Ready Randy? Ready Joan!

Episode 6.8: Tabula Rasa. Original Airdate 11.13.01

"Willow tries to solve too many problems with magic, accidentally making herself and the others forget who they are just as a demon loan shark and his boys come looking to collect a debt from Spike."

**A Note: Zelda and I do the NYT Crossword every day, because nerds, and yesterday we discovered that there was a clue/answer that was Tabula Rasa and we both thought that was a cool awesome coincidence, also because nerds.

Zelda's Thoughts:

• I'd like to first apologize for some of my remarks in our recent posts. It's been brought to my attention that I was speaking in ignorance regarding Buffy's depression and the ebbs and flows of lows and highs that accompany it. I want to apologize if I have hurt or offended anyone with my disrespect. If I have anything further to add, I'd theorize that SMG thought Buffy might be working through it faster than the wrters intended (see: end of Gone), and this would account for a tonal inconsistency. Anyway, thanks for putting up with me. Now let's get our amnesia on!
• YAY TABULA RASA. IT'S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE. At least in terms of depressingness.
• "With the rising music and the rising ... music." Spike made a penis joke.
• Ugh. This shark. He's sooooooooooo badly acted, and the makeup is goofy. The only reason I'm okay with the shark is I consider it a shoutout to Restless: A shark. With feet, and much less fins.
• Buffy's rolling her eyes at this stupid shark. I'm right there with you, Buffy.
• Spike runs away. Why don't the vampires chase him? This whole plot is so dumb. It's lucky I love the rest of the episode.
• "What? I'm just saying what everyone's thinking." In case we were in doubt about Anya being the new Cordy.
• I'm glad they're not brushing off Buffy's confession as nothing.
• "We didn't wreck. We didn't know" // "We didn't wanna know. We were so selfish. I was so selfish." See, and at this moment it seems like Willow is actually taking responsibility for her actions. But no, it's self-pity. And she knows how to fix feeling bad about herself. It's called enspelling everything and everyone. STOP IT, WILLOW.
• "Do you think I'm stupid? I know you used that spell on me." // "Tara, I didn't mean to -" // "To what? Violate my mind like that? How could you, Willow? How could you, after what Glory did to me?"
• And the way Willow recoils at the word violate, it's the same as Andrew and Jonathan will, when Katrina calls them out on their intended rape in Dead Things. All three of these people, taking the action and not recognizing what it is, not willing to acknowledge they're as awful as what that word means they are. (Warren, on the other hand, he knew what it was he was doing, that fuckface)
• "If you don't want to fight, you don't fight. You don't use magic to make a fight disappear."
• Tara is being so mature in this fight. Pointing out what Willow's doing but not in an attacking manner. Trying to make Willow aware of the full violation and implication of her careless actions, and sticking up for herself. And Willow's still in denial that what she's doing is hurting others, is an abuse.
• "I will go a month without doing any magic. I won't do a single spell, I swear." // "Go a week. One week without magic." // "Fine. Fine, that's easy." Next day: Willow uses magic with no sign of guilt or awareness.
• "Are you saying you're gonna leave me?" Cut to Giles: "I have to." Me: "Noooooooooooooooooooooo!"
• Oh Tara. Your hair is tragic today and I don't know why.
• Goddammit Willow. Look at your life, look at your choices.
• YOU'RE TRYING TO WIPE BUFFY'S MEMORY. Do you really think no one else would notice? It's not like she's targeting anyone else's memory that Buffy was in heaven. This is such a poorly thought-out plan.
• More evidence that that damn shark is a callback to Restless - Spike is wearing the same suit he wore in Xander's dream.
• Why are they saying "jump to the chase"? Isn't it cut to the chase?
• "I know that you guys are just trying to help, but it's just, it's too much." Buffy needs a hug, you guys.
• Oh it's naptime at the OK Corral.
• Wow, they slept all day. It was morning before, and now it's full night.
• Heh, Giles drooled on Anya.
• "I'm afraid we don't know a bloody thing, Except I seem to be British, don't I."
• MORE RESTLESS SHOUTOUT - "Spike's like a son to me" - here we have Rupert Giles's son, Randy Giles.
• "Oh god, how I must hate you." // "What did I do?" // "There's always something."
• I love that Spike wakes up complete with massive daddy issues (even though the real Spike had mommy issues)
• "Made with care for Randy." His look of betrayal is perfect.  

"I knew there was a reason I hated you"

• You know what I love? Everyone gets their relationships wrong - Annya and Giles, Willow and "Alex," but Buffy and Dawn figure out that they're sisters. It's so damn sweet.
• "You never showed me affection like that ... I'd wager."
• The thing is, Spike's not wrong about Giles's car, is he.
• BEST MOMENT IN THE WHOLE SERIES. That scream. All of their faces. I can't, I just can't.
• "They seem to want spikes." Spike's epiphany -

• "Hey! Stay away from Randy!" I love this episode so damn much.
• "Hey, I'm a superhero too!" And Joan the Vampire Slayer runs away.
• Oho that's some sexual tension between Willow and Tara. It'd be sweet if, you know, Willow wasn't entirely reprehensible.
• Oh, in case I squawked in the past, we did just confirm that Sunnydale Airport is not an international airport - he's connecting through LAX to get to Heathrow. Not that solves anything about the One Starbucks Town having an airport.
• "Bara bara himble gemination. AAAAAH"

