BUFFY REVIEWS: SEASON FOUR

[Dalton]

by Jen Sonstein
2/23/2000

Happy Birthday, Faith! Figuratively, of course. Birthday or no birthday, waking up from an 8-month involuntary snooze is cause enough for a celebration. Too bad there's not a soul in town who wants to be in the same room as Faith, let alone rejoice over her miraculous recovery. Lucky for last year's girl, someone left her a posthumous virtual greeting and an extra special prezzie just for the occasion.

Slimy, slithery, and oh-so-deceased Mayor Wilkens made preparations in the unlikely event that the Slayer would foil his attempt at taking over Sunnydale High and the world. In the midst of planning his Ascension, the Mayor recorded a heart-warming goodbye message for his adopted evil seed and gave her a gizmo that would most definitely succeed in knocking Pokemon off the list of best-selling toys. (Said toy will henceforth be referred to as the "Switcheroonee": the best "as-seen-on-TV" gadget since the Rotato.) I can just imagine the infomercial now:

"If you're like us, you've tried over and over again to gain self-confidence in yourself; to be able to look in the mirror and say proudly 'I like you'. But, you can't bring yourself to say it, can you? Instead, you just sneer at that heinous image staring back at you wondering how the world could be so cruel; stewing over the injustice committed against you time and time again; bitter over what others have and you don't have. Well, stew no more! With the brand new Switcheroonee, you may not be able to make your troubles disappear, but you can make it so they're not your troubles anymore. Instead, pass them on to your worst enemy. Show her what life is like in your shoes."

Ever since her introduction to her sister Slayer, Faith has been psychotically jealous of Buffy. Faith desperately wanted everything Buffy had: friends, family, Angel. At first it was easy for all of us to feel sorry for Faith, but as she continued to spit in the face of every person who tried to embrace her, it became easier to hate her guts. By Graduation Day, many of us were glad to watch Big Sis knock Little Sis out for the count.

Even though Faith had it coming, however, Buffy couldn't kick her ass with a clear conscience. Very characteristic of an older sibling (I know from experience). Buffy struggled with the decision of whether or not to harm Faith because, in many respects, Buffy saw herself as Faith's protector. She considered Faith her responsibility. The bitch finally pushed Buffy past her limit when she hit her where she knew it would hurt most--via Angel. And if you remember, this led to a phenomenal Buffy vs. Faith cat fight topped only by tonight's match in Joyce's dining room. Stabbed in the gut and flung off a high building, Faith managed to survive the battle but spent the rest of the 20th century having anxiety dreams.

Eight moons later, Buffy still sees Faith as her responsibility and, as Riley points out, Faith is still under Buffy's skin. Little does either of them know how true his statement will be by episode's end. For with the Switcheroonee in her hands, Faith holds the power to make her dream come true. She can finally stop looking in the mirror saying, "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia", and find out if blonde slayers actually do have more fun. This begs the question: if you were Faith no more, what or who would you do first?

The Gang has enough trouble already without an incognito rogue slayer on the loose. Franken-Adam is still the freak about town gutting and hanging demons from trees a la Blair Witch. The Initiative's still up to no good, and Forrest is still cranky. Furthermore, the Initiative isn't the only organization sticking their noses into business that rightfully belongs to the Scooby Gang. Is it safe to assume members of the Watcher's Council have decided to take a holiday in Sunnydale? What do they hope to accomplish while in town?

At least Riley's seemingly healthy again (chip or no chip in his head) and has joined the Scooby Team as Double Agent Finn. Although something tells me we'd be experiencing a little less déjà vu next week if Riley had just stayed holed up in the hospital. "College beefsteak" is going to be at the top of Faith's to do list once she's walking in Buffy's sexy black boots.

As a final note, I'm always up for a little Freudian analysis. I could have spent the majority of this article delving into meaning of the dreams in "This Year's Girl", but I'd much rather read your interpretations below and join in the discussion. For your easy reference:

COMMON DREAM SYMBOLS (according to Dreaming@Swoon: www.swoon.com/dream)

·Making a bed: Suggests you should expect some unexpected visitors.
·Blood: If you're bleeding, it may mean controversy with a friend.
·Snake: Phallic symbol. To dream of playfully handling snakes suggests that you are in danger of being led astray by unprincipled friends or associates; and if your dream featured a professional snake charmer at work, it indicates that you will have to defend your reputation against malicious gossip.
·Grave: A bad omen. To fall into a grave is a sign of lost friendship.
·Running or being chased: You’re running away from your problems.
·Pouring rain: A heavy downpour can predict a substantial change for the better.

OOPS! BLOOPERS!

·I felt like I was watching the woods scene from Wizard of Oz when I saw a cameraman or a grip standing off to the side of the tree where the gutted demon was strung up. Did anyone else notice that? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I checked back a few more times and I'm pretty sure there was a guy off to the far right of the screen holding technical equipment.
·Um... where did Faith get her change of clothes? One moment she's wearing the clothes she ripped off the girl she beat up at the hospital, the next she's in her skanky hot pants and boobiful tank top all made up to walk the streets. Is this yet another "lab coat under the clipboard" moment I missed?
·This isn't a blatant blooper, but I noticed that minus Anya and Spike in major roles tonight, I didn't laugh as much as I have in the past few episodes when the two figured prominently.

IN THE NEWS

·Speaking of Anya, Emma Caulfield has supposedly signed a contract for next season so we should be seeing her in the opening credits sometime soon.
·Tomorrow night, there's a Yahoo!Chat with James Marsters (Spike) at 8:00 pm. For more info, check out: chat.yahoo.com/c/events/info/2000/02/23/022200marsters.html

[Dalton]

by Jen Sonstein
3/1/2000

When I was a little girl, I dreamed of becoming a celebrated actress. Okay, who am I kidding? I still have fantasies every now and then of walking down Broadway and bumping into a well-connected agent who just happened to be searching the street for a young vixen with long, blonde hair. Hey, it happened to David Boreanaz, right? (He was supposedly discovered while walking his dog in L.A.) With stars in my eyes, I still await my moment, but that doesn't keep me from making funny faces in the mirror every morning while I'm getting ready for work, or talking to my friends in a silly mixture of British and Southern accents.

