Entropy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode)

Infobox Television episode
Title=Entropy


Series=Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season=6
Episode=18
Airdate=April 30 2002
Production=6ABB18
Writer=Drew Z. Greenberg
Director=James A. Contner
Guests=Amber Benson
(Tara)
Danny Strong
(Jonathan)
Adam Busch
(Warren)
Tom Lenk
(Andrew)
Kali Rocha
(Halfrek)
Episode list=List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes
Prev=Normal Again
Next=Seeing Red

"Entropy" is the 18th episode of season 6 of the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".

Plot synopsis

Summary

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

Expanded overview

The Trio chase after some vampires on ATVs, but when a collision occurs, the vamps are given an opportunity to escape. Buffy shows up and attacks the vampires, forcing a disk one was holding to be thrown out of the way. Secretly, Warren Mears snatches it and the Trio escape, 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 Levinson 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 Wells 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. There is a glimmer of hope for them until Xander, being who he is, says the wrong thing about wanting to stop the wedding before it happened. Taken aback, Anya ask Xander what did he mean by that remark. Xander, as he's done before, tries to change the subject by telling a sarcastic story 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 catches on to that reality 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 Dawn at the magic shop, and later at Buffy's house where she attempts to get them each to wish something horrible on Xander, but none of them fall for her tricks. 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 in it filming Buffy's house.

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 shop, 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 and has to be put out, dampening the excitement. Meanwhile, Anya and Spike are working their way through the Jack Daniels whiskey bottle 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 places of work. The gang realise 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 angrily about each other's rights to vengeance and moving on with their lives. Xander is disgusted she would even touch Spike, and Spike quietly comments that he was good enough for Buffy. Xander and Anya put the pieces together and realize the truth about Buffy and Spike. It is all 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.

Acting

tarring

* Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
* Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris
* Emma Caulfield as Anya Jenkins
* Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn Summers
* James Marsters as Spike
* Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg

Guest starring

*Danny Strong as Jonathan Levinson
*Adam Busch as Warren Mears
*Tom Lenk as Andrew Wells
*Kali Rocha as Halfrek
*Amber Benson as Tara Maclay

Co-starring

*Edie Caggiano as Mother

Production details

Music

* Alison Krauss - "That Kind Of Love"
* Tom McRae - "São Paulo Rain"

Translations

* Italian title: "Entropia" ("Entropy")
* German title: "Im Chaos der Gefühle" ("In the chaos of feelings")
* French title: "Entropie" ("Entropy")

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

Quotes and trivia

Continuity

Arc significance

* This episode sees the reconciliation of Willow and Tara.

* 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.

Timing

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

External links

*
*