Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode-by-episode: Season 7, Episode 22: Chosen

As You Were
-I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I agree with Buffy that it's almost like Riley's waltzing in with his perfect life and showing what a mistake it was for Buffy to let him go. On the other hand, he's genuinely nice in this episode, doesn't blow up over Spike, and get's Buffy to finally stop destroying herself.
-Sam's cool and Willow trying to hate her is priceless.
-Anyone else think Spike was acting like Angel when Buffy burst in and asked him about the Doctor? He was reading and wearing a button up black shirt just like Angel often does.
-I don't buy Buffy never having heard of the Doctor before. She knows the underworld too well.
-Good scene of Buffy leaving Spike.

B

 

Season 6, Episode 16: Hell's Bells

Writer: Rebecca Rand Kirshner

Director: David Solomon


The day of the wedding has finally come and Xander and Anya are preparing for the hoards of guests. While Xander's screwed up human family go head to head with Anya's demon friends, an unexpected guest approaches Xander to warn him that his life with Anya may not turn out to be the married bliss he has hoped for.

Kind of a weird episode, in that I like everything about it, except the premise behind it. I don't like the idea of Xander leaving Anya at the alter like he does. I realize its necessary for everything that's to come with Anya's character, character turn that I also like. I like the idea of her going back to Vengeance, but I still don't like Xander leaving her like this. Everything else about the episode is good. Its fun to see the show just go to town with the number of different demons they create for this episode. I like that we get a good variety, and not just a bunch of people that look like Halfrek. I don't think there's any way to get around seeing them, but I almost would have liked to not see Xander's parents. I think they work better as off screen characters that we never see. Uncle Rory though, he's a lot of fun in this episode. I also like Spike's attempt to make Buffy jealous, and it working a bit. These are the type of Spike/Buffy moments that I like, when they talk to each other here, you can actually see that there is some feeling there, some genuine affection. And Buffy stalling with Charades and juggling is just awesome. So, I guess, while I want to slap Xander across the face for his actions here, its still a good episode. 8.25 out of 10.

SPIKE: Hello, Buffy.
BUFFY: Hey.
SPIKE: It's a happy occasion. You meet my friend?
BUFFY: No. Not yet. But she seems like a very nice attempt at making me jealous.
SPIKE: Is it working?
BUFFY: A little. It doesn't change anything ... but if you're wildly curious, yeah, it hurts.
SPIKE: I'm sorry. Or, Good! You want us to go?
BUFFY: No. No, I ... you have every right to be here. I pretty much deserve-
SPIKE: That's not true, you... God, this is hard.
BUFFY: Yeah.
SPIKE: I think we'll go.
BUFFY: Go where? To your place?
SPIKE: Yeah, I suppose. That was the idea.
BUFFY: Yeah.
SPIKE: Evil.
BUFFY: Of course.
SPIKE: But I won't. Or I... I'll just go. Give 'em my best or whatever. The happy couple.
BUFFY: I will.
SPIKE: It's nice to watch you be happy. For them, even. I don't see it a lot. You, uh... you glow.
BUFFY: That's because the dress is radioactive. I should...
SPIKE: Yeah. But it hurts?
BUFFY: Yeah.
SPIKE: Thanks.
*Spike walks away*
BUFFY: You're welcome.


ANYA: I, Anya, promise to cherish you... Ew, no, not cherish. Uh, I promise... to have sex with you whenever ... *I* want, and, uh... uh, pledge to be your friend, and your wife, and your confidant, and your sex poodle...
TARA: Uh, sex poodle?
ANYA: Yeah, why?
TARA: Um, I'm not sure you should say 'sex poodle' in your vows.
ANYA: Huh.


D'HOFFRYN: Are you okay?
ANYA: I'm tired... of crying. I'm just so tired, D'Hoffryn.
D'HOFFRYN: Oh, Anyanka. I'm sorry. But you let him domesticate you. When you were a vengeance demon, you were powerful, at the top of your game. You crushed men like him. It's time you got back to what you do best ... don't you think?

 

616: Hell's Bells

- Good teaser; but finally seeing Xander?s family is kind of an odd experience. We?ve been hearing about them for such a long time and I think I might have preferred them to stay off screen. Xander?s father is sufficiently mean and angry though.
- Great early Buffy/Xander scenes. I also love the scene with Willow and Tara exchanging flirty looks as Anya practices her vows.
- D?hoffryn! Awesome!
- Why was Spike (and Clem) even invited to the wedding?
- The old man saying he?s Xander from the future is a neat twist: the episode?s keeping me interested.
- Some really sad potential flashforwards here. Very effective. I especially like the mentions of Buffy having died. Again.
- ?Well, your double Xs don?t look too bad there either.? ? hee
- Xander/Willow formal wear continuity callback! Love that scene.
- I like the last third of this one slightly less than the rest.
- Buffy knows how to juggle! I love that.
- The last few minutes here are great. I would have preferred Anya and Xander to actually get married, but I totally get why Xander wasn?t ready.
- If we?re gonna break up Anya and Xander, I do like that Anya becomes a Vengeance Demon again. It makes sense that that?s what she?d do.
- Lots of scenes I really like here. But the episode as a whole isn?t really as good as the individual parts. Solid though.

B +

 

Season 6, Episode 17: Normal Again

Writer: Diego Gutierrez

Director: Rick Rosenthal

After being poisoned by a demon, Buffy comes to believe that she is confined to a mental hospital, her mother is alive, her parents are still together, and that her life as a Slayer has all been an hallucination for the past six years.
Deciding that she prefers this "normal" life with her parents, Buffy attempts to destroy the things that tether her to the "fantasy" life of the Slayer: her friends.

This is one of those episode that I think I like less then others. The one thing that kills it for me is the idea of Buffy actually having been in a mental hospital before she came to Sunnydale. I don't like that idea, it doesn't fit with the continuity of the show. For one thing, you think that would have been brought up before. Especially second season, when Buffy's mom found out she was the Slayer, or maybe in some conversation afterward. And Buffy said it happened after she saw her first vampire, now I haven't read Joss's full story of what happened to Buffy in LA beofre coming to Sunnydale, but I know the gist of it, and I don't think it involved time in a mental hospital. Its just a revelation, that after six years, feels out of place and not consistent with the world Joss has created. And its one of those episodes that drags a bit, with no real tension. We know that Willow, Xander and Dawn aren't going to die, we know that Buffy will snap out of it. She's going to stay in the hospital hallucination, so there's no real tension to the episode. The couple moments of redemption are Tara being the one to save the day, and an outstanding scene with Buffy's mom that sends her back to reality. And one final note, we haven't seen it in awhile, and I think it ma be here, only to annoy Hansen, but this episode marks the re-appearance of the Alpert Crypt, which I don't think we've seen since season 3. 7 out of 10.

