It’s the halfway point of the year on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Retrospecticus and, as seasons go, both BtVS & Angel have had a pretty great run so far. Of the 22 episodes both shows aired to this point the only one that I’d call a weak link would be Angel‘s 11th installment (*cough* awful narration *cough*), but even then it’s not a complete dud–just a disappointment coming after so many solid entries. BtVS continues having a great season (maybe it’s best yet) with this latest batch and it doesn’t hurt that we’re almost to “The Body,” an amazing episode of TV I always look forward to and dread in almost equal measure.

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Retrospecticus…

The only way to get there is to get started, so let’s get to it.

Checkpoint

• Written by Douglas Petrie & Jane Espenson / Directed by Nick Marck
• Scooby Gang meeting about how the Watcher’s Council is a bunch of dicks, except a couple of them don’t even know that. Xander’s impression of English folks (who Tara considers gentle) is spot-on, “Allo, Buffy, here’s some stuff we know, pip pip.” And how late did this meeting take place? Joyce makes a point to say that Dawn should be in bed already.
• Glory’s main minion, Jinx, makes his first appearance. There’s kind of a revolving door of these gross guys, but this one sticks around until late in the season.

• Everything about Travers and his gang of schmucks showing up and being an utter prick about everything (closing Giles’ shop, casually insulting and demeaning everyone) makes me long for when they all die in an explosion. Not soon enough…
• Having Buffy stand up in a college class just to engage the teacher, like it’s grade school and she raised her hand, is weird. This guy’s clearly an old-fashioned asshole, like Travers.
• Buffy should have just beat the hell out of this room full of trash as soon as she entered the Magic Box. According to Travers, all these super-powered women who make the big choices are somehow lesser than him–a stodgy old man without much purpose.

• Glory’s “Well, of course he’s attractive, but he drives me insane” comment is quite the heads up for next time.
• Anya’s whole prepared backstory (about her being a little patriot) and Willow/Tara proudly building up to being lesbians in their interview bring a level of amusement to the annoying Watcher assholes. Nigel questioning Willow’s magic proficiency level is something I wish he would have tried in about a year and half, when Willow’s gone off the deep end. She would have killed him very nicely.

• As amusing as Spike’s interview with the Watcher’s Council lady (who wrote her thesis on him) is, why would they trust what he says? Or peacefully have a chat?
• Glory popping by to have a chat with Buffy (and Dawn) is a nice exchange that helps Buffy realize the power she has–over many people, in many ways.

• Buffy drops Joyce & Dawn off at Spike’s for safety, which isn’t exactly genius, but any excuse for more Spike & Joyce scenes works for me. They watch Passions together, which seems to be something he quite likes doing.
• The Knights of Byzantium make their presence known, or at least a few of them do, when they pop by to get their asses kicked. They’re just a bunch of humans so I wouldn’t think it’d take as much time/effort as it does. And where does this gaggle of losers come from, exactly? They don’t seem like an assimilated secret army, or anything.

• Everything about Buffy coming in and putting the sword down on this whole review nonsense is lovely. Also her throwing that same sword at Nigel. I could list all the ways that Buffy laying down the law is wonderful to watch, but I’ll leave it at “wonderful.” Oh, and Giles getting two years worth of pay at once is surely a nice chunk of money.

Bloody Money

• Written by Shawn Ryan & Mere Smith / Directed by R.D. Price
• Wes and Gunn are obviously playing some kind of game here at Cordy’s, but it’s more about establishing their new unit than anything else.

• Okay, as for the Anne of it all–I was one of those nutters that instantly recognized her as Lily/Chanterelle from BtVS and immediately loved this kind of soft crossover. If you know who she is and her whole backstory it makes everything that much more layered (like the fact that Angel and Anne have met before, briefly, only they don’t recall), and if you don’t have any idea about any of that it doesn’t really affect watching the episode unfold. It’s a reward for longtime fans.
• Fire farts? Classy.
• Angel’s threatening persona with Merle (and generally being a jerk) never quite lands, for me. He seems like a moody teenager.

• Oh yeah, I forgot about this blue demon looking for Angel. He doesn’t make much of an impression.
• Lilah should just get a little side project going and have Angel killed. I’m sure she could make it happen if she put some effort into it–Lindsay has the right idea in trying to enlist the boring blue demon to kill Angel.
• What’d Angel need Anne’s wallet for? So he could creepily leer at it?

