'BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER' season 3 dvd challenge (1 Viewer)

[Nick Martin]

"Amends". Or "A Buffy Christmas" as it was originally billed on the WB.

I found an old WB commercial for "1-800-Collect" (remember those?)
in which Buffy is trying to make a call on a payphone (on the other night Sunnydale had a snowfall ) when Angel sneaks up behind her.
She doesn't know who it is at first so she grabs an icicle to use as a stake...like that would work.

Very cheesy stuff.

It was for a contest promoting a "walk-on" role on the show.

 

[Simon Massey]

I am playing catch-up with you Nicholas. Just finished Season 2 so am now onto Season 3

Anne:star::star:1/2
This is quite a subdued episode after the end of Season 2. The whole issue of homelessness, forgotten people and running away is laid on a bit thick really. What's more interesting is what is how the people left behind in Sunnydale are coping. Loved Willows opening line

Dead Man's Party:star::star::star::star:
Much better episode and it's nice to see them dealing with the consequences of Buffy's absence rather than just brushing them over. I thought it was a clever move to have the bust-up in the middle of the party in front of everyone. It's every kid's fear to be shown up like that in front of their friends, and it makes you cringe yet at the same time, it works. A really nice touch was Giles in his kitchen on his own showing his relief that Buffy is ok.

Faith, Hope and Trick:star::star::star::star:
This episode works well because of Eliza Dushku - the villains are not particularly interesting and I never really liked Mr Trick that much. Faith though is what the episode is about and I had forgotten how good Eliza was straight from the start, especially with the scene with her laying into the vampire. Nice touch at the end though you knew it was coming in one of the episodes...

 

[Jay_B!]

stuff like that should've made the DVD's

 

[Scott-S]

Helpless:

This is another pretty good episode. Sarah does a decent acting job. This is where things seem to spiral out of control as far as the council goes.

The Zeppo :

There is a lot happening in this episode. I like the way the main battle was just sort of behind the scenes. We never know how bad things really were. Poor Xander. At least he seems to have gotten some confidence and some bootie.

 

[Simon Massey]

Beauty and The Beasts:star::star::star:1/2
The theme of violence against spouses/girlfriends is integrated into this story really well and they don’t lay it on too thick like they have in the past. What I like is how normal a couple they are before you realise he is the one hurting his girlfriend, something that I’m sure rings true in a real situation of abuse.

Homecoming:star::star::star:1/2
Still don’t like Mr Trick, but the competition between Cordelia and Buffy is funny. I also like the way Xander and Willow are brought together, though it still feels like it was introduced solely to give Charisma Carpenter a way out of the series. However, it is better that they make the change in the group dynamic gradual rather than in one episode.

Band Candy:star::star::star::star:
Loved this episode, especially Giles, Joyce and Snyder. The final scene between Joyce and Giles is priceless and Giles’s reaction to Buffy hitting Ethan was great.

Revelations :star::star::star:1/2
I think this episode is better the second time around because here you can see the cracks starting to show across the group and how the groundwork is being laid for the second half of the season, especially between Faith and Buffy, but also with Xander, Cordelia, Oz and Willow. And any episode which has Faith and Buffy fighting has to get extra points.

Lover’s Walk:star::star::star::star:
I like how the parallel Spike’s arrival in Sunnydale with his previous arrival. It’s also great how the series as a whole has developed Cordelia’s character to this point that without realising it, she has become likeable to the audience and you really feel for her when she finds out about Xander and Willow.

You know what struck me about watching this season so far is that there are no really bad episodes. Anne was a bit of a dull start but it wasn’t awful and the season is remarkably consistent in keeping up the quality of the episodes. Perhaps that is why it is so popular – I don’t think there are any real standout episodes like Passion. Innocence, Hush, The Body, etc (The Wish is probably the closest) but they keep up the quality throughout the season

 

[Scott-S]

Bad Girls:

Really, this is the first part of what could have been a two-part episode (With Consequences).

I am a little surprised at how easily Buffy went along with the skipping school and robbing a store.

Consequences:

Another pretty good episode. It does a lot to show how Faith turns to the dark side.

Can someone explain to me why Willow was so traumatized by the idea that Xander had sex with Faith? I know they have a history, but she is in a committed relationship. Does she expect him to not date while she is allowed to date Oz? I guess since I am not a teenage girl, I don’t fully understand the logic.

 

[Kevin Grey]

I am sure that at some point when Willow's crush on Xander really started she harbored fantasies that they would each be the other's "first". Even though she was with Oz at this point, I don't think she had ever come to grips with the potential loss of that fantasy. Especially considering that, IIRC, Willow and Oz hadn't slept together to that point and that Xander seemingly threw away his first time with a cheap one night stand with someone like Faith.

