You know how many people look back on S6 as too much of a slow wade through misery? I think this chunk of episodes is a big part of why. While there’s one episode that I actually really like, I’m not a huge fan of the last several installments of this batch. It does feel a bit like depressed wheel-spinning where the same beats are being hit a few too many times. Obviously I understand why Buffy and the whole Scooby Gang are in a funk, but it’s just enough already at some point. This is also the only edition of this retrospecticus that Giles is entirely absent. Coincidence? I think not.

As for Angel, this whole second half of S3 is probably my least favorite time of the series (at least S4 has some good high points as a counterbalance to the awful parts). I’m simply not a fan of Connor and all he brings, the Holtz/Justine stuff is largely eye-roll worthy, and the overwhelming time spent on everyone finding love in groan-inducing (Angel & Cordy) or chemistry-free (Fred & Gunn) couples becomes hard to take. At least Wesley, Lilah, and Lorne are around to spare me from all that.

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Retrospecticus…

All right, the only way out is through…

Doublemeat Palace

• Written by Jane Espenson / Directed by Nick Marck

• “Please continue the story of failure.” Everyone’s having soda and popcorn, is it snack time? And anywhere that makes their employees dress like Buffy has to is for Doublemeat Palace is an evil place.
• The horrible video Buffy has to watch isn’t really that far off from the real ones you get to watch at food service places.
• The employee break area and locker corner is huge. There’s an obscene amount of non-kitchen space in the back of this fast food restaurant.
• These sandwiches sound gross. Hamburgers and processed chicken product, or whatever Manny describes it as. Yum. Also, The register situation seems destined for failure. Just a bunch of photos of stuff.
• Anya mentioning that maybe Doublemeat Palace could provide food for the wedding really brings out the inner Frasier Crane in me. What a ghastly idea.
• Spike’s gold chain is a bit much. I’m not a big fan of jewelry in general, though.
• As a big BtVS nut, I recognized Halfrek right away–but we’ll get to that later.

• Buffy and Spike having sex out behind the store by the dumpsters and whatnot always struck me as Buffy’s rock bottom. I mean, ew.
• Amy pops by to pick up her old rat cage and be a bad influence on Willow, which makes this the first time she’s been in three episodes one season. She disappears for a year after this one, for whatever reason, so that streak ends pretty quickly.
• What’s with this meat grinder setup? It’s just getting meat all over the floor and that doesn’t seem out of the norm.
• Anya and Halfrek chatting about the ways Xander isn’t great is another brick in the road to their doomed wedding. They really lay it on thick that things won’t be ending well.
• That finger Buffy found is still pretty damn bloody for being, y’know, dead and severed.
• Dawn’s kind of a dickhead while talking to Xander about how Buffy’s never going to amount to anything, like Dawn can. Buffy’s 21, how about giving her some time to figure life out? Especially after death.

• The old lady’s head demon thing looks ridiculous. And Buffy just stands there for too long before getting sprayed with demon juice. Lucky for her Willow shows up and handles things with relative ease.
• Doublemeat Palace was ahead of the game on the whole Impossible burger development–except for the beef fat secret. The fact that they’re lying about it seems like a bad idea, though. Lawsuits galore!
• Buffy kind of blackmails her way into getting her job back, but good for her. Knowledge is power.

Provider

• Written by Scott Murphy / Directed by Bill L. Norton

• If money is an issue now (for Connor’s future) then what about that bag of money from the ’50s that Angel found about a year ago? If it’s all gone then it sure seems like a bunch of bad financial choices were made.
• So, this guy running from some monster in the rain didn’t consider getting to a safe location before calling for help? I’m not sure what kind of assistance he was expecting them to provide over the phone from the active threat getting closer and closer to him.
• Oh yeah, Gunn’s got lovey eyes for Fred. Between Angel and Cordy’s increasing flirtation (with incoming Groo, too) and the Wes/Fred/Gunn triangle there’s an overflow of intertwined mushy feelings all over the place.
• Bleh, Holtz and Justine scenes. That’s all I have to say about this pair for the episode.
• Angel Investigations is never as busy again as it is right now. I guess the website was only active for this one episode?

