Intervention • S05E18 • TPN's Buffy Guide

[@scottielise]

Something I always found funny and endearing about this episode... Glory is actually bothered by Spike's insults. He calls her the god of bad home perms. She checks her hair. He says she has a lop-sided ass. She looks at her butt. Whether it's a testament to Spike ability read people, or Ben's influence seeping through Glory's confidence, I've always loved that little detail. The monks and knights called her "Beast" and a hundred other names, with no effect, but all Spike had to do was throw shade at her hair. Priceless.

[@rachaelknudsen8801]

He has a way with words, seductive or snarky. He flirts with Buffy from their first meeting. He's rewarded with the flat of a fire axe to the head by her mom. When he negotiates with Buffy to stop the apocalypse, he oozes sex appeal without hitting on her. Their next meeting, when he kidnaps Willow to make him a love potion to get Dru back results in him telling the painful truth, that she and Angel will bever be friends exposes their internal conflict:they can't be intimate without serious and dangerous consequences. Over the course of the show, he tries using force, substitutions, and impersonation to get her to notice him as something other than an annoyance. When he gets the behavior modification chip, it's like he's muzzled, but even a muzzled animal can claw, and he does that for his amusement, as unable to kill, he has precious little other pleasure. But when it comes to giving up Dawn to Glory, he holds his tongue except to elicit Glory's wrath. The kiss Buffy gives him isn't a reward, it's gratitude. It's not just you saved my sister, it's you could have hurt me badly and you let yourself suffer instead.

[@buffythetwinpeaks8951]

"i am not having sex with spike! but i'm starting to think you might be!"

[@JhadeSagrav]

I need to make a meme of that but with Xander as Dolly Parton and Buffy saying, "I am not having sex with Jolene, but I'm starting to think that YOU might be!" 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@justinamerican8200]

"I'm not a monster, you know." "Yes, Spike, you are. You're a vampire. We make monster movies about them." "Well, you got me there."

[@SkarrGaming]

6 months since a Buffy Guide video!

[@strokesian996]

where are you king we miss you 😢

[@justinriley]

After the one-two punch of The Body and Forever, Intervention was like a much needed warm blanket.

[@veronicapomar6010]

I felt the same way when I watched it for the first time.

[@paullaing5921]

I was thinking the same thing while watching this video. I mean, we have season 6 for all the misery.

[@LLLLLL-wp9bz]

❤‍🩹❤‍🩹 Buffybot for this exact reason. A breath of fresh nostalgia for happier Buffy times.

[@melaquablue3249]

"You're covered with sexy wounds". This line is extremely funny, considering Buffy trying and succeeding in imitating the bot. One of my favourite in the show.

[@rachaelknudsen8801]

Here's my take:to Buffy his willingness to sacrifice himself for her sister's safety is sexier than all his flirting and bedroom glances. Thise wounds are sexy because they were received in place of whatever Glory promised him for the information. He let himself be brutalized rather than betray her. That's grown-up sexy. That's sexy that manifests from affection, not lust.

[@jaycievictory8461]

6:40 Having become the Slayer so young, Buffy has an overdeveloped sense of responsibility and a tendency to apologise for things that aren't her fault. Alongside that, the Scoobies do not always apologise or take accountability when they should. (Not to mention telling Buffy that Riley was the best thing ever and she "let him get away". When the narrative didn't earn that assertion.) The combination of these things is how we end up with season 7. I find it heartbreaking and at times infuriating. And it doesn't get resolved. PS That Picard "NO!" was cathartic, thank you 😅

[@HonorWillow]

I hate when the show makes Buffy appear cold or selfish or whatever when she's actually being the mature one! It's so frustrating!

[@seanthomas3091]

If we're being honest, Xander and Willow aren't presented as forever friends. Like if Buffy had 25 seasons, the core Scoobies would drift apart. The others just grew up alienated and lonely and wanted to feel a sense of belonging. Buffy gave them that.

[@jaycievictory8461]

@@seanthomas3091 That's a really interesting point. The first two seasons I feel like they were very much presented as forever friends but, yeah, by the time we get to the last season.... They feel so different and so distant. Which is why the reprisal of "the world is doomed" scene in the series finale doesn't land for me. Because they don't really feel like friends anymore.

[@gudrudru]

I think it shows in the comics.

[@miasma1718]

​@@jaycievictory8461i'd say season 3 also presented them as forever friends, think willow electing to stay in sunnydale to help buffy fight evil instead of going to, say, oxford

[@Ice_Trey87]

That last scene between Buffy and spike is one of those things that was seared into my memory from the original airdate.

[@tontontaik]

Absolutely. Everything about that scene is perfect, and one of the best of the entire show.

