Buffy ep by ep; NEVER LEAVE ME-bringers and bombings

[saturn5]

NEVER LEAVE ME

The Good;
Nice humour from Dawn and Andrew, a good fight and our first hints that Principal Wood is more than he seems

The Bad;
When Spike attacks Buffy we see a glimpse of his arm reflected in the mirror as she blocks his blow

Best line;
Dawn (on Buffy's illness keeping her off work) "Her exact words were 'I've got stuff coming out of both ends"

Women good/men bad;

Jeez!;
Spike feeding from the blood filled bag is horrible as is his little girl story. The Turok-Han is one genuinely scary beastie!

Kinky dinky;
Spike (of falling in love with Buffy) "I've had to redefine the words pain and suffering since I feel in love with you". Maybe he could just hire some dominatrix or something? Spike elaborates on his little girl in the coal cellar story implying that she was Dawn's age and that he did more than just kill her and her family, keeping her alive so she cried when he...because it would be no fun if she didn't cry (anyone else glad he didn't finish that story?) Spike implies that Buffy likes men who hurt her, he may be right given her track record. He also postulates that she needs that pain to do her job which is also what the First Slayer stated in Intervention and we will find out more about the Slayer's darkside in 'Get it done'. (Hell hath no fury...?)

Captain Subtext;
Warren asks Andrew to feel him. Andrew like's Patrick Swayze in Ghost. Willow declares "Tool talk not my thing". Xander declares that he'll be 'pumping' Andrew in no time. Note when Buffy and Dawn are fighting the Bringers they use EXACTLY the same fighting move at the same time, again more than sisters?

Guantanamo Bay;
Xander and Anya torture Andrew without remorse.

Scoobies to the ER;

Missing scenes;

Apocalypses; 7,

Wheldon Cliches (with kind permission from Boo)

Scoobies in bondage: Andrew is but he isn't a Scooby yet. Spike is.
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 5
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 4
Oz: 1
Faith: 3
Joyce: 1
Wes: 1
Xander; 2
Dawn; 4
Spike; 2

Scoobies knocked out: Spike by Buffy, Willow and Anya by The Bringers
Buffy: 19
Giles: 12
Cordy: 6
Xander: 15
Will: 9
Jenny: 2
Angel: 6
Oz: 3
Faith: 1
Joyce: 3
Wes: 1
Anya;6
Dawn; 4
Tara; 1
Spike; 1

Kills: presuming that the Bringers are humans score 2 for Buffy. Presumably Xander killed the Bringer attacking Dawn?
Buffy: 117 vamps, 60 demons, 6 monsters, 5 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demon, 1 human/1 god.
Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie
Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans
Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1½ a demon, 1 human
Anya: 1 vamp and 1½ a demon
Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons
Spike; 9 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
Spike; 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: 13 goodbye Quentin Travers, well intentioned but out of touch (which could well be the Watcher motto?)
Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara, Quentin Travers.

Sunnydale deaths;
101

Total number of scoobies: 6,
Xander, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Anya, Spike

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?
Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 2 possible, Dracula+RJ(?)
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

Dawn in peril; 14 yes although she's pretty capable of taking care of herself nowadays

Dawn the bashful virgin; 9

What the fanficcers thought;

Questions and observations;
Anya still pretty bitter at having been stabbed by Buffy in Selfless. When Buffy says that Spike needs blood Willow suggests killing Anya. I guess Triangle didn't resolve everything. Xander comes through as knowledge guy. The Spike/Buffy scene is pivotal, she keeps him around not just because they've fought side by side and she needs him to do her job but because she's seen what he's been through in order to redeem himself. He never hated himself before he had a soul because he didn't understand the value of self-worth. Many think that the central figure of the Buffyverse is Dawn, that at heart it's all about protecting her as the innocent. But in some ways Spike also has that claim, he lost his innocence and now strives to reclaim it which is perhaps the harder path? The Watcher's Council talk of losing their files, taken by Giles or Rutherford Sirk who later turns up working for Wolfram and Hart on Angel? Note even the First Evil can't be bothered to recall Andrew's name!
We have here the end of the Watcher's Council in it's familar form although individual Watchers such as Giles, Robson, Wes' dad etc survive to help Buffy and co in season 8. Note it's the London headquarters that are destroyed, according to Wes in Spin the Bottle the training school is in Hampshire so we should have a new generation ready to take to the field?
Marks out of 10; 8/10, season 7 kicks into high gear

 

[sosa lola]

Andrew is here, and the rest of the cast became Buffy's slaves.




