Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Episode Report Card
Sep: D | 955 USERS: B-
YOU GRADE IT
New Moon Rising

Establishing shots of UCS which you might think stands for University of California: Sunnydale but is really is an acronym for Utterly Contrived School. Inside, Oz is looking at some flyers on a bulletin board. Tara walks down the corridor behind him as Oz sniffs the air and calls out, "Willow!" Tara turns around and Oz looks surprised. Tara says hello, and catching sight of Oz's notebook under his arm she asks if Oz is attending school here again. He says he's feeling "oddly motivated." I hope that feeling of motivation lasts at least until it's actually time to sign up classes. Oz notices that Tara is wearing Willow's sweater and that she smells like Willow. Tara tries to leave but Oz grabs her arm to stop her. Tara gets all stuttery, saying that she doesn't want to talk about it. Oz becomes more agitated at the confirmation that there is something to talk about. Tara tries to leave again, but Oz shouts at her to stop. Breathing heavily, he demands to know if Willow is in love with her. Since it's the only body part they have the budget to show transforming, we see Oz's hand wolf out. The camera focuses on Oz, and he's either half-wolfed or just sporting really bad sideburns and gnarled teeth straight out of The Big Book of British Smiles. In a husky voice he warns Tara to run. Poor Tara. She gets chased by everything. I'm somewhat ashamed to notice that I still find Oz dead sexy in his changed state. I'm also confused because, as the establishing shot showed, it's clearly daytime. Obviously he's reacting to the negative situation by wolfing out, but does that mean that Oz's "cure" has made it possible for him to change at any time of the day or night? Or just at any time in the traditional three-day window? I'm confused by inadequately explained plot points.

Tara runs, Wolfie-Oz on all fours chasing her. She darts into a large lecture hall and up the stairs to the back of the room. Wolfie-Oz follows her up a different set of stairs. Tara struggles with an exit door at the back of the room, but it's locked. She turns and starts back down to the front of the classroom, and Wolfie-Oz follows her. He leaps off the final few steps, and as Tara screams, he corners her against the chalkboard. Tara grabs a loose chair and throws it at him, knocking him down. As she stares at his limp form, we see that he's actually been immobilized by a tranquilizer dart. Riley sheathes his tranq gun and Forrest, in a horrible oatmeal-colored turtle-neck, approaches Tara and asks if she's okay. Tara demands to know what's going on, but the Initiative guys ignore her and bag Oz's still-wolfy body. One of the Initiative guys says that Wolfie-Oz matches the description of the demon that attacked Graham's patrol; Riley adds that they'll take Oz back to the lab to make an ID. Tara stutteringly tries to explain that the Initiative has just bagged a person, but Forrest interrupts her and tells her she's in shock. As Tara breathes, "Nooo," the Initiative guys carry Oz's bagged body out.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

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