Wild at Heart

Writer: Marti Noxon
Director: David Grossman

Cast : Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris, Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg, Seth Green as Oz, Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles.

Main guest stars : Marc Blucas as Riley, Paige Moss as Veruca, Lindsay Crouse as Maggie Walsh, James Marsters as Spike.

Original broadcast date : November 9, 1999

My one-line description: This episode gives a whole new meaning to the expression “Grrrr… arrrgh”

Buffy is running away from a vampire – that is, luring him to a deserted part of campus where she can dispose of him. After a well-place pun and an equally well-places stake, she complains that the forces of darkness aren’t even trying – that is, trying to get her killed. Looking at the Slayer from a hill overhead, Spike mutters that she shouldn’t tempt the Fates, because he’s back, and this time… He doesn’t get to finish, as commando guys zap him with a taser and drag him away.
At the Bronze, the gang is discussing the fact that they’re still hanging at the Bronze, and that it’s become pretty predictable. However, Giles proves them wrong by showing up – just for fun. As he defends his ability to adapt to new music, Veruca’s band starts playing. Oz stares – again – making Willow quite uncomfortable.

The next morning, Willow and Oz are talking in bed, before Willow has to get up and go to class. As she does, they realize they won’t get to see each other that night – it’s Oz’s time of the month. Willow informs him that she plans on attending the college Wicca group meeting during the next three nights, so he’ll have to take care of locking himself up.

In Psychology class, Buffy gets an excellent grade on her paper, and Professor Walsh asks her to lead the discussion group on the topic she wrote it on. Buffy announces the news to Willow, who is both happy for Buffy and a bit jealous.
Oz is on his way to meet Willow at the campus café when he runs into Veruca. They sit down and start talking about music stuff. Willow joins them, but obviously can’t keep up with the music topic. Oz finally excuses himself, leaving Willow and Veruca uneasily alone. They exchange few words, and Veruca mercifully leaves when Buffy arrives. Willow tells her best friend that she can see that Oz finds Veruca sexy, but Buffy points out that Oz isn’t the type to stray. Willow agrees, saying that anyway, he’ll be locked up for a few nights…

At sundown, Oz locks himself up in a dubious-looking cage in the cemetery. He wolfs out, and of course the flimsy cage doesn’t hold. He smashes through and escapes, attacking Professor Walsh as she’s leaving the school in the dark. However, a second werewolf shows up, and pretty soon the two dogs are at each other’s throats, having all but forgotten the teacher who runs away in terror.

The next morning, Oz wakes up naked in the wilderness – again – but this time he’s not alone. Another body stirs behind him and reveals itself as… Veruca. He doesn’t remember what happened, but she does; apparently, after a time werewolves begin to retain their memories. Oz is rather embarrassed as the two sneak into the campus Laundromat to steal some clothing. He discovers that Veruca (who parades in a cute black bra and matching panty) is very much wilder than he is – she doesn’t lock herself up but allows herself to roam free, and is convinced that the wolf is the better part of her. She tries to convince him that the wolf is always part of him, whether it’s the full moon or not. However, he tells her that he doesn’t want to kill people. She tries to convince him that they belong together, but he disagrees and walks out.

At school, Buffy overhears Maggie Walsh telling Riley about being attacked by a couple of wild dogs the previous night. The Slayer approaches, and the teacher repeats the information so that Buffy will be careful.

Willow shows up at Oz’s room dressed in a pair of leather pants, obviously out to seduce him. But Oz, looking quite nervous, resists her, saying he feels tired. She says she understands, but leaves looking hurt.

A worried Buffy goes to Giles’ place and fills him in on the previous night’s events. They agree that she should talk to Oz about it.

Meanwhile, Willow goes to Xander’s place to get a bit of the Y perspective on things. She asks him what it means when the girlfriend wants to have sex and the boyfriend doesn’t; she also mentions that Oz has been eyeing Veruca. Xander encourages Willow to talk things out with Oz.

