Buffy The Vampire Slayer "The Yoko Factor" 4x20 Reaction

Agreed this has been building for a LONG time and Spike has been witness to a lot of it. And I agree about Giles' increased alcohol intake this season but it was set up as far back as season 2. He immediately turned to whisky in Dark Age. He pretty much takes himself out of the game with a lack of sleep/alcohol combo to the point where Buffy tells him to stay home while she sorts it out. It's dumb but it's one of his flaws. It's a pattern that I think he's had since at least the let's-avoid-being-a-watcher-by-getting-out-of-my-skull-on-magic/drugs/drink/demons episode in his 20's.

R J Walker (FumblesMcStupid)

They definitely needed the scene with angel in the hallway because they were angry with each other and they were able to talk it out laugh and part on good terms.

TheMew

yes absolutely they were building it up to this point the whole season. that was the point they were growing apart and spike split them like yoko.

TheMew

I just sat to watch the s4 ep21 reaction, and you said again at the start about it seeming to come from nowhere when giles was drinking and the scoobies were fighting and believing Spike. But to me, there was a tonne of build up. In episode 1, Buffy felt lost and out of place compared to Willow and Oz. Giles is no longer a paid watcher and isn't working at the school. He has no job, no place, and with the scoobies at college and working, he has been kept out of the loop, feeling useless - this was emphasised most in 'New Man'. Xander has had several low paying jobs, and mentions how at a loose end he is, how he feels left out with Willow and Buffy at college. Willow hide Tara from the gang, and was feeling left out by Buffy when Oz left and Buffy started dating Riley. And Buffy has been ignoring and leaving everyone out. Spike has been shown several times in the show to be good at seeing to the heart of things. He watches and understands, and knows just how to press people's buttons - to pick on their insecurities and pull them out. It's not an all-out lie, and its worries the individuals have already... and that's why it is so easy for them to believe his words and get upset with each other. Giles has been drinking more throughout this season, and drunk Giles is hilarious lol.

Holi117

i loved getting to see Riley get a beating and looking/ acting like a twat lol. What a loser. Automatically assuming Buffy ran off to LA to sleep with Angel, turning him bad. Blaming it on her that he is insecure with the nonsense 'i love you so much I can't think straight.' blergh.

Holi117

Willow Said she wanted to help in the good fight against evil, I don’t think she ment physically fight, she helps best doing what no one Else is equally good at, and ahe can’t help if she is dead!

Mariella Nilsson

I suspect the issue there is doing many different shows - more difficult to focus when you have so many stories in your head all at once.

Hazel Angus

I think you've missed a lot of the build-up this season with Willow, Giles and Xander. Everything was there, especially for Giles.

Hans Olav

Forrest was killed just a minute ago though, she is extra careful.

Hans Olav

It's so annoying, Willow told Buffy at the end of season 3 that she wants to go school here, she wants to fight, Buffy was all up for it and now she just uses her for computer and witch "stuff" She needs to be out on the field with her a bit, it'll help her grow as a warrior witch, the Xander stuff I get, he isn't a warrior, he does have other strengths though. And the Giles stuff just makes me sad, she should be training, she needs to get the Slayer handbook, get all that kendra knowledge :}

Tarot Discombe

Oh God! That song of Giles', I had no idea it was so relevant to what's to come :/ Maybe that's why he's singing, he's feeling all melancholic about not being considered useful.

Tarot Discombe

They haven't had sex, that scene was a metaphor for sex but not that they had it just that the feeling is there, it was just meant to be about the trust they have and that it's okay for her to have these feelings, and how powerful magic can get, and to show that Tara is more of a white witch than neutral (like Willow) or dark. They may have had sex after Tara blew out the candle though, the symbolism does make it seem so.

Tarot Discombe

I was pleasantly surprised back then as well when Willow finally said Tara was her girlfriend. For those of us who are gay we of course wanted more, but I think we were, dare I say, “grateful” that any kind of gay character was represented at all😩😊

Other Boy Reactions

I thought the scene where the core group argues was some good comedy, maybe that's just me. I do think the crossovers are getting old though with the exception of the Faith four episode arc. When you watch these older shows you have to approach them from the angle of the time period. Sure, today, it seems odd to use magic as a metaphor for sex but in 1999-2000, most networks were still nervous about allowing more blunt depictions of gay relationships especially a fairly new network (The WB) trying to grab as many viewers as possible to stay afloat. Honestly, I was surprised they allowed Willow to call Tara her girlfriend on this episode.

TheyCallMeJeff

This episode has one of my favorite lines ever that I quote whenever i get a chance: "you two are the two who are the two!"

Ashley

Giles is drowning his sorrows because he has no job, feels useless and has nothing to do. Xander is poor, doesn’t have the means to get a college education like the others leaving him to only do minimum wage jobs and he’s insecure about that which is understandable. All of the scoobies’ insecurities are explored in this episode which makes it fun to watch imo.

Other Boy Reactions

Thank you! this is exactly why I love this episode :D It is wrapping up the bits of hints we have seen throughout the whole season, with them drifting apart. It is finally addressing it, as you write. I also love how Anya and Tara step aside, because they are not fully apart of the gang and are still on the sideline to even be apart of the discussing.

