Amends (Buffy episode)
Encyclopedia
"Amends" is episode 10 of season 3 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
and Angel is haunted with dreams of the people he murdered over the years as Angelus. When Buffy
starts getting dragged into his memory-nightmares, experiencing Angel's dreams also, they realize something not natural is happening. Visions of his past victims, including Jenny Calendar
, appear to him and try to get him to kill Buffy, saying that he will be released from the pain if he does so.
Angel cannot bring himself to do this, so instead he opts to kill himself by standing on a hill and waiting for the sun to come up. Meanwhile Oz tells Willow
he's willing to give their relationship another chance while Cordelia
isn't as forgiving and resumes her previously hostile ways towards the Scooby gang.
Buffy and Giles
figure out The First Evil
has been driving Angel insane.
Buffy finds the Bringers and pummels them. After the First appears to her, informing her that she can't possibly fight it and that Angel is about to be dust, she runs to his mansion to stop him.
Oz goes to Willow's house to watch videos only to find her dressed up and playing Barry White music, intending to sleep with him. Oz appreciates the gesture, but explains to Willow that he wants their first time to be special rather than just a way for her to try and make things up to him.
Buffy finds Angel atop the hill behind the mansion, awaiting sunrise. They have a tense and heartbreaking conversation in which Buffy punches him and he throws her to the ground.
He wants her to leave him alone because he thinks the world is better off without him. With tears in both of their eyes, looking at each other, the heatwave from which Sunnydale has been suffering abruptly ends and the first flakes of snow start to fall. With the weather report saying the sun shouldn't be expected to be seen at all today, Buffy and Angel take a romantic walk through the town.
since both the narrator and Buffy actively break the fourth wall
.
Plot synopsis
It's Christmas in SunnydaleSunnydale
Sunnydale, California is the fictional setting for the U.S. television drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Series creator Joss Whedon conceived the town as a representation of a generic California city, as well as a narrative parody of the all-too-serene towns typical in traditional horror...
and Angel is haunted with dreams of the people he murdered over the years as Angelus. When Buffy
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
starts getting dragged into his memory-nightmares, experiencing Angel's dreams also, they realize something not natural is happening. Visions of his past victims, including Jenny Calendar
Jenny Calendar
Jenny Calendar is a fictional character in the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Played by Robia LaMorte, Jenny is the computer teacher at Sunnydale High School...
, appear to him and try to get him to kill Buffy, saying that he will be released from the pain if he does so.
Angel cannot bring himself to do this, so instead he opts to kill himself by standing on a hill and waiting for the sun to come up. Meanwhile Oz tells Willow
Willow Rosenberg
Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan...
he's willing to give their relationship another chance while Cordelia
Cordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...
isn't as forgiving and resumes her previously hostile ways towards the Scooby gang.
Buffy and Giles
Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure...
figure out The First Evil
First Evil
The First Evil is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The First Evil first appeared in the third season episode "Amends", and became the main antagonist of the 7th and final season.A being manifested from all evil in existence, the First is an...
has been driving Angel insane.
Buffy finds the Bringers and pummels them. After the First appears to her, informing her that she can't possibly fight it and that Angel is about to be dust, she runs to his mansion to stop him.
Oz goes to Willow's house to watch videos only to find her dressed up and playing Barry White music, intending to sleep with him. Oz appreciates the gesture, but explains to Willow that he wants their first time to be special rather than just a way for her to try and make things up to him.
Buffy finds Angel atop the hill behind the mansion, awaiting sunrise. They have a tense and heartbreaking conversation in which Buffy punches him and he throws her to the ground.
He wants her to leave him alone because he thinks the world is better off without him. With tears in both of their eyes, looking at each other, the heatwave from which Sunnydale has been suffering abruptly ends and the first flakes of snow start to fall. With the weather report saying the sun shouldn't be expected to be seen at all today, Buffy and Angel take a romantic walk through the town.
Continuity
- The area where Angel attempts suicide is the very same area where a corrupted Willow will attempt to trigger an apocalypse in "Grave," where it is finally named as Kingman's Bluff.
- Oz refusing to sleep with Willow in this episode recalls his declining her offer to make out in "Innocence". Oz demonstrates again that he does not like doing things that he may want to do for the wrong reason. In this episode, Oz understands that Willow offers to sleep with him to show him that she is invested in their newly reestablished relationship, whereas in "Innocence", he believes she asks him to kiss her (largely) to make Xander jealous.
