Title:
Season/Episode Number:
Season 4, Episode 1
Summary:
Joyce's blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in this episode is merely a device to illustrate how maladjusted Buffy is to her new life at college.
Feeling disorientated, Buffy returns home to the one place, surely, where she should be able to find comfort. But it seems, even Joyce has moved on. Indeed, Joyce has even turned Buffy's former bedroom into temporary storage for the gallery.
What this goes to show is that Joyce isn't the type to lament over her only offspring flying the nest, she has other priorities in her life now - namely, her business.
Sunnydale Style:
Joyce displays her sartorial elegance with a loose, grey, diaphanous blouse worn over a black top with an embroidered silver flower motif, paired with comfortable yet classy black slacks.
It says: business-like but approachable. As usual, her tawny curls are teased to perfection.
Interaction:
Buffy
Joyce's Best Line:
Few lines to choose from. Buffy is upset that Joyce is using her room as storage for the gallery,
(Buffy) "Mom, you filled it with packing crates."
(Joyce) "Yes, but… I didn't move anything."Fertility Statue Rating:
Title:
Season/Episode Number:
Season 4, Episode 2
Summary:
Joyce gets one final scene before Kristine swans off to Italy for much of the rest of the year (to return just in time to be held hostage by Faith). She fixes Buffy's Hallowe'en costume and then comforts Buffy who is still smarting from being dumped by Parker. Nice and mumsy. We also learn that Joyce has other friends, which is good to know. Nevertheless, it's hardly an illuminating episode for Joyce.
Sunnydale Style:
Joyce favours casual wear; a loose grey top wuith darker grey stripes and blue jeans. Shockingly, her top is so thin you can see through to her black camisole! Joyce is obviously a tease now Buffy has gone.
Interaction:
Buffy
Joyce's Best Line:
Joyce is talking about her realtionships with Buffy: "I'm still a little gun shy. It certainly didn't help that my last boyfriend turned out to be a homicidal robot."
Fertility Statue Rating:
Title:
Season/Episode Number:
Season 4, Episode 15
Summary:
Joyce, alone and defenseless now that Buffy has traipsed off to college and forgotten all about her mom, gets a knock on the door one dark night - and, as she opens it, she gets a fist in the face! Faith, psycho Slayer - for it is she - has woken up and wants revenge on Buffy. How better than by getting to Joyce?
We next see Joyce next sitting on her bed sporting a big black eye as Faith tries on her lipstick. The two sit and exchange bitchy comments, Faith pointing out just how much of a selfish cow she (rightly) believes Buffy to be. Then Buffy rather implausibly bursts into the room through the window (from where, exactly? Joyce's room is one floor up. And why doesn't she come through the front door? she still has a key, presumably). As the two Slayers fight, Joyce grabs the phone and dials the cops.
After Buffy knocks Faith out, with the police cars screaming up the driveway, Joyce then appears in her wrecked living room to ask if Buffy's ok. Buffy replies, "Five by five!" - for she is really Faith in Buffy's body! Not that Joyce notices.
Not much for Joyce to do here except be captured (again). However, Joyce/Faith shippers had a field day with a very slashy scene between the two, and Joyce did hold her own in the bitchfest.
Sunnydale Style:
For this episode, Joyce favours a rather hideous black top with red and yellow stripes over brown pants, with pumps and a short necklace. Her glorious bouffant has been trimmed though, and is closer to the length it was in season 1.
Interaction:
Faith and Buffy. Technically also Faith-in-Buffy's-body.
Joyce's Best Line:
"Are you going to slit my throat anytime soon?" - Joyce gets bored with Faith's taunts.
Fertility Statue Rating:
Title:
Season/Episode Number:
Season 4, Episode 16
Summary:
Two scenes for Joyce here - the first with Buffy (who's really Faith) where she's very mumsy - wrapping a coat around Buffy's shoulders as they go outside to talk to the police. Then they talk about Faith and compassion!Joyce is present again, hoping that Faith gets help. She's also shocked when 'Buffy' expresses the hope that 'Faith' will get preyed upon by an older lesbian in jail. Jealousy?
Anyway, there's a lovely exchange that has me sniffling every time when Joyce asks Buffy to pop round more because she misses her. Kristine plays it beautifully, and is so, well, pathetic. Anyway 'Buffy' feels guilty (even though it's not her fault).
Later, after 'Buffy' has had a bath, Joyce walks in just after her daughter has booked a flight on her credit card to tell her that her friends are calling for her.
And that's it. Joyce basically got to be used as an indication of how Buffy is becoming separated from her 'family', and also so any slow people could pick up that Faith had switched bodies. Worth Kristine flying over from Italy, but only just.
Sunnydale Style:
The same clothes as in This Year's Girl at first, and then for no obvious reason she changes into a lacy gray top with gray pants and a long silver pendant. She's just a clothes horse really.
Interaction:
Faith-in-Buffy's-body, and a policeman.
Joyce's Best Line:
Joyce: I've missed you.
Buffy: Cause I haven't visited, right? I knew it.
Joyce: I know how it is. You have so much in your life now.
Buffy: I'm a busy little beaver. College and all.
Joyce: Of course. But um, maybe we could spend some time together soon? Some night when I'm not being held hostage by a raving psychotic.Fertility Statue Rating:
Title:
Season/Episode Number:
Season 4, Episode 22
Summary:
Joyce returns for the final episode of Season 4 to take part in the trippy dream sequences.
First we see her in a non-dream setting, meeting Riley for the first time as the gang gather at Buffy's house to relax after defeating Adam. Joyce goes to bed, but not before shooting a smouldering look at Giles from the stairs, the minx.
Then we get into the dreams. Joyce first appears in Xander's dream in full Mrs. Robinson mode in a drop-dead sexy negligee, tempting the young buck into her room. Despite flaunting her womanly bosoms and even offering him her bed, he goes to the bathroom and, alas, never gets to enjoy Joyce's, erm, affections. Later, in Buffy's dream she's living in a wall in Buffy's dorm, apparently learning how to play Mah-Jong and being molested by mice.
Finally, after the dreams are over, she comes downstairs to find the gang all dazed after their experiences. Entirely non-plussed, she offers to make hot chocolate.
Joyce really gets to have fun here, and Joyce/Xander 'shippers would have been in ecstasies as she batted her eyelids at her suitor (albeit in his dream). Not critical by any means, but it would not have been the same episode without her, and the last scene really shows her to be becoming a part of the Scooby gang. Awww.
Sunnydale Style:
First we see Joyce in a green cardy with a black skirt and a white tee, then she's quite the sex siren in her red negligee and gown with harlot lipstick for Xander's dream, pouting for all she's worth. Her bouffant has never been more radiant, falling lightly around her delicate features, calling Xander with every follicle. Er… yes, where was I? In Buffy's dream she appears to be wearing a cream top, but it's difficult to see. Lastly she's in very pale blue robe (another robe!) to make hot chocolate.
Interaction:
Buffy, Riley, Giles, Xander, and Willow.
Joyce's Best Line:
"I-I'm sorry, dear. (giggles) Um, a mouse is playing with my knees." - one of the more sensible things Joyce gets to say in the dream sequences.
Fertility Statue Rating:
Click here for our season four overview.
