Buffy the Vampire Slayer S07 E02 – But no.

Previously: Sunnydale High School is rebuilt and season 7 is decidedly not season 6.
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Beneath You

Lorraine: The actual previouslies are in fact two full minutes of everything we said we wanted to forget happened in season 6, including the attempted rape. Some of you claimed to love this episode, so I will try not to hold that reel against it. In case you were wondering, though, yep. I still hate it.

Sweeney: WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO US, SHOW?

Kirsti: Not even the few seconds tacked on the end of stuff that happened in the previous episode could dull my fury.

Lor: Our tour of the world continues today, as we start in Frankfurt, Germany, outside of what appears to be a night club. We pan up to an overpass where a woman with bright pink hair is running for her life from some more hooded figures. Are these all potential slayers? This girl might be a little too unsteady on her feet for that, but that’s my initial guess. She keeps running, but is eventually caught by the Hooded Stabbers who stab her with a big knife. She takes a last few breaths, her head rolls toward the camera and in a deep, inhuman voice says, “from beneath you it devours.”

Girl, this is little consolation right now, but… CONGRATS:

Sweeney: I was going to say that this might be the first posthumously awarded gold star, but this show’s abundance of dead characters makes it hard to know where to draw that line.

K: So true. Also, German girl with pink hair who dies almost as soon as we meet her? WHAT UP, ORPHAN BLACK.

Lor: I like that show. I want to be watching that show. Also, I originally thought that title was going to be a call back to Cecily’s/Buffy’s words to Spike. I guess it still can be, but in a less direct way. Finally, more people say “beneath you,” but I’m only giving out one star. We do what we want.

We cut to Dawn shaking Buffy out of a bad dream, which OH THE PINK HAIRED GIRL WAS A DREAM. But, like, an early season Buffy dream in that it’s all premonition-y. She tells Dawn that more girls out there are going to die.

Sweeney: EARLY SEASON BUFFY. Sorry, those are like magic words for me right now.

Lor: Quiet Sunnydale streets. Something starts moving around under the earth, leaving a visible damage trail above it.

Wolf howl.

Basement of Don’t Go In There 2.0, with added reasons to not go in there. Namely a rat and Spike. Oh, and wait, Spike is going to try and eat this rat, so maybe this is just one giant additional reason to stay out. Also, his hair is still awful. Also, also, we’ve seen a vampire with a soul living on rats before, haven’t we? Yeah.

Anyway, Spike’s meal is interrupted by an earthquake. He begs for it to stop, falls to his knees and screams. Are they going to explain why Spike ended up in the Sunnydale High basement or is this going to be like the time he motorcycled to Africa?

K: It gets explained. Unlike how Spike got BACK from Africa.

Lor: Got it.

We cut to bright sunny daytime and Dawn saying she’s really happy about Buffy’s new counselor job, but that Buffy can’t talk to her, look at her or hang out with her friends at school. Xander jokingly asks what problems the students of “Hellmouth High” could possibly have, but then more earnestly says they are all “damn lucky” to have the Slayer on campus. He’s speaking from experience and with a note of nostalgia.

Sweeney: It’s cute and sweet and makes me nostalgic too.

Lor: This whole scene is particularly sweet and Buffy looks so happy.

This all serves as an awkward segue to start talking about their failed loved lives. Seriously, Xander gives a clunky, “SPEAKING OF HIGH SCHOOL, HOW ABOUT DATING HUH?” Okay, Xander. Okay. They recap the whole leaving Anya at the altar thing for anyone who successfully forgot season 6 and Dawn jokes that they should ease up on dating demons.

K: She’s not wrong. Although, as Buffy points out, she should really include herself in that mix.

Lor: Sunnydale High. Principal Wood is showing Buffy to her desk, explaining that some students will be sent to her, but he’s hoping some will come of their own volition. Buffy excitedly asks if she can give detention, and Wood says the authority might be a good thing. Sweeney, Sara and I were fond of giving ho suspensions for a long time, so I feel like I can relate to what Buffy’s feeling right now. The power goes to your head.

Sweeney: Twice we even gave ho expulsions. The power needed to be revoked.

