"Anne" & "Dead Man's Party" (3x1-3x2) | BTVS Reaction
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- Опубликовано: 19 окт 2023
- I hope you enjoy my reaction to Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 3 Episodes 1 and 2!!!!!! I can't believe we're on Season 3 alidjfoasdjf
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The thing about Lilly taking on Anne. Note that in the original identities she took up she was always following someone. Said herself that she needed someone to take care of her. Anne is her taking care of herself. So while it's a new identity, it can also be her taking on her own identity. Or at the very least heading in that direction of finding out who she really is. Buffy has inspired her. Taking on the identity of Anne is a symbol of that, with Buffy taking care of herself and others. And we all learn parts from others in finding our own selves.
100% - I also am always struck by the way Lily reacts when Buffy asks what they called her at home. There is definitely some kind of underlying trauma there that she is not ready to revisit. I've known people who were so terribly abused by their families that they never want to use their birth name ever again. Lily's case could be similar - or she may just need more time to figure things out.
"Would you like me to convince you?" *Bloodcurdling smile*
Oh, hi, Ripper! 😳😄
"Giles has done everything he can to help Buffy grow as a person" Also understand though that oddly that is Part of Joyce's resentment of him. Someone she didn't even know about (to that degree) having such an impact in molding her daughters life that she wasn't a part of. Now again, us understanding the whole Slayer thing, can get that more, but can see why from Joyce's point that is also a problem.
In that swooping shot of Buffy on the platform she is The Slayer incarnate, cold, unafraid and ferocious. One of the great Hero shots in cinema.
Hammer and sickle and workers rising up…Buffy leading a revolution
The name of the weapon she was holding, mentioned in the dvd commentary, was a hunga-munga.
Oh Hell Yeah..The LOOK!!
TV. This show aired on TV.
The thing I notice is her glancing around, calculating, measuring up her opponents, waiting for her opening, that's her training kicking in. Giles would be proud.
Joyce said it's harder with Buffy back. Not that she didn't want her back. Buffy left after dropping the whole Slayer bombshell on her. While she was gone, it was worse, BUT they didn't have to deal with the whole being a Slayer thing. NOW they have to start working out what that all means, and how Joyce has to deal with that. That's harder.
Yeah, I think that's it. Just Joyce not knowing how to confront and work with the reality that Buffy is the Slayer and what that means for her daily life. Therefore, her comment "So, is this how it is like?!"
I think you're bang on, but I also always just assumed she was talking about her own emotional state. Like, with Buffy running away her anxiety and stress levels (naturally) were shot up through the stratosphere, and she thought (as many people do) that if/when she got her daughter home, everything would be perfect. But "in some ways, it's worse" because now she doesn't know where she and Buffy stand, she doesn't know how she should act, she absolutely (as you pointed out) has no idea how to fit this whole Slayer thing into their lives, or what that means, or how she can ever keep her safe again, etc. Like, I genuinely never would have read it as "Gosh, you know, Pat; I was just so much happier having the house to myself. No more Margharita Mondays for us."
It's _almost_ harder with Buffy back. In some ways. Which is completely valid.
Shhhh, buffy is always right and no one see's its about buffy's feelings!
But the word Joyce used was "worse", not "harder." (re-watch the video from 39:12 - 39:18 if you don't believe me)
Your reaction to Pat KILLED me 💀 As soon as she shows up onscreen: “Is THIS our monster?” Honestly, I get it. That character has always felt like the perfect example of “toxic positivity” to me, before that term was even a thing. This season is so good btw, hope you enjoy it! :)
My condolences.
The way I look at it, Buffy, by giving Lily her identity, was giving Lily the opportunity to finally be self-sufficient. Until then she had tried to find her identity through other people, when she was Sister Sunshine or Chanterelle.
Lily needed to learn to rely on herself for a change.
Here in Dead Man's Party, we see Willow seeing Buffy's actions through the lens of "how does this affect me?" And apparently Xander still hasn't mentioned that he lied to Buffy and didn't actually tell her that Willow was trying to do the spell again. Yes, Buffy should at least have contacted Giles - but when she left, she'd just 'killed' (but not actually dusted) Angel (right after he got his soul back) by sending him into Acathla's hell dimension, had been expelled, was wanted by the police for murder, and had been told by her own mother not to come back. Is it really that surprising that she stayed away?
As for the Scoobies slaying vampires without Buffy during the summer - Buffy had gone to LA to live with her dad the previous summer, and there was almost no vampire activity. Nobody made them fight vampires this summer, they chose to do so, they could have just stayed indoors at night like they probably had done most of their lives in Sunnydale before Buffy ever came...
No one made them fight vampires, but they probably felt like not doing so would be sentencing innocent people to death.
