Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The Good;
Some great acting by Marc Blucas, best he'll ever show us. Nice to see Graham back too, my favourite of all the Initiative characters and you genuinely get the impression that he's Riley's friend. Harmony and Spike hilarious and some scenes to make Spuffers punch the air with joy. The Dawson's Creek joke had me splitting my sides laughing. Anyone else hear the rumour that Katie Holmes was offered Buffy but turned it down to go to college? Just think, SMG could have married Tom Cruise. (At least he'd have been more her height)

The Bad;
Why is the operation on Spike such a complicated process? Surely his vamp healing could just fix everything, what's the problem with just hacking it out? Equally Buffy's leap of logic that Spike has left the hospital is pretty unbelieveable.

Best line;
Spike; "Awww, is the enormous hall monitor sick?"

Women good/men bad;
Buffy "You're going to die over some macho-pissing contest?". On the bad side Harmony goes running back to Spike, have some dignity girl!

Jeez!;
Spike is still awake during his surgery which must be weird beyond belief. Riley self-harms.

Kinky dinky;
In return for Spike's protection/shelter Harmony will have sex with him. Looks like what Buffy and Willow always said about her is true? Buffy refers to Spike hanging out in his crypt and 'doing something nasty'. How right she is! Drug enhanced Riley is quite the machine in the sack. Buffy doesn't even flinch when Dawn puts her hand on her breast to listen to her heart, the closesness of Dawn to Buffy evident. Harmony says that she read in a magazine that a man's best sex organ is his brain but she seems to prefer Spike's penis. Buffy refers to herself as 'still touchable' and Riley says he'll take advantage if that fact when healed.

Captain Subtext;
According to Harmony Spike can't even pick flowers, implying that he likes to? And the Buffy/Spike subtext offically becomes a text (Harmony oblivious as ever). Interesting quote from 'Harsh Light of Day' Buffy;"If Spike wants me? I go alone, lead him away from the popular spots, and give him what he wants."
Spike picks up on the little look between Buffy and Riley. Buffy refers to having the strength of 10 men during sex, Riley asks could she say 10 women instead. Tara wonders about Willow's magic when they explore Sunnydale High. Buffy says that if she wanted someone with superpowers she'd be dating Spike. Riley's little look after Buffy leaves him speaks volumes. Grahme says to Riley 'You belong with us'. Ever noticed there are no female Initiative commandos?

Guantanamo Bay;
The Initiative haven't gone away, just changed their spots. Dawn refers to the CIA's numerous failed plots against Castro and Buffy refers to 'Big Brother'

Scoobies to the ER;
Riley gets the surgery he needs

Apocalypses; 5,

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

Scoobies knocked out: Joyce passes out
Buffy: 15
Giles: 10
Cordy: 6
Xander: 8
Will: 5
Jenny: 2
Angel: 6
Oz: 3
Faith: 1
Joyce: 3
Wes: 1
Anya;1

Kills:
Buffy: 85 vamps, 29 demons, 6 monsters, 3 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
Giles: 5 vamps, 1 demon
Cordy: 3 vamps, a demon
Will: 4 vamps
Angel: 3 vamps, 1 demon, 1 human
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie
Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans
Xander: 5 vamps, 2 zombies, a demon, a demon
Anya: a demon
Riley; 12 vamps + 7 demons

Scoobies go evil:
Giles: 1
Cordy: 1
Will: 2
Jenny: 1
Angel: 1
Oz: 1
Joyce: 1
Xander: 3

Alternate scoobies:
Buffy: 6
Giles: 3
Cordy: 1
Will: 2
Jenny: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 2
Joyce: 2
Xander: 3

Recurring characters killed: 9
Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara

Sunnydale deaths; possibly the security guard but he might just be knocked out
83;

Total number of scoobies: 7
Giles, Xander, Willow, Buffy, Anya, Tara, Riley

Xander demon magnet: 5(6?)
Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?

