- J. O. Y. F. F. A -

Title: When She Was Bad

Season/Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 1

Summary:
The dawn of a new season and Joyce makes her now traditional appearance. We first see her unpacking Buffy's clothes and shoes with her ex-husband Hank.

They seem to get on well, although Joyce is less than impressed with Hank's spoiling of their daughter. They both agree, however, that Buffy is impossible to relate to. And evidently a lazy bitch, if she's got Joyce unpacking for her.

Later, we see Joyce taking a silent Buffy to school, and Joyce attempts to get her daughter to tell her what's wrong. She fails, and once again seems distressed by their lack of communication.

Not a pivotal episode for Joyce's character by any means, but it's interesting to see her with Hank, and she remains the caring mother we know and love.

Sunnydale Style: In her scene with Hank, Joyce wears loose green pants under a white tee-shirt and a green and blue tartan cardigan. Later we see her in a violet sleeveless blouse, although as she's behind the wheel of the jeep, that's all we see.

Interaction: Buffy, Hank Summers

Joyce's Best Line: "Is there the slightest chance that if I asked you what was wrong you would tell me? Course not. It would take all the fun out of guessing." - Joyce is concerned but frustrated with her daughter.

Fertility Statue Rating:

Title: School Hard

Season/Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 3

Summary:
Joyce has a fairly large role in this episode, beginning when she finds a reminder about the Parent/Teacher night which Buffy had failed to inform her of in the first place. She is quite miffed at Buffy and generally gives her a lecture.

Later, Joyce turns up at the P/T night, ready to talk to Buffy's teachers. She is swept off by Willow to avoid Principal Snyder, who has a rather low opinion of Buffy to say the least. He does, however, catch up with Joyce eventually, and the two go off to talk about Buffy.

Joyce returns in furious mood, Snyder having given a less than rosy report. But, just as she is about to march her delinquent daughter home, Spike and his gang of vampires attack the School. Buffy corrals her mother, Snyder and some extras into a science lab and goes off to kick butt. Joyce frets about Buffy's safety, as you would. She also argues heatedly with Snyder as he tries to escape, rubbishing his idiot plans with withering sarcasm. Snyder makes a pointed remark about a 'mother/daughter resemblance'.

Mid-battle, Buffy returns to order her mother and the rest to escape, and turns her attention to Spike. The fight for a time, and he's nearly defeated her! Buffy is lying the floor, surely vamp fodder - then Joyce saves the day by battering Spike on the head with a fire axe! Yee-ha! Possibly the greatest single Joyce moment ever.

In the aftermath Joyce says that she's proud of Buffy for her actions that night, no matter what Snyder might have said. Her ironclad denial about this whole vampire slaying thing remains intact, too. Impressive.

Purely for that scene with the axe, this would be one of the great Joyce episodes, but it also gave us some nice Joyce/Snyder dialogue, and still more Buffy bonding.

Sunnydale Style:
We first see Joyce in one of her famous dressing gowns, this one a black number with white flowers, possibly roses.

When she arrives at the P/T night Joyce is simply stunning in loose back trousers and a gorgeous burnt orange paisley pattern blouse, which totally goes with her hair. A true sartorial triumph; Joyce sure knows how to dress for maximum impact.

Interaction: Buffy, Willow, Principal Snyder, Spike and Cordelia.

Joyce's Best Line:
Snarling at Spike, after hitting him with the axe: "Now you get the Hell away from my daughter!" Go Joyce!

Special mention must also go to Cordelia's reaction on first seeing Joyce: "Now that is a woman who knows how to moisturise."

Fertility Statue Rating:

Title: Inca Mummy Girl

Season/Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 4

Summary:
A mere fleeting cameo here, when Joyce attempts to persuade Buffy to go to a dance with Xander and Ampata.

I did however notice that Buffy looks like Joyce when your video is on fast forward, which is cool, and probably disturbing for Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Sunnydale Style:
Not one of her better days: jeans and a baggy jumper. As for the hair... well, let's not dwell on tragedy.

Interaction: Buffy, Xander and Ampata.

Joyce's Best Line:
Ampata, re Buffy - "She is very stubborn." To which Joyce replies, "Well, I'm glad someone else sees that." (Look, there wasn't much to choose from, ok?)

Fertility Statue Rating:

Title: Ted

Season/Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 11

Summary:
Joyce disappears for seven episodes only to turn up in what must be as close to a Joyce-centric episode as Season 2 produced.

Buffy comes home with Xander and Willow to find Joyce having a tongue sandwich with a strange man. We discover he is Ted, a computer software salesman with whom Joyce can find no wrong. He cooks, and all the food he makes is delicious, as Xander and Willow testify. Buffy hates him immediately, much to Joyce's chagrin.

In an attempt to bond, Ted takes Buff, Joyce, Xander and Willow mini-golfing, where Joyce twitters next to her new beau, and eats lots of his cookies. He threatens Buffy when Joyce isn't looking. Uh-oh.

Next morning, Joyce attempts to reason with Buffy about Ted, and refuses to believe he would threaten her, instead chastising Buffy for being rude. She then pigs out on more of Ted's food.

There follows an uncomfortable dinner, where Buffy is even more obnoxious, challenging Ted as to his intentions towards her mother. Joyce eats yet more of Ted's food before eventually getting fed up with Buffy's attitude and sending her to her room.

Later that night, Buffy comes in from slaying to be met by Ted. The two begin to fight when he tries to blackmail her, and they crash out onto the landing. Joyce appears and tries to separate the two, but not before Buffy hits Ted and sends him flying down the stairs to his death. Oops.

