Ep by Ep; 2 to Go

The Good; This ep just never stops moving, just like 'truck driving magic momma' DarkWillow.

The Bad; No time for that!

Best line; Anya; (of Andrew) "The annoying vrigin has a point"

Women good/men bad; The female coven sense the impending disaster whilst the male dominated Council don't

Jeez!; You really know how far Willow has gone when she threatens her beloved Dawn, mocking her loss of Tara and Joyce. Willow really doesn't live here anymore as is brought home by her referring to herself in 3rd person.

Kinky dinky; Anya tells Xander that her tryst with Spike was not vengeance as it appeared, it was solace. Xander doubts that Andrew has ever had any sex. According to Clem Rack likes 'little girls' (as we saw with Willow and Amy). Dawn says she's not a little girl anymore but still insists on going to see him, willing to pay any price to help those she loves.

Captain Subtext; Xander spends almost the whole episode bemoaning his uselessness. Don't worry, every dog has his day and it's coming. Note Jonathon keeps trying to help at the Magic Shop, he wants to be part of the Scoobygang. Even DarkWillow still refers to Dawn as 'cutie' and 'honey'

Apocalypses; 6

Scoobies in bondage: Buffy: 8 Giles: 4 Cordy: 5 Will: 4 Jenny: 1 Angel: 4 Oz: 1 Faith: 3 Joyce: 1 Wes: 1 Xander; 2 Dawn; 4

Scoobies knocked out: Dawn faints after teleporting whilst Anya and Buffy get knocked out at the Magic Shop.

Buffy: 18 Giles: 12 Cordy: 6 Xander: 12 Will: 8 Jenny: 2 Angel: 6 Oz: 3 Faith: 1 Joyce: 3 Wes: 1 Anya; 4 Dawn; 3 Tara; 1

Kills: Willow kills Rack Buffy: 107 vamps, 56 demons, 6 monsters, 3 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demon, 1 human, 1 god.

Cordy: 3 vamps, a demon Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.

Angel: 3 vamps, 1 demon, 1 human Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1 a demon, Anya: 1 vamp and 1 a demon Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons Spike; 8 vamps and 4 demons Buffybot; 2 vamps Tara; 1 demon Dawn; 1 vamp

Scoobies go evil: Willow and how! Giles: 1 Cordy: 1 Will: 3 Jenny: 1 Angel: 1 Oz: 1 Joyce: 1 Xander: 4 Anya; 1 Dawn; 1 Buffy; 1

Alternate scoobies: DarkWillow Buffy: 8 Giles: 4 Cordy: 1 Will: 5 Jenny: 2 Angel: 3 Oz: 2 Joyce: 2 Xander: 4 Tara; 1 Dawn;1 Spike; 1 Anya; 2 Recurring characters killed: 12 Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara

Sunnydale deaths; 94

Total number of scoobies: 2- Anya helping but not really part of the gang Xander, Buffy, Xander demon magnet: 5(6?) Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?

Scoobies shot: DarkWillow threatened by a phalanx of police guns but no rounds fired Giles: 2 Angel: 3 Oz: 4 Riley; 1 Buffy; 1 Tara; 1

Notches on Scooby bedpost: Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes? Cordy: 1? Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 1 possible, Dracula(?) Angel: 1;Buffy Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?) Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley Xander: 2; Faith, Anya Willow: 2;Oz and Tara Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya Anya; 2 Spike and Xander

Dawn in peril; 10

Dawn the bashful virgin; 9

Questions and observations; Anya says that Willow is the most powerful wicca in the Western Hemisphere (she's the wicked witch of the West?). Anya's outfit makes her look like some sort of puritan. Check out kung-fu DarkWillow. The 'walking action figure' will later turns up as Helo's...I'm sorry Agent Ballard's sparring partner in Dollhouse.

Now I always remembered Buffy talking to Snyder in their face off at the end of season 2 and asking him 'You never had sex did you?' but that wasn't the case, now of course I realise that was actually Xander to Andrew. Season 6 is really where the big bad for the Scoobies is one another, it's the internal stresses in the group which are the problem rather than the outside threat. 'Sabrina TTW' once again referenced which is nice, MT appearing with MJH on 'Clarissa Explains It All'. I've read since that MJH was high on ecstasy for much of the series which must have certainly added a degree of realism to it for her. I missed it first time around but Willow here presages the theme of s7 by declaring that being the Slayer was all about the power, a remark which will have much greater significance later on.

Marks out of 10; 8/10