I find it so strange, and you are not alone in this, that people think it is weird they do not kill Spike ( As you said at 6:46) "he is still a demon" but fail to see that the situation is quite the same as with Angel. Angel is a demon as well, but has a soul to keep that in check. Spike is a demon but has a chip to keep him in check. Both methods can fail, both make sure they don't hurt innocents. So why do you think Spike should be treated differently?
I like that Spike was introduced as such a badass and menace (which he is), but that he's also so deeply romantic at heart, even though he has no soul (conscience, moral compass). He can read people so well because emotions and relationships matter a lot to him. It's an interesting character on paper and James Marsters just excells in his portrayal.
Spike being a fan of Passions is possibly one of the most hilarious and perfect reveals of the entire series. (I mean of course Spike would watch Passions! lol)
I haven't seen this episode in years - I forgot how hilarious it is! Buffy: What's wrong with 'Buffy'? Giles: Oh, excellent question. 😆🤣 There are SO many funny lines in this episode.
That show Spike is talking about is Passions which was a wierd daytime soap opera with witches, angels and other supernatural stuff. It was weird but fun to watch.
also so smart that Buffy would reference the most popular daytime soap of the era because of the quirky supernatural elements both shows share! It was as if the writers were saying: What you are doing is the same as what we are doing, only we did it first and are doing it in prime time!!!
Amy's momentary "deratting" falls not only in the category of my favorite gags this season, but of the entire show! So funny. Also, you are right Spike is very perceptive about how others are feeling, he was the one who told Buffy and Angel they could never be just friends back in season 3. Superb episode
Two of my favorite quotes of the series is in this season. The Thanksgiving episode: Spike: A bear! You made a bear! Undo it! And this episode Giles: Stop that right now. I can hear the smacking! I loved both episodes.
Buffy makes that face when Riley is putting up the banner because she got jealous of the girls he was helping and then saw it was lesbian alliance and immediately realized she worried for no reason
I'm glad you picked up on the throwaway comment at the start with Buffy saying "seeing Angel....even for 5 minutes" Alot of youtubers tend to either miss it or edit that part out...such a heart wrenching comment in the aftermath of "I will remember you"
I think a lot of people struggle to think of safe relationships as exciting because tv and movie relationships tend to be dramatic and full of conflict. But that’s mostly because conflict is the core of good, engaging fiction, not because safe relationships are inherently boring. Safe relationships typically just aren’t conflict-heavy enough to get viewers eager to see what will happen next. But safe relationships irl are fantastically exciting, because they’re yours, and they don’t need to get strangers to tune in next week. :)
I'm wondering how they pitched the guest appearance to Elizabeth Anne Allen (who played Amy). "We're going to have you magically appear on a bed nude, look relieved for a second, and then turn back into a rat without a word."
12:18 When Spike showed up at Giles's asking for help he said "I can't bite anyone I can't even hit people." So he can not hurt anyone, The best he can do is push pass someone like he did with Giles there.
Never loved Riley, but Marc Blucas has really good comedic timing for an actor just starting out. The way he says that line when Buffy freaks him out at the wedding shop 'I'm just gonna go away...and be...away' is hilarious to me.
@@Girl4Music Yes, and anyone else who may be watching, and his own self-image/state of willful denial. Before she reacts with disgust, he gives her a look like 'Where is this going to go?'
People give Riley's "you're going to teach me," line a lot of crap, but my interpretation has always been, "my view of my female peers has always been very shallow and confined to traditional standards, so whatever you can show me about women, I'm down." I like that he's willing to admit he's intimidated by her.
"Look at my poor neck..." Love this episode so much. And yes Spike mentioned the reality her friends were missing. Another shot in my Buffy is accidentally Sailor Moon theory, Bunny would often say, even when under the spell that being sailor moon must have protected her. And much like Buffy is sometimes protected despite that clueless ego slipping in. On Oz, well, the actor had the Italian Job to get to, he needed his stuff. 10:43 excellent catch I'm watching this with a friend who happens to be a witch and she said the same thing. She also said it's incredibly dangerous that when she tried to do that spell on veruca and Oz that she didn't close it after. That left open a door to darkness she said. Good thing it's a TV show and not real life. On the what actually works she said like Giles said emotions are involved and she didn't have the same seriousness she had when she said those statements about her friends. "Where is Angel to witness this?" officially the best reaction to this episode 27:08 it is incredibly smart that you're at a place in Buffy that you're already deciding what's going to end this before something even really begins. That is a fate of all Joss whedon shows.
“She also said it’s incredibly dangerous when she tried to do that spell on Veruca and Oz that she didn’t close it after. That left open a door to darkness she said. Good thing it’s a TV show and not real life.” SPOILER: Season 6 Willow is knocking. Don’t let her in.
