Buffy - Season 5 impressions (episode 4)

[thalia_seawood]

Out Of My Mind

A summary can be found here.


- An interesting episode that stirs up the lifes of several characters. By the end of the episode, I felt sorry for Buffy, Riley and Spike in equal parts.

- I like the parallels that are drawn between Riley and Spike. Some parallels have always existed, but are made more obvious by this episode.

E.g. when Buffy is patrolling in the first scene, she is first joined by Riley, then Spike shows up as well. And like Spike says: Looks like neither boy's entirely welcome. But what else should they do now that they have become alienated from what they used to be, i.e. Spike is no longer the Big Bad, Riley no longer the shining star of the Iniative.

Buffy: Better keep out of my way, Spike. I'm not gonna take this much longer. (Riley walks over to join them.)
Spike: And I should do what in my spare time? Sit at home knitting cunning sweater sets?
Buffy: Would it keep you out of my way?
Riley: She's right. You shouldn't be out here when she's patrolling.
Buffy turns to Riley in exasperation as if she's going to say something, but she doesn't.
Spike: Oh! I saw that. Looks like neither boy's entirely welcome. You should take him home, Slayer. Make him stay there. I've got knitting needles he can borrow.
Riley looks annoyed.

Both Riley and Spike are victims of the Iniative, both have to fight with the aftermath of being equipped with a chip.

Both are in love with Buffy. While Riley has a relationship with her, he's still insecure if she loves him back. At the end of the episode, Spike becomes consciously aware that he loves Buffy as well, but at the moment has no chance whatsoever to win Buffy's heart.

- Buffy's patrolling style has changed since she shared a connection with the primal power of the First Slayer. She used to happily walk across the cemeteries - quite often with her friends in tow. Now she's a predator on the hunt. It also seems that she'd rather be alone while hunting.

- Spike falling into an open grave after poetically cursing Buffy kind of ruins the effect. :-) (Makes so much sense that they gave Spike the bad poet background...)

Spike: I will know your blood, Slayer. (pause) I will make your neck my chalice ... and drink deep.
He wipes blood from his nose again, turns, and tries to stride away purposefully, but he falls into an open grave. Long shot of the graveyard looking empty, with the open grave in the foreground.
Spike: (voice coming from the grave) Ow!

- I found Willow's academic enthusiasm cute:
Willow: (smiling hugely) Listen to us! We-we're arguing! We're having a debate about a college lecture! I have dreamt of this day since ... forever!

- Xander has become more confident and is really good with building things.

- Spike talking to his TV set is nice foreshadowing of what's to come. I love the irony!

Cut to Spike sitting in his crypt, watching TV.
Spike: Oh Pacey, you blind idiot. Can't you see she doesn't love you?

- All scenes with Harmony, Buffy's "total arch nemesis", made me smile. Especially when she takes up smoking to improve her image. Seems to me that she has something in common with Spike after all. :-)

Spike: Taking up smoking, are you?
Harmony leans back in the chair.
Harmony: I *am* a villain, Spike, hellooooo. (Takes a drag and starts to cough)

- Spike totally takes advantage of Harmony. Still somehow you get the impression that if Harmony knew about it, she wouldn't be *that* bothered. She would stamp her foot and sulk for a while and tell him he's sooooo mean and how could he, but then she'd take him back anyway.

- It looks as if Joyce briefly realises that reality has been tampered with when she says "Who are you?" to Dawn before collapsing.

The scene of Joyce fainting and Dawn calling the doctor, brought up a bad, bad memory from my childhood. Something very similar happened to my mother when I was about 7. The difference was that she wasn't lying still, but had a seizure. My dad wasn't home and I somehow managed to call the hospital. Remembering this still makes my heart race.

- Anya is very sweet to Xander.

Anya: (softly) I care about you, Xander.
Xander: (smiles confusedly) Thanks.
Anya: (smiles) Don't be insecure.
Xander: (shrugs, shakes his head) Thanks ... I won't.

- This scene made me laugh out loud. I shared it with my boyfriend and it cracked him up, too.
Buffy: Plus hanging out all day in that moldy crypt, you just *know* he's doing something nasty.
Cut to Spike sitting with Harmony in the crypt.
Spike: Okay, is it bigger than a breadbox?
Harmony: (smiling) No. Four left.
Spike: So it's smaller than a breadbox.
Harmony: (giggling) No! Only three!
Spike: (quietly annoyed) Harmony ... is it a sodding breadbox?
Harmony: (clapping and laughing) Yes! Oh my god! Someone's blondie bear is a twenty-question genius!