• "I must be a noble vampire. A good guy. On a mission of redemption. I help the hopeless. I'm a vampire with a soul." // "A vampire with a soul? Oh my god, how lame is that?" YES MAKE FUN OF ANGEL KEEP DOING IT IT GIVES ME LIFE
• Seriously, though, is Anya's book ONLY for summoning bunnies? Why does every spell bring a new bunny? Adorable but seriously what kind of useless book is that, and why would Anya ever permit it in her shop?
• I love how done with Randy's noble musings Joan is.
• "What capital? I never know what you're talking about. Loo, shag, brolly, what the hell is all that?" // "What? There's no way that you could remember me saying any of those words." Have I mentioned lately how much I love this episode?
• Now Giles is dueling with a skeleton.

This is amazing

• "And I feel compelled to take some vengeance on you."

This is basically Daniel and me.

• Oh god, Buffy's face as the spell lifts. As she suddenly remembers everything. It hurts.
• And Tara's face, as she remembers everything. And looks at Willow. Who doesn't even say anything.
• And Dawn's face. She knows too, what Willow did.
• This is the genius of this episode. It's so damn fun, but then it punches you right in the gut. Because it's awful, what Willow did. And it fixed nothing. It made the pain all the worse, for the brief absence.
• Go away, stupid loan shark. Nobody likes you.
• This sequence right here, is responsible for my owning a Michelle Branch CD. Hey kids, remember CDs?
• This sequence is amazing though. And the song over it. It's all so heartbreaking.
• "Feels like I'm starting all over again, the last three years were just pretend."
• Yeah, Willow, you sit there and cry. You still don't fully realize how this is explicitly your fault. At least not enough to stop the path you're on.
• Everyone's in so much pain. Giles. Buffy. Tara, Willow. Dawn. Buffy. Buffy. Buffy.
• "You were the one I loved, the one thing that I tried to hold onto."
• "And it hurts to want everything and nothing at the same time." Good song, y'all.
• Man, the Spuffy chemistry is so good.

Daniel Thoughts:

• Great follow-up episode!
• There’s Buffy with her giant sweater in sout- Oh, you’ve heard me complain about this enough.
• Damn Californians.
• And here we have the worst looking demon in the history of Buffy.  And the worst pun….a loan shark. Get it?  GEDDIT?  Seriously, it looks terrible.  He’s got gills. How can he…oh never mind.
• Shark Demon’s job offer for debt collecting?  Buffy might want to consider that….Might be better than being a fast food worker. [Legit. - Z]
• “If I were to stop saving his life, it would simple things up so much.”  Yep.
• Anya & everyone discussing the aftermath of OMWF.
• “Who doesn’t look good with a harp?”
• I like that Tara talks about the million heavenly dimensions similar to what we already know about hell dimensions.  Though I feel like Anya should know about that.
• And Xander’s argument  that he’s just happy that his best friend is back is also valid. Selfish, but valid.
• And the memory spell confrontation.  It’s sad to see them fighting but Tara has every right to be angry.  It’s good she brings up Glory because that’s important.  Tara’s mind has been violated before.
• Willow: “I need you, baby.”  I like her pleading but the use of the word ‘baby’ feels false.
• Don’t go Giles! Season six needs you!!!
• And Willow…geez.  She makes this promise.  She knows how fucking important it is to Tara.  And yet, she’s doing it again.  She can’t even change her clothes without magic.
• Tara and Anya are playing thumb war!  Nice call back to the beginning of season 5 when Tara plays it with Dawn.
• HOW DID THAT HAT PROTECT SPIKE AGAINST THE SUN.  Damn, man. SHENANIGANS.

THIS IS NOT ENOUGH TO PROTECT VAMPS FROM THE SUN.

• Oh look, Willow’s spell went wrong.  Must be Tuesday.
• The fainting is well done.
• I like that Spike falls with a nice pile of books to catch his head.
• It’s night out.  How long have they been out for?
• Giles drooled on Anya!
• And despite the loss of their memories – Buffy immediately feels an instinct to protect Dawn.
• Xander goes all “hey” to Willow, like it’s season 3 or something.
• Magic is all balderdash and chicanery!
• “I seem to be British.”
• “You Englishmen are always so...  Bloody hell!  Sodding, blimey, shagging, knickers, bollocks, oh God! I'm English!”
• “There is a ruggedly handsome resemblance.” – Anya & Giles!  I SHIP THIS SO MUCH!
• Willow, funny name!
• Umad!
• Randy Giles!  Horny Giles! Desperate for a shag Giles!
• Anya mispronounces her name! I love it! I love it so.
• Joan the vampire slayer!  Joan!
• Spike: “Vampires!”
• “Blood suckers.  They kill by sucking blood. Take it easy, Joan!”
• “Stay away from Randy!”
• “I’m like a superhero or something!”  SMG is so cute.
• “Ready Randy? Ready Joan!”
• THERE ARE JUST SO MANY GOOD LINES IN THIS EPISODE. ALL I'M DOING IS QUOTING.
• Giles & Spikes awkward father/son hug.
• “Hey! I’m a superhero too!”
• I’m actually surprised Spike didn’t feel the need to feed on anyone before he discovered he was a vampire.
• Oh hey...How’d they know where the sewers were?  You know, without memory and all?
• Aww “Alexander” is unaware of the looks his “girlfriend” is exchanging with Tara.
• The Anya/Giles banter is amazing.
• And a bunny! Oh no!  Anya still has her bunny fear!
• “I help the helpless.”  And Spike describes the plot of Angel.

