Bad Girls

These snapshots may contain SPOILERS for the entire series, so if for some reason you haven't yet seen some of the episodes and do not want to know what is going on, read no further.
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While on a mission to retrieve an amulet before a powerful demon can use it to restore his strength, Faith introduces Buffy to her reckless method of slaying which leaves Buffy wanting more of the wild life. Meanwhile Giles is trying to keep his cool in front of the insufferably stuffy new watcher, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce.
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Buffy: Faith, you can shut off all the emotions that you want. But eventually, they're gonna find a body.
Faith: Okay, this is the last time we're gonna have this conversation, and we're not even having it now, you understand me? There is no body. I took it, weighted it, and dumped it. The body doesn't exist.
Buffy: Getting rid of the evidence doesn't make the problem go away.
Faith: It does for me.
Buffy: Faith, you don't get it - you killed a man.
Faith: No, you don't get it - I don't care!


Great character development, average dialogue and a not so good plot.

Really the first part of a two parter with Consequences. That is in part why I would consider this an above average episode. Without the follow up episode this would only be average at best.

The episode itself revolves around Buffy's growing affinity with Faith. The two of them are bonding and slaying and breaking rules and having fun. Being super powered has it's benefits and Buffy is enjoying her walk on the wild side. At the same time, Wesley arrives to serve as Faith and Buffy's new watcher. Faith pretty much ignores him and Buffy's loyalty is still with Giles, so there's conflict. When a demon named Balthazar and his minions start rising in Sunnydale, Buffy and Faith set out to stop them. Unfortunately, things start going wrong. First they're arrested and have to escape from a police car. Then Giles and Wesley are captured by Balthazar. And, finally Faith accidentally kills the Deputy Mayor, Alan.

The death of the Deputy Mayor is a pivotal event in the season. It changes Faith and sets her on the path to the Darkside. While slaying, Faith recklessly stakes Alan, thinking that he's a vampire. Slayer's aren't supposed to kill humans. Buffy panics. Faith stares at the body in shock. And neither one of them know what to do. After this Buffy will try to reclaim her own life and reconnect to the Scoobies. But Faith, takes Alan's death as further proof of her "badness," begins her spiral out of control. The Mayor's plan is also moving into high gear as he completes the first step of his ascension and becomes invincible.

Faith has a lot of issues. Her nagging Buffy about Xander in the opening scene is probably an attempt on her part to feel better about her quickie with him. If Buffy had done it, then it wouldn't have been so bad. Buffy never quite figures this out, though she gets a hint when Xander keeps twitching whenever she mentions Faith's name. Faith continues to try to justify her actions through Buffy. She gets Buffy to play hooky. She gets her to admit that she does get a sexual charge out of slaying. She gets her to commit a robbery and to escape from the police.

But every time Buffy is away from Faith, that influence weakens. When Buffy sees the consequences of their action, it weakens even further. In the Bronze, at first she is very physical with Angel, but soon she turns to business. When the policemen are hurt, Buffy is really upset. It's more the threat of Balthazar than the influence of Faith that gets her to leave them. But the death of Allan is the final straw. Faith and Buffy go their separate ways, literally and metaphorically. When Buffy goes back for Balthazar, she does so with Angel not Faith.

Note the Wesley we meet in "Bad Girls" is the Wesley who's never had a place to belong. Insecure and anxious to please his Uber-Watcher father, this Wes is still trying to figure out who he is. He's never lived in the "real" world before and he's used to being not-quite-good enough. The real Wesley, who emerges over on "Angel," is just about the hardest person in the entire Buffyverse. He's the pragmatic one who makes the really tough calls, who fights the wrong battles for the right reasons and who, occasionally, even scares Angel with his ruthlessness. (You couldn't tell that I love Wesleys story arc from the previous statement, could you?)

When Buffy is attacked by the vampire while in the graveyard, Faith stakes it from behind. She does this again with Trick at the end of the episode. Faith will do this again in Season 4's  "Who Are You."