- Buffy really despises Spike. On the one hand, I feel bad for Spike, on the other hand, I can totally understand Buffy:

Spike only ever helps when he's given money - that's not something that makes people fond of you. Whenever the Scoobies tried to include him, he has been nasty or betrayed them. Of course it would be foolish to expect more from him, because he is after all their enemy. But now he can't expect any respect either, because he hasn't done anything to earn it.
Add to this that he's a vampire without soul and therefore a natural enemy for Buffy. Her Slayer instincts have also become stronger and darker, so I expect she gets the urge to hurt or kill Spike whenever she sees him.
And there may be a hint of subconscious attraction on her part as well which would drive her to hurt Spike all the more to keep him at a distance. Nevertheless, I don't approve of her tendency to hit Spike whenever she requests information from him. Not only does it seem like unnecessary violence, I also think that being polite might get better results. Maybe I'm naive... :-)

- How comes Buffy's men always tell her what she feels. Poor Buffy.

Riley: I go back ... let the government get whimsical with my innards again ... They could do anything that- Best-case scenario, they turn me into Joe Normal, just... (sighs) Just another Guy.
Buffy: And that's not enough for you?
Riley: It's not enough for *you*.
Buffy: Why would you say that?
Riley: Come on. Your last boyfriend wasn't exactly a civilian.
Buffy: So that's what this is about? You're going to die, all over some macho pissing contest.
Riley: (shakes his head) It's not about him. It's about us. (Buffy shakes her head, not understanding) You're getting stronger every day, more powerful. I can't touch you. Every day, you're just ... a little further out of my reach.
Buffy: You wanna touch me? (walks toward him) I'm right here. I'm not the one running away.
Riley: Not yet.
Buffy: So you have this all figured out? I'm bailing because you're not in the super club.
Riley: (shrugs) It's human nature.
Buffy: (angrily) Don't Psych 101 me. (Riley looks away) Not now. Not after everything that ... Nobody has ever known me the way you do. Nobody. (Riley doesn't look at her) I've opened up to you in ways that I've never opened up to ... God, you're just sitting back there thinking that none of this means anything to me.

She doesn't tell him she loves him, but he obviously means *a lot* to her. People can say "I love you" and not mean. Or they might not tell you that they love you, but love you nonetheless. Who's to say how much Buffy cares for Riley? IMO, he's her quiet centre, he gives her strength.

- Harmony during the operation... My favorite moment here is probably this. She's such an evil fiend who defies all the rules.

Overheiser: Would you please put out that cigarette? It's really not allowed.
Harmony: Oh yeah? Says who?
The Doctor turns to look pointedly at the NO SMOKING sign on the wall.
Harmony: Oh god, sorry! Didn't see the sign!

- Nice to see Spike starting to crack after he realises the operation wasn't successful. (I can get rid of her. [...] This has got to end.)
He has been hoping that the removal of the chip would bring things back to normal. Without his chip he could just drown any unwanted emotions in a nice spot of violence. Now this route of escape has been cut off from him.

- This remark of Graham will come to haunt Riley:
Graham: Okay, right, there's her. And? You used to have a mission, and now you're what? The mission's boyfriend? Mission's true love?
Riley looks at the floor, then walks on, past Graham.
Graham: You belong with us.

- After many a time of Shirtless!Angel, Joss talked to his team and said: "Nobody is noticing Shirtless!Angel any longer. Our fans have become used to it. I say we need something new! What about James? Does he have a nice chest? - Yes? - Good! That's just the thing we need." And behold, Shirtless!Spike was introduced.
As a result, all the female fans were happy and drooled over their TVs and DVDs before including Shirtless!Spike in countless vids and photo manips.
Thank you, Joss, for understanding your fans.

- Oh, Spike, dreams can be a bitch when they show you something you tried so hard to escape.

By the way, I'm *very* glad the final scene turned out to be a dream, because I felt as if I had been moved to a parallel universe with bad characterisation when Buffy confessed her hidden desire and Spike his love for her. Yep, there is desire on Buffy's part and love on Spike's part - not the same thing by the way! - but neither would confess this openly at this time.