K: Man, I miss the ho suspensions we used to give out in the early days of Buffy. Who am I kidding, I just miss the early days of Buffy…

Lor: Buffy wonders why she even has this job since she hasn’t finished college and her work experience boils down to the Doublemeat Palace.

Wood says that he wants someone his students can relate to. Wood soon excuses himself to go be a principal and Buffy says she’s going to take a look around. One guess where she’s going. And I guess this mostly explains why Spike is in the basement, no matter what else they tell us.

Sweeney: The Great Contrivance Spirit has just recognizes that shit’s just easier when you can force all of your characters to be in the same place. (While I’m playing the tag game, totally related: our oldest carried-over-from-CT-days contrivance tag is contrivance brings people together.)

Lor: On that note, in the basement, Buffy calls out for Spike and just hears rats squeaking. This school is brand new. They should really do something about this infestation.

We cut to Westbury, England, where Willow is looking sadly at hills. Giles tells her that her taxi arrived and that she should probably, you know, get in it now. Willow scared to go home. She wants more time to quiet her fears. Giles asks her to be specific about what she’s afraid of and she rambles off a few things, including a newly rumbly Hellmouth, the possibility she may lose control and (Giles offers this for her) the possibility that her friends won’t take her back. Giles tells her that they could spend two more years in England, but that won’t guarantee her friends would want her back. She may not be wanted in Sunnydale, but she will be needed. That’s not exactly a pep talk, but it’s enough to get Willow going.

K: Giles spends a lot of his time surrogate parenting the Summers girls. This serves as a nice reminder that he’s actually the surrogate father to ALL the Scoobies. Giles, I hereby award you all the Sandy Cohen eyebrows, just because.

Lor: Sunnydale. A woman is stupid enough to be living in Sunnydale and walking her dog at night. She soon pays for this stupidity as her dog is pulled under the concrete while she’s looking away. Woman Stupid Enough approaches the hole in the sidewalk and something big breaks through, though we don’t see what it is.  She runs and runs straight into Xander who greets her with a confused, “hello?”

Cut to Chez Summers, where Woman Stupid Enough tells her story to Xander, Buffy and Dawn, worried that she might sound crazy. She says you hear crazy things, living in Sunnydale, but you also ignore the shit out of them, apparently. They assure her that she isn’t crazy and that they’ve seen things themselves. They also give her the name Nancy. I’m pretty sure my name was better, but okay. (S: It was.)

Dawn, jumping into the investigation, asks if she saw anything and Nancy describes the earth rumbling. Buffy recalls that whole, “from beneath you it devours” thing. It’s time to get into action, but Xander points out they are working with an abbreviated Scooby Gang. Buffy promises Nancy they’ll find her dog if it’s still alive. Buffy: “The only thing that I need is a little…”

She doesn’t finish her thought, because standing in the foyer, with his hair now freshly dyed and combed, a lot more lucid and in a bright blue shirt because people with souls like color, see? is Spike. “What you need is help. Fortunately, you’ve got me.”

 

That’s pretty much what I have to say about that line and this entrance and that entire sentiment in general.

Sweeney: Yup.

K: Aaaaaaand in honour of yesterday’s new addition to the line up:

Lor: After a cut to black (or maybe I really rolled my eyes for a long time) Buffy stands and walks a bit to compose herself. Nancy asks who Spike is and Xander quickly offers “ex.” Nancy accurately assumes that it’s a bit more complicated than that. Buffy notices all the stuff I did about him being less crazy and more groomed and asks what he wants. Spike: Easy. If you think I like putting myself here, surrounded by people who don’t particularly like me, you’d be wrong.

I can’t even.

Spike says he’ll be quick and asks Buffy if she wants to talk here or privately. Xander answers for her (because of course) and says in front of her friends is best. Buffy says to make it quick and Spike leads off with, “when you saw me last week I was a mess.” This is not the best opening line, as Buffy didn’t tell anyone she saw Spike. Dawn is upset, and Buffy tells her they’ll talk about it later. Xander softly tells her that they’ll do whatever she wants, and Dawn replies, “right. ‘Cause that seems to be the only time you let us in, Buffy. Whenever you want.” Spike jumps in to defend Buffy but Xander isn’t hearing that and tells him to shut up. Buffy tries to calm everyone down by taking Spike out to the foyer to speak.

