Senior year of Sunnydale High. It’s been a long road getting here. For you, for Sunnydale. There has been achievement, joy, good times. And there has been grief. There’s been loss. One thing I’m not sad to see Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Retrospecticus – Season 3 Pt 1 lose, actually, is the overly grainy picture of the first couple seasons. How things look isn’t the only thing different, either, as change permeates throughout.

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Retrospecticus…

Back to the picture quality a moment, I’m pleased to say I can clearly see every scene! Night to day, inside or outside, whatever’s on display is actually on display instead of being obscured by VHS-like grainy visuals that remind me of old family home videos. While things probably aren’t quite up to Christopher Nolan’s standards, I’m a happy camper.

What I find even better than the improved picture and SFX is the increasingly solid writing staff. Besides Whedon (whose episodes are varying degrees of great) there’s David Greenwalt, Marti Noxon, & David Fury from previous seasons plus this year has Jane Espenson & Douglas Petrie join the team. These people will be with the Buffyverse for years to come and it’s all the better for their involvement. Jane Espenson for me, in particular, becomes a name I’m always happy to see with a writing credit.

Before I delve into all the ways S3 is damn great I’m going to stop myself–that’s for Part 2 so we’ll all just have to wait a week. First up for Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Retrospecticus – Season 3 Pt 1 is dealing with S2’s aftermath of dejected Buffy abdicating any responsibilities as she flees her life’s troubles. Just because Sunnydale’s left slayer-less, however, doesn’t mean the town is without heroes. That’s right, big boy. Come and get it…

3.1 Anne

• Written & Directed by Joss Whedon
• To the surprise of no one, a Buffy-less Scooby Gang lead by Willow isn’t awesome at patrolling (the fact they don’t die is pretty good) but I think the bigger takeaway is Giles lets these regular teens take up a slayer’s duties.

• Oz is firmly part of the gang after being MIA the last third of S2 and he’s right to suggest “This time it’s personal” for go to one-liners. 
• Angel still being in the credits kind of takes the wind out of the sails in terms of his eventual reappearance as *no way* would he still be a regular just for Buffy dream cameos.

• Bummed Buffy bumps into Chanterelle while waiting tables in LA, except now she goes by Lily and instead of being a silly vampire wannabe she seems to have gone for Derelicte (which is a fashion, a way of life, inspired by the very homeless, the vagrants, the crack whores that make this wonderful city so unique).
• The bustling library scenes are almost freakish–never have we seen so many students all over nor will we again. The whole sequence of wandering through the school as we re-acquaint with everyone has a good energy to it while also doling out some news like Oz failing to graduate last year (“Remember when I didn’t go [to class]?”).

• At least the car Buffy’s hit by actually stops to see if she’s fine, for once. A low bar, yes, but we’ve already seen a few accidents/near accidents where the driver simply speeds off into the distance.
• This sad montage of homeless youth is odd, like an infomercial crept in for a moment.
• Joyce blames Giles for Buffy running off and while she certainly has a point about being kept in the dark, maybe she’s not yet strong enough to point that high-powered perception at herself for her role in Bye Bye Buffy.

• I like how harsh and realistic Buffy is with Lily re: Ricky being dead. This isn’t the first or last time Buffy takes the kid gloves off, either, when it comes to dealing with willful ignorance.
• If ever someone insists they have the means to help you be better as long as you follow along with odd rules or rituals like “the cleansing” where you must be purified blah blah blah then guess what? You’re probably in a cult or en route to being a sex slave. FYI.

• “I’m Buffy, the vampire slayer. And you are?” followed by a beat down feels nicely earned after this whole episode of Buffy doing her best to be someone else.
• This whole demon realm industrial slave camp seems like it could lead into the weird Nazi monsters who pop up mid-S1 of Angel.
• Lily shoving Ken off that walkway followed by Buffy kicking more demon ass as they flee the hell dimension is another great moment. See you later, Anne!