• "Bugger off you brolly!"
• Sword fighting a skeleton!  CGI at its best!
• “And I feel compelled to take some vengeance on you!”
• “Rupee” Heh.
• OMG, the Giles/Anya kiss that I ship so much! 

*swoon*

• And now…Tara better leave.  Because she’s just realized that this has turned completely and totally abusive.
• Where is Tara moving to, I wonder? Dorms, I guess.
• Giles on a plane :(  Don’t go, Giles! DON’T GO!
• "Goooodbbbyyyyeeee toooo youuuuuuuu."
• Dawn being mad at Tara for leaving is lame but understandable.
• Ugh. Buffy/Spike make-out.  Again.  Ick.

Favorite Lines: (We get two this ep because it's amazing)

Zelda: 1. "Randy Giles? Why not just call me Horny Giles, or Desperate For a Shag Giles? I knew there was a reason I hated you." - Spike (plus every single time he needles Giles for supposed fatherly neglect)
2. "Oh bugger off, you brolly." - Anya
Daniel: 1. "Bloodsuckers. They kill by sucking blood. Take it easy, Joan" - Anya
2. “You Englishmen are always so...  Bloody hell!  Sodding, blimey, shagging, knickers, bollocks, oh God! I'm English!” - Spike

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• Recurring: kittens as currency, Tara, Giles, Willow abusing magic, Anya's fear of bunnies
• Callbacks to Restless: a shark with feet and much less fins, Spike's suit, Spike's being like a son to Giles
• Callback to Doppelgangland "I think I'm kinda gay."

Stats:

Anya's Hair - soft, wavy curls, honey-colored
Dead Humans - 0
Dead Undeads - 6
Dead Flashbacks - 0
Giles Unconscious - 1
Xander Unconscious - 2
Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0
Buffy Breaks a Door - 0
Buffy Breaks a Mailbox - 1
Evil Reveal - 0
Unevil Reveal - 0
Shenanigans Called - 1
Apocalypse Called - 0

I Think This Line's Mostly Filler

Episode 6.7: Once More, With Feeling. Original Airdate 11.6.01

"Sunnydale is alive with the sound of music as a mysterious force causes everyone in town to burst into full musical numbers, revealing their innermost secrets as they do. But some townsfolk are dancing so much that they simply burst into flames, and it becomes clear that maybe living in a musical isn't so great after all."

Daniel's Thoughts:

• I love this opening.  It’s so old school musically.  Which Joss is a big fan of.
• Emma’s face in the moon.
• Oh, it’s so well directed!
• Guest starring Hinton Battle!
• Anya & Xander reading “tomorrow’s Bride” with an incredibly hideous Bridal gown on the cover.
• The fights!  With the choreography!  It’s just so! So West Side Story!
• Dancing Vamps! 
• “How can I repay-“ “Whatever!” 
• What a beautiful opening number!
• “That’s still funny, sweetie,”  Anya’s a good girlfriend.
• I love all the talk when they realize: Anya: "And we were arguing and, and then everything rhymed and there were harmonies and the dance with coconuts."
• Xander.  Why are you theorizing?  HE KNOWS.  Yet, he blames it on witches. "It was very disturbing," he says.
• IT COULD BE BUNNIES!  I love that the stage directions say, “Like Alanis Morissette.”
• And Anya’s shirt btw?  Amazing cut.

Gives her flexibility to rock!

• Buffy: It doesn’t matter because we will all solve it together!  That’s how we work!  Remember Glory? Her, apparently, either.
• Hey I’ve died twice!
• OMG Giles’ harmonizing is so awesome.  He has such a great voice.
• Hugs & Puppies!
• David Fury! They got the mustard out! 
• “I gave birth to a pterodactyl” “Oh my God, did it sing?”
• Not subtle, ladies. “The volumey-text”.  *eye roll*
• Hey look, a real park! Location!
• What are Tara & Willow wearing?  They’re like weird medieval fair geekiness.

Which way to the medieval fair, m'lady?

• “I know what they see in me.  You.” Aww.
• Under Your Spell is a sweet song that really shows off Tara’s head voice.  She’s not the greatest singer in the world but they really knew how to write for her.
• Love the random dancers in the background.  Cause see? They're extras, so they're dancing in the background.  You don't see Willow & Tara dancing behind other people.
• You make me commmmplete.  Subtle writers, subtle.  And ‘spread beneath my Willow tree?'  Yeah.
• Also that that made it past the censors.  Go UPN.
• “I think it’s romantic.” “No it’s not.”  What?  Why not?  Is it because they’re both women? Shut up Buffy & Xander. (I assumed they meant it wasn't romantic, people uncontrollably singing, based on Dawn's next line, but you're right, the context makes it ambiguous. Kind of like Black Widow's line about monsters in Age of Ultron - Z)
• I mean, the guy burning up?  That’s actually pretty scary.
• Anya’s hair, also.  The 1940s ‘do is amazing. And another Anya outfit win.

