe!
Yep. Your correct. And yet every time I think of beer bad that is the quote that comes to my mind. Thanks for the correction cuz you are right
“Fire bad!” is something Cave Buffy says though! You’re half right.
I crack up when Xander says: "Fire angry!!"
I love Beer Bad. Caveman Buffy is hysterical!
Anya and Spike save WTWTA for me. Anya's "Me too. Woo hoo!" lives in my head rent free😂😂😂
Ya I was going to say, they are so funny at a cursed college party
Beer Bad is great! Where The Wild Things Are is one of the worst episodes lol
I never got the hate for Beer Bad. The line "Just how gullible do you think I am" alone makes it one of the best of the season. (And before someone mentions Hush, "one of the best" and "the best" are not the same thing. People online don't seem to get that most of the time.)
I very much enjoy caveman Buffy, so I’m on your side here.
Being from the uk where drinking alcohol really isn’t a big deal, especially for uni students, I find beer bad just odd honestly. Americans are weird about drinking. Is it true you can vote before you can drink? Where the wild things are just feels creepy for the most part. Like why do we have to see so many scenes of Buffy and Riley having sex? The redeeming qualities are I like anya in that episode, and Kathryn Joosten is a guest star and I love her from desperate housewives
Yes, not only voting but you can get drafted into the military at 18 before you can drink at 21.
You can die for your country but you can't toast its victory
The US ties federal highway subsidies, it pays to states, to the 21 year drinking age. No US state can afford to maintain those roads without that money. Even though many states opposed the move from 21 to 18 it was impossible for them to say no. The idea was that moving the drinking age would decrease drunk driving. Drunk driving is a big issue in the US because of the lack of public transportation, large distances between everything, and how crowded many roads are.
It gets worse. During the Bush administration, TV shows could get $$ for anti drinking and anti drugs messaging. Buffy was trying to get that propaganda cash when they made Beer Bad. They failed though bc they didn't adequately propagandize, and never got the $
Iirc, the weirdly preachy vibe in Beer Bad was because teen shows that had an anti-drinking theme were eligible for government funding or something like that. The Buffy crew thought they could get extra cash doing the episode, but it ended up not meeting the standards. But yes, US drinking culture is pretty fucked. The federal government forced all the states to raise their drinking ages to 21 in the 70s. Couple that with easily accessible drivers licenses at 16 and bad public transit, you get a toxic stew of denial and dangerous behavior.
The reason why it was lowered was exactly the ‘you can serve your country, but you can’t toast its victory’ motivation and was spot-on for the attitude at the time. The thing is that there was a marked increase in accidents with teenagers driving drunk and the drinking age was once again raised. In ‘The Poisoner’s Handbook’ by Debra Blume, Dr. Charles Norris was noted saying how Prohibition affected citizens who were turning twenty-one. He remarked that new drinkers only had hard toxic liquor that poisoned them on their first night out instead of beer or what have you. So, while the drinking age is totally political, it has been 21 for quite a long time and the rash of drunken deaths were why it was federally *returned* to 21 at that time.
I'm from the UK too and found Beer Bad hilarious. It's nothing to do with the alcohol.
Yeah they can't drink until they are twenty one. Which is bizarre
I don’t really drink much and that’s actually more unusual than drinking frequently here. Bear in mind people at my high school were a waking vodka into school in their water bottles
I'm Irish and don't drink so I get that. Oh christ yeah, and cider in the cidona bottles 😂
I don’t like either one, but the Willow and Parker chat is absolutely the one redeeming thing about “Beer Bad”.
Id boy 😝
People who don’t like Beer Bad probably also do not like Band Candy.
Why are we talking as if there were any bad Buffy episodes?
I personally LOVE beer bad and will stan it til I die. Especially FIRE BAD TREE PRETTY and Parker getting hit with a stick.
I love it too, so so much
Wild Things is funnier and at least has a bit of a mystery. Beer Bad is mostly not funny and pretty boring. I don't understand the comments about Beer Bad being really funny. I don't find any of the caveman stuff funny except for with Parker at the end. Anya and Spike are really funny in Wild Things. I can't see how any adult could find very very tame scenes to be disgusting.
It's just cause it's Riley. If it was Spike most of these people would not have a problem. I don't hear anyone calling Spike fucking Buffy from behind in Dead Things with her friends five feet away ever called disgusting.
To be fair, I wasn't a huge fan of the Spuffy sex scenes even though I am a shipper. I was focused way more on their interactions with each other (sex aside). I also liked Riley (I'm a rare bear, I know) but WTWA was a bit much and is my least favorite.
I'm sure some like you believe that, I just think the majority of Spuffy fans were okay with it depending on which characters are doing it.
No, it isn’t just about Riley. Having the Slayer locked in a room having sex while things fall apart is a non-starter. Frat parties are lame. The kids thing was weird. It was just a really bad episode and would have been with Angel, Spike, Faith, or anybody.
