Tabula Rasa

Season 6, Episode 8, Aired
EDIT

Episode Summary

Willow is devastated to learn that she pulled Buffy out of heaven, not hell, and she resolves to make things better by casting a spell to make Buffy forget her afterlife experience. The spell, however, backfires and causes the whole gang to wake up with no memories. The amnesiac Scoobies must piece together their lives and find a way to reverse the spell while dealing with the usual incursion of demons and vampires.moreless
9.4
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Superb
606 votes
  • Your Rating: 10
    "Perfect"
  • Your Rating: 9.5
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 9
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 8.5
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 8
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 7.5
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 7
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 6.5
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 6
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 5.5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 4.5
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 4
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 3.5
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 3
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 2.5
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 2
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 1.5
    "Abysmal"
  • Your Rating: 1
    "Abysmal"
Rate It

Watch Online

Netflix
Subscription
Amazon
Buy
iTunes
Buy
Hulu Plus
Subscription
Amazon Prime
Free Trial/Subsc...

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

Fan Episode Reviews (49)

See All

  • Suffers only from comparison to OMWF

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By joxerlives, Jan 20, 2012 Report Abuse
    The Good;
    All great, emotional turmoil mixed with side-splitting humour at every turn. Especially love Anya and the bunnies and the beautiful ending song

    The Bad;
    The Loanshark is a funny idea poorly realised (foreshadowed in Restless as is Giles thinking Spike's his son). Works better in the comics although he comes to a sticky end.

    Best line;
    Giles "Welcome to the nancy tribe"

    Women good/men bad;
    Spike refers to Anya as tarty and a trollope. Anya's woman's intuition needs work.

    Jeez!;
    Once again the creature we don't see behind the counter is the scariest of all, just like in Forever. Seeing Buffy get kicked on the ground also isn't nice.

    Kinky dinky;
    Spike and Buffy kiss again. And the Spuffers did rejoice! Spike is 'Randy Giles' and dresses just as he did in Restless. Anya describes Spike and Giles as 'ruggedly handsome'. Willow in her towel. Dawn seems to like Xander helping her down the ladder.

    Captain Subtext;
    Even when amnesiac Willow and Tara sense they're lovers and Buffy and Dawn sense they're sisters (amnesiac Buffy knows amnesiac Dawn for all of one minute and they're already both enjoying Buffy stroking Dawn's hair in the traditional Summers' way) . How funny would it have been if it was the other way around and both pairs came to each other's conclusion? Check out Dawn's expression when Willow tells her she's 'Kinda gay' (as she remarked of VampWillow). Interesting it's 'kinda' giving another hint of bi-Willow. Willow and Xander also sense their affection for one another. BUT Anya and Xander don't, she's actually attracted to Giles (and still hugely capitalist). Maybe Anya is actually in love with the idea of Xander rather than the guy himself? Even more interesting is Giles' affection for her. Anya looking for a daddy figure (like D'Hoffryn?) and Giles transferring his fatherly love for Buffy to Anya?
    Willow and Tara break up just as another relationship blossoms. Giles threatens to put Spike across his knee (well Buffy already has him spanking Dawn). Spike refers to Giles as 'nancy' and Giles welcomes him to 'the nancy tribe'. Note Spike seems to desperately want to be like Angel (because Buffy loves Angel or does he wants Buffy only because Angel loves her?) Spike refer to Gile's car as 'penis shaped' but then they hug. We never meet Spike's dad, divorce taboo in Victorian society so he may have died young (much more common), perhaps Spike harbours feelings of resentment towards him as his relationship with Angelus might suggest?

    Apocalypses; 6

    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; 3

    Scoobies knocked out: everyone but Xander also faints
    Buffy: 17
    Giles: 12
    Cordy: 6
    Xander: 11
    Will: 6
    Jenny: 2
    Angel: 6
    Oz: 3
    Faith: 1
    Joyce: 3
    Wes: 1
    Anya;3
    Dawn; 2

    Kills: 2 vamps for Buffy, 3 for Spike and 1 for Xander
    Buffy: 103 vamps, 41 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 + 1 demon +1 fawn.
    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 2 demon
    Buffybot; 2 vamps
    Tara; 1 demon
    Dawn; 1 vamp

    Scoobies go evil:
    Giles: 1
    Cordy: 1
    Will: 2
    Jenny: 1
    Angel: 1
    Oz: 1
    Joyce: 1
    Xander: 4
    Anya; 1
    Dawn; 1

