Buffy: Go Fish

Buffy: "I think we'd better find the rest of the swim team and lock them up before they get in touch with their inner halibut."

This is a completely silly and ridiculous episode jammed sideways into a season of spectacular Angel heaviness, but I liked it anyway.

What did I like about it, other than the transparent, over-the-top condemnation of athletes using performance-enhancing drugs and sliding through school without having to study? Well, the gross-out jokes just had me in stitches in spite of myself. Loved Xander going undercover, or uncovered, in Speedos. And Buffy being Gage's bodyguard, and him asking her to walk him home.

I particularly liked Buffy breaking Cam's nose when he tried to corner her in his car. That's a scene that stayed with me for a long time; I guess I can relate, like so many other women can. Go, Buffy. You're my hero.

Bits and pieces:

-- Gage leaving a bad taste in Angel's mouth was a hoot. Guess Angel doesn't like seafood.

-- Danny Strong was back, and finally got a name: "Johnny."

-- Coach Marin? As in "marine"?

Quotable quotes (which were the best part of this one):

Cordelia: "Well, all I know is, my cheerleading squad wasted a lot of pep on losers. It's about time our school excelled at something."
Willow: "You're forgetting our high mortality rate."

Buffy: "So something ripped him open and ate out his insides?"
Willow: "Well, except for, you know, without the chocolatey cookie goodness."

Giles: "That, uh, eats humans whole... except for the skin."
Buffy: "This doesn't make any sense."
Xander: "Yeah. The skin's the best part."
Buffy: "Any demons with high cholesterol?"

Cordelia: "God, this is so sad. We're never going to win the state championship. I think I've lost all will to cheerlead."

Buffy: "They needed to win. And winning equals trophies, which equals prestige for the school. You see how they're treated. It's been like that forever."
Xander: "Sure. The discus throwers got the best seats at all the crucifixions."
Buffy: "Meanwhile, I'm breaking my nails every day battling the forces of evil, and my French teacher can't even remember my name."

Buffy: "I wouldn't break out the tartar sauce just yet. I mean, it's not like you were exposed more than once. Twice?"
Xander: "Three times a fish guy. What am I gonna do?"
Cordelia: "You, you, you. What about me? It's one thing to be dating the lame unpopular guy, but it's another to be dating the creature from the Blue Lagoon."
Xander: "Black Lagoon. The creature from the Blue Lagoon was Brooke Shields."

Buffy: "Great. This is just what my reputation needs: that I did it with the entire swim team."

Two out of four stakes. Certainly not a great episode, but I got a kick out of it,

Billie