Buffy S1E2 “The Harvest” Vampire Clubs Pre-Blade
R’oh, Raggy! The Scooby Gang looks to be doomed before they even get off of the ground! The last episode left off with our intrepid adventurers hopelessly surrounded by vampires. Jesse has been bit, vampires closing in on Xander and Willow, and Buffy is pinned down in a coffin. Luke the vampire goes in for the kill, but Buffy is saved by the deus ex machina of the cross around her neck. Feeling the cross burn his skin, Luke recoils and then flees. She is able to escape and save her friends, however, Jesse is taken by the vampires in all the chaos. This sets in motion the plan for The Harvest.
Everyone regroups back to the school the next day, unaware of the next step. We understand that going in that the focus of the show is on Buffy and her gang. Even knowing this, how was there no mention of Jesse’s parents worried their son is not home, any police involvement, anything.
All My kids are finally growing up *Sniff*
During this scene where the main gang is in the library, we see character development past the somewhat one-dimensional characters we saw in the first episode. We can see Buffy slowly molding herself as the de facto leader of the gang. Willow quietly becomes the one who is secretly strong and level-headed. Giles becomes the one who makes sure his people are as prepared as much as he can. Xander’s change is a bit more two-sided. While his maturity level may have not changed, he slowly morphs into the one who can take the proverbial bullet.
In the first episode, he came across as somewhat sheepish and almost a background prop. This one, he wants to step up and fight the baddies even with no skills. Now, this does not come across as sexist or misogynistic, more so that he feels he needs to prove himself useful to be a member of the gang.
Leaders on both sides of the coin
We finally get a bigger taste (no pun intended) of The Leader as he starts the plans of coming back to power. Not only that, we learn about a possible upcoming apocalypse. Darla and Luke bring in Jesse as a meal and sacrifice to The Master. Darla lets it slip that she has already tasted Jesse, offending The Master. He asks her why she would give him scraps. Even though he is visibly and rightfully upset, he gets the idea to use Jesse as bait. He knows that Buffy will come to try to save him, which would make her a much better meal for the Harvest.
Sewer Surfin like a Ninja Turtle
Back in the library, Willow is able to use her computer skills in acquiring the electrical grids of the city. She cross-references that with the sewer tunnels in the city to find the location of the coven underground. With Buffy realizing that Luke came at her from behind in the mausoleum, the figure out the entrance is in the cemetery. As she goes to slip out of campus, she is caught by the principal. Buffy manages to finagle her way out of school to head to the cemetery. On the way, Buffy is surprised by Xander. who was determined to stay and help, since Jesse was his best friend. After failing to convince him to leave, she agreed to let him tag along.
After having delved into the sewer, they are surrounded by several vampires, before they can find The Master’s chamber. Unfortunately, Jesse is among the vampires. Seemingly surrounded, Buffy and Xander were able to escape. Regrouping back at the library, they realize that the vampires need a massive feeding to bring The Leader to power. This means that they are going back to The Bronze, the scene of the last attack last episode. Unbeknownst to them, however, The Master has marked Luke with the sign of the Vessel, letting him feed to help release The Master, ensuring the Harvest.
This party…bites
Having the gang meet her at The Bronze, Buffy runs home to gear up. Just as Buffy got ready to leave, Joyce stopped her, after being called by the principal about her leaving school on just her second day. The chemistry between Buffy and her mother is amazing, you honestly feel they are really mother and daughter. All Joyce wants is to have a steady home life for her and Buffy. After she left, Buffy snuck to meet everyone at The Bronze, which by now has been locked down and filled with Luke, Darla, Jesse, and many other vampires, ready to begin the Harvest.
Buffy goes in to confront Luke as the others go in the back to help the people trapped inside to escape. After a bit of traditional back and forth banter, Buffy and Luke start a fight which I rather enjoyed. The post-fight event, not so much. Buffy breaks a window and distracts Luke with an outdoor light by telling him it is sunlight so she can kill him. So, if he knew it was night when everyone arrived (around 9-10 pm), why would that be sunlight? And if it was, they would have arrived at like 5 in the morning. This means these kids were out until the early morning on a school night. Anywho, Xander accidentally kills Jesse as someone in the skirmish bumps Jesse into a stake. While this is happening, Willow saves Giles from Darla by dousing her in holy water.
