Hrishikesh Hirway is back to talk to Jenny about his favorite character, Riley Finn! We also discuss the very special time in a young girl's life when she accidentally becomes one half of a human sex battery powering a lust-filled poltergeisty frat house haunting. Relatable! For better or worse, today is all about S4E18: Where the Wild Things A ...…

It's another day in Sunnydale, which means chaos, monsters, and the valiant charge of our hero Jonathan. Vanquishing all evil as it arrives on the Hellmouth, showing us all how to be gracious and kind while also strong and powerful, Jonathan gives a voice to the voiceless, and continues to give us hope. Where would we be without him? Today we a ...…

AAAHHHH FAITH SWAPPED BODIES WITH BUFFY! All hands on deck! This is not a drill! This week we are live from PodCon2 in Seattle, where we find Faith and Buffy locked in eternal girl-frenemy conflict, Tara and Willow getting VERY sweaty as they make a magic glow-ball out of *ahem*, and also - hey, what's a "stevedore"? Grab a towel for S4E16: Who ...…

Faith is back with a goddamn magical fidget spinner, NEED WE SAY MORE?! This week we are live from London's Vampire Ball (!!) talking about Faith and Buffy and Buffy and Faith, our favorite slayer gal pals in all the universe. Yes, there is an erotic novel. Buckle up for S4E15: This Year's Girl LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON THE INTERNET Jenny Owen You ...…

Riley is very sweaty, but don't worry Buffy has a bandana for his itchy hand! Willow isn't only going over to Tara's for magic, SILLY!! Adam is so technologically advanced that he can put more than one floppy disk into his chest cavity while saying WHAT AM I like a confused baby frankenbird!!! We are careening into the middle of this season, sc ...…

Don't you just love when your psych professor turns out to be the head of a monster initiative that created a Frankenstein-like thing named Adam who eats floppy disks and has metal shinguards?! Don't you love it even more when she sets up creepy cameras to watch you and your new boyfriend have sex (he's gonna take off your boot!) and then tries ...…

Ethan Rayne is back in town and so, of course, is Kate Leth! We talk oh-so-much about the sexual tension between our two favorite mystics, listen to Jenny attempt to tell a story about having sex in college, witness some DEFLOWERING between our witches, and give special attention to Giles putting a feather duster between his teeth. Oh, *and* we ...…

In Sunnydale this week, Spike shrinks all of his clothing, we confirm that Buffy is a Capricorn on the cusp of Aquarius, and Kristin and Jenny THROW DOWN on their differing opinions of Riley Finn. Also, Forest is still in love with Riley, Willow makes a great joke about 19th Century Literature, and Percy is A JERK! We are here a day early to te ...…

This is the one where — *Your hosts grab suddenly at their throats & try to continue speaking. Their eyes widen. They look directly into the camera, overtaken by fear.* LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON THE INTERNET Jenny Owen Youngs: @jennyowenyoungs; jennyowenyoungs.com/buffering Kristin Russo: @kristinnoeline; kristinnoeline.com, everyoneisgay.com, myk ...…

A heartbroken Willow decides to cast a *late night* spell in a shared dormitory bathroom which can only mean one thing: Spike and Buffy are going to get engaged! To each other! WHAT A DAY. Today we're discussing S4E9: Something Blue. LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON THE INTERNET Jenny Owen Youngs: @jennyowenyoungs; jennyowenyoungs.com/buffering Kristin R ...…

A crossover for the ages brings Buffy into the Angelverse to show us all how beautiful love can be before then ripping our hearts our of our chests. Yes, that's right, we are barreling forward through tales of peanut butter in bed, dishes flying off tables in the throes of passion, demons with troll-doll jewels for eyes, oracle twins, Doyle tak ...…

Holy hell(mouth), you send us so much glorious mail that we decided to bring a very special mailbag episode right into your lil scooby ears this month! We talk about fruit punch! We talk about the love of taciturn men! We talk about writing songs! Jenny squeals for Marc Blucas! It's a hoot (minus the 'nanny), and we hope you enjoy. LOCATE YOUR ...…

It's Thanksgiving in Sunnydale, and much is happening: Detective Angel's lurking in the bushes, Anya is *so Anya*, and Spike is tied to a chair! It's not all fun & games though - there's a whole lot of white guilt, colonialism, and troubled history to examine in this holiday episode. We're thankful to welcome Coya White Hat-Artichoker, an enrol ...…