[@marnetteryes2613]

A thing I think about a lot, is that as complicated as Spike & Buffy’s relationship is, out of all her on screen love interests Spike seems to have the best relationship with her mom and sister. When Spike keeps Dawn being the key a secret it is in part because he does care about Dawn, he calls her ‘niblet’ and goes with her to commit B&E’s, he and Joyce share a love of TV soaps and she was willing to make him hot coco and listen to his heart break stories.

[@mateo_broadwaylover]

What does “B&E’s” mean?

[@ECPhoenixman]

@@mateo_broadwaylover Breaking & Entering I think.

[@rachaelknudsen8801]

His relationships with Joyce and Dawn give him a reason to be around Buffy, but I don't think he only hangs around for that reason. He regards Joyce as a mother figure and counsels with her. His relationship with Dawn is brotherly, but like a brother who hangs with her when she goes looking to get into trouble and keep her safe at the same time. It's the best.

[@RB-vo4gi]

I always felt like Buffy’s conversation with Giles about Riley and Dawn was more of a reaction to how they confronted her about it. Riley told her that what she was giving him wasn’t enough and when she said “This is my heart and soul/this is the whole package” he said it wasn’t enough. After Joyce died, Dawn told Buffy “Mom died and it’s like you don’t even care.” WE as audience members, know those things not to be true about Buffy, but BUFFY is the kind of person that she takes what other people say about her and assumes them as reality, because she has a power and responsibility to take into account the opinions of the people around her. Which she does, sometimes to her own detriment, but it forces her to take a look at herself and try to become better if it’s something that needs to be done.

[@walttholomew]

"This may be in the top five horniest Buffy episodes ever!" Well, there's another list video that you've got to make.

[@kb22fender]

Nooooo!! I do not want to see the Riley sex face in Where the Wild Things Are again!!!!!!!

[@justinriley]

I think THREE things informed Spike not ratting out Dawn: 1. He knows the Scooby gang would kill him for betraying them assuming Glory didn’t. 2. He knows how importannt Dawn is to Buffy. 3. He wanted to honor Joyce (the only person in Buffy's inner circle who actually liked him) by protecting her baby.

[@justinamerican8200]

I also think he genuinely likes Dawn.

[@helenryan5217]

​@@justinamerican8200 That makes him a better person than me!😁

[@frutrace]

I have always felt that Spike is attempting to model behavior that he thinks would be acceptable to Buffy in an effort to win her. In other words, he's trying to act like what he thinks she wants or needs. He's typically REALLY bad at it, and it comes from a selfish desire, but I appreciate his efforts. He's insightful enough to have realized that protecting Dawn is the most important thing to Buffy and gets major brownie points for taking a beating and saying nothing. I like the juxtaposition of Spike hitting jackpot with his protection of Dawn along side the ickiness of the Buffybot. Genius character development.

[@stephaniebarker472]

I don't think the Scoobies would actually kill Spike if he ratted out Dawn. But he would definitely be (even more) "out of the gang" and be on Buffy's bad side forever.

[@rebbyberard8150]

@@justinamerican8200 I also think he relates to Dawn, since he did almost the same thing with his mom as he helped Dawn do with hers. Knowing how it turned out for him, too, he knew it could go wrong, but I think he just trusted that Joyce was a better mother than his was because he was convinced that what his mom said after being turned was her being honest, not a demon provoking him into killing her. Also if it had somehow gone well, Buffy and Dawn would have been happier and he could have then taken credit

[@PurpleExplosions]

A NEW ONE! I'M SO EXCITED!! No one does these analyses better than you do!

[@melissalang3851]

Agreed!!

[@MrGeekFreek]

Buffy: I know you. You're the first Slayer. First Slayer: This is a form. I am the guide. Buffy: I have a few questions about being the Slayer. What about...love? Not just boyfriend love. First Slayer: You think you're losing your ability to love. Buffy: I didn't say that...Yeah. First Slayer: You're afraid that being the Slayer means losing your humanity. Buffy: Does it? First Slayer: You are full of love. You love with all your soul. It's brighter than the fire. Blinding. That's why you pull away from it. Buffy: I'm full of love? I'm not losing it? First Slayer: Only if you reject it. Love is pain and the Slayer forges strength from pain. Love. Give. Forgive. Risk the pain. It is your nature. Love will bring you to your gift. Buffy: What? Im sorry. I'm just a little confused. I'm full of love, which is nice, and love will lead me to my gift? First Slayer: Yes. Buffy: I'm getting a gift or do you mean that I have a gift to give to someone else? First Slayer: Death is your gift. Buffy: Death... First Slayer: IS your gift. Buffy: Okay. No. Death is not a gift. My mother just died. I know this. If I have to kill demons because it makes the world a better place, then I kill demons. But it's not a gift to anybody. First Slayer: Your question has been answered. *Disappears*

[@vedwalker3974]

Thank you for posting this! We'll need to keep this in mind as this season and arc speed to their emotional conclusion...

