Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S6/E15 As You Were

"Riley: I've been up 48 hours straight tracking down something bad. Now it's come to Sunnydale.

Buffy: My hat has a cow..."

Riley returns to enlist Buffy's aid in tracking down a demon black market dealer.

"Dawn: How's the soon-to-be newlyweds? Nervous?
 * Battle Couple: Riley and Sam
 * The Bus Came Back
 * Blatant Lies

Anya and Xander: NO!"

"Buffy: You smelled the smell?"
 * Boy Loses Girl
 * Brick Joke: Riley loves Buffy's new haircut. Not so the burger smell.

"Anya: "Planning this marriage is like staging the invasion of Normandy."
 * Bridezilla

Xander: "Without the laughs. We should have eloped."

Anya: "No. I've been through too much planning this wedding, and it is going to happen. It is going to be our perfect, perfect day if I have to kill every one of our guests and half this town to do it.""

"Sam: You got a safe house?
 * Buffy-Speak: Buffy's not exactly Gun Girl.
 * Cannot Spit It Out: Averted; Buffy finally admits out loud that she's sleeping with Spike, and that admission helps her to end their self-destructive relationship.
 * Continuity Nod

Buffy: I have a house. I think it's safe. Sometimes you can't even leave."

"Riley: You're up, you're down ... it doesn't change what you are. And you are a hell of a woman."
 * Spike makes a point of mentioning Riley being kept on drugs by the military and using vampire prostitutes in Buffy's earshot.
 * Did You Die?: Buffy and Riley promise to swap stories if they get a chance and see whose were more exiting/dangerous/crazy etc. She asks if he died, and when he says he didn't, she says, "I'm going to win."
 * Dogged Nice Guy: Both Riley and Sam in their interactions with Buffy.
 * Double Entendre: Spike suggests that as Buffy won't let him come inside her house it's time she came...outside. Cue Spuffy sex on the lawn.
 * Dawn sees the grass stain on the back of Buffy's coat and asks if a vampire got rough with her. Buffy mutters, "He's not getting any gentler."
 * Ear Worm: Buffy finds herself humming the Doublemeat Palace jingle, a definite sign she's been working there too long.
 * The Easy Way or The Hard Way: Riley Perp Sweating Spike. "We can do this the hard way, or the fatal way."
 * Explosive Breeder: The Suvolte demon.
 * Fast Roping: A good opportunity for UST.
 * First-Name Basis: Buffy calls Spike 'William' when breaking up with him, ironically showing him more respect than when they were lovers.
 * Geographic Flexibility: Sunnydale now has a dam.
 * Golden Moment: Though everyone but Buffy hugs Riley.

"Anya: You know, if you love Riley Finn so much, maybe you should just marry him.
 * Homoerotic Subtext / Why Don't You Marry It

Xander: He's taken. And that's not the point."

"Buffy: "We need to stop this thing before Sunnydale turns into the Trouble Meat Palace. ... I wish I'd said something different.""
 * Humiliation Conga: Buffy's life is in a rut. Her old flame turns up and sees her wearing a silly hat. He turns out to be married. Then he catches her in bed with an evil bloodsucking fiend. Who turns out to be the black marketeer they're looking for.
 * Hypocritical Humor: Willow says she'll be petty and nasty to Sam on Buffy's behalf. She eventually calls Sam a bitch -- after she's left.
 * I Just Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Buffy seems about to tell Riley that she tried to stop him leaving, but then changes it to say she just regrets things didn't work out between them.
 * Incredibly Lame Pun

"Sam: Hey there. What exactly are you doing with my husband?"
 * Let's Split Up, Gang!: Used as an excuse so Buffy can leave Sam to go and shag Spike.
 * Love Martyr: Buffy tells Spike she's just using him for her own selfish needs. Realising that Buffy is serious about breaking up, Spike hastens to say that he's really not complaining about that.
 * Meaningful Echo
 * Spike will unconsciously repeat Riley's "You are a hell of a woman" in "Touched", and in much the same context.
 * "Tell me that you love me." Warren demanded the same from a brainwashed Katrina in "Dead Things".
 * Modesty Bedsheet: Justified for once -- Buffy is embarrassed when Riley bursts in on them, so she cowers behind the sheet while a smirking Spike doesn't hide his naked body.
 * Moment Killer

