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4.3 The Harsh Light of Day Buffy: "So what I'm wondering is, does this always happen? Sleep with a guy and he goes all evil?" For a beautiful, charming superheroine, Buffy doesn't have a lot of luck with guys, does she? It was inevitable, though; you walk around looking vulnerable, and some jerk will zero in -- it never fails. To make it even more interesting, we have three characters moving on to a second lover, and none of them seem to be doing very well at all. Parker, my new candidate for a Spike Happy Meal, was manipulative and shallow and out to get laid; he gave Buffy another good reason to think guys and sex weren't worth the trouble. (I liked the part at the beginning where Buffy was watching Parker's reflection, not Parker. Interesting upfront symbolism there.) Anya seduced Xander, and neither of them showed any sign of enjoying the experience. And Spike moved on to Harmony, a match that just grated on me; I was certain he'd lose his temper and kill her before the end of the episode, and he almost did. When you consider what happened to Giles, too, Willow really won the sex sweepstakes on this show, didn't she? All in all, though, I think it was an excellent plot move to have Buffy have sex with someone other than Angel right off the bat, pun intended -- and having it turn out to be such a lousy experience just made us empathize with her and want her to have a good experience. It deflected us from possibly being mad at her for being "unfaithful" to Angel. Spike actually made me uncomfortable. I'm used to liking Spike, so I couldn't figure out why at first, but then it came to me. One of the things that makes Spike so appealing is his love for Drusilla; without her, he seemed a lot harder and nastier. I guess that was understandable if she left him for a fungus demon, though. I thought right from the beginning that the gem should go to Angel, and it was logical that Buffy would feel the same way. More about this in my "Angel" installment. Bits of stuff: -- Why wasn't James Marsters listed in the guest cast? Must be a contractual hiccup or something. -- So the Bronze is now walking distance to Buffy's dorm? You know, I need to just suspend belief here instead of trying to figure out the geography of Sunnydale in a logical way. -- The Buffy/Spike scenes were really interesting, especially when they were teasing each other about their romantic choices. The two of them have an odd chemistry. -- I really liked that they had Anya mentioning condoms. This is a show that is watched by a lot of teens, and especially teenage girls. Plus we had Xander, Buffy, and Anya not really enjoying it all that much, another positive message. Not that I think teens should think sex is bad; they just need to be encouraged to think about the consequences, and about what they really want. -- Loved Xander squeezing the drink. -- Why do subordinate vamps always stay in vamp face while the main vamps keep looking human? -- That bite on Buffy's shoulder is going to be a pain for the makeup department. -- In this week's hair report, Anya went darker and longer. Quotes: Willow: "Harmony, hey. I haven't seen you since..." Harmony: "Since graduation. Big snake, huh?" Anya: "I can't stop thinking about you. Sometimes in my dreams, you're all naked." Xander: "Really? You know if I'm in the checkout line at the Wal-Mart, I've had the same one." Buffy: "Harmony, a vampire? She must be dying without a reflection." Spike: "He's got, what's the word? Vulnerability." Buffy: "And you with Harmony. What'd you do? Lose a bet?" Buffy: "What's the matter, Spike? Dru dump you again?" Spike: "Maybe I left her." Harmony: "She left him for a fungus demon. That's all he talks about most days." Harmony: "Is Antonio Banderas a vampire?" Spike: "No." Harmony: "Can I make him a vampire?" Spike: "No. (pause) On second thought, yes. Go do that. Take your time. Do Melanie and the kids as well." Xander: "So, the crux of this plan is..." Anya: "Sexual intercourse. I've said it, like, a dozen times." Xander: "Uh, huh. Just working through a little hysterical deafness here." Anya: "I like you. You're funny, and you're nicely shaped. And frankly, it's ludicrous to have these interlocking bodies and not... interlock. Please remove your clothing now." Xander: "And the amazing thing? Still more romantic than Faith." Spike: "I've got to get back to work." Harmony: "You love that tunnel more than me." Spike: "I love syphilis more than you." Oz to Giles: "Okay, either I'm borrowing all your albums or I'm moving in." Spike: "Birds singing, squirrels making lots of rotten little squirrels. Sun beaming down in a nice, non-fatal way. It's very exciting. I can't wait to see if I freckle." Let's go with a three. This was a very good episode, Billie |
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