[@em8066]

I never thought I would resonate with this conversation, but I'm finding that I do. I'm facing an opportunity to work in emergency medicine, and getting this far took a lot of sacrifice. I want this opportunity with all my being, yet it brought up fears I didn't realize would be so strong. Similar to Buffy's fears. I wish I could write so richly and so simply.

[@folkloreuh]

This doesn’t just make me think of the season finale but the series finale too

[@artman2oo3]

Gosh I wish you did these more often! You said two epic things in this one. One, comparing Spike and the Buffy Bot’s romance to a bad fan fiction… I for realz laughed out loud. SO FREAKIN TRUE. And you pointed out something I’d never considered before… the comparison of the Buffy Bot to what Buffy felt like she was becoming. Well done, man!

[@asthajindal5275]

Coz that means Spike's probably read a lot of bad fan-fiction😂

[@FancyFufflyBunny]

@@asthajindal5275 His favorite show is a soap opera, after all.

[@partycitydumpster]

Intervention is the Buffyest Buffy episode to me. Other top tier episodes feel like a departure in some way, but this one feels like it's soaking in the beauty of the show in general and that is what makes it great.

[@williamllerena132]

It’s a gift every time you release a new video! Thank you for everything you do

[@garnon]

...*is* his gift!

[@greenstone85]

agreed

[@miriam8376]

I do love this episode. Spike is supremely gross here, it's true, and this is the height of his "I don't have a soul, so my relationships will, at best, LOOK like love, but I'm in love with pain, so--" era, but I understand why Whedon and Espenson went this route thematically. In a show that's all about choice, it makes sense that you would need to explore the idea of a being that has no choice, like a robot. Having a destiny doesn't automatically mean Buffy doesn't have a choice, and in S5 specifically, this has very important bearing. When she jumps from that tower, it's not because all slayers are robots that have no choices--it's because Buffy, who happens to be an individual with a destiny, has made a heroic choice of her own volition.

[@jennifermcilwrath]

You can never resist the opportunity for a good Buffy and Angel montage, can you, Ian? 😉

[@spikesecho724]

I love Spike making the Buffybot. Its fascinating as a route he's taking to try to deal with his feelings, or get them out of his system, while respecting Buffys boundaries to stay away from her/leave her alone. And the psychology is interesting, watching the interactions and dialogs Spike would prefer to have with Buffy, devoid of the inherent antagonism they always engage in. And also the fact that Spike wanted her slayer duties/protecting the innocent to still be a part of her.....he could literally choose any way to design this thing (like make her darker or less good) yet keeps Buffy being a paragon of good. He loves that about her, and it's interesting from a soulless being.

[@RedHood1013]

Thank you! While still horrifying, as far as routes Spike could have taken, this is by far one of the least transgressive ones. It's still very, very wrong, but less wrong than other things he could have done.

[@spikesecho724]

@@RedHood1013 Yep, which makes it a fascinating choice for a soulless being!

[@grrrrbabyverygrrr8165]

"Love, give, forgive" - first slayer Buffy does all of this in the last scene. Yes I think this is where she fell for him (subconsciously even) nothing was the same after this. She gives him a kiss She forgives him and the dynamics between them change forever.

[@lovecraftianleviathan8918]

Seriously? If Riley would’ve even considered doing that you guys would’ve had a funny aneurysm.

[@spikesecho724]

@@lovecraftianleviathan8918 Why would we want to know Riley's psyche as a regular human, soul-having protagonist? I think you've missed the point lol

[@lindseystein9676]

It always bothered me that Buffy said Riley left because she shut down. I don’t see it that way. Riley seemed far too codependent on Buffy, no identity of his own and expected Buffy to know exactly what he was feeling and to act accordingly. Had he simply talked with her about how he felt brushed to the side while Buffy was very busy trying to take care of dawn and deal with what her mother was going through, maybe they could have worked it out. But no, he kept his feelings all to himself and went off to get suck jobs.

[@Optimism211]

Honestly, i would have been happy if most of season 4 never happened and with Riley never being introduced to begin with. Such a dry character and the show didn't feel the same until Faith woke up from her coma.

[@speabody]

Not only is he just a naive kid but how many ADULTS do you know that communicate in a forthright and healthy manner? I don't get the dogging on Riley. He's a dude, and a kid. He does seem codependent (first love and all) but Buffy is no bastion of openness. See: TPN's review of Dead Man's Party. Willow *actively asks* Buffy and she says "you wouldn't understand." She throws a hissy fit in When She Was Bad, which puts her friends in danger. She hides the truth about killing Angel until Giles "tricks" it out of her. In each case the truth never comes out of her own volition. In fact in the first two examples it's never addressed. The zombies are defeated, and the classroom scene the morning after smashing the Master's bones are all we hear on the matter. Do we need to mention Season 6? She hides her feelings about resurrection until OMWF forces it out of her. In fact spends the entirety of Season 6 in hiding. Yet again, Buffy does not admit truth, it is forced out in Entropy via Spike's aside. It makes total sense she would keep things close to the vest but it's still hiding. It's understandable for her to be guarded but not him? We all love Buffy but everyone is accountable. She knows she has a habit of isolating herself. That's the impetus for the plot and the season arc, after all. Riley may come off as complain-y when he's insecure about being enough but you can't say he's not honest, possibly too much. But the typical reaction seems to be "your insecurity is not my problem." Can't claim superior empathy and maturity on that one. I do agree with TPN that in Into The Woods the writing lays it on thick about how it's Buffy's fault but it's obvious that neither character is intended to be justified in their feelings. They're each bringing a host of insecurity to the relationship. Adults struggle with this, never mind 20-year olds.