Never Leave Me


Hmm the Summers trashed living room, Buffy's minions are doing their duty of cleaning up without getting paid, with a sexy Xander, who's wearing a sexy tool belt fixing the windows. Who says Xander is not hot? I'm gonna die of the hotness. *drools* *catches self* *shakes self* anyway, Dawn has gone all S2 perspective Xander, who I greatly miss, and points out that Spike has been killing and are they gonna be waiting for him to kill them all? Willow, who has been Buffy's No.1 lapdog since the day Buffy said "Willow, right? Hi, I'm Buffy", says it's not simple.

Anya, the other S2 perspective Xander, looks at currently lifeless S7 Xander asking for help, since Xander has always been part of the "Spike is evil" faction. However, Anya overlooked two important facts: One- Xander is in love with Spike. Two- Xander is Buffy's No.2 lapdog. Just signed up this season. So, Xander completely ignored Anya's vengeance ideas about Spike. Sometimes I wish some of the Spuffy fans who are major anti-Xanders would consider this fact. I've always thought Anya liked Spike. Maybe she's just bitter 'cause Buffy was all about killing her, but when it came to Spike, nooo, it's different.

Hmmm, someone with a leather jackets walks the streets of Sunnydale and we all feel happy 'cause we think it's Spike being a badass, but then everybody feel disappointed and some throw left-overs at the TV once they discovered it's Mr. I-Killed-My-Supposedly-Best-Friend-And-I-Don't-Give-A-Rat's-Ass. (You forgot the And-I'm-Gonna-Steal-A-Lot-Of-Screen-Time-From-More-Important-Characters, too) Hey there, where were you? (Walking my dog, forgot we're recapping today, did I miss tool belt Xander?) Yeah, sorry. (Damn. Shouldn't have made that stop for a dog pee break.)

A very short Spuffy bit, but don't laugh, folks. We're gonna get plenty of that later unfortunately.

Dawn is talking about Buffy vomit which is cute and funny. I love Dawn. Have I mentioned she and Anya are my fave characters now? (You don't like Xander anymore?) No. I don't. Everyone who's Buffy's lapdog I hate. However, when I see his sweet face I can't help but smiling at him and Awwing him, I'm only a weak human, people! Cute men make me swoon!

DAWN
Her exact words were, "I've got stuff coming out of both ends."

*throws Xander at the dumpster* I love you, Dawnie!!!

Buffy is asking for Giles, but I know it's not because she misses him, 'cause Miss Me-Me-Always-About-Me only loves herself and her vampires. And I'm quite curious about Giles 'cause my poor watcher is left with a frightening cliffhanger and I want my Giles alive. (Aren't you being a little harsh on Buffy?) What? That obvious?

Skips the small Spuffy scene, and now Buffy and Willow are talking. Buffy is explaining to Willow the last progressions or lack of about Spike, but Willow excitedly mentions Anya, and I'm assuming she wants some sex. (Uh"¦ she excitedly wants to *kill* Anya) Pfft, in this show when you want someone killed that means you love them. Just look at Spuffy. Now Willow is not into tool-talk, but I'm so into tool belt, get Xander on screen, you idiots!!!

Awww, Willow is concerned about Buffy. (I thought you hated her for lapdogging.) I hate that she blindly agrees with Buffy even though she doesn't seem to agree with her. (That's called being supportive.) There's a line between being supportive and having an opinion. (Which is?) I have no idea, but there is.

