7.15: Get It Done

[obcooke]

Principal Wood works his way into the inner circle.

Buffy calls upon everyone to reach deep.

Oh, and Buffy takes a little trip... to visit the creators of The First Slayer.

[tabuno]

Willow keeps the giggles coming along with the power. The characters keep maturing, Spike is becoming a player in this series. Evil keeps eating away at the potentials from the inside. There is almost a finality in the buildup as if this is the final season. I mean what can a next season even come close to this year? Dawn gets a little more air time but her minor role still leaves room for a lot more. Questions and doubts about Buffy emerge...which all leads to a terrific episode.

[Highlander II]

Spike's got the coat back!! Love that coat!

Loved this scene

Wood: Nice coat. Where'd you get it.
Spike: New York. <keeps walking>

very simple, but very Spike...

I didn't completely understand what the First had done to make Chloe kill herself - I understand the First trying to 'get to' everyone -

The opening was good - the bit with Spike and Anya walking to the Bronze (at least, I think that's where they were going), and Anya - do we call it hitting on? - Spike-- and his comment "Yeah, well, it's my bone, so drop it."

So, we know how they created the first Slayer - but, that doesn't really explain how the 'power' is passed along -

This was a well-done episode - I liked it -

I also liked how Buffy's friends, after her 'everyone sucks but Buffy' speech (description courtesy of Anya), helped and brought her back

And geeeeeeeez - could there *be* more potentials in that house? How many girls were there? they inching toward platoon status here?

And oh man - what about all those Uber Vamps -- think Willow needs to get cracking on that artificial sunshine that kills vamps thing - since sunlight and beheading are about all that kills those things ------

[Dru]

The duster! It's back! It's Back!!!!! *squeals* Oh god Spike was SO hot in this ep! I loved everything! This is one of the few ep this season that I've truely loved! Anya almost begging Spike for sex. Andrew acting like a house wife. Willow scaring the heck out of Kenndy. Almost everything was perfect cept one thing.

When the hell did Dawn learn to read Sumerian??!? It'd be one thing if Willow, Giles, or hell even Xander knew it they've been reascrerching for year and if a lot of things are in Sumerian then it's make sense if one or both of them learned it but Dawn's only been doing the Scoobie thing for like a few months! So how can she be all knowage girl?! Oh and one more thing. Willow girl who's been doing spells in latin for YEARS sucks at it now?!??

[Edited to fix bad spelling]

[Highlander II]

Okay - just watched this again - well, mostly watched -

Um -- when did Dawn learn Sumerian? And, I know she didn't translate everything - but when did she learn what she *could* translate? And how did she know it *was* Sumerian? Spike's right - she's scary -

Sure, she could have been sneaking some study time, but when? When she was filching lipstick and snagging pretty shiny things and toothbrushes?

There was something else I wanted to comment on, but I'll be darned if I can remember what it was ----

[obcooke]

[Highlander II: Love that coat!]

They have kinda built it up now to be his Excaliber.

[Highlander II: I didn't completely understand what the First had done to make Chloe kill herself...]

I just figured that it had preyed on her fears. Didn't Xander once say something like? - "Making teenagers depressed - that's like shooting fish in a barrel."

And these girls have some serious reason to be depressed. I think it just convinced her to kill herself instead of facing a battle to the death against impossible odds.

[Highlander II: So, we know how they created the first Slayer - but, that doesn't really explain how the 'power' is passed along...]

Well, I'm not sure that I want everything explained.

It may be a one-two punch kinds thing.

1) "The Shadowmen" create The First Slayer.

2) "The Powers That Be" conserves the power once The Slayer dies and passes it along to the next best candidate.

Of course, no one from M.E. has said so, but I assumed that it was TPTB that picked The Slayers. Since they seem to be the counterpart to The First Evil, although TPTB is a rather vague name and doesn't really indicate rather they are good or bad powers.

