Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Season 7 Episode 20

Touched

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EPISODE REVIEWS
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Episode Summary

EDIT
Spike goes to comfort the displaced Buffy while Faith tries to rally the troops into action. Later, both Slayers set off on a late-night raid, and both find something completely unexpected.
SUBMIT REVIEW
  • She's the king of the Britons!

    8.0
    TOUCHED



    The Good;

    Wonderful scene between Faith and The Mayor/First, so great to see him back. Buffy finally bests Caleb and some Buffy and Spike scenes to set the Spuffer's hearts aflutter. Oh and everyone has loads of sex



    The Bad;

    I know Spike's trapped in the mission but what about Andrew, surely he can pop out, get a paper? What does Caleb want with the scythe, what good is it to him? Surely the Scoobs must realise that the Bringer will tip off The First allowing it to set the trap?



    Best line;

    Buffy (tearfully); "I don't want to be the one" does she mean the Slayer or just alone?

    but I do like;

    Wood; (of The First) "It was just trying to find your Achilles heel"

    Faith; "No it just talked to me. It does a heel thing too?" (once this Twilight business is over I think it's night classes for you my dear)



    Women good/men bad;

    Interestingly Caleb refers to 'brute strength' just before Buffy wipes the floor with him. It's a very female concept, he has strength and speed but she's agile and intuitive, able to anticipate his every move. Once again Buffy shows her strength as a general, playing to her strengths and turning his power to her advantage.



    Jeez!;

    Giles slits the Bringer's throat



    Kinky dinky;

    Xander and Anya have ice cream sex on the kitchen floor, Faith plays 'ride'em cowgirl' with Wood, him succumbing to her charms by saying "You're the leader"



    Captain Subtext;

    Buffy says that she and Spike were never close and he only wanted her as she was unattainable. But actually the sexless scene between her and Spike falling asleep in one another's arms is the closest they've ever been. Note both Faith and Wood lost their mother at a young age, his mother was a Slayer and now he has sex with one whilst her attraction to him has the same 'Electral' (is that how you put it?) elements as Buffy's. Kennedy says she's going to give Willow 'Screaming joy' and 'Unrestrained moaning'. Obviously thinks a lot of herself in the sack, maybe it's the pierced tongue? She also says she'll 'tether Willow down'. She must be pretty impressive as Xander and Anya can hear Willow moaning all the way down in the kitchen. A nice little moment between Faith and Giles when he praises her leadership, just as with Wes in the Angel-'souless'-arc, Watcher and Slayer finally as it always was intended to be. Faith says it's 'been a while' when she seduces Wood, implying since she's had sex or been with a man? Faith admits to Wood that Wilkins was like a father to her. Then she beds Wood, another older man authority figure with a dark side and possibly demonic essence.



    Guantanamo Bay;

    Torturing the captured Bringer and then Giles slitting his throat in cold blood.



    Apocalypses; 7,



    Scoobies in bondage:

    Buffy: 9

    Giles: 4

    Cordy: 5

    Will: 4

    Jenny: 1

    Angel: 4

    Oz: 1

    Faith: 3

    Joyce: 1

    Wes: 1

    Xander; 3

    Dawn; 4

    Spike; 4



    Scoobies knocked out:

    Buffy: 23

    Giles: 12

    Cordy: 6

    Xander: 16

    Will: 10

    Jenny: 2

    Angel: 6

    Oz: 3

    Faith: 1

    Joyce: 3

    Wes: 1

    Anya;7

    Dawn; 6

    Tara; 1

    Spike; 3

    Kennedy; 1



    Kills: 2 Bringers for Kennedy who seems the best fighter of all the Potentials by some way. Another Bringer for Giles and one each for Vi, Kennedy and Faith

    Buffy: 125 vamps, 62 demons, 6 monsters, 10 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot

    Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demons, 3 humans/1 god.

    Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.

    Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie

    Faith: 19 vamps, 6 demons, 4 humans.

    Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1 a demon, 2 humans

    Anya: 1 vamp and 1 a demon

    Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons

    Spike; 11 vamps and 7 demons+1 human

    Buffybot; 2 vamps

    Tara; 1 demon

    Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon

    Kennedy; 3 humans+1 vampire

    Amanda; 1 vampire

    Woods; 5 vamps and 2 demons

    Vi; 1 human



    Scoobies go evil:

    Giles: 1

    Cordy: 1

    Will: 4

    Jenny: 1

    Angel: 1

    Oz: 1

    Joyce: 1

    Xander: 4

    Anya; 1

    Dawn; 1

    Buffy; 1

    Spike; 1

    Wood; 1



    Alternate scoobies: possessed Andrew

    Buffy: 8

    Giles: 4

    Cordy: 1

    Will: 6

    Jenny: 2

    Angel: 3

    Oz: 2

    Joyce: 2

    Xander: 4

    Tara; 1

    Dawn;1

    Spike; 1

    Anya; 2

    Andrew; 1



    Recurring characters killed: 16,

    Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara, Quentin Travers, Chloe, Molly, Jonathon.



    Sunnydale deaths;

    107



    Total number of scoobies: 35 or so. Again, despite the house teeming with Potentials no Chao-Anh but Vi is back.

    Xander, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Anya, Spike, Giles, Kennedy, Vi, Rhona, Amanda, Chao-Anh, Wood, Andrew, Faith plus an indeterminate number of potentials.



    Xander demon magnet: 6(7?)

    Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya, Lissa (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?



    Scoobies shot:

    Giles: 2

    Angel: 3

    Oz: 4

    Riley; 1

    Buffy; 1

    Tara; 1



    Notches on Scooby bedpost: Faith beds Wood and Willow and Kennedy finally get it on

    Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?

    Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 3 possible, Dracula+RJ+Shadowmen's demon(?)

    Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?)

    Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca

    Faith:4 ;Xander, Riley, Bullwhip guy and Wood.

    Xander: 2; Faith, Anya

    Willow: 3;Oz, Tara and Kennedy

    Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore

    Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya

    Anya; 2 Spike and Xander

    Kennedy; 1 Willow

    Wood; 1 Faith



    Dawn in peril; 14



    Dawn the bashful virgin; 9



    Questions and observations;

    Amanda during the opening argument very reminiscent of Willow during Buffy's 'intervention' over Angel's return in Revalations (in fact Amanda AND Vi are very reminiscent of season 1 Willow in many ways). Dawn very much in the junior Watcher role now and seemingly a confidant for Giles (the closest thing to Buffy for him?). Buffy feels bad about how she's treated the gang saying she cut herself off and always did. Does the First tell the truth when it takes a form? Everything it says comes true just not in the way people think. What is Caleb's agenda? He wants to rid the world of sin yet allys himself with the First Evil? Or does he just want to destory humanity as he's so disgusted in them?The fight scenes very Matrix like, Buffy even doing Neo's backward flailing move. The First yearns to be able to touch once more, is that it's eternal punishment, to never be able to feel the flesh? To walk amongst the living yet not know life? Check out Xander's little turn to the camera as the rest are talking, for a moment you almost think he's going to turn traitor (like Wes in WITW)



    Marks out of 10; 8/10

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  • that speech!!

    10
    Loved this episode it was brillant1



    while watching it couldn't believe the way the scoobies betrayed buffy it was so unfair it was kinda like they got rid of spike and she had no one left to stand up for her.

    and like i know a few potentials died at the vineyard and xander lost an eye but faith was there aswell she didn't exactly protect them from caleb. Loved the way spike stood up for buffy and it was about time some one did,if it wasn't for her they'd never have survived through any of the apoclypses!

    that scene with the speech BEST EVER!i love the way he was there for her and they way he stated with her and huged her it showed how much things had changed for them and that it wasn't all about sex even for buffy.

    And then she went and fought caleb it was like spike gave her the strenght to carry on and picked her up of the ground and she left him a note so he wouldn't worry about her.... so sweet!

    and giles....get over yourself!he plans to kill spike then sends him off and betrays buffy just because she doesn't need him anymore.

    I think this episode showed buffy and spike could have been great together if they had more time coulda been even better than buffy and angel...i mean she would have loved him back i just know it this is a brillepisode thta i could watch a million times and never get sick of!!moreless
  • Words cannot explain how amazing this episode is, probably one of my favorites!

