Entropy

"Entropy" is the eighteenth episode of the sixth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and is the one hundred eighteenth episode altogether. It was written by Drew Z. Greenberg and directed by James A. Contner. It originally broadcast on April 30, 2002.

Anya seeks vengeance on Xander and finds comfort with Spike. Willow and Tara arrange a date.

Synopsis


The Trio chase after some vampires on ATVs, but they crash into each other, giving the vamps a chance to escape. Buffy shows up and attacks the vampires, forcing one to drop a disk it was holding. Secretly, Warren snatches it and the Trio escapes, unseen by the Slayer. Buffy takes on two of the vampires, but receives some help as Spike shows up and holds one of the vampires out of the way while he starts up a conversation. He raises the issue of Buffy telling her friends about them, but she's not interested in sharing. Xander mopes alone at his apartment but eventually can't stand it anymore and leaves. As he walks away, Anya watches him from behind some bushes.

Willow waits for Tara outside of her classroom and the two talk and plan a coffee date. Buffy and Dawn shop together, but have a difficult time as Dawn has a shoplifting record at most of the stores. They chat about all of the things Dawn stole and how they're working to remedy the whole problem. Jonathan works on a project involving the disk they stole as Warren watches over, eager for it to be complete. While Jonathan finishes his work alone, Warren and Andrew talk about their inability to trust Jonathan and how soon before they won't need him anymore.



That evening, Xander comes home from work and finds Anya at his apartment. Xander tries to apologize for his wrongful behavior for walking away from their wedding. Xander doesn't do a very good job of explaining his feelings about wanting to stop the wedding before it happened. Taken aback, Anya ask Xander what he means. Xander tries to shift the subject until Anya cuts him off by asking if he still wants to marry her. Xander admits to loving her dearly and wanting to be back with her, but he's still too afraid of himself to marry her. With her back turned to Xander, she reveals her vengeance demon face and angrily begins to wish him physical harm. But nothing happens. Anya's attempts to grant her own wish are unsuccessful and, upset that her powers didn't work, she leaves. The next day, Anya has coffee with Halfrek and the two demons talk about Anya's attempts at vengeance. Halfrek informs Anya that she can't grant her own wishes and must get someone else to wish Xander harm.

At the Summers house, Buffy makes breakfast in the form of pancakes for Dawn. Dawn realizes she's trying too hard to make up for what happened when she was crazy and eventually Buffy figures it out, too. Dawn proposes the idea of joining Buffy on patrol so the two can spend some time together, but Buffy isn't remotely interested in that. On their coffee date, Willow fills Tara in on all of the supernatural activities that Tara has missed over the past months.

Anya interrupts them and wants to talk about her pain and how Xander causes it. She also talks to Dawn and Buffy in attempt to get one of them to wish something horrible on Xander, but none of them will go along. While talking with Buffy, Xander shows up at the house and Anya leaves in a huff. Buffy talks him out of following after Anya and Xander takes his aggressions out by kicking a lawn gnome on Buffy's front lawn. When Buffy doesn't recognize the decoration as something she put there, Xander checks it out and discovers it has a small camera inside.



Buffy presents the small camera to Spike and questions whether he had anything to do with it being on her lawn, and he's offended that she would even accuse him of such a thing. He reminds her he loves her and doesn't hurt her then tries to convince her that what exists between them is real. Buffy knows it is, but only for him. At the Magic Box, Anya and Halfrek continue to talk about getting vengeance on Xander. Anya realizes she needs to find someone who hates Xander to make the wish and fortunately, Spike walks into the shop at that moment. He's looking for something to ease his pain and instead of something magical, she offers him a bottle of alcohol. Halfrek leaves and wishes Anya the best of luck.

Willow works at Buffy's house on her computer to try and trace the camera found in the gnome. At the same time, Jonathan finally completes his work with the disk and performs a ritual that highlights a spot on a Sunnydale map. They are happy to have located their target, but suddenly the map catches on fire. Meanwhile, Anya and Spike are working their way through the bottle of whiskey and complain to each other about their respective relationship problems. Spike sympathizes with her over the way Xander treated her and Anya tries to use that to her advantage. Unfortunately, Spike doesn't actually make a wish.

