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Buffy - 4.1 - "The Freshman"
--- 14 - July- 2001 ---
Summary: Buffy is starting her new life
at College. And it's all going horribly wrong. She feels out of place, 2
steps behind everybody else, unwanted in some classes and by her closest
friends, abused by professors and she gets whipped by a vampire called
Sunday. Returning home to The Bronze she meets Xander who gives her the
strength she needs to beat Sunday, but also for her new
life.
Best Scenes: The whole opening scene of
Buffy and Willow beginning College and having two very different
experiences is great. Everything looked bigger in scale and very slick
looking. Joss is a very talented director. The new pack of vamps were
interesting, especially the surf dude vampire. Giles and his 'friend' was
excellent. Nice to see Xander giving out sound advice. I also liked the
small appearances of Angel, in the Bronze & on the phone. Love the new
look for Willow (and Buffys not looking too shabby
either).
Worst Scenes: Shame the new vamps got
killed off. They could have been nice recurring villains. No Spike? What's
going on. It's also strange not having Cordy around.
Best
Character: This was like a first episode for a new series.
Buffy's confused and not sure of where she fits. Good stuff from
SMG.
Most Underused Character: Slightly reduced
cast now that Angel and Cordelia's gone. But Giles was very much missing,
despite a really cool scene with Olivia.
Funniest
Scene: Buffys reaction to the Vamps going through her personal
belongings.
Laugh Line Of The Week: "Okay,
remember before you became Hugh Hefner, when you used to be a Watcher?" -
Buffy, finding out that Giles has an interesting new career planned for
himself.
Quality Of The Villain: Just bog
standard Vamps, albeit Sunday seemed a bit more stronger than your usual
standard. They were just there for a laugh and I liked them a lot. Shame
they got dusted, though it was worth it for their reactions when they got
staked.
Things That Make You Ponder: The shows
production values looked great. Everything seemed bigger in scale and
vision. It really is a shame that Angel has gone. Riley looks an all right
replacement, but I wonder if anyone can fill his boots. Giles and Xander
seem to have accidentally found themselves in the Cordelia role. Namely,
there isn't really much reason for them to be hanging around university,
Giles especially since he isn't a watcher anymore. Time will tell how they
fit in to Buffys new life.
Final Verdict: Good
opening episode for Season 4. Buffy and Willow have never looked better
and the cliffhanger promises interesting new developments. Will Riley ever
replace Angel? And who will fill Cordys shoes? All will be revealed.
4/5
Buffy - 4.2 - "Living Conditions"
--- 22 - July - 2001 ---
Summary: Buffys roommate, Kathy, is
frankly driving Buffy insane. This is because she is a demon and is
stealing some of her soul every night so her Kin don't find her and take
her home. Buffy starts acting strange and eventually the Scoobies tie her
up so she won't kill what they believe to be an innocent, but annoying,
girl. The gang eventually finds out Buffy was right and reverse the spell
giving Buffy her full soul back and the demon is sucked into a portal.
Best Scenes: Buffy gradually losing it as Kathy
becomes more and more annoying was great fun. Interesting developments
with Oz and an unknown girl. The slo mo effects of tiny noises being
reverberated round the room were very amusing. Good ending with Buffy
& Will.
Worst Scenes: The actual notion of
Kathy being a demon isn't very good, even if it is being played for
laughs. It's just too big a coincidence too swallow. The fight scene
between them also went on waaaay too long. I've seen wrestling matches
that lasted shorter. Where's Spike? Two episodes and still no show?
Best Character: He wasn't in the episode much,
but Oz was really cool. Hanging around with Buffy on patrol and that
curious scene with the girl and the soldiers hiding made him the person
that stood out the most.
Most Underused
Character: Scandalous lack of Xander this week. A few funnies,
but he wasn't really doing much. I seriously hope he isn't going to become
Cordelia from the early seasons. Saying a few amusing lines but usually
having no impact on the plot.
Funniest Scene: The
toe nail clippings echoing of the carpet as if they were steel drums was
very funny. It really showed how annoyed Buffy and Kathy hated each other.
Runner up is the last scene with the close up on Buffys eyes as she
watches Willow eat her sandwich. Superb.
Laugh Line Of The
Week: "Nobody deserves mime Buffy." - Oz, telling Buffy she had
crossed the line.
Quality Of The Villain: Rubbish
really. The Kathy demon was totally played for laughs, so no threat was
ever going to happen. The dream sequences were quite creepy though, with
blood down the throat and scorpions on your bare skin.
