Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Episode Discussion: 5x18 Intervention

Ragnarok · 05-25-2004, 02:32 PM

Since we aren't going to have new episodes to discuss, we're going to have weekly episode discussion threads for old episodes. New threads will, of course, appear each Tuesday.

Intervention

Buffy tells Giles that she's worried that being a slayer means not loving- means not being human. Giles tells her to go on a spiritual journey out in the desert. While they're gone, Spike gets his Buffybot. Out, Spike & the Buffybot, encounter Xander & Anya, who later see the robot & the vampire having sex in the graveyard. Of course, they think it's Buffy & that she's acting out because of her mom. Xander goes to confront Spike when Glory's minions come & kidnap Spike. They take him to Glory, telling her that they think he is the Key because the Buffybot (who they think was Buffy) protected Spike during slaying. Glory takes one look at him & knows he's not the Key, saying that the Key is pure & that he's a vampire. She decides he does have a use, as he is close to Buffy(bot), & tortures him, in hopes that he'll tell her who the Key is. Meanwhile, Buffy's in the desert. Giles does a ritual to call upon a guide. A tiger guides Buffy to 'the scared place' deep in the desert. When Buffy gets there she recognizes it as the place in her dream where she met the First Slayer. There, the form of the First Slayer appears saying it is not the First Slayer, but the form her guide is choosing to talk to her. It tells Buffy that Buffy is full of love, but that if she rejects it, she'll lose it. Then it tells her by loving, she will find her Gift. Buffy asks what her gift is- & if she's getting or giving-, it tells Buffy that her Gift is Death. Buffy says Death is not a Gift. It tells her that her question is answered & disappears. Buffy goes home to find that Spike's been kidnapped & that there is a robot clone of her programmed to love Spike. Everyone goes to get Spike- Buffy to kill him so that he can't tell Glory who the Key is. In the fight, getting Spike out, the Buffybot is damaged & breaks. Later, Buffy, posing as the Buffybot, goes to Spike's crypt to find out if he told Glory about Dawn. Not knowing it's Buffy, he tells her that he'd never do that because it would hurt Buffy too much to lose Dawn & that he wouldn't be able to live with her in so much pain. Moved, Buffy kisses Spike's lips. He realizes it's her. She tells him that the robot is gone & that it was obscene, but that she won't forget what he did for her & then she leaves.

(Episode summary on loan from buffyworld.com)

RtS: #55; beat Fear, Itself in the first round; lost to Becoming, Part 1 in the second round.

I like this episode much better now than I did when I first saw it. While the Buffybot was undeniably funny, I didn't like it at all until S6. It was used tremendously well in Bargaining, which helped me to not hate it in this episode. The visionquest scenes were interesting, and the Glory/Spike scenes were at once horrifying and extremely funny. I'll confess I was quite surprised to see Stalker Spike turn out to be one of the good guys after all.

I'm guessing Jen will have the Spike/Buffy kiss screencaps posted within the hour.

Please feel free to post your comments, screencaps, favorite scenes and quotes.

Next week: 5x19, Tough Love

***Scythe*** · 05-25-2004, 03:07 PM

Darn right!

Too...many..caps...to....choose...from...must...narrow...
it...down!

Ragnarok · 05-25-2004, 03:25 PM

What? No straddling screencaps?

***Scythe*** · 05-25-2004, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ragnarok
What? No straddling screencaps?

Shhh

Think of the Children!

Fine if you want straddling!

Aha!!! Here's the cap I was looking for earlier!

:buffy_buffy:

:buffy_spike:

T O B Y · 05-25-2004, 05:18 PM

Now that's more like it, Jen.

Great episode. Seeing Spike set himself up for a fall is never easy, but the unexpected payoff at the end took me by complete surprise and has easily become one of the most memorable scenes of the series.

A nice blend of action, comedy, angst, and a little tug at the ol' heartstrings make this episode so compelling. Not to mention James and Sarah lighting it up again. Good dialogue too. A nice little gem from Season 5.

***Scythe*** · 05-25-2004, 05:25 PM

I love this part:

XANDER: Buffy, we need to talk.
BUFFY: What's wrong? Is Dawn okay?
WILLOW: Dawn's fine.
XANDER: Buffy, we care about you, and we're worried about you. The way you're acting, the things you're doing-
ANYA: It's wrong.
WILLOW: Wait. This shouldn't be about blame.
BUFFY: Blame? There's blame now?
WILLOW: No, there's only love. And ... some fear.
ANYA: Which is kind of thrown by the you having sex with Spike.
BUFFY: The ... who whating how with huh?
ANYA: Okay, that's denial. That usually comes before anger.
BUFFY: I am not having sex with Spike!
ANYA: Anger.
XANDER: No one is judging you. It's understandable. Spike is strong and mysterious and sort of compact but well-muscled.
BUFFY: I am not having sex with Spike! But I'm starting to think that you might be.
XANDER: Buffy, I saw you. Anya too. We saw you and Spike ... with the straddling.

**Jaime Bee** · 05-25-2004, 10:45 PM

Oh Intervention is one of my all time favorite episodes. I have to watch it everytime it is on. The Buffybot is classic and of course Buffy kissing Spike was So sweet and unexpected; she finally knew that he really did care about her and for that tiny second gave into her attraction to him. Buffy wouldn't just kiss him because she was grateful. I mean how many times has Xander been there for her and stood by her but she never kissed him.

