Gone (Buffy episode)
Encyclopedia
"Gone" is the 11th episode of season 6 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
feels life spinning out of control. In the previous episode, Willow
got high on the magic (so much so that her eyes are almost permanently big and black) and crashed a car, breaking Dawn
's arm. Willow is still distraught. Dawn is ignoring Buffy. Dawn resents Buffy because Buffy was off secretly having sex with Spike
during the crisis, so Dawn is only talking to Xander
. Dawn is further irritated because Buffy is gathering up everything in the household even slightly magical and hiding it so Willow can avoid magical temptation, including a statue of the Hopi god Kokopelli
, which Dawn treasures because it belonged to their deceased mother Joyce.
The social worker comes round to check on how Buffy's doing (at the worst possible time) – while the living room is scattered with Willow's old spell ingredients and objects. Buffy digs herself into a deep hole by saying "It's magic weed." Spike, in the daytime but using a blanket to cover him, comes over to her house wanting his lighter back. Then he leaves after worsening the situation, calling Buffy Goldilocks.
Meanwhile, Warren
modifies his freeze ray into an invisibility gun.
In a state of depression, Buffy cuts most of her own hair off, and has to make an emergency trip to the hairdresser to fix it. As she leaves, the Trio pulls up to a tanning salon nearby, about to make themselves invisible. However, Andrew
and Jonathan
fight over who is going to use the gun first and accidentally overload it, sending beams over the parking lot; a beam hits Buffy, making her vanish (along with a dumpster, traffic cone, and fire hydrant).
Anya
and Xander are talking about their upcoming wedding at the Magic Box. The door opens but no-one enters. Buffy's voice comes out of nowhere, along with picking up two magical circular items and making them look like eyes. Upon discovering this, Xander immediately believes that Willow may have suffered a relapse and confronts her, but Willow is offended and insists that she is not responsible. Buffy continues her invisible adventures in Sunnydale. "I'm the ghost of fashion victims past," she moans to a civilian, who is wearing a studded cap. She then drives off with a parking inspector's cart.
Buffy drives to the workplace of the social worker who had made that morning's inspection to the Summers' home. Using her invisibility to its full advantage, she tricks the social worker into behaving in a bizarre manner and replaces the Summers' report with pages consisting entirely of repetitions of "All work and no play
make [sic] Doris a dull girl", an allusion to The Shining
. Doris also tells her supervisor that "There was a voice. It made my coffee dance", not knowing that invisible Buffy was teasing and moving the coffee cup to make Doris react and appear insane. The supervisor believes that Doris is having a mental break with reality and sends her home, saying that he would send someone else to inspect the Summers' home the next day.
Buffy then heads to Spike's. She initiates foreplay with Spike by trying to sexually assault him, before he realises what is happening. "I told you to stop trying to see me," she finally jokes and then she and Spike go downstairs to have sex. In the meantime, Xander and Anya discover that the invisibility ray was causing the structure of the traffic cone to break down, and realize that the same thing would happen to Buffy if the invisibility wasn't reversed. Xander runs to Spike's crypt in search of Buffy, where he finds Spike in bed, naked and appearing to be alone. In reality, however, Buffy and Spike are making love. After Spike claims he's "doing push-ups", Xander has a chat with him, wanting to know where Buffy is, and Spike honestly says that he hasn't "seen" her. Throughout the conversation, invisible Buffy embraces and affectionately teases Spike, making him laugh despite Xander's presence. Spike tries to act normal, somewhat unsuccessfully. Xander finally leaves, puzzled by Spike's odd behavior, telling Spike that he really needs to get a girlfriend.
Buffy wants to continue their physical activities, but Spike tells her that he is tired of being with her and not really having her. He asks her to leave if she isn't really going to be with him. He is frustrated with her carefree attitude and doesn't appreciate the way she seems to be using the invisibility
as an excuse to escape her real life. She protests, but eventually leaves. She doesn't do too well at home when she scares Dawn, who has the same frustrations as Spike, combined with extreme worry for her sister. The bad stuff keeps on coming when she gets the message from Xander and Anya on the answering machine. "Tell her about the pudding" says Anya, referencing the way the invisible traffic cone found by Willow had started to disintegrate into mush. However, before Buffy can head back to the Magic Box, Jonathan phones her up (disguising his voice so Buffy doesn't identify him) and tells her that the Trio has kidnapped Willow and tells her to meet them at the arcade.
Buffy does so. However, Jonathan, Andrew, and Warren Mears
have also made themselves invisible, and Warren is holding Willow hostage. Warren lies to Buffy, telling her that he is going to reverse the invisibility. But Willow points out that he's put it on a setting that is going to kill her. Warren knocks her to the ground and aims the gun at Buffy, telling her that she can't see them. However, Buffy's Slayer training (and possibly her experiences in "Out of Mind, Out of Sight
" and "Family") provide her with some ability to sense the invisible villains. A scuffle ensues. Warren ends up in the ball-pit, Andrew ends up in the pinball machine and Buffy is holding Jonathan. Willow, who has changed the frequency, aims at Buffy, Jonathan, Andrew, and Warren, and all four are visible again.
