NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (for those with short attention spans although to be honest I had to look up what the season premier was today) we are reminded that Dawn thinks no one knows who she really is, that Joyce fainted after asking who she was and that Riley is now what he always seemed -normal. We are also reminded that Spike loves Buffy. Everyone shudder.
Currently yet previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer we are treated to a flashback where a group of monk types (you can tell, robes and sandals, just like Cadfael) are doing a ritual to "protect the key." Bad news is that they are under attack and we don't really know what they were trying to do or if they were successful as the door explodes and we cut to...
Currently on Buffy the Vampire Slayer Buffy is (appropriately enough) slaying a vampire. After he's dust the security guard for the warehouse comes to kick her out and tells her to take the glowy balls with her. It's not Buffy's ball but it *is* glowy so she takes it. SONG TIME!!
Next day Buffy is being domestic, fixing breakfast as Joyce is
suffering from a near continuous headache. Dawn pulls the typical younger
sister move by wrangling credit for the breakfast, gets some quality snuggling
with Mom and starts planning the day. However, Buffy takes Dawn with her
to the grand opening of Giles' shop to give Joyce a break.
Buffy and Dawn arrive at the shop, participate with Giles in the best sight gag
of the season and then settle down to be bored. The shop has had zero
people in it since it opened several hours previous and Giles is worried that
his latest venture is also doomed to failure. Buffy is preoccupied with
Joyce's health to be much of a reassurance but she does try. When Willow and Riley
arrive Buffy shows off the glowy ball. Riley offers to patrol the
warehouse area to get more clues and Dawn tells him that Buffy thinks he
shouldn't patrol when he's so normal. Riley stalks off pouting and Buffy
gives another Dawn Rant (tm) to Willow. Buffy and Dawn return home
to find Joyce in severe pain so Buffy heads to the hospital for medication.
At the hospital Buffy finds Ben (the intern who leant Dawn his stethoscope) who is treating the security guard who is now a stark raving loony. The security guard rants at Buffy that "...they come for family" which, needless to say, wigs Buffy right out.
Meanwhile, back at the warehouse, one of the monk guys is examining a map when a very angry woman arrives. You can tell she is probably a bad person as she is dressed in red, wearing stilettos and just shredded a steel door like it was a soap bubble. Also, the monk seems very scared of her. With good reason because she has the new security guard and begins to drain him. Exact result unknown but it's got to be bad.
Things are heating up at the magic shop. Willow is trying to research the glowy ball but getting no where. Anya arrives with a lot of unwanted advise. And, best of all, a real live customer that doesn't try to kill Giles shows up. Buffy arrives to tell them all about the crazy security guard at the hospital and her theory that the same thing is attacking Joyce. More customers arrive and soon everyone but Buffy (who is busy researching) is helping serve people. Buffy is coming up blank until Giles and Anya mention going into a trance to see spell residue. It is, however, very dangerous but Buffy says she has to do it because it's her mom.
In a trance Buffy walks downstairs but can see nothing weird around her mom. But she does see all the family pictures acting weird as Dawn's face fades in and out of focus. She goes to Dawn's room, looks in and sees the old storage room as well as Dawn's bedroom. She pushes Dawn up against the wall demanding to know what she is.
Giles, it being most of the way through the show, calls with new information. The glowy ball is a protection talisman designed to protect against a major bad thing. Buffy doesn't tell Giles what she learned in the trance as Dawn is right there but tells both that she's going back to the warehouse. As she is leaving Dawn asks Buffy if she "...really think I care you're the Slayer?" which Buffy takes as a threat for some reason. On her way out Buffy has a close encounter with Spike which confuses her greatly.
At the warehouse Buffy finds the monk and the big bad evil blonde. The lady in red makes Adam look like a wuss and hands Buffy her butt in a sling. Buffy grabs the monk, defenestrates and gets the story out of him before he dies. Dawn, we learn, and the spell that altered everyone's memories was created from pure energy by the monks. The two important things to remember are that Dawn really thinks she is Dawn Summers and that the key can open a portal and must be protected.
A the magic shop everyone is wasted from serving people all day except for Anya who, except for saying "Go now!" instead of "Thank you, have a nice day" is rather good at retail. Giles hires her.
