Into the Woods

Wow. She got all six vampires with one stick, some in mid-air. In the wake of Mom's good news, Buffy and Riley seem to get along well. But we've known all along that he was just a convenience for her. Her life is so wrapped up in things we could never appreciate that unless the guy was supernatural, she can't connect. This is her reality but it doesn't really make for much real love and romance. I guess he really is an addict. After a night with Buffy, he feels the need to go to that awful place and get his blood sucked (am i really writing this?). Maybe he is a bit on the bland side, but he served as a kind of ground. I'll be interested to see what happens next.

And the only way I know it's Christmas is The Magic Box having signage about Christmas sales all over the store.

This is the point where Buffy begins losing lots of things that mean something to her, starting with Riley Finn. As Spike says, Buffy has always liked a bit of monster in her man, and deep-down Riley has always felt like rebound guy mainly because that is what he has been. This is driven home to him when Buffy doesn't even tell him about her mother going into the hospital.

Riley has been going to what is basically a "vampire house of prostitution" in which humans willingly submit to be bitten by female vamps in order to get a kind of rush. Spike discovers this, brings Buffy to see this for herself, and is surprised that Buffy seems as angry with him for her iconoclastic moment as she is with Riley.

Meanwhile, Riley has been offered a chance to get back into the military - not the initiative - but he has to leave at midnight if he wants back in. Complications ensue.

I never cared for Riley. He just seemed like too much of a boy scout and automaton to the point that I'm not sure he wouldn't have preferred the Buffybot once it appears on the scene.

There's a good scene between Xander and Buffy towards the end, and it shows that Xander has finally embraced his role as friend and moved on from being the high school boy that crushes on Buffy and blames whoever she happens to be with as the reason she does not reciprocate. Good acting from Nicholas Brendon.

This is a good but bleak episode, but then that's Christmas on the Hellmouth.

After the surgery of Joyce, the surgeon tells Buffy, Dawn, Riley, Giles, Willow and Xander that the procedure was successful and the brain tumor had been totally removed, and Joyce would stay in the hospital for observation. While Anya and Xander lodge Dawn, Buffy and Riley spend the night together in her house. However, the snoopy Spike sees Riley leaving Buffy's place in the night while stalking her, and finds that Riley is addicted in vampire bite in a junkie nest where people pay to be bitten by vampires. He discloses the truth to Buffy, and she breaks with Riley after and argument. When the Initiative invites Riley to go to an operation in Belize, he gives an ultimatum to Buffy about the future of their relationship.

This episode is certainly the weakest of the Fifth Season and one of the worst of Buffy series. The explanation of Riley is shamefully ridiculous; Dawn is still and very annoying character; Xander giving advice to Buffy is weird; and in the end, Anya saves the show with her greeting: "- Have a nice day. Don't get bitten." But I was totally bored with this silly show. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Na Floresta" ("In the Forest")

I wouldn't say this is one of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's top 5 episodes: but the acting towards the end is 10 out of 10.

Pros: Some of the photography, scene music, dialogue, and acting is just incredible here! The message throughout this episode is: Nobody is perfect. Seeing Riley get caught at that vamp nest was surprising! Plus Spike with his sly remark afterwards lol.

During the Buffy and Riley brake up scene: This is pretty much Sarah & Mark's peak acting. The dialogue is so good here. It's actually one of the more stronger acted scenes through out the whole show! Afterwards another strong acted scene with Xander.

Seeing Riley takeoff in the helicopter, buffy walk through the streets: so melodramatic! Grate😀. The photography & and music was incredible here. Then their final scene: A photography shot of Buffy on her house stairway sad. Which fades to Riley in the helicopter, with his hair blowing through the wind wow! The scene music is so good here!

Cons: The first half of the episode is not that relevant to what the episode is about. It's like their is two topics going on!

Overall: I really felt the 2nd half of this episode. It really shows that no man or woman is perfect. Through life we search for Mrs or Mr right but not even they are perfect. Figuring this out is a fight for Buffy, (and most people at this age). Unfortunately she loses this fight. I remeber seeing this episode airing on Skyone channel back in the day. I have to say, it still holds up. The topic is more for mature people but still good. Grate acting, and production.

Why on earth did they paint Buffy as the irrational one here? Her boyfriend's fragile masculinity gets bruised, and suddenly he's getting off on vampires biting him, literally seeking out the high and release he clearly isn't getting elsewhere. But somehow, she's the problem for not sensing his pathetic need for validation? And then there's Xander, swooping in with his insufferable "wise talk," acting like he's delivering some profound truth. It tracks for him, though. Always ready to hand out bad advice from his high horse. But the worst part? The show actually frames him as the voice of reason, like he's the one who truly understands Buffy. Absolutely laughable.