Giles is by far my favourite character in Season 4! He’s so frickin hilarious. This episode & a couple later in the season he had me laughing so hard 😂
HUGE SPOILERS: Thor don’t read this! ‘Something Blue’ is like ‘Tabula Rasa’ on a leash. In both cases Willow never intended to cause harm to her friends but in ‘Something Blue’ the spell was meant to be for herself. In ‘Tabula Rasa’ it’s meant for Buffy and Tara. Both are destructive spells that have dire consequences but one of them genuinely is a mistake in effort to quickly heal her heart, the other is a purposeful attempt to sweep issues under the rug. However, what both episodes have in common is that both are a way of Willow avoiding addressing and dealing with her emotions. Both are using magic as a means to escape feeling her emotions. Both are a crutch to make up for what she feels she lacks in herself. And in that way - they are directly connected and show that Willow’s arc was always in character despite it not being made clear it’s true foundation. Where the addiction actually stems from and what kind of addiction it actually is. It’s an emotional one. Every time someone says that Willow’s magic addiction just came out of nowhere and was just a way to create drama between Willow and Tara and the Scoobies, I mention ‘Something Blue’. Because in both cases magic is used as drug to self-medicate and that self-medicating had second-hand smoke effects on everyone else. It was harmful for everyone. Whether it was intended to be or not doesn’t matter. The fact is that Willow’s use of magic leaned more towards destructiveness than beneficialness and she excused it as “helping” or “healing” when it was actually harming and hurting both herself and others. Quick fixes and bandaids never help or heal anything. What they do is they make problems more difficult to solve or take longer to find solution. Willow needed to be told that her abuse of magic was dangerous for everyone involved - whether purposeful or accidental. And she is all throughout the show but the conversation always avoids the main point. Which is that using it to offset something internal - emotions/insecurities/anxieties - will only lead to both internal and external destruction because it is not addressing and dealing with them honestly, intimately and head on. It is avoiding and escaping them instead - thus making things much worse “inside” and “outside”. So if ‘Something Blue’ is the start of Willow’s spiral into emotional addiction, then ‘Tabula Rasa’ is the inevitable conclusion of it. Ignore the “magic” part. That’s not as relevant as the necessity to use it’s power to counteract Willow’s insecurities of being powerless or useless or valueless or worthless. She knew it was her best chance because it’s what she’s best at. They could have done the same with her preference for hacking and technology engineering but they never do - instead they give Warren that arc. And it’s not lost on me the similarities between them as far as the need for accumulation of power goes. All they do is make it clear Warren’s intentions are evil - he intends to control, he intends dominate, he intends to rape, he intends to murder. Willow never intends any of this - but it is exactly what she does anyway. “They’re the bad guys - I’m not the bad guy.” Translation: “It is justified for me to do it because I do not intend to do evil with it. They do.” But Willow - you become like them anyway because you avoid the truth behind the actions. And the truth is that you’re the one in pain. You’re the one that’s sad. You’re the one that’s confused. You’re the one that HAS THE PROBLEM. Not Buffy and Tara. And you know this is the truth, you just refuse to face it. I will keep saying it: the only thing that’s wrong with this character is that this character thinks and believes that there’s something wrong with them. It’s entirely an insecurity issue right from the beginning. And they mislead you into thinking that that is improved or fixed - when it’s only just covered up. This is the meaning of Willow’s nightmare in ‘Restless’. The hiding and disguising. The “costume” she wears. The “character” she plays. The “part” she performs. It’s all Willow. There’s no doubt about that. But at the same time - it’s a perception severely filtered by lies and an identity veiled in ego. It’s not so much that she’s pretending to be someone she’s not because you can’t pretend to be something you’re not aware of being. But it is an act. A performance. An obliviously and obsessively chronic and compulsive behaviour. That is why Willow is such a profound character.
I love that you are having so much fun with this show! It is my absolute favorite tv series of all time! I love seeing people react to it. I also like that you critique and analyze the episodes so well. You can tell that Whedon and the writers put so much skill into their episode directions. Now hurry up so we can fast forward to season 5 which is BEST series villian of all time!! LBVS!
When Buffy tells Willow it is going to take time, she is speaking from a place of both deep and very recent experience. Highlighted by her comment about how hard it was seeing Angel for ‘5 minutes’. But I also wonder if she is also in some ways unconsciously ignoring Willow’s as she is working (hard) on moving through her own.
SPOILERS: Yeah, they do seem to cross each other’s branches without meeting in the middle and growing together sometimes with these “intimate” discussions. Reminds me of them in Season 6. How they’re just using each other as sounding boards for their own pain and are projecting each other’s internal shit and not really listening to what each other have to say. Makes sense every time they’re both going through the pits that they’d just be like hollow trees where sound goes in one ear and out the other. Neither of them are picking the info up.