The police arrive and question Joyce about her relationship with Ted. They then take both Joyce and Buffy to the local station where they question Buffy. Joyce asks if her daughter will be charged. The police sergeant says no, and the two make their way home. Joyce sits in silent misery all the way.

The next day we see Joyce packing away some old junk as Buffy tearfully tries to make it up to her. Joyce explains she can't face Buffy and sends her away, also in tears.

She comes back up from the basement as Ted returns to the house (he's a robot really) and attacks Buffy, who stabs him with a nail file, slicing some of his circuits. Undeterred, he traps Buffy in her room, and goes downstairs for an emotional reunion with Joyce, who goes through a range of emotions - shock, joy and finally terror when he demands that they leave immediately. She tries to resist him but he knocks her unconscious!

Not to worry; Buffy saves the day, natch, and Joyce expresses horror at her near miss. We leave the two contemplating a night in with Thelma and Louise.

So ends one of Joyce's greatest episodes. Rather disturbingly she's doped up for most of the episode on the happy drugs Ted bakes into all his food. Nevertheless it was Joyce's first romantic dalliance since coming onto the show, although in matters of the heart she and Xander have a similarly poor record in dating psychos. Despite this she gets a load of screen time, she gets to interact with more people than just Buffy and she gets to eat like a horse.

Perhaps the only criticism is that her character didn't develop greatly in the show, nor did she get any particularly great lines and you do get the impression that an opportunity might just have been missed.

In any case, it's a shame we don't get to see her cope with the idea she dated an android. Or did she just repress again? Silly question really.

Sunnydale Style:
A veritable catwalk of outfits was on display in this episode, starting with a chic, sleeveless, black dress, with Japanese style flowers decorating the lower half, and two holes below the neck showing off her lovely back.

We then move on to loose, blue pants and a tight, purple, woollen jumper and white sneakers.

At dinner she favours a sleeveless white blouse over black pants, and then a beige raincoat for the trip to the police station.

For her junk packing she sports a brown blouse and black pants, and then finally, wrapped up in a blanket at the end of the episode, a lime green top.

Doesn't anyone wear things more than once in this show? Doesn't anyone have a favourite top?

Interaction: Buffy, Ted, Xander, Willow and the Police Sergeant.

Joyce's Best Line:
"You know how rare it is to find a man that cooks?" - Joyce speaks wisdom.

Fertility Statue Rating:

Title: Bad Eggs

Season/Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 12

Summary:
Again, a fairly big appearance for Joyce. We start the episode with Joyce out shopping with Buffy. Buffy insults Joyce's dress sense (pot calling the kettle black there) but gets her comuppance when Buffy lets Joyce down by not collecting dry cleaning. Admittedly she'd been side-tracked into vampire slaying, but that's hardly the point. Joyce's wardrobe must come first.

Later, with Buffy mothering an egg (a school project to allow the students to experience the joys of parenthood) Joyce has lots of fun taking the piss out of the poor girl as Buffy moans about the responsibility. She is however concerned for Buffy's health when her daughter reports being tired. She's a softie really.

However, the tiredness seems to be explained when that night catches Buffy coming in at a quarter to 3 in the morning. She is wildly annoyed, and drives Buffy to school the next day informing her daughter that she is grounded and that Joyce will pick her up in the library as soon as she closes the gallery.

Meanwhile a Bezoar is proceeding to make slaves of much of the town, including Giles, from the beasties that hatch from the eggs the school has been giving out. When Joyce turns up looking for Buffy at the library she and Giles make small talk - only for the librarian to attach a beastie to her when she turns her back! Joyce then becomes a slave and moves down to the Bezoar layer to help dig it out.

When Buffy defeats the Bezoar later Joyce, like the other slaves, slumps unconscious to the ground. When they wake up they are persuaded by Giles it was a gas leak, and she staggers to the surface, finally catching up with Buffy - only to confine the poor girl to her room for not being at the library!

Joyce gets a piece of major Giles talk, although it probably doesn't count, given that he was under the influence of the Bezoar at the time. She's goes all disciplianarian on Buffy, rather unfairly - but then how was Joyce to know? If Buffy won't tell her about the slaying she can't be expected to make allowances. Not a classic Joyce ep, but there have certainly been worse.

Sunnydale Style:
Joyce favours a white top, beige coat and grey pants whilst out shopping, before changing to a blue-grey jumper and floral skirt for her next scene.

Catching Buffy up at night she's wearing that black gown with white roses, then the next day wears an olive green sweater, long necklace, dark pants and brown shoes for her Bezoar hard labour.

Interaction: Buffy and Giles. Also has scenes with Cordelia, Xander, Willow and Jonathan.

Joyce's Best Line:
Joyce and children - "They can be such a... Oh, uh, I-I-I don't want to say 'burden', but, uh... Uh, actually I kind of *do* want to say 'burden'"

Fertility Statue Rating:

Title: Surprise

Season/Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 13

Summary:
Joyce appears in Buffy's dream at the start of the episode holding a lime green cup and saucer set. She asks Buffy, "Do you really think you're ready?," drops the saucer then walks off.

Later, when asking Buffy how she felt on her birthday, Buffy tried to persuade her mother to let her learn how to drive, to which Joyce replied, "Do you really think you're ready?" which alerts Buffy to the prophetic nature of her dream.

That is really Joyce's role in this episode, which is fairly cool, if not particularly exciting.

