Where the Wild Things Are

Season 4, Episode 18, Aired

Episode Summary

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7.3
out of 10
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Buffy and Riley's relationship has reached a new level, and they are spending all their time in bed. Their round-the-clock exploration of each other awakens dark energies in Lowell House, and it is up to the Scoobies to save the day.moreless
  • Buffy/Riley sexfest

    7.0
    "Good"
    The Good;
    Nice that with Buffy and Riley ahem, preoccupied the other Scoobs have a chance to shine for a change.

    The Bad;
    Vines look a little lame but apart from that all good.

    Best line;
    Giles "Do you really think they're keeping it up? Oh for a different phrasing"

    Women good/men bad;
    In this case a female villain, the religious zealot 'carer'

    Jeez!;
    The drowning scenes are horrible, a very primal human fear.

    Kinky dinky;
    Basically one big marathon sex session between Buffy and Riley (at least they use protection) plus the house sending sexual energy surging through it's inhabitants. Plus Anya and Xander in the ice-cream van. Anya comments that Xander and she both like his penis. Apparently there's only been 2 nights where Xander and Anya haven't had sex, to paraphrase Buffy 'Xander is quite the machine' Xander gets to kiss the lovely Julie. Xander refers to a big bursting poltergasm.

    Calling Captain Subtext;
    Anya, Tara and Willow seem remarkably keen on Giles playing his guitar (Willow always had a thing for guitarists) again suggesting bi-Willow and even bi-Tara. Her revelation about her crush must have had Gillow fans going into overtime. Tara has a moment of ***phobia due to the house's influence. Spike and Anya bond over their past evil. Spike seems to want to be heroic when Xander asks for volunteers to rescue Buffy? Willow seems scared of horses although she seems to have gotten over that by the end of season 5. Tara tells Willow she can come 'Riding with me sometime' Ohhhhh matron! Willow asks Buffy if she still loves her despite having spilt 'something purple' on her peasant blouse (the answer is yes). Spike says that love is a terrible thing just as he does in 'Lover's Walk'. 'Dingoes ate my baby' poster visible for the last time.

    Scoobies to the ER;
    Anya and Xander are pretty cut up by the end but their injuries seem to heal pretty fast, perhaps because they're mystical?

    Where's Dawn?
    Home with Joyce

    Apocalypses; 5,

    Wheldon Cliches (with kind permission from Boo)

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

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

    Kills:
    Buffy: 1 demon for Buffy so 79 vamps, 27 demons, 6 monsters, 3 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
    Giles: 5 vamps, 1 demon
    Cordy: 3 vamps, a demon
    Will: 4 vamps
    Angel: 3 vamps, 1 demon, 1 human
    Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie
    Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans
    Xander: 5 vamps, 2 zombies, a demon, a demon
    Anya: a demon
    Riley; 1 vamp for Riley so 12 vamps + 6 demons

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

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

    Recurring characters killed: 7
    Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh

    Total number of scoobies: 6 actually going to reduce this as Spike not officially a Scooby by a long way
    Giles, Xander, Willow, Buffy, Anya, Riley,

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

    Scoobies shot:
    Giles: 2
    Angel: 3
    Oz: 4

    Notches on Scooby bedpost:
    Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny
    Cordy: 1?
    Buffy: 3; Angel, Parker, Riley
    Angel: 1;Buffy
    Joyce: 1;Giles, possibly Ted
    Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca
    Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley
    Xander: 2; Faith, Anya
    Willow: 1;Oz

    Questions and observations;
    What the heck does Xander mean when he refers to people going 'all Felicity with their hair'? Anya's humanity is still a work in process despite her having a soul. Once more, Buffy goes christian bashing.
    Marks out of 10; 7/10 good ep without being brilliant
    _________________
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  • Season 4, Episode 18.

    3.0
    "Bad"
    Buffy and Riley's relationship reaches a new level, and they are constantly having sex. However, the constant "action" awakens a dark energy in the Lowell house, and it is up to the Scoobies to save the day without the help of Buffy and Riley.

