The Killer in Me - Buffy Episode Review

MikeJer's Buffy Reviews

THE KILLER IN ME (7x13)

A review by Mikelangelo "MikeJer" Marinaro,
April 24, 2009 @ 10:30pm PDT

Writer:	Drew Z. Greenberg
Director:	David Solomon

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WARNING: This is a retrospective review and may contain SPOILERS. Read at your own discretion.

There's no polite way to put this: "The Killer in Me" doesn't get much right and is easily the worst episode since "Where the Wild Things Are" [4x18]. The good news is that I think this is going to be the low point of the season. As for this episode, though, oh where do I begin? There's tone problems, pacing problems, and plotting problems all over the place. I think there's something worth exploring somewhere inside here, but that vision is far too muddy to make any sense of it. I take it you probably want some more specifics though, right? Well, okay, but just this time...

Before I dig into my many problems with this episode, let me just say that the moment when Willow and Kennedy kiss only to have Warren say "well, that was nice," is so insane that I can't help but laugh. Poor, poor Kennedy did not deserve that! Also, a lot of the early scenes with Willow as Warren are tapped quite nicely for their inherent comical possibilities, with a particularly inspired moment involving Andrew -- always extremely fond of Warren -- grabbing Willow as Warren on the "boobs." This moment is extremely funny because of how much it plays with everyone. Think about this for a moment: we have Andrew, a sexually confused, likely gay, guy grabbing the boobs of Willow, a lesbian, who has the visage of Warren, the guy Andrew was kind of into. Ahhh!! :)

So Spike's chip is malfunctioning, huh? I suppose this could help explain some of the inconsistencies with it not firing off lately. My problem with this is simply that it wasn't made clear in previous episodes. This major of a change in Spike really should have been plotted much better than it has. I also find it to be a little bit of a stretch that Spike is just now having extreme pain in his head -- this feels a little abrupt for me. In general, I love the idea of Spike needing to get his chip removed, and Buffy being the one to make that choice, but the implementation here is sadly lacking in both reason and emotional pull.

As for Willow and Kennedy, I can appreciate that the writers are at least making an effort to address Willow's past and hesitations about starting a new relationship. But, I have to say, it makes me feel a bit awkward seeing Willow being able to so quickly jump into another relationship, not just because of the circumstances of Tara's death, but also because Kennedy is simply so not Willow's type. I, in no way, can see the two of them really sticking it out long term. Tara was an excellent fit for Willow -- they complemented each other extremely well. I don't feel that with Kennedy. The big scene at the end of the episode tries hard to get us to see Willow's pain in letting go of Tara, all in an effort to convince us she's now free to start something new with Kennedy. The problem is that I can't help but feel this whole resolution is far too pat and manufactured. So, while I appreciate the effort, it still ultimately falls flat for me. I don't feel this episode at all earns what it set out to do.

Unfortunately, the problems with this episode run even deeper than I've already mentioned. The attempt to distinctly separate the humor from the drama did not work. Buffy, as a show, works best when it's able to blend its humor with its drama. This is something "Killer in Me" fails at, badly. We have a funny scene one moment, and then uninteresting drama the next. The episode is so split between its plot threads that it doesn't amount to anything engaging. Buffy and Spike going back down into the Initiative, and having people still be there is also pretty darn ridiculous.

On the Willow thread, we see Alyson Hannigan and Adam Busch as Willow, but it switches between the two actors so frequently that what's left is just a bunch of uninteresting mush. It's like they didn't trust Adam to pull off a good Willow for a very long period of time. Then there's the completely unnecessary shoe-horning of Amy into the story. Why is Amy the one doing this to Willow? Why now? Why is this the last time we see Amy? Why didn't the writers make much better use of Amy after mid-S6? Why am I so bored by all this? Then there's the abrupt "resolution" to the worry that Giles is the First. When we find out that he's not, it only makes us feel cheated and mislead rather than relieved. Why'd they even go there if all they had planned is a cheap gag?

Altogether, this is honestly a complete mess of an episode. It started out alright, with some decent intentions and a bit of humor, but it quickly devolved into nonsense. Sadly, this episode really doesn't even feel like a Buffy episode. If there's one moment where I agree with all the complaints leveled at S7, it's with this episode. While I'll give it due props for at least trying to do something, it ultimately doesn't succeed at very much of it.

	Pros:
+	Buffy teasing Willow about bringing tea to Kennedy.
+	A mention of Willow's parents -- it's been a while.
+	Spike having brain pain in the background of the scene where Buffy is on the phone with the Initiative.
+	Everyone having fun poking at Willow as Warren while Spike's brain is exploding in the background.

	Cons:
-	The Amy "oops" moment. How is Amy knowing Kennedy is a Potential at all implicating her in doing something to Willow? Just plain sloppy writing.
-	The pointless demon down in the Initiative.
-	I highly doubt a recent murder suspect would be allowed to just pick up another gun at the same store he bought one at before. The Sunnydale police must still be completely incompetent I guess.

BUFFY:	I know. But you should go. This trip is important for the girls to understand the source of their power, and to know how to use it right.
GILES:	Do you think they appreciate the gravity of what we're undertaking? It's frightening, and it's difficult. And then, apparently, someone told them that the vision quest consists of me driving them to the desert, doing the hokey pokey until a spooky Rasta-mama slayer arrives and speaks to them in riddles.

