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Season 7 Episode 5 "Selfless"

Willow & Dawn discussing Willow going back to college. Dawn's advice for Willow: 'Just be like everyone else'. Words to live by. I like that Willow's going back to college and that they (the writers) didn't find some hackneyed excuse to have her work at the high school. Buffy & Xander discuss Anya. Buffy is concerned for her and Xander replies that she'll come around. The Whatever-Xander-Says-The-Opposite-Happens rule is still in effect. So we see Anya in a room full of bodies with their hearts ripped out.

Sweden in the middle ages. Olaf and Anya, (or Aud as she's known back then) are shown in domestic bliss. This is Olaf in his pre-troll days. Everything being said is in sub-titles and my eyes are so bad I couldn't catch everything that was said, so I missed most of the jokes and subtleties. One of these days I'll get contacts. Medieval Anya loves bunnies and even offers to give them away, not in exchange for goods or services but just to make people happy.  Anya mentions how fast the bunnies are breeding, which gets Olaf all in a frenzy. Olaf mentions in passing a serving wench at the local Swedish saloon. Anya's jealousy rears itself, but Olaf claims he prefers Anya's smaller hips.

Back in Sunnydale, Anya is washing blood from her hands. Spike & Buffy are in the school basement. Spike's talking about Drusilla, how she could hear voices and see things no one else could. Spike knows he's in trouble. Buffy offers help and Spike says he can't accept it. However this scene is just another fabrication of Spike's mind, as the real Buffy enters. She tells Spike to leave the Hellmouth. But Spike says that he has nowhere else to go.

Willow talks to a college professor about starting her classes again. The professor is mystified how Willow's grades started slipping last year, yet her final marks 'magically' improved. Willow spots Anya leaving a fraternity house. Anya claims she was just having lots of sex with her new boyfriend. But Willow spots a smear of blood on Anya's arm, and goes to the fraternity house to investigate. She discovers all the bodies sans coeurs. She hears a noise and finds a girl whimpering in a closet. The girl keeps repeating," I take it back, I take it back." She tells her tale. Her boyfriend dumped her in front of his mocking fraternity buddies. She wished the frat boys knew the feeling of having their hearts ripped out.  Willow knows that a certain confused and lonely vengeance demon is to blame. Anya has some explaining to do. However, the spider demon that did the deed for Anya is lurking behind Willow, and as we go to commercial Willow is at a crossroads. What will she instinctively do when confronted with mortal danger? We come back from commercial and Willow goes Dark Willow (complete with black eyes and bad attitude) and blasts the spider demon out the window. Willow is able to gain control and looks shocked and scared.

Back in Sweden, Olaf is now a troll and is being pelted with fruit by frightened villagers. To be honest, human Olaf and troll Olaf looked pretty much alike, but I guess uneducated medieval peasants are easily fooled. Anya sadly watches Olaf run away. Anya magically turned Olaf to a troll to punish his infidelity with the wide-hipped serving wench. D’Hoffryn appears and admits he's impressed. He recruits Anya to the wonderful world of vengeance demoning.

Buffy is awoken at work by a call from Willow. Willow explains what she's found at the frat house and wants Buffy & Xander to check it out. Hallie & Anya are talking about Anya's latest escapade. Hallie claims the vengeance community is glowing with pride for the frat house incident. Anya is not feeling so rosy over the situation. Willow comes in tells Hallie to beat it. Willow is not too happy with Anya, as her spider demon caused Dark Willow to emerge. Willow pushes away her anger and offers Anya help. Anya repeatedly claims the frat boys got what they deserved.

Xander & Buffy are hunting the spider demon. They spot another victim, then  the spider demon attacks. Xander says they need to go back and get more weapons, and the Xander rule goes into effect and Buffy kills the demon with a single throw of an axe. Willow informs Buffy & Xander what Anya has done. Xander is outraged that Willow didn't tell them sooner. Buffy understands why she didn't. As the Slayer, Buffy has to kill Anya.