Where am I going with this, you ask? Let me ask you something. What is it that makes one want to step out of her life and into that of another? Is it the excitement of escaping the routine? Or the freedom to act in a way that might not be appropriate otherwise? Take kinky sex, for instance. Lots of people get turned on by pretending to be something they're not: by being bad (whips, chains, spanking) or by being good (the nurse, the cop, the handmaiden).

Admittedly, there's a thrill that comes with role-playing, but perhaps the adventure is less about walking in someone else's shoes and more about discovering who you really are.

When last we met, Faith had cast herself into her dream role - female lead, Buffy Summers. For this part, she gets to play loving daughter, loyal friend, and gentle girlfriend. Faith's done her research. She knows the character's background, so she doesn't have too much difficulty mastering Buffy's mannerisms and giving a pretty good performance. The thing is, even the best actresses throw a little bit of themselves into the role they're playing. That's why theater companies and high schools continue to put on Romeo and Juliet year after year; every cast interprets their parts differently. Faith may look like Buffy, and may even be able to act like Buffy, but she still has more than a little Faith inside.

It's a bit disconcerting that only Willow realized "Buffy" was a bit off and that her anxieties were eased with a little shushing. It's understandable that Joyce was clueless; her daughter has been incognito since summer break. With Giles focusing on Adam, Xander and Anya focusing on sex (per usual), and Spike focusing on himself and his own inadequacies, Faith barely had to make an effort. Her audience was inattentive, making her job pretty easy. She could just strut her stuff upon a stage of her own making and have Faith-style fun in the process.

Watching this invasion of the Buffy snatcher was a real treat. For those of you who don't know, Sarah Michelle Gellar won a Daytime Emmy for playing a bad girl. I used to be a huge All My Children fan, so believe me when I tell you that her performance as "Faith in Buffy" was ten times better than anything she ever did as Kendall Hart. Credit should be given, however, where credit is due. A lot of the pleasure I derived from tonight's episode came from the amazing writing. Sarah's acting was way above par tonight, but the essence of Faith's personality is her biting tongue and the harsh words that come out of her mouth. In fact, more acting kudos should be sent Eliza Dushku's way for getting Sarah's pouty looks down to a tee. Eliza didn't have nearly as much screen time as SMG (which is fine by me since her storyline wasn't nearly as riveting), but it only took one scene as "Buffy in Faith" for her to wow me.

As much fun as it must have been for Faith to play Buffy and for Sarah to play Faith in Buffy and Eliza to play Buffy in Faith (Geez! Am I writing for Jack and Jill all of a sudden?), it was even more amusing to watch "Buffy" in rare form. It's stimulating to watch someone acting so out of character, so naughty: grinding on the dance floor, teasing Spike, and ignoring Willow. The best line of the evening had to be when "Faith in Buffy" realized the intimacy between Tara and Willow and said, "So, Willow's not driving stick anymore." It was a great way for Joss and Co. to finally verbally address on screen the rumors that have been circulating wildly on the web, in the media, and on this very board.

Most likely, naysayers still remain. Those stubborn few who won't accept the fact that Willow and Tara are more than friends until they actually see them rolling around naked in Tara's dorm room watching If These Walls Could Talk 2. If the spell they conjured tonight didn't produce any sexual imagery for you, however, it's time to get your eyes and libido checked. Willow's sweaty entry into the nether-realm was probably the closest thing to an orgasm she's ever had. It sure looked that way, at least.

Cut to "Faith in Buffy" and Riley's interlude: far less sweaty, but just as heartfelt. I don't know what touched me more: Riley saying, "I love you" or Faith's reaction to hearing the words. She was clearly shaken. She's obviously been so abused in her life that she doesn't know how to accept and return affection. It's possible that her reaction was partly in response to the resentment she feels toward Buffy (who's had a much easier time finding and recognizing love), but she obviously also resents herself. In fact, in the final scenes of "Who Are You", we realize that Faith not only resents herself, she despises herself. As the two Slayers duke it out, each pummeling her own face, we see that Faith is not just attacking Buffy, but she is also trying to destroy herself. Looking in the mirror (so to speak), Faith is finally able to see who she really is and the person she sees disgusts her.

One of the charms of acting is the understanding that it's just an act. In an instant, you can be yourself again: living your life, walking in your own shoes, doing and saying the things that are expected of you. What will the future be like for Faith, who never wanted to return to her own life? Did this experience change her? A less philosophical and much more intriguing question: Where's Faith headed, and do we get to watch her next performance?

RUMOR & LOTS O' SPOILERS (Lydia, hide your eyes!)

First, the rumor: watch out Weird Archives, seems like Aly has a new man on her arm. Apparently, Alyson Hannigan (Willow) and Alexis Denisof (Wesley) have been spotted getting extra friendly and appear to be an item.

Ep.17

Jonathan, the wimpy guy Buffy saved from suicide in "Earshot", returns and creates his own alternate universe. This episode introduces Riley's superior Colonel Haviland and his daughter, Emily.

Ep. 18

Oz returns to Sunnydale to find things are not exactly how he left them. What was he expecting?Ep. 19All the answers to the Willow/Tara questions are finally answered.

Ep. 20

Angel and Riley meet. Who will crossover?

BITS AND PIECES

·What was more surprising? A BtVS character attending church or how HOT Riley looked in that suit?
·I'm bored with the Adam storyline, but I did find his evangelical speech a little enlightening, especially his philosophical take on vampires: "I've been thinking about vampires...you hide from them, crawl about in their filth, scavenging (sic) like rats, what do you fear? You fear the cross, the sun, fire, I know this..." Yes, so do we, but he continues... "You fear death. Being immortal, you fear it more than those to whom it comes naturally. Vampires are a paradox. A demon in a human body, you walk in both worlds and belong to neither."

