[Burning Up A Sun]

That's what I thought but I wasn't sure. I mean wouldn't she have to do that before S7 was being done?

[ashleyt]

Yeah but negotiations can take place during the season too. With the way S7 played out, I wouldn't be surprised if some of those ideas came to Joss before the season was finished being filmed.

[Burning Up A Sun]

Probably spur of the moment... gotta get it in type ideas?

[ashleyt]

[Burning Up A Sun]

Like what do you think he added in?

[ashleyt]

Clearly the end when they use the scythe to "empower" all those potentials who miraculously kill Bringers while it took Buffy most of the season to kill one. I also think that there was such a huge focus on the potentials so that Joss could figure out what to do with the main characters in case there was another season. He obviously decided to do not much to nothing instead by the end of it.

[Burning Up A Sun]

Maybe the power was enhanced when the spell worked. IDK... that's true and I always wondered about that. I can't believe not more of them died in Chosen to be honest. He also patched up the friendship awfully quick.

[ashleyt]

I believe that he had Andrew, Spike and Anya's stories worked out, everything needed more time or more thought, IMO.

[saturn5]

THE KILLER IN ME

Oh my god, this is ep 135, we're into single figures left!
The Good;
Always lovely to see Amy again, sadly her last appearance although she's back in the comics. Nice subplot with 'Is Giles the First?' and some creepy stuff in the old Initiative, very Halloween (the movie not the ep).
The Bad;
I find the whole Willow/Kennedy storyline not that involving frankly and I'm normally a Willow fan. Rather ruins the suprise reveal of Amy when EAA's name is in the titles.
Best line;
Spike; "Who you gonna call? You know that's never going to be usable again, is it?" (tell that to the 118 118 boys!)
but also like;
Initiative officer (of Spike) "We're here to help ass-face (noting Buffy's look) Those were agent Finn's exact words"
Women good/men bad;
Pretty much all the Warren stuff
Jeez!;
Will slapping Amy is shocking
Kinky dinky;
When Buffy tries to tell the Initiative that Spike's 'chip' is malfunctioning they seem to think she's referring to something else. Andrew grabs Will's breasts and he and Dawn take the opportunity to feel up Willow/Warren and all the Scoobs grope Giles in the final scene. Giles is affronted that the Scoobes think he's evil because he'd take a group of nubile teenage girls on a camping trip and NOT touch them. Xander appears to wear Aquaman underwear, how does Willow know this? Amy's top is very revealing, I never appreciated how hot she was until this ep.
Captain Subtext;
One big lesbian seduction of Willow by Kennedy. Kennedy says that Willow is sexy when she pouts, quite true. Kennedy presumes Willow is gay but Will never actually says so. She asks how long has she enjoyed sex with women (well doesn't EVERYONE?). Interestingly Will says she didn't fall in love with WOMEN but with one WOMAN. Will's mum hardly met Tara. Kennedy says she was first attracted to women when she was five (!) after watching Rhett sweep Scarlett up the staircase in Gone with the Wind. This scene is widely considered to be marital rape but then as a potential Slayer Kennedy has that dark sexual side we see in Faith and Buffy and in 'Get it done' we find out why. Note that Kennedy wishes to play the Rhett role who's the sexual aggressor just as Kennedy is courting Willow. Kennedy tells Willow she doesn't worry about her "Being too butch". More signs of Andrew and Xander bonding, love Anya and Dawn's little look at him. Dawn and Anya snuggle under a blanket.
So, does Amy actually have a gay crush on Willow and is this all the result of jealousy? Certainly Amy at the end seems to be coming on to Kennedy, saying "You must be good" after the revelation about the kiss. Kennedy thinks Willow's freckles are 'lickable'.
Guantanamo Bay;
The Initiative's new front is a flower shop, what is it with Buffy and florists?
Scoobies to the ER;
Missing scenes;
Presumably around this time Dawn recieves her phonecall from Angelus but we never see it. Also the Scoobies never seem to notice the eternal darkness in LA or Jasmine but then they have their own worries.
Apocalypses; 7,
Wheldon Cliches (with kind permission from Boo)

Scoobies in bondage: Spike continues to keep himself chained up
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 5
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 4
Oz: 1
Faith: 3
Joyce: 1
Wes: 1
Xander; 2
Dawn; 4
Spike; 3

Scoobies knocked out:
Buffy: 20
Giles: 12
Cordy: 6
Xander: 15
Will: 9
Jenny: 2
Angel: 6
Oz: 3
Faith: 1
Joyce: 3
Wes: 1
Anya;7
Dawn; 4
Tara; 1
Spike; 1
Kills: one demon for Buffy
Buffy: 118 vamps, 61 demons, 6 monsters, 10 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demon, 1 human/1 god.
Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie
Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans
Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1½ a demon, 2 humans
Anya: 1 vamp and 1½ a demon
Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons
Spike; 9 vamps and 6 demons+1 human
Buffybot; 2 vamps
Tara; 1 demon
Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon
Kennedy; 1 human+1 vampire
Amanda; 1 vampire

Scoobies go evil: Willow, big time
Giles: 1
Cordy: 1
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 1
Oz: 1
Joyce: 1
Xander: 4
Anya; 1
Dawn; 1
Buffy; 1
Spike; 1

Alternate scoobies: Willow as Warren
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 1
Will: 6
Jenny: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 2
Joyce: 2
Xander: 4
Tara; 1
Dawn;1
Spike; 1
Anya; 2

Recurring characters killed: 13
Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara, Quentin Travers.

Sunnydale deaths;
103

Total number of scoobies:
Xander, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Anya, Spike, Giles, Kennedy, Molly, Vi, Chloe, Rhona, Amanda

Xander demon magnet: 5(6?)
Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?

