Pangs (Buffy episode)
Encyclopedia
"Pangs" is the eighth episode of season 4 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
On Thanksgiving, Buffy encounters the restless and vengeful spirit of a Native American, whose people were wiped out by white settlers. During a tense confrontation, the Slayer fights a losing battle against her formidable foe - but fortunately, a mysterious protector watches over her from the shadows.
tracks and kills a vampire while Angel watches her from behind some bushes. The college has a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Anthropology
building, and Xander
is one of the construction workers. Buffy, Willow
, and Anya
watch, and while Anya imagines sex with Xander, Buffy and Willow talk about the meaning of Thanksgiving
. Xander begins to dig, the ground suddenly caves out under him and he drops into an old abandoned building. Buffy is upset that her Mom
is going to be out of town for Thanksgiving, but then decides to cook her own Thanksgiving dinner and invite all their friends.
Covered in a blanket and in terrible shape, Spike runs through the woods, trying to escape Riley
and his team as they look for him. Anya arrives at Xander's to find him incredibly sick, and right away starts taking care of him. A green haze comes up from the old Mission and goes to the Cultural Center where some weapons are being kept. After the haze comes in contact with a knife, it turns into a large Native American
man and kills the curator. Buffy and Willow later secretly investigate the murder, and wonder why the curator's body was missing an ear. They discover that a Chumash knife is missing. Buffy tells Giles
about the murder while planning to have Thanksgiving at his place.
After Giles agrees to look up information on the Chumash Indians, and Buffy leaves, Angel appears from the back room, having come to Sunnydale due to his friend
having a vision of Buffy in danger. He and Giles talk about watching over Buffy, and Angel tells him he doesn't want Buffy to know, though keeping a secret from Buffy is hard for both of them. Buffy and Willow talk about preparations for Thanksgiving and then Riley shows up. Buffy invites Riley to her Thanksgiving dinner, but he already has plans to visit family in Iowa
. Willow goes to get coffee and runs into Angel. He tells her he's not evil, and after Willow asks (to her amusement) if it's true that Cordelia
is now working for him, he tells her that he's just looking out for Buffy because she might be in trouble.
Starving, Spike tries to get food from Harmony
, but she threatens him with a stake and he leaves. Buffy goes to find Father Gabriel, a priest who may have information for them, but finds that a returning Chumash spirit has killed him. After the mission was uncovered, his spirit was released to avenge the wrongs that were done to his people. Buffy and Giles talk about it while working on dinner. Then Willow shows up with a stack of books on the Chumash. She explains that while they were once peaceful, the people of Sunnydale horribly mistreated them. Cutting off a victim's ear is how they proved that a kill was successful. Willow and Giles argue about what happened between the Native Americans and the people who took their land and their lives. When Buffy goes to the kitchen, the two talk secretly about Angel's reappearance.
Anya practically carries Xander to Giles's place, and after some research, they determine that he probably has malaria
, smallpox
and syphilis
— some of the diseases that took a terrible toll when brought from Europe to a population without resistance.
With only a blanket to protect him from the sun, Spike shows up at Giles's place asking for help. Buffy is reluctant to give it, but after he offers inside information on the Initiative, and Willow helps him explain that he can't bite anyone anymore, they bring him inside and tie him to a chair. Everyone begins to argue about what they're going to do to stop the spirit. Willow doesn't want to kill him, but everyone else argues that that's the only way. While Willow, Anya, and a weakened Xander go to find the Dean and warn him his life may be in danger, the spirit calls forth more spirits to help him get revenge for their people.
The spirits attack Buffy, Giles, and Spike with arrows. Helplessly tied to a chair, all Spike can do is try to move out of the way as he gets hit with arrows. Willow, Xander, and Anya encounter Angel on their way back and they determine that the Chumash went after Buffy. Buffy tries to go for more weapons, but gets an arrow in the arm. After riding over on bicycles, the Scooby Gang tries to attack the Chumash spirits as best they can with shovels. Angel shows up and helps them out. Buffy cuts one of the Chumash with his own knife, and reaches the conclusion that their own weapons can kill them. The spirit turns into a large black bear
, which Spike desperately tries to get away from and ends up knocking the chair over. Buffy struggles with the bear and then stabs it. All of the spirits disappear.
Angel walks away without being seen by Buffy, and later, the gang sits down to Thanksgiving dinner. Still tied to a chair, Spike sits with them and whines that he still hasn't been fed. Xander accidentally lets it slip that Angel was in town.
On Thanksgiving, Buffy encounters the restless and vengeful spirit of a Native American, whose people were wiped out by white settlers. During a tense confrontation, the Slayer fights a losing battle against her formidable foe - but fortunately, a mysterious protector watches over her from the shadows.
Plot
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...
tracks and kills a vampire while Angel watches her from behind some bushes. The college has a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
building, and 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...
is one of the construction workers. Buffy, 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...
, and 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...
watch, and while Anya imagines sex with Xander, Buffy and Willow talk about the meaning of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
. Xander begins to dig, the ground suddenly caves out under him and he drops into an old abandoned building. Buffy is upset that her Mom
Joyce Summers
Joyce Summers is a fictional character in the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Played by Kristine Sutherland, Joyce is the mother of the main character, Buffy Summers . Joyce appears regularly from the first episode until the character's death in the fifth season episode "The...
is going to be out of town for Thanksgiving, but then decides to cook her own Thanksgiving dinner and invite all their friends.
