Buffy, The Vampire Slayer
Well, it certainly was not Conversations With Dead people, but it was necessary in advancing the story arc. Because all the seasons are self-contained, episodes like this are needed to advance the plot, but do not offer the same emotional sentiments as some of the classics.
Buffy and the Scooby gang interrogate peopel in this episode. Buffy knows something is wrong with Spike, but he will not confess to exactly what he is seeing. Anya and Xander try to figure out Andrew knows, but Andrew refuses to talk. The watch council is wiped out after an explosion rocks their building. Actually, it was quite funny. The head guy does a big inspirational speech about becoming heros, then they all die.
The dynamics between Buffy and Spike were especially good in this. Some new points come out, and unlike other episodes, they were NOT boring together. This season of Buffy seems to be coming along nicely. There is a really good arc, with some classic episodes here and there. The whole ending of this was really cool, bleeding Spike over the satanic cross, and the new big-bad emerging (something that I refer to as a muppet from Hell).
Buffy seems to know exactly what she's dealing with. That's good, because I sure as hell do not. My original "The Devil" guess is fastly deteriorating. This new guy looks like a decomposed Master. Well, as Josh Whedon has hinted, the end of this season is going to be huge. I just hope they deliver as big as they are setting it up.