"So, you three have what? Banded together to be pains in my ass?" Buffy asks. Warren stands firm. "We're your arch-nemesises... -ses." After a smoke-bomb goes off and after scuffling to open the door, the Trio escape. Buffy and Willow sit on the curb outside and talk. The two then discuss the events of the day, and Willow admits she nearly used magic but didn't; Buffy also admits that while she's still not happy about being alive, when faced with death she realised she didn't want to die. The two then contemplate their small but notable steps towards dealing with their respective problems.
Plot synopsis
BuffyBuffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
feels life spinning out of control. In the previous episode, Willow
Willow Rosenberg
Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan...
got high on the magic (so much so that her eyes are almost permanently big and black) and crashed a car, breaking Dawn
Dawn Summers
Dawn Summers is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Marti Noxon and David Fury on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed by Michelle Trachtenberg. She made her debut in the premiere episode of the show's fifth season, and subsequently appeared in every...
's arm. Willow is still distraught. Dawn is ignoring Buffy. Dawn resents Buffy because Buffy was off secretly having sex with Spike
Spike (Buffyverse)
Spike, played by James Marsters, is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Spike is a vampire and played various roles on the shows, ranging from villain to anti-hero. For Marsters, the role as Spike began a career in science...
during the crisis, so Dawn is only talking to Xander
Xander Harris
Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as in numerous items in the series Expanded Universe, such as comic books, tie-in novels and video games...
. Dawn is further irritated because Buffy is gathering up everything in the household even slightly magical and hiding it so Willow can avoid magical temptation, including a statue of the Hopi god Kokopelli
Kokopelli
Kokopelli is a fertility deity, usually depicted as a humpbacked flute player , who has been venerated by some Native American cultures in the Southwestern United States. Like most fertility deities, Kokopelli presides over both childbirth and agriculture...
, which Dawn treasures because it belonged to their deceased mother Joyce.
The social worker comes round to check on how Buffy's doing (at the worst possible time) – while the living room is scattered with Willow's old spell ingredients and objects. Buffy digs herself into a deep hole by saying "It's magic weed." Spike, in the daytime but using a blanket to cover him, comes over to her house wanting his lighter back. Then he leaves after worsening the situation, calling Buffy Goldilocks.
Meanwhile, Warren
Warren Mears
Warren Mears is a fictional character portrayed by Adam Busch in the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as its canonical comic book series continuation.-Television:...
modifies his freeze ray into an invisibility gun.
In a state of depression, Buffy cuts most of her own hair off, and has to make an emergency trip to the hairdresser to fix it. As she leaves, the Trio pulls up to a tanning salon nearby, about to make themselves invisible. However, Andrew
Andrew Wells
Andrew Wells is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, played by Tom Lenk. The character also appears in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, the canonical continuation of the series....
and Jonathan
Jonathan Levinson
Jonathan Levinson is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Danny Strong.-Character history:Jonathan was born in 1981 and raised in Sunnydale, California...
fight over who is going to use the gun first and accidentally overload it, sending beams over the parking lot; a beam hits Buffy, making her vanish (along with a dumpster, traffic cone, and fire hydrant).
Anya
Anya Jenkins
Anya is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She also appears in the comic book series based on the television show. Portrayed by Emma Caulfield, the character appears as a guest star in the third and fourth seasons of the show before...
and Xander are talking about their upcoming wedding at the Magic Box. The door opens but no-one enters. Buffy's voice comes out of nowhere, along with picking up two magical circular items and making them look like eyes. Upon discovering this, Xander immediately believes that Willow may have suffered a relapse and confronts her, but Willow is offended and insists that she is not responsible. Buffy continues her invisible adventures in Sunnydale. "I'm the ghost of fashion victims past," she moans to a civilian, who is wearing a studded cap. She then drives off with a parking inspector's cart.
Buffy drives to the workplace of the social worker who had made that morning's inspection to the Summers' home. Using her invisibility to its full advantage, she tricks the social worker into behaving in a bizarre manner and replaces the Summers' report with pages consisting entirely of repetitions of "All work and no play
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy is a proverb. It means that without time off from work, a person becomes both bored and boring.-History:...
make [sic] Doris a dull girl", an allusion to The Shining
The Shining (film)
The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
. Doris also tells her supervisor that "There was a voice. It made my coffee dance", not knowing that invisible Buffy was teasing and moving the coffee cup to make Doris react and appear insane. The supervisor believes that Doris is having a mental break with reality and sends her home, saying that he would send someone else to inspect the Summers' home the next day.