DOCTOR: Buffy's delusions are multi-layered. She believes she's some type of hero.
JOYCE: The Slayer.
DOCTOR: The Slayer, right, but that's only one level. She's also created an intricate latticework to support her primary delusion. In her mind, she's the central figure in a fantastic world beyond imagination. She's surrounded herself with friends, most with their own superpowers ... who are as real to her as you or me. More so, unfortunately. Together they face ... grand overblown conflicts against an assortment of monsters both imaginary and rooted in actual myth. Every time we think we're getting through to her, more fanciful enemies magically appear-
BUFFY: How did I miss-
DOCTOR: and she's-
BUFFY: Warren and Jonathan, they did this to me!
DOCTOR: Buffy, it's all right. They can't hurt you here. You're with your family.
BUFFY: Dawn?
HANK: That's the sister, right?
DOCTOR: A magical key. Buffy inserted Dawn into her delusion, actually rewriting the entire history of it to accommodate a need for a familial bond. Buffy, but that created inconsistencies, didn't it? Your sister, your friends, all of those people you created in Sunnydale, they aren't as comforting as they once were. Are they? They're coming apart.
JOYCE: Buffy, listen to what the doctor's saying, it's important.
DOCTOR: Buffy, you used to create these grand villains to battle against, and now what is it? Just ordinary students you went to high school with. No gods or monsters ... just three pathetic little men ... who like playing with toys.


BUFFY: I don't know...
JOYCE: Buffy, look at me.
BUFFY: I don't know. I don't know.
JOYCE: I believe in you. You're a survivor, you can do this. Buffy? Buffy! Buffy, fight it. You're too good to give in, you can beat this thing. Be strong, baby, ok? I know you're afraid. I know the world feels like a hard place sometimes, but you've got people who love you. Your dad and I, we have all the faith in the world in you. We'll always be with you. You've got ... a world of strength in your heart. I know you do. You just have to find it again. Believe in yourself.
BUFFY: You're right. Thank you. Good-bye.

 

Wow, do we disagree on this one...

617: Normal Again

- Time to get back to the Nerd Trio and I like it. Good fight between Buffy and the demon here and the smash cut to Buffy in the asylum is great. So pretty solid teaser.
- Aww, Willow is adorable as she practices talking to Tara.
- The scene where Xander returns is great. a realy simple, but very effective scene with the three core characters. Scenes like that make me miss Giles.
- Joyce! Hank! SMG kills me in all of these scenes. Seeing Buffy slowly starting to believe that she actually is crazy and in an asylum.
- I love the meta quality of this episode where it comments on all the implausibilities of the show and finds real explanations for them. I especially love the doctor talking about why Buffy created Dawn and the repercussions of it.
- The only part of this episode that maybe bugs me is the notion that Buffy supposedly spent some time in an asylum before the pilot. It makes sense for this episode, but I feel like it should?ve come up at some point before this one.
- I like the casual mention of Buffy having had a momentary awakening last summer. It?s not explained in the episode that this is when Buffy was dead, it?s instead left for the viewers to figure out on their own.
- No Anya in this one. I don?t really miss her either.
- Tara helps save the day! Yay!
- Some great writing here when Joyce give a speech meant to keep Buffy in the AsylumReality, but it instead makes her realize where she truly belongs. And I love how this episode manages to have an ending that?s both incredibly sad and heroic at the same time.
- By the way, I firmly believe the real Buffy is the Sunnydale one. the final scene being in the asylum is simply a symbolic representation of Buffy being ?cured?.
- One of the best non Joss episodes. Wasn?t sure if it deserved the + or not, but I?m feeling kind today.

A +

Didn't notice the Alpert crypt by the way. But I'm fine with it appearing once in a while. I was mostly just bothered by the notion that everything that ever happens in a cemetery in Sunnydale happens around this one crypt.

 

Hell's Bells
-I pretty much lost interest in the season around now. Just as Buffy and Willow start finding normalcy again, Xander and Anya now have to become miserable. Thankfully it gets better in a couple episodes.
-Giles absence is weird. There should've been a line or something to explain it.
-Love Buffy trying charades (Deathwok clan, heh. Nice little shout out to Angel.) and juggling. It;s little touches like that that make me love the series.
-Weird that Clem's sitting on Xander's side and not with all the other demons.

B-

Normal Again
-I don't mind that Buffy never mentioned being in an institution and even if this episode has no intensity to it, I'm glad that it was at least something different from just a standard episode.
-Willow practicing lines for Tara is cute
-Some nice touches in the alternate reality with Buffy haven woken up over the summer explaining her death and her fantasy breaking down explaining why her friends are all messed up now. Some things don't work though like if she's clinging to these relationships why would Giles be gone?
-Buffy stalking Dawn is creepy
-Hate the ending scene and it trying to imply that this is all made up. Doesn't even make sense since Angel takes place in the same universe and that couldn't all be part of Buffy's mind.

B

 

Giles absence is weird. There should've been a line or something to explain it.

There is in a deleted scene, apparently he was busy fighting a demon in England and couldn't make it, so he paid for all the flowers to make up for his absence.

 

Season 6, Episode 18: Entropy

Writer: Drew Z. Greenberg

Director: James A. Contner

Having become a vengeance demon again, Anya attempts to curse Xander for the pain he caused her... but she can't do it herself. Instead, she enlists the help of some old friends but it doesn't go the way she expected.
Buffy spends some quality time with Dawn to make up for her violent actions in Normal Again, but Dawn's idea of a good time is the dangerous world of patrolling. Willow and Tara meet for a coffee date and begin to mend their troubled relationship.
The gang discover that the Troika have been watching their every move with hidden cameras. The cameras are traced to the trio's lair and what is seen on video proves to be devastating for all of them.

I think this is the first Anya-centric episode we get, and its a pretty good one. I like her attempts to get someone, anyone to wish something bad about Xander, especially her attempts with Willow and Tara. And I really like the scene between her and Spike. Its something that I almost wish we'd seen more of. The two characters just work well together, and play off each nicely. Also in this episode, everyone finds out about Buffy and Spike, and they all handle it pretty well, except for Xander, but he's not in a very good mind set when he finds out. And while everything is falling apart for everyone else, things are getting better for Willow and Tara, first a coffee date that goes well, and then a nice make up session that night. A good episode, but nothing that really stand out as outstanding. 8 out of 10.

