Season 4, Episode 1

To begin with, the seasons of Buffy can be grouped together similar to how the Harry Potter books are. Seasons 1-3 go together where Buffy is in high school and dealing with all the usual high school drama. Season 4 stands on its own where it’s the big turning point for Buffy and the series. Then Season 5-7 go together because these are the seasons shit gets so real that you can never be prepared for it. A lot of people I know aren’t fans of Season 4 and its lack of cohesion is one of the reasons (the other we’ll get into later). But this season is really about our characters growing, learning who they are as individuals apart from their high school group dynamic. Where Season 3 was about growing up, Season 4 is about actual character development and growth. Every single one of our main characters will really begin discovering who they are as individuals this season and will be forever changed by the end, so hold on tight folks, we’re in for a ride.

 

 “The Freshman”

This episode starts with a completely different feel to it then all the past seasons. We are now out of our element and so is Buffy. No more Scooby meetings at the library. No more high school at all. Time to be thrown out into the world my little bird.

We do get a sense of familiarity with Buffy and Willow hanging out in the cemetery like old times. Yet hear they are discussing college courses instead of Xander as we used to hear from Willow every season. And I need to point out Willow’s hair gets shorter every season! Season 4 and 5 are my favorite hairstyles for her, just sayin’.

And I have a question for Sarah, the resident Willow expert, what is Willow’s major? She says she’s had it picked since like infancy, but I don’t remember them every mentioning what her major is.

While discussing important things like, "How do you get to be renowned? Do you have to be nowned first?" Buffy lets a vampire escape without her noticing.

Slaying Fail.

 We get our first look at our new school for the year, UC Sunnydale. What college campus is used for this and can we go there too?

Buffy runs into Willow where Willow tells Buffy how she wants to have sex with knowledge.

“But here, I mean, the energy, the collective intelligence -- it's like this force, this penetrating force, I can feel my mind just opening up, you know, letting the place just thrust into it and... spurt knowledge... into... that sentence ended up in a different place than it started out in.” (Sarah's favorite line!)

Buffy is feeling very overwhelmed with all of this college stuff, whereas Willow and Oz are thriving on it. We make it to the bookstore where we meet… RILEY!

Buffy introduces herself by dropping books on him. "This store discriminates against short people" That’s the story of my life. We’ll get more into Riley as his character develops but he also tends to be among people’s least favorite characters. My plan is to open the world’s eyes to the awesomeness of Season 4 and Riley Finn.

We meet Buffy’s new dorm mate. I’m 95% that if I had to share a room with this, I’d stab her within the first week.

Buffy goes to her first class that she is just attempting to audit and the teacher is a giant douche to her. This mean college professor gets portrayed a lot on screen, but I have never met one nor heard of anyone having a teacher like this. But we get to see how Buffy is feeling more and more isolated in this new world she’s been thrown into. She’s feeling like everything is too much to handle. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a Ravenclaw, but I thought college was easy.

We see Buffy meet another student, Eddie, that she can relate too. The “being lost trying to find your way around campus” is a great metaphor for Buffy being lost in life in general. Too bad her new friend gets captured and killed by the on-campus vampire group.

Dav the Vampire: Does this sweater make me look fat?

Sunday the Vampire: No the fact that you are fat makes you look fat; the sweater just makes you look purple.

Buffy begins to try to reconnect with the old things in her life, but has difficulty doing so. Giles has now taken up being a “man of leisure” aka “having a mid-life unemployed crisis”. Buffy interrupts Giles with a lady friend and can’t get over the fact that Giles does in fact have a penis and does also enjoy putting it inside of women.

Buffy: Is this a bad time?

Giles: No, it’s fine.

Buffy: Are you sure? I’m pretty sure it’s a bad time.

Giles: Really it’s ok. What do you need?

Buffy: I think this is a bad time. I also think you are naked under that robe.

Giles: Care to find out?

*Buffy exits*

The cold hard truth of semi-adult life comes crashing down on Buffy. Giles isn't her watcher so she needs to figure stuff out on her own now.

Attempting to find out why Eddie disappeared, Buffy runs into Sunday and her vampire gang. For the first time in awhile, Buffy gets her ass-kicked by a vampire and this one she isn’t even in love with.

Again we see Buffy trying to find some comfort in her old way of life by visiting home and the Bronze. But you can’t go back. Home is now a place where her room is filled with boxes and her mom is busy with her own life.

Side Note: The phone call that Buffy receives but no one talks on the other end is actually from Angel. Since Season 1 of Angel is running at the same time as Buffy Season 4, we’re going to mention anything from Angel that crosses over into Buffy because a lot of things go unexplained otherwise. I originally watched Buffy without ever seeing Angel and yeah, after watching Angel SO MUCH MORE MAKES SENSE. *cough*Faith*cough*

At the Bronze, Buffy realizes this place was only fun because of her high school friends that she went there with. And of course because she always seemed to run into Angel there. Wait… is that Angel? (Actually it IS David Boreanez at first). But no, just some dude that has too much hair gel. But hey look! It’s Xander!

To Buffy: "You look like you just got diagnosed with cancer of the puppy." (Fav Line)

 Xander isn’t having a great time post-high school either. He didn’t go the college-route so he has to find a job and pay rent to live in his basement. This season we are going to see a whole new Xander, the Xander that I actually know and love. His new role is “say the right thing to make people feel better” guy.

Xander: Buffy, I've been through some fairly dark times in my life. Faced some scary things, among them the kitchen of the fabulous "Ladies Night" club. Let me tell you something. When it's dark and I'm all alone, and I'm scared or freaking out or whatever, I always think, "What would Buffy do?" … You're my hero.

Then of course, he does the Xander-like thing and ruins the moment.

Xander: Okay, sometimes when it's dark and I'm alone I think, "What is Buffy wearing?"