Comments

[ruuger]

Who's to say how much Buffy cares for Riley? IMO, he's her quiet centre, he gives her strength.

A lot of people (mainly Buffy/Angel and Buffy/Spike shippers) say that Buffy never loved Riley, but I believe she did. Not as much as she loved Angel, probably, but I think she loved him and the "she doesn't love me" in The Replacement was more about Riley's insecurities than about Buffy not loving him. Which again goes with the "people telling Buffy how she feels" bit you mentioned.

Spike talking to his TV set is nice foreshadowing of what's to come. I love the irony!

Spike does that a lot, gives other people advice and then doesn't listen to it himself, sort of like a reverse Cassandra figure :)

And behold, Shirtless!Spike was introduced

And will be seen a lot from now on. I like JM, but I have to say that as unbelievable as it sounds, there is such a thing as too much naked/shirtless James Marsters :)

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

She doesn't tell him she loves him, but he obviously means *a lot* to her. People can say "I love you" and not mean. Or they might not tell you that they love you, but love you nonetheless. Who's to say how much Buffy cares for Riley? IMO, he's her quiet centre, he gives her strength.

Exactly -- I'm a little baffled by the obsession in this fandom, particularly, with whether or not X says they love Y because (to me) those words are not especially important -- and even the question "does X love Y" bugs me, because it seems to assume that "love" is a toggle switch, it's on or it's off -- and that it's not possible to love more than one person at a time, or two people in different ways. I tend to blame it on the limits of our language, since "love" is such a catch-all word in English. I don't know if German is better *g*

Great Harmony episode too, of course :)

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

The word "love" isn't any better in German.

In Greek you have the possibility to distinguish between different kind of loves, but even these three terms are lacking. There should be many more words for friendship and love - but maybe it would just cause heartache all over the place. Imagine using a fonder love/friendship term for someone in your life and all your other friends feeling neglected. :-)

"I love you." is one of the statements that makes a lot of people go "Yay, he/she loves me!" when they should look at someone's actions first.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

I mean, I have a hard time imagining, say, Mal Reynolds or Wesley ever telling somebody that he loves them (barring, umm, extreme circumstances in the latter case -- I'll just leave it at that); Spike says it all the time -- how much does that mean in either case.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Yes, you can say the words, but you better back them up with actions as well. E.g. I totally bought Spike loves Drusilla. He repeatedly risks a lot to keep her safe. E.g. when Buffy threatens Dru he lets go the hostages, etc. If his love his selfless, is an entirely different topic. But then selfless love is *very* rare.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

oops -- I didn't mean to reply there, but I did mean to fangirl ruuger's icon!

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Keisha rocks in Whale Rider.

[ruuger]

kind of hate the widespread implication that because of my shipper preference (Spike/Buffy) my opinion on her other relationships is less valid than those who claim to be objective non-shippers.

Oh, I'm sorry if I came off sounding all "down with Spike/Buffy shippers". I certainly didn't mean it, being a Spike/Buffy shipper myself :) It's just that most of the comments re: Buffy loving Riley I've heard have come from people dissing the relationship because it was more down-to-earth than the other big Buffy ships. But I see your point about Riley being more a symbol of normalcy to Buffy than a "true love", because that's what he supposed to be for Buffy - the anti-Angel: not the Great Love, but a safe and nice boyfriend.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Yes, Riley starts out as Buffy's "Joe Normal" boyfriend, but he becomes much more to her very quickly. If he hadn't become more to her, she could have left him when he turns out to be a secret demon fighter like herself or when it turns out the Iniative has turned him into a kind of super hero.

In Buffy's life, Angel seems to stand for the first wonderful teenage love with intense up and downs, whereas Riley represents a more mature, grown up love.

Re: Um, sorry if you get emailed twice. There was some confusion.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to let you know that I liked reading your comment. It's good to get a different point of view on things.