My favourite scene hands-down has got to be the exposition scene in ‘Hush’. Not only is it comedic genius but it’s also a very clever way of showing us exactly what we need to know about the storyline. However, the reason why I love it so much is because it proves exactly what Joss wanted the whole episode to prove. You can have exceptionally good writing with absolutely no dialogue whatsoever so long as you have very skilled and professional acting performers. Normally I don’t like exposition in a TV show because I prefer to interpret for myself. But that’s just the thing. Without dialogue I am actually able to do just that. And we all know this scene is quite iconic in the fandom because ‘Buffy will patrol tonight” is a meme.
Another one of my favourite episodes of this season! I enjoy these types of episodes so much with the comedy and dialogue between the characters 😂 The next episode is also one of my favs!
17:39 Right? I know they’re under a spell but it seems out of character that Spike would “start in” on Joyce. He gets along great with his potential mother-in-law.
@@Nexusofgeek yeah, they’re like bickering neighbours who watch the same TV show together every now and again. *Can you imagine Spike and Joyce fighting over what’s going on on ‘Passions’* Spike: “Joyce. You’re an idiot *affectionately* Timmy’s lost his leg. That’s why his limping. He isn’t drinking. He is just missing a part of his identity.” Joyce: “Then what’s the beer bottle for?” Spike: “That’s for bashing his attackers over the head if they try to get near him.” Joyce: “OH. Buffy be a dear daughter and fetch us some chips.” Buffy: “o_o” *goes to the kitchen* Spike: *shouts from the sitting toom* “Oh, and honey, get us a cold one from the fridge.” Buffy: *shouts back* “Your blood or a beer?” Spike: *shouting* “Surprise me.” *smiles at his soon-to-be-mother-in-law* *Both return their attention to the TV just as invested before the debate* Somebody should write a domestic fluff fan-fiction for the betrothed with Joyce in the mix.
‘Hush' is a lesson on the importance of TEAM WORK, either separately and externally, or conjunctly and internally. The powers shown by Buffy/Riley and Willow/Tara in being paired up for the episode are that of the Physical VS Mental. Buffy and Riley are the masculine-coded PHYSICAL POWER. Willow and Tara are the feminine-coded MENTAL POWER. What you see of Buffy and Riley is independent action, but it's still a joint effort. What you see of Willow and Tara is dependent action, but it's still individual effort. The juxtapositions are really damn clever in the writing of the parallels between them as far as their duo power goes and in this episode they are key to saving the day. I'll do my very best to explain why this matters. A HUGE part of the reason why the episode stands out to me so much is because of the focus on body language/connection and reading/using energy to accomplish certain tasks. For an example with using body language/connection: When Buffy and Riley cannot speak to each other in such a distressing time, they kiss to communicate their love and care for one another, which then reassures them and provides them the courage needed to carry on in their individual actions. For an example in reading/using energy: When Willow and Tara rush into the Stevenson laundry room to escape from The Gentlemen, Tara automatically understands what Willow is trying to do in using her energy to telekinetically move the soda machine to block the door. When she realizes she doesn't have enough power to achieve it alone, she interlaces her fingers with Willow's to combine their energies into one elemental force, knowing that the power of two is required to complete the task. Thus, both body language/connection and reading/using energy is what effectively saves the day. Buffy's scream is just the sword, it is not the offence against The Gentlemen. The soda machine is just the shield, it is not the defense that protects Willow and Tara. It's actually the energy and the communication that makes these material things useful and beneficial in the different and specific situations they are in. 'Hush' is an absolute masterpiece of very cleverly thought out and passionate TV show writing and I've merely only scratched the surface as to why. I fear if I gush about 'Hush' anymore and elaborate on its written themes, I'll spoil some very important things about S4. Thor, you've finally come into the epitome of the brilliance of 'BtVS'. Why it's such a cult classic in TV history. I'm so excited for you because it just gets better and better from here.
Forgive me if this is a repeated comment but think of that poor actress playing Amy. Imagine the phone call that we need you for 3 seconds and you'll be naked lol What a wild episode! Always a fan favorite for obvious reasons. And Xander is looking jacked this season
Tonight is the night of the Italian witch, la Befana, and your video is another gift to add to those received in my stocking. I can't stop watching it over and over again
This and Band Candy, funniest episodes in the series. And that's a pretty high bar. I haaaaate Riley's "and you're going to teach me" line with every fibre of my being though. Literally the only bum note in this episode.
why? He is a guy impressed by Buffy, an extraordinary person, it is not like at his young age he would have much experience with women. At least that we know of. He's no Parker Abrams, but then again, Parker was just an a$$
I love love love this episode. It's so funny. And I like Riley and Buffy's relationship at this point. His "you're gonna teach me" line is the only thing I don't like. Kinda odd. But anyway, this episode is so over the top that it just works in Buffy's universe.
