The fourth season of the television series ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...
'' premiered on October 5, 1999, on
The WB
The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...
and concluded its 22-episode season on May 23, 2000. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET. Beginning with this season, the character of
Angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
was given his own
series
Series may refer to:
People with the name
* Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series
* George Series (1920–1995), English physicist
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Series, the ordered sets used in ...
, which aired on The WB following ''Buffy''. Various ''Buffy'' characters made appearances in ''Angel'', including Buffy herself;
Cordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''; she also appeared on ''Buffy's'' spin-off series, ''Angel''. Portrayed by Charisma Carpenter, the character appears as a serie ...
, formerly a regular in ''Buffy'', and
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (also spelled Wyndam-Price and Wyndham-Price) is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''Angel''. Played by Alexis Denisof, Wesley first appeared in the fourteen ...
, who appeared in ''Buffy'' season three.
Plot
Season four sees
Buffy and
Willow
Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...
enroll at
UC Sunnydale
Sunnydale is the fictional setting for the U.S. television drama ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–2003). Series creator Joss Whedon conceived the town as a representation of a generic California city, as well as a narrative parody of the all ...
while
Xander Xander is an abbreviated form of the name Alexander and pronounced like "Zander". Alexander is the Latin form of the Greek name "Alexandros". The name's meaning is interpreted from "alexein" which means "to defend" plus "andros" which translates to ...
joins the workforce. The vampire
Spike
Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Books
* ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave
* ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick
* ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...
, having been left by
Drusilla
Drusilla is a female given name deriving from the Roman cognomen Drusilla.
History
The name has its origin from the Latin cognomen (and later praenomen) ''Drusus'' which itself derived from the Greek ''drosos'' (dew). The diminutive "illa" t ...
, returns to Sunnydale and is abducted by the Initiative, a top-secret military installation based beneath the UC Sunnydale campus, led by
Maggie Walsh
Professor Maggie Walsh is a fictional character in the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. The character is portrayed by Lindsay Crouse.
History
Professor Maggie Walsh is introduced in Season Four, as Buffy's Psychology professor a ...
. They implant a
microchip
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit (also referred to as an IC, a chip, or a microchip) is a set of electronic circuits on one small flat piece (or "chip") of semiconductor material, usually silicon. Large numbers of tiny ...
in his head which prevents him from harming humans. He reluctantly helps the Scooby Gang throughout the season and even begins to fight on their side after joyfully learning that he can harm fellow demons. Buffy and her friends still don't trust him, except Willow who opts to give him a chance to redeem himself, which he eventually does.
Oz leaves town after realizing that he is too dangerous as a werewolf and after an horrific encounter with the Initiative. Willow falls in love with
Tara Maclay
Tara Maclay is a fictional character created for the action-horror/fantasy television series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–2003). She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed by Amber Benson. Tara is a shy young woman with magical talen ...
, another witch, and the two begin a relationship.
Another focus of the season is Xander's relationship with former vengeance demon
Anya Jenkins
Anyanka Christina Emmanuella "Anya" Jenkins (born as Aud) is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. She also appears in the comic book series based on the television show. Portrayed by ...
, who becomes infatuated with him due to him making her feel human and Xander returns these feelings as she makes him feel like a man. Anya tries to get Xander off her mind, but feelings develop which they finally acknowledge and begin a relationship.
Buffy begins dating
Riley Finn
Riley Finn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. Portrayed by Marc Blucas, Riley was introduced in the 1999 season four premiere episode, " The Freshman", and Blucas was part of t ...
, a grad student who she later discovers is a member of the Initiative. Riley tries to involve Buffy in the organization, initially it seems successful, with Initiative leader Professor Walsh impressed with Buffy's incredible fighting skills, and allowing her a security pass and pager, but Buffy's questions and non-military free spirit worry Walsh who sees it as a threat to her plans and potential bad influence on Riley, threatening his allegiance to the Initiative. After Buffy and Riley's first sexual encounter, seen by Walsh via a hidden camera, Walsh plots to kill Buffy, which fails but causes Riley to cut ties with Walsh and the Initiative.
The Initiative's more sinister secret purpose is revealed when its composite demonic cyborg,
Adam
Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
, kills Walsh, then escapes and rampages through the town. After getting Spike to temporarily work for him, Adam plots to create others like him to overthrow humanity, although Adam sees Riley as his "brother".
