Two things you have to remember.  One is that many of the fans of the Beatles blamed, justly or unjustly, Yoko Ono and her influence on John Lennon for the break up of the band.  Second is that Buffy and Angel had a huge fight over Faith (both the character and the concept) on his show last week.

They have been building this all year, either overtly as in the shows Fear Itself, A New Man and Wild at Heart or subtlety throughout the entire season.  Like a certain other show BVS seems to be breaking down the relationships in order to show us both how fragile such relationships are and how adversity, when overcome, can build stronger bonds.  At least, I hope they're going to show the latter.  I think it is real nice that they're managing to do this while keeping the characters in character.

Okay, tonight's show.  After recapping last weeks Buffy and Angel we start.  The Initiative wants their rogue Riley back.  They figure he's easy to find  (cherchez la femme and all that) so Commando Boys are on a mission.  So are Adam and Spike.  In return for psychoanalyzing and removing the "No Kill I" chip from Spike's head Spike will strip the Scooby Gang, aka Slayerettes, from Buffy.  Thereby making her more vulnerable and less dangerous.

Buffy returns from LA and goes to the dorm room which is Willowless.  She crawls onto her bed looking rather exhausted.

Miscommunication Stage One: At the old High School Xander and Riley are chatting.  They first establish that Buffy is off doing a guest shot in Los Angeles and then they establish that neither of them are too fond of Angel.  They get to chatting about Angel and Xander lets slip that Angel became evil again because he and Buffy did the wild thing.  Apparently Buffy had left that particular detail out of her story to Riley.

Spikes Master Plan Part One: Giles.  Spike arrives at the flat and tells Giles that he has important info for Buffy.  But, as Buffy talks and treats Giles as an old has-been librarian and not a Watcher, Spike will only negotiate with Buffy.  Spike buggers off and Giles has a drink.

Subtext Moment One: Willow, Tara and the kitten are talking at Tara's place about their second year courses, the innate cuteness of kittens and housing.  Seems that the Willow and Buffy all through college and into Bingohood together is being hampered by the fact that Buffy is spending a lot of time with Riley's and Willow a lot of time with Tara.

Miscommunication Stage Two: Riley seeks out Buffy at her dorm after patching into the Initiative radio frequency to keep tabs on them.  Riley wants to talk more about Angel.  Buffy doesn't and Riley storms off.

Spikes Master Plan Part Two: Xander.  Xander and Anya take some army stuff to Spike so that he can have a disguise when he breaks into the Bat Cave.  Spike comments that Xander *will* make a good little soldier when he starts boot camp which is all the other Scooby's think that Xander is good for.  Xander blames the fact that they're going to college and he's not; a fact which Anya backs Spike up by saying that they look down on him.

Plot Advancement: Buffy (on patrol) runs into Forrest (also on patrol) in the forest.  (If Buffy had been naked the symmetry would have been perfect.)  They bicker over Riley until Adam arrives and they decide to team up to fight him.  Unfortunately Forrest's taser gun does squat against Adam while Adam's spike is pretty darn effective against Forrest.  Buffy flees, trips and is knocked out by a strategically placed rock.

Spikes Master Plan Part Three: Willow.  Spike arrives at Giles with a computer disk and a cock and bull story about the Initiative chasing him.  He gives the disk to Willow along with the observation that he expects the disk will be too hard for her to crack based on Buffy's comment that Willow is far to interested in other thing (nudge nudge, wink wink, meaningful glance at Tara).  Willow is pissed that Buffy and Xander are gossiping with Spike about her and Tara.  Spike said that Buffy was defending Willow but Xander merely thought that Willow was going through a trendy, witch-chic phase.  Tara, oil on troubled waters, (unlike Anya, oil on a fire) tells Willow to talk to Buffy but Spike distracts Willow with the computer disk.