3.2 Dead Man’s Party

• Written by Marti Noxon / Directed by James Whitmore, Jr.
• Is putting up art intended for a gallery in your own home a normal thing gallery owners do? Also, Buffy’s quite right–the mask is “angry at the room, it wants the room to suffer.”
• Joyce focuses on making food for Buffy exactly like a mother who isn’t sure how to connect otherwise.
• Slayer Sense Fail: Buffy doesn’t see the very obvious soda can she awkwardly steps on?
• Buffy meets up with the gang and, of everyone, Cordy seems in the best spirits re: Buffy being back.

• Giles taking a private moment of happiness in the kitchen about Buffy being home before pulling it together and serving tea & snacks seems quite British. Also, his front door area never seems quite the same layout until S4 when it becomes a courtyard.
• Oz tells Buffy she’s not wanted for murder anymore, but what happened there? Kendra was murdered, Snyder witnessed Buffy return to the scene of the crime for a sword, then she fled the city. Oh well, on we go.
• The Espresso Pump makes its debut as well as a new main street set we’ll see much more of.

• I like Joyce offering some parting words for their dead stray cat buddy while Buffy couldn’t really care less after everything she’s experienced so far in life. 
• Other words of Joyce’s I like? When she calls Snyder a “nasty little horrid bigoted rodent man,” but when she rails into Buffy for making bad choices she loses me a bit–Buffy saved the world, give her a break.
• Giles looks into the undead stray cat (“I think you should call it patches”–Oz) as the gang decides on an impromptu hootenanny–not a gathering or shindig– for Buffy instead of the dinner they were invited to (which always seemed like a dickhead move to me). I guess they knew Joyce would be surprisingly okay with a ton of underage strangers drinking all over her house.

• Oh, and like Buffy’s 17th birthday party Cordy again declares “I’m the dip.”
• Buffy overhearing the exact wrong thing as Joyce & Pat drink in the kitchen is right out of a dumb sitcom. Surely there was another way to spur Buffy into packing a bag.

• Lots of dead people roam all over Sunnydale (“Do you like my mask? Isn’t it pretty? It raises the dead. Americans”–Giles) and by the next day everyone’s over it–typical.
• The big Scooby Gang argument feels natural and necessary for everyone to move forward, plus I imagine the fighting for their lives kind of puts some of their issues in perspective.
• The logistics of all those zombies attacking Buffy’s house doesn’t make much sense, really, but what jumps out at me most is how Buffy, Xander, and Willow leave Cordy & Oz downstairs then don’t look back. Everyone for themselves, I suppose.

• Joyce takes all the property damage in stride and I can’t help but wonder about her insurance.
• So, Pat left her home that evening then no one ever saw her again since she disappeared in a spark of light and I can’t help but wonder about the aftermath of a melee which left several dead.
• I assume after Giles threatened Snyder he ran to the Mayor, but Buffy still gets to return to school so Snyder obviously lost that battle.

3.3 Faith, Hope, & Trick

• Written by David Greenwalt / Directed by James A. Contner
• Willow/Oz & Xander/Cordy consciously uncouple for Buffy (not in the Gwenyth Paltrow way) right before Willow mentions how Buffy does “That thing with [her] mouth the boys like” and I vastly prefer this to more dreams about dead Angel.
• Buffy & Joyce get to rub Buffy’s school return in Snyder’s face in a celebratory fashion before Giles gets right back to business as usual–which makes perfect sense–except for the fact he’s lying about the Acathla ritual to get Buffy some closure.

• There’s Faith, having a ball on the dance floor with the vampire she’s going to dust shortly. Buffy will come around to enjoying the slaying more, for better and worse, but I have to say that while Faith clearly has some issues I understand where she’s coming from.
• During Faith’s story time (“Hungry and horny,” “Five by five,” naked wrasslin’, etc) Buffy mentions how The Three were amongst her most difficult kills, except Darla killed them when they failed the Master. At least Willow & Xander giving Faith a tour down memory lane of all the horrible things they’ve experienced at school holds up.

• Giles turns out to be correct about the leprechauns, as far as we ever learn in the Buffyverse. Also, I may have mentioned this but my husband loves Giles’ green mug & now has one just like it.
• Buffy & Cordy should bond over not loving everything about Faith. I wonder if Cordy ever finds out Xander & Faith eventually have sex? I ran through it in my head just now and don’t think so.