Buffy and Xander go off to stake the vampire group that is making it look like college students are leaving school, when in fact they are just being turned or eaten and their stuff stolen. For some reason the vampires are living in a place that has a skylight (I’d really think skylights would be on the list of things vampires don’t want when looking for a place to live). Anyway, Buffy and Xander look in on them, Xander goes to get weapons, and Buffy decides to fall through the skylight.

I love this little side scene of Willow and Oz going to Buffy’s room where it looks like she ran away again. Willow is constantly blaming herself and feeling guilt over other people’s actions thinking it’s something she did or something she could have done to stop it. She thinks that Buffy ran because Willow was a bad friend, aww. L Xander drops by to explain in code that “Some friends of Buffy's played a funny joke, they took her stuff and now she wants us to help get it back from her friends
who sleep all day and have no tans.”

Buffy, having fallen into the vampire’s nest kicks their ass in the old Buffy style. This goes to show that after reconnecting with one of her friends, she finds the strength to fight whereas earlier in the show she was all alone. Just like how Harry Potter is lost without his friends. We’ll see this really continue throughout this season.

Her friends show up to help as Buffy finishes off the bitch that broke her umbrella. That part really upset me because that umbrella represents so much about how her high school friends appreciated what she did and by breaking it we see that everything is different in college now. Giles puts pants on and shows up just in time to be of no use, but the support is nice.

We close on some army dudes tazing and capturing a vampire. That’s weird. Maybe it’s just Xander and his friends playing dress-up.

-Kali!

Sarah's Notes

-“Yes first there’s the painful nowning process”

-To answer the question about Willow's major, I have no idea. I don't remember them mentioning anything but my best guess is she was trying to get a teaching degree. That seems to be the best fit for her if she would choose a major right from the start, however I feel like it would make more sense for her to go into school being confused on which major to pick because she wants every major.

Thank you Hyperbole and a Half for this picture that represents Willow perfectly

-“Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior” “You know I meant to and then I got really busy” I think this is hilarious because it is very accurate. At college, there are tons of people with many fliers of crap that you don't care about all the time.

-“I didn’t get jello shots” I love how hurt Willow sounds lol

- (to Riley) “I’m nice to meet” This is probably one of the worst responses you can give when someone says "nice to meet you," just putting that out there.

-I’m with Kali, I’ve never had a professor act as that guy did to Buffy. It’s kind of insane to do that the first day, everyone will freak out and drop your class before the drop period ends. And I find college to be just as easy but I'm a Ravenclaw as well so I guess we're not the best people to ask.

-Maggie Walsh really irks me, I would have hated having her as a psychology professor.

-(About the building she's looking for) “Which I know is on the earth planet”

-“I’m trying to cut way back” (on porn)

-“You made a friend? Good for you” “Thanks mom” This is made of so much win! Willow does get sort of mom-ish. She means well, but that comment was just really hilarious and I'm glad Buffy responded how she did.

-“No! Because you’re very, very old and it’s gross” I think it's awesome how Buffy can actually say this to Giles; they have such a cool relationship. And I felt the same way as her about how gross it is.

-This episode, with Buffy fighting Sunday, shows how much Buffy herself can affecting her own fighting. AT the time Sunday comes, she isn’t really that tough, Buffy’s just in a really bad place after seeing Eddie as a vampire and Giles not feel the need to help her anymore. I really feel like her feeling lost and alone and the fact that Sunday started off the fight with sarcasm making fun of her got her off to a bad start.

-“Yeah but I didn’t move anything” Joyce has such weird views on parenting. What book did she read that told her putting boxes into her daughters room two days after moving out was okay because you aren't moving any of her stuff?

-“Do we hug?” “I think we’re too manly” LOL

Shit happens

Here's a story of a girl who grew up lost and lonely... no wait, that's Penny.

Here's the story- I was too sick Thursday to record the video and Sarah didn't get the cable she needed for her camera until late Friday night so I couldn't edit the other video we shot. The moral of the story is- shit happens so the recap video will be up sometime this weekend but I don't know when because I'm sick and am dying of death.

Go read The Thought Monster and this pic can hold you over until then:

Our shirts are awesome.

Graduation Day Pt. 2

The mayor goes to Faith's and doesn't see her. He freaks out and orders everyone to help look for her. It's actually pretty sad. He sort of breaks down and just keeps repeating "She'll be okay" to himself. Poor evil soon-to-be-a-big-snake guy...

Back at the library, Xander brings Giles (apparently really gross tasting) coffee. Xander questions why he didn't ask for tea, since all people from England drink tea over coffee and Giles responds by saying, “Tea is soothing, I wish to be tense." I giggle at this line. This is one of my favorite lines of this episode. I still love you Giles, don't think I forgot about you. I also like the conversation between Xander and Cordelia about Wesley getting sacked.
Cordelia:  "I demand an explanation."
Xander:  "For what?"
Cordelia:  "Wesley."
Xander:  "Uh - inbreeding?"
I'm going to miss Angel a little tiny bit after this season, but I won't be missing Cordelia at all. Nope, not at all.

Angel is losing it entirely and thinks that Willow is Buffy. And that Oz is Buffy as well…Thankfully, actually Buffy comes back. Willow almost asks if she killed Faith but changes it to "she's not here?" Buffy says no and continues having her sad. She asks if she can have some time alone with Angel and they oblige.

Does anyone else think it’s funny that both Buffy and Angel were so very quickly to jump on killing Faith in order to save Angel? I mean, yeah she's making some poor choices but that doesn't mean she deserves to be killed!

And now Buffy literally forces Angel to drink from her after he refuses. She hits him until he gets turned on his vamp face on and then she shoves him into her neck to start drinking! Does anyone else think this is a bad idea? Angel begins drinking and is starting to lose control. Buffy is suffering and tries to get his attention anyway she can. Finally, Angel stops and rushes Buffy to the ER because she's not looking too good.

This is why you need a safe word, Buffy.

