Buffy 6.18 FAQ
When was the last time we saw new Buffy?
March 12!
What’s this one called?
“Entropy.”
Who’s responsible?
Teleplay is credited to Drew Greenberg (“Smashed,” “Older and Far Away”).
What does TV Guide say?
“Still smarting from being jilted at the altar by Xander, Anya (Emma Caulfield) seeks advice from Halfrek (Kali Rocha); Buffy tries to bond with Dawn while avoiding Spike; Andrew, Jonathan and Warren experiment with a talisman; Willow asks Tara out for coffee.”
What did Herc say about this one in his Tax Day spoilers?
“It’s an Anya-centric affair as the spurned Magic Box proprietress returns to vengeance demon mode and sets about evening the score with Xander. She gets her vengeance in an unexpected way: by impulsively bedding fellow spurnee Spike – as the Nerds of Doom watch! Buffy and Xander find out. Willow and Tara return to full coupledom. Buffy tells Dawn that Spike has been more than just a friend.”
Did Herc’s sources get it right?
Yep.
The big news?
Xander and Anya also learn of the Spike-Buffy sex.
The less-big news?
Dawn craves full Scooby membership; she asks the slayer to take her on patrol.
Does Buffy agree to this?
Not this week.
What does the Nerds’ Talisman do?
Reveals the location of something, “Raiders”-style.
What kind of advice does Anya get from Halfrek?
Though Anya has her demon powers back, her efforts to inflict pain on Xander produce no result. Halfrek explains that vengeance demons can’t grant their own wishes; they can only grant the vengeance wishes of others. Anya must seek out someone who hates Xander enough to make the wish for her.
Are we sure Anya is back to her demonic state?
Yes. There’s a definitive reveal early on.
Do Spike and Anya do it on the counter of the Magic Box?
The round table where everyone does research. The stage is set when Spike bursts in and announces, “I need a thing.”
A “thing”?
Something to numb his ongoing post-breakup misery. At first he suggests a spell. But Anya has other ideas.
Is Amber Benson’s name in the title credits this week?
No! They go right from Trachtenberg to Marsters!
Any sign of Fantastico?
Nary a dropping.
Does Will go back on the pipe?
Not this week.
What’s good?
There’s a Buffy boyfriend “miscount.” A few endearing words from Spike explaining how “something happened.” And Anya’s seduction.
What’s not so good?
Why stick in a joke if there’s not a decent one available? A lot of watery – and even downright lame – comedy turns up this week. Not for the first time since the departure of Rupert Giles, one gets the idea that series mastermind Joss Whedon was too preoccupied with non-“Buffy” matters to offer useful notes on the week’s teleplay.
How does it end, spoiler-boy?
With the first meaningful Willow-Tara smoochage since the breakup.
Herc’s rating for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” 6.18?
**1/2
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