First appearance of Wesley Wyndam-Pryce 

Foreshadowing

Buffy: Xander, Why does your eye twitch every time I mention Faith?
Then Xander covering up his left eye - season 7



My views/status of characters;
Buffy - like
Willow - like
Xander - like
Giles - like
Cordelia - like
Spike - absent
Angel - neutral
Oz - like

Overall I consider this a good episode compared to the rest of the season.

Innocence

These snapshots may contain SPOILERS for the entire series, so if for some reason you haven't yet seen some of the episodes and do not want to know what is going on, read no further.
----------------------------recap----------------------------
After a night of passion with Buffy, Angel awakens as a soulless monster. After killing a human for the first time in decades, he remembers what it is like to be a true vampire. He then joins Spike and Drusilla in their plan to destroy the world. A two parter continuation from Surprise.
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Cordelia: Well, does looking at guns make you wanna have sex?
Xander: I'm seventeen. Looking at linoleum makes me wanna have sex.


A lot of character development, good dialogue and a great plot.

Buffy at its inspired, dark and poignant best tackling some real issues better than other show out there. This episode starts the journey to a brilliant season story arc and culminates in just as dark of a twist in the season finale.

Sunnydale just keeps getting bigger. So, as well as two schools, an airport and a set of docks, Sunnydale also now has its own barracks. For a small California town, it's sure growing at a grand old rate.

Buffy and Angel's final confrontation is again in the rain, same as the previous episodes momentous conclusion.

Just love this scene.
Giles: It's not over. I suppose you know that. He'll come after you, particularly. His profile, uh, well, he... he's likely to strike out at the things that made him the most human.
Buffy: You must be so disappointed in me.
Giles: No. No, no, I'm not.
Buffy: But this is all my fault.
Giles: No. I don't believe it is. Do you want me to wag my finger at you and tell you that you acted rashly? You did. And I can. I know that you loved him. And... he... has proven more than once that he loved you. You couldn't have known what would happen. The coming months a-are gonna, are gonna be hard... I, I suspect on all of us, but... if it's guilt you're looking for, Buffy, I'm, I'm not your man. All you will get from me is, is my support. And my respect.


The film Buffy watches with her mother at the end of the episode is Stowaway, a 1936 musical starring Shirley Temple, Alice Faye and Robert Young. The song playing is Goodnight Sweetheart. This scene has been said to signify the finality of the of the Buffy/Angel romance, but it think its more than that. I feel it signifies the end of Buffy's innocence, not just her sexual innocence but her loss of innocence with life in general and growing up. Joyce asks her to blow out the candle and Buffy says "I'll just let it burn." Coming to the sad conclusion that the adage be careful what you wish for unfortunately has real significance for her now.


Foreshadowing

Spike: You've really got a yen to hurt this girl, haven't you? (referring to Buffy)
Angelus: She made me feel like a human being. That's not the kind of thing you just forgive. - Passion and the rest of this season.

Jenny: Buffy loves him.
Enyos: And now she will have to kill him.
Jenny: Unless he kills her first! Uncle, this is insanity! People are going to die.
Passion and Becoming pt. 1 & pt. 2 Jenny, Kendra, and Angel

Angel/us: You can't do it. You can't kill me.
Buffy: Give me time.Becoming pt. 2


Giles: It's not over. I suppose you know that. He'll come after you, particularly. His profile, uh, well, he's likely to strike out at the things that made him the most human .... The coming months are gonna be hard. I suspect on all of us.
Passion and Becoming pt. 1 & pt. 2 Giles tortured by Angelus. Buffy - kicked out of her house, expelled from school, has to kill the first love of her life right after he's been turned good again, and then runs away a complete wreck.


My views/status of characters;
Buffy - like
Willow - like
Xander - like
Giles - like
Cordelia - like
Spike - like
Angel/us - like
Oz - like

Overall I consider this a very good episode compared to the rest of the season.