Theory #5: Cat Burgers

Episode 6.12: Doublemeat Palace. Original airdate: 1.29.02 




"When Buffy gets a job at the Doublemeat Palace, a local fast-food restaurant, she begins to believe that disappearing co-workers and the secret ingredient to the restaurant's hamburger may be connected."

Zelda's Thoughts:

• omg you guys we're back! I can't believe it's been over two months.
• Ugh. Daniel, why do you like this episode? It's weird and dumb.
• Bless Anya, once again celebrating compensation for the work you do. Even if it's demoning or working in food service.
• And then Xander and Willow are just awful to her. Again. I'm solidly jumping with Daniel onto Team Anya in this scene.
• Aw poor Buffy. Orange stripes is not her color. Though her haircut still looks cute.

• Time to renew my anger that the Council doesn't pay Buffy some kind of stipend.
• Also time to renew my anger that Willow continues to not contribute to the expenses of the Summers household. To say nothing of dirtbag Hank Summers.
• "I'm Manny the Manager. It's not a joke. It's just my name."
• I mean the episode works in terms of metaphorizing a life experience, so in that respect I guess it's old school BTVS. But I still hate it.
• Pretty sure Manny the Manager's glasses are non-prescription. Does that make him the original hipster?
• Good casting with Manny the Manager, I must say. He's sufficiently creepy and blah.
• EVIL OLD LADY ALERT. EVIL OLD LADY ALERT.
• Music is good, for giving this sense of Buffy being hypnotized into fast food peon stupor.
• Man. Y'all know I love Spike, but he's pretty obnoxious this episode. "Service me." *slaps Spike* You can be better.
• Are timecards still a thing?
• "But I don't know how to grill." // "Just think - this is the last day you'll ever be able to say that." Manny the Manager is now reminding me of an old boss. Every time they gave me a new task or responsibility (while not giving me anything resembling a raise), he'd say how good this was for my resume and blah blah blah and like dude this is my day job. I'm not looking for a career.
• Wait is this Hallie's first appearance? Why did I feel like we'd seen her before (no no no I'm not nodding at the fact that Kali Rocha also played William's love Cecily)
• Ugh Amy, go away.
• Aw, black-eyed Willow. Stupid Amy.
• Too bad this continues the complete rewrite of how magic used to function on this show before they turned it into a metaphor for drug addiction.
• Aw Buff's meltdown is adorable. "It's people!"
• Aw Manny the Manager is dead.
• The only reason I'm glad we're at this episode is I get to reuse this gag:

Did someone say Dick Demon?

• Ugh this dick demon is particularly gross.
• Yay Willow cut Amy out of her life good plan.
• It's such a weird random twist, that Doublemeat is closeted vegetarian. Well, sort of, it's vegetables rendered in beef fat.
• It's still pretty dumb.
• This episode is dumb.

Daniel's Thoughts:

• Also, I kinda like this episode. It's fun. That's all.
• Xander pretty much says what I’m thinking about Jonathan.  Didn’t he learn his lesson?  It doesn’t make sense.
• “Please continue the story of failure.”
• Hey, Anya got paid for her work. Why can't Buffy?  Ah right, because demons are better than people. Ahem, Watcher's Council.
• Here's a theory: I think if Xander hadn’t befriended Buffy early on, he would have been one of the  nerd trio.
• Buffy looks so cute in her DoubleMeat Palace uniform!
• Whomever made the DMP introductory video must have had a great time.
• Everything everyone is saying is creepy and could be considered supernatural…or be considered just part of working at a fast food restaurant.
• I’m so glad I never worked for a fast food restaurant but I’ve had similar soul-crushing jobs.
• Don’t eat the burger, Buffy!
• I like that she mentions the diner in Anne.  But also, it might have been a better option for her.  Probably better pay/tips, too.
• Aww, Anya talking about her wedding plans.  It’s all so sad, but she doesn’t know what will happen.
• She seems to be working long hours.
• Ugh, Spike. Ugh.
• Just ugh.
• Technically, Buffy probably should have joined the police force….but that would have made for a boring police procedural…which the world didn’t need.
• Poor Gary :(
• “I don’t know how to grill.” “Just think, this is the last day you’ll  ever be able to say that.”  Omg, so creepy.
• Another double-shift. Is she surprised? There was already a double-shift. Because of the morning. And then the night.
• Halfrek!  She and Anya are so cute together.
• Hallie: “You know how it is. Half the time, I never know if I’m maiming the right guy.”
• Poor depressed Buffy; meaningless sex with ugh, Spike.  That’s his name now: Ugh, Spike.
• Don’t let Amy in!  Oh no, Amy.  
• I can’t tell if Amy actually thinks she’s doing a good thing or not.
• Oh man, the shots of churning meat.
• IT’S PEOPLE! (probably not the chicken-y part)
• OMG, Hallie is so awfully wonderful.  She can do so much with the the non-word, "Hmm."
• “It’s incorrect for you to appreciate money so much.”
• Omg, but HALLIE IS SO RIGHT.  Xander doesn’t treat Anya right.  At all.  He’s condescending and awful.
• I like the shape of Dawn’s shirt.  Very skater-girl.
• I like Buffy’s shirt too.  Cute sisters! 
• Of course, as soon as Xander eats a burger he thinks might be people, Z and my lunch arrives.  I’m glad I opted for the Chicken wrap and not the burger.  Oy.
• “It’s not magic; it’s chemistry.  You can tell by how damn slow it is.”
• And Buffy is just carrying Manny’s foot around…
• And another penis monster.
• Very weird make-up on this old-lady. It looks like she’s blind.  The poor actress looks like she can’t see. 

"Am I facing the Camera?"

Favorite Lines:

Zelda: "See, this is why demons are better than people ... When I was a vengeance demon, I caused pain and mayhem, certainly. But I put in a full day's work doing it, and I got compensated appropriately ... But supervillains want reward without labor, to make things come easy. It's wrong. Without labor there can be no payment, and vice versa. The country cannot progress." - Anya

Daniel: 

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• First appearance: Halfrek
• Recurring: Amy
• Shoutout to when Buffy was Anne the Waitress
• Also shoutout to Xander's vast experience in food service jobs
• Shoutout to the fact that Dawn has a friend named Janice

Stats:

Anya's Hair - blonde & straight

Dead Humans - 2

Dead Undeads - 1

Dead Cows and Chickens - NONE

Dead Flashbacks - 0

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Evil Reveal - Wig Lady

Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called - 0

Apocalypse Called - 0