2x15 Phases - Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode Guide

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

- Episode 02x15

Episode: 02x15
Title: Phases
Type: Regular Episode
Production Code: 5V15
First Aired: Jan. 27, 1998

Summary: Willow makes a startling discovery about Oz while Buffy tries to find a werewolf on the loose in Sunnydale.

	Season 2 / Episode 15: - Phases Giles: The werewolf, uh, is such a-a potent, e-e-extreme representation of our inborn, animalistic traits that it emerges for three full consecutive nights - the full moon, and, uh, the two nights surrounding it. Willow: Quite the party animal. Giles: Quite. And, it, uh, acts on-on-on pure instinct, no conscience, predatory and-and aggressive.
	Season 2 / Episode 15: - Phases Giles: My guess is that this werewolf will be back at next month's full moon. Willow: What about tonight's full moon? Giles: Pardon? Willow: Well, last night was the night before the full moon. Traditionally known as... the night before the full moon.

SYNC: (At 30:46) Xander's mouth movement does not match at all as he says "werewolf" to Buffy.
CONT: Giles is in the library, and his glasses repeatedly disappear and reappear between shots .
CONT: Willow is running away from Oz (as the werewolf) through the woods. She falls over and her dungarees get muddy. In the ensuing shots, the mud on her trousers repeatedly appears and disappears.
PLOT: Werewolf hunter Kane states he kills werewolves to obtain their teeth and pelts. However, in the episode "Wild at Heart" it's established that werewolves revert to human form upon death. This is confirmed in the "Unleashed" episode of Angel.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997) was one of the first TV series to cause quite a stir on the Internet with numerous fan sites and message boards springing up. This is acknowledged in this episode when Buffy stops in front of a noticeboard. There's a small note on the board thanking all of the Buffy fans at the official website.
Joss Whedon originally didn't know whether it would be Willow or Xander who turned out gay. Xander's conversation with Larry in this episode could have been slightly foreshadowing had Xander been chosen to be gay. As it is, this is not the first instance in the series where there is the hint of doubt about Xander's sexuality.
Oz sarcastically tells Larry that Willow is secretly an evil mastermind. Much later in the series, Willow really does become an evil mastermind; she was the "Big Bad" (main villain) of the latter part of season 6.
Oz's comment of the eyes of the cheerleader statue following you is a reference to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997) {Witch (#1.3)}, when the soul of Catherine Madison was trapped inside her own trophy.