I have to clean my carpet before I do anything else today, because my living room? It stinketh. One of the joys of pet ownership. First I typed that as "overwhip" and I don't think that's entirely offbase. Anyway, I wanted to get down a few random thoughts about last night's Buffy before I forget them. Spoilers for "Bring On the Night" coming up:

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I don't want Giles to be dead. But I've a sneaking suspicion that that's the case and he's been replaced by the FE. I'll be more than happy if I'm proven wrong and his out-of-character actions are explained as a reaction to stress and trauma and the fact that he didn't make enough physical contact with any person or thing to prove that he's corporeal is just ME screwing with our heads. But I'm not going to pin any hopes on that theory.

I hope that the main arc hasn't already picked up so much momentum that the characters will be so busy waging war that they don't have time to work on their interpersonal relationships. Or to mourn Giles if it turns out he is dead. Or to celebrate Buffy's upcoming birthday.

I squealed when Buffy said war. This just might be our chance to see something akin to DL's huge-ass battle play out on screen, and that excites me.

I think Wood's a good guy. I know I'm in the minority here but I get a good guy vibe off of him. Mysterious, yes. Even somewhat ambiguous. But not evil.

I'm so proud of Spike, but not at all surprised or amazed by him. He chose sides before he even got the soul. Stupid of the FE to think it could get him to change his mind now. And our boy has already proven that physical torture is not the way to break him. Now that he knows Buffy has faith in him, he's pretty much unbreakable. What does amaze me in comparison is just how easy it's always been to break Angel. His spirit, if not his resolve. The FE only had to taunt him for, what, a week? And he was ready to meet the sunrise. And then that whole S2-Angel downward spiral of despair arc. I mean, it is sad that Darla got vamped again just as she was accepting her humanity and that Angel couldn't prevent it, but in retrospect, compared to everything Spike's been through recently, it just doesn't seem like enough for him to be willing to throw it all away and try to turn back to evil. And yet it was. Sigh. Angel's such a wuss. Happily, I think Buffy's finally starting to figure that out.

Little Bit has compiled a pictorial history of Naked Spike, which you should run to look at right now as soon as you finish here. At the end there's a poll about your favorite aspects of Spike's nakedness. She was surprised when I picked last night's ep as my favorite instance of Spike naked and covered with sexy wounds. I said it was the glow of Buffy love that pushed that one over the top for me, but I was tired and couldn't put my finger on just what it was that made that last Spike scene for me. But I've figured it out: Peace. He was defiant in the face of his torturers, which is always sexy, but when he said that he believed he could be good and make a difference because Buffy believed he could, he almost smiled, and in that moment, despite the physical pain he must have been feeling, he looked the most peaceful that he has in a long, long time. Possibly ever. And that's just ... wow.

AurelioZen has already posted her analysis of the ep. I haven't had time to read it yet but I know she's a supreme smartypants and that it's bound to be interesting and thought-provoking. I'll have to read it after my living room no longer stinks. Which I'm off to go take care of right now.