[Dalton]

by Jen Sonstein
4/5/2000

Let's begin on a few positive notes.

Do-Re-Mi.

Just kidding. In all seriousness, Buffy's hair looked really good tonight. So did Anya's. Unfortunately, there isn't much more to say about this latest Season Four installment for which we've all been waiting patiently. Beyond being a clever premise, and a showcase for new spring fashions and the talents of Danny Strong, "Superstar" wasn't much more than filler. It was a little something to hold us all over until we get the good stuff at the end of the month.

While we should all give a collective thanks to the WB Network for being kind enough to provide some extra Buffy during Mondays in March, I have to wonder to whom the "brilliant" idea for this latest episode belongs. Jonathan Levenson, a very minor player in Buffy World, was last seen in Season Three's briefly banned school violence episode "Earshot". In this reincarnation, Jonathan is sick of being a loser and decides to create an alternate universe where he is "the best" at everything: singing, dancing, counseling, and even fighting evil. In his manufactured reality, the former geek who almost killed himself atop a bell tower is now 007, C3P0, and 90210 all rolled into one. "Superstar", on the other hand, is only a weak imitation: part Forrest Gump and part those Joy of Cola commercials starring the annoying little Chrissy.

Jane Espenson, the writer of this farce, has a good record. She's responsible for some really great eps like the afore-mentioned "Earshot" and this season's "Pangs". Unfortunately, she's also to blame for some doozies like last season's "Gingerbread" (remember when Joyce rallies the town into a hunt for the baby killers?). "Superstar", while a cute idea with a clever title, falls short of being anything more than eye candy. I'm not referring to the gratuitous showing of Riley's hard nipples, but rather the trying-to-be-funny-but-weren't props that infiltrated every scene. From the opening credits (which also were a cute idea), Jonathan was everywhere. Anya snacks on "Jonnie-Os" cereal. Tara and Willow create a Jonathan collage-type shrine. A Jonathan poster hangs on Riley's door. There's the Jonathan book, Jonathan trading cards, and the Jonathan.com poster snipes in the background of every street scene. After a short while, I had to put my hand over my mouth to stop from screaming, "Okay!!! I get it already! We're stuck in the middle of Jonathan's latest and greatest wet dream!"

This episode must have also been a dream come true for Danny Strong, the actor who's played the recurring Jonathan character since "Inca Mummy Girl" in Season Two. Does anyone smell a new fragrance from Calvin Klein called "Nepotism"? Who is he related to anyway? Not to insult Strong's talents: he's shown that he's quite a capable actor, but why focus an entire episode on a character that doesn't have much depth or allure? Is there anyone in the peanut gallery who actually wanted to know more about Jonathan beyond the fact that he was your average high school student that hated himself and everyone else?

My mom (and probably yours as well) always said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, it might be best not to say it." God bless her, but I think that's a bunch of bull. But, knowing how devoted you guys are to this show no matter what crap they try to feed us, it might be in my best interest to keep this review brief. After all, there's only so much whiny ranting and raving one can take unless you agree with the all rants and raves.

I laughed once tonight. When Buffy asks Giles if he has the "Jonathan Swimsuit Calendar", Giles says, "No! (sigh) Yes…". If any of you have ever read my profile, you'll know that I quote from one of my favorite movies, Kicking and Screaming (written and directed by Noah Baumbach). In this film, Otis (played by Carlos Jacott, a guest star on both Buffy and Angel), has trouble admitting to certain quirky things he's done. For instance:

Max: "Otis, is that a pajama top [you're wearing]?"

Otis: "No! (sigh) Yes…"

Max: "Are you wearing mascara?"

Otis: "No!" (sigh) Yes…"

You get the picture, right? See. It only took two examples and five seconds of your time to get my point across. Maybe someone should hire me to write a filler episode.

Only in my wildest dreams…

QUOTE O' THE NIGHT

"Oh. Buck up, you. You kill the best! Go you!" (Anya to Buffy)

THANK THE LORD FOR SPOILERS

·We'll have to wait until the end of the month for a new episode, but it's sure to be sex-alicious. Apparently, everybody's doin' the dirty deed except Giles who's having a mid-life crisis (it's about time!).
·Oz doesn't return in the next episode, but it looks as if he'll be making his appearance in Episode 19.
·The season finale is under tight wraps, but rumors suggest the road leading to season's end will include a showdown between Riley and Angel, one between Adam and the Gang, and the death of one of our favorite goofballs.

[Dalton]

Let the Wild Rumpus Start!
by Jen Sonstein
4/26/2000

Hot damn! Did anyone see last night's Angel ep, "Five By Five"? It left me absolutely breathless. Since this isn't the review for Angel, I won't spend time discussing the details. If you haven't watched the tape yet and can't wait until you get home from work or school, check out Kristen's review for spoilers.

I don't understand spoiler addicts, do you? I appreciate the need for a little tease to the goodies--a "next week on Buffy the Vampire Slayer" type trailer or a synopsis in TV Guide. But, I simply can't relate to the fan who is so anxious to find out how the season will turn out that she subscribes to email lists containing play-by-plays. In most cases, these detailed episode summaries are written by our enviable Canadian counterparts who get to watch the weekly ep before we do (assuming you're American like me). But, don't blame Canada. Blame society.

What kind of society have we become that we can't simply enjoy the thrill that accompanies anticipation? If you know who's standing with a machete behind every naïve college coed or what's going to be on the other side of every closet door, what's the point of watching?

Until last week, I was one in five billion who had not yet seen dead people. For the rare few who are still sticking fingers in their ears when friends discuss the "surprise" ending of The Sixth Sense, I'll keep quiet about the grand finale. Overall the movie left me as cold as Cole's bedroom, but I enjoyed a good anticipatory adrenaline rush now and again during the course of the film.

