Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The Good;
All of it, a lightweight ep but a really good one, I think we've all had enough Buffy/Riley doomed romance and ill Joyce for a while. Time for some fun plus some lovely Buffy/Dawn bed scenes and a great redefinement of the Anya/Xander/Willow relationship.

The Bad;
Anya says she's never driven before but she refers to her car in Graduation Day pt2.

Best line;
Troll; "Do you know where there are babies?"
Spike (to Xander) "Where do you think, the hosptial?"
Xander (shocked) "What? SHUT UP!" (that humanity still a work in progress, huh Spike? As is proved by him expecting credit for not feeding off the victims at the Bronze)

Women good/men bad;
Actually Anya seems to disparage women who constantly pick the wrong man meaning she has to inflict vengence on them again and again. Anya made her boyfriend a troll to punish him for cheating on her.

Jeez!;
Eating babies?

Kinky dinky;
Buffy meets a nun who let's her try on her wimple which is a level of kink that even scares Xander (although from all we've learned it might be just Angel's thing?). Spikes rant at the mannequin is hysterically funny, pathetic and scary all at the same time. Anya intends to get around the health inspector by flirting with him. The Troll plans to make 'Merry sport' with Sunnydales more attractive daughters and 'making merry with the local virgins'. Spike seems to delight in copping a feel of Buffy when the troll knocks them both to the ground at the Bronze (his little smile as they get to their feet says it all). Anya reminds Willow that it was her lips that broke up Xander and Cordelia.

Captain Subtext;
Tara likes Greek studies, the Amazons?Sappho? Buffy and Tara snuggle, Buffy's distress at their fight obviously grounded in her and Riley. She asks the nun what the whole 'abjuring the company of men' is like, implying she's considering it. Will defensively states she would never have sex with Xander because 'Hello, gay now!' Lovely scene where Xander walks into the Magic Shop and sees Willow and Anya "Hey my two favourite girls"(notices Tara) "Three favourite girls". Love the little smile Tara gives when he says that. Xander says that Willow gives him a 'What do you see in her?' look concerning Anya, surely as a lesbian she should appreciate exactly what Xander sees in the beautiful Anya? Anya comments that Willow doesn't want anyone else to have Xander. Again with Riley gone Buffy seems to be drawing closer and closer to Dawn as an emotional substitute.

Scoobies to the ER;
Xander pretty banged up, his hand seemingly broken.

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: Buffy at the magic shop
Buffy: 16
Giles: 10
Cordy: 6
Xander: 8
Will: 5
Jenny: 2
Angel: 6
Oz: 3
Faith: 1
Joyce: 3
Wes: 1
Anya;1

Kills: another vamp for Buffy
Buffy: 94 vamps, 32 demons, 6 monsters, 3 humans, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
Giles: 5 vamps, 1 demon
Cordy: 3 vamps, a demon
Will: 6 vamps
Angel: 3 vamps, 1 demon, 1 human
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie, 1 werewolf
Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans
Xander: 5 vamps, 2 zombies, a demon, a demon
Anya: a demon
Riley; 18 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;
89;

Total number of scoobies: 6
Giles, Xander, Willow, Buffy, Anya, Tara,

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 vampwhore

Questions and observations;
Anya makes Xander promise he will send her big signals if he ever leaves her. Well, jilting her at the altar was a pretty big sign. Nice visual gag, Xander wonder's how Buffy is dealing with her breakup and the action cuts to a pretty young nun standing in the convent courtyard, for a moment we wonder if Buffy's taken her vows (Buffy the Vampire Slaying Nun would probably please some of the shows more puritan critics. Or maybe the kinkier ones depending on how you look at it?). Anya's top makes her look like a whale shark. Willow refers to Dr Seus and is ironically wearing a red/white striped top just like the character in the book. Buffy looks like she needs an after school burger. With Giles out of town and Riley and Oz gone Xander ends up confiding in Spike as the only other male around which foretells seasons 6 and 7. The origin of the phrase 'Insane troll logic'. Again a bit morally dubious letting the troll go. Joyce, Giles and Buffy are all in on the Dawn secret, Joyce refers to her as 'My little girl'.
Marks out of 10; 8/10

Triangle-While trying to create a new spell to help Buffy with her Slaying, Willow is distracted by an argument with Anya and accidentally releases a troll from a mystical prison. With Buffy in mourning over Riley leaving town, Willow and Anya may need to defeat the troll themselves before it flattens the entire town…



A fun episode that has Willow and Anya going at it and a giant Troll on the loose, what's not to love? Alyson Hannigan and Emma Caufield make a great comedic duo throughout as Willow and Anya trade insults. There are tons of priceless moments like Willow pretending to be Anya and Anya charging Willow for anything she uses in the Magic Shop. You gotta love Xander being awakardly put in the middle and even hiding behind Tara in one scene. Also, Sarah was hilarious as Buffy throughout as Buffy deals with life after losing man #2. Here random crying and over-reacting to any thing that has to do with a fight was too hilarious. Lastly, Spike trying to get Buffy's affections by randomly grabbing her and trying to help people just as she tells him he's dusgusting, lol!



I really liked Olaf, the Troll and the revelation that he and Anya use to date is another priceless moment. The climax is also great with Xander fighting Olaf for both Willow and Anya just as both girls realize they've been fighting because they don't want each other to hurt Xander. I loved Buffy beating the crap out of Olaf, going into her scorned lover rage. All and All, "Triangle" isn't the most serious episode, but it's a very entertaining and fun episode where the cast looked like they had fun goofin' off for an episode!

