Revelations
Written and Directed by
Original Airdate: November 17, 1998
Plot: Faith is assigned a new watcher, who comes to town with details of
a demon that it may take the combined strength of both slayers to stop. Meanwhile, the Scooby gang finds out
Buffy has kept Angel's return a secret from them.
Review
Warning: If your copy of the ancient text which includes information
about the latest episode of Buffy, "Revelations," is on order and you want
to avoid SPOILERS, I'd suggest you turn back now....
In short: In the running for the best of season three....
Every once in a while, a series delivers an episode that reminds
you of all the things that hooked you on the show in the first place.
At times you can see them coming, at others they completely blindside you.
"Revelations" was a combination of both for me. When I saw the
previews and heard a few details, I was prepared for what could be one of
the best Buffy epiosde of the young seasons. But I'll be honest--when the
opening credits rolled and I didn't recognize the author's name right
away, I felt a bit of uncertainty.
Which lasted about five more seconds.
"Revelatios" was exactly the episode it needed to be. Everyone
was exactly in character and in most of the scenes clicked and hummed with
an energy and electricity that permeates the best Buffy episodes such as
Becoming, Lie to Me or Innocence.
The scene in the library when the Scooby gang hosts the
intervention for Buffy was perfect. The dialogue was crisp, taut, full of
energy and exactly in character for everyone. From Xander's outrage and
anger to Willow's attempts to be moderator to Buffy's attempted
explanations to Giles' being the voice of reason, it all worked well. I
especially enjoyed Anthony Stewart Head's performances as Giles last
night. His calmly restraining rage was perfect as he told Buffy that they
knew Angel was alive. And then the scene in Giles' office just blew me
away. We've seen Giles be forgiving of Buffy's need to runaway and
confront her demons. But here we saw a Giles thta is her mentor and
angered by what she's doen by betrayng his trust. The scenes just
crackled with energy and were the most compellling of the entire hour, if
not the entire season to date.
I also like the fact that the gang treated Buffy's problem like an
addiction. It was a nice touch and one that I hope to see them address
again in future.
I also like the fact that for the most part, some of the tension
was resolved a bit, but a lot of it is left under the surface to rear its
ugly head again later in the season. I can see this continuing to be a
source of tension between Xander and Buffy as the season goes on. And I
also like the fact that we got to see that things aren't going to be
hunky-doory again between Buffy and Faith quickly, if ever.
The episode did a good job of setting this friendship up for a
fall by focusing early on the teamwork that Buffy and Faith have. Then to
see it slip away piece by piece until they eventually come to blows over
Angel's fate was nicely done. And I've got to admit that the fight
between them was one of the best choreographed I've seen on the show to
date. And there have been some good fights.
The plotline makes you wonder if Faith may go on the run again
since the planks fo her trust and friendship have been shot out from under
her again. First she loses what she thinks is her new watcher, then she
is alienated by Buffy and the gang, and finally she comes to blows with
her friend over the fate of the enemy. I've got to admit that I'd hate to
see Faith go now if she settles into a vein of being a bit more
antagonistic of Buffy. I think seeing them as big buds was pushing
the limits, but seeing them as rivals of a sort does hold some appeal to
me.
Now, as for the monster plot, it's one of the few I've seen that
actually worked well in the past few weeks. Most of it was that it was
brought into the story early enough to provide some dramatic tension and
keep the story focused. It moved at a good enough pace to keep me
interested and while there was big stuff going on with the revelation of
Angel being back, this plot wasn't given the short end of the stick in
terms of screen time. It had enough to continue to be interesting and to
keep my eyes glues to the screen while it happened.
The only part I didn't like was that it seemed to be resolved too
easily. Cutting off Ms. Posts arm seemed a bit too easy. Of course, I
wondered early if she might be a red herring for some reason and was
seeking the weapon for her own use. It's interesting that's the route
they chose to use. It was motivated fairly well by Giles' final comments
about her being rejected by the guild and so I can see how it works in the
overall plot structure.
What I didn't buy for some reason was how Giles just accepted her
at her word. I guess this may be a hindsight thing where I wonder why he
didn't call the guild to check her out and make sure she is who she said
she was. But as I said, I am looking at this in the perspective of
knowing where the plot went. And because of that, I can overlook this
minor detail and enjoy the episode more.
All in all, this is easily one of the best episodes of the year
and I only hope we get better from here. My faith in Buffy, which was
shaken a bit last week by Band Candy, has been more than fully restored.
Well, that's about it for now, except a few small things...
--As much as I love the tension and funny stuff between Xander and
Willow, it's time to move the plot forward.
--Seeing Buffy and Angel doing Tai Chi was interesting and
certainly a nice continuity nod.
--So will Faith get a new Watcher or is Giles now responsible for
her?
Well, that's about it for now. All in all, a great episode. I
only hope we get more...
My rating: 10.0 (out of 10.0)
Next up: Spike's back....(Just a note. My review may be a bit late next
week due to holiday travel)
"Just another Tuesday night in Sunnydale."
--Buffy
Review Copyright 1998 by Michael T. Hickerson. All Rights Reserved.
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