ANYA: It was just, it ... it was just a thing. I ... I felt bad, and he was just ... there.
BUFFY: *to Spike* Didn't take long, did it?
XANDER: Oh, oh, oh, okay! You had to do it. Because he was there. Like Mt. Everest. Like I used to be.
ANYA: And then you weren't. You left me, Xander. At the altar. I don't owe you anything.
XANDER: So you go out and bang the first body you can find? Dead or alive?
ANYA: Where do you get off judging me?!
XANDER: When this is your solution to our problems. I hurt you, and you hit me back? Very mature.
ANYA: No, the mature solution is for you to spend your whole life telling stupid, pointless jokes, so that no one will notice that you are just a scared, insecure little boy!
XANDER: I'm not joking now. You let that evil, soulless thing touch you. You wanted me to feel something? Congratulations, it worked. I look at you ... and I feel sick. 'Cause you had sex with that.
SPIKE: It's good enough for Buffy.
XANDER: Shut up and leave her out of...
ANYA: Buffy?
BUFFY: Xander...
XANDER: I don't want to know this. I don't want to know any of this.


Tara: Things fall apart, they fall apart so hard.
Willow: Tara?
Tara: You can never put them back the way they were.
Willow: Are you ok?
Tara: I'm sorry, it's just... you know, it takes time. You can't just... have coffee and expect...
Willow: I know.
Tara: There's just so much to work through. Trust has to be built again, on both sides. You have to learn if... if we're even the same people we were. If you can fit in each other's lives. It's a long, important process and... can't we just skip it? Can - can you just be kissing me now?

 

618: Entropy

- Teaser?s nothing special.
- Love the Buffy/Tara scene. They?re so adorable together.
- Good Buffy/Dawn scene with them being all sisterly and stuff.
- Nicholas Brendon hasn?t had a lot to do this season, but he?s doing great now in his more meaty scenes between Xander and Anya. I love Anya?s frustration at Xander only being in metaphorical not physical pain by the way.
- I love Willow telling Tara about the penis looking demon.
- Anya trying to make the Scoobies wish bad things on Xander is good.
- Don?t really have anything to say about the Spike/Anya thing here except that I think it works and makes sense.
- Again, Nicolas Brendon is great here. The big confrontation at the end is a great scene.
- Willow and Tara are back together! Yay!
- No flaws here, so a pretty solid episode.

A -

 

Entropy
-I like the Spike/Anya interaction. I think we got some in Season 4 and I remember liking it then as well. They're a fun pair. Wish we could've gotten more of it.
-Poor Anya. Tara still was friends with at least Buffy and Dawn after she broke up with Willow, but now that she's not with Xander, Anya's got no one.
-I'm just gonna say it: Xander's an idiot when it comes to relationships. And he had no right to attack Spike because Anya had sex with him.
-I like Dawn joking that she stole goldfish
-And Willow and Tara make up! At least someone is happy this episode.

B+

 

Season 6, Episode 19: Seeing Red

Writer: Steven S. DeKnight

Director: Michael Gershman

Willow and Tara's relationship is well on the road to recovery, but Xander, Anya, Buffy, and Spike aren't having quite so much luck in love.

The Troika move full swing into their biggest plan ever: stealing a pair of mystical orbs which imbue the bearer with super strength and invulnerability. They attempt to rob an armored van but Buffy crashes the party resulting in a battle between her and Super Warren.

If Buffy fails, the Trio will cut a violent swath through the town, but if she defeats Warren then his vengeance may be swift and terrible.

This might be the most controversial episode of the series. First the episode itself. I like the Trio's plot here. I mean, super strength and invulnerability given through two small orbs? Might not be the most subtle thing the show's ever done, but I like it. Jonathon wearing the skin of the demon, Warren and Andrew's jet packs, and Andrew's escape are fun. Anya doesn't have much to do now that she's on her own, away from the rest of the group, but when we do see her, she's still fun. The scene she has at the bar with the scorned woman has been done before, but doing with the Anya twist to it, makes it good.
Spike: I'm not sure how I feel about his trying to rape Buffy. I think the problem with it, is that we haven't seen enough of Spike recently to really get into his mind set when he enters the bathroom. I think if we'd seen more of him, showing him starting to lose it a bit, the scene might work better. Now, it just seems out of the blue. This is a harsh, brutal scene involving a character that has been very likable up to this moment, and in the aftermath, we're supposed to feel a measure of sympathy for him. As it stands, the shift is too abrupt. But,t he whole thing is necessary to send Spike on the journey he'll be on the final three episode of the season.
Tara: You have to give Joss credit, he's got a morbid sense of humor. We finally get Tara added to the opening credits, and an entire episode of her and Willow being cute and sweet and loving, and the only two people who are happy in this house of misery that is the Summer's Residence. This has been Tara's best season. They've really done some good things with her character, and how she's interacted with the rest of the gang. And the they go and kill her. Its sudden, and real. Like Joyce's death, its not caused by a demon, or a vampire, or a hell god. Its a misogynistic little psychopath with a gun and crappy aim. And in just two seconds we can see that Willow is not going to deal with it well at all. The black and red that her eyes turn in scary.
So this is a good episode that kicks off the final three of the season. 9 out of 10.

Beautiful Woman: You're all wet.
Xander: Good thing I'm part fish.
Beautiful Woman: Which part?
Xander: The one with the hook in it.
Beautiful Woman: Careful. Somebody might reel you in.
Xander: Yeah, but then there'd be the flopping and the gasping and sure, maybe it would work out, but chances are I'd up and leave you at the helm in your white dress and they find you spawning with another fish who turns out to be spawning my very good friend night and day behind my back and then comes the fighting and again with the flopping and the gasping 'cause hey -- Chicken of the Sea not doing great with the women these days.
Beautiful Woman: Huh?
Xander: Sorry. I'm just looking to curl up with the quiet alone tonight.


ANYA: I know how you feel. Maybe I can help.
CRYING WOMAN: How could Carl do that to me? That bastard!
ANYA: He's a man. Look no further.
CRYING WOMAN: But with my sister? She's not even pretty.
ANYA: Well ... it isn't always about looks. Or a beating heart. Sometimes intimate sweaty relations with the wrong person just seems like a good idea at the time.
CRYING WOMAN: She's fat! He cheated on me with my fat ugly sister!
ANYA: Likes 'em fleshy, huh? Bet you wish he'd bloat up a coupla thousand pounds and pop like a big ol' meat zeppelin, don't you?
CRYING WOMAN: He said he loved me.