THANK YOU I swear people completely forget these facts and if we want actual consequences and stakes we can’t just forget it when stuff like being wanted by the police, expelled and kicked out of her home happens. And ESPECIALLY Xander not admitting he never told Buffy the truth. That never coming up and Joyce never taking responsibility for kicking Buffy out, constantly piss me off.
I always have to skip the first couple episodes because it is too frustrating and just feels like weak writing in a show I hold to a very high standard when it comes to these things. There is no catharsis on Buffy’s side, just an acceptance of all the guilt even in places where it was not her fault at all. And because of that, it also feels like it is a disservice to the other character because those issues on their side are never dealt with.
Presumably Joyce had some inkling that Giles was a faculty member in Buffy's corner, as he had visited Buffy in the hospital in season 2, she's spent enough time in the library that in "Bad Eggs" Joyce expected her to go straight to the library and wait for her there; and she came there expecting to find her. But the dynamic Buffy and Giles had went much deeper than Joyce had any idea of. He had become a mentor to Buffy, a parental figure, knowing aspects of Buffy's life that Joyce had no idea about. Joyce would rightly feel some resentment about that, regardless of the whole Slayer part, because that's supposed to be _her_ role in Buffy's life; and she had been working hard to have that relationship with her. And now she's found that GIles has not only succeed in cultivating this relationship, it's been intentionally kept secret from her; _and_ he's at least in part responsible for the dangerous world Buffy regularly finds herself in. It may not be Giles fault that Buffy the Slayer, but he's still taking on the responsibility for Buffy's life and wellbeing and making decisions to that end that Joyce would naturally expect to be hers.
Well Joyce also kicked her daughter out of the house so she sort of decided to throw in the parenting towel, and expose her daughter to all dangers of the outside world. So she doesn’t have that much room to complain and wouldn’t get mother of the year from me.
But I usually chock this up to bad/neglectful writing and skip these episodes.
You are definitely not alone in having a crush on Giles, he’s a total dreamboat! 😍
seriously! I'm not usually into men who are way older than me, but Anthony Stewart Head is one handsome man. another trait of him being portrayed later in the show also contributes to it too lol.
I'm a straight man and I'd do him.
I've always thought that Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the best possible Spider-Man adaptation we could possibly hope for.
The show definitely captures the spirit of the original Stan Lee-Steve Ditko run on the character perfectly with the high school drama, the pains of growing up, and the emotional gut punches, and the humor.
And Season Two is just a retelling of "The Death of Gwen Stacy" where Gwen Stacy IS The Green Goblin@@TheGeorgeD13
Also the understanding of heroism and responsibility.@@TheGeorgeD13
Thematically, Buffy has way more in common with My Hero Academia than it does with Demon Slayer, y'know?@@TheGeorgeD13
I think Buffy would have preferred the kind of get-together that her mom suggested to her, just the inner circle, instead of the big party that her friends threw.
The same argument would probably still have happened, but it would have been a more comfortable setting for Buffy.
And as long as nobody died, there would have nobody for the mask to resurrect.
Lily's original name might be irreparably tied to trauma. Just because she's taking a new name doesn't mean she's not finally discovering herself. :)
I still cant believe Xander called Buffy killing the first love of her life "boy troubles" wow
In the season 2 finale, Giles described the portal that would be opened if Acathla was awakened as leading to another dimension, into which everything on Earth would be pulled if it was left opened; and in that demon dimension, "non-demon life will suffer horrible and... eternal torment."
Just from a physics stand point, there are multiple dimensions - we conventionally exist in 4 dimensions (length, width, breadth and time). There are theoretically other dimension that exist beyond that, that share the same physical space, but are essentially a twist of the cosmic kaleidoscope. In real world terms, these wouldn't be "parallel universes," any more than Australia exists in another universe relative to North America, or the inside of a straw to the outside of a straw. It can all be the same universe, just a different perspective within it. All the same physical laws apply (though maybe not the same mystical ones), but because "time" is one of the dimensions we exist in, the flow of time in a demon dimension may not be congruent with the flow of time on Earth.
I always feel SO bad for Buffy at the beginning of S3. I honestly think the Scoobies don't give her enough grace and emotional support. Buffy has been through so much and I think, as irresponsible as it is, her running away and having time to herself to heal, was probably necessary for her character - and I could see myself doing something similar. She has just killed her first love and she is a teenager with the literal world on her shoulders and she comes back to her friends...and they treat her the way they do. It does leave a bad taste in my mouth, personally, but I also have to remember they are flawed teenagers who are not fully emotionally mature yet.
Love your thoughtful reactions!
