As You Were

Original Air Date: February 26, 2002

Written by Douglas Petrie
Directed by Douglas Petrie

Summary

Buffy heads home after working at the Doublemeat Palace and runs into a vampire in the cemetery. But as soon as he gets a whiff of her greasy smell from the DMP he doesn't want to bother eating her. She stakes him anyway, highly insulted. Before she can enter her house, Spike stops her and she doesn't want to go at it with him by her house but he convinces her to a quickie outside. Afterwards she goes inside, slightly rumpled, and hands Dawn a squished supper from the DMP. Dawn and Willow head out to the Bronze but Buffy won't join them because she's tired. At the Bronze, Anya and Xander are still discussing their wedding plans and they're getting anxious about the event.

Buffy is cleaning at home and falls aslseep, forgetting garbage day. She gets mail telling her that she missed the application date for college an Dawn heads to school that morning while Buffy goes to work. While she's working the cash, Riley shows up, stunning her into silence. Her tells her he needs her to help him track down a demon. She ditches her job to help him, leaving a stunned manager behind. Outside, Riley tells her briefly about the Savolti demon. It breeds and grows constantly; one becomes ten. They quickly find the demon on the streets and chase it into an alley. Unfortunately it gets away too quickly and they jump into Riley's vehicle and track the demon down. Riley hands Buffy some clothes to change into for the fight. While, in the meantime, Anya and Xander get stuck in traffic while headed for the airport to pick up their relatives.

Buffy and Riley track the demon to a plant where they scale down a large fissure. They immediately find the beast and fight it viciously. A woman appears and demands to know what Buffy is doing with her husband. Riley then introduces Sam, his wife of four months, to, a once again, stunned Buffy. The beast attacks again and Buffy kills it quickly. They then reveal that they didn't want it dead. They reconvene at Buffy's house where Dawn is none too pleased to see Riley and Willow vows to Buffy to hate Sam for her. Riley explains that these demons are at the Hellmouth to spawn and they know there's a nest in Sunnydale being protected by someone called the doctor. Willow storms off when Sam mentions that Willow could do a locating spell. Sam later on tells her that she's never met anyone with enough strength to quit using magic. This brings a new hope to Willow.

Buffy and Sam head out for patrol. Sam tells Buffy she's awed by her and that it took Riley an entire year to get over Buffy. Sam then asks if there's any new guys in Buffy's life and Buffy answers no. Buffy, feeling miserable, splits away from Sam and goes to Spike's crypt and asks for some info. She then demands to hear that he loves and wants her. They then go at it and wake up to find Riley barging in on them. Riley then addresses Spike as the doctor and Buffy is humiliated to find Riley catching her in bed with Spike. Riley knows that Spike is the doctor and goes down to Spike's basement. Buffy follows him down where they discover over a dozen eggs in Spike's crupt. The eggs then open quickly and Buffy and Riley are attacked by dozens of spiddery demons. They lunge out of the basement and toss an explosive into the basement, killing all the demons.

Later, outside the Magic Box, Riley and Buffy are talking and Buffy admits that she's sleeping with Spike. Riley tells her that he was terrified of coming back to see her. He tells her that her sleeping with Spike, or her crummy job doesn't touch her, that she was his first love and the strongest woman he's ever known. She tells him that she's sorry for what happened between them. Riley and Sam then say their goodbyes and take off in a helicopter.

After considering what Riley told her, Buffy goes to Spike's crupt and tells him that it's over. He doesn't believe her at first, and she admits that she does want him, but that she's using him. She can't love him and it's killing her. She apologizes and walks out on him.

Summary written by Nika

 

Quote of the Week

Riley: Buffy, none of that means anything. It doesn't touch you. You're still the first woman I ever loved ... and the strongest woman I've ever known.

 

My Rating

4/5

 

Nika's Review

I was so damn happy I could have cried desperate tears of joy. Riley Finn, how do I put this? I LOVE YOU. You're one of the best things that ever happened to Buffy Summers. You knocked some sense into her. As soon as Riley appeared on screen my eyes must have popped out of my face. I was so happy to see him. He brought back a little something special to the show. He brought Buffy back to her senses. And to all you damn people out there telling me that I'm wrong to think the way I do... well lookie here! Buffy said herself that her "relationship" with Spike was killing her inside. Anyway when Riley gave his little speech to Buffy at the end I broke into this wonderful grin... he was exactly what she needed. And I'm ever so glad for that. She IS special, and she doesn't need some fuck friend to make her feel better about her life. When Riley found Buffy in bed with Spike... well I just about lost it. That was scary. Jeez. And though the Buffy/Spike break up scene wasn't what I was looking for (WILLIAM? I WANT YOU???) I suppose beggar's can't be choosers and I'll sure as hell take this break up over anything at this point. It was really nice to see Riley come back, I don't care if he was used to knock some sense into Buffy, I was just glad to see it happen. The one thing I really didn't like was the whole demons thing. I know they needed a reason for Riley to come back, but Spike as some doctor PROTECTING demons just sounded way too stupid to me. Ah well... now I'm free. No more Spike and Buffyness.

Cast

Sarah Michelle Gellar
Nicholas Brendon
Alyson Hannigan
Emma Caulfield
Michelle Trachtenberg
James Marsters
Amber Benson
Marc Blucas
Iavan Milicevic
Ryan Raddatz
Adam Paul
Marilyn Brett
Alice Dinnean Vernon
  Buffy Summers
Xander Harris
Willow Rosenberg
Anya
Dawn
Spike
Tara
Riley Finn
Sam
Todd
Skanky Vamp
Lady
Baby Demon Puppeteer