The Girl Makes Godot Look Punctual

Episode 3.17: Enemies. Original Airdate 3.16.99

"Faith uses a shaman's power to take away Angel's soul." Wow, way to be misleading, IMDB

Daniel's Thoughts:

• This episode should be called Frenemies
• Le Banquet d’Amelia.  I love it.  Yes, that does sound like a very sexy frenchy French movie. Like Les Cousines Dangereaux from Arrested Development.
• Since when do Angel and Buffy see movies together?  And there’s my answer, “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the movies.”
• Faith “They want us down on Mercer.”  The council? Since when do they assign…assignments.
• How long has that milk been out?
• And where are the cookies, mayor?
• Heh.  I love that Giles is all perturbed about a demon wanting money instead of the still beating heart of a virgin.
• And the seeds of “Giles not fully trusting Willow with magicks” are being laid down…for cropping.  I think that’s a mixed metaphor…
• Faith just keeps digging herself deeper, killing the demon.  Even if it is a demon.
• Faith trying to seduce Angel is kinda sad…
• “There's more than one way to skin a cat and I happen to know that’s factually true.”  Eww.
• Giles, “I wasn’t about to burst in song about it myself.”  NOT YET!
• Faith made a shirt out of Buffy’s pants….

Umm...anyone seen my pleather red pants?

• “I know. Faith would never do that.” // ”Faith would totally do that.”
• I know Angel’s faking it but he’s doing a good job – and he never once says, “let’s suck blood…because that’s what we vampires do…”
• And also David’s at his best when he’s playing Angelus.
• Angel about Xander “That guy just bugs me”.  I don’t think he’s acting…
• Again, even though they’re acting – it must be hard for Buffy & Angel to do this
• Shut up Xander.  …You don’t need context.  Just…shut up, Xander.
• Why is Willow wearing such a heavy coat? It’s California.
• I love the set-up psych scene.  It’s all done so well and I have to admit, I was surprised the first time I saw it but I saw a few hints on subsequent watches
• I know the Shaman’s backwards walk into nothingness is supposed to be magical but the actor has a hard time walking backwards…
• I know I make fun of the schmaltzy stuff on this show but I like that final scene between David and Sarah.

Zelda's Thoughts:

• Buffy and Angel totally just saw erotica!
• And we're back to Schmoopytimes High. To their credit, they haven't been overly schmooping this season.
• Books of Ascension, eh? That sounds like some seasonal arc stuff to me!
• I just want to point out that most of the shots of Angel in the opening credits are from when he was evil. I just want to point that out.
• It's such a parental thing, the Mayor asking Faith not to hide her face behind her hair. My mom always likes when I pull my hair back so she can see my face.
• He keeps. A pitcher. Of milk. In his office. Best Character Ever.
• Giles is eating a banana during Wesley's briefing. I kind of love it.
• Willow's bold rebellions against authority include reading books Giles hides in his office. She's dark, you guys.
• Faith broke a door. Doesn't count for our stats, though.
• The gutting of the demon is pretty brutal.
• Faith's hands are covered in demon blood, and yet none comes off the many times she touches her hair and face, nor when she touches Angel. bullllllllllshiiiiiiiiiiiit.
• "And I won't tolerate brooding." Then ... why does the Mayor want to recruit Angel?

• Giles is teasing me ... taking off his glasses, pulling out his handkerchief, and yet HE DOESN'T CLEAN HIS GLASSES. Dastard.

You think it's coming. I stare at you, taunting you.

BUT IT WAS ALL A LIE.

