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*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I never think of the characters on BTVS as actors. I'm usually just drawn into the world of Sunnydale and I forget that it's a TV show. (That sounds kinna crazy, but you know what I mean.) Anyway, "Potential" is one of the few episodes that jars me out of the Buffyverse. The Potentials are just so horrible, that it just drives me insane. I still see Spike and Buffy, but they're suddenly surrounded by vacuous bratty Potentials played by actors who- generally speaking- can't act. Is the show trying to kill me? With ten episodes to go of the entire series, it's just a waste of time to spend so much time on the Potentials. Anyway, if you're watching the season on DVD, you can skip this episode and really not miss much. Basically, "Potential" revolves around-- Obviously-- The Potentials. Spike and Buffy are training them, while Willow searches for more. Poor Spike stands out in a graveyard, while the Potentials try to attack him. Then, when he easily disarms them, Buffy lectures the girls about what they did wrong. (To be honest, it's kinna silly. Spike killed two Slayers. Of course, he's gonna crush these little wanna-be's without batting an eyelash. How is this teaching them anything?) Dawn is feeling more and more left out, as Buffy spends all her time with the Potentials. The next night, Buffy and Spike take the girls cruising demon bars to teach them how to... um... talk? Question demons properly? I actually have no clue why they would need to bar hop in their battle with the First but, it does allow them to meet up with Clem. He scares the girls a bit, just for fun. Then it's off to the cemetery to battle a real vamp. Meanwhile, Willow's gotten word that there is another Potential living right there in Sunnydale. She preforms a locater spell to find the girl and it hits Dawn. Dawn is overwhelmed by the idea of becoming a Slayer. She isn't sure whether to be happy or upset, but she is excited to be "special." She sneaks out of the house and meets up with Amanda, a Sunnydale High student. Amanda has just been attacked by a vampire and locked it in the school. Eager to try out her new powers, Dawn heads off to fight it. When Bringers come after Amanda, though, Dawn realizes that she isn't the Potential after all. Amanda is. Dawn is saddened, but helps Amanda fight. Buffy shows up to help. The other Potentials kill their first vamp. Xander gives Dawn a pep-talk telling her that she's an extraordinary young woman. There are some good parts to this episode. I love Andrew talking about his attempted pig slaughtering with Willow and Dawn. "Stabbing things is wrong... And also hard." And Spike and Buffy are cute together as they train the Potentials. I like them discussing his "comfy" crypt. Plus, Spike actually knocks a few girls around, which is just a guilty pleasure to watch. And, Clem's in this episode, doing some kind of weird demon-face thing. Anytime Clem's on, I'm pretty happy. He's just really likable and fun. Finally, I think that Xander's speech to Dawn at the end of the episode is nice. He tells her that it's hard being the "normal" ones in a group full of super-powered friends, but that doesn't meant that they aren't important or special. Xander doesn't have enough moments to shine this season and his talk with Dawn shows that he's still the "heart" of the Scoobie gang. On the down side, how did Spike hurt Rona and that other Potential without setting off his chip? Also, should Andrew really be joking around with Willow about people slithering out of their skins like snakes? Willow did flay Warren alive just last season.My favorite part of the episode: Willow and Anya discussing Dawn and Buffy's "they share the same blood" thing from season five's "The Gift. "Yeah, I never got that."
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