    10
    I loved this episode sooooo much. Spike's speech to Buffy brings tears to my eyes everytime I watch it. I loved the beginning with Spike and Andrew trapped till dark. I also Loved the way Spike and Faith fought, I only wish that it lasted a bit longer than it did, and Spike hurt faith or the others a bit more because there was really no punishment for what they did to Buffy. I loved the fight scene with Caleb. Spike's speech is most likely my favorite speech in buffyverse history it was so touching! (Hence the episode's title Touched, it is what I think everyone felt after that episode or his speech)moreless
  • I can't believe no one else has reviewed this episode.

    10
    If you have ever read any of my other reviews about Buffy or Angel, you will know that I am a huge fan of Spike. He is one of my favorite characters on the show, next to Buffy herself. Well, this whole season, we had seen glimpses of Buffy and Spike reconnecting and in this episode they did so beautifully.



    For me this is one of my favorite, because I was so pissed off at the one be for this, where Buffy gets kicked out of her own house and her own Scoobies. How Dare They! She is the Slayer! Anyway, I was mad and I was worried about Buffy. And then comes along my Spike. I loved the kitchen scene where Spike first hears about the change of leader and he tells them all off. Then we have the wonderful moment when Faith speaks up and Spike does the old bad boy stance that we had not seen for a while. Arms crossed over his chest, black coat tight across his body, face set ready to do some business! Lovely! Unfortunately, he doesn't win againt Faith, but that doesn't matter because one sniff in the air takes him to Buffy.



    I know that there is more to this episode besides Spike and Buffy. I know we have Willow and Kennedy getting down (Kennedy has a tongue ring, yippee, not) and Robin and Faith get down as well, but I really don't get the connection except he was there. I'm sure that storyline could have been made better, but there was only two episodes left, so it was kind of hohum. and I understood about Anya and Xander, but it wasn't a big deal.



    For me it was all about Buffy and Spike. His speech to her about what she was (A hell of a woman), well it was amazing. They didn't kiss or do anything sexual. They just held each other and stared into each others eyes all night. I hate to be a big girl about it, but it was just so lovely. One of the most romantic things I have ever seen. Especially with the director contrasting it with all those other acts of intimacy that where going around. Some how, just seeing those two together made it seem more intimate than love making. And that is beautiful to me.



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  • "The one where they all had sex"

    10
    This episode dealt with both drama and comedy, in true Buffy fashion. Whilst keeping the seriousness of the approaching finale and attatched stroy-line going, it also provided a welcome break from some of the tensions, at least temporarily with the four couples' situations.



    The break it awarded us allowed some pivotal character development so close to end of the series. Willow tested her own strength, her ability to control herself even during a loss of control, with Kennedy being her 'kite-string'. Faith and Wood's relationship was only a start, but was happily continued even to the finale. Anya and Xander finally found a place where they were comfortable with each other. And, well, the biggest irony came with Buffy and Spike - the two biggest culprits of season 6, who, in this episode, showed they had arrived at higher places as they slept together without the sex.



    This episode also dealt with Faith's ability as a leader, as she was forced to take-over the Summers' residence following Buffy's eviction. Did anyone else think it was a slight cop-out when Buffy still emerged as hero of the day, despite Faith's efforts? You have to give the girl some credit, she tried her best and I somehow thought that Buffy's discovery at the end was a little undermining of Faith's journey in the episode.



    Overall, a fantastic episode. We got to know some of the potentials a lot better - perhaps a subtle suggestion there that Buffy had shadowed their personalities and they were only free once she was gone? There were moment of love, passion, drama and comedy. I'd give it ten out of ten.moreless
Lance E. Nichols

Lance E. Nichols

Middle-Aged Man

Guest Star

Dania Ramirez

Dania Ramirez

Caridad

Guest Star

Lisa Ann Cabasa

Lisa Ann Cabasa

Injured Girl

Guest Star

Nathan Fillion

Nathan Fillion

Caleb

Recurring Role

DB Woodside

DB Woodside

Principal Robin Wood

Recurring Role

Harry Groener

Harry Groener

Mayor Richard Wilkins III

Recurring Role

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

FILTER BY TYPE

  • TRIVIA (9)

    • At the end of the previous episode, when everyone is ganging up on Buffy, Anya's hair is straight. The start of this episode is meant to be later on that night and everyone is wearing the same clothes but Anya's hair is curly.

