Buffy Challenge Post 44: Season 5: Episodes 11 -12

Triangle

So after sweltering through a record heat wave here in MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA!!! (always wanted to do a shout out to my home town!) and having my ego slightly bruised, were back for the next installment of the Challenge!

(on a side note I'm watching this season through my PS3 which upscale's the  DVD and it does look AWESOME in HI DEF!)

Recap time and I think that the recap is not going away so here it goes: Buffy finds out Dawn is the Key, Joyce is going to be fine, Spike leads Buffy towards the discovery that Riley is cheating on her with vampires, which leads to Riley leaving and Buffy running up to catch him.

We got all that? cool, (oh even the recap portrays Riley in a inegative light for all you Riley Finnatics  out there!) I liked the guy when he was first introduced but by the end of his arch I'm happy to see him leave.

On with the episode, Xander and Anya are lying awake when Xander remembered he forgot to give Riley his wrench back. Anya wants a countdown clock for any impending relationship break up, you know like the ones in the movies. Is Anya thinking that maybe the problem is with Buffy and her inability to keep her fellows?

As all young women who have their hearts broken we find ourselves in a convent with Buffy, I think it's more of the fact that she is killing vampires there and not planning on becoming a nun. (another side note? how stupid are some of these vampires? really? you'd think a convent would be the last place they'd be with all the crosses and holy water and such.)

Buffy makes quick work of the vampire, and then Buffy asks for some advice on how to join. I thought being "Super Religious" was a prerequisite for becoming a nun. It could be different in America.

Buffy is training with Giles and he has no answers for her about Glory. Buffy is afraid that the watchers would take Dawn away if they knew she was the object that Glory is after. Giles is off to the council and Anya couldn't be happier, thinking that she will be finally in charge. Giles is not overly excited about her people skills. Poor Xander is stuck in the middle of an argument between Willow and Anya.

Joyce is back on her feet to the delight of Buffy and Dawn. The sisters are having a heart to heart of sorts. Buffy is starting to open up to her fake sister about her heartbreak over the whole Riley thing. I don't think Buffy should hold her breath with the hope of him coming back.

Spike is psyching himself up in front of a mannequin about his true feelings for Buffy, it doesn't end so well for the mannequin, which highlights the importance of practice.

Hey it seems that Amy the rat is still a work in progress for Willow. Anya is not overly keen that Terra and Willow are sampling the merchandise.  Well Willow needs to know that the fish in the Cat in the Hat was right! I thought the definition of stealing is taking something and not paying for it! Oh peer pressure indeed, Anya! keep your guard up.

Xander walks right into the middle of another Anya and Willow fight. Xander is showing some real logic and leaves the two to work out their issues. Willow is working on the spell to make sunlight while Anya is taking inventory on all the ingredients. Their bickering only leads to disaster in the form of a giant Viking demon.

Buffy is still pining over Riley, You know what Buffy has a point, people always do say "things are done for a reason" when things are going bad. Buffy breaks down and we cut away to Anya and Willow on the hunt for the Viking. The left pedal does make it stop, good for you for figuring it out Anya! Can't argue with that logic, not knowing how to drive unless she tries first.

Spike runs into Xander and it seems that Spike is all talkative about Buffy no less. We cut to Buffy and Terra arriving at the magic box to see that it was trashed by what we now know was a troll. He is having a jolly good time smashing things up. Spike and Xander are bonding when our troll pal is hunting down a beer and with a side of babies for lunch. Everyone appears at the bronze and the big bombshell is revealed, this is no ordinary troll, it is Anya's ex-boyfriend!

Anya turned her ex into a troll after he cheated on her with a wench. Which is how she got the job as a vengeance demon. Willow tries to reverse the spell which doesn't work so Buffy does what she knows best, She hits things! in the battle the creature destroys the club and escapes. Buffy takes charge as Spike helps out the victims to no recognition for restraining himself from sampling the goods.

Willow and Anya are back at the Magic Box where they are both arguing over Xander and his safety. Yes Anya it was Willow who broke up Xander and Cordy way back when, well her and her lips! The troll returns to finish what he started. Xander to the rescue, sort of. He gets his butt handed to him in a huge miss match. His reward for fighting valiantly, he gets to choose between his girl and his best friend, one will live while the other will die. He breaks his arm for not choosing and is ready to kill him instead. Anya bravely offers her life as Buffy comes crashing in, unfortunately she is no match power wise so to distract him Anya uses her best asset, annoyance (with some really clever lines!) while Willow works on a spell to trap old Olaf the troll. In the end the troll said the wrong thing as Buffy fights for the love of Xander and Olaf gets sent to the land of trolls, maybe.

