A Bunch of Guys from Spart

Episode 3.7: Revelations. Original Airdate 11.17.98

"With some help from Faith's new watcher, Buffy seeks to destroy a weapon-like glove before it falls into the hands of a demon."

Daniel's Thoughts:

• Ugh, just stop, Willow with the awkwardness and the trying to explain.  No one knows about you and Xander and no one wants to know.
• Excellent duel fight scene.  I agree, Buffy - synchronized slaying should be a new Olympic category although who would they compete with?
• Gwendolyn Post.  Ick.  She's just started talking and...can no one tell she's evil yet?
• Shut up Gwendolyn.  The books they have already have helped them so far.
• What's with Buffy's hat?  You're in doors, Buff, take the warm winter hat off.

"It's totally cute, right?"

• Twelve cemeteries in Sunnydale!  That makes sense.
• Angel still hasn't learned how to put on a shirt...
• Oh...there it is...
• Ok, it's been several weeks.  Angel is obviously good and he's not animal-like anymore. Isn't it about time Giles was brought in?
• ABOAT.
• Big vamp with Armor!  Why do they need armor??
• Xander sees Angel.  And this is what happens when you keep secrets Buffy!  They always come out!
• And once again, everyone gangs up on Buffy without letting her explain.  But of course, if she told Giles in the first place, this wouldn't have happened.
• "What you just tripped and fell on his lips?"  Really Xander? Pot kettle much?
• Aww, I don't like disappointed Giles.  But...he's right.  
• ABOAT
• Ugh, Xander is such a dick.  All he cares about is himself.
• Giles! Don't tell her where the glove is! She's evil!
• Ugh, I hate the Willow is going to confess to Buffy but is interrupted thing.  It's such a soap technique.  Makes you think a big secret is about to be revealed but then, nope.  And of course Willow changes her mind.
• False assumptions just make my stomach hurt.
• Fire pretty.
• Angel & Faith's first meeting! Surprise, surprise: they're fighting.
• And first Buffy/Faith fight, too.
• Cool lightning affect.  Reminds me of someone:

I have the powerrrrr!

• Aww, Angel saved Willow's life!
• And yet - Xander is still acting self-righteous. I'd like to see what happens if he becomes a vampire. [Patience - Anyanka]
• I think this is the first time we see Faith's transition into "The only person I can trust is me."  Sad.
• Aboat Count: 2

Zelda's Thoughts:

• According to set designer Carey Meyer in a special feature, "The Bronze was meant to sort of feel like a nightclub, but really was an espresso bar" (justifying, the kids hanging out there without boozing), but that got supplanted by the Espresso Pump. So now their table is full of red cups containing questionable potables.
• "About your new boyfriend, who we made up ... unless we didn't." So cute.
• And thus began the Buffy/Faith slashfic.