Buffy and her allies unite to defeat Adam and destroy the Initiative. The demons and other supernatural creatures fight back against their former captors, while the Scoobies temporarily transfer all their skills into Buffy to fight the physically superior Adam. Magically enhanced, she kills Adam by ripping out his uranium core. The Initiative is defeated and the Scoobies recover. The government recognizes that Prof. Maggie Walsh's plan is a failure, and orders her project to be terminated. The Scoobies later encounter the spirit of The First Slayer, who gives Buffy a cryptic message.
Cast and characters
Main cast
*
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Prinze ( ; born April 14, 1977) is an American actress. After being spotted at the age of four in New York City, she made her screen acting debut in the television film ''An Invasion of Privacy'' (1983). A leading role on the te ...
as
Buffy Summers
Buffy Anne Summers is the title character of the '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' before going on to appear in The WB/UPN 1997–2003 television series and subsequent 1998 ...
*
Nicholas Brendon
Nicholas Brendon Schultz (born April 12, 1971), known professionally as Nicholas Brendon, is an American actor and writer. He is best known for playing Xander Harris in the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–2003) and Kevin L ...
as
Xander Harris
Alexander Lavelle Harris is a fictional character created for the action-horror/fantasy television series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–2003). He was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the television series by Nicholas Bre ...
*
Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Lee Hannigan (born March 24, 1974) is an American actress. After starting her career at age four with appearances in commercials, she moved to Hollywood at age 11 and soon got an agent.
Hannigan began her film career with supporting r ...
as
Willow Rosenberg
Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–2003). She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan.
Willow plays an integral ...
*
Seth Green as
Daniel "Oz" Osbourne
*
Marc Blucas
Marcus Paul Blucas (born January 11, 1972) is an American actor. Prior to his acting career, he played college basketball with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He had his first starring role as soldier and love interest Riley Finn on the WB super ...
as
Riley Finn
Riley Finn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. Portrayed by Marc Blucas, Riley was introduced in the 1999 season four premiere episode, " The Freshman", and Blucas was part of t ...
*
James Marsters
James Wesley Marsters (born August 20, 1962) is an American actor, musician, singer, comic book writer, and audiobook narrator.
He is sometimes credited in various anime series and video games as David Gray and Sam Majesters in the series ''Dr ...
as
Spike
Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Books
* ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave
* ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick
* ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...
*
Anthony Stewart Head as
Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure. The characte ...
Recurring cast
Guest cast
Crew
Series creator
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television series: ...
served as executive producer and
showrunner
A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
, and wrote and directed four episodes including the season premiere and finale.
Marti Noxon
Martha Mills Noxon (born August 25, 1964) is an American television and film writer, director, and producer. She is best known for her work as a screenwriter and executive producer on the supernatural drama series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1 ...
was promoted to supervising producer and wrote or co-wrote five episodes.
Jane Espenson
Jane Espenson (born July 14, 1964) is an American television writer and producer.
Espenson has worked on both situation comedies and serial dramas. She had a five-year stint as a writer and producer on '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and shared ...
was promoted to co-producer and wrote or co-wrote five episodes.
David Fury
David Fury is an American television writer, producer, actor and director.
Career
He is well known for his work on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', ''Angel'', ''Lost'', '' 24'', ''Fringe,'' ''Tyrant'' and ''The Tick''.
Fury was a co-executive ...
, who as a freelancer had written or co-written three episodes in seasons 2 and 3, was hired as producer and wrote or co-wrote four episodes.
Douglas Petrie
Douglas Petrie is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. Best known as a writer, director, and co-executive producer on '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. He co-wrote the screenplays for the '' Fantastic Four'' film and ''Harriet the Sp ...
was promoted to executive story editor and wrote three episodes. The only new addition was
Tracey Forbes
Tracey Forbes is a Canadian television writer and producer. She has worked on numerous Canadian and American television shows including '' Flashpoint'', '' The Bridge'', '' Spider-Man: The New Animated Series'' and ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. ...
, who served as a staff writer and wrote three episodes.
James A. Contner
James Atwater Contner (born June 12, 1947) is an American film, television director and cinematographer. His work includes episodes of such television series as ''Miami Vice'', ''Angel'', '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', '' Firefly'', ''The X-File ...
(also co-producer) directed the highest number of episodes in the fourth season, directing six episodes. Joss Whedon and
David Grossman
David Grossman ( he, דויד גרוסמן; born January 25, 1954) is an Israeli author. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages.
In 2018, he was awarded the Israel Prize for literature.
Biography
David Grossman was born i ...
each directed four.
