Buffy the Vampire Slayer S04 E19 – It’s complicated.

Previously: Biley sex got so ridiculous that they awoke childhood trauma poltergeists and we shall never speak of it again. Except for all the times we mention how much it traumatized us. Which will probably be often.
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New Moon Rising

Sweeney: It’s necessary to warn everyone that this is a get-the-tissues-ready episode.

Lorraine: I was gonna put it on here if you didn’t. Team Feels unanimously agrees.

K: Damn. We missed a prime episode to vote the last episode V for Vomit-worthy. Also, Team Heartless Cow agrees that this episode is full of feels. Brace yourselves. 

Sweeney: The episode begins with Tara and Willow being adorable. Tara wants to get a cat for her too-large-to-be-a dorm room, and she’s trying to assess how on board Willow is with joint pet ownership. She’s in, and they’re off to a Scoobie meeting, which Tara is excited for.

K: You left out the part where there is Public!Handholding! Adorbs. 

Sweeney: A serious oversight, thank you.

At the meeting, Willow sidebar-explains everything Buffy says for Tara and it’s cute. The meeting is about the complete lack of activity Buffy is seeing. The Initiative, meanwhile, has demons arriving all the time. Buffy’s downtime seems like a sign that something big is on the horizon, though. Anya makes an unnecessary snarky comment and Giles tells her off. He’s in the middle of that when everyone stares behind him, shocked. Pan around, and it’s OZ !! who enters with, “Hey.” Roll credits.

Lor: OZ! I just miss his adorable little face so much. Also, this Scooby meeting just was so much about everything that has changed in the last season, whether for good or bad (Riley, Anya, Tara, New Wiggins, all business-little friendship, Adam, etc) that it was like a double punch to the feels when Oz shows up all, “hey! Remember when things were awesome?” WE DO, OZ. WE REMEMBER.

Sweeney: The memory is painful.

K: It’s also such a typically Oz entrance. Just appearing out of nowhere after being gone for six months, and then giving a single word greeting. *sniff*

Sweeney: Willow is stunned and after she says, “Oz,” Tara repeats, finally understanding who this is, and looking down sadly. Buffy good friends, “So are you here here, or you just passing through?” Oz doesn’t answer, but tells Willow that he wants to talk, and she guesses that can happen. He says he’ll come to her place later and leaves.

Anya states the obvious, that everyone is now uncomfortable. Buffy asks Willow if she’s all right. Tara awkwardly runs off. Poor thing. Also poor Willow, who is now extra upset.

That night, Buffy is explaining the Oz and Willow thing to Riley. They come across a demon, which they defeat super easily. Riley calls The Abysmal Plot Arc Research Facility to send someone to retrieve it, but they’re super busy so it’ll take a minute. Then, rather than waiting with the demon, which seems like the wise thing to do here, they keep walking and chatting. Sure, guys.

Buffy goes on to explain how abruptly Oz left and Riley remembers how devastated Willow was — just your friendly reminder that other people have noticed our Scoobies better than they noticed each other this season! Yay! Anyway, Buffy goes on to say how good things were before that, including Willow’s acceptance of Oz being a werewolf. Riley cuts her off at this, because he didn’t “think Willow was that kind of girl.” Into dangerous guys, that is. Buffy gets angry, because of personal reasons that she has yet to share with Riley. Also, because of step the fuck off my best friend.

K: A+. It’s a nice indication that Riley tends – despite having now spent the better part of a year hanging out with the Slayer – to see everything in black and white. People = good, other stuff = bad. Part of me wonders if some of Buffy’s anger is Angel related, some is Willow related, and some is “Hey, remember the part where you’re dating me and I’m basically a professional murderer (except not of people)??” related.

Sweeney: Eh, in that regard, Riley’s view makes the Slayer gig less complicated, if anything, right? I mean, The Initiative tends to just capture, while Buffy usually goes for the kill. I get what you’re saying, but I don’t see her frustration as primarily about Angel and Willow. Curious to hear more on this from everyone else, though.

Riley goes on to say that it’s weird to date someone who tries to eat you once a month. Womp. “Love isn’t logical, Riley. It’s not like you can be Mr. Joe Sensible about it all the time. God knows I haven’t been.” He insists that he’s not talking about her, though. Except he is. Buffy says that they need to just patrol and stomps off. I’m curious if they just never discusses Angel in any capacity, because given that their relationship started with him noting that she’d been hurt very badly, there is a point in the relationship where I feel like he’d be curious. Maybe they’re just not there yet. This is me giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Lor: B has told us that while she’s mentioned events from that time period she’s danced around the Angel issue. So, sure, I’ll give them that too.

