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Episode Summary

When Cordelia flaunts her sure win for Homecoming Queen it awakens the prom queen within Buffy and the two vie brutally for the title. Meanwhile, the new vampire in town, Mr. Trick, rallies a group of tough vampires, demons and mercenaries together to play a game with the two Slayers... "Slayerfest '98."moreless
8.7
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Great
569 votes
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  • Stunning!

    10
    "Perfect"
    Homecoming;

    The Good;
    Buffy and Cordy's campaign is the funniest thing ever! Jonathon! Love the ending, love the hunting, love Cordy facing off with Lyle Gorch, love the Mayor and Mr Trick, love everything about it, truly fantastic.

    The Bad;
    Find me some? Actually, why bring back Lyle Gorch who is a stupid villain if there ever was one?

    Best line;
    The Mayor; "Oh no, that wouldn't be a problem" (wonderful line from Harry Groener, it's all in the way he delivers it, perfectly polite and reasonable but with all the menace in the world)

    Shot; no, despite all the lead flying around. Odd to see Buffy using a gun although it seems to run out of ammo awfully fast.

    Knocked out; yep, Giles again and Buffy

    Women good/men bad; Scott dumping Buffy but he has his reasons. Faith and Buffy plan to pick up a couple of studs, use them then dump them as revenge on the male of the species. Although I'm sure they won't be complaining!

    Kinky dinky; Willow and Xander, awwwwwww. Even the most dedicated of Tara's kittens can't help but be charmed by this scene, especially the music. How does Buffy get her SDH 'letterman' jacket for her campaign? Borrowed from Larry or as a gift in return for her favours? "That thing with her mouth that boys like"? Or is it Xander's from his time on the swim team? Buffy describes Cordy as a 'vapid whore'. Xander refers to Cordy as his 'conquest' whilst Oz and Willow are 'rounding 2nd' which is apparently slang for heavy petting.

    Calling Captain Subtext; just as they're getting serious Scott dumps Buffy. But in Conversations with Dead People we discover why, I don't think his Homecoming date would have got too far either (he earlier comments that he's a bad liar). Willow's attraction to Xander gives more credence to her status as bi. Xander refers to Buffy and Faith in the library 'Getting all sweaty' whilst Oz suggests that Buffy and Cordy have been mudwrestling. Essentially in this ep Faith asks Buffy out on a date to the Homecoming dance and Buffy says yes. She also says 'Boys should break up with you more often' Plus half-naked musclely German men wrestling for no apparent reason.

    Questions and observations;
    Love the list of Buffy's rivals set of strengths and weaknesses especially that going out with Xander is considered one of Cordy's weaknesses. What does PB crazy mean? Playboy? Just what are the chances that the shack that Buffy and Cordy stumble upon has a working phone? Love Faith's little trick against Scott. There is no Vulcan deathgrip. Wonderful introduction for the Mayor, Harry Groener is just amazing. Nice line where Mr Trick tells him that the whole 'not fitting in' concept was old even before he became a vampire (although one ventures that the undead really couldn't care less about human concerns such a racial politics just as Spike doesn't care about the Nazis in 'Why we fight?'). The picture scenes are smashing and lovingly recreated in the SDH Yearbook. Faith believes rage 'gives you an edge'. Buffy asks if she's invisible, well not yet. Xander refers to his relations with money, presumably not Uncle Rory. The only time we see Faith all dolled up at the dance and she looks beautiful. Buffy tortures the hunter in the trap.The SDPD seem to overcome Mr Trick very easily. Joss bascially reuses this storyline for the second episode of Dollhouse, it's derived from the famous short story 'The Most Dangerous Game' which in turn inspired real life serial killer Robert Hansen who hunted and murdered over twenty people after kidnapping them, releasing them into the Alaskan wilderness and giving them a head start.


    10/10 no question
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  • Homecoming

    9.5
    "Superb"
    Homecoming was a Superb episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This episode really focused on the relathionships between Buffy and Cordelia, and then also with Willow and Zander things are taking a turn down an unexpected road. The story itself was amazing, entertaining, and well thought. This episode introduces us finally to the Mayor of Sunnydale, whom weve only heard of by mention of others. The Mayor introduces himself to Mr. Trick, who is currently running Slayerfest 98, and Buffy and Cordelia are evading the players. While in the cabin Buffy and Cordelia have a real touching moment, and it really makes you see both characters in new ways, as they both had their own realizations. This season is shaping up to be great, as expected!moreless

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  • Season 3, Episode 5.

    9.5
    "Superb"
    Mr. Trick plots to kill Buffy as Scott dumps her and she competes against Cordelia for the title of Homecoming Queen. Meanwhile, romance begins to blossom between Xander and Willow.