BUFFY:	Remember when things used to be nice and boring?
WILLOW:	... No.

BUFFY:	Well, we'll fix it. We'll hit serious research mode.
SPIKE:	Good. Try Behavioral Modification Software Throughout the Ages.
BUFFY:	Okay. You're right. Not a book thing. It's a phone thing.
SPIKE:	Who you gonna call? God, that phrase is never gonna be useable again, is it?

WILLOW (WARREN):	No, I'm not. It's not! I'm not it. Listen to me.
ANDREW:	No more listening. I know who you are now. I know what you made me do. Your promises of happy fields and dancing schnauzers and being demigods won't work on me anymore!

WILLOW (WARREN):	I'm Willow.
XANDER:	Are you sure?
WILLOW (WARREN):	There are other stories from kindergarten. Non yellow crayon stories in which you don't come out in such a good light. An incident involving Aquaman underoos, for example. You want me to start talking!?

50/100

D
■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Silly, useless plot. Poor execution of intended (if any) themes. No new important character development or insight. Offers no reason to bother rewatching it.

1.	TaraApr 24, 2009 (Fri)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	I hated hated hated the 'Giles as the First' tease, because the writers basically wrote themselves into a corner, managing to irritate the fans with an odd out-of-character pseudo Giles for no apparent reason. I wish they'd either had the balls to go through with the idea, or not bothered to raise it at all, so at least we could have had the proper, bookish, fatherly and endearingly awkward Giles we know and love. Either way it would have been better. because, let's face it, this plot thread sucked. If Giles had been the First (although a bit of a stretch - are we seriously supposed to believe the Anya of the last few Seasons hadn't hugged him at least once since his return???) it would have been a serious punch in the gut to the Potentials who had placed their lives in his hands, but also shaken the Scoobies to the core and made the First actually a threat again. Ever since Conversations With Dead People, I haven't been scared for this lot. But imagine if it had gone undiscovered until 'Lies my Parents Told Me' where we have the First in the guise of Giles subtly throughout the Season undermining Buffy's leadership and further alienating her from her friends and troops. It would have been horrible (but perversely fascinating - much in the vein of Angelus) to see an evil Giles, but at least it would have justified the weirdness of Season 7 Giles. It was as though the writers forgot how to write his character, and they basically wasted a bunch of episodes with a ridiculous, unconvincing tease.

2.	Darth BunnyApr 24, 2009 (Fri)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	Hmm, while some things I agree with, Amy, Giles as the First, the military complex underground that was supposed to be filled with concert, I actually enjoyed the storyline with Willow/Warren. Maybe it's because I don't mind the Kennedy/Willow relationship as much as the others. True, it's not long term, but rebound can certainly be helpful. While Kennedy might not be Willow's perfect match, she did fulfill a role later on down the line. Each of Willow's relationships so far has served to, or tried to, help her as a person. Oz gave her a self-confidence boost, Tara was the speed bump to her magic addiction, and Kennedy, if we look at 'Get it done', helps her reestablish her faith in herself. Also, I thought that 'date' between the two at the bronze was well-done, even if it was a minor scene. It also made a very interesting point about homosexuality: People often realize they are gay not after they fall in love with people of the same gender, but a single individual who just happens to be of the same gender. Not sure if I made that clear. Granted, I still believe in a fluid sexuality for Willow, but this piece of information doesn't clash with Willow's character. As for the whole Amy/Giles thing, I think the episode and the plot of the season would have been better served if Amy was working for the First. With a witch on the First's side, we could have introduced Caleb in this episode by having Amy cast a spell on Caleb to make him look like Giles while the First tortures the real Giles to gain the location of the scythe. The whole Willow/Warren thing could have been a diversion for the real plan: to purge the potentials. The more I write about it, the more I wish they had thought of it. Caleb as Giles would have allowed them to keep the red herring, actually given this episode a purpose, and allowed the writers to bring the focus back on the main characters, all while setting up for the grand finale. So yeah, too many dangling plot lines here to fix. I still, however, think a slightly higher grade would have been fine.

3.	LeeluApr 24, 2009 (Fri)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	Just a note: gender is the role one plays, while sex is their physical setup. 8P I agree with you about Willow and Kennedy being not a great match, as well as the whole relationship feeling rushed. There really wasn't any time passed since Tara's death. Certainly not the amount of time you'd think Willow would need, seeing as she was so upset she almost destroyed the world. 8S I don't wholly agree with your assessment of this episode, though. Yes, it certainly has its many faults, but I actually find it to be kind of interesting. I would have at least given it a solid D, rather than a D-. haha Besides, it awesome compared to "Where the Wild Things Are". ugh 8S

4.	HarFangApr 24, 2009 (Fri)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	Beg to differ: I enjoyed Where the Wild Things Are a LOT compared with that one! It felt so wrong. So THANK YOU Mike for being totally fair and objective in that review! As you say, its core ideas were not that bad, it's just that most of them were handled with all the finesse of a bulldozer. - Willow's newfound passion for a very obnoxious stranger: even Buffy's disastrous Parker episode had received more build-up than that! Willow may be on the rebound, but it seems totally unlike her: the last time she was heart-broken, she still took months to form a new bond with Tara. And Tara really was worth it. - As for Giles, what a letdown. The previous episodes created a really intriguing setup, and then --nothing. That also really undermines his character, and I much prefer the alternative scenarios that have been suggested here! I would feel much better if I knew that the guy who set Spike up and tried to manipulate Buffy in Lies... really was the villain in disguise. (Except that the Hero-turned-bad plotline had already been used twice, with Angel and Willow, so it would probably have felt a bit rehashed in season 7.) Anyway, I love Giles and I can't help but feel hurt that he finished the last season on such an unheroic note.