 

619: Seeing Red

- Aww, look at how happy Willow and Tara are. And totally hot too. I love Dawn?s reaction to seeing Tara and Willow together. Oh, and the Buffy stuff is good too. Great teaser.
- Amber Benson is a regular cast member! Yay!
- The scene between Dawn and Spike is pretty good. Those two always seemed to have a connection.
- I totally understand Xander?s disappointment and anger at Buffy. He?s always idolized her and to an extent still loves her. So finding out she?d been sleeping with Spike must?ve been incredibly painful and evoking a lot of old Angel related issues. Their scene together here is solid.
- I love the vampire kicking Buffy as he?s dusting away.
- And here comes the scene that should make it clear that a chipped Spike does not equal an ensouled Spike. No matter how much capacity for love and how much kindness he has shown, it does not change the fact that he?s a person ruled by the demon within. We got a taste of this when he thought his chip had stopped working and he immediately wanted to feed on someone. And now he attempts to rape Buffy. To me this doesn?t change how I look at Spike; because he was always this person. It?s a painful scene to watch, but it?s a very important one in Spike?s character arc. Because what does make Spike different from all other vampires we?ve seen is that he now actually wants a soul. This is what changes how I look at Spike.
- Spike left his leather coat at Buffy?s house: symbolism! Also, Spike?s not wearing jewelry anymore. I?m glad we?re done with that stupidness.
- The Buffy/Warren fight is pretty good. I love Jonathan helping Buffy and the jet packs are awesome.
- ?The sinister, yet addictive card game?? ? hee; another solid Buffy/Xander scene.
- Tara! Buffy! If we didn?t hate Warren before, this should do the trick. Excellent cliffhanger. I?ll save my comments about Tara?s death for the next episode when we actually find out that she?s truly dead.
- No flaws here, so very solid episode.

A -

 

Seeing Red
-Xander seems to have regressed back to his personality in Season 2/3 where he was all "Grrr Angel." I'm not a big fan of that as I feel like by now he should've moved past his obsessed with Buffy phase.
-The parallel of Anya and Xander talking about their issues at a bar to random people is a nice touch. Showing how much alike they are.
-I've always liked Spike being protective of Dawn so it's nice to see them have a bonding moment.
-I definitely agree that it would've been nice to see Spike growing darker before this episode. We got the bite attempt earlier on in the season, but I'd have liked some more reminders of what he is. As for the actual rape attempt, I think it's needed for his character. By this point he's no longer one I'm interested in and something had to be done to change him.
-Andrew's escape attempt always cracks me up.
-And Buffy's near death...again. I would've much rather Xander step in front of Buffy to protect her and take the bullet for her. Buffy's died twice already and there's no real sense of tension when she gets shot. It's sort of getting repetitive. Xander getting shot would work with his role as Buffy's white knight and he could actually die, so there's some tension.
-Your shirt...
-Like the ending shot of Willow's eyes.
-And of course this episode features the most memorable use of a gun in the series, bringing the total up to 18.

-I'm torn. Quality wise it's easily an A-, but I hate that Tara dies and that it's pretty clear by now Anya and Xander are done, so story wise it's only a B.

 

Season 6, Episode 20: Villains

Writer: Marti Noxon

Director: David Solomon

While the paramedics try to save Buffy, Willow desperately calls on Osiris to bring Tara back to life. She is told that magick will not reverse a natural human death and she becomes consumed with rage. With her emotional anchor gone, Willow gives in to the dark magick that she had turned away from for Tara's sake. As the magick begins to control her, it becomes clear that no one is safe. Especially Warren.

You can say what you want about season six, up to this point, they've tried something different, and it may not have always worked, but starting here, this three episode arc to end the season is outstanding. Willow's descent into Evil is heartbreaking, harsh and difficult to watch. Looking at Evil Willow, its impossible not to think back to the cute, mousy girl we saw in the opener, just taking ridicule from Cordelia, because she didn't have the strength or self-confidence to stand up for herself. And even this season, to see how hard she's worked to beat her addiction to Magic, re-building her life and her relationship with Tara, only to have all of that ripped away from her by Warren. To see her lose control, to see her become something dangerous and evil, is tough. And then, she kills Warren. Something I don't think anyone could have seen coming. It almost seems like it would be a given that Buffy and Xander would show up at the last minute and talk her out of it, do something to keep her from taking a life. But, they're too late, and its one down. 9.5 out of 10.

WILLOW: Hear me! Keeper of darkness!
DEMON: Witch! How dare you invoke Osiris in this task!
WILLOW: Please. Please, bring her back.
DEMON: You may not violate the laws of natural passing.
WILLOW: How? How is this natural?
DEMON: It is a human death, by human means.
WILLOW: But I-
DEMON: You raised one killed by mystical forces. This is not the same. She is taken by natural order. It is done.
WILLOW: No. There has to be a way.
DEMON: It is done.
WILLOW: NOOOO!


BUFFY: We need to find Willow.
XANDER: Yeah, she's off the wagon big-time. Warren's a dead man if she finds him.
DAWN: Good.
BUFFY: Dawn, don't say that.
DAWN: Why not? I'd do it myself if I could.
BUFFY: Because you don't really feel that way.
DAWN: Yes I do. And you should too. He killed Tara, and he nearly killed you. He needs to pay.
XANDER: Out of the mouths of babes.
BUFFY: Xander.
XANDER: I'm just saying he's ... he's just as bad as any vampire you've sent to dustville.
BUFFY: Being a Slayer doesn't give me a license to kill. Warren's human.
DAWN: So?
BUFFY: So the human world has its own rules for dealing with people like him.
XANDER: Yeah, we all know how well those rules work.
BUFFY: Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don't. We can't control the universe. If we were supposed to ... then the magic wouldn't change Willow the way it does. And ... we'd be able to bring Tara back.
DAWN: And Mom.
BUFFY: There are limits to what we can do. There should be. Willow doesn't want to believe that. And now she's messing with forces that want to hurt her. All of us.
XANDER: I just ... I've had blood on my hands all day. Blood from people I love.
BUFFY: I know. And now it has to stop. Warren's going to get what he deserves. I promise . But I will not let Willow destroy herself.


WILLOW: Bored now.