RILEY LIKES BUFFY and he's part of a secret monster-catching arm of the government, conveniently headquartered underneath his campus housing! ALSO Spike is in peril, Buffy is bad at fro-yo, Harmony has a unicorn poster, Giles & Xander desperately want to be useful, and Willow still believes in love (perhaps begrudgingly, perhaps only for other ...…

Oh, Willow. Is there anything more to say?! Special guest host Joanna Robinson joins Kristin to discuss the hair regimes of She Wolves, the attractiveness of men with power tools, and, of course, the heartbreak that is S4E6: Wild At Heart. *clutches bosom and wails* LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON THE INTERNET Jenny Owen Youngs: @jennyowenyoungs; jennyo ...…

LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT’S S4E5: Beer Bad!!! There comes a time in the lives of two podcasters when they must stare destiny in the face and say, “We alone wield the strength and skill to discuss what is widely regarded as the worst episode of Buffy. YES, world, we shall now talk about Beer Bad.” Thankfully we were joined by Heather Hogan, Louis P ...…

It's Halloween in July and we are back at a frat house (*~the paaaaatriarchyyyy~*)! Meanwhile, Anya is terrified of bunnies, Joan of Arc and God are winning the costume contest, and GILES HAS A CHAINSAW???? Today we are discussing S4E4: Fear, Itself! LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON THE INTERNET Jenny Owen Youngs: @jennyowenyoungs; jennyowenyoungs.com/bu ...…

Our platinum baby is back alongside vamp Harmony in pursuit of the gem of Amara, and Parker is a total jerkface! Also, ANYA. Today we are discussing S4E3: The Harsh Light of Day! LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON THE INTERNET Jenny Owen Youngs: @jennyowenyoungs; jennyowenyoungs.com/buffering Kristin Russo: @kristinnoeline; kristinnoeline.com, everyoneisga ...…

Buffy's college roommate Kathy is here in full force, so you'd better log your calls, label your eggs, and make sure your face is glued on tight!! Passive-aggression is the demonic force at play in Sunnydale this week, and not even the park benches will be safe. *blasts Cher* Today we are discussing S4E2: Living Conditions. LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UP ...…

Buffy's off to COLLEGE and navigating the many obstacles of higher education matriculation - frathouse Jell-O shots, misogynistic professors, and of course on-campus vampires who kill your new friends, insult your outfit, and read your diary. Hellmouth no! Today we are discussing S4E1: The Freshman. LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON THE INTERNET Jenny Owe ...…

WOW, Kristin got the chance to sit down and chat with the mayor of Sunnydale himself, Harry Groener!! We couldn't think of a better way to close out season 3 than to share this fantastic conversation with all of you. You'll hear them dig into Richard Wilkins III's complicated relationship with Faith, discuss how a mayor ascending is similar to ...…

Angel stands silhouetted in a foggy mist reflecting on his passions whilst Faith and Buffy find each other in a shared dreamscape. Seriously, though, this is the one where the class of '99 RISES UP TO BATTLE SOME MAJOR EVIL. Uh-huh that's right. Today we are discussing S3E22: Graduation Day Part 2. LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON THE INTERNET Jenny Owen ...…

WOW wow wow wow wow THIS IS THE ONE WHERE Buffy puts on some leather pants and Faith's eating a twizzler and then THEY FIGHT aaaaah probably some other stuff happens too but WHO CARES?! Today we're discussing S3E21: Graduation Day Part 1. LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON THE INTERNET Jenny Owen Youngs: @jennyowenyoungs; jennyowenyoungs.com/buffering Kris ...…

Ira Madison III returns to help us discuss the finer points of breaking up with your girlfriend in a sewer, how great Cordelia looks in her prom dress, and the most beautiful umbrella anyone has ever received as a token of gratitude for defending a whole town from the forces of evil. Today we're discussing S3E20: The Prom. GET TO KNOW OUR GUEST ...…

Willow is kidnapped! Faith is gifted a fresh-smelling thing of beauty! The Mayor eats a twelve-course meal of spiders! Buffy gets into Northwestern! Angel drops the winch on his burgeoning detective career! Today we're discussing S3E19: Choices. LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON THE INTERNET Jenny Owen Youngs: @jennyowenyoungs; jennyowenyoungs.com/bufferi ...…