5.	LeeluApr 24, 2009 (Fri)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	I love Giles. He's my favorite character. But honestly, I don't think they COULD have done much with him (as himself) this season. He was getting old, worn down, physically and mentally--he was way past his prime. After seven years of all this crap all the time, it's no wonder he's finally at a loss of ideas, etc. Now, this being said, that doesn't mean the writers couldn't have handled the whole Giles situation better. He was kind of manhandled a bit this season. 8S As much as it pains me to say, I would have been okay if they HAD killed him, if it were well written and all that. It actually has kind of always bothered me that the core four never REALLY have anything happen to them. Emotionally, sure. Eventually, there's some minor physical loss. Sure Buffy died twice, but she bounced back from both. But you never REALLY fear for them, because it's been pretty well established from the past 6 years of show that nothing final will happen to them. 8S

6.	RickApr 24, 2009 (Fri)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	This episode had me crying out in my sleep for "I Robot, You Jane." Just kidding.... I WAS ACTUALLY CRYING OUT FOR "GLITTER!"

7.	Darth BunnyApr 24, 2009 (Fri)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	"I love Giles. He's my favorite character. But honestly, I don't think they COULD have done much with him (as himself) this season. He was getting old, worn down, physically and mentally--he was way past his prime. After seven years of all this crap all the time, it's no wonder he's finally at a loss of ideas, etc." I don't think the problem could be explained by his age. If that was ever a problem, it was in season 4 with his mid-age crisis. Furthermore, Giles just took a break from the action in season 6, with the exception of Willow. The problem, as Lies My Parents Told Me, tries to assert, is that Giles is still stuck in the council's old ways, despite the fact the latter is now gone.

8.	LeeluApr 24, 2009 (Fri)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	Well, that really just gives MORE reason for Giles to not be "the hero" in this season. 8P

9.	AdamApr 24, 2009 (Fri)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	I hate this episode along with at least 10 other episodes of season 7. Such wasted potential (no pun intended).

10.	TommyApr 25, 2009 (Sat)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	If they didn't have the speculation that Giles may be The First, then wouldn't you have been left wandering 'Why did they show him nearly get his head hacked off by a Bringer'? It does sort of explain. Although, same with Eve, why HAS nobody hugged him or seen him hold/lift anything? I myself didn't enjoy the whole idea of Willow turning into Warren. It was quite stupid, i thought. But I LOVED Willow and Kennedy's relationship! And Spike's chip malfunctioning...well. They could have picked a worse malfunction...

11.	Tara and WillowApr 25, 2009 (Sat)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	I completely agree! The Killer in Me is the worst episode since S4 and it was such a waste of time. This might be the worst episode of the whole series. And great review Mike!

12.	buffyholicApr 25, 2009 (Sat)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	Can I just say that IÂ´m afraid of all of you right now? Because I really enjoyed this episode. Sure it has problems: I really dislike what they do with Giles, it seems forced but the part where all Scoobies hug him is fun as is the little talk with Buffy about meeting rasta mama slayer, that always crack me up! I donÂ´t like the use of the Initiative, they said to burn and cover it with salt at the end of S4. But I do like their interaction with each other. The Willow/Warren/Kennedy was really well-done for me, including their little date. And I like Kennedy, it just seems right. Of course theyÂ´re not gonna last but Kennedy is giving her some confidence, something she lacks in S7 due to her magic issues. And AH and AB did a great job and for me, it worked out great and the last scene is heartbreaking and totally earned. It doesnÂ´t mean that she is over Tara, it just means that she is able to move on and until now, she felt she couldnÂ´t move on, she felt she was disrespecting Tara. So, mike, I agree with your review but you could have give it a higher score.

13.	TillApr 25, 2009 (Sat)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	The misuse of Amy is my biggest problem with this episode, though that's probably exacerbated by the horrendous retcon done in the comics (so Willow never killed Warren and Amy is a big bad). I liked early pre-rat Amy. I liked S6 irresponsible addict Amy. But here we see her taking petty revenge on Willow for some half-assed, barely plausible reason. It doesn't work.

14.	JVampApr 25, 2009 (Sat)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	The amy stuff is a bit silly. I would have preferred it if it was Willow doing it to herself as a way to subconciously atone for Warren's murder. Still, I don't think it was at all terrible. Below average but mostly watchable.

15.	benboy606Apr 25, 2009 (Sat)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	Ah, I (almost) completely agree LOL! I hate this episode, but "Where The Wild Things Are" is at least entertaining. The Giles stuff, Anya/Xander interactions, Spike was still funny, an interesting plot with the ghosts. But "The Killer In Me" has almost no redeeming qualities, IMO. This is an F, without a doubt, for me. I get bored, and then when I try to pay attention, I get annoyed with what is actually happening in this episode. I can't stand this one.

