Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV Series) The Puppet Show (1997) User Reviews

One of the best eps of season 1,

[Joxerlives · 9/10 · 5 January 2012]

The Puppet Show;

The Good; The introduction of Snyder. Cordy's performance and the hair gag with Giles. The triple Keyser Soze, Buffy's relationship with Sid. The exciting finale, Snyders reaction to it and the Scoobies scene at the end. Don't you just love the fact that Buffy the superhero runs into her mum's arms when she get's scared in the night? Something only a female hero could do, what would we think of Clark Kent if he did that on Smallville?

The Bad; Not much, a very strong episode, easily one of the best of the first season

Best line; Buffy; "Euuuugghhhh, dummy! They freak me out, ever since I was little" Willow; "What happened?" Buffy; "I saw a dummy, it freaked me out, there really wasn't a backstory there" (anyone else reminded of Gremlins?)

Observations and questions; Our first hint that there are other individuals fighting the forces of darkness like Whistler and Doyle. The scene the Scoobies perform at the end is from Oedipus which Angelus references in season 4 of Angel and American Gothic. It was painted by Grant Wood who Riley refers to in season 4. Cordy sings 'The Greatest Love of all' which she also sings for Lorne on Angel. She hasn't the best voice. Giles in bondage, the first of a long line of Scoobies to be tied/chained up. Snyder obviously going to be a lot harder on Buffy than Flutie was although as an authority figure that probably works better for the series. At this point though he doesn't really seem to know what's going on (does he ever?). Flutie was a nice guy but has the misfortune to be the 2nd recurring character killed in the course of the series. The police put the butcher knife in a plastic bag? Don't they have some better form of container? Willow suffers from stage fright. Willow is clever enough to know that 841 has a square root of 29 but how does Xander know that to ask her? A shame Joyce doesn't come to the talent show. Will plays the piano?

Is a perverted dummy behind a brutal murder?

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 2 February 2017]

Giles has been put in charge of the school (lack of) talent show; much to the amusement of Buffy, Willow and Xander who turn up for a laugh… their amusement is short lived as newly appointed principal, Mr Snyder, has the three of them pegged as trouble makers and tells them that they must participate. Most of the acts in the show are fairly terrible; one includes a boy doing a ventriloquism act and his lips are clearly moving then suddenly the dummy starts criticising his performance and being somewhat vulgar; is this all part of a rather clever act or something more sinister? Things turn nasty when a girl is found murdered with her heart cut out; Buffy believes the dummy may be involved but the others are somewhat mocking… at first. It tries to attack her in her bed than again backstage at school… but all is not quite what it seems.

This was one of the best episodes so far; Sid the Dummy was distinctly creepy so made a good 'monster of the week'… then just as we are absolutely certain that he is behind the killing there is a brilliant twist that I didn't see coming. As well as a fairly creepy tone, some good scares and an ending that puts one of the protagonists in real danger there are a surprising number of laugh out loud moments; some of these are a little dark, notably when Principal Snyder links his predecessor's touchy-feely attitude to the fact that he ended up being eaten! Armin Shimerman is a great addition to the cast as the principal; he manages to make the character very funny while still being serious. The end credit scene, where we see Buffy and her friends' performance was priceless. Overall I'd say this was a great stand-alone episode.

My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense... but he was eaten.

[bombersflyup · 9/10 · 2 July 2019]

The Puppet Show is about someone or something harvesting organs from participants in the talent show, the lead suspect's a Ventriloquist's dummy.

A humorous and clever episode, with a lot happening. The segment that sticks with me the most, when Buffy, Xander and Willow are having a bit of fun at Giles's expense and the new principal overhears and makes them join the talent show. Meanwhile, the whole time a girl has been playing the tuba in an unexciting monotone solo. Morgan and Sid then arrive and it's uplifting and funny. The arrangement superb. Cutting it pretty close, Xander clutch, not given the credit deserved here.