    Alternate scoobies: the whole gang go amnesiac
    Buffy: 7
    Giles: 4
    Cordy: 1
    Will: 3
    Jenny: 2
    Angel: 3
    Oz: 2
    Joyce: 2
    Xander: 4
    Tara; 1
    Dawn;1
    Spike; 1

    Recurring characters killed: 10
    Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce

    Sunnydale deaths;
    93

    Total number of scoobies: 7 (but not for long!). Note how keen Dawn is to participate in the Scooby meeting, slowly becoming a full member of the gang.
    Xander, Willow, Buffy, Anya, Tara, Spike, Giles

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

    Scoobies shot:
    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
    Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore

    Spike; good or bad?
    Amnesiac Spike doesn't seem to realise he's supposed to be evil and wants to be good. He saves Buffy again.

    Dawn in peril; along with everyone else 7

    Dawn the bashful virgin; 5

    Questions and observations;
    Teeth asks if Buffy has ever considered working as a debt collector. Well it would solve her financial problems. Tara's very right, Willow violating her mind is no joke especially after what Glory did to her. It also makes their sex whilst Tara is amnesiac virtual rape. Buffy wears her cream number she died in for the first time. Xander wears what looks like an army jacket, left over from his faux soldier days? Xander's latent insecurites are very apparent, wondering if Willow is dating his brother. But he still comes the hero in the end. Buffy's choice of 'Joan' suggests Joan of Arc. Note amnesiac Tara begins to stutter, just as she did before she befriended the Scoobs.
    Marks out of 10; 9/10, suffers in comparison with OMWF but otherwise not perfect only because of the loanshark.



    moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • Hey! Remember Us? We Sure Don't!

    8.5
    "Great"
    By lenzinoH20, Oct 18, 2011 Report Abuse
    Tabula Rasa-Willow is devastated to learn that she pulled Buffy out of heaven, not hell, and she resolves to make things better by casting a spell to make Buffy forget her afterlife experience. The spell, however, backfires and causes the whole gang to wake up with no memories. The amnesiac Scoobies must piece together their lives and find a way to reverse the spell while dealing with the usual incursion of demons and vampires.
    A straight continuation of the last episode's events, Spike confronts Buffy about their kiss, The rest of the gang deals with Buffy's revelation about being in heaven, Giles finally tells Buffy's he's leaving for good and Tara finally gives Willow an ultimatum if she doesn't her magic addiction. For a comedic episode, the episode starts off on with a very heavy tone (well, besides the part with lone shark being....well....an actual shark!) Buffy's in denial about her new attraction with Spike as well as her dependence of Giles. Giles breaking the news to Buffy wasn't easy, but he had to do it to make her stronger. Buffy is very fragile and emotional now, but if she's to over come her post-resurrection trauma, she has to deal with her issues head on and Giles being there would only delay her dealing with those problems. Then you have the rest of the Scooby Gang's discussion on the consequences of bringing Buffy out of heaven. Everyone involved feels guilty (as they should) butultimatelywant to help Buffy heal.....except Willow. Once again, she thinks a spell will solve the problem and suggests wiping her memory clean. Seriously, Willow's mental state is scary, she already caused a lot of pain by bringing Buffy back, now she wants her to forget about the only time she's ever felt at peace. That would only make things worse in the end! Tara finally can't take it anymore and truly makes Willow enough is enough. Her ultimatum is completely justified! Tara's not only concerned with Buffy's safety but her own, considering she kinda leaving in an abusive relationship now. Whether Willow admits it or not, she mental "abused" Tara with that spell and that crossed the line. It's a heartbreaking development but shows how much Tara has grown since her debut in Season 4 as she won't but up with any kind of abuse from anyone, not even Willow.
    Naturally, Willow doesn't heed Tara's warning and does a spell anyway to make both Tara and Buffy forget. At the Magic Shop, after Giles announces his permanent exit from Sunnydale, things get heated once again. Buffy looks like she's about to have a serious breakdown. No amount of "sorry"from her friends can help her, what she's going through is unimaginable and a part of me would have loved to hear what Buffy would have said if Willow's spells didn't backfire and whammy everyone...oh well! What follows anyway is a series of some the series' funniest gags and jokes! Where to begin? As everyone wakes up with amnesia, every tires to put the pieces together, but fail humorously. Willow and Xander think they're dating, Giles and Anya think their engaged, Giles and Spike think their father and son, Buffy calls herself "Joan" etc. You also got to love Spike making fun of the British only to find he himself is also English, Buffy finding out she's "like a superhero or something" and Spike's declaration that he's a vampire with soul, out to fight for redemption. Buffy's reaction? "A vampire with a soul? Gosh, how lame is that!" If only we could have seen Angel's face at that moment. Anya continuing to conquer bunnies and cringing in fear was also a laugh out loud moment. I also enjoyed how the characters, even without their memories, realized the specific connections that had with each other. Like Buffy and Dawn's hilarious moment as they realize they're sisters and the sexual eye gazes Tara and Willow keep on giving each other. "I think I'm kinda gay?" You have no idea Willow! Surprisingly, Xander and Anya don't realize they're engaged or even sense a connection between them. Maybe another foreshadowing of their sudden break-up? After the spell is broken, once again, the episode gets even heavier than it began. Tara's face after realizing it was a spell like the rest of them was heartbreaking, you knew her and Willow were over. The final sequence with Michelle Branch's "Goodbye To You" wasn't exactlysubtlebut it still pulls at the heartstrings. Everyone is pretty despressed, Giles is finally off to England for good, Willow's a wreck, Tara is packing her things, Dawn's upset that she's leaving and Buffy once again finds comfort in Spike of all people by kissing him again. All and All, "Tabula Rasa" is both a terrific comedy and heartbreaking drama, something Buffy does so well and this is a perfect example.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • Rehashed plot line with some development in character relationships and advancement in story arc. Buffy and Spike...does she have Stockholm syndrome?