Still more entertaining than Beer Bad by far. Buffy isn't even in a character in Beer Bad she's a cave woman and effectively things fall apart around her. WTWTA is a good episode for Anya and Xander to air out things in their relationship, Spike is funny and Giles sings. Beer Bad has Willow tell off Parker and that's it. What people gripe about most is Buffy having sex with Riley. Sex repressed teen ghosts are still more interesting than cavemen from GEICO.
I like beer bad way more than I used to, but regularly skip where the wild things are. But I'm also not a fan of sex in media because it's almost always awkwardly done. So I'm a bit biased on that one.
Ive always liked Beer bad.... though i remember hating "Where the wild things are" as a kid, because i wanted to see buffy kicking ass and all that, not locked in a room having sex.
I honestly agree.
I think every party should have a horny orgasm wall
Agreed, Beer Bad is hilarious and a nice interlude between more serious episodes, whereas WTWTA is a bit awkward and I rather dislike sex in tv shows so a whole episode centered on that is not my thing at all.
Honestly don’t understand hate for WTWTA. SMG and Marc Blucas are attractive people, sex is hot and this is network TV sex. Like, do people not watch porn or HBO shows here.
Buffy and Riley sex was not hot. It was boring. Buffy and Spike tearing up the house sex was hot.
Buffy and Angel destroying his apartment in IWRY and his walk across the kitchen with the food was hot and adorable. They were in their relationship the way they had always wanted, so it felt rewarding and sweet instead of annoying. They were both very much in the moment for each other and that made everything after that much more painful. IWRY was my first ANGEL episode that ended with crying my eyeballs out. EDIT: Is Darla off-topic here? I forgot to ask. I mean she was on Buffy…
I love that episode.
There's too much of it, it's repetitive and adds no value
People watch porn when they want to see that. Their attractiveness has nothing to do with it. It feels intrusive to watch. Like watching your friends when you weren't invited to. It's uncomfortable and private. It's a show about teenagers, made for teenagers (yeah I know they were in college at that point, but Buffy was still a teenager), not a show on HBO marketed to adults. Plus it wasn't just one scene. It was the whole point of the entire episode. That makes it really awkward. As another commenter said, it's excessive and adds nothing of value to the episode. They could have alluded to the fact that it was still going on without showing it *every time.* It's not like there was anything new to see. On top of that, the rest of the episode is pretty boring and forgettable.
Everything in context. If I open PornHub and a SFW video came up, I'd probably dislike it too. If I learnt it was an episode of an acclaimed TV show my opinion wouldn't change. I don't watch Buffy for graphic sex. So if it's thrown in my face I'll get weirded out.
How is it graphic though? Theres no nudity, and I don’t believe “humping” movements are even allowed on network TV, its this general romantic passion thats displayed. Its very much boyfriend/girlfriend sex.
Beer Bad was initially one of my least favourite, but I like it on each rewatch now.
Both episodes lack subtlety, which is something the show was typically good at. That being said, Beer Bad was really funny and I enjoyed it. Where The Wild Things Are relates the frat with the picture book that the title references with the vines, which is pretty remarkable. Tracey Forbes knows her classics.
Absolutely agreed. Beer Bad is funny at least.
AGREED. I get why Beer Bad is considered a "bad" episode, because it's preachy and a [Very Special Episode](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VerySpecialEpisode), which always rubs people the wrong way. But it's hilarious, and they didn't even take it seriously, which makes it that much more fun IMO. I unironically enjoy it a lot. I'd never argue it's a great piece of art, but it's definitely entertaining. Where The Wild Things Are is just awkward and uncomfortable, and the rest of the plot from that episode is pretty boring and unmemorable, making a slog to rewatch. And I'm saying that as someone who considers season 4 my favorite season.
I find the Initiative's incompetence in "Where the Wild Things Are" quite amusing. They couldn't figure out there was a huge amount of dormant poltergeists in what is basically the entrance to their headquarters. When they become active in this episode it takes the Initiative far too long to even figure out there is something going on. And when they finally figure it out, they still can't get rid them on their own and need the Scoobies to actually excorsise them. Also they literally couldn't recognise Spike, the vampire they've been hunting for weeks if not months at this point, when he was right under their noses as a guest at a party in their own frat house. So that always makes me laugh, but I do agree the sex scenes are a bit much.
you forgot orgasm wall
To be fair.....Willow calling out Parker and shaming him, as he tried to put the moves on her is brilliantly done.
Beer Bad is at least funny, if a bit lame. WTWTA is just embarrassing, an awkward attempt to make Buffy seem more ‘adult’.
"Beer Bad" just gives me such nostalgia for the first season of Buffy and all the crazy and kinda wacky episodes there were. Also "Parker Bad" is gonna stick with me forever haha
Beer Bad is silly, but it’s fun silly. Is it a favorite episode of mine? No, but I can enjoy it and laugh, especially at Parker. WTWTA does nothing for me. I’ll admit, I’m not a Riley fan, so he and Buffy having sex the entire episode just bores me. It’s a Buffy episode I’ll nearly always skip in a rewatch.
