Buffy ep by ep; BENEATH YOU - souls and subterranean terror

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saturn5

Scooby
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Sep 13, 2009
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BENEATH YOU

The Good;
All the Spike/Buffy stuff and some nice scenes with Xander and a potential love interest (maybe she wasn't demony enough for him?). Also love Dawn threatening Spike

The Bad;
More dead potentials, ugh! Stupid looking worm, I expected something more Tremors. Also it attacks Nancy in her house but then just goes away? The mad Spike and Buffy scene at the end goes on too long.

Best line;
Spike; "When did your little sister become unbelievably scary?"

Women good/men bad;
Anya still tempting the scorned

Jeez!;
Spike punching Anya isn't nice

Kinky dinky;
Xander lists unwanted pregnancy as one thing Buffy will have to help the high school pupils with. Spike refers to 'Getting it hard and servicing the girl'.
Anya exclaims "Oh penis!"

Captain Subtext;
The little look Spike and Xander give each other when Nancy wonders if any Scoobies haven't slept with one another. Once again virginal Dawn is threatened by a huge phallic symbol. Anya calls her latest dupe 'Honey'.

Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy knows that a bastinado is a hardwood club used to torture prisoners in Turkey. Giles would be proud.

Scoobies to the ER;

Missing scenes;

Apocalypses; 7,

Wheldon Cliches (with kind permission from Boo)

Scoobies in bondage:
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 5
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 4
Oz: 1
Faith: 3
Joyce: 1
Wes: 1
Xander; 2
Dawn; 4

Scoobies knocked out:
Buffy: 19
Giles: 12
Cordy: 6
Xander: 14
Will: 8
Jenny: 2
Angel: 6
Oz: 3
Faith: 1
Joyce: 3
Wes: 1
Anya;5
Dawn; 4
Tara; 1

Kills:
Buffy: 108 vamps, 58 demons, 6 monsters, 3 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demon, 1 human, 1 god.
Cordy: 3 vamps, ½ a demon
Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.
Angel: 3 vamps, 1 demon, 1 human
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie
Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans
Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1½ a demon,
Anya: 1 vamp and 1½ a demon
Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons
Spike; 8 vamps and 6 demons
Buffybot; 2 vamps
Tara; 1 demon
Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon

Scoobies go evil:
Giles: 1
Cordy: 1
Will: 3
Jenny: 1
Angel: 1
Oz: 1
Joyce: 1
Xander: 4
Anya; 1
Dawn; 1
Buffy; 1

Alternate scoobies:
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 1
Will: 5
Jenny: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 2
Joyce: 2
Xander: 4
Tara; 1
Dawn;1
Spike; 1
Anya; 2

Recurring characters killed: 12
Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara

Sunnydale deaths;
94

Total number of scoobies: the Dawnster is finally part of the Scoobies, about time too. Great line when Dawn says assemble the gang and Xander points out that the 3 of them ARE the gang.
Xander, Buffy, Dawn

Xander demon magnet: 5(6?)
Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?

Scoobies shot:
Giles: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 4
Riley; 1
Buffy; 1
Tara; 1

Notches on Scooby bedpost:
Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?
Cordy: 1?
Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 1 possible, Dracula(?)
Angel: 1;Buffy
Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?)
Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca
Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley
Xander: 2; Faith, Anya
Willow: 2;Oz and Tara
Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore
Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya
Anya; 2 Spike and Xander

Spike; good or bad?

Dawn in peril; 11

Dawn the bashful virgin; 9

What the fanficcers thought;

Questions and observations;
Lovely moment with Xander and Buffy in the car when he tells her the SDH kids are lucky to have her. The worm rather reminds me of an old horror film call 'Blood Beach'. Spike has his old hair back, he gradually resembles himself more and more over the season. Love Buffy's Daisy Duke line "Where I go to get my scorn on!" Always thought Nancy was the same girl who was a White-hat in The Wish but she wasn't. Nice pun on 'Beneath You', remember 'Fool for Love'. Spike assumes the same Christ-like pose he showed us in Restless.
Marks out of 10; 7/10
 
The worm was pretty lame. When I first saw this episode I wondered, when I saw the title, if there would be a Fool for Love tie-in. That (Fool for Love) is one of my fave Buffy episodes.
 
thevikingsgirl said:
The worm was pretty lame. When I first saw this episode I wondered, when I saw the title, if there would be a Fool for Love tie-in. That (Fool for Love) is one of my fave Buffy episodes.
Click to expand...

I think that the title is referencing FFL and Spike, as well as the worm and the First.

I'm pretty meh on most of this episode, but the scene in the church at the end is just fantastic. One of the best Spike scenes, it's just... wow. Amazingly acted by both SMG and JM, wonderful words by Joss all adds up to a truly heartbreaking scene.