The next day in school, the gang is relaxing, thinking that they have won. Giles, however, advises them that this is only the beginning. While I did enjoy the first episode, I felt this did a lot to improve on it. The characters were better developed, for the most part, the flow seemed to go at a perfect pace. We also further develop our main BBEG, and also gave nods and hints to future episodes. All in all, a great episode.
(4 / 5)
Where to get the Harvest?
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Movies n TV
“The Demon of the End” Trumpeting New Evil
The assessors investigate a potential haunting who happens to be Kristen’s (Katja Herbers) neighbor in “The Demon of the End.”
The assessors investigate a potential haunting who happens to be Kristen’s (Katja Herbers) neighbor in “The Demon of the End.” David (Mike Colter) turns away from temptation and embraces his visions. Andy (Patrick Brammall) finds himself trapped and struggling. Kristen visits her mother (Christine Lahti as Sheryl) at work.
“The Demon of the End” is the tenth episode of season 3 of Evil, created by Michelle King and Robert King. The central cast includes Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Michael Emerson, Christine Lahti, and Andrea Martin. As of this review, it’s available through Netflix and Paramount+ and its add-ons.
What I Like about “The Demon of the End”
“The Demon of the End” begins shortly after the last episode, keeping momentum with a memorable introduction. “The Angel of Warning” provides another memorable introduction, but this episode directly connects the tragedy with the characters we know. It hits hard and lingers on that emotional investment.
Li Jun Li continues her exceptional performance as Grace realizes the cost of assuming she understands her vision. One might speculate why this realization troubles her, but the moments leading to her appearance visibly haunt her.
The evolution of Andy’s (Patrick Brammall) storyline provides a few twists that suggest a focus for the character. Andy often seems like one of the characters neglected by the plot, and “The Demon of the End” provides some work in remedying this issue. While the follow through varies between episodes, it’s still effective in this episode.
![Evil: Season Three [Blu-Ray]](https://hauntedmtl.com/wp-content/plugins/aawp/public/image.php?url=YUhSMGNITTZMeTl0TG0xbFpHbGhMV0Z0WVhwdmJpNWpiMjB2YVcxaFoyVnpMMGt2TlRFdGJuQndVRmhtU1V3dVgxTk1NVFl3WHk1cWNHYz18MTc0MDU4NDg4NA=)
- Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi (Actors)
- Robert King (Director)
- Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
![Evil: Season Three [DVD]](https://hauntedmtl.com/wp-content/plugins/aawp/public/image.php?url=YUhSMGNITTZMeTl0TG0xbFpHbGhMV0Z0WVhwdmJpNWpiMjB2YVcxaFoyVnpMMGt2TlRGYWJYaGtVVFpFYlV3dVgxTk1NVFl3WHk1cWNHYz18MTc0MDU4NDg4NA=)
- Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi (Actors)
- Robert King (Director)
- Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Last update on 2025-01-31 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Kristen remains the central character for most plotlines, passing from each catastrophic revelation with surprisingly effective pacing. Katja Herbers chews each scene, often displaying her thoughts with her expression alone.
When Evil lets a scene simmer, it leads to some of the show’s best moments. The combined revelations at the end between the characters hold many such moments. Kristen’s final scenes of the season bring this visual storytelling to life. Small moments connect previous episodes to the current plot as everything becomes clear to Kristen and the viewer.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
This is less a trope or trigger, but a character displays a moment that suggests an OCD. It’s a brief moment with little room to make any definitive claims.
Perhaps toxic family relationships should be mentioned. However, little is unpacked at the current moment, leaving potential plotlines for season 4 to develop further or drop.
David suggests a character pray at a particularly low moment regardless of their belief. I find it benign, but it might not sit well for some. However, this is a series following assessors for the Catholic church.
What I Dislike about “The Demon of the End”
There’s nothing I particularly dislike or take issue with in “The Demon of the End.” The one criticism is that of leaving in something akin to a cliffhanger, forcing season 4 to begin with season 3’s natural conclusion. Yes, it builds anticipation, but it leads to a non-conclusion.
Final Thoughts on “The Demon of the End”
“The Demon of the End” brings the end of season 3 with a few memorable moments and directions for season 4. It ends the season by promising a future confrontation with two key characters and several mysteries to explore further. The episode mostly feels complete in its execution, though it ends right before a full conclusion.
