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"Tabula Rasa"
Series Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season 6, Episode 8
Buffy 6x08 001
Air date November 13th, 2001
Writers Rebecca Rand Kirshner
Director David Grossman
Producers Douglas Petrie; David Solomon; Gareth Davies; David Greenwalt; Jane Espenson; David Fury; Sandy Gallin; Gail Berman; Fran Rubel Kuzui; Kaz Kuzui; Joss Whedon; Marti Noxon; John F. Perry; Marc David Alpert
Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar; Nicholas Brendon; Emma Caulfield; Michelle Trachtenberg; James Marsters; Alyson Hannigan
Episode guide
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"Once More, With Feeling"
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"Smashed"

"Tabula Rasa" is the eighth episode of season six of the supernatural action series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the 108th episode of the series overall. It was directed by David Grossman with a script written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner. It first aired on UPN on Tuesday, November 13th, 2001. In this episode, the Scoobies are in a sad state of affairs, still reeling from recent revelations about Buffy's time being dead, as well as the sudden shock that Rupert Giles is leaving Sunnydale. Willow and Tara's relationship is on the skids, so Willo whips up a magic spell that she hopes will make everything better. In true Willowesque fashion however, this causes a number of problems, not the least of which involves everyone temporarily losing their memories.

Cast[]

Principal Cast[]

Actor Role
Sarah Michelle Gellar Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon Xander Harris
Emma Caulfield Anya Jenkins
James Marsters Spike
Alyson Hannigan Willow Rosenberg

Guest Stars[]

Actor Role
Anthony Stewart Head Rupert Giles
Raymond O'Connor Teeth
Amber Benson Tara Maclay

Co-Stars[]

Actor Role
Geordie White Vamp #1
Stephen Triplett Vamp #2
David Franco Vamp #3

Crew[]

Notes & Trivia[]

Allusions[]

  • A Tabula rasa is the belief that all individuals are born as a veritable blank slate, without any inherent instinctual traits or inherited mental content and that all knowledge is derived from personal experience. This is reflected in this episode by the characters losing their memories, but work in contrast to the notion of tabula rasa in that they still maintain learned characteristics, such as Willow's homosexuality, Buffy's fighting prowess and Spike's British accent.
  • The idea of Rupert Giles leaving Sunnydale was previously hinted at in the musical episode, "Once More, With Feeling".
  • A tongue-in-cheek reference to Angel is made in this episode. While Spike monologues about being a vampire who helps out the good guys, he is indirectly poking fun at this old frenemy.
  • Spike also makes a comment about being a vampire with a soul, similar to Angel. This actually foreshadows events that will take place in the season finale, "Grave".

Monster count[]

  • Vampires: 5; Spike, plus four vampire henchmen.
  • Demons: 3; Anya Jenkins plus Teeth, the loan shark demon, and a skeletal beastie.
  • Witches: 2; Willow Rosenberg; Tara Maclay
  • Rabbits: Multiple; Summoned due to a botched spell.

Quotes[]

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See also[]

Buffyverse

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Angel

External Links[]


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This article pertains to an episode from season six of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This template will categorize articles that include it into the Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6 episodes category.
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