Similar suspenseful twists and turns crop up on "Where the Wild Things Are." Riley's slow walk to the Lowell House bathroom, his careful inspection of the dripping bathtub, and the eerie carnival music kept me on the edge of my seat. An enthusiast of scary movies (I even saw Final Destination!), I should have known that these were all subtle techniques used by the writer and director to keep me on my toes, but I didn't! Duped again by common horror film fare! It was all a set up for the truly frightening scene in the bathroom where Willow bumps into the drowning ghost. Yeesh! This episode definitely gave me a few creepsters, but like The Sixth Sense, I could see the surprise ending a mile away.

"That very night in Max's room a forest grew and grew and grew until his ceiling hung with vines and walls became the world all around..."Now that scary's out of the way, let's talk about the other s-word. Sex. In this X-rated version of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book, the vine-covered room is Riley's, not Max's. The forest grows all around as he and Buffy "keep it up." Seems now that Riley's off steroids, he's on a new drug--Viagra. Riley may be in his sexual prime, but no man I know in real life or in legend could continue humping and pumping that long. However in a world where you can't get too happy without going vamp and werewolves do it like bunnies under a full moon, nothing is impossible.

"Is every frat house on this campus haunted?" asks Xander. Perhaps, but do all UC-Sunnydale frat parties offer orgasmic walls for entertainment? Where I went to school, we were lucky to get free beer and karaoke. Too bad Willow doesn't get a turn at the wall. Unless things are happening behind closed dormitory doors, Willow's been having one long dry spell since Oz took off to where the wild things go when they can't control their, ahem, animal instincts. Better yet, let Anya palm the wall of wonder. Maybe she'd stop whining already.

Instead, the Gang heads off in search of Giles who will hopefully be able to come up with an explanation for all the mayhem. In one of the most hilarious scenes of the season, the Scoobsters sans Buffy discover Giles crooning "Behind Blue Eyes" in the coffee shop. Is "acoustic rocker" his new job title or is it just a hobby? Is he looking to get some action, too? Has Giles always worn a hoop earring?

After doing some research at the library and meeting with the former director of Lowell House, Giles and the Gang realize that spirits of sexually repressed teens possess the place. It's the teens' bottled energy that's responsible for shifting all the party guests into horny gear and trapping R and B in a hot-n-heavy embrace. Ashes to ashes; lust to lust. All good things must come to an end. And so it goes for Buffy and Riley who are snapped out of their splendor by Xander and Anya just in the nick of time. They were two pokes away from being transported to the Spice Network!

To boink or not to boink, that is the question. Is there too much sex on Buffy? What are your thoughts? "Where the Wild Things Are" may not have been the best episode of the season, but it definitely got my juices flowing after a dry spell filled with reruns and filler. After watching Angel, I was really ready for some action. Bring on May!

SPOILERS

Yeah right! Now wouldn't that be SUPER hypocritical of me? ;-) However I will quote from Sendak again:

"The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind or another his mother called him "Wild Thing!" and Max said, 'I'LL EAT YOU UP!" so he was sent to bed without eating anything."

QUOTABLE QUOTES

It was all about Xander and Anya tonight:

"People are going all Felicity with their hair."

"So this totally adds to my all people are crazy theorem."

"Shut up, you repressed cry babies!"

[Dalton]

Home is Where the Heart Is
by Jen Sonstein
5/3/2000

There's an old adage that I actually find more genuine than cliché. It's a saying I've found myself repeating like a mantra in times of need. I offer it as advice to friends who've been hurt by people they love and by events out of their control.

Time heals all wounds.

Since degrees of pain vary, so does healing time. When you're able to admit you're hurting and embrace it, the wound tends to heal even faster. When you deny it's very existence, the infection only festers.

Take Faith, for instance. Here is a girl who must have been hurt in ways the average person can't even imagine. Her injuries consume her. Until she is able to admit to herself - and others - that demons exist deep down inside her, she cannot begin to undergo the treatment she'll need in order to recover from them. Judging from recent episodes of Angel, it looks as if Faith has finally opened her floodgates and allowed the healing process to begin.

Willow is a horse of a different color. Here is a girl who, despite growing up on top of a Hellmouth, seems to have a led a fairly ordinary existence. (Fine, her mother tried to burn her at the stake, but whose mother hasn't?) When we first met Willow, she was a shy and stuttering computer geek who had a penchant for overalls. Though Willow was timid, especially when it came to showing her true feelings for Xander, she's always demonstrated her sensitivity and her ability to recognize when those around her are suffering. Last season and at the beginning of this season, she demonstrated that she is also capable of embracing her own pain. Willow is someone who wears her heart on her sleeve.

Her heartache was most evident this season, when our favorite redhead headed to UC-Sunnydale. Freshman year at college tends to be a period of upheaval for most people, especially those who move away from home (even if college is only a hop, skip, and a cemetery away). Both Buffy and Will experienced an additional, yet common ordeal: the loss of first love. Buffy lost Angel to L.A. and Willow lost Oz to the chance that a Tibetan monk could cure his werewolf-sickness. This loss sent them both reeling. For both, time stopped when their sorrow began. But, as time went on, their heartache lessened and they both could switch on the light at the end of the tunnel.

While it's difficult to find someone to fill the exact size shoes of the love you lost, it's very possible to find a placeholder. Someone to help you rebound. Someone to make the time pass quickly. For a while, I thought that Riley was just Angel's placeholder. Now, I'm not so sure. Without getting too spoilerish, I'd like to beg your forgiveness as I stop myself from addressing this topic right now. From the look of the trailers, I have a feeling Angel vs. Riley might be the subject of next week's discussion. I'd like to, however, discuss the possibility that Tara is a placeholder. And... the possibility that she's not.

Tonight's episode was not about Willow coming out. In fact, I'd even argue that the lack of steamy Willow/Tara skin scenes had less to do with the censors and more to do with the fact that the writers didn't want to distract us from the true foundation for tonight's episode. The message of "New Moon Rising" is not that women become sexually experimental once they start dabbling in witchcraft; it's that people change. And that change can be okay.