Oz is busy welding his cage back together – and, we hope, making it stronger – when Buffy arrives. She asks him whether he saw another wolf the previous night, and though he does admit to getting out himself, he avoids answering her question by saying that he wouldn’t have remembered seeing another wolf. Buffy announces that she’ll be patrolling for that other wolf that evening, making Oz even more worried.

While Veruca rehearses with her band and Willow worries at her Wicca meeting, Oz thinks hard, hard… and makes a phone call. Veruca joins him at his cage a while later. He asks her to lock herself up with him, because someone will be on the lookout for her that night. She answers that she sensed him and wanted him even more before she saw him. He drags her forcefully inside the cage and closes the door; the two wolf out.

The next morning sees Willow walking calmly toward Oz’s cage, a breakfast bag in her hand. As she comes to the door, she sees Oz and Veruca, asleep and naked. The paper bag drops to the floor, and shock paints itself on Willow’s face. Oz wakes up and sees her; alarmed, he scrambles for his pants while Veruca stretches lazily. Oz tries to explain that it’s not what it looks like, that he had to lock her up with him so she wouldn’t attack anyone. However, Willow tearfully points out that he could’ve told someone. After telling Veruca to leave, Oz tries to explain to Willow that he can’t control what he does as a wolf, but she answers that he wanted Veruca even as a human. He can’t find a good answer to that, so she just leaves.

Walking home in shock, Willow almost gets hit by a car crossing the street. Buffy sees her, but is too far away to intervene. However, Riley is there and saves Willow. On the sidewalk, he tells her that whatever she’s going through isn’t worth killing herself for. Buffy takes her friend back to the dorm and comforts her as much as she can. Then she tells her that she has to go and find Veruca, and asks her if she’s alright. A dazed Willow barely answers, but Buffy tells her that she must put the blame where it belongs.

Buffy goes to Oz’s room, and recruits him in finding Veruca. He tries to explain, but she coldly cuts him short. They follow Veruca’s scent, but it leads them on a false path – the female werewolf left her clothes in a distant spot to mislead Oz. Getting an ominous feeling about Willow, they run back toward the campus.

In a laboratory, Willow is ragingly preparing a curse for Oz and Veruca. At the last moment, however, she changes her mind and doesn’t go through with the spell. In the doorway, Veruca expresses relief that she didn’t finish the curse. Then she locks the door, intent on killing Willow when she turns into a wolf.

Buffy is slowed on the way back when she bumps into a commando guy and falls to the ground in tangles with him. She gets away, but Oz has gotten ahead. He gets there on time to see Veruca hitting Willow. He warns her to leave her alone, but she argues that they’ll be able to be together when Willow is gone. “Animals kill”, she says as the sun goes down and they both start to change. “You’re right”, he answers, before attacking her in full wolf form and killing her. Then, his mouth dripping with blood, he goes for Willow, but Buffy arrives and shoots him with a tranquilizer dart. The she runs to Willow and comforts her as the redhead sobs in her lap.

The next day, Buffy fills Giles in about the commando guys. She also wonder if Willow will be alright, but he reminds her that she got through that kind of pain. “But I ran away first”, she corrects him.

Willow enters Oz’s room and finds him packing. She asks him if she has any say in him leaving, but he says no; he explains that Veruca was right about the wolf being inside him all the time, and that until he finds out where the line is between him and it, he shouldn’t be around her or anyone else. “Don’t you love me?” Willow tearfully asks, and he answers that all his life, he’s never loved anything else. They hug, he kisses her on the forehead, then leaves, leaving her distraught and alone. In his van, he pauses for a moment. Then, holding back tears, he turns the key in the ignition and drives away.

The next day, Buffy talks to Giles about a heavily armed guy she ran into while searching for Veruca who was dressed the same way as the guys they ran into on Halloween. Willow finds Oz in his room, packing. Unsure of what separates him from the wolf, he is leaving until he can figure it out. Oz tells Willow he only ever loved her and then walks out. After a brief hesitation, he drives off in his van.