• I would already assume that a law firm throwing a charity event is actually keeping most of the money, but I guess I’m a pessimist. 
• “What did Lindsay say about me?” Angel sounds like a teenager again. And when Anne tells Angel “I met one” in regards to vampires she’s referring to Spike.
• Everything about Angel’s soapbox speech on why Anne shouldn’t take the charity event money comes across as hollow as it is. Anne’s nicely jaded about life, at least, even if she does end up trying to help him out.

• Nobody comes across well in this whole anti-climax at the charity event. Well, Anne’s fine. I know I’ve said it, but Angel is such a shit. He constantly moralizes about humanity and the ways in which everyone around him fails, but he’s worse than pretty much everyone he gets on a high horse around. Does Angel remember the stolen bank money he hid away 50 years ago and then found again a few months ago? I don’t think he gave it back. Or does that not count because he’s so righteous?

Blood Ties

• Written by Steven S. DeKnight / Directed by Michael Gershman
• Scooby Gang meeting with the most Glory info to date, with a side of birthday chatter. Oh yeah, everyone finds out about Dawn. I like how maturely Buffy handles this whole situation and that she just decides it’s as good a time as any to spill the beans.
• Glory lays waste to the medieval losers pretty easily, but it should have been even easier as they’re just a few random humans.

• Willow and Tara were going to be done with the warning spell in a second, they could have just wrapped it up instead of Willow needing to gently decline Dawn wanting to help.
• “You make a very pretty little girl”–You can always count on Anya for a bizarre outburst.
• While Dawn is annoying, she’s not wrong that everyone is especially weird around her. Still, though, she’s such a drama queen. She’s a teenager, of course she won’t be treated as an equal.
• I don’t like the opening of presents in front of people tradition. It’s weird and childish.

• Nice of Spike to drop by with old & beaten chocolates for Buffy’s birthday. I don’t imagine Buffy would actually eat any of them, but I could see Anya having some. Maybe Tara, too. Just to be nice.
• I know Giles probably has a lot of Watcher training to explain why he keeps such detailed diaries, and I’m sure it makes sense often, but surely writing down such a huge secret like the Dawn=key thing would be better off the books.
• I know Dawn’s a teenager so emotional outbursts are par for the course, but it’s not like Buffy or her mom had any hand in what happened. They were as in the dark about this as she is. I think it’s about time to nail her window closed.

• Dawn’s “Get out! Get out! Get out!” became rather notable for such a random line.
• What in the world is Giles doing? He’s looking in dumpsters, behind alley boxes, and generally a bunch of places that make no sense.
• Buffy and Spike’s begrudging ally relationship has really felt like it’s been growing into something more all season. I’m always interested by how gradually their relationship morphs over time.
• Dawn lucks out that this crazy knight fellow happened to be in the loony bin when she had her meltdown. Plus, it seems like every single interaction with Ben starts with a chance encounter.

• Ben is Glory! Glory is Ben.
• I know Buffy et al were heading to the hospital on Dawn patrol, but how in the world did they find the exact room in a matter of minutes? And they overhear *exactly* the exposition they need in the hallway in regards to the twisted head man. C’mon.
• Xander’s crazy for attacking Glory with a crowbar. What in the world was he hoping to accomplish?

• Willow and Tara really save the day, here. Hot stuff.
• This episode has the whole Summers blood tangent, which will come back heavily in the finale. Olaf’s hammer also had a cameo earlier, another thing that will heavily factor in later.

Happy Anniversary

• Written by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt / Directed by Bill L. Norton
• Lorne popping by to be Angel’s scene partner for the week suggests a fun time is in store, and I’d say it delivers on this pairing.
• The Torto demon and his parasite singing a duet as Lorne’s seabreeze saga continues is some of that fun time I mentioned. I can see why they brought Lorne back over and over to the point of being a regular. He brings a great energy to things while also being plot propulsion.