Buffy heads him off with, “do not start by saying you’re sorry,” and Spike says he isn’t here to atone. She may have said she doesn’t want him to start with an apology, but it is perhaps what she expected because she follows up with, “then what the hell do you want?”

Spike says he’s here to help, and B should know better than he does what he’s to help with. She’s the one with the visions. He doesn’t know what’s coming, but something is brewing. Something really big and ugly. I don’t know if I’ve been spoiled by anything, but I feel like I know this is leading up to the First Evil? I want to be all, “look at me! Good at TV!” because I honestly don’t know how I would know that, but I’m not sure. Was it super obvious to anyone while they were watching at this point, what with all the, “worse than the old ones! The most terrible of all terribles!” they’ve been doing?

Anyways, Spike wants to know if he’s wrong and Buffy is all YEAH YOU ARE, but she means more like his face is wrong not his theory. Buffy asks when he became the CHAMPION! of the people, but he says he isn’t. Just a guy (guy, see? Like a human!) lending a hand.

K: I have two points. 1. CHAMPION SHOTS. Because at this point, I will take all the shots I can get my hands on to make it through this show. And 2. This whole scene proves that Buffy never withdrew Spike’s invitation to Chez Summers. Excuse me while I go and burn the world down.

Lor: We cut to Buffy dispatching the troops, noting that the burrowing thing is pretty strong, maybe as a consequence of the rumbling Hellmouth. Nancy innocently suggests calling the cops and Xander LOLs her appropriately. B tells Xander to take Nancy home and Nancy asks him if his girlfriend is always so commanding. Bitch, she’s standing right there. Rude.

Sweeney: Right? Shut the fuck up, Nancy.

Lor: Xander gets all awkward as he explains that Buffy is his girl[space]friend, not his girlfriend. Dawn is a total cockblock as she calls Xander’s attention to tell him to wipe up his drool.

Buffy pairs herself up with Spike and Xander takes a moment to say that he doesn’t like this plan, on account of Spike tried to rape her. Buffy: And he failed. I know I can take him.

Dawn jokes about being command central, when really she’s staying home to do homework. Buffy tells her to be safe, and heads out. Spike is the last to leave, but before he does, Dawn stops him.

Dawn: Spike. You sleep, right? You. Vampires. You sleep.
Spike: Yeah. What’s your point, niblet?
Dawn: Well, I can’t take you in a fight or anything, even with a chip in your head. But you do sleep. If you hurt my sister at all, touch her, you’re gonna wake up on fire.

It’s the speech I wish I could give anyone who has ever hurt a member of my family. Go ahead, Dawnie.

Sweeney: +1 to that sentiment and additional applause for Dawnie who wins all the things today.

K: Dawnie is the actual freaking best and I love her so much for this.

Lor: Spike and Buffy are patrolling. He notes that she’s super quiet. She doesn’t know what to say. Spike’s all, “FINE WITH ME!” because who would want to hear about that one time they betrayed a loved one, am I right? Spike asks when Dawn got so scary– probably about the time she threatened you with fire. Just guessing. Buffy asks WTF he’s doing. He’s just here to help.

They find the spot where Nancy’s dog was eaten. Spike doesn’t fancy poking around the murder hole, but Buffy’s thinks if something bites his head off it’d be a clue. Spike looks put off, but does get to rummaging. Buffy asks him what happened to him. While hanging out in the basement for still unknown reasons, he claims the ghost thingies got in his head and made him see and do things. He turns the questioning around and asks why she never told anyone about Spike Timberlake (TM stephynee) and she gives a shrug. She was partly hoping he was a mirage. You and me both, B. (S: +1)

Spike asks Buffy to hold the flashlight and she looks uncertainly at his hand. She grabs it from him and this sends her into a flashback of the attempted rape. I WANT TO CRY TEARS BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH I DISLIKE THIS ENTIRE STORY.

K: Oh yeah. She’s DEFINITELY not traumatised by that attempted rape. Nope. Not even a little bit.

