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Joss Whedon solved a major problem in Season Two of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in terms of how he resolved the tortured love of Buffy and Angel. Many a good television series went down the tubes because one the sexual tension between the two lovers was consummated, there was nowhere to go but down (classic case in point: Dave and Maddie on "Moonlight"). However, Whedon's masterstroke was that after Angel gave Buffy her birthday present, their relationship went down like no other relationship we had ever seen (not even Sid and Nancy) as Angel turned into Angelus. The season finale, "Becoming: Part II," is still one of the 10 best television episodes I have ever seen. The new problem facing Joss Whedon was: How do you top this in Season Three?
In one sense he does not. "Becoming" remains the Mt. Everest of the series, a height that can never be scaled again, no matter how many times Buffy's gift of "death" plays to her advantage. However, what makes Season Three better than Season Two is not that the top is higher, but rather than this is also true of the bottom. Pick the worst episode from Season Three (my choice is the obvious pick, "Beauty and the Beasts") and it is still better than the worst of the first two seasons (e.g., "Teacher's Pet," "Go Fish"). Look at all 22 episodes and you should end up being convinced that this was clearly the show's best season.
By now there is clearly an extremely effective pattern to a season of "BtVS" as crafted by Whedon. The first episode, "Anne," reminds Buffy of why she is the slayer (i.e., function as a way of getting late comers to the party up to speed on the Slayer). Again the season is divided into two halves, the first focusing on Faith ("Faith, Hope & Trick") and the second on the Mayor's Ascension ("Graduation Day"). Like the previous season, the part of the first half (Spike & Dru) joins the party of the second half (Angelus), just like Faith joins forces with the Mayor. Consequently, a season of "BtVS" has a sense of overall narrative structure more developed than most television dramas. What also matters is that Whedon finds the actors to play the parts. Eliza Dushku makes Faith a ticking time bomb who represents the Dark Side of being a Slayer (not to mention being as far removed from Kendra as possible), while Harry Groener as Mayor Richard Wilkins III takes the traditional politeness of a villain to a new level of giddy charm.
The final element, which best defines the uniqueness of Season Three, is that arguably the very best episodes were actually those that did NOT have to do with the major plot threads. There are two fun return visits as Sunnydale is afflicted by another visit from Ethan Raine in "Band Candy" and comes back to kidnap Willow for some witchy help in winning back Dru's love. Fortunately we did not have to wait for Season Four for a visit to "Doppelgangland" after our first taste of the alternative Buffyverse in "The Wish." I was always surprised Whedon did not release those two on a videotape as an addendum to the Season Three Videotape set (double ditto for "Once More, With Feeling"). However, after the Senior gift given to Buffy at "The Prom," the no holds barred fight between Buffy and Faith in "Graduation Day, Part I" and Buffy letting Angel feed on her in "Graduation Day, Part II," the Mayor's actual Ascension seems rather anti-climatic.
Buffy supporting cast fares very well in Season Three. "Amends," the episode submitted for Emmy consideration, gives Buffy and Angel some of their best final scenes together as star crossed lovers while Xander finally has a moment of glory in "The Zeppo" (I find the background apocalypse scenes hysterical and love the fact the Zeppo reference is never explained in the episode at all). Cordy makes her own case for being a Slayer in "Homecoming," Giles touches on new meanings of his role as Buffy's father-figure in "Band Candy" and "Helpless," and the only thing more fun than watching Alyson Hannigan play Vamp Willow in "The Wish" was watching her play Willow playing Vamp Willow in "Dopplegangland."
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" received a lot of unwanted publicity during the spring of 1999 when two episodes--"Earshot" and "Graduation Day, Part Two"--were pulled from being aired because of the shootings at Columbine High School. Ultimately, these proved to be overreactions, but certainly Whedon and the show were fortunate that Columbine happened the week before "Earshot" and not the week afterwards, because I really do not know if "BtVS" would have been able to survive that realignment of events. On balance and from the perspective of the middle of Season Seven, I think Season Three will ultimately be considered the best season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
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May 30, 2006 "Please retry" | Special Edition | 6 | $24.27 | $2.83 |
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Reviews with images
Great condition!
All the dvds were in great condition, I'm very pleased. I was definitely a little skeptical it being used, but they were great. The cover of the dvd box is not like the picture but it still had Buffy on it. I can't wait to get the fourth season! Until then I'm just "Bored now." ;)
Top reviews from other countries
Sarah
Quality discs - No scratches or skipping
Reviewed in Canada on January 18, 2021
E. A. Redfearn
Class!! Pure Class!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2007
