Connect with us

Entertainment

The Forgotten Buffy Episode That Inspired The Best Superhero Show Ever Made

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a show that very nearly got an animated spinoff. Sadly, that show never saw the light of day, and this cartoon project remains deader than the Master. However, that didn’t keep this seminal urban fantasy show from inspiring one of the greatest animated series in television history!

You see, one of Buffy’s biggest fans was Bruce Timm, who kickstarted the DC Animated Universe with Batman: The Animated Series. He went on to produce other beloved DCAU shows, including Justice League Unlimited. In a bit of geeky synchronicity, the JLU episode “This Little Piggy” was inspired by the Season 2 Buffy episode “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered.”

Ratty, The Vampire Slayer

The Buffy episode in question has its characters gearing up for Valentine’s Day, and Xander gets his heart broken when a peer-pressured Cordelia breaks up with him. He then forces local witch Amy to cast a love spell on his ex, but it ends up backfiring, and everyone but Cordelia falls in love with the young man. Eventually, the spell is reversed, and Xander gets back together with Cordelia, but along the way, a jealous Amy transforms Buffy into a rat.

What does this rat transformation have to do with Justice League Unlimited? That show’s producer (animation legend Bruce Timm) was a big fan of Buffy, and he thought that “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” would feature a different ending. Specifically, he thought that Buffy would have to use her Slayer skills to fight off a cat (she does approach the kitty and unexpectedly scares him off) while she was still transformed into a rat!

Wonder Woman Or Wonder Bacon?

Obviously, that didn’t happen, but Timm still thought it was a cool concept. So cool, in fact, that he wrote something similar into his own show. In the Justice League Unlimited episode “This Little Piggy,” Circe transforms Wonder Woman into a pig, leaving Batman with the unenviable task of figuring out how to restore his kindasorta goddess girlfriend (it’s complicated) back to her divine self.

In the audio commentary for “This Little Piggy,” Bruce Tim revealed that this Wonder Woman plot point was based on how he thought the ratty Slayer would have to fight the cat. In the Justice League Unlimited episode, Wonder Woman is a bit like Buffy: she is transformed into an animal but otherwise retains her human intelligence. Unlike Buffy, though, Wonder Woman has to fight against humans who aren’t afraid to take her to the slaughterhouse.

Slay, Queens!

This is evident when one of the humans tries to kill her with a gun; when he fires what would have otherwise been a fatal blast, Wonder Woman deflects the shot with her bracers. It’s a crowd-pleasing moment, one that shows that the Amazon’s warrior spirit is more than skin deep. The scene also helps to illustrate what Timm was hoping to see in “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered:” a transformed hero taking on foes who are way above her weight class.

As a very different kind of cartoon pig might say, th-th-th-that’s all, folks! A forgotten episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended up inspiring one of the craziest episodes of Justice League Unlimited, transforming Wonder Woman into a pig just as Buffy was transformed into a rat. It’s a fun bit of franchise crossover that reminds us of a very important point: no matter what form they take, these two women know how to slay!


source

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Entertainment

Get 56% off this 8-in-1 portable keyring

TL;DR: Charge On the go with 56% off this 8-in-1 keyring cable when you get the GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable for just $21.99 (Reg. $49.99).


$21.99

$49.99
Save $28.00

 

Whether you’re an experienced adventurer or a newbie to the outdoors, there are certain tools you need, including (but not limited to) adequate hydration, proper gear, and backup power options for your phone. With the GoCable, 8 features are combined into one portable tool that might optimize your outdoor experiences.

Despite its tiny and discreet design, the eight features included in this versatile cable include:

  • Portable charging: 100W fast charging to speed up how long it takes to juice up your devices.

  • Universal compatibility: Type-C to Type-C + Apple Lightning connectivity.

  • LED display: Track your charging status with real-time visibility

  • Magnetic cable consolidation: Manage your cables with a discreet design and magnets that prevent tangles.

  • Bottle opener: Conveniently placed bottle opener for opening drinks on the go.

  • Hidden cutter: Sleek and sharp cutting tool, tucked away for safety.

  • Carabiner clip: Secure attachment with a clip-on carabiner.

  • Fast transferring and processing: High-speed file transfer capability.

This portable keychain is just as at home on your backpack or on your desk. Unify all of your charging tools with this one streamlined tool, which doesn’t sacrifice charging speed for efficiency.

Whether you need to charge a device quickly while transferring files or you need an extra boost of charge on the go, this portable charger and keyring consolidates your convenience devices and your tech tools.

