Another fine episode.  Have to say it was nice not to have a sex scene finally.  (Don't throw tomatoes, please.)  Lots of good plot development.  Lots of conflict between them all.  Overall, I'm happy.

Basically, the vengeance curse was the same as Angel's curse: just a way to cause some turmoil and further character development.  What kind of curse is that anyway?  "From this day forth, you shall not be able to leave this house!"  <Wooshhhh>  "It is done."  Like that was some terrible punishment.  Every single person (with the obvious exception of Clem) was darn good looking.  There was plenty of food and snack treats.  Everyone had their sex buddies with them.  What's to hate?  (Other than the Dawn whining of course.)

I'll take this one character at a time as no one was "wallpaper" in this ep.  (Whoever said that was so right.)

Tara

I am loving this girl more and more by the second.  For someone with such a terrible upbringing, she sure does have a good handle on what's right and what's wrong.  

Her relationship with Buffy is wonderful.  Buffy's been missing a best friend ever since the heroin...I mean magick stuff with Willow.  She and Tara really get along well.  It's nice to see the Buffster smile at just seeing a friendly face.

You have to love how she communicated with Spike.  He was pushing Buffy with the double entendres in public, as usual, and she told him exactly where to stick it.  "Maybe you should put some ice on that."  I think she's channeling me now.

Tara and Willow had a couple scenes together.  That's all I have to say about that.

Wait a minute.  I will mention my favorite where Tara steps in between Anyanka...I mean Anya and Willow.  The "no means no" speech was great.  This girl has some balls.  Gotta love her.  But I never read any spoilers saying she was going to die...RIGHT TabRas'ers!?!!!?  (Bad, bad friends.)

Willow

In this episode, we find out that she has been hiding some magick supplies.  What, was she stashing away?  A bong?  Whatever.  This analogy is so very inappropriate.  Can we drop it already?

Xander

Alright.  We really didn't learn anything about him except he's good with a girlfriend having a panic attack.  Perhaps he should carry some Xanax with him if he really does intend on marrying Anyanka...I mean Anya.

Anyanka...I mean, Anya

Okay.  Now, I assume no one needs any more proof of her Evil ways.  Could she have been more of a bitch?!  She couldn't have cared less about Willow's situation.  She couldn't have given a damn about the dying Richard (was that his name?).  Anya was just worried that she would have to watch him die.  And Xander's injury?  She didn't seem all that concerned except for the fact that it would make her life a little more inconvenient.  After all, a hurt or dead Xander means no Xander sex.

Did anyone notice he was wearing a red shirt?

I'm still saying that Anyanka...er, Anya, is the ultimate double standard.  And I'm sticking to it.

Clem

Skin condition.  Hah!  Funny.

Dawn

I'm glad things turned out the way they did.  If I had to suffer through one more episode of her whining, I was going to offer her some cheese.  But in the end, she actually stops being a teenager, and sits down with Buffy to actually communicate.  Nice.  Now maybe Buffy can be more of what Dawn needs and Dawn can stop blaming Buffy for everything wrong in her life.

You had to feel terrible for her when Anyanka...I mean Anya, was rifling through her personal belongings.  How terrible.  (*coughspikewouldneverdothatcough*)

Spike

Why, in God's name, did Spike bring Clem to that party?  Was he there just for some humour, or were they trying to show Buffy that Demon does not equal Evil?  That was a very strange choice on the part of the writers.  At least Clem didn't try to eat any of the guests.

Had to love Spike's not-so-veiled threats of eating Richard.  That boy was just so out of the loop.  Personally, I would have let him go at it...but then again, that's why *I'm* not a hero and just a geek.

I have to say that I am quite disappointed in Spike.  He did make one comment: "What, are you going to beat me up again?"  However, the fact that she beat the crap out of him, then left him lying there in the alley did not even phase him.  So, either Spike thinks that that behavior is acceptable, or he doesn't think highly enough of himself to expect decent treatment.  Either way, we have a problem here.

I was also disappointed in the lack of scene between Hallie/Cecily and Spike/William.  Oh, COME ON!  It was this girl's fault he ran out into the night and met with the gruesome trio!!  I demand some screen time.  I would LOVE to see how Cecily feels about seeing the changes in her William.  <begin delusion> Okay, he wasn't really *her* William.  He was more like mine. <end delusion>

The S/B Relationship - Buffy

I'm seeing some definite decrease in hostility on Buffy's part.  The words are still there, but the feeling behind them isn't.  I mean, the guy shows up with a demon guest and she pretty much doesn't mind.

However, the same thing that disappointed me about Spike, disappoints me about Buffy as well.  Nothing has been said about the beating.  She blew up and beat the hell out of him.  So, where's the Honeymoon phase?  (I'm gonna make y'all look that one up.  It will be good for you.)  If ME is going to do this 'domestic abuse' plot, they should at least get it right.  She didn't even apologize.  What's up with that?

We DID, however, get a couple scenes with Buffy watching the interaction between Xander and Anyanka...er, Anya.  The concern in her voice over his wounds definitely attracted Buffy's attention.  Perhaps she can learn something from it.  Perhaps not.

Now.  My not-so-insightful insight.  Ex'es.  We're seeing them show up at inopportune moments, aren't we?  Cecily.  Riley.  Sounds to me like ME is trying to create more waves for the intended relationship between them.  My point being...it's going somewhere.  If this was just meant as a metaphor for domestic violence, or to simply show Buffy's detachment to the world and her darkness, why bring in the ex'es?  So, to sum up: ex'es good.  (Yipee!)

Magick

It's becoming quite the character, isn't it?  Willow is trying so hard to stay away from it.  The, Tara uses it and it causes more problems than it solved.  Hmmm.  Interesting.

Favorite line: "You had a cramp in your pants?"

Screen Caps courtesy of Spirit Crow