User Reviews

This isn't the best episode of the season. It's basically a Bride of Frankenstein deal, with a young man trying to build his dead-but-not-quite-gone brother, Darryl, a girlfriend. He starts out using body parts from the already deceased. But things begin to spiral out of control when it becomes apparent that a head from a live body will be needed to complete the Bride. Cordy's head is soon the top choice for Darryl's bride and the Scoobie's have to save her. All in all, a pretty typical monster-of-the week.

The episode does have some good points. I like Cordy recruiting Angel to drive her home. No one can befuddle and confuse Angel like Cordelia. And I like Giles and Miss Calander's growing relationship. You have to laugh at Buffy's helpful "how to ask out a girl" coaching, "I have a thing, you maybe you have a thing, maybe we could have a thing." Then Willow and Xander crash his date at the football game and the Frankenstein guy's henchman attack Cordy... Poor Giles. Like everyone else in Sunnydale, he's not destined for smooth road to love.

On the downside, I'm not really sure what this episode is trying to say. Usually, the show would being trying to deliver a deeper message with this plot. Convey something that's applicable to real-life situations using the story and the characters as metaphors. All I really get from this episode is the importance of letting go to the past. The mother endlessly watching Darryl's football games, the brother resurrecting Darryl and the girls (or at least, parts of them), Cordy reminiscing about her crush on Darryl when they were younger, etc... But, honestly that seems kind of obvious and weak. Maybe, it's borrowing Mary Shelly's thesis point of science replacing God and humans' inability to control or take responsibility for the things they create with it. The episode does revolve around the school science fair and that would add some meaning. But, I honestly just don't know.

My favorite part of the episode: Xander and Giles protesting that they're the ones shoveling out a possible zombie grave, while Buffy and Willow just sit by a tombstone at chat about Angel. Buffy's response, "I was raised that the men dig up the corpses and the women have the babies" makes me laugh every time.

Not one of the standout episodes, but good nonetheless. And, really, more than a little sad. Chris (aka unabrow boy) just wanted his brother back, and went about it the wrong, icky, creepy way. His friend was way more evil than he was. Also, didn't he kind of remind you of Egor? Intentional, I'm sure.

What I really loved about this episode, however, was the interaction between Angel and Buffy at the end. It was the first time that I think the audience really gets to see how doomed their love really is. His little speech explaining why he's jealous of Xander is so poignant and sincere. You can tell that he's truly in love with Buffy, while I think she's still in the beginning stages of her feelings for him. *le sigh* I just wish those two had it easier... But, then, I guess the show wouldn't be half as interesting, huh?

Dead and Buried bodies goes missing and the scoopy gang thinks somebody is raising a zombie army, but Cordelia and Angel discover the remains of the bodies (arms, legs and such).

This is not a typical episode of Buffy in the sense that there's not much mystical in it. Basically it's just a brother's love and desire to look after his big brother, just like he did after him.

The effects are well done and don't have credibility problems. The acting is also good, nothing flashy but good enough for a quite (in comparison to other episodes) episode. Best performance must be from Anthony Head as a love struck Giles (and who can blame him, that Calender lady is good enough looking and shares some of his interests) who stumble around the concept of dating.

This is a good episode and a nice way of letting Buffy cool down a bit from last episode's spell of meanness by giving her something not vampiric related to battle. A 7 out of 10.

When Buffy finds an open grave she investigates, and the gang find out that more corpses have gone missing. Two Sunnydale students - Chris and Eric - are trying to create another human beings from the dead bodies to make a girlfriend for Chris' dead older brother Darryl. Giles and Jenny go on their first official date.

Why It's So Good - Show starts up with its standalone episodes again. This one is lacking a bit, but still plenty of humour mixed in with the horror, and Cordelia gets some screen time.

Watch Out For - Yes, terrible, damn, must stop it.

Quote - "Sorry, but I'm an old-fashioned gal. I was raised to believe that men dig up the corpses and the women have the babies." - Buffy.

Some assembly required;

The Good; We have our first sympathetic monster/villains and the show is all the better for it. Love the grave-digging sequence, the fiery rescue, the kids telling Giles how to date Jenny and the date itself, especially Giles' opinion of American football. The twist that the villains are doing it for Daryl rather than themselves. And if you're a guy or girl-who-likes-girls Cordy in her cheerleader outfit. Giles dealing with Cordy's pain.

The Bad; Angel wears a hideous tan jacket which makes him look like a used car salesman. Was all his black leather being dry cleaned or something? We thankfully never see it again. Jenny uses the word 'disses' which I normally negatively associate with people who wear their trousers around their knees and regularly stab each other.

Best line; Buffy; "Sorry, I'm an old fashioned girl, men dig up graves and women have the babies"

What the fanficcers thought; Chris and Eric coming to the rescue of the Scoobs in later years a common theme.

