Writer:

Tracey Forbes

Director:

David Solomon

Regulars:

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers

Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris

Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg

Marc Blucas as Riley Finn

James Marsters as Spike

Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles

Guest Stars:

Emma Caulfield as Anya

Amber Benson as Tara

Leonard Roberts as Forrest Gates

Bailey Chase as Graham Miller

Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. Holt

Cast:

Casey McCarthy as Julie

Neil Daly as Mason

Jeff Wilson as Evan

Bryan Cuprill as Roy

Jeffrey Sharmay as Drowning Boy

Jeri Austin as Running Girl

Danielle Pessis as Christie

David Engler as Initiative Guy

James Michael Conner as Scientist

The pent-up sexual tension from the children who where repressed at Lowell by Mrs. Holt manifested itself in what would usually be classified as a poltergeist ("noisy spirit"). In paranormal sightings of poltergeists, there usually aren't physical manifestations, but usually pots and pans, books, or other small items moving violently on their own accord. Some paranormal researchers believe that poltergeists are actually caused by someone in the house with high stress or tension who unknowingly control the objects telekinetically. It is thought that more often than not, the "owner" of the poltergeist is a woman going through puberty, beginning to grapple the stress of womanhood.

Anonymous Demon

Stabbed by Buffy in a cemetery.

Anonymous Vampire

Staked by Riley in a cemetery.

Total: Two

Anya: Oh now, come on! You're not even bumpy anymore.
Spike (feeling his forehead): Oh. I was just a minute ago. Hang on, get me mad again.

Anya: I'm just trying to tell you that we have nothing in common besides both of us liking your penis, and now I don't even have that!

More quotes from this episode...

• Where the Wild Things Are

This episode shares a title with the children's book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. It is about a young boy named Max who gets sent to his room without supper and imagines that his room turns into a magical forest inhabited by monsters which take him to be their king.

• Buffy: "Who says we can't all get along?"

Rodney King, a black motorist, was pulled over by L.A. police and beaten by four white police offers on March 3, 1991, with the whole ordeal being caught on videotape. When the police officers were acquitted of police brutality in 1992, it caused riots throughout L.A. In a press conference, King pleaded for the riots to stop: "People, I just want to say, you know, can we, can we all get along?" The plea is most often quoted as, "Can't we all just get along?", and it became something of a catchphrase, which this may be a reference to.

• Buffy (regarding the demon and vampire working as a team): "Everything except giving each other little pats on the behind."

In many sports (especially football), guys have the mysterious custom of patting a teammate's butt to wish them luck.

• Tara (about Adam): "So he's um, bridging the gap between the races."
  Willow: "Huh. Like Martin Luther King."

Martin Luther King, Jr. is perhaps the single most famous civil rights leader. His national prominence was gained by leading a year-long boycott, from 1955-56, of the segregated buses in Montgomery, Alabama. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and was assassinated in 1968.

• Graham (about Buffy and Riley): "Slaves to the rhythm."

This is likely a reference to the 1985 Grace Jones' song "Slave to the Rhythm."

• Xander: "There's ghosts, and shaking, and people are going all Felicity with their hair."

Felicity is another teen drama on the WB starring Keri Russell as Felicity. In a shock at the beginning of this season, she cut off her infamously long, curly, thick hair.

• Mrs. Holt: "I'd see them preening like Jezebel, doting over their pretty hair."

According to the Old Testament, Jezebel was a heathen princess who encouraged the worship of idols and married Ahab, the King of Israel. Her name became synonymous with a wicked woman, for reasons that we can't really connect.

• Xander: "... It doesn't mean that we rebound with the Evil Undead."

This could be a reference to the 1982 Sam Raimi movie The Evil Dead, about a group of five students who come across The Book of the Dead and a taped translation which unleashes powerful forces that turn four of them into zombies.

• The Wish

  Yet another reference to the fact that Anya is an ex-demon.

• The Initiative

  At the party, Xander tries to draw attention to the fact that Spike is Hostile 17 — the Initiative caught Spike in Wild at Heart, but he escaped in "The Initiative" (which is also when the term Hostile 17 was first heard).

• Fear, Itself

  Xander wonders if every UCSD frat house is haunted, referring to the last frat party they went to, at which a fear demon trapped them in the frat house and fed on their fears.

• Considering that a vine shot straight through Anya's hand, she sure doesn't seem to be treating it very tenderly at all afterwards.

• When Spike convinces himself that he doesn't want to go into Lowell house to save Buffy and Riley, his reflection can be seen first in the window and then, even more clearly, in the glass door.

• Anya mentions that they've only skipped sex on two nights, which could be when Spike stayed over at Xander's in "Hush" and the night the whole group stayed at his place in "Goodbye Iowa." (This is in Notes and not Continuity mainly because there's no way to no for sure — they could have gone elsewhere on those occasions — and because it wasn't a direct reference.)

• At least some of the condoms in the drawer appear to be the brand Durex. This is the first time condoms have been shown on the show, though Anya mentioned them in "The Harsh Light of Day."

• Willow had "a bad birthday party pony thing" when she was four years old, leaving her a bit fearful of both ponies and horses.

• A student at the party is wearing a UC Sunnydale sweatshirt — way to go wardrobe department! It reads: "Property of UC [sun] D Athletic Dept."

• Lowell House used to be the Lowell Home for Children, from 1949 to 1960.

• Graham got a D in Covert Operations.

• Willow says that she used to have a crush on Giles. Interestingly, in "I, Robot... You, Jane," a photo of her and Giles could be seen stuck to her locker door.

• Anthony Stewart Head - "Behind Blue Eyes" (Unreleased)
  Anthony Stewart Head (Giles) performs this song, at The Espresso Pump when the gang meets up with him. The song is originally by The Who, written by Pete Townshend in 1971, and was first included on the 1971 album Who's Next.
  
  
• Face to Face - "The Devil You Know (God is a Man)" (From the BtVS Soundtrack, TVT Records, 1999; and Ignorance is Bliss, BMG, 1999)
  This songs is playing in the background of the party when Willow and Tara are talking on the stairs.

Jeremy:

Overall this was a good episode, but it didn't really have any bang for me, besides having some great humor. It too seemed like a rehash to me, much like the way I felt about "Fear Itself." It seemed like "Fear Itself" with a few key plot elements changed around. I still enjoyed the episode, much like I still enjoyed "Fear Itself," despite it too being an amalgam of past episodes. Xander as the hero was a welcome change to this episode, given his underusedness (yes, I know that isn't a real word, but leave me alone, I'm tired) this season, and with Anya by his side it was even more wonderful (and yes, I know that sounds cheesy, but I'm still tired). Anywho, enough of my incoherent ramblings before they become, well, even more incoherent and rambly.(7/10)

Jamie Marie:

That was a fun little ride. I'm not gonna lie to ya — I don't think I have a whole lot to say at the moment. It's ironic how doing this site leaves me with so little time to actually form coherent thoughts about an episode. At any rate, it was enjoyable and fluffy; a nice way to spend an hour on Tuesday night. And hey, shirtless Riley is always a bonus. ;-) Oh, and condoms! That was a nice surprise — and it was painless, now wasn't it? Of course, being fluffy means that though the ep. leaves me satisfied, it doesn't leave me overwhelmed in any way. Which is also nice, in its own way. (8/10)