Our #1 fave Joanna Robinson returns to help us explore the finer points of Herbal Essences commercials, Alex Mack, and the simple fact that when you unexpectedly absorb the silvery blood of a mouthless demon and gain the power to read minds, it's not all sunshine and puppies. Today we're discussing S3E18: Earshot. GET TO KNOW OUR GUEST: Joanna ...…

This is the one where Buffy and Faith become (Best Fr)ENEMIES, so buckle up for some serious drama. Hrishikesh Hirway of The West Wing Weekly and Song Exploder joins us in our discussion of French films, billowing blouses, and bondage. Today we're discussing S3E17: Enemies. GET TO KNOW OUR GUEST: Hrishikesh Hirway: @HrishiHirway; hrishikesh.co ...…

TWO WILLOWS, NO WAITING! Plus we have a lovely chat with story expert (and Buffy aficionado) Lani Diane Rich, and a mind-bending Buffy FashionWatch from Kate Leth - once you hear it, you'll never be the same. Today we're discussing S3E16: Doppelgängland. GET TO KNOW OUR GUESTS: Lani Diane Rich: @lanidianerich; chipperish.com Kate Leth: @katelet ...…

We can barely recall when one leather-clad vampire slayer came a-fogging up classroom windows and drawing hearts everywhere - 'twas so like a dream, and only one short week ago. Lo! The winds of change blow harsh through Sunnydale, forcing Buffy and Faith farther apart from one another. Will they ever find their way back?! Today we're discussin ...…

THE TIME HAS COME FOR ALL BAD GIRLS TO BREATHE FOG ONTO THE WINDOW PANE AND DRAW STAKED HEARTS UPON THE GLASS! Faith and Buffy are spending a LOT of time together this episode, and Jenny can't stop screaming about it. (Kristin is also excited but is playing it characteristically *cool.*) Kristin has a fantastic talk with the lovely Jack Plotnic ...…

It's Season Faith, Episode Xander, and Andrew Ti (of the Yo, Is This Racist? blog & podcast) joins us for a deep dive into the patriarchy and macramé owls! Plus!! The incredible Chris Farren returns, performing and producing the song that we wrote for this week's episode. Today we're discussing S3E13: The Zeppo. GET TO KNOW OUR GUESTS Andrew Ti ...…

In this VERY SPECIAL EPISODE, we venture to Santa Barbara (aka Sunnydale) at the request of THE MAYOR (Helene Schneider, who is, as best we can tell, not evil *at all* but a totally lovely human, as well as a Buffy fan)! We chat with Helene -- and also Parry Gripp and Steve Sherlock of Nerf Herder (!!!) who of course you know WROTE AND PERFORME ...…

Will Buffy get to go to the ice show for her birthday? Will Angel finish his cheese plate? These are just a couple of the questions we're examining today, PLUS Jeff Kober joins us to talk about playing Zachary Kralik!! In case you forgot, this is the one where Quentin Travers, the head of the Watchers Council, is all "Hi Buffy, we'll be druggin ...…

Grab your pitchforks and brace yourselves for some mob mentality, Sunnydale-style - we've arrived at Season Faith, Episode M.O.O.! Also, holy cheese wheels, we talked to Elizabeth Anne Allen (who plays Amy Madison) about nearly getting burned at the stake on her birthday, meeting the rat-actor who played her character's rat-self, and loads more ...…

It's that magical time of year when tree lights twinkle, snowfall dusts the distant hilltops, and the ghosts of those you've murdered in cold blood come back to haunt you. Gaby Dunn RETURNS and Joanna Robinson pops by for a quick Buffy FeelingsWatch (and brings her impression of Angel's impression of an Irish accent). Today we're discussing S3E ...…

Bored now? Of course you're not!! There's ANYA! And VAMPIRE WILLOW! Today we're discussing S3E9: The Wish. Jenny Owen Youngs is @jennyowenyoungs on twitter, and you can check out some of her non-Buffy songs at www.jennyowenyoungs.com/buffering Kristin Russo is @kristinnoeline on twitter. Learn more about the resources she creates for LGBTQ indi ...…

Official Spike fan-club president Joanna Robinson returns because GUESS WHO JUST DROVE THROUGH THE SUNNYDALE SIGN AGAIN!!! Also Angel is reading Sartre's Nausea by the fire in the original French and we NEED to talk about it. Today we're discussing S3E8: Lover's Walk. Follow earth angel Joanna Robinson on twitter @jowrotethis, read her writings ...…

