Does anyone else remember when Buffy was a show about monsters and mythology…. The only reason I ask of course is because here we get yet another episode more focused on the problematic relationships of Buffy and the Scoobies in particular Xander and Anya with the fallout from him leaving her at the alter still fresh in her mind. Not the best thing of course when she has returned to her Vengeance demon duties something she is now wanting to use on him.
“Spike we need muscle, not color commentary” – Xander
Season six really is somthing of a troublesome beast as just when I’m ready to write the season off for it’s overwelming focus on relationship issues than monsters or general lack of a big evil it pulls out an episode like this one which sees the audience questioning their perception of the show when Buffy is stung by a demon she is left believing that she is in an asylum and that Sunnydale, her friends and her slayer powers are all in her mind.
“Is anyone else waiting for it to go poof? Maybe we can cover it with flowers.” – Willow
So we’ve finally arrived at the wedding of Xander and Anya which it seems to have been the only real plotline this season for the pair. However things don’t look like they will go to plan for the pair when Xander receives a visit from a mysterious old man claiming to be Xander’s future self warning him not to get married.
“We need to stop this thing before Sunnydale turns into the TroubleMeat Palace… I wish I’d said something different.” – Buffy
Season Six really is something of a rough ride for the long term Buffy fan, especially as we are now fifteen episodes in and there’s still no discernible big evil for Buffy to battle and instead we are faced with a show which is bogged down in the minor issues of the group such Xander and Anya’s wedding and Buffy’s still secret relationship with Spike. Thankfully we got something of a reprieve as Riley returns to Sunnydale to find the Black Market dealer known only as “The Doctor”.
“We do do not joke about eating people in this house” – Buffy
Remember that fun little sub-plot regarding a sticky fingered Dawn stealing items from the Magic Box? Well if you were expecting it to lead to Dawn dabbling in magic prepare to be disappointed as everything comes to ahead this week as Dawn feeling that no one wants to spend time with her, unwittingly makes a wish in front of vengeance demon which soon see’s her and the other Scoobies trapped in the Summers house with a demon on the loose.
Episode Title: Dead Things
Original Air Date: 5th February, 2002
“Well, isn’t this usually the part where you kick me in the head and virtue fluttering?” – Spike
Considering the screwed up place the world has become over the last couple of months, with numerous figures of power being rightfully proven that they aren’t as omnipotent as they might quite liked to have believed. Of course with this in mind it only makes it the more akward that this weeks episode would revolve around the latest scheme from “The Trio” involving them using magic to hypnotise women into being their willing sex slaves.
Episode Title: Double Meat Palace
Original Air Date: 29th January, 2002
“Xander you ate the burger?” – Buffy
We are not at the halfway point for the series and everything is still pretty much decidedly in a mess for the Scoobies much like the structure of the season. Currently we have no real big villian outside of “The Trio” who at the start of this episode has high tailed it following their last encounter with Buffy. Willow is still going through magic withdrawal and Buffy is still in a screwed up secret relationship with Spike. Still atleast this week Buffy is attempting to try and get her life more in order as she takes a fast food job at the “Double Meat Palace” only to find out that strange things might be happening to the staff.
Episode Title: Gone
Original Air Date: January 8th 2002
“Can we get back to freaking out about no-show Buffy? This is serious.” – Xander
Tone wise its something of an odd episode this week as we open to Buffy cleansing the house of anything Magic releated as Willow undergoes her magic detox following her hitting rock bottom in the previous episode. At the same time Buffy seems keen to clense the house of anything link to Spike as she finds his ligher in the couch and adds it to the same box as Willows magical items. To make matters worse its also at this moment that Buffy is visited by the social services who, due to Dawn’s school attendance and grades have now landed Buffy under probabation. All these events creating something of a rock bottom effect for Buffy who is next seen cutting her hair with a zoned out expression.
It’s a grim setup for the episode and one which the writers suddenly get cold feet over and instead give us an invisible Buffy storyline when its revealed that the diamond we saw “The Trio” stealing a few episodes back was part of their invisibility ray gun which they accidentally use on Buffy.
“Are you kidding? It was like a meat party in my mouth… Okay, now I’m just a kid and even I know that came out wrong.” – Dawn
So after ending the previous episode on Buffy and Spike trashing a house as they hooked up while Amy and Willow embarked on a care free magic bender, this episode really comes like the unofficial second part because if anything the Buffy universe love to remind us that no action comes without its consequences and for some people they will hit home hard in this episode.
Episode Title: Smashed
Original Air Date: November 20th 2001
“Help me out here, Spock, I don’t speak loser.” – Spike
On the last episode we ended on a series of goodbyes as Willow and Tara broke up and Giles returned to England. Of course Willow isn’t alone for long as she manages to “de-rat” Amy with the pair soon running wild in Sunnydale.
Channel: Superhero 