Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Third Season

Review by Tom Johnson(tomjohnson@thecinemasource.com)

If Season One was the setup to the Buffy story, and Season Two was the tragic downfall for the heroes, then Season Three completes the Sunnydale High Trilogy with a story about redemption and, eventually, triumph. Considered the definitive season of the show by almost all, and considered the best season by many(though I still prefer the second), Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Third Season on DVD doesn't quite equal the vicious gut punch of Season Two, but maybe that's the point.

Season Three is about moving on and moving up, but while the season's overall tone may be lighter, there are still enough scares, fights and heartbreaks present to ensure that Buffy loses none of its bite. The reason Season Three is so popular probably has to do with all the great elements it introduces to the show's universe. Two fan favorite characters make their first appearance here, Angel(David Boreanaz) and Cordelia(Charisma Carpenter) enjoy their final year as Buffy regulars, and nearly every issue is given closure in the gigantic season finale, wrapping up the story that began in Season Two in a satisfying climax.
Season Three also features two fascinating villains as complex and heartwarming as they are evil. Overall, the third season of Buffy, while equally as dedicated to its main arc as the second season, probably features a larger collection of stand-alone episodes where, while the story may advance, the exploration of its characters is the main focus. Luckily, in its third season, Buffy still excels in both categories.

DISC ONE: "Anne", "Dead Man's Party", "Faith, Hope & Trick", "Beauty and the
Beasts"

The season gets off to a slow start with "Anne" and "Dead Man's Party", where the consequences of Buffy(Sarah Michelle Gellar)'s questionable actions in Season Two's finale come out into the open. In the season premiere, Buffy struggles to make by in Los Angeles, working as a waitress under a new name before stumbling on a demonic plot that sets her back on the right path. In the second episode, zombies are unleashed on Sunnydale as buried emotions are unleashed on Buffy by her jilted friends. After Season Two's cliffhangers are finally resolved, the real fun starts in "Faith, Hope & Trick", where three characters of varying importance are introduced to the show's universe: Faith(Eliza Dushku), who ranks up with Buffy and Angel as one of the most engaging and important characters Whedon has crafted; Scott Hope, who once again proves that Buffy has no chance at a normal relationship; and Mr. Trick, who provides the supporting villain role for the first half of the season. Faith makes an

immediate impact in Sunnydale, and establishes herself as the anti-Buffy. Rogue, carefree and happy-go-lucky, Faith has been on her own, wandering the country after the death of her Watcher. While she and Buffy inevitably clash, for now they get along after necessity. Another character is also brought to the Season Three mix at the end of the episode, and is discovered by Buffy alone in the depressing Disc One closer, "Beauty and the Beasts".

DISC TWO: "Homecoming", "Band Candy", "Revelations", "Lovers Walk"

In the fun, fast-paced "Homecoming", Buffy and Cordelia fight over the Homecoming Queen crown in a vicious battle of propaganda. Even more vicious is the battle the two face together on the way to the dance when confronted by bounty hunters, hired to compete in Mr. Trick's "Slayerfest 98". Mayor Richard Wilkins III(Harry Groener), Season Three's main bad-guy, finally appears in the hilarious "Band Candy", where chocolate bars turn the adults of Sunnydale, including Giles(Anthony Stewart Head) and Joyce(Kristene Sutherland) into raging adolescents. Faith gets a new, corrupt Watcher, and Xander(Nicholas Brendon) discovers Buffy's big secret in "Revelations" while Spike(James Marsters) returns to wreak havoc in a guest spot that sets him up for his eventual starring role in Season Four in "Lovers Walk".

DISC THREE: "The Wish", "Amends", "Gingerbread"

Anya(Emma Caulfield), Xander's future fiancé, is introduced in "The Wish" as a vengeance demon who grants Cordelia's wish that Buffy never came to Sunnydale. The results are obviously disastrous, and a peek into this bleak alternate universe provides for a dark, interesting ride. The Master rules the town, the vampires outweigh the humans, and Xander and Willow(Alyson Hannigan) are among their demonic ranks. The gritty, soldier-like Buffy glimpsed in the episode isn't so otherworldly, however. In fact, consider this episode a preview of where her character finally arrives in Season Seven. Another Season Seven preview is found in the Christmas episode, "Amends", where Angel is tortured with visions of the people he killed as Angelus. All of them tell him that killing Buffy is the cure for his pain. In reality, Angel's visions are not spirits but all manifestations of The First Evil, the universe's omnipresent dark force that corrupted Satan himself, as it boasts. It has the ability to mimic any dead person it wants to and be seen only by whom it wants. While its favorite and most unsettling form in the show's final season is Buffy(she does die twice), it's form of choice in this episode is Jenny(Robia LaMorte), Angel's most notable victim from Season Two. The First has an entertaining exchange with Buffy before retreating to the shadows, waiting until Season Seven to emerge as Buffy's final and most lethal enemy. Despite the dark, disturbing aspects that the First brings to the episode, "Amends" still manages

to end in a warm, gleefully cheesy manner worthy of any Christmas special. In "Gingerbread", the show makes up for Season One's "Witch", which offended touchy neo-witches, by offering an interesting spin on the Hansel and Gretel tale.