16.	GuidoApr 25, 2009 (Sat)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	This episode felt like a scrap heap for loose ends and plot bits. It's as if the writer rushed through a checklist of things that needed to be tidied up: -Let's get that chip out of Spike's head: check. -What about a last shout-out to the Riley and the Initiative: check. -Okay, enough teasing about whether Giles is the First: check. -I suppose slayers need to do the rasta mama thing: check. -We need to get Willow off Tara and on to Kennedy: check. -Dang, almost forgot about Amy. Hmm: check. Every Buffy episode is entertaining--this one is no exception--but if I had to pick a winner for the highest number of sloppy contrivances, it would go The Killer in Me. It's a sad and mostly unnecessary reminder that the Series was soon coming to an end. I would have gladly given up closure on Amy, and any further mention of the Initiative, in favor of a more carefully constructed story.

17.	SamApr 26, 2009 (Sun)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	Mike, I agree with your review--this episode had way too much going on as an attempt to clear multiple things at once to concentrate on other issues later. I've come around about Kennedy as Willow's g/f, but that's about it. However, I also want to say that the picture you chose to link to this review on your front page is priceless--it really does look like Buffy is getting ripped a new one! No doubt that was your intention. I just wanted to say that it made me LOL. :)

18.	JulieApr 26, 2009 (Sun)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	The "Is Giles the first?" tease played for a horribly unfunny, un-Giles-like joke, is, for me, the low point of the entire series! It makes me so angry! I like that Willow turned into Warren. I think it was a great choice to illustrate the interesting and disturbing parallels between the two characters, and this is why it was necessary to show both Alyson and Adam playing the Willow-as-Warren role. The impact would be lost if we only saw "Warren" doing those things. I also have to admit it was cathartic for me to see Willow cry and express her fears of moving on and letting go of her memory of Tara, but I wish she hadn't become involved with Kennedy so fast. I also wish Buffy, Xander, and/or Dawn had been part of it. I agree this episode has some serious problems but I'd rate it a bit higher.

19.	TomApr 26, 2009 (Sun)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	I agree with Darth Bunny above about the Willow/Kennedy relationship - it may not have long-term relationshp written on it, but it's definitely something that works to help Willow's confidence in herself - Kennedy has seen her and decided that she is still someone worth entering a relationship. That there is something about her that could be considered attractive is something that Willow is rather reluctant to believe at all. It's definitely not something that could last forever, but for Willow at this point in time, it's something that she needs. The bit with Amy, though, I really think is a disappointing final note for her character. I can understand the idea behind what she's saying, but it's got no development and no follow up because we're busy with stuff with the First. I've said it before, sometimes it seems like there was so much packed into Season Seven that there was material for a full additional season to get all of this dealt with.

20.	ChristianApr 28, 2009 (Tue)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	Great review. This episode lacked a lot, but personally, I still find many episodes in S6 to be worse. As with some of you, my biggest problem was with Amyâ€¦ when I first saw this episode I thought the first killed Amy and that it was actually him in Amyâ€™s form present. Then Amyâ€™s unconvincing speech about hating Willow for always being forgiven even though she made huge mistakesâ€¦ how does she know that and why would she care? Did she ever even want to be part of the Scoobies so her jealousy could be reasonable? I donâ€™t think soâ€¦ maybe sheâ€™s just crazyâ€¦ but it still didnâ€™t work for me. I did like the last scene with Willow crying her heart out, but then again Allyâ€™s performances always get to me. I also think I would have liked the Kennedy character if only it were played by a better actressâ€¦ I know sheâ€™s supposed to be sassyâ€¦ but sheâ€™s just annoying.

21.	EmilyJun 22, 2009 (Mon)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	I'm gonna go with buffyholic here and say that I really liked this episode- character development (at least for Willow), good pacing, and humor. I didn't feel that the humor and drama were at odds at all. I loved the Willow/Warren story, and I agree with Julie that the impact would've been lost if we'd seen only Warren as Willow. I loved how they went from one to the other so seamlessly. The only thing I disliked was that it was Amy who was doing this to Willow, for no good reason. To bring her down a notch? That's one of the dumbest things the writers thought of for this show. I would've preferred if Amy's overall arc had ended in S6, and it was Willow who was doing this to herself, like someone here mentioned. Of course, the "Willow-is-doing-a-spell-and-not-realizing-it" plot is used enough by now, but it would've been better than this. I liked the whole Giles-as-the-First- ducking the arrows of fire and spears being thrown at me!! So there's no points off for me there. I never had a problem with it, and always thought it was kinda funny. "Buffy and Spike going back down into the Initiative, and having people still be there is also pretty darn ridiculous." Mike, I never really thought they were all still there, working as the Initiative. It was made pretty clear by the end of S4 that the Initiative was done and over with. I always thought that they had come for Buffy, because Riley told them to. Never had a problem with that either. 78

22.	SeleneJun 29, 2009 (Mon)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	I'm not overly fond of this episode, mostly because it felt like it was trying to force us to accept Willow and Kennedy as a couple. It was like the writers didn't want to let come to accept them (or not accept them, as the case may be) at our own pace; we had to do it NOW, and that was all there was to it. Now Willow's emotional breakdown at the end was heartbreaking and Aly's performance was brilliant (as always) but unfortunately it was marred by the switches to Warren and the presence of Kennedy, who I must admit I never cared for. She was too insensitive (calling that one Potential a maggot and reveling in it) and too much a power junkie in her own right (wanting to know the extent of Willow's powers; repeatedly telling Buffy that Willow is more powerful than she is; and her obvious joy and delight in having authority over the other Potentials) Not the person I could ever see Willow hooking up with in any lifetime or dimension. And the whole 'Is Giles the First?' was rather silly, but it did lead to one of the best lines out of the whole series: "Wait, let me understand. You thought I was evil because I took a group of young girls on a camping trip and didn't touch them??" All in all, this episode was definitely a disappointment.