Scoobies shot: Riley by Harmony' crossbow. But given his drugged state it doesn't even hurt him
Giles: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 4
Riley; 1

Notches on Scooby bedpost:
Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?
Cordy: 1?
Buffy: 3 confirmed; Angel, Parker,Riley, 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

Questions and observations;
Another nail in the Buffy/Riley coffin, in fairness to Graham he is right and he is Riley's friend for saying so. A good ep, also introducing Joyce's sickness properly for the first time. Interestingly it's Dawn who discovers something's wrong with Riley and helps Buffy hit on the solution. She's also right about Castro, nice to see kids are still interested in history. And whilst fainting Joyce for the first time senses Dawn's special nature. One of the clever things about Dawn is how she's introduced out of nowhere but for the first few eps she has no special significance, all she is is Buffy's little sister, special alright but only to Buffy, Joyce and Hank. And here's Ben for the first time. Giles is actually impressed by Xander's carpentry skills. The 'Willow hand' scene between Tara and Willow is SOOOO lovely? Harmony takes up smoking, well, it's not like it'll do her any harm. That she obeys the 'No Smoking' sign at the hospital is testament to the power of group reinforcement. Ben refers to Dr Dawn, that would be cool if Dawn became a doctor and could patch up the Slayer legion. The Riley basketball scene is a bit of an indulgence, Marc Blucas a pro-basketball player before becoming an actor. Tara and Willow explore Sunnydale High, the first time Tara ever goes there. According to Riley Buffy is getting stronger every day which seems to suggest that a Slayer get's more powerful the longer she lives (Buffy and Faith presumably the longest living Slayers ever). Spike refers to Buffy's 'shampoo commercial hair', at this time of course SMG was the Maybeline adverts girl. Spike says 'Oh god no', so strange that vamps still appeal to god even when they're the epitome of evil.

Marks out of 10; 7/10 although that might be a bit generous, the Spike scenes make it better than it otherwise might be.

Out of My Mind-The increased strength and speed given to Riley by the Initiative are starting to tear his body apart. He must be operated upon immediately to repair the damage, but that will mean giving up his enhanced fighting ability and any chance of keeping up with Buffy.



For a Riley centered, this was above average thanks to fine acting. Don't get me wrong, Riley's a nice guy, his just as dull as dirt at this point. Not to mention, the way Riley is acting is coming from no where. Suddenly, his reckless, stuck-up, cocky for no reason thinking Buffy doesn't care about and not really caring about himself. At least the scene between him and Buffy is the cave was well acted by Sarah and Marc, although Marc didn't have much to work with as usual. Buffy made way more sense than Riley did and she has been there for him, and would do anything for him which I don't understand why Riley would think otherwise.



Anyway, on the other hand, Joyce's illness development is played out well and you really feel worried for the character. We are also introduced to Ben, one of the doctors at the hospital who will play a much bigger role later in this season. Spike and Harmony made for a cool evil duo again for an hour. I always loved their scenes together, especially when their in the operating room and Harmony just won't stop talking. I'm glad the writers decided to keep Spike chipped, as he has become a much better character this way surprisingly. The episode ends with a very surprising twist as well when Spike has a...wet dream about certain slayer who shall remain nameless! WOW! Despite some tedious Riley melodrama, "Out of the Mind" is well acted and has some humorous scenes to keep you interested.

Out Of My Mind is a very average episode; the main storyline is extremely tedious and the only real saving grace is the hilarious Spike/Harmony interaction and the brilliant ending. Besides that, OOMM doesn't have a lot going for it.



Riley is a character I truly do not care for. I don't feel sympathy for him and I truly dislike the Buffy/Riley relationship. It's so entirely boring and annoying that I just hate all their drama. They're not as overdramatic and annoying as some (Buffy/Angel) but it is episodes like this where they really begin to irritate me. The speech in the caves is just completely forgettable and Riley's whole "I have to be a superhero" thing is just pathetic. Get over it Riley! I really didn't care whether he lived or died and a lot of it just felt forced.



Thankfully, there a few good things that stop this episode being a complete waste of time. Spike and Harmony were hilarious together and provided much needed comedic relief all episode. Mercedes McNab had great delivery here and the line "Spike, oh my god, this like a real emergency" always cracks me up. The whole 20 questions game was great also and the scenes in the hospital were a hoot. I love that while Harmony is evil, she apologizes for smoking in a hospital. She's such a nice vampire! And a big yay for Harmony smacking Riley around lots.



