Connor Macgregor Reviews...Buffy The Vampire Slayer & Angel [Archive]

MovieMad16

07-07-16, 05:11 PM

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Welcome To The Hellmouth (1x01)

Sixteen-year-old Buffy Summers has moved to Sunnydale from L.A., hoping to leave Buffy's troubled past behind. But Sunnydale High librarian Rupert Giles knows who Buffy is: she is the Slayer, the one girl in all the world with the strength and skill to hunt and kill vampires. He knows about her past because he is her new Watcher -- the person whose destiny it is to train and guide Slayers on their path. Buffy quickly makes two friends: the shy, bookish Willow, and the goofy but lovable Xander, who is instantly attracted to Buffy.

When a student is found dead in a locker -- with bite marks on his neck and completely drained of his blood -- Giles enlists Buffy's help. She resists, trying to get out of the slaying game for good, but Giles insists that a crucial mystical upheaval is about to occur. Unbeknownst to them, a bewildered Xander overhears their conversation -- Buffy's secret is out. Later, in a dark, eerie chamber, we see a vampire who seems to be confirming Giles' prophecy. The vampire, Luke, kneels in front of a pool of blood and says, "The sleeper will awaken. And the world will bleed."

On her way to the Bronze, Sunnydale's hippest (and only) club, Buffy is followed by a handsome, mysterious stranger. He tells her she must be ready for the Harvest, and gives her a small cross. Giles meets her at the Bronze and she tells him about the encounter. Giles convinces her to use her power, and wants her to try to sense if there are any vampires in the room. She does sense one and finds him talking to Willow, but the two have walked away. Trying to catch him unawares, she grabs a makeshift stake, turns a corner and attacks... Cordelia, the snootiest girl in school, who already thought Buffy was a loser for hanging with Willow, and now thinks she’s certifiable. We see Jesse, Xander's buddy, chatting with a girl we saw in vampire garb earlier, but who now appears as a normal student, Darla. Back to the pool of blood, something breaks through the surface and rises: the demonic Master Vampire. He is hungry and weak, and asks Luke to bring him something young.

Outside the Bronze, Buffy enlists Xander's help in finding Willow, who's already been lead to a mausoleum by the vampire. Willow's happy to find Jesse there, until she sees that Darla has already bit him in the neck. Buffy and Xander enter, and Buffy promptly kills the vampire boy. Now Willow is finally in on the secret. While Darla tries to attack Buffy, Xander and Willow lead a weakened Jesse out. Luke joins the battle and throws Buffy across the room

The opening scene really is the perfect way to start the show. Luring the viewer into a false scenario, before jumping them with a cruel twist. It's genius and a great way to get pulses flowing. It really establishes the surprise the show will be famous for in seasons to come.

This episode is also good at establishing the central characters, as well as the style and tone of the show too. Buffy is someone attempting to press the restart button on her life, but fate once again comes calling, and Buffy's instinct gets the better of her. Sarah Michelle Gellar really sells it as Buffy. She's smart, beautiful, and full of personality from the word go. It's perfect casting.

Also well established are Willow & Xander as Buffy's new friends/sidekicks. Both are well placed as social outcasts, who are about to be engulfed in a major new world. Giles & Cordelia are also introduced too and both are great too, especially Cordelia.

The suspense is slow, taking its time to really pick up the pace. The mystery also works and fits well with that late 90s electro tune. A bit outdated now, but still fun to listen too. The climax eventually kicks into full gear and really hooks you onto your seat, with some nice fight scenes, establishing the action portion of the series. The cliffhanger also leaves you wanting more.

Overall, it's a nice strong start to the series, with a hint of what is coming up for the next seven seasons.

Rating - 84% - A-

MovieMad16

07-07-16, 05:12 PM

Buffy is great, never seen Angel. What do you work as if you don't mind me asking?

Work at the BBC. Nothing exciting, at the moment.

MovieMad16

07-14-16, 05:01 PM

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The Harvest (1x02)

As Luke tries to bite Buffy in the neck, he burns his hand on her cross, giving her a chance to escape. She finds her friends struggling with several vampires. Buffy impales one and the others flee. Meanwhile, Jesse has been taken to the Master, who hears about Buffy. By her strength, he can tell that she's the Slayer. The Master knows that Buffy will come looking for Jesse, and then she will be his.

Giles enlists Willow to check the internet for more information about the Harvest, while Buffy decides to go look for Jesse. At the mausoleum, she runs into the stranger again, whose name is Angel. He warns that the Harvest will be that night. Then Buffy is shocked to find Xander has followed her. They find Jesse, who tries to lead them out, until he turns to face them and they discover he's become a vampire. More vampires surround and chase them, but they manage to escape to the street through a grating. The Master is furious that the Slayer has escaped. But he allows Luke to feed from him as a way of gaining strength for himself. He dabs some of his blood on Luke's forehead and paints a three-pointed star.
Willow's research explains that on the night of the Harvest, the Master Vampire can draw power from one of his minions while it feeds and then can break through from their reality to ours. The minion is called the Vessel, and bears the symbol we saw painted on Luke.

Xander guesses the vampires will converge on the Bronze, since it's always filled with young people. That night, a newly confident Jesse strides into the Bronze and hits on Cordelia, who actually allows the former loser to dance with her. Soon, a gang of vampires takes over the club, with Luke at the helm. By the time Buffy, Giles, Xander and Willow get there, the suckfest is in full swing, with the Master gaining strength from each victim. Buffy manages to kill a few other vampires, then Jesse winds up impaling himself on a stake a frightened Xander was holding. Buffy breaks a large window, trying to make Luke think the streetlight is daylight, which will destroy him. He buys it for a second, and she takes advantage of his confusion by driving a stake through his back. Now the Master is too weak to break through to the other side, and Sunnydale has been spared.

This time.

We continue where the pilot left us off. Buffy, trapped in a crypt, about to be bitten by a vampire. Knowing our slayer though, she gets out of that predicament pretty easy. The rest of the episode though isn't such a doddle.

This episode keeps developing the central mythos of the show, along with the characters and story. The group is properly assembled for the first time and it works well in a very smooth groove. Known throughout the series as The Scooby Gang (I still think its a dumb name), they continue to fight off The Master's minions as The Harvest fast approaches. Oh and Xander's friend meets a grizzly fate. Not nice.

The highlight of this episode is the fight in the Bronze. Nothing really that spectacular, but still good to watch and Buffy puts up a good fight against that Luke vampire. But better fights will arrive, and compared to this, this opening brawl is a bit of a disappointment. Plus also there really isn't a dramatic reaction to Jessie's death when Xander kills him. Its just "meh, my best friend died, anyway moving on...".

Not much to say really, other than a good but not great second part to the beginning of Buffy.

Rating - 76% - B+

MovieMad16

07-27-16, 03:01 PM

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Witch (1x03)

Episode 3 really continues the strong start that Season 1’s opening story initiated. Witch is a non vampire story and really plays with Buffy fighting against something beyond her control. This episode sees the debut of Amy and is a welcome addition to the series. Amy is hard to read at first, and the episode plays with her intentions throughout, leaving you to wonder whether she is good or evil.

This episode sees a cool introduction to witches & magic, which will ultimately play an important theme throughout the series duration. Its also the first episode that sees Xander’s romantic intentions towards Buffy. Its only with the audience, but it allows the dynamic to shake up a bit. Knowing where the series goes, it doesn’t end well.

Additional things to note is the actress who plays Amy’s mother, who is both brilliant at her childlike state (no spoiler there), as well as her villainous self (Slight spoiler there). It all pays out in the finale and sees Buffy get creative when fighting her.

Overall, Witch is a good episode and keeps the strong momentum of Season 1 going.

Rating - 85% - A-

MovieMad16

07-28-16, 05:51 PM

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Teacher's Pet (1x04)

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To sum this episode up: Never have a crush on your teacher, ever.

This is the first episode to have Xander in the spotlight and its sad to say a bit of a downer unfortunately. The episode was very predictable and not very exciting to watch. Xander behaves like most teenagers when a hot teacher comes in: dweeby and puppy like. So far Xander hasn't fully enticed himself into the gang yet, rather than just being there for quirky one liners and getting his ass kicked so Buffy can swoop in and save him. Its a shame.

The episode overall isn't a massively strong one. As I said, its predictable and not thrilling to watch. By Act four, you're kind of waiting for it to end. Never a good sign in a Buffy episode. David Boreanaz as Angel again makes an appearance, but its a weak one and doesn't really contribute to anything. He definitely needs more episodes to develop.

Overall, A Meh episode that can easily be forgotten.

Rating - 63% - B

honeykid

07-29-16, 06:24 PM

I like Teacher's Pet. I agree that it's not the strongest episode, but I like it more than some of the 'better' episodes later on in season 1.

MovieMad16

07-31-16, 06:54 PM

I dunno. It felt very gimmicky and cliche with the "Hot Teacher" angle. Or maybe it's because I'm not really embracing Xander right now. I'll get further into that later.

Topsy

07-31-16, 06:58 PM

maybe you could add a screenshot from the episodes as it would help most remember better which one it is. i remember a few by names,but thats because ive seen the dvds several times-most prob havent :)

I really like this thread though,my all time favourite show. was never much of a xander fan either

MovieMad16

07-31-16, 07:01 PM

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Never Kill A Boy On The First Date (1x05)

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I liked this episode more than I was anticipating. For one, Buffy gets a crush on a guy who seems really relaxed and different, yet can be at times awkward and anti-social. Sure, it's a little bit out of the blue right in the middle of the brewing Angel//Buffy romance, but I'll buy it for this episode at least.

For the record, I do like Owen. He's not got an ego or any hidden motive. He's someone who likes Buffy for who she is. And I think Buffy likes that, having something that can be just hers, away from all the responsibility. The actor who played him was really good, especially in the last act when he gets embroiled in all the vampire shenanigans.

The anointed one subplot was really enjoyable, especially with the twist ending. The Master was playing a very cunning game, and managed to score a victory here for once in the series. It'll definitely be interesting to see where this angle takes The Master.

Smaller notes include Angel & Cordelia's first scene together. Its brief, but funny. Cannot wait to see more of them together. The end of the episode also sees Buffy make a small but important sacrifice regarding her work. It's quite a sad moment, but important as Buffy slowly grows into her responsibility as a slayer. Make no mistake though, plenty more harder sacrifices are heading her way.

Rating - 78% - B+

MovieMad16

07-31-16, 07:03 PM

MovieMad16

08-07-16, 07:01 PM

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The Pack (1x06)

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This episode doesn't rank too highly for me. I'm not really a fan of the episode's concept, and I think it can be at times quite awkward to watch. Xander in this really is at his absolute lowest. He's a complete douche to Willow, and really unpleasant to watch. Backed by the awkward weird bullies who come off extremely silly and weird to watch.

All this and we get rid of such a sweet character also...Principal Flutie. Nothing wrong with this character at all. He was pleasant with Buffy, and completely innocent in the grand scheme of things. And the way he went too was horrible. Death by his own students. While comical in text format, the scene when he died was just goofy to watch.

I also predicted the twist coming from a mile off. The Zookeeper coming off as a villain was something I saw coming pretty quickly. The ending with him in costume was slightly intimidating, but could also be seen as quite goofy at the same time.

Overall, not a great episode. Too goofy at times, and could've have been better written me thinks.

Rating - 61% - B

MovieMad16

08-09-16, 03:54 PM

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Angel (1x07)

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Finally, an episode in this season that is actually really exciting to watch. This is an episode full of major character moments that make the episode stand out above others. It's the episode where you get the sense things are actually moving forward, and some characters such as Angel properly come out of their shell.

David Boreanaz truly shines in this episode. His backstory is outlined, and its played to great effect, particularly with Buffy. I like how Darla manipulates the situation in her favour, especially when a naive Joyce enters the frame. Whilst it is Buffy that makes the save, Angel is the main focus of this episode and the episode's twists & turns make the episode a solid watch. As the episode ends, the romance of Buffy & Angel really kicks off and in quite a neat fashion.

Another thing to note is Xander's jealousy towards Buffy & Angel. It's pretty funny to watch, given how **** he is by trying to woo Buffy. I'm so far still not wooed by Xander at all. I find him a bit of an annoyance and not as witty with the one liners Buffy or even Cordelia comes up with.

But still, Angel is a good strong episode and by far the best of the season so far.

Rating - 92% - A

MovieMad16

08-10-16, 06:16 PM

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I Robot, You Jane (1x08)

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This episode takes a basic emerging social issue at the time and tries to make it quite fun, but also dark in its own little-twisted way. Whilst not a perfect episode, it's still good to watch at the same time as well.

It tackles the dangers of online chatting and the situation of Willow getting close to someone she really shouldn't be. This could've been played as a serious take, but Buffy being Buffy, it opts for a supernatural twist instead. And it still works, allowing to almost be consumed by an ancient demon with a very unhealthy fixation on her. The episode overall is unremarkable, but not overly boring either. It's just very average with a fun but somewhat rushed climax. That's sometimes the danger of a monster of the week format, some episodes don't get the same talent attached to an idea, and thus it suffers as a result.

This episode sees the debut of Jenny Calendar, who will become very important to Giles and the rest of the scooby gang later on down the line. She's a bit annoying in this episode, and very in your face regarding her IT approach which faces off with Giles's literary background. Still, she's a breath of fresh air for the show, and someone that puts Giles on his feet.

Rating - 73% - B+

MovieMad16

08-18-16, 06:27 PM

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The Puppet Show (1x09)

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The Puppet Show is quite a decent filler episode for me, even if many fans of Buffy dismiss this episode as pure ****. I found it fun for me. A weak ending, but still a surprising suspenseful episode that reminded me how much the show can really twist some old cliches without knowing.

For starters: Sid The Dummy is actually a really interesting one-off character. Granted, his behaviour and attitude is a bit out there for the scoobies, but it brings a breath of fresh air to the show, a persona of a different era in which the gang are a bit alarmed by. The episode teases him as the villain of the piece, but he turns out to be a handy ally for Buffy. That twist alone was pretty good and was something new to absorb as the mystery continued to deepen.

The talent show angle of the episode was a bit odd to me. I don't know why it had to be a talent show of all things. It could've been perhaps a football game, a parents evening, or something along those lines. I felt the talent show idea didn't really hit with me that well. This episode was also the debut of Principal Snyder. His appearance is quite a creepy one. Lurking in the shadows, springing out on people, and his disgust and distaste of high school students. Good to watch, and certainly becomes a key foil for Buffy in future seasons.

Overall: Good episode, not as bad as people make it out to be.

Rating - 74% - B+

MovieMad16

06-09-17, 06:10 PM

So yeah, I'm going to try and get this back started again due to many other activities in my life taking over. Sorry.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/90/Buffy_Season_(1).jpg

Nightmares (1x10)

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This was a very fun episode to watch, seeing the main characters thrown into nightmarish scenarios without nessacary knowing it. It's a very cool concept, the idea of nightmares merging together with reality and seeing whether The Scoobies can actually realise it or not. Some clever and funny moments including Xander's encounter with a clown, Buffy becoming a vampire, etc.

This is also the first time Buffy & The Master meet on screen. It's quite a scary, tense moment and one that puts Buffy very much to the test. Seeing Buffy in vampire form, albeit briefly, was quite cool, and gave us an idea of the potentially dark path Buffy could follow if it all goes terribly wrong. Another thing to add was how funny I found Cordelia's nightmare throughout the entire episode.

Overall: Strong, creative episode with a mixture of humour and horror.

Rating - 87% - A-

P.S. I'll try and add pictures a little later on. Promise.

MovieMad16

08-11-17, 05:16 PM

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1x11 - Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight

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Feeling invisible is a problem a lot of teenagers face, and in this episode, it's brought to the forefront in a very supernatural way. It's also the first time Cordelia is at the front, and boy does she deliver as she finally becomes aware of the supernatural forces going on in Sunnydale. It's great character development. If you're not aware by now, I'm a big fan of Cordelia and her becoming aware of Vampires & Demons just fills me with excitement at where her story goes next.

The character of Marcie Ross is a sad, yet relatable one. She represents a lot of real life cases of teenagers bullied and isolated in high school, with nowhere to turn. It's a sad story and is played by Clea DuVall very well, and is the type of story many teenagers can draw parallel to their own lives. Also good in this episode is Angel, who has his first meeting with Giles in what will be a crucial development in the season 1 finale. The scene is nice, but is quite possibly one of the few good scenes between Giles & Angel. Future events will take their relationship in a wholly different direction.

Rating - 86% - A-

MovieMad16

08-11-17, 05:29 PM

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1x12 - Prophecy Girl

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For an introductory season, Prophecy Girl is a damn good finale, and one that solidifies Buffy as a badass superhero that we haven't really seen before: Tough, witty, but still young and vulnerable. And this episode showcased it all in excellent fashion.

However, there were flaws with this episode. I felt The Master's death was a bit too quick and anti climatic for my taste. He dies way too quickly, and too easy in the whole scheme of things. I was expecting something much more grander and better spaced out during the final moments of the episode.

Another crucial turning point was Buffy finally embracing her mantle as The Slayer. Most of the season is her juggling with the responsibility and pressure of being the one prophesied to stop the forces of darkness. But as the events of this episode unravel, she firmly embraces her power and kicks it into high gear.

Last point to note is the final scene of all the main characters gathered round after the fight is won. It's a good moment to see the group of characters, all different and unique, as they finally relax after the long night of fighting. And waiting for the next one to come.

Rating - 89% - A-

honeykid

08-13-17, 08:46 AM

Two really good episodes of Buffy, with Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight being one of my all-time favourites.

MovieMad16

08-15-17, 11:36 AM

I'm going to type up a general review of the season later, but I was struck by how a lot better it was nearing the end. The finale was a lot better than expected but still had that campy, 90s cheese to it, especially when you see how dated the costumes are.

I'm going through Season 2 right now, and the quality is slowly creeping up.

honeykid

08-16-17, 08:19 AM

I remember season 2 being a big jump in quality in writing over the course of the season, but I suppose having a full season (with the introductions and explanations out of the way) was a big help to that.

TheUsualSuspect

08-16-17, 09:51 AM

I'll keep track of this thread. My favourite show of all time.

MovieMad16

08-19-17, 08:38 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/90/Buffy_Season_(1).jpg

Season 1 Retrospective

Overall Thoughts: For a debut season, Buffy had its own quirky appeal that really set the show apart from other shows in its network during the time. It was the 90s + American TV = Weird Experimenting time. I won't pretend it's perfect, because it isn't. The 90s cheese just reeks to high heavens. But it does serve as a good starting point to what will come ahead later on.

Buffy: Sarah Michelle Gellar is just a joy to watch on screen, and Season One is a great introduction to what she can do. A young teenager has now been thrown an extraordinary responsibility, and she must harness it all without question. There are fun moments to chew up, but then episodes like Prophecy Girl come along which really highlight the fear and terror that is being imposed on a young child.

Other Main Characters: All the main characters were great aside from Xander, who just became really annoying and douchey through most of the season. His pathetic attempts to woo Buffy over which just make him even more sad and desperate. Willow is good though. She easily fits in as Buffy's best friend and becomes the voice of reason. I love Cordelia, and in this season, its just adorable how naive she is to what's happening, even though she has plenty of time to make up for it later on. Lastly, there's Giles who is very geeky and stereotypical English, but you forgive the writers because Anthony Head just nails the role perfectly.

Recurring Characters: There are four to five recurring characters I want to talk about. The first of course is Angel, whose relationship with Buffy is often very mysterious and cryptic. It's not until his own episode Angel where we get a more broader picture of who this guy is, and his involvement in events to come. Then there is Joyce, Buffy's mother. I do like her, even though she's at times very awkward and plays as an obstacle at points to Buffy's overall schedule. But still a sweet and caring character none the less. The two principals are also fun in their own set of ways. Principal Flute, who is bumbling and lovely. And then Principal Snyder, cynical and nasty who hates his line of work, but not enough to quit and leave forever. Jenny too is great, not just as Giles's love interest, but as a good ally to The Gang when in a time of crisis.

Big Bad: The Master I thought was ok, but nothing spectacular. He is taken from stereotypical villains in that he talks the talk, but doesn't really walk the walk. All tension but no action. As I said before, his death was too quick and anti climatic and didn't really leave much of an impression. Darla however was a bit better, but I never liked the school girl attire she had on. It just never worked for me, and made her a little too cheesy to watch. Especially with all the Angel backstory, which we will know more of in the spin off.

Favourite/Least Favourite Episode: Angel is the best of the season, introducing intriguing backstory and fun dillemas, whilst making Angel a much more complex character to watch. Least favourite was The Pack, for being very outdated, making Xander a total prick throughout the episode, as well as the weird creepy guy in the facepaint who looked ridiculous.

Final Thoughts: I best describe Season 1 as a pilot season of sorts. Dodgy episodes, but a strong central premise that introduces the world, the characters, and the stakes that are based around many of the mysteries and situations Buffy must endure.

Season Rating: 79% - B+

MovieMad16

08-19-17, 08:42 PM

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Episode Ranking (As of 1x12)

A (91%-99%)
Angel (92%) (BTVS - 1)

A- (81%-90%)
Prophecy Girl (89%) (BTVS - 1)
Nightmares (87%) (BTVS - 1)
Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight (86%) (BTVS - 1)
The Witch (85%) (BTVS - 1)
Welcome To The Hellmouth (84%) (BTVS - 1)

B+ (71%-80%)
Never Kill A Boy On The First Date (78%) (BTVS -1)
The Harvest (76%) (BTVS - 1)
The Puppet Show (74%) (BTVS - 1)
I Robot, You Jane (73%) (BTVS - 1)

B (61% - 70%)
Teacher’s Pet (63%) (BTVS - 1)
The Pack (61%) (BTVS - 1)

Camo

08-19-17, 08:51 PM

Don't agree with the idea of watching any of the First Season episodes other than "Nightmares" maybe, ever again, personally. It's mostly fine but to me at least it's really surprising that people would want to watch that again after they know what happens. There's so much awkwardness in the First Season of Buffy; i genuinely find it hard to sit through now. And even if that's not the case for others there's barely any character development, everything other than her relationship with Angel quickly becomes irrelevant and it has the worst big bad of any season, he has no character at all other than the vampire underground that can kill Buffy.

Was fun to watch the first time but i'd probably rate it 2

honeykid

08-21-17, 07:21 AM

I know I'm alone in this, but The Pack is one of my favourite episodes in season 1.

MovieMad16

08-21-17, 06:09 PM

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2x01 - When She Was Bad

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Compared to the season one premiere, I think When She Was Bad is very different and more personal then 1x01. You already know the characters and setting, so there's no need to reestablish. It's a good episode, though it still has Season 1 feels about it. Low quality, 90s costumes, very dated feel to it. But still works none the less.

The central focus is Buffy, as she continues to struggle with the events of the season one finale, and how it's affecting her psyche. Whilst it's not so much mind control, but a sort of PTSD and how she pretty much died briefly, before being brought back to life. She hasn't taken to it well, and takes it out on her friends, who get pretty hurt and confused in the process. Cordelia is really the only one with the balls to bring her back down to earth, as you'd expect her to.

The villains are lacklustre in this episode, with The Anointed One still very dull and uninspiring. Nothing against the actor but the character has served his purpose. He's just there for the fallout with The Master. However I like the fact that the team now is a lot bigger. With Jenny & Cordelia now firmly in the mix, it allows for more dynamic and personality within the team, one which we'll see develop throughout the season.

Rating - 80% - B+

MovieMad16

08-21-17, 08:26 PM

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2x02 - Some Assembly Required

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This is a bit of a weak follow up. One again relying on horror tropes in order to fill episodes in the season. It has some interesting ideas to it, but still feels very B-movie for my taste. The idea of an undead teenager is interesting, and the story presented does open up on loneliness and a feeling of anger, at one being robbed of future and success. However, the problem lies in its pacing and overall execution. It's very predictable and weak.

You do however get some great pairings set up. Buffy & Angel continue to develop, Xander & Cordelia get some subtle development, and then, of course, there's Giles & Jenny whose blossoming relationship continues to grow, albeit awkwardly anyway. There's also a really nice Angel/Cordy scene early on which is nice, but better ones are on the way.

In short, I felt SAR was good, but forgettable either way. Cordelia getting captured again was a yawnfest, and it never really felt like the story was at all exciting. Just predictable and lazy.

Rating - 64% - B

MovieMad16

08-22-17, 06:42 PM

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2x03 - School Hard

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This is a big episode in the season as it introduces the main big bads going forward: Spike & Drusilla. And boy do they leave their mark. Spike is very much a vampire Billy Idol, whilst Drusilla is a creepy psychotic vampire who talks in riddles and poetry. Both are leagues better than The Master and are more of a match to Buffy in this series.

Their arrival takes place during parents evening where Buffy has to manage the event thanks to Snyder. She is paired with another girl, but she ditches Buffy for her own fun. With this, Buffy then has to juggle this task with dealing with the new big bads, who gatecrash the parents evening and turn the school into a battlefield for Buffy. Buffy must fight these vampires, whilst be maintaining her secret identity in the process.

It's a fun episode, with the battle in the school being an intense third act. The first fight with Spike & Buffy is fun to watch as James Masters's charisma just shines throughout. There are some bad shots where you can see the stunt doubles, but overall its a strong episode and really builds up Spike & Drusilla well.

Rating - 94% - A

MovieMad16

08-28-17, 01:49 PM

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2x04 - Inca Mummy Girl

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Inca Mummy Girl is a fun and different monster of the week episode, that puts Xander in the limelight for once (It won't be the first time this season). His quest for love comes at a new turn when she ends up falling for a girl, who's a mummy. It's a lovely if not sad story to watch, as we know how stories like this tend to end. But still, it makes Xander much more likeable and more sympathetic.

This show also sees the debut I believe of Oz. I had it down in my notes that it was also the debut of Jonathan, but I swear he was in another episode, but it's still nice to see him. Oz is a little mysterious, but not enough for audiences to assume he's evil. Because of where he is, we assume he's an outsider who'll ultimately join the group. I love how he cruises on Willow, it's very sweet. Something to look forward to later on.

The downside of this episode is the slightly rushed last act. It just feels a bit too quick and you're felt a little cheated as a result. The girl who played the mummy in this episode was lovely and played a slightly complex character if I may say so. But overall, still a good episode, for filler.

Rating - 83% - A-

MovieMad16

08-28-17, 02:15 PM

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2x05 - Reptile Boy

Another filler episode that doesn't really progress the plot anyway forward, so it will be ranked a lot lower as expected. This episode tends to capture college frat boy life, with a supernatural twist. Instead, as do most 90s shows, it comes off very goofy as a result.

Whilst I do always enjoy the Buffy/Cordelia relationship, it's very disappointing in this episode, adding nothing to the relationship, and in no way developing the characters that much. They're not particularly used very well, and Buffy becomes someone she really isn't in this episode: insecure and quite scared at points.

The villains here are very dull and cliche driven. Party bound, reckless, sexist, and very horny and stupid. I think it gives a bad name to college boys. The cult angle was fine, and obviously the basis of the episode, and the reptile monster was well designed and I think holds up well all these years later. But the stereotype is embarrassing and doesn't rub off well.

Overall, a weak episode and a bit tiring after a watch.

Rating - 67% - B

MovieMad16

08-28-17, 04:39 PM

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2x06 - Halloween

This was a really fun fish of out water type episode, with a real imaginative premise attached to it, and produces a very strong episode early on in the run. The costume idea was fun to watch. Seeing Buffy, Xander & Willow convert to personas that are very much the complete opposite of who they actually are.

This is the first clues of Giles's dark side as Ripper, the persona he had during his younger years. It's demonstrated near the end when he clashes with old friend Ethan Rayne, a character we will see in future appearances. It's quite disturbing how dark he gets, and highlights a new side of Giles we never thought existed.

Another thing I liked was the brief Angel/Cordelia exchange at the beginning where Cordy makes Angel laugh like a school girl. It's very cute and hints later on at the relationship they'll develop further down the line.

Overall, a great episode. Very fun and very creative.

Rating - 92% - A

MovieMad16

08-28-17, 05:36 PM

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2x07 - Lie To Me

There's a great story in Lie To Me; The student embracing the dark underworld rather than cowering from it. It's great. A smart well told story that ends with the realisation that not everyone is genuine, some people you are just never going to understand.

The character of Ford is an interesting villain, a friend of Buffy's past but with a different mindset altogether. He has a sad backstory which we find out near the end, one which devastates Buffy when he reveals his true intentions. There's also some nice development with Willow & Angel when Angel turns to Willow for help. It's nice, really nice. Angel's now more comfortable around the other Scoobies and this is the first sign of it.

The theme of loneliness also rears itself in the story. The idea that there are people out there who are lonely and turn to dark places for comfort is an interesting angle. It's one Buffy can't really resolve. I can relate to that in some ways. The last scene also is very sad, and quite depressing to watch. Just a little bit anyway.

Rating - 92% - A

honeykid

08-29-17, 07:59 AM

I really like season two. Not as much as season 3 or 5 but a lot and these early episodes are good. Halloween and Lie To Me in particular.

TheUsualSuspect

08-29-17, 08:07 AM

Lie to Me is such an interesting take for an episode. One of the first episodes of television to make me stop and think about life.

MovieMad16

08-29-17, 08:22 AM

I get what you mean. The idea that people want to embrace being a vampire rather than die weak and ill. I think it shook Buffy a bit, considering he was a long childhood friend too.

It's a good episode. Plays an important part in Buffy growing up.

MovieMad16

08-29-17, 08:33 AM

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2x08 - The Dark Age

Contrary to other fans of Buffy, I thought The Dark Age was a brilliant episode which finally unearthed the dark deeds of Giles's past. It's a really sinister episode which Buffy discovers a side of Giles she never expected. And not in a good way.

Giles's background with Ethan Rayne is revealed slightly, and it presents us with a person who has dabbled in the dark side of the supernatural, with possession and summoning of deadly demons. One of which ends up coming to Sunnydale and threatening to finish Giles off once and for all. Anthony Head's performance is great, and verging on losing everything he holds dear. Ethan Rayne is great in this episode, someone who knows Giles more than any of the other characters do, both strengths and weaknesses. Jenny Calendar also takes centre stage and is great as usual, clearly traumatised to some extent by the events of the episode. It damages her and Giles's relationship slightly, which will lead to events later on in the season.

Overall, The Dark Age is a superb underrated episode, with a great performance by Anthony Head at the centre.

Rating - 97% - A

MovieMad16

08-29-17, 09:47 AM

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2x09 - What's My Line Part I

This is the first two parter in the series and its one that rewrites the rulebook of The Slayer lore, and how a past situation in the show has pretty much altered The Slayer lineage for the rest of the series.

We are introduced to Kendra, the new Slayer who's come to Sunnydale for reasons unknown. Her identity isn't revealed until the end of the episode, so for the most part, we assume she's evil and after the gang in some way. The actress is very good, and I did like the accent despite it being a last minute change. She's a skilled fighter, and puts up against Buffy & Angel.

Most of this episode is tension, and the feeling of something very scary coming for Buffy, in which the action fills the last act of the episode. I like this, as it puts Buffy in shaky ground, and not something that she can just get cocky over and take down easily. The cliffhanger's cheap, but effective none the less.

Rating - 88% - A-

MovieMad16

08-29-17, 10:14 AM

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2x10 - What's My Line Part II

We continue where we left off in Part I, with Buffy teaming up with Kendra to save Angel from Spike & Dru. I really like the scenes with the two slayers. They're both from very different cultures and really clash as a result. But the chemistry is good, and they form a unique bond as a result.

This is also the episode where significant romances take shape. Firstly is Xander/Cordelia which has a very funny beginning to the romance, one that still makes me laugh all these years later. It's great, and it's one I really enjoy watching where it'll go. Next is Oz/Willow which will take a little longer to establish, but gets off to a good start. Then there's Buffy & Angel of course, and it's great to see how far the relationship has developed and where it'll develop further on.

The tide also turns for Spike & Drusilla. For most of the series, Dru was weak and fragile, whilst Spike was strong and in charge. By the end of the episode, it switches where Dru has regained her power, and Spike is an absolute mess.

Rating - 89% - A-

MovieMad16

09-11-17, 08:32 PM

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2x11 - Ted

What I really like about this episode is that it's a horror movie homage done right. A creepy story in which it's both blended in real life, and supernatural life. Ted is just a brilliant one off villain, played wonderfully by John Ritter, an actor taken from us too soon. As the episode unfolds, layer by layer, his dark nature is revealed.

The subplot between Jenny & Giles is good to watch as their romance develops ever more sweetly. The final scene with them kissing is nice, particularly the laugh with Xander/Cordelia at the end. Another thing to add is the situation in the centre of the story - the brief idea that Buffy has murdered an innocent man, something she was never fully prepared for when becoming the slayer. It's quite a haunting part of the episode, one that threatens to destroy her relationship with her mother. But then Ted comes back, and it all takes a different direction completely.

Rating - 90% - A-

honeykid

09-12-17, 08:08 AM

I've never been a fan of Oz, but Willow is so damn adorable in these episodes with him that it makes it watchable.

MovieMad16

09-14-17, 08:46 AM

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2x12 - Bad Eggs

Bad Eggs is good, but not really an episode that memorable as the ending is quite daft to watch. It doesn't really know how to play to the audience, and so sort of tries to be many things at once. I think the idea is creative, don't get wrong. It harkens back to ideas of body possession seen in films like Invasion Of The Body Snatchers but done very cheaply and with time constraints.

One of the running threads is Joyce trying to be more authoritarian towards Buffy. It makes the character come off very bitchy and unpleasant and made me kind of dislike the character a lot more than intended.

I liked the Texan vampires. While pretty cliche, they were quite fun to watch and was quite disappointed they were killed off so quickly. I would've liked to see them be more recurring and interact more with other characters like Spike & Drusilla.

Rating - 77% - B+

Bihotza

09-14-17, 09:29 AM

MovieMad16

09-14-17, 12:51 PM

i started Buffy a few weeks ago (for the first time, shame on me right).
But I did read some spoilers in your episodes for things to come (foreshadowing certain relationships) so maybe you could label it as mild spoilers for people who are on their first watch

To me, The Puppet Show was complete trash.
The Puppet Show, The Pack & Teacher's Pet are arguably the three worst episodes in TV history as far as I have seen.. I hope the later seasons calm that **** down because it was really '90s Sci-Fi and the praying mantis thing got me cringing throughout the whole episode

Bihotza, welcome to the Buffyverse. There's no just thing as latecomers.

Thanks for highlighting spoilers. I'll try to keep it a minimum, and as much as this is advertised as a review series, its just more notes about episodes. I'm sorry, but I might try and provide a summary in future for the episode. Thanks for mentioning it though.

Yeah Season One is a lame season overall, but Season Two really picks up and the following seasons do make it more entertaining. Oh and Angel, the spin off, is on a whole other level.

MovieMad16

09-14-17, 12:58 PM

So what I'm going to do is start putting episode summaries in spoiler tags and try and redo a format that works well and more like a review of sorts.

Sorry, I'm still trying to figure out how to do these. I'm planning to do several more series in the future, so consider this more of a test run of sorts.

MovieMad16

09-24-17, 07:47 AM

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2x13 - Surprise

Buffy's nightmare about Drusilla killing Angel gives her a major wiggins. She tells Angel about it, afraid that Drusilla might still be alive, but he thinks there's nothing to worry about. They kiss a lot. That morning at school, Buffy is all swoony about Angel, and Willow encourages her to move their relationship to the next level. Willow works up the nerve to talk to Oz, the guitar-playing cybernerd who's been mooning over her, and he asks her out for the following night -- where he'll be her date for Buffy's surprise 17th birthday bash. When Buffy tells Giles and Jenny Calendar about her dream, Giles says it's possible that Drusilla is alive, and to be on alert. Sure enough, we see Spike and Dru at the factory. Spike is scarred and in a wheelchair but as evil as ever. Dru is planning a party, too, but it's a safe bet there'll be no chips and dip at this one.

A strange man approaches Jenny in class -- it is her uncle, and we discover she is actually a gypsy whose entire family was killed by Angel when he was the superevil Angelus. The uncle says it's not fair for Angel to have any happiness, so it's Jenny's duty to keep Buffy away from him. Jenny offers to take Buffy to meet Giles off campus, and they discover some vamps making trouble -- one of whom is the transcriber who once worked for Spike. As Buffy and one of the vamps scuffle, they go flying through the window of the Bronze where the surprise party awaits. Newcomer Oz is startled to see Buffy slay one of them, and now he's officially part of the gang. They open the box the vamps were carrying, and it contains an arm which reaches out and chokes Buffy. Angel explains there was a creature called The Judge who destroyed everyone who was righteous. He was finally dismembered by an army, but his parts still exist, and reassembling him would bring on armaggedon. Angel says he must take that arm to the other side of the world, and must leave by boat immediately. Buffy joins him at the dock to say goodbye, and he gives her a claddagh ring as a token of his love. As they say goodbye, the vamps are back and the arm is stolen.

Dru's party is in full swing, and The Judge is the main attraction. His first conquest is the transcriber, who he ignites with just a touch. When Buffy and Angel go to the factory to see if they can find any more parts, they see it's too late, and The Judge spots them. They escape to Angel's pad, where he finally tells her he loves her. They make love and go to sleep. An undressed Angel awakens with a start and runs outside, suddenly fully dressed in black, and collapses. He calls Buffy's name but she stays asleep.

This is a good episode. One that doesn't seem like it has a formula to it, and is more freeing and slower paced than before. Everything is a bit more stretched out and relaxed than in previous episodes, in which they had to scramble to tie everything up quickly. Drusilla is a lot more fun in this episode, and plays up the crazy a lot more this time round.

This is also the episode where Oz officially joins the gang and it's quite funny how it happens. Just very casual and without a sense of alarm or panic. He also fits right into the group too.

Lastly is of course the Angel twist at the end which I'll talk about more in the next episode. But basically, it sets up the conflict for the rest of the season, and puts Buffy in an awful amount of guilt from there on.

Rating - 86% - A-

MovieMad16

09-26-17, 03:16 PM

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2x14 - Innocence

Buffy awakens to find Angel gone. Angel is in the street, still calling her name. A woman stops to see if he's in trouble, and he slays her. He's Angelus again. Meanwhile, the gang at school, who pulled an all-nighter trying to track down The Judge's parts, are worried about Buffy. She shows up and tells them what they just figured out -- The Judge is already assembled. Angel returns to the factory, and The Judge can't kill him, which confirms that he's pure evil once again.
Xander and Cordelia's secret smooching is witnessed by Willow, who's completely crushed. Buffy finally finds Angel in his apartment, but he's distant, snotty and generally obnoxious. She is devastated. Jenny's uncle says that if Angel experiences one moment of true happiness, his soul will be taken and Angelus will return. This freaks out Jenny, who realizes that many people will die. As Willow and Xander try to make up, Angel appears at school and asks Willow to approach him. Jenny shows up with a cross and Angel grabs Willow, trying to bite her. Buffy enters and he kisses her, then shoves her and leaves. Giles says some event must have triggered this transformation, but Buffy won't say, leaving Willow to figure out that they must have made love. Buffy goes home and sobs. She dreams of her special night with Angel, then of a funeral where Jenny is in black. She busts into Jenny's class, demanding to know what she knows. Jenny admits she's a watcher sent to keep Angel from happiness, so he'd pay for what he did. Buffy tells her to restore his curse to make him human again. Xander decides that even though no forged weapon could kill The Judge, that was way before today's technology, so he sneaks in an army base (using what he learned when he became a soldier on Halloween). Buffy, Giles and Jenny discover her uncle's body-- Angel killed him. The Judge, who was weak from all those years of not killing, is finally ready to take over the world. The gang wonders where he'll find the crowds he wants, since the Bronze is closed, and Oz suggests the movies at the mall. The Judge is there, preparing to vaporize everyone. Wielding the biggest, baddest gun imaginable, Buffy shoots The Judge. He's toast -- well, at least dismembered again -- and the crowd is saved. But Angel still wants to kill Buffy. She doesn't have the heart to slay him, but gives him a wicked kick in the groin, which knocks him to the floor. Giles warns Buffy that Angel is sure to keep pursuing her in his new evil incarnation, but he doesn't scold her for what happened. She and her mom have a belated birthday celebration, but Buffy doesn't even want to make a wish on her candle, and just forlonly puts her head on her mom's shoulder and watches a romantic old movie.

Finally, we get to some real classic television. Angel's turn to the dark side is a pivotal moment in the show's story; Buffy must now confront the fact that Angelius has returned to the world. It changes the situation and the relationship between the two. The character of Angelius is deliciously evil, the type of character that you know exist in real life. Horrid attitude and no redeeming features whatsoever. Another development is Willow discovering Xander & Cordelia's relationship and her reaction to it. It will become important later on in the show.

Jenny Calendar's reveal is also important as it destroys her and Buffy's relationship, and severly damages her and Giles's. Then there's The Judge who I really liked as a one off villain, mainly due to the actor who plays him.

Rating - 100% - A+

MovieMad16

10-05-17, 01:00 PM

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2x15 - Phases

Willow meets up with Oz in front of one of the school's trophy cases. He has been checking out the moving eyes in one of the cheerleading statues, the same one in which Amy's mother, the witch, is trapped. They discuss their date the previous night, before Willow spots Buffy and walks outside with her. Willow is worried because Oz hasn't tried to kiss her yet, although she is happy that he is being so nice and respectful. Later that night, Xander and Cordelia make out in her car, which is parked in the woods. Without warning, the hairy arm of a werewolf breaks through the roof of the car. Cordy throws the car in reverse then brakes, sending the werewolf tumbling off of the car. They then drive out as fast as they can. The next morning, Xander tells Giles that they encountered a werewolf. Giles is quite excited, for he has never personally dealt with a werewolf case before. In gym, the class is studying self-defense. Xander's latent jealousy of Oz's relationship with Willow is becoming more and more obvious. Buffy tries to pretend she's a normal girl, but when Larry grabs her behind during a throw session, Buffy flips him over her shoulder and onto the mat. Back at the library, Giles has learned that a werewolf goes on the prowl on the night of the full moon and the two nights surrounding it, making that a total of three nights in every month.

Later that night, one of Buffy's classmates, Theresa, is walking home alone when she bumps in Angel, who offers to walk her home. Meanwhile, Buffy and Giles investigate Lover's Lane in the woods, hoping to find the werewolf and bring it back alive, for it is still a human twenty-eight days out of the month. Buffy gets trapped in a net that lifts her to the top of the trees. As she calls for help from Giles, a poacher named Cain appears with a shotgun. After realizing that his catch is not a werewolf, he cuts the net down, and Giles helps Buffy out. Cain explains that he hunts werewolves to make money. He then asks them if they know where else the teenagers might hang out, since werewolves are attracted to sexual heat. Buffy feigns ignorance, so Cain leaves and goes off on his own. Buffy and Giles then drive towards the Bronze, which fits Cain's description perfectly. As they arrive there, dozens of frightened teens evacuate the Bronze, for the werewolf has already arrived. Buffy runs inside by herself and pulls a chain out of her backpack. She tries to tie up the werewolf, but it breaks free of the chain and escapes. While Buffy and Giles deal with Cain, who is upset that she tried to capture it instead of kill it, the werewolf wanders down the alleys when it discovers Theresa's body. There are two bite marks on its neck, and all the blood has been drained from its body. The werewolf looks up and sees Angel. The two growl at each other, but do not attack. Angel eventually backs off and disappears.

Early next morning before sunrise, Buffy and Giles hear on the radio that Theresa was found dead, and her murder may be linked to the werewolf. They now have only night left before the werewolf goes into remission for the remainder of the month. As the sun rises, the werewolf slowly transforms back to human form while it is sleeping. Once all the hair fades away to reveal flesh, we see that the werewolf is Oz. After waking up and realizing that he is naked in the woods, Oz suspects that he may be the werewolf. He goes home and calls his aunt. Oz asks her about his cousin Jordy, who bit him recently. Apparently, his aunt knows that Jordy is a werewolf, and since he bit Oz, the curse has been passed along. Oz goes to school that day in a daze, and he is horrified to learn that he may have killed Theresa the previous night. Xander suspects that Larry may be the werewolf, so he leaves to question him in the locker room. Willow invites Oz to help her do some research later that night, but Oz refuses and runs off, leaving Willow upset over his apparent change of heart. In the locker room, Xander confronts Larry in the locker room. Xander tells him that he knows the secret that Larry has been hiding, only to find out that Larry's secret is his homosexuality. Misunderstanding Xander's words, Larry now believes that Xander is also gay, but assures him that their secret is safe between them. Feeling relieved and better about himself, Larry thanks Xander and walks off.

Realizing that the police reports never mentioned anything about Theresa being mauled, Buffy and Xander visit the funeral home and inspect Theresa's body. Sure enough, they find two bite marks on her neck, signifying death by vampire. While Buffy signs the guestbook, Theresa suddenly gets up behind her, only now her face is that of a vampire. In the middle of their fight, Theresa throws Buffy off guard by saying that Angel sent her. Luckily, Xander is able to stake her through the back before she can take advantage of Buffy's disoriented state. After being helped up, Buffy embraces Xander for a short while, expressing her fear of Angel's relentlessness. She then realizes her position, gathers herself together, and leaves, with Xander following behind. Elsewhere, Oz knows that he must not be able to leave the house that night, so brings out a box of chains and shackles. Before he can lock himself up, Willow knocks on the door. She is obviously upset by his decision to stay home and do nothing by himself instead of spending the time with her. Oz tries to warn her of the danger, but it is too late, for his transformation has already begun. Willow screams and runs out of the house, while the werewolf chases her down the block and into the woods. Before he can attack Willow, a different scent catches the werewolf's nose, so he leaves Willow alone. She runs off to the library, where Giles is loading up a tranquilizer gun. Willow tells Giles and Buffy that Oz is the werewolf, so they rush out to the woods. Buffy kicks the shotgun out of Cain's hand just before he pulls the trigger. After knockin Cain down, Buffy fights the werewolf, which prevents Giles from getting a clean shot. Buffy is then knocked into Giles and Willow. As the werewolf charges them, Willow grabs the tranquilizer gun and shoots him, causing him to stumble back and collapse. As Cain gets up, Buffy bends his gun with her bare hands, then orders him to leave.

The next day, Oz tells Willow that he'll be fine, as long as he locks himself up around the full moon every month. To his surprise, Willow is still interested in continuing their relationship. As she leaves, Willow kisses Oz for the first time.

This is the first opportunity that Oz's backstory and character development is revealed. It's a great episode, and the focus on the new Scooby throws the gang into an interesting dilemma. The scenes between Oz & Willow are exciting and fun to watch, as their relationship escalates to the next level. Some of the story is a little cliched, particularly with the hunter and how he talks down to Buffy and dismisses her because she's a girl. Another thing that's good is the Larry reveal, which really comes out of nowhere and puts Xander in a funny position.

Overall, a solid episode.

Rating - 89% - A-

NedStark09

10-05-17, 01:23 PM

What makes me mad is we had 12 seasons of supernatural and Angel couldnt get a season 6 to really end that show right.

MovieMad16

10-10-17, 07:58 AM

What makes me mad is we had 12 seasons of supernatural and Angel couldnt get a season 6 to really end that show right.

It's one of the most stupid decisions ever made by a network. And it wasn't even performing badly. Joss Whedon just asked for an early renewal due to the writing talent turning down other projects not knowing the fate of the show.

That being said, the finale of Angel...one of the best quite possibly ever made. ;)

MovieMad16

10-10-17, 08:07 AM

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2x16 - Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered

The night before Valentine's Day, Xander shows Buffy his V-Day gift for Cordy: a necklace with a heart-shaped pendant. After cracking a few jokes, Buffy assures Xander that Cordy will love his gift. She then slays a vampire which rises from its grave, and they continue on with their conversation.

The next morning, Harmony and her friends are shunning Cordy from their discussion groups. They mock Cordy for dating Xander, whom they perceive to be one of the biggest losers in Sunnydale. Elsewhere, Amy asks Willow and Buffy if they plan on attending the V-Day party at the Bronze later that night. Willow is going to see Oz play in the band, while Buffy plans on staying home. As everyone leaves and hands in their assignment, Xander notices that Amy does not have a paper to turn in. To his surprise, he watches as Amy stares at Miss Beakman, the teacher. Miss Beakman then reaches out her hand, as if she is taking Amy's paper which doesn't even exist. Amy then turns and leaves. Xander catches up with Buffy and Willow, telling them that he suspects Amy of messing around with witchcraft. Buffy and Willow remind him that it was Amy's mother, Catherine, who was the witch, and that Amy would never fool around with it. Giles spots Buffy and approaches her. Jenny Calendar sees them and walks over, but Giles brushes her off, saying that he and Buffy are busy at the moment. In the library, Giles warns Buffy that Angel has a long past of committing horrid acts on Valentine's Day. He refuses to tell Buffy any specifics, however, but he does suggest that she be careful. Meanwhile, in the factory, Spike and Angel give Drusilla their V-Day gifts. Spike gives her a necklace, while Angel gives her a freshly torn-out heart.

That night, Buffy receives a box of roses, which were left at her doorstep. Buffy opens the box and finds a card with only one word written on it: "Soon". At the Bronze, Xander sees Cordy and walks over to give her his gift. After admiring the necklace for a moment, Cordy breaks up with him. Xander is righteously furious, and it only gets worse for him the next day, as everyone in school seems to know that they broke up. Xander then notices Amy walking around, so he runs over and tells her that he knows she's practising witchcraft. With the upper hand, Xander strikes a deal with Amy: help him cast a love spell on Cordy, and nobody will have to know that she's a witch. After arguing the idea for a while, Amy concedes and tells Xander that she needs a personal item of Cordelia's. Xander finds Cordy near her locker and demands that she return the necklace he gave her. Cordy says it's in her locker, but when she opens it, she hides behind the locker door so she can remove the necklace from her neck without Xander seeing. Meanwhile, Buffy walks into the library and shows Giles the "Soon" card. Buffy demands that Giles tell her everything she needs to know about Angel and Valentine's Day, so Giles sits her down and proceeds to read various anecdotes from his books.

In a darkened room, Amy and Xander perform the spell that should cause Cordy to fall in love with him. However, Xander soon finds out that the spell had no effect on Cordy. He walks into the library where Buffy is still listening to Giles read his books. Buffy consoles Xander, then suggests that they spend some time together that night. Buffy's suggestions get increasingly lurid, but before they get too close, Amy walks in and tells Xander that she needs to have a word with him. Outside in the hall, Amy tells Xander that the spell didn't work. Xander could care less know, seeing how his dreams of Buffy and himself are finally being fulfilled. However, Amy then suggests that they spend some time together later that night, without the spells and other witchcraft. Xander grows suspicious, and his fears are confirmed when another girl approaches and asks him to accompany her that night. Xander realizes that the spell actually worked. However, instead of affecting Cordy, it zapped every other girl in Sunnydale. Xander goes home to avoid everybody, only to find Willow waiting for him in his bed. Willow wants to him to take her right there in his bed, and when things get a little too steamy between them, Xander pushes her off and runs off.

The next day, every single girl in the school ogles Xander as he walks down the hall. He quickly enters the library and tells Giles everything that's going on. Before Giles can process the information, Jenny walks in and tells Giles that they need to talk. However, her attention quickly shifts to Xander, proving that the spell affected not only the girls, but every single female in town. Giles gets between the two and berates Xander for causing all this to happen. He then leaves Xander in the library, dragging Jenny along with him. After they leave, Xander tries to barricade the entrance to the library, but Buffy simply walks in, wearing nothing but a raincoat. She seductively asks Xander to undress her, but he can't, for he knows that what Buffy is doing is not out of attraction for him, but simply a result of the spell. Just then, Amy arrives and tells Buffy to leave. Instead, Buffy punches her to the floor. Angered, Amy gets up and casts a spell on Buffy, turning her into the small rat. Giles and Jenny return just then. While Xander and Giles try to catch the rat, Oz walks into the library and punches Xander for whatever he did to depress Willow. While Xander assures Oz that nothing happened, the rat escapes through the partly-opened library door. Realizing that the rat is gone, Giles commands Xander and Oz to find the rat while he tries to get Amy to reverse the spells. Giles soon determines that Amy must have made a mistake in the casting that caused Cordy to be protected by the spell instead of affected by it.

In the hallway, Xander notices a fight breaking out. To his horror, he sees a mob of girls beating on Cordy. The mob is angry at Cordy for breaking Xander's heart. Rushing in through the love-crazed girls, Xander pulls Cordy out of the pack and runs away with her. They run outside, only to find Willow and dozens of other girls. Willow is wielding an axe, for she would rather see Xander dead than with Cordy. While the mobs of girls battle each other, Xander and Cordy escape through the commotion and end up at Buffy's house. Joyce lets them in and, after sending Cordy upstairs to get some bandages, starts seducing Xander. Cordy is sickened by this, so she pushes Joyce outside. Joyce punches through the door window and struggles to unlock the door, so Xander and Cordy run upstairs and hide in Buffy's room. Thinking they're safe, Angel suddenly arrives and pulls Xander through the window and throws him to the ground below. Before Angel can kill him, Drusilla arrives and protects Xander. While Angel leaves, Dru offers immortal life to Xander. Before she can sink his teeth into his neck, the mob of girls finally track them down. They pull Xander away from Dru and pile up on top of Xander. Cordy runs out and pulls Xander out from the pile before quickly running back inside. All the girls chase them into the house. That is, everyone except Dru. Angel reminds her that she can't get in without an invitation. Xander and Cordy run into the basement and lock themselves in there. Meanwhile, Oz tracks the rat into the school basement. The rat is first menaced by a cat, then approaches a mouse trap. Upstairs, Giles and Amy perform the reversal spells. They first reverse the spell on Buffy, causing her to transform back to her human self. She quickly realizes that she is completely naked, so she asks Oz to find her some clothes. While Giles and Amy work on reversing the love spell, the mob of girls break open the basement door. Xander and Cordy run downstairs, but there's nowhere to go. Soon, all the girls gang up on top of them. Finally, Giles and Amy complete the reversal spell, and everybody returns to normal. All the girls look around, completely confused as to what's going on. Cordy makes up an excuse that they had just finished a scavenger hunt.

The next day, Buffy thanks Xander for not taking advantage of her the previous day. It seems that everybody retained their memory of what occurred during the run of the spell. Xander then bumps into Harmony, who is walking with Cordy and the rest of their friends. After Harmony mocks Xander, Cordy has had enough. She rips on Harmony and tells everybody that she can date whoever she wants to date. Cordy then walks over to Xander and takes his hand. Cordy is horrified by what she's just done, but Xander comforts her, and the two of them walk off, together again.

This is without a shadow of a doubt one of my favourite episodes in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. It's just such a fun idea of an episode, and puts Xander in a very awkward and ridiculous position. And I say this knowing that I haven't found Xander that appealing these past two seasons, but this is a rare opportunity for me to like him a bit more. And to really feel sorry for him after Cordy's brief break up.

The Love spell idea is brilliant, bringing back Amy into the fold for this episode and giving us an update on her life after 1x03. She's developing her own power since we last saw her, and making her much more dangerous in the ranking of character. In addition, we see Cordelia at her most conflicted, having to choose between a man she's clearly falling for, and the previous lifestyle she once ruled with an iron fist. In the end, she goes with her heart. Also, love the scene where Oz punches Xander, only for him to earn 100 extra bro dudes and pick him back up.

In short, This episode is an A+ for me, and certainly one I enjoy over and over again.

Rating - 100% - A+

NedStark09

10-11-17, 01:15 AM

It's one of the most stupid decisions ever made by a network. And it wasn't even performing badly. Joss Whedon just asked for an early renewal due to the writing talent turning down other projects not knowing the fate of the show.

That being said, the finale of Angel...one of the best quite possibly ever made. ;)
WB wasnt anything till Buffy came along wait its CW now isnt it. Nevermind my point is whedon deserved to finish Angel however he wanted. I mean its stupid tv when you have Supernatural as a tv series and Vampire Diaries which make my eye tear up that the Twilight Garbage got what 8 seasons.
Call me bitter but Buffy and Angel got shafted by the WB.

MovieMad16

10-31-17, 01:45 PM

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2x17 - Passion

Buffy wakes up in the morning to discover a piece of paper sitting on her pillow. She unfolds it to discover a sketch of her face while she was sleeping. Buffy knows that Angel must have been in her bedroom during her sleep. At the library, Buffy pleads to Giles that he find a spell that would reverse the invitation into her home. Buffy and Giles then stop by Jenny Calendar's computer class to meet Willow, who has just been assigned by Jenny to fill in as class teacher the next day for the first few minutes. As Buffy and Willow leave, Jenny does her best to apologize to Giles, who insists that Buffy is the one who deserves the apology. Jenny also gives Giles a book that she has been reading since Angel lost his soul.

That night, Buffy tells her mother during dinner that Angel has been sort of stalking her lately. Buffy asks Joyce to never invite him into the house. Later, Buffy talks to Willow over the phone. During their conversation, Willow notices an envelope on her bed. She opens it and discovers that all the fish from her aquarium have been removed and strung along a wire, which she slowly pulls out of the envelope. Willow quickly retreats to Buffy's house to spend the night.

At the factory the next morning, Spike grows increasingly tired of Angel's presence. Their argument is interrupted by Drusilla, who falls onto the table in pain, for she senses something going on that may endanger them. What she senses is Jenny's visit to the local craft shop. Jenny purchases an Orb of Thesulah which she needs to restore Angel's soul. The shopkeeper warns her that the transliteration annals have been lost for many years, but Jenny tells him that she's working on a computer program that could translate the text.
The next morning, Giles gives Jenny's book to Buffy and points out the revoking spell that he just found. Buffy and Willow first help Cordy perform the steps on her car. The three of them then perform the spell in Willow's house. While there, Cordy notices a piece of paper left on Willow's bed. Willow unfolds it, then hands it to Buffy. It is a sketch of Joyce, asleep and completely unaware of Angel's presence. Buffy and Willow race to her house to perform the spell. Joyce soon pulls into the driveway, where Angel waits for her to get out of the car. Angel pleads with Joyce to help him get Buffy back, and he eventually mentions the night they made love. Joyce finally unlocks the front door and enters the house. Angel tries to follow her in, but a force holds him back. He then sees Buffy and Willow coming down the steps, and the door is promptly slammed in front of him. Back in Jenny's classroom, Giles walks in. She tells him that she may have some good news, so Giles invites her to stop by his house later. Meanwhile, Drusilla visits the shopkeeper after hours and asks him what he's been up to with Jenny Calendar.

