Same Time, Same Place, Same Last Nerve

by Mary

I don't know what to make of this episode. Some moments usually those involving Anya were so funny that I am still laughing, some were so not funny they bordered on the bizarre. There are things I still don't get in this episode but maybe I will understand later when someone starts a Guide to Insane Spike and Cold Hearted Scoobies Website. Until then, let us attempt to walk through the episode together.

It starts with Buffy, Dawn, and Xander waiting for Willow at the airport. Everyone is nervous about her return after the shenanigans of last year except for Xander, who is sure she is all cured. He has her a welcome sign written in yellow crayon. I am suddenly very worried about this episode. Willow also apparently thinks this is hokey and turns herself invisible to avoid the whole scene.

After the credits, a mummy, zombie looking creature kills a gang member after saying some nutty things. More nutty comments are coming later let me tell you. Then we go to Willow, who seems to not know she is invisible, going to Casa Summers to meet her buds. The time is 10:41 and they do not seem to be there. She quickly goes to the room where Tara was killed and has a sad season 6 flashback. I have had it with these by the way. She then sadly goes and falls asleep on the couch. I contemplate doing the same thing when they show Buffy, Dawn and Xander returning home at 10:41 and not seeing Willow and blah blah blah. You know, it is almost like she is invisible, gone, out of mind, out of sight. You get the idea.

Luckily, things pep up when Willow goes to visit Anya at the remains of the Magic Shop and Anya can thankfully see her. Anya is kind of scared of her at first and then starts seriously telling her off like only she can. I love Anya. However, when Willow seems not to mind any of it, Anya says that is not fun and they talk a bit. Willow seems so sad anyone would want to help her. Anya fills her in on the details of what is up in Sunnydale and Willow then heads out to the high school to find her fellow Scoobies although I would have preferred her to stay and chat more with Anya. It was nice having a Buffy-Xander-Dawn break.

We are then treated to another "she is invisible" sight gag. We see both Willow and then Buffy and Xander finding a skinless body at the High School. They of course do not see each other as Willow is out of mind, out of sight as noted. Buffy and Xander kind of suspect Dark Willow is back in business. We should be so lucky.

Next we get even more sight gags about you know what. Willow is invisible! This time they are all visiting Spike who is wearing his sexy blue shirt and thankfully still has the sexy hair. We see him giving the same speech to only Willow first and then to Buffy and Xander after that. The one with just Willow is far more interesting as she seems to have some empathy for Spike and is all torn up herself. I am glad she is back for many reasons. As to Spike's dialogue, I was able to glean that Buffy left him after the Beneath You cross incident (Grrrr) and that Buffy is glowing for some reason. He then drops odd hints about the witch having the button and then goes off to check for people's hall passes or something, looking good the whole time. Maybe when we were not looking too intently he got hired as the Hall Monitor for the new High School. Stranger things *coughsBuffythecounselorcoughs* have happened.

Thankfully, Willow then goes to visit Anya. These two should have had more scenes together as they have marvelous chemistry. Willow tells her about the body and the both question each other's guilt and it is hilarious. Anya then agrees to help her as long as it is not too difficult or time consuming. They do a spell to find demons, and there are a lot at the high school. Shocking. When it is over, Anya does not want Willow to go as the spell was "a little sexy" and I swear they might be setting up a Willow-Anya ship. I could so support that after this scene let me tell you. But when Anya offers to help with another spell to find Buffy and Xander, Willow says she already tried but something went wrong, the spell said they did not exist. Now before some of you start clapping too hard, I think that this is just setting up future events and something is coming and all of that.

Flash to Dawn, who is now auditioning for the role of Willow in the spin-off by doing computer research on who or what may be doing the killing. She cracks the case, it is that pesky Gnarl doing it. Go Dawn. Thankfully, she does not float a pencil in celebration. Xander has a plan to find that demon, and Buffy insults it in favor of her plan which is follow the blood trail. Then we get a scene with Spike leading Scoobs Inc. to the cave where Gnarl is. I so disliked this scene I can't describe it without bashing bashing bashing Buffy and Xander. Thus, I will just warn you that if you like Spike, watch at your own risk.

At the cave, Gnarl comes out of nowhere and claws Dawn and they have to take her home but Spike is out of there at this point so who cares?? She ends up paralyzed and they call Anya over for vomit watch and, because she is so evil, she quickly comes over to help. However, when they learn that she has seen Willow and knows how to kill Gnarl, Buffy and Xander take her with them, leaving "poseable" Dawn at home alone. Poseable Dawn is very very humorous, as the name suggests.

Now I am just going to focus on Gnarl's torture of Willow for a minute. I do not like it at all. He is all eating her skin and licking her blood and telling her off and stop stop stop torturing Willow! I know she tried to kill Dawn and Buffy but they had it coming. I know she tried to end the world but Farscape has been canceled so there is no real reason to live anyway. We forgive her already please stop this NOW!!!!!

Well, to make a long story short, they listen to me and, following Ms. Owns this Episode Anya's advice, Buffy kills him by poking out his eyes. This scene is pretty cool and Xander is disgusted. Then, back at Casa Summers, Willow and Buffy bond while Willow is using good magic to heal herself. But she does not have enough power so Buffy joins with her to share powers. What any of this means I don't know but it was a nice friendship moment to end the episode that would have been nicer if some folks had been a little more concerned for Spike and Anya who both helped them save the day and did not get much love in return. I want to make a joke but I can't so I will end here, feeling sad and mad about things.

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Mary