Buffy 3.1 - "Anne": Buffy runs
away to the city, but finds herself drawn back into saving people.
This episode looks great, especially the other dimension with
flaming vats and spooky looking demons. But there are so many loose
ends it's not even funny. Who where these guys? What were they
forcing people to make. Why did the doorway suddenly close up? Is
there more doorways? What's to stop it opening again. I suppose you
could look on the whole demon prison as a metaphor for the problems
of homeless runaways, that it's simply to big for one Buffy to
solve. I suppose. The Scoobys were funny as well and a nicely played
ending. - 3/5
Buffy 3.2 - "Dead Mans
Party": Buffys home but nobody wants to see her. Good
episode, though the end scene still makes me angry. The Scoobys are
well out of line attacking Buffy in front of all her 'friends'. It's
made even worse by the fact that nothing was really resolved, they
just forgot about it when the zombies attacked. Still, I guess they
realised that mistakes had been made on both sides and everybody was
feeling sore. Giles was rather funny in this, but not as funny as
the explanation for the dropping of the murder charges. What the
hell happened there? - 4/5
Buffy 3.3 - "Faith, Hope
& Trick": There's a new Slayer in town and she's
brought company. Yeah, baby, this is very cool! After wrapping up
loose ends from Season 2, we can get started on this years story arc
and it's a doozy. Faith is excellent and really makes you realise
just how much Buffy holds back. Mr Trick is cool in a Samuel L
Jackson way, but the big bad vamp isn't too scary. Very cool ending
with Angel and Giles tricking Buffy into sharing her pain is
excellent - 5/5
Buffy 3.4 - "Beauty and the
Beasts": The return of Angel. I'm glad he's back but the
main story, a thinly disguised domestic abuse story, doesn't seem to
fit well. I'd rather have had more Angel. - 3/5
Buffy 3.5 - "Homecoming": Slayerfest '98?
Buffy & Cordelia are forced to spend a large amount of time
together. Unfortunately, they are forced into a hunted competition.
A bit daft, but good fun. - 3/5
Buffy 3.6- "Band
Candy": Candy starts turning adults into teenagers. Very
funny episode, with Giles and Joyce having all the fun for once.
Snyder is cool as well, hanging to Buffy & co. like the friend
nobody wants. - 4/5
Buffy 3.7 -
"Revelations": A new watcher comes to town. This is the
first big story arc episode and it's great. The gang find out about
Buffy and really get torn into her, especially Xander and Giles. The
new watcher is suitably mad and the glove has some excellent
lightning effects. Also the first Buffy/Faith fight. Good stuff. -
5/5
Buffy 3.8 - "Lovers Walk": Spikes back!
Spikes always good for a laugh and he's no different here. He also
sets in motion the wheels that will splinter the Scoobys for a while
(albeit unintentionally). Spike wants Dru back and will do anything
including a love spell. He kidnaps Willow & Xander who are
caught making out by Cordy & Oz. Bad news all round. Spike also
tells Buffy & Angel a few home truths, namely that they can't
ever be friends. Lovers or enemies, but not friends. The final scene
where Spike drives of singing 'My way' is classic. - 5/5
Buffy 3.9 - "The Wish": Parallel Universe
time as Cordy makes a wish that goes bad thanks to Anya. These
storys are always fun and this is no exception. Seeing some of the
Scoobys as vamps is cool. Xander isn't too different, but Willow is
very evil and sexy. Buffy isn't really all that different either
despite her scar, but really, this is just a fun romp in fan fiction
land and is good stuff. - 4/5
Buffy 3.10 -
"Amends": Angel is visited by ghosts at Christmas time.
Angels only real solo outing this year. It's a good idea having the
first evil try to turn him, but it's all a bit vague. I would have
preferred a more concrete explanation for who brought him back.
Personally I think it was TPTB and they caused the snow at the end.
But who knows? I've also got to say the Buffys hair looked a bit
dodgy at times. I'm no expert, but I really didn't think the fringe
suited her. A no-bad xmas episode - 4/5
Buffy 3.11 -
"Gingerbread": Insanity and mob rule overcome Sunnydale
after 2 kids are found dead. I didn't really like this. It's very
preachy and though it's saying a good point, intolerance is bad,
don't force you beliefs on others, etc. I already know this. It's
good for kids who will learn from this but I don't like my
entertainment to have a moral at the end of it. It's also the
episode where Amy turns into a rat, so worth watching for that. -
2/5
Buffy 3.12 - "Helpless": It's Buffy's
18th birthday and Giles has a special treat for her. I love this
episode. It's just a really good idea. The Slayer is tested without
her powers and has too survive against a vampire in a locked house.
Plus Giles has to weaken her without her knowing. Huge emotions
going on here with betrayal, fear and ultimately love winning out.
Great stuff. - 5/5
Buffy 3.13 - "The
Zeppo": Xander has a strange night. Oh man, this is 2 great
episodes back to back. The great thing about this is the gimmick.
They've swapped the A-plot for the B-plot. It's almost a piss take
of the show, though it does have consequences in the future. Buffy
& Co are facing an ultimate evil - the Hellmouth. But Xander has
his own troubles going on. It's really a bit like "Afterhours" a
film about a guy who keeps getting involved in crazy situations.
Really, really good. - 5/5
Buffy 3.14 - "Bad
Girls": Faith makes a mistake. A big one. Well heres where
the story arc starts to kick in. Buffy & Faith start to really
live on the wild side, action without thinking. But then Faith kills
a man. And doesn't really care. New watcher Wesley is also
introduced. Again, good stuff. - 5/5
Buffy 3.15 -
"Consequences": Faith does a runner. The fall out from the
previous episode. Faith tries to kill Xander and Angel tries to cure
her. Wesley tries to help her but ends up ruining everything. And at
the end Buffy tries to help her, but she secretly goes to the mayor.
Incredibly enough, more good stuff. (Christ, this really was a great
season!)- 4/5
Buffy 3.16 -
"Dopplegangland": Evil Willow from "The Wish" comes to
visit. Hello, this is excellent. Joss is having a ball with the
Willow vampire and seeing everyone's reactions is especially funny.
Watch it. - 5/5
Buffy 3.17 - "Enemies":
Angel loses his soul?! Faith turns Angel and they both go after
Buffy. Good stuff this, but I don't think anyone really though Angel
had lost it. But with this show you never know. It's always fun to
see Angelus and it's worth watching twice to see how it's all
planned out. - 4/5
Buffy 3.18 - "Earshot":
Buffy can read minds. Yay! But someone wants to kill all the
students. Boo! Very funny episode this, Wesley & Xander in
particular. The 'serious' stuff is tagged on at the end, but doesn't
feel to shoved in there. Very funny stuff. - 4/5
Buffy 3.19 - "Choices": Buffy takes the
fight to the Mayor. This feels slightly like filler, but it's the
small moments that count. Oz tipping over the urn, Willow staying
close to Sunnydale, Faith losing her knife. All good stuff. The
spiders looked a bit dodgy at times, and the mission impossible
stuff is fun if a bit daft. Couldn't they just jump down and attach
a rope to the box? But, good stuff. - 4/5
Buffy 3.20
- "The Prom": It's Prom night, but Buffys not having a good
day. This is the start of a 3 episode cycle that pretty much wraps
up the first 3 years of Buffy. And it's good. The dance is actually
quite cool with great tunes. Angel deciding to leave is inevitable
with his new show, but it still makes sense from a narrative point
of view. Good to see Buffy being recognised as something special and
the last dance with Angel. And finally, Cordy & Xander make up
when he buys her the dress. Very nice. - 4/5
Buffy
3.21 - "Graduation Day Part I": Faith makes her move. Well
here we go then, the big slapbang finale. The fight to the death is
very cool, with Buffy donning the leathers. Angel being poisoned
with the arrow is brutal and shows that Faith had crossed the
Rubicon. Personal nitty gritty fighting going on here, essential
since the Mayor is going to be a huge monster snake. - 5/5
Buffy 3.22 - "Graduation Day Part II": It's
the end of the road for Sunnydale High as the Mayor comes to visit.
This is it then. And what a way to go. Angel feeding of Buffy, a
huge cast featuring just about anybody who ever had a line in Buffy
over the past 3 years, the mayor turning into a huge snake, flaming
arrows, axes and huge battles. All in, a great way to leave. Plus
they blow up the school. Man, its (altogether now) Great Stuff!! -
5/5