Podcast

The Bitch Is Back with Charisma Carpenter

TV & Film

The Bitch Is Back: A First Watch with Charisma Carpenter *Powered by Patreon* is a spin on the traditional rewatch. Known as the formidable queen bee of the Buffyverse, Cordelia Chase-played by Charisma Carpenter-has finally decided to watch her own shows – and she’s taking fans along for the unpredictable ride!

Episodes
50
Releases
Weekly
Typical length
25 min
On air since
2025
Latest episode
9 hours ago

Episodes

50 episodes, newest first

  1. I Watch Becoming Pt. 2 (S2E22) For The First Time | I Can’t Stop Crying

    Show notes

    In this episode of The B*tch Is Back, I watch Becoming Part 2, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2 Episode 22, the Season 2 finale, for the first time. Buffy finally tells Joyce the truth, Willow fights to finish the spell, and Buffy faces the hardest choice of the entire season. I cried, I am so invested now, and I need to know how we get Angel back. Tell me your favorite Season 2 finale moments in the comments. Becoming pt. 1 reaction: https://youtu.be/mc2q10mmAXM Tell everyone you've ever met. The B*tch is Back! New Videos Every Tuesday Join The Firm on Patreon for full UNEDITED reactions and bonus content: www.patreon.com/CharismaCarpenter

    27 min
  2. My First Watch of Becoming Pt. 1 (S2E21) | Buffy Just Got REAL

    Show notes

    In this episode of The B*tch Is Back, I watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2 Episode 21, Becoming Part 1 for the first time. Angel’s origin story, Kendra’s fate, Willow’s spell, and a connection to this show I never knew existed until now. Now I understand why this episode is so beloved! This one left me speechless. Tell everyone you've ever met. The B*tch is Back! New Videos Every Tuesday Join The Firm on Patreon for full UNEDITED reactions and bonus content: www.patreon.com/CharismaCarpenter TT: www.tiktok.com/@charisma_carpenter IG: www.instagram.com/charismacarpenter

    38 min
  3. My BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Monster Tier List as Someone Who Had to Film With Them

    Show notes

    In this episode of The B*tch Is Back, I rank every Buffy the Vampire Slayer monster from Seasons 1 and 2. I was in 147 episodes and had to film with some of these creatures. These are my honest rankings after watching for the first time and I have opinions, especially about the ones that actually scared me. Tell me your rankings in the comments, do you agree? Tell everyone you've ever met. The B*tch is Back! New Videos Every Tuesday Join The Firm on Patreon for full UNEDITED reactions and bonus content: www.patreon.com/CharismaCarpenter TT: www.tiktok.com/@charisma_carpenter IG: www.instagram.com/charismacarpenter

    10 min
  4. My First Watch of Go Fish (S2E20) | This One Took Me Back

    Show notes

    In this episode of The B*tch Is Back, I watch Go Fish, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2, Episode 20, for the first time. The swim team is turning into fish creatures, the coach is hiding something, and watching this one brought back memories from set I hadn’t thought about in years. Plus why this episode is more relevant today than you might think. Tell everyone you've ever met. The B*tch is Back! New Videos Every Tuesday Join The Firm on Patreon for full reactions and bonus content: www.patreon.com/CharismaCarpenter TT: www.tiktok.com/@charisma_carpenter IG: www.instagram.com/charismacarpenter

    24 min
  5. Answering Your Most Asked Questions About The B*tch Is Back

    Show notes

    In this episode of The B*tch Is Back I answer the questions I get asked most. Why I named the podcast The Bitch Is Back and what Cordelia's most iconic line has to do with it. Whether I have really never watched Buffy or Angel all the way through. And why watching this show with you felt like something I had to do for myself, for the fandom, and for everyone who felt conflicted loving a show with a complicated history. Plus the comments that made me cry and what is coming next. Tell everyone you've ever met. The B*tch is Back! New Videos Every Tuesday Join The Firm on Patreon for full UNEDITED reactions and bonus content: www.patreon.com/CharismaCarpenter TT: www.tiktok.com/@charisma_carpenter IG: www.instagram.com/charismacarpenter

