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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Flooded

Buffy: "You're telling me I'm broke? But I haven't spent any money! I was all dead and frugal."

Buffy can deal with multiple apocalypses, but real life is a lot harder ("No... more... full... copper... re-pipe!")

There was a real homey feel to a lot of this episode: the Mommy Dearest with the plumbing, the cutesy reject sheets (we all have them) Buffy used to make up the couch for Giles, the whole bank loan thing (loved the report cards).

But the truth is, Buffy is not quite right. She's Buffy, and she's not. Her depression and emotional distance are almost tangible. Willow knows Buffy is unhappy, but she just isn't getting the reason.

I expected Giles to pick up on Buffy not talking about where she had been — but I wasn't expecting the venom during that Giles/Willow fight in the kitchen. Giles was justifiably furious, but wow. "Stupid girl" and "A rank, arrogant amateur," no punches pulled there. And Willow's reaction, that thing about not pissing her off? That was shuddery. And "I wasn't lucky, I was amazing"? Also shuddery.

On to our new comic relief villains. The Buffy Powers That Be seem to be going for a light touch in order to balance out the underlying dark tone of this season. I'm reserving judgment on this plot point for now. I do like Jonathan and always have, and I remember Warren, the creator of the Bot (who seemed to be playing the heavy here), but who is Andrew? He hasn't been on before, because I am not remembering flying demon monkeys at the school play.

The only plot point left to cover is the Xander/Anya engagement thing. Is Xander getting frosty extremities? This thing isn't going away. I'm betting we get some serious Xander/Anya angst fairly soon.

Bits and pieces:

— Giles says that he met with the Council, got a flat in Bath, met up with old friends, and almost made a new one. Is this spinoff info?

— Spike called Buffy "love." They're still connecting. It's fascinating.


— I'm liking Dawn even more this year, maybe because she's not a plot point any more. "Mmmm. Vashnik. Like mmmm, cookies?"

— Okay, I wrote it down, here's the Sunnydale Nerd's to do list: "Control the weather, Miniaturize Fort Knox, Conjure fake IDs, Shrink ray, Girls, Girls, The gorilla thing." And of course, "Hypnotize Buffy."

— Buffy: "Who's calling me? Everybody I know lives here." (And maybe she's not that happy about it?)

— The Buffy/Angel thing is resolved as we learn that they're going to meet somewhere between L.A. and Sunnydale. Off camera. Nuts.

Quotes:

Buffy: "So. We meet at last, Mister Drippy."

Willow: "Um, Buffy, I know you're still getting back on your feet after..."
Buffy: "Lying flat on my back?"

Dawn: "So, what do we do?"
Buffy: "Easy. We burn the house to the ground and collect the insurance. Plus, fire, pretty. You guys, I'm kidding. It's bills, it's money. It's pieces of paper sent by bureaucrats that we've never even met. It's not like it's the end of the world. Which is too bad, you know, 'cause that I'm really good at."

Xander: "I'm supportive. I'm totally supportive. I'm a flying buttress of support."

Xander: "Score one for Captain Logic."
Anya: "No, no. Captain Logic is not steering this tugboat. I smell Captain Fear at the wheel."

Dawn: "You know, if you don't let me look at the pictures, I'm gonna learn everything I know about demons on the street."

Buffy: "And now you're back."
Giles: "Yes."
Buffy: "Wow. Giles, are you miserable about it, or just really British?"

Giles: "I'm proud of you."
Buffy: "Well, actually, it wasn't me. Willow brought me back. I just lay there."
Giles: "You know... I meant..."
Buffy: "I know what you meant. It was just a little post postmortem comedy."


Andrew: "Hello! Screen wipe, new scene. I had nothing to do with the devil dogs. I trained flying demon monkeys to attack the school play. School play, dude."
Warren: "That was cool. That was kinda cool."
Jonathan: "Remember, everyone was like, 'Run, Juliet'!"

Dawn: "You ever try mixing parts of every cereal you got in one bowl?"
Giles: "Does it work?"
Dawn: "Gonna find out. Wanna come join the experiment?"
Giles: "I'm an ideal control group. I find as you get older that you lose patience with throwing up."

I'm not sure I was crazy about this episode, but I sure wrote a lot about it and I was eager to see it a second time. 2.5? 3? My rating system falls apart as soon as I start really thinking about it,

Billie
---
Billie Doux reviewed all of Buffy and Angel, so she knows the plural of apocalypse.

9 comments:

  1. I know Buffy is not working for the Watcher's Council anymore, but this episode got me thinking: since the Council has such power and influence shouldn't they provide financial support the Slayers? Buffy and Faith didn't appear to receive anything when they were working for them (with Faith living in a crappy motel and Buffy being taken care of by her mother). After all, I believe it was mentioned before that the Watchers have salaries...

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  2. Ahh, but giving Slayers financial support for dealing with the real world would be admitting that they are in fact human beings, rather than just weapons to be pointed at demons until they "break" and make another one.