23.	gsilverAug 5, 2009 (Wed)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	As for 'Guiles as the first' stuff, from the viewers point of view, there's no way he even could be. Anya clearly touches Guiles arm at the end of the hell dimension scene in 7x11, and he was supposedly 'killed' before leaving Europe. Just another example of bad writing.

24.	jarppuAug 5, 2009 (Wed)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	Another example of bad writing: Spelling 'Giles' as 'Guiles'. Zing!!

25.	gsilverAug 5, 2009 (Wed)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	I've probably just been playing too much Street Fighter recently. Guile is my main...

26.	VictoriaSep 29, 2009 (Tue)View This Person's Comments \| Link
	I didn't have too much of an issue with the Giles/First plug... I think it was just supposed to be a semi-humorous resolution to the awesome cliff-ending we got with Giles almost getting his head sliced and diced by a Bringer. This season needs some classic Scooby humor and the moment in the next ep when Giles confirms that he is, indeed, human is funny. My BIGGEST issue with this EP is the Kennedy/Willow thing. I really feel like that WHOLE contrived relationship is just an excuse for them to bring out the Darkness/Warren in Willow... I feel like that could have been done without the use of Kennedy at all, and instead perhaps The First could have used Warren as a way to drive Willow crazy with guilt (which would be an excellent follow-up to CWDP where it desperately tried to get Willow to cease magic, or at least kill herself). I have no problems with Willow confronting her inner darkness, dealing with all of her new magic, dealing with the way people look at her and treat her after seeing her flay a human being alive, and mourning/dealing with having to get over Tara. I mean, that last part is pretty much THE MOST AWFUL aspect of losing someone you love with your whole heart... you eventually have to actively decide to let go of what was, what might have been, and what will never be, and take small steps forward. :( it's so hard... Using Kennedy as a blanket to cover the Tara-issues was wrong and sloppy and lazy of the writers. I understand that a lot was going on in the season with Buffy and Spike, the Potentials, Principal Wood, and that makes it difficult to focus on EVERY single person's emotional journey... but really? Just sub this episode out with WILLOW'S BIG DAMN EMOTIONAL JOURNEY! My overall thoughts: I'm sorry but... if you almost DESTROY THE FREAKING WORLD for someone you love, you damn well better take more than a few months to get over them. (-_-); Tara was a beloved character who meant the world not only to Willow but to all of her fans, and the rest of the Scoobies. It was understandable (not only to the viewers, but to Xander, Anya and even Dawn) that Willow's rage at Warren wasn't entirely unjustified, and that her overwhelming grief and disbelief was enough to single-handedly bring down everything around their ears. But if you are going to go that route, do NOT allow that character to suddenly date the first person that shows interest. It was totally fine that Kennedy showed interest. I just wanted Willow to put her foot down about it, maybe scare Kennedy off with her dark side, or actually mention that the Scoobies have horrible luck with love and that chances are Kennedy would end up dead, a demon or in a demon dimension for eternity (I still hope that happens in comic-land). Hell, I'd have even settled for a corny, awkward speech about how Willow just isn't ready, and may never be ready to love again. I mean Buffy took off after she killed Angel in S2, she came back and tried to face everyone after her horrible year, Angel came back and they kind of resumed awkward hot/cold relations. Eventually, they just had to realize and agree that it would never work and Angel got his awesome spin-off. Buffy took more than an entire season to finally come to the conclusion that she and Angel would never be a real thing. She tried to move on at the beginning of S4 with Parker, but that went horribly awry, and she found a companion in Riley, but she botched that up too. It was a slap in the face to all the fans of Willow/Tara that Willow just took up with Kennedy barely a few months after Tara died. Not only does this relationship feel totally unrealistic and forced, it also thrusts Kennedy into a sudden position of "importance" that makes her think that she has an opinion, and worse, has a right to voice it (omg, I wanted to beat the crap out of her at the end of Empty Places -_-). Kennedy is wayyyy too pushy with Willow. I understand that they want Willow to feel secure using her magic again, but Kennedy forcing her to do so with speeches about how she's "a big bad wicca, the biggest baddest wicca that was" isn't the way they should. Maybe I just prefer Tara's whole "strong like an Amazon" silent cheering method... or maybe, you know, it made sense coming from Tara who was also a witch and understood the power, where it came from, and what it meant to harness and use it. I appreciate what they tried to do with Kennedy, and how they tried to make her Willow's new support beam... but I think Willow needed to learn to be Strong Like An Amazon all on her own (and maybe with the support of Buffy and Xander... oh, that could have been a GREAT WAY to mend things between the three not-so-best friends). It's like Kennedy was the writer's excuse to not flesh-out Willow's healing process. Instead of moving on, learning to be magically responsible, showing her friends that she's not a crazed killer, or proving to herself that she can be in control of things, she gets to have Kennedy push her in one direction or speak for her or whatever. ANNOYING! Yeah... A D- is a little generous. They really dropped the ball on this ep.