Jenny finally completes her program. She saves the translated text on a floppy disk which she removes from the disk drive. As she prints out the text, she notices that Angel is sitting in the classroom. He destroys the Orb of Thesula, her computer, and the print-out. Angel then chases Jenny through the school halls before finally catching her in front of the second floor window. In a single instant, Angel snaps Jenny's neck, then drops her to the floor.
Meanwhile, Giles stops by Buffy's house to pick up Jenny's book so he can perform the revoking spell at his house. Upstairs, Joyce talks with Buffy about her irresponsibility. When Giles gets home, he hears opera music playing and finds a rose on his door. He enters and finds chilled wine, glasses, and a note that simply reads "Upstairs". He follows a path of roses up the staircase, but what he finds is everything but romantic. Jenny's dead body lies in his bed, and Giles drops the glasses and wine to the floor. Giles stares blankly ahead as the coroners take Jenny's body out of the house. The cops then ask Giles to come with them to the police station to answer a few questions. Giles asks if he could first use the phone. As the phone rings at Buffy's house, Angel watches from outside, through the windows. He watches Buffy's face as she gives the phone, then slowly collapses against the wall behind her. Willow immediately bursts into tears, and Joyce runs in to console her. After a while of recovery, Xander and Cordy arrive to give Buffy and Willow a lift to Giles' house. At this very moment, Giles stuffs his weapons into a duffel bag and takes off for the factory. Buffy and the others arrive too late, but they know where he's headed. At the factory, Giles throws a flame bomb into the middle of the floor, setting it ablaze. Before Angel can run, an arrow pins him against a post behind him. As he pulls it out, Giles ignites a club in the flames and proceeds to beat Angel repetitively with it. Finally, Angel grabs Giles by the neck and picks him up, but Buffy arrives just in time to take over the fight. Their battle carries on to the catwalk above, but before Buffy can finish Angel off, he reminds her of Giles, who remains collapsed by the rapidly spreading flames. He then throws Buffy over the rail, but she lands on her feet and rescues Giles, thus allowing to Angel to escape once again. Outside, Giles is furious at Buffy for interfering in his fight, but she punches him and tells him to never leave her alone.

Another day, another morning, Giles and Buffy stand over Jenny's grave. Buffy has finally realized that she is ready to finish Angel. In the computer classroom, Willow takes over as a substitute teacher until the new teacher can arrive. As she arranges Jenny's desk, she unknowingly drops a disk through a crack between the desk and a file cabinet. There the disk lies, the key to Angel's restoration.

This episode really is a game changer to the Buffy/Angelus battle that's been taking place so far in Season 2. For the most part, I think Buffy has refrained slightly at killing Angelus, knowing that Angel dies too as a result. But with the death of Jenny Calendar, the circumstances change, and Buffy now feels more ready to take out Angel once and for all. The scene itself comes out of nowhere, and remains to me one of the best surprises/twists in Television. And there aren't many for me in this world full of spoilers and easy access to TV knowledge.

You also as a viewer get the full collective evil of Angelus as a character. He's not just evil, he's pure evil. Something I very rarely see in a villain nowadays. A lot of TV now try to make their villains sympathetic and tragic in a sense, but with Angelus, its just all evil and nothing else. With Jenny's death, you get a sliver of all the suffering he conjoured during his years as an evil vampire. Of course David Boreanaz is fantastic here, and just damn chilling to watch.

Other stuff I liked was the scenes with Jenny & Buffy which was still cold, but you can tell Buffy was warming to her again, as well as the stuff with Joyce & Buffy too. The scene where Giles finds Jenny's body too is scary and sad at the same time.

But there are some weak points like Jenny Calendar's acting. For her final episode, I thought she was weak at parts and not very convincing. The dialogue as well was slightly off, and the pacing of the episode, in particular of the last act was a bit rushed.

Overall though, its a great episode and a game changer in relationships and circumstances for the main characters.

Rating - 96% - A

MovieMad16

10-31-17, 02:15 PM

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2x18 - Killed By Death

The flu has been spreading around Sunnydale High, and Buffy's one of the unlucky souls who's got it. While on a routine patrol through the cemetery, Buffy runs into Xander, Willow, and Cordelia. Before she can get them to go home, Angel appears and attacks Cordy. Buffy fends him off, but the flu has made her too weak to fight him effectively. Angel nearly bites Buffy when the others come to her aid and thwart him back with their crosses. After Angel leaves, Buffy collapses and lies on the ground, unconscious.
The gang brings Buffy to the emergency room of Sunnydale General. Giles and Joyce soon arrive, and they wait for Buffy to be moved to another room so they could see her. On the way to room, Buffy realizes that she's going to be there awhile, so she tries to get out, screaming that she has to kill the vampires. Dr. Wilkinson injects a tranquilizer to calm her down. Soon, Buffy is asleep in her new room while the others wait outside in the hall. Joyce tells everyone that Buffy has been afraid of hospitals ever since she saw her cousin Celia die in a hospital when they were both very young. The group goes home while Xander stays behind to protect Buffy in case Angel shows up. That night, Buffy is still overcome with her fever when she notices a young boy standing in her doorway. As the boy walks away, Buffy sees a tall, demonic man following the boy. He is dressed in black clothes and a black hat, and his fingers are long and pointed. Buffy gets out of her bed to follow them, but she soon finds herself in a flashback to a time when she was much younger, walking down a similar hospital hallway. As her young self walks into a room and approaches the bed curtains, Buffy wakes up, realizing that she was just dreaming. She then gets out of bed and walks down the hall. She stops outside of a door from which a body of a recently diseased girl is being wheeled out of. Buffy eavesdrops on Dr. Wilkinson talking with another doctor, Dr. Stanley Backer. Dr. Wilkinson is arguing about some kind of experimental procedure that Dr. Backer has been performing on the children. Buffy then notices two children standing before her. One of them is the same boy she saw earlier, who tells her that Death is coming for them, and that he can't be seen by grownups. Elsewhere, Angel walks into the hospital, holding some flowers for Buffy. Xander blocks his path and challenges him to a fight, but Angel simply points out Xander's apparent jealousy of Angel for getting to Buffy first. Angel then turns around and leaves.

The next morning, Buffy's fever has gone down, and the gang pays her a visit. Buffy tells them about the apparent demon she saw walking the halls, the one that grownups can't see, but also notes that she may have just been delusional from her fever. She also tells them about the girl who died and Dr. Backer's experiments. Giles and Willow return to the library to do some research while Xander and Cordy snoop around the hospital for more info. They find nothing, so Xander decides to stay behind and watch after Buffy. Cordy is upset with him for his obvious attraction that he still holds for Buffy, but she later returns with donuts and coffee to keep Xander company. In the meantime, Giles and Willow concoct a theory that the kids think they're seeing Death, but they're really seeing Dr. Backer. Willow researches his background, but can't find much to convict him of anything. Later that night, Buffy sneaks out of her room again. She heads for the children's ward, where Dr. Backer is preparing to inject a sleeping girl with an unknown solution. He then hears something, but it is too late, for an invisible force attacks the doctor, slashing away at his body. The young boy, Ryan, wakes up and watches in horror as Dr. Backer is slashed to death by the demon. Buffy looks in and sees Dr. Backer being attacked, but she can't see the attacker. His lifeless body is then thrown out of the room, and before Buffy can reach it, she is knocked back by the unseen force. She lies against the wall, unconscious, while Dr. Backer's body is dragged down the hall and out of sight.

The next morning, Buffy tells the gang that Backer is no longer their suspect, then shows them a drawing that Ryan made of the demon. Joyce arrives and tells Buffy that she's been cleared to go home, but Buffy makes up an excuse that she's still not feeling well so she can stay in the hospital and fight the demon. Willow stays to help Buffy investigate Dr. Backer's office for clues as to why he was killed, while Xander elects to stand guard at the hospital. This leaves Giles to reluctantly work with Cordy in the library. In Dr. Backer's office, Willow finds a log proving that Backer was innoculating the kids with the same virus they were infected with in an attempt to raise their temperature and burn out their fever. According the log, the process was starting to work, so Backer really was helping the children all along. At the library, Cordy notices that a picture on the cover of a book resembles the picture that Ryan drew. She calls Buffy and tells them that the name of the demon is Der Kindestod. Giles then tells Buffy that Kindestod kills its victims by sitting on top of them and pinning them on their backs. It then sucks the life out of them somehow. Buffy suddenly has another flashback to her earlier years. The younger Buffy walks into the room and opens the curtains, only to see Celia screaming with her hands in front of her, as if she is trying to push some invisible object off of her. Buffy realizes that her cousin Celia was killed by Kindestod. After hanging up the phone, Buffy realizes that the only time she was able to see the Kindestod was when she was still under the effects of her fever. Willow and Buffy sneak into Backer's office again. Buffy opens the refrigerator and removes a test tube that contains the same virus strain that Backer was using in his experiments. Willow dilutes it with water before Buffy drinks it. Sick again, Buffy stumbles to the children's ward with Willow's help. However, all the children are no longer in their room. Buffy then sees Kindestod walking around inside the room, then entering a door labelled "Basement Access". The door is locked, so Buffy needs to find another way to the basement. Dr. Wilkinson walks into the hallway and tries to get Buffy back to her room, but Buffy pushes her away, and she and Willow run for it. Two security guards stop them, but Willow throws an imaginary fit to divert the guards while Buffy slips by. She finds Xander, and the two of them head down to the basement. They find Ryan pinned to the floor by Kindestod, while the rest of the children sit together screaming. Buffy fights Kindestod while Xander moves the others to safety. Before Kindestod can drain Buffy of her life force, she grabs his head with both hands and snaps his neck, killing him instantly.

The next morning, Buffy is back in the comfort of her own bedroom. Xander and Willow are also there, keeping her company while she recovers from her fever again. Joyce brings Buffy a letter that just arrived in the mail. It's from Ryan, and Buffy opens it to find a drawing of Buffy standing victoriously over the body of Kindestod, it's neck cracked open and blood spurting out.

Killed By Death is a good episode. For one, it has one of the most creepy one-off villains in the show's history. Its design is scary to observe and makes you shiver a little inside when you see it up close. It won't be for another few seasons before we see a one-off rival it in creep factor.

We get a little more insight in Buffy's backstory and reveal something about her childhood which motivates her to take on the monster head on. It becomes easily more personal for her, and it makes you really motivated for her despite her being quick sick throughout the story.

In addition, there are other little things, in particular, the banter between Giles & Cordelia in this episode, which is funny to watch.

Rating - 89% - A-

MovieMad16

11-06-17, 06:50 AM

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2x19 - I Only Have Eyes For You

A night at the Bronze does nothing to improve the Slayer's morale, as Willow notices when she sees Buffy reject a guy. Willow tries to help her friend out, but Buffy opts to stop by the school and see if Giles has any work for her to do. Unbeknownst to her, a boy is fighting with a girl in the school hallway. He holds up a gun, and the girl tries to leave the scene. The boy then shouts, "Don't walk away from me, bitch!" Buffy arrives at the school just in time to stop the boy from shooting the girl. Buffy knocks the gun out of his hand, and the boy soon returns to his senses. While he and the girl try to figure out what just happened, the school janitor points out that the gun is nowhere to be seen.

The next morning, Principal Snyder calls Buffy to his office to let her know that he'll be keeping an eye on her. After he leaves the office for a minute, a book mysteriously falls out of the bookshelf. Buffy picks it up, noticing that it's a yearbook from the Sunnydale Class of '55. Meanwhile, Giles stops by the computer classroom, where Willow is still serving as the substitute teacher. She tells Giles about some of the files and pagan websites she found on the computer, then gives him a rose quartz that once belonged to Jenny. Elsewhere, Buffy has a dream in one of her classes that she's in the year 1955. She watches on as one of the students approaches the teacher. They start to hold hands when someone else interrupts them. Just then, Buffy wakes up from her dream and notices the teacher writing "Don't walk away from me, bitch" on the chalkboard. He doesn't even notice it until the students start laughing. In the hallway, Buffy tells Xander what happened. When they reach his locker, a rotted arm reaches out of it and grabs Xander, trying to pull him in. Buffy helps him loose, and the creature disappears. When Giles finds out about this, he deduces that this is some form of paranormal activity.

Later that night, one of the teachers, Ms. Frank, passes by George the janitor on her way home. Suddenly, they begin to reenact the same conversation that the boy and girl held the night before. While this goes on, Giles is working in his office when he hears a female voice call to him. He believes that it is Jenny's voice. When he walks out to investigate, he sees George and Ms. Frank outside. Before Giles can do anything, the gun goes off, sending Ms. Frank over the edge and onto the steps below. George tries to flee the scene, but Giles tackles him. After the gun is knocked out of George's hands, it suddenly vanishes into thin air. George has no idea what just happened, so Giles fills him in.

The next day, Giles tells the others that he believes the ghost is Jenny. They don't see how the pieces fit, but Giles remains set in his belief. In the computer classroom, Willow looks up any previous shooting victims in the school. She finds a record from 1955, when a student shot his teacher, then himself. Buffy recognizes the faces from her dream, so she grabs a 1955 yearbook and looks them up. The boy was James Stanley, and his teacher was Grace Newman. Buffy determines that they were having an affair. However, Buffy feels no remorse for James's fate, for she feels he deserved whatever punishment there was after shooting Grace. In the cafeteria, Cordy complains about the upcoming Sadie Hawkins dance when another paranormal event occurs. This time, all of the food transforms into snakes, sending the entire school population into panic. One of the snake bites Cordy's cheek before she swats it away. After they evacuate the school, a team is sent in to clean out the snakes. Principal Snyder talks with his friend on the police force, Bob. Snyder knows that they're on a Hellmouth, but Bob demands Snyder to control the situation, otherwise the mayor would have to get involved. That night, Willow sets up a plan to exorcise the spirit from the school. To do so, Buffy, Xander, Cordelia, and herself need to chant from different locations in the school at midnight, forming what is called a Mangus Tripod. Buffy elects to take the center position, since that is where the most danger would likely occur. After they split up in the school, Willow runs into Giles by the library. He is trying to contact Jenny's spirit, so Willow leaves him alone. As midnight approaches, Buffy sees a vision of James dancing with Grace in the band room. Cordelia inspects her wound in the bathroom mirror, then watches in horror as the whole side of her face turns red and swollen. Willow is suddenly pulled into the floor by an arm, but she is saved by Giles. Buffy watches as James's face is replaced by a rotted skull, which tells her to get out. T he clock finally strikes twelve, so the group does the chant simultaneously. However, it doen't work like it's supposed to. A swarm of wasps invades the hallways, and everybody makes a mad dash for the exit. They run to the street, then turn around to witness the swarm surround the entire school.

At Buffy's house, Giles deduces that it is James spirit which is haunting Sunnydale High. He is apparently trying to seek forgiveness from Grace, but that can never happen since she dies before she can possibly forgive him. So, he is doomed to repeat this scenario over and over again. While they try to figure out a solution, Buffy hears a male voice call to her. Without telling the others, she sneaks off to the school. The wasps part to allow her access, and she walks right in. Inside, Buffy meets Angel, who has come to finish things off. However, James spirit possesses Buffy, and she begins to act out the scenario. Confused for a moment, Angel approaches and is suddenly possessed by Grace's spirit. It all plays out the same way, only this time, Grace (in Angel's body) gets up after being shot and falling onto the steps below. In the band room, James (in Buffy's body) prepares to shoot himself, when Grace stops him. She forgives him, and they share one last kiss before their souls finally cross over, leaving Buffy and Angel in an embrace, kissing like they once did in the past. When Angel realizes what he is doing, he pushes her off and escapes.
Back at the Summers home, Buffy realizes that James never meant to shoot Grace.

Apparently, Buffy and James had more in common than she realized, for they were both tormented by guilt. Meanwhile, at their new home in an abandoned garden, Angel tries to cleanse himself from the vile kiss he shared with his enemy. He takes Dru out with him to find some blood, leaving Spike alone. After they leave, Spike rises from his wheelchair and kicks it on its side, knowing that the time for his comeback is nearer than anyone else thinks.

The theme of forgiveness is very prominent in this episode, as Buffy uncovers a very dark but sad event in Sunnydale High's past. I loved Sarah Michelle Gellar's performance in this episode, as the parallels between the ghost romance, and her and Angel's is so close together.

The Poltergeist is a good idea, and I like how it keeps repeating the same scenario with different people, which is both chilling and haunting. The ending is great too, when Buffy & Angel acting out the roles, but with a gender swap. And what happens is very smart, using Angel's immortality as an advantage to the intended ending.

I like this episode a lot, and It adds tension and emotion to the oncoming finale.

Rating - 89% - A-

MovieMad16

11-06-17, 10:26 AM

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2x20 - Go Fish

The beach is the site for the victory party of the Sunnydale High swim team, and everyone's celebrating except Buffy. One of the team members, Cameron, approaches the lonely Slayer and keeps her company. Another team member, Dodd, mocks Jonathan in front of everybody, so Buffy steps in to stop the foolishness. Dodd and fellow member Gage then leave the party and walk along the shore. Suddenly, Dodd disappears without Gage even noticing. He smells a strong odor coming from somewhere, so he decides to return to the party. He doesn't hear Dodd quietly scream in agony, nor does he notice the scaly creature walking away from Dodd's remains.

The next morning, Principal Snyder stops by the computer classroom to talk to Willow about one of her students, Gage. He is currently getting an "F" in the class, and Snyder encourages her to work his grade into a passing one. Meanwhile, Cameron gives a Buffy a ride to school, then tries to put the moves on her. She retaliates by busting his nose on the steering wheel. Principal Snyder sees this and calls the two of them to Nurse Greenliegh's office. The swim team coach, Marin, meets them there, and they discuss their chances for winning the state title. In the library, Buffy learns that Dodd's insides were eaten from some mysterious creature, leaving only his skin behind. Hours later, Xander takes a study break and heads to the vending machine. He bumps into Cameron, who is on his way to the cafeteria. Cam notices a foul smell when he enters the cafeteria, and a horrific scream follows soon after. Xander follows the sound, but he's too late, for all that remains of Cameron is his skin on the cafeteria floor. Xander then turns around and encounters the scaly creature that most likely killed Cameron.

Later, Xander explains to Giles and Cordy that the creature got away before he could get a good look at it. Without Cameron gone, Giles determines the pattern of the killing is connected to the swim team ranks. Dodd and Cameron were the first and second best swimmers on the team, respectively. Since Gage is the third best, he would most likely be the creature's next target. Buffy decides to keep an eye on Gage, while Willow interrogates Jonathan, who has tried out for the team several times but never made it on. All Willow learns is that Jonathan peed in the pool. Later that night, Gage confronts Buffy about her spying on him. She tries to come up with a good excuse, then simply tells Gage what's really going on. He doesn't buy it, so he turns and walks out. Outside, he meets Angel, who promptly sinks his teeth into Gage's neck, hoping to turn him into a demon. Buffy arrives on the scene just in time to witness Angel suddenly withdrawing his fangs from Gage's neck and spitting the blood out. He tosses Gage's weakened body at Buffy and makes his escape, all the while spitting out the blood in disgust. Gage believes Buffy now, so he asks her to walk him home.

At swim practice the next day, Buffy tells Willow and Cordy about Angel's distaste for Gage's blood. She believes that Gage may have been taking steroids, which might have turned Angel off. Willow then considers the possibility that the steroids might be what's attracting the creature. They then find out that Xander has joined the swim team. The position was open due to the recent deaths, so Xander took it as an opportunity to spy on Gage when Buffy couldn't. After spending some time in the steam room, Xander gets dressed and meets Buffy outside of the locker room, telling her that Gage is still inside. She soon hears Gage screaming and runs inside, where she sees the creature standing in front of Gage. She gets between the two of them, but something's wrong with Gage. To her horror, Buffy watches as Gage tears away his own skin in agony before emerging as the same type of creature standing behind her. Gage's former skin drops to the floor, and he quickly attacks Buffy. The two of them are too much for Buffy, and when her guard drops, one of them bite into her arm. Coach Marin arrives to pull Buffy out of danger, and the two creatures escape through a hole in the floor. Buffy and Giles question Coach Marin, but he denies any knowledge of substance abuse in his team. They can't figure out what's going on, so Buffy assigns Xander to learn more about the team's drug use while she and Willow talk to Nurse Greenliegh. However, Nurse Greenliegh is already being led to her doom by Coach Marin, who won't listen to her pleas to stop the experiments. He drops her into the sewer below, where the fish creatures quickly feed on her.

In the steam room, Xander learns from one of the other members that the steroids are in the steam itself. This means that Xander has been exposed to the same substance that transformed Dodd, Cameron, and Gage. He tells the others that he's already been in the steam room three times, so Buffy talks to Coach Marin. Eventually, he tells her about Russian experiments with fish DNA on their Olympic swimmers. He then draws a gun and orders Buffy to drop into the sewer so his boys could satisfy their "other needs". After dropping down, Buffy sees the chewed-up remains of Nurse Greenliegh floating in the murky water. Upstairs by the pool, Cordy mistakes a newly-emerged fish creature for Xander. She expresses her sorrow for his fate, but Xander shows up again, just in time to save her from the creature's attack. They return to the library, where Giles has locked up the remaining members of the swim team. Xander then goes to see Coach Marin, and they engage in a struggle over the gun. Down below, Buffy fends off the creatures until they finally surround her from all angles. Xander knocks Coach Marin down and extends his arm through the hole for Buffy. She leaps up, grabs Xander's hand, and is pulled to safety. Coach Marin gets up for one last strike, but Buffy is ready this time. She sweeps him off his feet, sending Marin into the sewer with his swimmers. They converge on him, leaving Coach Marin with nothing to do but scream. Later, Xander tells the others that he has to get a blood transfusion along with the rest of the team, hoping that will prevent them from changing. As they speak, the fish creatures swim out into the ocean, against the current.

I don't have much to say about this episode, other than its a very weak episode compared to the terrific run of episodes we've had so far. Its very B movie in its story, and really adds nothing new to the mythos. It harkens back to Season One style storytelling, with its lazy monster of the week stories. A lot of female fans would likely enjoy Xander in Budgie Smugglers, as it is quite an alluring shot. The Coach is just a lazy villain overall, his excuse was crap, and was taken out very easily.

Not much else to say. A "meh" from me.

Rating - 75% - B+

MovieMad16

11-06-17, 11:40 AM

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2x21 - Becoming, Part 1

Galway, 1753 -- On his last day as a mortal human, the man who will become Angelus encounters a beautiful, blonde woman on the streets at night. Her name is Darla, and she seduces him closer to her. She sinks her fangs into his neck, then uses her nails to make an incision on her chest, just above her breasts. Immediately, Darla pulls the man's mouth onto her bleeding cut, turning the man into a demon of the night.
Sunnydale, Present -- Angel watches Buffy from afar as she battles a pair of vampires. She orders one of them to take a message to Angel, saying that she's taking the offensive. The vampire doesn't comply, so Buffy finishes him off. The next day, Giles pays a visit to the museum, where a newly-discovered stone artifact has been discovered. It is a few feet taller than Giles, and it contains some form of text on the side. Giles asks the man in charge, Doug Perren, if they attempted to open it yet, but Doug didn't notice the crack running down the side of the stone until Giles pointed it out. Giles then asks Doug to refrain from opening it until he can decipher the text. At school, Buffy declares to her friends for the umpteenth time that she's ready to face Angel, despite the fact that final exams are approaching. Willow offers to tutor Buffy in chemistry during one of their free periods.

London, 1860 -- Before she became a demon, Drusilla was a young Catholic woman who only wanted to follow the right path in life. She enters a church and steps into the confessional booth, failing to notice one of the priest's arms reaching out in desperation before being pulled back in. Drusilla does not realize that Angelus has just murdered the priest and is now acting in his place behind the confessional screen. After Drusilla tells him of her problem with her visions of the future, Angelus torments her by claiming that she is a child of the devil. Drusilla does not want this to be true, and pleads for help. Finally, Angelus lets her go with a request for Hail Mary's and an act of contrition.

Sunnydale, Present -- Drusilla, Spike, and Angelus read about the museum's new artifact in the newspaper. Angelus knows what it is immediately. Back in Sunnydale High, Buffy hopelessly tries to solve a chemistry problem when she accidentally drops her pencil. It rolls off into the desk and falls on the floor, right next to Ms. Calendar's disk which has remained their ever since the night of her murder. Buffy pulls the disk out and hands it to Willow, and pops it into the disk drive to check out its contents. What they find is Jenny's final project: the curse for the restoration of Angel's soul. Meanwhile, Dru, Angel, and several other vamps go to the museum to retrieve the stone, killing Doug Perren in the process.

Rumanian Woods, 1898 -- The dead body of a gypsy girl lays stretched out on the ground next to a fire, while an elder gypsy woman chants the curse of restoration. Glowing beneath her is an Orb of Thesulah. While she chants the curse, Angelus flees through the woods, trying to escape the scene of the crime, for he is the one responsible for the girl's death. The elder woman completes the curse, and Angelus is stopped in his tracks. He falls to his knees, and his eyes glow as his soul returns to his body for the first time in over a century. A gypsy man steps out of the woods and explains to Angel that he is being punished for the countless murders he has committed.

Sunnydale, Present -- Buffy and Willow show Giles a printout of the restoration curse. Giles claims that the curse would require a great knowledge of the black arts, and Willow feels that she's up to the challenge. While everyone talks of Angel's salvation, only Xander is upset, for he feels that Angel must pay for his murders with his life. Xander gets into an argument with Giles over Jenny's last wish before telling Buffy that she's willing to forget all about the murders in order to get her beloved Angel back. Elsewhere, Angel tells Spike the story of a demon named Acathla. This demon possesses the power to literally swallow the Earth into Hell, but he was stopped by a knight centuries ago. His body turned to stone with the sword still embedded in it, then was concealed in the stone tomb and buried deep beneath the ground. With that, two vampires open the tomb, revealing the body of Acathla inside. Only someone worthy can remove the sword from Acathla's body, freeing him to reign terror on the world. Later that night, Buffy finds the claddagh ring that Angel gave to her before he lost his soul. She goes outside for a walk and encounters Kendra, who has returned to take care of another dark force in Sunnydale. At the library, Kendra shows them a valuable weapon that she brought with her. It is a sword that was blessed by the same knight who stopped Acathla. If Angel succeeds in reviving the demon, it may be their only chance to stop it. Buffy asks Willow to perform the curse as soon as possible, but they need an Orb of Thesulah first. Luckily, Giles already has one in his office.

Manhattan, 1996 -- Angel stumbles through the streets of Manhattan, living like a bum ever since he regained his soul. He is approached by another demon named Whistler who say's he too is on the good side. Whistler offers Angel a chance to pick himself up from this foul life and become someone important in the world. But first, Angel has to see something before he can make his decision.

Los Angeles, 1996 -- A car with windows painted black parks outside of Hemery High, and Angel rolls the window down just enough to see what he came there for: the Chosen One. He observes Buffy's first meeting with a Watcher, then follows her to the cemetery where she first learns the truth about vampires and her destiny in life. Angel also follows Buffy to her home, where her mother is upset because Buffy got home late. Buffy goes to the bathroom and listens to her parents arguing with each other. Having seen enough, Angel asks Whistler to help him to a better life, teach him to become somebody.

Sunnydale, Present -- A human sacrifice is brought before Angelus, who promptly feeds on his blood, making sure to spread some on the palm of his right hand. Angelus then approaches the body of Acathla, reciting the incantations for the ritual of his revival. Angelus grabs the sword and pulls it with all his might, but he fails. Spike is amused at Angelus's failure, and Dru is very upset. Angelus then swears that they will turn to an old friend, and then succeed.

The next day, Buffy and the others take one of their final exams, unaware that a concealed vampire is walking down the hallway toward their classroom. The vampire steps into the room, and smoke begins to rise from her body as the rays of sunlight hit it. She warns Buffy that more will die if she does not meet Angel that night. As she finishes the message, her body disintegrates. Buffy tells Willow to perform the curse, leaving Kendra behind to stand guard. Buffy finds Angel at the cemetery, and they begin to fight. Meanwhile, a group of vampires invades the library during the restoration ritual. Back at the cemetery, Buffy realizes that her fight with Angel is merely a diversionary tactic, so she turns and runs towards the school as fast as she can. While Kendra battles one of the vampires, another one pushes a bookshelf over, crushing Willow underneath. Xander fights another one, but it brutally breaks his right arm before he can shake him off. After Kendra slays a vamp, she attacks another that has knocked out Giles. As they surround her, Cordelia escapes from the library, while Willow lays unconscious under the bookshelf. Drusilla then enters and takes on Kendra one-on-one. Kendra is no match for Dru, who defends all of her attacks before hypnotizing the Slayer into an immobile trance. Dru then slashes a cut in Kendra's neck with her nails. Kendra falls to the ground as blood pours out of her neck. Taking Giles with them, the vampires leave the library only moments before Buffy bursts into the school hallways. She finally makes it to the library, but it is too late. She runs over to Kendra's fallen body, but there's nothing she can do. Suddenly, the police arrive to see Buffy over the body of a dead woman. One of them aims a gun at Buffy, ordering her to freeze. Buffy's disastrous night has just gotten worse.

The finale of season 2 is when things really come to a head, and Buffy is forced to make some terrible choices as a result. Kendra's return is a welcome one, and she adds some much needed tension and action to the episode. While the performance isn't an A+ per se, its by far a good one, and the fight with Drusilla is good too. The tension with Angel is also good, as I'm still very much impressed with the villainy of this character as he continues to plot and scheme throughout the episode, outmatching Buffy in a very clever way. The flashbacks are also very good, adding some much needed depth into Angel/Angellius's character, providing a juicy backstory that takes the character to another level.

Lastly is the cliffhanger, which is great in both execution and the cliffhanger itself. The voiceover by Whistler is good, foreshadowing the oncoming battle Buffy has to face, as well as the last twist at the end with the police.

Overall, A great episode, foreshadowing the brilliant finale to come.

Rating - 94% - A

MovieMad16

11-06-17, 11:59 AM

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2x22 - Becoming, Part 2

Two police officers rush into the library. From the looks of things, they believe that Buffy has just murdered Kendra. They take her outside, where Principal Snyder arrives with several more cops. Before one of them can cuff her, Buffy knocks the guy down and flees the scene. After disguising herself in a coat and black cap, Buffy goes to the hospital and runs into Xander, who is now wearing a cast on his right forearm. They go to Willow's room, where she lies motionless in a coma. Cordelia arrives, and Buffy learns that Giles was neither with her or in the hospital. Giles has been taken to the vampire's mansion hideout, where Angel hopes to force the necessary info concerning the ritual out of the Watcher. Meanwhile, Joyce learns from the police that her daughter is suspected of murder and that she's a fugitive from the law. Buffy goes to Giles apartment to see if he's there, but instead meets Whistler, who has been waiting inside. He tells Buffy that Angel was destined to stop Acathla, not revive him. However, Buffy's relationship with Angel changed all that. Buffy leaves before Whistler can tell her how to stop the demon. Outside, a patrolling officer recognizes Buffy and orders her to freeze. Suddenly, Spike arrives and beats the cop into unconsciousness. He wants Buffy's help in stopping Angel so he can have Drusilla back the way she used to be, in exchange for his leaving town with Dru and never returning. After some hesitation, Buffy decides to take him back to her house so they can plan their attack. They get there just as Joyce is pulling into their driveway. As Buffy tries to make up an excuse for Spike's presence, a vampire that has been spying on them attacks. Right in front of Joyce's eyes, Buffy stakes the vampire spy, turning him to dust. Realizing what she has to do, Buffy confesses to her mother that she is a vampire slayer.

At the hospital, Xander pleads to Willow for her to wake up. She finally snaps out of her coma just as Xander says that he loves her. The first word out of her mouth is Oz's name, who arrives to greet her back to consciousness. Meanwhile, Giles refuses to divulge the information that Angel needs to properly perform the ritual, so more torture ensues. Back at the Summers home, Buffy and Spike agree to work together, but only on the conditions that Dru can leave with Spike, and that Giles survives. After Spike leaves, Joyce begs her daughter to explain everything that's going on. Buffy tells her mom that there's no time to explain it all, which furiates Joyce. Joyce doesn't want her daughter to be in charge of saving the world, to which Buffy responds that she never wanted the duty in the first place. Joyce tries to restrain her daughter from leaving the house, but Buffy pushes her back against the kitchen counter. Joyce tells Buffy to never come back should she walk out the door, but Buffy leaves anyways.

At the hospital, Willow tells the others that she is going to try the curse again. Buffy returns to the library to retrieve the sword that Kendra brought. Principal Snyder finds her there and promptly expels her due to all the trouble she's been involved in. After Buffy leaves, Snyder calls someone to tell the Mayor that he has good news. Meanwhile, Drusilla tricks Giles by making herself look and sound like Jenny Calendar in his eyes. Giles says that Angel's blood is the key to the awakening ritual. Homeless and expelled, Buffy has only one path to follow now. She returns to Giles apartment and asks Whistler how to use the sword. He tells her that only Angel's blood can open and close the vortex to Hell. With one blow, both Angelus and the demon Acathla would be sent back to Hell, and the vortex would be closed.

Xander catches up with Buffy on her way to the mansion. She tells him to concentrate on freeing Giles and escaping. Xander does not inform Buffy that Willow is attempting the curse again. Inside the mansion, Angel slices his hand and approaches the sword in Acathla's chest. Suddenly, the ritual is interrupted by Buffy's arrival. Angel doesn't even notice Spike rising out of his wheelchair from behind. While Spike brutally beats Angel to the floor, Buffy takes one of the other vampires in the room. During this battle, Xander unties Giles and gets him safely outside. Spike doesn't get too many hits off before an enraged Drusilla jumps into the fray, tackling Spike. While they fight, Angel manages to get back up and run to Acathla. Just as Buffy drives a stake through the vampire's heart, Angel grabs the sword with his bloody hand and finally pulls it out. Swords in hand, Buffy and Angel engage in a sword duel. Elsewhere, Willow, Cordy, and Oz perform the curse of restoration. Suddenly, Willow loses control of her actions and seemingly becomes possessed by some spirit. Cordy and Oz watch in fright as Willow performs the curse herself in perfect Latin. Spike subdues Drusilla and takes her with him as he escapes from the mansion in his car. After the long duel, Buffy finally backs Angel up against Acathla. Just as she is about to deliver the final blow, Willow completes the curse, restoring Angel's soul to his body. Buffy lowers her sword as she realizes the change, and the two lovers are finally reunited. However, it is too late, for Acathla is now awake. Buffy looks over Angel's shoulder and sees Acathla's mouth creating a vortex to Hell. Angel has no idea what is going on, so all that Buffy can do is give her lover one last kiss before driving the sword through his stomach, thus releasing the blood needed to close the vortex and send the two demons back to Hell. Shocked, Angel reaches out towards Buffy with his right hand, but nothing can be done now. Buffy watches as the vortex closes around Angel, leaving the demon Acathla as nothing more than a silent statue once again.

Buffy goes home and packs up her belongings without Joyce ever knowing she had returned. When Joyce enters the room, she finds a farewell letter from her daughter left on the bed. At Sunnydale High, nobody knows what happened to Buffy and Angel. Some believe that Buffy had to kill Angel before the curse was completed, while others believe that Angel has been restored and they were taking time off to be alone together. Unbeknownst to them, Buffy is standing far away by one of the trees, giving her school and her friends one last look before hopping on a bus. The bus heads out of Sunnydale, and Buffy faces an unknown future.

This for me is one of the best season finales I've seen in a TV series period. Everything in Buffy's world just comes crashing down, leaving her an absolute broken mess by episode's end. First is her mother discovering her real power. She doesn't take it well, leaving a rift between Buffy & Joyce. Second is Buffy & Angel, and the devastating ending that sees Buffy force to kill Angel after being resouled. Full of Grace by Sarah McLachlan is a perfect song to end the episode on; Sad, Lonely, and full of emotion. Buffy runs off.

Buffy being a fugitive was fun to watch, especially when she squared off against Snyder. Leading to the unhealthy alliance with Spike, Buffy is all on her own when heading off to fight Angel. The perfect test for our faithful hero.

The fight scene at the end is great fun too, seeing Buffy & Angellius square off evenly matched. Angellius is just evil through and through and watching David Boreanaz's performance is a treat. This then all leads to the last few minutes of heartbreaking scenes. Buffy killing Angel, breaking down, and walking away, out of Sunnydale, out of slayer duty, out of life. It's a poetic ending, and one that makes Season 2 a great season of television for the ages.

Rating - 100% - A+

MovieMad16

11-10-17, 07:00 PM

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Season 2 Retrospective

Overall Thoughts - Season two was a drastic improvement from the first season. Better episodes overall, a great character arc for Buffy, conflict and romance between the central characters, as well as a sense of fun and excitement throughout the season. Granted, it still feels very 90s and dated, but the strength of the idea & episodes made this season such a cruise to watch.

Buffy - Buffy here is much more well developed in this season. She's embraced her duty as the slayer, as well as developed better as a person too. There's a lot of personal upheaval in this season, mentally and physically. But the performances Sarah Michelle Gellar give are terrific, adding layer after layer to this excellent character. Her performance in Becoming Part 2 is absolutely fantastic, and a real flagship performance for the show to note.

Other Main Characters - Willow & Xander both continue to be good buddies to Buffy, especially Xander with that romance subplot finally booted. Both characters grow as people, but can be still be irritating at times, especially Xander. Cordelia starts to integrate into the group, especially when it comes to her & Xander. Giles is also good here, and his romance with Jenny adds some more human aspects to him.

Angel - I give Angel his own space because he's kind of in it for only the first half of the season. Y'know what I mean. I view Angel & Angelus as two different people really, and so for the first half, its Angel. And as usual, he's good. Not great, as the material here only has him being Buffy's broody boyfriend and that's about it. But for what it is, it's good enough.

Recurring Characters - Supporting characters were much more fun this year. Joyce, Synder & Jenny all return and all three are great. Joyce remains ignorant of Buffy's slayer life, but still has her moments in the show. Snyder is still a great foil for the gang and continues to really wind up Buffy in comedic circumstances. Jenny gets the most development out of three, as we discover more about her past and heritage before she is so cruelly taken away from us. Add that with several new recurring characters. There's Oz, who develops into a love interest for Willow. Played by Seth Green, he's a great character whose very chilled and laid back, and so loveable. Next is Kendra, who is the second summoned slayer following Buffy's "death" in Season One. She's fine but better will come. And then there's Amy coming back for another episode, and this turns out a much better show for her. Now she's a proper witch, and much better developed too.

Big Bad - Replacing The Master is Spike & Drusilla, a very punk couple, who quickly kick The Anointed One to the curb. They are both so much fun to watch as villains, and James Masters is fantastic as Spike. Really adds personality to the character and makes him someone you really want to keep watching. Drusilla's good too, though less exciting for me than Spike is. And then Angelus, the evil side of Angel. Think Jekyll/Hyde but with David Boreanaz. And it's here I'm introduced to one of the most evil characters I've seen on TV. Brilliantly cold, murderous, and evil. Angelus is probably the best Buffy big bad in the show's history.

Favourite/Least Favourite Episode - Really, there are a handful of episodes to mention that I consider favourites. The best of the season was its gut punching finale Becoming Part 2, but credit also goes to Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered, as being my personal favourite. I just love the story and how much of a mess Xander makes things. Also credit goes to Innocence, The Dark Age & Passion. Least favourites would be Some Assembly Required and Reptile Boy. Not very memorable, and seem to be backtracks into Season one.

Final Thoughts - Season 2 is great and one of my favourite seasons of Buffy, mainly as they look so different at beginning & end. The characters are much different, and they've all grown up slightly.

Rating - 88% - A-

MovieMad16

11-10-17, 07:02 PM

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Episode Ranking (As of 2x22)

A+ (100%)
Becoming, Part 2 (100%) (BTVS - 2)
Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered (100%) (BTVS - 2)
Innocence (100%) (BTVS - 2)

A (91%-99%)
The Dark Age (97%) (BTVS - 2)
Passion (96%) (BTVS - 2)
School Hard (94%) (BTVS - 2)
Becoming, Part 1 (94%) (BTVS - 2)
Halloween (92%) (BTVS - 2)
Lie To Me (92%) (BTVS - 2)
Angel (92%) (BTVS - 1)

A- (81%-90%)
Ted (90%) (BTVS - 2)
Prophecy Girl (89%) (BTVS - 1)
Killed By Death (89%) (BTVS - 2)
Phases (89%) (BTVS - 2)
I Only Have Eyes For You (89%) (BTVS - 2)
What’s My Line Part II (89%) (BTVS - 2)
What’s My Line Part I (88%) (BTVS - 2)
Nightmares (87%) (BTVS - 1)
Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight (86%) (BTVS - 1)
Surprise (86%) (BTVS - 2)
The Witch (85%) (BTVS - 1)
Welcome To The Hellmouth (84%) (BTVS - 1)
Inca Mummy Girl (83%) (BTVS - 2)

B+ (71%-80%)
When She Was Bad (80%) (BTVS - 2)
Never Kill A Boy On The First Date (78%) (BTVS -1)
Bad Eggs (77%) (BTVS - 2)
The Harvest (76%) (BTVS - 1)
Go Fish (75%) (BTVS - 2)
The Puppet Show (74%) (BTVS - 1)
I Robot, You Jane (73%) (BTVS - 1)

B (61% - 70%)
Reptile Boy (67%) (BTVS - 2)
Some Assembly Required (64%) (BTVS - 2)
Teacher’s Pet (63%) (BTVS - 1)
The Pack (61%) (BTVS - 1)

MovieMad16

11-20-17, 10:32 AM

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3x01 - Anne

Sunnydale Cemetery. Evening. A body once known as Andrew Hoelich rises from its grave, ready for a new life as a creature of the night. Standing in his way is not the Slayer, but rather her closest friends: Willow, Xander, and Oz. Unfortunately, without the powers that make Buffy special, the three friends are unable to kill the vampire before it can escape into the night. Afterwards, the group prepares themselves for the new school season, which begins the very next day. They also wonder if and when Buffy will return to Sunnydale after her unannounced absence since saving the world from the Acathla threat. What they don't know is that Buffy is currently living alone in an apartment in downtown Los Angeles. Buffy's dreams are haunted by Angel, reminding of her of what she had to do in order to stop Acathla.

The next morning, Willow learns that Oz flunked his senior year and needs to repeat it, Xander and Cordelia's anticipated reunion has no sparks whatsoever, and Giles gets the latest in a long line of leads concerning Buffy's possible location. Meanwhile, Buffy is working as a waitress in a diner, under the alias of Anne. During work, she serves a romantic couple of runaways. The girl's name is Lily, while the guy's is Rickie. They both have each other's name tattooed to their forearms. When Lily recognizes the waitress, Buffy denies any familiarity with the girl. At one point, Rickie says to Lily the exact same words that Buffy heard from Angel in one of her dreams. The next day, on the way to work, Buffy passes by an old homeless woman who repeatedly says, "I'm no one." Back in Sunnydale, Giles pays Joyce Summers a visit to inform her that his latest search turned up empty-handed. Joyce expresses her resentment toward Giles, blaming him for Buffy's distance from her own mother.

On her way home from work, Buffy runs into Lily again. Lily gets Buffy's attention by calling her by her real name, then reminds Buffy that she once went by the name of Chantarelle and was involved in a vampire-worshipping cult. Buffy explains that Anne is really her middle name. During their conversation, an old man rudely bumps the both of them aside as he walks towards the street. When asked if he's okay, the old man turns to them and says, "I'm no one." With that, he walks into the middle of the street, then stops in the path of an oncoming car. Buffy dashes into the street and pushes him aside just in time, but not before the car collides and sends her slamming into the pavement. A few locals offer to help her and call an ambulance, but Buffy quickly leaves the scene without even a limp. On the way, Buffy meets a relatively clean-cut man. His name is Ken, and he's handing out flyers for a shelter called the Family Home. Meanwhile, in the Bronze, Xander chats with Willow and Oz about their failure at vampire slaying. Seeing Cordelia enter the Bronze with a few of her friends, Xander hatches a plan to use her as bait.

The next day, Lily visits Buffy at work and tells her that Rickie's been missing for a while. Buffy reluctantly agrees to help, and they first visit the local blood bank where Lily and Rickie often donated in order to make some money. According to the doctor, Rickie hasn't been there in the last few days, so Buffy and Lily agree to split up and meet up later at Buffy's apartment. During a search in an abandoned building, Buffy finds a dead old man with a bottle of Drain Cleaner next to his head. Since the bottle is empty, the old man must have killed himself with it. However, that's not the most disturbing thing: Buffy notices a familiar tattoo on the man's forearm. It says "Lily", which means that this dead old man was Rickie. Back at her apartment, Lily cannot believe the news. She blames Buffy for bringing along some evil from Sunnydale, causing her boyfriend's untimely death. Lily exits the apartment and meets Ken, who tells her that Rickie is alive and staying at the Family Home. Relieved, Lily follows Ken to the shelter. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Buffy breaks into the blood bank after closing hours and finds Rickie's personal file. Alarmed by the word "Candidate" stamped in it, Buffy questions the doctor, who has just arrived on the scene. Buffy gets the info that leads her to the Family Home, where she finds Lily alone with Ken in a room. Before Buffy can find out what's going on, Lily is pulled into the floor through a strange black pool. Buffy struggles with Ken before they both fall into the pool. On the other side of it, they crash down hard on the floor. While Buffy takes care of Lily, Ken removes his mask to reveal the face of a demon underneath. He calls the guards, and Buffy grabs Lily and tries to escape. As the guards give chase, Buffy and Lily run into an enormous factory room. Hundreds of missing runaways work slave labor, while the demonic guards watch them, whips in hand. Ken and the guards catch up to them. With a swift swing of his club, Ken knocks Buffy unconscious.

Back in Sunnydale, Xander, Willow, and Oz try to dust the vampire again, this time with Cordelia as bait. While everyone assumes their hiding positions, Xander and Cordelia argue over what they did or didn't do during the summer. Their fight is interrupted by a scream, for the vamp has snuck up behind Willow and attacked her first. Oz runs in to the rescue, but the vamp quickly knocks him to the ground. Xander tries to drive his stake into the vampire's chest, but they get their arms locked up, preventing Xander from thrusting the stake any further. Cordelia charges the vampire from behind, and all three of them fall to the ground. The vampire lands into the stake, and immediately explodes into dust. This causes Cordelia to fall into Xander's arms. They finally give in to their desires and kiss right then and there.

Buffy regains consciousness inside a prison cell. Lily, who's sitting inside the same cell, believes they're in Hell. Buffy denies this, but that becomes irrelevant as Ken explains their situation. Apparently, they are in some alternate dimension outside of Earth, and time passes differently here. According to Ken, one day on Earth equals one hundred years in this dimension. Buffy puts the pieces together and realizes that the disoriented old people she saw on the street must have been former slaves in this dimension, including Rickie. Buffy, Lily, and several other runaways are then led into a room. A demon guard tells them that they no longer have any individual identities. He then asks a boy to identify himself. When the boy responds with his own name, the guard beats him with a club. Lily's next, and her answer is "no one". A few more slaves respond in the same manner. The guard then asks Buffy. Instead of giving the expected answer, Buffy finally comes to terms with who she is and responds with her true identity, that of the Slayer. With that, Buffy proceeds to fight and subdue the guards in the room. After telling Lily to lead the others to the exit, Buffy runs out into the middle of the factory and battles an endless number of demon guards. One after the other, Buffy defeats them, until Ken grabs Lily and threatens to slice her throat with a knife for Buffy's disobedience. Surprisingly, Lily pushes Ken off the balcony while his back is turned, enabling Buffy to fight off the guards holding her and climb to safety. At the exit, they encounter a heavy gate which Buffy uses all of her strength to lift. Just as she's about to escape herself, Ken tackles her. As he does so, Buffy is knocked towards the outside of the gate, which comes crashing down on Ken's legs. Buffy then takes Ken's club and smashes it onto his skull. After Buffy, Lily, and the other runaways climb through the black pool, it seals itself.

Deciding it's time to go back home, Buffy gives her apartment and her job to Lily. Buffy is confident that Lily can take care of herself from now on. Before Buffy leaves, Lily asks her if she can use Buffy's middle name, Anne, as her own. Buffy agrees and leaves. Back in Sunnydale, Buffy knocks on the door to her home. After Joyce opens it, they stand there, completely speechless. Finally, they embrace. For Giles and the rest of the Sunnydale, the Slayer has returned. For Joyce Summers, someone more important is finally home: her only daughter.

This is a good opener, but not as great as I expected. For one, I felt everything was done too quickly and didn't really need all the stuff with The Scoobies. I would've preferred just making it a Buffy solo episode, just her away in LA fighting her inner turmoil.

What I love here is how vulnerable Buffy is in this episode. No longer strong and confident, she's alone and afraid, and trying to hide from the rest of society. Reintroducing the mysterious Chanterelle once again, but with a different name, is cool. She easily fits into the theme of feeling lost and afraid, in parallel with Buffy's situation. The way LA is depicted is good too, making it very hostile and dangerous to almost everyone living there. I also thought the villain was good too, playing a much more manipulative game than most other villains in the show so far.

The stuff with the scoobies was unnessacary but still good too. Xander & Cordelia were funny with their awkwardness towards each other so clearly. Oz fits in nicely with the group, and the scene with Joyce & Giles is harsh to watch.

Overall, a good episode none the less.

Rating - 79% - B+

MovieMad16

01-01-18, 01:32 PM

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3x02 - Dead Man's Party

After unpacking the last of her belongings, Buffy stops by her mom's bedroom to announce that she's heading outside. Joyce hangs up a Nigerian mask that she got from a friend at her art gallery, then hesitantly gives her daughter permission to go find her friends. Later, in a dark alley, Buffy notices a shadowy figure roaming the alleys. Suspicious, she follows him and accidentally draws his attention by stepping on an aluminum can. The figure spins around and thrusts a stake at her, which Buffy easily blocks. As she grabs the stake out of the man's hands and turns it towards him, she realizes that it's Xander. Before either of them can say much, a vampire appears and attacks the both of them. During the struggle, Buffy hears Cordelia's voice on a walkie-talkie attached to Xander's waist. Soon enough, Cordy, Willow, and Oz arrive on the scene, all decked out with stakes and crosses. Buffy is surprised to see her friends work as a team to get the vampire off of Buffy. One by one, though, they are knocked to the ground by the powerful vampire. Finally, Buffy jumps in and finishes the job, reducing the vampire to a pile of dust. After Buffy greets her bewildered friends, they head over to Giles' apartment. The Watcher is emotionally overcome with joy from seeing his Slayer safe and sound, although he doesn't fully express it until he's alone in his kitchen. In the living room, Buffy avoids discussion topics relating to what she did over the summer. She then makes plans with Willow to meet somewhere the next afternoon.

The next day, Joyce and Buffy visit Principal Snyder in his office. Despite Joyce's protests, Snyder refuses to readmit Buffy back into the school. Afterwards, Joyce drops Buffy off at a coffee shop where she plans to meet Willow. However, Willow never shows up. Buffy heads home, and as she heads towards her front door, a woman steps out. She introduces herself as Pat, a friend of Joyce's at the book club. Inside, Joyce tells Buffy that she invited Giles and her friends over to dinner the following evening. Buffy goes into the basement to get their fancy company plates. There, she finds a stray cat that has been dead for a while. Buffy and Joyce bury it outside. Later that night, after both Buffy and Joyce have fallen asleep, the eyeholes of the mask in Joyce's bedroom begin to glow. As they do so, the stray cat works its way out of the ground as if it had never died.

Overnight, Buffy dreams that she is walking around the Sunnydale High campus. Nobody else is there, except for Angel. She then wakes up and heads to the kitchen. The stray cat reenters the Summers home, shocking both Buffy and Joyce. Giles arrives shortly with a cage to capture the cat and bring it back to the library for further study. After finding the cat in Joyce's bedroom, he notices the Nigerian mask on her wall. He then informs Buffy that she is no longer allowed on school grounds. At the library, Giles studies his demonology text while the rest of the Slayerettes make plans for the dinner that evening. By the end of their discussion, the intimate dinner has become a full-blown party, complete with pot luck snacks and Oz's band. During the discussion, Giles careless flips past a page without looking at it. On this page is a picture of the same mask hanging in Joyce's bedroom.

That evening, Pat comes over to visit Joyce. Merely moments after Buffy shuts the door, Oz's band, Dingoes Ate My Baby, arrives. Buffy was not notified in advance that they had planned a huge party, but that's exactly what she gets before long. After wading through dozens of people she's never even met before, Buffy finds Willow near the band. Buffy pulls her over to a quieter area and asks Willow if she's been avoiding her. Willow denies this, then immediately leaves Buffy alone and heads back to where he band is playing. On her way upstairs, Buffy briefly talks to Xander and Cordelia, who are lost in their own world of nonstop smoochies. Buffy then stops outside the kitchen, where Joyce and Pat are talking about having Buffy back home. Buffy overhears her mom talking about how much more difficult it is now that Buffy's home. Unable to take much more animosity from her closest friends and family, Buffy goes up to her bedroom and starts packing her bag again. Meanwhile, Giles finally finds what he's been looking for in his texts: the picture of the Nigerian mask. Horrified by what he reads, he calls the Summers home, but one of the partygoers answers the phone, and the music is too loud for him to fully understand what Giles is saying. Giles gives up and drives towards Buffy's home. On the way, he accidentally hits a man in the middle of the road. Upon getting out and inspecting the body, Giles realizes that this man died long before he ever wandered onto the road. The corpse grabs Giles and shoves him against the car. Giles watches in horror as he sees several more zombies appearing from the shadows. All over town, corpses arise from crime scenes, hospital beds, and even their graves, all with one destination in mind: the Summers household. Giles finally fends off the zombies and gets back in his car.

Willow finds Buffy packing her bag in her bedroom. Not long after they argue over Buffy's decision to run away, Joyce enters the bedroom. Her reaction to seeing Buffy's packed bag is much more heated. Buffy tries to get out of the house, but Joyce stops her right in the middle of the main floor. As everybody gathers around and watches, Joyce drops all her restraints and angrily chews out Buffy for what she did (and didn't do) over the summer. Buffy tries to defend herself, but Xander joins in and offers his own cold remarks. Just as it seems that everybody is against Buffy and her whole world is caving in, the zombies invade the household. They quickly and brutally attack and kill several of the guests, while everybody else runs for their lives. Many try to keep the doors and windows blocked off, while others just panic in general. One of the zombies grabs Pat and drags her off down a hallway. While Buffy, Joyce, Xander, and Willow run upstairs, Oz and Cordelia hide in a downstairs closet. Upstairs, Joyce finds Pat lying flat on the floor. They help her to her feet and into Joyce's bedroom. While the group tries to keep the zombies from forcing the door open, Willow checks Pat's pulse and realizes that she's already dead.

Several moments later, Oz and Cordelia step out of the closet and notice that all of the zombies are now upstairs. They run into Giles, who has just arrived. He explains that the mask contains the power of the zombie demon named Ovu Mobani, or Evil Eye. All the zombies are after it, and whoever puts it on will become the demon. Upstairs, nobody notices Pat as she suddenly gets up. Surprised to see that her friend is alive, Joyce runs over, only to be knocked to the floor by the zombie Pat. As Joyce and Xander look on, Pat puts the mask on, which immediately molds to her face. Pat begins to speak, except it isn't her voice anymore. It is the voice of the demon Ovu Mobani, and the zombies that were previously trying to get into the room are now paralyzed with fear by Mobani's presence. Buffy tries to attack the demon, but it turns its head and flashes a brilliantly white light which stuns Buffy. Unable to move, Buffy takes the powerful blow of the demon hard. The demon then stuns Willow and moves in for the kill, but not before Buffy recovers and pushes Mobani through the second story window, along with herself. After they crash onto her backyard, Buffy tries to avoid the demon's gaze by covering her eyes. Giles tells Oz to warn Buffy that attacking its eyes is the only way to defeat Mobani. Oz runs out and immediately falls victim to Mobani's stun flash. Buffy uses this moment to her advantage and thrusts a shovel directly into the demon's eyes. It cries out in horror, then vanishes, along with all of the other zombies. After everybody regroups inside, nobody can bring themselves to spite Buffy any longer, as she finally embraces Willow after so long.

The next day, Giles visits Principal Snyder's office and threatens to contact state officials if Buffy isn't readmitted. When Snyder doesn't believe his threat, Giles applies a little brute force to get his message across. Later, Buffy and Willow meet at the coffee shop. Willow discusses her experiments with witchcraft. They understand what each other has been feeling during the past few months, and like the true friends that they are, accept it.

Angst is very much the keyword of this episode. Dealing with the pain that was left behind, and the awkwardness surrounding the actions of Buffy at the end of season 2. Everyone is hurt, confused, upset, and angry. Its a tornado of emotions that come out in the worse possible way. Buffy is anxious about being back, and fitting into a normal routine again, whilst the rest of the gang are anxious about Buffy returning out of the blue and wanting to bury everything without so much of an explanation. The clash in the Summers household is such an uncomfortable scene to watch, and you really feel for everyone involved, especially Buffy who we feel most closest too.

The zombie stuff on the other hand isn't that interesting to watch. Its pretty dull and as villains of the week, aren't particulary very creative to watch.

Rating - 76% - B+

MovieMad16

01-01-18, 01:47 PM

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3x03 - Faith, Hope & Trick

A limo pulls into the drive-thru at Sunnydale's Happy Burger restaurant. Inside the limo are not your ordinary customers, but rather vampires in search of the Slayer. One of them has cloven hooves in place of hands. On the way to their new hideout, one the vamps, Mr. Trick, picks up a diet soda... and the drive-thru employee himself. Later that night, Buffy dreams that she is dancing with Angel in the Bronze. During their dance, Buffy's claddagh ring slips off her finger and falls to the floor. Angel picks it up and clutches it in his hand, so tightly that blood starts to pour from his fist. As Buffy watches in horror, more blood seeps from Angel's chest in the exact same spot that she drive the sword through months ago.

The next morning, Principal Snyder finally re-admits Buffy into Sunnydale High, due to orders from the school board itself. Buffy needs to follow a few conditions, one of which being her ability to pass make-up exams for all the classes she missed last school year. A student again, Buffy visits the library with Willow, where they find a variety of spell ingredients on the counter. Giles tells Buffy that he needs to perform a binding spell on Acathla to make sure the demon remains dormant. In order for the spell to work, Giles needs to know the exact details of how Buffy defeated Acathla and Angel. Buffy lays out the basics, leaving out the part where Angel's soul was restored. Later that night at the Bronze, Buffy turns down a dance offer from Scott Hope, a fellow student who's had his eyes on Buffy for a while. Cordelia points out an interesting couple on the dance floor. As Buffy watches them dance, she begins to suspect that the guy may be a vampire on the prowl. As they head out of the Bronze, Buffy and her friends follow them out. Sure enough, the guy is a vampire. What does take the group by surprise is the girl's handling of the situation. Instead of screaming and trying to run for her life, the girl proceeds to beat the crap out of the vampire, stopping momentarily to greet Buffy by name and introduce herself as Faith. This new Slayer then takes the stake out of Buffy's hand and finishes off the vamp before heading back inside. While the group listens to Faith's wild stories, Cordelia finally puts the pieces together and realizes that Faith was called forth in response to Kendra's death. Faith is unlike Buffy, but she's different than Kendra also. Kendra was always uptight and on the defensive, while Faith is much looser and a little wild. During their conversation, Faith informs Buffy that her Watcher is currently at an annual retreat. Unaware of this Watchers' retreat, Buffy takes Faith to the library to meet Giles, who apparently has never been invited to any of the retreats. Buffy invites Faith to dinner at her place. While Buffy takes one of her make-up exams, Xander and Willow give Faith a tour of their school, pointing out all the hot spots where they brushed with death. Elsewhere, in an abandoned building, Mr. Trick explains to Kakistos how they could stay in Sunnydale and still operate around the globe, thanks to the internet. Kakistos has no interest in these matters. His only goal is to kill Faith, who caused the huge scar running over his right eye.

