Buffy the Vampire Slayer S07 E19 – Coup o’clock

Previously: EYEBALL TRAUMA. Also, Nathan Fillion turned up.
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Empty Places

Kirsti: We open in Sunnydale’s main street. It’s busier than we’ve ever seen it, bumper to bumper traffic as people flee the Hellmouth-y vibes.

Lorraine: Only seven season later. Better late than never, population of Sunnydale!

Sweeney: “See, even the population of Sunnydale is peacing out! We promise we’re a couple episodes away from a real mega apocalypse!”

K: A+.

Buffy wanders through the cars when a voice calls out to her. It’s Clem, who apparently drives a red VW Beetle. Bless. He tells her that he’s leaving town (SAD PANDA) because the Hellmouth seems extra Hellmouth-y. He says that he doesn’t think anyone will be able to stop it, then awkwards when he realises who he’s talking to. He tries to backtrack and say that he has total confidence in her, but it’s less than convincing. He tells her to take care of herself as he slowly drives away leaving Buffy staring after him.

Mostly during this scene, I was really distracted by the fact that Sarah Michelle Gellar clearly has a cold because she’s all croaky sounding.

Lor: It’s not a badly timed cold, either. I’d probably suffer some cold symptoms soon after having my ass kicked Nathan Priest-ion and watching my best friend have his eye gouged out. Something like that.

Sweeney: This is actually a weird thing I remember noticing on first watch in about that same way — noticing that SMG’s actual physical strugglebus happened to sync up with the show.

K: Well done, SMG’s immune system! Cue Wolf Howl.

After the credits, Giles and Willow are talking to a LOLPD officer outside the police station where Willow Once Tried To Kill Andrew And Jonathan. He calls Giles “Inspector” and it becomes apparent that Willow is casting some kind of spell to make the LOLPD officer think that they’re with Interpol. In the background, a couple of other LOLPD officers drag a crazy man yelling “From beneath you it devours!” into the police station. The LOLPD officer informs Giles and Willow that they’d be happy to help out with handing out justice if they need any help dealing with things. Giles and Willow hurry away to “catch our flight to Interpol” (really, Giles?? I’d expect that of Willow, but YOU? It’s not that hard. LYON, DUDE. LYON.), discussing the impact of the Hellmouth on the LOLPD.

Back outside the police station, a couple of cops approach the police officer Willow and Giles were talking to. They show him a piece of paper, and inform him that a wanted fugitive has gone to ground in Sunnydale. The LOLPD officer eagerly says that it sounds like they need to dole out some justice.

 

Sunnydale Hospital. Willow holds Xander’s hand as Buffy passes on an update from his doctor. Seriously, Sunnydale? Did the doctor just run into Buffy in the hallway and be like “Oh, cool. I have to leave town, so can you brief my patient on his new eyeless-ness? Kthxbai”??? Anyway, there’s gross eyeball talk that ends with Buffy saying that Xander might be released from hospital that night. She thanks Willow for the file they got from the LOLPD and goes to leave. Willow’s a little hurt, because she’d told Xander there’d be Original Scoobies card games. Buffy awkwardly makes her excuses and leaves.

Lor: DAMN IT, BUFFY. Grow some floaties and jump into the deep end of the emotion pool, for crying out loud. That’s your best friend there.

Sweeney: It’s amazing that she continues to one-up her level of atrocious insensitivity to the Scoobies. STOP IT.

K: SRSLY.

Willow tries to sound perky as she talks about all the fun she and Xander can have together, but Xander interrupts to say that he needs a parrot to go with his new eye patch. He also says that he’s pretty sure he still has that pirate costume. Willow joins in the joke, and Xander says that there’s an unexpected bonus to having no depth perception – no more 3D movies. Willow starts to tear up, and Xander begs her not to cry. Meanwhile, my hayfever is flaring up because I have BFF feels. (L: +1) (S: I HATE THAT INTERNET-SPREAD HAY FEVER.)

Chez Summers basement. Anya’s briefing the Potentials as Andrew scribbles notes furiously on an easel. Anya perkily says that she’s been talking to her demon contacts, trying to get information on the ubervamps. It boils down to the following: they can be staked like normal vamps, but have a superstrong sternum. Rona chimes in to say that she’s not so scared of the ubervamps any more since Nathan Priest-ion came to town. Anya says they’re working on getting information about Priest-ion, then goes on a ramble about how she’d much rather be with Xander but instead she’s there – contributing. The Potentials, she says, have to do the same.