Funny, I actually see it from the support cast's point of view more. Buffy leaving means demons are free to run around, and it put them all in danger for all summer. Batman leaves Gotham to feel better about himself, you can bet the Joker is gonna have a lot of fun in town! Despite Robin and Batgirl doing everything they can to stop him! So, yeah, when Batman gets back into Gotham, Robin and Batgirl has a right to tell him off!
@@ChevaliersEmeraude But Buffy is not a machine, she is a person. A teenage girl. It would be extremely unhealthy mentally for her to take zero time off, which is what you seem to be suggesting.
@@ChevaliersEmeraude In Batman's world, there are other heroes. The Slayer is supposed to be the one and only and, not only are there demons running free all over the world, there are other hellmouths. It's literally impossible for her to be responsible for all of it. Buffy didn't put them in danger, none of those vampires came looking for them because they were The Slayer's friends, the chose to put themselves in danger by going after them.
@@ChevaliersEmeraude so basically never ever help any one because once you do you are doomed to help everyone for ever or be damned
@@francisedward8713 They don't know Buffy had to kill Angel. Or at least they're not sure.Willow felt that the spell worked but they never dig into what that would have implied for Buffy,since she was fighting him to prevent the end of the world. They hypotized that Angel came back before it was too late and that they ran away together. It's understandable to be pissed at her for leaving them alone to fight all the Sunnydale monsters if that's the case. And even when she came back alone they probably didn't stop thinking through what that _actually_ meant. Not saying they were _right_ but...we must always remember that the characters don't know all the things that *we* know.
There is never ever anything wrong with having a crush on Giles.
It's always jarring to see the actor play an asshole, like in Ted Lasso, Vanity Fair, ect.
With an episode like Dead Man's Party you can see how this show keeps developing looking into the psychological scars that everyone now has. Of course we have Buffy who now almost feels like an outsider after returning, the rest of the gang are still hurt by Buffy's disappearance and are finding it hard coming to to terms with her return. The part where Joyce confronts her in front of all her friends at the party is hard to watch, as many people may have been in a similar situation witnessing something they would rather not see, and that cringing embarrassment that comes with it. The confrontation with Xander is also painful to watch. All's well in the end after the Mask is defeated, but the scars are now there even though covered up for now. Giles threatening Snyder with his Ripper side is a great scene at the end. Great to see Willow and Buffy at the end trading child like insults as only real friends can do to each other.
I don't know if you caught it but Anne is Buffy's middle name. And yes, this was a perfect season opener
Elizabeth Anne Summers
Buffy wasn't marked a candidate at the blood bank, but the "Family Home" has more ways of "recruiting" people. Note that Ken was hanging up flyers too.
There are people who have their shit together. We all reach that place, and a new challenge appears after a while.
One thing about this show is they will drop a character or add a character to the main credits between episodes just to fuck with your expectations.
Buffy didn't kill Angel. Think about it. She stabbed him with a sword, not a stake. Also, the sword went through his stomach, not his heart. Therefore, he must be in Acathla's hell dimension.
Yeah, he didn’t dust, which is what would’ve happened if she’d ‘killed’ him..
Joyce was no saying she did not want Buffy, but that she did not know what to do or how to act, she was terrified of buffy going again, thats why she was being so accommodating about slaying etc. People are complicated, it was "easier" when buffy was gone, she knew how to feel, when buffy came back it was complicated, she cares, she wants to keep her safe, but also is afraid of doing that and driving her away, as well as guilt over telling her to never come back....cut her some slack, parents arent perfect, they are just as confused, messed up, and conflicted as their kids, just with a whole added boatload of responsibility, esp a single parent. Its a very realistic portrayal. And Xander, you may think its harsh, but this is a normal bloke with no powers who never hesitates a second before putting himself between her (and the others) and danger....and he always tells buffy what she needs to hear, then backs her up.
Also, remember, none of them know what buffy is going through. She just bailed. they think she had to kill angelis, not Angel.
so we can be kind and empathetic to them but not buffy. Im sorry but buffy already felt a sense of abandonment from when joyce told her not to come back(we all say things we dont mean but they still affect others) and now she finally cane back and felt the sting of rejection all over again
"How about you by the dip!" poor Jonathan.
What Buffy is "going through" is that Willow's spell worked, and Angel got his soul back. Then Buffy still had to kill him to prevent the dimensional rift that Angel had started by pulling the sword.
When you kill a vampire it turns to dust, or possibly bones like the master. Angel wasn't dust, he was stabbed but not in the heart and by metal rather than wood. He got sucked into Acathla's hell dimension, but he wasn't dust, and the sword stayed in Acathla...
This may be your best reaction/commentary yet. I'm so hyped for you, season 3 is so good, you're in for a treat!!
17 is plenty old enough to be on their own. During the early 60s, my mother left home at 16, moved to New York from Toronto, lived and worked there for 3 years before coming back to Toronto, and met my dad the same week.
