Buffy Reviews

Lie to Me

Character - by Jenny68

     This is one of the few episodes that has Buffy referring to her past. With the arrival of Billy "Ford" Fordham, her old friend from school in LA, she tells Willow and Xander all about the crush she had on him. Immediately Buffy includes Ford in the gang, partly to make him feel welcome, and partly to help her get over her jealousy of seeing Angel with the woman we know as Drusilla the previous evening. Later at the Bronze, Buffy runs into Angel and questions him about the night before, and he lies, saying he stayed at home. Buffy retaliates by making him jealous.....she leaves with Ford. When Angel stops by Buffy's house, Buffy confronts him and his lie. Angel is faced with the possibility that Buffy may hate him after she hears all he has to say. He asks if she loves him, and she does, but doesn't know if she can trust him. Angel is forced to accept that, and he confesses his connection with Drusilla as well as all the torture and madness he had put her through. This doesn't sit well with Buffy, because when she talks to Willow, she ponders in an indirect way, whether or not it would be easier to just drop Angel as a boyfriend and stick with someone like Ford. She knows it would be a lot easier to have a "normal" boyfriend, but you can tell she just can't give Angel up....she loves him. As she learns at the end of the episode....everything's not just black and white, and every choice isn't always an easy one.
     Ford can be considered the "guest bad guy" of the episode. As Buffy's old school crush, he's welcomed into the gang....by Buffy. Xander and Angel don't like him at all (jealousy can do that to a person) and Willow isn't all that sure either. He can be regarded as a character foil for both Xander and Angel, confident, a smooth talker, and yet another guy in the competition for Buffy's affections. And although he reveals himself to be a traitor when he makes the deal with Spike to deliver Buffy in return for immortality, we find out later that it was for an almost worthwhile cause. Ford has a terminal disease and his bid to become a vampire to stop his pain is pretty damn clever. In the end, you don't quite hate him as a bad villain, but rather pity him and his lack of choices to save himself.
     Perhaps it is just a teaser....but it seems as though Willow has a slight 'thing' for Angel in this episode. At the Bronze, she practically moons over him, and then there's the scene in her room. Willow is naturally shy and awkward but she is overly so when Angel's in her bedroom. It could be from the fact that she's not allowed to have boys in her room and she's afraid her parents may come in, but I think it's also the fact that this is Buffy's boyfriend she's let in....not to mention a totally hot guy. And when she tells Buffy about how they had all checked out Ford's records and such....she brings up the fact that he was in her room when they did this. It wasn't really necessary, but she said it anyway. The remark about their forbidden love is a joke to Xander, but you never know....there could be something behind it. And although this is probably never going to be explored again, it is fun to think about how Willow and Angel would look as a couple.
     This episode wasn't really an all around "Buffy and the gang" episode....it was focused on only a few characters. Although you see Giles and Jenny finally go on a date, and the result of the outing, it's nothing more than plot advancement. And where was Cordelia? How could you have a new guy in town, and NOT have Cordelia around to pounce on him? The cool turn in Willow's attitude towards Angel was worth seeing, as well as Xander's happy dance, and the scene with Giles and Buffy in the end, but this episode is not one of the best we've seen. I give Lie to Me 4 Ehs out of 5.

