When Buffy is told that 'from beneath it devours', she believes that she is being warned of a burrowing worm creature that seems to be tracking an unfortunate woman around Sunnydale. How can she stop it?

I have to admit, I felt this story was a little weak on plot. It's not bad, and contains some truly fantastic moments, but it doesn't hold together that well. The basic plot is just that: basic. An obvious take on Tremors, the worm creature isn't the most wonderful of things to fight, partly because it's not able to be seen much for fear of its iffy special effects nature to be revealed, and partly because it doesn't do much. Then again, only Buffy could end the threat by a naked man being seriously wounded by impaling and needing an ambulance, even if he does deserve everything he gets. The revelation of where the worm came from and why it's fixated on one woman isn't that much of a surprise, and seems designed mainly to squeeze Anya into the action somewhere. There still seems to be some affection between her and Xander, but it looks as if it's dissipating the longer the pair are apart.

On this topic, it's good to see Xander actually standing up for himself here. After he seemed so much more grown up last episode, here we get that even more as he refuses to accept any more blame for the mess of his and Anya's wedding and makes the pointed observation that she should move on and let it go. His more confident but still slightly dodgy chat-up technique is fun to watch, and rather reminiscent of the old days. The fact that it's temporarily just him and Buffy minus Willow also adds to this feeling, and it builds up his role on the show as well. Speaking of Willow though, there isn't really enough of her and Giles, and with her heading back I want Giles as well.

But it's James Marsters' show. Weren't expecting that, were you? He is magnificent throughout this story, playing crazy and sane in equal measure, yet with the feeling that he could teeter back into the other at a moment's notice. The scene at the end where Buffy discovers what has happened to him is fantastically written and superbly performed, and you really feel the torment Spike is going through. It's difficult to retrieve some sympathy for him after his actions last season, but Marsters does wonders attempting to do so. His desire to help despite his troubles works out nicely, although too many episodes of hiding out under the school aren't going to work. Things need to move on quickly from this point really or he'll be back to his rather useless status from season five, where he'd just turn up in the early stages because he was in the main cast.

Worth checking out for the drama, then, but not really the main premise. Oh yes, and let's not forget the opening sequence where a second young girl in a foreign country is caught and killed by persons unknown. My theory, partly from reading spoilers that lead me in this direction, is that they're all the potential new Slayers. But what will happen if they're all killed? The dream Buffy has apparently doesn't refer to the worm, so the portents are starting to build...

***

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