Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 3, Episode 8 Review: Lovers Walk

Lovers Walk
Original Airdate: November 24, 1998
Writer: Dan Vebber
Director: David Semel

Most of the loose ends from last season have been tied up in the first third of this one with one big exception. Spike snuck out of Buffy and Angel’s fateful duel, speeding off with his unconscious beau Drusilla. Obviously he survived for a reason. Spike has a devoted following, so much so that his image is on one of the DVDs for this season despite being in only one episode (and said DVD doesn’t contain it). However, there had to be more to his return than satisfying the fans. So leave it to Spike to breeze into town, make a huge emotional mess, and leave with his old attitude back, while leaving the door open for another comeback later.

It’s apparent in Spike’s return, echoing his arrival in “School Hard”, that he is a different vampire. Smashing through the “Welcome to Sunnydale” sign now doesn’t mean that he’s a bad boy, but that he was too drunk to drive. Fans may have had cause for concern, as they wouldn’t want to see Spike moping the entire episode. However, they mine great comedy out of this, like him sobbing over a park bench where they killed a homeless man. It also serves as a contrast to Angel and Buffy’s relationship: they want him to get over his heartbreak, but they’re oblivious to their own problems with love. All three have a big moment of realization during this: Spike realizing he’s “gone soft” and needs to be tough to get Drusilla back and Angel and Buffy realize they’re fooling themselves.

Of course his initial target is Angel. Through the second part of last season Angelus continually teased the physically impotent Spike while charming Drusilla. It ultimately created the chain of events that caused him to side with Buffy which destroyed his relationship with Drusilla. Until he gets to the magic shop, he seems more like the guy who gets wasted, talks big about revenge and ultimately does nothing. However, it’s Spike’s desire to curse Angel with leprosy that leads him on a collision course with Willow, where he becomes the catalyst for the breakdowns of three major relationships.

Meanwhile, Xander and Willow’s stolen moments have become increasingly obvious. It couldn’t keep it going much longer without everyone else coming off as superbly ignorant. Willow tries to fight those hormones by attempting a “de-lusting” spell. While Xander’s tried it before (nice callback), this episode is the first time Willow’s used magic to simplify her life, a theme that will be explored heavily in future seasons. However, the spells in this episode are merely a device to get Spike involved in the main story and place Xander and Willow in a high peril situation where they express themselves and are discovered in the worst manner possible.

This happens as Cordelia and Oz’s gestures show commitment to their relationships. Cordelia has to deal with the pressures of high school politics, where she’s gotten plenty of flack from her friends for dating a “loser” like Xander. Displaying photos of them in her locker shows that her feelings for Xander have overcome peer pressure. Oz on the other hand, is known for being so relaxed and nonchalant that putting his feelings out there is noteworthy. Because he’s so protective of his emotions, Oz is likely the more hurt of the two.

However, the key development is Buffy and Angel realizing that they don’t have a future together. It starts with Buffy’s SATs. Despite being expelled, suspended and reprimanded for violent behavior, Buffy’s high score offers enormous promise of life outside Sunnydale. For the first time Buffy has the opportunity to live a normal life of “keg parties and boys”, what she’s always wanted. Faith, albeit a ticking time bomb, can substitute for Buffy at the Hellmouth while she studies. Buffy simply isn’t used to thinking about having a future; she slays and that calling carries a short life expectancy. It’s like the cliché of the small town person who thinks they’ll never leave it, but is given a huge opportunity. Blowing it off is fitting for her character, as if she’s expecting the rug to be pulled out, and considering there are a little more than 100 episodes left in the series, it’s warranted.

Although she has every reason to go, she’s still divided with Angel. It’s very much allegorical for teens’ indecisiveness over their post-high school plans because of a boyfriend or girlfriend and how siding with the boyfriend or girlfriend is usually regrettable. Angel wisely advises her not to decide because of him. Obviously the set up for Angel’s departure into his series starts on this arc on the doomed relationship.

Before they realize their relationship has no future, they spend most of the episode continuing to believe they can be friends after all. With the exception of the intervention, Buffy’s friends are content to have her believe it as well, but Spike sees otherwise. He’s right to recall the last time he saw them, as it seems they forgot that they were fighting to the death with the world as the prize. After all that has happened, how can they go back to being friends? Simple answer is that they can’t, and Spike is the only one who can tell them that.

In the heat of all that happened in “Becoming”, it’d be easy to forget that Buffy willingly invited Spike into her home and so far this season, failed to rescind that or reinvite Angel after his soul was restored. The way they dealt with that conundrum is the funniest moment of the episode, where Spike taunts the “bad man” Angel while mockingly posing as if to bite her outside her eyesight. Despite this, they never do get around to rescinding that invite.

The Spike and Joyce friendship really could’ve been forced and absurd, but it somehow works: the suburban single mom and the European mass murderer commiserating over hot chocolate with marshmallows. Joyce has to be the mother to the heartsick Spike, and he, despite his nature to kill humans, is happy to have to someone to talk to.

Spike’s return gets on the Mayor’s radar and what he’s planning is too important for Spike to mess up, despite him enjoying (and the deputy dreading) Spike’s exploits last season. This short scene, in addition to adding the conflict where Spike, Angel and Buffy fight Spike’s former flunkies (now the Mayor’s), offers some insight into how the Mayor perceives outside demons and vampires. So, if he was aware of Spike, what else did he know and did he attempt to intervene off camera?

The only part of this episode that doesn’t work is Cordelia’s impalement. When it first aired, it might’ve provided a brief shock when they cut to the funeral, then Willow & Buffy, who just happen to be walking past it, explaining that Cordelia’s OK. Now, it comes off as a cheap way to get a rise out of the audience. Everything up to it does help make the situation where Xander and Willow are exposed more uncomfortable.

This episode is the best so far this season. It’s essentially the second part of the end of the introductory phase and it ends messily. Faith became jaded by the group and Angel’s return raised tensions last episode, and now all the romantic relationships are in ruins. Spike’s return could’ve been just a bone thrown to the fans, but it provides valuable character development on top of being really entertaining.

Overall Score: 9/10