27.	KatieJOct 1, 2009 (Thu) @ 8:25pmView This Person's Comments \| Link
	What? What? Now I feel rather silly, having missed all the major arc errors in this episode that I adore. I completely got sucked into the Giles mislead, and Willow's "I let her go" comment....ach! I'm starting to tear up thinking of it. Alyson's acting really pulled this all together to create a rhythm not unlike "Earshot" where a magical force made for funny dialog that quickly descended into horror. Except that in this episode Willow's horror was even more profound and heartrending. And no matter how silly the idea to make Giles evil...it was all worth, "So you think I'm evil if I bring a group a girls out into the desert and DON'T touch them?"

28.	NixOct 14, 2009 (Wed) @ 3:39pmView This Person's Comments \| Link
	Victoria: seconded, only more so. Willow didn't just lose someone she loved. She had someone she loved shot dead in front of her for no reason and with no warning. I don't see how it could have been worse for her, really. (I suppose it was worse for Tara, but at least for her it was quick.)

29.	LucyOct 29, 2009 (Thu) @ 6:28amView This Person's Comments \| Link
	I totally agree with Mike. This episode is awful, especially this: Willow:"What are you doing?" Kennedy: "Bringing you back to life" aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Cheesiness in its most concentrated form! Cheesiness that makes no sense! Badly acted cheesiness! Cringe! But I do love the rest of season 7, though.

30.	CirrusNov 17, 2009 (Tue) @ 12:29pmView This Person's Comments \| Link
	This is very, very strange. I normally agree and find complete agreement with all of your reviews (except Checkpoint, which I really liked), but... I have to say, this was one of the only S7 episodes I really enjoyed. I've only watched up until this point so far, just reading your reviews as I watch the episode, by the way. For me this is by far the second best episode so far, after Sleeper. I don't think Willow/Kennedy is terrible. But then again, I never liked Willow/Tara that much, especially at the beginning. In fact, I'd say their relationship seemed even more shoehorned into the show, and the whole 'getting over Tara' thing? I always thought getting over Oz didn't take long -- and bear in mind that Willow's had a lot of time in England, thinking and training. I was a bit off about Willow/Kennedy until this episode, because it made it obvious she wasn't over Tara yet, in a satisfactory manner. I also really liked the chip thing for Spike, I don't think it was random -- nor do I think the Initiation thing was strange, like somebody mentioned, it seems like their people sort of just turned up when Riley told them about Buffy and Spike making their way there. As for the inconsistencies, I didn't think there was a great number more than in other episodes. This episode had life, had good ideas, something that I think the episodes before it completely lacked. I've always been told that S7 is terrible (worse than S6, which I didn't think was actually terrible, it was amazing at what it did, just not on the level of say, S5) but if this is regarded as the worst episode of the entire season, then I'm really hopeful for the rest of it! :D

31.	ChrisDec 8, 2009 (Tue) @ 5:57amView This Person's Comments \| Link
	Just rewatched. Not as bad as I remembered but still one of the less good episodes. This time round I quite liked the willow story it was a good way to have her re-examine what she did. However I am a massive willow-tara fan and wish that she had held off on her relationship with kennedy for a bit. The chip story was good in principle and a nice shout out to riley with ass-face etc. However the amount of people sent to them and going to the inititiative to find them did seem sloppy. I liked the giles mislead but can see why people wouldn't. I'd say C rather than D, however it is my least favourite episode in 7.

32.	Nathan.TaurusJan 4, 2010 (Mon) @ 10:45pmView This Person's Comments \| Link
	Wow! Harsh. It's funny because I didn't mind this episode and I quite liked 'Where the Wild Things Are'. I would rate it around 72 or so. You had the 'Ghostbusters' reference which is true: That phrase will never be useful again. Willow holding the gun gangsta style (yes, it's hip to spell incorrectly). And.....ah....Riley calling Spike "Ass face".

33.	AmAckFeb 26, 2010 (Fri) @ 6:39pmView This Person's Comments \| Link
	Sorry...way late to the game on this one. But I've enjoyed reading the reviews as I've watched the seasons. I just had to comment on the "Willow's moving on too fast" thing. I think Buffy's decision to kill Angel at the end of season two must have been just as (if not more) traumatic than Willow's witness of Tara's murder. And Buffy was ready to start a relationship with Scott Hope about 3 episodes into the next season. Even though it was clear that relationship wasn't going to last more than a few weeks, it still counts for something. I liked Kennedy as a potential slayer, and even though Willow/Kennedy is my least favorite Whedonverse relationship, I think it was a valid attempt.

