My Reviews Other Reviews The Harsh Light of Day Finally, a new Spike episode, and although I didn't agree at all with where Joss is taking Spike's character, I thought this episode deserved 's because of the priceless Buffy/Spike scenes. First, when Buffy and Spike meet at the party. There's this hilarious undercurrent running through the scene that had me in fits. Then, later when Buffy explains to Parker that Spike's "an old friend" and then breaks out in hysterics when Parker thinks they were dating. All those Spuffy fans -- that's about as close as it's gonna get folks! Also, the Spike/Harmony scenes were priceless! Does James Marsters have chemistry with everyone? And we finally get a shirtless Spike scene! Yay! Another nice thing about this episode was the follow up to "Lover's Walk" and the mini-dissertation on luuuv. Spike finally gets to pay someone back in coin (though not Dru who deserves it -- or Angel). "Love hurts, baby." Yes, it does indeed. Once again, Spike seems to be able to come to the root of the love problem. Is he the Love Guru or what? He saw right through that little Parker pissant. If only he had warned Buffy ... that's an idea. Next week ... "Dr. Spike, he answers all your questions about love." The Harsh Light of Day Spike is back. That alone raises ratings and heightens expectations for a four-star Buffy episode. Fortunately, between Jane Espenson's witty, involving script, James Contner's smooth, visually arresting style and James Marster's supremely cool creation, the expectations are achieved and exceeded. What draws Spike back to Sunnydale again is The Stone of Amara, "the vampire equivalent of the Holy Grail," as Giles dubs it, a stone that makes any vampire virtually unkillable. All of that, of course, while providing ample excuse for fight scenes and comic-book skullduggery, is actually merely the backdrop against which three parallel stories of young love are played out by Buffy with Parker Abrams, Xander with Anya and Spike with his bubble-brained nouveau-vamp Harmony. Much of the time the interplay is a hilarious satire on dating and youthful sexuality, but at its crux are painful lessons beautifully presented about trust, communication and risk-taking. Action? Oh, yes. Elegant, lightning-fast fight scenes between Buffy and Spike, above-average even for this series. This episode has artfully integrated MTV moments that move the plot along nicely without becoming tiresome, and the bonus of a cross-over to Angel, where Spike makes his second appearance of the night. John Higley, Xpose, Issue #41 In the Dark It's rare that the second part of a two-parter equals the first, but this one did it -- and almost surpassed it. The best scene of this episode is the very beginning where Spike does his riff on Angel's heroic attitude. I must say I'm very happy that the writers seem to constantly take the piss out of Angel's "superhero" status. It works. And it makes us giggle when Spike does his ramble. The rest of this episode has a very nice take on Angel's preoccupation with brooding, his search for redemption and his deep-rooted belief that he doesn't deserve it. My only quibble with this episode is that it sort of is out of character for Spike (plus it leaves him dangling). In the Dark Continuing the story from Buffy's The Harsh Light of Day, In the Dark finds Spike arriving in LA to deliver the gem of Amora to Angel. Refusing to accept the ring's gift of invincibility, the vampire chooses to hide it. As Cordelia notes, "Since when did you get all Versace about accessorizing?" Before long, Spike is back on the scene, abducting and torturing Angel in a bid to ascertain the gem's whereabouts. But little does Spike realize that his carefully selected torturer Marcus wants invincibility for himself ... The brilliantly-constructed narrative that was established in Buffy becomes somewhat labored in the second hour of this 'crossover event.' The frothy, Soap-ish antics of The Harsh Light of Day give way to brooding and a day out at the beach for Angel (suddenly vampires can go out in the daylight so long as they stand, and indeed fight, in the shade ...) In the Dark gets three stars: one for the superb opening monologue by Spike, one for the touching scenes in which Angel "has a nice day" and one for the guest star turn by the wonderfully uncommunicative Oz. Meanwhile, Whedon and Greenwalt need to get back to the drawing board and reassess a series that falls uncomfortably between a vampire Baywatch and the graveyard shift of Moonlighting. Brian Barratt, Xpose, Issue #41 Wild at Heart No rating As I don't feel obliged to review Buffy episodes in general -- only Spike episodes -- and as this had only 2 minutes of Spike, I am not rating this episode. I will also only comment on Spike's scene: NO!!! I swear to God, I was equal parts yelling and laughing at the screen. This running joke that Spike makes good threats but rarely if ever follows through -- argh! It's driving me nuts. I want my old Spike back, but I'm also interested to see where they take him next! Wild at Heart out of 5 Oz prepares for his (lunar) monthly transformation to werewolf, but he's already sensed that sultry singer Veruca has the same animal side. The difference is, she revels in it, spurning his careful cages. The real damage, however, is done to Willow -- for in their wild state, Oz and Veruca have swiftly mated. Willow's heartbreak as Oz struggles to keep his humanity uppermost makes this a painfully emotional episode, even before Veruca sets her sights on our favorite witch. There's a huge emotional range required here, between sleepy intimacy and tearful parting, and the cast rise to the material beautifully. Sorrowful, but so skillfully done. Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 The Initiative Well done! This episode would have gotten a perfect score if the Buffy-Riley scenes hadn't been complete drivel (ok, him with his buddies were cute and that one scene with Buffy where they swear they're going to stay together and then immediately part was kinda amazing). The scenes between Willow and Spike were priceless! I loved the correlation between Spike's inability to bite Willow and performance anxiety. That scene was so funny I actually fell off my chair (chaise, whatever). Ah, Spike as a regular. This series is gonna shape up to be even more funny, isn't it? The Initiative out of 5 When Spike escapes from a gleaming laboratory complex, the truth about Riley, his friends and Professor Walsh emerges: they're all part of a military-scientific operation against demons. For them, Spike is just Hostile #17, while for Buffy the truth takes longer to emerge -- despite partying in Riley's frat house, after he's realized he's attracted to her. Long-term, creating the Initiative wasn't the best idea ever. But in isolation, this episode pulls off a terrific coup in redefining the parameters of Buffy, especially given the nonchalant style of Riley's double=life. Visually and thematically, its impact is simply jaw-dropping. Bonus: some classic innuendo as Spike fails to penetrate Willow (in the neck)! Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 Pangs This episode was not only good for the Spike scenes (which were priceless as usual) but also for the overall theme. Justified vengeance -- when is it justified? I was totally on the side of the Chumash ... in spirit at least. The people who exterminated the Chumash should pay. Unfortunately, they are already all dead -- and I'm totally against the "sins of the father" idea. However, I side with Willow's intent: the least the U.S. could do was acknowledge what their ancestors did, apologize and make sure the other indigenous tribes that do survive in America today are taken care of (and we should make reparations, don't you think?). To those who disagree, think of the modern German teenager who had nothing to do with the Holocaust, yet we still demand apologies from a nation whose major workforce was not even born at the time of those atrocities. Culpability -- responsibility, but not abject flagellation. Acknowledgement, but no guilt complex for those who are innocent. History is supposed to help us learn from our mistakes, not revisit them. Pangs out of 5 Buffy's plans for cooking the gang a perfect Thanksgiving dinner go overboard when the shape-shifting spirit of Hus, a native American warrior, summons others and closes in on her. Meanwhile, Angel, warned of the danger in advance, tries to protect her while staying incognito. A brave but slightly unwieldy attempt to address the ethical issues around colonialism, with Angel's self-imposed role hindering the drama almost as much as it helps it. Worthwhile nevertheless, especially for the scenes of uninvited guest Spike becoming a pincushion, the cavalry-style bike ride across campus, and Gellar's comic timing while trying to focus on food. Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 Something Blue Almost perfect. Everything absolutely gelled and, although this episode was pure comedic fluff and there wasn't a great allegorical subtext like last week, it was superb nonetheless. Marsters and Gellar play off of each other like choreographed dancers, the Willow-Spike relationship while not very evident is still quite giggle-worthy and even Giles and Spike have some cute moments. It's like Joss was trying to try as many permutations as possible: let's see what happens if Spike and Buffy have deep conversations, how about Spike and Giles, Spike and Willow? I'm waiting to see what happens when Spike and Xander get stuck alone together for a while. Doubtless all the Spuffy fans went wild over this one and it pretty much met all the requirements of my Spike Drinking Game (the drink the whole bottle level ...). I'm gonna go back and watch this ep again. Something Blue out of 5 When Willow despairs of her pain over Oz's absence, she casts a spell to make her will stronger. Unfortunately, the side-effects make her grumpy figures of speech dangerous to the gang: Giles becomes blind, Xander's demon magnetism increases, but most bizarrely, Spike and Buffy announce they are getting married. Which bewilders the entranced Riley to no end ... Another well-staged comic fable about the perils of witchcraft, this may not rival Doppelgangland, but it comes damn close. The edgy Spike-Buffy-Giles relationship is paying dividends even before the bewitchment, and the abortive attempt to headhunt Willow for Anya's old revenge demon role adds some satisfying tension. Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 Hush A very good, suspenseful episode, despite the lack of Spike (only one measly scene). The villains (the Gentlemen) were truly chilling, with that manic grin on their skeletal faces. The cast pulled off the 27 minutes of silence very well, and the concept itself was classy. The scene where Xander thinks Spike is chomping on Anya was truly funny, especially with Anya's response. Hush out of 5 Buffy has a nursery-rhyme premonition about the unfamiliar Gentlemen. Sure enough, these silent, skeletal, scalpel-wielding ghouls descend on Sunnydale, seeking to extract a few hearts. How do they avoid detection? By capturing the voices of all the townsfolk while they work ... The 'silent classic.' A series famed for its dialogue jettisons words, and the result is the best episode ever (according to TV Guide's online poll, which we won't dispute on this occasion). Reducing his talented cast to signs and gestures after carefully establishing the theme of imperfect communication, Whedon is also spectacularly well-served by all involved in creating the mesmerizing, ultra-creepy Gentlemen. The face-off between a mutually surprised Riley and Buffy, both on patrol, is the highpoint of their relationship. Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 Doomed Not very entertaining. Even the Spike storyline with him contemplating suicide wasn't very entertaining. However, his outfit in the last half of the ep was giggle-worthy. Spike in a Hawaiian shirt and jams. Ick! The entire Buffy and Riley sequences made me want to hurl. I'm so sick of Buffy always having to dramatize *everything*. Get over yourself girl! Doomed out of 5 Three Vahrall demons are assembling the ingredients for a ritual to re-open the Hellmouth. The gang must return to their ruined high school to prevent the apocalypse. But that aside, is there any hope for Buffy and Riley's relationship now that their secret lives are revealed? Yes, it's the end of the world -- again -- but it's also the time when the storyline starts getting bogged down by concentrating on one couple to the exclusion ofd more interesting events. There's new potential with the discovery that Spike can cause pain to demons and create conflict between humans, but otherwise it's a major disappointment. Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 A New Man Priceless! This was a hoot all the way around. Tho' a little more low-key than other Buffy riot-fests, this one was truly amusing. I loved Giles' entire attitude, and Spike was looking fine in his traditional black. A New Man out of 5 Feeling neglected as Buffy turns 19, Giles goes out drinking with his old sparring partner, Ethan Rayne. Next morning, thanks to the meddling warlock, Giles wakes in the unrecognizable form of a lumbering Fyarl demon. Worse, no human can understand his protestations, so Buffy assumes the 'demon' has killed Giles, and swears vengeance! This is a highly entertaining romp, which deftly tackles the issues of Giles' paternal role; note how he takes a severe dislike to Buffy's new mentor, Maggie Walsh. Giles' unwilling partnership with Spike -- who speaks Fyarl, a shade luckily -- is sublime. Also notable for the charming scene of Willow and Tara 'floating the rose.' Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 The I in Team Dull, dull, dull. I swear the Riley-centered eps are the worst of the lot. So Walsh's attempt to assassinate Buffy was vaguely interesting. The rest was complete dreck. Ick. The I in Team out of 5 Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 Goodbye Iowa Avoid all Riley episodes. Avoid all Riley episodes. Are they trying to tell us something? Goodbye Iowa out of 5 Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 This Year's Girl All rrrrright! Back to fine form with this episode, Faith is a much more complex and interesting character as 1) bad Slayer and 2) without the Mayor hanging over her shoulder. This Year's Girl out of 5 While the gang is still preoccupied with Adam, rogue Slayer Gaith's long coma comes to an end. Learning that the Mayor was destroyed, she hits the payback trail, confronting Buffy on campus. Then, armed with a parting gift from the Mayor, she heads for Buffy's home -- and the unsuspecting Joyce ... Vey much a 'part one of two', the revival of Faith gives this episode resuscitative powers over a flagging sesaon. Althogh faith's involvement is a little off-center given the gang's concerns over Adam, this makes her scenes with Joyce and Buffy all the more explosive. The inter-Slayer battle inside Joyce's house is spectacular, and the cliffhanger is outrageous. Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 Who Are You Va-va-voom is all I can mutter. Brilliant. Both Gellar and Dushku do a fab job imitating each other's characters, but I give the most points to Dushku who completely tricked me into forgetting she was acting. Wow. Also, kudos for the best "risable" scene in Buffy (Faith as Buffy describing exactly what she would like to do to Spike; rrrrr). In addition, I like the flirtation with a deeper concern: are our identities largely dependent on how we are treated? Can we become better people by being treated as if we were good? Who Are You out of 5 Faith has secretly engineered a body-swap with Buffy. while the Watchers' Council's special unit apprehend a weakened 'Faith' (who's really Buffy), Tara and Riley, amongst others, must deal with a perplexing 'Buffy' (who's really Faith). Then a vampire attack on a church, inspired by Adam, makes Faith re-think her exit strategy -- "because it's wrong". Th brilliant plot device and extra-perceptive scripting, this role reversal story presents a mouthwatering challenge which Gellar and Dushku meet head-on. The details are right on target -- body language, especially -- while the home truths that emerge provide extra resonance. One slight weakness comes when only Tara notices that Buffy isn't Buffy -- a forgivable conceit in a powerful episode. Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 Superstar Contrary to other critics (ahem), I think this is one of the best episodes of the series to date. The attention to detail, the acting on the part of the helpless Buffy, Jonathan himself (who becomes more interesting every time we see him), and most exquisitely, Spike's little "Betty" reference which had me laughing so hard I practically bust a gut. Superstar out of 5 From one identity crisis to another: Sunnydale is uder the spell of Jonathan Levinson, Buffy's formerly suicidal classmate. Everyone -- the Slayer, the Initiative, especially Xander -- defers to the coolest guy around. He's always been the town's -- no, the world's -- kingpin, hsan't he? But every dream world has a dark side ... Dropping it's audience straight into the world according to Jonathan is a truly audacious ploy. Maintaining the gang's relationships plus the story arc about Adam amidst this alternate universe makes it a rgeater achievement. But once all the notes in the one-joke song have been played, the resolution here seems rather arbitrary. Like Jonathan's fantasyland, it's a great idea that almost succeeds. Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 Where the Wild Things Are Grr. Kill Riley. Kill Riley. Blech. I can't even formulate a coherent thought about how absolutely awful this episode is. Was. Is. Where the Wild Things Are out of 5 Another frat house party, another haunting. This time it's the Initiative's base, Lowell House, which descends into chaos when a host of sexually-related phenomena spoil Riley's morale-boosting shindig. Ironically, it's Riley and Buffy's insatiable love-making upstairs that's boosting an increasingly destructive poltergeist ... Here's an episode of two halves. The first half is intriguing enough, as all sorts of tensions manifest themselves. The second half would give B-movies a bad name, with a premise made ludicrous by the leads' low-level chemistry, and a wince-inducing confrontation with the poltergeist's wicked creator. Giles' unplugged cafe spot and the Anya-Xander bickering are amongst the few highlights in an unconvincing hour. Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 New Moon Rising Oz is back and all Zen, like he was stressful before. Sheesh. The love triangle between Willow-Tara-and the absent Oz explodes. Amazingly enough, I had a really tough time deciding for Willow which person she should end up with. Both choices would make me unhappy (or happy, depending on your point of view). I think she's lucky with either of them as both Tara and Oz are lovely people. The only downside is that they seem to be portraying Tara as a tad bit untrustworhty, though I don't really get that vibe from her. Oz will definitely be missed, but Willow's never been one to look back. A solid episode despite the fact that although I was into it while I was watching, it won't be one of the episodes I'll think about later. New Moon Rising out of 5 Oz surprises everyone by turning up during a Scooby meeting, then surprises Willow even more under a full moon: he's learnt to conquer the werewolf transformation. Problem #1: The Initiative squads are hunting something wolf-like. Problem #2: Willow hasn't told Oz about Tara ... A thoughful, skillfully understated character piece, where the primary focus is on the awkward sensitivities of Willow, Oz and Tara. Oz can resist the moon, but not the prospect of having lost Willow. Her decision is agonizing, leaving Tara in torment: exquisite playing all round. Riley and spike also cross some intriguing personal barriers as Adam's endgame looms. Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 The Yoko Factor Ok, Spike working with Adam I can fathom (although it seems like a literary afterthought), and it's very funny how he goes around planting nasty thoughts in the Scooby Gang's minds. But, yo, how believable is that? How insecure would these people have had to be (and some have never shown themselves to be insecure about friendship) to fall for such stupid tricks? The Yoko Factor out of 5 An efficient, twist-heavy prelude tot he finale of the Adam/Initiative arc. Not exactly great excitement in itself, and the gang aren't at their best in acting so disunited. The Angel-Riley-Buffy scenes resonate more, and accomplish much economically. Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 Primeval All right, the special effects were very cool, the fights scenes worth two stars on their own and the acting was adequate. However, this is another episode that but for the above mentioned points will be imminently forgettable. Primeval out of 5 Did somebody say action? Carnage, chaos and supernatural combat: it's all here in a thrillingly dynamic episode. Key points are the epic battle on Initiative premises. Buffy and Adam's startling face-off, and the finality of the Initiative's death sentence. More valuable long-term is the rebuilding of the Scooby Gang, although Buffy's temporary poers provide some of the season's more memorable images -- so far ... Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15 Restless A really nice rumination on where we all come from and our connections to each other. As Primeval had great action but not enough real plot, this one had too much; but heaven forfend that I ever complain about TOO MUCH plot. And Spike's black and white montage was *snicker* *snort* *sputter*. Restless out of 5 Almost too extraordinary for words, this delusional coda to the season is just too complex on a first viewing to deserve a full five stars. In time, however, it may prove to be one of the most distinctive Buffy episodes ever. The heightened images of all the core regulars' imaginations, with a host of cameos spanning the fours years to date, is simply impossible to compare with anything that's goe before it. To say anything else would just be ... cheesy. Mark Wyman, Xpose, Special Issue #15