Willow and Tara’s close relationship encounters a hitch as Oz arrives back in Sunnydale. Oz tells Willow he’s cured himself of his wolfish ways, which is what Willow has always wanted. Later, Oz runs into Tara, and sensing Willow’s scent all over Tara, draws the logical conclusion. He gets upset and wolfs out, chasing Tara, who’s saved by Riley and the Initiative. They take Oz to Initiative HQ and then experiment on the poor lad, even when he returns to human form. By the time the gang break in to the Initiative, Riley has already been made prisoner for trying to set Oz free. Buffy holds Colonel McNamara hostage, saving both Riley and Oz. Willow and Oz realize that they can’t be together right now, as Willow is the one thing that can set off the wolf in Oz. Willow reveals that she is, however, happy, and Oz leaves again. Willow goes to Tara, and when Tara tells her she should be with the one she loves, Willow replies, “I am.”
| Airdate: | 2 May 2000 |
| Writer: | Marti Noxon |
| Director: | James A. Contner |
| Cast: |
Spike: "You might want to watch that, Rupert. Someone dangerous could get in."
Buffy: "Or, someone formerly dangerous and currently annoying."
Behind the Scenes Trivia
Amber defends herself
After the episode New Moon Rising aired in America, some fans where extremely pissed off that Willow chose Tara over Oz. They were unkind towards Tara, and especially towards her weight. Amber Benson was naturally upset about this and bravely went online on May 4th, 2000 with the following message:
“I’ve been thinking a lot about what people said about Tara on the internet after the last episode aired. At first, I was very hurt. I tried to disassociate myself from feeling bad by saying: This is Tara that they are talking about, not me. But I couldn’t. I guess it hurts when someone calls you ugly or makes nasty comments about your weight whether or not it is really YOU they are referring to. I am just a human being and I feel like I deserve to be treated as such. I also feel that Tara deserves to be treated with a little more kindness and compassion.
Yes, I am not a STICK. I am a NORMAL, HEALTHY (I was gonna say Girl, but…) WOMAN. I have breasts and hips and I am very happy that they are part of me. I weigh 118 and I am 5′4. If you saw me in real life, you would think I was on the thin side. But on tv, next to my very petite costars, I do like heavier. I am PROUD to be NORMAL. A body is a beautiful thing to waste. Believe me, I have seen enough of my friends and peers waste away to NOTHING so that they could work in this industry. So that they could perpetuate the LIE that ANOREXIA is Beautiful. IT IS NOT. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. ALL OF YOU. Just for being.
You all can judge me and Tara for being ‘fat’, ‘gay’ and ’shy’. I suppose that my being on tv gives you that right. But I DO NOT have to read what you say. I have enjoyed being a lurker. But my feelings just can’t take the criticism. Those of you (you know who you are) with sensitivity will understand. Thank you for sticking up for us. Tara and I both appreciate it. I think that being a beautiful, heavy, lesbian witch rocks! No matter what happens I’m glad I get the chance to walk in Tara’s shoes. All you girls and guys out there who think that starving, binging and purging and exercising yourself to DEATH is gonna change how you feel inside - It’s NOT. Don’t buy inot all the media crap. Love yourself for who you are, not what others THINK you should look like. It’s DEFINITELY more important in this life to love each other despite our imperfections.”
Crazy fun plan
Jape was Adam’s vampire henchman in the latter part of season four. The following line of his was deleted from New Moon Rising:
“Yeah! Count me in for the crazy fun plan! I’m gonna feed the minions.”
Emma’s promotion
Emma Caulfield was listed with the regulars in the script for the first time in New Moon Rising, though she was not yet added to the opening credits. She had signed a contract confirming this though. Emma was finally added to the opening credits montage in Buffy vs Dracula.
Cast and Crew Trivia
Conor O’Farrell
Conor O’Farrell played Colonel McNamara in New Moon Rising, The Yoko Factor and Primeval. He also played Darren Leopold in Port Charles, and has appeared in many films and TV shows including Stir of Echoes, Dark Skies, NYPD Blue, Enterprise, 24, The X Files, Ally McBeal, ER, Chicago Hope, Desperate Housewives, Party of Five, Murder One and Matlock.
James M. Connor
James M. Connor played the Initiative scientist in Where the Wild Things Are, New Moon Rising and Restless. He played Jack in The Yard Sale, and was Randall’s Best Man in About Schmidt. He has also been in Gilmore Girls, Scrubs, The X Files, and The Drew Carey Show.
Character Trivia
Willis
Willis was a member of Graham’s team in the Initiative who was killed by a werewolf in New Moon Rising.
Continuity
Come outside
In New Moon Rising, when Oz turns up at Willow’s room, Willow asks if he would like to come in, to which he replies “actually I’d like you to come outside.” A sly little reference to the theme of this episode perhaps?
