Teaser
41A) "It's okay. I'll just scrunch in." FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: In the original script, Cordy comments on this, in her typically elitist style, "Can I just say, I liked this place before it got popular?" implying that it used to be cool when she and her group of minions were among the few people hanging out here. Now that it's become "popular," there is, ironically, less room for the "actual" cool people like Cordelia. It isn't as exclusive anymore.--"Revelations" by Doug Petrie, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 2
41B) Willow nudges over a bit with her stool to make room for Oz at the table, and bumps into Xander. She gives him a nervous look. Xander hurriedly scoots over a bit as well, nudging up hard against Cordelia. CONTINUITY CHECK: Xander and Willow are still on edge from their flirtage in Homecoming (see 39FFF-39III) and Band Candy (see 40O and 40XX).
41C) "Xander, why are you giving me a lap dance?" SHOWBOYS: "Lap dancing, pole dancing, table dancing, cage dancing .. the varieties of erotic (or, euphemistically, 'exotic') dancing chage down the years, but the basic theme remains the same. It's generally performed by women for a male audience, so Cordelia's remark has some humour derived fron the gender reversal. The can-can was one 19th century variant, involving high-kicking dancers in showing their knickers (or occasionally lack thereof). As mores have changed, so has what is considered titillating in a club (ie semi-private social) context, and a tableau vivant with women in bodystockings pretending to be Greek goddesses is now deemed less erotic than having a girl grind her groin against you. Well, there you go.
More relevantly, the essence of lapdancing is arousing desire without satisfying it, and a lot of this is going on in the episode. Willow and Xander are covertly flirting, and finding that the covertness is in itself a turn-on. Buffy and the still-concealed Angel are finding it hard to avoid touching each other, but they can't have a physical relationship because of his curse (why doesn't he go to Spike's Beetleman and get his soul sorted out?). Gwendolyn arouses Faith's desire for a Watcher she can relate to, and disappoints it, disastrously for the already alienated Faith. There's Buffy and Faith's nascent friendship, teasing us with the possibility of the two Slayers working in tandem, and then collapsing at the end. And then there's Gwendolyn's desire for the Glove and its power, briefly consummated but cut short, literally, by Buffy."--MsGiles, Tues, 02/17/04 at 05:57:18
41D) Their hands touch as they both reach for her cup. FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "Willow and Xander both reach for Willow's soda - and their hands TOUCH. Instant SPAZ-OUT. Willow knocks over the glass. Xander whips his hand back so fast - CRASH! - it knocks over a passing WAITRESS'S tray. Mock applause from the room."--"Revelations" by Doug Petrie, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 2
41E) "Uh, we're here through Saturday. Enjoy the veal." FOOD, DRINK, AND THEATRE: This is a riff on dinner theatre, in which the audience is seated at tables, eating their dinner, as a performance (either a concert, or a full-blown production--play or musical) plays out on stage. It's usually known for being a lower class form of theatre, although there are some very nice ones, including one near me where the dinner is served and taken away before the show begins, and the shows are directed and acted by professionals. Cheaply done, amateurish community theatre is the norm, though, for this type of establishment.
41F) "...killing zombies..." CONTINUITY CHECK: This refers to the events of Dead Man's Party (see 36XXX).
41G) "...torching sewer monsters..." CONTINUITY CHECK: This refers to the events of the previous episode, Band Candy (see 40Wx4).
FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: In the original script, Xander follows these examples with, "freeing the enslaved populace of a parallel dimension...," referring to the events of the season premiere, Anne (see 35XXX). The fact that this example was cut might indicate to us that Buffy did not tell her friends about what happened to her in L.A. in that episode.
41H) "Well, I just mean, you know, she's off by herself a lot more, and she's kind of...distracted." CONTINUITY CHECK: Although they don't yet know exactly what is making Buffy so alone and disconnected, they definitely do see signs of the secret about Angel that Buffy has been keeping recently (see 39N).
41I) "When your last steady killed half the class, and then your rebound guy sends you a dump-o-gram?" THE HONESTY OF CORDELIA: See 30AAA.
DOT DOT DOT: "The ...-o-gram concept originated with the telegram, a piece of 19th century technology for getting messages around fast.
"Before the telephone became an almost indispensable part of our lives, the ubiquitous telegram was the most popular method that the community could despatch a written message faster than the postal service.
