Loved it. It was so refreshing to see the Scoobies and the SITs wise up and show some sense re: Buffy. And I’m really digging Faith.
lolagranola, in response to your Willow question:
Xander is Willow’s oldest and dearest friend. Buffy’s careless actions maimed him permanently. I thought her reaction was rather mild myself. Had someone caused my best friend to lose an eye, I would have gone Darth Rosenberg on their ass.
Unless the ancient Romans decided to use a Sigma or Gamma here and there for fun, it’s clearyl Greek. I admit that it’s hard to tell, because most of it is letters that are common to both, but there are clearly letters that were exclusive to ancient Greek. Moot point, I realize, but I still find it odd that Andrew couldn’t read it but Spike could. Also, I liked how Andrew wore the same Helmet Dawn did when Buffy came back in season 6.
Spike presumably had a classical education when he was growing up. I doubt Andrew can say the same. When do we stop using these boxes?
He never learned Spanish, either.
Well, you know, Spike prolly has just the one helmet (likely culled from his S5 dump expeditions). He’s not really one for safety.
Perhaps Andrew couldn’t read the inscription because there wasn’t enough light for him to make it out where he was standing. Spike held the candles close to the wall in order to see it.
Ok, I guess that now that the episode has aired, I don?t have to use spoiler tags.
I liked seeing Clem again, although the Freudian slip joke lasted a little to long. I also thought both the Anya / Andrew and the Andrew / Spike scenes were pretty funny.
I did not like the ending however. This season just seems to be going in circles without the First or Buffy really doing anything.
Another sub-par episode, as far as I am concerned. Oh, well. At least tomorrow?s episode of Angel will be exciting, and I still have faith that team ME will somehow pull everything together for the last episode.
We saw him get the helmet in Season 6, kung fu lola. I don’t remember where from, but he found it or stole it during that episode where the demons had realized the Slayer was dead and were ravaging the town.
The Gaspode
I’m too lazy at the moment to look it up, but I recall during the earlier part of this season TFE telling Buffy, “They will all abandon you.”
I, too, am completely, and scrupulously, unspoiled. It’s been hard, but I’m hanging in there. And I am rewarded! Once again, a hearty “I did not see that coming.”
I’m just wondering if Buffy is going to go off to the cellar by herself, or in some other way get herself debilitated/killed. But I was so glad the other characters, especially Xander and Willow, stood up to her at last. Anya had some good lines in her little speech. And Dawn … way to go, Dawn!
All in all, I have to say that I’m impressed by the way ME, unlike other shows, knows when certain plotlines are driving the fans crazy, does it on purpose, and then does something surprising with it. Most people I’ve talked to have been hating the direction Buffy (the character) has been headed in, and in most shows you can count on that sort of thing continuing bloody-mindedly to a disappointing end. In this show … it’s just part of the journey.
Sorry: Buffy getting a spanking does not make up for it. It isn’t frustrating because its out of character, it’s frustrating because it’s irritating and boring: feels like a waste of time rather than character development. Buffy in TtDP, when she was introspective about her feelings of superiority, was good. Preachy indignant Buffy is just no fun to watch. Hopefully things will heat up enough soon so that there wont be time to lecture people about going to a bar.
I liked this episode. I have to say I did anticipate the ending of this episode, after last episode’s debacle I thought it had to happen. The rest of the episode was surprising, though. And I can’t say I have a clue as to what is going to happen next.
Actually, one thing did surprise me at the ending, and that was Dawn. I thought she was a bit harsh, and don’t really see where that whole “go away” thing came from.
It seems like a lot of people are dissapointed by this season. I’m not sure why, the only think I don’t like about it was the fairly obvious change in direction a few episodes into it. And yes, the enemy is a bit unclear in both scope and direction. But the series ending has to be more about Buffy then about just another in a sequence of evil monsters. The important part is not the villains, in this case. It’s the heroes, and their growth. And I think we’ve been seeing a lot of that, and I’m sure we’ll see more.
This is the first time I’ve seen (I haven’t seen many of the older episodes), that Buffy and friends are up against something they have no idea how to fight, and don’t seem to be getting any ideas even after many episodes. That’s why this season is so interesting. There’s little opportunity for growth when you know what you have to do.
Hrmm, didn’t really work for me. Everyone is pissed at Buffy for being reckless and getting people killed and maimed. But kicking her out (“The witch is dead”) seemed way out of line. Same with Dawn being so adament about kicking her out of the house.