• The bartender (aka Mr. Treeger) has some fun with a couple lines of “He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” which Lorne appreciates.
• Most of Cordy, Wes, and Gunn’s brief scenes in this episode are in their crappy office. Virginia also has a fun, energetic presence–she and Lorne should have overlapped somehow. It’s a shame they never did much with her and now she’ll be gone soon.
• Apparently this library just keeps yearbooks for the last half decade stacked right under the counter, just in case someone randomly needs to look for a former student.
• What’s with these old man demons, by the way? They’re an odd choice.

• Gene overhearing the exact moment his girlfriend decides to dump him is another amazing coincidence. I like how, according to his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend, Gene has the whole anniversary night planned–it’s just a low-key dinner at his place. What a plan.
• So, Gene just left the lab with a particle accelerator and all kinds of other stuff, no big deal? I wonder what the carpet mold guy discussed with Gene the next time they saw each other. Maybe he brought up the green demon man and some guy on the hunt for him.
• Angel and Lorne could have just gotten back in the car and left after hitting that one old man demon. It’s not like the rest of them were swarming the car.

• Gene really timed his ejaculation with the time freeze device quite well. Pretty good self control.
• Oh, and Wes gets a fun Poirot scene of deduction, which I enjoy even if it has not much to do with anything aside from establishing a continuing detective agency.

Crush

• Written by David Fury / Directed by Dan Attias
• The new and improved Bronze makes an appearance after Olaf’s rampage.
• Spike’s dressed in fairly regular guy clothes while he chats with Buffy, as if they’re friends. It’s weird.
• Buffy and Ben flirt, but thankfully it’s not to be. Really, small world syndrome.
• This is a nice and creepy train arrival scene, but the secrecy isn’t needed. We all know it’s Dru. And Buffy steals that guy’s newspaper.

• Harmony pops up again after being MIA since episode seven.
• Dawn pops by Spike’s place, but in theory Harmony could be there and she can still kill people. So, Dawn telling Spike “I feel safe with you” isn’t at all what he wants to/needs to hear as well as being quite inaccurate.
• Dawn wants more of Spike’s murder stories, despite how unsteady they make her feel–like watching horror movies you’re too young.
• Buffy IS very oblivious to Spike’s obvious crush somehow. I’m sure it’s nothing that ever crossed her mind.

• Joyce and Spike also have a pleasant last interaction, assuming this is it.
• Buffy and Spike stakeout some vampires in Spike’s car, which we haven’t seen in quite a while and I think this is the last time. Also, Buffy rejects Spike’s booze now, but she won’t be so put off by it in half a year.

• These two vamps who flee from Buffy are some of the smarter ones we’ve seen.
• “Two people, in the workplace. Feelings develop” proves to be true. “You’re like serial killer in prison” isn’t the worst comparison.
• Dru finally pops up, takes too long. She sums up her Angel happenings, up to the fire damage.
• “I don’t believe in science” sounds like something Dru would say. I think we know who would be an anti-vaxxer.

• If there was ever a time to just stake Harmony, now would be it. At least we’re done with her on BtVS.
• Spike and Dru pop by the Bronze, for old time’s sake. I’ve heard this song a lot, fun fact.
• Fun fact: Anya was just in the one scene of this episode at the very beginning. 
• Dru killing this couple, dancing with her victim, and Spike drinking warm human blood for the first time in a good while is a favorite scene of mine. It’s just very well done.

• Slayer Sense Fail: Buffy doesn’t notice Dru, doesn’t react when she sees Dru, and the cattle prod is too damaging. It shouldn’t have such a strong result from Buffy or Dru.
• Buffy appeared to be standing while she was unconscious, somehow?
• Dru laughing and chatting and contradicting Buffy while tied to a pole is lovely. I was so worried she’d be dusted the first time I saw this one. Thankfully, she never meets any such fate.

• Spike’s face when he hits that door barrier and gets a door closed in his face is genuine hurt.
• And that’s a wrap on Drusilla. I like that Dru is smart enough to just leave. She pops up in various flashbacks or visions or whatever, but never again in the flesh. I guess she’s had enough of all her Fang Gang flock and their issues.

The Thin Dead Line

• Written by Jim Kouf & Shawn Ryan / Directed by Scott McGinnis
• Merl finally does something smart and gets out of town, but only after pressing Angel’s buttons about Cordy, Wes, and Gunn.
• Anne shows up again soon after her first appearance, which certainly suggests we’ll be seeing her now and again–especially since she already has history with Gunn. Except this is it for her, to continue S2 of Angel’s weird pattern of introducing things and then ditching them just as quickly.

