Reviewed by Sanguine

"Here we go."

Buffy says those words at the beginning of "Conversations with Dead People," written by Jane Espenson and Drew Goddard. Being sweeps, Buffy's bon mot is applicable to this fine episode, which really kicks the season into high gear.

The primary conceit of the episode--Dawn, Buffy, Willow, Andrew, and a nameless blonde girl, all have conversations with dead people--was deftly executed. The director, Nick Marck (the man behind "Fool for Love") seamlessly wove the various stories together. While the narrative was fractured, one never lost a sense of its primary thread. We move from revelation to revelation, some more startling than others, until the final moments when we must question the veracity of what we've heard, what we've seen before our eyes.

The least interesting, and in some respects most predictable, storyline was Andrew and Jonathan's return from exile. Having been plagued by ominous dreams, the duo returns to Sunnydale, intent on helping the Slayer control the Big Evil. Easily they infiltrate Sunnydale High and hightail it down to a basement location directly beneath the principal's office (more foreshadowing!!). By this time Dead!Warren--last seen in the season opener, "Lessons"--has shown up. He's manipulating Andrew into doing something completely awful. And from what we learned of Andrew's deeply flawed character last season, Warren will have no trouble persuading his minion.

Finding the appropriate spot, Andrew and Jonathan begin to uncover an ominous looking Satanic symbol (complete with goat's head and pentagram!). As soon as their task is almost finished, Jonathan telegraphs his death to the audience. Anyone who's watched a Mutant Enemy show knows that as soon as a character is happy (s)he is dead meat. As soon as Jonathan started his speech about how much he cares about his classmates from high school, I knew the boy was doomed. Even though Jonathan was bullied in high school, he's forgiven his tormentors. The pain of the past has fallen away and Jonathan has found peace, forgiveness, and redemption. Of course, Jonathan must die! Andrew stabs the knife into Jonathan's gut, ending the life of a much beloved character. Our poor Jonathan meets an ignominious end, serving as the virgin (?) blood sacrifice to the glow-y pentagram thing-y. This is definitely not of the good.

The second conversation involves Willow. Trying desperately to return to her Good Student status, our lovable former magic junkie is having a late-night study session in the UC-Sunnydale library. Cassie, the girl who dropped dead a few episodes ago, appears to Willow. Of course, Buffy aficionados know that Amber Benson was supposed to reprise her role as Tara, but Mutant Enemy wasn't able to reach an "agreement" with the actress (i.e., Benson apparently didn't want to pour salt in the wounds of Tara supporters by playing something, um, evil). Anyway, Azure Skye was wonderful as Cassie, confirming her facility with deadpan delivery (no pun intended) and ironic humour. After making Willow believe that she has a direct line to Tara, Cassie drops the bombshell: Willow must stop doing magic. Willow is slightly skeptical. Cassie presses forward, telling Willow that if she doesn't stop she'll kill all her friends. Willow becomes increasingly distraught, revealing that she doesn't know if she can stop. Then Cassie smiles gently and suggests an alternative: suicide. Immediately, Willow knows she's dealing with something evil, something that can't be trusted. The Beastie reveals her true colours: "Fact is, the whole good vs. evil, balancing the scales thing? I'm over it. I'm done with the mortal coil. But believe me . . . I'm going for a big finish." Yikes!

Now, I'd been pretty sure that Malevolent Morphy was the First Evil. And that still may be the case. But wouldn't it be sort of cool if the Big Bad was the Powers That Be? After all, they're responsible for maintaining the balance. They're watching over humanity. What if they're pissed off by those who have subverted their fates?

Who does Morphy torment? Well, Andrew isn't really tormented by Morphy--he's in league with it, so that doesn't count. Willow? She was supposed to be working on the side of good, but look what happened last year: total black hat. Dawn? Supposed to be a key-thingy, put into the form of a sister, guarded by the Slayer, and protected from the hellgoddess, Glory. We know what happened there. Buffy? A Slayer with a penchant for vamp sex who has cheated death twice. And Spike? A soulless vampire who wants a soul? He's the poster child for transgression. Yup, this gang has caused the Powers That Be a lot of grief. And maybe they're paying for it. Or maybe I've gone completely mad!

Unfortunately, Buffy and Dawn don't have Willow's insight--they don't realise that their interlocutors are of the Big Evil variety. In a terrifying sequence of scenes (possessed houses always get to me), a nasty poltergeist torments Dawn with bloody messages, high winds, and freaky images of her dead mother. After an impromptu exorcism and the near-destruction of the Summers' living room, Dawn triumphs. The power of her ear-piercing scream is mighty indeed! Joyce appears, clad in white and all glow-y. She tells her daughter that she loves her and Buffy, but that Buffy "won't be there for you. When it's bad, Buffy won't choose you. She'll be against you." Hmmm. "Yoko Factor," anyone? If this is really the spirit of Joyce then things look pretty bad. If this is Morphy, then he/she/it obviously doesn't want Dawn and Buffy fighting on the same side.

