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.

Crush

• Buffy’s sitting alone at The Bronze while the couples in her friend group dance.
• Then Spike sidles up and tries to have a conversation like he and Buffy are old friends.
• He’s kind of quickly kicked out of his seat, so no worries there.
• Then Buffy sees Ben across the room. She wants to thank him for hanging out with Dawn when she had run away from home.
• Meanwhile, at the train station, a train pulls up but no passengers get off. Never a good sign in Sunnydale.
• A train official hops on board to see why no one is disembarking. It’s because they’re all dead.
• Judging by the bite marks, vampire attack is a safe assumption.
• Before he can exit the passenger car, he’s snatched by an unseen villain and killed.
• Back at home, Buffy talks to Giles about whether or not she can go back to treating Dawn like normal, and he agrees that she should.
• So she yells at Dawn about a missing blue cashmere sweater.
• Cut to Spike, caressing said sweater.
• Creep.
• Harmony (I didn’t realize they were still together…) is feeling frisky, but the only way Spike is interested is if she role plays as the Slayer.
• Buffy notices the paper the next day: six people found dead on the train. I guess that counts the railroad official guy.
• Dawn goes to visit Spike at his crypt after school. Clearly, she has a crush on the guy.
• Creep.
• She appreciates how Spike talks to her like she’s normal and doesn’t sugar coat things like everyone else.
• Spike’s more interested in what sort of things Buffy says about him when he’s not around.
• Later, as Spike is sharing stories of his past evil deeds, Buffy storms in looking for Dawn.
• She’s not happy.
• On the way home, Buffy figures out that Dawn has a crush. But Dawn says it wouldn’t matter anyway, because he’s completely in love with Buffy anyway.
• Huh?
• That’s Buffy’s exact response.
• The next day, Buffy and Xander check out the train, looking for clues.
• While they search for clues, Buffy brings up the Spike thing.
• Xander laughs, and she says she’s not joking. He hopes not, because it’s funnier if it’s true.
• Buffy decides there are no clues, so they leave. But the camera pans up to the overhead luggage rack and we see a blindfolded doll…
• Definitely a sign that Drusilla has been on board.
• Buffy gets home and sees Spike hanging out with Joyce and Dawn having a swell time.
• Spike claims he knows what vampires attacked the train and takes her on a stake out. It’s beyond awkward.
• When the walk into the vampires’ nest, they recognize her and they take off. They don’t even put up a fight.
• Buffy sees it’s clear that they had nothing to do with the murders on the train.
• Now that Buffy knows about Spike’s crush, she sees this stakeout as if Spike is trying to have a date with her.
• Buffy is repulsed.
• Spike attempts to confess his feelings, but Buffy stops him and storms out.
• He gets back to his crypt and Dru is there waiting for him. She’s still sporting a few burns leftover from Angel’s attack a few weeks back.
• She fills Spike in on what’s going on with Darla. She wants Spike to join her and be a family again.
• Dru knows about Spike’s chip, too.
• Harmony shows up and tries to confront Drusilla, but Spike throws her out.
• Dru takes Spike to The Bronze to hunt. Well, and dance.
• She spots a couple upstairs and Dru snaps both their necks, allowing Spike to feed on the girl while she feeds on the guy.
• He can feed on a dead human without that pesky chip firing.
• Buffy goes to Spike’s crypt with the intention of completely shutting down this crush.
• She heads down to the Spikecave under the crypt and finds his creepy shrine to her.
• Creep.
• As she goes back upstairs, she encounters Spike and Dru.
• Dru cattle prods her. Then Spike cattle prods Dru.
• Buffy comes to and she’s chained up downstairs. And so is Drusilla.
• Spike thinks he can prove his love to Buffy by staking Dru.
• And if Buffy doesn’t admit that there’s something between them, he’ll release Drusilla and let her kill her.
• “Spike, the only chance you had with me was when I was unconscious.”
• Spike goes on a rant, but he’s interrupted by a crossbow bolt delivered by Harmony.
• Spike attacks Harmony. And it’s a race to see who can get free first: Drusilla or Buffy.
• Dru wins that race, but Buffy’s feet are free and she’s able to decently defend herself.
• Spike frees Buffy and Drusilla, depressed for Spike, just leaves. So does Harmony.
• Buffy punches Spike and then she leaves, too.
• He chases her home and claims she can’t just shut him out.
• As he tries to follow her inside, he runs into that invisible barrier that vampires without an invitation always run into. His invitation has been revoked.
• Body count: Humans – 8