    Let me just say that the guys that were spying on Buffy were hot! The scene where the two guys were shirtless and fighting was pretty hot. I was pretty shocked by the sudden Willow and Xander romance.That scene was amusing. I liked that Buffy and Cordelia were involved with SlayerFest '98. I liked that they had to run while in dresses, though. I liked when Cordelia didn't think it was important to mention that there was a phone. Haha, awesome episode. I loved what Faith said to Scott at Homecoming. Good episode. :)moreless

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  • Buffy and Cordelia compete for Homecoming Queen and Mr. Trick has a new plan to kill Buffy. Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, Seth Green, David Boreanaz, and Anthony Stewart Head as "Giles".moreless

    10
    "Perfect"
    A very original idea that came up in the series. I really enjoyed the idea of Slayerfest, and thought that it was a clever idea from the writers. But what was even better about the episode was the small little feud between Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), and with that was the comedy that Cordelia brings to the series. The solutiuon to the problem that Faith (guest star Eliza Dushku), Willow (Alyson Hannigan), and Oz (Seth Green) came up with was amazing. This is one of my favorite episodes of the series and i really hoped that the rest of the series could have been as good as this episode.moreless

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  • Homecoming or death?

    8.2
    "Great"
    This very well may be my least favorite episode of the whole series and it is probably because of the unholy union that is Xander and Willow. Every time I see them together I just want to pull them apart and scream "Noooooooooo!" at them. I know at some point the 'had' to go there, but I would of been perfectly happy if they hadn't. Xander and Cordelia were so great together and Cordy's character really goes downhill on Buffy after this (she springs back in Angel though). And Willow and Oz, my favorite couple, how could she do that to him, and for Xander who has continually rejected her. I cannot stand that. And it is a little hard to watch Buffy running for homecoming and knowing that she will lose. The Slayerfest '98 is the only redeeming quality of this episode, it is pretty hilarious and Mr. Trick's character is pretty great. But Willow and Xander are getting an ew and a no from me.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • As the Germans shoot one another, the wall between them is shot full of holes, yet the lockers behind the one in the hallway aren't damaged, despite sparks indicating they were hit. Edit
    • In the cabin, Cordelia is seen picking up the rifle in closeup. The scene changes to show Buffy and the demon in the foreground and Cordelia is seen picking up the rifle a second time. Edit
    • It seems odd that an abandoned shack in the woods has both electricity and a working phone. Edit
  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Featured Music: ~In the opening scene in the Bronze --"Fell Into The Loneliness" by Lori Carlson ~While the yearbook pictures are being taken -- "Jodie Foster" by Pinehurst Kids ~While Buffy and Cordelia are campaigning for Homecoming Queen -- "Fire Escape" by Fastball ~When Xander and Willow dress for the dance -- "How", by Lisa Loeb. ~At the Bronze, the fictitious band 'Dingoes Ate My Baby' appear to play this song -- "She Knows" --actually performed by Four Star Mary Edit
    • This is the final episode David Greenwalt writes as a Buffy staff member as he shifts his attention to creating and running Angel for next season. Edit
    • Cordelia's weaknesses according to the chart included: manipulative, two faced, bad in sports, superficial, no sense of humor, fake smile, and Xander. Edit
  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Cordelia: Why is it that every time I go somewhere with you it always ends in violence and terror? Buffy: Welcome to my life. Cordelia: I don't wanna be in your life! I wanna be in my life! Buffy: Well, here is the door, feel free to walk out any time to go to your life. Edit
    • Cordelia: And now I'm never going to get the chance to tell him. Buffy: Yes you are. We are gonna get out of here, and we're gonna head back to the library, where Giles and the rest of the weapons live. Then I'm going to take out the rest of these guys, just in time for you to congratulate me on my sweeping victory as Homecoming Queen. Cordelia: I know what you're up to. You think if you get me mad enough I won't be so scared. And hey, it's working! Where's a damn weapon? Edit
    • Buffy: You really love Xander? Cordelia: Well, he kinda grows on you, like a chia pet. Edit
  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Cordelia: He kind of grows on you. Like a Chia Pet.
      A Chia Pet is a mass marketed decorative planter, often in the shape of an animal, used to grow grass or some similar plant. As the plants grow, they resemble the "fur" of the animal that the planter portrays. Edit
    • Cordelia: Are you kidding? I've been doing the Vulcan death grip since I was four.
      Cordelia is obviously playing to the geeky voting population by referring to the original Star Trek television series. The "Vulcan death grip" is not actually the paralyzing nerve pinch that Spock used often throughout the series. In fact, the "Vulcan death grip" doesn't exist and was merely a bluff that Spock used in the episode The Enterprise Incident. Due to the widespread confusion over the term, it's become sort of a test of true Trek fans to identify the death grip as non-existant. Edit
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