One of the best episodes of the season

[katierose295 · 10/10 · 13 July 2006]

Its time for the annual Sunnydale talent-less show! Being a high school on a hellmouth, though, the program features more than just Codelia singing "The Greatest Love of All" and Giles cringing through tuba acts. It has demons, a puppet that may be alive, and the still-beating hearts being ripped out of students' chests. Anyway, not only is "The Puppet Show" one of the best episodes of the season, but it also introduces Principal Snyder,who will gleefully hate and belittle the student body for the next several seasons. His snide remarks about the recently eaten Principal Flutie's touchy-feely leadership style are hilarious. Sid the puppet is actually pretty fun. And its hard to top Xander's pop culture remark,"Does anyone else feel like they've been Kaiser Soze-ed here?" All in all an excellent episode.

I really don't have any complaints about "The Puppet Show," except Angel wasn't there to see the acts. His face during Cordelia's singing or Buffy, Xander and Willow murdering a Greek tragedy would have been priceless. Of course, he does get to hear Cordelia sing "The Greatest Love of All" to Lorne over on "Angel" season four. Well, it's at least sort of her... I think... Whatever, it's still funny.

My favorite part of the episode: Buffy, Xander and Willow's "dramatic scene" at the end. Their performance of "Oedipus the King" is the highlight of the entire season.

But which one's the dummy?

[nightwishouge · 10/10 · 17 February 2015]

The first season of Buffy is considered by many to be underwhelming. The budget is low, the characters are less complex and nuanced than they will come to be, and the story arcs are much less mature and the stakes (so to speak) generally lower. In a way, though, that's what I love about it. It's a bit cheesy, but there's a sense of carefree fun that the series will never quite be able to recapture (nor will it try to) after the events that befall Buffy become gradually darker, the consequences graver. Granted, there's a mastery to the sort of writing called for in future seasons that can continually interweave humor without deflating the tension, but as a child of the '90s I do have a soft spot for the tone of the first season, which has the feel of a slightly more advanced "Are You Afraid of the Dark?"

"The Puppet Show" is a great episode, easily my favorite of the first season. The plot unfolds in a consistently surprising manner; in a lot of ways I feel this is the first episode of the series where the disparate elements really came together in a way that felt truly organic rather than self-conscious. The "evil dummy" cliché goes all the way back to 1945's Dead of Night but the cliché is inverted here, not just as a gimmick but to brilliant and entertaining effect. And apart from the more serious problems of students being eviscerated, Buffy and Co. get roped into the talent show by perpetual thorn-in-the-side (for a few seasons anyway) Principal Snyder, here making his first appearance (funny that he is used as a red herring from day one, since it isn't really made clear how complicit he is in--or aware of--the overarching evilness about Sunnydale until more or less the last minute). The payoff of this amusing setup occurs during the end credits and is one of the real laugh-out-loud moments of the season. Always fun watching good actors pretend to be terrible actors.

The episode also contains one of my favorite Willow lines. When contemplating the ramifications of a human murderer (as opposed to a demon or vampire), Willow creepily ponders, "It could be anyone. It could be me!" Everyone stares at her suspiciously. "...It's not, though."

The dummy's creepy.

[madman_salv · 7/10 · 27 April 2007]

While being forced to take part in the annual Sunnydale High talent show, Giles, Buffy, Xander and Willow discover that danger lurks backstage when people begin dying gruesome deaths. The number one suspect is a student and his ventriloquist dummy, but as Buffy and her friends soon learn, not everything is as it seems.

This was a good episode. Its creepy when the dummy shows up at Buffy's window which still scares me to this day. This is quite a fun episode to watch, but if your scared of ventriloquist dummies than your be quite scared of this.

To sum up i give this episode a 7/10.

Buffy The "Dummy" slayer?...