And with the carabiner, you can clip this keychain onto anywhere — from your clothes to your bags.

Get the GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable for just $21.99 (Reg. $49.99).

Grabbing this offer? Once your cart hits $100+, add Microsoft Office 2021 and apply GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows) at checkout to get a lifetime license for free. Ends April 19.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

source

Continue Reading

Entertainment

BookCon 2026: Authors Rachel Reid, Stephanie Archer talk hockey romance and how it could change the sport for the better

With the fervor of Heated Rivalry, there’s a fierce desire among book readers for even more hockey. On Sunday, April 19, at BookCon, the “You Had Me at Hockey: A Look at One of Sports Romance’s Hottest Genres”, authors Rachel Reid (Heated Rivalry, Game Changer), Emily Rath (Pucking Around), Ngozi Ukazu (Check Please), Stephanie Archer (The Wild Card), and Kate Cochrane (Wake Up, Nat & Darcy) were joined by moderator and fellow author Bal Khabra (Collide) to discuss the rise and continued success of hockey romance.

Khabra kicked off the panel, asking just how hockey became so popular. Ukazu joked that it was as if the genre “escaped containment,” like when the Omegaverse went mainstream, while Reid described the mystery around hockey, saying, “what [the players] are doing seems impossible.” Archer also added that the sport itself is exceptionally hard on the body, and the celebrity around players, especially in Canada, is fun to play with.

But there’s more to the genre’s success than the tropes. “It has to be said,” Rath argued, “that the cornerstone of why this is so popular in publishing is racism.” She went on to say that straight, white women’s voices dominated the romance genre for so long, pointing out that hockey is also the whitest sport. Among major league sports, the NHL is the most predominantly white. In 2022, ESPN reported that 83.6% of league players and staff were white, compared to the NFL, where 25-27% of players are white, or the NBA, where white players make up 17.5% of the league.

Zooming into the genre, the authors also spoke about the writing process. They dove into the deeper aspects of their work, even the smut. Rath said, “I think the least sexy thing you can ever do is write a sex scene.” A similar sentiment came up during Reid’s Saturday panel, where she described using the sex scenes to further the emotional arc. When readers ask authors if they can skip the spice, Archer says of her own books, “No, you can’t skip the sex scenes. You’re missing so much character development if you don’t go on the journey with them.”

The panel turned to the future, too. Many of the authors write BIPOC and queer representation into their novels, in a genre that often centers on whiteness and homophobia. “We’re writing the world as we want it to be,” Rath said.

Reid has found that there is progress toward a future that these authors and their readers want to see, saying that the NHL is interested in working with them. “People on the inside, they really want to work toward change and want to make this happen.”

With the hockey fandom at an all-time high, there’s a whole team behind these authors ready to drive change.

source

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Save on gas (and everything else) with a $15 BJ’s membership

TL;DR: Score a one-year BJ’s membership for $15 (reg. $60) and save up to 20¢/gal. on gas through April 30 — just in time for spring shopping and road trips.


Credit: BJ’s Wholesale Club

The warmer weather tends to sneak up fast, and so do those grocery bills and gas receipts. A one-year membership to BJ’s Wholesale Club is one of those simple upgrades that can make everyday shopping feel a little more manageable.

You can currently grab a Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal for just $15 (reg. $60) through April 30, which opens the door to savings across groceries, household essentials, and even your weekend cookout prep.

Mashable Deals

By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Let’s start with the obvious, though. Gas prices. Members already get everyday savings at BJ’s Gas, but during this promo window, you’ll get an extra 15¢ off per gallon stacked on top of the usual 5¢ discount — bringing your total to 20¢ off per gallon through April 30.

Inside the club, it’s all about stretching your dollar further. BJ’s is known for offering competitive pricing on national brands, plus a wide selection of fresh produce, meats, bakery items, and deli favorites. Whether you’re planning a backyard BBQ, stocking up for a party, or just trying to cut down on weekly grocery runs, buying in bulk can help simplify things.

There’s also something to be said for convenience. Fewer trips to the store, more options in one place, and access to seasonal items that make spring and summer feel extra special.

Get a one-year Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal® for just $15 (reg. $60) and enjoy an extra 15¢ off per gallon at any of the 199 BJ’s gas stations through April 30.

Grabbing this deal? Build your cart to $100+ and score a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 free with code GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows) through April 19.

Gift with $100+ purchase promo ends April 19, 2026. Exclusions apply. Only one promo code applicable per order. Prices subject to change.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

source

Continue Reading