Much Needed Sarcasm

Episode 7.15: Get It Done. Original Airdate 2.18.03

"The Scoobies use a spell to transport Buffy into a shadow world, where she meets the men who created the first slayer. However, in order for her to return home, the gang must find and slay a ferocious demon."

Daniel's Thoughts:

• Yay! Anya!  Anya & Spike talking/complaining about being human.  It’s fun.
• Hey, remember that plot where demons were after Anya on behalf of D’Hoffryn?  The show just remembered.
• Students running and screaming; principal closes the blinds.

• The show justifying why Andrew is still there is just so desperate.  It’s trying to poke fun of itself, but instead it’s just pointing out the ridiculousness of it all.
• Willow trying to lie is hilarious. It's like me, also trying to lie.
• Wow, Buffy explained a lot to Wood but didn’t even tell Willow about him.
• Did Buffy just call Andrew “the brains of the operation?” Really? [Actually, that explains a lot about this season. - Z]
• Aww, Chloe.
• Here comes the speech.  #17?

• “I provide much needed sarcasm..” heh.  But also, stop Anya.  I hate that they gave her that line like she’s not Buffy’s friend. It’s been proven time after time that they are friends.  Also, Anya has provided a shit ton of information and help over the years. Why rehash the same untrue thing over and over again? Is it that it’s easy?  It’s just lazy writing.
• It's also a preview of what's to come in the worst episode ever: Empty Places
• I mean Buffy is really kind of obnoxious this season and I wonder if it has something to do with her depression.  Last season it caused her to be all sad and shit and this season, it’s just kinda making her over it all.  Like, this is what she has to be and do and fuck anyone who isn’t getting in line for it.
• Where…are the potentials during this really noisy fight? Are they even in the house? (I shouldn’t ask…?  They might appear)
• “You missed her everyone sucks but me” speech.
• I love when Anya’s obnoxiousness turns out to be helpful. Especially when someone sasses her about it first.  She is helpful.  She wants to live.
• Since Nikki had this box with the shadow-portal-thingamabob, I wonder if she went through this once upon a time.
• Yeah, that’s what a guy with a soul does, Spike – gains strength off of an article of clothing he stole from a woman he killed.  I see.
• Yep, call that demon a “nancy”, Spike.  The worst thing you can call someone is a fag, so.  (I've been harping a lot lately on 'gay as a joke' lately and it's only because it's everywhere I see.)
• Hey remember that ubervamp that took like 2 episodes and barbed wire to kill?  Well there’s literally thousands now.  How are we gonna get out of this one, Buff?
• This season literally exhausts me.

Zelda's Thoughts: 

• There are now many unnamed Potentials.
• Buffy has a fancy leather bag of Slayer goodies.
• "I like to think of myself more of a 'guest-age.'"
• "You'll have to forgive Andrew. Or not. Your call."
• It is pretty cool seeing a whole battalion of Potentials training.

• "Remind me not to make her crabby." // "Might be better if you did." Beginning of Buffy's thesis this episode that no one's fighting at their full weight at the moment.
• "I'm just the one who beat him off. Repelled him would perhaps be the better phrase." Jokes I Didn't Get in 2003 for 300, Alex.
• Spike and Wood scene uuuugh the acting is so gooooooood the way they're just sizing each other up I love it

• Oh man, Dawn was finally being kind of funny and then Chloe killed herself.
• Sophia (who guestaged with us here on the blog a few times) was just telling me what a bad thing it is to bury a human body in your back yard. You can mess with the water table and all kinds of stuff. Not the best move, Buffy. Did Chloe even get a headstone?
• See, Buffy's speech is cruel and a bit over the top, but she's wrestling with feeling like she needs to push them to be ready, and dealing with her own sense of guilt and inadequacy. She's striking out, which is not good leadership behavior, and she hasn't yet figured out the right way to inspire them to their best. The Spike stuff isn't even ... that accurate anymore? He hasn't been weepy and waily for a while now.
• "Every time instructions get cryptic, someone gets hurt. Usually me."
• "Okay, so far, so creepy." I am being reminded what's good about Xander's dialogue.
• Where's Giles? I feel like Giles really should be here for this. He's gonna be pissed when he's back.
• Oh look, big scary demon.
• "You missed her Everyone Sucks But Me speech." She's ... not wrong.
• I'm too ignorant, but the internet informs me there's all kinds of problematic shit in the portrayal of the Shadow Men, and how "othered" they and the First Slayer have been portrayed.
• Aaaand we have the return of black-eyed Willow. As Daniel just said, "oops."
• It's pretty beyond fucked up that they chained the First Slayer, forced this responsibility on her. The show spends most of its time portraying the Slayer calling as an empowerment, because it literally is a woman having all this extra power, but ... it's fucked that she has no autonomy in being given the responsibility, much less - as we now see - demon essence. A huge component in true empowerment is autonomy and choice, and that's something Buffy - and The First Slayer - and every other Slayer never had. When we get to "Chosen," Buffy says she's giving the Potentials a choice, but she's not - all the Potentials we've met know what they're in for, but the montage shows us plenty who weren't clued in ahead of time. I guess they don't have a choice in being granted the power, but - since there's no longer only One who is "Chosen" - none of them has to carry the responsibility solely on her shoulders. 
• Still - this lack of consent bullshit muddies a lot of what is supposed to be an empowering narrative with Slayer stuff, and Buffy - even after rejecting and managing to repel yet another invasion - still does the same thing to the rest of the girls in the finale.
• Oh look Spike has his coat and his mojo back. Should I ask how the coat - which was last seen in Buffy's house - found its way to the school basement?
• "You violated that girl, made her kill for you, because you're weak, you're pathetic, and you obviously have nothing to show me."
• gasp Spike is smoking. I thought the show taught us that people only smoke if they're evil or about to die.
• At least Kennedy finally has a better understanding of the magic, that's it's not just fairy tale stuff. "I thought it would be, I don't know, cool, somehow. It just hurt."
• "Twinkies and kisses? Also peachy motivational tools."
• The shot of 3,000 CGI Turok-Hans is pretty bamf and terrifying. What a great way to end the episode.

Favorite Lines:

D: "Although, Twinkies and kisses—also peachy motivational tools." ~Willow.  (advice Buffy will not heed)

Z: "Do you know that Ancient Sumerians do not speak English?" // "They're worse than the French." - Dawn/Buffy

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• First appearance: a bunch of nameless Potentials. we've reached the point where there won't be new specified personalities among the Potentials
• Recurring: The First Slayer, Chloe, Principal Wood, Kennedy, Vi, Rona, Amanda, The First (as Chloe), Chao-Ahn, the desert location from "Restless," Spike's coat, Turok-Hans
• Last appearance: Chloe
• D'Hoffryn's still pissed at Anya
• Shoutout to Snyder

Stats:

Anya's Hair - dark blonde, straight with a flip at the bottom, then curly

Dead Humans - 1

Dead Undeads - 1

Dead Potentials - 1 (Chloe)

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Spike Breaks the Ceiling With His Body - 1

Buffy Makes a Speech - 1

Evil Reveal - 0

Unevil Reveal -  0

Shenanigans Called - 0

Apocalypse Called - 0