 

620: Villains

- Love the long shot that opens the episode starting on the ambulance and ending in the backyard. The rest of the teaser is quite moving and very effective.
- And with that we say goodbye to Tara and Amber Benson. While I hate that we lose the character and what she brought to the show, I?m mostly fine with it because of where it takes us from here.
- Warren in the demon bar is great.
- Alyson Hannigan chills me in this one. Seeing Willow on this path of vengeance is painful, but totally believable.
- Ugh, Rack. Still don?t care for that character? He just reminds me of that stupid addiction episode.
- Some solid directing in this one.
- Dawn sitting in the bedroom with Tara?s dead body kills me.
- So I have some issues with the timeline on the Spike scenes. It feels like it should take longer for him to get wherever he is. I?m tempted to label them minor flashforwards.
- And here we have Willow flaying Warren. In addition to being a great visual effect is also a great shock. That is the moment this episode where Willow?s descent is truly confirmed and it?s a legitimate question if she?s redeemable. I guess this is an appropriate time to mention that I?ve enjoyed what Adam Busch has been doing with the Warren character.
- Oh, and I like the ?Bored now? callback. Had to mention that one.
- Another great episode.

A -

 

Season 6, Episode 21: Two to Go

Writer: Douglas Petrie

Director: Bill L. Norton

After exacting revenge on Warren for Tara's death, an extremely powerful and vengeful Willow now vows to go after the other two members of the trio, Jonathan and Andrew. After freeing the Duo from jail and escaping from Willow, the Scoobies run to the Magic Box to find a protection spell.
While all this is going on in Sunnydale, Spike undergoes a fierce challenge given by an African demon in order to become what he once was.

Willow has firmly become the Big Bad by now. Buffy actions have gone from trying to find and talk to Willow to trying to stop her, to simply keep her from killing more people. And while Willow does kill rack, no one likes him, and he's a bad guy, so no one cares. The first half of the episode is good, I like the Dawn and Clem stuff, and Andrew and Jonathon work really well here, but the episode really hits its stride when Dawn and Willow meet at Rack's. From that point on, Xander's confession of feeling guilt about the whole thing, Willow almost attacking Dawn and the entire Buffy/Willow confrontation leading to their fight at the Magic Box are superb. And then, just when think this episode can't get any better, there's Giles. Knocking Willow back and standing there like a total bad ass. Even the Spike stuff works well here, I think mostly because they don't linger on it. They don't spend too much time away from the main Willow storyline. Just a couple quick scenes to let us know what's going on, and then back. That's the way it should be done. We don't need to see a lot of Spike here to get what he's doing. 9.5 out of 10.

XANDER: Hey now, play nice, fellas, or you'll break our concentration.
ANYA: Which means no protection spell.
XANDER: And Willow will make you two boneless chickens skinless, too.
ANDREW: And then what? You think your little witch buddy's gonna stop with us? You saw her! She's a truck-driving Magic Mama! And we've got maybe seconds before Darth Rosenberg grinds everybody into Jawa-burgers, and not one of you bunch has the midichlorians to stop her.
XANDER: You've never had any tiny bit of sex, have you?
ANYA: The annoying virgin has a point.


ANYA: Look ... I really can't hurt you, so, I'm just gonna have to settle for hating you.
XANDER: If that's what you need to do.
ANYA: Don't! You don't get to play the martyr.
XANDER: I'm not.
ANYA: You know, none of this would be happening if it weren't for you.
XANDER: You think I don't know that? You think I'm the hero of this piece? I saw the gun. Before Warren raised it, I ... I saw it, and I couldn't move. He shot two of my friends ... before I could even.... You want me to know how useless I am? That it's my fault? Thanks. Already got the memo.


WILLOW: So. Here we are.
BUFFY: Are we really gonna do this?
WILLOW: Come on, this is a huge deal for me! Six years as a side man, and now I get to be the Slayer.
BUFFY: A killer isn't a Slayer. Being a Slayer means something you can't conceive of.
WILLOW: Oh, Buffy. You really need to have every square inch of your ass kicked.
BUFFY: Then show me what you got. And I'll show you what a Slayer really is.


WILLOW: Buffy ... I gotta tell ya ... I get it now. The Slayer thing really isn't about the violence. It's about the power. And there's no one in the world with the power to stop me now.
*Willow is suddenly blown backwards, and we cut to Giles, in all his Bad Assness*
GILES: I'd like to test that theory.

 

621: Two To Go

- ?This is what happened this year:? ? wow, a recap of the entire year. That?s interesting.
- Teaser?s nothing special.
- ?Laugh it up, fuzzball!? ? hee
- Willow?s attack on the police station is good. I really like Anya in this one.
- The scream doesn?t really work for me.
- I like Jonathan commenting on how he?s known Willow for a long time too.
- I gotta say I enjoy Willow killing Rack. Not gonna miss that character at all.
- First truly great scene here: Willow and Dawn. Seeing how cruel she can be is chilling. There?s also a small moment where she talks about Tara and she obviously softens up a little bit before retreating back into the darkness.
- Okay, Andrew is really going all out on the Star Wars references in this one. I?m starting to wonder if Doug Petrie only was able to come up with Star Wars references.
- I really like that Xander and Anya scene in the Magic Box where they seem to reach some common understanding again.
- And my favorite scene in this episode: Buffy and Willow at Rack?s. This is really where we realize that Buffy can?t turn Willow back.
- The big Buffy/Willow fight scene is pretty good. I?d hesitate to label it fantastic, but it?s good enough. It should probably be a little more epic.
- ?I?d like to test that theory.? GILES! While the Buffy/Willow scene is my favorite scene, the grand return of our favorite librarian is easily the best moment in the entire episode.
- Some excellent scenes and moments, but the episode is mostly just good.

B +

 

Season 6, Episode 22: Grave

Writer: David Fury

Director: James A. Contner

Giles is able to bind Willow, but not for long. Soon her rampage begins again, but an influx of true magick makes her see the world in a new light. Now she can feel the pain of every being on the planet, and she decides that their pain must end. Even if she must destroy the world to do it.