[@lindseystein9676]

@speabody Hey I’m not trying to say they had to sit down together and have a discussion using only “I statements” until they had everything worked out. Even just a mention of feeling left out or telling Buffy that he’s there for her if/when she needs him. A small indication other than pouting, anger or resentment. Maybe I personalize it a bit too much because I went through a very similar situation when I was in high school with my dad in the hospital and I couldn’t imagine having a significant other be resentful that I wasn’t crying on their shoulder regularly.

[@speabody]

​@@lindseystein9676 ​ I appreciate the measured response. I totally failed to address the whole mom angle, which of course I support. It's icky and short-sighted but I just can't roast him. He's a kid and he's experiencing first love-- I so don't expect mature emotional judgment. Buffy's isolation is perfectly sane. She didn't not care, she just didn't have the emotional bandwidth. I'm not mad at him for being self-centered, I pity him for being too stupid (read: ignorant) to be graceful. Your own experience makes complete sense. I am a HUGE fan of boundaries-- maintaining your own and respecting others'. My bias from the other direction is that there is potential for empathy imbalance. Earlier this year I was in a crash with a (former?) friend visiting from out of town. She was in the hospital for 7-8 weeks. Before the crash there were things that needed to be hashed out between us. (We're opposite sex, take a guess what the issue was lol.) Obviously that wasn't the time so I kept my mouth shut. After she went home I checked in about once a week but otherwise needed my own space for a bit. There was a complaint that I did not check on her enough. "I'm blocking you." No contact since. It was a no-brainer to sit on the important thing to give my friend space. But when I needed my own space not only was the same courtesy not extended I was immediately excommunicated. Note: her announcement was made on my birthday, days before the 1-yr anniversary of dad's death. This is what I mean by empathy imbalance. No questions, no awareness. "Why don't you care about what I'm going through?" I was at the hospital all but 3-4 days. In fairness I think genuine empathy is rather uncommon. It's not easy. But that's a whole other topic.

[@MaxDoll]

@@speabody Pretty sure he was a grad student when they met, which makes him in his 20s. What, very little, we know of his family background indicates a happy healthy upbringing. He needed to put on his big-boy pants and communicate.

[@ElforTheLandstander]

This episode is the perfect example of how a charismatic actor can let writers get away with anything. Well, almost anything. So far it's all fun and jokes, but Season 6 is where comedy dies and they finally push Spike to a point of no return. I can't wait to watch your take on that season.

[@Jay-n262]

That ending always stood out to me as well. It's definitely top 5 in the whole series.

[@bottomofastairwell]

everytime i watch one of your breakdowns, i'm reminded about just why i love this damn show so much. it really is an incredible show

[@darkblue9314]

Are you okay? You haven't posted much in a while.

[@em8066]

On the question of Spike's motivation, I largely agree and also appreciate the gray area that is Spike. A psychology podcaster said something like, "Love is right action and right motivation." The good deeds season 5 Spike does are not always from the right motivation, but I think some of them are. Like when he pays his respects after Joyce's death and doesn't want credit. I was hoping you'd comment on Spike's escape scene from Glory's pad, when he is caught at the elevator by her demons and puffs up in preparation to fight to his death - only to collapse in weak relief when Buffy shows up. Showing that he was putting on a good front but he wouldn't have lasted long after the torture and he knew it. Spike has always been reckless with his own life, it was part of the thrill for him before. If he knew he was near death here, then maybe he would have enjoyed a fight to the end, but he didn't have to protect Dawn and Buffy doing it. If he wanted to be self-serving when he realized he was about to die, he could have given them up on the chance Glory would let him live. In this case, I think he was willing to die fighting Glory and keeping Dawn's secret. So his good deed here is real. It isn't about preserving his life (he had better survival odds giving up the secret than enduring torture & fighting), or resisting Glory to preserve the world he enjoys (he'd be dead), or fighting Glory so the Scoobies wouldn't kill him (he'd already be dead). His good deed was about protecting Dawn, protecting Buffy, and perhaps protecting the world, regardless of whether he'd be around to benefit. He's still on the ethics learning curve and while he has more humanity than other vampires, that doesn't make him a saint. But that escape scene made Buffy's appreciation for Spike and that first kiss all the more impactful. All of that said, I do see your point that Spike's motivation may have been self-preservation with a strategy of drawing things out, even enduring torture and fighting a gang of demons, in the hope that Buffy would arrive and take over the fight. But he couldn't be sure Buffy would save him if her whole purpose in going to Glory's place is to stop him from giving up intel. Is it self-preservation again when he tells what he thinks is the Buffybot not to ever tell Glory about Dawn? I don't think so. I agree with your take on the rest of that scene. Well said.