Live from The NerdMelt Showroom! Special guests Kristine Thune, Ira Madison III, Kate Leth, and Gaby Dunn (who somehow forced her way on stage) help us sort through our feelings about Gwendolyn Post, Slayer Tension, and The Glove of Non-Monogamy! Today we're discussing S3E7: Revelations. Follow our amazing guests on Twitter : Kristine Thune - @ ...…

Kristine Sutherland (!!!) and Kate Leth guest -- ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING US, IT'S EFFING BAND CANDY!!!!! We mean *ahem* -- today we're discussing S3E6: Band Candy. Jenny Owen Youngs is @jennyowenyoungs on twitter, and you can check out some of her non-Buffy songs at www.jennyowenyoungs.com/buffering Kristin Russo is @kristinnoeline on twitter. L ...…

BUFFERING 3.05: Homecoming GET IN THE LIMO! It's the episode that launched a zillion Cordelia/Spatula fan fics! Buckle up for SlayerFest 98! Today we're discussing S3E5: Homecoming. Jenny Owen Youngs is @jennyowenyoungs on twitter, and you can check out some of her non-Buffy songs at www.jennyowenyoungs.com/buffering Kristin Russo is @kristinno ...…

BUFFERING 3.04: Beauty and the Beasts In this episode, Buffy finds herself surrounded by all kinds of man-beasts, Faith coins the phrase "kickin the gearshift" (now a timeless classic), and Xander takes a very poorly-timed nap. We also talk to Red McCormick about her experience in working with survivors of domestic violence, and how that inters ...…

Lock up your daughters because FAITH IS HERE!! Prepare for pleather pants, alligator wrestling, and a hearty Boston accent, and then brace for impact because *something* is about to fall out of the sky. Today we're discussing S3E3: Faith, Hope & Trick. Jenny Owen Youngs is @jennyowenyoungs on twitter, and you can check out some of her non-Buffy ...…

LIVE FROM FLAMECON in Brooklyn NY, this episode features guest appearances from musician Mal Blum, senior Autostraddle editor Heather Hogan, and our beloved Kate Leth! We talk about zombie cats, zombie humans, and of course... Joyce and Pat. This week we're discussing s3e2: Dead Man's Party. **PLEASE NOTE** our new "The Patriarchy" jingle is av ...…

HOLY HELLMOUTH WE ARE BACK!! We're kicking off Season 3 with a supersize episode, complete with a Buffy FashionWatch fix from Kate Leth and an interview with the *delightful* Julia Lee Stander, who plays Lily/Anne in this ep and was going by Chanterelle all the way back in 2.07: Lie to Me. This week we're SO THRILLED to be discussing s3e1: Anne ...…

Today we stand on a mountaintop, shading our eyes from the glare of the sun, looking back on all that we have endured together over these last 22 episodes. The second chapter of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has some high highs and some LOW lows, and we're discussing our favorite moments as well as some truly painful ones. You'll also hear from Gaby ...…

THE AMAZONS ARE TRAINING ON THE ISLAND!!!! On this very special episode of Buffering the Vampire Slayer, Jenny, Kristin, and Wonder Woman aficionado Heather Hogan dig into Diana, Themyscira, and the shockingly deep feminist roots of this DC character. This week we're discussing Wonder Woman! Read Heather's work on autostraddle.com and follow he ...…

Buckle up for a heavy one, friends, because it's a very emotional day in Sunnydale. Angel wants to destroy the world, and Buffy wants to stop him. This episode is SUCH a doozy that Kate Leth decided to forgo fashion talk and record a Buffy FEELINGS-Watch! This week we're discussing s2e22: Becoming (Part 2). This episode is brought to you by Boo ...…

WOW Buffy and Willow find a very important floppy disk, an old friend comes to visit from far away, and Angelus decides he wants to bring forth the demon Acathla and destroy the world. HOLY HECK the Scoobies are in some serious peril! This week we're discussing s2e21: Becoming (Part 1). Jenny Owen Youngs is @jennyowenyoungs on twitter, and you ...…

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Answers! Here's some HellMath for you - your emails + our responses = this episode! This is Welcome to the Mailbag: Vol. 5!Jenny Owen Youngs is @jennyowenyoungs on twitter, and you can check out some of her non-Buffy songs at jennyowenyoungs.com/buffering. Kristin Russo is @kristinnoeline on twitter. Learn more about the resou ...…