    13 min
  6. My First Watch of I Only Have Eyes for You (S2E19) | I Didn't Sign Up for This

    Show notes

    In this episode of The B*tch Is Back, I watched I Only Have Eyes for You, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2, Episode 19, for the first time. This one hit different. A ghost reliving a murder. A love that couldn't be. And the cafeteria snake scene that I was absolutely not prepared for. I share what really happened on set that day and why this episode left me with more questions than answers. Including the one nobody wants to answer. Who deserves forgiveness? Tell everyone you've ever met. The B*tch is Back! New Videos Every Tuesday Join The Firm on Patreon for full reactions and bonus content: www.patreon.com/CharismaCarpenter TT: www.tiktok.com/@charisma_carpenter IG: www.instagram.com/charismacarpenter

    25 min
  7. Ranking Every BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Character (as someone who was on the show)

    Show notes

    In this episode of The B*tch Is Back, I rank every Buffy the Vampire Slayer character from Seasons 1 and 2. I was in 147 episodes and never watched a single one until now. These are my honest rankings after watching for the first time and I have opinions, especially about my own character. Tell me your rankings in the comments, do you agree? Tell everyone you've ever met. The B*tch is Back! New Videos Every Tuesday Join The Firm on Patreon for full UNEDITED reactions and bonus content: www.patreon.com/CharismaCarpenter TT: www.tiktok.com/@charisma_carpenter IG: www.instagram.com/charismacarpenter

    10 min
  8. My First Watch of Killed By Death (S2E18) | This episode That Still Haunts Me

    Show notes

    In this episode of The Bitch Is Back, I watch Killed by Death, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2, Episode 18, for the first time. This is my least favorite episode of the season and I'll tell you exactly why. A demon that only sick children can see, an abandoned hospital that was genuinely creepy to film in, and Buffy making herself sicker to protect the kids she came to save. Plus I share what it was actually like being on set for this one and filming in an abandoned hospital.

    Tell everyone you've ever met. The B*tch is Back! New Videos Every Tuesday Join The Firm on Patreon for full reactions and bonus content: www.patreon.com/CharismaCarpenter TT: www.tiktok.com/@charisma_carpenter IG: www.instagram.com/charismacarpenter

    25 min
  9. My First Watch of the Episode Fans Warned Me About | Passion (S2E17)

    Show notes

    In this episode of The Bitch Is Back, I watch "Passion," Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2, Episode 17, for the first time. I knew Jenny Calendar dies in this one, but I didn't know how, and it left me stunned. I break down the olive branch scene between Jenny and Buffy, Joyce finding out about Buffy and Angel in the worst possible way and my thoughts as a mom on how she handled it, Giles going full vengeance mode after finding the rose on his door, and why I think the show cut away from its biggest emotional beats too fast. I also share what I remember from set about Robia’s final episode. The B*tch is Back! New Videos Every Tuesday Tell everyone you've ever met. The B*tch is Back! New Videos Every Tuesday Join The Firm on Patreon for full reactions and bonus content: www.patreon.com/CharismaCarpenter TT: www.tiktok.com/@charisma_carpenter IG: www.instagram.com/charismacarpenter

    29 min
  10. My First LIVE First Watch: Buffy's Love Spell Disaster | Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered (S2E16)

    Show notes

    I threw out the playbook this week. No 20-page document, no teleprompter, no prep. For the first time ever, I'm watching an episode in real time with you, and of course it's Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, the Valentine's Day love spell disaster. Season 2, Episode 16 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, written by Marti Noxon. Xander gets rejected, goes full scorned warlock, and accidentally makes every woman in Sunnydale obsessed with him except the one he wanted. I have thoughts. About his "nice guy" problem, about Cordelia finally refusing to be a sheep, and about the necklace in this episode that looks suspiciously like one I've been wearing for 25 years. Coincidence? I'm genuinely not sure anymore. Tell everyone you've ever met. The B*tch is Back!