Lor: Out of the flashback, she shrinks back because even though she is physically strong, there is much more to an attack than just the physical aspect. Buffy isn’t also the emotional slayer. She’s a young woman, like any other. And excuse me, but I’m going to take this physical reaction to Spike as a sign that she isn’t all fine with what happened and that there is some lingering trauma, despite however quickly it serves the story to shuffle along and get Spike all redeemed and shit.

I’m just gonna quote the rest of this because words are failing me.

Buffy: Look, this, us working together—it’s not a way for us to get back together, if that’s what you want.
Spike: It’s not. Look, I can’t blame you for being all skittish.
Buffy: Skittish? That’s not a word I would use for it. You tried to rape me. I don’t have the words.

ME NEITHER, BUFFY.

Spike: Neither do I. I can’t say sorry. Can’t use forgive me. All I can say is: Buffy, I’ve changed.
Buffy: I believe you.
Spike: Well, that’s something.
Buffy: I just don’t know what you’ve changed into. You come back to town. You make with the big surprises. Twice. I don’t know what your game is, Spike, but I know there’s something you’re not telling me.
Spike: You’re right. There is. But we’re not best friends anymore, so too bad for me. I’m not sharing.

(1) – I HATE all of this “I can’t say I’m sorry,” crap. No, sorry isn’t always enough, BUT YOU FUCKING START THERE. It feels like such a cop out, it’s giving me indigestion.

(2) – Fuck you, Spike.

(3) – JUST SAY YOU HAVE A SOUL, OMG. USE YOUR WORDS DAMN IT.

Sweeney: A giant FUCK YES to all of that.

K: A+ and 1430, Lor. ESPECIALLY on the whole “I can’t say I’m sorry” thing. That is such fucking bullshit.

Lor: Spike keeps insisting that Buffy decide if he’s allowed to help or not. And there is nothing left at the murder hole. Spike walks away and Buffy is left looking about as distraught as I feel.

Xander is dropping Nancy off at her apartment and they make with the awkward flirting. Lucky for Xander, Nancy is a take charge kind of girl, and asks if she can call him sometime. Xander would like that. As they are about to part ways, the rumbling starts again, the lights go out and the glass door behind them shatters. Xander and Nancy take off running and a giant tape worm pops out of the ground and growls at them a bit before retreating. This show sure does have a history with Terrible Special Effects and phallic creatures..

Nancy is pretty upset about almost being killed again and babbles about how her psycho, abusive ex-boyfriend would just love that she’s almost being murdered. (These. segues.) Xander asks more about this psycho ex, and Nancy says things about having an ex who controls your life or who makes you feel helpless. Xander understands too well, and when Nancy says she wishes it would stop, we Segue Magic to Anya sitting at The Bronze, chatting with a scorned woman. The Scorned Woman says her ex is a spineless pig and gets ready for a wish with, “and you know what I wish?”

We don’t actually know, though, because of a cut to black.

After that, Scorned Woman is more concerned with ordering more quesadillas. Legit. (K: Truth. More quesadillas is always a good decision.) Anya tries to steer her back to her wish, but they are interrupted by an approaching Xander, Nancy, Spike and Buffy. Anya sends Scorned Woman away.

Xander asks Anya if she turned Nancy’s ex-boyfriend into a worm monster. Anya laughs but quickly admits that she did.

Sweeney: Her reaction here is priceless:

Lor: That gif is my spirit animal.

Nancy is shocked. Anya: You wish it, I dish it. I thought we were clear on this. I didn’t think you were going to go all narc on me. Nancy is feeling queasy. Anya wants to know what the big deal is, and Buffy tells her about Worm Boyfriend eating Nancy’s little dog. Anya’s all, “OH NO! PUPPY!” which Xander doesn’t quite understand, considering all the other lives that are in danger. Nancy asks who Anya even is and some grumble, grumbles later, Xander reveals that she’s his ex.

K: I’m gonna side with Anya on the “OH NO! PUPPY!” because I can be watching something and fifty thousand people can die and I’m fine. But the minute something happens to the dog? I will ugly cry until next week.

Lor: I didn’t cry during Marley & Me, which my friends like to throw in my face at strategic moments.

