Triangle

"Triangle" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and is the eighty-ninth episode altogether. It was written by Jane Espenson and directed by Christopher Hibler. It originally broadcast on January 9, 2001.

The two most important women in Xander's life: his girlfriend Anya and his best friend Willow, jealously squabble and bicker. However, the escalating aggression between them causes them to accidentally summon Olaf the troll, who wreaks havoc throughout Sunnydale, forcing Willow and Anya to work together to stop him.

Synopsis


Xander and Anya lie in bed together and talk about Buffy's luck, or lack there of, with men. They wonder if Buffy might be the problem. At a convent, Buffy protects a young nun from a vampire then asks questions about the life of a nun. Buffy trains while talking to Giles about his plans to ask the Watchers Council for help with Glory. While Giles prepares for a trip to England, he leaves the shop in the hands of Anya and Willow, whose constant bickering worries the Watcher and places Xander and Tara in uncomfortable positions.

Dawn enters Buffy's room and notices that Buffy has removed all her pictures of Riley. Buffy and Dawn talk about how Buffy is recuperating after Riley's departure. Dawn tries to be as supportive of Buffy as possible, and Buffy appreciates her efforts and discusses her emotions openly with her sister. Dawn expresses sadness that Riley left so suddenly, and Buffy admits that everyone except Buffy had seen it come on gradually. Dawn seems surprised, and Buffy mentions her hope that Riley might return one day for another try, so that Buffy would be able to say all the things that she hadn't been able to say before.

Box of chocolates in hand, Spike rehearses a conversation he plans to have with Buffy on the Buffy mannequin. He wants to explain his motivations for showing her Riley's late-night extracurricular vampire activities, but his temper gets in the way. He begins to argue with the mannequin and ends by beating the mannequin with the box of chocolates and yelling, only to set it back up and start over.

Back at the Magic Box, Anya protests Willow's use of the shop products for magic spells, calling it stealing. Willow tries to tempt Anya by offering to show her some magic tricks, but Anya decides that Willow is using peer pressure and refuses to participate. Willow and Anya's argument escalates, and since Xander and Tara don't want to be in the middle of the arguments, they both leave.



Willow starts a spell, but Anya interrupts with questions and the two begin arguing again. Accidentally, the spell calls forth a giant troll. The store and much of Sunnydale is seriously damaged as the troll puts his large war hammer and great strength to good use.

At campus, Buffy and Tara talk about their new semester classes and then about the events at the magic shop. Buffy overreacts when Tara mentions possible trouble between Anya and Xander because of Willow and Anya's constant fighting. Buffy cries and buries her head in Tara's shoulder, declaring that Anya and Xander have a "miraculous love".

Anya drives a car for the first time wildly through the streets while Willow, in the passenger seat, searches for a spell to stop the troll, who proceeds to wreak havoc in Sunnydale, bashing trash cans, smashing his hammer into things, and declaring to the people running in the opposite direction: "You do well to flee, townspeople. I will pillage your lands and dwellings. I will burn your crops, and make merry sport with your more attractive daughters, mark my words" before catching the scent of "ale" and heading toward the source.



Xander mopes at The Bronze and runs into Spike. As Xander seethes hostility at his presence, Spike fishes for information on Buffy, to no avail. The two eventually begin to play pool and talk about women trouble. Back at the Magic Box, Buffy and Tara fear the worst as they view the destruction left by the troll, and take off to try to track it. The troll arrives at The Bronze, declaring his desire to drink ale and eat babies. Xander suggests that Spike fight the troll, but Spike is "paralyzed by not caring very much." The troll asks Spike and Xander where to find babies to eat. Spike suggests the troll try the hospital, and Xander ineffectually attempts to talk sense into the troll, suggesting that he sit down in one of the more sturdy chairs to have a calm talk. However, the troll is unsatisfied with their suggestions of stags, strong grog, and onion blossoms. While the troll drinks beer straight from a keg, the rest of the gang gathers at The Bronze. When Buffy arrives, Spike cautiously greets her, but she ignores him and he steps back, his face filled with disappointment.

The troll, Olaf, reveals that he used to date Anya and (after his dalliance with "one wench") she turned him into a troll, which earned her the job of a Vengeance demon. Buffy attacks Olaf and Spike jumps in a moment later to back her up (triumphantly copping a feel in the process). Buffy and Spike are unsuccessful, and Olaf uses his hammer to knock down the second floor of the Bronze and injure many innocent people. As Buffy takes stock of the damage, she notices Spike comforting a bleeding victim. In an accusatory manner Buffy asks Spike what he is doing. He declares that he is only helping, and that would not dream of sampling any blood because he knows she wouldn't like it, but she refuses to give him credit for his intentions, declaring him to be disgusting. Buffy sends Willow and Anya back to the magic shop to find a spell that will actually be effective against Olaf.