• I haven’t mentioned Scott yet and that’s mostly because he doesn’t really matter to anything, though he manages to give Buffy a little panic attack over the claddagh ring so good work.
• Faith definitely falls to pieces over Kakistos so good thing Buffy’s there, not that Faith would give her such credit, as Mr. Trick decides to live another day by wisely not taking on two slayers–“Well, our prayers are with [Kakistos].”

• Giles was pretty smooth with the fake Acathla stuff so Buffy can spill her guts and move on just in time for naked Angel to magically show up and ruin her mental well-being. 

3.4 Beauty and the Beasts

• Written by Marti Noxon / Directed by James Whitmore, Jr.
• Willow reading to Oz is okay with me, however the lame narration portion is not. Boo. Here’s another “Boo!” for the end narration.
• Xander continues being a source of mild gay panic at the suggestion of naked Oz, which thankfully lessens over time (though that’s also probably because there aren’t really ever any gay guys to interact with).
• Faith tells Buffy all about how men are beasts while the two of them hunt, after & during which Faith freely admits to feeling an increased hunger and sex drive–all of which sounds pretty beastly to me but sure, Faith, men are beasts.

• Way to fail at your one job, Xander, of watching werewolf Oz for just a few hours. Having said that, how did Willow not expect Xander to do exactly what he did?
• I like how when Buffy’s talking to Mr. Platt about how she fled town for several months there’s no mention of getting expelled or being wanted for the murder of a friend–just the boy troubles.

• Oz overreacts at the thought of Faith being on guard–you’ll be a werewolf, what do you care? Now’s a good time to acknowledge Oz’s new werewolf makeup that’s somehow better than it used to be while also still being rather silly. Also, he says “It’s gonna happen soon” re: wolfing out but he was *just* about to leave so…

• I understand the show aired on American TV in the ‘90s so the prospect of Angel running around naked & covered in blood wasn’t really ever on the table, but his sweatpants and shoes make no sense at all. He’s a completely feral animal yet he knows it’s important to lace up one’s running shoes? Or that wandering around bare-ass naked and wagging your dick around isn’t WB friendly?
• Willow has a Scooby lunchbox on their pop in at the morgue, where Xander’s especially childish and not helpful.
• Giles has had several naked students in his book cage by now, so I hope he’s never asked any form of “Have you ever held nude boys locked in a cage of your keeping?” on a polygraph.

• I find Buffy & Giles’ chat about deceased lovers, dreams, and hell dimensions a nicely done scene–they both have more going on behind their eyes than they say, like Giles when he’s going on about monsters.
• This is Buffy & Scott’s only episode together and it’s almost like you can see the timer counting down on his forehead, the poor schlub. I know Buffy has good reasons for why she’s being so weird, reasons she can’t share with Scott, but really–she seems so weird when she’s with him.

• Oh, and there’s the whole Debbie/Pete domestic abuse storyline I haven’t touched on. It’s all rather obvious, I guess, and then they’re gone forever in what others think is a murder/suicide.
• Faith & Giles pair up towards the end for what I believe is the first time–one day they’ll be on a mission together traveling through Europe, amongst other things.

• Buffy continues being rather harsh & blunt with people when it comes to relationship issues. That isn’t a criticism, by the way, just an observation.
• Angel should’ve been in vamp face until he said “Buffy?” at the end, if you ask me, but I also think he should’ve still been naked (how would Buffy put pants on a feral vampire?).

3.5 Homecoming

• Written & Directed by David Greenwalt
• Buffy clearly has no real interest in Scott asking her to homecoming and at least he can tell their little thing has run its course, too (I’m sure he’s still dealing with two of his best friends dying in a murder/suicide, anyway).
• I like both that the Mayor shows up in this random MOTW episode after being mysteriously alluded to since the tail end of S2 and that he comes across as pretty much a nice, small town germaphobe guy you could find anywhere–only he’s not.

