Season 3, Episode 17

“Enemies”

Grab your diapers folks because shit is about to go down in this episode…

We start off with Buffy and Angel seeing a porno. No seriously, they were seeing a foreign film that included pornographic scenes. Might wanna check the reviews on Fandango next time guys. Great line by Angel, “I don't need to see movies to get worked up, being around you does that just fine.” I’m pretty sure that Buffy can “release the tension” if you know what I mean without causing him to be perfectly happy so stop being selfish girl.

Also, is it just me or is anyone else confused on when they got back together? Of course they’ve always loved each other, but I thought Buffy had finally realized what she’s known since Season 1- they relationship can NEVER work out. Well, if you want to continue living in Denial-land, Buffy, I’ll join you.

Look at the happy couple that will live happily ever after!

Faith wants in on the action interrupts Buffy to take her slaying. They run into a demon that wants to sell them The Books of Ascension for $5000. I agree with Giles here:

Giles: Demons after money. Whatever happened to the still beating heart of a virgin? No one has any standards anymore.

Faith reports this to her new boss, The Mayor, and he orders her to kill the demon and steal the books. Then, just like him, he switches from evil mastermind to kind father figure and suggests Faith wear her hair back because she has such a beautiful face. (In the next few episodes she actually does have her hair up more than we’ve seen it before.)

Then he gives her milk.

Mayor: There is nothing uncool about healthy teeth and bones.

Wesley and Giles have now started to play nicely with each other since they are both smart enough to realize that by combining their efforts they are more likely to get things done rather than undermining each other. Of course they still don’t get a long too well so it’s entertaining. While researching The Ascension, they only find vague references so they charge the Slayers with getting them. Then Cordelia walks in on the meeting and whores it up with Wesley. Other than giving us mild amusement with Wesley’s awkwardness, I care so little about the Wesley/Cordelia subplot that I’m just going to continue on.

Faith ends up sneaking off to the demon’s apartment, kills him, and steals the books. In order to seduce Angel so he can lose his soul, Faith goes to his mansion. While all of this is supposedly an act on Faith’s part, I feel like she is being truthful.

Faith: Mind if I skip past the 'mom never loved me' part and get right to it? I'm scaring myself.

Angel: I know the feeling.

Faith: That's why I came to you. I don't want to get all twelve steppy, but remember when you told me that killing people would make me feel like some kind of god? (shows him her bloody hands) I think I just came down to earth. It's not human if that's what
you're thinking. Not that that makes me feel any better or this guy any less dead.

Angel: Faith, you need help. You can't do this alone.

Faith: I know. For real now, I'm scared. Scared of what I am, what I'm turning into. Cold-blooded straight up killer. Like you.

Angel: Not like me. I didn't have a choice. But you do. You can stop
this.

Faith: Believe me, I don't want to end up the way everybody said I would, dead or alone or a loser.

Angel: No, you don't have to.

Faith: I don't know. Maybe it's too late for me.

I just feel like she is being genuine in everything she says. She tries to kiss Angel, but of course Angel is a poof faithful to Buffy. So Faith and The Mayor have a new plan- hire a dark mystic to steal Angel’s soul. The Mayor: There's more than one way to skin a cat and I happen to know that's factually true.

Several hours too late, AX is able to bribe Willy into giving up the address of this demon. Giles again has funny opinions on this demon’s choices.

Buffy: I know this. It's down by the bus station. Not the nicest part of town.

Giles: Again. See, no standards. I mean, any self-respecting demon should be living in a pit of filth or a nice crypt.

Buffy and Faith check the apartment out, only to discover a dead demon. While he was a demon, he wasn’t evil in the strictest sense, which something that continues to be explored especially on Angel.

Still got your diapers on? Good, because HOLY CRAP ANGELUS IS BACK!!

Ok, just kidding. We think Angelus is back because Faith and a dark mystic perform some sort of mojo on him to remove his soul. I’m not sure if it’s David Boreanaz liking playing Angelus so much or if Angel enjoys embracing his evil side but either way he sure does a convincing job of pretending to be evil. Faith and Angel make out and beat each other up between kisses, sounds like somebody else in the future…

Faith takes “Angelus” to the Mayor where they discuss working together to kill Buffy, and also the gross nature of germs.

Angel: Mmmm. Can't be killed, but you don't like germs?

Mayor: Uck, eew, awful things, unsanitary. But my question is, now that Faith has brought you back, what are your intentions?

Angel: Well, gee, sir, I thought I'd find that Slayer that's given you so much trouble and torture, maim, and kill her.