Its very fitting, the way this episode ends. After an entire year where the major source of conflict hasn't been demons, but real life, the person who saves the day is the one person is the group with no powers at all. Its a good moment for Xander, especially after everything he's been through the past few episodes. Its one of those moments that make you remember just how close Willow and Xander are. The yellow crayon speech is simple, but very effective.
Spike's storyline is again handled very well here. I really like that the writer's never spent too much time with him, they could have easily given him more screen time, but that would have taken away from the main story here. And everything is very well written. I've heard Joss say that its was always written that Spike was trying to get his soul back, not the chip, and this time I really paid attention to what he said. Its very good dialogue that can be taken on the surface as Spike wanting to get the chip removed, but when you really examine it, he is talking about his soul. "Bitch is going to get what she deserves." Yeah, at first glance, it seems Spike wants to get the chip removed, so he be pain free as he kills people, and terrorizes Buffy. But, it really is talking about how Buffy deserves a man, with a soul, who can love her.
Buffy finishes out the season on a high note as well. I like that the season begins and ends with Buffy climbing out a grave. Its just a great moment when she realizes that she still wants to live in this world, that she wants to be happy and to see her friends be happy. Its a moment that is not possible without the previous depressing moments of the season. This is only season finale not written and directed by Joss, and they do a good job filling in. 9.5 out of 10.

XANDER: Hey, black-eyed girl. Whatcha doin'?
WILLOW: Get out of here.
XANDER: Ah, no. You're not the only one with powers, you know. You may be a hopped-up uber-witch, but ... this carpenter can dry-wall you into the next century.
WILLOW: I'm not joking, Xander. Get out of my way. Now. You can't stop this.
XANDER: Yeah, I get that. It's just, where else am I gonna go? You've been my best friend my whole life. World gonna end ... where else would I want to be?
WILLOW: Is this the master plan? You're going to stop me by telling me you love me?
XANDER: Well, I was going to walk you off a cliff and hand you an anvil, but ... it seemed kinda cartoony.
WILLOW: Still making jokes.
XANDER: I'm not joking. I know you're in pain. I can't imagine the pain you're in. And I know you're about to do something apocalyptically evil and stupid, and hey. I still want to hang. You're Willow.
WILLOW: Don't call me that.
XANDER: First day of kindergarten. You cried because you broke the yellow crayon, and you were too afraid to tell anyone. You've come pretty far, ending the world, not a terrific notion. But the thing is? Yeah. I love you. I loved crayon-breaky Willow and I love ... scary veiny Willow. So if I'm going out, it's here. If you wanna kill the world? Well, then start with me. I've earned that.
WILLOW: You think I won't?
XANDER: It doesn't matter. I'll still love you.
WILLOW: Shut up. *Slashes at Xander, three cuts appear on his face*
XANDER: I love you.
*Willow slashes again, cuts appear on Xander's chest*
XANDER: I ... love y-
WILLOW: Shut up!!
*Willow blasts Xander with magic*
XANDER: I love you, Willow.
WILLOW: Stop!
*Willow sends a weak blast at Xander*
XANDER: I love you.
WILLOW: Stop.
*Willow starts to cry and, as Xander gets right up to her, she starts hitting him with her fists. Xander just stands there and takes it. After a moment she stops hitting and starts to cry for real. She falls to her knees and

 

622: Grave

- Oh, how I?ve missed Giles. Anthony Stewart Head brings a very unique presence to the show.
- ?I?m blonde!? ? aww; always loved that line from Anya.
- I like Giles and Buffy laughing about what?s been going on since he left; especially the idea that it all might be a figment of Buffy?s imagination.
- Giles doesn?t wear his glasses in this one. Just thought I?d mention it.
- Goodbye Magic Shop! You were a good HQ for two seasons.
- Aaarggh!! Biggest close up on the Alpert crypt ever as Xander?s actually trying to break into it.
- What?s the point of Giles telling Anya he?s dying? Isn?t it just some contrived and manipulative attempt at creating unneeded tension? Stupid!
- Not sure if Willow?s sudden move into deciding to end the world is as logical as it could be. I would have liked this or the previous episode to delve a little deeper into the psychological reasons for how Willow got here. There are a few allusions to it, but there are also some mentions of Willow?s ?addictive personality? that mostly just bothers me.
- The temple thingie: looks really dumb.
- Oh, Buffy and Dawn fighting together is pretty awesome. Summers sisters unite!
- Xander gets to save the day! I love how Buffy isn?t involved at all in saving the world, but instead dealing with her own personal issues. Xander repeatedly telling Willow he loves her as she tries to repel him is easily my favorite scene this episode. Seeing Xander hold a sobbing Willow as her hair turns back to red is a fantastic visual: You don?t get that scene without multiple seasons where you actually earn it like this show has after six seasons.
- I admire that Willow wasn?t defeated in a big epic fight or even through any mystical means. I like how this show doesn?t feel obligated to do the same big type of finish each season.
- For those looking for some potential Christian symbolism: in this one we have a carpenter saving a witch from evil magic. I don?t think that was intentional, at least I hope it wasn?t. But figured it was worth a mention.
- I like the symbolism of Buffy both beginning and ending the season by climbing out of a grave. Only this time Buffy actually wants to live.
- And for the second time we end a season with a Sarah McLachlan song. Good times!
- And then a little tease for what next season will bring: Spike with a soul. After almost three seasons of an evil Spike being forced to function in a semi Scooby capacity, it?s about time something new happened there.
- My least favorite season finale the show ever did, but it?s still a pretty solid episode. It?s non perfectness might be related to Joss not writing it?

B +

-------------

Looking at all my reviews for this season, the average grade is a healthy B +, which puts it just below season 2 and just above season 5. Remember that that?s just where the average grade puts it, not necessarily where I?d rank the season as a whole.

Highest rated episodes: 607 & 617
Lowest rated episode: 606, 611 & 615

Looking at my average grade for all seasons, they rank like this:

Season 3: Between an A ? and a B +
Season 4: Between a B + and an A -
Season 2: Strong B +
Season 6: Healthy B +
Season 5: B +
Season 1: B -

-------------

 

Season 7, Episode 1: Lessons

Writer: Joss Whedon

Director: Joss Whedon\David Solomon

The re-opening of Sunnydale High School feels just like old times for Buffy as some undead students and faculty rise up and blame the Slayer for failing to protect them. Dawn and Buffy, together with some of Dawn's new friends join together to defeat the evil.
Meanwhile, the newly-ensouled Spike is seeking solace in the maze-like basement of the new school, and Willow begins her rehabilitation with Giles in England.

