Crush (Buffy episode)

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Crush
Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode
Episode no. Season 5
Episode 14
Written by David Fury
Directed by Daniel Attias
Production no. 5ABB14
Original airdate February 13, 2001
Episode chronology
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"Blood Ties" "I Was Made to Love You"
List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes

"Crush" is the 14th episode of season 5 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Contents

[edit] Plot synopsis

[edit] Summary

Dawn has a crush on Spike, who reveals his crush on Buffy when he takes her on a stakeout date. When his advances are turned down, Spike kidnaps Buffy and Drusilla, who has returned to Sunnydale. He tries to force an admission of love from Buffy. Harmony appears as well and breaks up with Spike.

[edit] Expanded overview

The Bronze re-opens under new management, and Buffy watches as her friends dance. Spike shows up and tries to carry on a conversation with a disinterested Buffy. Willow reveals that she is suffering from headaches and nosebleeds as a result of her teleportation spell. Buffy spots Ben and offers her thanks to him for looking after Dawn. A train pulls into Sunnydale, but the porter goes on board to find all the passengers dead before he too is attacked.

Buffy returns home, and Giles suggests that Dawn be treated normally. Harmony tries to get Spike sexually aroused and suggests a game where she pretends to be Buffy. Buffy reads about the train murders, but concludes that it's a vampire and not Glory. Buffy searches for Dawn and finds her with Spike, listening to one of his scary stories. Dawn reveals her crush on Spike but really shocks her sister when she says that Spike has a crush on Buffy.

Buffy and Xander investigate the train, and Buffy confesses the possibility of Spike loving her. Buffy finds her mother and sister talking in the kitchen with Spike. He takes her to a warehouse where he believes the vamps from the train are. Buffy confronts Spike about his feelings, but when he confesses his love, she rejects him brutally. Returning to the crypt, Spike is shocked to find his sire and long-time love, Drusilla.

Drusilla tells him of the events in Los Angeles and tries to convince him to return with her. She's already aware of the chip in his head and tries to convince him he can be evil, even with the chip. Harmony arrives and yells at Drusilla for hurting Spike. Spike throws Harmony out of the way, announcing that not only is Drusilla back - he's back. Joyce and Willow talk to Buffy about the problem with Spike and tell her she has to make it clear to Spike that there is nothing between them.

Spike and Drusilla dance at the Bronze before Dru spots a couple on the catwalk for them to feed on. She snaps the neck of the girl, offering her to Spike before taking the guy for herself. Spike hesitates, but soon vamps and bites. Buffy discovers the extension of Spike's lair underground and a shrine dedicated to herself. As she returns to the surface, Buffy finds Spike and Drusilla waiting for her. Spike watches Drusilla shock Buffy with a cattle prod. After the Slayer collapses, Drusilla turns to Spike, only to be shocked herself as he seizes the cattle prod and uses it on her.

Buffy awakens to find herself chained up in the underground space below Spike's crypt, Drusilla tied to a pole across from her. Spike professes his love and offers to kill Drusilla to convince Buffy of his love. He threatens that if Buffy does not return his love, he'll untie Drusilla and let her kill Buffy. Spike asks for only a small sign that Buffy could love him. Buffy rejects Spike again, and he goes into a rage about women being so difficult. Harmony arrives and shoots Spike with a crossbow bolt. While Harmony and Spike fight, Drusilla breaks free and goes after Buffy while the Slayer is still chained up. Spike saves Buffy, and Drusilla leaves, disappointed that Spike can't be helped by anyone.

Harmony leaves Spike, telling him it's completely over between the two of them. Buffy walks home with Spike following her, but Buffy tells him to stay away from her. He tries to follow her into her house, but finds that Willow has cast a spell to prevent his entry and Buffy shuts the door in his face.

