HOT POCKETS. BtVS Intertext/Allusion.

In "Empty Places" we listen to the following conversation about the search for information on the new evil adversary Caleb and stolen food.

ANDREW: Um, Mr. Giles, Faith stole the last meatball-and-mozzarella-flavored hot pocket out of the freezer even though I had called dibs on it.

GILES: ( ignoring Andrew) I don't see anything.

DAWN: Exactly. No vandalism at all.

GILES: Then why is it in the file?

DAWN: The place was abandoned. Um . . . locals started noticing after a few days that no one was going in or out. 6 members of the order lived there, but when the cops showed up... all gone. Unsolved.

ANDREW: Yup. See, the post-it's still here: "Andrew's. Please do not eat." But the box is empty now.

GILES: Oh.

DAWN: Oh? Oh, good?

GILES: Not sure. Here...

ANDREW: See, it's not the hot pocket itself— even though it did have that new-and-improved thicker tomato sauce— it's just the fundamental lack of respect.

GILES: (to Andrew) Shut up. Pay attention. (holds the magnifying glass over the photo) Dawn, what do you see?

DAWN: What am I looking for?

GILES: On the back wall, A . . . knothole.

DAWN: That's not a knothole.

GILES: Amanda, would you go down to the basement and get Spike?

DAWN: Maybe this'll help . . . if this does bring us closer to Caleb.

FAITH: (walks into the room eating a pastry) Sounded like there was news. (Andrew glares at her)

SPIKE: What's up... Rupert?

GILES: Spike, I have a mission for you.

SPIKE: Oh, really? 'Cause, you know, sometimes our missions end up with you trying to kill me. I'm not fond of those.

GILES: This is bona fide... with real ramifications. Take a look at this.

SPIKE: Looks like our boy's been here. You want me to go check it out?

GILES: I need someone who can take care of themselves in case Caleb has... left some souvenirs.

ANDREW: Are we gonna get to the food-stealing issue soon?

GILES: Take Andrew.

ANDREW & SPIKE: (simultaneously) What?

Hot Pockets are a line of frozen sandwiches offering over twenty different kinds of filling in a pastry crust.

--David Lavery