• I remember stuff like picture day and I feel like there were make-up options for people who missed out, but I guess Snyder wouldn’t go out of his way being overly helpful with that.
• As far as all the SlayerFest ‘98 stuff goes, I don’t really feel like there’s much to unpack. The threats are all fairly ho-hum and for some reason a Gorch is around, again, as if anyone wants to be forced into thinking about the worst episode ever. The stegosaurus head demon is at least a little unique before he bites it. Nice effort, Mr. Trick.

• Oh yeah, this is where the Willow/Xander affair begins thanks to a clothes fluke (“There will be no more fluking!”). I’m not a big fan of this temporary insanity they both experience, frankly. I guess it had to be dealt with after Xander’s admission by Willow’s bedside at the end of last season and it’s over in a few episodes so there’s that to look forward to.
• Everyone helping Cordy out over Buffy is a real dick move on their part. I understand the reasoning behind it somewhat, but it’s still schmucky how they treat Buffy considering the whole conflict is borne of Cordelia’s incessant nastiness and self-centered nature. At least we get to hear Buffy call Cordy a “vapid whore”–an insult which stands the test of time.

• Giles and Faith are the only ones from our gang having any fun at this dance at all, though Giles gets knocked out eventually so maybe at the end of the day Faith’s the only one who had fun.
• The Buffy & Cordy abandoned house interplay is fun and all–there’s just something about this episode that overall leaves me a little cold.
• Slayer Sense Fail: Buffy enters the library and has no clue two vampires are directly in her path?

• Harry Groener has a nicely menacing energy to him as Mayor Wilkins and I very much look forward to once he and Faith cross paths. There’s nothing wrong with Mr. Trick, he’s just rather underutilized after these first few appearances and then dies.
• The two German soldiers who suck at their jobs shoot up the high school a bit before killing each other like a couple of idiots and that’s one of those times I would have liked to see whoever stumbled upon that the next day. Poor janitor.

3.6 Band Candy

• Written by Jane Espenson / Directed by Michael Lange
• Jane Espenson’s BtVS writing debut and what a great start. She often does the funny ones and does them well.
• The Buffy & Giles graveyard SAT test prep begins the fun right away (“Is it too late to join a tribe where they just pierce something or cut something off?”) and aside from a brief incoming snippet of the morose wet-blanket (AKA Angel) this one’s all fun all the time.

• Mayor Wilkins continues to feel right out of Leave it to Beaver, only with a slightly more murderous streak. Babies, kids, adults–no one’s out of bounds for Richard Wilkins, III.
• It appears Buffy just sold half her candy (20 bars) to Giles and the other half (another 20) to her mother, so kudos Buffy on minimizing your sales pitch. Also, this episode always makes me want a chocolate bar and I, too, remember hearing about the secret rule of how if a teacher’s late enough you can leave.

• Giles & Joyce seem to get along pretty well as teenagers since they have sex a couple times, but I appreciate none of it transfers over to adulthood as well (like using this as a backdoor into Giles/Joyce coupling). Also Giles has a different front door area, yet again, but don’t expect this version to last.
• Willow’s “Do you know that you have the parking brake on?” & “Eyes on the road!” lines remind me of some of my own experiences with less than stellar drivers (to be nice about it).

• I may have mentioned this previously, but the actor who plays Devon (lead singer of Oz’s band) is *horrible* at lip-syncing–really & truly.
• Snyder (one name–like Barbarino) tags along with the gang and gets to be fun for once as he appreciates Oz’s head–”You’ve got great hair”–and lays into Buffy’s driving–”Whoa, Summers, you drive like a spaz!”
• Giles is pretty lucky the old man cop didn’t accidentally shoot him and I can’t help but wonder if Buffy’s dad, Hank, was also maybe a youthful offender–does young Joyce have a thing for bad boys? Maybe that’s where Buffy gets it…

• The car accident isn’t really Buffy’s fault, despite her being a horrible driver, so making her pay for all of it seems like a bit of a jerk move.
• There are *so many* boxes of chocolate in that factory. They could just be empty boxes, I suppose, but why stack empty boxes on top of each other into a maze-like formation?
• The vampires who take babies from the hospital all make sure to hold the babies correctly, as opposed to treating them like the snack for a snake demon that they are. Obviously I understand you can’t toss real babies around like toys, but I’m still amused by vampires being so careful with human infants.

