Buffy The Vampire Slayer 5x10 | Into the Woods
Added 2025-06-17 04:11:09 +0000 UTCMy full reaction to Buffy Season 5 Episode 10 "Into the Woods".
Comments
I like him a lot more in retrospect!
Chance's House Of Horror
2025-12-28 21:06:13 +0000 UTCIt seems I’m in the minority, but I genuinely appreciate Riley and the depth of his relationship with Buffy. In many ways, it was her most realistic pairing. While it’s understandable that viewers get frustrated—given the immense burden Buffy carries as the Slayer—Riley’s reaction is deeply human. Unless you have been in a similar position, it is hard to grasp how soul-crushing it feels to be sidelined by the person you love. Throughout their time together, Riley was incredibly supportive of Buffy’s calling, yet he struggled with a growing sense of obsolescence. That feeling of worthlessness can be destructive, even when you logically understand that your partner’s focus is required elsewhere. When you are in that state of mind, you often do "crazy" things; you might seek out ways to numb the pain or even engage in self-destructive behavior just to maintain a facade of strength. I really never got the hate for Riley. he literally gave up everything for Buffy, and everything he said in the end was so 'real'. Not feeling needed is pure poison, can destroy the most secure man.
Euro-raver
2025-12-28 18:12:33 +0000 UTCLol definitely on the writers for that one!
Chance's House Of Horror
2025-10-16 13:01:28 +0000 UTCI guess this episode can be chalked up to bad writing, but I hate it. Well, all the Riley/Buffy stuff. I can’t believe they really made her run after Captain Cardboard’s ass because of Xander’s sanctimonious last minute speech. There were some good moments otherwise, and I do love the Xander/Anya moment at the end, just wish it happened in a better episode/better circumstances. Great reaction, glad you didn’t fall for the Riley propaganda lol.
BattyT
2025-10-16 06:38:11 +0000 UTCEveryone hates Xander so much for no reason. He’s not that bad. The comments are puzzling!
Mykhel Anghelo
2025-07-19 19:46:37 +0000 UTCI understand what Xandr is saying but I don't think he was the right person to say it haha
George Alexander
2025-06-24 10:58:54 +0000 UTCI truly hate this unearned Xander Wisdom moment. And the lie about nobody having to tell him anything, except that Riley had to flat out tell him. This forced narrative of him being the *heart* of the team does not align with many of his actions. Not only that but Buffy was dealing with not only Glory, her mother's medical issues, but Dawn that she has only told Giles about. When Joyce was hurt/in a situation, in earlier seasons, she didn't immediately call Angel, either. Buffy is a person of action and has multiple times forgotten things when she has been in a life/death situation, which is understandable. I could tell Riley did have an issue with her strength, especially, after they got him off the experimental cocktail. By looks, comments, and mopey times, but the whole pity-me Buffy doesn't love me thing is stupid. Her being sidetracked by a whole bunch of new stuff & her having to shift priorities does not mean she doesn't love you. Not every relationship is meant to be forever, but I never got the sense that she was treating him like a rebound. She's always been self-reliant when it comes to the personal stuff; she wants to try to handle it by herself for whatever reason. I mean, prime example, her leaving to become Anne. Cornfed boy was excited by how amazing Buffy the slayer is, but doesn't understand, that she can't give him that milquetoast life he wants, while she has to constantly, consistently deal with the extraordinary. He wants the typical woman lean or her man for things and him being able to be Capt Save-a-...
Kai d'T
2025-06-18 19:34:49 +0000 UTCI agree with all the comments about Xander. I will add he had the audacity to tell Buffy that he figured it all by himself, that it was before his so observant eyes. Are we supposed to forget Riley told him that Buffy supposedly wasn’t in love with him? He told Xander that and not Buffy by the way. I know I always point out who write the episode. Marti Nixon is a talented writer for the emotional stuff but she always slightly miss the mark in understanding the characters. Some examples of this, she wrote dead man party, the one where all the scoobies are mad at Buffy for « abandoning » them after experiencing extreme trauma and wild at heart the one where Oz decides to leave Willow after betraying her.
Vicky N
2025-06-18 06:37:53 +0000 UTCi started watching buffy in season 3, with friends who had watched from the beginning. when season 4 rolled around and riley was introduced, they hated him - at least in part because he wasn’t angel. i didn’t have all the history of angel at the time, so i thought riley was fine, if a bit bland. but in season 5 the charm started to wear thin. it makes sense that buffy and riley are both at challenging points in their own lives and each needs more from the other than they can give right now. life happens. but i agree with others that xander can fuck right off with his sanctimonious lecture here.
nj
2025-06-18 01:17:12 +0000 UTCOh yeah I know Dawn is Human but wasn't sure if the altering of reality had an effect. I can see them not knowing where to go with Riley from there though.
