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Buffy the Vampire Slayer
S4.E5
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IMDbPro

Beer Bad

  • Episode aired Nov 2, 1999
  • TV-PG
  • 1h
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
4.2K
YOUR RATING
Nicholas Brendon in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
ActionAdventureDramaFantasyHorrorRomance

Xander finds employment as a bartender at a pub where some of Buffy's friends turn into terrifying Cro-Magnon creatures.Xander finds employment as a bartender at a pub where some of Buffy's friends turn into terrifying Cro-Magnon creatures.Xander finds employment as a bartender at a pub where some of Buffy's friends turn into terrifying Cro-Magnon creatures.

  • Director
    • David Solomon
  • Writers
    • Joss Whedon
    • Tracey Forbes
    • Douglas Petrie
  • Stars
    • Sarah Michelle Gellar
    • Nicholas Brendon
    • Alyson Hannigan
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    4.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • David Solomon
    • Writers
      • Joss Whedon
      • Tracey Forbes
      • Douglas Petrie
    • Stars
      • Sarah Michelle Gellar
      • Nicholas Brendon
      • Alyson Hannigan
    • 22User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos38

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    Top cast22

    Edit
    Sarah Michelle Gellar
    Sarah Michelle Gellar
    • Buffy Summers
    Nicholas Brendon
    Nicholas Brendon
    • Xander Harris
    Alyson Hannigan
    Alyson Hannigan
    • Willow Rosenberg
    Seth Green
    Seth Green
    • Oz
    Anthony Head
    Anthony Head
    • Rupert Giles
    • (as Anthony Stewart Head)
    Marc Blucas
    Marc Blucas
    • Riley Finn
    Adam Kaufman
    Adam Kaufman
    • Parker Abrams
    Paige Moss
    Paige Moss
    • Veruca
    Eric Matheny
    Eric Matheny
    • Colm
    Steven M. Porter
    Steven M. Porter
    • Jack
    • (as Stephen M. Porter)
    Lindsay Crouse
    Lindsay Crouse
    • Professor Maggie Walsh
    Kal Penn
    Kal Penn
    • Hunt
    Jake Phillips
    Jake Phillips
    • Kip
    Bryan Cuprill
    • Roy
    Lisa Johnson
    • Paula
    Joshua Wheeler
    • Driver
    Patrick Belton
    Patrick Belton
    • College Kid #1
    Kaycee Shank
    • College Kid #2
    • Director
      • David Solomon
    • Writers
      • Joss Whedon
      • Tracey Forbes
      • Douglas Petrie
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews22

    6.34.2K
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    Featured reviews

    10xxcaeliihunn

    This episode was hilarious and y'all are haters

    Like yes maybe they were trying to get some kind of anti-drinking message across, but it was still funny and just like any other episode of Buffy.
    3drago-jelisic

    Don't drink...

    What the... This episode is one of the worst BtVS episode ever.

    This episode had only one point - don't drink and that's it.

    I have never seen an episode as bad as this one on BtVS.

    As almost all episodes there often is one moment which makes you laugh and yes - there where some here too.

    But there is got to be a reasonable plot - which unfortunately is missing here...

    Revenge is the main plot - and we all know that it never ends good.

    Even the sun has it marks and this is BtVS biggest mark.

    I give this episode 3/10 but it's a really weak three.
    10gregsgirl7

    I enjoy this for a different reason.

    I understand fans thinking that this episode is one of the worst in Buffy history, however I love it for a different reason.

    Think of young woman out there being treated like they are special to someone, and then that someone uses them to get exactly what they want (sex) and then being thrown to the side so they can move on to the next one. Unfortunately this happens way to often in our society. We lack intimacy all the time. Every new show out there is so full of sex and violence that women and men have no idea what's real and what isn't. They rely on porn to full their void and the expect their relationship or lack there of to have the same type of meaning.

    This episode shows us that Parker wants his ego stoked because my guess is in High School woman ignored him so in College he's using them. Buffy on the other hand only knows Angel and that when he truly loves her he turns evil. Buffy can't understand why Parker used her and Parker can't understand why she became attached. Add the comping mechanisms that we as humans do; drinking, sex, drugs and we get beer bad. Not to mention Buffy hitting Parker over the head with a stick. That part ruled! Yet she still saved his life.

    Look at this episode as a marker for woman who give their heart to someone and men who believe their owed something from previous women. It's a shoulder shrug for sure. I like it!
    8nicofreezer

    Great fun ! Love it

    "Beer Bad" is a loot of fun, I love that Xander is a barman, i love all the comedy stuff about it. These kind of episode are vital to a show, to change the Pace with more serious episodes.

    Can recognise a great show on the way it can change from one episode to another and still beiing good. Like The X files, Buffy is capable of giving us comedy episode, drama, sometime romance episodes, action one, weird one, thats why a show is great.

    When a show is not confident enough, it just stay every single episodes with the same stuff, like criminals Minds or NCIS, boring show because its always the same story with just a few things changing from one episode to another.
    1TuDiosEsMiBastardo

    Dumb Bars

    Ivan Jelisic is right but he's being too good on this episode... It is not just boring and that its plot is reduced to revenge ain't the worth...

    Willow, Buffy and Xander speaking 'bout relationships is a look at an -censored-hole's -censored-brain concept of what makes up a relationship.

    Buffy's fixation on a one night stand betrays her strong persona that copes with bigger deals.

    The way Xander is intimidated by implying that simple words are hard to understand because they are long makes Xander even more the fool.

    Why the hell Xander showed a no-smoking sign to the only girl that seemed interested? The fact that the show offs were meant to be intelligent by saying nonsense is another give away...

    Not to forget the lame version of cavemen that they all make... They are lame feigning intelligence, the are lame feigning wildness...

    Bottomline? This episode alone makes the whole series seem garbage... Nonetheless Tracey Forbes is responsible for few episodes in the series so one could think again... Bu I do wonder... What kind of hole grows in her brain and suck all bits of intelligence? Sad thing that I couldn't rate this episode with 0 stars if I wanted to rate it... The worst thing I've seen in TV fiction.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In an interview, Joss Whedon revealed doubts he and David Solomon had about the quality of the script: "The fourth season's Beer Bad wasn't everyone's cup of tea, especially with Buffy fans". Solomon had some doubts but it turned out to be better than he expected. "Joss wasn't entirely pleased with this story," he says. "He came into my office at the last minute with the script and said to me, 'I tried to make it better but all I did was make it funnier.' I took that to mean, 'We're not exactly sure what this is supposed to be about so just enjoy yourself.' So I actually had a ball doing it. It was a laugh to watch frat boys turn into cavemen and have Buffy affected by the same thing that was affecting them. We just let everyone go 'crazy' and nothing all bad came out of it."
    • Goofs
      Xander, Buffy, and Willow get up from the table. The personal microphone equipment clipped to the waistband at the back of Nicholas Brendon's pants is visible; he adjusts his shirt to cover it as they turn to walk.
    • Quotes

      Buffy Summers: Beer! Buffy want beer.

      Rupert Giles: No. Y-You can't have beer.

      Buffy Summers: Want... beer.

      Xander Harris: Giles, don't make Cave-Slayer unhappy.

    • Connections
      Featured in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Gift (2001)
    • Soundtracks
      Nothing But You
      Performed by Kim Ferron

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 2, 1999 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Hulu
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • 1800 Stewart St., Santa Monica, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Mutant Enemy
      • Kuzui Enterprises.
      • Sandollar Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h(60 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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