Sunnydale Style:
In the dream she wears a gorgeous burgundy dress, showing that Buffy's unconscious is often a better fashion designer that it's owner, then later a white tee-shirt under a black blouse with white flowers, which is obviously a favourite combo. We can't see her lower body.

Interaction: Buffy.

Joyce's Best Line:
"Do you really think you're ready?" Obviously.

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Title: Innocence

Season/Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 14

Summary:
We see Joyce twice here, asking Buffy is something is wrong when her daughter comes in from her night of passion with Angel, then at the end of the episode comforting Buffy when she is miserable by giving her a big mother hug. Awww.

This is a touching appearance for Joyce, if not a particularly profound one.

Sunnydale Style:
A bright orange jumper with the long necklace she wore in "Bad Eggs" is her first ensemble, followed by a cream pants and jumper set.

Interaction: Buffy.

Joyce's Best Line:
"I don't have to sing, do I?" - re Buffy's birthday cake.

Fertility Statue Rating:

Title: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

Season/Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 16

Summary:
It's Valentine's Day, and what with them both being single gals, Buffy and Joyce are sitting watching TV, ramming snacks down their throat (Joyce, fixed on the screen, is stuffing popcorn into her mouth, but she actually drops some down her cleavage). The doorbell goes, and Buffy goes to get it. There's nobody there. She returns to the living room - and Joyce is gone! Buffy cautiously looks in the kitchen - and, phew, Joyce is there - with a box of flowers. They're from Angelus, and Buffy is distressed. Not that Buffy tells Joyce this, and the big-haired one is confused (as usual).

The next day, as Xander's love spell goes wildly out of control, he and Cordy flee to a safe haven - Buffy's house. Joyce answers the door, and takes them in after she sees the panic on their faces. But the spell soon takes hold, and she immediately starts to flirt with Xander, getting rid of Cordy and giving him a backrub and generally being slutty.

Cordelia sees this and the two fight, Cordy eventually throwing Joyce out the back door! This doesn't stop the love-crazed 'Joycie'; she simply breaks back in! Later, when Xander is being attacked by dozens of love crazed females Joyce is there with a kitchen knife to help with the slaughter (she needs closure).

She's also part of the lynch mob that comes rushing into the basement where Xander is making his last stand, and is busy tearing lumps out of him when the spell is broken. Joyce's powers of repression are pushed to the limit - but she still manages to convince herself it was a scavenger hunt.

This episode is a gift to Kristine, and she clearly has great fun playing seductive Joyce. It's also good for you Joyce/Xander 'shippers. Most importantly It gives Joyce a chance to prove she is more than just a mom - she's a supertramp too.

Sunnydale Style:
In the first scene she chooses a pale blue cardigan over a white tee and dark blue pants as her ensemble. Her hair is both frighteningly huge and gravity defying. They must have run out of L'Oreal concrete-hold hairspray that day.

Seductive Joyce wears a dark red cardigan over another white tee shirt. Her luxurious locks are slightly less enormous.

Interaction: Buffy, Xander and Cordelia in the main, but in the end scene most of the rest of Sunnydale's female population are there too, including Willow, Jenny, and the dinner lady.

Joyce's Best Line:
"I think more of a *hot* night, don't you?" - sexy Joycie tries to seduce Xander with beverages.

Fertility Statue Rating:

Title: Passion

Season/Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 17

Summary:
In one of the most searing episodes of the season, Joyce gets a gratifyingly large role.

We begin with a somewhat awkward dinner with Buffy, who admits to having been going out with Angel. Joyce perfects her ability to say what's going on but not realise it, but is endearingly protective of her daughter.

Later, she returns home from the supermarket, clutching a brown paper bag of groceries. Waiting for her outside the house is Angelus, telling Joyce that he cannot live without Buffy and that Joyce must help them reconcile. Joyce starts off fiery, telling him to stay away from Buffy, but she soon gets scared as he gets more intense, eventually dropping her shopping everywhere. He carries on regardless, and Joyce makes for the front door to phone the police. Angelus tells her that he and Buffy have made love. Joyce is horrified. Angelus gets more threatening, but just as it seems that Angelus might do some real damage, she manages to rush indoors - and Willow casts the spell to rescind Angelus' invitation to the Summers' home.

The confrontation with Angelus results in a fraught exchange with her daughter as Buffy tries to explain their relationship. Joyce is angry and upset that Buffy might have had sex, and that she, Joyce, didn't know. Despite the emotion Joyce and Buffy do bond in the end, and it is clear that Joyce is only concerned about her child.

The emotion does not end there. Jenny is brutally murdered by Angelus, and the scene where Buffy and Willow find out is wrenching - but Joyce is there to rush in and comfort the girls.

It's one of Joyce's greatest episodes - Kristine is brilliant during 'The Talk' with Buffy, and her scene with Angelus is genuinely creepy. It's also great that she gets to be such an integral part of the episode - and the role could not be more different from the comedy relief of the episode before.

Sunnydale Style:
For dinner she wears a blue top with a trademark long necklace. For the Angel and 'Talk' scenes she is elegant in a purple-gray rollneck sweater, brown pants, high-heeled boots and raincoat, accessorising with a silver bangle and pendant and a black handbag.

Interaction: Scorching scenes with Buffy, Angelus and Willow.

Joyce's Best Line:
The episode is littered with great lines for Joyce but one of the finest is when things get fraught during 'The Talk': "Don't 'Mom' me, Buffy. You don't get to get out of this. You had sex with a boy you didn't even see fit to tell me you were dating." Ouch.

