History Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E5LifeSerial

Later, Buffy decides to get a job and Xander pulls some strings to get her a job as part of his construction team, telling him about the time situation at school before she's introduced to Tony, the boss, and two other workers, Danny and Vince. Although stronger than the other workers, she makes a bad impression when she starts to power through the work since the crew is being paid by the hour. Andrew summons demons from the van, which thrashed the construction site before Buffy kills them. Xander is angry that Buffy brought her slayer work to his job and that he's now got to find a way to explain the mess to his clients, and fires her.

* PlotTailoredToTheParty: This episode establishes the specialties of the Trio -- Warren's is technology, Andrew's is [[SummonMagic demon summoning]], and Jonathan's is magic.

* ChekhovsGag: [[AmbiguouslyGay Andrew]] isn't happy over HoldingHands for a spell incantation, causing Warren to say, "You know what homophobia ''really'' says about you?" Also serves as a BrickJoke from when 'casting spells' was used as a GettingCrapPastTheRadar way of portraying Willow and Tara's lesbian relationship.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
**
-->"I need you to hold hands"
-->"With each other?"
-->"Well you know what homophobia really means... Stop touching my magic bone!"
** Buffy has brought a bucket of chicken parts for dinner:
-->'''Dawn''': I'll take a drumstick.
-->'''Willow''': I'm a breast girl myself. ''[{{beat}}]'' But then again you knew that.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Giles' worried look when Buffy says, "This makes me feel safe. Knowing you're always gonna be here."

* VomitDiscretionShot

* WalkOnTheWildSideEpisode: Comically subverted when Spike invites Buffy to try out TheDarkSide and [[EvilFeelsGood see how good it feels]]. She ends up sitting in the back room of a BadGuyBar, getting drunk and snarking at her not-a-boyfriend as he gambles for kittens with AmbiguouslyEvil demons.

Later that night, Buffy got drunk with Spike at his crypt. Completely hammered, Buffy went with Spike to a bar where he played poker (using kittens as currency) and searched for information. After the poker game ended badly, Buffy ranted to Spike about the new low her life has reached with her inability to understand school or get a decent job. Meanwhile the Trio, still spying, get into an argument over who was the best James Bond and accidentally trip the horn (which plays the theme tune to Star Wars). Buffy and Spike notice the black van that she realizes has been at all the events of the day; the Trio notices Buffy approaching with alarm.

* DrowningMySorrows: Buffy after her very bad day.

* GroundhogDayLoop

* SmokeOut

* AlienGeometries: In an effort to escape the time loop, Buffy tries to walk out the Magic Shop door only to find herself entering the shop from the back, much to Giles and Anya's puzzlement.

* EvilIsPetty: Spike cheating at kitten poker, then expecting Buffy will beat up the demons when they object.

* HumiliationConga

* SpiesInAVan / VanInBlack

* AltumVidetur: Lampshaded when Jonathan is casting a spell with his magic bone (heh heh).
-->"Okay, it's in Latin, so don't laugh. It's supposed to sound like this."

[[quoteright:284:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/btvs_s6_ep05_lifeserial.JPG]]
[[caption-width-right:284:"Stop touching my magic bone!"]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Giles' worried look when Buffy says, "This makes me feel safe. Knowing you're always gonna be here." [[spoiler:Giles leaves at the end of "Tabula Rasa" because he realises Buffy is too dependent on him.]]

** It appears she's not a teetotaler. In "Family," while at the Bronze, she and the other Scoobies look uncomfortably at their cups when Dawn says "only losers drink alcohol." (Although this calls into question the Bronze's serving policy when you remember the Scoobies were under 21 at that point.)

Buffy learns about working at the Magic Box from Giles and Anya as Jonathan began casting a spell to loop time. Buffy assists a man with a candle sale and then goes downstairs to fetch a live mummy hand for a female customer. The hand attacked her and she was forced to kill it, which also killed the sale. Events started to repeat themselves (a la Groundhog Day, as Buffy must satisfy the customer while dealing with the mummy hand. If she fails, the events reset to when the customer walks into the store. Buffy becames increasingly agitated, even taking off Giles' glasses and stepping on them in one loop, and crying in another. After several loops, Buffy finally manages to end the spell by promising the customer they'll deliver the mummy hand instead so she doesn't have to deal with it directly. Although Giles congratulates Buffy on making her first sale, Anya reminds her that she didn't charge extra for the item's delivery and (despite GIles trying to ignore the mistake) decides to take the money out of Buffy's pay. This is the last straw for Buffy, and she quits as the three villains keep score.

Buffy readjusts to life among the living. The Trio tests her to see if they can find a weakness.

->'''Anya:''' This whole day -- has it gone by too quickly for you?\\
'''Buffy:''' No. No, I don't think that's exactly the problem.

'''Buffy:''' What's wrong?! You were gonna help me! You, you were gonna beat heads and, and, and fix my life! But you're completely lame! Tonight sucks! And, and look at me! Look at, look at Stupid!Buffy -- too dumb for college, and, and, and Freak!Buffy -- too strong for construction work. And, and my job at the Magic Shop? I was bored to tears even ''before'' the hour that wouldn't end! And the only person I can even stand to be around is a ... neutered vampire who cheats at kitten poker.\\

* PercussiveTherapy: Averted -- even though Buffy is looking for a fight, she refuses to play along with Spike by beating up the demons when they catch him cheating.

* BarBrawl: Averted; Spike tries to get Buffy's help when the demons start ganging up on him, but she just upends the basket of kittens and walks out while everyone's trying to catch the 'money'.