[@helenoloughlin1288]

With regards to Buffy and her Riley lament, I think because a lot of people (women predominantly) from that time period had this constant narrative pushed on them about "keeping your man happy" and being responsible for the emotions of everyone around them it causes this cycle in their psyche of immediately looking for what they did wrong in the relationship, what they could have done different, even when the other party has been objectively awful or done awful things. And Buffy being down on herself is a part of her character, even as she comes into her power she still has to struggle with that inner voice that she's not this or that, not enough, not the best friend, the best daughter, the best sister, the coolest at school. And I think it's link d with the other storyline here. Being chosen took away so many options from her it set the precedent that it narrowed her options automatically and so it makes sense her takeaway from the first slayer is what she does take, not all the other stuff and what that opens up. And as a side note I've always enjoyed Cordelia's hint of glee at telling Angel his hair has always looked like that. Joyous. 10/10. 🏅

[@bottomofastairwell]

i think you're very right. women have long been conditioned to do the emotional labor for others. and then buffy specifically, being the slayer, has had to take on the responsibility of literally the entire world. so she's disproportionately been forced to shoulder some insane responsibility, to the point that i think she's gotten used to taking on the responsibility of things that aren't necessarily her burden to bear, like what happened between her and riley. she's so used to taking on the weight of things that she assumes the relationship falling apart is her responsibility even though it's not

[@ChocolateTeapot93]

I think part of the reason Spike protects Dawn is because he likes her. Spike genuinely likes Dawn and Joyce, they're not just gateways to Buffy. If he'd gotten a soul sooner it could have been a cute little found family dynamic. I think we're supposed to draw parallels between Warren and Spike because they both have robots but all I can see is the stark contrast between how Spike treats the Buffy bot and how Warren treats his robot and then Katrina when he uses the mind control device on her. Despite being a soulless "monster" Spike isn't using the Buffy bot to abuse and degrade Buffy and his fantasies are rooted in the reality of Buffy being the slayer, she's not his maid or servant. It's wrong but I still don't think he's as bad as Warren.

[@JhadeSagrav]

Evil WITH a soul has to be worse than evil without a soul. Can't remember the episode right now, but Buffy does say at one point, "Someone with a SOUL did this?" And she sounds absolutely disgusted, as one would be.

[@melissalang3851]

Ian, I think you really nailed it - Spike is one of the most complex characters on the show, one that never fails to be interesting on every rewatch. The fact that his motivations are multifaceted are part of what make him relatable to me. I appreciate your analysis once again, thank you! Also - please never stop the JLP references. They please me!!!

[@athena450]

I love the way you framed the last scene between Spike and Buffy. I'd only ever considered it through the lens of her kissing him as a "reward", but it had never crossed my mind that she also kisses him because she WANTS to. Not in a "wow, this is actually the perfect man for me, better initiate a relationship" kind of way, but just in the sense that it felt right in the moment and she just did it. That's vulnerability and intimacy, and the privacy of it, not to mention the fact that neither of them tell anyone about it, is kind of the perfect set up for things to come.

[@spikesecho724]

I never saw it as a reward. I've heard lots of people say that/think that, and its so weird to me. She's struck with a feeling of gratitude and organically expressed that gratitude. That's all.

[@naimasophie]

i still see it as a reward. She cannot at this point want to kiss him, he literally just made a robot out of her to fu ck her , who on their right mind would genuinely want to kiss a creepy guy like this???? i love spike but let's not turn Buffy at this point of the show into a dumb naive fangirl

[@noctap0d]

This is one of my favorites. Lore, fun and we dive deeply in the characterization of Buffy and Spike. I simply love it.

[@worldlyconcerns]

One of the things that prompted me to cajole my wife and 18-year-old son (who was watching Buffy for the first time) into a full series rewatch was your wonderful episode reviews. We've completed the rewatch, my son is a convert, and we've now moved on to Angel. Thank you for your great work, please keep it up 😊

[@EricHenning]

Welcome back! Thanks for getting back on the horse. Always love your insights. You’ve inspired me to give a TED-style talk about scriptwriting in “Buffy” for the world’s largest magic school. Yeah, you read that right.

[@The810kid]

Some of the Spike stuff in this episode is pretty gross looking back at it but man does this episode has some of his finest moments. His verbal owning and outsmarting Glory and his confession to Buffy posing as the Buffy bot are moments that shows how great Spike is.