Finally, we come to the two most interesting conversations with dead people. Ironically, one of them was completely without audible dialogue! Only on BTVS.

As usual, Buffy is hunting vamps. And she finds one. And he talks. He's not just an ordinary vampire. He knows Tae Kwon Doe. He went to High School with Buffy (although she's doesn't remember him). He has a name, Holden Webster. And, most dangerous of all, he was a psych major at Dartmouth. If ever someone needed analysis, it's Buffy. So she puts off killing the vamp in exchange for a little free therapy. And the great thing about this session of introspection was that it confirmed many of the things I've been saying about Buffy since last season.

After trying to make Buffy remember him (a fruitless task, because as he points out, she was understandably preoccupied), Holden reveals the wonder of being a fledging: "Feels great. Strong. Like I'm connected to a powerful, all-consuming evil that's going to suck the world into a fiery oblivion." Buffy responds, "Not so much connected." Of course, this has a double meaning, which Holden immediately decodes. She's obviously not connected to the evil, but she's also not connected to anything. Buffy protests, "I'm connected. I'm connected to a lot of people. I really am." Meanwhile, her sister, in serious peril, is trying to reach her on a cell phone and Buffy can't hear the ringing (heavy-handed symbolism at its best). In the season opener Buffy gave her sister a phone--a weapon. Communication and relationships can be a weapon against the forces of darkness. Unfortunately, Buffy is alone and emotionally disconnected.

Holden presses Buffy into further revelations and learns of her complex, tragic history with men. She tells Holden about Spike: "The last guy I was with got really . . . I behaved like a monster. Treated him like . . . And at the same time, I let him completely take me over. Do things to me that . . ." So, our protagonist believes she treated Spike badly. She behaved wrongly towards him. But at the same time she allowed him to consume her, to take her over. She lost her agency. Just as he became her willing slave, she became a slave to her desire for him, a desire born of a nihilistic impulse. Just in case we didn't understand Buffy's sexual guilt, Holden interrupts her speech by smacking her over the head with a statue of the Virgin Mary, paragon of womanly chastity and virtue.

After more fighting, Holden cleverly cajoles Buffy into revealing more about her relationship with Spike, asking if her last boyfriend was a vampire. Buffy tells Holden that Spike, "loved me. In his own sick, soulless way. He really did care for me. But I didn't want to be loved." Why did Buffy reject his love? Because Buffy feels that she has power she doesn't deserve. "I didn't ask for it. I don't deserve it. It's like, I wanted to be punished . . . I feel like I'm worse than anyone. Honestly, I'm beneath them." Now, this is intriguing. We have a Slayer who doesn't feel she deserves the power. She's a killer and, to echo a phrase both Cecily and Buffy applied to Spilliam, she feels like she's beneath everyone (from beneath you it devours?). But like many things on BTVS, it's complicated. Buffy continues, "I feel like I'm not worthy of their love. Because even though they love me, it doesn't mean anything, 'cause their opinions don't matter. They haven't been through what I've been through. They're not the Slayer. I am. Sometimes I feel--this is awful--I feel like I'm better than them. Superior." Yup. Here we have it. Buffy feels guilty about having her power, feels as though all the killing and maiming has sullied her, made her unworthy of love, but at the same time the power she wields has made her feel superior, made her feel as though the opinions of those around her don't matter.

It's about power. Who has it and who knows how to use it.

Holden responds chillingly, "And I thought I was diabolical." Maybe the glow-y Joyce that appeared to Dawn was genuine after all. Maybe Buffy's isolation will lead to her eventual descent into darkness. Holden does not offer Buffy comforting platitudes. Instead he emphasizes her sense of isolation: "It all adds up to you feeling alone," he observes. "But Buffy, everybody feels alone. Everybody is, until you die."

And in some respects, he's right. On the other hand, if Holden is a manifestation of the Big Bad then he's feeding the Slayer's sense of isolation for a purpose. He needs her to be estranged from those who love her when the time comes. Holden then reveals something that Buffy doesn't want to hear. He tells her the name of his sire. And we now reach the final conversation.

In the opening moments of the episode, we see a despairing Spike, drowning his sorrows in liquor. A bit later, a semi-attractive blonde joins him at the bar and slips some cigarettes in front of him (signifier of evil in the Buffyverse). We don't know if Spike partakes of the cigarettes. The next time we see him, he is walking the girl home, smiling, laughing, having a good time, seeming more William than Big Bad. Finally, they reach her apartment building. The blonde invites Spike upstairs, he refuses, then changes into vamp face, viciously killing her, greedily enjoying her blood.

According to Holden, Spike was his sire. Is Holden telling the truth? Has Spike somehow managed to get the chip removed? Is Spike being controlled by some external force? And how will Buffy react to his murderous rampage?

As the dust from Holden's body scatters around the crypt, we see Buffy's stricken face.

Can I spend the night . . .

alone.