At the Summers home, Joyce is as impressed with Faith as the rest of Buffy's friends are, if not more so. Buffy excuses herself from the dining table to talk with her mom in the kitchen. Joyce suggests to Buffy that Faith could take over her duties as the Slayer, but Buffy reminds her that it's her job until she dies. Joyce is not happy to hear this, but she's slowly learning to accept it. After dinner, Buffy and Faith patrol for vampires. During their patrol, they get into an argument over Buffy's attitude towards Faith and the apparent fact that she's holding something in. Suddenly, several vampires attack the two Slayers. During the fight, Faith loses control on one vampire and repeatedly pummels it without even thinking of finishing the job with a stake. This leaves Buffy at the mercy of the other two vampires, who have her pinned to the ground. As one of them moves in for the kill, he mentions a name: Kakistos. Buffy succeeds in breaking their hold and killing one of them, while the other gets away. She then pulls Faith off of the brutally beaten vampire and dusts it with her stake. It seems Buffy isn't the only one with personal problems.

Buffy tells Giles about Faith's actions the next morning at school. She also tells Giles what the vampire said to her, and Giles immediately recognizes the name Kakistos. It's Greek for "the worst of the worst". Kakistos is a vampire who is so old that his hands have turned into cloven hooves. While Giles gets on the phone to contact Faith's Watcher at the retreat, Buffy runs into Scott in the hallway. He makes one last stab at trying to get Buffy out on a date. Charmed by his efforts, Buffy finally accepts. Scott then hands Buffy a box, saying it's a gift to represent their friendship. Buffy opens it and finds a claddagh ring inside, exactly like the one Angel gave to her that night on the docks. Overcome with emotion, Buffy drops the ring. As it hits the floor in the exact same fashion that it did in her dream, Buffy backs out of her date with Scott. Giles arrives and tries to help her, but Buffy insists she's okay. Giles then reveals that Faith's Watcher is not at the retreat -- Faith's Watcher is dead.

Buffy tracks down Faith to a sleazy motel. Buffy informs her that Kakistos is in town, which causes a look of fear and dread to wash over Faith's face. She immediately starts packing and starts to head out. Buffy stops her by mentioning her Watcher, who was killed by Kakistos. They hear a knock on the door, and Faith opens it. They are greeted by Kakistos, Mr. Trick, and a few of their cohort vampires. Buffy shuts the door and escapes out the back with Faith. The vampires chase them into a building. Seemingly safe for now, Faith explains that she witnessed Kakistos murdering her Watcher. Just then, Faith notices a couple of dead bodies on the floor. Buffy realizes that they didn't escape the vampires, but were instead driven into the building on purpose. As the vampires start to converge on them, Buffy and Faith run into the middle of the floor. Buffy takes on several vampires while Faith goes one-on-one with Kakistos. Paralyzed with fear, Faith can't fight back while Kakistos grabs her by the neck and repeatedly strikes her in the face. Buffy runs over to help, while Mr. Trick and a female vampire decide to abandon their master and head out into town on their own. Kakistos' body is so strong that Buffy's stake has no effect on him. Faith takes a cue from Kakistos' mockery and picks up a huge pointed beam. Before Kakistos can realize what she's doing, Faith drives it straight through his heart, causing Kakistos to crumble into dust.

The next day, the Watcher's council approves Giles' request to watch over both Buffy and Faith until a new Watcher can be assigned to her. Unable to keep her secret any longer, Buffy tells Giles and Willow the whole truth about what happened that night in the mansion. She explains that Willow's attempt at the restoration spell worked, and Angel was cured before Buffy drove the sword through him and sent him to Hell. After she heads out, Giles tells Willow that there never was a binding spell to perform on Acathla. He made the whole thing up so that Buffy would finally vent out whatever's been eating at her from the inside all this time. In the hallway, Buffy finds Scott and revives their plans for their weekend date.

Later that night, Buffy revisits the mansion where Angel, Spike, and Dru once stayed. Back at the scene where Buffy kissed Angel for the last time, she places the claddagh ring on the floor and bids her final farewell to Angel. After she leaves, the floor of the mansion begins to rumble. A bright light appears in the air, and the naked body of a man falls out from it and onto the floor. He lies there, afraid and shivering. It's Angel, who has returned from Hell... somehow.

This is the first appearance of Faith, the second slayer who takes over from Kendra. She's very different from Buffy, more punk, more aggressive and fun. Her and Buffy get on, but its clear that there are severe differences. You then have Buffy's turmoil over letting Angel go following the events of Season 2. Can she really say goodbye? Well regardless, Angel's return is a clever little ending with regards to the editing, and sets up some even more emotional baggage for the rest of the season.

Once again, the villain is the downside here. Lackluster, not very interesting, and only really adds to give Faith a more lively introduction.

Rating - 77% - B+

MovieMad16

01-01-18, 02:22 PM

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3x04 - Beauty & The Beasts

It's Oz's time of the month, which means he has to spend three consecutive nights locked in the book cage of the library while someone watches over him. After Xander comes in to relieve Willow of her post, he lies down on the table and falls asleep. At the cemetery, Buffy patrols for vampires with Faith. Neither of them are close enough to the woods to detect a chase, which ends brutally for a boy named Jeff Orkin.
Beauty and the Beasts The next morning, Buffy, Willow, and Oz meet up with Scott and two of his friends: Pete and Debbie. Oz offers his old biology notes to Debbie, so they plan to meet up later. Buffy then heads off for her required therapy appointment with the counselor while Willow and Oz go to the library. To both Oz and Willow's dismay, Giles and Xander inform them of the murder that occurred the previous night. The fact that Xander slept through most of the night and the window inside the caged area is open does not bode well for Oz. Meanwhile, Buffy meets her counselor, Mr. Platt. While she's hesitant to discuss the full details of her reasons for running away, Buffy does come to respect Mr. Platt's helpful manner. After school, Buffy meets the others in the library and learns that Oz may have killed someone while he was a werewolf. Giles tells Willow, Xander, and Cordelia to go to the morgue and inspect Jeff's corpse, while Buffy must be on the look-out for the killer if it isn't Oz. He'll have Faith watch over Oz that night. At the morgue, Willow collects evidence which clearly indicates that Jeff was mauled by a savage animal. She then passes out due to the realization that Oz is the most likely suspect. Outside, Buffy encounters someone running wild through the woods. To her surprise, that someone is Angel. However, he's not exactly in his right mind, and he immediately attacks Buffy. They fight for a while before Buffy finally knocks him out. She then takes him to Spike and Dru's mansion, where she uses some of Dru's old chains to lock Angel up and keep him from escaping out into the woods. Unable to communicate with Angel, Buffy notices the burnt pattern on the floor that indicates the spot where Angel landed at the end of his return trip from Hell. Unable to spend the rest of the night at home, Buffy goes to the library and takes over for Faith.

Giles finds Buffy asleep in one of the library chairs the next morning. He notices the books she's been reading, which deal with demon dimensions and Acathla. After Buffy wakes up, she asks Giles if Angel could ever return from Hell, and if so, what would he be like. Buffy would rather not tell Giles right away that she found Angel. While Giles doubts the possibilty of Angel's return, he goes on to say that because time moves much faster in the other dimension, Angel would have been trapped there for an incredibly long time. After so many years of torture, he couldn't possibly be the same person mentally that he once was. Later, at lunchtime, Buffy joins Scott, Pete, and Debbie at their table. Unable to straighten out her feelings, Buffy leaves shortly and goes to the mansion. As soon as she rests a hand on Angel's shoulder, he goes berserk. Shaken by how much he's changed, Buffy heads back to Sunnydale High. Inside, Buffy goes to Mr. Platt's office and confesses that she truly needs help with all that's going on in her life. Unfortunately, she won't get any help from Mr. Platt, whom she soon discovers has been murdered, most likely by the same attacker that killed Jeff Orkin. After school, Pete pulls Debbie into the maintenance room to make out for a while. Inside, he notices that a jar once containing a glowing green formula is now virtually empty. Debbie tries to deny doing anything with it, but she soon admits that she got rid of it in order to help Pete get better. However, Pete convulses and transforms into a hideous, monstrous form of himself, proving to Debbie that he doesn't need the formula anymore. During this phase, Pete strikes Debbie in the face, knocking her to the ground. Pete then regains control of himself and changes back to his normal self before joining Debbie on the floor. Despite being struck by her boyfriend turned monster, Debbie has no problem excusing Pete's actions. Afterwards, Debbie meets Oz by the fountain to get his biology notes. Noticing the bruise on her eye, Oz stops Debbie from leaving right away by lightly grabbing her shoulder and asking if she's okay. From a distance, Pete watches this whole conversation.

With evidence indicating that Mr. Platt was killed during the day, Oz is off the hook. In the library, the group draws a connection between the two victims and Debbie. Oz tells the others about Debbie's bruised eye, which doesn't quite follow with the suddenness of Mr. Platt's death. This leads them to suspect Pete, both for the two murders and for striking Debbie. While Oz locks himself in the cage for the third and final night of the month, Buffy and Willow confront Debbie. Unfortunately, Debbie refuses to help them stop Pete. During the conversation, Angel breaks his chains free of the mansion wall and escapes. Buffy and Willow have no idea that Pete is in the library at that very moment, ready to kill Oz for touching Debbie. Pete changes into his monster form and rips the door off the cage. After throwing Oz around the library for a little while, the sun finally sets and the moon shines, allowing Oz to turn the tables on Pete. In his werewolf form, Oz is an even match for Pete's ferocity. The sounds of their battle alerts the others to the library. Buffy tries to knock them out with the dart gun, but shoots Giles instead when Debbie pushes the gun off to the side just as Buffy pulls the trigger. While the tranquilizer dart takes Giles out of the action, Oz and Pete break apart and escape into the school hallways. Willow and Faith take down Oz with the dart gun. Buffy chases Pete to the maintenance room, where she finds Debbie dead on the floor, murdered by Pete. Another fight ensues. Just as it appears that Buffy's about to lose the fight, Angel arrives and kills Pete. To Buffy's suprise, Angel manages to say her name before falling to his knees and embracing her.

The next day, Buffy can't find the words to console Scott, who lost two of his best friends without ever knowing the truth about what really happened. Later that night, Buffy watches Angel as he sleeps on the floor of the mansion. He constantly flinches and trembles, apparently suffering from nightmares of his time in Hell.

This episode centers around the theme of domestic violence, which is a rare them to tackle in a supernatural show, as well as very difficult. But for the most part, its handled very well and you totally buy into this very toxic relationship. I love the tragedy of the relationship, and how its a sad consequence to the supernatural goings on in Sunnydale.

Buffy & Angel reuniting is nice, and provides new drama for Buffy. Angel is a feral beast, and not in very much control of his actions. Buffy's job now is to bring him back to reality and help him find his path again after the chaos of last season.

My only downside for this episode was the lack of Cordelia. Not a major criticism but something that I felt decreased the episode slightly.

Rating - 87% - A-

MovieMad16

01-14-18, 08:37 PM

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3x05 - Homecoming

With Homecoming approaching, Cordelia plans to start her campaign for the title of Homecoming queen, while the rest of the gang debates on their mode of transportation to the dance. Buffy, however, is still distracted by Angel's recent return, so she takes off for the mansion shortly after Scott asks her to the dance. At the mansion, Buffy assures Angel that nobody else knows that he's back. To Angel's dismay, Buffy also tells him that she's currently seeing another guy. Unfortunately, that statement doesn't hold true for much longer, for Scott dumps Buffy the very next morning. He explains that the down and depressed Buffy he knows now is not the same Buffy he knew before they started dating. After Scott leaves, Buffy wanders around outside of the school alone... and completely unaware of the two German men who are watching her from inside a van. Using state-of-the-art equipment, they transmit their visual to a lavish mansion, where an old man receives the signal and shows the image of Buffy to his boss: Mr. Trick.

At City Hall, Mayor Richard Wilkins III learns from his deputy mayor that two German brothers with impressive criminal records have recently been spotted in Sunnydale. Their names are Frederick and Hans Gruenshtahler, and they're the same two men who have been spying on Buffy. The Mayor isn't too worried about this. In fact, he's more concerned with cleanliness and personal hygiene, which he displays by closely inspecting his deputy mayor's hands. Meanwhile, at Sunnydale High, the senior class gets its pictures taken in the lounge for their fourth and final high school yearbook. Buffy's a no-show, so Cordelia heads to the library to tell her about the photo session. Before she can enter the library, Cordy is distracted by her Homecoming queen campaign priorities and completely forgets to inform Buffy. Inside the library, Buffy and Faith plan to attend the dance together since Scott is no longer in the picture.

The next day, Buffy asks one of her favorite teachers from the previous school year, Ms. Moran, to write her a recommendation to give to Principal Snyder. Buffy needs the recommendation to fulfill one of the conditions set by Snyder for her readmittance. However, Ms. Moran can't even remember Buffy's name, let alone anything about her to merit a written recommendation. Buffy's woes increase at lunch when she learns from Xander and the others that she missed the yearbook photo session. Upset with Cordy's irresponsibility, Buffy approaches the Homecoming queen candidate and speaks her mind. Naturally, Cordy retaliates with her own special brand of verbal abuse. This motivates Buffy to compete with Cordy and run for Homecoming queen herself. Later that night, Mr. Trick assembles a promising group of hunters at his mansion for an event called Slayerfest '98. Included in this group of hunters: Frawley, a human hunter with a rifle and a set of bear traps; Lyle and Candy Gorch, two recently-married vampires; Frederick and Hans Gruenshtahler, the German brothers who have been tracking Buffy's every move; and Kulak, a yellow-skinned demon who keeps jagged blades inside his forearms. Mr. Trick hopes this Slayerfest will see the end of both Buffy and Faith. Meanwhile, at the Rosenberg residence, Xander helps Willow pick out a dress for the dance while he tries on the tuxedo he'll be wearing. Initially, they discuss their relationships with Cordelia and Oz. However, after Willow puts on her best dress and Xander completes his attire, the only thing on their minds is each other. While Xander gives Willow a brief lesson on dancing, the two best friends lose themselves in the moment and share a kiss. That moment is quickly interrupted when they both realize what they've done, both to themselves and their significant others.

The next morning, Buffy learns that she'll be campaigning alone, since all of her friends have already committed to helping Cordy. Buffy and Cordy kick their Homecoming queen campaigns into full gear, hoping to outdo each other in the race for the title. While Buffy convinces Willow to give her a little help, Frederick and Hans listen in on their conversation. They pay particular attention to Buffy's announcement that the limo will pick up Faith first, Buffy second, and the rest of the group afterwards. Later in the day, Buffy learns that Cordy has been paying some of the students money to get their votes. This leads to another argument between the two candidates, only this one ends on a much harsher note. Distraught, Willow tells Xander that their brief tryst must be partly responsible for the current feud between Buffy and Cordelia. Eventually, Xander and Willow's conversation turns to the bigger problem at hand: what are they themselves going to do now. Later that night, the limo stops at the Summers home to pick up Buffy as planned. Buffy is surprised to find Cordy inside instead of Faith. According to a note written by the gang, Buffy and Cordy will be taking the limo to the dance alone so that they may work out their differences before the crowning of the Homecoming queen. Included with the note are a couple of corsages. The limo's destination is not the dance, however, but rather the nearby woods. Buffy and Cordy step out of the limo and notice a monitor and VCR set up on a table, along with a sign that informs them to play the tape. Buffy and Cordy watch a recording of Mr. Trick, who welcomes Buffy and Faith to Slayerfest '98. Apparently, they expected Faith to be in Cordy's place. Before Cordy can clear up the confusion, the monitor explodes, and the hunt begins. The first hunter they run into is Frawley, who Buffy immobilizes by knocking him into one of his own traps. Unable to free his leg, Frawley informs Buffy and Cordy of the rest of the hunter group. While Buffy and Cordy take refuge inside a cabin, Xander and Willow find themselves guilty and ashamed at the dance, even after Giles commends them on their effort to resolve the feud between Buffy and Cordy. In the cabin, Cordy finds a telephone which Buffy uses to call Giles at the library. Buffy explains to Cordy that she's running for Homecoming queen because she wants a high school memory that doesn't involve her job as the Slayer. Suddenly, Kulak bursts into the cabin and attacks Buffy. During their battle, Frederick and Hans approach the cabin. They are being navigated by the old man, who is tracking Buffy and Cordy with his computer system back at the mansion. The German brothers fire an explosive device into the cabin, which causes Buffy to stop her battle with Kulak and escape with Cordy. Kulak fails in his attempt to get out of the cabin, and he is killed in the explosion. Buffy and Cordy get up from the ground and head back to the library, unaware that Lyle and Candy Gorch have knocked out Giles and are waiting for them to arrive.

While Buffy and Cordy head to the library, a pair of police officers arrive at Mr. Trick's mansion and escort him away, against his will. At the library, Buffy fights with Candy Gorch before dusting her. Enraged, Lyle moves in to attack, but Cordy stops him short and launches into an impressive speech that scares Lyle into taking off. After Giles regains consciousness, he points out that he wasn't aware of the group buying corsages for Buffy and Cordy. Buffy notices small electronic devices in the corsages, which the old man must have been using to track their movements. They hear the German brothers in the hallway, so Buffy binds the bugs together with a bundle of wet toilet paper. After leading one of the brothers into a classroom, she throws the mass of toilet paper onto his back. The old man gives the other brother the coordinates, and both Frederick and Hans proceed to shoot each other dead. Meanwhile, the two police officers bring Mr. Trick to City Hall, where Mayor Wilkins introduces himself. He reveals that he's quite aware that Mr. Trick is a vampire, and he wants his help in eliminating the "rebellious element" from Sunnydale. Mr. Trick realizes that the Mayor is referring to the Slayers. At the dance, Buffy and Cordy finally arrive, only to learn that neither of them is the new Homecoming queen, for the other two candidates win the election in a tie.

Homecoming is a good fun episode which begins to shred the very last of the high school era. It's about Buffy claiming what is left of any high school credibility. That means going up against Cordelia, who is very much in control of what is cool and trendy in High school. It's a fun clash between the two as both play against each other, which leaves the rest of the characters split on loyalty. You then have Slayerfest98, adding more pressure on Buffy on the night itself, throwing her and Cordy into considerable danger. Both Sarah & Charisma give great performances, and we see a side of Buffy rarely seen; a more vulnerable, envious type of character. We also get some good Faith moments in the episode too, very funny and showcases Eliza's comedic traits too.

Rating - 88% - A-

MovieMad16

02-27-18, 03:59 PM

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3x06 - Band Candy

Buffy's S.A.T. is coming up, so Giles helps her study for it at the cemetery while waiting for any vampires to rise from their graves. At City Hall, Mayor Wilkins enlists Mr. Trick's aid for an upcoming tribute to a demon. Mr. Trick just so happens to know a man who can help them.

The next morning, Principal Snyder enlists students to sell candy in order to raise money for Sunnydale High's marching band, and Buffy and the gang are at the top of Snyder's recruitment list. After Buffy convinces her mother to buy some candy, she revives their long-standing debate over whether or not she can get a license and start driving. Joyce remains uncomfortable with the notion of her daughter behind a steering wheel. Buffy then heads off for the library, telling her mother that she has some more training to do with Giles. Joyce is not pleased with how much time Buffy has to spend working with Giles. At the library, Buffy trains briefly with Giles before leaving early, explaining to him that her mom wants her home early. Buffy then visits Angel at the mansion, bringing along a container of blood from the butcher shop. When Buffy finally goes home, she is surprised to find both her mom and her Watcher waiting for her in the foyer. They both have figured out that Buffy lied to them in order to go someplace else, although Joyce suspects that place was the Bronze. Unhappy with the way she's being treated, Buffy expresses how she can't fulfill both of their demands for the amount of time they want to spend with her. After Buffy goes to her room, Giles and Joyce relax on the couch, curiously eating one candy bar after another. Elsewhere, these same candy bars are being packaged in a factory. Overlooking the whole process is none other than Giles' old rival, Ethan Rayne.

Buffy, Cordy, Xander, Willow, and several other students sit in study hall on Friday, waiting for their supervisor to arrive. The staff member assigned to study hall this day happens to be Giles, who is uncharacteristically late. While the students wait, Xander and Willow engage in a forbidden game of footsie under their table, apparently still hung up over each other after their kiss on Homecoming week. Principal Snyder talks one of the teacher, Ms. Barton, into filling in for Giles. Buffy is both surprised and dismayed to learn that Giles never showed up, but she and the rest of the students are even more surprised when Ms. Barton speaks to them loosely and freely, going so far as to refer to their principal as "Commandant Snyder". After school, Buffy goes to Giles' apartment to find out where he was, but that soon becomes irrelevant when she notices that her mother is there as well. Giles explains that he and Joyce have been working out a schedule to make it easier for Buffy to spend enough time with the both of them. Joyce then stuns her daughter by handing her the keys to her jeep, telling Buffy to drive herself home. After Buffy grabs the keys and leaves, Giles lights up a cigarette, dropping the charade that he and Joyce were putting on for Buffy when she arrived just now. Not one to pass up on an opportunity like this, Buffy picks up Willow in the jeep and drives off to the Bronze, displaying a horrific driving ability along the way. At the Bronze, Buffy and Willow immediately notice the vast number of adults present, which is unusual for any given night at the Bronze. Even stranger is that all of the adults are acting like rowdy teenagers, including Principal Snyder, who acts like he's just one of the Scooby Gang. While Buffy and Willow try to decipher this phenomenon, Giles and Joyce drink, smoke, and listen to old LP's before heading out into town. Giles and Joyce stroll by the store windows, one of which showcases a coat that catches Joyce's eye. Giles breaks into the window and steals the coat for the new "girl" in his life. A cop tries to stop them, but Giles makes short work of the cop and takes his gun before leaving the scene with Joyce. Back at the Bronze, Buffy decides that they need to get out and find some answers. As Buffy, Willow, and Oz leave the Bronze and get into the jeep, Snyder follows them into the car. Since time is definitely an issue, Buffy lets him tag along. Meanwhile, adults all over town are acting like teenagers, just like the people at the Bronze. Two guys even get into a drag race, and one of them smashes into Buffy's jeep. After everyone gets out of the car, one man runs by and steals Snyder's candy bar. Buffy realizes that there must be something wrong with the candy. Buffy instructs Willow and Oz to get Xander and Cordelia and head to the library, while she and Snyder drive to the candy bar factory.

Buffy and Snyder arrive at the factory, where a huge mob of adults are gathered around the entrance to get more candy bars. On her way to the entrance, Buffy is distracted by the sight of Giles kissing Joyce right in front of her eyes. Unable to deal with them at this moment, Buffy knocks out the workers and enters the factory, with Giles, Joyce, and Snyder following closely behind. Inside, Buffy finds Ethan, who wastes no time in running away. He tries to lose them in the maze of candy bar boxes, but Buffy eventually finds him. Back at the library, the rest of the gang tries to find some useful information, but they can't do much without a good lead. Buffy learns from Ethan that his job was mainly to divert the adults from the main objective, which is to pay tribute to a demon named Lurconis. Oz and Willow discover that Lurconis feeds on babies. Unbeknownst to any of them, a group of vampires walk into the hospital nursery and steal four of the infants there. Buffy and the others are too late in getting to the hospital. However, Giles is able to recall that Lurconis means "glutton", and that they should be able to find him in the sewers. They go down into the sewer tunnels and find the babies, along with Mr. Trick, the other four vampires, and the Mayor. As soon as Buffy and Giles arrive, Mayor Wilkinson immediately flees the scene. While Buffy fights the vampires, Giles and Joyce move the babies out of harm's way. During the battle, Buffy throws one of the vampires into a large pool. A large rumbling soon follows, and Lurconis, a huge serpentine creature, emerges from an opening next to the pool and devours the hapless vampire. Mr. Trick challenges the Slayer to a fight, but her Watcher intervenes and attempts to take on the vampire. Mr. Trick easily tosses Giles into the pool and escapes. With Lurconis coming back for seconds, Buffy detaches a fuel line and ignites the open end on one of the torches that the vampires set up, creating a giant blowtorch. As Lurconis emerges from the opening once again, Buffy roasts the demon, sending it back into its dwelling. Afterwards, Mayor Wilkinson expresses his disappointment in Mr. Trick's failure, warning him not to make the same mistakes again.

The following Monday morning, all the adults in Sunnydale are back to normal. Buffy laments to Giles after school about the disaster that was her S.A.T. They meet up with Joyce by the jeep, which is still wrecked. Buffy is relieved that she was able to stop Giles and Joyce before they went a little too far with their carefree romance... or so she believes.

I love the idea of this episode and how fun the concept is to execute. It's a strong episode, and the writers definitely up the ante with this idea, putting a magic spell into the residents of Sunnydale, mainly older civilians. Giles & Joyce getting together and cruising around Sunnydale fifties style is good for giggles, and fun for Buffy to react to. Ethan Rayne's return is also good and fun to watch him play off with Giles as it's a fascinating relationship these two characters both have. Lastly to note is just how funny Snyder is in this episode. I love how he becomes attached to the Scobbies and is just such a geek throughout.

Rating - 92% - A

honeykid

02-28-18, 09:15 AM

Season 3 is my favourite episode and Band Candy is such a good example of the season. Secondary characters really shine and its fun, while putting forward a few things (and giving Buffy her dream parents but, as always, showing that maybe it's not quite what you'd actually want.)

MovieMad16

03-12-18, 04:59 PM

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3x07 - Revelations

After Dingoes Ate My Baby finishes its set during a particularly crowded night at the Bronze, Oz joins Willow, Xander, and Cordelia at their table. Hoping to divert attention away from her and Xander's uneasiness around each other, Willow brings up the topic of Buffy acting differently as of late. Cordy suggests that Buffy might have found a new man. Buffy stops by briefly before heading off with Faith towards the cemetery for a rendezvous with Giles. In no time, Buffy and Faith are battling two newly-risen vampires while their Watcher observes. After successfully vanquishing the vampires, a woman arrives on the scene. She criticizes Buffy and Faith's performance, then identifies herself as Mrs. Gwendolyn Post -- Faith's new Watcher.

Upon returning to the library, Gwendolyn Post informs Giles, Buffy, and Faith that she has been sent by the Watchers' Council to serve as Faith's Watcher, as well as report back to the Council about the situation in Sunnydale with Giles and Buffy. In addition, Gwendolyn has information regarding a demon named Lagos, who has come to Sunnydale in search of a deadly weapon called the Glove of Myhnegon. It's apparent from the start that Gwendolyn doesn't have a great deal of respect for Giles' abilities, as she mocks both his resources and his efficiency. After Faith leaves with her newly appointed Watcher, Buffy goes to the mansion for her own training session with Angel. In the heat of the moment, they nearly kiss before Buffy pulls back at the last second. As she leaves, Buffy casually mentions Lagos' name, which brings a look of concern to Angel's face.

Back at the library, Giles' frustration steadily grows due to his difficulty in finding any relevant information on Lagos. He vents that frustration on Xander, demanding that he either help with the research or leave. Xander joins an exhausted Willow in the search through the books, and they settle down behind one of the stacks. One thing leads to another, and Willow is soon madly kissing Xander. Completely lost in their passion, neither of them realizes that Giles is merely a few feet away. His voice breaks them out of their spell and brings them to their feet. Luckily, the librarian is too focused on the book in his hands to notice what Willow and Xander were doing. Giles tells them that he discovered the possible location of the Glove of Myhnegon: inside the Von Hauptman family crypt in Restfield Cemetery. Xander immediately volunteers to go to the cemetery and check out the crypt. Meanwhile, Buffy and Faith decide to call it a night and postpone the rest of their patrol through the numerous cemeteries of Sunnydale. While Buffy heads home to sleep, Faith passes through Shady Hill Cemetery, where she finds the demon Lagos rummaging through a tomb. Faith engages the demon, but she quickly ends up on her back with the wind knocked out of her. She can only watch as Lagos gives up his search through the tomb and walks away. Finding the glove is the only thing on Lagos' mind. Over at Restfield Cemetery, Xander arrives at the Von Hauptman crypt just in time to see somebody walking out of the entrance. To his surprise, Xander recognizes the person as Angel, who is carrying a wrapped object in his hands. Without being noticed, Xander follows Angel back to the Crawford Street mansion and witnesses yet another surprise through the window: Buffy, with her arms wrapped around Angel... kissing him. After Xander leaves, Buffy and Angel break their kiss and regain control of themselves. Angel brings Buffy over to the object which he took from the crypt, then unwraps it to reveal the Glove of Myhnegon. Angel stops Buffy from touching it, warning her that the glove cannot be removed once you put it on. At Giles' apartment, Gwendolyn Post relaxes while Giles locates an illustration of the Glove of Myhnegon in one of his books. As they take a tea break, Xander bursts in with an urgent announcement concerning Buffy for Giles' ears only.

Buffy enters the library the next morning with good news about the glove, only to find Giles and all of her friends sitting around the table with serious looks on their faces. After she sits down, Giles tells her that her secret about Angel is officially out in the open. Buffy tries to defend her stance, emphasizing the fact that Angel is no longer the uncontrollable murderer that he became after his fateful "moment of happiness". However, her friends refuse to accept Buffy's excuses, especially Xander. Fed up with his accusations, Buffy grabs Xander by the arm and questions his motives for wanting Angel dead. Giles stops the debate and sends everybody back to class before things get out of hand. Buffy follows her Watcher into his office and reassures him that Angel got the glove before Lagos could find it. Giles, however, doesn't want to hear any more of Buffy's excuses. He reminds her of how Angel tortured him months ago. Giles then acknowledges the fact that Buffy was wrong to keep Angel's return a secret from her Watcher, and she has gravely disrespected him by doing so. Meanwhile, Gwendolyn pays a visit to Faith's place. While assuring Faith that her intentions are pure, Gwendolyn alludes to Giles' secret meeting with Buffy and her friends. Faith is not pleased to be left out of that equation. Back at Sunnydale High, Buffy finds Willow at her locker and asks if everything's all right between them. Preoccupied with her own secret, Willow does not hesitate to pardon Buffy for keeping Angel's return under wraps. Buffy then tells her friend that she plans to wait in front of the Von Hauptman crypt and kill Lagos when he arrives.

Later that night, Faith finds Xander at the Bronze, shooting pool by himself. Xander fills Faith in on the news that Angel's back in town, the Glove of Myhnegon is in his possession, and Buffy has no problems with any of this. Faith decides to kill Angel, and Xander is eager to tag along. As they head towards the library, Gwendolyn enters Giles' office and finds out that the Glove of Myhnegon has been found and is currently in the mansion on Crawford Street. Giles then surprises her with a spell he discovered that can destroy the glove. The spell creates a living flame, which can incinerate the Glove of Myhnegon. After Giles turns around, Gwendolyn picks up a statue and bashes him in the head twice, sending him to the floor, unconscious and bleeding. At Restfield Cemetery, Willow is about to divulge her secret to Buffy about her new relationship with Xander when Lagos suddenly appears. After a rough fight, Buffy grabs the axe from Lagos' back and uses it to chop his head off. As they head back to the library, Faith and Xander arrive to collect a few weapons from the armory in the bookcage. On their way out, Xander hears a moan coming from Giles' office. He finds Giles on the floor, quickly losing a lot of blood. Faith believes Angel did this, but Xander points out the lack of bite marks. Faith doesn't care about that detail, and she leaves for the mansion while Xander calls for an ambulance.

Aware of the method for destroying the glove, Angel completes the spell for the living flame. He then turns around to see that Gwendolyn Post has entered the room. She concocts a lie to convince Angel that the living flame can strengthen the glove if the spell was miscast. As Angel turns his back to her, Gwendolyn picks up a shovel and strikes the back of the vampire's head, knocking him to the floor. Meanwhile, Buffy and Willow arrive at the library, where paramedics are in the process of bringing Giles out to the ambulance. Before he is taken away, Giles tells Buffy that she must destroy the glove with living flame. Xander tells Buffy that Faith is already on her way to the mansion, convinced that Angel needs to die. Buffy tells Willow to find the spell for the living flame, then dashes towards the mansion, where Gwendolyn is trying to open the locked chest which contains the glove. Back at the library, Xander and Willow finish the preparations for the spell and head to the mansion. Before Gwendolyn can open the chest, Angel hops to his feet, his face morphed to its vampire state. Gwendolyn breaks the shovel handle in half and tries to stake Angel, but he easily knocks the weapon away and throws Gwendolyn into the wall. As he moves in to grab her, Faith arrives and sees her new Watcher about to be murdered by a vampire. Faith overwhelms Angel and is about to finish the job when Buffy arrives and stops the stake's descent. Buffy tries to convince Faith that Angel is not the enemy, but Gwendolyn urges her Slayer to do her job. Faith and Buffy begin to fight each other. Their battle takes them crashing through a window and into one of the outside courtyards. Xander and Willow arrive in the midst of the fight. Xander tries to stop them, but Faith tosses him aside and continues the fight. Using the Slayers' distraction to her advantage, Gwendolyn opens the chest and pulls out the glove and knocks Willow to the floor with it, then puts on the Glove of Myhnegon, which latches itself to her arm. As she raises the glove above her head and chants in Gaelic, thunder begins to rumble over the mansion. The loud thunder stops Buffy and Faith, and they turn their attention towards Gwendolyn. As they watch on, Gwendolyn screams a command which causes lightning to strike the glove from the sky, then fly out from the glove towards its target. Buffy and Faith dodge the blast, but just barely. As Willow gets up from the floor, Gwendolyn turns and fires a lightning bolt in her direction. Angel runs in and pushes Willow out of the way of the bolt. Faith runs around the room to draw her fire away from Buffy, who picks up a shard of the broken window and throws it at Gwendolyn's gloved arm. The glass cuts right through her arm, causing it to fall to the floor by Gwendolyn's feet. The dismemberment causes the glove to fire again, but since it is now beneath her, the lightning flies down from the sky and strikes Gwendolyn, burning her into oblivion.

The next morning, Oz, Willow, Xander, and Cordy talk in the lounge about Buffy and Angel, as well as destroying the Glove of Myhnegon with the living flame. Xander concedes that having Angel around again will be fine as long as Buffy doesn't repeat the same mistakes that led to the lifting of the curse. Buffy arrives and makes peace with Xander. Giles then walks into the lounge and tells the group that Gwendolyn Post was kicked out by the Watchers' Council a couple years ago. After school, Buffy visits Faith's place. She tells Faith to not worry about trusting her, but Faith still feels betrayed and is not in the mood for conversation. As Buffy turns to leave, Faith begins to tell her something, but decides to keep it to herself for now.

Revelations is a cracking episode, and one that I still think gets lost in the great episodes of this TV series. I love Angel's reveal and Buffy being thrown on the spot in quite an uncomfortable way. You can understand her perspective, but it's still difficult and unpleasant to watch. This also triggers Buffy's first tensions with Faith. Again, completely understand Faith's perspective here, but given that we've followed Buffy's story, we're obviously rooting for her through the episode. With this episode, we obviously have Xander being a dick again which is of course a huge turn off in itself and one that makes me angry through the episode.

Rating - 100% - A+

MovieMad16

03-12-18, 06:20 PM

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3x08 - Lovers Walk

Buffy Summers surprises her friends with her S.A.T. scores, which are a combined total of 1430. While everybody is fairly excited by this news, Buffy herself is more concerned with the fact that she may have to consider her future more seriously. Later that night, a car runs over the welcome sign at Sunnydale's city limits. Completely drunk, a familiar figure tumbles out of the driver's side door: Spike. Spike heads to the burnt-out factory where he originally stayed with Drusilla before Giles' invasion forced them to leave. Spike laments over his recent break-up with Dru as he smashes one of her old dolls.

The next morning, Xander convinces Cordelia to join Oz and Willow on a double date at the bowling alley. Xander notices that Cordy has taped pictures of herself and Xander, along with Oz and Willow, to the inside of her locker door. After confirming the plans, Oz follows Willow to her locker and gives her a pez dispenser with a witch's head on it as an impromptu gift. Overcome with guilt, Willow confronts Xander outside and tries to convince him that the double date is a bad idea. In the library, Giles admires Buffy's S.A.T. scores while he finishes packing for a retreat at Breaker's Woods. Buffy mentions her mother's enthusiasm and encouragement to apply to major colleges across the country. Giles agrees that Buffy should take advantage of this opportunity, while Faith could keep an eye on Sunnydale. Elsewhere, the deputy mayor informs Mayor Wilkins that Spike is back in town. Mayor Wilkins agrees with his suggestion that they get Mr. Trick to send a vampire committee to take care of Spike. Later, after school, Buffy and Joyce discuss college plans. Joyce continuously mentions out-of-state universities. Meanwhile, Spike goes to the Crawford Street mansion and spies on Angel, who is reading a book inside. Still drunk, Spike passes out on the floor of the garden.

As the sun rises the next morning, Spike is abruptly woken up by the sight and pain of his burning hand, which has been ignited by the sunlight. He goes to a local magic shop in search of a curse to cast on Angel. Spike hides as Willow enters. He looks on as Willow buys a few ingredients for a de-lusting spell, which she hopes will put an end to her affair with Xander. After Willow leaves, Spike feeds on the shopkeeper and formulates a new plan to get what he wants. At the mansion, Angel tells Buffy that she should look into college. This causes Buffy to leave early. Later that night, Xander finds Willow working on some sort of experiment in the science lab. While they wait for Cordelia and Oz to meet them there for the double date, Xander realizes that Willow is actually performing a spell. She tells him about the nature of the spell, and Xander is not pleased with Willow's preferred method of dealing with their situation. Suddenly, Spike appears to kidnap Willow. While Xander fights Spike, Willow attempts to hit the vampire with a heavy object. Spike grabs it out of Willow's hands and strikes Xander directly in the head, knocking him out. Willow and Xander are then brought to the factory and locked in the basement. While Xander lays on a bed, unconscious and bloody, Spike demands Willow to perform a love spell that will bring Drusilla back to him. Willow tells Spike that she still needs a few additional ingredients and the right spell book. Back at Sunnydale High, Cordy and Oz barge into the library where Buffy is training. Worried about Xander and Willow's absence, they take Buffy to the science lab and show her the aftermath of the fight. Buffy sends them to find Giles at his retreat while she goes back to the library to properly equip herself for the search. Before Buffy can enter the bookcage, the phone rings. It's Joyce, and as Buffy listens, Spike enters the Summers' home. As soon as Buffy hears the familiar voice, she drops the phone and runs home as fast as she can.

Joyce makes a couple cups of coffee while Spike tells her his sob story about what happened between himself and Drusilla. Outside, Angel approaches the house. He sees Spike sitting at the kitchen counter with Joyce and tries to run into the house, but can't do so without an invitation. Joyce is terrified to see Angel again, unaware that the real enemy is standing right behind her. Distracted, Spike doesn't even notice Buffy's entrance as she grabs him from behind and pins him to the counter. Joyce watches in confusion while Buffy invites Angel into the house to help with Spike. Spike tells them what he's done with Willow and Xander, but he doesn't say where they are. Buffy and Angel reluctantly agree to help Spike get what he needs for the love spell in exchange for her friends' safety. Meanwhile, Oz picks up Willow's scent, so he cancels the drive to Breaker's Woods and tries to find Willow and Xander instead. Cordelia is not too comfortable with the fact that Oz still has a few latent werewolf abilities even when it's not that time of the month. Buffy and Angel follow Spike to the magic shop to get the ingredients. While there, Spike mocks Buffy and Angel's attempt to be nothing more than friends. Spike insists that they will forever be in love with each other, just like he is with Dru. At the factory, Xander finally comes to and learns from Willow everything that's happened. Realizing that their situation is seemingly hopeless, Xander and Willow lay on the bed and kiss, unaware of the fact that Oz and Cordelia have just arrived to rescue them. Nobody can believe what they're seeing, and Cordy takes it the hardest. As she runs back up the stairs, one of the deteriorated steps crumbles. Cordy falls through the hole to the hard floor below. When Xander looks down through the hole, he sees that Cordy is impaled on a steel rod, which is sticking up from her torso.

After gathering all of the ingredients, Spike, Buffy, and Angel run into a large group of vampires outside of the magic shop. One of the group's head vampires, Lenny, is not too pleased with Spike's return to Sunnydale. A huge battle erupts on the street. Outnumbered, the three retreat into the magic shop and seal off the entrances. They miss one of the doors in the back, which is soon opened by the invading vampires. As the battle spills into the magic shop, Spike drives a stake through Lenny's heart, reducing him to dust. More vampires bust through the window, but they are quickly thwarted off by the vials of holy water thrown by Buffy and Angel. Spike is thoroughly satisfied with the emotional rush from the battle, and decides to forget about the love spell and win Drusilla back by being his old self. Spike tells them that Willow and Xander are at the factory, then leaves. Meanwhile, at the factory, Xander climbs down to the injured Cordelia while Oz leaves to get help. Luckily, none of Cordy's organs were punctured by the rod, but her distress over Xander's betrayal is beyond repair. While Buffy comforts Willow about the whole situation, Xander tries his own luck at the hospital where Cordy is recovering. He brings her flowers and tries to apologize, but Cordy simply tells Xander to stay away. Later, Buffy goes to the mansion and tells Angel that she won't visit him anymore. Buffy can't get out of her mind what Spike said about the two of them, so she decides to break off her contact with Angel. While everybody somberly reflects to themselves about what happened during the past few days, a jubilant Spike leaves Sunnydale once again.

This episode is good, but not great. I dig the return of Spike and he works well in the episode, loving the fact that we're being introduced to his persona later on in the series. While being villainous, but not outright evil like before. The magic hasn't gone away and James Masters is excellent as always. Willow & Xander's affair is also revealed and it has consequences on the dynamic of the group. It's sad to watch, especially for Cordelia.

But overall, I found the episode more fun and laid back to watch.

Rating - 86% - A-

MovieMad16

03-12-18, 07:11 PM

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3X09 - The Wish

Ridding Sunnydale of one slimy demon provides little distraction for Buffy, Xander, and Willow, who are still coping with the aftermath of their relationship woes. Cordy is taking it the hardest, ignoring the vast amount of answering machine messages left by Xander while burning all the pictures of her ex-boyfriend.

The next morning, Willow tries once again to patch up her relationship with Oz. Unfortunately, he needs some space and time to make any decisions on the matter. Cordelia arrives at school dressed to kill, but she soon learns that all of her old friends still have no respect for her, even after Xander Harris has left the picture. Harmony introduces Cordy to Anya, a new girl in town, before harshly insulting her former best friend. Anya takes an immediate interest in Cordy's personal troubles. Later that night, Cordy and Anya go to the Bronze, where Xander is also in attendance, along with Buffy and Willow. After getting up to fetch a few drinks, Buffy notices Cordy abruptly exiting, so she follows her into the alley. Before Buffy can get Cordelia to open up and vent her problems, a vampire intervenes. The ensuing fight sends Cordy into a nearby pile of trash. With the last straw exposed, Cordelia identifies Buffy as the source of all of her troubles. As she explains to Anya the next day, none of the bad things in Cordy's life would have ever happened if Buffy never came to Sunnydale. Anya removes her necklace and places it around Cordy's neck. Cordy declares her wish that Buffy never made that fateful trip. At this point, Anya reveals herself to be not quite human and says, "Done." A bright light flashes, and suddenly the Sunnydale High campus is much less crowded than it was a moment ago. Cordelia quickly realizes that Anya must have granted her wish. However, this new version of Sunnydale is not as ideal as she imagined it would be. There's a city curfew that coincides with sunset. The Bronze is no longer the place to be at night. And Xander and Willow, as Harmony tells her, are dead.

Night falls as Cordelia wanders the deserted streets of Sunnydale. She encounters Xander and tells him that they have to get Buffy. Willow arrives, and Cordy learns that they are now vampires. Before Xander can kill her, a familiar van pulls up to the scene of the inevitable crime. Giles gets out, warding Xander and Willow off with a cross. Behind him, Oz sits in the driver's seat with a crossbow aimed at the vamps. Larry and a girl named Nancy get out of the van and pull Cordy to safety. Giles gets back inside, and the van takes off. Cordelia is brought to the library, which serves as the main base for the resistance against the vampires. Meanwhile, Xander and Willow return to the Bronze, which is now the headquarters for The Master and his minions. The Master orders Xander and Willow to kill Cordelia before she can contact the Slayer and interfere with his latest scheme. Back at the library, Cordy finally comes to and tells Giles about her wish and that they need Buffy. Unfortunately, neither of them realize that Xander and Willow have infiltrated the library. Locked inside the bookcage, Giles can only hopelessly watch as Xander and Willow sink their fangs into Cordelia, draining her of all of her blood. After the vampires leave, Giles uses an axe from his weapons cabinet to bust open the cage. Larry and Oz arrive, informing Giles that Nancy is now dead. As they Pick up Cordy's lifeless body to bring to the incinerator, Giles notices her necklace and removes it.

The next morning, Willow plays around with Angel, who the Master has locked up in the basement of the Bronze as punishment. At the library, Giles discovers through his books that the necklace represents Anyanka, the "Patron Saint of Scorned Women". He realizes that Anyanka must have granted a wish that Cordy made which resulted in the world they're living in right now. Giles calls Buffy's Watcher in Cleveland and leaves a message. While driving down the streets later that night, Giles sees some vampires packing a group of humans into the back of a truck. He wards them off with the cross, enabling the humans to escape. However, he is knocked down from behind. Before the vampires can finish him, another challenger enters the fray. Giles watches the vampires face defeat at the hands of this newcomer, then realizes that this new girl is the one and only Buffy Summers. After taking her back to his apartment, Giles informs her of what he's learned concerning Anyanka. In order to reverse all of her wishes and render her powerless, Anyanka's powercenter must be destroyed. Buffy is clearly uninterested in this, and is more concerned with taking out the Master.

Buffy goes to the Bronze, which is now deserted. In the basement, she finds Angel locked up behind bars. While she doesn't recognize him, Angel knows exactly who she is from all the time he spent secretly observing her in Los Angeles. Angel leads Buffy to a factory where the Master has unveiled a machine that will revolutionize the lifestyle of vampires everywhere. This device can drain a person's body of all of its blood and dispense it into glasses and cups in mere seconds. Buffy and Angel step in to put a stop to the festivities. While Buffy fights the vampires head-on, Angel frees the human prisoners. In the course of the battle, Angel, Xander, and Willow are dusted. While Buffy continues to fight, Giles summons Anyanka and identifies her glowing necklace as her powercenter. As he rips it from her neck and prepares to smash it, the Master overpowers Buffy and snaps her neck, fulfilling the prophecy in the Pergamum Codex in this reality as well. Giles smashes the necklace, and suddenly Cordelia is standing in front of Anya again. Anya realizes that she is no longer able to grant Cordy's wish. As Cordy walks off, she passes by Buffy, Xander, and Willow, who are still alive and well.

The episode continues the fallout from the last episode, particulary with the Xander/Willow story. Oz being Oz just keeps quiet and his distance, where as Cordy goes very radical and well, Cordy over it which is the catalyst of the episode. This episode features the debut of Anya and she makes a good first impression, and one to keep an eye on in the future.

The Alternate World idea is a good one and I love seeing characters like The Master again as well as the What If scenario around Sunnydale. It's brutal, gritty and hell on earth. I really like the twist in the characters as well as where it all culminated to. My only complaint could be that the episode could've been much more exciting to watch, as well as a better payoff.

Rating - 88% - A-

MovieMad16

03-14-18, 01:52 PM

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3x10 - Amends

As Christmas draws near, Angel begins to relive in his dreams the numerous murders he has committed. One of his victims was a young man named Daniel, whom Angel killed in Dublin in 1818. Unable to stay in bed any longer, Angel ventures out onto the streets of Sunnydale and runs into Buffy, who's doing some last-minute Christmas shopping. Angel's attention is soon diverted from Buffy to a familiar face in the distance. Impossible as it may seem, Angel recognizes this person as Daniel, the same man he killed 180 years ago.

After Buffy tells her friends about her encounter with Angel the next day at school, Oz finally decides to give Willow a second chance at their relationship. Later that night, Buffy and Joyce shop for a Christmas tree. While looking around, Joyce suggests that Buffy invite Faith to their place on Christmas Eve. Buffy notices a small group of dead trees that the salesman can't explain. At the motel, Faith turns down Buffy's invitation, explaining that she already has plans to attend a party. Meanwhile, Angel shows up at Giles' doorstep in need of help. Giles invites him in, but not before he grabs a crossbow to protect himself with. Angel wants to find out how and why he returned to Earth, but he is soon distracted by the presence of Jenny Calendar in the apartment. She is invisible to Giles, which adds to his confusion when Angel suddenly runs out the door. Back at the mansion, Angel dreams about another moment in time when he took the life of a servant named Margaret. After drinking her blood, Angel looks up to see Buffy watching the whole event. Angel suddenly wakes up... as does Buffy.

Inside the mansion, Angel is haunted by Jenny, Daniel, Margaret, and visions of his many other victims. Buffy, meanwhile, tells Giles that she shared Angel's dream the previous night. They decide to do some research in hopes of discovering the reason for Angel's return to Earth. Xander and Willow show up shortly to aid in the research. After a while, both Buffy and Angel fall asleep and share another dream in which they make love in Buffy's bedroom. Their romantic moment is interrupted by the vision of a man with no eyes. Before Buffy can figure out what's going on, Angel bites into Buffy's neck, effectively waking both of them up from their slumbers. Angel listens to Jenny as she tries to convince him that losing his soul with Buffy again and killing her will bring him the peace he desires. Giles shows an illustration of three men with no eyes to Buffy, who recognizes the face from her most recent dream. Called the Bringers, or Harbingers, these high priests can summon The First. As Giles explains, The First is the name given to Absolute Evil. Since it is not a physical being, Buffy cannot fight it. Buffy and Xander visit Willy's bar, hoping to get some information on the whereabouts of the Bringers. All they learn is that the Bringers might be underground. Xander decides that they should go home and enjoy Christmas Eve before resuming their search.

With her parents out of town for the evening, Willow invites Oz over to her home to watch a few movies. When Oz arrives, he soon realizes that Willow has made a small change of plans. Willow tells him that she's ready to sleep with him, but Oz knows that she's only doing this as an extreme means of redemption. He turns down Willow's offer, preferring to spend the night in a simpler way, like kissing on the couch. Meanwhile, Faith shows up at the Summers' front porch. Explaining that she thought twice about the party, Faith gives a couple gifts to Buffy and Joyce. While Faith settles in, Buffy goes upstairs to her bedroom to fetch their presents. She is surprised to find Angel in her bedroom. However, he's a little out of it at this point, staring longingly at her neck. Jenny stands behind Buffy, urging Angel to take the final plunge, both symbolically and literally. Angel can't go through with it, and he dives through Buffy's window. Back at the mansion, Angel tells Jenny that he will end his own life, using the deadly rays of the sun to do the deed. After entrusting Faith with her mother's safety, Buffy goes to Giles' apartment in an attempt to find out where the Bringers are. One of Giles' books contains a passage that indicates the inability of life to grow above or below the Bringers. This leads Buffy back to the suspicious group of dead trees she noticed a while ago. Using an axe, Buffy breaks open a hole in the ground that she immediately enters. Underground, Buffy finds the Bringers and makes short work of them with the axe. However, Buffy isn't prepared to see the figure of Jenny Calendar standing before her. Buffy listens as the vision of Jenny speaks for The First, boasting its legendary might. Buffy has no time to entertain The First, which tells her that Angel will die by sunrise. Buffy runs back to the mansion to find Angel, but he is no longer there. She finally locates him at the top of a hill which overlooks Sunnydale. Buffy tries to get Angel indoors before sunrise, but Angel won't budge. He tells her that he can't go on living, knowing that his very existence presents a threat to the woman he loves so dearly. Buffy refuses to agree, expressing her love for Angel and the self-hatred that goes along with it. Their stand-off is unexpectedly interrupted by several flakes of snow falling from the sky. Soon enough, a steady snowfall envelops Sunnydale for the first time ever, preventing the sun's rays from reaching the ground below and ending Angel's life. Nobody can explain it, but that doesn't matter to Buffy and Angel. Some higher power, whomever or whatever it may be, has given Angel yet another lease on life... on Christmas, no less.

This episode gives us the first introduction of the First Evil, a crucial character that'll be important later on in the story. It's almost impossible to kill or fight, as its evil before evil existed. I like how it can be anyone that's dead, and can get into people's heads so easily with very little effort. This leaves Angel in a bit of a mess, threatening to kill himself as a result. Some great performances by David Boreanaz & Sarah Michelle Gellar here, culminating in a scene with a peak view of Sunnydale. I also love the christmas themed element of the episode, something Buffy doesn't tend to do that often.

Rating - 81% - A-

MovieMad16

03-14-18, 04:12 PM

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3x11 - Gingerbread

On a typical night of patrol and slaying, Buffy's routine is unexpectedly interrupted by the arrival of her mother. Joyce feels that it's time to get a better understanding of her daughter's world by watching Buffy in action. Almost as soon as Joyce arrives, a vampire enters the scene. After Buffy chases him into the thick of the woods, Joyce discovers the bodies of two dead children, one boy and one girl, at a nearby playground. A strange symbol has been enscribed in the palms of their hands. While the police investigate the crime scene, Buffy tries to console her distraught mother.

Buffy tells Giles about the murdered children in the library the next morning. She sketches the symbol she noticed on their palms and shows it to Giles, who believes it implies the handiwork of a cult. Buffy cannot believe that humans are responsible for this as opposed to demons. At lunch, nobody notices Joyce walking into the cafeteria and straight to the gang's table. Buffy excuses herself and takes her mom into the hallway. Joyce tells her daughter that she's organized a meeting at City Hall for that night to discuss the murder. Dozens of parents attend, including Sheila Rosenberg, Willow's mother. Willow can't believe she's there, considering the fact that they barely communicate with each other. After the Mayor delivers a textbook speech to the crowd, he invites Joyce to the stand to lead them in a moment of silence. Instead, Joyce proposes a call to action, declaring an end to the city's silence concerning the ubiquitous dangers that plague Sunnydale. Later that night, Willow, Amy, and their friend Michael gather together to explore their world of the black arts. On the floor beneath them is the very same symbol that appeared on the two dead children.
At school the next morning, a group of students harass Michael by his locker, stating their belief that witches were responsible for the children's murder. Amy tries to fend them off, but it's Buffy who gets them to back off. Giles finds Buffy and tells her that witches may in fact be the prime suspects. The book that Giles needs to research this further was checked out by Willow, so he asks Buffy to get it for him. Buffy finds Xander sitting in the lounge, who points out Willow's stuff.

As she picks up the book, Buffy notices the symbol drawn on Willow's notebook. She asks Willow to explain it, but their conversation is cut short by the sudden commotion in the hallways. Under Principal Synder's supervision, the local police inspect each and every locker, looking for any signs of materials pertaining to witchcraft. After Amy is escorted to the office, Willow tells Buffy that the symbol is for a protection spell that she wanted to cast for Buffy's upcoming birthday. In other words, the symbol and what it stands for are completely harmless. At that moment, the cops open Willow's locker and ask her to come with them. Buffy runs to the library and discovers a similar scene. As the cops pack up all of Giles' books concerning the supernatural, Buffy tells him about the misleading symbol.

Later that night, Buffy argues with her mother, who is the founder of MOO (Mothers Opposed to the Occult). Buffy insists that this matter be dealt with by the Slayer. However, Joyce doesn't believe that Buffy's work is making Sunnydale any better. After Buffy takes off, the two deceased children appear in the kitchen... very much alive. Joyce listens to them intently as they beg her to make their murderers suffer. Meanwhile, Sheila grounds Willow for getting into trouble at school. She orders her daughter to stay in her room for the rest of the night.

At the park, Angel finds Buffy standing by the scene of the crime, which is now decorated with flowers, candles, and pictures of the children from a time when they were still alive. Buffy has not forgotten her mother's criticism of the Slayer's effectiveness. Angel reassures Buffy that her destiny is not in vain. During their conversation, Angel inadvertently alerts Buffy to a mystery concerning the two children. She heads to the library and finds Giles, Xander, and Oz trying to find any useful information on the internet. Buffy shares her realization that nobody seems to know anything about the two children, including their names or where they came from, and yet their pictures were somehow available for use in MOO's campaign. Oz sends an instant message to Willow, who then begins to search the web for any files or articles relating to the two children. Apparently, the dead bodies of these same two children have been repeatedly discovered once every fifty years, dating all the way back to 1649. The oldest article identifies them as Hans and Greta Strauss. Unfortunately, Sheila cuts off Willow's computer access at this moment, forcing Giles and the gang to figure the rest out on their own. Giles recalls a theory that many fairy tales are based on actual accounts of the supernatural. Buffy fills in the blanks, recalling the story of Hansel and Gretel, who must have been based on Hans and Greta. Suddenly, Michael bursts into the library and tells everybody that he was attacked by his own family. He also informs them that Amy was taken from her home. Xander and Oz head towards Willow's house while Buffy and Giles race back to the Summers home to warn everybody. Back at the Rosenberg's, Willow answers the knocking at her door and finds her mother... along with a group of angry parents who want nothing but her death. Meanwhile, Buffy and Giles interrupt another MOO meeting. As they take Joyce into the foyer to speak with her alone, the rest of the group sneak up from behind and knock Giles unconscious. Joyce does the same to Buffy with the help of some chloroform.