And after this scene, I don't see how anyone can still say that Spike went to Africa to get his chip out. It's made pretty clear here that his intention was to go and get his soul.
 
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thevikingsgirl
[No message]
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Kitten Poker
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EveryNiteISaveU
The end is one of the best Spike/Buffy scenes of the series IMO
dragx
dragx
[No message]
xaphania said:
I think that the title is referencing FFL and Spike, as well as the worm and the First.

I'm pretty meh on most of this episode, but the scene in the church at the end is just fantastic. One of the best Spike scenes, it's just... wow. Amazingly acted by both SMG and JM, wonderful words by Joss all adds up to a truly heartbreaking scene.

And after this scene, I don't see how anyone can still say that Spike went to Africa to get his chip out. It's made pretty clear here that his intention was to go and get his soul.
Click to expand...

Just realised I mispelled the title, oooppppss!

Yeah, it's a clever play on words because souled Spike is now no longer beneath Buffy, now he's worthy of her love. I think it was deliberately stated in this ep that Spike went to Africa for his soul as many people (myself included) didn't get the fact
 
Now to the second episode. Buffy has slayer dreams, the gang see Spike again, Dawn at her finest moment, and Xander drooling.



Beneath You

Another fine episode, my favorite character in this episode is Dawn. I'm very impressed with how much she had matured, and again I repeat that all teenagers need is someone who treats them like adults. People wonder why Buffy was more mature than Dawn when she was sixteen, I can answer that Buffy was treated like an adult by Giles and the people around her. That was why she appeared mature. Until this season, Buffy had always treated Dawn like a kid, and that had reflected Dawn's actions.

(I hope you're not fooling yourself into thinking you're a psychologist or something.)

*Blush* Shut up.

Okay, who has already gotten sick of the many times "From beneath you it devours" was mentioned? (Raising hand) It just lost its edge, one or two times are enough in my opinion. The redundant repetition of it makes the time when D'haffrin mentions it later in Selfless very lame.

The Buffy/Xander/Dawn scene in the car was adorable. I want more of those in the future! (Enjoy it while it lasts, which is until episode six.) There's only one thing in this scene I didn't like, Buffy and Xander know that Anya is granting the wishes for scorned women on their exes and are not doing anything about it? I wonder sometimes how the Scoobies survived this long.

My favorite moment was when Xander was saying nice stuff about Buffy while she beams like an idiot, Gosh how much he idolizes her! Does she even say good stuff about him? Makes you glad she finally acknowledges his worth in the end and tells him he's her strength, 'cause damn right he is! I wish I had a guy who complements me 24/7 like that! (There, there, honey)

I'm liking the whole idea about Buffy being a counselor. I knew all along, it wasn't because of her skills but because Wood knows she's the slayer.

Giles and Willow in England. Nice scene, I loved Giles' you may not be wanted but you will be needed. Giles is the guy with facts. The world is the most important thing for him, even if it costs one of his kids' life. I remember Joss' idea about Xander being Glory's other half and that Giles would be the one to kill Xander for the world.

Nancy. Did I like her? I found her annoying, she kinda reminded me of Monica from Friends. But who hates Monica? (I do.) *shocked* Really? (All that obsession with cleaning and that dominating of Chandler? Hell yeah!) Uh.. okay, just you then.

The season seven core three Buffy, Xander and Dawn are gathered to help Nancy in her dilemma. "Shall we round up the gang?" "Sure except we are the gang." I must appreciate what's left of Xanpet's wittiness before he turns into the wall (or the corner, he'll be standing there a lot. Awfully quiet.) Right. The quiet corner. That's Xander.

Spike appears! I'm excited! Oh no!! My eyes!! (He does wear an unflattering blue shirt.) Trying to block my vision from the ugly shirt that washes away all the Spike hotness, I realized that Spike came to help. It appears that Buffy knew he was back but didn't tell Xander and Willow"¦ sorry, Dawn about it. Xander looks disappointed and Dawn objects about Buffy shutting them out *again*. Tsk, tsk, Buffy, you should have learned to share from S6, not telling your friends about your problems is wrong!

I kinda feel sad for the Spike/Dawn friendship. I was actually more interested in how Spike will get Dawn to trust him again than his bond with Buffy. Guess friendship is not one of Joss' strongest themes, huh? Especially with a guy and a girl, they either fall in love or not be friends anymore. There's no room for a pure strong friendship, he could have done that with Xander and Willow this season, but nooo, we must have another love ship, because it's very unrealistic not to have one right after the love of your life had died, and you had almost destroyed the world, and you had killed two men, not to mention with you seeking redemption. Sure, something as selfish as rushed unrealistic love life, you must have. It's way more realistic than supporting friends and trying to get people to trust you once again. (Leave that rambling to when Kennedy appears.)

