Raise your hand if ew

Mostly Filler, Installment 37

3:3 Faith, Hope and Trick

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another slayer

hmmm a new boyfriend perchance

oh right, Angel's back

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Funniest Moment:

It's not the funniest of all funny Buffy moments, but it is awfully cute. Willow is just fun.

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Favorite Character: Buffy

Yes, I'm still caring about the slayer herself. Don't worry, it won't last. She's just so vulnerable, trying to get her life back together, and nothing is easy. Everyone is coupled, she doesn't know what to do about dating, things with mom and Giles are still not quite right because of the whole disappearing for a summer deal, and another slayer shows up to remind her of hers and Kendra's deaths.

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Best Dressed: Faith

Great outfit for the Faith debut. Sort of urban and tough.

Worst Dressed: Buffy

I don't really feel this needs an explanation. Also - the hair.

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Musings:

• Why does Faith, from Boston, have a Minnesota accent?
• There's some sort of rainbow something in the cupboard behind Joyce when she says the phrase "slayer pride parade."
• Buster Keaton, who knew?
• Why is Giles always so out of the watcher loop? I just don't get it. I would think they'd keep very close tabs on him. How come he never knows about big stuff like the fact that there's another slayer?!
• The dream sequence is, as always, really fabulous.
• I kind of like Scott Hope, but he doesn't stand a chance, does he?
• It's interesting how Trick never really became a beloved character like Spike. They started off the same - bad guy vampire coming to Sunnydale to cause trouble.

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Faith, Hope and Trick Icons (shareable, a capturing of the weird facial expressions in this episode)

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Faith, Hope and Trick Drabble

Her watcher had mentioned the other slayer, the first slayer. That was as good a place as any to check out. Faith didn’t consider herself intuitive or spiritual, but the closer she got to the hellmouth (whatever that was) the more she felt… something. Something not good. But no matter. Whatever it was giving her the willies, she’d kick its ass and move on.

Her watcher was gone, that was that, and she wasn’t going to cry about it. Keep moving, start over, do what you need to do. She had a plan. Sunnydale. This was going to be fun.

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Credits: screencaps found at screencap-paradise.

Welcome to the hellmouth petting zoo.

Mostly Filler, Installment 36

3:2 Dead Man's Party

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buffy's back in town

nothing like dead cat smell

to rally the troops

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Funniest Moment:

How did you find her?

Well, I pretty much remembered the address.

I know, I know, this is so cheesetastic, but it makes me laugh every time.

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Favorite Character: Buffy

I just empathize with her so much. She knows she messed up big time, but she also feels like she did the only thing she could. She wants things back to normal but knows that's unlikely. Such a hard spot to be in. Being in a situation of badness that you caused yourself is usually worse than being in a situation that's out of your control and therefore not your job to be guilty about. I really ache for her throughout this episode; she's not very often the character I'm actually caring about, so this is a bit unusual. You found out who I was and you couldn't deal. Yep.

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Best Dressed: Buffy

This is just so pretty. I love the little hair clip.

Worst Dressed: Buffy

OK, granted, this is a dream outfit (not dream as in most coveted, but dream as in she was having a nightmare), but still - ugh! Here's the scenario I'm imagining: someone in the wardrobe department just couldn't let go of this hideousness, and everyone else finally gave in and said, fine, we'll put it in the dream sequence.

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Musings:

• The opening scene with Buffy and Joyce is so well done, some of SMG's best, I think.
• I do appreciate and relate to the you can't come home theme that really carries throughout this whole season. You can come home, but things will not be the same ever again, even if they look the same on the surface. Maybe you don't regret leaving or returning, but that doesn't change the fact.
• Principal Snyder, as usual, is brilliant and hilarious, and really kind of creepy.
• Home schooling, it's not just for scary religious people anymore.
• Buffy's hair is fabulous. Just sayin.'
• Oz's whole party genre speech is one of the best scenes ever.
• I'm so glad Willow called Buffy on her total egocentrism. Hello, it's not always about you. Interestingly, she never really does learn that lesson.
• I love tough guy Giles, he's wonderful.
• Possibly the most cheesetastic transition ever: You can't just bury stuff, Buffy. It'll come right back up to get you. LOL

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Dead Man's party icons (shareable, exercise in playing with one Giles screencap)

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Dead Man's Party drabble

Cordy and Devon chat the next day

What. Was. That?

Well, Devon, there’s some stuff you should know. See, Sunnydale isn’t your regular town. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but, well whatever. We’re on a hellmouth, yep our very own cornucopia of demony badness. Buffy’s a vampire slayer. She kills stuff all the time and has this whole secret identity deal, which, between you and me, tends to keep her ego inflated and her hair a little flat. But you know, we can’t all be…

Yeah, Cordy, I get it. Vampires and stuff. But what was with you and Harris last night? Man, get a room.

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Credits: screencaps found at screencap-paradise.

...eccentric, with an option on cool

Mostly Filler, Installment 35

3:1 Anne

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sunnydale just is

not the same without buffy

lily turns to anne

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Funniest Moment:

That never really works. Oz is so stinkin' cute. And Seth Green plays this scene so well - you really believe he's going to hit the heart, and then... no.

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Favorite Character: Giles

He is just absolutely heartbreaking in this episode. He wants to find Buffy so badly. You'd expect the teenagers to be the ones with the unrealistic expectations, but the roles are reversed, and it's poor Giles who jumps at every possibility, no matter how remote. I love that about him. Of course he feels responsible for her leaving, and it's his watcher duty to find her. But mostly, he loves her.

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Best Dressed: Willow

I'm a sucker for purple. And tights. Cute!

Worst Dressed: Singer

I don't actually know who this is, but I do know that outfit is not workin.'

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Musings:

• I love the whole opening scene with Willow, Xander, Oz and Cordy. It sets up the next few episodes well, too, with them being a foursome.
• The way Buffy wakes up from the dream about Angel and the beach is so poignant. She's not jerked awake like she is from the demon or prophecy dreams. She opens her eyes looking resigned to it, like she's used to this, like it happens every morning. So sad.
• It's funny that Xander is so preoccupied that it doesn't even occur to him that Oz shouldn't be in school.
• Lily is such a sad character. I love her because of knowing what she becomes later.
• Buffy has fabulous hair! But how, I ask you, can she afford to get her hair done?
• The scene with Joyce and Giles breaks my heart. I wish the two of them had had more interaction throughout the series. Yeah, OK, Band Candy, but I wish they'd been friends.
• I like the character growth shown in Buffy herself. It's like having to kill Angel gave her a new sense of priorities and a certain recklessness/confidence she didn't have before. What are you doing? I'm breaking into your office and going through your private files.
• Xander and Cordy are just so adorable. Go act baity.
• What the heck are the workers in the evil demon's factory thingy doing??
• Visit Buffy Between Lines podcast to listen to some wonderful writers' and actors' rendition of what happened between seasons 2 and 3. This podcast is completely made of awesome.

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Anne wallpaper (shareable)

Anne Drabble

Buffy?

Hello, I, er, is this Mrs. Summers?

Speaking. Can I help you?

I, well, this is Giles, Rupert Giles, the, uh, librarian from Buffy’s school.

Buffy! Have you heard from her!

No, I, I’m sorry, I’m afraid I haven’t. But I’m searching, contacting anyone who might be able to help. I have a few leads. And Buffy is an extremely capable young woman. I’m sure she’s fine.

Mr., um, Giles, is it? Why are you calling me? What do you know about my daughter’s disappearance?

Mrs. Summers, I have some things to tell you. About Buffy. About Buffy’s destiny.

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Credits: screencaps found at screencap-paradise.

...let me take this opportunity to not care

Mostly Filler, Installment 34

2:22 Becoming, Part 2

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angel, true love, meh
the beginning of spuffy
and willow's witching

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Funniest Moment:

Well, they're in a band. Duh!

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Favorite Character: Spike

He's my favorite in this one, because I love the contrast between the depth of personality seeping through and his total comical evilness. But it was hard to choose - I'm also totally in love with Buffy, Joyce, Giles and Dru in this episode.

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Best dressed: Xander

Xander gets the best-dressed title whenever he doesn't wear yellow plaid with stripes. But seriously, I like this one. It's cozy.

Worst Dressed: Angelus

Well, the shirt looks like the pajamas. The pants are goofy. And that belt buckle? I know he's evil, but come on...

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Musings:

• Where did all the cops come from? Who called them?
• This episode's great strength is the trademark Buffy drama/comedy mix. It's this serious season finale with the heroine's true love being killed off, and then there are lines like, "...walking around like happy meals with legs," "Have we met?" "You hit me with an axe once..." and, my personal favorite, "I'm a slayer, not a postal worker!"
• I'm not always a fan of Buffy's monologues (Spike's are better) but her speech to her mom about being the slayer is fabulous. "Do you think I chose this?" How many of us have been through just such a painful conversation?
• I love how strong of a character Giles is. When he tells Angelus to perform the ritual in a tutu, I stand up and cheer (er, sorry if I woke you).
• Is Cordelia's admission that running away was "not too brave" the beginning of her growing up? Maybe the scoobies are rubbing off a little.
• I'm still confused at this point about how much Snyder actually knows. What does he mean when he wants the mayor to know he has good news? Could someone explain that to me?
• Full of Grace as the music choice at the end really puts the frosting on this brilliant cake.

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Becoming, Part 2 icons and banner (shareable)

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Becoming, Part 2 Drabble

As she read the letter, the sadness quickly turned to anger. Not at Buffy, at herself. What kind of mother tells her daughter not to come back? What the hell kind of parenting was that? When did this get so hard? How could she not have known something was wrong, everything was wrong? How was it possible to be so stupid? She sat on the bed, tears rolling, questions filling her head so quickly she could hardly think.

Buffy. Buffy was a capable girl. She’d be OK. She was just angry. She’d be back.

Buffy. Tomorrow. Joyce closed her eyes.

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Credits: Screencaps found at screencap-paradise.