And I like Xander's PJs. Total win for the costume designer here.

• Xander/Anya duet.  So well written.  I love the 40s wackiness of it.  The He Said/She Said of it.
• “She eats these skeezy cheeses that I can’t describe.”
• LOOK AT ME! I’M DANCING CRAZY!

• He’s so stiff when he dances.  Fred Astaire, he is not.  The choreography is wonderful.
• They’ve really captured an amazing moment in time with this scene.
• Xander's apartment looks even more like a set with the camera angles.
• “When I get so worn and wrinkly that I look like David Brinkley.”
• Hey a real street!  They really went on location for this one!
• “Clearly our number is a retro pastiche….”  Well you did have your break away hit with the Bunnies part, earlier. 
• Marti Noxon has a good voice!  We don’t get to hear the ending of this song, “hey I’m not wearing underwear.”  (It’s very light.)
• And the sweeping guy!
• “We pulled her out of a hell dimension.” NO YOU DIDN’T.
• Anya patting Giles. Amazing.
• Buffy has learned from her past drinking.
• “What else would I want to pump you for.  I really just said that didn’t, I?” Ha.  Foreshadowing L
• Spike’s face, when he realizes he’s singing.  So good.
• James has got a pretty awesome voice, too.
• SHENANIGANS!  Why is there a funeral at night?  I mean first of all.  Funerals don’t happen at night.  Second of all, this is Sunnydale.  Why would they go to a graveyard at night when it’s Sunnydale? (Because MUSICAL. - Z)
• Dawn's right: Math always seems better when you’re singing about it.
• Aww.  When Tara realize that Willow brain-raped her. (And a lot of people would argue, actual rape too…since Willow took away Tara’s ability to consent to the sex the night before – in the last episode.)
• The ballet Dawn and the dummies do is really graceful and powerful.
• Also, creepy dummies.  They give Buffy the wig.  Or maybe she got over that because of Sid.
• Hinton Battle!  His make-up is awesome.
• Oh man. I really want Joss Whedon to write a Broadway musical.
• “I’m just worried this whole session’s going to turn into an 80s training montage”.  If only!
• So glad that Anthony Head didn’t leave before this episode aired.  He’s so amazing in it.   And such a beautiful voice. 
• Buffy’s stunt double is an amazing athlete.
• Sarah’s a pretty good athlete, herself.  Her double might have to do a lot of work, but she still has to know how to punch and look like she knows what she’s doing.
• I just realized….Tara’s shirt.  It looks like the one where she gets…spoilered.
• And this duet.  Tara & Giles sound beautiful together.  It’s so sad.  They both realize what they have to do.  She sings a lot in her head voice, but I like her natural chest voice better.
• The dummy sounds like Christian Slater.
• “I’ve seen these underworld childbride deals.  They never end well.  Maybe once.”  Heh.
• “Would you say it’s a breakaway pop hit or more of a book number?”
• And I think this is my favorite song, "Walk Through the Fire".  And there really are so many amazing ones to choose one.  I love all of them.  But this one.  The melody; the message; the solo and the group parts.  Each line captures everyone’s personality.
• “So I will walk through the fire cause where else can I turn?”
• “I’m free if that bitch dies…I better help her out.”
• “Beady eyes is right, we’re needed!”
• And the imagery!
• Every time a fire truck passes me (and it’s NYC so it’s often) – I start singing the end of this song. But not too loud, because, ya know, singing “let it burrrrrn” when a fire truck passes might be considered in some circles as insensitive.

• “I think this line’s mostly filler.”
• She needs back up! Anya! Tara!
• The Bronze is looking extra special!
• This song has a lot of verses….and it’s basically saying the same thing.  It’s a tad repetitive.  But here it is.  What she finally wants to tell everybody but could only do so in song.
• And everyone’s faces when they realize that Buffy was not in a hell dimension…but safe in heaven.
• And Buffy’s manic dance.  She’s so good.
• And Spike to the rescue…ugh.  Couldn’t Giles catch her and stop her from burning up?
• Ugh.  And this reveal, which Z and I are categorizing as an evil reveal, just feels like lazy writing.  Especially since it makes Xander a murderer.  Indirectly, sure, but his spell caused the death of at least one human that we know of which they don’t acknowledge.
• Anya’s face when Xander says, “does this mean I have to be your queen.” Heh.
• And I don’t know why Sweet didn’t go for it.  Would have saved a lot of misery.
• The hand in hand choreography in “where do we go from here” is awesome.
• And Spike’s the first one to have the spell wear off.
• “Get your kumba-ya-yas out.”
• Ugh.  Their first real kiss.  Spike & Buffy.  Kill me.

Danger, Will Robinson!

