Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Beneath You Rewatch

March 16, 2016 6:11 PM - Season 7, Episode 2

Buffy dreams of a young woman's murder, and an ominous warning - "From beneath you it devours." Xander, Spike and Buffy work to stop a worm monster, and find it's an abusive man cursed by Anya. Spike reveals his soul to Buffy, but it's clear a century of guilt isn't the only thing tormenting him.
posted by yellowbinder (3 comments total)

This is an interesting episode, in that it's quite plotty, in that it advances Anya and Spike's plot, but doesn't really engage with the overarching plot (run lola run tribute aside). As such, it's decent, and again has that high quality of writing that these later series do.

I liked how it didn't completely brush aside Spike's assault on Buffy, and pretty immediately reveals what's happened to Spike rather than keep it secret. It's cute how characters become aware in turn: Anya can see Spike's soul, then Buffy find out. Although I think some of the others will learn this off stage, which is less satisfying. The scene in the church is great, and again I'm glad the show took the time for this. After all, Angel was useless for a century or so after getting his soul, so no surprise that Spike is messed up.

-Does Anya have a soul at this point? I guess she does, as she seems pretty much the same person.
-Dawn's threat to Spike is cool.
-Dawn mocking Xander isn't though! Give the guy a break, he's trying to hit on someone who had their dog eaten here!
-"Is there anyone here who hasn't slept together?"
"Spike are you out of your mind?" "Well yes, where have you been all night?"
-"Spilling useless buckets of salt." Well, I guess we now know the answer to whether vampires masturbate...
posted by Cannon Fodder at 4:12 AM on March 21, 2016

Has the question of Anya's soul ever come up? I do not remember it being a factor in her demoning/undemoning/redemoning.
posted by restless_nomad at 11:28 AM on March 21, 2016

Assuming D'Hoffryn was speaking accurately, and not just waxing poetic in Selfless, it appears that vengeance demons have souls:

From Selfless (emphasis mine):

ANYA
I wanna take it back. I wanna undo what I did.

D'HOFFRYN
Hmm. You want to take it back. Must be twelve bodies in there. Such a thing—not easily done. But not impossible. You're a big girl, Anyanka. You understand how this works. The proverbial scales must balance. In order to restore the lives of the victims, the fates require a sacrifice. The life and soul of a vengeance demon.

I don't recall it being much of an issue otherwise.
posted by creepygirl at 7:08 PM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]