The Yoko Factor

Previously on Buffy: Buffy rescues Riley from the Initiative; Adam recruits Spike to help him with his Big Plan (said plan being as yet unrevealed to the viewing audience, but sure to be excruciatingly dull, whatever it is); Willow chooses Tara and explains the romantic nature of the relationship to Buffy; Buffy tells Riley about dating Angel; Buffy smacks Angel, who smacks her back; Buffy attempts to twist the knife by telling Angel about her new boyfriend.

With a little martial drumroll, we see that Colonel McFlabby is speaking with a white-haired important looking gent over video phone. Col. McFlabby explains that the Initiative soldiers are doing a great job capturing HSTs, but are having morale problems, due to things like the death of Professor Walsh and the escape of Adam. Professor Walsh? Professor Walsh? Where have I heard that name before? Did she used to be on this show? I can't quite recall. Oh right, she was the instructor of the only class Buffy and Willow ever attended. Some academic-advisor type should tell those two that they're never going to finish in four years if they only take one class a semester. Back at Exposition HQ, Col. McFlabby continues to explain that they are running out of containment space for the captured HSTs. He also says he's just running the Initiative until the unidentified white-haired man decides what will become of it. White-Haired Gent makes mention of the "incident" with Riley Finn and says the government wants him back. McFlabby replies Finn will be found in the vicinity of "the girl," and White-Haired Gent says he doesn't have much information on Buffy. McFlabby assures him that "she's just a girl." Perhaps we should change his name and rank to Major Error?

Segue to Spike telling FrankenFlash, "She's a lot more than that." He assures Adam that Buffy is dangerous. Didn't they have this same damn conversation last week? And maybe even the week before? What's with the filler in the past few episodes? Adam drones that Buffy "makes things interesting," and I really don't think Adam is anywhere near qualified to even mention the word "interesting," but Spike, addressing Adam as "Mr. Bits," tells him he doesn't get it and insists that "Little Miss Tiny" is going to be right in the thick of Adam's melee when it goes down. Adam expresses no surprise and ruminates that he's counting on that. Meanwhile, I'm counting out my supply of No-Doz, as I can see this will be an Adam-intensive episode, and I'd like to be able to stay awake enough in order to write this recap and fulfill my contractual obligations.

Spike is still hanging in Adam's lair and reclines in an easy chair, lighting a ciggy. Why would Adam have an easy chair in his Secret Lair of Unstoppable Boredom? Does he like to kick back with a brewski and watch big-truck pulls after a long day of impaling? Adam and Spike are discussing the fact that Spike has in the past been responsible for killing two Slayers. Spike laughs that he "killed the hell out of them," and Adam accuses him of being afraid of Buffy. Spike chiffily insists that he's not afraid, but knows his enemies. Adam then asks why Spike hasn't eliminated Buffy yet, and Spike claims that, in the past, bad luck prevented him from killing Buffy, and now he's hampered by the plot device to keep him on the show as a regular -- uh, that is, the chip. Adam says he knows how Spike feels, and when Spike doubts that, Adam launches into a speech about Spike being a ferocious animal who can't "actualize the urges within." He continues that Spike knows "one truth," that he cannot be contained and will eventually "break free and savage the world again." When he concludes, "I will make you whole again," Spike stares at him and breathes heavily, looking like he's going to jump up and plant a big tongue kiss right on Adam's green lips. He gets control of himself and says he understands why the demons are following Adam, and that Adam's like a "scary Frankenstein-looking'" Tony Robbins. Damn, James Marsters was pouring on the chemistry in that scene. If he'd been playing opposite a female cast member, or, say, a large potted plant, my TV would have been scorched by the intensity. But sadly, up against the charisma suck that is Adam, Marsters's valiant efforts merely crackle gently and fizzle out. Adam promises to remove the chip from Spike's head after he has the Slayer where he wants her. Spike reminds him that Buffy and her friends can be tricky and that Adam should beware of the variable of the Slayerettes. Adam suggest removing Buffy from her friends, a plan which gives Spike great glee. When Adam inquires how Spike will get rid of the Scooby gang since he can't hurt them, Spike smugly replies that the gang will do the work for him. He smiles and takes luxuriant drag off his smoke.

