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Context Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E18WhereTheWildThingsAre

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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_20190212_173600_video_player.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:''"Xander! Don't you knock?"'']]
3
4->''"So with Buffy and Riley having... You know, acts of nakedness 'round the clock lately, maybe they set something free, like a big, bursting poltergasm."''
5-->--'''Xander Harris'''
6
7Directed by Creator/DavidSolomon
8
9Written by Creator/TraceyForbes & Creator/DouglasPetrie
10
11Buffy and Riley fight a vampire and a demon in the cemetery, finally disposing of both of them. While they intend to go tell Giles about the odd pairing of demon and vampire, they opt for sex at Riley's dorm at Lowell House. Later that night, Riley gets up in the middle of the night, acting as if he hears something from the restroom. All he finds is a dripping faucet in the tub.
12
13Xander is driving an ice cream truck and Anya is with him. Xander wants to attend an upcoming party at Lowell House, but Anya, being an ex-demon, dislikes the idea of partying with the Initiative. She feels Xander is not being sensitive to her feelings. She is also concerned that Xander might be losing interest in her since they did not have sex the previous night, the second such night in the course of their relationship. Frustrated, Xander suggests they have sex right then and there. The two realize the side of the truck is open, revealing a group of children and parents waiting for ice cream.
14
15At UC Sunnydale, the gang meets to discuss the patrol the night before. Riley suggests that Adam is bringing the races of demons together. Everyone agrees this is the most likely explanation for vampire and demon working together. Buffy and Riley escape for some alone time, which is no secret to the rest of the gang. Giles learns there will be a party, but says he can't attend because he has a prior engagement at The Espresso Pump.
16
17That evening, the heat is out at Lowell House, which makes it hard for the residents to sleep. Buffy and Riley continue their romp in Riley's room tirelessly. An Initiative agent builds a fire in a fireplace. For no apparent reason, the fire suddenly flares up out of its enclosure and sets his clothes on fire.
18
19Outside the Bronze, Spike jumps out at Anya, trying to scare her into giving him money. She taunts him as being pathetic and friendless. He asks where "Droopy Boy" (Xander) is, suggesting he might have "better things to do" than spend time with Anya.
20
21At the party, Buffy and Riley are making eyes at each other from across the room while their friends attempt to talk to them.
22
23Spike and Anya bond over beer at The Bronze. They both miss their demon powers. Spike suggests they both take vengeance on their respective lovers, but Anya says she can't bring herself to eviscerate Xander. Spike says he might stake Drusilla some time later.
24
25At the party at Lowell House, a man casually places his hand on a wall while talking to a girl. He suddenly feels great sexual pleasure. Xander flirts with a girl named Julie. Riley and Buffy escape upstairs to resume their own private party. Another man at the party puts his hand on the same wall, with the same result. Willow and Tara are sitting on a stairway. Willow touches Tara's knee, but Tara backs away, disgusted with the gesture. Anya and Spike then arrive at the party and the two verbally gang up on Xander. Spike joins the party when it appears that the Initiative soldiers are not interested in capturing him. Anya tells Xander their relationship is over. Xander insists he is the one who is leaving.
26
27A group is playing spin the bottle, and Xander joins in. On Xander's turn, the bottle lands on Julie, and he kisses her on the cheek. She jumps him, forces him down and kisses him aggressively, then seems to snap out of a trance, apologizes and runs away. Xander follows. More partygoers try touching the wall. Xander finds Julie in a closet cutting off her hair and calling herself bad. Willow goes to the restroom looking for Tara. Instead she finds what seems to be a boy drowning in a bathtub. When she reaches for him, he vanishes, then reappears behind her.
28
29Upstairs, Buffy and Riley continue their lovemaking. Riley hears Willow scream, but Buffy says it doesn't matter. Xander tries to find someone who is a friend of Julie's, but no one seems to hear him. Xander finds Willow as Tara comes down the stairs. Tara says she doesn't like the place and suggests they leave
30
31In the "spin the bottle" game, the bottle spins rapidly and then explodes. Willow, Tara and Xander run upstairs to find Buffy and Riley, but their door is locked and they no longer hear anything outside their room. As vines seem to grow from beneath every door in the house, Tara goes to a balcony to see what is going on in the party.
32
33The house begins to shake, as if from an earthquake. Spike is pleased that the party is becoming more interesting, until leather straps, moving by themselves, bind him to the chair where he is sitting. Forrest wants to help people to safety, and appeals to Graham. Graham, in an unnatural voice, replies "touch not the impure thing... Find salvation in the cross of our Lord and Savior." Forrest chivvies Graham into an elevator that leads down to the Initiative headquarters. What appears to be a ghost runs straight through Anya. Spike breaks free of his bonds and everyone escapes outside. Julie, who has cut off all her hair, is one of the last to leave.
