History Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E16BewitchedBotheredAndBewildered

* BreatherEpisode: This episode is rather light-hearted compared to the two episodes before and after it: the generally-serious "Phases" and the WhamEpisode "Passions".

** Buffy and Giles are still shunning Jenny after the events of "Innocence".

* CreatorInJoke: This is the first episode which we see the grave with the name "Alpert" on the tomb. This is named after producer Richard Alpert. The tomb can be seen again throughout the series, in "Killed by Death", "Becoming, Part 1", "The Zeppo", "Something Blue", "Superstar", "Real Me" and "Grave".

* {{Headdesk}}: Once alone with Xander, Joyce immediately takes the opportunity to give him a back rub, causing Xander to slam his head on the table in frustration.

** When Spike bemoans that he's not simply ripping Buffy's lungs out, Angel claims it lacks poetry, Spike retorts, "Doesn't have to. What rhymes with lungs?" This refers to his past as a (not very good) poet which will be revealed in the Season 5 episode "Fool For Love".

** Amy will call on Hecate again in "Gingerbread" to turn herself into a rat.

** Engaging in his usual self-depreciation, Xander says he might find a better love interest than Cordy "in a parallel universe". Cue "The Wish", in which Cordelia accidentally creates an AlternateUniverse that introduces Xander's future LoveInterest Anya to the series.
** The first act of this episode spends a lot of time discussing Angelus' "brutal displays of affection" and love of playing mind games with his victims, including slaughtering pets and elaborate stagings of his murders. It seems like {{Fauxshadowing}} in this episode, where his attack on Xander is stopped by Drusilla and overshadowed by the more immediate threat of the love mob, but it all pays off in the next episode, "Passion".

** When Amy does a spell on Buffy, her eyes go pitch-black like her mother's in the episode ''The Witch''. This, and the mojo she worked on her teacher, suggests that Amy is taking the same path as her mother regarding the use of magic.

* WrittenInAbsence: Sarah Michelle Gellar was away on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' for part of this one, so they came up with the Buffy rat.

* CallBack: The scene in which Xander and Cordelia are lying on the floor, attacked by the crazy mob, is part of a flashback seen in the Season 7 episode "Him". Xander refers to the events as "good times", [[NostalgiaFilter even though he clearly expresses it now as a nightmare]]. That episode features a brief flashback of him and Cordelia being attacked in the basement.

* SighOfLove: A lot of the female characters affected by Xander's backfired love spell sigh when they're around him, particularly in the scene when he is walking down the hallway.

* TitledAfterTheSong: The title of the episode comes from the FrankSinatra song "Bewitched". The second to last verse seems particularly appropriate to the Xander/Cordelia relationship seen in the episode: ''I lost my heart, but what of it? / He is cold I agree / She might laugh, but I love it / Although the laugh's on me.''

* AbsurdlyIneffectiveBarricade

* AlmostKiss: Buffy/Xander
* AnAxeToGrind: After saving Cordelia from getting pummeled by his entourage, Xander and into a mob led by a fire axe-toting Willow. She sobs as she tells him she loves him so much. "[[IfICantHaveYou I'd rather see you dead than with that bitch!]]" She moves forward and raises the axe, but Harmony rushes from behind and grabs the handle. She wrestles with Willow as the two mobs confront each other.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint
-->'''Buffy:''' I remember coming on to you, I remember begging you to undress me...and then a sudden need for cheese. [[AboveTheInfluence I also remember that you didn't.]]

* ContinuityNod: Buffy and Giles are still shunning Jenny after the events of "Innocence". Also, when Xander tells Buffy she saw Amy work some magic on their teacher, Buffy remembers [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E3TheWitch Amy of all people should know better]]. Finally, when Amy asks if they're going to the Valentine's Day dance, Willow can't '''wait''' to tell her, "My boyfriend (Oz) is in the band!"

