"Goodbye Iowa"

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Episode 14 of Season 4 

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“I thought I knew but I don't.”

 

Original US airdate: February 15th, 2000 (aired directly before Angel episode "I've Got You Under My Skin")

Rewatched: July 16th, 2022

 

• Writer: Marti Noxon

• Director: David Solomon

• Guests: Amber Benson, George Hertzberg, Leonard Roberts, Bailey Chase, Jack Stehlin, JB Gaynor, Saverio Guerra, Emma Caulfield

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The title of this episode says so much. As someone raised on the left coast, Iowa contains so much stereotype, which Riley embodies. He’s a corn-fed Iowa boy. Patriotic. Non-question-asking. But in the episode, his world gets dark, or at least gray. His disillusionment has begun. Prof. Walsh is dead (Forrest suggests it’s Buffy, while Buffy and Riley assume the Polgara demon. No one but Dr. Angleman knows it’s Adam) and the Initiative is in disarray. Riley in confronted with the knowledge that Prof. Walsh tried to kill Buffy. He saw enough that he can’t deny it, although Forrest tries to convince him Buffy needed to die. Later, he finds Spike (Hostile 17) at Giles’ place. He also follows Buffy to Willy’s bar. He can’t understand the gray areas of life and begins to think that Buffy may be doing something to him (in reality, he is in withdrawal from the drugs Prof. Walsh fed him). In the end, he has his first run-in with Adam and learns that Prof. Walsh considered him and Adam her favorite sons. He is also injured, causing him to stay at the military hospital, far from Buffy. While Buffy worries he is all alone with nothing to hold on to, he holds on to Buffy’s bandana. Buffy with all her knowledge of fighting evil, saving the world and navigating the gray areas has become his beacon in his topsy turvy world.

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This episode is also about family. The Scoobies are one, hiding together in Xander’s basement when the need arises and helping each other out. The Initiative claims to be one, with Prof. Walsh considering some her children (Adam even calls it home) and Forrest says they take care of their own, but the Initiative is a toxic family. Only if you fall in line with them do you belong. Buffy is out because she asked too much. Riley might be next.
 

The world is not black and white, and family is not dependent on everyone believing the same thing. Riley’s realizations of this cause his world to fall apart. Luckily, the Scoobies (and Buffy) are there for him.

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In other news, Tara and Willow perform a spell to find demonic energy. Tara sabotages it, for reasons revealed in Season 5. Adam is on the loose, questing for knowledge about who he is. This parallels Buffy’s Season 5 quest to find out more about the Slayer. It must be noted that Adam’s quest ends in the death of child while Buffy’s doesn’t. So, while the question of who we are and why we are here may be mirrored, the methods of finding an answer are not.

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"This Year's Girl"

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Episode 15 of Season 4 

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“It's a choice.”

 

Original US airdate: February 22nd, 2000 (aired directly before Angel episode "The Prodigal")

Rewatched: July 23rd, 2022

 

• Writer: Douglas Petrie

• Director: Michael Gershman

• Guests: Kristine Sutherland, Amber Benson, Leonard Roberts, Bailey Chase, Chet Grissom, Alastair Duncan, Harry Groener, Eliza Dushku

 

This episode has two main strands. The one I’ll deal with second is perhaps the more interesting one- Faith wakes up from her coma. The first one is Riley’s continued struggle with learning the truth about the Initiative. It’s a great episode.

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At the beginning of this episode, Riley is still in the Initiative hospital and Buffy hasn’t seen him since he was taken there. While Buffy plans to storm the place, Riley walks out. It is a bit more complicated in reality, as Riley has the threaten a guard and deal with Forrest and Graham, who both want him to stay and not go to Buffy. Forrest says to Riley that they need to keep their problem in the family, but Riley is skeptical they are a family. So, Riley goes to Buffy, who is supportive of him, saying she’ll support him no matter what he decides. He can go back and try to change it from the inside or he can quit, and fight demons in his own way. But Riley responds that “I’m a soldier. Take that away and what’s left?” While Buffy’s response of “a good man” is true, Riley’s doubts are also worth taking seriously. He’s only ever fought evil as a soldier. He seems, at least as of this episode, not really cut out for the gray areas of the job. What’s interesting is that Buffy started this season not in her strongest place and Riley seemed on top of it. It turns out Buffy is the stronger one, and will continue to grow stronger. Riley will be faced with his lack of mission in the face of Buffy’s strength and dedication. This will color their relationship in the coming episodes, and especially in Season 5.

