In and of itself, "I was Made to Love You" is a fairly average, light-weight monster-of-the-week about a guy and his robot girlfriend. It's real importance only becomes clear late in the episode and as you begin to watch season six. "I was Made to Love You" introduces Warren, who will become arguably the worst human the Scoobies ever fight when he joins up with the Trio next season. It also sets-up the Buffy-bot, who will have a larger role in the future. And, in the final several seconds, this episode gives us one of the most shocking, horrible cliffhangers that the show will ever produce. You can't skip this episode if you're going to watch the rest of the season.
"I was Made to Love You" revolves around a robot named April arriving on the UC Sunnydale campus. She's searching for a mysterious guy named Warren. April is super strong, talks without contractions and is obsessed with finding her boyfriend. At a college party, Buffy and Ben make a date for coffee. April arrives and starts causing problems. After throwing Spike through a window, (He tries to proposition her and "no one but Warren" can do that.) April tosses Buffy out of her way, too, and continues on her Warren quest. The Scoobies have to track her down.
Meanwhile, Joyce has a new boyfriend. And Spike, after revealing his feelings for Buffy with the whole kidnapping thing in "Crush," is being ostracized from the Scoobie gang. Buffy tracks Warren down at his mom's house, where he admits to building April as his "perfect woman." But, he's grown bored with her. He has a new girlfriend now, Katrina, and he just wants to get rid of April. April has other ideas. She attacks Buffy and Katrina, thinking that they're after her boyfriend. Buffy has to fight her. The episode ends with Spike gathering up all the pieces of his Buffy shrine and taking the pictures and clothes to Warren. He orders Warren to make him a robot version of Buffy. Back at the Summers' house, Buffy returns home to find her mother dead on the couch.
There are some good parts to this episode. Joyce teasing Buffy about her date is pretty funny. As is Giles harassed state after he babysits Dawn. "We ate cookie dough and talked about boys." Also, I love to hate Warren in season six, so it's interesting to see him here. He doesn't really seem TOO bad, in this episode. Just an average nerdy, jerk. It's only the little clues (How he programmed April to feel pain if she didn't obey him, how he quickly tries to sic her on Buffy to save himself, how he snaps "Shut-up" at Katrina) that really show the darker side of him waiting to emerge. And I'm always moved by the last few seconds of the episode. Buffy finds her mother dead on the couch and says in a questioning, little girl sort of voice. "Mom? Mom? Mommy?" It just rips my heart out. Who would have thought that Joyce would die at the very end of an ordinary, mid season episode? I think that it was a deliberate choice to show that bad things can happen suddenly and, while Buffy's Slaying takes up much of her time, "real life" issues are waiting to catch her off guard her as she grow up.
"I was Made to Love You" is using April as a metaphor for people who get into destructive one-sided relationships, changing to please their romantic partner. But I also think that this drawing some comparisons between Buffy and Warren. (The two of them will be contrasted again season six, especially in the episode "Dead Things.") In "I was Made to Love You," Warren has created a "perfect" woman. April was beautiful and obedient and knitted him sweaters. Everything he thought that wanted. He was in control and she was subservient. But he was bored. He wanted the challenge of Katrina, who gave him a "hard time" and made things more fun. In Riley, Buffy had the "perfect" man. He was normal and supportive and not a vampire. She was always in control of their relationship and she wasn't really risking her heart like she did with Angel. But Riley bored her and she never trusted him with her "whole" self. Now there's Ben who seems like another "Mr. Perfect." (She doesn't know that he's also Glory, yet.) But within two seconds of meeting up with Ben at the party, Buffy is already pretending, fake laughing at his jokes. (And, after "Repitle Boy" in season two, you'd think that Buffy would know that that never works.) Ben isn't someone that Buffy can be herself with, no matter how much she thinks that he's exactly what she wants. Back in season three's "Lover's Walk," Spike lectured Angel and Buffy about love's real power. It's not in the mind, but the "blood screaming inside of you." It's about passion and risk and real emotions. Buffy and Warren trying to use their heads, and not their hearts, and it's just not going to work.
On the down side, I think that the Scoobies were kinna mean to Spike in this episode. Especially Dawn, who just last week was crush-ing on him. Granted, he did kidnap Buffy, but she's not taking that real seriously. Did they have to kick him out of the Magic Box like that? Listening to them shout at Spike, I think a lot of their feelings can be traced back to Angel. Giles' reactions are the most understandable since Angel and Buffy's relationship cost him so much with Jenny. Maybe he fears what could happen another vampire becomes obsessed with Buffy.