Triangle was a perfect episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer because there was a lot of character development and depth, action, magic, and some of the characters learn new things. I thought it was great how Anya and Willow were fighting, and they worked it out. It was also cool to learn a little bit more about Anya. There was also some good Spike scenes, as his love for the Slayer only gets more intense. Buffy is still suffering from losing Riley to the special ops monster hunting team from the Army. Giles went to England and back to see if the Council could find anything on Glory. I am excited to learn more about her. This episode ties a lot of things together and really moves the season forward. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Willow tries to create a new spell to help Buffy with her Slaying, but is distracted by an argument with Anya. As a result, she accidentally releases a troll from a mystical prison. With Buffy in mourning over Riley leaving town, Willow and Anya may need to defeat the troll themselves before it flattens the entire town.



I didn't think this episode was that great. I liked the Buffy and Tara scenes, but the Buffy being upset over Xander and Anya being a couple that can't break up was just weird. I couldn't take her seriously with her hair that way. I liked Willow and Anya scenes for the most part. Decent episode.

Triangle is a terribly underrated gem of an episode and one that makes me laugh no matter how many times I've seen it. As usual, Jane Espenson delivers a hilarious, quirky script and our actors put in outstanding comedic performances- especially Emma Caulfield who has gone from strength to strength and Alyson Hannigan, who has always been phenomenal.



The plot of the episode isn't the greatest or most shocking but it most definitely works. A giant troll who happens to be Anya's ex-boyfriend being unleashed from a giant hammer during the middle of an arguement between Willow and Tara and then going on the rampage, causing mayhem and trying to figure out where the Baby-Buffet is? Classic Jane Espenson written all over it. Besides Joss, the women is the best writer on the team and rarely fails to deliver anything less than perfection.



Emma Caulfield gives us a comedic tour-de-force this episode. She is such an underrated actress and I consider her to be, aside from Julie Benz and maybe SMG and Amy Acker, greatest actress in the verse. Simply stunning performance every week and can make you laugh one second and cry the next. This episode really highlights her talent and I feel she pours every being of herself into Anya. Every episode she amazes more and more and is, aside from Julie Benz who will always be my number 1, my favourite person on the show. SMG may be the better actress (and I really believe she's a nice person) but I just get this warmth from Emma that I love.



Some really hilarious lines were in this episode. Anya telling Xander to tell Willow to stop talking about her when she's right there, right in front of Willow was laugh out loud funny and their insane bickering always makes me laugh. Willow's impersonation of Anya is really funny too and her comment about being the "cunning, broad daylight, in front of everyone burglar" is brilliant.



Olaf the Troll is possibly my favourite one shot character of all time. Except he was in two episode, so he isn't really. I am so glad they utilized him the absolutely outstanding S7 episode "Selfless", an episode that is just simply unreal. He was hilarious here and his whole "puny receptacle!" comment is excellent.



Buffy's overdramatic insane tears is also great. If SMG was actually trying to be emotional she was awful but seeing as I know she's an extremely talented actress, I'm assuming she went for comedic tears. She overacted just enough to make it funny and yay for some wonderful Buffy-Tara interaction!



Triangle is a stunning episode that always makes me laugh. I love 99 percent of it and I can't find any real faults. It's not a perfect 10- it doesn't match up to some of the sheer emotion and realness of some episodes that are perfect but it's the next best thing. Jane Espenson, I salute you!

This episode was just an amazing laugh. Giles goes away and leaves Anya bickering with Willow over things in the Magic Box. It was great and I felt so bad for Xander and Tara who were getting called in the referee.



Dawn and Buffy were amazing when they were talking together. I loved Dawn asking Buffy all those questions about Riley and trying to tell Buffy it would get better and then asking "It will get better right?" They were almost cute when they were actually getting along.



Buffy was just...emotional actually too emotional. It was scary. It was so cute and freaky when she broke down sobbing on Tara's shoulder when she heard that Anya and Xander had an argument. I loved Tara trying to make her feel better and saying everything wrong in the process it was adorable.



Anya and Willow were just too funny. I loved how Anya was just yelling out the cost of everything Willow was using for the spell and then asking Willow every few seconds if she was done yet. I loved that they released the troll from the crystal and it destroyed the shop. They were great when trying to find Olaf too. I loved them arguing over Anya's driving skills and how Anya learned to brake and accelerate. And the papers flying out of the car while Willow's trying to go through them was amazing as well. I loved the pair at the end too. It was great to hear them working on Mr. Troll while Buffy's fighting him. Willow saying that Anya could piss anyone off was brilliant.



Xander and Spike in the Bronze were great too. I loved how Spike was all worried about whether Buffy was angry with him for the Riley thing and I loved how Xander was going off about Willow and Anya. Olaf asking where he could find some babies to eat and Xander yelling at Spike not to say anything was also very amusing for them.



This was a very amusing episode of Buffy and for that I love it.

After 3 episodes of misery, here we have a humorous episode, which, like Beer Bad, allows Buffy to grieve for Riley’s departure in a comic, rather than a whiny way. Furthermore, Tara has had her episode, Xander had his, Riley and Joyce had their own min-arcs, it’s now Willow and Anya’s turn. Unlike the Riley/Buffy argument in which we could see both sides, here there is only one person to blame for this episode’s row and that person is Willow. Anya is my favourite character in the Buffyverse, so I may well be biased, but Willow is becoming more and more objectionable. As well as stealing ingredients from the magic box (and thus from Giles), she also calls Rupert an “idiot”. This is a bit of a change from the mild and meek Giles-worshipper of Seasons 1-3. Thing is, Willow still believes that she is that meek and mild picture of innocence. She has absolved herself of the Willow/Cordelia/Xander triangle (of which Anya helpful reminds her) and she is yet to see Anya as anything more than a “sexual convenience” for Xander. Remember Willow crying when she found out about a) Xander and Cordy and b) Xander and Faith? Willow still can’t understand that the girls Xander is attracted to aren’t like her, even if she is gay now”. She even tells Anya that she has made Xander mad after they argue in front of him. Anya is right when she says Willow “doesn’t want anyone else to have him”.