* ADayInTheLimelight: Xander & Cordelia.
* DoubleEntendre: Joyce offering Xander a drink, then idly asking if he's in the mood for something hot.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: When Spike bemoans that he's not simply ripping Buffy's lungs out, Angel claims it lacks poetry, Spike retorts, "Doesn't have to. What rhymes with lungs?" This refers to his past as a (not very good) poet which will be revealed in the Season 5 episode "Fool For Love".

** The first act of this episode spends a lot of time discussing Angelus' "brutal displays of affection" and love of playing mind games with his victims, including slaughtering pets and elaborate stagings of his murders. It seems like {{Fauxshadowing}} in this episode, where his attack on Xander is stopped by Drusilla and overshadowed by the more immediate threat of the love mob, but it all pays off in the next episode, ''Passion''.

* HypocriticalHumor

* IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: [[PapaBear Giles is furious]] when Buffy is turned into a rat, and starts to say to Xander with genuine menace, "If anything happens to her I'll --" before realising he's talking to a 17 year-old boy guilty of mere stupidity, so Giles just tells him in disgust to go home.
* IResembleThatRemark

* KnifeNut: Once free of Drusilla, Cordy and Xander are accosted by a kitchen knife-wielding Joyce, who ominously tells Xander that they have to "end it." Eeek.
* LastSecondWordSwap: Xander attempts it with Willow.

-->'''Xander:''' --Baseman! ''Please'' tell me we're talking about baseball.

* LoveMakesYouCrazy: Invoked by Giles. "Do you have any idea [[SeriousBusiness how serious this is]]? People under a love spell, Xander, are-are deadly! They lose all capacity for reason."

* MeaningfulEcho: Buffy fawns over Xander and coos, "It's funny how you can see someone every day but not really see them." Buffy and Xander start to lean in, but they're interrupted by Amy, who suggests they hang out after school. Xander's anxious to get back to Buffy, but when Amy starts to parrot Buffy's 'not really seeing them' line, he does a DoubleTake. It soon dawns on Xander that something is rotten in the state of Sunnydale, especially when one of the Cordettes appears to be hitting on him.

* NakedInMink

* {{Not H|imself}}erself: Buffy opines that what happened with Xander is Cordy's loss, and suggests that they hang out that evening and comfort each other. Xander jokingly asks if lap-dancing will be included. Buffy pauses a bit too long before responding. "Play your cards right..."

* PureIsNotGood: Amy tells Xander his intention needs to be pure for the spell to work. Xander retorts that he intends revenge, "pure as the driven snow."

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: "Passion" was originally in this episode's place, but the Buffy creators had to concoct something in a hurry to accommodate Creator/SarahMichelleGellar's absence for hosting ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''. Joss Whedon claims, "We wrote it in a matter of days.. We were like, 'We have to think of something that will turn Sarah into a rat for four days.'"

* TooKinkyToTorture: Xander recoils from Willow when she starts [[LecherousLicking licking his earlobe]], eventually pinning him against the door. For heaven's sake, Willow, listen to reason!

* TheUnreveal: What nasty thing Angelus was planning for Buffy to commemorate St Valentine's Day. Probably [[TooMuchInformation just as well]].

* ShoutOut: An ''[[{{Marvel2099}} X-Men 2099]]'' poster is seen on the wall next to Xander's bed above his nightstand. Joss Whedon is an avowed ''ComicBook/XMen'' fan, citing Kitty Pryde as inspiration for the Buffy character, as well as writing a 24-issue run for ''Astonishing X-Men'' in 2008.

* HotForStudent: Giles chews out Xander, Ms. Calendar barges in and tells Giles they need to talk. She's soon distracted, however, and compliments Xander's shirt. She goes on to tell Giles that she's not just going to go away, but keeps feeling Xander's arm as she does so, and eventually asks him, "Have you been working out?"

