Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S6/E14 Older and Far Away

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

People keep ... people have a tendency to go away ... and, I miss them. And sometimes ... I wish I could just make them stop. Going away.

Dawn accidentally wishes to a vengeance demon that no one would be able to leave the house. With everyone trapped, they are attacked by a demon Buffy thought she defeated.

  • A Date with Rosie Palms: Willow's present turns out to be a portable massager "for all your little ache-ys." Buffy makes the mistake of looking at Spike who smirks and raises his eyebrows suggestively -- an embarrassed Buffy quickly packs the massager away.
  • Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny

Run off huh? Afraid to face a true warrior? (Buffy sees demon's sword) Ooh, shiny!

Spike: I had a...muscle cramp. Buffy was uh, helping.
Tara: A muscle cramp? In your...pants?

Xander: Sometimes we do something that seems like a good idea at the time, like, say, invoke the power of a musical amulet? And it turns out, you know, not so much.

    • The slug-scented candles Buffy mentioned in "Life Serial" -- Anya still hasn't been able to sell them.
  • Cough-Snark-Cough

Halfrek: Oh, [punishing men who wronged women] was just Anya's little raison d'etre. Most of us try to be a little more well-rounded.
Anya: "Well-rounded", huh? Is that how you explain your thing for bad-parents?
Halfrek: Oh, that's not a thing. The children need me.
Anya: *coughing* Daddy issues.

Anya: I think she's possessed.
Xander: She's a teenager.

Buffy: Just trust me -- I promise we'll be out of here soon.
(Cut to the house at nighttime) Okay, so maybe 'soon' was a bit of an overstatement.

Buffy: What? Like I'm one of those losers who can't make friends outside her tight little circle? No. I'm friendly. We bonded instantly. Peas in a pod. Bonded peas.
Anya: Really? Um, what's Sophie's last name?
Buffy: (pause) Okay, shut up.

  • Literary Allusion Title: The title is taken from J. G. Ballard's Empire of the Sun, where at the end of the story a young man comes to this realization about his current relationship with his family; the teacher's line about "things Jim lost during his years in Shanghai and things he gained" implies that Dawn's class is studying the book.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Dawn makes a wish to a stranger. Buffy brings home the demon's sword as a souvenir. Tara's 'release' spell only frees the demon from the sword.
  • Oh Crap: Anya says that only a vengeance demon can break her own spell. Halfrek promptly materialises...and gets run through with a sword by the demon.
  • On Second Thought: Everyone is trying to leave the house as they've got to go to work, including Sophie who's got a double shift at the Doublemeat Palace. She thinks about that for a moment and concludes she's actually all right where she is.
  • Punctuated Pounding: Anya helping Buffy beat up the demon.

"I hope you...die, you...stupid...jerkface!"

  • Red Shirt: Homaged with the expendable guest star who gets stabbed while wearing a red polo shirt.
  • Sarcasm Mode

Willow: I don't know if there's even anything I could do.
Anya: Yes ... and a good way to find out is to sit around and try nothing. That was sarcasm, by the way.

Xander: Don't worry, it's not a setup.
Anya: Right. No. Just an attractive single man, with whom we hope you find much in common. And if you happen to form a romantic relationship leading to babies and many double dates with us so we have someone else to talk to, yay!
Buffy: I assume this was an act of kindness? That'll help with the not throttling.

"I have to, with the thing that I, uh... Coming!"

Buffy: I was insane to ever think you could just hang out with my friends.

Spike: And I was insane to think... No, wait. You were right. You're insane.
 

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