So we start the seventh and final season, and I like that they go back to where the show started, Sunnydale High. After three years away from the place, it nice to see the old school again. They do good job with the set. Even though everything is new, it still has the feel of the old Sunnydale High, still looks a bit familiar. I think it might be stretching credibility just a bit that the new Principal would hire a college drop out as a Counselor, but then as we find out later, Principal Wood isn't just a regular principal, so I can deal with it.
Right from the start of the episode, you can feel the difference between this year and last. Gone is the moping, the wishing we could go back to heaven, stealing anything that isn't nailed down, leaving your wife at the alter Scooby Gang. Everything just seems to look brighter now, and its refreshing. I like Buffy taking Dawn on patrol teaching her about fighting vampires. I think the best parts of this episode are the Giles/Willow scenes, which were directed by Joss, and shot at Anthony Head's house in England. I like that they haven't let Willow to deal with this on her own, or even just with her friends. They took to a place where she can get real help, from powerful people who know magic.
My complaint about this episode revolves around Dawn's friends. Everything with them just feels off, it feels like they were setting up a spin off that never came. They work okay as a kind of mirror to Buffy's first day at Sunnydale High, meeting and befriending the outcasts and fighting monsters, but I don't like them, having them never really show up again for the rest of the season hurts too. And I have to mention the great end to this episode, with the previous big bad's morphing into each other as they work on Spike. A good way to subtly give us a big clue to this season's big bad. So, not the strongest opener, but still a solid episode. 8 out of 10.

Dawn: *about a vampire about to come out of a grave* But, he's new. He doesn't know his strength. He might not know those fancy martial art skills they inevitably seem to pick up.
Buffy: He's a vampire. Okay? Demon? Preternaturally strong, skilled with powers no human could possibly ever-
Vampire: Excuse me. I think I'm stuck.
Buffy: You're stuck?
Vampire: I think my foot's stuck on a root or something. I don't even know how I got down there. If you girls could just give me a hand...
Dawn: So, he's got the power, huh?


WILLOW: Will they always be afraid of me?
GILES: Maybe. Can you handle it?
WILLOW: I deserve a lot worse. I killed people, Giles.
GILES: I've not forgotten.
WILLOW: When you brought me here, I thought it was to kill me or to lock me in some mystical dungeon for all eternity or?with the torture. Instead, you go all Dumbledore on me. I'm learning about magic. All about energy and Gaia and root systems.
GILES: Do you want to be punished?
WILLOW: I wanna be Willow.
GILES: You are. In the end, we all are who we are, no matter how much we may appear to have changed.


Warren: Of course, she won't understand, Sparky. I'm beyond her understanding. She's a girl. Sugar and spice and everything...else that's useless unless you're baking. I'm more than that. More than flesh...
Glory: ...More than blood, I'm--You know I honestly don't think there's a word fabulous enough for me. Oh, my name will be on everyone's lips, assuming their lips haven't been torn off. But not just yet. That's all right, though...
Adam: ...I can be patient. Everything is well within parameters. She's exactly where I want her to be. And so are you, Nu

 

701: Lessons

- The teaser essentially starts this season?s Big Bad arc from the very first frame. I like it.
- ?It?s about power. Who?s got it. Who knows how to use it.? ? can you say ?theme of the season?? The scene with Buffy, Dawn and the vampire in the cemetery is great. I love the much lighter feel of it (you might say it?s reminiscent of the earlier seasons) and I just really like the idea that Buffy is training Dawn and including her in her life. Dawn missing the heart, just like Buffy did her first time is also a nifty detail.
- Sunnydale High! I was never a season 6 hater, but at this point I?m loving this season so much more than the last one.
- One small thing that bothers me about the main title sequence this season: I don?t like how the big final hero shot of Buffy is not actually Buffy, but The First Evil. Just seems wrong.
- Giles on a horse! Willow?s in England! Thankfully we?re pretty much done with the stupid addiction metaphor regarding Willow and magic. Willow having to learn to balance her power is much more interesting and true to show I think. I love the Willow/Giles scenes in this one. Joss even seems to admit here that the addiction metaphor from last season was a mistake.
- I love how this final season brings us back to (a new) Sunnydale High. I?m a big fan of bookending and stories looking towards their beginning as they come to an end.
- Buffy barging into Dawn?s classroom is kinda stupid. Not Joss? best work that one.
- The dead guy stabbing Dawn with a pencil is a pretty effective scare though.
- Another bookendy thing I like: We haven?t really been dealing much with the Hellmouth for the last few seasons so it?s good that we?re getting back to it here.
- Love Buffy immediately jumping into the hole without even thinking about it.
- Spike! I expected Spike to be in a bad place after getting his soul back considering the guilt and pain we saw Angel go through when he got his. Spike?s appearance here doesn?t disappoint.
- While I do think it?s weird how we never see Kit and Carlos again after this one, I can?t say I care much. They weren?t particularly interesting anyway.
- While Principal Wood hiring Buffy here seems a little unrealistic it?s sufficiently explained later in the season so I?m fine with it.
- Wow, that last scene is awesome. Warren! Glory! Adam! The Mayor! Drusilla! The Master! And all of them perfectly in character. Of course, that scene is also the true hint that The First is the Big Bad of this season. I gotta say I love that they went back to this idea that was established relatively early on as the final villain of the show.
- If you couldn?t tell, I really like this one. It?s an excellent start to the final season and it does a great job setting several things up for the rest of the season.

A -

 

Villains
-Buffy flatlining again seems unnecessary. I prefer focusing on Willow.
-Spike's scenes feel a bit clunky. He's in Africa now? And it took him a day to get there?
-Dark Willow is awesome. I admit this is my least favorite season overall and the addiction storyline never held my interest, but holy cow does it pay off big time now.
-Nice way to integrate Anya back into the gang by having her demon powers be useful.
-Love the fact that Willow actually kills Warren. You expect Buffy to show up and save the day but she doesn't.
-"Bored now..." Awesome.
-"One down..." Awesome.

A-

Two to Go
-Too many Star Wars references in this episode. I like a good line as much as the next fan but one every few episode is enough.
-The contrast between Jonathon and Andrew is a nice touch as Jonathon starts trying to redeem himself.
-Anya's demon powers one again prove to be useful which I like
-I feel the need to reiterate how much I love Dark Willow just laying down destruction. The police station, killing Rack, the fight with Buffy...What can I say? I like it when buildings get wrecked.
-Spike's scenes work a lot better in this episode. The fact that he's only shown when someone references him is nice.
-I like Willow's plan to turn Dawn back into a ball of energy and Buffy stopping her.
-Ok, Anya said Willow can't teleport but she just did when she took the Summers girls with her to the magik shop.
-Giles crowning moment of awesome!
-Points off because I'm not real interested in anything other than Willow at the moment, but overall a solid episode.