34
35Downstairs, the Initiative locks down. Graham is back to normal.
36
37Willow wants to go back into Lowell House for Buffy and Riley. Xander tries it, but an unseen entity hurls him through the air. He suggests getting help from Giles.
38
39The gang goes to the Espresso Pump, where it turns out Giles's big event is that he is playing guitar and singing The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" (quite well). Willow, Tara, and Anya are impressed, but Xander is disturbed.
40
41Lowell House is now empty except for Buffy and Riley, who are so wrapped up in what they are doing that they notice nothing outside their room. The vines are stirring and the ghostly cries are heard in the house.
42
43Back at Giles's apartment, Willow's research reveals that the Lowell House was a home for disturbed adolescents from 1949 to 1960. They find and visit the woman, Genevieve Holt, who ran the children's home. She explains that she rewarded the children when they were good and punished them when they displayed any interest in sex. She would cut off the girls' hair when they seemed vain about their appearance. She would "baptize" the most unclean by holding them under water in a bathtub. After leaving Mrs. Holt's place, Giles says he thinks that a group of poltergeists is now releasing their pent up sexual feelings, while drawing energy from Buffy and Riley. When Buffy and Riley are drained of all their strength, they will die.
44
45Willow, Tara and Giles perform a spell to distract the ghosts. Xander and Anya hack their way through the vines and try to reach Buffy and Riley. Anya is knocked across the house while Xander is dragged into the bathroom and held underwater. Anya makes her way upstairs to save Xander and they fight against the vines and finally open Riley's door, where the lovers, still oblivious of all that has been happening around them, complain that they should have knocked. The next day, the gang talks about Giles's "mid-life crisis" and the consequences of Buffy and Riley's endless sex. Unconvincingly, Buffy and Riley say how horrible the experience was.
46
47----
48!!Tropes in this episode:
49* ADayInTheLimelight: Everyone except Buffy and Riley, who spend most of the episode in bed having "you-know-what".
50* AliensMadeThemDoIt: Or ghosts (well, [[LivingMemory sort of]]), in this case.
51* AllGirlsLikePonies: Averted with Willow, who once had a bad birthday pony experience when she was young. Tara offers to teach her horseback riding.
52* AManIsAlwaysEager: Anya thinks Xander is going to break up with her because they went a night without having sex.
53-->'''Anya:''' I don't understand. I'm pretty, I'm young... I mean... [[ArentYouGoingToRavishMe Why don't you take advantage of me]]? Is [[TheLoinsSleepTonight something wrong with your body]]?
54* AnAesop: You have to be open and honest about sex and sexuality in your relationship. Riley and Buffy, though effusive with each other, are hiding (badly) from everyone else and are the ones at risk of dying if the problem isn't stopped. Willow and Tara, as they're still in the closet, are pulled in by the house's poltergeist activity, like the people at the party who pretend they're not just trying to get laid. Anya's bluntness pushes Xander to be straightforward with her and they have real conversations (and arguments, to be fair) and are open in front of the rest of the gang, and they're the ones to save the day.
55* ArousedByTheirVoice: The female Scoobies think Giles's singing is quite sexy.
56* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Xander trying to persuade Anya to go in the house:
57-->Anya, look around! There's ghosts and shaking, and people are going all ''Series/{{Felicity}}'' with their hair...
58* AsTheGoodBookSays: Graham, NotHimself, quotes the Bible and stares at nothing.
59* BattleCouple: Buffy and Riley tag-team to take down a demon/vampire tag team. Who says we can't just get along?
60* BadHumorTruck: Xander and Anya are having an argument, and Xander suggests making up with hot sweaty sex then and there... only to realize a family with small children are [[CringeComedy standing outside their ice cream truck listening to them]].
61* BadVibrations
62* BaitAndSwitchComment: Xander asks for volunteers to go back in and rescue Buffy and Riley. No one is particularly eager until Spike surprises everyone by speaking up.
63-->'''Spike:''' I know I'm not the first choice for heroics ... and Buffy's tried to kill me more than once. And, I don't fancy a single one of you at all. But... ''[pauses]'' Actually, all that sounds pretty convincing. ''[[[ScrewThisImOuttaHere shakes his head and walks off]]]'' I wonder if Asian House is open.
64* BlatantLies: Riley/Buffy's excuses for nipping off for sex.
65-->'''Buffy:''' I need you to take a look at... an ''[[UnusualEuphemism essay]]''... for class.
66-->'''Riley:''' That... essay. Right. Here. I'll catch you guys in a minute... uh, essay... gotta look at...
67-->'''Graham:''' And I'm the one who got a "D" in Covert Ops.
68* ContinuityNod: The guy who discovers the "erogenic spot" on the wall was previously seen [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E5BeerBad drinking himself down to the lower paleolithic]].