    8.0
    "Great"
    By omelethc, Aug 01, 2011 Report Abuse
    Willow's selfish actions and abuse of magic continue to have serious consequences, this time when she affects the whole gang and erases their memory. This plot seems very similar to several other plots in this series where the characters lose their memory/identity in one way or another. I know that this kind of device is used to add some development to reveal some hidden truth about the natures of the characters, but I do not appreciate it as much as some, who I suspect are merely getting a kick out of the absurd fantasies that play out (Giles and Anya kissing etc.).

    Overall, the episode was still quite good, and had key advancements in the plot and character relationships with Giles moving away and Tara breaking it off with Willow. I feel this development makes sense and is fair. However, the continued obsession of Spike with Buffy and her again kissing him at the end, this time not under any spell, is just insulting to the viewers. The writers are clearly just pandering to the 14 year old Buffy and Spike 'shippers with no regard to consistent storytelling. Does Buffy have Stockholm syndrome from that time Spike kidnapped her, chained her up, and threatened her life unless she said she loved him? I doubt it. Or was it the Buffy shrine, sexbot, obsessive stalking, unwanted puppy dog eyes all the time, and generally pathetic behavior by Spike that ultimately won her over? That is not attractive to anyone, ever. Whatever happened to the Spike/Quasimodo parallel that they so poignantly illustrated in Season 5? They negated their whole point by putting them together. This is the biggest misstep so far in the writing of this show.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 1

  • Poorly written amnesia episode.

    0.1
    "None"
    By ImADrifter, Mar 18, 2011 Report Abuse
    Two words: loan shark. This episode was total crap, start to finish. Awful attempts at humor, pathetic attempt to retcon the uncharacteristic Willow loves Tara crap. The scene with the guy in the ridiculous rubber shark costume and this sudden idea of using cats as currency could well be the very worst moment in the entire run of the show. This episode is embarrassingly bad.

    DO YOU AGREE?

    1 11

  • Apalling...this just ISN'T Buffy at all.

    5.0
    "Mediocre"
    By GemBuffyfan, Mar 18, 2011 Report Abuse
    This episode is so dreadful. It makes me ashamed to be a Buffy fan.

    I probably wouldn't hate it so much if it weren't for the fact that a lot of Buffy fans like it!

    The script-writing is lazy, and the comical element it is trying to achieve is totally missed and obvious.

    The gang wake-up not knowing who they are. Buffy "makes-up" her own name???? Yeah, because that would be the first thing that someone would do??? "Joan the Vampire Slayer"-I'm sorry but am i watching BtVS, one of the greatest television shows ever created, if not "the" or am I watching "Charmed"????-

    Buffy and Dawn realise that they are sisters because they briefly and stupidly start bickering???? What??? Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of this episode, but it was lamely put together. The characters jump from a situation where they should all be terrified and confused to lazy jokes and roleplay. It's like someone from the writing staff of Saved by the Bell hijacked the script. I love the idea that Spike and Giles think they are father and son (as previously, excellently portrayed in Restless) but it just doesn't fit with this ludicrous story.