I agree that normal relationships on TV get a bit boring after a while which is what I thought when Buffy and Angel were so very happy over several episodes. While I now wish they could have been happy for a longer time, I have to admit that things falling apart were certainly more interesting to watch than seeing them kissing for minutes on time. :-)

[spikeylover.livejournal.com]

That's exactly the way I feel. Also, later, Buffy does say she has a hard time with those words (and much of the story is about her shutting off people)

The thing is that Buffy WANTS to love Riley, but she never really lets him in or allows him to see who she is. OTOH.... Spike by accident or on purpose always manages to catch Buffy at those vulnerable moments. He will know the best and worst of her, in a way that Angel and Riley never did.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen many interactions between Angel and Spike yet, but I get the feeling they also have this sort of honesty between them. They may want to hide how they feel, but have known each other for so long that this isn't possible.

[spikeylover.livejournal.com]

I LOVE Spike/Angel.. I know many ship them, but for me it's like brothers. They both have huge effects on the other, and although there's a huge rivalry, there is very much love between them.

[spikeylover.livejournal.com]

To add, Without giving anything away, when I think of the three of them (Buffy, Spike and Angel) I think of Etta, Butch and Sundance..

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Angel/Spike: As a Star Wars fan they remind me a bit of Anakin/Obi-Wan. These two I see as both father-son and brothers, depending on the view point and at the time period. In the time just before of ROTS I can also see them as lovers.

Spike is Angel's son in a way. Angel has to grow up and become more responsible to make up for Spike being completely reckless. They also feel like older brother-younger brother to me, probably because Spike can still make Angel act in an immature way and refuses to accept his authority. And as vampire family's aren't exactly sex-free zones, I'd wager Angelus and Spike also had some non-platonic fun together.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

And will be seen a lot from now on. I like JM, but I have to say that as unbelievable as it sounds, there is such a thing as too much naked/shirtless James Marsters :)

I can believe it. I find all the shirtlessness a bit distracting. It was the same for me with Angel which I why I thought up the Shirtless!Angel drinking game for myself. (Shirtless!Angel equals 1 glass of whatever beverage, Shirtless&Tortured!Angel 2 glasses. OpenShirt!Angel equals 1/2 glass. :-))
I will start playing the same game for Spike...

[spikeylover.livejournal.com]

James really had issues with it to be honest, and as pretty as he was, we didn't need to see it constantly. Bless him.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Really? - I like him for that!

[spikeylover.livejournal.com]

Oh, he speaks of it quite often. He didn't use to mind nude scenes (He played "The Perfect man" on stage and they rolled him out on a wheel naked before BTVS in Chicago) He said that the constant nudity on BTVS ruined him.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Buffy's patrolling style has changed since she shared a connection with the primal power of the First Slayer. She used to happily walk across the cemeteries - quite often with her friends in tow. Now she's a predator on the hunt. It also seems that she'd rather be alone while hunting.

Indeed, and it's a neat thing they don't bang us over the head with this by letting Buffy or someone else remark on it every other episode. (She says something to Giles about it in B vs D, but that's it.) We the audience are trusted to notice these things.

Joyce fainting and its echo for you: *hugs* And be prepared for more of that.

And there may be a hint of subconscious attraction on her part as well which would drive her to hurt Spike all the more to keep him at a distance.

I think that's it, because Buffy is not unnecessary violent with any other vampire; the "redshirts" she stakes, and as for Harmony, Dru, and several seasons later in season 7 my favourite not-fanged four vampire (a guy), she doesn't punch them, either. Mind you, she's definitely not in love with Spike at this stage, and does despise him, I agree.

How comes Buffy's men always tell her what she feels. Poor Buffy.

They really do. As different as they are from each other, that's one thing the lot has in common.

Buffy and Riley: I'm with ruuger. She doesn't say the words, but I think she loved him - loves him, at this stage of the show.

Shirtless!Spike - what you said and what ruuger said. *g*

Dream scene: one of the reasons why I think the Buffy/Spike relationship on screen is way more interesting than in fanfic is that a lot of fanfic for this 'ship reads like this, only for real. Which as you said would be ooc for both characters at this point and way too easy, too. Mind you, I'm very amused Spike dreams bad fanfic, because that so fits.

Incidentally, Angel does this, too. In season 4, one episode gives us the chance to have a look at Angel-scripted scenarios, and you won't believe what he has the other characters tell him...

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Dream scene: one of the reasons why I think the Buffy/Spike relationship on screen is way more interesting than in fanfic is that a lot of fanfic for this 'ship reads like this, only for real. Which as you said would be ooc for both characters at this point and way too easy, too. Mind you, I'm very amused Spike dreams bad fanfic, because that so fits.