Hanne-Marie Pedersen

....also can't totally hate an episode that kills off Forest :D

SpikesEcho

The Angel/Riley stuff is thrown in there for Bangle fans....but it's supremely dumb and a huge waste of a crossover. Though it does an excellent job of exposing some of the worst traits of those characters...Angel's penchant for being an alpha-asshole, and Riley's immense insecurities. They both just kinda suck. Like Buffy said, a lot of testosterone-poisoning. It's not a great episode at all, though I do love all of Anya, Spike, Giles, and the comedic beats in the final scene.

SpikesEcho

I think the last minute changes with the actress who played Maggie and Seth Green leaving they rewrote the end of the season in a rush. And this episode suffered.

This is one of my fav. episodes this season. Spike's brilliant manipulation, exposing everyone's insecurities. Angel and Riley going head to head - that was sweet and satisfying for a Bangel fan! Don't understand why their fight was confusing: soldiers attacked Angel, since they go after all creatures; Riley came in and Angel thought Riley was gunning after him. And given a chance to show your ex's new boyfriend how weak he is - that was just too sweet an opportunity for Angel to pass and he threw Riley around. This episode, to me, was fast paced and interesting.

Scarlett Monrow

Why did the Initiative go after Angel? It was established earlier in the series that they can read body temps to detect a vampire....which would kind of constitute a vampire detector of sorts.

SweetSummit

I feel like the writers had Buffy and Angel both act out of character on each other’s shows on purpose because they are sick of Bangel shippers wanting the romance to continue through crossovers. I like the idea of this episode, Spike messing with everyone and all the characters fighting. I think they just tried to cram too much into one episode and a lot of it wasn’t executed well.

Karissa Edie

Yeah. I wish they would have had him say it when she was more a minute down the steps. He could easily have caught up with her to apologize if he knew that was what he was going to do already.

Karissa Edie

They also "spoiled" Buffy's appearance in the last Angel episode. It's just that in that moment you were not looking at the credits and thus missed it until your prediction literally came true.

DJ Doena

Can you do dogfights history channel, yes I’m the same guy that’s been recommending this on your YouTube for like 4 months

if you ever get to see the AfterShow Reacts "FoRiley" video she goes into it in hilarious fashion

o

They didn't want to come out all the way with Willow and Terra yet they have that whole Forrest loves Riley and is super jealous of Buffy sub plot...

Ari is my Cat

We the viewer imply they have had sex, what would constitute sex outside of the realm of magic did not occur until Tara blew out the candle after Willow, told her, she would make it up to her starting right now 4x19. In the realm of magic, what they did together would/could be described as a sexual relationship (they were "fooling around with magic" and it took way more trust on both parts) it was to put the focus on us and what at the time what we prescribed as "sex". One of the Show-Runners was raised by (2) mothers and this was to show the confusion of all of her friends about how her "mother's" relationship worked, which they thought was "magical" and she thought was just people in a relationship, in a family. That was the line they had to tread at the time, because gay relationships at this time were a "Hollywood Trope".

o

This is why the Slayer-Guide was written the way it was. On Angel 1x17 - 1x19 took place over the course of 8-10 days. On Buffy 4x15 - 4x20 took place during those same 8-10 days. Adam has only been on the loose for a shade over (2) weeks at this point and time. I still don't understand the Riley/Angel fight, it is something that should have been handled completely different in my opinion but goes with the thought that there are few good Father Figure characters in the Buffy Universe so with Giles not being around, there is no one to teach people how to behave like an Adult male.

o

Angel said last episode that he was gonna go after Buffy.

homoerotic 80s volleyball scene personified

So this is actually one of my favorite episodes of the season. It’s kind of just showing how much everything has changed since they all left high school and the inevitable drifting apart that comes with that. It was easy for Spike to come in and get them apart because it’s painfully obvious just how separated they all are. Giles has nothing better to do than to sit around singing. He has no job and is often the last to find out crucial information about the current bad guy/ the scoobie group in general. Same thing pretty much applies to Xander just because he’s doing his own thing with Anya and working so he’s a bit sidelined and feels that distance. Willow had been trying to hang in with Buffy for awhile, but she’s right: between Riley, the Initiative and slaying, Buffy hasn’t been at the dorm much in general, let alone spending much time with Willow or anyone else. The sciobie gang is hardly even a thing at this point land it hadn’t been addressed. I love that the show shined a light on that fact. On the other hand, I’m with you about the Angel bit. I think it was a poor plot device to get him and Riley to meet, but it did also drive a small wedge between Buffy and Riley and helped ensure that Buffy would end up going alone to face Adam and it just dawned on me how big a difference this is from the end of last season where she was fighting with all the seniors on graduation day. This episode despite it’s Angel/ Riley issue does a great job of showing how fragmented the group is and also Adam’s strength. Buffy will need to find a way to come together because she is actually stronger with her friends. Anyway, thanks for the reaction 😀

DaphneQueen