Xander’s horrible wound has been prefigured throughout the season. From STSP, an episode involving “mutual no-see-‘ems”: “Buffy and Gnarl are still fighting. Gnarl leaps over Buffy's head and lands behind her. She turns and stabs his foot with her dagger when he lands, pinning him to the ground. He screeches and…

Giles has always had elements of that attitude in him, though he repressed them most of the time. Still, we see him in episodes like Helpless or The Gift and have to remember that that's part of who he's always been. I don't find it much of a stretch to see the destruction of the WC and the general stress of the…

That's always possible, but Spike didn't take it that way: "When I sired her, I set loose a demon, and it tore into me, but it was the demon talking, not her. (stands) I realize that now. (walks toward the computer) My mother loved me with all her heart."

You're not alone. A number of viewers took Spike’s comment as a statement about the worth of mothers, or at least of Nikki. I saw it differently, as I'll try to explain.
 
Take the issue of mothers first. It’s implausible, to say the least, that the writers were intentionally insulting mothers. We all have them; loving…

Heh. In the commentary to Innocence, Joss said that he wanted Buffy to be like Party of Five with rocket launchers.

This is where I think Help is such an important episode. Buffy's always felt concern that people around her (Dawn, Willow and Xander in particular) will get hurt, but Help really drove home the point that she can't save everyone. What I think we're seeing is a sense of desperation that being the Slayer isn't enough.

The "momma's boy" aspect to Spike was pretty strongly hinted in FFL: "DRUSILLA Your wealth lies here… and here. In the spirit and… imagination. You walk in worlds the others can't begin to imagine. WILLIAM Oh, yes! I mean, no. I mean… mother's expecting me."

"I needed a mission. And for my sins they gave me one."

The short answer is yes. The show really comes alive, IMO, with Lie to Me, which is about 1/3 of the way through S2. At episodes 13-14 of S2 something dramatic happens which forever changes the tone of the show for the better.

I love WSWB.

I agree with Guest. Redemption is a process, not an event. All that we learn from Storyteller is that Andrew has reached the point where he can *begin* (like Anya in Selfless).

Exactly.

Someone's evil alter ego.

Storyteller: Buffy closes the Turok-han Pez dispenser

Get It Done —2

Get It Done — 1

I thought all Buffy fans had that voiceover memorized. *Looks around*.

SLIGHT SPOILERS FOR LMPTM

With whom was Buffy having her true “first date”? I’d argue it was Spike. Since Xander is Buffy’s metaphorical heart, the fact that Xander is attracted to demons is letting us know by allegory that Buffy is attracted to Spike, not Wood. Similarly, Xander’s on-off behavior with Anya mirrors that of Buffy with Spike,…

Never Leave Me - Trivia notes
Trivia notes: (1) When First/Spike tells Spike that "You're the one who had to … learn something about himself.", the reference is to The Master's words to Spike in Lessons. (2) Andrew's butcher shop order resembles the condom-buying scene from The Summer of '42. (3) Quentin Travers'…