I didn't think that Buffy really looked like she was suffering at all. In fact, she kinda looked like she was enjoying it. Joss said this was one of the more "thinly veiled metaphors"  for them having sex (the way Buffy squeezes the pitcher and kicks the table). I just think Buffy likes to be bitten. Also, I think its incredibly brave of Buffy to risk her life in order to save Angel's. Even though they have broken up and he is leaving, we see how much they still love each other.

Obviously, Buffy and Faith are in connecting rooms. Angel goes to call the scoobies and the Mayor is in with Faith. The doctor is telling him how there is almost no chance that she'll wake up from her coma and he has a sad. A nurse comes in and tells the doctor that the girl next store suffered from severe blood loss. The mayor, knowing that the only person capable of losing blood would be Buffy, goes into her room and TRIES TO KILL HER BY COVERING HER MOUTH! I like how the Mayor reacts like a father would and wants to punish anyone that might be to blame for his "daughter" being hurt.

Trying to murder someone in a hospital isn't the best idea ever...

Angel comes in and gets the mayor off of her and they each have a my-girl-is-better-and-deserves-to-live-more-than-yours battle. They part with promises of getting back into it later for the "second act." And now here is when I seriously hate Xander. He knows Buffy and yet he jumps so quickly to assume Angel fed off of her without her consent. He must not think very highly of Buffy…If Buffy didn't want it to happen, you best believe she could have stopped him.

Xander, y u such an ass?

Cut to Buffy walking through Faith's apartment her arms crossed in front of her. There are cardboard boxes stacked everywhere.  Buffy stops and sees a cat jump up on Faith's bed.
Buffy:  "Who's going to look after him?"
Faith:  "It's a she.  And aren't these things supposed to take care of themselves?" walks up behind Buffy and stops next to her.
Buffy:  "A higher power guiding us?"
Faith looks at her then turns away and keeps walking towards the camera:  "I'm pretty sure that's not what I meant."
Buffy looking down:  "There's something I'm supposed to be doing."
Faith:  "Oh yeah. - Miles to go - Little Ms. Muffet counting down from 7-3-0."
Buffy grimaces:  "Great. - Riddles."
Faith standing in front of the broken window looking out:  "Sorry, it's my head.  A lot of new stuff."
Buffy looks at her with a half smile.  The cat on the bed turns for a split second into the image of a girl (Faith?) laying on the bed in white gown at the same time as Faith still looking out the broken window says:  "They are never going to fix this, are they?"
Buffy concerned:  "What about you?"
Faith turns around and gestures at her head:  "Scar tissue.  It fades.  It all fades."
Buffy looks down with a frown.  For a split second Faith's bloody knife appears in the palm of her hand.
Faith as Buffy looks back up:  "You want to know the deal?  Human weakness - never goes away.  Not even his."
Buffy with a half smile:  "Is this your mind or mine?"
Faith with a short laugh:  "Beats me."  Buffy gives a little laugh in return and looks down.  Faith walks towards her:  "Getting towards that time."
Buffy looks at all the boxes and the weapons laid out on the table beside her:  "How are you going to fit all this stuff?"
Faith:  "Not gonna.  It's yours."
Buffy:  "I can't use all of this!"
Faith:  "Just take what you need.  (reaches her right hand up to touch Buffy's cheek)  "You're ready?

This is so freaking interesting! First of all, the Ms. Muffet part Joss actually references and talks about it's importance within a later season so we're going to just put that to the side and talk about it when it comes up again. Because this is a "dream" and most of it is symbolism, it's up for grabs how you interpret it. As for me, I think the cat represents Buffy, but also Faith. It's a she and she's supposed to look after herself. I believe this is a reference to how Buffy will carry on without the council or Watcher backing her. Everything is going to be up to her. If she wants help, she needs to ask for it and choose to accept it; it won't just be given with the assumption that she'll follow orders. They're never going to fix this and Faith saying it all fades then going and telling Buffy about human weakness? These are hints that Faith recognized how things were getting over her head and she was scaring herself. Now away from the situation and in a safe place, she can tell Buffy how to defeat the Mayor. She loves him, but he is still going to behave in a way that she can't condone. Subconsciously, she knows he's wrong and Buffy's right.

So. Effin. Interesting.

I love when Joss does dream sequences, he does them so well! This one reminds me of the Dumbledore/Harry scene at the end of Deathly Hallows. Faith is giving Buffy advice and of course its happening in Buffy's head, but that doesn't mean they aren't really haven't this conversation on some Slayer to Slayer mind link level.

Cordelia: “I personally don’t think we can come up with a stupider plan” Oz: “We attack the mayor with hummus” Cordelia: “I stand corrected” Oz: “Just keeping things in perspective”

Their secret weapon

Buffy tells them that she's going to play off of the Mayor's human weakness because that's what Faith told her to do. Willow questions her: “Faith told you? Was that before or after you put her in a coma?” Buffy: “after” Willow: “oh…” Infinite lolz.

Confused Willow is Confused

But now, what is his weakness?

Oz:  "Well, Angel, you hung with him the most.  Is there something that he's afraid of?"  Buffy's looking down uncomfortably.
Angel:  "Well, he's not crazy about germs."
Cordelia:  "Of course, that's it.  We attack him with germs!"
Buffy:  "Great!  We'll corner him and then you can sneeze on him."
Cordelia gesturing excitedly:  "No!  No, we'll get a box with the Ebola virus and… and….  Or it doesn't even have to be real, we can just get a box that says Ebola on it and… uhm (snaps her fingers) chase him… (Oz frowns and no one else says anything)  with the box…"
Xander:  "I'm starting to lean towards the humus offensive." Oz:  "He'll never see it coming." Angel:  "Faith."  Buffy glances over at him and asks: "Faith?"
Angel:  "At the hospital he was grieving.  Seriously crazed, and not just in a homicidal I want to be a demon way.  She is his weak link."
Buffy:  "Faith.  (looks up at Giles)  I can work that."