Cut to the kitchen where Faith is sitting on the bench and eating chips. Kennedy appears from the basement, and Faith says “Shouldn’t you be at Hogwarts?” which I mention only because I find the idea of Faith sitting in prison anxiously waiting for the prison library to get the next Harry Potter book to be kind of fabulous. ANYWAY. Amanda joins them because Anya’s started talking about her sex life, and ew. Faith sniggers and says that her approach to Anya’s sexcapade stories is to remind her that she slept with Xander first. Thanks for that unpleasant reminder, Faith. They discuss Priest-ion, especially the fact that no one can find any information on him.

Lor: I can’t even get over how different the Faith and Xander who slept together were. Crazy character growth for both.

K: Buffy walks in the front door and calls out. Dawn meets her in the dining room and asks how Xander’s doing. Faith, Amanda and Kennedy join them. Buffy opens the file that Willow and Giles got from the LOLPD, and informs them that it’s information on crazy religious shit from the past ten years. They figured, she said, that if you want to know about Priest-ion, they need to know where he’s been. Dawn says that she’s free to help research now that school’s been permanently cancelled, then asks again about Xander. Faith sees the look on Buffy’s face and tells Dawn to go get their other research.

Lor: #Dawnfeels. I know Buffy is hurt, I do, but poor Dawn, whose feelings are always looked over. Xander is a big part of her life, and all she wants is for Buffy to look at her and tell her how Xander is doing. Buffy can’t or she won’t, or some combination of the two.

Sweeney: I CAN’T EVEN WITH THIS SHIT, BUFFY. It’s not that closed-off Buffy is OOC or anything, but it feels like the last few episodes have been aggressively trying to undercut any growth she’s had in that department in order to get her to where this episode ends and I hate it.

K: YES. THAT.

Buffy tells the others to start looking for Priest-ion signs in the file, and Kennedy makes a comment about his ability to knock a Slayer out with one punch. Buffy looks awkward, then announces that she needs to go into school and clear out her desk. Kennedy apologises, but Buffy heads out anyway.

Sunnydale High 2.0. The place is deserted, lockers and papers all over the place. Buffy heads into the darkened office and sits at her desk, looking sadly at the picture of her, Xander and Willow from season 1. “Oh, now, look… Things don’t go exactly your way, so here come the waterworks. Ain’t that just like a woman?” says a voice. The camera pans up to show us Priest-ion standing in front of Buffy’s desk. Buffy looks scared as we fade to black.

After the Not Commercial Break, Buffy tells Priest-ion to get out. He sasses that it’s a public school, and that this is what happens when you turn away from the Lord. She reaches for a weapon, but he condescendingly tells her that fighting back didn’t do much good last time, and that any time they’re ready, he can finish what he started with Xander. Buffy tells him to stay away from Xander, and Priest-ion gets misogynistic as he stalks towards her, Crazy Preacher Rambling. She punches him in the face, and they fight briefly before he throws her through a window and into a wall. She falls to the ground unconscious. “I’ll see you soon, little lady,” he says as he walks out.

Lor: Thank God all the Buffy villains are into the prolonged kill, I guess.

K: So convenient for the storyline.

Chez Summers. Dawn’s briefing Giles on what she found in the file, namely that there’s a mission somewhere further north in California that was found abandoned but with no vandalism. (S: I love research!Dawn.) Andrew appears in the background and starts bitching to Giles about how Faith stole his last Hot Pocket. Giles has no fucks to give. He stares at a picture from the file, then heads into the living room, where he pulls a magnifying glass from a drawer and studies the picture closer. Andrew continues to whine. Giles hands the picture to Dawn and asks what she sees. Through the magnifying glass, we see an impression of Priest-ion’s ring burnt into a beam on the back wall.

Giles informs Spike that he has a mission for him, and hands him the photo and the magnifying glass. Andrew whines some more, as Faith has now walked in eating said Hot Pocket, and Giles tells Spike to take Andrew with him. They both sulk, but Giles surrogate parents them on their way.

Lor: God bless Giles and his, “TAKE ANDREW AND HIS PAN FLUTE.” There is only so much talk about Hot Pockets I guess one can take.

Sweeney: The Hot Pocket stuff was another example of the failed attempts at comic relief we saw so much of with the trio.

