Listening to Fear

While Buffy and Dawn stay with Joyce in the hospital, Giles, Willow and Xander patrol the cemetery chasing vampires and Riley continues in his process of transformation in a vampire. Later, while watching the stars, Tara and Willow see a meteor crashing nearby Sunnydale. The Scooby group realizes that a demon called Queller has just landed on Earth. Joyce returns home since her surgery will occur only two days after, and the Queller arrives in the hospital attacking crazy people. Due to the compression of the tumor to her brain, Joyce acts strange having hallucinations, but she also sees the truth about Dawn and makes Buffy promise that she will take care of Dawn if she dies in the surgery. When the Queller arrives at Joyce's home chasing her, Buffy fights with it to save Joyce and Dawn.

In this episode, a demon with appearance of an insect is summoned by Ben to destroy the people that Glory sucked the brain, but his motives are not disclosed. Dawn is still an annoying character, and Willow gives the best lines of the episode with her tiny, young, woman and Jewish Santa Claus. Spike, as usual, is also hilarious snooping into Buffy's house fool for love for her, being startled with her presence. I am curious with the behavior of Riley, being constantly bitten and sucked by female vampires, and who is Ben. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Ouvindo o Medo" ("Listening to the Fear")

...in an inappropriate way when she got really aggressive or angry? Especially Doctor - "Joyce, there's no reason to get upset". J - "I'm sorry I must just think there is because of my BRAIN TUMOR". Sorry, but I couldn't help it...

Anyway the episode was alright. The whole 'thing from outer space' theme was a little unfamiliar. But Xander did have some great lines. And the scene where Buffy breaks down and cries is very moving. Plus Tiny Jewish Santa was priceless.

The Riley storyline isn't very interesting to me. I never thought he was a very good match for Buffy to begin with. So I wasn't disappointed to see him drifting back to old habits.

-- Go west for the black setting sun.

While Joyce is in the hospital awaiting her brain surgery, a meteor crashes. Inside is a kind of demon. This thing begins to attack vulnerable people. Buffy eventually must deal with it. This episode brings about more information about Dawn. Anyway, this thing is a slimy, bug-like thing that drops slime on people's faces and then dispatches. I thought the episode was one that kept us guessing. I suppose we could say that Joyce should have stayed in the hospital. Spike shows up again in his pursuit of Buffy. Riley reallyis at a loss these days. I wonder if the fans like him. He sort of chanced into this situation and is stuck.