Posting my BUFFY REWATCH recap for ‘Something Blue’. May contain spoilers. Ohhhhh... I have a lot of thoughts about this episode. To unpack them all would take far too long. I'll just get to the point. The foreshadowing to Dark Willow. Whether intentional or not,... this confirms the theory I came up with about how Dark Willow is a demon alter ego of Willow that lives in a alternate dimension of her psyche and only emerges through pure unrestrained rage and the corruptive power of the Black Arts and is not any kind of separate and different entity that possesses her. There’s different psychological dimensions to what a person is. The human in particular is a multi-dimensional being but is not fully aware of it. There are many energetic layers to what we are in our true nature. D’Hoffryn: “your pain - it's like a scream that pierces dimensional walls.” Willow: “pain... what pain?” Thus, the conclusion is: Dark Willow is a vengeance demon. The one that D’Hoffryn was promising to mentor her into becoming in this episode. Looks like she didn’t need his help. She was perfectly capable of becoming one herself as it was already part of what she was. Part of her true nature. The abusive part through personal pain. Does this make Willow a monster? Yes, but not one incapable of being redeemed. Not one incapable of humanity. And that’s why her evolution is so poignant. She represents what we refuse to recognize in ourselves when we deal with the human condition.
You're the only reactor to voice outloud putting Cordelia in Xander's list of attracting demons lol 😉👍. Also Xander's line: "Right, you're marrying Spike because you're so right for each other." I'm like 👀. They are similar in certain ways. I'll bring this up much later on in the show and we'll discuss this even further.
i love this episode. its so funny. i also like tehafren, i think hes interesting, not mean really, fair, just this is the work he does and joining is a choice.
This ep is fun for sure,but all the Spuffy stuff in it prevents me from fully appreciate it!😖I'm like Giles,trying to cringe my way out of that sight/hearing!! 17:28 - 17:32 03:07 - 03:41 #Justice4Willow ❣ 06:48 - 06:51 *THANK YOU!!!THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!!!!!* 07:56 - 07:58 🥺🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔 12:17 - 12:25 He can't harm any human in any physical way. 14:59 - 14:50 IF ONLY!!!🙄16:37 - 16:43 Poor Riley.💚18:36 - 18:41 💙 19:26 - 19:31 She's A-DO-RA-BLE.❤ 21:11 - 21:18 😊❤❤ 21:34 - 21:39 😂😂😂💚💛
Is this the craziest episode so far??
One of them for sure! 💜😂
Spike is watching a 2000's nbc soap opera called passion and timmy was a magical doll that was brough to life and had fallen down a well
Not the craziest, but definitely the goofiest.
There's still stuff to come ...
I find it so strange, and you are not alone in this, that people think it is weird they do not kill Spike ( As you said at 6:46) "he is still a demon" but fail to see that the situation is quite the same as with Angel. Angel is a demon as well, but has a soul to keep that in check. Spike is a demon but has a chip to keep him in check. Both methods can fail, both make sure they don't hurt innocents. So why do you think Spike should be treated differently?
I like that Spike was introduced as such a badass and menace (which he is), but that he's also so deeply romantic at heart, even though he has no soul (conscience, moral compass). He can read people so well because emotions and relationships matter a lot to him. It's an interesting character on paper and James Marsters just excells in his portrayal.
Spike being a fan of Passions is possibly one of the most hilarious and perfect reveals of the entire series. (I mean of course Spike would watch Passions! lol)
a sudden romance that nearly turned Giles into an alcoholic.
What a perfect non-spoiler summary for the episode, haha I love this!
I haven't seen this episode in years - I forgot how hilarious it is!
Buffy: What's wrong with 'Buffy'?
Giles: Oh, excellent question.
😆🤣
There are SO many funny lines in this episode.
D'Hoffryn is, for a soulless monster of rage and vengeance, one of the more reasonable infernal beings we see on the show.
He's just doing his job.
It’s always been implied that Anya still had a soul even as a demon so I wonder if he did as well?
@@lyssalovesit Now, that's a thought.
@@lyssalovesit Very possible, everything on both shows indicates that demons aren't inherently soulless.
@@ollyjones9153 I assume vampires are soulless because they die and that's when the soul leaves the body. Anya never died.
This episode never fails to make me extremely happy, its so fun! I've seen it about a million times and it never loses its shine.
Talk about extreme rewatchability!
@@nickreacts6394 Oh it has massive rewatch ability. You’ll figure that out later.
12:50 - The reason Spike can´t find the entrance is because he was transported away because of Willows Spell.
That show Spike is talking about is Passions which was a wierd daytime soap opera with witches, angels and other supernatural stuff. It was weird but fun to watch.
also so smart that Buffy would reference the most popular daytime soap of the era because of the quirky supernatural elements both shows share! It was as if the writers were saying: What you are doing is the same as what we are doing, only we did it first and are doing it in prime time!!!
Wait, PASSIONS WAS A REAL SHOW????
@@therealnarnia5117 Oh yes, it was on NBC and quite a few of the actors went on to Days of Our Lives when Passions got cancelled.
@@fraffa Wait, DAYS OF OUR LIVES WAS A REAL SHOW??? As a huge Friends fan, this shocks me so much. 🤣 How did I not know that?
