<Episode 88: Into the Woods>

Riley & Buffy break up.

Plot Highlights:

Joyce comes through her operation. Riley & Buffy spent a romantic evening at home. Spike conducts Buffy to Riley's vamp nest. The gang ponders chicken feet. Buffy torches the vamp nest. Riley "stakes" Spike. Riley & Buffy talk. Buffy wastes a vamp gang. Xander lectures Buffy. Buffy's too late to stop Riley's flight.

Quick Review:

Okay, so the run-Buffy-run ending of this ep was a little on the cheesy melodrama side, but the rest was solid dark, ironic angst. Even if watching Buffy's world crumble (*again*?) is getting to be a bit much for you, the episode is eminantly worth watching if only for the amazingly captivating scene between Riley & Spike. Xander also does us all proud, with actual insight and eloquence to share with Buffy and Anya. How much you like this ep is going to depend heavily on how much you like Riley to begin with and how much sympathy you can drum up for him in his present situation...

Memorable Moments:

• Buffy chatting with her recovering post-op mom about wigs and demonstrating how much she takes Riley for granted.
• The look on Spike's face when he turns around to let Buffy change for their midnight field-trip.
• Buffy wading through the dingy vamp lair & finding Riley.
• Riley getting a job offer, in case civilian life isn't working out for him.
• Anya's chicken-feet marketing ideas and her argument with Willow (foreshadowing the full-on battle next week's ep brings)
• Riley staking Spike with plastic & their subsequent bitter bonding-over-Buffy-troubles session.
• Riley trying to explain himself to Buffy, and when it doesn't go well, finally revealing that he's leaving.
• Xander challenging Buffy over her treatment of Riley.
• Xander declaring himself to Anya.

Download from http://www.studiesinwords.de/88intothewoods.html
Transcribed by Joan the English Chick (pisces@englishchick.com).
(If the link above doesn't work, try looking here, under multimedia.)