• I almost forgot to mention how Ethan Rayne popping in to cause mayhem is a nice yearly tradition for a little while.
• Slayer Sense Fail: Buffy doesn’t see the Mayor slink off? He’s *right there* observing how the sewers need some maintenance. 
• I wonder if making baby sacrifices to some kind of snake demon had anything to do with his eventual goals of becoming the King Snake Demon? And Mr. Trick continues to survive by running away when he thinks it makes sense–probably a good idea.
• Nice bookends of Buffy & Giles SAT chat misdirect and how could I not mention the wonderful button of Giles & Joyce concealing their sexual indiscretions? A great debut from Espenson.

3.7 Revelations

• Written by Douglas Petrie / Directed by James A. Contner
• Ugh, Gwendolyn Post. Obviously she’s meant to inspire such feelings, but even before she’s outright evil there aren’t really any shades to her. She’s a know-it-all douchebag when she arrives (despite having no history of actually being a slayer’s Watcher), continues to be exactly that throughout the episode, and then thankfully dies. The fact Giles never calls anyone to confirm her role also drives me up a wall a little bit–how ridiculously easy to infiltrate.

• Faith shares more than Buffy does and eventually Faith takes Buffy’s slightly hard outer shell to heart, so maybe if Buffy was a little more open with her Faith would’ve had a different path–still, though, that’s all on Faith. Buffy isn’t her keeper.
• Buffy and Angel doing yoga together makes me long for when he’s off and away on his own show. And is this “another Tuesday night in Sunnydale” the first meta joke of the air night?

• Xander wandering to the cemetery on a magic glove recovery mission is all kinds of stupid, plus Angel can’t tell Xander’s watching him & following him back to the mansion? Angel Sense Fail.
• The Buffy intervention scene is one of those great group scenes where everyone gets a moment. I most enjoy Willow’s “No one’s doing the ‘I’ statements!” and Giles telling Buffy to be quiet before he slightly lays into her–”You have no respect for me, or for the job I perform.”

• Xander very eagerly wants to watch Faith kill Angel and while I certainly understand, he must have known the likelihood of his relationship with Buffy being over if that happened. At least his bloodlust subsides long enough upon finding the wounded Giles to let his brain work a moment.
• Angel & Faith begin their relationship with violence & hostility (before their eventual connection over some shared traumas), while Buffy & Faith fracture for a while over all this.

• Angel having a massive glass ceiling makes no sense at all considering many vampires lived there for a while. Angel certainly has a death wish between this skylight and his convertible.
• I’ve probably mentioned it before, but students/faculty must think Giles and the Scooby Gang are in some kind of fight club based on their constant bruises, wounds, etc.

• Oh, and at least Gwendolyn Post dies in what seems to be quite a painful & forever fashion.

3.8 Lover’s Walk

• Written by Dan Vebber / Directed by David Semel
• Of course you don’t know it while watching the first time, but all the SAT chat (Xander ~ 740, Willow ~1500+, Buffy 1430, and Cordy less than Buffy) of Willow being jazzed–”Buffy, you kicked ass!”–and Oz’s sarcastic voice being lost in translation is the last time these happy couples–plus Buffy–coalesce. Things soon go off the rails for all. 
• Spike ruins another Sunnydale sign upon his welcome return as a bummed drunk.
• This bowling double date scene has the happy couples again, actually, but no Buffy so my previous statement still stands.

• I wonder if they had Giles go away on a Watcher’s retreat because they needed him out of the picture for the episode’s finale, but since he *just* recovered from a massive head wound they couldn’t immediately give him another.
• Angel Sense Fail: He can’t hear a drunken Spike stumbling & mumbling around the courtyard? Or screaming when his hand bursts into flames the next morning?
• Dru killed the first magic shop owner we met in S2 and now Spike kills a second one. Apparently either the owner dies or the store does.