At the shop, Willow and Anya finally address the root of their issues: Their fear of each other's potential to hurt Xander and pull him away from the other. Anya makes it clear that she has no intention of hurting Xander in any way, and Willow assures Anya that she has no intention of poisoning his mind against Anya, or luring him away with her "lips" Willow rebuffs with, "Hello, gay now!" Olaf storms into the shop and intends to hurt the girls, but Xander arrives before the two most important women in his life are seriously wounded. The troll beats Xander up badly then tells Xander to choose whether Anya or Willow will die. Xander refuses to choose, proving his loyalty to both girls, but when Olaf decides to kill Xander, Anya offers herself.

Buffy arrives and fights with the troll while Willow works on a spell and Anya distracts Olaf with insults. When Olaf says that Anya and Xander won't last, Buffy gets incredibly angry and beats the troll into unconsciousness. The troll is sent off into an alternate universe (probably the land of trolls, but possibly the world without shrimp). Giles talks to Buffy about the damage to the shop. Joyce joins them and they discuss the non-existent information about Glory and The Key that Giles received from the Council. Dawn overhears part of this discussion and is very concerned.

Production

 * Marc Blucas has been removed from the opening credits.

Deleted Scenes

 * This line of Willow's was cut, when Giles return from England and sees the damage of The Magic Box:
 * Willow: "Um...Giles? Could you maybe make an angry face? 'Cause the smile is kind of scaring me."

Goofs, Bloopers & Continuity Errors

 * In this episode, Olaf calls Anya "Anyanka," however he knew her as "Aud." (see "Selfless")

Other

 * This episode is Anya-centric.

Quotes
Willow - "I'm not stealing. I'm just taking things without paying for it. In what twisted dictionary is that stealing?"

Xander - "So, how goes the slaying?" Buffy - "I killed something in a convent last night." Xander - "In any other room, a frightening declaration. Here a welcome distraction. Tell us all about the killing, Buff." Buffy - "Pretty standard, vampire staking. Oh, but I met a nun and she let me try on her wimple." Xander - "Okay, now we're back to frightening."

Spike - "I'm not sampling, I'll have you know. Just look at all these lovely blood-covered people. I could, but not a taste for Spike, not a lick. Knew you wouldn't like it." Buffy - "You want credit for not feeding off bleeding disaster victims?" Spike - "Well, yeah." Buffy - "You're disgusting." Spike - "What's it take?"

Giles - "The resources that the Watchers Council have at their disposal... I mean, the central library alone is..." Buffy - "Don't talk about the books again. You get all... And sometimes there's drool."

Anya - "If you ever decide to go, I want a warning. You know? Big flashing red lights, and-and-and one of those clocks that counts down like a bomb in a movie? And there's a whole bunch of, of colored wires, and I'm not sure which is the right one to cut, but I guess the green one, and then at the last second, "No! The red one!" and then click, it stops with three-tenths of a second left, but then you don't leave... Like that, okay?"

Anya - "Oh. Oh! I know what this is! This is peer pressure! Any second now you're gonna make me smoke tobacco and-and have drugs!"

Willow - "I wish Buffy was here!" Buffy - "I'm here!" Willow - "I wish I had a million dollars! Just checking."

Anya - "How can I help?" Willow - "Uh, distract him from Buffy. Uh, piss him off." Anya - "I don't know how." Willow - "Anya, I have faith in you. There is no one you cannot piss off."

Anya - "I know what broke up him and Cordelia, you know. It was you, and your lips." Willow - "No, it was not! Well, yes, it was so, but, uh, that was a long time ago. Do you think I'd do that again?" Anya - "Why not?" Willow - "Well, hello? Gay now."

Continuity

 * Anya once again mentions the world without shrimp, a dimension she had previously noted exists in "Superstar".


 * Anya mentions the time that Cordelia caught Xander and Willow kissing ("Lovers Walk"), Cordelia's desire for retribution over which being what brought Anya to Sunnydale in the first place.


 * Anya states in this episode that she's driving for the first time, despite the fact that she asked Xander to get into her car and flee Sunnydale with her in "Graduation Day, Part One".


 * This episode marks the first appearance of Olaf, played by Abraham Benrubi, who will later appear (in both human and troll form) in "Selfless". The Scoobies also acquire Olaf's hammer, which will prove to be a crucial weapon against Glory in the season finale.


 * Spike first mentions his taste for the onion blossoms at The Bronze, a recurring subject for Spike (see "Crush" and "Empty Places").


 * Buffy tells Olaf that Xander and Anya's love will "last forever." Ironically, Xander and Anya would break up following their aborted wedding.


 * Buffy has been heartbroken since the last episode with Riley's departure.


 * During Willow and Anya's argument while looking for a reversal spell, they both allude to future plot paths involving Anya returning to demon form, and Willow turning evil. In both instances it involves Xander, as Anya turns evil again because of Xander, and Willow returns from being evil due to Xander.


 * Olaf accurately predicts that Xander and Anya will not last as a couple.
 * This episode features one of the early instances of Willow using magic irresponsibly, as well as justifying stealing in order to perform magic.
 * Willow wishes for Buffy to show up at the Bronze. After that she say "I wish for a million dollars! Just checking" references "Something Blue." In that episode whatever Willow said came true.

Slayer Stats

 * Buffy slays one vampire.

Music

 * Blur - "There's No Other Way"
 * The Dandy Warhols - "Bohemian Like You"