Badwolfwho

I think it's safe to say the Cordelia of s1 would have won Homecoming queen, hands down. Like she says "It involves being part of this school, and having actual friends," and Cordelia doesn't really have that any more, one could argue she hasn't ever had that, from Out of Mind, Out of Sight we already know that the Cordettes aren't particularly her friends, but they're the sort of people who she really should've been using for her campaign rather than her nebulously friends the other Slayerettes (who she will shortly be losing in her break up with Xander). Regardless of whether she had friends or not she had the appearance of friends. The Cordelia of s1 wouldn't need to be doing stuff like bribing Jonathan, she'd eviscerate him verbally and cow him into submission. Obviously Cordelia is still fairly callous and mean, see her not bothering to let Buffy know about the yearbook (as much as I enjoy the gifset that isn’t jealous yearning over Buffy spending time with Faith Buffy is barely even on her mind right then) and of course her various insults to Buffy.

But of course the clearest example of like Buffy Cordelia is no longer the Cordelia of the past is that her approach is exactly the same as Buffy's. They're even cannibalising each other's vote shares if we believe Cordelia.

I don't think it's the intended reading that Cordelia's family's fortune has already been lost, what with the she is still flexing money via bribing students, but I think it could be a fun reading burning the last of her wealth on this one last vanity project. Going along with Willow's "She just needs it so much more than you," Cause well yeah, Willow might just be doing it out of sympathy for cheating with Xander, but once it all comes out yeah it does feel like Cordy is gonna need this a lot more than Buffy is (not that like Buffy is doing well right now, but she's also at least going to have friends going forwards).

But one day somewhat soon Cordelia won't be the Cordelia of yesterday or even today, she'll have a mystical burden placed upon her that she more than anyone in her circle can't turn away from, she won't need to care about losing the Homecoming crown, she'll be 'doing stuff like this'. She'll be too busy becoming Buffy.

Which obviously we can read as seeing the start of in things like Cordelia playing Slayer to scare away Gorch, and less seriously we've had stuff like Cordelia "Maybe I should dress up as one," (Slayer) in Faith, Hope and Trick, her stint in the group Buffy replacement, Buffy starting s3 in LA and Cordy ending s3 going to LA. It's fun.

Some asides; as we go forwards you may catch me being more forgiving towards Willow than I am towards Xander for this whole cheating subplot. Trust me this is for entirely unbiased reasons. For example I'm infinitely more fond of Cordelia than I am of Oz. And I'm rather more fond of Willow than I am of Xander. But it doesn't do much for either of them, really short lived, don't particularly show much attraction before or after (obviously Willow did have a crush on Xander but we're well past that).

I don't think cheating plots are inherently bad, I watch a soap opera cheating plots are their bread and butter, cheating plots can be fun. This one just isn't. I don't think Buffy ever accomplishes a good cheating plot? Riley almost was right up until the conclusion. I guess Buffy cheating on Faith with Angel is pretty good.

This is the end of Mr. Trick's sub one episode run as Big Bad, worse than Spike's initial run, almost on par with his second. He doesn't particularly get much in the role. Slayerfest is fun, if not exactly in keeping with his character as portrayed in Faith, Hope and Trick. He's not interested in vengeance against Slayers and he's not particularly interested in the Hellmouth, so one would think he'd just leave and set up shop anywhere else that has a decent internet connection living out the rest of his undead days. But this way he stays in the show so I'll look past it, and like I mention in my live notes it is kinda a win/win situation for him bar Mayoral kidnapping, either the Slayers die and he's set up fine, or they don't and he gets to keep the whole pot that everyone else has paid into. But also like Kakistos and a horde of vampires couldn't kill Buffy and Faith, we're meant to believe, three guys, two vampires and a demon who aren't even all working together could? Regardless like I said it is fun, so I can forgive it all.

I like the one scene we have of Angel and Buffy this episode of them both still being incredibly wary of the other given everything that's gone on. Angel himself is also still showing effects of his centuries of hell dimension so that's more than I thought, we'll see how long it lasts.

I mention in my live notes I'd like to have seen Faith get roped into campaigning for Buffy (and doing a terrible job) but I do admit I don't think there's exactly a place for it, in my brain she would be given a list of key demographics and points to push home about Buffy, forget all of them and resort to saying vote Buffy she's got a mean right hook, then Cordelia would make fun of her and she'd only barely not punch her. Some really fun material for Faith, it

I remember Homecoming being really good

Y'know I'll admit it, Angel is really jittery in this early scene there is some lingering hell dimension effects, who knows how long they'll last

We technically have three episodes so far counting his five seconds in Faith Hope and Trick

I like the little Buffy backing off from Angel when he turns at her revealing she's with someone

I also like the juxtoposition between I'm a senior now, I'm working hard in school and he's just been centuries in a hell dimension

"And that's what I need, someone I can count on," "I don't think we should see each other any more," Incredible smash cut

At least there's Faith.

"Before we were going out you seemed so full of life," did she? When? She was heavily in the depressed zone before you were going out? Even if there was pre s3 knowing her she'll have been depressed since Surprise

Really good intro to the Mayor

"You have all my Faith," It's fun, maybe they did know what was gonna happen with Faith

"Buffy and Faith are in the library, getting all sweaty,"

Buffy Faith training scene my beloved, is this the only one we ever get? We should have more.

"You got the tix already, why don't we go together,"

Big fan of Faith's boots in this scene

Buffy getting buried by her favourite teacher, so sad

"Hey I'm under a lot of pressure here," Could be fun to imagine Cordelia's already got the losing all of her family's money thing happening and this is her last hurrah.

Not the intended reading for sure.

"It involves being part of this school and having actual friends," Alas that has moved past Cordelia by now

I forgot Gorch was in this episode, that's my boy.

Slayerfest 98 is fun

And here comes the Willow/Xander cheating subplot. Boo

I mean I get it. Have them cheat while Buffy is sorta cheating on Scott/Faith with Angel.

Rip Cordelia, she's getting the friends now out of pity but it won't last, she's not winning her impending break up.

Wait is this the first time Giles showed up this episode? We're almost twenty minutes in that's like halfway has this happened before?

The combo Homecoming/Slayerfest montage is obviously fun. Big fan of that demon's arm knives

Buffy should've done weapon of last resort and tapped Faith for her campaign. It would've gone terribly. I'd have liked to see it.

"I'm a rabid dog who should be shot," Faith/Willow solidarity

I mean to be fair, six bucks isn't that much she could still be poor right now and burning through the last of what she's got on this vanity project

Now not to disparage Mr.Trick. But this is not a good plan. You've got what two random vampires, a demon and two random guys not even all working together to kill two Slayers?

I mean I guess to be fair, they succeed there's no Slayers in town, they fail he gets the pot of money, win/win

"I don't even get why you care about Homecoming when you're doing stuff like this," this is all very fun considering where Cordelia trends towards in AtS

"Cordelia, the gun," is a very fun gag

I mean to be fair I guess the Germans are doing a decent job

You'd think Mr.Trick would put up more of a fight over being arrested. He is a vampire after all

I like the delayed spatula slay

Cordelia rolling a 20 on her intimidation check

The tie fakeout is so fun

Anyway Holly Charleston/Michelle Blake OTP am I right?

But come on Michelle, let Holly speak!