Willow belittles Anya by not letting her manage the shop by herself and by referencing “literature which [Anya] has no way of understanding”. She tells Anya that even if the ex-demon didn’t understand the rules, she’s been around “for ever now” and should have grasped the concepts of discretion and not saying exactly what’s on her mind. But Anya was a demon, doing exactly what she wanted, for 1000 years; quoting Dr Seuss at her is not going to bring up to speed with modern life. Anya is still learning. At first, she seemed to be nothing more than a Cordy replacement with all the tact and diplomacy of a witch in a magic shop, but her character has become more multi-layered than that over time. Xander made her feel welcome in a world she didn’t want to be in and so it’s understandable that she would attach a lot of importance to him. In the Buffyverse, love is a redemptive power and Anya is trying to change, to become human, for Xander’s sake. Willow, meanwhile, is just getting arrogant. The Fantasia references have already been made clear when she uses magic to float items in the shop and are further shown in her spell when after she makes Anya’s prize and joy, the cash register, disappear. Not content with this, she carries on with the magicks and accidentally summons Jerry-from-ER/Olaf-the-troll, who goes on to smash up the Magic Box and the Bronze: it’s an ordinary day in Sunnydale.



Whilst Willow is critical of Xander’s relationship, he and Anya don’t have much good to say about Buffy and Riley, with Anya blaming Buffy and Xander agreeing with her (“Relationship debris is piling up around her” – Buffy is only 19! She has plenty of time to make more mistakes). In fact, Xander seems to be more cut up by Riley’s departure than Buffy, who is busy setting up the next episode (when the Watchers descend on Sunnydale), and saving a convent. Those vamps sure love a nun. Also: there’s nothing like schadenfreude to make one feel better about one’s own relationship. Look out for the approaching S6 hubris Anya!



Another demon who has lost his powers but is trying his best is Spike. Buffy has all but forgotten that it was Spike who showed her Riley’s suck-fest but he hasn’t, he is focussing on it to the exclusion of anything else, his obsession with Buffy like Anya’s with Xander. He practices apologising to her, using his blonde mannequin as a stand-in. Unfortunately, as Spike is still a vamp with a temper (“you ungrateful b*tch!") and he ends up kicking and punching the dummy. But, importantly, he picks up the model, retrieves his now squashed box of chocolates and tries again. Spike is trying to change. His shy “Hello Buffy” in the Bronze is hilarious, especially combined with her withering look of distaste. His disappointment when she ignores him turns to lechery as he grabs onto her whilst they struggle to get up from the floor. Spike is still torn between good and bad. Like Anya, it is only the power of his love for someone “good” who is driving him. As Spike and Xander bond at the Bronze, the troll wants to know where he can get some babies to eat. Spike, in all seriousness, asks Xander: “What do you think? The hospital?” He only helps fight the troll when Buffy turns up and we are constantly reminded that he is still a soulless blood-sucker and not a potential suitor for the Slayer. When Buffy refuses to give him “credit for not feeding on bleeding disaster victims”, he shouts: “What’s it take?!”. A lot more than that Spikey, a lot more. Another unusual couple bonding is Tara and Buffy as Buffy’s distress over Riley is transferred onto Xander and Anya and she cries on Tara’s shoulder. The slayer uses this grief as anger when she attacks Olaf after he claims that Xander and Anya will never last. This is also an opinion that Willow holds as she believes that even an ex-demon could make her friend into a troll or hurt him in some way. Anya, on the other hand, believes Willow “could sweep in and poison his mind against me”. Xander’s choice, the one he mentioned to Spike earlier: “My best friend or my girlfriend?” becomes flesh as the troll tells him he has to choose which woman to save from death. Xander doesn’t choose (“that’s insane troll logic!”) and is rewarded with a broken arm for his trouble. Anya shows her love and devotion to Xander by shouting: “Choose me! Just don’t take Xander!” and Willow and Anya finally bond as Anya distracts the troll (“I have faith in you, Anya. There is no-one you can’t piss off”) so that Willow can do a spell to send the troll to troll-land. Everyone’s happy and Buffy even has a new hammer souvenir (which completes the destruction of the Magic Box as it smashes though the counter). It’s just a pity that, with foresight, the troll’s logic re: Anya and Xander turns out to be correct. The coda, after Dawn has shown her maturity by comforting Buffy about her lost boyfriend, shows Buffy’s sister earwigging on the grown ups’ conversation and Dawn starts to further wonder what is wrong with her. Surely Buffy, Giles and Joyce could have invented a code by now?!

A light and fluffy episode to balance the angstfest that was Riley and Buffy's break up last episode. We have Giles off to England to find out if the Watchers Council a)have any resources identifying Glory and b)be willing to share what they know.



While he's away, Anya and Willow get into a snarky argument. Xander and Tara are both tired of hearing them throw barbs at each other and wisely leave them alone to work it out. Or it probably sounded wise at the time...



A comedy episode that give both Willow and Anya some funny snarking but really gets gigglesome when the Troll arrives. Olaf is funny when he's pounding on 'puny recepticles' (garbage dumpsters) and demanding Ale and Babies.



Watch, laugh, but don't try to read too much into this episode.

in this episode of buffy the vampire slayer anya and willow fight and anyas ex boyfriend who just happens to be a troll tries to kill her and willow. It wasn't my favourite storyline but i loved this episode and i could re watch it again adn again mainly because of how funny and mean anya and willow were being to each other but it was still funny to watch. one of my favourite parts to the episode was were willow kept levitating the books and candles in the shop.



overall: one of seasons fives best episodes and it was really funny.