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While the hunt for Adam goes on, Faith wakes up, leaving Buffy to explain some of her past to Riley (glossing over some aspects of it), and marking the return of the Council to Sunnydale (who show up at Giles’ apartment at the end of the episode). The Scoobies are left hunting two homicidal maniacs. Before Faith wakes up, she has a series of dreams – one with Buffy – they’re making a bed for little sister (a clear reference to Dawn) – when Faith bleeds on the clean sheets. She looks up and Buffy is still holding Faith’s iconic knife, which is still stuck in her stomach. The next dream has Faith and the Mayor having a picnic. The Mayor sees a small snake and tells it it doesn’t belong, when a very dark Buffy interrupts, killing the Mayor and threatening Faith with her knife. The snake could be seen as the Mayor – he turned into a giant snake demon and Buffy killed him, as he didn’t belong, or as a reference to Faith – she never felt like she belonged in Sunnydale. But Buffy is the aggressor in her mind, storming into her idyllic picnic with her father figure. The final dream has Buffy chasing Faith in a graveyard in the rain. Faith falls into an open grave and Buffy jumps in behind. We hear a fight and Faith climbs out, and then stands, distraught and relieved, in the rain. So, while reality is different, at least from Faith’s perspective, it is Buffy who is a threat to her peaceful life. However, the dreams also underscore how little Faith understood of Buffy’s willingness to forgive her, help her and even love her. Faith awakens from her coma set on revenge, rather than redemption.

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Faith learns it’s February 25th and not graduation day, and she also learns what happened that day. Faith ends up outside of Giles’ apartment, hearing the gang talk about finding her. She hears the negative parts (about her evilness), but misses Buffy’s part about not knowing if she even remembers, or maybe regrets, and that it’s Buffy job to help her, not hand her over to someone else to deal with. Faith does find Buffy the next day on campus and they fight, but the arrival of the police causes Faith to flee, and no one achieves anything.

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As Faith continues to wander Sunnydale, a demon finds her with a present from the Mayor. He left a video and a gizmo. Faith watches the video, cementing her love for the Mayor again, and then goes off on a mission. She goes to Buffy’s house and keeps Joyce captive while waiting for Buffy, despite Faith realizing that Buffy may be awhile, as there’s a lot of mail piled up. Faith tries to get Joyce on her side, by saying Buffy abandoned them both. But Buffy arrives, they fight, and as the police arrive, Faith uses the gizmo. Buffy then knocks Faith out. As the police arrive, it becomes clear Buffy is actually Faith. First, her comment to let the police deal with “Faith” is telling, as only a little earlier Buffy was adamant that Faith was her problem, and then Buffy says “five by five”.

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Faith, believing Buffy stole her life, is willing to steal Buffy’s life and let Buffy deal with the consequences of Faith’s actions. It is ironic that being Buffy will start to show Faith the error of her ways; it will help her see the world from Buffy’s perspective and see that Buffy is not just a “better-than-thou Buffy”, but someone who cares and fights for good. While the Mayor says Faith has no place in the world and Faith believes him, the truth is she does, but only if she can come to terms with herself. While this episode and the next are not the end of this journey, they are the true start of Faith’s journey to redemption.  

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Buffy has a lot on her plate with her new boyfriend losing his way, Adam to fight and now Faith. And Faith has a lot of growing to do. In the end, the title could refer to either Slayer, as Buffy has clearly owned her freshman year at UC Sunnydale, getting over her uncertainty, not letting the Initiative hoodwink her, and growing more into her role as a leader. Faith can also be seen as this year’s girl, newly awakened from her coma and ready to find her place in this new world.

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"Who Are You?"

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Episode 16 of Season 4 

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“Because it's wrong.”

