Reviewed By: Adam Bardwell
Rating: 10/10
This show has to be the cleverest of the entire series and at the same time one of the funniest. It brilliantly reverses the usual A and B plots giving Xander's character a chance to shine and at the same time it acts as a parody for the series - how many other shows can take the piss out of the selves like this? Its pure genius.
The shows two plots are another end of the world, the Hellmouth is opening plot and a plot evolving Xander on a bizarre roller coaster of an adventure in which he loses his virginity and saves the school from being blown up (saving the gang in the process). These plots emerge because Xander starts to feel uncool and useless within the group. He has no special powers and despite his bravery (which this episode ultimately shows is his biggest strength) he often ends up on the floor and out of a fight. He wants to have a special thing which he contributes and he comes up with being the wheel man and hires his uncle Roary's car. It is the car along with the gangs reluctance to get Xander involved with Armageddon prevention which leads to Xander's wild night.
Xander's real troubles start when he collides with bully Jack's car on leaving the Bronze with a boring car loving girl he pick up with the car. Jack pulls a knife on him called Katy (leading to some good humour; Jack: "Don't you feel pathetic?", Xander: "Mostly I feel is Katy!". A cop turns up as Jack has pined Xander to his car and Xander insists that they were just messing about leading Jack to gain respect Xander and invite him to go have some fun. What he didn't say was that this involved going to raise his dead friends and go "do crime". They rob a hardware store to get the stuff to "back a cake" (zombie talk for making a bomb). When Xander says he needs to be else where (he saw Willow acting oddly towards him) they off to making him part of the gang and kill him. He manages to escape.
In escaping he runs into Faith who is fighting a member of the Armageddon cult. He helps here out but they are unable to kill it choosing to escape instead. Faith pumped up from the fighting decides to have her wicked way with Xander in a hilarious scene at her apartment; Xander: "I've never been up with people before", Faith: "Don't worry I steer you around the curves!". She boots him out to have a shower and Xander discovers that the zombies weren't planning to bake a cake. He decides to get advice on what to do from Buffy. He bursts in on Buffy and Angel who are having a particularly wrought, passionate (one could even say over-the-top) argument in another brilliant scene which really embodies the whole parody. He decides to solve the problem by himself and fortunately runs into the zombies (a bit too conveniently one could argue). He drags on along on the site of his car and discovers that the bomb is in the basement of the school but before he car discover how to disarm it the zombie lose his head as it collides with a letter box - i know I have a sick sense of humour but come on that was funny!
On reaching the school Xander is able to deal with all the zombies so it is just him and Jack in the basement. After a little fighting it becomes apparent that neither will be able to leave before the bomb goes off. Xander stands off with Jack and very bravely points out how Jack isn't ready to die. Xander on the other hand seems perfectly OK with the prospect and is able to get Jack to back down and disarm the bomb. This highlights what Xander contributes to the group. He is unscared to do what has to be done to win. Time and again we have seen him charge into a dangerous situation to protect his friends. He is the heart of the group as signified by "Primeval" / "Restless it is a pity he did not realise this earlier or the blow out in "The Yoko Factor" may have been avoided.
I know that this approach to go though the plot and point out the best bits is antithetical to my usual reviews (just as the concepts of relaxing and removing is pants are to Xander!). However, it is the plot which is the most amazing part of the show. Yes there are some fantastic lines but its really the plot which makes this episode so fresh and different. It shows how confident the writers were to do a spoof like this. I said something similar in my review of "The Wish" but is true and it is perhaps a lose of confidence when the surroundings changed and the gang went to college which lead to far less bold episodes in akin to this one in season 4.
The spirit guides seen (in the losses sense of the word) here for the first time intrigued me. Having knowledge of the future and presumably on the side of good they could be a replacement to the Oracles killed in "To Shanshu in LA". We have seen similar spirits used in "Fear, Itself" merely as direction guides although the guide may never have appeared it may have been part of her fear because she could not control it. Whatever there role I hope that these new potential allies are seen again.
I have little more to say about this episode. Like normal Xander and Cordy's bickering was fun. This really set Xander off on think he was useless. I loved the fact that he just smiled Cordy's comments off at the end. He knows she is wrong but is too big a person off to argue and it really annoyed Cordy. It was a great ending I've already said its just a pity that he doesn't carry this character development into future episodes because by "The Yoko Factor" he is questioning his use in the group again.
Great Buffy Moment: There are so many but I'll go for Xander and Faith's up with people scene.
In a Nutshell: A truly amazing episode. The end of the world plot seems a bit of a mess until you realise its a spoof and once you realise that you won't stop laughing!