Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S4/E06 Wild at Heart
Veruca is revealed as a werewolf. Unlike Oz, however, she refuses to let herself be put in a cage.
- Always a Bigger Fish / Bait and Switch: Appears to feature Spike as the Monster of the Week, but he gets captured by the Initiative and we don't see him until the next episode.
- Audio Erotica: Veruca's singing enraptures the male Scoobies, especially Oz.
- Berserk Button: Threaten Willow, and Oz won't restrain his wolf side.
- Betty and Veronica
- Beyond the Impossible
Buffy: Oz... You ok? And if it's possible, you seem more monosyllabic than usual. |
- Black Bra and Panties: Oz and Veruca are stealing clothes from a dorm's laundry. Veruca has changed into these, and isn't in a hurry to put on anything else while trying to seduce Oz.
- Bond One-Liner: The vampire doesn't react to Buffy's Hurricane of Puns, much to her annoyance.
Thanks for the relocate. I perform better without an audience. You were thinking, what, a little helpless coed before bed? You know very well, you eat this late... (She stakes him.) You're gonna get heartburn. Get it? Heartburn? That's it? That's all I get? One lame-ass vamp with no appreciation for my painstakingly thought-out puns? |
- Burn, Baby, Burn: Averted; Willow is about to burn Oz's picture as part of the curse, but makes the mistake of looking at it first and so is unable to go through with it.
- Cooldown Hug: Buffy holds a weeping Willow.
- Diving Save: Buffy sees Willow (distraught over catching Oz and Veruca together) step into the path of a car without looking. She can't get to him in time, but fortuitously Riley Finn is there to yank her out of the way.
- Failed Attempt At Drama: Spike's Big Bad speech is interrupted in mid-flow.
- Fetish Fuel: Oz and Veruca have wild wolf sex in a cage.
- Fully Embraced Fiend / Shadow Archetype: Veruca to Oz.
- Get Out!: Willow asks why Oz's plan to prevent Veruca going on a rampage involved the two of them being locked together in a cage all night.
Veruca: Girl's got a point. |
- Headbutt of Love: When Willow tearfully asks, "Don't you love me?" Oz vows "My whole life, I've never loved anything else," and gives her a textbook HBOL, complete with hug and kiss.
- Hell-Bent for Leather: Willow dresses in leather pants when she goes to seduce Oz -- clearly she picked up some lessons from Faith.
- I Have This Friend: Willow puts a 'hypothetical' question to Xander.
Willow: Well, say the girl's been noticing-- |
Buffy: Get it? Heartburn? That's it? That's all I get? One lame-ass vamp with no appreciation for my painstakingly thought-out puns? |
- Get it? Painstakingly?
- Of course. This is Cringe Comedy.
- I Need You to Shut Up: Oz tries to explain his actions with Veruca last night to Buffy, who cuts him off by saying coldly, "Now might be a good time for your trademark stoicism."
- Love Before First Sight:
Veruca: I've wanted you even before I ever saw you. I sensed you. Did you sense me? |
- Love Makes You Crazy: A mild case, with Willow attempting a vengeance curse Oz and Veruca. She stops herself though. This time.
- A Man Is Always Eager: That Oz is reluctant to engage in the physical act of love strikes fear into Willow's heart as a sign of infidelity. Xander lampshades it, saying she may have encountered "the seven annual minutes he's legitimately too preoccupied" to want sex.
- Mugging the Monster: Buffy lets a vampire chase her to a part of the college with no witnesses.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: Veruca tries to do this to Willow but Oz prevents it by killing Veruca.
- Not So Stoic: Oz shows more emotion in this episode than in his entire series run.
- Our Werewolves Are Different
- Power Floats / Dramatic Shattering: The beakers Willow is using for the curse start to float in the air. When she stops the spell they drop to the floor and break.
- Put On a Bus: Oz.
- Security Blanket
Willow: The Bronze is nice and familiar. It's like a big comfy blanky. |
- Slap Slap Kiss: Oz and Veruca meet in their wolf forms and immediately start to fight. They wake up naked in each other arms the next day.
- Smells Sexy: Veruca taunts Willow by saying, "I know what you love. I have his scent on me right now."
- Something Else Also Rises: Veruca brings up the wild wolf sex she had with Oz last night; her gaze flicks downward as she purrs "I know some part of you remembers that."
- Talking in Your Sleep
Willow: Mm... It's in the sandblaster. Uh... |
- Tempting Fate: A notable Lampshading.
Buffy: (after killing a vampire) That's it? That's all I get? One lame-ass vamp with no appreciation for my painstakingly thought-out puns? I don't think the forces of darkness are even trying. I mean, you could make a little effort here, you know? Give me something to work with. |
Buffy: I'm sure Oz is flogging and punishing himself...this is sounding wrong before I even finish. |
Willow: What does it mean when a girl wants to... You know. |
- They Have the Scent: Buffy uses Oz to track Veruca, but she leads him off by dumping her clothes.
- Transhuman Treachery: Veruca clearly sees humans as inferior and doesn't give a damn if she hurts or kills someone during her transformation.
- Your Cheating Heart: The plot of the episode.