Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S3/E18 Choices: Difference between revisions

* [[All According to Plan]]: [[Blood Knight|Faith]] is eager for some action and asks the Mayor if there's likely to be any fighting during his Ascension. The Mayor replies no, not if everything goes according to plan "but [[Genre Savvy|since when do things go according to plan?]]"

* [[Always Save the Girl]]: Wes argues against swapping the box for Willow, as destroying the box is a sure way stopping the Mayor's ascension and saving thousands of lives.

* [[The Archer]] / [[In the Back]]: Faith employs a bow and arrow in this episode and "Graduation Day, Part One". Her usage of a modern compound bow contrasts with Buffy's preference for medieval crossbows.

* [[Batter Up]]: Giles and Xander arm themselves with baseball bats in preparation for the trade.

** Buffy tells Wesley she wants to leave Sunnydale after she graduates. "You can't just define me by my Slayerness. That's....[[Political Correctness Gone Mad|somethingism]]."

** Oz shows Xander instructions that Willow wrote out for them, noting the illustrations. Xander wonders which stick figure is which ("They both look kind of stick figure-y to me."), but Oz points out that he's the one with the guitar.

{{quote| '''Angel''': Well, what can I say? [[You're Not My Type|I like 'em sane]].}}

* [[The Caper]]

** The Mayor surveys his wrecked conference room -- most notably the box-shaped batch of oxygen on the table.

{{quote| "Well, this is very unfortunate. I just had this conference room redecorated, for Pete's sake. At taxpayers' expense! And, oh yeah-- {{[[[Percussive Therapy]] smashes a chair}}] ''They've got my box''. }}

* [[Deflector Shields]]: An invisible dome of magic protects the Mayor's box.

* [[Department of Redundancy Department]]: Buffy and Angel tell each other that the Mayor didn't know what he was talking about.

* [[Improvised Weapon]]: The harness jams, and Buffy calls desperately for Angel. Two vamps enter the room. Angel gives up on the harness, jumps down, and grabs the box. Box-fu ensues: Angel swings the crate and smacks the henchvamps with it, even stubbing one's toe.

** One of the henchvamps hurls a chair at Angel. He catches it, then shatters it over the offender's head.

** Angel and Buffy flip the table onto fallen guards, slowing them down while the heroes make their escape.

** Ah, trusty No. 2 pencil. We meet again.

* [[Indy Ploy]]: Buffy reckons that if she stops the Mayor and captures Faith by graduation day, then Wesley and Giles can hold the fort while she's away at college. Giles sides with her and asks for her plan. She doesn't have one. Giles advises the first step is to find out what the Mayor is up to.

{{quote| '''Buffy:''' Oh. I actually knew that. I thought you meant a more specific plan, y'know. Like with maps and stuff.}}

* [[Jerkass Has a Point]]: Wesley interrupts the planning session to remind everyone that the Mayor is, in fact, not an idiot and probably has some sort of magical barrier protecting his box. A deafening silence fills the room. "[[Smug Snake|Oh, we all forgot about that, did we?]]" Buffy briskly leaves that part to Willow, and [[Subverted Trope|everyone files out of the room]], leaving Wesley fuming.

** Double subverted -- Wesley argues they should take the time to plan the operation properly. They don't, and during [[The Caper]] Willow gets left behind when both teams assume she's with the other lot.

* [[MacGuffin Escort Mission]]: Faith picking up the box at the airport.

* [[Metaphor Is My Middle Name]]: Buffy ponders the conundrum of the Mayor's protective shield, and concludes that it's a job for Wiccan Girl. She asks Willow if she's game. Willow: "Hey, I eat danger for breakfast." Xander jokes that in contrast she panics when faced with breakfast cereal.

* [[Name McAdjective]]: Buffy grouses that she's "tired of waiting for Mayor McSleaze" to make his move. This is a pun on the McDonald's [[Mascot]] Mayor McCheese.

* [[No Except Yes]]: Faith admires her gift box and wonders what the big occasion is. The Mayor acts wounded. "Faith! As if I need a reason to show you my affection. Or ''appreciation'' for running a small errand at the airport."

* [[Noisy Shut Up]] / [[Not So Stoic]]: Wesley plays devil's advocate, saying that the box must be destroyed. Oz regards Wes coldly. A shouting match ensues, which Oz wordlessly puts an end to by getting out of his chair and [[Tantrum Throwing|shoving the urn across the room, smashing it]]. Everyone looks at each other, stunned.

* [[Oh Crap]]: Snyder hands the box of 'drugs' to a cop and turns back to find himself facing his worst nightmare -- a girl more crazy than he thinks Buffy is wielding a humongous knife and, even more terrifying, the Mayor beaming at him in a friendly manner. Snyder is stammering his apologies when the Mayor has his own [[Oh Crap]] moment -- the police officer is opening the box.

* [[Perp Sweating]]: Faith's henchvamp pulls the limousine up to City Hall. He hears a noise, and then Buffy punches the driver's side window in. She drags him out, and with a bright smile asks, "Soooo, what's in the box?" :D

** [[Smash Cut]] to Buffy spilling the goods about the box to her teammates. She admits that the vamp proved uncooperative and needed to be "introduced to [[I Call Her "Vera"|Mr. Pointy]]."

* [[Perverted Sniffing]]: Faith sniffs her new knife like a Cabana cigar.

* [[Post Mortem One Liner]]: The Mayor's henchvamp opens a car door for the man carrying the Box. The crook kicks the door shut, saying that the Mayor was supposed to be there himself. "I don't like surprises." On cue, an arrow pokes out of his chest. Tattoo Guy keels over, revealing Faith standing atop some airport structure.