GIANT CAUTION: This is not a review of this week’s episode. We look at the episode broadcast NEXT week.
Major spoilers abound.
s
p
o
i
l
e
r
s
Buffy 6.19 FAQ
What’s this one called?
“Seeing Red.”
Who’s responsible?
Teleplay is credited to Steve DeKnight (“All the Way,” “Dead Things”).
What does TV Guide say?
“Buffy's ongoing tussle with a trio of would-be supervillains intensifies in an episode packed with imaginative plot twists. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) goes looking for trouble in the lair of Warren, Andrew and Jonathan (Adam Busch, Tom Lenk, Danny Strong), the three nerds obsessed with her destruction, and she nearly falls victim to a booby trap of buzz saws. But that's the least of the Slayer's worries. With a little help from his friends, Warren acquires the Orbs of Nezzla'khan, a pair of demonic talismans that he says imbue him with 'strength, invulnerability...the deluxe package,' thus setting the stage for a fateful showdown. ”
What did Herc say about this one in his Tax Day spoilers?
"At episode’s end, Warren accidentially shoots one of the Scoobies to death. Jonathan and Andrew find themselves tossed in stir."
Did Herc’s sources get it right?
Yep.
What is TV Guide not telling us?
Warren and Andrew turn on Jonathan.
Why are Jonathan and Andrew jailed?
Buffy catches the Nerdly Trio of Doom robbing an armored car, but Warren escapes (via rocket pack!).
Does Warren end the episode with superpowers?
No. Jonathan tips Buffy off on how to depower Warren during their big fight.
The big news?
At episode's end, Warren does not intend to shoot the Scooby who dies; he’s aiming at Buffy, but a stray bullet flies through a window in Buffy’s house and does the job.
So the bullets miss Buffy?
No. The slayer takes a bullet also.
The bigger news?
Finally!! The fabulous Amber Benson gets her name in the title credits!!
Where?
After Michelle Trachtenberg and before James Marsters!!
What’s up with Dawn?
She’s thrilled that her lesbianic former surrogate parents have reconciled. She’s far less happy about Spike leaving the Scoobs following his tryst with Anya.
What’s up with Spike?
We see a very dark and pathetic side of the blonde vampire when he comes very close to raping Buffy in her bathroom. He can’t stand that she doesn’t love him and he’s convinced himself that she did once. “I know you felt it when I was inside you. You’ll feel it again, Buffy!” He forces himself atop her and tears at her clothes as she cries and pleads for him to stop. Only a desperate slayer-kick convinces him she means business. He is consumed with more regret than ever. By episode’s end, he’s riding his bike out of Sunnydale. Final line: “Get nice and comfy, slayer. I’ll be back. And when I do, things are gonna change.”
What’s up with Xander?
He’s an unhappy boy. Smarting from Anya sleeping with Spike. Maybe even angrier about Buffy sleeping with Spike. Then he gets punched in the face by a superpowered Warren.
What’s up with Anya?
‘Tis hinted she maintains the vengeance demon powers, but precipitates no mayhem this episode (despite ample opportunity). She does elect to return to her beloved Magic Box. And Buffy insists that Anya still loves Xander.
What’s up with Will and Tara?
They start the episode naked and in bed. Together. They spend virtually the entire episode that way. The affection that finishes “Entropy” continues. Oh, and Will becomes the last Scoob to learn about the Spike-Buffy sex.
What’s good?
The hugeness of the plot. Willow and Tara naked and in love. The buzzsaws. The love poems. Warren’s encounter with a high school bully. Andrew’s escape attempt and the climactic heist scene generally.
What’s not so good?
The dialogue gets the job done, but we’ve heard better.
How does it end, spoiler-boy?
Willow’s eyes change color.
Herc’s rating for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” 6.19?
****
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