• Hey look, it’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Angel’s liar client (who is obviously up to something). He’s really lucky that guy didn’t come back to his office 10 seconds earlier, otherwise his whole plan was shot.
• It can’t be that hard to find Holtz. They know he’s looking for humans to join his cause, so just send someone in undercover. Make it work, detectives.
• I wonder what Angel Investigations charge people for their services. The faceplate demons offer $50K and the liar guy offers $10K, but what would this lady with the zombie boyfriend have to pay? And in all fairness to the puzzle demons, Lorne makes it sound like they asked for the “head” of someone at Angel Investigations early on. If they didn’t lie about anything, then they wound up paying someone for a service only to be killed due to a language barrier. Or were they being sneaky the whole time?
• The little computer screen head switch demonstration is hilariously lame.
• I’ve already had enough exposition via monologues to the baby. No more, please.

• Wes and Gunn can’t take one zombie guy? They’ve fought all kinds of things over the years, how is this chatty undead guy too much to handle? And what’s their plan, just hide away forever? Nobody seems to mind that she’s a murderer, either. 
• The fact that Angel and the liar client can hold those four vampires at bay for as long as they do is kind of crazy. Four vampires should be able to break that door down, easily.
• Cordy brings Connor to the puzzle demon barge, which seems like a crazy decision that could easily have ended in everyone dead. 
• I choose to believe Angel’s liar client is gay, as his whole plotline could easily read that way.
• Really, everything about the puzzle demon story could be interpreted as Angel & company killing these demons who thought they had an agreement for all this. Anyway, the gang could easily just put all that money back in the briefcase instead of stuffing it into whatever pocket available.

Dead Things

• Written by Steven S. DeKnight / Directed by James A. Contner

• Spike has so many rugs. An almost obscene amount of rugs. Several of them are likely covered in Buffy & Spke sex acts. Spike finally asks Buffy some relevant questions like “Do you even like me?” & “Do you trust me?” Their whole conversation about just what the hell they’re doing is the most rational one they’ve had so far.
• Tara resurfaces after being MIA the last two episodes–the only time during her tenure she misses two in a row. I’m glad that when she turns up again it’s got nothing to do with Willow. I wish there had been more scenes of Tara with non-Willow people.
• Jonathan and Andrew sure are childish idiots about forcing random women into sexual submission while calling them “Master.” As for Warren, he seemed like he couldn’t be happier to get to the rapin’. And his whole smooth demeanor is pathetic. I appreciate Katrina doesn’t give an inch.
• Xander, Willow, Anya, and Dawn practicing dancing around the house is a nice bit of happy good times. Mostly I’m glad that Xander and Anya are enjoying themselves for once and not harping about wedding plans.
• This whole scene where Katrina comes out of her magically induced haze only to be assaulted and murdered by Warren is the Trio at their most gross and pathetic. Warren’s obviously a deeply unhinged person, but Jonathan and Andrew are still sheeple losers.
• “It was an accident”–uh, Andrew,  good luck convincing anyone else that Katrina’s skull was accidentally caved in with a wine bottle while she was watching a movie.

• Spike appearing at the Bronze to whisper vague fears into Buffy’s ear and try to convince her she belongs in the shadows with him is a nice demonstration that he’s got no one’s best interest at heart.
• Willow and Tara have their first extended contact since “Tabula Rasa.”
• Buffy lingering outside Spike’s crypt is a good scene and the weird sequence of the time splice temporal disturbance demons attacking Buffy & Spike that immediately follows is nicely done, too.
• Buffy’s dream mixture of sex & violence with Spike & Katrina is yet another case of this episode being better than I remember.
• Even Buffy’s scene with Dawn has Dawn making a few sound points (plus a “Dawnie, I have to” call back), before Dawn has a standard hissy fit.
• Spike really did a crap job of disposing of Katrina’s body, but at least they get a good joke out of it. This whole rather violent exchange between Buffy and Spike *right outside* a police station isn’t a ringing endorsement of the city’s cops.

• While one could make the case that Spike’s plan of letting Buffy break his face was a failure, the fact that he delayed Buffy as long as he did is the only reason she was able to conveniently overhear the cop’s phone call at all. So, good work on Spike after all.
• Buffy breaking down in tears at the end with Tara, then confessing her sexual choices, is a wonderful cap (“There has to be.”) to this whole really good episode. “Please don’t forgive me.” I won’t forget again how this one of the season’s better efforts.

Waiting in the Wings

• Written & Directed by Joss Whedon

• Why would the PTBs send Cordy a vision about something that doesn’t happen for a month? Surely there are more pressing matters between now and then.
• This fun & friendly exchange between Cordy and Wes is one of their last solo exchanges. Groo shows up at the end of this one, then he & Cordy leave for a few episodes, and…well, all kinds of unpleasantness occurs.
• This whole episode, really, is like a last hurrah for the unit as it is. Lots of things start to happen very shortly that seriously alter the group dynamics in irrevocable ways.
• Cordy completely misreads a fundamental element of Fred’s line of questioning–who they’re talking about, for instance–and gives Wes some real bad advice. Whoops.
• “And stop calling me pastries” is one of my favorite Angel lines.
• So, as for all the Angel & Cordy love and destiny crap–jeez, I am still not a fan after all these years. I remember being very lukewarm on both of the primary couplings of this episode–Fred and Gunn being the other one. There’s just way too much of all this star-crossed lovers stuff for my taste. I know it’s kind of the whole theme of the episode, but that’s probably why this isn’t one of my favorites. It’s very well done and all that, just not exactly up my alley.

• Hey look, it’s Summer Glau. I won’t be getting to Firefly in this Retrospecticus (for obvious reasons), but she’s memorable now and moreso on her own show.
• Having said all this stuff, I will also say that when it’s not leaning into the Angel/Cordy sexual tension angle it’s a pretty good episode.
• “I’m only alive when you’re inside me” is one of those lines that makes me chortle every time.
• The security at the hotel while Lorne’s babysitting seems entirely non-existent if Groo can just wander up undetected.
• “I’ve been possessed by the spirit of old lovers before”–nice S2 BtVS shout out, especially since I was thinking how Angel’s been in this kind of boat previously. 
• The Count, or whatever he is, is Milosh.
• Wesley’s competency in his sword fight is a nice change from the days when he’d trip on something, or otherwise be made to look a fool.
• As for Gunn and Fred, I just never personally felt any heat between them. They feel more like friends than lovers.

• Nobody wonders where Wes is when the two couples finally meet up. I guess that’s a little taste of how much they care, if Wes wanted to read too much into it.
• Summer Glau’s one scene with Angel is wonderfully effective and I can see why she was wanted for Firefly. Her face and eyes say so much.
• What the hell did the entire rest of the audience witness happen when Angel leapt from the stage and destroyed the Count’s power center? All the actors and sets faded away right in front of everyone. Plus, the whole thing where Angel assaulted that guy–who would also fade away, right?
• Groo popping up at the end is nothing I was happy about. He felt like a big pointless obstacle thrown in the mix for plot reasons more than anything.
• It’s rather telling that in an episode where two couples find each other it’s Wesley’s disappointment that things end on–a taste of things to come.

Older and Far Away

• Written by Drew Z. Greenberg / Directed by Michael Gershman

• So, does this demon get sucked into just his sword in the event he’s stabbed with it? Would the same thing happen if he was stabbed with another sword, or whatever?
• Buffy suggested she’d be gone for hours and wouldn’t be back until Dawn’s asleep, but then Dawn makes her way to the Magic Box (Walking? Taxi?) to try and find someone to go to the mall with her–how late is it? The timeline of a lot of this is murky.
• Hallie’s office has a Sunnydale Razorbacks shoutout in there, but they establish next year as Dawn’s first year of high school so is this still middle school? Or some temporary high school while the new one gets built? As for Hallie, I was one of those loonies who immediately recognized the actress from her previous appearances so I was waiting for the demon reveal.
• Buffy and Tara having a special bond is a nice development, it’s just a shame they didn’t have a connection like this earlier. Also, Willow and Tara have their first extended contact (beyond a quick scene) this episode.

• Clem showing up nine episodes after he first popped up (and popping up a handful more times after this one) is one of those fun BtVS character continuations that you never can predict.
• Dawn actually says she’s in high school, too, so I will go with the temporary high school theory.
• Xander’s weapon’s chest is actually a pretty great birthday gift.
• Sophie’s mom dropped her off with a whole list of allergies and whatnot, but then doesn’t even come back for the daughter she’s obviously rather protective of? Or is that how involved Halfrek’s curse is?
• Dawn has a fairly simple wish, really–she just wants the company of loved ones (& strangers). I can understand all that, but then it’s the next morning and there’s clearly something magical as to why nobody can leave. Dawn becomes a completely crazy person about people needing to have a life beyond hanging out with her in the house forever. 

• This is one of those times where leaning into the magic-as-drugs metaphor is a bit ridiculous. It’s a magic problem, therefore it requires a magic solution. 
• Xander’s work buddy is rather lucky this rampaging demon isn’t exactly a skilled swordsman. I mean, yeah, he’s wounded–but that’s better than being cut in half.
• The one bathroom situation must be getting to everyone, too.
• Considering the fact they know there’s a demon magically stuck in the walls of the house there really should be a buddy system in place. Xander wandering around alone, for instance, is quite idiotic.
• This whole scene of Anya being hostile about Willow doing magic and then rummaging through Dawn’s room is one of those times where a show or movie has a farily reasonable argument get filtered through a somehow unstable character, as if to sully their valid POV with negative emotions. I’ve never been a fan of that kind of thing.

• Hallie and Spike recognizing each other is one of those nice nods to previous history. Ultimately it has nothing to do with anything, really, but Kali Rocha is a lot of fun as Hallie (her whole “time and each other” speech being a highpoint of this episode) and I can absolutely see why they brought her back.
• One thing that makes Willow’s whole magic addiction arc less than stellar is the fact that it’s explained away so easily in the next season.
• Okay, this shot of Spike leaving Buffy’s house is clearly *not* James Marsters to such an obvious degree.

Couplet

• Written by Tim Minear & Jeffrey Bell / Directed by Tim Minear

• I always forget this one starts off the same night that “Waiting in the Wings” wraps up, making sure to continue all this lame love triangle stuff forever. I don’t hate love, by the way, but all the mooney eyes, gushy feelings, coupley shenanigans, and baby talk stuff feels like it’s gumming up the works.
• Nice shoutout to Numfar and his dance of revolution.
• I think Gunn and Fred is the bridge too far for me. I just don’t feel a spark and their dialogue/interactions come across as more nauseatingly “cute” than anything else.
• The demon that Groo kills with that sword is one of those easy self-cleaning monsters–if only they all evaporated into nothing.
• At least there’s this scene with Wes and Angel (of Wes giving Angel a pep talk about he’s unique and whatnot) that isn’t dripping with star-crossed lover stuff.
• This whole demon tree abduction situation is a prime example of why Gunn & Fred shouldn’t be on assignments together, as they obviously can’t be at work when they’re at work. Yeah, Fred says as much, but they still screw things up.

• Wesley looks as bored by Groo’s battle stories in the background of Angel & Cordy’s paranormal prophylactic conversation as I am of this whole episode.
• It sure took Gunn & Fred a very long time to realize they had video of this guy disappearing. Quick thinking, indeed.
• This DSL connected tree demon is rather ridiculous. The way it says “magnificent” always makes me laugh.
• So, if Gunn stabbing the sword in the tree demon’s face proved useful after all, then why couldn’t Angel just do that? The tree demon is also kind of a moron for not just letting go of Angel once it realized he was a vampire.
• Gunn’s kind of an ass for acting like Wesley, as the current boss of this intimate group of friends/coworkers, wouldn’t need to know that some people on the team are actively coupling.

• Cordy’s already become kind of insufferable these last couple of episodes and I’m not too sad to see her go for the next few. Except then she’s worse when she comes back, honestly, and in S4…well, we’ll get to that trainwreck soon enough. What I’m trying to say is the next time Cordy is a welcome presence will be in S5. Shame. Also, this episode is the last time Wesley and Cordy have any scenes together until well into S4.
• Wesley’s “The Father Will Kill The Son” prophecy reveal is a nice change of pace from everything that came before.

As You Were

• Written & Directed by Douglas Petrie

• Buffy’s fast food job is gross and I know she doesn’t have anything to put on a resume, really, but there’s nothing else she can find? Also, this idiot vampire that attacks her–knowing she’s the slayer–is kind of a moron.
• Buffy having sex with Spike right there on the front lawn is nasty. Did they roll around on the Doublemeat dinner she gives to Dawn? Eww. And when does that fast food place close if Buffy has time to do closing tasks, walk home/patrol, have sex with Spike on the lawn, and then there’s still time for Dawn to go to the Bronze and be home by 11?
• All of Xander and Anya’s never-ending wedding planning seems like a hellish & never-ending task. It would have been more surprising if they actually just got married and things didn’t implode. Maybe Xander and Dawn’s future party planning as a couple is a more relaxed experience.

• Boom, Riley. He shows up as suddenly as he fled town, once again throwing Buffy for a loop (“My hat has a cow”). He doesn’t even tell Buffy they’re trying to track this demon to eggs and not kill it. I don’t know, maybe he likes withholding information (like being married) to feel like he has one-up on Buffy on some level, as she’s his superior in pretty much every way.
• “Did you die?…I’m gonna win” is a fun Buffy line.
• Xander’s car is gross and I guess now’s as good a time as any to mention that he seems to be gaining more weight with each passing episode. 
• So, I cannot stand Riley’s wife. There’s just something about the combination of this actress (who I have never been a fan of) and the character as written that I simply find deeply, deeply annoying. Every word out of Sam’s mouth feels extremely calculated to be just the paragon of whatever it is the scene needs (despite only knowing demons exist for around a year, maybe), but not only that–she’s a horrible actor. Just awful. Okay, I will try to shut up about how awful of a character she is all-around.

• Yeah, Riley, it *is* entirely your fault that you couldn’t just use your words to let Buffy know what’s up.
• Spike moonlighting as “The Doctor” and selling demon eggs is one of those random nonsense things that’s forgotten as quickly as it was mentioned.
• Since I commented on Xander gaining mass, I will also make note of Spike hitting the gym to an obscene degree to the point he looks kind of emaciated. The two of them should do some kind of magic mumbo-jumbo to trade body mass.
• Buffy seems to be going out of her way to be the worst shot in the world. I mean, all she needs to do is point in the general direction and shoot.
• This episode is the last time Buffy and Spike have sex in the TV series as she breaks off their secret affair at episode’s end. They certainly have a lot more relationship ahead of them, but no more sexcapades (until the comics, eventually).
• As far as “last times” go, this is a series wrap on Riley. He pops in the comics, of course, but Marc Blucas is now all done in the Buffyverse.

Loyalty

• Written by Mere Smith / Directed by James A. Contner

• Wesley’s nightmare is off-putting and all, but the blood coming out of the book looks *so* fake and that deep voice Gunn has when saying “running out of time” is more laugh-inducing than frightening.
• I do vastly prefer tortured Wesley to slapstick Wesley, personally, so I guess I don’t mind that he’s on a road to trouble.
• Angel and Gunn being such baby goobers is a well that went dry for me almost instantly, so the fact we’re almost done with all this baby nonsense *should* be good. Should be…
• I know this client who walks in with the story about her son turning into a vampire is working with Holtz, but if the details of her horrible ordeal are correct then her vampire son was a moron. He just went home and pounded on the door until the sun came up? Good plan.
• Everything about Holtz, Justine, and his band of sad people with issues is a complete misfire for me.
• “We’re not here to date, we’re here to do a job. Now why don’t you go to the pier and do your job.”–I know Wes is supposed to be kind of a jerk here, but he’s not wrong.

• Lilah finally pops up again after last showing up five episodes ago, which feels too long. And I’d think she would put that “Count me in” notepad face down, because surely there are cameras around somewhere.
• Frankly, whenever Wesley or Lilah aren’t in a scene I’m some mixture of annoyed, bored, or my eyes are rolling all the way around. The last BtVS and this episode of Angel is quite a dud pairing.
• Wesley’s scene with the hamburger prophet, or whatever, is nicely foreboding while also amusingly silly.
• “Not on your best day. Bye.” Another instance of Lilah being wonderfully direct. Oh, and I like that little bit of backstory of her mother with alzheimer’s (or whathaveyou). It doesn’t have any relevance to anything, really, but it’s some nice shading to her personality.

• Wesley being so dejected is a refreshing change of pace from the guy we once knew. It’s the one thing about this whole baby arc I appreciate.
• Angel’s a moron if he thinks telling this woman off about Holtz would have any effect whatsoever on their goals and aspirations.
• I’m entirely unimpressed with Holtz and everything he has to say about Angel/Connor. He knows nothing, he isn’t wise–he’s just some guy from hundreds of years ago with a vendetta.
• Bleh, more Gunn and Fred lovey dovey diner chat. Stop, please.
• This final scene between Wesley and Angel is the last time Wes laughs or has a moment of genuine happiness–even for just a moment–for a good long while. Oh, and Lilah’s little smile when the earthquake happens is lovely.

Hell’s Bells

• Written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner / Directed by David Solomon

• Buffy and Willow are obviously talking about their dresses right away and not any demon, so the “joke” doesn’t really land. So, cards on the table, this is the second episode in a row that I never look forward to and consider to be a dud (for reasons I will explain).
• Xander’s dad is just a horrible, disgusting person. His mom’s a general pain in the ass, but his father is rather vile. Uncle Rory is also a douchebag. What a family…
• I know there’s a deleted scene that mentions Giles’ absence, but since it’s not actually in the episode I don’t think that counts for anything. Anyway, the fact that Giles isn’t present or even mentioned during the whole episode is glaring. At least Buffy seems to be having a little fun throughout.

• As if the entire season hasn’t been screaming “It’s doomed!” in regards to Xander & Anya’s wedding already, this episode itself also piles on with scene after scene of portentous dialogue and general gloom. This episode just hits the same notes over and over again for the duration, then ends *exactly* as has been telegraphed for the last 16 episodes. Booooo.
• D’hoffryn and Halfrek are fun, at least. Why is Clem here, though? He was Spike’s buddy and I don’t even think Xander or Anya have interacted with him once. I guess he could be someone’s +1, but who?
• The visions of Xander & Anya’s horrible future are so, so lame. And you know what? The further into the fake future we go, the older everything gets. In the bit where Anya’s in all the old age makeup, for instance, their whole kitchen looks like it’s from 60 years prior. I wouldn’t even think those old appliances and stuff would function another 30 years into the future.

• Xander’s “reasons” for ditching Anya at the altar are pathetic, if you ask me. Just a bunch of bullshit about how he doesn’t want to turn into his father, blah blah blah. Does every guy need to have such daddy issues? He *is* only 21 (even though he looks 30) and highly immature, so I understand–it’s really how they chose to execute this whole storyline & resolution that rubs me the wrong way. Plus it makes me think that much less of Xander.
• These demons are all fairly well-behaved during the wedding brawl, considering nobody gets killed or maimed and it easily could have been a bloodbath.
• D’hoffryn finally offering to make Anya a vengeance demon again is a nice touch, but it isn’t long before she’s human again.

Sleep Tight

• Written by David Greenwalt / Directed by Terrence O’Hara

• Hey, it’s finally the last episode of baby Connor–yay for that (even though the impending arrival of teenage Connor is immeasurably worse).
• How is Justine holding this vampire back? She isn’t superpowered or anything. I know BtVS is guilty of this, too, but it’s always ridiculous. Teenagers, a middle aged average Joe, his gang of unhappy people, and any random person seem entirely capable of vampire slaying.
• So, aside from this demon band making awful music and infecting the singer lady–which Fred said could be cured with magical dust, or whatever–are they violent at all? Angel et al seem really gung-ho to kill them, but I don’t know if it’s been established they’re actively dangerous.
• “It sounds like a nice cult”–Wesley.
• Why’d Angel make Fred do the blood test if he could tell already that it was Connor’s blood?

• Good for Lilah being able to sense Angel and then ignore his empty threats. Plus she turns her back on him and laughs at his bullshit (before ridiculing Sajahn, too). Lilah is such a saving grace to so much of the second half of this season. 
• While I kind of understand Wesley attempting to steal Connor away, what was his plan? Live the rest of life raising Connor and never cross paths with anyone he knew ever again?
• As for the sitcom-esque nature of Lorne almost telling Wes about Angel accidentally drinking Connor’s blood before being sidetracked by Wes’s singing, well, I think the scenario is a little forced. Oh, and the fact that Lorne could only glean suspicious activity from Wes without any context is also a little eye-roll worthy.
• Wes leaving with Connor was the last time he’ll be welcome around these parts for quite a while. At least a year or so.
• Good for Fred killing that guy and not thinking twice. She wounds that other guy nicely, too. 
• The fact that Wesley falls for Justine’s wounded act right before she cuts his throat (poorly) is a shame. I mean, she isn’t exactly convincing at being a double agent. I’m sure it doesn’t help that the actress leaves a lot to be desired. Who cares if she’s hurt, anyway? He has other things to worry about and really shouldn’t be wasting time on an enemy with a boo-boo.

• Holtz slowly stepping in front of Justine (in Wes’ car) is more comical than cool, or whatever they’re going for.
• What kind of crappy soldier guys does Lilah have working for her if they can’t even shoot Holtz in the face from that distance? I mean, it really shouldn’t be that hard for a skilled marksman.
• Sajahn’s threats of how hellish this hell dimension is kind of fall flat if Holtz (some middle aged human guy who isn’t exactly in peak physical condition) can successfully raise a baby there for the next 15-20 years (or whatever it is).

Normal Again

• Written by Diego Gutierrez / Directed by Rick Rosenthal

• The geeks pop up again after being MIA since killing Katrina and Buffy’s fight with the demon leads to an insane asylum vision. I’m not a huge fan of this one, either.
• Willow seeing Tara at exactly the wrong moment is very sitcom-esque. Tara getting a little peck on the cheek hardly means anything, but Willow can’t help but jump to conclusions.
• Xander’s back from his walkabout and immediately wants to undo the mess he made with Anya, which is another reason I hate this storyline. It seems like they wanted to break them up just to add easy drama, instead of taking the road less traveled and simply have them get married.
• Xander’s obviously very touchy about his wedding failure, but he’s sure an irritable jerk with Spike. I mean, as much as it might suck, all of the misery Xander’s in is entirely his own doing.

• I have pretty much nothing to say about the mental institute side of things. It ultimately feels like a waste of time to me. At least SMG does well at portraying Buffy’s sadness, confusion, and depression–especially in this scene where she tells Willow about her previous institution times.
• Warren’s obviously up to no good and Jonathan knows it, so why doesn’t Jonathan just leave? Warren has to sleep at some point and it doesn’t appear that Warren has them under lock and key.
• Xander & Spike made a pretty effective pair, despite both of their objections to associated with each other.
• As for Dawn having a hissy fit with Buffy and calling the nightmarish visions Buffy’s having of being drugged in a mental institute “[Buffy’s] ideal reality.” Also, “I’m not even there, am I?”–way to exacerbate Buffy’s hellish experience and make it all about you. Spike really doesn’t help, either, but at least he has the excuse of being a soulless monster.

• That stuff Buffy was supposed to drink looked gross.
• And you know one way to tell the fake doctor guy is part of some demonic vision? He tells his patient to commit multiple murders–in her mind, but still–in order to…get better and be sane?
• Buffy’s “Yeah, I’m better now” as she stares at Xander with crazy eyes is a kind of funny moment. Way to read the room, buddy.
• I’m also amused at Dawn’s idiotic attitude being quickly undone by murderous Buffy. Taping Dawn’s mouth closed is one thing crazy Buffy gets right. Thank goodness for that.

• Everyone really lucks out that Tara shows up right as the demon’s about to kill everyone, but Willow was willing to just lay there and get killed instead of using some magic so everyone doesn’t die? I guess that’s why Tara shows up, after all, so the writer’s didn’t put themselves into a corner where Willow chooses to let everyone die instead of using magic to save the day.
• Buffy should just punch her fist into things to kill them more often–it’s fairly effective.

Forgiving

• Written by Jeffrey Bell / Directed by Turi Meyer

• Fred and Gunn are finally not annoying in their scene at Wes’ place. It helps they have something else to focus on, finally. And they sure try to make it seem like Wes is dead as the camera pans over him with his slit throat and blankly open eyes.
• Justine threatening to kill Angel couldn’t be less ominous.
• Fred taking Connor’s disappearance into a portal very personally is a nice character moment. Of course she would with her history.
• Linwood appears again after last showing up seven episodes ago and I sure didn’t miss him. I prefer Lilah being in charge of her own destiny.
• Angel being so desperate not to tell Cordy about Connor is a good moment.

• This homeless guy who robs Wesley and leaves him to die behind a bush is quite the POS. I wouldn’t be surprised if he OD’d shortly after finding that wad of cash, though.
• I like Angel silently searching for torture devices while Lorne exposits about Quortoth for the audience.
• Fred has a number of good to great moments this whole episode, this one where she realizes Justine’s just a miserable sadsack being one of them.
• Lilah and Angel’s trip to the White Room is informative and amusing, but I never quite understood the little girl changing her mind about Angel killing Lilah. I’m obviously glad Lilah made it through, but aside from the audience being partial to her there’s no sense in that.

• Fred’s moment of relief and explanation when she realizes why Wesley took Connor adds to the list of good Fred scenes.
• Based on Sahjahn’s whole world view and the fact he hasn’t been able to kill anything for hundreds of years, there’s no way he didn’t start killing things immediately.
• Angel batting away Justine and her whole gang of morons like they were nothing is rather amusing. They couldn’t have mattered any less, as it should be.
• Fred and Gunn continue their streak of not being annoying at all this whole episode in this scene where they track Justine down to the underground sandy floor room–kudos.
• I’m also glad that Angel takes a beating from Sahjahn, as I think it’s for the best that he gets pulverized every now and then. Otherwise his head gets too big.

• Justine only had to open a vase to suck Sahjahn in with none of the chanting of those monks, so I suspect that part was more for them than the vase.
• Angel attacking Wesley in the hospital, right after Lorne shared his thoughts on forgiveness, was quite a jolt at the time and still holds up quite well. If he really wanted to kill Wesley, though, then surely a pillow over the face wasn’t the wisest choice. He probably wanted to just scare the shit out of him. Mission accomplished.

Next time we finish S6/S3 with episodes 18-22, when BtVS will end the season with a bang. Trivia time.

1. What was Xander’s apartment number when he moved out of his parents’ basement?
2. How many times has Andrew Wells seen Misery?

*Last week’s answers: 1) 555-0193, 2) Gurnenthar’s Ascendance