Buffy season 3, discs 2 and 3
Sep. 16th, 2014 07:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessI don’t feel like I have any overarching comment to make about this run of episodes, which contains some classics, although some of them stood up better for me (Band Candy, Lover’s Walk and The Wish) than others.
I’m trying to compare what I suspect my reactions then were to my reactions now. For instance, the Xander/Willow kissing in ‘Homecoming’ would have got to me more because I’d still be closer to previous Willow pining for him and there would be my friends to lovers tendencies. Except now, as that played out, I felt more for Oz and Cordy. And the focus ‘Homecoming’ was the tensions between Buffy and Cordy and the life they could have led. However, it was Buffy’s terror at not leaving any kind of mark at the school – the pictures not being taken – that resonated most (and adds to the context for ‘The Wish’). Overall, I thought ‘Homecoming’ was perhaps too busy an episode.
The best thing for me about ‘Band Candy’ was Teen!Snyder, Shimmerman stole all of his scenes. I would imagine that I loved the whole ‘pollen made them do it’ trope, because I generally do in a long-running series (when handled by good actors who are clearly having a blast). This is the episode where the adults regress so that evil can be done, while Buffy has to be the grown-up. It’s a great episode for exploring the parental dynamics – Joyce and Giles have been on Buffy’s back with the SATs, now suddenly they’re a couple, irresponsible and not what Buffy needs. Hello, Ripper.
‘Revelations’ is the one where secrets start coming out. And I knew it because of the title, but I still squeaked when Xander found out Angel had returned. I might as well say here that Xander irritates me a lot in this rewatch, much more than he may have done before. (Willow also specifically irritates me because she won’t listen to what Oz needs in her need to make up to him after betraying him, but Xander annoys me for a whole host of reasons.) Also, I’m realising how much Buffy/Angel imprinted on me – I knew intellectually that it had affected my response to all other canonical Buffy ships afterwards (for the character, not on the show) and, to a degree, Angel’s, but the force of my reactions to their scenes took me by surprise.
In ‘Lover’s Walk’ a heartbroken, maudlin Spike returns to town, bringing chaos, truth and danger in his wake. I snorted in amusement a lot. Masters is a hoot as Spike, and made a good case for the character’s importance in the show – the chemistry with SMG, playing an irritated Buffy as Spike makes her face up to her feelings for Angel, is just part of it. I liked the three of them fighting on the same side and I liked the Mayor referring back to season 2, retconning himself right there. If I did have a criticism of this ep it’d be that the transitions were a little too pointed. And while I do have issues with what eventually happened to Cordelia, Angel and Spike, there’s a bit of anticipation for all the good stuff that was to come, especially in the spin-off show – where Angel would get to brood some, but be more than the love interest. Which is fitting in an episode where Buffy considers that she might have a future.
‘The Wish’ is about what if she didn’t have a past in Sunnydale. And I love ‘what ifs’.
We start with the fall-out of the Willow/Xander cheating discovery, with Cordy hurt, Oz quietly hurt and Buffy...pushing it for me by drawing parallels between what she and Angel went through and Willow and Xander cheating on their significant others. Which is when Anyanka turns up (in the midst of everything, beyond the whole premise of Anya = Anyanka and what Anyanka does, there are only hints of what Anya will be if you squint REALLY hard),
Cordy’s big wish is so counterintuitive intrinsically, and I know it’s lampshaded from Anya’s response and the scene after the power source is smooshed, when she goes on to make more sensical wishes, as it were. But it is a means to a visit to a dark, dark version of Sunnydale, playing out Buffy’s anxieties in this season. The main thrill is vamp!Willow and Xander, a sort of shadow Dru and Spike. The way that Cordy is killed by them is almost delicious. Nearly everyone dies in this episode, it’s that dark (and it was the source of many a quotable quip).
I was slightly disappointed with ‘Amends’ given that it was a Very Special Christmas Episode written and directed by Whedon himself, although that moment where it starts to snow, even though I knew it was coming, was wonderful and a promise for Angel. There was some spice to the writing, yes, and I especially liked how Giles was written here. But was there too much going on? And yet, I remember thinking that the pacing was slow at the start. I also really thought that, as well as the research, the Scoobies could have sent someone to keep an eye on Angel as soon as he seemed to be acting deranged.
This is the episode where The First Evil seemed like a potentially neat idea, before its return in the final season, when no. And really, what was its motive here?
There’s a nice rapprochement with Faith, after she was hurt by not being in the inner circle (there was so much for Buffy to do!)
‘Gingerbread’ suffers slightly by having people act strangely because of visions only they can see AGAIN straight after the same thing happened in the last episode, but it’s not connected. Perhaps they meant for another episode or two to come in between? But then Angel gives Buffy a ‘we fight (for good as heroes)’ pep talk that references ‘Amends’. I also felt that the execution of all the ideas flying about in this episode wasn’t always as good as it could have been (Willow et al act really stupidly in response to the dangers). However, the parental stuff – and that it’s mainly about the mothering of daughters – hits home. Giles and Cordy save the day – and MOO is a stupid acronym (I may have amused myself with what the acronym would be if Joyce weren’t a misandrist in this instance.)