There is some funny dialogue in this episode but overall this is a filler episode, and although not as bad as filler episodes from the first two seasons, triangle is not great either.



The Anya and Willow dialogue is pretty good. Anya comes out being very funny. She has a great line while driving Giles' car for the first time and you get some back story on Anya when you find out about her penchant for Trolls.



Spike is also seeming like a goofball in this episode. They are obviously transitioning Spike towards a loss of evilness, but right now he seems uncomfortably caught between being the evil, albeit honest jerk, and the love-struck do-gooder.

Triangle



This episode is just hilarious, the Anya/Willow thing really worked. it was so funny and character development. just great episodes though it had some a little annoying parts and not well directed. but it still was great. poor Buffy.



cut to Xander and Anya in bed talking about Riley and that he left. Anya asks Xander to warn her when he goes away, but then she says that will probably never happen, it happened to Buffy for the second time and maybe because it was also her fault. Xander wonders what she is doing. cut to a non, a vampire attacks her but Buffy fights and kills the vampire and then asks the non how it is to be a non.



the credits start(Marc Blucas has been taken off the credits)

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Nicholas Brendon

Alyson Hannigan

Emma Calfield

Michelle Trachtenberg

James Marsters

and Anthony Stewart Head



cut to Buffy and Giles training, Giles is going to the council to tell them about Glory and maybe they can help that way. Buffy doesn't want them to know about Dawn and she says she is okay that Riley left, well sort of. cut to the Magic shop. Giles tells them he is going for a while to England and Anya is very excited. She wants to take over the shop alone but Giles doesn't want her to. Willow says she will help but Anya is mad and makes Xander be on her side. Buffy then tells about last night and the non and Xaner is frightened again.



cut to Buffy going in Joyce room. She has clothes on now. Buffy is glad she does. then Buffy goes to her room and Dawn follows. Dawn asks about Riley and Buffy says that it will go better eventually. that maybe he will hate it there and come back to give it another chance, she says it will get better 'I hope'. cut to Spike with chocolates talking do a dummy that looks like Buffy, then he suddenly becomes angry and hits it. and then he tries it again.



cut to the magic shop. Anya sees Willow and Tara doing some spells. Anya asks what they are doing and they say they are gonna make some son to kill vampires in the night but Anya says they can't use that because they're stealing. Willow says she can teach Anya some spells and then Anya says that they will make her use drugs. (Anya and Willow are just hilarious) Xander arrives and Anya tells everything to him. then Willow makes the cash disappear and Anya becomes all crazy. Willow says Anya likes money better than people. they both ask Xander but he says that they have to solve it out and goes and Tara goes as well.



cut to Anya and Willow, Willow is making the boll of sunshine but Anya keeps annoying her and then they start to fight, then suddenly the troll comes out of it and he scares them. he knows some tables down with his hammer. cut to Buffy and Tara comming out of class, then Buffy tells Tara that she really misses Riley and then Tara tells Buffy about the Anya/Willow/Xander thing and then she thinks that Xander leaves Willow and starts to cry, Tara tries to explain but Buffy keeps crying. cut to Anya and Willow in the car. they are having a fight and Anya doesn't even know how to drive, Willow has to find a spell to take the roll away.



cut to The Bronze with Xander and Spike, Spike is annoying Xander and Xander says that there isn't anything. cut to Buffy and Tara in the magic shop, Tara is worried but Buffy promised her to find Willow. cut to The Troll outside destroying things when he smells Ale. cut to The Bronze, Xander is telling Spike about Anya and Willow. then The troll comes inside and drinks the Ale. he wants to eat some baby's. Anya and Willow come in then. Willow wishes Buffy was there and then Buffy and Tara show up. Willow wishes she had a million dollars...just checking.



Willow starts to do the spell but the troll noticed it and he wants them to stop. he's mad on Anyanka and he says he dated her. She says he was a dumb old guy that cheated on her and then she made him into a demon and that's how she became a demon. The troll says she will pay for it and so will all the witches because they put him in that crystal thing. then Willow does the spell but it doesn't work and they start to fight, The troll starts to destroy the place. the gang tries to save some people and Spike wants credit for not feeding on them. Buffy says that he's disgusting.



cut to Anya and Willow back to do more spells. Willow says she thinks that Anya will hurt Xander but she says she would never do that and she says that she doesn't even have powers like Willow does. she thinks Willow wants to brake them up like she did with Cordy but Willow says she is gay now and she would never hurt Xander. then the troll comes to kill them but Xander comes as well to help them. Xander keeps fighting and The Troll admires him. he tells him that only one of his woman shall die. and he is the one that shall chose.



but Xander says that he won't chose between his girlfriend and bestfriend and then The troll brakes his hand, if he doesn't chose he will kill him. them comes Buffy and she fights him. they have to find a spell and Anya irritates him and take away his hammer. Buffy then becomes pissed because he says that Anya and Xander will never last forever and Buffy knocks him out. Willow does a spell then and sends him to a land of the trolls. Buffy is happy that they are alive and good and starts crying again. cut to later, Giles and Buffy are talking about the magic shop being all trashed, then Joyce joins them and says that she doesn't understand about the council. Giles says that they are looking into it now. Dawn hears something about her and she's confused.



black out



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Best episode quotes:



Xander: You ever have the feeling where there's something you know you're supposed to do, and you forgot what it was?

Anya: Nope.

Xander: Sometimes I sort of forget that he's gone. It's like, "Where's Riley? Oh, wait, the central republic of Where In the Hell."



Anya: Xander, if you ever decide to go, I want a warning. You know, big flashing red lights and one of those clocks that counts down like a bomb in a movie? And there's a whole bunch of colored wires and I'm not sure which is the right one to cut, but I guess the green one and then at the last second, no, the red one, and then click, it stops with three-tenths of a second left, but then you don't leave. Like that, okay?

