BUFFY: 7.1 “LESSONS”

Big Bads are back!


WRITER: Joss Whedon

DIRECTOR: David Solomon

WHAT’S THE SITCH?

In Istanbul, Turkey a young girl is chased through the streets by a group of creepy looking people in cloaks before being caught and brutally killed. Back in Sunnydale and it's a new school year and Dawn is starting at the all new Sunnydale High 2.0 which has been built on the site of its exploded predecessor. However, based upon her own experiences at the school's previous incarnation, Buffy is having a serious case of the nerves about her lil sis starting at the new Sunnydale High. At first Dawn thinks her big sis is being way too over protective and is worrying needlessly but a run in with a group of apparently vengeful spirits soon has Junior Summers and some new friends calling for emergency Slayer assistance. Meanwhile in England a remorseful Willow is learning to be herself again under the tender tutelage of Giles.

WHAT’S THE SITCH BENEATH THE SITCH?

On one hand this episode is about fear. Fear of the past, the future, the unknown. Fear that your own life experiences, your own past will repeat and come back to haunt those you love and are responsible for. Buffy is afraid for Dawn. She is scared that Dawn will suffer the same high school traumas she did. But Buffy also knows that that is often unavoidable in life and that all you can do is to prepare youngsters as best you can before sending them out there, which is what she does by training Dawn in how to handle a vampire by herself. But Buffy also knows enough to let Dawn know to never be afraid to ask for help if she needs it as is shown by the cell phone she gives Dawn as a gift at the start of the Ep. and which comes in very useful later on. On the other hand this episode is also a short presee of what this entire season will be about: Power. Finding it, sharing it and using it.

WHO’S GIVING US THE WIGGINS THIS WEEK?

Sunnydale High's vengeful spirits who seem to blame the living for their unnatural deaths and want to make them all suffer.

Creepy robed people hunting and killing a young girl.

An evil entity who appears to loony basement living Spike by taking on the forms of all previous Buffy Big Bads (minus Angelus) as well as, finally, the form of the Buffster herself.

WHY IT ROCKS

It is a Joss script so has some solid thematic depth, strong character work, funny moments and also sets up where everybody is both physically and emotionally while also laying the thematic and story groundwork for the rest of the season.

Director David Solomon manages to create at least two genuinely effective jump scares.

James Marsters gets to play a credibly loony Spike.

All previous Big Bads cameo (with the exception of Angelus) – great to see them again.

Cell phones finally make it to Sunnydale.

Buffy gets to make an effective weapon out of a handbag and some bricks and then wields it in a short but pretty cool fight scene.

Willow and Giles in England. Yes, actual real England.

WHY IT SUCKS

The basic story of the vengeful spirits at the school is pretty thin and in and of themselves they are not very scary.

This Ep. has a lousy phlebotnum i.e. "any magical or mystical force or event that arises in the process of inventing the Buffy mythology/or advancing the plot". It is just some random talisman Buffy finds lying around in the school bathroom which needs to be broken in order to vanquish the spirits. No explanation is ever given as to what it is or where it comes from or who put it there.

After a nice establishing matte shot the streets of Istanbul are clearly that overly familiar 'generic foreign town' set on the Universal back-lot.

IT’S BUFFTASTIC

The end monologue of the evil entity to poor nutty Spike as it lays out what it wants and what is to come while purposefully transforming from one previous Big Bad to another, ending finally as Buffy herself, telling Spike that none of this is about right or wrong, it is about power!

DIALOGUE TO DIE FOR

Xander (To Buffy): "The last two principals were eaten. Who’d even apply for that job?"

Vampire (to Buffy & Dawn whilst trying to get out of his grave): “Excuse me. I think I'm stuck.”

Buffy (after Xander asks how she is): “My sister's about to go to the same high school that tried to kill me for three years. I can't change districts, I can't afford private school, and I can't begin to prepare for what could possibly come out of there. So peachy with a side of keen, that would be me.”