** And Harmony to Cordelia: "Only a sick pup would let Xander get away. No matter ''what'' her friends said!

* IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: [[PapaBear Giles is furious]] when Buffy is turned into a rat, and starts to say to Xander with genuine menace, "If anything happens to her I'll--" before realising he's talking a 17 year-old boy guilty of mere stupidity, so Giles just tells him in disgust to go home.

-->'''Willow:''' I want you...to be my first.

* MoodWhiplash: This episode started off all serious and dramatic with the threat of Angelus hovering above everyone's heads. And then Amy's spell backfired and Xander acquired an UnwantedHarem which seemed taken straight from a teen comedy. And then Willow and Joice decided to kill Xander so he couldn't be with anyone else. The last part was a straight up witch hunt in which Xander and Cordie almost lost their life. Interspersed in between was Oz's hunt for mouse Buffy.

* ReadyForLovemaking: Willow hides in Xander's bed. Buffy is parading around in a raincoat and nothing else.

* {{Sexophone}}: While Xander struggles with the library door, the wacky music fades to a sultry sax as we see that Buffy's clad in a black raincoat and not, clearly, [[GoingCommando anything else]].

* YouLookFamiliar: Tamara Braun, who plays one of Xander's crazed groupies, appeared as the vampire Tara (not ''that'' [[OneSteveLimit Tara]]) in an earlier S2 episode, "When She Was Bad".

* ShoutOut: An ''[[{{Marvel2099}} X-Men 2099]]'' poster is seen on the wall next to Xander's bed above his nightstand. Joss Whedon is an avowed ''ComicBook/{{X-Men}}'' fan, citing Kitty Pryde as inspiration for the Buffy character, as well as writing a 24-issue run for ''Astonishing X-Men'' in 2008.

* MinorFlawMajorBreakup: At the Bronze, Cordelia is sitting pensively by herself when Xander shows up. He gives her a rather impassioned speech about how he thinks their relationship might be more than just hormones. Cordy looks ill. Xander administers the coup de grace by giving her a jewelry box. She opens it, and upon seeing the heart necklace, sincerely says that it's beautiful. She continues, "I wanna break up." Now ''that'' is brutal. Take notes, Angelus.

On his way out, Xander sees Harmony and other girls viciously attacking Cordelia for what she had done to Xander two nights earlier. He rescues her and takes her outside, outside only to find an axe-wielding Willow leading other Sunnydale females. Xander and Cordelia flee to Buffy's house, only to find Joyce (!!) pawing over him. Angelus arrives and attacks Xander, but he is saved by Drusila, who is also under the spell. The mob arrives and the two vampires leave. The mob breaks into the house with knives and sticks. Cornered in the basement, Xander reveals to Cordelia that he meant the spell for her (leaving out the part about it being a mode of revenge). She is touched.

* WalkingInRhythm: PlayedForLaughs. Once Xander realizes the love spell has gone haywire, we see his feet as he strides down the school hall to the Average White Band's [[BowChickaWowWow funky]] "Got the Love" -- as the camera pans up, we see he's in a deer-in-the-headlights state of panic. All the girls are staring at him with varying degrees of lust, while the guys regard him jealously. There's no shortage of leers being directed at parts of his anatomy other than his face, and there's also plenty of open-mouthed staring and winking.

* WrittenInAbsence: Sarah Michelle Gellar was away on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' for part of this one, so they came up with the Buffy rat.

On Valentine's Day, Cordelia finds herself ostracized by her clique for going out with Xander. After sadly accepting a necklace from Xander, she breaks up with him. Xander is humiliated the next morning when everyone at Sunnydale High is laughing at him. He spots Amy Madison and blackmails her into casting a love spell so he can break up with a lovelorn Cordelia.

* {{Yandere}}: All girls affected by love spells, according to Giles.

* BalefulPolymorph

* WrittenInAbsence: Sarah Michelle Gellar was away on ''{{Saturday Night Live}}'' for part of this one, so they came up with the Buffy rat.

