That being said, the question is how well they did coming up with four episodes and only four episodes for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Slayer Collection (Xander)." From my corner of the universe I think they got it perfect. Granted, "The Pack" (written by Matt Kiene and Joe Reinkemeyer), where Xander is taken over by the spirit of the hyena, is an atypical episode for the early Xander. But Nicholas Brendan's performance has such a nice edge to it and is more enjoyable than Xander's usually run-in with giant insects ("Teacher's Pet") and foreign exchange students ("Inca Mummy Girl"). Similarly, "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" (written by Marti Noxon) is a lot more enjoyable than "Go Fish" (even with Xander in a speedo) and the best representation of the strange period when Xander was dating Cordelia and the funniest of the Xander gone astray episodes.

"The Zeppo" (Written by Dan Veber) is a pivotal Xander episode and arguably the most important one because from that point on the character stops being the unintentional comic relief (Anya gets the job in season four). Until the finale of season six "The Zeppo" is clearly Xander's finest moment, with the big joke being that nobody knows it but Xander (the same way that there is not one single mention in the entire episode to explain that Zeppo was the fourth Marx Brother). However, this DVD ends on a downer with Xander leaving Anya at the altar in "Hell's Bells" (written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner). I never really bought the idea that Xander would bale on the former vengeance demon he loved, but you cannot get away from the episode being important in the Xander Harris character arch. At least we are spared having our last look at Xander on the DVD being the finale of "Dirty Girls."

Underused...just like the character
Review date: 2004-12-14 Rating: 6 out of 10

I'm a fan of Xander's character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and so the episodes included in this dvd are great fun to watch. However, it is let down by a staggering lack of extras. no commentaries or documentaries, only one 'character profile' which lasts about 15 minutes and briefly retells each of the four Xanderesque episodes.

A shame. If you already own these episodes in season boxsets, it is not worth getting this dvd (or any of the other character dvds either, as they're the same in format). If you don't have these episodes, then I suppose it depends on how much of a Xander fan you are.

Product Details/Specifications