5.18: Intervention

[markpud]

Spike has a Stepford-Buffy, but he also falls into the hands of Glory. (OB)

[Highlander II]

Very cool! I really like this episode -

all-around, it's well done and the story is good - the only complaint would be some of the scene switching - changing from the scoobies to spike - it's kinda choppy - but that could be the stupid edited syndicated version i'm seeing and not the fault of the original editors ---

[markpud]

aah, the genesis of the Buffy-bot... what a classic episode...

The comedy really poured out of the Spike and the bot scenes... but also goes to show the lenghts that Spike has been driven to by his feelings for Buffy.

And when he is captured by Glory, he shows the other side of that, by not giving Glory the information she wants, for the sake of Buffy again...

And the gentle kiss at the end was really sweet...

[Highlander II]

what i don't understand, tho, is Buffy was so sure that Spike was going to give them up -- why would she think that? she's trusted him w/ the lives of both her mother and Dawn on more than one occasion, why would she think Spike would tell Glory anything? especially if he wasn't going to gain anything from it ---

sure, she tortured him, he's been tortured before - and i'd almost say that the ridicule from his 'peers' b4 he became a vamp would have been more painful than anything Glory could have done to him.

[markpud]

I guess she thought he wouldn't be able to withstand what Glory would put him through.. or that in the face of such torture he would revert to form and save his own hide...

[Highlander II]

well - see, i figure that if Spike was gonna rat out Dawn - then he would have done it much earlier - ie: as soon as he found out - but he likes Dawn (at least, that's the feeling I get), so, he's not gonna do that.

i think Buffy's thing is - she doesn't want to let herself trust Spike, so she thinks the worst, that way if he DOES 'screw up'/'give her up'/whatever, she's not surprised --- but, i could be reading that wrong too --

[markpud]

i think that's pretty much it... she doesn't want to trust Spike... but at the end of the episode she just for a second lets it go and rewards him for coming through for her..

[Highlander II]

aye - and alas, i know EXACTLY to what you are referring!

and yes - it was very nice -- and well-deserved after what he went through ---

[Highlander II]

i had another thought watching this last night --- (still on FX - bad syndicated/cut version -grr) --

you can almost (and that's a big almost) see Spike thinking 'Yeah? and how many of your Scooby friends would have tolerated Glory's torture and not given up the Nibblet?'

or maybe that was *my* question -- how many of the Scoobies would have withstood whatever Glory threw at them and not given up Dawn? and Tara doesn't count

spoiler for "Tough Love"
b/c she gets her brain sucked which ultimately gives up Dawn anyway ---

tho - Tara gets points, b/c she put up w/ a lot and didn't say anything ---- (oops - forgot - i put it in tho)



but Spike? the guy nearly died protecting ppl he used to want to kill --

there was something else about the ep that was buggin' me, but i can't remember what it was -- i'll come back if i remember ---

[markpud]

good question.... I doubt whether the scoobies would have been able to withstand what Spike did, but maybe they would have simply passed out or died

None of them would have given here up easily though...

[Highlander II]

no - i agree that they wouldn't have 'caved' easily - they would have tolerated as much as they could - but tortured proportionately to what Spike was - i don't think they would have lasted nearly as long - and none of them really has the guts to 'play' Glory the way Spike did -- the 'skanky lopsided ass' part and such ---

yes - Giles was tortured by Dru - and he gave in and gave away the secret to Acathla -- and Giles is pretty strong - mentally - so, if he caved there, imagine what would have happened under Glory's torture ---


(and i still can't remember the other thing that was buggin' me about this episode -- i think it was something about Spike, but i'm not sure -- i'll be back)

[obcooke]

[Highlander II: Giles was tortured by Dru - and he gave in...]

But is that a fair comparison? Giles held out when ANGELUS was torturing him. Even A. complimented his ability to resist. He only gave in to Dru's mental trickery.

Glory didn't try mind games on Spike, so we may never know, but I'd give the edge to Giles willpower over Spike's.

IMHO

----------

BTW, glad to see you're back, Markpud.

[Highlander II]

is it a fair comparison btwn Giles being tortured by Angelus and Spike by Glory? i dunno - i was just trying to remember someone else being tortured - (and i don't remember all of the stuff from the ep where Giles was tortured - been a while since i've seen it, so i might've missed something) ---

and on the willpower thing --

if Glory had offered Spike something along the lines of 'chip removal' in exchange for the information - he might have caved and ratted out the Scoobies, but she didn't offer him anything - so he wasn't gonna rat them out - he's a tit-for-tat kinda guy - 'gimme something if you want what i got' ---

however - if Giles were made an offer - i doubt he'd cave -- so, points to him there --

[Highlander II]

We were discussing missing lines in another thread and, well, ya know how the networks yank stuff out when they throw these out for syndication (to smush more commercials in) - so, we thought it would be good to 'put the stuff back' so those new to the show can see where stuff is missing - b/c a lot of times, it helps the scene make more sense...

The line in bold below is the line cut from the scene - it might not seem important, b/c it's only one line, but it DOES make the scene flow better and it's a tiny little character insight...


(Okay - borrowed this from psyche transcripts: http://www.studiesinwords.de/96intervention.txt)

Open on a shot of Sunnydale, daylight. We see the hill atop which is Glory's apartment building. Pan down to the park below.

BUFFY: (OS) Glory's key-sniffing snake was about here when I killed it. It was headed back to her.
WILLOW: (OS) Do you think she lives around here?

Pan down more to discover the Scooby gang with Giles and the Buffy Bot standing around. Most of them have weapons, including the bot.

XANDER: It's not a lot to go on.

Closer shot of Buffy.

BUFFY: (shrugs) It's all we got.
GILES: (staring at the bot) Quite extraordinary really.
BUFFYBOT: Thank you. But I really think we should be listening to the other Buffy, Giles. (She pronounces it with a hard G like "guy") She's very smart and she's gonna help us save Spike.
GILES: Guy-les? (turns to address the real Buffy) Spike didn't even bother to program my name properly.
BUFFY: Listen, skirt girl, we are not going to save him. We're going to kill him. He knows who the key is, and there's no way he's not telling Glory.
BUFFYBOT: You're right. He's evil. (smiles) But you should see him naked. I mean really.

Buffy grimaces in disgust.

BUFFY: Okay, guys, split up and spread out. Check the priciest-looking places first. Xander, you come with me. Willow, Anya, stick together, and Guy-les ... Giles- (Giles looks annoyed) you can watch ... it.

Giles sighs, turns back to the bot. She gives him a huge grin.

Sure, one line, but when they take it out - the scene cuts from skirt girl, to Giles looking at buffy, to Buffy and her line, back to Giles turning his head to the bot -- and it looks really bad - like Giles has no idea what he's doing -

however, we don't really find out if Spike had the bot programmed wrong, or if Warren is just an idiot -- either way - it's a nice line that keeps the flow of the scene --

[Highlander II]

Next missing bit --- (was watching this ep last night and remebered that there was a line missing I'd read in a transcript)

again from http://www.studiesinwords.de/96intervention.txt

*****

XANDER: Buffy, we need to talk.
BUFFY: (alarmed) 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: (angrily) 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: (firmly) I am not having sex with Spike! But I'm starting to think that you might be.
XANDER: (scoffs) Buffy, I saw you. Anya too. (Anya nods) We saw you and Spike ... (gestures vaguely) with the straddling.

The part in bold is completely gone from the edited version - bad move b/c it's really funny -- and it makes the scene flow better -

I really hate it when they cut stuff --