Things That Make You Ponder: The scene where Oz
stares at the girl and she looks back at him was curious. Is she a
werewolf? Or possibly just a love interest? And what about the soldiers in
the bushes? Were they hunting her (or the group) down? No more clues were
given, but time will tell.
Final Verdict: I
didn't really like this episode. The idea of Kathy being a demon just
seemed ridiculous to me. Too much of a coincidence, even for Buffy. The
humour parts played well though, but not enough to save the episode.
2/5
Buffy - 4.3 - 4.22
Buffy 4.3 - "The Harsh Light of Day":
Spike is looking for a legendary ring that will make a vampire invincible.
Always good to see Spike back in action. His banter with Harmony is very
funny, especially the scene where he stakes her and is amazed to find she
hasn't died. Also worth noting that this is the first part of a crossover
with Angel, but you don't need to see the Angel episode to enjoy this one.
Unfortunately, the Buffy/Parker stuff really bores me. Yes, he's a dick.
Have Buffy stake him or beat him, but lets move on, eh? The rest of the
gang were absent, though Xander had a nice scene with Harmony including
hair pulling! But apart from the spike stuff, I wasn't a huge fan of this
episode - 3/5
Buffy 4.4 - "Fear, Itself": Another
Halloween episode as the Scoobies end up in a haunted frat house. Yeah,
this was a good episode. Buffy's still major depressed over Parker. I
understand that she's grieving, but I really don't like the plotline.
Quite a few nice scenes with Xander, showing his fears coming to the
surface of falling away from his friends. Very funny with Anya dressed as
the bunny and the final scene - "actual size"! There's still some masked
commandos running around and Riley might be involved. A good solid episode
- 3/5
Buffy 4.5 - "Beer Bad": Generally
considered to be one of the worst ever Buffy episodes, I didn't think this
was that bad. Buffy drinks tainted beer and turns into a cavewoman with a
bunch of students. What can you say really? Nice to see Xander getting the
barjob, though the abuse he takes made me really angry. The guy just can't
catch a break. Buffy's still moping over Parker. A bit boring that
plotline in my opinion. It's fun seeing Buffy talking in her primitive
state, but this is quite shallow. Still not the worst episode of Buffy
though. - 2/5
Buffy 4.6 - "Wild at Heart": The
mysterious girl Oz saw in 4.1 turns out to be a werewolf. This is Oz's
episode and unfortunately his last as a full cast member. There were a few
things that annoyed me about this episode. The lock breaking on the cage
for one. I just knew that was going to happen. And Willow finding
then together just at the right time? I mean, it's not bad storytelling,
just lazy and unusual for a show like Buffy. Very interesting to see Spike
at the start then not appearing again. I was genuinely suprised when
were-oz killed Veruca. I thought they might leave together, like an
Angel/Faith relationship. Very sad that he has left. - 3/5
Buffy 4.7 - "The Initiative": Spike is caught by
the Initiative, a military type organisation with Riley being part of it.
Man, I love Spike. Guaranteed, if he's in an episode, it will be good. And
if the whole episodes about him, then it'll be great! Spike appears to be
de-fanged. This is a good thing. And i'm going to tell you why. With Angel
gone, there's no one in the group who's really edgy, nobody that causes
members to look over their shoulder to see what they're doing. Spike is
that person. Once he gets integrated into the Scoobies proper it'll be
great. The chip is interesting though. He seems able to commit violent
acts, but simply has to pay a price of an incredibly bad headache. The
scene when he was with Willow was brilliant. I don't think his heart was
really in it for killing or vamping her. He seems to half like Willow and
I'm not sure if he would have gone through with killing her. The
Initiative itself was really impressive looking. Very cinematic looking.