"Sam: Yeah, better no guy than the wrong guy, that's for sure."
 * Mundane Solution: Buffy says the Suvolte demon is too fast to chase. Description Cut to them chasing after it in Riley's SUV.
 * Neck Snap: Buffy killing the Suvolte demon.
 * The Nicknamer: Xander refers to Sam/Riley as Nick and Nora Fury. Sam calls her husband Captain Can-Do.
 * "No" Means "Yes": Averted; Spike is initially amused by Buffy's break-up speech, knowing that she still desires him sexually. Buffy admits this, but sticks to her guns.
 * Oblivious Mockery: Sam asks Buffy if she's seeing someone. Buffy waffles on that she doesn't need a guy at this time.

"Buffy: Tell me you love me.
 * Poor Communication Kills the Suvolte Demon: Riley fails to tell Buffy they need the demon alive. He also fails to mention he's married, but as Buffy (who on their last encounter had been furious with him) was acting like the flirty, quirky girl he'd fallen in love with, his reluctance to drop that particular bombshell was understandable if not excusable.
 * Rule of Symbolism: At the end of the episode after dumping Spike, Buffy walks out of his crypt into the light.
 * Scars Are Forever: Riley now has a standard Awesome McCool scar across his left eye.
 * Spy Catsuit: Riley provides Buffy with her own kevlar 'ninja wear'.
 * Suggestive Collision: Happens twice to Buffy/Riley.
 * Shotguns: Riley wields a USAS-12 shotgun. Though in a Fridge Logic moment he hands it to Buffy at the one time a full-auto shotgun would have come in useful.
 * "Shut Up" Kiss: Buffy is upset that Riley has gotten married, so she flees back to Spike's arms.

Spike: (eyes widen) I love you. You know I do.

Buffy: Tell me you want me.

Spike: I always want you. (smiling) In point of fact--

Buffy: Shut up. (pulls him down onto the bed)"

"Well, looky here. I don't usually use the word delicious but I've gotta wager this little tableau must sting a bit, eh? Me and your former? Must kill. What can I say? Girl just needs a little monster in her man."
 * Smug Snake: Spike can't resist gloating to Riley over how he's boffing Buffy.

"Spike: Over my dead body.
 * Stock Phrases: Riley says he's going to search Spike's crypt.

Riley: I've seen enough of your dead body for one night, thanks."

"Buffy: Glad to be back in Sunnydale. The locals all speak English, and I know who to beat for information. It's all brought me here.
 * Stuff Blowing Up: Buffy blows up Spike's crypt using Riley's grenade belt.
 * Talk to The Fist: Buffy every time Spike pisses her off.
 * Testosterone Poisoning

Spike: Look, Crew Cut. She's not your bint any more. And if I can speak frankly, she always had a little thing for me, even when she was shagging you.

Riley: Nice. That's very distracting. Now tell me, before I get unprofessional... (pointing his gun at Spike) ...where are the eggs, Spike?"

"Buffy: Oh, why can't I get this stupid jingle out of my head?
 * Took a Level In Badass: Sam -- from Peace Corp volunteer to Action Girl.
 * Too Spicy for Yog-Sothoth: A vampire takes a raincheck on trying to eat the Slayer because she stinks of fried food. Next moment a stake is hurled into his heart.
 * Vampires Are Sex Gods: Five hours of sex? Really?
 * Villain Ball: Spike not keeping the Suvolte eggs frozen.
 * Walk in Chime In

Vampire: (leaping out in front of her) Least of your problems now, little girl."

"Buffy: Doublemeat Palace, how can I help-- (realises the 'customer' is Riley) ...you!"
 * Weirdness Censor: Rampaging demon = wild bear.
 * Writer On Board: Guns = Never useful.
 * You!

"Riley: Can't you make him shut up?
 * You Talk Too Much: Spike lets loose his frustrations about Buffy.

Buffy: Not so far."