New Moon Rising
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| “New Moon Rising” | |||||||
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| Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode | |||||||
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 19 |
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| Written by | Marti Noxon | ||||||
| Directed by | James A. Contner | ||||||
| Production no. | 4ABB19 | ||||||
| Original airdate | May 2, 2000 | ||||||
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| List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes | |||||||
"New Moon Rising" is the 19th episode of season 4 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Contents |
[edit] Plot synopsis
[edit] Summary
Oz returns to Sunnydale after learning to control his werewolf instincts. However, he loses control when he suspects Tara and Willow's relationship, and is subsequently caught by the Initiative.
[edit] Expanded overview
Willow and Tara talk about Tara getting a cat as a pet. At the Scooby Gang meeting, Buffy explains that there is little going on, but as usual, Giles knows that means trouble. As the meeting ends, Oz shows up in the doorway, shocking everyone into silence. Oz arranges to talk with Willow later, and after Oz leaves, Tara also leaves the incredibly uncomfortable situation. Buffy and Riley talk about how bad Willow and Oz's break-up really was, and Buffy accidentally mentions that Oz is a werewolf. Buffy goes off on him when he negatively comments on Willow dating a werewolf (he says that Willow seems smarter than to date a dangerous guy, unknowingly drawing a parallel between Willow and Oz and Buffy and Angel).
Oz takes Willow for a walk outside during a full moon, showing her that he's not in werewolf mode. While in Tibet, with the help of herbs, charms, chanting, and meditation, he's learned to control the wolf inside. Oz wants to get back together with Willow, but she is reluctant. Graham patrols with a team and they are all attacked by a four-legged demon, closely resembling a werewolf. Willow and Oz talk all night about their lives while they were apart. Tara comes by in the morning while Willow is away, and upon having Oz answer the door she gets nervous and leaves.
Buffy wakes up at Riley's, but she's very distant from him. They talk about the night before in the graveyard and Riley's reaction to Oz, then Riley leaves after hearing news about Graham getting hurt. Willow shocks Buffy with the news about Oz being able to control the wolf. Buffy is even more shocked as Willow subtly explains that her relationship with Tara is now serious and that complicates things with Oz. Adam goes to Spike for his help in exchange for getting the chip out of Spike's head.
Willow tells Tara that she and Oz only talked the night before, and then they hug. Oz and Tara have a confrontation and after smelling Willow on Tara, Oz concludes that the two are romantically involved. He loses control, and starts to change into a werewolf. Werewolf Oz chases Tara into a classroom, and then Riley and the Initiative guys take Oz away. The gang meets up and makes a plan to free Oz. Oz is kept caged at the Initiative and just as Riley is about to shoot him dead, he changes back into his human form.
Despite Riley's attempts to help, the scientists start performing tests on Oz. Spike shows up at Giles's place and offers to lead Buffy and the gang into the Initiative. Riley sneaks in, gives Oz some clothes and tries to help him escape. On the way out, they get caught. Colonel McNamara lectures Riley about betraying the Initiative on so many levels and how he will be court-martialed. Dressed as commandos and scientists, Spike and the gang sneak into the Initiative through a back door. Adam secretly helps them by running operations through a computer and helping them shut down the power for most of the city.
Holding the Colonel hostage, Buffy gets Riley and Oz free, Riley leaving the Initiative for good. Now that his life is in danger, Riley camps out underground with Buffy at his side. He confesses that he was wrong about Oz, and then Buffy volunteers to tell him about her past, and hopes that it won't destroy their relationship. In Oz's van, Willow and Oz say their sad goodbyes and then Oz leaves town again to escape the Initiative and Willow, who unintentionally is the cause of him turning into a werewolf. Willow goes to Tara's, bringing her a candle. Tara tells Willow that she should be with the person she loves, and Willow replies that she is. Tara blows out the candle.
[edit] Acting
[edit] Starring
- 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
- and Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles
[edit] Guest starring
- Emma Caulfield as Anya
- Leonard Roberts as Forrest Gates
- Bailey Chase as Graham Miller
- Robert Patrick Benedict as Jape-Adam's Lackey ( scenes cut )
- Conor O'Farrell as Colonel McNamara
- George Hertzberg as Adam
- Amber Benson as Tara Maclay
- and Seth Green as Oz
[edit] Co-starring
- James Michael Connor as Scientist #1
- Mark Daneri as Scientist #2
- Dorron Keeman as Commando #2
[edit] Production details
[edit] Quotes and trivia
- Green made a decision to leave the series earlier in this season to focus on furthering his career in movies. He returned in this episode.
- An action figure of Tara Maclay was produced, based on this episode.
- Romania, the country where Oz met the warlock who referred him to the monks in Tibet where he would learn meditation techniques to control his werewolf side, was also the country where Angel was cursed with his soul by Gypsies.
- When Buffy says she'll "pull a William Burroughs on your leader" during the escape sequence she is referring to the accidental shooting to death of Joan Vollmer by William S. Burroughs in 1951.
[edit] Translations
- Italian title: censored, untranslated and unaired for the lesbian issue in the first time, then "Luna nuova" ("New Moon"). On DVD there's the English title
- German title: "Abschiede" ("Valedictions")
- French title: "Un amour de pleine lune" ("A Full Moon's Love")
- Spanish title: "El nacimiento de la Luna nueva" ("The birth of the new Moon")
[edit] Continuity
[edit] Arc significance
Willow first reveals to someone, namely Buffy, that she is dating Tara in this episode.
This is Oz's last appearance as a real person. He will appear once again in Willow's dream in the season finale.
[edit] Timing
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
| Location, time (if known) |
Buffyverse chronology: January 2000 - Spring 2000 (non-canon = italic) |
|---|---|
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.12 A New Man |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.12 Expecting |
| L.A., 2000 | Angel graphic novel: Hunting Ground |
| L.A., 2000 | Angel comic: Strange Bedfellows/Love for sale |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.13 The I in Team |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.13 She |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.14 Goodbye Iowa |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | Buffy video game: Wrath of the Darkhul King |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.14 I've Got You Under My Skin |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.15 This Year's Girl |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.15 The Prodigal |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.16 Who Are You |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.16 The Ring |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | Buffy comic: Giles |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | Buffy comic: Jonathan (by Jane Espenson) |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.17 Superstar |
| Sunnydale, L.A., 2000 | Buffy/Angel graphic novel: Past Lives |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | Buffy graphic novel: Out of the Woodwork |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | Buffy book: These Our Actors |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.17 Eternity |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.18 Where the Wild Things Are |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.18 Five By Five |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.19 New Moon Rising |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.19 Sanctuary |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.20 The Yoko Factor |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.20 War Zone |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.21 Primeval |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.21 Blind Date |
| Sunnydale, L.A., 2000 | B4.22 Restless |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.22 To Shanshu in L.A. |
| L.A., 2000 | Angel comic: Cordelia special |
| Sunnydale, L.A., 2000 | Buffy/Angel books: Unseen [Trilogy] |
[edit] External links
- "New Moon Rising" at the Internet Movie Database
- "New Moon Rising" at TV.com
- "New Moon Rising" on BuffyGuide.com
[edit] Reviews
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