Buffy the Vampire Slayer S06 E02 – Personal hell.

Previously: Willow did some crazy magic stuff to bring Buffy back to life with some creepy ass CGI effects.
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Bargaining Part 2

Lorraine: Buffybot is surrounded by the Lame-O Biker Demons. She babbles about a total systems failure, and how she has to get back to Willow for repairs. One of the Lame-Os knocks her down with a chain.

In the woods, Tara and Anya have found Xander and a passed out Willow. Xander thinks the Biker Demons won’t bother them in the woods, but Anya isn’t convinced. Xander adjusts his plan to “split up and meet at the Magic Box.” He’s stay with Willow, since he can carry her. Anya asks about the Buffybot, but Xander proclaims it a loss. The gang all take off running.

We cut back to the cemetery, and in a shot through one of the spokes of a motorcycle wheel, we see the Lame-Os taking great pleasure in repeatedly kicking the Buffybot. I have robot feels. I’m not even sure what this show is doing to me anymore.

Kirsti: I think it’s partly because we’re so used to seeing the Buffybot as the comic relief, or Buffybot being briefly attacked by a whole group but then fighting them all off to win the day. Buffybot being defenceless just hurts.

Sweeney: Someone mentioned in the comments on the last post that Buffybot is partially endearing because she’s so naive. That naivete is now going to the fully tragic end of the spectrum with “deadly” vulnerability. Part 1 gets a lot of credit for getting us attached enough for this to be an emotional moment. Also just generally making us emotional…

Lor: The shot cuts out and pans back to Buffy’s gravestone, and then into the ground where Buffy is struggling, but has no voice to shout out. She starts to rip at the lining of the casket and we cut away again.

Xander puts Willow down and takes some breaths, as she starts to come to. They feed us a little round of exposition, but I at least appreciated Xander’s Music Man reference. Willow is insisting they go back and finish the ritual, but Xander reminds her that the Urn of Osiris is broken. Willow despairs because there is no other urn. All hope is lost and Buffy is really gone.

We mentioned last week that Willow seemed a little disconnected and removed from the entire situation, and here is why. She had faith in herself, and in magic to bring her friend back. Buffy has not been dead to Willow, until this moment.

K: And once again, Alyson Hannigan is brilliant. 

Lor: We cut to Buffy Kill Bill-ing her coffin.

The Lame-O Bikers are riding around causing serious destruction. Where the heck is Sunnydale PD? (K: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, Sunnydale what now??) (Never mind. Sigh.) Dawn is watching the destruction outside of her house, super obviously. Spike is gathering weapons, but then comes over to pull Dawn away from the window and take a peek himself. He identifies the Lame-Os as Hellions, or demons that burn down a vulnerable town and move on. Dawn realizes that this means that they know the Slayer is gone.

Spike says that they need to get out of there, but Dawn hesitates. She wants to wait at the Summers’ Home to see if the others come back. To see if Buffy comes back. Spike gives Dawn a look and she corrects herself: bot. Buffybot. Spike grabs her firmly and tells her lovingly that they must go. He promises not to let any Lame-Os touch her, but they have to go. No one is coming to save them.

Segue Magic to Buffy’s grave, where she breaks out of the ground, much like we’ve seen many-a vampire do before. Much like she feared she’d one day have to in still one of my favorite episodes, Nightmares. She gasps for air and looks around, confused and OH GOD. HER COMING BACK IS JUST AS SAD AS HER DYING.

K: On the plus side, she has pretty good hair for someone who’s been dead for several months… It looks about the same as mine does on my Best Hair Day Ever, which is kind of depressing.

Lor: After a cut to black, Buffy stands and sees her own tombstone.

Sweeney: This whole thing is just fucking horrifying. Her death was monumental helping of sads with a side of more sads; this is just traumatizing.

Lor: Agreed.

Later, we see her walking down Sunnydale’s main drag. Her vision is blurry but she can see all the destruction. She’s surrounded by fire, and also, a destroyed Sunnydale must be a very literal representation of her hell.

Anya and Tara arrive at the Magic Box, but Willow and Xander haven’t arrived. Anya is thankful that the store hasn’t been looted, but they look at the window and see the Lame-Os across the street. Anya is freaking out, and Tara tries to reassure her by saying that they’d know if something happened to either of their significant others. She thinks they must be lost in the woods, and starts a spell to find Willow.

In the woods, Willow and Xander are indeed lost. Willow needs to stop and rest, as she confesses that trying to bring your best friend from the dead really takes it out of you. Xander tries to get her to talk about the snake that came out of her mouth, or just how dark the magic they invoked was, but Willow avoids. She says they have more important things to discuss, like the Lame-Os.

Willow spots a small light in the trees, moving quickly toward them. Xander thinks it’s something nefarious, even when the light turns out to be bug sized. Willow tells him to calm down, though. It’s Tara. They start off behind the light and Xander asks, “and how long have you known that your girlfriend’s Tinkerbell?”