Xander: Check. Big bomb clock.



Anya: Humans make the same mistakes over and over. I saw it when I was a vengeance demon. Some guy dumps a girl, she calls me, I exact vengeance, blah, blah, blah. The next year, same girl, different guy. I mean, after you smite a few of 'em, you start going, my goodness, young lady, maybe you're doing something wrong here too.



Buffy: So, um, about being a nun. You know, um, with the whole abjuring the company of men, you know? How's that working for you? The abjuring.

Nun: Um, good.

Buffy: Yeah, do you have to be, like, super-religious?

Nun: Well, uh...

Buffy: How's the food?



Giles: The resources that the Watcher's Council have at their disposal... I mean, the central library alone is--

Buffy: Don't talk about the books again. You get all... And sometimes there's drool.



Bufy: These things happen. People break up and they move on. For a while it feels like the end of the world, you know, but big picture...

Giles: Not so huge.

Buffy: Not so huge? I just said it feels like the end of the world. Don't you listen? … I'm teasing … Sort of.



Anya: You're going away for a week? That's great!

Giles: Yes, yes, everybody seems delighted about it.

Anya: Well, I get to run the store, right?

Giles: You? Ah, w-well, it's quite a lot for one person to take care of. Well, I-I mean, the trash men, for example, I mean, they, they, they've been making such a mess in the back alley, the recycling people can't get in there to collect. Well, somebody has to talk to them.

Anya: I can take care of that.

Tara: I'm envious, Mr. Giles. A trip to England sounds so exciting and exotic. Unless you're English.

Buffy: Look, don't worry about the shop. We'll take care of it. We can open and close, and, and we'll deal with everyone.

Willow: We can come by between classes! Usually I use that time to copy over my class notes with a system of different colored pens ... but it's been pointed out to me that that's, you know, insane.

Tara: I said "quirky."

Anya: Hello, I work here! I'll take care of everything.

Xander: Yeah, Anya can do it!

Anya: Thanks, sweetie. Well said.

Giles: Um, Anya, while, while I completely trust you uh, uh, to take care of the inventory and the money, um ... dealing with people requires a certain, uh ... finesse.

Anya: I have finesse! I have finesse coming out of my bottom! I can completely lie to the health inspector. I can, you know, distract him with coy smiles, and, and bribe him with money and goods.

Xander: See there? She'll be great.

Willow: Don't worry, Giles. I'll help her take care of everything. It'll be ship-shape. Better, it'll be shop-shape.

Anya: Xander, she's talking to Giles like I'm not here. Make her stop.

Giles: Perhaps I'd better call the airline...

Willow: I'm just trying to help out! Xander, tell her.

Giles: ...schedule an earlier flight back, excuse me.

Anya: Tell her that I don't need her help.

Xander: So, how goes the slaying?

Buffy: I killed something in a convent last night.

Xander: In any other room, a frightening declaration. Here, a welcome distraction. Tell us all about the killing, Buff.

Buffy: Pretty standard. Vampire staking. Ooh! But I met a nun, and she let me try on her wimple.

Xander: Okay, now we're back to frightening.



Buffy: You! You with the actual clothing, who are you? Dawn, come look at this.

Joyce: It's hard to recognize me, huh?

Dawn: Whoa.

Buffy: No more bathrobe.

Joyce: Hmm. I looked at it today, and there it was, all fuzzy and blue, and I just couldn't stand it any more.

Buffy: I don't think the rest of us will miss it much either.

Dawn: It was getting a little ripe, Mom.

Buffy: Maybe we should burn it.

Dawn: It would keep the bugs away.

Joyce: It doesn't smell! Fine, fine, make your funny jokes at the expense of the woman with the hole in her skull.



Dawn: Whatcha doin'?

Buffy: Playing soccer.

Dawn: Can I hang out in here?

Buffy: Don't touch anything.

Dawn: You took down his pictures.

Buffy: Yeah.

Dawn: I ... I think I would've done that sooner. Like, boom! "Don't wanna see that face again."

Buffy: It wasn't like that. I was never angry with him. Okay, that's a lie. But it's not like I don't want to see his face.

Dawn: I was just starting to kinda like the guy, and then ... gone. So fast.

Buffy: It wasn't really so fast. Him leaving. According to everyone who isn't me, it was kind of gradual.

Dawn: Oh. Does that make it any better?

Buffy: No.

Dawn: Because you should have noticed earlier?

Buffy: Stop being insightful. It's creepy … It hurts. In all kinds of horrible ways. In the way where I'm furious at him ... in the way where I blame myself ... and all the little ways I imagine ... how I could have fixed things.

Dawn: It'll get better. Won't it?

Buffy: I hope so. Yes. It has to. I'll just keep going like I have been, and every day it'll get a little bit better.

Dawn: Really? Every day?

Buffy: Not really. But it'll be better soon.

Dawn: It still feels all sudden to me. With him gone where no one can talk to him.

Buffy: But you never know. Maybe he'll come back. Maybe he'll hate the jungle ... or maybe he'll want to give it another try. I could ... say all the things I didn't get to say.



Spike: Uh, there's something I gotta tell you. About showing you Riley in that place. I didn't mean to... Anyway, I know you're feeling all betrayed -- by him, not me. I was trying to help, you know. Not like I made him be there, after all. Actually trying to help you, best intentions. You know, pretty state you'd be in, thinking things are all right, while he's toddling halfway around the bend. Oh, I'll insult him if I want to! I'm the one who's on your side. Me, doing you a favor. And you being dead petty about it! Me getting nothing but your hatred and your venom and-- you ungrateful bitch! Bitch!! Buffy, there's something I wanted to tell you...