    I didn't really like this episode. I like the episode title and I thought the plot concept was good but the way it played out was bad. But seeing Riley naked was great. :) It wasn't really such a great episode, but I liked seeing Kathryn Joosten. All the people seemed like they had Psychological Disorders. It was a very weird episode. Season 4 is going back to the crappy episodes, which isn't good, especially after a streak of good episodes.moreless
  • I don't understand what's so bad about this episode; the plot works, the dialogue is great and it has some good acting.

    8.5
    "Great"
    Where The Wild Things Are is an episode that gets a lot of hate and criticism from most people and it is often regarded as one of the worst episodes of Buffy and I just don't understand why. Nauseating Buffy/Riley scenes aside, it's a great episode.

    I liked the story of Lowell House and the manifestations of the rage and oppression from the previous inhabitants. It was a bit weird and not really understandable but I liked it nonetheless. I like the sexual vibes going about and the creepy old lady was an interesting character. I was sort of hoping Giles would punch her seeing as she's so very, very evil but I'm glad something got said to her at least.

    The Anya/Spike scenes were brilliant. These two are so funny together and I'm sad they didn't much interaction as they play off each other really well. Emma Caulfield has really eased into the role of Anya and is giving brilliant delivery every episode. I also like the Xander/Anya scenes as I'm a big fan of them and they're so funny together.

    I like Willow and Tara getting closer also- they're like my joint favourite couple in the verse (a 4 way tie between them, Buffy/Spike, Angel/Cordelia and Angel/Darla) so any scene of them is gold in my book.

    Giles singing was unexpected and creepy. He has a nice voice (weird!) but I found it unsettling (I agree with Xander for once!). I don't know why but Giles is just constant and it's weird when he's not being the grown up. Tony Head should so have a music career though.

    The Buffy/Riley scenes were nauseating. Buffy may be very hot (or she is when she's not a stick anyway) but she has no chemistry with Riley. It's so forced and annoying and it's just like AAAH! stop.

    Where The Wild Things Are is a great episode that I seem to be alone in liking. I thought it was nice, filler fun and way better that Superbore- sorry I mena Superstar!moreless
  • Where the Wild Things Are

    8.5
    "Great"
    Where the Wild Things Are was a great episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This episode was filled with passion and desire. The story was good, and it was interesting to see how it all originated. This episode was more or less a ghost themed episode, and there were some disturbing circumstances. The origins of the ghosts was a foster house run by a religious old woman with an iron fist of intolerance. It was also interesting to see another side of Giles, and the gang was just as surprised. Willow and Tara are growing closer together too which a fun thing to watch unfold.moreless
  • What a piece of J-U-N-K!!! Buffy can offer more than this!!!

    0.1
    "None"
    Where the Wild Things Are is the WORST thing that has ever happened in TV and the WORST episode in this whole galaxy. Even Charmed's Lucky Charmed and Smallville's Ageless had done MUCH better than this. This is the first time I rated an episode 0.1. Seriously. Oh, gosh. Where do I even start? This is a FILLER episode and I'm surprised it got more rating than Beer Bad. 20 minutes of this episode was spent in showing Riley and Buffy sex, UNNEEDED one and so grossful. There was no plot -- there was nothing in this episode. It's an empty shell!! What the hell is this episode trying to tell us? The actors were awful!!! I guess they were frowning when they read the script too. And David Solomon is the director? What the-- what is happening to the world, people? I just have to complain about all the sex................................. YUCK!!!! Riley and Buffy and love does not go in a word!!! They are not a suitable pair. They were a terrible pair. I was jumping out of my seat and clapping my hands when Riley finally left in season five's Into The Woods. I HATE this episode. Who else is with me? Let's all rate this piece-a junk called "episode" 0.1. Urgh!!! Why 6.9? Grrrrr!!! Shoot, I can't even tell you how mad I am now. I hoped I talked some sense into at least some of you.moreless
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  • TRIVIA (10)

    ADD TRIVIA
    • When the house begins to shake, the back of Spike's head can be seen in the mirror behind him as he sits in the chair.

    • When Willow enters the bathroom looking for Tara, she is startled and scared by the boy who suddenly appears thrashing under water in the bathtub tied in restraints. She reaches into the water in the bathtub to try and rescue him but at that same moment he disappears. In the next shot Willow is seen fleeing the bathroom looking for Tara or anyone she knows. Willow finds Xander and while telling him what happened to her, we see her hands and the sleeves of her red jacket are completely dry.

