Band Candy (Buffy episode)
Encyclopedia
"Band Candy" is the sixth episode of season 3 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
combines her slaying with studying for the SAT
in the graveyard with Giles
. At school the next day, Buffy tells Willow
and Oz of a test-related nightmare. Oz offers to help her study and Willow brags about how smart Oz is. Buffy tells them Giles and her mom
have her scheduled 24/7 to keep her out of trouble. They find Principal Snyder
in the cafeteria handing out boxes of candy, commanding the students to sell it to pay for band uniforms.
Buffy sells half of her candies to her mom, who refuses to let her drive. Buffy then leaves for the library, ostensibly for the night. She sells the other half of her quota to Giles, then leaves, ostensibly for home. Instead, Buffy brings blood to Angel, who is practicing T'ai chi. He asks her about Scott. When she arrives home, Buffy finds her mother and Giles waiting. They send her to bed and proceed to munch on her candies. Meanwhile, at a local warehouse filled with workers packaging the candy bars, Ethan Rayne
is revealed to be overseeing the operation. For some reason, he stops a worker from eating one of the candy bars.
The next day, Giles fails to show up for study hall, where Xander
and Willow are playing footsie
. Foreshadowing the weird behavior displayed by the adults, the substitute behaves oddly. Worried, Buffy goes to Giles' place and finds her mom on the couch. Giles explains that they are rescheduling her activities to lessen her burden, and Joyce offers her car keys. After a surprised Buffy leaves, Giles lights up a cigarette and Joyce pulls out a bottle of Kahlúa
. Giles, now as his teenage Cockney personality "Ripper," invites Joyce out for some fun.
Buffy frightens Willow with her driving. They find the Bronze
packed with adults who are acting like teenagers, including Principal Snyder, Mrs. Bartrum and Willow's shirtless, stage diving
doctor. Snyder starts following Buffy and Willow. They leave with Oz and decide to head over to Giles' place to find out what is going on.
At the warehouse, Mr. Trick checks up on Ethan Rayne and the production of the chocolate bars. Trick suddenly (and arbitrarily) accuses one of the workers of eating the candy, and kills him as an example. He then leaves to perform the "tribute."
Meanwhile, Joyce notices a coat in a shop window, which Ripper destroys to steal the coat. The ensuing alarm attracts a cop, whom Giles beats unconscious (and steals his gun). He and Joyce start making out on the hood of the police car.
Buffy gets into a car accident, and damages her mom's car. When a passerby takes the candy bar Snyder is munching on, Buffy puts two and two together and realizes that the candy is making adults regress to their adolescence. Buffy sends Willow and Oz to the library and drives to the warehouse after Snyder tells her where the band candy comes from. Upon arrival, Buffy finds her mother and Giles kissing in the middle of the street. Buffy tries to reason with her mother, with no luck. She enters the factory, taking Joyce along; Giles and Snyder follow. Inside, Buffy finds and catches Ethan; her threat of violence easily persuades him to reveal that Trick needs to dull Sunnydale adults in order to collect a tribute intended for a demon named Lurconis.
Meanwhile, four vampires enter an unguarded hospital to remove four newborn babies. The teenage researchers discover that Lurconis eats babies, and Giles remembers that the demon may be found in the sewers.
Down in the sewers, the Mayor, Mr. Trick, and the four vampires are chanting in a ceremony to summon Lurconis. Buffy, Giles and Joyce crash the party underground, and the Mayor flees unnoticed. Buffy defeats the vampires while Giles and Joyce retrieve the babies to safety. Trick escapes and the demon appears. Buffy pulls down a gas pipe, igniting a fire that kills Lurconis.
Back at his office, the Mayor asks why Trick fled, allowing Buffy to kill Lurconis. Trick replies that he thought he did the Mayor a favor by having the Slayer kill the demon, leaving one less demon to whom the Mayor would owe tribute. The Mayor warns Trick against doing him any more such favors.
The next day, the adults have returned to their senses. Snyder, reverted to grumpy and misanthropic, chooses Willow, Oz, Xander and Cordelia as "volunteers" to clean up the mess in the hall. Buffy complains to Giles about the SATs. They meet Joyce, but Buffy fails to notice their awkwardness upon seeing each other.
Plot synopsis
BuffyBuffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
combines her slaying with studying for the SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
in the graveyard with Giles
Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure...