Questions and observations; Of course this resembles Frankenstein but also the Reanimator series and Wes Craven's horror film Deadly Friend' starring the original Buffy Kristy Swanson. Chris and Eric's plan is just creepy in the extreme although a lot more understandable when you meet Daryl, they're doing it for him rather than just creating their own yucky sex toy. Once again Cordy is knocked out and tied up. Jenny again and more and more part of the group. We have the first example here of the Hellmouth genius, that the supernatural energy of the Hellmouth can make certain people smarter, Chris Epps, Willow, Ted's creator, Warren so despite being in high school they can do things that have eluded scientists for centuries. Despite Willow's complaint in 'Doomed' it actually seems to be Cordy who always seems to be finding the bodies. We see Cordy beginning to come around to Xander's better qualities. I rather like to think that Chris goes home, pulls back the curtains, switches the TV off and takes his mother to Daryl's grave to say goodbye. As for Eric he has a picture in the Sunnydale High Class of 1999 yearbook where therapy seems to have done him a lot of good. A shame we don't see either of them again but there is only so much room in the show Good ep; 8/10

Some Assembly Required is about a little grave-robbing, a student assembling a companion for his deceased brother.

Bit of a drop-off in importance here. The one-time appearance characters aren't great and no empathy can be felt for Daryl. The highlights of the episode are in the graveyard; the gang digging or lack of digging and Buffy and Angel becoming closer. I don't like the stupid things Xander's saying to and in front of Willow, when he knows how she feels about him, like he's somehow unattainable.

As this stand-alone episode opens Buffy waiting for a vampire to appear in the cemetery. While waiting Angel turns up, and although he denies it, it is clear that he is jealous of Buffy's dance with Xander in the previous episode. After killing the vampire they discover an open grave; it isn't another risen vampire; this grave was robbed. Giles and Willow have some ideas about what could have taken the body, identified as one of three cheerleaders killed in a recent car crash. None of their theories are correct; it turns out a couple of students are acting like a latter day pair of Doctors Frankenstein. They have in fact taken the bodies of all three dead cheerleaders and combined them to make one body… now they need a fresh head! Their creation is for the brother of one of the boys; he was killed in an accident then brought back to life… now he wants a girlfriend and has selected Cordelia to provide the head. Buffy and her friends must figure out what is going on before it is too late. Meanwhile Giles goes on an eventful date with Miss Calendar.

This was a decent episode even if it didn't do anything to introduce this season's main villain. I was pleased to see that Buffy is behaving better towards her friends but that the events of the previous episode hadn't been completely forgotten. It was interesting to have human villains for a change especially as one of them was just trying to help his brother and objected when murder was suggested. The cast did a fine job; it is good to see Charisma Carpenter's Cordelia getting involved with what is going on rather than being just an obnoxious and somewhat oblivious character. I was also pleased to see that Robia LaMorte's Jenny Calendar appears to have become a regular character; her relationship with Giles could prove to be a lot of fun. There is some moderate action, a few enjoyably disgusting moments as well as some good unforced humour. Overall a fun episode although I hope we get to the season's main storyline soon.

**Spoilers**

When the bodies of girls are being dug up in Sunnydale, Buffy soon finds out that someone is trying to build the perfect woman using the body parts of different people.

A average episode.Nothing special going on and its one of my least favourites from Season 2.

Introduucing Darryl a high school student that died and wants his alive brother to get him the perfect girl, even if that means to cut up girls different body parts and stick them on. A kind of silly episode.I liked the relationship between Jenny and Giles coming together though.There were some decent lines but there's not much to really get you into the episode.

5/10

This episode is so inventive and I always enjoy it.

In this episode, two nerds at Sunnydale High, start grave-robbing women's bodies. They want to make a sort of Frankenstein's monster, for one of their brothers. Who is dead, and who they brought back to life. After Buffy realizes that these girls bodies' have been taken, she and the gang start to work out who and why. The two boys taking the bodies need a fresh head, and choose Cordelia for "highest honor". At a football game, where Cordelia is cheering, they kidnap her and start to perform the task. Thankfully, before they start chopping, Buffy rushes in and saves the day, as usual.

Overall, I give this episode an 8 out of 10.

Although not a fan fave this is a personal favourite of mine. The strongest thing about this episode for me was the character building and interactions. The Buffy/Giles relationship is continued to be done very well and the inclusion of Cordelia and giving her a bit more depth was very welcome. The gruesome twosome were well done and there was surprisingly some depth I found in the mothers breakdown and inability to move on and it has obvious consequences for her son who was still alive but may as well be dead in his her eyes. Really gave a bit more weight to the episode that I think people often overlook.

Frankenstein's bride takes a whole new meaning when a young scientist decides to create a girl friend for his undead brother so he doesn't have to be alone. I find the story to be very tragic as we watch Darryl's family suffers his death with his mother stuck in a constant state of grieving and never acknowledging her other son's existence causing him to being his brother back. Darryl is lonely himself wanting a companion to join him instead of going through his life span without love. Its all heart breaking as no one really gets a chance to feel needed or wanted in the end.

Another great aspect is the genius level seems to be raised in Sunnydale as. Chris and Eric are able to create life out of nothing. Scientists for centuries have looked for the key unable to find it unless the hell mouth enhances intelligence.