• Spike hitting Xander in the head with a microscope like that should have been a killshot. Just sayin’.
• Willow’s scene with the drunk, emotionally unstable Spike is one of those great examples of moving from menace to humor to sympathy etc BtVS does so well. Plus good for terrorized Willow putting her foot down.
• The Mayor has an off-screen Mr. Trick send a “committee” to see Spike doesn’t ruin his plans, but he probably should have sent one of those Spike & Dru’s way a few times last year if he was really that long-term.

• Joyce & Spike continue to be a wonderful pair whenever they’re together. I guess if there’d been more of them over the years it would have gotten old, but this spice was used just right. Spike making stupid faces to Angel also always makes me smile. Really, though–why didn’t Buffy do one of those de-invitation spells long ago?
• At least Xander & Willow stop their stupid little thing, even though it takes Cordy getting impaled by a rebar (I like the mean death fakeout) which effectively ends her time as one of the Scooby Gang.

• Spike mocking Buffy & Angel’s googly eyes (it “makes [him] want to heave”) followed by his Love’s Bitch monologue–“You’re not friends. You’ll never be friends. You’ll be in love ’til it kills you both. You’ll fight, and you’ll shag, and you’ll hate each other until it makes you quiver, but you’ll never be friends. Love isn’t brains, children, it’s blood–blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love’s bitch, but at least I’m man enough to admit it.”–is iconic BtVS. Since this is the last time (in either TV series) Buffy, Spike, & Angel share scenes together I think that’s fitting. There are a couple asterisk cases down the line and close calls, but really this is it for those three on the same screen.

• The whole slow song, sad people montage at the end is worth it for the button of a newly energized Spike driving off into the day. I like how he blows into town, ruins everyone’s lives to varying degrees, then continues on his merry way.

3.9 The Wish

• Written by Marti Noxon / Directed by David Greenwalt
• Better-than-S2 production values continue with the tentacley & mucusy demon the pared down three person Scooby Gang takes out, after which Buffy tells Xander how “[his] logic does not resemble our Earth logic” for some of his dickish reactions to Cordy breaking up with him.

• Harmony insults the scary looking Cordy with the prospect of Jonathan, which is also no compliment to him–no surprise he finds himself in a clock tower with a high powered rifle one day.
• Hey look, it’s Anya. She isn’t exactly the Anya we’ll come to know and love in the future, but I’ll elaborate when it’s her time in the sun. For now I’ll simply say I love how you never really know when it comes to guest stars who might end up sticking around in a big way.
• Cordy blaming Buffy for the little Bronze alley vampire scuffle seems rather idiotic. The vampire was around already, so Buffy being there was actually beneficial if she were to think a second.

• Once Cordy makes her wish for no Buffy it’s rather immediately apparent to anyone with eyes the world isn’t just different–it’s worse off. I know she’s got Cordelia-level narcissism going on but she can’t tell from all the funereal colors, half empty classes, mention of a monthly memorial, etc the world sucks now?
• Is this the first time we see Sunnydale’s movie theater, the Sun Cinema? I think it is. Oh, and Cordy continues being unable to read a room when she encounters the leather-clad and obviously evil Willow/Xander duo.
• “Bored now” debuts, back when it was just a silly alt-universe hypothetical.

• At least in this other reality Larry gets to be part of the team, for however long it lasts. I would’ve been okay if this also came to fruition in our main BtVS reality.
• The Bronze is vamp central and I can’t help but wonder how exactly this alt-Sunnydale works–are vampires just a known element in the world at that point? The Master rose and vampires all over the world followed? I don’t mind we learn no details, really–just curious.
• With Angel a pet in the basement I can’t help but wonder where Darla could be (or Luke). If she were here there’d be too much history, I suppose, and clearly this is more about our gang.

• Willow and Xander killing Cordy as Giles watches from the book cage definitely surprised me at the time and still works quite well. Giles being able to break out with an ax makes me wonder why a werewolf or vampire couldn’t eventually break out as well, but whatever.
• Scarface Buffy arrives from Cleveland’s Hellmouth after what have clearly been a rough couple years. Rough enough she’s comfortable leaving some random person chained up in a basement to die before she even knows they’re a vampire, for instance.
• Giles should at least venture a guess that maybe the necklace is Anya’s power source, c’mon.