. At school the next day, Buffy tells Willow
Willow Rosenberg
Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan...
and Oz of a test-related nightmare. Oz offers to help her study and Willow brags about how smart Oz is. Buffy tells them Giles and her mom
Joyce Summers
Joyce Summers is a fictional character in the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Played by Kristine Sutherland, Joyce is the mother of the main character, Buffy Summers . Joyce appears regularly from the first episode until the character's death in the fifth season episode "The...
have her scheduled 24/7 to keep her out of trouble. They find Principal Snyder
Principal Snyder
Principal R. Snyder is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by Armin Shimerman. Shimerman originally auditioned for the role of Flutie, but lost that role to Ken Lerner...
in the cafeteria handing out boxes of candy, commanding the students to sell it to pay for band uniforms.
Buffy sells half of her candies to her mom, who refuses to let her drive. Buffy then leaves for the library, ostensibly for the night. She sells the other half of her quota to Giles, then leaves, ostensibly for home. Instead, Buffy brings blood to Angel, who is practicing T'ai chi. He asks her about Scott. When she arrives home, Buffy finds her mother and Giles waiting. They send her to bed and proceed to munch on her candies. Meanwhile, at a local warehouse filled with workers packaging the candy bars, Ethan Rayne
Ethan Rayne
Ethan Rayne is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television program Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed by Robin Sachs.-Character history:...
is revealed to be overseeing the operation. For some reason, he stops a worker from eating one of the candy bars.
The next day, Giles fails to show up for study hall, where Xander
Xander Harris
Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as in numerous items in the series Expanded Universe, such as comic books, tie-in novels and video games...
and Willow are playing footsie
Flirting
Flirting is a playful, romantic, or sexual overture by one person to another subtly indicating an interest in a deeper relationship with the other person, and can involve verbal communication as well as body language...
. Foreshadowing the weird behavior displayed by the adults, the substitute behaves oddly. Worried, Buffy goes to Giles' place and finds her mom on the couch. Giles explains that they are rescheduling her activities to lessen her burden, and Joyce offers her car keys. After a surprised Buffy leaves, Giles lights up a cigarette and Joyce pulls out a bottle of Kahlúa
Kahlúa
Kahlúa is a Mexican coffee-flavored rum-based liqueur. It is dense and sweet, with the distinct taste of coffee, from which it is made. Kahlúa also contains sugar, corn syrup and vanilla bean.-History:...
. Giles, now as his teenage Cockney personality "Ripper," invites Joyce out for some fun.
Buffy frightens Willow with her driving. They find the Bronze
The Bronze
The Bronze is a fictional nightclub in Sunnydale, the fictional setting for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Of 144 episodes of the series, 66 have at least one scene at the Bronze, not including its appearance in the unaired pilot....
packed with adults who are acting like teenagers, including Principal Snyder, Mrs. Bartrum and Willow's shirtless, stage diving
Stage diving
Stage diving is the act of leaping from a concert stage onto the crowd below. It is often the precursor to crowd surfing.Initially seen as confrontational and extreme, stage diving has become common at hardcore punk and thrash metal performances. Many musicians have made stage diving a part of...
doctor. Snyder starts following Buffy and Willow. They leave with Oz and decide to head over to Giles' place to find out what is going on.
At the warehouse, Mr. Trick checks up on Ethan Rayne and the production of the chocolate bars. Trick suddenly (and arbitrarily) accuses one of the workers of eating the candy, and kills him as an example. He then leaves to perform the "tribute."
Meanwhile, Joyce notices a coat in a shop window, which Ripper destroys to steal the coat. The ensuing alarm attracts a cop, whom Giles beats unconscious (and steals his gun). He and Joyce start making out on the hood of the police car.
Buffy gets into a car accident, and damages her mom's car. When a passerby takes the candy bar Snyder is munching on, Buffy puts two and two together and realizes that the candy is making adults regress to their adolescence. Buffy sends Willow and Oz to the library and drives to the warehouse after Snyder tells her where the band candy comes from. Upon arrival, Buffy finds her mother and Giles kissing in the middle of the street. Buffy tries to reason with her mother, with no luck. She enters the factory, taking Joyce along; Giles and Snyder follow. Inside, Buffy finds and catches Ethan; her threat of violence easily persuades him to reveal that Trick needs to dull Sunnydale adults in order to collect a tribute intended for a demon named Lurconis.
Meanwhile, four vampires enter an unguarded hospital to remove four newborn babies. The teenage researchers discover that Lurconis eats babies, and Giles remembers that the demon may be found in the sewers.
Down in the sewers, the Mayor, Mr. Trick, and the four vampires are chanting in a ceremony to summon Lurconis. Buffy, Giles and Joyce crash the party underground, and the Mayor flees unnoticed. Buffy defeats the vampires while Giles and Joyce retrieve the babies to safety. Trick escapes and the demon appears. Buffy pulls down a gas pipe, igniting a fire that kills Lurconis.
Back at his office, the Mayor asks why Trick fled, allowing Buffy to kill Lurconis. Trick replies that he thought he did the Mayor a favor by having the Slayer kill the demon, leaving one less demon to whom the Mayor would owe tribute. The Mayor warns Trick against doing him any more such favors.