Story - by Govia



Villian - by Kaboo

     In Lie to Me, Buffy's interactions with the villains show her the complexity of the fight between good and evil. Ford's betrayal, and her first encounter with Drusilla, lead her to question her trust of people. These interactions also show her new sides of those she loves, and help her come to a better, if bittersweet, understanding of life.
     From the beginning of the episode, Drusilla plays a key role. Her accidental meeting with Angel reveals new perspectives on Angel's tortured past. Buffy's glimpse of the meeting, and Angel's subsequent denial of it, cause her to question Angel's loyalty and trustworthiness. In lying to Buffy, Angel has again made himself suspect, and he takes on a villainous role in Buffy's eyes.
     Billy Ford's arrival seems to be exactly what Buffy needs to restore her faith. He is a reminder of her pre-Slayer existence, days in which she was innocent and blind to the evils in the world. His revelation that he knows she is the Slayer reinforces her trust in Ford, and allows her to be honest about her own secret life. But Ford's obsession with melodrama and death, which have led him to a sub-culture that worships vampires, also lead him to concoct a betrayal of Buffy. Ford intends that his lies to Buffy will result in her death and his own immortality.
     Ford's lies contrast with Angel's. While Ford lies hide his intention to sacrifice Buffy to Spike in exchange for immortality, Angel's lies are designed to protect Buffy from being needlessly hurt. Angel's conspiracy of protection includes Willow and Xander, who agree that secretly investigating Ford is the best course of action.
     Drusilla, who is the source of Angel's lies, keeps secrets of her own. She does not tell Spike about her encounter with Angel until he brings it up. This conversation reveals more about the new villains of the show than was previously known. Spike's impatience with Drusilla shows his jealousy of Angel, while his contriteness and gentleness towards Dru speak of an uncharacteristic affection these vampires have for each other. This affection is reinforced when Buffy threatens Drusilla at the place of sacrifice, and Spike abandons the plan for the sake of Drusilla's safety.
     Spike's strange sense of honour is also demonstrated in his treatment of Ford. In spite of impatience with Ford's insistence on rote drama, Spike curbs his urge to feed on him (with Drusilla's coaxing), to make the pact of immortality, in exchange for Buffy and the vampire worshippers. When the plan fails, Spike keeps his word, because he acknowledges the fact that Ford upheld his part of the agreement.
     The failure of Ford's plan is due to his own inability to hide his lies (for example, claiming to have killed the vampire who stole Giles' book), and the eventual candour of Angel. Angel reveals a terrible episode in his own villainous past: in obsession, pursuit, mental torture, and eventual vamping of Drusilla the pure and chaste. It explains his encounter with Drusilla, and his reluctance to discuss it.
     In contrast, Ford's lies are self-serving and intended to harm Buffy. Although Buffy can feel empathy for Ford's motive, his imminent death by cancer, his actions are not justifiable; Buffy knows she must stop him. She too allows the agreement with Spike to stand, by not trying to rescue Ford from Spike's clutches.
     In the end, Buffy's encounters with the villains in the episode lead her to ponder the complexities of the conflict between good and evil. She realizes that the lies were simpler than the truth, and she yearns for that impossible simplicity again. The encounters with the villains in "Lie to Me" have led Buffy a few steps further on the road to adulthood, and have forced her to leave a part of her innocence behind.
     I give this episode 4 out of 5 "Ehs."

Character - by Jenny68
This is one of the few episodes that has Buffy referring to her past. With the arrival of Billy "Ford" Fordham, her old friend from school in LA, she tells Willow and Xander all about the crush she had on him. Immediately Buffy includes Ford in the gang, partly to make him feel welcome, and partly to help her get over her jealousy of seeing Angel with the woman we know as Drusilla the previous evening. Later at the Bronze, Buffy runs into Angel and questions him about the night before, and he lies, saying he stayed at home. Buffy retaliates by making him jealous.....she leaves with Ford. When Angel stops by Buffy's house, Buffy confronts him and his lie. Angel is faced with the possibility that Buffy may hate him after she hears all he has to say. He asks if she loves him, and she does, but doesn't know if she can trust him. Angel is forced to accept that, and he confesses his connection with Drusilla as well as all the torture and madness he had put her through. This doesn't sit well with Buffy, because when she talks to Willow, she ponders in an indirect way, whether or not it would be easier to just drop Angel as a boyfriend and stick with someone like Ford. She knows it would be a lot easier to have a "normal" boyfriend, but you can tell she just can't give Angel up....she loves him. As she learns at the end of the episode....everything's not just black and white, and every choice isn't always an easy one. Ford can be considered the "guest bad guy" of the episode. As Buffy's old school crush, he's welcomed into the gang....by Buffy. Xander and Angel don't like him at all (jealousy can do that to a person) and Willow isn't all that sure either. He can be regarded as a character foil for both Xander and Angel, confident, a smooth talker, and yet another guy in the competition for Buffy's affections. And although he reveals himself to be a traitor when he makes the deal with Spike to deliver Buffy in return for immortality, we find out later that it was for an almost worthwhile cause. Ford has a terminal disease and his bid to become a vampire to stop his pain is pretty damn clever. In the end, you don't quite hate him as a bad villain, but rather pity him and his lack of choices to save himself. Perhaps it is just a teaser....but it seems as though Willow has a slight 'thing' for Angel in this episode. At the Bronze, she practically moons over him, and then there's the scene in her room. Willow is naturally shy and awkward but she is overly so when Angel's in her bedroom. It could be from the fact that she's not allowed to have boys in her room and she's afraid her parents may come in, but I think it's also the fact that this is Buffy's boyfriend she's let in....not to mention a totally hot guy. And when she tells Buffy about how they had all checked out Ford's records and such....she brings up the fact that he was in her room when they did this. It wasn't really necessary, but she said it anyway. The remark about their forbidden love is a joke to Xander, but you never know....there could be something behind it. And although this is probably never going to be explored again, it is fun to think about how Willow and Angel would look as a couple. This episode wasn't really an all around "Buffy and the gang" episode....it was focused on only a few characters. Although you see Giles and Jenny finally go on a date, and the result of the outing, it's nothing more than plot advancement. And where was Cordelia? How could you have a new guy in town, and NOT have Cordelia around to pounce on him? The cool turn in Willow's attitude towards Angel was worth seeing, as well as Xander's happy dance, and the scene with Giles and Buffy in the end, but this episode is not one of the best we've seen. I give Lie to Me 4 Ehs out of 5.