Buffy returns from LA and enters her dorm room. She looks towards Willow's side of the room, but Willow isn't there. Buffy rubs her head exhaustedly and lies down on her bed, looking sad and preoccupied. I like to imagine she's pensively considering the unworkable cross-over timeline between her show and Angel's, but she's most likely just trying to remember if she needs to pick up any of her leather pants from the dry cleaner's.

At the burned-out shell of Sunnydale High school, Riley asks Xander if he's heard from Buffy. Xander replies that he hasn't, and tosses Riley some clothing to wear while his civilian clothing is being washed. Riley pulls a pair of loudly patterned, super-baggie Hammer-style pants out of the bag and makes a crack about looking like a clown. At Xander's squinchy face, Riley apologizes, but really we all know Xander had it coming for bringing Riley those pants. Riley hopes Buffy gets back soon, and when Xander agrees, Riley asks Xander's opinion of Angel. Xander says he doesn't hate any part of Angel except the "guts part" and Riley tries to be fair, saying that what people hate is the curse. Which is such a strange way to phrase it that it makes me wonder exactly what Buffy told Riley about Angel. I mean, who hates the curse? They hate the lifting of the curse or the fact that he's a vampire at all, but the curse is actually protecting them from Angelus. At Xander's question, Riley says that Buffy told him "everything" about Angel, about how he turned evil and killed people. "One moment's happiness," muses Xander but Riley doesn't understand him. Xander explains the happiness was Angel's trigger to turn evil. Xander continues that Buffy what was made Angel happiest, and Riley slowly realizes that Xander means "sex with Buffy" was Angel's happiness. Riley bows his head, and Xander gets that Buffy left that part out of her explanation to Riley. Ooops! Riley is hurt; Xander tries to assure him that Angel is "ancient history." Riley sulks that Buffy ran to Angel in LA, but Xander tries to assure him that Buffy will be back soon -- she just had to make sure that Angel was okay. Riley picks at the clothes he's holding and looks worried.

At Giles's pad, Giles is strumming his acoustic guitar and singing "Freebird." He sounds great and is totally into it, but suddenly he gives a girly shriek and leaps up. Spike is standing right in front of him and snarks that, as a person who has "Watcher on his rsum" Giles really should pay more attention to his front door. Humph -- Sep and I have been saying that all season. Annoyed, Giles stomps over to Spike, who is rummaging around in Giles's fridge. Spike pulls a baggy of blood out of the fridge and asks if Buffy is there. When Giles inquires why Spike wants to know, Spike sneers that he wants to speak to "the lady of the house" and throws his blood bag into the microwave. Spike tells Giles to give Buffy the message that he has something she wants, and when Giles inquires what that thing is, Spike tells him he has information of the classified variety. Giles looks mighty skeptical, but Spike assures him he knows of files in the Initiative containing the secrets of Maggie Walsh, including info on Adam. Wuh? They mentioned that Professor Walsh person again. Do you think she was important to the plot at one point, but then was killed and not mentioned for six episodes or so? Because I'm starting to get that feeling. Spike is offering to break into the Initiative and get the files for the Scooby Gang. As Spike sips at his mug of warm blood, Giles expresses cynical surprise that Spike happens to have just what they need at that moment, but Spike isn't thrown. He tells Giles that the information won't come cheap -- he wants blood, cash, and a guarantee that Buffy won't slay him. Giles agrees to his terms, but Spike says that's not good enough and that he wants to make the deal with Buffy herself. Giles assures him he'll tell her, but Spike begins to turn the knife, saying that Buffy never listens to Giles, and didn't even when Giles was her Watcher. He sneers that Buffy treats Giles "very much like a retired librarian," and this causes Giles to pour himself a drink. Spike leaves, and Giles begins drinking.