Episodes
Crossovers with ''Angel''
Beginning with this season, ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and its
spin-off ''
Angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
'' both aired on
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bro ...
. Both shows aired on Tuesdays, ''Buffy'' at 8:00 PM ET, and ''Angel'' at 9:00 PM ET. The fourth season of ''Buffy'' aired along with the
first season of ''Angel''. Both shows featured
crossover episodes, in which characters of one series appeared in the other.
Angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
(
David Boreanaz
David Paul Boreanaz ( born May 16, 1969) is an American actor, television producer, and director known for playing the roles of vampire-turned-private investigator Angel on The WB/UPN ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' supernatural drama (1997–2003 ...
),
Cordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''; she also appeared on ''Buffy's'' spin-off series, ''Angel''. Portrayed by Charisma Carpenter, the character appears as a serie ...
(
Charisma Carpenter
Charisma Carpenter (born July 23, 1970) is an American actress. She played Cordelia Chase in the supernatural drama series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–1999) and its spin-off series ''Angel'' (1999–2004). She also starred as Kyra in ...
) and
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (also spelled Wyndam-Price and Wyndham-Price) is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''Angel''. Played by Alexis Denisof, Wesley first appeared in the fourteen ...
(
Alexis Denisof
Alexis Denisof (born February 25, 1966) is an American actor. He is primarily known for playing Wesley Wyndam-Pryce in the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and its spin-off ''Angel''. He also had a recurring role on ''How I Met Your ...
), who had been introduced in ''Buffy'', became main characters in the spinoff series.
The first crossover appeared in the premiere episodes, where Angel calls Buffy but doesn't say anything; on ''Buffy'', she is seen answering the phone. After the events of "
The Harsh Light of Day
''The Harsh Light of Day'' is the third studio album by pop-rock band Fastball, released in September 2000 by Hollywood Records. It contained the single release "You're an Ocean," which spent eight weeks on the ''Billboard'' Bubbling Under ch ...
",
Oz (
Seth Green) visits Los Angeles in the ''Angel'' episode "
In the Dark" to give Angel the Gem of Amara (a ring that makes vampires unkillable), and
Spike
Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Books
* ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave
* ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick
* ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...
(
James Marsters
James Wesley Marsters (born August 20, 1962) is an American actor, musician, singer, comic book writer, and audiobook narrator.
He is sometimes credited in various anime series and video games as David Gray and Sam Majesters in the series ''Dr ...
) follows him.
In the ''Angel'' episode "
Bachelor Party
A bachelor party (in the United States and sometimes in Canada), also known as a stag weekend, stag do or stag party (in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth countries, and Ireland), or a buck's night (in Australia), is a party held/arranged by th ...
",
Doyle
Doyle is a surname of Irish origin. The name is a back-formation from O'Doyle, which is an Anglicisation of the Irish (), meaning "descendant of ''Dubhghall''". There is another possible etymology: the Anglo-Norman surname ''D'Oyley'' with agglu ...
(
Glenn Quinn
Glenn Martin Christopher Francis Quinn (28 May 1970 – 3 December 2002) was an Irish actor, best known for his portrayal of Mark Healy on the 1990s family sitcom '' Roseanne'' and his role as the half-demon Allen Francis Doyle on ''Angel'', a s ...
) has a vision of Buffy in danger. This causes Angel to secretly visit Sunnydale in the episode "
Pangs
"Pangs" is the eighth episode of season 4 of the television show '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. It was written by Jane Espenson, directed by Michael Lange, and first broadcast on November 23, 1999.
On Thanksgiving, Buffy encounters the restless ...
", to protect her. After learning that he was in town,
Buffy (
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Prinze ( ; born April 14, 1977) is an American actress. After being spotted at the age of four in New York City, she made her screen acting debut in the television film ''An Invasion of Privacy'' (1983). A leading role on the te ...
) visits L.A. in the ''Angel'' episode "
I Will Remember You" to express her displeasure in his not telling her that he was there.
''Buffy'' season three recurring character
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (also spelled Wyndam-Price and Wyndham-Price) is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''Angel''. Played by Alexis Denisof, Wesley first appeared in the fourteen ...
(
Alexis Denisof
Alexis Denisof (born February 25, 1966) is an American actor. He is primarily known for playing Wesley Wyndam-Pryce in the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and its spin-off ''Angel''. He also had a recurring role on ''How I Met Your ...
) makes his first appearance on ''Angel'' in "Parting Gifts" and would become a series regular in the next episode for the remainder of the series.
