The Watcher Diaries - Shadow - Buffy Episode 5.8

Posted by Jason Chamberlain on 12.09.2009

Joyce Summers's health issues come to light as Buffy searches for something physical she can fight. Sure enough, Glory sends a demon after the Key!



5.8 Shadow
Writer: David Fury
Director: Daniel Attias

Slayer Speak

Xander: Am I right, Giles?
Giles: I'm almost certain you're not, but to be fair, I wasn't listening.

Riley: What are you doing in here?
(Spike whirls around, hiding Buffy's sweater behind his back.)
Spike: What, me? I was um ... uh ... what are you doing here?
Riley: Looking for the girl who's gonna rip your arms off when she finds out you were in her bedroom.
Spike: Oh yeah? Well ... me too.
Riley: Were you ... were you just smelling her sweater?
Spike: No. (Riley glares at him) Well, yeah, all right, I did. It's a... predator thing, nothin' wrong with it. Just ... know your enemy's scent, whet the appetite for a hunt. (He sniffs the sweater again.) Ah, that's the stuff! Slayer musk, it's bitter and aggravating!

Anya: Are you stupid or something?
Giles: Allow me to answer that question with a firing.
Xander: She's kidding. An, we talked about the employee-employer vocabulary no-nos. That was number five.

Watcher’s Notes

The Magic Box is located at 5124 Maple Court in downtown Sunnydale. The phone number there is 803-555-8966... Glory's name is revealed.

Jeremy Thomas has the full review!

Becoming sick is the kind of thing that we're all scared of, at least to some degree. We can be as physically fit as possible, eat right, live by a moral code, avoid dangerous places or activities and there might still be something that hits us, right out of the blue. Disease, particularly in the age of cancer and recessive congenital conditions, is a great equalizer in that it doesn't care who it takes or how old they are. And just as bad as disease is the very means we use to cure it. Hospitals are terrifying and foreboding places where you get poked and prodded, blood withdrawn and run through test after test after test. And once all that's done, the doctors might not even be able to cure you; they might find out that the disease is already in a terminal state, or that it's something they could never do anything about in the first place. Seriously…hospitals are terrifying places.

With that in mind, Joyce's illness is a perfect opportunity for the Buffy crew to exploit those particular fears, and with David Fury on the script and Daniel Attias behind the camera they do a wonderful job of setting that up. Joyce has oligodendroglioma—don't ask me to pronounce it, I listened three times and still trip my tongue over it—which translates into "low-grade brain tumour." It starts out as a shadow on a CAT scan and then, after a biopsy, we learn the truth. This is the moment of truth for Joyce's storyline, the moment that what may have just been a minor subplot becomes something major and show-altering. Credit has to be given to Kristine Sutherland and Sarah Michelle Gellar for handling the dramatically heavy moments with serious depth. This could have easily been screwed up but they did well, and it will continued to be handled well (for the most part) throughout the course of the storyline.

Of course, this isn't the only shadow that is involved with this episode. The title certainly applies to Riley too, who is feeling very shadow-like in multiple ways. He's quickly realizing how unable he is to get close to her; as Dawn confides, Buffy never gets worked up over him the way that she did over Angel. Riley has figured out that he's merely a shadow, a mere semblance of what Angel meant and still means to Buffy. This realization drives Riley into some pretty stupid things soon, the first of which we see here when he allows Sandy to drink from him, though he stakes her afterward. Fun fact…he just killed Evil Vampire Willow's vampiric child. In this episode, for all the help he is able to offer Buffy he might as well just be a shadow.

And, of course, we have the shadow surrounding the Key that Glory (as we officially learn her name is here) summons the Sobekian demon in order to uncover. Glory is the highlight of this episode, as we get to see her flunky Dreg lavish ever-descriptive and amusing compliments on her. Glorificus's scabby servants are the best henchmen in this show's history and I always got a kick out of them. She also encounters the Scoobies for the first time, although neither she nor they realize it…not until Anya starts shouting "Hey! HEY!" and almost gets fired over it. Buffy gets another chance to fight Glory and even though she's ready now, she still fails miserably without the Big Bad breaking a sweat once again. This episode sets a lot of stuff up and while it may not be truly essential viewing, it's enjoyable and worth watching.

Ronny Sarnecky	This episode was used more to set up future events rather than being a standalone episode. The major news to come out of “Shadow” is that Joyce Summers has a brain tumour. This episode also showed how Riley is starting to feel isolated from Buffy’s world. This was made apparent at the end of the episode when Buffy went to her mom’s hospital room, and closed the door behind her, leaving Riley on the outside. The final note of significance was that Glory put a plan into motion to find the key. While her attempt was unsuccessful, the “Scoobies” now saw Glory up close and personal. I found this episode boring to the point that I was actually yawning during the show. Not a must see episode.	5
Ron Martin	As pedestrian as this episode may seem, it's very important in advancing several storylines. First, we have something tangible to pin on Joyce's troubles, causing non-monster strife for Buffy. In turn, Buffy needs to kill something physical -- as is noticed by Xander. The isolation of Riley from the rest of the gang continues as Buffy is unable to emotional connect herself with him. At this point, Riley is just Buffy's boy toy. Trying to get closer to what Buffy likes in her men, Riley begins a destructive path that is only noticed by Xander. Beginning to see a pattern here? In a brilliant Season Seven episode, Xander gives a speech about how his power is watching and observing. This episode is a prime example of that. Other highlights include Anya figuring out what is exactly going on by deciphering items sold to what they could be used for, thus proving her value to the team once again. On top of that, we get more of Glory at her best. I just don't see how anyone can not like Glory. I think the character is a brilliant juxtaposition of Buffy, herself. A strong foundation episode.	7
Mike Gorman	"Shadow" has two great things going for it: (1)Riley is on the way out and (2) Glory. As for the first item, this week Riley starts to see that he may not hold the same spot in Buffy's life that he once did. A great opening scene between Riley and Spike gets this ball rolling and it culminates in Riley beginning his dalliances with the female vamps. How he thinks the rush of getting his blood sucked by a vamp would fix any of his problems is beyond me, but I suppose the off centered nature of the decision is meant to illustrate the head space he is in at the moment. If I actually cared about the character I might even feel bad for him, but I don't. On the Glory front we get one of my favourite moments of the season when Anya's puts together that they have already met her and sold her objects in the Magic Shop. Clare Kramer is quite great as Glory and she steals every scene that she is in. Overall I liked this episode and I think that it had some nice individual moments as well as moving forward the season's overall arc.	8
Jason Chamberlain	Not a huge fan of this episode, or of Glory. I think I mentioned that a few episodes ago so I won't do much retread. Suffice to say I'd take the Mayor any day! I've got to say though, her flunkies are hilarious, especially the one played by a pre-Marshall on Alias. Big snake is kind of a lame baddie too. Spike is money, as usual, sniffing Buffy's shirt. "Slayer musk!"	7

GRR!!! ARGH!!!

The 411: While "Shadows" may not be an episode you absolutely need to see, it's certainly not a bad one. You have some good acting here, some significant plot developments and more of the wondrousness that is Glorificus. We're sort of in the middle part of Season Five where some sagging will begin, but at this point the sagging was light and there's still a lot you can like. "Shadows" isn't Must-See Buffy, but it is Mildly Recommended.

Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]