Scoobies shot:
Giles: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 4
Riley; 1
Buffy; 1
Tara; 1

Notches on Scooby bedpost:
Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?
Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 2 possible, Dracula+RJ(?)
Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?)
Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca
Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley
Xander: 2; Faith, Anya
Willow: 2;Oz and Tara
Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore
Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya
Anya; 2 Spike and Xander
Dawn in peril; 14
Dawn the bashful virgin; 9
What the fanficcers thought;
Read an interesting one where Willow's guilt manifest's itself differently, she's visited by Warren every night and he cuts skin from her body. In the end she forgives him and then forgives herself, making him disappear and only dreaming of Tara from then on. Another good one has Willow confronting Amy and we find out that this is all due to an unrequited gay crush from Amy for Willow. Amy tries to stab Will with her Bringer dagger and Xander shoots Amy with the gun Willow-as-Warren bought. She collapses and dies in the arms of a tearful Willow. TSSA - Television and Movie Character Sex Stories Archive
Questions and observations;
Weird to see flashbacks all the way back to season 4, seems a world away. SMG seems rather hoarse in the first scene. The series seems to be running out of money to judge by the commentary, all that CGI expensive. It strikes me that Spike has moved into the basement just as Xander moves out. Robson the Watcher has survived, the Watcher's Council is not entirely gone and can help Buffy and co in season 8. Shouldn't Xander pack some weapons when he heads off to the desert?
So is Amy working with the First (she uses it's catchphrase, 'It's about power')? But when she talks to Kennedy she seems to not even to be evil, that this is petty jealousy of Willow. OR maybe she's bitter at Willow having killed Rack and left Amy to have painful rehab on her own?
Is the leader of the Initiative team the same guy from the series The Unit? What a shame they couldn't have got Graham back. In the end where we see Warren weeping and saying "I'm sorry baby" is he actually grieving for Katrina?

Marks out of 10; 6/10, not my favourite

[saturn5]

FIRST DATE

The Good;
So we finally find out Wood's secret! Some nice comedy stuff with Xander and Danny Strong suprisingly creepy as Jonathon/The First. It's amazing how funny Chao Anh can be with just such a simple old gag.
The Bad;
Buffy really should take more care with her cellphone. Who opens a French resteraunt down a creepy dark alleyway? Note Woods doesn't lock his door after Buffy leaves whilst he's putting away his knife. Honestly if you were Xander on your first date with Lissa would you ever dream of telling the story of leaving your bride at the altar? Not exactly something that makes a girl think 'Boy this one's a keeper!' (although considering the attraction to bad boys in this series maybe it would impress her?)
Best line;
Buffy; (of Xander's date) "Good thing you're not jealous!"
Anya; "Are you nuts? Can't you hear my bitter ranting? The shrill edge of hysteria in my voice? Little hardware store whore!"
Women good/men bad;
Anya considers Xander's date a **** and whore despite never having met her.
Jeez!;
Decaying Jonathon (love Amanda's little squeal). Bleeding Xander isn't nice either.
Kinky dinky;
Needless to say Ashanti is GORGEOUS especially when she puts on her sacrificial gear and into bondage fun. The bleeding bit not so much fun nor is her demon form. Half naked Xander, NB slimmed down a lot since season 6. Andrew admires the contents of Buffy's underwear drawer 'Nice things' and notes she has thongs amongst her intimates (as we saw before in Shadow) Interested in her wearing them or him? We also see Buffy in her sexy camisole top. Andrew considers Dawn 'A peach'. Buffy considers Wood's French pear desert 'The best thing I've ever had in my mouth', a line which would make the Carry On team blush! (and she says it in front of Spike!).
Captain Subtext;
Xander; "Willow, gay me up!" imagining Scott Bakula in his underwear which Andrew also appreciates. Buffy worries that this would just attract male demons, Dawn mentions that Clem always liked Xander further portraying him as Buffy's gay friend. Willow considers Buffy a 'frisky vixen'. Buffy's description of Woods is very reminiscent of Riley which hardly bodes well for him as a potential lover. Buffy wonders why she's so attracted to 'wicked energy', in the next ep we find out why. Interestingly when Willow asks about Spike Buffy says 'Why does everyone still think I'm in love with Spike?'. Her use of the term 'love' is unprecedented. Buffy is attracted to Woods, another older man for her, older than Riley although still much younger than Spike and Angel (Hank leaving really screwed her up even before all the Slayer dark energy lust kicked in, one wonder's if Dawn will be the same?) And of course Woods whose mother was a Slayer who died when he was four, breaking his heart now finds himself dating one. He comments that he 'Doesn't know how that happened' but I think it doesn't need Freud to guess? Kennedy and Willow now make out and hold hands under the table although she tries to hide it.
Guantanamo Bay;
Andrew wears a wire
Scoobies to the ER;
Missing scenes;
Apocalypses; 7,
Wheldon Cliches (with kind permission from Boo)

Scoobies in bondage: Xander big time! Lissa into recreational bondage (or she mistakes him for a kayak?)
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 5
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 4
Oz: 1
Faith: 3
Joyce: 1
Wes: 1
Xander; 3
Dawn; 4
Spike; 3

Scoobies knocked out: Xander passes out, Giles is the one notorious for it but he's far ahead.
Buffy: 20
Giles: 12
Cordy: 6
Xander: 16
Will: 9
Jenny: 2
Angel: 6
Oz: 3
Faith: 1
Joyce: 3
Wes: 1
Anya;7
Dawn; 4
Tara; 1
Spike; 1
Kills: 1 Bringer for Giles, 3 vamps for Buffy plus Lissa giving her her 200th kill! 2 vamps for Woods plus he says he's killed 'A few vamps and some demons' previously so we'll give him 3 more vamps and 2 demons at least.
Buffy: 121 vamps, 62 demons, 6 monsters, 10 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demons, 2 humans/1 god.
Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie
Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans
Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1½ a demon, 2 humans
Anya: 1 vamp and 1½ a demon
Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons
Spike; 9 vamps and 6 demons+1 human
Buffybot; 2 vamps
Tara; 1 demon
Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon
Kennedy; 1 human+1 vampire
Amanda; 1 vampire
Woods; 5 vamps and 2 demons

Scoobies go evil:
Giles: 1
Cordy: 1
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 1
Oz: 1
Joyce: 1
Xander: 4
Anya; 1
Dawn; 1
Buffy; 1
Spike; 1

Alternate scoobies:
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 1
Will: 6
Jenny: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 2
Joyce: 2
Xander: 4
Tara; 1
Dawn;1
Spike; 1
Anya; 2

Recurring characters killed: 13
Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara, Quentin Travers.

Sunnydale deaths;
103

Total number of scoobies: 15-Chao Anh and Woods join the group. Andrew really picks his side here and starts taking a major step to becoming a proper Scooby.
Xander, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Anya, Spike, Giles, Kennedy, Molly, Vi, Chloe, Rhona, Amanda, Chao-Anh, Woods

Xander demon magnet: 6(7?) yet another demon digs Xander
Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya, Lissa (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?