    40 min
  11. My Con Birthday Recap and the Fans Who Made It Unforgettable

    Show notes

    I turned another year older in Manchester, surrounded by my Buffy family and a sea of fans. So this week is a full show and tell the cards that made me cry a little (Meg and her mom Catherine, I'm looking at you), the homemade ones that got me the most, Swedish gummies I've already half-eaten, ruby jewelry, friendship bracelets, a random duck, and a Taylor Swift Showgirl CD. Plus why Patreon members showing up at cons means more than any of you know. Tell everyone you've ever met. The B*tch is Back! Full future episodes on Patreon: www.patreon.com/CharismaCarpenter TT: / www.tiktok.com/@charisma_carpenter IG: / www.instagram.com/charismacarpenter

    13 min
  12. Charisma Carpenter Watches Buffy "Phases" (S2E15) for the First Time

    Show notes

    This week I'm first-watching Buffy Season 2, Episode 15, "Phases," the one where Oz finds out he's a werewolf, Larry finds out it's easier to just be honest, and everyone learns that hiding who you are is a full-time job. But you know where my head really went: that car scene. Xander drags Cordelia out to do things she can't tell her father about, then spends the whole time obsessing over Willow, and somehow she's the one getting slut-shamed for it. As the woman who actually played her, I have thoughts. Plus Willow and Oz land the sweetest ending the show's done yet, and I'm begging this entire cast to try saying the thing out loud sometime. Full recap, my sharpest Hot Takes, and behind-the-scenes I actually lived through. New episodes every other week. Tell everyone you've ever met. The B*tch is Back!

    39 min
  13. Charisma Carpenter Reacts to Her Own Red Carpet Photos

    Show notes

    The team pulled up two decades of my old red carpet photos and made me sit here and look at every single one. Here's what I learned: I've had some genuinely great looks, that Italian silk blouse, my hair, and my makeup combined, and I'd wear it again tomorrow. Some things I'd style differently now, I'm owning my crimes against pantyhose, the shoe choices that should've been slingbacks. There's a Gucci suit that I still have, and an outfit I wear to a water charity Gala that would be better suited for the Grammys. Full episodes and Bonus Bitch live on Patreon, link below. Tell everyone you've ever met. The B*tch is Back!

    13 min
  14. Charisma Carpenter Watches Buffy "Innocence" (S2E14) for the First Time

    Show notes

    This is a heavy one. Buffy gives Angel everything and wakes up to a man who is no longer home, and I could not stop thinking about how fast she assumes it's her fault. Because that's what we do. That cigarette smoke shot might be the most cinematic thing this show has ever pulled off. The morning after the scene had me yelling at my screen. Jenny Calendar finally admits she's been a double agent this entire time, and believe me, I have thoughts about that. Then Willow tells Oz to make out with her and I fell in love with him right alongside her. And when Buffy shoulders a rocket launcher in the middle of a mall? Honestly, good. I also get into the night we shot the military base in the pouring rain, Cordelia's inexplicable silver jacket, and the elevator shot that ended up in the opening credits. I cried, I laughed, I'm not okay. The B*tch is Back!

    1 hr 5 min
  15. Reacting To My Old BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Interview

    Show notes

    New segment: Rewind in Time. The team dug up old footage of me promoting Buffy back in the day, and now I have to sit here and comment on all of it. First up is a five-minute KTLA interview with Sam Rubin from the set of the Halloween episode. I get into: Meeting the cast back when nobody knew if this show was even going to be a thing, stalking Michelle Pfeiffer at the Emmy party, and, decades later, still being genuinely furious that Buffy got snubbed for everything but a makeup nomination. It's surreal, it's a little cringe, and it's very me. The B*tch is Back.

    10 min
  16. Charisma Carpenter Watches Buffy "Surprise" (S2E13) for the First Time

    Show notes

    Charisma breaks down the will they won't they tension of Buffy and Angel's first night together and refuses to look away from the age gap that flew under the radar in 1997 and reads as a red flag on fire in 2026. She dissects the fever dream cold open, the infamous towel scene and the door left ajar that wrecked her nerves, and the gut punch reveal that sweet Jenny Calendar is actually Jana of the Kalderash. She cheers Cordelia owning her sexuality at the lockers, offers a rare and honest critique of her own ambiguous "happy birthday" read, and full on cries over the Claddagh ring goodbye at the docks. Then there's the thing she already knows is coming. Angel loses his soul. Full future episodes on Patreon: www.patreon.com/CharismaCarpenter TT: / www.tiktok.com/@charisma_carpenter IG: / www.instagram.com/charismacarpenter