• So, was Angel trying to kick the head off the cop? Or are their zombie necks just weaker?
• Gunn’s old crew is testy that he’s been spending his time elsewhere lately, but at least everyone can still work together. That won’t always be true.
• Wes getting shot here comes out of nowhere and sure took me by surprise that first time. He looks worse with every passing minute, but it sure is a bonding experience for those that survive.

• Kate appears to be Angel’s scene partner for this episode, continuing the trend of his one-off pairings.
• Why wouldn’t Gunn just drive to the hospital? That has to be a better choice than hanging out at the shelter.
• Jackson’s gun is a second away from falling out of his pants. How hasn’t it fallen out already?

• What does Angel do with this evil police captain? I don’t think he kills him, but it’s not like he can just report the guy as raising zombie cops.
• And who did they call to clean up all these decaying zombie cop corpses? Seems like it’d be notable news.
• This whole episode has a very compacted timeline. It’s mostly just this one night.

• Wes’ hospital scene with Gunn is nice–”Well, its bloody lovely” re: morphine. The next time Wes is in a hospital bed he won’t have such company. Cordy telling Angel off in the hallway is also nice. Screw you, guy!

I Was Made to Love You

• Written by Jane Espenson / Directed by James A. Contner
• I wonder how much the padded puffy Xander suit cost (the one Buffy takes her angry Spike feelings out on).
• “I just wanna know there’s gonna be another good one”–except Spike is her last main love interest both of the TV series and the comics, really. Also, they’re all only 21. A forever love might take a little while, if they ever even find that elusive creature.

• Fun Joyce twirly dress shenanigans with the Summers women, before sadness overtakes everyone for a while. Oh, and Buffy’s not wrong that her only two boyfriends have left in a big way.
• A rare Anya & Tara solo scene. And I’d like to see this website Anya designed for the Magic Box–just how much is she featured?

• As for Buffy bumping into Ben again, at least nothing really comes of this. I like Ben’s orthopedic pants joke and Buffy’s excessive laughing. Jane Espenson is forever reliable.
• Hey look, it’s Warren. If only someone would feed him to a vampire as soon as possible.

• Ben sure got lost on his way to ditching his drink (I guess he was looking for a pen & paper), but at least it gave Spike a window to push Buffy’s buttons.
• I remember reading long ago they tried to get Britney Spears for April. I’m glad that didn’t work out.
• “I’ve had it with super strong little women who aren’t me.” The immediate assumption that April’s a robot is a great touch.
• While everyone else met April, Giles had a nice night in with Dawn eating cookie dough and talking about boys. Good times.

• I can’t help but see everyone’s interaction with Joyce as being their last one–Giles’ being the exchange at the door when she gets home from her date. You don’t know it at the time, but in retrospect it’s hard not to notice. Even just seeing their outfits as they chat around the Magic Box I can’t help but think of how the day is going to end.
• Xander’s right, none of the girls get it (“it” being the allure of a sexbot). Oz would silently get it.
• Tara talking about how it’s sad that Warren can’t find human love has different shades to it once you know what’s to come.
• Considering how Warren treats/talks to Katrina it’s no wonder he can’t find a girlfriend. The fun act break “reveal” of April being a robot always inspires a smile.

• I also appreciate whenever Giles gets to be threatening and/or put his foot down about something, like he does here with Spike needing to get over his Buffy crush.
• “So, naturally you turn to manufacturing”–lots of fun lines thanks to Jane Espenson, no doubt.
• Katrina takes several steps to get to the bench, which is a lot for someone who’s unconscious. If it wasn’t obvious before, Warren directing angry April at Buffy and then fleeing the scene is another demonstration of how much of a douchebag he is and forever will be.

• I wonder if Buffy ever wondered that while she was having a quiet, peaceful farewell chat with April (when she says lots of nice, comforting things to see her off) she missed having that much longer with her mom.
• I enjoy this window fixing scene with Xander and all, but when does it take place? It appears to be night outside the window, but this episode leads directly into the next one and it’s still very much the daytime. I’ll pretend there was a tarp outside the window. This scene with Spike ordering a robo-Buffy also seems to take place at night, but then Buffy gets home in daylight and her world is shattered.