Willow: Good, and, and hellebore. It's up and to the right.

Tara: Hellebore, one of my favorites.

Willow: It's powerful stuff. I tried to use it to de-rat Amy, and it didn't work. But I think it might have made her really smart. She keeps giving me these looks like she's planning something. Rubbing her paws together.

Anya: Hey. What are you two doing?

Willow: Oh, we're gonna try out a few spells.

Tara: There's this thing you can do where you create light, and we thought, what if you could make, like, simulated sunlight?

Willow: Yeah, so then, you know, there Buffy is, middle of the night, and she finds this whole nest of vamps, a-and then she just goes, "Presto!"

Tara: Only it won't be "presto" exactly.

Willow: And, and voom! There's a, a floating ball of sunlight. Vamps get dusty.

Tara: You don't wanna look right at it, though.

Anya: That's swell, but you can't use this stuff. Giles has only been gone two days and you're already causing trouble. You shouldn't do things while he's gone.

Willow: You're the fish!

Anya: What?

Willow: The, the fish in the bowl, in The Cat in the Hat. He was always saying that the cat shouldn't be there while the mother was out.

Anya: What are you talking about?

Tara: It's a book. This cat does all this mischief.

Willow: It's so cute. He balances a bunch of stuff, including that fish in the bowl! A-and, but don't try it for real when you're six, because then you're not allowed to have fish for five years.

Anya: You're referencing literature I have no way to be familiar with. You're trying to make me feel left out, and you're stealing!

Willow: I'm not stealing. I-I'm just taking things without paying for th... In what twisted dictionary is that stealing?

Tara: Willow, maybe we should just pay.

Willow: Anya, Giles would be totally fine with this. Come on, it'll be fun. We could show you how to do some stuff! You could be floatin' pencils by the end of the day.

Anya: Sometimes I miss having powers. Oh. Oh! I know what this is! This is peer pressure! Any second now you're gonna make me smoke tobacco and, and have drugs.

Willow: Look how easy.

Anya: Hey! Don't float the merchandise! Stop that!

Xander: Hey, look at this, my two favorite girls! Three favorite girls.

Anya: Xander, Willow's stealing. She's a burglar.

Willow: Right, the cunning, broad daylight in front of everyone burglar. Xander, I'm just doing a spell to help Buffy.

Anya: Xander, Giles left me in charge. Tell her.

Xander: Hey, hey, Judge Xander requesting a recess here.

Tara: You really shouldn't pull him into this.

Xander: Yeah, see? Tara's with me. Protect me, Tara.

Willow: Xander, what I'm doing, it's a good thing. And if it doesn't work, Giles never even needs to know about it. [she makes the cash register disappear] Oops.

Anya: The cash register! What did you do with the cash register? Dear god!

Willow: I'll fix it, I'll fix it! Recursat. There, all back. Good as new.

Anya: Money. Did you hurt the money? Money good? She endangered the money!

Willow: Of course, that's what she cares about. "I like money better than people. People can so rarely be exchanged for goods and/or services."

Anya: Xander, she's pretending to be me!

Willow: Well, can you even believe how she's acting?

Xander: Okay, you know what? I'm tired of being the one in the middle. I'm not gonna let you pull me into this.

Willow: I'm not.

Xander: Whatever the issue is between you two, just figure it out without me.

Anya: Xander, don't go!

Willow: You made him mad.

Anya: Me?!

Willow: Tara, who do you think he was more mad at?

Tara: Um, you know? I think, uh, maybe, maybe you guys have some stuff you need to work out, you know, just really ... talk.



Willow: Fleabane...

ANYA: Fifteen cents.

Willow: Salamander eyes...

ANYA: Ten bucks for twelve. Bargain.

Willow: Bindweed.

ANYA: Ugh, ooh, that's a pricey one.

Willow: Would you stop that? It's very distracting.

ANYA: Fine. Make your little ball of sunshine. I'll be quiet.

Willow: Good, because this spell is very sensitive. Once I begin, any non-ritual word can disrupt it.

ANYA: Fine.

Willow: Okay, here we go.

ANYA: Did you start yet?

Willow: Shh, no! This is it.

Willow: Spirits of light, I invoke thee. Let the gloom of darkness part before you. Let the moonlight be made pale by your presence. Spirits-

ANYA: Is it done?

Willow: Shh!!! Spirits of light, grant my wishes.

ANYA: Sorry, I thought you were done.

Willow: Do you wanna screw this up?

ANYA: No. No. I'm sure you can do that all on your own.

Willow: Hey Anya, whatever really has you mad, why don't you just say it, like you do every other thought that stomps through your brain?

ANYA: I believe I have said it.

Willow: No. You haven't. Come on. Let it out!



Willow: He's not a ball of sunshine.



Tara: Willow says that things always happen for a reason.

Buffy: Yeah, but you ever notice people only say that about bad things?



Tara: She might still be at the magic shop. I was there earlier, and she and Anya kinda got in this little squabble ... Xander and I sort of cleared out, he was pretty upset.

Buffy: Anya and, and Xander are in trouble?

Tara: Oh! No, I-I said that all wrong. It was nothing. Willow and Anya were sort of fighting, and then Xander kind of snapped at both of them and he left.

Buffy: He left? Xander left Anya?

Tara: No... Not left her, left her. He just left. It was only a little thing, really.

Buffy: Little thing? See, the thing is, little things get bigger. You know? And, and if you don't catch the little thing, and then boom! You have this whole huge thing! Not them, with the little things. They can't break up! They have a beautiful love.

Tara: I think they'll be fine.

Buffy: They have a miraculous love!



Anya: There, that parked car! We're still on his trail.

Willow: I don't even get how we made that guy, because, wow, advanced!

