Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 4, Episode 14: Goodbye Iowa
Written by Marti Noxon; Directed by David SolomonWhen Seth Green decided that he wanted out of his contract, the writers rolled with it and arguably ended up creating a far better story for Willow than they otherwise would have. When Lindsay Crouse made exactly the same decision, for reasons I haven't been able to ascertain, they weren't so successful. Originally, Professor Walsh was meant to be the main villain of the season, but given that Crouse left after less than an episode in that particular role, she had to be replaced rather quickly. Her replacement, the part-human, part-demon, part-robot killing machine, "Adam", is a bit of a joke. Seriously, he's meant to be incredibly imposing and scary, but he comes across as one giant joke. Still, at least, by this stage, the season has regained its sense of purpose and is moving towards an identifiable place. But the scene between Adam and the little boy? Note to writers: children making profound statements are never a good idea.
On a side note, the first time I saw this episode I wondered why Tara intentionally botched Willow's demon locator spell. It wasn't until I saw Family in the next season that it finally made sense. Odd that the writers would introduce this plot strand and then make no further mention of it for more than five months.
Overall rating: 7/10.
Next time: This Year's Girl, where the season begins to pick up again.
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