At the very first, it was hinted that women were destined to be The Slayer from birth ("For each generation, a Slayer is born." - or something like that).

But I said starting with Kendra that is seemed obvious that Slayers were selected by someone based on a number of unknown factors, when the current Slayer died.

And that the Watchers seemed dedicated to controlling that power by trying to predict who would be chosen and taking her under their wing... or their thumb.

[Highlander II: I also liked how Buffy's friends, after her 'everyone sucks but Buffy' speech (description courtesy of Anya), helped and brought her back]

I'm getting real tired of Buffy, the Blowhard. The first speech (7.10) was pretty good, but it looks like we're going to be treated to a tirade every week.

And what does she want anyway? Does she want them to train together in the backyard to work as a team? Or does she want them running off doing their own thing and maybe getting killed? The writers of Buffy's speeches have me as confused as the collected SITs.

[Highlander II: ...Willow needs to get cracking on that artificial sunshine that kills vamps thing]

Crossover Speculation:

Is it a coincidence that over in Angel the bad guy has caused perpetual night in LA? Wouldn't that be just the kinda thing that The First needs for his army of Ubervamps?

I don't think that they are going to tie the two show together that closely - the same big bad for both shows. But it does seem like a big coincidence.


[Dru: When the hell did Dawn learn to read Sumerian??!?]

Yeah, that and the magical stuff she pulled out in 7.07: Conversations... seems to make Dawn the everything girl. Whatever skill we need her to have **Presto** she can read Summarian, she can perform magic, she can do heart transplants, etc... kinda weak.

[Dru: Willow girl who's been doing spells in latin for YEARS sucks at it now?!??]

I understand your point, but I think that they were trying to say that Willow now has the power to say the spells in whatever language she darn well pleases and the mystical forces must obey her.

"I'm in control now!!!"

[Highlander II]

I have one continuity question that's kinda been bugging me --

Um - how did Spike have the leather duster in the school basement? He left it on the banister at Buffy's house when he disappeared after the attempted rape -- He, as far as we can tell, didn't go down the stairs and take it with him - b/c Xander saw it and that's how he knew Spike had been there. Unless he went down the stairs, heard Xander coming, and hid in the dining room until Xander went upstairs to check on Buffy, then grabbed his duster and fled -- but that doesn't really seem like Spike's mindset at the time, considering he didn't have it with him when he was ranting to Clem about why he could(n't) do 'it' - Then he had the short leather coat when he took off on the motorcycle -

So - when did he get it back? Or does the damned thing just magically follow him around b/c it fits the newest plot twist?

[VAMPette]

Originally posted by Highlander II
I have one continuity question that's kinda been bugging me --

Um - how did Spike have the leather duster in the school basement? He left it on the banister at Buffy's house when he disappeared after the attempted rape -- He, as far as we can tell, didn't go down the stairs and take it with him - b/c Xander saw it and that's how he knew Spike had been there. Unless he went down the stairs, heard Xander coming, and hid in the dining room until Xander went upstairs to check on Buffy, then grabbed his duster and fled -- but that doesn't really seem like Spike's mindset at the time, considering he didn't have it with him when he was ranting to Clem about why he could(n't) do 'it' - Then he had the short leather coat when he took off on the motorcycle -

So - when did he get it back? Or does the damned thing just magically follow him around b/c it fits the newest plot twist?

lol - Spike goes all Harry Potter with the magical duster that follows him round and contains the power to make him all bad ass - kind of like Popeye's spinach isn't it? He needs to go kill a demon so puts on the coat and suddenly he has his mojo back! Plus he's smoking again - for a while I thought he'd got a six month supply of nicorette free with his soul. Well good to see the duster back plus useful plot convention for Woods to confirm that Spike killed his mother.

So pretty weak episode at the start but got progressively better as it went on, liked Willow's bit and the fact that Kennedy was disillusioned with the other side of Willow was a nice touch. Buffy's trip to the first Slayer desert was quite cool too, except that I couldn't help feeling that if this magical emergency box thing existed and was always passed down through the slayer line until it got to Wood's mum, wouldn't Giles have known about it? Or wesley? Or anybody at the council?