 

Original US airdate: February 29th, 2000 (aired directly before Angel episode "The Ring")

Rewatched: July 30th, 2022

 

• Writer: Joss Whedon

• Director: Joss Whedon

• Guests: Kristine Sutherland, Amber Benson, Leonard Roberts, George Hertzberg, Chet Grissom, Alastair Duncan, Emma Caulfield, Eliza Dushku

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Faith is in Buffy’s body and Buffy in Faith’s. While “Faith” is taken away by the police, and later taken by the Council, “Buffy” is getting to know her new body. She takes a bath (it’s kind of full of sexual tension, to be honest) and tries out being Buffy in front of the mirror, saying “You can’t do that. Because it’s wrong” in different ways. She finds Buffy’s most Faith-like outfit and even asks Joyce to borrow the lipstick Faith had tried in the last episode (but she throws it at Joyce and tells her to burn it when Joyce point out Faith had chosen it). She also steals some money, a passport and books a flight out of Sunnydale for the next morning. With a night to kill, Faith first goes to see Giles (and Willow, Xander and Anya).

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She tells the gang she’ll patrol for Adam (not really understanding what that means), but ends up at the Bronze, where she parties in similar style to “Bad Girls”. She runs into Spike (the first time Faith and Spike meet) and they get into it. As part of their exchange, Faith tells Spike that she could do anything, including (in fairly graphic detail) him, but the only reason she doesn’t is because it’s wrong. Two aspects of this exchange are intriguing. First, this may be the first, true awakening of Spike’s lust/feelings for Buffy. Second, how Faith describes Buffy – having no sense of fun, only pouting and whining about being a Slayer - shows to a large extent how little Faith has understood Buffy. Faith also runs into Willow and Tara (also the first and only time Faith will meet Tara), who prompt her to slay a vampire. Faith is slightly confused by how thankful the young woman she saved is.

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Faith then leaves to track down Riley.  Here, she describes Buffy as prim and proper (again showing her lack of understanding for Buffy), and seduces Riley. Riley is a bit confused, but doesn’t suspect that Faith is in Buffy’s body. However, it is clear that Faith approaches intimacy very differently than Buffy does. In fact, for Faith, it isn’t intimacy, but playing games. When Riley doesn’t want to play, but only love her (and he indeed tells “Buffy” he loves her), Faith is confused. The next morning, she encounters Forrest on her way out. He makes his dislike of Buffy clear, calling her a killer, to which Faith replies that “I am not a killer. I’m the Slayer and you don’t know the first thing about me.” This is significant for Faith – re-claiming the Slayer title and denouncing the title of killer seems to indicate her desire for redemption. Of course, for Forrest, it underlines how little he doesn’t know about slaying and Buffy.

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Finally, Faith arrives at the airport, dressed very much like Buffy in a long white and blue skirt and a blue top (with a rather high neckline). There she sees the news the vampires have taken a church hostage. Instead of fleeing the country, she goes to help, running into Riley, who was only on scene to attend church, but took control from the police. Faith takes control, very much like Buffy, saying she can take three vampires and Riley, still recovering from his injury, should stay outside to make sure no vamps get out and to help the victims. Faith confronts the vampires and tells them they won’t be killing anyone that day, because it’s wrong. For the first time, she means it. And she does slay. She takes out one in grand style, another flees outside, and is thrown into the sunlight by Riley. The last is more of a challenge and Faith seems to be losing her faith in herself when Buffy shows up, staking the vampire from behind, in a near identical scene to Faith saving Buffy by staking Mr. Trick in “Consequences”. Much like that scene did not repair Buffy and Faith’s relationship, this scene doesn’t either. Faith in Buffy’s body attacks Buffy in Faith’s body. Faith says “You’re nothing, disgusting, murderous bitch. You’re nothing. You’re disgusting.” And we know she doesn’t mean Buffy but actually herself. Buffy, however, has a neat gift from Willow and Tara, and switches them back into their original bodies.

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While Faith has a long road to accept who she is and what she’s done, living as Buffy shows her what she could be. She experiences being a Slayer without the baggage of being a criminal. She experiences love. She may not be fully be on the road to redemption yet, but she’s ready to be on it. In “Five by Five” and “Sanctuary”, Angel will be able to get her fully on the right track.

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On the flip side, Buffy in Faith’s body experiences hate. She hears how the police talk about her, and the men the Council sent, and how they are ready to kill her. This experience may allow her to eventually tone down her own outward hatred to Faith and allow from them to reconcile in Season 7. They have both walked in each other’s shoes.