Zelda's Thoughts:

• OMG IT'S HERE IT'S HERE IT'S HERE IT'S ONCE MORE WITH FEELING
• LOOK AT THE HAPPY OPTIMISTIC CREDITS
• DOOM APPROACHES
• BUT THE DOOM SINGS AND DANCES
• I LOVE THIS
• I LOVE THIS
• Why would Buffy's alarm go off at 7 if she has no job to get to? Or is it just to see Dawn off? Okay, let's go with that.
• And see, Buffy's been apparently doing better, but she's back to apathy this episode. It's inconsistent and it bugs me. They all knew it was leading up to this ep, they should have planned better.
• SINGING TIME. SINGING TIME.
• "She ain't got that swing" DOUBLE MEANING, DO YOU GET IT?
• This is my favorite choreography:

• I love that Buffy's I-want song is about how she doesn't have any wants.
• Tara's pretty corset! Yay pretty corset. Willow's dress is dullish.
• "Merciful Zeus!" // "We thought it was just us!"
• "Well, I sang, but I had my guitar at the hotel ... that would explain the huge backing orchestra I couldn't see and the synchronized dancing from the room service chaps." // "And we were arguing and then everything rhymed and there were harmonies and the dance with coconuts." // "There was an entire verse about the cous-cous."
• Aw man, Giles's first theory was so right.

• And it's a cool subtle move - Buffy's "theory" is that it doesn't matter. The rest of the Scoobies (except Giles) takes it as an empowering speech that they can conquer anything. Giles sees that it's actually Buffy not really caring what caused it or why it's happening.
• YEAH GILES YOU SING THAT DESCANT. YOU DO YOU.
• The Mustard Song. So absurd. So wonderful. And hi, David Fury!
• "It's not just us."
• "I'm a hair's breath from investigating puppies."
• OMG NOT the parking lot! This calls for a shot!
• Tara's so beautiful in this scene. And her voice soooooooooo pretty. TOO BAD HER HAPPINESS IS BASED ON A LIE. BAD WILLOW, BAD.
• It's sad because Tara thinks she's making a cute joke, "I'm under your spell." But it's literally true, as she realizes in the reprise.
• The dancing's kinda awkward tho, ngl
• And more "Hey, we're on UPN now!" as Tara levitates.
• That's some very fancy footwork. Sorry, tap dancing dude.
• HEY, THAT DEAD GUY? THAT'S XANDER'S FAULT.
• I love this duet!!!!!!!!!!
• It's interesting, bc neither Xander nor Willow can really sing. But Nicky throws himself so fully into the number that it's still delightful.
• Their PJs, so cute.

Best headline is best.

• "This is my verse, hello!" LOVEEEEEEEEEEEE
• Yeah my commentary here is not gonna be helpful. I'm just so happy. When each song starts, I'm like clutching my head in excitement.
• "We could really raise the beam in makin' marriage a hell!" I love that line omg
• Aw hi Marti Noxon! You sing your heart out.
• Witness Arias. *snorts*
• "The sun sets and she appears." mhm
• YAY SPIKE SONG TIME
• And his face "wtf is happening aw goddammit ok FINE I guess I'm gonna sing out my feels let's do this"
• I love this song I love this song. The choreography of it, so good.
• I'd agree with Daniel about his shenanigan of the nighttime funeral, but it's a musical - all sorts of nonsense is happening. Giles had a huge backing orchestra and (something else). In other words,

• Shenanigans! They dig six feet deep for graves, right? James Marsters is NOT six feet, and yet he's able to poke his head out easily over the top of the grave.
• Man, I loved Tara's corset, but this yellow shirt is just super not flattering.
• Oh man, Tara's face when she realizes. I have my issues with Amber, but she is GOOD this episode. This episode is why it took me a while to recognize her weaknesses as an actor.
• Dawn's song sucked (deliberately so, and it was a fun little undermine to abduct her mid-song), but the dance is pretty delightful, a heightening even on the violence that is already heightened above reality in general on this show.
• Fun trivia: The three Dummy Henchmen were the same three demons Buffy battled in her first song, and the three dancing with brooms during Giles's walk-and-talk with Xander and Anya.
• YEAH HINTON BATTLE.

• This is the first scene I ever saw of Buffy ever. Excellent start. Hinton Battle is incredible in this song, and I love that they hired someone who could REALLY do song and dance so we could have a real number written for someone with the full skill set.
• Plus we get more of Dawn dancing.
• "I can bring whole cities to ruin, and still have time to get a soft shoe in." Love it.
• AW IT'S TIME FOR GILES TO BE SAD AND SING HE'S SO GOOD BUT THIS SONG IS SO UPSETTING
• ugh, what would this season have been if Tony Head didn't want to move back home? It doesn't fully make sense to me that Giles thinks the actual best thing for Buffy is for him to leave. Most people at Buffy's age are still semi-dependent on their parents, at least if they're still in college. He thinks he's standing in the way of her growing up, because he thinks she's just not dealing because she's not ready to grow up. It's actually about her depression. If he knew that, would he have stayed? Been her support as she worked through it until she came out the other side? God, poor Buffy. Things are about to get so much harder.
• The camera work in this episode, it just makes sets we know, like Xander's apartment or the Magic Box, look huge and beautiful, rich with color and depth.
• "Wish I could lay your arms down, and let you rest at last. Wish I could slay your demons, but now that time has passed."
• GILES AND TARA ARE SINGING TOGETHER EVERYONE SHUT UP IT'S SO PRETTY
• "Wish I could stay." it's okay, I didn't need to be happy
• Buffy's face. Realizing she no longer has Giles backing her up. All she has is herself, and she doesn't even feel herself. She feels hollow. She'll save Dawn, because it's Tuesday, but she doesn't have much of an opinion on it. It's her duty, but that's all it is.
• IT'S WALK THROUGH THE FIRE TIME
• This, guys. When this song happened, the first time I watched. My mouth was hanging open. I couldn't deal with how good it was. How much it was what I love about musicals. How much I suddenly cared about a character I didn't know. Because I didn't know who any of these people were.
• Also hello to the beginning of my crush on Spike:

That's it, that's the moment.

• "Some people-""She will never learn." I DON'T KNOW WHY I LOVE THAT MOMENT SO MUCH BUT I DO I DO IT'S MINE TO KEEP YOU CAN'T HAVE IT.
• "One by one, they turn from me. I guess my friends can't face the cold." Buffy feels more and more isolated. Maybe that's even the reason she tells them (aside from the power of the spell) - maybe if she lets them in, tell the truth, they won't turn from her. If they know why she feels empty, maybe they'll stop demanding from her and start supporting her. Oops, that didn't work.
• AND WE ARE CAUGHT IN THE FIRE. THE POINT OF NO RETURN. SO WE WILL WALK THROUGH THE FIRE AND LET IT BURN. LET IT BURN. LET IT BUUUUUUUUUUUUURN.
• "What if I kill you?" // "Trust me, won't help."
• "She needs back up. Anya, Tara." IT'S SO CUTE. GO SING BACKUP, LADIES.
• It's such a profound and sad request Buffy makes - here in this world where everyone's singing, she has nothing to sing about. "Where there's life, there's hope. Every day's a gift. Wishes can come true. Whistle while you work so hard all day." - just platitudes - she can say them but she doesn't believe them.
• And here it is. "There was no pain."
• "I live in Hell, 'cause I've been expelled from Heaven."
• Buffy's so sad. Willow's breaking down. It's all out there now. And nothing's been fixed. So Buffy will keep dancing until she reaches oblivion again.
• "Life isn't bliss, Life is just this - it's living." It's not much of a hopeful comfort Spike offers, but it is a pragmatic one - it's not always a joyful life, but you keep going anyway. It's the only way to heal.
• Ugh this is such a weird cop out, to have Xander as the summoner of Sweet. I hate it. Because Xander WOULD have spoken up. Yes, he's done bad spell stuff in the past, but he came clean pretty quickly when things went wrong. The way he played dumb earlier when people are dying? Fucking bullshit. I think it's lazy writing. There are plenty of reasons to dislike Xander (I refer you to Daniel to elaborate),[He's the worst! - Britta] but this one feels cheap because it feels out of character - not the spell, but the lying about it until the end.
• "The battle's done and we kind of won, so we sound our victory cheer: Where do we go from here?" - Giles's delivery is absolutely amazing, and the line itself - "kind of won" - I just love it.
• OTHER FAVORITE CHOREOGRAPHY MOMENT.

• I love it too, as far as what it means. They hold hands, they think they're connected, but this season is all about isolation, about them separating into their various pains. They walk alone in fear.
• Spike invoked The Music Man. My kinda man.
• "This isn't real, but I just wanna feel." Much like Spike, I missed the nuance of that line the first time, when I was deep in my shippingness.
• ALSO LOOK THEY'RE KISSING LOOK AT MY SPUFFY
• ...I have issues

Crossfire!

Hey, did you guys know there's a bunch of karaoke tracks on the dvd? We may have done all of them just now.

Favorite Dialogue Lines:

Daniel: "I've seen some of these underworld child bride deals and, and they never end well. Maybe once." - Anya

Zelda: "It was like we were being watched, like there was a wall missing in our apartment. Like there were only three walls and not a fourth wall and MY TOES ARE NOT HAIRY." - Anya

Favorite Musical Lines:

Daniel: "I hope she fries. I'm free if that bitch dies! I better help her out." - Spike

Zelda: "If my heart could beat, it would break my chest." - Spike

Favorite Song:

Daniel & Zelda:

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• Recurring: Giles, Tara, Anya's fear of bunnies, Dawn's kleptomania
• Willow's theory is a callback to Season One's Nightmares
• Callback to Xander's funny syphilis.
• Tara's wearing the lethe's bramble that Willow used to wipe her memory because this show is super fucked up sometimes.
• Tara now knows Willow's been messing with her memories
• Buffy finally admits she was pulled out of Heaven, not Hell

Stats:

Anya's Hair - honey-colored, messy in a ponytail before it's magically transformed into MGM musical curls

Dead Humans - 1

Dead Undeads - 3

Dead Flashbacks - 0

Giles Unconscious - 0

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0

Buffy Breaks a Door - 1

Evil Reveal - 1 (Xander for summoning Sweet)

Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called - 2

Apocalypse Called - 0

Dance of Capitalist Superiority

Episode 6.6: All the Way. Original Airdate 10.30.01  

"Dawn lies to Buffy and goes out with a boy on Halloween, but when the boy turns out to be a vampire ignoring the Halloween-no-killing rule, Buffy and the guys must save her...again."