As much as the idea of chasing the mayor with a box that says Ebola on it sounds awesome, obviously using Faith is the best weapon they've got. And don't forget to keep playing on Xander's "military training". Everytime they make a reference to that crap, a kitten cries a single sad tear.

Why do you keep using this bullshit military knowledge, Joss? Why?
Oh because Xander is really worthless.

Everyone is off working on their assignments, including Wesley who came to help of his own accord, not as a council member. I do really like that Wesley is brave enough to 1. admit defeat and just offer to help and 2. stay to help ever though it's an extremely dangerous situation. He and Cordelia work together (shocker) and they kiss:

However, their kiss is just incredibly awkward so they break apart and say that they'll "keep in touch" and get back to work.

Angel "I'm always know the right thing to say" (it would be helpful if he had a last name right now..) says he won’t say goodbye to Buffy after it's all over. Way to pour salt in a wound, buddy. It's kinda funny to me how Angel's way of running away from Buffy is to go maybe an hour tops down the road to LA.

Buffy then goes and gets Faith's knife from her apartment and then they all make their way to the graduation where shit's about to go down.

"Congratulations to the class of 1999.  You all proved more or less adequate.  This is a time of celebration, so: sit still and be quiet.  (Surveys the students)  Spit out that gum. - Please welcome our distinguished guest speaker: Richard Wilkins the 3rd.  (to one of the students)  I saw that gesture.  You see me after graduation."

I like how Willow and Oz are late to graduation because they were totally getting it on in Oz's van. Everyone is ready for battle and the Mayor, proving how evil he truly is, starts actually reading his speech. Buffy: “My god, he’s going to do the entire speech” Willow: “Man just ascend already” Buffy: “Evil…”

The Mayor's speech is one of the best moments in this episode because it sums up not just what is happening in this episode, but really what this whole season of Buffy has been about- growing up.
"For all of you it may be that there is a place in Sunnydale's history, whether you like it or not.  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.  Some people who should be here today… aren't.  But we are. - Journey's end.  And what is a journey?  Is it just… distance traveled?  Time spent?  No.  It's what happens on the way, it the things that happen to you.  At the end of the journey you're not the same.  Today is about change. Graduation doesn't just mean your circumstances change, it means you do.  You ascend… to a higher level.  Nothing will ever be the same. Nothing,"

I feel like this is really Joss's speech to us, the audience, about the show. It's a journey about a group of teenagers growing up together. Some characters we have lost, there has been good time and bad ones. It's also very true that nothing will be the same because Buffy becomes a very different series after they leave high school.

Finally, the mayor ascends and all the students fight in the battle at Hogwarts Sunnydale. It's a great moment having the entire school band together for once in order to fight off the Mayor. There were so many time in this season that Buffy felt alone, but now we see everyone getting behind her to help fight. I also want to note that I felt like it was neccesary for the Mayor to change forms in order to kill him because it would be hard to want to see him die in his human form since he still was a nice guy sometimes.

Side note: when I went to Torrance High, we reenacted this battle scene on those stairs because we’re all very cool. This was without Kali. We would have done this on our trip on Monday but Kali broke in by herself.

Sadness and epicness takes place and we see Larry and Snyder die as well as Harmony get bit by a vampire.  Actually, it was pretty funny having Snyder get eaten by a giant snake.

During this time, Buffy works Mr. Snake into following her:

"Hey!  (holds Faith's knife in her right hand) You remember this? I took it from Faith. Stuck it in her gut.  (Looks at the knife then back up at the Mayor)  Just slid in her like she was butter. You want to get it back from me... Dick?"

Buffy leads the Mayor into the library and blows him, and the school up. (I have to say that I'm a pretty big nerd for being happy that they made sure to take all of the books out of the library before they blew up the school.)

 

After all the shit goes down, sweetness and funniness occurs. First, Wesley, who fell down within the first 3 seconds of fighting is seen being wheeled away on a stretcher saying “if I could just get something for the pain, there's quite a lot of pain. Or if I could just be knocked unconscious." Then Giles goes and tells Buffy she did a great job. They would say more, but Buffy's brain isn't working to well and she can only understand “fire bad, tree pretty." (I say this all the time when my brain isn't sleepy or sick like right now. I can only comprehend fire bad, tree pretty, computer screen too bright) However, before they part, Giles gives Buffy her diploma, telling her she earned it. On the count of three, everyone: One. Two. Three. D’awwww.

Then Angel leaves, Buffy has a sad. Angel isn't sad though, he gets his own show.

Which leads us to the end of the season, with Cordelia, Oz, Xander, Willow, and Buffy sitting across the street from school staring at the ruins. Oz asks them all to take a moment and recognize that they survived.

Buffy: One hell of a battle Oz: Not the battle, high school

Oz: We're taking a moment... and we're done

And thus ends Season 3 of Buffy! Yay!

Graduation Day Pt.1

Note: Just like with Becoming, Sarah will be in regular font, and Kali will be in gray italics.

We open with the whole school getting ready for graduation! They're picking up their caps and gowns and signing yearbooks and it's all very touching.


Willow: (about Harmony) Aw I’m gonna miss her
Buffy: Don't you hate her?
Willow: Yes, with a fiery vengeance. She picked on me for ten years, the vacuous tramp. It's like a sickness, Buffy. I'm just missing everything. I miss P.E
Most people do the same thing as Willow. You get all nostalgic when you are leaving high school even when it comes to people or things you didn't like or weren't close to. I on the the otherhand said, "I hate you all and hope you all fall into a pit of fire snakes." I also liek how Buffy begins this episode by not liking graduation because it doesn't mean anything to her, but she'll learn exactly what its all about by the end of Part 2.

While everyone at school is celebrating growing up, Faith is off celebrating evil. She goes to a Professor's home under orders from the Mayor to kill him. Poor Lester, I have a sad. ;_; This is the first time we see Faith killing an innocent human in premeditation. Another step further on the dark side. And she killed a vulcan!