And Buffy herself in this episode - how superior can you be? First of all, she does the 'everyone sucks but me' speech, which seems to be Buffy's whole attitude these days. What does she expect the potentials and scoobies to do except train, research, be on their guard? In fact they seem to be doing a lot more than her these days.

And then when offered the extra power with the catch that she absorbs the demon's essence - okay I can understand her being a bit wary, but I can't help comparing her to Cordelia when she had to become part demon to save Angel - no hesitation there. If you ask me (which granted no-one is, but I'm going to tell you anyway!) Buffy's too into being better than everyone else to even contemplate that option - to be in anyway demonic, she wouldn't be better than Spike, Angel, Anya, and every other demon. And she's based her whole world on being better than them. And yet at the end of the day, that's what a slayer is - the essence of a demon.

Okay rant over.

But just a couple more complaints - when did Anya get so nasty? I know she's always blunt but I have to say that she was a bit over the top in this one - a bit out of character. And when did Dawn become Miss Maturity Good All Rounder, oh I speak a little Somalian in my spare time, and I suddenly know everything about ancient rituals and spells - that came out of nowhere.

Then the army of vampires - emm - looks like Buffy's right to be worried about her choice

Anyway, overall opinion - thumbs up for moving the plot forward but pretty weak on continuity

[Highlander II]

Spike's Duster -- I'm still lost on that one... it's just - weird. About Wood using the coat to prove that Spike killed his mum - well, um, wouldn't he need a legion of forensic scientists and such to 'prove' that the duster belonged to his mother? B/c just seeing it on Spike and Spike saying he got it in NY, doesn't prove it belonged to Wood's mum -- (yes yes - all that L&O and New Detectives stuff coming through) -- or, it doesn't prove it to me, and shouldn't prove it to Wood; add to the evidence a bit, but it's not proof ---- (end mini-rant)


Re: Buffy and the demon-debate - remember in CWDP - Holden Webster told her that she had a 'superiority complex'? He was totally on the money - he was right -

[obcooke]

First the short comments. Keep in mind that the writers may decide at any time to come up with an explanation for these problems:

[Originally posted by VAMPette: I couldn't help feeling that if this magical emergency box thing existed and was always passed down through the slayer line until it got to Wood's mum, wouldn't Giles have known about it?]

Well, I guess a cover story could be thought of. Maybe her Watcher, who raised Wood, made up some story about the box being lost or preferably destroyed, so Wood could keep it.

No need to mention it, if it's no longer available.

Although it does seem strange that no one, before Buffy, actually used it to discover and explain the power of The Slayer. Unless it wouldn't work until the ShadowMen desired it.

[Originally posted by VAMPette: What does she expect the potentials and scoobies to do except train, research, be on their guard?]

Buffy has kinda been all over the map on her demands of the SITs. That has been a weak point of the writing. Individually a speech may sound good, but when taken together, they either contradict or repeat each other.


[Originally posted by VAMPette: when did Dawn become Miss Maturity Good All Rounder, oh I speak a little Somalian in my spare time...]

Sadly, that has been another weak point. First, Dawn is being trained to fight. Then she's doing magic to drive off a powerful demon, in fact, The First itself! Then she's reading Summarian. It seems that the writers have decided to use her as the "utility infielder" which is a baseball term meaning able to fill in at any position needed.

[Originally posted by VAMPette: Buffy's too into being better than everyone else to even contemplate that option - to be in anyway demonic, she wouldn't be better than Spike, Angel, Anya, and every other demon. And she's based her whole world on being better than them. And yet at the end of the day, that's what a slayer is - the essence of a demon.]

Well, now I think that one is a bit more subtle.

Buffy has always been driven by two principles:

- Demon's are not entitled to the same rights as humans.

