The Yoko Factor

Infobox Television episode
Title=The Yoko Factor


Series=Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season=4
Episode=20
Airdate=May 9 2000
Production=4ABB20
Writer=Doug Petrie
Director=David Grossman
Episode list=List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes
Prev=New Moon Rising
Next=Primeval

"The Yoko Factor" is the 20th episode of season 4 of the television show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".

Plot synopsis

Summary

Adam convinces Spike that he will take his chip out if he helps him get Buffy where he wants. Spike agrees and sets out to distance the Scoobies from each other by inventing lies he attributes to others. He tells Xander that Buffy and Willow see him as a dropout, makes Willow believe that Buffy is prejudiced against her lesbian relationship with Tara and also makes Giles believe that Buffy doesn't need him now that he's not her Watcher anymore.

Meanwhile, Angel comes back to Sunnydale to try and mend his relationship with Buffy after their recent confrontation, and ends up exchanging blows with Riley.

Expanded overview

Colonel McNamara talks with a superior about plans for the Initiative, getting Riley back and dealing with Buffy. Spike tells Adam that Buffy is going to be a difficult challenge to defeat and he shouldn't underestimate her. Spike talks about killing two slayers and not being able to kill Buffy, especially because of the chip now in his head. The two plan to separate Buffy from her Slayerette friends. Still upset about Angel, Buffy returns from L.A. to her empty dorm room. Xander brings Riley some rather colorful clothes to wear, and they talk about their mutual distaste for Angel. Not realizing he didn't know, Xander accidentally tells Riley about how pure happiness with Buffy is the trigger that sets Angel's evil free.

Giles is practicing his singing when Spike surprises him by showing up in his apartment. Spike talks with Giles about files inside the Initiative that he might be able to get for a very large price. Spike tells Giles that Buffy doesn't respect her former watcher anymore, and that upsets Giles. Willow and Tara play with their new kitten while planning their class schedule for next year. They also talk about future housing plans, but Willow hasn't talked with Buffy yet and isn't sure what she wants to do now that things have changed so much.

Riley goes to Buffy in the funny clown pants Xander gave him to wear. Using a radio, he's tapped into the Initiative and is making sure he's aware of everything going on with the operation. She mentions that Angel upset her, but she doesn't want to talk about it and Riley leaves. Xander and Anya bring Spike fatigues to wear and a fake gun. Spike continues to tear apart the Scooby gang by making Xander feel unwanted by convincing him that the rest of the gang doesn't feel he's useful.

Buffy goes patrolling and runs into Forrest, who is also looking for Adam. They argue as they go into a cave and find Adam. The three of them fight, Adam skewers Forrest and Buffy makes a run for it. Limping, she falls and slides down a hill, hitting her head on a rock. Pretending to have sneaked into the Initiative and retrieved some disks with information, Spike charges into Giles's place. Giles continues to get drunk while Willow tries to decrypt the disks. Spike talks to Willow and Tara about their Wicca interest and how her friends don't seem to support it. Willow thinks that means that their friends aren't accepting their romantic relationship.

Riley hears that there is trouble on the streets through his radio and goes to check it out. He finds that it is Angel fighting off the commandos, and Riley refuses to let Angel go see Buffy. The two have a brutal fight, of which Angel is clearly the victor. Since the fight is personal for both combatants, no punches are pulled. Angel, who normally refrains from using his superior physical strength against a human and still stinging from Buffy's recent comments in LA, holds nothing back in the fight. Similarly, Riley, having just learned what makes Angel lose his soul, uses every weapon (literally) on him. During the fight, Riley uses his tazer, a bottle, and his baton on Angel. However, these weapons prove futile in comparison to Angel's brute strength, better fighting skills, and experience. The fight violently ends when Riley, having momentarily stunned Angel with his tazer, is lifted by Angel and thrown into several trash cans. Angel then picks him up again and throws him once again into the side of a building. Finally, both run off when a military truck comes down the street. Buffy returns to her dorm room and Angel shows up. As Angel tries to talk to Buffy, Riley barges in and raises a gun to Angel. Angel taunts Riley and the two come to blows again. Buffy separates them and wants to talk to Angel alone.

Buffy goes off on Angel and then they laugh when Angel confesses he came to make up. They both apologize for the things they said and did in L.A., and part on friendly terms. Angel leaves, stating that he doesn't like Riley. Spike reports back to Adam, happy to have split up the Scooby Gang. Riley is worried that Buffy has reunited with Angel, confesses that he already knows about how Angel can lose his soul. They profess their love to each other and then Buffy brings him bad news. She tells him that Forrest is dead and he leaves quickly.

The damage that Spike has done to the gang starts to become clear as gang breaks out into a fight. While Tara and Anya sneak into the bathroom and hide, Buffy argues that she is going to take on Adam alone. Giles is incredibly drunk and makes funny comments in the background. Xander complains that his friends don't need him and Willow complains that Buffy doesn't accept Tara, revealing their relationship to Xander and Giles. While Giles goes to sleep the alcohol off, Buffy leaves, telling her friends that she doesn't need them.

In Adam's lair, Riley shows up as an expected guest.

Acting

tarring

*Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
*Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris
*Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
*Marc Blucas as Riley Finn
*James Marsters as Spike
*Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles

Guest starring

*Emma Caulfield as Anya
*Amber Benson as Tara Maclay
*Leonard Roberts as Forrest Gates
*Conor O'Farrell as Colonel McNamara
*George Hertzberg as Adam
*David Boreanaz as Angel

Co-starring

*Bob Fimiani as Mr. Ward
*Jade Carter as Lieutenant

Production details

Music

* Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Free Bird" - Rupert Giles sings the song.

Title origin

* The title of the episode refers to Yoko Ono, whom many people blame for The Beatles' break up. In this episode, Spike acts as the "Yoko factor", sowing dissension within the Scooby Gang.

Translations

* Italian title: "Il seme della discordia" ("The seed of discord")
* German title: "Der Yoko-Faktor" ("The Yoko Factor")
* French title: "Le facteur Yoko" ("The Yoko Factor")
* Spanish title: "El factor Yoko" ("The Yoko factor")

Continuity

Arc significance

Crossover with "Angel": Angel's visit to Sunnydale follows the events of "Sanctuary".

* Spike knows exactly what to say to each member of Buffy's gang to break them up, foreshadowing each character's personal insecurities that would be explored in the season four finale "Restless".

* Xander and Giles find out that Willow's relationship with Tara is romantic rather than platonic. Buffy had known about Willow's feelings for Tara since their conversation in "New Moon Rising".

Timing

* Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:

External links

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Reviews

* [http://www.soulfulspike.com/spikecentricity/TheYokoFactorReview.htm Soulful Spike Society analysis of "The Yoko Factor"]