• What a gut punch ending.

Reprise

• Written by Tim Minear / Directed by James Whitmore, Jr.
• Goat room is amusing, but what became of them after Angel stopped these guys from doing their work? Did Angel just leave them in the room? Here’s one of David Fury’s several cameos as a goat sacrificer. All the 75 year review commotion this episode inspires one word: blah.

• I guess that’s what became of that police captain from last week–nothing at all. He gets to go on being a police captain like nothing happened while Kate gets hung out to dry. It took forensics this long to realize the door was locked from the inside? Crack team.
• The little girl with the eye on her head still has no lines. Not one word! And Gunn has just the one scene this episode. Hopefully J. August Richards had a good few days off.

• Darla continues to use Lindsay and push his buttons of wanting to be her savior. At least it’s a quick reveal that Darla’s fine and not some weakling.
• I’m glad Angel’s obsession with W&H is almost done with. He’s annoying and especially dickish with his moody holier-than-thou persona.
• Kate gets fired and I know the panel is supposed to be awful, but they’re mostly pretty reasonable about the situation–except the guy who made that remark about her father.

• Hey look, it’s that bookshop owner for a brief exposition scene before dying at Darla’s hand. Hopefully his last 50 years were a nice time. And a sword to the gut seems to have varying degrees of harm to Angel/vampires. Occasionally they do nothing, or it hurts a whole lot.
• Virginia pops up one more time to break up with Wesley, who takes it well.
• W&H seems obscenely easy for Angel to break into every time. How hard can it be to secure the place with all their resources?
• Wes and Cordy have a brief heart to heart about life and work as things are kind of down and out for the team.

• The W&H stuff is feeling kind of stale, honestly. They scheme, Angel schemes, rinse, repeat. Seeing Holland Manners again just rubs it in how subpar the whole operation is without him. He’s delightfully chipper on the elevator ride to nowhere, which he certainly knows is going to shatter Angel’s worldview. Good for him. Really, I love everything about Holland’s final speech. It’s a wonderfully delivered and eye-opening anti-climax.
• Kate doesn’t really take much to cross the line into drunken suicide attempt.

• Darla pops by and she has some hate sex with Angel, leading to a lie of cliffhanger. So, since nothing’s happening to Angel does he just have indigestion or something?

The Body

• Written & Directed by Joss Whedon
• The opening of this one is the last episode’s closing, for the first and only time.

• “I hate too much nog.” It’s nice to have one more happy group scene before the sad times commence. Anya explaining about the reality of Santa and his child disemboweling, plus one more Band Candy shoutout.
• Buffy falls apart a bit, but that’s to be expected. “The body is cold?” is another harsh blow.

• Everything about all of this is very heavy and bright, very much so on purpose.
• Buffy really scared the crap out of Giles with her “You have to come, she’s at the house.” A tiny bit more info wouldn’t hurt, but again, she’s in no headspace for any of this.
• Buffy’s fantasy that her mom is saved sure hurt at the time, and stings even now.
• The paramedics are just guys at work, which lays on the harsh realities more and more. Every moment of this is harsh reality, which is certainly what leads to Buffy’s sudden vomiting. Referring to her mom as “the body” to Giles also jars Buffy a greatly, which I understand.

• Dawn’s school stuff is easily my least favorite part of this one, but I don’t hate it or anything. If anything, waiting for Buffy to show up creates a good bit of tension. When she does, Dawn almost instantly senses something large is about to happen.
• Watching Buffy break the news to Dawn through the window, along with everyone else, is sad and voyeuristic.
• Willow falling to pieces, Xander seething with anger, Anya being confused and obtuse, and Tara doing her best to be as solid as she can while remaining out of the way–all of these speak to me. Willow and Tara share their first kiss here, in an entirely non-heightened or sexualized manner.

• “Xander cried at the apartment. It was weird” followed by awkward silence, which Anya breaks with confused questions–all of it lands. The Anya stuff really hits a bone. Also, Tara really feels Xander’s frustration and anger all over her face.
• I could quote all of Anya’s speech, really, but we’ve surely all seen it and know it.
• “I have to lie to make you feel better.” This line stuck with me since that first viewing. I think about it pretty much whenever I’m in a similar situation.
• I like Giles taking it upon himself to deal with as much of the paperwork minutia and whatever other tasks as he can shield Buffy from.

