History YMMV / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E18Earshot

--> "Who hasn't idly thought about taking out the whole school with a semi-automatic?"

* HilariousInHindsight: Buffy can't read Angel's mind, due to him being a vampire. It's now impossible to watch this scene without thinking of them as a reversed [[Literature/{{Twilight}} Edward and Bella]].

** It also helps that even at the time, people (including the Website/TelevisionWithoutPity recapper) were making the same joke that's now popular about this aspect of ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'': Buffy ''was'' reading his mind, and there simply wasn't anything in there.

** The UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} High School massacre occurred one week before the original planned air-date of the season three episode "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E18Earshot}} Earshot]]", which was about preventing a school shooting. It included this line by Xander:

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: The UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} High School massacre occurred one week before the original planned air-date of the season three episode "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E18Earshot}} Earshot]]", which was about preventing a school shooting. It included this line by Xander:

* HarsherInHindsight: Buffy saves Jonathan's life by accident when she learns he was going to kill himself and not commit a mass shooting. [[spoiler: She would come to regret that decision when he became part of the Trio and one of the accomplices to Katrina's death. Even though Jonathan decided to return the favor to Buffy and make up for his past mistakes, he never got the chance.]]

* ShockingSwerve: The episode is so focused on having a big twist to the killer's identity that it forgets to have the RedHerring make any kind of sense as anything other than a deliberate red herring. Who tries to kill themselves with a sniper rifle in a clock tower?

* HarsherInHindsight: Buffy saves Jonathan's life by accident when she learns he was going to kill himself and not commit a mass shooting. She would come to regret that decision when he became part of the Trio and one of the accomplices to Katrina's death. Even though Jonathan decided to return the favor to Buffy and make up for his past mistakes, he never got the chance.

** It also helps that even at the time, people (including the Television Without Pity recapper) were making the same joke that's now popular about this aspect of ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'': Buffy ''was'' reading his mind, and there simply wasn't anything in there.
* ShockingSwerve: The episode is so focused on having a big twist to the killer's identity that it forgets to have the RedHerring make any kind of sense as anything other than a deliberate red herring. Who tries to kill themselves with a sniper rifle in a clock tower?

* ShockingSwerve: The episode is so focused on having a big twist to the killer's identity that it forgets to have the RedHerring make any kind of sense as anything other than a deliberate red herring. Who tries to kill themselves with a sniper rifle in a clock tower?
** ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill?
** The gun might have been the only one his parents owned, which he stole. He couldn't just [[IKEAWeaponry assemble]] the gun in the cafeteria, he would have to do it in a secluded place like the clock-tower (or the boiler-room). Also, [[AWizardDidIt Hellmouth]].
** He may have gone up there as a way to grab people's attention. It's secluded so no one would see or stop him, but close enough to a crowd they'd hear the gunshot. There's also always the (probably unlikely) possibility he was going for SuicideByCop, maybe by taking and purposely missing some shots at the crowd, then waiting for the cops to show.

* HeReallyCanAct: After two seasons of being a recurring extra and the butt of jokes, Creator/DannyStrong shows some serious dramatic chops during the clocktower scene.

** The gun might have been the only one his parents owned, which he stole. He couldn't just [[IKEAWeaponry assemble]] the gun in the cafeteria, he would have to do it in a secluded place like the clock-tower (or the boiler-room). Also, [[AWizardDidIt Hellmouth]].

* TooSoon: The episode was pulled from its scheduled broadcast date (the Saturday after the Columbine shootings) to {{avert|ed}} this.
-->'''Xander:''' Who ''hasn't'' just idly thought about takin' out the whole place with a semi-automatic?