69* DeliberatelyDistressedDamsel (and Dude): Buffy and Riley aren't very upset at being forced to have constant sex.
70* DoubleMeaningTitle: This episode's title has a double meaning, referring both to the episode's main setting (a house that is haunted by ghosts, the titular "wild things") and the phrase "doing the wild thing", a metaphor for sex. 
71* DramaticCurtainToss: The shower curtain surrounding the bath.
72* DrowningMySorrows: Spike and Anya share a drink at the Bronze and bemoan their BadassDecay.
73* EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench: A college student is chatting up a girl by talking of the lyrical eroticism of French. Then he puts his hand on the "orgasm spot" and moans. The girl goes, "Wow, you really like French!"
74* EyeScream: The spin the bottle bottle starts spinning so fast it shatters, spraying the players with broken glass. Several scream about the broken glass in their eyes.
75* FailedAttemptAtDrama: Xander says he's going in to get his friends, only to get hurled out the frat house door by an invisible force. "Or it could be Watcher time."
76* FantasticRacism: Subverted, demons and vampires are working together, inspired by Adam.
77-->'''Willow:''' Huh. Just like Martin Luther King.
78* {{Fetish}}: Willow moaning at Giles singing before saying how she had such a crush on him.
79* {{Foreshadowing}}:
80** Spike having to talk himself out of helping to save Buffy.
81** Spike suggests to Anya they get revenge on their significant others.
82* ForcedOrgasm: The orgasm spot on the wall is so intense it forces everyone who touches it to have one. Once the students realise this, they all start lining up to try it.
83* GhostlyChill: Graham and Forrest are complaining how cold the frat house is.
84* HauntedHouse: Turns out, though, it's not actually haunted--no one died there, but the sexual repression and strong negative emotions the children experienced created {{Living Memor|y}}ies who appeared as ghostly forms.
85* HolierThanThou: Genevieve Holt. She cuts the girls' hair if they are "bad" and punishes them by "baptizing" them (putting the young orphans' heads in the bathtub) if they are "unclean". Now a manifestation that was not only a ghost, but a {{poltergeist}} that took the form of the raw emotions of the orphans brings those who were attending a party at the Lowell house the same treatment Holt did to the orphans.
86* ImmodestOrgasm: Thanks to the poltergeist activity, when Buffy and Riley climax, the fireplace downstairs explodes like a flamethrower.
87* InterplayOfSexAndViolence: Fighting Fangs and Horny does indeed make Buffy and Riley horny.
88* IronicEcho: Anya brings Spike to the frat party, casually revealing that it's full of Initiative soldiers.
89-->'''Spike:''' What are you doing? You brought me ''here?''
90-->'''Xander:''' Anya! ''[sees Spike]'' What are you doing? You brought ''him'' here?
91-->'''Spike:''' That's what I said... only I hit the "here" part.
92* JawDrop: Willow and Xander watching Giles sing.
93* KarmaHoudini: Genevieve Holt. She serially abused the children placed in her care but the worst that she gets is a brief lecture from Giles. The poltergeists focus their attentions on the current residents of Lowell house and nobody ever considers reporting her to the police.
94* LivingMemory: A whole house full of orphans raised by TheFundamentalist left strong negative impressions, which are given power by Buffy and Riley's sexual energy and begin doing typical ghostly things and making the party guests act out their experiences and repressed feelings, alternating between lustful and sex-repulsed behavior.
95* LongingLook: Riley and Buffy aren't paying attention to what their friends at the party are saying because they're too busy making gooey eyes at each other. Willow uses the opportunity [[NotListeningToMeAreYou to confess to spilling something on Buffy's 'borrowed' sweater.]]
96* {{Love Is in the Air}}: Once the {{Living Memor|y}}ies gain a bit of power, they force Buffy and Riley to keep feeding them via non-stop boinking. Meanwhile, a particular spot on the wall of the house induces an orgasm in whoever places their hand on it.
97* MadnessMantra: Julie cutting off her hair.
98-->'''Julie:''' I'm bad, I'm bad, I'm bad...
99* MacheteMayhem: Xander hacks through the vines.
100* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: Anya gets impaled through the palm with an inch-thick liana, lets out a brief yell, pulls it out, and keeps going.
101* MakeOutKids: Buffy and Riley are getting on everyone's nerves.
102* ManOnFire: Buffy and Riley upstairs stoke the fire downstairs until it explodes in the face of an Initiative soldier. Fortunately his colleagues are there to throw a fraternity banner on him.
103* MentalAffair: The 'orgasm spot' on the wall.
104* ModestyBedsheet: Buffy and Riley are shown going at it over and over as the camera pulls back, but discretely shows both wrapped in the bedsheet.
105* NewJobAsThePlotDemands: Xander the ice cream man.