Riley also realises the feelings he's been having for Buffy, namely when
he punches out Parker (and please let that be the end of him). However,
having said that, I think the writers did a very clever thing. In the
Batman comics, the first Robin, Dick Grayson, grew up and went onto become
Nightwing. However that left a gap that the editors filled with Jason
Todd. And the fans hated him. They saw him as un upsurper, a poor mans
Grayson. So when DC offered the chance for fans to kill him of or save
him, they voted to kill him. This reminds me of the Angel situation. Angel
has left. And that leaves a gap. However, anyone who fills that gap is
going to be compared with Angel. And unfairly too. So, they create a
seemingly nice character called Parker who will woo Buffy, but will
ultimately turn out to be a sleazy bastard. That makes the next Angel
replacement much more attractive, as the fans were already predisposed to
disliking the first replacement. And that is why Riley (who did himself no
harm by punching out Parker) should be more accepted by the fans. Anyway,
this is a good episode and you should watch it. - 5/5
Buffy 4.8 - "Pangs": A sort of semi crossover as
Angel appears but never interacts with Buffy, plus a bunch of ghostly
indians want to kill the Scoobies. I was quite dissapointed with Angels
role in this episode. The huge threat to Buffy turned out to be pretty
lame really. Spike was great again this episode, stealing every scene he
was in. Buffy fretting over the dinner was funny as was most of the
interactions between Angel and the Scoobies. Once again though, Xander
draws the short straw and must take the punishment dished out by the
demons. Syphilis? This is surely a year to forget for Xander. I dunno, it
wasn't a bad episode, but I somehow thought It would be better, especially
with Angel back in town. - 3/5
Buffy 4.9 - "Something
Blue": Willow creates a spell that causes her wishes to come
true, resulting in some strange stuff. Alright, lets get the two best bits
of the episode out of the way. Amy the rat, Amy the Human, Amy the rat!
Well funny and a great nod to long term fans (though newbies would be
wondering what the hell is going on). And Spike & Buffy. Very, very,
very funny. Was it me or did they seem to make a really great couple? And
you could tell they still had the same basic personality's, but they
simply were in love with each other. Giles and his reaction was also
excellent. And once the spell wears off and everybody goes back to normal!
I'm being very boring, but i'll say it again. Very funny! Beyond that
though, not much story arc advancement. But hell when the results of the
(undeniably contrived) spell cause results like this, who's complaining.
This was really just a comedy episode, but it's good stuff. - 4/5
Buffy 4.10 - "Hush": The Gentlemen steal
everybodys voice and go on to steal their hearts. What a great episode!
The 'gimmick' of nobody speaking for 2 thirds of the episode was
incredibly well done. The scene where Giles is using the projector for
their meeting was hilarious. On the flip side, The Gentlemen were the
scariest monsters I have ever seen on television. It wasn't that they were
out and out gross (though the metal teeth in a fixed rictus grin wasn't
pretty) but they were so spooky! Drifting around with their strange
lunatic/pets rampaging around in front of them. Weird. Really good acting
by the cast, including their use of body language, because they obviously
can't use their voices. Spike was great with Xander (his casual flick of
the v-sign was brill!), but he also helped Xander and Anya realise how
much they love each other, albeit unintentionally. If there was one thing
I didn't like it was the fight scene at the end. It went on waaaaaay too
long. I would rather have seen more interaction between the Scoobys while
they had no voices. This episode is also noticable for introducing Tara. I
know her 'secret' due to spoilers and seeing future episodes, but I like
her, though she does tend to sit or stand in strange poses and be shy to
the point of pain. But yeah, this is a great episode. - 5/5
Buffy 4.11 - "Doomed": The End of the World.
Again. Not a bad episode, but not brilliant either. Perhaps having 3
writers was simply 2 too many. But there were good things in this Ep.
Spike, once again, manages to have limited screen time and steal the show.
His total pathetic attempt to kill him self, still dressed in Xanders
clothes, was very funny. And when he discovers that he can fight demonic
creatures, he becomes super-scooby. He'll probably end up rivalling Buffys
vampire bodycount total in due time. I do wonder how the chip works
though. Does it decide what is a demon or is it Spike? Could Buffy be
construed as demonic because of her supernatural power? I must confess, I
wonder if Spike really has a chip in his head. We never did see the
operation and everybody simply assumes it happened. Some form of hypnosis
possibly? Could he even have his soul back and not know it? Subconsciously
he is stopping himself doing evil and not even aware it is happening? Time
will tell, but Spike is easily becoming my favourite member of the cast
this year. Riley, on the other hand, is still an unknown quantity. I'm not
sure if I like him or not yet. Sure he's nice and this episode, with his
arguments directed towards Buffy, he is showing some character rather than
being a clone of Jimmy Stewart. It's difficult for any character to come
in and replace a well-liked and crucial member of the gang, but I wonder
if there is that...certain something missing. A spark between them that
was apparent from day one of Buffy & Angel. Or it could just be
reluctance on my part to accept a new character. On the other hand, I
can't help but wonder what it would be like if Forrest was attracted to
Buffy. He's a lot funnier and seems slightly more...rougher, more cruder.
Not a boy scout. Or maybe he just gets all the good lines.