Chance's House Of Horror
2025-06-17 18:22:30 +0000 UTCBefore season 5 began it was announced that Marc Blucas was leaving the show, later one of the writers I think maybe David Fury he always talked to fans in message boards, they did know what to do with Riley. Dawn is human she’s not the cause of Joyce’s tumor the whole point was to have a medical condition that had nothing to do with supernatural
Michael Matthews
2025-06-17 17:42:44 +0000 UTCTowards the end I was like what is this Riley propaganda Joss is making these people spew out. Especially while all this stuff is happening with the summers family. Yeah Im always on the fuck Riley Train big time.
Sydney Chestnut
2025-06-17 17:33:41 +0000 UTCI'm not mad at anyone is this episode. As others here have already said, Riley should have realized that Buffy and he are not compatible and shouldn't be trying to keep their relationship going when he's not getting what he needs from her. However, I do get why he kept trying because he felt his relationship with Buffy was the only thing he had going for him and I know how scary cutting that tie can be. Also, I know a lot of people, including Buffy herself, say that Riley is trying to put the blame on Buffy, but I think it's clear from their argument that Riley knows he is in the wrong and is just trying to explain how he got himself there. Speaking of Buffy's part in this drama, I think there is some truth to her treating Riley like the rebound guy. For instance, my boyfriend, assuming I had one, would be one of the first people I called if my mom went to the hospital. This by itself doesn't tell us much how she sees Riley because taking her mom to the hospital must have been very stressful, but we also see how she sees Riley in her 'Restless' dream. She sees him as someone who she can't really trust. There's also her not reciprocating when Riley tells her that he loves her (the closest she gets is saying "Tell me about it" in the episode 'Yoko Factor'). However, Buffy is not at fault in the slightest imo because she did try to accommodate for Riley's needs by fabricating a job for Riley to do and he told her that she didn't have to bother. I do find it a little alarming that Buffy was more angry at Riley than she was concerned for him that he was self-harming though. As for Xander, he might have been out of line confronting Buffy about her relationship with Riley, but I think Buffy did need to hear his main point: Break up with Riley if she doesn't think they can work out and try to stop him from leaving if she thinks that she has been holding back with him. Buffy seems to think that she was holding back with Riley, but there's also the possibility that she ran after him to end their relationship on a cleaner, less ambiguous note. I don't think Riley's relationship with Buffy was a waste as you put it. The show got to explore what a "normal" relationship for Buffy would look like and leaves us pondering Spike's claim this episode that Buffy "needs some monster in her man". Riley did do a lot of good as well (e.g. taking care of Dawn, giving Buffy good advice, and saving Buffy's life multiple times). P.S. Gustav "D.C." Gustafson was part of the art department and unfortunately passed away about a month before this episode aired.
Lime Pie
2025-06-17 17:29:28 +0000 UTCOne of the things that really annoys me about this episode as well, is this idea it seems to put out that a long term relationship is supposed to be the type of relationship Riley wants. That kind of obsessive, "oh god I think I'll die without them, I need them so much", kind of love is not sustainable long term; our brains know it, that's why different brain chemicals get released at different stages of love. If Riley could have gotten over himself for 5 seconds he might have just been rewarded with his and Buffy's relationship moving into the next phase, which is less firework-y desire and much more true depth of love and commitment.
Claire Eyles
2025-06-17 15:15:28 +0000 UTCUgh, fuck Riley and fuck Xander in this episode. The way Riley treated Buffy this episode, and all his passive aggressive bullshit before this as well; good riddance to bad rubbish if that's how he's gonna be. Buffy's been dealing with her Mum's potentially fatal illness, and Riley's all, "Waaaahh, she doesn't need me like I want her to, let me be all passive aggressive about it, then go get sucked off by some vampire chicks, and then give her an ultimatum just after her Mum's surgery to remove a brain tumour". After this episode Riley can fuck all the way off.
Claire Eyles
2025-06-17 13:38:37 +0000 UTCOff top FUCK XANDER and what he talking about. Buffy herself told Riley, this is what I'm capable of giving you, if that's not enough then I'm sorry. And to be fair to Riley maybe it isn't and maybe he does need more, which on its own isn't wrong. But he is clearly needing more from Buffy that she isn't capable of giving and I feel like he's taking his frustration of them probably just not being a good match out on her. Cos she has always stayed consistent and upfront. You can't force someone to give you what you need, sometimes you just need to find someone who is able. It was a shitty situation but Xander was out of line. He's Buffy's bestie but he's not in that relationship and honestly putting Riley being a bit of a dick aside, no one is really in the wrong and Riley's only problem is just not being able to accept that Buffy isn't right for him and he has to move on. Great reaction though! We share a lot of the same thoughts.
Chantel Williams
2025-06-17 08:00:04 +0000 UTCI’ve seen a lot of people defending Riley recently and I completely disagree. He had plenty of opportunities to sit Buffy down and tell her how he was feeling and every time he just made some passive aggressive comment and changed the subject. The only time he tried to have a real conversation with her is after she caught him “cheating” and she was infuriated with him. Maybe she treated him like a rebound, but he never addressed it and instead just expected her to read his mind. People can’t fix problems they don’t even know exist.
amber stephens
2025-06-17 05:02:33 +0000 UTC
