Your apples are turning brown, the way they do

Something Blue (Tracey Forbes)

In a surprise announcement, I'll come clean: Willow is the reason that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my favourite television programme ever (and that phrase doesn't do my feelings for the programme justice). I love Buffy, Tara (oh yes), Giles, Oz, Jenny, Faith, Cordelia, Kendra, Joyce, Dawn, Anya and Spike; I don't mind Xander, Riley and Angel; but it is Willow's journey from nerd to white witch that has kept me watching and rewatching. If (when) I get round to compiling my favourite moments from BtVS they will inevitably be dominated by Willow.

This is the Willow should be over Oz by now episode because BtVS is not big on folk being all gloomy (unless you are Buffy (and it is your show) when you can mope as much as you like). I think that Willow does actually get over Oz leaving quite quickly; in real life Tara would be a rebound relationship (not that I know anything about that sort of thing).

This episode is so funny that I thought for a long time it had been written by Jane Espenson and not Tracey “Beer Bad” Forbes.

In a lovely touch of foreshadowing, Riley is exposed as a lesbian. I do wonder how he has time to be a student, mark essays, be a lesbian and capture hostiles, as well as entice Buffy on picnics and work hard on suggestive motoring comments.

I just heart Spike at the moment. Season four neutered Spike is hilarious with his pathetic attempts at reminding us he's evil and promises of the revenge he will seek when he's "fixed". However, whenever Buffy hits him, I shiver because I can see season six looming large.

The scene in the bath with the Kiss the Librarian mug ("Giles, help! He's going to scold me.") shows how well SMG and JM play off together and that is only a taster before we see them engaged in some of the funniest ever sequences in BtVS. From the cute talk, the smoochies ("Oh, pouty! Look at that lip…gonna get it…gonna get it.."), Giles’s horrified reaction ("Stop that right now! I can hear the smacking." ), the jealousy over Angel, the fact that Spike has sexist attitudes (“Oh, not with the Girl-Power bit!”), to the spell being broken ("Spike lips! Lips of Spike!") it’s all marvellously entertaining.

Poor Willow gets an unbelievable bollocking from Giles which way too harsh on her but not nearly as harsh as her friends’ reaction when they find out that Willow isn't just drinking beer but has the poor taste to drink low alcohol lager.

Willow hits the nail on the head when she says “Oh, you care. Yeah. Everybody cares. Nobody wants to be inconvenienced. You all want me to take the time and go through the pain, as long as you don't have to hear about it anymore.”

One of the single funniest moments of BtVS is the de-ratting and re-ratting of Amy and it once again reminds me they should have used her more: Elizabeth Anne Allen's excited grin is a tease.

The following dialogue is just mean and should have been cut or re-written (except Anya's line):
Xander “Something about Willow and her griefy-poor-me mood swings, so, so tired of it.”
Anya: “You mean I don't have to be nice about her anymore?”
Buffy: “Well, we're all tired of it, but what does it have to do with what's going on?”

The scene between D'Hoffyn and Willow is superb with Willow at no time being tempted: "I don't want to be a demon. I just wanna go back and help my friends." and the funny pay off: "You change your mind, give us a chant."

"Wear this to the rehearsal dinner and the whole thing's off."