Buffy (to Dawn): “Oh, we have to leave, though. Do you have everything? Books? Lunch? Stakes?”

Drusilla (to Spike): "That's where we go."
Master: "Right back to the beginning. Not the bang, not the word- the true beginning. The next few months are going to be quite a ride, and I think we’re all going to learn something about ourselves in the process. You’ll learn you’re a pathetic schmuck, if it hasn’t sunk in already. Look at you. Tried to do what’s right. Just like her... You still don’t get it. It’s not about right, not about wrong..."
Buffy: "...it’s about power."

AND ANOTHER THING

Joss wrote this episode but did not direct. He only wrote and directed one episode this season – Chosen, the series finale. He was kinda busy with a little show called Firefly.

Dawn's school friend Kit is played by Alexandra Breckenridge who most recently played Jessie Anderson in seasons 5 & 6 of AMC's the Walking Dead.

The character of Principle Wood as played by DB Woodside was written as gender non specific and with the gender neutral name of Robin Wood as Joss didn't know at the time what they were going to do with the character. It was only after casting DB Woodside that Robin Wood became male and developed the back story he would go on to have this season.

The scenes of Willow and Giles in England were indeed shot in England. Joss, Alyson Hannigan and her soon-to-be hubby Alexis Dennisof were in England in summer 2002 and were staying with Tony Head at his home just outside Bath. The house and the land you see in the scenes are Tony Head's actual house and farmland.


HOW MANY STAKES?

It's a hard lesson so 3 stakes (out of 5)

BUFFY 6.22 ‘GRAVE’

The Dark Willow story

WRITER: David Fury
DIRECTOR: James A. Contner

WHAT’S THE SITCH?

Giles is back! He battles Dark Willow and manages to best her…temporarily. But soon Willow is free again and forcing Buffy to take off after Xander, Dawn, Andrew and Jonathan to save them from a seeking fireball Willow launched after them. Buff saves them just in time, but gets herself and lil sis trapped below ground in a collapsed section of graveyard. Meanwhile back at the Magic Box and Giles lies beaten and broken, the store in ruins, Anya by his side. Willow drained him of all his borrowed power and in doing so she became connected to every living thing on Earth. Being dark still she focuses in on every human being’s pain. And determined to end that pain, she decides to destroy the world!

WHAT’S THE SITCH BENEATH THE SITCH?

It’s all about the pain. What else in a Joss Whedon TV show?

WHO’S GIVING US THE WIGGINS THIS WEEK?

Dark Willow

WHY IT ROCKS

Giles is back! ‘nuff said.

Have a laugh: Buffy is so happy to see Giles and unloads on him all the grief that has happened to her and the gang in his absence. Giles stares at her with quiet sombre concern…only to then break in to uncontrollable laughter at the insanity of it all. Buff quickly joins him. And it is most amusing.

Spike: the platinum vamp, bloodied and bruised, completes the trials and gets what he wanted.

WHY IT SUCKS

Huh?: Okay, so I get what they were aiming for with this series finale – bringing our characters back to simple emotional truths about themselves and each other, having them realise what growing up is really all about. BUT… it gets fluffed. Xander stopping Willow and saving the world by saying “I love you” and reminding her about a yellow crayon she broke in kindergarten? Really? And Buffy’s realisation that she doesn’t want to be protecting Dawn from the world but wants to be showing it to her is beyond cheesy. The dialogue is pure bad soap opera.

Evil temple: So there is apparently a conveniently buried satanic temple on a cliff top which Willow can raise up and use to destroy the world. Um…okay. That came from out of nowhere. Talk about handy last minute plot contrivance. Sigh.

ITS BUFFTASTIC

Giles and Buff having a good ol’ laugh

DIALOGUE TO DIE FOR

Willow: "Uh-oh. Daddy's home. I'm in wicked trouble now."
Giles: "You've no idea.”

Buffy: "Everything's been so.. Dawn's a total klepto, Xander left Anya at the altar and Anya became a demon again. And I.. I'm so.. I've been sleeping with Spike."