Fertility Statue Rating:

Title: Killed By Death

Season/Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 18

Summary:
Buffy, sick with a flu bug, collapses after a fight with Angelus and is taken to hospital. Joyce, naturally, rushes to her daughter's side and is her usual caring self. She fusses over Buffy, and in a very sweet scene, expresses her sorrow over Jenny to Giles.

Later she comes to collect Buffy from the hospital - and is somewhat confused (Joyce? No...) when Buffy wants to stay (to solve the mystery of the week, natch). In the final scene she is an increasingly irritated lackey to Buffy, Xander and Willow.

Not a major role, but for the Giles conversation alone (a good one for all Giles/Joyce'rs out there), a welcome one.

Sunnydale Style:
A good selection of Joyce fashion here. First we have a brown and cream stripey top over fawn pants, with black shoes and a necklace.

For the second hospital scene she sports a brown top, another necklace, and the raincoat and black bag from Passion.

Finally there's a black cardy with another of her endless line of white tee shirts and, but of course, a necklace.

Interaction: Buffy, Giles, Xander, Willow and Dr. Wilkinson.

Joyce's Best Line:
Joyce is trying to comfort Giles: " I'm sorry, I, I babble when I'm nervous, I just wanted to... Well, if, if you need anything... " Awwww.

Fertility Statue Rating:

Title: Becoming, Part 1

Season/Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 21

Summary:
A really interesting scene - we are shown Joyce's life pre-Sunnydale in a flashback to when Angel basically stalked Buffy. But in a good way.

So, young LA Buffy comes in late (she's been off slaying vampires for the first time) and Joyce scolds her. Then Joyce moves off screen and we hear her have a huge argument with Hank. In it she seems to be the good guy; trying to calm down Hank when her husband is being a bad tempered pig.

That's all for this episode - but it was a very interesting glimpse at Joyce's history.

Sunnydale Style:
Wife Joyce has a flowing flowery skirt and a baggy cream wooly jumper with the ever-present pendant. Her bouffant is much larger than that which we saw in season 1 - did she chop off her locks in post-divorce rebellion or is it merely a continuity error on the part of Joss? We couldn't say.

Interaction: Buffy and (off-screen) Hank.

Joyce's Best Line:
Joyce seems to be having a lot of arguments with Hank: "I am not having this conversation again! Alright?"

Fertility Statue Rating:

Title: Becoming, Part 2

Season/Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 22

Summary:
As things go seriously pear-shaped for Buffy, the police have concluded that she is the prime suspect in Kendra's murder. They turn up at the Summers home, and interrogate a frantic Joyce about her daughter's whereabouts.

Joyce obviously then starts scouring the streets for Buffy, as we next see her screeching to a halt in the jeep next to Buffy and Spike, who have just made a deal to defeat Angelus. Joyce is understandably panicked about everything. The Slayer and Spike make up a poor excuse about being in a band to Joyce, who as ever, seems to accept this as the easiest answer.

Not for long, however - they return to the house and a vampire attacks them! As Joyce screams Buffy and Spike dispatch it with ease - and the vamp disappears in a cloud of dust in front of Joyce - who is now teetering on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Buffy is forced to tell Joyce: "Mom, I'm a Vampire Slayer."

Joyce is left speechless.

We cut indoors where Joyce sits clutching a stiff drink as Buffy phones Xander to check up on the badly injured Willow. Spike and Joyce sit in awkward silence, but eventually Joyce makes small talk - she's met Spike before, but where? He reminds her of the axe-attack on Parent/Teacher night. Poor Joyce is yet more confused. She swigs more of the booze.

Buffy gets off the phone and tries to finalise her deal with Spike. As they discuss details, the lies that Buffy has told Joyce begin to crumble, and Joyce is forced to spend half her time asking questions to try and make an ounce of sense from everything.

The exchange between mother and daughter becomes ever more strained as Joyce desperately tries to make sense of everything with tragi-comic results. Eventually it becomes a full-scale argument: Buffy has neither the time nor the patience to explain things to Joyce, who simply doesn't have the time or patience to deal with the information. It climaxes in a wrenching scene where Buffy throws her mother across the kitchen in order to leave the house. An enraged Joyce gives her the choice between staying or never coming back. Buffy leaves.

Joyce puts her head in her hands.

Buffy is forced to kill Angel even after his soul is returned and this, coupled with her mother's rejection, means she takes the decision to leave town. To the strains of a haunting Sarah McLachlan song Joyce walks into Buffy's room the next morning to find her daughter's possessions in disarray, and a note on the bed. Joyce reads it, and breaks down in tears.

Buffy is gone.

Wow. Just when you though that the show couldn't top 'Passion' they go and do it anyway. Joyce is superb in what is Buffy's coming-out scene - and there is some well-observed parallels between that conversation and that of a gay child telling their mom about their sexuality. That the humour so rapidly turns to anger puts the emotion into sharper focus, too. Add the weepy scene and you have quite a repetoire of emotion. Kristine's talents are deservedly on full show.

Sunnydale Style:
For all that kitchen-sink drama Joyce wears a red top under a black cardigan (she must have bought a pile of cardies and tee-shorts somewhere), with grey pants and black shoes.

When she finds the letter she's in her black and white robe.

Interaction: Buffy, Spike and the Police Sergeant.

Joyce's Best Line:
The big scene reaches its awful climax as Joyce tells Buffy: "You walk out of this house, don't even *think* about coming back!"

Fertility Statue Rating:

Click here for our season two overview.