Amy's momentary "deratting" falls not only in the category of my favorite gags this season, but of the entire show! So funny. Also, you are right Spike is very perceptive about how others are feeling, he was the one who told Buffy and Angel they could never be just friends back in season 3. Superb episode
Can you imagine the actress getting the call? :)
@@ernesthakey3396 literally! The show was like, ‘yeah, we’ll pay that actress her fee just for 2 seconds on a bed for a gag” 😂 perfection
“Spike’s lips! Lips of Spike!”
Probably my favorite line from this season. 😆
Merry Christmas everyone!
Two of my favorite quotes of the series is in this season. The Thanksgiving episode:
Spike: A bear! You made a bear! Undo it!
And this episode
Giles: Stop that right now. I can hear the smacking!
I loved both episodes.
“It’s all right. I have more scotch” lmao 🤣
"Spike lips....Lips of Spike!!!"
::Dies ::
Buffy makes that face when Riley is putting up the banner because she got jealous of the girls he was helping and then saw it was lesbian alliance and immediately realized she worried for no reason
Ah that makes sense, thank you!
The Amy the rat gag is just hilarious!
I'm glad you picked up on the throwaway comment at the start with Buffy saying "seeing Angel....even for 5 minutes"
Alot of youtubers tend to either miss it or edit that part out...such a heart wrenching comment in the aftermath of "I will remember you"
I think a lot of people struggle to think of safe relationships as exciting because tv and movie relationships tend to be dramatic and full of conflict. But that’s mostly because conflict is the core of good, engaging fiction, not because safe relationships are inherently boring. Safe relationships typically just aren’t conflict-heavy enough to get viewers eager to see what will happen next. But safe relationships irl are fantastically exciting, because they’re yours, and they don’t need to get strangers to tune in next week. :)
One of my absolute favourite episodes, this is by far one of the funniest
Mine too. This and the Zeppo is probably my favourite episodes in terms of comedy. Other is Fool for Love because - well, its just brilliant.
"Can I be blind, too?" - I agree, Xander!
Xander's best line in the episode
@@Nexusofgeek I like the “how what how?” and Giles’ response “three excellent questions”.
I'm wondering how they pitched the guest appearance to Elizabeth Anne Allen (who played Amy). "We're going to have you magically appear on a bed nude, look relieved for a second, and then turn back into a rat without a word."
she must have loved the idea, so wittty!
Hey, she still got paid😂
12:18 When Spike showed up at Giles's asking for help he said "I can't bite anyone I can't even hit people." So he can not hurt anyone, The best he can do is push pass someone like he did with Giles there.
Giles not trained in magic? I think Ripper may have slipped your mind. 😉
Did someone do a memory erasing spell on him, you think?
*Willow I’m looking at you*
@@Girl4Music weekly it seems. But it's fun what he forgets. And at least he acknowledges his short term memory issues 🤷♀️🤭
Never loved Riley, but Marc Blucas has really good comedic timing for an actor just starting out. The way he says that line when Buffy freaks him out at the wedding shop 'I'm just gonna go away...and be...away' is hilarious to me.
Its my favorite episod of Buffyvers. Its so funny and Unexpected. Buffy and Spike have a lot of chemistry.
"It's alright... I have more scotch" 🤣
Still one of my favourite episodes, and the moment thousands of ships set sail for spike and buffy 😂
Interesting how Spike doesn't recoil until after Buffy does...
Performative for her sake you mean?
@@Girl4Music Yes, and anyone else who may be watching, and his own self-image/state of willful denial. Before she reacts with disgust, he gives her a look like 'Where is this going to go?'
People give Riley's "you're going to teach me," line a lot of crap, but my interpretation has always been, "my view of my female peers has always been very shallow and confined to traditional standards, so whatever you can show me about women, I'm down." I like that he's willing to admit he's intimidated by her.
I would say more intrigued than intimidated
@@Nexusofgeek oh it’s definitely both
I get it, but i still cringe. Lol
I cannot wait to see your reaction to the next episode. One of my all time favorite.
but an overrated one, while good, there are better episodes imo coming up
Yes! This episode and the next are two of my favourites!
The episode was made to make fun of people that were shipping Buffy and Spike. It only made the shippers more hungry.
One of my favorite episodes to come back to when I need a pick-me-up. The comedy is really on point.
"Look at my poor neck..." Love this episode so much. And yes Spike mentioned the reality her friends were missing. Another shot in my Buffy is accidentally Sailor Moon theory, Bunny would often say, even when under the spell that being sailor moon must have protected her. And much like Buffy is sometimes protected despite that clueless ego slipping in. On Oz, well, the actor had the Italian Job to get to, he needed his stuff.
10:43 excellent catch I'm watching this with a friend who happens to be a witch and she said the same thing. She also said it's incredibly dangerous that when she tried to do that spell on veruca and Oz that she didn't close it after. That left open a door to darkness she said. Good thing it's a TV show and not real life. On the what actually works she said like Giles said emotions are involved and she didn't have the same seriousness she had when she said those statements about her friends.