As Anya and Spike continue to drink and rant about their struggles with love, Willow finally taps into the source of the camera and discovers that there are cameras all over town at all of the Scooby Gang's hangouts and workplaces. The gang realize the Trio are responsible, which deepens Buffy's resolve to find them. At the Magic Box, Spike compliments Anya and the two start to see a common tie between them. While Willow continues to search for all of the cameras, Spike and Anya search for comfort in each other's arms. She feels guilty about what happened with Xander and Spike consoles her, which leads to something much more. The two kiss and undress as Andrew realizes someone has tapped into their video feeds. Willow stumbles upon the Magic Box feed as Spike and Anya are having sex on a table.



Warren directs Andrew to shut down the videos, but they are suddenly distracted by the action on the Magic Box camera. Back at the Summers' house, Buffy, Dawn, and Xander also see the computer screen and what's going on at the shop. Xander is infuriated while Buffy is hurt and goes outside. Dawn follows Buffy and finds out the truth about Buffy and her relationship with Spike. Their bonding moment is cut short as Willow informs them both that Xander is gone and he left with an ax. Spike and Anya get dressed and both act awkwardly and embarrassed about their impulsive behavior. Spike leaves the shop, but doesn't get far as Xander attacks him outside.

Just before Xander can stake Spike, Anya comes outside and tries to stop Xander and manages to distract him long enough for Buffy to knock him out of the way. Xander and Anya yell at each other in anger about each other's rights for vengeance and moving on with their lives. Xander is disgusted she would even touch Spike, and Spike quietly makes a comment that he was good enough for Buffy. Xander and Anya connect the dots and find out the truth about Buffy and Spike. It is too much for Xander to handle and he storms off. Buffy also walks off, mad at Spike, and as she leaves he starts to make a wish to Anya, but she stops him and they part ways. Tara goes to Willow in her bedroom and gives a speech about all they have to do to rebuild their relationship. She's willing to move past that and the two of them kiss.

Continuity

 * When Willow and and Tara have a conversation in the beginning of the episode, Tara is seen wearing the leather jacket Dawn attempted to give to Buffy in "Older and Far Away".


 * This episode sees the reconciliation of Willow and Tara.


 * In their conversation at the coffee shop, Willow recalls the Wig Lady from "Doublemeat Palace", the Invisibilty Ray from "Gone", and the Suvolte Demon eggs from "As You Were".


 * In the ending scene the same dress Willow was wearing when Tara sang to her in the park in Once More, With Feeling is seen hanging on her door.


 * The Doublemeat Palace is shown for the last time on Willow's Macbook for a few seconds, as she is looking through the camera feeds.


 * Buffy's relationship with Spike becomes more-or-less general knowledge.


 * It is learned in this episode that Vengeance demons are unable to enact wishes on their own behalf.


 * Anya says to Xander that she wishes tentacles where "his beady eyes are". In the musical episode Once More, With Feeling, Anya saying that Xander has beady eyes is a running gag throughout the story and songs.


 * Anya tries to make Willow and Tara make a wish against Xander by saying that he likes to watch "girl on girl action" which is actually true as Xander dreamt about watching Willow and Tara having sex in "Restless".


 * Anya attempts to trick Buffy into making a wish by recalling her former lovers. Buffy counters with the line, "Whoa. Guys? There have only been four - three! Three! Three guys. That's barely plural." This line refers to Buffy's long-term relationships: Angel, Riley Finn, and Spike, as well as her one-night-stand with Parker Abrams.

Deleted Scenes

 * Buffy's line was cut due to length:
 * Buffy: "And, you know, maybe in a couple of months they'll let us visit the leather birthday jacket."


 * Buffy and Willow's exchange was cut due to length:
 * Willow: "Can't help thinking maybe you were closer than you thought that day you went out with the addresses."
 * Buffy: "And they sent Psycho Demon to interrupt me."

Pop Culture References

 * Jonathan identifies the place on the map with light focused through a disk in a scene very reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
 * Warren once again taunts Jonathan with references to his height, calling him "Short Round". This is a reference to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, when Indy was accompanied by a young sidekick with that name.


 * Summing up the episode's title, Tara paraphrases William Butler Yeats' "The Second Coming", saying "Things fall apart, they fall apart so hard."


 * While shopping, Buffy and Dawn walk along the 3rd Street Promenadein Santa Monica. They pass by an Old Navy store.

Goofs, Bloopers & Continuity Errors

 * In the breakfast scene, Buffy serves Dawn pancakes but then when Dawn goes to sit down to eat them they have disappeared from the plate.
 * Also in the breakfast scene, the corner of a lighting "flag" is visible in the upper right corner.

Music

 * Allison Krauss- "That Kind of Love"
 * Tom McRae- "Sau Paulo Rain"