Anya: "Giles? Giles! Don't die.. not yet. I.. there are.. I need to tell you... Thanks a lot for coming. I mean, it was nice of you to teleport all this way.. Though, in retrospect, it might have been better if you hadn't come and given her all that magic that made her ten times more powerful.. that would have been a plus."

Willow: "Is this the master plan? You're going to stop me by telling me you love me?"
Xander: "Well, I was going to walk you off the cliff and hand you an anvil, but it seemed kinda cartoony."

AND ANOTHER THING

Grave marks the first (and only) Buffy series finale not to be written and directed by Joss Whedon. And you can tell. Joss was busy with Firefly at the time and only wrote one episode this season - Once More, With Feeling. But boy, what an episode.

If you look closely at the devastated Magic Box, there's a smouldering William Shatner book on the floor. Poor charred Shatner.

The song played at the end of the episode is Prayer Of St. Francis, by Sarah McLachlan and is a rare track which appeared on the bonus disc originally included with the limited edition double CD release of her Surfacing album in 1997.

HOW MANY STAKES?

Not quite ready for the grave 2.5 (out of 5)



And so concludes my Buffy season 6 retrospective/review. Tune in soon for season 7.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 6.4: FLOODED

Promo

WRITER: Douglas Petrie & Jane Espenson

DIRECTOR: Douglas Petrie

WHAT’S THE SITCH?

While trying to fix a leaky pipe Buffy accidentally floods her basement. Xander’s plumber bud who comes to fix the leak gives Buff the bad news: an expensive full copper re-pipe is needed. This news forces the Buffster to confront her dire financial situation. A loan application at the bank goes badly when the loan is denied and a demon then attacks and robs said bank. Turns out the demon was working for the geek Trio of Warren, Jonathan and Andrew, the new wannabe Big Bads of Sunnydale. In return for his services, the demon, called M'Fashnik, really wants to kill the slayer. So the ever helpful Warren points M'Fashnik in the direction of Buffy's home…

WHAT’S THE SITCH BENEATH THE SITCH?

No metaphors needed. It is all out there in plain view. Life in the real world. Maintaining a house. Paying bills. Managing money. All the deathly dull stuff of real life. Poor Buff. She can slay demons ‘til the cows come home…and then slay the cows too. But running a household, paying day to day bills? That's what gives her the real wiggins.

WHO’S GIVING US THE WIGGINS THIS WEEK?

See above. Life, money, bills. Oh and some demon guy. And the Trio as well I guess.

WHY IT ROCKS

Real life: Buffy is facing the same reality we all face as adults – paying our way in the world. And it is scarier than any icky demon or fangy vamp. The scene with Buffy trying to get “her loan” is funny but also kinda tragic. We know she won't qualify. No income. A house with hardly any equity. It is a hard lesson for her to learn. Being a kick ass vampire slayer won’t pay the bills and keep a roof over your head…unless you take Anya’s advice of course and start charging per slay. Heh.

Stupid skirt! Buffy trying to fight M'Fashnik at the bank but being scuppered by her long, tight skirt is funny. Plus it’s very nice when she borrows a letter opener to slit said skirt open down the side exposing a nice length of bare slayer leg. Hey! (looks sheepish) She's cute. I’m a man.

Giles and Buffy: Giles’ reaction to seeing Buffy back from the dead is lovely. Tony Head and SMG play the moment to perfection. Never does it get over sentimental. It is just genuinely warm and full of reserved joy.

Giles vs. Willow: another portent of things to come. Filmed in a darkened kitchen, the scene moves quickly from easygoing fun to tense, uncomfortable anger, ending with a dark threat from Willow. What’s more, this will all pay of spectacularly come the end of the season. Both Tony Head and Alyson Hannigan are excellent.

“NO. MORE. FULL. COPPER. RE-PIPE!”: Buffy’s final furious beating to death of M'Fashnik after he breaks one of her brand new (and expensive) copper pipes is brutal but very funny, especially as she times each blow to the repeatedly yelled, “NO. MORE. FULL. COPPER. RE-PIPE!”