    I love Buffy...this episode is it's worse mistake, maybe if Joss has written it instead of Jane Espenson it would have worked. It's only saving Grace was Buffy and Spike's kiss at the end, and possibly Spike's realisation that he is English, "Sh*gging, b*llocks..."

    And do not get me started on the "Loan Shark" guy. He looks like he was constructed with Paper mache by primary school children.

    Awful.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 6
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • When Spike passes out while sitting on the counter he slumps to his right and his legs are hanging down. Later, as everyone is waking up Spike is now lying on the counter on his back fully stretched out with his hands behind his head. It is possible that he moved while unconscious but nobody else moved much, if at all(Except Buffy as noted in another post). Edit
    • The establishing shot of the Magic Box uses film from the same establishing shot in "Bargaining, part 1". Though the actual footage is different, the same two people standing together talking with a large brown shopping bag at their feet can be seen and a woman in a tan coat is walking from left to right. Edit
    • At the moment the gang falls unconscious, Buffy has just walked up all the steps toward the door of the shop and is standing on the landing in front of the table. When she falls to the floor, she is parallel to the steps in front of her facing the gang. Yet when she wakes up she is sitting on the steps, her back to the gang and resting her head on her arms on the landing above her. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • In this episode, a statue of the two-faced Roman god Janus can be seen briefly. Ethan Rayne used a statue like this one to turn everybody into their costumes in the series 2 episode "Halloween". Presumably this is a different statue, as Giles had to destroy that one to reverse the spell. Edit
    • This episode is tenth in Joss Whedon's list of his top ten favorite episodes (which is more of a top twelve list) according to his personal letter included in the Australian Chosen Collection Box-set. The episodes on this top ten list are not ranked, but are put in order of which episode aired first. Edit
    • When Spike thought his name was Randy, he said "Randy Giles!? Why not just call me Horny Giles or Desperate-for-a-shag Giles!?" It's not common and rather embarrassing for the British to have Randy as a name, because "randy" is a British slang word which means "aroused," or "feeling great sexual desire." In other words, "horny" or "desperate for a shag." Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Willow: I just wanted us not to fight anymore. I love you.
      Tara: If you don't want to fight, you don't fight. You don't use magick to make a fight disappear. Edit
    • Buffy: (about Spike) If I would just stop saving his life, it would simple things up so much. Edit
    • Anya: This is the book for us. Giles: Oh, good. Does it focus on mind control, or-or memory loss? Anya: Not exactly, I just, um ... my intuition tells me this is the book. And I figure being a magic shop owner and a natural at the supernatural, I should trust my intuition. Giles: Yes, fine, but as you recall, I too am a magic shop owner. Anya: True, but my intuition says that you're not so much the magic guy and more of a paperwork type. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • "a shark, but on land. A land shark." The term "land shark", dates back to sailor's chanties, referring to merchants who cheated sailors. In more recent usage, however, it refers to a classic Saturday Night Live skit spoofing Jaws shortly after it was released. Edit
    • Giles sword-fighting the skeleton is a possible reference to Ray Harryhausen's skeleton fight scene in Jason and the Argonauts, where he animated 7 skeletons fighting a live-action Jason with stop-motion photography. Edit
    • Xander: Sorry, I just got back the memory of seeing King Ralph.
      King Ralph is a 1991 comedy starring John Goodman as a brash, loutish American man who is identified as the next in line for the British throne when the Royal Family are all killed. Edit

Show Forums

See All
Last Activity
Replies

Watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer Full Episodes

See All

Related Shows

Season 6 Episodes

See All
Ep 22
Grave (2)
Ep 21
Two to Go (1)
Ep 20
Villains
Ep 19
Seeing Red
Ep 18
Entropy
Ep 17
Normal Again
Ep 16
Hell's Bells
Ep 15
As You Were
Ep 14
Older and Far Away
Ep 13
Dead Things
Ep 12
Doublemeat Palace
Ep 11
Gone
Ep 10
Wrecked
Ep 9
Smashed
Ep 8
Tabula Rasa
Ep 7
Once More, With Feeling
Ep 6
All The Way
Ep 5
Life Serial
Ep 4
Flooded
Ep 3
After Life
Ep 2
Bargaining (2)
Ep 1
Bargaining (1)

Contributors

Become a contributor
More
Less

TV Listings

Full Listings
BROWSE | Shows | Videos | News | Listings | Forums | People | Photos | TV.com Blog

CBS Entertainment | About TV.com | About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Ad Choice | Terms of Use