Title:	When She Was Bad
Season/Episode Number:	Season 2, Episode 1
Summary:	The dawn of a new season and Joyce makes her now traditional appearance. We first see her unpacking Buffy's clothes and shoes with her ex-husband Hank. They seem to get on well, although Joyce is less than impressed with Hank's spoiling of their daughter. They both agree, however, that Buffy is impossible to relate to. And evidently a lazy bitch, if she's got Joyce unpacking for her. Later, we see Joyce taking a silent Buffy to school, and Joyce attempts to get her daughter to tell her what's wrong. She fails, and once again seems distressed by their lack of communication. Not a pivotal episode for Joyce's character by any means, but it's interesting to see her with Hank, and she remains the caring mother we know and love.
Sunnydale Style:	In her scene with Hank, Joyce wears loose green pants under a white tee-shirt and a green and blue tartan cardigan. Later we see her in a violet sleeveless blouse, although as she's behind the wheel of the jeep, that's all we see.
Interaction:	Buffy, Hank Summers
Joyce's Best Line:	"Is there the slightest chance that if I asked you what was wrong you would tell me? Course not. It would take all the fun out of guessing." - Joyce is concerned but frustrated with her daughter.
Fertility Statue Rating:

Title:	School Hard
Season/Episode Number:	Season 2, Episode 3
Summary:	Joyce has a fairly large role in this episode, beginning when she finds a reminder about the Parent/Teacher night which Buffy had failed to inform her of in the first place. She is quite miffed at Buffy and generally gives her a lecture. Later, Joyce turns up at the P/T night, ready to talk to Buffy's teachers. She is swept off by Willow to avoid Principal Snyder, who has a rather low opinion of Buffy to say the least. He does, however, catch up with Joyce eventually, and the two go off to talk about Buffy. Joyce returns in furious mood, Snyder having given a less than rosy report. But, just as she is about to march her delinquent daughter home, Spike and his gang of vampires attack the School. Buffy corrals her mother, Snyder and some extras into a science lab and goes off to kick butt. Joyce frets about Buffy's safety, as you would. She also argues heatedly with Snyder as he tries to escape, rubbishing his idiot plans with withering sarcasm. Snyder makes a pointed remark about a 'mother/daughter resemblance'. Mid-battle, Buffy returns to order her mother and the rest to escape, and turns her attention to Spike. The fight for a time, and he's nearly defeated her! Buffy is lying the floor, surely vamp fodder - then Joyce saves the day by battering Spike on the head with a fire axe! Yee-ha! Possibly the greatest single Joyce moment ever. In the aftermath Joyce says that she's proud of Buffy for her actions that night, no matter what Snyder might have said. Her ironclad denial about this whole vampire slaying thing remains intact, too. Impressive. Purely for that scene with the axe, this would be one of the great Joyce episodes, but it also gave us some nice Joyce/Snyder dialogue, and still more Buffy bonding.
Sunnydale Style:	We first see Joyce in one of her famous dressing gowns, this one a black number with white flowers, possibly roses. When she arrives at the P/T night Joyce is simply stunning in loose back trousers and a gorgeous burnt orange paisley pattern blouse, which totally goes with her hair. A true sartorial triumph; Joyce sure knows how to dress for maximum impact.
Interaction:	Buffy, Willow, Principal Snyder, Spike and Cordelia.
Joyce's Best Line:	Snarling at Spike, after hitting him with the axe: "Now you get the Hell away from my daughter!" Go Joyce! Special mention must also go to Cordelia's reaction on first seeing Joyce: "Now that is a woman who knows how to moisturise."
Fertility Statue Rating:

Title:	Inca Mummy Girl
Season/Episode Number:	Season 2, Episode 4
Summary:	A mere fleeting cameo here, when Joyce attempts to persuade Buffy to go to a dance with Xander and Ampata. I did however notice that Buffy looks like Joyce when your video is on fast forward, which is cool, and probably disturbing for Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Sunnydale Style:	Not one of her better days: jeans and a baggy jumper. As for the hair... well, let's not dwell on tragedy.
Interaction:	Buffy, Xander and Ampata.
Joyce's Best Line:	Ampata, re Buffy - "She is very stubborn." To which Joyce replies, "Well, I'm glad someone else sees that." (Look, there wasn't much to choose from, ok?)
Fertility Statue Rating:

Title:	Ted
Season/Episode Number:	Season 2, Episode 11
Summary:	Joyce disappears for seven episodes only to turn up in what must be as close to a Joyce-centric episode as Season 2 produced. Buffy comes home with Xander and Willow to find Joyce having a tongue sandwich with a strange man. We discover he is Ted, a computer software salesman with whom Joyce can find no wrong. He cooks, and all the food he makes is delicious, as Xander and Willow testify. Buffy hates him immediately, much to Joyce's chagrin. In an attempt to bond, Ted takes Buff, Joyce, Xander and Willow mini-golfing, where Joyce twitters next to her new beau, and eats lots of his cookies. He threatens Buffy when Joyce isn't looking. Uh-oh. Next morning, Joyce attempts to reason with Buffy about Ted, and refuses to believe he would threaten her, instead chastising Buffy for being rude. She then pigs out on more of Ted's food. There follows an uncomfortable dinner, where Buffy is even more obnoxious, challenging Ted as to his intentions towards her mother. Joyce eats yet more of Ted's food before eventually getting fed up with Buffy's attitude and sending her to her room. Later that night, Buffy comes in from slaying to be met by Ted. The two begin to fight when he tries to blackmail her, and they crash out onto the landing. Joyce appears and tries to separate the two, but not before Buffy hits Ted and sends him flying down the stairs to his death. Oops. The police arrive and question Joyce about her relationship with Ted. They then take both Joyce and Buffy to the local station where they question Buffy. Joyce asks if her daughter will be charged. The police sergeant says no, and the two make their way home. Joyce sits in silent misery all the way. The next day we see Joyce packing away some old junk as Buffy tearfully tries to make it up to her. Joyce explains she can't face Buffy and sends her away, also in tears. She comes back up from the basement as Ted returns to the house (he's a robot really) and attacks Buffy, who stabs him with a nail file, slicing some of his circuits. Undeterred, he traps Buffy in her room, and goes downstairs for an emotional reunion with Joyce, who goes through a range of emotions - shock, joy and finally terror when he demands that they leave immediately. She tries to resist him but he knocks her unconscious! Not to worry; Buffy saves the day, natch, and Joyce expresses horror at her near miss. We leave the two contemplating a night in with Thelma and Louise. So ends one of Joyce's greatest episodes. Rather disturbingly she's doped up for most of the episode on the happy drugs Ted bakes into all his food. Nevertheless it was Joyce's first romantic dalliance since coming onto the show, although in matters of the heart she and Xander have a similarly poor record in dating psychos. Despite this she gets a load of screen time, she gets to interact with more people than just Buffy and she gets to eat like a horse. Perhaps the only criticism is that her character didn't develop greatly in the show, nor did she get any particularly great lines and you do get the impression that an opportunity might just have been missed. In any case, it's a shame we don't get to see her cope with the idea she dated an android. Or did she just repress again? Silly question really.
Sunnydale Style:	A veritable catwalk of outfits was on display in this episode, starting with a chic, sleeveless, black dress, with Japanese style flowers decorating the lower half, and two holes below the neck showing off her lovely back. We then move on to loose, blue pants and a tight, purple, woollen jumper and white sneakers. At dinner she favours a sleeveless white blouse over black pants, and then a beige raincoat for the trip to the police station. For her junk packing she sports a brown blouse and black pants, and then finally, wrapped up in a blanket at the end of the episode, a lime green top. Doesn't anyone wear things more than once in this show? Doesn't anyone have a favourite top?
Interaction:	Buffy, Ted, Xander, Willow and the Police Sergeant.
Joyce's Best Line:	"You know how rare it is to find a man that cooks?" - Joyce speaks wisdom.
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Title:	Bad Eggs
Season/Episode Number:	Season 2, Episode 12
Summary:	Again, a fairly big appearance for Joyce. We start the episode with Joyce out shopping with Buffy. Buffy insults Joyce's dress sense (pot calling the kettle black there) but gets her comuppance when Buffy lets Joyce down by not collecting dry cleaning. Admittedly she'd been side-tracked into vampire slaying, but that's hardly the point. Joyce's wardrobe must come first. Later, with Buffy mothering an egg (a school project to allow the students to experience the joys of parenthood) Joyce has lots of fun taking the piss out of the poor girl as Buffy moans about the responsibility. She is however concerned for Buffy's health when her daughter reports being tired. She's a softie really. However, the tiredness seems to be explained when that night catches Buffy coming in at a quarter to 3 in the morning. She is wildly annoyed, and drives Buffy to school the next day informing her daughter that she is grounded and that Joyce will pick her up in the library as soon as she closes the gallery. Meanwhile a Bezoar is proceeding to make slaves of much of the town, including Giles, from the beasties that hatch from the eggs the school has been giving out. When Joyce turns up looking for Buffy at the library she and Giles make small talk - only for the librarian to attach a beastie to her when she turns her back! Joyce then becomes a slave and moves down to the Bezoar layer to help dig it out. When Buffy defeats the Bezoar later Joyce, like the other slaves, slumps unconscious to the ground. When they wake up they are persuaded by Giles it was a gas leak, and she staggers to the surface, finally catching up with Buffy - only to confine the poor girl to her room for not being at the library! Joyce gets a piece of major Giles talk, although it probably doesn't count, given that he was under the influence of the Bezoar at the time. She's goes all disciplianarian on Buffy, rather unfairly - but then how was Joyce to know? If Buffy won't tell her about the slaying she can't be expected to make allowances. Not a classic Joyce ep, but there have certainly been worse.
Sunnydale Style:	Joyce favours a white top, beige coat and grey pants whilst out shopping, before changing to a blue-grey jumper and floral skirt for her next scene. Catching Buffy up at night she's wearing that black gown with white roses, then the next day wears an olive green sweater, long necklace, dark pants and brown shoes for her Bezoar hard labour.
