BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, SEASON THREE: A RETROSPECTIVE ON THE GRANDEST VAMP KILLER WE'VE EVER SEEN

What’s strange about season three of Buffy is it often feels as though it’s just plodding along, making its way to another plane. For the kids at Sunnydale, that means University of California-Sunnydale, where the group (mostly) ends up in the fourth season. In the meantime, a new Slayer appears, one of the series’ best villains establishes himself as the Big Bad and much filler finds its way onto the screen.

This is not to say that season three is bad. These two new characters, violence loving, man-eating Slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku) and the Mayor (Harry Groener), a germaphobic political leader bent on becoming invincible and overtaking the town, are both terrific additions to the series. Buffy and Angel’s relationship becomes increasingly more complicated as they realize they can never be truly happy together, Willow and Oz have sex for the first time, Xander loses his virginity to a randy Faith and the final battle in “Graduation Day, Part Two” is one of the most enjoyable in the series. However, like seasons one and two, this still isn’t quite an A-grade show. But it’s beginning to become that way.

There are a handful of high points in the season, all of which include a new or returning character. First, there’s Faith, Eliza Dushku’s best performance in any given piece of entertainment. Faith is aroused by slaying and loves nothing more than killing vamps; she is immediately accepted into the Scooby Gang fold, despite Buffy’s misgivings about Faith’s disregard for the sanctity of life. When Faith does eventually go rogue and switches alliance to the Mayor’s side, helping him prepare to Ascend into a greater form and overtake the town, Buffy and the Scoobies must take both her and the Mayor down. Even after Faith slips into a coma, we know she’ll be back, and we’re happier for it.

Another new character, who’s only around this season but quickly makes his way onto Angel (which begins where season four of Buffy leaves off), is Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (Alexis Denisof), Faith’s fastidious, laughably British Watcher. We’re also treated to a brief reappearance of Spike, and the introduction of Anya (Emma Caulfield) in two of the season’s best episodes, “The Wish” and “Doppelgangland,” both of which feature the sexiest Alyson Hannigan you’ll ever see. (I can almost hear Joss Whedon saying smugly, “You’re welcome.”) Anya becomes a much stronger, more important character in later seasons. To a certain extent, I view her as a replacement for Cordelia, but a better one. As a vengeance demon turned human, Anya is frank and unapologetically so—and, oddly, ends up being the love of Xander’s life. But we’ll get there later.

My favorite episode in season three is “Earshot,” in which Buffy is suddenly privy to the inner thoughts of everyone around her. While she initially appreciates her ability to snoop, it soon becomes overwhelming, especially when she discovers that there’s sinister activity going down she’d never discover otherwise. Because of its close ties to school shootings, “Earshot,” which was set to air one week after the events at Columbine, was pushed back to air in the fall. It’s a good thing it eventually did; this is a pretty great episode, although it never quite reaches the heights of other novelties like the mostly silent “Hush” and “Once More, With Feeling,” the musical.

Overall, season three never reaches the emotional heights of season two’s finale but is instead carried by the strength of its villain and a random smattering of new characters. Were it not for the Mayor, Faith, Wesley and Anya, this season would have fallen flat. But they’re all there, and we’re grateful.

Better than season one, but not as good as season two and certainly not anywhere near as good as what’s yet to come, season three is something to get through on the way to college with the gang. A B feels fair, no matter how emphatically the Mayor said “Oh, gosh” as he, in giant snake type thing form, fell over dead.

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