The text of the first telegraphic message transmitted using an electrical telegraph system by Samuel Morse in 1844 was:- 'What hath God wrought'
There were much earlier telegraph systems using methods such as:
Acoustic telegraph - Lines of shouting men. (4th century BC)
Hydraulic telegraph - Glass vases filled with water and a floating stick strategically placed in hills (more water in vase raises the stick - empty out some water lowers the stick).
Optical telegraph - Fires at night. Smoke signals and mirrors during day. Semaphore.
The first use in England of the word 'Telegram' was described in the Albany Evening Journal on 6th April 1852.
Bartlett: 'A friend asked leave to use the word Telegram in place of telegraph dispatch or communication.'
Originally, there was much opposition from scholars because following Greek analogies, the word should have been 'Telegrapheme'." (from Stephen Dorrill's book MI6: Fifty Years of Special Operations)
The telegram was sent from a telegraph office, but delivered by hand, hence when in the 70's it became common to send people a birthday or other celebratory message in the form of a performer - someone dressed in a gorilla suit, or as a policeman or woman, for example - who would then sing, dance or strip, and embarrass the recipient as much as possible - these tended to be called gorill-o-grams, strip-o-grams, etc. The practice still goes on to a lesser extent."--MsGiles, Tues, 02/17/04 at 05:57:18
41J) "I wouldn't use the word 'dating', but I am going out with somebody. Tonight, as a matter of fact." SURPRISE!: This line plays with the audience's knowledge of what is going on versus the characters'. One might wonder here whether (and be surprised at the casual manner with which) Buffy is alluding to Angel, only to find out that her "date" is indeed Faith.
41K) "Really, we're just good friends." FRIENDSHIP: "Other people have already noted the slash here, so instead I’d like to point out the falsity of the claims of certain Faith fans that Buffy and the Scooby Gang drove her to evil by refusing to accept her presence. This simply isn’t true – in Faith, Hope and Trick, Xander and Willow are so intrigued by her that Buffy is jealous (see 37PP), and in Beauty and the Beasts, Homecoming (see 39FF and 39Bx4) and this episode the two slayers have a fairly close relationship." In fact, Faith's future isolation from the group (if not some of the causes of it) is mostly self-inflicted (see 41Qx4).--KdS, Fri, 02/20/04 at 09:41:40, with additions by Rob
41L) Buffy and Faith both roll onto their backs, side by side, each with a vampire on top of them. FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "Buffy and Faith are in mid-fight, as they both get TACKLED by TWO big, nasty-leather VAMPIRES. ANGLE ON: Giles, standing on the sidelines, watching anxiously. We see what he sees: two separate and distinct fighting styles in action [emphasis added--see 41UUU]. Buffy uses her attacker's momentum against him, rolls, comes up on top. Faith just shoves her vamp off her. The two slayer/vampire opponents square off. Buffy lets her vamp make the first move. He lunges. She ducks under him and comes up with a well-practiced combination of roundhouse kicks. Draws her stake...Faith takes the fight to her guy, barraging him with a series of crude, hard shots to the head. Draws her stake...Giles watches as the two slayers stake the two vamps at the exact same moment. DOUBLE DUST."--"Revelations" by Doug Petrie, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 2
41M) "Synchronized slaying." I BELIEVE I CAN SLAY: "From synchronised swimming, one of the most peculiar Olympic sports, involving teams of women in a sort of rigorously choreographed aquatic dance."--MsGiles, Tues, 02/17/04 at 05:57:18
CONTINUITY CHECK: "And one about which Giles will make a surprising admission to Willow in Lessons:
WILLOW: (smiles) Is there anything you don't know everything about?
GILES: Synchronized swimming. Complete mystery to me."--anom, Tues, 2/17/04 at 09:50:06
41N) "Sloppy." FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "Huh? Buffy, Faith and Giles turn to see MRS. GWENDOLYN POST emerge from the darkness. Mrs. Post is a prim, tidy, and not unattractive Englishwoman in her mid-thirties. She clicks off her stopwatch and briskly critiques..."--"Revelations" by Doug Petrie, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 2
41O) "Gwendolyn Post, Mrs." WHAT'S IN A NAME?: "Gwendolyn is originally a Welsh name - in the Vita Merlini it is the name of Merlin's wife (Gwendoloena). The meaning is pretty uncertain (as is the spelling), but the first part of the name is probably gwyn - white.
