Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S5/E18 Intervention

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

"Hey! You look just like me. We're very pretty."

Spike's Buffy-bot is complete. The real Buffy and Giles go on a spirit quest.

First Slayer: This is a form. I am the guide.

Xander: Spike, Buffy has lots of friends, and we love her very much, and we’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. And if that happens to involve killing you; well, that's a bonus.

Dawn: We're safe. Right. And Spike built a robot Buffy to play checkers with.
Tara: I-it sounded convincing when I thought it...?

Tara: You aren't really gonna slap [Buffy], are you?

Xander: No, but if I have to see her straddle Spike again, I will definitely knock myself unconscious.

  • Breather Episode
  • Call Back: "Intervention" is a reference to "Revelations", where the Scoobies discovered that Angel was Not Quite Dead and apparently involved with Buffy again -- she used the line, "What is this, Demons Anonymous? I don't need an intervention here."
    • Xander's "Hey I know this; you're both Buffy" is a reference to "The Replacement" when two Xander's were created.
    • "I know this place." Buffy goes to where she met the First Slayer in her dream in "Restless".
  • Chekhov's Gunman: The Buffybot will prove useful to the Scoobies in "The Gift" and "Bargaining".
  • Deadpan Snarker

Buffy: A [spirit] guide, but not to food and water. So it leads me to the sacred place, and then a week later it leads you to my bleached bones?
Giles: Buffy, please...it takes more than a week to bleach bones.
Buffy: So, how's it start?
Giles: I, uh, jump out of the circle and I jump back in it and um (reluctantly) I shake my Gourd.
Buffy: I know this ritual! The ancient shamans were next called upon to do the hokey pokey and turn themselves around!
(Giles does the ritual)
Buffy: And that's what it's all about.

Buffy: Weird love is better than no love.
Spike: [checking out the Buffybot] Some say it's better than the real thing.

  • Didn't Think This Through: Buffybot causes far more trouble for Spike than she helps. First, the Scoobies think Buffy is sleeping with Spike to deal with grief, while Ben thinks Spike is taking advantage of her grief. Plus when they find out what the deal is, they all (Buffy included) think he's a pervert. And it gets him nabbed by Glory who beats him to a bloody pulp in her attempt to interrogate him.
  • Double Entendre: The Buffybot having cowgirl-position sex with Spike while crying, "You're the Big Bad! You're the Big Bad!"
  • Dramatic Shattering: Glory gives Spike a drink of water, then smashes the glass in his face.
  • Engineered Public Confession: Spike tells the Buffybot he'd rather die than see Buffy in pain from Dawn's death, unaware he's actually talking to Buffy pretending to be the bot.
  • Fan Disservice: In-universe example. Xander is sickened at the sight of Buffy with Spike, claiming if he sees it again he will - purposely - knock himself unconscious. Buffy herself thinks the idea of Spike using a Sex Bot is disgusting.
  • Five Stages of Grief

Anya: Okay, that's denial. That usually comes before anger.
Buffy: I am not having sex with Spike!
Anya: Anger.

  • Foe Yay: Apart from the whole Spike/Buffy thing, there's the scene where Glory throws Spike onto a bed and climbs on top of him to choke him.
  • The Four Loves: Family (Buffy's love for Dawn and Giles), Friendship (the Scoobies love for Buffy), Romance (Spike's love for Buffy), and Unconditional Love (Spike's protection of Dawn).
  • He Is Not My Boyfriend / Parrot Expowhat: Buffy's reaction to the accusation of being with Spike.

"The who whating how with huh?"

  • Ho Yay: The Scoobies confront the real Buffy on her apparent fling.

Xander: No one is judging you. It's understandable. Spike is strong and mysterious and sorta compact but well muscled.
Buffy: I am not having sex with Spike! But I'm beginning to think that you might be!

Tara: People do strange things when someone they love dies. When I lost my mother, I did some pretty dumb stuff, like lying to my family and staying out all night.
Anya: Buffy's boinking Spike.
Willow: (struggling to understand) Oh. Well, Tara's right, grief can be powerful and we shouldn't judge--
Tara: What are you, kidding? She's nuts!

Spike: If [Buffy] turns to me for comfort, well, I'm not gonna deny it to her. I'm not a monster.
Xander: Yes. You are a monster. Vampires are monsters. They make monster movies about them.
Spike: Well, yeah...you got me there.

  • Idiot Ball: The Scoobies failure to realise the Buffybot was a robot, given that they quickly realised April was one. Supposedly justified in that they think Buffy has gone insane out of grief, but actually due to Rule of Funny.
  • I Shall Taunt You: Spike having partially freed himself from his chains, insults Glory. He's promptly Punched Across the Room which gives him a chance to escape.
  • Kiss Me I Am Virtual
  • Les Yay: Buffy is going off about the bot looking nothing like her. Willow had been staring at it for a long time and reluctantly agrees.
    • After 'Buffy' reveals the lurid details of what she did with Spike, Willow tells the Buffybot she just wants to help her. The Buffybot replies, "You're my best friend. You're recently gay." Unfortunately Xander interrupts before Hilarity Ensues.
  • The "I Love You" Stigma

Buffy: I love you, Dawn. You know that, right?
Dawn: Yeah. I love you too.
Buffy: I love you ... really love you.
Dawn: (nervous grin) Gettin' weird.

Buffy: Sorry. But it's important that I tell you. Weird love's better than no love.

    • And this fanfic-inspiring scene.

Buffy: Giles ... I love you. Love ... love, love, love, love -- Giles, it feels strange.
Giles: Well, I shouldn't wonder...

Buffybot: Angel's lame. His hair stands up, and he's bloody stupid.

  • Spirit Advisor: Takes the form of the First Slayer.
  • Spot the Imposter: The Scoobies completely fail to notice that 'Buffy' is actually a robot, much to the real Buffy's annoyance. Spike makes the same mistake (in reverse) until Buffy kisses him -- then he can tell the difference instantly.
  • Sticky Fingers: Dawn steals Anya's earrings -- unlike in "Blood Ties" or "Forever" she's not after something plot-related, Foreshadowing the kleptomania that becomes a serious issue in Season 6.
  • Super-Powered Robot Meter Maids: Justified unlike the April-bot, as Spike gets off on fighting the Slayer as much as having sex with her, so Buffy's strength and combat abilities is part of the package.
  • Too Much Information: The Scoobies reaction over the fine details of what Spike is getting up to with his Sex Bot.

Willow: (thinking she's talking to Buffy) So just this one time you just did something kinda crazy?
Buffybot: It wasn't one time. It was lots of times, and lots of different ways. I can make sketches!
Willow: No!

    • And later...

Xander: Spike must have had her built so he could program her t--
Buffy: (horrified) Oh god.
Willow: Yikes. Imagine the things--
Buffy: No! No, no imagining. Any of you.
Xander: (raises his hand) Already got the visual.

Buffybot: You're right. He's evil. (smiles) But you should see him naked. I mean really.

Glory: He can't be the Key. The Key is pure. Vampire = impure.
Spike: Damn right I'm impure. Impure as the driven yellow snow.

  • You Have Failed Me...: Glory is not happy when her minions return without the escaped Spike. Cue off-camera scream.
  • You Know Too Much: Buffy intends to kill Spike to stop him from telling Glory about Dawn...or just for screwing a Sex Bot version of her; it's not entirely clear.
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