K: Ugh, yes. Faith, meanwhile, has twigged that the girls aren’t really down with the whole sitting around waiting for news thing. They need, she says, to blow off some steam. And she knows just how to do it.

Cut to the Bronze. Hello, old friend. Faith’s on the dance floor surrounded by guys as the Potentials dance and play pool. Kennedy wonders what kind of band plays during an apocalypse, and I pine for Dingoes Ate My Baby. (L: OZ. OH, OZ.) Although the band playing is Nerf Herder (of BtVS theme song fame), so it could be worse. (L: Adorable nod, especially in a final season.) Chez Summers. Buffy limps in to find the house deserted except for Giles. He asks if she’s okay, and she tells him about the return of Priest-ion. Giles is instantly worried, but Buffy assures him that “The short lack of consciousness was nice. I feel rested.”

Lor: A very Lorne-esque line. Between these two, I’m thinking my plan in case of an apocalypse is get knocked out and enjoy the rest.

K: A totally legit plan.

Buffy asks how the LOLPD file worked out, and he fills her in on the mission up north, including that he sent Spike to investigate. Buffy’s instantly defensive, asking if Spike’s going to come back alive.

Giles says calmly that sometimes decisions need to be made when she’s not around and that he thought he’d done the right thing, but Buffy replies with “You sent away the one person that’s been watching my back—again.” I stop to burn down the world because ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS, SUMMERS? It’s one thing to get pissy with Giles over the whole Wood Should Kill Spike plan. But to say that Spike’s the ONLY PERSON who has her back? What was Xander doing in the last episode when he lost his eye? What about Anya, checking with her demon contacts? Willow, doing spells to get information from the LOLPD? Dawn, doing your research for you? And Giles, acting as surrogate parent and (presumably) paying for a good chunk of your food and bills. GO FUCK YOURSELF, BUFFY. EVERYONE HAS YOUR BACK. YOU JUST CHOOSE NOT TO SEE IT. 

Lor:

What’s more is that it’s hard to see how much Spike has had her back this season, considering he was kind of crazy for most of it and then killing people for part of it and then having a chip exploding in his head.

Sweeney: The writers decided that they wanted an isolated Buffy as part of their end-of-season Buffy and also to sell us on Spuffy and did it through this epic bullshit maneuver of destroying Buffy’s relationships with everyone else. Thanks, show! Thanks.

K: A+ gif selection, Sweeney. A-freaking-plus.

Giles says pretty much what I just did, but Buffy huffs away. She snippily asks where the girls are, and Giles informs her that Faith took them to the Bronze. Buffy eye rolls her way out the front door. 

Evil Command Central. Priest-ion Crazy Preacher Rambles about how all high schools smell the same. First!Buffy asks if he’s laid the groundwork for their evil plan, and he says that he did. All they need to do now is wait for Buffy to lead the girls right into the trap.

The Bronze. Amanda gushes about how cool Faith is. Faith confiscates her alcohol, and heads back out onto the dance floor. Three LOLPD officers walk up to her, and say that they need to talk to her about outstanding warrants. She sasses that they should buy her a drink, and a fourth cop appears behind her and grabs her arms, pinning her. They start escorting her towards the door, some with guns drawn. Dawn and Kennedy ask what’s happening, but Faith says she has it under control. Cut to outside the Bronze. The Potentials watch from the doorway, a cop beside them, as the LOLPD corner Faith in the alley. The cop by the girls pulls the door shut. Faith says that she’s not going back to jail, and one of the LOLPD replies “Who said anything about jail?” Fade to black.

After the Not Commercial Break, Faith starts to fight. The Potentials try to get to her, but the cop blocks their way with a shotgun. Dawn insists that he can’t keep them there, but he still won’t let them pass. Outside, Faith’s curled up on the ground as the cops beat her with clubs. She manages to get to her feet. Inside, Dawn says that she’s going to find a phone. The cop fires in the air, and the girls scream and duck for cover. Punch Up Alley. Faith’s straddling a cop, punching him in the face. Two others drag her off. Bronze. Kennedy gets all up in the cop’s face and says he’ll have to shoot them all to stop them. He grins that he has no problems with that. He tells them to back up, and Amanda yells “No!” Kennedy grabs his gun, and the girls attack him, knocking him down. He tries to crawl away, but Dawn jumps on his back, pummelling him. The Potentials rush out the door.