"My God, they don't have a lot upstairs, do they?" 🙈😆
There isn't one hell. There's pretty much an infinite number of "hell dimensions" & time works in each of them however the writers want it to work.
giving plot-relevant information before it comes out in the show is called a "spoiler" and it means you're going to a special hell yourself.
@@sirmoonslosthismindWow, harsh. But also, yeah.
I don't know, there might be one Hell, and there might be a Heaven. I don't think we really know. It's just that they talk about these other places inhabited by demons and other non-humans as "hell dimensions", really meaning that they can be hell-ish for humans. Some viewers, and possibly the characters, take that to mean actual Hell. Semantics.
@@odkres What you're talking about is a christian heaven & a christian hell and yes, the existence of capital gee "God" is indeed left ambiguous in the show. In fact, the effect of crosses & holy water on vamps heavily hints that Christianity does actually hold some real, magical power in this universe. Why else would holy artifacts affect creatures whose existence on Earth pre-dates Christianity by as much as a million years ?
@@sirmoonslosthismind Lol, get over yourself.
Because of Xander I call myself nighthawk, I feel bad for Buffy in the second episode. Everything she's feeling is understandable
Buffy wasn't pretending to be someone else if you didn't hear her tell Lilly Anne is her middle name Buffy Anne summers
Yes! It was on her tombstone in "Nightmares" :)
There are a LOT of hell dimensions in the Buffyverse.
I've seen a number of Buffy reactors talk about having a crush on Giles. Which surprised me a little at first then I remembered the first place I saw the actor was as the male lead in a series of romance soap opera coffee commercials, and it oh yeah that makes sense.
"Are we going to hell this season?"
Me: No, we're going to hell this episode!
This is such a great season opener to put into perspective what Buffy's been through since losing and then killing Angel.
And dead man's party? Giles is just hilarious in this episode.
Low key, EVERYONE has a crush on Giles 😂 Its not weird. 34:15 - The Stepford vibes. I feel this so hard. Like Ted 😬
I doubt Xander had. Outside of badly written fanfics, that is.
@@migmit Eh, maybe Xander and definitely Buffy are the exceptions. Willow on the other hand... 😂 But I more meant fans of the show, anyway.
Dead man's party is an episode where i really need to keep remining myself that,despite the actors' ages, the characters are still teens and they aren't going to be super in touch with the big picture, but it's still so frustrating to see, points deducted from Xander, and even more points deducted from Joyce since she's an adult and should know better than trying to go back to normal without talking about what happened
"Anne" is such a good opener; focused solely on Buffy's journey into finding herself again and coming back home, kicking and punching along the way.
But "Dead Man's Party"? Oh boy. While I understood the whole point of everyone in Buffy's life telling how her absence made their lives hard, they sure went about it in the absolute worst way possible. When I first watched that party scene, I was confused but knew they were going to come back stronger than ever. Now, especially anything out of Xander's mouth, makes it very bitter to swallow nowadays. It's crossing into victim-blaming and "what about me" syndrome territory.
Speaking of Xander, god, he's so insufferable to me. Out of all the characters, he has definitely aged the worst especially knowing Whedon was using him as a self-insert.
He called Buffy killing Angel "boy troubles" that's just screwed up😂😂😂
I mean, how would you react to someone you cared about disappearing without explanation and without contacting you to let you know they aren't dead? I can't look at people being angry at that as "victim blaming" or "what about me syndrome."
So pleased how much you seemed to enjoy Anne :D! Especially how much you loved the totally goated moment “I’m Buffy the Vampire Slayer and you are?” Because not only is it just too cool, but like you said, is so significant for Buffy because she’s finally confronting and embracing who she is, when she spent the entire episode running away form herself. While the episode has so much to enjoy though, for me it gets all the points alone on the plentiful cool Buffy moments-and the metaphor for communism, as Buffy and the workers rise up ✊.
On Lily, while it’s understandable wanting more for her, I think her taking Anne as her name is more of a stepping stone-unlike Buffy she isn’t ready to accept her true identity. But she is ready to accept reality, to start taking care of herself, and taking the name Anne is a good start.
“Dead Man’s Party” also holds a special place in my heart-mostly because Giles is just the mvp this episode, he has the funniest lines, the most empathetic with Buffy, and the most resourceful on his own little side quest, and the ending scene with Snyder is just chef’s kiss. But what I really appreciate the most is the different perspective’s on Buffy running away. On first watch, it’s easy to be completely on Buffy’s side; we know she suffered and how she just needed to get away and it’s unfair how not understanding everyone is. But really no one is right imo; because I know if someone left without a word for months and months, while I’d be thankful they were back, I’d also be unbelievably upset, for all the reasons each character explores-Xander frustrated on the behalf of Giles and Joyce for having to worry if Buffy was alive, Willow for just having her best friend leave her like she was nothing and not even try to talk, and even Joyce’s frustrations, for not knowing how to connect with Buffy now. It’s a very understandable argument-but when the cards are folded and the chips are down, they have each other’s back-which is why I think they don’t feel the need to talk after the fight, because after teaming up wordlessly against the horde, they are reminded that all that matters is that they are together and safe.