(5 / 5)
Final Thoughts on Season 3
Season 3 is the shortest season of Evil, breaking the 13-episode trend of 1 and 2. This decision seems a positive development, allowing a more focused plot that pushes the greater narrative along. However, it is a shame that this season drew a shorter straw, considering the initial fumbling of season 2. Viewers receive a clear move toward a definitive conclusion. 
(4.5 / 5)
Named for one of my favorite Goosebumps books, The Boy Who Cried Monster shed light on a character who hasn’t gotten much attention. One that, as far as I’m concerned, needed some additional screen time.
The Story
We begin this episode with Anthony, investigating the Fort where his brother vanished. He’s surprised to find equipment that wasn’t there before, as well as an underground tunnel.
Meanwhile, CJ is having a bad time of things. After leaving a food order out on a woman’s porch, causing it to be lost, he makes up a story about zombies to explain the mistake.
After being caught, he explains to his mom that he’s bored as a delivery person. He wants to help make changes to the family restaurant.
His mother seems open to this at first. Then, CJ brings a delivery of soup to Anthony.
Anthony, it seems, hasn’t been feeling well. It must be something he ate. Or something that ripped through his suit at the Fort. By the time CJ arrives, he’s falling apart.
But he manages to pull himself together just long enough to kidnap CJ and try to feed him that same goo that infected him. The other teens save CJ just in time. And Anthony, or at least something that looks like Anthony, loses his head.
What worked
To start with, this episode was funny. Considerably funnier than the rest of the season. Part of this was the focus on CJ, easily the funniest character in the show. But it was also the fantastic acting by David Schwimmer. His line delivery, especially while doing violent things, was so inoffensive and even apologetic. It was impossible not to laugh.
I also appreciate that almost everyone is together now. After everyone finally talks to everyone else properly, all of the kids are on the same page. Even Jen is at least aware of what’s going on and working to fix things. The only one who isn’t with the team is Anthony. Or, at least whatever it is that looks like Anthony and is walking around his house.
Finally, I want to talk about our new character, Hannah. Hannah is incredibly creepy, upsetting, and almost certainly not a human being. Everything from the way she moves to the way she talks to her weird smile is unnerving. It’s as close to the uncanny valley as an actual human can get. And since the actor is a real human even if the character isn’t (we assume) that’s quite a feat.
I also loved that Devin is smitten with her right away. And we don’t know if he falls so hard because he’s a dumb teenage boy or because she’s infected him in some way. Both seem equally possible. I’m looking forward to seeing what she does through the rest of the season. Because I’m sure it isn’t going to be anything good.
What didn’t work
All that being said, this episode did have several fatal flaws. And they happen to be issues that are at the very top of my most hated tropes list.
To start with, I cannot stand the love triangle between Frankie, Devin and Trey. It feels forced, and way too much time is being spent on it. Now, I’ll grant that part of this is just because it feels like a very teenage drama storyline. And technically this is a show for teenagers and tweens. But frankly, we can stop encouraging this sort of bad storytelling for younger people. They’re smart, and this sort of thing insults their intelligence.
- Goosebumps available now on Disney+!Lucy likes to tell monster stories
- She’s told so many that her friends and family are sick of it
- Then one day, Lucy discovers a real, live monster: the librarian in charge of the summer reading program
Last update on 2025-02-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
I also hate issues that could be solved with simple conversations. If Anthony had simply talked with his kids before being replaced by a pod person, a fragile pod person, I bet a lot of these problems could have been solved earlier. This always feels like a lazy plot device. Anytime the answer is, ‘If we’d just communicated earlier this could have all been avoided,’ I am out.
Things are getting serious with just three episodes left to go. So we’ll be marathoning them this week.
(3.5 / 5)
Movies n TV
Witness the Supernatural Horror of The Eye (2008)
Living blind most of her life, Sydney Wells (Jessica Alba) undergoes a transplant in The Eye (2008) and witnesses unexplainable phenomenon.
Living blind most of her life, Sydney Wells (Jessica Alba) undergoes a transplant in The Eye (2008). The clearer her vision becomes, the more unexplainable the sights she witnesses. Yet, no one seems to understand or believe her. To understand what she’s seeing, Sydney must uncover what happened to her doner.