Plot Advancement: Riley overhears that the Inititiative is overworked and that Gamma Team (which was Graham's I think) is being chewed up in an alley.  Riley goes to help out and encounters Angel who recognizes Riley.  Angel mentions that they have a friend in common and Riley assumes that a) this is that Angel guy, b) he is evil again and c) Buffy must have been responsible.  They fight, Riley looses and Angel heads off looking for Buffy.  He finds her at the dorm.  They are starting to chat when Riley arrives.  After a brief fight and some macho posturing Buffy tells them to grow up.  Angel takes Buffy into the corridor to tell her that he's sorry they fought in LA but next time he'll just phone.  Buffy returns to Riley and tells him that nothing happened between her and Angel and that Adam has killed Forrest.  Riley says he has to leave and does so.

Mandatory Bad Guys Gloating Session: Spike is gloating on how he gave the little nudges that broke up the Scooby Gang and can he please have the chip removed.  Adams says there is one more thing he needs.

Spikes Master Plan's Grand Finale: At Giles the gang is running on fear and insecurity.  Willow says it may take days to crack the disk and Buffy says she doesn't have days.  Soon all the little whispers and doubts that Spike planted come out but no one sees the thread.  Finally Buffy explodes.  After telling the gang how much she needs them she really can't come up with a concrete *how* she needs them.  And, when she turns it back on them, they can't really give a concrete *how* they can help her.  She finally storms out of Giles after commenting that this is why there is no ancient prophesy about the Slayer and her friends. 

Final Plot Advancement: At Adam's cave Adam is working on something when someone enters the cave.
Adam: I've been waiting for you.
Riley: And now I'm here.

Random Thoughts

I had a lot this time.  Actually, this was almost a do nothing show.  Nothing was really done to advance the plot per se but a lot was done character wise.  A whole bunch of conversations that make you (well, me) go "hmmmmmm"

First, a "wouldn't that be cool" scene I'd like to see.  At the end of season two, when Buffy was fighting the evil Angel there is a great exchange.  Buffy has been knocked down, lost her sword and Angel is doing that little show off spin and taunting her.  He says, "No friends, no weapon, no hope.  What do you have left?" and he brings the sword down.  She grabs it in a clap hold, says "Me" and then proceeds to kick is undead butt across the room.  What I would really like to see is that revisited.  The bad guy knocking her down, her cross bow across the room, taunting her with how helpless she is.  Asking "what do you have left?"  And having the entire Scooby Gang arrive, say "us" and kick his butt across the room.

1. I don't think that look Buffy gave Willow's unused bed was related to where Willow spent the night but rather that Willow wasn't there to talk to about Angel.
2. I know sticks and stones and all that but you think they'd figure out that Spike's chip only stopped him from hurting them physically?
3. Why is that skanky evil people are able to read subtext better than non-skanky white hats?  I mean Faith sees the little "see you later" bump and Spike sees the hair playing and they just *know* Willow ain't driving stick.  Buffy, Xander and Giles sees the two of them *constantly* together with a lot more overt touching and they need a neon sign.
4. Speaking of Spike and subtext.  He uses it here.  In the whole conversation he makes it sound like it was the wicca stuff that Buffy and Xander were on about.  But he uses little nods toward Tara and pauses to make Willow think that it is her relationship with Tara that's up for gossip.
5. Giles singing is starting to grow on me.  I know I had that dang song in my head... no, have that dang song in my head.  (And maybe someday Joss will let him sing a song through without the heart attack in the middle each time).  My theory is that Giles' singing is an ironic and subtle dig at the number of "angry chick in pain" songs being used on this and other shows.
6. Ignoring all subtext but if Gabrielle had had a friend like Tara the whole Rift thing wouldn't have happened.
7. The show now holds the best coming out conversation:
   Willow: (to Buffy) <snip>We have to face it.  You can't handle Tara being my girl friend.
   Xander: No, it was bad before that.  When you two went off to college and forgot about me.  Just left me in the basement -Tara is your girlfriend!
   Giles: (off stage) Bloody Hell!
8. Giles bathroom has the same tiles as the one Lowell House.  In fact, it may simply be the same bathroom.  Ya know, this gives me an excuse to re-re-rewatch Hush and see if it is the same bathroom as in Stevenson Hall.  That would explain how Buffy and all are able to get to Giles so fast without a car, ceramic teleportation tiles.