Scoobies shot:
Giles: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 4
Riley; 1
Buffy; 1
Tara; 1

Notches on Scooby bedpost: does Xander get anywhere with Lissa before she ties him up? (or afterwards?)
Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?
Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 2 possible, Dracula+RJ(?)
Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?)
Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca
Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley
Xander: 2; Faith, Anya
Willow: 2;Oz and Tara
Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore
Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya
Anya; 2 Spike and Xander
Dawn in peril; 14
Dawn the bashful virgin; 9
What the fanficcers thought;
Once read a HORRIBLE fic where Giles really was killed by the Bringer and season 7 Giles is Ethan Rayne in a glamour spell. By the end of the fic Buffy has been tricked into killing Spike, Woods tricked into raping Buffy who then kills him and Buffy slits her wrists in the bathtub in despair. Thankfully in the follow-up story the Scoobs save Buffy using a blood transfusion from Dawn and her love for her friends and family give her the will to live. After sharing the Slayer power with the Potentials she obliterates the Hellmouth with a nuke borrowed from Riley&co, Ethan Rayne reforming to become her new Watcher and Amanda and Anya surviving the final battle. Meanwhile in season 5 Angel Harmony misses her blondie bear and gets her hands on the spell WR&H used to bring back Darla....
Questions and observations;
Note in the scene where Giles' is leading the girls through the graveyard one of the tombs reads 'Snyder'. Only a limited number of Potentials each ep as they can't afford more. Buffy says she believes in Spike. The First knows about the gun implying that Amy was one of it's agents, otherwise how would it know? Of course the 'blood' on Buffy's blouse that Anya is trying to clean is actually the pizza sauce Dawn spilt on it in 'Conversations with Dead People'. People constantly mock Buffy's counselling skills, she seems to actually enjoy her job, something in her life that's NOT connected to slaying (Woods feels the same way saying he enjoys being the headmaster). Woods has no slayer powers, if he was a Slayer's daughter you wonder if that might be different. Buffy seems intrigued that Slayer's can have children, something she and Faith might now have the chance to do (certainly post-Chosen). Note Amanda still has her forehead scar from Potential. So anyone's blood can open the seal? Why doesn't the first just have it's Bringers kidnap random people? Why does The First want Woods to kill Spike, isn't he it's agent? Poor Woods, how heartrending for him to find his mother's killer after all this time. When Woods tells the First 'You didn't raise me at all' is he saying "You're the First so you didn't raise me' or is he mad at his mother for dying and leaving him alone? I always thought vamp limbs went to dust when they were removed from the body but here we see they don't (luckily for Spike in 'Damage')

Marks out of 10; 7/10

[saturn5]

GET IT DONE

The Good;
Buffy's trip to see the Shadowmen finally answers a lot of the questions we've had concerning the Slayer over the years. Plus bad boy Spike is finally back! The Shadowcasting scene is suprisingly creepy.
The Bad;
How convenient that in the ep where Buffy is going to be 'knocked up' by the Shadowmen's pet demon she just happens to wear a skirt for the first time in ages?
Best line;
Buffy; "Always the staff!"
Women good/men bad;
So, the first Slayer wasn't a volunteer after all? How ironic that the Slayer, the symbol of female empowerment is actually based on the subjugation of women, the Shadowmen chaining a young girl to the earth and forcing their will upon her for their higher purposes. If it was anyone but Joss you'd think this was misogynistic but here Buffy once more shows that the modern Slayer has overcome the need for patriarchal domination, she chooses to be the Slayer and will only work with them to save humanity, not under their control. Her breaking the staff could be construed as a phallic symbol? One thought that has been suggested to me before is that vamps are undead and are therefore a travesty of life. Women are the lifegivers so the Slayer's vamp sense is based upon that, that they are almost allergic to something that is against nature? Also possible that a female was selected to be the Slayer as their uterus makes them capable of accepting the demon just as they would a child.
Jeez!;
Chloe's death is beyond horrible
Kinky dinky;
How long have you got? Buffy refers to her being 'knocked up' and 'violated' which is normally CC's job. We discover why Buffy and Faith (and it's hinted a couple of the Potentials) have this dark and kinky sexual side to them, that the Slayer was created in a whirlwind of rape, bondage, impregnation, dark magic and female enslavement. We now know why Buffy and Faith have a thing for older men (the Shadowmen/Watchers) with (as Spike comments) 'a little demon in them' like Angel, Spike, the Mayor, Dracula, Wood (son of a Slayer), the Immortal. You wonder if Dawn will develop the same tastes, she share's Buffy's blood and she's already had a crush on Spike and Justin? I never bothered to count but I think this is the last time Buffy gets sexually assaulted in the series, off the top of my head that makes seven (Xander in The Pack, twice by Larry in Halloween, by Cam and then the entire mutated swimteam in Go Fish, by Spike in Seeing Red) If we don't count The Master and presuming her and Drac was consensual. Borders on Got-fic.
Anya still seems to have the hots for Spike but he's not interested.
Spike; "You're like a dog with a bone"
Anya; "Well a girl get's hungry!"
Spike; "It's MY bone!"
of course you could just suspect that she might be trying to make Xander jealous after his date with Lissa in last week's ep. Wood describes HIMSELF as cool and sexy and Buffy agrees adding he's a snappy dresser. Spike thinks the tension between him and Wood is jealousy over Buffy but he's mistaken.
Captain Subtext;
You could interpret that fact that Buffy is actually made stronger by the Shadowmen forcing themselves upon her as a metaphor for the power of female sexuality? Buffy mentions to Wood that Willow has been 'experimenting' a remark she seems to take exception to. When Spike tells Buffy about saving Anya from the demon he says he 'Beat him off' before thinking of a better phrasing.
Note the gentle, intimate gesture of the third Shadowman stroking his hand down Buffy's cheek even after their violent conquest of her that preceded it. What's more Buffy actually let's him do it, it's almost a fatherly moment of affection between them. (Her Slayer side born of the Shadowmen, her Buffy side born of Hank and Joyce?). Kennedy's rejection of Willow having seen her darkside is reminiscent of how CC rejects Angel in season 4 having seen the things he did as Angelus when she was a higher power. Interestingly having been rejected by her girlfriend Willow makes her way to Buffy's bed and suggests that Buffy use 'kisses' (and Twinkies) to motivate her and the others.
Guantanamo Bay;
The Shadowmen are supremely ruthless, the Watcher's Council haven't changed much in all that time. Buffy's almost callous treatment of Chloe shows her going the same way. How the Shadowmen then treat her wakes her up to how she's been behaving and makes her much more human from now on. She comments to the Shadowmen that by giving her more power they're making her 'less human'. All along The First has been saying it's not about right and wrong it's about power. But Buffy rejects the power for what is right, as Wood remarks she's 'redefining the role'.
Some people say that this is Buffy at her nastiest but I sympathise with her, when you see the scene with her walking around at the start guarding over the sleeping potentials she just looks so concerned and loving. She's mad at Chloe for leaving them in the lurch, she shouts at everyone else because they've got to bring their game up and indeed Spike, Willow and Anya do as a result of her harraunging. I'm actually mad with Dawn, Xander etc for letting poor Buffy have to bury Chloe alone. Kennedy is much more to blame than Buffy calling Chloe 'maggot' but she doesn't seem to give a damn. And she even shouts at Amanda when she gives her cute little wave to Woods.
More anti-French racism which was popular in the US at the time. Buffy of course is right, not all the girls will make it, tragic but true.
Scoobies to the ER;
Missing scenes;
Apocalypses; 7,
Wheldon Cliches (with kind permission from Boo)

