Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S6/E03 After Life

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


When Buffy was brought back to life, it brought something else back. Something bad...

Dawn: (wincing) That's probably the sort of thing I'm not supposed to see, right?

  • A Shared Suffering: Spike knows what it's like to have to claw your way out of your own coffin. He also says that, while he hasn't been to a hell dimension, he does know a thing or two about torment. But that's a subversion, because immediately after Buffy drops the bombshell that she wasn't in a hell dimension.
  • Blank White Eyes / Demonic Possession
  • Blatant Lies: Willow claims she doesn't understand what the Buffy hallucination was ranting about, when it's clearly referring to Willow killing the fawn for its Blood Magic.

"Filthy little bitches, rattling the bones. Did you cut the throat? Did you pat its head? The blood dried on your hands, didn't it?"

Anya: I bet you'll experience some dry-mouth.

  • Call Back: Spike assuming that it was Dawn who brought back Buffy is a reference to "Forever", when Spike helped Dawn get a spell to raise her mother from the dead. Also Spike sees Buffy for the first time at the top of the stairs in her house, mirroring the position they were in for his "You treat me like a man" speech in 'The Gift'.
  • Came Back Wrong: Averted as it turns out the demon was created by the resurrection spell -- not some demon hitch-hiking on Buffy as she crossed over. Subverted with Buffy who will spend the entire season trying to drag herself out of depression over having been wrenched back to the real world.
  • Clothing Reflects Personality: Buffy's black blouse.
  • Comically Missing the Point: Unable to cope with her friends, Buffy retreats to her bedroom. Somewhat thrown by this, Willow says, "She's normal. She used to go to bed all the time!"
    • Dawn is glancing through the demon books.

Dawn: Skaggmore demons, Trellbane demons, Skitterers, Large and Small Bone-Eaters... If we get to pick, I say we go with the Small Bone-Eaters.
Anya: Well, that just means they prefer to eat things with small bones, like you.

"You scared me half to death ... or more to death. You...I could kill you! I mean it! I could rip your head off one-handed and drink from your brain stem!"

Willow: Thaumogenesis is when doing a spell actually creates a being. In this case it was like, a, a side-effect, I guess. Like a price. Think of it like, the world doesn't like you getting something for free, and we asked for this huge gift. Buffy. A-and so the world said, 'fine, but if you have that, you have to take this too.' And it made the demon.
Anya: Well, technically, that's not a price. That's a gift with purchase.

"Evil things have plans. They have things to do."

You guys gave me the world. I can't tell you what it means to me.

Tara: Okay, what in the frilly heck is going on?

  • Group Hug: Willow and Xander both hug Buffy. Lampshaded when Spike runs into Buffy afterwards and asks if she's not leaving a hole in the middle of some soggy group hug.
  • Held Gaze: Buffy keeps avoiding the gaze of her friends and sister. When she sees Spike however, the two stare at each other until the Scoobies barge in and start yakking.
  • High Octane Nightmare Fuel: The possessions of Buffy and Anya. Dawn with a sinister smile and Blank White Eyes.
  • History Repeats: Willow complains that she never got any thanks from Buffy for bringing her back to life. In the Season 2 premiere "When She Was Bad" Buffy taunts Xander over how she never thanked him for resuscitating her in "Prophecy Girl". Both occasions indicate that Buffy feels resentment towards her friends, not gratitude.
  • Holding Hands: Used for foreshadowing -- Willow breaks away from Tara to finish the spell, while Spike holds Buffy's injured hands while waiting for Dawn to fetch anti-septic to clean them up.
  • Imagine Spot: Not shown but mentioned by Spike; that he kept replaying scenarios of how he could have saved Dawn and therefore Buffy.
  • I Miss Dad: The Scoobies are pouring through books trying to find out about the Monster of the Week when Buffy says out of the blue, "I miss Giles". The Scoobies naturally assume their research skills aren't up to scratch.
  • Ironic Echo Cut: In the "Previously On..." we see Dawn in "Bargaining" saying to Buffy, "You're home". Cut to Willow at the start of the teaser saying, "[Buffy]'s at home. She has to be."
  • Ironic Hell: After being dragged out of heaven, just surviving from one minute to the next, knowing what she lost, is hell to Buffy.
  • I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Buffy tells the Scoobies what they want to hear, that she's grateful for being saved from a hell dimension.
  • Laughing Mad / Self-Harm: Possessed Anya laughs manically as she cuts open her face with a kitchen knife. Fortunately it's another hallucination.
  • Manipulative Bitch: It's clear Willow wasn't telling the full truth about the dangers of resurrecting Buffy, and what dark magic was involved.
  • Manly Tears: Spike is shown leaning against a tree and weeping after Buffy's return.
  • Meaningful Background Event: Xander is on the phone to Willow and Anya after the Buffy impostor attacks them. Just out of focus, we see Anya walking back into the room, possessed.
  • Moment Killer: The Scoobies barging into Buffy's home, all talking at once and bombarding Buffy with questions. Spike gives them a disgusted look and departs, while Dawn shouts at them to back off.
  • Mood Whiplash / Dramatic Shattering: Willow and Tara are woken by Buffy hurling a crystal ball against their headboard and shrieking insults. When they switch on the lights everything is normal, the crystal ball is unbroken, and they find Buffy sleeping in her bed.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: " "I think I was in heaven. And now I'm not. I was torn out of there. Pulled out...by my friends."
    • Willow says the demon will eventually dissipate unless it kills Buffy. Xander suddenly gets Blank White Eyes and says, "Thanks for the tip."
  • OOC Is Serious Business: Buffy walks about in a detached state and can't seem to engage with the Scoobies.
  • Power At a Price

Spike: The thing about magic? There's always consequences. Always!

Xander: Well, she just got back. Give it time. I bet in a week she'll be our little Bufferin again.
Anya: Oh yes, cause six or seven days, that's all you really need to get over eternal hell experiences.

    • Then Anya gets on the receiving end after seeing Possessed!Dawn.

Anya: Did I look like that? I hope I didn't look like that.
Willow: No, I'm sure you looked really glamorous cutting up your face.

SPIKE: You didn't tell me? You brought her back and you didn't tell me?
XANDER: Well, now you know.
SPIKE: I worked beside you all summer!

XANDER: We didn't tell you. It was just ... we didn't, okay?

SPIKE: Listen. I've figured it out. Maybe you haven't, but I have. Willow knew there was a chance that she'd come back wrong. So wrong that you'd have ... that she would have to get rid of what came back. And I wouldn't let her. If any part of that was Buffy, I wouldn't let her. And that's why she shut me out.

  • What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Buffy escapes out the back of the Magic Shop for some alone time, only to find Spike there. Buffy tells him not to worry. "I can be alone with you here." Spike replies sarcastically, "Thanks ever so."
  • Year Inside, Hour Outside: Spike lists the days Buffy has been 'gone' and asks how long it was for Buffy where she was.

Buffy: Longer.

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