Sweeney: Oz arrives at Willow’s place and he asks her to come outside so he can show her something. They go for a walk and she’s wearing an insane coat that looks like something one might use as a dog bed. Oz tells her to look up, because she clearly stopped keeping track in his absence — it’s a full moon. This reminder of their former adorable stings a little.

Willow gets really excited for him, and wants to know how he did it (the whole not being a wolf during the full moon thing). She hugs him, and he seems to happy and peaceful and uugh whhhyyyy. But Willow backs off suddenly, and gets serious face as she tells Oz that this is really great for him. Xander told Oz that there’s no new guy, and so he tells Willow that he can now be what she needs and that’s why he’s there.

Lor: That hug is probably were I first started exercising my tear ducts. Or, really, they were stretching at this point. Everything about Willow’s reactions here are wonderful. She’s happy, but she says this is really great for him. She hugs him, but backs away pained as she begins to truly realize how this complicates things.

K: That hug and her excitement and HIS FACE WHEN SHE HUGS HIM OMG I CAN’T EVEN. Although his mention that he controls his wolf with (among other things) herbs made me wonder if Severus Snape is floating around in the background somewhere doing for Oz what he did for Lupin. And now I’m having Deathly Hallows feels. DAMMIT, BRAIN.

Sweeney: His face when she hugs him gave me lots of feels too, but yes, Alyson Hannigan’s reactions here make this scene.

Out in the woods, some random hairy demons attack some random Initiative bros and win, though they don’t actually kill everyone. It’s basically just set-up for Riley to blame Oz for something. Yay. -_-

Lor: Great that they are being mauled and everyone ever is all, “DON’T CARE. BRING BACK OZ AND WILLOW.”

Sweeney: LOLOLOL. Yup.

In Willow’s room, she and Oz are chatting about his travels. She notes that he’s been all around the world while she’s just been there in the same old Sunnydale. (LOL at this hellmouth-having town being “same old.”) Oz knowingly says that it doesn’t mean she hasn’t been through a lot. So true, my friend. Willow mentions that she spent some time hating him and getting better at her spells and also it’s now morning, because they talked all night. She suggests breakfast. Oz tries to encourage staying in bed, but she says she will, “have the less confusing waffles.” Waffles are uncomplicated and delicious. A good choice.

Willow goes to the bathroom to brush her teeth and stuff. While she’s gone, Tara knocks on the door, and gets so uncomfortable and in need of a hug when Oz answers. Oz recognizes her from the Scoobie meeting. She stutters and runs off and whhhyyy feels whhhyyy. In spite of my hatred of hugs, I just want to hug everyone right now. Oz makes a face after Tara leaves. He mentions to Willow that she stopped by and Willow sad pandas as Oz asks where she wants to go.

K: God, episode, can’t you make me have sympathy feels for ONE PERSON AT A TIME? Three at once is FAR too much to cope with.

Sweeney: Back at the Abysmal Plot Arc Research Facility [APARF] Buffy and Riley are waking up and she’s taking jabs at his perfect corn-fed background. He realizes that she’s upset about his comment last night. She says he sounded like Mr. Initiative — “demons bad, people good.” Riley doesn’t see the problem and she tries to explain that it’s different with different demons, but does a bad job. She finally starts to explain that there are non-evil vampires, but is interrupted by Forrest, calling Riley down because of the attack the previous night.

Someone died, and now they’re going on a hunt. Buffy asks what kind of demon it was, though Forrest doesn’t answer because of hating Buffy. “Does it matter?” sasses Riley. Well, yes, sir, if you’re going on a hunt, it probably helps to know what you’re looking for.

Lor: Just look for evil, guys!

Sweeney: Buffy returns to her room to see Willow in bed with her stuffed animals. She dispenses with her issues and asks Willow to explain the Oz situation. Willow explains that he didn’t change and they were together all night. Buffy gets excited, but notices that Willow is not. It’s complicated — because of Tara. Buffy is confused for a second, but puts it together. Then she starts pacing about the room awkwardly. When Willow calls her on being freaked, the question itself calms her down and she assures Willow that no, she is definitely not. One of Buffy’s less positive (though understandable) traits is her reliance on the demon-free aspects of her world to remain unchanging  — she doesn’t process those relationship-shifts well, but she really does just want Willow (and all of her friends) to be happy. I love when they’re actually behaving like best friends. This was well written. It felt honest and true to their respective characters.

 

Lor: It also felt true to life. Regardless of how open minded Buffy is, it would be a shock to her to find out that her best friend is now interested in girls. I think what we saw wasn’t just a reaction to the homosexuality, but a reaction to what Sweeney mentioned as a big change. FEELS.

