"Triangle" isn't the most important episode of the season. It mainly deals with Olaf the troll rampaging through Sunnydale. But, like many of the monster-of-the-week episodes in season five, it has a larger part in the main story arc. In this case it gives the Scoobies a magic troll hammer that will come in handy later in the season. All in all "Triangle" is a lot of fun and definitely worth a look.
"Triangle" revolves around Giles leaving town and putting Anya and Willow in charge of the Magic Box. He's headed to England to consult with the Watcher's Council about Glory. Willow and Anya have different managerial styles, and soon their bickering about everything that happens in the shop. When Willow's newest spell goes wrong, they accidentally set a troll loose on Sunnydale. Meanwhile Buffy is sad that Riley's gone and Spike is nervous that she will blame him for the breakup. He and Xander meet up at the Bronze where Xander complains that Willow and Anya always put him in the middle of their arguments and Spike digs for information about Buffy. As they talk and play pool, the troll bursts in looking for mead, wenches and babies to eat.
Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies aren't far behind. They try to fight the troll, but he's too strong and he gets away. Not before he tells them all that he used to date Anya, though. In fact, she's the one who turned him into a troll in the first place. Olaf, not surprisingly, is holding a grudge. Willow and Anya work on a spell to make him disappear, but Olaf tracks them down again. Xander tries to stop him, and Olaf is impressed with his fighting skills, although he is a "tiny man." He offers to let Xander pick which woman live and then he'll kill the other one. Xander refuses and Olaf's about to crush them all when Buffy arrives to save the day.
There's a lot to like about this episode. Olaf is great. Very funny and his "troll syntax" just cracks me up. "Triangle" also introduces the running joke that Spike loves those deep fried, flowering onions things, which will play right into season seven. It also brings up the "world of shrimp" again, which I always enjoy. And it is our first glimpse of Anya's past. (She'll get her own episode in season seven, "Selfless.") I also think that Willow and Tara are adorable in this episode. They're trying to make balls of sunshine and giggling about "The Cat in the Hat." The two of them are really cute together and they're totally in sync. And line for line you just don't get much funnier than Willow mocking Anya, "I like money more than people. People can so rarely be exchanged for goods and/or services." You also just have to laugh when Spike "helps" Buffy up, while none-to-subtly copping a feel. Finally, it's nice that Xander have Spike have a scene together in this episode. When Olaf asks where there are babies because he wants to eat them, Spike turns to Xander and says "What do ya think? Hospital?" Xander's incredulous "Shut-up!" is pretty hilarious.
Anya and Willow have a prickly relationship and this episode explores their different points of view. Neither of them is exactly right or wrong in "Triangle". Willow has been suspicious of Anya since "Dopplegangland" back in season three. (Where Anya accidentally brought Willow's vampire twin to Sunnydale.) And Anya is often bored with the Scoobies and has trouble dealing with the "rules" of the human world. Underlying all of Willow and Anya's disagreements, though, is their love for Xander. Willow and Xander have been together since they were children. They've always been the most important people in each other's lives. Now Xander has a real, steady girlfriend and Willow is afraid that she will lose Xander. Or that Anya will hurt Xander, since she's an ex-vengeance demon and all. (Which isn't really a far-fetched idea. See "Entropy" in season six.) Anya, on the other hand, is jealous that Willow and Xander are so close. Xander usually follow's Willow lead and they have memories that no one else is a part of. Anya also knows that Willow and Xander's relationship broke up Xander and Cordy in season three. (In fact, Anya's only in Sunnydale because Cordelia's vengeance went so wrong in "The Wish.") So, they both have legitimate fears and concerns. In "Triangle" they have to confront them and try to move on.
On the downside, is Oalf really a troll god? In "The Gift" the say that he was, but I don't hear it mentioned in this episode. Also, I do think that Anya had a point... Willow was kinna stealing those supplies.
