4.20 The Yoko Factor

[Clare]

4.20 The Yoko Factor - Episode #076
Adam instructs Spike to sow seeds of dissent among the Scoobs and Angel comes to Sunnydale to make amends with Buffy.

Review (also post a score out of 10) and discuss this episode.

[cyclica]

This ep gets a low 7 from me.

Spike turns everyone against each other, resulting in a big fight at the end. Very entertaining, and spike is at his best here. Plus a lot of past issues are brought up, like xander feeling abandoned because he didn't go to college, and willow revealing to the rest that she and tara are in a relationship.

The only bad part of the episode is angel's return. Ever since he got his own show, its become something of a recurring theme that buffy and angel are always really annoying and unlikeable when appearing on the other's show. I could certainly have lived without seeing him visit sunnydale just to beat up riley.

[partcynic]

4x20 “The Yoko Factor”

Episode Rating = 6

Containing what may be some of the most important scenes of the season, “The Yoko Factor” is an above-average episode that finally does what we’ve all been waiting for – pulling the Scooby trigger. Despite feeling positively about S4 as an entity, one of my problems with it has been its focusing on Riley/the Initiative at the expense of the good characters, and Xander/Giles/Anya have basically been kept in a holding pattern for half the year. With those static portrayals causing gradually increasing frustration, it’s wonderful to finally un-cage the characters and deal with all of the insecurities/problems they’ve amassed, and it’s even better that this unleashing happens believably and within the context of a (steadily more intriguing) story.

What I Liked about “The Yoko Factor”:

- Giving the arc credit where it’s due, I’m enjoying the continued, subtle progressions of Adam’s plot, and it’s excellent for the writers to create the environment for a climactic showdown without resorting to the same old ‘end of the world’ scenarios. Despite not having much love for the Initiative, I’m still interested in how the story is evolving; and Adam’s strength and immunity to the blasters make him an imposing physical threat.

- With the last ten-odd episodes having little in the way of meaningful content for Spike, it’s great to have him serving a purpose, and doing something only he could do. I really enjoyed watching his sly machinations, and he effectively preyed upon each of the gang’s vulnerabilities, which fit brilliantly with his long-established perceptiveness. In turn, each of the main Scoobs’ reactions were interesting – for example, Xander’s response to the army quip gave the character a welcome chance to express himself, and enabled us to feel his pain for the first time in a while.

- Willow playing with Miss Kitty Fantastico was cute, and her conversation with Tara an eloquent explanation of how she felt about Buffy and her current place in the Scoobs.

- Throughout his time on the show, Forrest has been nothing but a whiny, obnoxious irritant, so words can’t express how gratifying it is to have him die. It’s even better knowing that he’ll get a second, even more gruesome offing next episode.

- The big fight between Riley and Angel is exciting, with some cool symbolism as to the prior and current incarnations of the show, and the appropriate denouement of Riley getting his ass kicked (fitting due to both the physical strength gap, and the fact that the Angel era is overall better than the Riley one).

- Buffy’s confrontation with her two beaus is interesting, though she takes the episode’s typical stance and fails to approach things with a clear head. Still, I liked the second half of her one-on-one chat with Angel (especially her admission of being in the wrong), and there were some strong humorous moments (Riley refusing to budge and Buffy/Angel deciding to chat in the corridor; Angel’s smirk as he walks past; and his parting comment about disliking him).

- The development of Buffy/Riley is nice, and deals with the latter’s trust issues quickly (and now I think about it, cleverly primes them for their expanded role in S5).

- This episode has a good mix of drama and comedy, and it slots together neatly. Little moments like Anya and Tara commenting on Giles’ bath tiles; the stunned reactions to Willow’s news and drunk-Giles’ quips all added levity to what were otherwise emotionally draining scenes, without diminishing their impact.

- The big argument at the end is very well-written. I have a few qualms with statements here and there, but Spike’s scheme prodded the characters where they were most sensitive, so it’s fine that the disregarded rationality and got lost in the heat of the moment. After so long spent with Xander and Giles being accessories, it’s great to have a verbal acknowledgement of their pointlessness, and it gave Xander’s side of the debate some fire. I could also understand how bewildering Buffy found the entire thing, and how she perceived the others’ criticisms as an unwarranted attack on her. The major fracture in the group coupled with Buffy giving up and walking out was a powerful moment, and paired effectively with the subsequent revelation that Riley had gone to Adam.

What I Disliked about “The Yoko Factor”:

- The entirety of the character interaction in this episode is about people misinterpreting things or letting emotion compromise logic, but Riley just assuming Buffy had slept with Angel was a bit much. Prior to this point, I wouldn’t have doubted his love for her, but taking it as a given that she was unfaithful suggests otherwise, especially when it was based on hearsay from Xander – who’s hardy an objective source.

- I know it’s necessary for the plot, but Angel and Riley instantly discerning each other’s identities was pretty naff. I can understand Riley figuring out who Angel was, but Angel shouldn’t have been able to do the same. He doesn’t know any of the details of Buffy’s new relationship (besides Buffy’s statement that she has someone new who she feels she can trust), and his knowledge isn’t conducive to guessing the guy is Riley.

- This is mainly due to the questionable characterisation in “Sanctuary”, but the show mandating that Angel had to return and apologise left a sour taste in my mouth. Last time I checked, it was Buffy who was being nasty and unreasonable in LA, and she’s the one who should be doing the grovelling (which she did, but still...)

- When Tara and Anya are taking refuge in Giles’ bathroom, listening closely to the argument from the next room reveals that it’s the Willow/Giles one from “Pangs”, and not what the other characters are actually saying.

- Though I get Willow being touchy about her relationship with Tara, I didn’t really buy her part of the argument. She takes a completely innocent point and puts the worst possible spin on it, and then claims that “things haven’t been right” since Buffy found out – despite the fact that it was only one episode ago, that she was completely accepting (after being shocked for less than a minute), and that neither the character nor the audience have seen any evidence of her feeling negative. And shouldn’t Willow have caught on to Spike when Xander was genuinely surprised by her news? After all, if he was shocked, that means he didn’t know, and thus couldn’t have been gossiping with Buffy about it behind Willow’s back.

Do I like this episode more or less than the last time I watched it?

I feel exactly the same. “The Yoko Factor” has a number of things I find questionable, but I can disregard them in favour of its positives. After his gratuitous appearance in “Pangs”, it’s pleasing to have an Angel crossover that both makes sense and develops his character, and also has him play a significant role in progressing Buffy/Riley. The rest of the Scoobs are all put to good use, with dormant issues finally being brought to the surface and resulting in a compelling and emotionally charged fight. All of this makes for a satisfying arc-related story, and although I think it could have done with some refining, “The Yoko Factor” is still good for a respectable six out of ten on my scale.