Buffy then heads to Spike's. She initiates foreplay with Spike by trying to sexually assault him, before he realises what is happening. "I told you to stop trying to see me," she finally jokes and then she and Spike go downstairs to have sex. In the meantime, Xander and Anya discover that the invisibility ray was causing the structure of the traffic cone to break down, and realize that the same thing would happen to Buffy if the invisibility wasn't reversed. Xander runs to Spike's crypt in search of Buffy, where he finds Spike in bed, naked and appearing to be alone. In reality, however, Buffy and Spike are making love. After Spike claims he's "doing push-ups", Xander has a chat with him, wanting to know where Buffy is, and Spike honestly says that he hasn't "seen" her. Throughout the conversation, invisible Buffy embraces and affectionately teases Spike, making him laugh despite Xander's presence. Spike tries to act normal, somewhat unsuccessfully. Xander finally leaves, puzzled by Spike's odd behavior, telling Spike that he really needs to get a girlfriend.
Buffy wants to continue their physical activities, but Spike tells her that he is tired of being with her and not really having her. He asks her to leave if she isn't really going to be with him. He is frustrated with her carefree attitude and doesn't appreciate the way she seems to be using the invisibility
Invisibility
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be invisible . The term is usually used as a fantasy/science fiction term, where objects are literally made unseeable by magical or technological means; however, its effects can also be seen in the real...
as an excuse to escape her real life. She protests, but eventually leaves. She doesn't do too well at home when she scares Dawn, who has the same frustrations as Spike, combined with extreme worry for her sister. The bad stuff keeps on coming when she gets the message from Xander and Anya on the answering machine. "Tell her about the pudding" says Anya, referencing the way the invisible traffic cone found by Willow had started to disintegrate into mush. However, before Buffy can head back to the Magic Box, Jonathan phones her up (disguising his voice so Buffy doesn't identify him) and tells her that the Trio has kidnapped Willow and tells her to meet them at the arcade.
Buffy does so. However, Jonathan, Andrew, and Warren Mears
Warren Mears
Warren Mears is a fictional character portrayed by Adam Busch in the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as its canonical comic book series continuation.-Television:...
have also made themselves invisible, and Warren is holding Willow hostage. Warren lies to Buffy, telling her that he is going to reverse the invisibility. But Willow points out that he's put it on a setting that is going to kill her. Warren knocks her to the ground and aims the gun at Buffy, telling her that she can't see them. However, Buffy's Slayer training (and possibly her experiences in "Out of Mind, Out of Sight
Out of Mind, Out of Sight
"Out of Mind, Out of Sight", also known as "Invisible Girl", is the 11th episode of season one of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer....
" and "Family") provide her with some ability to sense the invisible villains. A scuffle ensues. Warren ends up in the ball-pit, Andrew ends up in the pinball machine and Buffy is holding Jonathan. Willow, who has changed the frequency, aims at Buffy, Jonathan, Andrew, and Warren, and all four are visible again.
"So, you three have what? Banded together to be pains in my ass?" Buffy asks. Warren stands firm. "We're your arch-nemesises... -ses." After a smoke-bomb goes off and after scuffling to open the door, the Trio escape. Buffy and Willow sit on the curb outside and talk. The two then discuss the events of the day, and Willow admits she nearly used magic but didn't; Buffy also admits that while she's still not happy about being alive, when faced with death she realised she didn't want to die. The two then contemplate their small but notable steps towards dealing with their respective problems.
Continuity
- Sarah Michelle Gellar had requested to cut her hair, so the writers made her haircut a plot point of this episode.
- Buffy is whistling "Going Through the Motions", a song from "Once More, with FeelingOnce More, with Feeling (Buffy episode)"Once More, with Feeling" is the seventh episode of the sixth season of the fantasy television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the only one in the series performed as a musical...
" as she is leaving the Social Services building. - Xander references the Season One episode "Out of Mind, Out of SightOut of Mind, Out of Sight"Out of Mind, Out of Sight", also known as "Invisible Girl", is the 11th episode of season one of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer....
" when questioning Buffy as to how she got invisible. Buffy goes on to refer to that episode's antagonist, Marcie Ross (Clea DuVallClea DuVallClea Helen D'Etienne DuVall is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Sofie on the television series Carnivàle as well as for films such as The Faculty , Girl, Interrupted and The Grudge .-Early life:DuVall was born in Los Angeles, California, the only child of Rosemary and...
) by name. - When Buffy takes the hat of the girl on the bench, she refers to herself as the "Ghost of Fashions Past" or something to that sort, which is referring to the original "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie.
Arc significance
- Buffy discovers the identities of the TrioTrio (Buffyverse)The Trio is the name of three fictional characters in the sixth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who serve as the villains of the season. They continually strive to neutralize Buffy, the Slayer, and thus the primary obstacle to their ultimate goal of taking over Sunnydale...
. - Spike begins to question the nature of his relationship with Buffy, a change that will eventually lead to his quest at the end of the season.