Anya: No one made him. He must have been trapped in that crystal, and you released him.

Willow: I released him? No, this was definitely a "we" thing. Or, or a "you" thing! I-it definite feels like a you thing.

Anya: Look, just find the reversal spell. And hurry! Look what he did to that lamppost!

Willow: I'm trying. Put the top up, the pages are all blowy!

Anya: Well, I don't know how to put the top up, I only just figured out what the left pedal does. It makes us stop!

Willow: You don't know how to drive? Why didn't you say you don't know how to drive?

Anya: Well, I couldn't know if I could until I tried, could I?

Willow: This is very, very bad. There, there's an ogre on the loose-

Anya: Troll.

Willow: What?

Anya: Troll on the loose. Now hold on, I'm gonna press the right pedal harder. I expect us to accelerate.

Willow: There's a troll on the loose, and you're gonna crash Giles' car!

Anya: It's likely. We're going very fast. You should have listened to me and not done the spell. Giles put me in charge.

Willow: Giles can be an idiot. The smart kind, but still.

Anya: Xander agreed.

Willow: Oh, right. Xander doesn't step out of line.

Anya: Well, what do you mean by that?

Willow: Nothing.



Xander: Are you talking to me hoping that I'll get so depressed that I'll impale myself on a fork right in front of you?

Spike: Lovely thought.



Xander: Sometimes I'll say something about Anya, and Willow'll get this look. This what-the-hell-do-you-see-in-her? look.

Spike: I know that look. A lot of people never really got Dru, you know?

Xander: Well, she was insane.



Xander: Maybe you could fight him.

Spike: Yeah, I could do that, but I'm paralyzed with not caring very much.



Willow: I wish Buffy was here.

Buffy: I'm here.

Willow: I wish I had a million dollars … Just checking.



Olaf: You seem determined to put an end to all my fun. Just like you always did when we were dating.

Anya: Uh, um...

Xander: You dated him?

Buffy: You dated a troll?

Willow: And we're, what, surprised by this?

Anya: Well, he wasn't a troll then! You know, he was just a big dumb guy, and ... well, you know, he cheated on me and I made him into a troll, which by the way is... how I got the ... job as a vengeance demon.

Olaf: I did not cheat! Not in my heart. It was only one wench! I, I had had a great deal of mead! Next thing I know, I'm a troll! Ohh ... ohh ... you did this, Anyanka. You will die for this.

Xander: But, but, you seem to enjoy the, the being a troll.

Olaf: I adjusted. And then what happened? Witches. Filthy, dirty, disgusting witches. They trapped me. I was imprisoned in that crystal for centuries. Ohh, a curse on all witches! All must die!



Anya: In case we need 'em, I'm getting more of all the things you stole.

Willow: I didn't - why do you do that?

Anya: What?

Willow: You're so rude! I mean, sure, at first, ex-demon, doesn't know the rules. Well, you been here forever. Learn the rules.

Anya: Rules are stupid.

Willow: Great, whatever. I just thought you might be interested in learning to act more human. Some of us enjoy it. Oh, look for, uh, spells with dimensional portals too.

Anya: I am a human. And there are ... many humans who are stranger than me.

Willow: Uh-huh, but, unless I'm really wrong about crazy Larry down at the bus stop, he's probably not gonna turn Xander into a troll.

Anya: Well, now, that's a very complicated proced... Oh. You think I'm gonna hurt Xander? I would never hurt Xander! You really think I would do that!

Willow: Anya, it's what you do. You spent what, a thousand years hurting men? You got your "thousand years of hurting men" gold watch.

Anya: I was a demon then, and, and I don't even have any powers now! Is this the spell?

Willow: Only if you want him to double in size, and grow extra arms, which ... let's not. A-and by the way, you weren't a demon when you turned Olaf into Lord of the Hammers. You managed that. Also, there's ... other ways to hurt Xander.

Anya: I don't do magic now. You're the one with that kind of power. In fact, D'Hoffryn offered you my old job. You're closer to being a vengeance demon than I am, maybe Xander should be afraid of you.

Willow: Xander's my best friend!

Anya: Oh, and you don't want anyone else to have him. I know what broke up him and Cordelia, you know. It was you! And your lips!

Willow: No it was not! Well, yes it was so, but ... that was a long time ago. Do you think I'd do that again?

Anya: Why not?

Willow: Well, hello, gay now.

Anya: But you're always doing everything you can to, to point out how much I'm an outsider. You've known him since you were squalling infants together. You'll always know him better than I do. You could sweep in and, and poison his mind against me.

Willow: You're insane! I am not gonna take him away and I am not gonna hurt him.

Anya: Well, I'm not either!



Olaf: You two, performing more spells. I could be out pillaging, devouring babies, making merry with the local virgins, but instead, I had to come all the way back here to kill you.



Olaf: You fight well, although you are a tiny man. I shall reward you. Only one of your women shall die, and you shall be the one to choose.

Zoom in on Xander looking surprised. Blackout.

Willow: Did he just say-

Olaf: Ha ha. Choose! Anyanka or the witch. One of your women must die.

Xander: No. You are one crazy troll, I ... I'm not choosing between my girlfriend and my best friend. That's insane troll logic.

Anya: Go Xander. I love you.

Olaf: Good for you. You are a loyal man.

[brakes his hand]

Willow: Xander!

Olaf: Now. Choose!

Anya: Olaf, no!

Xander: I'm not choosing.

Olaf: Then you shall be the one who dies.

Anya: No! Choose me! Just don't take him! Don't take Xander!



Anya: How can I help?

Willow: Uh, distract him from Buffy, uh, piss him off.

Anya: I don't know how.

Willow: Anya, I have faith in you. There is no one you cannot piss off. Hey Olaf! You're as inadequate a troll as you were a boyfriend! Uh, y-you're hairy, and unattractive, and even women trolls are put off by your various odors.