• The Master’s demonic mass production concept seems like a good next step for the big picture of vampires and certainly suggests the whole world is aware of vampires.
• None of this whole crowd of vampires can sense Buffy’s a slayer? Or at least human? Plus she’s pretty openly carrying a weapon even before she fires. Crappy security.
• If only Anya ignored Giles’ summoning request she could have gone on her demonic way another thousand years…

• The slo-mo death sequence of many regulars in this alt-reality intercut with Giles trying to have Anya undo it both builds well and lands nicely with the desperate Giles really making a bold move in destroying the amulet as another reality “has to be” better.
• If you ignore the alt-reality events as nobody remembers them then aside from the opening demon kill and some Bronze hangout action the whole crew gets a quiet week after Spike left a trail of misery in his wake. I’m sure they appreciated it.

3.10 Amends

• Written & Directed by Joss Whedon
• Dublin, 1838 brings more of that wonderful Boreanaz brogue. Plus–if that weren’t enough–he’s got hideous facial hair to match.
• During our occasional reminder of how Willow doesn’t worship Santa I like how Buffy gently lets Xander know when she’s had enough of the Angel jibes (“Xander–enough, okay?”) because by this point she knows who she’s dealing with.

• Oz forgiving Willow so they can try again only took an episode, but I’m happy to not drag out inevitable developments where possible.
• Joyce still isn’t quite ready to casually mingle with Giles over Christmas dinner after their candy sexcapades, however Faith does manage to get an invite. The post-Post fence mending doesn’t go great at first, as Faith has that “big party” on the books. I like her lights, too.
• Since watching Brockmire I have to point out Jim would have a few things to say about Buffy’s hair (“Bangs are just a prank a woman plays on herself”) before I can press on. Done.

• The First Evil in a Jenny suit joins Angel’s ghostly tormentors, looking pretty much as she did when Angel killed her (I’m sure they’re glad they gave her a good final outfit to wear forever in death).
• Giles opens his door to see Angel for the first time since being tortured for Acathla info about seven months prior to this–good times! I can see why Giles laughs at “Sorry to bother you.”

• Xander tries to make amends (hey, that’s the title!) with Buffy over his Angel hate, which leads to a nice Scooby Gang library & pizza research session. Enjoy them while they last.
• The First Evil touches Angel’s hair, which we learn later is against the rules. Maybe it was just a trick of light…
• The First Evil’s mostly a huge opportunist. I’ll touch on this more when The First Evil makes its assault on the slayer line in S7, but even now the whole scheme seems like an “on the night” kind of thing.
• Buffy & Angel’s sexy weird dream with mangled eye monks is enjoyably creepy.

• Willow unsuccessfully trying to seduce Oz is both quite amusing and an effective reconciliation after their still kind of awkward reunion.
• Faith actually shows up at Buffy’s and there’s almost a bonding experience for them, except then Angel immediately pops in to ruin the festivities and Faith gets to hang with Joyce. Also, the “So, angel’s on top again?” bit still makes me laugh. 
• I wonder if Buffy told Giles The First Evil looked like Jenny. I feel like I vaguely remember her mentioning that she did in S7 at some point, so we shall see. Sidenote, the fact I don’t remember exactly is just what I was hoping to achieve one day so yay for small victories.

• Buffy’s glib “Alright, I get it, you’re evil” & “Let me guess, is it evil?” also still make me laugh.
• The whole Buffy & Angel hilltop end scene does actually work well and I’m certainly not some big Buffy/Angel guy (I’m so glad he’s leaving for his own show relatively soon). From Angel giving up to Buffy trying to impress upon him what strength is before a snow day ultimately ends the discussion.
• So, as lovely as the end is, did Buffy take him back home to her mom & Faith? Seems like that’d be a little awkward. Or did she just spend a bunch of time with him before going home, leaving Joyce & Faith to have themselves a merry little Christmas? Hmm…

3.11 Gingerbread

• Joyce certainly picks the worst night to join Buffy on patrol, what with bumping into Mr. Sanderson from the bank AND finding a couple dead children. I’m sure the case could be made Joyce was somehow drawn out that particular night as part of the demon’s scheme.
• I know it’s no big deal whatsoever, but mentioning Buffy’s upcoming birthday is one of those continuity things that makes the show feel that much richer to me. It isn’t airtight, or anything, with a contradiction showing up now and then, but the memory characters have for all kinds of events in their lives shines through.

