Crush (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

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"Crush" is episode 14 of season 5 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Dawn has a crush on Spike, who reveals his crush on Buffy when he takes her on a stakeout date. When his advances are turned down, Spike kidnaps Buffy and Drusilla, who has returned to Sunnydale. He tries to force an admission of love from Buffy. Harmony appears as well and breaks up with Spike.

The premise of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is that an adolescent girl, Buffy Summers, is chosen by mystical forces and given superhuman powers to kill vampires, demons, and other evil creatures in the fictional town of Sunnydale. She is supported by a close circle of family and friends, nicknamed the Scooby Gang.

Plot[]

The Bronze re-opens, and Buffy watches as her friends dance. Spike shows up only to be forced away by Xander. Willow reveals that she is suffering from headaches and nosebleeds as a result of her teleportation spell. A train pulls into Sunnydale and, when the porter goes on board, he finds all the passengers dead. As he sees the carnage, he too is attacked and killed.

When Buffy returns home after partying, Giles suggests that Dawn be treated normally. In the meantime, Harmony shows up and tries to get Spike sexually aroused and suggests a game where she pretends to be Buffy. Buffy reads about the train murders and concludes that it is a vampire and not Glory. Buffy searches for Dawn and finds her with Spike, listening to one of his scary stories. Dawn reveals her crush on Spike, but what really shocks Buffy is when she says that Spike has a crush on Buffy.

Buffy and Xander investigate the train murders, and Buffy rants about Spike's feelings for her, though Xander does not take it seriously and is even amused by this. A blindfolded doll in the overhead compartment of the train, hidden from Buffy and Xander, is revealed to the audience. The doll resembles those in Drusilla's doll collection, first seen in "School Hard".

While Buffy and Spike are staking out in front of a warehouse, Buffy is unnerved by some of Spike's behavior, because he normally does not help for free or take an interest in her personal interests. Buffy and Spike attack the vampires, but they immediately run off at the sight of the Slayer. Buffy realizes that the warehouse is a vampire nest, and thus they could not have been the ones involved in the train massacre. When Spike goes so far as to unwittingly hold the door open for her, Buffy finally confronts him on his behavior, demanding to know if everything that just happened was just Spike's version of a date. Though Spike at first denies it, Buffy is disgusted at his attempts to hit on her and denies that there is something between them. Before storming out of the warehouse, Buffy insists that Spike is still a dangerous and soulless villain who is incapable of such emotion.

Despondently returning to his crypt, Spike is greeted by his longtime love, Drusilla, who tells him of the events in Los Angeles and tries to convince him to return with her. She is already aware of the chip in his head and tries to convince him he can be evil, even with the chip. Harmony arrives and yells at Drusilla for hurting Spike. Spike throws Harmony out of the way, announcing that, not only is Drusilla back, but he is back. While out looking for Spike, Buffy discovers the extension of his underground lair, which includes a shrine dedicated to her. As she returns to the surface, Buffy finds Spike and Drusilla waiting for her. Spike watches Drusilla shock Buffy with a cattle prod. After the Slayer collapses, Drusilla turns to Spike, only to be shocked herself as he seizes the cattle prod and uses it on her.

Buffy awakens to find herself chained up in the underground space below Spike's crypt, Drusilla is tied to a pole across from her. Spike poetically describes his 120-year romance with Drusilla — prompting an appreciative sigh from her — but also professes his love for Buffy and offers to kill Drusilla to convince Buffy of his love. He threatens to untie Drusilla and let her kill Buffy unless Buffy shows only a small sign that she could love him. Buffy rejects Spike again, and he goes into a rage about women being so difficult. Harmony arrives and shoots Spike with a crossbow bolt. While Harmony and Spike fight, Drusilla breaks free and goes after Buffy while the Slayer is still chained up. Spike grabs Drusilla and unchains Buffy. Realizing that the Spike she once loved is gone forever, Drusilla leaves Sunnydale heartbroken.

Harmony leaves Spike, telling him it is completely over between the two of them. The minute she leaves, Buffy punches Spike and makes it very clear that he is no longer a part of her life, and he must stay away from her and her family and friends from now on. Spike is left stunned as Buffy goes home and closes the door in his face.

References[]

External links[]

• "Crush" at IMDb
• "Crush" at BuffyGuide.com