Welcome to Rewatching Buffy, the part of the blog where I rewatch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Each Tuesday evening, you’re invited to join me as I attempt to rediscover what made me love this show 21 years ago.
Into the Woods
- Joyce’s surgery calls the procedure a complete success.
- Dawn is staying with Xander and Anya for the night.
- This gives Buffy and Riley a chance to be alone for the night.
- Spike is outside being super stalkery…
- Once Buffy’s sound asleep, Riley slips out.
- And Spike follows Agent Finn…
- …right to the vampire brothel where Riley allows vampires to feed from him.
- So the next night, Spike leads Buffy right back to where Riley has been spending many of his nights.
- It’s like he got caught cheating. But because his girlfriend is the Slayer, this might be worse.
- Buffy takes off. Too hurt to slay.
- Riley tries to go after her, but he’s stopped by a vampire downstairs who believes their little business will dry up now that the Slayer knows about them.
- I’m sure he’s right.
- The Initiative team from last week drop in at Riley’s place. They want him to join up so they can take down a demon clan in Belize.
- They’re not really the Initiative anymore. They’re Army. And they just want to stop the monsters, not experiment on them.
- Buffy talks to the gang about the vampire nest, leaving out the Riley part.
- Anya explains that people paying to get bitten by a vampire has been going on for centuries.
- Giles says he hasn’t seen anything like that since his “Ripper” days, and had no idea it was happening in Sunnydale.
- Buffy is going in head first. The others tag along to make sure she’s not in over her head.
- But the brothel is empty.
- Before leaving, Buffy sets the place on fire.
- Riley busts into Spike’s crypt and stakes him.
- Except it’s not a wooden stake. Plastic wood grain.
- Riley knows that Spike has a thing for Buffy. Spike drops some truth bombs on Riley that he can’t deny.
- Then they share a drink. Weird…
- Riley finds Buffy training in the back of the Magic Box. He wants to talk, she doesn’t.
- He says that, in a way, it goes back to when Dracula bit her. He wanted to understand why Dracula and Angel had this kind of power over her.
- What it boils down to is that he felt like those vampires needed him.
- He hasn’t felt needed by Buffy in a long time.
- They clearly do not understand each other.
- Riley wants to be able to be there for her, but Buffy won’t let him in.
- Because that’s what it means to be the Slayer. She’s alone.
- Doesn’t matter that she has family, friends, or even a boyfriend. The Slayer is alone.
- He tells her that the Army wants him to come back. Unless she gives him a reason to stay, he’s leaving tonight.
- Buffy leaves and is ambushed by a bunch of the brothel vamps.
- But tonight is not the night they want to mess with her.
- She easily dusts six and seemingly lets the lady vamp that was feeding on Riley get away.
- Then Buffy throws an impressive javelin through her heart.
- Xander emerges from the shadows to give Buffy a good talking to.
- See, Xander is the one who sees things. He has no powers, but he observes everything that goes on.
- The guy can make jokes, but that doesn’t make him a fool.
- Xander points out that Buffy has treated Riley like the rebound after Angel, but he’s the one that she should hang on to.
- The speech makes Buffy reconsider how she really feels about Riley.
- She takes off after Riley. But she’s too late.
- Riley boards the helicopter and flies away as Buffy can only watch him go.
- Xander, in the meantime, goes to Anya and confesses that he is deeply in love with her.
- Body count: Vampires – 7
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I’m actually almost up to this episode. I’m about two behind you. I think it’s really interesting how you point out that Xander is the one to see everything, which is so true. A lot of people just dismiss him because he’s meant to be the comic relief, but he really puts things into perspective. Great read!
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