"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Lovers Walk (1998)

User Rating:

8.8/10   

Director:

David Semel

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator)
Dan Vebber (written by)

TV Series:

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997)

Original Air Date:

24 November 1998 (Season 3, Episode 8)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

The gang plans to celebrate their SAT scores bowling, Buffy's mother's insistence to go to a decent college is promoted by Giles and Angel...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Female Protagonist | Pez Dispenser | Kiss | Vampire

Cast

Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon	...	Xander Harris
Alyson Hannigan	...	Willow Rosenberg
Charisma Carpenter	...	Cordelia Chase
David Boreanaz	...	Angel
Seth Green	...	Oz
Anthony Head	...	Rupert Giles (as Anthony Stewart Head)
Kristine Sutherland	...	Joyce Summers
Harry Groener	...	Mayor Richard Wilkins
James Marsters	...	Spike
Jack Plotnick	...	Deputy Mayor Allan Finch
Mark Burnham	...	Lenny (as Marc Burnham)
Suzanne Krull	...	Clerk

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Company:

Mutant Enemy

Trivia:

After seeing James Marsters's performance in this episode, the writers decided he would become a regular cast member in the next season.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Spike is seen disinfecting his hand burn with alcohol, but this would be unnecessary, as vampires cannot be infected by any natural diseases.

Quotes:

Angel: Hey. I was wondering when you were coming.
Buffy: I'm not coming back. We're not friends. We never were. And I can fool Giles, and I can fool my friends, but I can't fool myself. Or Spike, for some reason. What I want from you I can never have. You don't need me to take care of you anymore. So I'm gonna go.
Angel: I don't accept that.
Buffy: You have to.
Angel: How can... There's gotta be some way we can still see each other.
Buffy: There is: Tell me that you don't love me.

Movie Connections:

References "The Simpsons" (1989)

Soundtrack:

My Way

The highlight of the season

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

It's hard to believe that in seven seasons of BTVS and five seasons of "Angel," this is the only episode where Buffy, Angel and Spike share any real scenes. Oh, they had brief moments together in "What's my Line? Part Two," "Suprise," and "Becoming Part Two," but they don't really interact. Angel's usually either unconscious or evil, Spike and Buffy are usually fighting, and sadly nobody's taking the time to talk. After this season, Angel moves to his own show and Spike becomes a full time cast member here on BTVS, which gives them very little opportunity for interaction. (The closest they get is season seven's "Chosen.") Even when they reunite over on season five of "Angel," Buffy's not there to share in the fun. (No, I don't count the "Girl in Question.") So, if you want to see Buffy and her two vampire sometimes boyfriends/sometimes enemies all hanging out together, then "Lover's Walk" is it. Luckily, it's one heck of a good episode.

The episode begins with Spike's return to town. Drusilla has left him and Spike is distraught. Drunk and miserable he crashes through the "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign for his second time in as many seasons and begins his hazy plan for revenge. Honestly, Spike has no idea what he's planning to do. As usual, he blames Angel for his problems and is contemplating some kind of skin disease curse for his grand-sire. But he quickly gets a better idea when he overhears Willow discussing a love spell. Willow and Xander continue to be attracted to each other and Willow wants to cast a "de-lusting" spell to cure them. Spike kidnaps them, takes them to the factory and demands that Willow whip-up some magic that will make Dru come back to him.

As the episode goes on it becomes more and more apparent that Spike is just... Lonely. He's used to having someone to talk to. His mother, Dru, even Angelus. Now he's sad and alone and looking for a shoulder to cry on. He's almost blindly returned to Sunnydale, because Angel lives there and because it was were his life with Dru went wrong. Now that he's here, he's more interested in talking about his romantic problems with Willow and Joyce than really completing his love spell plan. He repeats his tale of woe to anyone who will listen, but basically seems content to drink hot chocolate with Buffy's mom and threaten to kill Xander.

Angel and Buffy soon arrive to try and reign him in. Spike refused to tell them where he's keeping Willow and Xander, unless they help him with the spell. So the three of them set off, with Spike making some uncomfortably accurate observations about Angel and Buffy's relationship along the way. In the meantime, Oz and Cordy are tracking Willow and Xander. They arrive to rescue them just in time to see Willow and Xander kiss. The Mayor, learning that Spike is back, sends a group of vampires to kill him. Spike, Buffy and Angel have to work together to fight them off. The battle cheers Spike up and convinces him to win Dru back the old fashion way... Through bondage and torture. The episode ends with everybody unhappy and broken up... Except Spike, who speeds out of town with a new lease on his un-life.

This is one of my favorite episodes, mainly because of Spike. He just steals the show with his drunken, brokenhearted, reminiscing. "Dru and I killed a homeless man on that bench. He begged for mercy, but that only made her bite harder." And it's just hilarious when Angel shows up at the Summer's house and sees Spike sitting with Joyce. Thinking that Spike will attack her, Angel rushes forward, but he can't come in without an invitation. While Joyce shouts at him to go away, Spike makes menacing faces behind her back and taunts Angel. "You're a very bad man." Angel and Buffy's eye-rolling and complaints as they tag along with Spike are also perfect. "You're not even a loser anymore. You're the shell of a loser." Also, I really love the ending, with the shot of a funeral. I really thought it was Cordy's, the first time I saw this episode.

"Lover's Walk" reinforces the idea that Spike is different than you're average vampire. He feels things, especially love, and he has the often annoying ability to see more than people would like. He sees right through Buffy and Angel's "we're just friends" lie and he knows that if he threatens Xander, he can control Willow because they love each other. Spike also needs to be part of a group. He doesn't like being on his own, as this episode shows, and his need for people explains a lot of his actions later in the series. Spike is willing to play on either side of the fence, depending on what group he's aligned with at the time. Typically, he doesn't fight for good or evil, he fights for people.

A few problems with the episode. Why can't Angel just backtrack Spike's steps to find Willow and Xander? They have that vampire super smelling thing, after all. Oz could find them by smell, Angel should be able to, as well. Honestly, I think that Buffy and Angel know his hostages are at the factory. Buffy even mutters that they should just check there first, rather than help Spike out and Angel sort of rolls his eyes when Spike denies it. They just don't want to stake Spike, because the both have a soft spot for the guy. Also, why did they have the henchman who's after Spike be this new vampire Lenny? It should have been Lucius, Spike's follower from last season.

My favorite part of the episode: Joyce and Spike in the Summer's kitchen. Last time Angel and Joyce were alone in the kitchen, he was tempted to bite her. Spike just wants little marshmallows for his co-co.