    54 min
  17. The Bitch is Back! : Buffyverse Deep Dives and discussions on YouTube

    Show notes

    The Bitch is Back! is my first ever watch of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and this channel is now your one-stop shop for everything Buffyverse. I'm bringing the full interviews out from behind the paywall and onto YouTube, alongside new segments covering Buffy and Angel news, reboot and non-reboot talk, the new Angel comic, and the pop culture moments worth weighing in on. I'll be vlogging too, giving you a look at my process and how the podcast actually comes together. Subscribe, stick around, and tell a friend! And if you want the deeper experience, weekly content, monthly Zoom hangs, early drops, and merch discounts, that all lives on my Patreon at patreon.com/charismacarpenter. Tell everyone you've ever met right now, cause people, The Bitch is Back!

    3 min
  18. Ira Madison III Reveals Why He's an Angel Season 4 Defender

    Show notes

    The Bitch is Back, and the vault is still open. More of our favorite Patreon interviews are making their way to YouTube for the first time, and this one is a fan favorite.

    Charisma Carpenter sits down with culture critic and TV writer Ira Madison III for a deep dive into Season 2, Episode 2, Some Assembly Required, Buffy's Frankenstein episode, and one of the most unexpectedly rich hours of the series. They get into the circle of pining, Angel's 241 years of emotional stunting, grief as the real horror of the Hellmouth, and what a Buffy reboot actually needs to get right. Ira makes his case for being one of the few Angel Season 4 defenders on earth, Charisma pushes back, and somewhere in the middle Ira confesses to writing Buffy fan fiction.

    More from the vault. The B*tch is Back.

    Full future episodes on Patreon: www.patreon.com/CharismaCarpenter TT: / www.tiktok.com/@charisma_carpenter IG: / www.instagram.com/charismacarpenter

    1 hr 59 min
  19. James Marsters Reveals Who Really Inspired Spike

    Show notes

    The B*tch is Back, and we're still opening the vault. More of our favorite Patreon interviews are making their way to YouTube for the first time, and this one was the first to go viral. Charisma Carpenter sits down with James Marsters, Spike himself, to revisit Season 1, Episode 3, School Hard, the episode that introduced one of the most beloved characters in the Buffyverse. James reveals that Spike wasn't inspired by Johnny Rotten or Sid Vicious, it was Tim Curry. He gets into the reboot conversation with more candor than you'd expect, shares what he thinks the new show needs to get right, and reflects on what it meant to play a character that became a genuine touchstone for queer fans finding themselves. Plus Charisma and James discover they have more in common than they realized. Old friends, real talk, and more from the vault. The B*tch is Back.

    Full future episodes on Patreon: www.patreon.com/CharismaCarpenter TT: / www.tiktok.com/@charisma_carpenter IG: / www.instagram.com/charismacarpenter

    57 min
  20. Reunited after 20 years! Interview with Eric Balfour

    Show notes

    The Bitch is Back, and we're opening the vault. A few of our favorite interviews are leaving Patreon for YouTube for the first time, and this is the one we wanted to lead with. Charisma Carpenter interviews Eric Balfour, who played Jesse McNally, Xander's best friend and the first Scooby to get turned, more than two decades after they last spoke. Eric gets into auditioning for Xander and landing Jesse instead, knowing from day one that his character was built to die, and the misery of those early vampire contacts and fangs that left him basically blind on set. He looks back on thirty years in the business, his recent run on Hacks, and why he tells young actors to stop waiting for permission and make their own thing. Plus an honest, funny turn on fatherhood and the parts of Hollywood that quietly break people. Old friends, real talk, and a new chapter for the channel. The B*tch is Back.

    Full future episodes on Patreon: www.patreon.com/CharismaCarpenter TT: / www.tiktok.com/@charisma_carpenter IG: / www.instagram.com/charismacarpenter

    39 min