106* NotHimself: Tara's disgusted reaction to Willow touching her. Buffy and Riley not responding to Willow's scream. Graham staring blankly while quoting the Bible. PlayedForLaughs with Giles's guitar playing.
107-->'''Tara:''' Does he do this a lot?\
108'''Xander:''' Sure. Every day the Earth rotates backward and the skies turn orange.
109* NotListeningToMeAreYou: Buffy's too busy sharing {{Longing Look}}s with Riley.
110-->'''Xander:''' ''[re. Anya]'' Which, makes me wonder, is it me? Am I the crazy one?
111-->'''Buffy:''' ''[[[EatingTheEyeCandy looking at Riley]]]'' Uh-huh. Absolutely.
112-->'''Willow:''' Hey, Buffy, this might be a good time to mention that someone, [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial so not me]], spilled [[BuffySpeak something purply]] on your new peasant top [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial which I would never borrow without asking]]. Still love me?
113-->'''Buffy:''' Uh-huh. ''[beat]'' Huh? What about my peasant top?
114-->'''Willow:''' Nothin'.
115* NotSoDire: After the Crisis of the Week is over...
116-->'''Riley:''' I can't believe that really happened.
117-->'''Buffy:''' That's so creepy. ''[beat]'' Giles really sang?
118* ObliviousMockery: Giles is annoyed to hear the Initiative commandos will be having a party instead of patrolling for Adam. Riley calmly explains it's his idea, as his men are getting stressed out and need some R & R.
119* OnlySaneMan: Well, several here actually.
120* OutWithABang: What the Scoobies narrowly prevent happening to Buffy and Riley--the memory spirits intended to drain their sexual energy until there wasn't enough to live on.
121* PersonAsVerb: "People are going all Series/{{Felicity}} with their hair".
122* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Creator/SarahMichelleGellar was away shooting "[[Recap/AngelS01E19Sanctuary Sanctuary]]" during the filming, which is why we see so little of Buffy
123* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Giles gives one to the fraternity's former owner after finding out that her forcing the children under her care to be emotionally repressed was the cause of the apparitions haunting the place now.
124* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: When Xander tries to rally the group to go back into the frat house, Spike steps forward and launches into a speech about how he'll go even though he doesn't like any of them...and on hearing himself say that he changes his mind and leaves.
125* ShackleSeatTrap: Spike is sitting in a chair, smirking at all the chaos around him, when suddenly straps whip across his [[BoundAndGagged arms and mouth]] by the living memories.
126* ShipTease: Willow likes Giles's sexy singing voice, and reveals [[HotForTeacher she used to have a crush on him]].
127* ShirtlessScene: Riley shows off his abs.
128* ShoutOut:
129** Xander mentions ''Series/{{Felicity}}'' in reference to the title character (in)famously cutting her hair.
130** Giles sings Music/TheWho's "Behind Blue Eyes."
131* SophisticatedAsHell: Willow appealing to the ghosts to "Transform your pain... release your past... and, uh, [[QuitYourWhining get over it]]."
132* SpinTheBottle: The bottle ends up spinning on its own and exploding into everyone's faces.
133* SpookySeance: Tara holds one, which draws the memory spirits out of the house long enough for Xander and Anya to enter. Instead, they surround Willow, Tara and Giles, staring creepily.
134* STDImmunity: Averted; Riley has a drawer by the bed with condoms.
135* TalkAboutThatThing: Employed so Buffy and Riley can sneak away, though no one is fooled into thinking "that thing" means anything other than sex.
136* TemptingFate: Once the earthquake begins, Spike is practically shaking with excitement, believing the party has finally gotten interesting. This is immediately negated when he is suddenly strapped to the chair.
137* ThatCameOutWrong:
138** When the situation is explained to Giles.
139--->'''Giles:''' In the midst of all that, you really think they were keeping it up? ''[everyone looks at him]'' Oh, for a different phrasing.
140** Buffy/Riley are attacked by a vampire and a HornedHumanoid.
141--->'''Buffy:''' You get Fangs, I'll get Horny. I mean...[[note]]Even more funny when after the fight it turns out that she ''does'' end up getting horny...[[/note]]
142* TraumaticHaircut: The caretaker would cut off the hair of girls she found "preening"--this is self-inflicted on one of the party guests.
143* TheTriple:
144-->'''Xander:''' What do you feel?
145-->'''Anya:''' Sad, afraid of being without you, and a little hungry.
146-->'''Xander:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint I meant about the house.]]
147* VampiresAreRich: Averted; Spike has to resort to mugging for his booze and cigarette money. He can't actually attack anyone, but his GameFace is good for scaring people.
148* WhenTreesAttack: Anya is attacked by deadly vines, one of which gives her an ImpaledPalm.

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