As for
the rest of the cast, Xander had a good performance. A new job (again
probably not on the top 10 dream jobs), but he is earning money and paying
his own way through life. He also showed a lot of maturity talking to
Spike and even zinged him pretty good when talking about how he wasn't
worth killing. I think Spike really got narked at this, because he was
quite vicious when describing how Buffy didn't need him or Willow (though
I'd like to think Spike kind of likes Willow). As for Willow, I'm not sure
what her real role was in this episode. She overhears (ah, that great
Buffy plot-device of moving the story forward) Percy (and is it me or is
that a bit ironic that 'Percy' is usually a nerds name? No offence
intended to anybody called Percy BTW) talking about her and saying what a
nerd she is, but there doesn't seem to be any closure on this. Percy is
never seen again this episode. Sure Willow helps saves the world (sort of,
because Riley is the one that really does the saving) and she feels good
about herself, but Percy still thinks she's a nerd. Which is a bit unusual
since he has seen her as a violent sexy dominatrix (in "Dopplegangland"),
but he seems to have forgotten this.
It was good to see the old
school again, albeit charred and in ruins. I wonder if Spike was thinking
about when he first fought Buffy (in "School Hard") and got his arse
kicked for the first time. Also loved his 'fake' American accent. Not much
Giles this episode though elsewhere people have been speculating that he
had a bad cold, which could explain his strange voice and why it seemed
his lips weren't quite synching. A possible reason why he was so
underused. Where was Anya though?
So, an average episode really,
with Spike providing the main entertainment, Buffy & Riley seeming to
finally become more than friends and the Hellmouth closed again (though I
guess it never really opened). Not bad. - 3/5
Buffy 4.12 -
"A New Man": Ethan Rayne comes back into town and decides to turn
Giles into a demon. Plus in the Initiative, a project called 314 is
apparently going to be very dangerous when it comes to fruition.
Definitely a filler episode, but quite a good one. Giles gets his
yearly episode devoted to him and it's a good idea. Turning him into a
demon was good, but having no one understand him was great! It never
really explains why Ethan did it, presumably just as a laugh. He's like
Spike in a way, he always causes problems and gives the other characters
trouble that could be fatal, but he never really seems interested in doing
actual mortal harm.
Spike was very funny this episode. Driving the
car and having Giles being forced to turn to him for help was excellent.
The car chase was really good as well, very action packed. Spike moving
into the crypt was a shame. I liked the pairing of Xander & Spike and
was hoping that he would end up living at Willows (though how she'd
explain it to her mother would be interesting.)
Willow & Tara
seem interesting. The fact that she didn't tell Buffy about her was very
strange. There is a certain subtext going on here for sure.
As for
the Initiative, I believe we are seeing the end of season challenge in
room 314. What it will be is unknown, but it does seem slightly late in
the season to introduce a new villain. An all right episode then, but
still filler. - 3/5
Buffy 4.13 - "The I in Team":
Prof. Walsh decides Buffy needs to be removed from Rileys life.
Permanently. Lovely little episode this. Lots of stuff going on that you
don't quite pick up first time. For starters, Buffy and Riley are deeply
in love with each other, to the point that it's having an impact on Buffys
relationship with her friends. She's cutting them off and not even
realising it. The scene where she and Riley are fighting the demon and
it's intercut with the two of them making love was very cool. Showed the
sexual desire that is aroused after fighting for your life and served to
illustrate just how close Buffy & Riley are now. Possibly. It was
really creepy watching Walsh watch them in bed. She must have cameras
everywhere. Or maybe they're just in places where she really 'cares' for
the subject. She definitely has strong feelings for Riley. A mother/son
relationship, but warped. When she tries to kill Buffy, it's as much out
of jealously as it is fear of 314 being uncovered. In a way, she's like
Willow and the Scoobies. They are losing their friend Buffy to Riley, but
Walsh is losing Riley to Buffy. And she's not happy. It was quite a clumsy
operation to kill her. Fair enough, 2 demons with axes and Buffy unarmed
was always going to be a tricky situation, but she must have really
underestimated Buffys strength. I thought it was a bit convenient that
Buffy started talking on screen and revealing to Riley that Walsh is
unstable and evil. It would have been more fun if Riley had though Buffy
dead and she had to convince him that The Initiative was
corrupt.