My favorite part of the episode: Spike practicing his "apology" to the Buffy mannequin. Somehow he ends up getting into a fight with it, cursing a blue streak, beating it with a box of candy and, finally, losing the argument and having to start the apology all over again. It's one of the funniest scenes of the whole season.
"Triangle" revolves around Giles leaving town and putting Anya and Willow in charge of the Magic Box. He's headed to England to consult with the Watcher's Council about Glory. Willow and Anya have different managerial styles, and soon their bickering about everything that happens in the shop. When Willow's newest spell goes wrong, they accidentally set a troll loose on Sunnydale. Meanwhile Buffy is sad that Riley's gone and Spike is nervous that she will blame him for the breakup. He and Xander meet up at the Bronze where Xander complains that Willow and Anya always put him in the middle of their arguments and Spike digs for information about Buffy. As they talk and play pool, the troll bursts in looking for mead, wenches and babies to eat.
Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies aren't far behind. They try to fight the troll, but he's too strong and he gets away. Not before he tells them all that he used to date Anya, though. In fact, she's the one who turned him into a troll in the first place. Olaf, not surprisingly, is holding a grudge. Willow and Anya work on a spell to make him disappear, but Olaf tracks them down again. Xander tries to stop him, and Olaf is impressed with his fighting skills, although he is a "tiny man." He offers to let Xander pick which woman live and then he'll kill the other one. Xander refuses and Olaf's about to crush them all when Buffy arrives to save the day.
There's a lot to like about this episode. Olaf is great. Very funny and his "troll syntax" just cracks me up. "Triangle" also introduces the running joke that Spike loves those deep fried, flowering onions things, which will play right into season seven. It also brings up the "world of shrimp" again, which I always enjoy. And it is our first glimpse of Anya's past. (She'll get her own episode in season seven, "Selfless.") I also think that Willow and Tara are adorable in this episode. They're trying to make balls of sunshine and giggling about "The Cat in the Hat." The two of them are really cute together and they're totally in sync. And line for line you just don't get much funnier than Willow mocking Anya, "I like money more than people. People can so rarely be exchanged for goods and/or services." You also just have to laugh when Spike "helps" Buffy up, while none-to-subtly copping a feel. Finally, it's nice that Xander have Spike have a scene together in this episode. When Olaf asks where there are babies because he wants to eat them, Spike turns to Xander and says "What do ya think? Hospital?" Xander's incredulous "Shut-up!" is pretty hilarious.
Anya and Willow have a prickly relationship and this episode explores their different points of view. Neither of them is exactly right or wrong in "Triangle". Willow has been suspicious of Anya since "Dopplegangland" back in season three. (Where Anya accidentally brought Willow's vampire twin to Sunnydale.) And Anya is often bored with the Scoobies and has trouble dealing with the "rules" of the human world. Underlying all of Willow and Anya's disagreements, though, is their love for Xander. Willow and Xander have been together since they were children. They've always been the most important people in each other's lives. Now Xander has a real, steady girlfriend and Willow is afraid that she will lose Xander. Or that Anya will hurt Xander, since she's an ex-vengeance demon and all. (Which isn't really a far-fetched idea. See "Entropy" in season six.) Anya, on the other hand, is jealous that Willow and Xander are so close. Xander usually follow's Willow lead and they have memories that no one else is a part of. Anya also knows that Willow and Xander's relationship broke up Xander and Cordy in season three. (In fact, Anya's only in Sunnydale because Cordelia's vengeance went so wrong in "The Wish.") So, they both have legitimate fears and concerns. In "Triangle" they have to confront them and try to move on.
On the downside, is Oalf really a troll god? In "The Gift" the say that he was, but I don't hear it mentioned in this episode. Also, I do think that Anya had a point... Willow was kinna stealing those supplies.
My favorite part of the episode: Spike practicing his "apology" to the Buffy mannequin. Somehow he ends up getting into a fight with it, cursing a blue streak, beating it with a box of candy and, finally, losing the argument and having to start the apology all over again. It's one of the funniest scenes of the whole season.