My favorite part of the episode: Warren quickly trying to explain April to Katrina. "She wasn't JUST for sex."
"I was Made to Love You" revolves around a robot named April arriving on the UC Sunnydale campus. She's searching for a mysterious guy named Warren. April is super strong, talks without contractions and is obsessed with finding her boyfriend. At a college party, Buffy and Ben make a date for coffee. April arrives and starts causing problems. After throwing Spike through a window, (He tries to proposition her and "no one but Warren" can do that.) April tosses Buffy out of her way, too, and continues on her Warren quest. The Scoobies have to track her down.
Meanwhile, Joyce has a new boyfriend. And Spike, after revealing his feelings for Buffy with the whole kidnapping thing in "Crush," is being ostracized from the Scoobie gang. Buffy tracks Warren down at his mom's house, where he admits to building April as his "perfect woman." But, he's grown bored with her. He has a new girlfriend now, Katrina, and he just wants to get rid of April. April has other ideas. She attacks Buffy and Katrina, thinking that they're after her boyfriend. Buffy has to fight her. The episode ends with Spike gathering up all the pieces of his Buffy shrine and taking the pictures and clothes to Warren. He orders Warren to make him a robot version of Buffy. Back at the Summers' house, Buffy returns home to find her mother dead on the couch.
There are some good parts to this episode. Joyce teasing Buffy about her date is pretty funny. As is Giles harassed state after he babysits Dawn. "We ate cookie dough and talked about boys." Also, I love to hate Warren in season six, so it's interesting to see him here. He doesn't really seem TOO bad, in this episode. Just an average nerdy, jerk. It's only the little clues (How he programmed April to feel pain if she didn't obey him, how he quickly tries to sic her on Buffy to save himself, how he snaps "Shut-up" at Katrina) that really show the darker side of him waiting to emerge. And I'm always moved by the last few seconds of the episode. Buffy finds her mother dead on the couch and says in a questioning, little girl sort of voice. "Mom? Mom? Mommy?" It just rips my heart out. Who would have thought that Joyce would die at the very end of an ordinary, mid season episode? I think that it was a deliberate choice to show that bad things can happen suddenly and, while Buffy's Slaying takes up much of her time, "real life" issues are waiting to catch her off guard her as she grow up.
"I was Made to Love You" is using April as a metaphor for people who get into destructive one-sided relationships, changing to please their romantic partner. But I also think that this drawing some comparisons between Buffy and Warren. (The two of them will be contrasted again season six, especially in the episode "Dead Things.") In "I was Made to Love You," Warren has created a "perfect" woman. April was beautiful and obedient and knitted him sweaters. Everything he thought that wanted. He was in control and she was subservient. But he was bored. He wanted the challenge of Katrina, who gave him a "hard time" and made things more fun. In Riley, Buffy had the "perfect" man. He was normal and supportive and not a vampire. She was always in control of their relationship and she wasn't really risking her heart like she did with Angel. But Riley bored her and she never trusted him with her "whole" self. Now there's Ben who seems like another "Mr. Perfect." (She doesn't know that he's also Glory, yet.) But within two seconds of meeting up with Ben at the party, Buffy is already pretending, fake laughing at his jokes. (And, after "Repitle Boy" in season two, you'd think that Buffy would know that that never works.) Ben isn't someone that Buffy can be herself with, no matter how much she thinks that he's exactly what she wants. Back in season three's "Lover's Walk," Spike lectured Angel and Buffy about love's real power. It's not in the mind, but the "blood screaming inside of you." It's about passion and risk and real emotions. Buffy and Warren trying to use their heads, and not their hearts, and it's just not going to work.
On the down side, I think that the Scoobies were kinna mean to Spike in this episode. Especially Dawn, who just last week was crush-ing on him. Granted, he did kidnap Buffy, but she's not taking that real seriously. Did they have to kick him out of the Magic Box like that? Listening to them shout at Spike, I think a lot of their feelings can be traced back to Angel. Giles' reactions are the most understandable since Angel and Buffy's relationship cost him so much with Jenny. Maybe he fears what could happen another vampire becomes obsessed with Buffy.
My favorite part of the episode: Warren quickly trying to explain April to Katrina. "She wasn't JUST for sex."
