Into the Woods (Buffy episode)
Encyclopedia
"Into the Woods" is the tenth episode of season 5 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Spike
leads Buffy
to see that Riley
goes to a vampiric brothel, where humans pay vampires to suck their blood. When she confronts Riley
about it, he decides to take the military up on an offer to join a demon-hunting unit, and leaves Buffy and Sunnydale
.
's surgery, and they are all relieved when the surgery is a success. Dawn
spends the night with Xander
and Anya
so that Buffy and Riley can have some private time. With the house to themselves, Buffy and Riley spend a romantic evening together. In the middle of the night, Riley sneaks out of the house. Spike, having been on his nightly vigil, secretly follows Riley to an old building.
Buffy spends the day with her mother in the hospital discussing Joyce's wig options and Buffy's relationship with Riley. Spike wakes Buffy from sleep that night to show her what Riley has been doing. Buffy is shocked to find him in the arms of a female vampire, being fed upon. Graham has persuaded his commanding officer to seek Riley's help in destroying demons for the military. They offer Riley a position in the military's new anti-demon organization, assuring him that their group is nothing like the Initiative and they exist only to destroy demons, not study them.
Buffy and the gang go after the nest of vampires only to find the building empty. Buffy sets the building on fire, leaving her friends in the dark about what's truly bothering her. Riley is furious that Spike allowed Buffy to see the truth and after throwing the vampire around a bit, he stakes him. Fortunately for Spike, the stake is plastic and Riley's actions were only a warning. Spike maintains that Riley has no future with Buffy, and the two rivals eventually share a drink, discussing how they both love her, but she doesn't seem to return the feeling for either of them. Spike tells Riley that he is generally jealous of his position of intimacy with Buffy, although sometimes he wonders if Riley's situation is worse, being so close to Buffy while not actually having her. However, he ultimately declares that Riley has the better deal. Riley asks Spike if he really thinks he has a shot with Buffy. Spike responds in the negative, but says that a fellow's got to try - he's got to do what he can.
Buffy releases her aggressions on a punching bag in the training room until Riley shows up determined to talk to her. He tells her he started his late-night vamp activities because he wanted to know what Buffy felt when she was bitten by Dracula. Riley tells her that the vampires needed him and Buffy didn't. After Buffy tells him that she's given him everything she has, Riley says he doesn't believe her and tells her about the offer to return to the military, and that he is going to leave unless she can convince him not to.
The vampires from the nest surround a distraught Buffy as she's leaving the shop. She stakes all eight of them in record time, including the vampire who had been seen drinking from Riley. Xander witnesses the slaying and confronts Buffy, telling her he thinks that Riley has given her everything, and risked everything for her, and accuses her of treating Riley as a rebound guy and of expecting him to be 'convenient' after Angel's departure from Sunnydale
. She points out that Xander himself treats Anya as a mere convenience, but Xander pursues his point, telling her that her relationship with Riley is the kind that comes around once in a lifetime, and that she has to decide if she's really willing to lose him for good. Buffy takes off, but although she runs as fast as she can, is unable to get to the airport in time to stop Riley from leaving. The helicopter flies away with Buffy on the landing pad, calling after Riley. He stares in the other direction, leaving without knowing that she had tried to reach him.
After his talk with Buffy, Xander realizes that he needs to tell Anya how much he loves her and he does. Still shocked, Buffy returns home while Riley leaves Sunnydale, not looking back.