    • Spike casts a reflection in the glass of the haunted fraternity's door.

    • When Xander re-enters the Haunted house for the first time (Without Anya), you can clearly see the black rope attached to his back against the white doorframe, that throws him out a few seconds in.

    • When Tara falls because of the ground moving, she is near the railing, but in the next shot she is close to the gang. They weren't that close to her before.

    • When Xander is thrown out of the house you can't see Willow, Tara, or Anya near the door, but they're there when he lands.

    • When Riley and Buffy are telling Giles about their patrol, Giles questions by saying that the vampire came to the demon's rescue. However, in the scene before where they are on patrol. The demon came to the vampire's rescue as Riley and Buffy were about to kill him.

    • In the scene just after Anya saves Xander from the bathtub, you can clearly see a set of hands controlling the vines which are attacking them on the left side of the screen.

    • When the Scoobies are fleeing the house, the door slowly closes behind them. If you look at the bottom left hand of the door frame, a crew member's hand appears to help push the door fully closed.

    • When Anya gets stabbed in the hand by the plant thing, she doesn't seem to be in much pain.

  • QUOTES (18)

    ADD QUOTES
    • Buffy: (to Riley) Okay, you get Fang, I'll get Horny. I mean...

    • Buffy: If Riley and I hadn't... gotten so wrapped up in each other, none of this would have happened. Anya: True. Feel shame. Xander: My girlfriend. Mistress of the learning plateau.

    • Riley: I can't believe it really happened. Buffy: I just had no idea. It's so creepy. (about Giles) He was really singing? Xander: I'd say it was more like crooning. (to Anya) If we grow old together, remind me to skip the mid-life crisis. Anya: Okay. Willow: Come on, you have to admit, it was kind of sexy. Xander: Please stop saying that. I'm willing to offer cash incentives.

    • Xander: What do you feel? Anya: Upset, afraid of being without you, and a little hungry. Xander: I meant about the house. Anya: Oh. Still haunted.

    • Giles: When you called to Buffy and Riley, they didn't cry out or respond in any way? Anya: No. They're probably dead. Xander: Unless they were too busy doin' it to answer. Giles: Doing what? Xander: You know, for a god of acoustic rock, you're kind of naive.

    • Anya: (to Xander) I'm just trying to tell you that we have nothing in common besides both of us liking your penis, and now I don't even have that!

    • Willow: Horses. Like... big, tall, teeth that can take your arm off horses? Tara: Well, sure. I learned to ride when I was a kid. It's fun. And, by the way, most horses don't like arm very much. Willow: I had a bad birthday party pony thing when I was four. I look at horses and I see really big ponies.

    • Buffy: I need you to take a look at... an essay... for class. Riley: That essay. right. I'll catch you guys in a minute. There's an essay... gotta look at. Graham: (to Forrest) And I'm the one who got a "D" in Covert Ops.

    • Buffy: Think about it - who better to bring together a bunch of demon types than someone who's made out of a bunch of demon types? Tara: So, he's, um, bridging the gap between the races. Willow: Huh. Like Martin Luther King.

    • Anya: Spike! What are you doing? You made me yell really high! Spike: Hey, yeah, I did. I scared you. Gimme money. Anya: I'm not paying you for scaring me. Spike: You're not paying me. I'm robbing you. Anya: Oh, well, that's just ludicrous. You can't hurt me because you've got that chip in your brain. Also, I like my money the way it is... when it's mine. Spike: Grrrr! Anya: Oh, now, come on! You're not even bumpy anymore! Spike: Oh. I was just a minute ago. Hang on. Get me mad again. Anya: Does this really work? Scaring people into giving you their money? Spike: Yeah, it works. Keeps me in blood and beers. Plus, you know, funny - watching the little humans quail. Anya: I'm beginning to understand why you're so friendless. Spike: Look who's talking. I don't see droopy-boy on your arm.

