Personally, I like Spike and Buffy's relationship better when their not sleeping together. They're too destructive and creepy when they're having sex. (Or at least Buffy is. Spike's my favorite character. I never blame him, when I can blame Buffy, instead.) Their usual snarky banter becomes darker and more intense this season, and it can get depressing. That said, Buffy and Spike's love scene in "Smashed" brings down the house... Literally. I really like watching it. The actors/characters just have such chemistry together and the scene is so passionate that you just gotta give it a "Woah!" Only Angel feeding off Buffy in season three's "Graduation Day Part Two," comes close to matching the dark, seductive impact of "Smashed." It is an important episode for the season, and for the rest of the series. It brings back Amy, shows Willow's descent into a full-blown magic addiction and takes Spike and Buffy's relationship to the next level. I highly recommend that you see it.
"Smashed" revolves around Spike realizing that he can hit Buffy without activating his chip. That shouldn't happen. At first he think that his chip might be malfunctioning. But when he tests it on an unsuspecting victim, it activates and zaps his brain. Furious Spike decides to go to Warren for some testing. The Trio have been keeping busy, stealing a giant diamond from Sunnydale museum. They blast the security guard with a freeze ray and escape back to the "Lair." Spike corners them and demands that they scan his head and see what's wrong with his chip. The Trio are sunned and scared and kind of impressed with Spike. The agree to help and he agrees not to destroy their Star Wars figures. When Warren looks into Spike's problem though, he sees that the chip is working fine. Spike concludes that he's not the one who's different. It's Buffy. She's come back a little less human.
Meanwhile, the Scoobies investigate the museum robbery, looking for a "frost monster who eats diamonds." Willow is depressed that Tara left her.She finally comes up with a spell to cure Amy, who was turned into a rat back in season three's "Gingerbread." Amy is stunned by the changes that have taken place since she became a rodent. She and Willow go out to the Bronze and over do it on magic. They have the whole club under their spells and they're having a real good time being bad. Spike, meanwhile, catches up with Buffy and gleefully reports that he can now hit her. The two of them get into a fight. Tossing each other around an abandoned house and shouting insults. As they hit each other, though, it becomes clear that they're not really trying to inflict damage. Instead the battle is becoming just what Spike always claimed their fights were: Foreplay. Buffy soon has Spike pinned to the wall, kissing him. He's kissing her back and when she unzips his pants, their eyes meet in disbelief and lust. They fall right through the floor with their love making, winding up in the basement.
There are some really good parts to this episode. Like I said, the love scene between Spike and Buffy alone is worth watching this episode. All their pent up feelings and lust just explode as the fall all over each other. It's funny to think about their relationship back in season two and see where they are now. Angel and Dru would no doubt be just as surprised as Buffy and Spike seem to be. I also like Xander and Buffy's growing awareness of Willow's problem. They're reluctant to confront her out right, but when she can't even use the internet with a spell, it's clear that they're both worried. And you just have to laugh when Spike calls Buffy on the phone to threaten her. She's so shocked. Not because he's trying to be menacing, but because he's actually using a telephone to do it. The Trio are pretty funny in this episode, as well. Trying to steal the diamond by ripping off "Mission: Impossible" and "Batman" movies. And Warren trying to "subtly" instruct Jonathan and Andrew to freeze Rusty the security guard always cracks me up. "I guess we should just GET THE FREZE RAY out of here then." Finally, I'm glad Amy finally got "de-ratted." Her recovery is an important apart of the season and I like her trying to process all the changes in Sunnydale. It's no wonder she has so many problems adjusting to life again and gets addicted to magic. She starts out asking if Larry's asked anyone to the prom yet and winds up learning that she's lost three years of her life. ("Amy, three things you should know. One, Larry's gay. Two, Larry's dead. Three, high school's over.") I kinna feel sorry for her.
On the down side, was Spike really going to kill that girl in the alley? He's clearly reluctant and trying to psych himself up, but he's promised to reform. Even biting her seems like a step backwards for him. Spike should know better by now.