Spike (Buffyverse)
Spike, played by James Marsters, is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Spike is a vampire and played various roles on the shows, ranging from villain to anti-hero. For Marsters, the role as Spike began a career in science...
leads Buffy
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
to see that Riley
Riley Finn
Riley Finn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Portrayed by Marc Blucas, Riley was introduced in the 1999 season four premiere episode, "The Freshman", and Blucas was part of the series credited cast for the second part of season four...
goes to a vampiric brothel, where humans pay vampires to suck their blood. When she confronts Riley
Riley Finn
Riley Finn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Portrayed by Marc Blucas, Riley was introduced in the 1999 season four premiere episode, "The Freshman", and Blucas was part of the series credited cast for the second part of season four...
about it, he decides to take the military up on an offer to join a demon-hunting unit, and leaves Buffy and Sunnydale
Sunnydale
Sunnydale, California is the fictional setting for the U.S. television drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Series creator Joss Whedon conceived the town as a representation of a generic California city, as well as a narrative parody of the all-too-serene towns typical in traditional horror...
.
Plot synopsis
At the hospital, the Scooby Gang awaits news from the doctor about JoyceJoyce Summers
Joyce Summers is a fictional character in the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Played by Kristine Sutherland, Joyce is the mother of the main character, Buffy Summers . Joyce appears regularly from the first episode until the character's death in the fifth season episode "The...
's surgery, and they are all relieved when the surgery is a success. Dawn
Dawn Summers
Dawn Summers is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Marti Noxon and David Fury on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed by Michelle Trachtenberg. She made her debut in the premiere episode of the show's fifth season, and subsequently appeared in every...
spends the night with Xander
Xander Harris
Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as in numerous items in the series Expanded Universe, such as comic books, tie-in novels and video games...
and Anya
Anya Jenkins
Anya is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She also appears in the comic book series based on the television show. Portrayed by Emma Caulfield, the character appears as a guest star in the third and fourth seasons of the show before...
so that Buffy and Riley can have some private time. With the house to themselves, Buffy and Riley spend a romantic evening together. In the middle of the night, Riley sneaks out of the house. Spike, having been on his nightly vigil, secretly follows Riley to an old building.
Buffy spends the day with her mother in the hospital discussing Joyce's wig options and Buffy's relationship with Riley. Spike wakes Buffy from sleep that night to show her what Riley has been doing. Buffy is shocked to find him in the arms of a female vampire, being fed upon. Graham has persuaded his commanding officer to seek Riley's help in destroying demons for the military. They offer Riley a position in the military's new anti-demon organization, assuring him that their group is nothing like the Initiative and they exist only to destroy demons, not study them.
Buffy and the gang go after the nest of vampires only to find the building empty. Buffy sets the building on fire, leaving her friends in the dark about what's truly bothering her. Riley is furious that Spike allowed Buffy to see the truth and after throwing the vampire around a bit, he stakes him. Fortunately for Spike, the stake is plastic and Riley's actions were only a warning. Spike maintains that Riley has no future with Buffy, and the two rivals eventually share a drink, discussing how they both love her, but she doesn't seem to return the feeling for either of them. Spike tells Riley that he is generally jealous of his position of intimacy with Buffy, although sometimes he wonders if Riley's situation is worse, being so close to Buffy while not actually having her. However, he ultimately declares that Riley has the better deal. Riley asks Spike if he really thinks he has a shot with Buffy. Spike responds in the negative, but says that a fellow's got to try - he's got to do what he can.
Buffy releases her aggressions on a punching bag in the training room until Riley shows up determined to talk to her. He tells her he started his late-night vamp activities because he wanted to know what Buffy felt when she was bitten by Dracula. Riley tells her that the vampires needed him and Buffy didn't. After Buffy tells him that she's given him everything she has, Riley says he doesn't believe her and tells her about the offer to return to the military, and that he is going to leave unless she can convince him not to.
The vampires from the nest surround a distraught Buffy as she's leaving the shop. She stakes all eight of them in record time, including the vampire who had been seen drinking from Riley. Xander witnesses the slaying and confronts Buffy, telling her he thinks that Riley has given her everything, and risked everything for her, and accuses her of treating Riley as a rebound guy and of expecting him to be 'convenient' after Angel's departure from Sunnydale
Graduation Day (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
"Graduation Day" is the season finale of the WB Television Network's third season of the drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, consisting of the twenty-first and twenty-second episodes. They are also the fifty-fifth and fifty-sixth episodes of the show overall...
