Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S6/E12 Doublemeat Palace

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Phillip: You put the beef on the grill, you hit the button, then it beeps. You flip the beef, hit the other button then it beeps. You put it on the bun; there's not a button for that.
Buffy: Repeat until insane.

Buffy gets a job at a fast food place and is overwhelmed by the monotony. Amy infects Willow with a little magic.

Manny: I'm Manny the manager. It's not a joke, it's just my name.
Buffy: Right. You mentioned that a couple of times when I filled out the application.

Lorraine: See this? I want you shooting for this from here on out.
Buffy: (looking resigned) Right. Here on out.

Manny: That's the dehydrated pickle storage. (Buffy tries to open the filing cabinet but it's locked) Those are locked.

Tara: Okay, wait, it was under her wig?
Willow: Well, it was this thing, it just came out from inside her head.
Tara: That's disgusting. What did it look like?
Willow: Well... let's put it this way. If I wasn't gay before...

Spike: You chose to be in the consumer service profession, and I'm a consumer. (smirking) Service me.
Buffy: (not amused) Order something or go.

  • Empathic Environment / Fauxtivational Poster: Spike and Buffy have sex next to a TEAMWORK poster. Buffy finds Philip's foot in the kitchen -- behind her is a sign encouraging employees to BE PART OF THE DOUBLEMEAT EXPERIENCE.
  • Evil Sounds Deep / Mood Whiplash: Halfrek threatens to dismember Xander in a horribly low, demonic voice, until she recognizes Anya, adopts a much girlier voice ("Anyanka?? Oh my GOD!") and hugs her, with Xander shitting bricks the entire time.
  • Fingore: Buffy discovers a finger in the grinder.
  • Foreshadowing: For Amy's actions in Season 7 "The Killer in Me".
    • Spike urges Buffy to quit her job, saying he can get the money she needs. In "As You Were" we discover Spike is involved in demon black market deals.
  • Game Face: Halfrek's features seriously freak out Xander, for reasons other than the obvious.

Xander: So Anya, the way she looked, with ... the face... (nervous laugh) That wasn't what you used to look like, was it?

Willow: There were, you know, razor scooters and pictures of the Vulcan woman on Enterprise.

Xander: Ooh! ...I mean, pff! Nerds.

Anya: Well, time is running very short. After Willow gave us the 'whoosh' engagement party, I got slack on the planning 'cause I figured she'd help, but, well, now that's all been blown to hell.
Willow: Hey, standing right here! Standing right exactly here.

Anya: The workers are the tools that shape America.
Buffy: Good to know. (everyone looks to see Buffy in her Burger Fool outfit) I was kinda feelin' like a tool.

Halfrek: Half the time I have no idea if I'm maiming the right guy.

Amy: Mm. I can see that.
(Amy indicates Willow's book. We see that Willow has highlighted all the text on the entire page.)
Willow: (defensively) It's a pivotal page.

  • No Sense of Humor: Manny the Manager.
  • Our Zombies Are Fast Food Workers
  • The Paralyzer: Buffy is sprayed by a fluid that immobilizes her from the legs up.
  • Please Keep Your Hat On: Wig Lady
  • Reaction Shot: Buffy watching what happens to the Cow and the Chicken in the Doublemeat Palace workplace video.
  • Red Herring: Buffy's workplace has nothing to do with the Monster of the Week despite its zombie-like staff or creepy vibe -- the demon is only a customer and the "secret ingrediant" is actually a soy product.
  • Revenge: Implied with Amy, because Willow took so long to change her from a rat back to a human.
  • Secret Ingredient
  • The Secret of Long Pork Pies: Averted -- Because of the High Turnover Rate and repeated mentions of a "secret ingredient", Buffy thinks the Doublemeat Palace is using human meat in its products. It turns out that the disappearances are because of a demon that likes the taste of people who've eaten lots of fatty foods, and the "meat" is actually a vegetable product, with a secret ingredient of... beef flavoring.
  • Sex for Solace: Buffy is halfway through a double shift and feeling rather down when her supervisor tells her it's time for her break. Just then she sees Spike prowling outside. In an overt mating signal Buffy removes her cap to show off her Hair of Gold. Spike immediately walks around the back; scene cut to him bonking Buffy up against the wall behind the Doublemeat Palace.
  • Shaped Like Itself

Buffy: So ... what's the secret ingredient?
Philip: (not taking his eyes off the grill) It's a meat process.
Buffy: Well, what does that mean?
Philip: It's a process, they do it to the meat.
Buffy: But, what is it?
Philip: It's just the name of the process.
Buffy: (giving up) Oh. Yeah.