Homecoming (Buffy episode)
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| “Homecoming” | |
|---|---|
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode | |
 |
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| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 5 |
| Guest stars | K. Todd Freeman (Mr. Trick) Fab Filippo (Scott Hope) Harry Groener (Mayor Richard Wilkins III) Eliza Dushku (Faith) |
| Written by | David Greenwalt |
| Directed by | David Greenwalt |
| Production no. | 3ABB05 |
| Original airdate | November 3, 1998 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Beauty and the Beasts" | "Band Candy" |
"Homecoming" is episode 5 of season 3 of the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. See also List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes.
Contents |
[edit] Plot synopsis
[edit] Summary
Buffy and Cordelia compete for Homecoming Queen as they walk into a more dangerous competition; Willow and Xander's friendship takes a turn.
[edit] Expanded overview
The young Scoobies decide to share a limo for their last Homecoming dance. Buffy and Scott decide to go together. She takes an early leave to bring food to Angel, who is still very weak. She tells him others will not understand he is better -- and about Scott.
Scott breaks up with Buffy the next day because he finds her distracted all the time now. As she watches him walk away, we find two men monitoring her from a van. They are connected via modem to Trick and some Boss, who have video monitors all set up.
Deputy Mayor Allan Finch enters the Mayor's office. He reports two German brothers who are major criminals arriving in Sunnydale. The Mayor gently chides him for not cleaning his hands enough. Finch looks scared.
At school, the gang sends Cordelia to tell Buffy to take her yearbook photos. Buffy is training with Faith, who expresses again her views on guys. Cordelia is distracted at the library door by two guys whose votes she wants. She leaves without giving Buffy the message.
Buffy needs a recommendation from the class that changed her life, but is crushed when the teacher does not remember her. "At Hemery, I was Prom Princess, I was Fiesta Queen, I was on the cheerleading squad. And the yearbook was, like, a story of me."
The day after the last chance to get her picture taken, Buffy finds out and confronts Cordy, who couldn't care less. An enraged Buffy decides to run against Cordy. Meanwhile, Trick and a group of evildoers are discussing a competition they each have put money in: SlayerFest '98.
As they try on their Homecoming clothes in her room, Xander and Willow cannot help admire their tux and elegant dress. They kiss. The next day, Buffy is analyzing the competition with Oz, Xander and Willow in the library. They look very uncomfortable. It turns out that Xander is helping her as a boyfriend, Willow is constructing Cordelia's database and Oz is going along with Willow as always.
As the evildoers are honing their skills for their upcoming hunt, the competition at Sunnydale High is heating up as well. Ethics give way to bribery. And Buffy gets 15 minutes on a database after all; she sent Willow on a guilt trip. Xander and Willow cannot help feeling guilty about what they feel; they are helping Cordelia out of guilt.
When the limo arrives at Buffy's house, she gets a note from her friends, who want her and Cordelia to make up on the expensive ride. They do not get far; the driver runs away after stopping in the woods. A tape addresses them as Buffy and Faith and informs them of SlayerFest '98. Despite Cordelia's desperate attempts at getting someone to realize that she is not Faith, she and Buffy are both targeted by a diverse group of Slayerfest competitors that include the German brothers and Lyle Gorch from Bad Eggs.
Xander and Willow are moping at the dance. Even Giles's humor fails to cheer them up. Faith is livelier; she embarrasses Scott in front of his date. At the same time, Buffy catches one of her pursuers and forces details out of him. Cordelia tells Buffy she loves Xander. Buffy tells her she spent a year's allowance on the dress in an attempt to achieve one ideal moment in high school. For a moment, the two understand each other.
Trick is dragged away by two policemen from his den. Cordelia finally does something good with her taunting skills -- she scares Lyle away when Buffy and Giles are down. Buffy realizes the corsages they got in the limo were electronic tracking devices. She puts them on the German brothers, who annihilate each other with their high-tech equipment.
The police brings Trick to Mayor Wilkins's office. He tells Trick that he needs to control rebellious youth elements during this election year. And Sunnydale High gets a tie in the vote for the Queen. Buffy and Cordelia lose.
[edit] Writing and acting
[edit] Production details
[edit] Music
- Fastball - "Fire escape"
- Four Star Mary - "She knows"
- Lisa Loeb - "How"
- Lori Carson - "Fell into loneliness"
- The Pine Hurst Kids - "Jodie Foster"
[edit] Quotes and trivia
Buffy's favorite class in high school was "Contemporary American Heroes from Amelia Earhart to Maya Angelou."
[edit] Translations
- Italian title: "Il ballo di fine corso" ("The prom" (sic!))
- German title: "Die Qual der Wahl" (German idiom; "Spoilt for choice")
- French title: "Le bal de fin d'année"
- Japanese title: "学園祭" ("Gakuensai" - "School Festival")
[edit] Continuity
[edit] Arc significance
Mayor Richard Wilkins III makes his first appearance on Buffy in this episode and displays what will be his trademark -- a disturbing attention to cleanliness. He is also not fond of slayers.
Xander and Willow begin to explore their mutual attraction.
Buffy's wish for a perfect moment in high school will be granted in "The Prom".
[edit] Timing
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
| Location, time (if known) |
Buffyverse chronology: Fall 1998 - Christmas 1998 (non-canon = italic) |
|---|---|
| L.A./Sunnydale, 1998 | B3.01 Anne |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | B3.02 Dead Man's Party |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | B3.03 Faith, Hope & Trick |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | B3.04 Beauty and the Beasts |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | B3.05 Homecoming |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | B3.06 Band Candy |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | Buffy book: Sins of the Father |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | Buffy graphic novel: Play With Fire |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | B3.07 Revelations |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | Buffy book: Child of the Hunt |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | Buffy video game: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Xbox) |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | B3.08 Lovers Walk |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | Buffy graphic novel: Spike & Dru: Who Made Who |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | Buffy graphic novel: Remaining Sunlight |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | Buffy book: Ghoul Trouble |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | Buffy book: Paleo |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | B3.09 The Wish |
| Sunnydale, 1998 | Buffy book: The Evil That Men Do |
| Sunnydale, Christmas, 1998 | B3.10 Amends |
| Sunnydale, Christmas, 1998 | Tales of the Vampires: Numb, (During Amends) |
| Sunnydale, Christmas, 1998 | Christmas Buffy promo, (After Amends) |
[edit] See also
- Buffyverse chronology - List of Buffyverse stories (episodes, comics and novels) in chronological order.
- List of Buffyverse-related topics - Index of articles relating to Buffy and Angel.
[edit] External links
- Homecoming at the Internet Movie Database
- Peripheral Visions Review
- Section 31 Review
- Swing the Sickle Review