The only think that felt right was the end when Buffy told Faith to be in charge and take care of them. That sounded right, coming from B to F, showing that F has to step forward and take all the responsibilities of being a Slayer.
The Andrew/Anya/SIT scene was just useless. I had trouble concentrating on the Buffy speech at the end because of Anya’s bare midriff in the back of the frame. Yum. Spike and Andrew’s motorcycle ride was cute, but the Monk with a message payoff is just too pat.
Only three more. Let’s ride this one into the ground. <major kong mode>Yeeeehaaaa!</major kong mode>
So - How will Spike react to this? Will he follow Faith and be a soldier in her army. Or will he run, and be Buffy’s backup?
And did Caleb and TFE play Buffy and push her into a decision that would end in her getting separated from all the rest?
This episode sucked.
Yeah, Buffy was stupid to lead them to the winery, and stupid for suggesting they go back. But let’s not forget that Xander gave his big “Yay Buffy, I’m behind you 1000%, lead the way” speech shortly before they all went there. They all knew there would be danger, even if not the severity of it. Yeah, losing an eye sucks. But to suddenly do a 180 and say, “Well Buff, I just can’t see you as leader, you suck now” is just ridiculous.
Speaking of eyes, why can’t Willow grow him a new one? She grew herself some new skin after the skin eating demon got to her. She raised Buffy from the freaking dead, and her corpse wasn’t exactly fresh. So far, there has been no mention of Willow even attempting a regeneration spell. And you know, trying to destroy the world is forgivable, but making a grievous tactical error isn’t.
And why the hell would they want to follow Faith? I could see the SITs thinking she was cooler than Buffy, but the Scoobs and Giles know better. She betrayed them. Now she wants to make amends, but somehow that’s better than all their years with Buffy? No.
So yeah, this episode sucked. In fact, these last two seasons are hardly the same show as the rest.
That annoyed me a bit, too. Actually what surprised me was when Faith stopped the younger SiT from drinking. Geez, they’ve just watched their friends die; the world is about to end horribly, and they’ve got to stop it; and they can’t have a couple of beers? That has blatant “network interference” written all over it.
A friend pointed out that if he was living in fear of the incorporeal First Evil, his preferred method of greeting would become handshakes. Or maybe high-fives.
First half of the episode held a lot of promise, but much of the second half was sadly yet another letdown.
Why they are still trying to shove the wooden and talentless Kennedy down our throats I will never know. Damn she sucks. Most of the other SIT are pretty one-dimensional as well.
While the confrentation made sense, the resolution of it was 3-4 rewrites away from making any sense.
High spots: Caleb, Clem, a little dose of “normal” Giles. Strong start. Decent writing for Xander for once.
Low spots: Plot fell apart in the second half. Banter was very forced at times. The SITs were even more annoying and pointless then usual. Kennedy die, die, die, die, die, die, die!!! :mad: Willow gets less lines then Andrew? Anya has been ruined. Sad rehash of Dawn-Spike motorcycle bit.
First Half 7/10.
Second Half 2/10.
Overall 5/10.
My good feeling was off I guess.
The ending was ludicrous. OK, fine - Buffy’s been acting nuts, put Faith in charge.
But throw Buffy out of the house?!!
A really Big Bad is trying to kill her. She can’t defeat it alone. She’s your sister/best friend/surrogate daughter. You throw her out to fend for herself?!!
A really Big Bad is trying to kill all of you. Buffy is the best/second best fighter you have. She never said she wouldn’t obey Faith’s orders; indeed from her attitude at the end, she probably would. So you kick out a significant proportion of your fighting power?
It made absolutely no sense to me.
Sua
Added thought:
In fact, it was so ludicrous that my thought while watching Dawn speak was “must be some kind of spell.” Unfortunately, Dawn’s response to that bitchy SiT afterwards demonstrated that she wasn’t under mind control
Sua
No, I think Buffy totally needed the big reality dose they all gave her at the end of the episode. I’ve seen those childish “me me me, everybody needs to listen to and respect me” rants IRL and they always make us listen to and respect that person less. Buffy’s been an ass to everyone lately and she needs to go off and think about what she’s done. I was actually disappointed to see her in the preview for next week. I think a whole episode without the title character would be quite refreshing.
And yeah, why can’t Willow just be all Occulous reparro and make Xander better?
I just wish Eliza D. wanted to do this, cause I would tune in to Faith the Vampire Slayer every week.