Episode Report Card Ace: C+ | 1 USERS: B+ YOU GRADE IT Triangle Xan, triangle Xan, doin' the things a triangle can
By Ace | Season 5 | Episode 11 | Aired on 01.08.2001
Phew. Commercials at last.
Buffy and Tara exit class. Hey, that's nice. I don't think we've ever seen them in a scene by themselves. There, I said something kind, so it's probably best to just leave Buffy's messy pigtails and stripey blouse alone. Discussion of the professor's spitty lecturing style segues into Buffy being sad about Riley. Tara asks, "Is it that bad?" with a look of concern, and Buffy says she's not going to indulge in the "furrowed brow" and maybe that Riley "needed to be where he was needed." Buffy asks Tara if she and Willow would like to go for a hamburger, and Tara mentions the argument that Anya and Willow were having earlier and how she and Xander "cleared out." Somehow Buffy gets the impression that Xander and Anya were fighting and that Xander left Anya. Tara tries to assure her otherwise, but Buffy goes off on a rant about catching little things before they turn into big things and insists that Anya and Xander can't break up. "They have a beautiful love," she sobs, and falls on Tara's shoulder crying. Um, is Buffy under a spell here? Because she sure as hell didn't think Anya and Xander had a beautiful love in the last episode. Tara pats Buffy's back and looks astounded, as did I while watching this scene, I'm sure.
Daylight. Anya and Willow are driving around in Giles's red convertible, with Anya at the wheel. I can't believe he left the keys to his car anywhere near this kooky bunch. As they drive, we're treated to seeing smashed cars and other examples of mayhem left by the big guy with a hammer they conjured while arguing. Willow's not sure how they conjured up the Jerry the Troll, and Anya suggests that it was trapped in the crystal and released by Willow. More arguing about who is to blame for the mishap. Willow is leafing through a book of spells, looking for a reversal spell, and Anya makes humorous references to not knowing how to drive, even though she apparently knew enough in "Graduation Part 1" when she asked Xander to leave Sunnydale with her. More bickering; Anya informs Willow that the creature they conjured was a troll.
Xander at the Bronze. He's carrying what looks like a basket of French fries. On his way to a table he bumps into Spike, who is lurking about drinking a beer. Xander tells Spike to go away, but instead Spike follows him to his table, getting a chuckle out of bothering Xander. Apropos of nothing, Spike then informs Xander, "They have chicken wings too. And a sort of flower-shaped thing they make from an onion. Brilliant." Heh. Spike's developing quite the food fetish. And this scene is making me very, very hungry. Nothing like deep-fat frying to make a meal sound good. Spike tries to snag one of Xander's fries and Xander slaps his hand away defensively. Sitting down at the table, Spike observes that Xander is in a bad mood and wonders if it's "sympathetic misery borrowed from the Slayer." Xander is understandably confused, and more so when Spike asks if Buffy is holding grudges. When assured that Buffy is fine, Spike muses, "No need to talk about it then. I'm sure she's merrily slaying some pals of mine. Having a grand old time," and takes a speculative drink from his beer.