Episode 6: Wild at Heart

Is everyone ready for shit to get real? Hold on tight, you're in for a bumpy ride...

Season Four, Episode Six

"Wild at Heart"

Before shit gets real, Buffy makes a funny. She stakes a vampire and gets upset that he didn't even laugh at her heart burn joke! “One lame ass vamp with no appreciation for my pain-stakingly thought out puns—I don’t think the forces of darkness are even trying." We all lol.

After saying this, Spike is shown watching over Buffy as she's walking away. He starts talking big and then he gets electrocuted.

At the bronze, the scoobies are talking about how fun the Bronze is. Willow even says it's like her security blanket, to which Oz says "I thought I was your security blanket." Willow answers this by saying he's her person security blanket and I fall more in love with her.

And just as I start lol like I ever stop?  swooning over Willow, Giles comes in! He's apparently “down with the music." He then joins their table.

Awkward Moment is Awkward

Veruca is playing and Willow’s uncomfortable. Buffy tries to take Oz’s attention off of sexy Veruca but he ain’t budging. Willow grabs his hand, but nothing's working.

The next morning, Oz and Willow wake up together and talk about sex. However, Willow has class and wants to get down and dirty tonight. This can't happen thoigh since Oz is having a wolfy night. Willow says wants to go to a wicca group if she isn't going to be getting any but feels bad and says she won’t so she can lock him up. But, being the nice guy he is, Oz tells her to go.

Professor Walsh asks Buffy to lead a discussion group on the topic. This...is weird. Did she just decide she didn't feel like teaching? I mean, professors do sometimes have students do lectures, but generally it's every student does one as an assignment. I'm so confused by this school! [/rant] She apparently did better than Willow! 

 “You made me jealous of you academically. Buffy! *hugs*”

Now it's lunch time and Willow is meeting up with Oz. He ends up sitting at none other than Veruca’s table. Before sitting he says “my girlfriend’s coming.” This makes me giggle. Oz, if you feel the need to announce your relationship status to strangers in a public form that is not facebook, than you probably she rethink what you're doing and make sure that it's something your very hot girlfriend would approve of. In this case, it definitely isn't and Willow has a sad seeing them talking.

The three of them are talking and everything is just awkward, their conversation basically goes like this:

Veruca: *Eyes Willow*
Oz: *Notices Willow* THIS IS MY GIRLFRIEND THAT I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT, REMEMBER?
Willow: You don't need to shout, Oz.
Oz: I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO BE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT YOU ARE MY GIRLFRIEND!
Veruca: *cough*for now*cough*
Willow: *glares* *is sexy*
Oz: EVERYONE REMEMBERS THAT THIS IS MY GIRLFRIEND, RIGHT?!
Veruca: *rolls eyes*

After the awkwardness, Oz leaves and then Veruca leaves, but not before sarcastically saying to Willow "nice shirt." Bitch, this girl is way hotter than you! Buffy comes and Willow asks “how come you didn’t tell me I look like a crazy birthday cake in this shirt?” And she says "I thought that was the point." I lol again.

WHY DOES EVERY PLACE CONVIENTLY HAVE A CAGE?!?!

Oz is too sexy for his shirt

And what do ya know, there are two wolfies! And guess who's one of them...

And look who likes it kinky

Now let's get down to the real meat of this episode. Within the commentary, Joss says how he used werewolf as a presentation of the male id and sexuality so, with that in mind, look at this dialog:

Oz : Not making a statement. Just wanna get back to my place, figure out why we got out of our cages.
Veruca : You have a cage?
Oz : Don't you?
Veruca : Uh, yeah. Has a little wheel with a plastic ball And a cute little bell in it. God! Somebody's domesticated the hell out of you.
Oz : It's my choice. I don't wanna hurt anybody.
Veruca : Maybe. Or maybe you just don't wanna admit what happened to you. Maybe you just wanna pretend like you're a regular guy. (She walks over to him.)
Oz : Well, I am. I'm only a wolf 3 nights a month.
Veruca : Or you're a wolf all the time and this human face is just your disguise. You ever think about that, Oz? (She's getting closer to him.)
Oz : I'm going. I gotta check the paper, see if we did any damage last night.
Veruca : Oh, we did. But only to each other. I know some part of you remembers that. It doesn't take a full moon. We could...Do it again right here.
Oz : We aren't going to. This ends... Right now.
Veruca : I can help you, Oz. You're scared. I was, too. But then I accepted it. The animal, it's powerful, inside me all the time. Soon, you just start to feel sorry for everybody else because they don't know what it's like to be as alive as we are. As free. Oz : Free to kill people? I won't do that. You shouldn't.
Veruca : You don't understand. But you will. You'll see that we belong together.
Oz : No. I know where I belong.

If you look at this interact as one of symbolism instead of taking all of what they say at face value, you can see how powerful and kickass it is. Oz is trying to stay faithful and out of trouble whereas Veruca thinks that she can follow her whims and do whoever she pleases. Oz thinks that he has control over his id (i.e. his sexuality) and Veruca is trying to let him know that he doesn't and it has control over him in the end.

Back at Oz's place, he's checking the paper for any killings or accidents when Willow comes in looking amazing. She wants to have sex but Oz has his kinky scratches all over him...

"I can't let you see my kinky scratches, Willow."

