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The Emmy award-nominated tenth episode of season four is unusual in that it contains very little actual dialog; due to the presence of some very Brothers Grimm-style monsters, The Gentlemen , who steal the voices of the population of Sunnydale, none of the characters can speak. The episode is notable, thus, for the actors succeeding in expressing the storyline without using words, and for its "background" music — Christophe Beck mentions, on DVD interviews, that he thoroughly enjoyed the task of writing the episodes soundtrack; one scene also uses Camille Saint-Saëns's Danse Macabre to somewhat melodramatic effect.
The Gentlemen, played by mime artists and accompanied by "goons" wearing un-tied straightjackets, are trying to gather together seven human hearts from the residents of Sunnydale, who, of course, cannot scream or alert anyone to their being attacked. In the expository scene, part-way through the episode, it becomes apparent that the only way to defeat The Gentleman is a human scream, so the focus turns to how Buffy can regain her voice.
The episode is also notable for containing the start of Buffy's relationship with Riley and each character's discovery that the other is not what they seem — again playing out the theme of the characters' inability to communicate with each other. At the start of the episode, it is made clear that each character is attracted to the other, but neither knows how to broach the issue. Equally, neither character knows of the other's " secret identityA secret identity is the practice of hiding a person's identity so the actual identity of the person is not known or suspected. Legal uses of secret identity include people placed under witness protection programs to protect witnesses in criminal trials f" — that Buffy is a vampireCount Orlok from Nosferatu A vampire is a mythical or folkloric creature said to subsist on human or animal blood often having magical powers and the ability to transform. Usually the vampire is the corpse of a dead person, reanimated or made undead by on slayer and that Riley also slays demons and vampires, for the US government.
Whilst muted by The Gentlemen's magic, the two characters run into each other and enjoy their first kiss. Subsequently, whilst fighting The Gentlemen and their goons, they encounter each other again, their mutual secrets revealed. Similarly, AnyaBuffy characters Anya Christina Emmanuelle Jenkins (also known as Anyanka also known as Anya Emerson also known as Aud is a fictional character in the television show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer played by Emma Caulfield. Anya, a vengeance demon, appeared in and XanderBuffy characters Alexander ("Xander") LaVelle Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. He is a friend and helper of the title character. One of his remarkable qualities is that, unlike most of the series's regul start the episode arguing, as Anya believes Xander does not love her; later, though, his actions when he believes SpikeSpike is a fictional character played by James Marsters in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Before Spike became a vampire, he was William (surname unknown), a gentleman from the Victorian era who lived with his mother and wrote po has bitten her resolves her doubts.
That the episode is all about communication is highlighted when Buffy and Riley sit down to talk about their feelings for each other and their respective secrets, once The Gentlemen have been vanquished, and they sit in uncomfortable silence until the credits start.
This is also the episode where Willow'sWillow Rosenberg is a fictional character in the popular television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer played by Alyson Hannigan. Willow was introduced in the first episode of the show as a naive and fairly stereotyped brilliant high school nerd capable of per girlfriend Tara MaclayTara Maclay is a fictional character in the television show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by Amber Benson. Tara was introduced in the popular episode " Hush", in the fourth season of the show. A member of Sunnydale University's Wicca group, she encoun first appears. Willow's homosexuality had first been hinted at in the Season 3 episode " Doppelgängland".