. She points out that Xander himself treats Anya as a mere convenience, but Xander pursues his point, telling her that her relationship with Riley is the kind that comes around once in a lifetime, and that she has to decide if she's really willing to lose him for good. Buffy takes off, but although she runs as fast as she can, is unable to get to the airport in time to stop Riley from leaving. The helicopter flies away with Buffy on the landing pad, calling after Riley. He stares in the other direction, leaving without knowing that she had tried to reach him.
After his talk with Buffy, Xander realizes that he needs to tell Anya how much he loves her and he does. Still shocked, Buffy returns home while Riley leaves Sunnydale, not looking back.
Production details
This was the first Buffy episode directed by executive producer Marti Noxon. Of the experience, she says "It was thrilling and it was terrifying. I thought I was going to bolt the whole time."Writing
When asked why they chose to have Riley leave Sunnydale, Joss Whedon says he tried to give Buffy a healthy relationship, but "people didn't want it. They did some great work together. But at the same time, when they were happy, it made people crazy." Marti Noxon adds, "Sunnydale romance just rarely goes well. Buffy with a boyfriend is not as interesting as Buffy in some kind of romantic strife. Riley, by his nature, was such a good and constant character that we were at risk of things getting a little dull."Dedication
This episode is dedicated to D.C. Gustafson, a member of the series' art department, who died on November 4, 2000. He was a close friend of Sarah Michelle Gellar.Arc significance
- This episode marks both the end of Buffy and Riley's relationship and Riley's last appearance as a series regular. He reappears in the Season Six episode "As You WereAs You Were (Buffy episode)"As You Were" is the fifteenth episode of season 6 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot synopsis:On the way home from work, Buffy is attacked by a vampire, but the smell of Doublemeat Palace makes him lose his appetite; Buffy stakes him all the same. At home, Buffy finds Spike...
" and again in the Season EightBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season EightBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. The series serves as a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and follows the events of that show's final televised season. It is produced by Joss Whedon, who wrote the...
comic Time of Your LifeTime of Your Life (Buffy comic)"Time of Your Life" is the fourth story arc that spreads from the sixteenth to the nineteenth issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a continuation of the television series of the same name...
as a minion of Twilight. - Last appearance of Graham Miller (Bailey ChaseBailey ChaseBailey Chase is a stage and television actor known for his role as Butch Ada in the television series Saving Grace, his recurring roles as Graham Miller in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Christopher "Chris" Robert Hughes in the soap opera As the World Turns and Beckett 'Becks' Scott on Ugly...
). - Xander and Anya's relationship is cemented as something more than just a high school romance.
- This episode depicts a vampire variation of a crack houseCrack houseCrack house is a term mainly used in the United States used to describe an old, often abandoned or burnt-out building often in an inner-city neighborhood where drug dealers and drug users buy, sell, produce, and use illegal drugs, including, but not limited to, crack cocaine.In the 1980s, inner...
, in which humans allow vampires to partially feed upon them in exchange for the "high" the experience provides humans; Sunnydale's seamier side would receive more attention in the form of magic drug dealer RackWrecked (Buffy episode)"Wrecked" is the 10th episode of season 6 of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot synopsis:Tara and Dawn wake on the couch and find that neither Buffy nor Willow returned home the night before. Buffy wakes up naked with Spike to find that the building around them fell down as she...
and his operations in Season Six. An even more extreme version is seen in Los Angeles in ReleaseRelease (Angel episode)"Release" is episode 14 of season four in the television show Angel.-Plot:As a battered and bloodied Faith recovers at Wesley's apartment after her showdown with the Beast, they wonder why Angelus would suddenly kill the Beast and allow the sun to return to Los Angeles...
, where humans get "high" on drugs and then allow vampires to partially feed upon them, heightening the effect for both humans and vampires.
External links
- "Into the Woods" at BuffyGuide.com