Buffy Challenge Post 40: Season 5: Episode 3 - 4

The Replacement

Hey Challengers, after another hiatus, (due to the end of the school year) were back with another installment of the Buffy Challenge.......

 

So we last left off with a new character introduced into Buffy's world in the form of Dawn, now little sisters can be creepy but one who appear out of no where and the world changes around her to acknowledge her existence is  out there....... I have a theory about it but more on that later.

I know what your all thinking,  JUST HIT PLAY ALREADY!!!!!

Oh we started with a "Previously on Buffy......" and the honor goes to Giles, recapping Dawn and her weird no one knows the real me comment that we ended on, Anya is in bad shape and as a former demon I don't think she would really know what pain is.

Buffy is the poster child for grumpy 20 something females, even badly dubbed Kung fu can't cheer her up. Also I totally agree Kung Fu is the most valuable import from the orient, who needs a hot plate these days anyway? Buffy is the last person to give an analyst on kung fu. Switch to this weeks villain and it looks like a rejected character from Mortal Kombat the Video game. Well Dawn has made the credits so I guess she is sticking around for a while.

Xander is looking for a new dig and the apartment that he chose is really nice. However I doubt it that he could afford a place that nice. Can't Buffy and Riley keep their hands off themselves. Anya still has an issue with being tactful. Giles runs into rock head and tries to beat the fertility out of him where  once again Giles gets knocked on his butt!

 

Is it me or are they able to find out about the demon really quickly? Hey Buffy is that a medieval Ax in your hand or your just happy to see us? (I know it's a tacky joke but it's a nice ax)  Spike has hit on hard times rummaging through the garbage when Rock head shows up with a really cool pistol, it seems he is "Smarter than the Average Demon....." (BTW he is the best looking Demon I've seen on this show so far! The glowing cracks in the skull is an awesome effect!) Xander saves Buffy and gets blasted by some weird beam. Thankfully he is alright, except for the slight side effect of ANOTHER XANDER!!!! (If one wasn't bad enough?)

Now for the next 30 minutes were going to play a game of "Pick the real Xander...." My guess it's the one left in the garbage. The other one is well too groomed. This makes the second Xander Doppelganger we have seen in this show. (We all remember vampire Xander from a few seasons ago.)

I agree totally Dawn, those two are getting too sad with all the making out. Now were watching Spike fall deeper into his own madness as he is creating his own girlfriend from the scraps he collected from the garbage only to knock her block off. Note to the writers PLEASE DO SOMETHING AWESOME WITH SPIKE THIS SEASON!!!!!! There has been no real character development for him in a long time.

Who I think is Fake Xander has rocked up to work way over dressed. I love the fact that all it takes is brushing the hair in a different way to show a different character trait. (there is something in the coin.... It's making people do things to his favor.) Real Xander just got laid out be Fake Xander.

Fake Xander has now got Buffy and the gang onside. Snoopy Dance Xander is the real deal and it seems that Willow didn't meet the Fake Xander. While real Xander thinks it's a robot, fake Xander is making sure Buffy is on his side, great direction by the way with jumping between scenes.

I think real Xander is starting doubt himself, (I know how that feels! I have more in common with him than I thought, due to my Kick-ass Comic book collection!) Willow did handle her Doppelganger ok I guess. Fake Xander is making a move on real Xander's girl and she is mesmerized by the flashy apartment. Anya has a list of things she wants in her life, including a boat.

Anya's mortality has finally dawned on her and now she needs to decide who the real Xander is. Cool, Xander is now split in two personalities, they are both the real Xander? What a really cool twist!

Where did wimpy Xander get a gun from? I am really starting to get tired of the whole Riley and Buffy relationship. So the gun belongs to Anya? Rock head shows up to finish the job only to take a beating by Buffy. So Anya wants to be the meat in a Xander Sandwich, and I agree with Giles lets move on and ignore that request. Willow works her magic and we are back to one Xander to the disapproval of Anya.

The new apartment stays and we have to listen to Riley go on about how much he loves Buffy and how he knows the feeling is not mutual!

Well a fun episode, rock head looked cool but had a stupid plan that was never going to work, I did enjoy the twist in the show and how it highlighted the duality of man. I see how we can really be two sides of a coin, a confident person and on the other side a neurotic mess. I don't think I could relate better to an episode I've seen in this series, however every time Buffy and Riley were alone on the screen I wanted to switch off. Also the recap was useless in this episode as it give any more information on what it was recapping other than let the audience know that Anya was hurt.

7/10

Out of my Mind

Last few seasons they didn't let us know what happen previously so far season 5 they are over doing it, and what makes it worse they are going back to things that happen in season 4. This is not a good thing since I'm trying to forget what happen in season 4, however if Giles thinks we need a bit of recap on Riley's story then so be it. He has some chip in him that makes him a super soldier. Also that is now the 3rd time we have seen the whole Dawn thing.

For a change, we are seeing Buffy run around in the dark. Can't even wait for the Vampire to get out of his grave. With all these people jumping in on the vampire killing action why does Buffy even bother? I still don't understand how vampires can bleed? Poor Spike, he has become a pathetic character who has nothing better to do. Except plot his revenge on Buffy.

Oh great, now Buffy is becoming an intellect, I can't believe she is still at college. Giles and Xander are still working on the Magic Box. Imitation Nute Eyes, not as good as the real thing!  Now before I continue I'll remind people I'm not a fan of the whole dark magic thing. Buffy's training dungeon is really cool!

Bloody Hell, Harmony is back and she actually thinks she is Buffy's Nemisis? KILL HER SPIKE! PLEASE!!!! All villains do smoke of course! Smoking is Evil.  Did I mention that the whole Riley and Buffy relationship is making me sick. Ah what just happen? Did Joyce relies that Dawn is an anomaly and it fried her brain?

Riley's heart is racing and I'm no doctor but isn't a pulse of 150 is a little fast? All this means is we are calling back to season 4 and the initiative, do we really need to go back a tie up this loose end? couldn't we just say everything is fine and it was magic?

What is Xander talking about? Playing 20 questions with Harmony is too much torture for even the undead!  Could something good come out of this episode? could we be seeing Spike have his chip removed? I hope so.

Willow and Terra check out the burnt out school and we discover that Terra has even less self confidence in her abilities than Willow did in earlier seasons. Buffy has finally found Riley who seems to be getting use to the power that has developed due to all the drugs that have been pumped into him. Does Riley have Angel envy? Can't keep eyes open...... Brain Shutting down........ Boredom setting in due to sappy Buffy and Riley scene.

I'm not sure spike really thought out the whole having  Harmony help idea. She is so ANOYING! Now she is smoking during open brain surgery. Finally the chip is OUT! and we are going to get the old Spike back! Big man Riley is beating up on a girl and the Doctor seems to have pulled a fast one on Spike. Which means after getting our hopes up, nothing has changed.

Not even going to dignify the whole "You should be back with the Army speech."

Will Buffy kill Spike? it's what he wants but she cant do it and I can't believe I just saw what I did, Spike and Buffy together for real??????? Thankfully it was just a nightmare!

What a pointless episode.... it did little to further the story, not even Spike could of saved that mess.

3/10

 

Well one good one and the first sub par episode for season 5. There is a lot to like in this season and "Out of my Mind" delivered none of it.

See you soon Challengers!