At Buffy's house Buffy returns to find Joyce home and in a lot of pain. Dawn, upset, goes to her room and Buffy follows. Buffy apologies and, both upset over their mom, we fade to black.
Random Quotes
Joyce: So, no one is pregnant, failing or under indictment? Just checking?
Buffy:
Giles:
Buffy:
Giles:
Buffy:
Giles:
(okay, so as it was in "Hush", some of the best quotes are non-verbal.)
Giles: It appears to be paranormal in nature.
Buffy: How can you tell?
Giles: Well, it's so shiny
Spike: Satisfied? You know I really hope so 'cause god knows you need some satisfaction in life besides shagging Captain Cardboard and... and... I never really liked you anyway and... and... you have stupid hair.
Anya: (to Giles over the high cost of conjuring powders) Well, you're getting ripped off. I could hook you up direct with the troll that sheds it.
Buffy: What is she?
Monk: Human. Now human. Helpless. Please, she is an
innocent in this. She needs you.
Buffy: She's not my sister.
Monk: She doesn't know that.
Random Notes:
This week's episode was brought to you by writer Douglas Petrie (Bad Girls, Enemies, The Initative, This Year's Girl, The Yoko Factor) and director David Solomon (What's My Line part one, The Prom, Beer Bad, Goodbye Iowa, Where the Wild Things Are) and the Home Perm Kit. Anyone else notice that when they want to show that a blond is a lunatic they give her wavy hair?
Next week's episode is "Fear Itself" from last season. It is worth watching just to see Anya in a bunny suit, Giles with chainsaw, Xander mock a demon, Oz in his last sympathetic role, more people in closets and, best of all, Willow telling Buffy "Yeah? Well so's your face!" Didn't make sense then, doesn't make sense now. But it's a good show and it's almost Hallowe'en.
Bwahahahaaa. The episode the week after the week after is "Hallowe'en" from season 2. Which is sort of a prequel to "Fear Itself". It is worth watching to see Willow pre Confidencel, Buffy's jaw drop, Oz pre Willow & pre-Wolf, the first appearance of Xander as Soldier-Boy as well as the first appearance of Ripper. As in "Fear Itself", a good show and now it really is Hallowe'en.
The episode the week after the week after after the week after (also know as November 7) is the much anticipated Tara episode (or what is reported to be the much anticipated Tara episode) entitled Family which will be written and directed by Joss Wheldon. Tara was absent from this show leaving only 5 non-Tara shows to go.
I've had, over the seasons, a lot of problems with Buffy. Low grade annoyances about how she's treated some of her friends, family and acquaintances. Her treatment of Dawn in the last scene makes up for it.
Okay, new addition to the Least Desirable Job in Sunnydale List: 1) delivery man, 2) magic shop owner, 3) security guard.
Anya is running out of money? Where did she get money originally? Demon severance package? She should have invested it and not lived on the principle but, tsk, kids today don't think of the future.
Two Marvel Comics references in the show. Riley refers to the training room at the Magic Box as the "Danger Room" ala X-men (Guess he read my summary for last week) and Ben attributes Buffy's strength to a radioactive spider. Just to take it one step on, it was Uncle Ben's death that woke Peter Parker up to the fact that "with great powers comes great responsibility." In keeping with this...
Angel Notes:
I read this on the IGN site and someone has pointed out that the Darla/Angel seduction is very reminiscent of the Cyclops/Jean Grey/Madeline Pryor (and I'm dredging the old memory for that last name so apologies if I got it incorrect.) seduction that reintroduced Phoenix/Dark Phoenix in the good old Claremont and JRjr days. Now, you have to have been an X-man about 20 years ago to realize this but... well... umm... there it is.
But wait, you need more reasons to watch Angel?
Angel quote: St. Brigit's in Freemont. It's a convent built on native burial grounds. Land's cursed. They had eight murders in the past two years before the whole place burned to the ground. Which is nothing compared to what happened at Out Lady of Lockenby... <micro shrug> I got a thing for convents.
Angelus quote: You know how I love convents. Like a giant cookie jar.
Which is, of course, the lead in to the real reason to have watched Angel last week... Drusillia.
Well, that and Angel singing Wang Chung's "Everybody Have Fun Tonight".