K: The first time I saw this episode and the light blinking its way through the woods, I thought I’d accidentally changed the channel and was watching The X-Files…

Lor: Buffy is still walking along. I’m getting a good look now at the dress that they buried her in. This is depressing. Buffy leans up against a car and sets off the alarm. The owner comes out of his house with a rifle and starts yelling at Buffy to get away, but her eyes are still bleary and the alarm is hurting her ears. Car Owner fires a warning shot and that makes Buffy run off.

Spike and Dawn are outside, watching some of the destruction. Spike realizes that they aren’t going to get very far without some wheels. He tosses a conveniently located helmet to Dawn before he manages to kick a Lame-O off his bike in a pretty BAMF way. He yells for Dawn (“pigeon”) who puts her helmet on and hops on the motorcycle behind Spike. They ride off as Lame-Os stand and watch them all, “…HEY!”

K: Okay, I love this so much because Spike has a little moment of “destruction looks like fun, I wanna play too.” But because he promised Buffy that he’d look after Dawn no matter what, he puts her safety first rather than hurling himself into the fray. Plus, BAMF-y kicking a demon off his motorbike? YES. 

Sweeney: And Dawn is totally unfazed. Any other Scoobie would have given him a look that was some variation of, “You’re sick,” except Dawn, who’s all, “Yeah, whatever. Spike wants to destroy shit. NBD.'”

Lor: The way she’s going, Dawn probably wouldn’t mind the looting either.

At the Magic Box, Xander and Willow have arrived. Tara helps Willow into a chair. She’s hurting bad. Tara says they’ve been trying to call Dawn and Spike but there’s no answer. Xander says something about NORAD and DEFCON 1, earning him blank looks from all the girls. He notes that he needs male friends. A really weird place for this observation, but still true.

Willow says they need to go look for Dawn and Spike. Anya points out that they have no Buffybot, no Spike, no Giles and Willow is magicked out. They have no way to fight so many demons. They need… She hesitates before offering what she thinks. They need Buffy.

Willow, dried Bambi blood still on her face, tells them that Buffy isn’t coming back. They failed, and they are all that’s left. She stands shakily to her feet and tells Xander to grab the weapons. Tara wants to leave right away as the Lame-Os only seem to be gathering steam. Xander thinks they can’t keep it up forever.

We Segue Magic over to a gathering of the Lame-O Biker Demons. They are being incredibly lame, and starting fires and whatever else. Lead Lame-O says that Sunnydale will be their new home. We watch as Bleary Eyed Buffy gets closer and closer to this gathering. They have the limbs of Buffybot chained to four motorcycles. The Buffybot sees Buffy and yells for her, one moment before she’s pulled apart, limb from limb.

That was difficult to watch.

Buffy cries out, alerting all the Lame-Os to her presence. She takes off running.

K: Having to witness “herself” being ripped limb from limb and then getting chased by demons isn’t going to be doing much for Buffy’s sense that she’s not in a hell dimension.

Lor: The Scoobies are walking pretty slowly considering they are on a search and rescue mission. Seriously, even with injured Willow, this is like a stroll. Anyway. Tara tries to comfort Willow by saying that maybe the Lame-Os showed up at the exact wrong time as a sign that they weren’t supposed to bring Buffy back. It was the universe trying to stop them. Willow’s all, “then the Lame-Os are my fault.” Nice try, Tara.

Buffy is still running away from the Lame-Os and she’s apparently still got some Slayer moves because she acrobats herself over a fence.

Back with the search and rescue stroll, we now hear what Anya and Xander are discussing: Anya wants to announce their engagement but Xander still doesn’t think it’s the right time. Lucky for Xander, a big ole distraction drops in front of them in the form of Buffy, with her crazy eyes and grave hair.

Tara think it’s Buffybot, and I mean fair, but also Buffybot was wearing innocent white, while Buffy is dressed in all black. Specifically, the black dress they buried her in. Willow is the first one to notice and understand. She says her name, and they all start calling out to her, but Buffy runs away.

The gang finds her just a ways into the alley, crouched down and looking around, nervously. Anya asks what’s wrong with her, and Willow is quick to say that nothing is wrong with her. She’s just in shock. Tara notices her bleeding hands, and Willow her filthy body. Xander puts it all together– they brought her back to life and left her in her coffin. Xander gets up close to Buffy and apologizes to her, but she barely responds.

K: I love that it’s Xander who joins the dots on something that seems so obvious. I mean, the basic premise of finding something you’ve lost is “where did you see it last?” But all these highly intelligent and powerful characters overlooked that, and it takes the carpenter to point out what others can’t seem to work out.