When you've made a positive change in your life, you want to share it with people close to you. This is why Willow finally admits her feelings for Tara to Buffy. It's why Buffy finally decides to tell Riley the details of her past. It's why Oz finally returns home. Only, Oz doesn't find what he expects to. I imagine Oz hoped Willow would wait for him. I'd even go as far as to say he expected her to. The old Willow would have waited. However, she's not the same Willow he knew, loved, and left.

Thought it took a little while for Willow to mourn her loss, she wasn't about to let it fester forever. She allowed herself to heal. Before she knew it, Oz wasn't at the forefront of her mind; Tara was.

Willow and Tara's relationship has moved very slowly; especially on a show that has been so consumed by sex this season. By watching this relationship form, we've been given the opportunity to see how deeply Willow and Tara care for each other. It's allowed us to get used to the idea of Oz being out of Willow's life and Tara being in - in a way that we're not used to seeing on the WB Network. Willow still cares for Oz and probably still loves him. But, just as he's changed in his absence, so has she. He doesn't know her anymore. Tara does.Oddly enough, of all the romantic relationships on the show this season, this is the only one that hasn't been about sex! However, it's the relationship most attacked for it's sexual slant. Unless my eyes deceive me, all we've been witness to is love, tenderness, and all the things you hope for in a truly romantic television couple. Since I'm a sucker for true love, I found myself quietly rooting for Tara. Because at this juncture, Willow choosing Tara seems to be the right decision.

Much like college, season four started out with a series of new beginnings. In my review of the season premiere, "The Freshman", I challenged you to face the change. Some have embraced the changes, while others continue to moan, groan, and yearn for the good old days. I challenge you again. Look back over this past year of Buffy. Like young adults tend to after high school graduation, The Scooby Gang has grown and matured (save for Giles who has reverted). They're different people then they were in high school. But, I'd venture to say they're smarter and funnier. And so is the show.

My vote is for change.

WONDER WHAT'S COMING NEXT?

·Will Graham become a werewolf now that he's been attacked by one? That might make for some interesting Initiative fare?
·What is up with Adam? Why won't he go away? The writers better conclude this whole Adam business in some clever way because he's really annoying the hell out of me! What is he planning? A war of the species? An Armageddon? Is he trying to create a war where he can get his goons to run around collecting parts to add to his mish mash of a body? Do we care?!?

[Dalton]

by Jen Sonstein
5/10/2000

"We don't live in each other's worlds anymore."

In "The Yoko Factor", Buffy sends this message to Angel before they part ways once again. This time, however, the parting is significantly less painful: both for the two involved and also for those of us watching. It's become loud and clear to me (a now reformed Buffy/Angel 'shipper) that the two have lost the intense connection that once kept me riveted to the television. Their interaction in the dorm hallway seemed forced and artificial: like two old friends whose lives have headed in such different directions that they can't even figure out what brought them together in the first place.

Who would have predicted that a die-hard Angel fan would ever vote in favor of his departure? It's as clear as day, though. Angel and Buffy don't belong together anymore. Not now, at least.

Even more painful than Angel heading back to his own turf was the initial interaction between man o' the past and boy o' the moment. Watching Angel and Riley in the ring together made the comparison between Buffy's flames excruciatingly clear. Riley is a big old wuss.

It's not his fault. As far as we know (and we're bound to find out more next week), Riley's just your average, run-of-the-mill soldier boy. Compared to Angel, he's nothing but a toddler dressed as a commando for Halloween. Angel has superior strength and knowledge of things Riley can't even begin to understand. No one even considered placing bets on this showdown, since the odds are so obviously in Angel's favor.

You can't blame Riley for trying. Testosterone goes a long away towards beating the crap out of the "person" who last put his hands down the pants of the girl you love. Riley was under the impression that Angel was returning to Sunnydale for another perfectly blissful roll in the hay with The Slayer. Not the most thought out deduction, but he was probably thinking with the organ most men do in Sunnydale (save for Giles, who tends to think with that organ once or twice a year).

Riley's a child compared to Angel. His immature and annoying responses to everything Angel said only heightened that sentiment for me. How does Buffy stand him? Granted, Riley's a seemingly sweet and harmless guy, but he's still a contender for Yawner of the Year Award. He's just so "blah". He has no depth. If one-dimensional isn't Riley's hyphenated middle name, the writers are having a hard time showing us. He's been making some progress since we first met the doofus last semester, but against Angel, Riley doesn't hold a candle. Up until the final moments of the episode, Riley had "I know you are, but what am I?" written all over his face.

Until he discovers Forrest is dead.

There's something about the extremely monotone, robotic way that Riley says to Buffy, "I have to go now" and the similar way he speaks to Adam before episode's end that makes me think that Spike isn't the only one with a chip in his head. There just might be a reason that Riley is so android-like. He might actually be an android.

This wouldn't be a huge surprise. There's so much we don't know about The Initiative. The Lowell House boys got over vitamin withdrawal way too easily. Speaking of which, their supplier Professor Walsh went off and died without a trace (they didn't even have a memorial service). Furthermore, Graham recovered rather quickly from his werewolf wounds, while Forrest died way too swiftly of his.

I'm giving Joss and Co. exactly two more chances to wrap up this whole Initiative thing, to explain Adam's role in it all, and to convince me that this storyline hasn't been a waste of my year. The only parts of tonight's episode I truly enjoyed were those that returned to the core of Buffy-verse: The Scooby Gang.

The shit finally hit the fan tonight. Buffy's insightful message to Angel could have been spoken to or by anyone in The Gang. Just as Angel is no longer in her world, Buffy's no longer in Willow's World. Giles is no longer in Buffy's World. Willow's no longer in Xander's World. Last week, we discussed one of many recurring themes this season: Change. This week, the tensions from the changes finally exploded.

