In my completely biased opinion,
New Man is a wonderfully crafted episode that balances Giles' Characterization during his identity crisis, Buffy's new work relationship with Riley right after the events Doomed, and the inherently comedic dynamic between Spike and Giles. It also marks the death of the Gilesmobile, may it in rest in its explosion. The conceit of the episode [becoming a demon = coming to grips with a new and unfamiliar identity ] works well within the greater metaphor of the Buffyverse. I like Riley here, seeing how he is really trying to come to grips with how Buffy operates and what his new role in their new business side of their romantic relationship will be. He takes it in stride that she's letting him tag along, and uses his military resources that complement Buffy's methodology. Not to mention, our beloved Ethan Rayne leaves on a fantastic high note.
Blood Ties really brought Dawn's plight to the forefront. Its such a visceral existential crisis, realizing that all of your memories are fake and everything you believed was a lie. It takes the idea of finding out you're adopted to a whole new level: you were a formless blob of energy who had no conscious then poof you're now you. I like the amount of agency Dawn has in this episode, and how she figures out that since the only people who can see the real her are insane; so she goes to the psyche ward to ask some crazy people about what she really looks like. What really detracts from the episode, for me, is the Buffy talking about how Dawn feels fake out. It's so lazy and like Spike says anything could have set her off. Did have to be something so contrived?
Older and Far Away has some of my favourite Tara moments. Do you still have that cramp, Spike? You better put some ice on it. She is so beautiful and confident and forward in this episode. The way she stands up for Willow makes my heart go aflutter. Then, Clem begins to add perspective about the demon community, which is really needed. Buffy is officially an adult now, and the adult world has way more shades of grey than the simple black-and-white perspective of childhood; therefore, not all demons are evil. Some demons purposefully stay out of trouble, so the Slayer would never see them; thus, never knowing they exist. A good demon is an unseen, morally ambivalent, and not inherently destructive creature that would never show up on the Slayer's radar. I find the Dawn moments, not terribly well written. I can get behind the broads strokes of it all, but the minutia of the dialogue and the staging doesn't really speak to me.
Helpless represents a major turning point in Buffy, where the symbolic patriarchy of the Watcher's Council has no more power over our hero, Buffy, and she does this by gaining a proper patriarch or father figure that she desires. It walks a fine line of showing how women can find both strength and weakness in themselves and their male support systems, and how power is not what defines a hero, it's the character that defines the hero [in both cases, Buffy and Giles]. I feel it is a dual and parallel character arch of find one's own personal strength against a system wish to define them. Helpless's greatest weakness is trying to tackle too much material with not the show's best poise or grace. There should have been a parallel drawn between the barbaric ritual of the Slayer's struggle with the idea of virgin sacrifices to appease ancient gods. Throwing young girls at a problem that does not necessarily change the circumstance of the world they inhabit. It really could and should have been a two-part episode.
Speaking of which, I have a segway. Surprise is only half of a story. For me, it's Surprise/ Innocence [I still think it was her birthday during Innocence, but the party was the day before if I am remembering this, correctly]. My issues with this episode reflect a lot of my issues with the Bangel ship as a concept. A high school girl sleeps with her vampire cohort, who is over 200 years old, but for the sake of argument, he was sired at around 26-27 years old. Now age is not the issue here, but how it is addressed, or to rather not addressed in this scenario. He sees her as his equal. This is the first love for the both of them, and neither of them talked to her mom about their relationship [which later is used against them by Angelus]. There are many, many ways to approach this relationship without it becoming arguably a bit statutory. First of which would be telling Joyce, in human terms, about their relationship. Hey, maybe they could excuse her Slayer duties under a combination of aiding Giles in the Library for extra credit and Angel romantically walking her home, i.e. research and patrol. [Don't tell me she wouldn't approve; Joss could write the scene and it would make sense, plus Angel has charm coming out of his bottom.] Then, they never address sexual boundaries. Yes, Buffy tells Willow she wants to lose it on her birthday, but does Angel know that? Let the poor guy set you up with some candles and rose petals for the occasion, something! Your first time with anyone should be treasured, especially with your supposed true love. Talk about this to each other!! I mean, what if she wanted to be a bit adventurous and they needed lube? Who knows? [Sure they would not say it out loud, but it could be on his bedside table] A healthy sexual relationship is based on communication, like every other relationship. If I don't know they planned to have breakfast together the morning after, and he left before she woke up, she might have been a bit wiser to his soul losing [Yeah, unlikely but possible, idk, no matter how many times I watch this the twist still hurts]. I could go on all day, but finally, my last issue is Angel's big dumb curse that does not make any sense when you think about it. Honestly, I find it an unnecessary part of Bangel, just have them deal with normal relationship stuff while staving off the darkness. I'm picturing a supernatural version of Sex in the City, the TV show, not the movie. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen. I just have too many personal issues with the story beats. I know Buffy incites the act, but it still feels like a cop-out when it comes to her agency in the situation, at least to me. Oh, it's just the heat of the moment never rang true to me about their relationship; their relationship seemed much more of a romantic passion than an unruly animalistic passion. Angelus is cool, his reveal is one of my favourite shots in the show. To think, he purposely missed the thick, blood-filled part of the throat to bit into the oesophagus, just to drink in the smoke, like it was blood, though the piercing fang holes, is so evil. Dropping the woman who now can't breathe due to the holes in her throat and is currently drowning in her own blood just seems very Angelus, tortured, sadistic. A really poignant way to introduce his character. The interactions between the lasting members of the Scourge of Europe are delightful. Giles is definitely a highlight here, but alas nothing can really save this for me. It's still a really great episode; it's just not one of my favourites.