Xander: You really dated him?

Anya: Yes.

Xander: But you like me better, right?

Anya: Yes! Oh, and Willow likes you too, but not in a sexy way, you know, 'cause she's gay. And she's not gonna try to break us up, so, you know, it's all okay.



Buffy: Where did you send him?

Anya: The land of the trolls. He'll like it there. Full of trolls.

Willow: It's hard to be precise, though. Alternate universes don't stay put. Trying to send him to a specific place is sort of like ... like ... trying to hit a ... puppy, by throwing a live bee at it. Which is a weird image, and you should all just forget it.

Anya: It's possible that he's in the land of perpetual Wednesday ... or the crazy melty land ... or, you know, the world without shrimp.

Tara: There's a world without shrimp? I'm allergic.

Willow: He, he's probably in troll land.



Giles: I cringe to think what the place would have looked like if I'd been away for longer than three days.

Buffy: Well, maybe we would have had time to clean it up. You know, if Willow used some magicks to help.

Giles: Yes, 'cause nothing could possibly go wrong with that.

Joyce: Rupert, I still don't understand - oh, thank you - why the other Watchers made you go all the way to England when they don't know anything.

Giles: Well, they don't know it ... yet. I mean, they have no record of, of Glory or anyone like her, but, uh, based on the information that I've given them, they're gonna look into it. Um, they might have something soon.

Buffy: What about the key? Were they all over it?

Giles: Yes. You, you know all of this?

Joyce: I got some of it myself, Buffy told me the rest.

Giles: Well, they're interested, certainly, and, uh, full of theories. Most of them ... nonsensical.

Buffy: They don't know that it's Dawn.

Giles: No.

Joyce: I still can't begin to grasp this. I mean, she's my little girl, I...

[Dawn is listening]

Giles: It is disorienting.

Buffy: Giles, what happens if they figure it out? What would they do?

Giles: I don't know.

Joyce: Oh, I can't even think about this. It's too ... I'll get some more milk.



----------

Story: 9

Acting: 9

Writing: 9

Picture: 7

Gripping: 8

My Rank: 9

----------

Total: 8.5

An entertaining filler episode with all the usual Jane Espenson laughs and brilliant Anya quips. After almost a season on the sidelines, Anya finally gets her time in the limelight as she and Willow busy around town trying to find a powerful troll who's on a search for babies, ale and mead.



Despite being full of funny moments, including Buffy’s meeting with a nun being interrupted by a vampire and Willow and Anya's constant bickering, "Triangle" sadly turns out to be quite dull and un-interesting. The main focus of the episode, Xander having to choose between his girlfriend or his best friend seems to be what the writers wanted the episode for but the "choice" scene goes on for so short a time that it goes basically un-noticed.



Abraham Benrubi (best known as Jerry the desk clerk in the long-running “ER”) is quite good as Olaf but he hardly has anything to work with.

All-in-all, “Triangle” is a mediocre episode with enough things to string the episodes together (Buffy’s reaction to Riley’s departure, Dawn getting even closer to discovering the truth about herself) but hardly any substance or involving writing.

I think I consistently overrate this episode coming as it does after three of the bleakest, most mirthless hours "Buffy" has ever presented. Since it doesn't have much to do with the ongoing on Season Five storyline, I watch it out of sequence more often than all but a few of the other shows from this year. I love Olaf the troll, whose dialogue was written by the brilliant Jane Espenson in all capital letters. I appreciate how "Triangle" plays with unexpected pairings. We see a nice Tara-Buffy scene and actually experience Spike and Xander commiserating. But most of all, we get The Hummingbird vs. The Woodpecker.



Alyson Hannigan and Emma Caulfield each have very distinctive ways of delivering their dialogue, informed by their understanding of their characters and reinforced by the writers' keen ears. Willow speaks almost musically, stretching out vowel sounds and climbing up and down in pitch. Anya by contrast often talks in a staccato monotone with unexpected pauses and sudden explosive outbursts. Their scenes together in this episode play like a jazz duet for ex-vengeance demon and white witch.



Anya and Willow's relationship didn't get off to the best of starts in Season 3 when the former accidentally summoned the latter's evil vampire alter ego to town. Due to this little slip-up and the simple fact that we've known her longer, we've tended to side with Willow so far in this underplayed but always simmering little rivalry. "Triangle" plays as lightweight comedy, but more implications reveal themselves with each viewing. Willow is growing increasingly cavalier with her use of magic, and her growing self-confidence is also amplifying other, less savory elements in her personality. Willow's jealousy of Anya and Xander is irrational (as she famously declares in this episode, "Hello, gay now?") but it's there all the same. Willow is deliriously in love with Tara but shortsighted enough to not see how Anya and Xander's relationship can be equally lasting and valid.



That's all deep subtext, however, and what's presented to us on the face of this episode is pretty lightweight stuff. How could the Scoobies seriously use Olaf's hammer as a weapon against Glory when here it is used to clout Xander in the face (twice!) and has little effect beyond momentarily dazing him? Why does Olaf pursue Anya and Willow, whom he knows can re-imprison him or worse? Wouldn't his self-interest somewhat trump his desire for revenge seeing as he's not evil, particularly, but rather just, you know, a troll? Why not have Spike take Olaf to the hospital for delicious babies, seeing as they've had hospital scenes in pretty much every other episode so far this season?



"Triangle" is minor material handled with major care, and even though its payoff is badly bungled, the good time we have getting there more than makes up for it. In Seasons Two, Three, and Four even the flawed episodes had their saving graces. A good chunk of Season Five so far has been irredeemable. "Triangle"'s good humor goes a long way towards earning our forgiveness.