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Episode 4.20: The Yoko Factor | Episode 4.22: Restless
Characters:
| Buffy | Xander | Willow |
| Giles | Spike | Riley |
| Anya | Tara |
Overall (7/10)
Buffy:
Manus - Hand
This episode serves to start wrapping up the season's theme of teamwork. Buffy has distanced herself from the Scoobies because of her relationship with Riley. However, she is given a harsh wake-up call in The Yoko Factor when her group falls apart. She faces up to this in this episode and gets the group back together.
In doing so, she realizes that she draws strength from them. This is in direct contrast to Adam, whose power is an internal (uranium) source. Buffy's power, in this episode, is externally drawn from her friends. She is "the hand", the part that carries out whatever action is needed.
From the beginning of the series, Buffy has struggled with being a Slayer. She's tried to maintain friendships, while at the same time trying to keep them from getting hurt. She's tried to fight the isolation that comes from being a Slayer. In this episode, she fully embraces the friends she has in her life, and, using a spell that calls on the power of the first Slayer, draws on their strength. In that way, the Scoobies get formerly recognized as the prime demon-fighting group instead of just being sidekicks.
This won't always be the case, however. Later in the show, Buffy will grow further and further apart from her friends as she explores the darker side of being the Slayer. But, for now, the Scoobies are poised and ready for the next challenge, a hellgod.
Xander:
Animus - Heart
After a season of feeling adrift and useless, Xander's worth gets validated as a Scooby with him playing "the heart" in the enjoining spell. It's no coincidence that he gets this role after Anya confesses that she's in love with him.
Xander, even down on his luck, is the heart of the group. He is the every man that is necessary in any group dynamic. What does he bring to the table? He brings the reality check. He's the one who will argue against the group when he thinks they're going wrong (see all the arguments about Angel in the first three seasons). He's also the one who will loyally stand by a friend, no matter what. That's what Anya sees, and that's what appeals to her.
Willow:
Spiritus - Spirit
Willow began the season tired of being under Buffy's leadership. We saw her express her displeasure at being "the sidekick" in Fear, Itself. We've seen her feel like she's been unfairly treated because of her magic use.
Like Xander, she gets validation with this one episode that she is as important to the group as Buffy, the Slayer. She ceases to be a sidekick, and she becomes one of the heroes. In this episode, we see the individuals of the group become as strong as the strongest member.
She plays the role of "the spirit". Obviously, her innate magical abilities give her this role.
Sophus - Mind
Giles has been out of a job all season. He's not even been able to be Buffy's Watcher.
However, this episode serves as a lead-in to Restless where he's reminded of his role as a Watcher. He is "the mind". The go-to man for demon knowledge. He's the thinker of the group, even moreso than Willow. In Restless, he'll tell the first Slayer that he can defeat her with his intellect. This is the very same intellect that works for him in this episode (We'll see that it doesn't quite do the trick in the next one, though).
This episode sees Spike in much the same situation that he was in in Becoming Pt. 2. He's made a deal with the enemy in order to get something he wants. In S2, he wanted Dru back. In this season, he wants the chip out.
Unfortunately for him, Buffy's better at keeping her word than Adam is. Once Adam, unsatisfied with Spike's work, tries to kill him, Spike promptly runs off. And when the battle breaks out, he fights the demons, of course, as those are the only beings he can hit.
He does have the presence of mind to save the Scoobies, though, to try to stay in their good graces. Even after his betrayal, he realizes which team would be able to help him in the long-term. Fortunately for him, they're tired after their spell and not in the mood to stake him.
The big sticking point against this episode is the Initiative plot. While the Scoobies' story is handled well, especially with regards to the theme, the plot with Riley and Adam fail to match up.
Riley has a chip in him, and he's able to cut it out of his own chest and then save Buffy. This particular thread, while nicely action-packed, doesn't really do much to forward the theme.
After a season of lots of Xander-sex, Anya finally tells him that she's in love with him. It's sweet, and it's probably something that he appreciated hearing, even if he doesn't say it back.
Tara gets to play the supportive girlfriend. It's sweet.
Adam carries out his evil plan. The Initiative goes down. Buffy's eyes turn yellow. Chips all around.
Adam.
And here we have the conclusion of the Initiative arc. The theme of teamwork will extend into the next episode, though.
An uneven episode. The plot, itself, doesn't have much relevance to the actual theme, and most of the more interesting parts are actually setting up for the next episode.
Special performance award goes to Lindsay Crouse (Maggie Walsh) for that crazy zombie make-up. Yikes!
7 out of 10. I wavered a lot on this score. However, the action scenes are fun, and the Scooby scenes are well-done, even if the actual plot isn't very engaging.
The Scoobies doing the enjoining spell. A very important moment for the episode, season, and series. Yep.
Episode 4.20: The Yoko Factor | Episode 4.22: Restless
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