Lor: Anya gives it a go by getting up close and starts to tell Buffy about an announcement she and Xander have that will cheer her up. Xander grabs her and pulls her back. Xander tells Buffy that she’s home now, and that’s the cue for the Lame-O Biker Demons to appear for another round of painfully bad dialogue.

The Scoobies try to get their threatening on, but Lead Biker Demon isn’t impressed. His gang came looking to get their massacre and raping on. Buffy gets up at this point and gets real close to Lead Biker Demon. He slaps her across the face. When she turns back, she has a little blood on her lip. Lead Biker Demon goes in for a second punch, but Buffy catches his fist and makes quick work of him. Anya asks if this means they win. Cue the full on fighting.

With Dawn and Spike, we get the scene from the new opening credits, with the two of them on the motorcycle.

Sweeney: BEST.

Lor: Dawn spots the still burning fires of the big Lame-O gathering earlier in the episode. Spike pulls up to it and they both see Buffybot’s trunk, armless and legless. It’s a disturbing sight. Spike tells her it’s just a machine, and she whispers, “I know.”

Dawn kneels down next to the Buffybot and reaches over to presumably shut her eyes. The Buffybot stirs, looks over at her and says, “Dawn. You’re my sister Dawn.” Buffybot, face still perfectly made-up, starts stammering questions about where the other Buffy could’ve run off to. She dies mid-sentence, but Dawn’s heard what she needed. Buffy was here. Dawn stands and we pull back in the shot to get a better look at armless and legless Buffybot. Dawn turns and takes off running.

Spike is busy looking at one of the Bot’s legs. He calls out that the robot is done in for, but Dawn is gone. He calls out for her, but she’s running.

Back at the fight, things are going well for the Scoobies. I don’t know if I’m imagining a heightened amount of stabbing, axing and neck breaking, but the fighting is pretty violent. Perhaps it’s the marked lack of punning.

K: I think it’s partly that and partly the fact that they’re demons and not vampires. Vampires go poof, which somewhat lessens the impact of the violence. When demons are involved, there’s usually just one and Buffy fights it alone. The Scoobies are usually armed with stakes, not actual weaponry. So yeah. It’s more violent than usual.

Lor: Thank you for confirming.

After it’s done, Xander tries to approach Buffy, but she backs away from him. She wipes at her bloody lip, looks at the blood uncertainly, and takes off running again. Too soon, too, as the Lead Biker Demon wakes up.

Buffy finds another Lame-O in the alley, but quickly impales him on a piece of conveniently placed impale-y pipe. From where she is, she looks up and sees… OH FOR FUCK’S SAKE. The Badly Constructed Tower of Sister Trauma. So, Sunnydale was all, “it’s fine! Leave the tower up there. It’ll be like a new landmark.” Jesus.

Sweeney: It’s great that you still keep hoping that Sunnydale will behave like an actual town instead of a convenient plot device. Keep the dream alive, girl.

Lor: I try to remain as unruined as possible

Buffy runs off towards the tower.

With the Scoobies, the Lead Biker Demon has cornered Xander, but the girls hit him from behind with pipes and chains. It’s pretty fun to watch them wail on him for a while. He breaks out of that and Willow hits him with some magical wax in the face.

Dawn arrives in the alley where Buffy impaled a demon. She quickly spots the Badly Constructed Tower of Sister Trauma [BCTST] and heads there as well.

More Scooby fighting. I’m not sure why they insist on whacking him with things, instead of, you know, killing him. (K: Contrivance? Or they’re used to just having to hit things until Buffy steps up to actually kill it.) When Lead Demon grabs Willow by the throat, Tara wizens up and buries the axe in his back. She helps Willow to her feet as she says, “nobody messes with my girl.” Presh. The Scoobies head off in search of Buffy.

Our titular character is standing at the diving board edge of the BCTST, flashing back to the portal opening up and the moment she jumped into it. The Feelsy Orchestra is in full, beautiful swing throughout the flashback, and dies down a bit as Dawn appears at the top of the tower. She calls out to her sister, who is visibly confused. Buffy turns toward the sound, but makes no other movements.

Dawn hopefully asks if it’s really her, and takes a step closer, making the whole Tower sway. Buffy turns back toward the edge, and Dawn squeal-shouts a “no!” She tells her not to jump, to just walk back. Dawn says that they were up here together, and then Buffy went away, and she doesn’t want to do that again. Dawn doesn’t know how she’s back, but she is, and she begs her to stay still. The BCTST sways again and Dawn quickly adds, “or–or move! But towards me. Because the tower was built by crazy people and I don’t think it’s holding up very well.”

Buffy still doesn’t move or speak, so Dawn begs her to say something. Without turning, Buffy asks, “is this hell?”

Besides shouting out for Buffybot, this is the first time she’s spoken after the grave.

K: BRB, having all the feels. Again. Goddammit, Whedon.