The Eye (2008) is a supernatural horror film directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud, an American remake of a Chinese film of the same name directed by the Pang brothers. This PG-13 film stars Jessica Alba, Alessandro Nivola, Parker Posey and Rade Serbedzija. As of this review, the film is available on Amazon Prime Video.
What I Like about The Eye (2008)
In 2008, the film earned two awards and three nominations. The poster above and Jessica Alba received award-winning acclaim. This should probably fall within the Dislikes, but it also earned Jessica Alba a Razzi nomination in 2009. However, the Razzi likely focused on her performance on The Love Guru. Make of that what you will.
I’ll further comment on this point in later sections, but The Eye does work to show the complexities of incorporating this new sense from a character who has lived most of her life without it. She isn’t “fixed” because she was never broken, and it’s a commendable decision considering how often the opposite idea appears.
This film focuses on Jessica Alba, allowing her plenty of material to work through as she slowly breaks down against the mounting issues facing her. It remains a largely controlled performance based on the material given. She would win a Teen Choice Award and (funnily enough) the previously mentioned Razzi nomination. There’s another small role from a recognizable actress in one of her early roles. I will say no more on the matter.
![The Eye (2008) [Blu-ray] - Expired Digital Copy](https://hauntedmtl.com/wp-content/plugins/aawp/public/image.php?url=YUhSMGNITTZMeTl0TG0xbFpHbGhMV0Z0WVhwdmJpNWpiMjB2YVcxaFoyVnpMMGt2T1RGc2VGQkhSalZUTUV3dVgxTk1NVFV3TUY4dVgxTk1NVFl3WHk1cWNHYz18MTc0MDU4NDg4NA=)
- THE EYE DESCRIPTION The violinist Sydney Wells has been blind since she was five years old due to an accident
- She submits to a surgery of cornea transplantation to recover her vision, and while recovering from the operation, she realizes that she’s having strange visions
- With the support of Dr
- Jessica Alba stars as a blind woman who receives an eye transplant, which allows her to see into the supernatural world, in this $31 million-grossing film
- Bonuses: featurettes, deleted scenes, digital copy
Last update on 2025-02-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Eye has strong bones and twists that I imagine come from the original film. I won’t comment further on the original, but The Eye provides twists that run with the concept of inherited memories. I love how The Eye explores this concept, though execution doesn’t fully develop these ideas.
Moving the narrative to Mexico adds a refreshing change of location. It adds some variety to the setting and a pleasant shift. However, I will say that the random town provides a typical depiction of rural Mexico.
Despite my reservations about The Eye‘s execution, the film lingers in its horror and often haunts the viewer. From the film’s concept to the visuals, The Eye has an early 2000s charm. Yes, it’s flawed and lacks in parts, but it still provides an entertaining and enjoyable experience.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
Ableism remains a potential issue for the film, though the ending persuades me against that concept. What can’t be denied is that there are several ableist characters, though I linger in the idea that this is intentional. The film shows their perspectives are wrong or inaccurate.
The key trope that this film explores is cellular memory. One addition to this concept is inheriting someone’s supernatural gifts. Though, that’s far from unique at this point.
What I Dislike about The Eye (2008)
Dr. Paul Faulkner (Alessandro Nivola) acts as a co-lead in the film and seems deplorable with his patient (Sydney). This is in no way an inherent issue with the actor but the writing. For a doctor who specializes in Sydney Well’s particular struggles, he seems furious anytime she appears overwhelmed. While it’s possible the ending suggests they are a couple, The Eye does leave this ambiguous. If The Eye intends to pair them by labeling these arguments as romantic chemistry, it fails.
The biggest problem with The Eye remains the underdeveloped ideas. While the plot points remain interesting, few get explored to any depth worth mentioning. Little gets solved, and even the climactic moment of development seems more a matter of happenstance. It makes me wonder if the original film might better explore these concepts.
Final Thoughts on The Eye (2008)
The Eye explores cellular memory with a supernatural twist. While far from a flawlessly executed film, a 2000s charm makes it memorable. If it further developed its concepts, The Eye might haunt in all aspects. However, it fills a niche for those with a taste for premonitions and lingering reapers eager for souls.
(2.5 / 5)
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