ALSO SAME ON THE CRUSH FOR GILES-
Buffy's sweet spot is season 5, it's that good.
In my mind, the sword did not kill him. It wasn't wood and it didn't hit his heart anyway. He went to another dimension and "gone forever", so as good as dead in people's minds. It also is the loophole all fantasy has to allow for characters/storylines to return in some way if the writer's want.
I hate how everyone teams up on her. I get it, it sucks, they had to slay but hello, self awareness? This is what its like to be the slayer 24/7 365. IT SUCKS! Figuratively.. and yeah, Joyce handled the finale wrong, but she LITERALLY told her not to come back, she listened. Its just very frustrating. I really don't think Buffy would have even run away from her "problems" had Joyce not told her to not come back. Its the icing. Like its all kind of an allegory for "coming out" and she handled it horridly. Willows tangent was justified because all Willow has ever done was try to be a good friend and help in the best ways she can, Xander not so much. Most of his ire always feels like its fueled by the fact she doesn't want him and he feels inferior to her because shes strong. Him having his little uppity moment, telling her what shes allowed to say..boy go get some punch and stfu.
Yay, my favorite season!
OK, as a man in my 40s, I'm somewhat offended now.
No, it is not hell.
Pretty sure Joyce doesn't want Buffy to go with Giles. She's also very afraid to push Buffy too much - which means, at all.
if there's one thing about Joss, it's that he exactly knows what we don't want. And he's either immediatly getting rid of it, or torture us with it xD
thank you! i feel every buffy reaction i've watched they have ragged on joyce during the joyce and giles scene but i see where joyce is coming from. he had a secret relationship with an underage student behind the parents back. if giles had been a pos with gross intentions this would considered grooming. i love giles but i can't be mad at joyce.
"They make him seem so old, he's like in his 40's" (regarding Giles)
Having turned 41 earlier this year I now feel ancient! lol
Something else to keep in mind that I think earns Buffy's friends some slack: IIRC, Buffy didn't tell them that she had to send newly-restored-innocent-puppy-dog Angel to Hell. They all believe she did that to Angelus. So they don't understand the strength of her pain or the severity of her need to escape.
I think she should have told them. It's important for Willow to know that her use of the spell worked. The lack of communication on this show is just, smh.
Welcome to Season 3 Cass. For je this is the second best season of Buffy - you haven't seen the very best one yet - and one of the best seasons ever of television. Your reactions are great. Please keep watching.
Whats the first best season?
And here is my favourite season (which is saying a lot because I love ALL the seasons).
22:17 The sheer MENACE SMG exudes here. You 💯 believe despite her diminutive size, she would kick everyone's arse. She is so good in this role.
Episode Anne comments:
Giles: "You mustn't blame yourself."
Me: Whyever not? She gave Buffy an ultimatum of either not coming back or letting the world be destroyed. Buffy paused at the door before leaving providing an opportunity for Joyce to say she didn't mean it. Buffy had no reason to believe she wasn't dead serious. Unfortunately, I can't go into other reasons because they involve back story that isn't revealed until much later in the series.
When "Lily" comes to Buffy for help we see once again the core of Buffy's character: she's a hero who will always step up to help others. She can't help herself.
Episode Dead Man's Party comments:
This episode is what cemented my dislike of Xander. One thing that was established earlier (the episode "Lie to Me") is that the vampire is not the same person as the human: “You die, and a demon sets up shop in your old house, and it walks, and it talks, and it remembers your life, but it's not you". The soul isn't just "conscience" but the identity, the "personhood." So you'd have three persons: the person Angel was before he was turned; Angelus (however it's spelled), the demon inhabiting the body making it a vampire; and Angel, having both the demonic essence and the soul of the pre-turning individual. The fact that they are all in the same body does not change the fact that they are separate individuals.
So, Buffy comes back and it's awkward. Fair enough. However, Willow bails on her. Then what was supposed to be an intimate dinner turns into a party where Buffy is utterly isolated despite being surrounded by people (one of the recurring themes of the show). Her friends are ignoring her. She hears her mother saying that having her back is "almost worse" (and I guarantee that hit her as simply "worse"). Is it any wonder that she started packing?