Sweeney: Exactly. She needed a moment to process, but it didn’t take her that long to realize that being a supportive friend had to take priority over her processing time.

K: As much as it feels true to life, it still bugs me that Oblivious Buffy (who we’ve already established is THE WORST) has no idea at all, while Faith joined the dots in two seconds flat. Maybe it’s that Faith had the benefit of being in a coma for eight months and therefore being able to see JUST HOW MUCH things have changed while Buffy’s been living it. But still. IDK. 

Sweeney: Honestly, the Buffy-doesn’t-do-change thing makes it easier for me to swallow Oblivious Buffy. Willow is a major source of stability for her, and this is about the only explanation that seems passable to me. That said, yeah, I hate Oblivious Buffy. I just can’t hate on her here, because she’s finally not being oblivious, you know?

Willow says she didn’t tell Oz because she felt everything coming back when she was around him. “He’s Oz, you know?” Willow just doesn’t want to hurt anybody. Buffy tells her that there’s no way to keep that from happening, and that Willow just needs to be honest to keep things from being a lot worse.

Spike is sleeping in his crypt when he hears feet clomping about. It’s Adam, there to make Spike come with him. Spike’s all, “LOL, I can hurt demons!” except not so much with this one. Adam says that Spike is going to help him with his problem because he going to help Spike with his.

K: This seems like a terrible idea, because I’d want a medical professional to take out a chip in my brain, and not a homicidal demon/person hybrid with a uranium heart.

Sweeney: Willow arrives at Tara’s place to tell her that she and Oz were just talking and nothing happened. Tara tells Willow that they’ll still be friends regardless of what happens. She’s just so precious. Willow tears up at the very suggestion that they might not be friends. Willow says that things were finally getting better and Tara was a big part of that and now she’s just confused. She’s crying and YOU GUYS I WANT TO GIVE SO MANY HUGS. Why can’t we hug fictional characters? Fortunately, they hug each other, which is a better solution anyway.

The next day, Oz is standing in an empty hallway as Tara walks by. He sniffs and calls out to Willow. Awkward. He notices that Tara smells like Willow, “She’s all over you, you know that?” I should say that this scene ends with him losing his cool and wolfing out, but watching human, non-wolf Oz get aggressive with Tara was hard. It was legit I-want-to-look-away-from-the-screen-because-this-is-seriously-unpleasant.

K: The more I watch this episode, the more I think that this scene is equal parts unpleasant and brilliant. Because in so many ways, Willow is Oz’s touchstone to normality. She was what kept him searching the world for a cure to turning wolfy. So to come back and have her not tell him something THAT BIG is an understandable cause for the aggression – which is more desperation than anger – that follows.

Sweeney: I absolutely think it was a smart scene, it was just hard to watch. I think it was meant to be hard to watch. Although, at the risk of sounding like I’m now just running around trying to disagree with you, which I swear I’m not, I don’t think her not telling him is cause for aggression. I get that it causes him to lose his werewolf-controlling cool, yes. That’s fair. I deliberately wasn’t going to go here, because I don’t blame him for the wolf thing, and that’s a mystical gray area here, so it’s fine. But no, keeping a big personal secret that she’s only just gotten the courage to share with her best friend who has been there all along from the ex-boyfriend who ran out on her for months? Nope. Not cause for aggression.

Anyway, Tara doesn’t say much as he asks if they’re involved and if Willow is in love with her, grabbing Tara twice and shouting at her to stop. Then he starts to wolf out and he tells her to run.

Lor: Weird! I mean, it’s daytime. They never explain what’s happened to Oz, and if this turning whenever, wherever is a side effect of being all healed and overdosed on herbs. I guess we could’ve either done feels or thoroughly explained plot points in this episode, not both.

Sweeney: Certainly not in season 4. They’ve given up on thoroughly explained, and realized that they have better luck with feels.

After a Not Commercial Break, Tara is running from wolf!Oz, into the classroom where Buffy and Willow’s meeting-every-single-day-for-no-reason-class was held. She throws a chair at him and he goes down…because Initiative guys shot him with a tranquilizer gun. They bag him up and Tara tries to explain that it’s a person, but fails. Partly because Forrest is a douche.

K: A+. Also, he’s wearing another turtleneck. He REALLY wants to be a member of the Wiggles.

Sweeney: He needs to stop with those turtlenecks. They are unfortunate.