[@bleepbloop101010101]

Whenever someone says Riley should have recognized the body swap, I point to this episode haha. Buffybot is an amazing performance. I once forgot SMG was in S6E1 (aside from the final scene) because her performance was so immersive and completely opposite to Buffy.

[@JhadeSagrav]

* Dramatic flourish * 🫲ACTING!! 🫴 😂

[@hatchetfieldharpie3276]

Ive missed this guide so much! Thank you for keeping it going!

[@Sara_TheFatCultureCritic]

Great work as usual my friend, great to see you back at it.

[@easay1989]

So glad you’re still doing these. You’re videos are my favorite on Buddy on KZbin and I revisit them every couple months. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@RatedRKO269]

I think it’s a big reason why Spike became such a popular and beloved character(my favorite character) - he was a very complex character. He was so unique and different from other vampires we had seen in the show as he seemed like a romantic from the start with Drusila then after that Spike continued to have moments of both good and evil to constantly make us bounce back and forth with whether we agreed with him or liked him at all for that matter.

[@margaridabaptista3712]

7:10 "Both of these sentences feel like gross oversimplifications to me" I kinda think that's the point. While we can argue about what the objective truth of these relationships is, this is what they're feeling like specifically for Buffy. People tend to aggregate and oversimplify their own feelings in order to understand them better. It's the "if you're looking for yellow cars, all you'll see are yellow cars" metaphor. Buffy has been feeling lost and alone, both at large (insert dissertation on her being the slayer and on her various dynamics with her family, her romances, and the scoobies, here) and recently, with the loss of her mother. Her brain will attach to and give more importance to the other recent times she's felt lost and alone, all the other times people have left her (physically or emotionally). And of course she blames herself, not just because that is also a natural and common response in grief and depression, but because of who Buffy is, used to taking on all the responsability herself (insert yet another dissertation on her being the slayer and on her various dynamics with her family, her romances, and the scoobies, here). Of course the hardships of these relationships weren't completely her fault. Of course things are complicated. Even Giles, in this scene, doesn't seem to really agree with her. But this isn't about the truth. It's about what Buffy's feeling.

[@margaridabaptista3712]

Hmm, now I want to write a whole other dissertation on grief and depression and psychology in Buffy, focusing on S5 and S6 🤔😂

[@caseyhart4999]

“It wasn’t one time. It was lots of times. And lots of different ways. I can make sketches.” Gets me every time.

[@smkfet]

Welcome back. We missed you

[@TwoBitSpecialist]

Spike (or Warren) not properly programming Giles' name is still my favorite bit from this episode.

[@susiesnowboards]

“Who having the what with huh?” was always one of my favorite funniest Buffy lines 😂 This is definitely one of those episodes that perfectly juxtaposes the deep layers of being the slayer with the playful humor surfacing with the Scooby gang + Spike. Your analyses are always chef’s kiss! Thank you!

[@peaoui165]

I may or may not have just binged the entire buffy seires you've produced so far. Just FYI, I wish you wouldn't make me cry so much... Now onto the Angel series

[@cry4thelion]

I am always so stoked when you release a new video

[@svschouw]

I love how you always bring such emotion to these analyses while still being super insightful.

[@cindybitter8396]

Thanks for this - gaaaaah I love this episode I understand why Buffy thinks she is responsible for Riley bailing. Both of them avoided the hard conversations, but sometimes forgiving your ex is easier than forgiving yourself. And I know the Buffybot is sad and gross and wrong, but she’s just so hekkin funny. SMG knocked it out of the park. And the season needed some levity.

[@jongon0848]

I don't think Buffy was comparing her relationship with Riley as a whole, to hers with Angel. Rather just the communication aspect, which I do believe has some merrit to it. Especially if u compare how open Buffy was to Angel compared to Riley. Yes, age and context makes a huge difference, but there is still a vast difference once u strip away those factors.

[@ArrowOdenn]

YAY you're back! As much as I love this episode it's kind of spoiled for me by some behind the scenes stuff with JW which I guess this isn't the forum for. But the writing is lovely, the building of Buffy and Spike's relationship is very well-handled, and it shuffles the plot along nicely.

[@Itcouldbebunnies]

Yay, you're back! Love this episode, this season is just *so* good❤

[@lisamac2403]

I’m mad, I had all notifications on and I’m just seeing this. I love your videos!

[@avajanzen5877]

immediately clicked and so ready for this one!!! love this episode!

[@kikkettinacucciola92]

Can't wait to see your review on the next episode. I wish you could be faster in making them, but I love it when I find your guides on my feeds. 🤩

[@mathildeglaser8421]

Thank you for doing a new video… I really enjoy your analysis. I‘m a big fan of Buffy since my youth and the days it was filmed 😅and its great to see that it hadn‘t lost its relevance 🌸

[@everythingOKforever]

So glad the upload button still works! It's great to have you and your extremely interesting Buffy insights back in my life-thank you!