    • The sex scene between Willow and Kennedy is the first lesbian sex scene ever on network TV

    • As with most such prophecies, by trying to keep Buffy from getting the scythe, Caleb and The First actually brought her attention to it. Ironically, she might have never known about it if they hadn't tried to thwart the prophecy.

    • When we first see Faith fighting Bringers at the arsenal, her first slice motion makes a cutting noise (like when a knife is used). However, the arm she used to hit the Bringer's face with holds a torch, not a knife (which is in her other hand). This is obviously a sound effect mistake.

    • Faith's conversation with Wood before they have sex makes no sense. Faith has a long history of not talking about her feelings out loud especially with men. For her to talk so openly with a man she just met is totally out of character. Having a one night stand and brushing him off the next day is in character, just the talking wasn't.

    • When Willow and Kennedy are lying on the bed, facing each other, Kennedy has her hand on Willow's side: when the angle is facing behind Willow, her hand is more directly on top of her side, but in the shots facing Willow, Kennedy's hand is lower down, more on her stomach just under her breast.

    • It's odd that neither The First nor Caleb sent Bringers to protect the weapon that is for Buffy.

    • Kennedy doesn't have her scars from the fight in "Dirty Girls" which appeared in "Empty Places". Yet, Buffy still has them in this episode. Does Kennedy actually heal faster than Buffy?

    • When Buffy is in the vineyard & just before she finds the trapdoor, she calls Caleb a "woman-hating jerk." The captions, however, say "woman-hating prick."

  • QUOTES (23)

    • Wood: That's exactly what the first does. Finds your Achilles heel.
      Faith: No, it just talked to me. What, it does a heel thing too?

    • Spike: There's always casualties in a war.
      Buffy: Casualties. It just sounds so casual.

    • Buffy: I don't want to be the one.
      Spike: Well I don't want to be this good looking and athletic. We all have crosses to bear.

    • Spike: That diabolical old torture device, the comfy chair.

    • Anya: We're all on death's door repeatedly ringing the doorbell like maniacal Girl Scouts trying to make quota!

    • The First/Buffy: I envy them. Isn't that the strangest thing?
      Caleb: Well, it does throw me a tad. I mean they're just... well, they're barely more than animals, feeding off each other's flesh. It's nauseating. But you... you're everywhere. You're in the hearts of little children. you're in the souls of the rich. You're the fire that makes people kill and hate. The fire that will cure the world of weakness. They're just sinners. You are sin.

    • The Mayor: A "hello" or a "nice to see you" would be more appropriate. It is the end of humanity, Faith, not the end of courtesy.

    • The First: I know why they grab at each other... to feel. I want to feel. I want to wrap my hands around some innocent neck and feel it crack.
      Caleb: Amen.

    • Spike: You listen to me. I've been alive a bit longer than you, and dead a lot longer than that. I've seen things you couldn't imagine, and done things I prefer you didn't. I don't exactly have a reputation for being a thinker. I follow my blood, which doesn't exactly rush in the direction of my brain. So I make a lot of mistakes, a lot of wrong bloody calls. A hundred plus years, and there's only one thing I've ever been sure of: you. Hey, look at me. I'm not asking you for anything. When I say, "I love you," it's not because I want you or because I can't have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You're a hell of a woman. You're the one, Buffy.

    • Caleb: You whore!
      Buffy
      : You know, you really should watch your language. If someone didn't know you, they might think you were a woman-hating jerk.

    • Spike: (about Andrew) He's a breath of fresh air, isn't he? Thank God I don't breathe.

    • Spike: No?
      Buffy: No.
      Spike: You mean "no", as in "eventually"?
      Buffy: You really have a problem with that word, don't you?

    • Wood: I mean, I wanted her to hold me like a little baby... in a manly way of course.
      Faith: Of course.

    • Andrew: Rock, paper, scissors?
      Spike: What's the matter with you?