    • Anya: I don't understand. I'm pretty, I'm young. Why didn't you take advantage of me? Is there something wrong with your body? Xander: There's nothing wrong with my body. Anya: Well, there must be. I saw that wrinkled man on TV talking about erectile dysfunction... Xander: Whoa! Hey! All systems go, here. No function problem, okay? You want sex? Let's have sex. Right here. Hot, sweaty, big sex!

    • (both speaking angrily) Xander: I'm having fun already! Anya: Me too! Woohoo!

    • Giles: In the midst of all that, do you really think they were keeping it up?total silence Oh, for a different phrasing...

    • Anya: A year and a half ago, I could have eviscerated him with my thoughts. Now I can barely hurt his feelings.

    • Xander: You smell sin? Well let me tell you something lady, she who smelled it dealt it.

    • Spike: You take the killing for granted and then it's gone and you're like I wish I'd appreciated it more. Stopped and smelled the corpses.

    • Spike: Hey... I know these guys from somewhere. Anya: Initiative soldiers. They live here. Experiments happen in the lab under the house — that's where they kept you and put in your chip. Let's have fun! Spike: What are you doing? You brought me here? Xander: Anya? What are you doing? You brought him here? Spike: That's what I said, only I hit the "here" part.

    • Xander: So, with Buffy and Riley having... you know, acts of nakedness around the clock lately, maybe they set something free... like a big, bursting poltergasm.

  • NOTES (3)

    ADD NOTES
    • Tara talks to Willow about riding horses and Willow's fear of them. In the movie "The Crush" Amber's character enjoyed horseback riding and took lessons. Willow talks about being afraid that a horse might bite her arm off. In "The Crush" Amber's character takes a fall from a horse and gets hurt (and it might actually be her arm) after Alicia Silverstone's character sabotages her saddle.

    • Anthony Head performs a live acoustic rendition of the classic The Who song "Behind Blue Eyes" (from Who's Next, 1971).

    • Buffy and Riley use condoms during their love making. It's nice to see a show enforce safe sex; Anya also mentions using condoms in The Harsh Light Of Day. We didn't see Buffy use condoms when she slept with Angel, but it is a common belief in vampire mythology that they're sterile and cannot bear children. STDs might be a concern with vampires, but some sources take the view that vampires cannot be carriers for human diseases. Finally, it could simply be that we just didn't see the condom usage between Buffy and Angel.

  • ALLUSIONS (7)

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Xander: House is clean. Xander's comment on the sudden disappearance of the various poltergeists could be a reference to the famous line from the classic 1982 horror film Poltergeist. After the spirit relinquishes Carol-Anne and disappears, Tangina says, "This house is clean."

    • Buffy: ...vampire-demon tag-team...
      Tag-team is a term generally used in professional wrestling to describe a bout where one team member waits outside the ring, while the other fights, and they can replace each other provided one touches the other.

    • Spike: I don't see droopy-boy hanging from your arm.
      A reference to Droopy, the cartoon dog detective who'd go all bonanza whenever a pretty lady (one featured in each and every episode) would kiss him.

    • Xander: There's ghosts, and shaking, and people are going all Felicity with their hair.
      Felicity is another teen drama on the WB starring Keri Russell as Felicity. The reference is to the shock at the beginning of this season, when Keri Russell cut off her long, curly, thick hair.

    • Willow: Like Martin Luther King.
      Martin Luther King, Jr. is perhaps the single most famous civil rights leader. His national prominence was gained by leading a year-long boycott, from 1955-56, of the segregated buses in Montgomery, Alabama. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and was assassinated in 1968.

    • Buffy: Who says we can't all get along?
      A reference to Rodney King, a black motorist, who was pulled over and beaten by four white police officers on March 3, 1991, with the whole ordeal being caught on videotape. When the officers were acquitted of police brutality in 1992, it was the spark for the infamous LA Riots. In a press conference, King pleaded for the riots to stop: "People, I just want to say, you know, can we, can we all get along?" The plea is most often quoted as, "Can't we all just get along?", and it became something of a catchphrase.

    • Title: Where The Wild Things Are
      This episode shares a title with the children's book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. It is about a young boy named Max who gets sent to his room without supper and imagines that his room turns into a magical forest inhabited by monsters which take him to be their king.

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