[callanvass · 8/10 · 10 April 2014]

When Buffy, Xander, and Willow are caught by the new principle by making fun of the talent auditions, he forces the three of them to audition themselves. They happen to encounter a talented but very peculiar ventriloquist (The paring of Morgan (Human) & Sid (Dummy) People are getting killed off one by one with their hearts being removed. Morgan is the prime suspect, but Buffy is more frightened by the Dummy. With the school shrouded in mystery over the killer, Buffy will have to get over her phobia of dummies to solve this mystery and keep the school safe

This episode is extremely creepy! I might raise some eyebrows by saying this, but Sid makes Chucky look like a walk in the park in comparison. That dummy gave me the willies in many ways. Joss Whedon knows this and takes every opportunity to pray on these fears. Wait until you see the shot of the dummy leering in the window while Buffy sleeps! There is another suspenseful scene where the dummy stares at Buffy in class. The amazing score really adds to the atmosphere in this one. It's one of the best scores I've heard since the original Halloween movie. That may be an exaggeration to some, but to me it isn't. What was cool about this episode is how vulnerable and fragile Buffy is here. She always has moments of vulnerability, but I truly felt the fear from her in this one. Not only was it great psychology but good storytelling as well. I give major credit to Sarah Michelle Gellar for giving such a great performance. It also benefits from some sly humor at times. I did feel the conclusion was a tad disappointing after some amazing buildup, but I do give it credit it for being rather unconventional at the same time. I just felt a better ending was needed after some terrific storytelling for 30 minutes or so.

Buffy fans should love this episode. Some may be disappointed at the lack of Vampire action, but this is a great mystery that is filled with some wonderful psychology. I don't know about everybody else, but I sure got the creeps from this one. I have but one request, now... I never want to hear Charisma Carpenter sing again as long as I live!

P.S. Stay for the end credits! I believe this was the first time in this series at this juncture for something to happen in the end credits

8.5/10

Episode 9 Review

[leecdewsnap · 7/10 · 7 November 2015]

SPOILER WARNING This episode again as many of the previous episodes uses the specific episode story to bring in characters for the future, in this case Snyder. It's quite hilarious, because I don't think anyone would put themselves in front of an audience that big to do things that they are that bad at. I'm not sure the school would want to advertise themselves in a bad way like that to an audience. It's a well thought out episode though to leave you thinking 'Who Done it?'. This episode starts to bring out the character of Cordelia well, and builds on her nicely for the future. I love the fact that at the end before the credits, we just assume the audience accepted the strange scene they were given as the curtains opened, as if they would.

wowie...

[aura772 · 10/10 · 27 June 2007]

I have to say about this episode, Giles should remember the fact that Xander saved his... brain... every time Xander makes a mistake...

Xander is really a cool character, he brings the "much needed sarcasm" to the Scoobies, he's a "demon magnet"... actually a female demon magnet... he's the one in the show that has no great power and no great destiny, he's making them himself. I think he really reminds the Scoobies about the world they live in... all the time.

Now, enough about Xander... the rest of the episode isn't that great... it's a bit freaky the way Buffy acts with Sid, I don't understand anything about it, but it's weird.

The part when Xander saves Giles' head, now that's the part you should have in mind, if you are planning to watch the rest of the show. ;))

Is this avant-garde?

[m-47826 · 7/10 · 12 June 2021]

Clearly, as it's the first really off beat episode of the whole season. The monster isn't who we think it is, the funny one liners keep flowing. And the finish is hilarious. I remember it was on that VHS, paired with the Angel episode. And now I see why it's the one I've watched the most, out of the three that were released. These pre-season finale episodes, were the best.

So dummy

[tenshi_ippikiookami · 8/10 · 4 January 2018]

Episode 9 of the first season of "Buffy" is probably the funniest of the show so far, and it has also one really neat twist in a show that, in this respect, has not been particularly original.

There is a high school festival but, again, someone seems intend on killing the students. Buffy and Co. suspect that the dummy is doing it.

The episode does a great job in poking fun at the fact that students keep dying on the premises of the high school (who would want their children to go there after the first couple of episodes?) and also does a great job at playing the 'dummy' card. We all know the dolls are scary, but "Buffy" turns this upside down offering a very funny take on it, with a very tongue-in-cheek approach to the plot. It is also has a very nice pace (an upgrade after the previous one's stilted one) and the acting fits perfectly with the mood. Buffy, Willow and Xander's horror at having to take part on the festival is the perfect mood setting for the rest of the episode.

