"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Flooded (2001)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Douglas Petrie

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator)
Douglas Petrie (written by) ...

TV Series:

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997)

Original Air Date:

16 October 2001 (Season 6, Episode 4)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

Buffy's life is further complicated by mounting financial problems, a flooded basement, and a warrior demon out for her blood. |

Plot Keywords:

Lesbian | Sister Sister Relationship | Heroine | Female Protagonist | Demon

Cast

Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon	...	Xander Harris
Emma Caulfield	...	Anya
Michelle Trachtenberg	...	Dawn Summers
James Marsters	...	Spike
Alyson Hannigan	...	Willow Rosenberg
Anthony Head	...	Rupert Giles (as Anthony Stewart Head)
Danny Strong	...	Jonathan Levinson
Adam Busch	...	Warren Meers
Tom Lenk	...	Andrew Wells
Todd Stashwick	...	M'Fashnik Demon
Amber Benson	...	Tara Maclay
Michael Merton	...	Mr. Savitsky
John Jabaley	...	Tito
Brian Kolb	...	Bank Guard

Runtime:

42 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Company:

Mutant Enemy

Trivia:

The letters on the periscope in Andrew, Warren, and Jonathon's "lair" actually reads "Geek" in Russian.

Quotes:

[to Dawn]
Buffy: You do research now? Want a cappuccino and a pack of cigarettes to go with it?

Movie Connections:

References Star Wars (1977)

Enter the Trio

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The Trio are three comic book collecting geeks who have teamed up to "take over Sunnydale" this season. Two of them have been on BTVS before. There's Warren from season five's, "I was Made to Love You" and Jonathan from many earlier episodes including season three's "Earshot" and season four's "Superstar." Also, there's Andrew. His brother Tucker set the devil dogs loose at the prom back in season three's "The Prom." Throughout season six they will pester Buffy with their plans, gradually growing worse and worse in their destructiveness. In the end, these geeky human villains turn out to be as bad as any demons the Scoobies have faced. This episode introduces them and also reinforces the growing rift between the Willow and the other Scoobies, particularly Giles. If you're going to watch the season, you really should see "Flooded."

This episode revolves around Buffy's money troubles. Despite being "all dead and frugal," she's broke. While she's at the bank applying for a loan, a large demon attacks and robs it. It turns out that he's working of the Trio and that he's out to kills Buffy. (I'm not sure why, but he is.) Meanwhile, Giles and Willow argue about her increasing use of magic. He thinks that her spell to bring back Buffy was incredibly dangerous. When the demon shows up the Summers house, Buffy and Spike have to fight him. The battle ruins most of the furniture and ends up in her flooded basement. Buffy's far more worried about the cost of fixing it all then the demon attack. The episode ends with Angel calling (he's heard she alive from Willow apparently) and Buffy going to meet him.

I actually really like the Trio. Maybe you have to know someone like them, and get all their sci-fi jokes, to see how hilarious they are. Their conversations are peppered with relevant pop-culture references. (Monty Python, and Star Wars, and X-Men, etc...) Of course their "supervillian" plots are gonna be silly and stolen out of the pages of comic books. It's what they know. But, the fact that Buffy goes so long without catching them, shows that the Trio aren't as dumb as they seem. Their plans usually work. These guys are actually pretty bright, they're just immature and looking for somewhere to belong.

They each have their own personalities, which really develop as time goes on. Warren is just a flat out rotten individual. His stronger will overpowers Andrew and Jonathan's. Andrew is weak and a follower. He'll do whatever Warren says, so long as he doesn't have make any decisions or stand on his own. Jonathan is the most sympathetic member of the group. Since season two he's been drifting around the edges of the Scoobie gang, desperate to belong. The Trio has given him a place where he fits in, but pretty soon his somewhat naive comic book view of supervilliany with clash with Warren's much darker nature.

So who's the Big Bad of season six? Warren or Willow? The Trio or the Scoobies themselves? Or maybe just life and adulthood? I don't know. None of them have a direct plan of action like the Mayor of Glory. The Scoobies are inadvertently bring about their own misery with the poor choices the make. The Trio are basically just bored and trying to be more interesting and important than they are. Both groups are fighting against growing up, trying to take short cuts through life and it's destroying them. In the end, this season will leave more scars than any other.

On the down side, not to sound like one of the Trio, but Spiderman does make money by taking pictures of himself and selling to the newspaper. So, I think Anya had a point when she said that Buffy should charge for her services. Besides, Angel gets paid for saving people over on "Angel." Doctors get paid for saving lives. Why shouldn't Buffy get paid, too? Honestly, I've always felt that the Council should be paying her. They pay the Wathchers, why not the the Slayers?

My favorite part of the episode: Buffy and Spike quietly sitting on the back porch. It nicely corresponds to their scene in season five's "Fool for Love." Besides, the idea of Buffy asking Spike about finances is just funny. He gives her a sort of mystified look and, as an evil, 100-something year old vampire, you kinna get the feeling that he hasn't worried much about VISA bills.