The other good thing was the start of the excellent cancer arc. This arc is really emotional and hard hitting and is one of the reason's Season 5 is my favourite season of TV ever. It was so unexpected and blends in really well with the whole family theme of the season.



The end scene was amazing. I thought it was real the first time I watched it and I was sorely disappointed it was a dream. It really highlighted Sarah and James' excellent chemistry.



Out Of My Mind is an average episode with an incredibly boring main story but has some scenes that keep the episode from being a complete waste of time. Still, it's an episode of Buffy so it earns a reasonable score from me!

Out of My Mind was a good episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This episode introduced us to Ben the intern at the hospital. This was also the begining of Joyce's illness as well as Riley's doubts about his future with Buffy. This episode was entertaining and exciting to watch. It was funny to watch Harmony who is now back with Spike. There was a lot of character development in this episode as well. I think that this episode was laying ground work for future story lines and they will be intriguing. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

The increased strength and speed given to Riley by the Initiative are starting to tear his body apart, and he must be operated on immediately. However, it will mean that he won't be able to keep up with Buffy.



I liked this episode. It was different from every other episode. It didn't focus on other demons and vampires, but on Buffy and Riley, and Spike and Harmony. Harmony is so weird, but she was lovable in this episode. Also, Buffy looked hot in this episode, as she did in just about every episode of the past few seasons. I liked the whole Buffy VS Spike and Riley VS Harmony thing. Riley's friend was hot, too. Anyway, great episode.

why o they have to make a whole episode about riley? i jut cant stand him. even dawn is better. he just demands so much attention. i cant believe he rather die than be weaker than buffy. how can he be so selfish? alll he thinks aout is himself. buffy should have let him have his way but she was under the illusion that she love him. the only part worth waching in this episode was where buffy's mom had to go to the hospital. it tells a little about joyce's death. other than that, i cant seem to think of any more.

I can't get onboard with Riley Finn. I respect that he's so good for the Buff-ster, but his being a giant gomer really gets to me just about every time he's onscreen. It's apparent more than ever this season that Riley does not have a place in the show any longer. he's completely overshadowed by far more interesting characters and storylines. So, in this one Riley is suddenly the man of steel. He's tossing vamps and demons with super-strength, he talks like a coked-out record producer, and he plays some serious hoops to boot. Riley's warned that there's something in his chest planted by 'The Initiative' that will kill him if he doesn't get it plucked out. Of course, being the giant gomer/alpha male he is, Riley doesn't want to lose the accelerated strength because he thinks Buffy will have no use for him any longer. Meanwhile, Spike sees this as anooportunity to get his chip yanked from his noggin'by the same surgeon who want to help Riley. Whackiness ensues.



Overall, it's a watchable episode only because of Spike and Harmony's quest to remove the chip. I could really care less if Riley's heart exploded from his own chest-chip. This is pretty much a filler episode with some character development. The whole ride is worth it for the very last scene where Spike gets a rude awakening and a profound realization.

The couple that slays together stays together, which is why Buffy is hunting alone and is exasperated when Riley turns up, even more so when Spike leaps in as well, foreshadowing the incipient love triangle. There’s only one thing Buffy needs Riley for (stamina sex), and she doesn’t need Spike for anything at all (yet). Just as Giles and Xander were at a loose end in Season 4 (they are now both embroiled in the Magic Box), Spike and Riley are both feeling just as purposeless. This episode deals with the fallout from last season’s experiments by the Initiative and, with the clever scene in the spanking new hospital set, sets up the new stories of Buffy’s mum’s illness, Ben the Intern, and the further possibility that Dawn is the creation of a spell (“Who are you?” asks Joyce as she collapses). To counteract this latter suggestion, however, Dawn tells us that she sometimes writes things in her diary that aren’t true – so the “She still thinks I’m little Miss Nobody. Boy, is she is for a surprise,” entry may have been a mislead. But Dawn is next week. In this ep, the two men in Buffy’s life are, from now on, inextricably linked. It’s no coincidence that Spike is watching Dawson’s Creek and shouting at the telly: “Oh Pacey. You blind idiot! Can't you see she doesn't love you?!” He is the Pacey to Buffy’s Little Joey Potter and with whiny Riley as whiny Dawson, the ménage à trois is set. Still, both Spike and Riley have suffered this before with Angel as the 3rd wheel in their relationships.



