Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S4/E10 Hush

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Can't even shout, Can't even cry,
The Gentlemen are coming by,
Lookin' in windows, Knockin' on doors,
They need to take seven and they might take yours,
Can't call to mom, Can't say a word,
You're gonna die screaming but you won't be heard

A pack of demons known as The Gentlemen steal the voices of everyone in Sunnydale. Buffy and Riley find out about each other.

This is the first appearance of Tara. Also, the only episode of the show that was ever nominated for an Emmy, for its script; ironic for something with so little dialogue.

Tropes used in Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S4/E10 Hush include:


This is the burden we bear, brother. We have a gig that would inevitably cause any girl living to think we are cool upon cool, yet we must Clark Kent our way through the dating scene, never to use our unfair advantage. Thank God we're pretty.

  • Coincidental Broadcast: The Scoobies are all grouped around a TV showing a news broadcast from LA regarding everyone in Sunnydale losing their voices. A strong argument could be made that this example is justified -- an entire freaking town losing their voices simultaneously is bound to get through at least one person's Weirdness Censor.
    • Also the Scoobies were already watching TV; Xander simply calls attention to the broadcast at the appropriate point.
  • Crash Into Hello: When Tara meets Willow (they'd seen each other earlier at a Wicca group but not talked). Tara is pounding on doors trying to escape the Gentlemen when she literally runs into Willow, knocking them both over and giving her a Twisted Ankle which slows them in fleeing from the floating horrors.
  • Creepy Children Singing
  • Curse of Babel
  • Cut Apart: Tara hammering one of the dorm room's doors, and Willow waking up from the noise. The door opens...to reveal one of The Gentlemen holding a bloody heart. This was actually hinted, since Tara had previously found Willow's room number (which isn't the number on the door).
  • Dreaming of Things to Come
  • Erotic Dream / Daydream Surprise: Buffy's prophetic dream has Riley kissing her in front of the entire class.
  • Fan Dumb: Played with in Willow's Wicca group, where Willow is called out as such for asking about actual spells (as she probably would be in Real Life), since the others are not in on The Masquerade and don't know about actual non-Clap Your Hands If You Believe magic. She later calls them "a bunch of wanna-blessed-bes".
    • The Other Wiki alleges that this very episode coined the term "fluffy bunny", but since it does not appear in the transcript, this is possibly apocryphal.
  • First Kiss: Buffy/Riley
  • Flipping the Bird: Spike doesn't need a voice to communicate.
  • Flying Broomstick: A non-empowering stereotype for Wiccans.
  • Funny Background Event: Forrest holding up COME ON, COME ON on his notebook as Riley struggles to deactivate the Deadly Gas.
  • Double Entendre: Xander confusing Willow's "heart" gesture for breasts. And Anya -- oh Anya!
  • Gas Leak Coverup: Apparently the Mayor's demise has not ended Sunnydale Syndrome -- the authorities blame the sudden loss of everyone's voices on "flu vaccinations".
  • Getting Crap Past the Radar / Visual Innuendo: Buffy's hand signal for "staking" which looks just like A Date with Rosie Palms.
    • Anya's gesture to Xander, on the other hand, leaves absolutely no room for ambiguity.
  • Holding Hands: Buffy and Willow walking through Sunnydale after everyone has been struck dumb.
  • Ho Yay: Xander/Spike

Xander: Don't even think of biting me.
Spike: Sure, you're just a yummy treat.
Xander: Course, I am. I'm moist and delicious.

Riley: So, what have you got going on tonight?
Buffy: Patrolling.
Riley: Patrolling?.
Buffy: ...petroleum.

Buffy: (to Willow) I wish I could just come clean.
Forrest: (to Riley) Well, you can't.
..
Buffy: (writes) Keep researching. I should be in town tonight.
Giles: (mouthes) Why?
Walsh: (computer voice) Because there will be chaos.