Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Sheesh, a ton of stuff. A full minute of it, actually, and I wouldn't be upset at all if they stopped showing me Tara getting shot. After which...

Run, Lola, Run! We're in Germany for another ritual-dagger stabbing, but as this week's victim dies, she turns her head towards the camera and intones, "From beneath you, it devours". And Buffy's wakes up screaming. Ooh, Slayer dreams!! I mean, sad for the girl dying and all (and I'm convinced I know what's up with that, but I don't wanna spoil anybody by guessing), and very sad for the other victims Buffy is certain are still to come. But amazingly excited for the mystical Slayer jazz! Man, I thought Joss & Co. had completely forgotten. Nice to be wrong sometimes.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Sunnydale, a CGI Bugs Bunny trail burrows its way through the streets, looking like maybe it should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque.

After the opening credits, we join Spike in the school basement, stalking a rat. He's mumbling to himself something fierce - now is not the time, he insists, and whomever he's fighting with inside his head apparently has terrible manners. Then the ground begins to quake. Spike takes this mini-earthquake personally, begging for it to stop. He pleads pitifully that he's not nearly ready yet, clutching his head and screaming as the ground continues to shake. Spike is not a well guy.

Dawn, though, is chipper and excited that Buffy's going to be coming to school with her every day. Not that Buffy's allowed to talk to her or anything, but it's still gonna be more time together than Dawn got last season, which is a good in everybody's book. Xander, still driving carpool, reminisces about the good old days, and he and Buffy share another one of those "awfully comfy together these days" moments. On one hand, it continues to make me suspect that Joss is considering B/X for later in the season, but on the other hand, it's still a really brother/sister kind of vibe that's not selling me on them as a couple. Not that it's necessarily supposed to. Eh, I ramble.

Anyway, after they take a moment to establish for the viewers that Xander isn't dating but would like to be, we jump ahead to Buffy getting settled into her new office. Cubicle, really. Not that new and inexperienced employees rate window offices, but shouldn't the place where students are supposed to come and confide in somebody have, I dunno, walls? Maybe a door? Buffy's looking forward to giving her first detention, and Principal Robin advises her not to get too friendly with the students or they'll eat her alive. Ah, Buffy wonders, he's heard about Principal Flutie? Robin makes a lame, weapon-related joke, but he just so happens to be chatting up the only gal in Southern California who's likely to get it. Not that she humours her new boss by at least grinning, but she gets it. I officially like Robin - he does embarrassed very well and looks darn cute while doing it. Just mysterious enough to keep me on my toes and just awkward enough not to make me too suspicious. Which actually makes me suspicious by itself, even though I know Joss likes to paint a mystery where there really isn't one. But knowing that we know that, he could be planning big, exciting revelations. But knowing that he knows that we know that...

Buffy wonders how she managed to get this job (a question he already answered last week) and mentions her previous employment at the Doublemeat Palace. Huh, it sounds like she's already quit. Darn, I really wanted to see her say adios to the chickencow hat. Oh, well. Robin replies that he's a vegetarian, and for some weird reason, Buffy gives him the stink-eye like he just said he's on a "liquid diet" or something. Mmm, those suspicious vegetarians - better keep an eye on this one, girl. Actually, she decides to swing by the basement and check in on her raving loon of an ex, but an abruptly slamming door suggests that just maybe Spike's not in the mood for visitors.

Over in England, Willow's taxi has arrived. Time for her to go home and face the music. She's afraid of screwing up again (putting it lightly there, Willow), she's afraid of the new and improved, toothy Hellmouth, and she's afraid the others will be sore about that whole "attempted genocide" thing. All very rational fears, but it's still time for her to go. Yes, Giles' entire involvement in this episode consists of packing Willow into a taxi, and I'm not even remotely happy about that.

Sudden cut to that night in Sunnydale. A gal walks her adorable Yorkshire Terrier, fussing about what a pain it is, so you know the little pup is toast. Yep, there's a crunch, gal turns around to see a hole in the ground where her dog used to be, and then something on the end of the dog's leash starts to drag her towards the hole. It bursts through the sidewalk, gal drops the leash and runs screaming... straight into Xander. Who was apparently wandering around by himself in Sunnydale after dark. Good thing for gal, but still. He should know better.

