Buffy The Vampire Slayer, “The Puppet Show" Review (1x09)

Brief Synopsis: “The new principal forces Giles to run Sunnydale High's annual talent show, and Buffy, Willow, and Xander have to perform against their will. As if this isn't bad enough, things go further awry when one of the talent show participants is found with her heart removed. Buffy and the gang race against the clock to find the killer, and all the clues point to Morgan and his ventriloquist dummy.”


"I Robot...You Jane" (1x08) quick link here                                                                                     "Nightmares" (1x10) quick link here


Before getting started on this review, here are a few notes about how these reviews will be formatted...

1) I will be reviewing the episodes in bullet point form. This is because it makes the reviews simple to read, and helps break up the vast amount of text.
2) I will be uploading a new review every one or two days, so be sure to check back often! Alternatively, you could subscribe to the blog via email to receive the reviews in your inbox (the subscription box is located to the right-hand side of this blog).
3) If you are watching the show for the first time along with these reviews, please be warned that there may be a few spoilers for things that haven’t happened yet.
4) If you are here from my Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Angel fan page from Facebook (located here :- www.facebook.com/BTVSFC), these reviews are similar to the rewatch reviews that I wrote for that page, only they are longer, more detailed, and in a much nicer format than Facebook allows (curse their lack of italics, bold, and underline!)
5) The basic layout for the review will be the review itself, the ‘quote of the episode’, and then the final score for the episode (out of ten). All of the final scores will also be placed on a separate tab so that you can refer to them easily.

With that being said, let’s get started, shall we?



• I kind of loved this episode? Perhaps more than is normal for an episode about a puppet that’s alive. On paper it sounds like it should be one of the worst episodes in the history of television, but I love it wholeheartedly.
• My one criticism of “The Puppet Show” is that there is almost no emotion in the episode that relates to the main cast. I always feel episodes work best when there is enhanced emotion. I think one of the reasons why the episodes that Joss Whedon personally wrote are the best is that he’s a master of human emotion. He knows just how to draw any emotion out of you that he wants to.
• The cold opener is fantastic. It’s definitely in the top three openers for season one. Buffy, Xander, and Willow mocking Giles for having to run the talent show, and then Snyder’s eventual forcing of them to partake in the talent show is sheer excellence. Giles’ smug look after Snyder tells the Scoobies that they will be participating in the show is awesome. Dry wit and humour is one of the things that Joss Whedon and the Buffyverse does best. Joss is well known for his amazing dialogue (this is what led to the creation of “Hush”). Looking at the opening scene more deeply, I think it’s a testament to how close the ‘Core Four’ have become that they’re able to joke around so much. I guess friendships grow more fast than normal when you’re frequently almost being killed...
• Buffy: “Giles, into every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.”

Oh how the tables have turned since Giles telling Buffy something similar in “Welcome To The Hellmouth”. Revenge is a dish best served sarcastically.

• Oh, Cordy, please never sing. My ears feel like they’ve been violated. I think Caritas should have put a blanket ban on any of Angel Investigations singing there...except Angel rocking the Manilow.
• Snyder! I love Principal Snyder. I can’t help it. I know he’s supposed to be a villain, but he’s such good foil for the Scoobies.  Also, I dare anyone not to fall in love with him after watching “Band Candy”. I cannot wait to get to that episode – “Woah, Summers, you drive like a spazz!” I met Armin Shimerman in July 2013, and he was an absolute gentleman. A fantastic, cheerful, friendly man, who went out of his way to make sure everyone had a memorable experience. Whenever his queue was empty, he’d leave his table and start talking to people who were waiting in other queues. Top bloke!
• I like how Snyder makes it sound like Flutie was eaten because he was a nice person. That was clearly the reason why (“That's the kind of woolly-headed liberal thinking that leads to being eaten.”)...
• Let that be a lesson, Scoobies! Be mean to Giles, you get humiliated in public. I hope you remember this lesson in the future.
• Moving on to the ‘talent’ show itself...we don’t really have talent shows like this in England (or at least didn’t in my school). Do these really exist in the United States? If they do, are the participants usually so terrible? This was face-palm quality ‘talent’.
• I love the character of Morgan Shay. They manage to establish his character very well in just one episode. I felt genuinely upset when we found out that he had brain cancer, and was even more upset when he died. It’s quite the feat to accomplish that with a character that was only in one episode. I think this is a 50/50 split on a well written episode and fantastic acting by Richard Werner. I think that Richard did an amazing job in this episode. One of the best guest stars of season one for sure. I would have loved to see Morgan survive this episode so that we could see Richard in another episode or two down the line.
• A little off-topic, but you should all go out of your way to play the Buffy video game “Chaos Bleeds”. Sid is a playable character in the game!
• Snyder: “Kids, I don’t like them.”

I’ve always had the impression that Snyder was sent to be Principal of Sunnydale High School by The Mayor without actually wanting to be. I think The Mayor put him there to keep an eye on things, and to keep an eye on the Slayer. By all accounts Snyder hates children, so it’s the only logical explanation that I can see as to why he’s working in a school.

