Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S4/E19 New Moon Rising
Oz returns, completely in control of his werewolf nature and ready to get back together with Willow. Adam approaches Spike with an interesting proposition.
- All Witches Have Cats: Tara suggests she and Willow get themselves a cat. Willow naturally assumes she means a Familiar, but Tara just wants a pet.
- Big Blackout: The Scoobies cut the power in the city grid to help their infiltration of the Initiative.
- Beyond the Impossible: Oz went to Nepal to develop his inner cool.
- Black Eyed Monster
- Buffy-Speak: Willow's "extra flame-y" candle.
- The Bus Came Back: Oz
- Captain Obvious: Riley is busted out of his cell were he's awaiting court martial.
Riley: Buffy, if I leave now I can't ever come back. (Buffy gives him a "Well, duh?" look) I just wanted to hear that out loud. |
- Colonel Badass: Colonel McNamara
- Coming Out Story: Although there's a Fantastic Aesop twist in that many of the standard plot points are applied to Oz (as a werewolf) rather than Willow (as a "coming out" lesbian).
- Chekhov's Gunman: One of the hairy hell-hound-like demons that appear during this episode will show up again in "Primeval".
- Double Aesop: Buffy doesn't understand Riley's alarm at the idea of Willow dating someone who turns into a monster at the full moon. Then she gets thrown by the idea of Willow dating another girl.
Buffy: You realized that Willow was in a... less than conventional relationship, and it gave you momentary wiggins... it happens. |
- Dramatic Stutter: Tara does this a lot as she faces the prospect of losing her girlfriend. It becomes a problem when Riley darts Oz and Tara can't coherently explain who he is before they drag him away.
- Dressing As the Enemy: Buffy gets back into her white lab coat and Spike dresses up like "an evil olive" (army greens).
- Enemy Mine
Adam: Come. You're going to help me with my problem. |
- Exact Words: Willow confirms to Oz that she isn't seeing another guy.
- Fantastic Racism
- Girl-On-Girl Is Hot: Averted; Oz is furious when he finds out about Tara, though mainly because Willow has been lying by omission.
- Hell-Bent for Leather: Buffy wears the Green Leather Pants Of Relationship Issues.
- Hollywood Hacking: Subverted; Adam is actually doing all the work for them.
- Human Shield: Buffy holds a crossbow to Colonel McNamara's head.
Buffy: Stay back or I'll do a William Burroughs on your leader here! (everyone looks blank) |
- I Just Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Tara, though it has more to do with her lack of self-confidence.
- I'll Kill You!
McNamara: You're a dead man. |
- Layman's Terms / Rule of Three: Willow translating Scooby Speak for Tara. When Buffy says her "kill-count is way down", that means that there's less bad-guy activity. When that happens, it means something extra evil is brewing. And when Riley says the Initiative has demons coming out of their ears, that's a metaphor.
Tara: I got that, thanks. |
- Love Confession: Tara thinks that Willow has decided to go back to Oz.
Tara: No, I-I understand. You have to be with the person you l-love. |
Spike: So you help me and you get this chip out of my head? |
- Modesty Bedsheet: Averted by having Buffy wear Riley's shirt in bed.
- The Mole: Spike for Adam
- My Friends and Zoidberg: Tara actually does this to herself; upset that Willow's ex has turned up she leaves the Scooby meeting, telling her "You need to be with your friends."
- No Time to Explain: Buffy is breaking Riley out of the brig.
Riley: How'd you get in? |
- Not That There's Anything Wrong With That: Buffy is visibly nervous when her Heterosexual Life Partner suddenly comes out as a lesbian.
Buffy: Well, there you go, I mean, you know, you have to - you have to follow your heart, Will. And that's what's important, Will. |
- Oblivious Mockery: Riley starts talking about how Willow seems too smart to be into dangerous guys, and how weird it is a girl would date someone who might eat her -- Post-Bangel Buffy does not respond well.
- Oh Crap: Spike is giving a Badass Boast while lying in his crypt when he opens his eyes and sees Adam towering over him.
- The Paragon Always Rebels: Riley, who finally comes to terms with his loyalties and chooses Buffy.
- Poor Communication Leads To Your Lesbian Lover Being Attacked By A Werewolf
- Relationship Reveal
- Saying Too Much: Colonel McNamara tells Buffy that Riley is in the brig, thinking she's come to rescue him instead of Oz.
- Secret Path: Spike claims to know how to get into the Initiative, based on information he got from other demons who managed to escape.
- Sexy Discretion Shot: Tara blowing out the candle.
- Sexy Shirt Switch: Played straight when Buffy wakes up wearing Riley's shirt, then used as a plot point when Oz realises Tara is Willow's lover when he sees her wearing Willow's sweater.
- Ship Sinking: Averted. Even if there are No Bisexuals in the Whedonverse, Willow makes it clear she will always love Oz.
I feel like some part of me will always be waiting for you. Like if I'm old and blue-haired, and I turn the corner in Istanbul and there you are, I won't be surprised. Because... you're with me, you know? |
- Strapped to An Operating Table: Oz being experimented on by the Initiative scientists.
- Shamgri La: Oz learned to control his wolf side in Tibet.
- Super Senses: Oz still has his wolf nose, mistaking Tara for Willow when she walks up behind him because she has Willow's scent on her.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: The Scoobies are referred to as "anarchists" and "a band of freaks" by McNamara.
- Walking the Earth: Oz seeking his inner cool.
- We Need a Distraction: Buffy drops a stake when walking past a guard, then knees him when he bends down to pick it up for her.
- Your Door Was Open: Played straight when Spike enters Giles' house, and subverted when he pretends the door to the Initiative base is unlocked (actually Adam has opened it electronically).
For a nasty town like Sunnydale, nobody seems to mind their locks. |