This was an ok episode - but it feels as if
its just filler until Graduation.
The episode started out lamely enough - the Mayor needs Faith to pick up a delivery that will be comming into the docks that night. He gives her a lovely knife and she's very excited about her present. That night she meets the guy at the docks but instead of paying him for the package, runs him through with the knife and splits - pointing out once again that no one is safe in Sunnydale.
I was kind of surprised to see the Mayor acting so legitimately - in an illegal sort of way. The box obviously held some sort of contraband but instead of getting it himself, he was willing to pay the other man for getting it for him. Either the Sunnydale budget is very large or the mayor is a fairer man than we give him credit for 0;-)
Well Faith goes back to City Hall and says that she made the man "an offer he didn't survive" and the mayor is tickled pink.
Little do they know Buffy is hiding outside and has run back to tell the slayerettes. That's when stupid things begin to happen.
The gang decides to break into the office and steal
the "Box of Gavroc." Anticipating that
it will be guarded by magic, they take Willow along. She dissolves the magic and leaves.
Angel lowers Buffy with a harness to get the box (why does Angel have a harness? First he
had chains in his room and now a harness...mopy guy might have more layers than we think)
but of course sets off the alarm. Vamps run in, try to stop the pair, they fight back,
vamps die. Same as always.
The mayor is of course pissed until Faith shows him the prezzie she has for him - a Willow with a knife at her throat.
Seeing Willow get kidnapped again was the big thing this episode. Anyone else tired of seeing it? I mean why do they always have to prey on her because she's small and has red hair? Xander is just as weak and possesses even less power than Willow - he would have probably been eaten by that vamp. That vamp (on a scale of one to five David socks) would get the whole laundry pile. I bet he used to work on soaps before coming to BtVS - he was so melodramatic and stuff...I'm beginning to think the only vamps allowed to talk should be Spike and Dru - all the other ones are so trite. And they die so easily! I've sharpened a mean pencil in my day but not one would go through skin and tissue to stake a heart. Maybe all Sunnydale pencils are just reinforced to serve double duty as weapons. *shrug*
But back to
Willow. She managed to escape which I thought was really cool but then she settled down in
the enemy's personal office to peruse his sacred tomes. *slapping forehead* and I thought
she was the brains of the group! Faith fins her again and its back to the Mayor for her.
Meanwhile the Scooby Gang is trying to decide how to get Willow back. Buffy reasons they should trade Willow for the box - even if it leaves them back at square one. Wesley argues that Willow's one life isn't worth the many that will die if the mayor ascends. The guy was losing serious nice guy points and I thought Buffy was going to hurt him until Oz got up, picked up a vase and smashed it on the wall. He'd been quiet until then and didn't say a word after. Everyone was shocked but knew they would trade for Willow. I love Oz *sigh* He is so wonderful!
So they decide to trade but instead of doing it out in the open or somewhere
reasonable, they decide the school cafeteria at about...oh
midnight! would be reasonable. *shaking head* Why
don't hey ever leave that darn school??? Anyplace would be better than the school cafe
*sigh*
Principal Snyder in his infinite trollness busts into their meeting, checking for drugs (in Sunnydale? yeah right - you don't need hallucinogens where hellmouths are involved) along with a couple of cops. He's kind of thrown by the Mayor's presence but commands one of the cops to open the Box of Gavroc. Bad idea...this icky black metal spider climbed out and pretty much devoured the guy.
It was gross but yet another example of tension being built and then destroyed. I expected little slimy critters, lightning, a spirit, a demon - anything but spiders! I mean most people don't like the little things but very few are actually scared of them.
Buffy closes the
box anyway, they kill the few that got out and the Mayor claims his box and leaves. Faith
looks back in longing but its uncertain if she wants to be a Scooby chick again, would
like her knife back or just doesn't want to follow this weirdo who eats metal spiders.
*shrug*
The episode closes with a midnight picnic on top of a grave being attended by Sunnydale's most dysfunctional couple. It must really suck having a boyf you can't make happy 0:-P I pick on my favorite guy and love to tease him but for the most part I think he's happy.
