Buy the DVD:

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer Season Three

Season two left Buffy at loose ends. Distraught over the fact that she had to kill the love of her life, Buffy ran away to become an anonymous face in Los Angeles. Her friends back in Sunnydale created a team system of slaying and were killing six in every ten vampires they encountered. Giles (Buffy’s Watcher) spent the time she was away following leads as to her whereabouts. But, Buffy doesn’t want to be found -— she’s waitressing in a dive, has dyed her hair, and has been going by Anne (her middle name). She gets drawn into a demon plot anyway and decides to return to Sunnydale after triumphing.

Her return is met with trepidation (on the part of her friends), mistrust and discipline (on the part of her mom), and patience and joy (on the part of her Watcher). Giles draws the truth of Buffy’s flight from her slowly and when all is revealed the series picks up the thread it had lost since the end of season two. Normality is not a staple on Buffy, and the quiet is quickly disturbed by the arrival of rogue slayer, Faith. At first, Faith tries to conform to Buffy’s perfect example of a slayer, who balances her social/personal life and slaying. It is apparent early on, however, that Faith would rather do things her way and doesn’t respond well to authority.

Faith convinces Buffy to rebel against the slayer system. It works out for the best until Faith accidentally kills a human being. Although both Watchers are sympathetic (after all, it wasn’t the first civilian caught in slaying crossfire), Faith goes to a very dark place. She even teams up with the ultimate evil of season three -— the immortal mayor of Sunnydale. The mayor planned to ascend (to become a demon) just after giving his address at Sunndale High’s graduation. Buffy convinces the class of ‘99 to arm themselves and fight against the mayor and his cronies. The mayor is eventually lured into the library and is blown up (along with the school). This season introduces humor into entire episodes, more than the previous two, but the special features mirror season two. A good transitioning season about growth and graduation.

Written by: Tracy Elledge

Reviewers Rating: 8.5
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0

Rate It