It became commonly used by English people as well as the Welsh in the Ninteenth Century, and the source of the name here may have been the play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.
The character Gwendolen Fairfax is younger than Mrs Post, but she could give Cordelia a run for her money as Queen of the Bitches. In Gwendolen's hands, words are indeed deadly weapons. Mrs. Post has the same Gwendolen-like ability to discompose, disturb and indeed completely disrupt other people's lives as she moves steadily towards getting her own way."--Pip, Thurs, 02/19/04 at 05:21:36
DEFINITELY NOT "THE LITTLE WOMAN": "Anyone else wonder about Mr. Post & what might have happened to him?"--anom, Mon, 2/16/04 at 23:14:11
MANIPULATION: One wonders how much Gwendolyn knows about Faith at this point and whether she realizes that, as a woman, she could be very effective in using Faith, since her last Watcher, for whose death she partially blames herself, was a woman.
Act One
41P) "I just have this problem with authority figures. They end up kind of dead." UNDERLYING MELANCHOLY: "There's a sadness in this statement of Faith's that makes it all the more poignant when they do have to kill Gwen."--MsGiles, Tues, 02/17/04 at 05:57:18 See 41Jx4.
41Q) "Yes, the actual library." THE EVIL MRS. POST: "Like Maggie Walsh in season four, the forceful and intelligent Gwendolyn Post has no trouble intimidating Giles in what he considers his own field of expertise."--Cactus Watcher, Fri, 02/13/04 at 18:39:01
COMPARE AND CONTRAST: "Gwen proves to be an expert at putting down Giles, if nothing else. This has the effect of further humanising Giles. In the first series he came over as exactly the type that Gwen is so successfully imitating here: pedantic to the point of obsession, cold, fussy, a control freak. It's telling that now he can be favourably contrasted to her."--MsGiles, Tues, 02/17/04 at 05:57:18
41R) "I can assure you, Mrs. Post..." POP CULTURE TIME: "Giles referring to Gwendolyn Post as 'Mrs. Post' is probably a reference to the cult British TV [spy] series, The Avengers. John Steed invariably referred to his sidekick Emma Peel as 'Mrs. Peel'."--Pip, Sat, 02/14/04 at 04:58:22
"Every time I hear Mrs. Post, I think of Mrs. Emily Post's stuffy old books of etiquette. Not sure it qualifies as an annotation, but the priggish Mrs. Gwendolyn Post's manner reminds me of that, too."--Cactus Watcher, Tues, 02/17/04 at 12:26:38
41S) "Excuse me, Mary Poppins, you don't seem to be listening." POP CULTURE TIME: "Mary Poppins, magical perfect English nanny, played by Julie Andrews in the 1964 musical of the same name. Nannies and governesses were professional live-in childcarers-cum-tutors who were popular among the wealthier classes in the UK before WWII, when the gap between wealthy and poor was large, and live-in servants were the norm for wealthier families. Mary Poppins makes learning fun, obedience attractive, and generally raises perfect children without ever not being totally nice. The film is set in 1910, and comes from the books written by P. L. Travers in the 30's. As well as being a perfect nanny, MP is a source of all knowledge (rather like that other mythical servant figure, Jeeves) and doesn't hesitate to share it, much like Mrs. Post, but with more charm (and unfortunately without a dark ulterior motive)."--MsGiles, Wes, 02/18/04 at 08:59:16
"Also worth noting, while never actively disturbing, Mary Poppins is a slightly darker, sterner, more enigmatic and less cutesy character in the Travers stories than in the Disney version (what a surprise)."--KdS, Fri, 02/20/04 at 04:21:35
41T) "The council wishes me to report on the *entire* situation here, including you." SNAKE IN THE GRASS: "Gwen successfully putting into practise the maxim that the best way to defend is to attack. By putting Giles on the defensive here, she distracts him from questions about her own status."--MsGiles, Wes, 02/18/04 at 08:59:16
41U) "The fact is, there is talk in the council that you have become a bit too...American." MR. GILES GOES TO AMERICA: "Very funny line, because Giles was generally 'Mr British stereotype' in Seasons 1 to 3.