Summary by OttsFiveByFive.

Episode Ratings

Mac -
“A rushed mess. I was sad and angry at the same time, and I still am. Curse you Noxon! ;)”

DJ Angelus -
“Solid ep… But too sad for my tastes. I still miss Oz.”

Quotes

(B=Buffy, G=Giles, X=Xander, W=Willow, O=Oz, J=Joyce, S=Spike, V=Veruca )
—
B: You were thinking, what, a little helpless co-ed before bed? You know very well, you eat this late… you’re gonna get heartburn. < stakes vamp > Get it? Heartburn? < vamp turns to dust > That’s it? That’s all I get? One lame-ass vamp with no appreciation for my painstakingly thought-out puns? I don’t think the forces of darkness are even trying. I mean, you could make a little effort here, you know? Give me something to work with.
S: Watch your mouth, little girl. You should know better than to tempt the fates that way. ’Cause the big bad is back, and this time, it’s– < zap! >

W: The Bronze is more fun this year, isn’t it?
B: ’Cause of the gloating factor alone, you know? We’re all about college, now. We’ve got heady discourse.
O: Yeah, curfew-free nights of mom and pop-less hootenanny.
X: Co-ed dating prospects who find townies sexy and dangerous. What? I can dream.
B: Right. So if college is so great, what are we doing here and why is it more fun?
W: Because the Bronze is nice and familiar. It’s like a big comfy blankie.
O: Will, I was under the impression that I was your big comfy blankie.
W: Aw, you’re my person blankie. This is my place blankie.

G: Splendid. Well, it’s ages since I’ve been to a gig. Well, don’t look that way. I’m… I’m… I’m down with the new music. And I have the albums to prove it.
B: Yes, but it’s your cutting-edge 8-tracks that keep you ahead of the scene.
O: Don’t scoff, gang. I’ve seen Giles’ collection. He was an animal in his day.
G: Thank you.
B: Hey, why not? If the Stones can still keep rolling, why can’t Giles?

W: I think that it’s brave that you’re here.
G: Well, thank you, all. You’ve made me feel right at home.
X: Isn’t home that empty place you’re trying to escape?

W: They’re good, aren’t they?
O: Nothing special.
B: Yeah, she’s quell Fiona. Color me bored.

W: It’s in the sandblaster.
O: What’s in the sandblaster, Will? It’s a dream, come back to me.
W: All geminis to the raspberry hats.
O: Now you’re faking.
W: Am not. Just a little.

O: Bad dream?
W: I guess. But the waking up part makes up for it.
O: It’s always so busy in there.
W: Not always. A few things shut my brain up completely.
O: Anything I can help you with?

O: I don’t know about tonight, unless the extreme Jerry Garcia look turns you on.
W: Huh?

W: There’s this Wicca group on campus I wanted to check out. They have orientation on the three nights you’re wolfy. And it’s probably totally silly, but…
O: No, go. Show ’em how it’s done.

W: You okay? How’d you do? This is good. I mean, this is excellent! You did better than me. This is so unfair! You made me jealous of you adademically. Buffy!

B: And she wants me to lead a discussion group next class. That means more work, right? Shouldn’t she have a better reward system? You know, like a cookie, or a toy surprise like at the dentist?
W: She wants you to lead a discussion group? Okay, jealous again. Jealous, jealous… okay, I’m back.

O: Big lunch?
V: I like to eat. I hate chicks who are like, “Does it have dressing on it?”
O: Agreed.

B: Check out the rapid exits. Was it me?
W: Me. I don’t speak musician-ese.

W: How come you didn’t tell me I look like a crazy birthday cake in this shirt?
B: I thought that was the point.

W: He thinks she’s sexy. He gets this blushy thing going on behind his ears. That’s for me only.

W: I mean, I have wrong feelings about other guys sometimes, but I feel guilty, and I flog and punish.
B: Exactly. I’m sure Oz is flogging and punishing himself… This is sounding wrong before I even finish.