"Where is Angel to witness this?" officially the best reaction to this episode
27:08 it is incredibly smart that you're at a place in Buffy that you're already deciding what's going to end this before something even really begins. That is a fate of all Joss whedon shows.
“She also said it’s incredibly dangerous when she tried to do that spell on Veruca and Oz that she didn’t close it after. That left open a door to darkness she said. Good thing it’s a TV show and not real life.”
SPOILER:
Season 6 Willow is knocking. Don’t let her in.
Giles is by far my favourite character in Season 4! He’s so frickin hilarious. This episode & a couple later in the season he had me laughing so hard 😂
HUGE SPOILERS: Thor don’t read this!
‘Something Blue’ is like ‘Tabula Rasa’ on a leash. In both cases Willow never intended to cause harm to her friends but in ‘Something Blue’ the spell was meant to be for herself. In ‘Tabula Rasa’ it’s meant for Buffy and Tara. Both are destructive spells that have dire consequences but one of them genuinely is a mistake in effort to quickly heal her heart, the other is a purposeful attempt to sweep issues under the rug.
However, what both episodes have in common is that both are a way of Willow avoiding addressing and dealing with her emotions. Both are using magic as a means to escape feeling her emotions. Both are a crutch to make up for what she feels she lacks in herself. And in that way - they are directly connected and show that Willow’s arc was always in character despite it not being made clear it’s true foundation. Where the addiction actually stems from and what kind of addiction it actually is. It’s an emotional one.
Every time someone says that Willow’s magic addiction just came out of nowhere and was just a way to create drama between Willow and Tara and the Scoobies, I mention ‘Something Blue’. Because in both cases magic is used as drug to self-medicate and that self-medicating had second-hand smoke effects on everyone else. It was harmful for everyone. Whether it was intended to be or not doesn’t matter. The fact is that Willow’s use of magic leaned more towards destructiveness than beneficialness and she excused it as “helping” or “healing” when it was actually harming and hurting both herself and others.
Quick fixes and bandaids never help or heal anything. What they do is they make problems more difficult to solve or take longer to find solution. Willow needed to be told that her abuse of magic was dangerous for everyone involved - whether purposeful or accidental. And she is all throughout the show but the conversation always avoids the main point. Which is that using it to offset something internal - emotions/insecurities/anxieties - will only lead to both internal and external destruction because it is not addressing and dealing with them honestly, intimately and head on. It is avoiding and escaping them instead - thus making things much worse “inside” and “outside”.
So if ‘Something Blue’ is the start of Willow’s spiral into emotional addiction, then ‘Tabula Rasa’ is the inevitable conclusion of it. Ignore the “magic” part. That’s not as relevant as the necessity to use it’s power to counteract Willow’s insecurities of being powerless or useless or valueless or worthless. She knew it was her best chance because it’s what she’s best at. They could have done the same with her preference for hacking and technology engineering but they never do - instead they give Warren that arc. And it’s not lost on me the similarities between them as far as the need for accumulation of power goes. All they do is make it clear Warren’s intentions are evil - he intends to control, he intends dominate, he intends to rape, he intends to murder. Willow never intends any of this - but it is exactly what she does anyway.
“They’re the bad guys - I’m not the bad guy.”
Translation: “It is justified for me to do it because I do not intend to do evil with it. They do.”
But Willow - you become like them anyway because you avoid the truth behind the actions. And the truth is that you’re the one in pain. You’re the one that’s sad. You’re the one that’s confused. You’re the one that HAS THE PROBLEM. Not Buffy and Tara. And you know this is the truth, you just refuse to face it.
I will keep saying it: the only thing that’s wrong with this character is that this character thinks and believes that there’s something wrong with them. It’s entirely an insecurity issue right from the beginning. And they mislead you into thinking that that is improved or fixed - when it’s only just covered up. This is the meaning of Willow’s nightmare in ‘Restless’. The hiding and disguising. The “costume” she wears. The “character” she plays. The “part” she performs. It’s all Willow. There’s no doubt about that. But at the same time - it’s a perception severely filtered by lies and an identity veiled in ego. It’s not so much that she’s pretending to be someone she’s not because you can’t pretend to be something you’re not aware of being. But it is an act. A performance. An obliviously and obsessively chronic and compulsive behaviour.
That is why Willow is such a profound character.
I love that you are having so much fun with this show! It is my absolute favorite tv series of all time! I love seeing people react to it. I also like that you critique and analyze the episodes so well. You can tell that Whedon and the writers put so much skill into their episode directions. Now hurry up so we can fast forward to season 5 which is BEST series villian of all time!! LBVS!
When Buffy tells Willow it is going to take time, she is speaking from a place of both deep and very recent experience. Highlighted by her comment about how hard it was seeing Angel for ‘5 minutes’. But I also wonder if she is also in some ways unconsciously ignoring Willow’s as she is working (hard) on moving through her own.