There's considerable subtext to it. The Watcher's Council is very 'Establishment' British. The Establishment is generally run on bureaucracy and correct procedure, sometimes at the expense of the people the procedures are applied to. Giles has already thrown out the Slayer Handbook because he realised it would be no use in Buffy's case (see 22GG) - so he's already moved away from British Establishment ideas of 'correct procedure above all'.
When said by a Brit to another Brit, 'you're becoming too American' is usually meant to imply that someone is giving up their true self and true values for the sake of the superficial, that they're trying to look like something that they're not. Since Gwendolyn Post (Mrs) is evil, the line is probably implying that the reverse is true: Giles is moving away from superficially being a 'pillar of the Establishment' (symbolised by wearing a three-piece tweed suit in Southern California!) only concerned with procedure, to a truer self who can love his Slayer as his surrogate daughter.
And finally, this line foreshadows the move away from the 'Old World' way of doing things [the Watcher's Council, based in the capital city of the former British Empire], to the 'New World' [America]. By Chosen, Buffy will end the 'old ways' of doing things forever."--Pip, Sat, 02/14/04 at 04:58:22
41V) "A demon named Lagos is coming here to the Hellmouth." WHAT'S IN A NAME?: "Lagos is the biggest town in Nigeria, and a major port on the Gulf of Guinea, on Africa's West Coast."--MsGiles, Wes, 02/18/04 at 08:59:16
41W) "Lagos seeks the Glove of Myhnegon. No record of this glove's full power exists, but we do know it is highly dangerous and must not fall into the hands of a demon. Lagos must be stopped." A GOOD MYTH-TERY: "In the Mabinogion, the book of Welsh legends, there is the story of Manawyddan, son of Llyr ('w' sounds as 'oo,' and 'dd' as 'th' in Welsh). He lost his castle and lands through magic, and became a travelling craftsman, making astonishing saddles, shoes and shields, and then, eventually, lost his corn to mice. On catching one of the mice, he tied it into his *glove*, and promised to ceremonially hang it for the crimes of its associates. He created a gallows and went to hang it, whereupon a variety of passers-by tried to persuade him not to, one eventually revealing himself to be a his rival, Llwyd, who had turned all his followers into mice to steal Manawyddan's corn, the slow mouse that M. had caught being Llwyd's pregnant wife. Llwyd had also enchanted the castle and lands, so he bargained with M and gave him his stuff back in exchange for the wife. They were tricky times."--MsGiles, Wes, 02/18/04 at 08:59:16
41X) "Uh, twelve, within the city limits." TRIVIA ALERT: Just pointing this out, for detail buffs.
41Y) "I think the council might frown upon that." UM...: "Given what we learn about her later, maybe not." And of course, in the end, Gwendolyn's thirst for power will end up killing her, with a little help from Buffy.--anom, Mon, 2/16/04 at 23:14:11, with additions by Rob
41Z) He and Buffy are practicing T'ai Chi in front of the great fireplace. CONTINUITY CHECK: Angel is continuing the T'ai Chi exercises we first saw him doing in the previous episode, Band Candy (see 40FF), but now Buffy has joined him.
FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "Buffy is practicing Tai Chi together with Angel. Angel's showing her how to move. She imitates his motions, mirroring him. Both lightly sweating. Together they flow like water."--"Revelations" by Doug Petrie, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 2
41AA) "You think they make a patch for this?" SMOKING KILLS: "Nicotine detour. Tobacco, a cultivated plant originating in the South Americas, began to be smoked (in pipes and cigars) and chewed and sniffed (as snuff) in Europe from the 1600's, for its nicotine content, nicotine being an addictive stimulant. The cigarette was a factory-made paper-wrapped smokable tobacco tube invented in the 1900's, based on the cigar, which very quickly achieved widespread popularity as a nicotine deliverer and fashion accessory. The cigarette industry became enormously successful, boosted by the Prohibition in America in the 30's (a). Also by the tobacco companies' patriotic supporting of Our Boys during World War II by supplying them with free cigarettes. The troops came home hooked & started paying for them...in more than 1 way (b). During the 60's and 70's increasing prosperity in the West led to changes in the major health issues for the population, and cancer came to prominence as a major killer. Efforts to find a cure for cancer failed, but identified smoking as a causative factor (a). As for cancer, a few specific kinds are caused by tobacco smoking: primarily lung cancer, of course, but also cancers of the larynx & esophagus & even the pancreas & stomach. Non-cancer diseases linked to smoking include emphysema, heart disease, & macular degeneration (which causes blindness). Cigarette manufacturers knew about the health effects & addictive nature of smoking tobacco for decades while they denied them (b). Eventually in the 80's and 90's this led to a movement to discourage smoking, particularly in public and in communal spaces, which has more recently resulted in widespread bans. Due to the addictive quality of nicotine it has proved difficult for many people to give up smoking once they have started, so a small industry in alternative, possibly less dangerous, methods of nicotine delivery have been established. These include nicotine gum, and the patches which Buffy is referring to here. These last stick to the skin, and the nicotine is slowly absorbed. In other words, Buffy is saying she's addicted to snogging Angel, or something like that. Love is a drug, baby (a)."--(a) MsGiles, Thurs, 02/19/04 at 02:20:54; (b) anom, Thurs, 02/19/04 at 22:01:19
41BB) "I'm gonna try and vent a little hormonal angst by going out there and killing Lagos..." PHILOSOPHICALLY SPEAKING: "Angst: German word for the anxiety or anguish produced by an acute awareness of the implications of human freedom. An important notion for existentialist philosophers, including especially Kierkegaard and Heidegger."--MsGiles, Thurs, 02/19/04 at 04:25:11
41CC) "...and it's another Tuesday night in Sunnydale." METANARRATIVE HUMOR: Another example of metanarration in the Buffyverse. This line refers to the fact that Buffy always used to air on Tuesday nights. A similar joke--"Dawn's in trouble. Must be Tuesday."--is featured in Once More, With Feeling. See 9*2.
41DD) "Hey, you're not the Watcher of me." DEFIANT XANDER: "This may fall into the Duh category, but it's based on children's defiant 'You're not the boss of me!' (i.e., don't tell me what to do)."--anom, Mon, 2/16/04 at 23:14:11
41EE) "The number of a qualified surgeon to remove the British flag from his butt?" PERCEPTIVE XANDER: "Giles is probably being extra hard on him & Willow because of Mrs. Post's goading & questioning of his Britishness (see 41U)."--anom, Mon, 2/16/04 at 23:14:11
41FF) "Right. Stop means no..." LINKAGE: As often happens on the series, the supporting characters' stories reflect Buffy's in some way. Here, Willow and Xander's not too-convincing attempts to keep out of each other's arms mirror the same situation currently happening with Buffy and Angel.
41GG) They wipe and cover their mouths in guilt, but aren't yet sure if they've been caught since Giles is looking at a bookcase. FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "Giles is standing directly before them. They freeze. Long beat. Did he see them? Or not? No way of telling..."--"Revelations" by Doug Petrie, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 2
41HH) "Uh, the probable location of the Glove of Myhnegon. It's, uh, housed in the Von Hauptman family crypt." LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: "If the exact location of the Glove is in a published work, how come Sunnydale wasn’t buried under the rush of artefact-hunters, good and evil? Or has Giles been engaging in some secret magic or informer-pressing?"--KdS, Fri, 02/20/04 at 09:41:40
41II) "Ronnie, deadbeat. Steve, klepto. Kenny...drummer." BAND HIERARCHY: "Among rock musicians, drummers have a notorious reputation for varying proportions of stupidity, laziness and debauchery."--KdS, Fri, 02/20/04 at 09:41:40
41JJ) "Eventually, I just had to face up to my destiny as a loser magnet. Now it's strictly get some, get gone. You can't trust guys." DECONSTRUCTING FAITH: We've had glimmers of Faith's attitude towards men and sex before. See 39GG.
41KK) "You can trust some guys. Really, I've read about them." UNDER COVER: Here Buffy plays a neat trick of, after claiming that some guys can be trusted, obviously with Angel in mind, diverts any curiosity Faith might have as to Buffy's newfound faith (no pun intended) in men by ending her statement with a joke.
41LL) "I mean, I've had my share of losers, but you...you boinked the undead." CONTINUITY CHECK: Just the once, in Surprise. See 25Ex4-25Gx4.
41MM) "Look, Faith, all the Angel issues are still kind of with me, so if you don't mind, I'd rather not." THE TRUTH: Faith will soon learn that Buffy is speaking literally here.
41NN) "I got Miss Priss on my back now. I don't need another babysitter." LINKAGE: Faith will accuse Buffy of trying to mother her, or act superior to her again as their relationship completely degenerates in the second half of the season.
41OO) "Son of a bitch. It's my lucky day." LACK OF TRUST: "Both Slayers are failing to share information, and losing thereby. here, Faith doesn't call Buffy to help with Lagos, resulting in him getting away. However, a few moments earlier, Buffy refused to trust Faith enough to discuss Angel, which pushes her away at the moment when they had begun to establish a bit of rapport, and possibly contributes to the eventual collapse of their fragile bond. She's also failed to tell her friends about Angel's return, risking divisions when they find out, as they shortly will (see 41WW)."--MsGiles, Thurs, 02/19/04 at 04:25:11
41PP) Lagos grabs her by the neck and throws her high and far. SLAYAGE: Buffy and Faith both face Lagos in this episode. Faith, however, is trounced, while Buffy succeeds. Petrie is deliberately contrasting their fighting styles. See 41L and 41UUU.
41QQ) There, to his shock, he sees Buffy with Angel, kissing passionately. BETRAYAL: It is of course perfectly fitting that Xander be the one to discover Buffy and Angel's tryst, since he is arguably the one who feels most angered by it, due to his long-standing jealousy of Angel and disbelief that his soul makes him anything more than a vampire. He holds Buffy up to such a high standard that when she doesn't live up to his vision of her, he becomes very disappointed. This theme will be repeated in the sixth season, when he discovers about her affair with Spike.
Act Two
41RR) The camera circles around them as they continue kissing. FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "Big fat CLOSE-UP of Buffy and Angel KISSING. Really enjoying themselves, both knowing they shouldn't. pulling every bit of sensual pleasure they can out of each other. Finally, slowly, they pull apart. Look each other deep in the eyes."--"Revelations" by Doug Petrie, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 2
41SS) "The world's ugliest fashion accessory." WICKED COOL: "The Glove looks vaguely mediaeval, and more like an instrument of torture than a weapon. We've been expecting something small and soft: 'gauntlet' would be a better word than 'glove' for this massive thing. It's not something any normal person would want to have to wear all the time."--MsGiles, Thurs, 02/19/04 at 04:25:11
41TT) "Once you put it on, the glove can never be removed." PRETTY FINAL: "Unbreakable physical or emotional attachment is a common trope of malevolent magical artefacts in fantasy – the One Ring, the Black Sword, etc."--KdS, Fri, 02/20/04 at 09:41:40
41UU) "Ah! Yes. There we are." FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "Giles' eyes are as wide as a twelve year-old boy reading Playboy."--"Revelations" by Doug Petrie, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 2
41VV) "What's with all the tragedy masks?" ALL GREEK TO ME: "A referent to the masks with exaggerated facial expressions worn in classical times during the performance of Greek plays, including tragedies. Also a forward referent to Restless in which the topic of Greek tradegy comes up in Willow's dream. The allusion in Revelations seems to be that Buffy like the hero of a Greek tragedy has a 'fatal flaw,' her weakness for Angel."--Cactus Watcher, Fri, 02/13/04 at 18:39:01
Greek tragedy also formed a subplot of The Puppet Show (see 9NN).
41WW)
"We
know Angel is alive. Xander saw you with him. It would appear that you've been
hiding him and that you lied to us." WAS
BUFFY WRONG TO KEEP ANGEL'S RETURN A SECRET?: "Buffy believes
she was justified in keeping her secret. Angel's soul has been restored, and
they know better than to start up their romantic relationship again. She is
not entirely certain that Angel is no longer a threat since she does not know
what power brought him back, but she is willing to give him the benefit of the
doubt until she figures it out. She did not believe the gang would feel the
same way after what Angelus did to them, however, and believed that they would
not easily separate Angel and Angelus. So, to protect Angel, she chose not to
tell them he was alive.
Xander is less interested in Buffy lying (although he does display disappointment
in Buffy's actions) than in the issue of what should be done about Angel now
that they know he's alive. He gives a utilitarian argument for the necessity
of Angel's death, a view Faith later gives as well. For Faith the equation is
simple. Angel is a vampire, she is a slayer--Angel deserves death.
Giles is much more interested in Buffy's lie itself. While he understands the
reasoning that led Buffy to lie, he can't accept fact that she lied. He believes
the lie 'jeopardized the lives of all that you hold dear.' Buffy has therefore
betrayed her duty as the slayer."--Masquerade, "Revelations"
Analysis from http://www.atpobtvs.com
41XX) "This isn't about attacking Buffy. Remember, 'I' statements only. 'I feel angry.' 'I feel worried.'" POP THERAPY: This terminology was very big in pop psychology at the time (and might still be today), made famous through daytime talk shows such as Oprah Winfrey and Montel Williams, wherein people do not accuse the person they are angry or concerned about, for fear of making them feel confronted unfairly. "I feel you are being insensitive," for example, rather than "You're being insensitive." The former sounds like a suggestion that the confrontee might want to consider, rather than the latter, which might be perceived as a personal attack. Interestingly, in Willow's first line in this scene, she doesn't use an "I" statement ("You need help," rather than "I think you might need help"), but she catches herself for her next line.
41YY) "What is this, Demons Anonymous? I don't need an intervention, here." ...AND I'M A DEMONHOLIC: "ref. Alcoholics Anonymous, self-help organisation, characterised by group meetings that encourage members to honestly acknowledge and share their problems. It evolved from the church-based Temperance Movement, and the Oxford Group Christian Fellowship, and was initiated by Bill Wilson in 1935, based on his own experience of recovering from alcoholism after a spiritual relevation, and the discovery, with another recovering alcoholic, Dr Bob Smith, of the beneficial effects of group work. The Alcoholic Foundation was established in 1938 as a trusteeship for the group, on the basis of a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. Pamphlets and a book promulgated the system, which spread widely, and has been used as a template for self-help groups in many other areas of social concern."--MsGiles, Thurs, 02/19/04 at 04:25:11
PUN FU: "If 'Demons Anonymous' existed, it would be for demons trying to give up evil (& there might be enough of them on Buffy & Angel to make up a good-sized support group). The organization for people in relationships w/demons would be called 'Dem-Anon' (not demanom, my alter ego!)."--anom, Mon, 2/16/04 at 23:14:11
LINKAGE: "The 2nd time Buffy's friends attempt an intervention with her is in the episode of that name in Season 5."--anom, Mon, 2/16/04 at 23:14:11
41ZZ) "...you would stop him. Like you did last time with Ms. Calendar." CONTINUITY CHECK: Angelus killed Jenny Calendar in Passion (see 29UUU). Although this is a rather harsh statement on Xander's part (and reminiscent of similar statements regarding Buffy's behavior in Dead Man's Party, he does have a point, though one that might have better been addressed in a softer manner, as Willow suggested (see 36WWW).
41AAA) "Buffy, I feel that when it comes to Angel, you can't see straight. And that's why we're, we're all gonna help you face this." I, WILLOW: Note that here Willow is using an "I" statement, as she asked the others to do (see 41XX). Besides Cordy, she is the only one who does this.
LINKAGE: "It might be suggested that the Scooby Gang’s attitude to Faith after her turn to evil may be influenced by repressed anger over Buffy’s shielding of Angel bursting out."--KdS, Fri, 02/20/04 at 09:41:40
41BBB) "But sadly, I must remind you that Angel tortured me...for hours...for pleasure. You should have told me he was alive. You didn't. You have no respect for me, or the job I perform." CONTINUITY CHECK: Giles is referring to the events of Becoming II (see 34DDD).
INADEQUATE GILES: Although in any situation, Giles would have been angered by Buffy's behavior, he is even more sensitive at the moment due to his feelings of inadequacy due to the demeaning and self-righteous manner in which Gwendolyn Post has been criticizing his skills as Watcher. This all but completely confirms her indications that he has no control over his Slayer.
41CCC) "So...this is your home." BUFFYVERSE METAPHYSICS: Kakistos was able to break into Faith's hotel room in Faith, Hope & Trick, because it wasn't yet her home. One wonders whether at this point a vampire would be able to enter without an invitation. See 7E.