Buffy, Willow, and Amy are tied to large stakes in City Hall, ready to be burned for the crimes they've been accused of. Willow and Amy unsuccessfully struggle with their restraints, while Buffy remains unconscious. Meanwhile, Xander and Oz burst into Willow's room, which was left a total mess in the wake of the angry parents. As they leave for City Hall, Giles is awoken by an impatient Cordelia, who came to the house to find out what was going on. They hurry to Giles' car and speed towards City Hall. During the drive, Giles has Cordy mix together the ingredients for a spell while he tries to recall the incantation from memory. Back at City Hall, Buffy finally regains consciousness and realizes the situation she's in. Joyce refuses to listen to her daughter's pleas. Amy escapes danger by transforming herself into a rat and bolting out of the room, but Willow and Buffy are still moments away from a fiery death. Just as the fire is about to engulf Buffy and Willow, Giles and Cordy burst into the room. While Cordy extinguishes the fire, Giles casts the spell on the two children, who then combine and change into the true form of a tall, hideous demon. As the parents realize the deception and try to escape, Xander and Oz approach the scene via a ventilation shaft above the ceiling. Without the help of the parents, the demon attempts to kill Buffy and Willow directly and charges them. Buffy breaks the stake she's been tied to in half and leans forward -- just in time to impale the demon. The silence that follows is soon interrupted by the sight and sound of Xander and Oz falling down through a weak spot in the ceiling and crashing down onto the floor.

A while after their near-death experience, Buffy and Willow discuss Sheila Rosenberg's convenient memory loss concerning the demon, just like the way Joyce Summers' memory used to operate before learning that her daughter was the Slayer. Willow then makes another attempt at restoring the Amy rat to human form. Unfortunately, Willow is going to need a little more practice before she can pull this one off.

This episode is lackluster compared to the other episodes in Season 3 so far. It repels back to the Monster Of The Week format which sometimes wared the show down in its early seasons. And while this idea isn't the worst, its certainly not one that'll be remembered anytime soon. The Witches & Hansel/Gretel idea is pretty neat and does offer a slightly creepy element to the story.

However there are problems. I felt the lighting was a little off in this episode. Perhaps it tried to create an atmosphere that didn't need to be there. And the gag of Giles getting KOd starts now to get old and repetitive.

Overall, a weak episode in Season three, which has so far offered some very strong episodes.

Rating - 73% - B+

Baldie1999

03-14-18, 04:26 PM

Buffy is my all time favorite show,cant wait :)

Loved me some Buffy back in the day. Especially the early seasons. Don't know why, just do. Hehee.

They had this horror series look & vibe about them. Although I loved the whole show in general and thought it was very creative.

I enjoyed Angel too, I think everyone was a bit tired of the whimpering Angel from the mid seasons. But he was an ultra popular character, so it was a natural conclusion he would probably get his own show. And it was really fun and entertaining. I would have liked to of seen more Vampire style fighting on either show instead of the television karate every episode, but I guess one could boil that down to budget. Still great memories for me.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/buffy/images/5/5c/Buffy-angel-buffy-vampire-slayer--large-msg-120053039312.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130718215632

MovieMad16

03-14-18, 04:42 PM

https://hypersonic55.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/984buffy3.jpg

3x12 - Helpless

After a training session in the mansion, Buffy and Angel get a little too close for comfort. With her eighteenth birthday almost upon her, Buffy is anxiously awaiting to spend some time with her father at an ice show. Later, at the library, Giles leads Buffy through a study of vibratory stones. Despite being a little fidgety, Buffy manages to concentrate on one of the stones. Afterwards, Buffy battles with a vampire in the park. Just as she is about to deliver the final blow, something surges through Buffy's body, and she suddenly finds herself powerless. The vampire quickly takes the upper hand, knocking her to the ground and turning the wooden stake on the Slayer herself. Buffy panicks, but she is still able to stun the vampire with a headbutt and push him off of her. She grabs the stake and aims it straight up as the vampire leaps onto her. In an instant, the vampire is nothing but dust.

Giles enters the library the next morning to find Buffy practicing her aim with throwing knives. As the random placing of the knives on and around the target shows, the Slayer is not herself. Giles ensures Buffy that she'll be okay. Outside, Buffy downplays her friends' enthusiasm over the upcoming birthday, suggesting that a party may not be the greatest of ideas, given her tainted history with such social gatherings. Later that night, Buffy notices a birthday balloon floating in her kitchen with what appear to be an envelope and tickets attached to the string. As Joyce informs her that Hank won't be able to free up enough time to take her to the ice show, Buffy folds up the envelope without even opening it. Meanwhile, three men are hard at work inside an old, abandoned boarding house. One of the men, Quentin Travers, looks on as his two associates, Blair and Hobson, work on laying bricks in several of the doorways. At the library, Buffy tries to indirectly ask Giles to take her to the ice show, but he is more interested in making her study the vibratory stones. After Buffy finally gives up her futile effort, Giles instructs her to concentrate on the fault inside the large blue stone. As Buffy stares at it, she suddenly loses all touch with the outside world. Giles checks to make sure Buffy's in a trance, then takes an injection kit out of his bag. He injects a strange, green fluid into Buffy's arm. After he finishes the task and puts away the kit, Giles waves his hand in front of the fault, breaking Buffy's trance. Unaware of what just happened, Buffy decides to call it a night and leaves Giles alone in the library.

Outside of school the next morning, Buffy notices a guy harassing Cordelia. Buffy walks up to the guy and grabs him by the arm. However, she suddenly realizes that she doesn't have enough strength to do anything to the guy, who casually shoves her to the ground with that one arm. Buffy finds Giles in the hallway and tells him about her disturbing loss of strength. Giles doesn't show a great deal of concern, although he definitely knows why Buffy is going through this. Giles speaks with Quentin at the boarding house, voicing his disagreement with the Watcher Council's insistence on subjecting Buffy to the Cruciamentum. The Cruciamentum is a test which all Slayers must endure when they reach the age of eighteen in order to prove their instinctual skills and resourcefulness. To do so, the Slayer must survive an encounter with a vicious vampire while trapped inside a small space. In this case, Buffy must defeat an insane vampire, Zackary Kralik, in the confines of this boarding house. After Giles leaves, a loud, painful scream emanates from Kralik's coffin. Blair and Hobson open the coffin and give Kralik his pills. Giles returns to the library, where Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Oz try to find any relevant info in the books that might explain her loss of power. While Buffy continues to search for answers, Kralik's screaming keeps Blair and Hobson from getting any rest. While Hobson takes a break, Blair opens the coffin to learn that Kralik wants more pills. As Blair goes to the kitchen to fill the glass with water, Kralik screams to cover up the sound of his straightjacket ripping at the seams. Kralik then tricks Blair into stepping close to the coffin and grabs him by the throat with his freed arm before sinking his fangs into his neck. At the mansion, Angel gives a book of poetry to Buffy for her birthday. Unfortunately, Buffy is distracted by her power loss to fully appreciate Angel's gift. Buffy fears that she may have lost what made her special. Angel consoles her by confessing that he watched her long before she moved to Sunnydale, admitting that he lived her then every bit as much as he does now. Meanwhile, Blair rises in front of Kralik as a newly-turned vampire. He picks up an axe and frees Kralik from his restraints.

Giles stops by the boarding house to check in on things, but nobody seems to be around. After noticing blood on the stairway railing, Giles grabs a make-shift stake and opens Kralik's tomb. Finding it empty, Giles goes to the kitchen and discovers Hobson's dead corpse. Overcome by the grotesque sight and smell, Giles runs out of the house. He needs to find Buffy, who is walking the streets alone. She runs into Kralik, who grabs her jacket. Unable to fight him as she normally would, Buffy turns and runs for her life. She tries to climb over, then under a fence. Blair shows up and tries to pull her back, but Buffy escapes and runs out into the middle of the street. Giles arrives just in time, and Buffy jumps into his car. Back at the library, Giles tells the whole truth to Buffy, showing her the syringe filled with an organic compound of muscle relaxants and adrenal suppressers. He informs her that the effects of the compound will wear off in a few days, but Buffy is too furious to care about that right now. Giles goes on to tell her that he just invalidated the test by telling her about it ahead of time. Unfortunately, Buffy refuses to listen or forgive him. As soon as Cordelia walks into the library to do some research for a paper, Buffy asks her for a ride home. While Cordelia drives Buffy home, Joyce hears a noise on her front porch. She goes out and sees Buffy's jacket draped over a figure. Assuming it's Buffy, she bends down towards the covered figure. However, it's not Buffy at all, but really Kralik. When Buffy arrives home, she finds a polaroid of her mother and Kralik. She packs a large amount of her slaying supplies into her bag and heads towards the mansion.

Tied to a chair and gagged, Joyce can do nothing but watch as Kralik takes countless polaroids of her while rambling about his hatred for mothers. Buffy walks in through the main entrance of the boarding house and looks around. As she realizes that all of the other exits have been sealed by bricks, Blair locks the main entrance, trapping the Slayer inside. Meanwhile, Quentin visits Giles at the library and tells him that the Cruciamentum has begun. Giles informs him that he disclosed all of the information concerning the test, but none of that matters right now. He leaves Quentin in the library and races towards the boarding house. Buffy encounters Kralik and tries to take him out with her crossbow, but it's no use. He chases Buffy through the house. She takes refuge inside a dark room. When she turns the light on, Buffy sees that the walls are completely plastered with photos of her helpless mother. She runs out of the room, and Kralik finally traps her in the hallway. Buffy attempts to ward him off with a cross, but Kralik is so insane that he actually enjoys the pain it causes. Before he can bite into her neck, Kralik is suddenly seized by his painful need to take his pills. He fishes the medicine bottle out of his pocket. Spotting an opportunity, Buffy grabs the bottle out of his hands and dives through a laundry chute. Landing in the basement, Buffy finds Joyce on the chair. When Kralik reaches the basement, Buffy tries to flee the scene with his pills. He rips the bottle out of her hands and quickly grabs the nearby glass of water. After swallowing the pills with the water, Kralik suddenly notices a burning sensation inside himself. Buffy holds out an empty bottle of Holy Water. The blessed water soon disintegrates Kralik. As Buffy works on freeing Joyce from the chair, both Giles and Blair crash into the basement. Giles finishes the vampire off, then leaves with Joyce and Buffy.

In the library, Quentin commends Buffy on her successful passing of the test. However, he has bad news for Giles. Since he has demonstrated a relationship with Buffy that the Council has deemed too close, like the way a father loves his daughter, Giles is relieved of his duties as Buffy's Watcher. Quentin then tells Buffy that she will be assigned a new Watcher soon. Struck by this revelation of how much Giles cares for her, Buffy calmly allows him to tend to her wounds. Back at home, Buffy's friends try to make sense of Giles' being fired... especially Willow, who almost refuses to believe the mere possibility of Giles losing his job.

This is one of those episodes that really puts Buffy in peril. Giles's betrayal of her is very dark and really shakes the relationship brewing over the three seasons quite massively. It leaves things very raw, very shaken, and you're left wondering if Buffy can ever truly trust Giles again. It also demonstrates just how cruel and heartless The Watchers Council are, and just how dark their methods are when dealing with The Slayer.

The villain in this episode is very scary, and one who is just plain psychotic and terrifying to watch unfold. It leaves Buffy vulnerable, quite possibly the most vulnerable so far in the series. The climax in the episode plays out like a horror film, with Buffy stuck in the house with the villain and to the point where it gets very tense.

Rating - 95% - A

MovieMad16

03-14-18, 04:45 PM

Loved me some Buffy back in the day. Especially the early seasons. Don't know why, just do. Hehee.

They had this horror series look & vibe about them. Although I loved the whole show in general and thought it was very creative.

I enjoyed Angel too, I think everyone was a bit tired of the whimpering Angel from the mid seasons. But he was an ultra popular character, so it was a natural conclusion he would probably get his own show. And it was really fun and entertaining. I would have liked to of seen more Vampire style fighting on either show instead of the television karate every episode, but I guess one could boil that down to budget. Still great memories for me.

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I don’t know why but I have this soft spot for Season 2. It’s probably because its the first Buffy season I saw and then went straight into Angel the spin off. I can’t wait to get into reviewing that.

The High School years were the best for the Horror vibe. The later seasons I think slipped up on that department, even if there are still some cracking episodes to come.

The fighting is what it is. Nothing really can’t be changed by that.

Baldie1999

03-14-18, 05:25 PM

I don’t know why but I have this soft spot for Season 2. It’s probably because its the first Buffy season I saw.

It might have been the first season I saw as well. I think I first saw Buffy on the tail end of season 1. Hard to remember.

The High School years were the best for the Horror vibe. The later seasons I think slipped up on that department, even if there are still some cracking episodes to come.

Now that I think about it, the high school yrs ( particularity S1&2 ) had that kinda of Goosebumps type style, that I thought was fantastic for the show as far as look and vibe. I'm sorry to see some of that go in the series.

As far as the stories go, those keep remaining great with many highlight episodes throughout the show's run. Although some might say the show got better as it went on. I'm on the fence about that, I loved some of those stories from the early seasons.

The fighting is what it is. Nothing really can’t be changed by that.

Well, I was just saying, always found that kinda funny looking back. Still loved it regardless.

Actually that would have worked even better for Angel: the series if they could have pulled it off back in the day, but wire-work and those type of effects are very expensive for a teen show on the WB / UPN / CW network. As much as I liked Angel, I remember being a little disappointed at the fighting being mostly Buffy style karate instead of vampire-fantasy back in 99.

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MovieMad16

03-15-18, 07:39 AM

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3x13 - The Zeppo

Combining their unique talents and efforts, Giles, Willow, Faith, and Buffy defeat a group of hideous, female demons. Xander, however, can only pick himself up from the ground and commend his partners on a job well done. The others agree that Xander should not be risking his life by constantly involving himself in the battles. Of course, Xander just doesn't want to be left out of the fun.

Outside of school the next morning, Xander accidentally upsets Jack O'Toole, the local psychopath. After successfully escaping the wrath of Jack, Xander runs into Cordelia. She delights in pointing out Xander's insignificance, seeing how all of his friends possess one special quality that makes them fit in. Xander, on the other hand, has nothing to warrant his involvement in the Slayer circle. Inside the library, Giles unloads some bad news on Buffy. Apparently, the demons they fought the previous night belong to an Apocalypse cult called the Sisterhood of Jhe. They intend to reopen the Hellmouth, and there's no telling how soon that event will occur. As for Xander, his main problem concerns finding a special "thing" to help him fit in. The only "thing" that Xander can come up with is a car, which he procures from his Uncle Roary. Unfortunately, this brings little joy to Buffy and Willow, who are preoccupied with the Sisterhood of Jhe's plan. Xander offers to help -- which only leads him to the local bakery to pick up some doughnuts. Outside the shop, a beautiful woman by the name of Lysette admires Xander's car. Dumbfounded by his luck, Xander offers to give her a ride. Their impromptu date soon becomes an abyss of boredom for Xander, who learns that Lysette's one and only interest is cars. When Angel enters the Bronze, Xander immediately showers him with warm greetings, desperately in need of an escape from his personal hell. Angel doesn't have time to help Xander, for he's more intent on finding Buffy and warning her about the upcoming danger. Buffy and Willow, meanwhile, come up empty-handed in the research department. Unable to find anybody on the Watcher Council willing to listen to him, Giles heads to the cemetery to contact the spirit guides for any help. Buffy goes to Willy's bar later, only to find the place trashed and the bartender bleeding on the floor. Willy warns Buffy that the Hellmouth will be opened before sunrise.

Upon leaving the Bronze, Xander has another run-in with Jack. This time, he carelessly crashes his car into another, from which Jack O'Toole emerges. Just before Jack ends Xander's all-too-short life with a really big knife, a police officer shows up. Instead of turning Jack in, Xander tells the cop that everything's fine. Impressed by this surprising turn of events, Jack invites Xander to hang out with him and his friends. Back in his car, Xander drives Jack and Lysette to the cemetery where they're supposed to meet up with Jack's friends. Unbeknownst to Xander and Lysette, Jack's friends have a slight case of death. Lysette screams and runs for her life after Jack uses a ritual to raise one of his friends, Bob, from his grave. While Jack raises two more guys, Xander spots Giles, who was unable to get any answers from the spirit guides. Xander offers his help again, but Giles advises him to stay out of it. Xander's new "friends" appoint him as their designated driver, then have him drive them to the hardware store. While they break in and loot the place, Xander sees Willow emerging from a magic shop with a bag full of ingredients. Once again, he asks if the gang needs any help, but Willow doesn't tell him what he wants to hear. After she leaves, Jack and his friends decide to initiate Xander into their group. However, the sole requirement for initiation is Xander's death. Xander argues that Jack isn't dead, who then proves him wrong by revealing the bullet holes in his abdomen. Fed up with this party, Xander makes a run for it, eluding the zombies quickly enough to get back in his car and speed away. After a short drive, Xander sees Faith battling another Sisterhood of Jhe member. Flooring the gas pedal, Xander rams his car into the demon, then takes off with Faith. They take refuge in her motel room, where Xander discovers that his night isn't over by a long shot. The victory-less battle has left Faith all worked up, and the only thing that can relax her is a physical encounter of a completely different kind. After shedding their clothes, Faith does the deed with Xander in bed... then kicks him out of the place as soon as they finish.

Xander notices that the bags left in the back seat of his car contain ingredients for a bomb. He speeds back to the hardware store to Jack and the zombie gang, but they're are long gone. Unsure of what to do next, he seeks out Buffy for help. Xander finds her at the mansion with Angel. Their heated discussion forces Xander to leave them alone and take care of matters by himself. Meanwhile, Willow relocates werewolf Oz, who broke out of his cage earlier and had to be tranquilized, to a safer part of the school. She then returns to the library to help Giles prepare a binding spell which might take care of the Hellmouth demon. Neither of them are aware of the four zombies in the boiler room beneath them. Jack's gang puts the finishing touches on the bomb and leaves. Xander sees them walking down the street. Needing answers fast, he pulls up between them and grabs one of the zombies before hitting the gas. He learns that the bomb is in the boiler room of Sunnydale High. Before Xander can get the info he needs to disarm the bomb, the zombie's head connects with a mailbox and instantaneously departs from its body. Xander reaches the school and runs inside, completely unaware that the rest of his friends are in a life-and-death battle with the Hellmouth demon in the library... again. The zombies pursue Xander, who succeeds in taking them out one by one. In the boiler room, Xander encounters a knife-wielding Jack, while the bomb timer reads two minutes and counting. Xander dares Jack to let the bomb explode and permanently end his days as one of the walking dead. Jack's not ready to give up his lifestyle just yet, so he disarms the bomb. After Xander leaves the boiler room, Jack has a fatal encounter with werewolf Oz.

The next morning, Buffy, Willow, and Giles look back on their epic battle, while Oz tries to figure out why he's so full. Cordelia makes her usual fun of Xander, but he now has a better outlook on his role in the grand scheme of things.

There's a good underlining theme of bullying in this story in which Xander doesn't have the courage to stand up to some pretty horrible people causing havoc in Sunnydale. It's nice to have a Xander centric story for once and give him some pride in the series after being sidelined from the rest of the group. I also loved the mystery of the other Scoobies battle and how it sounded more like a season finale type of situation. It was curious, and often interesting to only get snippets and nothing else.

Rating - 88% - A-

MovieMad16

03-15-18, 08:06 AM

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3x14 - Bad Girls

During a typical night of patrolling and slaying vampires, Buffy and Faith encounter a not-so-typical vampire wielding a pair of swords. They successfully reduce the vamp to dust, but Buffy and Faith soon realize that the two swords are nowhere to be seen. The swords have, in fact, been brought to Mayor Wilkins' office by Mr. Trick. After looking them over, Mayor reminds Mr. Trick and his deputy mayor, Allan Finch, of the upcoming dedication and the hundred days which will ultimately lead to the ascension.

The next morning, in the school lounge, Willow proudly shows her early admittance packets from several big-name universities to her friends. After hanging around for a bit, Buffy goes to the library, where she meets her new Watcher, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. When asked about the previous night's patrol, Buffy describes the vampire packing the two swords. Wesley scans through his books and quickly locates some information on a fifteenth-century duelist cult called El Eliminati. They once worked for Balthazar, an ancient demon, before he was apparently killed. In order to explain their current presence in Sunnydale, Wesley theorizes that they may be looking for an amulet that has been hidden in the Gleaves family crypt. Just then, Faith arrives, meets Wesley, then immediately turns and leaves. After Buffy catches up with her, Faith tells her that they don't have to follow their new Watcher's orders. Later that night, Buffy searches through the tombs inside the Gleaves crypt. Just as she locates the amulet, she hears several voices approaching from outside. As Buffy hides in one of the other tombs, the Eliminati vampires enter the crypt and take the amulet. After they leave, Buffy gets out of the tomb and is shocked by Faith's unexpected arrival. They go after the vampires, following them underground. In the course of the battle, one of the vampires attempts to drown Buffy in a pool of water. Thinking he has succeeded, he releases his grip, giving Buffy all the opportunity she needs to spring back to her feet and take the amulet back from the vampires.

The next day in the library, Wesley inspects the amulet while Buffy heads to her chemistry class to take a test. The chem teacher, Mrs. Taggert, leaves her students alone in the classroom, expecting them to follow the honor system. Faith appears outside one of the windows and draws a heart with a stake piercing it, signaling Buffy's early departure. Willow and Xander try to keep their friend from leaving, but Buffy is gone in no time. Faith leads Buffy to a vampire nest, where they give the sleeping demons a rather rude wake-up call. Spirits high, Buffy and Faith head to the Bronze afterwards and tear up the dance floor. Angel arrives and pulls Buffy aside to warn her that Balthazar is still alive. When Wesley appears on the scene, Buffy takes the amulet from him and gives it to Angel for safe keeping. Later, at an abandoned warehouse, the Eliminati vampires listen to their master, Balthazar, who is a horrendously bloated demon sitting in a pool of water. Upset with one of his minions, Balthazar uses telekinesis to draw the vampire's helpless body closer. Balthazar then crushes the vampire's skull with his own two hands. Balthazar gives orders to his head minion, Vincent. Outside, Buffy and Faith spy on the gathering. In need of weaponry, Faith spots a hunting equipment shop that's closed for the night. Buffy follows as Faith breaks into the shop and proceeds to destroy some display cases containing weapons. Taking Faith's lead, Buffy obtains a dagger for herself. However, their shoplifting spree is cut short by a pair of cops with guns drawn. During the drive back to the police station, Faith talks Buffy into helping her kick the cage into the driver and his partner, causing the car to crash and enable their escape.

The next morning, Buffy checks the newspaper to see if her run-in with the law is mentioned anywhere. Meanwhile, Mayor Wilkins is attacked by Vincent in his own office. After Mr. Trick knocks the vampire out cold, Mayor Wilkins wonders how the vampire slipped past security. Instead of having the vampire killed, Mayor Wilkins orders Mr. Trick to lock him up. Later, Willow is disappointed to learn that Buffy's schedule doesn't include her. Faith arrives shortly to pick up Buffy, leaving Willow alone. At Giles' office, Wesley criticizes the former Watcher for his job performance with Buffy. Their argument doesn't go very far before Giles notices the sudden presence of several vampires outside the office. Elsewhere, Buffy and Faith head to the warehouse to take out Balthazar and his minions. On the way, they encounter several vampires and dust them, one by one. When a hand reaches out and grabs Buffy, Faith throws the guy against a dumpster and drives her stake towards his heart. Buffy realizes that this is no vampire, but it's too late as Faith's stake plunges into the heart of Deputy Mayor Allan Finch. Within seconds, Finch is dead. Deciding to flee from the scene, Faith and Buffy split up. Buffy runs into Angel, who notices the blood on her hands. They head towards the warehouse, where Giles and Wesley have been brought before the demon Balthazar. Wesley attempts to save his own neck by offering the man who has the amulet to Balthazar. Before any more information can be spilled, Angel and Buffy arrive and battle the vampires. Frustrated, Balthazar uses his telekinesis to bring Angel into his own hands. Thinking quick, Buffy spots a lamp hovering above the pool. She sends it falling into the water, electrocuting the obese demon. With his last breath, Balthazar warns Buffy that a greater enemy's ascension is at hand. While Buffy and the others puzzle over the meaning of Balthazar's dying words, Mayor Wilkins performs the dedication ritual in his office. After completing it, he orders Mr. Trick to release Vincent from his cage. Once freed, Vincent takes the sword and cleaves the mayor's head into two halves. Vincent then watches in shock as Mayor Wilkins' head reforms itself. Mr. Trick takes his cue and drives a stake into Vincent's heart. Mayor Wilkins is now invincible, and he will remain so for the hundred days leading to his ascension.

Buffy visits Faith's motel room the next morning to discuss their crime. Disturbed by Faith's apparent lack of guilt, Buffy tries to convince her that the victim's body will be found eventually. Faith tells Buffy that she returned to the scene of the crime and dumped the body.

A weaker episode, but still good overall. Perhaps its due to the quality of episodes so far that put this a little lower down. We got our first taste with Faith being evil and its pretty sinister stuff. Faith's brush with the dark side is very fitting and works well with where she's heading. The villains in this episode sadly aren't very memorable and are just there to serve purpose to Buffy & Faith. We do however get our first appearance of Wesley, who while played right now for comedic effect, will evolve into a much more complete character later down the line.

Rating - 77% - B+

MovieMad16

03-17-18, 08:03 AM

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3x15 - Consequences

Buffy has a nightmare in which she tries to escape the murky water while the murdered Finch pulls her down by the ankle. Finally reaching the surface, Buffy sees Faith, who immediately pushes her fellow Slayer back underwater. After waking up, Buffy wanders down to the family room, where her mother is watching a news report about the discovery of Finch's body.

At the library, Wesley orders Buffy and Faith to investigate Finch's murder. During their discussion, Cordelia enters the library to check out some books for an assignment. She takes an immediate interest in Wesley, who doesn't realize how old she really is until Giles and the others fill him in. After heading out, Buffy tries to convince Faith into coming clean and confessing their crime. Faith reminds Buffy that they were both involved, so if she goes down, she's taking Buffy with her. Buffy then spots Willow and tries to talk to her. However, Willow is still stung by Buffy's recent behavior. Meanwhile, Mayor Wilkins shreds all of Finch's files that contain anything related to their dirty work. Mr. Trick listens as Mayor Wilkins wonders if Allan Finch was conspiring against him somehow.
Consequences Later that night, Buffy and Faith sneak into Finch's office at City Hall to see if they can find any info that might explain why he was in the alley that night. They notice that almost all of his files are gone, which leads Buffy to believe that a cover-up may be in the works. Just as they're heading out, Mayor Wilkins and Mr. Trick enter the building on the opposite end of the hallway. Seeing them together, Buffy and Faith duck back into Finch's office, waiting for the Mayor and Mr. Trick to pass by before running for the exit. Outside, Buffy expresses her concern over Faith's apparently guilt-free conscience. She doesn't believe that Faith is perfectly okay with murdering a man, but Faith says otherwise. Faith believes that their nightly deeds as Slayers should put them above the law. When Buffy returns home, she is greeted by her mother and Detective Stein, who has come to ask her a few questions about the night of the murder. Buffy lies and pleads ignorance to everything related to the murder. Detective Stein leaves and visits Faith at her motel room, where he gets a similar story. Meanwhile, Buffy tells Willow the truth about everything that happened. Willow advises Buffy to go to Giles. When Buffy arrives at the library, she finds out that Faith has gotten there first and pinned the murder on Buffy. Buffy tries to convince Giles otherwise, but he sends her to his office to deal with her later. After Faith goes home, Giles assures Buffy that he's aware of Faith's lies. While Giles tells Buffy that he has no intentions of involving the Watcher's Council in this matter, Wesley overhears the whole conversation from outside the office. Soon afterwards, he calls the Council in Britain to alert them of the crime.

The next morning, Buffy talks with Xander, Willow, and Giles about what they should do with Faith. Feeling he has a special connection with Faith ever since the night they slept together, Xander volunteers to talk to her. In no time, Buffy, Willow, and Giles figure out what happened between the two of them. While Xander heads towards Faith's motel room, Willow cries over the revelation that her first love has had sex with another girl. At the motel room, Xander tries to help Faith see that what she did was wrong. With no intentions of hearing any more of this, Faith shoves Xander onto the bed and jumps on top of him. Unlike last time, however, Faith's desires are much deadlier. She wraps her hands around Xander's neck and tries to squeeze the life out of him. Before she can kill him, Faith is distracted by a sound at her doorway. She turns her head just in time to see Angel swing a bat right into her face. Later, Faith regains consciousness in the mansion. Noticing that she's all chained up, Faith tries to come on to Angel. He leaves her there alone momentarily while he goes to talk with Buffy in another room. Angel believes that Faith is more dangerous than ever, now that she's experienced murder by her own hands. After Buffy leaves to patrol, Angel returns to the main chamber to talk to Faith. He tells her how he can relate to her sinful desires. Unfortunately, Faith has no interest in his attempts to help her. Suddenly, Wesley and several other men crash into the mansion. The men subdue Angel while Wesley unlocks Faith's chains. Immediately after unlocking the last chain, Wesley restrains Faith with his own cuffs, informing the Slayer that she will be brought to Britain to face the Council. In the truck, Faith tricks one of the men into getting closer. She then beats him to the ground and threatens to snap his neck unless Wesley frees her from the restraints. Wesley follows her orders. As soon as she's freed, Faith knocks Wesley to the floor and jumps out the back of the truck.

Buffy returns to the mansion to find Faith gone and Angel immobilized on the floor. Shortly, Giles, Xander, and Willow arrive at the mansion. When they try to formulate a plan to save Faith, Willow interrupts with her own objection to the idea of saving a guilty murderer who has just tried to kill Xander. At that moment, a bruised Wesley arrives at the mansion and tells them that Faith has escaped. Having an idea of where she might be, Buffy goes to the docks. Sure enough, Faith is on one of the boats, ready to flee the country. Buffy tries one last time to turn Faith around and get help. They argue again, but this debate is cut short by a surprise ambush. Mr. Trick and several of his vampire cohorts knock Buffy to the ground with a large crate. With Buffy down for the moment, Faith attempts to fight the vampires by herself. As Buffy recovers, Mr. Trick takes advantage of her weakened state to try and kill her once and for all. After dusting the last of the vampire henchmen, Faith sees Mr. Trick about to bite into Buffy's neck. Quickly, Faith rushes over and stakes Mr. Trick's heart from behind, bringing him to a dusty end.

At the library, Buffy talks to Giles about Faith's heroic act. They believe that there may still be hope for Faith. Little do they know that Faith plans on exploring her newly expanded horizons. Mayor Wilkins gets a visit from Faith at his office. With Mr. Trick out of the picture, Faith wants the available job. Intrigued, Mayor Wilkins lets her into the office, shutting the door behind her.

This episode is a great fallout from the last episode and pits Buffy & Faith in a very difficult situation. We look at Faith psychologically and what makes her tick as a character. Her loyalty is tested, mental state messy, and she can't trust anyone anymore following the events of the last few episodes. We also see the end of Mr Trick which was sad because he was always a good henchmen and probably one of my favourites in the series.

Rating - 81% - A-

MovieMad16

03-17-18, 08:19 AM

https://hypersonic55.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/984buffy3.jpg

3x16 - Doppelgangland

Fed up with life as a mortal, Anyanka begs a demon named D'Hoffryn to create a temporal fold that would allow her to retrieve her powercenter -- the necklace she wore around her neck -- before it was destroyed. D'Hoffryn has no interest in helping Anyanka and would rather see her live out the rest of her life as a mortal. Anyanka pledges to find someone who will help her.

Outside of Sunnydale High, Willow hones her pencil-floating skills while Buffy prepares for a traditional Slayer evaluation which Wesley is conducting. Later, Willow is called to Principal Snyder's office, where another student named Percy West is also waiting. Percy is one of the star members of Sunnydale High's basketball team who just so happens to be having trouble in history class. Principal Snyder orders Willow to tutor Percy. Afterwards, Willow and Buffy go to the library. While Willow heeds Giles' request to try to access the Mayor's computer files, Faith returns with Wesley from the physical portion of the tests. Faith takes note of Willow's computer search, and she later reports it to Mayor Wilkins himself during a tour of Faith's new apartment. Decked out with nearly everything she could ever want, the apartment leaves Faith absolutely giddy. Back at Sunnydale High, Willow learns that Oz and his band just returned from an out-of-town gig. Willow tells Oz that she may have wanted to go. Oz replies with the expectation that Willow wouldn't have wanted to miss a school day. Spotting Percy, Willow tries to arrange a meeting time for their tutor session. However, Percy has a different game plan which involves Willow doing all of the work for him. The last straw for Willow comes when Buffy comments on her reliability. Tired of being the goody-two-shoes of the group, Willow stalks off by herself. She runs into Anyanka, who introduces herself as Anya, a friend of Cordelia's. Willow's mood takes a turn for the lighter when Anya asks for her help in performing a spell to create a temporal fold. Anya explains that she wants to retrieve a lost necklace which was a family heirloom. When Willow and Anya perform the spell, Willow sees visions of the alternate universe that Cordelia visited when she told Anya that she wished Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. Something goes wrong in the course of the spell. Instead of pulling the necklace out of the alternate universe, the vampire Willow is transported out just moments before Oz could dust her on the jagged wood. While Anya futilely searches for the necklace, Willow leaves her alone to try and figure out what she just saw.

Elsewhere, the Willow from the alternate reality awakens. After night falls, she ventures out onto the streets of Sunnydale. Quickly realizing the vast differences surrounding her, Alterna-Willow heads to the Bronze. There, she draws stares from everybody in attendance, including Percy West. Provoked by Percy's arrogance, Alterna-Willow shoves him over the pool table, then grabs him by the throat and tightens her grip. Xander pulls Percy away before noticing Willow's radical makeover. Thinking he's the Xander of her reality, Alterna-Willow pulls him into her arms, running her hands all over his body. It doesn't take long for her to realize that Xander is still a living, breathing human. Buffy arrives and can't believe her eyes when she sees Willow. When Alterna-Willow recognizes Buffy as the Slayer who staked her beloved Xander, she turns and heads for the Bronze's exit. Buffy tries to stop her, but Willow spins around with vamp face on. She then takes off, leaving Xander and Buffy horrified and speechless. Outside the Bronze, Alterna-Willow encounters two of Mayor Wilkins' vampire henchmen, one of whom is named Alfonse. With the help of a little sadistic brutality, Alterna-Willow convinces the vampires to work for her and restore chaos to Sunnydale.

Giles gets the word on Willow's untimely death from Buffy and Xander. During their lament over the loss of their friend, the Willow of their reality enters the library. Simultaneously confused and happy, Buffy, Xander, and Giles embrace Willow, who by this point is simply confused. While they tell Willow about her evil twin, Angel enters the Bronze in search of Buffy. As he talks to Oz, Alterna-Willow and her newly-hired cohorts invade the Bronze. After Angel leaves to get Buffy, Alterna-Willow kills and drinks from one of the customers. Oz tries to make sense of what's going on, but Alterna-Willow only remembers him as one of the human rebels from her reality. Anya clears up everything for the lost vampire, telling her that the Willow of this reality is the only one who can bring her back to where she belongs. Meanwhile, Angel reaches the library and walks right up to Buffy, Xander, and Giles. He doesn't notice Willow standing in the corner as he tells the gang that their friend is dead. Willow makes her presence known, sending Angel into the pits of confusion as well. Realizing they have to stop whatever's about to go down at the Bronze, the group leaves the library. Willow, however, is reluctant to kill her alter ago. Remembering the tranquilizer gun, Willow tells the others to go ahead while she heads back into the library. Before she can get the gun, Willow encounters her mirror image, who has sneaked into the library unnoticed. Intrigued by the idea of occupying a world with her double, Alterna-Willow gets uncomfortably cozy with Willow, who retaliates with a cross. Alterna-Willow knocks her over the counter. When the vampire circles around the counter, she is greeted by a tranquilizer dart right in the stomach. Buffy and the gang return and lock Alterna-Willow inside the bookcage. Buffy then comes up with a plan to take care of the vampires in the Bronze.

Disguised in the outfit of her other self, Willow prepares to infiltrate the Bronze and trick the vampires into walking outside, one by one, and getting staked by her friends waiting outside. As Willow enters the Bronze, Alterna-Willow wakes up in her prison. While she notices her own change of clothes, Cordelia enters the library. Alterna-Willow tries to talk her into opening the cage, but Cordy opts to use this opportunity to talk about the secret affair with Xander. After an eternity of rambling, Cordy finally opens the cage. Hungry for blood, Alterna-Willow chases Cordy through the halls before cornering her in a restroom. Before the vampire can close in for the kill, Wesley appears and fends her off with a cross and holy water. Thwarted, Alterna-Willow turns around and leaves. Meanwhile, Anya and Alfonse eventually see through Willow's charade. Willow screams, signaling the others to storm into the Bronze and battle the remaining vampires inside. During the fight, Alterna-Willow arrives and pins Willow on the stage. After dusting Alfonse, Buffy leaps onto the stage and drives a pool cue towards the vampire's heart. Willow screams for Buffy to stop, and the Slayer is able to halt her weapon's descent.

After all of the customers evacuate the Bronze, Alterna-Willow and Anya prepare for another temporal fold. Buffy does not agree with the idea of returning a demon to its own reality where it can kill again. Willow responds by saying that she simply can't kill her. Before Willow sits down to perform the ritual, she says her goodbyes to Alterna-Willow, who says hers in a much more touchy-feely way. Afterwards, Alterna-Willow is returned to the alternate reality... only to be grabbed by Oz and dusted on the jagged wood. The next day, Willow contemplates living up to her good girl reputation and never going out for fun again. When Percy appears with the history paper completely typed out, Willow decides otherwise.

We have the return of VampWillow for one night only, after her initial appearance in The Wish. I love her, and she foreshadows where Willow is heading in some form. The switch is very fun and I love the reactions from different characters throughout the story. We also get our first little hint at LGBT Willow which we'll look at further in Season 4.

There's also good comedy with Faith & The Mayor, as well as Cordelia & Willow. It's fun and a great episode by Joss Whedon and I rank it very highly among Buffy episodes.

Rating - 100% - A+

MovieMad16

03-17-18, 08:44 AM

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3x17 - Enemies

After a rather uncomfortable time at the movie theater, Angel and Buffy remind themselves that they can still love each other completely without going all the way. Their kiss is interrupted by the arrival of Faith, who has been cleared by the Council to resume her Slayer duties. Buffy leaves Angel to join Faith on a nightly patrol around town. In one of the cemeteries, they encounter a demon who offers to sell them the Books of Ascension for the price of $5,000. He mentions the Mayor's interest in the books, which motivates Buffy to stop Faith from killing the demon. Buffy wants to know more about these books and why the Mayor would want them. After Buffy heads home, Faith reports to the Mayor about the demon and his offer. Mayor Wilkins orders Faith to hunt down the demon, kill him, and retrieve the Books of Ascension.

In the library the next morning, Buffy tells Wesley and the others about the previous night's patrol. Following a tip from Willow, Giles locates a passage in one of his texts that refers to the Ascension. On the supposed day of a previous Ascension, an entire town was apparently wiped out. Cordelia enters the library and indirectly asks Wesley out for dinner later that week. Meanwhile, Faith tracks the demon all the way to the apartment where he's been staying. She attempts to kill the demon with one stab of her knife, but the demon doesn't give up so easily. After a rough struggle, the demon finally dies, leaving his blood on Faith's hands. Faith stares at her hands for a moment, visibly shaken. She then collects the books and leaves. Later that night, Faith visits Angel at the mansion. She shows him her hands which are still stained with the demon's blood. Angel listens as Faith expresses her dismay over possibly losing control. Angel embraces her for comfort, leading Faith to try to initiate a kiss. Angel backs off, reminding Faith that his heart belongs to Buffy. As Faith leaves, she gives Angel a small kiss on the cheek. This kiss is witnessed by Buffy, whose arrival at the mansion goes unnoticed. At City Hall, Faith tells Mayor Wilkins that she failed in her plan to give Angel the moment of true happiness required to lift his soul. The Mayor decides to take another course of action.

The next day, Wesley instructs Buffy to take Faith and find the demon. Xander arrives with the demon's address, which he obtained by bribing Willy the bartender. Buffy is reluctant to bring Faith along, who soon shows up and is filled in on their orders. Buffy and Faith enter the demon's apartment and find his dead body on the floor. During their assessment of the scene, Buffy senses something wrong about Faith's behavior. Meanwhile, Mayor Wilkins summons a shrouded man to his office for a special job, one that involves the removal of one's soul. Back at Sunnydale High, Buffy tells Willow what she saw at the mansion between Angel and Faith. Willow assures Buffy that she has nothing to worry about, for Angel would never fall for Faith's moves. Little do they know that Faith is at the mansion at this very moment, putting the moves on Angel once again. When he places his hands on Faith's shoulders to let her know that everything will be okay, she douses a dark liquid onto the center of Angel's chest. The shrouded man suddenly appears out of nowhere and casts a spell that surrounds Angel in a field of energy. Once Angel falls to the floor, the shrouded man disappears. When Angel gets back up, he's in full vamp-face, hungry for Faith's kiss. After they part lips, Angel knocks Faith to the floor. He thanks her for turning him back into the evil Angelus. Faith whips out her stake and forces Angel to listen to her. When he finally agrees, Faith leads him to the Mayor's office... but not until after they kiss again on the floor.

At the library, Willow notifies Wesley, Giles, and the others that her computer searches for the Mayor's files have turned up as dead ends. Oz suggests researching the Mayor at the Hall of Records. While Wesley, Willow, Oz, and Cordelia head to the Hall of Records, Xander decides to patrol the streets for any further information. Buffy, in the meantime, heads back home to prepare for an investigation of Mayor Wilkins' office. At the office, the Mayor has a hard time getting Angel's undivided attention. Angel tries to kill Mayor Wilkins with a letter opener. However, the Mayor reveals his invulnerability to the vampire. Mayor Wilkins then orders Angel and Faith to take care of the other Slayer in town. On their way to Buffy's house, Angel and Faith see Xander walking down the street towards them. Xander tries to find out where they've been, but the only response he gets is a right hook from Angel's fist. As Xander falls to the pavement, unconscious, Angel and Faith continue walking without missing a step. Joyce lets both of them into the house. Upstairs, Angel and Faith tell Buffy that they have the Books of Ascension at the mansion, and they want Buffy to be with them when they deliver the books to Giles.

At the Hall of Records, the gang locates an old photograph of Mayor Wilkins that was taken a century ago. As Wesley realizes that Mayor Wilkins must be over a hundred years old, Xander arrives to tell them about the return of Angel's bad self. Wesley suggests that they inform Giles, but Xander's news of Faith's involvement leads them to look for Buffy immediately. Buffy follows Angel and Faith to the mansion. Once there, Angel reveals his recent change in personality to Buffy. Attempting to escape, Buffy finds her exit blocked by Faith. Angel knocks Buffy out cold, then ties her up in chains. When Buffy comes to, Faith explains her reasons for taking the path she's taken. Faith couldn't tolerate being in Buffy's shadow ever since she arrived in Sunnydale. The popular belief that Buffy is superior to Faith has driven the new Slayer to where she is today. Buffy taunts Faith by claiming that she can stop the Mayor's Ascension. Faith laughs this off, telling them that the Ascension cannot be stopped and will take place, as planned, on Graduation Day. With this information out in the open, Angel drops the evil Angelus act, while Buffy drops the chains that were supposedly restraining her. When Faith realizes that it was all a set-up, she shoves Angel to the side and attacks Buffy. Wesley, Xander, and the rest of the gang arrive just in time to see Angel falling towards them. As Angel and Xander go down, Buffy and Faith battle to a stand-still, with a knife held up to each other's throat. Faith calls Buffy's bluff, then runs out of the mansion.

Mayor Wilkins comforts Faith at her new apartment by reminding her that once the Ascension takes place, her broken friendship with Buffy and the others will be irrelevant. At the library, Giles thanks the shrouded man for participating in the scheme to expose Faith and the Mayor's plans. The shrouded man announces that his debt to Giles has been paid. After the shrouded man disappears into thin air, Giles informs everyone that he introduced the shrouded man to his wife -- thus, the debt. While Wesley and the others discuss the newly-learned information concerning the Ascension and its date, Buffy reminds Xander that Angel was only acting when he punched him. However, Buffy doesn't seem so sure of her own words. Later, Buffy visits Angel at the mansion. He assures Buffy that he never meant to take the act so far as to hurt her. Disturbed by the harsh reminder of what Angel could become again, Buffy insists that they put their relationship on hold for a while.

So finally in this episode, Faith goes to the dark side and it's a brilliant execution. I love her and the Mayor's plan and the confrontation at the end of the episode. The fight is tense, the exchange of words brutal, and the twist also clever. The shot of Faith & Buffy with the knives is great, and one of the great shots of the series.

Angelus also makes a brief return - sort of. I had a mixed feeling and remained that way when the twist occured. It didn't work as well as it did in Season 2, and mainly its because of what we find out at the end of the episode. He wasn't as sinister, as evil, as dark as before.

I also loved the counter plan by Buffy and the gang. You don't find out about it until the end, but its still good and well planned.

Rating - 95% - A

MovieMad16

03-17-18, 08:57 AM

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3x18 - Earshot

On a routine night of patrolling, Buffy encounters a pair of mouthless demons. While she kills one of them on a table at the park, the other demon manages to flee the scene. As she leaves, Buffy fails to notice the dead demon's blood on her hand, which quickly absorbs into her skin.

The next morning, after learning from Willow that everybody will be attending the basketball game later that night, Buffy decides to check out the itch on her hand that's been bugging her all day. In the library, Giles finds an article on the demon that Buffy killed. In it, he learns that physical contact with the demons can cause an infection, in the form of an assimilation of one of the demon's traits. Later that night during the game, Buffy patrols the streets of Sunnydale by herself. She bumps into Angel, whom she has been distant from ever since the trick they played on Faith.

While talking to her friends the next day in the lounge, Buffy inadvertently hears Xander's own thoughts. On the way to the library, she realizes that she can hear what each student is thinking. At the library, Giles concludes that the demons must have communicated telepathically if they had no mouths. Buffy uses her newfound trait to impress her teacher in English class. During the class, Buffy hears some grim thoughts coming from Freddy Iverson, one of the writers for the school newspaper. After class, Buffy visits Angel at the mansion and tries to learn what's going on inside his head. However, Angel informs Buffy that her power can't work on a vampire's mind. He then tries to assure Buffy that he was never tempted by Faith during the entire ordeal that revealed her affiliation with the Mayor.

Buffy returns to the library, where her friends have just learned of the Slayer's new ability. Disturbed and intimidated by this sudden intrusion into their privacy, Xander, Willow, and the others find it tough to be around Buffy. In the hallways, Buffy starts to realize the true downside to her mind-reading ability, for the abundance of thoughts coming from all directions proves to be overwhelming. In the cafeteria, a mental declaration to murder all of the students the next day is heard by Buffy. She tries to identify the source of the thought, but the overflow of thoughts causes her to pass out.

Outside, Buffy regains consciousness and tells the others about the murder plan she discovered. While Buffy goes home to rest, the gang tries to locate the suspect. They try to interrogate all of the prime suspects, but Oz has trouble tracking down Freddy. Meanwhile, Giles and Wesley learn that Buffy needs to consume the heart of the second demon in order to be cured of her mind-reading power. With the Slayer out of action, Giles turns to Angel for help. After hunting down the demon over the course of the night, Angel finally succeeds in obtaining its heart. He brings it to the Summers' home and feeds it to Buffy. Eventually, Buffy wakes up and discovers that she can no longer read anybody's mind.

Back at the school, Xander, Willow, Cordelia, and Oz corner Freddy in the newspaper office. Upon learning that he has nothing to do with the murder plot, Cordelia finds an announcement on the desk from Jonathan that apparently admits to the planned killing. Buffy arrives at the newspaper office just in time to help the gang search for Jonathan. While Xander gets distracted by some tasty treats in the cafeteria, Buffy runs out into the courtyard, where she spots Jonathan assembling a rifle at the top of the clock tower. Running out of time, Buffy takes the shortest route possible to the roof. Just as Jonathan attaches the final piece, Buffy crashes into the room. Aiming at rifle at Buffy, Jonathan tries to prevent her from getting in the way of his plan. He tells her how fed up he is with how everybody treats and thinks of him. Buffy responds by telling Jonathan that everybody has their own pain, regardless of how good their lives may seem on the outside. When Jonathan finally hands over the rifle, he shocks Buffy by telling her that he intended to kill himself, not the other students.

Inside the cafeteria, Xander witnesses the lunch lady pouring rat poison into a large pot in the kitchen. He runs out and warns everybody about the lethal lunch special. Xander trips and falls to the floor, giving the lunch lady enough time to tower over him with a large butcher knife in her hand. Luckily, Buffy arrives on the scene and puts the lunch lady down for the count.

Willow learns from Buffy that things are going better with Angel, now that some uncertainties about his feelings for Buffy are no longer an issue. After meeting up with Giles, Buffy shocks him by revealing her awareness of his escapades with Joyce while under the influence of the mind-altering candy.

Earshot's central idea is fun: The power of reading minds. It's written in both a playful and emotional fashion. You get good jokes but a good point of view and realisation of high school life thrown in too. We also see Buffy once again at her most vulnerable as she comes to grips with the power of the mind reading.

However the hype of this episode is slightly overrated. I liked Earshot but I didn't love it. I think its a good idea, but I've seen stronger episodes in the past, and will very likely see stronger episodes in the future.

Rating - 89% - A-

MovieMad16

03-17-18, 09:10 AM

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3x19 - Choices

Mayor Wilkins needs a favor, and to get Faith to do it for him, he gives her a gift - a beautiful new dagger. He tells her that a package is arriving tomorrow night from South America that is crucial to his ascension, and he wants Faith to pick it up for him. Faith dutifully heads to the airport, where a propeller plane lands in the misty night. A courier steps forth, but before he can deliver the package, Faith shoots him through the back with an arrow. She then gets into a limousine with the vamp-lackey who brought her there and drives off.

Buffy and Angel, meanwhile, are busy slaying a couple of vampires. After they've finished them off, Buffy laments to Angel that she feels she's in a rut. She's beginning to realize that her future with Angel is going to have some limitations. Another limitation she's thinking about is her college choice. Though she's gotten into Northwestern, which makes her mother very excited, she knows she still has obligations in Sunnydale, and doesn't know if she'll be able to go away to college. Willow is also contemplating her college choices, as she has recently received acceptance letters from Oxford, Yale, MIT and Harvard, among others. Xander is thinking about hitting the road, a la Jack Kerouac. Cordelia, as usual, has some snide comments for them all.

Buffy finally decides she wants to leave Sunnydale, and goes to Wesley to tell him. Wesley tells her she can't leave Sunnydale, especially with Faith gone bad and the Mayor's ascension coming up. Buffy asks him if she could go if she can stop the ascension, which would mean Wesley and Giles would only have to take care of the run-of-the-mill stuff, and she could take care of the major stuff when she came home on breaks. Wesley and Giles consider the possibility, but tell Buffy that to consider it seriously, Buffy would have to stop the Mayor's ascension. She suggests taking the fight to them - taking the offensive rather than just waiting for it to happen to them. They all agree that it's a good idea, and Buffy heads off to find out what Faith and the Mayor are up to. She heads to City Hall, where she spies Faith bringing a big box inside.

The Mayor is quite excited to see the box. He has the box taken to a room upstairs and secured. Outside, Buffy stops the limo that has just dropped Faith off, smashes through the driver's-side window and yanks the driver through it. She asks him about the box.

When she returns to the Library, Buffy tells everyone that the box is the Box of Gavroc. It houses demonic energy, and the Mayor needs to devour its contents before Ascension Day. Xander, Willow, Buffy, Giles and Wesley devise a plan to get the box, and start to work.

To get to the box, they will need a potion to break the shield that protects it. Willow researches a formula, and Xander and Oz concoct the potion. With the potion in hand, Buffy, Willow and Angel climb to the top of City Hall, just above the room where the box lies. Opening the skylight, they peer down at the box below. Willow recites a spell, then sprinkles the potion down onto the box. The protective shield dissolves. Angel then straps Buffy in a harness and lowers her through the skylight and down to the box. When she grabs the box, an alarm goes off - and as Angel tries to pull Buffy back up, the harness gets stuck. Two of the Mayor's vamp-lackeys respond to the alarm and rush into the room. Since the harness is still stuck, Angel drops down into the room to join Buffy in fighting the two vamp-lackeys. After an extended fight, Angel and Buffy knock down the vamps and run out of the room. Racing out of City Hall, they jump behind a bush to hide. When a van pulls up in front of City Hall and then speeds away, the vamps chase after it, thinking Buffy and Angel are inside.

The vamps return to City Hall empty-handed, and Mayor Wilkins is not happy to find that the box is stolen. But while he's lost the box, he's gained something - Faith has captured Willow.

Back at the library, the gang tries to figure out what to do about the box - and Willow. Xander proposes an assault to get her back. Buffy suggests they can trade the box back to the Mayor in exchange for Willow. Wesley doesn't think that's a good idea; he argues that thousands of lives are at stake, and that Willow's one life is not worth more. He argues that they must destroy the box and stop the ascension, and find another way to get Willow back. Buffy, who is quite upset, says there is no other way. Oz helps make the group's decision when he slams a pot against the wall. He doesn't say anything. He doesn't have to. They will make the trade.

Back at City Hall, Willow is trapped, and looking for a way out. One of the Mayor's vamp-henchmen comes in, and menacingly readies to take a bite of her. Willow floats a pencil behind him, and before he can bite, she uses the pencil to slay the vampire. She then escapes from her shackles, and begins to roam City Hall. Wandering into the Mayor's office, she finds the Books of the Ascension in his closet and begins to read. She's so engrossed in the books she doesn't even notice Faith walking into the room. Faith is ready to kill her. Willow buys herself some time by talking to Faith about the choices she's made to give up being a slayer, and that those choices have left her alone, but she can still come back to their side if she wants. Mayor Wilkins then walks in the room, interrupting the conversation. He's received an interesting phone call . . .

A meeting has been arranged for the school cafeteria. The Mayor brings Willow, and Wesley, Giles, Angel, Oz, Xander and Buffy bring the box to make an exchange. Before the exchange is completed, Principal Snyder breaks in on the meeting, with two policemen in tow. One of the policemen, examining the box, opens it - and a giant spider jumps out and gnaws on his face. After snacking on the policeman, it scampers away - and lands on the Mayor's face. Faith wrestles it off him, and since he's impervious to harm, he quickly heals. Principal Snyder doesn't quite know what to make of all of it. Buffy runs over and shuts the box, but not before another of the spiders can escape. One of them lands on her back, and she falls backwards to crush it. Spying another one along the wall, Faith kills it with her dagger.

After the exchange, back at the library, Giles asks Willow what she can remember from the books. Willow says she can't remember much - it was a little wordy for her - then with a grin pulls out a few pages she managed to tear from the book. Though they now know more about the Ascension, the Mayor has the Box of Gavroc again, which means they are basically back where they started.

Buffy is still thinking about dealing with the Mayor, but her future is weighing heavy in her mind as well. She tells Willow that she feels she'll never get out of Sunnydale. Willow, though, says that might not be so bad - she's decided to stay at home and go to UC-Sunnydale, and so they'll be able to stay together as friends. Willow explains that she realized she wants to fight evil, and help people, and she feels she can do that best in Sunnydale, which is why she wants to stay. It's a good fight they're fighting, and she wants to keep fighting it.

Choices is a let down in the run. The story itself is just very empty and not much really happens that's refreshing. The plot is dry, the ending underwhelming, and contains one or two holes. Mainly with Willow, who could've easily ran from Faith & The Mayor's grasp when she has the chance. It's very forced and the writing not as impressive.

Rating - 71% - B+

MovieMad16

03-17-18, 09:20 AM

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3x20 - The Prom

Buffy wakes up to find herself beside Angel, on his bed in the mansion. Exhausted after a night of patrolling, she apparently crashed at Angel's instead of returning home. Before getting up, Buffy reminds Angel that the Senior Prom is quickly approaching. Back at Sunnydale High, Xander is approached by Anya, who has not yet regained her powers. Confused by the wealth of human emotions inside her, Anya asks Xander to be her date to the Prom. Aware of his situation and general lack of alternatives, Xander accepts.

While he tells the rest of the gang about this recent development, Joyce pays a visit to the mansion. Angel listens as Joyce tells him about the reality of his relationship with her daughter. Deep down, Angel knows that what Joyce wants is also what needs to be done. Back at the library, Giles futilely tries to keep everyone's mind focused on the Mayor's Ascension plans. However, all Buffy and her friends can think about right now is the upcoming Prom.

Elsewhere, a boy inserts a videotape into a VCR for the viewing pleasure of his "pet", a demon beast locked in a cage that goes berserk as the tape begins to play. Later that night, Angel has a nightmare that begins pleasantly with a wedding between himself and Buffy. After they are wed, they head down the aisle and step out into the sunlight. Angel then watches in horror as Buffy ignites into flames. He can do nothing as the fire consumes her completely. After Angel wakes up, he joins Buffy on a nightly patrol. While tracking down a vampire in the sewers, Angel admits to Buffy that he can't maintain their relationship, knowing what it will mean for her future. Buffy refuses to believe what he is saying, but Angel makes it clear that he doesn't want her to spend the rest of her life with him. As it slowly sinks in, Angel announces his decision to leave Sunnydale after the threat of the Mayor's Ascension has been eliminated. Later, Buffy tells Willow everything that happened. Although they both understand and agree with Angel's intentions, Buffy lets her tears flow instead of hiding her grief.

Noticing Cordelia checking out a dress once again in one of the shops, Xander enters the store and pries into the matter. He soon learns that Cordy works there. Cordy's family is now broke as a result of her father committing tax fraud for a number of years. Cordy's verbal outburst is interrupted by the sudden intrusion of the demon beast into the store. Xander tries to fight it, but the beast tosses Xander aside and mauls a well-dressed boy to death. As soon as its job is done, the beast looks at the remaining customers before quickly exiting the store. At the library, Xander and the others review the store's security video of the event. Cordy makes an observation that the demon beast was seemingly interested in the tuxedoed boy only. During the beast's exit, Oz spots a boy standing outside of the store with what looks like a remote control of some sort. Using the Sunnydale High yearbook, the gang identifies the boy as Tucker Wells. Upon figuring out that Tucker's plan is to set the demon beast -- which Wesley identifies as a hell hound -- loose on the students at the Senior Prom, Buffy vows to take care of this matter personally and ensure a safe and happy Prom for all.

While everyone splits up to investigate, Buffy goes to a butcher shop since the hell hound eats brains. She gets Tucker's address from one of the employees. Buffy then notices that Angel is also there, buying a supply of blood for himself. Angel tries to talk to her, but Buffy opts to focus her attention on Tucker and his hell hound. She returns to the library and tells the others that it's all in her hands now. After the gang leaves to get ready for the Prom, a concerned Giles wonders what's gotten into Buffy. She tells him about Angel's plans to leave her and Sunnydale.

