"Living Conditions" (Buffy 4.2), or, a slightly hyperbolized account of my freshman year

Do you believe in life after love? After love? After love? "Living Conditions" appears to be a standalone ep but it actually packs some big season 4 implications. Making their ignominious appearance: Parker Abrams, the Initiative, and Veruca [hiss]. But first: the Buffy guide to surviving a really, really bad roomie.

DO realize that some roommates actually are evil soul-sucking demons.
Nobody believes Buffy that her roommate, Kathy, is the monster of the week. No one else has seen her floss in bed, iron her jeans, or write her name on her hard boiled eggs. This Marti Noxon-penned episode has a bit of the feel of season 1--a common post-adolescent trauma is literalized through the supernatural. A lot of people feel like their college roommates are weird enough to be aliens. Buffy happens to be right.

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Even if she had a soul, ruining such a cute cardigan is justifiable homicide.

DO be sure that the ropes are tight enough when you're trying to restrain a bloodthirsty slayer.

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Classic.

DON'T respect the drive-by!
OZ!!! As much as I love every word that passes through your sensuous mouth, you really missed the boat on this one in all sorts of ways. Though "Living Conditions" is blessedly Riley-free, perpetrator of said drive-by is Parker Abrams, who might as well be wearing a shirt constructed entirely of red flags. He is way too flirty way too fast, and macks on Buffy's (evil!) roommate when she's not available to be macked upon.

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Haha. Hahaha. Douche.

As bad as Parker will turn out to be, there's an even more doomier harbinger in this episode. Oz, trying to be a good boyfriend and hang out with a rapidly unraveling Buffy when Willow can't, briefly crosses paths with a girl who might as well be wearing a shirt constructed entirely of bad news.

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And here my troubles begin.