Overview of One Girl in All the World — S7E06: “Him”
Ashley recaps Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 7, Episode 6, “Him,” a throwback-style, mostly comedic episode built around a love spell/obsession plot. The recap focuses on how Dawn develops an intense crush on RJ, a star football player, and Buffy also gets swept up in the spell, turning the sisters into rivals. Meanwhile, Xander and Spike’s new roommate dynamic becomes the episode’s other major comic thread as they team up to investigate what’s going on and ultimately break the spell.
Episode Recap
The setup
- Spike moves into Xander’s place after the basement starts to mess with him.
- Buffy and Dawn both immediately express skepticism about the living arrangement.
- Dawn starts showing interest in RJ, a popular football player at school, after seeing him in his letterman jacket.
Dawn’s crush spirals
- Dawn first tries to connect with RJ socially, then goes all-in by trying out for cheerleading to impress him.
- Her attempt goes badly, leading to embarrassment and heartbreak.
- Buffy tries to comfort her, but their conversation turns into an ugly argument, with both sisters saying cruel things.
Buffy gets affected too
- Buffy begins acting oddly around RJ and eventually kisses him, confirming that she’s under the spell as well.
- The spell intensifies the competition between Buffy, Dawn, Willow, and Anya, all of whom become irrationally fixated on RJ.
Xander and Spike investigate
- The investigation leads them to RJ’s brother, who reveals the key clue: the letterman jacket.
- The brother’s backstory and the jacket’s history explain how RJ became the object of obsessive attraction.
- Xander and Spike realize the jacket is the source of the spell and work to destroy it.
The climax
- Buffy and Dawn both take increasingly reckless actions to prove their devotion to RJ:
- Buffy goes after the principal with a rocket launcher
- Dawn ends up on train tracks, hoping to sacrifice herself for him
- Buffy saves Dawn at the last second and the spell begins to break.
- Xander and Spike finally grab RJ’s jacket and burn it, ending the enchantment.
Resolution
- Everyone is embarrassed by what they almost did.
- Anya admits she wrote a poem about RJ, which is a small but notable sign that she’s drifting back toward the group.
- The episode ends on a lighter note, reinforcing that this was meant to be a silly, one-off comedy episode rather than a major plot driver.
Key Takeaways
- A classic “Buffy” gimmick episode: Ashley describes it as feeling like an earlier-season, weirdly fun stand-alone story.
- Sibling conflict is the emotional center: The Buffy/Dawn fight is messy and sharp, even if it’s played through a magical-crush lens.
- Xander and Spike work well as an odd couple: Their roommate teamwork provides some of the episode’s best comedy.
- Anya and Spike are being reabsorbed into the Scooby orbit: Ashley notes that this episode helps reunite the group in a more cohesive way.
- The episode is funny but cringe-heavy: Ashley repeatedly calls out how awkward and embarrassing the love-spell behavior is.
Notable Quotes
- “No guy is worth your life, not ever.”
- “Welcome to the Hellmouth; we’re not even out of where it’s safe.”
- “I’m the pushy queen of Slut Town.”
- Ashley highlights this and other ridiculous lines as part of the episode’s comedy.
- “What are you going to do, use magic to make him into a girl?”
- A standout Anya/Willow exchange Ashley found especially funny.
Ashley’s Verdict
- Stake rating: 4
- Ashley’s take is that “Him” is amusing and full of good jokes, but it doesn’t move the season’s larger story forward much.
- Her favorite scene was Spike stopping Buffy from using the rocket launcher, which she found especially funny.
Next Episode Tease
Ashley closes by previewing S7E07: “Conversations with Dead People.”