* BigBad: The much-used phrase "Big Bad" is introduced, when Buffy refers to Angelus as the "[[ThingsThatGoBumpInTheNight big bad thing in the dark]]." However, the term would later be shortened to "Big Bad" in the Season 3 episode "Gingerbread". The term "Big Bad" has since been used to describe the principal villain of each season of Buffy and Angel (as well as the principal villain [[TropeNamer in every other form of media, ever]]).

* BreakingSpeech: Cordy's "sheep" lecture to Harmony.

-->'''Buffy:''' I remember coming on to you, I remember begging you to undress me...and then a sudden need for cheese. [[AboveTheInfluence I also remember that you didn't]].

* ConvenientlyTimedAttackFromBehind / VillainousRescue: Angelus leans in to make a Valentine's Gift out of Xander (possibly siring him, [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E15Phases as per Theresa]]) when, after a surprise blow, Angelus suddenly goes flying into a tree. Relieved, Xander gasps, "Buffy!". He looks up to see -- Drusilla, also in game face. Angelus can't believe it, but Dru tells him she's finally found a "real man." [[UpToEleven You have got to be kidding]].

** And Harmony to Cordelia: "Only a sick pup would let Xander get away. No matter ''what'' her friends said!"
* {{If You Ever Do Anything To Hurt Her}}: [[PapaBear Giles is furious]] when Buffy is turned into a rat, and starts to say to Xander with genuine menace, "If anything happens to her I'll--" before realising he's talking a 17 year-old boy guilty of mere stupidity, so Giles just tells him in disgust to go home.
* KnifeNut: Once free of Drusilla, Cordy and Xander are accosted by a kitchen knife-wielding Joyce, who ominously tells Xander that they have to "end it." Eeek.

* LoveTriangle: Spike-Dru-Angelus

* [[KickTheDog Nail A Puppy To A Door]]: We'd explain, but Buffy wants us to skip it. She doesn't have a dog, she doesn't want to know, skip it.

-->'''Buffy:''' [to Xander] C'mon. It's a party. Aren't you gonna [[DoubleEntendre open your present?]]

* [[NotHimself Not Herself]]: Buffy opines that what happened with Xander is Cordy's loss, and suggests that they hang out that evening and comfort each other. Xander jokingly asks if lap-dancing will be included. Buffy pauses a bit too long before responding. "Play your cards right..."

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: "Passion" was originally in this episode's place, but the Buffy creators had to concoct something in a hurry to accommodate Creator/SarahMichelleGellar's absence for hosting ''SaturdayNightLive''. Joss Whedon claims, "We wrote it in a matter of days.. We were like, 'We have to think of something that will turn Sarah into a rat for four days'".

* ShesGotLegs: [[BigOMG OMG]], [[Creator/SarahMichelleGellar SMG!]]

* TemptingFate: Xander looks out the window in Buffy's room, notes that the mob hasn't found them yet, and opines that they should be safer there. Out of nowhere, Angelus sticks his head through the window and quips, "[[WalkInChimeIn Works in theory]]." He grabs Xander and yanks him out.

* [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim Why Don't You Just Rip Out The Slayer's Lungs?]]

On his way out, Xander sees Harmony and other girls viciously attacking Cordelia for what she had done to Xander two nights earlier. He rescues her and takes her outside, outside only to find an axe-wielding Willow leading other Sunnydale females. Xander and Cordelia flee to Buffy's house, only to find Joyce (!!) pawing over him. The mob breaks into the house with knives and sticks. Cornered in the basement, Xander reveals to Cordelia that he meant the spell for her (leaving out the part about it being a mode of revenge). She is touched.

* TheUnreveal: Angelus can't have been expecting to find Xander in Buffy's bedroom, [[NothingIsScarier so what was he planning to do to Buffy?]]

** Engaging in his usual SelfDepreciation, Xander says he might find a better love interest than Cordy "in a parallel universe". Cue "The Wish", an AlternateUniverse that introduces Anya to the series.