After the events of the two-part episode "
This Year's Girl" and "
Who Are You
''Who Are You'' is the eighth studio album by English rock band the Who, released on 18 August 1978 by Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and MCA Records in the United States. Although the album received mixed reviews from critics, it was a ...
",
Faith
Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion".
Religious people often ...
(
Eliza Dushku
Eliza Patricia Dushku (; born December 30, 1980) is an American actress. She is best known for starring as Faith in the supernatural drama series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1998–2003) and its spin-off series ''Angel'' (2000–2003). She als ...
) leaves Sunnydale and goes to L.A. in the ''Angel'' two-part episode "
Five by Five
A signal strength and readability report is a standardized format for reporting the strength of the radio signal and the readability (quality) of the radiotelephone (voice) or radiotelegraph (Morse code) signal transmitted by another station as re ...
" and "
Sanctuary
A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...
" and is hired by Wolfram & Hart to kill Angel. Buffy makes her second and final appearance on ''Angel'' in "Sanctuary".
Angel visits Sunnydale again in "
The Yoko Factor
"The Yoko Factor" is the 20th episode of season 4 of the television show '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer''.
Plot
Colonel McNamara discusses with a superior how to get Riley back in the Initiative under his command and how to deal with Buffy. Spik ...
" to apologize to Buffy after the way he treated her in "Sanctuary". Angel meets Buffy's new boyfriend,
Riley Finn
Riley Finn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. Portrayed by Marc Blucas, Riley was introduced in the 1999 season four premiere episode, " The Freshman", and Blucas was part of t ...
(
Marc Blucas
Marcus Paul Blucas (born January 11, 1972) is an American actor. Prior to his acting career, he played college basketball with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He had his first starring role as soldier and love interest Riley Finn on the WB super ...
).
The vampire
Darla (
Julie Benz
Julie Benz (born May 1, 1972) l is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Darla on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''Angel'' (1997–2004), and as Rita Bennett on '' Dexter'' (2006–2010), for which she won the 2006 Satellite Awar ...
), who was killed in ''Buffy'' episode "
Angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
", is resurrected by Wolfram & Hart in the ''Angel'' season one finale, "
To Shanshu in L.A.
"To Shanshu in L.A." is episode 22 of season 1 of the television show ''Angel (1999 TV series), Angel''. Written and directed by David Greenwalt, it was the Season One finale, and originally broadcast on May 23, 2000 on the Warner Brothers Networ ...
", and subsequently becomes a recurring character there.
Reception
The fourth season averaged 5.1 million viewers.
The season received three
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nominations, for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series for "
Beer Bad
"Beer Bad" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the television series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. It is written by Tracey Forbes and directed by David Solomon. It was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling in a Seri ...
",
Outstanding Cinematography for a Single Camera Series (
Michael Gershman) for "
Hush
Hush may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Hush'' (1921 film), starring Clara Kimball Young
* ''Hush'' (1998 film), starring Gwyneth Paltrow
* ''Hush!'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi
* ''Hush'' (2005 film), starring ...
", and
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television series: ...
) for "Hush".
The season was nominated for two
Television Critics Association Awards
The TCA Awards are awards presented by the Television Critics Association in recognition of excellence in television. There are eleven categories, which are presented every summer towards the end of the organization's summer press tour.
Due to ...
, for Outstanding Achievement in Drama and Program of the Year.
In particular, the episode "Hush" was highly praised when it aired. Robert Bianco from ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' comments, "(i)n a medium in which producers tend to grow bored with their own creations, either trashing them or taking them in increasingly bizarre directions, Whedon continues to find new ways to make his fabulously entertaining series richer and more compelling. With or without words, he's a TV treasure." Alan Sepinwall in ''
The Star-Ledger
''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to ''The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of wh ...
'' calls it a "magnificently daring episode", explaining "(w)hat makes it particularly brave is that, even when ''Buffy'' has been failing to click dramatically this year, the show has still been able to get by on the witty dialogue, which is all but absent after the first few scenes. Whedon finds ways to get around that, with several cast members—particularly Anthony Head as the scholarly Giles and Alyson Hannigan as nervous witch Willow—proving to be wonderfully expressive silent comedians." In the ''
New York Daily News
The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'', David Bianculli states that the episode is "a true tour de force, and another inventive triumph for this vastly underrated series." Robert Hanks from ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' in the UK writes that "''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', in most weeks the funniest and cleverest programme on TV, reached new heights" with "Hush". Noel Murray in
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
calls it an "episode unlike any other, with a lusher score and some of the most genuinely disturbing imagery I’ve yet seen on ''Buffy''." The episode was included among 13 of the scariest films or television shows by
Salon.com
''Salon'' is an American politically progressive/ liberal news and opinion website created in 1995. It publishes articles on U.S. politics, culture, and current events.