As she clocks out for the night, Cordy finds out that Xander helped pay off the dress she was hoping to wear to the dance. At the Prom, Xander painfully listens to Anya's countless stories of male persecution, while Wesley assists Giles in his chaperone duties. Cordy enters in her dress, which draws Wesley to her in an instant. Arm in arm, they meet up with Xander and Anya. Cordy subtly thanks Xander for his generosity. Meanwhile, Buffy breaks into Tucker's house and encounters him in the basement. After subduing him, Buffy notices the stacks of teen flicks -- some horror, some not -- on top of a nearby VCR. Tucker then surprises Buffy by revealing three empty cages in an adjoining room. Buffy races back to the school to stop the three hell hounds from completing their mission. One by one, she kills them off, taking out the last one in front of a bewildered student.

With the hell hounds taken care of, Buffy finally arrives at the dance to join her friends. Later that evening, during the presentation of the class awards, Jonathan addresses Buffy in response to an overwhelming number of write-in votes for a new category. Buffy listens in pleasant surprise as Jonathan states the senior class' appreciation for her life-saving deeds over the course of the past three years. Named the Class Protector, Buffy steps up to the stage to receive her reward while the entire class applauds. After the awards ceremony, Angel arrives in a tux for one last dance with Buffy. In each other's arms, they enjoy what little time they have left before the Mayor's Ascension arrives at last.

The Prom is a good episode, a great calm-before-the-storm episode which in itself has become a little genre in television. I love the sacrifice Buffy gives to do her job, only to be given a touching reward at the end of the episode. It's lovely, and a really sweet moment that symbolises the end of the High School era of the show.

The only downside is the naff villain in the episode. It's a little dissapointing. It could've been a nice end of the Monster Of The Week stories that filled the first three seasons suitably.

Rating - 86% - A-

MovieMad16

03-17-18, 09:29 AM

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3x21 - Graduation Day: Part 1

Graduation Day has finally arrived, and everybody has a different perspective on it. Cordelia's concerned about the color of their graduation gowns, Buffy doesn't quite get the whole graduation deal, and Xander, who woke up with a bad feeling in his gut, fears he won't survive Graduation Day. He's found out that Mayor Wilkins will be their commencement speaker.

Faith isn't concerned about graduation, but she does have an interest in college. She pays a visit to Professor Worth, a professor at the college. The Mayor wants him dead, and Faith handles the job.

While enduring his final classes, Xander mentions the Ascension to classmate Anya, and her ears perk up. She knows about it, and Xander brings her to the library, where Buffy, Giles and Wesley are trying to figure out why the Mayor killed Professor Worth. Xander announces to them that Anya not only knows something about the Ascension she's the only living person who's been to one.

She tells them that about 800 years ago, in the Koskov Valleys above the Urals, there was a sorcerer there who achieved Ascension. He became the embodiment of the demon Lohesh, and she was there to witness it. Lohesh, a four-winged soul killer, decimated the village within hours only a small handful of people survived. Anya explains that an Ascension means that a human being becomes pure demon. She tells them that all the demons that walk the earth are tainted, or human hybrids like vampires, but that a pure demon is different. She doesn't think this sounds like Lohesh, though, because the rituals are all different. Just as she says this, the Mayor bursts into the library.

The Mayor begins to talk about how powerful he'll be once the Ascension happens. Buffy makes a remark, and the Mayor responds by saying when the Ascension comes, he'll eat her. Giles, incensed by this, stabs the Mayor with his fencing foil. Of course, this doesn't affect the Mayor, who merely pulls the blade from his chest and walks away, grinning about his commencement address.

With the graduation ceremonies fast approaching, everyone's getting nervous. Anya, who has seen what an Ascension is like, plans to skip town, though Xander tries to get her to stay and help. She proposes to him that he could leave with her, and tries to persuade him to come, but he's committed to staying to help his friends, and declines. Buffy is also anxious, and tries to convince her mom to leave town, saying she won't be able to concentrate on stopping the Mayor if she has to worry about her mom. She doesn't want to leave, but Buffy finally convinces her. Willow, who is researching in the hopes of finding a spell to stop the Ascension, is nervous, too. To help her relax some, Oz plants a passionate kiss on her. Soon they are making love. As they lie together afterwards, they both agree that everything feels different now.

At Professor Worth's apartment, Buffy is investigating, trying to find some information that may be helpful, and Angel comes to help her out. They gather a box of documents, and prepare to take it to Giles. Outside the professor's apartment, Buffy and Angel talk about their relationship, and Buffy expresses her frustration. Suddenly an arrow pierces Angel through the back. We see that Faith has shot the arrow. When Buffy tries to help Angel up, he collapses; he's sweating, burning up. The arrow is poisoned, he tells her. In a panic, Buffy rushes Angel back to the library.

At the library, Giles and Wesley are discussing why the professor's research was of interest to the Mayor. He was doing research in old lava beds near a dormant volcano, and he found a large carcass buried underneath by an eruption. In his paper, Professor Worth suggests that the carcass may be some heretofore-undiscovered dinosaur. Giles thinks that perhaps it could also be a demon, which would explain why the Mayor would want to keep this kind of information secret if the carcass was a demon, then it means that the demon can be killed, which would mean that the mayor is only impervious to harm until the Ascension. Once he's in demon form, he could be killed.

Buffy brings Angel back to the library for help tended. Willow is summoned to figure out what was on the arrow Faith shot Angel with. Wesley contacts the Council to see if they can help, but he returns to tell Buffy that they said they wouldn't help it's not Council policy to cure vampires. Buffy is defiant, but Wesley explains that they're talking about laws that are older than civilization. Buffy says she doesn't care how old the laws are she's talking about watching her lover die. The Council's orders, Wesley reminds her, are to concentrate on the Ascension. Buffy says she doesn't think she's going to be taking any more orders, from Wesley or the Council, and tells Wesley that she's not working for them anymore. Wesley pleads with her, arguing that Faith poisoned Angel to distract Buffy, and now the strategy is working. Buffy replies that she has a strategy of her own, and Wesley is not in it. This is mutiny, Wesley cries. Buffy says she likes to think of it as her graduation.

Willow, meanwhile, has figured out what the poison is its Latin name translates to "killer of the dead." Oz finds that the only cure for it is to drain the blood of a slayer. Buffy has an idea she'll get Faith's blood, and she'll kill her first if she has to. No more playing around, she says she's ready to take on Faith to the death. Opening the closet in the library, she removes a dagger the one the Mayor gave Faith, the one Faith used to kill one of the creatures from the Box of Gavroc in the cafeteria when the box was exchanged for Willow and takes it with her. Oz and Willow figure out where Faith's apartment is, and Buffy heads there for the confrontation.

The Mayor, meanwhile, is busy preparing for the Ascension by performing the Ritual of Gavroc. Sitting at his desk in his office, he gleefully devours the creatures from the Box of Gavroc, feeling stronger with each one he eats.

Buffy arrives at Faith's apartment, and the battle soon begins. The furious fight leads them crashing through the window of Faith's apartment and onto a lower roof below. When they land, Buffy slaps handcuffs onto Faith's wrist and the other cuff is already attached to her own wrist. The fight continues between the two handcuffed slayers until Faith breaks the cuffs apart. Buffy staggers back, and pulls out Faith's dagger. They tangle some more, and the fight moves toward the edge of the roof. As they peer over the ledge, Buffy stabs Faith. Faith, stumbling, steps on to the ledge, leans back and says goodbye, falling back into a passing truck. Buffy rushes to the ledge, but she's too late. The truck, with Faith, and her slayer's blood which Buffy needs to save Angel, is driving away.

With the countdown to Ascension, the finale of season 3 finally gets down to business. The scenes when Angel gets injured is quite harrowing and really preps Buffy emotionally when fighting Faith. The fight with Faith is great and really entertaining to watch. Especially when Faith falls off the ledge. It really leaves things in the air and great set up for Part 2.

Rating - 87% - A-

MovieMad16

03-17-18, 09:37 AM

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3x22 - Graduation Day: Part 2

After the climactic battle on the roof of Faith's apartment building, Buffy stands alone with the knife that may have killed Faith. As the reality of not being able to use Faith's blood as a cure for Angel sets in, Buffy has a moment of painfully quiet introspection, then leaves, having made her decision internally. Just as Buffy descends the escape ladder, the Mayor and one of his goons search the apartment looking for Faith. The apartment is in a shambles, and although the Mayor tries to convince himself that Faith will prevail in the fight, his fear is written all over his face.

Back at the library, Xander and Giles research how to defeat the Mayor in demon form when Cordelia barges in demanding an explanation of why Wesley has decided to leave the country. After Giles explains that Wesley is no longer Buffy's watcher, Xander manages to convince Cordy to join in the fight against the Mayor.

Meanwhile, Willow cares for Angel back at his hideout, but things don't look so good for Angel. When he wakes up from a troubled sleep, he mistakes Willow for Buffy. When the real Buffy shows up, she asks Willow and Oz to leave so that she can be alone with Angel. When they leave, she explains to Angel that the only way for him to survive is to drink her blood. Angel emphatically resists, but after Buffy physically induces his vampire side to come out, he sinks his fangs into her neck and drains her near to death. When Angel comes to and realizes what he has done, he rushes Buffy to the hospital and demands that the doctors treat her immediately.

In the next room, the Mayor grieves over Faith, who lies in a coma. When a doctor comes in announcing another girl with 'severe blood loss' in the other room, he puts two and two together. He walks very calmly over to Buffy and tries to suffocate her, but Angel comes to the rescue. The Mayor warns Angel that at Graduation he will do much worse to Buffy, then storms out. Just as the Mayor exits, Giles, Xander, Oz and Willow meet Angel in the hall. Seeing that Angel's health has been restored, they question Buffy's condition and Angel's sudden recovery, and soon learn that Buffy's blood was the cure for Angel's ailments. While both Giles and Xander both strongly disapprove of Angel's actions, they know they must focus on the Ascension.

In a strange and surreal dream, Faith is alive and well, and gives Buffy some valuable advice: 'human weakness' is the key to defeating the Mayor. Questioning whether Faith's mind or her own mind is creating this fantasy, she drifts out of her sleep and wakes up in the hospital. She wanders over to Faith's bed and gives her an apologetic kiss, then meets the gang in the waiting room. Startled to see her up so soon, they are even more startled when she says that she is 'ready for war.'

At the library, Buffy goes over her plan with Giles, Angel, Xander, Willow, Oz and Cordelia. Wesley unexpectedly walks in, and before Buffy and the gang can ostracize him, he explains that he has not come back representing the council; he is back to help. Meanwhile, the Mayor plans his assault with his vampire goons. The vamps are told to hold the people in the area so that the Mayor can feed on them once the ascension is complete.

Back at the school, the gang goes to work rounding up students to help with the battle. Willow grabs Percy and Xander rounds up Harmony while Wesley and Cordelia share a hilariously awkward romantic good-bye in the library. In another sort of good-bye, Angel tells Buffy that if they survive the Ascension, he will not say good-bye, he will simply leave.

The big day finally arrives, and the students file in wearing their crimson caps and gowns. Anxiety and fear paint the faces of Buffy and the gang while Principal Snyder gives his usual condescending banter, then introduces Mayor Wilkins as the honored guest speaker. The Mayor begins his speech about graduation, ascension and change, but before he can finish, the ascension begins.

The moon eclipses the sun, bringing darkness over the ceremony. And before a stunned crowd, the Mayor morphs into a giant, twenty-foot dinosaur with a vicious set of teeth and a ravenous appetite. But amid the ensuing chaos, the student body is ready. Led by Buffy and a courageous Xander, the students rip off their gowns to reveal an arsenal of weapons. They bombard the demon and his vampire minions with flame-throwers, rifles, arrows, spears and swoads. In the melee, the demon dips down and grabs Principal Snyder between his jaws, and devours him. Buffy sees her chance, and orders the class to retreat. Now one on one with the Mayor, she taunts him with the knife that pierced Faith, and leads him on a chase through the high school. The chase ends in the library, which is rigged with explosives. All the Mayor can say is "Oh, gosh!" as he and the halls of Sunnydale High are blown back into hell.

In the aftermath, Giles congratulates Buffy on the victory, and presents her diploma that he pulled from the wreckage. As Giles leaves to check on the injured Wesley, Buffy spots Angel standing at a distance. They exchange a long, painful look, but before Buffy can approach Angel to say good-bye, he walks away and disappears into the smoky haze. Later that night, Buffy, Xander, Willow, Oz and Cordelia take a moment to reflect on the fact that they have not only survived the battle, but they have survived high school.

This episode signals the end of the High School Era and it ends in pretty spectacular fashion. The final battle is entertaining and satisfying to watch, in a strange manner. Sunnydale High goes out with a bang, literally and the fight with The school & the vampires is weird but wonderful at the same time.

This is also the last regular appearances of Angel, Cordelia & Wesley who all go on to Angel, the spin off series which runs in parellel with Buffy from now on. Angel's departure is fitting and appropriate as the next stage of his life is set to begin, and boy will it be a ride.

Rating - 95% - A

MovieMad16

06-19-18, 07:25 PM

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Season 3 Retrospective

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Season 3 of Buffy was a strong continuation of the last season, taking the strong established cast and giving them new threats, new conflicts, and a moment of change in their lives some will be more prepared than others. There are great episodes in this season, as well as some fine performances throughout. It stands just as strong as Season 2.

BUFFY: Sarah Michelle Gellar gives some more fine performances this season as Buffy. The first episode sees the character at her absolute lowest with Anne. Lonely, distant, and depressed in Los Angeles, the episode sees her pull herself back to her feet and return to Sunnydale determined. From there, Buffy faces new challenges in the form of Faith, and her last year of high school. Gellar pulls it off again, and takes Buffy on that next difficult step towards adulthood.

OTHER MAIN CHARACTERS: The main cast is strong as always. Willow & Oz are a great couple, and their chemistry is convincing and fun to watch, despite the obstacle of Xander early on in the season. Xander has a good episode with The Zeppo and we see him as almost a less of a douche in this season (I say almost, he still has his moments). I was disappointed at how little Cordelia was used in this season. Very underused and very tossed aside which was a real shame considering how much of a fan I was of the character. Giles is also still good and still shaped as the father figure of the gang which is rather nice. Even after the episode Helpless, he's still loyal and faithful to Buffy and the gang.

ANGEL: Despite being killed at the end of the last season, Angel manages to return and reintegrate himself back into present day society. Him and Buffy are more fragile and awkward around each other, yet try to rebuild their relationship with little success. Their breakup is a hard scene for fans, but right. Angel has to move on. He's served his purpose and now must keep moving forward on his own. To a better and brighter future. Their parting scene in Graduation Day II is iconic and very poignant of the characters.

RECURRING CHARACTERS: Joyce becomes much more central to some of the Scooby activity after finding out in Season 2. She isn't as ditzy as before, and provides a more motherly figure to the rest of the gang. Her performance in Band Candy was very funny. Speaking of Band Candy, Snyder also had a good season, the highlight being in that episode also. His death in the finale was particularly memorable and very deserving. We also got the first appearances of both Wesley & Anya. Wesley was much more bumbling and goofy than his character will be later on, and Anya was more distant, cold and demonic due to her sudden regression of becoming human. Both did enough to be elevated to the main cast later on. Spike & Ethan Rayne both make one off appearances again this season, and they both do really well, setting them up for future roles ahead, especially Spike.

BIG BAD (THE MAYOR & FAITH): Whilst not as good as Angelus was, The Mayor was still a solid and unique villain for Buffy to face. He's manipulative, charming, and delicious with evil all in one. He is first assisted by Mr Trick, who I really enjoyed watching, and was saddened when he was killed off so quickly. But that in turn set up Faith, the rogue slayer who is everything Buffy isn't. I loved her arc in this season, as it contains full of sadness and conflict, and a lack of a family unit to guide her morally.

FAVOURITE/LEAST FAVOURITE EPISODES: Two episodes were still stand outs of the season: Dopplegangland and Revelations. They to me were the best written and directed episodes of the run. The finale also served as a real bookend to the High School Era, Anne was a great continuation from last season's finale, and I also really rated Helpless which was a brutal dagger to Buffy & Giles's relationship.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Season 3 was another good season in the Buffy run, though not as good as Season 2 in my eyes. I liked the big poignant feel of the finale episodes, as well as the excellent cast of characters, all strong and unique in their own special way. Now though, they split as one show now becomes two.

RATING: 86% - A-

MovieMad16

06-21-18, 11:34 AM

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4x01 - The Freshman

With their first semester at the University of California - Sunnydale almost upon them, Buffy waits in the cemetery for a vampire to rise while Willow helps her register for classes. One class they're taking together is a psychology course taught by Professor Walsh, who has an impressive reputation. Distracted with course selection for a moment, Buffy fails to notice her intended target rising out of his grave. The vampire attempts to sneak up on Buffy and Willow from behind, but the sight of their arsenal of stakes, arrows, and crosses forces him to find a meal elsewhere.

On the morning of her first day of college, Buffy finds herself overwhelmed by the sheer size of UC-Sunnydale. While wandering around in a vain attempt to find a building, Buffy bumps into Willow, who is considerably more excited with the college experience. Soon after, they find Oz standing about. Having played on campus several times with his band, Oz has gotten fairly acquainted with the setting, enough to know more than a few faces walking around. Buffy and Willow check out the library, which is enormous in comparison to Sunnydale High's. On the way there, Willow updates Buffy on what Giles and Xander have been up to over the summer. While Xander set out on a mission to drive across America, Giles has been enjoying his unemployed status. After the library, Buffy and Willow head to the bookstore. There, they meet Riley, one of Prof. Walsh's T.A.'s for the psych class they're taking. Willow impresses Riley with her present knowledge of the subject. Riley leads her over to another section of the bookstore, leaving Buffy with nothing to do but tag along. Afterwards, Buffy returns to her dorm room and meets her roommate, Kathy, who has just moved in. Although a fairly nice person, Buffy finds her to be a little too enthusiastic. She also isn't too thrilled with the Celine Dion poster that Kathy puts up on the wall. That night, Buffy learns the hard way that Kathy is an obnoxiously loud sleeper.

The next day, Buffy attends a pop culture class that she hasn't registered for yet. While asking a nearby student if there are any openings left in the class, Buffy attracts the attention of Prof. Riegert, who makes it crystal clear that Buffy has no chance of getting into the class. He then orders her to leave the room immediately. On her way to psych class, Buffy runs into Riley just outside the classroom. Although he remembers Willow perfectly, Riley has trouble recalling meeting Buffy the previous day, let alone her name. Inside, Buffy takes a seat next to Willow and Oz. At the start of class, Prof. Walsh informs the students that her class is anything but a blow-off course. Later that night, Buffy meets another student by the name of Eddie. Besides taking Psych 105 together, what Buffy and Eddie also have in common is their general discomfort with college life so far. While they walk towards their respective dorm rooms, Buffy and Eddie discuss security blankets that get them through the daily grind. For Eddie, it's a copy of "Of Human Bondage" that he always keeps near his bed. After they part ways, Eddie has an unfortunate run-in with a gang of vampires, led by a blonde named Sunday. Shortly after, the vampires rob Eddie's room of all of his belongings. They leave a forged good-bye note on the bed before splitting.

At psych class the next day, Buffy tries to find Eddie in the class, but to no avail. She goes to Eddie's residence hall. Eddie's R.A. takes Buffy to the room and shows her the space that's completely empty, save for the note on the bed. Buffy reads the note while the R.A. tells her that it's fairly common for some freshman to take off this early. Before she leaves, Buffy finds Eddie's copy of "Of Human Bondage" in his nightstand. Meanwhile, Sunday and her vampire lackeys sift through Eddie's stuff. Disappointed with their findings, Sunday decides that she needs someone else to find a better victim, and the just-turned Eddie is her choice for the job. She heads to Giles' apartment for help, but soon learns that Giles is not alone in the apartment. Dressed only in one of Giles' dress shirts, an old friend named Olivia greets Buffy as she enters the apartment. When Giles steps out, Olivia leaves the two of them alone in the living room. Buffy tells Giles about the missing student. In response, Giles reminds her that without a Watcher officially assigned to her anymore, Buffy will have to take care of such matters by herself. Later that night, Buffy sees Eddie walking around the campus. When she catches up with him, Buffy realizes Eddie is no longer the human student she met the previous night. After a short fight, Buffy finishes Eddie with a stake to the heart. The Slayer soon realizes that she has an audience. Spinning around, Buffy meets Sunday. While the rest of the vampire gang surrounds Buffy, Sunday battles the Slayer one-on-one. In no time, Buffy realizes that this fight is much more difficult than she expected it to be. When Sunday gains the upper hand by snapping her opponent's left arm, Buffy decides to retreat. That night, the unbearable pain in her arm makes it impossible for Buffy to sleep.

The next morning, Buffy sees Willow and Oz having a pleasant conversation with another student. Instead of joining her friends, Buffy turns the other way and heads home. Joyce is surprised to see her daughter home this early in the semester. After Buffy learns that her room has been filled with her mother's crates from the gallery, the phone rings in the kitchen. Buffy answers the phone, but no voice comes from the other end of the line. Buffy hangs up and goes back to her dorm room, only to find that all of her stuff has been stolen. A goodbye note similar to Eddie's rests on her bed. Down in the dumps, Buffy heads to the Bronze. For a split second, Buffy thinks she sees Angel standing at the bar, but a second glance reveals it to be a complete stranger. Suddenly, Xander surprises Buffy with his unannounced presence. Xander tells Buffy the story of his summer vacation, which involved a road trip that pretty much never happened, his car dying in the middle of nowhere, and a job at a ladies' club that, for one evening, forced Xander to join the ranks of male strippers. Realizing that Buffy shouldn't even be in the Bronze, Xander gets her to confess her troubles at school. Knowing that her self-confidence is shot, Xander tells Buffy that she's been nothing but a magnificent inspiration and that he considers Buffy his hero. With her spirits lifted, Buffy uses Xander's assistance to track down Sunday to an abandoned fraternity house. They spy on the vampires through a skylight on the roof. Unable to see her weapons chest, Buffy sends Xander back to her dorm room to retrieve the necessary equipment. After Xander takes off, the skylight gives way under Buffy's weight, sending the Slayer down onto the hard floor below.

While Buffy tries to fight Sunday again, Willow and Oz read the note on Buffy's bed while Kathy wonders what's going on. Fearing that they somehow drove Buffy away, Willow drowns herself in guilt. Xander suddenly arrives and subtly hints to Willow and Oz that Buffy is in trouble. Unable to find the weapons chest in the room, they head for Willow's room to get supplies. Back at the frat house, Buffy spots her weapons chest in the corner of the room. Before she can reach it, Sunday steps in front of her and holds up the Class Protector award. When Sunday breaks it, Buffy goes into overdrive, using a flurry of kicks and one-armed attacks on the hapless vampire. The rest of the gang tries to make a run for it, but Xander, Willow, and Oz arrive just in time to reduce them to dust. After taking the fight out of Sunday, Buffy sends the vampire flying across the room with a punch from the same arm that Sunday thought was broken. Xander, Willow, and Oz watch as Buffy hurls a stake right through Sunday's heart. After gathering all of Buffy's stuff, the gang heads outside to see Giles running towards them, carrying several weapons in his arms. Giles apologizes to Buffy for trying to teach her a lesson in independence. He vows to help the Slayer out in any fight that comes her way. While the gang heads back to Buffy's dorm room, one of Sunday's vampire lackeys that managed to escape roams through the park.

Suddenly, he is hit by a couple of taser shots. The electric volts send him to the ground, immobilized. As the vampire watches, an anonymous team approaches him, dressed in black and carrying rifles.

This is a solid opener to the season. I don't think it's the best, but it certainly handles its themes and messages very well, as well as throwing Buffy into a new world that she's not really prepared for. Sarah is great here, as her new world affects her slaying, and puts her against a very dangerous villain.

The Villain of the week here is very good. Summer is fast, verbally nasty, and a real opposing threat to Buffy. It's really when Buffy shakes herself off that she proves to be a worthy match to her. I liked the actress here, and I think she did a really good job playing a very nasty bad girl. Very relatable also.

It's incredibly interesting seeing Buffy react to college life. She's nowhere near as prepared to that of high school. Completely sideswiped by the changes and new people with their own self-belief and built-in confidence that Buffy may not have. I love all the different egos and cliques that come up which is very relatable to college life.

Rating - 86% - A-

MovieMad16

06-21-18, 12:05 PM

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1x01 - City Of

Angel drunkenly slumps at the bar of a dive in downtown Los Angeles, growing maudlin about a lost love, when he notices three guys leave the bar with two women, Janice and Laura. His drunken facade fading, Angel unobtrusively follows them out. In the dark alley, Angel kills the three men, who are revealed to be vampires. One of the frightened girls, Janice, bleeding from a minor head wound, tries to thank him, but Angel, fixated on the blood, warns them harshly to get away from him, and strides down the dark alley.

Angel makes his way to his new home, a basement apartment beneath a ground floor office, where he finds Doyle waiting for him. Doyle introduces himself, explaining he's half human, half demon, then recaps the story of Angel's life, ending with his recent, painful breakup with the Slayer and his subsequent move to L.A.. Doyle explains that Angel's isolation, combined with the fact that he recently drank human blood, puts him at serious risk of relapse. Doyle gets visions from The Powers That Be (accompanied by debilitating headaches) regarding people whose lives Angel must touch; true redemption lies not just in saving lives, but in saving souls as well. Doyle concludes by handing over a scrap of paper on which he's jotted information about a young woman named Tina. When Angel asks why Tina needs him, Doyle replies that getting involved in her life enough to figure that out is Angel's first order of business.

Angel finds Tina during her shift and manages to persuade her to meet him after work. Waiting by his car, Angel is surprised to see her in elegant evening dress, and even more surprised when she pulls pepper spray from her purse. Tina accuses Angel of being employed by someone named Russell, but he slowly convinces her to accept his offer of a lift to the "fabulous Hollywood party" she plans to attend. When they arrive, Angel runs into Cordelia Chase, whom he last saw at her graduation ceremony at Sunnydale High some months earlier. After a short chat during which she brags about how successful she is, Cordelia leaves, saying that she needs to be talking to "people that are somebody". Angel, slightly offended, walks away saying that "It's nice to see that she's grown as a person." Angel sees a man harassing Tina and asks about him. She tells him that he's Stacy, a creep, and says that she would like to leave. On their way into the parking garage, Angel fights off Stacy and his goons.

Meanwhile, in her dingy apartment, Cordelia hangs up her one dress and nibbles snacks she stole from the party because she couldn't afford food, while listening to her talent agent's discouraging phone message. After Tina falls asleep, Angel spends the night on the public library's computers, searching for information about Tina's friend Denise, who disappeared after becoming involved with Russell. The next morning, Angel tells Tina he believes her friend Denise was murdered. As she listens, Tina suddenly spots Doyle's note listing her name and workplace, and, convinced afresh that Angel has been running some scam for Russell, panics and runs. Angel tries to grab her at the building's entrance, but sunlight burns his hand, causing him to turn vampirish reflexively. In stark terror, Tina flees.

Russell finds Tina when she returns to her apartment to pack. She allows herself to be drawn into his arms; however Russell is actually a vampire and bites her. Angel races to the rescue, only to find Tina dead, marks of vampire predation livid on her throat. Russell meets with a young lawyer from Wolfram & Hart to discuss his airtight (fictitious) alibi in the matter of Tina's unfortunate demise, and orders the lawyer to bring him Cordelia, whom he has selected as his next victim.

Angel tracks down Stacy and interrogates him until he reveals Winters' location, then persuades a reluctant Doyle to help him avenge Tina's death. Excited by her limo ride to meet the Russell Winters, Cordelia is impressed by his ornate mansion. After a servant ushers her into Russell's den, Cordelia promptly spills the story of her life to her seemingly sympathetic host - until she notices the unusually heavy drapes and lack of mirrors, and concludes aloud that Winters is a vampire. Winters vamps and reaches for Cordelia, who flees. Angel has arrived just in time, though, and rescues her.

The next day, Angel stalks into a top floor conference room at Russell Winters Enterprises, where Winters is conducting a meeting with his lawyers from Wolfram & Hart. Not impressed by Winters' claim that he can do whatever he wants in L.A., Angel asks the CEO if he can fly, then forcefully kicks his executive chair through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Exposed to direct sunlight, a screaming Winters bursts into flame and disintegrates to dust in mid-air. The chair, scorched and empty, smashes to the sidewalk below. As Angel calmly departs, the young Wolfram & Hart lawyer uses his cell phone to report that, although the Senior Partners needn't be disturbed just yet, there seems to be a "new player in town."

Back at home, Angel despondently calls Buffy, but when he hears her voice, hangs up without speaking. Later, Cordelia proposes that they put a sign out front and go into the business of saving souls as a team—at least until her "inevitable stardom" materializes. Doyle observes many people in L.A. need help and asks Angel if he's game. Angel stands alone atop a skyscraper, looking out over the bustling L.A. nightscape, and responds, "I'm game."

This is a brilliant wonderful pilot which sets out the mission statement so clearly and creatively. Whether you're coming from Buffy, or jumping into this first time, you understand the world, its rules, and the players very quickly. It's wonderful. Rich with tone and mood, painting L.A. like a tragic figure, wounding and in stress.

The story is well told too. Full of twists & turns at every stop. Characters are not certain, and Angel finds himself in an environment striped of all the safety wheels. L.A is not Sunnydale by any stretch of the imagination. It's a bleak story also. Not everyone makes it out alive. Not everyone gets a happy ending.

You have your villain of the week Russell who is pretty chilling and predatory. He's also tough enough to take on Angel and overpower him at points. We're also introduced to our long term villain Wolfham & Heart which is pure genius: An evil, supernatrual law firm representing all the evil of the known universe. Pretty clever idea.

Overall, a great pilot. Almost perfect even. Definitely a strong start to a brilliant spin off.

Rating - 96% - A

MovieMad16

06-24-18, 11:34 AM

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4x02 - Living Conditions

After hearing Cher's "Believe" for the umpteenth consecutive time, Buffy decides it's time for her nightly patrol. She tells Kathy that she's going out for a cup of coffee. Before Buffy can make it out of the room, Kathy mentions that some of the milk in their fridge is missing. Buffy confesses and takes off from Stevenson Hall. Outside, Buffy meets up with Willow, who listens to her friend talk about the trials of living with a new roommate. While Buffy and Willow part ways, a demon with orange wrinkled skin and glowing green eyes watches from behind the bushes. A sound nearby kicks Buffy into alert mode, but she soon realizes that it's only Kathy, who has decided to join Buffy for a drink. Suddenly, Buffy hears what is undoubtedly a growl. She pushes Kathy out of the way just as a demon attacks her. Buffy fights back, finally forcing the demon to retreat. As Buffy helps an unsuspecting Kathy out of the bushes, the demon rejoins his partner. They believe that they have finally found the one they've been after.

The next day, Buffy visits Giles at his apartment. After she describes the demon to Giles, he wonders why Buffy is there instead of at school. Buffy admits that she's staying out of the dorm until Kathy goes to class. Meanwhile, Kathy futilely attempts to remove the stains on her sweater from the previous night. Giving up, she decides to take a look through Buffy's closet. Kathy finds a sweater to her liking, then notices Buffy's weapons bag on the floor of the closet. Later, Buffy cuts into the cafeteria line in an attempt to avoid Kathy, who is standing further down the line. The student whom Buffy cut off, Parker, decides to introduce himself. He gives Buffy a lesson on how to effectively utilize their meal cards. At the end of the line, Parker heads towards his friend's table, while Buffy joins Willow, Oz, and Xander at the other end of the dining room. During their conversation, Kathy takes it upon herself to join the group at their table, uninvited. Buffy quickly recognizes what Kathy's wearing, who believes that it's only fair since Buffy caused the stains on her own sweater. As Kathy tells the others about herself, Buffy watches in horror as a glob of ketchup falls from Kathy's hamburger onto the sweater. That night, Willow tries to talk on the telephone while her roommate throws a party at the same time. On the other end of the line, Buffy throws out more complaints about her roommate. Hearing Kathy just outside the door, Buffy hangs up. While Kathy sits on the bed and flosses her teeth, Buffy tries to fit her apple into the stuffed fridge, in which every item is labeled with Kathy's name, including each individual egg. When Buffy turns around, she realizes that Kathy has closed her window. Buffy opens it back up and hits the sack. After falling asleep, Buffy has a dream about a demon placing a scorpion on her stomach, pouring blood down her throat, and sucking a mysterious light out of her mouth.

In the morning, Buffy tells Giles and the others about her dream. Kathy appears and tells them about a dream she had the previous night. While Giles and the gang are shocked to hear a description of the exact same dream, Buffy is more concerned with her growing irritation and hatred for Kathy. Later that night, the two green-eyed demons stand before a fire and begin to summon another named Tapparich. When Buffy returns to her dorm room, she finds Parker talking to Kathy inside. Apparently, they have been talking and getting to know each other for quite some time before Buffy walked in. After Parker leaves, Buffy and Kathy face off once again. This time, Buffy decides to help herself to as much of Kathy's carton of milk as she can handle. Elsewhere, Willow worries about Buffy steady change in personality. Oz tells her that he'll go find Buffy and see what's up. On his way to Buffy's patrol route, Oz passes by a group of students. One of them, a short girl, draws Oz's attention for a brief moment. As Oz looks back, the girl also does a double take with Oz, sensing something. Figuring it's nothing, Oz continues forward, failing to notice the army of rifle-carrying soldiers running towards the girl and her friends. During the patrol, Buffy tries to put her hatred for Kathy into words, but she only ends up destroying a park bench with a kick of pure hatred. Before going to bed, Buffy tries to get some reading homework done. However, Kathy's toenail clipping proves way more distracting than it should be. In retaliation, Buffy starts tapping her pencil. What follows is Cher's "Believe", Buffy's earmuffs, and the torturous crunching of Kathy's hard-boiled egg shell. Having had enough, Buffy goes to bed and has the same nightmare she had the previous night.

Buffy wakes up the next morning to see Kathy squirming in her bed, apparently having the same dream. Later, Willow talks to Kathy in the dorm hallway about Buffy. Seeing Buffy approaching, Kathy takes off. Willow then listens in fearful concern as Buffy declares that Kathy is evil and must be killed. Buffy tries to explain that she took a sample of Kathy's toenail clippings and realized that they continued to grow by themselves. However, Willow has already concluded that her friend has gone off the deep end. Willow tells her to talk to Giles, then calls him up to warn him of Buffy's arrival. Buffy enters Giles' apartment and is greeted by a falling net from above. Giles, Xander, and Oz rush out to restrain Buffy with ropes, fearing that her murder plan must be stopped at all costs. Buffy leads Giles to the toenail clippings in her bag and tries to convince them that she's right. However, Giles believes that Buffy has been possessed by the demon she fought in the woods. While Xander and Oz take positions as watch guards over the restrained Slayer, Willow tries to warn Kathy about Buffy's intentions. Kathy's response of Buffy's come-uppance only scares Willow more, and she leaves shortly after getting a call from Oz. Back at the apartment, Buffy frees herself from the ropes and tricks Xander and Oz into coming close enough for her to knock them out.

Buffy returns to the dorm room in hopes of finishing Kathy once and for all. When Kathy lands a hard backhand against her roommate's face, Buffy grabs her by the face and pulls with all her might. The human skin comes off, revealing the same kind of demon that Buffy encountered several nights ago. While they battle, Xander and Oz regain consciousness just as Willow arrives at the apartment. Back at the dorm, Kathy informs Buffy that she escaped from another dimension, and now her elders have followed her in hopes of bringing her back. The only way they can recognize one of their own is by sensing the absence of a soul, so Kathy has been sucking out Buffy's soul the past few nights. Giles learns of this Ritual of Mok'tagar through research and quickly checks the toenail clippings. Confirming their continuing growth, Giles goes out into the living room to tell Willow, Xander, and Oz what he has learned. Since Buffy has already escaped, Giles decides that he and Willow must perform a spell that will reverse the effects of the ritual. While Xander and Oz head towards the dorm, Buffy and Kathy tear up their room in the name of beating the crap out of each other. Just as Kathy attempts to finish her assimilation of Buffy's soul, Giles and Willow complete the spell. Buffy's soul leaves Kathy and returns to its original host. Suddenly, the demon Tapparich appears in their dorm room. Kathy tries to plead her case, but Tapparich has heard enough. He opens a portal that sucks Kathy and himself back into their own dimension.

Now that Kathy is officially no longer a student at UC-Sunnydale, Willow decides to leave her party-crazed roommate and move in with Buffy. Things are finally looking up, although a forbidden bite from Buffy's sandwich drives the Slayer to focus her evil eye on Willow.

This was a serious downgrade on an episode from the premiere. I found this to be way too comedic and dull at times. It's perfectly fine to do a hellish roommate episode, but with Buffy, I felt more fun and mystery could've been added to spice the episode up more.

There was also a lack of an intimidating villain, hoping more to play into the idea that Buffy is going mad, which they never resolved might I add. It's possible that Buffy might just be a little OCD perhaps, but nothing came out of it.

Rating - 68% - B

MovieMad16

06-29-18, 09:47 AM

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1x02 - Lonely Hearts

At the office, Angel sits in the dark, alone. He blinks when the lights come on and Doyle arrives, with a Friday-night plan for the three of them to go out together. He wants Angel to get out but also wants him to put in a good word for him with Cordelia without letting her know he's half-demon. Shortly after Cordelia arrives with a box of the calling cards she had printed up for Angel Investigations. Doyle is seized by a vision of a night club, and they all go to the club.

Meanwhile at D'Oblique, the club in Doyle's vision, the lonely and desperate Sharon and Kevin meet and leave the club together, just after the Angel Investigations team arrives. Cordelia immediately begins to pass around Angel's business cards until Doyle stops her, cautioning her to stay "under the radar". Angel makes no progress with people near the bar or the bartender until a woman named Kate asks if he's all right. They awkwardly strike up a conversation, and despite a slow start, Angel and Kate find they have some things in common. Across the room, a guy mockingly speculates that the AI calling cards give Cordelia's number for services of a more personal kind. Cordelia is indignant and Doyle tries to stand up for her, but the guy is backed up by his friend, so Doyle stops negotiating and wades in. Having just declined Kate's invitation to go someplace quieter (making Kate suddenly very frosty), Angel charges into the fight and thrashes both guys, before the bartender kicks the guys out.

The next morning after spending the night with Kevin, Sharon calmly gets dressed, unperturbed by the bloody sheets and Kevin's dead body on the bed. At the office, the team spends the day researching any past incidents connected to D'Oblique. Their search turns up a badly mutilated woman and an eviscerated man. While Doyle and Cordelia look for more links, Angel goes back to D'Oblique to see if he can spot the killer. On his way in, Angel bumps into Kate, who takes umbrage when he tries to warn her of a suspiciously non-specific danger. Inside, Angel finds out that Kevin disappeared after going home with Sharon. He finds her in the phone book and runs straight to her place to try to prevent the next murder. Angel arrives at the apartment just in time to see that Sharon is dead while Neil, the geeky guy she took home, is alive and hosting a parasitic demon. Angel and the demon fight, but it gets away just as Kate arrives and finds Angel at the crime scene. Pulling a gun on Angel, Kate reveals she's a detective with the LAPD, and tries to arrest him. Knowing Kate won't be convinced he's not the killer, Angel breaks away and dives out the third floor window. Meanwhile, the demon goes back to D'Oblique. As dawn approaches, Angel makes his way to Cordelia's dingy apartment, not knowing that Kate has gone to illegally search his own place. Waking Cordelia and Doyle, Angel asks them to research eviscerating burrowers—demons that move from body to body, endlessly seeking the perfect one to live in forever. They discover their burrower is vulnerable to fire. Seeking help to destroy the powerful demon, Angel calls Kate and requests a meeting to prove that he isn't the killer. That night at the club, Kate asks the bartender to notify her when Angel arrives. A few minutes later the bartender tells Kate he thinks Angel is out back but, when they get there, the bartender smashes a wine bottle into the back of Kate's head. Angel arrives just in time to keep the burrower demon from transferring to Kate's body, forcing it back inside the bartender. Though weakening, the bartender host is still strong enough to fight Angel until Kate recovers. Then, not wanting to deal with them both at once, the demon tosses Kate and Angel down into the basement and locks them in.

While the demon cruises for a fresh, undamaged body, Kate and Angel escape the basement and split up to search. Angel locates the bartender first and again battles the demon in its bartender host, which is still strong enough to injure Angel. Angel barely manages to throw the demon into a nearby burn barrel before collapsing to the pavement. Engulfed in flames and howling, the demon lurches purposefully toward Angel, who is on the ground and unable to move. Circling back, Kate arrives just in time to shoot the bartender, knocking him to the ground and halting the attack on Angel. After more police and emergency services arrive on scene, Kate gets a moment alone with Angel. She admits that she never would have guessed the bartender was the killer and thanks Angel for saving her life earlier. Agreeing that the bartender had ample opportunity, Angel makes no mention of a body-hopping, parasitic demon being the real killer. After Angel thanks Kate for saving his life as well, she apologizes for searching his apartment. She wants the two of them to start over from the beginning with no secrets between them; Angel pauses almost imperceptibly, then agrees. He offers her his new business card and invites her to call if she has future problems, then characteristically disappears when her back is turned.

At the office, Angel generously and very awkwardly suggests that the three of them go out together, but is deeply relieved and gratified when Cordelia and Doyle instead take pity on him and leave him to brood in the dark, alone.

I really enjoyed this episode immensely. For one, it's a brave and brilliant portrait on loneliness inside a major city like Los Angeles. As someone that can easily relate to this, I was really attached to this story link and found it sad at points, especially as I think many people can relate very easily.

With that, we get the introduction of Kate Lockley, a recurring character who will play a crucial role in Angel establishing himself in L.A. In this episode, she's uncertain, disguised, and leaves the audience guessing. But as you learn more about her, you're hopeful that she'll be moved over to Angel's side. Elisabeth Rohm's performance is spot on and serious, and definitely one of the joys of this first season.

There's also a terrific montage using the song Touched by VAST. It's small but really good at establishing time, tone, and the unpredictability of the villain in this particular episode. The villain here is good, and very hard to predict at several points in the story. And one that is a great metaphor to sex and connections.

Rating - 92% - A

MovieMad16

11-03-18, 04:01 PM

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4x03 - The Harsh Light Of Day

While Dingoes Ate My Baby performs onstage at the Bronze, Willow listens to Buffy discuss her relationship with Parker, who is playing a game of pool not too far away. On his way out, Parker offers to walk Buffy back to the dorm, and she readily accepts. Outside, while Devon and Oz load their equipment into the van, Willow encounters Harmony for the first time since graduation. Suddenly, a sharp pain strikes Willow's neck as she discovers that Harmony is now a vampire, feeding off of her former classmate. Before Harmony can take too much blood, Oz pulls her off of Willow, who immediately raises her cross. Harmony takes off, but not before warning Willow and Oz that her own boyfriend is going to be fairly upset. Meanwhile, Parker and Buffy discuss their pasts while walking to Stevenson Hall. When Parker notices the scar on her neck, Buffy tosses out a cover story about an angry puppy. Parker then tells Buffy that his father died a year ago. Stopping for a moment, Parker asks Buffy to join him at an upcoming party at one of the frat houses. Upon finally arriving at room 214 in Stevenson Hall, Parker and Buffy move in for a goodbye kiss. Their lips never touch, for Oz and Willow rush down the hallway to tell Buffy about Harmony. After Parker leaves, Willow describes the event while Oz cleans the wound and applies a band-aid. Little do they know that Harmony's boyfriend is none other than Spike.

The next morning, deep beneath the streets of Sunnydale, Spike goes over the city plans, planning his next course of tunneling. Frustrated and bored, Harmony persuades Spike to take her to a party for some fresh food. Later that night, while working a part-time job at Giles' apartment, Xander gets a surprise visit from Anya. Under the impression that they're a couple, Anya tells Xander about his constant presence in her dreams. Shocked and confused, Xander tries to convince Anya that they don't have a relationship. At the party, Parker and Buffy run into Spike and Harmony. After some brief introductions, Spike flees the scene. Buffy follows him outside and gets into a sparring-and-trash-talking session. Harmony arrives shortly, explaining that Drusilla left Spike once again. Before Spike can retreat, Harmony mentions the Gem of Amara. Furious, Spike grabs Harmony and leaves. Buffy heads to the nearest phone and calls Giles to tell him about Spike, Harmony, and the Gem of Amara. Giles describes the gem as "the vampire equivalent of the Holy Grail", but he also explains that it doesn't actually exist. While Buffy heads back inside to find Parker, Anya visits Xander once again, this time in the basement of his house. When Xander reaches into the fridge to offer her a drink, Anya drops her dress to the floor while his back is turned. Paralyzed by what he sees after turning back around, Xander can only listen as Anya describes her plan to get him out of her mind once and for all: to have sexual intercourse with him. Xander tries to resist, but he soon crumbles and gives in to Anya's demands. Back at the party, Parker talks to Buffy about his beliefs on fate. Going with her instincts, Buffy passionately kisses Parker, then follows him back to his room for the night.

Buffy wakes up the next morning to find that she's alone in Parker's bed. As she tries to gather all of her clothes, Parker walks in with a few cups of coffee. Before Buffy leaves, Parker promises to give her a call later in the day. Buffy returns to her room, only to find Giles at the computer with Willow. Giles brings Buffy up-to-speed on his research concerning the Gem of Amara. From what he's learned, the gem may not only be real, but it could also be located in Sunnydale. After Giles leaves, Willow demands details about Buffy's night with Parker. At the Harris residence, Anya tells Xander that she's finally over him. When Xander mutters a simple "okay", Anya gets upset and leaves. Meanwhile, Harmony wakes up Spike by writing a love note on his back. In the tunnel, Spike and his vampire cohorts realize that they're close to the crypt they're looking for. As hours, then days, go by, Buffy constantly checks her answering machine, never getting a single message from Parker, while Spike finally drills through the ground of the crypt.

Inside the crypt, Spike approaches a beautiful necklace with a shining emerald in the middle of the room. While he puts it on, Harmony tries on various rings and tiaras. Spike reaches for a nearby cross, believing that the Gem of Amara has rendered him invincible to all vampire weaknesses. However, a burning pain accompanies Spike's handling of the cross. Fed up with Harmony's constant rambling, Spike tries to dust her with a make-shift stake. However, the hole in her chest quickly reseals. Spike immediately identifies the Gem of Amara on the ring that Harmony put on. He takes it from her and heads up to the surface, where the sun is still shining. While walking around campus, Buffy finds Parker telling the story of his deceased father to another pretty girl. Pulling him aside, Buffy tries to find out what's been going on. Parker informs Buffy that she mistook a little fun for a serious commitment. Crushed and dejected, Buffy watches Parker as he walks off. A familiar voice gets Buffy's attention, and she turns just in time to see Spike's fist. While they fight, Giles and the others follow a lead from a news report to the tunnels beneath Sunnydale, while Xander goes to Stevenson Hall to find Buffy. There, he runs into Anya, who he quickly brushes off due to current circumstances regarding Buffy's whereabouts. Underground, Giles, Willow, and Oz question a distraught Harmony, but she flees before divulging Spike's location. Back above ground, Spike assaults Buffy both physically and verbally, ridiculing her failed relationship with Parker by likening it to the aftermath of her passionate night with Angel. Xander finds them and tries to help out, but Spike handles him effortlessly by throwing him into a nearby post. Buffy finally gains the upper hand and removes the Gem of Amara, causing Spike to suddenly retreat from the burning rays of sunlight.

Back at Giles' apartment, Buffy announces her decision to give the Gem of Amara to Angel. With a planned gig in Los Angeles, Oz agrees to take the ring with him. Later that night, Buffy tries to figure out with Willow what went wrong between Parker and herself. Deciding she needs some time alone, Buffy lets Willow go an ahead to the dorm room. Buffy silently walks down the sidewalks of UC-Sunnydale, confused and dejected. Unbeknownst to Buffy, Anya and Harmony are doing the exact same thing. As the moon illuminates the otherwise dark campus, the lonely trio continues along, their paths never crossing.

We had two returns in this episode: Spike & Anya. Spike obviously was the bad of this episode, and as always, James Masters absolutely rocks in this role. Harmony is his new girlfriend and they work really well off one another. Anya is also back in this episode, and is funny in her own unique way.

A brutal twist comes with the Parker story, and it's very effective. You see Parker for who he truly is, and it makes Buffy feel so small and so weak as a result. It gets into her head how stupid and manipulative he really was, and how screwed over Buffy feels. The fight sequence with Buffy & Spike is good, but not as exciting as I once remember. The whole episode as a whole isn't as good as I first recalled. But it never the less ties into the next Angel episode very well.

Rating - 85% - A-

MovieMad16

05-18-20, 07:45 AM

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1x03 - In The Dark

A young woman, Rachel, runs down a dark alley, looking frantically over her shoulder for signs of pursuit, but no one is there. Puzzled, she stops and hides, then stands, looking back the way she came. Suddenly, a man, Lenny, grabs her from behind, threatens her, and slaps her to the ground. Telling her he can't take it anymore, Rachel's strung-out boyfriend Lenny points a gun at her head and starts to pull the trigger. Appearing out of nowhere, Angel grabs Lenny's gun hand, knocking his arm up and sending the shot high. Angel effortlessly disarms Lenny, then knocks him unconscious with one brutal punch. Standing on the rooftop of a neighboring building, Spike watches Rachel thank Angel in the alley below and improvises a cheesy narration for their gestures.

Listening to an L.A. radio station, Oz parks his van in front of Angel's building. Inside, Cordelia gleefully prints up an invoice for Rachel, their first paying customer. When Oz opens the door and walks in, Cordelia is thrilled to see her old Sunnydale friend. After Angel and Oz's laconic greetings, Oz holds a ring out to Angel. He recognizes it as the Gem of Amara. Doyle explains that the ring is a priceless talisman which "renders the wearer one hundred percent unkillable, if he's a vampire" meaning Angel could, among other things, go out into daylight. Oz tells Angel that Buffy wanted him to have it. He also says that she's doing good, "just being Buffy." As the others leave to go to a pub, Angel stays behind to hide the ring under a loose brick in one of the sewer tunnels.

The next morning at the Angel Investigations offices, a tearful Rachel phones during Angel's tai chi practice to say that Lenny has been released on a technicality. Angel promises to be right over. Before he can get into his car, Spike springs an ambush in the parking garage and the two vampires exchange a flurry of words and blows. Angel defeats Spike before Cordelia and Doyle rush in to back their friend up. Spike recognizes and greets a flustered Cordelia, then threatens Angel one last time before taking off. Worried about his friends, Angel tells Cordelia she must stay with Doyle in case Spike decides to make her a target. Angel meets Rachel at her apartment, where he listens to her story, then encourages her to leave Lenny permanently.

On a tip from one of Doyle's unsavory contacts, Angel chases and corners Spike in a dead end blocked by a chain link fence. Hands locked behind his head, Spike turns and surrenders himself. Suddenly, a white-shirted figure whirling a long chain overhead appears from around the corner. Angel finds himself, abruptly, on his back on the ground, with the end of the heavy chain tightly wound around his neck, completely at the mercy of Spike's smiling henchman.

Cordelia and Doyle worry that Angel hasn't checked in. Meanwhile, he is suspended by long, manacled chains from the ceiling of a large warehouse. Spike introduces him to his captor, Marcus, a master torturer with a taste for children. With classical musical playing, the reserved vampire prepares his instruments while Spike recites highlights from Marcus' gruesome curriculum vitae. To begin, Marcus inspects Angel, inside and out, then asks what does he want. When Angel is defiant, Marcus steps over to the brazier and returns with a red-hot poker, which he abruptly rams through Angel's bared abdomen. Time passes as Marcus works into a rhythm of hurting Angel, then asking what he wants, then hurting him again.

Breaking off a stake, Spike threatens to dust Angel then and there if he doesn't talk, until Marcus points out that, knowing Spike won't kill him before learning the ring's location, Angel therefore also knows that Spike is bluffing. Spike tosses the stake to the floor. Angel takes advantage of the reprieve to tell Spike he's an idiot for believing that Marcus, a vampire, has no interest in obtaining the Gem of Amara for himself. Spike answers dismissing Marcus as a threat, deeming him too single-mindedly obsessed with the art of torture to care about anything else. In the sudden silence of the symphony coming to an end, Spike then taunts Angel about his own obsession with Buffy, recounting news of her recent rebound disaster, which causes Angel to look pained. Marcus begins the record again and Spike, rolling his eyes, leaves "to get some air." Marcus plunges another hot poker into his captive. Listening to Angel's strangled screams, Spike smiles and says, "Now that's music." Marcus shoots holes in the building's ceiling so that Angel, agonized by any movement, must stretch and hold himself at the limit of his chains to avoid the beams of sunlight.

Abandoning his fruitless search of Angel's apartment, Spike is confronted by Cordelia and Doyle, armed and waiting behind the door. Spike tells them that if they want Angel to live, they must find the ring and turn it over before sundown. Angel, meanwhile, endures the abrupt removal of two pokers and makes Marcus believe he's about to break. He lures his tormentor closer by whispering that what he most wants is forgiveness. Marcus draws near enough for Angel to make his move. Holding Spike's discarded stake between his booted feet, Angel brings his legs up high enough to plunge the jagged wooden point into Marcus' heart. Suddenly reappearing, Spike grabs Angel's feet and disarms him. Marcus punches Angel before Spike moves him out of Angel's reach. Selecting a pair of needle nose pliers, Spike chips in as Marcus resumes his interrupted torture session.

Having no more success than Spike had, Cordelia and Doyle conduct their own search for the Gem of Amara in Angel's apartment. When Cordelia complains to Doyle that her list of cliched hiding places has inexplicably failed to yield results, it finally occurs to them both to search the sewers. Cordelia is dismayed that the two seemingly have a long search ahead of them with little time. However, Doyle, letting Cordy turn into the next tunnel ahead of him, quickly and surreptitiously uses his demon senses and immediately locates the ring under the brick where Angel hid it, claiming it to be pure good luck. Now all they need is a plan.

Before sundown, they meet with Spike at the appointed spot and demand to see Angel before they reveal where they've stashed the ring. Spike reluctantly agrees and takes them to where he and Marcus are holding the now barely-conscious Angel. When Spike gloatingly admits he has no intention of going through with the trade, Doyle pulls the ring out of his pocket and throws it across the warehouse floor. Just as Spike reaches for it, he is forced to duck and roll when Oz smashes his van through the warehouse wall. From the driver's side window, Oz holds Spike and Marcus at bay with two crossbows until Cordy and Doyle can get Angel into the back of the van. Once they're safely inside, Oz floors it in reverse and the van peels away. Spike then looks for the ring only to find it has disappeared — and so has Marcus. Outside, Marcus walks out onto the street and into direct sunlight without injury. Spike angrily smashes apart Marcus's record player. He declares that, from now on, he's going to work alone, just as a small ray of sunlight sets his hair on fire. After putting the small blaze out, Spike only hopes that Angel and Marcus somehow manage to kill each other.

Doyle and Cordelia are trying to tend to Angel's injuries, however he just wants to track Marcus down and, knowing his predilection for children, believes the vampire won't have gone far. In fact, Marcus makes his way along the boardwalk until he spots a cub scout troop clustered around a vending cart. While Marcus focuses on the children, Oz drives straight down the middle of the boardwalk, using the van's speed and bulk to knock the invincible vampire flying. Cordelia shoots Marcus with a crossbow, however the ring protects him. Doyle then tries beating him back but is quickly swatted aside. Angel leaps out of the van, bursting into flame the moment sunlight touches him, and tackles Marcus off the pier, falling with him to the water below. In the shade under the boardwalk, the two vampires fight. Angel impales Marcus on a beam, but the Gem of Amara protects him — until Angel yanks the ring off his finger and Marcus crumbles to dust. Angel slides the ring onto his own hand, then steps out into the sunlight.

That evening, Angel watches the sun set. To Doyle's dismay, Angel has decided not to keep the ring. Angel tries to explain his feeling that the Gem of Amara only appears to be the redemption he seeks, and that keeping it would somehow make him forget about the many people forced to live in the darkness, needing a champion to defend them from what seeks to hurt them. Doyle is unconvinced, but sees that Angel is determined to do what he believes to be the right thing. When the last sliver of sun disappears, Angel removes the Gem of Amara and smashes it flat with a chunk of brick. Doyle then remembers that Rachel called to say "thanks, and that she found a little faith." Angel tells him he had "a pretty good day." He adds: "You know — except for the bulk of it, where I was nearly tortured to death." Together, they leave the rooftop and head down the stairs.

This is the first major crossover episode for Angel, having both Oz & Spike appear to continue the story from The Harsh Light Of Day. I found their appearance wonderful and a real early lift for the series that is allowed in order to give Angel some much-needed steam going forward. In terms of a one off villain, I thought Marcus was very good. Creepy and his intentions very sinister compared to other one offs. The final scene on the pier in particular is creepy. On the downside sadly, this episode is a tad downpar than what I remember when I was younger. Pacing doesn't quite flow and I felt that some parts of the story could have been better (More of Oz perhaps).

RATING - 87% - A-

honeykid

05-18-20, 02:47 PM

For me, more Oz is never the answer. Honestly, I think I'm the only Buffy fan who didn't like that character.

MovieMad16

05-23-20, 04:40 PM

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4x04 - Fear Itself

While carving jack-o'-lanterns in Xander's basement, the gang discusses plans for Halloween; Buffy continues to mope over her situation with Parker. They decide to go to the Alpha-Delta house for a party. The next day at school, Buffy and Oz both express their concerns for Willow and her use of magic. Buffy spots Parker and immediately runs away. Willow follows her, explaining that she should get over it and have fun at the party that night, but Buffy thinks that Giles will want her to patrol. When Buffy goes to visit Giles, she's surprised to find him embracing the Halloween spirit. He discourages her from patrolling and encourages her to go party.

At the Alpha-Delta house, the members are getting ready for the party. One finds a symbol in an old book to paint on the floor. Anya goes to see Xander, wanting to know where their relationship is heading. He agrees that they're somewhat dating, inviting her to the party. Buffy, who skipped her psych class, visits the professor and asks for her assignment, but she receives a cold response. Riley, however, gives her the assignment, telling her to have fun on Halloween. Oz and Xander carry a sound system to the Alpha-Delta house, and Oz installs it while one guy paints the symbol from the book. Oz cuts his hand, spilling drops of his blood, which activates the ritual to summon Gachnar.

Joyce alters one of Buffy's old costumes, Little Red Riding Hood, and talks with her about how things used to be. Buffy waits outside the house for her friends, and Xander shows up dressed as James Bond. They run into Willow, dressed as Joan of Arc, and Oz, going as God. Everything at the party starts to go awry as fears begin to become real, and the fake scary objects like plastic spiders and skeletons, become alive. The gang enters the house, but they encounter several obstacles. Later, Anya arrives at the party, dressed as a bunny, but she is unable to get inside because the entrances to the house have become sealed up. She sees a girl screaming at a window, and the window then disappears from the house. Inside, Buffy tells the gang to find a way out and get help. A skeleton attacks her from behind, but after she attacks, it becomes fake again. Buffy and Willow fight over Buffy rejecting help from her friends and pushing them away, as well as Buffy and Oz arguing with Willow about her use of witchcraft. Willow insists she can safely do a guidance spell. Meanwhile, Anya goes to Giles for help.

