Same Time, Same Place
Episodes 125, #3 of Season 7
Summary
Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer... I'm guessing here, because my tape started in the airport, but I'm guessing there was a lot of rehash of Dark Willow being evil and some recap of the last two episodes. Just a guess.
My tape (and hey, maybe the show) started in the airport with Buff, Xander and Dawn meeting Willow's flight. They're nervous because not only is Willow coming home but also she's coming home without completing her "recovery" course with Giles and the Witches of Westbury. They get particularly nervous when Willow isn't on the flight. Ooooooh. Cut to the same scene start only Willow is on the flight, looking in the arrival area in vain for Buffy, Xander and Dawn. Same time, same place. Get it?
Willow goes to Buffy's house but, of course, they aren't there. She checks out her old room, now Buffy's room and hears a noise downstairs but finds nothing so she lays on the couch and falls asleep. Buffy, Xander and Dawn return home but, of course, Willow's not there. They hear a noise upstairs but find nothing. They worry that Willow has skipped to cut a swath of mayhem.
Next morning Willow goes to the Magic Box where she finds Anya cleaning up the debris. They chit chat in that weird way people chit chat with Anya. Anya suggests the best place to find them is the high school and that Xander will be there, as he likes to start early. Willow goes to the construction site and finds a body. Which, same time, same place, Buffy and Xander have also found. And the body makes everyone doubly uneasy because he was skinned.
Next stop is the basement. Spike and Willow chat. Buffy and Xander arrive and Spike and Buffy chat. No way I could give justice to that scene, it has to be seen and heard.
Willow goes to Anya's to seek help which Anya agrees to as long as it doesn't involve any inconvenience or danger. They do a spell involving dust and a map that pinpoints all the demons in Sunnydale with little motes of light. There is a huge concentration of lights over the high school ('duh) and one strong one in the woods. Willow decides that that one is her best bet and heads out to investigate.
Dawn, meanwhile, has taken over the computer geek duties and has narrowed down the likely demon responsible to one suspect based on the facts (skinned, no blood). It paralyzes the victim and then skins it alive, eating the skin and drinking the blood. Xander is all for heading to Willy's and roughing up some information but Buffy suggests the smarter thing is to trace the demon from the blood that splattered on it. Cut to the blood hound, Spike, tramping through the woods and not looking to happy about it.
Both groups arrive at the cave and enter. Dawn gets slashed so Buffy and Xander take her out and block up the hole. The Demon tells Willow that her friends have left her, left her for him. He slashes her and begins to cut little strips of skin of her stomach while telling her how her friends deserted her. Willow looks like both activities are equally painful.
Buffy and Xander prepare to return to the cave when they find the only way to cure Dawn's paralyzes is to kill the Demon. Nervous about leaving Dawn alone the call Anya over to baby-sit Dawn. Instead Anya tells them that Willow is in town, that Willow is likely in the cave and so Anya is conscripted into helping. The arrive at the cave where Buffy kills the Demon and Anya acts as translator for the two groups. Then she runs off to get help because Willow looks really bad.
Buffy and Xander tell Willow how glad they are that she's home, even if they can't see or hear her. With that the spell fades and Willow appears.
At show end Buffy finds Willow meditating in her room (Buffy's ex-room). Willow is using magic to heal more quickly but it is fairly draining and she can't keep it up for long. Buffy confesses that she thought that Willow might have been responsible but Willow brushes that aside. Buffy is the Slayer and she has to ask those questions. Willow confesses that she created the spell inadvertently from her fears that she wasn't ready to see Buffy, Xander and Dawn. And from her fears that they weren't ready for her. And, as she's in a confessing mood, she also confesses that she's not sure that she can keep her powers on a leash - evidence being the spell. She then sits up, preparing to try healing some more as it's too painful not to try. Buffy offers some of her strength and the two sit, cross-legged and holding hands on the bed as we fade to black.
Random Thoughts
1) Teleporting is a privilege, not a right. So, young lady, if you don't get your chores and homework done and done right; no car keys for you!
2) Prop guy: Hey! You want me to throw out this dummy in the Canadian speed skating leotard we used for Warren? Script guy: Yeah, sure. What would we do with another... Wait a minute!
3) James and the editing guy deserve a lot of credit. The scene in the basement must have been a bear to film and edit.
4) Okay, I have a really low opinion of Buffy in some regards. I mean, sensitivity is not one of her stronger points. But ya know, taking Willow's room when she was away in detox and nailing her name to the door (like there's so much traffic up there you need a sign?) is a bit cold.
5) On the subject of rooms, do you think that Dawn tried to get Buffy's old room? The one that is so easy to sneak out of?
6) Willow's sound only flashback this episode was much more effective than Buffy's techno colour flashback from last episode.
7) Of all the Pinocchio characters (Data, Seven and the Doctor) Anya is certainly them most entertaining. And has the best lines.
8) Did anyone else have a mental flashback to either the Flaming O spell or the Tara sabotaged spell back in season five when Anya and Willow were setting up?
9) Both Willow and Kerry Weaver on ER have a titanium mac powerbook. Coincidence? Yeah, probably.
10) Somebody watched way too much Fellowship of the Ring before writing the Demon's lines. I kept expecting him to complain about his precious.
11) Notice that Willow's inadvertent spells are usually much more powerful then her on purpose spells?
Random Quotes
Dawn: "She didn't finish? She didn't finish not being evil!"
Anya: "I thought you were with Giles learning how to not kill people?"
(okay, every time Anya opened her mouth, it was quote potential.)
Anya: "This isn't going to get sexy, is it?"
Willow: "I'd be shocked."