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Episode 4.04: Fear, Itself | Episode 4.06: Wild at Heart
Characters:
| Buffy | Xander | Willow |
| Giles | Oz | Riley |
Overall (4/10)
Buffy:
And we finally reach the conclusion of Buffy's post-Parker depression.
Unfortunately, it's in a fairly flawed episode.
This episode attempts to use the theme of the id or pleasure principle, but goes overboard. Subtlety is tossed completely out the window until we're hit over the head with the message of the week. Not to mention the awfully preachy "beer is bad" message.
Buffy starts out the episode in firm denial of what she already knows: Parker's a big man-whore. She doesn't want to admit it, though, as she believes that she's a slut if she does.
But she isn't really. Even with Parker being what he is.
Parker does have a point that there's nothing wrong with casual sex. It may not be socially acceptable, but I don't look down on people for it. However, Parker attempted to make an emotional connection with Buffy in order to entice her into having sex with him. He led her on. That's not casual sex. That's Parker being a sleaze.
So Buffy has every right to be angry at him. Of course, she'll take it out on herself first by drinking copious amounts of beer.
The beer = bad message is a bit too heavy-handed. I don't like to be preached to when I watch TV. And besides, I don't think beer is inherently bad. It is foamy, though, as cave!Buffy points out.
At the end, cave!Buffy gets the sincere apology from Parker and bashes him over the head in a fit of id. Fun and satisfying as the scene is, it feels a little contrived that Parker would issue an apology like that. Especially as we'll see in The Initiative that he's still the same sleaze that he's always been.
Xander:
I'm gonna call bullshit on Xander being a bartender. There is absolutely no way an underage kid with no drink-mixing experience would be able to get a job as a bartender. I don't buy it.
But moving on. He's trying desperately to insert himself into the college lifestyle so that he can be with his friends. Unfortunately, he underestimates the hardships of being a bartender. I do love the bar scene as it is so spot on with everybody leaning across the bar yelling out their orders. Points for realism there.
Xander also has the snooty college boys picking on him (And I have known college guys just like that, so realism points there, as well).
Xander doesn't quite agree with Jack's methods of turning them all into cavemen, though.
Willow is now firmly in the anti-Parker camp. Please let's remember that she was encouraging Buffy to have sex with Parker in The Harsh Light of Day. I think she owes Buffy a bit of an apology for her own poor judgment.
She gets to confront Parker, though. It's a scene somewhat reminiscent of her telling off Faith in S3's Choices. She then has to ruin it, though, by spelling out the theme of the episode and calling Parker "id-boy" and mentioning the "pleasure principle". Yes, we can follow the not-too-subtle theme just fine. We don't need Willow drawing us out a flowchart.
In other Willow news, Veruca has fully entered the picture. Willow picks up on the connection between Oz and Veruca and starts to feel a little insecure. This is all set up for the following episode, of course.
Giles gets very, very little to do in this episode. Literally. He doesn't even save the day in the end. Poor, poor former-librarian. Not even any exposition to recite.
Oz is removed from the cavemen antics of the episode as he's busy making eyes at Veruca. He seems to realize that there's something up with her, but he's not sure as to what it is.
He'll find out next episode.
Nice Guy Riley makes a brief appearance to convince Buffy that Parker is a sleaze. He establishes himself as a gentleman, though Buffy isn't really listening. Then he leaves as he hears there's a sale on flannel shirts down the street.
Beer is evil. It makes you turn into a cave-person.
Uh...beer?
Not an arc episode. We don't even see the Initiative soldiers.
This episode completely fumbles the theme by trying to hit us over the head with it. The only thing that saves it is the humor, which is spot on. Buffy is hilarious to watch as cave!Buffy. And even the other characters have their funny moments. Still, a fairly low point for the season.
Special performance award goes to Sarah Michelle Gellar for the chair-spin.
4 out of 10.
Willow and Oz watching Veruca sing. No, it doesn't have much to do with this episode, but it's good set-up for the next episode.
Well, I totally sidestepped all the comedic potential of the episode and focused on the one ominously dramatic scene with Willow and Oz watching Veruca sing. Willow's look says it all. I love Veruca in the background of the wallpaper.
And the Sarah McLachlan song popped into my head (Which isn't saying much because that song often pops into my head). I felt it appropriate considering what's coming up for Willow and Oz. True, the song is about a lover going off to die. But, hey, artistic liberty.
Credits:
Caps: Screencap Paradise
Textures: Shattered, Misplaced Moments
Fonts: English (Link), Ringbearer (Link)
Brushes: None
*Some resources were used that I can't identify. All resources are generally linked to on the links page, but if you recognize an uncredited resource let me know so I can note it with the actual wallpaper.
Episode 4.04: Fear, Itself | Episode 4.06: Wild at Heart
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