Spike and Adam chat about their plan and how total destruction of the humans is no good; heavy casualties are required on both sides. Buffy’s function will be as a leader that people can rally around, though Spike notes her tendency to win. Still, chip-removal is a compelling motivation for Spike to stick with Adam. Also, he says, “Scout’s Honor,” and Spike asks if he was a Boy Scout. “Parts of me,” he answers. I’m sharing because I actually giggled and Adam appreciation is a thing that happens approximately never.

Lor: I giggled a little too but then quickly reminded myself that Adam’s whole stupid plan makes zero sense.

Sweeney: Tara goes to Willow in the library to tell her what just happened. Willow points out the whole daylight thing and Tara’s all, “IDK, this is what I saw.” Willow goes off to tell Buffy.

Back at New Wiggins, the Scoobies are sitting around working on a plan. Riley’s not answering her pages (LOL) though, so they’ll have to do this without him.

At APARF, Oz is in a cage in the foil pit. Riley and Forrest are pacing around wanting the scientists to stop with all their science so that they can get to the killing. Riley pulls a gun and Oz changes back. Cutting it a little close there, Oz.

Lor: This is crazy contrived. Like, if this particular demon killed one of our men, we are SO gonna kill it. If this particular demon is just a general people killing demon, we will give it a dog bowl of food and water. OKAY, INITIATIVE. WHATEVER YOU SAY.

K: I think the second option is less “dog bowl of food and water” and more “do crazy vivisection-y experiments on it to hone our knowledge of demons and also inflict a little torture because demons = bad”, but yeah. Pretty much. 

Sweeney: Again, this episode clearly opted for feels over logical plot points.

Oz comes to strapped to a table, where the scientists are continuing to make with the science. Riley would now like them to stop sciencing because he knows this person. He’s acquiring a more complex view of the world at what feels like a glacial pace, this one, but he really is trying to get there. Too bad this is very much his fault so I can’t feel sorry for him when the scientists kick him out of their foil pit of demonology.

The scientists insist that the lunar cycle is campfire crap, so they shock Oz to prove that it’s really about negative stimuli and UGH. I HATE THEM. LEAVE OZ ALONE.

Lor: …so that whole season where Oz was changing for the three days of the full moon? People were just pissing him off those three days? STOP IT.

K: This puts a whole new spin on Willow’s comment when he first told her that he was a werewolf that “Three days out of the month, I’m not that much fun to be around“. Maybe their cycles synced and Oz was just reflecting Willow’s PMS into wolfiness??

Sweeney: I don’t want to dwell on that theory, though I’m sure there’s a fanfic somewhere out there that does.

Back at New Wiggins, Buffy is finally ready to give up on waiting for Riley to call her back. She tries to make Willow stay with Giles and do computer stuff, but Willow isn’t having that. She’ll give Giles instructions. They’re trying to figure out a way into APARF when Spike enternounces that they can use the back way. Everyone is as skeptical as they should be, but it’s hard to argue with the promise of getting in, “No alarms, no cameras, no waiting.”

Back at APARF, Oz is shivering in a cell corner, naked, when Riley appears to try to get him free. He’s stopped, however, by Forrest and other Initiative Bros. Riley’s commander comes to cell to chastise him for fucking up his brilliant military career as soon as he met Buffy. Commander Douche calls Riley an anarchist and says he is being court martialled. Either Riley helps stop the Scoobies or he’ll go to his grave labeled a traitor.

Out in the woods, Spike is looking slightly hilarious in an Initiative outfit, leading them to this back entrance, which is a random, conveniently unlocked gate.

Lor: Well, I think Adam unlocks it for them, which is part of his entire plan that makes no fucking sense. IDK.

Sweeney: Right, but none of the Scoobies thinks to question that? It occurs to none of them that this is fucking weird? Sure. Whatever, guys!

We see quick cuts of Anya and Giles working on the electrical grid while Adam appears to be doing the same. Then, shots of the lights going out where they are, as well as APARF and the rest of Sunnydale. “Slap my hand now,” says Anya. Giles is confused. “In celebration,” she says, before they do the most adorably awkward high five ever.

K: Actual best. 

Sweeney: Buffy storms into the bedroom of the commander who was yelling at Riley earlier. Convenient. She demands to be taken to him, though he assumes she means Riley. She’s pleased to realize that Riley tried to help Oz escape, and Commander Douche gets all judgey about her coming to free Oz rather than Riley. “Guess we’re two for one,” says Xander.