Punch Up Alley. Faith’s on the ground again, being beaten with clubs. The girls rush in, and manage to fight off the cops enough that Faith can get up and join in. Between them, they take the cops down. Buffy walks up just as the fight finishes and demands to know what’s going on. Faith says that they were just blowing off steam, up until the point where the LOLPD went evil on them. Buffy orders the Potentials to go home while she talks to Faith. Dawn tries to step in, but Buffy insists that she leave too. Dawn and the Potentials reluctantly leave.

Buffy confronts Faith, who insists that the girls needed to blow off steam. Buffy angry parents that there’s a difference between blowing off steam and getting drunk and starting fights. It’s possible that Buffy’s forgotten her own teen years where she was responsible for more damage to the Bronze than to any other venue in Sunnydale. Also That Episode Where She Got Drunk And Turned Into A Neanderthal… (L: Why would you remind us?) Faith says that no one got hurt, and that Buffy should let the girls mess up occasionally so that they can learn from their mistakes. Buffy gets pissy, calling the Potentials “children.” Faith insists that they’re not, and wants to know how safe they were when Buffy led them into Evil Command Central. Buffy snaps, and punches Faith in the face. Faith falls to the ground, and Buffy stalks away.

Lor: Can we talk about the role reversal here? Or, maybe it’s more fair to say, can we talk about how far Faith has come? Buffy reacts aggressively (though that was one hell of a provocation) but Faith stays down. She doesn’t retaliate. It’s a fantastic, small moment.

Sweeney: An amazing moment for Faith, especially given what a legitimate provocation it was. For Buffy to say that the girls are ready to fight Priestion but need to be protected from that is epic scale bullshit. Major points to Faith, though, for having the sense to recognize the bigger thing going on here.

K: Homegirl’s come a long way since season 3.

Motorcycle To Africa Gilroy, CA. Andrew, wearing the football helmet that Dawn wore at the start of season 6, wants to know if they can stop for roadtrip food. Spike insists that it’s not a roadtrip. Andrew says that even covert operatives probably eat curly fries. Spike says that he’d prefer a good onion blossom, and they bond over how awesome onion blossoms are and also the onion blossom manufacturing process. Spike then pauses and says that if Andrew tells anyone about their conversation, he’ll bite him. The whole scene is really awkward because it’s so badly blue screened.

 

Lor: But the onion blossom is the only thing I could possibly consider pairing with Spike, though I’d still feel bad for the blossom.

K: Chez Summers. Principal Wood walks up the front path to find Faith sitting on the porch, smoking. At least she’s finally heeding Sweeney’s advice and has taken her stinky habit outside?? (S: About damn time.) Anyway, he asks if the big meeting has started yet. She replies that she really hopes it has. They introduce themselves, and he asks about her injuries. She says that it was mostly the cops, except for the one that came from someone who THINKS she’s a cop. She gestures at the bruise on her cheek from Buffy’s punch, and says it’s her favourite. He asks why she didn’t fight back, and Faith replies “Other things matter more.” He says that she’s worried about Buffy, and she chuckles, saying that he needs to read up on their history before noting that him walking through Sunnydale in the dark might be a sign that he’s looking for a fight too. Just then, a car pulls up in the driveway. “Xander’s home,” Faith says.

Covert Mission Mission. Spike leads the way inside as Andrew says that it makes him feel creepy. Spike agrees. Just then, a figure in a monk robe jumps out at them, tackling Andrew to the ground. Spike fights him, then stops when he realises that it’s not a Bringer, just a monk. There’s a burn mark on the guy’s cheek identical to Priest-ion’s ring.

Chez Summers. Willow and Anya help Xander into the living room where the girls are sitting waiting. A “welcome home” banner hangs above the fireplace. Kennedy informs Xander that they didn’t have time to do more as Dawn rushes across the room to hug him before helping him to a chair and perching on the arm. (Sidenote: this is my first rewatch of season 7 since reading the season 8 comics, and it’s making me read too much into everything…) (L: Dammit, you can’t say shit like that around me.) (K: SORRY, LOR.) Anyway, Xander insists that the lack of party is perfect as a party at Chez Summers usually leads to him fixing things. Buffy welcomes him home, saying that she wanted him to be there for her big piece of news: she’s realised that they have to go back into Evil Command Central. Fade to black.