Lor: Dawn doesn’t understand. Buffy faces her sister and asks again, “is this hell?” I’ve been avoiding inserting crying gifs every couple of seconds here, but I can resist no longer.

K: A+ gif selection, Lor. 

Sweeney: CRYING ALL. THE. CRIES. This fucking show.

Lor: Thank you and I’m glad I’m not alone.

Dawn says no, this isn’t hell. Whatever Buffy has been through is over now. The BCTST sways again, and Dawn says they need to get off. Buffy remembers how clear everything was the last time she was on the tower. She knew exactly what her purpose was, and she knew exactly what she needed to do. But now… She trails off as Dawn begs her again to listen. Dawn says that she’s tried to be strong, but it’s been so hard without Buffy. Dawn promises to do better, if Buffy stays with her. “I need you to live,” she says. She keeps on, but is interrupted by another sway of the tower, this time accompanied by a piece of falling metal. Dawn squeals and cries out to Buffy.

Buffy finally seems to understand, calls out to her sister, and runs to grab her. Buffy spots a pulley nearby, and she jumps with Dawn onto it. They ride it down, but it doesn’t reach all the way to the ground, making it a stupid pulley. They free fall the rest of the way.

K: And the Terrible Special Effects team does their first work of the season, because it’s REALLY badly blue screened.

Sweeney: SO TERRIBLE! It’s all part of the great Special Effects Balancing Act. Buffy’s coming back to life effect was perfect. Everything else in Bargaining had to be awful.

Lor: We’d miss them if they were always perfect, anyways.

On the ground, Buffy looks up and sees that they are about to get smushed by falling tower pieces. She grabs Dawn and gets out of the way. They both drop to the ground as the Badly Constructor Tower of Sister Trauma collapses behind them. Sorry about your new landmark, Sunnydale!

Dawn is puffy with unshed tears as she places a hand on her sister’s face and marvels at the fact that she’s really there.

Dawn hugs her sister tight as she says, “You’re alive, and you’re home. You’re home.” Dawn cries and the camera switches to show us Buffy’s face. She’s blank. She is not back.

What a combination of episodes. This certainly was different from when Buffy came back to life in Prophecy Girl, though still slightly reminiscent of that blank faced girl in her white dress, crying, and deadpanning that her dress was a hit with everyone. But this wasn’t a mouth to mouth resuscitation. This wasn’t a natural death. I’d say this works so well because it doesn’t ever feel like a repetition of the same situation. Buffy’s been buried for months, her soul in no one knows where, and even when she’s brought back to life, she’s left in her coffin. She’s forced to dig her way out of her own grave. That shit is heavy.

Sweeney: The heaviest. Suffice it to say that we haven’t wrapped that shit up with a pretty little bow yet. (LOL, or ever, because obviously.)

Lor: We immediately get a sense of what state of mind Buffy’s in. First, comes the shock, mixed with and followed by confusion. I’d even venture to say that up on the BCTST, there was more than shock and confusion. Buffy’s in a dark place. She went up to that tower, presumably to die again. Buffy is not the same. Even so, she stood up to fight for her friends, and she managed to save Dawn, even when exhibiting no other sort of feelings for them. Her Slayer nature has not died. Her instincts still flair and she fights, because that’s what she knows how to do.

K: I totally agree with all of this, but I’d add in a huge dollop of PTSD to the equation. Not only about having to kill herself to save the world, but waking up in a coffin is bound to cause more than a little mental anguish. That, combined with the knowledge that when she killed Angel, he went to a hell dimension, it’s no wonder Buffy’s struggling.

Lor: Struggling, and, of course. I understand every bit of it.

On a different note, can I just say that Buffybot is amazing? She had a rough introduction, for sure, but it allowed the story to explore a couple of different things in poignant ways. Finally, here, we get a pretty blatant metaphor for the last vestiges of Buffy’s previous existence being torn apart.

The weak points for me were as follows:(1) – clearly, the biker demons. While their destruction was a good backdrop to the rest of the story, it was all kind of slapped together. (2) – Anya. She annoyed me consistently with her comments. Her concerns are fair (the Magic Box and her engagement) but her expression of them and in the face of everything that’s going on was grating. (3) – Michelle Trachtenberg’s acting. Her soap opera style works sometimes, but up on the tower, it got to be a little hammy. She did so much better on the ground, with the more understated, “you’re home.”

K: I’ve said numerous times that I alternate between loving and hating Anya. And from memory, I spend a decent chunk of season 6 hating her. The script writers were NOT kind in these first two episodes, taking all of Anya’s usual doesn’t-understand-human-protocols nonsense but removing the humour that often goes along with it. As a result, everything she says and does grates, and it makes me sad.

Lor: Still, an amazing season opener between these first two episodes.

 

Next time: It seems like Buffy wasn’t the only one who came through from the other dimension in Buffy the Vampire Slayer S06 E03 – After Life.