- It's up to The Slayer to mete out death to demons that pose a threat to humans.

For her, its very necessary to be able to draw a line between demons and humans. There may be demons that are harmless or even beneficial. But once a demon crosses the line, The Slayer only has one option.

As Xander points out, Buffy was quick to declare the death penalty for Anya when she backslid.

Several times Buffy has tried to draw a straight line between humans and demons. And each time, she has been forced to face the fact that the line blurs when looked at closely.

In the very beginning, the canon was that humans who became vampires were driven out and replaced with demons that kept the memories of the "shell".

But she has frequently run into vamps that exhibit personality traits of the human host. Harmony is a great example. Can anyone tell me the difference between Harmony the student and Harmony the vamp besides the fact that the vamp is a killer?

Dru tried to convince Buffy that she was completely wrong about the notion that soulless vampires couldn't love.

And what about The Vengeance Demon, Anyanka? If she didn't have a soul, what made her decide that she not only couldn't kill anymore, but was willing to sacrifice her life (and soul, according to D'Hoffryn) to restore those that she had already killed?

Spike is an even more confusing example. He falls in love with The Slayer. He risks his immortality to protect her sister. He suffers guilt when he fails, even though, with Buffy dead, he can no longer expect to win favor with her. He sincerely seems to grieve for Buffy and regret his inability to save Dawn from the ritual. And finally, he seeks out and fights for his soul, so he can be deserving of Buffy's love.

-------

Besides trying to find a way to separate vampires/demons from humans Buffy has also tried to ensure that she doesn't lose the qualities that she feels makes her human while she kills things every day.

Remember her agony before her spirit ceremony when she felt that she was beginning to lose her ability to express her love for others. If demons can't love and she can't love - how does that make her different from her prey?

Remember when that pathetic version of Dracula told her she was a killer and how she confessed to Giles that she was not just defending humans but was afraid that she had begun to see the killing of demons as an end in itself.

Remember her dream about The First Slayer when a human Adam tells her, "Aggression is a natural human tendency. Though you and me come by it another way."

Buffy responds with quiet anger, "We're not demons."

Who is the "We"? - Slayers, perhaps?

Buffy has spent a lot of time trying to keep from becoming a demon while spending years fighting and killing.

So I think its understandable that she would completely reject the idea that in order to be a better Slayer she must lose more of her humanity.

In a way, Buffy's fight to preserve her own humanity is part of her fight to protect all of humanity. She must protect humanity within herself as strongly as she defends the humanity outside herself. "What profit a Slayer to save the world, is she has to sacrifice the human soul to do it?"

More importantly, from a metaphorical point of view - One human must be able to fight the demons or admit that one must become a demon to survive.

[little smaug]

Big question of the week - where was Giles? At least last time they told us that he had gone to fetch another potential, but now he just seems to have vanished.

Woohoo, the Spike we all know and love is officially back! For a while it seemed like the writers had forgotten that he was a vampire, now he has a soul. I mean, he doesn't have to stop being a vampire, just cos he has a soul. But now we have the duster, we have fangs, we have cigs - back to the good old days.

And along with cool Spike, guess who else is back? Thats right - Buffy i-can-be-a-total-bitca-to-my-friends-and-still-expect-them-to-love-me Summers! :evil: Where does she get off being so mean to everyone? And acting totally selfish - jumping into a vortex without knowing where it goes, how she's going to get back, or whos going to protect everyone while shes gone. Its kinda like at the beginning of season 2 when she was acting the same, only caring about herself, and shutting out everyone else. But at least she had a reason then.

I'm glad to say that the humour isn't being dropped now we're getting so close to the end. I liked the bickering between Spike and Anya, and Andrew in oven gloves with his 'big board'.
Also, a great line which i didn't even spot until the second time i watched the episode:

Spike(about the demon): I beat it off. <pause> Perhaps repelled would be a better word. :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

Typical Buffy humour - understated, but utterly hilarious!

All in all, a good episode.