What the Bananas?

Episode 7.20: Touched. Original Airdate 5.6.03

"Faith and the Potentials search underground for a weapon, whilst Buffy confronts Caleb at the vineyard."

Zelda's Thoughts: 

• oh look. oh look. the gang is already in complete chaotic disarray. Buffy's been gone three minutes?
• "We're wasting time arguing about how to argue."
• aw baby Felicia Day. "Please do not mention parliamentary procedure."
• depressed Buffy is depressed. "This is not your house. It's not your town. Not anymore."
• I like the style of the shaky hand held camera now the steady leader's out of the picture.
• Kennedy's so pissed she doesn't get to be HBIC. too damn bad, kid. you don't know how to lead yet.
• "THERE'S A TRANSLATION OF IT?" (sigh, can't find a gif) You know what, I still don't love MT, but I love Dawn's growth so much this season (except for last ep), and how she's clearly and adorably on the Watcher Path. It's great.
• "He's a bit of fresh air, isn't he? Thank god I don't breathe."
• "You sad, sad ungrateful traitors. Who do you think you are? ... You're her friends and you betray her like this?" Not everything Spike is saying is right, but this wake up call for the team is necessary. "She has saved your lives again and again. She's died for you."
• enhance vampire nostrils
• I do like this scene, of Andrew speaking for the Bringer. It's creepy and awesome. "We exterminate girls and destroy the legacy of the Slayer."
• "WHAT THE BANANAS. You are so lucky that you did not just magically decapitate me."
• Shenanigans. We saw Spike's entire interaction within the Summers house and not once did they tell him the nature of Buffy's plan against which they rebelled. He has no way of knowing she thought there was something in the Vineyard and wanted to go back. I do love the speech he's got coming up, but come on, lazy writers.
• IT'S THE MAYOR IT'S THE MAYOR I LOVE HARRY GROENER
• "Hey hey hey hey hey, language! You're a leader now."
• The way Buffy's face lifts when Spike says he hit Faith. When will these kids work out their tried-to-kill-each-other differences?
• "Casualties. It just sounds so ... casual. These are girls that I got killed. I knew I was gonna lose some of them ..."
• haters gonna hate, I love Spike's speech. (don't worry, I've got the bulk of it below in Favorite Lines)
• "I don't wanna be the one." The small broken voice she uses. It reminds me of "Prophecy Girl." "Does it say how he's gonna kill me? Do you think it'll hurt?"
• "Will you just hold me?" MY SHIPPER HEART.

• The First is a jerkface. But I still love Harry Groener. "Nobody will ever love you. Not the way I love you."
• "He was like an old boss of mine." NO HE WAS HER FATHER FIGURE. Like. I know they were both villains at the time. But. I still loved Faith's relationship with the Mayor so much. The love there. The performances from both actors.
• Wood has chemistry with everyone because DB Woodside is the best, but I'm glad the show took advantage of his chemistry with Faith :)
• meanwhile blah blah blah Kennedy
• tiiiiiiiime for a montaaaaaaaaaaaaaaage. a everyone has sex and Spuffy just stare meaningfully into each others' eyes montage
• quippy Buffy's back! "Hey, heard you got something of mine."
• oh look it's the Matrix moment. everything from the 2000s has to have a Matrix slow mo wavy arm deflection thingamajig. (WHY ARE THERE NO GIFS)
• Caleb, to The First (while fighting Buffy): "Do you have to look like that? Cuz it's just a little confusing."  Yes but it's also way cheaper to just have SMG play the First.
• It's officially too dark for us to tell if people are dying in the arsenal fight. We think three Bringers, but ...
• I do like the parallel filming of Buffy and Faith both going to uncover what they think's being kept from them. Buffy finds the pretty scythe, Faith finds the oops bomb
• aaaaaaah and the countdown keeps going into the blackout screen WHAT WILL HAPPEN

Daniel's Thoughts:

• So I realized while watching this episode that this is the first watch-thru where I have my new tattooooo. So I wanted to share with y'all:

• So, we start exactly where we left off, yet Anya’s hair has completely curled
• Anya and Willow, regretting their dialogue from last episode, are completely sad-faced.
• Oops, someone forgot to pay the power bill.  Nope, just the power company leaving Sunnydale?
• Yep, pack up people.  Get out of town before the biggest sinkhole ever.
• TAB?   WHO DRINKS TAB in 2003??
• Hey. Buffy’s cold is gone.
• Also, Faith telling Kennedy to shut up is wonderful.  She needs to do the same for Rona.
• Hey, Spike’s back just in time to be the only good guy voice of reason. Great.
• Hey, now we’re shitting on Rupert again.  Six seasons of awesome Giles means nothing.  Let’s just completely eviscerate his character.
• “Did you know I could just walk in here?”  Heh, contrivance, but also kinda cool.  The town is in turmoil.  The owner of the house has left...he has no right to it anymore.
• Aww, Faith’s trying to be all leader-y. It’s good of Giles to give her encouragement.
• Hey! The Mayor First.   Walk, away, Faith! You know it’s not him!
• Hey! Spike’s threatening murder! With his soul!
• Are Spike & Buffy still talking? I fell asleep for a sec.
• Seriously, this scene is taking forever.  I’ll recap the entire scene for you:

Buffy: I feel bad and everyone hates me.

Spike: You’re awesome and I’m the only one who will tell you that because I’m awesome and the writers apparently hate everyone else.

Scene

• So if the First was listening to Faith/Giles talk before, does that mean, he knows their plan?  I mean it doesn’t even need to show itself; it can just listen in the shadows whenever it wants.
• Omg, Wood is the best. His facial expressions and comedy are on point.
• Faith/Wood.  I totally ship it.  And I love how Faith is on top.
• Hey everyone’s having sex!  It’s great that two couples have been able to find a room in a house literally filled with girls. 
• I mean, I like that Willow’s getting what she needs sexually, but they’re making Kennedy seem like more than that.  And she really shouldn’t be. Because she's not.
• Hey, Anya & Xander found a place to be alone too.  Yay couple #3 having sex!
• Wow, I mean, I do have to say, it’s pretty remarkable what they’re showing on network tv in 2003.  A couple of years earlier, they were afraid to show two women kiss. (granted, it was another network) – and now they’re showing Kennedy lick up Willows body.
• So now Buffy’s joined the Matrix.
• Buffy and Caleb are destroying the winery. Ugh, what a waste of wine.
• Ooooh, the scytheeeeee 

Favorite Lines:

Zelda: "I've been alive a bit longer than you, and dead a lot longer than that ... A hundred plus years, and there's only one thing I've ever been sure of - you ... I'm not asking you for anything. When I say 'I love you,' it's not because I want you or because I can't have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity what you are. You're a hell of a woman." - Spike. DEAL WITH IT.
Daniel: "We're all on death's door repeatedly ringing the doorbell like maniacal girl scouts trying to make quota." -Anya
 

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• Recurring: Giles, Potentials (Kennedy, Amanda, Vi, Caridad, et al), Faith, Wood, Andrew, Bringers, Caleb, The First (as Buffy, Mayor Richard Wilkins III)

Stats:

Anya's Hair - blonde, messy middle cut, suddenly and inexplicably curly
Dead Humans - 0
Dead Undeads - 3
Dead Flashbacks - 0
Dead Potentials - 0
Giles Unconscious - 0
Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0
Buffy Breaks a Door - 1 (about time)
Evil Reveal - 0
Unevil Reveal - 0
Shenanigans Called - 1
Apocalypse Called - 0