    • Buffy: I thought the place would be empty. I was looking for a place to crash. You know, you really should leave.
      Man: You can't just kick me out of my own house.
      Buffy: Why not? It's what all the cool kids are doing nowadays.
      Buffy: It's not your house. It's not your town. Not anymore. (the man leaves and Buffy wanders over to the refrigerator and looks inside)
      Buffy: Got any Tab?

    • Andrew: I am a drone in the mind that is evil.
      Xander: Could you just shut up?
      Andrew: I say I am a part of the Great Darkness.
      Kennedy: Somebody needs a reality check.
      Xander: And a muzzle.

    • Giles: The Bringer is dumb.
      Anya: You were expecting what? A Rhodes scholar?

    • Kennedy: I've never been the bait before. It's kinda scary.

    • Xander: Dear Mr. First, If you want your bringer back... we'll be surprised. You've got 3 million of them. So please disregard this letter.

    • Andrew: Hi, everybody. I missed you guys a lot. Sorry we took so long getting back from our mission... mission but we had to wait out the sun and, well, I think our mission went very well. We rode on Spike's hog, which was very cool, and played some amusing games and, oh, we got some information. But do you know what? I really need to urinate.

    • Giles: Really, it's for the best.
      Dawn: Then why do I feel this way.

    • Andrew: I spy with my little eye something that begins with a T.
      Spike: Tapestry
      Andrew: Hey, good one! How did you--
      Spike: Tapestry's the only thing in the whole bloody room.

    • Andrew: I feel used and violated... And I need a lozenge.

  • NOTES (14)

    • The First can also imitate smells, since Principal Wood said that when it appeared as his mother he could smell her perfume.

    • The BBC, for early evening purposes, cut out all of the scenes of lovemaking, including Heather Nova's song.

    • The song that plays while everyone is being "touched" is "It's Only Love" by Heather Nova from the album "South".

    • The Mayor/The First calls Faith a firecracker. He said the same thing to her in "Graduation Day, Part 1", and it's also what her mother used to call her.

    • Dania Ramirez, the actress that plays Caridad, is from the Philippines, and her accent is genuine. It is likely that Caridad is from the Philippines as well.

    • This is the second time for Giles to be accused of being jealous of the gang's power. He was told that previously in "Grave" by Evil Willow.

    • Andrew enters the kitchen with a blue football helmet which is used for two past episodes: "Bargaining (2)" and "Empty Places".

    • The spell that Willow uses for the bringer is actually in Turkish. She says "Konus bizimle gozsuz adam. Konus bizimle gozleri olmayan adam." Translation: "Eyeless man speak to us. The man without eyes speak to us."

    • The countdown of the bomb continues over the "EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS" screen. The countdown gets to zero when the screen disappears.

    • Buffy makes a reference to Spike's attempt to rape her in Seeing Red when she mentions his difficulty to understand the word "no".

    • Buffy's dislike of guns is shown once again when she kicks a random Sunnydale resident out of his home after ripping his shotgun from his hands. She throws it to the floor almost in disgust. When she goes to fight Caleb later that night she of course leaves it behind.

    • The weapon Buffy finds under the basement of the vineyard is a Scythe. This scythe made its debut in a comic book called Fray, created by Joss Whedon about a Slayer 200 years into the future.

    • Xander now wears a black eye patch over his left eye socket.

    • Indigo (Rona) Mary Wilcher (Shannon) and Kristy Wu (Chao Ahn) do not appear in this episode.

  • ALLUSIONS (4)

    • Caleb: Well, if it ain't the prodigal Slayer.
      This is a reference to the biblical Prodigal Son who was a man who left his family for better things. He discovered that home and family were more important, and he returned.

    • The First/Mayor: Who was my favorite character in little women? Meg.
      Little Women is an 1868 autobiographical novel by Louisa May Alcott that takes place during the American Civil War and retells the lives of four sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy). This novel has 11 movie adaptations.

    • Visual: The Scythe
      Fans of the Dark Horse Comic Book series Fray by Joss Whedon will recognize the Scythe. It is discovered by the future Slayer late in the series.

    • Spike: That diabolical torture device, the comfy chair.
      This is a reference to "The Spanish Inquisition" skit from the show Monty Python's Flying Circus. The inquisitors try to torture people by making them sit in the comfy chair. But as we all know, comfy chairs aren't torture, they're... comfy.

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