DISC FOUR: "Helpless", "The Zeppo", "Bad Girls", "Consequences"

Disc Four is probably the best disc of the entire set, featuring the two best stand-alone episodes of the season, as well as the two most important plot-advancing ones. In "Helpless", Buffy celebrates her 18th birthday by being drained of her powers and forced to battle a particularly nasty and unstable vampire in a giant deathtrap. This episode is a great reminder of all the horror movie clichés that Buffy originally responded to. Of course, the writers handle the slasher-pic clichés here just as well as they handle their usual plot elements in an episode that puts Scream to shame in the adrenaline-pumping chase department. "The Zeppo" is one of my favorite episodes of all time, right behind Season Four's "Hush", and certainly the funniest. Like the dialogue-free "Hush", however, "The Zeppo" has a gimmick: It's all Xander's show. What makes "The Zeppo" consistently laugh-out-loud funny is the unusual approach to humor it has. The actual plot of the episode concerns an impending apocalypse just as lethal as any the team has ever faced. Buffy doubts she can get the job done, and everyone is convinced they're going to die. The joke is that we see it all from Xander's perspective, as he's been left out of the loop and relegated to research and Krispy Kreme runs for the group. The effect is that every dramatic moment between the other characters, including the latest chapter in the Buffy/Angel melodrama, is played up for laughs. Along the way, Xander picks up a nice car, loses his virginity and saves the school from being blown sky-high, while his friends fight to keep the Hellmouth closed upstairs. By the end of the episode, we see that in a group of friends consisting of a vampire slayer, her Watcher, a witch, a vampire and werewolf, Xander is the most extraordinary of all. He may be the everyman, but his will and inner strength shine brighter than any other character on the show. Finally, the Faith story kicks into dark, fascinating gear as Buffy finally adapts to Faith's dangerous way of life in "Bad Girls" before a horrible accident sends Faith to the dark side in "Consequences".

DISC FIVE: "Dopplegangerland", "Enemies", "Earshot", "Choices"

Disc Five keeps the great episodes coming as the third season races to its spectacular finish. In "Dopplegangerland", Anya returns, minus her status as an immortal demon. Desperate to regain her stature, she enlists Willow, who's magic powers are growing by the day. Together they conjure

a spell that goes horribly wrong, sending the alternate world's vampire Willow into the real one. Whedon, master of foreshadowing, uses this episode to hint at Willow's upcoming sexual revolution. As Willow describes her vampire alter-ego, "She's evil, and skanky, and"¦.I think she's kind of gay". In "Enemies", Buffy discovers the new company that Faith keeps with the Mayor. In an elaborate scheme to infiltrate the bad guys' inner circle, Angel plays Angelus. Unfortunately, he plays him so well that the memories of his last run begin to pull apart the Buffy/Angel relationship, and we're left wondering just how thin the line between the two characters really is. In "Earshot", the episode that was pulled from airing when the Columbine shootings occurred, Buffy gains the ability to read other people's thoughts. While this begins as a blessing, it quickly spins out of control. In "Choices", several plot points are advanced leading to the High School story's climax.

DISC SIX: "The Prom", "Graduation Day"

"The Prom" is the episode Sarah Michelle Gellar has named as her favorite of the show's run. It's easy to see why, as the episode blends its elements to create an hour of teen sap worthy of a John Hughes 80's flick. It's also the last breath of air for Buffy and Angel's doomed romance. The two-hour "Graduation Day" brings three seasons of High School drama, horror and comedy to a satisfying, entertaining and touching close as the Mayor gears up for his demonic ascension. Here we also get our clearest picture of the paternal bond that exists between Faith and the Mayor. It's surprisingly poignant to see Faith getting all the love, support and recognition she's never known from the Mayor, while stepping out to do his evil dirty work. The relationship is summed up best by the scene where Faith shows off her new pink dress. As the Mayor tells her, "Aren't you a vision? Any boys that manage to survive will be lining up to ask you out." He even gives her a luxury loft and a Playstation. Unfortunately for them, Buffy crashes the party and fights Faith seemingly to the death. In the second half, the mayor finally transforms into a dinosaur-sized snake and gives the class of 99 a fight to remember. The finale ties up nearly every loose end and gives closure to the story told in the first three years, moreso than even the series finale, which eventually leaves viewers with more questions than answers. All in all, another top-notch season that resolves Season Two's dilemmas and ends everything on an up-note. New viewers could end their Buffy experience here and still feel as though they've witnessed an epic, multi-layered story in its entirety.

Not that they could possibly end it here, of course.
Show Score: 10/10

The DVD takes the best advancements made in the last season and loses the most unwelcome. The presentation is just as nice, and the menus are much less of a hassle. The extras featured here are also a lot of fun.
DVD Score: 9/10

The Bottom Line: This is NOT the place to jump on the Buffy bandwagon. New fans will be confused, and likely miss the importance of what is going on. Nearly every event on the show is a direct result of what happened in Season Two, and while it tells its own story, it is linked in so many ways the previous season that it would be very unwise to start here. If you've seen the second season already, then this is obviously an easy purchase you won't regret. As for longtime fans, this was actually the first season I bought on DVD, because it was the season that for whatever reason lingered least in my memory. It's a great introduction to Buffy on DVD for those long-time fans, as this season is probably the most dramatically altered of any of the first three in the journey from television to video. Enjoying the season from start to finish puts it in a new and even more enjoyable perspective that should be enjoyed by all fans, new and old. Nobody does it better than Buffy.

Overall Grade: A

Official Notes

In the third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy faces off against the evil machinations of The Mayor and competes with her unpredictable fellow slayer Faith.

Format: DVD
Rating (MPAA): NR
Originally Released/Aired: 1999
Run Time: 999 min
DVD Special Features:
– Full-screen format
– Number of discs: 6
– Season Three Overview
– Selected Episode Commentary
– Five Featurettes
– Special Interviews with Joss Whedon
– Selected Episode Scripts
– Still Gallery and more!
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Video: Full screen format
Close Captioned: Yes
Color: Color

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Check out Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Second Season