Season's two biggest problem is its almost TOO good in places. The Mythology Arc this season, (Angel, Spike and Dru) is nothing short of brilliant. They light up every scene they're in and you find yourself waiting impatiently for them to show up on screen. It makes other, unrelated episodes seem less interesting by comparison. When a completely separate monster-of-the-week episode rolls around, like "Reptile Boy," it just can't stand up against the season's real story arc. Not only that, but "Reptile Boy" is a lack-luster episode in-and-of itself. Basically, this is one you can skip if you're in a hurry and watching BTVS on DVD.
The episode revolves around Cordy and Buffy attending a fraternity party, where things (predictably enough) go very wrong. Buffy, feeling unappreciated by Angel and pressured by Giles, decides to take a walk on the wild side. Cordelia's new crush and his friends are holding a party at the local college. One of them, a charming fellow named Tom, takes an instant shine to Buffy. (She really should know better. In the long run, nice guys in Sunnydale always turn out to be bad news.) Anyway, Buffy and Cordy wind-up at the frat house, and thanks to some spiked drinks, are soon chained to a wall and nearly sacrificed to a big snake-y demon thing.
The episode has some good points. Cordelia and Buffy are actually pretty funny together. Cordy's so oblivious to the havoc she leaves in her wake that its hard not to laugh. Her lecture to Buffy on how to act and dress and laugh at the party is hilarious. And Xander's jealousy/disdain of the frat brothers and their subsequent hazing of him is pretty funny. Also, I like Willow's lecture to Angel and Giles, where she reams them for not taking Buffy's feelings into account. She becomes more confident and outspoken this season, which is an indication of things to come.
On the downside, the episodes anti-drinking, anti-frat party message gets a little heavy handed. The story itself, with the evil rich guys, the monster in the basement, and the chains on the wall, is a kind of predictable. Also, the cast is separated for a lot of the episode, so they don't interact with each other enough. It can get a little slow in places.
My favorite part of the episode: Buffy, Willow and Xander sitting on Buffy's bed watching Channel 54, Indian television.
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