It's amazing an episode that begins with a sister murdering her other sister and then turning the sewing needles on herself could be as light, funny and fun as "Arachnofaebia" revealed itself to be. Buffy and ANGEL had their fair share of dark teasers before the fun of the rest of the episode began. I remember how "Spin The Bottle" began with an intense conversation between Angel and Cordelia and, later, Lorne accidentally used magic to cause everyone to return to their teenage selves (with hilarious results). Anyway, tensions between Kenzi and Bo rise in the first scene of the episode when Bo ruins Kenzi's flirt with the pizza delivery boy. The girls argue about the cleanliness of the place along with other issues that haven't been issues until this very scene. The issues between the girls are not complicated; in fact, it's just a matter of roommates becoming annoyed with minor things the other doesn't do, or the other prevents one from doing (for instance, Kenzi getting her flirt on with the delivery boy in hopes of him getting into her grill...actual line from the episode).
The fae spider crawls into Kenzi's bag during one of her con jobs in the suburbs. A recent string of murder-suicides destroyed the property value of homes in the neighborhood so Kenzi cons a real estate agent into paying her to cleanse a house from the evil spirits left behind after their gruesome deaths. Dyson and Hale's investigation of the aforementioned murder-suicide brings them to the neighborhood, and they meet up with the ladies after spotting Bo's yellow car. The foursome go to Trick's bar where Lauren shows up for a date with Bo, only to be disappointed to find Dyson lounging on a sofa, grinning widely, uninterested in leaving Bo alone with Lauren. Yes, indeed, the love triangle between the three characters has begun. Meanwhile, Kenzi and Hale hang out at the bar, trading quips until Kenzi's bitten by something. Hale looks through her bag and remarks about the inevitably of a cut when Kenzi's lugging around an arsenal.
Anyway, the important character dynamics are established within their first two acts so that the humor can begin when the effects of the spider venom take effect in the blood stream of the bitten. Kenzi and Bo can't stop scratching themselves nor can they get rid of a pounding headache. The spider venom causes the infected to hallucinate and feel intense paranoia as well as fear AND agoraphobia. There's a nature show on the TV that Kenzi can't stop watching. My favorite exchange of the episode happens when the girls are fighting and Bo wonders why Kenzi can't just tape the program. The second best exchange happens after Bo bludgeons Hale in the head with a frying pan, looks up at Kenzi and then at the pan, and angrily says, "It's still dirty!" The tone's light, which makes the humor work.
Dyson and Lauren clash during "Arachnofaebia." The Ash wanted the spider, as well as the infected, burned. Lauren reported the situation to her superior, which Dyson vehemently disagreed with, even though she's sexually attracted to Bo. The tensions between these characters was about light fae loyalties rather than 'who will Bo choose?' There are depths to the light fae that we haven't seen yet, something about The Ash that motivates Lauren to make controversial decisions without a second thought. When Dyson tells Lauren his opinion that she'd have let Bo and Kenzi die, Lauren doesn't deny it. Dyson and Lauren's dynamic is more interesting outside of the Bo context, but the Bo-ness of it all will probably dwarf the other issues. Bo chooses Lauren at episode's end, unaware of the truth. Dyson walks away, disgusted.
The spider situation is resolved without any bloodshed, except for the spider, which's killed when Lauren stabs its heart. I thought it was cool how the spider hid its heart inside someone, making it difficult for anyone to kill it. The spider had personality for a CGI thing with no lines. For example, Bo sliced it in half, but the spider re-attached itself and dodged subsequent shots; it taunted Bo, and the effects of the venom were like psychic taunts. I found the spider strangely enjoyable--just like the entire episode. The humor and the drama came from within the characters and the situation. Nothing felt forced. Again, it reminded me of "Him" because it was a harmless and fun 43 minutes though "Him" had more charm. I like it when characters are allowed to be funny. Even Trick had a great line.
Other Thoughts:
-If I haven't written it already it bears repeating, Ksenia Solo needs to wear the blonde wig. I know the series is three seasons in, or about to begin season three, so such suggestions don't matter, heck, I'm sure that no one in Canada knows about these reviews. Kenzi's playacting as a shaman was fantastic for the hair alone. The girl is stunning as a blonde. Previews for next week showed an even sexier blonde wig.
-Hale officially emerged as great comic relief. I'm probably not the only one who sees potential in a Kenzi-Hale romance.
-Speaking of Kenzi, her and Lauren made out for ten seconds when Bo hallucinated. The scene showed Bo's affections for Lauren and subsequent jealousy for anyone who wants to kiss her. I certainly did not expect Kenzi to make out with Lauren before Bo.
-Dyson and Kenzi have a great platonic relationship. I like his role as her sort-of big brother.
-Emily Andras wrote the episode. John Fawcett directed.
THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
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