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Buffy Season Eight: Retreat, Part 2

Buffy: "Twilight is tracking us. We need to learn to not be magical."
Bayarmaa: "Really? Because not teleporting submarines is a good first step."

Synopsis:

The Scoobies are now in Tibet drinking butter tea with Oz and his other half, Bayarmaa, and are shocked when Oz reveals that he's also a father of a baby boy named Kelden. (Kelden?)

Flashback to Oz on his quest to defeat his wolfiness, and his first meeting with the monks in Tibet. Oz was carrying a cup with a question mark of steam above it that broke when he turned into a werewolf. He awoke in a cage, and Bayarmaa offered him butter tea, along with herbs, charms, and meditation. Oz got control over his wolf and tried to return to Willow (panel of Oz starting to change and telling Tara to run in "New Moon Rising"), but realized that he couldn't handle it away from Tibet. And he wants to stay in control, even though part of him still longs to just give in to what he is. (Obvious parallel to Willow and the slayers, who can't help being what they are, either.)

Back to Twilight and his minions (including Amy, Warren and Riley) who are discussing the discovery by a guy wearing glasses of a spike ("Spike?") in magic usage and how something burst into existence in the mountains of central Asia. Funny how Riley reacts to the word "Spike"... and then Twilight reacts to the word "Spike."

More backstory from Oz. The answer, he says, is not to bottle up the wolf, but to let the energy flow through you into the earth. Oz tells the Scoobies a cautionary tale about a guy named Monroe who also came to Tibet to be cured, left and spread the word, and brought back many new followers. Monroe's group went the other way and became like Veruca, as in yay werewolf, and attacked Oz's monks during the full moon. Oz tried unsuccessfully to reason with Monroe, but Bayarmaa finally went wolfie and knifed him. The point being that Monroe left too soon, and his cure went wonky. The slayers and Wiccans have to want to give up their powers, stick with it and see it through, or their situation will get worse.

Twilight, Amy, Warren, Riley, and many military guys with guns arrive in Mongolia, wondering how they're going to find their target. Twilight, ruthlessly ordering the death of the guy with glasses that found the "spike," says sooner or later, Buffy's group will reveal itself with its magicks.

Oz tells the slayers and Wiccans to start working on channeling their magic, beginning with burying a submarine. To be continued.

Review:

Basically, this was all Oz backstory, mysticism, and yak butter jokes. Not that that's a bad thing. I've always liked Oz and it was good to hear his backstory. And who doesn't like a good yak butter joke?

But other than the return of Oz, this issue seemed pointless. Answers for Oz and Bayarmaa are clearly not answers for Willow and the slayers. How can they possibly hide in Tibet and suppress their powers when those powers will be needed? As soon as there's a threat, and you know Twilight is going to find them, that'll be it. And so much for Oz's quiet life with Bayarmaa and Kelden, too. The slayers took refuge with Oz, and took the trouble right to him as well.

I thought it was interesting that Willow told Oz (quietly and privately) that she was jealous that he had a family and a real life. Is Oz in danger from Willow, of all people? Or was it just a nice conversation between former lovers and old friends?

The guy with glasses who just got condemned to death pointed out the irony of using Amy's magic (including human bones) to find the slayers. If magic is evil, then it's always evil, even if it's being used to defeat evil, so Twilight is corrupted, too. I also found it intriguing that Twilight seems to know who Spike is.

I still want Spike. Why can't I have Spike? This "Angel owns the Spike character crap" is crap. Bringing him up just frustrates me.

Bits and pieces:

-- Amy and Warren always seem to be fighting. I bet it's nearly over for those two crazy kids. And when it is, does that mean Warren's dead, since she's keeping him alive? Please let Warren be dead.

-- Speaking of yak butter, Willow confessed once that she kept yak cheese in her bra, so it must have magical qualities of some sort.

Quotes:

Xander: "My tea is greasy. Is your tea greasy?"

Giles: "Surely that's not all there is to it. Pet a yak and be a river."
Dawn: "Will, can you be a river?"
Buffy: "I'm not a great quiet sitter and looker."

Bayarmaa: "More butter tea?"
Dawn: "Oh, so full."
Giles: "More butter than I'm used to in tea."
Oz: "It's yak butter. Rich, foamy..."
Bayarmaa: "Straight from the yak."
Dawn: "*yak.*"

On to part three,

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

2 comments:

  1. I;m not angling for Spike myself Billie but given how atrocious the Angel comics are, I can see yor point.

    Reading this issue, I thought the idea of Buffy and company suppressing their powers seemed daft. I stand by it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I found it even more difficult than usual to identify the characters in this issue, they really need name badges!

    ReplyDelete

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