And when they ganged up on Buffy, nobody, absolutely nobody, considered things from Buffy's perspective. When Buffy left, well, she knew Xander's attitude so she couldn't talk to him about how she felt having to kill the love of her life (as she knew it then). The last word she had from Willow (Xander had lied, but Buffy didn't know that) was "Kick his ass." Her mother had kicked her out of the house so she was out. She hasn't really established any real bond with Oz or Cordelia, so they weren't candidates. Giles? Maybe, but with everyone else in the "anti" camp, he would be a thin reed indeed to cling to.
And her mother? She might talk about "consequences" but that works both ways. There are consequences to telling someone "if you walk out that door, don't even think about coming back."
Yeah, everybody not an extra pulled together when the zombies attacked, but they've always done monster fighting well. None of the internal issues got settled. Willow, at least, at the end of the episode apparently reached out to Buffy and they resolved the rift between them if, perhaps, not what's going on inside Buffy's head.
I think I've said this before but it's so much easier for me to understand Joyce now that I am a parent to a teen. Boy, can they put you through it! The most important words that she says here are, "Mom's not perfect, OK,? I handled it badly." At least she realises that.
On a more fun note, I have Oz's definition of 'hootenanny' on a t-shirt. 😀
It is 2023 and I still have no idea what the writers where thinking when they included the line "its even worse'... Seriously it doesnt even make sense, but ok.
Yeah the first day at school oner is a true thing of beauty. Loved that you picked up on it!
Love the Scooby Doo poster in the background. Very fitting.
One thing I love about Buffy is that she doesn’t just save people; she gives everyone she comes into contact with a little bit of her own power. Power isn’t scarce for her. She can always make more and so she’s always giving it out. Lily always needed someone to stand up for her and follow behind. But in this episode she finally learns to fight for herself. And Buffy giving her the name “Anne” really solidifies this metaphor for me because Anne is Buffy’s middle name. She gave Lily a piece of herself so she knows she, especially on her own, is always more than enough.
Season 3 is an…interesting season character-wise. The Scoobies start acting very out of character for me. Especially Willow. I don’t think the way they reacted to most situations that happened this season was all that in-line with their characters from the past 2 seasons. And yes, they’re teens, but that excuse doesn’t really work when they’ve shown themselves to already possess a level of maturity above what was being exhibited here.
Best Gandhi impression ever.
Fun fact the name ~Buffy~ is actually a nickname for Elizabeth. Along with Liz and Beth. Buffy's middle name is Ann. So she didn't actually change her name, not really. Instead, she just went by her other name. Wich lessen's the parallel between her, and Lily-Ann-Chanterelle-Sister Sunshine. Without eliminating it, all together.
If I understand correctly, there are multiple Hells (also known as "hell dimensions" or "demon dimensions") and multiple Heavens (also known as "heavenly dimensions") in the Buffyverse. And it seems to be possible for someone to go physically and bodily into at least some of the Hells, which is different from their soul going there.
I'm so glad you kept the Larry iconic line that many reactors cut out RUclips.
It's important to see Larry point out the underlining knowing of deaths.
I just enjoy his "not have quiet as many mysterious death" is such a witty brilliant placement line in the season opener 💙🎥
You're actually right about Oz not having initially meant to be a long-term character! Actually, he was originally meant to be killed by Angelus instead of Jenny Calendar, but apparently the overwhelming positive response to his character made them decide to keep him on for longer and kill her off instead. The same actually happened for Spike, who was originally meant to die as soon as Angel lost his soul. Characters being kept on for longer than they were meant to is pretty common on Buffy, and Oz isn't the last character it happens with.
Absolutely love your reactions! So glad I found you.
24:30 it's a hell dimension. And I want to point out the slayer went to hell messed it up and left and the master of that hell decided to shut the door from inside to keep her from going back.
That was just one of many Hell dimensions, not necessarily THE Hell
The way we all collectively screamed seeing David in the credits back when it aired!
I feel like this came out faster than I was expecting. Is this on the normal cadence and I'm just misremembering?
I love Anne. It's such a great episode in a vacuum, and as a season opener, it might be the best in the series. I actually really like "Can I be Anne?" as an ending for Lily. Because "Anne" is a woman on her own who is able to take care of herself. Instead of all her past lives which were her relying on someone else.
Season 3 in general is just a really strong season all around. Even if it doesn't have any of the 3 best episodes of the show. Has great villains, great character development, the ending is 10/10. It's senior year!