Scoobies in bondage: Buffy in chains as she's ravished by the demon.
Buffy: 9
Giles: 4
Cordy: 5
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 4
Oz: 1
Faith: 3
Joyce: 1
Wes: 1
Xander; 3
Dawn; 4
Spike; 3

Scoobies knocked out: Buffy by the Shadowmen, Will and Spike by the demon, Dawn and Kennedy by Willow
Buffy: 21
Giles: 12
Cordy: 6
Xander: 16
Will: 10
Jenny: 2
Angel: 6
Oz: 3
Faith: 1
Joyce: 3
Wes: 1
Anya;7
Dawn; 5
Tara; 1
Spike; 2
Kennedy; 1
Kills: one demon for Spike, the big bad is back!
Buffy: 121 vamps, 62 demons, 6 monsters, 10 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demons, 2 humans/1 god.
Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie
Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans
Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1½ a demon, 2 humans
Anya: 1 vamp and 1½ a demon
Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons
Spike; 9 vamps and 7 demons+1 human
Buffybot; 2 vamps
Tara; 1 demon
Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon
Kennedy; 1 human+1 vampire
Amanda; 1 vampire
Woods; 5 vamps and 2 demons

Scoobies go evil:
Giles: 1
Cordy: 1
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 1
Oz: 1
Joyce: 1
Xander: 4
Anya; 1
Dawn; 1
Buffy; 1
Spike; 1

Alternate scoobies:
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 1
Will: 6
Jenny: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 2
Joyce: 2
Xander: 4
Tara; 1
Dawn;1
Spike; 1
Anya; 2

Recurring characters killed: 14, poor Chloe
Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara, Quentin Travers, Chloe.

Sunnydale deaths; poor Chloe
104

Total number of scoobies: 30- goodbye Chloe but there now seems to be about 16 potentials in total. Noticeably no Molly though.
Xander, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Anya, Spike, Giles, Kennedy, Molly, Vi, Rhona, Amanda, Chao-Anh, Woods

Xander demon magnet: 6(7?)
Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya, Lissa (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?

Scoobies shot:
Giles: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 4
Riley; 1
Buffy; 1
Tara; 1

Notches on Scooby bedpost: do we count Buffy and the Shadowmen's pet demon as sex? It's definitely metaphorical rape but is it actual? There's certainly plenty of penetration of her mouth and under both the front and back of her skirt. She graphically shudders, writhes, groans, gasps, bucks and moans like an enthusiastic porn star faking it, screaming in pleasure/pain and all the time straining against her chains (as Anya puts it 'the pleasure moment/Shiver me timbers'?). Watching her almost feels voyeuristic, if this wasn't Joss you'd scream "Exploitation!". However this is Joss and the power this gives her allows her to break her chains, the First Slayer saying the Slayer derives power from pain, the whole 'women experience pain differently' concept coming to the fore again.
Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?
Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 3 possible, Dracula+RJ+Shadowman's demon(?)
Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?)
Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca
Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley
Xander: 2; Faith, Anya
Willow: 2;Oz and Tara
Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore
Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya
Anya; 2 Spike and Xander
Dawn in peril; 14
Dawn the bashful virgin; 9
What the fanficcers thought;
A LOT of fic has Buffy being treated nastily by the Shadowmen etc as her comeuppance for treating her friends and family so nastily but as always, forgiveness is big in the Buffyverse and it all ends happily.
Read a WAY out there fic once where the Shadowmen not only have Buffy knocked up by their pet demon but decide to keep her as their slave girl afterwards. However in the follow up story they all fall in love with her and decide they have to send her back to her own time. But we also discover that Buffy's actually been faking, having long since broken her chains and is just enjoying a short S&M themed holiday from the strain of leadership and punishing herself about Chloe before heading back to her responsibilities in Sunnydale. TSSA - Television and Movie Character Sex Stories Archive if over 18 and VERY open minded
If you like your porn a bit more historical another interesting one is that the Shadowmen return Buffy to Sunnydale by sending her travelling forwards through time Quantum Leap style. She gains power by taking on the form of all the previous Slayers throughout history and enjoying their greatest sexual experience (Roman slave, medieval Princess, pirate galley wench, wild-west saloon girl, 30s film noir femme-fatale, Mad Men style 50s housewife etc), teaming up with Faith along the way who's doing the same thing.
And if you like the idea of the Buffygirls with demons (and you're over 18); http://www.taboostudios.com/taboomain.html