Interaction:	Buffy and Giles. Also has scenes with Cordelia, Xander, Willow and Jonathan.
Joyce's Best Line:	Joyce and children - "They can be such a... Oh, uh, I-I-I don't want to say 'burden', but, uh... Uh, actually I kind of do want to say 'burden'"
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Title:	Surprise
Season/Episode Number:	Season 2, Episode 13
Summary:	Joyce appears in Buffy's dream at the start of the episode holding a lime green cup and saucer set. She asks Buffy, "Do you really think you're ready?," drops the saucer then walks off. Later, when asking Buffy how she felt on her birthday, Buffy tried to persuade her mother to let her learn how to drive, to which Joyce replied, "Do you really think you're ready?" which alerts Buffy to the prophetic nature of her dream. That is really Joyce's role in this episode, which is fairly cool, if not particularly exciting.
Sunnydale Style:	In the dream she wears a gorgeous burgundy dress, showing that Buffy's unconscious is often a better fashion designer that it's owner, then later a white tee-shirt under a black blouse with white flowers, which is obviously a favourite combo. We can't see her lower body.
Interaction:	Buffy.
Joyce's Best Line:	"Do you really think you're ready?" Obviously.
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Title:	Innocence
Season/Episode Number:	Season 2, Episode 14
Summary:	We see Joyce twice here, asking Buffy is something is wrong when her daughter comes in from her night of passion with Angel, then at the end of the episode comforting Buffy when she is miserable by giving her a big mother hug. Awww. This is a touching appearance for Joyce, if not a particularly profound one.
Sunnydale Style:	A bright orange jumper with the long necklace she wore in "Bad Eggs" is her first ensemble, followed by a cream pants and jumper set.
Interaction:	Buffy.
Joyce's Best Line:	"I don't have to sing, do I?" - re Buffy's birthday cake.
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Title:	Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
Season/Episode Number:	Season 2, Episode 16
Summary:	It's Valentine's Day, and what with them both being single gals, Buffy and Joyce are sitting watching TV, ramming snacks down their throat (Joyce, fixed on the screen, is stuffing popcorn into her mouth, but she actually drops some down her cleavage). The doorbell goes, and Buffy goes to get it. There's nobody there. She returns to the living room - and Joyce is gone! Buffy cautiously looks in the kitchen - and, phew, Joyce is there - with a box of flowers. They're from Angelus, and Buffy is distressed. Not that Buffy tells Joyce this, and the big-haired one is confused (as usual). The next day, as Xander's love spell goes wildly out of control, he and Cordy flee to a safe haven - Buffy's house. Joyce answers the door, and takes them in after she sees the panic on their faces. But the spell soon takes hold, and she immediately starts to flirt with Xander, getting rid of Cordy and giving him a backrub and generally being slutty. Cordelia sees this and the two fight, Cordy eventually throwing Joyce out the back door! This doesn't stop the love-crazed 'Joycie'; she simply breaks back in! Later, when Xander is being attacked by dozens of love crazed females Joyce is there with a kitchen knife to help with the slaughter (she needs closure). She's also part of the lynch mob that comes rushing into the basement where Xander is making his last stand, and is busy tearing lumps out of him when the spell is broken. Joyce's powers of repression are pushed to the limit - but she still manages to convince herself it was a scavenger hunt. This episode is a gift to Kristine, and she clearly has great fun playing seductive Joyce. It's also good for you Joyce/Xander 'shippers. Most importantly It gives Joyce a chance to prove she is more than just a mom - she's a supertramp too.
Sunnydale Style:	In the first scene she chooses a pale blue cardigan over a white tee and dark blue pants as her ensemble. Her hair is both frighteningly huge and gravity defying. They must have run out of L'Oreal concrete-hold hairspray that day. Seductive Joyce wears a dark red cardigan over another white tee shirt. Her luxurious locks are slightly less enormous.
Interaction:	Buffy, Xander and Cordelia in the main, but in the end scene most of the rest of Sunnydale's female population are there too, including Willow, Jenny, and the dinner lady.
Joyce's Best Line:	"I think more of a hot night, don't you?" - sexy Joycie tries to seduce Xander with beverages.
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Title:	Passion
Season/Episode Number:	Season 2, Episode 17
Summary:	In one of the most searing episodes of the season, Joyce gets a gratifyingly large role. We begin with a somewhat awkward dinner with Buffy, who admits to having been going out with Angel. Joyce perfects her ability to say what's going on but not realise it, but is endearingly protective of her daughter. Later, she returns home from the supermarket, clutching a brown paper bag of groceries. Waiting for her outside the house is Angelus, telling Joyce that he cannot live without Buffy and that Joyce must help them reconcile. Joyce starts off fiery, telling him to stay away from Buffy, but she soon gets scared as he gets more intense, eventually dropping her shopping everywhere. He carries on regardless, and Joyce makes for the front door to phone the police. Angelus tells her that he and Buffy have made love. Joyce is horrified. Angelus gets more threatening, but just as it seems that Angelus might do some real damage, she manages to rush indoors - and Willow casts the spell to rescind Angelus' invitation to the Summers' home. The confrontation with Angelus results in a fraught exchange with her daughter as Buffy tries to explain their relationship. Joyce is angry and upset that Buffy might have had sex, and that she, Joyce, didn't know. Despite the emotion Joyce and Buffy do bond in the end, and it is clear that Joyce is only concerned about her child. The emotion does not end there. Jenny is brutally murdered by Angelus, and the scene where Buffy and Willow find out is wrenching - but Joyce is there to rush in and comfort the girls. It's one of Joyce's greatest episodes - Kristine is brilliant during 'The Talk' with Buffy, and her scene with Angelus is genuinely creepy. It's also great that she gets to be such an integral part of the episode - and the role could not be more different from the comedy relief of the episode before.