ALL THIS HAPPENED IN 3 DAYS? Giles is back with little information and surprisingly calm. In classic TV writing Dawn over hears the truth about her existence and this can not be good for her self esteem.

Hey now that was a fun episode, with a lot of wit and some nice twists thrown in. Also good to see that they are slowly moving the Dawn storyline along and hopefully all of Buffy's guilt and frustrations that had been built up about Riley has been taken out on Olaf the Troll.

7/10

Checkpoint

Previously, Buffy's right of passage where she is locked away where Giles is fired, Buffy becomes a free agent and Dawn finds out about the key.

The council of watchers are on their way to meet Buffy and Giles which makes Buffy nervous. Anya is worried that they will be going after ex demons, Terra thinks all British people are nice and Dawn eavesdrop again. We move to Glory who is not looking so crash hot. It seems she hasn't feasted in a while so they send the local mail man to revitalize her. Now there is a time limit on her plan and she needs to use the key to do whatever it is she is about to do? (Did I miss her master plan? I bet it has something to do with taking over the world, it always is.)

The Magic box is still doing wonderful trade as the council of tweed jackets arrive. The council go through the shop to see what is going on and they close the shop. Anya high tails it out of there as they convene. The council have found some crucial information that will only be given to Buffy when they are satisfied with her methods. Buffy is questioning her history teacher who goes to publicly humiliate her. If this show has taught me anything over the season is TEACHERS ARE NOT SAFE! So watch your back professor.

Buffy decides to take it out on some run of the mill vampires when Spike shows up for the assist. Spike really has it bad for her for a long time now (could it be something to do with the chip?) Spike your disgusting seems to be his pet name given to him by Buffy.

Over to Ben the intern who tortured us last time with one of the worst episodes I've seen when he summoned the slug thing. Anyway he gets summonsed by the minion of Gloria about information about the Slayer. (is it me or do those x-rays look really weird in the background?) Buffy walks into the Magic Box straight into the council who reminds her that the Slayer is a tool of the council. This offends Giles however the council lets them both know who is in charge.

Sorry I was distracted by Gloria in a towel....... oh yeah Ben refuses to help which makes Gloria upset. I don't think I've seen Giles this angry. His frustration with the council has reached a boiling point. Buffy is really worried about the review and the fact that without their help she is helpless against Gloria.

The review starts with Anya who is really nervous, Willow and Terra get all defensive about their relationship with each other, Xander is told that she is hopeless. Anya is going for team dead demons! The girls lie about their magical credentials. Now they are interviewing Spike (love the fact they are protecting themselves with the cross and crossbow!) It seems that the female council member has googlie eyes for Spike.

Buffy training time Blindfolded. With instructions in Japanese no less, she has to protect the dummy so which of course leaves said dummy with an ax in the head. Buffy comes home and runs into Gloria. Who is looking for the key.

Dawn walks in at the wrong time. Gloria wants the key (not knowing that the key is Dawn.) She threatens her family and loved ones and she turns to Spike of all people for help. They will be spending time with Spike, it seems that Joyce and Spike have a shared love for bad American soap operas.

Buffy is running late for the meeting when she is jumped by knights in chain mail? Great now there is an ancient brotherhood of knights who are also after the key. (If the story couldn't get anymore confusing?)

Buffy shows up to the watchers council and gives them a piece of her mind. She has turned this whole situation around, got GIles his job back and back pay. This is the strength that has been lacking from the character returning (nice line with Anya still paranoid.) So Glory is not a demon but a god. This is a new one and will be interesting to see how Buffy handles a threat like this coming up.

Now I really did enjoy this episode with the whole questioning of the council scene done really well. Still no information on what Ben's role is but things are moving into place for a big showdown. It's good to see that the previously is relevant to the show and to the point.

8/10

Until we meet again, keep those stakes pointy and don't try to cast any sunlight spells as you might just release the troll ex-boyfriend of your best friend's girl!