Buffy: Flooded (6.4)

Flooded marks the show once again stumbling into soap opera territory with a barrage of various plot strands flying at us all at once. Being season six, some of these stories are considerably affecting, and others are riddled with plotholes and annoyances. Four episodes in, and it's becoming clear that the character work right now is far more interesting than the routine Sunnydale action stories. Have the writers just grown tired of demons and antagonists? Or have ideas simply dried up? Where Flooded works is in the dramatic character moments, which are totally anchoring the show right now.

Flooded's emotional crux is derived from Buffy's financial woes and the return of Giles. The former sees Buffy struggling to handle becoming an adult and taking responsibility for the house and the bills, most of the Summers money having been swallowed up by Joyce's illness, her subsequent death, and the upheaval created via Buffy's demise. The latter should have provided Buffy some relief, but Giles feels more distant from the Scoobies than ever before. In the episode's most powerful scene, he attacks Willow for employing dark majicks to bring Buffy back, and is disappointed that she appears lost in her own arrogance and stupidity.

Similarly, Buffy no longer feels like she can open up to Giles. In a lot of ways, this feels jarring and out-of-character, since Giles was always the one person she could be completely honest with. It's something evidenced as recently as last season when Buffy first discovered Dawn's true identity. But Buffy could just be sensing Giles' own reluctance to engage with her. He knows this entire situation is wrong and that he was intentionally kept out of it by the Scoobies, and he's struggling to find his place in the world. It's that recurring theme of isolation and detachment that seems to be running through most of the characters this season.

The financial subplot is radically 'mundane' and folds neatly into the grown-up misery permeating from season six, but parts of it still manage to feel illogical and silly. Anya's suggestion to have Buffy charge for her services isn't dumb at all, but it's casually dismissed by everyone. Obviously Buffy shouldn't rescue somebody and immediately demand a paycheck, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility for her to market her skills as some kind of bodyguard, or follow Angel's lead and start up her own agency or whatever. It makes a lot more sense than sitting around being nervous. Similarly, are Willow and Tara doing anything to help out financially? I guess it would tie into their heinous characterization this year, but could they really be so ignorant to be living in the Summers home rent-free? Gah.

Elsewhere, the writers are at least trying to maintain some semblance of humor in the show, but it's not always paying off. While Dawn is still a lot of fun this year and Buffy's interaction with the lone officer was hysterical, the nerd trio are a whole bunch of poop. They're overwritten and every 'funny' line of theirs feels obvious and tired. Star Trek gags, dialogue about loser-dom and base-level world domination -- I'm bored, guys.

This episode has a ton of different storylines and subplots, all of which radically alter in quality. But I'm still entirely sucked in by this season's tone and Buffy's characterization. So far, it's an irresistible hook. B

Credits
Guest stars Anthony Stewart Head (Rupert Giles); Danny Strong (Jonathan Levinson); Adam Busch (Warren Meers); Tom Lenk (Andrew Wells); Todd Stashwick (M'Fashnik); Amber Benson (Tara Maclay)
Writers Douglas Petrie, Jane Espenson Director Douglas Petrie