Can we talk about how much I love how AX starts talking to Faith and Angel then Angel just punches him and keeps walking? I feel like Angel has seriously wanted to do that for a while and just seized the opportunity now since he's pretending to be Angelus.

How does that feel AX?

Faith and “Angelus” go over to Buffy’s and “trick” her into going with them to the mansion. Buffy is in on the plan, but I’m sure that none of this is easy for her. Not only to watch Angel kiss Faith, but to watch him pretend to be Angelus probably brings up all of the pain from what happened last year.

Quick cut away to the Scooby gang discovering in the library that Mayor Wilkins is over 100 years old. AX comes in to inform that Angelus is up to his old shenanigans. AX, this is why you are still an asshole. I'm pretty sure punching you isn't good evidence for being evil. Are you seriously surprised that he would want to hit you? I’m not a soulless vampire, but I’d hit you in the face right now.

Back at the mansion, Faith really starts going down the psycho-Slayer road when she talks about her plans to torture Buffy. We find out why Faith has all this rage towards Buffy- it’s born out of resentment.

Faith: What isn't? You know, I come to Sunnydale, I'm a Slayer, I do my job kicking ass better than anyone, and what do I hear about, everywhere I go?... Buffy. So I slay, and behave, and do the good-little-girl routine, and who does everyone thank? Buffy.

Buffy: That's not my fault.

Faith: Everybody asks, "Why can't you be more like Buffy," but did anyone ever ask if you could be more like me?

Angel: I know I didn't.

Faith: You get the Watcher, you get the mom, you get your little Scooby Gang, what do I get? Jack squat! This was supposed to be my town!

Faith is handling this wrong in so many ways, but you can’t help but feel a little bad for her. She’s right. Buffy has everything that she doesn’t. That’s why she is so keen on getting with Angel; it’s one more thing she can take from Buffy. Among Faith’s many mistakes tonight, she reveals that the Mayor’s Ascension is to take play on graduation day. After she makes the classic bad guy mistake of revealing her plan, she says:

Faith: I'm the world's best actor.

Angel: Second best.

Sorry Faith, you just got played.

Faith and Buffy fight, and while Buffy enjoys punching people a lot, she is nowhere ready to kill a human like Faith. After she escapes, Faith is upset about disappointing the Mayor and bit sad too that her “friends” know what she is up to. Her cover is blown, as is the Mayor's, and now he's all she has left. But the Mayor cheers her up with two words:  Miniature. Golf.

We close the episode on Buffy talking to Angel about how she’s totally not upset at all that he kissed Faith while acting like Angelus. To prove how she’s not in the least bit annoyed, she tells him that they need a “break”. A break from what? Wait…were you two dating? It ends with my favorite line:

Angel: You still my girl?

Buffy: Always.

There’s so much in one word.

 -Kali!

Sarah's Notes

-Lol Buffy and Angel see a sexy movie together “feel like getting some hot chocolate? Or some cold shower?”

-“Demons after money, what happened to the still beating heart of a virgin? No one has any standards anymore” –Giles  (I absolutely LOVE Giles in this episode!) (Favorite Line)

-“I have a paper to write for English and you’re English” lolz Cordelia

-Faith goes to Angel and “asks for help.” Apparently she only went there to give him a happy and take his soul away. And Buffy saw Faith there. Oh noes >.>

- Xander bribed Willy the Snitch with money: “28 bucks, does the council reimburse for that kind of stuff?” “did you get a receipt?”- Giles LOL

-My notes just say: Yay for Angelus!

- The gang's got something Willow: “big hey whoa, like father like son” Oz: “how about like exact same guy like exact same guy” The plot thickens

-“I come to Sunnydale and I do my job kicking ass better than everyone..." My apologizes if Kali didn't put this part in her notes, but I have 5 minutes before I have to leave for work and don't have time to search for the transcript. Basically, Faith whole speech to Buffy is exactly what we've been talking about: she wants recognition but she never gets any and it causes her to have a sad and go insane

- Faith: "what you think you're better than me?" Buffy: "I am, always have been" This line is true but it kind of irks me still. Faith had it a lot rougher than Buffy and she really just needs therapy and a good support system that's hers and not just borrowed from Buffy. Buffy isn't just inherently better than Faith. 

-“what are you gonna do, B? kill me? You become me. You’re not ready for that…yet” I still ship them

-Poor Buffy, she can’t get past Angel’s “acting.” I actually feel really bad for Angel, he never has any choice but he’s always the one who has to deal with Buffy’s decisions to be hurt or stay away from him. When he changes into Angelus, he does so per Buffy’s request and to help get information out of Faith. So he listens her and ends up losing her because of it. I mean, he should have seen it coming but it must suck.