Anya tries to leave, but Spike grabs her and sits her back down. She tells him to keep his hands off since he isn’t going to go there again. This confuses Nancy because she thought Anya was Xander’s ex.

K: Oh, look. Shipper trolling.

Lor: Buffy refocuses the conversation. Worms are small. Worm Boyfriend is a giant thing which Spike identifies as a Sluggoth demon. Apparently it’s in the same phylum as little worms, so it was within the wish granting rules. Xander says she has to revert the wish, Anya gives him a, “bite me, Harris.” I found it easier to relate to Anya when she wasn’t going around turning people into demons, you know?

Sweeney: Indeed. All this vengeance demoning is creating some distance between us, Anya.

Lor: Anya says they can’t understand the vengeance demon code of conduct because they are all so human. Spike says he’s totally not! He’s totally a demon! This gets Anya looking, and soon she can tell there is something different about him. She says very vague things like, “how did you do it?” and Spike panics. To keep her from spilling the beans, or for other Spike-related reasons, he decks her in the face. Nancy uses this opportunity to GTFO.

Anya demons out and kicks Spike right on top of a nearby pool table. Anya says she’s going to kick Spike’s ass, but Buffy steps into the fight with a, “You haven’t changed, Spike.” She punches him and he punches back and OF COURSE. BECAUSE A FIGHT WHERE BUFFY TAKES OUT HER AGGRESSION ON SPIKE’S FACE IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS SHIT SHOW WAS MISSING. AND HE TAUNTS HER DURING IT.

Sweeney: YUP.

K: Pretty much exactly. 

Lor: Xander calls out to Buffy and tells her Nancy left. Buffy says she’ll go find her if Xander stays and gets Anya to reverse the spell.

Nancy is muttering to herself about how she always surrounds herself with freaks when the Worm Boyfriend comes rumbling along. She runs for it. We see that Buffy is running toward her to help, via rooftops, and right behind is Spike.

At The Bronze, Xander tells Anya to reverse the spell, but she’s more concerned by what happens after that, since Halfrek is on her case and D’Hoffryn is not please with her work. Xander snarks that she’s got great friends, and Anya says she had good friends. She had a lot going for her until Xander left her at the altar. Xander says that sooner or later, that excuse stops working. I think that perhaps that excuse hasn’t reached its time limit, but it can only stretch so far. Take responsibility for your murder worms, girl.

Buffy saves Nancy by swinging into the frame like Tarzan. The Worm Boyfriend pops up from the ground, but before Buffy can do anything, Spike does Spike things. “You’ve had your turn, luv. Leave the real violence to the demons, yeah? That’s right. Big bad’s back, and looking for a little death!”

Spike picks up a discarded pipe and stabs the Worm Boyfriend with it, but of course, just as he does, the Worm Boyfriend is transformed back into a human. Spike cries out in pain as his chip goes off and Not Worm Boyfriend cries in pain because of pipe.

Spike apologizes to Not Worm Boyfriend who collapses after Spike pulls out the metal. Buffy runs to NWB with a blanket she got from I don’t even know where (S: There is a nearby dumpster and he has a giant open wound and all I can say to this entire situation is, “EW.”) (K: Seriously. I mean, I get that the dude was naked, but GROSS.) as Spike mutters to himself, “Right. Wrong. All wrong. Wrong maneuver. Not hardly helpful.” He screams for help and Buffy yells back that he isn’t the one who needs help. B calls 9-1-1.

Buffy tells Spike to do whatever he’s doing elsewhere. Spike screams at someone who isn’t there. He bends over in pain, gives a crazy laugh, stands again and delivers this speech:

I get it. The joke’s on me. Lots of laughs. Yeah. Hey, bring the wife and kiddies. Come see the show ’cause it’s going to be a circus. This? Just the beginning, luv. A warm-up act. The real headliner’s coming, and when that band hits the stage, all of this… all this… will come tumbling in death and screaming, horror and bloodshed. From beneath you, it devours.

Spike chokes up and then gags a bit before he takes off running.