Zelda's Thoughts:

• I keep forgetting this episode exists.
• "This is a special kind of Angel called a Charlie."
• TINY BABY WITCH. Daniel thinks she looks like me. I don't know how to feel about that.

Baby Zelda!

• Seriously, though, the little curls in Spike's hair have been great this season. Shut up, stop judging me.
• Buffy's brain going all dirty with Spike innuendosssssssss ... foreshadowing too?
• "So much easier to talk to when he wanted to kill me."
• Giles is dressed as a wizard. But I miss his wizard hat.

Buffy hid it.  

• "If anything calamitous should happen, history suggests it'll happen to one of us." Now THAT is the kind of meta I can get behind. I love it so hard.
• No wonder this guy tricks us into thinking he's evil. He's whistling "Pop Goes the Weasel" over and over. That's right up there with ironing your jeans.
• "Store go boom." 
• "All I can say is, I hope we make as much tomorrow." 
• Anya with the money, doing a happy dance. So cute. I want to be friends with her and dance with the money.

• Why are they not reacting happily to the engagement? What kind of shitty friends are they? Anya's awesome. 

• Giles and Tara are both worried about how easily Willow resorts to magic when she doesn't have to. See, this - the arc of Willow and her magic addiction, which is about control/power - this is well constructed, building slowly. The arc makes sense (even if the metaphor is wonky) and doesn't have weird back and forth jumps, like Buffy's depression does.
• Because for the past two episodes Buffy seems like she's doing better. She doesn't seem numb. And then she spirals back down once she reveals she was in Heaven, and it's all with the self-loathing and punishment and Spike sex and ... I don't know, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me, linear-arc-wise.
• It's Amber Tamblyn! Daughter of Russ Tamblyn, aka this guy!

This is for you, Harley!

• Parking lot! Do a shot!
• This is actually pretty realistic, in terms of how stupid-boy the guys are being with their pranks. HAR HAR HAR WE LET THE AIR OUT ON THE TIRES OF YOUR MINIVAN.
• Why would Xander and Anya want a house? He has a magical apartment that invents rooms at a moment's notice.
• Hey, remember The Unusuals? Starring Amber Tamblyn and Harold Perrineau and my ex-boyfriend Jeremy Renner? I liked that show. [Me too, -D]
• That's a weird-ass pumpkin tho
• "Don't make me go kung fu on you, man." YOU ARE SO WHITE.
• Oh see, Creepy Old Man invited them in. Vampires welcome.
• "Who wants to help Daddy in the kitchen? How about you, Sally?" Seriously, he may not be a vampire or a pedo, but he's still unnerving as hell.
• Gasp Justin's a vampire.
• "So I was thinking maybe a June wedding, and then I remembered the season's usually over in May." That's ... what she said, right?
• "Rupert is an exceptionally strong name." Anya's reaction is the best.

• Dawn looks really pretty this episode. Too bad I'm pretty bored by this ep
• Um Justin. That's not where your heart is. You're a bad vampire.
• These kids are out late. I remember getting my trick or treating done relatively early.
• Aw Giles is getting the parent call about Dawn's whereabouts.
• Aw Tara's not joining in the dancing. Because she's still feeling awkward about the magics? Or because of Willow's heinous fashion choice?
• Behold our UPN-ness! Another Willow/Tara kiss.
• Oh, Tara's stuttering returns, as she tries to talk Willow out of abusing magic.
• Wow, Willow really does get mean when her use of magic is challenged. First when she threatened Giles, and then when she tells Tara coldly to keep her mouth shut.
• Heh, I'm gonna take Justin's vamping while kissing Dawn as a callback to Angel vamping after making out with Buffy. [It seems like the vamp equivalent of a har- err...never mind. - D]
• "Mist, cemetery, Halloween, should end well. *trips and falls over*" Yep, Giles and I are basically the same.
• "Like you weren't asking for it." // "I feel certain she wasn't." Go Giles you're the best PLEASE DON'T LEAVE US AGAIN.
• I'm not ready for the end of Tabula Rasa.
• "You're not like other girls. You're different." Man, these are such cliche lines.
• SuperGiles to the rescue of teenage girls everywhere.
• WTF is this circle the gathering place of random vampires who decided not to take the night off after all.
• "I didn't know he was dead." // "Living dead." // "Shut up."
• "We're rebels" // "No, I'm the rebel. You're an idiot"
• Buffy says goodbye to Spike with a "Good fight" - they're friendly now, which I guess is a good lead in to where we're going, even if the sexual relationship is based in self-degradation maaaaaaaaaaaan why is my Spuffy doomed to be so fucked up.
• Willow, know your audience. Don't joke about fixing her fight with a spell.
• ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU IMMEDIATELY FIX YOUR FIGHT WITH A SPELL.
• Seriously, this is so messed up. Tara's had her brain turned to mush only a few months ago, and Willow thinks she has the right to do this. To just wipe Tara's memory of the fight, so that Willow can have it easier. So that she's not being called out on what she's doing. BY DOING EXACTLY WHAT SHE WAS BEING CALLED OUT FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE.
• It's just all kinds of messed up. It's awful. Bad Willow, Bad. You deserve what's coming to you in Tabula Rasa. Poor Tara.