Eternal Love · 05-26-2004, 12:13 AM

Great episode- it was really funny and this sceene with B/S in the end was sceene that I ever saw on TV!

**Fortyseven** · 05-26-2004, 01:01 AM

Great caps Jen!

And a funny quote.

***Scythe*** · 05-26-2004, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jaime Bee
Oh Intervention is one of my all time favorite episodes. I have to watch it everytime it is on. The Buffybot is classic and of course Buffy kissing Spike was So sweet and unexpected; she finally knew that he really did care about her and for that tiny second gave into her attraction to him. Buffy wouldn't just kiss him because she was grateful. I mean how many times has Xander been there for her and stood by her but she never kissed him.

Aww!

Well said!

**sort of beautiful** · 05-26-2004, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Scythe

I love this part:

XANDER: Buffy, we need to talk.
BUFFY: What's wrong? Is Dawn okay?
WILLOW: Dawn's fine.
XANDER: Buffy, we care about you, and we're worried about you. The way you're acting, the things you're doing-
ANYA: It's wrong.
WILLOW: Wait. This shouldn't be about blame.
BUFFY: Blame? There's blame now?
WILLOW: No, there's only love. And ... some fear.
ANYA: Which is kind of thrown by the you having sex with Spike.
BUFFY: The ... who whating how with huh?
ANYA: Okay, that's denial. That usually comes before anger.
BUFFY: I am not having sex with Spike!
ANYA: Anger.
XANDER: No one is judging you. It's understandable. Spike is strong and mysterious and sort of compact but well-muscled.
BUFFY: I am not having sex with Spike! But I'm starting to think that you might be.
XANDER: Buffy, I saw you. Anya too. We saw you and Spike ... with the straddling.

Very funny!

episode,this part was funny because of this part:

Buffy:i am not having sex with spike!but im starting to think that you might be!

*Krissy* · 05-26-2004, 07:20 AM

I love this episode. There are so many good things about it. The Buffybot and everyone's reaction to it was hysterical. Spike finally proving himself to Buffy was great. And her kissing him at the end was a nice surprise. It's one of my favorite Spuffy moments.

Ragnarok · 05-26-2004, 09:05 AM

The intervention scene was very funny, though I had to agree with Buffy. It seemed a bit preposterous that Xander and Willow, in particular, couldn't distinguish her from a robot. Oh well.

My favorite scene would have to be this one:

Glory: (turns away) "I need time, I need a drink," you're a very needy little bloodsucker, (sits on the sofa) and it's not very attractive.

Spike glares at her.

Glory: So start talkin'.
Spike: Yeah. Okay. The key. Here's the thing...

Shot of Spike's hands with chains wrapped around them. He twists them around trying to loosen the chains.

Spike: It's that guy... on TV ... what's his name?
Glory: (frowns) On the television?
Spike: That show ... the prize show ... where they guess what stuff cost?
Murk: The Price Is Right?
Jinx: Oh, Bob Barker!
Murk: We will bring you Bob Barker! We will bring you the limp and beaten body of Bob Bark-
Glory: (jumps up) It is not Bob Barker, scabby morons! The key is new to this world ... (turns back to face Spike) and Bob Barker is as old as grit. (smiles) The vampire ... is lying to me.
Spike: (giggles weakly) Yeah ... but it was fun. And guess what, bitch. (Shot of his hands still trying to twist free) I'm not telling you jack. You're never gonna get your sodding key, 'cause you might be strong, but in our world, you're an idiot.
Glory: I am a god.
Spike: The god of what, bad home perms?
Glory: Shut up! (takes a few steps toward him, pats her hair) I command you, shut up!
Spike: Yeah, okay, sorry, but I just had no idea that gods were such prancing lightweights. (Glory scoffs in disbelief) Mark my words, the Slayer ... is going to kick your skanky, lopsided ass (Glory checks out her ass in dismay) back to whatever place would take a (sizing her up) cheap, whorish, fashion victim ex-god like you.

Glory spins around and delivers a spinning kick to Spike's chest. His hands break free and he goes flying backward, crashing through the apartment's door and into the hallway outside. He does a back-somersault and winds up on the floor against a chair.

Spike: (mutters) Good plan, Spike.

This is just vintage Spike; good, evil, it doesn't matter - he always had so much fun yanking people's chains. It reminded me of the scene in
Fool for Love when he's busting Angelus' chops in the mine shaft.

***Scythe*** · 05-26-2004, 09:28 AM

In England The Price Is Right is hosted by a man names Bruce Forsythe. He was in Bed Knobs and Broomsticks

For some reason I thought you might find it interesting

Bronson · 05-26-2004, 10:04 AM

Yes it was a good episode. True, Willow and Xander should have been able to tell the difference between the real Buffy from a robot. It also shows that Spike did care about Buffy but also that his pre vamp self was still intact. Angelous as we know, would have handed Dawn to Glory in a split second.

The kiss at the end was nice as well but shouldn't Spike have sensed that it was not Buffybot and instead it was Buffy? We know that vampires can smell people.

Overall a very good episode.