34.	G1000Jun 2, 2010 (Wed) @ 7:04amView This Person's Comments \| Link
	How does this get a lower grade than "Doublemeat Palace". Apart from the whole Giles thing (which was idiotic), the other two plots worked rather well. And most people who say Willow's moving too fast are apparently forgetting something: a lot more time has passed than you think. The time-frame is a bit unclear, but after the events of "Grave" it's clear that Willow spent at least a few months in England. During that time, she learned about her magic. However, I'm sure that a lot of that time was spent grieving for Tara. So it's been a lot longer than most people realize. Eventually she has to move on, and I think this episode did a great job of dealing with that. Also, the demon fight in the caves was pretty cool.

35.	G1000Jun 2, 2010 (Wed) @ 7:06amView This Person's Comments \| Link
	Truthfully, I doubt she'll ever really be "over" Tara, though. How could she? But she can still meet someone new without feeling like she's disrespecting Tara. I just don't see how this gets a lower grade than some truly terrible episodes ("The Pack", "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", "Nightmares", etc...).

36.	yippers6Jul 12, 2010 (Mon) @ 5:32pmView This Person's Comments \| Link
	Buffy: Remember when things used to be nice and boring Willow: No That's the best comment in the series. From the start nothing was ever nice and boring

37.	yippers6Jul 20, 2010 (Tue) @ 9:48amView This Person's Comments \| Link
	spike:ow buffy ow? that was the best part of the episode that was this episode right

38.	Jimmy BAug 3, 2010 (Tue) @ 6:49pmView This Person's Comments \| Link
	My first comment on your excellent review site, and it has to be on this one. Wow - that was a uniquely painful episode. So ambitious, and yet so artless. It was like watching X3 directed by Brett Ratner - the fanboy is all excited about Dark Phoenix and Angel, while the rest of the brain is screaming about how badly it was all being done. Same thing here - interesting ideas, but just poorly executed. And somehow, watching it felt like it took like 3 hours. Just DRAGGED out.

39.	PatrickAug 4, 2010 (Wed) @ 11:49amView This Person's Comments \| Link
	I actually like Kennedy/Willow. I like how comfortable Kennedy is in her own skin and with her pursuit of Willow, and the relationship doesn't feel rushed to me. Willow spent some months in England where she got counseling, more or less, and that certainly helped her deal with her grief as well. There is no right or wrong time for people after the death of a partner; some get over it quickly, others grieve years. I can believe that Willow, due to her new philosophy of "everything's connected", had a much more natural outlook on death and could deal with her loss. I also like Kennedy though I wish her ideas about power and hierarchy had been challenged a little more over the course of the season; she strikes me as a perfect dictator in the making g

40.	JasonSep 16, 2010 (Thu) @ 10:22pmView This Person's Comments \| Link
	Wow-- what a strange experience that was. I just watched this episode, knowing this site had given it a D, you know, the kind of rating reserved for dreck like Some Assembly Required. 10 minutes into it I'm thinking "not so bad yet..."; 30 minutes into it I'm tensed, waiting for the other shoe to drop... ...and it never did, because this episode wound up working for me. Completely. The scenes in the ruined Initiative were creepy; the resolution of Giles's status was an immense relief; and above all, Willow-as-Warren was sometimes amusing, sometimes horrifying, and ultimately a creative and emotionally true way of exploring Willows feelings of grief and guilt. Just beautiful, really. I know what you mean, in general, by pacing and tone problems in some Buffy episodes. There have been episodes which I thought were terrible, not for an easily identifiable reason (like plot or character), but just because the timing and the tone just felt... off. (Examples for me of this: Gingerbread, Living Conditions.) So I'm sympathetic to the nature of your critique of this episode. Fortunately for me, the tone and everything else just worked really well here. Sometimes you have to give up the hope (illusion?) of making objective critical arguments and just say... to each his own!

41.	yippers6Jan 2, 2011 (Sun) @ 11:22amView This Person's Comments \| Link
	awesome episode but one complaint when buffy calls for riley she turns toward the end of the phone call and spike was holding his head and she just turns around like nothing happened. And the same thing when willow came down she said "looks like you've got your hands full already" and everyone turns and sees spike on the floorand they just turn back around

42.	KatieJJan 7, 2011 (Fri) @ 12:53pmView This Person's Comments \| Link
	Ok, I have to hop in here again. I reread the review, and still am puzzled about why this episode is so very poor. Amy, I agree, was not necessary. I think this inclusion (Amy and Adam Busch chatting), like the Spike/Faith conversation later in the season, was a test drive for spin-off, Angel or maybe Season 8 ideas. I loved Willow and Tara too, and yes, I think it was clunky to throw in a new character love interest in the last season. It isn't....epic enough. Having an episode devoted to Willow's guilt was very necessary, and the crux of the magical idea did successfully blend humor and drama. The part that really hit me in that wordless way was Adam Busch as Willow crying "I'm sorry." It somehow made me feel like Warren somehow got a chance be sorry, to be redeemed. I don't know about objectivity....this episode seems to be like cilantro or anise. You either love it or hate it.

43.	JohnJan 10, 2011 (Mon) @ 10:34amView This Person's Comments \| Link
	I really despise this episode, mostly because of Kennedy. While it was certainly good for the writers to have Willow attempt to come to peace with Tara's death and move on, as you said Mike, Kennedy just makes no sense. Both of the people Willow had long-term committed relationships with were much like her; they were reserved and thoughtful. Kennedy is outgoing and very aggressive, and that's just not how Willow has ever been. Both of her past relationships were built up over a fairly long period of time where the characters grew closer and closer; Kennedy just felt super forced and seemed like simply a device for the writers to use to prove "hey look, she's over Tara". I'd much rather have seen Willow just come to peace with Tara's death on her own rather than being thrown into a VERY out-of-character relationship to suit the writers' purposes. S7 is still a good season, but I feel like it contains more than its fair share of just horrifically out-of-character moments, which is rather distressing after 6 years of good continuity and development.

