This is a near perfect episode that kept me interested from start to finish.  At first I thougth that it was lacking in emotion but the emotion is presented in subtle ways.  The concern of the scoobies, everyone's reaction to the Buffybot and the loss of Buffy, and the subdued emotional departure of Giles made everything in the show more intense.  

This is a great start to the season.  I think that it is better than anything in Season 1, which I recently rewatched.  

It seems that at least once per year Josh Whedon does a show that is completely different from normal TV shows or completely different from the usual Buffy plot.  In Season 4 we first saw this in the semi-silent-film Hush followed by the alternate reality Superstar.  In Season 5 he gave us another alternate reality with Buffy versus Dracula and the whole season was based upon the alternate reality of Dawn being Buffy's sister.  Later The Body riveteted us with an abscense of music to set the mood.  

I feel a need to respond to the criticism of this episode that I saw in Peripheral Visions.  It is true that not all the songs are perfect nor do all the cast members have great singing voices, but I don't think that is the point.  Most of the songs do a great job of advancing the story unlike most musicals that are plot deficient.  This has been a series where the characters often hide what they feel, but this episode gave them a chance to get things out in the open.  I like the final number when they ask, "Where do we go from here?" It is a good question because I was wondering the same thing.  

I think that some of the songs are pretty good anyway.  Buffy's opening sequence, the Xander and Anya duet, and the Tara song are nearly perfect.  The best songs are probably in the first half.  After about 35 minutes the demon song and Gile songs drag a bit but things pick up quickly after that.

When Buffy comes to Dawn's rescue, the first thing Dawn does it try to excuse herself from any wrong doing.  The situation is really not her fault, but she is worried that she might be blamed for it and be in trouble.  This seems like a normal 15 year old reaction and is a nice touch.

This episode probably contains one of the most risque' sequence that you are likely to see on broadcast TV.  There is implied lesbian lovemaking.  The verse "Spread beneath my Willow tree" about knocked me out of my chair with the double double entendre.

It is rare that a single episode impresses me so much that I watch it five times in the same weekend.  It might not be the best episode of the whole series, but it is close.  

Buffy has hallucinations of being in a mental hospital.

The question of being in a mental instituion while not knowing if you are crazy has been done before on shows like Star Trek The Next Generation and the movie 12 Monkeys.  In the latter case, the main character played by Bruce Willis thinks that being crazy is a more desirable option than the reality he is faced with.  Here Buffy comes to the same conclusion.  By the end she must decide which reality she wants to live in.

While hallucinating, Buffy threatens Dawn.  I very much like Dawn's reaction.  First she cries for Willow's help, indicating what we already know, which is that Willow might be the only one powerful enough to stand up to a crazed Buffy.  Then she makes a promise to be good, which is an acknowledgement of her bad behavoir in "Older and Far Away."  In a way this episode was symbolic punishment for Dawn's misdeeds.

• Quote: Oh, come on. That's ridiculous. What? You think this isn't real just because of all the vampires, and demons, and ex-vengeance demons, and the sister that used to be a big ball of universe-destroying energy?

Willow and Tera rekindle their relationship while Xander and Anya self destruct.

I guess this episode didn't work as well for me.  I have to ask what really happened here?

• Spike argues with Buffy.
• Xander and Anya fight.
• We see the villains make their plans.  They are starting to distrust each other.
• Anya wants to take revenge on Xander.
• Anya and Spike have a one night stand at the magic shop.
• Buffy discovers the hidden cameras which leads to the big revelation at the magic shop.
• Xander wants to kill Spike.

My point is that with the exception of some token vampires, this could have been an episode of 90210 (not that I have ever seen that show.)

On the other hand I do appreciate the emotion that Xander, Anya, Spike and even Buffy are going through.  I also like the strengthening of the relationship between Dawn and Buffy and that Dawn has some consequences for her petty thefts.

Part of me wondered why Dawn was on such good behavior lately?  The answer is that in the previous episode Buffy very much scared Dawn.  Dawn learned the hard way that it might not be a good idea to piss off the slayer.

The reconcilliation of Willow and Tara at the end was touching.  

The villains advance their plans.  Buffy confronts them.

Spike tries to force himself on Buffy and as a result leaves town.

There is a lot more to like about this episode than the previous one, mainly the confrontation between the villains and Buffy.  The remainder of the episode, however, seems like more 90210 stuff.  I disliked Spike trying to force himself on Buffy.  It is an unpleasant scene to watch.  Since he is so devoted to Buffy, it seemed out of character for him, although he instantly shows remorse.  I also disliked Xander's rudeness toward Buffy.  This is also out of character for Xander who is always the understanding one, but he tries to make it up later.

I don't buy the notion that the villains could skin a demon and put Jonathan inside the skin.

The shooting at the end gives the episode more importance.  The shooting scene reminded me of the daughter being killed in Godfather III.  Now I understand what the title "Seeing Red" refers to.

Warren's actions demonstrate that he is truly the evil one of the trio and that the others are just along for the ride.

The bitch is back.  The bitch is Willow and she is out for revenge over Tara's death.  After seeing her most cherished loved one murdered, she pulls an Anakin Skywalker and turns to the dark side.  Very dark side.  Waren on the other hand knows that he is dead meat and makes his last stand.

How did Spike, someone who can't travel in the light, make it to Africa, in a day on a motorcycle?  Yes, I know that he ditched the motorcycle at some point, but how did he get it in the first place?   What happened to his Spike-mobile? Did he take a flight?

There was a lot here to be entertained by but it was mostly just action.  In a way it is all one big chase scene like in Spiral.  The scene with the truck reminded me of Terminator I & II.

What was the body count this episode?

Giles cannot stop Willow in her attempt to destroy the world.

What could have been the coolest episode of the season just comes off as interesting.  The show is a mixture of action sequences, talk, and really bland emotional bonding.

 There is a some things to like here in terms of eye candy.  There are cool looking spells, a satanic temple, and truly different monsters.  There are some action sequences, but unlike the previous episodes where everybody was always moving, the antagonists mostly just banter.

 Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a show about relationships, and this is the episode where there really aren't any.  There is no Xander-Anya relationship, Willow-Terra relationship, Buffy-Spike relationship, and even the Buffy-Dawn relationship comes accross as pretty flat.  Without this the show lacks an emotional center.  The closest it got to an emotional center was when Xander reminded Willow about their childhood.  This touched me, a little, because it makes it obvious how time changes people.  It certainly has changed Willow.

The Buffy-Giles relationship also fails completely.  What should have been an emotional reunnion instead comes off as unamusing as they laugh themselves silly over things that aren't funny.

The Buffy-Willow relationship lacks the concern it had in the previous episode.  Willow is the enemy now and Buffy probably would have destroyed Willow, if necessary and if possible, to stop her.

I think that I noticed a lack of music to set the mood.  In a season that is suppose to be about real life, this could make sense, but this episode was seriously lacking in emotion (except rage), and it could have used some music to help us feel something.  I only felt let down.