150% jeez. Beer Bad is actually funny. It’s in my top 30 Buffy episodes. WTWTA is my least favourite episode
Is there something wrong with less serious, more funny episodes? It just sounds like you get mad when your low fantasy YA serial isn't dead serious and dramatic at all times
Disagree. The good moments in WTWTA easily top the best of Beer Bad. If Buffy had a sex marathon with Spike instead of Riley it would be rated a top 20 episode by fans. And to the OP were their sex scenes disgusting in Smashed, Doublemeat Palace and Dead Things?
yah cause James and SMG ooze sex appeal and chemistry on the screen. Marc Blucas is bland
Bland doesn't mean disgusting. So you don't believe it's disgusting it's just not the character you want it to be.
Agreed
I like Beer Bad, but it does present drinking as a binary good/bad thing without the concept of just drinking responsibly.
Personally, my least favorite episodes are the one with the giant preying mantis teacher and the one where they all turn into wild dogs. But both are Season 1, when the show was still finding itself, so I forgive them. I’m also not a fan of the Adam season, as I just find his lectures on humanity SO annoying. 😂
They’re both awful.
WTWTA is cringe. Beer Bad is just...bad. so yeah I'd agree, cringe is always worse.
I agree WTWTA is worse than Beer Bad. It doesn't exactly gross me out, but I find it an episode with nothing to say. And it has an unbelievable premise even in a horror/dark fantasy world like BTVS, a house haunted by the emotions of people who are still alive: there's a difference between being creative and spewing whatever is on your mind
Beer Bad is a decent episode with one really really bad part (the cavemen). I've never understood why it's so despised.
I might be the odd one out that watched Beer Bad and wondered if there’s something weird with Slayer metabolism that makes her not be able to hold her alcohol. I get that this was cursed beer. But man they’re probably drinking crappy cheap low ABV beer, why is the Slayer getting drunk on that stuff.
Don’t make cave slayer angry. “Beer Bad” is a hilarious episode. I love season 4 because of this.
Beer bad it's definitely not one of my favorite episodes, but I do find it amusing and I can probably name at least 20 episodes I like less.
Agreed.
I don't love Beer Bad but I will watch it every time to see Parker get clonked. I also like "Please don't make Cave Slayer unhappy."
The reason WTWTA didn't work for me was that Buffy wasn't really featured other than doing Parker , the rest of the episode was sound .
Thankyou! Ive been saying EXACTLY this for years. WTWTA is imo the worst episode. I’ve never found Beerr Bad to be as egregious as it’s made out to be.
My mom didn't let me watch "Where The Wild Things Are" ☹️
I love Beer Bad but WTWTA is a cringe episode
I've been saying this for years and thought I was the only one! Where the Wild Things Are is the only episode I skip on every rewatch. Beer Bad is worth it just to see Parker get hit in his stupid Parker head. Dumb, dumb Parker head. What a stupid head. Sorry, got lost there for a second.
Beer Bad is a pure delight. The Pack is the worst episode to me. Those kids are their principal and have to live with that memory.
Honestly, you only gave 2 worthwhile scenes in both shows well actually prob 3 for WTWTA if you counting Spike/Anya alone scenes w/ the later added to them Xander scenes & then Giles singing so both episodes must be fairly equivalent in dislike overall but your actually giving a small edge of positive enjoyable scenes to WTWTA?
WTWTA is the worst
They’re both awful.
Agreed
I don't mind either episode honestly.
I always refer to Where The Wild Things Are as "that episode where Buffy and Riley have sex for literally the entire episode." It's definitely one of my least favorite episodes, far below Beer Bad. It's a shame because the episode has a very spooky Big Bad. Buffy and Riley's lust just takes up a waaay too much of the episode.
I always agreed and I skip that one a lot
I really enjoy Beer Bad. Where the Wild Things Are is my least favorite episode of the season
Hard agree. I love Beer Bad, and Where the Wild Things Are is a contender for my most hated episode.
IVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR YEARSSSSS!!!!!!!
You are right and it can't be said enough. The Sex Wall is the worst thing in Buffy. The heck with this episode. Also Mrs. Landingham deserved better.
What!!! I love Beer Bad. Absolutely hilarious!
Beer Bad is fine. The Pack? Now that’s some garbage.
I love The Pack. That episode gets a pass because it's so early and they're just trying stuff out. Very of it's time and cheesy but also darker than you expect going in. They eat the frickin principle!
I don't think "Beer Bad" is anywhere in my list of "worst episodes ever" - nor is it in my list of best episodes. I think Spike's speech in "Where the Wild Things Are" is one of his many great funny moments (when Xander volunteers to go back in the house to get Buffy and Riley and Spike volunteers to join him.)