All 'horror' shows have to have one episode with a dummy in them, and this one does the trick for "Buffy". In a really funny way. A winner.

A Dummy, demon and slayer walk into a bar

[Realrockerhalloween · 26 September 2016]

The puppet show was generally creepy as a murderer is killing off students for their organs be it a human, puppet or a demon hiding in the mists. They use the back stage props to create a haunting atmosphere backstage allowing for some effective jump scares and an almost decapitation. The puppet Sid really plays the part of a Chucky like doll sneaking into bedrooms, talking to the human who possesses him and almost killing Buffy with a Chandler with a knife at her throat.

Getting back to Sid I liked his side story as a knight cursed into a doll by a demon trapped immortally within it and trying to stop This creature before he gains the body parts needed for a ritual to make him pure human. My only problem with the ep is I want to know how Sid ended up with Morgan and how he got around before hand. Does the demon know he's about and if so did he put in traps to stop him from ruining his plans. I digress this was a great episode that needed at least ten more minutes to make it a work of art and a brilliant script.

Who doesn't like a talent show?

[ossie85 · 6/10 · 8 August 2022]

The new school principal Snyder enlists Giles to run the school talent show and then Buffy, Xander and Willow to participate in it. But a kid named Morgan (Richard Werner) is acting weird with his ventriloquist dummy and then students are found dead. Its up to the gang to find out who the killer is.

Why It's So Good - Another fan stand alone episode, that keeps you guessing, and lots of gags.

Watch Out For - Snyder's ears! Just joking, love you Armin Shimerman. The beginning of a great presence on the show.

Quote - "Can I just mention, that detention is a time-honoured form of punishment?" - Xander.

buffy 1x9 review

[jackDee-56565 · 8/10 · 9 November 2020]

A very silly but funny as hell, xanders references to the shining cracked me up, overall its a filler episode but I gave it 8 out of 10 because I happen to think it was a good enough standalone episode and was high on laughs

The One With The Demon Hunter Puppet...

[taylorkingston · 8/10 · 1 February 2015]

I really enjoy this episode. It's funny and creepy at the same time.

In this episode, Giles is ordered by Principle Sydner to produce the school's annual talent show. And he is not happy to do it, at all. He then forces Buffy and her friends to enter the talent show. Whilst they're preparing, something strange is happening. All of the competition for the talent show are suddenly being murdered. Buffy soon thinks it's a ventriloquist dummy who comes alive. But it turns out, that the dummy is merely a demon hunter who was cursed into puppet. They need to stop who is really killing these kids before the demon, who looks like a human, by the way, kills enough people to get all of his parts. He needs a heart and brain, to continue looking human for a few more years. Sadly, someone is killed for their brain, and his brain can't be used because he had a brain tumor.

Overall, I give this episode an 8 out of 10.

Reminds me of Goosebumps

[lisafordeay · 6/10 · 10 March 2021]

This episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer is about a dummy named Sid who can actually move and talk without his masters help. But is the dummy possessed.

A Plot Slight of Hand

[Aegelis · 10/10 · 9 March 2024]

Good writing leads you down a path and just when you think you've got this thing figured out, whoops! Nope. Not only was there a twist, but the next likely suspect also turned out to be a red herring. No vampires here again, so this could be a 'deviation' to Buffy canon perhaps, but the show did establish a wider scope to include demons, so here we are again with a different kind of supernatural evil.

Fun to watch the acting as part of the show was to have bad acting as well, which was also conducted exceptionally well. We have the action we've come to expect, along with Hitchcockian classic horror elements. Use of shadows, familiar theme. Worth a re-watch to follow the character's dialogue and intentions one more time.

Creepy but surprisingly touching

[kellyq12 · 8/10 · 27 November 2021]

This is a creepy, funny mix because ventriloquist dolls are exactly that: Creepy and Funny. Some good Cordelia action in this one. The ending of the episode is surprisingly touching.