• I love the scene where the Scoobies are questioning various students about the death of Emily. The scene flows very nicely and Xander’s “we can dream” line when Cordelia states that it could have been her that died is beyond hilarious.
• How creepy is the idea of a talking puppet anyway? Who came up with this idea?! They should be slapped with a dummy repeatedly for torturing 9-year-old Shangel with this episode.
• Yes, Xander, you can still wear a wire *pats head*.
• Snyder is clearly played as the murderer in this episode. I noticed the red herring for what it was; a tiny, weird, grumpy, rodent-looking new headmaster who is not capable of murder.
• I adore Sid after we find out that he’s good. Tom Wyner is a terrific voice actor. I love the raspiness of his voice as Sid.
• As much as anything else in this episode, it is a murder mystery. I have a soft spot for murder mystery plots, I must admit. At first we’re supposed to believe that Morgan is the murderer...then he dies. Next up is Sid, who we find out is good. The next potential suspect is Principal Snyder. Whilst that is going on the writers put the idea in our heads that perhaps Sid is evil after all. Finally, we have Marc. This episode really keeps you guessing, which is one of the reasons why this episode works for me. It distracts you for long enough that you don’t realise that you’re watching an episode of television that revolves around a walking, talking dummy!

• Season one is easily the most bizarre in the Buffyverse. Think about it, season one had the following episodes...a teacher that wanted to shag a minor, an episode where five Sunnydale High students were possessed by hyenas (by looking at them!), an episode where a demon took control over the internet (and then materialised in the most ridiculous robot costume of the '90s), and this episode. The show was obviously still trying to find its feet in what stories it wanted to tell week-on-week.
• Snyder is really creepy in this episode. It’s almost like he’s stalking Buffy. Definitely adds to my “The Mayor sent Snyder to Sunnydale High School to watch the Slayer” theory.
• Snyder: “There are things I will not tolerate: students loitering on campus after school, horrible murders with hearts being removed...and also smoking.”
It’s nice to see that Snyder has his priorities in order and keeps smoking on the same list of unacceptable school habits with loitering and horrible murders. Armin’s delivery of “and also smoking” instantly puts him in the plus column for this show. I certainly didn’t expect Snyder to survive until the end of season three, but I’m so glad that he did. A lot of things can be said about Snyder, but he knows how to effectively run a school! Flutie was far too weak to succeed, but Snyder excels in the Hellmouth environment.
• So it turns out that Sid and Morgan think that Buffy is the demon that is committing all the murders. That’s a great little plot twist as well. This episode is well constructed.
• Xander: “Bye-bye, now. I’m completely inanimate. Redrum! Redrum!”
• The look on everyone’s faces when Sid explains how he became a dummy! Xander in particular looks captivated.
• Willow : “A dramatic scene is the easiest way to get through the talent show, because it doesn't require an actual talent.” 
Xander: “But we have talent! We can do stuff. Buffy, uh...” 
Buffy: “What am I gonna do? Slay vampires on stage?” 
Willow: “Maybe in a funny way!”

It would've worked better than what they actually choose to do in the end.

• The Giles-Cordelia exchange just before the talent show makes my head swim with happiness. More Giles-Cordy exchanges are needed. The next time I remember any substantial scenes between the two of them is season two’s “Killed By Death”.
• Most awkward power circle in history.
• Giles: “Cordelia, there’s an adage that if you’re feeling nervous, then you should imagine the entire audience are in their underwear.”
Cordelia: “Eww! Even Mrs. Franklin?”
Giles: “...perhaps not.”
• I never suspected that Marc was the demon. I knew it wasn’t Snyder, but I still had my suspicions that it was Sid. It explains why Marc was so terrible at magic. There were so many characters that were introduced in this episode that I didn’t know who was committing the murders until a few seconds before it was revealed. That’s what I want from a murder mystery episode!

• The episode ends on an unexpectedly sad note with Sid’s death. Until...
• The curtain opens to start the talent show...oh my God...I can’t, my stomach hurts from laughing....Snyder’s “I don’t get it. What is it? Avant-Garde?” makes me roar.
• Joyce didn’t show up to the talent show! A parent listened to her child! Sweet mother of all that is pure, Joyce Summers you are a treat!
• Speaking of stomach hurting from laughter, the closing credits are one of the highlights of all of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Buffy’s sheer annoyance, Willow’s terror (and inevitable running off stage), and Xander’s actually trying to be good is a delight. I dare anyone to watch that scene and not laugh.
• Xander: “Madness, and.....madness, and stabbing pain! And, and, uh...oh...oh...memory of, uh, ill deeds I have done.”
I need to lie down, I have head-spin from laughing too hard.
• Two closing thoughts on this episode: 1) One thing that doesn’t work for this episode is that it doesn’t age particularly well after you’ve seen the episode once. Like most “who did it?” plots, after you know who the culprit is, the episode loses some of its shine (especially as the “who did it?” part of this episode took up so much screen time). 2) What does Sid represent to the viewers? Why is he there? Every episode of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” tells a wonderful subtextual story. I think Sid represents the notion that not all demons and monsters are evil. Some of them are capable of being good. If that is the case, it’s a great lesson to teach the audience so early on, as this theme plays a very important role in future seasons. This episode isn’t going to set the world on fire (which is ironic as the main focus of the episode is made of wood), but it’s certainly enjoyable to watch.


Quote Of The Episode

Giles: “Cordelia, there's an adage, uh, that, um, if you're feeling nervous, then, uh, you should imagine the entire audience are in their underwear.” 

Cordelia: “Ewwwww! Even Mrs. Franklin?”

Giles: “...Perhaps not.”


FINAL SCORE: 7/10


So what are your thoughts on "The Puppet Show"? Did you enjoy this episode? Dislike it? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments section below!