Robin, as a small child, watches Spike fight and kill his mother in what appears to be Central Park, NY.
Giles has some sort of magic revelation "bug" that Willow activates, after which it slides inside Spike's eye then into his brain.
Dru...back in time...in Spike/William's Victorian Parlor: "Ooh, such a pretty house you have, sweet William. It smells of daffodils...and viscera." Viscera. That Dru. Between her and Anya...and Spike...they've got the best lines in the whole series.
Oh...and William/Spike...siring his own mother? Now THAT'S kinky!!
Robin Wood seeks to avenge his mother's death at the hands of Spike, so he brings Giles on board to distract Buffy, lures Spike into his "sanctuary", plays the song that acts as the trigger to bring out the worst in Spike, and girds his loins for battle.
The overlay of Robin avenging his mother's death and Spike/William's mother destroying him after he'd sired her, while the two of them are fighting is -- to borrow a bit of Dru's mindset -- delicious. (Is there anything more devastating for one of the world's true Big Bad's than to be called "a limp sentimental fool" by his own mother?)
A little intimation (ok...a BIG intimation) by Spike's mum that he was more interested in "getting back inside of her" than he'd be in exploring a relationship with Dru; she vamps out; he spikes her.
Then Spike and Robin have a real heart to heart. And Spike -- as is not uncommon -- really lays the wood to Wood. The truth hurts. And nobody knows Slayers quite like Spike. And probably to Robin's surprise -- Spike really opens his eyes to the truth he'd run from his whole life: Slayers love slaying more than anything -- or anyone -- else. Spike also realizes that his mother loved him. After that, he was able to listen to the song she used to sing to him without it triggering anything evil.
The episode was great. Right up until the point that Buffy opens her mouth. She is -- without a doubt -- THE weakest link in this entire series. What a shame the writers, producers, and directors didn't realize that. Not to mention the majority of the BtVS fan base. She knows everything -- more then the 3 tribesmen; more than Giles; more than anyone. But that's the whole problem -- she does NOT know everything. And she -- more than anyone else -- undermines her own stated mission.
8 out of 10 -- DESPITE Buffy
Giles has some sort of magic revelation "bug" that Willow activates, after which it slides inside Spike's eye then into his brain.
Dru...back in time...in Spike/William's Victorian Parlor: "Ooh, such a pretty house you have, sweet William. It smells of daffodils...and viscera." Viscera. That Dru. Between her and Anya...and Spike...they've got the best lines in the whole series.
Oh...and William/Spike...siring his own mother? Now THAT'S kinky!!
Robin Wood seeks to avenge his mother's death at the hands of Spike, so he brings Giles on board to distract Buffy, lures Spike into his "sanctuary", plays the song that acts as the trigger to bring out the worst in Spike, and girds his loins for battle.
The overlay of Robin avenging his mother's death and Spike/William's mother destroying him after he'd sired her, while the two of them are fighting is -- to borrow a bit of Dru's mindset -- delicious. (Is there anything more devastating for one of the world's true Big Bad's than to be called "a limp sentimental fool" by his own mother?)
A little intimation (ok...a BIG intimation) by Spike's mum that he was more interested in "getting back inside of her" than he'd be in exploring a relationship with Dru; she vamps out; he spikes her.
Then Spike and Robin have a real heart to heart. And Spike -- as is not uncommon -- really lays the wood to Wood. The truth hurts. And nobody knows Slayers quite like Spike. And probably to Robin's surprise -- Spike really opens his eyes to the truth he'd run from his whole life: Slayers love slaying more than anything -- or anyone -- else. Spike also realizes that his mother loved him. After that, he was able to listen to the song she used to sing to him without it triggering anything evil.
The episode was great. Right up until the point that Buffy opens her mouth. She is -- without a doubt -- THE weakest link in this entire series. What a shame the writers, producers, and directors didn't realize that. Not to mention the majority of the BtVS fan base. She knows everything -- more then the 3 tribesmen; more than Giles; more than anyone. But that's the whole problem -- she does NOT know everything. And she -- more than anyone else -- undermines her own stated mission.
8 out of 10 -- DESPITE Buffy