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8.29 Retreat, Part IV Willow: "Buffy, look. We're not even slowing them down." Buffy: "Yeah. I'm starting to think there's a reason no one's written a suspense novel where the conflict is wolves vs. tanks." Synopsis: The Scoobies, slayers and Wiccans try to prepare for war without powers and magic. Apparently, it didn't take months to lose the magic; it's gone already. And as expected, Willow's baby-phoria is gone and she's furious, angry and frustrated with herself for thinking things could be different. She now believes she's destined to be killed by Buffy in the future, after all, and normal life will never be for her. Xander, still able to channel his Halloween soldier persona, gives the slayers training with assault rifles, mortars and grenades. He and Dawn, acting couple-y, consider themselves in charge now, since they know what it's like to cope with being the only two humans among a bunch of superpeople. Buffy consults Andrew about trying to make it look like they still have magicks, in order to throw the enemy off. Andrew asks Buffy if she's okay about seeing Xander and Dawn kissing. Buffy says she's fine with it. Finally, everyone is in camo, suited up and armed, waiting, when radar spots incoming planes and tanks. Monroe shows up with his werewolves, ready to help. (I thought Bayarmaa had killed Monroe. Guess not.) Much fighting. Twilight's army just keeps coming. Buffy asks Xander to launch his secret weapon, which turns out to be a torpedo that they kind of push downhill toward the enemy. Boom. Torpedoes work on land. Who knew. The slayers and Wiccans regroup, and Buffy, Giles and Willow talk tactics. Buffy realizes that the magic has been "redirected," and runs off to find Oz holding Bayarmaa, who is injured. Buffy says that the chants are invocations, and who are they invoking? Bay says, "Wrathful goddesses." Uh oh. Bay says it was in return for protection, which the slayers weren't getting. The fight outside continues as Buffy and Willow do some angry invoking with scrolls. Three immense three-eyed goddesses decorated with skulls suddenly appear on the battlefield. To be continued. Review: More giants? Really? I know this is comic book world, not television world, but more giants? Really? And can I say that seeing everyone wearing uniforms and fighting with guns isn't my thing at all, and that it seems very unBuffyverse-like? "Retreat" has been about not being able to put the genie back in the bottle, you can't go home again, pick your metaphor. There is no retreat from magic and the supernatural. Oz tried, and look what just happened to his honey; it came back and bit him in the end. As was obvious to everyone before this story even began, giving up their power isn't feasible. It wasn't even kosher, since they were unconsciously invoking power goddesses of sorts. And why, oh why, make Xander and Dawn a couple? If it's permanent, though, at least it'll make Xander officially part of the family. And I'm assuming that this time his love object won't die horribly, seeing as it's Buffy's sister... or not? Maybe there's a good side to this romance, after all. Quotes: Buffy: "We have to be ready to fight with every weapon, everything we can throw at them." Willow: "But it seems to me that we don't have the one thing that matters. A chance in Hell." Andrew: "Colored steam! Magickal glints! The heavy odor of dangerous potions!" Wiccan: "More yak hair!" Buffy: (holding her nose) "Lose the heavy odor of dangerous potions." Bay: "But those are just the ancient names for the forces of the earth." Buffy: "Or the earth is just the modern name for the local crazy wrath goddesses." Giles: "Will that work? Going from pulling back to... full-throttle forward?" Buffy: "It does when I punch someone." Eh. On to part five, Billie View all comments or post a comment. |
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