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Finally, Tara and Willow play a key role in this episode. At the beginning, they are in Tara’s room and Tara says that she knows all about the Scoobies, but they don’t know about her. Willow tells her it’s because she wants something that’s only hers. And Tara tells Willow that she is hers. Later, when Willow and Tara meet Faith at the Bronze, Faith realizes that the two are dating. She is not particularly nice about it. But Tara recognizes that “Buffy’s” energy is wrong, and convinces Willow (after Willow asks whether Buffy might be possessed by a Hyena) to perform a spell (a very intimate spell, full of sexual tension). Both Faith’s remarks and this scene make it very clear to viewers that Tara is not just Willow’s new friend. This is also Tara’s first time helping the Scoobies, marking her entry into the gang.  

 

The episode ends with everything right. Sort of. Faith is leaving Sunnydale, perhaps ready for a new life with less evil and more slaying. Tara is joining the group and Willow is starting to be open about her new relationship. And life can return to normal. Until Riley tells Buffy he slept with Faith. Both seems to be struggling with this revelation, but this is left unresolved for the moment.

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“Superstar”

 

Episode 17 of Season 4

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“If you really want it, you can make anything happen.”

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Original US airdate: April 4th, 2000 (aired directly before Angel episode "Eternity")

Rewatched: August 6th, 2022

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• Writer: Jane Espenson

• Director: David Grossman

• Guests: Danny Strong, Amber Benson, Bailey Chase, Robert Patrick Benedict, John Saint Ryan, George Hertzberg, Emma Caulfield

 

While season 4 never rates very high with the fans, it does have a few episodes that really stand out and this is one of them. In a nutshell, Jonathan casts a spell to make him a paragon and it doesn’t end well.

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This episode showcases a lot of Jonathan, including having him in the credits. However, what viewers learn is that he hasn’t really learned much since “Earshot”. Instead of trying to kill himself with a bang, he’s used magic he learned from someone in group therapy to cut corners and make it big. Unfortunately, when the magic makes him a paragon (he’s even a better, more James-like Slayer than Buffy and he makes everyone around him, even Spike, feel important), it also makes a monster to terrorize Sunnydale. Once the spell is broken, Buffy says to Jonathan that “It’s not just the monster. People didn’t like being the little actors in your sock-puppet theater” and Jonathan claims that they weren’t socks, they were friends, which really indicates that he doesn’t quite understand how to make friends. As Buffy then tells him, “Things are complicated. They take time and work.” However, season 6 will show that Jonathan never really learns this lesson. He wants to make an impression and he wants to do it fast. It will end up costing him his life.

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For Buffy, we get to see her in this episode as the person she would be if she had never had to lead. Buffy is a Slayer, but not really, and this is not unlike “The Wish”, where we see Buffy as the Slayer without her Sunnydale support system. In this episode, she is definitely 2nd fiddle to Jonathan, afraid to take on the bad guys and afraid to take initiative. When Riley complains about the Initiative, saying he wished they would put trust in him and then he would deal with Adam, Buffy mentions she’s felt that way her entire life. However, deep down Buffy senses this world is not right (the only other person to recognize this is Adam, who notes that he is more awake and alive than anyone and everyone is just shadows, an allusion to the Platonic philosopher king). Buffy tries to convince the Scoobies but they are skeptical (except Riley, he trusts Buffy). And in the end, Buffy is able to follow her instincts and get the job done, breaking the spell. This shows a lot of growth for her. In the last alternate reality, she didn’t survive and it was Giles who believed there could be a better world. Here, Buffy is able to believe in herself and change the world back.

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Another theme of this episode is Buffy and Riley. The events of the last episode are hurting both of them. Jonathan speaks to both, telling Buffy to forgive Riley and Riley to let Buffy know she’s all he wants. This allows them to reconnect, through a romantic slow dance and cuddling. These two scenes, in which talking is explicitly left out, show that Riley and Buffy function best this way (see “Hush” and their first kiss for comparison). This may indicate the fragility of their relationship.

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Finally, Jonathan is credited in this episode with many things Buffy did. But most notably, instead of Jonathan giving Buffy the class protector award, Buffy gave it to Jonathan in this reality. Also, when Buffy quizzes Anya about alternate realities (a good candidate to know, as Anya is more aware of the alternate reality created in “The Wish” than the others), she references a world with shrimp and a world without shrimp. Shrimp worlds will be mentioned in further episodes of Buffy and Angel.

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