What happens when people change? They tend to grow apart. Such has been the case for The Scoobies since "The Freshman". Xander points this out to Buffy and Willow in the big confrontation. Willow's completely on the money when she says, "things have been wrong for a while now." We've all noticed it. It's a relief to see them finally come to terms with it as well. It's even more of a relief to see Buffy finally getting what's been coming to her for a long time. It completely sucks when you finally realize your friends aren't there for you to walk all over. But it's a rite of passage we all go through.

In one of his many serenades as of late, Giles crooned the classic Lynyrd Skynyrd hit, "Free Bird". More appropriate for the evening may have been "Free As a Bird", a single off the Beatles Anthology. After the band broke up (Yoko or no Yoko), John Lennon wrote this song, but never released it. Minus John, The Beatles reunited to record it along with the original track by Lennon:

"Whatever happened to the life that we once knew

Can we really live without each other

Where did we lose the touch

That seemed to mean so much

It always made me feel so

Free as a bird."

The life The Scooby Gang once knew is gone. But, the question is: Can they really live without each other?

EXTRAS

·So, you're wondering who this Tony Robbins person is that Spike refers to when speaking to Adam? He's an inspirational speaker who supposedly supplies you with the required resources for mastering life. Check out his web site at www.tonyrobbins.com to find out more on how to change your life! I'm not vouching for him; I'm just passing along the information. So, please, no lawsuits if the motivational tapes don't bring you the happiness you were hoping for.
·I must admit it took me two watchings to truly appreciate Willow’s little drama turn when she said, "You cannot have more catnip. You have a catnip problem!"

[Dalton]

by Jen Sonstein
5/17/2000

Zzzzzzz…Oh, I'm sorry. I must have dozed off. What time is it? Midnight? Shit! Why didn't anyone wake me? Please tell me my tape worked.

The last thing I remember, I was clipping my toenails, the Scoobies were playing with tarot cards, and Riley was performing open chest surgery on himself. I had a wonderful dream during my nap. Buffy kicked Adam's butt, the Initiative was terminated once and for all, and Joss Whedon asked me personally to come join his staff of writers. If only dreams would come true. Sigh.

Okay. I'll stop being so obnoxiously facetious. It's hard when you've just wasted an hour of your time and you have to relive it in an article you know you're going to get lambasted for. Am I sounding too "poor me" right now?

I have one good thing to say about "Primeval". It's over: the episode; the Initiative; the Adam storyline. Luckily, one thing is still left: the season finale. While Joss has admitted to the media that next week's "Restless" will be more of a "coda" - an episode to tie together loose ends - we can hope that it will also satisfy our need to understand why this season progressed as it did. We can also hope for links to next season - tidbits to keep our hungry Buffy cravings satiated over the summer.

To those who will argue that "Primeval" offered the answers to questions we've been asking all season, and thus was necessary, I offer this rebuttal: Should we really be thankful for receiving answers to questions we thought pointless in the first place? Now we know for sure that Maggie Walsh really was a brilliant lunatic with a plan (so what?), Colonel McNamara represented the folly known as the U.S. military (duh!), and Riley can't be blamed for anything he's done this year since he was a victim of behavior modification (still not convinced). Maybe now that he's ripped the chip out, effervescent and animated Riley will emerge. (By the way, did that scene remind anyone else of the equally yucky scene in Total Recall when "Ah-nuld" pulls the tracking unit from his brain through his nose?)

In this case, knowing the answers does nothing for me. There was no "Ah, so that's why they bored the crap out of me all season with this Initiative/Adam plot line" moment for me. The action scenes were average BtVS fare, the special effects were blatantly Matrix rip-offs, and every "poignant" moment came off more contrived than sincere. Could a year full of tension between Willow and Buffy really be resolved with an agreement to share blame and a hug? I'm not convinced. I hope this doesn't mean that all will be fine between the two "best friends" next year. Their relationship has been so much more exciting and authentic this season than ever before.

The worst thing is that Adam barely had a chance once the gang worked their power-of-three-type spell. (By the way, what exactly was Xander's contribution?) What kind of showdown was that? I've seen better action on an episode of Rugrats. Adam is far from the most entertaining version of evil ever to walk the bowels of Sunnydale ("Does anybody else miss the Mayor?").

"There is imperfection everywhere," says the Frankendemon to Riley.

I'd second that emotion and point out the fact that "everywhere" includes Buffy-verse. As eager as I am to praise the writers of the show when I feel their work merits it, I'm also required to criticize when they fail to live up to my high expectations. I'm constantly claiming that this show features some of the best writing on television.

I hate that I'll have to defend this position at the water cooler - especially to those who just tuned in for the first time tonight. The only defense I'll be able to offer is that Joss is on board for next week. Maybe he'll make things all better and restore my faith in Tuesday nights. The last thing I want is another summer of being pissed off about Buffy. Okay, maybe that's the second to last thing I want. The last, last thing I want is for you guys to spend your summer pissed at me.

Let's all cross our fingers and hope that next week will give us something really fun to argue about. Until then...

[Dalton]

by Jen Sonstein
5/24/2000

“I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can play together all night." - cartoon Calvin to his pet tiger, Hobbes.

Dreams do come true. Last week, I closed my eyes and wished upon a star for a climactic finish to what some considered an anti-climactic spring season. When I opened them tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET, they glued themselves to the TV screen and stayed there for an exhilarating hour.

Fortunately, I spoiled myself and indulged in some info about the finale in order to prepare for tonight's events. I knew the general plot line was going to revolve around the Scooby Gang's dreams. Being an amateur dream analyst, I readied myself with my pen and paper poised to take notes on anything that seemed remotely symbolic. You know: nakedness, sex, cats, cowboys, urinals, cheese, baby carriages, unmade beds, scary primal desperately-in-need-of-a-Fashion-Emergency slayers. The usual.

