Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Storyteller

Anya: "Buffy seems to think that this apocalypse is going to actually be... apocalyptic."

Andrew finally won me over. I honestly didn't think that would happen.

This episode was everything that "Superstar" wasn't. It showed us what was really going on with Andrew, addressed what he did to Jonathan and resolved it, and gave Tom Lenk a chance to show us what he can do, which was a lot. The end was a bit too hokey and anti-climactic -- we all knew Buffy wouldn't kill Andrew in cold blood, even to save the world -- but as a whole, the episode worked, big time. And it was hilarious, too.

Redemption was just a catch-word for Andrew before this; now it's real. We have a new Scooby, at least until the series ends. (Let me pause just a moment for wailing and gnashing of teeth here. Only SIX MORE EPISODES and it's over? Is there life after Buffy?)

The video stuff and the trio stuff -- I particularly liked:

(1) the opening Alistair Cooke takeoff;

(2) Buffy and Spike doing the cover of a romance paperback;

(3) Spike doing a re-take for the camera (Andrew asked at one point, "Hey, why do vampires show up on video?" Good question);

(4) The Geek trio as gods, prancing through the flowers singing (that must have been an odd scene to film);

And there was the big board recap of the season thus far; Andrew's re-write of Evil Willow; Andrew zeroing in on the window sash and not registering or caring that Willow and Kennedy were necking; Andrew wistfully replaying the Xander/Anya discussion; backstory with the Geeks in Mexico -- it was all good. Excellent writing, Ms. Espenson.

Xander and Anya (mostly Anya) got some screen time, too, and the Xander/Anya relationship was pretty much resolved with their "one more time but's it's really over" roll in the hay. *sigh* I was kind of hoping that they'd get back together. But since we only have SIX MORE EPISODES, I guess that won't happen.

Bits and pieces:

-- Cheers for continuity. There was an invisible girl like Marcie at the high school when it got all Hellmouthy. And the pig Andrew didn't sacrifice is still in the basement, and somehow not starving to death.

-- It doesn't have anything to do with continuity, but I also loved the exploding student.

-- How about Robin nearly staking Spike? And Spike still doesn't know that there's a problem. Big angst approaches.

-- We had very little of the S.I.T.s, which was a relief. I liked the bit with them waiting in line for the bathroom, though, and the scene in the kitchen.

-- When Anya and Xander were afterglowing on Spike's cot in the basement, they talked about Spike's chains being gone. Where are they? What if the First takes him over again?

-- Blood and tears. Are they going to be sacrificing sweat to the seal next?

-- The "grr argh" at the end was "we are as gods" instead.

Quotes:

Anya: "For god's sakes, Andrew! You've been in here thirty minutes. What are you doing?"
Andrew: "Entertaining and educating."
Anya: "Why can't you just masturbate like the rest of us?"

Andrew: "Buffy and Spike have some kind of history. You can feel the heat between them although, technically as a vampire, he's room temperature."

Buffy: "Willow did a search on the symbolic database but it turns out everyone likes a good goat's tongue. Rock groups, covens and Greek cookbooks..."

Andrew: "Check out Spike and the principal. There's something going on there. Sexual tension you could cut with a knife."

Andrew: "We just keep tossing that word around but that's not really what happened."
Buffy: "What? You stabbed Jonathan to death. What were you trying to do? Scratch his back from the front?"

I really suck at ratings, especially when we're nearing the end of a season. Three out of four stakes? Was this a four?

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

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