What I love about Joss shows so much is that the characters are developped so carefully. From the first, we see that Spike has a Big Bad side and a caretaker side that emerges when Dru arrives or we can guess that he's quite a TV junkie from the way he talks. Spike wants to be a hero and/or the romantic lead. :-)
I would be surprised if Buffy did love him at this point. He has done nothing to earn her love or respect so far.

Incidentally, Angel does this, too. In season 4, one episode gives us the chance to have a look at Angel-scripted scenarios, and you won't believe what he has the other characters tell him...
Am very much looking forward to this. :-)

[reposoir.livejournal.com]

Did the last scene surprise you? I remember being all "OMG! OMGWTF?! OMG!" when I saw it years ago.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Yes, I was surprised. I felt like I had fallen down the rabbithole into a world of bad fanfiction. But seeing that it's Spike's dream I'm very happy by the potential this offers - for the character development of Spike, but also for the whole show. Very nice twist!

I wonder what it says about Spike that he falls for a woman who slaps him around and despises him. I get the feeling he's very insecure inside and somehow feels he deserves being treated badly. Hmmm...

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I wonder what it says about Spike that he falls for a woman who slaps him around and despises him. I get the feeling he's very insecure inside and somehow feels he deserves being treated badly. Hmmm...

Or you could say he gets off on being slapped around (not on being despised, though).*g* Bear in mind also that Spike has a certain fixation on Slayers - killing his first Slayer gave him the self-termed best night of his life, it changed his standing within the Fanged Four and made his reputation in the vampire community (if such a thing exists), and sex and death mingle very much in the vampire world. He has failed to kill Buffy. Which leaves...

(Mind you, later on I think Spike's feelings go deeper, but I also think that's how it started for him.)

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

I think they also have some things in common: Both are very persistent and refuse to give up. They also have the tendency to make smart ass remarks.

[spikeylover.livejournal.com]

All the characters are so complex, that it's amazing how we can all see things so differently.

I think I tend to agree with your posts quite often, although we differ on whether Buffy loved Riley or not. I feel she has to allow him to see HER before she can love him.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

It's true, the complexity of the characters allows for a wide range of interpretations. Just for the sake of playing devil's advocate, not about the Buffy/Riley relationship but in general, though: Buffy loved her mother, very much, and kept her Slayer life secret from Joyce for two to three years (depending on the timeframe of the pre-show story). Buffy and Angel undoubtedly loved each other, but Angel arguably showed her only a very specific part of himself (when not being Angelus). Giles undoubtedly feels love for Buffy, Willow and probably Xander, too, but would have preferred to keep his Ripper past entirely a secret from them if it hadn't come out via Ethan Rayne and keeps that part of himself usually well away. Meaning: in the Jossverse, you can love someone without baring all parts of yourself to them.

I always liked that Joss offers us not just "one true pairing", one kind of relationship, one kind of love compared to which the others have to be less real, but many.

[spikeylover.livejournal.com]

YOu are right about all that of course, but Buffy never really had problems saying she LOVED Joyce, Dawn, and her friends.. I know words aren't everything (actions are louder) but they made a big deal about that. Buffy told ANGEL she loved Riley, but she never told Riley she did, and he had doubts. IF she loved him, why not just tell him. Yes, we know how it goes, but SPOILER:

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I wonder if it was just Xander conveying his feelings for Anya onto Buffy than her real love for him. OF course, that's just me.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

All the characters are so complex, that it's amazing how we can all see things so differently.

This reminds me of real life: We all connect to different people. Some you love, some you like, some you tolerate and some you can't stand. If fictional characters are well drawn, you will get a wide variety of responses.

[reposoir.livejournal.com]

I think some of those questions will be answered when you watch Fool For Love.

omglovesthatepisode!

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Fool for Love is shiny.
It's the second Buffy episode selenak showed to me. I watched parts of it again about two weeks ago. And yesterday, I had actually reached this Buffy episode and watched it again on the big screen. (I *heart* our beamer!) It's one of my favorite episodes so far!

[spikeylover.livejournal.com]

Yes, I am bias, but IMO, the scene in the alley may be one of the greatest I've ever seen on TV.