Buffy+Faith 4ever

• Parking lot cemetery, including our pal Alpert the Mausoleum.
• Man, fuck you, Gwendolyn Post, for being such an immediate snot. No wonder Giles has an inferiority complex about the rest of the Watchers' Council. Also, Mrs.? Where's the hubby? Where's Baron Post? (he's totally a baron. shut up)
• "Where do you keep the rest of your books? ... The actual library?" fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck you
• "Interesting lady ... can I kill her?" Yes. All of the yes.
• Still haven't remembered how to wear a shirt, huh, Angel? Don't worry. These things take time.
• Ut oh. Bangel sessual tension a-go-go.
• Oh look. A shirt. And he buttoned it.
• There's a lottttttttt of sunlight in Angel's mansion.
• staaaaaaaaahp (I don't really remember what this is in reference to, but I assume it's the Bad Decisions of Xander and Willow)
• Oh man. I'd forgotten Xander's first moment seeing Angel alive again was his taking the glove from the crypt. I guess he has reason to be suspicious.
• And then he sees him making out with Buffy and so of course his rationality goes on a road trip to elsewhere.
• Gawd, I HATE you, Gwendolyn Post. I'm glad you turn out to be evil so we never have to deal with you ever again.
• And see, while the Scoobies don't have all the facts and thus don't understand what we do about Buffy and Angel, they are COMPLETELY justified in their anger with her. Completely. Because dude she's been lying about someone who, the last time any of the Scoobies saw him, was a psychopath who wanted to end the world.
• Xander's lividness toward the Angel situation is understandable to the degree that we haven't outright said that the returned Angel is ensouled. BUT we know he will continue to hold ensouled Angel responsible for Angelus's actions, which was not something we did with previously-souled Angel, who also had plenty of carnage in his history.
• If I ever form a band, it's gonna be called A Bunch of Guys from Spart. I will play the triangle.
• Yay Willow who is not mad at Buffy. Though ... that's because she's got her own guilt going on.
• Ah see, this is telling - Xander says "Angel's still alive," not "Angel's back" or "Angel's alive again." Probably in his delusion, he thinks Angel never died or went away at all (he wasn't there when Buffy told Willow and Giles the truth of her final battle with Angel), and Buffy knew the whole time.
• "Can I come?" THIS IS WHY PEOPLE HATE YOU, XANDER. I don't hate you, but I'm damn mad at you.
• And Faith is in many ways an easy mark for Xander's vengeance craving - she's feeling paranoid about being left out, isolated, unwanted - she'd want to take charge of a situation she'd felt been pulled out from under her.
• "I want you to be the first to know that ... there's a demon behind you." Typical Whedon move.
• At least Xander recognizes that knocking Giles out is not Angel's style, and that he tries to stop her from running off.
• But then two (TV) seconds later, Xander says "Your boyfriend's not as cured as you thought." Ugh stop.
• Man, writers, stop making the actors read Latin.
• I'm glad they're finally taking a Giles-is-unconscious moment seriously.
• I don't know why it's always funny to me when Angel gets knocked out, but it is.
• Angel's in gameface! And sounding way more bantering than in previous episodes this season. I guess he's all better.
• Faith throws Xander against a wall. Me: Aww, poor Kelly.
• Oh. Mrs. Post is evil AND wearing the glove. oops.
• Mansion's getting trashed.I think Angel should move. Again.
• Shenanigans! Even with slayer-strength behind the throw, I don't think a shard of glass would have sliced through tendon and muscle, let alone bone, to cut off Mrs. Post's evil arm.
• "Sounds like we missed a lot of fun." // "Then we're telling it wrong."
• "Boy, do I not know." {subtext: boy, do I not care.)
• Xander trusts Buffy again. Yay?
• "They swear there was a memo." More fodder for Giles's inferiority complex.
• Cordelia doesn't trust Buffy. And clearly, neither does Faith.
• And it's sad, because Faith so clearly wants friends, a place to belong, but she feels betrayed by Buffy, and it's a feeling she's so used to, it's not something she'll get over that easily. She can't trust Buffy, so she'll keep pushing her and the rest of the Scoobies away, so when her Big Mistake happens, there'll be nowhere for her to go, but to the arms of the Mayor.

Crossfire!

Z: Nice little couch set.

D: Yeah. Where did he get it? The IKEA in hell?

Z: But it's the same mansion from before!

D: Yeah, I heard Drusilla loves IKEA.

Favorite Lines:

Daniel: "Interesting lady. Can we kill her?" - Buffy

Zelda: "I won't remind you that the fate of the world often lies with the Slayer. What would be the point? Nor shall I remind you that you've jeopardize the lives of all that you hold dear by harboring a known murderer. But sadly, I must remind you that Angel tortured me ... for hours ... for pleasure. You should have told me he was alive. You didn't. You have no respect for me, or the job I perform." - Giles, breaking my heart.

90s Factoid:

Faith's TV has rabbit ears.

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• Devon again. He's having a money month!
• There are twelve cemeteries within the Sunnydale city limits. Sunnydale is a city???
• Buffy and Angel have their first kiss since his return.
• Everyone knows Angel's back now.
• Buffy and Faith have their first battle.

Stats:

Oz's Hair - strawberry blond

Dead Humans - 1

Dead Undeads - 3

Dead Flashbacks - 0

Giles Unconscious - 1

Giles Cleans His Glasses -0

Buffy Breaks a Door - 1

Evil Reveal - 1 (Mrs. Post)

Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called - 1

Apocalypse Called - 0