WHY IT SUCKS

M'Fashnik: He is nothing but a plot device. He exists for no other reason than as something for Buffy to pummel and to introduce us to the Trio as this season’s Big Bad…or are they? His motivation seems to be he just wants to kill the Slayer, being furious with her for no apparent reason.

The Trio: Never the best wannabe Big Bads for Buff to face. Individually I like Andrew and Jonathan (Tom Lenk and Danny Strong are both wonderful performers) though Warren works best as the true villain of the three. But not here. It takes until late in the season for him to move from being a goofy geek genius to becoming a truly vile, murdering misogynist monster. Here though, together, they are all just silly and totally non-threatening.

Mope: Blimey! I know Marti Noxon and Joss said they would make Buffy earn her resurrection and not just set the reset switch so everything is back to normal but the Buffy depressed/mope factor does come on strong. Luckily it is often broken up with moments of lightness where we get a glimpse of the old Buffster e.g. the bank fight.

Buffy is broke. And yet Willow and Tara seem to be living there rent free and not contributing to the household budget. However they seem to have money to continue their studies and keeping in witchy things and stylish clothes. Freeloaders!

IT’S BUFFTASTIC

“NO. MORE. FULL. COPPER. REPIPE!”

DIALOGUE TO DIE FOR

Buffy (finds the leaky pipe): So, we meet at last, Mr. Drippy!

Willow: Buffy, I know you're still getting back on your feet after...
Buffy: Lying flat on my back?

Buffy: But, I haven't spent any money. I was all dead and frugal.

Buffy: It's not like it's the end of the world. ...Which is too bad, because *that* I'm really good at.

Anya: It's not *so* crazy.
Dawn: Yes it is! You can't charge innocent people for saving their lives!
Anya: Spider-Man does!
Dawn: He does not.
Anya: Does too!
Dawn: Does no... Xander?
Xander: Action is his reward.

Loan Officer: The problem is you have no income. No job.
(demon comes crashing through the window)
Buffy: No job? I wish!

Buffy (to demon): Hey! Are you in the wrong line? That's for deposits, that's for withdrawals, and this one is for getting kicked in the face. (tries to kick, can't raise her leg) Stupid skirt!

Xander: Score one for Captain Logic!
Anya: No, no. Captain Logic is not steering this tugboat. I smell Captain Fear at the wheel.

Giles (seeing Buffy alive again for 1st time): You're...
Buffy: ...a miracle.
Giles (smiles): Yes. ...But then I always thought so.

Jonathan: How'd you make him do that?
Andrew: What, are you some kind of ...Jedi?
Warren: The Force can sometimes have great power over a weak mind.

Giles: Well I know I'm back in America now, I've been knocked unconscious.
Buffy: Mmmm... Poor lumpy Giles!

Buffy: Who's calling me? Everybody I know lives here.

Buffy: “NO. MORE. FULL. COPPER. RE-PIPE!”

AND ANOTHER THING

It is established in this episode that Giles keeps a home in Bath (a small city in the south west of England for those who don't know.) Tony Head actually does live in the Bath area, not that far away from me as it happens. I've seen him around town and shopping in the local supermarket, which was kinda surreal. Anyway, this geographical trivia will come in to play at the start of season seven.

We know two of the three geeks (Warren and Jonathan) but not Andrew. We have met his brother, Tucker, though. He was the one who sent hell hounds to the Sunnydale High Prom in season three's The Prom.

After the Spider-Man argument between Anya, Dawn and Xander it is fun to note that Jeph Loeb, Executive Producer of the abandoned Buffy: Animated series, has written several Spider-Man comics.

HOW MANY STAKES?

A not so soggy 3.5 (out of 5)

Buffy: 3.6 ‘Band Candy’

Short and funny tribute vid

Writer: Jane Espenson
Director: Michael Lange

What's the sitch?