Anyway, Chez Summers. Gal - aka Nancy - confesses that even though you hear weird stories about life in Sunnydale, nobody believes them because you'd have to be crazy, and do they think she's crazy? No, Nancy, they do not. In fact, Xander seems rather smitten. He reassures her that they'll take care of it, and it's her lucky day... um, despite the fact that her dog is dead. Smooth one, Xand. Nancy describes the incident, and Buffy remembers that "From beneath you, it devours." Dawn suggests rounding up the gang, but Xander accurately points out that at present, the three of them are the gang. Cue Spike, standing in the doorway, looking all put back together and not at all crazy. His hair's all dyed again, and he's got a fancy new blue shirt on and everything! Ooh, Buffy doesn't look happy to see him. Not that she should be, of course, but it does make me wonder why she went looking for him in the dark, spooky basement earlier when she doesn't want to be around him. Weird. Anyway.

Buffy comments that he's changed, and I can't even count the many layers of irony there. Xander's open hostility towards Spike is not at all misplaced, and in a rare display of self-restraint, Spike doesn't rise to the bait. He tells Buffy that he's pulled himself together since she saw him the week before... Dawn picks up on that and wants to know why Buffy didn't mention seeing Spike. See, I figured that was gonna create some tension, and sure enough. Dawn snarks about Buffy only letting them in when she wants to, and for once, Dawn's pouting is well founded. In fact, Buffy's always been like that (Season 3? and Riley much?). But as usual, Buffy has something more pressing to worry about than Dawn's feelings.

Buffy and Spike retire to the foyer for a second. She begins by telling him that he'd better not do something as meaningless as say he's sorry. He won't, he insists. He's not there for penance, just to see if he can lend a hand. Not that he knows what with, he says. He just knows something's seriously funked up in town and figured Buffy'd know what was up. I actually think Spike's much more clued into the big ugly than Buffy is, but I wonder if he's even aware of it. Plus I'm way thrown by this together, matter-of-fact Spike that suddenly emerged from his earlier fit. I don't buy it. But I guess we'll see.

Buffy splits the group into teams, and Nancy wonders whether Xander's girlfriend is always so commanding. Xander practically trips over himself, despite standing perfectly still, in an effort to assure Nancy that Buffy's not his girlfriend, and Dawn amusingly points out the metaphorical drool on his chin. Xander objects strongly to Buffy going with Spike, but even though she's not comfy about it, she insists she can take him if he tries anything. Massively unwise situation to stick yourself into, Buffy, but I guess when dealing with concrete-burrowing monsters, you bring along whatever muscle you can find.

Dawn dubs herself 'command central' (i.e. "staying there to do her homework"), and I take a quiet moment to be overjoyed that nobody's freaking about her being home alone for a little while. While the others file out, though, she has a quick word for Spike: if he ever hurts her sister again, she informs him, he's going to wake up on fire. Spike wisely shuts his yap and goes outside.

Spike congratulates Buffy on her scary new sister as they check out the hole in the ground. She asks what was up with him the week before, and he blames his lack of sanity on the ghost zombie guys. Of course, having seen him still loony in this week's intro, as well as the kickass ending last week, I don't buy it for a second, but Buffy seems to. She flinches when she accidentally brushes against his hand, memories of the attempted rape prompting her to make sure he understands there's no chance of them getting back together. He knows that. He can't even begin to say he's sorry, only that he's changed. Buffy believes him, what with the aforementioned crazies, but she knows there's something he isn't telling her. He says she's right, but he has no intention of telling her what that something is.

I'm fascinated by his whole demeanour here. He's not denying the magnitude of his sins, but he's not being overly contrite about them either. He's there to help, but he was fully prepared to leave if his help wasn't wanted. He's being very up-front about some really huge things, but there's a ton of hugeness he's doing a damn fine job of hiding. And against all this, not only do I have no idea what's really going on with him - I'm not sure he knows either.