B+

Grave
-I like Giles and his two girls. He's always been Buffy's surrogate dad but it's nice to see his relationship with Anya as well.
-Hmmm...We just bound a massively powerful dark witch and now we're just gonna leave her in a room without our supervision.
-When did SMG get her tattoo on her lower back? I never noticed it before.
-Buffy tells Giles that someone would've taken her place if she staid dead. Is she forgetting that the one who took her place is currently in jail? No new slayer's getting called until Faith dies. Which could be a while considering she's stuck in prison.
-Would've liked to see some more build up to Willow's decision to destroy the world. We got a little bit but more on her pain would've been nice.
-Giles dying seems extremely contrived and unnecessary
-Xander's yellow crayon speech is awesome. I like that whole scene.
-I don't buy Dawn sword fighting. Would've rather she just got a few lucky swings in to save Buffy when all the creatures were focused on the Slayer.
-After this episode I can't help but imagine conversations between Willow and Cordelia or Faith. Cordelia because she too knows what it's like to feel everyone's pain and Faith because she also killed a human.
-Not as strong as the other season ending battles though I like it better than Adam's defeat in Season 4.

B+

 

Season 7, Episode 2: Beneath You

Writer: Douglas Petrie

Director: Nick Marck

Buffy wakes from a bad dream with the warning, "From beneath you, it devours."
Xander meets a young woman, Nancy, who's dog was eaten by a large creature that burrowed up out of the ground. Spike offers his assistance in dealing with the monster, but Buffy and the gang are still a little uneasy about having him around.
In tracking down the monster, the Scoobies soon discover that an estranged friend has returned to her old ways.
Meanwhile, Willow has mixed emotions as she prepares to leave England and return to Sunnydale.

The main plot of this episode, isn't great. Its not bad, but just kind of dull. Its your garden variety MoTW. Its a nice twist that the monster was created by Anya, but outside of that, Nancy's kind of annoying, and the slug demon isn't very interesting or cool. But, on the flip side, all of the Spike/Buffy stuff is very well done. I like that we see Spike try to be different things. He tries the helpful loner, who doesn't get close, he tries to be the bad guy again, and none of it works. Leading to a very good scene (written by Joss Whedon, I might add) with him and Buffy in a church, where he reveals to her that got his soul back. I especially like the final image, of Spike draped over a cross, with the smoke coming off it. 8 out of 10.

DAWN: Spike. You sleep, right? You. Vampires. You sleep.
SPIKE: Yeah. What's your point, niblet?
DAWN: Well, I can't take you in a fight or anything, even with a chip in your head. But you do sleep. If you hurt my sister at all... touch her... you're gonna wake up on fire.


BUFFY: Spike, have you completely lost your mind?
SPIKE; Well, yes. Where've you been all night?
BUFFY: You thought you would just come back here and... be with me?
SPIKE: First time for everything.
BUFFY: This is all you get. I'm listening. Tell me what happened.
SPIKE: I tried to find it, of course.
BUFFY: Find what?
SPIKE: The spark. The missing... the piece that fit. That would make me fit. Because you didn't want... God, I can't... Not with you looking. I dreamed of killing you. I think they were dreams. So weak. Did you make me weak, thinking of you, holding myself, and spilling useless buckets of salt over your... ending? Angel?he should've warned me. He makes a good show of forgetting, but it's here, in me, all the time. The spark. I wanted to give you what you deserve, and I got it. They put the spark in me and now all it does is burn.
BUFFY: Your soul.
SPIKE: Bit worse for lack of use.
BUFFY: You got your soul back. How?
SPIKE: It's what you wanted, right? *Looks at the ceiling* It's what you wanted, right? And?and now everybody's in here, talking. Everything I did...everyone I? and him... and it... the other, the thing beneath?beneath you. It's here too. Everybody. They all just tell me go... go...to hell.
BUFFY: Why? Why would you do that?
SPIKE: Buffy, shame on you. Why does a man do what he mustn't? For her. To be hers. To be the kind of man who would nev? to be a kind of man. She shall look on him with forgiveness, and everybody will forgive and love. He will be loved. So everything's OK, right? Can?can we rest now? Buffy...can we rest?

 

702: Beneath You

- Good teaser; another unknown girl is killed and we get ?from beneath you it devours? for the first time.
- I really like the scene with Buffy, Xander and Dawn in the car. They?re all being so happy family like.
- Principal Flutie shout-out!
- Willow?s fear of going back to Sunnydale is a great scene. I love Alyson Hannigan?
- at the monster eating the dog. I don?t like dogs.
- I like Nancy. Her confusion about the interrelationships of the Scoobies is classic. She works well with Xander too.
- The CGI monster looks reasonably good.
- ?Oh, penis!? ? hee; I also love Anya being all sad that Ronnie ate the dog.
- And then we get the most awesome moment in the entire episode: Spike and Xander?s look after Nancy asks if anyone there hasn?t slept together.
- The extended sequence at the end of this one where Spike loses it again is excellent. Spike sheds the costume he?s been wearing throughout the episode and shows his true self. James Marsters is fantastic here. I love that it?s Spike mentioning Angel that makes Buffy realize that he got his soul back. And then the image of Spike slowly burning on the cross is a great visual to end the episode on.
- Solid episode.

B +

 

Lessons
-Right from the get go, you know this is the final season. It just feels that way. We have scenes taking place all around the world, people are dying in places other than Sunnydale, the high school is open again, and we cycle through our main villains bringing us right back to the beginning.
-I already like Dawn a lot more than I ever did in Season 5 or 6. She and Buffy are really becoming a family and I like Buffy teaching her to slay.
-Cellphones finally make their way onto Buffy after being used on Angel since Season 1
-As a resident of the Central Coast of CA, I take issue with the basement of Sunnydale High. We don't really have huge basements like that out here.
-Dawn's new friends don't work well. They feel forced. I would've rather they were handled like Amy in Season 1. Fellow students who happen to get into some trouble.
-I'm cool with Buffy being a psuedo counselor. Even without his ulterior motives, Wood's probably desperate for any help he can get.
-Love the ending with the First

B+

Beneath You
-Like Xander,Buffy, and Dawn all being at the HS and carpooling together. Though no one sits in the middle seat in the back when they're the only one in the back.
-"I want to be Willow."
-Like Buffy wanting to issue detention just like Willow did in Season 2.
-Really feel for Anya. She really did lose her whole support system when Xander left her at the alter.
-The plot doesn't really engage me. It's all about waiting for Buffy to figure out Spike has a soul.
-Nancy does serve to amusingly point out how dysfunctional our Scoobie Gang has become.
-Love the whole scene in the church. Buffy with a tear silently slipping down her cheek and Spike draping himself over a cross while his flesh burns.

B