Xander tries to talk to the gang but finds that he's become invisible to them. Willow and Oz find a staircase and head up. As they're walking, Oz begins to change into a werewolf and scratches Willow before running away from her. Xander approaches a mirror, and a head on the table behind him says that he can see him. Oz sits in a bathtub, chanting to himself that he isn't going to change. Willow conjures her spell. However, it quickly spins out of control, and she screams for help as it attacks her. Buffy, hearing Willow's cries, tries to get to her, but she falls into the basement where bodies come up from the ground and grab at her. Giles and Anya are unable to find a way inside, so Giles cuts a door using a chainsaw. While fleeing through the house, the gang ends up in the room where the mystical symbol is painted. Giles and Anya break into the room. They determine the sign on the floor to be the Mark of Gachnar, and Buffy and Giles express fear about how scary the demon looks in the illustration. Buffy destroys the symbol before Giles can tell her that destroying the symbol will bring Gachnar forth. But when the demon has manifested, it turns out to be merely a few inches in height. After a laugh at absurdity of giving in to one's fears, Buffy squashes Gachnar by stomping him with her foot. At Giles' place, the gang eats candy while Giles makes a discovery: the arcane footnote below the illustration of Gachnar in his book reads "Actual Size" .

There is some fun psychological aspects to this episode which makes it stand out to most other episodes in the season. I don't think it's as fun or entertaining as 'Halloween' back in Season 2. Neither is it paced as well, with it getting quite dull at points. That being said, it absolutely foreshadowed some upcoming stories that really shake up the season going forward.

Rating - 77% - B+

MovieMad16

05-23-20, 05:10 PM

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1x04 - I Fall To Pieces

As Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) and Angel (David Boreanaz) continue the debate of whether or not to charge for their services, Doyle (Glenn Quinn) receives a vision of yet another woman in distress. Angel pays a visit to her workplace and learns that the woman (guest star Tushka Bergen) is being terrorized by her neurosurgeon (guest star Andy Umberger) who is somehow mysteriously able to watch her every move. After some detective work, Angel and Cordelia discover that the doctor is able to disconnect appendages from his body and prey on his victims. But when the doctor pays a visit to Angel's apartment, Angel separates him - permanently. Grateful for the protection, the young woman pays the agency for its service, and a very joyous Cordy and Doyle go out to celebrate. Elisabeth Rohm guest stars.

This episode is another strong one in the early run of the season. Dealing with the theme of stalking in a very supernatural way. The villain is a real creepo, going to great lengths to harass Melissa, as well as take an issue like stalking and still make it quite terrifying for an audience to relate to. I also thought the guest character Melissa was really good, and someone much more interesting to watch, with the build up and backstory before she turns to Angel Investigations. Kate also has a good moment here, giving Angel some much needed advice on how to handle people like this neurosurgeon. But another strong edition to the show, and one that really keeps the momentum flowing.

RATING - 88% - A-

MovieMad16

05-27-20, 07:03 PM

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4x05 - Beer Bad

INTRO: I think we're about to reach a low point in Buffy...I mean...It's not a classic by any means.

SUMMARY: In the middle of her psych class, Buffy daydreams about an uncharacteristically apologetic Parker, who begs her forgiveness after a surprise vampire attack. Professor Walsh's lecture snaps Buffy back to reality, and she looks down a few rows to see Parker putting his trademark moves on yet another female victim. After class, Xander finds Buffy and Willow and tells them of his recent employment as bartender at the campus pub.

That night, Buffy stops by the pub and sees Parker entertaining a girl at one of the booths. She bumps into Riley, who gives her the lowdown on Parker's womanizing habits. Buffy pulls up a stool at the bar, where Xander is finding some difficulty getting into the groove of the job. Fed up, Buffy is getting ready to leave when she is stopped by several guys who demand her presence at their table. Seeing Parker leave the pub with his latest prize, Buffy decides to accept the guys' offer. In no time, she finds herself guzzling several glasses of beer with her newfound friends. Meanwhile, at the Bronze, Willow notices Oz's overwhelming interest in the on stage band, Shy. He is particularly drawn to the lead singer, Veruca, a familiar girl who seems to share a mutual interest in Oz. Elsewhere, a man prepares a mixture of several chemicals and stores it in a keg of Black Frost beer, the same brand that Buffy was drinking with the guys earlier.

The next morning, Willow returns to the dorm and finds Buffy deeply fascinated by their television set. On their way out to psych class, Willow has to remind her roommate to get dressed. At class, Buffy eyes a classmate eating a sandwich. Buffy snatches the sandwich and hungrily scarfs it down. Later, Oz stops by Stevenson Hall and tells Willow that he's been invited by Veruca and her band to watch their show that night. Willow opts to take a pass, leaving Oz to go alone. While Oz heads to the Bronze, Willow decides to drop by the Grotto, where she finds Parker sitting by himself. She approaches Parker and proceeds to berate him for causing Buffy so much distress. In his defense, Parker tries to explain his philosophy of short-term relationships.

As Willow settles into the conversation, Buffy throws back another round of beers with the guys at the pub. Concerned with their increasingly primal behavior, Xander forces a reluctant Buffy to call it a night and head back to the dorm. Deciding that the other guys have had enough as well, Xander asks them to pay the bill. While he collects the money, one of the guys heads to the bathroom. Moments later, he emerges as a hairy, caveman-like grunt. While he knocks Xander to the floor, the others undergo similar transformations. Xander scares them off with his lighter, then runs into the back room to warn his boss, Jack. However, Jack reveals to Xander that he made the special formula in order to get back at the pretentious students.

Back at the Grotto, Parker attempts to lure Willow into seeing things his way. On the contrary, Willow doesn't buy his act for a second. Just as she's about to leave, the caveman storm into the grotto, dragging a couple of helpless girls inside with them. Before they can escape, Willow and Parker are knocked unconscious by the rampaging savages. Meanwhile, Xander gets Giles and takes him to Buffy's dorm, hoping the beer hasn't transformed the Slayer yet. Upon entering the room, they find Buffy drawing figures on the wall and pounding her chest, although her physical features are still unchanged. Xander and Giles try to secure Buffy, but she flees from the room.

Xander tracks Buffy down outside, but their attention is soon drawn to a pillar of smoke rising from the Grotto. Buffy makes it there first, and she finds the place going down in flames. Recognizing Willow on the other side of the flames, Buffy leaps to her friend's side. Buffy then spots a window wide enough for them to escape through, so she leaps up to kick it open. The cavemen take the escape route, followed by the two girls left behind. Xander helps Willow out through the window as Buffy pushes from inside. Instead of exiting right away, Buffy picks up a large piece of wood and inspects it thoroughly. Nearby, Parker regains consciousness and begs Buffy for help. Buffy swings the wood onto Parker¹s head, knocking him back to submission. She then drags him outside.

Soon, ambulances and fire trucks arrive on the scene to save what's left of the Grotto. Xander locks the cavemen in a van, knowing that the effects of the beer will wear off in several days. In a strange reenactment of her daydream from the other day, Buffy listens to Parker asking her to forgive him. Still under the influence of Jack's formula, Buffy responds by clobbering Parker with the wood once again.

THOUGHTS: So while I really like the idea behind this episode, the execution is a bit of a flop. I don't really know why they went the direction they did at the writers table, but it wasn't a success. At least for me. Drunk Buffy was almost cringey to watch, little Giles within the episode was a let down in so many ways, and having the alegory of college students being cavemen, particulary men, can be seen as a little insulting. Plus I found the Parker story a little too obvious and perhaps anti-men?

RATING: 61% - B

honeykid

05-28-20, 11:05 AM

I'm not a big fan of season 4 of Buffy, but it's a very mixed bag with some of the best and worst episodes. As usual, I differ from most fans as to what some of those are and I really like Beer Bad. It's just stoopid dumb fun. Not to be taken seriously (much like The Pack in season 1 which I also like) and Parker ruined every episode he was in. He was even more annoying than Riley.

I think it's been about 10 years since I last watched the series, so I might view it differently now, but that's how I remember it.

BTW, for those in the UK, E4 are going to start showing Buffy from season 1 on Monday and will be streaming all episodes from the same date.

MovieMad16

05-28-20, 12:43 PM

That sounds fun, thanks for letting me know honeykid.

Yeah, I think it determines what you like about Buffy, and what you think works. Without giving away my rating, I have a very different reaction to Something Blue which will come a little later on.

It's also worth bearing in mind that Season 4 is in many ways an experimentation. Of characters, episodes and tone. With Angel running in parallel, Buffy lost a portion of its identity with the departures of Angel & Cordelia, which represented some ideas within the show. With its resident good guy vampire gone, Spike was then brought in to fill that role. Anya comes in to fill Cordy's position, one way or another. And Riley is there as the love interest. Yet they're very different in how they approach those roles, and so the show has to write in a new way, as well as the replacement college setting also.

So yeah, I can see why for many, Season Four was a struggle.

MovieMad16

06-06-20, 08:15 AM

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1x05 - Rm w A View

INTRO: Rm w A View continues with a monster of a week style vibe going on as Season One continues to figure out its identity going forward. With this episode, we're introduced to one or two recurring iconographies throughout the series - a character and location.

SUMMARY: Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) lives in the projects, and she's not happy about it. When she returns one evening to her roach-infested digs, she decides that desperate times callsfor desperate measures and moves into Angel's apartment. Angel, (David Boreanaz) unthrilled by his new roommate situation, makes a pact with Doyle: (Glenn Quinn) if Doyle can find Cordelianew digs, Angel will help him out with his debt negotiations. Doyle holds up his end of the bargain and finds a stunningly beautiful one-bedroom apartment. At first, Cordy's on top of the world,but she soon gets the willies. Drawers open and close, furniture moves, and the wind blows to and fro. After some research, Angel learns that the apartment was owned by a woman who mysteriously died in the 1950s. Even more compelling is the number of single-woman suicides that have occurred in the apartment since her occupation. He and Doyle figure out thatthere is a ghost that is somehow murdering the women. While Angelis away doing research, Cordelia is lured back to the apartmentand is confronted by the apparition. At first she is overwhelmed,but she later gathers her moxie and sends the ghost back to her rightful place.

THOUGHTS: This can be considered a more Cordelia centric episode in this season. It focuses on her recurring insecurities and the battle to be somebody in L.A. It's nice and good character development even if a little small. The subplot with the ghosts could be considered creepy, especially with that last flashback with the brick building. Very dark. Ultimately though, it does debut the recurring ghost character of Dennis, who is a nice little smile throughout the series at several occasions when Cordy related story occurs. That being said, the Doyle subplot wasn't particularly interesting and just felt like an obstacle throughout the episode.

RATING: 77% - B+

MovieMad16

06-06-20, 09:46 AM

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4x06 - Wild At Heart

INTRO: I get that for many people, this is a highly rated and emotional episode in the Buffy story. Me though...I kind of think this is overrated *Runs and ducks in cover*

SUMMARY: After Buffy dusts a vampire on campus, she complains to herself about the recent lack of any real challenges. From afar, Spike watches the Slayer with a few musings of his own. Suddenly, without warning, Spike is struck in the back by a taser, sending him to the ground. Unable to move, Spike is dragged off into the woods by a team of commandos.

At the Bronze, Buffy and Willow notice Oz's focused attention on Veruca's performance. Buffy tries to help Willow out by feigning interest, but Xander and Giles offer no such support. The next morning, Willow wakes up beside Oz and tells him that she's planning to attend a three-day orientation for a local Wicca group. Since these are the same three days for Oz's monthly werewolf transformations, Willow is reluctant to go. Oz insists that she go, for he can take care of himself for the next few days. After psych class, Willow heads to the cafe to meet Oz, whom she finds talking to Veruca at one of the tables. She tries to join the conversation, but Oz and Veruca's music chat leaves Willow out in left field. Sensing some discomfort, Oz leaves abruptly, and Veruca does the same shortly. Buffy finds Willow sitting at the table alone and pulls up a chair. Willow expresses her concern over Oz's apparent interest in Veruca, but Buffy assures her friend that Oz would never destroy their relationship.

As the sun starts to set, Oz retreats to an abandoned crypt at the cemetery, where his personal cage is set up. He locks himself inside and waits for the coming change. When the wolf takes over, Oz rams himself against the door of the cage, trying to escape. The hinge gives away, allowing Oz to get out. Moments later, on her way home from the office, Professor Walsh is stopped in her tracks by werewolf Oz, who chases her through the bushes. Maggie Walsh's escape route is cut off by a second werewolf, who gets set to attack. Seeing the first werewolf behind her, Maggie jumps off to the side just as both werewolves lunge forward. The two werewolves collide and start to claw at each other, giving Maggie an opportunity to get away. When the sun rises the next morning, Oz wakes up on the ground and finds himself naked, scarred... and right next to a blissful Veruca.

In need of clothes, Oz and Veruca head to a nearby laundry room and raid one of the dryers. While Oz throws on some fitting clothes, Veruca expresses her joy with being a werewolf, including her ability to remember some of the events that occur while she's in her altered state. Veruca informs Oz that he'll be able to retain his memory in a matter of time, and that he is the werewolf not just three days per month, but rather every single day. Oz refuses to believe a word of what Veruca is saying, and he takes off to see if anybody was attacked the previous night. Following Xander's advice to talk about her problem, Willow visits Oz at his place, where he is busy going through the current newspapers. When Oz shows some reluctancy in getting intimate with her, Willow backs off and tries to get him to open up. Failing to do so, Willow leaves Oz alone. Meanwhile, Professor Walsh tells Buffy and Riley that she was attacked by a pair of wild dogs the previous night. Familiar with this scenario, Buffy visits Giles and tells him about the attack. He wonders if Buffy has spoken to Oz about this, and she explains that she's heading there next. Buffy finds Oz at the cemetery, working on repairs to the cage. She asks Oz if he knows anything about the attack or any other werewolves in the area, but Oz denies any knowledge.

With sunset approaching on the night of the full moon, Oz waits in the cage for Veruca to arrive. When she does, Oz orders her to get inside the cage to prevent any more incidents. Although she doesn't want to be locked up, Veruca realizes Oz's unstoppable desire for her. Oz pulls Veruca inside and kisses her furiously, locking the cage just as the transformation takes place. The next morning, Willow stops by the crypt with some breakfast. When she sees the two naked figures on the floor, Willow goes into shock. Oz wakes up and tries to explain that he did what was necessary, but Willow refuses to believe that keeping all of this to himself was the right thing to do. When Veruca speaks up, Oz demands her immediate departure. Turning back to Willow, Oz tries to convince Willow that this had nothing to do with her affair with Xander. Unconvinced, Willow runs off, eventually ending up on the streets of downtown Sunnydale, completely detached from the rest of the world. Buffy spots Willow in the middle of the street, as well as a speeding car headed right for her friend. Buffy tries to save her, but she's too far. Luckily, Riley sees Willow and pulls her out of the way with less than a second to spare. Buffy thanks Riley before taking Willow back to Stevenson Hall.

After making sure that Willow is okay, Buffy leaves to find Veruca. She stops by Oz's place for assistance in tracking down Veruca. Armed with a tranquilizer rifle, Buffy follows Oz through the woods as he tries to locate the source of Veruca's scent. When they find a pile of her clothes on the floor, Buffy figures that Veruca planted them to throw Oz off her trail. Immediately, Oz realizes that Willow is in danger. He takes off in a hurry, while Buffy tries to catch up. Suddenly, Buffy runs into a masked commando, who is also armed. Their collision sends the weapons to the ground, and they get into a brief struggle. After a few well-placed kicks and punches, Buffy grabs the tranquilizer rifle and continues in the direction that Oz was headed. Meanwhile, in one of the science labs, Willow prepares to cast a vengeance spell on Oz and Veruca. Before she can complete the spell, Willow realizes her inability to go through with it, and she terminates the incantation. At that moment, Veruca enters the lab and locks the door behind her. With the sun setting into the horizon, Veruca attacks Willow just as Oz arrives on the scene. As they gradually take on their werewolf forms, Oz and Veruca battle each other. Determined to put an end to all of this, Oz ends Veruca's life by viciously gnawing at her throat. Turning his attention to Willow, Oz lunges to attack. However, his assault is put on hold by Buffy, who grabs his leg and pulls him in the other direction. One shot from the tranquilizer rifle puts Oz's frenzy to rest, allowing Buffy to take care of her traumatized friend.

The next day, while Buffy talks to Giles about her roommate's despair and the mysterious commando in the woods, Willow walks into Oz's room to find him packing his clothes. Oz tells Willow that he knows the werewolf is a part of him all the time, and he can't allow himself to be around her or anybody else until he can figure out what to do. Despite her anger over his betrayal, Willow doesn't want Oz to leave. Unfortunately, Oz's mind is already made up, and he leaves behind the one woman he truly loves. As tears flow forcefully from Willow's eyes, Oz can no longer hold back his agony. Choked up, Oz takes one last look at the house before pulling away from the curb and driving off, unsure of what to do, where to go... or when to come back.

THOUGHTS: So....yeah. I wasn't that fond of this episode. Finding it quite boring and stilted at times. I struggled to buy into Oz's urges and why he would cheat on Willow, and then turn and kill her near the end of the episode. And the lack of interest in Veruca was there, and made the episode very much a chore to sit through.

The villain, Veruca, is a very bitchy trope character and is the dagger that stabs the Oz/Willow heart to death. Though I understand her urges and perspective throughout the episode. She's a werewolf with urges and instincts and hormones unlike normal humans. Seeing Oz sent her into maximum overdrive, and allowed her to finally bond with another wolf. Even though it ends in a massacre. Veruca gets into Oz's head and tells him some few home truths that couldn't be ignored.

The final scene with Oz/Willow is iconic and heartbreaking. It's sad to see two people deeply in love fall apart and take new directions in life. Seth Green & Alison Hannigan are both amazing in this scene: Broken, emotional and deeply hurt. But it none the less allows Willow to develop, to move on, and venture into new directions in the overall story.

RATING: 70% - B

MovieMad16

06-11-20, 04:32 PM

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1x06 - Sense & Sensitivity

INTRO: Over a quarter of the way into this premiere season, in which we've established the central three characters, recurring roles and the overall tone of the series, which is almost quite a departure from its parent show. But here this episode invites some more light-hearted humour in a more adult way.

SUMMARY:
Kate, (guest star Elisabeth Rohm) hardened by years of police work, enrolls in sensitivity training with her fellow police officers. At first the training appears to be innocuous, but Angel (David Boreanaz) and others begin to notice her excessive emotions.It becomes especially obvious when she pours her heart out at her father's retirement party. Then, the entire police station goes awry. Angel and Doyle (Glenn Quinn) figure out that Kate is in danger because of a recent arrest, and make the connection that the sensitivity teacher is responsible. But after a brief encounter with the teacher, it's Angel who's the new nice guy on the block.At first, Cordelia and Doyle can't deal with the pleasantries,but Angel soon manages to pull himself together and seals the fates of the evil hitmen!

THOUGHTS: I love the central theme here about feelings. The episode is executed in a funny way, allowing for some characters to show their more emotional side, even if its played for laughs. It allows more development for Kate Lockley, which in turn gives Elisabeth Rohm some great performances in this episode, and good scenes with David Boreanaz. What's also good about this is the intentions and concerns coming out of Kate regarding her family situation aren't resolved at all, leaving no real change at all in Kate, which explains her more cold serious personality and the dedication to her work.

RATING: 77% - B+

TheUsualSuspect

06-11-20, 09:48 PM

If Beer Bad gets a B....I don't think you'll truly dislike any episode, hahaha.

MovieMad16

06-14-20, 01:46 PM

hahahaha so true. Beer Bad right now is my least favourite, though I'm sure plenty more are coming.

But if Beer Bad is the worse, then that goes to show the quality of the show has held up 17 years after it's end.

I'm hopeful Angel will maintain the same quality also.

MovieMad16

06-14-20, 02:12 PM

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4x07 – The Initiative

INTRO: We finally get some development in Season four with the reveal of who these army ninjas are across the college campus, and what their intentions are.

SUMMARY: While eating lunch at the cafeteria, Riley and two of his friends, Forrest and Graham, talk about Buffy, whom they watch from a distance. While Forrest and Graham have no trouble admitting their approval of Buffy's physical attributes, Riley can't get past her strange behaviors. Meanwhile, Spike finally regains consciousness from the taser shock. He finds himself in a mysterious holding cell with an electrified, glass door. Looking around, he realizes he is in one of many similar cells, each containing an imprisoned demon.

At Giles' place, Xander and the former Watcher conclude that the commandos are most likely human, meaning that Buffy won't need any assistance taking care of this threat. Their boredom is short-lived, however, when Buffy arrives and tells them of her plans to cheer up Willow by taking her to a party at Lowell House that night. Given her prior arrangements, Buffy assigns Giles and Xander to patrol duty. At the end of psych class, Willow points out to Riley that he didn't call out Oz's name while taking attendance. Riley explains that Oz dropped the course and won't be coming back. When Willow tries to convince him otherwise, Professor Walsh makes it clear that Oz is gone from the class for good. Buffy overhears this and gives the professor a piece of her mind before taking off after Willow. Later, Riley tells Forrest and Graham about Buffy's confrontation with Walsh. When Parker passes by, Forrest tries to get some details on Buffy. Parker's chauvinistic attitude results in a punch to the face from Riley's fist. Outside, Riley comes to the realization that he really likes Buffy. Seeking out Willow at her dorm, Riley asks Buffy's roommate for some helpful advice. In light of her recent heartbreak, Willow is not too keen on helping Riley hook up with Buffy, but she eventually decides to give him the benefit of the doubt. Willow mentions the party, which Riley identifies as the one being held at his house later that night. They agree to use the party as a prime opportunity for Riley to talk to Buffy.

Meanwhile, Spike paces back and forth in his cell when a blood pack drops from the chute in the ceiling. Before he can sink his teeth into it, Spike hears a voice from the other side of the wall telling him that the blood is drugged. Another vampire, Tom, explains to Spike that the drug is used to render the subject unconscious, at which point they are experimented on. A few moments later, a pair of scientists arrive at Spike's cell to take him to the lab. Thinking he's out of commission because of the empty blood packed next to him, they unlock the cell and pull him out. Suddenly, Spike attacks the two scientists, freeing Tom from his cell in the process. While trying to escape, Spike and Tom encounter an emergency squad armed with stakes. Spike hurls Tom into their arms and makes a run for it, leaving Tom to suffer the dusty consequences. Reuniting with Harmony at their old lair, Spike announces his plans to finish Buffy once and for all. Fed up with his tired routine, Harmony takes Spike's belongings outside and prepares a bonfire. Before she can light the match, Xander finds her, and two get into the most pathetic "fight" the world has ever seen. After backing off, Xander learns from Harmony that Spike is back in town.

Shortly after arriving at the party, Willow walks up to Riley and gives him some last-minute pointers on dealing with Buffy. Unfortunately, Riley chokes at the key moment and ends up making a fool of himself in front of Buffy. After a pep talk on the couch, Riley tries again while Willow heads back to the dorm. Before he can get very far, Xander arrives and takes Buffy with him. Observing their comrade's defeat, Forrest and Graham tell Riley to meet them downstairs. While Riley attempts to save some of his dignity, the trio enter a hidden elevator and descend to an underground complex. After getting out, they pass by several demons and supernatural creatures undergoing tests, scientists in white coats, and transports loaded with armed commandos. They finally meet up with their boss, Maggie Walsh, who informs them that one of the subjects, Spike, has escaped. She orders Riley to lead the recovery mission, explaining that the subject's escape could endanger the security of their organization, the Initiative.

Back at Giles' place, Buffy gets the info on Spike's return from Xander and Giles. Before she can leave, Xander gives Buffy a flare gun which he requisitioned during his military state on Halloween a couple years ago. Xander persuades the reluctant Buffy to signal them if she gets in trouble. Meanwhile, Spike invades Willow's room. Not giving her any chance to escape, Spike throws Willow to the bed and lunges for her neck. However, an intense shock delivered straight to the brain stops Spike every time he tries to bite Willow, keeping her relatively free of harm. After a moment of confusion and consolation, Willow sees her opportunity to stun Spike and get out. Just as she reaches the door, the power is shut down through all of Stevenson Hall. Wearing night vision goggles, Riley, Forrest, and Graham enter the dorm and break the door open. Willow tries to escape, followed by Spike. He tries to sink his fangs into the commandos, but the painful shock keeps him from doing any real damage. In the heat of the battle, a punctured fire extinguisher fills the hall with a thick cloud. Buffy arrives and fires the flare gun, blinding the team through their night vision goggles. With the mask still on and his eyes momentarily blinded, neither Buffy nor Riley can identify each other and as they fight one-on-one. Spike flees, with Forrest and Graham unable to give chase. Unable to subdue his opponent, Riley aborts the mission and takes off with the others.

Later, Maggie Walsh expresses her stern disappointment with the team's failure to recapture Spike. Riley reports that the implant they used on Spike renders him virtually harmless. The next day, Riley spots Buffy walking around on campus. Feeling a little more confident this time around, Riley strikes up a conversation which Buffy finds strangely enjoyable. They walk the rest of the way together, completely unaware of what each other was up to the night before.

THOUGHTS: I sadly found this episode very slow and lacking any sense of real drama. Just very focused on Buffy/Riley entirely and betting on the audience being very shocked on the twist midway through the episode. Spike also now becomes a full on regular, having escaped the initiative and trying to seek help from The Scoobies of all people. I like this change of development, with Spike now chipped like a dog, and unable to kill and be his full villainous self like he was in Season two. Never the less, the final action sequence at the end of the episode is very good and impactful, and pretty much saves the episode from being downright boring.

RATING: 61% - B

MovieMad16

06-14-20, 04:26 PM

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1x07 - The Bachelor Party

INTRO: The Bachelor Party takes a different point of view on demons, and one that begins to separate Angel from Buffy as a show. Something I'm very happy they're doing.

SUMMARY:
Just as Doyle is inches away from finally making a connection with Cordy, his estranged wife shows up at Angel Investigations begging for a divorce so she can marry the new love of her life. After the initial shock of it all, Doyle agrees to consent tothe divorce. Meanwhile, Angel discovers that the fiance comes from a long line of pacifist demons, but this doesn't seem to rock anyone's boat. After Doyle consents to the divorce, the fiance invites Doyle to join his bachelor party. Unbeknownst to Doyle, the fiance's family has a ritual to fulfill: the fiance needs toeat Doyle's brain in order to have a successful marriage. As the party proceedings begin, Angel gets suspicious and wanders upstairs. There he discovers these demons may not be as pacifist as they seem. He is ejected from the restaurant by the family. Downstairs, Doyle is about to be eaten with a shrimp-fork, but Angel and Cordy and the fiance arrive on the scene and come to the rescue.

THOUGHTS: So for this episode, I really like how it reverts the established trope of demons always being bad. Here, we get nice demons...to an extent. I liked the swerve and found this to be a much more exciting episode overall. We also get more depth with Doyle and more of his backstory which up until this episode had been very vague. The episode has a fun suspense to it by placing Doyle in danger, and yet is also very satirical with how it's all resolved. At the end of the episode, the cliffhanger establishes the first and quite possibly most major crossover event that takes place between both shows. It's good, gets you excited, and ready...for some top quality storytelling going forward.

RATING: 84% - A-

MovieMad16

06-24-20, 08:06 AM

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4x08 - Pangs

INTRO: Angel makes his return, following the departure at the end of season three, and basically having a swell of a time on his own show. But does this episode become better with his involvement?

SUMMARY: At the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Cultural Partnership Center at UC Sunnydale, Dean Guerrero introduces the curator of the new facility, Professor Gerhardt. After finishing her speech, Prof. Gerhardt turns the digging duties over to the nearby workers, one of whom is Xander. No sooner does the digging begin when the ground gives way beneath Xander's feet, causing him to fall into an underground chamber. It is the remains of a lost Sunnydale mission that was buried by an earthquake in 1812.

Later that night, Buffy senses a mysterious presence somewhere outside of the dorm, but she can't place her finger on what it is. Unbeknownst to Buffy, Angel has arrived in Sunnydale to follow up on a foreshadowing vision that his partner had. Knowing only that Buffy will encounter some great danger in the near future, Angel stands hidden in the bushes outside of Stevenson Hall, staring up at the window of his former love's room. Turning back to her roommate, Buffy decides that they should have their own Thanksgiving celebration, seeing how Joyce is out of town for the holidays. Although she is opposed to the genocidal history of Thanksgiving, Willow agrees to the plans for her friend's sake. Buffy then decides to hold the dinner at Giles' home.

At Elsewhere, Riley, Forrest, and Graham decide to give up their search mission for the time being. Forrest reminds them that Spike can't hurt anybody. Sure enough, Spike has seen better nights as he desperately tries to survive on an empty stomach. Meanwhile, Anya visits Xander's place to find out why he hasn't returned to the digging site. She soon realizes that Xander is overwhelmingly sick. As Anya tends to Xander's needs, a green mist rises from the Sunnydale mission site and drifts into Prof. Gerhardt's office. Settling over a display case that contains an early 1800 Chumash knife, the mist materializes into an Indian spirit warrior named Hus. Before she can make a sound, Prof. Gerhardt is grabbed by the invader and sliced at the neck by the jagged edge of the knife.

Buffy and Willow investigate Prof. Gerhardt's office the next day, looking for any clues concerning the nature of the attack. While Willow tries to figure out why one of Gerhardt's ears was missing from the corpse, Buffy notices the empty spot in the display case where the knife once rested. Afterwards, Buffy unpacks several bags of groceries in Giles' kitchen while she describes the findings at the office. Giles is familiar with the Chumash tribe, but he can't explain why a peaceful group would be involved in Gerhardt's murder. On her way out, Buffy is momentarily stopped by the same sense she experienced earlier. After Buffy brushes it off and leaves, Giles calls Angel out of hiding to talk about the murder. Angel recommends contacting Father Gabriel, who may know more about what's going on. When Giles expresses his discomfort with keeping Buffy in the dark, Angel insists that knowledge of his presence would only distract Buffy and make her more vulnerable.

Downtown, Buffy and Willow shop for the remaining items on the Thanksgiving dinner list. When Riley appears to talk to Buffy about his trip home to Iowa for the holiday, Willow leaves the two alone and enters the nearby coffee shop. Inside, she encounters Angel, who quickly fills Willow in on the details concerning his return to Sunnydale. Meanwhile, Spike tries to find comfort in Harmony's arms, but she refuses to let him reenter her life. Later, Buffy follows Giles' referral to Father Gabriel's church. What she finds is the hanging corpse of Father Gabriel, along with an Indian warrior cutting off the body's ear. Buffy engages in battle, but Hus' declaration of vengeance for his people's suffering causes Buffy to break off the fight.

On the morning of Thanksgiving, Buffy tries to prepare the dinner while Giles and Willow get into an ethical debate over what to do with Hus. Having researched the persecution of the Chumash people nearly two centuries ago, Willow ponders the idea of trying to help Hus in some way. On the other hand, Giles acknowledges the fact that Hus has murdered two innocent people and needs to be stopped. Xander and Anya arrive, arousing numerous questions about his deteriorating health. When Willow and the others conclude that Hus is inflicting that which was done to his people, Xander is diagnosed with the same diseases that befell the Chumash people: malaria, smallpox, syphilis, and so on. Suddenly, another knock at the door concerns the group. Buffy and Giles open the door to find a desperate Spike, who offers information on the Initiative in exchange for shelter and food. After tying Spike to a chair, Buffy sends Willow, Xander and Anya to warn Dean Guerrero of a possible attack. Unfortunately, their warning falls on disbelieving ears, and the trio find themselves heading back in defeat. Suddenly, Angel appears, much to the shock of Xander. Angel quickly figures out that Buffy is Hus' next target, leading the group to race back to Giles' place immediately.

A barrage of arrows signals the invasion of Hus and several Chumash warriors that he has summoned. As Buffy and Giles duck for cover, Spike is impaled by several projectiles, each narrowly missing his heart. When Willow, Xander, and Anya return, Hus decides to give up the arrow attack and challenge Buffy face-to-face. While the gang futilely tries to fend off the invulnerable attackers, Angel arrives to help turn the tide. Back inside, Buffy learns that Hus' knife is the only thing that can wound him. Hus transforms into a large bear in an attempt to overpower Buffy, but the Slayer manages to fatally stab Hus with his own knife. Dissolving into green mist, Hus and the other Chumash disappear.

Now that Thanksgiving dinner has finally commenced, Buffy tries to look on the bright side of things. However, a steadily recovering Xander accidentally spills the beans on Angel's assistance, casting a spell of silence over the stunned Slayer.

THOUGHTS: Angel's reappearance in the show is enjoyable, with a lot of humour coming from the reaction of the other Scoobies and wonder if he's evil again because he's back. It's fun, though I did find it a bit of a disadvantage of sorts not having him interact with Buffy...though there is a reason for that.

This is also where Spike somewhat becomes more integrated with the team, being tied up and kept captive due to the circumstances and information he has regarding the military team going around Sunnydale UC. Again, a lot of fun and its certainly crucial to Spike's development for the seasons later on down the line.

But the big flaw is of course the villain who is from native American backgrounds, and deals with the awkward topic of native land and whatnot. Again, Spike has a killer line that is honest and hard to swallow, but important. Watching the episode, people will have their own opinions on this, but I think the line said by Spike sums it up for me quite well.

RATING: 76% - B+

MovieMad16

07-04-20, 07:07 PM

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1x08 – I Will Remember You

INTRO: Very few episodes in Television do justice in bookending a significant story or arc throughout their story. I Will Remember You in many ways, is one of the perfect ones. A final farewell to an important relationship that has been the building blocks to two significant television shows.

SUMMARY: When Angel tells Cordy and Doyle that he did not contact Buffy during his visit to Sunnydale, Buffy pays a visit and expresses her displeasure. Sparks fly. As they are about to part their separate ways, a medieval demon charges into Angel's office and a violent brawl ensues. The demon escapes, and Buffy and Angel decideto pursue it separately. When Angel makes contact and kills him,he observes that he has human characteristics. The Powers thatBe confirm that Angel is indeed human again. Angel pursues Buffy and they share a passionate night of romance. But the next day, they are confronted by a stronger version of the medieval demon, and Angel is unable to fight in his human form. After hearingthat Buffy would perish if he were to remain human, he begs the Powers That Be to transform him into a vampire so that he can protect her. They do so, and Angel breaks the news to a heartbroken Buffy. However, their blessed reunion will remain only in Angel's memory...

THOUGHTS: Well what can I say other than get your tissues at the ready if you are a huge Bangel fan. This episode is a wonderful celebration, farewell and bookend to that relationship, with their only true day of happiness gifted to them due to an extraordinary situation that causes Angel to be human. I love the performances from Sarah Michelle Gellar & David Boreanaz as we truly see the Buffy/Angel romance in full force in this one episode. The one off villain is also great: The Mohra demon. A powerful skilled fighter that challenges Angel in combat strength, specifically when Angel becomes human. I love its design and overall impression it has on our heroes.

RATING: 100% - A+

MovieMad16

07-05-20, 11:22 AM

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4x09 - Something Blue

INTRO: Something Blue is a fun episode that throws all of our central characters in unique and hilarious situations, in particular Buffy & Spike.

SUMMARY: Still mourning the departure of Oz, Willow stops by his old place. Looking around at all the stuff Oz left behind, Willow remembers happier times. The next evening, Buffy and Giles try to get any useful information from Spike concerning the Initiative, but he proves to be less than cooperative. While taking a break, Giles goes along with Willow's suggestion to cast a truth spell on Spike. After picking up the necessary ingredients for the spell, Willow stops by Oz's place again. However, Oz's entire room has been cleared out, leaving nothing but an empty mattress and drawers. Back at the dorm, Willow fights through tears to tell Buffy that Oz had Devon deliver the rest of his belongings. Faced with the fact that Oz may never return to Sunnydale, Willow sinks deeper into depression. The next day, Willow joins Buffy and Riley at their private picnic. Her somber attitude quickly casts a cloud over the budding couple. Later, at the Bronze, Buffy, Xander, and Anya spot Willow on the dance floor, having a peculiarly good time. When Willow returns to the table, a tell-tale bottle of beer signals the gang to her source of sudden happiness. Xander tries to help out, but Willow wards him off with mockery. Buffy pulls Willow aside and tries to convince her that this is a painful stage in life that everyone has to go through. Willow refuses to believe this is the only way. Later, after Buffy falls asleep, Willow sneaks into the bathroom and casts a spell, one that grants Willow the power to have her will done. Early next morning, Willow checks to see if the spell worked. However, she fails to make anything happen simply because she says so. A knock on the door signals Giles' visit to tThe burnt circle on the floor is immediately recognized by Anya as D'Hoffryn's doing. While they pass through the cemetery, Anya tells the others how D'Hoffryn contacted her 1,120 years ago while she was in an emotional state similar to what Willow is going through. D'Hoffryn made Anya a vengeance demon, and he makes the same offer to Willow, who doesn't know what to say. At the cemetery, demons chase the gang into a crypt. Anya tries to summon D'Hoffryn while the others work on barricading the entrance. Before Anya can finish, the demons break through the barricade. Back on Arashmaharr, D'Hoffryn shows Willow what is going on in the cemetery. Shocked to see the results of her spell, Willow rejects the offer and asks instead to be sent back to her friends. Although he is slightly disappointed, D'Hoffryn sends Willow to the crypt, where she quickly reverses the spell. While the demon that Xander and Anya were fighting vanishes into thin air, Buffy and Spike nearly go ballistic in light of their kissing spree. The next day, Willow bakes countless piles of cookies in hopes of earning her friends' forgiveness. Afterwards, Buffy convinces Riley that she was merely putting on an act in front of the bridal shop. More than relieved to hear this, Riley heads off to class, leaving Buffy to hope that she can indeed have a perfectly normal relationship.he dorm. After inquiring why Willow forgot about the truth spell, Giles expresses his concern over Willow's involvement with spells, given her current condition. Insulted, Willow proclaims to Giles that he doesn't understand what's going on, that he doesn't "see anything". Suddenly, Giles notices a significant loss in his vision, and he excuses himself from the dorm. Soon enough, Willow's words result in Buffy and Spike's surprise engagement, while Xander is labeled a "demon magnet". Buffy and Spike begin to plan their upcoming wedding, much to Giles' disgust. As if things couldn't get any worse, Giles eventually goes completely blind, sending Buffy out to get ingredients for a spell that Spike offers to help with. Outside the shop, Buffy's trip back is postponed by the sight of a nearby bridal shop. Riley sees Buffy and walks over, only to learn of her upcoming wedding to a much older guy named Spike. Appalled by this news, Riley takes off. Meanwhile, Xander and Anya's intimate moment is rudely interrupted by an invading demon. Just as they drown it in the sink, another demon arrives, sending Xander and Anya running to Giles' place as fast as their feet can allow them. Once there, they quickly learn of Giles' blindness and the rather disturbing development in Buffy and Spike's relationship. Suddenly, Xander realizes the connection between these events and Willow's words. While they head out to look for their friend, Willow enters her dorm room, where the demon D'Hoffryn awaits to transport her to the world of Arashmaharr.

THOUGHTS: This episode is a hell of a lot more fun than the previous episode, with several narrative threads being pulled from the previous Angel episode ‘I Will Remember You’. Willow is still in mourning over her break up with Oz, and a simple spell causes havoc among her friends with hilarious consequences. Buffy & Spike falling in love, Giles going blind, and Xander becoming a demon magnet, literally. And with that comes great comedy. In particularly from Buffy & Spike, who host this fantastic persona of an engaged couple, hopelessly in love. It’s hilarious and fun to watch as Sarah Michelle Gellar & James Masters have a ball with the material. Also great fun is Giles, as he stresses out over his blindness. Xander also has some good moments trying to avoid a hell of a lot of demons coming after him. Another thing to note of this episode is the tease for what will be a future romance with Buffy & Spike. It’s very fun to watch these two, and no doubt Whedon’s imagination went into full throttle about Buffy & Spike being a couple due to this episode.

RATING: 92% - A

MovieMad16

07-11-20, 02:57 PM

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1x09 - Hero

INTRO: Hero is a major episode within Angel's first season, with significant plot threads that continue throughout the series. But as I watched this again, I realized that this maybe more flawed than I originally remembered...

SUMMARY: Angel (David Boreanaz) tells Doyle (Glenn Quinn) of his human experience, and meeting the Powers that Be, but Doyle doesn't have much time to react because work beckons. They soon finda group of half-breed demons and learn the demon racist group,The Scourge, are in town and out for blood. They conspire to rescue the half-demons: Angel goes undercover for the Scourge, and Cordelia and Doyle arrange the half-demons' safe passage toan island. When one of the half demons runs away, Doyle followshim and this delays the departure. While Doyle is away, Cordelia learns of his true identity. Meanwhile, on the inside, Angel learns the strategy to eliminate the half-demon breed population: The Scourge have built a machine whose rays can wipe out any human within a 1/4 mile radius. Angel soon escapes the Scourge and goes to the ship to warn Doyle and Cordelia. He is followed by the soldiers, who place the deadly machine on the ship. With the lives of dozens in jeopardy, Angel and Doyle realize that one of them will have to die in order to disconnect the beams. Though Angel protests, Doyle decides to make the sacrifice. He engages Cordelia in a passionate embrace, then meets the machine. He successfully disconnects it, then dies.

THOUGHTS: So yeah, I remember this episode being much more epic and exciting upon the first watch. That's not to say there are some really great bits, absolutely there is, but the flaws are now much more noticeable. The flaws I'll start with and that's the nazi theme being slightly wonky and fast tracked to serve the needs of the story. Add that and the messy lack of continuity regarding pure demons and half demons also. But there is some good and that is everything regarding Doyle. It's a sad finale to his character and everything about Doyle is great. His flashbacks are so good, whether its the more grainy cinematography or the well composed score that makes these scenes more tragic. I also think the film noir comes in full force with the use of night and shadow proving to be very effective. Lastly is the death scene itself. Sad, inspiring and opens up new possibilities and meaning, especially for Cordelia. The final scene with the recorded message is also great, one that will be referenced many times in the future.

RATING: 87% - A-

honeykid

07-12-20, 02:51 PM

I have to say I was really surprised, but pleased, when Doyle died. I didn't like him at all at the time. I rewatched these about 10 years ago and I did like him more that time, but that could've been because I knew what was coming. :D

MovieMad16

07-14-20, 08:53 AM

I knew it was coming when I watched it the first time so it was no real surprise either way for me. But as I said in the review, I liked the episode a heck of a lot less than the first time around aside from the certain scenes I pointed on. It's just a
bit more flawed overall, but still a significant episode for Cordelia's long term arc in the show.

MovieMad16

07-24-20, 10:29 AM

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4x10 - Hush

INTRO: Hush is one of the highly rated episodes in Buffy as is the first to form a unique trilogy of episodes over the next three seasons, written & directed by Joss Whedon, all of this emmy worthy. The only downside though is that this episode was the only one to get an emmy nod.

SUMMARY: During one of her increasingly common naps in the middle of Professor Walsh's psych class, Buffy dreams that she is called to the front of the lecture hall for a demonstration with Riley. As their lips meet in a passionate kiss, the lights dim and the rest of the class vanishes. All that Buffy can hear now is the voice of a young girl in the hallway outside, methodically chanting an eerie nursery rhyme about not saying a word, needing seven of something, and a group called the Gentlemen. As Buffy and Riley walk out the door, they see the girl standing at the far end of the hallway, carrying a small box in her hands. When Buffy turns around, she sees a tall, gray-skinned man wearing a suit and a devilish smile. Startled out of her slumber, Buffy heads out of class with Willow. Riley meets up with Buffy, while Willow takes off for her Wicca group meeting. Outside, after coming up with fake plans for their evening, Buffy and Riley move in for their first kiss. However, a slight flaw in Riley's excuse ruins the moment, and the two postpone their intimacy for another day.

Giles gets a call from Buffy, who describes all of the details she can remember from her dream. Shortly afterwards, Xander and Anya arrive, arguing about the extent of their relationship. Giles breaks up their debate by requesting Xander's assistance in taking custody of Spike while a guest comes over. Despite protests from Xander, Anya, and Spike himself, Giles insists that he get some much-needed privacy. Meanwhile, Willow comes to realize that nobody in her Wicca group actually practices witchcraft. When Willow suggests that they focus on casting some spells, only one other girl, Tara, seems remotely interested in this idea. After the meeting, Willow complains to Buffy about her disappointment in the so-called Wicca group. Buffy, in the meantime, has her own problems concerning the need to dodge the truths about her profession around Riley. Underground, in the Initiative facility, Forrest listens to the same complaints from Riley.

That evening, Giles greets his old friend, Olivia, at the door. Wasting no time, they get right to business, starting with the kissing. Meanwhile, Xander ties Spike to a chair before hopping into bed. Hours later, after much of the city has fallen asleep, one of the Gentlemen from Buffy's dream approaches a box in the town's clock tower. When he opens it, the voices of Sunnydale's residents leave their bodies and drift into the box.

It doesn't take too long after waking up the next morning for Buffy and Willow to realize that they can't hear themselves speak, let alone each other. A peek out into the hallway reveals that everybody else in the dorm has been affected as well. Hoping to get to the bottom of things, Riley and Forrest enter the elevator that takes them down to the underground lab. Halfway down, the elevator stops, and the security system requests either agent's voice code. Unable to fulfill that requirement, Riley tries to recall the override code as poisonous gas fills the elevator. Once safely outside the elevator, Riley and Forrest find Walsh waiting for their arrival. Walsh orders her agents to patrol the city in casual dress, preventing any riots or similar chaotic events from getting out of hand.

Outside, Buffy and Willow survey the traumatized people of Sunnydale. While some people attend silent mass, others make a profit by selling message boards with neck straps. After arriving at Giles' place with their newly-purchased message boards, Buffy and Willow greet the others, who are watching a newscast about the situation in Sunnydale. According to the news, it is believed to be a massive outbreak of laryngitis, and all routes into and out of the city have been blocked off for the purposes of quarantine. As nighttime arrives, both Riley and Buffy walk the downtown streets, breaking up any fights before they escalate. When they see each other, Buffy and Riley embrace and share silent sentiments. Before splitting up again to take care of business, Riley pulls Buffy into his arms and lowers his lips to hers.

After everybody calls it a night and heads home to get some rest, the Gentlemen emerge from the clock tower, accompanied by gruesome lackeys who wear unfastened straight-jackets. While the lackeys can barely walk in a straight line, the Gentlemen's feet don't even touch the ground. Instead, they silently hover above the streets and sidewalks as they seek out their victims. Unable to sleep very well, Olivia climbs out of bed and walks downstairs. When she looks outside the window, the sight of the Gentlemen patrolling the streets causes her to jump back in alarm. One pair of Gentlemen enters Stevenson Hall and arrives at their destination, room 118. Several knocks awaken the lone freshman inside. As soon as he opens the door, the lackeys pin him to the bed while the Gentlemen come closer. Unable to scream, the helpless freshman can only watch in absolute terror as one of the tall men produces a scalpel, which he uses to cut into the boy's chest.

The next morning, Buffy passes by room 118 and sees the body, while Giles reads several articles in the newspaper about identical murders. In each case, the heart was removed from the victim's chest. When Olivia finishes her sketch of the creature she saw the previous night, Giles recognizes it and pulls out a book of fairy tales. Assembled in an empty lecture hall, the gang watches as Giles presents a slide show of transparencies that explain their situation. According to Giles, the Gentlemen need seven hearts. In order to keep the victims from screaming, they have stolen everybody's voices. Now, the only thing that can kill them is an actual human voice * not a recording, as Willow suggests.

That night, Tara uses the student directory to locate Willow's residence hall and room. When she accidentally trips outside and drops her books, Tara fails to notice the Gentlemen and lackeys approaching from behind. Soon enough, Tara realizes the danger she's in and starts running towards Stevenson Hall. Once inside, she bangs on the closest doors. Unfortunately, nobody is willing to take the risk of opening their door. With the Gentlemen closing in, Tara races upstairs to the second floor and tries several more doors. The loud knocking in the hallway wakes up Willow, and she heads towards the door to investigate. Tara watches the door in front of her open up to reveal another one of the hideous demons, carrying a freshly-extracted heart in his hand. Tara turns and runs, colliding with Willow, who falls and severely twists her ankles. Seeing the pursuing Gentlemen, Willow heads back downstairs with Tara.

Ending up in the basement laundry room, Willow looks for something to barricade the door. Spotting a vending machine several yards away, she limps over and tries to push it. Even with Tara's help, Willow can't move it very far in her condition. Willow then tries to lift the machine telekinetically, but her limited experience makes the task impossible. Realizing Willow's true capabilities of witchcraft, Tara joins hands with her injured partner. Together, they slam the vending machine up against the door as if it weighed nothing. At Giles' apartment, a slight misunderstanding and a large helping of coincidence lead Xander to believe that Spike has just bitten into Anya's neck. As Xander proceeds to land numerous punches on Spike's face, Anya wakes up and shows to Xander that nothing happened. When Xander drops Spike and immediately kisses her, Anya realizes just how much Xander really cares for, putting an end to their little argument.

Meanwhile, Buffy patrols the city once again, only this time she's armed with her crossbow. Riley is also on duty, carrying a heavy-duty stun gun. Their encounters with the Gentlemen's lackeys leads them both to the clock tower. After subduing their opponents momentarily, Buffy and Riley raise their weapons at each other. Just as soon as they realize who they're aiming at, more lackeys arrive to interrupt the unexpected reunion. While taking care of his own struggle, Riley manages to catch a glimpse of Buffy landing a blow that sends the lackey flying across the room. Their fight takes them upstairs, where the Gentlemen wait with scalpel's in hand, hoping these two attackers will provide the remaining hearts that they need. Buffy spots the box on the table and recognizes it from her dream. Unable to reach the box herself, Buffy signals to Riley to destroy the box. After misinterpreting her intended target the first time around, Riley successfully smashes the box into debris. Instantly, the voices of Sunnydale return to their rightful owners. With her voice back, Buffy lets loose a high-pitched wail that lasts long enough to cause the Gentlemen's heads to explode.

As order is slowly restored around Sunnydale, Willow learns that Tara has been studying witchcraft ever since she was a small child. When Willow tries to downplay her own abilities, Tara assures her new friend that she is indeed a powerful witch. Meanwhile, confronted with the knowledge that Giles' stories about monsters and demons were true all this time, Olivia tries to decide where she stands on all this. Back at Stevenson Hall, Riley stops by Buffy's room and steps inside. They know they need to talk about the previous night's revelation, but the only thing that comes out of Buffy and Riley's mouths at the start of the conversation is the same silence that the people of Sunnydale have gotten all too familiar with.

THOUGHTS: This episode really is a smashing and excellent as other fans say it is. The thing is though, is that it’s like any other Buffy episode with only the absence of sound. It’s a silent film almost, combined with a fantastic score, and a great use of the silence trope. I like how fairy tale like the music is, as well as the way it builds the extraordinary situation the town is in at the moment. In this episode, we are introduced to Tara who is mysterious yet intriguing to watch as her and Willow build a very sweet alliance during the invasion of The Gentlemen. And speaking of the Gentlemen, boy are they brilliant guest villains. Their design and look is very creepy which is something out of a horror film, as well as the way they glide on screen which I think is brilliant and very effective.

RATING: 100% - A+

MovieMad16

08-06-20, 04:39 PM

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4x11 - Doomed

INTRO: Doomed is a sadly lacking episode following the mighty and fantastic episode before it. Dull, reality out the window, and just quite forgettable.

SUMMARY: After Buffy finally breaks the silence lingering in the room, Riley tries to figure out who she really is. When Riley withholds information on his own secret identity, Buffy offers her own description of what he does for a living. Surprised by Buffy's accuracy, Riley turns the spotlight back on her. However, Riley is not at all familiar with the name Slayer, so Buffy encourages him to find out on his own. Just as Riley is about to leave the dorm, they notice some rattling coming from the rat's cage, followed by a sudden earthquake. Although the quake is relatively brief, it's more than enough to alarm Buffy.
A short while later, Willow returns to her room and tells Buffy about an aftershock party at Porter Hall, due to the entire building being blacked out. Buffy turns down the invitation, instead heading over to Giles for some answers. While Buffy fears that something bad is coming, Giles insists that the earthquake was nothing out of the ordinary. Meanwhile, Spike finds himself sinking deeper and deeper into depression. No longer the fearsome night stalker he once was, Spike cannot comprehend how he ended up living in Xander's basement. Underground, Riley asks Forrest about the Slayer. According to Forrest, the Slayer is nothing but a myth. Over at the aftershock party, Willow runs into Percy West, whom she tutored last year at Sunnydale High. In another room, a lone student finds himself in a sudden encounter with a large, green demon with several spines protruding from the back of its head. Before he can run or scream, the demon slashes the boy's throat, spilling blood all over the floor.
When Willow overhears Percy referring to her as a geek from high school, she wanders away from the main party crowd. Ending up in a dark room, Willow feels her way to the bed and lies down, wishing that she were somewhere else. When the power is restored to the building and all the lights turn on, Willow realizes that she is not alone in the bed. Lying next to her is the body of the boy, drained of its blood. Carved on the boy's chest is a symbol that consists of an eye inside a triangle. Willow shows a drawing of the symbol to Giles, who immediately recognizes it as a sign of the apocalypse. Buffy recognizes the symbol, and she grabs the crossbow on her way out to the cemetery. Finding a mausoleum with the symbol carved on one of the walls, Buffy enters and spots the demon collecting the bones of one of the skeletons. Engaging the demon in battle, Buffy quickly realizes its great strength. After delivering a blow that lands Buffy on her back, the demon escapes with the bones it stole from the mausoleum. Riley arrives shortly and tells Buffy which way the demon ran. Before she takes off in that direction, Buffy informs Riley that she can't continue their relationship any longer.
Back at Giles' apartment, the gang learns that Buffy's enemy is called a Vahrall demon. One of the passages in the demon's description leads Willow to another book that describes a ritual called the Sacrifice of Three. Along with the sacrifices, the ritual requires the blood of a man, the bones of a child, and something called the Word of Valios. Assuming it's the title of a book, Xander and Willow head to the library. When they stop by Xander's basement for supplies, they find Spike trying to kill himself with a stake. Uncomfortable with the idea of letting the harmless vampire die, Willow and Xander take Spike with them to the library in order to keep an eye on him. After coming up with nothing at the library, Spike mocks Willow and Xander's belief that they play an important role in Buffy's duty. Meanwhile, Buffy runs into Riley while patrolling the streets. Riley tries to convince Buffy that she can't make it through the rest of her life alone. Unable to describe her full history with Angel, Buffy turns a cold shoulder to Riley. Back at the apartment, Giles researches the ritual further. He comes upon an illustration of the Word of Valios, which turns out to be fifteenth-century talisman. Rummaging through a box of valuables, Giles discovers that he had the talisman all along. Before he can get out of the house, Giles realizes he has visitors in the form of three Vahrall demons.
While the gang tends to his wounds, Giles tells them that the Vahrall demons are attempting to open the hellmouth. Reluctantly, Buffy, Xander, and Willow return to Sunnydale High, accompanied by an irritated Spike. As they enter the crumbling halls of their old high school, Xander accidentally steps on the remains of late Mayor Wilkins. The gang finds the three Vahrall demons chanting around a gap in the floor. While Buffy attacks, Xander and Willow work on retrieving the blood, bones, and talisman in order to prevent the ritual from being completed. One of the Vahrall demons grabs the jar of blood from Xander's hands and dives into the hole. Realizing that the demons themselves are the three sacrifices, Xander warns the others. Tired of taking a beating from another one of the Vahrall demons, Spike smashes his fist into the demon's face. Instead of receiving immediate shock to his brain, Spike feels absolutely no pain. Realizing that the implant does not prevent him from harming demons, a wave of unadulterated joy overcomes Spike as he wails on the Vahrall demon. Caught up in the excitement, Spike picks up the demon, who grabs the bag of bones before being lifted up into the air. Xander and Willow's warnings come too late as Spike throws the demon, along with the bones, into the hole.
Another earthquake signals the near-completion of the ritual. As Buffy hurls punches and kicks at the demon, Riley comes to her aide. Managing to escape the attack for a brief moment, the third Vahrall demon grabs the talisman and drops into the hole. Riley hooks up a cable from his belt to Buffy's, and the Slayer dives in after the demon. Through the rumbling of the quakes, Riley manages to pull Buffy back to the surface. As Riley pulls her up by her right hand, Buffy drags the demon out of the hole with her left. Having failed to complete the ritual, the Vahrall demon dies, and the earthquakes stop. Afterwards, Riley unsuccessfully tries to explain his camouflage outfit to Xander and Willow, who immediately figure out that he's one of the commandoes. When he spots Spike, Riley can't recall where he's seen him before.
The next morning, Buffy pays a visit to Riley's room. Having revealed his identity to Buffy and her friends, Riley prepares himself for some dark consequences. What he doesn't expect is the kiss that Buffy plants on his lips. In the meantime, Spike shuts off the television in Xander's basement. Before Xander and Willow can protest, Spike insists that they get out and continue the fight against evil. For a dead man, Spike has never felt more alive.

THOUGHTS: The main story of this episode deals with the fallout of Hush, centering around Buffy & Riley as their true identities are revealed to each other. It’s awkward for the pair of them, but when an immediate new end of the world threat emerges, they are forced to put that to one side to save the world…again. It’s okay stuff but a little lackluster and not that fun to watch if I’m honest.

What is fun is Spike’s continuing character arc as he discovers the ability to attack and kill demons which pleases him greatly. I love his instant reaction when he realizes and the final scene where he gives his version of an inspiring speech to fight evil, which Willow & Xander are both slightly weirded out by.

Lastly is the ham-fisted return to the high school location. I just never got into this final act, finding it quite flat and not very exciting to watch, especially when the laws of gravity are thrown out of the window in a sequence involving a pit heading towards the Hellmouth. Just sadly a lacking episode after a very strong series highlight like Hush.

RATING: 71% - B+

MovieMad16

08-06-20, 05:13 PM

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1x10 - Parting Gifts

INTRO: Continuing from Hero, Parting Gifts changes gears by adding a familiar character into Angel's ongoing story. One whose arc will go down in television folklore.