Questions and observations;
Why doesn't D'Hoffryn come to kill Anya himself? Buffy comments on the Hellmouth's propensity for coming to a climax around May, when the series finale is due. Spike says he's more or less unique as a vamp with a soul (except for Angel). Buffy and Dawn refer to Grandma, the first ever reference to the Summer's grandparents who are presumably deceased. Dawn more and more starting to take on the role of junior Watcher and helps organise the Scoobs with Buffy gone. Buffy asks Anya what she actually does, she later shows us when she helps Willow figure out the spell to bring Buffy back. The return of Black-Eyed Willow and Kickass Spike. When Buffy says she wants the old Spike back is she voicing the opinion of many fans? Here we finally understand what Dracula meant when he referred to the darkness within Buffy and what Adam was referring to in Restless when Buffy says "I'm not a demon" and he replies "Is that a fact?"
Note that the bag which Woods' gives her is the same one she get's the mud from in 'Restless' after which she gives her 'primitive' (or stripper?)leer after giving herself an impromptu facial. According to the Shadowmen Buffy is the Hellmouth's last guardian which indeed she is although in a different way to which we initially understand it. Will mentions 'Bring it on' a movie featuring both Eliza Dushku and Clare Kramer.
Now in the comics Buffy has been infused with demon power and can now fly etc. Maybe should have just laid back and thought of Sunnydale?
Isn't it an awfully big demon they recieve in return for tiny little Buffy? (I remember the idea of a mass substitute from the old Transformers comics). Willow's "My latin sucks" line may be because AH apparently hates all the latin she had to learn for all the magic on the show. Note when Spike is talking to the demon before fighting in the alleyway there's 'Beware of the dog' sign behind him. Willow says that she sucked power from the most powerful person nearby which was Kennedy. Note that Dawn takes a lot longer to recover consciousness than Kennedy, maybe Slayer healing?
So if the bag belonging to Wood's mum wasn't passed down does that explain why the Slayers of the 80s and 90s started to grow beyond the Watcher's control, they weren't subjugated by the Shadowmen's power? And is this why Buffy was never found to be trained until she was 15?
Marks out of 10; 8/10 certainly LOTS to write about.

[saturn5]

STORYTELLER
The Good;
The wonderful Andrew in the kitchen fantasy sequence, all the straight to camera stuff and Spike's conceit towards the camera. The hilarious 'We are gods' sequence complete with unicorn. But who cares because the Cheese Man from Restless is back!
The Bad;
Do we really believe that Andrew can read an ancient demon language and yet doesn't bother to translate what's on the knife? Wouldn't the Invisible Girl be a useful ally against the First? Or does it matter as the Bringers are blind anyway? Andrew says that Buffy has no steak knives, so what did she stab the Queller demon with?
Best line;
Andrew (describing Dawn); "Bubbly and sweet with a hunger for fun and a smile that lights up the room"
Women good/men bad;
Possessed Wood refers to Buffy as a whore for screwing Spike
Jeez!;
According to Willow's research Greek cookbooks like to use goat's tongues. Let's hope the Supersizers don't get around to ancient Greece, I doubt even Sue and Giles could eat that (Giles Coren that is, not Rupert Giles). Exploding heads too although that's just implied.
Kinky dinky;
Buffy apparently dreams of running for the bus whilst naked. Oddly whilst much of this ep confirms our suspicions of Andrew as gay he glosses over cute but unconventionally pretty Amanda in the kitchen scene for the blonde bimbo whose name he doesn't even know, a very hetero male thing to do. Anya is suspicious as to what Andrew is doing by himself in the bathroom with a video camera. She suggests that the rest of the Scoobies just masturbate in there. Anya and Xander get it on once more, in Spike's bed in the basement! Revenge for Xander having to put Spike up in his basement and closet? Anya comments that she's a 'spitfire' in bed whilst they both agree that this was an act of closure and comment that it's a shame Buffy took Spike's chains down. Dawn wears a remarkably revealing top, showing her now formidable cleavage off to to all.
Captain Subtext;
Willow and Kennedy kissing and totally ignored by Andrew? Hmmmmmm? The Playboy test for heterosexuality (enjoying the thought of 2 or more women together)and he failed it completely. Guess the pair got over the events of 'Get it done'. Andrew also thinks that the tension between Woods and Spike is sexual in nature. Note Spike is topless in Andrew's kitchen fantasy. Andrew also admires Xander's skill with his hands 'Extraordinary' and implies that he thinks Jonathon is cute. In his fantasy Andrew has Warren commenting he's good-looking. Andrew and Jonathon share a bed together whilst on the run. Andrew says that Jonathon promised to buy him a 'burro', Spanish for ass (hopefully the hooved kind?)
Guantanamo Bay;
The Scoobs don't hesitate to threaten and rough Andrew up.
Scoobies to the ER;
Missing scenes;
Apocalypses; 7, Buffy says that there are 'hundreds upon hundreds' Turok-Han in her vision implying tens of thousands. Ok, if they got out it would be bad but against 6 billion humans armed with all our technology would it really be the end of the world?
Wheldon Cliches (with kind permission from Boo)

Scoobies in bondage:
Buffy: 9
Giles: 4
Cordy: 5
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 4
Oz: 1
Faith: 3
Joyce: 1
Wes: 1
Xander; 3
Dawn; 4
Spike; 3

Scoobies knocked out:
Buffy: 21
Giles: 12
Cordy: 6
Xander: 16
Will: 10
Jenny: 2
Angel: 6
Oz: 3
Faith: 1
Joyce: 3
Wes: 1
Anya;7
Dawn; 5
Tara; 1
Spike; 2
Kennedy; 1
Kills: two vamps killed by Buffy
Buffy: 123 vamps, 62 demons, 6 monsters, 10 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demons, 2 humans/1 god.
Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie
Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans
Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1½ a demon, 2 humans
Anya: 1 vamp and 1½ a demon
Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons
Spike; 9 vamps and 7 demons+1 human
Buffybot; 2 vamps
Tara; 1 demon
Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon
Kennedy; 1 human+1 vampire
Amanda; 1 vampire
Woods; 5 vamps and 2 demons

Scoobies go evil: Wood possessed by the seal. Buffy says she never went evil but she did try to kill everyone in Normal Again.
Giles: 1
Cordy: 1
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 1
Oz: 1
Joyce: 1
Xander: 4
Anya; 1
Dawn; 1
Buffy; 1
Spike; 1
Wood; 1

Alternate scoobies:
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 1
Will: 6
Jenny: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 2
Joyce: 2
Xander: 4
Tara; 1
Dawn;1
Spike; 1
Anya; 2

Recurring characters killed: 14,
Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara, Quentin Travers, Chloe.

Sunnydale deaths; the poor student whose head explodes Scanner's style
105

Total number of scoobies: 30 or so, going to add Andrew to the mix
Xander, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Anya, Spike, Giles, Kennedy, Molly, Vi, Rhona, Amanda, Chao-Anh, Wood, Andrew plus an indeterminate number of potentials, at least a dozen or more.

Xander demon magnet: 6(7?)
Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya, Lissa (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?

