The Good; The epic fight between Buffy and the Turok-Han. Love her speech at the end!
The Bad; See above. Also it seems weird that Spike can be tortured by drowning when he doesn't breathe but I guess the reflex is still there? And most obvious of all why doesn't the Turok-Han finish Buffy when it has the chance? Or at least take her prisoner? I know she likes her job but considering what's at stake (pardon the pun) surely Buffy should just continue taking some sick days and prepare for what's ahead? ASH's name in the title spoils the surprise of Giles showing up.
Best line; Dawn; "There's blood on this. The First must have made a sacrifice. Or a music video" (too much MTV for you my girl!)
Women good/men bad; Buffy has pics of Dawn, Joyce, Willow and Xander on her desk but none of her dad?
Jeez!; Watching Buffy getting the stuffing knocked out of her is HORRIBLE! Not to mention the gruesome murder of the terrified Potential and poor Spike getting waterboarded.
Kinky dinky; According to Anya demons used to boast about their evilness. Dru/First says Spike used to like it when they'd 'Giggle, wiggle, squeal' and says she'd be bad if Spike likes it (Dru's dance move reminds me of Kate Bush doing Wuthering Heights!)
Captain Subtext; And here's Kennedy who can convey an awful lot with just a look, you can see how Willow's mind is already working when Dawn asks her 'Does she want to eat?". . Andrew seems to think that a good leader should have shiny hair.
Guantanamo Bay; The gang still not hesitating to torture Andrew, even little Dawnie in on the act.
Scoobies to the ER; No which is weird?
Apocalypses; 7,
Scoobies in bondage: Buffy: 8 Giles: 4 Cordy: 5 Will: 4 Jenny: 1 Angel: 4 Oz: 1 Faith: 3 Joyce: 1 Wes: 1 Xander; 2 Dawn; 4 Spike; 2
Scoobies knocked out: Anya by the First and Buffy by the Turok Han Buffy: 20 Giles: 12 Cordy: 6 Xander: 15 Will: 9 Jenny: 2 Angel: 6 Oz: 3 Faith: 1 Joyce: 3 Wes: 1 Anya;7 Dawn; 4 Tara; 1 Spike; 1
Kills: Buffy: 117 vamps, 60 demons, 6 monsters, 5 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demon, 1 human/1 god.
Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1 a demon, 1 human Anya: 1 vamp and 1 a demon Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons Spike; 9 vamps and 6 demons Buffybot; 2 vamps Tara; 1 demon Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon Scoobies go evil: Giles: 1 Cordy: 1 Will: 3 Jenny: 1 Angel: 1 Oz: 1 Joyce: 1 Xander: 4 Anya; 1 Dawn; 1 Buffy; 1 Spike; 1
Alternate scoobies: Buffy: 8 Giles: 4 Cordy: 1 Will: 5 Jenny: 2 Angel: 3 Oz: 2 Joyce: 2 Xander: 4 Tara; 1 Dawn;1 Spike; 1 Anya; 2
Recurring characters killed: 13 Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara, Quentin Travers.
Sunnydale deaths; the poor Potential Annabelle 102
Total number of scoobies: 9, Giles and now add the first of the Potentials Xander, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Anya, Spike, Giles, Kennedy and Molly Xander demon magnet: 5(6?) Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?
Scoobies shot: Giles: 2 Angel: 3 Oz: 4 Riley; 1 Buffy; 1 Tara; 1
Dawn the bashful virgin; 9
What the fanficcers thought; Some good and bad on this one. Buffy captured by the First but rescued by Invisible Marcie from 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind' is cute. In a similar style Buffy rescued by invisible Dawn because they never did think to give the Nerd's raygun back. One truly schizo story stands out where Buffy is captured by the Turok-Han and then gangraped by it and the other Sunnydale demons. Just when you think it can't get any darker in the follow up story Joyce's ghost appears to her and gives her the resolve to kill the Turok-Han (castrating it in the process!) rescue Spike and escape.It ends with the greatest line, something like "In our darkest hour we all cry out to our creator, whether god or mother. For some loves can bring us strength from far beyond the grave" And if you like things a bit more kinky an amazing one where Buffy ends up a ponygirl hitched to Santa's sleigh!
Questions and observations; Nice to see Dru back again. The last time we shall ever see Joyce/Kristine Sutherland on the show (sob!). I know we've been told that the vision Dawn has in CWDP is The First but is this the real Joyce here? It appears to Buffy in her dreams which we haven't seen it do before and seems very encouraging? Anya in glasses, have we seen that before? Why doesn't Buffy carry more weapons when she goes after Annabelle. Once again when faced with the Turok Han Buffy sensibly retreats whilst old Faith or Kendra might have fought to the death. I always thought the Turok-Han was huge but looking at it here it seems just normal human height. Does the First need Buffy and Spike to open the Hellmouth, is that why it keeps them alive? Shouldn't the scoobs take Buffy to hospital if they think she has internal bleeding? Marks out of 10; 8/10
The Bad; See above. Also it seems weird that Spike can be tortured by drowning when he doesn't breathe but I guess the reflex is still there? And most obvious of all why doesn't the Turok-Han finish Buffy when it has the chance? Or at least take her prisoner? I know she likes her job but considering what's at stake (pardon the pun) surely Buffy should just continue taking some sick days and prepare for what's ahead? ASH's name in the title spoils the surprise of Giles showing up.