A lot of people give DMP a lot lot of flack. Especially Xander. But it's rough. None of them know anything about Angel getting his soul back before she killed him, because she didn't tell them. So, to them, it seems like Buffy left for no reason after they collectively "Won" which should be a good thing. They thought she might have died. They were worried. And you gotta remember, they're all teenagers, and teenagers are historically very stupid. Joyce has the most important line "Mom's not perfect, I handled it badly." None of them are perfect. All of them, Buffy included, handled this whole thing badly as overemotional teenagers. Which is why Giles is the only one with his head on straight being the adult, and the one who was in the know and emotionally prepared for it, unlike Joyce. And even he was running himself to death looking for her, because he felt responsible. So he is the only one who had such weighing guilt. The relief of which is his main response to her being back, so he's naturally happier. Everyone else just had these festering feelings of betrayal and abandonment that came to a head.
Fast, like me in bed
That isn’t entirely true though. They each knew things. Joyce knew she kicked Buffy out and told her not to come back, Giles has access to find out Buffy was expelled from school, and easily enough that she was also wanted by the police cause if Snyder. Xander knows he didn’t tell Buffy what Willow tried to do, and it isn’t that much of a stretch that perhaps there was something going on there even if she didn’t say anything.
What it honestly feels like, is that no one in Buffy’s life wanted to admit where they went wrong, and blame her instead because it’s easier. Some grievances were understandable, but over all it was mostly selfish, and not well handled for their arcs and in my opinion very out of character.
So I often just consider it very weak writing. Otherwise an indication of traits that make me dislike a large chunk of the main cast.
Anne is a terrific opener to a near flawless S3. At the start we can see the haphazard amateurish attempts by The Scoobies to patrol with Oz's awful attempt to throw the stake etc. Once we see Buffy as Anne the waitress, we know she can't continue like this and has to help people as is her vocation. Lily of course was in S2 and recognises Buffy, the two of them have a similar story. The part where Joyce blames Giles for Buffy's disappearance is interesting and very true to life where people blame others for their own actions trying to transfer the blame. Buffy of course comes through at the end freeing all the slaves in the Underworld. Some great little comedy moments with Xander and Cordelia again. A great ending with Buffy back home on the doorstep, where no words are needed just relief that she is back. I think we can see the fight sequences improve immensely in S3 onwards, you can now see the show has a much bigger budget with better cinematography and effects.
The Scoobies (as they have come to be called) attempting to cover for Buffy demonstrates that when push comes to shove there are people who will face the monsters (vampires, demons, etc.) to protect their community even if there is not a Slayer in their midst.
"Hell" is complicated in this universe.
Xander's "track record" with monsters will continue.
I think it makes sense that Joyce would resent and blame Giles, but still not try to hinder his relationship with Buffy once Buffy comes home. Ultimately she knows he's played a large part in keeping her safe and helping her as the Slayer. She can't keep Buffy from being a Slayer, so why would she keep any help/protection from her?
I really feel like this episode is pretty realistic in dealing with everyone's feelings surrounding her disappearance. I'm glad it wasn't brushed under the rug and ignored by the next episode. It's one of the things I really love about this show
She wasnt in "hell". She was at a hell or demon dimension. Remember that in the buffyverse there are multiple and infinite dimensions, where the christian "hell" can just be one of them
Buffy stabbed Angel through the body with a sword (not a stake) and then was sucked through a portal in full body.
Buffy and Angel are iconic lol angel is probably the 2nd best character
Angel is a vampire. Buffy stabbed him in the abdomen with a sword before sending him into the realm of Acathla (a hell dimension of which there are many). He didn't turn to ashes. This season is almost universally agreed upon as the best season of Buffy. I'm excited to hear your thoughts.
Yas!! So excited for you to start season 3! One of my favs
Angel was never killed, a steel sword through the heart does nothing but hurt a vampire. He was sent to A hell dimension alive
Love the sweatshirt. You are part of our world now! ❤
I think you were right on the money with Anne. It was all about Buffy trying to run away from herself and not being able to.
Aside from Giles, I think everyone handled Buffy's return in the worst possible way. It's like they don't know her at all, remember what dying did to her (obviously, Joyce can be excused from that one) or have any kind of curiosity about what might prompt this super responsible girl they know to drop everything and run away. And don't even get me started on Xander. The last time he saw Buffy, he was supposed to tell her Willow was working on restoring Angel's soul. He didn't. He doesn't get to complain about Buffy not talking to anyone about her overwhelming guilt. He layed it on so thick when Jenny died...
And I get that he was grieving himself. I get that stepping into Buffy's shoes for a couple of months wasn't easy. If anything, that should have thought him empathy towards what she goes through on a daily basis.
So, Buffy apologises to Willow, but nothing back from Willow.... In fact, she continues to berate Buffy albeit with "jokey" insults. Ugh.
I'm not even gonna touch Xander's relentless nastiness at the party. But "Nice moves" makes it all better. 🙄
I'm not saying it's right, but in my experience that's basically how teenage males usually apologize. It's like we're never taught how to communicate our feelings or something.