He was actually volcanologist? Nevermind then...

Faith then goes back to the Mayor and tries on a pretty pink dress that he got her for Ascension day. He then, very creepily, says “any boys that manage to survive will be lining up to ask you out." This is why the Mayor is so awesome/creepy. This is a sweet, fatherly comment that is made very evil by adding the first part about any boys that survive. Could you imagine being his daughter? It'd be weird; I wouldn't want to be friends with anyone for fear that he'd kill them. However, next he says what is probably my favorite line of the episode to Faith: "No father could be prouder." This moment with Faith and the Mayor is so sweet that it almost makes me excuse them killing people because I love the way they are with each other. The lines leading up to what Sarah quoted are great too. "Let me tell you something. Nobody knows what you are. Not even you, little miss seen-it-all. The Ascension isn't just my day, it's yours too. Your day to blossom, to show the world what a powerful girl you are. I think of what you've done, what I know you will do..." It's like a parent's speech to their kid at their graduation.

At school, Percy and Willow have a conversation. He got a B- on a paper, he's going to graduate! Everyone celebrates and then he says “got the grades and now after graduation I can forget all of this crap."

Acquiring knowledge: Ur doin it wrong

Now in class, Xander is late for a very important lecture.

Teacher: Thank you for joining us, Mr. Harris.
 Xander gives him a double thumbs-up.
Teacher: Look, I realize that you've all finished your finals and you're ready to move on. But you haven't graduated yet. This is still a class and everyone will participate. Mr. Harris, would you care to begin.
Xander: Ummm... E.
Teacher: No. There's no E. 

    Teacher: They always go the the E.

What school has class after finals? Finals were always the last thing because there is no reason to go to school after. This almost makes sense if you went to boarding school, but even then...

In the library, Giles and Wesley are fencing while discussing the murder of the professor with Buffy. Basically, Buffy and Giles plan on figuring out what the Mayor wanted to kill the professor for and what information he was trying to hide. Wesley then jumps in and orders Buffy to go investigate to which she responds: “I just love it when you take charge, you man you.”

After this conversation, Xander brings Anya in after learning back at class that she has been to an Ascension. She describes the experience to us. To cut to the chase, Ascension's are not good. The last one decimated almost the entire village, with only about three people surviving. Wesley, being a prat, begins to sound more confident saying that Lo-Hash, the ascended demon within Anya's story, isn't that fierce and the conversation gets awesome:

Anya: You've never seen a demon.

"Buffy:Uh, excuse me? Kind of professionally, four years running.
Anya: All the demons that walk the earth are tainted, are human hybrids like vampires. The Ascension means that a human becomes pure demon. They're different."

We now see how fearless the Mayor is when he just walks into the library with everyone sitting around peeing their pants in fear. If he wasn't trying to turn into a demon and didn't like killing people, he'd actually be a pretty swell guy. The only one of the gang that doesn't seem to quake in fear is Giles, since he stabs the Mayor after his comment about eating Buffy.

"Whoa! Well now, that was a little thoughtless. (pulls the sword out of his chest) Violent outbursts like that, in front of the children? You know, Mr. Giles, they look to you to see how to behave. (The Mayor takes a handkerchief and slowly wipes the blood from the sword.) I smell fear. That's smart. Some of your deaths will be quick, if that's worth anything. Well, see you all at graduation. (tosses the sword back to Giles) You don't want to miss my commencement address. It's going to be one heck of a speech."

“You can’t stop the signal ascension” –Anya. No, of course I didn't include this quote just to make a Firefly reference, that'd be silly.

Buffy packs a bag for her mom and begs for her to leave. “I wish I could be a lot of things for you. A great student, a star athlete, remotely normal. I'm not. But there is something I do that I can do better than anybody else in the world. I'm gonna fight this thing, but I can't do it and worry about you." Joyce doesn't agree at first and then Buffy tells her if she stays than she'll get her killed. This obviously puts Joyce in a very bad situation with two poor choices. She can either stay with her daughter and get herself and/or Buffy killed or she can leave town as Buffy wishes and worry about her daughter's safety while keeping herself away from harm. She chooses the latter.


Oz: Nothing useful?
Willow: No, it's great. If we want to make ferns invisible, or communicate with shrimp, I've got the goods right here.
Oz: Our lives are different than other peoples'. (I really love this line.)

Willow: Oh, who am I kidding? I'm not going to find a spell to stop the Ascension. I'm no witch. I can't even change poor Amy back to a person.
Oz: But you got the swinging Habitrail going. I think Amy is in a good place emotionally.
Willow: Oz.
Oz: What?
Willow: Could you just pretend to care about what's happening? Please?
Oz: You think I don't care?
Willow: I think we could be dead in two days time and you're being ironic detachment guy.
Oz: Would it help if I panic?
Willow: (babbling) Yes, it would be swell. Panic is a thing people can share in times of crisis. And everything's really scary now, you know, and I don't know what's gonna happen. And there's all sorts of things that you're supposed to get to do after high school, and I was really looking forward to doing them, and now we're probably just gonna die and I would like to feel that maybe you would ...
   Oz leans forward and kisses her, slowly.
Willow: What are you doing?
Oz: Panicking.

I love this "sex" scene between Willow and Oz so much. I think it's because it's the complete opposite of Angel/Buffy. It's not meant to be hot and steamy; it's sweet and meaningful.

And this is how Willow loses her virginity; when they both needed it. To quote my paper again, "this positive first sexual experience sets Willow up as a “fiercely devoted lover, who is generous with her feelings and can flourish in long-term relationships (Swain, 2010.)” Unlike Buffy and Xander, Willow's loss of virginity didn't have an immediate impact on her, but it does play a factor into some things still to come within the next season.

Apparently, David is actually very clumsy so Joss thought it'd be funny to have Angel trip a bit.