• Giles is so outraged. "Again. See, no standards. I mean, any self-respecting demon should be living in a pit of filth or a nice crypt!" [THANK you. - Spike]
• It's subtle, but it's good that Buffy catches that Faith knows where the strangely-placed light switch is in the demon's apartment. And then she can't look away from the violent carnage that was clearly not a professional hit.
• "Does Angel come up to Faith's standards for a guy? Let's see, is he breathing?" // "Actually, no."
• Nice fire, Angel. Also nice death wish.
• Stop trying to act, DB. Just stand there and show us your arms.
• I do like that as he playacts Angelus, he beats the shit out of Faith. Like, did she think he'd be nice and cuddly with her?
• Still pronouncing it ANGelus rather than AnGELus. Still James Marsters's fault.
• Okay, so the Mayor summoned the shaman and then the shaman was like "Hey, I think my buddy Giles lives in town, Imma go catch up with him and tip him off, just for funsies," and thus the SUPER SECRET PLAN was born? Is that how it went down?
• I like that "Angelus" tries to kill the Mayor and thus finds out (for the Scoobies) that he's impervious to such things as death.
• And Xander gets punched out because no one bothered to tell him the plan. WELL DONE, TEAM.
• DB is pretty good at being a creepy creeper.
• "How about like exact same guy like exact same guy?"
• WESLEY PRONOUNCED ANGELUS CORRECTLY. ALERT THE PRESSES. THIS IS WHY THEY HIRED HIM FOR THE SPINOFF.
• So do we think Faith managed to get "Angelus" into bed this episode? It's never explicitly stated, but I wonder how far he had to take the charade.
• Faith paints pretty clearly her resentment and jealousy of Buffy. She's a Slayer too, and why can't she have everything Buffy has?
• "You had to tie me up to beat me."
• See, Faith, this is why you shouldn't monologue. You gave away all your intel.
• I like the slow mo shot as Faith realizes she's been betrayed.
• "Kill me, you become me. You're not ready for that ... yet." And she kisses her. I really love the complicated dynamic of Buffy and Faith.
• "His debt to you is repaid? What'd you do?" // "I introduced him to his wife."
• "We have a rogue slayer on our hands; I can't think of anything more dangerous." It's just ... sometimes the writing is so crystalline and minimal and perfect and chilling and yes.
• "You still my girl?" // "Always." Hark! Do I hear the mournful piano tinklings of the Buffy/Angel love theme?

Crossfire!

Z: In the library planning session, neither Buffy nor Giles are acting like they know the fakeAngelus plan, but they must. If they do know, and they're just not telling the rest of the Scoobies, THERE IS NO REASON FOR THAT. As a result, Xander got punched and the rest of the Scoobies got up in arms for Angelus, again for no reason. Dumb dumb de dumb. I understand why the writers made the choice to confuse us, but logistically IT MAKES NO SENSE. And it probably could have, but not the way it is currently constructed, so there's some lazy shortcutting here or something. One general Shenanigans.

D: Giles & Buffy definitely knew.  Before she left, Giles covertly whispered to her, "Be Careful".  I think this is our clue that Giles and Buffy knew. Plus, the Mage didn't do what he was meant to do because he owed Giles one.  The Mage must have come to Giles beforehand.  I think not telling the others and sending them off on a wild-goose chase was a wise decision; it wasn't a long-term secret.  It was just to keep them safe and out of the way.  Besides, we all know Xander would have fucked it up somehow if he knew.

Favorite Lines:

Daniel: "Whatever happened to the still-beating heart of a virgin? No one has standards anymore." - Giles
Zelda: "A six-course banquet of nothing with a scoop of sod-all as a palate cleanser." - Giles. We should all speak British.

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• Recurrings: Faith, Mayor, Joyce
• The gang is finding out more about Ascensions.
• Shoutout to Willy the Snitch! Unseen but mentioned.
• The gang now knows the Mayor is invincible. Also kind of immortal and really old. And that Ascension Day is also Graduation Day.

Stats:

Oz's Hair - blonde

Dead Humans - 0

Dead Undeads - 1

Giles Unconscious - 0

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Evil Reveal - 0

Unevil Reveal - 1 (Angel was just pretending to be Angelus)

Shenanigans Called - 1

Apocalypse Called - 0