Entropy (30 Apr. 2002)

Anya returns to Sunnydale, bent on revenge for Xander leaving her at the altar. She has since become a Vengence demon again, but ends up hurting Xander in a way she never expected.

Director:

James A. Contner

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator), Drew Z. Greenberg

Stars:

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Emma Caulfield

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon	...	Xander Harris
Emma Caulfield	...	Anya
Michelle Trachtenberg	...	Dawn Summers
James Marsters	...	Spike
Alyson Hannigan	...	Willow Rosenberg
Danny Strong	...	Jonathan Levinson
Adam Busch	...	Warren Meers
Tom Lenk	...	Andrew Wells
Kali Rocha	...	Halfrek
Amber Benson	...	Tara Maclay
Edie Caggiano	...	Mother

Storyline

Having become a vengeance demon again, Anya attempts to curse Xander for the pain he caused her... but she can't do it herself. Instead, she enlists the help of some old friends but it doesn't go the way she expected. Meanwhile, Buffy spends some quality time with Dawn, Willow and Tara meet for a coffee date, and the gang discover that the Trio have been watching their every move with hidden cameras.

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Plot Keywords:

heroine | female protagonist | lesbian | sister sister relationship | lesbian kiss

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 April 2002 (USA)

Filming Locations:

1800 Stewart St., Santa Monica, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Enterprises, Sandollar Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

42 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Buffy is fixing the large breakfast, she puts pancakes on a plate in front of Dawn. After they talk, Dawn sits down and the pancakes are no longer on the plate.

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Quotes

[Xander and Buffy confront Anya and Spike after catching them having sex on camera]
Xander: Don't even try to deny it. 'Cause we saw it all. The whole beautiful show.
Anya: How? It was just - it - it was just a thing. I-I felt bad and he was just there.
Buffy Summers: [to Spike] Didn't take long, did it?
Xander: Oh, ho. Oh, okay! Ya had to do it, because he was there. Like Mount Everest. Like I used to be.
Anya: And then you weren't! You left *me*, Xander, at the alter. I don't owe you anything!
Xander: So you go out and bang the first body you ...
[...]

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Connections

References Star Wars (1977)

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Soundtracks

"São Paulo Rain"
(uncredited)
by Tom McRae

User Reviews

Spike and Anya make a connection

I love Spike and Anya. They're two of the most consistently interesting and sympathetic characters on the show. They're funny and insightful and they care about people more than they let on. Their shared demon-ness has always given them an understanding and connection to each other. In this episode, though, they take things one step further. Hurt by their human loves, they turn to each other for comfort and companionship. Things, predictably enough, turn out badly. "Entropy" is hardly the highlight of the season, but it does set up some important stuff for the episodes to come. It will also be referenced into season seven, so you really can't skip it if you're watching on DVD.

"Entropy" revolves around Anya returning to Sunnydale. Still furious over her canceled wedding and working as a vengeance demon again, Anya is looking to get some revenge on Xander. After he tells her that he loves her and, although he's not ready for marriage, he still wants to date, Anya tries to smite him down. Unfortunately, vengeance has a loop hole. It seems Anya can't wish terrible fates upon Xander herself, she has to get someone else to do it. Meanwhile, Buffy has broken up with Spike... Again or still, depending on how you want to look at it. When she finds a camera hidden in a lawn troll in front of her house, she and Xander blame Spike. Spike is insulted that they think that he'd spy on her like that. (And really, Buffy should know that he does his front yard stalking in person. He's out there all the time, staring up at the house. What would he need cameras for?) He tells Buffy to get out of his tomb and she tells him that he need to move on with his life.

Prehaps remembering the old "love spell" plan from season three's "Lover's Walk," Spike heads for the Magic Box. In "Lover's Walk" Willow wanted a potion to make her "de-lusted" and uninterested in Xander. Spike steals the idea and asks Anya for something to help him get over Buffy. Anya sees a potential "Xander curser" and starts plying Spike with liquor. As the night wears on the two of them bond of booze and heart-ache. Spike tells Anya that he's always admired her forthrightness. Anya tells Spike that he smells nice. And pretty soon the two of them are having sex on a table.

Little do they know that Buffy, Xander and Willow have been tracing the camera they found back to the Trio's complex surveillance network. The Trio has cameras setup at every Scoobie hangout and Anya and Spike's love making is beamed into Willow's lap top and all the Trio's computers. As Andrew, Jonathan and Warren gape at their screens back at the "Lair", Buffy and Xander's hearts break back at the Summers' house. Xander grabs an ax and heads off to kill Spike. Buffy races after him. Spike allows Xander to shout and throw him around, but when Xander tells at Anya that he's disgusted with her now, Spike announces that he and Buffy have been sleeping together, too.

There are some good parts to this episode. I just adore Anya and Spike. They have always had a connection with each other. Going all the way back to "Where the Wild Things Are" in season four, they've been commiserating with each other about their love lives and their new "human"-ness They're both ex-evil doers who have been, somewhat reluctantly, stuck with the Scoobie gang. Both of them are older (much older) and are more willing to lay themselves on the line for love. Maybe Spike's right. Maybe he and Anya are the strongest because they're the ones who will take chances and really "live." (For an ironic twist on their selfless love for their human friends see season seven's "Chosen.") Spike and Anya have seen a lot, and been through a lot, and they are willing to see the shades of gray. They're survivors. They could make it in the world without the Scoobies, but they can't seem to break free. When Xander is shouting at Anya about sleeping with Spike, insulting both of them, you just want to tell him to shut up. Spike and Anya have saved the Scoobies lives many times and they deserve more than the tired "souless evil demon" song and dance. Things aren't that black and white anymore and Xander knows it. Spike always sticks up for the underdog. And as Xander rages on and Anya seems feel guilty, Spike finally announces that he was "good enough for Buffy." I always get the feeling that more than defending himself, trying to hurt Xander or attempting to stick it to Buffy, he's defending Anya with that statement. A woman who he respects and feels connected to.

On the down side, am I suppose to be on Xander and Buffy's side in this episode? Because I'm not. The two of them treated Spike and Anya like dirt all season. THEY broke off the relationships and now they're all upset because Spike and Anya are moving on? PLEASE! I kinna wish that Anya had figured out a way to curse BOTH of them, the self-righteous jerks. Also, I think that had Xander should had been listening to Patsy Cline music when he was all depressed at the Bronze. It would have fit in with his country songs are the "music of pain" thing from season one's "Prophesy Girl." Finally, it's a shame that Spike and Halfreck didn't have more of a scene together. I want to know if she's Cecily or not.

My favorite part of the episode: The Trio desperately trying to disconnect their camera surveillance system before Buffy can find them... Only to stop everything so they can watch Spike and Anya making love. "He's so cool... And the girl's hot, too."