To show their similarities, we have Buffy’s irritation with them for interrupting her slaying, we know that they were both Initiative lab-rats and by the end of the episode they are both in love with a woman who doesn’t quite love them as they love her. At this point, Spike feels only hatred for the Slayer, and he vows that he’s going to kill her. He should know better than to make portentous speeches - hubris, bathos and an open grave always get in the way. His chip is his chance for redemption, but he only sees it as an obstacle to killing Buffy. We see how the gang can’t trust him as he uses Buffy’s information about the Initiative doctor for his own purposes - his last ditch attempt to de-chip himself. With hindsight, we see that it’s only love not loathing, for Buffy that will lead to the chip’s removal. Spike has been obsessed with Buffy for a long while, and they both fantasise about what they’re going to do to each other. Spike realises his growing passion for the Slayer and his brain does the only thing it can do – turns the hatred for her into love. The situation could be read as Spike’s abhorrence of Buffy having always been fuelled by fascination with her, but I think that he realises that he can’t conquer her one way and sets out to make her his conquest in another. It’s like the tasteless parlour/pub game of who you’d like to f*ck and who to kill. Since Dru left, Spike has only had the sadist part of sado-masochism with (Buffy’s new arch-nemesis) Harmony; he likes Buffy slapping him around, and he wants to dominate the dominatrix. Harmony is hardly a challenge; as she said, she will “do anything”. The fantastic dream sequence shows how Spike equates death and sex as he begs Buffy to kill him before baring his chest and embracing her. This scene is so good because it is so believable: the writers have brought us to a point where we know a Buffy/Spike tryst is both inevitable and desirable, we just have to wait for Buffy’s death, resurrection, and post-suicide existential angst first. Both Spike and Riley’s fates are sealed in this episode – Spike’s redemption and death are his destiny since he first realises that he has fallen for Buffy, and Riley’s departure is fated at the moment that he stops being a superhero. He is already insecure about Buffy, believing as he does that she prefers the bad boys. He is also apprehensive about being “Joe Normal” and was already fretting that Buffy wouldn’t love him anymore when he stopped taking his “vitamins”. His insecurity is tempered by traditional army machismo – he believes that Buffy’s increasing strength makes her “a little further out of my reach” – despite his idea that he likes Buffy being stronger than him, he secretly believes that men should be the protectors and rescuers. He doesn’t like being second fiddle. As Graham (wasn’t he eaten by Adam?) puts it: “You used to have a mission and now you’re what – the mission’s boyfriend?” According to this logic, men are the do-ers, women are, at best, the power behind the throne.



Whereas Spike is happy to use the Initiative’s facilities (a hospital that looks suspiciously like the University lecture hall), Riley is reluctant to have his heart sorted out because he believes it will lead to it being broken, rather than fixed. Which it does, but only caused by his own stupidity. He forgets that Buffy liked him before she knew who he was -the difference between them is that she continued to like him when she knew he was super-strong, he was put off by her superior power. As for Graham telling him “there’s nothing for you here,” what about Riley’s studies and his TA post? Can’t he take his frustrations out on some under-grads? Buffy isn’t without blame however, she tells him “nobody knows me like you do” – she is telling him that she appreciates his love and not how much she loves him. She leaves him to go and check on Joyce, a theme played out during the rest of the season, until Riley slings his hook.

I couldn't watch this so carefully but downloaded it so i can watch it again to understand better. I remembered why i didn't like Riley. He doesn't trust Buffy and he thinks he's not enough for him. He compares himself with Angel and it's so wrong. Angel was different and Riley shouldn't have treated Buffy like that. She told him that she loved him but he he's still insecure.



Harmony came back and i laughed hard:) She is so silly and she thought she was a real vilian which shows her really funny. Spike was gorgeous and funny at the same time. I loved the Dawson's Creek reference:) He wanted put that chip out but unfortunately he got fooled. I think this was much better. He saw Buffy in his dream and he was looking totally confused...

this episode sure did have a lot of hospitals. this episode is actually not that horrible except for the spike storyline as he sucks beyond believe. but what was interesting is that it began the storyline of riley to leave sunnydale and joyce heaving headaches and finding something in her head.



a nice episode if it werent for spikes sucky story and the disgusting ending of spike and buffy kissing eeeeeeeew!