Scoobies shot:
Giles: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 4
Riley; 1
Buffy; 1
Tara; 1

Notches on Scooby bedpost:
Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?
Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 3 possible, Dracula+RJ+Shadowman's demon(?)
Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?)
Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca
Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley
Xander: 2; Faith, Anya
Willow: 2;Oz and Tara
Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore
Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya
Anya; 2 Spike and Xander
Dawn in peril; 14
Dawn the bashful virgin; 9
What the fanficcers thought;
The erotic adventures of the nerds a staple of much slash fiction.
Questions and observations;
The invisible girl at school is reminiscent of Marcie in 'Out of sight, out of mind', as Joss said it's all about getting back to the first season. Buffy also refers back to The Witch in that everyone hates the cheerleaders and to Amanda's loathing of the marching band in Potential. Unless someone can correct me the last appearance of Warren and Jonathon in the series. The poor piglet is still running around, I'd always assumed the Turok-Han ate it. Suprising that Buffy still let's Amanda and Dawn go to SDH. Note that Jonathon just wants Buffy to stick to her car if she's supermagnetic but Warren more viciously wants sharp things to fly at her. The flesh coloured plaster joke rather reminds me of Bloom County, one of my favourite comic strips, anyone else remember it?
Where do people always get flaming barrel's from? Is there a picket line at SDH? Good thing Buffy had Spike's chip removed or he wouldn't have been able to fight the students. We see how The First forms it's Bringers. The important thing of course is that Andrew doesn't cry tears of pain or fear but of remorse, he's sorry for what he did. Andrew refers to Xander as the heart of the Slayer machine just as he was in Primeval. Can anyone tell me what exactly Andrew mouths to Amanda in the kitchen after he says 'Not you sweetheart'? Buffy mentions running to catch a bus in one of her dreams although she doesn't know where it's going and indeed she does in Chosen (but not whilst naked). Andrew refers to buying the sacrificial knife from a weapons dealer who also sells collapsible swords (like Wes has on Angel) and poison arrows (like Faith used on Angel). Be sure to watch to the end to catch the GrrrArrggh demon singing "We are gods!"
Last appearance of Warren and Jonathon although Adam Busch plays a VERY Warren like character in an episode of Terminator; The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Marks out of 10; 8/10 Andrew comes into his own.

[saturn5]

LIES MY PARENTS TOLD ME

The Good;
All the flashback sequences are wonderful. Great to see the real Dru on the show again, love her expression when Spike talks of bringing his mum with them. Possibly the worst introduction of any new girlfriend to a prospective mother-in-law in the history of the world? The powerful scenes between Wood and Giles and the face off between Spike and Wood are awesome.
The Bad;
Spike just deciding to leave Nikki alone for a while after finding her beggars belief, couldn't they have had a police car pull up or something? Or was Spike worried about messing up his hair? No real comparison between Joyce and Nikki, Joyce died of natural causes, although heartbreaking for Buffy and Dawn there was no one to blame, it was just her time. Unsouled Spike hunted down and murdered Nikki for fun!
Best line;
Buffy (to Giles); "I think you've taught me everthing I need to know" Ooooohhhhhh!
Women good/men bad;
At the end of the ep Buffy shares a moment of intimacy with Dawn in bed then closes the door on Giles. The implication is that she chooses her literal and metaphorical sister(s) over her father figure?
Jeez!;
Spike's mum remarks that he wants to 'get inside her' again, yeeeesshhh! Her rejection of him is heartrending. The mindworm is also nasty, reminiscent of Star Trek 2. Spike's goading of Wood over his mother choosing slaying over him is nasty and very possibly not true as we learn in 'Damage'. Nikki sacrifices herself to save Robin and millions like him just as Buffy does in The Gift with Dawn, she loved him but she just couldn't be with him. Nikki just didn't bump into Spike on patrol, he hunted her down off-duty, she tells Robin he can't go home because she fears Spike will find them there. She never volunteered to be the Slayer and she couldn't quit. She dies trying to save him.
Wood's knuckledusters are pretty vicious but you'd think useful in a fight.
Kinky dinky;
Spike tells Nikki he's going to 'ride her hard'. She responds that he's 'wet and limp'. Xander bemoans the fact that Spike's chains weren't there last week when he and Anya had their breakup sex. Dru refers to Spike as 'sweet Willy' whilst he describes her as saucy.
Captain Subtext;
Needless to say a lot of people speculate on an incestuous attraction between Spike and his mum (and between John and Sarah Connor, the Supernatural brothers, the Charmed sisters, Buffy/Dawn/Joyce etc I remember the latter trio were so popular as a pairing/threesome that the first rule of the Joyce Summer's fanfic archive was 'No incest' ). I don't buy that, I think William is just a devoted son to his loving mother, even soulless Spike is horrified when she makes her incestuous suggestion. I'm quite prepared to accept Connor having sex with Cordy, that Ares is Xena's dad or even that Beatrice in Kill Bill might actually be his daughter but not this.
One reason Spike's mum might be so mean to him once sired is that she's jealous of Drusilla whom she refers to as 'That trollop'. Note Dru calls herself Spike's 'Other mummy'. Check out her little look as Spike stakes her, almost of relief/affection? Could she have been goading Spike into killing her?
Speaking of Oedipal implications as we suspected Wood tells Buffy that she reminds him of his mother. Interestingly whilst most girls would consider that a turn off, she seems to rather like the idea. According to the commentary Spike's mum is called 'Anne' which of course is Buffy's middle name. And upon seeing Spike's relationship with his own mother I think we all understand his apparently genuine affection for Joyce a lot better (when Anne let's her hair down she doesn't half look like Joyce).
Andrew takes the call from Fred whom he thinks sounds 'effeminate'. Buffy substitutes 'prophylactic' for 'prokaryote' in regard to Spike which is a Freudian slip if ever there was one.
Guantanamo Bay;
Giles acts as a calculating general and wishes to kill Spike out of logic. Wood by contrast know's it's wrong but acts because his love for his mother is more powerful than all reason. Giles has actually started acting like Travers and the rest of the Watcher's Council but then so did Buffy in Potential, giving her girls their own Cruciantenam.
Scoobies to the ER;
Missing scenes;
12 minutes of extra footage according to the commentary? We must have entire movies of deleted scenes available for special edition DVD releases! One scene I think we'd all like to see is Giles confess to Buffy about killing Ben.
Apocalypses; 7,
Wheldon Cliches (with kind permission from Boo)