• Buffy and Tara’s quiet scene together also lands extremely well. “It’s always sudden” also never left my brain upon hearing it for the first time 20 years ago and real life has demonstrated that to be true.
• This hospital is so dark. Also, how did Dawn know exactly which body under a sheet Joyce was? The naked vampire man coming to behind Dawn is a good shot.
• Shouldn’t there be *some* blood when Buffy cuts the guy’s head off? I mean, they bleed when wounded and all that.

• I remember disagreeing heartily with some message board people about how Dawn touching the body wasn’t going to have some magical resurrection effect. Some people seemed to miss the point.

Epiphany

• Written by Tim Minear / Directed by Thomas J. Wright
• Angel wakes up from his hate sex and still has a soul, so what’s with the body aches and pains, or whatever’s going on? Did he eat some spicy food and wake up with heartburn? They drag out the non-twist until after the opening credits, too. Liars.
• “Was I? Was it not good?” is what Buffy said to evil Angel way back when.

• I’m glad they finally established it isn’t just the act of sex or orgasms that lose Angel his soul, but a whole feeling of happiness.
• Angel letting Darla live just means lots of innocent people are going to die. I mean, what does he think is going to happen? How do you care about every life saved and also actively cause many lives to be lost?
• Oh, yeah, I always forget Darla has more scenes with Lindsay before she departs for the duration of S2. I forget a lot of Lindsay things, honestly. He’s forgettable. It’s funny that he’s yelling at this immortal murderer (who’s not girlfriend) about her sex life. He’s a weirdo.

• I very much appreciate Lorne’s indifference to Angel not killing Darla (“Kill her, give her cab fare, whatever”). Lorne is probably the best thing to come of S2.
• “What do the Powers want me to do?” One of my least favorite things about Angel, right here. His constant need for guidance from above.
• So, Cordy had to take a fairly long cab ride out to the Sharp residence (all dead now)–what was her plan of return? You’d think she would try to book the cab driver for the return journey, also. And I wonder what the Sharp family’s relatives and friends thought of how they were all murdered and a truck crashed into their home one random night. Hm

.

• Really, what was the point of that vision? “That was helpful” indeed. Now Cordy gets head impregnated by very pretty demons for her troubles, which isn’t the first or last time she’ll be used a vessel for demon spawn.
• Wes’ closet shotgun is fairly easily accessible. Certainly not a child safe apartment.
• Wes puts Angel in his place re: Cordy and her life choices, but he’s still the most receptive of Angel’s wishes of redemption. Angel won’t feel the same when it comes to Wesley this time next year.

• Lindsay tapping into his country boy roots with his hick clothes and crappy truck is always good for a laugh. His whole hissyfit and everything about his personality is just such a non-starter for me. Also, with all of W&H’s resources they can’t get Lindsay some robotic hand? I know he gets an evil hand soon, but this crappy fake thing is the best they could do this whole time?

• Kate gets one more wrapup scene with Angel, and then that’s a series wrap for her. I remember thinking it was so odd how she just randomly fades away after this. Angel’s “If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do” sentiment is something that always stuck with me.

Forever

• Written & Directed by Marti Noxon
• Is this creepy music supposed to make us think Buffy’s checking caskets for vampires? Because she’s obviously here for Joyce funeral things. Giles continues to try and deal with as much of this as he can, which I appreciate. Oh, and Brown Brothers Mortuary, there’s another good trivia question.

• “Guest starring David Boreanaz” is a bit of a giveaway. What would have hurt to keep it a surprise appearance?
• Dawn not wanting to go home and sit around after the funeral makes sense to me. I’m not a big fan of living where a loved one died at all.
• Spike trying to leave anonymous flowers for Joyce is a nice touch.
• The funeral scene montage is kind of oddly put together. It feels rushed.

• At least Anya waited until after she and Xander finished sex to start talking about Joyce and making babies, although they kind of started again so maybe it wouldn’t have been a dealbreaker. Also, Xander really needs a haircut. He looks awful.
• I like how vocal and firm Tara is with Dawn about all the reasons it’s a bad idea, while Willow’s first thoughts are more about the technical reasons it might not work–which she’ll figure out how to handle before she knows it. Also, Dawn has no interest in any of the reasons why not, just that it can be done and she needs to do it.