“Not my best entrance, I think they were mopping in the halls”

Angel and Buffy have a totally awesome conversation:

Buffy: You know what? Thank you, but I can take it from here.
Angel: It's alright. I'll walk you there.
Buffy: Look, I don't need an escort. I'm a big girl. Superpowers, remember? I don't need you crowding me.
Angel: I didn't think I was.
Buffy: No, of course you don't. You just show up at the prom and then you disappear into the ozone. For all I know, you left town.
Angel: Are you mad at me for being around too much or for not being around enough?
Buffy: Duh. Yes.
Angel: Which?
Buffy: What?
Angel: I don't get you.
Buffy: No, you don't, not anymore.

Buffy's a heartbroken teenager. One of these by itself will cause someone to be confused about what they're feeling and have contradicting emotions but both together? That's just a recipe for disaster. I feel like Buffy and Angel knew what they needed when they were together because part of what they both needed was just each other. Buffy telling him that he doesn't get her anymore is her saying that he doesn't know how to work their relationship anymore. She needs him there but simultaneously needs him to stay away in order to get over him and heal her broken heart. Giles was right in the last episode, this requires ice cream and time where she is able to take a step back and figure out what she wants and needs. However, Buffy doesn't get this time yet because she needs to save the world first.

Back to the conversation and scene itself, during their dialogue Angel gets shot with an arrow. Buffy's "narrowed down my list of one suspect” and knows that Faith was the shooter. However, shit gets real when the arrow is removed and they learn that it was filled with poison after Angel falls down.

One thing that I don't get- how can Buffy tell that Angel is "burning up"? One, he has no heartbeat, so his blood doesn't flow, so how can he get a fever? And two, his normal body temperature is room temperature so for him to feel hot to her means his temperature went up about 35 degrees F.

The "afterward" scene between Oz and Willow is so adorable. They are now becoming my favorite couple on the series. Willow rambles like she always does and Oz says few words but the ones he does choose to say are so full or meaning. Aww.

The Mayor plans was pretty smart, killing Angel would only piss Buffy off so she'd seek revenge, but this way she's busy looking for a way to cure him.

In which the Mayor and Faith still have an adorable relationship:

Mayor: Just, you know, go home, take it easy. It's a big day tomorrow.
Faith: You gotta give me something to do. There's no way I'm sleeping. Don't you need anyone dead? Or maimed? I can settle for maimed.
Mayor: (chuckles) You little firecracker.
Faith: My mom used to call me that when I was little. I was always running around.
  She falls silent. The Mayor observes her with a look of concern.
Faith: Tomorrow, at the Ascension and all that, am I going to get to fight?
Mayor: If everything goes smoothly, you won't have to. But how often do things go smoothly?
Faith: So you'll still need me in there. Mayor: Always. (Anytime anyone says "Always" I will forever immediately think "There's so much in one word")

Faith: When I was a kid, a couple of miles outside of Boston there was this quarry. And all the kids used to swim there and jump off the rocks. And there was this one rock like forty feet up. I was the only one that would jump off it. All the older kids were too scared.
Mayor: Not you though.
Faith: Naah. I could do it easy.
Mayor: Get some rest.  

Faith actually opened up to the Mayor. She told him about her childhood and was vulnerable. I in no way think that she's evil; she always just wanted someone to love her. She was impressionable and the Mayor showed her the love she needed in exchange for her to turn to his side. Both of them just fell together so well and the relationship is as real as Giles and Buffy. I feel so bad for Faith amd it's hard for me to watch this scene without getting teary eyed.

Anya is freaking awesome. Joss has said that she was intended to just be a one shot character for The Wish but they became fascinated by the idea of a thousand year old ex-demon being forced into a high school and learning what it means to be human. I'm glad they brought her back because Anya becomes one of my favorite characters and I agree that the idea of her discovering how humanity works is icredibly interesting. Anya reminds me a little bit of Cordelia in the sense that she doesn't have that filter that tells you not to say everything that comes to mind, but lucky for us the things that come to Anya's mind are odd and funny, not bitchy and rude. And at least Anya has the excuse of being a millenia old ex-demon.

“(After Xander doesn't agree to leave with her) You know what I hope you die!

*Xander leaves* Aren’t we gonna kiss?”

I also enjoy the beginning of the Xander/Anya relationship. It's sweet how she asks him to leave with her because "it feels bad inside. Like I might vomit." when she thinks of Xander getting hurt. 

Wesley comes back from trying to get information about a cure from the council. However, because one of the requirements for being on the council is being a jerkface, they refused to give out any information and want Buffy to focus on the mayor instead of Angel since this was obviously a ploy to get her distracted. Wesley tells her this and says "don't you understand that?" to which she replies "I'm talking about watching my lover die. I have no idea what you're talking about." Um, did anyone else go to an uncomfortable place when Buffy refers to Angel as her lover to both Giles and Wesley?

I wasn't uncomfortable, I mostly just thought "WTF? I thought you two broke up?! Did you get back together again with me realizing it? No? Then don't call him that, creeper."

After hearing all of this, Buffy says to Wesley "I don't think I’m going to be taking anymore orders” and quits the council. Wesley: “This is mutiny” Buffy: “I like to think of it as graduation” (Love this line so much!) At this moment Buffy understands what graduation really is. It's not about the cermony or the robes or the piece of paper. It's about moving on, about growing up, and about becoming your own person.


Back with the scoobies searching for a cure, the find that one sure way to cure Angel completely is to drink the blood of a Slayer. Uh-oh...From this, Buffy decides that she needs to kill Faith. Xander is worried: “I just don’t wanna lose you” Buffy: “I won’t get hurt” Xander: “That’s not what I mean”

And I agree with him. I know you love Angel but couldn't you go to a hospital and act like you're donating blood and give some to him in a cup to cure him? Does no one else think of this idea before running to go and kill Faith?