• Another fun little shout-out to Giles & Joyce’s secret debauchery (“Rumor about us?”) during the town hall or whatever one calls the meeting of busybodies & meddlers.
• The Mayor appears exclusively in a mayoral capacity right before Joyce continues her journey to a torch-bearing mob leader. Aside from this little on-the-job cameo, the mid-season period is pretty light on Mayor Wilkins after a sudden flurry of activity from him for a few episodes.

• It’s a shame we never get to see more of the Willow/Amy/Michael coven. After my little ode to the continuity of BtVS a moment ago of course there’s warlock Michael–never seen or heard from again. Maybe he was never really there at all…
• Snyder pops in with the cops to lord MOO’s authority all over the school and it’s gross. I’m glad he gets eaten in the near future, can’t wait. At least Joyce has the excuse of being somehow under a demon’s thrall (even if to what extent is all rather unclear).

• Willow’s mom seems like she was insufferable before any mass psychosis took over, if I’m being honest. Her disregard/disinterest for every aspect of Willow’s life is apparent.
• Only the audience recently saw exactly what life would be like if Buffy hadn’t been around Sunnydale to save the day way back when (plus the countless times she’s done it since then) so unfortunately Buffy doesn’t have that one in her back pocket to throw in Joyce’s face when she’s being an ass about how Sunnydale isn’t really any better off.

• Angel’s one scene is to give Buffy motivation to investigate the situation like it’s an old detective show and he’s the wife/girlfriend/secretary who inadvertently helps our hero put clues together as they exist to passively support. Amusing switch.
• Giles calls the internet “You stupid, useless fad!” right before the gang finds old newspaper articles (with photos) dating back hundreds of years. He might want to say thank you.

• C’mon, Willow, your mom is clearly nuts or possessed or something so why don’t you just leave out the window or something?
• Who’s susceptible to the mob mentality madness? Everyone isn’t taken in by murderous groupthink so there’s some kind of selection process happening. I have my theories.
• If chloroform doesn’t last as long as every movie and TV show thinks it does on regular people then I’d imagine a slayer should recover from its effects even faster. Point being, Buffy should’ve woken up long before she does.

• All the burned books hurt my insides a little bit. At least they’re saved…by being soaked with a high-powered hose.
• Giles and Cordy proves to be a fun, albeit brief pairing.
• Slayer Sense Fail: Buffy can’t just break this stake? She will in a minute. Or violently thrash about with slayer strength to loosen ropes tied by a bunch of middle aged non-demon fighters?
• In addition to the chloroform intel, I guess the BtVS brass saw Die Hard too many times in regards to ventilation ducts being human-sized. At least Xander & Oz crawling around in there proves useless overall.

• Cordy gets to help save the day. If only her mother didn’t confiscate all Cordy’s black clothes and scented candles who knows what would have happened.
• Willow’s first attempt to de-rat Amy proves to be a bad omen. Can’t Giles help? He and Amy de-rated Buffy so shouldn’t he at least lend a hand at fixing a student? I guess I’ll give them all the benefit of the doubt this happened off-screen.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Retrospecticus – Season 3 will return next week to cover the second 11 episodes as well as overall thoughts of whole season, but for now try Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Retrospecticus – Season 3 Pt 1′s handful of trivia questions–see how you do without the use of Internet for once.

1. What dance did Anya do every night before she closed out the cash register?
2. Who was Dawn’s first kiss?

*Last week’s answers: 1) Jessica & Tony , 2) Mitch Fargo, 3) 2GPU947