Klytaimnestra's Review of "First Date"

by Klytaimnestra

"Why does everyone think I'm still in love with Spike?"

I ran the tape back to make sure I hadn't misheard that.

***

This is the first chance I've had to see it. I have to say that I loved this episode. Everything was right about it - and it made me laugh out loud many times; the first time I've laughed at all at BtVS for a long time. But the comic timing was great, as well as everything else.

I'll divide into characters:

Money:

A character that hasn't been seen for a long time in these parts. Suddenly there's a new microwave? And Giles is buying four bags of clothes (etc) for the new SiT? And there's even an explanation for some of it - Willow bought the new microwave. In answer to our persistent questions about why she never pays rent, I suspect.

Buffy has three costume changes in a day. And some of that stuff was expensive. But we know that's Dawn's college fund, and nothing new.

Giles:

Glad to see him being used for something other than comic relief - but at the same time, comic relief, of course! The first scene was priceless, as was his later admission to Buffy that he made all that stuff up. Buffy's guilty look when she admits that she had Spike's chip taken out - sorry, Dad, I knew you'd be mad ... His concern for Buffy is touching, and what any Dad would feel; why is my beloved daughter insisting on making the dangerous choice, picking the man who's likely to bring her danger, instead of a nice solid insurance salesman?

Despite the wit and humour of this episode, which I loved, Giles is the voice of Calvinist sobriety at the end. LIfe is real. Life is earnest. We're probably all going to die. There's no time for quips and humour and - dating. Which, sadly, reduces the GAnya index to zero. Giles isn't planning on getting laid again until after the Apocalypse.

His concerns about Spike are reasonable. We know the First can trigger him and is waiting for the moment. What moment?

His voice-of-reason persona, and his knowledge of Buffy, mean that we can take his insights into her emotional state as correct. She doesn't have to get physical with Spike to be deeply involved with him; reliant on him and he on her in so many ways that sex is practically irrelevant. I can't help but think his comments are one of the reasons she goes out with Wood.

Chinese SiT:

She's a Chinese Anya. They didn't HAVE to translate everything she said with no contractions.

Xander:

A demon magnet. As usual. Poor man. I rather enjoyed seeing the tied-to-the-wheel-and-stabbed thing played for laughs, and seeing the next ubervamp's arm cut off by the closing seal was pretty funny too.

The Xanya index is pretty high. Not only is Anya still obsessed, but Xander seems to have spent the entire date talking about how he feels about his ex. That he still sees every day. This is not the way to get lucky, my man. I've been on those dates myself, and frankly he's lucky all she did was tie him to a wheel and stab him . Though all I ever wanted to do was submit a bill for counselling at the end of the evening.

The demon girl, being evil, does get to say something true, you notice. So leaving her at the altar was bad - would marrying her when you had doubts have been good?

Andrew:

I nearly fell over laughing in his scenes. Naturally he's an Enterprise fan. And his attempts to trick the First into divulging its hidden weakness - "Kryptonite? Uh, or if we all fell asleep would you like fade away?" - were wonderful. Or his discussion of Buffy's underwear. They really are playing him for a Spike minor, aren't they. Next thing you know he'll have a Buffy shrine up on the fridge.

Toldja he was going to develop a crush on Dawn. Not a serious one, I don't think.

Oliver Wood:

Well, of course he's the son of the New York Slayer. As soon as he said he was the son of the Slayer it all fell into place. So now we're going to have some serious Spike problems. I wonder if Spike's "moment" will be deciding whether or not to let Wood stake him. Naturally Spike will want to let him.

Man, he's hot. Wood I mean. Though they were also playing Spike for maximum hotness. I can't really decide which one of them is hotter in this episode. I may have to rewatch it once or twice, or until the tape melts. ..

Buffy:

Now here's an interesting thing. For me anyway. She looked really hot in this episode too. Gorgeous. Those earrings were perfect. Also the hair, and, I don't know - okay, that lace skirt was pretty silly, and not what I would have worn if I wasn't sure this was a date or not - but she was beautiful. I wonder if we're supposed to be reading this as "ready for love"? Certainly Giles and Willow were.

Buffy however does the right things. Can't blame her for being attracted to Wood, especially once it turns out he's on the right side; he's gorgeous, and smart, and has great lines. ("I'll start the paperwork.") And moves. Of course she's already tried the normal-guy-who's-really-a-demon-hunter and it didn't work last time, but Riley had manhood issues and I don't think Wood does (my clue is the earrings). And she has chemistry with Wood and didn't with Riley. Can't blame her for testing the waters elsewhere, either, if only to prove that Giles is wrong about her feelings for Spike. She's not absolutely sure she doesn't want Wood, either. Well, ambivalence is also okay. Hesitation before commitment; very common. And it seems pretty clear to me that it is "before commitment", not "instead of commitment".

And she finally said what all of us have said for a long time. He can be a good man. Having the chip in is just wrong; it muzzles him, and he'll never be able to prove himself if we don't give him the chance.

Spike:

Spike also read Buffy's gorgeousness as a clue that she's ready for love. Hence the 'honest, I'm fine with it' speech about her date, and the offer to leave town. Sure, he's dangerous; but also, he really doesn't want to watch Buffy move on, and who can blame him?

I'm sorry we don't get to see Spike's spectacular fighting moves. And haven't for awhile. Losing to a chick demon? Seems unlikely to me. (And why, oh, why, does she try to choke him, and why does it work, when he doesn't have to breathe?) But the point was to show Buffy forgetting all about Wood to rush to Spike's defense. Oh, well.

Spuffy:

Written all over this episode.

Buffy ditches her date without a thought to save Spike, and forgets Wood is there while she kneels and holds Spike's hand. Um, I don't think there's much question where her interests really lie. And the couch scene? Spike gives her a choice and she says, in essence, "please don't leave me". And he picked up on it, too, and asks "and the principal?"

To which she has no answer. I think she thinks she hasn't made up her mind. I think that Wood's likely attempt to kill Spike is going to help her figure it out.

Spike's "I'm okay with it" speech? Not really. Willow three times says "we'll call Buffy" and Spike says "I'll go and get her." Translation: "I'll go disrupt her date, I don't want her spending too much time with that wanker, also I want to see how well they're getting on." He was just as obsessed as Anya, just being more quiet about it. (That shirt was a beautiful colour on him, I remark in passing.) I think the "I'm okay with it" speech really meant "you have every right," which she does. He's letting her go; he has no claim.

But the rest of us have all read 'If you love something let it go ...", and Buffy, by the end of the episode, seems to have - nearly - come back. She hasn't utterly renounced interest in Wood; but she asks him in plain English not to leave her. To stay.

Do I think that sex will occur in the next 45 minutes after the episode? No, I don't. She has to commit; he has to resist the First. But I can imagine that it might happen at some point in the not unforeseeable future. And it's been a long time since I could have imagined that.

Final comments:

Are Giles', of course. This is no time for these silly games, and ultimately love and stuff aren't going to matter very much because people are going to be dying. But I was delighted to have a frothy, funny, episode about love and commitment and trust, before the serious carnage (I suspect) begins.

Favourite lines:

"You're a frisky vixen!"

"I'll start the paperwork."

"So how's your date going?"

"I'm not ready for you to not be here."

---

Klytaimnestra