"I Robot..." has a nice underlying message about the dissemination of information and how technology threatens to replace the printed word. Given later developments, it's surprising that Miss Calendar would advocate replacing books with data. Giles sums it up nicely: "If it's to last, the getting of knowledge should be tangible."
Although the plot is rather tired and seems to belong to the Cyberspace-obsessed eighties, it's given a unique Buffy The Vampire Slayer spin or three to create a very satisfying episode. There's an excellent pre-credits teaser which contrasts very nicely with the technological elements later in the episode.
Willow gets a raw deal in an episode that centres on the character. It seems that her relationships both inside and outside the group are ill-fated. Alyson Hannigan gives a great performance in the first episode that gives her something meaningful to do.
The two versions of Moloch, the lizard-like original and the scrap metal variation, are superbly executed, imposing and magisterial. Making the library an integral element of the plot, rather than just somewhere where the gang congregate to chew the fat, is a refreshing change too.
