Buffy Between the Lines was an audio drama that took place between the seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The podcast first aired in 2007, due to this some links, podcast ads, or posts may be out of date.
We’re in process of rebuilding the site after it was taken down, so please pardon our dust.
Buffy Between the Lines is happy to announce that now you too can have your very own official Buffy Between the Lines tshirt!
Artwork by Scott Tofte
Tshirts are now available for Preorder ONLY – so order one today!
Tshirts will be black – men’s sizes.
A Review of Episode 9 – A Dish Served Cold
Meanwhile, back in the present, Anya receives her wedding veil, courtesy of ebay, and finds herself possessed by Magda’s vengeful spirit. While the Scoobies race to figure out how to save Anya, Sunnydale is overrun with body-snatching spirits, and Dawn is left lost and alone…until she comes across Javert.
Screams of pain and terror fill the air as we join BBtL for Episode 9, “A Dish Served Cold.” In a rare flashback sequence, we join the powerful Anyanka as she and D’Hoffryn bask in the afterglow of destruction and chaos. (And discuss the following week’s cribbage game.) While Anyanka and D’Hoffryn are pleased with the carnage, young Magda, the woman responsible for the wish, takes her own life out of fear and despair.
The crew at Buffy: Between the Lines has managed something that takes some people years to master, the art of portraying emotion without going overboard. Some people beat their audience over the head with angst and melodrama, more often than Giles gets knocked unconscious. But those over at BBtL manage to keep things a bit more subtle. They played the reunion between Giles and Jenny Calender perfectly; it was heartfelt and bittersweet without being too emotional. (Giles is British, after all.) At the same time, they also manage to capture just how alone Dawn feels without her mother or big sister around. All the while, never losing the grief that still hangs over everyone with after Buffy’s death. That’s a lot of darkness to have to balance out, but the crew does a wonderful job of keeping everything in check.
Oh, but that cliffhanger of an ending? Does anyone else wonder if writer, Alyrenee Greaves was momentarily possessed by the spirit of Joss Whedon?
Quote of the Episode Award goes to:
Xander: Willow, did you know about this?
Willow: Oh, sure Xander. At my bar mitzvah the spirit of my late uncle Sidney possessed me and made me sing Old Man River.
Xander: You sang Old Man River? How did I miss that?
A Review of Episode 8 – The Other Half of Me
I’m sure there isn’t one of us out there who hasn’t wondered how the other half lives. Just a momentary glance into the mind of the opposite sex, you know, for a little looksie. In episode eight, “The Other Half of Me,” Xander Harris does just that after he is magically transfigured into a softer, curvier version of himself. (Herself?) After being mistaken for Spike by the Bian Xing demon, Xander wakes up to find himself in someone else’s shoes. Shoes that just so happen to be heels. And it’s up to the Scoobies to find a way to get him back before it’s too late.
I think the cast and crew made a bold move with this particular episode. A show like this could have easily become a caricature or a silly stereotype. And while the writers did allow themselves to have some fun, they kept the heart of the story in tact. I’d also like to credit a large portion of what made this work to Chris O’Connor, the actor who has brought Xander to life for this series. Many actors being asked to portray the opposite sex would take things too far, and blow certain characteristics out of proportion. Chris managed to find a nice balance and make Xander’s female persona sound feminine, without turning it into a joke, which would have taken away from the episode.
Along with Xander’s misadventures, we also get another hard look into the conflict that Willow is dealing with after being thrust into her current leadership role. The stress is taking its toll on her, and she seems to be teetering between feeling lost and inept to a powerful and in control mamma-jamma. All the while, growing closer and closer to her magic addiction.
As the season draws closer the finale, tensions are beginning to rise, and it’s clear that things are going to be coming to a head soon. As Giles wisely observes, “Sometimes people in grief turn to the darker side of magic to solve their problems.” Reminding us all just what exactly everything is leading up to. And I, for one, can’t wait to see just how BBtL is going to get us there.
Quote of the Episode Award goes to:
Anya: I was really looking forward to being a lesbian. We could share clothes and watch stick flicks.
Hi guys!
I’m very happy to announce our partnership with this year’s Can’t Stop the Serenity screenings!
Buffy Between the Lines is offering a role on one of our Season 2 Minisodes. So if you’ve ever wanted to have a guest spot here’s your chance!
If you haven’t been to a Serenity screening, this your chance to go. Find out more at http://www.cantstoptheserenity.com
A Review of Episode 7 – Fractures, Frogs & Fuzzy Sweaters
In the wake of their first loss following Buffy, the Scoobies seem shaken. None more so than the gang’s newly appointed leader, Willow. In the latest episode, “Fractures, Frogs and Fuzzy Sweaters,” we watch as she continues to delve into magicks that are growing steadily blacker. Meanwhile the Trio accidentally unleashes a plague of frogs onto the town of Sunnydale.
But this episode isn’t just magic bones and funny frog fears. There’s something dark running below the surface. Willow’s magick addiction has taken a hold of her. And people are noticing. While her friends may still tiptoe around the subject, there’s one individual who certainly won’t hold his tongue. The confrontation between Spike and Willow is heated. And Spike’s vehement concern for Dawn’s safety is heartfelt and sincere.