I think the ritual said you had to "drain" a Slayer, implying that it all must be drank. Although next episode we see that's not exactly the case, but it still needs to be a large amount of blood. Also, during this discussion Oz pets Willow's hair and outloud I actually went "AWWW". Xander and Giles also discover the GIANT demon that the Mayor will be turning into and Xander makes an awesome Jaws reference, "We're going to need a bigger boat."

Buffy goes to Faith's and they battle it out. It ends with Buffy stabbing Faith and starring at her in shock.

Faith: (weakly, but smiling) You did it. You killed me. Still won't help your boy,though. Shoulda been there, B, quite a ride.

Faith jumps off the freaking building and now Buffy killed her (or thinks she did) and still doesn't have a cure for Angel. She has a sad.

Buffy is really shocked at herself for stabbing a human and we see that Faith wasn't very far off when she told Buffy that she was more like her than she thought. We also see how she was willing to kill Faith in order to save Angel. But what can save him now?

Season 3, Episode 20

Sorry again for the lack of post yesterday! Funny enough yesterday was also the birthday of our guest blogger, Matt Waitt! Matt is in normal text, Kali is in italics. Enjoy!

“The Prom”

The episode opens with Buffy at Angel’s snuggling in bed, talking about their relationship. She wants a drawer for stuff and she suggests that they get a mirror so that she can see fix her hair and make up if she spends the night, again. I have many questions. Why is Angel watching her sleep again? It’s not sweet, it’s creepy. And why does Buffy want to spend the night after Prom? To play checkers? And you’re a vampire that is burned by the sun, why would you put your bed in front of a window?!

Anya comes up to Xander, and talks to him about how she hates men, and needs a date to prom. “Men are evil, will you go with me?” she asks. Xander, of course says yes. AX  says my second favorite line to Anya after this, “One of us is very confused and I honestly don’t know which.” Xander tells the group of his choice of Anya as his prom date saying it was either that or “The Sock Puppet of Love”. I really don’t want to know what AX is doing with that sock puppet.

“He made me touch him in bad places. The things he made me do… I can’t even talk about it.”

It’s okay Sock Puppet, we won’t let him hurt you anymore.

 Back at Angel’s mansion, there is a knock at door. Its Joyce, she talks to him about how different Angel and Buffy are. (Really Joyce? You just now take interest in this?) I’m with Matt here. Maybe Joyce should have addressed this I don’t know, THE SECOND YOUR DAUGHTER STARTED DATING A 243 YEAR OLD VAMPIRE.

At the library, the gang talks about the prom, and Giles mentions the Ascension. We find out that the Mayor is going to become a fully embodied demon, but they aren’t sure which one so he could become anything really. Oh, and Giles also has an incredibly hilarious line:

 "And I myself will be wearing pink taffeta as chenille would not go with my complexion. Can we *please* talk about the Ascension?"

At some rundown shack, we see a cage. Inside the cage is some sort of demon…

In a dream scene, Angel and Buffy get married The ceremony ends with them walking into the run and Angel getting more and more nervous and ends with Buffy being the one that combusts. Angel wakes up upset. We see that Angel is starting to really feel like he is dooming Buffy by being with him. Do I need to point out AGAIN that you are just NOW having doubts about being a couple?

That night, Angel and Buffy track a vampire into a sewer. Buffy tells Angel he needs a tux, Angel counters with they have more important things, they bicker about the prom… Angel tells Buffy they need to talk…and he tells her that being a couple is unfair to her, and that he isn’t right for her, as a vampire. (Edward, Angel called, he wants to tell you how to do it the right way.) Side note: ANOTHER reason why Buffy is better than Bella- Angel breaks up with Buffy in a very similar way as Edward leaves Bella, but Buffy being kick-ass keeps fighting and keeps being who she is instead of curling up into a ball like a baby loser idiot anti-feminist portrayal of everything that is wrong with this world’s view of traditional gender roles.

They fight, and Buffy tells him she wants her life to be with him. Angel says that he doesn’t want to be with her. Angel tells Buffy he’s leaving after the ascension; as long as they survive he will be leaving. This is kind of like how a lot of high school couples break up around graduation so they can get their own shows go their separate ways.

The next day Willow and Buffy talk about what happened the night before, Willow tried to comfort her friend, but Buffy tells her that in the long run, Angel is right about a lot. Buffy breaks down, and Willow comforts her. I’m with Willow here, I know Angel is a centuries old vampire that doesn't get these things, but couldn't he have waited until AFTER prom? And now-*tears*

Buffy: I think horrible is still coming. Right now, it's worse.

Right now, I'm just trying to keep from dying.

Willow: Oh Buffy.

Buffy: (crying) I can't breathe, Will. I feel like I can't breathe.

Scene switch to creature in cage, it breaks out, and the scene switches to Cordelia in a dress store, Xander walks in to talk to her, and figures out that Cordelia is now working at the store. (Don’t you already have all the dresses? –all- the dresses?) Cordelia explains how her dad messed up his taxes so now they are poor. Suddenly the demon breaks into the store, and attacks a guy that’s wearing a tuxedo. The creature seems to just stop, with a quick glance from a guy holding a remote control. Not to be mean (okay I don't mind being mean to Cordelia), but that's karma. You'd think that having this stuff happen to her would make her be a little nicer to people.

Back in the library, they watch the video, where Wesley explains that the creature is a Hellhound, and it feeds off the brains of the victim. They see the guy in the video and realize he goes/went to Sunnydale. His name is Tucker Wells. Willow manages to get into his email, and she figures out that he’s planning to attack the prom. Buffy demands "No! You guys are going to have a prom. The kind of prom that everyone should have. I'm going to give you all a nice, fun, normal evening if I have to kill every single person on the face of the earth to do it."