St. Petersburg, Russia circa the beginnings of the Russian Revolution. Anya & Hallie and various corpses are at a lavish dinner table. A riot rages outside. Anya has set off the Revolution. She brags how communism will bring about a workers utopia. Well maybe it would have, but having it run by sociopaths like Lenin, Trotsky & Stalin was not the smartest of ideas. The problem with revolutions is that they attract the lunatic fringe of society. Anya & Hallie discuss vengeance and Anya reaffirms her dedication to the cause.

Buffy, Xander, and Willow discuss killing Anya. This is an incredible scene. The writing and acting are pitch perfect. My writing about it here does not do it justice. Every spoken line resounds with emotion. Xander still desperately in love with Anya is arguing for her life while Buffy knows she must do what the Slayer must. Her gift is death. Poor Xander simply does not understand the role of the Slayer. He simply sees Buffy as Buffy. He sees her as his friend, not her role as Slayer. Willow sits between them, trying to lighten the mood but failing. She knows Buffy is right, but can't break it to Xander.  In frustration, Xander leaves to warn Anya. Buffy gets her weapons and Willow goes to summon D'Hoffryn. This scene is one of the best of the season. Some of Nicholas Brendon's best work of the series.

Willow & D'Hoffryn discuss Anya. D'Hoffryn likes the vengeance possibilities that exist with Dark Willow. Willow brushes him off. Xander warns Anya that Buffy is coming. Anya morphs to demon mode and doesn't appear that concerned as Buffy arrives, armed with a sword. Xander tries to intervene, but gets shoved aside. Anya & Buffy have a long fight scene, with Anya getting the best of Buffy. Anya makes fun of Buffy's penchant for sarcasm and pop culture references during fights. Buffy remains silent and stabs Anya through the chest.

Flashback to Sunnydale 2001. It's the night after Anya & Xander sang, "I'll Never Tell," in that most perfect of episodes, "Once More With Feeling."  Xander mutters in his sleep that he just wants a happy ending. Outside we can hear a prequel of sorts to, "They've Got The Mustard Out." Anya starts singing. Again my writing about this scene does not do it justice. Anya sings about her life, about love, and about Xander. It's Anya's defining moment in the series. Emma Caulfield is incredible.

Back in the present. Anya pulls the sword out of her chest. Vengeance demons are not so easily killed. Buffy is more than willing to finish the job, as the two continue fighting. They are interrupted by D'Hoffryn teleporting in. D'Hoffryn knows what Willow, Buffy, & Xander want. He asks what Anya wants.  Anya wants to undo the frat boy wish. D'Hoffryn reminds Anya that doing so is a steep price and that a soul of a vengeance demon is required. Anya thinking the required soul is hers accepts. D'Hoffryn summons Hallie and kills her instead. "Never kill, when pain will do", says D'Hoffryn. He kicks Anya out of the vengeance demon community. As he leaves D'Hoffryn says, "From beneath you, it devours."  A bizarre reference to Beneath You where this phrase was prominent.  

Anya & Xander are outside and have a poignant talk, then slowly walk away from each other. 

What I liked: Best episode of the year. This is why we watch Buffy. Sorrow and drama and comedy all combined to make incredibly moving scenes. The characters are consistent and true to themselves. The struggle of Willow. The sadness of Spike. References to past episodes (Becoming part 2). Emma Caulfield's beautiful voice. The entire song. The origins of Anya. Why Anya dislikes bunnies? They remind her of philandering Olaf, her first heart break. Her ultra-capitalism? The catastrophic failure of communism, a revolution she started. Everything Anya holds dear, lets her down. Including Xander.

What I didn't like: My difficulty reading the subtitles.

Rating: (out of 6) 6, one of the very best.

Comments, questions, answers? Happily agree, or violently disagree? Email me and let me know.

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