Marvellous speaking tube
In This Year’s Girl, Giles uses the new phone he got in A New Man, after his old one was destroyed. Buffy also uses the phone in New Moon Rising.
Miss Kitty Fantastico
Miss Kitty Fantastico was a black and white kitten belonging to Tara and Willow. The girls discussed getting a cat in New Moon Rising. She appeared in The Yoko Factor, Restless and Family then disappeared for three seasons. Her absence was finally explained in End of Days, when Dawn implied that Miss Kitty had died, “Xander, my crossbow is not out here. I told you, I don’t leave crossbows around all willy-nilly… Not since that time with Miss Kitty Fantastico.”
One of us
Tara attends her first Scooby meeting in New Moon Rising.
Remembering Willow
In New Moon Rising, Buffy tells Riley how broken up Willow was when Oz left, and he says he remembers. Riley saved Willow from being hit by a car in Wild at Heart, when she was walking in a daze.
Willow’s coat
In New Moon Rising, Willow wears the same sheepskin coat that she wore when she was attacked by Harmony in The Harsh Light of Day.
Music Trivia
Mythology Trivia
Keeping your cool
In New Moon Rising, Oz returns to Sunnyudale having discovered the secret of not turning into a werewolf. This apparently includes keeping his cool (which must be hard), some meditation, herbs ‘and stuff’, and some chanting.
Willow and the full moon
In New Moon Rising, Oz takes Willow outside to see that the full moon no longer transforms him into a werewolf. It seems strange that Willow, as a fully-fledged Wicca, no longer pays attention to the moon’s cycle. Granted, it no longer affects her in an immediate sense (as in her boyfriend won’t try to eat her) but the moon is an important element in the mystical world and she would most likely keep an interest in it. It’s possible that the shock of Oz’s return made her forget the cycle.
References
Devil Doll
The Devil Doll song ‘Faith in Love’ played in the episode The Harsh Light of Day as Harmony tempted Spike into bed. Oz looks at a campus board which advertises the band in the episode New Moon Rising. In Help, we see that the locker to the left of Dawn’s has a Devil Doll sticker on the door.
Radiohead
Oz tells Willow in New Moon Rising that he swapped his Radiohead CD for a gift for her.
String Cheese Incident
String Cheese Incident are a band whose posters can bee seen all over UC Sunnydale. Oz looks at a SCI poster on a notice board in New Moon Rising.
William Burroughs
In New Moon Rising, Buffy says she’ll “pull a William Burroughs” on Colonel McNamara’s head and is disappointed that no-one gets her reference. William Burroughs (1914-1997) was a writer whose most famous work was Naked Lunch. Burroughs was addicted to drugs and alcohol and in September 1951, he did a “William Tell act” (William Tell could shoot an apple placed on top of his son’s head). His wife, Joan Vollmer Adams, placed a glass on her head and he killed her with one shot.
Goofs
Seen at 04.47 minutes:
At the beginning of New Moon Rising, Tara tells Willow she has to leave as she’s late for study group, after Oz’s sudden appearance. Tara’s hair changes in quick shots from being over her ear to tucked behind it.
Seen at 10.14 minutes:
In the scene after Willow and Oz have been up all night, Oz’s necklace keeps moving around, even when he’s not moving.
Seen at 11.55 minutes:
When Willow leaves her dorm room to brush her teeth, hardly any time passes between when she leaves and when Tara knocks on the door. They should have seen each other in the hallway.
Seen at 18.14 minutes:
Adam confronts Spike in his crypt during the daytime. There’s lots of sunlight around, yet Spike doesn’t dust.
Seen at 23.06 minutes:
When Tara throws the chair at Oz-wolf, Riley nails him with a tranquilizer dart at the same time. Oz-wolf falls to the floor, with no dart in his back. Riley steps over him, and the dart is now in his back.
Seen at 40.17 minutes:
In New Moon Rising, towards the end of the epsiode when Oz and Willow are hugging on Oz’s van, you can see what appears to be a radio mic pack that Willow is wearing attached to the back of her waistband.
Quotes
Willow: "I'm more of a dog person myself, but I'm not, like, death to all cats."
Willow: "When did you get back?"
Oz: "Pretty much now."
Xander: "Oz, man. Hate to sound grandma, but... you don't call. You don't write."
Riley: "Whoa, hey, how did we get to bigot? I'm just saying it's a little weird to date someone who tries to eat you once a month."
Willow: "I'll have the less confusing waffles right now."
Willow: "No, there's "woo" and "hoo," but there's "uh-oh" and "why now?" And it's complicated."
Spike: "You were a Boy Scout?"
Adam: "Parts of me."
Spike: "You might want to watch that, Rupert. Someone dangerous could get in."
Buffy: "Or, someone formerly dangerous and currently annoying."
Oz to Willow: "It turns out the one thing that brings it out of me is you. Which falls under the heading of ironic in my book."