44.	CoyoteBuffyFanJan 17, 2011 (Mon) @ 6:32pmView This Person's Comments \| Link
	Zerrible episode. Why in the heck would Willow go to the college Wicca group (who did zero witchcraft when last she saw them) for help? Why wouldn't she call up the coven? Normally I can overlook things but this was just absurd. The one thing that I did like is that the episode was somewhat reminiscent of earlier Buffy episodes in that normal teen angst (in this case young adult angst) manifests itself through monsters or magic. Willow feels guilt for moving on from Tara, an emotion that many of us can probably relate to in some way (moving on after a loved one dies) but, of course, in Buffy world this guilt becomes a physical manifestation in some way. I love that about this show. That said, the way that it was set up (punishment from Amy) and the resolution (a fairy tale kiss from Kennedy - barf) sucked. The other thing I liked about the episode was the cliff hanger at the end -- will she or won't she decide to have Spike's chip removed. Now that he has a soul, it seems to make sense to remove it, but as we know from Angel, there are ways to lose your soul again. It's an interesting decision. Of course, we all know what Buffy ultimately decides but I like the way they left it in this episode. So a small couple of bright spots in an overall abysmal episode. D grade seems about right.

45.	RahelFeb 5, 2011 (Sat) @ 1:05amView This Person's Comments \| Link
	Wow, what a terrible episode. I don't think I've seen anything this bad since season 1, actually. OK, the first 5 or 10 minutes had some good moments, but the rest... Ugh. Watching Adam Busch as willow just made me cringe, and not for the right reasons. After watching SMG and Eliza Dushku switching roles, after watching dollhouse, it's really clear that Busch is just not up to the task. He doesn't stand like Willow, doesn't move like her, nothing. I'm guessing that's why they kept switching, since he just couldn't make us believe that he actually was Willow, but it ended up just underlining his less-than-stellar performance. As for the initiative, I also understood that they cam because of the call, but it still makes no sense - why come with so many men? and why, oh why, come to the old initiative? If they're looking for Buffy, doesn't it make more sense to, I don't know, knock on her door?! And Willow and Kennedy just have zero chemistry. I think I maybe could have seen them together for a short fling, maybe a couple of episodes, but really anything longer than that makes no sense. It's as though the writers decided they wanted Willow's new gf to be different than Tara, then made a list of her characteristics and made sure Kennedy was the exact opposite of Tara in every respect. Yuck. Whew, getting that off my chest felt good! But really, I think next time I'll just skip this episode. It's just not worth it.

46.	RobNov 15, 2011 (Tue) @ 2:51pmView This Person's Comments \| Link
	Sounds like poor Buffy has a cold.

47.	keekeyNov 27, 2011 (Sun) @ 10:10pmView This Person's Comments \| Link
	Okay, just watched this episode for the first time and must confess that I enjoyed it way more than I know I should have. My low expectations probably helped. Also, my Kennedy hate is waning--she's no Tara (or Oz) but she doesn't annoy me like she did in prior eps. And I laughed at the group tackle of Giles. Primarily I enjoyed the subplot with Spike's chip because I was a huge X-files fan and seeing Spike and Buffy go all Mulder and Scully with their flashlight exploration of the Initiative's abandoned complex made me happy (as did Buffy's comment to Spike about the "government conspiracy" once the Initiative guys showed up). Also, the first scene between B & S where Spike seems like he's about to say something tender but gets interrupted by an exploding headache reminded me of all the potentially tender Mulder/Scully moments that got interrupted by genetically mutated bees and other calamities. At this point in the season, Buffy and Spike's relationship is getting a very Mulder & Scully-esque vibe that I like, with a partnership based on challenging each other while also having great faith and trust in each other. So, yeah, objectively I can see that this was a pretty disjointed and mediocre episode (and, ugh, gag on Kennedy's "bringing you back to life" line) but I did enjoy watching it nevertheless.

48.	nathan.taurusDec 23, 2011 (Fri) @ 6:28pmView This Person's Comments \| Link
	-I don't like how Kennedy talks to Willow like they have been together for years. How many times have they watched 'Moulin Rouge' together that she would know she "always" stops it at chapter 32. They are forcing us to care for this relationship even though it is only really beginning here. The other relationships progress in a natural way. -How did they find Giles? They know the location not the exact spot. -Amy using the Knox line, "Oops." This episode may have lost some points from what I gave it before.

49.	AlanthirDec 30, 2011 (Fri) @ 1:51pmView This Person's Comments \| Link
	One good point to this episodes, but maybe it´s one of the very few things that´s getting better by german synchro: Giles making one of his most hillarious commentary ever in the whole series. When Xander and the rest touch him at the campfire he just ask them: "Whait, you think I´m evil because I´m going camping with the girls and NOT touching them?" I really lied down on floor laughing by the expression it got!

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