- Joyce continues to be awkward around even the mention of Giles, thus reminding the viewer of their psychologically youthful indiscretions in "Band Candy".
- Oz asks Willow if she ever had the dream "where you're in a play, and you're right in the middle of it and you kinda don't know your lines or the plot?" Willow has had this dream, or rather nightmare, as seen the episode "NightmaresNightmares (Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode)"Nightmares" is the tenth episode of season 1 of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode's teleplay was written by David Greenwalt, with a story by Joss Whedon, and directed by Bruce Seth Green. The episode originally aired on May 12, 1997, attracting 2.4 million viewers...
", and it became a reality for her in the episode "The Puppet ShowThe Puppet Show"The Puppet Show" is the ninth episode of season 1 of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode was written by story editors Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali, and directed by Ellen S. Pressman. The Scooby Gang becomes involved in the school talent show through the mechanations of new...
". Willow would have this nightmare again during the episode "Restless". - While it is later made clear in Season Seven that The First cannot touch anything, The First as Jenny Calendar touches Angel and, while the touch is brief, his hair visibly moves.
- When Cordelia mentions Xander's family's "drunken Christmas fights", this is the first real hint in the series of Xander's unhappy home life, which is something that will be expanded on later in the series and become very significant in Season Six. Furthermore, Xander is explaining his "Christmas Tradition" to Willow, and it is Cordelia who remarks about his family's "drunken Christmas fights." Whedon himself claimed this to be an error in writing, as Willow and Xander have been best friends since childhood, and she already knows all about the Harris family.
- As The First is trying to manipulate Angel into drinking Buffy, it accurately says that Angel will indeed drink from Buffy, which happens later in the season after Angel is poisoned by Faith.
Arc significance
- This is the first appearance of the First EvilFirst EvilThe First Evil is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The First Evil first appeared in the third season episode "Amends", and became the main antagonist of the 7th and final season.A being manifested from all evil in existence, the First is an...
and the Bringers, who will not appear again until "Lessons", when it returns as the Big BadBig BadBig Bad is a term originally used by the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series to describe a major recurring adversary, usually the chief villain or antagonist in a particular broadcast season...
of Season Seven. - Buffy and Angel renew their relationship.
- The First tells Angel, "Sooner or later, you will drink her." This prediction comes true in "Graduation Day, Part TwoGraduation Day (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)"Graduation Day" is the season finale of the WB Television Network's third season of the drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, consisting of the twenty-first and twenty-second episodes. They are also the fifty-fifth and fifty-sixth episodes of the show overall...
". - Jenny Calendar appears for the last time.
- Oz forgives Willow for her affair with Xander, and they continue their relationship.
- The First tries to convince Angel to kill Buffy. This could be construed as an early attempt to disrupt the slayer line with Buffy's death, and start its plan that eventually takes place in Season Seven.
- Since The First's plan to use Angel to kill Buffy failed, it won't appear again until season seven, where it continues to try and have Buffy killed, this time using Spike.
Promo synopsis
Buffy is standing outside at a phone booth. Strangely, it appears to be snowing in Sunnydale. Buffy says "This season with 1-800-COLLECT, you don't have to be alone for the holidays." She then begins dialing the phone. Buffy hears footsteps behind her. She turns and grabs a stake-shaped icicle, and makes a staking motion before Angel grabs her hand. Angel: "Sorry I'm late." Buffy replies, "You should have called." The two smile, look into the snowing sky, then walk off together.Promo offer
The promo was offering fans the chance to enter a sweepstakes every time they made a call using the 1-800-COLLECT communications system. The prize was a walk-on part on Buffy. Jessica Johnson of Maryland won a three-day trip for two to participate in the episode "The Prom", which aired later in the third season.Promo continuity
The commercial would take place shortly after "Amends", since snow just started falling in Sunnydale at the end of the episode. It is clearly not part of the Buffyverse canonBuffyverse canon
The Buffyverse canon consists of materials that are thought to be genuine and those events, characters, settings, etc., that are considered to have inarguable existence within the fictional universe established by the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
since both the narrator and Buffy actively break the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
.