Buffy 6.9 FAQ
What’s it called?
“Smashed.”
Who’s responsible?
Teleplay is credited to “Queer as Folk” scribe Drew Z. Greenberg.
What does TV Guide say?
“Buffy's rejection of his amorous advances gives Spike (James Marsters) a headache that renews his primal impulses; Willow reverts a former classmate to her old self; Jonathan, Warren and Andrew pull a heist with the help of supercool new weapon. Amy: Elizabeth Ann Allen.”
The big news?
”You came back wrong,” Spike informs Buffy at the end of the third act. Also? ”Smashed” is a cliffhanger! Storylines concerning Buffy, Spike, Willow, Tara, Amy and the Legion of Nerdly Doom all go begging for closure.
Buffy and Spike were all super-kissy at the end of 6.8! Did they have sex right after?
They did not. In the teaser it’s established that they’ve only indulged two kissing sessions total, and Buffy vows in same teaser that her days of playing connect-the-lips with Spike are over.
Does anyone else know about Buffy and Spike and the kissing?
Buffy seems to come close to telling Willow this week, but is distracted by the sudden appearance of a de-ratted Amy.
How long does it take to de-rat Amy?
There’s a new naked witch on Willow’s bed before the opening titles roll.
Any reason Willow chooses this moment to perform the deratment?
She’s lonely and bored with Tara gone, and just kind of remembers she’s powerful enough to do it now.
Does Amy continue to act like a rat when she is a rat no longer?
Nope. She acts, appropriately, like a skittish, disoriented young wiccan.
Any clues that Amy’s mom might be returning too?
None.
Having occupied Willow’s bedroom for so long, is Amy aware of who Willow’s been bunking with?
No. She’s pretty surprised to learn Willow goes for girls now.
Is Amy aware of anything that’s gone on while she’s been roaming her habitrail?
No. In fact, she’s shocked to discover she’s been away for years. To her, it felt like a matter of weeks.
Any reference to that moment in season four when Willow accidentally de-ratted Amy for four seconds?
Nope.
Why is Amy naked when she returns? Wasn’t she wearing clothes the last time Willow de-ratted her?
Hmm. Good question.
Is Amy all mad at Willow for not de-ratting her sooner?
No. All things considered, Amy’s pretty good-natured about the whole thing. She’s even kind of sweet – grateful for Buffy’s small kindnesses, and sorry to hear about Buffy’s mom.
Is Amy a more powerful witch than Willow?
Willow and Amy seem pretty evenly matched – not only in witchy power, but also in temperament, attitude, and the cavalier manner in which they employ the dark arts.
So is there a big battle of the witches pitting Willow against Amy?
Nope. Willow and Amy get along famously.
Does Willow continue to use magic far too freely?
By any measure.
Does Buffy evict Willow for using too much magic?
Not this week. Buffy actually seems cooler about Willow’s magic than any of the other Scoobs.
Do Willow and Amy date?
No. They do head to the Bronze together, but Amy quickly demonstrates a decidedly hetero bent.
Is Tara back this week?
She has a divorced-parent-type lunch with Dawn. When Tara drops Dawn home, Dawn convinces a reluctant Tara to stick around Casa Del Summers until Willow gets back from her outing with Amy.
How do we leave it with Willow and Amy?
After precipitating all manner of (completely reversible) magical mischief at the Bronze, Willow turns to Amy: “I just keep thinking there’s gotta be someplace, like, bigger than this.” Agrees Amy: “Besides, it’s way to early to go home yet!”
What’s the new Nerds of Doom superweapon?
A freeze ray!
Cool! Does it really work?
Like so many of the trio’s efforts, it is less than bug-free.
Does Herc still think the Nerds of Doom are better than the Lone Gunmen?
Ha! Only about a million times! There’s even a scene early on that invites favorable comparisons to a similar early scene in the “Lone Gunman” pilot.
Do the Nerds of Doom team up with Willow, Amy or Spike?
No. Though they do kind of try (with zero success) to recruit Spike when he stops by to consult Warren about the functionality of his brainchip.
Do the Scoobs learn this week that Jonathan, Warren and Andrew’s little World Crime League is behind all the recent mischief?
They do not.
My TiVo says Spike’s chip malfunctions this week. True?
False! Bad TiVo! Bad! Spike’s chip continues in perfect working order. Spike is, however, as confused as TiVo for a bit, since his chip now fails to prevent him from pummeling the slayer.
Whoa! Didn’t Herc say in his infamous July 4 spoilers that Buffy would be possessed by a demon and end up in an asylum in this episode?
He did.
Is Buffy possessed by a demon? Does she end up in an asylum?
To judge from the behavior of Spike’s brainchip, Buffy’s demon nature certainly seems likely – but nothing’s really confirmed this week. As for the asylum business, it seems now that the gang at Mutant Enemy may have long since abandoned this wrinkle (if indeed they ever seriously considered it).
Hey! Wasn’t there some relevant foreshadowing in Buffy’s “Restless” dream?
“We’re not demons,” said dreamBuffy to the Man Who Would Be Adam. “Is that a fact?” TMWWBA asks in reply.
When Spike strikes Buffy, does his chip go off belatedly, as widely reported?
No! If you watch carefully, you can see that Spike is actually faking a headache after he smacks the slayer. But the chip doesn’t actually kick in at all!
What’s great?
Buffy’s taunts to muggers and Spike in the teaser. The three things Willow has to talk to Amy about – and Amy’s catching up on current events generally. The type of cookie Amy does not want. Willow’s post-Tara return to vulnerability. Elizabeth Ann Allen’s perfect wide-eyed performance. Spike’s dealings with – and mockery of – the Nerds of Doom. The Tara-Dawn patch-up. Spike’s amazing news about Buffy. And the episode’s exciting conclusion!
What’s not so great?
Spike’s sudden seeming hatred for Buffy in the final act seems terribly out-of-character – and the fact that it’s just a set-up for a “surprise” reversal doesn’t make its essential artificiality any easier to swallow. But I quibble.
Wait a sec! Episode’s exciting conclusion? Say … do Spike and Buffy finally do it?? (SUPER-SPOILER FOR 6.10 AHEAD!!)
The first thing we learn next week is whether or not there was any between-episode slayer-vampire fornication.
Herc’s rating for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” 6.9?
****
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
You think you know. What’s to come. What you are. You haven’t even begun.