After getting rejected, Willow goes to Xander because she needs "a translator from the 'y' side of things"

Xander : Well, last time I checked, I had the creds. Hit me.
Willow : What does it mean when a girl wants to... You know.
Xander : If you're doin' it, I think you should be able to say it.
Willow : Make love.
Xander : Wild monkey love or tender Sarah Mclachlan love?
Willow : Any kind. But what if the girl wants to and the guy doesn't? That's a bad sign, right?
Xander : Could be. Or the girl caught the guy in one of the 7 annual minutes he's legitimately too preoccupied to do it. (Favorite Line)
Willow : Well, say the girl's been noticing--
Xander : Will, I've deciphered your ingenious code.
Willow : Ok. Say I've been noticing Oz notice someone else. A woman.
Xander : And is this chick noticing back?
Willow : Most definitely.
Xander : Well... Have you asked Oz about it?
Willow : Well, I thought about it, but then he'll think I'm all jealous and worry.
Xander : But you are. And odds are, he feels it. I'll bet that's all there is to the weird you're feeling. You guys should talk things out, Wll. You'll both feel better.

And now suddently Oz knows how to construct a cage! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?! [/rant] Buffy comes in and asks Oz if he knows of another wolf and he says no. You know stuff is about to go wrong when a lie is told, especially by Oz. Buffy notices his weirdness and says “if it’s possible you seem more monosyllabic than usual." Yet still, Oz says nothing and Buffy leaves.

Not long after, Veruca comes because apparently Oz called her.

Oz : Come here.
Veruca : I'm not getting in that stupid cage with you, if that's what this is all about. We belong outside.
Oz : You can't run loose tonight. And not just because you might hurt somebody. I know people that'll be out there... Hunting for us.
Veruca : (Stepping closer.) So you're saying I should spend the whole night with you... Alone... Locked in a cage.
Oz : You'll be safe.
Veruca : Not from you. Isn't that the point of this cozy little arrangement? It's coming. Do you feel it? It's like blood boiling.
Oz : I feel it.
Veruca : (Leaning in towards him, haning on the the cage door.) I've wanted you even before I ever saw you. I sensed you. Did you sense me?
Oz : (Tensely.) Come in here.
Veruca : Did you?

And they make some wolfy, id love

Willow, obviously, walks in on Oz and Veruca sleeping together naked. Oz quickly puts pants on while Veruca takes her time, gladly showing off her whole body to Willow *insert funny comment about how this might change things for Willow within this season here.* After putting pants on, Willow and Oz fight:

Willow : Oh, my god. Oh, my god.
Oz : I know what you saw. It wasn't-- (Finishes putting on his pants.) I had to.
I had to lock her in there with me.
Willow : I bet.
Oz : She's like me. A wolf.
Willow : Well, I knew you two had a lot in common, but... (Oz tries to touch her.) Don't touch me! (She jerks back.)
Oz : She was gonna hurt somebody. I didn't have a choice.
Willow : But you did. You could've told somebody. Your solution... Just put you two together in a room all night?
Veruca : (Having woken up, stands up bearing all.) Girl's got a point.
Oz : (Angrily.) Leave.
Veruca : I'm just saying--
Oz : (Shouts) Now!

I'm sorry. I know.
Willow : I knew, you jerk. And you sat there, and you told me everything was fine? And that's as bad as... As... (Now crying.)
Oz : I know how it feels. I remember.
Willow : Oh. So what, this is payback? I had this coming?
Oz : No. It's not--
Willow : Because I thought that was behind us. And you know, what happened with Xander, it doesn't compare. Not with what you and I had. Not with whatever you've been doing with her.
Oz : I don't know what Veruca and I have done. When I change, it's like, it's like I'm gone and the wolf takes over.

Willow : But before this, when you were regular Oz, you had feelings for her, didn't you?
Oz : No. I could sense something, but...
Willow : But you wanted her... Like in an animal way? Like...More than you wanted me? (She runs off, tears streaming down her face.)
Oz : Willow!

Serious question now: How can anyone want any girl more than Willow?!?!?

Willow's sad causes her to walk into the street and almost get hit by a car! Luckily Buffy and Riley both catch her and Buffy takes her home. They talk and Buffy needs to leave to catch the bitch Veruca before she goes wolfy again. However, she feels really bad leaving Willow; it's sort of adorable.

After Buffy leaves, Willow tries casting a spell.

During this time, Oz and Buffy start looking for Veruca find her clothes that she used to throw them off of her scent. Oz realizes she’s after Willow.

Annoyingly, Buffy runs into an army guy. SHE DOESN'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS, SHE NEEDS TO SAVE WILLOW!

Veruca finds Willow and tells her how sometimes you have to kill to keep what's yours. Oh yeah, bitch went there. Just before the full moon, Oz comes in and kills Veruca.

*noms*

Then Buffy comes and takes Oz out and runs to comfort Willow. Now on the count of three everybody: one, two, three.

Awwwwwwww

After everything is over, Buffy tells Giles about the army guy and they decide they need to find out who they are and blah, blah, blah--yay, more Willow talk! Buffy tells Giles about her sad and he reminds her that she had the same sad before and she got over it. She reminds him that she first ran away and went to hell before getting over it though so she shouldn't become Willow's role model.

Willow goes to Oz’s place and he’s packing his bags.

Oz : I'm going.
Willow : Now?
Oz : Mm-hmm.
Willow : That's your solution?
Oz : That's my decision.
Willow : Don't I get any say in this?
Oz : No. Veruca was right about something. The wolf is inside me all the time, and I don't know where that line is anymore between me and it. And until I figure out what that means, I shouldn't be around you... Or anybody.
Willow : (Crying.) Well, that could be a problem 'cause people... Kind of a planetary epidemic. (Second Favorite Line)
Oz : I'll find someplace.
Willow : Well, how long?
Oz : I don't know.
Willow : Oz... Don't you love me?
Oz : (Holding her pressing his forehead to hers as she sobs.) My whole life... I've never loved anything else.
Willow : Oz... Oh, god. Oz...

And everyone has major sads. Thank you, Joss Whedon, for ripping our hearts out and laughing at our pain. You're a mean jerkface, and I sort of love you for it. 

-Sarah 

Kali's Notes No Notes, Just Sadz