Buffy gets to work, freeing Riley first. He tells her that if he leaves now, he’ll never be able to come back. Her face is all, “And?” Riley says he just wanted to hear that out loud. Then they go for Oz. They are stopped by some more commandos, but not particularly effectively. Buffy holds her crossbow to Commander Douche’s neck and gets to make an I Paid Attention In Class! joke, which is cute, because that’s not something she gets to do often. Without much of a second thought, demonstrating how little they know about Buffy or how iffy this whole scene is IMO, Initiative guys free Oz. I get that they all think Buffy’s evil and crazy, but the abruptness of this hostage scenario felt super contrived.

Lor: Yep. Seriously, the Initiative was stupid to start with but it’s really devolved into a plot device. I’m sad they had any presence in this episode.

K: So are we all. Except replace “this episode” with “this season” or “EVER”…

Sweeney: YES. AGREED.

As they leave the elevator out of there, with Commander Douche still held hostage to get them out, he tells Riley that he’s a dead man. Riley says that no, he’s an anarchist, and punches him. It’s very telling about Riley’s character that his highlight reel is basically just him punching douchebags in the face. Twice. Just the two times.

In some random shack somewhere, Buffy and Riley are setting up camp.

K: It’s Sunnydale High. Because no one will think to look for them on a Hellmouth filled with fried giant snake meat, apparently. 

Sweeney: Oh! Ha! Fail for me not catching that.

The gang split up because they’re too findable as a big group. Everyone who owns a television knows that splitting up is bad, but fine. Riley’s going to figure out a solution in the morning, since the campus is still blacked out so there’s nothing to worry about now. He apologizes for being so wrong about Oz. Buffy, humbled by her momentary freak out with Willow, says it happens. Riley goes on to say he was wrong about the good/evil human/demon dichotomy, especially when it comes to love. After a long pause, Buffy says she has to tell him some stuff about her past. Indeed. I guess I can allow that they really weren’t to this place yet, even if she did attempt to leave out the vampire parts.

And now the flutes of sadness carry us to Oz’s van for some serious feels. Oz is realizing that the only thing that brings the wolf out in a way he can’t control is Willow. “I think that falls under the heading of ironic.” I MISSED HIM. She says it was her fault for making him angry. (Ew to this line.) “Well, we’re safe then, because you won’t ever do that again,” Oz responds, washing off the Ew. But Oz sees that she’s happy now. Willow talks about how much she missed him and while Oz says it was stupid to expect her to wait for him, she says that she did. I’m sure I’m missing things because I was crying and too busy trying to wipe away gross tears to pay proper attention. Oz says he’s going to leave, pretty much immediately. Willow accepts that, however unhappily.

K: I’m going to have to stop among my Tears of Feels to add in my favourite line from this scene: “I feel like some part of me will always be waiting for you. Like if I’m old and blue-haired, and I turn the corner in Istanbul and there you are, I won’t be surprised. Because… you’re with me, you know?”. Someone pass the tissues…

Sweeney: We need the Youth Mauling Intern to go buy some more.

Tara is sitting in her room looking out the window when there is a knock on the door. It’s Willow, with a candle. Willow starts to talk, but Tara cuts her off to say that she has to be with the person she loves. “I am,” says Willow. D’AWWWW. Willow’s going to start making things up to Tara, starting right now. Tara blows out the candle and the credits roll.

Right in the feels, episode. Right in the feels. The whole Oz/Willow/Tara thing was handled so perfectly. I love that Oz started to put the Willow/Tara thing together so quickly. The smell helped him, of course, but you could tell he was trying to read Tara’s weird reaction in the morning. It speaks to how close they were that he was able to pick up on that so quickly. This episode was devastating because it had to be, and I really can’t think of a single thing that I would change about the way it was written. I didn’t even mind Riley in this episode, because his being obnoxious in the beginning served a purpose to facilitate a genuine change of heart, which was nice to see. Good job, Marti Noxon.

Lor: “Good job, Marti Noxon,” is not something I thought I’d see written on this site, but alas. Even though in my head I think Willow did was was true to her and what was true to the story, IT’S OZ AND I LOVE HIM. But, yes, this was much needed closure for them and at once brought the Willow/Tara relationship to another, more explicit level, and also spurred on Riley and Buffy in their relationship. I was very deftly handled and Alyson Hannigan tears get me every time.

Sigh.

Sweeney: Truth. Alyson Hannigan has a lot to do with the brilliance of this episode.

K: Meanwhile, I’ll be over here having Oz feels. Which apparently never go away, because last year Alyson Hannigan tweeted a picture of her and Seth Green and her little ginger baby, and I had so many feels that I couldn’t even form coherent sentences. Sigh.

 

Next time on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Adam and Spike continue their nonsensical plans and Angel pops into town for crossover magic time in S04 E20 – The Yoko Factor.