[edit] Acting

[edit] Starring

[edit] Guest starring

[edit] Co-starring

  • Frederick Dawson as Porter
  • Greg Wayne as Student
  • Joseph DiGiandomenico as Matt
  • Walt Borchert as Jeff ( as Walter Borchert )
  • Asher Glaser as Boy In Bronze
  • Jennifer Bergman as Girl In Bronze
  • Nell Shanahan as Waitress

[edit] Production details

[edit] Writing

David Fury, asked to do an episode that took the Buffy/Spike relationship to the next level, decided that it was time for the audience to discover that Spike was in love with Buffy. He says, "...and it then progressed into Buffy finding out, which was something we were saving for later. It turned out to be a good play because we were able to take them to interesting places throughout the rest of the season." According to Fury, the resurrection of Spike and Drusilla's relationship "was really significant in terms of what love means to Spike."[1]

[edit] Music

[edit] Trivia

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
  • The pink dress that Anya wears in the scene at the Bronze is later worn by Harmony in the Angel episode "Life of the Party".
  • This episode marks the final 'real' appearance of Drusilla in the Buffyverse as all her future appearances are either in the forms of illusions or flashbacks.
  • This episode marks the final appearance of Harmony on the series; however, she will later appear as a recurring character and finally a regular cast member in the Angel series, becoming Angel's secretary at Wolfram & Hart.
  • This is the first and only time Buffy has ever had to actually fight Drusilla.
  • James Marsters found the scene where Spike tied Buffy up and using a taser on her kinda humorous stating that "it was supposed to be an act of love?"
  • Several of the pictures in the shrine that Spike made for Buffy were pictures drawn by Angelus.

[edit] Translations

  • Italian title: " La cotta" ("The Crush")
  • German title: "Die liebe Liebe" ("The lovely love")
  • French title: "La déclaration" ("The declaration (of love)")
  • Spanish title: "Aplastar" ("Crush")

[edit] Continuity

[edit] Arc significance

Crossover with Angel: Drusilla's arrival in Sunnydale follows the events of "Redefinition". And after breaking up with Spike, Harmony is next seen in "Disharmony".

Spike's de-invite lasts only a few episodes: Buffy re-invites him by the end of the season. She never de-invites him again, not even following his attempted rape.

Buffy says she wants Spike "out of [her] life" in this episode, and uses the same line later in "Wrecked". Both times the rejection is very short; this time it lasts almost four episodes, before (at the end of "Intervention") Buffy learns that Spike is capable of great personal sacrifice on her behalf. Soon after she seeks out his help protecting Dawn ("Spiral").

[edit] Timing

  • Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
Location, time
(if known)
Buffyverse chronology: January 2001 - Spring 2001
(non-canon = italic)
Sunnydale, 2001 B5.12 Checkpoint
L.A., 2001 A2.12 Blood Money
L.A., 2001 A2.13 Happy Anniversary
Sunnydale, 2001 B5.13 Blood Ties
L.A., 2001 A2.14 The Thin Dead Line
L.A., 2001 A2.15 Reprise
Sunnydale, 2001 B5.14 Crush
L.A., 2001 A2.16 Epiphany
Sunnydale, 2001 Buffy book: Wisdom of War
Sunnydale, 2001 B5.15 I Was Made to Love You
L.A., 2001 A2.17 Disharmony
L.A., 2001 Angel book: Vengeance
Sunnydale, 2001 B5.16 The Body
L.A., 2001 A2.18 Dead End
L.A., 2001 Angel book: Haunted
Sunnydale, 2001 B5.17 Forever
L.A., 2001 A2.19 Belonging
Sunnydale, 2001 Buffy graphic novel: Ugly Little Monsters
Sunnydale, 2001 Buffy comic: 'Chaos Bleeds' prequel
Sunnydale, 2001 Buffy video game: Chaos Bleeds
L.A., 2001 Tales of the Slayer: Again, Sunnydale
Sunnydale, 2001 B5.18 Intervention
Sunnydale, 2001 Buffy book: Tempted Champions
Sunnydale, 2001 Buffy book: Little Things
Sunnydale, 2001 Buffy book: Crossings
Sunnydale, 2001 Buffy book: Sweet Sixteen
Sunnydale, 2001 B5.19 Tough Love
L.A., 2001 A2.20 Over the Rainbow
Sunnydale, 2001 B5.20 Spiral
L.A., 2001 A2.21 Through the Looking Glass
Sunnydale, 2001 B5.21 The Weight of the World
Sunnydale, 2001 B5.22 The Gift
L.A., 2001 A2.22 There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb
Sunnydale, 2001 Buffy graphic novel: Death of Buffy: Lost & Found’
Sunnydale, 2001 Buffy graphic novel: Death of Buffy

[edit] External links

[edit] References