Scoobies in bondage: Spike in chains
Buffy: 9
Giles: 4
Cordy: 5
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 4
Oz: 1
Faith: 3
Joyce: 1
Wes: 1
Xander; 3
Dawn; 4
Spike; 4

Scoobies knocked out: Poor Dawn although nothing is broken (at least Willow hopes so)
Buffy: 21
Giles: 12
Cordy: 6
Xander: 16
Will: 10
Jenny: 2
Angel: 6
Oz: 3
Faith: 1
Joyce: 3
Wes: 1
Anya;7
Dawn; 6
Tara; 1
Spike; 2
Kennedy; 1
Kills: 2 vamps for Spike (excluding his mum) and 2 for Buffy if we assume she finished off the vamp in the alley at the start
Buffy: 125 vamps, 62 demons, 6 monsters, 10 humans, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demons, 2 humans/1 god.
Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie, 1 werewolf,
Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans
Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1½ a demon, 2 humans
Anya: 1 vamp and 1½ a demon
Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons
Spike; 11 vamps and 7 demons+1 human
Buffybot; 2 vamps
Tara; 1 demon
Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon
Kennedy; 1 human+1 vampire
Amanda; 1 vampire
Woods; 5 vamps and 2 demons

Scoobies go evil:
Giles: 1
Cordy: 1
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 1
Oz: 1
Joyce: 1
Xander: 4
Anya; 1
Dawn; 1
Buffy; 1
Spike; 1
Wood; 1

Alternate scoobies:
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 1
Will: 6
Jenny: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 2
Joyce: 2
Xander: 4
Tara; 1
Dawn;1
Spike; 1
Anya; 2

Recurring characters killed: 15,
Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara, Quentin Travers, Chloe, Jonathon.

Sunnydale deaths;
105

Total number of scoobies: 30 or so
Xander, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Anya, Spike, Giles, Kennedy, Molly, Vi, Rhona, Amanda, Chao-Anh, Wood, Andrew plus an indeterminate number of potentials, at least a dozen or more.

Xander demon magnet: 6(7?)
Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya, Lissa (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?

Scoobies shot:
Giles: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 4
Riley; 1
Buffy; 1
Tara; 1

Notches on Scooby bedpost:
Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?
Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 3 possible, Dracula+RJ+Shadowmen's demon(?)
Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?)
Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca
Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley
Xander: 2; Faith, Anya
Willow: 2;Oz and Tara
Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore
Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya
Anya; 2 Spike and Xander
Dawn in peril; 14
Dawn the bashful virgin; 9
What the fanficcers thought;
Questions and observations;
Buffy says she is now willing to sacrifice Dawn to save the world. Because she's older or because Buffy knows there's a heaven? Probably the latter as it's only after Giles remarks about what she's been through (death/afterlife) that she says it. She regards death as the reward for being human, the big dessert at the end of the meal. Or because Dawn is no longer her sole focus? She comments here that Dawn is 'tough'. Spike retains some of his humanity as a vampire (as the Judge senses in Becoming pt1), perhaps because of Dru's link to the PTB? When his mum is sick Spike suggests fetching Dr Gull which was also the name of Queen Victoria's physician and a popular suspect for Jack the Ripper but we've no proof it's the same guy. Willow recieves her phonecall from Fred in the Angel ep 'Orpheus'. Buffy still feels bad about how she treated her family and friends in 'Get it done', her punishment at the hands of the Shadowmen has actually benefitted her by bringing her to her senses in that regard, she's not so hardass any more. We really do have bad boy Spike back here, from now on he's the guy we know from seasons 2-4 but playing for the good guys. But deep down we know he'll always be William the Bloody (awful poet). He knew Buffy was in the light and he was always in the darkness. If he pulled her into the darkness he wouldn't love her anymore so he pulls himself into the light instead (with thanks to White Avenger from Buffyboards)
Nikki speaks of Robin liking playing with the 'Spooky doodas' at her Watcher's house. Does she mean the Shadow puppets we see in 'Get it Done'?
It speaks of Buffy's prowess as a Slayer that she can toy so effortlessly with the vamp whilst Giles talks to her. Does Spike mean what he says about not caring for Nikki or is this just revenge for his beating? Note both Spike and Angel(us) killed their mothers. Also although we don't see her use it Spike's mum has a wheelchair, no wonder he so hated being stuck in one for most of season 2.
So who's right? You've got to understand Wood's point, imagine if Spike had killed Joyce and went around wearing her coat as a trophy? Would anything on earth stop Buffy staking him? Or would he wake up on fire as Dawn promised? Again Wood is very similar to Holtz on Angel or Callisto on Xena. Note that Wood realises that souled Spike ISN'T the man who killed Nikki, he has to play 'Early one morning' to bring him out. Rare to have 2 eps with such a similar theme (Andrew and Spike's flashback filled redemption) in a row but it works fine.

Marks out of 10; 10/10 brilliant!

[ashleyt]

Buffy/Dawn/Joyce was popular? Seriously?

[saturn5]

Oh yeah, I figure it's the taboo, the intimacy or just that Sarah, Michelle and Kristine are 3 very hot women and people like the idea of them together (we'd have to ask Hugh Hefner?). It does seem to be the universal male fantasy to judge by Superstar. There used to be whole fanfic websites devoted to the topic when the series was on.

Birthdate Verification Page and Birthdate Verification Page
Birthdate Verification Page

But don't say I didn't warn you!