SPOILERS:
Yeah, they do seem to cross each other’s branches without meeting in the middle and growing together sometimes with these “intimate” discussions. Reminds me of them in Season 6. How they’re just using each other as sounding boards for their own pain and are projecting each other’s internal shit and not really listening to what each other have to say. Makes sense every time they’re both going through the pits that they’d just be like hollow trees where sound goes in one ear and out the other. Neither of them are picking the info up.
This is my go to feeling-a bit-crappy ep. Never fails to cheer me up.
My favourite scene hands-down has got to be the exposition scene in ‘Hush’. Not only is it comedic genius but it’s also a very clever way of showing us exactly what we need to know about the storyline. However, the reason why I love it so much is because it proves exactly what Joss wanted the whole episode to prove. You can have exceptionally good writing with absolutely no dialogue whatsoever so long as you have very skilled and professional acting performers. Normally I don’t like exposition in a TV show because I prefer to interpret for myself. But that’s just the thing. Without dialogue I am actually able to do just that. And we all know this scene is quite iconic in the fandom because ‘Buffy will patrol tonight” is a meme.
Omg I love this episode so much 💜🤣
@@smashbrandiscootch719 yessss! 💜
buffy and spike are everything in this episode hahahahaahaha
The show continues in the Buffy comics. I read a few issues of season 10 in the comics and Spike and Buffy do end up together.
I don't care how this sounds but you have beautiful hair man
Another one of my favourite episodes of this season! I enjoy these types of episodes so much with the comedy and dialogue between the characters 😂
The next episode is also one of my favs!
17:39 Right? I know they’re under a spell but it seems out of character that Spike would “start in” on Joyce. He gets along great with his potential mother-in-law.
I don't think it was a slight on her as much as her poor choice in choosing a name for her offspring lol
@@Nexusofgeek yeah, they’re like bickering neighbours who watch the same TV show together every now and again.
*Can you imagine Spike and Joyce fighting over what’s going on on ‘Passions’*
Spike: “Joyce. You’re an idiot *affectionately* Timmy’s lost his leg. That’s why his limping. He isn’t drinking. He is just missing a part of his identity.”
Joyce: “Then what’s the beer bottle for?”
Spike: “That’s for bashing his attackers over the head if they try to get near him.”
Joyce: “OH. Buffy be a dear daughter and fetch us some chips.”
Buffy: “o_o” *goes to the kitchen*
Spike: *shouts from the sitting toom* “Oh, and honey, get us a cold one from the fridge.”
Buffy: *shouts back* “Your blood or a beer?”
Spike: *shouting* “Surprise me.” *smiles at his soon-to-be-mother-in-law*
*Both return their attention to the TV just as invested before the debate*
Somebody should write a domestic fluff fan-fiction for the betrothed with Joyce in the mix.
@@Nexusofgeek Haha, could be 😆
If Jeremy Irons couldn’t be the voice of Scar in The Lion King, I wish Anthony Head (Giles) would have been. An evil Giles would be kinda cool.
‘Hush' is a lesson on the importance of TEAM WORK, either separately and externally, or conjunctly and internally. The powers shown by Buffy/Riley and Willow/Tara in being paired up for the episode are that of the Physical VS Mental. Buffy and Riley are the masculine-coded PHYSICAL POWER. Willow and Tara are the feminine-coded MENTAL POWER. What you see of Buffy and Riley is independent action, but it's still a joint effort. What you see of Willow and Tara is dependent action, but it's still individual effort. The juxtapositions are really damn clever in the writing of the parallels between them as far as their duo power goes and in this episode they are key to saving the day. I'll do my very best to explain why this matters.
A HUGE part of the reason why the episode stands out to me so much is because of the focus on body language/connection and reading/using energy to accomplish certain tasks. For an example with using body language/connection: When Buffy and Riley cannot speak to each other in such a distressing time, they kiss to communicate their love and care for one another, which then reassures them and provides them the courage needed to carry on in their individual actions. For an example in reading/using energy: When Willow and Tara rush into the Stevenson laundry room to escape from The Gentlemen, Tara automatically understands what Willow is trying to do in using her energy to telekinetically move the soda machine to block the door. When she realizes she doesn't have enough power to achieve it alone, she interlaces her fingers with Willow's to combine their energies into one elemental force, knowing that the power of two is required to complete the task. Thus, both body language/connection and reading/using energy is what effectively saves the day. Buffy's scream is just the sword, it is not the offence against The Gentlemen. The soda machine is just the shield, it is not the defense that protects Willow and Tara. It's actually the energy and the communication that makes these material things useful and beneficial in the different and specific situations they are in.