V: That was, um, some night.
O: So it appears.

O: So you’re a…
V: Werewolf groupie. Nobody else gets it done for me.

V: Now you… need to relax.
O: Not a possibility.

V: God, the kids in this dorm need Fashion 101 in a big way. Or we could start right here at home.
O: Not making a statement.

V: You have a cage?
O: Don’t you?
V: Oh, yeah. It has a little wheel with a plastic ball and a cute little bell in it. God! Somebody’s domesticated the hell out of you.

V: Or maybe you just don’t want to admit what happened to you. Maybe you just wanna pretend like you’re a regular guy.
O: Well, I am. I’m only a wolf three nights a month.
V: Or you’re the wolf all the time. And this human face is just your disguise.

O: New look.
W: You, too.
O: Oh. Laundry day kinda came and went.

W: Guess it was just me worrying for nothing again. Me and my busy mind, always thinking, thinking, thinking.
O: Well, now you can stop. Everything’s fine.
W: Maybe you could help me… stop. I’d really, really appreciate anything you could do.

TV announcer: Treaty signed in 1648 that ended the 30-Years War.
G: The Peace of Westphalia.
Contestant: Uh, Yalta?
G: Oh, you moron.
TV Announcer: I’m sorry, that’s incorrect.
G: That dinette set should be mine.

G: Can I get you anything? Tea? I made a very interesting mousaka last night, if you’re hungry.
B: Pass on the tea. And the moose, thank you.

G: You come on business, I hope?
B: Yes. Lucky for you, people may be in danger.

X: Hey, Will. Mom let you in?
W: She seemed cranky.
X: Yeah, we’re having a little landlord/tenant dispute, so I’m withholding rent. An effective, and I might add, thrifty tactic.

X: So, I know why I’m sitting in a dank, sunless little room. But why are you?
W: Well, things with Oz are weird, and I talked to Buffy about it, but I think we’re in Guyville here. I need a translator from the “Y” side of things.
X: Well, last time I checked, I had the creds. Hit me.

W: What does it mean when a girl wants to… you know.
X: If you’re doing it, I think you should be able to say it.
W: Make love.
X: Wild monkey love, or tender Sarah McLaughlin love?
W: Any kind. But what if the girl wants to and the guy doesn’t? That’s a bad sign, right?
X: Could be. Or the girl caught the guy in one of the 7 annual minutes he’s legitimately too preoccupied to do it.
W: Well, say the girl’s been noticing…
X: Will, I’ve deciphered your ingenious code.

B: Oz, you okay? If it’s possible, you seem more monosyllabic than usual.

V: So this is why you called me here? To see your habit-trail?

V: So you’re saying I should spend the whole night with you… alone. Locked in a cage.
O: You’ll be safe.
V: Not from you.

O: She’s like me. A wolf.
W: Well, I knew you two had a lot in common, but…

B: Do you want me to get you something before I take off? Kleenex? Chocolatey… chocolate anything?

O: Look, Buffy, you should know that–
B: Oz, now might be a good time for your trademark stoicism.

V: Can’t say I’m surprised you didn’t go through with your little hex. You don’t have the teeth.
W: You don’t know what I have. You don’t know anything about me.
V: I know what you love. I have his scent on me right now.

B: Giles, I’ve never seen her like this. It’s like it hurts too much to form words.
G: You’ve felt that way yourself and you got through it.
B: Yeah. I ran away and went to hell and then got through it. I’m kind of hoping she doesn’t use me as a model.
G: Fair enough.

O: Veruca was right about something. The wolf is inside me all the time, and I don’t know where that line is anymore between me and it. And until I figure out what that means, I shouldn’t be around you… or anybody.
W: Well, that could be a problem, ’cause people… kind of a planetary epidemic.

W: Oz, don’t you love me?
O: My whole life, I’ve never loved anything else.

Credit: The Sunnydale Slayers