The first go round was a pleasure-filled roller coaster ride. Certain dream imagery was obvious to me. However, it will take me at least five more viewings to identify even half of the obscure references and five more to be adequately equipped to pick them apart with all of you. Since I have a deadline, I've only had time to watch "Restless" twice before writing this. Why don't we begin here and see where our journey takes us? (WARNING: If dream analysis bores you, you might want to scroll down or wait until next week when I'll be providing you all with a season wrap-up. But, if dream analysis bores you, you probably didn't make it to the end of the ep.)

WILLOW

Main Dream Symbols and Meanings

Painting Tara's naked back: While it's usually a happy omen to see a naked body in your dream (especially a female's), dreaming of a close friend's bare back can indicate deception of some sort or a reversal of status.
Miss Kitty: Cats are generally a bad omen indicating treachery.
Being unprepared for drama class: To act in one's dream can mean many things. When accompanied by nervousness or fear, acting or performing may represent the anxiety one may have with the "role" she's playing in life.
Buffy ripping off Willow's "costume" in front of the class: What one wears in a dream is symbolic of the way in which the dreamer thinks the rest of the world views her.

Overarching Dream Theme
"It's all about subterfuge." Willow is very aware and self-conscious of the changes she's made this year. She knows where and with whom she feels most comfortable, but she's afraid of showing her true self to those in her close circle for fear of rejection. To dream of hiding generally means you're thinking about doing something you'll later regret. It also seems that Willow senses Tara is hiding something as well.

Points To Ponder:

· The Greek lettering on Tara's back: What does it mean?
· Willow's book report was on The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. We know Willow's the witch coming out of the "wardrobe", but who's the lion?

XANDER

Main Dream Symbols and Meanings
Joyce getting all sexy: This symbol might not mean Xander's all horny for Buffy's mom. To dream of a friend's parent is to know that you can always count on that friend.
Giles, Spike, and Buffy at the playground: A swing implies that important issues hang in the balance. Don't push too hard. You'd be better to exercise caution. Sand is very clear in it's meaning: Be wary of new acquaintances who might try to exploit you.
"I'm way ahead of you big brother": Again, don't be so quick to assign the obvious meaning to this statement spoken by Buffy. "Brother" can represent anything from a feeling of unity and stability to a sense of competition depending on the relation between the brother and the other person in the dream.
Xander runs and searches only to continuously end up back in the basement: A dream of running suggests you're involved in a situation you'd like to escape.
Xander's father turning into a demon: In the land of dreams and nightmares, fathers represent authority. It's up to the dreamer to figure out the deeper meaning by analyzing his feelings for his father.

Overarching Dream Theme
"It's all about the journey, isn't it?" Xander has been searching for himself all year. He's worked his way through various jobs and still hasn't been able to discover his true calling. He constantly doubts his purpose in the Gang and in life. Xander's dream shows that he's desperately trying to figure out where his journey should take him. He also seems to be struggling with the fact that it may be time to embrace being a man and not a teenager (ice cream truck Xander vs. playground Xander).

Points To Ponder:

.When dream Joyce says to Xander, "Are you sure it isn't comfort?" she doesn't move her lips. ]
·Giles and Anya speak French to Xander. Why only these two? Does Xander find it most difficult to relate to these two people in his life?
·Xander's literally like a kid in a candy store when he discovers Willow and Tara in the back of the ice cream truck.
·As Xander opens the door to Willow and Buffy's dorm room, the poster hanging is NOT the chocolate poster. It seems to read "Murphy's Computer Law".

GILES

Main Dream Symbols and Meanings
Giles hypnotizing Buffy with the pocket watch: There are very little references to the symbolism of hypnotism in dreams, but I imagine it might reference a journey into one's past lives. More interesting, however: a pocket watch is a warning that it's about time you start thinking about your own interests and needs.
Pregnant Olivia and child-like Buffy: For a man to dream of a pregnant woman is a warning against indiscriminate sexual encounters. To dream of being a parent foretells a surprising turn events involving a cause you believed to be lost.
Giles choosing to sing his instructions: To sing instead of talk to others in dreams indicates that you may think they have trouble understanding you.

Overarching Dream Theme
"Don't push me around. You know I have a great deal to do." Giles wants to believe this more than anything, but the truth is he's also spent this year struggling with his purpose and function - especially when it comes to his role in Buffy's life. Giles wants to remain the father figure for Buffy and he yearns to continue as her guide. He worries that she doesn't take her duty seriously and he must make sure she stays on the right path.

Points To Ponder:

·Why is Olivia crying in the crypt?
·Anya's attempt at stand-up comedy. What does this say about the way Giles sees Anya?

BUFFY

Main Dream Symbols and Meanings
Buffy's unmade bed: An unmade bed tells you to expect unexpected visitors.
Buffy thinks she's late: Dreaming of being late is your conscious telling you to refrain from making promises you can't keep.
Joyce living in the wall with mice: Not too surprised to find out that mice in dreams represent discord among family members or close friends.

Overarching Dream Theme
Buffy's dream must be analyzed in an altogether different way. While it's possible that the dreams of the others in the Gang carried some prophetic significance, we can only speculate. Buffy has a history of having prophecy-filled dreams. More than anyone else's dream, we should examine Buffy's dream for glimpses into Season Five.

Prophetic Points To Ponder:

·"Be back before dawn." There has been much discussion about the introduction of a new character next season named Dawn. According to rumors, Joss and Co. have been auditioning young actresses to play the role of "little sis" mentioned previously this season. This statement may by referring to that or may be mocking those who continue to circulate the Dawn Rumor.
· "You think you know what's to come; what you are. You haven't even begun." Tara presents these words both at the beginning and at the end of Buffy's dream.
· Riley and human Adam? Do we even feel like going there?