Spike was funny, as always. His treatment of Giles was out
of order, but you see it was setting up him going to Giles for help. Spike
really is screwed these days when it comes to defending himself. Not too
sure about Xanders soldier training coming back into play. The writers
must have thanked the "Halloween" episode so many times as Xander explains
to the Scoobies about Military things they wouldn't have been able to
otherwise know. Funny Buffy still doesn't seem to remember being an 18th
century woman. I liked Anyas comment about spanking and you can see that
she and Xander make a great couple.
Willow and Tara on the other
hand I'm not sure about. They seem to be definitely forming a lesbian
relationship, especially the way Willow keeps hiding her from Buffy and
the gang. It just seems very sudden for Willow to become gay. It's not
quite happened overnight, but she was seeing Oz for 3 years near enough
and it is a curveball.
Finally, the ending where we finally see
what 314 is; a human/demon hybrid called Adam. And his first action is to
kill Walsh. Thank Christ, since I really hated her. She reminded me too
much of an old boss. But it is a bit strange for the season finale bad guy
to appear so late in the show, but hey, he looks cool so I'll give him the
benefit of the doubt. - 4/5
Buffy 4.14 - "Goodbye
Iowa": 314 finally starts to explore his world with tragic
consequences. Adam is a cool villain, but he's not great. Certainly not up
with the previous seasons (with the best being Angelus, The Mayor then The
Master), but he suffices. And he is something different. Killing the kid
was quite a surprise, but I suppose the writers had to establish straight
of the bat that this guy was evil. His confrontation with Buffy &
Riley was good, especially when Riley realised how much he has in common
with him. I'm still not sure about the disk drive in his chest though. It
look's a bit tacky. But yeah, Adam will do as the Season Finale bad guy.
Riley seems to be losing the plot a bit. Definite drug withdrawal
as he starts to have the cold turkey shakes. I wonder if that old woman in
the bar was a demon. Seems a bit strange that some one of that age group
would be in such a seedy bar. I think Riley will come good and the fact he
held onto Buffys bandanna shows he still trusts her.
Spike was
funny, as the norm. I've just realised that he has totally taken over from
Xander as the funny guy in the group and he doesn't really even get comedy
lines. He just seems to be inherently funny. Giles doesn't seem to be too
impressed with Xanders basement. I think the novelty value has worn off of
reliving his youth and hanging around with kids. Willow & Tara seem to
be getting really close, though they still haven't come out and actually
said "it" yet. It's all beating about the bush.
So a good episode
with Adam firmly established as bad guy numero uno. - 4/5
Buffy 4.15 - "This Year's Girl": Faiths baaaack!
The dream sequences were very cool, especially seeing Buffy as evil
terminator type. Having the Mayor back was good as well, though how did
that demon find Faith when she was hiding from everyone? Nice to see Joyce
as well, showing balls standing up (or sitting tied) to Faith.
The
rest of the gang were largely absent. Buffy and Riley are really close now
which is a good step. Willow & Tara (that seems so right to hear their
names together) are still hanging out, though Tara still seems to be a
secret. Giles has the council back on his case which can only spell
trouble. Spike and Xander were quite underused, though Spike had (of
course) his funny lines. The final scene with Buffy and Faith swapping
places was a twist and should make for a very cool 2nd part. Good stuff. -
4/5
Buffy 4.16 - "Who Are You?": Faith plays
havoc in Buffys body. Very cool story this and a real acting workout for
SMG, though Eliza is excellent as well, really making the viewer believe
she is Buffy. Faith seems to be really enjoying herself in Buffys life,
until she realises how little she actually has. Perhaps the water poured
into a jug isn't simply the same water from the tap. Perhaps the jug
defines the water, makes it something different. Whatever, Faith wanted to
save those people in the Church and perhaps she can be
redeemed.
More shenanigans with Adam recruiting demons, but the
rest of the Scoobys were AWOL really. Only Tara & Willow got any other
screen time. I wonder if Willow wanted to be 'caught' with Tara, to
finally fess up to Buffy. She never likes keeping secrets, even if theirs
nothing 'wrong' with this one, unlike her kiss with Xander.
Good
stuff from SMG keep this episode ticking over and being more than a simple
gimmick. - 5/5
Buffy 4.17 - "Superstar": There's
trouble brewing and only…Jonathon can save it?! Very funny episode this,
the premise being that Jonathon is the James Bond character of the
Buffyverse and everyone else, including the Slayer, is superfluous. It was
the small details that made this story great. The posters, the mention of
Jonathon being in the Matrix (which was in itself to do with reality
warping) and the revised credits. Hilarious watching Jonathon do all the
cool stuff like fire cross bows. The only shame is they didn't have time
to film scenes that could have been from Previous Seasons (imagine
Jonathon with a S1 haircut!). They also didn't do the spinning round in
the chair and pointing at the camera with a big shit-eating grin on his
face, made famous from numerous poor sitcoms.