So Spike changes the subject, and we see Xander and Nancy arrive at her building. There's a very awkward, very adorable moment where Nancy expresses a desire to call him sometime, but the moment is interrupted by another attack from Bugs Burrower. Xander comments on the long odds of two random attacks, and Nancy huffs that her ex would just love this. Does he know what it's like when your ex just makes your life hell? Um, Cordelia? Anya? Yeah, Xander understands. So her ex was a ton of bad news, and she just wished that... ooh, Nancy said the magic words.

Cut to The Bronze, where Anya and her new, flippy hairdo are trying to get another scorned gal to pony up with her wish already. After an hysterical exchange where Nancy tries to sort out just who in this sordid little group hasn't slept together (complete with an inscrutable and priceless look between Xander and Spike), they proceed with the confrontation. Did she do it? Yep. Is she sorry? Nope. Well, maybe about the puppy, but she's got quotas to fill, and they could never understand because they're all just so human. Spike steps forward and begs to differ, and Anya gasps as she senses his soul. When he sees she's onto him, Spike tries to get the hell out of there before Anya can spill his beans. She won't let go, though, and keeps after him, demanding to know how he did it, how he got it back, until well and truly panicked, Spike hauls off and decks her. Enraged, he follows it up with another punch, but Anya's got her demon on and swats him across the room.

Which Buffy takes as her cue to step in. She tells Spike he hasn't changed, and he eagerly agrees. And holy crap, this is not the same Spike from five minutes ago. Or last week. Or last season. This is capital Big Bad Spike, who hasn't been seen since Season Two! Like, "Halloween" and "School Hard" Spike! He's positively gleeful as he taunts Buffy. Swagger back, delighted to be enjoying a spot of violence, he rubs their balcony sexcapades in her face and mocks her efforts to figure him out... I had about a million thoughts about what kind of Spike we'd see this season. His old, unrepentant self was not one of them. I love it.

Buffy needs to cut the violence short, though, because Nancy has decided to ditch this bunch of freaks and go it alone. Which means, naturally, that Ronnie the Worm is right behind her. Buffy races along the rooftops towards the scene, Spike trailing after her, as Nancy shimmies up a fire escape. Which of course breaks away from the building, dangling Nancy over RonnieWorm's big ol' maw. But just in the nick of time, Buffy webslings her way across the screen, thanks to a convenient and not at all random rope or something. She plucks Nancy from danger, and the two land on a nearby pile of foam rubble. Ronnie bursts out of the ground, and Buffy turns to face him, but Spike leaps into the fray, insisting it's his turn. Unaware that Xander has told Anya to pretty much quit blaming him for her problems and just do the right thing already, Spike wrenches a pipe off the wall and prepares to skewer the giant worm. Which becomes plain old Ronnie again just as Spike runs him through. Spike screams, clutching his head against his chip and absolutely horrified by what he's just done.

The first words that spill out of Spike's mouth are a sincere, shocked apology, but as Ronnie slumps to the ground, Spike proceeds to lose every last ounce of sanity he was clinging to. Buffy uses her new and useful cell phone to call for an ambulance as Spike's internal dialogue becomes a full-fledged argument. He screams for Buffy to help him, but Buffy's too busy trying to keep the impaled Ronnie from going into shock and dying to give one damn about Spike's panic. But all this, he promises, is just the beginning. From beneath you, it devours. From beneath... he runs away, just as Xander and Anya arrive. Nancy places the blame for this squarely on Anya's shoulders, and Xander kinda figures she won't be calling him. Buffy gives Xander her cell phone, tells him and Anya to wait for the ambulance, and takes off after Spike. Despite what happened, Xander insists, Anya did the right thing by reversing the spell. He tells her things could have been a lot worse, and Anya assures him that it will be.

I can't even begin to describe the rest of the episode. It's beautiful and horrible and full of unanswered questions, and I'll do the best I can.

Buffy finds Spike in a chapel in the middle of a cemetery. He flings aside his snazzy blue shirt, despondent that his costume didn't help him hide. She asks him what happened, tracing the gouges in his chest, and he flinches away from her. He knows he was just flesh to her. No spark, no feeling, just get the flesh hard and service the girl - that's all she wanted from him. Mired in confusion and insanity, he begins to unbutton his jeans, but Buffy grabs his hands to make him stop. Reflexively, he reaches for her throat, and she tosses him across the room. He dimly recognizes... no, the girl doesn't want to be serviced. Because there was no spark. And Buffy then asks him the question of the hour - namely, whether he's completely lost his mind. Spike: "Well, yes. Where have you been all night?"

