Undiscussed Doubles

Though this is a minor point, I think it is important to mention. From the beginning of "The Replacement," Whedon foreshadows the significance that doubles will play in the episode. In the first scene, Riley and Xander are shown sitting next to one another on a couch, their respective girlfriend sitting between their knees. When Riley starts to massage Buffy's shoulders, Xander instantly mirrors his motion. However, instead of receiving the moan's of appreciative pleasure that Riley is able to coax from Buffy, Anya pulls away in pain. There is a sense that Xander tries to emulate Riley's actions as a boyfriend because he finds himself to be inadequate. While Riley is a strong, forceful fighter in the initiative, Xander is constantly being emasculated by his once-demon girlfriend and the female members of the Scooby Gang. Even Willow admits that "all of us save [Xander]". Throughout the episode, there is the recurring idea that Xander is failing at life. This is most exemplified in the scene in which Anya demands that Xander buy the house so that she doesn't have to visit him in a hovel where someone has urinated on the hot plate. By mimicking Riley, doubling his actions, Xander attempts to become a better boyfriend. Ultimately, though, Riley admits to Xander that he knows Buffy doesn't return Riley's affection. It is Anya and Xander whose relationship develops and improves throughout the episode. By ending with the scene in which Riley tells Xander that Buffy doesn't love him, Xander can start to understand that he should not be mimicking Riley's actions, but maybe getting to know himself better, maybe through his experience of split identities, that he can continue to grow and mature in a way that many of the other characters have.