The rest of the gang
were missing, though it was good to see Buffy & Riley get together
again and was this the first time that Buff has seen Tara. The Xand man
seems to be fading from the stories though. Where's the big mans story
arcs at? Nice wee novelty episode, but it will be funnier to long term
fans than newbies. - 3/5
Buffy 4.18 - "Where The Wild
Things Are": Buffy & Riley get jiggy with it, which has
unexpected results. Apparently, SMG was over at Angel, so that's why her
involvement with this episode is curtailed which should be a good thing as
it gives the rest of the gang a chance to shine. But it doesn't. Not
really. There are cool bits. Giles singing, Spike talking to Anya and his
speech when he decides not to rescue Buffy. Willow & Tara have some
nice moments. And Xander & Anya get to save the day. But it just kind
of falls flat.
The whole story seems to have been done before and
probably slightly better. Buffy & Riley are starting to bore slightly
as well, which is something I never thought I'd say, but it's true. I
think at the end of the day it's just an episode you should watch for a
couple of scenes and if you're completeist, but it's not one to rewatch
again and again. - 2/5
Buffy 4.19 - "New Moon
Rising":Oz is back. Say no more. Oz has always been cool and he
shows his inner peace to good effect here. But the irony is that the one
person who he wants to be with brings out the wolf in him. Literally.
Buffy finds out that Willow is seeing Tara and seems cool with it. Riley
has also burned his bridges with the Initiative and is now fully with
Buffy, for better or worse. Not a bad episode but it seems a bit like
filler, despite wrapping up Oz's story. - 3/5
Buffy 4.20 -
"The Yoko Factor":Spike plays mind games with the Scoobies. Very
good episode, playing to all Spikes strengths. Spike manages to split up
the gang by playing on all the little grievances that have been building
up over the year. And it's great fun to watch. Especially liked the small
raising of the eyebrow when he sees Tara playing with Willows hair. And
when the gang find out about Willows secret it's very funny (Giles "Bloody
Hell" from the bedroom is superb). Xanders double take is good as
well
Angels appearance was welcome and it's good to see Buffy and
himself patch things up, but it really did raise a problem with Riley.
Mainly that he's just not going to be as cool as Angel. If anything he
looked a poorer fill in than usual. Which is a shame, because he's not a
bad character. Just the new guy. But this was a good episode and builds up
nicely to the finale next week. - 4/5
Buffy 4.21 -
"Primeval": It's the end of the line for Adam as the Initiative
story comes to a head. Well, it was enjoyable enough, but still felt a bit
of a letdown. The end battle with Adam was very cool, the special effects
being reminiscent of The Matrix. But the Super-Slayer thing was too Deux
ex machina for my liking. I did like using the core Scooby group to do the
spell.
The makeup scene with the gang was enjoyable, though Spike
did let the cat out the bag to obviously. I don't think he really wanted
to see Adam take over the world (see his speech in 2.21). Good action all
round then really, but never in any danger of upstaging previous season's
finale. (And may I just say how narked I am at myself that I accidentally
deleted this and now have to type it all out again. All right, it's not
War & Peace, but it's still a pain in the arse) - 3/5
Buffy 4.22 - "Restless": The dreams of the Scooby
gang. I love this episode. It was one of the first ones I had ever seen
and though I was slightly confused at times, the sheer ballsiness of it
made me a fan. The story is that Buffy, Giles, Xander and Willow are
haunted in their dreams by the first slayer. And as they are dreams,
nothing has to make sense. The best dream for me is Xanders. There is one
scene that to me just sums up the character and his relationship with
Buffy. It's when she's in the sandpit and he walks round to see her with
Giles & Spike on the swings. She calls him big brother and he looks at
her. And she looks back. It's almost a freeze frame moment with beautiful
haunting music in the background. Truly superb.
Other memorable
moments from the other dreams include Death of a salesman played out very
strangely, Giles singing at the Bronze, Willow wearing her Season 1 garb
and seeing Adam as a human. But there are plenty more moments that stand
out, depending on your likes & dislikes. This is quite a dividing
episode. If you hate it, you really hate it. But if you love it, you want
to have its babies. Great stuff - 5/5
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Copyright © 2001 - 2002 David McNulty
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