The next day, the adults have returned to their senses. Snyder, reverted to grumpy and misanthropic, chooses Willow, Oz, Xander and Cordelia as "volunteers" to clean up the mess in the hall. Buffy complains to Giles about the SATs. They meet Joyce, but Buffy fails to notice their awkwardness upon seeing each other.
Production
- Kristine SutherlandKristine SutherlandKristine Sutherland is an actress best known for her role as Buffy Summers' mother Joyce Summers on the television show Buffy The Vampire Slayer.-Early life:...
, who plays Joyce SummersJoyce SummersJoyce Summers is a fictional character in the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Played by Kristine Sutherland, Joyce is the mother of the main character, Buffy Summers . Joyce appears regularly from the first episode until the character's death in the fifth season episode "The...
, has named "Band Candy" as one of her favorite Buffy episodes, along with "Ted", "When She Was BadWhen She Was Bad"When She Was Bad" is the first episode in the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode was written and directed by series creator and executive producer Joss Whedon...
" and "Innocence". - The CreamCream (band)Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
song "Tales of Brave UlyssesTales of Brave Ulysses"Tales of Brave Ulysses" is a song performed by the 1960s group Cream. The lyrics were written by artist Martin Sharp, and the music was composed by Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce. Arranged by Robert Stigwood, the song is featured on Cream's album Disraeli Gears. Sharp had written the words on the...
" later reappeared in the season five episode "Forever", where Giles listens to the record after Joyce's funeral, in remembrance of the events of this episode. - The accent used by Teenage Giles is Anthony HeadAnthony HeadAnthony Stewart Head , usually credited as Anthony Head, is an English actor and musician. He rose to fame in the UK following his role in television advertisements for Nescafé Gold Blend , and is known for his roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Uther Pendragon in...
's normal accent. - Buffy quotes 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' by saying "Let's do the Time Warp again." when she and Willow walk into the Bronze. Anthony HeadAnthony HeadAnthony Stewart Head , usually credited as Anthony Head, is an English actor and musician. He rose to fame in the UK following his role in television advertisements for Nescafé Gold Blend , and is known for his roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Uther Pendragon in...
actually starred in a production of The Rocky Horror Show. - This is the first episode where script writer Jane EspensonJane EspensonJane Espenson is an American script writer and television producer who has worked on both situation comedies and serial dramas. She had a five-year stint as a writer and producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and shared a Hugo Award for her writing on the episode "Conversations with Dead People"...
is credited. Later on, she would love to put GilesRupert GilesRupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure...
and JoyceJoyce SummersJoyce Summers is a fictional character in the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Played by Kristine Sutherland, Joyce is the mother of the main character, Buffy Summers . Joyce appears regularly from the first episode until the character's death in the fifth season episode "The...
in front of embarrassing situations in the episodes she'd write, as a recollection of their sexual intercourse happening in "Band Candy".. - In the White CollarWhite Collar (TV series)White Collar is a USA Network television series created by Jeff Eastin, starring Matt Bomer as con-man Neal Caffrey and Tim DeKay as Special Agent Peter Burke. It premiered on October 23, 2009. In December 2009, White Collar was renewed for a second season that began on July 13, 2010...
Season 3 episode Taking Account, the character Peter Burke states that he persuaded a friend in the U.S. Attorney's office to grant him a warrant needed for the episode's investigation by buying a good deal of her child's band candy, and that he wished they had something besides "those damn chocolate bars". Jeff Eastin acknowledged on his live Twitter feed during the airing of that episode that the dialogue is a deliberate reference this episode, and a "shout out" to Jane Espenson, who is now part of the White Collar writing staff.
Arc significance
- Willow and Xander continue their dangerous liaison.
- The Mayor once more shows his character, while Snyder proves to be an ignorant participant in his evil schemes.
- The glaring implication at the end that Giles and Joyce went further than kisses is confirmed in "Earshot".
- This is Ethan Rayne's first appearance since the previous season's "The Dark Age".
- The demon Lurconis is very similar to the demon the Mayor transforms into at the end of the season.
- In the scenes where Giles is wearing only a tee shirt, a Mark of Eyghon tattoo is clearly visible on his left inner forearm. This is in keeping with his 'Ripper' backstory as presented in "The Dark Age".
- Willow learns that although Lurconis receives a tribute every thirty years, the one prepared in this episode is late; no reason for the usually ultra-punctual Mayor's lateness is given, but it might be theorized that he delayed the tribute as long as possible in hope of Buffy dying or leaving Sunnydale in the interim, so she would not interfere with it, as she in fact does here.