We have an episode focusing on Riley and I have to feel for the guy, but really, Harmony and Spike are the more interesting part of this episode.



When Riley is afraid of finally losing Buffy once he's turned back into 'Joe Normal' you can sympathize. Though Buffy claims that no one has ever known her like he has, the viewers were there for the Angel romance and sorry, but there's no comparison. Not that there should be anyway, but that's where poor Riley's mind is at and with Buffy constantly pushing him into the background, who can blame him. So the true beginning of the end for the Buffy/Riley pairing is played out here with their arguments. It also doesn't help that Graham, Riley's Initiative bud, is there to tempt him back to the military.



In the meantime Spike tries to get his chip-n-dectomy with Harmony as his bodyguard? Surely that isn't a wise idea! The scenes with him and Harms are a scream.



For those into the whole Spuffy thing - Spike's desire for the Slayer in a way other than blood and entrails is finally revealed to him in a dream... and he's as horrified as I am.

‘Out Of My Mind’ looses a bit of quality from the past three episodes but still manages to impress quite a lot.



The episode begins with Buffy haunting for vamps in the cemetery but she’s interrupted by Riley and Spike who are there as well to kill vamps. she wonders why she still bothers to show up. But she’s not only mad at Spike but also at Riley and Spike noticed that.



This episode also opens Joyce storyline, when she’s feeding Dawn she suddenly has an attack and faints on the floor. In the hospital they meet doctor Ben who was looking after Dawn. He lend her his telescope and she begins to listen to everyone’s heart, but Riley’s heart makes a weird nose and is going to fast which can cause him a heart attack. Still he doesn’t care and leaves the hospital and Buffy doesn’t get why.



Buffy is concerned about Joyce and Riley. she has to find a way so she contacts the government leading Graham to pick up Riley, but he isn’t into that and knocks them out and runs away. Now Buffy has to find him and lead him to a doctor so she leaves to go into the initiative caves where she believes Riley may be hiding.



The second storyline focuses around Spike and Harmony. She believes that Buffy may be following her and trying to kill her. while Buffy hardly cares. When Buffy tells Spike about the initiative doctor he gets an idea, maybe that doctor can take that chip out of his brain. He and Harmony go to the doctor and make him take it out, and so he does or at least he makes them think he does.



When Buffy finds Riley in the saves he tells her his insecures. First he doesn’t trust the initiative and second, he admits being afraid that Buffy may not want him if he becomes Joe-normal. But she tells him she doesn’t care and that she is going to force him to go to the doctor if he wants to or not. He goes with her and tells her that loving her is the scariest thing he has ever done.



Over to the lab Buffy finds out about Spike and she’s sick of him, she wants to kill him. But Spike thinks he’s chipless now so he has his own plans for Buffy. When they meet up he realised that he still got the chip, the doctor couldn’t do it. Both Spike and Harm flee while Riley passes out from the pain. After he’s operated he gets back to normal and Buffy tells him that he can touch her.



At the end of the episode Buffy goes back to kill Spike but instead they end up making out, turns out it was just a Spike dream of kissing and having sex with Buffy. he’s inlove with the slayer.

‘Out Of My Mind’ is a good episode for Riley, it develops his character and his storylines. The thing is, I didn’t really like the Spike storyline much. I didn’t like him having a crush on Buffy, he was much better as a villain. I’ve always have to look away when they kiss, I can’t help but to find their relationship disturbing.

This episode brings back Graham who gives Riley more insecurity of his relationship with Buffy. about being mission’s boyfriend. It also continues Dawn of feeling neglected and misunderstood. The episode is pretty good except for a few bad turns. The quality wise is still high and it makes up for another very good episode.

Not unlike the fourth season, which took its time to cement the plot arc elements and get the ball rolling, the fifth season begins with a number of character arc elements in play. The first three episodes seemed to dance around the notion of advancing character threads in any major fashion, but this episode takes on the challenge of delivering a strong character-driven story. In fact, this has the feel of a transitional episode in the middle of the season, putting the pieces in place for the plot elements that would come in short order.



