This was a fun episode. Lots of funny moments, and it was refreshing seeing Buffy get into a "mundane" fight even though she tried to make it into something supernatural. Those close-up, slo-mo shots of Kathy cutting her nails was hilarious. And when Buffy is proven right about Kathy's demon-ness, its pretty satisfying. I love the way SMG delivers that line after ripping Kathy's face off: "I knew it!!"

LaneMeyer | June 13, 14:53 CET

The actress who played Kathy, Dagney Kerr, has been popping up a lot lately. She was on Desperate Housewives last year, and I've seen her in three commercials in the past few weeks.

mouse | June 13, 15:37 CET

She's also a trainer for Winsor Pilates and shows up in the DVDs. I didn't know this when I bought a couple. Every 30 minutes was a battle against my inner fangirl: "I know this is good for me, but Kathy the soul sucking roommate wants me to contort like that, and I just don't trust her."

But I'm glad to see her in more acting work; her performance in "Living Conditions" was hilarious.

MelissaC5 | June 13, 18:56 CET

Let me tell you, I new Kathy was a Demon as soon as she started listening to Cher. I thought season 4 had some of the funniest episodes, including Living Conditions.

tuckersbrother | June 13, 20:15 CET

I like that episode quite a bit. It certainly set a lighter tone for season 4 pretty early on. It was definitely the funniest season in my opinion. I'm a bit surprised that it did THAT well in the ratings, though... that's pretty cool!

Apollo Gilgamesh | June 13, 21:36 CET

MelissaC5, you beat me to it. They always seem to direct the poor girls and guys in exercise DVDs to grin so insipidly. When I noticed "Kathy" cheerfully, but vacantly contorting herself during my pilates work out, I couldn't help but hiss "demon."

barest_smidgen | June 13, 21:43 CET

Loved that episode--especially as the first time I saw it was a week or two before I started college. Suddenly, I was quite relieved not to be living in the dorms! I think one of my favorite lines besides SMG's "I knew it!" was Willow's "I think she's feeling a little... insane. No, not bitchy crazy, more like homicidal maniac crazy. So I told her to come see you, 'kay?"

As for pilates, I think that perhaps demons invented it as a way to see how much pain humans are willing to endure because some person on a TV screen tells you to. Then again, I did Bikram Yoga for a while. Which is like pain plus dehydration in a room hot as hell.

What is it with demons and scary female singers? Cher, Celine, Yma Sumac--it's just not right.

BandofBuggered | June 14, 01:55 CET

Every time I see this episode, I am reminded of my perky cheerleader freshman roommate (what messed-up computer put us together?) who: painted our room a revoltin' neon green the first month we roomed together while I was away visiting my BF at a neighboring college, left my guitar out all night in the rain because she, as she said, "thought it would be fine out there" and routinely fell asleep with "Summer Breeze" by Seals and Crofts on her 8-track player while I was allegedly in one altered state or another.

*shudders*

She was Mephistopheles' Daughter from Hades - or Binghamton, New York, whichever you wanna call it.

QuoterGal | June 14, 02:18 CET

I thought it was hilarious that Buffy was carrying around Kathy’s toenails. You know, I think my roommate might be a demon. His toenails keep growing after he cuts them.

tuckersbrother | June 14, 02:23 CET

I was amused when I caught a rerun of this episode a couple years later, because my roommate at the time had the same bathrobe as Buffy. At least it wasn't Kathy's robe, then I would have freaked out/moved out.

hacksaway | June 14, 02:47 CET

I knew it!! I also have those pilate dvds and instantly recognized her!! And is one of the commercials she is in one with her vacuuming and playing with a small dog? You never get a real good look at her but it looks like her from what I can see and the voice definitely matches.

And that is one of my favorite episodes. I loved seeing Buffy act that way. Loved the scene with Xander and Oz when they question whether or not they tied the knots tight enough when they tied Buffy up. Then neither one of them wanted to check but both bravely inch towards her only to be knocked out by her. Then the very end when Willow picks up Buffy's sandwich and takes a bite and the reaction of Buffy! Just loved the whole episode!

Firefly Flanatic | June 14, 04:59 CET

A girlfriend from college--a total Buffy skeptic turned Buffyvangelist--told me Kathy was HER freshman roommate. So funny, love those episodes, especially the Slayer as helpless, ineffectual, totally lost in the sea that is day one at college.

Chris inVirginia | June 14, 05:42 CET

"I just know that this whole year is going to be super fun!" as she's putting up the Celine Dion poster.... omg so sooo funny, it never fails to crack me up! The ones with Kathy at the start of Season 4 are probably some of my most favourite episodes ever. I think it was a mistake to get rid of her so quickly in the season. Kathy was played so perfectly. Loved her.

Hee | June 14, 07:31 CET

My partner used to clip her toenails in bed. And everytime I'd ask her to go in the bathroom because the clipping sound irritated me. She never listened to me until she saw this episode and asked if it annoyed me that much. I said "God, yes!". She hasn't clipped her toenails in the same room as me since. She says she's reminded of the episode everytime she goes to clip her toenails.

And that's one more way Buffy has improved the quality of our relationship.

GrrrlRomeo | June 14, 23:31 CET

That clipping sound gets on my last nerve, too. I swear, I have some sort of magnet embedded in my spleen or something that draws those clippers towards me, and guarantees that if I ride on public transportation, someone will sit down within three rows of me and start clipping away at what seems to be thirty or forty fingernails.

My partner is pretty thoughtful about that kind of thing, but he does crack his knuckles (and neck and toes) repeatedly while we're watching TV. I always have to ask him to just do them all at once and get it the hell over with.

And at least heading back towards topic, he also drinks directly from milk cartons like Buffy did in "Living Conditions", but for some reason I think it's cute.

QuoterGal | June 15, 00:26 CET