My favorite part of the episode: Spike's scene with the Trio. From Spike threatening their action figure, to listening to them prattle on about the DVD release of "Red Dwarf," to prowling up the steps of the basement in that cool gilding walk of his... it's all just great. I do think that Spike was trying to play it cool when he acted like he didn't know who Boba Fett was, though. He's seen "The Empire Strikes Back." He called Angel his Yoda back in season two's "School Hard." He was acting all "tough guy," but he probably seen all the episode of "Dr. Who," as well. Plus, next season he'll kind of take Andrew under his wing, so it's fun to watch them interacting here.
"Smashed" revolves around Spike realizing that he can hit Buffy without activating his chip. That shouldn't happen. At first he think that his chip might be malfunctioning. But when he tests it on an unsuspecting victim, it activates and zaps his brain. Furious Spike decides to go to Warren for some testing. The Trio have been keeping busy, stealing a giant diamond from Sunnydale museum. They blast the security guard with a freeze ray and escape back to the "Lair." Spike corners them and demands that they scan his head and see what's wrong with his chip. The Trio are sunned and scared and kind of impressed with Spike. The agree to help and he agrees not to destroy their Star Wars figures. When Warren looks into Spike's problem though, he sees that the chip is working fine. Spike concludes that he's not the one who's different. It's Buffy. She's come back a little less human.
Meanwhile, the Scoobies investigate the museum robbery, looking for a "frost monster who eats diamonds." Willow is depressed that Tara left her.She finally comes up with a spell to cure Amy, who was turned into a rat back in season three's "Gingerbread." Amy is stunned by the changes that have taken place since she became a rodent. She and Willow go out to the Bronze and over do it on magic. They have the whole club under their spells and they're having a real good time being bad. Spike, meanwhile, catches up with Buffy and gleefully reports that he can now hit her. The two of them get into a fight. Tossing each other around an abandoned house and shouting insults. As they hit each other, though, it becomes clear that they're not really trying to inflict damage. Instead the battle is becoming just what Spike always claimed their fights were: Foreplay. Buffy soon has Spike pinned to the wall, kissing him. He's kissing her back and when she unzips his pants, their eyes meet in disbelief and lust. They fall right through the floor with their love making, winding up in the basement.
There are some really good parts to this episode. Like I said, the love scene between Spike and Buffy alone is worth watching this episode. All their pent up feelings and lust just explode as the fall all over each other. It's funny to think about their relationship back in season two and see where they are now. Angel and Dru would no doubt be just as surprised as Buffy and Spike seem to be. I also like Xander and Buffy's growing awareness of Willow's problem. They're reluctant to confront her out right, but when she can't even use the internet with a spell, it's clear that they're both worried. And you just have to laugh when Spike calls Buffy on the phone to threaten her. She's so shocked. Not because he's trying to be menacing, but because he's actually using a telephone to do it. The Trio are pretty funny in this episode, as well. Trying to steal the diamond by ripping off "Mission: Impossible" and "Batman" movies. And Warren trying to "subtly" instruct Jonathan and Andrew to freeze Rusty the security guard always cracks me up. "I guess we should just GET THE FREZE RAY out of here then." Finally, I'm glad Amy finally got "de-ratted." Her recovery is an important apart of the season and I like her trying to process all the changes in Sunnydale. It's no wonder she has so many problems adjusting to life again and gets addicted to magic. She starts out asking if Larry's asked anyone to the prom yet and winds up learning that she's lost three years of her life. ("Amy, three things you should know. One, Larry's gay. Two, Larry's dead. Three, high school's over.") I kinna feel sorry for her.
On the down side, was Spike really going to kill that girl in the alley? He's clearly reluctant and trying to psych himself up, but he's promised to reform. Even biting her seems like a step backwards for him. Spike should know better by now.
My favorite part of the episode: Spike's scene with the Trio. From Spike threatening their action figure, to listening to them prattle on about the DVD release of "Red Dwarf," to prowling up the steps of the basement in that cool gilding walk of his... it's all just great. I do think that Spike was trying to play it cool when he acted like he didn't know who Boba Fett was, though. He's seen "The Empire Strikes Back." He called Angel his Yoda back in season two's "School Hard." He was acting all "tough guy," but he probably seen all the episode of "Dr. Who," as well. Plus, next season he'll kind of take Andrew under his wing, so it's fun to watch them interacting here.