Covert Mission Mission. Spike crouches down in front of the monk and asks if he works for Priest-ion. The monk insists that he’s not. Spike asks for his help, but the monk says he can’t. “Can’t is a four letter word!” yells Andrew before introducing himself as this evening’s bad cop. Spike says quietly that they’re trying to fight Priest-ion, and the monk replies, “You can’t fight him. You can’t stop him. You can only run.” Spike demands that he talk, and the monk finally does. He tells them that Priest-ion turned up at their door a while back and, as a benevolent order, they welcomed him. He revealed something that none of them knew was there – a secret room behind a statue of Mary. He ushers Spike and Andrew into said room, and takes a tapestry off the wall to reveal an inscription. The inscription, the monk goes on, made Priest-ion mad. Priest-ion branded him with his ring, and the monk ran and hid while the others died. Spike looks at the inscription and translates out loud: “It is not for thee. It is for her alone to wield.”

Chez Summers. Everyone stares at Buffy in disbelief. She’s realised, she says, that they’ve all been so worried about the Basement Of Don’t Go In There 2.0 – the Hellmouth and the Seal – but Priest-ion’s not bothering to guard it. Which shows that it’s not important. What IS important, she says, is where he’s holed up with all the Bringers – Evil Command Central. Clearly they’re protecting something there, and they need to go in and take it. Xander stares at the ground. Giles sighs heavily. Faith, on the other hand, has had enough: “Or, in the alternative, how ’bout…we don’t? I mean, it’s a neat theory, B, but I’m not going back in that place, not without proof, and neither should you and neither should they.”

Buffy says that it won’t be easy, but Principal Wood interrupts her, saying that Faith had the floor. Buffy’s startled. (S: HDU LET SOMEONE OTHER THAN ME SPEAK AFTER I SAID I’D LET A VAMPIRE KILL YOU.) She stares at him as Faith continues, saying that she needs something real to fight, not… “Windmills,” Giles interrupts. Which is hella confusing if you don’t know about Don Quixote…

Lor: A chance they take with all of Andrew’s geeky lines. I feel like Don Quixote is more likely to be recognized, no?

K: You would think so, but it’s so random and out of context that it’s sort of…Tourette’s-y? IDK.

Buffy insists that there’s something there, but Giles and Wood back Faith up. Buffy’s taken aback. She looks around the room, saying that she’s just doing what she’s been doing for the past seven years, but suddenly no one trusts her? Giles throws her own words – that she can’t trust them – back in her face.

Buffy demands to know if he sent Spike away so they could ambush her. Giles rolls his eyes, and Rona steps up. She has no fucks to give about Spike and insists that this is about Buffy being reckless and so obsessed with beating Priest-ion that she’s not considering the fallout. Kennedy backs her up, closely followed by Willow, who says that she’s worried about Buffy’s judgement. Buffy stares around the room, at the cold faces of her friends, and says that she wishes it could be a democracy, that everyone could have a vote. But it’s not. It’s a cheerocracy. (S: It had to be done.) (K: Truth.) She’s the Slayer, so she’s their leader. Anya wants to know why Buffy’s automatically the leader. She didn’t earn it or work for it, Anya argues, she just got the job because she’s the one with the legacy.

Lor: OOOF. I don’t know how I feel about this. Buffy is in no way lucky, though tell that to the group of people roped into the final apocalypse without the Slayer gifts. I think Anya is taking a cheap shot, and in trying to highlight that chance decided Buffy’s role, she applied luck to Buffy’s calling and work, and that is cheapening her and everything she has suffered. I flinched.

Sweeney: Agreed. This was the one criticism of Buffy that didn’t hold water. It wasn’t luck; she’s suffered for this. This is the argument with the clearest and most obvious rebuttal: I’ve died saving the world twice. Those sacrifices weren’t about strength or the “good fortune” in having her life taken from her; those sacrifices were just some of the many she made as a consequence of this “gift.” This is another line that is all the more frustrating in light of the most recent Slayer origin story reveal.

K: I’m kind of torn on this. Buffy is definitely not luckier, and that was a total dick thing to say. But Anya’s always stood in that “bluntly point out the obvious” role, and – as someone who no longer has powers and is worried about her mortality, especially after seeing Tara and Joyce die and her ex-fiance lose an eye – it makes sense that she’d be bitter and angry about how flippant Buffy is about going back into the place that just got a bunch of people she cares about injured and killed.

Buffy says that she’s gotten them this far, but Xander interrupts, saying that there’s been a price to pay. “I’m trying to see your point here, Buff. But I guess it must be just a little bit to my left…” he says coldly.

