Buffy Fridays! Season 3 Episode 3 First Time Reaction!

It is Angel...and don't call me Shirley.

Thom Purdy

I just want to say, I agree you should avoid the interviews until after you finish the Buffyverse series. One, yeah because it could color your enjoyment, but also in MANY of the interviews they talk about characters and plot points you haven't reached yet so it would be best to avoid it all together. However I do think you should read them afterward because it is good to know the content youre engaging with and have the full story.

Can't say Veggie doesn't notice the important stuff- this and commentary on the lamps/vases/miscellaneous furniture is gold dust! 😂

Jake M

I didn’t comment on the last episode because I was away on holiday but I would have defended the gang a little saying that they didn’t know about angel’s soul returning, so to them it just looked like Buffy randomly left without saying goodbye. I also loved how you assumed that Joyce was going to hate the party, then it cuts to her having fun drinking schnapps in the kitchen 😄

Garry (Not Jerry)

Ah yes, the most important question: did we see angel’s bum? 😄

Garry (Not Jerry)

Ha! Don't apologize, Veggie, I'm just glad I didn't totally misunderstand.

Raven Dark

Oh my goodness, Raven! That is hilarious but I am so sorry for hearing it THAT wrong! XD I thought the 'muffins' were going to pay off at some point! XD

VEGGIE GAMER

It looks like everything that should be addressed about this episode has already been brought up in previous comments, except for one thing. I think you misunderstood what Faith said to Giles. You mentioned something about her liking muffins and that she was eating one in an earlier scene. I think you thought Faith said "We will talk muffins." She said, "We will talk WEAPONS." If I misunderstood that whole thing, then I sound like an idiot and you should just ignore me.

Raven Dark

Nothing really you said, it's just something that gets said a lot about media, that often only means black/white. I do think this show should have many more Hispanics to show reality, but this show also isn't anywhere near based on reality. A lot of the show doesn't make sense with it's supposed setting, so I always threw that in the same bucket of it's his own twisted made-up world.

Hanneli Norrgard

Such a great one! I look forward to Buffy Fridays! Faith's character is such a fun contrast to Buffy. I love how the dynamics play out in this episode because it is so reminiscent of a real high school problem - A new person comes to town, and people tend to be interested. Some people feel jealous or threatened   by disruption in their social group. When you're a kid, you usually haven't met many people. All you know is your handful of friends, teachers and family, so any new person can really shake things up.  This time watching, I really noticed how Giles is developing more into that father figure for Buffy and the gang. He's genuinely trying to get to the root of what Buffy is feeling, whereas in the past he's sometimes been dismissive of her "passions" when they get in the way of her slaying duties. I also love the Giles/Willow interactions in this episode. 

Catalina Saturnus

Absolutely, Hanneli! I hope it didn't come across as if I was suggesting not-caucasian only meant black! I guess I was relating my thoughts as it was Trick saying it, but definitely didn't mean to suggest that is the only lack of representation in the show!

VEGGIE GAMER

I'm not a fan of this episode particularly, but it's not terrible . So, I'd give it a 4/10. Faith shows up, but she's not one of my favorite characters. Giles was definitely trying to get her to open up and knew she wouldn't under normal circumstances. Not-Caucasian doesn't equal black. The show is supposedly set in a city that in real life is currently over 54% non-Hispanic white but also almost 40% Hispanic. There should be far more Hispanics in the show to be representative of real life.

Hanneli Norrgard

My head canon always told me Faith was a year younger than Buffy, but that's just in my head and means nothing in real life lol.

Amanda S

Yes, Giles realized something a lot more traumatic than they knew must have happened at that Buffy vs. Angelus showdown. So he invented the spell as a ruse to draw out what detail she was concealing. The thing with this series, they never knew if they were going to renewed, so Season 1 could have been their last, and Season 2 could have been their last. Those finales were meant to work as wrap-ups in case they didn't get renewed. That stays true through most of the series seasons, just a bit of trivia there and not a spoiler. So when they got the greenlight for Season 3, they wanted Angel to be a part of it. How and why? Your questions will be answered by the show. :p The ring could be a red herring or a catalyst, who knows? LOL

RavenLord

I believe Faith was supposed to be 16? That's a fair guess, anyway. Buffy did refer to her once in this episode as "little sister." The actor was 17 at the time she started playing Faith, though obviously in the world of acting, that doesn't mean much, ha ha.

RavenLord

The actors do indeed attend many conventions and fanmeets. James Marsters, in particular, is very into it, but most of the actors love to be a part of that. I believe they've also done at least one cast reunion. Sadly, I'm in remote Alaska and don't get any convention opportunities to see them (*very* expensive to fly out of here, lol). I imagine they would make it a lot of fun. I haven't even gotten past your intro yet, just wanted to comment that. Further comments will likely be in a separate comment so that Patreon doesn't make this one disappear. :p

RavenLord

One thing that isn't a spoiler because it'll never be mentioned in the show, but it was confirmed by the creators at one point or another: Faith is younger than Buffy. I forget if they ever said what age she was specifically, but she's younger than Buffy. That's just something to keep in mind with the character. Also, yeah, Giles (unlike literally every friend Buffy has apparently) knows Buffy wouldn't have run away unless something really major had happened in the battle with Acathala. That's why he created the ruse of needing to perform a sealing spell. He knew Buffy needed to talk about what had happened. And I know I am being unfair to her friends, who are just as young and immature as she is... but I do feel like they tend to hold her up to an impossible standard. The absence of minorities on a show set in California is odd when you think about it, but sadly pretty typical of the late-1990s to 2000s. I loved Mr Trick. I always thought he was a really interesting villain. As for Angel coming back... It was a twist, but if it had something to do with the ring, that is news to me. That's not a spoiler. I just think the ring thing was a coincidence. I was thrilled to see the character back, though you raise some excellent points about what he is coming back as.

Frederique Gillespie