Before my editor kills me, I must end this introduction abruptly. I only intended this to spark what I imagine will be intense discussion. Before I part, let me leave you with a few more general thoughts to ponder:

1. We know that Tara was the vehicle for the first slayer in Buffy's dream, but was she in all four dreams? Perhaps, she represented something completely different to each dreamer.
2. Willow, Xander, and Giles all had performance anxiety in their dreams. Willow with the play, Xander with the public urination, and Giles singing on stage.
3. The cheese man. In dreams, cheese can represent change. For those of you who actually remember Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, when Willy Loman comes home from his trip, his wife gives him cheese. When Willy realizes it's American and not Swiss, he says to his wife, "I don't want a change! I want Swiss cheese. Why am I always being contradicted?" This could be a reach, but interesting to me nonetheless.

STILL LAUGHING AT:

"Sometimes I think about two women doing spells and then I do a spell by myself." - Xander in Willow's dream

"And Xander help Willow and try not to bleed on my couch, I just had it steam-cleaned." - Giles in song
#nosmileys#nosmileys#nosmileys

[Dalton]

by Jen Sonstein
6/1/2000

For a struggling artist searching for food or rent in the streets of New York City, the answer may be "in daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee", but for a bunch of extraordinary teenagers on the verge of adulthood in Sunnydale, CA, the stakes are a bit higher.

At times, living in New York can seem quite similar to living over a Hellmouth. There are just as many creepsters lurking around Manhattan streets at night as there are in Sunnydale. While these monsters might not literally possess demonic powers, they could just as easily rob, rape, or render me as dead as The Gentlemen could.

Occasionally, to keep of sound mind while carefully traveling from place to place in this big dirty apple, I imagine that I'm The Slayer - fit to conquer all evil that may block my path. I snap out of it when I realize that as The Slayer, my duties transcend my own fears and desires. As The Chosen One, I'm also obligated to save a few defenseless asses every now and then. Who wants that responsibility hanging over your head? Not me! I'd rather leave the slaying to the real Slayer. Let someone else save my defenseless ass.

Buffy Summers was pretty wigged out when she started her first year at UC-Sunnydale. Who could blame her? On top of the normal freshman fears--roommates, cafeteria food, horny frat boys--Buffy had to contend with a recent breakup and the challenge of fitting in her studying between patrols. Looking back at the premiere of season four, "The Freshman" (which I wholeheartedly panned), we see that Joss and Co. was setting Buffy up for a year of many challenges and setting us up for a wild ride.

Some may say this was a season of change.

Willow was the most obvious and most notable changeling with her new hair, new threads, and her new look at life. We would find out later in the season that she also changed that way she looked at love.

Buffy, Xander, and Giles dealt with external, commonplace changes rather than the internal kind Willow grappled with. Buffy felt like a little fish in a big fish bowl; Xander was looking from the outside in, somewhat wishing he could swim with the other fishies. Giles was afraid to feed the fishies because you know what happens when you over feed fish, right?

Some may say this was a season of love.


Reeling over the loss of Angel, Buffy hopped into bed with the first cutie she could get her paws on - Parker. Fortunately, a knight in shining armor named Riley rescued her from the stereotypical, slimy guy and showed her that there was life (and sex) after Angel.

Xander and Willow both found love in unusual and unexpected places.

For the first time since Angelus murdered Jenny Calender, Giles embraced a woman with romantic love and affection.

Even Spike and Harmony seem to be a little bit in vampy love for a while.

Some may say this was a season of confusion.

An ex-demon and a vampire as the newest members of the Scooby Gang?

The Initiative?

Adam?

Need I say more?


Perhaps this was simply a season of transition.

I've experienced two major periods of upheaval in my life so far. One was moving away from both my childhood home and my parental units to go to college in the big city. The second was moving away from the big city to move in with my parental units for a spell after I graduated. The first is obviously more relevant to today's topic of discussion (if you want advice on readjusting to parental control and judgment, feel free to email me).

The 1999 graduating class of Sunnydale High experienced much more closure than I did and the average high school senior does. With their departure, high school vanished--literally. There was nothing to be nostalgic over, even if they wanted to. So, why look back? Unlike the rest of her classmates, Buffy couldn’t escape the memories of growing up on a Hellmouth by going to an east coast party school. She had to stick around in Sunnydale and fight evil while also fighting the freshman fifteen. Plus, for as abnormal as Buffy thought her high school career was, the first year of her college career would prove to be just as abnormal if not more. Vamps became the least of her problems. She found herself more consumed with counseling her best friend, bolstering the confidence of her insecure ex-Watcher, battling UC-Sunnydale's underground ROTC, and falling hard for one of its members.

For Willow, moving on to college provided an opportunity for self-discovery. The girl who traveled through high school constantly in someone's shadow (or not being noticed at all) spent the last year finding herself, experimenting (and not just sexually), and learning to be her own person.

While Xander may have felt like the odd man out this year, he wasn't really. His transition was similar to that of his two close female friends. Like Buffy and Willow choosing a major at college, Xander was just trying to find his place in the universe before choosing his own path.

This year was not only transitional for the characters of Buffy-verse, but also for the writers. While I may have been quick to criticize at times, I'm aware of the challenge that exists when a television show goes through major changes. They had to deal with Angel leaving for his own series (thus disrupting a very popular and successful romantic relationship); Joss splitting his time between the two shows, and convincing a very skeptical and critical fan base that they could succeed. The writers were also presented with the challenge that writers of any successful show must contend with: keeping the show and the characters fresh. In many ways they succeeded (Hush, Restless) and in some ways they failed (anything having to do with Adam). But, one thing is for certain--they kept us on our toes.

"Now it's time to say goodbye to all our company..."

Now it's time for me to thank you: that goes for both my beloved regular posters and the shy lurkers out there. It doesn't matter so much to me that you agree with my analyses (Norm, JD, etc.), just that you take the time to drop by and read 'em. If you're back reading this wrap-up review, then I did my job. Here's to the hope that we both find the motivation to get up off our butts and do something active this summer. (Not that watching TV and surfing the web aren't worthy activities. It's how I make my living, after all.)