This was a great breakdown. I really like this episode and it makes the show feel like anything could happen. Keep up the good work! 😊

Solid review and hopefully I can add some additional information. One of the reasons Buffy became such a surprise hit program was how it addressed real issues for the 14-29 year old target market. For millions of American Suburban young adults, almost all of us either had or watched a parent (both Fathers, Mothers, and sometimes both) act like Amy’s mother. This behavior was and still common with sports teams, cheer squads, drill teams, debate… etc. Parents wanting their children to be stars and fighting with coaches and schools to get more playing time is normal. Around the time of the show there was a case about a Mother and her daughter involving cheerleading that will help you understand the impact and backstory. In a Houston Texas suburb, like Sunnydale, a woman’s daughter was the first alternate for the High School cheer squad.( BTW it’s not a cult but then it was a level of the social structure. The hot and popular girls were cheerleaders. Think top of the High School pyramid for girls)The Mother of the alternate tried unsuccessfully to get her daughter on the main squad. So her solution, she tried to hire a hit man to kill the Mother of one of the cheerleaders. She reasoned that the young girl would be so upset about her Mothers death, she would have to give up cheerleading and her daughter would be promoted Yes that happened. It was to the extreme but that hopefully will show you the pressure that parents would and will put on their children to achieve whatever in American Suburban schools. Buffy is a great show but there are many topics, meanings , and metaphors about the American experience that a non American or someone growing up today would not fully be able to relate. It’s not just High School, sports in America is impossible to understand for the rest of the world. Pull up on Goggle on the most expensive high school football stadiums. In Texas where I am from, a 60 million dollar stadium to seat 30 thousand is not uncommon. The High School playoff games are played in the college and pro stadiums and it is the norm to have 50 to 70 thousand for a non championship playoff game.That’s one reason that cheerleading and the band drill ( dance) teams are so popular. I know parents that start there little girls at 4 in dance class so they can make drill team in HS. Traveling sports teams( year round) for boys and girls in sports from volleyball to lacrosse and all other sports starts big time when boys and girls show some talent at age 10. It is big business and also big pressure. This is the back story of why this show came early and grew the audience. Kids and young adults were Amy if not cheerleading then in something.( Marching bands practice more hours than the football teams) Finally, participants need to not just be involved but the best.I will never forget making the middle school event band in 7th grade. ( in almost every school there is competition for every group and most don’t make the cut) I proudly told my Mother I had made 4th chair out of 5 total. She said that’s nice but that was too close to the bottom and she would find a teacher and get a schedule for me. I gave up the clarinet at the end of the year. That is repeated in every field. In arts, sports, and academic subjects kids are driven to be the best and in the suburbs of America after school millions of students are practicing, being tutored, or participating in something their parents want for their children. Buffy told our story and the First Season is weak for some but for us watching it told our story

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