Characterization In The Buffyverse — ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ Season 4, Episode 12

This is part of a bi-weekly series concerning the characterization of Buffyverse characters. The first installment in this series can be found here. Arguably the best place to begin reading this series is at the beginning, but that is up to each reader. As a reminder this column will cover major and some minor characters from the shows Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) and Angel (1999-2004). Other Buffyverse media, such as the graphic novel Spike: Into The Light (2014) are not pertinent to this series. Also there will be no referencing real world events that have a direct relation to either show in this bi-weekly series.

This week: Ethan Rayne (Robin Sachs) returns to Sunnydale. Meanwhile, Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) meets the head of The Initiative.

(Warning of spoilers from this point on!)

Buffy mainly plays a romantic throughout the majority of this episode thanks to her new relationship with Riley Finn (Marc Blucas). She only flips into action hero mode toward the end of the episode. It is also worth mentioning that she displays a little of power while sparring. This later brings about a suggestion that she never goes all out in most situations. Thus, there is the question of how skillful and powerful she is at this point in time and in other episodes.

Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) displays his usual competence, but with the hindrance of plot. He does not communicate his feelings with Buffy or the other Scoobies about needing a purpose. Instead, he laments to a half-paying-attention Rayne about his feelings. That said, the conversation does contain a visual suggestion that Giles may be bisexual. He also acts petty and childish by delighting in possibly seeing Ethan being forcibly put in a car.

Riley is Buffy’s love interest and a plot device. While both roles are obvious, the latter is less so with his Initiative status being in play.

Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) and Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon) share a negative bit of characterization in this episode. Both run off as they feel uncomfortable about Giles ignorance regarding Riley and The Initiative. In Willow’s case, this moment is compounding by guilting Buffy about failing to inform Giles. Another negative regarding Xander’s characterization: a complete lack of growth in this episode. On the plus side, Willow gets some growth via the lesbian subtext during the spell she does with Tara Maclay (Amber Benson).

Spike (James Marsters) haggles rather poorly with Giles. This, and his knowledge of a demonic language are new character traits.

Rayne is his usual trickster self. He also acts as a font of exposition and foreshadowing about The Initiative’s sinister secret room. He shows some self-awareness with his wanting to brag while sticking around too long. There is also an example of his selfishness in how he pays more attention to the Waitress (Elizabeth Penn Payne) than Giles’s complaining. Lastly, Rayne shows the potential to give Giles some direction in his life by being a source of information and dubious assistance. Unfortunately, this is the character’s final appearance in the show, so that never comes to pass.

Anya (Emma Caulfield Ford) reaches the official point where she starts acting completely socially unaware of human customs. This is despite her former job requiring her to interact with lots of humans for around a thousand years.

Tara Maclay does not get a lot of characterization in this episode due to receiving very little screen time. Her few scenes make her seem less knowledgeable about magic than Willow, and this is at odds with her characterization in upcoming episodes.

Maggie Walsh (Lindsay Crouse) arguably comes off like a recruiting officer for the military during her meeting with Buffy. She’s both pleasant and intimidating. She also seems somewhat pompous during her respective meetings with Buffy and Giles —  more so with the latter as she knows Buffy is the Slayer. Whereas Giles and Maggie lack of knowledge regarding each others’ statuses appears to be what is negatively affecting their initial treatment of each other. Yet, this does not excuse Maggie’s dismissal of Giles as a person, and such treatment justifies Giles’s later comments about her. To some extent, anyway.

The Waitress is mostly a plot device to help lead Spike and Giles to Rayne. However, she does have a world-weary personality which makes her characterization slightly more than generic.

This episode focuses a little too much on Giles’s sense of being useless and his demonic predicament. Thus, the majority of this episode’s characterizations are more suggestive than solid in depiction.