Sunnydale Style:	For dinner she wears a blue top with a trademark long necklace. For the Angel and 'Talk' scenes she is elegant in a purple-gray rollneck sweater, brown pants, high-heeled boots and raincoat, accessorising with a silver bangle and pendant and a black handbag.
Interaction:	Scorching scenes with Buffy, Angelus and Willow.
Joyce's Best Line:	The episode is littered with great lines for Joyce but one of the finest is when things get fraught during 'The Talk': "Don't 'Mom' me, Buffy. You don't get to get out of this. You had sex with a boy you didn't even see fit to tell me you were dating." Ouch.
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Title:	Killed By Death
Season/Episode Number:	Season 2, Episode 18
Summary:	Buffy, sick with a flu bug, collapses after a fight with Angelus and is taken to hospital. Joyce, naturally, rushes to her daughter's side and is her usual caring self. She fusses over Buffy, and in a very sweet scene, expresses her sorrow over Jenny to Giles. Later she comes to collect Buffy from the hospital - and is somewhat confused (Joyce? No...) when Buffy wants to stay (to solve the mystery of the week, natch). In the final scene she is an increasingly irritated lackey to Buffy, Xander and Willow. Not a major role, but for the Giles conversation alone (a good one for all Giles/Joyce'rs out there), a welcome one.
Sunnydale Style:	A good selection of Joyce fashion here. First we have a brown and cream stripey top over fawn pants, with black shoes and a necklace. For the second hospital scene she sports a brown top, another necklace, and the raincoat and black bag from Passion. Finally there's a black cardy with another of her endless line of white tee shirts and, but of course, a necklace.
Interaction:	Buffy, Giles, Xander, Willow and Dr. Wilkinson.
Joyce's Best Line:	Joyce is trying to comfort Giles: " I'm sorry, I, I babble when I'm nervous, I just wanted to... Well, if, if you need anything... " Awwww.
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Title:	Becoming, Part 1
Season/Episode Number:	Season 2, Episode 21
Summary:	A really interesting scene - we are shown Joyce's life pre-Sunnydale in a flashback to when Angel basically stalked Buffy. But in a good way. So, young LA Buffy comes in late (she's been off slaying vampires for the first time) and Joyce scolds her. Then Joyce moves off screen and we hear her have a huge argument with Hank. In it she seems to be the good guy; trying to calm down Hank when her husband is being a bad tempered pig. That's all for this episode - but it was a very interesting glimpse at Joyce's history.
Sunnydale Style:	Wife Joyce has a flowing flowery skirt and a baggy cream wooly jumper with the ever-present pendant. Her bouffant is much larger than that which we saw in season 1 - did she chop off her locks in post-divorce rebellion or is it merely a continuity error on the part of Joss? We couldn't say.
Interaction:	Buffy and (off-screen) Hank.
Joyce's Best Line:	Joyce seems to be having a lot of arguments with Hank: "I am not having this conversation again! Alright?"
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Title:	Becoming, Part 2
Season/Episode Number:	Season 2, Episode 22
Summary:	As things go seriously pear-shaped for Buffy, the police have concluded that she is the prime suspect in Kendra's murder. They turn up at the Summers home, and interrogate a frantic Joyce about her daughter's whereabouts. Joyce obviously then starts scouring the streets for Buffy, as we next see her screeching to a halt in the jeep next to Buffy and Spike, who have just made a deal to defeat Angelus. Joyce is understandably panicked about everything. The Slayer and Spike make up a poor excuse about being in a band to Joyce, who as ever, seems to accept this as the easiest answer. Not for long, however - they return to the house and a vampire attacks them! As Joyce screams Buffy and Spike dispatch it with ease - and the vamp disappears in a cloud of dust in front of Joyce - who is now teetering on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Buffy is forced to tell Joyce: "Mom, I'm a Vampire Slayer." Joyce is left speechless. We cut indoors where Joyce sits clutching a stiff drink as Buffy phones Xander to check up on the badly injured Willow. Spike and Joyce sit in awkward silence, but eventually Joyce makes small talk - she's met Spike before, but where? He reminds her of the axe-attack on Parent/Teacher night. Poor Joyce is yet more confused. She swigs more of the booze. Buffy gets off the phone and tries to finalise her deal with Spike. As they discuss details, the lies that Buffy has told Joyce begin to crumble, and Joyce is forced to spend half her time asking questions to try and make an ounce of sense from everything. The exchange between mother and daughter becomes ever more strained as Joyce desperately tries to make sense of everything with tragi-comic results. Eventually it becomes a full-scale argument: Buffy has neither the time nor the patience to explain things to Joyce, who simply doesn't have the time or patience to deal with the information. It climaxes in a wrenching scene where Buffy throws her mother across the kitchen in order to leave the house. An enraged Joyce gives her the choice between staying or never coming back. Buffy leaves. Joyce puts her head in her hands. Buffy is forced to kill Angel even after his soul is returned and this, coupled with her mother's rejection, means she takes the decision to leave town. To the strains of a haunting Sarah McLachlan song Joyce walks into Buffy's room the next morning to find her daughter's possessions in disarray, and a note on the bed. Joyce reads it, and breaks down in tears. Buffy is gone. Wow. Just when you though that the show couldn't top 'Passion' they go and do it anyway. Joyce is superb in what is Buffy's coming-out scene - and there is some well-observed parallels between that conversation and that of a gay child telling their mom about their sexuality. That the humour so rapidly turns to anger puts the emotion into sharper focus, too. Add the weepy scene and you have quite a repetoire of emotion. Kristine's talents are deservedly on full show.
Sunnydale Style:	For all that kitchen-sink drama Joyce wears a red top under a black cardigan (she must have bought a pile of cardies and tee-shorts somewhere), with grey pants and black shoes. When she finds the letter she's in her black and white robe.
Interaction:	Buffy, Spike and the Police Sergeant.
Joyce's Best Line:	The big scene reaches its awful climax as Joyce tells Buffy: "You walk out of this house, don't even think about coming back!"
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