'Hush' is an absolute masterpiece of very cleverly thought out and passionate TV show writing and I've merely only scratched the surface as to why. I fear if I gush about 'Hush' anymore and elaborate on its written themes, I'll spoil some very important things about S4. Thor, you've finally come into the epitome of the brilliance of 'BtVS'. Why it's such a cult classic in TV history. I'm so excited for you because it just gets better and better from here.
Awwww….you left out the funniest line! Zander: How? What? How? Giles: Three excellent questions.
Forgive me if this is a repeated comment but think of that poor actress playing Amy. Imagine the phone call that we need you for 3 seconds and you'll be naked lol
What a wild episode! Always a fan favorite for obvious reasons. And Xander is looking jacked this season
It’s just for Anya’s sake. 😂
Tonight is the night of the Italian witch, la Befana, and your video is another gift to add to those received in my stocking. I can't stop watching it over and over again
This and Band Candy, funniest episodes in the series. And that's a pretty high bar.
I haaaaate Riley's "and you're going to teach me" line with every fibre of my being though. Literally the only bum note in this episode.
I always stop the episode right before that scene starts.
why? He is a guy impressed by Buffy, an extraordinary person, it is not like at his young age he would have much experience with women. At least that we know of. He's no Parker Abrams, but then again, Parker was just an a$$
Crossed a line of greatness?
Another one of my favorites. This episode is hilarious
I think there is something blue in every scene in this episode, at least more or less.
I love love love this episode. It's so funny. And I like Riley and Buffy's relationship at this point. His "you're gonna teach me" line is the only thing I don't like. Kinda odd. But anyway, this episode is so over the top that it just works in Buffy's universe.
12:54 That is an interesting question. 🤔
Posting my BUFFY REWATCH recap for ‘Something Blue’. May contain spoilers.
Ohhhhh... I have a lot of thoughts about this episode. To unpack them all would take far too long. I'll just get to the point.
The foreshadowing to Dark Willow. Whether intentional or not,... this confirms the theory I came up with about how Dark Willow is a demon alter ego of Willow that lives in a alternate dimension of her psyche and only emerges through pure unrestrained rage and the corruptive power of the Black Arts and is not any kind of separate and different entity that possesses her. There’s different psychological dimensions to what a person is. The human in particular is a multi-dimensional being but is not fully aware of it. There are many energetic layers to what we are in our true nature.
D’Hoffryn: “your pain - it's like a scream that pierces dimensional walls.”
Willow: “pain... what pain?”
Thus, the conclusion is: Dark Willow is a vengeance demon. The one that D’Hoffryn was promising to mentor her into becoming in this episode. Looks like she didn’t need his help. She was perfectly capable of becoming one herself as it was already part of what she was. Part of her true nature. The abusive part through personal pain.
Does this make Willow a monster? Yes, but not one incapable of being redeemed. Not one incapable of humanity. And that’s why her evolution is so poignant. She represents what we refuse to recognize in ourselves when we deal with the human condition.
one of my fav episodes
You're the only reactor to voice outloud putting Cordelia in Xander's list of attracting demons lol 😉👍.
Also Xander's line: "Right, you're marrying Spike because you're so right for each other." I'm like 👀. They are similar in certain ways. I'll bring this up much later on in the show and we'll discuss this even further.
She's doing her telepathy thing here.
*Shoves cookie in Spike's mouth"
Willow: "Now shut it, stupid vampire."
I always assumed that spells on the hellmouth are inclined to go south
I recommend "Molly' 2017 movie it is free on Tubi and I think your reaction to that would be fun to watch.
Spike and Therapy… maybe having no Soul as a Vampire 🧛🏻♂️ is good for the mental Health? 😄😄😄 😉😎😄
i love this episode. its so funny. i also like tehafren, i think hes interesting, not mean really, fair, just this is the work he does and joining is a choice.
Yeah, but once you’re in, you’re in for life. You don’t get a choice then.
Like Thor said. Don’t sign on the dotted line.
Giles: "You'll what? Lick me to death?"
My inner BL Junkie demon: "Yes, please. But, just the 'little death'."
I love D'Hoffryn
The fanfiction episode!!!
So true haha
Superheroes have always been able to have relationships with normal people.
Superman has Lois Lane, after all.
All Amy had to do was scream out that she was back🤦
This ep is fun for sure,but all the Spuffy stuff in it prevents me from fully appreciate it!😖I'm like Giles,trying to cringe my way out of that sight/hearing!! 17:28 - 17:32
03:07 - 03:41 #Justice4Willow ❣
06:48 - 06:51 *THANK YOU!!!THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!!!!!*
07:56 - 07:58 🥺🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔
12:17 - 12:25 He can't harm any human in any physical way.
14:59 - 14:50 IF ONLY!!!🙄16:37 - 16:43 Poor Riley.💚18:36 - 18:41 💙
19:26 - 19:31 She's A-DO-RA-BLE.❤
21:11 - 21:18 😊❤❤
21:34 - 21:39 😂😂😂💚💛
like the comment as a petition for Lassie reactions