Buffy S5e10 "Into the Woods"

Hospital Wigs and Imminent Heartbreaks

Joyce's medical scare provided a unifying crisis for all the characters, temporarily putting personal issues on the backburner. But as life begins to regain a semblance of normalcy, these suppressed matters surface with full force. Joyce's successful surgery gives everyone permission to exhale, yet it also acts as a catalyst for unraveling relationships, especially between Buffy and Riley. Also Zaddy Giles makes an appearance; dusting off the leather jacket for Joyce.

The Dark Corners of Romance

The scene where Buffy and Riley share a romantic evening is fraught with an undeniable tension. Emiliana Torrini's "Summerbreeze" adds an pretty bland, melancholy soundtrack to the atmosphere, contrasting sharply with the fiery dynamics of a BuffAngel scene we might remember. The dialogue between Buffy and Riley is so charged with unspoken issues that each line seems like a laborious dance around what both are unwilling to confront. I had to pause to cringe five times.

The stark juxtaposition of Buffy and Riley's apparent intimacy with Spike's lurking presence builds a sense of foreboding . When Riley leaves to engage in a dark, self-destructive ritual at a vampire club, it becomes evident that we are being set up for everything to come to ahead.

The evening has become a microcosm of larger relationship woes—on the surface, all seems well, but dangerous undercurrents are pulling each character in diverging directions. Spike here is the embodiment of outside complications. He’s pretty creepy here once again skulking in the shadows, consumed by a jealousy that gnaws at him as he watches them from afar. Spike soon intrudes to reveal Riley’s secret.

Masks Off: The Emotional Reveal

When Joyce raised the question of spending time with Riley, Buffy's casual response indicated that she may be taking her relationship for granted. Thanks to Spike’s unintentional espionage, she discovers Riley’s seedy secret which would have been more than enough reason to pull the plug. Yet, the revelation leaves nobody triumphant. Not even Spike, who assumed his discovery would push Buffy toward him. Buffy’s disgust at Riley’s nasty lair is palpable.

Rejoining Old Battles and Facing New Ones

Riley's old comrades turn up with an offer to rejoin the army, complicating the emotional battlefield. Buffy, still reeling from Riley's betrayal, finds herself grappling with her own reactions. When the existence of 'consenting vampires' is brought up, it challenges her typical rigid outlook and leads to her burning down the vamp house, Lisa ‘Left-Eye’ style.

This episode serves as an emotional pressure cooker for every character involved, culminating in confrontations that are as inevitable as they are uncomfortable. Riley finds himself at a crossroads, and Buffy also grapples with the moral and emotional ramifications of what Riley has done. She's so consumed by anger and betrayal that her usual consultative approach with her friends takes a back seat. Giles' logical appeal to focus on "less ambiguous evil" falls on deaf ears.

Is it a pressure cooker or perhaps a cauldron of emotional volatility? While Buffy and Riley are the focus, Willow and Anya engage in a verbal duel, reflecting some elevated tensions.

Anya: "I'm sorry, Willow. Thank you for making time in your busy life to come in here and get in the way of mine."

Xander: "Anya, play nice."

Anya: "You know, fine, take her side instead of mine even though I'm the one who sleeps with you, and feeds you, bathes you..."

Willow: "She bathes you?"

Xander: "Only in an erotic, Penthouse-y way. Not in a sponge-bath-y, geriatric sort of..."

Giles: "Please. Stop, I beg of you."

The undercurrent of hostility pervades even the seemingly unrelated disputes, like Willow and Anya's tense exchange. Each interaction seems tinged with an unsaid recognition that things are falling apart.

Spr-ily

When Riley stabs Spike with a fake stake—an object symbolic of his unfulfilled wish to take decisive action—the unexpected heart-to-heart only serves to magnify his doubts about his relationship with Buffy.

The only brief moment of clarity comes when Spike and Riley have an unlikely heart-to-heart, revealing the common vulnerability they share. I think the throuple potential here would have solved a lot of problems. It takes a village to meet Riley’s vast void of self.

Spike: "Sometimes I envy you so much it chokes me. And sometimes I think I got the better deal. To be that close to her and not have her. To be all alone even when you're holding her. Feeling her, feeling her beneath you. Surrounding you. The scent... No, you got the better deal."

No Spell for This

Back in the magic store, where characters usually find solutions and spells to overcome supernatural challenges, Buffy and Riley are left with no magic strong enough to mend their fractures. In this emotionally fraught moment, Buffy's fury is fueled by disbelief and betrayal. When Riley discloses his secrets, he attempts to frame them as necessary truths, but they land as anything but comforting for Buffy. The show was hinting that he needed to be needed all season long. The payoff was to say it out loud like this and have be completely oblivious to getting the sick need for validation pay off in paying vampires to drink his blood. He will settle for being food.

What Riley portrays as a "new job opportunity" and his involvement in a dark, forbidden world comes off more like a series of excuses and justifications. His attempt at apology gets entangled with blame, turning the conversation into a minefield of accusations and hurt feelings. For Buffy, who already grapples with her complex identity as a Slayer and her yearning for genuine emotional connection, Riley's revelations exacerbate her emotional turmoil. His words, meant to be explanatory, only deepen her sense of alienation and add layers of complexity to an already struggling relationship. It's a breakdown in communication where both parties talk but neither feels heard, pushing them further away from any semblance of reconciliation.

Problemander

Xander's speech in this moment is indeed a blend of conflicting signals that reflect not only on his relationship with Buffy but also on how societal norms regarding gender dynamics seep into personal interactions. On one hand, Xander seems to get Riley's perspective more than Buffy does, prompting him to provide advice that, in his view, might save her relationship. But the manner in which he does so leaves much to be desired. It pivots the blame onto Buffy, subtly implying that she should accommodate Riley's flaws and insecurities, thereby perpetuating a sexist notion that it's the woman's role to "fix" a relationship. His advice seems to shift based on whom he empathizes with more at the moment.

Xander: "You missed the point. You shut down, Buffy. And you've been treating Riley like the rebound guy. When he's the one that comes along once in a lifetime. He's never held back with you. He's risked everything. And you're about to let him fly because you don't like ultimatums? If he's not the guy, if what he needs from you just isn't there, let him go. Break his heart, and make it a clean break. But if you really think you can love this guy... I'm talking scary, messy, no-emotions-barred need... If you're ready for that... Then think about what you're about to lose."

What makes his advice even more contentious is the urgency he attaches to it, influenced by Riley's departing helicopter but also adding a layer of pressure onto Buffy. Yet, despite the flaws in his approach, Xander's intent seems rooted in a genuine concern for Buffy's happiness. He's evolved from withholding crucial information to encouraging Buffy to take active steps in her love life—even if his advice comes wrapped in problematic packaging.

Goodnight Bland Prince

Xander's decision to leave with Anya symbolizes the crew's collective decision to step back, allowing the couple to confront their issues. By the end, the episode leaves you feeling as if every character has ventured into an emotional minefield, each step bringing them closer to an explosion they can neither prevent nor predict.

Realism in a Fantasy World

For a show dealing with vampires and demons, 'Into the Woods' surprisingly resonates with its human (or not-so-human) struggles. From love issues held back during Joyce’s illness to the sudden emotional dump after the crisis, the episode echoes life's unpredictability.

The Final Goodbye

Despite the love that might still exist between them, Riley leaves. The helicopter's convenient timing might be fictional, but the sudden need to make a monumental decision is not. Relationships are complicated, and while Riley might not have been the 'long-haul guy,' his departure leaves both him and Buffy grappling with newfound solitude.