The episode starts laying out the character elements from the very beginning. Riley comes across as slightly more aggressive and eager than usual, and Spike is a bit more competitive with Riley than he needs to be. In retrospect, the direction taken by each character is somewhat obvious, but there is a subtlety to the presentation.



Much of the episode is about dropping the seeds into the story, building on what was established (sometimes poorly) in the earlier episodes of the season. Buffy has always been smarter than she lets on, but this episode focuses on how smart she can be, when she puts her mind to it. Also, this is the part of the season where her desire to understand her Chosen legacy is most evident. (Later in the season, it would practically disappear.)



Xander’s newfound confidence in his own skill is immediately evident, based on his assistance with Giles’ rebuilding of the Magic Box. At the same time, his well-worn lack of self-confidence still shines through when it comes to his relationship with Anya. That seed of lingering doubt never goes away, and ultimately becomes important in the sixth season.



Tara continues to show a relative lack of self-esteem, downplaying her own ability and making it clear that she finds Willow’s abilities to be extraordinary. This is particularly subtle because Willow’s growing power is portrayed as something that might be subjective on Tara’s part; in reality, that circumstance makes it easier for Willow and others to dismiss how far Willow is really going. (Also, since Willow’s conversion to the dark side was supposed to take place at the end of the fifth season, this begins that process, which would eventually be extended.)



Spike, as per his usual M.O., is mostly obsessed. In this case, he’s obsessed with two things: the chip in his head and Buffy. This is consistent with the theory that vampires in the Buffyverse are demons that exhibit some defining facet of the human victim, taken to an accentuated and evil degree. Spike was defined for his pitiful and disturbing obsessions as a human (as seen in the final season), and so he is driven by obsessions now, taken in an unusual direction by the restraints provided by the chip in his head.



Riley shows signs of desperation, which is a nice follow-up to the previous episode’s revelation. Part of it is his extreme metabolic condition, which pushes his psychological issues to the surface. But Riley does feel like he needs to be more than human to maintain Buffy’s interest, and that’s the natural progression of his self-realization at the end of the fourth season. Riley has to keep demonstrating his ability to keep up, and in the process, he’s coming across to Buffy as trying too hard.



Dawn continues to act very much as Buffy might have acted at the same age, maintaining the theme of exploring the difference between “Buffy as human” and “Buffy as Slayer”. In this particular episode, she interjects in much the same way that Buffy might have under the same circumstances. She also displays the same devotion to her mother, which only makes sense.



Joyce shows the first signs of the condition that would eventually claim her life. This particular plot point places an external pressure on Buffy’s search for self-definition. Buffy began the road towards adulthood in the fourth season, but she was living a life that afforded her the chance to play with Riley and live in isolation. The fifth season begins the process of forcing Buffy into the real world, slowly but surely becoming less the child and more the “parent”, as the generational wheel spins inexorably.



This also allows for the introduction of Ben, a key figure in the season arc. It’s easy to dismiss Ben and his presence in this episode, because he exists for the purpose of exposition regarding Joyce and to act as a vague indirect threat to Riley. This is one element of the season arc that is particularly effective, since it allows him to become enmeshed in Buffy’s world before the audience realizes that something is amiss.



The story quickly turns back to the character evolution for Riley and Spike. One evolves out of the other, so the writers quickly define Riley’s problem and his inability to think clearly. He flees back to the Initiative (despite the fact that it’s supposed to be filled with concrete), which means that Spike is only one with the knowledge of how to get into the caves. Buffy is thus forced to go to him for help, which only feeds into his obsessions.



That Spike would use the situation to his own advantage is hardly surprising. That Buffy wouldn’t consider the possibility that Spike would abduct the doctor for his own devices is. Why wouldn’t she send Spike to go retrieve Riley and bring him to where the doctor is waiting? Sure, the situation is dire, but that is one major miscalculation. Of course, it’s also necessary for the story to go where it needs to go for Spike’s evolution.



In terms of Riley’s evolution, he faces a terrible moment in this episode. Buffy rips into him for assuming that she sees him differently because of his humanity, but he knows it to be true. Even though Riley is reacting badly to the situation, fueled by his altered metabolism, he hits the nail on the head. Buffy does need something more than the average man, even if she doesn’t realize it. Part of the problem is her own lack of self-awareness. Buffy wants to believe that there’s a normal girl underneath the layers of Chosen destiny, but in reality, the two are intertwined. And the whole Buffy needs something more than normal to counter her unique qualities and needs.



