Buffy the Vampire Slayer 6.18: Entropy

Anya
Star of the Show: Anya (click on the picture for full size)

Credits and Cast


Drew Z Greenberg (Writer)
James A Conter (Director)

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy)
Website: SMGfan.com
James Marsters (Spike)
Website: James Marsters.com
Nicholas Brendon (Xander)
Website: Nick Brendon.com
Alyson Hannigan (Willow)
Website: HDC - Alyson Hannigan Central
Emma Caulfield (Anya)
Website: Anya.Org.UK
Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn)
Website: Michelle-Trachtenberg.com
Amber Benson (Tara)
Website: The Essence of Amber

Buffy the Vampire Slayer created by Joss Whedon
Summary


Anya has gone back to her career as a Vengeance Demon, but she can't wish horrible fates on Xander. Someone has to do it for her. Cue a passionate campaign to try and get one of the scoobies to 'wish' Xander into trouble. It doesn't work but she has one last stab with Spike. They then proceed to get drunk and Spike ends up shagging her (!). Even worse, the gang see it thanks to the Nerd Trio's secret cameras that they have stashed in the Magic Box (and almost everywhere else as well). Xander is not amused and is even less happy (if possible) when he finds out that Buffy has been sleeping with Spike. But it's not all doom and gloom. Willow and Tara finally make up and we end on a loving kiss.

Characters


Buffy Anne Summers
Spike aka William the Bloody
Anya Emerson aka Anyanka
Alexander 'Xander' LaVelle Harris
Willow Rosenberg
Tara MacLay
Dawn Summers aka The Key
Warren, Jonathon and Andrew aka The Nerd Troika

Further Analysis


Peripheral Visions
Early Bird

Review

[Admin note: I'm experimenting with different HTML templates since all new reviews will have their own page now, so expect a few changes over the coming weeks. Tell me if you like it or hate it! Part of this template is from Barbelith]

I wasn't sure what to expect with this episode. An Anya (yeah, great grammar, I know) centred episode is something that didn't exactly have me jumping for joy. Recently she has started to grate big time on my nerves (though I did feel sympathy for her in Hells Bells), but this was actually a pleasant surprise.

First up, let's deal with the main event. Spike shaggin' Anya! The thing is, it seems so natural for both of them to be attracted to each other as they have very similar backgrounds. Both are demons, both have committed various hideous acts on people over the years (Anya especially since she has 800 years on Spike) and both are reformed (sort of) characters. It's all the more surprising that we haven't seen more of these two together. Of course, the main reason for that was because Xander and Anya were joined at the hip and effectively became one character. This led to some serious weak storylines for Xander and he effectively went AWOL for the past couple of seasons. In fact, the only Xander centred episode of recent history was The Replacement. Even Giles, a character who very rarely took center stage, got more storys than poor Xan!

This is why the disastrous marriage was so good! It separates Xander and Anya and gives them some room to breathe. I mean, look how different they are only after 2 episodes. Anya is a Vengeance Demon again and Xander is brandishing axes and trying to kill Spike.

Would Xander have killed Spike if he wasn't stopped? Definitely. Xander has no time for Vampires, with or without a chip or soul. This has been a constant characterisation of Xander since day 1. I think it all stems from his best friend, Jessie, who was turned into a vampire and had to be staked (way back in the Pilot (1.2)). Giles told him there that his friend was essentially dead and the creature that killed him was wearing his friend's face. Now of course we have souls in jars and chips and demon blood that can turn you human so it's not strictly a 100% one way journey. But yeah, Xander doesn't like vamps and he plain doesn't like Spike. So if there was one person he would not want Anya to have sex with in the whole world, it's Spike (and maybe Angel).

In fact, when you think about it, that is why he is almost as shocked to find out that Buffy was sleeping with Spike. He used to fancy Buffy and was turned down, only for her to have sex with a Vamp. And now she sleeps with Spike and his fiancé cheats on him with a Vamp as well! No wonder he was coming after Spike with an axe. Of course it wasn't love between Spike & Anya. Just drunk bad decision sex. Neither of them would comment on it or think about it again afterwards (though I'm sure Spike would love to tease Xander about it. But probably for the sake of Anya he would keep quiet).

I'm glad that there seems to be little chance of reconciliation for Xander and Anya after this (which sounds harsh I know) because they are so much better characters separate than together. I'm also glad that Buffys "secret" is out. Pretty much the reaction you would expect. Shock and perhaps a serious raising of the eyebrow but beyond that acceptance and relief that it's over.

Of course, the gang found out about Spike & Anya through the hidden camera in the Magic Box. It makes sense that the nerds would have tabs on everybody though I do wonder how they're funding all this. They're talking about doing a sizeable robbery but they all seem to be pretty minted anyway with the amount of gadgets they have. Beyond their toys revealing to the gang Spikes tryst with Anya, they weren't featured much really. Jonathon clearly wants out and Warren is definitely plotting to kill him. That's about it really.



"Hey look guys - free porn!"

And of course the other big story was Willow and Tara getting back together. I genuinely wondered if they would, but while everybody else is in damaging relationships or falling apart, they are truly in love. I just hope Tara remains as strong a character now she's back with Willow. I also hope that Tara remains in the show! I'm having a very bad feeling about this, but I hope I'm wrong.

Other moments of note: I liked Buffy spending time with Dawn and it was nice to see her stealing being mentioned. Taking everything back to the stores seemed a tad excessive though. Surely some owners wouldn't take to kindly to the theft in the first place, regardless of how sorry Dawn is. Was it really worth the risk of have Dawn arrested just to teach her a lesson? Thank God the plots done anyway. With Anya being more interesting of late, only Dawn is really looking like a fifth wheel in the show. The Halloween ep and the stealing subplot aside, what has she had to do this year? Not a lot. - Once again, some very funny comments from the Nerds, though it's not doing much for the image of sci-fi shows - Spike and Anya were quite funny as well pre-shagging sesh - Good to see Willow using her super hacking abilities, but I suspect the technology she was talking about is a tad suspect - Nice to see references to the last episode. Continuity is our friend. Take note Enterprise - Very funny seeing Anya trying to get Buffy et al to accidentally wish something horrible on Xander.

A good episode that establishes once and for all that Xander and Anya are far better separate than together - 3/5

Quotes

ANYA: I'm off my guard. Happy. I'm singing in the shower and doing my sexy dance-

SPIKE: Exact- (catches himself). I have no dance.

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