Buffy, Slayer of the Vampyres (spoilers, yo. I'm not whiting them out as they constitute the entire post).

I don't have a whole lot to say about this ep. in general. It cracked me up both times I watched it, and Jane E. is the Queen of Continuity to Drew G.'s King, and for that alone I love her. I love Andrew and I think Tom Lenk is brilliant. If I started listing off everything that made me do a bad hyena impression while I watched, I'd be at it for a long time.

So I'll just skip to the Spuffy. I've read other reviews from reviewers who got strong Buffy/Wood vibes from the ep. I watched it again and paid careful attention to be sure, and I didn't get those. I really don't know whether it's that they're letting their trepidation color their viewing of the ep or if I'm letting delusion and denial color mine. I saw Wood trying to flirt with Buffy. And I saw Buffy being warm and friendly in return, but not particularly encouraging. I'm thinking of all of the times we've seen Buffy actively flirt -- with Parker, with Riley and with Ben, and even a little with Spike -- and this looked nothing like that. Maybe it's just me, but she had more heat with Riley. Hell, Spike has more heat with Wood than Buffy does. Even Andrew thinks so.

So. Wood doesn't scare me. Not in a romantic interest regard, and since I really doubt he'll succeed in killing Spike, not in that regard either. He does, however, creep me out, and everybody is trusting him way more than they should. And the bastard tried to hurt my Spikey!

(Incidentally, last night I dreamed that Spike did get staked -- not by Wood, but by some random vampire -- and both myself and Buffy were devastated. I never want to see that again, in my dreams or on the show or anywhere else.)

As for Spuffiness, besides the obvious kitchen scene (Hee! Hee hee hee! Oh, and if you're reading this on my blog, go look at my LJ icon), there was also them coming into the kitchen together for breakfast, her looking to him for backup on her opinion, the staging of the Andrew interrogation scene in which Spike, not Wood, stood immediately behind and to the right of Buffy -- her literal right-hand man -- and, finally, Buffy immediately calling out to Spike -- again, not "Robin" -- when those kids grabbed her from behind during the fight. All little, subtle things that add up to Buffy having a rapport with Spike that Wood's never gonna be able to touch, no matter how piercing his gaze or charming his smile or ninja-like his fighting moves. Oh, and a big HEE! to him getting hit in the face with that fire extinguisher. After which Spike tried to help him, and he almost got a stake in the back for his efforts. I hate Wood.

No, seriously. Up until then he was still pretty sympathetic despite the big question mark surrounding his history and his motives, and he was totally justified in his hatred of Spike. But as others have said, there's an honorable way to wreak vengeance upon your parent's killer ("You killed my mother, prepare to die!"), and then there's posing as an ally until you've got a clean shot to their back. Now, I'm willing to concede the possibility that Wood was being affected by the seal and his desire for vengeance took him over, but until they tell us that for certain I just can't like the guy.

But I digress. What I wanted to say is that we keep getting these little moments like the kitchen scene, and like Cassie's "Someday she'll tell you," and "still in love" and handholding ... hints of things to come. Some people think that those are just ME throwing us a bone, but what I always get from them is the message "Please be patient. It's not time yet, but it's coming." Again, there is every chance that I'm delusional, and I really wish we'd get a solid "I love you, Spike" from Buffy soon so that I can throw out that delusional disclaimer for good. Anyway. There is no reason, story-wise, for them to just throw us these bones. They wouldn't keep the tension and the undeniable interest on both sides going if it wasn't going to culminate in something, eventually. I know, there's not much eventually left; but as much as I want to see hot Spuffy lovin', I'll be okay with them not getting together until the end if that means they get to stay together.

Having said that, and in other news, I'm kinda numb still over the official word that this is the final season. I knew it was coming, I thought I'd prepared myself. I'm just not sure yet how I feel. As much as I told myself it was coming I still hoped it would get a reprieve, even though I knew that ending it now is probably for the best. Sigh. Anyway, they're talking spin-off, though nothing's official yet, and I don't know whether to hope Spike gets spun off or not. I guess I can't decide whether I'm more in love with Spike or with Spuffy. I thin Spike, but the thing that makes me love him so much is his overwhelming and unending love for Buffy. If he were spun off to a series without her, it would break my heart for him. But then, I'd still have regular doses of Spike, and I could probably get over Spuffy eventually. But I still think I'd rather see them get a happily ever after and disappear from the Joss-verse scape together. I guess it's kinda pointless to think too much about this before they decide for sure if there will even be a spin-off and if so, who will be in it. And here's hoping Angel gets picked up for at least another year, because if Spike goes bye-bye I was hoping to transfer my obsessive affections to Wes. Ooh! They could do a Wes spin-off! I'd totally watch that show.