The situation ends as it must, since both Riley and Spike have to survive to come to their necessary personal realizations. Both them, however, only take a single step in this episode. Graham puts things into perspective for Riley, which begins the slow but inevitable process of Riley’s exit from Sunnydale. Riley needs to recognize that he needs to define himself on his own terms before he can be an equal partner to anyone else. Being with Buffy simply isn’t enough.



Spike comes to the first true realization that his obsession over Buffy is transforming from pure hatred to sexual lust (mixed with violent hatred). There’s the slight sense of connection between Buffy’s growing power and Spike’s growing interest, but the bottom line is that Spike has fallen into that familiar obsessive trap. The writers do a nice job of glossing over how disturbing it is by pointing out the more comic aspects of the situation.



This episode starts the process of ramping up the season, and though it still takes longer than it should to get the story moving, the groundwork for a substantial arc is being laid out in more consistent fashion than the fourth season. There’s still the evidence of Joss’ distraction, given how much of his attention was being given to “Angel” and its second season revamp. Given how the season started, it was a miracle that the season managed to get back on track at all.

"Out Of My Mind" is (sadly) only the first of several Season Five episodes where you can hardly hear the dialogue over the loud grinding of the gears of the plot. The producers could have saved us a lot of trouble by just having Dracula eat Riley in the pilot. This also marks the umpteenth time when Spike has launched a wacky scheme to get the behavior modification chip out of his head. Fortunately, this must have occurred to the writers as well, as the surprise ending to "Mind" marks a rather shocking change in William the Bloody's motivations. While Spike would remain something of a pathetic figure for the rest of this season, the consequences of this episode for years six and seven would be dramatic.



Besides giving Marc Blucas, who played with Tim Duncan at Wake Forest, a chance to show off his basketball skills, there's not much fun to watch in "Out Of My Mind." It's sad to see Harmony returned to being treated abusively by Spike after her star turn in "Real Me." (She would much later find redemption on "Angel.") The Initiative storyline had well and truly run its course by the end of Season Four, it's just annoying to see its last vestiges crop up here.



Indeed, "Mind" doesn't really address any issues that "Goodbye Iowa," which wasn't that great of an episode itself, didn't already tackle. Riley feels that without his artificially-derived superpowers, Buffy will lose interest in him. Despite all of her protestations here to the contrary, it's obvious to all of us that she already has. It's already been sufficiently established by his behavior and asides in "Buffy vs. Dracula" and "The Replacement" that Riley simply doesn't fit into the Scooby Gang. I disagree with some fans who believe he never should have been introduced at all. Riley Finn belonged in Season Four, with its themes of larger institutions and the new experiences of college testing familiar bonds.



Season Five is all about families, about returning to those you can trust when things get bad. Tara and Anya at this point in the series are proving their ability to assimilate into the larger whole. Riley can't, or won't, and this conflict is simple and obvious enough that the producers should have known well enough to dispose of it more quickly than they did. Between the grimness of Joyce's illness and the coming menace of Glory, the series could have used the time wasted on handling Riley's agonizingly slow departure on reinforcing the relationships between Buffy and Dawn, Tara and Willow, and Anya and Xander. Season Six really succeeds in this where Season Five fails.



Most of the significant things about this hour are hidden in the margins. Besides the closing Spike dream sequence, there's also a retrospectively alarming scene where Willow "improves" on one of Tara's spells and the introduction of Ben the Intern, a bland character whose dark secret merely makes him a bland character with a dark secret.



The trouble here is that Spike has evolved past the point where he can make an effective central villain for even a single episode. The writers have already stated that if the chip were ever to come out, Buffy would immediately kill Spike. The viewers know that the writers aren't going to let that happen, ergo, they know the chip isn't going anywhere. Of course, this very episode marks the point where this conundrum ceases to be a problem, so I suppose its existence is justified by that very small point. As others have pointed out, though, that small scene would appear in the "Previously On..." clips for seemingly the rest of the series' run, so if you're watching on TV and not DVD I guess you can skip "Out Of My Mind" altogether.