A Spuffy scene, I love it. It's much more real and interesting than the last Spuffy scene in this ep. A boring Xander/Nancy scene. They get attacked, Xander figures it's Anya. I know my boy can be smart.

Buffy/Xander/Spike/Nancy go to see Anya at the Bronze. "Oh, Penis!" Bless you, Anya. You're the only one who can make me laugh this season. I do not care about anything in this scene except:

"Is there anyone here who hasn't slept together?"

Xander and Spike stare at each other.

The logical thing was for Xander and *Buffy* to stare at each other. But since Spander is more realistic than any of the current ships, the writers chose the Spander starage (I think it's logical for Spike to stare at Xander since he had sex with both Buffy and Anya.) How do you explain Xander then? (Dude, the writers just love the Spander fans more than poor old Banders) Are you a Bander? (No.) Then shut your mouth, Bander is a hopeless case. (And Spander isn't?) *hands on ears* lalalala I can't hear you!! (You're an idiot.)

Okay, so Anya is still bitter about the not-wedding, Xander shuts her up saying that she needs to get over it already. Spike goes to the church 'cause vamps just love the church, tells a speech you can hear on Shakespeare's Hamlet or Macbeth. The scene could have been shortened 'cause, man, it was very long. Buffy discovers Spike has a soul, cries, Spike hugs the big cross, and I desperately want to get him away from it while Buffy keeps staring and crying and there's smoke coming out of Spike's skin indicating his burning. Oi, Buffy, go pull him away from the evil cross!!!

9/10
 
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thevikingsgirl
What a fun post to read. The blue shirt. Oh, my eyes! My eyes!
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InsaneMystic
you realize you have an evil alter ego talking ITALIC in between your senetences, right? ;)
Buffy: "Did you enjoy my work at the doublemeat palace?"
Wood: "I'm vegetarian."
*Buffy looks at him, dumbfounded*

I found this line so funny. not because wood was vegetarian.. but because the doublemeat secret is that the "meat process" IS vegetable! haha.
 
The ending scene of this ep is one of my all time favorite Spike moments & one of my favorites for s7. It is just heart wrenching & both Sarah and James did an amazing job playing that scene...the dialouge, Buffy crying...everything is just amazing. I love this ep just because we get this scene at the end.
 
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thevikingsgirl
Heartbreaking scene. The moment when Buffy gets it...great acting on both their parts.
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EveryNiteISaveU
At the very end when he lays on the cross... gets me every time..
Professor Walsh
Professor Walsh
I agree. And I love your sig.
Just a little thing, really, but has anyone else noticed that, with the exception of one little kitten, the dog here is the only animal ever shown in 7years? With the demon population being sp high around Sunnydale, the mortality rate among pets and domestic animals must be very high.
 
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thevikingsgirl
And the poker kittens.
white avenger said:
Just a little thing, really, but has anyone else noticed that, with the exception of one little kitten, the dog here is the only animal ever shown in 7years? With the demon population being sp high around Sunnydale, the mortality rate among pets and domestic animals must be very high.
Click to expand...
Well, we also had Patches the Zombie Cat in "Dead Man's Party". Of course, the "Zombie" part serves to not exactly refute your theory. :lmao:
 
Willow's fish. The dog from Passions. Ms Kitty Fantastiko. The poker kittens. Nancy's dog. Patches the cat from DMP. Tara was going to take Willow horseback riding and was all "horsies!" when the Knights of Byzantine were chasing them. Buffy was going to take Dawn into the pet store. That guy in Nightmares loved his spiders. *shudders*

I felt so bad for Buffy when Spike said, "I guess this would be first contact since you know when (the attempted rape). Up for another round on the balcony?" (which took place when she was severely depressed)

It is interesting that Anya could tell just by looking at Spike that he had a soul. I wonder what it looks like for people with that ability.
 
I just ended watching that episode and I really liked it (the whole Spike leaning over a cross sequence was a very nice touch, thus showing us that his inner suffering is way beyond pain).

One (of the many) things that I like about this show is the music. Most of the songs played are great. In this episode in particular when the German (potential) Slayer is killed we hear the song:

Stillste Stund - Von der Tiefe

An unofficial Remix specially made for the show. Does anyone know where I can find it (this particular remix that is)? I searched youtube and google in general but nothing.
 
Watched this episode today. Love the scene with Buffy and Spike at the end. Both James and Sarah are awesome.
 
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