The gang is told by odious Principle Snyder to sell as much chocolate as they can in order to raise money for the school band. However they soon discover that the chocolate they’ve been given to sell is cursed and is addictive to adults and regresses them in to behaving as if they were teenagers again, leading to chaos in Sunnydale. It turns out that this ‘Band Candy’ scam is being managed by Giles’ old friend/nemesis Ethan Rayne. But this time Ethan is being sub-contracted by Mr Trick on behalf of The Mayor, who needs to make a special and particularly horrible tribute to a demon, a tribute he’d be unable to make unless the town’s adults are otherwise distracted. Can Buffy save the day while also contending with Giles and her mom getting it on like frisky teenagers, and a weasely Snyder tagging along, desperate to stay in with the cool kids? My money is on the Slayer.


What's the sitch beneath the sitch?


Maturity vs. immaturity. We all have it in us. You don’t need to be sixteen to act like a sixteen year old. Buffy is acting immaturely at the start of this episode and gets lectured by her mum and by Giles. But she has an excuse. She is immature. She’s a teen. She has yet to mature. What Band Candy does is to give us a glimpse of the show's so-called adults as teens, to see how they react and deal with things when they were the same age as the Scooby gang. And it’s quite illuminating…and very, very funny. It’s the old Back to the Future thing where mum says ‘I never asked a boy out or parked in cars with boys…’ and then Marty finds out she did all that and more. Likewise Buffy finds out just what Giles and her mum were like at her age. Her mum seems a bit of an airhead and, er, kinda easy, while Giles is pretty much a trouble-making thug. So Buffy is now forced to be the adult and to take charge of things, ordering around her mum and Giles as if they were the wayward teens. Most amusing.


Who's giving us the wiggins this week?


Mr Trick, The Mayor, Ethan Rayne, and a baby-eating demon called Larconis.


Why it rocks


Like Xander might say: “Mmm, chocolatey goodness! “ Band Candy is simply one of THE great episodes of Buffy. It’s a great concept and is very, very funny.

Giles as teen Ripper. “Ooh, Copper’s got a gun!”

‘Teen’ Giles and Joyce make for a really great pair.

Tony Head (Giles) and Kristine Sutherland (Joyce) are wonderful and are plainly having a blast.

Buffy’s driving skills (or lack of).

Armin Shimerman as weasely ‘teen’ Snyder.

Harry Groener as The Mayor.

Mr Trick making an example of an innocent employee.

Buffy’s horror at her mum and Giles constantly making out.

Ethan Rayne. Gotta love Robin Sachs.

The Bronze filled with raving oldies and Willow’s horror at seeing her doctor stage diving.

Xander wondering why the chocolate didn’t make him immature, saying he’s eaten loads and doesn’t feel any different. Heh.


Why it sucks


The whole band candy thing seems rather a convoluted and elaborate distraction to enable The Mayor to have his henchman steal five or six babies from the hospital.

Where’s Faith? She’s MIA for this episode, mores the pity.


It's Buftastic


Buffy first spying Giles and her mom making out in the street. A greatly timed gag as she at first walks past them, oblivious, then freezes in horror, and turns back, crying out, “Mom? Giles?”


Dialogue to die for


Oz: They're teenagers. It's a sobering mirror to look into, huh?

Snyder: Whoa, Summers! You drive like a spaz!

Buffy: Giles at sixteen? Less Together Guy, more Bad-Magic-Hates-The-World-Ticking-Time-Bomb Guy.

Willow (reading graffiti on the school lockers): 'Kiss rocks'? Why would anyone want to kiss... Oh, wait. I get it.

Xander: These things are selling like hot cakes…which is ironic, ‘cos the hot cakes really aren’t moving.


And another thing


This is the first Buffy episode by the great Jane Espenson, who would go on to write some of the best and funniest episodes of Buffy as well as write/produce for Battlestar Galactica, Caprica and the new incarnation of Torchwood.


How many stakes?


I like Candy. 4.5 (out of 5)