Episode 15 - Anne / Dead Man’s Party / Faith, Hope & Trick (feat. Nikki Stafford)

It’s been a minute since I’ve sat in the ol’ cemetery and knocked back a few with some dead folk (they prefer “life challenged”), so fan-scholar/scholar-fan wunderkind Nikki Stafford joins me once again to discuss the first three episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 3. Episode 301 introduces us to “Anne,” who bears a striking resemblance to Buffy Summers, but that’s probably just my imagination. In episode 302 Joyce and the Scoobies throw a “Dead Man’s Party” to welcome Buffy home. And 303, “Faith, Hope and Trick” introduces us to Hope, Trick, and Faith. In that order. For some reason. We talk about hell dimension systems of government and administrative change across centuries; the complete and utter lack of corpses in Sunnydale; Khaki Trousers being a fan of Harry Potter; and the significant difference between a boot and a boat.

 

But at the top of the show, before we get to all that goodness, Nikki and I reminisce about our time at the recent The 8th Biennial Slayage Conference on the Whedonverses, which this year was hosted at the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama. The Conference once again brought together interdisciplinary scholars and academics (and imposters like me) from across the globe to discuss the works of Joss Whedon. There’s way too much for us to cover in the loving detail it all deserves, but Nikki and I share some of our favorite memories from this year’s gathering. Can’t wait for 2020! (...for perhaps many reasons.)

 

Next: I keep my promise/threat to not let Nikki go home. She’s stuck in the cemetery to continue our season 3 discussion with episodes 304, “Beauty and the Beasts,” 305, “Homecoming,” and 306, “Band Candy.”

 

THE BREAKDOWN

Intro / Guest / Slayage Conference Discussion (00:00:00 - 00:32:43)

Main Topic (00:32:43 - 01:43:40)

Outro / Next (01:43:40 - 01:47:36)

 

THE LIBRARY

Bite Me!: The Chosen Edition The Unofficial Guide to Buffy The Vampire Slayer (Seven Seasons One Book), by Nikki Stafford

 

THE LINKS

Nikki Stafford’s Great Buffy Rewatch Archive

 

THE MUSIC

“Conversations (feat. Wesley Mead)” by Azura (2017)

“Dead Man’s Party” by Oingo Boingo, Dead Man’s Party (1986)

 

THE SCHOLARS

Whedon Studies Association is a non-profit academic organization devoted to the study of the works of Joss Whedon and his associates. They put out Slayage: The Journal of Whedon Studies, and Watcher Junior​: The Undergraduate Journal of Whedon Studies, both blind peer-reviewed twice-yearly online publications. They also host the biennial Slayage Conference on the Whedonverses, which brings all these incredible scholars together to present papers, discuss ways of incorporating Whedon Studies in education, and basically just geek out together.

http://www.whedonstudies.tv/