Saturday, October 18, 2008

5.10 - Into the Woods

Buffy learns where Riley has been spending his nights.

***

Oh man. Not like this.

Spike leads Buffy to where Riley is getting a "suck job" from a vampire, and things go to pot.

Riley confesses what we've been seeing for over a year now, that Buffy doesn't need him, she doesn't let him in, and she keeps him almost like a pet. I have to say, what he did was wrong, but the way he feels is totally understandable. See my previous comments about why Riley was doomed to fail on a show like this.

He tells her that he's leaving at midnight unless she gives him a reason to stay.

Buffy walks out and we see one of the coolest slaying scenes in the series so far, where she takes on a whole gang of vamps, killing them all in a matter of seconds.

Then Xander comes along and speaks the truth to her about how she's been treating Riley and how he's good for her. She sees the truth and races to stop him from getting on the helicopter and back into the military, where he may never be seen again because the work is so deep cover.

And she doesn't make it.

Man, this is rough. Like I said, not like this. But that's why I love the show. It's a reflection of life. We don't always get to say the things we need to say to the people we want to say them to until it's too late and they are gone.

Just as powerful is Xander learning from what he's just told Buffy and telling Anya everything she needs to know about how he feels about her. Go, dude.

I have to mention, excellent writing and debut direction from Marti Noxon.

Rating: 9/10

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Xander is aces in this one. This is one of the few times so far that I was annoyed at Buffy. Every time riley starts in on her, she gets all defensive and is like how could you think that etc etc. Like she had nothing to do with the way he feels. Actions speak louder than words sweetheart. But I was hoping riley would see her at the end of course knowing that wasn't gonna happen...He had to go, for James Marsters to step in.

Heath Holland said...

Yeah, he had to go, not just for the tension of bringing Spike in, but also because I think by now it was pretty clear that the fans had rejected Riley. Which is too bad, really.

And when a show makes us annoyed at the main character like we are at Buffy here, would you agree that it's poor writing? It's nitpicking to talk about stuff like this, but hey...we love the show, nitpicking is allowed.

Anonymous said...

Yeah. I suppose I would agree with that. It just seems a bit un Buffy like. Much more of that to come obviously in season 7 when she gets speechified. buffy's one hard girl to get involved with if you're a guy and your names not Angel. I mean she tells riley in season 4 it's "doomed" then comes on to him (disses all her friends) uses him up and expects him to be there when she needs him and go away when she doesn't. Maybe it's good writing, cause she is sort of a bitch. Suppose that goes back to Angel if you really want to disect it. That whole Angel/Angelis thing after sex probably messed her up on men forever..Listen to me, like it's real life. If anything, I wish i had her powers of getting over it. Then again maybe not, cause she never gets over Angel and never has a healthy relationship. Probably never will. And poor spike gets the worst of it, least I'm not that pathetic.

Heath Holland said...

Well, it feels like real life sometimes. The characters are that strong.
You're right, Buffy is sort of doomed to never have a healthy relationship. As long as she is the Slayer, she's going to need someone is is more than a normal man, and that's probably going to lead to an unhealthy relationship.
Maybe in the season 8 comic, though, Joss will make sure she gets a reasonably happy ending. In my perfect world, she'll still end up with Angel. She'll discover some secret of immortality and they can be together forever.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, for now, Joss isn't putting Angel in his season 8 anytime in the near future if at all. He feels it would undermine aa that IDW is doing with his character.

Heath Holland said...

Yeah...maybe in a few years...or maybe before I die. Can't he see tha they are made for each other?!

The Rush Blog said...

Buffy and Angel back together? What the hell for? The last thing I need to see or read is those two trying to recapture an adolescent romance. It will be like that ludicrous couple from "TWILIGHT" - Edward and Bella, the Later Years. If Whedon goes this way, I will lose all respect for him.