Best line; Dawn; "There's blood on this. The First must have made a sacrifice. Or a music video" (too much MTV for you my girl!)
Women good/men bad; Buffy has pics of Dawn, Joyce, Willow and Xander on her desk but none of her dad?
Jeez!; Watching Buffy getting the stuffing knocked out of her is HORRIBLE! Not to mention the gruesome murder of the terrified Potential and poor Spike getting waterboarded.
Kinky dinky; According to Anya demons used to boast about their evilness. Dru/First says Spike used to like it when they'd 'Giggle, wiggle, squeal' and says she'd be bad if Spike likes it (Dru's dance move reminds me of Kate Bush doing Wuthering Heights!)
Captain Subtext; And here's Kennedy who can convey an awful lot with just a look, you can see how Willow's mind is already working when Dawn asks her 'Does she want to eat?". . Andrew seems to think that a good leader should have shiny hair.
Guantanamo Bay; The gang still not hesitating to torture Andrew, even little Dawnie in on the act.
Scoobies to the ER; No which is weird?
Apocalypses; 7,
Scoobies in bondage: Buffy: 8 Giles: 4 Cordy: 5 Will: 4 Jenny: 1 Angel: 4 Oz: 1 Faith: 3 Joyce: 1 Wes: 1 Xander; 2 Dawn; 4 Spike; 2
Scoobies knocked out: Anya by the First and Buffy by the Turok Han Buffy: 20 Giles: 12 Cordy: 6 Xander: 15 Will: 9 Jenny: 2 Angel: 6 Oz: 3 Faith: 1 Joyce: 3 Wes: 1 Anya;7 Dawn; 4 Tara; 1 Spike; 1
Kills: Buffy: 117 vamps, 60 demons, 6 monsters, 5 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demon, 1 human/1 god.
Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1 a demon, 1 human Anya: 1 vamp and 1 a demon Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons Spike; 9 vamps and 6 demons Buffybot; 2 vamps Tara; 1 demon Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon Scoobies go evil: Giles: 1 Cordy: 1 Will: 3 Jenny: 1 Angel: 1 Oz: 1 Joyce: 1 Xander: 4 Anya; 1 Dawn; 1 Buffy; 1 Spike; 1
Alternate scoobies: Buffy: 8 Giles: 4 Cordy: 1 Will: 5 Jenny: 2 Angel: 3 Oz: 2 Joyce: 2 Xander: 4 Tara; 1 Dawn;1 Spike; 1 Anya; 2
Recurring characters killed: 13 Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara, Quentin Travers.
Sunnydale deaths; the poor Potential Annabelle 102
Total number of scoobies: 9, Giles and now add the first of the Potentials Xander, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Anya, Spike, Giles, Kennedy and Molly Xander demon magnet: 5(6?) Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?
Scoobies shot: Giles: 2 Angel: 3 Oz: 4 Riley; 1 Buffy; 1 Tara; 1
Dawn the bashful virgin; 9
What the fanficcers thought; Some good and bad on this one. Buffy captured by the First but rescued by Invisible Marcie from 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind' is cute. In a similar style Buffy rescued by invisible Dawn because they never did think to give the Nerd's raygun back. One truly schizo story stands out where Buffy is captured by the Turok-Han and then gangraped by it and the other Sunnydale demons. Just when you think it can't get any darker in the follow up story Joyce's ghost appears to her and gives her the resolve to kill the Turok-Han (castrating it in the process!) rescue Spike and escape.It ends with the greatest line, something like "In our darkest hour we all cry out to our creator, whether god or mother. For some loves can bring us strength from far beyond the grave" And if you like things a bit more kinky an amazing one where Buffy ends up a ponygirl hitched to Santa's sleigh!
Questions and observations; Nice to see Dru back again. The last time we shall ever see Joyce/Kristine Sutherland on the show (sob!). I know we've been told that the vision Dawn has in CWDP is The First but is this the real Joyce here? It appears to Buffy in her dreams which we haven't seen it do before and seems very encouraging? Anya in glasses, have we seen that before? Why doesn't Buffy carry more weapons when she goes after Annabelle. Once again when faced with the Turok Han Buffy sensibly retreats whilst old Faith or Kendra might have fought to the death. I always thought the Turok-Han was huge but looking at it here it seems just normal human height. Does the First need Buffy and Spike to open the Hellmouth, is that why it keeps them alive? Shouldn't the scoobs take Buffy to hospital if they think she has internal bleeding? Marks out of 10; 8/10