• Buffy lucked out that Angel just had his epiphany, otherwise he might not have been on board with a quick Sunnydale trip to support her. Also, they give a quick makeout demonstration of why he shouldn’t stick around and their theme plays again, for possibly the last time? I’ll keep an ear open.

• Ben spills the beans on the Key being a person, then tries to kill Jinx with a knife to the gut. Except he sucks at it.
• Leaving a 14 year old alone at their college dorm, one who’s fairly upset, seems like a questionable decision on Willow/Tara’s part.
• Dawn’s thieving begins, even if she doesn’t resume her criminal activities right away again. Good for her on putting her mind to something and getting stuff she needs, up to and including taking a dirt sample from her mom’s freshly dug grave.

• Spike and Dawn end up being a solid enough pairing, time and again. 
• Giles having a solitary drink while listening to “Tales of Brave Ulysses” is one of my favorite callbacks. Quiet remembrance’s are my preferred forms of grieving.

• Joel Grey has an enjoyable creepiness to him. Even as he’s “helping” it’s clear he’s not exactly concerned with everything turning out well. This is also where Dawn loses me a bit, as it should be abundantly clear by now that whatever she’s about to resurrect isn’t going to be quite right. Anything a completely inexperienced 14 year old could accomplish in a day is clearly something that should be avoided.

• The multi-head demon fight scene is . . . not great.
• Buffy sits out a lot of this episode, which I never really noticed before.
• Okay, I know this is hardly the first time, but I have to say something about Willow wearing her shoes inside. They all wear their shoes in their homes and on their furniture all the time. It’s gross and weird. Willows got her shoes all over the pillows she sleeps on, come on!

• Dawn’s a real jerk to Buffy at the end here. So, if you don’t grieve the way Dawn thinks is appropriate you’re doing it wrong? At least they get over this hump together.

Disharmony

• Written by David Fury / Directed by Fred Keller
• Wesley claims Angel’s office and they all give Angel a little baby desk before sending him on a coffee run, which he deserves.
• And now an “Alyson Hannigan as Willow” credit right away? What’s so hard about keeping the surprise appearance a surprise? 
• Harmony pops in and the universe sharing continues. Of course everyone watching already knows Harmony’s a vampire, but there are plenty of dialogue clues even if you weren’t up to date on what she’s been up to over on BtVS.

• Pineapple and Tandoori Chicken pizza? Ugh. That sounds hideous.
• As much as I may not personally be a fan of Harmony, the fact that a random vampire is capable of trying to choose not to kill definitely suggests they aren’t all mindless monsters.
• The Cordy and Harmony lesbian fakeout doesn’t actually age horribly, but then Cordy being a weirdo about it on the phone with Willow kind of sullies that a little. It’s certainly not the most endearing response.

• Cordy’s being really obtuse about the Harmony situation. I know why Angel’s going along with it, but everything about Harmony–even if she’s not being actively evil–is still deeply annoying. That should be enough to at least have her not hang around being in the way.
• What kind of bizarre computer is that where spilling something on the separate keyboard causes it to spark and crash? I’ve never been an Apple guy, so maybe that’s standard.
• The vampire “Turn two, the rest is food” motivational speaker/life coach guy is still fairly amusing.

• Harmony says there’s maybe 100 vampires at this theater and then the four of them (plus Harmony) wander on in? I mean, there’s clearly not 100 of them in there, but in what world would the four of them be able to handle this? They all really should have been killed pretty quickly. Even with the shot of a whole bunch of vampires running off, it’s still ridiculous how well they do. Does Gunn have superpowers all of the sudden?

• Wes tries to have a heart to heart with Angel, but Angel’s already bought Cordy’s affections as best he can.
• Everyone, on both shows, has some disease where they can’t bring themselves to kill Harmony, even though just by letting her live they’re knowingly letting a bunch of innocent people get murdered.

Next time we finish S5/S2 with episodes 18-22, the last time BtVS and Angel will air as a pair. Trivia time.

1. Who did Giles call to find out information about the She-Mantis back in their sophomore year of high school?
2. What does “Ovu Mobani” translate to in English?

*Last week’s answers: 1) 32,900, 2) Mr. Whitmore