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Buffy the Vampire Slayer
"So, you ever think about *not* celebrating a birthday? Just to try it, I mean." - Spike
"Older and Far Away"
Episode 6.14
Written by Drew Z. Greenberg
Directed by Michael Gershman
This episode took the spotlight off of Buffy and gave us an outstanding performance by one of the best characters on the show, a complex but fully realized individual, someone for whom the writers have created a consistent and lovable individual. And no, I'm not talking about Dawn.
Anya is a person who has no hidden agendas. She says exactly what she means. She is selfish, but somehow no more so than any of us; she just doesn't try to hide it. She's blunt and even rude on occasion, but again you forgive her for it because you know she's not holding anything back, unlike people who will secretly dislike you behind polite smiles. You'll always know exactly where you stand with Anya. And when it comes time to say uncomfortable things, when unpleasant questions need to be raised - she's the one on the job.
The episode starts with Buffy operating on her normal schedule - working at the Doublemeat by day, slaying monsters by night. Which doesn't leave a heck of a lot of time to spend with Dawn, but such is the life of a single parent with two jobs. Dawn's new guidance counselor at her high school tries to get her to open up about what's bothering her and what she really wants. Dawn innocently wishes that people in her life would stop going away. Unfortunately, even innocent wishes in Hellmouth Town can be dangerous.
The Scoobies are going to throw a party for Buffy's birthday, and Dawn goes over to the magic shop to look for someone to go present shopping with. But Anya has shop paperwork, Xander has construction crew paperwork, and Willow has yet-another-incredibly- annoying- reminder- about - how- the- producers-and- writers-have- destroyed-the- entire- character- and- inexplicably - turned- her- into- a- needy-and- moping- victim- instead-of- the-smart-person- who-used-to-be-determined- to- rise- above-whatever-setbacks- came-her- way- as-opposed-to- her-current- tedious -obsession- with- drugs-oops- I-meant- magic- but-then-I- don't-know- why- they- don'- just- come-out- and-call- it- drugs- because- they're-so- hit-you- over-the- head- obvious-about- the -whole-thing- and...
Sorry, I promised not to do that anymore. Uh, Willow has to go to a "Spellcasters Anonymous" meeting. (Please, God, don't ever make me hear that phrase again.) So the junior Scooby is left to go to the mall on her own. Poor Dawn.
When the night of the big party finally arrives, we finally get to see some non-Scoobies, a nice development. This show has been getting a little claustrophobic of late, with too much emphasis on Buffy's small circle. Xander and Anya have invited Richard as an obvious set-up for Buffy, Buffy has invited Sophie, a coworker from the Doublemeat, and Spike has invited himself and another demon. Let the party begin! It looked pretty fun for a while. It was really kind of sweet to see Dawn genuinely excited to give Buffy something special, whether out of affection or an attempt to get her attention. Probably both. Sadly, the outrageously expensive jacket that mysteriously still had the security tag on it was quickly forgotten when Xander rolled in his gift - an exquisite hand-made weapons trunk with a handy CD rack. Poor Dawn.
And so the party continues. And continues. No one wants to leave. Then in the morning, no one CAN leave - literally. What's going on? Well - remember the guidance counselor? I forgot to mention that she was lurking outside the house when her true face was restored - she was none other than Halfrek, Anya's vengeance demon friend from a few episodes ago. Remember how Dawn made a wish in front of her, that people would stop leaving? Uh, oh. Looks like Dawn is the cause of the problem.
At least - it looks like that to us, not to anyone in the Summers house, and this is where the episode broke down somewhat for me. Guests are talking about reasons they need to go, when Dawn bursts out in frustration "Of course you all want to leave. Because being stuck in here with me, that would really suck, right?" And from this, somehow everyone immediately concludes that whatever is keeping them from leaving is Dawn's fault. Of course, we the viewers know that it is Dawn's fault, but why does anyone else think so? Because later on the writers need Anya to focus on Dawn in order to find a solution, that's why. I suppose you could do the mental gymnastics after the fact to rationalize this leap of illogic, but my immediate reaction, while watching, was "Huh? This makes no sense." It was distracting, and took away from the plot's internal consistency.
