History Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E8LoversWalk

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Spike's temporary alliance with Buffy = infidelity. ("I told her [[ItDoesntMeanAnything it didn't mean anything]], I was thinking of her the whole time, but she didn't care.") [[spoiler: A flashback scene in "Fool for Love" shows us that Drusilla isn't wrong to think this; as a {{seer|s}} she can tell Spike [[FoeRomanceSubtext is in love with Buffy]] long before he realises it.]]

* CouldveAvoidedThisPlot: Buffy is ''not happy'' when Spike reveals that she correctly guessed where Xander and Willow right at the start.

* BrickJoke: The argument involving Spike, Dru and the Chaos Demon is shown in "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E7FoolForLove}} Fool For Love]]". And the BlackComedy of an unwilling Willow giving support to a depressed Spike is repeated in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E7TheInitiative The Initiative]]" in Season 4. On that occasion [[spoiler:Willow is the one who's just been dumped, so Spike assures her she's still appealing to him, referring to the [[SweaterGirl fuzzy pink sweater]] she wore in this episode]].

* {{Fanservice}}: Buffy jumping rope [[JiggleShow in a low-cut top]].

** Spike's description of Bangel ("You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other 'til it makes you quiver, but you'll never be 'friends'") is taken UpToEleven with [[spoiler: Spuffy, even down to Spike being the only one "man enough to admit it", as Buffy repeatedly denies their relationship.]]

* BigShutUp[=/=]BerserkButton: Angel needles that Spike's going to a lot of trouble for the sake of the fickle Drusilla. Wrong thing to say, Lothario. Spike lunges and socks Angel in the face.

* BookEnds[=/=]DrunkenSong: Spike gloomily sings "My Way", originally performed by Music/FrankSinatra, as he wanders around his old haunts. When he is "back to his old self," he sings the Creator/GaryOldman version from the ''Sid & Nancy'' soundtrack. (The characters Spike and Drusilla were fashioned after Sid and Nancy). Spike was ''supposed'' to be singing along to the Music/SexPistols, but they couldn't obtain the rights.
* BowlingForRatings[=/=]DoubleDate: Both Xander and Willow beg their respective dates to join the other couple for bowling night. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] as it's just a ploy to throw attention off Xander and Willow's infidelities, and the date never happens.

* LameComeback[=/=]FailedAttemptAtDrama: Outside Angel's window, Spike slurs, "I'll show YOU who's a...cool guy." He continues, "You're goin' down," then predictably trips and passes out.

* OneHitPolykill[=/=]MadeOfPlasticine: Buffy staking two vamps at once with a broken mop.

* RhetoricalQuestionBlunder[=/=]WalkInChimeIn: Spike, standing behind Joyce, enrages Angel to the point of threatening to [[IWillTearYourArmsOff rip Spike's head off]]. Spike scoffs, "[[YouAndWhatArmy You and what army?]]" Buffy lunges out of nowhere, grabs Spike by the neck, and pins him to the counter.

* NotImportantToThisEpisodeCamp: Giles is delighted when presented with Buffy's SAT scores, and suggests that Buffy could feasibly leave Sunnydale and her Slayer duties to Faith. Wherever she is.

* MoralDissonance:
** PlayedForLaughs when Spike moans that Drusilla [[TheMasochismTango didn't even cut off his head or set him on fire]], just to show their breakup meant something. "And then she said... she said we could still be friends. I mean, friends! How could she be so cruel?"
** Spike asks the shopkeeper for a curse he can put on Angel, like boils or leprosy. She indignantly replies that they don't have curses, and tells Spike off for his "negative energy". Then Willow enters asking for ingredients for a love spell, which she eagerly provides. Likewise Willow is entirely willing to do the spell without Xander even knowing about it.
** Spike finally realises that he just needs to tie Drusilla up and torture her, until she falls in love with his evilness again.

* RunningGag: The owner of the Magic Shop being murdered is a trend that continues until Giles buys the shop in Season 5. And not even then, if you include the comics.

*** And it becomes a RunningGag over the course of the series -- every time Buffy tells Spike to get out of her life it means he's about to get deeper into it (e.g. "Crush" and "Wrecked").

* WrittenInAbsence: Faith doesn't reappear until "Amends", showing her self-isolation from the Scooby Gang after the events of "Revelations".

** Spike's description of Bangel ("You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other 'til it makes you quiver, but you'll never be 'friends'") is taken UpToEleven with Spuffy, even down to Spike being the only one "man enough to admit it", as Buffy repeatedly denies their relationship.
** Cordelia's {{subtext}} in being delighted that Buffy can now leave Sunnydale comes into the open in the next episode, when she [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor wishes Buffy had never come there in the first place]].
** Cordelia's remark about Buffy leaving Sunnydale and never coming back prove prophetic of her own fate, [[Series/{{Angel}} as she leaves for Los Angeles at the end of the season]] [[LongBusTrip and never returns]].

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Spike's temporary alliance with Buffy = infidelity. ("I told her [[ItDoesntMeanAnything it didn't mean anything]], I was thinking of her the whole time, but she didn't care.") A flashback scene in "Fool for Love" shows us that Drusilla isn't wrong to think this; as a {{seer|s}} she can tell Spike [[FoeRomanceSubtext is in love with Buffy]] long before he realises it.

* EnemyMine: This is the only occasion where we see the Big Three (Buffy, Angel and Spike) fighting side-by-side-by-side, and it's noticable that [[NotSoDifferent they're actually quite good at it]].

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Spike's temporary alliance with Buffy = infidelity. ("I told her [[ItDoesntMeanAnything it didn't mean anything]], I was thinking of her the whole time, but she didn't care.") A flashback scene in "Fool for Love" shows us that Drusilla isn't wrong to think this; as a {{seer}} she can tell Spike [[FoeRomanceSubtext is in love with Buffy]] long before he realises it.