The Altruistic Alchemist

Friday, July 22, 2011

Thursday, July 21, 2011

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.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

The Zeppo

XANDER:	I mean, you yourself, Oz, are considered more or less cool. Why is that?
OZ:	Am I?
XANDER:	Is it about the talking? You know, the way you tend to express yourself in short, noncommittal phrases?
OZ:	Could be.
XANDER:	I know! You're in a band! That's like a business-class ticket to cool with complementary mojo after takeoff! I gotta learn an instrument. Is it hard to play guitar?
OZ:	Not the way I play it.

Good character development, OK dialogue and OK plot.

Yep, its another apocalypse in Sunnydale. The Hellmouth is opening again, and this time Xander isn't invited. Instead of focusing on this seemingly important event, one which would form the backbone for any standard episode, we are treated to a parallel story, and given a good view into Xander's character. The Hellmouth story is almost entirely incidental, and this episode could have been more powerful if Xander had been the only person having an unusual night.

As Cordelia, ever watchful for a back to stick a knife into, is quick to point out, Xander has been neglected of late, and lacks the supernatural powers of his colleagues - Willow/witch, Oz/werewolf, and Buffy/slayer. (Note, that Cordelia conveniently forgets to include herself!) It's interesting to note that it's not merely Xander's ability to handle Jack O'Toole and his zombie pals that's being tested: it's his ability to handle them on his own.

Several times during the night Xander encounters friends who would be able to help him, (Giles at the Restfield Cemetery, Willow outside the magic store and Faith after her battle with one of the Jhe demons). He has plenty of opportunity to ask for assistance, but he doesn't, and his character grows stronger because of it. Of course, during his hot and sweaty tussle with Faith he probably had other things on his mind...

Once Faith kicks Xander out, he starts doing things by himself. He knows that he doesn't have the strength to defeat Jack. But he can beat him by having more courage. Echoing their meeting at the Bronze, Xander says it all comes down to who has less fear. And he wins. Xander realizes that there is something special about him. That despite being an ordinary mortal, he can still be brave and heroic.

When Jack asks Xander whether he's ready to die, Xander replies he likes the quiet. The next day when Willow and Buffy tell him he was lucky not to be at the school, he says he likes the quiet life. When Cordelia confronts him, he is quiet. Xander has learned to be happy with who and what he is. He doesn't need super powers to confront the monsters in his life. Simple mortality has its advantages. In Helpless (18), Buffy learned that she was the Slayer with or without her power. That being the slayer is more than being physically strong. Xander has finally learned that being cool is more than having powers, playing the guitar, or driving a vintage car. Learning that, he finally discovers cool.

Foreshadowing

Buffy: Xander, one of these days, you're gonna get yourself hurt. - season 7

Faith steals a long green compound bow, commenting that "this could be my new thing". Although her attempts to use it in this episode are inept she does get better. - Graduation Day pt. 2

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

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

Friday, July 22, 2011

Earshot

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Enemies

Doppelgängland

Consequences

Bad Girls

Sunday, July 17, 2011

The Zeppo

Helpless (18)

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