Later, when Buffy and Dawn talk privately, we had another insanely-unlikely-to-the-point-of-distraction coincidence. Dawn mentions a guidance counselor, so naturally (why?) Buffy is suspicious, and asks (again, why?) if Dawn had made any wishes. Obviously Buffy suspects a Vengeance demon - but why? Why, why, why, why, why? Because in the end it turns out to be true? That's not a reason, that's lazy writing. Because the plot doesn't work if they don't figure it out? Then why don't they really figure it out, instead of getting unlikely inspiration from nowhere? I give up. Let's move on.
Tara tries a spell to release them all, but only releases a monster inside a sword that Buffy had taken as a trophy. Said demon can phase in and out of the walls, and does so right after wounding Richard. Pretty soon night falls, the monster is still roaming the house attacking people, and Anya is starting to freak out. When the monster almost succeeds in cutting Xander's throat, she's had enough. In what was for me the pivotal scene of the episode, she challenges Willow to use magic to free them.
Tara: I think we've tried everything.
Anya: Well, that's not completely true, is it? I mean, not everything. Not exactly . We're sitting here with an incredibly powerful witch. Much more powerful than you, Tara. I'm sorry, only no one seems willing to say it. Willow: I can't.
Anya: No, see, that's not exactly true either. Not can't. Won't.
Willow: You don't know how much I hate this. I don't know if there's even anything I could do.
Anya: Yes. And a good way to find out is to sit around and try nothing. That was sarcasm, by the way.
Willow: It's dangerous.
Anya: And so is all of us dying.
Whew. I told you this episode was really about Anya. She cut through all the hesitation and polite restraint and asked the hard question: Is Willow being selfish by not using her magic skills? This wasn't just about fighting off inner cravings. Put it this way: If you were an alcoholic, and the lives of nine other people were in danger, but you might just be able to save them by taking a drink - shouldn't you? What if it wasn't an intoxicant but something that could make you dangerous to the people around you? And if they are willing to risk it, shouldn't you also?
Writer Drew Z. Greenberg raised a terrible and important question. Unfortunately, he also cheated and gave himself an easy way out by making the question moot - Anya is able to find a way to end the curse even without Willow's help. By writing an ending where Willow's intervention wasn't necessary he implies that her refusal was justified. Tara later congratulates Willow on her strength in resisting the use of magic. But what about the strength it would have required to put your own welfare at risk to rescue others? What if Anya had never found a way out? What if Willow really had been the only person able to break the curse? It's a disappointment, because I think the show lost an opportunity to explore a significant moral dilemma.
But I'm not going to obsess over it, because there was more Anyish goodness to come. Just as she refused to coddle Willow's feelings, she also has no scruples about tearing through Dawn's room searching for a clue to what was going on. (Again, this only worked if you buy the flawed logic that put the blame on Dawn in the first place, but I already got picky about that.) Hello - what's this? Shoplifted items from the Magic Shop? Looks like Dawn is busted. And when Buffy reveals what Dawn told her about the guidance counselor, Anya easily figures out the rest, and performs a demon-summoning spell that is my all-time favorite in the history of this show: "Hallie, get your ass down here!!!"
As the nosy friend two episodes ago, Halfrek was irritating; here, as the smug vengeance demon - sorry, 'Justice demon' - she was perfect. It was great to see her caught in her own trap, and forced to break the curse to get away herself. But was Dawn really neglected? It's fair to say that Buffy hasn't been spending much time with her, but Dawn is certainly old enough to understand the situation. Old enough not to pout while they're all fighting for their lives. And old enough not to be so self-absorbed as to be offended that people want to leave for work after spending an entire night with her. The writers imply that the turmoils of adolescence excuse her acting out - but when Buffy was that age, she wasn't pouting.
The verdict? The leaps of illogic still bother me, although they're somewhat forgivable in the interest of moving the story along. The chickening out on the Big Important Question, however, cost it big time.
Episode rating: 6 out of 10
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