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Episode 4.12: A New Man | Episode 4.14: Goodbye Iowa
Characters:
| Buffy | Xander | Willow |
| Giles | Spike | Riley |
| Anya | Tara |
Overall (7/10)
Buffy:
This episode has a lot of references to family. In a lot of ways, it is about different family units and the individuals in them and on the periphery of them. When I refer to "family" in this review, I'm referring not to blood relations but to the family we form from our friends.
The two main "family" units are the Scoobies and the Initiative. The Scoobies are notable for their casual, magical approach to Slaying whereas the Initiative is a military operation with a heavy science focus. Additionally, there is no room for the individual within the Initiative. Questions aren't meant to be asked. Orders are expected to be followed. Uniforms are meant to be worn. But the Scoobies still retain their own unique identity even as they help their "family" unit. This is an overarching theme for the season, and it stands out, in particular, in this episode.
So what's Buffy's role in all this?
She had been having trouble fitting into college, even while still "in" with her family, the Scoobies. However, in this episode she crosses over to the Initiative in order to fully integrate into her new college lifestyle. Of course, the way is paved by her relationship with Riley, and it's no coincidence that they consummate that relationship in this episode. Buffy joins the Initiative in every way possible.
In doing so, though, she starts cutting off her ties to the Scoobies. While the Scoobies are having their doubts about the Initiative, Buffy is barely paying attention to those concerns. It isn't until the end, with Professor Walsh's betrayal, that Buffy realizes that the Initiative isn't entirely good.
The end is especially interesting. The story that Walsh tells Riley is that Buffy insisted on going off on her own, saying she didn't need back-up. Obviously, this individualism is frowned upon in the Initiative, and Walsh believes that Buffy would be killed going up against two demons by herself.
Obviously, as Buffy tells her, she doesn't know what a Slayer is.
Once Buffy receives her wake-up call, she returns back to the Scoobies. She recognizes, from that one incident, the threat that the Initiative's ideology poses to herself and her family.
Additionally, Buffy has sex in this episode. Again, she wakes up in a bed with red sheets. This time, though, the guy is still with her. Finally!
Xander:
Xander gets a bit shafted in this episode as he's relegated to a comic relief role. We see him trying yet another job.
Willow:
Willow is frantically trying to keep the Scoobies together. But she's facing Buffy, who's running off with the Initiative, and Anya, a peripheral member that she doesn't like. In addition, she has Tara that she is purposely keeping on the sidelines because she fears that her family wouldn't approve.
It's notable that their Scooby family fun night is broken up when Buffy brings the Initiative guys with her. After that, Willow goes to Tara for the night. We'll see more of Tara's integration into the Scoobies in S5.
Giles doesn't have much to do here, which is a shame. His role as the paternal figure in the Scooby gang could have been taken advantage on with the family theme. But it wasn't.
He does have an interesting role, though, with Spike. He actually puts forward the idea that the chip might enable Spike to do some good (He refers to a "higher purpose" while in Spike's crypt). Ironically enough, this is exactly what will happen in the future. Spike does himself a disservice here by shrugging Giles off and kicking him out. It's likely that this exchange is the reason Giles is so hard on Spike in S5 when Spike is making an attempt to be good.
As mentioned in Giles' section, Spike blows his chance to get in Giles' good graces. He thoroughly does not want anything to do with the Scoobies, despite Giles' attempt to bring him into the "family". Note to Spike: Don't do stuff like that.
However, when Spike needs help, he turns to the Scoobies, thus indicating his status as a peripheral Scooby family member.
But why do they help him? After all, he's being hunted by the Initiative. While they may have their doubts about the guys, they don't have anything certain saying they're bad. And they'd take Spike off their hands, so why go to the trouble and risk of helping the chipped vampire?
I think the answer goes back to what I noted in my review for Doomed. They know him. Hell, Spike was housemates with Giles and Xander at varying points. That, alone, is enough to form the smallest bond possible to motivate them to help protect him. Of course, they don't do it for free. Giles insists on receiving payment for it. But that's beside the point when looking at the larger picture.
Riley represents the "other" family. Those Initiative guys. Buffy questions him on his blind obedience and he shrugs it off to her. However, we see that he starts to become a bit more inquisitive afterwards.
From the start, we've seen Riley fully entrenched in his family. Walsh is even refered to as "mother" or "mom" by various members of the Initiative throughout the season. However, this is a twisted family that squashes any individuality and expects total obedience without question.
Through his relationship to Buffy, Riley begins to question himself and his family. It is at the end, when he hears that Walsh had set Buffy up that he walks out. The next episode, though, will be the one that deals with Riley's conflict more. This is merely set-up for him.
Anya, like Spike, is on the periphery of the Scoobies. Actually, Anya and Spike have a lot in common. Both were demons (Though Spike still is a demon. The fact that he can't kill anymore disables his demon status). Both actively miss being able to kill and harm other people. Both are lacking in social graces. The only real difference between the two is that Anya has an advocate in the Scoobies to help integrate her into the group. Xander, in some ways, acts as her sponsor in that regard.
Spike, on the other hand, has no such advocate. He almost gained one, perhaps, with Giles in this episode, but he blew that opportunity.
Anya will become a fully-fledged member of the Scoobies in S5. Right now she's still being coached by Xander on proper human behavior.
Tara doesn't have much to do as a character in this episode. We get another reference to family where she tries to give a crystal that had belonged to her grandmother to Willow. However, Willow turns down the gift as she doesn't feel comfortable taking something that belongs to Tara's family.
Buffy and the Initiative get all buddy-buddy. Then Walsh tries to kill Buffy. Riley gets all grumpy and storms out.
Walsh is the principle bad guy, though the conflict comes from the two different groups colliding.
Big arc episode.
This is a solid episode with a good theme running throughout. It also manages to forward the themes of the season very well, in addition to providing some nice character development. Good show.
Special performance award goes to George Hertzberg for the crazy Frankenstein make-up.
7 out of 10
Buffy's speech on the monitor to Walsh at the end. It perfectly sums up the reason why Buffy cannot work with the Initiative.
Episode 4.12: A New Man | Episode 4.14: Goodbye Iowa
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