And in a rather shocking turn of events, we also learn that it was in fact Xander who first broached the subject of bringing Buffy back. “Chapter 60, onwards.” He says quietly to Willow while she lies in bed, stunned. “Think about it.” Well, I certainly will.
We all know what a huge project Buffy Between the Lines is, made particularly more difficult by the time frame of season one. Buffy’s season six is most notably the darkest of the series. So to preface that, can’t exactly be a walk in the park. So far through the show’s seven episodes, this extremely talented team of writers has managed to bridge the gap between seasons five and six; continuing and building relationships, foreshadowing, and throwing in a few surprise twists. And they deserve huge thanks and recognition for all their hard work and skill. If these crazy kids can do this much with season one, I most certainly can’t wait to see what they come up with for season two!
Quote of the Episode Award goes to:
Andrew: Ever since Candyce died, I…I mean, It’s like Luke was abandoned by his Leia. It’s like Mulder with no Sculley. J.D. without a Dr. Cox. I’m a broken man, I tell you! I’m broken and aimless without, without aim!
A Review of Episode 6 – Followed Footsteps
Sunnydale has been home to more than one wanna-be-bad. So when the Scoobies meet up with Javert and finally get the scoop on his plan o’destruction, it’s not surprising that they don’t immediately start quaking with fear. (Get it? Quake…oh, never mind.) After all, what’s a little earthquake when you’ve already faced down 5 apocalypses?
In Episode 6, “Followed Footsteps,” we finally learn the story behind this season’s Big Bad. After a night of heavy drinking back in 1940s France, we learn that Spike got a little more than he bargained for from his midnight snack.. After unknowingly siring the young Javert, he disappears and sets into motion the chain of events that will lead to tragedy for the Scooby gang.
While in the present, the scoobs continue to spin further away from each other as they squabble and pick petty arguments. And they realize far too late just what sort of threat Javert truly poses. With the death of Candyce Wells on their shoulders and the prospect of California sinking into the ocean, the gang is going to have to put aside their differences and pull out that old Team Scooby magic if they want to make it through this one.
But this episode isn’t all doom, gloom, and untimely death. We’re also given a glimpse at the presentation of the famed “Boss of Us” plaque that Xander made for Willow. And an amusing little scene where we find out just how much Andrew loves … sprinkles.
From highs to lows, this episode hit all the right marks. Writer Emma Rawlin takes you from giggles to gut-wrenching in true Joss Whedon form. And you know it just wouldn’t be Buffy without a few fallen soldiers along the way. (Here’s a tip: Listening to the episode again after the BBtL extra “The Tara and Candyce Chronicles” makes the ending even more heart-breaking.) So, here’s to you Candyce. We’ll miss you.
Quote of the Episode award goes to:
Anya: I know what’s happening here. You’re trying to make me feel inferior, to diminish me in front of everyone else, because I dare to question your authority.
A Review of Episode 5 – She’s More Than That
The Scooby Gang has always been a family of sorts. And an exceptionally strong family at that, because they’ve had each other. But now that Buffy is gone, we’re starting to see holes where she used to hold them all together. In episode 5, “She’s More Than That” we begin to see that as hard as they try to pretend that everything is alright, our rag-tag group of heroes are not coping as well as they would like others to believe.
Xander, hurt that Buffy chose Spike to protect Dawn above himself, has been throwing himself into his work. Meanwhile, Willow continues down her path toward magick addiction. And Giles and Spike both continue their separate mourning, convinced that Buffy’s death lies on their shoulders.
The gang drifts further apart, hiding their feelings from one another, while struggling to con Child Protective Services in order to keep Dawn safe. All the while the vampire Javert reveals his own plan to turn Sunnydale into the Atlantis of the 21st Century. Can the Scoobs do it? Can they pull themselves together before it’s too late and Sunnydale becomes the world’s largest waterpark?
It’s no surprise that nearly every episode of the original Buffy had an underlying theme. And a theme that we’ve seen time and time again within the Buffyverse, is that of family. This family not always be functional, and they’re certainly not normal. But they are a family. Even if they’re missing a member. They’re certainly lost without Buffy, but they also have the capability to be that family without her. I think this episode manages to capture that particularly well within one of its final scenes, when the group visits Spike in his crypt with housewarming presents. So let’s hope that the gang can keep it together, because if Buffy has taught me anything, it’s that you’ve got to stick by one another. Because when the chips are down, and an evil vampire is trying to sink your state, you’re going to want someone fighting by your side.
Quote of the Episode award goes to:
Dawn: He’s just moody because we caught him watching Dawson’s Creek.
Giles: Has Dawson reconciled with that Joey girl?
Spike: Well I’d know if the lot of you would button it. And any blind fool can see she’s going to end up with that Pacey bloke.
I didn’t realize people were vidding us!
Here’s a video of our promo from fravelnator:
And the first 8 minutes of episode 1, with pictures, by MyCaliCat:
