Want. Take. Have.

Episode 3.14: Bad Girls. Original Airdate 2.9.99

"Faith convinces Buffy to live on the wild side, with fatal consequences."

Zelda's Thoughts:

• "Count of three isn't a plan! It's Sesame Street!"
• Yay the Mayor I love himmmmmm.
• "Everyone, of course, meaning me." I have ... probably used this.
• It's kind of sad, because all Cordy has existed for the last several episodes is entering a scene to snark and then stalk away.
• See, already the snark between Xander and Cordelia is way more in character than in Zeppo.
• YES YES YES ALEXIS DENISOF AS TWERPY WESLEY YES YES YES (although I positively loathed him the first time I watched this season - even his first season on Angel (SPOILERS) - it's his subsequent work that makes me love him and appreciate TwerpyWesley)
• "Is he evil? ... The last one was evil."
• BAHAHAHAHA Buffy and Giles leaning away from Wesley:

• I love every moment of trolling Wesley. I love it so hard.
• "New Watcher?" // "New Watcher." // "Screw that."
• DOUBLE GLASSES CLEANING!!!!!

Two Watchers, No Waiting

• Oops. Buffy lost the amulet.
• "Wait. Stop. Think." // "No. No. No." Pretty much sums up Faith's problems as a Slayer.
• Yay. Buffy got the amulet back.
• Troll Wesley more! It's wonderful magic happiness!
• "You're not helping." // "No. I feel just sick about it." Theeeere's my spirit animal!
• Aw Buffy's getting into the fun danger slayerage with Faith and Willow's feeling neglected ut oh.
• Man, the HoYay is strong in this one.

Open your heart to me, baby,
I hold the lock and you hold the key

• Great sequence of the Slayergirls dancing it out.
• Wesley is so beyond ineffectual.
• Oh hey Balthazar. You're all big and gross ain'tcha. And not nearly as dead as Wesley thinks you are.
• So Balthazar is a demon-thing, worshiped by vampires. There's hope for Adam's plan yet!
• "We need a little more firepower than none."
• Theft is bad, kids. Do not try this at home. Or, you know. other people's homes.
• Like seriously, Buffy, did you think randomly robbing a store for funsies would end well?
• Hey! A deeply stupid Sunnydale policeman!
• WOW with the HoYay.
• Seriously, these cops ARE deeply stupid. They got a very good look at both Buffy and Faith, and the police department has GOT to be familiar with Buffy at this point, after, y'know, they accused her of murdering Ted and Kendra. I call Shenanigans they weren't waiting on her doorstep the next morning.
• I'm assuming their main goal with Balthazar was to gross us out. They were very successful. I hate watching these scenes.
• See, Faith would have had time to catch herself. She should have - Buffy saw enough to yell for her to stop - the slaying of Allan Finch didn't happen that quickly. But Faith refuses to Wait. Stop. Think.
• Oh god, it's so sad to watch Allan Finch and Buffy stare into each other's eyes and they both realize he's dying. Even if he was working for evil, that was way harsh, Tai.
• Faith is feeling the guilt, it's not that she's just a sociopath and not going to feel guilt. She's terrified of that guilt and that's why she shuts it down and rationalizes her entitlement to play god.
• "A trade. Intriguing. No, wait, boring - pull off his kneecaps."
• AD is pretty hilariously twitchy and wibbly as Wesley.
• Yeah, Giles, headbutting a vamp. And then with a sword. Giles wins at everything. Wesley wins at nothing.
• "When he rises, you'll wish I killed you all." Foreshadowing! 
• Seriously, Harry Groener = best guest star in the history of all things.
• Also, this is just the best prop ever:

• Sorry, Faith, all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten your little hand. #Shakespeared
• "Being a Slayer is not the same as being a killer." Buffy understands the line, and that she was getting close to crossing it with her reckless behavior with Faith. Faith refuses to acknowledge that she's crossed it. "No, you don't get it - I don't care." It's a lie, but if she can convince herself it's true, then she can keep moving.
• And I love that the episode ends on a quiet awkwardness after that line.

Daniel's Thoughts:

• Faith is such a guy with the locker room talk about Xander.  But I love the continuity and I'm glad it wasn't just dropped.
• "Count of three isn't a plan, it's Sesame Street" - heh.
• Allan Finch: "I like Cathy".  Aww - he's so sweet.  How did he ever get involved with the Mayor?
• Willow got in!  To Harvard! Yale! Wesleyan!  But...it doesn't matter because she'll end up in Sunnydale, anyway.  Sunnydale...with its University.  The one next to the Starbucks that just popped up, too.
• Wesley!!!  Has anyone seen Much Ado yet?  I hear he's fab. [He is pretty good. I'll reserve the rest of my comments til I see the movie again in better circumstances. - Z]
• Buffy: "Is he evil?"  Hehe.  But also, valid....since the last one was.
• Oh Alexis Denisof.  You are so wonderful.
• "I didn't get this job because of my looks."//"I really really believe that." Hush Buffy, Wesley is adorable. [And so say all of us. - Z]

Adorable

• Double glasses wipe!
• Also - Faith's "Screw that" is awesome - but those weird hand movements!  I really need to get my pal Lucas to do a gif of all Eliza's weird hand gestures so y'all know what I'm talking about.
• Faith!  You are such a bad influence!
• "Preparation, preparation, preparation."//"That's one word, three times."  Such a witty episode.
• Giles/Tony Head is wonderful in this episode, too.  There seems to be something so freeing about being fired...  Also, it appears that Buffy has fully forgiven him for the events in "Helpless"
• Dude, Buffy - stop interrupting Willow.  She's in test mode!
• Also, jealous Willow!  Aww!
• Did the teacher really not see Buffy climbing out the window?
• Buffy and Faith's milkshake brings all the boys to the yard:

• Balthazar is so gross.  Must have been really hard to get into that make-up.
• Deputy Allan Finch :(
• There is a ton of death in this episode.  But mostly undeads.
• Giles with a sword is AWESOME.
• Oh Faith, won't you just let Buffy in??  She wants to heeeelppp!
• Also, she says ABOAT again but I've lost track about how many times she does this.

Hey! I made a Sporcle game!  Check it out: Buffy - Who said what?

Favorite Lines:

Zelda: "Whenever Giles sends me on a mission, he always says 'please.' And afterwards I get a cookie." - Buffy. Everything about this is perfect, especially her chirping delivery of cookie, and Giles smiling but trying not to, in response.

Daniel: "The count of three isn't a plan.  It's Sesame Street" - Buffy.

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• Recurrings: Faith, Trick, The Mayor, Finch, Joyce
• First appearance: Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
• Faith is quizzing Buffy about if she ever hooked up with Xander. Because Faith totally did.
• First mention of the Mayor's Ascension.
• Buffy is suspicious of Wesley because the last new Watcher was evil.
• "I hate it when they drown me." Shoutout to Prophecy Girl!
• Xander's eye twitches every time Buffy says Faith's name. Apparently. And also only in this scene.
• The Mayor is responsible for crippling Balthazar.
• The Ascension is in 100 days, and the Mayor is invincible until then.

Stats:

Oz's Hair - black

Dead Humans - 1 (Allan Finch, R.I.P)

Dead Undeads - 11

Giles Unconscious - 0

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 1

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Evil Reveal - 0

Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called - 1

Apocalypse Called - 0