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The early days of supernatural drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer focused on Buffy’s (Sarah Michelle Gellar) high school years – while coming to terms with her fate as the Chosen One to battle the forces of evil. During its third season, with Buffy and the Scooby Gang nearing graduation, the show was nearing a crossroads where seeds of new storylines needed to be planted to ensure the show’s future. Thus, “Amends,” the tenth episode of Season 3, enters the picture. It shines as a pivotal chapter that pushes each character’s arc forward, while also being the show’s single holiday-themed episode. Whereas the series had several fun Halloween entries, its only Christmas episode focused on moral dilemmas that shone a light on the roads Buffy and company would take.
Christmas episodes or specials tend to be fun outings with little to no impact on a show’s overall storyline. With “Amends," creator Joss Whedon found the key to making a successful holiday episode for a more horror-leaning series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer: making it relevant for the overall plot. Instead of relying on spectacle or over-the-top tropes, the episode fully tackled what each character was going through to push the narrative forward. From “Amends,” we got the seeds of the eventual spin-off Angel, a raw look at the show’s couples and their rocky roads ahead, and the introduction of the First Evil – a villain who would become Buffy’s ultimate enemy in the final season.
Angel's Redemption Starts in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer's "Amends"
Angel (David Boreanaz), Buffy’s vampire sweetheart who’s damned with having a soul, has a rough time during the Season 2 finale. After having sex with Buffy and losing his soul because of it, he goes on a killing spree that forces Buffy to end his life. In the wake of him being brought back from Hell, Season 3 sees an aimless Angel trying to understand where he fits (if, at all) into Buffy’s life. In “Amends,” Angel is haunted by several ghosts of Christmas past. And while ghosts might not harm him, they do try to influence his actions, as they try to get him to kill Buffy. Meanwhile, Buffy somehow gets intertwined into his guilt visions. This makes them cross paths yet again and sets her on a mission to save him.
Angel tries to prove to himself and his torturer that he’s a changed man. Thus, instead of falling into harming Buffy, he tries to expose himself to the sunlight of Christmas Day and finish his never-ending torment. Buffy tries – and fails – to talk him out of it, but an out-of-nowhere snowstorm ends up preventing Angel’s death. The inexplicability of the event proves once again Angel was sent back with a purpose that he hasn't fulfilled yet. It also gives Buffy and Angel a chance at a last date. It’s bittersweet for those of us who were rooting for them to stay together, but it remains as proof of their everlasting bond. “Amends” explores the complexity of Angel, whose past proves he wasn’t good, not even as a human being, but also shows his present is what matters, for as imperfect as it may be.
The Scooby Gang's Couples Face a Crossroads in "Amends"
In “Lovers Walk,” two episodes before “Amends,” Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Willow’s (Alyson Hannigan) very palpable sexual tension culminates in a kiss. While it was brought forth by their belief that they were about to die – which they obviously didn’t – it came with a price, as they were seen by their respective partners: Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) and Oz (Seth Green). The former chooses the path of violence, while the latter tries his best to – ahem – amend things.
The episode shows Cordelia reverting into a bully again, while bragging about her trip to Aspen (which is mostly about her running away from conflict). But this also foreshadows what’s to come. While Aspen serves as a momentary distraction, her departure eventually becomes permanent. After graduation, she leaves Sunnydale and moves to Los Angeles to form part of Angel’s crime-solving enterprise. Willow being Willow, tries too hard to mend things with Oz. She goes all the way into pushing herself to losing her virginity with him, but Oz notices she isn’t entirely convinced of it – and lets her know there’s no pressure at all. It’s one of the first glimpses we get of Willow coming to terms with her sexuality, as well as the eventual and definitive breakup of the couple.
Buffy's Ultimate Villain Is Introduced in "Amends"
Halfway through the episode, Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) discovers that Angel’s visions are not only that, but the embodiment of the First Evil — the darkest of forces that predates humans and demons — and has the ability to shapeshift. Thus, this explains why it can take the form of several of Angel's past victims, particularly Giles’s former lover Jenny Calendar (Robia LaMorte). Although the moniker might have sounded a bit generic at the time – and with it not having any relevance in the immediate seasons – the First Evil made its triumphantly menacing comeback in Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s seventh and final season.
Given its incorporeal nature, the First Evil’s dangerousness relies on its ability to manipulate its victims into doing its bidding. Thus, his actions have to be done through others, like his attempt in “Amends” to have Angel kill Buffy. This manipulation eventually works on Andrew Wells (Tom Lenk), when he's coerced into opening the Hellmouth under Sunnydale. Instead of having the First Evil remain as a forgettable Christmas baddie, the episode lays the groundwork for him to return as the final and most powerful Big Bad of the series.
"Amends" Relies on the Powerful Performances of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Cast
The power of “Amends” isn’t solely due to the storylines that were introduced in it, but also because of the drama imbued by the performances of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s cast. Gellar and Boreanaz always had an intense chemistry that made it all the more painful when they called it quits for good. The heartbreak feels real when Buffy thinks Angel is going to perish in the sunlight. Also, Head’s conflicted portrayal as Giles is part of the rehumanizing of Angel. While his actions as Angelus in Season 2 were ruthlessly inhuman, the fact that Giles is able to feel compassion for him is perhaps the final step in Angel’s renaissance.
But the strong acting skills of the episode were not only for the show’s main couple. Although Willow’s sexuality storyline was still far away at this point, Hannigan’s ability to portray her insecurity bridges the way there. Knowing Willow was really attracted to women adds a layer to her reticence. Contrary to what ended up happening to his character, in this episode, Green’s Oz is able to convey comprehension and empathy for Willow. It might be inconsistent with his overall arc, but at least we get to see him as a caring being. And, though it was just a glimpse at the beginning of the episode, Cordelia doesn’t digress completely into a bully. Carpenter’s portrayal shows her trying too hard to seem like she doesn’t care, when in fact she is hurt and heartbroken.
Though having a show set in high school represents a challenge when its characters graduate, Buffy the Vampire Slayer started to dip into what lay ahead halfway through their senior season (which is also widely considered the show’s best season), and it worked. This wouldn't have been achieved without the stellar cast that were part of the show. Given how Whedon tends to make his characters suffer, it wouldn’t have come as a surprise to have Angel die and end his arc in “Amends.” Thankfully, this wasn’t the case, and Angel’s crisis led to the critically-acclaimed spin-off Angel. Although “Amends” focuses mainly on Angel and his past, it was pivotal for the future of the whole Buffyverse, while also marking the one time the show dabbled in holiday cheer.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is available to watch on Hulu in the U.S.
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A young woman, destined to slay vampires, demons and other infernal creatures, deals with her life fighting evil, with the help of her friends.
Release Date March 10, 1997
Creator
Rating
Seasons 7
Production Company
Writers Joss Whedon