41DDD) "Faith, do you know who the Spartans were?" MANIPULATION: "Gwendolyn is obviously trying to manipulate Faith here, by trying to get her to see that her circumstances somehow make her better than Buffy. Obviously, the tactic is less than effective, because while it does increase the rift between Faith and Buffy, it doesn't really build any particular loyalty for Gwendolyn or convert Faith to her cause. The Mayor takes the opposite approach: Showering Faith with gifts (A great apartment, clothes, toys, the knife, etc.) and manages to build a great deal of loyalty. It's also interesting to note that the tactic Gwen uses on Faith is the same one Lindsey will use on Spike - even using the term 'Spartan'- in season 5 of Angel, with similar results. In both cases the Anti-Hero (Faith/Spike) rejoins the Hero (Buffy/Angel) as soon as the realize that their false mentor (Gwen/Lindsey) is manipulating them."--Rook, Fri, 02/13/04 at 17:28:15
Editor's Note: I don't completely agree with the preceding note. While Faith certainly never truly "bonded" with Gwendolyn, I believe that the manipulation was working to the extent that Faith was becoming loyal to Mrs. Price, despite herself. Faith attacks Angel when she thinks he has killed her Watcher, and her words imply that it was personal, rather than merely because he seems to have harmed a human (see 41Bx4), and I also doubt she would have been as affected by Gwendolyn's betrayal if she hadn't begun to believe in her.--Rob
41EEE) "They were the fiercest warriors known to Ancient Greece. And they lived in quarters very much like these. Do you know why? Because a true fighter needs nothing else. I'm going to be very hard on you, Faith. I will not brook insolence or laziness. And I will not allow blunders like last night's attack. You will probably hate me a great deal of the time." WATCHER/SLAYER: "It is a common belief that aggressively irresponsible children or adolescents are actually seeking some form of firm authority to give direction to their lives. Certainly, one can apply this to Faith’s relationship with Gwendolyn, and the magnitude of the shock when her evil is discovered. (Of course, in reality, the Spartan approach to life extended to levels of perversity and sadomasochism which Gwendolyn is probably hoping Faith hasn’t heard of. Not to mention the Spartan idea of the mentor-student relationship generally including sexual service.)"--KdS, Fri, 02/20/04 at 09:41:40
41FFF) "Let him have his games and secret meetings." MANIPULATION: Note how deftly and subtly Gwendolyn is able to manipulate Faith here and sow seeds of discontent with Buffy and the Scooby Gang.
41GGG) "I'm your girl." HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER: Once again, Faith is reeled in with the possibility of violence. Mrs. Post, in a short time, has come to understand what makes Faith tick.
41HHH) "Zero. You were scared, you kept a secret, you know?" IDENTIFICATION: Willow is not angry at Buffy, because she identifies with Buffy's situation, due to her current illicit flirtations with Xander. One might wish that Xander would be as understanding, but his hatred and jealousy of Angel seems to override all other feelings.
41III) "So, are you going to the Bronze tonight, or, uh, are you gonna sneak away for a not-so-secret rendezvous with Angel?" ROMANTIC WILLOW: This line is very reminiscent of Willow's attitude towards Buffy and Angel's relationship in the first two seasons. She was always completely swept away by the romance and adventure of their relationship, and was the first person to encourage Buffy to go for it with him. She was most likely living vicariously through them. See 7DD.
41JJJ) "Rough day." FORESHADOWY GOODNESS: Xander coming to Faith at a dark point in his life could be seen to foreshadow their tryst in The Zeppo.
41LLL) "Guy like that, with that kind of glove, could kill a whole mess of people." LINKAGE: What is disturbing is how Xander, in many ways, can be seen as manipulating Faith for his own ends, as Gwendolyn does in this episode. True, he doesn't have quite as "evil" an ulterior motive as Mrs. Post, but this could indeed be classified as another subtle link in the chain of events that leads to Faith cutting herself off from the group.
41MMM) "You wanted to see me, Mr. Giles?" FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "Her late night look is not as severe. Glasses off and hair down - she's softer. But her manner is hardly coy. She's still in charge."--"Revelations" by Doug Petrie, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Three, Volume 2
41NNN) "She's your first Slayer, I take it?" SWITCH: And for the first time in the episode, Giles has the upper hand (for the moment) with Gwendolyn. Bad pun alert...But Buffy will have the upper hand (or arm, rather) with Gwendolyn soon enough.