Buffy says that she’s willing to discuss strategies, but that the plan won’t change. They need to fall into line. Rona points out that Faith’s a Slayer too, and Faith’s all “Skrrrrt, whaaaa? Leadership? NO THANKS.” Still, the Potentials argue that maybe it should be Faith’s turn to be in charge. Buffy says that it’s not fair, because she hasn’t had a chance to play the popularity stakes, to take the girls out and… “Learn their names?” Faith interrupts. Buffy turns to face her, angrily saying that Faith’s trying to take everything from her, like she did last time. Giles tells her to back off. Faith says that she came to fight, not to take anything from Buffy, but that the question isn’t whether she can lead. “The real question is…can you follow?” she finishes.

Wood says that they should vote. Buffy looks around the room, then turns to Dawn and Xander, neither of whom will meet her gaze. She insists that she can’t stay there to watch Faith lead them into disaster. “Then you can’t stay here,” Dawn says quietly. Buffy stares at her in disbelief as Dawn tearily says that they need to be united and that if Buffy can’t fall in line, she needs to leave. Buffy looks around the room again, then grabs her jacket and storms out.

Sweeney: You know, anything to avoid actually listening or acknowledging that she could be wrong.

K: Pretty much. On the porch, Buffy fights back tears as she hurridly puts her jacket on. Faith walks out, and insists that this isn’t what she wanted. “Don’t,” Buffy says. Faith insists, but Buffy interrupts, her face wet with tears. “Don’t…be afraid to lead them. Whether you wanted it or not, their lives are yours. It’s only gonna get harder. Protect them, but lead them.” Faith nods and heads back inside. Buffy takes a deep breath, then walks down the front path, alone in the darkness. The tinkly orchestra does its thing as we fade to black.

Ooof. This was a lot of heaviness to get through in one episode. While it was mostly well done and it’s hard to watch all her friends turn on her, Buffy’s been so horrifically bratty through recent episodes that the only surprise is that they waited this long to overthrow her. Her argument that this is what she’s always done is flawed – with the help of her friends in the past, she’s usually had a more solid plan that just going in and seeing what happens, which is far more the season 3 Faith approach to things. The Spike and Andrew side of things was meant to act as light relief, but it was so short that didn’t really make any difference. A solid episode, though definitely not one that’s easy to watch.

Lor: Buffy’s always been at her weakest when she’s emotionally hurt. We’ve seen throughout seven seasons that a hurt Buffy doesn’t fight as well, shuts down, runs away and makes questionable decisions. For some reason, though, it’s harder to witness in these final episodes. I think most of it makes sense in terms of story and characterization, but it hurts to watch, as Kirsti pointed out. Perhaps it’s because everyone around her has grown up so much and come such a long way. Seeing Buffy discredit them over and over this late in the game is certainly different than what we’ve seen previously

Sweeney: Not just from them, but her too. To be playing S2 Buffy right now is an insult to everything this character should have learned by now.

Lor: Buffy is hurting and she’s shutting down in response and it’s only feeding into the problem. In this case, her metaphorical heart is actually wounded– Xander. In telling herself that the mission is the only thing that matters, I think Buffy lost sight of the mission. She held it too close to her face. And on top of that, she is selectively choosing what to dismiss because of the mission. Looking out for her best friend? No time. Holding a grudge against Giles? Plenty of time for that.

I thought the scenes that were added for levity missed the mark, from Anya and Andrew in the basement to Spike and Andrew on the motorcycle. It’s been hard for this season to create the sense of urgency that’s supposed to be behind the First, and I think part of it has to do with the way the episodes sort of amble along sometimes.

I almost wanted to call the final scene out of character for several people. As much as I think Buffy has been messing up, there is also an element of everyone heaping all this responsibility on her, and then violently yanking it away. But then, Buffy has been so good at tuning everyone out lately, I don’t know what else would’ve worked. My conclusion is that this is meant to feel out of character. These aren’t normal circumstances. Everyone is hurt, tired and scared and their leader wants to throw them into a death trap again. Finally, Faith and Giles speak up and I think things spiraled from there.

K: I think you’re right, it IS meant to feel out of character. But the “it’s my way or the highway” approach that Buffy’s been taking recently is just painful to watch to the point where the concern the Scoobies are feeling is completely understandable.

 

Next time: The world’s ending, so you may as well have sex. Also the Scoobies go on a weapons hunt. Find out what they discover in Buffy the Vampire Slayer S07 E20 – Touched.