SUMMARY:
Angel pays a visit to the PTB (Powers That Be) and begs them to return Doyle. They refuse and when he protests that he no longer has access to the visions, they reply that when a door closes, another one opens. Meanwhile, a schwarmy telepathic demon named Barney approaches Angel Investigations for help, claiming that he is being followed by a demon-assassin. Later that day, Cordelia is in the middle of an audition, and receives a vision. She soon realizes there was more to Doyle's kiss than she originally thought. Assuming that she can be rid of the visions by kissing someone else, she kisses Angel, and the new client. After a brief interview with Barney, Angel visits his apartment to see if he can learn anything. While he is there, he encounters Wesley, a watcher he had briefly known in Sunnydale. Wesley was kicked out of the Watcher's Council and is now a rogue-demon hunter in hot pursuit of a dangerous and powerful demon. They soon discover that the demon that was most recently attacked by the killer is of Asian origin. Angel heads over to Koreatown to get more information and Wesley later joins him. After speaking to the dying demon, they deduce that Barney is involved, and Cordelia is is in danger. Meanwhile, Barney kidnaps Cordelia and bids her visionary powers at an auction. When the deal goes to the highest bidder, Cordelia's fate is to have her eyes gouged out. Moments before the first incision, Angel and Wesley rush in and save the day. The next morning, Angel invites Wesley for breakfast. Is Wesley here to stay?

THOUGHTS: Parting Gifts is very much a transition episode. Following Hero, Angel & Cordelia are left somewhat in a state of limbo. With Doyle gone, they’re shaken to the core in a way. Doyle was their moral compass, the guide that led them to the right battles. Now, he’s gone and the two are left numb. However a change occurs. Cordy’s sudden vision kicks Angel back into gear, and leads him towards a new case, and into the path of Wesley, who we last saw in the Buffy Season 3 finale being wheeled into an ambulance. Wesley sadly has been discarded and Angel running into him again gives him a new drive and purpose again. You also have Barney, a character you think is going to be an annoying comic relief, only to turn around and be quite this sinister villain which really surprised me when I first watched it.

RATING: 83% - A-

MovieMad16

08-07-20, 06:51 PM

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1x11 - Somnambulist

INTRO: Get ready for what could be one of the best episodes of the series. An episode riched in history, development and true stake for both Angel & Kate.

SUMMARY: A girl is murdered by a vampire during the early morning hours. Later that day, Wesley notices an article about the murder in the newspaper and leaves immediately. Angel pays a visit to Kate about some other business, but while he is there, he observes the crime scene photos on her desk. He recognizes the modus operandi, and immediately realizes that there is a connection between his recent nightmares and the murders. Meanwhile, Wesley returns to Angel Investigations and clues Cordelia in on the situation at hand. He tells her in the past, Angelus marked his victims' left cheek with a cross. That night, Angel has a dream. He realizes one of his sires named Ben is responsible for the current murders. That afternoon, Angel brings a drawing of Ben to Kate and instructs her to stake out an area. Later that day, Ben strikes, but before he can complete the kill, the police arrive. Ben escapes in a nearby abandoned building. Kate comes in after him and soon finds Angel at the scene. He dons his vampire face and the two begin to fight. After learning Angel's true identity, Kate initially freaks out, but then hits the library to learn more about vampires. She discovers that Ben struck two times in LA earlier that century, in 1928 and 1963. Wesley and Angel figure out where he resides and pay a visit to his apartment. Meanwhile, Ben pays a surprise visit to the police department. Angel catches wind of the situation climbs down into the tunnels and gets into a big brawl with Ben. However, it's Kate who saves the day when she locates a wood scrap and stakes Angel and Ben. Due to her great aim, only Ben is dusted.

THOUGHTS: Somnambulist will be recorded from me as one of the best episodes I’ve seen in Angel so far. A fantastic game changing episode where a significant relationship turns drastically over the course of 45 minutes. The episode itself is rich with history and development, most notably with Angel & Kate Lockley. What I love is that you don’t get Kate easily going down the route of understanding that we come to expect. Instead, she remains hostile and suspicious. Making it clear to the audience that Angel is the show that feels more adult and grey deep down. We also are given the gift of young Jeremy Renner in one of the best guest villains in the Buffyverse to date. A villain filled with history and consequence as Angel’s past comes back to haunt him at the very start of the story. I truly rate this episode highly and is one of the highlights of the series to me.

RATING: 100% - A+

MovieMad16

08-12-20, 02:05 PM

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4x12 - A New Man

INTRO: A New Man allows Giles to take centre stage in a very fun and heartwarming episode.

SUMMARY: Willow bursts into her dorm room, interrupting Buffy and Riley's private moment. Informing them of a demon threat, Willow leads them downstairs. Instead of an otherworldly creature, Buffy finds herself lured into a surprise party for her nineteenth birthday. Shortly afterwards, Buffy finds Giles and introduces him to Riley. Feeling a bit left out of the young crowd at the party, Giles discomfort is only strengthened by meeting Buffy's boyfriend, having no knowledge that she was even dating somebody.

The next morning, Spike prepares to move out of Xander's place and find a place of his own. Despite Anya's insistence, Xander refuses to offer any parting gifts. Giles, in the meantime, comes across a passage in one of his texts that details the rise of the Demon Prince Barvain. Realizing that this event will occur by the end of the day, Giles calls Willow and asks for Buffy's whereabouts. In Professor Walsh's office, Riley discloses Buffy's secret identity to Maggie. Surprised to learn that the Slayer is more than a myth, Maggie tells Buffy that she may be granted access to the Initiative laboratory in a matter of days. When Riley describes the number of hostiles he has handled to date, Maggie asks Buffy to tell them how many she has taken down. Outside, Riley expresses his shock over Buffy's impressive statistics. Suddenly feeling inferior in light of his girlfriend's abilities, Riley wonders how he himself would do against Buffy in combat. A little while later, Giles arrives at Maggie's office, hoping to find Buffy. A short conversation reveals that Giles and Professor Walsh's approaches to teaching students are wildly different. While Giles sees Buffy's independence as a sign of strength and maturity, Maggie dismisses it as the result of a missing father figure in Buffy's life.

During a sparring session in the gym, Buffy kicks Riley squarely in the chest, launching him several yards into a stack of floor mats. While Buffy profusely apologizes, Willow and Xander accompany Giles into the cemetery, hoping they're not too late to stop the Demon Prince Barvain. Immediately after entering his crypt, Giles realizes that the floor should be destroyed by now. When Willow offers her theory that the Initiative probably eliminated this threat days ago, Giles has no idea what she and Xander are talking about. After they bring him up to speed about Riley and Professor Walsh's involvement in the Initiative -- as well as Anya and Spike's knowledge about these facts -- Giles nearly goes ballistic. Dumbfounded by all the information that was completely unknown to him up until now, Giles lets Willow and Xander go home. After Giles gives up and exits the crypt, Ethan Rayne emerges from the shadows, pledging to give his old friend a nasty surprise. Giles hears a voice from inside the crypt, so he reenters and meets up with his nemesis. Before Giles can beat him into submission, Ethan grabs his attention by warning him of an impending danger.

After relocating to a nearby diner for a few drinks, Ethan informs Giles of a rising threat that has shrouded the demon world in fear. Knowing only that the demons refer to this threat by the number 314, Ethan believes that its intrusions from the human world into the affairs of the demon reality is "throwing the worlds out of balance." Many drinks later, Giles and Ethan reach the conclusion that the world has moved on without them. Hoping to get lucky that night, Ethan writes down his number and address for their waitress, who half-heartedly takes it. Later, Willow gets together with Tara to perform a complex spell that involves the levitation of a rose, followed by the removal of its petals. After they successfully lift the rose from the floor, Willow and Tara watch as it suddenly darts all over the room before finally smashing into the floor.

In the morning, Giles wakes up and stumbles out of bed. When he reaches his mirror, Giles sees the reflection of a hideous demon staring back at him. While Giles tries to figure out what has happened to his body, his uncontrollable strength causes great damage to the stairway, telephone, and even his own clothes. Throwing on a blanket, Giles rips his front door from its hinges and heads over to Xander's place. He tries to wake up Xander without scaring him, but this fails drastically when Giles realizes that he is actually speaking in a demon language that Xander can't understand. Flying out of bed, Xander starts throwing objects at the intruder while screaming at the top of his lungs. Giles retreats, terrorizing the neighbors on his way out. Meanwhile, Buffy talks to Willow about her sparring session with Riley. Willow mentions the presence of a dark force that caused her spell to go awry the previous night. She then suggests to Buffy that she should talk to Giles soon, since he is apparently feeling left out lately.

After dark, Giles finds Spike in the cemetery. Instead of attacking the demon, Spike recognizes Giles. Telling Giles that he is now a Fyarl demon, Spike informs him that he can also speak the Fyarl language. Needing some help in finding Ethan to reverse the spell, Giles offers to pay Spike. On their way to the diner, Giles feels himself slowly being taken over by the demon's desires. While trying to fight off the violent urges, Giles spots Maggie Walsh walking down the street by herself. Giles gets out and chases her away before returning to the car. At the diner, Spike learns from the waitress that Ethan is staying at the Sunnydale motor inn. During the trip to the motel, Spike spots one, then two humvees following them. Giles jumps out, while the pursuing cars continue to follow Spike. Shortly after he loses them, Spike accidentally crashes Giles' car into the wall of a building.

Meanwhile, Buffy and the gang arrive at Giles' apartment and find it totaled. The torn clothes on the floor lead them to believe that Giles may have been seriously harmed. Riley arrives in response to a series of 911 calls that reported the sighting of a large demon in the neighborhood. When they find a passage in Giles' books about the Fyarl demon that matches Xander's description, Buffy deduces the possibility that the mystical force that Willow felt was caused by a spell being performed to gain control of this Fyarl demon. Following the book's information that the Fyarl demon is vulnerable to silver, Buffy grabs a letter opener on the way out. Along with Riley, she breaks into the magic shop and discovers that Ethan has been there recently. When Riley orders a search on Ethan's location, they track him down to the motel. Before they leave, Riley mentions that Maggie has ordered him to prevent Buffy from getting involved any further. Refusing to keep the Initiative's orders from getting in the way of her vengeance for Giles, Buffy disobeys and continues out the door.

Trying to pack up and get out of town, Ethan gets a surprise visit from Giles, who is now almost completely under the influence of his demonic rage. Ethan tries to convince Giles that he won't be able to reverse the spell if he is killed, but Giles is beyond reasoning. Buffy arrives just as Ethan is thrown into a table. While Buffy and Giles wage war on each other, Riley does some damage of his own on Ethan. Just as Buffy stabs Giles in the chest with the letter opener, she suddenly recognizes who she's been fighting all along. Fortunately, the imitation silver does not cause any harm to Giles. Moments later, Ethan completes the reversal spell, returning Giles to his human form. When he asks Buffy how she recognized him, she tells Giles that his eyes gave him away. Ethan, in the meantime, is escorted outside by Initiative agents, who plan to rehabilitate him immediately.

After Buffy apologizes for failing to keep him informed on what's been going on lately, Giles asks her to be cautious in dealing with the Initiative. Convinced that Ethan was sincere about what he said at the diner, Giles wants Buffy to stay alert. Underground, Riley assures Maggie that Buffy is on their side and will prove to be a valuable ally. As Riley takes off, Maggie enters a restricted-access security room. Inside, she scans her ID card through a reader to unlock and enter another door, one that's marked simply with a number: 314.

THOUGHTS: This episode is quite fun. If not, really fun. We get to see Giles as a demon, which the idea in itself just presents a lot of good comedic moments. So as you can imagine, this is a Giles centred episode, which focuses very much on his exclusion from the other Scoobies, as well as his loneliness and isolation overall. I find it heart-warming and interesting to watch, as well as all the comedic moments and the return of Ethan Rayne also. We also get more Willow & Tara which is nice as that relationship continues to strengthen and develop over the course of the season. Very rewarding and awesome to watch.

RATING: 84% - A-

MovieMad16

08-14-20, 06:29 AM

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1x12 - Expecting

INTRO: Expecting takes on a topic/story idea which maybe a bit outdated for today's standards. But never the less, it does give the spotlight to Cordelia once again.

SUMMARY: Cordelia prepares for a night on the town with William Christopher, a prominent L.A. photographer, but right before her friends whisk her away to meet him, she receives a vision and gives the information to Angel. Angel and Wesley check out the address and slay a demon spawn. At the club, Cordelia chats it up with William and invites him to spend the night. The next morning, she realizes she's expecting! Angel and Wesley pay a visit to her apartment and observe her pregnant state. They try to contact Wilson but are unable to reach him. They form a plan: Angel will track down Cordelia's friend Serena, while Wesley will take Cordelia to the doctor. When the doctor observes she is carrying 7 babies, the panic sets in. Meanwhile, Angel meets with Serena and discovers she's pregnant as well. She clues him to Wilson and his cronies' hangout: a local gun club. Meanwhile, Cordelia and Wesley return to Angel's pad and Wesley observes her new attitude towards her spawn. She is suddenly very attached to them. Wesley deduces she is under some kind of telepathy. After a brief reconnaissance, Angel heads for the gun club, and Wesley researches and identifies the demon species. Cordelia, now fully under the influence, escapes from the apartment and heads to a local industrial park to prepare for the birth. Meanwhile, William fesses all after a brutal thrashing from Angel in vamp form. Wesley heads over to the industrial park and challenges the demon to a duel to the death. Angel enters the scene and brings a giant canister of liquid nitrogen as an offering. They freeze the demon and Cordelia, no longer pregnant and under the influence of the telepathy, destroys it.

THOUGHTS: This episode is very much Cordy centric, and one that is quite emotional for her and what she goes through. It begins with her going out on the town and therefore we get more night life scenes, etc. From there she is thrown in the ringer with a mystical pregnancy which Angel & Wesley have to help solve. However the ideas and tropes in this episode can be considered quite outdated for today’s standards, and therefore create a story that might be a bit icky with the pregnancy angle. The demon at the end of the episode on the other hand looks absolutely badass in design, size and fear factor. Sure it’s a fleeting cameo but really cool to see and brave of Wesley to go against it knowing the size factor.

RATING: 72% - B+

MovieMad16

08-14-20, 06:57 AM

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1x13 - She

INTRO: She is argueably a low point for Angel. An episode that feels outdated, slightly sexist, and in a way, anti-buffy.

SUMMARY: Cordelia throws a happenin' soiree. While Wesley attempts to mingle, Angel spends most of the time brooding in the kitchen. The next morning, Angel officially hires Wesley, and Cordelia receives a vision of a murder in an ice factory. Angel locates the corpse and encounters a demon named Tay, who tells him his mission is to stop the bringer of chaos. Angel tells his findings to Wesley and Cordelia, and they get right into the research. That night, Angel pays a visit to the corpse's office and encounters a female demon. She sends him a powerful jolt then leaves. Angel recovering quickly, jumps into his car and follows her to a museum. There, he discovers the demon (guest star Bai Ling) is attempting to help other females escape their homeland via a portal in the museum. Back at A.I., Wesley discovers Tay is a Vigorie, a herbivore species from Oden Tal that enslaves its female members of the race. Back at the museum, the rescue is a bust after Tay and his cronies burst in. Angel and the demon (who soon introduces herself as Jheira) manage to get rid of them, but not before they take the runaway captive. They unmake her by removing her 'ko.' Jhiera later explains to Angel that the ko is located in the spine and controls a female's physical and sexual power. Meanwhile, Cordelia and Wesley pay a visit to the California Flower Mart to spy on the Vigories. They discover the demons know of Jheira's whereabouts and report back to Angel. We soon learn the other female runaways are at a spa called Palm Ridge. Angel figures out the location, and together they high-tail it to the mansion to warn Jheira. After assisting the escape of the women, Wesley and Cordelia are trapped by the Vigories. Jheira abandons them, but they manage to fight on their own. Jheira pays one final visit and Angel warns her not to hurt any more civilians.

THOUGHTS: I’d thought I’d seen the worse with Beer Bad, but then She came around.

This for me is a very outdated and at times baffling episode to get through, one with a very awkward and cringe fest element to it regarding the episode’s story. The idea of woman freezing themselves to prevent themselves hurting other people is not an idea that would fly today in modern tv shows. It was a big hinderance to my feeling to the episode, and one that gave me not a major discomfort, but definitely in my head a season low point.

There were on the other hand some other good points. Angel with some detailed art knowledge was a cool moment as he disguised himself as a tour guide for an art gallery. But aside from that, the ending of the episode was somewhat anti climatic and is therefore overall a very low point for Angel.

RATING: 61% - B

honeykid

08-14-20, 07:25 AM

OK, I'm going to have to rewatch these two episodes. As with Buffy, I've not seen these for at least 10 years, but I can't remember these episodes as problematic. If anything, I remember really liking the Cordy demon pregnancy episode. Very interesting.

MovieMad16

08-14-20, 07:43 AM

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4x13 - The I in Team

INTRO: The gears change and Season four goes in a completely different direction with this episode being the instigator of that.

SUMMARY: While Willow and Xander try to introduce Anya to the challenges of poker, Maggie Walsh applauds Buffy's latest training exercise with the Initiative's top agents. In less than a minute, Buffy manages to overcome Riley's squad with nothing but her own two hands and feet.

At the cafeteria the next morning, Buffy and Willow tell each other about the previous night. After Riley walks in, Willow makes sure that Buffy remembers their planned get-together at the Bronze later that evening. Meanwhile, Giles pays a visit to Spike's new home in the cemetery. Giles tries to motivate him towards joining their cause, but the only thing that Spike is interested in is the money that Giles owes him. Swearing off any future relations with the good guys, Spike orders Giles to leave. Later, Riley accompanies Buffy on her first trip into the Initiative laboratory beneath the surface of Sunnydale. Upon stepping out of the elevator, Buffy marvels at the vastness of the facility. Maggie Walsh greets them and escorts them to the central testing area, which is called the Pit. Buffy notices an unfamiliar pair of demons that are being observed by scientists, and Riley tells her about the difficulty of their capture. By the armory, Maggie shows Buffy a communication camera headset prototype that also reads the heart rate of whoever is wearing it. After the tour, Maggie issues a pager to Buffy in order to alert her to any future missions. Once the Slayer is gone, Maggie enters the restricted-access 314 lab, where Dr. Angleman is working on their secret project: a hideous biological weapon that they are creating out of various demon body parts. Named Adam, his completion is not too far away.

Meanwhile, Tara gives Willow a gift in the form of a rare Dolls-Eye crystal. When Tara explains that it once belonged to her grandmother, Willow respectfully turns down the offer. Tara then invites Willow to hang out at her dorm room later that night. Having made prior engagements with Buffy and the others, Willow regretfully turns down a disappointed Tara once again. At the Bronze, Buffy arrives late with Riley, whose friends tag along. Willow wonders if Buffy needs to slow things down and be more cautious, seeing how they still know very little about the Initiative and how Ethan Rayne's 314 warning factors into any of this. Before their conversation gets very far, the incessant beeping of the pagers pulls Buffy, Riley, and the others out of the Bronze and back to the laboratory. With Xander and Anya off on their own, Willow heads over to Tara's dorm.

During the mission briefing, Maggie and Dr. Angleman explain the squad's objective. They must capture a Polgara demon, which defends itself with bone skewers that extend from its arms. Dr. Angleman makes it perfectly clear that they must leave the demon's arms unharmed, which prompts a series of curious questions from Buffy. Afterwards, Riley assigns Forrest and Graham to head the Beta team, while Buffy accompanies him on the Alpha team. Out on patrol, Graham spots Spike walking through the woods. Failing to capture him with a net, Graham fires a tracking device into Spike's back as he makes his getaway. Distracted by Forrest's call on the radio, the Polgara demon takes Riley by surprise. Buffy rushes in to attack, while Riley and another agent ready their tasers. A drop kick to the demon's chest by Buffy gives them the opening they need, and soon the Polgara demon is stunned into submission. Stimulated by the fight, Buffy and Riley spend the night together in bed, consummating their relationship under the watchful eye of a hidden surveillance camera in the ceiling of Riley's room. Unbeknownst to either Buffy or Riley, Maggie Walsh sits in a secret room, watching their lovemaking on a monitor.

Pleased to wake up next to Riley in the morning, Buffy revels in her newfound happiness. When Buffy asks Riley if he knows anything about 314, the ringing of the telephone immediately breaks up their moment. Reporting in for duty, Riley stops outside the restricted-access security door. Curious about what Buffy said, he peers through the window and sees another door with the same number inscribed on it. Interrupting Riley's investigation, Maggie orders him to lead the Beta team in recapturing Spike. Once Riley leaves, Maggie informs Dr. Angleman that Buffy is apparently aware of their secret experiment. While Maggie prepares their back-up plan, Dr. Angleman completes the amputation of the Polgara demon's left arm. On the surface, Spike retreats to Giles' apartment for help. When Xander identifies the object in Spike's back as a tracking device, they conclude that the Initiative will be on their doorstep in no time. Meanwhile, Buffy returns to her room and finds that Willow's bed hasn't been slept in. Willow arrives shortly, but another series of beeps from Buffy's pager prevents the two from going into any detail regarding the events of the previous night. After Buffy takes off, Willow gets a call from Giles, who requests her assistance. At the apartment, Willow recites a spell that ionizes the surrounding atmosphere, thus obscuring the tracer's signal. As soon as Giles successfully removes the tracking device, Xander flushes it down the toilet, bringing an abrupt end to Beta team's mission.

In the Initiative lab, Maggie briefs Buffy on a basic reconnaissance mission. After notifying her of a possible hostile roaming the sewers, Maggie equips Buffy with the com-cam prototype and a taser. Soon after beginning her mission, Buffy detects the target heading towards her from up ahead. When two axe-wielding demons step around the corner and confront Buffy, she immediately recognizes them from the Pit at the Initiative laboratory. Realizing that something is up, Buffy aims her taser and pulls the trigger. Instead of firing an immobilizing bolt, the weapon short-circuits in Buffy's hands, forcing her to drop it. In an instant, a steel gate drops behind Buffy, sealing off her escape route. As Buffy engages the demons in hand-to-hand combat, Maggie watches the struggle via the com-cam headset. During the struggle, Buffy's headset is knocked off her head and falls to the ground. The view from the camera, along with the terminated heart rate, leads Maggie believe that Buffy has been successfully eliminated. Back in the sewers, Buffy lures one of the demons into taking a careless swing with his axe. Buffy dodges the weapon, which sinks into the chest of the other demon. With one down and one to go, Buffy disarms her opponent, sending the axe into the nearby water canal. However, the demon strikes back, knocking Buffy to the ground before retrieving his axe. Noticing that the taser is still short-circuiting, Buffy grabs the sabotaged weapon and throws it into the canal. In seconds, the demon is electrocuted to death.

When Riley returns from his failed recovery mission, Maggie informs him that Buffy is dead. Unable to comprehend what he's hearing, Riley is overwhelmed with grief. Suddenly, his eyes fall on the set of monitors behind Maggie, which show Buffy adjusting the com-cam to a suitable angle. Maggie's act is cut short by the sound of Buffy's voice, and she turns to hear the Slayer threaten her with payback. Realizing his boss' deception, Riley leaves the premises, refusing to acknowledge Maggie's orders to stop. Back at Giles' apartment, Spike vows to stay in Sunnydale until something is done about the implant in his head. Buffy arrives shortly afterwards, and she tells the others that the Initiative is not what it seems.

Inside the 314 lab, a furious Maggie Walsh paces around the motionless body of Adam. She declares her intent to get Riley back and get rid of the Slayer once and for all. Suddenly, a sharp pain rips through Maggie's chest. When she looks down, she recognizes the tip of a bone skewer protruding from her chest. Moments away from death, Maggie slowly looks over her shoulder to see Adam standing behind her. As Maggie drops to the floor, Adam looks down at her now-lifeless body and affectionately says, "Mommy."

THOUGHTS: The I in Team is the turning point in the season arc in which various developments occur, characters are killed, and new big bad’s are established. Quite a rapid change but still makes for a change rather than a big bad established early on. And I think that is partially what makes Season Four as a whole quite a different season to the other three. The safety nets of high school are gone, and the Scobby Gang are embracing and battling an entire new world and society, with new challenges and changes to adapt to.

With these developments comes the sudden death of Professor Maggie Walsh, due to the actress adruptly leaving. This in turn introduces Adam, a hybrid of human, demon & cyborg who serves as the villain for the rest of the season. The episode overall feels a bit all over the place. In a way, it almost doesn’t feel like Buffy anymore, and more of a merger of science fiction, supernatural and teen drama. I know two of those genres have always been attributed to Buffy, but here the way its set up and utilised feels a bit wrong and thus the show’s identity is sort of scrambled almost. In a way, this is a problem to be addressed for the Season four review as a whole.

RATING: 76% - B+

MovieMad16

08-15-20, 12:02 PM

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4x14 - Goodbye Iowa

INTRO: Goodbye Iowa continues straight after The I in Team in which a new big bad is established, loyalties and values of characters are tested, and the stakes get much more serious.

SUMMARY: After Buffy details the events in the sewers, Spike suggests that Riley is probably in on it. The others offer their own opinions, but Buffy refuses to believe that Riley knew anything about Maggie's plot. As far as Maggie's reasons go, they surmise that Buffy must have been getting too close to something, such as the significance of 314. Deciding that all of their lives are in danger from the Initiative, Buffy orders the gang to stay in Xander's place for the time being. Just as Giles objects to this course of action, Riley arrives at the apartment to see if Buffy is okay. Buffy tries to explain what happened to her, but Riley has trouble buying the fact that Maggie or the rest of Initiative is hiding something. However, Spike's presence distracts Riley from the subject at hand. Finally recognizing the vampire, Riley turns the tables on Buffy, demanding her excuse for harboring a known target of the Initiative. Spike takes off, leaving Buffy and her friends to focus Riley on the more important matter at hand. Still in denial, Riley leaves on his own.

Emerging from the underground lab and onto the surface for the first time, Adam slowly takes in his surroundings. Adam soon comes upon a lone young boy in the woods. When the boy's curiosity falls on the bone skewer in Adam's left arm, a knowing grin forms on the face of Maggie's creation. The next morning, Buffy and the gang greet the new day with a news report on the television regarding the brutal murder and mutilation of a young boy in the woods. When the reporter mentions a skewer as the probably murder weapon, Buffy assumes that Maggie sent the Polgara demon after her. Meanwhile, Dr. Angleman enters the 314 lab and tries to find his way in the darkness. Slipping on a pool of blood, Angleman immediately spots the body of Maggie Walsh. On the surface, Forrest grills a returning Riley with inquiries regarding the previous night. Taking Forrest into his room for privacy, Riley admits his conclusion that Maggie tried to have Buffy killed. However, Forrest won't believe that Maggie's reasons were anything but legitimate. Forrest goes on to express his feeling that Buffy probably deserved whatever Maggie had in mind for her. Just as their debate begins to heat up, Graham interrupts the scene with news of Maggie's death.

The sight of his murdered mentor is almost too much for Riley to bear, as Forrest attributes her fatal wound to the act of a wooden stake. Seriously disturbed by this accusation, Riley challenges Forrest. Dr. Angleman breaks the two apart, demanding a moment of respect for their fallen comrade. Riley and Forrest listen as Dr. Angelman mentions the recent escape of the Polgara demon. Angleman then informs Riley and the rest of the team that the government has ordered them to cease all operations until further notification. Knowing that Dr. Angleman has no real authority over them, Riley orders his troops to patrol the entire town of Sunnydale and permanently eliminate the Polgara demon. At the cemetery, Forrest and Graham inspect Spike's crypt, but they leave without locating the vampire's hidden resting place. Buffy, in the meantime, arrives at the crime scene to search for any traces of the Polgara demon's trail. Riley arrives shortly and informs Buffy of Maggie's death. Back at UC Sunnydale, Willow stops by Tara's room. After they discuss the spells they performed all-night recently, Willow suggests that they perform another spell, one that would conjure the goddess Thespia to locate any demonic energy in the area. After constructing a basic map of the town on the floor, Willow pours a handful of the potion into her hand and Tara's. While Willow blows her portion onto the map as the spell requires them to do so, Tara stashes her handful of the potion under her bed. When Willow opens her eyes, she believes that the spell was a total failure.

Meanwhile, Buffy pays a visit to Willy's bar, hoping to get some information on the whereabouts of the Polgara demon. However, Willy hasn't heard anything about the demon since it was originally captured by Buffy and the Initiative. As Buffy turns her line of questioning to the Initiative and 314, Riley walks in and immediately spots Buffy. Further confused by Buffy's apparent socialization with demons, Riley demands answers from the Slayer. Buffy notices the uncontrollable trembling in Riley's hands, which forcefully grab her by the shoulders. When a woman tries to leave the scene, Riley draws his gun and levels it at the frightened patron's head. Buffy and Willy try to talk him out of it, but Riley cannot manage to distinguish right from wrong, good from bad, anymore. Finally, Riley lowers his gun and slumps onto the counter, allowing the terrified woman to make a hasty exit. After Buffy brings him back to Xander's apartment, Riley struggles to understand what is happening to him. As Riley declares the loss of everything he's ever held to be true, Buffy notices a crimson rash on his hand. Riley's nails continuously scratch at the rash, and Buffy pulls his hands apart. Pulling a scarf from her hair, Buffy wraps the garment over Riley's wounded hand before getting him to rest. By the laundry machines, Giles and Anya tell Buffy of the inconsistencies between the young boy's murder and the documented behavioral patterns of the Polgara demon. Suspicious of Riley's deteriorating physical condition, Buffy believes that there is more to it than grief. She asks Xander to accompany her on an investigation of the Initiative laboratory.

After Buffy passes the retinal scan and gains entrance to the main elevator, she changes into a scientist's lab coat and glasses while Xander wears the fatigues he's been keeping in his basement. As they roam through the facility, Buffy and Xander overhear a conversation between Dr. Angleman and another scientist. According to them, the Initiative soldiers have been fed performance-enhancing chemicals unknowingly through their food. Since Riley dispatched the team that morning, the soldiers have been experiencing severe withdrawal. Most of the soldiers have returned to the lab, but Dr. Angleman insists that they find Riley soon, due to his vital importance to their project. Back at Giles' apartment, Riley abruptly gets out of bed and asks for Buffy. When he realizes that Buffy has infiltrated the Initiative, Riley gets dressed and heads for the stairs. Willow tries to block off his exit, but Riley shoves her to the floor and heads up the stairs. In the lab, Buffy and Xander follow Dr. Angleman through a security door and confront him inside the room. When Dr. Angleman tries to warn Buffy that her presence has probably been alerted to security by now, Riley appears with news that the security monitors are currently off-line. Buffy turns her attention back to Angleman, who confesses that Maggie was responsible for the attack on the Slayer. When Dr. Angelman begins to reveal the details of Project 314, Riley decides that he's heard enough and doesn't want Maggie's memory to be tainted by these accusations. Buffy tries to convince him that she's only after the truth, but Riley's psychosis has reached the point where he believes his own girlfriend is responsible for everything that has happened recently. Before their argument can escalate, the body of a soldier hits the floor not too far from where they are standing. Buffy, Riley, Xander, and Dr. Angleman look up to see Adam, who has returned to his place of creation.

Dropping down to the floor below, Adam pulls from his pocket a stack of computer disks that he retrieved from the lab. Inserting them into a disk drive in his chest one by one, Adam recalls files that detail his own existence as a "kinematically redundant, biomechanical demonoid". After inserting a disk labeled "Finn", Adam tells Riley how the two of them are connected in the eyes of the late Maggie Walsh. While Maggie literally constructed Adam with various parts of humans, demons, and machines, Professor Walsh was also responsible for creating Riley. Although Riley has a true biological family in Iowa, it wasn't until he met Maggie Walsh that he started his path to becoming the soldier that he is today, due in part to the chemicals that he was fed daily. When Adam offers to disclose the full scope of Maggie's plan for the two of them, Riley puts a stop to the back story by aiming his gun at the creature. In a blinding instant, Adam shoves the gun aside, knocks Buffy to the floor, and sends Riley flying across the room with a thunderous punch. After flooring Xander easily, Adam extracts his bone skewer and drives it through a fleeing Angleman, who dies instantly. Riley makes another attempt to fight, but Adam quickly stabs the soldier's torso with his bloody skewer. Down for the count, Riley can only watch as Buffy tries her hand at fighting Adam. Unfortunately, her blows have virtually no effect on Adam, who crushes her to the floor once again. As the rest of the Initiative squad tries to bust into the room, Adam escapes through a ceiling vent. Just as his feet disappear into the shaft, the rest of the team barges in, completely unaware of the departed Adam. Riley confirms Buffy's story that Adam was responsible for his own injury as well as Dr. Angleman's murder. While the troops launch a search for the creature, Forrest orders Buffy to back off and let them take Riley to a military hospital.

Elsewhere, Spike waltzes in to Willy's bar for a drink. However, Spike gets a greeting in the form of a severe beating from several of the demon patrons. Disgusted with Spike's apparent alliance with the Slayer, the demons threaten the vampire outcast with a merciless death if he doesn't wise up soon. The next morning, Buffy and Willow try to figure out what to do about Adam, while also wondering about Riley's fate. Buffy fears that her boyfriend is completely alone in the Initiative infirmary, but such is not the case, for Riley still has her scarf wrapped around his hand to motivate a quick recovery.

THOUGHTS: This is a decent episode, but one that I don’t find particularly stands out among the pack. It’s nice to finally have Riley take centre stage and have the chaos around his job and love life intertwine and clash, with a choice of direction in his life and a chance to find some self confidence in himself. It’s a fun and fascinating dilemma to watch, one with an ending that makes Buffy all the more torn and hurt about where to go next. Adam’s introduction is also good, watching him go through The Scoobies like nothing and his monologues are also good. But sadly there is this continuing sense of disarray throughout the story, as the behind the scenes changes become much more noticeable and therefore affect the plot drastically.

RATING: 72% - B+

MovieMad16

08-15-20, 05:16 PM

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1x14 - I've Got You Under My Skin

INTRO: Time for Angel to take on an exorcism story. I'm surprised Buffy hadn't done this already, but I guess this was a story more suited for Angel.

SUMMARY: Angel accidentally calls Wesley 'Doyle' while he is arguing with Cordy, who has just made inedible brownies. We later learn Angel feels pangs of guilt over Doyle's untimely death. Suddenly, Cordelia receives a vision about a young family. When Angel and Wesley visit the residence, they notice a boy sleepwalking in the street. Angel saves the boy, named Ryan, from an ongoing car. When Angel goes inside the house to get cleaned up, Wesley takes a look around and deduces one of the members of the family is possessed by a demon. Meanwhile, to show their undying gratitude for Angel's bravery, the family invites him over for dinner the following evening. Wesley informs Angel about the demon presence and the next day, they create a brownie recipe that will reveal the demon's presence. During desert, Ryan puts on a demon face and Angel brings the family AI to exorcize it. While Cordy stays with the family, Wesley and Angel go to the local church to find the priest to exorcize the demon, but they soon learn from the nun that the priest died six months earlier. Wesley decides he will perform the exorcism and begins the ritual. The strength of the Ethros demon is such that he will most likely kill whomever is performing the exorcism because of its need to inhabit another body, so Cordelia travels into town to purchase a box to contain it. However, the box is too small, and the Ethros demon escapes after its expulsion. Angel and Wesley track him and kill him, but not before learning Ryan was evil before the demon ever entered his soul. They go to the house and rescue Stephanie, Ryan's sister, from a fire he had started. Ryan is taken into police and social services custody, and the family thanks Angel for his work.

THOUGHTS: This episode takes the exorcism story and provides its own take on it, with various twists & turns throughout, which leaves the sense of more morbidness than at the start. The family is very likable and it’s a brilliant story about this troubled and scared family in which one of their own is possessed by a demon. And the team provide that support and help that they so desperately crave. The ending of the episode is terrific and a moment of darkness but also hope in a strange way that the character at the centre will find solace if they can. Other notes include the fact that even after so many episodes, Angel still has Doyle’s death on his mind after a moment where he blurts out Doyle’s name in the heat of the moment. Nice to know that this isn’t something that is just swept under the rug.

RATING: 86% - A-

MovieMad16

08-15-20, 05:40 PM

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1x15 - The Prodigal

INTRO: Prepared for a lot of flashback scenes, severing of relationships and father figure troubles.

SUMMARY: Angel has a memory of an altercation between him and his father in 1753, but his mind quickly returns to the present when he kills a demon who escaped from a moving subway train. When Kate enters on the scene, he tells her to cover up the truth to her fellow officers. Though she is disturbed by the demon factor, she becomes distracted after seeing her father enter the station. Later that morning, Wesley identifies the deceased demon as a Kwaini species and remarks it is atypical for this type of demon to be violent. They deduce the demon had an incentive to attack one of the passengers. Angel then tries to obtain a list of passengers from Kate, but she's unwilling to give it to him. Despite this, he manages to locate the passenger in question and follows him on one of his deliveries: to Mr. Lockley's apartment. When Angel confronts Mr. Lockley, he denies any involvement. Angel, reminded of his painful past with his father, has another memory from his past: he meets Darla and is sired. Back at A.I., Wesley conducts some tests and discovers the Kwaini demon was addicted to a substance similar to street PCP. Angel deduces that Kate's father is somehow involved with the drug trafficking. He then has another memory, this time of his own funeral, his first meeting with Darla as a vampire, and his first kill. That afternoon, Kate approaches Angel, gives him a list of the passengers and tells him she wants to be involved with the case. She changed her mind after having a conversation with her father. Suddenly, two Kwaini demons attack Wesley and Cordelia, seeking more of the drug. While this is happening, the drug traffickers pay a visit to Mr. Lockley. Meanwhile, Angel has another memory of killing his entire family. Angel tries to save Mr. Lockley from the traffickers but can't enter his apartment because he was not invited. Standing by the door entrance, he watches the vampires kill Mr. Lockley. After his death, Angel enters in and kills one of them. Kate arrives and is devasted by the death. She obtains the address of the traffickers and manages to slay one of the killers. As the rest of the gang prepares for attack, Angel bursts in and slays the lot of them. He has one final memory from his past: Darla informs her that he will carry the painful memories of his father for a lifetime.

THOUGHTS: This is another big episode in Angel’s character arc, and one that continues to disintegrate the relationship between himself and Kate Lockley. It’s an episode rich in development, arc building, and potential foreshadowing. Kate is back along with her father, and I like that this fraught relationship between father & daughter is somewhat improving. However, near the episode’s end, it is tragically cut short and Angel & Kate’s relationship is permanently severed. Kate is seen very much as a cold figure. A lonely bitter woman who now feels more isolated and alone than ever after furthering herself deeper into the world of the supernatural. There is also further flashback scenes of Angel’s family life, the aftermath of being sired by Darla, and his early days as Angelus. All of them are sad, heartbreaking, horrific and informative. A way of learning more of the monster that embodies the man.

RATING: 91% - A

MovieMad16

08-22-20, 02:57 PM

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4x15 - This Year's Girl

INTRO: Faith is back to cause mayhem again as she takes in not one, but two two-parters in Buffy & Angel. But first, she needs to wake up...

SUMMARY: In a sundrenched dream, Buffy visits the comatose Faith through some sort of telepathic connection she shares with her fellow slayer. Just when they seem to be getting along, Faith motions her stomach. The knife Buffy stabbed her with still protrudes, dripping with blood. Meanwhile, in Xander's basement, Buffy, Willow and Giles discuss how to destroy the unstoppable Adam, while Xander works on repairing the faulty blaster that Professor Walsh gave Buffy. The Slayer, however, seems equally concerned with the condition of the injured Riley who is in the questionable care of the Initiative. Just then, Riley wakes up in the medical unit of the underground headquarters. As he attempts to leave to see Buffy, Forrest intervenes. It appears that their standoff can only result in a fight. Meanwhile, as Faith lies in her own intensive care unit, she dreams of a pleasant picnic with her deceased father figure, Mayor Wilkins III. The serenity is disrupted when Buffy appears and murders the Mayor with the same knife she stabbed Faith with. That night, Xander and Willow go on patrol with Buffy in search of Adam. Instead of finding the demon-cyborg, they come across one of his morbid biology projects. A red, horned demon is strung up between two trees with his chest cavity splayed open for dissection. Back in Xander's basement, he and Willow listen to Buffy's plans to liberate Riley from the Initiative headquarters. Surprisingly, Riley shows up at that moment and embraces Buffy.

Still dreaming, Faith sees Buffy chasing her through a rain drenched cemetery. When she falls into an open grave, Buffy jumps in after her. After an unseen battle, Faith alone emerges from the six foot hole. Back in reality, her eyes explode open as she awakens from her coma. Disoriented, the groggy Faith rips out her IV and wanders down the barren Coma Ward halls. She comes across a teenage visitor who she forces to tell the date and explain what happened on Sunnydale High graduation day. With ambiguous intentions, Faith storms out of the hospital unnoticed by the staff. Meanwhile, alone in Buffy's dorm room, Riley and the Slayer share a tender moment of affection. Riley explains that he is afraid to leave the Initiative, no matter how corrupt they may seem. He feels that without the soldier in him, he's got nothing. Buffy reassures him that he's much more than just a soldier. Meanwhile, at the hospital, doctors and FBI agents search the hospital frantically for the missing Faith. The teenage girl she encountered is found unconscious and badly beaten. The head nurse makes a secretive phone call to an unknown organization telling them to mobilize a team.

Faith wanders the streets of Sunnydale planning her next move. After seeing the bombed out structure that was Sunnydale High, she secretly visits Giles' house. Through the window, she watches Buffy, Xander, Willow, Riley and Giles receive word of her escape. Buffy makes plans to confront Faith before continuing her mission to destroy Adam. With this knowledge, Faith is one step ahead of Buffy and surprises her by showing up on the UC Sunnydale campus while Buffy and Willow chat during a class break. Faith dispenses with the pleasantries and shatters Buffy's hope for peace by announcing her plans for revenge. In the middle of campus, a fast and furious fight ensues that is cut short when the police show up looking for Faith. The Slayer-turned villain takes out both cops on her way out of the situation. Later on, Willow and Tara go on recon around the campus in search of the elusive Faith. Willow describes Faith to Tara as a slutty primadonna who throws around Boston slang like "wicked" and "five by five". Giles and Xander take over the recon that night, armed with the blaster that Riley fixed. Instead of Faith, though, they come across Spike smoking a fag in an alley. When they ask his help in locating Faith, he tells them that when he finds her he'll tell her where they are and then watch her kill them all. He can't believe they would seek his help for nothing in return.

Back at the hospital, a helicopter lands and three mysterious suited men exit to meet with the head nurse. Faith encounters a demon in an alleyway who says he has a package for her from a mutual friend. Instead of inquiring about details, she breaks the demon's neck and opens the package, which contains a video tape. On the tape is the Mayor who explains that if she's watching, it means he's dead. He tells Faith to open the accompanying package. Inside is a bizarre metallic trinket that was forged by an evil accomplice of the Mayor's. He tells her that with the object she's going to go out with a bang.

Buffy and Riley sit in Buffy's dorm room discussing Faith. Buffy explains that Faith is tougher than Riley can imagine. Meanwhile, Faith shows up at Mrs. Summers' house and punches her out. When she comes to, Faith is holding her hostage in her bedroom, while trying on her makeup. Without warning, Buffy comes crashing through the window and tackles the unsuspecting Faith. The two Slayers erupt into a brawl through out Mrs. Summers' house, destroying doors, windows and tables. In the heat of battle, Faith slips the Mayor's metallic token into her palm and grabs Buffy's hand. Feeling its awesome power, the two gladiators are jolted momentarily. As they snap out of it, Buffy throws Faith a right cross that finally puts her down. When Joyce enters, she notices something different and almost evil about her daughter. She doesn't think anything of it when Buffy says she's "five by five".

THOUGHTS: Faith is once again back in Buffy, finally waking up from her coma after being placed there at the end of Season three. The dream sequences she has in the build up to this are wonderful, with The Mayor making a return in these dreams and a psychotic Buffy appearing to stalk her through the dreams themselves. She wakes up and there is a eerie sequence with her leaving the hospital (as well as the final dream image of her in the rain, emerging from the grave – Brilliant shot!). Most of the episode is very much in her perspective, with the main cast all acting very much a supporting cast in this episode. The final fight scene with Buffy & Faith is great, taking place back at the Summers residence with a returning Joyce who has been very absent in this season. With that ending of the fight comes a cliff-hanger, which leads into the next part which is a fascinating episode in itself.

RATING: 92% - A

honeykid

08-23-20, 09:34 AM

Buffy's always at it's best when Faith is involved. She's such a great foil for Buffy as well as being a superb character thanks to the writing and portrayal. Without doubt my favourite Buffy character. Even more than Willow.

MovieMad16

08-30-20, 03:44 PM

The great thing about Buffy/Faith is that they are two sides of the same coin, and mirror each other very well. I so noticed a lot of lesbian subtext between thw two which is quite fascinating and fun to analyse.

MovieMad16

08-30-20, 04:28 PM

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4x16 - Who Are You?

INTRO: Buffy & Faith switch bodies...and it's great.

SUMMARY: Police and paramedics are on the scene at the Summers' house, investigating the aftermath of Buffy and Faith's battle. Faith is brought out on a stretcher as a detective thanks Buffy for somehow knocking her unconscious. When he calls Faith a kid though, Buffy becomes defensive and retorts that she's tougher than he thinks. Faith has obviously transferred her spirit into Buffy's body with the Mayor's amulet.Back in the living room, Joyce can't understand why her "daughter" is acting so cold and shallow. She can't even bring herself to hug Joyce. Faith, in her new body, retires to take a bath and explore herself. She looks in the mirror and practices acting as Buffy-like as possible. For the most part she overdoes it though and ends up looking foolish. The real Buffy wakes up in the hospital in Faith's body. When she tries to go save her mother, the police restrain her and load her full of sedatives. Back in Tara's room, she and Willow discuss their "relationship". Willow explains that she hasn't introduced her to her friends yet because she likes to have something that is just hers. Tara reassures her that she is hers. Meanwhile, Faith goes through Buffy's room and tries on her clothes. When she comes across Buffy's wallet, she orders a flight for 10 am the next morning. Joyce informs her that Giles and the gang are waiting to meet her at Giles'. Faith decides she wouldn't mind seeing what her enemies are up to and leaves to head over. The real Buffy is simultaneously waking up again, this time in the backseat of a police car. Suddenly, the police car is rammed by an armored truck and the cops knocked unconscious. The same men who met at the hospital after Faith came out of her coma, jump out of the back of the vehicle. They smash the police car window and drag the girl they think is Faith, out. The stone-faced men inform her that she is under arrest in the name of the Watcher's Council.
Back at Giles' house, Faith enters and greets the unwitting gang. Giles informs them that "Faith" has been extracted to England by a Council Retrieval Team. When Willow announces her repulsion of Faith, Faith does everything she can to act natural and restrain from killing Buffy's friend. That night, Faith takes advantage of her new sexy body, by cutting a rug at the Bronze. She runs into Spike who just assumes it is the same old Buffy. But instead of her normal righteous self, this Buffy rubs against Spike, titillating him. She tells him she could "have him" if she wanted and then leaves him frustrated, angry, and thirsty for revenge. Elsewhere, a group of marauding vampires enter their lair to find Adam waiting for them. When one of them attacks, Adam easily defends himself, tearing the vamp's head clean off. He tells the other four bloodsuckers that he has a plan to help them unite.Under the guard of the Watcher Retrieval Team, Buffy tries to convince the men that she's not Faith. The less-than-professional soldiers just mock and spit on her. Back at the Bronze, Willow and Tara arrive to hang out. Willow sees "Buffy" and decides to finally introduce her to Tara. Faith decides to have a little fun with Tara when Willow leaves them alone to get a drink and mocks the apparent feelings she has for her Wicken companion. Suddenly, Willow returns and points out a vampire leaving the club with an oblivious girl. Faith, forced to act as Buffy would, leaves in pursuit. She slays the vampire in the parking lot with a broken pool cue and helps the girl to her feet. When the shaken young lady thanks her sincerely for saving her life, Faith seems to feel good about it for a split second. When she returns inside, Willow announces that she is taking her friend home because she isn't feeling well. When she mentions Riley, Faith decides to leave too and pay Buffy's boyfriend a visit.
When Willow and Tara arrive at Tara's room, they discuss "Buffy's" behavior. Tara feels that the energy she gave off was fragmented and Buffy couldn't have been her normal self. The two Wickens decide to perform a ritual that opens a passage to the netherworld where Willow could visit Buffy's body on an astral plane and investigate her inner self. Meanwhile, the outer self of Buffy is busy turning Riley on. When Faith gets a little too kinky though, Riley starts to suspect something is wrong with his normally conservative girlfriend. Before he can question her, Faith seals his lips with a more romantic kiss. Later, when they rest in a post coital embrace, Willow and Tara's ritual begins to take effect. Surrounded by a ring of energy, Willow's spirit leaves her body and enters Buffy's. Faith rolls out of bed and questions the other inhabitant of Buffy's body. Riley watches confused as his girlfriend argues with herself schizophrenically. Faith seems to finally suppress Willow's intrusion and return to bed.
In a subterranean cave, Adam lectures to his new pupils. He wants to use his small vampire posse to spread the word of his coming apocalyptic attack on humanity. The next morning, Faith leaves Riley's room before he wakes up. On her way out the door, Forrest confronts her about disturbing Riley while he recovers from his injuries. When he criticizes her profession by calling her a killer, Faith finds herself defending what Buffy does. Confused about why being called a killer offended her, she storms out the door to catch her flight. At the shipyard, Buffy makes a flight of her own. When one of the guards reaches a tranquilizer gun into her room, she grabs it with her feet and kicks the guard in the head. After a couple more slick moves, she jumps into the driver's seat of the armored truck they picked her up in and drives it through the front of the shipyard warehouse. When she shows up at Giles' house in Faith's body, her ex-Watcher is understandably shocked. To prove it is her, Buffy lists things that only she could possibly know about Giles, like the fact that he had sex with her mom. Just then Willow and Tara show up. They show Buffy and Giles a Katra they conjured which is a small, glowing green orb they have in a charm box. Willow explains that all they have to do is bring Buffy and Faith together to employ the Katra which will switch their spirits back to their rightful bodies. Suddenly they notice a breaking newscast on Giles' television. A group of citizens are being held hostage in a church by unknown assailants. At the airport, Faith is watching the same newscast.
Inside the church, the vampires that Adam took under his wing are the ones tormenting the frightened Sunnydale locals. When Faith shows up outside, she runs into Riley who still thinks she is Buffy. When she tells him she wants to go inside and do some slaying, Riley tries to stop her from entering alone. Faith shrugs him off and goes in anyway, driven by some force to help the innocent people inside. She takes on Adam's followers in a grueling fight that rumbles throughout the church. After slaying three of them she is pinned down by the leader. Out of nowhere, Buffy stakes him from behind. But rather than thanking her, Faith attacks Buffy. After a knuckle-splitting flurry, Buffy is able to grab Faith's hand and switch their bodies back with the power of the Katra. Faith, now in her original body, jumps up and runs out of the church. Later, in Riley's room, Buffy explains to him what happened. She is angry to find out that Riley unknowingly slept with Faith, but relieved with the knowledge that she probably won't be returning for a while. Meanwhile, somewhere far away, Faith somberly rides across the countryside in the boxcar of a train she apparently hopped leaving Sunnydale.

THOUGHTS: Who Are You presents a fascinating idea between Buffy & Faith – A body switch dilemma. This could easily be an idea poorly executed, but here it’s fantastic. With Sarah Michelle Gellar & Eliza Dushku mimicking each other wonderfully, especially Dushku. But there are some issues throughout the episode. There is a very eerie and toxic sequence with a sex scene between Faith & Riley. With Faith in Buffy’s body, and Riley lacking the knowledge of the switch, some question whether Faith raped Riley in this scene, as well as violating Buffy in some fashion. It raises some interesting topics of discussion here as to the seriousness of Faith’s crime. Also the last act of the episode is quite lacklustre, with the battle being quite weak and not as exciting or dramatic as the last episode’s one. But still, the episode itself is eventful and good to watch.

RATING: 87% - A-

MovieMad16

08-30-20, 05:47 PM

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1x16 - The Ring

INTRO: Angel decides to get into the fighting ring in a bid to save demons...for once.

SUMMARY: As Wesley and Cordelia exchange banter, Angel is paid a visit by a strange man, claiming his brother Jack was kidnapped by demons affiliated with a bookie. While Cordy and Wesley consult their demon database, Angel pays a visit to the bookie. The bookie refers him to a place in beechwood canyon. Angel goes to the canyon and gets information from the bookie, then begins investigating an underground fight club. We later learn the man who pays a visit to Angel, is the organizer of the fight club, and Wolfram and Hart is a major sponsor. Angel soon discovers he was set up in a trap. He is expected to fight other slave demons to the death. The next morning, after Cordelia and Wesley get suspicious about Angel's whereabouts, Wesley pays a visit to the bookie and obtains the address of the fight club. That night, Angel kills a demon, but his heart isn't into the battle. Wesley and Cordelia spot him in the ring, and Wesley explains the meaning behind the slave bracelets which Angel and the other demons are wearing. They rush back to AI to find a way to open the bracelets. Meanwhile, Jack pays a visit to Angel and tells him of his disappointment in his fighting and Angel threatens to kill him unless the slaves are set free. His brother decides to kill Jack, rather than agree to Angel's terms. Angel is knocked out, and later wakes up in the offices of Wolfram and Hart. When he finds out the associate from W&H; has ulterior motives, he returns to the fight club and learns his next opponent is Trepkos, the toughest demon in the lot. The next morning, Wesley and Cordelia successfully make a key to unlock the bracelets. That evening, Angel begins to fight Trepkos. The battle is brutal. Cordelia and Wesley break into the slave area with the special key, but it falls into the hands of one of the demons. While Angel and Trepkos continue to fight, the demons set themselves free. After Angel has the opportunity to kill Trepkos, but doesn't take it, Trepkos walks away. The demons burst in and a giant battle ensues. One of the demons slips a bracelet onto the fight's organizer, Trepkos throws him into the air, and he promptly disintegrates. The demons are set free.

THOUGHTS: The Ring is another filler episode of sorts, with some fun little twists & turns throughout the story as well as genuine peril for Angel. For one thing, the circumstances Angel is in are serious and scary, with very little opportunity to escape. The villains in this episode are absolutely horrid, and some of the most despicable in the series so far. Their deaths while satisfying were somewhat anti climatic and would have liked personally to have seen them suffer a lot more. This episode also features the debut of Lilah Morgan, who will be a companion for Lindsay for the rest of Season 1 & 2, before venturing on solo in the rest of the seasons. Truly a delicious villain in many ways.

RATING: 75% - B+

MovieMad16

09-08-20, 11:55 AM

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4x17 - Superstar

INTRO: Buffy meets her match, in the form of....Jonathan?

SUMMARY: At the cemetery, Buffy, Willow, Anya and Xander battle two acrobatic vampires. Buffy manages to stake them both with some help from her friends and decides to check out the tomb they came out of. The gang follows her into the dank chamber where they encounter a nest of vampires feasting on a body. Greatly outnumbered, they decide to retreat before their presence is noticed. Needing help, they go to the one man that can aid them. After walking into a lush mansion, they approach a massive desk and ask the person concealed behind the chair for help. The chair swivels around to reveal Jonathan Levinson, the Sunnydale High geek, looking suave and dangerous. At Giles' house, Buffy, Willow, Xander, Anya, Jonathan and Giles discuss their plan of attack on the vampire nest. Jonathan has all the answers and the group decides they should pretty much stick behind him. When they enter the tomb to do battle, vampires rush at the gang from all sides. Buffy manages to kill two of them but Jonathan emerges as the real hero, dusting vampires right and left with a crossbow while kicking and flipping his way across the room. When the group emerges from the tomb, there's plenty of paparazzi waiting to score a candid photo of the leather-clad Jonathan. When Spike appears on the scene, Jonathan is quick to confront him. With no need to attack the harmless ex-vamp, Jonathan settles for giving him a good tongue-lashing and swaggers off.
That night at Tara's, Willow details the night's action as they make a collage on the wall. Tara is intrigued by Willow's tale and asks how Buffy is doing with Riley since he inadvertently slept with Faith. Willow assures her that they'll get over it as she puts the last cut-out Jonathan head on their tributary collage. Meanwhile, in Riley's room, Buffy and Riley attempt to smooth out their crumbling love life. When Riley tries to give Buffy a kiss, she just can't get Faith out of her head and has to leave. She decides to get some sage advice from Jonathan whom she meets at a diner. Between signing autographs for starstruck fans, Jonathan explains to Buffy that her hang-ups with Riley are in her head. If she wants everything to be alright with him, she needs to let herself love him. Later, Colonel George Haddoway introduces himself at the Initiative Headquarters as the new Commander In Chief until someone else is appointed to take over command. In briefing the soldiers on Adam, he introduces Jonathan to give his perspective. Jonathan, in military fatigues, shows the men a blueprint of Adam's body. He explains that there is a cache of Uranium 235 that will keep him alive forever. Cutting his head off or stabbing him in the heart will not stop him; his body needs to be annihilated.
After the meeting, Jonathan gives Riley some advice on how women want to be treated. He explains to Riley that Buffy needs to be reassured that Faith meant nothing to him and her sexual maturity can't compare to Buffy's sensuality. That night at Jonathan's mansion, a young woman is trying to catch a glimpse of her idol from the backyard with binoculars. Suddenly she is attacked by a bony, wolf-like demon that she barely fends off for the time being. Meanwhile, at the Bronze, Buffy, Riley, Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara enjoy drinks and discuss Jonathan. Suddenly he hits the stage in a white tuxedo and sings a lounge song dedicated to Buffy and Riley. This inspires the troubled couple to reclaim their love for each other. Suddenly Karen, the fan who was attacked by the demon at Jonathan's estate, comes running in having narrowly escaped its slashing claws. The gang takes her back to Jonathan's where she describes it in detail. When she draws a symbol she saw on its head, Jonathan begins acting suspicious. He tells everyone that it is nothing more than an animal from the nearby woods that he will take care of on his own.
Meanwhile, Adam and one of his followers gather information at a house they invaded. When Adam sees Jonathan on television, he tries to explain to his vampire soldier that reality has been changed. Everyone is under a spell except himself because his molecular structure is more in tune with the surrounding world than any human, demon or member of the undead. Across town, when Tara enters her building on her way to bed, she is attacked out of the blue by the same demon that was outside Jonathanšs house. She is instantly pinned beneath the howling beast but manages to whip together a spell that shoots dust in its face. With her attacker distracted for a moment, she bolts out from beneath it and bounds into a janitor's closet. A few hours later she is found by a student huddled up in shock, and brought to Willow and Buffy's room. When Buffy comes home, she shows the symbol that Karen drew to the still rattled Tara. Tara states that it was present on the demon's head that attacked her. Buffy begins questioning Jonathan's bizarre lack of compliance to help find the creature and calls a meeting at Giles'. When the gang gets there she explains that it seems impossible that Jonathan has done so many great things, including coaching the US Women's soccer team to an Olympic Gold. She explains a theory that they could be living in an alternate universe that could be created by a spell like the ones Anya used to create. She shows them a photo in a Jonathan Swimsuit Calendar in which the same symbol from the demon is displayed on his back in scar tissue. Suddenly Jonathan walks in and questions their inquisitive glances. When asked about the scar, Jonathan gives a bizarre explanation that seems to satisfy everyone but Buffy. Buffy asks Jonathan to go on patrol with her to put the demonšs reign of terror to an end.
At the cemetery, Buffy and Jonathan come across Spike, lurking by a tomb. To extract information from him, Buffy threatens to put an embargo on the butchers that supply Spike with blood. The reluctant Spike discloses the location of a vampire lair that was recently invaded by something powerful. Knowing that this is probably the handywork of their demon, the Slayer and the hero leave in pursuit. Meanwhile, back at Giles', Willow finds Jonathan's symbol in one of the Watcher's medieval tomes. It says that the bearer of the symbol has performed an augmentation spell, affecting how everyone perceives him or her. She immediately figures out that Jonathan must have used it to make himself a para-god. It continues that, with the spell, comes a force of evil to counter the power of its conjurer. The only way to end the spell is to kill its evil spawn. It dawns on them that the demon Buffy and Jonathan are after is obviously the spinoff of the augmentation spell and Jonathan will probably do anything he can to prevent it from being destroyed. Meanwhile, in the cavernous lair that Spike pointed them to, Buffy and Jonathan come across the demon. Rather than helping it kill Buffy, Jonathan realizes that the charade is going to hurt people he actually cares about and helps her fight it. When it has Buffy on the edge of a vast pit, Jonathan attempts to sacrifice himself, tackling the demon into the pit. At the last second Buffy catches his ankle as the demon plummets into darkness and Jonathan is returned to his normal self.
The next day the gang sits on the front lawn of campus, marveling at the fact that they have full memory of worshipping the high school twerp. When Jonathan shows up to apologize, Buffy explains that people aren't necessarily as mad at him for creating a demon that endangered lives, but for treating them as sock puppets in his game. Jonathan leaves remorseful, but before he does he tells Buffy that he did mean what he said about letting herself love Riley. That night, as Buffy and Riley sink into a passionate kiss, their relationship is restored.

