2.20 Go Fish | A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Podcast
April 19, 2026
AI Summary
5 min read"Go Fish": The Swim Team Is Fish, and the Patriarchy Is the Real Monster
In season two, episode twenty of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the swim team is literally turning into fish monsters—but the episode's real target is the system that lets them get away with everything short of murder. When a creature starts preying on members of Sunnydale High's swim team, Buffy discovers the swimmers aren't being attacked by a monster; they are the monsters, shedding their human skin to reveal fish-human hybrids beneath. But the episode spends as much time on the casual sexual assault in the parking lot, the coach's willingness to sacrifice anyone for a state championship, and the school's complicity in protecting athletes as it does on the practical effects of fish-men erupting from human bodies.
The Fish Are a Metaphor, But the Patriarchy Is Literal
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What you'll learn
- 1 (03:05) **"The Swim Team is Fish"** - The hosts introduce the episode, "Go Fish," and its central premise: the swim team is turning into fish monsters.
- 2 (04:32) **A Rarely Seen Side of Xander** - The hosts preview the episode's focus on Xander, noting that this is a strong episode for his character.
- 3 (09:32) **The Many Titles of "Go Fish"** - The hosts explore the episode's various international titles, offering insight into different cultural interpretations.
- 4 (13:41) **Cameron's Predatory Poetry** - The hosts analyze the character of Cameron, a new swim team member, and his disturbing introduction.
- 5 (17:00) **Baby Actors and Fishy Metaphysics** - The hosts point out early appearances by future stars and debate the nature of the fish monsters.
- 6 (22:42) **The Patriarchy in Full Force** - The hosts discuss the episode's explicit critique of the patriarchy, focusing on the school's treatment of the swim team.
- 7 (28:48) **Cameron's Assault and Buffy's Response** - The hosts analyze the scene where Cameron attempts to sexually assault Buffy in the parking lot.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Welcome to Once More, With Spoilers, where Kristin Russo & Jenny Owen Youngs revisit every episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, one at a time — for the SECOND time! — this time discussing each episode with spoilers!
We've got speedos and kickboards in close proximity, fish monsters slip 'n sliding in the boys' locker room, and heaping piles of the patriarchy ...plus it REALLY smells like low tide in here?! It's S2E20 "Go Fish," and yes that IS Shane West in the steam room.
Our original coverage of "Go Fish" — with no spoilers! — aired on June 14, 2017 and you can find it here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2-20-go-fish-a-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-podcast/id1150241800?i=1000386529248
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Jenny Owen Youngs | @jennyowenyoungs; jennyowenyoungs.com
Kristin Russo | @kristinnoeline; kristinnoeline.com
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MUSIC | Theme song and jingles composed and performed by Jenny Owen Youngs | bufferingcast.com/music
PATREON | patreon.com/bufferingcast
MERCH | More from this podcast