Story - by Govia


Villian - by Kaboo
In Lie to Me, Buffy's interactions with the villains show her the complexity of the fight between good and evil. Ford's betrayal, and her first encounter with Drusilla, lead her to question her trust of people. These interactions also show her new sides of those she loves, and help her come to a better, if bittersweet, understanding of life. From the beginning of the episode, Drusilla plays a key role. Her accidental meeting with Angel reveals new perspectives on Angel's tortured past. Buffy's glimpse of the meeting, and Angel's subsequent denial of it, cause her to question Angel's loyalty and trustworthiness. In lying to Buffy, Angel has again made himself suspect, and he takes on a villainous role in Buffy's eyes. Billy Ford's arrival seems to be exactly what Buffy needs to restore her faith. He is a reminder of her pre-Slayer existence, days in which she was innocent and blind to the evils in the world. His revelation that he knows she is the Slayer reinforces her trust in Ford, and allows her to be honest about her own secret life. But Ford's obsession with melodrama and death, which have led him to a sub-culture that worships vampires, also lead him to concoct a betrayal of Buffy. Ford intends that his lies to Buffy will result in her death and his own immortality. Ford's lies contrast with Angel's. While Ford lies hide his intention to sacrifice Buffy to Spike in exchange for immortality, Angel's lies are designed to protect Buffy from being needlessly hurt. Angel's conspiracy of protection includes Willow and Xander, who agree that secretly investigating Ford is the best course of action. Drusilla, who is the source of Angel's lies, keeps secrets of her own. She does not tell Spike about her encounter with Angel until he brings it up. This conversation reveals more about the new villains of the show than was previously known. Spike's impatience with Drusilla shows his jealousy of Angel, while his contriteness and gentleness towards Dru speak of an uncharacteristic affection these vampires have for each other. This affection is reinforced when Buffy threatens Drusilla at the place of sacrifice, and Spike abandons the plan for the sake of Drusilla's safety. Spike's strange sense of honour is also demonstrated in his treatment of Ford. In spite of impatience with Ford's insistence on rote drama, Spike curbs his urge to feed on him (with Drusilla's coaxing), to make the pact of immortality, in exchange for Buffy and the vampire worshippers. When the plan fails, Spike keeps his word, because he acknowledges the fact that Ford upheld his part of the agreement. The failure of Ford's plan is due to his own inability to hide his lies (for example, claiming to have killed the vampire who stole Giles' book), and the eventual candour of Angel. Angel reveals a terrible episode in his own villainous past: in obsession, pursuit, mental torture, and eventual vamping of Drusilla the pure and chaste. It explains his encounter with Drusilla, and his reluctance to discuss it. In contrast, Ford's lies are self-serving and intended to harm Buffy. Although Buffy can feel empathy for Ford's motive, his imminent death by cancer, his actions are not justifiable; Buffy knows she must stop him. She too allows the agreement with Spike to stand, by not trying to rescue Ford from Spike's clutches. In the end, Buffy's encounters with the villains in the episode lead her to ponder the complexities of the conflict between good and evil. She realizes that the lies were simpler than the truth, and she yearns for that impossible simplicity again. The encounters with the villains in "Lie to Me" have led Buffy a few steps further on the road to adulthood, and have forced her to leave a part of her innocence behind. I give this episode 4 out of 5 "Ehs."

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