Buffy tells Wesley to go to Tucker’s house and see what he can find out, he takes Cordelia with him. Willow and Oz go to find out what the guy Tucker was emailing knows, and Xander heads to the magic shop to see if anyone has been in for supplies to raise a hellhound. During this scene we also see AX cover for Cordelia saying she was shopping, not working, there. That’s one step closer AX.  Buffy goes to the local meat packing plant (I mean does Sunnydale have everything?) where she finds out that a kid has been getting cow brains a couple times a week… the guy gives her an address, and she sees Angel getting some pints of blood. He notices her, and asks what she’s doing there, he’s surprised that he runs into her, (where do you get your blood? McPlasmas) they talk a bit. (Gotta stop a crazy from pulling a ‘Carrie’ at the prom)  She tells him she’s over wanting one single perfect high school moment, then goes to leave. Angel offers to help, Buffy says she’s fine and leaves.

We go back to Cordelia, who is leaving work her co-worker gives her the dress she had on lay-away even though she didn’t finish paying for it, its somehow paid in full. After how bitchy Cordelia has been to him and shitty she has treated him before, during, and after they were dating Xander does something so selfless by buying the dress for her. He’s not trying to get back into good graces with Cordelia; he was just being a nice guy. You may now have your name back.

I hereby pronounce you redeemed, Alexander "Xander" Harris.

 Back at the library the gang tells Buffy they find much. She shows them the address and tells them to all get ready for the prom, while she goes and takes care of the issue. She tells Giles to watch them. Buffy gets her supplies, and Giles figures out what’s going on with her and Angel. Buffy goes off to get Tucker. It’s sweet how Giles offers to get Buffy ice cream, but she replies "Kicking ass is comfort food". Slayers FTW!

Switch to the prom, people are dancing, Anya talks about some of her better vengeances, and Wesley and Giles talk about how odd prom is. Cordelia thanks Xander for paying off her dress, and she goes off with Wesley. Willow worries about Buffy, but Oz replies, "It's not gonna happen, you think Buffy is gonna let us down?" He is completely confident in Buffy’s abilities. How do you continue to get more and more awesome Oz?

Buffy meanwhile arrives, and realizes that there are three hellhounds loose, and not just the one they thought he had. She downs one with a crossbow, and the other two chase her… Buffy leads her away from the gym, until they hear the music from inside and head back into the school. She’s able to down one with a knife, and breaks the other’s neck. She drags them into the brush outside the school, and then changes, and finally, she ends up at the prom.

She comes in, and smiles to Giles then meets up with Willow and Oz. Senior Award’s are given, and class clown doesn’t go to Xander, he’s upset. Jonathan comes up on stage, and announces that they have a special award to give and ask for Buffy. Jonathon is the perfect person to give this speech. This scene makes me cry every time I see it, seriously, tears rolling down my face every freaking time and I’ve seen it at least 10 times now. He reads from a paper the following… (Favorite Line)

“We're not good friends. Most of us never found the time to get to know you, but that doesn't mean we haven't noticed you. We don't talk about it much, but it's no secret that Sunnydale High isn't really like other high schools. A lot of weird stuff happens here. But whenever there was a problem or something creepy happened, you seemed to show up and stop it. Most of the people here have been saved by you, or helped by you at one time or another. We're proud to say that the Class of '99 has the lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in Sunnydale history... we know at least part of that is because of you. So the senior class offers its thanks, and gives you, uh, this. It’s from all of us, and it has written here, ‘Buffy Summers, Class Protector.’”

Buffy finally gets the high school moment of recognition that she wanted since "Homecoming" but it’s not for something stupid, it’s for who she really is and for what she does for the world. *more tears*

Buffy Summers- she saved the world a lot.

Buffy accepts the multicolored, glittering, miniature umbrella with a small metal plaque attached to the handle and smiles. The scene changes to scenes of students slow dancing. Wesley asks Cordelia to dance… Anya tells Xander she doesn’t mind dancing with him. Giles and Buffy talk, and she turns around to see Angel (looking quite dapper) walking towards them. Buffy says she never thought he’d come, he said he wouldn’t miss it, but it doesn’t change that he’s leaving. Buffy says she understands, and they dance. The show closes on the two slow dancing.

*ALL the tears*

 - Matt and Kali!

Sarah's Notes

-“(about staring at Anya's chest) Nothing personal but when a guy does that it just means his eyes are open” – Xander

-“(about her prom dress) Angel’s gonna lose it. But not his soul, he’s gonna lose his it…” – Buffy

-As the writers have said in the special features, love isn’t always enough to sustain a relationship. It’s a harsh reality that Buffy and Angel both have to face. And unlike Kali and Matt, I somewhat understand why Joyce and Angel haven't really said or done anything about it until now. I think high school relationships are very different than post-high school ones. Joyce probably assumed her and Angel would break up on their own and then when she realized Buffy was too far in to see straight, she knew it had to stop before she graduated high school and started college and ruined her future in order to have babies with Angel so he can bite open her uterus and--oh, that's the wrong story? Thank god; it needing to end though holds true for both relationships.

-Angel's gonna leave after the ascension! Buffy: “where?” Angel: “to my own show, it’ll last for 5 seasons and be totally awesome. You’ll even come on it a few times and see”

-Outside of the moment, Buffy realizes that he’s right. Willow acknowledges its true as well. I die of adorableness as Willow comforts Buffy.

-“Your impersonation of an inanimate object is really coming along” -Xander to Buffy

-“I understand that this kind of thing requires ice cream of some kind” I love Giles!

-Wesley: "Mr. Giles. I'd like your opinion. While the last thing I want to do is muddle bad behavior in front of impressionable youth, I wonder if asking Miss Chase to dance would..." Giles: "For God's sake, man, she's eighteen. And you have the emotional maturity of a blueberry scone. Just have at it, would you, and stop fluttering about. (walks away)" (Favorite Line)

-Jonathan's speech makes me cry as well. I just love how happy Buffy is and how proud all the scoobies are of her. Everything about this moment was just perfect.