[@mags8422]

I wish that you'd make these episode faster. Haha. But i am SO grateful for anyone that you make. You're awesome Ian! Thank you for another amazing episode!

[@jongon0848]

Wait, what were the horniest episodes of Buffy? 1. Where the Wild Things Are 2. Pretty much any episode from Season 6 3.Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered 4. Intervention 5. Him

[@kristenkeys3273]

Yeah when he said that, I thought the same thing about season 6. I recently saw a little video of “blooper” takes from season 6, and in one clip you can just barely hear SMG say “there’s too much sex on this (inaudible)!” I assume the last word was “show.” 😂

[@SuziQ.]

Did you mean “Him”? I think “Her” was an Angel episode. Something Blue was a horny episode. Dracula was another.

[@hartlj90]

Maybe Bad Eggs too

[@jongon0848]

@@SuziQ. oops my bad. Guess my mind was on autopilot when I wrote that 🙃

[@margaridabaptista3712]

8:00 Aaand now I'm sad... 😢 As always, thank you for the tragic Bangel montage that plays directly to all my feels, man 😭

[@elysesimpson2207]

It’s very much a retelling of the Pygmallion myth - the bot in place of the statue and glory in place of the gods “intervention” it’s a huge turning point in vulnerability for both characters

[@missnaomi613]

Nice to see another fine video from you, sir! I always have to watch these multiple times, to squeeze all the goodies out. Okay, that's worded weirdly. Sorry. There's a lot to unpack, and I really appreciate all of the time and effort you put into each one of these! ❤🙏

[@SuziQ.]

Speaking of time, this one is much shorter than the videos he did prior to the Firefly break. There used to be more goodies to unpack, and this episode (of Buffy) has more nuggets than Ian focused on.

[@missnaomi613]

@@SuziQ. he did mention that he'd go into it more (specifically about things the First Slayer said) in another video. I know how hard it can be to get good content out there when it's not our "real job." I've done a few "Part 1s" instead of doing as complete a job as I'd have preferred, for the sake of being able to upload something. Ian is good at this. I have no doubt it'll be worth the wait.

[@SuziQ.]

@@missnaomi613 , I wonder if KZbin is partially to blame. They have a new CEO who is pushing shorts. There has been some speculation on how that will affect long form creators. Ian mentioned that he hasn’t had much time lately, due to life. I don’t know if he’s aware of the new pressure on long form creators like himself. “zefrank1” did a community post about this problem. Obviously, the episode guide isn’t a “short,” but I did notice that this one is shorter than usual. I’m happy to see him back, and alive, and happy.

[@andrearedmount9905]

I am not hugely bothered by Buffy saying that she was never there for Riley. We as the audience know that that's an over simplification of what actually happened, but I don't think that's how Buffy feels. Between the last conversation that she had with Riley and, more importantly, the anger inducing conversation she had with Xander before she went to go stop Riley in Into the Woods, she as a character feels like she was in the wrong. Of course she's internalized the idea of her her being the major reason for the relationship failing. Her metaphorical heart thinks she took Riley for granted, and her mind and spirit have never even tried to convince her of anything to the contrary. It may not be accurate, but Buffy that's what Buffy feels.

[@jeffbenshetler]

So glad you’re back. I’ve watched 5 seasons of Buffy again with you.

[@AldWitch]

Hooray 🎉🎉🎉🎉a new episode. Some of this episode is BTVS at its best, most mature and complex. So glad you're back.

[@katherinemichelle4613]

I love these videos. Thank you for continuing to upload!

[@achildofthe80s31]

The Buffybot was hilarious. Sarah played it perfectly.

[@thisboyjason]

I love these reviews. I can’t believe we’ve been following you for so many years now 💗

[@yodudeyo100]

This season is so ridiculously goooood! Also, great job! I love your videos soooo much!

[@box5evey]

Always wonderful to see a new episode guide!

[@rataplanrrr]

A new video -excellent! Also, excellent new video!

[@titocantarero1330]

Omg have been waiting for this forever

[@NoeticJuggernaut-mz7wc]

This is also one of my favorite moment's. Thank you for the new episode. Balance in life is key.

[@camilcarol]

This is hands down the best analysis of BTVS! Thank you so much for this!

[@spikesecho724]

One of my fav episodes! Always love Espenson

[@canadiankazz]

This episode has some of my favourite lines in it that I still quote to my Buffy fan friends regularly. "Spike! You're covered in sexy wounds!" As usual, excellent analysis on everything. This episode is really interesting and really important. I don't know if they'd entirely get away with the Buffybot stuff in today's TV. I think twitter/tiktok/tumblr would cancel that fast.

[@rachaelknudsen8801]

Since you've share this, I feel safe asking, how does this quotation figure into normal conversation?