Xander and Anya arrive. Nancy is pretty pissed at Anya, and she leaves. Buffy tells Xander to wait with Not Worm and also leaves. Xander tells Anya that she did the right thing by reversing the spell. It’s bad, but it could be worse. Anya says it will be.

Buffy is walking through the cemetery and finds a church or something. Her spidey senses tell her Spike be inside. Spike is indeed inside. He comes out of the shadows and his whole speech is so disjointed I don’t even know how to recap it. You’ll please forgive as I try:

Spike says his costume didn’t help, as if cleaning up and acting the part of the asshole didn’t help his cause.

Buffy reaches for his chest where his wounds from Lessons are healing. He flinches this time and says stuff about flesh, asking if he’s flesh, and insinuating that she only ever used his flesh because he had no “spark.” He starts to unzip his pants to “service the girl,” but Buffy stops him and throws him across the room. She tells him that she’s listening, and that’s all he gets from her. In lots of fragments, he tries to tell Buffy that he went looking for his missing pieces.

He creeps into the shadows, and says he thought and dreamed of killing Buffy. “Did you make me weak, thinking of you, holding myself, and spilling useless buckets of salt over your… ending?” He cried over her grave.

Spike says Angel should’ve warned him, and it is then that realization starts to dawn on Buffy. “I wanted to give you what you deserve, and I got it. They put the spark in me and now all it does is burn.”

Buffy asks how he got his soul back, but he just asks if that isn’t what she wanted. All last season she insisted that she couldn’t love him because of what he was, and now here he is, with a soul. But also it’s come with all these voices in his head. Everything he did, his own conscious and the thing beneath you are all up in Spike’s head. B asks why he would do this.

 

And Buffy cries.

So.

I guess if you have Spike sympathies this was an episode you like, and stuff. If you don’t have any Spike sympathy this was an episode where he acted like an ass for most of it and then at the end it’s kind of like, “BUT NO!” because he’s pretty much going crazy. It was part of an act, and one you can argue a lot about considering how much is going on in Spike’s head. Is he even accountable for how annoying he was in this entire episode? I guess that depends on you. This BUT NO sentiment is par for the course with Spike, kind of like when he tried to rape someone BUT NO because he didn’t have a soul. Like kind of how he loved Buffy BUT NO because he can’t actually love anyone BUT NO because he does love people BUT NO only like a couple people BUT NO because no soul.

I’m not saying that what Spike did is unforgivable. My grievances are with how the story was handled and just who Spike is as a character, prior to this point. Even here as he throws himself on a cross, it’s dramatic and the imagery is impacting and it was beautifully acted by JM, but it is still Spike-centric. There are some of you, I’m sure, who will see this as actions speaking louder than words. He may not apologize to Buffy, but he’s here, being driven mad by the soul he got for her. I see that point, I do, it just isn’t one I appreciate. If this scenes existed in a vacuum, it would be different. It is quality (he’s confessing, pouring his newly acquired soul out in the presence of God and the only person whose judgement matters to him) but there is too much here now. The wounds may be healing, but there are scars.

I feel like that entire last scene was all, “SEE? FEEL BAD FOR SPIKE.” It was less about forgiveness for me, and more about twisting my arm back to the point where I was expected to forget. Like, “yeah, everything from Smashed to Grave was kind of terrible, BUT LOOK. FORGET ABOUT THAT NOW.”

But no.

I can’t.

Sweeney: SEE HOW IT WAS ALL DEALT WITH AND SPIKE’S PRECIOUS AND EVERYONE SIMPLY MUST LOVE HIM?

But seriously. “Can we rest now?” is about how I feel about all of this shit. That final moment of the last scene is kind of pretty and the whole scene was well-acted and maybe one day, years from now, I can re-watch it and appreciate that again. I doubt it.

K: In the meantime, the lighting in that last scene was really pretty? That’s literally all I have to say on the subject.

Lor: The episode itself away from that one scene was just an empty vehicle getting us there. The monster of the week was truly bland, though Dawnie was a highlight, as was Nancy trying to figure out the Scooby Gang dynamics. It’s okay Nancy. It can be confusing.

 

 

Next time: Willow’s back but not all is well in Buffy the Vampire Slayer S07 E03 – Same Time, Same Place.