Content and coverage
''Salon'' covers a variety of topics, including re ...
, and justified by Stephanie Zacharek, who states it "scans just like one of those listless dreams in which you try to scream, and can't. Everybody's had 'em—and yet the way the eerie quiet of 'Hush' sucks you in, you feel as if the experience is privately, and unequivocally, your own." Following the series finale in 2003, "Hush" continued to receive praise. Lisa Rosen in the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' states that the episode is "one of TV's most terrifying hours".
Smashing Magazine
Smashing Magazine is an online magazine dedicated to web developers and web designers around the world. It was founded in 2006 bSven Lennartz(co-founder) anVitaly Friedman(editor-in-chief) as part of the German-based Smashing Media AG. Since 2012 ...
counted "Hush" as one of the top ten television episodes that inspire creativity. Keith McDuffee of
TV Squad
Weblogs, Inc. was a blog network that published content on a variety of subjects, including tech news, video games, automobiles and pop culture. At one point, the network had as many as 90 blogs, although the vast majority of its traffic could be ...
named it the best Buffy episode in the series, writing "(i)f someone who had never seen Buffy (blasphemy!) asked me to show them just one episode of the show to get them hooked, this would be it".
TV.com
TV.com was a website owned by Red Ventures that covered television series and episodes with a focus on English-language shows made or broadcast in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Origin ...
named it as the fourth most frightening episode in television history.
The Futon Critic named "
Restless" the best episode of 2000.
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
gave season four a score of 67% with an average rating of 7 out of 10 based on 15 reviews. The site's critics consensus states, "''Buffy'' enters its fourth season on shaky ground but finishes with a surprisingly satisfying season finale."
DVD release
''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'': The Complete Fourth Season was released on DVD in region 1 on June 10, 2003
and in region 2 on May 13, 2002. The DVD includes all 22 episodes on 6 discs presented in full frame 1.33:1 aspect ratio (region 1) and in anamorphic widescreen 1.78:1 aspect ratio (region 2 and 4). Special features on the DVD include seven commentary tracks—"Wild at Heart" by creator
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television series: ...
, writer
Marti Noxon
Martha Mills Noxon (born August 25, 1964) is an American television and film writer, director, and producer. She is best known for her work as a screenwriter and executive producer on the supernatural drama series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1 ...
, and actor
Seth Green (region 1 only); "The Initiative" by writer
Doug Petrie
Douglas Petrie is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. Best known as a writer, director, and co-executive producer on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. He co-wrote the screenplays for the ''Fantastic Four'' film and ''Harriet the Spy'' ...
; "Hush" by writer and director Joss Whedon; "This Year's Girl" by writer Doug Petrie; "Superstar" by writer
Jane Espenson
Jane Espenson (born July 14, 1964) is an American television writer and producer.
Espenson has worked on both situation comedies and serial dramas. She had a five-year stint as a writer and producer on '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and shared ...
; "Primeval" by writer
David Fury
David Fury is an American television writer, producer, actor and director.
Career
He is well known for his work on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', ''Angel'', ''Lost'', '' 24'', ''Fringe,'' ''Tyrant'' and ''The Tick''.
Fury was a co-executive ...
and director
James A. Contner
James Atwater Contner (born June 12, 1947) is an American film, television director and cinematographer. His work includes episodes of such television series as ''Miami Vice'', ''Angel'', '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', '' Firefly'', ''The X-File ...
; and "Restless" by writer and director Joss Whedon. Scripts for "Fear, Itself", "Hush", and "Who Are You?" are included. Featurettes include, "Spike Me", which details the character of Spike; "Oz Revelations: A Full Moon", which details the departure of the character with insights by actor Seth Green; "Hush", where cast and crew members discuss the unique episode; "''Buffy'': Inside Sets of Sunnydale" showcases all the sets on the show with tours of sets; "''Buffy'': Inside the Music", which details the music and bands featured on the show; and "Season 4 Overview", a 30-minute featurette where cast and crew members discuss the season. Also included are cast biographies and photo galleries.
Notes
References
External links
*
* List o
''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' season 4 episodesa
BuffyGuide.com*
{{Buffy episodes
1999 American television seasons
2000 American television seasons