I have a feeling that Buffy ran away to get away from the hellmouth, but realizing that she can’t escape it and who she is. She came back home. That is kind of my own theory. This is one of my faves.
Im so excited for this season 💜
This isn't metaphysical hell. It's a hellish dimensions. The afterlife is something else entirely.
"We get it: you're tingly. Oh my goodness." You don't want to hear more about the principal's tingles? 😆🤣
I'm so glad you watched these so soon! 🎉
When things change, you get used to it. Changing back is hard.
There are multiple heaven and hell dimensions.
Buffy's true super power isn't her strength, it's her leadership. She's a fantastic team captain but she does have a tendency (as a consequence of the whole mythic destiny deal) to occasionally get a bit "nobody understands what it's like to be me" & emo. If she had left her friends a note, or written to them to try & explain, then I guarantee their frustration would have immediately turned to understanding. That's what happens with people you love. Ok so Xander in the argument scene is bit much but may I offer a defense (of sorts): so by season 3 the writers have got a pretty decent idea of what the fandom think of the characters & I think it's fair to say Xander probably wasn't winning any fan polls, a lot of Bangels will never forgive him for the end of S2 after all, and so in writing terms that becomes a bit of gift. You want someone to say these harsh things to Buffy in the scene but you don't want to damage the rep of any of the super popular characters (Oz, Cordy, Giles) so why not have the guy most people already think is a bit of a jerk just act like a bit of a jerk ? And since writing is all about having your cake & eating it, you get to have Xander say all the things that some of the fandom would have been thinking & that gives them a bit of catharsis too.
I was never a Xander-hater, but I do think this episode is the beginning of Xander hating for a lot of fans. He comes across so badly in the climactic argument (well, they all do, but Xander especially).
41:27 ...."Is that a zombie?" ....If he wasn't, now he is.....
In a cast of beautiful, stunning, and talented people it always comes down to Giles.❤
Pretty much, yes.
23:46 Yay! Go Sister Sunshine/Chanterelle/Lily! You CAN look after yourself!
39:30 So much of the drama in BtVS is things being heard/seen out of context and mis-interpreted.
45:00 It really shows ASH acting ability when mild-mannered Giles becomes the threatening and scary 'Ripper' side of his character.
There is no 'hell' in the christian sense in the Buffyverse. What you have is many hell dimensions ruled by various kinds of demons and hell gods, and our world used to be one of them before the demons got kicked out.
Also, Angel got stabbed with a sword before he got sent wherever he went; vampires don't die from that.
Did you catch the fact in Anne that Buffy was freeing the workers from exploitation while armed with a literal hammer and sickle? 😂🛠️
I love your theories and guesses, some of them are way off but most are really perceptive. This season is a doozy and can't wait to see more.
My thing with the beginning of Season 3, is that it seems to rewrite what happened at the end of Season 2, or imply her family and friends truly are that insensitive. Because Joyce actually told her daughter not to come back if she went out the door, and at this stage she’s somewhat come to except it really was a life or death situation. Yet she never apologizes or takes any responsibility as a parent for that.
As for her friends, they don’t seem to appreciate the level of trauma Buffy actually endured. They are taking on slaying generally with good intentions but not with the same level or risk or responsibility as Buffy. They have a rose tinted glasses perspective of her job and what baggage comes with it. Furthermore, because Willow decided to push herself to do more magic when she was told not to, and Xander was too selfish to tell Buffy what Willow was attempting, Buffy had no warning for having to 1. Get her boyfriend/first love back and then 2. Have to kill him with her own hands.
Again, something they never really apologize or deal with, and these two episodes frame it like Buffy is the one being selfish and all at fault who needs to apologize. When no, she’s is a teenager who was rejected by her mother, and believes herself to only bring those she cares about harm when she is around (when Kendra died, and then Willow’s injury). Which they could understand even without knowing what happened to Angel.
Plus she has no one teaching her how to cope with her trauma, and killing your first/true love is a huge trauma, as well as being rejected by her mother who she has all along been trying to please, and who is supposed to love her. Maybe running away with no contact wasn’t the best reaction, but what can be expected? She might be the slayer but she’s still a kid and that has been reiterated multiple times before.
I just feel as though this was not handled well and brushed past too quickly.
A sword through the chest isn't one of the ways of killing a vampire.
I never clicked so fast on a video in my life😂
I think Oz needed to be a year ahead of the rest of the Scoobies because they needed a character with more maturity than the rest.
Xander mentioned Belgium in s3e2, and back in the demon robot episode in s1 - I Robot, You Jane - he mentioned elderly Dutch women. What is it with Xander and the Low Countries?!?
"Anne" is my favorite season premiere!
For me, this is the second best season premiere
YESSSS so excited to watch this!!!