[@canadiankazz]

@@rachaelknudsen8801 Any time we got injured enough to need a band-aid, we used to take a photo add it to our chat and say "I'm covered in sexy wounds!" Also, if our favourite character from whatever show we're watching gets injured and needs tending to by their love interest, (much like Spike was in this episode) those are '"sexy wounds" too. For example, if we're discussing a movie, we might say: "My favourite scene was when (character X) got covered in sexy wounds and had to be taken care of by (character y)"

[@CarloruggeroAnastasio]

OMG IAN I WAS P I N I N G FOR ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR VIDS YESTERDAY I FEEL SO BLESSED NOW

[@CaptainTimeStories]

You can’t help yourself with putting bangel edits into everything😂

[@anatolianarthistorian]

God İ've missed these videos...

[@totallynameless8861]

I think Spike picked up on Drusilla's lack of satisfaction after the torture of Angel in season 2.

[@cedricdallaire3324]

Love the Buffy spike kiss scene to when she looks back and says "I won't forget it. " it will always be engraved in my mind.n

[@LuisPerez-5]

When are you doing these again. Those discussions are way too long to sit through.

[@tobiasrydell7840]

So how’s it going? Miss your videos.

[@mizzymo64]

Got my mug of tea and slice of warm buttered toast and I'm ready to settle in and savour another wonderful episode of TPN's Buffy Guide, AND it's one of my favourite episodes. 🥰

[@laotasurfs1110]

People wanting to believe that Spike letting himself be torured to protect Dawn was proof of him changing to become more selfless are ignoring his actions in half the episode. That's the point, I think. HALF. Spike would commission a sex doll of Buffy, so he could pretend to be with her and have her exactly the way he wants her, AND he'd die to help her. Just like he would've died to protect Drusilla. He worshipped Dru, AND he kidnapped, tortured, and harrassed her to try to win back her affections. Anyway, it was always in him to put someone's needs ahead of his own, but that's because finding some woman and worshipping her is this weird cornerstone of his personality. It meets his higher needs. He finds a woman who would be with the sort of man he wants to be, then tries to win her love as if it would transform him into his ideal self. That's why Spike acted like a different person after he met Dru. *spoilers for the reast of the Buffverse* (An arguement could be made the Spike's love for Buffy was at least partly sparked by her love for Angel and Spike's constant competition with him. If he could get the woman Angel loves to choose himself over Angel he can finally be better than Angel. In Tabula Rasa, a memory wiped Spike jumps to the conclsion that he's a vampire with a soul despite being both soulless and ignorant about vampires. He fell in love with the love of Angel's life, went out and got himself a soul, and then decided he wanted to be the vampire in the Shanshu prophesy. And then he acted like Angel in his spare time, with his own Doyle and everything. Hung out with Angel's friends and won them over.)

[@dragonslayer1]

4:16 the real question. How big is the make spike happy folder?

[@arc7375]

These videos have brought such catharsis to my deeply complicated and troubled life. Thank you.

[@qwertywert42]

gotta love an espenson episode! i adore these videos

[@SamuraiFilms_]

Again another incredibly insightful ep guide. great video!

[@boneappletea3858]

I literally just finished the whole tpn guide up to now. Perfect:')

[@BrightNeonBrilliancy]

Honestly, I like this episode in that it attempted to focus on Buffy's 'hardening' as the slayer, however I do feel like this kinda all becomes moot when, in season 7, she is probably the hardest and least emotional she's ever been, and she willingly accepts that and takes it as a natural progression of her role as slayer/ leader. I loved that Buffy was a vulnerable human as well as the slayer, and after season 5 I hate the way they changed Buffy. This kind of episode would have been great in season 7 if it season 7 wasn't so rushed and busy with potentials.

[@Elen8878]

I watched this episode again recently. And of course, you’ve just increased my love for it 😍

[@danielguilherme2708]

The legend is BACK!!!!

[@neurosophy]

Completely agree about the buffy-as-buffy-bot scene at the end, one of my all-time favorites that still gets me on rewatch.

[@paulieswalnut]

No. Spike didn't know what true selfless love was while still not having a soul. But he DID reach the absolute ceiling of his current potential.

[@creativeannie]

New Subscriber! I really enjoy watching these videos, please continue, could you also please tell me where this footage is from 3:07 I've been trying to find it

[@SkolneyVikings]

Glory and Ben? Is there some sort of connection there?

[@SuziQ.]

Is everyone here very stoned?

[@vanzc7920]

Hi Man! Welcome back. I missed you.

[@ChrisWalkerTalker]

It is one of my absolute faves. As much as I (pardon the choice of words) cringe at all of the bot stuff, the genuine feelings we see from Buffy and Spike at the end break me into pieces

[@mybuffysummers]

When you called them Ruffy I realized the alternative would be Biley and frankly they both check out metaphorically speaking