Willow finds Andrew is the butcher shop (Uh"¦ you've"¦) I know I did it on purpose. (okay then) Huh, is Willow trying to be scary? She's mostly cute with her threatening. (Maybe that's the point?) Maybe, I just hate when someone goes all "I'm strong, I've got the power, the power, wa wa, it's all about the power." Bo-ring.

*jumps excited* tool-belt! Tool-belt! (A hot man with a black shirt and tool-belt) *pauses DVD* *stares dreamingly* (*joins the dreamy starage*) *After ten hours* I think it's time to un-pause *pouts*

Ooooh Xander being dominant! Tying Andrew in that chair! *slashy vibes* Take him, Xander! Just like you've taken Spike in the basement of sex! Urgh, what is Anya doing here? Get out! Go fetch for Willow! Let the boys play. However, Anya decided to stick around and I don't mind once she throws Andrew's jacket and steps on it.

Oh, oh *moans* are you seeing what I'm seeing? (*already dead*) Xander pulls a chair and sits on it backwards all manly style. *tears off her shirt*

Xander and Anya leave to Dawn's room, glaring, but once they close the door, Xander turns to Anya who starts giggling, and he grins himself.

*smiles fondly* I may not be a Xanya fan, but they're so adorable in this ep. Why should we suffer the boring Spuffy scenes when Xanya is so cute like this?


XANDER
He's primed. I'll be pumping him in no time.


Sigh. Oh, writers. Seeking my approval. I'm not a Xandrew fan though, want me to be your slave? More Spander hints will be good.

A looooong not so important Spuffy scene. And then we get Xandrew, Xander acts like he cares, or maybe just doing his Father of The House duties of house-guesting, and gives Andrew a glass of water. Then Xander, who never speaks of his emotions, starts babbling about the holes in his heart, and like Andrew, I get bored.

*pouts* "¦.. (Now what's wrong?) Xander and Spike"¦ why are they so boring? (All the characters are so boring"¦ except Anya though. Girl rocks.) I don't care about the other characters. I only care about my boys! ("¦. Maybe if they had some Spander"¦) Don't go all sarcastic on me now. I can't take it anymore! (No, no, I'm serious. Maybe if we had some Spander scenes with Xander and Spike fighting over the past stuff, finally getting along, having to bond, that'd have been interesting. Plus they don't act polite around each other, and that's always fun!) *sniff* *tears* Aww you're finally agreeing with me. (Yes, just don't be all mushy about it.)

Anya slaps Xander and I'm actually happy about it. However, his broken-childlike-look breaks my heart and I want to hug him tight. (For other purposes) Of course. Anya's apology is so cute. She herself looks so adorable in this ep. I wish she stayed a brunette with straight hair.

Spike goes all crazy and has the urge to drain Andrew, and I think this was the only moment that made me love Spike in this ep, and then we have another Spander-y moment with Xander telling everybody that it wasn't Spike's fault, and that The First is controlling him with a trigger. You know, Xander has been nice twice to Spike in this ep. *stares at Spike* your turn, pal. Hmm maybe instead of Buffy telling Spike about the trigger, it's Xander who does the job. It's his theory after all.

Demons start attacking the house of Mr. Daddy Xander and Mrs. Mommy Buffy, and lots of fun fighting, with Dawn fighting, and then The Father of The House comes to the rescue.

Sadly, though, The Father and Mother of The House discover that their son William has been kidnapped. After making sure baby Andrew was soundlessly asleep, The Father and Mother of the House come downstairs to check on the rest of the kids. The Mother of The House discovers that she had seen the bringers in Amends.

The Watcher council explodes. Yay.

The First/Buffy makes a Marti Noxon joke about Spike's hotness with his shirt off that kills my mood. I appreciate my men more when no one states their obvious hotness.

8/10 It was more fun to watch than the last ep.

 

[Kanazaka]

I was surprised by what I was surprised by while I re-watched this episode. For example, I was surprised by the appearance of the Bringers and the Willow-Andrew meeting but not by the bombing of the Watcher's Council building. I concur with the bad-assness that is the Turok-Han, and I also liked Willow's empty threats of hurting Andrew :biggrin3:.