THOUGHTS: Superstar is another fun episode in the Buffy series. One that takes the idea of male fantasy and plays around with it. Jonathan takes centre stage in this episode (as well as the opening credits also) and has the cool factor to him, while in turn decreasing Buffy’s power. The gags are relentless and so good to watch, with all the extra props used to convey Jonathan’s influence and popularity throughout. It also immediately picks up from Who Are You? With a sort of hungover factor to it, whilst Buffy & Riley try to move on from those episode’s events. It’s a strong episode with a lot of fun to it, as well as teasing what is to come for Jonathan in later seasons.

RATING: 91% - A

MovieMad16

09-12-20, 05:57 PM

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1x17 - Eternity

INTRO: Eternity deals with the theme of immortality and status, and allows us just briefly to see an enemy that will always linger in Angel's shadow.

SUMMARY: Angel saves an Actress from getting run over by a car. She's impressed that he has never heard of her & goes to see him about some scary fan letters (a la "The Bodyguard"). She soon discovers that he is a vampire. Turns out, the whole stalker thing was a ploy for media attention to get an upcoming TV role. It doesn't work, though, she loses the part because she's too old- (a la Hollywood) then the idea sparks. Who's gonna live forever- young & beautiful. To induce Angel into making the blood exchange, she slips him a drug (a la Robert Downey, Jr.)- to make him happy. Of course- as Cordelia likes to constantly remind everyone- when Angel gets happy, bad things happen. Angelus is awakened. Wesley figures out that because this isn't "true happiness"- it's just a temporary chemical effect- it'll wear off. However, that good news still doesn't save the actress & the rest of the Angel Investigations team from Angel's current high. After saying some hurtful stuff to Wesley & Cordelia, Angelus is knocked out. Wes & Cor chain Angelus up until he's Angel again. & oh, for an hour or so after he's Angel again.

THOUGHTS: Eternity is much more morally grey here than any of the other Angel episodes. For one, it’s themes of eternal youth and fame are twisted here to create a guest character who feels frustrated yet addicted to her celebrity status, an addiction heightened when she comes across Angel. This in turn sees two significant persons return to the show. The first is the agent guy we saw in the pilot who complimented on Angel’s beauty. How in this episode, he comes across more manipulative and unpleasant, disintegrating all the charm and sophistication inherited from his other appearance. And the second is the brief return of Angelus, thanks to a happy pill. It makes the final act so much more intense and scary, and at the same time, making this episode all the more memorable.

RATING: 83% - A-

MovieMad16

09-13-20, 04:14 PM

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4x18 - Where The Wild Things Are

INTRO: I'm well aware that in some circles, this is regarded as one of the worst episodes in Buffy. But if I'm frank, I really enjoy this episode despite its subject matter.

SUMMARY: While on patrol, Buffy and Riley tag-team a vampire in the cemetery. Suddenly a blue, horned demon joins the vampire to form a tag-team of its own. While Riley serves the vampire a stake, Buffy makes fast work of the howling demon. Afterwards, Buffy and Riley are too turned on from fighting to report back to Giles. They choose instead to head over to Riley's for some "tension relief". Later that night, Riley wanders through the Initiative house, driven by an unknown obsession. When he arrives in the bathroom and turns off the dripping shower, he can finally go back to bed. The next afternoon, an ice cream truck pulls up to a curb in a quiet neighborhood. Behind the wheel is Xander, with Anya riding shotgun to keep her boyfriend company on his new job. Anya begins questioning his virility because Xander wasn't in the mood for sex the night before. The defensive Xander tells her that he'll have sex with her right then and there in the back of the van. When he starts unbuttoning his shirt, the only thing that stops Xander's kink is the fact that ten children and a parent waiting for ice cream are staring at him. Meanwhile, Buffy, Riley, Willow, Tara and Giles meet in a study room. They discuss the bizarre pairing of demon and vampire in the previous night's battle. Giles explains the rarity of an alliance between these opposing members of the undead. Before their discussion can get too theoretical, Buffy and Riley's hormones force them to leave for a pre-class quickie. Again that night, back in Riley's room, the horny couple copulates while other members of the Initiative stoke a fire in the living room downstairs. As Buffy and Riley's passion reaches a crescendo, a fireball erupts out of the fireplace and engulfs one of the unwitting soldiers. Forrest is barely able to smother the flames with a wall banner before his friend is seriously burned.
The next night, Anya walks through downtown Sunnydale when Spike jumps out of an alley and grabs her. He tries to scare her into giving him money but Anya is far from frightened. When Spike asks why she isn't with Xander, he has obviously hit a sore spot with her. Over at the Initiative house, the young militia throws a raging party packed with college kids, including Buffy and her friends. Willow asks Xander where Anya is and he tells her that he just isn't in the mood for his girlfriend tonight. Meanwhile, Anya is at the Bronze having drinks with Spike. They both reminisce about the days when they had the power to make people do whatever they wanted. Tortured with thoughts of Drucilla and Xander respectively, they wish they were still evil enough to maim them both. Back at the party, one of the soldiers tries out some sleazy lines on a girl he's hitting on. When he puts his hand on the wall, an orgasmic sensation rushes through his body. After getting the girl to do it, he starts getting his friends to touch mysterious spot. Meanwhile downstairs, Xander flirts with an attractive girl named Julia, who digs his sense of humor. On the stairway, Willow and Tara discuss horseback riding. When Willow puts her hand on Tara's knee, Tara stands up disgusted and tells her to get away. The confused Willow tries to apologize but Tara runs into the bathroom. Just then, Anya and Spike show up at the party. Xander walks up and expresses his anger at Anya for trying to make him jealous. When Spike pokes fun at Anya's distressed boyfriend, Xander announces the arrival of Hostile 17 to the party. When none of the Initiative pay any heed to the scene, Spike realizes that they don't recognize him anymore and heads in to mix it up. Anya has had enough of Xander and breaks up with him on the spot. The infuriated couple goes their separate ways to enjoy their newfound single life. When Xander sees Julia in a spin the bottle game, he decides to join in. On his first try, the bottle lands on Julia who he gives a little peck on the cheek. Julia grabs Xander in a bizarre fit of passion and starts sucking on his face. When she snaps out of it and releases the liplock, she runs into a bathroom embarrassed.
Meanwhile, Willow enters the bathroom that Tara ran into. The room is empty, but when she opens the shower curtain, she finds a little boy drowning himself in the tub. As Willow grabs a hold of him, he disappears. When she turns around, the pasty-faced boy is standing there staring at her. Downstairs the bottle from the spin the bottle game starts spinning like a top until it explodes. While these bizarre events unfold throughout the house, Buffy and Riley's love-making grows more and more intense. Xander, Willow and Tara all meet up and run to Riley's room to get Buffy. The door is entwined by living roots that grow and multiply sporadically. Suddenly, the house is rocked by an intense earthquake that causes the party-goers to flee. One girl runs right at Anya but passes through her like a ghost. Forrest and another soldier jump in the hidden Initiative elevator and head for the underground base to find out what is going on. Xander, Willow, Tara and Anya all regroup outside the front door of the house. The earthquake has stopped and the house is now deserted. When Xander tries to rush back in to find Buffy, he is ejected by an invisible force. The gang decides they need Giles to tell them what's going on. They rush to the coffee house where Giles told them he would be spending some adult time. When they arrive, they are shocked to find him in the center of the room, entertaining people with a song on his guitar.
Back at Giles', Willow finds an old newspaper article detailing the use of the Initiative house as an orphanage back in the 50's. When they discover that the Mistress of the house, Mrs. Holt, is still living in Sunnydale, they decide to pay her a visit. The sweet old lady that begins telling them about her "children" turns out to have a deep rooted psychosis. Apparently she would punish the children for, what she considered, their impure hormonal thoughts. To cleanse the girls she would cut their hair off and to cleanse the boys she would hold them underwater in the bath. After Giles gives Mrs. Holt an earful for emotionally damaging children, the group storms out. In the hallway, Giles explains to them that whatever is going on at the house is a result of the energy released from the deep emotional trauma and spiritual damage to the children. The people they were seeing, like the girl who ran through Anya and the boy in the bathtub, were poltergeists rather than ghosts. They were released by the damage done to the children's souls so many years ago. The anomaly must have been caused by the intense sexual energy of Riley and Buffy lately. Giles explains that since Riley and Buffy are the catalyst, they will die if the poltergeist leaves before their sexual energy runs out.
Tara takes Willow and Giles to her room to conjure a spell that will distract the poltergeists. This will buy Xander and Anya enough time to find Riley and Buffy. While the two Wickens and the Watcher concentrate, the poltergeists of the children suddenly appear around them. This allows Xander and Anya access to the house through the front door. As they make their way up the vine-covered staircase towards Riley's room, Willow, Tara and Giles lose the spell and the children disappear. Xander and Anya are instantly thrown from the staircase to the living room below. Xander's body is dragged through space to the bathroom. He is thrown into the bathtub and held underwater as the children appear around the tub looking in at him. Anya picks herself up and charges back into the vines, even as one tears through her hand. She fights her way to the bathroom and pulls Xander out of the water. Together they rush back into the living vines and battle their way through. The vines coil around them and slash at their faces like a snake pit. When they finally reach Riley's door and smash it open, Buffy and Riley separate to cover their naked bodies. This severing of the sexual coupling instantly evicts the poltergeist and causes everything to turn back to normal. The next day in the cafeteria, Riley and Buffy explain that some supernatural force was driving them to constantly make love and they had no idea what was going on outside the room. When Willow says how horrible that must have been, Riley and Buffy share a glance of disagreement.

THOUGHTS: Where The Wild Things Are is all about sex. Nothing more, nothing less. It also goes for another take on the Haunted House format, done previously in Fear Itself. Only here, I think its done fairly better or more fun. Based around the context of sex, this in turn makes it quite a controversial episode, but I like it none the less. I find it at times quirky, awkward and fun to watch all the silly reactions to things like walls that can cause orgasms and what not. There’s also Riley & Buffy’s never ending sex session which is the centre of the episode’s continuing hauntings within the house. Another few things to add is the reveal of Willow’s crush on Giles which I found so cute to watch, as well as Giles’s singing in the café. I do like this episode, though I can understand some to be quite taken aback and not enjoying it as much as others. But it’s a plus for me either way.

RATING: 87% - A-

MovieMad16

09-13-20, 04:58 PM

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4x19 - New Moon Rising

INTRO: Oz returns for what will be his final appearance in Buffy The Vampire Slayer (no, he doesn't go to Angel), in what I believe to be a far superior episode than Wild at Heart ever was.

SUMMARY: Willow and Tara stroll through campus and discuss getting a pet cat that they would share. As they hold hands, their smiles indicate that they feel perfectly comfortable with one another. They meet Buffy, Riley, Anya and Xander at Giles' house to discuss demon activity. They can't explain why Buffy is finding almost zero activity on her patrols. Giles thinks that Adam must have something to do with it, but their discussion is cut short when the door swings open to reveal Oz. Without any explanation as to where he's been, he tells Willow that he'll meet her at her place later to talk. When Tara sees how speechless Willow is, she decides to leave herself. That night on patrol, Buffy and Riley come across a tentacle-headed demon that they make short work of. Afterwards, Buffy tries to explain to Riley the complications of Willow and Oz's relationship. When he finds out Oz is a werewolf, he asks why Willow would be stupid enough to fall for someone who tries to eat her once a month. Buffy is appalled and calls him a bigot for being insensitive to the complications of love. Meanwhile, Oz shows up at Willow's room. He brings her outside and points to the sky. Willow looks up to see a full moon. She hugs him joyously and asks what he did to change back to a human. He tells her that he'll explain later, he has something more important to discuss. Since Xander told him that Willow doesn't have another guy, Oz was hoping he could try to mend their severed love for each other.
Out in the cemetery, three members of the Initiative are attacked by a fast-moving enemy that manages to floor them instantly. Before it takes off, one of the men looks up to see that it is a werewolf. The next morning, after talking all night, Oz gives Willow a blanket he acquired on his world travels. He explains that in Tibet he met a Warlock that trained him how to quell the werewolf within him and be free of its full moon powers. Oz invites Willow to sleep next to him for a while, but Willow decides she would rather go to a more friendly breakfast. While she freshens up in the bathroom, Tara comes to the door. When Oz answers, she decides to leave and come back later. Meanwhile, in Riley's room, Buffy wakes up still upset about Riley's comments the night before. She tries to explain to him that there are different variations of demons and believe it or not, some are good. Riley is beginning to understand her when Forrest shows up. He announces that Willys died and Graham can barely walk after the werewolf attack. Buffy goes home to find Willow sitting on her bed alone. She asks how it went with Oz and Willow tells her it's complicated. Without saying it outright, she announces her romantic feelings for Tara. Buffy at first feels weird about her friend's new revelation, but is quickly supportive. Meanwhile, Spike wakes up in a tomb with Adam standing over him. After punching him in the stomach to no avail, Spike realizes Adam has him beat. The human-demon hybrid explains to Spike that he has come to help him. Back at UC Sunnydale, Willow shows up at Tara's and tells her that nothing happened between her and Oz the night before. Tara says she'll stay friends with her no matter what happens. Willow tearfully embraces her, confused about just who she wants to be with.
When Oz runs into Tara later in the halls, he tells her he's coming back to school. Before Tara can excuse herself, Oz smells Willow on her. His werewolf instincts tell him instantly that they are emotionally involved in some way. As Oz gets angry, he suddenly begins to transform into a wolf. Before it takes his body over completely, he warns her to run. Tara ducks into an empty lecture hall with Oz in wolf form, hot on her heels. As he lunges at her something knocks him out of the air. Riley, Forrest and other members of the Initiative rush in, having just shot Oz with a tranquilizer. Before Tara can explain to them that it's a human, they haul it back to the base. Back at the tomb, Adam offers to remove the chip from Spike's head if he helps him get to Buffy. He just has to help them out a few times to build their trust, and then set them up for a trap. Meanwhile, everyone meets at Giles' to come up with a plan to liberate Oz. In the headquarters of the Initiative, Oz wakes up trapped in a steel cage. He is put back to sleep and wakes up again strapped to an operating table. As Initiative scientists run tests on him, Riley tries to convince them to take it easy. He is finally escorted out of the room for his sympathies. When an electric shock turns Oz back into a werewolf instantly, they determine that negative stimulation causes his transformation. Back at Giles', Buffy decides to infiltrate the headquarters with Xander and Willow. Suddenly Spike shows up and announces that he can show them the back way into the compound. Meanwhile, Oz wakes up naked in a cell, bruised and beaten from the tests. In an unexpected turn, Riley shows up and gives him some clothes. As they try to escape, a squad led by Forrest stops them before they can even get up the stairway.
Riley is put in a cell and approached by a Colonel. He tells his soldier that ever since he started going out with the Slayer, it has made him a traitor. The Colonel tells him that if he doesn't help the Initiative take out Buffy and all of her friends he will go to the grave in disgrace. Meanwhile, Anya and Giles cut the power to UC Sunnydale, including the Initiative compound, while Spike shows Buffy, Xander and Willow the secret entrance. They catch the sleeping Colonel off guard and force him to lead them to Riley and Oz's cells. By using him as a hostage, they are able to march right through the compound and release their friends. Back outside, Riley and Buffy go to the bombed out remains of Sunnydale High for shelter. When Riley admits he was wrong about Oz, Buffy tells him there's more he needs to know. She begins the complicated task of explaining her relationship with Angel. Meanwhile, Oz tries to sort things out with Willow in his van. The only thing that can make him upset enough to turn into a werewolf is her. Since Willow is happy with Tara, he knows that the best thing for both of them is if he takes off again. They share a tearful embrace and Willow leaves. She shows up at Tara's room with a candle to light the still powerless dorm room. To Tara's shock, Willow tells her that Oz is gone and they can finally be together uninhibited. As Willow blows out the candle, the two Wickens embrace.

THOUGHTS: New Moon Rising for me is a better swansong for Oz than Wild at Heart was. For one, it’s just a much more entertaining and intriguing episode to go through, and it fits better as a farewell to Oz, not feeling anticlimactic and sudden. Everything with Oz/Willow/Tara is great with Willow struggling so hard to decide her future, and avoiding any dangerous conflict. It’s good stuff and poor Tara is hurt, confused and unsure of herself as a result. The farewell scene is significant and nicer than the one in Wild at Heart, with both characters more secure in themselves and complete. It’s a lovely farewell to Oz as a character, and allows Willow to move on. The Subplot with Riley is underwhelming for me, portraying him to be a bit of a moron and Buffy is just given such lame stuff to do in this episode as a result.

RATING: 81% - A-

MovieMad16

09-14-20, 10:07 AM

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1x18 - Five by Five

INTRO: Faith is back! And this time she's in LA for the second half of her four-episode guest stint, following her body switch on Buffy. And this is things really change for her.

SUMMARY: Cordelia's visions lead Angel to a gang member who Angel takes to testify against some no-doubt evil guy who is represented by Wolfram & Hart. So Wolfram & Hart decide to get some revenge. Upon finding out that the rogue slayer, Faith, is in L.A. reeking bruises on the populous, the firm offers the girl cash for the kill. Faith agrees after hearing who they want her to ax. Faith attempts to kill Angel a few times, telling Angel that they are playing a game. When he doesn't want to play, Faith kidnaps Wesley. After a round of torturing, even Wesley, who beforehand had insisted that Faith was good underneath, gives up on Faith. Angel enters and a fight ensues, after a few rounds of Faith not killing Angel, Angel figures out what Faith really wants and refuses to give it to her. When Angel refuses to kill Faith in the fight, Faith starts breaking down- crying "I'm bad" and "please just kill me". Wesley who had broken free and obtained a knife, drops the knife upon seeing this, and Angel then holds on to Faith as she cries.

THOUGHTS: The first of a truly memorable two parter and it continues from Who Are You? With Faith arriving in LA, making an impact with the very first scene. A real air of eeriness and danger that would spill over the entire episode. Wolfram & Hart hire her to take out Angel, therefore really starting a war with the vampire with the whole city as the battleground. And with Faith, she goes all out to get under the vampire’s skin. Taking out Cordelia with a elbow to the face, and kidnapping Wesley to torture given how he treated her in Buffy Season 3. With that comes a truly terrific final act, with Angel & Faith brawling all over the apartment Faith is residing in, down into the rainy alleyway. It’s terrific, with epic fight chorography and emotion right to the very end of the episode. The final image is truly iconic, and one that becomes a key moment for Faith in her long term character arc.

RATING: 98% - A

MovieMad16

09-14-20, 02:08 PM

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1x19 - Sanctuary

INTRO: Part two of the Faith two-parter may be better than Five by Five, in that the storm passes and the aftermath begins.

SUMMARY:
This episode picks up where the last one left off. Angel takes Faith back to his place & tries to get her to understand that it's not going to easy changing & that she can never truly make up for what she's done- but by going through a lifetime of guilt she will save her soul. Buffy comes in, having heard that Faith was in LA, & isn't happy that Angel's helping Faith. Faith tries to apologize, but Buffy doesn't let her. Angel steps in, trying to get Buffy to understand that Faith doesn't need this now. Buffy hits Angel, so Angel hits back. Meanwhile, Cordelia has taken a paid vacation & Wesley is out playing some darts as The Watcher's Council Special Operations Unit show & offer Wesley reinstatement into the Council in exchange for Faith. Although Wesley has faith that Angel knows what he's doing with Faith, Wesley goes along with the Council guys in order to warn Angel that they are coming. They show just after Buffy arrives &, because Buffy has been up against these killers before (when she was in Faith's body), she helps take care of them. Buffy & Faith end up on the roof yelling about the past. Buffy yells that Faith tried to take everything away from her & that she believed in Faith more than anyone. & Faith counters that with that, on the other side of the rivalry, Faith just felt pain, hate, & inadequacy- which was hell. Then the Watcher's Council guys come in & start shooting- one of them in a helicopter. Angel jumps up to the helicopter & takes that guy out. When it's over, Faith is gone. Meanwhile, Kate, the cop, has taken to some of the more supernatural cases, & therefore has assigned herself to Faith's case. When Wolfram & Hart can't kill Faith or Angel, they go to Kate & tell her where to find the wanted girl. Kate shows up as Angel gets off the helicopter & Kate arrests him for aiding & abetting. Buffy & Wesley go with Angel down to the police station & they all see what's already there: Faith, who confesses to what she's done. Afterward, Buffy & Angel argue & Angel tells Buffy that she can't be doing this vengeance crap in his town, because here it's about redemption. Faith, right now, isn't Buffy's business. In response, Buffy hits Angel with that she's in love with someone new. The episode ends with Wesley & Angel talking about how now Faith has a chance to find peace.

THOUGHTS: Following the action packed Five by Five, Sanctuary is the aftermath and a brilliant one at that, literally beginning perhaps half an hour after the events of Five by Five. Everything is calm, the air of chaos passed, and the bruises beginning to sting on all sides. I love it. I love Faith’s shock, Angel taking charge of the situation, and Cordelia & Wesley’s reluctance to help. It all plays very well, and Wesley gets torn between his former life and his current set up with Angel. With that comes other characters into the situation: Kate Lockley who follows up on Faith’s previous crimes when she discovers she is in LA; Wolfram & Hart who are frustrated with Faith’s sudden change of conscious; and Buffy, who has unfinished business with Faith after Who Are You? With all these elements, it builds to a very dramatic last act with helicopters, guns, and a showdown of absolute epic proportions. And finally, in the end of it all, Faith finally does the right thing. Truly brilliant and a highlight of the season, and one of my personal favourite episodes that finally establishes Angel in his own right.

RATING: 100% - A+

MovieMad16

09-14-20, 06:13 PM

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4x20 - The Yoko Factor

INTRO: Three more episodes left of Season Four and this has a lot of surprises - Spike teaming with Adam, The Scobbies falling out, and Angel Vs Riley of course!!!

SUMMARY: Colonel MacNamara talks about Riley's defection with an unidentified military or government official over a live video link. To the Colonel's surprise, the man in the video monitor wants to get Riley back, and Buffy may be the key. Meanwhile, Spike warns Adam about the threat that the Slayer brings, but Adam only welcomes the challenge as part of his 'plan.' He convinces Spike to distract Buffy's friends so that Buffy will have to fight alone when his plan comes to its fruition. Spike happily agrees. After a physically and emotionally exhausting trip to LA, Buffy returns to her dorm room to find it empty. Meanwhile, Xander visits Riley at the burned out remains of Sunnydale High to drop off some clothes and offer some human companionship. In true Xander form, he inadvertently lets Riley know the facts behind Angel's curse, and the fact that Angel and Buffy had sex to set the curse off. Riley doesn't take the news well, despite Xander's attempts to comfort him.
Back at his house, Giles is deep into a solo rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" when Spike suddenly announces his presence. Spike offers to steal files with information about Adam from the Initiative in exchange for amnesty from the stake and a large amount of cash. Giles agrees to the offer, but Spike will only take the word of the Slayer, not a retired librarian who is no longer a respected authority figure. As Spike leaves, Giles lets Spike's words sink in and wallows in feelings of inadequacy. Tara and Willow discuss future class schedules and living arrangements in Tara's dorm room. As Willow decides on taking a chance on Drama class, Tara asks Willow where she plans on living next year. Willow expresses her doubts about living with Buffy the following year. The next morning, Riley shows up at Buffy's door in Xander's clothes. The two share an uncomfortable moment when Riley inquires about Buffy's trip to LA. When Riley figures out that Buffy is not ready to talk about it with him, he leaves abruptly. Meanwhile, Xander and Anya bring Spike some supplies to help him break into the Initiative. Spike uses some fake rumors about joining the Army to get into Xander's head, and before long, Spike has Xander believing that his friends think of him as a useless member of the group.
On patrol later in the day, Buffy runs into Forrest outside the mouth of a cave. The two reluctantly agree to patrol the cave together after Forrest expresses his dislike for Buffy. Just as Forrest accuses Buffy of ruining Riley's military career and Buffy learns that she may have been Riley's first serious Girlfriend, Adam interrupts their growing squabble. Adam quickly proves to be too much for both of them, and kills Forrest when he tries to fight back. Realizing she is outmatched, Buffy runs out of the cave, but falls in her haste and knocks herself unconscious on some rocks outside the cave. Later that night, Spike delivers the 'stolen' disks to Giles' house. He gives the disks to Willow to encode and demands his money from Giles, who is well into a drinking binge after Spike's last pep talk. Spike immediately moves in on Willow, telling her that Buffy and Xander have been talking about her and Tara's relationship as a just a phase in Willow's "trendy" behavior. Willow is noticeably distracted from her work decoding the encrypted disk, and begins to doubt her friends' loyalty and honesty.
Back at the Initiative, Colonel MacNamara and another officer discuss the overcrowded state of the Initiative's holding cells when an emergency call for help comes over the radio. Riley intercepts the mayday call on his radio and goes to the scene to help the endangered soldiers, only to find that Angel is the culprit. The two engage in an acrobatic fight when Angel expresses his intent to see Buffy, but both fugitives must flee the scene when backup from the Initiative finally arrives. When a bruised and beaten Buffy returns to her dorm room, she receives an unexpected visitor in Angel. Before Angel can explain the purpose of his visit, Riley bursts into the room wielding a pistol. As Buffy tries to make sense of the situation, Angel and Riley exchange childish quips and blows until Buffy shoves them apart, threatening to put them both in the hospital if they continue bickering. She and Angel step out into the hall and Angel explains that he came to Sunnydale to apologize for leaving things on such a bad note in LA. After a moment of mutual understanding that their lives have naturally separated, Angel leaves, but not before expressing his disapproval of Riley. Amused, Buffy returns to a distraught and confused Riley.
Spike returns to Adam's lair, drunk in his apparent success of breaking up the Scooby Gang. When Adam questions the level of Spike's success, Spike makes the analogy of the "Yoko factor." He explains that everyone blamed Yoko Ono for breaking up The Beatles, when in actuality, they just naturally grew apart, just as the Scooby Gang is. Feeling that he has fulfilled his part of the agreement, Spike asks for the chip to be removed from his head, but Adam has one more thing in mind for Spike. Back in Buffy's room, Buffy tries to explain the purpose of Angel's visit and Riley expresses his true love to Buffy, regardless of her past with Angel. After reaching an understanding, Buffy tells Riley about Forrest's death at the hands of Adam. Back at Giles' house, Spike's plan starts to take effect. As Willow, Tara, Giles, Xander, Anya and Buffy try to figure out how to face Adam, everyone's insecurities and suspicions about the rest of the group begin to surface. Minor accusations and old fears turn into a huge venting session, and Buffy eventually storms out of the room claiming that she doesn't need her friends anymore. Spike's plan is successful - the Scooby Gang has broken up. Back at Adam's lair, Adam receives a welcome visitor who he has been expecting: Riley.

THOUGHTS: I think The Yoko Factor is solid, yet lacks the real tension that most episodes do to build up finales. You get Angel showing up for post Sanctuary awkward talk following the conclusion of that episode. He has a bout with Riley which is fun, as Riley ends up acting like a doofus due to that situation. On the other side is Spike, helping with Adam to lure Buffy into a deadly trap by manipulating the scoobies in various ways, causing them all to fall out as a result. Clever and well executed by Spike, as it culminates in a fun argument scene with the gang. Despite that being said, the episode overall feels very jumbled and all over the place, with several plot threads just mashing together without any thread, so it all just comes across very cluttered and messy as a result.

RATING: 76% - B+

MovieMad16

09-15-20, 07:00 PM

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4x21 - Primeval

INTRO: Primeval is in many ways the unofficial finale, tying up all the season four arcs an episode early, with the initiative & adam arcs all concludng in spectacular fashion.

SUMMARY: While Buffy visits an empty Sunnydale High School, Riley wonders why he has paid a visit to Adam's lair. While referring to Riley as his brother, Adam explains that Professor Walsh implanted a behavior modification chip in Riley's central nervous system, and that he has activated to carry out his 'plan.' When Riley professes his intent to stop Adam, Adam tells Riley to sit, and Riley dutifully carries out his order. Adam continues to explain that Professor Walsh planned for Adam and Riley to be part of a master race that is better than both demons and humans. Spike makes an uninvited entrance, demanding the chip be removed from his head. Adam tells him that he must draw Buffy into the Initiative before he has met his part of the bargain. His plan is to have Buffy kill as many demons as possible before he kills her. Riley tries to voice his real opinion, but is quickly silenced by the behavior chip when Adam orders him to stop talking. When Spike realizes that there might be a hole in his plan to separate the Scooby Gang, he leaves Adam's lair to correct the situation. Willow and Tara stop by Giles' house to pick up her laptop and the disks, and Willow shares an awkward moment with a hung-over Giles. With the previous night's events, none of them know what to say, and their exchange seems like the beginning of a long goodbye.

Buffy sits alone in her dorm room, thinking about the night before. She gets up and finds an old picture of Willow, Xander and herself, and has a quiet moment of reflection before assembling her weapons for the battle to come. Over in Xander's basement, Anya arrives to find Xander still lying in bed. Xander won't go to the unemployment office because he has been thinking about what Buffy and Willow had said the night before, and he is coming to believe that he is a loser with no future. Anya lies down beside him and tells him that no matter what his friends think of him, she still loves him. Buffy returns to the cave where Adam killed Forrest and finds Adam's lair, but Adam is not there. Adam, meanwhile, leads Riley into a secret area of the Initiative where he says the new race will begin. He tells Riley that Professor Walsh hid her secrets very well. Riley is shocked to see a scared, but re-animated Professor Walsh limp over to assist a re-animated Dr. Angleman operate on a body in the corner of the vast underground space. Realizing that Adam has killed Walsh and Angleman as part of his plan, he fears that Adam has the same planned for him. Just as Adam assures Riley that his fate is much greater than Walsh's and Angleman's, Forrest sits up from the operating table, brought back to life with a face made partly of yellow demon skin.

Still patrolling the caves, Buffy runs into Spike, who inquires about the information on the disks that he gave to Willow. When Buffy tells him that they haven't been decoded, Spike tells her that even though they have had a falling out, they should still concentrate on decoding the disks. Knowing that Spike wasn't around to see their "falling out," Buffy begins to put things together. Just as Buffy begins to realize Spike's plan, Willow gets closer to decoding the disks in Tara's dorm room. Just before Willow has figured out how to break the code, the disks begin decoding themselves, spitting out information about the Room 314 Objective. As the disks decode, Buffy calls on the phone. Soon after, Buffy, Willow, Giles and Xander all meet in the middle of campus. Buffy explains to them that Spike instigated their battle of words by spreading rumors to each one of them individually. While they all realize that Spike had tricked them into their squabble, the doubts about the strength of their friendship remain. After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Buffy figures out that Adam was planning on releasing demons in the Initiative to kill the soldiers, then using Spike to lure her in to kill the demons, leaving him with hundreds of parts with which to build his new race of human-demon hybrids. When Xander asks if Adam is worried that Buffy will get in the way of his plan, Buffy realizes for the first time that Adam may be too powerful to fear her.

Back in the secret Initiative lab, Riley sits bound in a chair, while Professor Walsh prepares him for his 'operation.' When he tries to talk to her, Forrest informs Riley that she is merely a walking corpse, but that he is more alive than he has ever been, and that Riley will be joining them soon. As Riley tries to tell him that they will never control him, Professor Walsh injects him with a clear liquid. Back at Giles' house, Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles try to figure out how to defeat Adam. Willow suggests casting a spell to paralyze Adam, but the spell must be recited in Sumerian by an accomplished wicca in close proximity to the subject. Xander sarcastically surmises that they need someone with the strength and speed of Buffy, the magic expertise of Willow, and the linguistic skills of Giles. To Xander's surprise, Giles tells him that's exactly what they need. While they break into the Initiative house, Giles explains to Buffy, Xander and Willow that while an "enjoining" spell is powerful enough to defeat Adam, it is also very dangerous.

As Buffy and Willow rappel down the elevator shaft into the Initiative compound, Buffy apologizes to Willow for what she had said. She tells Willow that she has been too wrapped up in her own life lately to be a good friend. Willow apologizes for keeping Tara a secret from Buffy and everybody else, and as the two embrace, they fall to bottom of the shaft. Xander follows them down, and when he lands, they gleefully embrace Xander, and tell him that they missed him. For the first time in a long while, the Scooby Gang is happy to be together, and ready to do battle. But when they pry the doors to the initiative open, they are greeted by a bevy of soldiers wielding guns. Adam and Spike watch Buffy and the gang being escorted through the halls by Initiative soldiers on closed circuit TV. When Adam sees that Buffy's friends are still with her, he orders Forrest to honor his agreement with Spike to remove the chip by tearing off his head. Spike puts his cigarette out in Forrest's eye, and narrowly escapes a gruesome death.

In the Initiative control room, Buffy tries to tell Colonel MacNamara that Adam is planning an attack from within his own compound, from a secret lab built for the 314 Project. Unaware of any of these activities, the Colonel tells her that every inch of the compound is under surveillance, and that a tic couldn't get in without him knowing about it. Just as he professes his control over the situation, the power goes out, and a soldier at the controls informs everyone that backup generators are not responding, locking them all in the compound. From his secret control room, Adam opens the containment units, and the demons immediately pounce on two unlucky Initiative doctors. Buffy urges the Colonel to let her go and escape with his men, but he orders his men to take the infirmary and leaves two men to keep Buffy and the Scooby Gang under arrest. Buffy immediately dispenses of the two soldiers, and Willow takes the reigns at the control console. As they look into the monitor, they see the fierce battle going on throughout the Initiative compound. Blood and carnage are everywhere as the demons massacre the doctors and soldiers. Amidst the melee, Spike suddenly returns to his old self, the behavior chip somehow disabled. In a flash of fury, Spike manhandles a small battalion of demons en route to his escape from the compound. Back in the contol room, Willow uses the schematics of the compound to try and find a way out. Instead she finds a system of air ducts that supposedly lead to nowhere. Buffy speculates that the air ducts must lead to Adam's secret lab, so the Scooby gang sets out to find it.

Armed with only stun gun, Buffy, Xander, Willow and Giles run through the main operations room of the Initiative, knocking demons out of their way right and left. Willow narrowly misses being shot by a panicking Initiative soldier, and Xander saves Buffy by blasting a demon with the stun gun. Miraculously, they make it through the explosive battle unscathed, and enter into a small laboratory. They move a cabinet in the corner to reveal a secret door that leads to Adam's secret lab. Buffy pauses at the door and tells Willow to barricade the door behind her. Xander tells Buffy that he is still uneasy about Buffy going in alone, but Buffy assures him that with the magic spell, she will not be going in alone. With that, Buffy goes in, and Willow barricades the door. When Buffy enters the secret lab, she finds Riley bound in his chair. She asks Riley to tell her what is going on, but he is unable to speak. Adam comes out from the shadows and orders Forrest, Professor Walsh and Dr. Angleman to kill Buffy. Forrest grabs Buffy from behind and Walsh approaches with a medical saw.

In the other room, Willow, Xander and Giles perform the enjoining spell as Buffy breaks free from Forrest and sends Professor Walsh to the floor with a swift kick. Buffy tries to take Forrest out, but Adam has made him too powerful and he throws her to the floor, breaking a bottle on the arm of Riley's chair. As Forrest wails on Buffy, Riley grabs a piece of the glass and cuts into his chest, painfully beginning to remove the behavior modification chip. As the spell in the other room progresses, Buffy gains some momentum, which is quickly crushed by Forrest, who slams her down onto an operating table and holds her down. On her way down, she breaks an electric cable coming down from the ceiling. As Walsh and Angleman approach Buffy, Riley rips the behavior chip from his body and gets up and tears the life-giving tubes from Walsh and Angleman, sending them to the floor, dead once again. Riley begins his rematch with Forrest as Buffy runs off to find Adam sitting at his system of closed circuit monitors. Buffy manages to break off Adam's trademark bone skewer, but to her surprise, his left arm mutates into a gattling gun and he opens fire in the small room. As Buffy dives behind one of the consoles, Willow, Xander and Giles complete the spell, and their powers rush into Buffy's body.

Adam destroys the console with a single mortar shot, but Buffy rises from the rubble with magical, yellow eyes, speaking in Sumerian. Adam sends a long burst of machine-gun fire at Buffy, but the bullets are stopped by an invisible force field just inches from her. Back in the other room, Riley and Forrest are engaged in a fierce battle. Forrest throws Riley into a stack of Hydrogen tanks, causing them to leak. Riley picks one up and pushes Forrest back with it. Forrest grabs the tank and raises it over his head near the broken power line to hit Riley, who ducks behind one of the operating tables. As he swings forward, the hydrogen gas ignites, and Forrest is blown into tiny chunks of burning flesh. Back in the other room, Buffy uses the combined powers of Willow, Giles and Xander to ward off Adam's mortar attack. Buffy collapses Adam's weaponry telepathically, then in a blistering display of power, forces Adam against a wall, pierces Adam's chest with her hand, and pulls his Uranium power supply from his chest. Adam is no more. As Riley looks on, Buffy levitates Adam's power supply from her hand, and dissolves it into thin air.

With their work done, the spell wears off and all Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles collapse with fatigue. A demon crashes through the barricaded door and almost gets to Willow, Xander and Giles, but Spike comes up from behind and snaps its neck. Giles scolds Spike for helping Adam with his plan but fatigue and the fact that Spike just saved their lives prevents him from doing anything about it. Buffy and Riley emerge from the secret lab, and the whole team goes to work securing the compound. Meanwhile, in a secret government conference room, the same powerful Government official who had spoken with the now deceased Colonel MacNamara proclaims the Initiative a failed experiment to harness the powers of the otherworld, and orders it burnt to the ground.

THOUGHTS: With Primeval, the season four arc comes to an end, concluding the Initiative & Adam arcs respectively. And with that comes some sense of relief, after what has been a very inconsistent season with big faults. But that can be discussed more in the retrospective. This episode though is solid and entertaining, one with great action sequences and clever strategy to finally beat Adam once and for all. After the fall out of The Yoko Factor, the Scooby Gang come back together again and discover Spike’s manipulation. From there, the scoobies take the fight to Adam and sow the seeds for taking down the Initiative base. The episode feels epic with the big battle scenes in the base, with explosions, tension and heightened anxiety. As well as Buffy using a special form of magic to fight Adam is impressive too. Once the episode ends, I felt very much a sigh of relief that season four’s long arc of college dorms and science zombies was over.

RATING: 84% - A-

MovieMad16

09-15-20, 07:11 PM

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4x22 - Restless

INTRO: In one of the most unusual finales in Television, Restles concludes Season Four with a lot to the future, a sense of the characters journeys so far, and a step forward to the next stage of the Buffy story, via the characters thoughts, dreams and fears.

SUMMARY: As Buffy and Riley stand in the doorway of Joyce Summers' house, Riley tells Buffy that while he must go to a debriefing, he is in no danger of being put away for disobeying Initiative orders. Willow, Joyce and Giles look on as Xander appears from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn. Riley says his good byes to Joyce and the gang, and everyone retreats to the living room. Giles asks Joyce to join the gang in their Videofest, but Joyce declines, saying she is too tired. As Joyce takes a personal bowl of popcorn up to her bedroom, Xander pops "Apocalypse Now" into the VCR, claiming that they have enough videos to last them all night. But before the FBI warning on the tape is over, Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles are fast asleep, physically and mentally drained from defeating Adam.
Inside Willow's dream, she sits in Tara's room, painting a message in a strange language on Tara's back. Tara is concerned that they haven't found a name for Miss Kitty yet, but Willow is not worried. Tara tells Willow that everyone will find out about her, but Willow tells her that she doesn't have time to worry about what her friends think because she has to prepare for her Drama class. Willow gets up and opens the curtains and looks out into the arid dessert outside. Willow senses that something is out there, but she can't see it. Suddenly she finds herself walking through the halls of UC Sunnydale. As she turns a corner, she is joined by Xander and Oz, who inquire about her choice to take Drama class. She barely notices Oz, who informs her that he has always been there. Before she can open her locker, the bell rings, and she goes to class. She wanders into the backstage of a theater, where a bunch of people are hastily assembling their costumes for a play that is about to start. An orchestra can be heard tuning behind the curtains. Dressed as a Swedish mountain girl, Harmony approaches Willow and tells her that she is so excited to start the play. Buffy comes from behind the curtain, dressed as a 1920's flapper, and tells Willow that her whole family is out in the audience, and they look angry. A cowboy-clad Riley tells Willow that she could have a better part if she would have arrived on time.
Confused, Willow tries to tell them that this is only the first drama class of the semester. As she tries to make sense of it all, Giles, the director of the play, comes in to rally the troops. He tells the cast that everyone Willow knows will be out in the audience, and that if they go out there and lie like dogs, this will be the best presentation of "Death of a Salesman" that they have ever seen. As they break from the huddle, a creature catches Willow's eye, but she can't make it out. A man next to her tells her that he has made room for the cheese. Confused, she turns around and walks into a corridor of curtains, where Tara waits for her. She tells Willow that everyone is starting to wonder about the 'real' Willow, and when they find out, they will punish her. As Buffy curses all males onstage, Willow tries to figure out who is following her, and as she turns around, Tara is gone. Suddenly a creature attacks Willow from inside the curtain, but Buffy rescues her and pulls her into an empty classroom. Buffy looks at Willow's clothes and tells her that the play is over, and she should take off her costume. When Willow tries to explain, Buffy rips off her clothes, leaving Willow in a young schoolgirl's costume. Suddenly, the classroom is full of Buffy's peers, and Buffy sits down and joins them as they mock her. As she starts to read her book report, the creature attacks her again, pouncing on top of her. She screams for help, but no one in the classroom seems to notice. Back in the living room, the Willow in the real world squirms in agony in her sleep.
Xander 'wakes up' into his dreamworld back in Buffy's living room. Giles and Buffy watch a distorted version of "Apocalypse Now" while Willow writhes in her sleep. Xander walks up the stairs to go to the bathroom, and Joyce greets him at the top of the stairs, dressed in a sultry red nightgown. She asks Xander to come in and lay down with her, reassuring him that she has learned a lot about boys. Xander accepts the invitation, but heads for the bathroom first. As he steps into the bathroom and unzips his fly, he notices that he is being studied by a large group of Initiative doctors and soldiers. Uncomfortable, he leaves and walks across the hall, walking into another door that leads into his basement bedroom. Someone or something is trying to open the door at the top of the stairs, and Xander tells himself that that is not the way out. Suddenly, Xander finds himself walking through a park, and he comes across Buffy, Giles and Spike. Giles and Spike swing together on a swing set, Giles training Spike how to be a watcher. Buffy plays in the sandbox, and Giles asks her if she should be playing there. Suddenly, Buffy sits in the center of a vast desert. She tells Xander that she is way ahead of him, and refers to him as his brother. After a long silence, Xander makes a comment about always moving forward, then looks off in the distance to see himself selling ice cream to children out of his ice cream truck. As he moves to the front of the truck it is already in motion, and he sits down next to Anya. She tells him that she wants to get back into vengeance. As he tries to explain that society has rules about vengeance, he turns around to see Willow and Tara, both dressed very provocatively, making out in the back of the truck. Without moving their lips, they tell him that he is interesting and invite him to come back with them. Anya tells him to go ahead, so he climbs into the back of the truck. As he climbs over a box, he ends up in his basement bedroom again, calling for the girls, who are nowhere to be seen.
The knocking at his door begins again, this time a little more fierce. As he turns around, the same man from Willows dream holds up a plate full of cheese slices, telling him that they will not protect him. As the door breaks down, Xander runs from his bedroom into the halls of UC Sunnydale. The halls are washed in green light, and no one notices Xander, or the creature chasing him through the halls. He runs into Giles, and Anya, who start speaking to him in French. He is picked up by a group of students, and suddenly he ends up inside the "Apocalypse Now" movie, walking through the forest in military camouflage. He ends up in a dark POW camp kneeling next to another one of the prisoners, Principal Snyder. Snyder tells Xander that he is a whipping boy, raised by mongrels to be a sacrificial lamb. Xander stands up to relieve a cramp and finds himself in Giles' courtyard, the creature from Willow's dream hot on his tail. He runs through Giles' house, into the halls of UC Sunnydale, through the door of Buffy's dorm room and a dark hallway, ending up back in his basement. The knocking at the door has become very fierce, and Xander whispers that that is not the way out. The door flies open and Xander's father walks down the stairs, scolding him for being ashamed of his family. As he gets close to Xander he shoves his fist through Xander's chest, pulling out his heart. As Xander looks up, he sees the creature from Willow's dream. Back in Buffy's living room, the 'real' Xander lurches in his sleep.
Giles' dream begins with him trying to hypnotize Buffy, who merely laughs at his old-fashioned ways. Suddenly, Giles finds himself walking through a macabre nighttime Fair in the cemetery with Buffy and Olivia, who pushes a baby stroller. A pigtailed Buffy runs ahead, begging to play the midway games. She finds a game where she throws a ball at a wooden vampire figure, and misses. After Giles coaches her she hits the vampire and jumps up and down. Spike calls over from his crypt, urging Giles to come over before he misses everything, and Giles obliges. When he enters the crypt, Olivia sits in the corner, crying over an overturned baby stroller, and Spike poses for bunch of Paparazzi. As Giles tries to figure out what to do with all of this, he runs into the Cheese man, who is wearing slices of cheese on his shoulders and forehead. Appalled, he walks out of the crypt and into The Bronze, where Xander and Willow study Giles' books on the old library furniture. Giles comes in carrying another book, apologizing for his tardiness. Despite boasting a gaping chest wound, Xander seems to be more annoyed by having to attend Anya's comedy act, which he professes as his real reason for being there. As Anya tells jokes on the stage, Willow and Xander tell Giles that something is following them. He suggests that their old selves are following them. Suddenly Giles jumps onto the stage, and bursts into song, singing about how the spell they performed with Buffy must have released some primal evil. As the crowd gets into the music, he sings for Willow to look into the Chronicles for a reference to a warrior beast. A burst of feedback brings the song to a halt, and Giles traces the microphone cord backstage to find the source of the problem. He crawls back on his hands and knees until he finds a watch in the wires, then freezes as he realizes the creature is right above him. He tells the creature that he knows who it is, and that he can defeat the creature with only his intellect. As he tells the creature that it underestimates his powers because it never had a Watcher, the creature scalps him, and the 'real' Giles convulses in his sleep in Buffy's living room.
Buffy 'wakes up' into her dreamworld in her dorm room. Anya, her roommate, begs her to wake up but she rolls over to go back to sleep. For a split second she sees the creature above her bed, before waking up again in her old bedroom. She stands next to Tara, asking her if she had come there to tell her something, then realizes that she needs to find her friends because they are not there. Tara tries to hand her a tarot card, but Buffy refuses. Tara tells Buffy that she doesn't know who she is to become, that she has even begun. Buffy leaves to find her friends and Tara warns her to return before dawn. Wandering through the halls of UC Sunnydale, she finds Joyce living inside a whole in one of the walls. Buffy asks Joyce to get out of the walls, but Joyce tells Buffy that she is happy living in the walls, and that she should go find her friends. Distracted, Buffy walks away and into a government map room, where she finds Riley and the whole human form of Adam sitting at a conference table. Riley informs her that his debriefing went well, that they made him the Surgeon General and that they are drawing up the next plan for world domination with coffee machines that think. Buffy disagrees with their plan of world domination, but Adam retorts by telling her that they are the same, they just go about their natural aggression in different ways. Buffy asks Adam what his name was before he was changed and he tells her that not a human alive would know. Suddenly, the alarm sounds, and Riley and Adam run off to build a fort.
Buffy sees the bag at her feet and tries to tell them that she has weapons, but they have already left. She bends down to look in the bag, and finds that it is full of mud. With the mud on her hands, the only thing she knows to do is spread it across her face. As her mask nears completion, Riley interrupts her, telling her that now that she is not looking for her friends, she must go it alone. He leaves, and the sun bursts into the room, and Buffy walks out into the same arid dessert that she appeared in before. Tara comes out to speak for the creature, a primitive young woman who Tara identifies as the first Slayer. She professes that Slayers do not walk on the earth, and work alone, only to slay. Buffy tells her that times have changed, that she needs her friends and that she wants them back. The man with the cheese pops in without saying a word, and Buffy says that she's just going to wake up. With those words, the two Slayers engage in furiously fast fight. As they roll down a huge embankment, Buffy shouts out that the fight is OVER and wakes up out of her dream in her living room. As she gets up, the first Slayer jumps at her, and she realizes she is not out yet. The Slayer tries to stab her but Buffy just ignores her and sits down on the couch. As Buffy begins to give her hair care advice, Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles snap out of their dreams simultaneously.
Sitting at the dinner table, Giles surmises that they must have stirred the spirit of the first Slayer with their spell. They all agree that the Slayer's spirit was not good for sleep. As Buffy gets up to go take a shower, she tells the rest of the group that they were lucky enough not to have dreamed about the guy with the cheese. As Buffy passes by her bedroom, she looks in and hears Tara's voice repeat: "You think you know. What's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun."

THOUGHTS: Restless has often been described as a coda of sorts in the whole of season four. This is a finale that consists of four separate long dream sequences, with a lot of foreshadowing for future seasons, with a very visual poetry style to it. It’s unique and definitely something not seen in TV a lot. I like the way its all filmed and how the scene transitions are all very well connected, yet from a narrative sense doesn’t make much yet. Its terrific, and often very trippy and strange, yet also very relaxing and almost very ASMR. Each of the dreams are also very different yet unique to the characters. They each give insight into the characters fears, wants, regrets, beliefs, desires & goals. Fascinating writing, and very informative and reflective overall. The teases to the future are vague, but if you’re a fan of the show, you’ll definitely notice and perhaps get excited as to what’s to come.

RATING: 100% - A+

MovieMad16

09-18-20, 04:54 PM

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1x20 - War Zone

INTRO: War Zone is a key moment in the Angel series as we are introduced to a new central character that will be a key ally for Angel in the rest of his story - Charles Gunn.

SUMMARY: Angel Investigations is hired by a rich, geeky guy who designs software. This guy went to a demon whorehouse & he's now being blackmailed with some pictures of him & a demon-girl. Angel is hired to get the pictures back. While he's doing that he encounters this group of street-kids who have taken up a little demon-fighting. The leader, Gunn, has a little sister who he's very protective of. She's protective of him, too. She fears that he's too close to the edge- that he has a need for death & cares not about the human lives lost while taken down vamps, only that vamps are getting taken down. The group is after a pack of vampires that claim their neighborhood as their territory &, naturally, the vampires are after this group of hunters as well. Angel tries to coax the kids to understand that what they're doing is too much for them to handle & that they are just going to get themselves killed by doing it. (Very good parallel between 2 human gangs.) The vamps take Gunn's sister & kill her & turn her into a vampire. Gunn goes to stake the vamps out & encounters his sister. She offers him immortality & freedom from hunger & the street-life. Gunn has to let go of his sister, the one who he's cared most about & was doing this vamp-hunting for, in order to stake her. After he does, Angel, the rest of Gunn's gang, & the vamps show. Angel offers the solution of a truce- the humans might take the evil vamps out, but some of the humans will go down if they try. Gunn decides he's killed enough today & everyone departs. Later Angel goes to see Gunn & tells him that even though Gunn doesn't want his help that maybe Angel will need Gunn's help someday.

THOUGHTS: This is a key episode in Angel in which we are introduced to Gunn for the first time. It’s an intriguing situation he is in, with his street gang and living underground in what is a war against vampires on the streets of LA. With that set up however, the episode is quite lagging with not much going on in it outside of the gang story. Cordelia & Wesley are almost wasted in this story, just sitting in cars and really only helping out just once. Angel is relegated somewhat to a background role, with all the focus on Gunn for the most part. It’s very much soft and not really a memorable episode compared to what we’ve seen so far, and what we will see in the last two going forward.

RATING: 70% - B

MovieMad16

09-18-20, 05:10 PM

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1x21 - Blind Date

INTRO: Blind Date presents a very interesting situation as well as foreshadowing for the finale and is one of the more fascinating and intriguing of the first season episodes.

SUMMARY:
Angel encounters a woman who has just killed a guy. To Angel's shock, the woman is blind. Later, Angel discovers that the woman is currently on trial for murder. She's being represented by Wolfram & Hart- for free, which means she works for them- & naturally, they get her off. Lindsey McDonald, a lawyer whom Angel has encountered varies times, is beginning to feel uncontented. He can't believe how bad he let things get, how much evil things he has done. He's freaked, so he goes to Angel about a new job the blind woman has been given. She is supposed to kill three kids. These kids are seers. Together they are powerful & will continue to increase their powers as they grow up. Angel sneaks into Wolfram & Hart to get disks that will tell him more about the job. Lindsey does his part to help Angel fool Wolfram & Hart's various mystical protectants & gets Angel access to where he needs to go. While getting the disks, Angel sees a golden scroll & takes it- he doesn't know why, he was just drawn to it. Angel finds out what he needs to stop the assassin & saves the kids. Later, Wesley tells Angel that he has translated parts of the scroll that Angel took & that he thinks Angel was drawn to it because it has a passage on Angel himself. The scroll was full of fairly ancient prophecies of do-gooding & such. At the end, Lindsey is going to leave Wolfram & Hart. He's copied the files that Angel took & says that if they kill him or whatever he'll revel them to the public. Lindsey is out. But his boss then offers him a better job. Not because he's scared of what Lindsey could do- he knew the whole time what Lindsey was up to- he does it because he thinks he knows who Lindsey is. & then he leaves Lindsey to decide if he wants the new job or not. Lindsey takes it.

THOUGHTS: Blind Date is one of the most underrated episodes I think in Angel, with an interesting dilemma for the character of Lindsey. His morals come to the forefront when a case involving children throws his emotions overboard. He then turns to Angel, a man he considers one of his most mortal enemies. It’s great to watch, and to see Lindsey question everything and express himself full throttle to the audience. We are also introduced to Holland Manners, one of the senior members of Wolfram & Hart, and a man with a serious ruthlessness to him towards spreading evil across the city. I consider him a very effective character, with a powerful manipulative edge to him that does indeed work in many ways. The guest villain is also very cool with blindness not being a obstacle to her villainy, and her fighting against Angel proving to be brilliant and scary to watch as Angel has to think outside of the box to beat her.

RATING: 92% - A

MovieMad16

09-18-20, 06:25 PM

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1x22 - To Shanshu in LA

INTRO: The First Season finale of Angel is excellent and dramatic, and teases the stories for the next season to come, whilst also establishing what's to come for our vampire with a soul.

SUMMARY: Wolfram & Hart are prophecized to cut off Angel from the Powers That Be. They conquer Vocah, warrior of the underworld, to do so. He breaches The Oracles temple & kills them. He makes Cordelia see all the pain in the world. & he steals the scroll that Angel took from Wolfram & Hart, because they need it, & blows up Angel Investigations. Angel is distraught as he runs into Kate who is still miffed about her father dying. Kate is committed to ridding the world of "Angel's kind" & Angel tells her that is if she wants to be enemies then they'll be enemies. Angel goes to see the Oracles & finds them dead. The spirit of the Sister Oracle is there & tells Angel that it is Vocah who did all this. Angel stakes out Wolfram & Hart & follows them to a crept where they are doing a ritual. Angel kills Vocah & misses the opportunity to stop the ritual. Lindsey is there with the scroll- the Oracle told Angel he needs the scroll to cure Cordelia. Lindsey tries to throw it in a fire, so Angel chops off his hand & takes the scroll. Wesley translates the words needed to cure Cordelia & Cordy wakes saying that she's a changed person. She knows the evil that's out there & she is resigned to help the people in need- no more hating what Doyle gave to her. Later, Wesley, who translated a pivotal word in the scroll to mean death- that Angel was going to die- figures out that 'shanshu' actually means that Angel is going to be made human by the P.T.B. as a reward for his years of righting his past wrongs. At the end, Wolfram & Hart have in possession the thing they raised in the ritual, the thing that is supposed to bring Angel down to evil- Darla, the vampire who sired Angel.

THOUGHTS: We come now to the finale of Angel Season One, and the episode overall is an intense and exciting one. The guest villain in this is called a Vocah demon and looks so badass and cheesy at the same time. Cool voice but an over the top cape and mask. Yet its strategy to go after Team Angel is very effective and tense to watch. Making Cordelia go mad with pain, blowing up Angel’s home with Wesley in it, and getting into Angel’s home stealing important artefacts. The final battle scene is great, with Angel single handily taking the fight to Wolfram & Hart, mainly the Vocah demon and Lindsey. With that then comes the final twist in the episode which is the resurrection of Angel’s sire and former love – Darla. Capping off Season One with a foreshadow to Season Two’s arc and the direction of various characters going forward. A great finale, capping off Angel’s premiere season and road to redemption.

RATING: 95% - A