BUFFY vs DRACULA
My chief enjoyment of season four was psyching my kid. "What's happening tonight?" she'd ask. "Nothing much," I'd reply, "but we see if they've taken Giles out of the opening credits yet." My chief enjoyment (now that she doesn't believe what I'm saying anymore) is to tell the truth. "Oh, Buffy fights Dracula." (A long discussion on why it *should* be possible for Dracula to exist with me accidentally arguing the wrong side of the logic then ensued.) Anyway, thank you for waiting through the first digression of Season Five and now, on with the show.
Oh, it really helps to have seen both Dracula (any version, really although I gotta say go for one of the old black and whites rather than Gary Oldman one) and Monty Python's Holy Grail. Ya gotta trust me on this because if you're not familiar with either you might miss some jokes.
First the tease. Buffy has insomnia and finally gets out of bed (leaving a sleeping Riley) to chase down a vampire and stake him using a new dusting special effect (I'm referring to the computer generated graphic rather that the spinning cartwheel tackle but I guess that applies as well). She then returns to bed, Riley spoons-snuggles and she falls asleep.
Now the real meat of the show, opening credits. Have I ranted yet this season about how much I love the opening credits of this show, especially when compared to other lame opening credits? First off, there are very few shots from the first few sets of credits; only the slo-mo run with the long blue coat strike in my mind. Second, all of Willow's shots are with her new hairdo. Third Anya has been added to the clip fest as a a regular but Tara hasn't although she is in a lot of Willows (including the pop-machine moving spell from Hush and the pant-sweat spell from Who Are You?). Finally, a *lot* of the clips are from the final two shows (Primeval and Restless), Hush and tonight's show. Big noticeable clip they left in would be Faith and Buffy dancing. Big noticeable clip they took out was Xander in the speedo (which the replaced with Xander's dance of the wet floppy clothing which just tells you how they're marketing the X-man this season). One last thing. They must use over a hundred clips, I counted 15 for the Buffy sequence alone. The result is almost subliminal and you have to be in slo-mo/pause to catch the clip of Cordy.
The real show opens on the beach with the Extended Scooby Gang doing beach stuff like football, barbequing and whumping up a spell to light said barbeque when Xander can't get it going. Unfortunately the spell seems to backfires from a create fire to a create massive thunderstorm. But Willow shouldn't feel bad as it is more of a plot device than a spell gone awry as it nicely sets the mood for the arrival of a new vampire in town who immediately dispatches the two men unloading his coffin/crate.
Next day we find that Willow has been copying Giles' research books and notes into a computer so that when he returns to England the Scoobies will have access to the material. Will has been sworn to secrecy about Giles reverse immigration. We also find out that Buffy is a bit... um... addicted to killing vamps. Slayerholic. Can't sleep without dusting one. Is easily distracted and has sudden urges to go out slaying. In this example she ditches her mom and heads out of the house to do some vamp slaying. She catches one, struggles a bit and then dusts him before catching sight of another vamp in a cape. She catches up to him, exchange some cryptic one liners and then introduces himself...
Vampire "I apologize. I assumed you knew. I am Dracula."
Buffy "Get out!"
They cleverly put a commercial break here. Which is good because I would have missed two minutes of show otherwise. When we return from said commercial break Buffy tries to determine if this is the real Drac or not by staking him. However, Drac keeps disappearing and reappearing, almost toying with her until Willow and Xander show up. Buffy tries to warn them off but Xander also thinks that this is some kind of Vamp-wannabe (and really, a cape and Romanian accent what would you think?) . Finally Drac turns into a bat and flies off so that Buffy, Will and Xander can tell the rest of the Scoobies about Dracula being real. Turns out they've met. Or Anya (and later we find out Spike) knows the Big D.
Anya "We hung out a few times. Back in my demon days. You know, once or twice. It's pretty cool. You know,
from a whole evil thing....perspective."
and
Spike "Dracula? That poncy bugger owes me 11 pounds for one thing."
The gang breaks up to go to their separate homes but Xander is waylaid by
Dracula who very easily takes over Xander's mind (insert wise crack re Xander's
mind) and sends him off to await his command. Buffy, at Joyce's house, is
awakened when Drac materializes in her room. He enthralls Buffy, drinks
from her and, when she awakes, she hides the bite with a scarf.
Next day at Giles there is a planning session. Willow has all the info from the 'net while Riley is full of info intimidated out of Spike. Buffy is distracted and Xander is doing a spot on Renfrew, eating jelley donuts, spiders and constant references to Dracula such as:
Xander "Like any of that is enough to fight the dark Master.......(looks from the
gang).....bater."
Xander "I think you're drawing a lot of conclusions about the unholy Prince...(looks from the
gang)....bater."
Finally the scarf and the pensive distracted air sink in and Riley confronts Buffy about the two "deep, punctury scratches" on her neck. "You're under the thrall of the dark Prince," Riley informs her. The Scoobies then break up; Willow and Tara to Drac proof Buffy's house, Anya and Xander to protect and hide Buffy and Giles and Riley to check out the swanky houses. However, at Xander's, once the sun sets it's push Anya into the closet and take Buffy to the Master. Buffy doesn't resist, agreeing to go willingly.
Xander takes Buffy to Dracula. Buffy tries to stake him but is still under his thrall, as much as she tries to rationalize putting down the stake. Finally Drac confesses why he wants her here. He quotes Tara's line from Restless (You think you know yada yada yada) and then offers his blood for Buffy to drink which, after some hesitiation Buffy does. (Aside, obviously Buffy doesn't play Vampire Masquerade although Spike makes a good Brujah.) The taste of blood brings several images to Buffy's mind, mainly the First Slayer and dusting vamps. This is enough to break the thrall and Buffy then proceeds to beat on Drac until he gives um, stays mist and (I assume) dawn breaks.
Oh. While that was going on Giles and Riley find the castle, split up (they weren't paying attention in Slasher Films 101), Riley KOs Xander and Giles finds the Three Sisters, who he thought were legends but apparently weren't and then Riley rescues Giles, Riley stops Giles from going back for his shoe, Riley and Giles locate Buffy, Xander snaps out of it and now everyone is on the same scene. Whew.
Next day Buffy confides to Giles that since the joining spell she has been totally out of control, hunting vampires rather than simply patrolling. She's scared and wants him to be her Watcher again. And as Giles was about to tell her that he was leaving that was probably a good thing.
Final scene at Joyce's. Buffy tells her mom that she and Riley are going to a movie. Buffy then heads to her room where a brunette teen aged girl is going through her dresser top. Buffy demands to know what she's doing here. Joyce suggests that Buffy take her sister to which they both yelp "Mom!"
Enter the little sister.
Random Quotes
Joyce's quote of the show: (to Willow and Tara) "When you girls are older you'll understand. It's hard to date. Sometimes you just
feel like giving up on men altogether."
Xander's quote of the show: You know what? I'm sick of this crap. I'm sick of being the guy who eats insects and gets the funny syphilis. As of this moment it's over. I'm finished being everybodys butt-monkey."
Dracula's quote of the show: (to Xander) "You are strange and off-putting. Leave now."
Random Notes: