Buffy Reviews

Amends

Character - by Adreenis

     This was without a doubt the most touching episode we have seen in a long time. Joss has the ability to make you laugh and cry, even at the same time. The episode dug deep into all of the characters as they tried to make their relationships and their lives work out.
     We finally get to see more of Angels past in Amends. Ever since Becoming 1, I've been dying to see some more of this. We once again see how Angel was not just a killing machine, but how he took pleasure out of the pain and suffering of others, even on Christmas. Angel is hurt by his past because he can't deal with the fact that he caused all that anguish. It hurts him to have to turn to Giles to help after all the grief he inflicted on Giles. Angel knows he has no right to ask, but he is desperate. The spirits are getting to him inside and he has nowhere else to turn. Asking Buffy for help would only be more painful: Angel doesn't want her to know his past as it can only hurt her. Seeing Buffy in his dream only reminds Angel of this sad fact. Angel wants to forget his past but the spirits won't let him. He needs to face up to his past and accept it; he needs to make "amends". After visiting Buffy, and wanting the pain to go away he realizes that all the amends in the world aren't worth hurting her. He would rather die if that is the only other way to solve things. Angel is not a fighter and staying alive will be too hard for him to do, but somehow, as she always does, Buffy manages to talk him out of it and remind him that life is worth living, especially if they're together.
     For Christmas Buffy just wants to have a normal celebration: tradition all the way. In a way this can help Buffy cope with all that's going on her life by making things simple for one day of the year. When Cordelia comes to talk of her Christmas plans, Buffy stays calm and tries to make Cordy feel welcome. She plays mediator and tries to keep her friends together. Buffy also understands that Faith is peeved at her. She wants to make things work with Faith, because their relationship was just starting to click in Revelations. At first Faith isn't ready to face up to the pain she's feeling, but she realizes that Buffy is a true friend; something Faith has never had. When it comes to Angel, Buffy wants to help, but she knows that she has to try to stay away from him. Being in Angel's dreams made Buffy realize that she may be the cause of much of his pain. She wants to stop his pain, and stopping the priests is the first step. Buffy knows Angel is weak and she knows why. Buffy is able to understand some of his pain because she has killed before, and mainly because she killed him. She knows she could never do it again. Buffy hates that she is vulnerable and that Angel has the ability to hurt her, but that's what makes her human. She knows that if Angel kills himself instead of fighting that he has lost the battle to overcome his inner demon.
     At the beginning of this episode, Willow seems bitter because she is alone, but the whole Christian/Jewish thing probably doesn't help either. Willow seems to be enjoying all the pain she feels. When Cordelia hurts her and makes her feel bad it's almost a compensation for all the damage she has caused. Willow is desperate for forgiveness and wants Oz to be able to trust her again. She wants them to be comfortable around each other again, like they were before. Willow thinks that she will be proving her love to Oz and showing him that he comes first.
     Oz knows how good and kind Willow is so he is willing to try to forgive her and give the relationship another shot. He knows that he'll never have the relationship with her that Xander has, but that he loves her and hopes things can work out. It's obvious at the outset that he's still uncomfortable around her because of the trust issue, but after her little plan on Christmas Eve he realizes how devoted she is to him and to making things work. This is when Oz shines and shows just how much of a man he is. He knows that she is not ready and admits that he isn't either. He just wants things back to normal, which means that sex can wait. Just like their kiss in Innocence, all the waiting will make it even more special.
     Cordelia has turned back into her old self because hurting others covers up her pain and makes her feel better about herself. It was great to see that she is not uncomfortable around the Scooby gang. She's ready to move on and forget Xander, which is surprising, because in the few episodes before Lover's Walk, it really seemed that Cordelia was in love with Xander and what they had was more than just kissing in the broom closet. She is wearing her pain like a blinder though, and she needs to accept it and come to terms with her past and feelings about Xander before she can truly move on.
     Xander isn't in the same boat as Cordelia. He seemed to be on edge when she was around and wasn't able to really accept things. Xander is finally resolving his feelings for Angel though, perhaps because he knows what it's like to hurt someone and need redemption. He is spending a lot more time with Buffy too, because she's the only one with whom his relationship hasn't changed. He doing the equivalent of Giles' "research mode" to cover up some of his feelings. We finally get a glimpse into Xander's private life when we learn about what he has to cope with at home, and hopefully by seeing a little more of his dysfunctional family to help us understand what makes Xander act the way he does.
     Joyce and Buffy seem to be getting closer and closer as time goes on. Joyce is accepting Buffy's role as the Slayer and Buffy is accepting her mom's role as an authority figure with a lot of responsibility as well. Joyce tries to get things back to normal between Faith and Buffy because she hopes that having another slayer around will make it a little easier on Buffy (not just by having the extra help when it comes to demons, but to have a friend to talk to when no one else understands). Joyce is still extremely uncomfortable around Giles though; even the mention of his name sends her into a panic.
     Over all I would say there was amazing character development in this episode with a great look into what makes each of these relationships tick.
     The true meaning of Christmas, or Chanukah, was displayed for each character, whether it was nog, camp outs, or unimaginable destruction. I give this episode 5 eh's out of 5!

Story - by JaKaL

     In keeping with the season, this episode features a Christmas theme. However, in true Buffy tradition this holiday episode is not filled with trite "Christmas Special" aspects, but instead takes a different track. In Amends, the Christmas season isn't necessarily the main focus of the episode, but rather, it is used as a tool to look more closely at the lives of the main characters and many of the issues facing them, especially Angel, whose past is one of the main focuses of this episode.
     The episode opens, and is continually peppered, with scenes from Angel's past - a murder in Dublin in the 1800's and a feeding on a female servant at a Victorian party. These scenes often come to Angel in his dreams, dreams which Buffy, by some power or connection, gets to sit in on too.
     Throughout this episode we find that Angel is being plagued by visitations and sightings of what appear to be the spirits of his past victims, most notably Jenny Calendar. He and Buffy are trying to stay away from each other, for everyone's good, an idea that the spirits seem to be against as they appear to be pressuring Angel to kill Buffy, stating this is the reason they brought him back from hell.
     Angel, attempting to find out what is happening to him, goes to the only person he can think of who might be able to help him in his search for answers, Giles. For obvious reasons, he is not warmly received. True to form though, Giles goes into research mode and determines that the priests of a force called the First Evil are sending these visitations upon Angel in hopes of using him as an instrument to kill Buffy.
     Angel, being the soulful creature once again, refuses to do so and decides to kill himself, by sunlight, rather than do any more harm to anyone, especially Buffy. So as Buffy moves to attack the priests in their lair, Angel goes out to wait for the dawn. Buffy learns of this after ruining the lair of the priests and so it falls to her to find him and convince him not to kill himself. After a tearful speech and a typical Christmas miracle, she manages to do so.
     Aside from the main plot line, we find several smaller sub-plots and through them gain some insight into the lives of the characters. We see Cordelia's continuing bitterness towards Xander and through this we see a glimpse of Xander's troubled home life. We are also treated to the reconciliation of Willow and Oz including Willow's attempt at seduction. As well, we are reminded that Willow is Jewish, and does not celebrate Christmas, as she tells everyone in what seems to be a slightly bitter tone. Also, we get to see a beginning of reconciliation between Buffy and Faith, a slight closing of the rift opened between them in Revelations. This is done through Buffy's inviting Faith to Christmas and Faith's acceptance. We are also reminded, through Buffy's suggestion of inviting Giles as well and Joyce's immediate refusal, of the unknown events which transpired between Giles and Joyce in Band Candy.
     This episode was, as Christmas episodes go, pretty good and scored a lot of points on originality, though the Christmas miracle of snow in California is somewhat lacking in originality. One of my favourite factors in this episode was that it dealt more in depth with the day-to-day lives of the main characters without sacrificing the supernatural elements of the show. Overall, I'd have to give it 4 out of 5 ehs.

Villian - by Kaboo

     In Amends, the main villains are less tangible than in previous episodes. Buffy, Angel, and the Scooby gang must face not only Angel's dark past, but also the "First Evil" and its minions, the Harbingers or the Bringers. Ultimately, the holiday season becomes Angel's dark night of the soul, where he must choose which path he will take: good or evil.
     The strength of the First seems to be targeting the evil within, and coaxing it to flower. Thus, with the chants of the Harbingers to empower it, the first haunts Angel by showing him his evil past. The plan seems to be to make Angel intentionally lose his soul by "taking comfort" in Buffy, knowing the consequences of his actions. This situation is very different than the situation in Surprise where Buffy and Angel, in their innocence, have no idea of the consequences of their love. If Angel listens to The First, he will be choosing evil of his own accord, and not simply making a mistake out of love.
     The First's visions also reveal Angelus in his villainous past, both as a man and a demon. We also see Angel in his first life as "a drunken, whoring, layabout," according to the apparition of Margaret. It seems that Angel, when alive, squandered his life accommodating his appetites, as much as he did as a demon. The demon within Angelus is shown to have an extraordinary gift for cruelty: it was almost an art, as the ghostly father of two of Angel's victims explains. By making Angel confront his past, The First hopes to convince him that his destiny is to do evil. Even after Buffy has defeated the Harbingers, and thus diminished The First's power to conjure the dead, the poison thoughts have been sown in Angel's mind.
     The elaborate nature of the First's messages, and the parade of Angel's ghostly victims, makes it almost impossible for Angel to resist. Surprisingly, to The First at least, Angel refuses to do evil again. His attempt to defeat the evil within him, by committing suicide through the sun's rays, is unacceptable to Buffy. Angel's belief that he is preventing himself from doing evil is contrasted to Buffy's appeal to him to "do real good. To make amends." Angel essentially must fight himself, his weaknesses, his crimes, and his mistakes, in order to survive, and he feels he hasn't the strength to defeat those evils within himself. Even Buffy cannot convince him that he has been rescued from a literal hell to perform acts of goodness in this world.
     Only the unmistakable message of the miraculous snow storm, which essentially prevents the sun from destroying Angel, convinces him that his life can be meaningful. As the only time Joss Whedon has attempted to deal with the divine on BtVS, the simple message of love, forgiveness, and second chances stands in stark contrast to the elaborate production of The First's message of despair. Again, evil is defeated by the inspiration of love, the team work of friends, and the strength to forgive.
     I give this episode 4.5 out of 5 Ehs.

Character - by Adreenis
This was without a doubt the most touching episode we have seen in a long time. Joss has the ability to make you laugh and cry, even at the same time. The episode dug deep into all of the characters as they tried to make their relationships and their lives work out. We finally get to see more of Angels past in Amends. Ever since Becoming 1, I've been dying to see some more of this. We once again see how Angel was not just a killing machine, but how he took pleasure out of the pain and suffering of others, even on Christmas. Angel is hurt by his past because he can't deal with the fact that he caused all that anguish. It hurts him to have to turn to Giles to help after all the grief he inflicted on Giles. Angel knows he has no right to ask, but he is desperate. The spirits are getting to him inside and he has nowhere else to turn. Asking Buffy for help would only be more painful: Angel doesn't want her to know his past as it can only hurt her. Seeing Buffy in his dream only reminds Angel of this sad fact. Angel wants to forget his past but the spirits won't let him. He needs to face up to his past and accept it; he needs to make "amends". After visiting Buffy, and wanting the pain to go away he realizes that all the amends in the world aren't worth hurting her. He would rather die if that is the only other way to solve things. Angel is not a fighter and staying alive will be too hard for him to do, but somehow, as she always does, Buffy manages to talk him out of it and remind him that life is worth living, especially if they're together. For Christmas Buffy just wants to have a normal celebration: tradition all the way. In a way this can help Buffy cope with all that's going on her life by making things simple for one day of the year. When Cordelia comes to talk of her Christmas plans, Buffy stays calm and tries to make Cordy feel welcome. She plays mediator and tries to keep her friends together. Buffy also understands that Faith is peeved at her. She wants to make things work with Faith, because their relationship was just starting to click in Revelations. At first Faith isn't ready to face up to the pain she's feeling, but she realizes that Buffy is a true friend; something Faith has never had. When it comes to Angel, Buffy wants to help, but she knows that she has to try to stay away from him. Being in Angel's dreams made Buffy realize that she may be the cause of much of his pain. She wants to stop his pain, and stopping the priests is the first step. Buffy knows Angel is weak and she knows why. Buffy is able to understand some of his pain because she has killed before, and mainly because she killed him. She knows she could never do it again. Buffy hates that she is vulnerable and that Angel has the ability to hurt her, but that's what makes her human. She knows that if Angel kills himself instead of fighting that he has lost the battle to overcome his inner demon. At the beginning of this episode, Willow seems bitter because she is alone, but the whole Christian/Jewish thing probably doesn't help either. Willow seems to be enjoying all the pain she feels. When Cordelia hurts her and makes her feel bad it's almost a compensation for all the damage she has caused. Willow is desperate for forgiveness and wants Oz to be able to trust her again. She wants them to be comfortable around each other again, like they were before. Willow thinks that she will be proving her love to Oz and showing him that he comes first. Oz knows how good and kind Willow is so he is willing to try to forgive her and give the relationship another shot. He knows that he'll never have the relationship with her that Xander has, but that he loves her and hopes things can work out. It's obvious at the outset that he's still uncomfortable around her because of the trust issue, but after her little plan on Christmas Eve he realizes how devoted she is to him and to making things work. This is when Oz shines and shows just how much of a man he is. He knows that she is not ready and admits that he isn't either. He just wants things back to normal, which means that sex can wait. Just like their kiss in Innocence, all the waiting will make it even more special. Cordelia has turned back into her old self because hurting others covers up her pain and makes her feel better about herself. It was great to see that she is not uncomfortable around the Scooby gang. She's ready to move on and forget Xander, which is surprising, because in the few episodes before Lover's Walk, it really seemed that Cordelia was in love with Xander and what they had was more than just kissing in the broom closet. She is wearing her pain like a blinder though, and she needs to accept it and come to terms with her past and feelings about Xander before she can truly move on. Xander isn't in the same boat as Cordelia. He seemed to be on edge when she was around and wasn't able to really accept things. Xander is finally resolving his feelings for Angel though, perhaps because he knows what it's like to hurt someone and need redemption. He is spending a lot more time with Buffy too, because she's the only one with whom his relationship hasn't changed. He doing the equivalent of Giles' "research mode" to cover up some of his feelings. We finally get a glimpse into Xander's private life when we learn about what he has to cope with at home, and hopefully by seeing a little more of his dysfunctional family to help us understand what makes Xander act the way he does. Joyce and Buffy seem to be getting closer and closer as time goes on. Joyce is accepting Buffy's role as the Slayer and Buffy is accepting her mom's role as an authority figure with a lot of responsibility as well. Joyce tries to get things back to normal between Faith and Buffy because she hopes that having another slayer around will make it a little easier on Buffy (not just by having the extra help when it comes to demons, but to have a friend to talk to when no one else understands). Joyce is still extremely uncomfortable around Giles though; even the mention of his name sends her into a panic. Over all I would say there was amazing character development in this episode with a great look into what makes each of these relationships tick. The true meaning of Christmas, or Chanukah, was displayed for each character, whether it was nog, camp outs, or unimaginable destruction. I give this episode 5 eh's out of 5!

Story - by JaKaL
In keeping with the season, this episode features a Christmas theme. However, in true Buffy tradition this holiday episode is not filled with trite "Christmas Special" aspects, but instead takes a different track. In Amends, the Christmas season isn't necessarily the main focus of the episode, but rather, it is used as a tool to look more closely at the lives of the main characters and many of the issues facing them, especially Angel, whose past is one of the main focuses of this episode. The episode opens, and is continually peppered, with scenes from Angel's past - a murder in Dublin in the 1800's and a feeding on a female servant at a Victorian party. These scenes often come to Angel in his dreams, dreams which Buffy, by some power or connection, gets to sit in on too. Throughout this episode we find that Angel is being plagued by visitations and sightings of what appear to be the spirits of his past victims, most notably Jenny Calendar. He and Buffy are trying to stay away from each other, for everyone's good, an idea that the spirits seem to be against as they appear to be pressuring Angel to kill Buffy, stating this is the reason they brought him back from hell. Angel, attempting to find out what is happening to him, goes to the only person he can think of who might be able to help him in his search for answers, Giles. For obvious reasons, he is not warmly received. True to form though, Giles goes into research mode and determines that the priests of a force called the First Evil are sending these visitations upon Angel in hopes of using him as an instrument to kill Buffy. Angel, being the soulful creature once again, refuses to do so and decides to kill himself, by sunlight, rather than do any more harm to anyone, especially Buffy. So as Buffy moves to attack the priests in their lair, Angel goes out to wait for the dawn. Buffy learns of this after ruining the lair of the priests and so it falls to her to find him and convince him not to kill himself. After a tearful speech and a typical Christmas miracle, she manages to do so. Aside from the main plot line, we find several smaller sub-plots and through them gain some insight into the lives of the characters. We see Cordelia's continuing bitterness towards Xander and through this we see a glimpse of Xander's troubled home life. We are also treated to the reconciliation of Willow and Oz including Willow's attempt at seduction. As well, we are reminded that Willow is Jewish, and does not celebrate Christmas, as she tells everyone in what seems to be a slightly bitter tone. Also, we get to see a beginning of reconciliation between Buffy and Faith, a slight closing of the rift opened between them in Revelations. This is done through Buffy's inviting Faith to Christmas and Faith's acceptance. We are also reminded, through Buffy's suggestion of inviting Giles as well and Joyce's immediate refusal, of the unknown events which transpired between Giles and Joyce in Band Candy. This episode was, as Christmas episodes go, pretty good and scored a lot of points on originality, though the Christmas miracle of snow in California is somewhat lacking in originality. One of my favourite factors in this episode was that it dealt more in depth with the day-to-day lives of the main characters without sacrificing the supernatural elements of the show. Overall, I'd have to give it 4 out of 5 ehs.

Villian - by Kaboo
In Amends, the main villains are less tangible than in previous episodes. Buffy, Angel, and the Scooby gang must face not only Angel's dark past, but also the "First Evil" and its minions, the Harbingers or the Bringers. Ultimately, the holiday season becomes Angel's dark night of the soul, where he must choose which path he will take: good or evil. The strength of the First seems to be targeting the evil within, and coaxing it to flower. Thus, with the chants of the Harbingers to empower it, the first haunts Angel by showing him his evil past. The plan seems to be to make Angel intentionally lose his soul by "taking comfort" in Buffy, knowing the consequences of his actions. This situation is very different than the situation in Surprise where Buffy and Angel, in their innocence, have no idea of the consequences of their love. If Angel listens to The First, he will be choosing evil of his own accord, and not simply making a mistake out of love. The First's visions also reveal Angelus in his villainous past, both as a man and a demon. We also see Angel in his first life as "a drunken, whoring, layabout," according to the apparition of Margaret. It seems that Angel, when alive, squandered his life accommodating his appetites, as much as he did as a demon. The demon within Angelus is shown to have an extraordinary gift for cruelty: it was almost an art, as the ghostly father of two of Angel's victims explains. By making Angel confront his past, The First hopes to convince him that his destiny is to do evil. Even after Buffy has defeated the Harbingers, and thus diminished The First's power to conjure the dead, the poison thoughts have been sown in Angel's mind. The elaborate nature of the First's messages, and the parade of Angel's ghostly victims, makes it almost impossible for Angel to resist. Surprisingly, to The First at least, Angel refuses to do evil again. His attempt to defeat the evil within him, by committing suicide through the sun's rays, is unacceptable to Buffy. Angel's belief that he is preventing himself from doing evil is contrasted to Buffy's appeal to him to "do real good. To make amends." Angel essentially must fight himself, his weaknesses, his crimes, and his mistakes, in order to survive, and he feels he hasn't the strength to defeat those evils within himself. Even Buffy cannot convince him that he has been rescued from a literal hell to perform acts of goodness in this world. Only the unmistakable message of the miraculous snow storm, which essentially prevents the sun from destroying Angel, convinces him that his life can be meaningful. As the only time Joss Whedon has attempted to deal with the divine on BtVS, the simple message of love, forgiveness, and second chances stands in stark contrast to the elaborate production of The First's message of despair. Again, evil is defeated by the inspiration of love, the team work of friends, and the strength to forgive. I give this episode 4.5 out of 5 Ehs.

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