 

[Simon Massey]

The Wish:star::star::star::star::star:
This was always going to be interesting with an alternate look at Sunnydale without Buffy, but what lifts this to greatness ? 2 words – Vamp Willow!!!! Never looked at Willow’s character the same again

Amends:star::star::star::star:
Nice to see Robia La Morte back and it is interesting to view this episode knowing that this is the introduction to the main villain of Season 7.
Was this planned or did Whedon decide later ? I think this kind of psychological torture is much more interesting in this episode than your typical Buffy villain,

Spoiler for Season 7
So why did it not work as well in Season 7 ? Probably because of who the First is targeting here – Angel. By the time we get to Season 7, isn’t the First is essentially repeating what we see here, just over a longer period ? It’s a while since I have seen Season 7 but from what I remember he basically targeted Spike and drove him mad.

What stops this episode from getting 5 stars is the overly sentimental ending. I know it was a Christmas episode but still went a bit too far.

Gingerbread:star::star::star::star:
Two things annoy me about this episode – the fact the children turn out to be demons (I know that it was probably too dark for the show to actually have the murder of 2 children be real but it did undercut the message of the show a little), and the fact that it is Joyce who is the main antagonist (I know it can be argued she was under the influence of the demons but it just doesn’t feel right – would have worked better if Willow’s mother had been the main person since we hadn’t seen her before).
Despite this, this is a really strong episode and one that continues to have considerable relevance today, if not more so.

 

[Simon Massey]

Double post

 

[Simon Massey]

Helpless:star::star::star::star:
It’s nice to see an episode focusing on how the relationship between Giles and Buffy has essentially become a father/daughter one and the scene where Buffy finds out what Giles is doing is really well played by both of them.

The Zeppo:star::star::star::star:
I think they must have decided that all episodes about Xander must be comedy ones, probably because they turn out so well when they do, and when they don’t you have Teacher’s Pet and Inca Mummy Girl. I love the fact the show constantly makes fun of itself – the scene with Xander walking in on Angel and Buffy is hilarious.

Bad Girls:star::star::star::star:
A lot gets set up in this episode and it’s nice to see the Mayor becomes more prominent. I remember him being a great villain for the season but what surprises me watching it again is how little he is actually in the series up to this point.
I also think the scene where Faith goes back to the person she killed is great especially when the final scene completely twists what you thought was going on then.

Consequences:star::star::star::star::star:
It’s easy to forget how dark the show can get sometimes. I found the scene with Faith and Xander very dark and uncomfortable to watch actually, largely because it is not what you expect from a show of this genre, but it was necessary to show how far Faith had gone It’s also interesting seeing Wesley in this and the previous episode. I remember how much I disliked the character when he first came on the show, but he became one of the best characters on Angel in the end.

And I've caught up at last!!!!

 

[Chuck Mayer]

I've been a lurker to these threads (I don't have time for a rewatch, but I wanted to read reactions). That scene is one of my favorites in the entire series. Because it was a moment the show stopped the carousel to let a character react to a devastating bit of news, even when it doesn't revolve around the story of the week.

Dating is different than losing virginity; for Xander, who she clearly harbors feelings for, to share something that intimate with someone Willow clearly dislikes is a real blow to her. And the show knows her, and lets her reaction feel real.

Love that scene.

 

[CherylJ]

Gosh, I loved that scene also. One of my favorites in the entire series also. Willow's reaction was so real and heartfelt.

There is no "logic" to understand, because Willow's reaction had nothing to do with logic. Xander was "the one" for her, the one she always wanted and hoped he would come around to feel the same way about her. Yes, she was dating Oz, but she didn't love him the way she loved Xander and she hadn't slept with Oz yet.

Xander's sleeping with Faith was crushing, because a) it meant that Xander truly didn't return her feelings and probably never would, b) he seemed to be so casual about his first time, and c) it was with Faith, of all people, who obviously didn't give a damn about Xander. It made her give up her Xander fantasy forever, and that was a good thing in the end, because it allowed her to finally give Oz a real chance.

 

[Nick Martin]

still can't relate.

 

[Jay_B!]

I never really noticed Willow's reaction so much, I guess because it was more understated compared to how obvious her reaction was in "Innocence" when she saw Xander and Cordelia making out

 

[Scott-S]

Although I really can't relate with Willow's reaction, it still tears me up to see her so sad. I just want to hug her. :frowning:

 

[CherylJ]

Well, I can't relate to Xander when he sleeps with that skanky hobag Faith. But it's still entertaining as hell.

 

[Scott-S]

LOL, well to be honest.... He was a virgin, and a teenage. It would have been hard to say no. I don't know of any teen boy who could.

Besides, at that point, she wasnt a "bad guy".

 

[Holadem]

n/m

--
H

 

[CherylJ]

Exactly. But I was never a teenage boy, so I can't "relate." She was a skanky ho who probably had a communicable disease. But I understand that teenage boys like pretty girls and will sleep with them even when they are skanky.

 

[Scott-S]

LOL, and pretty teenage girls will sleep with a dead corpse (vampire), as long as he is good looking.

Yea, I guess we are two different species.

It is a good thing.