DIRTY GIRLS

The Good;
Faith back in Sunnydale, what could be wrong?
The Bad;
What a shame this is the ep they get Nic Brendon to comment upon, with all the other great Xander centric eps he's been in. Again, Caleb doesn't finish them, he just lets them run?
Best line;
Xander; "Everything has eyes" (Oh dear)
Women good/men bad;
I don't think I've ever felt such visceral hatred for any villain as I do for woman-hating Caleb. I want to crush his skull in my bare hands. At least the nerds were funny and the Mayor charming and polite (for the most part).
Jeez!;
Caleb torturing Shannon, Molly and Colleen killed, Xander maimed.
Kinky dinky; (I may just have to extend this subject now Faith's back)
Xander dreams of threesomes with nubile teenage potentials and the rest pillow-fighting in their skimpy underwear. Of course the reality of living in a house filled with teenage girls is not quite so sexy (to my shame I didn't get the leg-cramp gag first time around). Faith puts the moves on Spike. Scott Hope. Angel, Riley, flirting with Giles and now Spike, the girl just can't help it, she's always stealing Buffy's boyfriends. Faith talks of dressing up as a horny cheerleader (Bring it on?), naughty nurse and sexy schoolgirl for her past lovers. Mayor Wilkins? Wesley? She's also quite ok with the sight of Spike's chains "Each to their own". Her phrasing is quite ambiguous "I used to run with this guy who liked me to dress up as a schoolgirl then take this bullwhip...". Now does she mean she whipped him or he whipped her? Or maybe they took turns? To judge by her later comments about 'looking up the guy with the bullwhip', having had enough all female company for a while, having been the toughest girl in a woman's prison for the last 3 years it seems inevitable that she was the one being whipped. Remember we've seen her self-harming a couple of times and the naughty schoolgirl is invariably the one being punished in S&M scenarios (probably be the strict schoolmistress if she was doing the whipping?). "If you can't beat them..." Spike comments that the schoolgirl thing is old hat which may be a subtle dig at Britney Spears and the outfit Buffy wears to seduce RJ in Him. One popular fan theory is that Faith is referring to Spanky who Angel meets in the frist ep of Angel Season 5 and who likes to spank women and certainly has a bullwhip. (If you like the idea of Eliza Dushku with a whip check out this scene from Dollhouse YouTube - Dollhouse Dominatrix Scene - Eliza Dushku Talks now if you'll excuse me I need to sit down) Faith seems pleasantly suprised that Buffy has had a wild affair with Spike, maybe not so stuffy after all?
Captain Subtext;
Obvious tension between Dawn and Faith, one wonders if Dawn always resented this rival for Buffy's affections or liked her only to feel betrayed when she went evil? Faith notes of Dawn 'Brat's all woman sized'. Note when Xander and Kennedy are hurt it's Xander Willow goes to rather than her girlfriend. Xander's fantasy has the girls being with each other as well as him and loads of sapphic sex-play between them. Faith says she's "had her fill" of all female relationships in prison. The choir girl The First poses as for Caleb to stab is very reminiscent of Darla in 'Inside out'. Buffy seems jealous that Faith has been inside Angel's mind which she wasn't able to do in Earshot. Andrew cries at Xander's speech. Spike still very anti-Angel, getting a soul didn't change that!
Guantanamo Bay;
So, is Buffy's plan rash or sound? Hard to say, she's right that they just can't sit around waiting and now that they have Faith it might be the time to go on the offensive.
Scoobies to the ER;
Xander and Rhona very badly hurt
Missing scenes;
Apocalypses; 7,
Wheldon Cliches (with kind permission from Boo)

Scoobies in bondage:
Buffy: 9
Giles: 4
Cordy: 5
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 4
Oz: 1
Faith: 3
Joyce: 1
Wes: 1
Xander; 3
Dawn; 4
Spike; 4

Scoobies knocked out: Buffy and Spike
Buffy: 22
Giles: 12
Cordy: 6
Xander: 16
Will: 10
Jenny: 2
Angel: 6
Oz: 3
Faith: 1
Joyce: 3
Wes: 1
Anya;7
Dawn; 6
Tara; 1
Spike; 3
Kennedy; 1
Kills: 1 vamp for Faith plus her kills from her appearances on Angel.
Buffy: 125 vamps, 62 demons, 6 monsters, 10 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demons, 2 humans/1 god.
Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie
Faith: 19 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1½ a demon, 2 humans
Anya: 1 vamp and 1½ a demon
Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons
Spike; 11 vamps and 7 demons+1 human
Buffybot; 2 vamps
Tara; 1 demon
Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon
Kennedy; 1 human+1 vampire
Amanda; 1 vampire
Woods; 5 vamps and 2 demons

Scoobies go evil:
Giles: 1
Cordy: 1
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 1
Oz: 1
Joyce: 1
Xander: 4
Anya; 1
Dawn; 1
Buffy; 1
Spike; 1
Wood; 1

Alternate scoobies:
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 1
Will: 6
Jenny: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 2
Joyce: 2
Xander: 4
Tara; 1
Dawn;1
Spike; 1
Anya; 2

Recurring characters killed: 16, goodbye Molly. Also Colleen who was one of the girls from Xander's threesome fantasy.
Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara, Quentin Travers, Chloe, Molly, Jonathon.

Sunnydale deaths; Molly and Colleen
107

Total number of scoobies: 35 or so, there now seem to be about 20 Potentials plus Faith. However no Anya whatsoever and no one even comments upon it. No Vi either.
Xander, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Anya, Spike, Giles, Kennedy, Vi, Rhona, Amanda, Chao-Anh, Wood, Andrew, Faith plus an indeterminate number of potentials.

Xander demon magnet: 6(7?)
Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya, Lissa (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?

Scoobies shot:
Giles: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 4
Riley; 1
Buffy; 1
Tara; 1

Notches on Scooby bedpost: I think we can safely add Bullwhip guy to Faith's total?
Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?
Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 3 possible, Dracula+RJ+Shadowmen's demon(?)
Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?)
Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca
Faith:3 ;Xander, Riley, Bullwhip guy
Xander: 2; Faith, Anya
Willow: 2;Oz and Tara
Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore
Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya
Anya; 2 Spike and Xander
Dawn in peril; 14
Dawn the bashful virgin; 9
What the fanficcers thought;
Plenty of fic elaborating on Faith's stories of dressing up as a naughty nurse, horny cheerleader and sexy schoolgirl who gets whipped. Spaith also a pretty popular pairing. Willow and Faith's drive to Sunnydale also common, normally featuring them both apologising to each other for their evil deeds then stopping off at a motel for a night of lesbian sex. Fillow?
Questions and observations;
Spike says he reformed long before Faith did, no he didn't! He didn't truly reform until season 6 whilst she turned herself in by season 4. Caleb says that the Bringers DON'T serve Satan meaning the First isn't the Devil. But is he kidding himself? Amazed they let them use the Star Trek refs although I'd always thought Faith's dagger looked very Klingon. You feel sorry for Buffy losing her job, she obviously loved having something normal in her life. People are fleeing Sunnydale, a clear sign that this is the end for the town. Why not just shoot Caleb? I would suspect that the Potentials would be far too young to remember Falcon Crest.
Nic Bredon lists his favourite eps as OMWF, Hushed, The Body and Restless, all firm fan favourites
Marks out of 10; 8/10