Quickly running out of patience, Buffy demands to know what happened to him, what he did. Pitifully, he tells her that he went looking for the missing spark, the thing that would make her want him because... he can't do this with her looking at him and scurries into the shadows. Shrouded in the dark, he confesses dreaming of killing her. At least, he thought they were dreams... Buffy wisely picks up a piece of broken wood as he continues. Angel should have warned him, but he wanted to give Buffy what she deserves.

Buffy understands and begins to cry. I can't tell what she's feeling, but if anything, she looks horrified.

He thought it was what she wanted, but now everyone's in his head talking, telling him to go to hell. He did it for her. So he could be forgiven and just maybe even be loved. Exhausted, Spike slumps against the chapel's cross, skin searing as he begs Buffy to tell him they can rest.

Thoughts

The biggest thing I take from this episode is just how phenomenal an actor James Marsters is. I've seen people who aren't Spike fans express their disappointment that this Spike-centric episode didn't do much to advance the season's plot, but I actually disagree. Yes, it was Spike-centric. Very much so. But I also think it was chock full of questions we're going to need to have answered. Spike seems entangled with whatever the season's big bad is, and frankly, even though we're utterly devoid of specifics, I think we've already got a much greater feel for the season than we've ever had at this point. I didn't like the pitifully tiny amount of Giles, and I'm honestly not that interested in Willow coming back yet, but I'm completely fascinated by what the hell's going on with Spike.

And BigBad!Spike - was that just an act? It's plausible, but I really don't think so. I mean, the first time we see him go all gameface, he whips out his old, incorrigibly evil self and taunts Buffy about last season's badness? I got the same "trapped inside Angel" feeling I used to get from Angelus, but where Angel's usually one or the other, I think this might be a Spike who's got a whole cast of selves fighting for supremacy at any given moment.

And just how many voices are *in* his head right now? His victims, the big honkin' evil, his soul, his demon... plus an unidentified "him" and an "it" that could be any of those mentioned or something else entirely. No wonder the guy's gone around the bend. The image of him burning against the cross doesn't exactly bode well, but it would have been even more powerful if they hadn't set up the stupid music video smoke machine. Seriously, I'm trying to be all haunted, and there's literally puffs of smoke billowing up from behind the cross. Sometimes less is more, guys.

After James' amazing performance, the second thing I got from the ep is a big sense of dread. But it's a good kind of dread. I think that for all the old-school fun the premiere promised, we're still gonna go to a pretty scary place. But not the "I'm so depressed about being alive" kind of dark we had last year - more like an "up close and personal with evil scariness" place that I'm really looking forward to seeing. So even though I didn't think the RonnieWorm was very interesting, I'm intrigued as hell by the rest of the episode, and I can't wait for more.

Plus, Nancy's reactions to the group were priceless. Not just trying to figure out who had and hadn't slept together, but just the perpetual look of "wtf?" on her face. Doubt we'll see her again, but the outsider's perspective was mighty entertaining.

Quirks

The smoke machine. Really. It's such a picky little thing, but its obviousness really marred an otherwise powerful moment.

I wonder if The Bronze's patrons are gonna do that selective memory thing about a demon and a vampire slugging it out on the dance floor.

This one's probably a personal quibble, but the guitar riff at the beginning of Spike and Buffy's fight sounded like the "ba dum da dum bum" twang from "Green Acres" and made me giggle. Probably wasn't supposed to.

From beneath you, it devours? Think they could say it a few more times? Because I certainly didn't get it. Nor did I manage to glean from last week that everything's connected. Welcome to Season 7 - Year Of The Anvil.

Body Count

One Yorkshire Terrier - chomped by RonnieWorm
Ronnie - does he survive the skewering from Spike? No idea.

Haiku

Spike done lost his mind
RonnieWorm? eh, whatever
Bigger questions loom

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