LOVERS WALK
SEASON 3 EPISODE 8
This episode marks a brief return of a fan favorite character from Season 2, and really shakes up the relationships of some of the characters. We start out at school with Xander and Willow having received their SATs scores. Willow is devastated about her under-performance and Xander tries to cheer her up in a way that's slightly more than friendly, but springs back when Cordy and Oz show up. Cordy actually nailed the SATs, which is a nice little character trait for her. Maybe that whole ditzy valley girl thing is all an act...nah. Buffy soon shows up with a worried look, but upon showing her tests scores, it turns out she did the best of the bunch and could pretty much go to any college she wants to. Cordy makes a comment about Buffy being able to leave for good (she means well...sometimes) and that's a cue for an ironic cut to Spike driving into town at night. He steps out of his car, parodying a similar scene in School Hard, except this time he falls down drunk. And so begins Spike's gradual turn into comic relief.
Spike goes back to the old factory, singing that Sex Pistols cover of Frank Sinatra's My Way, and then trashing the place while cursing Drusilla. Those crazy kids seemed like they were going to make it! Back at school, Xander is trying to convince Cordy to go on a double date with Oz and Willow. In a sweet turn of events, it turns out that Cordy has pictures of her and Xander taped up in her locker. She does have a heart after all! After deciding to go on the date, Xand and Cordy head off to practice and we see Willow and Oz's relationship blossoming when Oz gives her a cute Pez witch toy. The guilt is written all over her face, and she's definitely the bad guy in the situation, but it's hard to not feel for her with those big eyes.
At the library, Giles is stunned to find out about Buffy's good grades, and Buffy gives him a hard time about this retreat he's going on. He apparently packs way too thoroughly; Buffy's sarcasm is really on point here. It's one of my favorite scenes between the two, mostly because their chemistry works so well here. Giles suggests that maybe Buffy could go to college while Faith takes over for awhile, to Buffy's pleasant surprise; though she still is hesitant to leave because of Angel. Meanwhile, Spike watches Angel from the shadows until he leaves into another room. Then Spike drunkenly trips and knocks himself out, awakening to the sun in the morning. He then amusingly is caught on fire and runs to put it out. Interesting how sun only singes Spike a little when it would totally disintegrate any other vamp. So, pissed off, he heads to a magic shop to look for a curse for Angel. But then Willow shows up for a de-lusting spell for her and Xander, and Spike gets the good idea to kidnap Will instead.
At the Mayor's office, he talks with the deputy about Spike and how he can't be allowed to interfere with the events this year. Sounds foreboding, surely we won't see this come back later... The Mayor says to send a "committee" to "take care" of Spike, which can't be good. At Angel's, Buffy talks to him about going to college. Angel seems pretty much back to normal now; I remembered it being a more sudden shift from animal to regular Angel, but it's actually pretty well-paced. He also suggests that she should go, which kind of hurts her feelings, because she clearly wanted him to say "no, don't go". Then she gives him the brush-off. Buffy, you sly dog!
But soon we find out that Joyce has let Spike in and is making him tea while he blathers on about Dru. It's actually kind of a sweet relationship that the two have, even though Spike's clearly playing with her here, we do find out later that he does kind of respect her as a mother-like figure. Angel, making his stalkery stroll by Buffy's house, notices Spike talking to Joyce and rushes over to intervene, but can't get in (due to that uninvitation spell from Season 2). Joyce is scared of Angel, but luckily Buffy arrives and subdues Spike, letting Angel in. He explains the spell situation and that if Willow does the love spell, he'll let the two go, to which Buffy replies that he's not famous for keeping his promises. Actually...this is pretty wrong. The two times he has made a deal (with Ford to make him a vamp in Lie to Me, and to protect Giles in Becoming Part 2) he kept his end of the bargain both times. He seems like a vamp of his word, really. But he won't divulge where they are, so Buffy and Angel are forced to tag along with him.
On the way to the retreat, Oz smells Willow as part of his werewolf thing, which Cordy finds creepy. Creepy yes, but effective. Spike mentions to Buff and Angel that he needs more supplies so they head back to the magic shop and gather the ingredients. Buffy and Angel pretty much browbeat him into a breakdown and he eventually pulls out this really great speech about how Buffy and Angel will never be friends, obviously using his relationship with Dru to fuel things. It's a really well-written speech and says a lot about the awkward friendship that Buffy and Angel have found themselves in.
Meanwhile, Willow tries to break out of the factory when Xander finally comes too. He would definitely have brain damage after being knocked out that long. They sort of thing they're going to die, so decide to just go ahead and make out. It's sort of a nice mirror to Xander and Cordy being trapped in Buffy's basement during their big kiss, except this one is more bittersweet than funny, because Cordy and Oz find them at the worst possible time. Cordy runs but the stairs give away and she falls through, impaling herself on a bar. Xander climbs down to check on her while Oz goes to get help.
At the factory, Cordy breathes a dying gasp and then we cut to a funeral as Buffy and Willow walk by talking about how Cordy's going to be fine. That's a pretty cheap shot, but it's admittedly pretty funny. Xander goes to the hospital to talk to Cordy, but she basically shuns him and tells him to get away from her. It's not hard to see why she reacts this way and Oz doesn't. Cordy is not used to putting herself out there relationship wise, so she's obviously devastated by this. Later on, Buffy heads to Angel's to put an end to things. She says the two can never be friends and he doesn't need her anymore, so she's staying out of his life unless he can say that he doesn't love her. Obviously he does, so she leaves, fearful of making the same mistake that made him evil in the first place. Things end on a very somber note with everyone really depressed...except Spike, who drives out of Sunnydale singing My Way, but this time full of confidence and Sid Vicious attitude.
This is one of the few episodes that is way better than I remember it being. It's funny, well-written, and shakes up the status quo for pretty much everyone at some point or another. It's also a good reminder to how much of a hole Spike fills on the show, though sadly he won't be back again until Season 4. The only downside to this episode is that Giles only gets one scene, but the rest is so well-done that it's hard to not say that this is one of the better episodes of Season 3.
****1/2
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