Fic I’d like to see: Cordelia-Oz interaction after ‘Lover’s Walk’. What was Anya doing during ‘Amends’? It’s Christmastime, she’s newly back to being a human and she’s stuck in Sunnydale. There’s something else, but I forget.
I’m trying to compare what I suspect my reactions then were to my reactions now. For instance, the Xander/Willow kissing in ‘Homecoming’ would have got to me more because I’d still be closer to previous Willow pining for him and there would be my friends to lovers tendencies. Except now, as that played out, I felt more for Oz and Cordy. And the focus ‘Homecoming’ was the tensions between Buffy and Cordy and the life they could have led. However, it was Buffy’s terror at not leaving any kind of mark at the school – the pictures not being taken – that resonated most (and adds to the context for ‘The Wish’). Overall, I thought ‘Homecoming’ was perhaps too busy an episode.
The best thing for me about ‘Band Candy’ was Teen!Snyder, Shimmerman stole all of his scenes. I would imagine that I loved the whole ‘pollen made them do it’ trope, because I generally do in a long-running series (when handled by good actors who are clearly having a blast). This is the episode where the adults regress so that evil can be done, while Buffy has to be the grown-up. It’s a great episode for exploring the parental dynamics – Joyce and Giles have been on Buffy’s back with the SATs, now suddenly they’re a couple, irresponsible and not what Buffy needs. Hello, Ripper.
‘Revelations’ is the one where secrets start coming out. And I knew it because of the title, but I still squeaked when Xander found out Angel had returned. I might as well say here that Xander irritates me a lot in this rewatch, much more than he may have done before. (Willow also specifically irritates me because she won’t listen to what Oz needs in her need to make up to him after betraying him, but Xander annoys me for a whole host of reasons.) Also, I’m realising how much Buffy/Angel imprinted on me – I knew intellectually that it had affected my response to all other canonical Buffy ships afterwards (for the character, not on the show) and, to a degree, Angel’s, but the force of my reactions to their scenes took me by surprise.
In ‘Lover’s Walk’ a heartbroken, maudlin Spike returns to town, bringing chaos, truth and danger in his wake. I snorted in amusement a lot. Masters is a hoot as Spike, and made a good case for the character’s importance in the show – the chemistry with SMG, playing an irritated Buffy as Spike makes her face up to her feelings for Angel, is just part of it. I liked the three of them fighting on the same side and I liked the Mayor referring back to season 2, retconning himself right there. If I did have a criticism of this ep it’d be that the transitions were a little too pointed. And while I do have issues with what eventually happened to Cordelia, Angel and Spike, there’s a bit of anticipation for all the good stuff that was to come, especially in the spin-off show – where Angel would get to brood some, but be more than the love interest. Which is fitting in an episode where Buffy considers that she might have a future.
‘The Wish’ is about what if she didn’t have a past in Sunnydale. And I love ‘what ifs’.
We start with the fall-out of the Willow/Xander cheating discovery, with Cordy hurt, Oz quietly hurt and Buffy...pushing it for me by drawing parallels between what she and Angel went through and Willow and Xander cheating on their significant others. Which is when Anyanka turns up (in the midst of everything, beyond the whole premise of Anya = Anyanka and what Anyanka does, there are only hints of what Anya will be if you squint REALLY hard),
Cordy’s big wish is so counterintuitive intrinsically, and I know it’s lampshaded from Anya’s response and the scene after the power source is smooshed, when she goes on to make more sensical wishes, as it were. But it is a means to a visit to a dark, dark version of Sunnydale, playing out Buffy’s anxieties in this season. The main thrill is vamp!Willow and Xander, a sort of shadow Dru and Spike. The way that Cordy is killed by them is almost delicious. Nearly everyone dies in this episode, it’s that dark (and it was the source of many a quotable quip).
I was slightly disappointed with ‘Amends’ given that it was a Very Special Christmas Episode written and directed by Whedon himself, although that moment where it starts to snow, even though I knew it was coming, was wonderful and a promise for Angel. There was some spice to the writing, yes, and I especially liked how Giles was written here. But was there too much going on? And yet, I remember thinking that the pacing was slow at the start. I also really thought that, as well as the research, the Scoobies could have sent someone to keep an eye on Angel as soon as he seemed to be acting deranged.
This is the episode where The First Evil seemed like a potentially neat idea, before its return in the final season, when no. And really, what was its motive here?
There’s a nice rapprochement with Faith, after she was hurt by not being in the inner circle (there was so much for Buffy to do!)
‘Gingerbread’ suffers slightly by having people act strangely because of visions only they can see AGAIN straight after the same thing happened in the last episode, but it’s not connected. Perhaps they meant for another episode or two to come in between? But then Angel gives Buffy a ‘we fight (for good as heroes)’ pep talk that references ‘Amends’. I also felt that the execution of all the ideas flying about in this episode wasn’t always as good as it could have been (Willow et al act really stupidly in response to the dangers). However, the parental stuff – and that it’s mainly about the mothering of daughters – hits home. Giles and Cordy save the day – and MOO is a stupid acronym (I may have amused myself with what the acronym would be if Joyce weren’t a misandrist in this instance.)
Fic I’d like to see: Cordelia-Oz interaction after ‘Lover’s Walk’. What was Anya doing during ‘Amends’? It’s Christmastime, she’s newly back to being a human and she’s stuck in Sunnydale. There’s something else, but I forget.