Covered in a blanket and in terrible shape, Spike runs through the woods, trying to escape Riley
Riley Finn
Riley Finn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Portrayed by Marc Blucas, Riley was introduced in the 1999 season four premiere episode, "The Freshman", and Blucas was part of the series credited cast for the second part of season four...
and his team as they look for him. Anya arrives at Xander's to find him incredibly sick, and right away starts taking care of him. A green haze comes up from the old Mission and goes to the Cultural Center where some weapons are being kept. After the haze comes in contact with a knife, it turns into a large Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
man and kills the curator. Buffy and Willow later secretly investigate the murder, and wonder why the curator's body was missing an ear. They discover that a Chumash knife is missing. Buffy tells Giles
Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure...
about the murder while planning to have Thanksgiving at his place.
After Giles agrees to look up information on the Chumash Indians, and Buffy leaves, Angel appears from the back room, having come to Sunnydale due to his friend
Allen Francis Doyle
Allen Francis Doyle is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the cult television series, Angel. The character was portrayed by Glenn Quinn.-Character history:Doyle was born to a human mother and a Brachen demon father...
having a vision of Buffy in danger. He and Giles talk about watching over Buffy, and Angel tells him he doesn't want Buffy to know, though keeping a secret from Buffy is hard for both of them. Buffy and Willow talk about preparations for Thanksgiving and then Riley shows up. Buffy invites Riley to her Thanksgiving dinner, but he already has plans to visit family in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. Willow goes to get coffee and runs into Angel. He tells her he's not evil, and after Willow asks (to her amusement) if it's true that Cordelia
Cordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...
is now working for him, he tells her that he's just looking out for Buffy because she might be in trouble.
Starving, Spike tries to get food from Harmony
Harmony Kendall
Harmony Kendall is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel. The character is portrayed by Mercedes McNab...
, but she threatens him with a stake and he leaves. Buffy goes to find Father Gabriel, a priest who may have information for them, but finds that a returning Chumash spirit has killed him. After the mission was uncovered, his spirit was released to avenge the wrongs that were done to his people. Buffy and Giles talk about it while working on dinner. Then Willow shows up with a stack of books on the Chumash. She explains that while they were once peaceful, the people of Sunnydale horribly mistreated them. Cutting off a victim's ear is how they proved that a kill was successful. Willow and Giles argue about what happened between the Native Americans and the people who took their land and their lives. When Buffy goes to the kitchen, the two talk secretly about Angel's reappearance.
Anya practically carries Xander to Giles's place, and after some research, they determine that he probably has malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
and syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
— some of the diseases that took a terrible toll when brought from Europe to a population without resistance.
With only a blanket to protect him from the sun, Spike shows up at Giles's place asking for help. Buffy is reluctant to give it, but after he offers inside information on the Initiative, and Willow helps him explain that he can't bite anyone anymore, they bring him inside and tie him to a chair. Everyone begins to argue about what they're going to do to stop the spirit. Willow doesn't want to kill him, but everyone else argues that that's the only way. While Willow, Anya, and a weakened Xander go to find the Dean and warn him his life may be in danger, the spirit calls forth more spirits to help him get revenge for their people.
The spirits attack Buffy, Giles, and Spike with arrows. Helplessly tied to a chair, all Spike can do is try to move out of the way as he gets hit with arrows. Willow, Xander, and Anya encounter Angel on their way back and they determine that the Chumash went after Buffy. Buffy tries to go for more weapons, but gets an arrow in the arm. After riding over on bicycles, the Scooby Gang tries to attack the Chumash spirits as best they can with shovels. Angel shows up and helps them out. Buffy cuts one of the Chumash with his own knife, and reaches the conclusion that their own weapons can kill them. The spirit turns into a large black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, which Spike desperately tries to get away from and ends up knocking the chair over. Buffy struggles with the bear and then stabs it. All of the spirits disappear.
Angel walks away without being seen by Buffy, and later, the gang sits down to Thanksgiving dinner. Still tied to a chair, Spike sits with them and whines that he still hasn't been fed. Xander accidentally lets it slip that Angel was in town.
Writing
- Not for the first time, stress brought on by holidays – travel, family and preparations – is metaphorically presented as attacks by spirits.
- Two views on America's history are presented by Willow, supporting Native Americans even when they killed people, and Giles and Spike, who champion the other side of the debate, Giles stressing the futility of symbolic revenge and Spike arguing the equal futility of guilt.
Continuity
- Crossover with Angel: After Doyle received a vision of Buffy in trouble ("Bachelor Party"), Angel arrived in Sunnydale in this episode. Buffy is angry that Angel did not inform her and confronts him in "I Will Remember You", aired immediately afterward.
- Willow amusingly questions Angel about hiring Cordelia at Angel InvestigationsAngel InvestigationsAngel Investigations is a fictional detective agency run by the title character Angel previously on the WB television series Angel . It is sometimes abbreviated as AI...
. - This episode marks the only on screen meeting of Angel and Anya, though they do not actually speak to each other.
Arc significance
- Xander now refers to Anya as his girlfriend. Riley and Buffy are establishing a relationship as well.
- Willow foreshadows the nature of this season's "Big Bad", Adam, by hypothesizing a demon made out of parts when a victim is missing an ear. In an earlier episode, "Some Assembly Required," the Epps brothers attempted precisely such a creation, although their goal was to create a human, not a demon.
- This is Angel's first appearance since "The FreshmanThe Freshman (Buffy episode)"The Freshman" is the first episode of season 4 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode was written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon. The narrative follows Buffy Summers as she attempts to fit into her new college environment at UC Sunnydale...
". - Xander's afflictions in the episode are briefly mentioned in song in "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...
".