    And if the wet-works team is to be believed in Angel, they don't even pay their soldiers very well.

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  3. this is the beginning of one of my least-favorite parts of buffy - the storyline of buffy needing money. not long ago she hooked giles up with a steady paycheck and two years of backpay, and he wants nothing to do with her, in terms of money or guidance, during the most difficult time in her life. willow and tara have been living in buffy's house, apparently rent-free, and have been paying the utility and food bills out of buffy's bank account. with friends like these does buffy really need demons?

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  4. doesn't Giles give Buffy some money to help her out anyway ? and it isnt that he doesnt want anything to do with her I mean she was dead so he left when he found out she was alive he came back. Along with helping her until he realized she is getting Giles to do the parent role to Dawn instead of her.
    As for Andrew he is Tucks brother ( the guy who unleashed hel hounds at the prom)

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  5. Yes Anonymous! I totally agree. I'm on my second watch through this season and the money story line annoys me even more. Buffy has a huge amount to do and adjust to and NO ONE is listening to her!! Except of course Spike :) They're all just living their lives conveniently in her house, adding to the bills without contributing. I understand that the characters are all growing and changing, but the uncharitable characteristics that are coming through, especially from Willow, make me cringe and want to fast forward! Last season I could barely watch the intolerable Dawn and this season the whole gang are becoming unwatchable!!

    Though of course I'm on my second helping of this show, so I will persevere through the agony of watching a bunch of self centred young adults :) Maybe it's just too much like real life!!

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  6. My first thought was the Watchers, too--if being a Watcher earns you pay, shouldn't the Slayer get pay plus hazard plus overtime? Her financial issues pissed me off in a big way. Isn't Daddy Summers still sending child support for Dawn? Why aren't Willow and Tara chipping into purchase household items & pay bills? I mean, they should have some money laying around now that they aren't paying dorm fees.

    The high point, for me, was Giles's well-deserved fury at Willow. He said exactly what I was thinking when I saw they were going to resurrect her. This is my first time watching Buffy, though I vaguely know that Willow will go bad (or dark?) at some point, but wow, she made me a little scared!

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  7. Giles is back! Yay. This episode has many great scenes. Buffy and Willow at the training room. Buffy and Giles' encounter and conversation. Giles and Willow's discussion. "You are a very stupid girl." Wow. Buffy and Spike bonding. "What do you know about finances?" Lol.

    I'm surprised Giles didn't pick up from Buffy's behavior that she had not been in hell. She was clearly more comfortable around him than around her other friends, anyway.

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  8. Fire bad!
    Fire... fire pretty
    Fire angry!

    lol sorry, never thought I'd have a reason to say that again. Episode GOOD, and I take great umbrage with your struggling to decide between 2.5 and 3. It's an easy 3 at least because even though it lacks a hitter of a scene like the previous the main plot here was better. The trio have a fun introduction ("We could do whatever we want - we could stay up all night!" "Whoa, let's not go crazy here" "I know, I'm just saying..") and so far it's been more compelling than Angel's early batch but I don't feel like it's cumbersome to switch between the two. This intertwining thing is working out so far. Buffy's new financial concerns makes me think of Gavin's failed attempts at attacking the Angel crew this way. It's making me a little pissed off at the writers though for not addressing why on Anya's suggestion they wouldn't consider making the Watcher council cough something up before immediately going to 'charge the rescuees.' Annoying! Is the Council just entirely out of the picture now?

    But it's good stuff otherwise even though I'm generally not a fan of letting reality seep too much into a supernatural show. It's just too easy on the writers to make depressive phases relateable.

    >>I'm surprised Giles didn't pick up from Buffy's behavior that she had not been in hell.

    Yo, how on Earth would anyone ever be able to suspect something like that? I don't care what ESP-like quality a person is known to have.. I don't think it could ever cross his mind. Maybe he'd suspect that she's aware that her resurrection is temporary, or a more basic scruple like that.

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  9. As I watched the beginning of this episode, I saw the name Todd Stashwick in the guest starring credits. After rubbing my eyes a couple of times it was still there. So, I looked it up and it turns out he’s MVashnik, the demon Buffy goes all full copper repipe on. Heh. He also guest stars on Angel.

    Other than that, this episode didn’t grip me like many do. I did like Buffy’s reunion with Giles and the beginnings of the Trio as a trio. Tom Lenke (Andrew) has been on Buffy before, as one of Harmony’s minions.

    My favorite scene was Spike & Buffy on the porch. Their whole conversation was sweet.
    Favorite line…
    Spike: “Do you want me to take them out? Give me a hell of a headache bit I could probably thin the herd a little.”
    Buffy gives a small laugh.
    Spike: “I knew I could get a grin.”

    I was confused about how they handled Angel’s phone call. Neither Giles nor Dawn seemed happy with her rushing off and leaving the issues. I wish she could just be done with Angel.

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