Daniel's Thoughts:

Thanks Lucas for the gif!

• Halloween!
• Anya has the  best hair in this episode.  Also, she’s a great roller skater!
• Kid wearing a plastic fireman outfit:  “You’re not a real pirate” /irony
• TINY KID WITCH IS SO CUTE AND I AM IMAGING THAT IS HOW LITTLE ZELDA LOOKED.
• Looping reference from last episode.
• Ugh, the gratuitous flirting.
• Lots of continuity in this episode.  References to the last two Halloween episodes.
• Creepy old man’s house looks like the Summers’ house but only on the outside.
• Anya is so excited about being successful!
• The Dance of capitalist superiority! 

• Yay!  Xander finally has balls and tells everyone about getting married.
• Shut up, Willow.  Be happy, for them.
• Wow, impromptu engagement party!
• “Can I try it on?” “Absolutely not”
• Eh, I don’t really understand why Tara’s so up in arms about Willow using magic for lame things.
• Dawn walks weird. 
• Amber Tamblyn!!!  I first knew Amber as Emily Quartermaine on General Hospital.  Also, daughter of Russ Tamblyn of West Side Story and Twin Peaks fame.
• HS Jock is pretty hot.  And I can say that because he’s like 30.
• I know it’s lame and obvious, but I kinda like the “All the way” metaphor.
• It’s nice that Giles is being supportive about Xander/Anya marriage.  But also giving him things to think about.
• I also like the unevil reveal/evil reveal of this episode.
• I mean this guy is painted as a really crazy and possibly evil but really…just a sad old crazy man.  And who knows? He might have been eventually dangerous.  But we’ll never know.
• Ugh. I’d hate to be a teenager for the rest of my life.
• “So, I'm thinking maybe a June wedding, but then I remembered that they always have the highest percentage of calls for vengeance..."
• And oh god…Xander’s face is just the worst.
• Anya’s reaction to Giles' suggestion to Rupert as a child's name:

• “How often does the universe allow that to happen?” Foreshadowing, Anya. ;(
• Xander is being the worst.  Stop thinking about the bad.  This is a good thing.  You love her, Xander.  Stop being a man.  At least Buffy is encouraging.
• Dude.  Justin. She’s 15.
• The “We’re staying at someone else’s house”.  Xander and Willow did that in a season 1 or 2 episode.  Essentially, when they were Dawn’s age.
• Aww, Dawn.  I remember my first time sitting in a parked car….  Err…  I was a little older than Dawn, though.
• I mean how do you even consider turning someone after one date?  So he’s a creepy vamp, but at least this guy is better at commitment than Xander.
• Hey the bronze!  I feel like we haven’t been here in a while.
• “I’m just gonna shift everyone who isn’t a 15 year old girl into an alternate dimension.”  Ok, now I see why Tara is worried.
• Why is Giles patrolling without a weapon??
• Go Giles! He  doesn’t need a weapon.  He’s got his fists!  And…a convenient tree branch.
• “Were you parking with a vamp?” “I didn’t know he was dead.”
• “How could you not know?” Umm, Buffy… really?  Angel much?
• Giles will take care of the girl vamps.
• Wow, this one guy is tougher than usual vamps.  I’m loving this extended vamp fight scene.
• “Where do I order obscenely muscular male strippers?”
• A great thing about this episode is how amazingly it sets up Once More with Feeling.
• I just…Dawn.  She’s acting like a teenager.  Which is what she is.  And everyone keeps being surprised when she does.  And she’s a teenager that lives in Sunnydale.  She needs to be prepared for more than just potential date rapists.  And that’s enough for any teenage girl to be worried about but she also has to worry about vampires draining her blood and demons tearing her apart.  Buffy may not want her to be a Scooby, but just by being there, Dawn faces the same dangers as all of them.

Crossfire!

Justin: Be still, my heart. 

Zelda: That's not where your heart is.

Daniel: He's forgiven because he has really high cheekbones.

Zelda: Really? I think he looks like a weird rubber alien. Benedict Cumberface meets Matt Smith.

Favorite Lines:

Zelda: 

Daniel: "Where do I order extremely muscular male strippers?" - Anya

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

Recurring: Giles, Tara, Dawn's kleptomania, Giles wearing a wizard costume, Willow over-using magic, Anya's adoration of money 

Foreshadowing: Xander's eyepatch

Xander and Anya finally reveal their engagement.

Dawn's and Janice's subterfuge about the sleepover is a callback to what Willow, Xander, and Buffy used to do on late research nights.

Willow wipes Tara's memory of the fight with lethe's bramble

Stats:

Anya's Hair -

Dead Humans - 1

Dead Undeads - 7

Dead Flashbacks - 0

Giles Unconscious - 0

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 1

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Evil Reveal - 2

Unevil Reveal - 1

Shenanigans Called - 0

Apocalypse Called - 0