Superstar

It's the first ever Buffy episode to get such a low rating from me. I'm all for off beat humor and self mockery. But this episode is failing at both. Like I said earlier, this second half of season, has such a huge quality drop, it's unbelievable. Everything after Hush, is either good or passable. And only two episodes really get my attention. A New Man, in which Ethan Rayne gave Giles his finest curse. Is the goofiest and funniest episode of season 4. One where we finally get to reflect on where the Giles character stand, after all these years mixing with a group of teenagers. And Who are you? The infamous Buffy/Faith body switch episode, that is tarnished lately, by crazy internet theories. When literally nothing was left open to incite such wild interpretations. The rest being about the Initiative nonsense, was the passable part. And even though the Maggie Walsh character made for an interesting vilain, it can't make up for how precarious her work is. Superstar, was meant to be a lighter episode, after all the intense drama. But it is also one you can skip entirely, and not miss anything. And when you risk yourself at it, you wish you hadn't. And the fact that it's getting higher ratings than Beer Bad or even, Where the Wild Things are, this season. Is pure madness.

As this episode opens Buffy and friends discover a group of vampires in a crypt but instead of taking them on they seek out the help of Jonathan Levinson... he may look the same as the weedy character from previous episodes but now everybody thinks he is perfect; and perhaps he is. He slays vampires better than Buffy, he is more intelligent than Giles, he is the epitome of cool and to cap it all he lives in a mansion with a pair of attractive blonde twins! Something is wrong; something is very wrong! Then a monster turns up; he claims it is harmless but is clearly rattled when its potential victim describes a mark on its forehead. The only character to immediately know things are wrong is Adam; but he enjoys the chaos; later Buffy suspects but it won't be easy persuading others that Jonathon isn't perfect.

This episode was a great idea and it did provide some good laughs. The concept unfortunately provides its own weaknesses as Johnathon effectively becomes a deliberate Mary sue character in his own corny fan fiction. I liked how the show's opening was modified to include Jonathon among the main cast. The action was pretty good, as was the monster of the week and the explanation of its origin. The regular cast are on good form and Danny Strong does a fine job as Jonathon; just slightly overdoing too perfect character so it looks as though Jonathon knows he isn't really perfect but is keeping up the illusion. Overall a slightly weaker episode but still worth watching.

When the fantastic Jonathan visits Sunnydale U.C., everybody wants to be with him: the inventor of Internet; lead actor of "The Matrix"; awesome vampire hunter; stunning singer; great author of successful best-sellers; amazing lover. Meanwhile, a weird and powerful long-armed demon also comes to Sunnydale, marked with an unusual signal. When Buffy sees the same signal on Jonathan's shoulder, she feels that something is not right in the reality.

This episode presents a good idea, but the beginning is quite confused. Jonathan appears without a previous introduction, giving the sensation that something is missing. The logical thoughts and behavior of Buffy shows an unusual maturity of the slayer. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Superastro" ("Superstar")

Worst episode ever. The show is of course total fiction of slayer, vampires and other demons. This show is not about one guys delusions of grander. This was far too unrealistic and doesn't follow regular flow of the rest of the show. I was so bored...

This episode of Buffy confuses the viewer right off the bat with a changed intro and prominent scenes of Jonathan - who since season 2 has only shown up sporadically.

What's happened is that Jonathan, during the process of getting counseled due to his attempt at suicide the previous year, met a fellow counselee who introduced him to magic and specifically to a spell that bends reality to one's liking. Jonathan's spell bends reality to where he is the best at everything - musician, author, Academy award winning director, and warrior in the fight against evil. And, of course, nobody realizes they are in this absurdist reality and that's part of the comedy.

Part of the fun is that Jonathan really does get some things right. He's right about Adam's power source and that being the secret to killing him, and he's right about Riley and Buffy's relationship. The spell really did change him. It didn't just make everyone think that he changed.

The catch in all of this is that the spell that made Jonathan the best of everything has created the worst of everything - a hideous monster that goes about wreaking wanton destruction. Complications ensue.